Avey Tare @ Johnny Brenda’s

While I have never big a huge fan of Black Dice, Eric Copeland’s opening set was a brilliant mindfuck. Drowned in almost indecipherable noise, each song flirted with melody, while maintaining a glorious and painful rough edge. I’m going to go back now and explore the Black Dice catalog and the rest of Copeland’s solo work immediately. Here’s a video from the performance of “Fun Dink Death” that liberateanimals5 took from the balcony:

Avey Tare’s (aka Dave Portner) set up was more basic than what he does for Animal Collective. The solo show featured some samplers, effects, a mixer, and, of course, his mic. There was no guitar or live drums, and Portner confirmed that he wouldn’t be playing any Animal Collective tracks when we passed him at the bar before the show. The result was an uber-emotional performance of tracks mostly from last year’s criminally-overlooked and intensely dark album, Down There, which was inspired by a few enveloping personal issues that Portner was going through at the time, including a divorce from his wife.

I’ve always enjoyed Animal Collective as a studio band more than a live band. While Animal Collective’s intricate collage of samples and loops has never been entirely engaging when recreated live, Portner’s energetic performances and vocal style have always been the exception for me. And it translated last night as well. There were distinct moments where Portner added textures, live loops and his signature and sporadic vocal yelps. Most Animal Collective fans seem to prefer Panda Bear’s solo work, but Avey Tare’s contributions have always engaged me more as a listener. Being able to check out one of your all-time favorite artists perform at your all-time favorite venue is not a bad way to spend a Thursday evening in the city. Check out a video of Avey Tare performing “Lucky 1″ from last night’s show:

Tapes ‘n Tapes @ Johnny Brendas

We finally made it back to our favorite music venue after a hiatus that lasted a few months. Saturday night’s Tapes ‘n Tapes show confirmed that Johnny Brenda’s is simply the best venue to check out your favorite indie band in Philly. With two bars stocked with local brews on draft, a capacity of less than 200, and sound that rivals Carnegie Hall, all the variables are in place for an epic night every time out. Add the severely underrated Tapes ‘n Tapes high energy live performance, and we’re talking about one of the best shows we know we’ll see this year (and it’s only February).

The brothers tapes (no, they’re not really brothers) landed at #4 last year on our favorite shows of 2009 list, so we arrived in Philly with high expectations. Following my glowing review of Outside, the band’s nearly flawless new record, the set list was a perfect mix of new favorites and old classics. Highlights included new tracks “One in the World” and “On and On,” while hardcore fans appreciated the rarely played “Lines” from Walk It Off.

The only complaint I had on Saturday, unrelated to the band’s performance, was that the crowd was too chatty. With steady talking throughout the entire show, everyone went nuts during the band’s breakout 2005 hit “Insistor.” Once the song ended, much of the crowd went back to their conversations, even after the band went into “Manitoba,” my personal favorite track from the band. Tapes ‘n Tapes left the stage after “Manitoba” and came back out to play an absolutely insane version of new single “Freak Out” for their encore. We got our vinyl signed by members of the band after the show and hung out for the “after party.” Shout out to the dudes from Ohio who drove out just for show. Thanks for the shots!

Here’s the final set list:

1. Beach Girls
2. Conquest
3. Just Drums
4. Demon Apple
5. 10 Gallon Ascot
6. Hang Them All
7. Hi Dee Ho
8. Cowbell
9. Outro
10. One in the World
11. On and On
12. Lines
13. Omaha
14. Badaboom
15. The Dirty Dirty
16. The Saddest of All Keys
17. Insistor
18. Manitoba
19. Freak Out (Encore)

MP3: “Freak Out” by Tapes N Tapes

Fishpork faves Tapes N Tapes have a new record Outside coming out on January 11. The band will follow up the release with a three-month U.S. tour that will stop in Brooklyn and Johnny Brenda’s in Philly. In the meantime, their first single “Freak Out” is available as a free download. You can download “Freak Out” by Tapes N Tapes here or stream it below:

You can aslo check out a performance of another new song called “SWM” from earlier this year for Radio Happy Hour in their hometown of Minneapolis:

Deerhunter @ Starlight Ballroom

Although the bathrooms at the Starlight Ballroom were once referred to as “the apocalypse” by Grizzly Bear frontman Ed Droste a few years back, some of my favorite shows have been performed here (TV on the Radio, Girl Talk, etc.). Deerhunter had no issues overcoming the elements of the world’s end and gave the most inspired performance of their four shows I’ve attended. The varied setlist and extended jams were a nice surprise for longtime fans but may have confused new fans looking for only straight performances of new and highly accessible songs like “Revival” and “Helicopter.” Thankfully, Deerhunter aren’t ready for mainstream radio just yet.

Frontman Bradfox Cox was extraordinarily enthusiast most of the night. The usually reserved Cox (at least since the days he wore dresses opening up for Nine Inch Nails during the Cryptograms era) could be found headbanging during guitar solos and adding new vocal melodies to various songs. The energy was appreciated by some in attendance, but Philly proved to be a disappointing crowd. I don’t care if this show was a weekday makeup for a weekend pool party from the summer. I will never be able to understand how lines at the various bars at the Starlight Ballroom could file in during extended jam sessions for “Nothing Ever Happened” and “He Would Have Laughed,” both approaching the 10-minute mark. Shame on you, Philly!

“We need your youth energy and your youth culture so that we can survive. The median age of this band is 87 years old. We’re looking for a new vessel … you know like in Being John Malkovich … it’s a movie.” – Bradford Cox (disappointed by the reaction).

This was the first Deerhunter show I’ve attended where guitarist Lockett Pundt sang live. He’s recorded vocals on several albums, but Cox has usually taken on those duties live (at the previous three shows I’ve attended). Pundt sang lead vocals for two songs, “Desire Lines” and “Fountain Stairs.” He did admirably on the first track, and the band extended the performance of the song into a highlight-worthy jam session, which they did for several songs in the set. His vocals for “Fountain Stairs” were not nearly as impressive.

Another highlight of the set was some kind of live, 80s-style reinterpretation of “Rainwater Cassette Exchange.” The new arrangements were inspired. When the show ended, Cox and company revisited the stage for an encore that included “Memory Boy” and “Fluorescent Grey,” and Cox jokingly introduced each song as the other. Overall, it’s just not possible to get better than this for a $15 ticket. Deerhunter may be the best live band that cannot sell out a small club. Go check them out now before they turn into Arcade Fire.

You can check out a high quality stream of the previous night’s show in Washington, D.C. by NPR’s All Things Considered here.

Menomena @ First Unitarian Church

Waiting outside the First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia. Wait, that sounds familiar… Oh right, the Tobacco show. But, instead of being in the basement, we were in the sanctuary. Kind of an odd place to have a show but whatever. I love the fact that most of the crowd turned this event into a BYOB show. There’s nothing better than getting plastered in the house of the Lord. Kudos!

To start off the evening, Tu Fawning entered the stage. Though all I had heard from this group at the time was their single, “The Felt Sense”, I was very excited to hear more from them. Everyone was either sitting in the pews or sitting on the floor. Not me though, I was standing right in the front. This band deserved a more interested crowd; they really put on a great show. Tu Fawning are a very multi-talented group; each member was switching off instruments quite frequently. Every member, except the keyboard player (who also played violin on some songs), switched to playing drums at one point. Speaking of the violin, the pizzicato sounded perfect with their style of music. The singer, Corrina Repp, has beautiful vocals that highlihgts Tu Fawning’s intriguing and mystical sound. When they went into their final song, I knew it right away from the drum intro; it was “The Felt Sense.” It was the perfect song to end their set with. Exit stage left; lights back on.

The crowd grew a little bit larger while waiting for the next band. Suckers came out and opened with “Roman Candles” off their new album, Wild Smile, which features whistling throughout. This band was another multi-instrumental band; the bassist manipulated a sampler while playing bass. He had a drumstick in the hand that he was strumming the bass with so he could hit the sampler in between notes. The guitarist/vocalist (although they all sing during the songs) was hitting a maraca on a floor tom while singing. His vocals reminded me of Jim James (My Morning Jacket) from the Evil Urges album. The band eventually brought out the horn player from Tu Fawning to play on their final song. The crowd got into this one. This song was a huge build-up to the end of Suckers’ set and a great transition into what came next.

The crowd had exited the pews and stood in front of the stage, ending what felt like a sermon up to that point. Menomena came out and the entire crowd moved forward. I would call it the “Menomena Phenomena.” This audience was in some sort of trance until the headliners final took the stage. A highlight of their set was definitely “Dirty Cartoons” off their new album Mines; the piano part at the end was fucking magical. The addition of saxophone on some tracks was welcomed, especially on “BOTE.” At that point, they had a TV on the Radio vibe going. Playing multiple instruments was an obvious trend, and Menomena was no exception. The bassist, Justin Harris, was all over the place: Controlling the lighting, playing bass, saxophone, and a PK-5A foot controller. But he wasn’t the only one switching it up; Brent Knopf was also jumping from keyboard to guitar. They also had the guitarist from 31 Knots and Tu Fawning join them. Ultimately, the set flowed well:

1. Tithe
2. TAOS
3. Weird
4. Killemall
5. Muscle’n Flow
6. Five Little Rooms
7. BOTE
8. Queen Black Acid
9. Wet and Rusting
10. Dirty Cartoons
11. The Pelican
12. Sleeping Beauty
13. Evil Bee
14. ENCORE: Strongest Man in the World

Great show! I would see any one of the three bands again without hesitation. Check them out if you can!

Atlas Sound to Play New York/Philly in October

Bradford Cox (Deerhunter) will bring his solo act back to our area with October shows at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg and Philadelphia’s First Unitarian Church. Each show will be a co-headlining gig with UK electronic artists Broadcast. It’s been a busy year so far for Cox, who released Deerhunter’s Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP a few weeks ago and will release Logos, his second solo record in as many years this Fall. Deerhunter plays the Flying W Airport Resort in Medford, NJ this Saturday with Dan Deacon and No Age. Tickets are still available through TicketWeb here. Cox will also play with his band and as Atlas Sound at the Flaming Lips curated ATP New York show in September. Links to the Atlas Sound points of sale below:

Atlas Sound/Broadcast – First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, NY – October 18, 2009 (on sale now)
Atlas Sound/Broadcast – Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY – October 21, 2009 (on sale July 31 @ noon)

“Walkabout” by Atlas Sound (feat. Panda Bear)

Grizzly Bear @ The Trocadero

An anxious crowd looked on as Grizzly Bear members Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear set up their own equipment. After an exhausting three-night stint in New York and another gig in D.C. the night before, I wondered if the Brooklyn-based band had enough left to give a performance that would live up to the impossible hype that has built preceding the release of the brilliant Veckatimest. I saw Grizzly Bear once before back in 2006 when they opened up for TV on the Radio (also in Philly at Starlight Ballroom) but did not pay them much attention. Last night at The Trocadero in Philly, it just took the opening notes of “Southern Point,” and the entire crowd realized we were in for a something memorable.

The Trocadero has not traditionally produced the best sound, as great past performances by Built to Spill and Saul Williams coupled with inaudible sound left me shaking my head. The mix, acoustics, and overall sound quality at the venue last night were stellar. I felt spoiled, as I listened to components of new songs I hadn’t heard before, after spending weeks with poor 128kbps MP3 versions on my iPod. I plan to listen to the vinyl release shortly and can only imagine how well the intricacies of Veckatimest come through on wax. The most overwhelming aspect of Grizzly Bear live is the drumming of Chris Bear, who plays a more central role in the band’s most recent incarnation. The astonishing percussion on Veckatimst is both the glue that binds and the fuse that ignites, steering seemingly straightforward compositions into sublime chaos. The live mix had Bear’s drums turned way up, and every strike by Bear resonated throughout the venue. Bear also contributes to the band’s genius harmonies. Yes, all four members of the band sing on many of their tracks.

Grizzly Bear founder and frontman Ed Droste promised early in the show that he had a special guest joining them later on in the show. About mid-way through the set, Beach House songstress Victoria LeGrand joined the band for a riveting performance of “Two Weeks.” The band continued playing mostly from their latest record with a few tracks mixed in from their sophomore effort, Yellow House, including “The Knife,” “Little Brother,” and an intoxicating performance of “Colorado” as an encore. As good as Yellow House was, hearing Veckatimest live was something to behold. Daniel Rossen’s guitar was stunning, especially on personal favorites “While You Wait For The Others” and “I Live With You.” Ed Droste’s slightly processed but wide ranging vocals were also a highlight. Droste’s voice mixed with the atmospheric instrumentation of “Ready, Able” led the crowd to a collective swoon. I was slightly disappointed that Droste didn’t play Veckatimest closer “Foreground,” as he did in each of the NYC shows.

