LISTEN ♥ Standing On The Shore [Dirty Disco Youth Mix]
by Empire of the Sun [2009 | Thanks to Disco Demons]

IMAGES ♥ Trevor Tondro & Le Love

These last few weeks, I have been working 9-5 in an office, and I’m really not used to the silence. My entire life revolves around listening to something – anything to stop the silence. I sleep listening to music. If I’m on my own, I will walk listening to music. So the silence is intimidating, especially when you only have paperwork to distract you. But in the silence, I find I keep hearing certain songs over and over again in my head. This was a particular problem back at school when I was taking exams, trying to write about William Pitt The Elder and other areas of British history I didn’t care about whilst my head would seem to scream my favourite Pavement songs.

Last week, I simply could not get Jens Lekman out of my head. Particularly the song Rocky Dennis’ Farewell Song.

The song paints Jens as a romantic, and how could he not be when you consider the combination of his sampled dream instrumentation and crooning voice. I only found out afterwords that the song was based upon a film, which initially disappointed me, until I found out that the film was based upon a true story. The lyrics entertain many ‘perfect’ scenarios, like riding horses into the sky, fondly remembering childhood memories, and, my favorite, the idea of showing colours to a blind girl you once fell in love with. I don’t feel the need to explain why I love this song so much, because the lyrics are so emotionally evocative that no further words are needed:

blind girl i missed you
i’ve missed you so much
i’ve been sending you letters
trying to call
but i can’t seem to get in touch

i think back upon summer camp
and i think i want to show you more colours
here’s white
here’s black
here’s the colour of my heart as it started to crack

LISTEN: Jens Lekman – Rocky Dennis’ Farewell Song

ATJ presents SUCKERS, Sunday, August 30, 2009, at After the Jump Fest ‘09. This year’s 3rd annual festival is a three day extravaganza of independent music, and will take place at Brooklyn NY’s Littlefield Performance & Art Space.  Individual and weekend passes are available to purchase online here.

Listen :: Suckers – It Gets Your Body Movin’

In preparation for After the Jump Fest 2009, Music Is Art asked bassist Pan of Suckers to answer our ATJF Interview questions, and below are his special replies.

Please share your earliest memory involving or creating music.

Pan: As a kid, my brother and I would create our own “mash-ups” on tapes… we would takeout of bits and pieces of some of our favorite songs and link them all together.. I distinctly remember using Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home” with the end of Metallica’s “One”

May you share about your academic background concerning music? Did you study formally? Any special mentors?

Pan: I took bass lessons for a minute, but the dude just taught me how to play “Under The Bridge” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine”.  Other than that, I basically taught myself.  Quinn and Austin (who are cousins) learned a lot of guitar from another older cousin and Brian is pretty well trained in drum theory.

If you had to explain your music to a stranger, how would you do so?

Pan: I do it all the time.  “Experimental Pop Music” seems to be the easiest thing to say.

What are your favorite instruments to work with and what aspects do you like most about using them?

Pan: Well, this is always changing, but lately working with samplers has been my favorite. You can make really interesting and original sounds with electronics.

What are your inspirations?

Pan: Honestly for me it’s everything, where I live, my friends, current music, old music, art, film. I try to apply all of that to creating sounds and making music.

On average, how long does it take for you to create a song?

Pan: It seems that our best songs usually resolve themselves in 1 or 2 practices.  The longer we work on a song, the less natural they tend to sound.

On the website Music Is Art, our mission is to show how music and art are simply connected. Which albums do you credit as having the biggest influences as far as your life and creativity are concerned?

Pan: This list goes on for miles.  David Bowie’s Low, The Beatles’ Rubber Soul, Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, Aphex Twin’s The Richard D. James Album, Talking Heads’ Speaking In Tongues, Tom Waits’ Bone Machine, R. Kelly’s Double Up, and Hall & Oates’ Essential Collection.

If you could have a drink with one musician, living or dead, who would it be and what would you like to ask them?

Pan: Tom Waits.  I would ask him to produce our next album.

What do you hope people take from seeing you perform live?

Pan: Last time we played in Chicago, there was this kid who said we completely blew his mind.  He wouldn’t stop talking about what an amazing experience he had and how we melted his brain.  He later told us he was on mushrooms, but that’s basically the reaction I would like to get from everyone.

What has been your favorite experience thus far in your career?

Pan: I don’t know, this past SXSW was pretty awesome.

What would your number one suggestion be for someone who wants to do what you do?

Pan: Just Do It!

What exciting projects do you have coming up?

Pan: Writing/recording our first full length is probably the most exciting. Also, we’re having someone do a special remix for us.

May you have a particular inspired quote, statement or favorite words to live by?

Pan: “Sometimes, playas get lonely too.” – R. Kelly

Please share a mix tape within a theme of your choice.

Pan: The theme is just my favorite songs that I’ve been listening to constantly for the past month.

Listen ♥ I’ll Be Your Mirror
by The Velvet Underground & Nico [1967]

Images ♥ Chris Craymer