Darker My Love’s Tim Presley delivered one of the most unexpected and impressive LPs of last year with his solo project White Fence’s self-titled debut. At the time, it was one of the best records L.A. RECORD ever randomly received; about a year later, it is still completely fascinating. White Fence plays Friday at Blue Star with Cold Showers, the Urinals and Night Control (win tickets here!) so we are re-printing this interview by Daniel Clodfelter now!

Was it your intention, when making the first record, to make the listener wonder if their record player was broken?
Ha! No! I grew up listening to tapes so it just sounds right to me. I haven’t really thought about this growing up but I’m pretty sure that possibly my ears—and maybe a lot of people are on the same boat—have just adjusted to hearing music from a cassette. Like that’s what music’s supposed to sound like—like an old cassette or music you’ve already known. If you listen to—not to get all Steve Albini or whatever—a tape, it just sounds good to me, like a mixtape that has been dubbed a million times. That’s what I’m trying to do.
How did you create that warped cassette sound on the first LP? Is it a delay effect?
No, that’s just because it was dubbed from cassette. It’s just from bouncing it back and pitch-shifting things. My 4-track recorder does a weird almost pitch-shift thing on its own sometimes. I don’t know why it does it! And from bouncing the tracks so many times some natural warpage occurs as well.
How do you reproduce the delay effects and warped sounds that appear on the record in a live setting?
I try not to think about how to recreate the record live, but I think in the future I’m definitely going to try to incorporate some weird loops or something. It turns into a big thing. Since I don’t really have a solid group to practice with all the time, as Sean [Presley, of S.F. band Nodzzz and Tim’s brother] and the guys live in San Francisco, so far it has been more of a straightforward rock show.
Last time you talked with L.A. RECORD—as a member of Darker My Love—you stated your distaste of genre labels like ‘punk’ and ‘psychedelic.’ How do you feel about White Fence being tagged with genre labels like ‘lo-fi’ and ‘DIY’?
It’s hard to say. I feel like ‘lo-fi’ is more of a technical term, whereas ‘psychedelic’ is just a perception of what a kind of music is. The ‘lo-fi’ thing doesn’t bother me as much, though there is a lot of that going around, and that’s fine. My whole point was that the label ‘punk’ can be used to describe so many things—all the way to Blink-182. It’s just so wide that it doesn’t get down to what it really is. It doesn’t mean anything. As far as ‘lo-fi,’ you can call it whatever you want but it’s a matter of whether the music is any good or not. Maybe you could just file it under ‘good music.’
I’m ready for the ‘good music’ copycats!
I’m not that bummed about the genre thing. But I feel like if you get stuck in some genre you keep making the same thing. In a weird way, it seems like that is what people want. With the new Darker My Love record, it’s not very psychedelic, and I feel like a lot of people are like, ‘What happened to the psychedelic-ness, man?’ I dunno—it’s all just music.
What made you want to start White Fence when you were already doing Darker My Love and touring with the Strange Boys?
I had recorded the songs at home and they sounded fine to me. I didn’t want to re-record them or nitpick them. There’s something special about recording a song right as you write it. The thing is, I never expected these songs to ever be released. My brother, Sean, was over one night and asked what I was doing recording-wise. I played him some tracks and he asked me to make him a CD. Later he was playing it in his car and his buddy Eric—of Make A Mess Records and at the time the drummer of Nodzzz—heard it and decided to put it out.
What inspired you to record by yourself in the first place?
I think I just all of a sudden had the guts to do, say and write exactly what I wanted.
When you’re writing, what makes you decide whether you will use it for White Fence or Darker My Love?
I don’t know! I have no idea! I guess I just had a bunch of songs written and didn’t think some of them would work with Darker My Love. Not to sound selfish or weird, but I didn’t want to go through the whole band process, which is dealing with a democracy of five guys. When I write a song for Darker My Love I have four other guys in mind. It’s like writing a play and having the actors bring it to life. White Fence is just me.
Who is White Fence when it’s not just you?
So far all the recorded songs are just me. Live, my brother has played every show. He’s been the ringleader at getting the group together. His roommate, Moe, has been playing drums and we swap two different bass players.
I really enjoyed the Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers cover at the end of your upcoming LP, …Is Growing Faith—the toy keyboard you added is a great touch!
Between 18 and my early twenties I was obsessed with Johnny Thunders. Don’t ask me why.
I went through several years of Thunders obsession myself!
I revisited his stuff again recently and was blown away by how great of a song ‘You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory’ is. New York Dolls cheesiness aside, it is a really amazing song. The lyrics are insanely well-written.
The first song on …Is Growing Faith seems to be simply someone answering a phone with ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands’ playing in the background. What recent phone call made you the happiest?
Probably when Ryan from Strange Boys called me last week to come down and record some vocals for their new album. That was a good one. I’m generally pretty afraid of phones. When the phone rings I can’t answer it; I hate it. Phones freak me out. I try not to answer the phone as much as possible.
I just picked up a copy of the Nerves tribute album on Volar/I Hate Rock ‘n’ Roll, which features your art and a White Fence track. [And a track from the interviewer’s band, Shark Toys!—ed.] How does being a graphic artist affect your music?
It’s kept me humble—because I don’t get paid. For anything! I’ve done so much art for a lot of people and I never get paid. I don’t really ask for money, though. It doesn’t really do anything for the music. However, it is fun to listen to the music and to try to apply some visuals to it. I get a real kick out of that.
You have an art opening this month—with Ryan from Strange Boys and a few others. What kind of art will you be showing?
I’ve been trying to focus on art and showing it in galleries. The work displayed at this show—opening January 8th at Family bookstore—is the cover art for the new White Fence LP, …Is Growing Faith. I have also recently written a book called You Don’t Have Your Eyes Yet. It’s mostly prose and poetry.
Who are some of the musical—or nonmusical—influences for White Fence?
Maybe Ben Franklin. He was an ideas man. I admire that. For one man to accomplish all that he did—he invented a lot of strange and important things. I really admire Frank Zappa. I don’t really enjoy half of his music but there are some records that I really like. I’ve read two books on him already and I like the way he thinks. He can be kind of an asshole though. I have a weird thing with him and his personal politics. I’m 50/50. There are songs I like and the others I just forget about. I’ve been infatuated with Darby Crash lately!
In your last L.A. RECORD interview, you mentioned that you and Mark E. Smith jumped somebody. Who would you want to help you beat someone up next?
As an older brother I’d like to beat up anyone who messes with my little brother, Sean. I haven’t been feeling very violent lately, though I do go through spurts where I feel like I want to just kill everybody. No, I’m a peaceful guy!
Do you feel like this is a good or bad time for ‘good music’ in LA?
The state of music right now is actually amazing in Los Angeles. But when people start realizing it then it will probably get really weird and bad. For example, the Best Coast phenomenon—that’s awesome, but how about all the other bands that are just as good? I dunno. I think there are amazing musicians and great ideas in a lot of people in L.A. right now and I feel like I’m just waiting for it to pop. We have a lot of great bands here. You see what No Age did was kind of set a really good precedent for really good DIY bands to just do their thing. So now it’s in the toddler stages. I think No Age kind of kicked it all off.
Someone posted a comment to the Darker My Love L.A. RECORD interview claiming you sounded like ‘a corner in Silverlake.’ In what realm of Los Angeles does White Fence truly dwell?
It would have to be Echo Park because that’s where I live. I think it’s more domesticated than that—the four walls of my room! But when it’s the live band in San Francisco, it’s basically a party. It’s everywhere. What do you think? Does it sound like it’s from L.A.?
I think Dan Collins described it best as ‘a multi-colored slug sliding through your brain.’ And that slug could be crawling through our brains anywhere.
That’s good! That’s my new answer! I don’t really get the ‘Silver Lake’ and ‘Echo Park’ thing. You couldn’t really say that about L.A. punk really; for instance, in the 1980s, X sounded different from the Germs—etc., etc., etc.!

