I think this is in part due to the fabulous casting.

Don’t get me wrong, I love love  LOVE Eugene Mirman’s Yvgeny as a character, but the first season, where he’s actually quite violent towards “Jon”, was the weakest in comparison. It wasn’t until the fabulous Steve Cirbus came in the second season as Sergei, the killing machine, that the show really picked up the pace. And it allowed for a softer side to Yvgeny also, which made the series better in my opinion.

But back to the first point… my favorite part of this show is just their ability to say “Fuck it! Let’s have Sergei straight up murder a man on camera, and then have Jon tap dance to Maine for 3 straight minutes with silly music.” The absolute BALLS of these guys!

The rest is spoilers for the series finale episode, so read more if you’re interested.

Jon Glaser as “Jon” on Delocated! Picture courtesy of adultswim.com

So when it came to the series finale, I knew they’d go in with that attitude… but I was definitely not expecting the level of crazy that it reached in the end!

The episode starts with “Jon” washing up in the bay of New York City with no memory a year after the last episode. Of course, the first person he runs into is Jay, the doorman who “Jon” has previously had a complicated relationship with, and Jay gives him a package that contains a bottle of “Knock Knock. Who’s There? Vodka” (the vodka brand that Yvgeny Mirminsky pioneered in the previous season 3 episodes).

Yvgeny, who is still holed up in the old Russian Social Club, is now a successful business man who has abandoned his crime lord days as the head of the Mirminsky family to pursue a career in vodka production. “Jon” suddenly shows up, still with no memory, and Yvgeny freaks out, trying to get him to leave peacefully. But before “Jon” leaves, he suddenly speaks perfect Russian saying (and I’m paraphrasing here) that Sergei should’ve become the head of the Mirminsky family and that Yvgeny is a failure and a shame. Yvgeny sort of backs into a corner, still peaceful, and watches as “Jon” goes Bourne on the cronies in the social club and beats them to death with a baseball bat. Then, “Jon” knocks Yvgeny unconscious, and drinks the vodka only to find a key to his loft (from Season 3). He goes back to the loft and recovers his full memory.

After a discussion with the FBI, TB and Jon eagerly await the return of David, his son. At first, the meeting is sweet, but then the head of the FBI receives word from Yvgeny (of all people) that Jon has killed 2 people, and Jon suddenly snaps and starts chasing David through the woods. While he’s sort of under this weird trance that he wants to kill his son, he also is conscious of being the good ol’ fashioned “Jon” we’ve grown to know and love (there’s a brilliant sequence where he talks about how great Iceland is and how many “10s” are there… it continues as he chases down his son while still yelling how David should go to Iceland).

Then, in a totally shocking twist, “Jon” chases down David and overcomes him. As “Jon” starts choking David, flashbacks of “Jon” getting brainwashed to kill David by Sergei show him training and looking at maps. During this entire sequence, “Cat’s In The Cradle” by Harry Chapin is playing, and the scene ends with David’s death and “Jon” running away. Cut to commercial.

The second half of the episode is solely dedicated to “Jon” finding Sergei and “defeating the master.” As the two strip down to their underwear in a cabin in the middle of Russia, they have a lengthy (and witty) knife fight, resulting in “Jon” breaking both of Sergei’s arms and, after yelling “Welcome to the Bone Zone”, brutally stabbing him to death.

Finally, “Jon” confesses to a camera that he had high hopes for the in-series “Delocated!” series, but he was going to stay in Russia and live his life in peace. He takes off his mask, revealing Jon Glaser’s real face, and finishes the video.

Network executive Susan (Janeane Garofalo) and the FBI are watching Jon’s last video, and they receive his ski mask as a “token.” She explains that she wants to put it in the Smithsonian, aka the trashcan, and reveals that she and the head of the FBI are now married (or dating). A simple wrap up for them.

The episode ends with Jon Glaser, wearing his signature golf outfit that he seems to wear all the time, setting up a tee outside the cabin and just hitting golf balls as the camera slowly pans out, revealing a very dead Sergei hanging upside down from his feet bleeding out. End of show.

