Sure you can play the guitar and sing, but can you do it all and still play the harmonica?
New solo artist Nikolai Fraiture (known from the Strokes) has recently been compared to Bright Eyes', Conor Oberst. Okay, so they both play the guitar and sing. But by listening to Conor Oberst's records, i still long to hear him play the harmonica the way that Nikolai does in his new solo project "Nickel Eye". His new project sounds much like Adam Green, not Conor Oberst. Nikolai has a more relaxing and smoothing voice than that Oberst, which is painful, screechy, and pretty much depressing while listening to. Don't get me wrong, Oberst has a few good songs that i actually have on my IPOD, but my approval definitely goes to Mr. Fraiture for his effortless foot-tapping ballads. THUMBS UP TO "NICKEL EYE" !
Nikolai covering Nico's "These Days". courtesy of Rolling Stone Magazine
Megapuss is the project of freak-folk troubadour Devendra Banhart, his bandmate Greg Rogove, and recently-anointed third wheel Fabrizio Moretti (of The Strokes and/or Little Joy). Born as an on-tour goof-off, Megapuss's debut disc, Surfing, shows a band built for laughs; not least in the fact that promo pics have found Banhart and Rogove standing stark naked. The day after the 2008 election, Rogove answered some questions.
And growing up in this Pennsylvanian hamlet, you dreamt of playing the tabla? “I dreamt of being a tranny. I wanted to be a Brazilian tranny from Bahia playing Samba music.”
And you still yearn to be a tranny? Or just to play Samba? “These days, the dream is more to be a bricklayer, or a farmer, or to run a vineyard. There’s a definite sense, among us, that there should be something more than just making music. But, not just yet. There’s still a lot of work to do. There’s a lot of ideas and projects that I’m excited to realize. There’s obviously a strong movement in our evolutionary thought, around the world, and it just happens that music gets to that very quickly.”
So, what ideas did you have at the inception of this project? “Megapuss? This one, we were hoping to transmit fun, first and foremost. When you listen to it, hopefully it’ll be wonderful, hopefully people will feel good about themselves and good about life. One of the most enjoyable things about any piece of art, in my opinion, is when you have this strong, dramatic nature running in harmony, not discord, with this comedic side, with something light-hearted. When you have those things running simultaneously, harmoniously side-by-side, and not fighting.”
Are you really genuinely concerned about your music being misconceived? “We weren't when we were making it, but, then, when we listened back to it, we wondered: ‘I wonder what it is that people will hear?’ And, I have to say, when talking to people, the responses I’ve gotten, it seems like it reaches them, like it works. It’s been surprisingly good! That’s been our excitement. It feels like it’s summer no matter what time of year.”
Have you found yourself talking about your genitals a lot? “[Laughs] Yes, somehow it’s an inevitable question. I have to say: it wasn’t a prescribed aesthetic decision, it was what seemed right. And, in hindsight, looking back, it makes sense. Because that’s what we’re out to do: make sure everyone is very well represented.”
Did you think it’d become the talking point? “No, no. It’s a drag that that’s all people want to talk about. That wasn’t our intention at all. It just seemed like the most honest thing for us to do, and we hope that people don’t skewer it to be something else.”
You authored the song titles first? That’s how the band began? “Yes. Stylistically, it all happened before the music ever existed. After a while of tossing out these names, we started to play this game, before going on stage, where we’d pluck out, say, "Hamman" from our list, and then improvise a song in ten minutes. We ended up with a pretty nice arsenal of sketches. We came back from tour with 26 of them, and most of them were pretty silly. But then we wrote two or three beautiful ones, and that was when we actually felt like it was worth making a record."
Adam and Steve" Video Director/Producer: Amy Jo Diaz Editor: Buzz Pierce Filmed at: Draw Pictures Studio Directors of Photography: Eric Johnson/Craig Olsen
Interview: Greg Rogove of Megapuss "I wanted to be a Brazilian tranny from Bahia playing Samba music.” By Anthony Carew, About.com **interview has been edited**
Saturday morning- I was sitting there, in a salon & spa, surrounded by a sea of women who'd perfectly fit an open role in The Housewives of Orange County. I was there waiting patiently, while my sister got her hair done.
Now, on this particular day, i met a 57 year old, now i didn't quite get his name, but lets just call him "Ted", for as he really seemed like a man who's name would be Ted. Now, he was also waiting patiently, as his wife got her hair; highlighted, cut and blow-dried.
Our conversation began with tattoos, like the bullseye aka "The Tramp Stamp", which then somehow our conversation shifted to the persona of Mike Tyson-i know, that was really random. Well I really don't care of any other ex-boxers, except for George Foreman. Why? because he invented the george forman grill, which is MAGICAL! But anyways, he explained how tattoos look best on dark colored people, such as Mike, but looks "trashy" on lighter skin toned.
We then talked about David Bowie and his wonderful hits, his in particular was "Golden Years" while mine was "Let's Dance".
Our conversation traveled through the depths of movies(as he was also an enthusiast like myself), the golden globes, his 34 year old son who has a tattoo of his old fraternity's symbols on his ankle, life in the 60s and 70s, diversity at public schools, etc.
He was a 57 year old man, who attended Birmingham High School and attended Pierce College in the 70s. He lived in Northridge but moved to Santa Clarita with his wife 3 years ago.
His wife's hair was done and he got up, complimented her, turned to me, said "whatever you do, have fun" and walked away.
