q and also a :: Big Bliss
Tim and Wallace of Big Bliss sent us these answers to our questions in this next installment of q and also a.
q: What is the last song you (really) heard?
tim: There are a lot, so much amazing stuff coming out recently. “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” by Car Seat Headrest really blows me away. Nothing beats a solid self-loathing rock song, especially with such a crazy payoff at the end. That whole record is pretty great.
wallace: Toto – “Rosanna”
q: Is there an album you wished you knew about when you were younger?
t: Definitely Let it Be by The Replacements. I missed that one ’til way later. Maybe it’s a good thing – I don’t think I would’ve really understood “Unsatisfied” until I was older anyway.
w: Gang of Four and Echo and the Bunnymen
q: What is the last album that you purchased?
t: We stopped at Bric a Brac Records in Chicago, on tour, and I stumbled across an 80’s US bootleg of Warsaw/early Joy Division recordings. The jacket is all black with cutouts of the Unknown Pleasures art just floating around in the plastic cover. Best part of the whole thing is that the label on the vinyl reads, “Yugoslavian Folk Dances.” Early version of “Transmission,” etc. It was not cheap but I couldn’t leave it there.
w: Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
q: What is one of your favorite memories of experiencing music in a live setting?
t: Our mom was the head of security at Blossom Music Center in NE Ohio, so we saw pretty much every major tour of the mid to late-nineties when we super young. First one I saw was The Cranberries, and got a set list. My mom had me “help” with security sometimes. Once I confiscated tons of peanut butter jars at the Hanson show because teen girls were pelting the band with them, while they played. It was their favorite food. Later on when I was in high school, a couple girls in my grade had a sweet band and they covered Pixies’ “Gigantic” at the talent show for a crowd of 1,000, or so, conservative, suburban types. They killed. Still may be my favorite show.
w: No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom Tour
q: What piece(s) of culture are you really really excited about right now?
We just got back from a Midwest tour with our best buds Language, had the best time, and realized while we were on the road that the DIY scenes in places, other than NYC, seem alive and well. That was super exciting.
But it’s been discouraging to see all these closures/shutdowns of DIY-minded venues in Brooklyn, in recent years, and I really hope some more spring up in their place. That said, there’re a few good ones still around in Brooklyn. Aviv, Pet Rescue and Idio Gallery come to mind.
Speaking of Idio – they need your help!: gofundme.com/idiogallery
Ed. Note: Aviv is leaving its current location when the lease ends there. The good folks who run it are looking for a new space and plan to reopen.
q: Anything we should know about your latest project (whatever that might be)?
The most interesting thing about our first EP, which we just released, is that it’s the first record that my brother and I have put out together after playing in separate bands for about 25 years collectively. We were surprised how easily it came together and we got really lucky finding Wallace to play bass. This fall, we are going to slow down shows a bit to write for our first full length, due next year, and already the tunes are so different from this first record. Our first year as a band has been a total blast, so we are stoked to see where it goes from here.
Listen to Keep Near:
You can purchase Keep Near at http://bigblissband.com/album/keep-near or http://bigblissesr.bandcamp.com/album/keep-near.
Or you can help celebrate the release of Keep Near at Union Pool on September 4th (flier below), and purchase a copy directly from the band!
Big Bliss is on the internet
Big Bliss is on Facebook
Big Bliss is on Twitter
Big Bliss is on Exit Stencil