Giants and Toys

Blues-influenced rock with a twist of indie/alternative and a subtle helping of ska. A lead singer with a musical and lyrical affinity for Tom Waites. Energetic live shows with visual nods to Wayne Coyne and The Flaming Lips. The Montevallo five-piece known as Giants and Toys is gaining some serious momentum.

The band started in the fall of 2008. Michael Messina (Lead Vocals/Guitar) and Jack Kish (Guitar/Vocals/Synth), who both graduated from Montevallo High and had been playing music together for several years, started looking for a new drummer and vocalist. They even went as far as to put up Singer Wanted posters around campus, but just ended up “meeting some pretty weird people.”

They recruited percussionist Chris Estes, bassist and trumpet player James Vance, and keyboardist and trombone player Jake Finn from another Montevallo act, Hey Man!, of which Kish and Messina were also members. “We had done Hey Man! as sort of a novelty ska band that won the Battle of the Bands our freshman year. Then it kinda went a little further and we actually played a show in Birmingham. That was a pretty big crowd, Chris was interested in playing drums not just for Hey Man, but for something more substantial,” said Messina.

“Jake played trombone in Hey Man and he was a music major and that was his first experience being in a band. Vance has been in ska bands since high school,” Messina continued. “Initially, Vance was gonna be the trumpet player and I was gonna be the bass player cause I’ve played bass since high school. Jack was gonna play guitar and Chris was gonna be on drums.”

However, as the practices became more routine, each member began transitioning into their current role in the band. Vance moved to bass, allowing Messina to take on guitar and vocal chores. It was during this period that the band realized that simply jamming out was not enough. “December 27th, 2008. That’s when we wrote our first song (“Hold Me Down”) collectively,” Estes said.

“It was a song that I had written and something that I had never even considered. I wrote it my senior year in high school. A lot of turbulent things were happening my senior year. It was something on my back catalogue that I never thought about playing,” Messina said.

Messina said he just started playing the song one day at practice and the band took a hold of it and made it their own. “From there, we were like ‘Man this is something we can do’,” he said.

Their name often throws venues and first time listeners for a loop. “We get a lot of interesting confusions. My favorite one was Giants with Boys or Giants and Boys. Giants with Toys, that’s what BAAM called us on the internet. But we’ve heard some interesting variations,” Messina said.

The idea for the moniker came to Jack Kish after a failed Google search for “cool band names.” “I think I had read somewhere that some band had named their band after a movie I liked and I thought we needed to try that. Second Lions, we thought about that one. Then, Giants and Toys was an old movie from the 50s,” Kish said.

The movie was a Japanese film about three competing candy factories; the members admit they have not seen it all the way through, though they said you can find it on Youtube.

John Nicholson created their famous robot logo that has been seen on past show posters. “Every great venture in business, music, and entertainment, they always have a logo so we wanted something people could identify us with and GAT wasn’t positive,” Messina said.

Musically and lyrically, the band draws from a wide variety of influences such as Kings of Leon, Modest Mouse, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Tom Waites, and The Flaming Lips.

“What you think influences you is not necessarily what your music is gonna sound like. Evan from Toga! Toga!, when we first played our show with them, he said that I sounded like a mixture between Jim Morrison and Jack White when he played with the Raconteurs. I thought that was interesting because I didn’t necessarily sit down and say, ‘That’s what I wanna sound like,’” Messina said.

“Most of the songs are about having a good time, some of them are about heartache, some of them are about some really dark stuff. Some of them are just fun,” he continued. “I mean, there’s no theme. I’m not trying to write every song the same way. I have a lot of messages I want to convey.”

The band began recording this summer, though they experienced some initial turbulence. “Before we went into the studio, we had planned to have album out by June 30th, but the first recording studio we went to kind of screwed us over,” Estes said.

However, through Estes’ grandfather, the band got placed in the hands of Grammy-nominated record producer, Don Mosley. Messina said that stepping into the studio for the first time was nerve-wracking.

“They had an original Fleetwood Mac from one of their albums; it was a painting, the original artwork in the recording studio. We were just like, ‘Who else has been in there?’ and now we were in there recording our stuff. That was cool, that notion. Figuring which people had been where you’re standing,” he said.

If everything goes as planned, the EP will drop October 31st.

