Fight Bite have just released their self-titled, sophomore album and quite frankly it’s a stunner. Dream-Pop doesn’t even get close in describing the out-of-focus haze flooding this record. With a flow of heavenly vocals, and a set of 80s analogues and arpeggios, we’ve been in a state of pop-bliss for the last few weeks.

Admittedly the duo, fronted by Leanne Macomber (with Jeff Louis making up the other half), have taken their time, in fact it’s been nearly four years since their debut. But Macomber’s a busy girl, she plays keyboards and backing vox in Neon Indian’s touring band – so diary space don’t come easy.

We wanted an interview and set out to track Leanne down, it took a while, in fact it wasn’t until we starting calling the hospitals in Serbia that we finally caught up with her. Turns out she’s been travelling the globe and had an incident with some glass (Bowlegs sends you get well wishes x).

Bowlegs: Why have we had to wait four years for a new album? Where have you been?

Leanne: The album was originally written in 2008 but were unable to give it our full attention due the impending apocalypse. Once that all blew over.. The album was a smooth joy to record and mix.

Bowlegs: The new record has a hazier tone than the relatively straight-up pop heard on the debut – would you agree? Did you discuss a new sound? What would you say the main differences are?

Leanne: Maybe you need to blow on your tape deck? Or should we blow ours? Hmmm..

Bowlegs: So what’s with the song titles being all names – who are these people? Are these songs about real experiences?

Leanne: Yes. Some names have been changed to protect the guilty. I can only write what I know. Sexual journalist.

Bowlegs: Dream-pop – is that you?

Leanne: We prefer post-feminist trip metal.

Bowlegs: So how are these songs put together? Are you both in a room with synths? Do you have a well rehearsed method nowadays?

Leanne: I usually write the songs because my life is complete shit and no one will ever love me. Sometimes Jeff writes a song. we collaborated on the song Belle, for instance.

Bowlegs: Tell us about Christine X – I love that track – those drum’s sounds are straight outta the 80s? Any 80s bands that influence Fight Bite?

Leanne: Thanks! All I knew was that it had to have ridiculous highs and lows and embellished everything. Jeff locked me in his closet for a few days to beat off in. The song title comes from the film Christine F.

Bowlegs: OK we gotta ask – who is that on the album cover?

Leanne: Cant kiss and tell…My gal pal in Brooklyn. She’s an epic babe. Shot it on my phone.

Bowlegs: Your albums are on Spotify (click here to listen)- do you think Spotify helps the smaller bands? Surely it means not as many people will buy the record?

Leanne: I believe getting things out there is first and if someone would like to press it on Edison reel, we’d be very happy.

Bowlegs: Tell us what records from 2012 you’ve been digging lately? Do you have similar tastes? There must be a band you completely disagree on?

Leanne: We like a ton of the same things. We’re old fashioned. We both love 50-80′s and are quite selective after that. As for 2012.. I toured alongside Purity Ring for a few weeks with Neon Indian – they’re amazing!

Bowlegs: Will we be waiting a long time for the next record? What’s the plan now?

Leanne: You will have to tell your children’s children about us

Western Affairs are a three-piece from Washington DC. They’ve been through several hundred line-up changes since they got it together in 2009 – but have finally found a happy place. Their music is a spaced-out flow of dreamy-pop and atmospheric landscapes and they seem intent on taking it to the stratosphere. We had words before they took off.

Bowlegs: So how did Western Affairs get together, I understand members have come and gone – is the current line-up feeling right?
 
Alex: Over the past three years, we have gone through at least a dozen lineup changes. What recently changed was the addition of Davis, who I knew already from the local music scene in DC. He started on drums, and switched to guitar when he brought in Andrew, our current drummer. The current line-up is feeling the best its ever has been and doesn’t seem like it will change for a while.
 
Bowlegs: Do you guys have an obsession with space? We see the artwork for the singles, a mention of 2001: A Space Odyssey and a track called 1999? What’s the fascination – tell us more?
 
Alex: The idea of space heavily influences our music. If anything could visually represent our sound, it would be images pertaining to space. That’s something we want to keep consistent in our music. 
 
