Music Articles
Music Articles
Hesta Prynn is one-third of the hip-hop group Northern State. They’re currently touring to support their debut eight song mini-album “Dying in Stereo” and will be playing at the NORVA on the 25th of this month. I recently asked her about their recent European tour, her stage persona and life as a burgeoning hip hop star.
Here’s what she had to say:
You recently toured Europe. The pictures on you website look like you all had lots of fun. Can you tell me about some of the highlights?
Playing w/ the Roots through England was amazing. We are really inspired by thier use of live instrumentation, so it was awesome to see how it's done. Norway was incredible too, had no idea we were so big there. What a bunch of crazy heads, we partied like we were in high school.
Did you experience any culture shock when you got back home?
Naw, just a serious hangover.
How do you get psyched up before a show?
We do a prayer circle where everyone goes around and says something (us n the band). It's clearly inspired by the Destiny's Child "Diary" and pretty hilarious.
So other than yourself, DJ Sprout and Guinea Love, who else is on stage supporting a Northern State show?
Our live back up band consists of The Groove Bros and Katie Cassidy - live drums that trigger samples, live bass, a dj and katie plays a mini-harp and some cool percussion instruments. It's a hot show.
You took your name from Hester Prynne, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s character from The Scarlet Letter, right?
Yes.
Hester is a huge feminist heroine, so I’m going to ask an obvious question: What similarities do you see between yourself and Hester?
Basically I was just trying to represent for the scorned women the world over. What we're doing is empowering, and doing it with this name is a statement. Hester Prynne from the novel was pretty helpless and unempowered. Hesta Prynn from Northern State is quite a bit different.
Just now, when I typed “Nathaniel Hawthorne,” Microsoft Word (in its infinite wisdom) asked “Do you want to schedule a meeting with or send Email to Nathaniel Hawthorne?” Funny. But that’s a good question, if you could send email to him, what would you write?
Ummm... can I email Martin Amis instead?
Can you believe Arnold is the new Governor of California? What’s up with that?
My brother is a funny guy, for the last couple weeks he walks around saying THE GOVERNATOR in this ahhh-nold voice. It's a hilarious joke. Much like our political process.
In one my favorite rhyme of yours, you mention Cynthia Plaster Caster, the famous groupie and artist. Are you a fan of hers, or did you just like saying “Plasta Casta?”
I spoke to her on the phone a couple of times for a job i used to have. I wanted to shout her out cuz in her day most women felt that to be part of rock n roll your only option was to be a groupie n have sex w/ rock stars. I wish Cynthia had felt more empowered cuz she's a really creative and talented woman.
Have you been in the studio lately?
Yes, all I do is work.
You all are new to this whole puttin’ out records and touring thing, and you readily admit it. Do you see your style changing radically on your next release?
We're definitely growing as songwriters and lyricists. The next record is gonna be amazing. We also have the time and money to really do what we want - we made Dying in Stereo on a shoestring in 4 weeks and it really makes a world of difference.
Amazon.com suggests that shoppers buy your album along with Fever To Tell by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They’re not even Hip Hop! Why do you think they did that?
Cuz we're part of the "New York" scene, we're underground but have pop aspects to what we do. The YYYs are fronted by a strong female performer (who is fucking awesome by the way, we played w/ them in Oslo.
What was the last CD you bought?
The new Outkast.(luv it by the way)
Last book read?
Living History - Hillary Rodham Clinton
Coffee, tea or soda?
Coffee!
Beer, wine or neither?
Cosmo
Sprout says: "I've got the perfect party in my mind." If you could have anyone in the world at your perfect party, who would you invite?
All the greatest friends I've ever had. They live all over the world now. Maybe Jay-Z too, he likes to party.
Finally, I showed my 6-year old, Ian, the video for “At the Party” and he loved it! I asked him to think of a question for you, and here it is: “Who’s the master?”
Ian! (Isn't it obvious??)
Superchunk is a band that makes you want quit your job and move somewhere far away where indie rock is the new top 40 and jumping up and down at rock shows is what you do three times a week instead of going to the gym. Superchunk was formed in Chapel Hill circa 1989 by guitarist/singer Mac McCaughan and bassist Laura Ballance. The current line-up also includes Jim Wilbur on guitar and Jon Wurster on drums. Rumors are that the band has refused to sign with major labels, in order to keep the independent in their brand of indie rock. They’ve kept busy touring, reportedly hitting such NYC hotspots as Maxwell's, Knitting Factory, and CBGB's all in one week. All this touring must’ve done them good because their live shows are simply incredible. You can almost feel their adrenalin when they take the stage - everyone but the drummer bouncing up and down to the hyper guitar and loud drums. What hits your ears is somewhat more power-punk rock than indie, however, but they do have the characteristic vocals and guitar sound of other indie bands. Without a doubt, they are one of the founders of their genre, along with bands like Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. Compared to their peers, they’d rank on the upper end of the energy scale. This isn’t melodramatic, introspective Belle and Sebastian stuff - this is in your face rock. And guess what? You can be one of the lucky few who get to see them next Saturday night at the NorVa, opening for The Get Up Kids - Just go out and buy yourself a ticket.
