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Showing posts with label Paul McCartney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul McCartney. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

These Go to 11: interviewing Danny De La Matyr

It's been a long, very long time. But here we are, ready to revamp our beloved interview section! And who could be better for starting over than the musician responsible of one of our favourite albums of the year so far (look for him in our end-of-the year lists)? Without further ado, here are the answers to our questionnaire by the great Danny De La Matyr answers. These Go to 11!
Danny De La Matyr, keeping an eye on the sky
Danny De La Matyr
This multi-faceted Texan musician quickly became a name within the emergent scene of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Covering The Beatles and fronting the power-pop combo The Days were the first steps before moving to L.A., where he played with the likes of Rhett Miller, Jesse Malin or Lukas Haas. Next move was assembling his own band, The Sheers, with whom he released the LP 'Goodbye World' in 2006 and, later on, he joined Luther Russell on several albums and tours, as well as being part of 'Those Pretty Wrongs's debut album (Luther’s project with Big Star's legend Jody Stephens). In return, Russell produced the first De La Matyr's solo release, 'Lines b/w “How Can It Be' in 2013. And at the beginning of 2017, he released first full-length 'Crybaby' via the wise and most beloved label Pretty Olivia Records. An endearing, arresting, instant classic for anyone who loves melodies and harmony-driven rock, and a lot of soul and honesty pouring out a flawless collection of four minute gems. Here we go!

Blue, red and, of course, always pop...
1.First record that you bought (be honest)
Wow, a really tough thing to remember. The first thing that comes to mind is 'The Red Album' and 'The Blue Album' by The Beatles that were double records. The ones I bought were colored vinyl. I though that was so cool.

2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!)
The first concert i attended was Leon Redbone. My dad took me when I was 10 or so.

3. Guilty pleasure (song/band you shouldn’t like but you do, yes, it’s the embarrassing question)
'Right Down The Line' by Gerry Rafferty.
Sir Macca, the pop royalty

4. Most precious music item you own (collector mode on)
My ’67 Gretsch Tennessean.

5. Favorite lyrics (not yours)
'Something For You' by Sarabeth Tucek.

6. Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)
Sir Paul McCartney ('kinda' obvious. I suppose).

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)
Always liked the real graphic style covers like 'XTC'’s English Settlement or Todd Rundgren’s 'Something/Anything'

'The Human Stain', Zuckerman in
the age of impeachment

8. Books or movies? Depending on your answer recommend us one (trick: you can choose both) 
Books, 'The Human Stain' by Philip Roth

9. Song (of yours) you are most proud of
'How Can It Be'.

10. What does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)
It means a lot of hard work. it means getting a lot of help from your friends. And most importantly, it means art first, no compromises.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 
I see myself collaborating with more, likeminded, songwriters. I have not done enough of that, and I think it makes one a better songwriter. I also see myself as way more prolific and perhaps producing some artists that I admire.

 Zillion thanks Danny!

Thursday, July 3, 2014

These Go to 11: interviewing Cristina Quesada

This week we have the youngest person I have ever interviewed. I'm referring to the charming, perennially smiling, ukulele wizard Cristina Quesada. These Go to 11!

Cristina Quesada
The Pineapple Princess
Hailing from Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, but based in Madrid, Cristina started to develop a fond love for music, learning violin and sol-fa since she was a little child. She also established herself as a precocious artist, being part in theater groups and a local tv program (she is part of 'El Club de Archi' still). At 13 she bought a guitar, starting to play versions of her favourite tunes. But the giant leap forward arrived at 15, when she discovered the ukulele. Her only release to date, a lovely covers 7" EP entitled "Pineapple Princess", came out on Elefant Records during the summer of 2013, hypnotising us with her adorably sweet vocals and the irresistible simplicity of the ukulele melodies, showing her range as composer with her first couple of penned tunes, one sharing credits with Paul Bevoir, plus transforming the Sherman Brothers, Billy Rose and Lee David or Family on an intimate indiepop affair completely of her ownHere we go!

Shared gig, shared Love
1. First record that you bought (be honest)
When I was living in my hometown in Fuerteventura, there wasn't (or at least I didn't know) any place to buy records, so the ones that I had at home were my parents' or otherwise it would be my older sister the one who would buy them, most of the times on the internet. The first record I bought myself was probably 'Tapestry' by Carole King and I think I bought once I was already living in Madrid. 

2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!)
I think that the first concert I attended was one of Joan Manuel Serrat in Fuerteventura with my parents when I was a child, and the last one Helen Love at Primavera Sound!

Then came Céline Dion and things got
even worse, much worse...
3. Guilty pleasure (song/band you shouldn’t like but you do, yes, it’s the embarrassing question)
Sometimes, specially when I'm so stressed with exams that I lose my mind, I've found myself singing along 'All by myself' or doing playback to it like crazy with the music really loud around all my apartment while holding a hairbrush as if it was a microphone. I even pretend to do the final drums part, hahaha!

4. Most precious music item you own (collector mode on)
I must confess I am addicted to musical films, so I've been collecting soundtracks for a long time now, but one of the most special one for me is the one of the film 'Melody', (S.W.A.L.K. in the UK).
5. Favorite lyrics (not yours)
Everyday I have a different favorite lyrics! Today maybe 'I love you I've a drowning grip on your adoring face, I love you my responsibility has found a place beside you' from 'Piazza New York catcher' of Belle and Sebastian.

Macca, Sir with bowl haircut 
6. Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)
I must admit that I am always a bit scared to meet people who I really admire, first of all because I don't know how I would react! But...thinking about it...I think it would be cool to have a conversation with Paul McCartney!

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)
I love the artwork in may records of the 60's. The one in 'Comment te dire adieu' of Françoise Hardy is one of my favorites, but it's really difficult to make up my mind with only one artwork!

Demoiselles de Rochefort
8. Books or movies? Depending on your answer recommend us one (trick: you can choose both) 
I'll say movies! My favorite genres are romance and musicals. Recently I watched again a film that I really loved, 'Les Demoiselles de Rochefort'.

9. Song (of yours) you are most proud of:
I guess maybe 'Secret Song', because it's the first one I wrote myself and when I play it always remember the moment in which I was writing it in my room and it makes me smile.

10. What’s does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)
Doing things with your heart.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Somewhere that's beautiful and sharing my happiness with my beloved ones.

Zillion thanks Cristina!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Stop Awful Covers 5

This next chapter of the music artwork "gallery of horrors" comes much earlier than I would desire. I'm getting really really worried by the huge amount of crappy, terrible sleeve covers you can find out there. Please stop...

ARTWORK ATROCITIES
Donnie & Joe Emerson: Dreamin' Wild
We start with this 1979's reissue. You can laugh. Out loud. Is going to be much worse below

Dz Deathrays: Bloodstreams
Death rays, x-rays, skulls, sure you get it: not very remarkable, don't you think?
Sébastien Tellier: My God is Blue
Emm... dear Sébastien, be careful with the hallucinogenic substances... Just my advice

 Kelly Hogan: I Like to Keep Myself in Pain
A bit disgusting, quite annoying, seriously lame

Bloc Party: Four
Usual dose of zero effort in the artwork. Now in circles!


TALWSTAlien Tentacle Sex EP
Graphism that fits well with the also "poor" (polite euphemism) title

Rye Rye: Go! Pop! Bang!
Horrendous! Tacky! Ridiculous!

Animal Collective: Centipede Hz
If the award exists, it will probably get my vote for worst artwork of the year...


Paul McCartney / Linda McCartneyRam
Another reissue. That's why home-made sometimes is a pejorative term. Poor animal