Alec: Absolutely. We have never felt like we were simply pushing sound waves out there and have always understood and respected the idea that punk bands and labels represent a community and a conversation as much as anything else. In other words — people like to feel connected to the people and ideas behind the music and there has always been something distinctly impersonal about the digital medium. Social networking sites are clearly an attempt to personalize this space but they still have a ways to go before they can up-end a 12″ LP.

But isn’t commerce a barrier to communication and community? If (now or in the future) an artist can record a quality album on a cheap laptop and distribute their music to fans for free as a digital medium, why shouldn’t they?

They can they absolutely should. I am only saying that we live in both worlds right now and there is not immediate need for every label to roll over and play dead. Also — this digital age has not yet established a medium for all of these artists to break beyond the static. Labels offer a filter and so far that is still useful to people. I am not fighting the alternative — I am still looking for it to emerge.

If people no longer pay for recorded music, how should bands and labels make money?

This is very good question and it’s one I have been asking people to consider ever since MP3s became a viable medium. If the audience is not willing to support independent artists and labels then a worst case scenario would be music entirely funded by corporate entities, and I don’t mean corporate entertainment entities, I mean Pepsi and McDonalds. We are already used to seeing indie bands falling over themselves to pimp their music to television commercials and teen soap operas but if there is no mechanism for supporting quality independent music then it is not inconceivable that music will be entirely subject to sponsorship — a free goodie to go with a six pac of diet pepsi. And you can only imagine the kind of dregs that would come out of that process.

And what’s the best-case scenario for a band or label trying to stay independent? Whether we like it or not, audiences, especially younger audiences, are starting to view free recorded music as a given. How will audiences continue to support artists if the audiences come to expect free recorded music?

We really haven’t had difficulty convincing people to support Dischord music and I don’t see this changing. We don’t rip people off, we don’t play cops and we don’t chase down or chastise people for sharing — and if some one wants to steal it that is their own business. But we do foster a sense of involvement and responsibility between our audience, our music and the artists who create it. There will always be people with a sense of entitlement but that has always been the case and the less time we focus on people who don’t share our values the more time we have to do what we do. In a best case scenario — radical people will do what they have always done and support non-traditional ideas in non-traditional ways and police themselves.

Do bands even have a right to make a living with their art?

I believe bands have the right to try to earn a living with their art. A better question would be — does art made purely for commerce qualify as art? Or, is it simply a product? This is the question that has been asked of every self respecting artist for generations. And it’s not one that can be answered in simple terms of black and white. Most artists work somewhere in the margins.

How concerned is Dischord about the state of the music “industry”?

We couldn’t care less about the “industry”. We care deeply about dedicated record store owners and labels, we care about independent artists and musicians and we care about our co-workers and friends. But this label is dedicated to documenting a very specific community, and reaching out to people who appreciate our values and tastes. If and when this community is no longer active and people no longer feel connected to what we do, we’ll shut it down and won’t look back. Until that day we’ll continue doing what we do, with or without a music industry.

What changes, if any, has Discord made to survive in recent years?

We do the same things we’ve always done. We don’t over-extend ourselves, we don’t jump on bandwagons and we stay focused on our work no matter the prevailing winds.

Why does Dischord not seem to have much of a presence on social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, blogs, etc.)?

I like the idea of music Blogs and it’s their Independence that makes them attractive to me. I do send releases to blog writers by request and am always happy to do interviews and contribute when I can. However, I believe having Dischord, or any other label, get too cosy with any one blog could reduce it to being just another online magazine with hazy editorial allegiances.

As for social networking sites — I believe in people organizing themselves. If people want to create appreciation groups on Facebook — more power to them. But these are money making operations and I don’t think Dischord has any place directing people to exclusive content on corporate sites. This is not a slap at social network users (of which I am one) — I just think they should remain organized by their users and not manipulated by labels. Again — it muddies the waters.

That’s an interesting perspective. You think an artist or label who starts a blog or a Twitter account is creating a conflict of interest? I can see that. But what about unknown bands and labels who are trying to build their community and connect with an audience, especially these days when that audience spends more time on Facebook than out with their friends?

