Koffin Kats: Inspired by Beavis and Butt-Head

Vic Victor can trace his rockabilly roots back to the most enlightened intellectuals of the '90s: Beavis and Butt-Head.

He was watching the show when he saw the video for Reverend Horton Heat's 'Psychobilly Freakout.' "I thought it was just really cool," Victor recalls. "The video was weird and the guy played a big violin."

When Victor picked up the Reverend Horton Heat album at the record store, "It changed everything for me," he says. "I started getting into the 'billy culture and the hot rod culture. I started cuffing my pants and slicking my hair back."

That rockabilly/psychobilly culture became the backdrop for his band the Koffin Kats, where he sings and plays upright bass. But it wasn't the only inspiration.

"Once I started writing my own music and had my own band, I found my own way. I realized that lifestyle wasn't totally for me because I didn't fully believe in rockabilly. It was just another form of music. I didn't want to dedicate myself to one specific form of music."

"Ever since I've been a musician?--and just a fan of music--I've gone from listening to a Metallica album to a Tom Waits album to a Stray Cats album. Dedicating myself to one style of music has never been what I'm about or what Koffin Kats is about."

The band has always tried to let those varied influences come to the surface of their music. "I never want to put out the same album twice," Victor says. "And within the album, there's always something that the 'billy side, the punk side or the metal side, can dig. We play music that's all across the board. We're basically just a mutation of all the music we like, all put together--stylistically and musically."

Koffin Kats are also known to throw in a surprise or two, like on their new track "The Devil Asked," which is more Black Sabbath than Tiger Army. "It's cool that we've been able to make straight-forward, rockin' records, but it's also cool to be able to include some songs that people wouldn't expect from us," Victor says of the song. "It's going to be one that people either love, hate or just don't get."

"If someone has been a fan of our discography, they'll realize we've done stuff like this on other albums where something comes out of left field. It breaks up the monotony of the record. I don't want to write something where 30 minutes later, you think you'd been listening to the same song over and over."

As the band's sound has evolved, Victor's lyrics have also matured. "As I've gotten older, I've put away writing the off-the-wall science fiction lyrics of the first few records," he says. "I wanted to write songs about situations I've been in or or situations where people can just say 'I've been there.'"

The lyrical turning point came after Victor penned "At the Bar," a song about a fictional character wasting his life at the bar and watching relationships fail. "I've had so many people come up to me and say 'Man, I've been there,'" Victor says. "It's rewarding to hear people say that they can relate to something that you wrote. I don't consider myself to be any better than the next person, but to have someone say that they appreciate that you write really pushes you in a new direction."

Now Victor writes about what he knows best, and the band's new record, "Our Way & The Highway," is drenched in alcohol (see "It Happens Every Night," "The Bottle Called," "Booozincrossanation," among others).

The band's show in Salt Lake, however, will be slightly less, er, spirited.

"We're playing an all-ages show, so the booze won't be flying around [like usual], but we definitely try to make every show as much as a party as we can," Victor adds. "We want to have a good time and want to give [the fans] every bit of their dollar's worth."

Check out - At The Bar (YouTube)

The Hood Internet

December and January are very slow when it comes to rock seeing shows. For the most part, I only write about bands coming to town that I'm already interested in. But right now, I've just been trying to find something to fill the magazine pages.

I saw that The Hood Internet was coming to town. I'd never heard of them but the name alone was enough to entice me to look into the band.

The DJ duo specializes is mashups between indie bands and hip-hop artists. I checked out a few of their mixtapes and was instantly impressed. So I reached out to them about an interview.

They told me they'd rather do an email interview than a phone interview. That comes with goods and bads. It's easier for scheduling and getting quotes that actually make grammatical sense. But it's hard to get in-depth answers or follow-up info. In the worst case, you get crappy, half-hearted responses or one word answers.

My Hood Internet interview was LOUSY. My guess is they took about two minutes to answer all of my questions and gave me almost nothing I could use. I understand that doing interviews is a chore for bands, but when you're not exactly a household name, I'd think you'd be interested in getting a little free press.

Fortunately, I think I salvaged the article, which you can read here.

All disappointment aside, I still recommended giving 'em a listen. You can download both of these mixtapes for free:

The Mixtape - Volume Six
Mixtape - Self-Titled

Might I Recommend: Army Navy

Looking for a sign that you're getting older? Here's one--the place you buy your clothing is the same place you buy your groceries and fill your prescriptions. Ah, the wonders of Target.

Thanks to their crisp whites, circular reds, and bouncy tunes, Target commercials have a way of making the everyday-everything store seem like it's the hippest place in town.

Los Angeles trio Army Navy could easily write an entire Target soundtrack on their own. Their songs are immediately infectious and toe-tappingly fun. Their sophomore album, "The Last Place," is solid front to back. Most importantly, it's impossible not to feel just a little better after having listened to it.

The Kooks Get Digital

 

Though they didn't form their band until the mid-2000s, The Kooks' brilliant debut, "Inside In/Inside Out" felt like it was released in the 1960s. The British four piece proudly wore their love of bands like The Kinks and The Rolling Stones on their sleeve as they created an infectious collection of tried-and-true rock 'n' roll songs.

