Cougar Microbes

Having featured their video for ‘Music Is Dead‘ back in May we caught up with The Computer‘s Aidan to disucss ping pong championships, gigs in his mother’s bedroom and telling Ian Curtis to chill out.

It went a little something like this:

Cougar Microbes: What time did you wake up today? Was it out of choice or necessity?

Aidan Computers: Today I woke up at 9:30am, I was on a friend’s couch – not really through choice. One of those mornings when the sunlight shines through a crack in the curtain, right on the face, well annoying.

CM: Describe The Computers to the uninitiated?

Aidan: garage-soul-punk n roll

CM: How have you been killing time on the road when on the road, any hobbies?

Aidan: Well not a lot of people know this but we are not only a rock’n'roll band, we are also a very succesfull ping pong team. We represented Exeter in the Devon Nationals and came first. So to stay that good, any free time we get we set up our travelling ping pong table and practice. Sometimes we put our bats down to make a sandwich, drink, smoke and catch up on the latest tweets.

CM: What have been your favourite venues to play? Any Venues you hated?

Aidan: A really good venue is the Cluny in Newcastle, a really bad venue was my Mum’s bedroom, she can’t do sound very well and the lighting was terrible.

CM: Is there a song you are getting sick of playing?

Aidan:  There’s no songs we are sick of playing but there are songs we don’t play sometimes just to keep the set fresh.

CM: What is the songwriting process like for The Computers.  you able to write on the road or do you do this in your off time?

Aidan: We rarely write on the road. Screaming Al has always got something going through his head and when we get home me and him will start jamming out his idea, then over a few more practices the song will form naturally. Then a few tweaks here and there and….. voila, a song.

CM: Favourite The Computers track and why?

Aidan: I personaly like playing ‘Group Identity’, It’s got a good sweaty groove. I also love ‘Teenage Tourettes Camp‘. It sounds like the music I like to listen to, which is the point I guess.

CM: If you could record any cover what would it be?

Aidan: AHHH We’ve covered loads of songs. Elvis‘ ‘Burning Love‘ and ‘Train In Vain‘ by The Clash are both b-sides to our last two singles. We have also covered  ’Rebel Girl‘ by Bikini Kill, ‘Welcome To The Working Week‘ by the other king Costello. And there’s plenty more where they came from. I suppose if i had to cover one song I reckon we could do a great version of ‘I Want To Break Free‘ by Queen. It’s got some great parts and recreating that video would be fun.

CM: Do your songs go through many revisions via demo recordings?

Aidan: Yeah, there’s always plenty of fine tuning before we lay down a demo. And sometimes we change things after hearing it back, that’s the idea of demoing, bloody fun aswell.

CM: What came first, the lyrics or the melody?

Aidan: It varies, I think… its words first, then chords and melody. Or maybe melody and words then chords, I dont know you’d have to ask the Screamer. I just handle the beat.

CM: What are your views on auto tune?

Aidan: Don’t do it. Unless you want to sound like Sesame Street songs. Dont do it. What the fuck is Ke$ha all about? it’s awful, truly awful. I don’t care how many of your girls it gets on the dance floor shaking their thang, it sounds dreadful. Dont do it!

CM: Any other band/bands from your local scene we really should know about?

Aidan: Royals are the newest cats from our parts, they are very cool. They have badges and patches available and a recording coming soon (probably).

CM: Most flattering thing you’ve read about yourselves?

Aidan:  Nothing stands out. It’s always good to read a good review (of which there are many) where people have really understood our band and our sound. A swami in San Diego once said we were cool dudes, and he’s a swami, they are never wrong. That felt good.

CM: What was the first record/tape/cd you ever bought?

Aidan:  I think the first tape I ever bought with my own money was  ’Save Tonight‘ by Eagle Eye Cherry. Or it could have been the first Spice Girls album. No it wasn’t I’ve just remembered…it was the Grease soundtrack, that makes more sense, yeah me loves the quiffs.

CM: What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Aidan: WELL  I saw Morrissey last night and I had ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out‘ stuck in my head all day. It’s been a good day.

CM: What was the last show you paid and queued up for?

Aidan: Morrissey last night, it was brilliant. A real master at work. I have so much love and respect for that man. Great show.

CM: If you had to bring on artist back from the dead in exchange for sending a living artist down ,which artists would it be and why??

Aidan: I’m not a massive Joy Division fan but if i could bring someone back it would be Ian Curtis. Just to say “listen mate, chill out. turns out people quite like what you’re doing so just keep doing it, things will get better” and I reckon a second album after touring America, could have sounded really good.

If I could get rid of someone I guess Ke$ha could go. There’s no need for her in the music world. I dont think her fans would notice either. Just cover Ian in a load of glitter and give him some cowboy boots and tell them everyone’s doing that dance in the  LA clubs, its awsome man. They would love it.

