Download: Sean Carnage’s Mondays mega-mix

(full tracklist with liner notes here!)

Sean Carnage has done so much for L.A. music that there had to be a movie made to help document it—40 Bands 80 Minutes!, now recognizable as early home to much of the most vital actives still performing in the city. He’ll be celebrating four years of DIY shows (across six venues!) all this month at Women during his traditional Monday night residencies, and he’ll have the official Sean Carnage birthdayversary spectacular on July 27. This interview by Drew Denny.

The first time I attended a Sean Carnage night was at Il Corral—Is that where it all began?
That’s cool that you were there! Il Corral was really special, and that’s where Monday Nights began—on August 1st, 2005. I covered the back story of the Il Corral and the atmosphere of the times in my movie 40 Bands 80 Minutes!, so I’d recommend checking that out. Il Corral was everything a Rust Belt kid like me hoped California would be—wild (but still innocent) punk rock fun. Stane (Il Corral co-founder) installed a rope swing in the music area, so that gives you an idea of the venue’s play zone atmosphere. I was really lucky to be able to host shows there. A high proportion of the performers who played there were bona fide geniuses, and for once in my life, I realized what was going down as it was happening and turned on the video camera. People doubted my selection of performers for 40 Bands 80 Minutes! when it came out over two years ago. (Including L.A. RECORD—LOL!) [LOL @ us—ed.] But damn near every person who appears on the screen in my movie has gone on to do important stuff. The Los Angeles artistic and musical community is something to be proud of.
How did you get started?
I love underground music as a style and as a craft, and I had been involved as a musician, promoter, writer and fan for about thirteen years in Cleveland, Ohio. I moved to L.A. to retire, but couldn’t shake the music. So I started booking again after taking about three years off.
Did you know when you began that it would last this long and be so loved?
Derek Hess did Mondays at the Euclid Tavern for 8 years. Speak In Tongues also lasted 8 years. I knew if I could bring regularly scheduled music into the D.I.Y. and all-ages realm, it would work.
What was Speak in Tongues? I’m researching Pentecostalism and speaking in tongues for my thesis right now, so I have to ask…
Speak In Tongues—and the guys who lived there—changed my life. It was all-ages D.I.Y. for eight years—an amazing run. I learned that you don’t need to do shows in bars. You can strip away another layer of mediation and do it yourself. Not an original concept, but it was new for me in the mid and late 1990s, and it informs everything I’ve aspired to since. (SIT hibernates at speakintongues.com)
It seems that at any location—Il Corral, Pehrspace, the Smell—you create a space that fosters a family of bands that might not have otherwise had any place to play, or at least not any other place where they’d feel quite so at home. Was this always a goal of yours?
I was seeing a ton of excellent shows around L.A. in the early 2000s and that was tremendously inspiring. So I just started asking bands if they wanted to play my night. All the attendees of those initial Mondays were way turned on by the energy of it all. When we moved to Pehrspace in 2007, it only got better.
Which bands did you start out with?
The first show was Haircut Mountain Transit, FM Bats, Buko, Ugly Shyla, Szandora… and Jell-O shots. Jon San Nicolas and my boyfriend at that time, Richmond Tan, helped me so much. We were noisy and gay right from the start! Now Mikhai Tran helps me tons with the shows—taking photos and weaving our distinctive bracelets, which are unique for every show.
How political is your programming process? By that I mean, how much—if at all—do you concern yourself with representing or attracting a certain group?
A lot of the people behind Mondays’ success are gay, and I’m proud of that. It’s emblematic of a new non-political phase of the gay rights movement. Young people can now be themselves and not worry what people think about their sexuality. That said, I bring up sexual orientation because with the passing of Prop 8, we still have so far to go. I suppose this is preaching to the choir—musicians are usually pretty progressive—but Mondays have been my modest way of saying ‘we’re here, we’re queer,’ and building something positive and constructive that every music fan can enjoy.
Is there is a unifying factor among the Sean Carnage bands—in terms of genre, style, or scene? If not, what is it that you consider when choosing bands to book?
I’m looking for the best music. I don’t pay particular attention to style. I listen more for general musicality. And the execution is important. I really cherish the Monday audiences so I am always trying to find new ways to thrill them. What’s nice is that most of the bands are already friends, but because they operate in different areas of the music scene, my shows bring them together—often for the first time. The other unifying factor is the between-sets music of Kyle H. Mabson. Kyle’s become my partner in the shows since I met him fall of 2005. I feel like Kyle’s really changed how underground music is experienced. He brings the dance party and that amps everything up.
Who are some of your favorites right now?
I love the new Amazements album. I like American Gil and the Major Dudes a lot. Certain performers like Billygoat, Birth!, D. Bene Tleilax, I.E., Whitman, Nicole Kidman, Moment Trigger… they’re all Monday superstars.
My best friend and band-mate, Geoff—Pizza! and Big Whup—and I just made a compilation that includes tracks from both American Gil and Nicole Kidman. We love them! What is it about those Inland Empire kids that makes them so amazing?
Haha—good question! It astounds and humbles me the people from the I.E. drive so far to attend shows like mine. I don’t 100% understand the local culture there, but I’ve always gotten a good feeling from both the music and the personalities of the Inland Empire folks. Maybe there’s something about living in the 909 that is similar to living along Lake Erie? I’ve always related to people with backgrounds that are similar to mine, but for lack of scientific evidence, I can’t really say much else except: I like what I hear.
Tell me the craziest-best-worst-funniest-most-miraculous-most-tragic Sean Carnage night story. Please?
This past Monday, people were freaking and beating each other with pool noodles on Women’s front lawn for 20 minutes after the music ended—that was pretty crazy!
I heard the police came a few weeks back and threatened to shut down Pehrspace—have there been any recent developments in that story?
I don’t have anything new to report, but Pehr is continuing to host a small number of weekend shows, so please support them every chance you get.
How are you getting by in the meantime?
I’m proud to be hosting at Women. They’ve given me the space to do some really ambitious programming, like the four-week 60 Watt Kid residency in July which features a ton of new bands.
Is there anything we—as Sean Carnage and Pehrspace fans—can do to help in this struggle?
No matter what venue you see live music at, be mindful of the neighbors when you are outside the space. It’s hard—I’m trying to inspire people to be free, but on the street you have to be low key.
What will you do if you can’t continue booking there?
I’ve been lucky to have done Mondays at Il Corral, Pehrspace, the Smell, Zamakibo, House of Vermont and Women, so if I have to find a new home I will. I figure that after 200+ shows in a row, I’ve earned some vacation. So I’m taking this August off to prepare the new Monday home and I’ll be back the first Monday in September.
Sounds like a good plan… And finally, I’d like to say CONGRATULATIONS! What are you doing to celebrate your anniversary?!
On Monday, July 27th I am hosting some truly amazing bands—60 Watt Kid, Shirley Rolls, the Seizure, Mikki and the Mauses and Single Mothers. Then I’m going to take August off and figure out where the heck Mondays are gonna live in the fall. Then I’ll be back on Monday, September 7th with… I.E.! I will be keeping everyone updated through facebook.com/seancarnage and seancarnage.com.

