a trist in the middle of heaven, with mr. brau

[Zoomerang96]

in today's interview with another interference citizen, i sit down on a romantic, rolling countryside in the middle of heaven with mr. brau.

after guzzling a gallon of brandy, and walking around in robes with dandilions in our hair, the two of us got down and did the dirty. we really gave it to each other on this night, guys...we delved into music as though it were a mutual lover...as if...

as if we were on fire for reach other's MUSIC. that body...that flesh and blood of a topic, the love for beautiful sound made mr. brau and myself a common entity for those brief moments, guys.

here's a few questions i posed, not before "accidently" grazing the back of his hand with the back my own...softly as i peered deep into his eyes, his face mere inches away from my own.

i've found that in order to connect with my sub7ects, it's absolutely necessary to get as close to them as they are with their lover's. sure it makes a few of them nervous, but it makes for the best interview.


================

1. top three songs you've listened to since the beginning of october.

2. the album you're most eagerly anticipating.

3. what does "selling out" mean to you?

4. what does u2 owe their fans when performing live, in regards to setlists and that sort of thing. i think you know what i'm talking about. how much diversity is really needed if any at all?

5. what are your feelings on the song "the rat" by the walkmen? is this one of the best balls-out rock songs you've ever heard?

6. what are the best music dvds you've ever seen? whether they be concert, documentary, whatever...

7. name your favourite 5 bands, and favourite songs by any group.

8. what makes a truly great record, in your opinion?

9. give me a few good examples of "good pop music" and a few good examplse of "bad pop music".

i'm looking forward to that answer...

10. what's the one thing that pisses you off the most about the entire music scene?

 

[Jack In The Box]

I missed these threads! waiting for Brau answers

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

it's 'tryst'

 

[Calluna]

Never correct Zoomerang96's spelling! Nevah!

But this should be interesting...

 

[lmjhitman]

akumbey bekumbey!!

good questions as always, bear. i too, am looking forward to this.

it seems you didn't take typoon's suggestion regarding the thinly-veiled insults, but you DID manage to not-so-thinly veil, erm.... something else.

 

[Dulce de Leche]

Alright mr. brau, where are you?

 

[MrBrau1]

Ha! My brother (dudeman), just emailed me to bring this to my attention.

I'll do tonite after work.

 

[lmjhitman]

for shit's sake, i can't believe i mis-spelled typHoon in my last post - the same one where i mentioned akumbey bekumbey!

sorry typhoon, and akumbey bekumbey.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

ooh good thread!

 

[JessicaAnn]

for shit's sake, i can't believe i mis-spelled typHoon in my last post - the same one where i mentioned akumbey bekumbey!

sorry typhoon, and akumbey bekumbey.

akumbey bekumbey would be so disappointed.

 

[Zoomerang96]

sorry about the spelling errors, i hate them more than anyone else here.

but after making them, i'm usually too lazy to do anything about it.

looking forward to the answers...

 

[Zoots]

Never stroke Zoomerang96's ego! Nevah!

Braumeister, out with the answers!!!

 

[JOFO]

this takes me back to when tom cruise was on the oprah show....


except no cameras....


and I'm not that excited.

 

[MrBrau1]

Whoops. I'll do all at once.

 

[MrBrau1]

1. top three songs you've listened to since the beginning of october.

Top meaning, most played, which I guess means I’ve enjoyed them the most.

1-It’s All Gonna Break- Broken Social Scene
2-No One Is To Blame- Howard Jones
3-Blink And You’ll Miss It- Paul Weller


2. the album you're most eagerly anticipating.

The new Pete Yorn record.

I got this in an email update back in May:

“ Currently I am residing in Los Angeles, CA. I have been here for some time recording with people of various talents. AS OF TODAY, 11, MAY, 2005.....I am in the process of mixing THE NEW RECORD in a BALLROOM in GRIFFITH PARK. I recorded 24 NEW SONGS...however this WILL NOT BE A DOUBLE ALBUM. MOST of the TRACKS were produced with MICHAEL BEINHORN (Herbie Hancock, Social Distortion, Violent Femmes, Soundgarden, Korn, yes...Korn!) and myself, while others were produced by DON FLEMING (Sonic Youth, Teenage Fanclub) and myself. THE recording process was a roller coaster ride filled with moments of triumph as well as frustration. IT has NOW come together as something that I am extremely proud of and could not have done on my own. Some songs were recorded "live" with MINIBAR and Joe Kennedy providing the backup. Others were built from the ground up with either myself or Dave Grohl playing drums. We were fortunate enough to coax the great Leon Russell in for a day to play some excellent piano. Natalie Maines sings on two songs, while Emily Robison and Martie Maguire add banjo and fiddle respectively. Farmer Dave Scher (All Night Radio, Beachwood Sparks) provides pedal and lap steel guitar, as well as some non-conventional organ. Zach Schaeffer plays bass on a few songs. Doc Dauer and Ramee Jaffe showed up for some guitar and B-3 as well. Oh, and it has all been captured on film which is NOW being edited together for your enjoyment.”

I quite liked his first record, “Music For The Morning After”, and his second, “Day I Forgot” was even better than the first.

I know the Charlatans have an album in the works, but this is the one I keep checking the torrent sites for.

3. what does "selling out" mean to you?

I like a quote I heard on South Park:

Stan: “What’s a sell-out?”

Kyle “Someone in the entertainment industry who makes money.”

It’s become a very loaded term these days.

It was so much easier in the 80’s.

But it’s not the 80’s anymore. MTV doesn’t play videos anymore. MTV2, which was supposed to be the MTV that played videos, doesn’t play videos anymore.

Radio is an absolute mess. I used to LOVE a station in NJ, 106.3 WHTG. It was awesome. They played everything. I discovered so much music listening to that station. Now it sounds like K-Rock.

Major labels are so concerned with their shareholders that the term “artist development” doesn’t exist anymore. If REM, U2 or Springsteen were starting off today, we’d hear 1 or 2 albums from each. No Automatic for The People. No Achtung Baby. No Darkness on the Edge of Town.

I have no problem with bands letting their music be used in ads, tv shows, and the like. It’s another avenue of exposure for them. It’s not 1985 anymore.



4. what does u2 owe their fans when performing live, in regards to setlists and that sort of thing. i think you know what i'm talking about. how much diversity is really needed if any at all?


I saw an amazing Zoo TV show in 1992. I had no idea what they were going to play. I had no idea if the set from the nite before was the same, or if the set from the next nite wound up being the same. I don’t even think I thought about it.

Ignorance was bliss.

Now we get the sets as the show plays. You can listen to dozens of bootlegs before you even see a live show. All the anticipation is gone, and I love anticipation.

I’d imagine the happiest fans walking out of those arenas are those big fans, who knew where “The First Time” or “Miss Sarajevo” came from, but had the restraint to NOT READ SPOILERS!

I think they owe me the following tunes every nite they play:

Zooropa
Gone
Kite
Acrobat
Crumbs From Your Table
HMTMKMKM
Bad
Like A Song
One Tree Hill
A Sort Of Homecoming
Electric Co.



5. what are your feelings on the song "the rat" by the walkmen? is this one of the best balls-out rock songs you've ever heard?

I love that song It makes me feel like this

6. what are the best music dvds you've ever seen? whether they be concert, documentary, whatever...

Spinal Tap
Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Paul Weller- 2 Classic Performances
REM- Perfect Square
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band- Live in Barcelona
U2- Live From Boston
Aimee Mann-Live At St. Annes Wharehouse
The Wonder Stuff- Welcome To The Cheapseats

7. name your favourite 5 bands, and favourite songs by any group.

U2
David Bowie
Johnny Cash
Otis Redding
Paul Weller

This is too hard. I keep thinking of too many people.

Love is A Rose- Neil Young
The Rising- Bruce Springsteen
Gone- U2
Deafly- Aimee Mann
You Left The Water Running- Otis Redding

Now I’m thinking of too many songs….


8. what makes a truly great record, in your opinion?


If it drives me to try and buy everything the artist has ever recorded. Ziggy Stardust did that

9. give me a few good examples of "good pop music" and a few good examplse of "bad pop music".

