The Moth & The Flame - Lullaby II

Made up of Brandon Robbins and Mark Garbett, The Moth & The Flame are a pretty frickin' awesome new band from Provo, Utah, in the United States. They released their debut album locally a few months ago and, so well has it been received, that they'll get the record out internationally in the next few months. Because these art rockers strongly focus on the visual which accompanies their sound, they are currently only selling their LP in its physical form. "We feel the art is very important to this album. We want people to have the full experience," they told us.

However, while you might have to wait a while to get your hands on their album, we thought we'd give you a heads-up about them now. So check out their above clip, and this one too, then, when you inevitably fall a little bit in love with them, you can befriend them on Facebook.

Ticktockman - Blackhole Waltz

Experimental alt-rockers Ticktockman (comprised of former members of Gatsbys American Dream & Wild Orchids) are hitting the road in The States in April. Inspired by their love of effects, unusual time signatures, and fast paced, high intensity songwriting, this Seattle-based quintet find their voice in their catchy vocals and groove-based ambience.

Their self-titled and self-released album is out now and you can catch them live here (touring with Culprit):

1st April - San Diego, CA @ Bar 11
2nd April - Los Angeles, CA @ TBD
3rd April - Visalia, CA @ TBD
4th April - Sacramento, CA @ Club Retro
5th April - Bend, OR @ The Soundgarden
6th April - Portland, OR @ Backspace
7th April - Seattle, WA @ High Dive

Diane Cluck interview

Bobby Townsend chatted to Diane Cluck about her Song of The Week project, in which she will devote six months to writing, recording and digitally distributing a new song to subscribers each week:

Hello Diane. Tell us a little about how you came up with the idea of Song-of-the-Week project... 
I was packing up to move from New York and had a moment of panic around leaving my day job. I literally sat down on a rolled-up rug and began thinking out ideas for Song-of-the-Week. Initially, I thought I'd write one song per week for an entire year. Then I scaled back to six months, because from my experience so much can happen and change over the course of a year. Song-of-the-Week was born out of wanting to do some of the things I most enjoy: writing songs, singing & playing music, drawing... communicating.

How is it going so far? Have you had a lot of interest? Have any fans come up with weird and wonderful subscription ideas?
It's going really well! It's amazing! The project is more than 80 percent funded at this point. There's an option for people to create their own subscription plan, but so far, no one's bitten. I do want them to; I'd be so interested! Just a few days ago, some folks in San Francisco pooled together to subscribe at the "house show"-level... they'll be flying me out for a show this summer during LGBT Pride.

How about the option for people to have a song written by you about whatever they like... What kind of things are people requesting?
Ten people have commissioned songs so far. One woman asked me to write about her dog who recently passed away. She said, "The song doesn't have to be about a dog; it could be about a loving, compassionate being who shared her life with me." Someone else wants me to write about education. I'm not yet sure what that means. Most people haven't told me what they want their song to be about. Initially, we were all waiting to see if there'd be enough interest in the project, but now it's clearly definitely happening.

As someone who has always had something of a DIY dynamic, do you see this project as a fun challenge, as something that was born out of necessity, or as a combination of the two?
The Song-of-the-Week project is both a challenge and a necessity... I'm not just boiling that down to mean 'financial necessity'. For a long time, I've wanted to have more integration between my working and creative lives. I got to a point where doing jobs that weren't directly related to my life wasn't okay with me anymore. I had a talk with myself, like, "What do you most want to be doing right now?" The responsibilities involved with Song-of-the-Week are a good mix of just what I need. There are some things I already do well (songwriting and performing ) and other things I have less experience with or don't feel are my natural strengths, but want to develop (working with others in collaborative and technical capacities, and interacting on a personal level with people who support what I do). I feel very fortunate and happy to be where I am. 

In many ways, I'm taking more responsibility for the outcome of my life. A lot of conventional music business protocol didn't make sense to me, and I spent more time reacting against a system I didn't like rather than laying the groundwork for my own. That's what I'm doing now, with help, and I think the times we're in now are actually fostering that growth in me, making it easier. Song-of-the-Week is helping me commit to more follow-through with my creative ideas. I'm discovering how helpful organization can be... and how much I've needed it for a long time. I'm learning to schedule my own work days as well as time off. My previous patterns were very inspiration-based, often not grounded by my tangible, physical reality. I think that's why a lot of great art is made by people in their twenties who then die at that age. I've become aware of my limits and enjoy the beauty of working with them rather than against them. There is more here to explore than I'd originally thought.

With the music industry in the state it is in, do you think this kind of thing is something that more bands will do in the near future? 
For sure, it's already happening! I have friends in all sorts of places: from hobbyists to musicians on major record labels, and it's easy enough to find discontent at every level. What I like about this transition is that more people are realizing no one's handing out golden keys. Music is way older than 'the music industry'. The people I know who are happiest are pursuing lives and careers on their own, unique terms. My Song-of-the-Week project and hubs like Kickstarter are outgrowths of that... people working together for what they desire to bring into the world. A couple of years ago, I began learning about music business. It was and is challenging for me; it's not what I'm naturally drawn to. After putting some time into learning about PRO's, mechanical licenses, etc., the landscape's become easier for me to navigate. Many artists don't realize that as soon as they release recordings, even just over the internet, there are royalties accruing for them in various places that they'll never receive unless they, or someone on their behalf, fills out the paperwork. Dealing with some of this for myself (with help from friends) has been financially beneficial and personally empowering. I'm beginning to see how I might be able to manage without being signed to a record label. I do feel that society does musicians a great disservice by filling their minds with phrases like 'starving artist' or 'you'll never make a living doing that'. Comparing notes with friends who went to school for the arts, we all agreed that business courses were completely lacking in the required curiculum. It's quite pathetic, and I hope that's changing. I'm discovering how enjoyable and creative managing one's own small business can be, and have been advocating and taking a real interest in this as it applies to the lives of those around me. Too many people are suffering in 'jobs', or accepting the perameters of what's handed to them.

I interviewed award-winning English folk singer Laura Marling recently and she told me she was a big fan of yours. It must be nice to know that you are influencing artists like her? 
Absolutely ! Laura's a graceful and talented woman and I'm proud that she'd consider my work influential.

What bands/artists are you listening to at the moment? Can you give us any recommendations? Hmmm...there are a few artists I'm always tuned into: Little Wings, Amanda Jo Williams, Cocorosie... recently I've been listening to Joan As Police Woman and Devon Sproule. And oh yeah! Shovels & Rope! They're the greatest. They're a wife & husband team (Cary Ann Hearst & Michael Trent) that make really vital/vitalizing country music. Check out the YouTube video of them singing Gasoline in a swamp. They're hot.

What happens after this project has run its course? Do you have other ideas/projects up your sleeve? 
I'll probably put touring on hold while I'm working on Song-of-the-Week, but eventually I'd like to do more touring in the US. I've mostly hopped between its two coasts, but I'd love to play more shows in the out-of-the-way middle regions that we musicians tend to skip. As the US becomes more troubled, I find myself wanting to invest more energy in being here. I want to continue working as a people's musician. It feels important, and it's what I have to offer. Along/under/through this, I want to continue developing methods of reaching out to others through my art. I'm getting more oriented to the internet than I used to be. I don't necessarily support people spending more time there, but the connections I'm able to make through it (the kind that become real, physical events) are amazing. I'm very much into preparing food as medicine. I'm currently working on a website with a friend, and I look forward to organizing my thoughts around food and herbs as they relate to health. The U.S. medical system is very fucked at the moment. I like being able to share ways we can take care of ourselves and each other without relying on the pharmaceutical and insurance corporations.

Interview by Bobby Townsend. Find out more about Diane's project here.

The Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project 2011

The Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project took place around the world on Saturday night. While Madonna had herself a boogie (above) at the event in The States, in Australia, Anna Lunoe and Italian DJ Alex Gaudino took the party to Melbourne.

Guadino, who has recently collaborated with Kelly Rowland and is a leading name in the dance music industry, exclusively told Bobbysix.com, "When the idea first came up, I was curious. Then when I found out more about the concept, I was honored to be able to “represent” Italy along with other artists taking part. I think it’s an original and exciting framework for music and culture. Really great."

Here are a few shots from Melbs:

Kimya Dawson interview

We called up our dear old friend Kimya Dawson for a chat about her new album and her upcoming tour of Australia:

 

“It just sort of happened.”