In regards to their live act, Giants and Toys played their first show in February 2009 and played one show a month in Montevallo, alternating between The Bus Station and The Main Street Tavern, eventually making the trip to Birmingham for a show at the Firehouse. Recently, they’ve participated in Birmingham’s inaugural BAAM Festival, playing at Matthew’s Bar and Grill on Morris Avenue. They also kicked off the school year with a gig at Eclipse Coffee and Books.

The band said that they hope to provide an entertaining and energetic show that provides a lasting memory for the audience.
“For me, I just want everybody to have a good time. Smiling and dancing. I really feel like our music is about having a good time, getting rid of your cares for a little while,” Estes said.

“I hope, that since I man the confetti cannon, that they take away a little piece of confetti,” Kish added.

“I want people to remember us. That’s my biggest thing. It’s kind of childish. You know, but it’s kind of like going after your American Dream. You just want to be remembered. I hope the crowd will remember us. I hope it won’t be some three month shindig and they say: ‘Yeah I remember that. It was fun that you did that. You should start up a different band.’ I want it to last,” said Messina.

Listen to their music on www.myspace.com/giantsandtoys or become a fan on Facebook.

Collaboration and The Birmingham Music Scene

Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Crosby, Stills, and Nash (and occasionally Young). These musicians created a plethora of memorable music through intense collaboration. These relationships exist mainly between individual musicians but can also affect the songwriting community of major, music-infused cities.

The melodies that float from the heart of Birmingham, Alabama songwriting collective, are well thought out and innovative, but often underappreciated.

“Birmingham musicians have grit and sincerity. We have our backs against the wall and I really believe that we have a lot of fight left in us,” says Jon Black, a musician who moved to Birmingham from Georgia a few years back. Black plays his own style of folk/rock with an Americana twist and frequents the city’s most prominent venues such as Workplay Theatre and Bottletree Café.

“We're not Nashville and we're not Atlanta,” he continues. “We're a bunch of post-punk southerners with a do-it-yourself attitude.”

Part of this “do-it-yourself attitude” allows for more artistic freedom. The 21st century musicians are discovering ways to record and distribute their songs in an innumerable amount of avenues. This sea of independent talent is often so overwhelming and crowded that an artist must find an element that sets him apart in songwriting. Musical collaboration plays a role by providing artists with a challenge to blend styles and ideas, to immerse themselves in a community of songwriters, and to impact the future of the local music scene.

BLENDING STYLES AND BENDING GENRES

A songwriter often develops a personal style that is familiar yet creative. He seeks after a particular sound and hones in on the lyrics and melodies. However, he sometimes becomes stuck in his chosen genre while creativity ebbs and flows. He begins to seek outside sources to spark his imagination. The process can begin with simply changing from an acoustic-driven sound to something more electric-laden. Lyrical collaboration can lead to a variety of themes and concepts that neither party had previously explored.

“Collaboration in the songwriting process can be critical. I think the one thing that people need to realize is that the songwriting process is not the same thing as co-writing a song,” Black says. “The process is a tedious journey through multiple versions of lyrics and music and you will always need someone there to bounce ideas off of.”

The concept of “bouncing ideas off each other” serves as a system of checks and balances. While collaborating, one artist must be able to read into the other’s thoughts in order to pull out a more complex version of the original concept. On the other hand, that person who comes up with the initial song idea must be willing to relinquish some control in order to create a successful tune.

Matthew Mayfield, another Birmingham songwriter who once fronted alternative rock band Moses Mayfield and currently records under his own name, understands this system. During several of his recording sessions, he enlists the help of John Paul White of the indie-folk group, The Civil Wars. “We just have a good friendship and he's an amazing writer/player. He gets me and my strengths and I can reciprocate. That makes for a really great dynamic,” Mayfield says.

COMMUNITY

Jon Black also adds that to build a music scene through collaboration, musicians must rely on and support each other, both in a recording and performance setting. “You have multiple bands playing shows together and multiple people playing in multiple bands. Backstage they're talking about life and being friends. They're talking about what records they're listening to and what they ate for lunch. They're sharing life with each other and that's the collaboration that leads to great songs.”

In the Birmingham music scene, the act of musicians playing in several different bands during the same show manifests itself in the ever growing songwriting movement known as Grey Haven Community. Local photographer Caleb Chancey started the organization in 2008 as a way to drawn in and showcase local talent. He and musician/pastor Josh Wilson met for BBQ and began discussing an issue that had been on Chancey’s mind, the future of music.

” You see musicians on labels, videos, and TV. You see musicians doing their own thing and then you hear about community of musicians that band together like the Brooklyn Community, the Asthmatic Kitty Community and the Seattle and Portland communities. They have this great camaraderie. So what is the idea of us getting together and exploring music together with the sole purpose of doing nothing but creating together?” Chancey says.

Grey Haven takes the simple formula of the ten songwriters/two songs each open mic night and gives it a unique twist. Every time a new member comes to the bi-monthly gathering at Urban Standard Coffee, they must perform with someone who has played before. This rule encourages collaboration between both professional musicians and hobbyists. Oftentimes, the performers play anything from traditional “band” instrument such as acoustic and electric guitars, drums, and keyboards to more “unorthodox” rock instruments such as cello, mandolin, ukulele, and violins. A punk rock act can be found on the same set as a country artist and folk and electronica musicians also populate the stage.

Members of Grey Haven use their collaborations from these meetings as a springboard to explore further musical ideas. Landscape architect and musician, Neil Couvillion, started playing at Grey Haven after the second show. After a few performances, Chancey approached him. “At the fifth show, Caleb came up to me and said we had to record the album. That was the beginning process. We started planning out the album in the fall and I have met not only great musicians, but kind of a family of friends and musicians. It opened a lot of doors and creativeness.” The result was Couvillion’s 2009 release, Time Machine, which expanded on his original compositions by incorporating the efforts of several Grey Haven performers. In instances such as this, the artist dives head first into the community and allows this new reservoir of ideas to challenge his or her own ideas about songwriting.

LOOKING AHEAD

In the final stage of the collaborative process, the musicians take their creative efforts from the studio to the world around them. The ultimate goal is to continue developing relationships with artists who are willing to create and develop new ways of playing and enjoying music.

Grey Haven Community keeps an online library of every musician who plays at their events

that contains bios, lists of specialty instruments, and music. The group uses this catalogue for future participants in the Grey Haven events who are looking for collaborators, but Chancey has much more ambitious goals. His hope is for Birmingham to be a resource for travelling musicians. If an independent band plays a show in the city and need a violin, bass, guitar, or piano player, they can contact Grey Haven and request the musician who plays that particular instrument.

“When you have that, you have independent musicians pulling from the local scene and they’re playing with them. No longer is your friend the opener for the band, they’re playing with the band. You’re going to want to go see that show because your friend is playing with the band and that creates a deeper community. The musicians benefit, the songwriter benefits, everyone benefits,” he says.

Others recognize the importance of groups like Grey Haven, but know that many more musicians must jump on board for the scene to be successful. “The Washington Post said that Birmingham had the potential to be the next Austin or Athens,” says Jon Black. “I believe that but we really need a few artists to catch some breaks and figure out a great way to build a bigger community around local music.”

Until then, performers in Birmingham will continue to collaborate, continue to perform, and continue to pour out melodies that echo the heart and soul of the scene.
Check out music from the interviewed artists:
www.whoisjonblack.com
www.matthewmayfield.com
www.greyhavencommunity.com
www.myspace.com/neilcouvillion

LOCAL MUSIC SPOTLIGHT: TOGA! TOGA!

When we last spoke with Toga! Toga! back in September, the indie/dance band from Montevallo was testing the waters of live shows and taking its first steps into the limelight. They wrote and recorded their first batch of songs, played shows at Eclipse Coffee and Books and at the now-defunct Alabama Coach Company, and slowly, but surely, laid the foundation for a consistently growing fan base.

Just a few months later, Toga! Toga! has redefined the term “overnight success,” at least in the local scene. They have recorded almost 30 songs, including fan favorites such as “Rulers of the Universe,” “Myself and Me,” “Your Girlfriend (Likes to Dance)” and “Now or Never.” They have also incorporated covers of MGMT’s “Kids” and (The) Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up.” As far as live performances are concerned, they have played numerous shows at Eclipse, a two-song set at Kids Got the Disco! (a monthly dance party at the Bottletree Café in Birmingham), and recently opened for DJ Nastique and Gil Mantera’s Party Dream at Bottletree. Finally, their song “1984” has received airplay on Live 100.5 for the last eight weeks, thanks to DJ Coco and his “Sunday Night Social” program.

