Songwriter Spotlight: Greg Barkley of Oh No! Oh My!

Ever since the SXSW Music Festival exploded over two decades ago, Austin, TX, has truly become a destination to discover music, spawning popular indie acts like Spoon, Voxtrot, Soundteam and more. Add to the list  Oh No! Oh My! , a three-piece who waver between quirky and charming, reminiscent of acts like Of Montreal, Sufjan Stevens and Belle & Sebastian.

Their upcoming EP, Between the Devil and the Sea, follows up their much-lauded self-titled, self-released full length that included a bountiful amount of twee, handclappin' indie pop. The new EP, which will be released  on Dim Mak Records (hopefully sometime soon), explores a less cutesy approach, favoring instead songs that have a more folk edge to them, sort of along the lines of Neutral Milk Hotel. I recently chatted with lead singer Greg Barkley about what inspires him to write music and grow as a songwriter...

Favorite place to write music: My favorite and only place I write is in my bedroom usually sitting on my bed, or at my desk recording on the computer. Sometimes when the band is working on a song together and we get stuck on a part, I'll take the guitar and go in my room and work on it there. I need privacy, I guess. I came up with a lot of good ideas thinking about the songs while working at my old job. I would think of a really good way to end a song or add a chorus, and I'd have to keep humming it in my head until I got off work, and then I would come home and record it and see how it worked, which surprisingly was a lot. But as far as actual guitar in hand, writing my room is the only place for me.

Latest inspiration: Talking Heads, because they have a way of being silly and serious at the same time, which is a quality I like.

What's the most personal song on your new album and why?
“The Party Punch.” I was taking a music class and one of the assignments was to write a song for a friend, so I wrote one about a party we went to and gave it to her. I showed the band a few days later, and they really liked it so we decided it should be an Oh No! Oh My! Song. She recently called me freaking out ‘cause she heard it on the local radio station. She was like, "Oh my god, I'm famous!"

If you could duet with anyone, who would it be and why?
Joanna Newsom. She could play the harp, and I could play the dulcimer. And we could do a cover by The Incredible String Band.

If you could wake up to any song, what would it be?
The second half of The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” would be a fun way to start the day. Either that or “Air From Suite No. 3” by Bach, but that would probably put me back to sleep.

** Check out the band's official website.

** Listen to songs on MySpace.

Upcoming Oh No! Oh My Tour Dates
Aug 9 - The Rev Room (Little Rock, AR)
Aug 10 - Hi Tone Cafe (Memphis, TN)
Aug 12 - Studio B (Brooklyn, NY)
Aug 13 - TT the Bear's (Boston, MA)
Aug 14 - La Sala Rossa (Montreal, Quebec)
Aug 15 - Lee's Palace (Toronto, Ontario)
Aug 16 - Beachland Ballroom (Cleveland, OH)
Aug 17 - Abbey Pub (Chicago, IL)
Aug 18 - 7th St. Entry (Minneapolis, MN)
Aug 21 - Chop Suey (Seattle, WA)
Aug 22 - Media Club (Vancouver, British Columbia)
Aug 23 - Holocene (Portland, OR)
Aug 24 - Bottom of the Hill (San Francisco, CA)
Aug 25 - Troubadour (Los Angeles, CA)
Aug 26 - Casbah (San Diego, CA)
Aug 29 - Rubber Gloves (Denton, TX)
Aug 30 - Emo's (Austin, TX)
Aug 31 - Walter's On Washington (Houston, TX)
Sep 1 - Spanish Moon (Baton Rouge, LA)
Sep 2 - Bottle Tree (Birmingham, AL)
Sep 3 - Drunken Unicorn (Atlanta, GA)
Sep 4 - Local 506 (Chapel Hill, NC)
Sep 5 - The Rock And Roll Hotel (Washington, DC)
Sep 6 - Ottobar (Baltimore, MD)
Sep 7 - The Vaccuum (Philadelphia, PA)
Sep 8 - Mercury Lounge (New York, NY)
Sep 10 - Babylon (Ottawa, Ontario)
Sep 13 - Replay Lounge (Lawrence, KS)
Sep 14 - Opolis (Norman, OK)

Music Biz Buzz

Here's what's buzzing in the music biz this week...