Good Pop:


Faith- George Michael
Cracklin Rosie- Neil Diamond
About You- Teenage Fanclub
Listen To The Music- The Doobie Brothers
From The Bench At Belvidere- The Boo Radleys
Give A Little Bit- Supertramp
Fool In the Rain- Led Zeppelin
Weather With You- Crowded House
Stuck In A Moment- U2
Isn’t She Lovely- Stevie Wonder
Voices Carry- Til Tuesday
La Bamba- Richie Valens
Human Nature- Michael Jackson
The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite- R.E.M
Fernando- ABBA
You Make Loving Fun- Fleetwood Mac



Bad Pop:

Never Gonna Give You Up- Rick Astley
My Perogative- Bobby Brown
Ashlee Simpson and Hillary Duff- All
Abracadabra- Steve Miller Band
Blame It On The Rain- Millie Vanillie
Like A Virgin- Madonna
Groovy Kind Of Love-Phil Collins
I Feel Like A Woman-Shania Twain
I Wanna Sex You Up- Color Me Bad
Everything I Do (I Do It For You)- Bryan Adams
Macarena -Los Del Rio
Who Let The Dogs Out- Baha Men
All Out of Love- Air Supply
Physical- Olivia Newton-John
Kokomo-Beach Boys


10. what's the one thing that pisses you off the most about the entire music scene?

The fact there even is a music “scene.” It reminds me of high school.

I'm going to pee now.

 

[Zoomerang96]

alright, good stuff.

thanks mr. brau, that was a good read.

 

[Jack In The Box]

interesting to read

 

[Zoots]

Brau is the only guy I know who seems to love both Gone and ATYCLB equally. What a nut!

 

[lmjhitman]

Re: Re: a trist in the middle of heaven, with mr. brau

1. top three songs you've listened to since the beginning of october.

1-It’s All Gonna Break- Broken Social Scene


I'm going to pee now.

brau, looks like your number one and mine are the same.

your U2 setlist is pretty good, and your bad pop songs are atrocious.

well done, brau.

and congratulations on fending off bear's advances.

 

[typhoon]

ZOOMY: BRAU SAYS YOU'RE A LOSER.

BRAU: ZOOMY SAYS YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE.

GOD, DO I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING AROUND HERE?

 

[joyfulgirl]

Good job zoomer & Brau!

Brau, I really enjoyed your list of good and bad pop songs. I like how the Doobie Brothers' "Listen to the Music" (an old junior high fave) takes its rightful place beside R.E.M. and Crowded House.

 

[MrBrau1]

ZOOMY: BRAU SAYS YOU'RE A LOSER.

BRAU: ZOOMY SAYS YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE.

GOD, DO I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING AROUND HERE?

 

[Elvis Presley]

akumbey bekumbey!!

good questions as always, bear. i too, am looking forward to this.

it seems you didn't take typoon's suggestion regarding the thinly-veiled insults, but you DID manage to not-so-thinly veil, erm.... something else.

I miss that akumbey guy.


Great interview Brau

 

[Bonochick]

Nice read.

 

[IWasBored]

 

[JessicaAnn]

Very nice!

 

[Dalton]

Re: Re: a trist in the middle of heaven, with mr. brau

I Wanna Sex You Up- Color Me Bad

Great interview, Brau, but I gotta take exception with this song making the bad pop list.

Its lyrically brilliant. "I want to sex you UP" when its commonly referred to as "getting DOWN".

Brilliant.


And when Bear finally gets around to giving me a night with thread, bring a pillow and an idea for breakfast.

yeah. i'm THAT good...

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

I want deathy to interview himself. That might be something.

Great interview as usual though, and some mighty fine answers from Mr Brau.

 

[jkayet]

 

[corianderstem]

Re: Re: a trist in the middle of heaven, with mr. brau

Pete Yorn! "The Rat"! Your thoughts on selling out! Stevie Wonder, Abba and Teenage Fanclub in your list of good pop!

Mr. Brau, I never realized how much I loved you!