The album ‘This Is The Computers‘ is out now on One Little Indian

TRACKS:

We caught up with the five members of Tigercats through the medium of email to discuss playing public toilets in Berlin, Rebecca Black as well as the best way to part your hair.

COUGARMICROBES: What time did you wake up today? Was it out of choice or necessity?

GILES: 9 out of necessity, 10.30 after I went back to bed through choice.

JONNY: About 11.45. And yes, out of necessity. I went back to bed about 6.30pm – it’s been a good day.

LAURA: About 9.30am.  Necessity. Had to go meet a friend, but I suppose it was also my choice to go meet said friend.

CM: Describe Tigercats to the uninitiated?

STEFAN: I always say poppy indie, rather than indie pop. Bit of Buzzcocks, bit of Tom Tom Club, bit of Violent Femmes. All pretty poppy. Not much shoegazing. Not much shoes, even.

CM: How have you been killing time when on the road when, hobbies?

JONNY: Horse!

DUNCAN: Allo Darlin taught us how to play Horse. If you see a horse you have to shout “horse”. Mike also taught me and Jonny how to play Suck Out, you get a plane full of celebrities and then the window breaks and the all get sucked out the last one is the winner.

STEFAN: The van wasn’t ever working long enough for boredom to be a real issue

CM: What have been your favourite venues to play? Any Venues you hated?

JONNY: That toilet in Berlin was pretty awesome.

DUNCAN: We played in an old public toilet in Berlin with some German punks and a semi-naked Goth. I think that is why Jonny enjoyed it so much.

STEFAN: I liked playing the Betsey Trotwood a lot. Far too small and sweaty. Ideal. Plus it was the first show we put on ourselves and we got to pick the support (Omi Palone and Moustache of Insanity) and they were both aces.

CM: Is there a song you are simply sick of playing?

STEFAN: Nah, we’re still full of wide-eyed wonder with the world – we love all our songs as if they were our children. We’re a bit new as a band to be refusing to play the hits.

CM:  What is the songwriting process like for Tigercats. Are you able to write on the road or do you do this in your off time?

DUNCAN: I have started talking to unfinished songs as though they were people. If they come to me when I am on a bus or such I ask them to come back later. This is something Tom Waits does, obviously to more success.

CM: Favourite Tigercats track and why?

JONNY: ‘Jonny‘, for obvious reasons.

DUNCAN: We have a song about being in love with a man called Jonny. Its not about Jonny. And its not my favourite.

CM: If you could record any cover what would it be?

GILES: ‘What Presence?!‘ by Orange Juice

JONNY: ‘I Don’t Want To Go To Chelsea‘ by Elvis Costello.

DUNCAN: I would like to cover something by Leonard Cohen maybe ‘In My Secret Life, or ‘Boogie Street‘ or ‘Don’t Go Home With Your Hard-On‘ or ‘Memories‘.

LAURA: I really want to cover something like ‘Don’t You Want Me‘ by the The Human League…or ‘Everywhere‘ by Fleetwood Mac.

STEFAN: ‘September‘ by Earth Wind and Fire

CM: Do your songs go through many revisions via demo recordings?

DUNCAN: I used to make demos of all the songs and bring them to the others but now we write them all together from the start.

GILES: Oh yes. We ain’t playing nothing till Jonny‘s happy with it. He’s a perfectionist and we secretly love him for it.

STEFAN: Yes, I secretly quite like Duncan‘s demos but he doesn’t do them any more – I thought we were going to sound like No Age when I heard them.

CM: What came first, the lyrics or the melody?

DUNCAN: Melody

CM: What are your views on auto tune?

LAURA: It’s funny when you autotune people talking and put it on the internet.

GILES: I love auto-tune when it’s used as an outlandish effect, like it is in a lot of middle-eastern pop music and by Lil Wayne and the like. Bands who use autotune to attempt to cover up what they perceive to be failings in their records aren’t fooling anyone but themselves. I once had a singer in my studio break down in tears when I told her I didn’t have auto-tune. She presumed it was industry standard, but I think we were talking about different industries.

JONNY: I love Rebecca Black. This doesn’t need to be included in the interview – I just wanted to let you know.

CM: Any other band/bands from your local scene we really should know about?

GILES: Owl and Mouse, and Moustache of Insanity. Heart-breaking ukulele pop and exhilarating casio madness.

DUNCAN: Omi Palone, Fever Dream, No Cars, Hexicon

CM: Most flattering thing you’ve read about yourselves?

LAURA: That I remind someone of Daria.

DUNCAN: this isn’t something I read about my self but I heard that you should change the way you part your hair so that it looks bad in the mirror because in actual life it will then look good, so i have gone from a life long left parting to a new right parting. So far my life hasn’t really changed.

This doesn’t need to be included in the interview either does it but I do want to talk more about this.

STEFAN: I often get worried about the side I part mine on too. I have a secret fear that I might have changed it at some point by accident and it’s been wrong ever since.