I think every band and label must do what they need to do. But anyone who mistakes a tool for a medium, or a fad for a format, is mudding their focus from the outset. These are simply tools and as long as they are useful to get the job done I have no problem with them. I only encourage people to be aware of the portals they choose to get involved with. I do not trust corporate entities to have artists’ best interests in mind. I do, however, expect them to create an environment where the powerless feel the need to use their services in order to feel empowered.

I was contacted recently by Jared at Flannelgraph Records. They are teaming up with Crossroads of American Records on a 3-inch CD subscription series that they’re calling Laminar Excursion. It costs $45 and subscribers will get two of the CDs every month for a year, and includes some kind of box for holding the discs. They’ve got some bigger names involved, including Damien Jurado, Richard Swift, and Saxon Shore, along with some lesser-known artists.

The price might seem a little steep, but it breaks down to $3.75 a month which is definitely affordable. And considering you’re talking 24 discs and it’s limited to only 100 subscribers, there’s a scarcity and uniqueness to it that hopefully will bring them some luck.

It’s cool to see young labels working together and trying something a little different. These two labels have also teamed up to release Starflyer 59’s debut album “Silver” on vinyl, which is pretty sweet.

I was turned on to It’s A King Thing after they were mentioned along with The Color Wheels over at Sound As Language. We’ve since done a couple of shows with those guys and kept in touch. I’ve really enjoyed their full-length album Proper Nouns, which you can download for free. Below is an interview with front-dude Brian Meitz:

Most of your lyrics seem very personal. You even make references to people by name. A few of the songs are addressed to people (usually, girls) almost as letters. Are you making up stories or are these based on real experiences?

All of the songs are based on an experience. Mostly about friends, girls I’ve hooked up with or girls I want to hook up with. I’m not deep enough or poetic enough to write about anything serious either and if I tried I wouldn’t be able to pull it off without sounding like a dummy. So I stick to what I know. Hanging out and being a total pussy.

How do the other members contribute to the songs?

Everyone came up with parts for the new album. Johnny came up with some neat guitar stuff. Mike came up with neat bass stuff on songs where I probably would’ve just played the root note. Jay wrote some really neat keyboard parts and Steve helped arrange a few of the songs. If someone came up with an idea, we tried it out and would decide whether it was right for the song or not.

You were featured on NPR recently, How did that come about?

I did the RPM Challenge which is a project to write and record an album in a month. It takes place every Febryuary. Once it’s done you mail a copy to their office and they put it online and have listening parties in different cities. I wrote “Proper Nouns” for 2008 challenge and NPR was doing a feature on bands who recorded for the project. I guess they liked ours enough to include it in the feature.

Tell me more about the new album. Where was it recorded?

Our drummer Steve and our friend Dave own a studio called The Gradwell House. We did everything there, minus a couple parts that Dave recorded in his attic. It’s 12 songs long. Our friend Brooke sings backup on a couple of the songs. We recorded the album song by song rather than doing a bunch of drum tracks and a bunch of overdubs.

You are giving away Proper Nouns as a download, and only charging $2 for your self-titled full-length album. What are your plans for the new album? 10 years from now, will people be paying for music at all?

We’d love it if someone heard the album, liked it a bunch and got behind it. I’m not sure what sense it makes to spend money on pressing it ourselves when you can put it out online for nothing. Being stuck with boxes of CDs sucks. And 9 times out of 10, I wouldn’t spend $10 on a CD. I wouldn’t expect someone to spend $10 for one of ours either. $2 seemed fair. I think from here on out, there will always be a way to get music for free and people will be OK sacrificing the physical package for free MP3s.

What do you think is more important, playing shows or online social networking?

It depends on your goals. If you’re trying to make it big and be on the Warped Tour or something, then they’re both important I think. Writing good songs is most important I think.

How involved is IAKT with the Philly music scene?

Not at all really.

What do you do for a day job?

I’m a graphic designer at a company that has nothing to do with graphic design. I spend most of my day reading about murders and missing people. Not sure why.

What kind of music were you into as a kid?

I spent most of my childhood eating and watching WWF. Around 8th grade I got a guitar and started playing along to Nirvana and Weezer CDs. For the last 10 or 15 years I’ve probably listened to both of those bands, The Lemonheads, Weston, The Figgs, The Beatles and Tom Petty the most.