L.A. RECORD PRESENTS WHITE FENCE WITH COLD SHOWERS, THE URINALS AND NIGHT CONTROL PLUS DJ TOM PILLA ON FRI., JULY 15, AT THE PSYCHO BEACH PARTY AT BLUE STAR, 2200 E. 15TH ST., DOWNTOWN. 9 PM / $10 / 18+. GET TICKETS HERE OR WIN TICKETS HERE! WHITE FENCE’S … IS GROWING FAITH IS OUT NOW ON WOODSIST. VISIT WHITE FENCE AT WHITEFENCEARTCOLLECTIVE.BLOGSPOT.COM.

BIG SEARCH 7″ RELEASE SHOW w/ JOHN WEBSTER JOHNS + WHITE FENCE ON WEDNESDAY, FEB. 2 AT THE ECHO, 1822 WEST SUNSET BOULEVARD, LOS ANGELES. 8:30PM/ $5 / 18+.

Anne Litt has been involved with KCRW for fifteen years, and has earned critical acclaim not only for her on-air talents, but also her supervision of the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack. She’s also the one responsible for the recent appearance of the Black Keys and Sean Hayes on Subaru commercials. Litt was a crucial player in the establishment of KCRW’s internet identity and on-line music channel, and you can hear her on Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 5 pm (or on demand) playing “progressive pop and new rhythms.” This interview by Kristina Benson.

What are your favorite five albums of 2010 from L.A.-based artists?

Anne Litt:

Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma – Flying Lotus is a genius, in my opinion. The beat culture that he has been instrumental in building truly defines an L.A. sound. Other artists like Nosaj Thing, Gaslamp Killer, Tokimonsta, Daedelus, Teebs, Take, and on and on are part of a scene that is hands down the most exciting one happening now. I want to hear more from all of them in 2011.

Darker My Love – Alive As You Are – I’ve written a lot about Darker My Love’s latest record because I keep going back to it over and over again. The sounds are from another era and feel distinctly West Coast. The psychedelic, trippy guitars and down in the dirt, organic sounds of this record have made it a favorite.

Local Natives – Gorilla Manor – They are so good live and I think this record is a great example of what bands are doing today, pulling in different influences and sounds from a global perspective.

Warpaint – The Fool – This record missed some Top Ten mentions because it’s such a new release, but I think it’s just amazing. This is their debut full length and their sound is easy and unforced. It’s hazy and organic and will seep into your brain. Their cover of “Ashes To Ashes” on Manimal Vinyl’s Bowie tribute record rivals the original.

Ozomatli – Fire Away – Ozo has been the standard bearer for L.A. culture for two decades. The responsibility they feel to the community and the fun they have making music is inspiring. This record is razor sharp. I was also proud of the remixes we KCRW DJ’s did of tracks from the record too.

What releases in 2011 are you most looking forward to?
Anne Litt: I hear that new records are coming from all of these artists in 2011, but I’m sure there are tons more amazing records that I don’t even know about yet!
* Other Lives
* Devotchka
* Iron and Wine
* The Shins
* Death Cab For Cutie
* DJ Shadow

Do you think it’s hard for an artist to keep the attention of listeners and music fans these days, given how much music is out there competing for our attention through internet-based blogs, radio stations, MTV, YouTube, etc?

Anne Litt: On the one hand, I think it’s much harder and more work to keep the attention of the listeners. But, on the other hand, since the playing field has been leveled, so many more artists have a voice. Honestly that’s what gets me most excited. I feel as though I stumble upon something new that I like almost every day.

The “noise” level is high though because of the sheer volume. And because there are not physically enough hours in the day to read every blog and watch every YouTube video, I have my trusty, secret sources who hip me to things that I might have missed. For example, just last week one of my secret agents turned me on to Danish singer songwriter, Agnes Obel. Her debut, Philharmonics, came out in a few European countries in October and has gotten a lovely review from the BBC. The world might have missed her spare and lovely compositions if this was 1991 when the world was ruled by major labels.

There are a couple artists that appear consistently on a lot of top tens. I’m thinking of Flying Lotus and Janelle Monae in particular. What do you think it is about these artists that resonated so broadly?

