The A.V. Club - Random Rules

Music: Random Rules:Jim Elkington of The Horse’s Ha

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:10:00 -0500

The shuffler: Jim Elkington, an England-born, Chicago-based singer-songwriter who headed up the gravelly indie-rock act The Zincs and currently co-leads the jazzier, rootsier The Horse’s Ha (alongside former Eleventh Dream Day/Freakwater singer Janet Beveridge Bean). The Horse’s Ha’s debut album Of The Cathmawr Yards is available now. Orange Juice, “Felicity” Jim Elkington: Did you get Orange Juice over here? The A.V. Club: Domino put out an anthology a couple years ago. How familiar were you with Orange Juice when you were growing up in the UK? JE: Not enough. I kind of just missed them ...

Music: Random Rules:Matt And Kim

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The shuffler: Matt Johnson, singer-keyboardist of New York boyfriend/girlfriend dance-rock duo Matt And Kim. He and Kim Schifino met while attending Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute, and entered the limelight via high-energy DIY warehouse parties, a series of bold and occasionally violent videos, and the seemingly indefatigable enthusiasm (see Kim Schifino constantly beaming from behind her drums) that buoys Matt And Kim’s most recent album, Grand, to surprising heights. The A.V. Club: So we’re using Kim’s iPod? Matt Johnson: Kim wouldn’t let me use my iPod. She was afraid things that are too wussy would ...

Music: Random Rules:Matt Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The shuffler: Matt Friedberger, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and occasional singer of The Fiery Furnaces, which he and his singer sister Eleanor founded; for the past few years, they’ve been joined by drummer Robert D’Amico and bassist Jason Loewenstein. The new I’m Going Away (Thrill Jockey) is another sharp left turn in a catalog full of them—only instead of going further into the weirdo ditch, I’m Going Away is a straight-up, often lovely album of uncomplicated rock songs. George Mosse, “Lecture #17” Matt Friedberger: I have one day’s worth of MP3s, it says: 244 songs, 3 ...

Music: Random Rules:Air Guitar Champion Hot Lixx Hulahan

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The shuffler: Craig Billmeier, a.k.a. Hot Lixx Hulahan, reigning World Air Guitar Champion. After advancing from the inaugural San Francisco regional in 2006, Hot Lixx went on to take the U.S. crown, and then repeated the feat last year (despite wrecking his thumb during the first round) and ended up winning the ultimate prize in Oulu, Finland, where the Air Guitar World Championships take place every year. Billmeier also plays guitar for real with his fellow punks in Conquest For Death, but right now he’s on the road with the U.S. Air Guitar Championships (where ...

Music: Random Rules:Guillermo Scott Herren of Prefuse 73

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0500

The shuffler: Guillermo Scott Herren, producer and musician behind three new projects with new albums: Prefuse 73, whose Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian is out on Warp, which also recently issued Ice Capped At Both Ends by Diamond Watch Wrists, Herren’s project with Hella’s Zach Hill. Finally, there’s Savath Y Savalas, a Latin-tinged singer-songwriter project with vocalist Eva Puyuelo; the group released the new La Llama on Stones Throw. Unicorn, “Don’t Give Up Trying” Guillermo Scott Herren: I’ve never hit shuffle before. I usually just go by the playlist. Oh wait—this [menu] is alphabetical ...

Music: Random Rules:David Johansen

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:34:00 -0500

The shuffler: David Johansen, the New York rock legend who formed the New York Dolls in the early ’70s and paved the loud, unkempt, pop-savvy road that would eventually lead to punk. He’s released many solo albums, worked with groups such as the Harry Smiths (traditional Americana), and performed as the infamous tropical novelty act Buster Poindexter. Johansen talked to The A.V. Club from Los Angeles as the Dolls, reunited since 2005, revved up their new tour. The Larks, “My Reverie” David Johansen: It’s from Debussy, Claude Debussy. [Johansen’s partner Mara interjects.] No—Mara’s saying ...

Music: Random Rules:Lord Grunge of Grand Buffet

Fri, 15 May 2009 12:00:00 -0500

The shuffler: MC Lord Grunge of whimsically silly/serious Pittsburgh hip-hop duo Grand Buffet. The pair released King Vision on Fighting Records in 2008; while on an extended hiatus, Lord Grunge randomly selected his rock iPod over his others and gave it a spin for The A.V. Club. Rush, “The Trees” Lord Grunge: A big hit by maybe my favorite band of all time. It’s off the Hemispheres LP, of which I’m a huge fan. Rush is one of the first bands I actually started following as a band, like when I was 10 or 11. My ...

