Will the real Bryce Michaels please stand up? We are absolutely tickled to have the infamous Ian Marshall of the esteemed LA based Wombleton Records with us today on a very sizzling edition of Naked Fridays. Perhaps you are familiar with some of his alter egos like Bryce Michaels from the Low Down Dirty Dawgs? Maybe you've heard the sultry R & B smooth jazz persona of Curtis Hines Bernard? Or was it Nigel Fletcher on board the pirate radio ship, the S.S. Grouper in the North Sea?

These are all very obscure characters that three or four people in the world actually know about, but I highly recommend a viewing of the Dawgs at some point. Needless to say Senor Marshall is full of PERSONALITY and so are his wide and eclectic tastes in music.

Thank god he finally opened one of the best record stores to date in the United States. Wombelton Records is located in the beautiful Highland Park section of Los Angeles. Please stop by there today and tell him Gay Beach sent ya! When Ian's not at the record store he can usually be spotted putting around at Arroyo Seco Golf Course nearby and taking in some spicy Italian flair in Pomona.

What more can you ask for? Tune in today at 4pm to Viva Radio for a very diverse look into the world of fusion, new wave, adult contemporary, and bizarre European singles. Pretty Cool.

Minimal synth duo Echö, consisting of French singer Mickaël Valli and Catalan songwriter Alexandre Portils Torner, formed a scant four months ago. The guys dropped their first EP, Daydream, this past Monday.

Killer artwork, dudes.

Released via Belgium-based label Romance Moderne, Daydream features a style of electronic music not far removed from a couple synth pioneers named John (Carpenter and Bender, to be specific). As far as electronic music goes, the EP straddles the line between robotic and romantic. The standout title track owes a lot to both New Order and Kraftwerk, with its schizoid drum machine beats and a vocoder-ed chorus.

The rest of the EP is a little harder to pin down. “The Belladonna Ritual,” centered on some dark arpeggiated synth lines and spoken word lyrics, wouldn’t’ sound out of place on Prurient’s rather vile sounding 2011 full-length Bermuda Drain. Meanwhile, album closer “Fleur Fatale” sounds like a minimal synth take on a Gorillaz song. It’s all over the place, for sure, but consistently cold and disconnected, making it a good listen on one of those January days when it’s not 60 degrees out.

Take a listen to the entire EP here: Latest tracks by Echö

This past year the much beloved Ghostly International imprint released Work (work, work), the second long-player from Melbourne doom duo HTRK (pronounced “hate rock”). So, what’s it like…man, where to even begin? Well, musically, it’s oppressive digital drum patterns; it’s grumbling synthesizer lows and icy synthesizer highs; it’s somewhere-out-there guitars; it’s otherworldly voices. It’s a soporific toss…a gentle toss into the abyss – like releasing a dove into the storm-filled sky. It’s also that same dove flying aimlessly weeks later, alive but not exactly free.



So, this music doesn’t seek to entertain or offer respite. Instead, it’s an effort to embody some inertia. Inertia is the subject. The HTRK challenge then is facing up to it, to listen to the statement and ask your self if you think it’s true. Sure there’s a learning curve, but the result, ultimately, is something hypnotizing and strangely addictive.

Recently, I was able to ask the group some questions about their music via e-mail:

VR: How did the group decide on the name HTRK?

HTRK: Sean came up with the name, which I liked a lot, because it alludes to rock music as a genre, as a lifestyle, as a construct, with tried and tested formulas that we both respect and abhor. In the early 2000s, when the band started, we just got new internet connections and discovered music sites like Allmusic and Brainwashed and it felt like the vaults of rock music history were suddenly overwhelming us... at the same time we were surrounded by many weak rock bands in Melbourne so it seemed like fun to deconstruct and reconfigure rock music’s tropes and stereotypes, like the brash guitar solo (like in Panties), classic rock drumbeats, sentimental melodies, et cetera. We hate the guitar, but I use a guitar - this kind of sums it up.

VR: A common criticism of Work (work, work) is that there are no “songs”. What do you make of this claim? Is it relevant to HTRK’s overall aim?

HTRK: These ARE songs, but they have fewer changes than is usually expected in a song, simply because we realized early on in regards to our listening habits that we get bored of songs quite quickly, and we agreed that songs that don’t have too many changes are the ones that best stand up to repeated listens. If you could hear any of our freeform HTRK jams you would realize how much shaping and editing we have actually done. Granted, we conceived of this album as one long track too, and may have been in a bit of a weird headspace when we put it together, but in terms of the formal structure of our songs, it is all intentionally minimal and subtly structured. All in all, plain songcraft is not as important as textures, pure sounds, extraneous noises and hypnotic or rhythmic elements. We do what we can to evoke some sort of sense of oblivion in our music and too much structure works against this feeling of opening up.