LAURA: I parted my hair on my left side for the longest time, but then last year I started parting on the opposite side.  Presently I have a front fringe, so don’t have to worry so much until my hair gets too long again.

CM: What was the first record/tape/cd you ever bought?

GILES: ‘Bad‘ by Michael Jackson.

STEFAN: “Pump Up The Jam: The Album” by Technotronic — but that was a pirated copy from the Ford plant at Halewood on Merseyside, so not sure if it counts

DUNCAN: Shaggy‘s  ’Bombastic‘

CM: What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

GILES: Something by Standard Fare. You should definitely check them out too.

STEFAN: ‘Blue Skies‘ by Irving Berlin. It was written in 1926 and it feels like it’s been stuck in my head ever since

CM: What was the last show you paid and queued up for?

GILES: I think it was Wolf Eyes.

JONNY: Howe Gelb and a Band of Gypsies.

LAURA: Fleet Foxes.  Brilliant.

STEFAN: Houdini

CM: If you had to bring on artist back from the dead in exchange for sending a living artist down, which artists would it be and why??

DUNCAN: i would not do this.

LAURA: John Lennon back in exchange for Justin Bieber.  I don’t think this needs explaining.

DUNCAN: I dont think Justin Bieber should have to die for us Laura what’d he do?

TRACKS:

The Amplifietes can be considered a sort of supergroup having shared production work for the likes of Kelis, Madonna, Grandmaster Flash and fellow Swedes Peter Bjorn and John. It is on their own effort that the 4 piece have successfully married up a skilful blend of electro pop and punk that will have you flocking to the chapel this year.

At first play the electro popiness of ‘Something New’ , clearly the stand out track, draws comparisons to Miike Snow‘s dynamism whereas ‘Whizz Kid’ manages to drive through both Elvis Costello and Kraftwerk in just over 3 minutes. Their debut single ‘It’s My Life’ has an element of Gorillaz production to it and boasts a freaky robot tripping chorus that would lead any hedonistic urbanite to the dancefloor.

With a happening sound and lyrical wit The Amplifetes are a true delight so be sure to expect more and more of them this year, in the meantime wrap your chops around their latest EP, ‘Somebody New‘, out now.

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Post written by the patient Ruby

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TRACKS:

The Amplifetes – Somebody New

Yoni Gordon and The Goods‘ latest album ‘Turning Chaos Into A Career‘ has had me returning for repeated listens above and beyond the call of duty. The passionate frontman and his gang showcase a comprehensive set of songs and an album that doesn’t lag at any stage.

The band are frequently accosted to ‘Ted Leo & The Pharmacists‘ and I can see where this comparison comes from but with this release they may break out of  this shadow. It is more likely that aspiring to recreate the sentiments of his heroes, namely Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello, has seen Yoni expand his horizons. This is immediately noticeable with upbeat opener ‘Dead But Not Forgotten‘ with its ambitious structure and inclusion of organs and bells as well as a full on campfire worthy clap and chant ending.

Yoni‘s nasal voice, slightly reminiscent of Ben Weasel from Screeching Weasel, is certainly an acquired taste but serves as a reminder that the band’s roots were planted in the punk movement. However, the introduction of folk and dub elements give these tracks an inventive spark and moves them beyond their original scope.

The title track as well as ‘His Nation in Decline‘ and ‘Test Of Time‘ take on this mantra introducing syncopated verses and memorable guitar riffs that are as good as anything Bedouin Soundclash, The Dead 60′s and other Clash disciples have released in recent years. Besides, even when the band return to a tried and tested “punk and roll” formula on a couple of moments it is done with enough enthusiasm and lyrical wit to keep it from sounding generic.

‘Polish Hill‘ is a slow building mix of  violins, accordions, big bass drums and lightly strummed guitars that grows into a wonderful folk crescendo.  The track was a brave inclusion on the album and is the bands most challenging moment. It is a sweeping tribute (I presume) to Polish Hill in his native New York and comes close to recreating Springsteen‘s idealist observation of every day people and forays into Americana.  This was a risky inclusion as it could have looked out of place next to the rest of the tracks but ultimately the common lyrical theme links it with the rest of the album seamlessly.

Tracks like ‘Army Time Is Over‘ and ‘Election Year (2008)‘  inject a dose of politics next to the ever present social consciousness theme. These topics are clearly important to Yoni and he is ably expresses his views clearly without shoving them down the listeners throat leaving the lasting impression of a passionate young man who wears his heart on his sleeves.

When I first listened to Yoni Gordon & The Goods I didn’t imagine it would make such a lasting impression on me. Gradually after repeated listens the album has grown on me and could merit a surprise inclusion on my Best Of 2009 list. ‘Turning Chaos Into A Career‘ is a rough diamond in amongst 2009 more prominent releases.

TRACKS:

Yoni Gordon and The Goods -Dead But Not Forgotten