Any plans for new releases, tours, etc?

The album is done and about to be mastered. The plan now is to give it to some people and see if anyone wants to do something with it. Steve texted me last week and said he wants to call it “St. Angry”. So if we do that, the next step would to hire a band therapist. We’re also doing videos for all of the songs. Touring is probably not going to happen unless our therapist thinks it’s a good idea.

Listen to “Making Slime” from Proper Nouns:

I don’t care how friggin spectacular you are… if you don’t have anyone to tell, it might as well not be true. It’s a chicken and the egg deal. Almost. Because, you CAN have real, passionate, loyal fans at every stage of your career, from fledgling to Trent; if I like you, I’ll help you. Period.

Think of it like this: the way you make me feel about your product handily trumps the actual product. In a heartbeat.

So… how do you do it? Um, it’s called MARKETING.

There’s definitely something that happens between creating something great and having tons of people psyched about it. That’s really nothing new. However, I wouldn’t call it marketing. It’s something that can’t be outlined in the cold, sterile world of a business spreadsheet or a corporate boardroom. And when it is, it’s usually worthless. It should be something more mysterious, organic, meaningful, and timeless. More magic, less marketing.

Paper the Operator went on tour in August of 2009. Here are some photos from their tour.

Joe at Rad Dad House in NJ

Jon at Rad Dad House in NJ

Jon with a stray cat at Dane’s house in Philly

Not sure… at Dane’s house in Philly. Dane was hosting a wedding reception in his back yard for some of his friends.

We actually really liked Pittsburgh and wanted to spend more time there.

Pittsburgh

Jon at a Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh. That’s a burrito covered with Pittsburgh-colored cheese and mole sauce.

Joe at the Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh

Sweet dudes at the Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh

Outside where we stayed the night in Pittsburgh. Supposedly the only wooden-brick road in America, or something.

Screen door at beach house near Grand Rapids, MI.

After a few hot, humid, and sleepless nights, this was pretty much paradise

Jason playing fetch

Swimming in Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan

The literal green room at Reggie’s in Chicago

The literal green room at Reggie’s in Chicago

The literal green room at Reggie’s in Chicago

The literal green room at Reggie’s in Chicago

Bathroom at Reggie’s in Chicago

I took this late at night to remember where we parked

The roof outside where we stayed in Chicago

Fridge where we stayed in Chicago

Lightswitch where we stayed in Chicago. Waiting in the hallway for Jon to get the van

What touring looks like 80% of the time. Middle-of-nowhere Indiana or Ohio

Not sure what city this was… but we drove past it. Toledo?

What touring looks like 80% of the time. Middle-of-nowhere Indiana or Ohio

The place we ate near Dayton was doing a raffle. We didn’t win.

Jason at said restaurant

Joe at said restaurant

Jon at said restaurant. There were a couple of guys there dressed in Ohio State jerseys, sitting at a table with microphones, and talking about the upcoming season

Me want food

Waffle House somewhere near Columbus, OH

Student art at the College of Art and Design in Columbus

Student art at the College of Art and Design in Columbus

Observing more student art

We built a shrine at the front of the van

The reason we needed a holy shrine at the front of the van

Interview by Nick Belle.

David Stith is a multi talented artist from Buffalo, New York; he is a gifted painter, designer, writer, and musician. His blog showcases some of his work, both in progress and completed. In late 2005 Stith created artwork for My Brightest Diamond and Asthmatic Kitty Records; through this relationship he was encouraged to submit some of his own music. Last year he signed a deal with the label and released two records: Curtain Speech EP and Heavy Ghost, both of which we highly recommend. Stith is also currently teaching 3D design and working towards an MFA in Graphic Design at the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Art. Recently Stith took some time to correspond with us about his music and his creative process:

Both Curtain Speech and Heavy Ghost are made up of songs that are incredibly layered, dense, and dynamic in structure; can you explain a bit on your writing and recording process? Do you build these songs layer by layer or do you have a general idea of what a song is going to sound like before you start?

