When Lotus Plaza came out I was like a mom or something. Keeping up. The way that it went from anticipation anticipation anticipation anticipation…it’s such a sexual thing. You know what I mean it’s like they really wanted to see him with his clothes off. The album leaks like a fucking homemade sex video or something. Once the real album comes out it’s almost like yeah, I fucked her. I fucked him. I fucked that person already. When they first start getting it on they’re like “oh my God Atlas Sound is shit compared to this! Deerhunter is shit! Lotus Plaza is Deerhunter! Lotus Plaza is the essential essence of good music! Lotus Plaza is the transcendental…” The first two weeks it’s always the same. Then a week later they’re is a backlash. I’m tired of hearing about how good this is. The album isn’t even out yet! Think about In Utero: it took a year of 92/93/94 for that cycle to fully happen. There was an important day like Election Day. There’s not that anymore. People have destroyed a format of art. I have too. I’m not being Mr. Highhorse. I’m sorry for the tirade.”
Have you started recording your next album?
Yeah, we’ve started recording it. We’re doing it with Lockett (Pundt) from Deerhunter in his studio in Atlanta. The game plan is that we’re not gonna have a deadline. We’re not going to put it out unless it’s amazing. We’re really a live band. I don’t really care if we ever put out a record again. If it sucks, we’re just going to tour. I’m not too worried about our marketing plan. I mean our last records have some great moments, but they all could be better. We’re not putting out another record until it’s all great.
What one of the things that you disliked on the last album that you want to change?
We didn’t let enough people hear it before it came out. I guess we were too worried that it was going to leak, so we hid it from our friends, and you need friends to tell you things. They’ll let you know if it’s bad. This time we’re not going to be so scared to show it to people.
…LA Times…
How did you end up collaborating with The Black Lips and King Khan?
Originally, it came about through my manager Heathcliff [Berru]. The bands were fans of Wu-Tang and I and we decided to perform together. It worked out well; they’re good musicians and we have a mutual admiration and love. The thing is, they were already connecting with me in some way first. I’d never heard their music before, but I was feeling it and when I saw both of those groups perform live, I knew I could work with them. The vibe was there.
Much of current hip-hop — particularly the more mainstream iteration — is characterized by glossy shiny-sounding production. Did some of your desire to work with the Black Lips and King Khan stem from the similarity of their lo-fi aesthetic to the beats you came up rhyming on?
That’s my problem with the stuff today — it doesn’t sound raw and uncut. When the Black Lips sent a track over to me, I thought it sounded like a Beastie Boys track, the way the singer was singing and flowing on it. He was right in the pocket. You don’t get hip-hop that sounds that gritty anymore, you get some Auto-tune, ping-pong computer-made and Casio stuff.
A lot of rappers have tried to chase whatever trend was hot, whether it’s Auto-tune or getting the hottest R&B hookman on a track, but you’ve carved out a different path.
I think it’s about being original and creative. You’ve got to be comfortable with yourself. There’s no set way to do anything. Sometimes you have to go outside the box, sometimes you can do things the standard way. Like you don’t have to have a beat to write a song, sometimes you can write lyrics without the music. A lot of artists think that to be current, you have to follow what’s out there and do something that’s so unlike what you normally do. It can work but it doesn’t if you chase it.
This is a pretty new one that has in it Leo Chips (the SHOW in King Khan & BBQ Show). They play four songs and then do a little interview after. It’s all good!
BUT…you kind of have to skip some of it to get to the good stuff. Not to say that the first band/interview isn’t great, but come on now.
It’s a Reatarded name for a post, but I’m playing on the word “creep” which in any of its forms often appears in Jay’s lyrics and it’s also a play on the name of the song mentioned in the video; a good tune at that.
Gotta remind myself that this might be worth the $5:
The Best of Me + You Vol. 1 compiles over 30 exclusive interviews and songs recorded at the Viva Radio’s Brooklyn studios between 2007 and 2009 for the station’s signature original program. Hosted by the inimitable Tedward, Me + You gives listeners an intimate and often whimsical look at artists that both shy from the spotlight and swarm to it like white on rice.
The Best of Me + You features interviews and songs from true-blooded American rock singer & composer Andrew W.K., French electronic minimalist / sex enthusiast Sebastien Tellier, DIG darlings The Dandy Warhols, brother-sister concept artists The Fiery Furnaces, drone and ambient duo Growing, Memphis rock n’ roller Jay Reatard, Columbus Ohio low fi purveyors Times New Viking, legendary punk pioneers The Homosexuals, new school punk torch bearers The Black Lips, Brooklyn frenzied instrumentalists Fiasco, and many many more!
The digital compilation comes with a beautiful 32 page zine documenting the behind-the-scenes hijinx with pictures and insider anecdotes. The compilation is available with purchase of the limited edition Me + You t-shirt or separately for the nice price of $5.00. Pick up your copy today!
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 