Results tagged “interview”

Almost completely unadaptable for the silver screen, David Foster Wallace's work has been something that most screenwriters wouldn't dare touch, what with the monolithic footnotes and the complicated structure of his prose. This precedent, however, was not enough to deter a young John Krasinski (who you may know as Jim from The Office or from this spring's Away We Go), who began adapting the 336 page collection of unbridaled male-mind ruminations when he was in his early 20s. Over seven years later, Krasinski's passion project Brief Interviews with Hideous Men will be hitting the theaters this weekend, with several already-sold-out live appearances by Krasinski tonight and tomorrow at Austin's own Alamo Drafthouse Ritz. SInce not everyone will be able to attend those particular screenings (but there are still plenty screenings of the film without the writer/director/actor for you to check out), we decided to chat with Krasinski about his motivations behind this project, the value of truth and honesty, and what it feels like to step inside the mind of one of America's finest literary treasures.

It's possible that you could call writer/director Brant Sersen a cultural anthropologist. With a knack for exploring various subcultures, albeit in a ficticious way, he has created two feature length films now that ingratiate themselves into not often profiled communities. The first, Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story, which won the Narrative Feature Audience Award at SXSW 2004, chronicled the rise and fall of a paintballing icon. Sersen's second, Splinterheads, is opening this weekend in Austin at the Regal Arbor Cinema, and brings us the story of a manchild townie who's life is suddenly swept up in the absurd world of a traveling carnival as he is enchanted by one of its minions: a beautiful, geocache enthusiast con artist. We had the pleasure of exchanging an email dialogue with Sersen this week, wherein we talked about discovering things you may not have had the opportunity to ever see, the inspiration behind his storytelling and the publicity benefits of being linked with the Montauk Monster. Sersen's second, Splinterheads, is opening this weekend in Austin, and brings us the story of a manchild townie who's life is suddenly swept up in the absurd world of a traveling carnival as he is enchanted by one of its minions: a beautiful, geocache enthusiast con artist. We had the pleasure of exchanging an email dialogue with Sersen this week, wherein we talked about discovering things you may not have had the opportunity to ever see, the inspiration behind his storytelling and the publicity benefits of being linked with the Montauk Monster.

Like so many young creatives, Abi Daniel is living out one form of the Austin dream - you move to Austin "temporarily" because you heard it was hip and you love the sunshine then get sucked in by the city's charm and pretty soon, you find yourself with a home, a life, and even a job you can't really complain about. An illustrator who works across many mediums, Daniel was able to land a position as an artist for one of Austin's many game companies. When she's not drawing space machines for a paycheck, Daniel creates refined portraits, often of animals, using watercolor and pyrography. For this year's East Austin Studio Tour, Daniel will be setting up a temporary workspace and gallery show inside screen printing studio extraordinaire, Bearded Lady (located at 3504 E. 4th St.). Abi Daniel talked to us recently about her own messy studio, her "really good nightmares", and what it's like to be a creative in the game industry.

Although no single location can embody the whole spirit of East Austin Studio Tour, Fisterra Studio comes pretty darn close. The 102-year old home and studio has been a stop on EAST since the first tour in 2003 and devoted art aficionados have flocked to the house year after year to see what homeowner and artist Jennifer Chenoweth has done with the place. The fully remolded home has the feel of a well curated gallery - from the sculpture in the garden to large canvases in the halls and a kid's bedroom that is to die for. Out back, among pets and plants, is Chenoweth's studio where she carefully creates colorful abstract paintings and sculptures. Fisterra Studio, located at 1200 E. 2nd St., will once again open its doors to East Austin Studio Tour participants this weekend and next from 10am to 5pm each Saturday and Sunday.

Despite its confoundingly inquisitive band name and general unclassifiability, the Bay Area/Cincinnati hip hop/indie act Why? has built quite the niche for themselves, satisfying those with a love for rhyme and meticulous, tightly-wound musicianship. Toss in a lyric sheet of ear-catching revelations regarding the human psyche's underbelly so disarmingly honest they'd make even your most offensive friends blush, and what you have is a cocktail for one of today's most intriguing and singular outfits. Still riding high off the breakthrough that was last year's Alopecia, Why? is now supporting its latest release, the well-received Eskimo Snow. Out of respect for this, and for the band's performance at Fun Fun Fun Fest this afternoon, we hooked up for a phone call with Why? frontman and wordsmith Yoni Wolf to talk about persona, mowing lawns, and the Bible's breeziest book.