The band, which consists of University of Montevallo students Jordan Barrios, Evan Mullins, and Ben Aslin, admits that their recent success seems almost too good to be true.

“ I think every time we all sit and think about it, it’s mindblowing how quickly we’ve evolved from a couple of friends just making dance beats on my computer to people wanting us to play shows at their venue. We’ve evolved from that to being played on the radio and we’re very pleased with that,” said Barrios who handles most of the vocal chores for the band and also plays keyboard and guitar.
Their journey started back in August with the members wanting to create something fresh, a band completely different from Barrios and Mullins’s acoustic and singer/songwriter roots. After bringing in Aslin on keyboard and implementing the style of such indie dance pioneers as MGMT and Passion Pit, the band started writing songs and searching for a definitive name for themselves.

Mullins eventually found inspiration from the 1978 college party film, Animal House. The name comes from the infamous pre-party scene where John Belushi yells “Toga!” as his suggestion for the final celebration in the movie. “When people think of togas, they think of the quintessential party at the university; the toga party. And we like to have a lot of fun and we like to party so it fits,” Mullins said.
“I think [the name] also shows the excitement we have,” added Aslin, referencing the all-important exclamation marks of the band’s title.

Though the band still acknowledges its early musical influences, they said that their tastes are constantly changing and evolving. Barrios said he has been listening to bands such as Friendly Fires and Chromeo; he also said that Ghostland Observatory has inspired his stage presence. Mullins’s early influences included “French electronic dance music” and he said he is now listening to 70s’ era dance and funk such as KC and the Sunshine Band and The Beegees. Aslin said he started with MGMT and Justice and has followed Mullins into the world of “funky beats.”

Aside from writing and recording, the band focuses a lot of their time on their energetic live shows, which are often populated by crowds of 30, 40, or even 50 fans. The members make a point to interact with and entertain the crowd every chance they get. “If we get the crowd going, if the crowd is smiling, if the crowd is involved the entire time, then that’s a successful show for me,” Barrios said.

“We have a lot of stage presence and a lot of energy but what really is the deciding factor for a good show depends on the audience. Their participation and the happy vibes that they’re giving off,” Mullins added.

As strange as the “indie dance” craze sounds to some music listeners, the genre is catching fire and Toga! Toga! seems to be leading the way in Montevallo and the surrounding areas. “I feel like that right now, across the world, there’re a lot of terrible things, a lot of decline and when you listen to rap and singer/songwriters you experience some of that decline…Bon Iver for instance is very sad and I think that dance music is happiness,” Mullins said.

The band said that their biggest break came through a chance encounter with the aforementioned DJ Coco. “We all made a cd with our first 8 songs on it. I went to a party with DJ Nastique and she was really thrilled. She listened to it and really liked two songs on it. At the next Kids Got The Disco, which is a monthly dance event that they have at Bottletree, she played two of our songs and I got onstage and sang with the track. DJ Coco, who’s on Live 100.5, was actually the guy next to me doing DJ work as well. Apparently he liked our stuff and he asked us for the tracks and played them. The other day, the station contacted us about getting a new song.”

Though not everything is set in stone, the band has some big things happening for them in the next few months. The band hopes to embark on a southeastern tour with DJ Coco this spring. Mullins said that they will keep fans posted about any new details.

They will also be playing at Bottletree with DJ Coco on December 23 for a free “Christmas with Coco and Friends” show. Their new single “Cutfire” will debut on 100.5 this week’s edition of the “Sunday Night Social,” which is on from 7 to 9.

With the whirlwind of success that has occurred, the band said they are constantly reminded of the fact that they could not do anything without their fans. “We love everyone who supports us and supports our music. We have a lot of fun with our fans. We’ve gotten to know a lot of them. They even play a lot of roles in what we do,” said Mullins.

“If it wasn’t for our friends and fans, we wouldn’t be where we are right now. A lot of them volunteer time to sell our merchandise and help promote us, like burning cds. We don’t mind you burning our cds. That’s a compliment,” Barrios said.