Kimya Dawson's seventh album, Thunder Thighs, is an unexpectedly expansive affair. Covering everything from gentle acoustic folk, big choral numbers, ten-minute epics and some rapping, it lands a long way from her initial vision. “My original plan was to do a home-recorded four-track album, just like my first three records. It didn't work out that way.”

In fact, at one stage, it looked like it might not work out at all, as Kimya found herself suffering a serious bout of writer's block, which occurred after she had given birth to her daughter, Panda, “I made [kids' album] Alphabutt and The Bundles' album with Jeffrey [Lewis], but I was really struggling for a while with writing my own stuff. It was like I was clogged.” This led to her assuming that she would have to put down the guitar once and for all, until everything became clear. “It took me a couple of years to realise that's supposed to happen when you have a kid; your brain is supposed to just focus on them. Then, as your child becomes more independent, your brain starts to work again.”

So, gradually the words and the melodies started to flow once more, and it became apparent that they were taking a different shape. Kimya explains how certain songs felt loud to her when she played them and that there was something bigger about them in her mind that she couldn't really place. Many of these new compositions grew to the point that they would no longer make sense were they recorded at home alone. So she got others involved, including the Olympia Free Choir, Aesop Rock, Nikolai Fraiture of The Strokes and even Panda, who is now five. “There are so many parts of the album which are about coming together with, and leaning on, your friends. I had all of these people, both in the Olympia community and the wider music community, available to be a part of this project. It was really a gift. The first song (below) and the last song on the album are recorded alone on the four-track, and I figured they would be good bookends because that was the original intention, but in between, the whole process just got way big. It felt really good to let all these different elements that co-exist in my life right now come together. I have this choir stuff and there is this quiet, alone stuff and then there is, you know, getting to know people in the hip hop world. And I have a kid, so some of the songs feel really kiddish.”

However, along with its fun elements, Thunder Thighs still contains the kind of raw emotion you would expect from a Kimya Dawson record. Indeed, Walk Like Thunder finds the songwriter at her most vulnerable ever. The tough, ten-minute journey deals with her near-overdose ten years ago and the tragi death of two of her friends to illness. “Some of the songs were really hard on my soul. I had to just push through. As I was writing Walk Like Thunder, I didn't think I would ever play it. Admitting that kind of vulnerability was one of the only things that I had left because I've told people everything about me. Admitting to feeling like I wasn't taking care of myself was a really hard one.”

While she says she avoids writing love songs, there is little else she won't address. Another subject that the softly spoken and wonderfully friendly Kimya touches upon on her new record is the inverted snobbery she has experienced since Juno. “I don't give a shit what people think about me,” she shrugs. “But people were badmouthing kids who were just getting into me after they'd seen Juno. I'd get emails saying, 'I was a fan before Juno. Not like all these fake fans. You must hate your new fans.' And I was like, 'Really? You think I would hate them?' It's weird, the elitist 'I liked this before you did' attitude. People get into what they get into. Once music enters your being, you can't change how your brain responds to it. Today I posted on Twitter saying 'I feel like listening to Dave Matthews,' and someone replied, 'Dave Matthews sucks. I'm really disappointed in you for saying that.' I was like, 'What? So what if I like Dave Matthews? My brain might like Dave Matthews. Is it not cool to like something that you like?'” To qualify this point, she adds, “I listen to Phil Collins all the time. You can't control what you're into.”

If you happen to be into Kimya Dawson and you live in Australia, then the good news is that she is heading there soon for the first time since 2008, and is looking forward to being fully fit this time round. “I was having a really hard time with tendinitis in my wrist,” she says of her only other visit. “I was in a lot of pain. So I'm excited to come back and to feel like I am really there. There are a lot of new songs and the shows are a little different.” Ah yes, that brings us to the rapping. Kimya will be performing with American rapper and producer Aesop Rock, who she worked with on Thunder Thighs. Along with their mates Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz, they'll spend much of the evening sharing a stage. “There are songs where I'm playing guitar and singing and he's rapping. Then I play my acoustic set and he comes up for one of the songs from my album and one of the songs from our collaborative album [set to be released next year]. Then he does his set and I come back out and we do some more songs together.”

The lust for life and energy that is displayed throughout much of Thunder Thighs suggests that Dawson is absolutely loving working together with Aesop Rock. When she talks about it, she does so with unabashed enthusiasm. “I haven't felt this way about writing with somebody since Adam [Green] and I started writing together [in The Moldy Peaches]. Adam and I evolved and the feeling wasn't there any more. I didn't necessarily miss doing it with that person, but I did miss having that connection with somebody artistically. You almost have the same brain. Where one person stops, the other begins.”

