Crackle June 24, 2005

There is just over a week to go until the next Crackle (Friday the 24th June 7.30-11). Not only will me and Chris be DJing but as I said before we have the greatest pleasure in announcing that The Cinematic Underground will be doing a live set, I spoke to Nathan of TCU last night and he is really looking forward to the gig and is going to play some new stuff which will be great.

Rather than try and explain Nathan's sound I have a short
interview below which will tell you more.

> If you have the time and inclination please answer the following
> questions in ten or less words?
Lets see, that's one word per question? Well, I'll try! Or maybe I've got a 10 word-per question allotment. They say its much harder to write something short. See, I'm already way past 10 words and this is just my disclaimer.
Lets just let you edit as you see fit.

> 1. Can you describe your live experience?
When I'm with the band its quite a spectacle. We tell the entire story of the album with all the artwork projected behind us and everyone switching instruments all over the stage. It is a mix between abstract theater, rock show, film and graphic novel, rolled up into a one hour concert.

For Crackle, it will be a bit different. When I'm by myself, it is a lot more funny and interactive. I'll play some new songs, some very old stuff - sometimes I'll create songs on the spot from audience suggestions. I grew up playing coffee shops in the states and I really like the nature of people sitting 3 feet away. There's a great awkwardness at the beginning, and hopefully by the end you've managed to break that wall down. Or at least you've had a fun time throwing yourself against the bricks.

> 2. What does your album sound like?
It moves all over the place. We started with a literary structure, so the songs took their shape from the plot of the story which enabled a wide spectrum of emotion to emerge. Musically, I think it sounds like an old fashioned machine trying to play new fashioned music. Kind of creaky, a little bit rusty, but with a lot of good intentions.

> 3. Which CDs are you listening to on repeat at the moment?
My main fix over the past 3 months has been Fiona Apple's unreleased album that Jon Brion produced. Anything he touches is amazing, but when they work together the results are phenomenal. I love the Killers' new record and I've been listening to (Beck's) Guero a lot. But I've been feeling kind of down recently and none of the music I've got on my iPod is very appealing. I just downloaded Coldplay's new album this morning and I think its going to serve me well. I want something to zone out and fall asleep to. How good is that song "Fix Me"?! If you want tips, you should check out Duke Special.

> 4. What is your favourite format?
I almost exclusively use iPods now... I miss the idea of just selecting one album, but the Shuffle iPod has that's of fixed this for me. I don't shuffle it. I just buy an album and then load it on straight.

> 5. The plot of Brick? (Soundtrack by Nathan)
Loner high school kid dives into drug underworld to solve his
ex-girlfriend's murder and is accompanied by amazing music. (sorry, thats kind of a stretch to put the music into the plot, isn't it?)

> 6. The inspiration for your first CDs lavish artwork?
Well, the style of the artwork is linked directly to Zach (my brother). We worked together on the vibe. The story of the album takes place in real locations so I compiled a lot of photos to show Zach what the settings looked like. The bar is based on a club in Bournemouth that we always hang out at. The airport is modeled on Denver International, which is where I'm from. It was really important to try to tell the story in a visual way alongside the album and I think Zach's art does that really well. It almost
drips with feeling.

> 7. Why do you live in Bournemouth instead of the most beautiful, vibrant,
> exciting, cultural and interesting city in the entire known universe, Bath?
I'm waiting till the Bath renovations are done before I make my move.

> 8. Your favourite websites?
Here are a few:
The best computers in the world: www.apple.com
The hidden personal website by the director of "Brick" www.rcjohnso.com
The best American music show:
http://www.kcrw.com/cgi-bin/db/kcrw.pl?show_code=mb&tmplt_type=program
The Best Page in the Universe (that is actually the name of this site):
http://maddox.xmission.com/

> 9. Your inspiration?
Stomp, Chiasms, Jon Brion, Close-up Magicians, Woven-Art, G.K. Chesterton, the Love of Community, and the usually unreachable desire to talk to cute girls.

> 10. When can we expect some new Cinemtic Underground releases?
Hopefully the soundtrack for "Brick" will be released early next year. I'm writing a lot of new material right now, but the Cinematic Underground is dedicating the next year to touring the show in America so it might be a while before the next album develops.

That's all for this time,

Hopefully see you at Doolally's.

James