The band’s producer and multi-instrumentalist/bass player, Chris Taylor, played a variety of additional woodwind instruments throughout the night, including a clarinet and flute. It was impressive to watch Taylor play several instruments and build orchestral arrangements live with the help of a sampler. At one point, he returned to his bass and played over the sampled composition. Taylor also provides most of the backup vocals and harmonies on most of the tracks. And this is something that stands out about Grizzly Bear. Each player is a multi-instrumentalist and sings. The result is a highly atmospheric and melodic sound the resonates on the live stage.

I love everything that Animal Collective does, but I have yet to be impressed by their live performances of the mostly electronic Merriweather Post Pavilion, a record that sounds best in its studio gloriousness. Veckatimest live sounds better than Veckatimest on CD. And that’s saying a lot considering it’s my favorite album of the year so far. With Veckatimest debuting on the Billboard 200 this week at #8, it is unlikely that Rossen and Bear will be setting up equipment on their next tour.

White Lies @ First Unitarian Church

White Lies have plans to conquer America and are off to a perfect start after putting on an absolutely inspired performance at First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia on Wednesday night. It’s easy to assume that you won’t be able to see this band in venues this small after their current NME tour. With a chart-topping debut album in the UK and incredible buzz in the states, White Lies will soon enough be playing arenas to masses of fans who are drawn to their brand of New Wave pop. I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t instantly one of my favorite shows of the year. In light of our recent dismal economic times, White Lies play dark and gloomy songs that give you something to hold onto.

The energy and emotion of lead singer Harry McVeigh was as engaging as I’ve seen in recent memory. Right when you think he’s about to lose it in some of the more dreary lyrics (the songs aren’t exactly upbeat, see “Death,” “To Lose My Life,” and “Nothing to Give”), McVeigh is able to get it together again. He announced to the crowd of 500 that his voice was not so good this night, but any detriment to his vocals went unnoticed. Several in the crowd shouted “Harry!” in between songs to express their satisfaction with his inspired performance.

The tech crew took a painfully long time to set up for a band who wasn’t even the headliner on this particular night. We were glad they did, as the sound and mix were absolutely perfect. First Unitarian, especially the basement, has not been known for good sound. Kudos to the sound engineer for not drowning out Harry’s vocals like so many other venues tend to do. McVeigh needs to be front and center to fully appreciate one of the biggest buzz bands around, and that’s exactly what we got. I gave White Lies debut album a satisfactory review, which I’m sticking to. However, I would urge all to catch them while tickets are still cheap and easy to come by. Before you blink White Lies will be playing the Wachovia Center for $60 a pop. This is a band you should not miss live.

http://www.myspace.com/whitelies

http://www.whitelies.com

Here is the video for their current single, “Farewell to the Fairground”:

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Tapes N’ Tapes @ Johnny Brendas

Tapes N’ Tapes is a band that we have been waiting to catch for a while, and they blew the doors off Johnny Brenda’s on Saturday night. Johnny Brenda’s is our favorite venue in Philly. The intimate setting and mix of good beer and great sound makes for memorable shows. And this one even topped last year’s stand out performances from Battles and Holy Fuck at the venue.

The set featured a great mix of songs from both of their full length records, The Loon and Walk It Off. They even showcased two new songs that seamlessly fit into the 15-song set. The second new track, tentatively titled “Hideeho!” according to the set list that I snatched up, was probably the highlight of the show.  Lead singer and guitarist Josh Grier mentioned he was under the weather and his voice might be off, but I would never have noticed. He sounded flawless as they opened the set with a tight rendition of “George Michael.”

One of the most notable aspects of the show was the sheer energy and power of the songs from the quartet.  Drummer Jeremy Hanson, who joined the band in 2005 while still a senior in high school, is the glue that curates the raw power of Grier’s ever-changing riffs.  Altering between traditional sticks and drum mallets, Hanson gives the band a sonic tightness that makes start/stop songs like “In Houston” so powerful. His jazz/rock drumming style mixes well with Matt Kretzman’s keyboards and the occasional trumpet.

As always the sound at Brenda’s was mixed perfectly, while still allowing the band to show off some of its rawness in songs like “The Dirty Dirty” and “Headshock.” Tapes N’ Tapes sounded even better live than on their records, and the LPs are fierce.  I can imagine this is what Modest Mouse might have sounded like back in 1998 while also touring for their second full record The Lonesome Crowded West.

After hearing the new songs, anticipation for their 3rd record has begun.  This is a band that you don’t want to miss while they are still playing such intimate shows at places like Johnny Brenda’s with a capacity of only 300.  Don’t miss this band on their next tour. The sheer force and energy of the songs was simply awe-inspiring.  Another great night at Johnny Brenda’s, and another amazing show.

The band is wrapping up the tour this week and have video blogged their travels on their YouTube page. Below is the one from Philly:

Tapes N’ Tapes – Hang Em All

http://www.tapesntapes.com
http://www.myspace.com/tapesntapes

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Controlled Chaos: An Interview with Girl Talk

Greg Gillis (aka Girl Talk) has evolved from mash-up novelty to Pitchfork stud, performing over 100 shows a year to sold-out crowds. The 27-year old released Feed the Animals, his fourth album, earlier this year and has just finished up an intense leg of his current international tour. The album appeared on countless end-of-the-year lists, including #11 on The Fishpork 20. We called up Gillis earlier this week to find out what’s next. The former biomedical engineer who takes fair use and copyright to its limits talked about the dark process of creating Feed the Animals, the controlled chaos at his shows, and his yearning to try something different for his next release.

Fishpork: First of all, congrats on making all of those end-of-year lists.

GG: Thank you, man. I appreciate it.

Fishpork: When I talk to people or read about reactions to your music, specifically with Feed the Animals, it seems that they either love it or hate it. Comments on music bogs are usually something like, “I’m glad Girl Talk is finally getting respect on this list,” or “Girl Talk is on the top ten, that’s a joke.” Do you pay attention to music bloggers?

“I try to be able to take a step back, and I would rather be a polarizing figure and kind of push people one way or the other, rather as something that slips by as just another musician.”

GG: I try not to, but occasionally I’ll be sitting in a hotel after a show — I’ll be a few drinks deep — and I’ll just get real dark. I’ll look up negative press of myself. I think, on the whole, it’s better to ignore. I mean, I’m pretty hard on myself in terms of what I want to get out of projects, so reading stuff from bitter assholes spewing off negative stuff is valuable. It’s also probably in my best interest not to pay attention to it. So I try to ignore it, but I sometimes get into it. I try to be able to take a step back, and I would rather be a polarizing figure and kind of push people one way or the other, rather as something that slips by as just another musician.

Fishpork: Any reaction’s good, right?

GG: Right. I think when people are truly and passionately hating it, that to me means I probably did something good there.

Fishpork: Your live shows are becoming legendary. We saw you at Irving Plaza in 2006 with Peeping Tom, and the stage crowd was small. A few weeks ago at the Starlight Ballroom in Philly, there were well over 100 on the stage. How are the venues reacting to your open-stage policy?

GG: We’ve probably gotten a bit more organized with it, and that Philly date was the first show on that tour. I play shows all year round, but that was the first show with that crew. I had some extras there helping me out. I think we fine-tuned it a little bit. Back in the day, based on how this project developed, I wanted to keep it as raw as possible. I like the chaos. I like to be insane to a degree, but I’m not down really with people being hurt at a show. At some of the shows we’ve gotten to decide where. It’s just like when you’re playing for 2000 people you really just can’t have an open stage. It’s just gonna be too much. I’m kinda battling with that for a little while, and I think this tour proved to me that it’s not the worst thing in the world to get security organized to help stop people. Now, when I talk to venues, I explain to them that the majority of the audience is probably familiar with the style of show and are gonna want to get on stage. But we just kinda try to make an effort to limit it to some degree, keep it loose. I don’t ever like it to be an exclusive crew that gets to be up there, any sort of VIP club. I like it to just be people who hang out in the front row, who somehow get up there. So we’ve been a bit more organized after a few issues with too many people on stage, and this and that. So right now, I think it’s in a good place, definitely walking that line where it’s chaotic and where it’s fun. And that’s where I want to be.

Fishpork: There must be a level of trust you have with your audience to get that close to you during a gig. How do you remain focused during all that chaos?

