Interview: The Funeral Crashers by Kristen Sollee

Creeping forward whilst changing form and focus since the turn of the century, The Funeral Crashers have become a mainstay of New York City’s fledgling “new dark rock scene.” A new appreciation for The Crashers grew after immersing myself in their first full-length, so I decided to fill in the blanks through an interview.

Interview: Upgrade by Suzanne Baran

Coupled with soft sentimental lyrics, Los Angeles’s Upgrade plays songs that often lull the listener into two divergent yet symbiotic spheres of being.

INTERVIEW: Thee More Shallows (Part 2 of 2) by Greg Bartalos

Dee Kesler explains why fish, rabbits, dogs, frogs, monkeys, sharks, piranhas, eagles, turkeys and bears have all found a home in the group’s discography.

INTERVIEW: Thee More Shallows (Part 1 of 2) by Greg Bartalos

Dee Kesler: “Belgian audiences are ridiculously attentive and then equally appreciative after you finish each song. They were by far the best audience we’ve run across on a national basis.”

A New Dark Rock Scene for New York City? (INTERVIEW: Funeral Crashers, Bellmer Dolls, Blacklist) by Kristen Sollee

Over the course of an evening, in bathroom lines and at bars, I tracked down P.H. Lovecraft, singer for the Funeral Crashers, Peter Mavrogeorgis, singer for the Bellmer Dolls, and Josh Strawn, singer for Blacklist, to see if they believed in the existence of a burgeoning NYC dark rock scene.

INTERVIEW: Deerhoof (Part 2) by John Davidson

I think bands that get popular very quickly can combust very quickly, and that was never something that I wanted to emulate.

INTERVIEW: Deerhoof (Part 1) by John Davidson

Chris’ musical language had a big impact on the band, but I feel like he’s still here because I think we all have incorporated parts of him into our own ways of thinking about and playing music.

INTERVIEW: Butch Walker [Part 2] by John Davidson

There’s never a doubt that there’s not going to be that underlying pressure that the label is going to fold if they don’t have another hit…because, you know what? It’s TRUE.

INTERVIEW: Butch Walker [Part 1] by John Davidson

Once I got over that, once I realized that it was just as challenging to write a big pop, hit song as it was to write a song that has layers and depth and structure and no theme or formula.

Interview: Dir En Grey by Kristen Sollee

Since 1997, the five members of Dir en grey have thrashed their way to prominence in Japan, leaving an indelible bruise on the rock scene wherever their black leather boots have tread.

Interview: Editors [Part IV: Band Origins] by Mick Lewis

MICK LEWIS: I heard a little bit of a U2 sound on “Bullets.” Is that an influence?

TOM SMITH: Not really an influence, but we’re not scared to make big music. We’re not scared of big choruses or melody. People have mentioned U2 a bit.

Interview: Soul Asylum [Part III] by John Davidson

“The record starts out with the cops coming in and kicking everybody out of the party, and there was actually no more music after that. I was just screaming “f*** you!’”

Interview: Golden Smog [Part III] by John Davidson

”... when I think about how much money we spent making those other records, it’s f***ing ridiculous! We did some records that were pushing seven figures. I guess what I’m trying to say is that since [this time] it was our money, we got a lot done every day!

Interview: Soul Asylum [Part II] by John Davidson

“Well, it really allowed me to realize that the songs and things in my head could sound great. That as a band, we could do anything now. Maybe I’m misguided. Maybe I should have realized, ‘Well, we can write pop hits now!’ but musically, that’s never where I was coming from.”

Interview: Golden Smog [Part II] by John Davidson

Nothing else in your life had any significance, in comparison. That’s all you did. It was an unhealthy balance, really.