Saturday’s headliners, The Get Up Kids, have been gaining a lot of mindshare lately in the music scene. When people think of the type of music called emo (or emotional punk), their next thought tends to be this band. Their signature sound is based on heavy guitar filled out with synthesizers and loud emotionally charged vocals. Fans of songs like Holiday and their early albums may be in for a surprise by the new stuff they play at this show. The Get Up Kids are touring to support On A Wire, their third full-length album, which was released last month. This album marks a bit of a turn in direction for the band, with an overall sound that is more sedate than charged. This release does away with the energetic teen-angst anthems, moog synth and fast guitar, replaced with something that sounds a bit more like fellow North Carolina band Wilco than emo. Some of you may even like their new sound more than ever; I’ll have to admit that it’s growing on me.
But enough about The Get Up Kids. Yes, they’re great. Go see them. But, whatever you do, be sure you get there early enough to see Superchunk. You won’t be disappointed. I can’t count the number of times I’ve told people that they’re “The best show I’ve ever seen.” Most people who know the band will be waiting to hear the song Slack Motherf***er, recorded in 1990. This song came in at #19 in Billboard Magazine’s top songs of the decade poll. It could be any song about calling your boss an expletive is hard not to like, but it without a doubt deserves its #19 spot. It’s a song that started a new sound, and a kicked off a band that’s seen a decade as well. Never heard it? You may remember another hit, Hyper Enough from the mid 90’s with a great hook that’s hard not to like. If Superchunk is entirely new to you, their sound is pretty simple - catchy and fun pop songs with heavy, driving, fuzzy guitar and strained male vocals and female backup make up the core sound. So, if you can’t tell, I really like this band, and you may too. If you do go, one word of warning: Calling your boss an expletive will get you into trouble – no matter how fun it sounds.
If you’ve heard of Jonathan Richman, chances are you know of him from the movie, There’s Something About Mary. Jonathan was the guy singing in between the scenes of zipper mishaps and hair gel alternatives. The Rhode Island native Farrelly brothers, who directed the movie, probably knew about Jonathan from his days as nearby Boston’s most influential rocker. Back in the early 70’s he started a band called the Modern Lovers playing a unique brand of Velvet Underground influenced punk. The original Modern Lovers made a big mark on what we now consider rock and roll, with keyboardist Jerry Harrison going on to play with the Talking Heads, and Drummer David Robinson later joining the Cars. The Modern Lovers’ biggest hits of the time were Roadrunner and Pablo Picasso. Roadrunner has since become known as something of a rock anthem, covered by REM, Joan Jett, the Sex Pistols and others. Pablo Picasso, well, if you heard the song, you already know what “Pablo Picasso was never called.”
Something happened to Jonathan Richman in the mid 70’s that changed his music forever. A trip to Bermuda to perform with the Modern Lovers opened his eyes to Calypso music, and he started making music that was much different from the driving punk rock that he’d been playing in clubs like CBGB’s in New York City. Gone was the cynical Modern Lover’s sound, replaced by innocent songs about the Abominable Snowman, the Ice Cream Man, and Martians. To Jonathan, being really punk meant being different, and songs that sounded like children’s music were about as different as you could get.
He’s been making music ever since, putting out an album every couple of years. His music has matured but it still has that childlike quality, with a style that is faintly Caribbean. It’s hard to describe his music with out sounding flaky. To really do it justice, you have to use words like honest, heartfelt, beautiful and sweet. You’re actually better off not trying to describe it, and to just listen. When you do, you’ll find that creates an entirely new musical space, one filled with simple things like the joys of wearing every day clothes, to the sparks that fly during a kiss, to the magic of dancing without trying too hard.
His live shows are truly an experience. Tommy Larkin plays drums, (he was the other musician in Something about Mary) and Jonathan sings and plays guitar. Between songs, Jonathan talks to the audience in a low voice that sounds rather similar to Sylvester Stallone’s. And he dances. In fact, when so inspired, he often lays his guitar down on the stage just to dance. I was lucky enough to be in Paris a couple of years ago when Jonathan was playing a show. The theater was filled with cheering Parisians to whom Jonathan spoke French the entire show. He’s at least tri-lingual as well, also having released albums in Spanish.
His biggest fans know that he has a quirky personality. I guess with musical genius comes some eccentricity. He doesn’t drink or do drugs, and he has a reputation for playing very quietly, sometimes asking the club management to turn down the PA. I even saw him ask for a ceiling fan above the stage to be turned off at a show in Orlando. I’ve talked with him a couple times, but he’s never seemed too interested in talking about his music. Funny, I did ask him about snowboarding once and I thought he’d miss his second set for talking so much.
His latest album is titled Her Mystery Not Of High Heels And Eye Shadow and contains 14 tracks. Four of these are sung in Spanish, and one is a cover of an older Richman favorite, Give Paris One More Chance. He’s currently touring, and will be playing in Richmond at Alley Katz on February 18th, at Starr Hill in Charlottesville on the 19th, and at the 9:30 club in DC on the 20th. Not too far to drive for such a great show, in my opinion.
Like the saying about a good man goes, sometimes a good band is hard to find. The Lucksmiths are probably one of the Southern Hemisphere’s hardest to find and best-kept secrets. While the rest of us have been listening to Aussie bands like Silverchair and Midnight Oil, the Lucksmiths have been quietly making a name for themselves as one of the most original and talented indie pop bands out of Australia. Their latest release, “Why That Doesn’t Surprise Me” on Candle records in Australia, and Drive-In and Matinee records here stateside is one of their best ever.
The Lucksmiths got together after high school in Melbourne (pronounced mel-bun by the locals), Australia in 1993. They epitomize the perfect pop trio. Tali White fronts the band, playing snare drum and singing with in a dream-like Australian accent. Guitarist Marty Donald writes most of the songs with clever lyrics revolving around twists and turns of words and phrases like “I’ve been here for hours… I can’t see the florist for the flowers.” Mark Mannone balances out the sound of twangy guitar and snare drum with melodic bass lines that often sound like entire songs themselves.
Like most independent bands without major label funding, The Lucksmiths have worked their way through tours borrowing gear from other bands and sleeping on floors of fans. They’ve toured around the world this way, and have made enough to recently quit their day jobs. After all, if you could tour abroad in New Zealand, Japan, the US, Canada, Finland, Sweden, France, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, England, and Scotland would you ever go back to your nine to five? At a show in Boston, I recently asked Mark what the aspirations of the band were: “What do you mean?” he said with a look of confusion, “Do you ever want to become really famous?” I asked him. He replied, “I thought we already were!” I apologized to him for insinuating that they weren’t famous but the truth is, they’re not mainstream nor do they seem to ever want to be. They continue to put out albums on small labels and touring in small venues around the world. Mark went on to say that he’s very happy with the way things are currently for the band and isn’t waiting for their big break. You could say that they deserve more notoriety than they’ve received for all their hard work. A band that tours and puts out as many albums as they do deserves to be on the airwaves and in CD players in every town. But they ought to have it all for a much more simple reason: they make music that is extraordinary in every way.
“Why That Doesn’t Surprise Me” is the bands sixth full-length release, and has a summertime quality that is reminiscent of a day at the beach. The sound on this album is a bit more polished than their earlier albums with lyrics that are more contemplative and melodies that are more complex. The core Lucksmiths feeling is there, however, characterized by witty lines and upbeat poppy melodies. The second track on the album, “Synchronised Sinking” (Aussie spelling), is about talking a friend into breaking up with her less than desirable boyfriend. When Tali sings “Why don’t you let go of your boy and see you’ve lost none of your buoyancy,” you can almost see his smirk. His smile is made even more noticeable by a catchy melody played on a toy Hohner Melodica harp. Without a doubt, there’s more instrumentation on this album than on their others, with orchestral strings on the melancholy “The Great Dividing Range” and electric piano on the reflective “First Cousins.”
The Lucksmiths sound a bit like a more cheerful version of Belle and Sebastian, another indie pop band that’s a little better known here in the US. But the entire album has faint reminiscence of the Beach Boys, especially to the Beach Boys album, “Pet Sounds.” In fact, the track, “Beach Boys Medley” isn’t a medley at all, but is about listening to the Beach Boys in high school. Perhaps the Beach Boys resemblance is due to the fact that this album was recorded over the summer in Australia. Maybe recording music in the sun in the summertime just does something to a band. Either way, you only have a few months left before summer starts to get your hands on a copy of this CD. I got mine a few months back, and I can tell you that it made getting through that snowstorm a couple of weeks ago a little easier.