The writing process feels to me a little more like painting than maybe song crafting… I deal with something like shapes — you make a sound, you record it and then you deal with it and with the space around it. Sometimes that initial sound shape is a rhythmic guitar pattern or a chord progression, sometimes it’s a vocal arch, sometimes it’s a lyric. In any case, you take that piece, appreciate it for a while, and then compliment it with another and then another and so on and so on. By about a 3rd of the way through I start to have some concept of where this thing is going and then I can begin making bigger decisions about the piece, what other musicians to incorporate, what kinds of textures… This was the process for the EP and LP — I still work this way somewhat, though I am now beginning to hear songs more fully formed and am able to skip some of the initial searching.

How do these songs translate to a live setting? How are you able to transpose this layering and sound?  Do you have a back up group of musicians?

The live show is different — it’s sort of a full distillation of the initial ideas. All the little details need to be translated into one-stroke, 2 tone, screen-printable gestures. It’s a strange process for me. I’m still trying to figure it out. Right now I’m playing with a drummer who is jazz trained and really interested in very loose rhythms and polyrhythms. I’m playing with a bass player/guitarist who is into anti-pop and the Skingraft [Records] catalog. And then I’m playing with two string players who also do some background singing accessory percussion when necessary. In all, I’m trying to keep the live show dynamic by keeping the elements polarized. So, the layering is there to some degree but my single voice necessarily has taken precedence over some of the choir sounds on the record. I also like to play some of the songs solo on piano or guitar. I guess I’m aiming at intimacy? I don’t know. Maybe I’m just trying stuff…

It sounds like transitioning these songs to a live setting is a continuation of the creative process and the evolution of the songs themselves. Do you have plans to tour and what do you think of touring?

This May I’m touring Europe, which will be my first tour ever. After that I don’t know what we plan to do. We’ve talked about some different options for touring the states, but we may hold off on that for a little bit. It’s really tough trying to do schooling and touring. Along with my schooling I have teaching duties, and I still help out a lot with design stuff on the record label. That’s part of the reason that I’m keeping touring to a minimum. Another reason is that I’ve just never been all that interested in converting what I do to a live performance. The challenge is interesting right now, but it’s not my focus.

I know you are in school and you are a graphic designer as well, so how do you balance all these endeavors?

I’m not sure that I do a very good job. I find myself running into trouble with school work pretty regularly now and I’m starting to heap up exhaustion from touring during my one break this spring. I’m trying to spread myself a little too thin right now. This is something that I’m working through with my advisors at school and with the people that work with me on music stuff.

What made you decide that now was the time to really get serious about putting together an album as opposed to releasing songs via your blog?

I guess the thing that made me want to start making an effort at getting music out to people was living in NYC and spending time with people like Shara from My Brightest Diamond and Sufjan Stevens. I was impressed by the richness of their lives despite what seemed an inhuman demand on one of their creative talents. I’ve always been interested in a lots of different mediums; Seeing that Shara and Suf[jan] are too made it seem like maybe I’m not so different—here are two happily fulfilled people growing extremely fast in their art and doing it without losing their heads. So, it was that, and it was being told by Michael Kaufmann, from Asthmatic Kitty Records, to put an album together that the label can release. He even gave me a deadline. Maybe I just needed a deadline?

What are your plans, musically speaking, for the future?  Do you plan to continue to release records or are you more interested in pursuing other avenues?

My plans… I am working on new songs — they take time in the beginning, so I’m not altogether sure when my next record will be done, but I’m working on a next record. And we’re releasing a series of eps based on Heavy Ghost — collections of extra stuff that I’m shaping into mini albums. I really have been loving this music writing thing. I don’t see ever stopping really. And I get plenty of chances to do other things in between recording and all that.

Interview by Jon Sebastian.

FOX Japan is an indie rock band from West Virginia. The first record I heard of theirs (And Now This!) reminded me what it really means for music to be infectious. A week after hearing it, I literally had trouble getting to sleep because I had the chorus to A Nursing Home stuck in my head on infinite repeat. Or was it the verse? Or was it the pre-chorus?