To hear the musical stylings of Toga! Toga! and find out more information about upcoming shows, visit www.myspace.com/togatogafunkyfresh or become a fan on Facebook.

SWITCHFOOT CONCERT REVIEW

On November 22nd, Jon Foreman and the members of the San Diego-based, alternative rock band, Switchfoot, played a sold-out show at Exit/In in Nashville.
The band was on tour to promote Hello Hurricane, the latest and seventh album released in their 13-year career. Posters of the album art covered the backdrop of the stage and plastic seagulls hung from the ceiling. The stage was large enough to hold the typical band setup- drums, keyboards, and an arsenal of guitars. The venue itself could be described as a smaller Workplay with a bar and balcony and was filled to capacity with a standing-room only audience of 160, who had come from such diverse locations as Illinois, Alabama, Ohio, Florida, and Kentucky.
The first set for each concert of the tour had been the same; play the new album from beginning to end. This effort could either fail or succeed depending on the participation of the crowd. Fortunately for Switchfoot, the crowd seemed to have memorized almost every lyric and sang along as if Hello Hurricane had been around for years.
Foreman and his bandmates even experimented with the musical stylings of these new songs by bringing out a mandolin for “Hello Hurricane” and album closer “Red Eyes,” a baby grand piano for “Always,” a cow bell for “Bullet Soul,” and an accordion, a harmonica, and a tambourine for “Yet.”
After a short intermission, the band came out for a “Greatest Hits” set. Before the concert, Foreman had sent out a message on the band’s Twitter account asking the audience if they had any song requests. The most popular requests played at the show included Switchfoot’s biggest radio hits (“Meant to Live,” “Dare You to Move,” “Stars,” “Awakening,” and “Oh Gravity”) and fan favorites (“Let That Be Enough,” “On Fire,” “Learning to Breathe,” and “Twenty Four”).
Though Foreman consistently addressed the audience throughout the concert, he managed to bring his crowd interaction to a new level at the beginning of the second set. He borrowed hats and sunglasses from various members of the audience, used a man’s camera to film a video of the venue during “Awakening,” took out his own camera to snap a picture of the audience, and hopped off the stage several times to walk amongst the fans. He served as frontman and entertainer, as well as conductor for the orchestra of fans singing at the top of their lungs.
The most memorable moment of the concert happened during “Dare You to Move.” Foreman left the stage, walked up the stairs, and leaned on the edge of the balcony during the second verse and chorus. During the song, he looked as if he intended to jump from the balcony into the middle of the crowd. He soon realized there was not a safe place to land, ran down the stairs, and finished the song onstage, much to the disappointment of the audience and to the relief of his band mates.
The concert did have one imperfection. Foreman’s vocals cut in and out or at least seemed lower than usual during a few of the slower numbers. However, the band made up for it with their charisma and showmanship. Foreman made a point to make the show unique by including stories of how much Nashville meant to him and the band (he wrote “Let That Be Enough” at a Nashville hotel during the band’s 1999 tour). This night at Exit/In would mark yet another memorable concert for the band and their fans. Overall Rating: 4.5/5

MUTEMATH CONCERT REVIEW: 11/2/09

Riding the wave of momentum from their sophomore release, Armistice, the alternative rock/electronic act, Mutemath, paid a visit to the Magic City on November 2nd. The quartet from New Orleans has already built a loyal following in the Birmingham area with shows at both the Workplay Theatre and Soundstage; their last appearance was in November 2007.

This time around, the band took their act to the Alabama Theatre. Opening act, As Tall as Lions, failed to appear due to travel dilemmas so a D.J. filled in for the 8 o clock slot. Though the remixes of current and classic hits were enjoyable for the first half hour or so, the audience was anxiously waiting for Mutemath to hit the stage. Finally, the band started up their set with a high-energy performance of “The Nerve.” From there, the band proceeded to capture the audience with its unique mix of music, stage antics, and media.

The songs stemmed mainly from Armistice and their self-titled record and included renditions of “Spotlight,” “Backfire,” “Anymore,” “No Response,” and fan favorites “Typical,” “Stare at the Sun,” and “Reset.” The band incorporated several instruments in their set including an array of keyboards, guitars and keytars, an upright bass, voice modifiers, a full drum kit, and an extra bass drum that lit up when played; lead vocalist Paul Meany even used his piano stool as a percussion instrument during “Stare at the Sun.”

The backdrop resembled the cover of Armistice and provided the mixed media portion of the show. Live feed of the band as well as scenes from miscellaneous videos appeared on the screen for several songs and guided the show visually. The technical element of the concert also relied heavily on the lighting, which effectively set the mood and built suspense for the individual songs.

Known for their on-stage feats and acrobatics, the band was all over the stage. Meany did handstands on the keyboards, leapt into the air, and rushed into the audience, who rewarded him with a plethora of high fives and shouted admirations. Guitarist Greg Hill and bassist Roy Mitchell-Cardenas participated in the chaos as well by moving to and from the different instruments throughout the show. However, they seemed to have been given the responsibility of ‘holding down the fort’ in order to maintain the tempo of the music, allowing the other two members to orchestrate more daring feats.

Drummer Darren King provided the most memorable moment of the evening. During the final song, King punched out the center of his bass drum, put it over his head, and proceeded to play blindly. One could only speculate the consequences of returning to the days of the instrument-smashing grunge era, but it proved effective for this particular concert.

Overall, the band put on a successful show, with the exception of a few lulls in the middle of the set; not to say that the theatrics were not entertaining, but the constant pulse seemed to be wearisome at times. Hopefully, Mutemath’s novelty will not wear thin and the forthcoming concerts will be even more extravagant.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE FILM REVIEW: 10/30/09

As seen with Transformers 1 and 2 and G.I. Joe, taking a childhood icon and producing it into a full-length feature film carries an array of risks these days. Directors face the pressure of interpreting their own version of the toy, TV show, or book as well as keeping and promoting the original theme in order to satisfy audiences. The latest film in this category is Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are.

Viewers have swayed mainly between two positions; either the film impressed them or severely disappointed them. I’ve heard a variety of descriptions from my peers such as “hipster movie of the year,” “Where the Wild Things Angst,” “brilliant,” and “iconic.” I side with the ones who thoroughly enjoyed the film and walked out of the theatre with a smile.

For those of you who don’t know why the film has been so highly so anticipated, I’ll give you a bit of background. In 1963, writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak wrote an award-winning children’s picture book called Where the Wild Things Are. The 9-sentence, 338-word book follows the journey of a boy named Max. A wild thing himself, Max dresses up in a wolf costume, threatens to eat his mother, and is sent to bed without supper. In his room, he imagines that he travels to a far off land full of wild monsters, who eventually make Max “King of the Wild Things.” After a chaotic “wild rumpus” through the woods, Max begins to feel homesick. He leaves the Wild Things and returns home to find his hot supper waiting in his room.

After several animated adaptations of the book, Jonze (Adaptation and Being John Malchovich) and author Dave Eggers (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and You Shall Know Our Velocity!) penned the screenplay for the live action version. Jonze directed and Maurice Sendak took on the role of producer. The cast includes an ensemble of new and veteran actors, including Max Records as Max, Catherine Keener as the mother, and James Galdofini, Paul Dano, Lauren Ambrose, Forrest Whittaker, Catherine O’Hara, and Chris Cooper as the Wild Things.

The movie follows the book fairly well, with some much needed additions to make it 102 minutes. Eggers and Jonze add several scenes in the beginning to reveal Max’s turbulent home life and to express his need for escape. Instead of going to his room, Max runs through the woods until he reaches the land of the wild things, who were made through a combination of puppetry and digital effects. He captures the loyalty of the creatures by threatening to reveal his magical powers and they crown him King. The main wild thing, Gandolfini’s Carol, entrusts Max with his vision to create the perfect dwelling, where all the wild things can sleep together in a pile and live together in peace

Bringing and keeping happiness seems to Max’s main objective as king, a task he finds very easy through events such “the wild rumpus” and a dirt clod war. These are the moments when the movie really comes alive, with the soundtrack (written by Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) pulsating in the background. Most people, including myself, probably wished for an extended rumpus, but it’s enjoyable nonetheless.

