Planet Notion - Music - 60 Seconds

Home

Music

Live

Lifestyle

My Planet

Who the f**k?

60 seconds

Features

Albums

Downloads

Change Background

You are here -> Music / 60 Seconds

Friday, 16 May, 2008

PLANETNOTION TELEVISION!

INFO

You are browsing the 60 second interviews. Short sharp questions and answers with anyone we think is worth a squirt of HTML. Oh baby give me your URL.

RSS FEEDS

Subscribe Feeds

COLD WAR KIDS

'Reagan babies, missile fears, and international blues?' It might seem like an unlikely place to start with to write popular music but boy these kids seem to have managed it. Cold War Kids started out playing - hollering, stomping and chanting - together in a storage room atop Mulberry Street restaurant in downtown Fullerton, California. Taking their lead from Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday and the Velvet Underground, gritty human environments are where their tunes start, as they set about conjuring fragile lives and complex relationships. The Kids are Nathan (lead vocals, guitar), Jonnie (vocals, guitar), Matt (bass) and another Matt who bangs the drums. We rang him for a quickie… Words: Natasha Siggers Tell us where the name Cold War Kids came from? Our bass player was in Budapest when he came across all of these kids playing on crumbled statues from the Stalin era – we went with it! Do you think that America is still waging a kind of Cold War? Well there’s a hot war in Iraq! Yeah, it's like that Cold War state never went away... Nathan writes our lyrics, we try to stay on top of politics. Which bands on the US/UK scene are earning your respect right now? We’re all big fans of TV On The Radio, it goes without saying but Radiohead, as ever. There’s also an ace band called Pink Mountaintops you should check out from Canada - they did a Coldplay cover and I actually liked it. What is your favourite track on the album and why? 'Robbers' was the last one we wrote, I like it for the drumming which was recorded through a hallway into a mic in a bathroom! 'Saint John' is also interesting for the drums, we had three drummers playing at once, picked up by different mics, all offbeat and slightly out of rhythm, a push-pull effect. Did you guys use any unusual instruments on the album? We experimented with loads of different guitars, as well as playing one guitar through two amps simultaneously. There were vintage organs, shakers, a Casio keyboard, some ancient Christmas bells! What kind of mood can people expect on the record? It's definitely a live album, if I can say that! We recorded it in a big open room with a control panel, it’s not perfect but it’s a real band playing. We make music about serious everyday topics but our sound is generally optimistic. It’s an honest record, hopefully you’ll like it! COLD WAR KIDS' DEBUT ALBUM ‘ROBBERS AND COWARDS’ IS OUT 5TH FEBRUARY (V2 RECORDINGS)

tags: | cold war kids | robbers and cowards | v2 recordings | nathan | johnnie | matt | more...