Overall, the ending was surprisingly hardcore. Even with the nature of the program being unafraid to go in that direction, I found myself nearly crying at the sudden death of David. Sergei’s death wasn’t as hurtful as I expected, but I think that was just because it extended over a good 6 minutes or so.

But yet again, this show triumphs above others due to it’s solid drama, intercut with jabs of humor. While this episode is mostly all action and drama, there were little funny parts: “Jon”, upon meeting Jay for the first time, first responds, “For some reason I have the urge to tell you to shut the fuck up;” all of the Iceland jokes about the amount of “10s” was a great little ongoing joke through the episode; the banter between “Jon” and Sergei as they fight to their death is just as expected and chemistry filled… the writing in and of itself was incredibly rewarding, even with all the action.

Overall, there were a few things I wish were there, but the episode did not disappoint. Go out with a bang, they say, and boy they sure did.

I hope Jon Glaser does so well in the future with whatever he pursues. But I do hope he gets back into writing shows because Delocated!, as a whole, is incredible.

Little observations:

• With his memory gone, “Jon” tries to figure out his name and chooses “Mike” first. I almost already started crying right then and there.
• His second name guess is “Craig” to which he replies that his nickname would be “Craig-er”
• I laughed out loud when Jay appeared.
• “SHUT THE FUCK UP. I’m sorry I didn’t mean that. You seem like a genuinely nice person.” “Aw, thanks Jo-” “SHUT THE FUCK UP.”
• I am still game if anyone wants to actually start a company called “Knock Knock. Who’s There? Vodka.”
• Yvgeny looks fantastic after a year! Ditched those crazy shirts and went for a business look. Not to mention he’s on the cover of Vodka Monthly!
• (secretly happy that Trish didn’t come back… even though she was fairly okay to Yvgeny. He just seems so much better now without the crazy mob-ness)
• I gasped when “Jon” started talking Russian… and just the look on Yvgeny and the other Russians’ faces was so intense. I also gasped when “Jon” hit Yvgeny with a bat!
• I mean, he maybe kind of deserved it? But nope. He’s a good guy now (and kinda always has been).
• I wish there had been more than just the few minutes with Yvgeny. It was interesting seeing him return but it was very anticlimactic. Also, I was so relieved to hear he lived because wow that would’ve killed me.
• Once again, another cut-together improv series of “Jon” describing Iceland killed me. “Look over there? a 10. All the 10s just everywhere.”
• It was great seeing TB again, but he had a total of 2 lines. Cheated? maybe….
• That kid who played David? I never remember his name but I’m going to commit it to memory because he’s fantastic.
• David’s death to “Cat’s In The Cradle” completely broke me down. And the tension was palpable. The silly music right before the commercial break was a great tension-breaker but it kinda made it even more fucked up.
• I was a little disappointed in the second half of the episode, just because it was so long with Sergei, and the death didn’t seem as satisfying. Which sounds terrible, but think of how Sergei killed Jon’s family and friends…
• “The student has come back, but now he’s become the master.” “Does that make me the student? Do I need a student ID?” “Yeah……No…… You don’t need a student ID….”
• WHY DO THEY GET ALMOST NAKED?!
• Callbacks like “Welcome to the Bone Zone” and the whole weird flute playing rounded out the series quite well.
• Jon revealing his face actually took me by surprise, even though I’m well aware of Glaser’s real face. It just made the ending more real.
• As much as I love Garofalo, her appearance in this episode was slightly pointless.
• I wish they would’ve brought back KIm. She was fantastic and deserved a return…
• The last shot of Jon playing golf in the Russian woods with Sergei bleeding out in the back was the perfect ending.
• Whoo. gonna finish my Mirminsky Sidecar (aka vodka and orange juice… just renamed for special occasions) and cry myself to sleep.

Happy New Year. Let this year be more excellent than the previous years!

First, let me apologize for not posting. Of course, once again, college gets the best of us. But as part of my New Years Resolution, I’ll be updating the site more often.

I have a few posts that will be coming up this week from months previous where I didn’t have time. So look out for some movie reviews and an exclusive interview with comedian Kurt Braunohler that I did back in September.

Second, The Pick and the Pen has a new writer, who will be posting ocassionally. Brett is a student at the University of Oregon, and he’s a music and movie fanatic. Welcome to the blog, Brett!

If you are interested in writing for the blog, please feel free to send me an email at thepickandthepen@gmail.com. I’m always looking for people to write.

Third, over the course of this week, we will be posting Best of 2012 lists in the music, movies, and television categories. Email us in your lists and we’ll feature them!

2013 is already gearing up for some exciting times… so let’s get this show on the road!

Jacques Tati (“Hulot”) and Nathalie Pascaud (“Martine”) in M. HULOT’S HOLIDAY. Picture courtesy of Janus Films.

Dressed as a pirate, the tall Monsieur Hulot awkwardly steps around the beautiful Martine. Their hands link together and they shuffle about the empty dance floor, only after Hulot cranks up the volume of the record player. As they playfully dance together, the patrons of the hotel watch the couple, some taking extra glances with big grins. But how could you not be happy watching them? Despite the awkwardness, the couple contains such charm that grace doesn’t have to be a priority.

M. Hulot’s Holiday (1953), directed and starring French comedian Jacques Tati, follows the clumsy Monsieur Hulot (Tati) as he takes his summer vacation in the French seaside. He goes boating, plays tennis, dances with a pretty lady, and attempts to be the perfect gentleman, even though he is constantly under watch by the rest of the villagers. It’s a playful slapstick that not only sheds light to the talent of Tati but also provides a humorous look at what a typical summer holiday entails.

For me, M. Hulot’s Holiday is one of the first choice movies I pick when I need a good chuckle. Without much dialogue, the film carries itself on the performances of its actors. Hulot is the center focus, and his clumsiness, much like that of Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton, carries the story without too much extra effort. For example, there is a scene where Hulot is trying to be a gentleman and carry in a rather large suitcase for the lead female, and of course the bag is too big for his eyesight so he misses the fact that a second suitcase is at the top of the stairs. He basically trips all the way through the house, out the door, and around the corner before running back around and setting the suitcase inside. This film is full of these small, slapstick gems – from overpowering over-hand tennis shots to a kayak mishap that leads the vacationers to believe that he is a shark – and each moment is worthy of a smile at the very least.

For most people, a French 50s comedy is one to just pass by and give up to watch something more mainstream. But with Tati, his characters draw you in from the beginning – even the random vacationers around Hulot are entertaining enough to make me enjoy this film. The hotel manager is constantly watching over his patrons, so deadpan and serious about keeping his hotel in shape… let alone the fact that he looks like he’s falling apart at the seams. Then there’s the cute old couple, where the woman is so much more interested in the scenery around her than her husband, who carefully looks at the artifacts she picks up and then tosses them over his shoulder. Every part of every character is important, even in a slapstick like this, and that just shows how dedicated Jacques Tati is to his art… nothing goes to waste.

What really brings this film together, though, is its heart. Tati as Hulot is just so charming, despite his clumsiness, and it’s obvious that the other characters feel his energy and respond accordingly. There’s never a down moment in the film, and without a central antagonist the whole film keeps up an optimistic pace that is difficult to obtain in a 50s comedy. Before you know it, the movie ends with such a sweet note it makes you want to start it right over again.

So if you’re looking for a sweet comedy that keeps you warm on the insides, I highly recommend giving M. Hulot’s Holiday a shot. He will not disappoint – although he may trip over your feet!

9.2/10

Available on DVD and HuluPlus.

Icon from northentransmissions.com.

Hey readers!
So the reason I haven’t updated the blog in a while is actually a really cool one. After announcing my decision to open up The Pick And The Pen to include reviews, news and other fun things, I was approached with a job offer.

Result: I am a writer for Northern Transmissions!