• Bloggers start their own music festival with the After the Jump Fest, a benefit for music education in New York City, on August 25 at Studio B in Brooklyn, NY. [Source: Tripwire]

• Have you ever wondered who is actually writing the hit songs? MSNBC explores the songwriters behind the music... [Source: MSNBC]

• Is distributing music through newspapers the perfect way to boost paper circulation and CD sales? Prince distributed his new album, Planet Earth, in the Mail on Sunday British newspaper, and sold nearly 3 million copies. [Source: Digital Music News]

• Jeff Tweedy of Wilco reveals he is a failed critic, successful musician... and talks about his current favorite bands. [Source: New York Times]

• Universal extends its offer to buyout Sanctuary, which would include the company's recorded products, merchandising, artist management division and more. [Source: Billboard]

• The National Association of Broadcasters are revisiting the Internet Radio Equality Act, which would reverse the Copyright Royalty Board's recent decision on webcaster royalties. [Source: FMQB]

• Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs talks about life after major label fame and about her band's upcoming EP and DVD. [Source: MSNBC]

• R. Kelly opens up the Closet again. [Source: Yahoo!]

Songwriter Spotlight: Ben Trokan of Robbers on High Street

The long-awaited sophomore album, Grand Animals, from Robbers on High Street was released this week on Scratchie/New Line Records. This new effort follows up the band's much-lauded debut, Tree City, which earned them comparisons to groups like Spoon, The Strokes and Squeeze.

On the new album, the band's songwriting has matured and expanded. The New York-based group worked with composer Daniele Luppi who also helped Gnarls Barkley on string arrangements on St. Elsewhere and John Legend on Once Again. Luppi encouraged the band to experiment with their sound, working in jazz organs, tubas, handclaps and more into the new songs.

I recently interviewed singer/guitarist/keyboardist Ben Trokan from the band on his latest musical inspirations...

Favorite place to write music and why: The kitchen, cuz it’s near the snacks.

Latest inspiration and why: Been listening to Randy Newman a bunch lately. I wish I could play piano and write lyrics half as good as him. 

What's the most personal song on your new album and why?
"The Ramp."  There is a place on 15th Street that my sister and I used to play at [that is referenced in the song], but the rest is bull.

If you could duet with anyone, who would it be and why?
Paul Schaffer.  So I can get close enough to take him out!

If you could re-do the soundtrack to any film, what would it be and why?
The French Connection because I’ve definitely “picked my toes in Poughkeepsie.”

** Check out the band's official website.

** Listen to songs on MySpace.

** Watch this behind-the-scenes video of Robbers on High Street preparing for their new album on YouTube below:

This Week's New Releases

Here's a roundup of this week's new music releases...

The Chemical Brothers - We Are the Night (Astralwerks)
Buy It @ Insound

"We don’t choose the hottest band when we’re looking for collaborators. We search deep for something that’s going to sound right on a particular piece of music, or just for an artist we really love and want to work with. And that helps us stay fresh, the fact that you can take it somewhere else. It’s like a new instrument. Lyrically, I think the album is really strong. It’s moved away from some of the constraints of dance music. We’re electronic artists, but Tom and I love classic song-writing: The Beatles, The Smiths, Bob Dylan. So we’re not afraid of a song, we don’t feel the need to bury it." - Ed Simons, The Chemical Brothers [Source: In the Mix]

The Cribs - Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever (Warner Bros)
Buy It @ Insound

"There's so many safe indie bands around. The last thing this country needs is another one.Things are so corporate and safe, we've gotta rattle against that." -Ryan Jarman, The Cribs [Source: The Guardian Unlimited]

Editors - An End Has a Start (Fader)
Buy It @ Insound

"We had built up confidence from touring for the last 20 months, so we weren’t afraid of trying new things – be it piano, acoustic guitar, strings. It wasn’t that we had this idea to make a huge-sounding record, it just kind of happened that way." - Tom Smith, Editors [Source: Uncut]

A Fine Frenzy - One Cell in the Sea (Virgin)
Buy It @ Insound

"It's a collection of songs that I've been writing for the past two years. Some of them are nice little fairytales and some of them are songs about heartache and heartbreak and others are about being very happy. So they're all very different and there's something for every possible mood." - Alison Sudol, A Fine Frenzy [Source: Kidzworld]

The Knife - Silent Shout, Deluxe Edition (Mute)
Buy It @ Insound

"Olof and Karin, meanwhile, have kept suspiciously quiet in 2007, which can only mean they're getting primed to take us on another nightmarish escapade into the chilling oblivion of our subconscious!" [Source: Pitchfork Media]

Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War - Digital Exclusive! (Arts & Crafts)
Buy It @ Insound

"In a swift move from label Arts & Crafts, the new Stars album In Our Bedroom After War will be available for legal download—over two months early—due to leaks resonating on the Internet." [Source: CMJ]

Suzanne Vega - Beauty & Crime (Blue Note Records)
Buy It @ Insound

"I was on tour promoting the last record and a lot of journalists were asking me what was going on in New York during that time, what the mood was and what people were doing. So at that point I tried to put some of what I was feeling into song and I wrote 'Anniversary' the year after 9/11. And that was the first song to be written for the group of songs on this album." - Suzanne Vega [Source: Gothamist]

Music Biz Buzz

Here's what's buzzing in the music biz this week...

• Smaller Internet broadcasters with SaveNetRadio are frowning at SoundExchange's royalty payment demands and lobbying for Congress to pass the Internet Radio Equality Act, which would set the royalty payment equal to what satellite radio pays -- 7.5% of revenue. Meanwhile, larger webcasters are accepting SoundExchange's minimum fee offer. [Source: CMJ and Digital Music News]

• Can MTV still influence the careers of the indie artist? Billboard investigates this question using MTVU's recent winner of the channel's "Best Music on Campus" contest, Bamboo Shoots, who subsequently appeared on Conan O'Brien as the winners and are also in the process of inking a major label deal. [Source: Billboard]

• In an effort to get away from any YouTube comparisons, Sony changed the name of their video-sharing site from Grouper to Crackle and rebranded it as "a streaming entertainment network," which will host contests for users to get development and distribution deals for film and television. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter]

• Transformers get a musical upgrade with a new built-in mp3 player on the action figure, Soundwave, which transforms from a robot to, ironically, a cassette tape. [Source: Engadget]

• One of the most infamous indie music sites, Pitchfork Media, hosted their 3rd annual music festival in Chicago. The fest served to highlight the best in obscure, on-the-verge and avant garde. Yoko Ono headlined the weekend. [Source: New York Times]

• In an initiative titled "Off-Line Economies For Digital Media," Microsoft is aiming to help curb illegal downloading through a patent-pending application which would allow Zune users to share each of their downloaded songs up to three times before having to pay more money. This seems like a a smart move to combat both the iPod and illegal file sharing. [Source: CMJ]

This Week's New Releases

Here's a roundup of this week's new music releases...

Bad Religion - New Maps of Hell (Epitaph)
Buy It @ Insound

"When we signed on to Warner/Atlantic, we didn’t realize the backlash. I think for Brett, there was a giant dichotomy between running this indie label, proclaiming indie to be the best in the world, and being on a major label with his own band. It just seemed too hypocritical." - Jay Bentley, Bad Religion [Source: Reax Magazine]

Crowded House - Time on Earth (ATO)
Buy It @ Insound

"I began recording early last year, but in the shadow of Paul’s passing, Nick Seymour and I had kind of reconnected and developed a renewed friendship. I thought it’d be great to play music with him, so we started working on this record together. We didn’t talk about it all through the making of it, but really close to the end, I took Nick aside and said, “You know, this feels like a band in all the meaningful ways. What do you think? Should we crank out the old girl again?” He was thinking the same thing but was a bit afraid to talk about it." - Neil Finn, Crowded House [Source: American Way]

Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta! (Side One Dummy)
Buy It @ Insound

"Before beginning the gracious open-house listening session, [Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene] Hutz explains the album's mysterious title. Derived from tarantella, an Italian form of traditional music invented to cure women of hysteria, or as Hutz whispers, "sexual promiscuity," Super-Taranta is Gogol Bordello's answer to global hysteria." [Source: CMJ]

Interpol - Our Love To Admire (Capitol)
Buy It @ Insound

"I understand what kind of music gets on the radio; I don’t know as a band if we can write that song. We just write our music. If everybody responds to that, great. But we’re not going to change that due to any outside force whatsoever. I would welcome any degree of success at all, but we’re not going to change what we do." - Paul Banks, Interpol [Source: New York]

Nick Drake - Family Tree (Tsunami)
Buy It @ Insound

"The demos and home tapes comprising the posthumous Nick Drake anthology Family Tree will primarily be of interest to hardcore Drake fans and UK folk-pop historians, though the compilers deserve credit for trying to fashion this ephemera into a proper album. " [Source: The Onion A.V. Club]

Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist (Martha's Music/Reprise)
Buy It @ Insound

"I think global warming is an issue that is currently relevant, time sensitive, and a symptom of the shortsightedness of the U.S. As a broader metaphor, the drowning Statue of Liberty, a revered icon of the U.S., symbolizes the eminent demise of many of the ideals upon which the nation was founded. Civil liberties, freedom of speech, privacy, etc. have been decreasing since 9/11. The sun in the image could either be setting or rising and this ambiguity shows that there is still hope to turn things around." - Shepard Fairey, who designed the Zeitgeist cover art [Source: Chicagoist]

Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge)
Buy It @ Insound

"The intensity of what I was going through, like breaking up with my girlfriend and being away from home, fed into what the whole album was. But In the end I'm glad it happened the way it did -- I do feel like it's the best record we've made." - Britt Daniel, Spoon [Source: NME]

They Might Be Giants - The Else (Idlewild/Zoe)
Buy It @ Insound

"The Else is just a made-up word. It could have been called The Other, but The Else was a way to add a layer of unknowability to the equation. By the time most bands get to their 12th album, they’re in this completely grotesque, mannerist period where everything they started doing is distended and distorted. We didn’t want to fall into that trap, and we didn’t want to just take on some transparently phony veneer that would somehow make this album feel new. At this point in our lives, to be who we are, we really have to dig in and do the best work we can. I know that sounds like some self-help seminar speech, but there aren’t a lot of options for us besides straight-up. So the title reflects where we think the band falls in the world. We’re outsiders. We’re just not part of the world." - John Flansburgh, They Might Be Giants [Source: Magnet]

Songwriter Spotlight: Die Romantik

Die Romantik's music is dark and evocative, melding dark classical with tortured, sensitive rock. The trio, composed of Olivier Bernard, Eric Hagemann and Dominic Matar, met in high school in Paris back in the late 90's and officially formed their group in 2005 in New York. That perhaps explains why their music possesses a more refined sound than much of the quick, trendy music spouting forth from the New York music scene at the moment.

Their debut album, Narcissist's Waltz, is the kind of album you'd listen to while reeling down the highway crying because your lover has just dumped you for your best friend -- dramatic and emotional with an elegant vengeance.

All three contribute to the songwriting and work closely together on the arrangements. I recently caught up with Eric, Olivier and Dominic about their  new album and current inspirations...