UFFIE

PLACE OF BIRTH: Florida, USA DATE OF BIRTH: December 9th, 1987 PERSONAL MOTTO : If you don’t like me, fuck me. STYLE OF MUSIC (IN FIVE WORDS): Dirrty poppy fun sexy trash DESCRIBE YOURSELF (IN FIVE WORDS): Shy crazy short spender An 18 year-old Floridian rap siren taking up residence in Europe’s most beautiful city was always likely to ruffle a few Parisian feathers. When local electronique hero Mr Oizo heard Uffie’s breathy Lolita flow and witnessed firsthand her insane delivery it was a no-brainer of a match-up – the kind of chance encounter from which magic was always likely to emerge. Although a total newcomer to the game – a mere 10 months ago dreams of becoming a fashion designer or ballerina were far more pressing – Ed Banger’s own DJ Feadz convinced Uffie to rhyme over his beats and ‘Pop The Glock’ - the doper than dope B-side to debut single ‘Ready To Uff’ – was born. As a follow up to the demented electro-rap of that underground summer smash ‘Ready To Uff’, ‘Hot Chick’ is another self-explanatory celebration of 80s synth bass and smut that will have you humming ‘I’m a hot chick’ regardless of your gender. On the flipside is ‘In Charge’, a pitched down and gnarly approach to ‘promoting the feminine’ with Feadz again in control of the beats and the killer line; “you wear your pants down, its dangling off your ass, is it because you grab your ankles for a VIP pass?” What do you do to chill out after a hectic night performing? Hotel party with close friends, nice wine, a bed and chatting or baths What is your biggest achievement so far? I think I would have to say getting invited to perform at the BBC/Ice Cream party in Tokyo with Pharrell. Who are your musical heroes? Missy Elliott, Eric Clapton, Etta James, Aphex Twin, Jay-Z. Too many to write. Tell us about your new projects… Right now, I am focusing on my album. I am going to do some collaborations in the future. But right now I am really keeping it in the Ed Banger family. What are your plans for the future? You will have to wait and see. Are there any artists you would like to work with? Yes, I’d love to work with Pharrell or Missy but I would also like to try something with someone from a completely different style. What is catching your ear at the moment? Definitely JME You’re having a dinner party. Who would you invite and why? The A-Team because they know how to enjoy a night. What is your recipe for success? I don’t believe there is a recipe. People can try to be what is hype and market the hell out of themselves, but trends change constantly. I think the only way to plan long term success is to be you and do what you feel to the fullest. What makes you angry? Friends, travelling, candy, parties, shopping, writing, reading. They all make me happy and make me mad. What was the last CD/record you bought? The ‘Donnie Darko’ soundtrack. I hadn’t seen the movie in ages and I am sick at the moment in bed. It’s a really great soundtrack for this time. What is your favourite song? It really depends on what mood I am in. Right now, on my Itunes the most played songs are ‘Mad World’, ‘Love Fool’, ‘Washing Up’, What U Know About That’, ‘Crazy’, ‘At Last’, ‘How We Do It Over Here’. If not a DJ/producer/artist then what? My father is the director of a fashion company and I grew up hanging around his office seeing how every job goes. I am very interested in fashion and make some of my own clothes. But I think I prefer the business side of the fashion world. I also love painting but that’s just really for me actually. And lastly I think I will take a shot at writing. It’s something I have always wanted to do so I think now is the perfect time to test it out. So definitely between fashion and writing books! ‘HOT CHICK’ IS AVAILABLE ON ED BANGER RECORDS NOW.

tags: | uffie | hot chick | ed banger | mr oizo | paris

THE RUMBLE STRIPS

THE RUMBLE STRIPS

PLACE OF BIRTH: Camberwell, London DATE OF BIRTH: 24.12.79 STYLE OF MUSIC (IN FIVE WORDS): DIY epic rock and roll DESCRIBE YOURSELF (IN FIVE WORDS): Ginger rock and roll singer What are The Rumble Strips about? Exceptionally strong melodies, smart, funny self-deprecating lyrics, pop hooks and songwriting of the highest quality. There’s a real sense of honesty with this band, both musically and lyrically, that resonates throughout their songs - that uncanny knack of making the most uplifting, anthemic of music out of the saddest, most desolate songs. ‘Oh Creole’ sets out the band’s stall from the off. Thundering drums, brass to stir the soul and singer Charlie Waller’s voice – a thing of rare beauty and power suggesting a genuine star in the making. Backed by the fairground waltz of ‘Running Away’ and the Bowie playing at Big Pink, white boy funk of ‘High Street Heaven’, you have one hell of a debut EP. QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY CHARLIE Who are your musical heroes? Adam Ant, Euros Childs, Ray Davies and Lou Reed. Tell us about your new projects. We’ve just got back from America where we recorded our first album with Tony Hoffer. We are going on our first headline tour tomorrow for a month around Britain. During this time our EP ‘Cardboard Coloured Dreams’ is coming out. What are your plans for the future? We are playing around Britain pretty much constantly until Xmas. Next year we will be working towards putting out the album with more touring and recording. At the moment that is as far ahead as I am looking. We will keep writing and try to beat the songs we have already got. Are there any artists you would like to work with? Nobody really springs to mind. There are a lot of people that I like, but what I would do with them, I’m not sure. I think it’s better to just do your own thing. What is catching your ear at the moment? I really like the Cold War Kids and Good Shoes. I think they’re my favourite two bands at the moment. Both of their albums will be out soon and I’m looking forward to them both. You’re having a dinner party. Who would you invite and why? I can’t really imagine having a dinner party, but if I had a garden I would probably have a barbeque. In which case I would like to have Brian Blessed manning the coals so he could boom “sausages ready” in a loud, deep voice. I would also like the lady from ‘A Knight’s Tale’ to be there so I could get drunk and tell her I thought she was pretty and ask why haven’t I seen her in any other films. What is your recipe for success? Crack two ideas in a pan, one good, one bad, whisk together. Leave to set overnight. Serve with a generous helping of intent. What makes you happy? Driving, kissing someone I like, dancing to old rock and roll, pointless minor theft, going to the loo outside, Haribo tang mix, well made shoes. What makes you angry? A girl once pulled a hair out of my chin with tweezers and I felt incredibly angry. What was the last CD/record you bought? The last CD I bought was a Billy Ward and the Dominos one. They are a sort of early rock and roll 50s vocal group. They do a great song called ‘Sixty Minute Man’, which is sung by the bass vocalist. It’s basically him bragging that he can satisfy a woman for an hour. What is your favourite song? There are lots of songs that I could choose and it depends on how you’re feeling at the time. If I had to pick one it would probably be ‘A Pair of Brown Eyes’ by The Pogues If not a DJ/producer/artist then what? I would like to be an explorer or mountaineer. But I would have liked to have done it in the old days when they wore tweed and hobnailed boots and took hampers and wine with them. What do you do to chill out after a hectic night performing? After we’ve drunk the rider, we try to sort out where we are going to stay. Sometimes it’s on people’s floors, sometimes in the van or sometimes we drive back to London. This next tour is the first one where we have Travelodges booked, so we are looking forward to not having to worry about that side of things and have showers - this will also help with the smell of the van. What is your biggest achievement so far? I held my breath for the entire distance of the Blackwall tunnel in a taxi and the traffic was moving pretty slow. THE ‘CARDBOARD COLOURED DREAMS’ EP IS AVAILABLE NOW.

