A Bunch Of Softies

Jaz popped down to King Tut's Wah Wah Hut to interview San Diegans, The Soft Pack, for Q Magazine on a freezing Wednesday night. If anybody in Cyberspace knows some decent ice-breakers for approaching semi-esoteric raw post-punk bands who are battling with a bout of flu, send them on a postcard. Most of what Jaz knows about Los Angeles and punk-y scenes was gauged during a two week period working at Kerrang!'s Green Day special. That's to say, very little. And for reasons related to Green Day and not because that fortnight was spent debating the respective qualities of various now discontinued chocolate bars, e.g. Texan vs. Wagon Wheel.

Before they played a straight-to-the-point, short and punchy set comprised of material from their eponymous debut and their earlier album under a much-maligned previous bandname, The Muslims, the foursome revealed their affections for hip hop, Barry Manilow and Prince. When it comes to their own three-chord garage punk sound, though, their motives are completely non-political:

"We're all about simplicity. I think it's partly by necessity. I can't really do much musically, so it's gotta be simple." - Matt Lamkin

For the full interview, which includes analysis of many a California buzz band to listen out for, head on over to qthemusic.com: http://news.qthemusic.com/2010/02/interview_q_couch_potatoes_wit.html

All photos can be found on Jaz's Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/boomerangkid/sets/72157623501146646/

I leave you with their ultra stripped-back video for C'Mon:



Jaz x

Roses Are Red, Chivalry's Dead

John Mayer isn't known in the UK so much for his love-centric guitar odes as he is renowned for his serial romanticising of Hollywood A-listers. For any valentines out there planning on dusting off one of his many non-distinct albums (I'm hoping a great deal of dust has accumulated) in order to woo your loved one, think again. Not only did he recently play a Q show during which he offered to indiscriminately impregnate members of the audience, the penman of love themes such as Your Body Is A Wonderland (pass the sickbag) has just likened ex-squeeze Jessica Simpson to "sexual napalm". Wonderland... Napalm... Vietnam warfare. It's not sounding too gooey now, is it? Jaz never usually vindicates this but if you are so inclined we propose you stick to your Westlifes and Manilows for minimal controversy. Jaz will probably be airing old Oasis albums. Having yet to commemorate their split last year, Valentines Day is a perfect occasion to appreciate music that is heady but nonetheless utterly meaningless. If you do choose to fall into the romcom trap, watch a decent one. Wedding-related titles are usually safe (bar the exception of The Wedding Planner) - My Best Friend's Wedding and The Wedding Singer are Jaz favourites. See Adam Sandler doing J Gelis Band's Love Stinks:




Jaz x x x