Impact chats with... Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s!

On Tuesday, September 21, we caught up with Rich from Margot & the Nuclear So & Sos at the Blind Pig for the band’s Buzzard album release show.


Ian Heslip: So I know that Buzzard was recorded on your own label, how did that influence the sound of Buzzard as opposed to being with Epic for Animal!/Not Animal?

Rich Edwards: When we were on Epic we pretty much made it sound exactly the way we wanted. It was more the effect of after it was done. When the last one was done, we didn’t really change anything but they weren’t very happy with it. So this time we didn’t have to worry about anyone returning it and seeing if they approve.

New Album Review: The Corin Tucker Band

The Corin Tucker Band: The Corin Tucker Band Album Review

The Corin Tucker Band’s debut album sounds exactly like you’d expect from the former front woman of Sleater-Kinney. There’s still the unpolished quality Tucker’s voice, although it’s less raw then back in 1994. The punk influences are still clearly heard, even if slightly mellowed. Yet as Corin Tucker herself said in an interview with Pitchfork, “It's definitely more of a middle-aged mom record, in a way. It's not a record that a young person would write... There's some sadness, some reinvention, some rebirth. I think the goal for me is to write some good stories.” Tucker’s work here won’t be unfamiliar to fans of Sleater-Kinney though, and songs like "Doubt" will be more than welcome by fans missing her old band.

Concert Review: Margot & the Nuclear So and Soʼs at the Blind Pig

Having previously seen Margot in Grand Rapids, I was ready for an excellent concert. Iʼve been a fan since their first release, Dust of Retreat, and have praised every demo, single, session, and album theyʼve followed up with. Buzzard is no exception. Buzzard explores the rougher side of what the sextet can create. Margot has always been dark, but their latest effort combines Richard Edwardsʼ haunting lyrics with an energy that used to exist only in their live shows.

Impact Chats With... Dan Mangan!

Vancouver singer/songwriter Dan Mangan has a certain air of intense calm and openness that permeates any conversation. Before getting into the interview itself, I chatted with him about life on the road, and it became clear that this was certainly not his first time out touring. He spoke the way your favorite pair of old jeans would: warmly, comfortably. We at Impact 89FM caught up with him about his latest album Nice, Nice, Very Nice, the Vancouver scene, and life on the road.

Matt Revers: Your songs are a really interesting blend of poeticism and casual conversation. How would you explain your writing process?

Dan Mangan: Iʼve heard other people describe it as almost like a train of thought. Iʼve never been good at writing things like devotion songs, you know, kind of love songs, so most of my stuff ends up being kind of conversational. Kind of like “here are a bunch of my thoughts in a row,” and sometimes itʼs more serious, and sometimes itʼs a little bit more kind of tongue-in-cheek. In general I just kind of like taking the piss out of humanity. I think that weʼre very fickle creatures, and weʼre doomed to make some of the same mistakes over and over again. I aim to rib human kind without being a jerk about it. I think overall Iʼd like to spread a message of optimism, but I do enjoy taking the piss, for sure.

New Album Review: Frontier Ruckus' Deadmalls & Nightfalls

Frontier Ruckus: Deadmalls & Nightfalls Review

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve been to Michigan at some point in your life. You’ve probably driven through tangled cookie-cutter neighborhoods, you’ve spent the daylight in sticky humidity swatting at bugs, you’ve walked across oceans of asphalt parking-lots of strip malls, and in the night you’ve strained your eyes at the stars over the light pollution of the towns. You’ve probably seen what happens to towns when they’ve blossomed and stretch out as far as they could before slowly fading away. All of this is exactly what Deadmalls & Nightfalls, the Frontier Ruckus’ latest full-length (Ramseur Records), sounds like.

Impact Chats With... KINGS GO FORTH!

Nick Van Huis: Your sound has kind of a Motown feel to it, how does it feel to be in Detroit?

Andy Noble: You know, the "Motown" thing gets tossed around a lot in interviews and stuff, and it's not that it's not true, but it's just that 9 out of 10 times, my inspiration for the R&B or funk stuff comes from the people who were standing in the shadows of the Motown people, the ones who didn't have a huge record deal or anything like that. A lot more of the mom and pop recorded groups were more of an influence on us. Motown was kind of fancy. But it's a huge soul city, a ton of people I'm a fan of have created albums here, so it is exciting. I love Detroit, it's great for records, it's great for soul people in general.

SLEIGH BELLS concert review: July 15, 2010

At the very pinnacle of restless anticipation, strobe lights burst into the anxious eyes of the crowd. A giant swell of violent energy exploded from both the stage and the audience at the same time. Everyone began shoving everyone else as "Tell 'Em," the opening song off of Sleigh Bells' freshman LP Treats, tore through the venue.