Mason Jennings

My man Mason was kind enough to speak with me again at Lolla. He was one of my first interviews over SXSW (tear) and I was glad to catchup with him in Chicago. He's had a great 2008 and it looks to end that way as well. Mason has one of those voices that you won't forget and that you won't confuse. Hustle out and grab In the Ever released in May.

Mercy by The Felice Brothers

The Felice Brothers are an amazing folk rock group from Upstate New York. I recorded this clip at Outside Lands Festival a couple weeks ago. If Dylan or The Band tickles your ears then these guys are your fix. Their americana is like nothing else being played today. Their sound soothes and makes me want to swig whiskey all night. Mercy from their 2007 release Tonight at the Arizona is a heartfelt ballad sung by Simone, the drummer.

Yeasayer

I was lucky enough to run into Yeasayer again, this time at Lollapalooza. I caught them just as they came off stage, so naturally they were hungry and we had pizza. Preforming a formal interview is extremely hard when the interviewees are consuming food that you as interviewer fancy. So needless to say, I was DISTRACTED. That being said we discuss their set, their love for Chicago and a little background into how I started bothering bands on video.

The Black Keys

I recently went out to Denver to catch My Morning Jacket with The Black Keys at Red Rocks. I had never been to Red Rocks before and figured this bill warranted a pilgrimage. Needless to say the show was fantastic and I had a lot of fun running around in the mountains. In the midst of the euphoria I cornered The Black Keys in their dressing room and got a funny yet random interview. I did the recording myself so that's why the image bounces and the sound ain't so good. But we talked about everything under the sun: the flop house across the street from Stubb's, the possibility of Michael Kang (SCI) as Danger Mouse's successor in producing the next album and how Red Rocks is one giant outdoor grill. This was a learning experience as asking questions and keeping the camera focused isn't the easiest thing I've done.

The Postelles

The Postelles are a brand new band in the scheme of things. They met in New York City while in high school and seem to have caught all the breaks including Albert Hammond Jr. producing their first single. It's pop-rock alright, and it makes my ears happy.



I go blank towards the end of the interview and introduce my partner in crime, Frank the Moose who I reference in awkward situations. He's my guardian and muse.

White Lies

The White Lies had never been in the US till 4 days prior to Lollapalooza. Needless to say they were happy to make the splash when I sat down with them in Chicago. Throughout the interview you can hear Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan of The Twilight Singers howling in the background, who the Lies happen to be fans of... These guys are really solid and lookout for them in the coming months. Go pickup their EP when it drops in October.

Brendan Canning of BSS Interview

Brendan Canning was nice enough to jump in the Quinnstorm tent at Lolla and give me a recap of his new solo project titled Something For All of Us.