Catch Kimya here: 
Oct 14- Sydney Australia - Manning Bar
Oct 15- Melbourne Australia- Melbourne Arts Festival- The Forum
Oct 16- Brisbane Australia- The Hi Fi

Interview by Bobby Townsend. It was first featured in Sydney's Drum Media. Click the below picture of Kimya and Bobby to read their previous interview from 2008.

The Jezabels announce US Tour

Here at Bobbysix.com, we have something of a crush on The Jezabels. So we're excited for them that, upon completing their European tour in September, the foursome will be hitting up the U.S. and Canada in November to tour with Canadian band, Hey Rosetta! as well as playing a headlining show at The Mercury Lounge in NYC.

While already a well-recognized name in their native Australia, The Jezabels have been building an international buzz since delighting audiences at the CMJ Music Festival in New York, Canadian Music Week, Austin’s SXSW and Brighton's Great Escape. After releasing a hat-trick of EPs, the quartet are currently putting the finishing touches on their debut long-player, Prisoner. You can here a track from this highly-anticipated release below the tour dates.

November 8 The Echo Los Angeles, CA
November 9 The Rickshaw Stop San Francisco, CA
November 11 The Crocodile Seattle, CA
November 12 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, BC, CAN
November 14 MacEwan Ballroom Calgary, AB, CAN
November 15 Myer Horowitz Theatre Edmonton, AB, CAN
November 17 The Garrick Centre Winnipeg, MB, CAN
November 18 7th Steet Entry Minneapolis, MN
November 19 Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
November 21 The Mercury Lounge New York, NY
November 24 Phoenix Concert Theatre Toronto, ON, CAN
November 25 Bronson Centre Ottawa, ON, CAN

The Jezabels - Endless Summer by thejezabels

David Ford - How to Nearly Make it in the Music Industry

"There was a time when people swore I would be the next big thing. It took ten years of hard work and dedication but I finally proved them wrong."

So reads the synopsis of David Ford's book, I Choose This - How to Nearly Make it in the Music Industry, in which the English singer/songwriter talks with wit and honesty about everything from the Easyworld days through the recording of his solo albums, his attempts to break America, record company wrangles and life on the road. Just like Mark E Smith and Jim Bob's accounts of life as a musician, Ford's fine prose has an accessibility about it that means I Choose This has every chance of appealing to an audience wider than his fan-base. In the way that Fever Pitch was embraced by non-football fans because it told universal truths, Ford's story would be enjoyable even to someone who had never heard a note of his music.

To promote the release of I Choose This, Ford is touring an evening of music, conversation and prosaic reminiscence around the UK and the US in April and May. As well as a seeing Ford perform songs from his outstanding back-catalogue, the show will inevitably contain strong language and unrestrained self-loathing. Would you expect anything else? I Choose This - How to Nearly Make it in the Music Industry will be on sale at all of the intimate gigs on this tour. Details of which are below.

UK Dates:
Tue, 26 April, Band On The Wall, Manchester
Wed, 27 April, Plug, Sheffield
Thu, 28 April, Fibbers, York
Fri, 29 April, Beechwood Community Centre, Runcorn
Sat, 30 Apr, The Cellars at Eastney, Southsea
Mon, 02 May, The Borderline, London
Tue, 03 May, The Donkey, Leicester
Wed, 04 May, Dean Clough, Halifax
Thu, 05 May, Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh
Fri, 06 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

US Dates 
Thu, 12 May, The Turning Point, Piermont, NY
Fri, 13 May, (Le) Poisson Rogue, New York, NY
Sat, 14 May, The Rock Shop, Brooklyn, NY
Tue, 17 May, Club Passim, Cambridge, MA
Wed, 18 May, The Iron Horse, Northhampton, MA
Fri, 20 May, The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
Mon, 23 May, IOTA, Arlington, VA
Thu, 26 May, The Cactus Cafe, Austin, TX
Fri, 27 May, All Good Cafe, Dallas, TX

For more details about tickets, his book and to hear some tracks, visit David's Myspace and his Facebook. 

Words and picture by Rob Townsend.