The site, based out of Vancouver, B.C., focuses on independent music reviews, interviews, and featurettes. Plus they do a few awesome podcasts and live videos with bands! I couldn’t be happier being a part of this site.

If you’d like to check out my reviews, please click these links. But take a look around the site in general! All the writers are fantastic and it’s constantly being updated every day!

Nouela – Chants
Laetitia Sadier – Silencio
Micachu and the Shapes – Never
In other news, I’m still working on the site behind the scenes. Expect articles to be coming back in the next two weeks or so!

Thanks for stickin’ around, everyone!

The Cinema Pacific festival is an annual film festival celebrating the culture of various filmmakers across the pacific ocean. The festival is held in Eugene, OR during the springtime. This review was written from a specific showing from the festival. For more information, visit their website here.

Maeno Kenta, star of Tokyo Drifter (2011), wanders through the darkened streets of Tokyo on May 27th, 2011. Picture taken from Cinema Pacific website.

The lights in H&M are off; the clothes are illuminated by the vague street lamps outside. As the rain begins to come down, only a few people with umbrellas roam the streets, with the exception of one man.

He stands in the doorway of the dark H&M, guitar in hand and a yellow jacket on his back. His hair is black and in a messy fro, and his dark sunglasses engulf his eyes. As he strums his guitar ferociously, he growls lyrics in Japanese to no one but himself. The tempo slows, and he strums each and every note one by one ending the song with a quiet – but blunt – “Do-re-mi, fuck me.”

This is Tokyo. Not the Tokyo the world is constantly seeing in movies and pictures – with lights on, flashing in bright neon colors. This is Tokyo on the night of May 27^th, 2011.

Tetsuaki Matsue’s experimental documentary, featuring singer-songwriter Maeno Kenta, may be one of the simplest yet most effective documentaries of the decade. Two months after the triple disaster (earthquake-tsunami-nuclear meltdown) that shredded Japan to pieces, the country had to act upon their feet to get society back into shape. This meant energy-conserving black outs, regulated checks for non-radioactive water, and safe zones for those more vulnerable than the majority of the population. It was a frightening time for the citizens of Japan, and it was not really a time to make a movie, Matsue admitted to the audience at Thursday’s showing.

Matsue, who was born and raised in Tokyo, was not in Japan at the time of the catastrophe but rather in Korea. But even after returning to his native land, he felt the tenseness and uncertainty for the future of his country. Every day the people were told that there could be heavy amounts of radiation in the raindrops, and his beloved city, once glowing with lights on every building, became so much darker.

So much so that he decided to film it.

After working with Kenta on a separate film – Live Tape (2009) – Matsue decided that he would like to film an intimate view of Tokyo on a night unlike many others. So, after a few phone calls and gathering of crew members, Matsue and Kenta set off on a beautiful expedition through the newly dark city.

The film, shot on a handheld camera, is not perfect. Most cuts are choppy, even just jump cutting to a shot a few seconds later for no aesthetic reason. Visually, the quality is low and often times the camera would be so blurry that it would be difficult to separate exactly what was going on. But all of this is a huge part of the magnificence of this film.

As we follow Kenta through the city, him singing silly songs about break ups and summertime in a voice that Bob Dylan would be proud of, there is definitely an uplifting feeling. Around him are anonymous faces that clutch tightly to their umbrellas and bags, going through the motions as carefully as they can.

The H&M scene is a little tongue-in-cheek, especially considering the circumstances in which Kenta is singing – hiding under the awning to escape the (possibly) radioactive rain – but the film delves into deeper and more emotional moments that, while unexpected, accent the film beautifully.

Right before the film cuts to Kenta singing “Fuck Me” in the storefront, there is a hauntingly beautiful shot of him standing on a staircase engulfed in shadows. Almost like a child singing to him or herself when he or she is scared, Kenta sings a song about the summer almost inaudibly, holding the guitar close and leaning against the wall. It is the first time in the movie that there’s true darkness, and it’s also the first time Kenta looks (or sounds) just as tense as the rest of the country in this terrifying time.

