Exclusive Interview: Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek

forthebeat was ecstatic to be able to chat recently with Caroline Polachek of Chairlift about the new album, its inspiration, why Chairlift’s aura is multi-colored and some advice to up-and-comings. Full interview below and some special remixes Caroline shared with us that Chairlift mixed for Passion Pit and Telepathe:

How is the recording of your new album going? It’s intense. We’re really excited about the flavor that the new songs all have in common. I can’t quite describe it yet, but they’re more overt yet more mysterious at the same time.

What was behind the decision in choosing London as the location to record? It’s a secret!

What color best describes Chairlift’s vibe/aura? Either aqua or ultraviolet… But not matte, it has to be illuminated, like from a LCD screen or the sky at dawn. In general i think pairing two colors together is way more evocative than just seeing one on it’s own. it implies a scene.

What city has been most inspiring in influencing your next album? Since we’re on the move and don’t get to stay in one place for very long, “the city” becomes an amalgamation of all the places recently visited. Sort of a dream, where features of different acquaintances get smushed together to be dream-person, that you kinda know and you kind of don’t. So i suppose that feeling of shifting pieces comes through on the record, of transience, of being a ghost passing through.

What’s a small piece of advice you would give to bands starting out that you wish you had? Learn to record yourselves, and make your own music videos.

Can you share anything specific about your new album? i.e. title, any song titles, theme, etc. There’s a song from the point of view of two cannibals in love.

Your fashion style is iconic. What do you attribute your inspiration to? I like the idea of dressing functionally- getting geared up for an imaginary event. Even if it’s just to go to the corner store, i like to dress for where i wish i was going. Sometimes that’s enough to make it happen.

Caroline also gave us two really amazing tracks to share that Chairlift remixed for Passion Pit and Telepathe:

Passion Pit – To Kingdom Come (Chairlift Remix)

Telepathe – So Fine (Chairlift Remix)

forthebeat Interviews JUICEBOXXX

I wasn’t sure if JUICEBOXXX would even be around to answer an email but I crossed my fingers and pressed ’send’ asking for a short interview. Not only did JUICEBOXXX answer us within a few hours, his answers are more than we could have hoped for (and of course in all caps) Here you go:

Your 100 MPH video is pretty amazing. One of my favorite parts is towards the end at the diner. Why hamburgers?

HAMBURGERS ARE A GREAT TIMELESS AMERICAN FOOD AND I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING FUN WITH THE DANCERS IN THE VIDEO. MUNCHING OUT ON BURGERS WAS THE PERFECT SOLUTION!

You have played with some unbelievable artists. What’s one of your favorite artists you have collaborated with either for a show or for a remix?

TOURING WITH PUBLIC ENEMY WAS A TRUE HONOR. TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THE STAGE WITH THEM WAS LIKE A DREAM. THESE THINGS COME TRUE SOMETIMES. KEEP RUNNING KIDS!

What band that you haven’t played with already would you love to perform or tour with?

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, ALAN VEGA, BONE THUGS, KOOL KEITH.

What color best describes JUICEBOXXX’s aura?

RED WHITE AND GOLD

Your tour schedule sounds ridiculous. What would you say is the most memorable city/country so far and what is the one thing that you will always think of from that spot?

I JUST LOVE THE ACT OF TOURING. GETTING A IN A CAR AND GOING. I DON’T CARE WHERE I PLAY, I JUST WANT TO REACH KIDS. I’VE BEEN ALL AROUND, AND I LOVE IT ALL. TOURING IN ALASKA IN THE WINTER OF 2009 WAS A TRUE PLEASURE, WE RAGED A LOG CABIN IN THE WOODS OUTSIDE OF FAIRBANKS THEN GOT INTO A HUGE FIGHT AND GOT KICKED OUT.

Other than your music and your new blog, what other stuff are you working on that you want the world to know about? (i.e. an extensive magnet collection; a tshirt line, etc.)

I’LL BE COLLABORATING WITH A LOT OF HEADS IN THE UPCOMING YEAR, GET READY. TRYING TO KICK EVERYTHING UP TO ANOTHER LEVEL. I’M 23 YEARS OLD, I’M NOT A KID ANYMORE, I’M TRYING TO GET REALLY REAL.

What’s your favorite juicebox, JUICEBOXXX?!

LISTEN: LIFE IS A MARATHON AND NOT A SPRINT. DON’T START A BULLSHIT BAND IF YOU DON’T WANNA. LET’S ALL BE MAGNIFICENT FAILURES TOGETHER!

JUICEBOXXX – Hype

JUICEBOXXX – Hype (DJ Manaia Remix)

New Artist: Frankie Rose and the Outs

Frankie Rose and the Outs released on Slumberland Records (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) and just announced new tour dates for August thru October, including their home-base Brooklyn,  for 2 shows on August 14th and September 15th.

They’re proclaimed indie rock but should be called daydream rock. That’s not a category, but it should be. The photo above – yes, also daydream rock. If you don’t know too much about the band: The lead, Frankie Rose, has also played with Crystal Stilts, Dum Dum Girls and Vivian Girls.

One of my favorite quotes from her is: “For me, songwriting is more about evoking certain feelings than the lyrics or anything else. Hell, sometimes I don’t even know what the songs mean.” Awesome.

Frankie Rose and the Outs – Little Brown Hair Girls

Full tour dates:

Sat-Aug-14    Brooklyn, NY    JellyNYC Rock Yard
Wed-Sep-15    Brooklyn, NY    Glasslands
Mon-Oct-18    Chapel Hill, NC    Local 506
Tue-Oct-19    Baltimore, MD    Ottobar
Wed-Oct-20    Philadelphia, PA    Kungfu Necktie
Sun-Oct-24    Cambridge, MA    TT The Bear’s Place
Tue-Oct-26    Rochester, NY    Bug Jar
Wed-Oct-27    Cleveland, OH    The Spot at Case Western
Thu-Oct-28    Chicago, NY    Empty Bottle

The Hoof and The Heel

The Hoof and The Heel are Harris, Christine, Al and Farid.  And they are from Canada. The band just released their Fireworks EP, which you can download HERE.  They are also on a short tour on the East Coast, with stops at Pianos in NYC tonight and Bruar Falls in Brooklyn tomorrow.  If you are around, I recommend checking them out.  Here is the title track “Fireworks,” as well as the video, and a nice little chat with the band below.  Love, love, LOVE this song and video.

The Hoof and The Heel – Fireworks

The Hoof & The Heel – “Fireworks” (NSFW) from Bryan Schlam on Vimeo.

Who are The Hoof and The Heel and how did you all meet?
C:  I met Harris and Farid the week I first visited Montreal in 2008, apparently just a few weeks after they met, at the bar that Harris was working at. It wasn’t until a year later did we play together. I was  living in LA, and came to Montreal to pretty much join the band (I didn’t know it at the time until the first day we all got together). While we were recording our EP, I met Al at a rock lotto fundraiser (bands are formed by pulling names out of a hat and they have a week to write 3 songs and perform them). We needed a bass player, and Al and I got along great so he joined the team.

You just released your Fireworks EP on July 13 and embarked on a tour a few days ago.  What’s been the most exciting part of the process?
H: It’s all happened really fast so it’s hard to even take it in. Every day we do what we need to do without thinking too much about it. I have to say personally the most exciting thing is still to get up in front of a new audience and play. Each show is extremely unique right now, going from a 400 capacity venue in the city to a dive bar in a small town or a barn in the country. It’s all sort of equally fun so I think we’re just enjoying the whole thing.

What’s your favorite The Hoof and The Heel song / which do you love performing live and why?
C: Every time we have a new song I think it’s all of our favorite song at the time – so on this tour it’s exciting trying out the new songs in different places to work out the kinks and get the audiences response. Off our EP, I love performing King because it’s the most intimate and I love playing Tigers because it’s the opposite. We have a bi-polar set sometimes.

We’ve seen the video for “Fireworks” and really love the song and the visuals.  Tell us about the process of making the video.
H: We were really lucky, a friend of a friend used fireworks in an indie film called “So Long Lonesome”  and the cinematographer on that was Bryan Schlam. I got an e-mail from him maybe a few weeks after the movie was released asking if he could make a music video for the song. He’s in LA and none of us could get there so I told him to go for it if he wanted. Even though So Long Lonesome was really beautifully shot I was expecting a much lower production on our video, but then a couple months later he emailed me a rough cut and I was amazed at how great it looked and how much work he put into it. I gave him carte blanche on the storyline so it was really interesting to see his interpretation of the song come to life.

When or how did you first fall in love with music? (Your dad taught you banjo, you heard Dirty Diana in a bathroom, etc.)
F: My mother thought that I would become a punk rocker because as a baby whenever we would go past record stores playing loud music I would dance in my pram (stroller, as you guys call it). I’ve been dancing since!

If you could cover any song right now, what would it be and describe what it would sound like?
H: “The day they drove old dixie down” by The Band. I’m not sure how it would sound, but I hope to find out eventually.
C: “Wild Thing”
A: Loving old Whitney Houston right now. Especially “How Will I Know.” It would be fun to play that one (not sure Harris would be comfortable singing the lyrics).

“Live Progressive Breakbeat House”

The New Deal: I  can still listen to their albums from start to finish over and over without ever getting sick of them. Receiver was released in 2001 as TND’s first EP and was deemed, appropriately, as progressive. The title track revolves around a message left on lead singer Dan’s machine notifying him of being fired and ineligible for  the 1 year severance package, since he was 8 days short, having worked 357 days. A self titled album supplemented the EP later that year and the second most notable album from the band was 2003’s  Gone Gone Gone.

I’ve seen the band live over 15 times from Berkfest to a castle in upstate New York to Bowery Ballroom, all memorable and incredible shows.

They recently played Brooklyn Bowl and I was “too tired” to go- I’m an idiot. Anyways, some side projects have evolved from the three piece including The Join and Dragonette :

Dragonette remix below to add to your playlist:

Dragonette – Easy (Fabian Remix)

But nothing’s quite like the original:

There’s a New Cut Copy Song

Take my hand if you know where I’m going to…

There’s a New Cut Copy song…!!! It’s called “Where I’m Going.” After waiting patiently with our hands clasped in our laps after In Ghost Colors lit up our worlds in 2008, finally there’s some new material to keep us going until the next album officially comes out in 2011.

Cut Copy plays Brooklyn on August 8th, at the free Jelly NYC Pool Party with Memory Tapes, Glasser and Restless People starting at 2 pm, curated by their label, Modular.

We’re thankful they are releasing some singles beforehand to keep us going before the album release. An old favorite and the new one. I dare you to sit still while listening…

Cut Copy- Where I’m Going

Cut Copy- Hearts on Fire

You can download it from the Cut Copy website; sign up via e-mail and download “Where I’m Going” @ cutcopy.net

White Hinterland and Neon Indian

White Hinterland is Casey Dienel and Shawn Creeden, whose most recent album Kairos was released earlier this year.  If you don’t recognize the band name, you will recognize the songs and Dienel’s beautiful voice.  Promise.

The two have done a really great job of building buzz by slowly releasing tracks and accompanying videos, and most recently, covering Neon Indian’s “6669 (I Don’t Know If You Know).”  While I love White Hinterland’s musical aesthetic with many layers and textures and Dienel’s confident but breezy voice, I’m not a huge fan of this cover.  But I am a fan of their original material, as well as the Neon Indian song in it’s original form.  So listen to the tracks below, and if you want to hear the cover, head over here.

White Hinterland – Icarus

Neon Indian – 6669 (I Don’t Know If You Know)

New Artist: Labyrinth Ear

“I’m wishing for the one I love to find me today.  I’m hoping and I’m dreaming of the nice things he’ll say.”

The beginning of this song reminds me a little of Fever Ray.  Then those female vocals set in — seductive and beautiful, and the song is so sweet.

Labyrinth Ear is a new band, comprised of a girl named Emily and a boy named Tom from London.  And they are as new as they come as far as bands go – their super short bio says the two formed Labyrinth Ear during the Summer of 2010 – which is right NOW.

They have four songs on their MySpace page (including one demo) and you can listen to three songs (as well as download them) on their SoundCloud page HERE.

The duo promise more info to come on their blog here, so keep checking back – I have a good feeling about these two.

Labyrinth Ear – Snow White

**Thank you for the tip, Matt Whipple

New Artist: Bronze

Formerly known as Detachment Kit, “blood brothers” Charlie H. Davis III and Ian Menard started a new project earlier this year — Bronze.  The two are joined by percussionist Jess Birch and guitarist Ian MacDermut to complete this Brooklyn-based foursome.

Their self-titled debut EP is available as a free download on the group’s bandcamp page HERE.  And I really like it, especially the first track “Horses.”

The little tag line at the end of their bio says “Will 2010 be the year of Bronze?” – maybe!  They seem to be gathering the troops – friending everyone on MySpace with the “name” Bronze – a good start, as I would definitely support a band named “KC.”

In all seriousness, they’ve played a few shows over the past couple of months, and I’m sure there are more to come.  And I have a feeling a full-length is in the works.   Meanwhile, download their EP for a little taste.

Bronze – Horses

New Artist: Dorsh Deans

As a friend, Dorsh Deans is a kind-hearted person with a gentle spirit; one could attribute that to his Jamaican roots. As a musician, Dorsh is the type to stretch boundaries, to combine genres, and to stake new territory as a pioneer of sorts. As a musician myself, knowing Dorsh and observing his talents reassures my passion for music and the creation of art that so easily brings human beings together for a single purpose, free expression.

If you feel the need to classify Dorsh Deans, you could say that he is a Jamaican-American singer-songwriter, producer, engineer, and DJ from Houston, Texas. Following his dream to become a professional soccer player, Dorsh attended trials with Birmingham City in the English Premiership and with the Jamaican National team in 2008. Unfortunately, during a match at Butler University, where he attended school, he suffered a blow to the head that shattered his face in multiple locations, ruining his soccer dreams forever. It’s funny how life sets a path for you; most would say they stumbled upon the place they currently find themselves living or working. Injuries may shatter bones and ruin dreams; alternatively, they may also open doors. No longer pursuing a career in soccer, Dorsh turned his interest to recording studies at Butler University.

“Limitless” is Dorsh Deans first solo E.P., its idea originating behind his pursuit of becoming a “limitless” producer/artist, a musician not characterized by a specific genre. Dorsh is his own one-man band; he writes, mixes, and masters all of his tracks. Its electronic/funk/soul/reggae style is sure to appeal to lovers of each genre, and it sure feels like a professional release, nothing you would hear from an artist recording his first EP out of his “bathroom-turned-studio.” Take this album for a ride on a long drive, or on a low-key afternoon at the home or apartment, it’s 100% guaranteed to chill you out with some serious “good vibrations.”

Download the full E.P. here with the following track listing:

1.     Let me introduce myself – I ras

2.     Rastaman Theme (DJ Green Tea mix)

3.     Inside the Flow

4.     Four Wheels and a Spirit, Rollerjam

5.     Sum our students – First Day of School

Inside the Flow – The single from “Limitless”

Perfect Circles – An unreleased track featuring Rio, a newcomer to the hip-hop scene.