VR: The last few years have seen a growing number of musicians embodying an ominous or dark aesthetic. Is there something in the water?

HTRK: People will always enjoy music from artists who explore the outer edges of human experience – these darkly lit parts of the psyche – so that they may not need to go there themselves. But having personally witnessed a descent into darkness to the point of death by my band mate Sean, I am at pains to further explore the somewhat well-beaten path of depravity and illness which accompanies an ongoing fascination with all that is ‘against nature’. Most ‘dark’ rock bands coming out today bore me as they are so cartoony. If they were a bit more self-reflexive about it then it would be OK but this darkness seems so marketable to them, I cannot take it seriously. A band like Tropic of Cancer are one exception, especially live, as their songs are like a De Chirico painting, the same two or three elements perpetually re-arranged and reconfigured, ad infinitum; they seem helplessly trapped in the same ultra-depressive two-chord progression, unknowingly expressing the inertia that is the true darkness, and beautifully so.

VR: What is the creative process like for HTRK? Is songwriting founded in live performance/rehearsal or do things happen more often in a studio setting?

HTRK: With HTRK I think the weird thing we used to always do is that the three of us would not say a single word to each other during rehearsal. We would go for hours and hours of jamming before finally stopping, and we would have a quick word about how work was that day and then we would go home. Sometimes we would record ourselves and listen back later to see what worked. The songwriting process was always as follows: Sean or myself would write a beat and then he would devise a bassline, upon which Jonn and I would write our respective parts. Later on the computer we might use Ableton Live to copy and paste bits here and there, or add synth lines, and create loops or drones, but the digital editing was always subservient to the aim of bringing the song as it existed in our imaginations at the time into reality.

VR: Who would you identify as your primary influences, musical or otherwise?

HTRK: Our influences change slowly from day to day but during the final stages of Work (work, work) our primary influences came from Avalon-era Roxy Music, Mika Vainio, early Vladislav Delay and maybe Throbbing Gristle, though with TG more in the ethos than the music. Perhaps more influential and straightforward inspirations are the films of Philippe Grandrieux, the George Miles cycle of novels by Dennis Cooper and also the fun we had at Behind Bars, a queer anarchist party in London.

VR: Work (work, work) is a harrowing and audacious statement – where do you foresee the group’s sound heading in the future?

HTRK: I am disappointed that you find this album harrowing, as it is meant to be soothing. A lot of thinking and un-thinking has to go into what we will sound like in the future, and it is way too early days to say anything about it here...

Work (work, work) is available now via Ghostly. Purchase it here.

On January 17th, Welsh artist Cate Le Bon will release her second LP, Cyrk, courtesy of The Control Group. A mysterious and often foreboding cauldron – the contents of which can only be guessed at (maybe some Nico here, some Malkmus there, certainly some Annie Clark and Eleanor Friedberger throughout…) – Cate Le Bon’s songwriting as a whole is hard to pin down. What isn’t hard to grasp, however, is that it’s good – vibrant, exciting, living, and a bit creepy.



Cyrk refuses to stand still, and for this reason it can be a tad challenging for those looking for a walk in the park. “Falcon Eyed” is a confident garage rocker that serves as a proper introduction to the now more band-indebted Cate (her previous release Me Oh My felt a bit more “singer-songwriter”); title track “Cyrk” recalls the sleepy bedroom keyboards of The Fiery Furnaces’ Blueberry Boat; “Julia” haunts with repetitious guitar lines and a maybe broken organ; “Greta” is heavy on the feedback and the Magical Mystery Tour. Of course, that’s just Side A.

But Cate and the crew never sound lost, and the contents of Cate’s cauldron never flail or spill over. Instead, they seem to peer out from its inner edge: watching, maybe waiting. Yes, for all of Cyrk’s musical diversity, the album is actually more notably marked by an informed sense of restraint. The band is careful, always in service of the song: never self-indulgent. The results are excellent, and Cyrk is a sophisticated (but never uptight) record that rewards listeners that give it the attention it deserves.



While out on the road with St. Vincent late last year, CLB was nice enough to answer some questions for us via e-mail:

VR: What was the songwriting process like for Cyrk? Did it differ greatly from that of Me Oh My?

