Waxahatchee Interview
by Ryan Pangilinan

It goes without saying, that Waxahatchee’s “American Weekend” is one of my favorite records in the last few years. It made the top of my list for favorite albums for our sister site, Redefine, and it continues to amaze me with every spin. We at Totally Crushed Out champion Waxahatchee’s singular band member, Katie Crutchfield (PS Eliot, Bad Banana, The Ackleys), chiefly because her songs are gut wrenchingly honest, relatable, and, quite frankly, catchy.

“American Weekend” comes out today through Don Giovanni Records and Crutchfield sat down with us to discuss all things Waxahatchee (with a little Guided by Voices).

Totally Crushed Out: What was the impetus of Waxahatchee? At the time of the cassette release, both Bad Banana and PS Eliot were active. Did you feel like the songs that would become for Waxahatchee didn’t fit anywhere with those two bands?
  
Katie Crutchfield: It really grew out of an urge to make acoustic music again. I sort of ‘started’ on an acoustic guitar and I played under the moniker ‘King Everything’ when I was in high school. The birth of Waxahatchee really just started out of a desire to make music like that again while simultaneously wanting to disassociate from the cheesy music I wrote when I was younger
 
American Weekend originally saw release through your imprint, Delta Queen. How did its release via Don Giovanni come about?

American Weekend has had many different phases of ideas for release. I wrote and recorded it in a week in my room at my parent’s house and I was pretty damn sure that no one was ever going to hear it, much less release it. Allison (my sister) really encouraged me to release it properly and in good time and that’s where Delta Queen came from. We were particularly broke at this time and while we were trying to facilitate the release I was approached about doing a Waxahatchee record by Don Giovanni. It seemed like a smarter idea to let an awesome, established label properly release this particular record. It’s a personal milestone and I was afraid I’d screw it up. I trust DG more than I trust myself with the endeavor.  
 
Upon this wider release for American Weekend, you’re also embarking on an extensive US tour. What sort of things are you anticipating for this run, specifically as a solo artist?
 
Playing music alone for lots of people is a lot harder than with a band. The screw-up stakes are higher. In PS Eliot, I had a whole lot of other sounds going on to cover up my nerves and mistakes. I guess I’m just expecting to be more nervous. This is also the first time in years that I’ve been on tour for this long. I’m really excited though. Leaving your life behind for multiple months is always so bizarre and hard but I’m looking forward to it.

Personally, I really enjoyed the lo-fi aesthetic of the album and split cassette. One of things that we talked about last time when discussing PS Eliot, was the difference between Bike Wreck and Introverted Romance. For all intents and purposes, do you think that Waxahatchee will remain a lo-fi solo project or do you see it growing further, whether you implement past recording techniques or have a backing band?

Its really funny you ask that, it’s been on my mind a lot lately. I’m in the middle of demoing for the next record and planning to record it right when I get home from the tour. As of right now my plan is to record it at our house on Waxahatchee creek, myself, just the way I did AW, the only real difference being that there will be more instrumentation. After 9 weeks of tour, that idea could change. As for long-term plans, I’m not sure. The real difference between this project and my other projects is that I have no one else influencing or actively participating in any creative decision. It’ll really just depend on my own development with the songs I write in the future.
 
One of the things I liked about American Weekend is how relentlessly raw it is. In a way, it reminds me a bit of Songs From a Blue Guitar by Red House Painters. And again, personally speaking, I found it to be particularly poignant and meaningful when I was going through the end of a long-term relationship. Whether the songs are steeped in real life or have a fictive nature, are there moments when reflecting on American Weekend where you feel like you’ve put too much of yourself out there, or do you think that it would be moot since people, myself included, will relate to the album and its content in their own way?
 
All of the lyrics for Waxahatchee are a lot more organic and true and explicit than my other lyrics. I realize that it means I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve and at times even (more so in newer songs) airing some dirty laundry. Truthfully, it’s just more satisfying for me to write that way.
 
Following the US tour, what other plans do you have in store for Waxahatchee?
 
Making a new record in the spring to hopefully be released in the fall. I’m also planning another tour in the summer, probably in July!
 
In addition to American Weekend, what other records or bands do you think the kids should check out?

Well, I’m going to take this opportunity to plug my sister’s new band Swearin’ from Brooklyn. They just made a demo and it’s so awesome. I hear Sourpatch have a new record coming out also. I’m doing a few shows with them on this tour.

Lastly, how good is that Guided by Voices reunion album?

I really like it!!

Waxahatchee’s American Weekend is out now on Don Giovanni and catch her on a full US tour. Dates can be found on the Facebooks.

Bayside Interview
by Ryan Pangilinan

New York outfit Bayside is easily one of the most sonically polarizing bands out on the scene today. While their earliest material featured the band playing breakneck speed pop-punk, their sound developed quickly into what you hear now, which blurs the lines between several genres. Their latest record, “Killing Time,” is, at times, caustic, frenetic, but mostly, it’s poignant and one of the few smart punk rock records out there. So, in short, it’s very much a Bayside album. While on some down time from their co-headlining run with Saves the Day, bassist Nick Ghanbarian and drummer Chris Guglielmo sat down with Totally Crushed Out to talk about their new label, the current scene, and how it’s like to be considered an older band these days.

Totally Crushed Out: Killing Time came out a little while ago, but I feel like there was more of a gap between this record and Shudder than Shudder and The Walking Wounded.

Chris Guglielmo: We definitely had the gift of time to do this album, so that would explain the longer gap in between. We signed to a new label (Wind-Up).