Alex Ebert was the singer of the LA-based outfit Ima Robot with a major label deal and all the stress that goes with it. So, after some very attitude-changing realizations about himself and his state of mind, he started a new band with new sound and a new outlook on life. Enter Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros with their spirited folk tunes touching down in Ennio Morricone and psychedelic territory from time to time and staying catchy enough to sing along to and dance with the band. We spoke with Ebert before their show in Austin at The Independent to hear about the secret ingredient to a happy band.

It might not be a total surprise that one of the underground debut records of the year is a volatile stew of insistent, young and charged vocals, driving guitar and churning, turn-on-a-dime rhythms. It's the stuff that garage, punk and hard-rock legends are made of. But it might be unprecedented that it's a recently-uncovered and nearly 35-year-old recording made by a band that disappeared from the radar screen almost as soon as it popped up.

The local boys in Harlem have been helping Austinites relearn how to dance to rock and roll with their catchy garage pop since their arrival on the scene not too long before their first record, Free Drugs, dropped last year. So, it wasn’t a big surprise when Matador Records made things official with the band in a marriage that means a multi-record, worldwide deal. We grabbed Harlem bassist, Jose Boyer, before their Fun Fun Fun Fest performance this weekend to get a quick word on their next album, playing house parties, girls and drugs.

Over beers at TRIO last Tuesday, we had a chat with former Texas Monthly president and editor-in-chief Evan Smith about his new nonprofit media project, the Texas Tribune.

Few bands do a better job tossing catchy melodies and choruses into such a mucky stew of noise and deliberately crappy recording techniques than Columbus, Ohio's Times New Viking. The trio, critically-lauded yet still dodging most of the mainstream love they probably deserve, is riding high on perhaps their crispest and most complete LP yet, Born Again Revisited, a batch of concoctions that sticks in the mind even though about 80% of its words are unintelligible. In preparation for their performance (which, if their other concerts are any indication, will be a nonstop onslaught of energy) at Fun Fun Fun Fest this Saturday, we shot some questions across the internet at Times New Viking, and guitarist Jared Phillips shot back some answers, including this little nugget: "fuck art." Enjoy.

Imagine sitting in prison for a crime you did not commit. Then, ten years into a life sentence, another prisoner confesses, names an accomplice and signs an affidavit. That should be enough to get you out of jail, right? That is not how the system works. In fact, that confession might not matter at all. Two Texas prisoners, however, had the Actual Innocence Clinic in Austin and UT Arlington's Innocence Network dig into their case. They found that affidavit in 2007.

Dan Bejar of Destroyer—who moonlights with the Spencer Krug and Carey Mercer supergroup Swan Lake, as well as the Neko Case and A.C. Newman supergroup The New Pornographers—is known as a writing virtuoso, one of those few and proud and usually-called-crazy in music who bring true artfulness to the words themselves, and not just the instrumentation. Inspired by his upcoming appearance at Fun Fun Fun Fest, we thought there’d be few better things than to give Dan an opportunity to jot a few things down, so we shipped off to him a handful of questions and said have at it. And he did, and delightfully so, citing Lorca and the Duino Elegies, his prejudice for Wallace Stevens over Robert Frost, how fucked most musicians would be if they had to truly worry about lyrics, and why maybe someday he’d write a book if only he weren’t “a complete stranger to real work.” Needless to say, when he takes the Yellow stage at 8:45 on Day One of Fun Fest, we’ll be in the audience, following every word.

We know it’s a busy time for all the filmmakers this week, and they’re probably getting asked a thousand questions by a million different people, so we just had a quick “speed date” of an interview with Bob Byington, director of Harmony and Me. Of course, Austinist film buffs are busy too, rushing from panel to panel to screening, and you’ve only got a few minutes before the next thing starts anyway. So read on and get a little insight into the mind of an AFF filmmaker. Go ahead—it won’t take long.

If you’ve got a penchant for undeniably catchy garage-rock, look no further than The King Khan & BBQ Show, performing on Sunday, November 8th at the 2009 Fun Fun Fun Fest. Mark Sultan and King Khan first teamed up in the ‘90s, gaining notoriety with their band The Spaceshits’ belligerent shows. At the start of this century, Sultan was turning heads as the one man team that is the BBQ and Khan was busy finding success with his soul outfit The Shrines. But it was only a matter of time before the two friends reunited. The aptly named The King Khan & BBQ Show dropped its self-titled debut album in 2005 and followed it up with the What’s For Dinner? LP in 2006. They’ve appeased the masses with a handful of 7" records since; a new full-length called Invisible Girl is expected next month.

For his profession, Jimmy Kuehnle wears a strange uniform. The sculptor and performance artist creates giant inflatable suits that he fills with air with the help of a backpack mounted fan. Kuehnle then ambles down city streets surrounded by billowing layers of inflated nylon. Earlier this year, lucky passers-by and Fusebox Festival participants may have caught Kuehnle's performances in downtown Austin. Currently the Philip C. Curtis Artist in Residence at Albion College in Albion, Michigan, Kuehnle will be returning to the heart of Texas this weekend for Art Outside. We got a chance to ask Jimmy about his work, and the ever present dangers of working in a giant balloon-like suit.

You might not have heard of Dublin's Bell X1, but in their native Ireland, they are superstars with two #1 albums who now headline festivals and arenas. After significant American touring, though, fans are starting to take notice, as are satellite radio and late-night TV. We suspect it might further pique your interest that most of Bell X1 were originally (in a different format) a band called Juniper, who featured one Damien Rice on vocals and guitar. When Damien left to pursue his folkier style, Juniper became Bell X1, and they've both gone on their separate paths to stardom. Bell X1 play ACL this weekend to support their 2009 Yep Roc disc Blue Lights On The Runway, which mixes portions of their traditional rock sound with electronic textures and some longer, more serious tracks than on past albums. We recently emailed vocalist Paul Noonan to ask him about musical influences, Oxfam, and touring.

Brown University isn't the first place you'd think of when hearing about a new Americana band full of banjos, fiddles, and pump organs. But that's the point of origin for The Low Anthem, a recent signing to Nonesuch Records who have toured with Bon Iver and Elvis Perkins in support of their reissued disc Oh My God, Charlie Darwin. The album features everything from quiet folk pieces to stomping blues numbers, along with a Tom Waits cover and a healthy dose of weighty lyrics about mortality. We recently emailed The Low Anthem's Jeff Prystowsky, who responded between shows on a lengthy European tour.

Since his 2000 debut, San Francisco-based singer/songwriter John Vanderslice has earned consistent critical praise for his work. His strong lyrical themes coupled with beautiful production aesthetics have found an audience both in the US and Europe, where Vanderslice is touring this fall. Vanderslice recently phoned us from California to discuss his latest work, 2009's Romanian Names, which he'll be showcasing at the ACL Festival next month.

Our city’s beloved musical icon Daniel Johnston is having an eventful year. First up, he’s releasing his first album in six years, Is and Always Was, which he recorded with fellow Beatles fanatic Jason Falkner, a solo artist and former member of the power-poppy groups Jellyfish and The Grays. He’s also performing at ACL at the Austin Ventures stage on Friday, and we figured now would be a perfect time to talk to the man.

Benjamin Curtis was the guitarist of the band Secret Machines, which he formed with brother Brandon Curtis and friend Josh Garza. In 2007, he had a change in heart. Joining up with Alejandra and Claudia Deheza from the band On!AirLibrary! (both groups were on tour with Interpol at the time), they regrouped to create School of Seven Bells. Unlike the heavier pummeling of his former group, School of Seven Bells resides more in dreamy, soundscape territory, and the band is currently working on their second record. Benjamin spoke with us in anticipation of his group's appearance at ACL Festival in just a few weeks.

Not that we'd ever try adderall without a prescription, but we've heard that effects include heightened concentration, attention to detail, and sudden lack of apathy or fatigue. San Francisco-based author Stephen Elliott, in town for a reading this week, embodies many of those same attributes. His prose is clear, direct, and very human, while his artistic life is a swirl of activity, maintaining constant literary output while editing The Rumpus, a taste-shaping national arts and culture blog.

It’s been several years since the The Walkmen were considered to be just one of dozens of New York City bands riding the wave of interest generated, in part, by The Strokes. The band, led by gruff-voiced, charismatic frontman Hamilton Leithauser, has long-since proven that it’s much more interesting and dynamic than the garden variety garage revivalists they were initially lumped in with. With the reverb cranked to 10, they’ve maintained the same five-man lineup since their inception in 2000, have continually refined their songwriting, and pushed their sound in new directions—most recently with last year’s widely-praised and arguably best Walkmen album to date, You & Me. In addition to their Friday afternoon slot at ACL, they're headlining an official kickoff show on Thursday, October 1st at Emo's with Blitzen Trapper and Wye Oak. We caught up with Leithauser via email earlier this week to discuss the album they’re currently recording, their experiences playing to festival crowds, and in the process learned about the most miserable touring experience the band’s endured, which happened on a Texas highway en route to ACL 2005.

A couple months ago, we told you about God Says No, the stellar debut novel from erstwhile Austinite and Michener Center for Writers alumnus James Hannaham. If you haven't checked it out yet (you should), it's a funny and moving tale of boy-meets-boy, boy-meets-Jesus, Jesus-doesn't-approve-of-boy, boy-chases-Jesus-while-also-chasing-boys. As you can guess, things get complicated.

The Lemurs have been a huge part of Austin's power pop scene for years now. This most recent year, however, has brought huge changes to the group. Members leaving, new ones coming on board, a transitional EP and a full-length in the works combine to make the Lemurs a band to keep a keen eye on once again. Tonight, they'll play at the Mohawk with Michael Kingcaid (What Made Milwaukee Famous) and do a couple of new tunes. We had a chance to catch up with singer / guitarist Mitch Billeaud and talked about the scene, what's been going on, and what's around the corner for the Lemurs.

Between running a coffeehouse and his recent venture, Owl Tree Roasting, Progress Coffee owner Joshua Bingaman was surely already one of the busiest people in Austin—it was of some surprise, then, when he sent out a random dispatch a few weeks ago from Turkey, excitedly announcing the launch of yet another enterprise—in footwear.

As we mentioned on Monday, Austinist is pleased to present two nights of The Sword’s metal massacre at The Mohawk this weekend. We caught up with bassist (and producer) Bryan Richie recently -- check out the interview below. And enjoy “How Heavy This Axe” off Gods of the Earth via YouTube -- the video was directed by local media entity Super!Alright!.

This weekend Austin will play host to the first ever film festival for non-profit and cause-driven organizations. Lights. Camera. Help. received submissions from over 140 groups and selected nineteen finalist to be screened this Friday and Saturday. Of these films, one will win the Lights. Camera. Help. Judge's Prize which comprises all the proceeds from ticket sales and donations collected during the festival. Lights. Camera. Help. co-founder Aaron Bramely answered some questions for us about non-profit organizations, new technology, and this weekend's festival.

Stellastarr*’s brand of 21st century new-wave contains plenty of ingenious riffs, catchy melodies, and passionately delivered chorus’ but the Brooklyn band continues to fly somewhat under the radar, never quite attaining the widespread acclaim their talent merits. The band’s self-titled debut dropped in 2003 with memorable ditties such as “In The Walls,” “Jenny,” and and “My Coco; 2005’s Harmonies For The Haunted was an equally stellar record and included gems like “Sweet Troubled Soul” and “Lost In Time.” Stellastarr*’s latest effort Civilized (released on July 7th) arrived nearly four years after Harmonies but the band stays true to form, delivering instant gratifiers (“Freak Out”), distressed pleas (“Warchild”), and wistful odes (“Sonja Cries”) via another impressive collection of pulsating rock songs.

When one writer critically examines another respected author, readers should be skeptical. In Notes on Sontag, Phillip Lopate reflects on Susan Sontag’s essays, book-length nonfiction and fiction. He works from his strength as a personal essayist: intimate, balanced, and a generalist. Lopate’s appreciation of literature keeps the focus on her writing and not her personality. In fact, he cautions this is not, “Thank God,” a biography. He does, however, interweave some personal encounters with this fellow New Yorker. More significantly, he digs deeply into her writing. He quotes widely and at length from her body of work. And he chooses wisely. Look at this Sontag gem from an essay on Nazi symbols: “The color is black, the material is leather, the seduction is beauty, the justification is honesty, the aim is ecstasy, the fantasy is death.” Throughout, Lopate writes honestly, as readers should expect from an essayist, on her strengths and weaknesses as a writer.

It’s normally not a huge surprise when a dance club or watering hole on Sixth Street proper switches names, ownership, or even format. Aces Lounge on Sixth and San Jacinto Blvd. is just one such example, having been through a number of changes over the years. From Icon to Inferno to Austin’s own Hard Rock Cafe, the bar has run the gamut in terms of modifications. Transformations on Red River St. (from Sixth to Tenth) tend to be less frequent. Sure, the location that is currently The Mohawk, now firmly entrenched as a key player on the street, once played its fair share of musical chairs (Caucus Club, Le Privelege, Velvet Spade). But of late, the Red River District, which is home to the most prolific stretch of live music venues in town, has been sustained by quite a few resilient clubs (Beerland, Red Eyed Fly, Headhunters, Club de Ville, Elysium) and consolidated by emerging venues (Red 7, Creekside Live, Beauty Bar). And with enhancements of their own, Emo’s and Stubb’s continue to march on as well. If you noticed one prominent bar missing in that who’s who of Austin venues, it’s Room 710. The home of Tia Carrera Happy Hours and the place to catch shows from a slew of tireless local acts like Pong, Foot Patrol, and Golden Hornet Project, to name a few, is shutting its doors on August 2nd.