Author Archive

Posted on March 10, 2010 - by Mark Zonda

Visqueen: few words with Miss Rachel Flotard

As you’ve recently noted, Seattle has never stopped to surprise me for its vigorous rock and a niche of artists never giving up on showing the world how powerful device music can be when fed with braveness, cleverness and love.  This rebel kind of rocky soul seems to be perfectly incarnated by Visqueen leader Rachel Flotard, never giving up to stand in front indie cameras and stages when a chance of kicking out some good times it’s on the go.  More than a chip trick, Visqueen is no pretender, and I hope this quick interview will be the perfect excuse to get to know a band you’re gonna love.

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Posted on March 9, 2010 - by Mark Zonda

Model Rockets and Tripwires: an interview with John Ramberg

Most of you will think about Seattle just for the disco u.f.o. thing towering over the city skyline, Jimy Hendrix and Nirvana. With a little extra further effort, a very few may also convey with me that Seattle it’s the capital of American Twee Pop and TinySoft. But guess it takes you being in there to be a fan of John Ramberg and his most genuine melodic power pop incarnations. (more…)

Posted on March 8, 2010 - by Mark Zonda

That Petrol Emotion is full of lifeblood

The clock of the ’80s is running late. New Romantics and hipsters are  knocking hard at that heaven discographic door, while nothing more of a re-polished line  from the not so distant punk way is left to see. Which way to turn for a fistful of blokes that had the privilege to play with The Undertones not to get teenage kicked? Mock Duran Duran? In econocrisis the right answer was to call Steve Mack from Seattle and call “That Petrol Emotion”.

Their first album is very significant on the potentiality of the band. It’s called “Manic Pop Thrill”, and gems like “Lettuce” and “Mouth Crazy” are the perfect balance between the soft romanticism of the latest wave and the dark tension of what’s left of the most obscure eighties indie scene. Add some imaginary choirs and “Fleshprint” is practically meant to repleace “Last day on Earth” on Pop Trash. (more…)

Posted on March 7, 2010 - by Mark Zonda

Roma Pop Fest: Lodger with Carpacho!

Luckily enough I was in Rome to enjoy at least one night of the indie club collective “Frigo Pop” called “Roma Pop Fest“, the 3 days indie festival that brought to the Italian Capital la crème of some of the finest international bands from the scene. Sad part of the story I stayed only for one day, and I wasn’t able to  see “Fitness Forever” (already playing for Indietracks) and “Jules not Judes“, and emerging band from Brescia with a brilliant EP at their back.

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Posted on March 3, 2010 - by Mark Zonda

From Arizel to Z. Z.

Let’s be serious. Ariel Hill had no credible chances to change his Cleveland Brown nerdish look, so somwhere in the ’50s decided at least to change his name on his way to the top leaving that A aside for a brand new coolish Z.Z. Blues, Godspel, Groove, probably nowadays that guy would be produced by Jay-Z featuring Black Eyed Peas, and you tell me where’s the soul in that! (more…)

Posted on March 1, 2010 - by Mark Zonda

Back to ABC

“The glorious night that has placed one of the Eighties’ most perfectly constructed albums back near the top of the pop pantheon.” ~The Independent.

Most of you are still ignoring that there are actually obscure pages on the history of rock nobody even dare to have a look at (just a look, just a look). Guess you get to busy when everyday (everyday, everyday) you write the book, still going back right between AC-DC and A-AH there’s a subtle sheet of paper that goes under ABC. Easy ad a Michael Jackson song. (more…)

Posted on February 28, 2010 - by Mark Zonda

Sylvia Paradiso neo italo beat

In case you just didn’t know, there’s a whole new mania started on the internet called “Neo Italo Movement”. So many fresh new band are emerging poppin’ out from all around the world, sharing songs inspired by the old ’80s Italo Disco wave that will converge in a future compilation called “Neo Italo Vol.1″. (more…)

Posted on February 23, 2010 - by Mark Zonda

Prove d’orchestra

Guess there’s a reason if in a certain moment of history Italy decided to step away from the Eurovision Song Contest and carry alone with Sanremo Festival.

And I guess there’s a reason too if the big stars of the Italian pop music scene decide not to come back to the festival stage, since once they won their diffidence on the system and tried to give it a chance, they found themselves out of the contest to let the most infamous characters built up by television shows take their position at the winning place. That’s right.

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Posted on February 21, 2010 - by Mark Zonda

Still Flyin’… never gonna touch the ground!

So I’m asking you. When you do like a band? I know if for sure because I had all the symptoms, such as leaving 40 Euros on band’s desk buying all their discography and at least a shirt (and the official dancer of the band tryed to stop me from committing this wallet financial suicide telling me that just the last album was enough). (more…)

Posted on February 16, 2010 - by Mark Zonda

The Leisure Society interview

I think that since we talked about’em on these electric pages The Leisure Society doesn’t even need an introduction any more. Great taste for melodies, magnificent arrangements where ukulele and Gretsch guitars meet and strings and flutes, great harmonic voices on melancholic with a little sprout of irony as well on hearworm tunes. We had a little talk with Nick Hemming. (more…)