Scratch n’ Dent : An Essay on Indie Rock Guitars

Over the past few years I’ve noticed an increasing trend towards uniformity in the gear of Indie bands across the nation. One would assume, given the understood indifferent disposition of those who claim the scene as their own, that this trend was by mistake, but whose to say.

First let’s start with guitars: The foundation of any respectable Indie Rock band.
Before we do anything we must chose a model! Acceptable models include Fender’s Telecaster, Stratocaster (sometimes), Jaguar, and Jazzmaster models; the older the better, Epiphone or Gibson Hollowbodies, SG’s, and some Les Paul’s (note: some!). Older models like Fender’s Starcaster, the Fender XII or Gibson’ Melody Maker are welcome and encouraged, not to mention sure to earn bonus points for vintage irony with their oddly shaped headstocks and light body weights. Old department store models from the 60’s are the Holy Grail of Scene points: these include, but are not limited to, Kay, Airline, Harmony, and Danelectro guitars.

Next, we move to the finish: this is important! Have you ever noticed the only finishes considered acceptable in Indie rock are Black, an occasional Sunburst, and members of the Natural/Blonde family (Blonde, Honey Blonde, Natural, Vintage Blonde, and Fender’s Arctic and Olympic White are included here). Do you know what separates you from being praised or mocked for your guitar in the Indie world? The finish.

If I come on stage with an Arctic White Telecaster (72’s are especially sought-after in the Indie realm) I am assumed to be a skilled and tasteful guitarist. If I come on stage with an Electron Blue model, I am assumed to be a talentless wanker. If I come out with, say, a vintage Black Les Paul with a startlingly large tremelo, ala Neil Young’s, I’m considered to be a guitar expert, waiting to bust out big 60’s psych rock solos. If I come out with the same guitar in Gibson’s “Pour some sugar on me flamed bourbon maple swirl mahogany-top?” Total wanker. Perhaps I bought a black Gretsch Tennessee Rose? I am now an alt-country God, making Whiskeytown look like a talentless bar band & Uncle Tupelo seem like a bunch of kids in a basement. If I buy that same guitar in Gretsch’s “Banner sample Acryclic Gold Sparkle?” Talentless and tasteless.

What am I supposed to play my guitar through? I’m glad you asked! Orange amps are okay for some, other boutique models such as Dr. Z are largely acceptable. However, your best first investment would be a Fender Blues JR. or Deville. If you can find the blonde tweed models, you’re in luck! Bonus points! Even better than these starter kit models though, are old Gibson’s, Silvertone’s, and vintage Fender Amps. Vox’s tube models are also a good choice, though a bit pricier (good for those of you on a trust fund). All amps are to be “distressed,” (fig. A) that is; the grille is tearing, a speaker as a hum, someone else’s name painted and subsequently scratched off the side, and generally anything else which can be done to make your amp look like you found it in a Williamsburg alley.

On to the clincher: effects pedal: if it’s not hanging on to dear life don’t bother. You’ll need something like a vinatge Tubescreamer, Rat (especially good: used by everyone from Thom Yorke to Sonic Youth), Turbodistortion (japanese only please), or Big Muff. If you cannot find a used model, please use the same method of “distressing” found in figure A). For delay (you’ll need lots of it for those noise solos): analog is king. Ibanez’s Ad9, or any vintage DOD delay (preferably with a ground problem, which will create an awful hum) are best. If these cannot be found, a very old and discolored Boss DD6 will suffice. For Compression/Sustain the name of the game is awful. Anything old and bad, preferably a bright color and with a goofy name. These are not so much to compress and/or sustain your signal as much as they are to make people think you’re a tone expert and this obscure and impossible to find pedal is the only thing that you’ll let touch your tone.