Davis: I’m the one obsessed with Stanley Kubrick Films. I feel like a lot of footage from 2001: A Space Odyssey would work well for a video for 1999, but it’s already been used for Disorder by Joy Division. I don’t think it’s an official video, but it works really well for that particular track.

Western Affairs – Laura
 
Bowlegs: The excellent track Control is such an exposed love-song, it feels so fragile. Do you find yourself writing many slower and melancholic tunes like this one or do you try and get a balance – or do you not even think about it?
 
Alex: Control, like all of our other songs, is very personal, but was never intended to be directed to a specific person, though they may pertain to certain people. Our songs are more like a diary or a reflection of the past, like a letter that is never sent or a personal journal. You should expect more melancholic and lethargic songs on the next record, but more intricate and with more texture.
 
Bowlegs: Are these songs written from personal experiences? If so dare I ask who Laura is? Has she heard the song?
 
Alex: These songs draw from a collection of personal experiences. Some may not be specific events but they’re certainly are inspired by things that I have experienced in the past. Laura is a real person, but I use her, in the context of our music, as the ideal companion, someone who is unattainable and far from reach. To our listeners, I want Laura to be more than the Laura that I perceive, but someone everyone can relate to, if it were a friend, family member, or partner. As for Laura listening to the song, I think she might have heard it, but I’m not sure if she knew it was about her, since I’ve changed her name a little. Who knows…..

 
Bowlegs: What bands would you say are an influence on your sound? You’ve been described as Dream-Pop – happy with that tag?
 
Alex: The label is fine for us. We actually listen to a lot of bands that fall under this label like Beach House, Blouse, and others.  
 
Davis: We’re influenced by a lot of local bands here in DC. The local music here is very eclectic, and is never genre confined which has open our minds in to accepting whatever ideas come across us. But we’re also influenced by non-musical things, like we mentioned before with space.
 
Bowlegs: Where did the band name come from? Sounds like it might be a political TV show? Is it a statement in anyway to the current state of the western world?
 
Alex: The band name doesn’t really mean anything. Like anything, it just felt right so we kept it that way.

 
Bowlegs: So we’ve found three tracks by you so far? Is there more to come? What is the current plan? Do you all have day jobs and rush to rehearsals straight from work?
 
Alex: Our first EP, 2000, is going to be released July 10th. We already started working on new material too! Right now we are all students, but music comes first. We might put school off to pursue Western Affairs if the opportunity is given. If you wanted to know, I’m a sophomore at American University, Davis is a freshman at DePaul University, and Andrew is a freshman at Dickinson College.
 
Bowlegs: Finally – tell us a record from 2012 that you’d all agree is one of the best of the year so far??
 
Alex: I don’t think we can all agree on this one! In my opinion, the best album of 2012 so far is Holiday by Port St. Willow. Nick Principe is such an underrated artist and in my heart, the best new artist of 2012. If you ask me a little later in the year, I might say Shrines by Purity Ring, their latest singles are just so amazing!
 
Davis: Andrew and I are still waiting on the new Flying Lotus album, and won’t settle for anything less.

Head to the Western Affairs’ Bandcamp here

When we first saw the name, the bilinda butchers, we thought the My Bloody Valentine guitarist had duplicated her DNA and formed a band’s worth of Bilindas – we were, of course, wrong. Instead we have a duo from San Francisco who’ve tapped into a rather special vein of dream-pop. Childhood friends Michal and Adam released their blissful debut EP, regret, guilt, love, dreams, last year, and are now all set to follow it with the rather special Goodbye EP. We caught up with the twosome to talk MBV, romance and moving on.

Bowlegs: So you take your name from the My Bloody Valentine singer/guitarist?? Whose idea was that? Have you tweeted her about it?

Michal: It was my idea, Adam was living across the country during high school, and we were on the phone one day and discovered that we’d both been listening to My Bloody Valentine. It was a strange coincidence. We really liked MBV’s music and their whole aesthetic and decided to use Bilinda’s name as an homage. This happened when were around sixteen or seventeen.

Adam: We don’t have a Twitter account. Does Bilinda Butcher have a Twitter?