Music: Random Rules:Kathy Foster of The Thermals

Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The shuffler: Kathy Foster, bass player for Portland punk-power-pop institution The Thermals. The band is currently on a U.S. tour behind its fourth album, Now We Can See, recently released on Kill Rock Stars. The Fiery Furnaces, “Quay Cur” Kathy Foster: I don’t listen to The Fiery Furnaces a lot. I’ve got some of their stuff to check out, and I like some of that. This song is kind of dark and dance-y. The A.V. Club: Yeah, every track from them is a little different. KF: I like the idea of just experimenting with everything in ...

Music: Random Rules:Random Rules: Fran Healy of Travis

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:27:00 -0600

The shuffler: Fran Healy, frontman of Scottish alt-rock outfit Travis, is the brains behind the band's six albums. Its latest, Ode To J. Smith, is noticeably less produced than its previous ventures, opting for prominent licks over ambient electric-guitar strums. Though Healy currently lives in Berlin, he was born in England, and he's regularly credited with spurring the recent Brit-rock surge; Coldplay's Chris Martin went so far as calling himself "the poor man's Fran Healy." Turns out—as Healy tells The A.V. Club—all those scenester guys know each other pretty well. Little Joy, "Brazil ...

Music: Random Rules:J.D. Cronise of The Sword

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 23:01:00 -0600

The shuffler: J.D. Cronise, singer-guitarist of The Sword. After kicking around with several indie bands in his native Virginia, Cronise ended up in Austin, where, seeking a heavier sound, he put together The Sword. After an electrifying debut, 2006's Age Of Winters, the doom-metal band released the widely anticipated Gods Of The Earth last year. HRM, "Low Budget" J.D. Cronise: This is an old band from Richmond, some friends of mine. The A.V. Club: You're originally from Virginia, right? JDC: Me and our drummer, Trivett [Wingo], are from Virginia, and we spent some time in ...

Music: Random Rules:Random Rules: Jesse Hughes of Eagles Of Death Metal

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:18:28 -0600

The shuffler: Jesse "Boots Electric" Hughes, who stomps out grimy boogie-rock in his band, Eagles Of Death Metal. The mustachioed singer and his good-time gang are touring the States into December behind the just-released Heart On, recorded with Hughes' in-studio bandmate, Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age. Having forgotten each of his four hot-pink iPods at home, Hughes offered to put his "brain on shuffle" instead: "I'll deny it if it's ever asked of me, but because I love you already, I am going to do drugs live on this interview." Hence our first Random Rules ...

Music: Random Rules:Random Rules: Henry Owings

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:01:56 -0600

The shuffler: Henry Owings, chief architect of Chunklet, the long-running magazine that hilariously tackles such world-shifting topics as the "100 Biggest Assholes In Rock." Owings just published The Rock Bible, which offers commandments for bands and fans—all based on loads of real-life experience. ("If you hand out business cards that emphasize your musical ability, you should focus more on the business-card industry than music.") But don't let the opinionated sarcasm fool you: Owings is a diehard music fan who just knows what he loves and isn't shy about what he doesn't. Volcano Suns, "Polythene Pam" Henry ...

Features: Random Rules:Random Rules: The New Year

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:01:36 -0500

The shuffler: Matt Kadane of The New Year, the not-too-active band born from the ashes of the great '90s sadcore outfit Bedhead. The New Year just released its third album, a self-titled set that once again features Kadane and his brother Bubba exploring the darker side of life via layered guitars and world-weary vocals. It's a sleeper, but an excellent one. The New Year is on tour now. Griffin Technology, "iTrip" Matt Kadane: I got this adapter so I could play this in the car, so it would transmit a signal to the car stereo. And what you do ...

Music: Random Rules:Random Rules: Kurt Wagner of Lambchop

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:01:44 -0500

The shuffler: Kurt Wagner, leader since 1986 of the cultishly adored Nashville collective Lambchop. Originally a trio called Posterchild, Lambchop shifted through a bunch of names before settling into a rotating, lavish cast of musicians, often recording with up to 16 band members at a time. Their unclassifiable music blends countrypolitan with pallid variants of soul, blues, avant-garde concepts, and whatever else is sitting around. The band's latest, OH (ohio), is a typically inscrutable mixture of warm music and vaguely impenetrable lyrics. Cat Power, "Willie" Kurt Wagner: I think [The Greatest]'s a great record for her just in ...