Nick Ghanbarian: That was the thing, we needed to find a label. We were free as of, like, the April after Shudder came out and we signed the February after that. Then almost six or eight months after that, we were recording. We took our time writing because we knew it was an important album in our life as a band. We wanted to come out with a bang, so we took our time and put our best foot forward in every part of it.

TCO: Was there a point after Shudder where after you had fulfilled your contract with Victory where they suggested that you continue with them, or were you like “Well, we took this as far as we can, let’s move on.”

NG: I think it was both. We were pretty intent on seeing what else was out there and they kind of [said], “Well, do you want to do another album? Or don’t.” It wasn’t like “Oh my God, we need to keep Bayside.” If we wanted to stay, they would’ve put out another album. There was no major concerted effort.

TCO: Do you feel like being on Wind-Up, there’s more of a push for your band, or is it still a DIY approach?

NG: We definitely signed to a label that would allow us to continue doing whatever we wanted basically. We wanted to have more of a push behind us, which Wind-Up did, but I think in the long run, we wanted to have whatever control and whatever say we want in our music…. It’s a new label, but it’s still us in charge.

TCO: So they haven’t tried to pair you up on the Creed reunion tour?

CG: (laughs) That’s what we were excited about. We approached them with what we do and they were surprised with how much shit that we do on our own, so I think they were excited, as were we, to have that kind of relationship.  There was no this is controlling that. We meshed together.

NG: Labels, these days, it’s not like it was. Whether they believe in you or not, they won’t blindly sink a bunch of money in your band. It’s almost like you have to prove your record sales and the numbers have to prove something for them to send more money. Maybe in the 80s and 90s, it wasn’t that way, but the internet turned that upside down, so you have to prove yourself to be a commodity before they spend money.

TCO: Do you think that you would’ve been a strong enough unit to start your own imprint and put out your own records?

CG: We definitely spoke about the idea, just fucking around, but distribution is tough. But as far as touring and everything, it’s possible. It’s more of a viable solution everyday. And nowadays with the way that things are run, it’s probably the best way to make the most amount of money.

NG: Record deals these days, specifically talking about 360 deals, protects the labels. They’re protecting themselves from losing money and the band still does what it needs to do. Unless you’re on one of these super small, post-hardcore labels like Run for Cover or No Sleep, it doesn’t matter what label you’re on.

CG: And now because of the internet and everything, there’s so many bands and so many labels. I remember when I listened to [Saves the Day], they were on Equal Vision and I would say, “Oh, they’re on Equal Vision” and I would check out Equal Vision bands. Now, there are so many labels and so many bands, it’s just fucking all over the place. You can find the same band ten times on X amount of labels.

TCO: It’s like back in the day, there used to be a lot label loyalty. I remember getting those Equal Vision samplers and go out and buy The Stryder, or whatever.

NG: It used to be a little bit more similar, too. Now the range of bands on any label goes from pop-punk to metal or anything between. If you got a Revelation sampler in the early 90s, it’s all pretty similar, so that loyalty made more sense then.

TCO: I always felt that way about your band. You guys always stuck out like a sore thumb. When I first got Sirens and Condolences to review ages ago, I was like “It’s a Victory record. Am I really gonna like this?” And then I checked out and I dug it, and it sucks that there are labels – not so much now – that when they put out a record, I wouldn’t necessarily give ear to that band.

NG: I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t affect us. There was a serious lag for, what I would say, our first two albums. People love those albums now, but they didn’t then. They didn’t give them a chance. They assumed a Victory band would sound one way and we didn’t sound that way. It’s funny when people are requesting songs from our first two albums, when there are six, seven hundred people a night requesting those songs, but when they came out, we were playing in front of 70-100 people.

TCO: Yeah, I remember seeing Bayside in Tacoma with Danger: Radio and Silverstein and there were, like, 30 people there.

NG: That’s probably back in the Sirens and Condolences days. Now a kid comes to a show and says, “Why don’t you play ‘Just Enough to Love You’?” Because no one liked that song for five years and barely anyone does now. (laughs)

TCO: Do you feel Walking Wounded was the album where more people started to discover your band?

CG: Yeah.

NG: Up until now, that was the one that we put out and immediately saw decent success. I think this one, Killing Time, is very similar, too. Sirens and self-titled, those probably took years for people to grasp on and people got Walking Wounded and went back and got those other albums.

CG: That album (Walking Wounded) was also a weird time because it was the first album that I did with the band and I think the sound of the album, musically, was different for Bayside. Not like left-turn different, but different from Sirens and self-titled and people were like “Huh?” I guess it caught on faster.

TCO: I feel like Bayside is one of those touchstone bands that consistently puts out records where you talk about real shit, inner turmoil, and not just a lot of vapid shit. In 90, 91, 92, you had bands like Face to Face and the ilk that did that, and now there are more bands that are addressing being a twenty-something and just being fucked up and not knowing with what to do with your life.

NG: That’s the stuff that resonates with people. I’ve always liked music, but I feel like we grew up on pop music. We grew up on Madonna and Michael Jackson because we didn’t have older brothers, sisters, neighbors, or cousins who were like “Oh here’s Black Flag, here’s a Minor Threat tape.” So the first time that you stumble and discover Bad Religion or Green Day in the early 90s, it actually has to speak to you. If you have to discover it, it has to give you chills and feel like “Oh my God, what is this?”

I feel like these days, it’s important for bands like us, that have been around for a while, support these younger bands because those are the bands that are going to sustain things, even further past us. These things matter. It’s important for bands that want to be career bands and want to help people in their lives, it’s important to band together and help each other out and almost create that scene. It’s all self-sustaining.

TCO: You guys are at a point where you are a career band. Do think Bayside is at a place where you can tour not as relentlessly? Obviously, you guys are a little older and it seems unreasonable to go out every two months.

NG: It’s hard because we’ve always been slow and steady. Every album’s a little bigger, every tour is a little bigger, but it’s not like we’re sitting on a big chunk of change. We’ve kind of made enough money to –

CG: — Live.

NG: Yeah. We were never super successful. It’s a weird time because I feel like we have to tour less, because we can’t just tour. This is our third time in Seattle in 12 months, so it’s tough. It’s a weird time for music, it’s a weird time for us to be touring the way we do. When you start getting into that realm of being an older band, it’s almost like you’re going to lose steam if you tour the way you did, six or seven years ago. So I feel like we could benefit from coming here once a year. There might be twice as many people here if there was more demand. At the same time, we never were super successful. We never had a peak. For the past five years, we’ve been peaking. It’s always been a little bit bigger, so there has always been a need to continue to tour, to put out albums. Not doing that is a choice we have to make. It sucks to be a band and have to make decisions for financial reasons. To do less, as individuals, would hurt us a little bit.

CG: And with people our age and older, I see them thinking about [the] girlfriends that they’ve had for a solid amount of time, and family, and having a place back home and that affects how we think because we’re not really kids anymore. I mean, I consider myself pretty immature, but I think we’re all thinking about big picture-life-stuff, you know?

NG: There’s examples of bands, like Hot Water Music, that are bigger now than they were before and they don’t tour that much; they have other things going on.

TCO: It’s also one of those things where they were like “Fuck it, we’re done” and kids were like “Oh I missed my chance to see them!” I’m not suggesting you guys do that.

CG: It’s that whole “leave them wanting more” thing. If you just disappear and then when you come back, people will be psyched.

NG: There’s plenty of examples of bands…you don’t really have to break up, maybe you just go on some kind of hiatus/take-time-off-do-adult-things. Then book a week of shows, and do Bamboozle, do whatever.

CG: Or you can do just do what every band does and break up. Then nine months later –

TCO: Reunion tour!

CG: (laughs) Don’t say we’re breaking up. We’re not breaking up.

The very intact Bayside has a new album on Wind-Up called “Killing Time.” Singer Anthony Raneri and Ghanbarian host Gumshoe Radio on Idobi. Keep abreast of all things Bayside on their website.

First Degree LARSon: Totally Crushed Out chats with MC Lars
by Ryan Pangilinan

When it came to talking to MC Lars, it was going to be an awkward situation – at least in my head. I have publicly written posts slamming “nerdcore,” but his appearance on a Frontalot song changed my opinion and I went back and listened to Lars’s other output.

From someone like me, a dude who grew up on both hip-hop and punk rock, anything that mixes the two or seems the least bit manufactured (see: Childish Gambino, The Strokes, Bring Me the Horizon) is automatically on my shitlist. However, MC Lars is the exception where I’ve had to eat crow and the fact that he’s a cool ass dude helps a little. I had the chance to stand outside El Corazon with Lars and talk about dropping “nerdcore” and owning the title of “legit emcee,” as well as talking to KRS-One and rapping with Sage Francis on his latest record, “Lars Attacks,” which is out on his own imprint, Horris.

Totally Crushed Out: How did you get started rapping?

MC Lars: I grew up playing in punk rock bands and I always kind of liked hip-hop. In college, I got deep into hip-hop; my school had a great vinyl collection, so I had a hip-hop show and it really spoke to me when I was 18, 19. I really realized that hip-hop had a deeper underground history that I didn’t really understand.

I got into guys like Atmosphere and Sage Francis and Aesop Rock in 2001, 2002, all that stuff was crossing over and I got deep into it. In 2003, I was still doing punk, but I went to England for my Shakespeare class – which was part of my undergraduate requirement – and I networked with a bunch of British indie and punk bands and made friends with them and I convinced them to let me open for them in the pubs around Oxford. I just had my laptop and I was doing my rap stuff and it just kind of caught on. I got signed to an indie label and got a push in the US and now eight years deep, I’ve been touring, doing rap. I feel, for me, rap is the divine truth and things coming together for a purpose. Hip-hop is everything to me.

You put out The Laptop EP and it was the first thing I heard and I thought “This is kinda shitty.” I grew up on hip-hop and it was weird to hear something with a polarizing lyrical content. Then a few months ago, I was hanging out with one of my friends, and he put on this Frontalot song that you were on and I thought, “Oh shit, this kid’s dope.” I went back and listened to your other records with a new set of ears and it’s amazing what a few years and not thinking you suck will do.

Thanks man, I think I was ahead of the curve and that album was ahead of its time. That EP did a lot for me and opened a lot of doors, but I think it pissed a lot of people off. It was before Asher Roth, 3oh3, before all that shit where doing hip-hop differently was very commercial. The timing of it was cool.

When I think about the timing of it now, it was around the time that a lot of the Anticon stuff was coming to end – they were doing 13 & God and Why? and Sole had morphed into experimental indie rock projects. All those guys are so removed from hip-hop, but “The Laptop EP” bridges that gap.

Thanks, man.

I listened to “Lars Attacks” and I thought it was cool that you got KRS-One and Sage Francis on that record. How did that happen?

Well, Sage I met in 2007 at SXSW and I interviewed him for CurrentTV and we kept in touch. And he gets what I do and we kept in touch and I said, “Let’s do a song about two people who are addicted to their art.” And he’s a great guy and to have him respect what I do and be down is crazy; it’s beautiful. KRS, that was the big coup. We were both on Universal Publishing – I left them – but for a minute we were both with the publishing company. I asked who I could write with and they gave me a list of co-writers, and he was one of them. So I got in touch with him, I read his book, “The Gospel of Hip-Hop….” We talked on the phone a lot and he’s the man.

Was there any moment where you were bugging out? Like if it were me, I would’ve been like “Whoa, I’m talking to KRS.”

Yeah, and the fact that he gives me props on his verse. It’s still really surreal. I think what helped me is that I read his book and took notes and stuff. When I was on the phone with him, I was picking his brain about all these concepts [in the book]. He respected that I digested his spiritual treaties on post-modern Christianity in the 21st Century as hip-hop. It’s still weird to me, still very surreal. And I feel blessed that he took the time out to do that.

Are there any people that you want to record with for future songs?

I’d love to do sit down and do an EP with the RZA. I know he’s really busy, but I think we could do something bugged out and dope. I think he’d be down.

Is there a particular era of RZA that you would want to focus on? Like he did the Bobby Digital thing and on the last proper Wu record, there was a lot of live instrumentation.

I think “Liquid Swords” is amazing. And I was listening to “36 Chambers” as we were driving through traffic and the production on it is crazy. It’s not perfect and that’s the beautiful thing about it. MC Chris has a lyric that goes, “What is hip-hop? Non-stop mistakes.” It’s about doing things imperfectly in your own way.

I like that you’re able to recognize that hip-hop is built on error. Have you heard that song by Audio Two, “Top Billin’”?

Definitely.

That Honeydippers drum loop is a mistake. They didn’t have enough memory to capture the entire sample, but it’s this weird syncopated beat that’s a classic.

And that’s what’s so weird about rap now – it’s all so Pro-Tooled and auto-tuned and it’s also perfect-perfect. There’s a charm to old school rap.

There’s this whole scene behind nerdcore, but I feel it’s kind of an unfair genre attached to you all the time because, especially going back and listening to your past recordings different, there’s so much going on in terms of concepts and how lyrics are structured. The production on “Lars Attack” is above and beyond what the norm is. Do you feel, at this point, shouldn’t you just be a hip-hop artist?

I agree. And that’s the funny thing. I’m at this crossroads. You knew my EP and that was years ahead…. And in 2007, the movie [Nerdcore Rising] came out. At first, I rejected it, then I was receptive to it, then I rejected it again. And now I feel like people understand that it’s not going away, it’s something that has fans. Whatever what people want to call our genre is cool, but I don’t think I’m a joke. I have funny songs, but I’m not a joke.

The trick is to have longevity and you can do that by not JUST having songs about Nintendo. Frontalot is an interesting guy because he came up with the term and he owns it and he’s so consistent and he draws still and he always will.

But at the same time, you want to grow as an artist.

For me, you can’t be afraid. “Lars Attacks” is a dark album. It doesn’t have the pop culture references and it’s not a pop album and it’s not a fun album. It’s a serious album and it’s what I was going through. Writing about rebirth, death, and addiction, when you write about it and get it out of your system, you can be happy. 

MC Lars’ latest album, “Lars Attacks,” is out now on Horris Records. You can check out some of his other material on his Bandcamp page.

Alkaline Trio
“Damnesia”
(Epitaph)

Like Saves the Day and the Get Up Kids, Alkaline Trio has a storied history with their fans and while they always seem to be popular, finding anyone who freely admits to liking their post-“Good Mourning” output is few and far between.

“Damnesia” is an interesting record that definitely reflects the strengths and weaknesses of Alkaline Trio.

Admittedly, I love this band, even their newer stuff, however, I feel like their biggest downfall – basically writing the same chord progressions over and over again – is also their biggest asset. There’s a familiarity to Matt Skiba’s songwriting and while he’s no Kenny Babyface Edmonds, he knows what works in terms of melody, which is why I’m always confused as to find out why people don’t like the Trio’s latter-era releases.

Back to the album, which is essentially a greatest hits compilation, but done in an acoustic style. Since the induction of Derek Grant, the band’s songs have a gloss to them, which works for trying to vary these old tunes stylistically.

The album also contains a couple new songs, but it’s “Olde English 800” that feels most like an old Alkaline Trio song. It’s about drinking and, therefore, it’s awesome.

I really like this album. It gives a bit of a different dynamic to the songs and it’s actually made me appreciate the last two albums a bit more. It’s worth a purchase whether you’re an old fan or if you’ve only heard of them because they were on “The Hills.”

— Ryan Pangilinan

Smashing Mountains, not Mouths: By Surprise talks to Totally Crushed Out
by Ryan Pangilinan

New Jersey’s By Surprise is made up of the kind of individuals that you would hang out with. Bold statement, yes, but this is contingent on the idea that you like to read, listen to 90s indie rock and, generally, enjoy nerding out. This is the impression that I gathered when I listened to their debut full-length, “Mountain Smashers” (Topshelf).

We got in touch with the band for a brief chat and with the answers they gave to our questions, I have very little doubt that I would hang out with these guys and maybe let them crash in my living room, so long as they don’t mess with my carefully organized collection of Calvin and Hobbes anthologies.

Totally Crushed Out: How did the band form?

Rob Wilcox (guitars, vocals): We all shared the same optometrist, simply put.

Actually. I was in a ska band for a handful of years and Pat, Dan and Devin always went to our shows. I knew Devin from high school and we always got along really well. After my run with that band ended, it was a no-brainer for me to start jamming with Devin, and Dan pretty much fell into place as the perfect option for a bassist. Pat and I would always go to Less Than Jake shows together and we shared a common interest in a lot of music. The band essentially formed through Pat and myself writing a handful of songs together in December of 2005. When the time came to try playing shows, I asked my “jamming buddies”, Devin and Dan to lend a hand, and everything kinda fell into place.

When I first got the album, I noticed that there was a song called “Daggermouth is Playing at My House,” which sonically has more in common with K-Rec era Built to Spill, but it’s definitely the first one that I listened to. However, its lyrical content is very much in the tradition of pop-punk/hardcore bands. Was this a conscious Jedi Mind Trick?