Below are some examples of perfect Indie Rock set-ups for you to study:
J. Mascis (Dinosaur JR)
Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead)
Sonic Youth
Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo)
Stephen Malkmus (Pavement, Solo)
Damon Gough (Badly Drawn Boy)
Dave Van Boehlen (The Promise Ring)
Bryan Maryansky (Jets to Brazil)
Frank Black (Pixies)

[mp3] Yo La Tengo – We’re an American Band
[mp3] Dinosaur JR. – Little Fury Things
[mp3] MGMT – Indie Rokkers

A Conversation with Miles Kurosky of Beulah

Miles Kurosky used to be in a band. That band was called Beulah, and they made several of my favorite records ever in their all too brief life. Spanning only six years, Beulah quickly evolved from Miles and multi-instrumentalist Bill Swan recording songs to a tape machine in a San Francisco living room to a six-member band, recording sun-soaked epics with as many as twenty-five players, and achieving success in The U.S., Europe, & Japan. It’s hard to imagine that an Indie Rock band doing as well as Beulah were in 2003 wouldn’t have been a household name in the age of mp3-blogger dominated music press, but it’s no fun living in the past. People are still discovering and falling in love with Beulah, from Michael Cera to the girl next door. Miles finds that mind-boggling.

[mp3] Beulah – Score From Augusta
[mp3] Beulah – A Good Man is Easy To Kill
[mp3] Beulah – Me & Jesus Don’t Talk Anymore
—

HTFAF (Caleb) : You had some surgery this summer, right? How are you feeling?

Miles Kurosky : Yeah, unfortunately I had two kidney surgeries. I’m doing alright now, but I have an intestinal disease that’s been diagnosed as the root of all this evil, so I need to keep that in check. However, I must say, what pains me more are the medical bills!

HTFAF (Caleb) : There have been small updates, which don’t reveal much about the status of your solo record posted on the Beulah site over the past year. How far along are you with that, now?

Miles Kurosky : It’s hard for me to believe, but I think I might actually be finished. I just need to get it mastered. If I don’t stop recording I fear this may go on forever.

HTFAF (Caleb) : Are any of the Beulah guys involved? Any other familiar names?

Miles Kurosky : Almost all the Beulah’s showed up for an hour or two. Even Swannie [multi-instrumentalist and co-founder Bill Swan] came in a month ago to listen to the mixes and give his two cents. I’m happy to say that his opinion actually added up to two cents, and I feel richer for it. I’m guessing by “familiar names” you mean high profile or slightly famous indie rockers, yes? I’m afraid the advertisements for this record won’t read “featuring so and so from Indie Band X, Y, or Z.” I just didn’t think that “a name” would actually make the record sound better. It would be for looks and marketing only, and that really doesn’t interest me.

HTFAF (Caleb) : Is the sound of the record somewhat comparable to Beulah, or would you call it a bit of a departure?

Miles Kurosky : I’d say both. I’ll never be able to escape [sounding like] Beulah, but at the same time it has been 5 years since our last record so…

HTFAF (Caleb) : Do you think you’ll keep making solo records in the future, or will this be more of a one-off venture?

Miles Kurosky : I don’t know. I guess it depends on the day and my mood. My girlfriend gets really angry with me if I say I don’t want to make music anymore. She always says “you can’t quit.” I usually counter with “but dental insurance would be nice.”

HTFAF (Caleb) : What are the chances of you doing a bit of touring to support the record?

Miles Kurosky : I’d say overcast with a chance of showers…or is it sunshine? I don’t know, maybe, but I think I need to get a little healthier before I spend a month in a van eating shitty food and getting no sleep. However, I must say, I kinda miss Cracker Barrel’s pot roast, fried okra, and of course, their buckeyes. (Please note: I don’t actually endorse eating at Cracker Barrel unless your other choices are Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Stuckey’s, Hardee’s, Denny’s, and bunch of other shit-holes I can’t remember. If you live in a proper city with proper food, then it should be avoided.)

HTFAF (Caleb) : I read an interview with you where you said you were bringing in some jazz musicians to play on this record. How did that come about? Are you a Jazz guy, or did it just work out that the horn players you needed play jazz?

Miles Kurosky : Eli Crews, who engineered the majority of the record, hangs out with that crowd. So most of them were his friends. It’s not like the players were required to have jazz pedigrees, and in fact, the record is not very jazzy at all. I just wanted the best players that we could get, so it just kinda worked out that way.

HTFAF (Caleb) : So is their a set backing band, or just various players?

Miles Kurosky : Well, Eli [Crews] played at least one instrument on every song. Besides his contributions there are 25 or 30 different musicians on the record. That said, I guess it’s just me with a bunch of ringers.

HTFAF (Caleb) : People are still discovering Beulah for the first time from their friends, mp3 blogs, soundtracks, etc. Is it weird for you that a chapter of your life which ended five years ago is so alive and well?