GG: Yeah, that’s been another interesting thing as the audiences get bigger. Back a few years when you’d let people on stage, it was like, “Oh, well he is giving us this trust, and we’re going to give it back to him and help him out.” But as the size of the shows have gotten bigger, audiences have gotten more diverse — younger, older, people who are familiar with this style of show and people who aren’t. But along with that you get people who don’t really understand that level of support that I need. They’re kinda maybe thinking about themselves a bit much when they’re up there — when they’re kind of running into me, knocking things over or something. I mean, I kinda get in my own zone. And usually I find that the circle of people around me, regardless of whether they’ve been to a show or not, (that) over the course of the show understand that I need the support. They’re up there, and it does get a little chaotic. At most of the shows, the inner circle around me kind of becomes like the fence, where they’re hanging out dancing but also doing their best to protect what’s going on because the show can easily be stopped at any point. But during the show — it’s something where the set — it’s all very live, but the actual sample triggering and progress of the set are things I’ve gone over a lot. Those are the things I’ve gone over a lot, things I’ve worked on for hours in my house — so most of the set is kind of memorized. Even if I couldn’t see the screen, I would have an idea of different cues on the screen as far as which sample they are. So I’ve played over 100 shows a year for the past two years — so it’s just something where it’s become accustomed. I’m use to — all I need is my right hand. If I’m able to get a glimpse of the screen I can keep everything together.

Fishpork: What was the creative process like during the creation of Feed the Animals and how has it changed since your earlier albums?

GG: I think it’s pretty similar to my last few. The first one was really raw. Secret Diary back in 2002 was something where it was just me experimenting in my free time. I was going to college at the time. Something like — where I never sat down for a ten hour day to work on music. Whereas (with) the new one, I’m always coming up with new ideas to incorporate into the live show. This one came out two years after the one prior to it, and the editing took me about 3-6 months. It was like a year and a half of playing live shows. By the time I actually sat down to edit the album and put it together, most of the core ideas were already thought out. I kind of knew where it was going — knew where a lot of things were going to be. And then it’s just a matter of fine-tuning it. I would have to say that this album — I’m really happy with it and happy to be done. And to me it’s my favorite album I’ve done. But assembling it was kind of a dark process for me. I really locked myself away, and it was the first album where there was actual pressure.

A lot of people didn’t realize that I had been doing that for six years, and it’s just something that’s part of my life. And people thought is was a project that would die off. So on the new one, I really wanted to prove that this is my life — this is what I do.

It’s my fourth album, but I knew people were going to treat it like a sophomore effort — because people weren’t as familiar with my earlier stuff. So going into this I felt like I just had something to prove almost — just in terms of when I knew when Night Ripper came out, a lot of people just kinda dismissed that as a novelty and this one time thing — and the shows with me and a laptop. A lot of people didn’t realize that I had been doing that for six years, and it’s just something that’s part of my life. And people thought is was a project that would die off. So on the new one, I really wanted to prove that this is my life — this is what I do. And I wanted to make an album that’s better than that. So, in sitting down to do it, I put a lot of pressure on myself, and basically stopped associating with anyone I know — just locked myself away. And my girlfriend got really annoyed, because it’s all I talk about — forced her to listen to all the time. So yeah, I was definitely a weird era. I remember staying up ’til 8 or 9AM everyday, then sleeping til the afternoon and just seeing very little daylight and literally just sitting in my bedroom/studio and just staring at that screen for hours and hours and hours.

Fishpork: It was definitely worth it, man. While your songs include a sprinkling of indie rock giants like Of Montreal and Yo La Tengo, rap and pop songs make up most of the album. Why do you think you are so well received in the indie rock scene?

GG: Um, I don’t know. Where it started was as more an electronic music thing. I was influenced by guys like Kid 606, Negativland, John Oswald, all those types. Those are my contemporaries, and that’s who I looked up to in the early days. I’ve played with a lot of rock bands, rap groups — whatever — but the scene that I was most attached to was the American underground electronic scene. I definitely think that Pitchfork (the web site) — when they review anything — all of a sudden, if they give anything a positive review, it gives them a new fanbase. If they give Lil’ Wayne a positive review, then, all of a sudden, there’s going to be a whole new crew of people who like Lil’ Wayne. I think that’s just kind of the nature of that thing. For me, I follow all sorts of music, and I sample what I listen to — so I’m mainly a fan of kind of Top 40 pop these days. But ultimately with the music, when Jay-Z samples the song from Annie, it’s like that song is huge in clubs and rap fans. It doesn’t mean that those people who like that song should necessarily like the soundtrack from Annie. If you’re truly making something transformative out of samples, then ideally it would exist in its own world. There is a lot of rap and pop elements to what I do — it’s the foundation. But I try to make it transformative, and I wanna make something new out of it. Even though it contains all of these elements of radio music, at the end of the day, I hope it’s not just a mix tape of pop songs. I hope that as a collage, it becomes something else. When people from the indie rock world kind of embrace it, for me, it’s a great thing. I feel that I have transcended the source material.

If you’re truly making something transformative out of samples, then ideally it would exist in its own world. There is a lot of rap and pop elements to what I do — it’s the foundation. But I try to make it transformative, and I wanna make something new out of it.

Fishpork: You’re frequently mentioned in discussions concerning the current state of the music industry. While more established bands like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails have released their albums in groundbreaking fashion, do you feel an artist has to be established to release music in creative ways and be successful?

GG: I don’t think so. It depends what you want out of it. When I was starting out, I would make a song and put it on Napster immediately and try to get on a message board and push it on people. And I think a lot of people do that. There’s a whole community of people pushing their own material on message boards — just giving their stuff away for free. So I think the pay-what-you-want model — if you want to make money off of that — it would obviously be helpful if you’re an established artist. But I also think that’s a great way just to get it out there. If your band is starting out, then the ultimate goal should be just to expose yourself to as wide of an audience as possible. And in doing that, if you do the pay-what-you-want thing, and if no one’s ever heard of you before, most people are going to take it for free. But that’s just the nature of music. I don’t think it should be viewed as a negative thing. That’s how bands get big in the Internet age. People get into it, and all of a sudden, people are gonna start going to your shows and buying your t-shirts, and that can ramp up into something where you can sell some records some day. Again, I think that all depends on what you want out of it. The pay-what-you-want model is a very specific version of people offering up their music just straight up for free, which is what I would guess at this point is almost the most popular way for musicians to do it in the underground world. So many people just put their stuff out there. You put up a YouTube video or do this or that. That’s what it’s about now. It’s just about exposing yourself.

Fishpork: What’s up with the “Scentless Apprentice” Nirvana cover? Is that ever going to be recorded?

GG: I have a recording of it. I maybe wanna do it. One of my best friends who does music I’m a big fan of is in a project called Hearts of Darknesses, a guy named Frank Musarra, who I do remixes with under the name Trey Told ‘Em. And his Hearts of Darknesses project I toured with recently. They did play that Philadelphia show. He’s a guy I played with a long time. He did a cover of Nirvana’s “Beeswax” sometimes, and we were talking about doing a split 7″, which I would like to do. I love the Nirvana cover. I haven’t broken it out in a long time. I feel like it needs to be documented. So I would love to do just a limited edition 7″ of that or something, just because it’s been such a big part of the live show — at least in the past. I’d love to get that out there in some form.

Fishpork: That’d be awesome, because at the Peeping Tom show in 2006, the set kind of blew me away, and, all of a sudden, it ended with that song it just brought everything to a higher level. It was really intense.

GG: Yeah, I really loved performing that, because the whole show I wanna go nuts, but at bigger venues it’s dependent on how the show’s going down. It’s like I kinda get stuck, and I literally have to be clicking a mouse non-stop. So that Nirvana cover was always a great way of — musically it was good — and performance-wise, this was my five minutes to really get in the crowd and get nuts. So I used to love doing that. The shows these days have evolved into a bit more of a party and less controversial in a way that I feel that Nirvana could be a potential bummer — like after the ending of where the sets are now — maybe not. So I haven’t done it in a while, but it’s something I really — I mean I love Nirvana, and I enjoy doing that cover. So I’d like to document it.

Fishpork: Give us one sample you have stuck in your head that you are dying to use in the future.

GG: A Capella wise, my favorite song right now it Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.” So I’ve been working with that a lot. And instrumentally, I’m trying to think about something I’ve been using. I’ve been actually trying to use Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused,” but it’s not a 4/4 time signature. It’s like a 3/4 time signature, which makes it a little complicated when you’re using a lot of rap based on 4/4 things. That’s something I’ve been working with a good bit. What else? Grateful Dead, I keep jamming that at the live set, so I’m sure it’s going to pop up on something.

Fishpork: Are you always writing, Greg? It seems like the songs get mixed up here and there and your changing stuff, but are you continuously listening to the radio, just listening to things that are in your head?

GG: Yeah, I mean it’s everyday. It’s like — the day I finished Feed the Animals, my live sets probably heavily based around that. And as soon as the next day goes by and the next week, it’s like I start sampling new things. And all of a sudden, new remixes come out, ya know, new interpretations of previous material. So I feel like the album documents a specific era of the live show, but it continually — it keeps going. There’s even elements in Night Ripper that I’ve continually remixed and liked the new version better than what’s on the album. There’s never really a finalized, correct version. The show’s just a big collage. Smaller elements are always changing. Yeah, so everyday of my life I’ll sample something. On a good day, I’ll sit down for like 10 hours and fiddle around, and that will influence the next week’s worth of shows.

Fishpork: What can we expect from Girl Talk in 2009?

GG: I don’t know. I mean, right now I’m still playing shows. The Philadelphia show kicked off the most exhausting tour I’ve ever done — just really long with shows every day. And during that time period I didn’t get chance to work on too much. So now I’m kind of getting back into weekend shows and heading over to Australia and Europe over the first couple months of 2009. Yeah, just working on small things. I would like to mix it up a little bit. I have some friends I want to collaborate with. I’m proud of the last two albums, but I feel like I don’t want to repeat that album necessarily — maybe, depending on what comes up. I would be interesting in working on individual songs with repetition in the structure and maybe doing an EP or something. I have a friend out in Pittsburgh who records under the name Skymall — who uses samples. In a way, it’s a lot different than me, but I played with him a bunch. And he played the last Pittsburgh show with me. I’m a huge fan. We’ve worked on stuff together, but I even wanna maybe do a split EP with him to kind of get his name out there. I think people would really take to it.

I’m proud of the last two albums, but I feel like I don’t want to repeat that album necessarily — maybe, depending on what comes up. I would be interesting in working on individual songs with repetition in the structure and maybe doing an EP or something.

Fishpork: Please tell us you will be at the ATP Festival that the Flaming Lips are curating in the Catskills in September. Any chance you’ll be there?

GG: I haven’t heard anything. I know Wayne Coyne is a fan to some degree. He nominated Night Ripper for Shortlist Music Prize, some contest he nominated it for. I got a chance to play back-to-back with the Flaming Lips at a festival outside of Chicago. I went on before him, and it was more of a jam band sort of crowd. I don’t think a lot of people knew me, and it just finished pouring down raining. It was freezing out, and I took the stage. And people were kind of loosening up a bit. When the Flaming Lips play, they have a big truck that pulls in for all their props. And it’s just like a big open truck just sitting there by the side of the stage. And you can go and grab whatever you want, and people are coming on stage. Wayne Coyne came out during my set. And came out and started bringing out props that were going to be used during the Flaming Lips show and sorta gave my show an extra boost. People came out in costumes, and he has these giant hands. It was cool, man. He didn’t need to do that at all. It wasn’t like I requested it or wasn’t like the show was completely failing or anything like that. But he just stepped up and took it over the edge when he hit the stage. A lot of people who were standing there were waiting for the Flaming Lips. And, of course, they lost their minds. It was really cool, and I gotta chance to talk to him after the set. And he’s a really nice dude. So, I haven’t heard anything about the All Tomorrow’s Parties, but, yeah, I definitely think it’s a potential thing.

Fishpork: Did you get a chance to talk to Mike Patton?

GG: I did, because we actually shared a dressing room. I can’t remember how that worked, but it was like me, Diplo and Patton all in the same room for a minute. He was cool, ya know. I just rapped with him for a few seconds, and he was there pretty early, so we had a chance to chat. And he’s always like — seems like a  really down-to-earth guy. Actually, when Feed the Animals came out, the Wall Street Journal entertainment section, which I didn’t even realize existed, did a story where they reached out to a bunch of artists I sampled, almost trying to be an expose sort of thing — like “are you gonna sue this guy or what?” And they went up to Patton, and they were like, “how do you feel about this?” And he said, “it’s a honor to collaborate with Busta Rhymes.” Everyone else they interviewed was like, “yeah, blah blah blah.” Patton was the one guy who was like, “ya know, it’s really cool.” So, yeah, that got me pumped.

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