CLB: I can't really remember how I wrote the songs for Me Oh My. Since it was my debut all the songs on it were written at different times, some had been knocking around for years. On the most part they were written on acoustic guitar with the mindset that I would like to add a little more instrumentation in the studio. The songs for Cyrk all came about at the same time. Again, I can't really remember writing them all but I know that when I did I had them almost fully formed as 'band' songs in my mind.

VR: Cyrk is a term that refers to the iconic and often bizarre circus posters painted in Poland during the 1960s. What do you see as the relationship between that artistic moment and your own?

CLB: I am lucky enough to own one of the posters, and it sits on my wall in my living room. During the recording of the album, the 'business' and 'logistical' sides of things were bogging me down. It would often leave me feeling frustrated and despondent to the record. I was admiring the poster one day and smiling about the fact that it advertises the circus, no particular circus, just the enterprise that is The Circus. The posters are playful and colourful and were often stuck up outside of shut down warehouses and factories. It occurred to me that I had lost track of why I was recording an album. It was purely for music's sake and the poster reminded me of that.

VR: You’ve stated in previous interviews that a string of pet deaths influenced the writing of Me Oh My. What were the lyrical/musical influences behind Cyrk?

CLB: I suppose it reads like a time-travel-travelogue that continually returns to the sea and trees.

VR: Early in your career Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals took you under his wing. How did that come about? Was he involved with Cyrk?

CLB: Gruff saw me play a solo show in Cardiff and then invited me to support both the Super Furry Animals for a few shows and himself on his Candylion tour, which was great. I have always been a huge fan of his, he is one of the greatest songwriters of all time and so to have him be so supportive was a dream come true.

I asked him for assistance when it came to the track listing of Cyrk, and he nailed it. He also suggested adding some backing vocals on “Falcon Eyed”, which we did in the front room of my house in Cardiff. That man can hit some crazy high notes. I value his opinion greatly, and I imagine, unfortunately for him, that as long as I'm making music I'll be running every note past him.

VR: You’ve recently concluded an American/European tour with St. Vincent. How was that experience? How does touring in America compare to that of Europe?

CLB: I can hardly put into words how incredible an experience I had on the road with St. Vincent and her wonderful band. They were such generous musicians to be travelling with. Although the audiences were rather big, for the most part they would pay attention and be responsive to my solo sets. I suppose that's a testament to Annie and the fans she fosters.

We did the European leg of the tour in a splitter van as opposed to a tour bus. It was quite arduous travelling for hours cross-country during the day. The constant battle of trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in before your neck gives way and your ass goes numb is a full time job in a splitter. Still, it was fun once we got to wherever we were going.

The whiskey was better in the US, but the food in Europe was killer.

VR: What were your favorite records growing up? Was music something you inherited from the family or something that required venturing out on your own?

CLB: Fortunately my dad has always been into music and so I was exposed to the likes of Steely Dan, Neil Young and The Velvet Underground on family holidays. There was the darker side: Counting Crows, The Black Crowes, Pearl Jam…but we don't talk about that. In a reaction to my obsessions with shocking bands, Jono sat me down when I was 13 and played me Pavement's Brighten the Corners. It blew my mind and became the first time I openly professed my love for a band that no one else in school had heard of or thought was cool. I genuinely loved it so much I couldn't have cared less. Hats off to Jono.

VR: Okay, unfair question: favorite song of all time:
CLB: Hmmm, this changes daily but today I would be inclined to say Yoko Ono's “I Have A Woman Inside My Soul”.



VR: And, while we’re at it (another unfair question): favorite album of all time?

CLB: Faust's Faust IV

VR: Lastly, what contemporary artists/records have you been listening to recently?

CLB: I cannot stop listening to Before Today by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti. It's borderline problematic.

I have also been exposed to the musical offerings of St. Vincent every night for the past 9 weeks, and I am still excited by it.

For more info on Cate Le Bon head to her website. Cyrk is available January 17th.

Last night at the Mercury Lounge we caught the Brooklyn based Italo-influenced newcomers AVAN LAVA. Given the fact that these guys haven’t released anything yet (their first EP, is slated to drop next month), they do have quite a stage show together.

AVAN LAVA seems to be frontman TC’s platform for throwing a 45-minute party. Live, TC is backed by a killer light show, choreography, two backup dancers (one braless, the other eschewing pants altogether), and a guy who plays a drum machine with glowsticks and looks like Cameron from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Party on!