Miles Kurosky : It’s really weird, I’m very surprised by it. There’s still so much interest in the band that it sometimes feels like we didn’t break up.

HTFAF (Caleb) : Michael Cera is a big fan of yours and even used the Beulah song, Don’t Forget to Breathe to soundtrack Clark & Michael, his web-tv show. Did it strike you as weird that someone who was a year or two away from having a driver’s license when Yoko was released was asking to use one of your songs?

Miles Kurosky : Well, first of all, I was honored by the request and extremely happy that our song could be included in a show that’s actually good. When he sent me the link for “Clark and Michael” I immediately knew that it was something we had to be associated with. It’s amazing that the show isn’t on television. In response to the question…no, not really ‘cause most of the aforementioned new fans have been college kids or younger. Since we haven’t made a record or toured in 5 years, they must really be doing their homework.

HTFAF (Caleb) : So, you still hear from alot of people who are just learning about you guys?

Miles Kurosky : All the time, and It’s mind boggling.

HTFAF (Caleb) : How have you been keeping busy post-Beulah? Did you have to get a 9-5?

Miles Kurosky : I’ve written some songs for commercials and a couple of Indie Films. I also did a soundtrack for a cartoon. Fortunately, I never had to get a “real” job, and God willing I never will. However, for a couple years I didn’t do much at all, I was always at Kaiser rehabbing my shoulder with my physical therapist…or seeing some urologist, nephrologist or gastroenterologist about my innards. Basically I spent a lot of time at the doctor getting poked with needles.

HTFAF (Caleb) : Do you feel like the accounts of Beulah’s break up are over-exaggerated? A lot of people assume that you all hate each other now, which I would guess is probably not the case.

Miles Kurosky : Well, I guess some of it’s true and some of it’s myth. Relationships are complicated, each guy is really different from one another, you know? Personally, I have a good relationship with all the boys, I always have. I love them all like brothers, I mean, sure we all fought with each other, but it was always sibling-like in nature. There was never any hatred involved, and each punch was always quickly followed by an apology.

HTFAF (Caleb) : Have you been keeping up with Indie music since you go out of that scene? Any bands that have come along that you’ve been impressed with?

Miles Kurosky : I should probably be posing that question to you. Every now and again I’ll check out my girlfriend’s iTunes and I realize how oblivious I am to new music. Unfortunately, I don’t own a stereo. I’ve been meaning to get one for the past 7 years, but I do have a CD player in my car and I hear new music when my girlfriend leaves a cd in the stereo, but unfortunately they’re rarely labeled. Personally, I just learned how to burn a CD on my computer two weeks ago…I didn’t even know it was possible. Anyway, back to your question: [I’ve been listening to] Beyonce, Jose Gonzalez, Okkervil River, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West and Iron and Wine.

HTFAF (Caleb) : How many songs would you say you’ve written since Beulah broke up? Do you wake up every morning and go somewhere to write or do you just go with something when it comes to you?

Miles Kurosky : I haven’t written that many really. I never set out to write a song unless I’ve been hired to write one for a movie or commercial. To be more specific, I don’t ever sit down with the intention of writing an album, it’s far more serendipitous. I’ll write a song, and then another, and eventually I’ll have enough for a record. What’s the process you ask? I just pick up a guitar, play some chords and voila, Oprah speaks to me.

HTFAF (Caleb) : Do you read any webzines or blogs?

Miles Kurosky : Nope. It just takes so much work, plus there’s always the chance that I’ll accidentally read that someone hates me or my music. Ignorance is…well, not blissful, just less painful. Hell, sometimes I don’t even log on to the web because I get sucked into Solitaire. I’m easily sidetracked. Maybe if there wasn’t so much porn and sports on the web I could check out more webzines...Go Warriors!

HTFAF (Caleb) : Do you ever miss being in a band, being on tour, etc, or is it a relief to be able to play music whenever you feel like it without any 15 passenger vans, riders, or show advancing to do?

Miles Kurosky : It was certainly a relief back in 2004. I was very tired of being in a band back then, but I don’t feel that way now. At the same time, I don’t really miss it either. The only thing I miss is the camaraderie, when a retired football player talks about missing the locker room more than the playing field, I know exactly what he’s talking about.

HTFAF (Caleb) : What is your fondest memory or proudest moment with Beulah

Miles Kurosky : Never getting a speeding ticket on tour.