Music: Random Rules:Random Rules: Amanda Petrusich

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:02:00 -0500

The shuffler: Amanda Petrusich, a rock writer who contributes regularly to Pitchfork and Paste—and occasionally to The A.V. Club. She's also written two music-appreciation books. The first was a contribution to the 33 1/3 series about Nick Drake's Pink Moon; the second, It Still Moves: Lost Songs, Lost Highways, And The Search For The Next American Music connects Americana's present and past via Petrusich's first-person accounts of traveling through the country, learning about the history of her favorite music. She was a natural to take her iPod for a spin. Tom Petty & The ...

Music: Random Rules:Random Rules: Leigh Watson

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:01:13 -0500

The shuffler: Leigh Watson, who, along with her identical twin sister Chandra, rose to prominence singing backup vocals on Jenny Lewis' solo outing Rabbit Fur Coat. Years before that, though, the Louisville-born Watson Twins established their roots in Los Angeles' Silver Lake music scene, performing as part of the local group Slydell, then as a duo. Following the success of 2006's Rabbit Fur Coat, the sisters released the well-received Southern Manners EP later that year. Their first full-length, Fire Songs, followed earlier this summer. Wilco, "Shake It Off" Leigh Watson: I'm a big Wilco fan, I think ever ...

Music: Random Rules:Random Rules: Sam Jayne of Love As Laughter

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:08:08 -0500

The shuffler: Sam Jayne, the songwriter behind early-'90s indie-rock pioneer Lync—and, since 1994, the leader of Love As Laughter. After five under-the-radar albums for K and Sub Pop, LAL recently released the meandering, hazy Holy on Glacial Pace, an Epic imprint headed by Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock. Minor Threat, "Cashing In" Sam Jayne: I've been listening to Minor Threat a lot lately. The A.V. Club: Has hardcore been a constant thing for you? SJ: I think it's something that I kind of came back to, something I listened to as a kid. I liked ...

Music: Random Rules:Random Rules: Mike Stroud of Ratatat

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 23:01:23 -0500

The shuffler: Guitarist Mike Stroud, half of rock-tronica duo Ratatat. When not cranking out hip-hop remixes with multi-instrumentalist producer Evan Mast, the pair effortlessly create songs filled with persistent beats, odd sound effects, and ethereal riffs, like on the recent LP3. Ratatat is touring behind LP3 through December. RyanDan, "I'll Be There" Mike Stroud: [Laughs.] Have you ever heard of RyanDan? Really hilarious. They used to have this group called B4-4, a boy band from the early '90s or early 2000. I'm not even sure. But they are so disgusting. I've seen videos of them on YouTube ...

Music: Random Rules:Random Rules: A.A. Bondy

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:43:40 -0500

The shuffler: Auguste Arthur Bondy, former frontman for late-'90s Alabama gritty punk/straight-up-rock trio Verbena. A.A. Bondy re-emerged solo last year with his underappreciated folk-blues debut, American Hearts, which was subsequently re-released on Fat Possum Records. Bondy will continue to tour behind American Hearts throughout September and October. David Bowie, "Some Are" A.A. Bondy: I like [Low] a whole lot. I get confused by it, sort of, because I know some of it was made to go with that movie, The Man Who Fell To Earth. And my suspicion has always been it's the latter third ...

Music: Random Rules:Random Rules: Lou Barlow

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:01:22 -0500

The shuffler: Indie-rock balladeer Lou Barlow, known largely for his two bands, which have recently reunited: the sloppy, indie-punk Sebadoh, and the feedback-laden, heavy Dinosaur Jr. The latter continues to tour intermittently behind last year's Beyond, and Sebadoh recently performed its 1993 album Bubble And Scrape at Pitchfork Music Festival, in honor of its recent remastered, expanded reissue. Timestoppers, "I Need Love" Lou Barlow: I'm surprised this is even labeled. A lot of these are untitled, unknown. I just hoard stuff. And some of the stuff I get—I would have to enter all the names into it ...