Pat Gartland (vocals, guitars): I don’t think the lyrics are as much pop-punk as they are about a pop punk band.  Maybe the gang vocals are a little pop-punk/hardcore.  The lyrics came from a sorta concept album I was going to write about my year living in North Jersey with my roommates.  There were no elaborate plans involving Star Wars occupations.  Sometimes, in retrospect, some things just seem to come together like that.  I think very few things have some grand elaborate plan where everything comes together in the end… except maybe Arrested Development.  I don’t know how they planned all these minute references to things that would happen two seasons later.  Who knows maybe they didn’t plan it all and somehow it just worked out.  Somehow I don’t think that’s how it happened though.

Now that that ridiculous question is out of the way, the album starts off with “Books by Thoreau” and the whole album itself works as a fluid narrative, not unlike a piece of literature. Was this a concept that you guys had from the beginning of the writing process, or was it something that naturally happened?

PG: We put a lot of thought into the final tracklisting.  Going into the studio, we pretty much knew the order of the songs.  Tracks three and four (“Mostly Harmless” and “Last Chance to See”) were recorded together and then split into separate tracks after the fact.  Just being huge fans of music and knowing what has worked on albums we already love, we tried to put the songs in an order that would come off like [a] mixtape.  We never went into it trying to make it like a book.  All of the book references happened mostly because, at the time we were writing the album, we were reading and discussing a lot of books.  There wasn’t much more that went into it: lyrics about books, putting the songs in an order so they played well off each other.  We also planned the tracklisting knowing that it was going to be an LP, so each kinda has its own flow knowing there is a kind of intermission between “Fountain Splashers” and “$600 Exorcism.”

And as a sort of post-script from the last question, generally speaking, “Mountain Smashers” carries a very bittersweet weight to it, both lyrically and musically, which is somewhat refreshing when most records that are coming out seem to come from a very vapid place. What were the influences behind this album?

PG: Lyrically, the most of my songs were written during a time when I was either unemployed or working a pretty awful job.  I was reading a lot of books that led me to believe there was some amazing life I was missing out on.  Initially, each song was going to be some sort of formal complaint about life and the structures established that humans just follow because it’s so easy to.  Most of the songs are about really specific things that are so specific that you might never know what they are about.

By Surprise definitely takes cues from 90s indie rock, but what are some of the contemporary bands that you guys are into at the moment?

PG: Ages are awesome.  That is Dave Downham’s newish band.  I only say newish because they’ve been around for the better part of a decade now but only just released their first album, “Made in the Trade.”  The music is just weird pop but extremely catchy and innovative.  Dave Dunn of Up Up Down Down and Moon Women plays drums.  I think we’ll always have the Up Up Down Down influence.  I also really like Teenage Cool Kids right now.  My other band, Party the Hut just played a show with this band called Eww Yaboo and they were phenomenal.  It was like garage-y surf punk with lots of reverb.  They threw in some cool three-part harmonies every once in a while too.  It was great.  I think they were from Scranton.

RW: I’ve been listening a lot to Washed Out, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Trouble Books, The Library, and TS & The Past Haunts. Yuck is pretty fun. I also love Ages. Diarrhea Planet is my newest find this week. Check them out; they’re so weird.

What plans do you have for the rest of the year, whether it would be touring or additional recordings?

PG: I really want to start writing and recording again.  Most of these songs were written between 2008 and 2009.  We even finished recording the record last summer so it’s just been a while since we’ve done some writing.  Our tastes and changed/matured a lot since that time and I’m curious to see what will come out of it.  I’d like to do some small releases like maybe a single or two, or a cassette.

Touring would be cool but it’s just really hard to do because of jobs and such.  I don’t think we play enough Philly shows, so I’d rather focus on that instead of trying to set up a tour for our nonexistent fan base.

Anything else you’d like to add?

PG: Write more letters. Mail is so out dated it’s become hip again.

RW: We support USPS. It’s an issue we take seriously.

Check out By Surprise on Bandcamp and add them on the Facebooks. Their LP, “Mountain Smashers,” is out now on Topshelf Records.

Stormy Weather: Storms Talks with Totally Crushed Out
by Ryan Pangilinan

With one full-length album to their collective credit, NY/Spain-based duo Storms has already put in more legwork for their debut record than most bands do on their fourth release. Of course, Storms is helmed by Eva Puyuelo of Savath and Savalas and Lori Scacco of Seely, so perhaps it’s no surprise that their professionalism, art and songwriting savvy are all equal parts of a greater sum.

Storms’ debut LP, “Lay Your Sea Coat Aside,” (Plancha) is gentle and sparse narrative that is aesthetically pleasing and conceptually tight. Recently, Puyuelo and Scacco talked to Totally Crushed Out about the writing process for Storms and other dream collaborators they would have, provided a time machine and acts of God were possible.

Totally Crushed Out: In short, how did Storms come together?

Eva Puyuelo:  I was in NY recording with Savath y Savalas and Lori asked me to collaborate on a song for the new Scacco solo record. We liked the result and how we worked together and we decided we couldn’t stop there. So finally we planned a way to meet again in NY (I live in Barcelona) and try to make a whole record in a month, as we didn’t have much more time.

It seems that technology does lend itself for collaborations such as yours, given that there’s distance between you two. Though the songs were shaped while you two were together, have ideas been bounced back and forth using email or by sharing files?

Lori Scacco:  There was definitely a lot of that towards the end. Except for the first song we ever did together, Eva didn’t actually hear any of the instrumental sketches until she got to NY to make the record. I wanted the songs to evolve mutually and organically, so I didn’t want to present or lead anything beforehand. But yes we nailed down the structures and the vocal layers while we were together, and then most of the production and the treatments were done long distance. I’m grateful for the ability to do that, but nothing beats the energy of collaborating in person.

EP:  Yes, we tried to work as much as we can together when we both were in NY but the process always takes longer and the songs were evolving when we were apart, so we were emailing with the production changes back and forth until the songs were finally mixed.

The overall aesthetic of Storms is different from Seely and Savath and Salavas, particularly in a way where it’s a lot gentler. Did you ever think that people who are fans of your previous endeavors will find this latest output surprising?

EP: Well, it’s pretty difficult to know what people expect from oneself when one is so many different things at the same time. Particularly I don’t see so much difference between Savath and Storms. Maybe the biggest are that Storms sings in English and that it’s more naked sounding, but I don’t think that could be defined as really surprising.

LS:  This is something that Eva and I were just talking about the other day- the concept of identity and whether there needs to be a perceivable continuum from one work to the next, the multiple moniker thing as a way to work in different “genres”… Ultimately anything we do is an exploration of where we are at that moment and what we ourselves want to hear. But to answer your question, Seely was the collective result of four minds — we were a fully democratic outfit — so it makes sense that whatever I do outside of that might be different. I experienced this for the first time when my solo record “Circles” came out a few years ago. It was all instrumental, very quiet and sparse, and after its release I read a couple of blog posts to the effect of “We love Seely but this is boring as hell.” So I don’t know; I guess Storms might be surprising to people who know me only as a member of Seely.

Your bio cites that you collaborated with Ann Stephenson for “Lay Your Sea Coat Aside.” What was that experience like?

EP:  It was definitely a very easy and comfortable one. Ann was open to whatever we proposed to her and so were we. It’s the easiest experience I had in terms of flow and openness. I couldn’t like it more.

LS:  Yeah, our working together very much reflected the overall process of the entire project. Ann had listened to our rough sketches early on and began writing as we simultaneously developed the songs. After a while, she presented us with a collection of poems, and it was exciting because we were weirdly in sync at times, where her words would fit perfectly into the music and Eva’s melodic phrasing without any need for manipulation.  

At other times we would collage multiple pieces of hers to create one song, or we would call her and say “this is what we’ve got so far - we need two 6-word lines to complete this verse.”  So it was amazing to have this lyrical contribution that was fully-realized, yet, just as fluid as any other element.

And if there was another figure who you two could collaborate on to flesh out a concept for a future project, who would be the dream person?

EP: If we are dreaming I would say, Ennio Morricone, Dick Annergarn, Brigitte Fontaine, Enric Casasses, Rubinho and Mario Assumpçao, Steve Reich, The Books, Delia Derbyshire, Diamanda Galas and Antonio Machin.

LS:  Nice list, Señorita Puyuelo! I’d add Kate Bush, Arthur Verocai, Kevin Shields, Bridget St. John.

We kind of touched on “Sea Coat” being a concept; was it ever stifling during the writing process, or did you find that you had a lot more room to breathe than if you were working on standalone singles or pop-type songs?

LS:  I usually think in terms of the album as a whole, so the process wasn’t stifling at all. I get into formalism and method as a directive. It begins with process-as-concept vs. any over-arching thematic approach, though the latter is definitely there in the lyrical narrative. The main idea going in was that each element would remain malleable and subject to change as another was introduced- it was never a case of “this is the structure- sing on top of it.” So that, to me, was really freeing.

What are some of the future plans you have for Storms?

EP:  We would love to tour the record but it seems an impossible thing to do now as we can’t practice together, and I have a baby so I can’t travel as I used to. But something we can do for sure is another record. That we’ll do.

LS:  Amen, sister. More records, more Sea Coat videos, and I’m hoping that there will be vinyl in our future.

Storms :: Sweet Cup from S T O R M S on Vimeo.

You can listen to samples of “Lay Your Sea Coat Aside” and check out additional info on Storms’ official website. Their album and remix EP are available now.

A Crowning Achievement: Totally Crushed Out chats with Liz Prince
by Ryan Pangilinan

Without fail, internet comics are a dime a dozen, however, finding GOOD comics and artists online is a different beast altogether. Chances are, you’ve seen Liz Prince’s comics online and might have not even known whose work you were reading, but her illustrated life and tales about punk rock, relationships and cats is something that permeates barriers and finds something that we can all understand, and her enthralling wit makes her less Cathy and more Sergio Aragones. Recently, TCO had an awesome opportunity to do a little ol’ Q&A with Prince about things that we all love: comics, pizza, Saves the Day and cats.

Totally Crushed Out: What got you started into writing and drawing comics? Was there a singular inspiration where you were like “I’m totally going to do this and rock the hell out of it”?

Liz Prince: My first earth-shattering disappointment when I was a young child was when it was explained to me that cartoon characters aren’t REAL: my whole life plan up to that point, until I was about 4 or 5 years old, was to BE a cartoon character when I grew up.  And so I decided that I would become an animator, and until around 3rd grade that was my life goal until I realized what a pain in the ass it is to draw basically the same thing over and over again.  At around this time was when I got my first comic book.  I distinctly remember that it was an Olympic tie-in issue of Uncle Scrooge, and that was it, I knew then and there that I wanted to draw comics because it was a little less work than being an animator (and yes, that was my logic at the age of 9: BORN LAZY). 

I first became aware of the Liz Prince phenomenon via Livejournal (I know, I know) a few years ago. Given how vast the internet really is, do you think it’s difficult to start and maintain a presence online?

I would say that it’s extremely difficult to start and maintain an online presence, mostly because you have to keep a very rigorous posting schedule or else people lose interest very quickly.  It wasn’t until I quit my job to draw comics full time that I was really able to start posting comics to my website two or three times a week, and that has really made all the difference.  It’s kind of funny to look at my comic archive, which is indexed by date, and see how few comics I posted for the years 2007-2009.  That being said, I’ve been posting comics online for a long time, since about 2000, and luckily, most of that old stuff is really hard to find, but it’s been over 10 years and I’m still not really pulling great stats on my website, so it’s a labor of love.  And with things like Tumblr, it’s really hard to make sure that you get credit for your work; my comic about the Saves the Day song “Sell My Old Clothes I’m Off To Heaven” has been floating around on there uncredited for awhile, and it’s really frustrating; but it’s also my own fault, because when I first posted that comic in 2007 it was just on MY website, and so I didn’t even bother writing my name on it (because I actually hate writing my name on my work, but that’s another issue altogether), and now in 2011 you can see it on other people’s websites, with the follow up question “who drew this?”.  GRRRR.  So yeah, like I said before, it’s a labor of love.  You hear that!?  I’m doing this because I love each and every single one of you, therefore you should give me money. 

…please give me money…

You know, you brought up something that happens often, especially on tumblr, which is that comics, and art in general, are often posted without credit. Personally, I try to to attribute credit, even if I get it from a source like Comics Alliance. Do you ever want to reply to someone who reblogs your stuff and be like, “Hey this is mine!!! AND THANKS FOR POSTING IT I GUESS”?

Hmm, I suppose that was part of the idea of starting my own Tumblr (fuckyoulizprince.tumblr.com is my personal site, fuckyeahlizprince.tumblr.com is a fan site), that I could comment on links like that and be like “Oh Hi, yeah, I drew that. I know, I’m super fucking kewl”, but I have yet to do so.  I mean, I really don’t mind that people are posting my work on Tumblr at all, I just wish that for the comics that don’t expressly have my name written on them, that someone would be like “Oh, P.S. Liz Prince drew this.  It’s, like, the only funny thing she’s ever done.”

And in relation to the previous question, though your comics have been printed, your work is still primarily seen online. Do you think that there will be a point where you’ll want to do more comics that go through the traditional publishing rigor-moral?

This is an interesting question, because I don’t consider myself a “web cartoonist”, and everything that I draw is intended for print at some point: y’know, like, I expect that there will someday be THE ESSENTIAL LIZ PRINCE READER, which will have all of my comics in it.  In a fancy hardbound edition, with a slipcase, and gold leaf printing.  Of course, when this happens, I’ll probably have been dead for a long time, because that’s when my genius will really be understood; when I’m no longer alive to put my foot in my mouth. But that being said, I am actually working on a longer narrative, that is print only, which I have been self publishing as issues: it’s called I Swallowed the Key To My Heart and it’s totally emo, but there’s some sex in it, so if you want to see my boobs, that’s probably the only chance you’ll get.  You can buy the first 2 issues in my webstore, and I will continue to serialize it until the story is completed, at which point hopefully someone else will want to publish it as a “graphic novel”. 

Like a lot of other punk rock comic artists, the bulk of your art is centered around your personal life. Has anyone ever approached you after the fact with their own criticism, or are most people/cats generally happy with how they’re portrayed?

Shockingly, the only complaints I’ve gotten so far are from friends of mine who HAVEN’T been in a comic.  I guess I’ve been lucky enough to surround myself with people who are as exhibitionist in nature as I am? 

One of my favorite comics is “Cuddle Party,” in which you express the thought to pee during a cuddle fest, but then your plans are squashed by another cat joining in. Since this comic, have you discovered a way to interrupt cuddling without causing too much of a disturbance?

Since that comic, my opportunities to cuddle have been severely limited, thus I have to assume I’m just as ungraceful as I’ve always been.  Thanks for bringing that up, because now I’m depressed. 

I remember watching this interview with Will Eisner and he talked about listening to a lot of jazz records when he was writing and drawing the Spirit. What are some of the records that you like to jam out to when you’re drawing?

Well, since your last question depressed me, I decided to put on a Morrissey record.  I’m kidding, I was already listening to Morrissey!  But, honestly, I’m always listening to music, so it changes from day to day, and there doesn’t seem to be any one album that I find particularly inspiring.  Lately I will listen to the entire Mean Jeans discography to get me psyched, because it’s hard not be psyched when you’re listening to the Mean Jeans.  Marked Men is a favorite, as are the Descendents, Mr. T Experience, and Alkaline Trio.  I would say I listen to those bands more regularly than any others. 

Also, I listen to Morrissey as well and can place myself in the army of sadsack dudes who have Morrissey-related tattoos. What if someone got a Liz Prince tattoo (either of you or your comics)? Would that be flattering or creepy?

Here is the part of the interview where I admit that I have kissed several boys who have Morrissey/Smiths related tattoos.  I have never kissed someone who has a Liz Prince tattoo, but I know that there are some out there.  It is totally flattering, but at the same time I’m like “whoa, you really want my ugly mug on your body for the rest of your life?!  AWESOME!!!”.  So I guess what I’m saying is: get a Liz Prince tattoo and I will kiss you, but I reserve the right to decide where and if there is any tongue. 

Going back to the Saves the Day/Take My Clothes I’m Off to Heaven comic, I think everyone who loves that band, particularly their first three albums, sings their songs like how you drew it out because of how epic Chris Conley’s voice used to be. Have you ever heard any reactions from him?

