|
|
|
|
|
|
Attack in Black
By Michelle Campbell
Since releasing their first EP in 2004, Welland Ontario’s Attack in Black have proven themselves to be one of Canada’s most impressive and versatile new bands. While their catalogue of releases includes everything from aggressive hardcore punk to straight up soulful folk, and they’ve moved on from touring with bands like Billy Talent to the Constantines, they’ve managed to impress and uphold an equally diverse fan-base along the way. Singer Dan Romano answered some questions for Exclaim! while somewhere near the Mississippi River, en route to SXSW in Austin, Texas.
You seem to tour across Canada a lot and have built quite a fan-base, but how is your music being received internationally?
Other than Canada we've only been to England and that was only one time with Moneen. It seemed to go over relatively well there; there are music lovers in that area and there were some kids who seemed to enjoy it and told us that they liked it and stuff. I don't think we've done enough touring to really be able to tell, yet. This is our first time in America other than one show that we played in Rochester that we played like three years ago. We haven't really played anywhere other than Canada though.
Do you feel more in your element when you’re in the studio or on tour?
Different elements. It's tough to say. Playing night after night and really getting in our groove and performing to the highest calibre that we can is something that we definitely enjoy doing and something that does only come with being on tour. And we do write a lot on tour as well so I guess being on tour brings our music out in the best possible way.
The way your sound has evolved from the Widows EP to The Curve of the Earth is a well-discussed topic. How would you yourself describe the evolution?
Well, I don't know. We all listen to lots of different kinds of music. We don't really want to stop ourselves from doing anything we want at any time so we don't. So whatever element we happen to be in it always luckily seems to be the same one. We all seem to get into the same grooves at the same time. None of us ever seem to disagree on the certain things that we're doing or the types of music that we're playing and writing; it all just seems to work no matter what that type of music might be. It comes relatively easy and I don't seem to notice whether we're changing. Only other people notice us changing, I just notice us becoming more ourselves and understanding what we're doing more as the writing continues and understanding our goals as a band and as musicians. As for our transition, none of us really know how that happened or why that happened or when it’s going to happen.
Have you noticed a change in the fan base at Attack in Black shows as the music has changed?
No. I mean, there are still familiar faces from the very beginning. There are a couple kids from Hamilton and a couple kids from the Greater Toronto Area that have stuck with us no matter what we've done and no matter how outrageously different the records we put out are. So I guess we're really lucky to have people like that. Other than that I don't really notice whether we have a fan-base at all other than a few people. But I mean people come to our shows sometime and that's pretty awesome.
Curve of the Earth was released less than six months after your first full length, Marriage. What made you chose to release the two so close together?
It wasn't really ever a plan to make that record, it just kind of happened one night. We were just way more proud of it than we were of Marriage in the end of it. It was something that was more pure and organic than Marriage could ever be just because of the process that Marriage was. Curve of the Earth just kind of happened over the span of a few days without thinking about it or stressing about it. It was the most organic thing that we've ever done as a band and as of now definitely the best thing that we've ever put out. We just felt like we needed to get it out as soon as possible and because of weird contractual reasons that you can't release music within six months of your prior release we just had to find a way so we just put it out on the internet and on vinyl because I guess that somehow goes around whatever the contract says.
Anything else you want to say?
Long live Freddy Mercury.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
Born Ruffians
 In 18 months, Toronto's Born Ruffians went from an obscure local band packing an awkwardly harmonious brand of indie rock to an international mystery act that forced major head-scratching by signing to the electronically-heavy Warp label. A playfully assured and unconventionally melodic debut EP answered questions about their potential, and found their support slots with big names in their circle like Hot Chip, Peter Bjorn & John, the Hidden Cameras and Caribou....Read More
|
|
|
Tokyo Police Club
 So, tell it to me from the start…
Keyboardist Graham Wright: We applied for Pop Montreal in the summer when we were still together in Newmarket. And we didn’t really practice before when we got to Montreal, and we just emptied out a dorm room — I don’t even know how we did this in retros...Read More
|
|
|
Woodhands
 Maybe we should start off with you guys telling me a bit about the history of Woodhands?
Dan Werb: There are two chapters: there’s pre-Paul Banwatt and post-Paul Banwatt.
Paul Banwatt: Wait. Post-Paul Banwatt?
Dan: Okay, pre-Paul Banwatt and Paul Banwatt. And the Paul Banwatt c...Read More
|
|
|
Jay Reatard
 So tell me what your plan is over the year with the seven-inches...
