 |
| Moss and Lord Bottum |
____________________________________________
Well renowned music photographer Ross Halfin has been treating us to some great FNM shots from Soundwave festival via his facebook page and website, including these gems.
 |
| Pic Ross Halfin |
 |
| FNM & Soundgarden. Pic Ross Halfin |
_____________________________________________________
Yet another date to pencil into your diary is June 12th as FNM are confirmed to played the Netherlands annual Pinkpop Festival. Tickets go onsale at 10:00am European time via ticketmaster
______________________________________________________
Koolarrow Records very own FLATTBUSH have been announced as support to FNM at one of their North American shows. More updates on this as we get them.
Meanwhile here is a small interview I held with Billy Gould about Flattbush back in 2012
So Bill, how did you find out about Flattbush?
Right about the time we started Koolarrow, we immediately began receiving band demos. Of all the ones we received, by far Flattbush was the most interesting and intriguing of the bunch. Pretty free form and noisy, but there was something to them that was different than all of the other stuff. John Lepe from Brujeria was my label partner at the time, and as the band was based in Southern California (I live in No. