
Tonight, Friday November 13, is the release party at Public Assembly for Monogold's new record,
Feel Animal! I caught up with Keith from Monogold to investigate this matter:
How long have you guys known each other?This line up is about a year and a half old. The drummer and I have been playing together since college and Mike is the newbie. Which from the bass stand point has helped shape the sound and has influenced Jareds playing as well.
Where did you get your vocal range from? In terms of the vocal style of this last record singing in a higher range just happened very naturally. The style of the music influenced the style of the vocals almost immediately. It kind felt like it needed something light and ethereal that would mix inside of the style instead of being the more prominent point of focus.
Monogold has a really full, atmospheric sound for consisting of 3 guys. How do you reproduce that sound live?
We eventually chose to keep it as a three piece based on 1- its really difficult to find someone that you just vibe with naturally in playing together or with their style easily fitting in. And 2- aside from all that being able to hang with on a regular basis whether being on the road or sharing 2 or 10 pints. The dynamic really works with 3 of us and we use some samplers. Mostly I do sampling, layers and other guitar parts for live shows....
This is a 3 part question:
What is your song Dead Sea Minerals about? Is it literally about the Dead Sea? Is that a theremin I hear? Yeah that is a theremin. We do have to sample little things like that. I'm not even gonna start trying to find a theremin player!!
Dead Sea Minerals, to tell ya the truth, I could just make some shit up but I have no idea! That name just came to me and it isn't a specific connection to what the song is about but it connects more on how the song feels.
Do you think the term “Feel Animal” will take off? For example, could you turn it into a verb? When you are really into a girl, could you say you “feel animal” about her? Or could your drummer say he “feels animal” in a Muppet Show kind of way? Haha that'd be funny if it took off as a verb because that is how I look at it but hell, Animal was one bad ass Muppet!!
DOWNLOAD:
Monogold - Dead Sea MineralsNext, I asked Rich from Nite Club (the opening act tonight) some questions from our viewers:
I hear a 90's Freestyle/R&B influence in your music, mixed with a slight hint of raver. Is that accurate?When it comes to Nite Club's production I would say you hit it on the money. I've always credited freestyle to be my "Beatles". Nice & Wild's
Diamond Girl is a good example of the genre's soulful vocals and slick drum machine arranging.
R&B is always really heavy music. when it comes to emotion and production it's just so hardcore to me.I feel so inspired by some of modern recording techniques and melancholic writing used by artists like The-Dream or Trey Songs.
The rave aspect has been in my head ever since I was a little hooligan with baggy jeans trying to sneak into parties. The crazy loud music, the dancing lights and atmosphere. No matter how hard I try , it's a dreamworld I can never escape.
Been recently listening to tons of classic Altern8, Foul Play and early Prodigy from the short lived era of Breakbeat Hardcore
Do you ever get bottle service for your entourage when you go to a night club? Haha! bottle service might be the Antichrist.. just kidding. I have had it before but mostly at clubs like Patcha, where I have no intent on returning anytime in the near future. Somethings wrong with a place where bouncers
curse and insult you even while you're trying to get into your own gig.......
You do a cover of Kanye West's Good Life. If you won a VMA, would you get mad if he interrupted you, even if he said “I'ma let you finish”? Since I used
Good Life, I guess I'd be ok with it, but only if i got to tell the South Park "fishsticks" joke afterwords.
By the way, the term “I'ma let you finish” has both a whole new meaning and is amazing.
Do you share the opinion that “Autotune is dead”? If so, why is it used on every dance song on the radio?
Autotune is dead, but we use dead recording and writing techniques all the time. a good example could be a song that has a verse followed by chorus. Overly used concepts can be die, but they can also live forever, just like music.
Did the same production team do your videos for No Matter Which Way and Good Life? Yes, I worked with
Poolsidesign on both Nite Club videos. Their work ethic and ability to make anything happen visually is really inspiring to me. I feel so lucky to have been able to work with them.
My Tronic received great responses and reviews. Do you have a follow-up album in the works? Later this month you can expect a bonus version of
My Tronic on Tape Theory. It will include remixes I've recently done for NYC's Tayisha Busay, Minnesota's Ultrachorus and my former band, the prog-wave group Hotels.
There's also several new Nite Club tracks I've been recording and can't wait to have released. Steve and I have been playing some of these new songs live and we've been getting overwhelmingly positive responses.
I'm extremely thankful for such a great year and looking forward to the future!
PUBLIC ASSEMBLY70 N.6th St.
November 13, 2009
Back Room
Monogold CD Release Party
Description
11/13, 9 pm, Back Room, $8
9:00pm -
Nite Club10:00pm - We are Country Mice
11:00pm -
Monogold12:00am - Laura Stevenson and the Cans
1:00am - Borrowed Eyes
+ D.J Shimmy
Open Bar 12am-1am!