HTFAF (Caleb) : Is there any certain show Beulah played which sticks out in your mind? Be it good or bad.

Miles Kurosky : Well, like most bands a bad show meant low attendance, a fight backstage, or having a difficult time playing because the mushrooms were starting to kick in. Although, Ben Gibbard from Death Cab says we were good on psychedelics. That said, the worst show in my opinion was Lausanne, Switzerland. The promoter tried to skip out without paying us. Apparently he set up an early show at a record store without our knowledge. Needless to say we didn’t show up. Hence, he thought he didn’t have to pay us for the proper gig because we only fulfilled “half” of our obligation. Unfortunately we had to chase him down the street, surround him and demand our money. t got kinda ugly, but since it was 8 against 1 we got the dough. It was such a sad and demoralizing moment at the end of a good tour. At least the town was beautiful.

Caleb (HTFAF) : Have you played any shows since the split?

Miles Kurosky : Does singing in the shower count as a “show?” I charge admission.

Caleb (HTFAF) : Do you think you’ll always make music for a living in some capacity?

Miles Kurosky : Maybe, but it doesn’t really matter to me. I like the unexpected nature of life, I like the fact that one doesn’t have to die in order to be reincarnated, you know?

—

Buy Beulah Records & Merch from Miles (and help pay those medical bills)

Beulah’s final fall tour was chronicled in a documentary entitled, A Good Band Is Easy to Kill, you can buy it here.

Beulah – KCRW In-Studio : 9.25.01

When I listen to Beulah records, the world is okay. Every time a Beulah record is over though, I want to cry. Not just because of how great the past 45 minutes of my life were, because Beulah did the worst thing that has ever happened to Indie Rock and broke up. Yes, I know the stories of the band often hating each other, being general assholes at times, and all that. No, I could not care any less! God rest your souls, boys.

You can still buy records and shirts from Miles, the man with the guitar pictured above, who is supposedly putting out a solo record at some point here.

Enjoy your Sunday.

[mp3] Beulah – Intro
[mp3] Beulah – Battle Cry of the West
[mp3] Beulah – Emma Blowgun’s Last Stand
[mp3] Beulah – Night is the Day Turned Inside Out
[mp3] Beulah – Interview
[mp3] Beulah – If We Can Land a Man on the Mood, Surely I can Win Your Heart
[mp3] Beulah – Popular Mechanics for Lovers

Unwed Sailor Release Little Wars, Announce Tour

Unwed Sailor have been tearing up the post-rock since before Explosions in the Sky could drive. If you don’t know them, you need to, and what better time than now. Fresh on the heels of releasing their marvelous new LP, Little Wars, (Burnt Toast Vinyl) the band is touring a large chunk of these United States with Owen & Ryan Lindsey. Dates, and mp3’s from Little Wars wait below.

UNWED SAILOR 2008 TOUR

28 March : Detroit, MI. The Magic Stick w/ Owen
29 March : Cleveland, OH. The Grog Shop w/ Owen, Anathallo, and Paper Rivals
30 March : Muncie, IN. The Launching Pad w/ Throw Me the Statue
31 March : Cedarville, OH. House Show w/ Ryan Lindsey
2 April : Norfolk, VA. The Tap House w/ Ryan Lindsey
3 April : New York, NY. The Knitting Factory w/ Owen and Brooke Waggoner
4 April : Boston, MA. Boston University w/ Owen
5 April : Harrisonburg, VA. James Madison University w/ Owen, Aloha, The Forms
6 April : Philadelphia, PA. First Unitarian w/ Owen and Brooke Waggoner
7 April : Pittsburgh, PA. Garfield Artworks w/ Owen
8 April : Canton, OH. Edgewood Community Center w/ Ryan Lindsey
9 April : Dayton, OH. The Nite Owl w/ Ryan Lindsey
10 April : Grand Rapids, MI. The DAAC w/ Ryan Lindsey
11 April : Chicago, IL. The Beat Kitchen w/ Ryan Lindsey
12 April : Urbana, IL. Courtyard Cafe w/ Ryan Lindsey
13 April : St. Louis, MO. The Bluebird w/ Ryan Lindsey
14 April : Springfield, MO. The Outland Ballroom w/ Ryan Lindsey
16 April : Austin, TX. Emo’s w/ Ryan Lindsey
17 April : Dallas, TX. The Prophet Bar w/ Ryan Lindsey
18 April : Houston, TX. Walters on Washington w/ Ryan Lindsey

[mp3] Unwed Sailor – Little Wars
[mp3] Unwed Sailor – Aurora

Buy Little Wars.