Flex Fantasy EP Minimix by AVAN LAVA

Lava were at their peak when they simply established a killer bassline and rode it for eight minutes (also known as the “Roy Ayers route”). Equally nice, the band used an old analog synth to provide the low end, giving them a thick throwback sound that sounds way better than most laptop using funk-revival bands. It was also a treat to see some full frontal "rhythm nation" choreography happening before my eyes amidst this post high holiday season.

However, lyrically the band keeps things nice, pared-down and retro. A song which I’m going to assume is called “I’m Going Dancing” featured the singers repeating that same line until, well, they went dancing. TC’s backup dancers literally grinded on everything on stage, from the members to the mic stands to each other. Call it trite if you want, but their next song contained the lyrics “I fell in love with a homeless man,” so I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Straight off the beach and into the dance-filled night, Perseus is crisp and true like Welch's concord grapes. The project – if it wasn’t mysterious enough already – lists its genre on Facebook as:

l??? ??l?*?? ??i??? ???|___??? _?_? ___??p__?? __??__?? _|??? ? ??i??? ??l????i??? ?

What’s that…pi in a beach house? Pi taking it easy in the shade of some palm trees? Pi DJing the terrace of a houseboat that’s heading for the wide-open ocean? None of these questions really make sense, but one listen to the Russian Girlfriends EP (released via the fantastic French-Express imprint) should clear things up. Actually no, it probably won’t clear anything up, but it will get you forgetting you asked, forgetting and then dancing. That’s kind of the point.



Opener “Cool Runnings” kicks off with some vinyl crackles – a false siren to all the warm beach lo-fi heads – before jumping into a pristine pulse: dubby bass, a steady kick, delayed and cut vocals, high-pitched congas. The production is ace; the groove is undeniable. “Russian Girlfriends” keeps up the spirit with repetitious vocal motifs and a bustling drum loop, and “Running Back to You” samples its hook(s) from Ashanti’s 2001 single “Unfoolish”.

And then it’s over. The EP runs a brief sixteen minutes. It’s just enough to get a good party going. Here’s hoping for a lengthier release in the near future. Perseus, keep us dancing all night long.

Russian Girlfriends is available for FREE download via French-Express here.

The very dreamy (as in they really are quite handsome fellas) Swedish outfit Serenades recently stopped by the Viva Studios on their mini NYC tour in mid December. My friend Tim sent me an email recently that said check out this band. I didn't realize Modern English got back together. He was indeed referring to Serenades very 80's influenced brand of delicate pop.

Adam Olenius also of the band Shout Out Louds met Markus Krunegård at a gas station while the two were on tour in Europe. Funny things happen at those Euro gas stations. Fruit is exchanged, free refills on soda are not allowed, but most importantly friendships are bound to solidify.

This session finds the group in a less electronic based sound and more of a Crosby, Stills, and Nash flow as they stripped down for a classic Me + You unplugged vibe. Check out the entire interview with exclusive songs recorded at the Viva Studios today at Noon on Me + You.

So the NBA is back. Does anyone really care? Not this gentle Prefab Sprout loving drunk dial Microdisney Holidazed fan. So sports is pretty cool. Perhaps its the spirit behind it all. The vomiting outside the football parking lot. The jocks focussing on Michigan brunettes to motivate their next win. Or maybe its just about the bounce, bounce, shake, shake, shoot shoot formations! Here's a little gem that our lovely Max Burger Time unearthed. Go Bullets!

Every Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. Anastasia Filipovna & JM Moser, AKA Gentle Persuaders are rockin’ on our airwaves, serving up an eclectic + cosmopolitan mix of pop, disco, house, world and more. Thankfully, this Berlin-based duo is just getting started – and we’re feeling great about it.

Recently, I had the opportunity to ask Anastasia and JM a few questions – here’s what we came up with.

The Viva-Radio Interview:

VR: How’d you guys first become involved with Viva-Radio?

AF: I guess we both like radio a lot, and do other radio stuff and wanted to do even more radio stuff. And we liked Viva so we simply emailed them with a promo mix we did. And they liked it and now we have the show.

VR: Tell me a little bit about your respective musical backgrounds?

JM: I started buying hip hop vinyl when I was 13, during high school I was hanging out in dirty rehearsal basements with my punk band. I have always been collecting records and playing them to friends. I started DJing a few years ago.

AF: After a love/hate affair with Fun Factory and Mr. President, I became a teenager, and what really shaped me was Radiostacja, an awesome polish radio station that had lots of original shows. I had a drawer full f tapes that I recorded from that – a lot of grunge, punk, new wave, rock and later dancehall and reggae. Anything really, though, they were super eclectic. And then I went to live in Ibiza and London and got hooked on dance music.