There are times when the darkness engulfs the whole screen, and all you can hear is the faint sounds of Kenta zipping his guitar in his case before hopping on his motorcycle and heading back into the night. To a person used to the westernized idea that streetlights are enough to light up our path, the movie doesn’t seem so absurd. But, again, the reason these scenes are so effective is the awareness that Tokyo, normally lit up with billions of lights, has these dark alleys and sudden blackness.

Overall the film is a magnificent piece of art. Kenta’s emotions flow naturally with the music, and without the presence of dialogue the film leaves the audience with a sense of nostalgia. Despite the hard-hitting moments of discomfort or even emotional struggle, the film takes a more uplifting route and by the end it’s hard to keep the grin from your face.

8.9/10

CLICK HERE FOR THE YOUTUBE VERSION (if you don’t have Spotify)

Thanks for sticking around to read the blog. As the school year went on so did I, and I had little time to do awesome interviews for the blog.

But I’m officially back from my hiatus and I bring news!

THE PICK AND THE PEN is no longer going to be just an interview blog (no, sir!).

That’s right. After a year of sticking to interviews, I’ve decided to expand the blog to all arts related things.

BUT DON’T FRET!! I’ll still be doing interviews and featuring these brilliant artists, but the expansion will allow me to work with various different types of writing and, for you readers, there will be a lot more articles to read.

Some of the things that are coming:
- Reviews: I’m going to review new albums, concerts, movies, and TV shows as they come to me. These may or may not be consistent for now, but if the blog becomes more noticed and I start getting more CDs, I will review them as soon as I can.
- “Netflix Pick of the Week”: Once a week I’ll recommend a Netflix movie or show that you should check out. I’ll write a synopsis and why it’s worthy of a pick
- Dollar Bin reviews: I’ll pick an album out of the dollar bins at random and review it. Hopefully I’ll try to do this once a week.
- Multimedia: I’ll start doing podcast interviews and video features that I’ll post on the website when they are finished. These are when I have time.
- News: anything that is arts-news related that’s worthy of a post will be on the site!

If you have any suggestions or comments, please comment below!

In the meantime, check out my reviews for Northern Transmissions: (Nouela)

Eva and Brian of Elika (picture from elikamusic.com)

You know that feeling when you’re really tired and you finally fall asleep? It’s like you’re floating on a cloud, no worries and no distinct thoughts running around in your head… that’s how New York-based band Elika sounds (well, at least to me). The ambient, playful tunes of this electronic duo has flooded the underground chill-wave scene with their original sound and beautiful art in the vast NYC music scene. If you like the sound of Depeche Mode, The Radio Dept., Starflyer 59, or other alternative bands in that field, Elika is right up your alley! So take a second to close your eyes and drift on the cloud that is Elika… you will not be disappointed. I sat down and email-interviewed Brian and Eva about their music and their lifestyle:

Pick&Pen: What first inspired you to make music?
Brian: Listening to metal in the 80′s. Big hair, big guitar, hot chicks.
Eva: Watching Jem and the Holograms (I loved the Misfits) and later, listening to the Velvet Underground.

P&P: How did Elika form?
B: We started this band in the village of Elika, Greece in 2005. We had an acoustic guitar, a shitty microphone, and a laptop.

P&P: What is the importance of the name “Elika”?
E: It is the name of the village where my father grew up and filled with memories.

P&P: How has living in New York City influenced your musical style?
B: It’s shown us a lot about what not to do. Fads come and go through this city faster than anywhere else. Lots of microscenes don’t make it out alive, usually for good reason.

P&P: What type of music would you classify yourself as?
B: We usually just write “Electronic Dreampop,” but we also do ambient, orchestral, folk, experimental, and abstract electronic.

P&P: What bands are you influenced by the most?
B: The song “Fell in Love at 22.”
E: Spiritualized, Echo and the Bunnymen, Verve, Starflyer 59, Built to Spill, and so many others…

P&P: Is there a certain place or person that you go to for inspiration? Why or why not?
B: Our new album is the result of watching Purple Rain repeatedly while surrounded by personal tragedies.
E: I am inspired by my parents selflessness, work ethic and logic.

P&P: What is your song-making process?
B: Delete/Delete/Undo/Delete.
E: I wait for Brian to set up all the equipment and then I force myself to be creative.

P&P: For your album “Snuggle Bunnies,” each song clocks in (on average) at about 3 minutes long. While most electronic music is often lengthy, why did you choose to stick to shorter numbers?
B: I think while we were working on “Snuggle Bunnies” we had a tendency to be hyper manic — we flew through ideas and didn’t let them repeat too much, resulting in short songs. Our new album “Always The Light” is in the other direction. Most of the tracks are 4-6 minutes.
E: Length is irrelevant. If a song feels finished then it’s finished.

P&P: My favorite song so far is “Near You,” for it’s Depeche Mode-esque melody and interesting vocals! What inspired you to make this song? What is your favorite song you’ve created?
E: “Near You” is about feeling paranoid, jealous, neglected and hating yourself for even caring. Favorites: “Building Around It” (Self-Titled) and “No One Gets Lost” (Always The Light).

P&P: How did you choose the album artwork for “Snuggle Bunnies,” “Trying Got Us Nowhere,” and “Self-titled“?
E: I drew the “Snuggle Bunnies” illustration in bed with colored pencils, I liked that it was loose and not self-conscious. The “Trying Got Us Nowhere” illustration was darker with a lot of personal symbols hidden in it. “Self-Titled” is from a painting I did of myself as a child with a bomb exploding in the background.

P&P: The pictures on your website’s home page seem to flow along with your music (mystical and beautifully strange). Did you take the pictures? Why did you pick those specific pictures to correspond to the various links?
E: Our friends took some of the pics, and some are found.
B: I think “beautifully strange” will be our new genre!

P&P: What venue is your favorite to play in? See concerts in?
B: We’ve had the opportunity to play Bowery Ballroom, Music Hall of Williamsburg, and La Sala Rossa. They are all amazing spaces. I’ll see a concert anywhere except Terminal 5, that place sucks and depresses me.
E: My favorite venue was Teatro Julieta in Lima, Peru. There were old velvet seats in there and it felt like another era.

P&P: What’s next for Elika?
B: Our new record “Always The Light” comes out this fall on Saint Marie Records. It’s a mindfuck. It’s our best work yet and will feature our most elaborate packaging ever.

P&P: What’s the first album you’ve ever bought?
B: I can’t remember the first album, but the first concert I ever saw was the Pointer Sisters with my dad. They killed it that night.
E: Olivia Newton John’s “Physical.”

P&P: Where do you go to find new music?
B: Usually, I just pick stuff up from friends.
E: I wait for Brian to play me whatever he digs up.

P&P: What is one thing you can do that’s pretty unique?
B: I’m excellent at breaking up fights between teenagers.
E: I’m pretty good at forgetting people’s names.

P&P: What is your drink of choice and why?
B: Whisky. There is nothing better than whisky.
E: Diet Coke with a lemon.

P&P: If you could play with a band that’s around or not around anymore, who would you choose and why?
B: They’re still around, but they don’t really play live: Starflyer 59 during the “Everybody Makes Mistakes” era.
E: The E Street Band cause I’m a Jersey girl.

Here’s the video for their song “Let Down” off of their album Trying Got Us Nowhere (available for purchase on bandcamp.com)

You can find pictures, audio, and video links on their website here, and if you like their albums, you can purchase them on their bandcamp! Their new album “Always The Light” will be available this fall from Saint Marie Records.