Favorite place to write music:
Eric: I enjoy writing in the bathroom due to the acoustics. It also gives me a sense of privacy and keeps my cats off my lap.
Olivier: I usually write in my bedroom, but I prefer the bathroom (for the acoustics) or the park because it's quiet and inspiring.
Dominic: Col. Mustard, in my bedroom, with a glass of wine (out of solidarity with Eric and Olivier, I write with my pants down as if I was in the bathroom). I need to be alone to write, lots of quiet and to have lots of time ahead of me. I like to just keep playing piano and record on a little tape player, then go back, listen and improve on the ideas that came out.

Latest inspiration:
Eric: I've been very inspired by Led Zeppelin recently. I feel like they just don't make them like that anymore. They have such complete mastery of their instruments, on top of being extremely creative and versatile. And as a drummer, John Bonham is my #1 inspiration.
Olivier: Trying to survive in New York City has been a main part of my inspiration. Living in this city has forced me to be more creative and dream a little more.
Dominic: I've been having a bit of a Kate Bush episode recently. I hadn't been thinking of music as that kind of dramatic art in a long time.

What's the most personal song on your new album?
Eric: "A Tale of Terror and Vengeance" is my most personal one, because it's the only song I wrote on the album that's about an actual concrete situation. I really was very upset when I wrote it, and it was about one of my closest friends. It was actually a big misunderstanding though, and we're still really good friends. We laughed about it.
Olivier: Probably "Another Round". Listen to it, and you'll know why.
Dominic: Probably "Narcissist's Waltz". I feel very close to it both musically and thematically.

If you could duet with anyone, who would it be and why?
Eric: I had never really asked myself the question, but probably Jenny Lewis. I've seen Rilo Kiley a few times and really appreciate her musical and personal style. Or maybe someone like Lavender Diamond.
Olivier: I don't know. Maybe Nick Cave. I've never seen him live, but I get the feeling he's a killer live. Maybe Sonic Youth, too. That would be more of instrumental duet though because their control over sound is awesome.
Dominic: A duet with Francoise Hardy would make me very happy. I was going to say Neil Diamond but that would be cheeky.

If you could write a song for any season, which season would it be and why?
Eric: Late fall matches my emotional tenor the closest, so that would be it for me.
Olivier: I would definitely have to go with the fall season. There's so much to write about whether it's about the leaves changing colors or the smell of burning wood coming out chimneys.
Dominic: At this particular moment, I would write for Spring. A little rebirth, freshness, optimism and color would do me good. Vivaldi beat us all to it anyway.

** Visit their official website.

** Listen to Die Romantik's music on MySpace.

** Check out a live Die Romantik clip on YouTube from their CD release party below:

Music Biz Buzz

Here's what's buzzing in the music biz this week...

• Live Earth takes over the music world this past weekend on Saturday in a charity concert spearheaded by environmentalist extraordinaire Al Gore. The show featured music heavyweights performing at shows around the world like Madonna in London, The Police in New York, Crowded House (reunited!) in Australia, Shakira in Hamburg, and more. And yes, the concerts were supposedly "the most eco-friendly series of concerts possible," especially with the MSN internet stream of the concert, which broke a record for an online entertainment show with over 9 million Internet streams. [Source: MSN and Billboard]

• Apple is taking a big bite out of its album prices on iTunes, lowering some albums to $5.99 and $6.99 in an initiative labeled their "Next Big Thing." Indie bands like Peter Bjorn & John and LCD Soundsystem can finally offer their music at a more affordable price, which theoretically should increase their digital sales. In contrast, Universal did not renew their annual contract to sell their artists' music on iTunes. Wonder if it's a good idea to argue with the third biggest seller of music? [Source: Engadget and New York Times]

• On a related note, midway through 2007, album sales are down 15%. However, digital music sales have increased 49%. [Source: FMBQ]

• SoundExchange is still in dispute with online radio broadcasters despite an olive branch offering a per-channel minimum fee cap. "According to KCRW commentator Celia Hirschman, SoundExchange will only cap the channel fees if stations agree to cease lobbying efforts related to the Internet Radio Royalty Act, a bill that threatens to rollback recently-passed internet royalty increases." [Source: Digital Music News]

• Online social network Last.fm and Sony BMG ink a worldwide deal. Last.fm users will have access to Sony BMG's extensive catalog. Last.fm co-founder Martin Stiksel said, "This partnership affords Last.fm users a whole new set of terrific content for building community. We've always aimed to have everything ever recorded available to listen to on our site, and having access to Sony's collection of some of the world's most popular music takes us another huge step closer." [Source: CNN]

• Are big corporations like Starbucks not the enemy of independent artists? Singer-songwriter Chuck E. Costa thinks so. [Source: New York Times]

Songwriter Spotlight: Richie James Follin of The Willowz

The first time The Willowz fell on my radar it was while I was listening to the brilliant and evocative Eternal Sunshine For the Spotless Mind soundtrack with their songs "Something" and "I Wonder." The Anaheim, CA foursome soon won me over with the soothing hippie ditty "I Wonder" and the wild and capricious "Something." Director Michel Gondry also used their songs in his film, The Science of Sleep.

Offscreen, their songs stand up on their own. The new album, Chautauqua, currently out on Dim Mak Records, further explores the territory between country and classic rock. With heavier layers of instrumentation, complete with big organs and plenty of guitar, The Willowz have crafted another rock-out record.

I recently asked singer/guitarist Richie James Follin about his latest songwriting inspirations.

Favorite place to write music: On the road... You got no other way to show what you are feeling. Plus, you are bored as all hell.

Latest inspiration: The Buffalo Killers are my current inspiration... They are our buds, and they rip.

What's the most personal song on your new album?
The most personal song on Chautauqua is “Choose a Side” or “Yesterdays Lost.” They deal with band splits and lover fits.

If you could duet with anyone, who would it be and why?
Huey Lewis. He did it great in the movie.

If you could wake up to any song, what would it be?
“Georgia On My Mind.” It’s always good to wake up to.

Check out The Willowz on tour:
Wed July 11  Covington, KY @ The Mad Hatter
Thu July 12  Columbus, OH @ Little Brother's
Fri July 13  Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
Sat July 14  Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
Sun July 15  Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place
Tue July 17  Philadelphia, PA @ The Khyber
Wed July 18  Washington D.C. @ The Black Cat
Thu July 19  Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
Fri July 20  Cambridge, MA @ T.T. The Bear's
Sun July 22  Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's
Tue July 24  Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
Wed July 25  Knoxville, TN @ Blue Cats
Thu July 26  Nashville, TN @ The End
Fri July 27  Atlanta, GA @ Earl
Sat July 28  New Orleans, LA @ Parish
Thu August 9  Houston, TX @ Rudyard's*
Fri August 10  Dallas, TX @ The Palladium Showroom*
Sat August 11  Austin, TX @ Emo's Alternative Lounging*
Mon August 13  Tucson, AZ @ Plush*
Tue August 14  Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse Music Venue*
Wed August 15  San Diego, CA @ The Casbah*
Thu August 16  West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour*
Fri August 17  San Francisco, CA @ Slims*
Sat August 18 San Jose, CA @ The Bank Club*
Mon August 20  Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge*
Tue August 21  Seattle, WA @ Neumo's*
Wed August 22  Boise, ID @ Neurolux*
Thu August 23  Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge*
Fri August 24  Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre*
Sat August 25 Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar*
Mon August 27  St. Louis, MO @ Creepy Crawl*
Tue August 28  Iowa City, IA @ Picador*
Wed August 29  Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock*
Thu August 30  Milwaukee, WI @ Mad Planet*
Fri August 31  Chicago, IL @ TBD*
Sat Sept 1  Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick*

*Dan Sartain joins the tour

** Visit The Willowz' official website.

** Listen to the band on MySpace.

** Watch the video for "Jubilee" on YouTube below: