These Go to 11: interviewing The Treasures of Mexico

And here comes another great musician answering our questionnaire. Today we have the pleasure of having Mark Matthews, formerly on the amazing The Dentists and now leading the terrific The Treasures of Mexico. A lot of indiepop, you'll see. These Go to 11!

The Treasures of Mexico, indiepop hunters

Mark Matthews, The Treasures of Mexico
Do you remember The Dentists? If not, write down the name and add it to your "things-to-do" list, because they were a great, shamefully underrated jangle-pop band from Chatham, UK, active from 1984 to 1995. The combo disbanded, but former founder members Mark Matthews and Bob Collins kept very active in bands like Coax, Fortress Madonna, The Great Lines, The Claim... involving themselves into side projects and contributions until Mark began The Treasures of Mexico alongside Bob and Russ Baxter from Secret Affair, coming out with one of favourite records of 2015, the magnificent 'Holding Pattern', an effervescent and hyper addictive jangle-pop treaty, out digitally via our dear friends from Shelflife. With a follow-up in the works while their members keep themselves busy (with Bob Collins and the Full Nelson, World Beginning With X, Stuart Turner and The Flat Earth Society) all we can say is: cheers to the great musicians who never give up! Here we go!

1.First record that you bought (be honest)

The Flinstones goes punk!

Ok so the first record I bought with my own money was an LP by The Rezillos called 'Can't Stand The Rezillos'. I saved up, and had to cycle twice to a very small shop in the housing estate that was Twydall, where they had to order it. I think they only usually carried the Top 20. I saw The Rezillos on Top of the Pops performing their song 'Top of the Pops' and I just thought they were incredible. They looked like the cast of the Flintstones and sounded like a cross between punk (which I was too young to appreciate really) and glam rock, and the band were just whizzing about on stage like demented puppets, singing 'everybody's on Top of the Pops' which I didn't understand but liked the sentiment of. The LP is a gem, full of hooky power pop and from that I discovered the previous singles including 'Can't Stand My Baby' which is probably my favourite Rezillos song. 

Before 'Pirates of the Caribbean'... there were the Ants

2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!)
First un-chaperoned concert was probably The Monochrome Set at the YMCA in Tottenham Court Rd, London. Andy Warren had just left Adam & the Ants to play bass in the MS, and loads of Ants punks turned up to chant 'Ants! Ants! Ants!' at him every time there was a break between songs. He remains a bass playing hero. Last concert I bought a ticket for was probably The Luxembourg Signal in Brighton, if you discount local bands.

Madonna gets electronic

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

Guiltiest is probably later Madonna - I especially like 'Ray of Light' and 'Music' but let's keep that to ourselves.

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

Would be my 1978 Rickenbacker bass instrument wise, and record wise I would say Blueboy by Orange Juice 45 on the Postcard label.

5.Favorite lyrics (not yours)
So many....'I dreamt about you last night and I fell out of bed twice', (Smiths), heard for the first time on John Peel, but really anything from Morrissey. Or 'You and I' by Wilco. Or Teenage Kicks. Or The Doors....I could go on and on....the other lyric that always sticks with me is Edwyn Collins on 'Consolation Prize'; 'I wore my fringe like Roger McGuinn's, I was hoping to impress. So frightfully camp, it made you laugh, tomorrow I'll buy myself a dress - how ludicrous

Malkmus, living up the 90s

6.Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)
I really wouldn't be overly keen to meet anyone really. I've had chances to meet Andy Warren but never taken them up. I think maybe if pushed I'd quite like to meet the guys from Pavement, Malkmus in particular but any of them really. They seem pretty grounded and I feel like it would be a productive conversation. I met Liam Gallagher once mind you and we had a good chat about football. He was absolutely lovely.

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)
Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division. Love the Factory stuff.

Wes Anderson in the Republic of Zubrowka

8. Books or movies? Depending on your answer recommend us one (trick: you can choose both) 
Any movie by Wes Anderson and I recommend 'Grand Budapest Hotel' if you haven't seen it. I love both but Wes takes it for movies and Douglas Coupland would take it for books.

9. Release (of yours) you are most proud of
Well I think generally musicians are always most proud of the last thing they've done, otherwise there's not much point in going on. To that end, the song 'Let's Start At The Beginning' from the last Treasure album takes it, but obviously I'm most proud of the songs I'm working on right now.

10. What does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)
That's a good question. Personally, I think the concept of "indie" needs to be retired as it died a long time ago. I still think of the original definition which was music distributed independently, outside of the major labels, but that quickly got into difficulty when artists like Kylie Minogue -genuinely indie at the time- started to take over the Indie chart. Then they tried "alternative" as a category and everything became subjective. I think music is just music now and it's not indie v. majors anymore, it's all changed, but the real battle is going to be hard product v. downloads. I dread the day that you can't buy a physical CD or piece of vinyl. Personally, I'd like to go back to vinyl and downloads. CD as a format holds no real interest for me.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 
Still making music and sending it out on CD to about 6 interested friends!         

 Zillion thanks Mark!

The Indie Anthology 42: essential songs

We went to Primera Persona Festival past weekend and, among the most interesting acts I was lucky to listen & watch Green Gartside (Scritti Politti) and Bob Stanley (Saint Etienne) talking about music, mainly the post-punk era and the meaning of indie music then and now. They also played some records... and made me remember the band I vindicate today on our Anthology. Hope you enjoy...