VR: What kind-of reaction do you hope listeners will have to your Viva show? What are your goals for the show?

AF: We sure hope there are people out there that like what we play. It’s fun to share our favorite music.

JM: We like to mix it all up: house, pop, disco, rock, world music, anything. I guess we like to keep our listeners surprised.

VR: What would you consider the single most important record of your musical life?

AF: ...Just one? I actually wanted to get a loop from Inner City’s “Good life“ tattooed on my arm. But really, we can make you a mixtape about this.

JM: B.W.H – Stop: best italo track ever made and the one that got me pretty much hooked.

VR: What are some records that you find yourself returning to over the years?



AF: You know when you remember some moments and there is literally a soundtrack playing in your head when you think of them? That’s probably why I’d come back to these. “Coco Jambo“ by Mr. President, “In Bloom“ by Nirvana, Spokój i Rece’s “Pidzama Porno”, “You Rock Me“ by Larry Heard, “Downtown Train” by Tom Waits, ”Naive Melody” Talking Heads, “Would I Lie to You” by Charles and Eddie, “Hypnotized“ by Fleetwood Mac.

JM: Shina Williams’ Agboju Logun – it’s eternal. Wu Tang Clan’s Enter The 36 Chambers – so raw, so good.



VR: Being that it’s the end of the year, I’ve got to ask: What were some of your guys’ favorite records + tracks of 2011?

We think the brand new Soft Rocks Album, The Curse of Soft Rocks on Esp Institute is pretty great, also, the Vibe 2 Compilation, Future Times. Omar S’ Here’s Your Trance Now Dance got us pretty excited too when it came out earlier this year.



VR: Okay, so let’s say it’s the perfect night in the perfect club with the best of company: Where are you? What year is it? And what’s the DJ playing?

AF: I would say May Day in Berlin out on the streets in Kreuzberg. It’s like the best festival; you don’t have to sleep in the tent because you can walk home. And every bar, every restaurant and every club puts sound systems outside and has a block party. There are tons of people on the streets and there are riots all over too. And you can do an endless loop between Farbfernseher, Kleine Reise, Soju bar and Berghain’s garden where great DJs play great music and you just meet all your friends. It’s pretty amazing. This year I got sore throat from singing “Beggin“ by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

JM: DJ Harvey playing some music with steel drums or something like that…on a boat in 2035.

Hey! So tune in to the show every Wednesday!

Or if you can’t wait another minute, check out the contributor’s section at Viva-Radio for a full archive of shows past.

Now that’s some gently persuading goodness!

New York City's The Postelles have graciously given us a classic Naked Friday's Guest playlist here for this second week of December.

There's plenty of bands in Brooklyn making all kinds of cool noises with synthesizers, harps, and saxophones. The Postelles on the other hand are keepin' it pretty real these days. They are simply a rock band from Manhattan rooted on the classics. We're looking forward to hearing more from them in 2012 as they've just wrapped up a debut album and a few tours supporting the Kooks and the Wombats this past year.

Check out today's exclusive Naked Fridays mix from the Postelles at 4pm on Viva Radio!

The very funny Jena Friedman who now writes for the hot hot rated David Letterman is back again with one of her signature Ted & Gracie shorts. Could Ben Kronberg's beard get a little more creepy? Gracie seems to enjoy every minute even if he is a psychotic "cereal" killer. Enjoy this nice Mid-December edition of Ted and Gracie below!

How do we F'ing begin this session? We smoke weed from an apple bong, shotgun about ten beers, and then gently massage each other throughout the interview.

I give you a high energy autobahn beer fueled cluster of Nashville via Detroit landing the mothership to Brooklyn, NY the wonderful Call of the Wild. COW features superstar traps all star Allison Busch via Awesome Color, the wonderful Johnny Motherfucking Collatti on guitar/vocals and Max Peebles on the bass machine.

I think every Me + You session should start off with watching the birth scene from Alien Nation The guys really seemed to get pretty inspired by this unique science fiction cinema verite. We moved onto other topics like how much weed do you smoke? What kind of gear do you use? Have you ever thought about freedom and fashion while singing your songs?

Call of the Wild is probably the best thing going for Kings County right now. We had to edit this interview for Viva Radio because of all the lost children wondering through American Apparel stores on a Monday Afternoon at Noon. But you can catch the whole unedited version here later today on our blog! COW for Liife!

