[RH First Look] Justin Rose
Justin Rose does a little bit of everything. The 23 year old from New York City started off rapping before gravitating to what he calls the "addicting" process of crafting beats. I met him this past year at SXSW while hanging out at the Illmore after-party, wondering how I was still awake. Since then we have kept in touch as Rose has spread his forward-thinking production across his scene and city, linking up with the likes of NYC up and comer Kris Kasanova which garnered him a track on Peter Rosenberg's curated mixtape earlier this Summer, as well as doing in-house production for Nakim. When I met him on the front end of 2013 there were still a lot of question marks around both of our futures. Nearly a year later, Rose has found himself bouncing around the vibrant and bubbling New York scene that have many bloggers across the country learning how to spell the word 'Renaissance'. The growth and uprise of that scene in New York is due in large part to progressive, hungry and cross-platform artists like Rose who are eager to find a way to push the music and culture forward without apology. I was able to catch up with Rose over the phone recently as he was leaving the studio from working on his debut project, RoseWaVve Vol.1. to talk about what the year has been like, what he's been up to and where things are headed for the young crafter. In exchange, he sent over this video for his track, "PARTY4ME", which we are premiering here on Ruby Hornet. Give the video a watch below and get to know Justin Rose.
[RH Interview] Elsinore
With raw talent and tons of heart, Elsinore is in full-force, hitting all you indie-pop/rock lovers with, (in my opinion), one of the best albums of the year. PUSH/PULL was released earlier this month in all of its glory via Parasol Records, followed by a spectacular album release show at Subterranean in Chicago, where I had the pleasure of chatting with Elsinore. Founding members Ryan Groff (guitar, lead vocals) and Mark Woolwine (keys, vocals), gave me all the sweet details on the making of their new album, the new band lineup, and more.
[RH First Look] Aaron Cohen
New York City has long been a dreamer’s city, a place where many a success was made and many a pipe dream shuttered. When it comes to hip-hop, it’s essentially Mecca. It’s where the music first took root, where B-boys and MC-ing first became popular. Because of that, NYC has long been seen as the place to make it, if looking to do so, as Jay-Z has reminded us for years. Seattle native Aaron Cohen made his way to the Big Apple looking for new opportunities aabout six years ago, diving into the bubbling scene that has many calling the current period the latest in a long line of hip-hop renaissances that have taken place in the birthplace of rap music. With an unapologetic rhyming style and an intimidating beard to match, Aaron Cohen hustled his way to the forefront of the underground scene in his adopted hometown. November 11, the Decon signee dropped his latest project, Potential Fans, a thrashing, complete project that stands to prove why Cohen deserves his own lane in the greater landscape of hip-hop today. I had a chance to catch up with the owner of the best facial hair this side of Action Bronson last week as he was getting off work and on the heels of the release of his latest project. It’s easy to feel the passion and drive in every word Cohen spits and speaks, check out my talk with one of the latest artists to emerge from the bubbling cauldron that is New York City today.
[RH Interview] The Tontons at Fun Fun Fun Fest
Photography by Niraj Mehdiratta
Bands, in large part, reflect the scenes from which they come. This sentiment rings true for indie band The Tontons, who helped to open this weekend's Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas with a pair of sets opening for Kurt Vile on Thursday night and another on Friday, as well as dropping their new video "Veida" on the Wall Street Journal's Speakeasy blog. The trip to Texas' capital for the 8th annual music, comedy and action sports fest wasn't a long one for the four-piece act from Houston, although it was the first time playing the three day end to festival season.
Together for nearly eight years now, The Tontons are indicative of a slow-moving yet supportive Houston music scene where dues are paid before garnering the city's full support. To hear Asli and the gang describe it, breaking through to the next level in their hometown is a little different than other places in the country. The Tontons, a hodgepodge of styles, interests and musical abilities, are hard to put a finger on, precisely, but that's how they like it. Their music could most closely be described as indie pop, but they have a co-sign from Houston hip-hop legend Bun B, who introduces them at shows and they're toying with the idea of adding some metal components to some songs after hanging around FFF's Black stage Saturday.
Things are really coming together for The Tontons as they prepare to release their next album in the spring and ready for a wild 2014. Having been around for awhile and earned their stripes in their hometown though, they are ready to make things happen on their own terms. I had a chance to catch the group backstage at Fun Fun Fun and sat down for a quick chat, read what they had to say about playing the festival for the first time, being different and drinking too much Red Bull.
[RH Interview] MiniBoone
Tour life can get stressful. New York City rock band Miniboone found that out the hard way on their most recent foray out of the Big Apple as they set out at the beginning of October to tour in support of their latest, self-titled album. While traveling from South Carolina to Georgia, the group's vintage Chevy Express broke down and didn't get up, eventually settling in at a southern junk yard. With shows to go on and few options, James, Craig, Doug and Drew got a rental car and continued on, ending up at Township Cafe in Chicago's Logan Square on October 23 where I was able to meet up with the band and talk about their album, the particular sound they are trying to achieve and what is next for a band that just lost it's wheels.
Jake: You all just got into town, what's life on the road been like?
Doug: It's been stressful. We toured down to Georgia because a bass player that tours with us was getting married in Atlanta. So we went to the wedding and played some interesting shows on the way down, and then our van died a few days after that. So literally two days ago we droppedo ut van off at a scrapyard where they're going to cruch it down into a washing machine.
Drew: That was yesterday and it seems like a week ago.
Craig: Yesterday was easily the longest of my life.
Jake: So yesterday you dropped you van off at a scrapyard, not a great start?
Craig: It was a '99 Chevy Express that we've had for about three and a half years.
Doug: It was called Tracy Chap-van
Craig: We were going through the mountains from Athens to Knoxville and it started puttering out and it lost of its strength, we pulled off the road on this road somewhere in South Carolina and took it to a mechanic and they told us it was done for and we picked up a car. . . it's such a long story.
Doug: Long story short:Cindy at Budget rent a car at the Knoxville airport helped us out and now we have a rental and we took our old van to be made into scrap metal.
Joe: The really sad thing is that the price we got for the van was about half of what the rental cost. We got $447.47. I thought we were going to have to pay them.
Drew: I'm just upset we didn't get to watch it.
Jake: That's one hell of a hiccup while you're on the road, what's the rest of things been like?
Craig: Well it was a fun tour, we got to go to a wedding.
Doug: We had a really good show in North Carolina on our way down. It's been pretty unconventional, but not unimaginable, you know? It happens to bands all the time, their van breaks down on tour or whatever, so it's not too out there.
Jake: Road problems aside, what have the shows been like so far?
Doug: Fine shows, good shows for a band at this level.
Craig:The most fun show so far was probably the Greensboro show. We played their festival that they were having for four days. There were tons of bands and we played really late but everyone was really drunk by the time we played and were screaming and rolling on the floor basically, trying to lick our instruments.
Drew: He was trying to cast a spell-he wouldn't touch it, he would just get really close.
[RH Interview] Ezra Furman
Chicago native Ezra Furman broke out on the indie-rock scene back in 2006 by fronting Ezra Furman and The Harpoons, making waves and records that brought his unusual voice and rock and roll songs to the people. Now he is back with a brand new record. Day Of The Dog, which he recorded with his band, The Boy-Friends. Day Of The Dog brings out a new side to Furman’s sound, which seems to have matured with every album. The record has an overall eclectic and manic feeling, though each song is thoroughly developed, leaving listeners fully satisfied with every track. I got to sit down with Ezra and pick his brain about the new record, tour, and The Boy-Friends. Read along and get to know Ezra Furman.
Brynn: What are some of your goals for the new record, Day Of The Dog?
Ezra: I got very vague about goals because they never helped me in the past. Non-artistic goals make me feel stressed out and disappointed. I just really wanted to put out a good record; that is what I worried about, and then it turned out good. (laughs)
Brynn: For your debut solo album, The Year Of No Returning, you had a running theme where each song represented a month of the year. Was there any driving theme or idea that fueled this record?
Ezra: The main idea was for it to be more manic; the last one was a little bit more depressive. I wanted this to be a manic affair. It is kind of the other side of the psychic coin.
Brynn: What were you listening to when you wrote the record?
Ezra: A lot of Howling Wolf and old things on test records with a lot of saxophone solos.
Brynn: I really appreciated all the saxophone solos on your album. What made you decide to incorporate that instrument into the mix?
Ezra: I guess we are just… I say “we” as in general fans of music… are sick of the guitar solo. Now every band has a guitar player in it that takes a lot of solos, but before, it seemed like there was a sax player in every rock and roll band that took wild solos. I was just looking for new avenues of mania. I wanted insanity.
Brynn: My favorite song on the album so far is “My Zero.” Can you elaborate on the meaning of the song?
Ezra: It comes from running, running around, running away. Many musicians will tell you a homeless feeling is developed, so it’s a song about that homeless and traveling feeling.
Brynn: Did you write in on the road?
Ezra: No, I wrote it at home, but I had just moved to another new place, another new home, and it’s like I’m setting up my tent and building my fire here now.
[RH Interview] Nate Fox
Photo by Bryan Lamb
A year ago, Nate Fox was living in Pittsburgh, working on a construction site. That all changed on April 30 when Chance The Rapper released his critically-acclaimed project, Acid Rap, featuring production from Fox. The past four months have taken him far from that manual labor life, traveling the country and then the world on the strength of his production and the success of Chance's latest release. To say it has been a long road is not an overstatement, after ten years plugging away in his native Pittsburgh and later Cleveland, Fox caught the ear of Chancellor with his beat for the Acid Rap single "Juice" with its quirky, bouncing, up-tempo beat. The rest is quickly becoming history as Fox and a talented team of producers including Peter CottonTale and Cam Osteen head back out on the road with Chance for his headlining Social Experiment tour. I got the opportunity to catch Fox while he was in Chicago preparing for the tour and had a chance to catch him for a few minutes between a salad and a session. Read about the crazy path his life has taken in 2013 and what lays ahead, below.
Jake: So I know you've had a crazy summer since Acid Rap dropped at the end of April, what's life been like?
Nate Fox: It's been a lot different, a lot different. Like, I don't feel any different but what I've been doing has definitely been different. It feels like a lot longer than what it's been just because its been so much compacted into such a short amount of time. You know, I was doing the construction thing. When Acid Rap dropped I was working construction in the middle of Pittsburgh, not even Pittsburgh but the middle of Pennsylvania, in the sticks. I think I left to go to LA to meet with labels and stuff in like June. And so from June until now, its been like a whirlwind of shit, like I just signed my pub deal with Disney like two or three weeks ago. I just got my check today, it came Fed Ex'ed to Pat (Corcoran)'s house today, but the ironic part is its Columbus Day and the banks are closed so I couldn't even do anything with it. So it was like ten years of waiting just to wait one more day (laughs).
Jake: Still, it always feels good to get that first check.
Nate Fox: Yeah, to get that first real check. I've gotten paid off music a whole bunch, but never to the point where I was like 'maybe I should start looking at places' you know what I mean?
[RH Interview] Melt-Banana
Melt-Banana has been creating aggressive noise-core for more than two decades now. However, through the band's career, they've changed their sound a bit, experimenting with electronica and pop instrumentation to complement vocalist Yasuko Onuki's iconic, high-pitched screech and guitarist Ichirou Agata's multi-layered scratch/slide guitar. Their most recent album, fetch, retains the band's signature discordant sound balanced with pop sensibilities that will appeal to new listeners.
Recently, I had the chance to ask Yako and Agata a few questions over email prior to their North American tour, 2 do what 2 fetch. We talked about the album, the future of the band without longtime bassist Rika mm, and the differences between playing in America and Japan. Check it out! If you're interested in catching the Japanese noise-core band, tickets are still on sale for their 21+ show at the Double Door this Sunday. The show will also feature Brain Tentacles, Guzzlemug, and Svlphvrs.