Song: Heaven Sent
Artist: Josef K
Year: 1987 (posthumous single release date, original tune from 1981)

Short-lived, unsuccessful and neglected by music history books, Scottish post-punk band Josef K were only active between 1979 and 1982, although some releases, including this powerful Heaven Sent single, appeared and received some buzz years after they group broke up. Often considered like a minor, obscure & doomed version of Orange Juice, I have always thought of them as being more aligned with Joy Division (don't forget to listen to It's Kinda Funny) but flirting with jangle and funky guitar lines instead of icy synths. Also blame me for loving bands influenced by literature (and have great lyrics). Post-punk meeting Kafka and Dostoevsky? Josef K were a band for me! What a shame they didn't have a longer career...

These Go to 11: interviewing Alpaca Sports

Next musician to respond our questionnaire is Andreas Jonsson, the young man behind Alpaca Sports. What can I say? He is an indiepop genius, has been proving his talents since 2012 with each new tune offered... and now he is ready to conquer the world. So, when I'm very very old I'll remember one day I interviewed this music legend to be... These Go to 11!

Andreas meets his band name

Andreas Jonsson, Alpaca Sports

Andreas started his pluperfect twee/indiepop project in early 2012, and with the help of Amanda Akerman and Carl Jirestedt, plus a bunch of rotating musicians, he has been offering us, relentlessly, pop gem after pop gem in gorgeous 7" format singles. "Just for Fun" and "I Was Running" came out via Dufflecoat Records/ Luxury Records that same year, while in 2013, on the same labels, arrived the irresistible "He Doesn't Even Like You" and "Telephone", the latest being a split single with another seminal Swedish band, Acid House Kings. More recently it was the turn of "As Long as I have You", out on Cloudberry Records, making forthcoming February 24th a highlighted date on any indiepop lover's agenda. That's the day when debut album "Sealed with a Kiss", again on Dufflecoat/Luxury comes out. Pop world beware, Alpaca Sports and their delicate, lush, catchy and memorable music is here to stay!

Music aside, one of most famous
Swedish exports

1. First record that you bought (be honest)

My first LP was a compilation with all the songs from the Pippi Longstocking-movie. First cd is embarrassing! Melodie MC – Northland Wonderland (here’s the big hit "Dum da Dum"). I’m pretty sure I still know the whole rap-part.

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

My first concert must have been when I went to see the Swedish band “Mora Träsk” as a kid. The last concert I attended ( not playing ourselves) was probably to see labelmates Katakomb play at Jazzhuset in December.

3. Guilty pleasure (song/band you shouldn’t like but you do, yes, it’s the embarrassing question)
This New Years Eve I ended up dancing like a maniac to “Lucky” by Britney Spears. I was in chock and screamed to my friend Sophie, “why do I like this song so much?!” I think she has it all on camera, so I’m in big trouble haha.

4. Most precious music item you own (collector mode on)
Must be my LPs and singles with The Hit Parade. My favorites are “More Pop Songs” and “With Love from The Hit Parade”. I also got the “Emma’s house” 7” by The Field Mice as a gift from Gary from Dufflecoat Records, that one is very precious to me.

Underrated indiepop 

5. Favorite lyrics (not yours)

The first one that came to my mind was “I want the one I can't have, and it's driving me mad, it's written all over my face” by The Smiths. Then I thought of  “the best looking boys are taken, the best looking girls are staying inside” from “Judy and the Dream of Horses” by Belle and Sebastian. But I don’t know if they’re my favorites.

6. Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)
Even though it scares me a bit to meet musicians I admire, I think it could be fun to have a cup of tea with Julian Henry from The Hit Parade.

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)
Orange Juice “You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever”. But oh, difficult question! I already regret my answer…

8. Books or movies? Depending on your answer recommend us one (trick: you can choose both)
Movies. I’m addicted to drama/romance and I just saw the Chinese movie “The Road Home”, which I can highly recommend. One of my favorite movies is Tornatore’s “Cinema Paradiso”.

9. Song (of yours) you are most proud of
“She’ll Come Back for Indian Summer”. I always love playing that one live.

10. What’s does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)
Heart, soul and bap bap ba’s.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I finally won the lottery and I’m now living on the French riviera. With a glass of wine in my hand I’m enjoying life in the sun with my wife and kids.

Zillion thanks Andreas!

Discoverer 86: new indie findings

Here comes another round of exciting discoveries for your ears only, enjoy!

Tripping the Light Fantastic. We begin our trip in Hamburg, Germany with this seven-piece group whose origins technically dates back to 2001, although the existing version of the group didn't form until 2008. With a S/T mini-album in 2009 and three 7" singles between 2010 and 2013 (the latest pair out on Dufflecoat and Cloudberry Records), their debut full LP, ...Is Tripping the Light Fantastic, just came out now on Jigsaw Records. An indiepop kaleidoscope, vital, joyous, full of arresting melodies and playful vocals. Orange Juice? Check. The Pastels? Check. Twee? Check. Fun? Check, check, check, check, check...
Astral Pattern. We move to London to meet this trio formed early last year, after the split of their previous band S.C.U.M., and following a crucial trip to Dusseldorf to see Kraftwerk, their favourite band live. With only one release to date, the EP "Light Poems", out since July via 37 Adventures label it might be to early to analyse the influence's extent of the seminal German band. But judging by their five tunes, a subtle, lush, elegant and evocative blend of ethereal dreampop with motorik structures, what we can guarantee is that here's a promising combo to follow from now on.  
Violet Hours. Three weeks ago I introduced you the exciting post-punk band Desperate Journalist, which have me completely haunted. But the addiction is going to get even worse because I just found Jo Bevan, their amazing singer and leader, has another project going on. A quintet (initially a trio) formed on February last year & poised to make "pop that's going to be remembered". Indeed, judging by the three songs available to date. Timeless, epic pop daunting between baroque ballads and indiepop 80s classics, with Bevan's voice crooning among the delicate melodies. Oh my, what a music crush! Can't wait for more!