Tim Nordwind from Ok Go recently popped into the Viva Studios for an exclusive guest playlist for Naked Fridays. Of course you probably know them from their stunning YouTube viral video hits and their extensive years of world tour domination. Tim was in town performing with his new group Pyyramids on the Paracadute label which is a project he's been working on with Drea Smith, formerly of He Say She Say.

The playlist is full of some great tunes that Tim has been listening to lately as well as some Midwest classics that we bonded on including Dayton, Ohio thrift store divas Brainiac. Also of interest was Tim's encounter of trying to coerce Sexy Sax man to pop out of cake for singer Julian of Ok Go's birthday. There's plenty of sax to be had on this playlist and then some. Check out the whole interview and songs today at 4pm on Naked Fridays and here on our blog.

Woman, the first long-player from the five San Diego dudes that call themselves Cuckoo Chaos, is something quite special. Released this past September by Lefse Records (Youth Lagoon + How to Dress Well), the LP is comprised of seven tracks, all of which exemplify the band’s technical prowess, their meticulous attention to detail and, perhaps most importantly: their undeniable respect for the groove. This is to say that nothing on Woman ever threatens that groove. The groove is holy. And so we the people, we never stop dancing. No matter how intricately those three guitars weave and no matter how serenely the boys sing – the groove is there for us like the beating of a heart.



Opener “Jesus Flag American Fish” wastes no time. Jangly guitars a la Dirty Projectors nab you right quick. Seconds later the rhythm’s got you too. A full minute into the track (a really great minute!) and primary-singer Scott Wheeler addresses Susie, one of the women of Woman, ever so gently:

Susie, you are following me around again.
But I’ve been so lonely that I hadn’t noticed you there.
Susie, you are beautiful.
But I’ve been so tired that I have sleeping my life away.

The first chorus comes in catchy and communal, “Get up! Get up! Get up!” Now, a lot of people don’t like to dance in public; I kind-of understand this. These same people, they probably won’t talk about how they dance late at night in private; I kind-of understand this too. But come on. How can you not? Christ, just play air guitar next to your girl if you have to. Just don’t stand still.



Well, that’s just the opener (and lead single), but I should say the rest of Woman is equally as addictive. Other highlights include the compact and skillful “Bad Bad Man”; the Isaac Brock channeling “Just Ride It”; and delicate closer “Massage Song”. Least to say you need to check out Cuckoo Chaos, like right now.

Stream/purchase the album from Bandcamp.




Recently, I had the opportunity to talk (via e-mail) with the group’s lead-singer/guitarist Scott Wheeler, and he was kind enough to answer some question for me:

Q. Okay, let’s start with the basics. How long have you guys been a band? And how did the five of you guys end up playing together?

A. I think the band has been around for about four years or so. It started with Jeremy and I (Scott) recording folk type songs for fun during a vacation. We weren't too serious at that time but managed to make a few jingles we really liked. When the decision came to try it out as a live entity, Jackson joined along with a friend of ours, Craig. Things were a little rough and shortly after we decided to take a break. I started experimenting with a more groove-based sound and when I was asked to open for Rafter, a local hero of mine, we reformed and Dave was added as the new drummer. We were received well, however, shortly after Craig had made plans to move to New York, and that's when Garret joined on bass. The rest is history...

Q. Who would guys cite as your primary influences, musical or otherwise?

A. I'd have to say we agree on Talking Heads, Radiohead, Deerhoof... All five of us come from way different musical backgrounds so those are some of the more popular ones that we all agree on.

Q. Woman is an extremely detailed record riddled with spontaneous guitar riffs, addictive vocal hooks and a hard-working rhythm section. As a whole though, your tunes are never overwrought or self-indulgent (and with three guitars, they certainly could be). Ultimately, the groove always reigns. So, what’s your guys’ songwriting process like? Does it take a lot of tinkering to find the balance between the group’s rhythmic and progressive tendencies?

A. I usually bring ideas to practice. Sometimes they're finished but most times they're incoherent thoughts. I usually start riffing around and let the other's join in. There is a lot of open discussion among us, which I really like. We all had to sign a contract to leave our egos with our girlfriends, but with that said; some songs come more easily than others. We've been known to "over-tinker" to the point where we axe the tune entirely. In the end we're trying to maintain the groove, which I'm not even sure we know how to do yet.

Q. I hesitate to ask any band with a biography that contains the lines, “John the Baptist of cunnilingus” and “The Henry Ford of Dada” to illuminate on specific song/lyric meanings, but I’m curious: what inspired the lyrics on Woman? Is there an overarching theme throughout? One or two or three women, perhaps?