tags: | the rumblestrips | cardboard coloured dreams | charlie waller | tony hoffer

DJ JON SLATER

PLACE OF BIRTH: Orsett, Essex DATE OF BIRTH: 16/07/84 PERSONAL MOTTO : It’s all about the music. STYLE OF MUSIC (IN FIVE WORDS): Deep and dirty electro tech house. DESCRIBE YOURSELF (IN FIVE WORDS): Passionate individual stubborn ambitious confident. London’s hottest up and coming DJs JIMMY LEE and JON SLATER’s following is spreading throughout Europe with their unique blend of tech, minimal, electro, deep and funky house. Since the release of their podcast they have never looked back. Weekly downloads in their tens of thousands from around the world made their podcast the second most downloaded. Above the likes of Pete Tong, Sasha, Basement Jaxx and the Defected podcasts. With 75,000 downloads in a month, it was getting Lee and Slater loads of attention resulting in it being signed as the offical podcast for djdownload.com. What do you do to chill out after a hectic night performing? Go to the studio with my friend Jimmy Lee and Rob Sewell and make tunes. Or sleep. What is your biggest achievement so far? My DJing partner Jimmy Lee and I started our podcast a few months ago. Within the first month it received 75, 000 downloads and was above the likes of Pete Tong in the ITunes podcast charts. Now because we were getting such a following it has been signed as the official podcast for djdownload.com. Check us out there or search for us in the ITunes podcast directory. Who are your musical heroes? Kerri Chandler. Kenny Dope, Frankie Knuckles, D. Ramirez, Erick Morillo. Tell us about your new projects… Working on the podcast, updating it every two weeks with a new mix. Concentrating on making tunes. What are your plans for the future? World domination. Making quality house tunes and being a headline DJ. Are there any artists you would like to work with? At the moment just concentrating on finding my own sound in the studio. Wouldn’t even begin to think about it until I’ve found it! What is catching your ear at the moment? D.Ramirez. He is a musical genius. Love everything he does at the moment. You’re having a dinner party. Who would you invite and why? Prince Harry, Kate Moss because they seem like they could get a party going. Plus usual family and friends. What is your recipe for success? Stick to the music you like. Don’t listen to what anyone else thinks or says. What makes you happy? Music and my girlfriend. What makes you angry? People hovering around me on the decks and people requesting music I’m obviously not playing. What was the last CD/record you bought? Hoxton Whores – ‘Saturday Love’ What is your favourite song? At the moment – D.Ramirez – ‘Lost’ Of all time – Bucketheads – ‘The Bomb’ If not a DJ/producer/artist then what? A nothing, lowlife scumbag with nothing to live for WWW.MYSPACE.COM/JIMMYLEE_JONSLATER

