Politics and Music: Mark Berube
Mark Berube, a Canadian indie musician who performs folk-inflected indie with his group, Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few, discusses his perspective on music and politics. This is the third in a series of interviews with musicians discussing political perspectives.
What role do politics play in your music?
Politics in modern music can very easily have the tendency to be preachy. I avoid this sort of statement as much as I can, unless I really want to put some balls behind something. I prefer subtlety, like “Ojala,” by Silvio Rodriguez, probably one of the most potent and subtle statments made in a song against Castro.
Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few – “Flowers on the Stones” | download
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What role do you think music should play in politics?
Music has always been a reference point for society to bounce itself against, or it has been pure escapism. Most of the time it fills an entertainment quota in politics … you only have to look as far as Palin’s use of “Barracuda”. (more…)
Tags: indie
By Matthew Montgomery 
Sep 12, 2008 
Downloads, Politics and Music 
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From the archives: An interview with Sean and Christian of Monster Movie
The following is an interview conducted with Christian Savill and Sean Hewson of Monster Movie from 2005. The interview is being resurfaced mostly because I think it’s interesting. Nothing in the interview — aside from formatting — has been changed, though multimedia content has been added in for user interest.
As a child, were you around music much?
Sean: Only when I got to school and started learning instruments. I think we’re just classic geeks and we spent a lot of time at home listening to music when we were teenagers because we didn’t know how to get girlfriends.
Christian: Not that much. My Dad didn’t even know who the Beatles were, he is a bit of an opera man. I was also hopeless at music at school. Aside from kids music like The Wombles, I remember hearing “Wuthering Heights” by Kate Bush when it first came out and being really interested in it, but not knowing why or what it was. After that I loved listening to the radio and taping the Top 40 singles charts every Sunday night. Those cassettes would literally get worn out. I didn’t get a guitar until I was about 16 or 17, my Dad bought me a right handed guitar, I’m left handed.
Monster Movie – “Letting You Know” | download
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Tags: dream pop
By Matthew Montgomery Sep 09, 2008 Downloads, Interviews Comments (0)
Politics and Music: Jon Crocker, ever-touring folk artist
Jon Crocker, the ever-touring folk artist, discusses his perspective on music and politics. This is the second in a series of interviews with musicians discussing political perspectives.
What role do politics play in your music?
Not a very large one … if I ever write topical songs, they’re usually about social or environmental issues as opposed to political ones, and even with those issues I don’t really write about the political sides.
What role do you think music should play in politics?
I think that should be up to the musicians. If someone wants to make political music, they should. I think songwriters should write about whatever they are passionate about.
Jon Crocker – “Six Day Sinners’ Son” | download
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Tags: Politics and Music
By Matthew Montgomery Sep 08, 2008 Downloads, Politics and Music Comments (0)
Politics and Music: Jordan Olsen, guitarist with The Gorgeous Hussies
Jordan Olsen, guitarist with The Gorgeous Hussies, discusses his perspective of music and politics. This is the first in a series of interviews with musicians discussing political perspectives.
What role do politics play in your music?
On the whole I don’t think mainstream politics, per se, play a significant role in how I write and perform music. There hasn’t been an issue I’ve been so passionate about that I’d be willing to use my music to preach about it. That’s just not my style. However, I have written a few songs that present a larger comment on society and how we treat each other, which, I guess, is the crux of politics. So in that aspect maybe I have?
On The Gorgeous Hussies’ first CD Oh! Hello I wrote a song called “Dangerously Similar.” It’s based on the Israeli/Hezbollah conflict in the summer of 2006. I was watching CNN and watched Israeli troops fighting with Hezbollah troops and I couldn’t tell who was who. I couldn’t help but think that beyond the politics and ethnic conflict these people were first and foremost fathers and mothers but how at that moment they were “dangerously similar”. It’s not really an anti-war song, rather a comment on people who at their core are very similar but find themselves trying to kill each other.