Yeah, starting April 8 there is going to be roughly one seven-inch a month for the next six months, and then in October [Matador] will compile them together onto an LP/CD.
Were they all written together wi...Read More
|
|
|
Zooey Deschanel
 After taking some time out to answer our Questionnaire, Zooey was nice enough to have a go at these follow-up questions....Read More
|
|
|
Ruby Coast
 Together for just a year and a half, Aurora teenage friends Ruby Coast have yet to release a record, but already have labels fighting tooth and claw to sign their quirky indie pop. In an uncharacteristically calm moment at a downtown Toronto cafe, lead singer Justice McLellan and I sipped camomile tea and mulled over topics as diverse as stoned drummers and pesky record execs. (And yes, before you ask, that is his real name. Courtesy of parents “who like to party,” apparently.)...Read More
|
|
|
Winter Gloves
 The unintentional brainchild of Charles F., Montreal’s newest outfit, Winter Gloves, is catching the ears of music lovers and critics alike. The synth-heavy quartet just polished off their CMW debut with good reviews in tow, and will be hitting the road again for Exclaim!’s own 16th Anniversary Tour. Charles took some time out of his schedule to answer some questions about what makes his new band tick....Read More
|
|
|
Smoosh
 Seattle sisters Chloe and Asya have been making music under the name Smoosh since they were 8 and 6. Now in their teens, they have blossomed into an indie pop duo whoss stripped down keyboard-and-drum sound is on par with their much-older peers. Determined to move forward from the gimmicky pigeonholing that follows their name, Chloe spoke with Exclaim! about her worst tour memories and some changes in the band....Read More
|
|
|
Katie Stelmanis
 Toronto’s Katie Stelmanis turned away from a life-long regimen of classical training to try her own thing as a songwriter. A musical overachiever, she practised piano obsessively throughout her teens and played viola in the school orchestra; after high school, she went from studying opera to wailing on a guitar she couldn’t play in the messy-by-design Galaxy. Stelmanis met with Exclaim! at Toronto’s Java House to talk about children’s choir mishaps, performance art and the allure of DIY....Read More
|
|
|
The Matches
 You’ve probably heard of Oakland, California’s The Matches, but you’ve probably written them off too. Touring with the likes of Plus 44 and Motion City Soundtrack would lead one to assume them to be among the ranks of generic pop rock bands, but a few minutes spent with their third LP, A Band in Hope, you’ll learn there’s a lot more to these many-hat-wearing musicians. Exclaim! got the chance to chat with enigmatic front-man Shawn Harris a few days after the new album hit the streets....Read More
|
|
|
Fuck Buttons
 With a name like Fuck Buttons, you’re bound to get attention. Luckily, beyond the name, this British duo of Benjamin John Power and Andrew Hung are creating some unique noise-based electronic music that’s as much abrasive as it is sweet and melodic. Chilling out in a hotel room in Austin, TX before they introduce themselves to North America via the SXSW festival, they both took time to indulge some questions about, obviously, the name, how they “compose” their intricately noisy epics and what genre they belong in, if at all...Read More
|
|
|
In Flames
 One of the creators to the often replicated “Gothenburg Sound,” In Flames have been belting out melodic death metal for 18 years and are responsible for influencing more bands than they will ever know. Drummer Daniel Svensson, being very modest and off-putting, spoke with Exclaim! over the phone from his home in Sweden while he took a hot, soothing, relaxing bath. (Yes even metal drummers need to rest themselves by enjoying an age-old therapeutic soak in the tub.) During his time resting up he shared about how In Flames are essentially just another metal band, what it was like trying to be experimental on their most recent release and switching record labels in the U.S....Read More
|
|
|
Mike Birbiglia
 Over the past decade, Mike Birbiglia has emerged as one of the most talented comedians in the United States and is one of the youngest stand-ups to ever appear on the Late Show with David Letterman. The New York-via-Boston talent essential...Read More
|
|
|
|
|
|
 | 
|
Before the release of 2009's Veckatimest, Grizzly Bear stood at a career watershed of sorts. Critical darlings without much mainstream success, they could very well have continued in the direction set with 2007's Friend EP and become perennial indie overachievers, in the vein of the Li...
Full Review
|
|
|
 |
|
In an interesting twist of Hollywood fate, Chris and Paul Weitz have entered the final stretch of 2009 each in control of a major vampire franchise built from the pages of popular young adult fiction.
From one half of the brotherly team who brought us American Pie and About ...
Full Review
|
|
|
|
|