Max Williams of “Max Williams and the Legion of Sparrows”

Life as an 18-year old is hard: probably just out of high school, in that awkward stage between figuring out what you want to do with your life and how to get there; not able to indulge in the pleasures that adults partake in, while still holding the title. It can really bring a person down and squander hopes. But for Max Williams, life is just beginning. This 18-year old has busted out of high school in a small, suburban town in Western Washington to establish himself as a musician outside of Seattle. With a sound comparable to Tom Waits, Max and his group of musician-friends (under the title “Legion Of Sparrows”) have taken a brand new look at suburban rock music and killed local shows over the past 3 years. Now, he has a brand new EP out and is kickstarting his own music project! So while growing up is hard, Max is stepping into the light and into the music scene for good! I sat down and facebook’d with Max about his music and life:

Pick&Pen: What first inspired you to start making music?

Max Williams: I started because I grew listening to music, and loved singing, or I guess screaming, along with whatever was playing. My dad listened to a lot of ‘grunge’ and ‘post-grunge’ (Collective Soul, Creed, Soundgarden), and my mom a lot of pop-country (LeAnne Rimes and Shania Twain). So they kinda compromised with Marc Cohn and the Beatles. So… basically, I just wanted to make noise myself and be allowed to scream without the radio having to blast. I was a narcissist at a young age, haha.

P&P: What type of music do you classify yourself as?

MW: Agro-sappy emo-folk-grunge. With Jamaican Dubstep and Hardcore Polka influences. 

MW: I picked the name ages ago. I think when I first started playing guitar, actually. So the meaning really depends on the mood I’m in. At first, it just sounded cool, and I liked imagery it portrayed. That was when I started my first band.

I think I picked it back up just cause, to me, it’s the idea that if we had a thousand little sparrows running around trying to make things better, we’d have a better world really quickly. I guess its also because I perform and write and jam with so many other musicians, and I liked the idea of not being limited to one sound or person or group. One night LoS could be just me, the next night a 10 piece jazz band, the next night a kazoo choir.

MW: Hahaha, shit. I hated everything around me in Junior High and High School, so my attitude was definitely affected. Punk rock, grunge, black cloths, that whole ethic. So I guess I gravitated towards that music just as a release. And when I started getting more active in the queer community, and in social justice in general, as sort of a way to ‘change’ Sammamish or something like that (I don’t really know what I was thinking then), folk music and punk lyricists really started to affect me. Kimya Dawson, Bob Dylan, Black Flag, ect.

It sounds petty now, but I just hated that whole damn town. Rich kids who didn’t know how good they had it and made life hell for anyone who was different. Lot’s of my gay and non-white friends got harassed to different degrees all the time. Snobby soccer moms and their obvious disdain for teenagers. The high schools who didn’t give a fuck about the kids other than their GPA’s. And no real outlet for art or any kind of culture other than Neanderthal-esque sporting events. I just saw so much evil and stupid shit happen living there. So I guess that effected my music; the energy and the message.  

MW: Right now? Bright Eyes, Titus Andronicus, Man Man Andrew Jackson Jihad, Dillon Warnek, Talking Heads. But I think the Seattle Scene is just in my veins. Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Modest Mouse, Kimya Dawson, Beat Happening. And I mentioned Dillon, but I think (in a non-hipster/trendy way) local bands have always influenced me to a degree. Masters & Johnson, Grynch, Sol, Blue Scholars, Kung Foo Grip, Seahouse, Bo Tree when they were around, and groups like Silicon Girls. All of those guys continue to blow my mind.

But, like I said, growing up was odd. There was Bob Dylan around with my grandma, and Eric Clapton. The first time I realized I was listening to Nirvana was Tony Hawk Pro Skater, which had Blew from Bleach on there. That sort of stuff.

MW: I got a guitar from my uncle when I was 7 for my birthday, but I didn’t pick it up till I was 11 or 12. It’s this old Ibanez six string, and it was falling apart when I got it. Still have it, too. I took some guitar lessons at a local music shop for a month or so, but we couldn’t afford to keep going. So I taught myself chords and learned to read tab. First song I ever learned was Seven Nation Army [by the White Stripes], and after that I just started messing around with scales and chords. Lot’s of screaming, lot’s of noise. Almost no sense of rhythm or melody. Which is exactly what I wanted to do, and I guess that’s still kinda true.