Anne Litt: I think that people today are looking for art—for sounds that remember our collective past but look forward with a new perspective. Also, because the globe has gotten smaller through technology, sounds from other eras and times have seeped into our consciousness and music in a really exciting way. Flylo and Janelle Monae are two great examples of that. Flying Lotus takes jazz, soul, and electronic music and has twisted into something else, while Janelle Monae’s songs are musical theater with messages and hooks.

How has the music scene in Los Angeles changes since you started at KCRW?

Anne Litt: My sense (I’ve been here since 1991) is that the scene and sounds are more cohesive. I don’t mean that all the bands sound alike, but that everyone is supporting each other. The independent records stores, club scene, internet radio stations like Dublab, KXLU, KCRW, and KPFK are supporting a giant variety of local music and it’s flourishing.

Jump-starting their set in almost total darkness, Delta Spirit had the crowd at its fingertips with their infectious energy.  It’s only a matter of time before the San Diego natives are commanding a bigger venue. The gig was a perfect folk-rock blend from their current History From Below and their 2008 debut Ode to Sunshine (highlight “Trashcan”).  L.A.’s Darker My Love opened and gave another solid show with songs from Alive As You Are. Photos by Debi Del Grande

Delta Spirit

[View with PicLens]

Darker My Love

[View with PicLens]

Download: White Fence “Destroy Everything”

(from the self-titled LP out now on Make A Mess)

Did I miss the memo that said Darker My Love would show THE WAY? I don’t remember their music being as fucking fantastic as White Fence, Tim Presley’s solo project that slides like a multi-colored slug through your brain, then raids the cabinet for scones and a bit of tea. The White Fence Album is the best vinyl I’ve ever received in the L.A. RECORD crate!

What modern nostalgia! It’s something like if Audacity had taken over the Brian Jonestown Massacre, then gone back in time and tricked Greg Shaw into appearing on Pebbles III. It’s almost not worth writing a review about, when the music is beckoning me over there on the turntable to just tune in, turn on, drop out! All those fakers, from Nikki Sudden to the Miracle Workers to the Warlocks, have tried and failed to really capture the psychedelic promise of the late-early-mid sixties. And suddenly, now, in 2010 no less, our man Tim Presley just NAILS it, sliding psychedelic chalk down the Syd Barrett blackboard with such identifiably original lo-fi disjangled fogginess and Ostrich Guitar. Nothing has sounded like this since bands had names like the “Laughing Soap Dish.”

I mean, fuck, on top of it all, this album’s lyrics quietly but definitely MEAN something, and address the very real issues of fame that in a just world, a record like this would guarantee. Over a super groovy beat and fuzzed guitar riff, Presley brags that “I’m moving pages in a music magazine,” but then trivializes the very process of star-making that rags like L.A. RECORD foment: “Who feels right? Who feels tired?”

Tim don’t feel tired, that’s for fucking sure. After hearing the White Fence album, it’s a shame, really, that Presley has been yanked into the Strange Boys—it bodes well for the Boys, but badly for psyche lovers who want to sit on the floor and trip out to groovy music with a newsprint lyric sheet in hand. Hey, space cadets, want some fun? Hold the insert up to the light. You can see a scrawled comic book hand seep through the print so that it appears to grasp the arm of a creepy girl climbing up the stairs.

—Dan Collins

Download: The Strange Boys “To Turn a Tune or Two”

(from The Strange Boys and Girls Club on In The Red Records)

Texas made them strange and Beerland made them men and now Austin’s Strange Boys are one of the realest rock ‘n’ roll bands currently prowling the American interstate system. They play tonight at the Smell and tomorrow at the Echo and will eradicate years of listless go-nowhere-ism with only 25 minutes and access to electricity. This interview by Dan Collins.

