"I Listen To Everything" - Talking With Timmy Hefner [Interview/Festival Preview]
While it could be argued that the Chaos in Tejas festival has really come into its own in the last couple of years, the genre-bending but primarily extreme music focused/multi-day festival was conceived by one-man powerhouse Timmy Hefner seven years ago. 2011's edition of the summer brouhaha spans Beerland, The Beauty Bar, Emo's, Red 7, The Mohawk, The Scoot Inn, Antone's, and coordinates a few record store shows at End of an Ear and Trailer Space. Oh, and then you have the after parties at The Broken Neck.
While stretching wide in picking and choosing venues (Antone's is a new addition for the festival, for one), Hefner also took the opportunity to make this year's bill his most eclectic and surprising yet. It's presupposed that if you're a big fan of Doom or Converge you've stopped bathing in anticipation of these shows months ago. But aside from crust godfathers, hardcore stalwarts, and metal maniacs, this year's lineup also features Syrian techno, “pretty” noise, and sissy bounce. In this interview, Hefner guides us through some of the less well-known and/or surprising Chaos in Tejas picks.
Why do you think the festival keeps expanding...do you think there's a need in Austin for a festival like Chaos?
Hefner: No...I guess it's probably more me needing to top myself more than me necessarily thinking Austin needs a festival like Chaos. I'm not sure Austin really needs more festivals. I mean, I think it is unique, and it's definitely different than any other fest we have, but it's always funny, because people are like “Man, you should do it in the spring when the weather's nicer,” but that's too close to South By. “Just do it in the fall!” Too close to Fun Fun Fun Fest. Even though it's so different, it's still like you can't do it a month after [those festivals]. That'd be stupid.
Band: FYP
Origin: Torrance, California
Associated Acts: Toys That Kill, Underground Railroad to Candyland
Good Starting Point: Dance My Dunce, 1994 []
Chaos Show Link
Hefner: It's funny - FYP is a band I tried to book in my hometown of Virginia when I was probably like sixteen or seventeen. I randomly tracked down a phone number and called them, and they ended up canceling the tour and I was really sad. Most of the dudes are still in Toys That Kill, so they're all still friends and everything. They played one show last year in California, and then I randomly talked them into [Chaos]. They were pumped, and that was it.
So they've broken up?
Hefner: Yeah, this is a one-time deal. Like I said, they played once last year, but I don't know if they have many plans to do too much more. I don't think they're against it, but they all have a bunch of other bands going.
What makes them interesting to you? Besides, obviously, this history you have with them.
They're just a band I love. I'm always really skeptical with the reunion thing, but with them I think it's cool because they've all stayed friends and stayed playing in bands, and I think that always gives me more of a hope that the reunion is going to be good. I've definitely seen a lot of reunions kinda bomb and be pretty terrible, including ones at my own festival [laughs].
Band: Lower Dens
Origin: Baltimore, Maryland
Associated Acts: Jana Hunter
Good Starting Point: Twin-Hand Movement, 2010
Chaos Show Link
Hefner: Lower Dens is an odd one. I mean it's definitely one of the more mellow things playing the festival. I just got the record last year, and that blew me away. I haven't actually seen them yet either, so I'm really excited. That whole show is, I think, really awesome. Milk Music is one of my favorite bands going right now, too, and they're on that bill. And I love Allo' Darlin, this UK band - they're cute pop with a girl singer, and they're really good. All three of those back to back should be a super awesome show.
Band: Omar Souleyman
Origin: Syria
Associated Acts: Many, many Syrian artists
Good Starting Point: Jazeera Nights, 2010
Chaos Show Link
Hefner: That is straight up for sure the weirdest thing playing Chaos, I think. I really like the label Sublime Frequencies. They reissue really obscure world music, and do new stuff too. They did like a 1960’s Vietnamese pop comp that’s really amazing. I got the Omar record and it just totally blew me away. I mean, again, it's not something I'd normally listen to, and it’s borderline techno at times. I just think it’s really awesome and unique, and I just randomly wrote his agent and manager and they were super pumped on the idea. I told them about the fest, and they thought it was a great idea. It's kind of a surprise because the other festivals they're are coming over for are like Bonnaroo - these definitely bigger things. It just randomly worked out perfect, time-wise, and I’m really excited to see him.
But you have had bands from all over the world, right?
I’ve definitely had bands from all over the world. Never Syria, I guess, and I don’t think I’ve ever had Middle Eastern bands. Especially with all the stuff that’s going on over there right now, it’s really cool to have them.
Band: Isterismo
Origin: Tokyo, Japan
Associated Acts: Kriegshoe
Good Starting Point: Vittima Del Confusione 2005-2010, 2011
Chaos Show Link
Hefner: They’re a band I’m kind of friends with. I’m actually releasing a record for them. They’re from Japan but they sing in Italian.
Okay.
Yeah. They’re kind of a tribute to old Italian punk. They are super into this band Wretched, and they’re like “We're gonna be an homage to Wretched, basically.” The graphics are all very Wretched-esque, and they sing in Italian which is kinda crazy. [laughs] Yeah, I’m releasing a record and this show will be the record release, so that will be awesome. There’s like, all these new, young, Japanese bands and several of them are coming over to the fest.
Band: Katey Red
Origin: New Orleans, Louisiana
Associated Acts: Big Freedia
Good Starting Point: Y2 Katey, 2000
Chaos Show Link
Hefner: Katey's awesome. She played last year as well. Five or six years ago I went to New Orleans and I saw DJ Jubilee, and I was speechless. It was rap, but it was something different - super high energy and crazy. It’s so repetitive and kind of the same song for six minutes, but for some reason it doesn’t bore me whereas normally that would drive me insane. And I immediately started trying to find anything I could to do with New Orleans bounce, and then I found Katey Red. I was like, “Oh my God, this is awesome.”
Are Katey Red and Big Freedia related in that bounce scene?
Yeah, for sure. Katey and Freedia always rapped together, and Katey, I think, actually taught Freedia how to rap. They grew up together.
Other than the fact that you like it, what about this music do you think makes sense for your festival?
I think all of those people are as punk as it gets without playing punk music. They’ve worked really hard over the years to do their own thing - they’ve booked their own shows, they’ve self-released CDs and tapes. Up until really recently, they had no acknowledgement outside of New Orleans, and it hasn’t fazed them at all. They still all play so much. Freedia will play like ten shows in a week sometimes. They’re all so hard working, and they’re just like, “We don’t care if no one outside of New Orleans cares, because New Orleans cares and it’s awesome.” It will also be really fun to have them in town because it is pride weekend, too. They’re all big in the gay scene.
Band: Balmorhea
Origin: Austin, TX
Associated Acts: Eluvium, Bexar Bexar
Good Starting Point: Constellations, 2010
Chaos Show Link
Hefner: They are kind of just another odd fit. I mean, they’re probably more mellow than Lower Dens. I think they just write really pretty songs. I think they’re definitely an important local band - I guess barely a local band anymore, with a couple of them are living out of town now. I always found myself getting really bored and sick and jaded on local bands, because they all play like three times a week every week. I think Balmorhea is one of the ones that really makes an effort to not run themselves into the ground in Austin.
Band: Oneohtrix Point Never
Origin: Boston, Massachusetts
Associated Acts: Infinity Window, Skyramps
Good Starting Point:
Hefner: They’re awesome, too. That dude [Daniel Lopatin] writes noise, and it’s abrasive noise, but I think he makes it so pretty. I really love that record he’s done. He’s flying directly here from Spain, too. He’s going to be a tired man, because they’re playing Primavera like three days before.
