Just Say Yes...

Just say yes. Not to Snore Patrol, to Yeasayer. Jaz went backwards to go forwards on Wednesday night. Confused? So were we. Oran Mor, an old converted church in the heart of Glasgow University land, is difficult to navigate at the best of times with several floors, windy staircases and probably the odd secret passageway here and there. Brooklyn threesome Yeasayer, however, were there in earnest... somewhere.

Unprepared for a reconnaissance mission and without night vision goggles, Jaz feels about in the pitch black guided only by the dirge of 'Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel' (their words) in soundcheck. Eventually spotting the target, Jaz refuses to accommodate the "neat" suggestion of performing an interview travelling up and down inside an elevator for an hour due to past claustrophobic trauma of reliving Speed while trapped in a school lift for 45 minutes. As lead singer Chris Keating comments on Jaz's Scottish tones and informs that several formative years listening to rap resulted in his Method Man accent, Jaz gets ready for an evening of pseudo-geek hilarity.



Described by some journalists as the thinking man's pop band, bassist Ira Wolf Tuton (his middle name really is Wolf and he's not in Twilight) spends an hour theorising, analysing and criticising pretty much everything. But if you're looking for an explanation as to their name don't bother.



"If I had to do it again I'd probably pick AAAA and a bunch of exclamation marks. We're at the bottom of every list."

Playing a set to several hundred students who all look like they've walked straight out an MGMT/Empire Of The Sun video, Yeasayer's nonsensically infectious electro-psychedelic-indie-dance (to use my own ridiculous concoction) creates a hedonistic utopia of one-ness in the room. That is never more apparent than when a young war-painted jumping jack decides to share their stage and throw his own shapes. Why not?


For the full interview which is at once intellectual, irritating and downright amusing visit Q online: http://news.qthemusic.com/2010/02/interview_a_brief_history_of_t.html

Become a facebook fan to check out more pics: http://tinyurl.com/yhxcbhr

Yeasayer's new pop-fectious single O.N.E. has more Conga fever than you can shake a stick at:





Jaz x

Secret Diary Of A Newspaper Intern: Part 4

Stealing away from the internet café opposite my bedsit where I’ve been typing up my interviews since 8am I wonder what I’m living off besides the sheer determination to succeed.

At News International, today’s world-altering task is to track down tweeds from a fancy dress shop in London. There is no campaign, bar the necessity to shoot one famous comedian wearing them on a bicycle tomorrow. Here’s a tip: don’t phone every fancy dress shop in London to source full Sherlock Holmes garb without sizes. It’s not Primark, unless you’re of the “one size fits all” school of shopping, and it pisses the salespeople off. It comes to light that the withholding of such info is due to the celebrity’s diva-like refusal to co-operate in the wearing of tweeds. If I told you this man once starred in a programme wherein he adopted several roles, including that of an elderly transvestite, I think you’d ask the same question as I: what’s a pair of Plus-4s and a tweed cap once cross-dressing’s been on your resumé?

In other news “Who dat?” really has gone global. It’s been used in a press conference by the New Orleans Saints. And to think I don’t even know what “touchdown” means. The commissioner is more than satisfied with my interviews. Does a job offer loom?

To be continued...

Jaz x

P.S. Yeasayer interview to come later today ;)

Rule BRITannia

The Awards for me represent a moment in the mid-'90s when Britpop fleetingly ruled our world and you didn’t have to be Austin Powers to believe in cool Britannia. It was a time when Damon Albarn had tea and crumpets at Number 10, when tuning into Top Of The Pops to see Country House beat Roll With It to the top spot was socially acceptable (and possible), and when the Union Jack was celebrated and, in Geri Halliwell’s case, adorned. If Cheryl Cole strutted around Earls Court similarly attired tonight she’d likely be accused of backing Nick Griffin, or worse still, Gordon Brown...

Read the full minute-by-minute running commentary on Who's Jack http://www.whosjack.org/?p=4094

Jaz x

Tonight Jaz is catching up with New Yorkers Yeasayer. Stay tuned for the Q interview...