See, that’s one of their tricks. Upon first listen, it’s hard to tell whether you’re hearing a verse or a chorus or a pre-chorus, because what you’re hearing in every case is too damn catchy and big to be anything other than the chorus. It has to be the chorus. But then the REAL chorus kicks in, and you can’t believe they’ve topped themselves in the same song, but they just did.

Most bands who stumble across hooks this good handle them with forceps, place them carefully into track 2 or 3 or whatever their single is going to be, and post a huge flashing neon sign nearby that says BIG CHORUS RIGHT HERE!!

FOX Japan uses the same hooks so liberally and so nonchalantly, they make it look easy. Like they have a tree in their backyard that grows hooks. They’ve been here before, and they act like it. They didn’t happen to stumble upon them, they’re not strangers to them, and they didn’t crap their pants when they found them - it’s just what they do.

I recently interviewed lead singer Charlie Wilmoth via email.

As a songwriter, what are your biggest influences music-wise?

I think our instrumental style owes a little to the Pixies and Pavement. Also, for our first couple of records I was interested in the idea of writing these really jagged, nervous, topical pop songs like Devo did–”An Investigative Sentence” is probably the best example. I think after that we got a little more comfortable stretching things out.

Also, hip-hop has been a really big influence on the way I write lyrics. I tend to like lyrics that are very specific and direct, and am probably more willing than most rock lyricists to cram lots of syllables into each line, the way an MC does. All four of us were really into the Dismemberment Plan as kids, and I think we liked that they were an indie rock band who said what they meant (often with tons of words, like us) and tried to integrate lots of styles besides rock into their music. That last part sounds obvious now, in 2009, but there was a time in the 1990s and early ’00s when indie rock mostly seemed to be talking to itself.

Your lyrics portray strong convictions about politics, religion and society. What are your biggest influences lyrically?

Hip-hop. Also a couple of more obscure ’90s indie rock bands called Nothing Painted Blue and the Loud Family that were both really good with words. I really like the specificity of Xiu Xiu’s lyrics. I was into Bad Religion as a teenager and some of that probably crept in even though until recently I’d totally forgotten about them. Our political side may come more from Gang of Four, though. “Thank You” was influenced by Denis Johnson’s fiction, even though the lyrics to that song are about 95% true. I also get ideas from cultural critics like Neil Postman and political blogs like Eschaton.

In general, though, I think FOX Japan’s next record is going to be less pointedly political. There’s one really mean song about Glenn Beck, but politically, most of the targets aren’t as obvious as they used to be, and I’m frankly kind of happy about that, both because I like having competent leadership and because we were probably running out of creative ways to say that Donald Rumsfeld is a dickwad, you know? So I think the next record will probably seem more inward-looking.

I still don’t think my personal tribulations are all that interesting, but there are a lot of more personal issues that I can write about that say something broader about what it means to be an American now. (Which sounds extremely pretentious, but whatever.)

Like, for example, how we’re raised to believe we can do anything if we try, but when we grow up we find that isn’t true even if we’ve worked hard. (Jean Twenge’s “Generation Me” is a good book about that.) Or how to try to say something important when most of our day-to-day conversation drips with self-awareness and narcissism and irony. Or how to have meaningful relationships or friendships when everybody’s following their careers all over the place.

Two of your three band mates are your brothers. Could you talk a little bit about how you guys grew up together to form a band?

Our drummer Pete and I have played together since we were little kids. We made a makeshift drum set out of toy percussion instruments, tin cans and a cardboard box (which we used as the bass drum), and I taught him how to make some basic beats. We recorded well over 1,000 songs in the course of a couple of years (nearly all of them terrible, obviously), which convinced our parents we were serious about it, so they bought us a drum set and a 4-track. Meanwhile, all three of us were playing in the orchestra and jazz bands at school–I played a bunch of string instruments, Pete played percussion and Sam played upright bass.

I finished college and went to grad school to study contemporary classical music, and forgot about the band for a while. At that point, I was just writing pop songs on my own, and writing and performing classical music for school. Then I turned 25 and realized that if I wanted to make rock music, I had better get going. So FOX Japan reconvened, first with Andrew Slater (the only non-Wilmoth) as the bassist, and then with Sam as the bassist and Andrew as guitarist.

What is your writing process like as a band?

