Snapshots: Local Music Is Sexy
Radio IST List: Graham Williams
![Austinist's Will Mills Gets Dunked For Charity [Video]](http://austinist.com/assets_c/2009/11/austinist_capture_03-thumb-110x110-456199.jpg)
Austinist's Will Mills Gets Dunked For Charity [Video]
Austinist Panel Part of Latest SXSW Interactive Additions
Bibles and Rhymes: An Interview with Why?'s Yoni Wolf
There's always been something undeniable about a quality West Coast power-pop record. From the mainstream success of Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever to the more obscure gems of The Posies and Jellyfish, the records in this oeuvre feel instantly memorable, lighter than air, and modestly perfect. Such sounds are likely what inspires The Broken West, a Los Angeles-based band that channels these sounds and those of Big Star and early Wilco on their debut full-length album I Can't Go On, I'll Go On (Merge). The Onion recently described the album's sound as "...like old-style AM pop with muscle and guts," while the All Music Guide says that the band make "the kind of songs you put near the front of a 'please fall in love with me because I love great music' mixtape." After being warmly received during a series of shows at SXSW 2007, the group will return to Austin in September to play ACL Fest's closing day. We spoke to The Broken West's vocalist and guitarist Ross Flournoy about his time living in Austin, the possible resurgence of college rock, and, well, burgers at Casino El Camino.
We saw you play a SXSW set this year at a BBQ place at about 1pm. Is it damn near impossible for a rock band to play a coherent set so early in the day?
That was actually a walk in the park. We played another day party at 11 in the morning! That was a struggle.
Some of you guys actually were musicians in Austin at one point, right? Can you tell us why you left for L.A.?
I lived in Austin for a little less than two years. I really loved Austin and still do, but I'm originally from California and always knew I would return. So, at a certain point it started to feel like I was spinning my wheels, and that I should just go ahead and get back to California. So I left in May 2004.
How was your Austin experience during SXSW? Harried, or fun, or anything else? (It seems like a logistical and endurance challenge for any band.)
Harried and fun might be the two perfect words to describe it. We played, I believe, eight or nine shows over the course of four days. There was a lot of running around to get from point A to point B, so by Saturday we were all completely exhausted. However, SXSW is always a lot of fun. There's free beer and music everywhere, and lots of tasty food. I'm particularly fond of the burger at Camino El Casino. And SXSW is an opportunity for me to see my buddies who live in Austin.
As a fairly new group, you guys caught a nice break by being featured on TV's ultra-popular "Grey's Anatomy." How do you feel about television's newfound power to
expose indie bands to a mass audience?
Well, I think it's great. The fact is, no "indie" band can realistically expect to get any serious airplay on mainstream commercial radio, so, as a result, film, television, and commercials become viable ways to get your music out to potentially millions of people. Having said that, I don't think there was much of a surge in sales after we were on "Grey's", so who knows how effective it really is. Nevertheless, it was a thrill and we were very excited about it.
Indie-chamber pop has been all the rage among music bloggers and indie kids for a couple of years. Do you think the pendulum may swing back toward classic college rock reference points (that many hear in your sound) such as Big Star and The Byrds soon?
That's a good question. But I don't really know, and ultimately don't care. The older I get, the less concerned I find myself with trends, hype, and indie rock in general. I suppose perhaps things could be heading that way. There are a lot of great bands
these days that seem to be building bigger and bigger audiences who, I think, make music not dissimilar to ours. The Hold Steady, Oakley Hall, and The Long Winters are what comes to mind.
You've toured with The Walkmen, The National, The Long Winters, and Fountains Of Wayne. Which band's audience was most receptive to your music?
I would say Fountains of Wayne's audience, closely followed by The National's. I was surprised we were as well received on The National tour as we were. But each of those tours was an amazing experience in its own way.
Finally, are you going to mix with the audience and catch some other acts while at ACL Fest this year? Or is the 100 degree weather a serious deterrent?
I'm definitely going to see other bands. I know how hot it is during ACL--I went to the very first one in 2002 and I believe it was about 95 degrees. Nevertheless, there are too many great bands playing to just sequester ourselves in a misting tent!
The Broken West will perform at The Austin City Limits Festival on Sunday, September 16th at 1:50pm.
[The Broken West MySpace]
[ACL Sunday Tickets]
Image via Aaron Farley courtesy of Merge Records.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
I was actually at that 11am SXSW day show...it was the Saturday Mohawk gig. I'm sure they had to be exhausted and at their wits end at that point, yet they came across as totally professional and a solid live band. It was my first time seeing them perform and I'm looking forward to catching their set at ACL. Good stuff!