I just read this MSN poll that said your hometown of Austin was one of the most ‘livable’ cities in the U.S.
Ryan Sambol (guitar/vocals): They haven’t been there in August, then!
And Portland got voted the worst! Do you think Austin is the polar opposite of Portland?
Ryan: That just means more people from Portland are going to move to Austin.
You’ve said in interviews that Austin was a great place musically because it was geographically in the middle of so many things. Like it was a great melting pot for blues, jazz, country and rock, and not so heavy-handed with any one thing. Can you tell me your favorite year for each of those genres?
Matt Hammer (drums): 1945 for jazz.
Ryan: It’s really hard to say! We can’t answer that question!
What’s a question you were hoping I would ask?
Ryan: ‘Do you want me to give you a million dollars?’
I was going to ask if you have crazy dreams on tour.
Ryan: Oh man, you’re asking great guys! Philip [Sambol, bass] has something called ‘night terrors.’ It’s where the person all of a sudden wakes up, out of nowhere, totally out of the blue, screaming as loud as he possibly can. Sometimes he’s just screaming, like ‘Aaaaaaaaaghgg! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaghgg!’ And sometimes he’s like, ‘Aaaaaagh, look over there, look over there, aaaaah!’ Sometimes it’s like a really quick ‘aaah.’ But once Philip has the night terror, he freaks everybody else out in the room so much where they can’t go to sleep, and their hearts are pounding! But Philip immediately goes back to sleep. Philip sleeps soundly while everyone else is at the end of their wits.
Are you excited to play in Los Angeles again?
Ryan: We’re really excited, especially to play with Mika Miko in their hometown.
What are your favorite bands in L.A. right now?
Ryan: Darker My Love, we’ve always liked a lot. Mika Miko, of course. Anasazis. There’s probably a lot… Motley Crue! Guns ‘n’ Roses!
What’s the weirdest band you’ve ever played with?
Ryan: One time we played with this guy—he’s called Captured by Robots! We started out as enemies, but now we’re friends. We saw him in Arkansas, and we didn’t get along very well at first. And then we traded off some emails discussing our viewpoints about each other’s music. And now he checks in with us every year, and he’s like, ‘How you doing?’ But he got hit by a car a few months back! He’s better now.
I’ve seen him many times back in the day. He’s like a one-man Man… or Astroman? And you guys started off as a duo yourselves, you and Matt.
Ryan: We were called ‘The Waves.’
On days like today, do you ever look around and go, ‘Fuck, this van could be so much more spacious if we kicked these other guys out?’
Ryan: Oh yeah, Matt and I think about that every day. If we were still a duo, we’d be making way more money. We’d be touring in a Civic or something, where we wouldn’t have to worry about it. We constantly talk about kicking out Philip and Greg [Enlow, guitar]!
You guys are all pretty young, but you and Greg are total total baby faces! Has that been a problem for you? Are bouncers like, ‘You’re not 21!’
Ryan: It’s not a problem now that our IDs actually say we are 21. They always say, ‘Oh, you look 14!’ I dunno. I would say most fourteen-year-olds are still cooler than the adults we meet.
Is it a problem when you meet lady folk because they think you’re jailbait?
Ryan: I think it helps!
One of things I like about your band is that despite being young, your sound has a really solid foundation in a lot of older music. Sometimes you sound a bit like something obscure from the sixties, though with a very genuine love of blues and Americana. What are your influences?
Ryan: Oh, so many. How about you ask each of us one band that has influenced us?
Okay, but don’t quote the bands you listed on your MySpace page.
Greg: I’d say Gino Washington.
Matt: I’ve been listening to a lot of Fela Kuti lately.
Philip: I’d say that the first Oh Sees record is what I was listening to the most before we went on tour. It has awesome bass on it, and just a really unique sound.
Ryan: Joe South! That guy doesn’t get a lot of props.
I think you’re just proving my point—you have a blues influence, but so much else is mixed in. And you’ve said in interviews that Texas is a great melting pot of sounds. Would you say Texas is a better state to make music in than other places?
Ryan: Being in Austin, everyone comes through, and there’s a lot of history in that sense. But it really doesn’t matter where you’re writing or recording.
Ryan, the lyrics you write are pretty intense sometimes, though I have to say I can’t always make them out on the recordings. But I pick out some stuff. Your song, ‘When,’ has parts that remind me of Woody Guthrie’s songwriting. Like, you talk about the World Trade Center bombing. Can you recite me that lyric?
Ryan: Um, let me think. It’s, uh, um…
You have to sing this somewhere tonight! You’d better know this one!
Ryan: Ha ha… it’s, um, ‘Always been proud of doing what’s right/ Always thought your government was on the same side/ And then they blew up some buildings in New York City/ And with it your trust, and what you thought was right.’ It’s about September 11th. I believe the U.S. government blew up those buildings, like a terrorist attack. But the whole song in general is not just about that, it’s about change. The first verse is about how I was looking at pictures of the band and stuff, and I never smiled. So I decided I was going to smile, and show my teeth more! And the next two verses are about being disinformed by the media, and September 11th, and the conspiracies about it, and you’re thinking about all this worldly New World Order humongous idea of conspiracies. And then suddenly you meet this girl, and she doesn’t know anything about that, and then some sort of love affair happens. And it doesn’t have anything to do with real life at all, and then the end is just, um… uh… I don’t remember what the last verse is!
It will give our readers some mystery, so they’ll go buy the album and find out!
Ryan: ‘If you’ve got three, give two to someone else/ if you’ve got two, give the other two a mouth/ if you’ve got one, give that other one away…’
Sounds kind of Biblical! Has religion played a role in your sound?
Ryan: It’s just whatever’s going on. Religion isn’t part of the music really at all. It’s broader thoughts, higher thoughts, thinking more. It’s spirituality that’s incorruptible.
In ‘No Way for a Slave to Behave,’ you have these cool ‘whoo hoos’ in the background. It’s a little more poppy than some of your other songs.
Ryan: My friend, Shane Retro, had that beginning riff. I met him two and a half years ago, and he played me this riff, and he didn’t have any lyrics to it. And I said to him at the very beginning, ‘I’m going to steal that riff, and I’m going to write a song to it.’ And I wanted more songs for the record, so I took the riff and added the lyrics to it and the other parts to it. And the poppiness just went with it, I suppose. Shane Retro isn’t really in a band or anything. He just is.
Have you given any song ideas to other bands?
Ryan: No. I think I could write an awesome song for Jarvis Cocker! Actually I have one that I don’t think I could sing right, and I think I could.
Charlyne Yi, this comedian in L.A., writes songs for other bands for that exact same reason! Would you cover a song by Charlyne Yi if you could sing it better than she can?
Ryan: Yeah, sure, if it’s good!
What about bands from the sixties? Like Back from the Grave garage bands—when you listen to those bands, are you like, ‘Oh yeah, I see where they’re coming from?’
Ryan: We dig a lot of those bands, but I don’t know. People make such a big deal about sixties music, and it was just a lot of people, and that’s what made it cool. There were so many scenes all around the world. But it’s just rock and roll, right? It’s either the real deal, or it’s some white kids trying to do it, and either way, it’s cool, you know?
But maybe people like me, unfortunately, want to be able to describe your sound, and they don’t know what else to say, so they just write ‘It’s garage-y!’
Ryan: People compare us to Nuggets. And it’s a four-disc box set! They compare one band to a four disc box set, which is 85, 90 percent filled with horrible, horrible things. Stupid, stupid lyrics that mean nothing and were written by these people just to make a quick buck, riding some sort of craze, you know? I mean, there’s some great stuff on there as well, but they’re just ridiculous. That song, ‘Sugar and Spice’—what the hell is that? That is stupid. We don’t like that.
As a bubblegum motherfucker, I beg to disagree. But you’re right—that sounds nothing like you at all.
Ryan: Just to clear up with you, we don’t care at all what other people compare us to. I don’t want it to be where someone says ,’Hey, you sound like Nuggets,’ and I say, ‘Well, I don’t want to be compared to Nuggets,’ and you write ‘Yeah, man, they’re trying to fight against labels by other people.’ If anything, just say, ‘Man, who gives a shit?’
Well, your ‘Sugar and Spice’ quote was pretty awesome, so I’m going to have to keep that in! In fact, you said something in an interview once about garage rock that I thought was really apt: someone asked if you were part of the garage rock revival, and you said, ‘There is no revival. People have been doing this kind of stuff since 1989.’ Are there some bands that are roughly in this same genre that you’ve looked up to as heroes, who formed more recently than the sixties?
Ryan: Oh, for sure! People like the Oblivians, the Reigning Sound, anything Greg Cartwright was involved with. The Cramps, the Gun Club: these were all bands that were doing awesome, awesome stuff, before it was ‘garage rock.’
Were you mortified when you heard Lux Interior had died?
Ryan: When he died, he went somewhere else. I don’t think it’s that bad of a deal. I never knew him. People gonna die.
I hear snippets of the early Rolling Stones and the early Velvet Underground in your sound, too.
Ryan: Compared to a lot of other bands, the Stones did justice to a lot of the covers they did. And then Beggars Banquet, the slide on that record, and the country aspect of that, they took it and did something else with it. The Velvet Underground for sure—you can’t even say much about it. There’s nothing cooler than being 16 and driving around listening to the Velvet Underground. I started to get guitar lessons when I was fourteen or fifteen. And one of the first times I went in to get the lessons, I brought in White Light/White Heat, and said I wanted to learn the whole record. And the teacher was like, ‘There must be alternate tunings, because I can’t figure out what they’re really playing.’ I think I quit the next lesson after that. It seemed kind of useless if he couldn’t teach me to do that.

THE STRANGE BOYS WITH MIKA MIKO, CEREBRAL BALZY AND PROTECT ME ON MON., JUNE 29, AT THE SMELL, 247 S. MAIN ST., LOS ANGELES. 9 PM / $5 / ALL AGES. THESMELL.ORG. AND WITH THE SHIRLEY ROLLS AND THE GROWLERS ON TUE., JUNE 30, AT THE ECHO, 1822 SUNSET BLVD., ECHO PARK. 8:30 PM / $7 / 18+. ATTHEECHO.COM. THE STRANGE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB IS OUT NOW ON IN THE RED. VISIT THE STRANGE BOYS AT INTHEREDRECORDS.COM OR MYSPACE.COM/THESTRANGEBOYS.

13 September 2008

So we made it across the border. Whoops, eh? It involved a neverending drive in the pouring rain, from Chicago, with approximately one pit stop at approximately one South Side White Castle for approximately two Crave Cases, which is exactly sixty (60) burgers. Five (5) remain. No sleep, etc. You know the drill. We do.

This is Toronto. We haven’t been able to shake that hyoooomid-ass front that’s been following us all week. Montreal just so happens to be next. Did you know that?

10 September 2008

This is Lori. She put us up/put up with us. In Minneapolis. She’s, no jive, an amazing human being. She was in Babes In Toyland. She even bathed Jared, for his first bath in 30 days. We played at that club where Prince did Purple Rain. First Avenue. It was exactly like the movie. Morris Day was even there. We played “Jack U Off” on the way there, but the Dandy Warhols actually played a Prince song. It was our first show with them. It was like the most fun ever. Now we’re in Madison. Wisconsin. Cool town. Honest-to-God day off tomorrow. Which means…
SHOPPING!!!

From The Road

Alright, alright, we’re back, we’re okay, we’re moving into the future at the speed of 83 mph, presently thru an eyeful of blinding salt, in the land of 2.5%-or-whatever-it-is alcohol. The first person to read this in the next hour and comment with the best place to eat lunch in Salt Lake City will win a sweet tip on the best place to find a 5 dollar buffet with $1.50 Bud and Bud Light in the Reno area on a Saturday, Sunday or Monday.

Our first show is gonna be Monday in Iowa City, which is in Iowa. We feel bad for those of you in Des Moines who were planning on seeing us tonight, but we hope you’ll find solace in the fact that your buddy’s sister’s boyfriend is driving to Iowa City anyway, and that maybe you can get him to drop you off at The Picador on his way to the Fossil Gorge. It’s our first show, and now our only warm-up show before the Dandy Warhols portion of the tour, so, y’know, anything goes. We’re excited.

Again, we’re real sorry about all those shows we had to cancel over the last week. You’ve all been wonderfully supportive and understanding. We gonna make it up to you real nice.

The Dudes