After releasing a formidable follow up in 2008 ["Konk"], the band decided it was time for something different. For inspiration, they turned from their old-time favorites to modern artists like LCD Soundsystem and Lykke Li. The result is "Junk of the Heart," a new album The Kooks couldn't be more proud of.

Guitarist Hugh Harris took a few minutes to talk about the band's entrance into the 21st Century.

After two albums that pull so heavily from another time period, what made you decide to change directions for "Junk of the Heart?"

We're purist. And we were quite snobbish in the past toward computerized music and things that weren't analog. But we realized you can't really go through life like that. We wanted to expand and see what else is out there. We found that synthesizers can be warm and fuzzy and beautiful and distorted as much as the sounds that we love that come out of amplifiers. Through that process, we opened up our minds.  

This isn't what I'd call a "guitar record." As a guitar player, how do you feel about that?

We've had our guitar record. I love playing guitar but there is only so much you can do with it. It's an instrument that has been played. It's had it's day. I've really been getting into writing on the viola and writing string arrangements. I'm not saying indie music or guitar music is dead, but to us, we don't want to be regurgitating the same sound over and over again. Bands who are on their fourth or fifth album and still playing the same sound look so bored on stage. I don't want us to become that band.

After recording a studio album, what has been like trying to figure how to recreate it live?

It's been absolute hell. I got quite possessive over parts that I'd done [in the studio] and said, "I'd quite like to play that part." But then you realize that you don't have enough hands to play all the parts. The live shows are so much different now. They have elements of punk rock, like our old shows, but they seem much richer and much fuller with these new sonics. It feels great.

Have the long-time fans had any trouble with the sonic shift? 

No. Because the change hasn't felt drastic or contrived. At the heart of the writing is still the same ethic. It's about pop songs and an uplifting melody. The most fascinating thing about pop music is that it's totally genre-less. That's why we feel more like a pop band, because we can morph so many more genres.

How has this record affected what the band will do in the future?

I like that we paved the way to use processed beats -- real dance beats that make you want to move. All we've ever wanted is to make people dance. Also, the strings are something we haven't really done before and it's something we'd like to experiment with. We're not going to reinvent the wheel, but music always has to feel new and fresh. Otherwise, it goes stale so quickly.

Check out: See the World [YouTube]

Brandon Flowers is a Mormon

There are plenty of famous Mormons out there. You've got your sports stars like Steve Young, politicians like the Mittster, and actors like Napoleon Dynamite. But not many rockstars (Gladys Knight is not a rock star and The Used's Bert McCracken has left the faith).

Brandon Flowers has been linked to Mormonism since the early days of The Killers, but has rarely addressed the issue, other than to say he was raised in the faith.

Starring in one of the LDS Church's "I'm a Mormon" ads is a bold move. On both sides. I can't imagine that the spot will do much to bolster Flower's rock 'n roll cred, and it's an interesting move for the Church, which doesn't exactly cater to the rock world.

I guess that's why I'm so impressed by it. Kudos to Flowers for being willing to talk about his faith and a bigger thumbs up to the Church for recognizing that there are Mormons out there who may be more inspired by The Killers than David Archuleta.

And as long as we're talking about The Killers, here's a link to one of my favorite songs (and favorite video) by the band, Read My Mind.

A Few Thoughts on Life From Joe Queer

Long-time punkers The Queers will stopping in Salt Lake on December 3. In advance of the show, Joe Queer and I swapped some emails this morning.

The last time I saw you guys play, I was impressed by how many old school fans keep coming out to the shows. How do you keep things new and interesting for fans who have seen you play a dozen times?

We usually change the set up and throw in different songs each night. Also we only play about 40 minutes so no one gets bored.

What is it about punk rock that keeps it going from generation to generation?

 
I think the energy attracts a lot of people. Punk was about being able to see thru the bullshit of day to day life and that appeals to a lot of people as well. Plus it's so irreverent and fun.

What is about punk rock that first attracted you to it? What do you still love about it?

Like I said, the energy is something I love. It gives me a reason to get outta bed in the morning. Always excited to see what's around the bend in the river each day.

What was the experience like re-releasing the early material? Did you like revisiting those old records? Do you feel like they sound better now?

It was kind of fun to listen to them again. I don't listen to our albums except when doing a new album.

Over the years, have you ever regretted any of the band's political incorrectness (e.g., the name of the band, "Love Songs for the Retarded," etc.)

 
No. I hate political punk bands. It's just a shtick for them. I don't think any of them even believe the bull---- they spew. Kids listen to it to feel like they know more than the next guy and they're enlightened more than the average shmuck on the street. The last place I'd go is a punk show to learn and listen about politics.

What's next on the horizon for the band? Any new music on the way?

We're out all winter pretty much on tour. Recording a new album next spring. After that my plans are unclear-I may tour the Congo.Thanks!!!

R.I.P. Heavy D, 1967-2011

Dear Dwight "Heavy D" Arrington Myers,

Thank you for playing a bit part in my life. I was nearing the end of my elementary school days in the early '90s. When birthdays came around, the cool kids bought cassette singles as gifts. Miss Karen Brochinsky bought me a copy of your semi-slow jam "Is It Good to You." I didn't love the track, but I loved your sense of style (e.g., flowy shirts and semi-Hammer pants). And now, even 20 years later, your big hit, "Now That We Found Love" still gets stuck in my head after just hearing the title. So, thank you.

Rest in peace, big guy.