I write the chords and the melodies at home (I live in San Diego, and the rest of the band lives in West Virginia), usually over the course of several months, and then send the band rough MP3s of me singing with made-up lyrics. I then fill in as many of the lyrics as I can and I fly back to West Virginia, where we practice ridiculously hard for four or five days before going on tour.

It’s a terrible system, but it works for us because we all grew up playing classical music, in which rehearsals are much more efficiently run than they typically are in rock. Also, I try to show up in rehearsal with a pretty specific idea of what I want to have happen. And since three of us are brothers and Andrew has been a family friend for ten or twelve years now, there’s very little of the passive-aggressive B.S. that happens in lots of rock bands. We’re all very quick to say when something isn’t working, and to listen to criticism from each other.

What’s the last new album to come out that you really liked?

Andrew and I like Fever Ray’s new album. I also like the new record by a Pittsburgh band called Meeting of Important People, who we’re playing with in a couple weeks. They write some amazing pop songs.

What do you like to do for fun besides play music?

I write about music for a couple of publications, and I also have my own website about baseball. I read a lot. All four of us play poker. And we all like situational puzzles, which are really fun to play when you’ve got a long drive home after a show and you’re listening to something really creepy, like Scott Walker. As for our careers, I teach music classes, Andrew works in a hospital, Sam works in mental health, and Pete is in grad school for social work.

As a music fan, if you could spend one month playing in any other band, what band would it be and why?

Wow, that’s an interesting question. Maybe the Talking Heads, circa Stop Making Sense. I could sing backup and play percussion. Or Joanna Newsom’s band? I play violin and viola and it would be fun to see what kinds of fiddle parts I could come up with for those songs.

What’s your favorite FOX Japan song and why?

There’s one that’s going to be on our next record called “Maybe I Won’t” that has a huge percussion break that’s really fun to play, and the rest of the song has a weird, ritualistic feel that I think everyone in the band likes. Of the ones we’ve released so far, I’m pretty proud of “Divorce,” but we got tired of playing it live. Really, I like any song where I can gesture and move around, but unfortunately I have to play guitar most of the time.

What do you think is the best way for people to get into your band: by listening to a cd, or by going to a show?

We’re just beginning to understand the finer points of recording and mixing, and are just now getting to the point where we’re beginning to be able to explain to an engineer what we want. I think our next album, which is being recorded by Brian Spragg and which should come out early next year, is going to sound awesome. We’re pretty happy with the way the last record sounds, but the next one is going to be much cooler. Until it comes out, I’d say the best way to hear us is to come to a show. We’re a good live band, if we do say so ourselves.

Our friends over at 1912 Records are really doing some cool stuff. Last year they released this album Snakepit by Tucson, AZ band Blues. The very cool beer-colored vinyl initially caught my attention, so I picked it up. The album artwork is equally as awesome, with the faith healers without faces, the full insert with photos and lyrics, etc. Such great packaging.

Musically, these dudes take that Botch metal-hardcore template that’s been the rage for the last decade, and they throw in some seriously great Unsane-esque riffs, lots of Helmet-style start-stop dynamics, and tons of those beefy Clutch riffs that give it an almost Southern Rock swagger. Unlike so much of the heavy stuff I hear these days, this record seriously rocks. They throw tons of furious riffs at you without relying on ridiculous time signatures, and there are no chuggy palm mutes or goofy melodic parts - really, just some seriously great heavy rock and roll. The production is warm and roomy, but still totally raw, and the vinyl sounds really nice on my stereo.

Another thing that really sets this record apart is the vocals. There’s plenty of throaty screaming, but they mix it up with some really great yelling that reminds me of ATDI or maybe Guy from Fugazi. And there is the occasional distorted vocal and gang yelling, right where you need it. And actually, all the members are credited with vocals along with the main vocalist. So yeah, awesome yelling and screaming all over this thing.

A great record with some great packaging, definitely worth picking up.