MW: A feeling? Just depends. Sometimes I’ll have a lyric in my head for weeks before I can write it down, and sometimes it’ll turn into a song then and there. Sometimes it’ll sit around for years and never get used. Sometimes I just start playing, finish a whole song that’s completely structured, and go back and write it down.

MW: I feel like songs are just 3 minute long Freudian Slips. I start writing about a social issue I care about, or a person or a story, and then out comes some stuff about my self I didn’t think about or even realize. The subject is still kinda the same, but in a different context for me. So I guess I’ve recently stopped trying to explain songs. Less because I want other people to figure them out, and more cause I’m afraid of what I’ll learn about myself, haha. 

MW: I really consider myself more of a Redmond musician than a Seattle musician. The Seattle scene is kinda bi-polar. Some people are really accepting, and there are some cool venues and great bands. And some have this indier-than-thou attitude, where you’re not ‘it’ enough. Or other times the music goes out the window, and it’s more important that you have a record and have been in some newspaper than the fact that your music is perfect for the venue and you can bring a decent amount of people. Redmond, everyone is accepting, the few venues out there are great places to start and meet people, and the culture is more about cultivating your talents and sharing art. Especially places like the Old Firehouse and SoulFood Books. Still, the crowds are in Seattle.

MW: Oh, jeez. Uh, I love them all equally, like a good parent should. And cause I’m an artist, that means I hate them all equally.

MW: Thank you! That means a lot!

I don’t like bands or albums or EPs or anything where every song sounds the same. It’s just always erked me. So for the EP, I wanted to put out a well mixed sound. Happy, melodic, angry, almost poppy. I guess lyrics are really important to me, but just as important as the music. So for the songs where the lyrics are more abstract or heady, I want the music to reflect that. With Brutal Love and What’s Prohibited, they dynamics are more raw and heavy because the subject matter is much simpler but just as raw.

MW: The SoulFoods parking lot is my favorite venue to play. I love being on stage, but theres nothing like playing a new song or some covers with a bunch of friends out in a field. And SoulFoods definitely attracts that crowd.

To see shows? I really dig the Vera Project in Seattle, but you can’t beat the Fire House in Redmond on a good night. Especially seeing new and talented bands that are local teens and young adults getting started. 

MW: We’re playing shows all this month. Black Dog in Snoqualmie on Saturday, Ground Zero in Bellevue on the 28th, The Can Can in Seattle on Pike on the 6th of next month. A few more that I can’t remember or don’t have the dates for. We’re also working on a kickstarter, promoting the crap out of that. And that’s to finish up recording, producing, and distributing our first album. So check it out! (Shameless plug here)

MW: Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden was the first CD. Moon and Antarctica by Modest Mouse was the first iTunes download, though. 

MW: Facebook, Pitchfork, friends, local shows, other musicians. I really don’t have any secret to finding great music. There’s a lot of crap out there, and you need to search through it. So if you were looking for some sort of Holy Grail of good music sources, readers, suck it up, cause there isn’t one.

MW: I can say that I am a ginger AND have a soul simultaneously. I haven’t found anyone else who can say that.

MW: Uh, milk, ma’am. I not be old enough to drink nothin’ else.

MW: Titus Andronicus or The Moldy Peaches. I love both band’s music and lyrics, and I think playing live would be fricking awesome. I can’t think about this question too long or else I’ll have a thousand bands to say. But I think those two, just cause anyone bigger and I’d just ruin their sound or their history or something.

For now, here’s the song “Harmony” off his debut EP:

Check out Max’s music on his bandcamp here. You can support his new music on his kickstarter here.

EDIT: Max Williams and the Legion of Sparrows just got signed to the Century Records in Olympia, WA! Congratulations Max!

Sorry for the lack of posts as of late! I am currently transitioning between terms at my school here, so I have had little time to update the site.

I have a few more posts coming up in the next few days, so keep a look out for them, and I apologize for the late responses!

If you missed some of my previous interviews, check out the following:

Oak Island
Swimclub
Art Deco Cathedrals
LickSpittle
The Future Shape Of Sound