The Gorgeous Hussies – “Dangerously Similar”
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Tags: Politics and Music
By Matthew Montgomery Sep 04, 2008 Politics and Music Comments (0)
An interview with Lazy Goods
Lazy Goods is a side project for Chad Felix, also in the Las Vegas, Nev. band called The Tramlines. Though each project is somewhat similar, they are also very different. Lazy Goods is comprised of country & folk melodies along with great vocals by Chad. Lazy goods have a few other occasional members who are on a few tracks of Lazy Goods. Mike Busch, Tyler Mckusick, and occasionally Michael Catalano — the drummer of The Tramlines — join in on the music making of Lazy Goods.
You are in two similar music projects, The Tramlines and Lazy Goods. Is folk/indie your music of choice?:
I can’t really say that I prefer any specific genre of music. I find myself listening to different things every day. I think it is important that people listen to music, and make a conscious attempt to find something good about it. No matter what you are listening to there is something worth your while (minus the obvious exceptions). It is just a matter of time and patience.
By Paige Watters Feb 10, 2008 Artist Spotlight, Interviews Comment (1)
An interview with Say Hi, who released a new album today
Eric Elbogen of Say Hi (previously Say Hi To Your Mom), who, today, release The Wishes and the Glitch, answers a few questions from MusicGeek.org regarding the new album, working with David Bazan and John Roderick, and more. Read after the jump for more of the interview, tracks from The Wishes and the Glitch, and links to purchase music from the group. Say Hi were previously the subject of a MusicGeek.org spotlight.
Say Hi — “Northwestern Girls” | download
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What’s the geekiest thing you did during the recording of The Wishes and the Glitch?
Well, cooping up in a bedroom full of music equipment for six months for twelve hours a day is pretty geeky, don’t you agree? I got nothing else.
Tags: indie pop, indie rock, seattle
By Matthew Montgomery Feb 05, 2008 Downloads, Interviews Comments (0)
An interview with Autumn Chorus
Brighton, UK post-rock-sounding darlings Autumn Chorus answer questions from MusicGeek.org regarding production of their music, reception of their debut EP, Rosa, and the support they find in the UK and beyond.
Autumn Chorus — “Remember the Dead”
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What drives you to create ambient and post-rock music?
I think as a band we’re more about atmosphere as opposed to ambiance, as that suggests it’s in the background, and we want to be very much in the foreground! We’re never sure if we are “post-rock” but that’s what we seem to fit into. I think we’re influenced by classical music as much as we are other post-rock bands.
By Matthew Montgomery Jan 26, 2008 Downloads, Interviews Comments (0)
An interview with Nathaniel Carroll
Nathaniel Carroll, indie pop pianist, guitarist, and vocalist, is preparing a new album for release at some point in the future. While awaiting the release, take a listen to two tracks, “You’ll Make a Killing” and “A Lie Worth Living,” which he provided for your listening. The tracks, among his most musically mature and best-recorded, feature Carroll’s signature genuine, heartfelt songwriting.
MusicGeek.org previously conducted an interview with Nathaniel Carroll in October, 2005. His music can be purchased at his web site.
Nathaniel Carroll — “You’ll Make a Killing” | download
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Nathaniel Carroll — “A Lie Worth Living” | download
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What’s the status on your new album?
Slow and steady wins the race. I’d be vain if I told you that I planned on it taking over two years to record my new album, as if I’ve been carefully crafting some masterpiece in my secret underground lair. In actuality, this album is one of many flaming chainsaws in my juggling routine. I have the skeleton tracks (drums, piano or guitar, vocals) recorded for 10 songs, and I have 2 songs that are “good enough.” I’ve enclosed them in this electronic correspondence for your leaking pleasure. If track lists mean anything to anyone these days, here’s one that looks cool in my head:
By Matthew Montgomery Jan 24, 2008 Artist Spotlight, Downloads, Interviews Comments (0)