The Random Soundtrack to your gloomy & sleep-deprived morning

I woke up grumpy this morning. I fell asleep with the clock saying 5:11 and woke up with it saying 7:41. Sick, and terrible, and disgusting in every way. To top that off it looks like it’s 7:30 at night outside. The sun isn’t hiding behind clouds, it didn’t even wake up I don’t think. It’s dark, and I’m in no mood for, well really anything.

Do you know what is really well-suited for this day, though? Rufus Wainwright! I turned on the shuffle an got lucky, it was totally what I wanted to hear, I just didn’t know that yet. The Chris Garneau track has a similar vibe and the other two are for people that want to be happy. Me, I want to soak in my cranky misery, thanks.

[mp3] Rufus Wainwright – Leaving for Paris no. 2
[mp3] Chris Garneau – First Place
[mp3] MGMT – Electric Feel
[mp3] Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Sunshins, Clouds, & Everything Proud

I couldn’t be more behind on my scene dj/dance acts

Seriously, not if i tried, where did they all come from? But I do really, really, really enjoy this remix of The Little One’s fantastic Lovers Who Uncover by Crystal Castles. I don’t know anything about Crystal Castles, but it’s a good thing they own these really cool synths that make songs you already liked sound cooler at 2:00 am!

[mp3] The Little Ones / Crystal Castles – Lovers Who Uncover (Remix)

The Wars of 1812 – "Status Quo Ante Bellum"

Back in December, I told you about the now broken up Amble Down Records artist Fine. I still love that album a lot so when I got Status Quo Ante Bellum from Amble Down I had high hopes.

I listened to this record today driving around with the windows down and it’s well suited for that. Forget You Madly is a road-trip song if ever I heard one, Nothing to Do has the sort of lazy rhythm and personal quality that made me love Page France, and New York City could easily soundtrack a reflective Grey’s Anatomy montage (in a good way). The song I really loved though was Radios Unsigned. It’s a really awesome bit of Yankee Hotel Pop full of droning guitar, prodding piano, blistering solos, and a melody that could easily sell Volkswagens.

If you’re in the mood for something nice to soundtrack the early days of warm weather, you’ve found it. Status Quo Ante Bellum is the sort of thing that will renew your faith in bands you’ve never heard of. Heck, most everything from Amble Down will it seems. Pick some up.

[mp3] The Wars of 1812 – Radios Unsigned

Exclusive unreleased SSLYBY track via Rawkblog

The good dudes at Le Rawkblog turned three and they celebrated with an exclusive and never released Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin track, and then asked you to donate some scratch to pay for hosting. They deserve it, totally one of the good guys, so go get the track and throw five bucks their way.

Get the song, donate the scrilla

The Raconteurs & Pete Townshed? Yes, please.

I’m not sure how, but somehow of all of Pete Townshed’s “Attic Jams,” The Raconteurs contribution was the only one to slip under my radar. I was in the mood and digging around for something good to post in celebration of their lovely new record (available now), and since Web Sheriff has been patrolling for any album content (clearly that makes fans want to buy records) I needed something different.

It’s pretty great, this one. I mean, Pete Townshed slipped up on the reuinted Who album, it was bad. But this one is just the good old days, sans the rest of the Who + The ‘Teurs. Jack sounds good singing classic rock (naturally), and Benson sounds nice singing anything.

[mp3] The Raconteurs & Pete Townshed- The Seeker (The Who)

Bon Iver Backstage Session mp3’s now available

Originally, we told you that we couldn’t give you the mp3’s for the Bon Iver Backstage Session. For whatever reason, Jagjaguwar decided to give us the green light to post the mp3’s which we were originally barred from posting. Thanks to the kind folks at J.J. for the clearance. Now enjoy the mp3’s!

[mp3] Bon Iver – Creature Fear (Live – Backstage Session)
[mp3] Bon Iver – Flume (Live – Backstage Session)

Buy Bon Iver’s wonderful LP, For Emma, Forever Ago (from which both of these tracks are culled), at Jagjaguwar.