Bowlegs: How did the two of you hook up and start writing music together? Was it always electronic based? What gear did you start off with? Do you have a wish list of new synths, drum machines etc?

Michal: We grew up together, and we always bonded over music. Adam taught me how to play guitar and we started writing songs together. It was all guitar-based until we heard The Radio Dept. After that, we bought some synths and started messing around with our friend’s drum machine.

We have a huge wish list, especially since we started playing shows. I want a drum pad sampler, some vocal effect pedals, and a midi guitar.

Adam: I’m more into guitars than synths. I spend way too much time on Craigslist looking at old Fender guitars and weird Japanese copies. We’ve started building our pedal collection, too, which is exciting. We love gear.

Bowlegs: Do you write these songs together? How are they conceived?

Michal: We write separately, and because of that, each song that we make has a different sound (based on who wrote it). More recently, working on our first LP, we’ve started writing together more and more. As far as writing goes, it’s a different process every time; there’s no real formula we follow.

Bowlegs: Your influences include Air and The Radio Dept, what is about those groups that inspire? Are there electronic bands further back in time you listen to?

Michal: The shy and almost feminine nature of their sounds is something we identify with. Also, we really like instrumentals (something both Air and The Radio Dept. are good at). We really like Stereolab, and even further back, Yellow Magic Orchestra.

Bowlegs: You released the excellent regret, love, guilt, dreams ep last year – the title suggests you guys are writing some heartfelt pop? Are you old romantics at heart?

Michal: We’re definitely romantics.

Adam: All of the songs on regret, love, guilt, dreams are about relationships, and the lyrics are deeply personal, so the title of the record stems from that.

Bowlegs: What has been happening since the release of the debut EP?

Michal: We’ve been working on transitioning into a live band, as well as writing our first full-length.

Adam: We also just signed to DiscAu and they’ll be releasing our first two Eps on vinyl and CD in the Americas.

Bowlegs: The new EP is entitled Goodbyes – is this a break up record or something?

Michal: It’s not a break up record, but rather a “moving on” record.

Adam: Moving away from things in our past and embracing new things. It’s optimistic, I think, but like saying goodbye it’s bittersweet.

THE BILINDA BUTCHERS – BOYFRIEND (OFFICIAL) from Michelle Peña on Vimeo.

Bowlegs: I hear bands like Chromatics in the track hai bby, it’s a great track with a real wistful vibe, what does the title mean and what’s it about?

Michal: Thank you! It’s about being proactive when it comes to meeting people. So, for example, at a party, when you see someone who seems interesting, you overcome your shyness and you go and talk to them.

Adam: I always thought the lyrics were aggressively sexual until Michal explained what they meant.

Bowlegs: Once the EP is released in August what is the plan – touring? recording?

Michal: We’re going to continue writing our LP and we’ll hopefully continue to play shows. We’d love to tour, but we don’t have the money to do it yet.

Bowlegs: Tell us a few records that the two of you have been digging in 2012?

Michal: All I listen to is Bob42JH’s compilations.

Adam: Beach House’s new album, lots of Slumberland stuff (especially Evans the Death). I’m embarrassed to say that we’re both pretty bad at keeping up with new music.

MayMay’s folk tinged sounds caught our attention earlier this year with their beautifully sparse self-titled EP. Laurel Simmons (who was a member of Loch Lomond), the songwriter behind the project, has put together an ever-changing cast to assist in creating her intimate and acoustic songs – one of which happens to be Heather Woods Broderick. It turns out the EP was just the start of something rather special. With an album in the can (the gorgeous And So I Place You In The Setting Sun released on Flau Records) and tours being booked, we have a feeling 2012 is the year of MayMay.

Bowlegs: So the gorgeous, self-titled EP was recorded back in 2008 – but only now does it see the light of day – where’s it been hiding?!

Laurel: The E.P is a collection of songs that I was not originally intending on releasing. It was not until Flau and I began communication about a release of my more recently written/recorded songs on And So I Place You In The Setting Sun that I thought to share. Flau decided to release them too.

Bowlegs: The songs started as an ode to friends and family who were back in Arizona whilst you were in Portland. Why were you in Portland, and when did you realise the project was coming together?

Laurel: I moved to Portland in 2005 to indulge a long time desire to move to the Northwest, aware of the concentration of music here. May May became a performing project after E.P songs were recorded and I began playing them live.

Bowlegs: How does one go about getting Heather Woods Broderick on their debut release? How was she to work with?

Laurel: Heather and I are long time dear friends. She and I were the original May May line up. Performing E.P songs with me on guitar, Heather on Cello and vocal harmonies.

Bowlegs: I adore the track Born a Fable – what is that track about?

Laurel: Thank you….I suppose it was a song written for my younger self. Words to remind myself of where I came from and what I believe.

Bowlegs: These songs are incredibly sparse and feel openly melancholic? Are the words from experiences? What records influenced this sound?

Laurel: Each of the songs are really just a thoughtful expression of monumental transitions in my life, at the time. Though I am not exactly sure sounds that were influencing the writing, I was in Loch Lomond at the time, the use of string arrangements were most likely influenced a bit.

Bowlegs: Would you class your music as a form of modern-folk? How do you market music that is purposefully slow and deep with thought, is it a difficult task?

Laurel: mmmm…. Marketing….I’m not sure that I am very good at that. It does seem that there are always a few ears that prefer slow, melodic aspects of music.

Bowlegs: What’s the live set up for you at the moment? Many live dates booked in?

Laurel: MayMay has just returned from a Japanese tour. There are plans to be in Europe early next year. May May is currently performing as a three piece, Guitar, piano and vocal harmonies – accompanied by some pedalsteel, beats and soundscapes. Hopefully we’ll incorporate a few other members for the European tour.

Bowlegs: Finally what records released this year have you been getting in to?

Laurel: Orcas (Benoit Pilard+ the Sight Below) and the most recent Beach House release Bloom.

Get more info here:

Flau Records
MayMay’s Facebook

The Hairs have only gone and reaffirmed our belief in classic hook-fuelled pop. The group, which is basically Kevin Alvir, play it fast and loose – their instantaneous form of indie spewed out with a lo-fi charm and infectious energy. And with a few new single releases recently put out (on WeePOP! Records and Old Flame Records), one of which is poetically titled Birds Shit then Sing, we knew it was time to talk to Kevin about all things pop.

Bowlegs: Firstly we gotta say we can’t stop humming I’ve Been Working Out. When and where did you write that track?

Kevin: Thanks!!! I wrote that track a bit ago (I can’t remember exactly WHEN – maybe a lil’ over a year ago – early 2011) – just in the confines of my bedroom. I was getting fat and slob-like at the time, so it was cathartic.

Bowlegs: Who (if anyone) do you run your melodies past to make sure they meet the high standards expected?

Kevin: I don’t run my songs past anyone really to see if the quality is assured. I just try to use my best judgment, y’know?

Bowlegs: What guitar do you use to get that super jangle sound?

Kevin: Super jangle sound comes from my cheap Danelectro guitar(s). Honestly, I didn’t get them because of their sound. I think they look cool and I thought I would just make due with whatever I had. Also, I like jangly strummy sounds of bands like the Bats and the Feelies – so maybe that has something to do with it. I should ask my therapist.

Bowlegs: What about the Satan Says track, what is it about?

Kevin: Satan Says - It’s a song that kind of happened spontaneously. I think the song is about being who you are no matter how shitty you are.

Bowlegs: You’ve said in the past you don’t have anything to say, yet your songs are packed with quirky observations and clever quips, you didn’t really mean that did you?

Kevin: Yeah I DIDN’T really mean that. At the time, I was uncertain if I was a fraud making music – so I didn’t assume any responsibilty. I hit periods of feeling like a fraud – but y’know – whatever – rock n’ roll. But thanks for thinking that my songs are clever and such. I’ve always looked up to people like Ray Davies, Dan Treacy, Robyn Hitchcock – so I guess that shows what I consider important in song.

Bowlegs: Do you play most the instruments for The Hairs? What’s the recording process like and where did you put these new songs down?

Kevin: I think for the majority of Hairs recordings, I play all the instruments. On a few recordings, my friend Alex (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) played bass. The process is pretty much me dicking around on a guitar, come up with music on the spot, come up with a drum beat on drum machine, and freestyle some lyrics on top. Then flesh it out with more guitar and more vox. I do this on my computer.

Recently I’ve had aband that helps me out with the process – so it’s been a bit varied lately. I’ve had other people record me in bedrooms or studios. It’s kind of a loose thing. I like being adventurous. Some day, I hope to have strings and horns on a Hairs recording.

Bowlegs: I’ve read comparisons include The Clean, Daniel Johnston and Guided By Voices? Are these some of your favourite artists? What’s your favourite Guided By Voices album? Have you seen Daniel Johnston live before?

Kevin: Yeah I definitely love and respect all those artists. Funny enough, when I started doing the Hairs I was really inspired by follk musicians like Joni Mitchell, Judee Sill, Fairport Convention. That might sound pretentious. But I just really liked how they were making really honest music and sometimes it’d be catchy or have some hooks. Sonically – I guess the Hairs music resembles those 3 bands you indicated.

But yeah – I’m a GBV-head! I think my favorite (and a lot of other people’s favorite) is Alien Lanes. I got it at a special time (i.e. post pubescent teen). I still listen to it all the way through after all these years.

And yes – I have seen Daniel Johnston live. He was great! It was just him and a little acoustic guitar. I think a backing band joined him at some point. I was in college at the time. I walked past the bar after class and saw Daniel Johnston standing outside way before the show started. That seemed really endearing to me.

Bowlegs: Do you have an album’s worth of melodic music ready to go? What’s the plan for 2012?

Kevin: I Do! I have about 5 or 6 albums worth of music in my library. However, I do want to write some newer fresher material for a full-length. BUT I do have 4 singles &/or eps that are in the pipeline to get released.

Bowlegs: What book is being read on that promo image? Does it have any relevance to anything we should know about?

Kevin: In the photo, I am reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. It’s a book that I really like and I read it a while ago. I guess out of all the props we had available – that book just screamed out to me as being really appropriate. If you can’t tell, I don’t really think about my decisions.

Cheatah’s are a London quartet whose debut EP is in the can and ready to go (via Marshall Teller Records). They put the songs down in their Hackney rehearsal room, a space affectionately described by the band as “full of temperamental amps, a dilapidated drum kit and a barely-working PA, but it’s home.” As for the music, well it’s packed with melody and fuelled by fuzz, and we can’t get enough of it. We caught up with Nathan and James to talk ZZ Top, among other things.

Bowlegs: The new EP is great – were these the only 4 songs you had ready to go or have you got a load more melodic fuzz ready to unleash on us?

Nathan: We did a days recording in May 2011 and tracked around 12 songs. In between working and touring these were the four that we concentrated the most on. We still want to try and finish a lot of the songs we tracked last year, one of them we’ve almost finished for an upcoming compilation. But it’s been a year since then and we’ve definitely refined our sound so we’ll see what we can use. Last month we spent a day at our studio recording drums on our own and the sounds we were getting were way better and we’re much more excited about them so hopefully we’ll have those ready in the next couple months. So yeah, loads more melodic fuzz soon!

Bowlegs: How did you all get together? I understand a couple of you have been, in or are still in, other successful bands? Does starting something new after previous experience help drive you on?

Nathan: We all knew each other as friends first, then thought it a good idea to play music together. I think for me Cheatahs has never been the new thing, it’s always been “the thing.” I’ve played in bands before where I wasn’t writing much, just happy to be playing guitar, but never had the confidence to really give it a proper go. I still play live with Male Bonding and the experiences I’ve been fortunate to have with them have been amazing. It has definitely opened my eyes to a lot of things but also has made me appreciate things more.

James: I was in Weird Dreams for about a year before leaving just before Christmas 2011, as I just didn’t have time to do both that and Cheatahs – it was a no-brainer really.

Bowlegs: Tell us about the track Coared it’s my favourite on the EP, love the guitar sounds. What does Coared mean?

Nathan: Thanks, well we worked on the guitars a lot. I think it’s definitely the strongest song on the EP. I knew this question would come up at some point, i’ll tell you later…

Bowlegs: Marshall Teller certainly have a good track record for putting out bloody good bands – did you know them from the London scene, how did you hook up?

Nathan: Well Leon who plays in the band Colors sent me their “burger”cassette in 2009 and I still have the note he sent with it. They released an early demo of ours in 2010 on a 4 way split and have stayed in touch with us ever since. Really lovely guys who just love playing in bands and putting out stuff that they like. So happy to still be involved with them.

James: Me too, Marshall Teller are the good guys.

Bowlegs: As a band you are from all over the globe, do you share similar tastes in music? What band might you all agree is an influence or a current favourite for the car stereo?

Nathan: I find it pretty difficult to listen to music with these guys. All I wanna listen to is ZZ Top but hey, our band is a democracy.

James: It’s not that I don’t like ZZ Top, I just don’t want to listen to it every time we get in a van.

Bowlegs: I hear Nirvana in tracks like Ripped, are they up there with the best for you guys?

Nathan: It’s crazy how many people that band has affected and is still affecting. I teach guitar to kids and right now, all they want to learn is Nirvana songs. It’s so crazy. A lot of fun too.

Bowlegs: What’s with the one word song names? And where did the band name come from?

Nathan: Come on man!

Bowlegs: What happens next for Cheatahs?

Nathan: Probably spend the summer recording when everyone else is getting soaked at a festival. We are putting out a song on the upcoming Marshall Teller Compilation which should be out in the next couple months.

The See See have just released their sophomore album, Fountayne Mountain, and it’s a guitar-driven piece of psychedelic, 60′s shaped melody that refuses to sit still. You can hear why the UK-based group have been sharing stages with the likes of The Raconteurs and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. We caught up with front man Richard Olson for a quickfire Call Back.

Bowlegs: Which album has been a major influence in your life, and why?

Richard: Way too many to mention but I’ll go for Depeche Mode’s Violator. You can only guess.

Bowlegs: What was the last album you bought?

Richard: No one buys albums anymore.

Bowlegs: Which bands have you been listening to this week?

Richard: Cat Le Bon, The Lightshines, The Lucid Dream and Lee Perry.

Bowlegs: Name an up-and-coming band Bowlegs should look out for?

Richard: By The Sea, the best band we’ve heard in a long, long time and good people to boot.

Bowlegs: What was the last gig you went to?

Richard: A not so great 4 band night somewhere local

Bowlegs: Who is the best band you have ever shared a bill with?

Richard: Too many to mention but playing with Olivia Tremor Control was pretty special.

Bowlegs: What was the first gig you ever went to, and who did you go with?

Richard: I went to see Reef with my brother. Sorry.

Bowlegs: What made you realise that being a musician was the career of choice?

Richard: My dad owned a music shop, and I’d sit in and watch all the fat bearded men
walk in playing the same riff and thought, “that’s me in 30 years time”

Bowlegs: What is your favourite music documentary?

Richard: It’s not a documentary but Backbeat is brilliant.

Bowlegs: What was the last film you saw, and was it any good?

Richard: Only been watching Scandinavian crime on iplayer.

Bowlegs: Name three great books Bowlegs must read?

Richard: Revolution In The Head by Ian McDonald, Jaws by Peter Benchley and Through The Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Bowlegs:What do you see when you look in the mirror?

Richard: Michael Jackson

Bowlegs:Name a song that takes you back to a certain time in your life?

Richard: Summer of 69’

Bowlegs: What is one of your favourite album covers?

Richard: Eric Clapton – Money and Cigars. He’s ironing a guitar. Amazing.

Bowlegs: What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?

Richard: Our Phil.

Bowlegs: Do you think music videos are important and do you like making them?

Richard: Yes yes yes.

Bowlegs:Are albums still important or is it more about individual tracks?

Richard: Very much both, so yes and yes.

Bowlegs: What do you have planned for the next six months?

Richard: Play, write, record and go to weddings.

Bowlegs: What is on your iPod that you probably shouldn’t admit to?

Richard: I’ll happily admit that I’m really into the Johnny Come Home by the Fine Young Cannibals at the moment. Tune.