These Go to 11: interviewing Postal Blue

Keeping with our interview series, this time we the pleasure of having Adriano do Couto Ribeiro, the man behind Postal Blue responsible of, in our opinion, one of the best records of 2015, answering our questionnaire. Big pleasure, hope you like it and These Go to 11!

Adriano do Couto Ribeiro, Postal Blue

Pop postals in the sunlight

This Brazilian musician has been making pop waves since 1998, first leading a quartet which released two EPs on Drive-In Records and our dear Shelflife Records and. But then came changes, first with the bossanova tinged folk-pop debut LP 'International Breeze' in 2004, the EP 'Road to happiness' sung in Portuguese in 2006 and, finally, the band dismembering, Luckily, Adriano still got plenty to say, so kept the band's name, and after a couple of singles, 3" on Cloudberry Records and a 7" part of the Dufflecoat / Jigsaw Singles Club co-release, at the end of last year, he came out with sophomore album 'Of Love & Other Affections', also on Jigsaw. It might seem a slow ride, but when a career is flourished with so many memorable tunes of pure, elegant indiepop gems echoing legendary bands like The Byrds, The Smiths or our beloved Go-Betweens, you know it has been worth the wait. Adriano pens pop classics, folks! Here we go!

Devotional and controversial

1.First record that you bought (be honest)
I have no idea. My initial record collection was inherited from my parents, my mom mostly, as my dad has always had awful taste in music and doesn't care much for it. I remember there were some Elvis records, some horrible soap opera soundtracks, a Bill Haley live album, some Roberto Carlos and a 7" with George Harrison's 'My Sweet Lord' that I played into oblivion.

2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!)

The first was some unknown punk band in high school. It was horrible. Does that count? Last was many years ago, it was a sort of local festival with many bands whose names I can't even recall. I'm not much of a concert goer and I have terrible memory, unfortunately.

Blogger's note: Neil Finn rules. A kiwi-pop legend

3. Guilty pleasure (song/band you shouldn’t like but you do, yes, it’s the embarrassing question)

I really don't feel any guilt about liking or listening to anything as I have a pretty open mind about music. I had my metal phase when I was a teen, and I can still appreciate some of it from time to time, although I never listen to it on purpose. I like Neil Finn, who I think is an amazing songwriter. Is that uncool? I don't really know. I like some disco music, but again I don't usually listen to it.

4. Most precious music item you own (collector mode on)

I'm not a big collector, but I have an old copy of Adrian Borland's 'Alexandria' that I've seen go on Ebay for a couple hundred bucks.

Brisbane's staples!

5.Favorite lyrics (not yours)
I recall a schoolboy coming home / Through fields of can / To a house of tin and timber /And in the sky a rain of falling cinders. /From time to time /The waste memory-wastes /I recall a boy in bigger pants /Like everyone /Just waiting for a chance /His father's watch /He left it in the showers / From time to time /The waste memory-wastes /I recall a bigger brighter world / A world of books /And silent times in thought /And then the railroad /The railroad takes him home /Through fields of cattle /Through fields of cane /From time to time /The waste memory-wastes /The waste memory-wastes / Further, longer, higher, older. 'Cattle and Cane', The Go-Betweens

O maestro du 'Saudade'

6.Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)
I'd like to hang around with Johnny Marr sometime. On the dead front, probably Tom Jobim.

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)
I love Peter Saville, and a bunch of his pieces are not only beautiful but very iconic, like Joy Division's 'Closer' and 'Unknown Pleasures', OMD's first album, New Order's 'Brotherhood'. But you only wanted one, right? Sorry.

'Incognito': exploring the
limits of consciousness

8. Books or movies? Depending on your answer recommend us one (trick: you can choose both) 

Both, definitely. I majored in English, so I had to read a lot, which I've always loved. Besides literary fiction, I'm a huge sci fi and fantasy fan. If you're looking for a recommendation, I could make you a list, but let's start with the last one I read which is Margaret Atwood's 'Oryx and Crake'. I have a thing for science books too, and one of the best I've ever read is David Eagleman's 'Incognito - The Secret Lives of the Brain'.

9. Release (of yours) you are most proud of
Hm, that's really hard. On the last album, I suppose my favourite is 'I Always Knew'. Although 'Isn't It Funny' comes very close behind.

10. What does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)
To me it means DIY. It also means freedom to do whatever I please regardless of whether other people like it or not.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 
Pretty much the same, only better.

                                                                                                                             Zillion thanks Adriano!

These Go to 11: interviewing Out Of Map Records

After interviewing The Birkins, we are decided to enhance the Blog's section again so here's a new and exciting one. This time we move to France (sadly just virtually) to meet a young label with a bright future ahead, run by lovely people, Out of Map Records. These Go to 11!

Muskeeters of indie...

Marie-Agnès Hallé & Rodolphe Binot, Out Of Map
Out of Map Records was created by Marie-Agnès Hallé with the help of Rodolphe Binot and Quentin Leclere, both from the promising band Nevski around 2010. It's the result of a brave but logical movement of Marie-Agnès after a long career in music industry during the last 15 years: cultural writer at her city's official website, Rouen (Normandy, France), runner of her own indie-pop radio show, quintessential part of a label run by a colleague.. Thanks to that intense task, she has met a lot of artists and musicians internationally, because she has had time also for being a touring manager. I Impressive, right? So after caring so much about music it was just natural for her to make the jump and run her own label. Like Nevski's debut EP, label's first release, exciting music awaits us, folks. Here we go!

1. First record that you bought (be honest)

Getting righteous!

Marie-Agnès: I grew up with many records around me at home, my dad was a teacher and an artist, drawing and a great guitarist. I could listen thanks to him many good vinyls. He loved Bernstein, Django Reinhardt, Simon & Garfunkel, The Bee Gees, The Beatles etc. I knew by heart West Side Story about 5 years old! I am born in 1973. As I had two older brothers who bought audio tapes, vinyls, then cds, I didn’t feel the need to buy records early.. I just had to pick one in the discography in the room next door ;) as far as I remember… I think that the first stuff I really bought on my own was in USA, where I travelled when I was 16 years and it was a tape of The Righteous Brothers. I realize now that I had in my childhood an extremely kitschy taste!
Rodolphe: A second hand copy of ‘In Utero’ by Nirvana, when I was 10 or 11. Fascinating.

80s Lolita asking for a cab ...

2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!)

MA:The first concert was when I was very young. It was Mozart’s 'Die Zauberflöte' opera. My grand-ma was violinist and brought me the love of classical music. The first really ‘pop’ concert was in Normandy where I am from, on holidays in Deauville in 1988, it was a Vanessa Paradis gig. I couldn’t tell you honestly if I enjoyed it because during the first song ‘Joe le taxi’, I collapsed. All I remember of this gig is receiving a big slap in the face from a volunteer firefighters to wake me up.
R: The first show I attended was the Pixies when they reunited in 2004. It was in a big arena, didn't see anything but it blew me away. The last one was a Nevski show three days ago, we played with 4 other bands. Nothing to be remembered.

Blame it on the MTV

3. Guilty pleasure (song/band you shouldn’t like but you do, yes, it’s the embarrassing question)

MA: Goodness Raül ! it is not embarrassing at all! I love this question! I have many many many answers and it will be a heartbreak feeling to pick one … If only i could make you a list! The Milli Vanilli and The Shaggs, worse music either but they bring me happiness (I cannot stop laughing listening to them.)
R: ‘Heart of Glass’ by Blondie. I don't know if it's embarrassing but I feel guilty for that anyway.

4. Most precious music item you own (collector mode on)

MA:There are two objects I cherish: a flexible disc of the Speech made by General Charles de Gaulle in september 1962. I really take care of this jewel. The second music item that I adore because it contains many symbols too is a vinyl of West Side Story from the sixties.

R: I’m not a collector but I like my classical music records, because they sound and look good. I also like my old and cheap guitar strap.

5. Favorite lyrics (not yours)

MA: Here comes again my kitschy side: I love the 'Trololo Song'. The amazing russian man, Eduard Khil, managed to sing with only some onomatopoeia lyrics 'yeyeyeye ho ho ho dadada ho heeeee' with his baritone voice. Gorgeous! This song stuck in my head, can drive me crazy for days, in singing the trololo song everywhere all day long. Originally, the lyrics, too hard for the soviet government were like that 'I'm riding my stallion on a prairie, so-and-so mustang, and my beloved Mary is thousand miles away knitting a stocking for me'.
R: ‘Desolation Row’ by Bob Dylan, the whole thing is amazing. I'd also mention the line ‘I hate people when they're not polite’ in Talking Heads' ‘Psycho Killer’.

The real rose of the 2nd Stones...

6. Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)
MA: So those I would have dream to meet: Serge Gainsbourg, Lou Reed, Kevin Ayers, John Lennon and Claudine Longet (to ask her if she had really shooted Spider, her lover, in Aspen 1976.). These last years, I was wondering what kind of persons are Stuart Murdoch, Johnny Marr and Neil Hannon.

R: I'd drink some wine in the South of France with Kevin Ayers and John Squire. He’s the best pop guitarist I can think of.

In the head of Syd...

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)

MA: My favorite artwork is the cover of 'This is Beaumont'. The picture, the name, the colours, all the elements fit in perfection with the music. When you read the songs titles on the back cover, 'Bacharach', 'Girls and Maths', 'Love is 1968', 'Hey Barbara', 'His London' etc... you yell ‘of course!’. The girlie-sixties picture on the album is elegant and charming, like the Blueboys Keith Girdler and Paul Stuart awesome compositions. The spirit of Sarah Records is in this artwork. 

R: ‘The Madcap Laughs’ by Syd Barrett, the cover perfectly reflects the mood of the album. And it looks good.

Let's dance with Liza!

8. Books or movies? Depending on your answer recommend us one (trick: you can choose both) 

MA: I read a lot, more than I listen to music… so it’s a hard job to pick one book. I’ll pick two in suffering: William Styron, ‘Sophie's Choice’ and Michel Houellebecq, ‘Les Particules élémentaires'. I choose them because I have read everything from the both writers. They deeply touch me. I don’t have any hesitation for the movie: 'West Side Story' in DVD! after that, a piece of french films from Godard, Truffaut, Audiard. Oh oui, and I have plan to watch 'Cabaret' with Liza Minelli these next days.
R: ‘Uranus’ by Marcel Aymé and Louis Aragon’s poetry.

9. Release (of yours) you are most proud of

MA: The Nevski EP we signed on Out of Map!!! Of course! The label was created five years ago and during all these years, I wanted this EP but I had to wait this long time after the musicians, studying all other the world. When they get finally in the studio, rehearsing and recording, it was in August but for me it was Christmas ! Now, the first album is already on its way, and Santa Claus is back!

10. What does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)
MA: Well, oui, let’s be serious Raül. Indie means ‘independant’ for me and a spirit for the fans of indie, a beautiful club full of great strange people, like a family. An indie band or indie musician is the opposite of the product: they are able to decide, to say ‘no’ to a label and the music industry when they try to drive with only profit on mind. Indie bands don’t lose their pants. Indie fans share this way of thinking, like this air of freedom and help each other to form a Resistance.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 

MA: Where I am now, no matter the country, the city... I will surely be with the people I love, reading, painting, listening music, helping musicians who deserve attention. Somewhere on a sofa, (a bigger one in 10 years because after books and music, my third passion is chocolate) living the same ‘indie’ life.
R: Growing potatoes in Scotland.

                                                               Zillion thanks Marie-Agnès & Rodolphe, thanks Out Of Map!

"Morrissey & Marr", The Smiths' obsessions & miseries

Morrissey & Marr: the Severed Alliance- Johnny Rogan

It's my fault. I read almost everything that is related with music. I have all sort of lists of "best books about music", and when I see over one of them, I always end grabbing the book. "The Severed Alliance" was labelled as one of the most insightful and powerful music books ever written. Add the (as usual) vitriolic comments from Morrissey towards Johnny Rogan, and my perennial love/hate story with The Smiths, and the conclusion was obvious: it was about time I was going to get my hands over the book.

Someone should had warned me. First, because this book ends in 1992. More than 20 years have passed now since Rogan's work was published, so it now looks like a very concrete but also very incomplete account of the lives of Morrissey and Johnny Marr. Yes, The Smiths period is related with careful, extreme detail. But the fundamental pillars of the band were this two pop icons, who have had, better said are having, long careers after the seminal band called a day. Simply said, this book need and updated version (I believe there's one?). And second, and even more important, because "The Severed Alliance" is a book for obsessive Smiths fans, done by someone who is, no doubt about it, obsessed with The Smiths. Unfortunately, that's not my case, particularly not about Morrissey, a rockstar whom I have very mixed feelings, as an artist and person.

There's no better example than the first half of the book to prove my point. The Spanish version of this book has more than 330 pages. But the first 150 are wasted on the most detailed account on the childhood, teenage years and adulthood of Morrissey, with a little bit of Marr too. The research done by Rogan is impressive, but what's the point of it? Do we need to know what the yet-to-be singer and composer dreamt, thought or wore when he was 16? It is necessary to resume the history of Ireland's independence and political turmoils in such detail just to have a historical background? The answer is no. And I hate to say this, but what I will recommend you is to mostly skip this first part. It can only bore you (almost to death). If not, congratulations, you are the quintessential Morrissey's fan.

It all turns much better once The Smiths story arise. Then all the detail, opinions gathered and author's point of view converge, providing a seriously complete picture of the beginnings, evolution, triumphs, miseries and death of the band. There's also space and time to analyse every song, and Morrissey's lyrics. A clinical dissection of the band. As much as I criticised the previous part, the rest of the book make me eager to go back checking the band's albums, which in my opinion is one of the best compliments you can say of a book on a music group. And all this praise comes from someone who has never been a fan of The Smiths, and has never been affected for their myth.

And yes, as I expected, Morrissey is scary. A really scary character.  

SCORE: 5,75/10

Primavera Sound 2013: the sweepstake

Tomorrow is the DAY: the Primavera Sound 2013 unveils their line-up in full in some kind of party/ceremony. Bloodbuzzed will be there, hoping that as many of our most beloved artists will join the Festival this May. Here's our sweepstake, our bet. This time the artists listed are not personal preferences/wishes. Just our thoughts on which names will be confirmed tomorrow! Will this be the #bestfestivalever? Will let you know!

1. Band of Horses
2. Breeders, The
3. Cat Power
4. Dinosaur Jr.
5. Everything Everything
6. Frank Ocean
7. Grizzly Bear
8. Johnny Marr
9. Knife, The
10. Phoenix
11. Postal Service, The
12. Primal Scream
13. My Bloody Valentine
14. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 
15. Rodríguez
16. Suede
17. Tame Impala
18. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
19. Youth Lagoon
20. Wild Nothing