InterviewsInterviews
Hands down, New Animal's self-titled album, released at the turn of 2011, is one of my favorites of last year. Catchy, ambitious, experimental, addictive, their music strikes you with its honesty. So themselves yet so apt for the present climate in music.
They got number one on Ohmpark’s top 25 Atlanta albums list of 2011: http://ohmpark.com/features/ohmparks-top-25-albums-of-2011/
Please do yourself a favor and download their album for FREE:
http://newanimal.bandcamp.com/album/new-animal
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FISHING makes jovial beat music from Sydney, Australia. I came across them this summer, and the amount of fun they have was a breath of fresh air to the often dark and ambient aesthetic of so much electronic music today. I love ambience, and 2011 was so beautifully ambient, but projects like FISHING remind us of the power of playful tunes.
I had the fortunate opportunity to interview one of the two in this Australian duo, Russell Fitzgibbon.
Youth Lagoon has been blowing up the indie music scene the past year with an album, The Year of Hibernation, that garnered remarkable reviews, deals to tour and an opportunity to sign with Fat Possum Records. What’s in store for Youth Lagoon? Why has he become such a phenomenon? When is the Letterman debut? Trevor Powers is interviewed here talking life, inspiration, spirituality and Youth Lagoon.
RIMAR’s sounds are a conglomeration of R&B, retro samples, and savvy beat music. Although most of his songs are pop dance tunes, they arise out of basement grit, evoking urban cinematic imagery, making them that much more intriguing. Young and ambitious, Rimar’s momentum is only getting started with Higher Ground, and he has just released a video for his single of the same title. Check out his music here: http://rimar.bandcamp.com/ and cop the 12'' treatment of Higher Ground from Bella Union.
It started with Baby Prayers when the stir began. Spartanburg, South Carolina’s Mat Cothran has been successfully busy releasing sulky stoner pop tunes for the past few years. He got major attention with his Stoned Alone LP under his band Coma Cinema’s name and went on to release another gem, Blue Suicide. After that an EP along with some new tracks under another moniker, Elvis Depressedly. Following his last album Goner, I contacted Mat or Mickey or Mick or Jagziez or whatever and interviewed him, this is what became of that. 
From Carrollton, Georgia, BABY BABY plays music driven by wild energy, momentum, and lived-in lyrics. Since they have developed a reputation for an explosive live performance, their sound and recognition have developed primarily from shows. However, they released their first official release, Money, in May, and they are in the process of making a new album. 
An Interview with Malcom Lacey of Arrange
Nostalgic woods gaze. Progressive folk twang. Electronic anti-pop. Extraterrestrial sock hop jams. However you want to describe Malcom Lacey’s music project Arrange is just fine, just don’t say you didn’t feel anything from any of it. 
The XiuXiu set had just ended leaving me borderline schizophrenic sitting in an outdoor chair near the festival bar where I had bought my now-warm wheat beer about thirty minutes earlier after making my rounds of introduction at 2011’s Pygmalion Fest. Close by under a tent, was the Polyvinyl Records table that was in charge of promoting and selling albums of bands from the label. Making my way around the tent introducing myself to the representatives and various musicians I met Seth Hubbard, the label manager at Polyvinyl Records out in San Francisco who, after talking about BIRP! and the labels’ fifteenth year anniversary held in Champaign-Urbana, agreed to do this interview.
Michael Potter makes heavy experimental drone under the moniker The Electric Nature. Around the turn of 2011 he released two ambitious and captivating albums: Space Face and Mount Analogue. His songs are psychedelically gripping, with entrancing progressions that maintain a balance between blissful and underworldy. He plans on dropping an EP in the next couple weeks that he will subsequently play live at an upcoming “Sewer Greats” showcase.
This is an interview with Bobby Burg of Love of Everything (psst, go to this link) who has been featured on the site a few times. He releases albums and ep's like it's his job, oh wait, he's a musician. Scratch that. Bobby Burg releases music all the time and never fails to let me down. His latest ep, Sooner I Wish was released on Polyvinyl Records back in August and is one of his finest releases yet.
In its seventh year Pygmalion Music Festival is no unknown, fly-by music fest. The multi-day event has gained national attention and has drawn bands, people, and a following into the cities of Champaign and Urbana, Illinois.