SEAN CARNAGE’S ANNIVERSARY MONTH BEGINS WITH 60 WATT KID, HIGH CASTLE, ITALIC INDIAN, SKULL KISS AND GARRETT PIERCE ON MON., JULY 6, AT WOMEN, 1852 CRENSHAW BLVD., LOS ANGELES. 9:30 PM / $5 / ALL AGES. SEANCARNAGE.COM. 60 WATT KID WILL BE IN RESIDENCY EVERY MONDAY IN JULY. FOR COMPLETE LINE-UP AND MORE INFORMATION VISIT SEANCARNAGE.COM.

Download: Nosaj Thing “Coat Of Arms”

(from Drift out Tue., June 9, on Alpha Pup)

Nosaj Thing was in 40 Bands 80 Minutes with Wives, HEALTH and Abe Vigoda and then followed madman visionaries like Flying Lotus and Gaslamp Killer to Low End Theory. He now joins half the next generation of L.A. beatmakers on Daddy Kev’s Alpha Pup Records with his debut full-length Drift. This interview by Chris Ziegler.

What did it feel like on the first day after you got laid off?
I was scared, man! I worked five years straight—since I graduated high school, I had to get a job to help my parents out. I was working in a music store—I don’t wanna say their name because I kind of hate them!
You first learned music in public school—how important is that kind of education?
I didn’t take any extra-special classes. I was just kind of in the school music room, playing clarinet. And in high school, I joined drum line. It’s just developing your ear and a general understanding of basic music theory—being able to figure out melodies by hearing them. Learning about chord progressions. That helped a great deal. After high school, I took as many music classes as I could at a community college—East L.A. College. I grew up in Montebello.
Where would you have gone if you hadn’t started with music?
I remember in middle school and high school I was also into art. It seems kind of lame now, but I wanted to go into graphic design. But I got into hip-hop early. Third grade—kind of crazy! My parents enrolled me in a YMCA after-school program and the bus driver that picked us up always had on Power 106. I had no choice but to listen to that every day, and that’s when all the Beat Junkies were DJs on Power. I was really into it and fascinated by it. I didn’t understand how they made those sounds, being so young. When I got home, I used to record the mixes off the air on to tape. I didn’t understand the lyrics or anything, but I just liked the beats so much. And when they had electro nights on Friday, I really liked that, too. I really liked how the Beat Junkies did beat juggling. They don’t really do that at Power anymore. The first time I got into DJing I was in eighth grade and one of my best friends was a tomboy girl, and her older brother had the set-up. I’d go over every day and just scratch and mix.
What else were you into in third grade besides the fundamentals of hip-hop? Like Saturday morning cartoons and cheap candy?
I was really into rollerskating! There was a roller rink next to my house called Skate Depot, and they always played really good music. Songs like ‘All Night Long,’ ‘You Dropped The Bomb On Me.’ I used to go listen to the music and roller skate. I went there the first time for a birthday party and I always wanted to go after that. In eighth grade and my freshman year of high school, I was also introduced to the rave scene. As I got more and more into it, I was wondering how people make this stuff. In the late ‘90s and early 2000s, it was when a lot of hip-hop was giving props to the producers in the song—guys would talk about Dre a lot or the Neptunes and they’d be in the videos—‘Oh wow, these are the guys making these beats?’ I was going to Guitar Center or something and messing around with gear and I was really inspired and just wanted to do it! When I was a freshman, an older friend hooked me up with a bootleg of Reason. I installed it on my dad’s computer.
Next to like Microsoft Word and QuickBooks?
Yeah, boring programs! I was pretty much on the computer all the time—I was an internet geek at an early age. I wasn’t into anything else. I wasn’t really good at sports. I was in little league!
What was your most shocking rave experience?
I had to pretty much lie to my parents to go, so that was scary already! I was scared of getting in trouble. I was like 13. I’d tell them I was going to a friend’s house.
What do you think about Low End Theory’s Unreleased Beat Invitationals?
To me it’s not about showcasing your music—it’s about sharing with everyone. Everyone knows that at showcases, they’re there to showcase the latest thing they’ve made that no one else has ever heard. It’s exciting. We’re all there to learn and progress, and that’s what Low End is about.
Where did you feel most at home before?
Before that, at experimental noise venues like the Smell and Il Corral. I played 40 Bands 80 Minutes. That actually really influenced me for live performance—just by seeing all these bands and artists, I was really motivated and inspired to do stuff on my own. A good friend of mine always took me to the Smell in high school. That influenced my sound. I liked to check out bands not from L.A., so just seeing different acts using different instruments—every time I went there, there were always new ideas everywhere. Even local bands like Abe Vigoda and HEALTH. I think mainly noise bands were a cool idea for me. At first it was really odd to see someone just perform with a guitar pedal, but then I thought that was really cool and another way to express things. With my music and electronic music in general, I pretty much do the same thing.
Do you find that noise offers a purer experience? Or purer expression?
I think so. It’s more related to creating the sounds. When I start a song, I’m just messing with sound design to fit the mood I’m in. That definitely relates to artists at the Smell as far as noise. It feels like you’re not as limited with just musical notes. When I first start a song, I don’t really think about what type of song I’m gonna do first. It’s just improv—messing around. To me, it’s therapeutic. Most of the time it’s an 8-bar loop to get out what I need to get out and I’ll call it done. And if it sounds good later, I’ll build it out—make it complete. It’s done when—I can just tell. I try to find all gaps within the skeleton to complete it. I try to stay away from making it too complex—I try to use the least amount of sounds as possible but still make that point or feel. Sometimes I don’t even remember what the initial emotion was, but if I come back, I’ll add to it based on how I feel at that time. There’s no lyrics or anything, so it’s not specific to one emotion. What I hope to do is reach out to whoever’s listening to take it their own way.
What do you relate to most that’s on the radio now?
On a straight-up pop station? I haven’t been listening to radio much but interestingly enough, whenever I do, I always go back to listening to Power. That’s where I started! I listen just to see what’s going on—just to be up to date. It seems over the years, the song selection is getting smaller and smaller. For the past month, they’ve been playing the same four songs over and over. I don’t know what’s going on. They can’t really take any risks in this economy.
How do you feel about Daddy Kev calling you one of the next generation of L.A. beatmakers?
I feel like I’m the newer guy in whatever you wanna call it—a scene or whatever. The age difference and the music growing up—I don’t have the knowledge that all the other guys from Low End Theory have, and I’m just kind of the more video-game Internet generation, you know? After a while I was able to save enough to buy an MPC and when I first got it—after I glorified that thing so much!—I was disappointed because of how slow it was! I was working with software and everything was instant. Going to an MPC felt like a step back. Through time I learned—I appreciate those guys and love what they do and love the sound, but I wanna utilize what’s new. The new tools. Most of my stuff is software-based. I have a few synths. Everything is more accessible easily now. That changes the whole writing process—everything is right there. If I didn’t have this stuff, the sound would be more dated. With software, you can have such a huge palette and such a cheap price. Almost every synth ever made is now in a software-emulation version. All sampled in, every single note. You can just call them up. You have every single sound you could ever imagine on a laptop. There’s nothing to hold you back—you could do this anywhere! It should make music that much more interesting—it’s supposed to!
We’ve talked to other L.A. beatmakers and they do what they do without any thought to including future vocals. The music is done as it is.
I’m the same way. I was always into the beats all the time—Dre beats, Timbaland, Premier, Neptunes—and I really enjoyed just the groove and feel in the production. That’s what got me most into it. When I bought Regulate and Doggy Style, I didn’t understand the lyrics—and those weren’t lyrics for a third-grader to listen to!—so I just listened to the flow percussively. It was more of an instrument. That went into my head. It was just another instrument. From listening to Dre’s songs, I’m sure he has a say in how Snoop and Nate Dogg deliver their lines. All that stuff is really simple. There’s no bullshit. Every part is there for a reason. That’s why it works. A lot of people say hip-hop is too repetitive and so simple—that’s what makes it great to me! House music is the same way. It’s so hard to make something so simple and good. I learned from all those productions and songs. I’m not trying to make it too busy. It’s more just to write a song—I’m still learning.
Nobody said that now we’re the children of hip-hop the way a lot of British bands were the children of rhythm and blues. What do you think? Is that what Low End is about?
That’s really cool. I was really excited to hear about Low End when it was announced. When I was growing up DJing, I was really into scratching—the Beat Junkies, the Skratch Piklz—and also into the whole rave scene, and after starting production and releasing something on my own, seeing these artists and DJs come around into the hybrid night was very exciting for me. The thing that draws me—it’s all about kind of progressing. Doing new stuff. It’s open for everybody—it’s not just one type of music! They have bands there. What really excites me is it creates a platform for anyone to just step up and showcase their music. With all this Internet and social networking, it’s a place you can showcase your music in reality—not virtually, you know?
What instrument are you best at playing?
I’m not really good at any instrument. I’m OK on guitar. I’d like to get better on piano. I can hear a song and figure it out, but I can’t play a crazy classical masterpiece.
What video game are you best at then?
I’m not really good at video games either!

NOSAJ THING’S RECORD RELEASE PARTY WITH GUESTS TBA PLUS DADDY KEV, NOBODY, GASLAMP KILLER, D-STYLES AND NOCANDO ON WED., JUNE 10, AT LOW END THEORY AT THE AIRLINER, 2419 N. BROADWAY, LOS ANGELES. 10 PM / $5-$10 / 18+. MYSPACE.COM/LOWENDTHEORYCLUB. NOSAJ THING’S DRIFT RELEASES TUE., JUNE 9, ON ALPHA PUP. VISIT NOSAJ THING AT NOSAJTHING.COM OR MYSPACE.COM/NOSAJTHING.