A. Mostly they're just visceral regurgitations of a specific time period.

Q. Once, in an interview with himself, David Byrne stated that, “Music is very physical, and often the body understands it before the head.” Is this is a sentiment you see as relevant to Cuckoo Chaos?

A. Definitely. I think it's undeniable. I mean think about it, your heart beat is constantly keeping your body in rhythm so naturally when music has a great beat, your body moves along, or at least wants to.

Q. Oh, and speaking of David Byrne, I heard he checked out one of your New York Shows this year. How was that?

A. Ha. It's funny. I'm not really sure how it all started. I mean it's true that he was at our show. We were opening for Anna Calvi on her US tour, so it's tough to say if he had heard of us beforehand. Either way, I'm glad we didn't know he was there until we were done. I remember Anna's tour manager saying, "David Byrne's here." He had this pearly grin on his face. I remember telling him how much I was listening to Remain in Light earlier that evening so I said, "Bullshit." Thinking there was no way! He just pointed and there he was, stage left about three rows back. He was surrounded by loads of people, but his unmistakable hair was glowing as if backlit by a halo. I turned and said to Jackson, "Psst... David Byrne is here!" His reply was, "Bullshit!" It was great. We all shook his hand and said, "Thanks."

Q. I know you guys are pretty active in the San Diego scene. What was it like coming up there? Is it pretty tight-knit & friendly or more on the competitive side? Are there any upcoming bands/projects from the area that we should be listening to?

A. I think coming up in any town makes you feel like your sort of attending High School again. No matter how big the city, you end up seeing the same struggling musicians trying for it, so naturally there tends to be the formations of cliques and whatnot. The most competition we feel comes from ourselves: that eternal striving of trying to improve. It's a real joy when you've kicked the shit out of yourself and come out the other end victorious. I'd have to say Rafter is one of the best San Diego musicians. Everything he does is incredible, and he is an inspiration to us all.

Q. Favorite records or tracks of 2011?

A. Unknown Mortal Orchestra's album is killer.

Q. 2011 was a pretty solid year for you guys– What’s in store for 2012?

A. Currently we're finishing up an album, and I think we're planning on touring our asses off.

Tammar

This past September, Indiana five-piece Tammar released their debut LP, Visits on Suicide Squeeze. And while it’s definitely a stunning moment for the band – their only previous releases were modest, vinyl-only affairs for the elusive St. Ives imprint – the record, by its hypnotic drone-and-kraut-pulse + rise-and-fall dynamics + wise and observable restraint, reveals a group with a lot more to say. What I mean is that Tammar is band with (at least) a few more of these stunning moments to come.




On Visits, Tammar looks forward with poise. They're on the move and my god, you might just wanna follow them into that wild, cinematic horizon (Hey, I know I do).

Peep the official video for Visits highlight “The Last Line” below:

Tammar: "The Last Line" Official Video from 19th State Productions on Vimeo.

Zee Avi is from Borneo, Malaysia. It's not next to Russian, but it is the third largest island on planet earth. Greenland being the first. Just wanted to kick off the week with a little geography.

This week we welcome singer songwriter Zee Avi to the Me + You roster at Viva Radio. Zee started singing about five years ago and experimented with posting youtube videos anonymously. After spending some time studying in London and mulling over an existential turning point in her life she received a phone call from a record label expressing interest in her music. Fast forward a few years later and she was signed toBrushfire Records which is partly owned by Jack Johnson. And might I add this did not go down on Adult Friend Finder.

If you're not familiar with Zee's music please do yourself a favor see her in concert and listen to this very intimate and laid back interview we did back in October during CMJ. Zee played "Milestone Moon", "Swell Windows", and "The Book of Morris Johnson" all from her latest album Ghostbird. Catch the entire twenty eight minute interview today on Viva Radio at Noon and archived on Me + You.

Reeling through the Autumn season here and catching my breath after a few weeks in Cali we return to some more naked fridays guest playlists from Mahogany. Founding member Andrew Prinz, Jaclyn Slimm, and the lovely Khaya Lou from the band stopped by the studio during CMJ to unleash some Autumn gems.

Mahogany, who's been around since the mid 90's, have constantly reinvented themselves through a combination of vocals, cello, massed guitars, pianos, melodicas, and whatever you wanna call it! We're just hoping there will be plenty of bumping and grinding going on at their next show! They have a new EP being released here in the coming weeks entitled "Electric Prisms" on Boulevard Records. In the meantime you can get a glance at what they've been listening to right here at 4pm on Naked Fridays on Viva Radio!