Jon Itkin contacted me a couple of months ago, saying he had recently moved back to Rochester and was looking to get plugged into the music scene, describing his music as “raw, old-school Americana.” I checked out his MySpace page and liked his songs, so I invited him to open a show at Abilene. I’ve seen him play out a couple of times now. He’s a friendly, down-to-earth guy and he really puts his whole heart into his performances. He’s going to be teaching a songwriting workshop in Rochester, check his MySpace for details. His self-released albums Big Gold Guitar In The Sky and Oregon are available from iTunes, CD Baby, and at shows.

Do you come from a musical family? What were your experiences with music as a kid?

My parents aren’t very musical at all, though my dad has a great collection of old records which he keeps in perfect shape. One of my earliest recollections of listening to music was my dad playing “Johnny 99″ off Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska record. I thought the song was about me. I forgot about that record for a long time, then it came back to me somehow. Now it’s one of my major musical touchstones.

Though my parents we’re musical, they always encouraged my sister and I to play. She played violin and I started on cell in the 2nd grade. I hated it. Eventually, I wound up playing clarinet in 5th grade or so (sax was taken), and I wound up hating that too. About the end of middle school I got an acoustic guitar and started learning to play. My sister continued with violin, then switched to voice and got her BA in music.

I understand you recently moved here from Portland. How did you end up in Rochester? In your experience, how are the music scenes different?

Truth be told I moved here from NYC, where I spent about a year and a half. I wound up back here through a long set of circumstances, but basically my fiancee got a once-in-a-lifetime job offer, and we were over New York living, so we decided to give Rochester a try. Which is a little hilarious because I used to shake my fist and swear I’d never come back here.

I did live in Portland for about five years, so I can comment about that. Though honestly, I’ve been so busy since getting back to Rochester that I haven’t fully experienced the scene here yet. Music in Portland is very happening, but it really helps to fall within a certain stylistic flavor. There’s a big crowd and tons of places to play, but also tons of bands and competition. It’s a double edged sword. I had some experiences there that were unforgettable and some that were very frustrating.

All told, it’s a great place to live and be a musician, and I like to visit when I can.

Compared to Rochester, I’d say the Portland music scene is much, much bigger and more diverse. There’s literally everything and anything there. For its size, Rochester has plenty of interesting and cool bands, but the sheer scope of it is quite a bit smaller. Portland’s culture might also be a bit more attuned and open to different musical styles, but it’s also way more self-conscious and hung up on the hipness factor.

You’ve mentioned that you’d like to put together a band. What do you like about playing with a band as opposed to performing solo?

I’ve always loved having bands, and I’ve loved playing solo. A band can carry that “Saturday Night” energy, and allow me to play some leads on electric guitar, have harmony vocals, the fullness of instrumentation, etc. I love it. When I go to record, I always put other instruments on the songs because I that’s the sound I hear in my head.

However, my music is really focused on lyrics. In the studio I have control and can keep my voice front-and-center in a mix. Live, it’s hard to do that with a loud band in a bar with bad acoustics and a mediocre PA.

I have a better experience connecting with audiences as a solo performer. My songs get across more fully, and I can really build a give-and-take with an audience. My best performing experiences are usually solo. I’m looser and can usually banter better. And I sell more CDs, too.

A lot of your lyrics seem to tell stories, and you describe your music as cinematic. How do you come up with your stories? How many of your stories are based on true-life events?

The stories in my music are almost always fantastical. But I use my own life experiences and emotions to color them in. A lot of the imagery and feeling comes straight from my life, but the characters and situations can come from anywhere, really. Usually some convoluted blip in my imagination.

Will you continue to record music into the future, even if nobody pays for recorded music anymore?

I’ve already spent a lot of money to record music, and haven’t received much of a return on my investment. I’ve got a new album in the mix phase that’s totally stalled out due to lack of funds…It’s really frustrating.

What I’m thinking about doing at this point is trying to make enough money somehow to buy a house and put a studio in it, which would help. I love making a good recording more than just about anything, and I don’t think I can give it up no matter how financially useless it may be.

What are your plans for 2009?

I’m getting married this summer and really trying to grow my business [as a copywriter], so that’s eating up a lot of time and energy. I do want to play locally, down in NYC and possibly a bit on the west coast this year. Maybe a few tours. I’d love to get my record done…but I can’t say when that will happen.

Listen to “Fool to Wander” from Big Gold Guitar In The Sky: