Best interview? Silver Jews, Ted Leo, Magnolia Electric, Of Montreal?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Those are my four choices to line up for a cover interview for my rag, to run in March. Have any of you interviewed them? Which is going to be the most interesting to talk to? I'm leaning toward Leo or Berman. Also available: The Video Trapped the Rapper tour, ABK and Morgan Heritage. Or opening band Destroyer...
I haven't really listened to Leo in a couple albums, and never got into Magnolia or Montreal. I tend to like Berman's writing more than his music, but haven't shelled out for the last couple albums. There are promos from a couple of them that are supposed to be here already, but space is tight and I don't know how much I want to shag after harried press flacks. So who's the most interesting to talk to? Any of them pains in the ass?
(Oh, and unless someone else gets booked, it's looking like April's big show will be Clap Your Hands Say "Is Our Career Over Yet?")

― js (honestengine), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 17:42 (twenty years ago)

I remember Berman's interview with Pitchfork a year or so ago being pretty interesting, and I'm not even a huge Silver Jews fan.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 17:47 (twenty years ago)

joos and destroyer have the best recent albums, though bejar's kind of a notoriously difficult interview.

― ZR (teenagequiet), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 17:50 (twenty years ago)

Berman surely. You wouldn't even need to mention music at all.

― snotty moore, Tuesday, 24 January 2006 17:51 (twenty years ago)

Berman is fascinating....I can't imagine what Ted Leo would talk about that would be as interesting (and I like Ted Leo)...I guess Ted Leo might sell better though, if that matters to you.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 18:15 (twenty years ago)

Thanks. I'm trying to track down Berman now. I remember Leo's Hearts of Oak being really wordplay dense, and I liked that, but I remember being bored with whatever the followup was. And selling better's not really a consideration, since my boss (the music editor) doesn't have any real clue who any of these people are...

― js (honestengine), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 18:19 (twenty years ago)

Of Montreal. Kevin Barnes is utterly magnificent.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 18:35 (twenty years ago)

You could always ask Jason Molina why he lost all ability to write a great song when he moved on to the Magnolia project.

― piekoz (piekoz), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 20:27 (twenty years ago)

you could ask Barnes why people who love his music are so culty about it

― Thomas Tallis (Tommy), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 20:44 (twenty years ago)

I could ask Barnes if he's as short as the guys in Apples In Stereo.
(Quick note to Magnolia/Magnolia's publicist-- if neither the band's webpage nor the publicist's has a way to contact you, I will assume that you are douchebags... Especially the publicist! Come the fuck on! Luckily, the label's been handy).

― js (honestengine), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 21:56 (twenty years ago)

I was supposed to interview Ted Leo when Hearts of Oak came out. After six calls (at prearranged times) to his cel phone went straight to voice mail with no response, I totally gave up. No personal experience with any of the other people on your list, but David Berman is always interesting in conversation.

― ng-unit, Tuesday, 24 January 2006 22:17 (twenty years ago)

I found Ted to be a great interview

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 25 January 2006 00:41 (twenty years ago)

Oh "culty" my ass. Forgive me for being enthusiastic about the only person I've heard of recent who I've found to be genuinely, surprisingly fantastic.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 25 January 2006 00:51 (twenty years ago)

And therein lies your answer. Why so enthusiastic? Because he seems to me to be in his own league entirely. Period.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 25 January 2006 00:54 (twenty years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.