tags: | jon slater | jimmy lee | podcast | djdownload.com

Shorty

PLACE OF BIRTH: C Shorty – Leeds, Me – Hammersmith. D: London DATE OF BIRTH : C The band was born in 2001 Shorty are currently defining UK hip hop, with their unique and experimental blend of funk and rock with an occasional dip into American jazz and soul. They are made up of seven members, with Celeste on lead vocals, Cisco (MC), Ducane (MC/vocals), Jim Reynolds (guitar), Dan French (bass), Hudge (DJ) and Charlie Taylor (drums). The band are already well-known in certain circles, winning the Diesel-U-Music hip hop award, making appearances on MTV and an international advertising campaign for Pepsi. They have spent the past few years working with some of the UK’s best hip hop producers and touring around Europe supporting the likes of Roots Manuva, although they have sold out a crowd by themselves in London. Their totally unique yet iconic British sound never fails to win over a crowd and they have now become renowned for their live performances. They have recently signed to Gravy Records, which led them to billings at a whole host of the summer’s festivals. QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY DAN AND CISCO. What do you do to chill out after a hectic night performing? C - Straight after gigs we tend to hit the bar, drink and talk to people. It sounds quite narcissistic but face-to face you can really tell what people think even if they tell you you’re great! What is your biggest achievement so far? C - Apart from not killing each other I’d say this year has been great for us. We’ve started to get the Shorty name out there and receive more acclaim for what we’re doing. Playing 02 Wireless and Ashton Court were mind-blowing. We’ve always seen ourselves as a live act more than anything else, so getting to do what we do best at this level just felt right... if not a little nerve-wracking. Who are your musical heroes? D - Originals and Innovators. Artists with longevity who stick to their guns, take their own route and who aren’t distracted by fads and trends. C - I’ve always been influenced by Jimi Hendrix and early hip hop and rock acts. I remember stealing my brother’s cassette copy of an early KRS 1 album and thinking, “man, I wanna do this!” I like people that take risks musically and lyrically and that won’t conform just to fit in. What are your plans for the future? C - I think the vibe at Shorty Central is one of expansion. We’ve got our foot in the door now and it’s definitely time to kick it open and let people know we’re here. We know we can hold our own in the festival scene so we want to push that more and start doing bigger and better ones. We live for that stuff! On top of all that, we’re writing new material, gigging more, and recording the second single and the album. Are there any artists you would like to work with? C - There are loads but right now I think it’s important we concentrate on getting our sound out there as us. I’m not saying we’re not interested in guest spots and collaborations but with seven of us throwing ideas in already it’s tough enough. D - For me, there’s loads. Stevie Wonder being one but he’s got some explaining to do after that Blue business. What is your recipe for success? C - All of us fighting like dogs until we finally agree on something special. I don’t think we’ve really mastered our recipe yet, but we’re definitely on the right track. What makes you happy? C - Jack Daniels and home cooking. Honestly though, I’ve yet to experience anything that can meet the buzz of playing live music with the others to a large crowd. There’s something crazy about it. What makes you angry? C - Spam email, loyalty cards, adverts in papers for literacy classes, things like that drive me mad. What was the last CD/record you bought? C - The last lot I bought were Amp Fiddler, The Kooks, and Rage’s first album that somebody stole off me If not a DJ/producer/artist then what? D - Drawing, designing, inventing and being creative - a gardener? C – I would be a depressed, bored, and grumpy old man, with six similarly depressed friends who all meet up at least twice a week and dream of what could have been SHORTYS DEBUT SINGLE ‘I TRY’ IS AVAILABLE NOW. CATCH THE BAND AS THEY TOUR THE UK THIS AUTUMN. TOUR DATES AND A FREE MIXTAPE DOWNLOAD (PRODUCED BY BABY J) CAN BE FOUND AT SHORTYONLINE.CO.UK AND WWW.MYSPACE.COM/SHORTYONLINE.

tags: | shorty | celeste | cisco | ducane | jim reynolds | dan french | hudge | charlie taylor | more...

PING PONG BITCHES

PING PONG BITCHES

PLACE OF BIRTH: EMILY Edinburgh. LOUISE London. DATE OF BIRTH: EMILY July. LOUISE St Patrick’s Day. PERSONAL MOTTO: EMILY Live fast die old. LOUISE Party on forever. STYLE OF MUSIC (IN FIVE WORDS): EMILY Electro Ragga Rock Disco Boogie. LOUISE Sexyelectroraprockthing DESCRIBE YOURSELF (IN FIVE WORDS): EMILY Hard as hell but soft inside. LOUISE Excitable, ludicrous, smiley, adventurous and lucky Their hobbies include: riots, hard-drinking, sex, high heels and teenage boys – and all before breakfast. It could only be the notorious Ping Pong Bitches, back on the scene and snapped up by Mark Moore of Umami records, the only man fearless enough to work with them. Their new single ‘Roc Ya Body’ hit the streets in September – a song inspired by blonde vocalist Louise Prey’s lustings for a young man she met on a bus to Manchester. Moore explains why he was so eager to take on London’s baddest ladies. “When I first saw the Ping Pong Bitches I fell in love. I thought this is how the Shangri-Las would sound if they were brought up on a diet of Acid House and The Ramones.” This new invention of the band sees the Ping Pong Bitches morph from a trio of girls singing over a backing track, to a live band featuring keyboards and guitars. Hong Kong’s Mandy Wong has departed making way for two live instrumentalists Danny Noise (guitars and production) and Sister Hell (keyboards) who have helped bolster the sound. The Bitches are renowned for their unapologetic couldn’t give a fuck attitude. They cite influences as diverse as Sex Pistols, Satan’s Slaves and Joan Jett as well as Lil Kim, Notorious B.I.G, Serge Gainsbourg and Kraftwerk. Some describe them as “punky disco hell cats”, they describe themselves as Jekyll and Hyde at an after-party. Their music fuses raucous rock’n’roll, bad ass rap as well as original 80s electro beats. Since their last release, the Ping Pong Bitches have performed around the world playing with the likes of Coachella, Pukkelpop, Popcomm, Revolver and supporting the Scissor Sisters U.S. Tour. Most recently they provided vocals on the Prodigy’s latest album, ‘Always Outnumbered Never Outgunned’ including the hit single ‘Girls’. Just to prove they can be nice, the Bitches have kindly answered a few questions we at Notion nervously put to them... What do you do to chill out after a hectic night performing? EMILY : Take a fast ride into the night LOUISE : Occasional cigar and plenty of hot chocolate What is your biggest achievement so far? EMILY : Not experienced it yet. LOUISE : Giving up teenage boys (it was tough). Who are your musical heroes? EMILY : Iggy Pop, Dee Dee Ramone, Joan Jett, Keith Richards,69, Daft Punk LOUISE : Serge Gainsbourg, Rolling Stones and Lil’ Kim. Tell us about your new projects... EMILY : Putting ‘Alphadog’ out. LOUISE : Putting a tour together. What are your plans for the future? EMILY : Rocking out. LOUISE : Who knows what the future holds? Are there any artists you would like to work with? EMILY : The Neptunes LOUISE : Notorious B.I.G., Divine and Deedee Ramone. What is catching your ear at the moment? EMILY : Spank Rock LOUISE : Monsiour Gainsbourg You’re having a dinner party. Who would you invite and why? EMILY : Family friends and dogs because it would be fun. They know how to have a good time. LOUISE : Jack Black, the girl from the Gossip, Blondie, Marilyn Monroe, Vivienne Westwood, Lil’ Kim, Missy Elliot, Donatella Versace, Dodi Alfayed, Princess Diana and Serge Gainsbourg. Catering by Lebanese restaurant Maroush. What is your recipe for success? EMILY : I wish I knew. LOUISE : Don’t ever stop doing what you’re doing! What makes you happy? LOUISE : Writing songs and Harrods. Sometimes at the same time... What makes you angry? EMILY : Sickness LOUISE : Meanness What is your favourite song? EMILY : The Stooges 1969 LOUISE : ‘Je’ taime moi non plus’ If not a DJ/producer/artist then what? EMILY : Mark Moore D LOUISE : Shoe Designer THE SINGLE ‘ROCK YA BODY’ IS AVAILABLE NOW WITH AN ALBUM TO FOLLOW EARLY NEXT YEAR

tags: | ping pong bitches | mark moore | umami | many wong | danny noise

4

NEWSLETTER!

Click here and sign up to our weekly newsletter, to get the latest Notion goodness.