Oh man, I would go into a bliss induced coma if I knew Chris Conley even SAW any of my Saves the Day comics, but as far as I know, he’s never looked at them, and probably never will.  I do know that Stephen Egerton of Descendents/ALL saw the comic I drew about Fun Fun Fun Fest, and that made my mind melt for a good few days.  And Joe Ayoub of Marked Men wrote me on Facebook to let me know that he liked my comic where I try to start a conversation with a guy who’s wearing a Marked Men shirt.  Oh, and Dr. Frank from MTX blogged my “Who Needs Happiness” comic where I’m singing to my cat.  I guess I’ve had some pretty great interactions with some of my punk rock idols due to my comics, and I didn’t even realize it until I listed them here!  Nevermind, I’m not depressed about your previous question anymore. 

On a personal note, I’ve never had a pet in my life, save a turtle and fish. I was thinking of adopting a cat for my upcoming birthday, though I also considered a guinea pig and a rabbit. Do you think I could cuddle more with a cat than the other two?

Ok, well, I’m going to be really biased here, because I think cats are the ultimate pets; very little work, very big reward.  My roommate got Gerbils as a gift once, and I hated those little fuckers.  All they did was stink up the place.  Sorry, Claire.  And Rabbits are cute, but I’ve heard they’re not especially cuddly.  So, y’know, if you want to get a B List pet, then by all means, it’s your funeral, but you should probably just go all the way to awesometown and get a cat.  My two cents.

Are there any upcoming books or projects that our readers should look out for?

I think that most of the books that I’ve contributed comics to have come out already:

• Turnstile Comix #1 by Mitch Clem featuring a 7” by the Slow Death
• Papercutter #16 featuring Joey Alison Sayers and Alexis Frederick-Frost
• This Isn’t Working, Comics about Ex-Boyfriends published by Paper Rocket
• Not My Small Diary #16: the transportation issue

I was really busy at the beginning of the year drawing short comics for all of those books, now I’m trying to switch gears to write and draw the 3rd issue of I Swallowed the Key to My Heart.  I’ve also been doing some art for bands, including a 7” for the awesome band Parasite Diet, but I don’t know when that will be out. 

You mentioned Turnstyle Comix, which kind of opens up the idea that there are several artists like Mitch Clem and Ben Snakepit that bridge that gap between punk and comic strips. Are there any other artists of the niche that you think people should check out?

Liz Baillie draws some great punk related comics http://lizbaillie.com/

as does Nate Doyle http://ndcrookedteeth.blogspot.com/

and pretty much everyone who also draws comics for If You Make It is great, although not necessarily “punk”: http://www.ifyoumakeit.com/category/comics

And seriously, how much more awesome would this interview have been if pizza were involved?

So much.

See a ton more of Liz Prince’s art and order a shirt or a comic via her website, Liz Prince Power.

Coastal Interview
by Ryan Pangilinan

Years ago, I stopped checking the B9 board. It was quite apparent that the posts that I wanted to read were getting buried underneath your typical hardcore bro-dude posts about who could be more edge and why girls and minorities should stay out of circle pits. The cool thing about Bridge 9’s board, however, is that every now and then you can find some good up and coming bands.

Pennsylvanians Coastal is one of these bands who were posted on Viva Pizza after the blog’s admin came across them on the B9, hence why they’re on Totally Crushed Out.

Coastal’s take on 90s emo, by way of bands like Texas is the Reason, Braid and The Weakerthans are also highlighted by the cool way that vocal lines in the song weave in and out as if the lyrics were an instrument in it of itself.

Though the band is still in its infancy, they’ve put out “Demonstration” a spectacular debut demo and recently I spoke to singer/guitarist, Brandon about what we can expect from Coastal.

Totally Crushed Out: In short, how did the band get together?

Brandon: We all used to be in another band a couple years ago.  Being bored, listening to depressing music about growing up helped us come back together and start Coastal.

Stylistically, Coastal seems to take a cue from bands like Texas is the Reason. Did this naturally happen when you guys got together and started writing?

Any of us would probably list Texas is the Reason as an influential band.  We didn’t really preface our writing process with that influence, but I think when you listen to a band enough, it’s going to be apparent.  I’m listening to Texas is the Reason right now.  I listen to them a lot.  Plus, bands of that nature (early/mid 90’s emo) sound so much fucking better than 98 percent of everything else that is being put out in 2011, and everybody knows it.

The lyrics on “Demonstration” have this really unique way of meandering seamlessly through the songs, which you don’t get often unless you’re listening to crooners like Nat King Cole. How do you come up with these melodies?

Well, that is literally the first time anyone compared my vocals to Nat.  I like it.  I really don’t think about it, nothing is really planned.  When I go into the studio to record the vocals, they usually come out completely different from what I thought they would be.  I write songs that actually mean something to me, whether it’s about my dead friends or struggling with sexuality, identity and self.  So, the songs are important to me, most of them are apart of my journal.  I think they just come out like the way I feel about them, sometimes yelling and other times softer.  I don’t know if this answers the question, I hope it did.

I noticed that your dates on your Facebook are largely regional, what other upcoming dates/tours do you have planned?

We have a northeast tour (10 days) in late June and we want to go out in August at some point.  We started this band in March 2011, and played our first show in Mid April.  We are still at an early point of this band, so more regional dates are just necessary, unless the Foo Fighters invite us on tour, then we’ll go anywhere.

Have you guys been approached by any labels, or even entertained the notion of working with one?

This band is pushing three months of existence, so it’s still early in the game.  I don’t think any of us are opposed to labels, we’re just four guys that never really were faced with that decision/opportunity.  I’d personally like to sign to Disney, I think that would be very magical. 

Anything else you’d like to add?

We really just like playing these songs. I hope they mean something to other people at least half as much as what they mean to us.

Add Coastal on Facebook and check out their demo on their Bandcamp page.