From the category archives:

Interviews

An Interview with The Drums. They Do Whistle. They Don’t Surf. Plus refresher mp3s

11.25.2009

The Drums, embrace the ’50s aesthetic of songwriting simplicity, pairing it with just enough echo and contemporary synthetic goodies. Love the infectious whistle line and summertime theme, fireworks and all, on Let’s Go Surfing. I Felt Stupid feels like a 2009 Wham! adaptation of superpop. The four guys, based in Brooklyn, sported us a few [...]

Luxury Wafers Exclusive Interview with Ryan Lenssen of The Most Serene Republic

10.23.2009

Heady and ensconsed in a thickly artistic and principally operated, philosophical world, Ryan Lenssen comes to the table relaxed and ‘as is’. We’re off the record, and dialogue is a comfortable free-flow between us. We agree we both like interviews this way. Of a special crop, Lennsman is outspoken – a veritable nonstop train of [...]

Luxury Wafers Exclusive Interview with Passion Pit’s Jeff Apruzzese plus Videos (including new “Kingdom Come” and Juan’s Basement)

10.08.2009

I just had the pleasure of talking with super-chill and very amenable Jeff Apruzzese from Passion Pit. When he answered the phone, he had only recently awakened on the road somewhere in the southeastern corner of Oregon. Passion Pit, touring heavily since January, continues to play their joy-infused, electronica-enhanced pop music to sold-out shows around [...]

Luxury Wafers Exclusive Interview with J. Tillman, an Unshakably Sad man who Only Does Fun Things

10.01.2009

Earthly Bodies [mp3] Benham Jones from the Luxury Wafers crew had the opportunity to ask J Tillman a few questions. Here’s how it went: BJ: Thanks for taking the time to answer a few of my questions. I really dig your new record; it has put me in sweet moods after sour days. First and [...]

Luxury Wafers Exclusive Interview with Matthew Clark of White Rabbits

09.29.2009

Percussion Gun [mp3] We spoke with Matt Clark of White Rabbits about the influences of NYC and The Clash, their new album, It’s Frightening, touring the “fucking beautiful country” of America, the “tired of being tireds,” listening recommendations and plenty more. Read on: LW: You’re a big group. How would you describe your live show [...]

Luxury Wafers Exclusive: Interview with Oliver Ackermann of A Place To Bury Strangers; Exploding Head & In Your Heart (mp3s)

08.11.2009

I just got off the phone with Oliver Ackermann, singer and guitarist for Brooklyn-based, notoriously loud, dark and hard ambient experimental rockers, A Place To Bury Strangers, who recently signed to Mute Records. In addition to leading APTBS, Oliver is a former member of Skywave and the inventor of Total Sonic Annihilation, his first effects [...]

Luxury Wafers Exclusive Interview with Alberta Cross

07.14.2009

Photo by Alan Gastelum Interview by Benham Jones I caught Alberta Cross at one of the smaller stages on my first day at Bonnaroo. Their style recalls a declawed Black Crowes at first, but a closer listen reveals a hot concoction of tambourine soul and a more modern sound. When I met up with them [...]

Luxury Wafers Exclusive Interview with Patterson Hood

07.08.2009

Patterson Hood may very well have been the busiest man at Bonnaroo, firing off two sets with his new group The Screwtopians and then revving up again for a crackerjack Drive-by Truckers performance joined by the legendary Booker T. His publicist gave me a little briefing when I arrived, noting that Patterson had been pinned [...]

Interview with Madi Diaz and Kyle Ryan at Bonnaroo 2009: “I Will Put The Turd In Your Face”, Mista Fish Hoooook, Nashville, Writing – Phone vs Abacus, and Good Luck. Plus MP3s.

06.25.2009

Nothing At All [mp3] Love You Now [mp3] Side [mp3] by Benham Jones My first interview at Bonnaroo was with Madi Diaz and Kyle Ryan. I was so cracked out from my arrival and kind of jittery at the thought of doing an interview on three hours of sleep, but these two were the best. [...]

Justin Townes Earle – Exclusive Interview for Luxury Wafers

04.08.2009

Ausipiciously predisposed by genetics, wily, wise and weathered young Justin Townes Earl has rebirthed himself clean to embody the earnest American roots musician he was naturally intended to be. Earle recently visited LA for a show at Spaceland and generously shared with Luxury Wafers in this exclusive interview about his new record, Midnight at the [...]

Exclusive Luxury Wafers Video Interview with Eleni Mandell (Mini Movie)

03.02.2009

LA darling Eleni Mandell mesmerizes as lush Singer-Songwriter extraordinaire. Originally punk influenced, Eleni elegantly emanates indie, folk, rock, and sometimes alt-country. In this charmingly mellow interview from her beautiful Los Feliz apartment, Eleni shares with Luxury Wafers about her life in music, working the door for friend Chuck E Weiss, encouragement from Tom Waits, songwriting [...]

Interview: Theresa Andersson (Na Na Na) – Live@Chessvolt Studios

02.04.2009

Transplanted to New Orleans from Sweden, Theresa Andersson has become an Indie-Soul One Woman Phenomenon. In this Exclusive Luxury Wafers Video Interview, interspersed with music and clips from her Live performance of Na Na Na at Chessvolt Studios in Los Angeles, Theresa talks about her pedal boards, looping, writing music, performing and feeling free. Seriously [...]