Interview: Cheap Red

Three weeks ago I first wrote about this great new band Cheap Red. Of course everyone knew quite a bit about Boyracer, and to most Kanda was also not unknown. The information on Cheap Red itself was quite limited though. I decided to find out more, and who'd be a better source of information than Stewart Anderson himself?

Hello Stewart! First, to get it out of the way: on your myspace it says Cheap Red is Akina and Arland formerly from Kanda and Stewart and Jen formerly from Boyracer. Does this mean those bands have really completely stopped existing now? Is Cheap Red intended as a long-term project, or a one off thing?

Stewart: No, not a one off - we have a few shows planned. And we already recorded a new single. Boyracer is done though. It just got too frustrating to continue to release records I thought were the greatest I have ever made that no-one would ever hear. We don't have any distro for 555 recs as of 2003, and can't even sell 100 copies of anything at this point. I can't speak for Kanda, but I think they are done too.

Influences: Judas Priest and the Marine Girls. Ehm, really?

Stewart: Yes. Absolutely two of our favourite bands. We cover Breaking The Law as Cheap Red and have covered several Marine Girls songs as Boyracer.

Do you see Cheap Red also a bit as a mix of your previous bands, or did you try to aim for something completely different?

Stewart: It started with us recording 4 cover versions whilst Akina and Arland were visiting, with each of the 4 of us singing lead vocal on one track. We then quickly wrote and recorded another 8 or 9 songs in the following 2 days that became the full length. The intention was everyone gets to sing some, but musically there wasn't a fixed idea or direction as such. It just happened. Of course some of it will sound like our previous efforts but I think overall it's quite different due to the combination. Certainly gentler than Boyracer, but a bit grittier than Kanda.

Your debut cd will be a double, no less than 27 songs. The second disc will consist of 13 remixes. By whom? What can we expect to hear there?

Stewart: Well, I dont want to give too much away, but the remixes are pretty swell featuring: Bracken (Hood), Kid606, Sisterhood Of Convoluted Thinkers, DJ Downfall, Teamforest, The Declining Winter (Hood), James Earthenware, Patrick Vidro, Steward, King Prussia, Simpatico, Fingernail, and Jib Kidder.

Two married couples, how very rock & roll! Do you still feel punk, whatever that may mean? What does a day 'on the road' look like for you? Is cheap red wine involved at all?

Stewart: Well we don't tour anymore but I certainly still drink alot. We gave up touring in 2005 - we just lost too much money trying to do it, so we decided to have a baby instead. But we're still very punk. How more punk can you get running a record label that hasn't broken even on anything for 5 years? Well, actually, that isn't punk, just stupid... but I do believe in the DIY ethic and have firmly adhered to it over the years. I don't think we'll ever manage to tour as Cheap Red unless suddenly we become well known, but I don't think will happen, which I'm completely fine with. I've been releasing records since 1991 so I'm very realistic at this point. I'm very proud of the Cheap Red songs though. And we've been asked to do shows, so if the circumstance allows us we're up for it. Myself and Jen run a cattle ranch out here in the painted desert, so its hard to find time inbetween cattle works to make music.

Any chance you'll come over to play in Europe one day?

Stewart: If anyone wants to fly us over, sure.

Thanks Stewart! First the lucky people at the San Fransisco Popfest will have a chance to see Stewart & co play. If you're around, don't miss it.

Cheap Red myspace
555 Recordings

Download (Mediafire)
1. Cheap Red - Let's start a riot

Stop your sobbing

Work. I don't write about that often, do I? That's probably because it's so unimportant to me. Work to live, not live to work and all that, you know what I mean. I suppose that goes for most of us. But here I am, another Monday at work.

I don't mind the work itself so much. It's quite a bit below my level of eduction so it's often somewhat mind numbing, but I knew that when I accepted this job. I won't complain about that. But the people! There's not a lot more tiring than listening to people complaining, is there? So complaining about people complaining might be even worse. I apologize in advance. But.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARHHHHHHHHHHHHHG!
Shut up, shut up, shut up! Shut. Up.
Shut up? Please?
Shhhhh.

You know, I never say that. So that felt nice.
Actually, I've tried in the past - in a much more diplomatic way - but people do not necessarily like you better for it. Strange, I know.

Isn't it amazing what people can complain about? If you find the energy to complain about what so and so did on a Friday night, you must be among the luckiest persons on earth. If you can't stop nagging everyone about how a certain piece of clothing was not as good as you expected, you should go out and celebrate. You obviously don't have any real problems.

That's probably not true though, is it?
And that's what fascinates me.

Download (Mediafire)
1. How Many Beans Make Five - Learning to keep my mouth shut
2. The Housemartins - I bit my lip

Indiepop in Holland

It's funny (although not funny) how I think indiepop, write indiepop, and listen to indiepop on an almost daily basis, but that there's no indiepop in the Netherlands. At all. Well, The Cuties. But that's it, as far as I know. Where are all the hidden Dutch popbands and popfans?

If there's no community, create one. So, in my search for those very few people in the Netherlands who share a love for indiepop, I started a last.fm group, here:

http://www.last.fm/group/Indiepop+Nederland

At the moment, there are only six members, but that's already five more than I expected!
Who knows one day... Amsterdam Popfest 2013?

Undercover poplover, part 13

"Allez hop! T'occupe t'inquiète
Touche pas ma planète
It's not today
Que le ciel me tombera sur la tête
Ou que l'alcool me manquera"

Download (Mediafire)
1. Thee Headcoatees - Ça plane pour moi
2. Dear Nora - This will be our year
3. Strawberry Switchblade - Jolene

Please Rain Fall Records

Stephen from the please rain fall blog started a brand new label. But it is, as his label website states 'a different type of record label'.

Stephen: "Please Rain Fall Records is an attempt to build a like-minded community. It is a CDR label. There is no charge for any of the releases. I looked around and saw paypal buttons and requests for debit / credit card details. I didn't like what I was seeing. That is not my world. Just e-mail me to say hello and supply your address details, and I will send a CD. In exchange, you then send something back. This could be a story, a drawing, mixtape, something you've knitted.. anything. Use your imagination."

Isn't that a fantastic concept? The first release on PRF is out now and features songs by The Cudgels, The Proctors, Oporto and Endless Bob Brown.

You know what to do!

Cheap Red

A quick post to let you know about the brilliance of Cheap Red. Cheap Red is Jen and Steward from Boyracer with Akina and Arland from Kanda. One great band + one great band = an even greater band? Maybe. The songs they've got up on their myspace are certainly very promising.

We'll have to impatiently wait another few weeks for their debut (double!) CD, which of course will be out on Steward's own 555 Recordings of Flagstaff AZ.

Cheap Red myspace
555 Recordings

Download (Mediafire)
1. Cheap Red - Let's start a riot