LISSY TRULLIE INTERVIEW We’ve been singing the praises of the inimitable Lissy Trullie since we first spun her Self-Taught Learner EP back in February here at Cannibal Cheerleader. Her brand of jangly guitar rhythms and NYC-livin’ lyrics conjure images of the heyday of garage-rock revival, and since she’s coming to Austin tomorrow Wed. May 27th at Emo’s we conducted a little interview with the talented frontwoman about her rising profile. Check it:
CC: What is Lissy Trullie all about? How did the band form and what inspired you to start making music. What is the music like to the uninitiated? LT: I’ve pretty much always played music since I was a child. I wrote lots and played in other bands… Lissy Trullie is basically me finally playing/doing my own thing. The Lissy Trullie band has been through many incarnations but this is by far the greatest. CC: What was it like cutting the Self-Taught Learner EP? What was the recording experience like? What’s the story with the wild cover? LT: The recording of the EP is like that expression “if you blink, you’ll miss it” It was such a rushed experience. We had little money and little time. We literally worked around the clock. The cover is an image that a friend of mine had from an early 70’s porno mag. I changed it a bit to make it less “porno-ie”. I guess it’s my homage to the butt cover of Springsteen’s and the crotch cover of The Stones.
CC: Tell us a little bit about your songwriting process. Is it a collaborative effort? Where do you draw inspiration from? What are some artists that inspire you?
LT: I write the songs on my own and them bring them to the band… They develop from there. I think as far as the song writing goes, my inspiration isn’t a constant “this or that”… I’m inspired by whatever I see or observe. Some come from personal experiences and others don’t. I think I’m beginning to realize that I write a lot about relationships (not of the romantic kind… or not always) But i dunno. That could all change. It’s hard to determine what kinda ridiculousness is coming next. CC: A lot of press on the band seems to mention your modeling work or the NYC fashion scene just as much as the music – does that association bother you or do you think it helps the band? How would you like to be portrayed by the music media? LT: It’s more of a surprise than a bother. I did model, but a long time ago and not for a long time. It’s bazaar to be described as a model because that seems like a different life. Musically, I don’t think it helps at all (press wise), but I think that has more to do with the music industry’s beef with the fashion industry and unfortunately I’m getting shit for it. It’d be very nice if our press focused on the music more. If i was really still a model then maybe it’d be relevant? But I’m not so I’m not sure why people care.
CC: What’s next for Lissy Trullie and company? What’s the takeover plan for 2009? Any plans for a full-length?
LT: We’re gonna record the full length!!!!!!!!! July and August. I can’t sit still, I want to start now.
A new Lissy Trullie full-length being recorded this summer? Sign us up please. Be sure and check Lissy and co. opening for the Virgins tomorrow May 27th at Emo’s.
Lissy Trullie – “You Bleed You” ******************************************************************** THE ACTION DESIGN LIVE IN AUSTIN Yet another awesome performance from Cannibal Cheerleader favorites the Action Design, this time decked out in their sunday best looking like a ramshackle gang of Mods and bringing the dancey hooks to match. With excellent renditions of crowd favorites like “Connect/Disconnect” and “Landmines” and moody takes on slower songs such as “Laundry Day”, the band continues to astound with their brand of Bloc Party-meets-Blondie dance rock. Here’s hoping the band keeps on trucking, catch them on tour! The Action Design – “Landmines” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: KASMSDuring our SXSW 09 Blood Bath members of Rolo Tomassi asked us if we were anglophiles (partly because I invited them to play, partly because of the Gallows shirt JB wore) and we can’t help but confirm their suspicions with our latest obsession from across the pond: Kasms, a quartet with a 50/50 boy/girl split from London. Packing a powerful post-punk crunch and a Jemina Pearl-wailing frontwoman, Kasms balances on the fence between punk fury and experimental feedback loops, creating an art-rock package that one might expect from a band with twice the experience of these UK youngsters. With such an interesting and frankly frightening blend of Liars-style guitar-shredding attacks and crushing wails, it’s no wonder Kasms list both Swans and Six Finger Satellite in their influences. Plus, seeing as how the band has just released their debut album Spayed, we plan on hearing a lot more from this group in the near future. Fantastic stuff, definitely worth checking out (see video for “Bone You” below).
It’s been a hot minute since we reported on the activities of one of our favorite discoveries of the year, NYC garage-rocker Lissy Trullie and her company of dashing Boho-rejects and art-school dropouts. Seems as if LT and the gang will be swinging through Austin next month at Emo’s in support of another Cannibal Cheerleader fave, the Virgins. It’s a genuine New York City meets Lone Star State affair, so be there people! Here’s a few Lissy Trullie videos to quench your thirst until then!
Straight from the record label (Little Black Cloud Records) that brought us the inimitable Ringfinger comes Cinemasophia, a Richmond quintet by way of Brooklyn that blaze a brand of shoegaze-meets-electro, Stars-inspired indie rock in an equal parts subdued and fuzzed-out manner that’s wholly unique. Featuring faraway, distant vocals like an early emo-record or a long-worn cassette, Cinemasophia are crafting bedroom ready tunes that are nonetheless sure to rattle the windows from their panes. Tracks like “Pet Enemies” simmer with an undercurrent of electronic warbles before dipping into guitar heroics near the song’s end. The band’s intense use of volume disparity and sonic shifts give their music an unpredictable and electric feeling, churning behind a Firefox window for a few minutes before bursting up and making the listener click on the iTunes icon to see just who is that playing again. Very addictive, check it out below.
This year’s Austin City Limits Festival lineup has been revealed and while we here at Cannibal Cheerleader are excited about a few of the choices (the Virgins, the Raveonettes, the Decemberists, Arctic Monkeys, and Sonic Youth to name a few) the headliners are considerably weaker this year. While we can’t fault anyone for liking Pearl Jam (not our cup o’ tea) and we have a passing interest in the Beastie Boys (early 90s anyone?), to have Dave Matthews Band, nemesis of all indie-rock fans, headlining the event is pretty grotesque. Oh well, you’ll still definitely be seeing us at the show, if only to check if the Arctic Monkeys will be playing any new material. Check out the whole lineup below:
Pearl Jam Dave Matthews Band Beastie Boys Kings of Leon Ben Harper and Relentless7 Thievery Corporation John Legend The Dead Weather The Levon Helm Band Ghostland Observatory Sonic Youth Mos Def Toadies Flogging Molly The B-52s Lily Allen Citizen Cope Arctic Monkeys The Decemberists Coheed and Cambria Andrew Bird Girl Talk STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9) Phoenix Bassnectar Bon Iver !!! The Avett Brothers The Airborne Toxic Event Medeski, Martin & Wood Clutch Michael Franti & Spearhead Grizzly Bear Heartless Bastards Passion Pit White Lies Dan Auerbach The Walkmen The Scabs Reckless Kelly Devotchka Blitzen Trapper The Virgins Here We Go Magic Eek-A-Mouse K’ Naan Asleep at the Wheel Dr. Dog The Raveonettes The Knux Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears State Radio Los Amigos Invisibles The Felice Brothers Federico Aubele Raul Malo Daniel Johnston Poi Dog Pondering Brett Dennen Rodriguez Henry Butler Preservation Hall Sam Roberts Band The Greencards Sara Watkins Walter “Wolfman” Washington David Garza John Vanderslice Zac Brown Band Todd Snider School of Seven Bells The Dodos Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 Alberta Cross Deer Tick Bell X1 Alela Diane The Wood Brothers The Parlor Mob Rebirth Brass Band Marva Wright Terri Hendrix L.A.X. Lisa Hannigan The Low Anthem Sons of Bill Suckers Sarah Jaffe Cotton Jones The Henry Clay People Papa Mali Jypsi Vince Mira Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights Mimicking Birds Jeffrey Steele Jonell Mosser Leatherbag Keith Gattis Damien Horne Sarah Siskind Dexateens Nelo Danny Brooks Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band The Soul Stirrers The Durdens Palm School Elementary The Gospel Silvertones Diaconos Quinn Sullivan Ralph’s World Q Brothers Milkshake Telephone Company Loose Cannons Lunch Money
If you don’t already know that Be Your Own Pet is swiftly becoming one of our favorite bands, you haven’t been paying attention to our endless lauding of what was last Thursday’s fantastic show at Stubb’s. Surfing the Nylon Magazine tour site we came across the BYOP Blog for the days leading up to the show. Events include an impromptu haircut for Jemina Pearl (gotta love her Friday the 13th tattoo), chilling with the Virgins, and almost getting caught in the Austin hailstorm. Texas goodness! Also, check out this cool Spin Magazine article about the rehearsal room of Be Your Own Pet, which happens to be in guitarist Jonas Stein’s parents’ house. Ah to be young again. I especially like the part about the Buzzcocks poster and getting skateboard equipment stolen at South By Southwest. Frankly, if you don’t lose SOMETHING at SX, you haven’t been to Austin.
In other news, there’s NO news about the release of an EP this summer that BYOP promised would feature the three missing tracks from their excellent sophomore LP Get Awkward. I fully encourage everyone to buy this when it hits the shelves (or better yet just import the UK version with the tracks already one there) but if you haven’t heard these tunes yet, give them a listen here. “Black Hole” and “Becky” both make the top ten list of best BYOP tunes of all time.
******************************************************************** NEW BECK SONG – CHEMTRAILS
You can check out a new Beck song from his upcoming (supposedly titled) Modern Guilt LP. It’s called “Chemtrails” and if this is any indication about what producer Danger Mouse has done with the alt-folkster, we can expect a softer, more stylistic Beck, combining the sonic palette of Sea Change with the lyrical content of his past few LPs, like The Information. Definitely check it out over at Beck’s Myspace or his website (just click on the jukebox in the upper right). ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER – FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE
Speaking of South by Southwest here’s a UK band that’s seemed to hedge its reputation on its completely awesome SXSW performance. They’re called Florence and the Machine and they recall Amy Winehouse with a garage-rock bent. Check out a video from their SX set below and then listen to their awesome first single “Kiss With A Fist”. Enjoy people and comment!
Florence and the Machine – “Kiss With A Fist” (link removed at IAMSOUND’s request) Whoops! Instead here’s the Imeem stream of “Kiss With A Fist”! Enjoy!
With a playlist cut mainly from their excellent sophomore LP Get Awkward, Nashville’s Be Your Own Pet ripped Austin a new one last night at Stubb’s. Their wiry punk instrumentation took great liberties with the venue’s sound system, morphing their jangly high-school vignettes into wall-of-sound monsters of terror and woe. The last time I saw these guys was in 2006 at Emo’s here in Austin and while the crowds have certainly gotten bigger the band’s sound has kept up in one way – getting louder. Check out more pictures below. Also check out openers the Switches and the Virgins (both great bands). In an act of protest and in the name of preserving good music everywhere, I left the venue before headliners the terrible She Wants Revenge took the stage. The Virgins
******************************************************************** DID YOU SURVIVE THE AUSTIN STORM?
Check out the view from my apartment complex! If you were in Austin on Thursday night this is what you woke up to, if you didn’t wake up due to the torrential hail and wind.
This news tidbit is actually here to mark a change in the blog’s structure. For too long has this blog tried to be a national act when instead Cannibal Cheerleader should be concentrating on what it does best: reporting on the happenings of Austin, the live music capital of the world. From now on most if not all stories about bands will have some sort of Austin tie-in if they are to be reported here. I want this to be the official blog of Austin! ******************************************************************** LADYTRON – “GHOSTS” VIDEO
Here’s the video from Velocifero standout “Ghosts” from electro-poppers Ladytron, who will be making a jaunt through Austin Friday June 6th. You know we’ll be there with spurs on.
******************************************************************** TERROR THURSDAY – DERANGED
This week’s movie at Terror Thursday was a gorey doozey, combining sick humor with even sicker violence. Skinning girls, vomiting blood, bashing heads in, digging up the dead, Deranged pretty much ruled. Weird beyond imagination this was one of the few Terror Thursdays that was genuinely unsettling for me. Definitely deserving of four out of five bloody pon-poms.
******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER – PINK NASTY In keep with our efforts to keep the blog local, here’s a gal we haven’t genuinely reported on yet who nonetheless rocks my socks off – Pink Nasty. A combination of singer-songwriter a-la Cat Power with a lo-fi, rocker grrrl twang, all wrapped up in an attitude and pop sensibility that’s both defiant and listenable. You know we’ll be hitting up her show this Saturday at Mohawk, but for a taste, check out this track from her excellent LP Mold the Gold.
We’ve been singing the praises of the inimitable Lissy Trullie since we first spun her Self-Taught Learner EP back in February here at Cannibal Cheerleader. Her brand of jangly guitar rhythms and NYC-livin’ lyrics conjure images of the heyday of garage-rock revival, and since she’s coming to Austin tomorrow Wed. May 27th at Emo’s we conducted a little interview with the talented frontwoman about her rising profile. Check it:
CC: What was it like cutting the Self-Taught Learner EP? What was the recording experience like? What’s the story with the wild cover?
CC: Tell us a little bit about your songwriting process. Is it a collaborative effort? Where do you draw inspiration from? What are some artists that inspire you?
CC: A lot of press on the band seems to mention your modeling work or the NYC fashion scene just as much as the music – does that association bother you or do you think it helps the band? How would you like to be portrayed by the music media?
CC: What’s next for Lissy Trullie and company? What’s the takeover plan for 2009? Any plans for a full-length?
Yet another awesome performance from Cannibal Cheerleader favorites the Action Design, this time decked out in their sunday best looking like a ramshackle gang of Mods and bringing the dancey hooks to match. With excellent renditions of crowd favorites like “Connect/Disconnect” and “Landmines” and moody takes on slower songs such as “Laundry Day”, the band continues to astound with their brand of Bloc Party-meets-Blondie dance rock. Here’s hoping the band keeps on trucking, catch them on tour!
The Action Design – “Landmines”
During our SXSW 09 Blood Bath members of Rolo Tomassi asked us if we were anglophiles (partly because I invited them to play, partly because of the Gallows shirt JB wore) and we can’t help but confirm their suspicions with our latest obsession from across the pond: Kasms, a quartet with a 50/50 boy/girl split from London. Packing a powerful post-punk crunch and a Jemina Pearl-wailing frontwoman, Kasms balances on the fence between punk fury and experimental feedback loops, creating an art-rock package that one might expect from a band with twice the experience of these UK youngsters. With such an interesting and frankly frightening blend of Liars-style guitar-shredding attacks and crushing wails, it’s no wonder Kasms list both Swans and Six Finger Satellite in their influences. Plus, seeing as how the band has just released their debut album Spayed, we plan on hearing a lot more from this group in the near future. Fantastic stuff, definitely worth checking out (see video for “Bone You” below).