The screenplay adds an interesting psychological twist to the original story. Each wild thing’s personality possesses some element of Max’s emotions, including rage, insecurity, happiness, and loyalty. By seeing his feelings manifested in this way allows Max to reconcile his turmoil and come to a point where he can return home to the “place where he is loved the most.” Viewers will also be intrigued by the way Jonze presents one of the book’s most famous lines: “Please don’t go. We’ll eat you up. We love you so.”

Lovers of the book are now middle-aged and college-aged and personally I think these groups are the audiences with whom the film will most resonate. Not to say you shouldn’t take your kids or younger siblings, but be aware that Jonze wrote the film for both kids and adults, so some of the themes require some level of maturity; Eggers’ dark humor comes through several times throughout the movie. Overall, however, the film is a moving, heartfelt journey and allows us to see a childhood tale come to life in an unforge

SMART BROTHERS INTERVIEW/ARTICLE 10-30-09

Upon seeing the name and hearing a snippet of music from this San Diego, California-based, Americana and folk-laden group, you may be quick to stash them under the same category as say, The Avett Brothers. Acoustic guitars, banjos, pianos, and infectious harmonies. Seems so formulaic and predictable, right? Further investigation will reveal that with their incessant touring, energetic live shows (which can last up to 4 hours) and growing catalog of original songs, the Smart Brothers (Lou and Jay)are making a strong name for themselves.
Their journey as a band has brought them to several major cities across the United States including Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Montevallo. They have garnered several nominations and awards during this time including San Diego Music Award nominations for Best New Act and Best Americana Act, Best of the (Gulf ) Coast 2009, and winner of the Songwriter Shootout at Eddie's Attic in Atlanta. They currently have two albums out; 2008’s self-titled EP and 2009’s My Baby.
I recently had a chance about to talk to Lou about the beginnings of the band, life on the road, and upcoming goals and projects.
CKD: Describe the musical journey of the band (how each of you got started in music and how the band formed).
LS: Well, we’ve been singing together since we were born. Then when I was 6 and Jay was 8 our grandpa taught us how to play the ukulele. He’s first generation from Portugal. We’ve played music and been writing songs together since then, in punk, metal, and indie acts. We started this group two years ago when we couldn’t practice with the volume turned up because we were living in an apartment complex. Our neighbors had just had a baby and we didn’t want to wake him. We traded our electric instruments in for acoustics and started playing on the street for money. We quit our day jobs and have been on the road ever since.
CK: When it comes to songwriting, to what common themes do you guys find yourselves returning?
LS: We pretty much write about anything that inspires us, which is usually love and all the things related to it. We don’t have any sad songs really.
3. What are some of your biggest influences?
LS: We like; The Beach Boys, the Everly Bros., Queen, Andrea Bocelli, Elvis, Tina Turner, Dion, and Jackie Wilson
CKD: What are some of your favorite cities and venues to play?
LS: Anywhere with nice people.
CKD: What is the name of your upcoming project? Describe the songwriting and recording process.
LS: We don’t have a title as of yet. The recording and writing process has been pretty different from what we’ve done before. We wrote all the songs that are going to be on it in about a month. The recording is much more minimal than our previous projects, much grittier and honest.
CKD: What song, out of your entire catalog, would you say means the most to you and why? Are there songs that never leave the set list?-
LS: We don’t really have a favorite song. Each song is like a child, special and unique. Each one represents a time in your life and it brings you and others back to that place each time you play it. We always change up the set list.
CKD: How do you feel you guys have progressed over your time as a band, both individually and collectively?
LS: The band has changes so much over the past two years. We’ve gone from street performers to touring musicians who can afford to do so. It’s awesome to do this for a job and we appreciate everyone who makes it possible. As people we have both learned more about each other and have grown closer. This job puts you under a lot of stress and in some crazy positions at times, and if we didn’t have each other we’d both be in some serious trouble.
CKD: What are some of your goals for the next year to year and a half?
LS: Our goal is to keep doing what we’re doing, we meet the best people through this band. Maybe go to Canada and Mexico too.
CKD: Any advice to offer fledgling songwriters and bands?
LS: Stay in school.
The band will be playing Friday, October 30th at Eclipse in Montevallo. The band says Montevallo is one of their most favorite places to play so expect a fantastic show. To sample their music, go to www.myspace.com/thesmartbrothers .