2011 LA American Apparel Warehouse Sale / Viva Radio by Viva Radio

Oh man, it’s the return of the American Apparel Factory Flea Market.

Keen L.A.ers know what this means, but for the uninitiated, let me explain: From October 21st – 31st, from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., fashion-haven American Apparel will be (once again) opening its factory doors to the public for a flea-style sale extravaganza! Did someone say up to 90% off? Yes. It’s going to be a good eleven days.

Superhumanoids

But that’s not all: Viva-Radio will be on the scene! From October 21st – 23rd, Voice of Viva & Me Plus You host, Ted Shumaker , will serve as the madness’s master of ceremonies, ushering in DJ sets from Viva-Radio Vets – Ryan Hamilton, Mark Walat and Maxwell Williams; Jared “Hondo” Swilley of The Black Lips; “Kickball Katy” of La Sera and Vivian Girls; John Fell Ryan of Brooklyn’s indescribable Excepter; dream-duo Puro Instinct; L.A.s own Jimi Hey (who Ted assures me, “really knows how to throw a party”); James Curd of Chicago’s Greenskeepers and many more.

Puro Instinct

It’s all going down at 747 Warehouse Street, Los Angeles, CA., 90021. Happy Hunting & Good Luck.
Here's a peek at 2008's festivities. 2011's DJ set schedule is below that.

Friday 10/21
02:30PM - 04:00PM - Katy from La Sera & Vivian Girls
04:00PM - 05:30PM - Jared from The Black Lips
05:30PM - 07:00PM - Austin from Puro Instinct
07:00PM - 09:00PM - Piper from Puro Instinct

Saturday 10/22
10:00AM - 11:30AM - DJ Tedward, Voice of Viva Radio
11:30AM - 01:00PM - Ryan Hamilton of "You Could be Free Again" Viva Radio
01:00PM - 02:30PM - Mark Walat of "Sly" Viva Radio
02:30PM - 04:00PM - Superhumanoids
04:00PM - 05:30PM - DJ Jimi Hey
05:30PM - 07:00PM - Young Adult
07:00PM - 09:00PM - James Curd of Greenskeepers

Sunday 10/23
10:00AM - 11:30AM - Morgan Phalen
11:30AM - 01:00PM - Maxwell Williams of "Maximum Thrills" Viva Radio
01:00PM - 02:30PM - Kisses
02:30PM - 04:00PM - John Fell Ryan from Excepter
04:00PM - 05:30PM - Jason Yates
05:30PM - 07:00PM - Lesands


Lesands

Jimi Hey!

I still haven't seen you live. My dad was the first person to introduce me to Chuck Berry when he pulled out a gas station cassette tape of the "Best of Chuck Berry" in 1987 for me. My dad rotated between that and Phil Collins "No Jacket Required", Dick Purtan on the morning show, and perhaps some strange Woody Herman that I couldn't understand was in the collection.

Needless to say Chuck is still going strong. Here's a little clip of some hippy's jazzed up in Toronto after they just realized the Guess Who broke up and formed Bachman, Turner, Overdrive!

The Fall season does not let up here folks. We've got more music, more non stop chit chat, and gallons of molotov coctails to help Luke Roberts blow up that Nashville bridge with his buddy Roster. I give to you another one of Nashville's finest singers.

He came to New York searching for the dream. Along that path of what would become the songs for Big Bells and Dime Songs he met a peculiar Brooklyn super cook and Harvey Milk bassist Stephen Tanner. (Stephen never says nice things about me, although my dad thought he was a very nice man when he fed me enchiladas in the hospital) Luke began working in various kitchens throughout Brooklyn with ease as he was soon discovered by Thurston Moore who seemed to like the cut of his jib.

The record was partially written in Brooklyn and on a Greyhound bus on the way to Athens, GA. It was then released by Ecstatic Peace and has now been rereleased by the windy city masters at Thrill Jockey. Listening to Big Bells and Dime Songs is a reawakening for me into a softer side of rock. "Unspotted Clothes" his hit from the album, gets stuck in your head after the second listen. The version Luke did at the Viva Studio basically sums up his mysterious Southern rooted energy. Or maybe he was just concentrating on the old ladies driving Satan around in the back of a golf cart along the countryside. (see directors cut from the video)

Luke Roberts takes his time delivering his words and thoughts. It makes for a more dramatic and natural experience during an interview and with his live songs. Do yourself a favor today and add Luke to your list of positive vibrations. The entire interview and songs air today on Me + You Pt. 107 on Viva Radio at Noon.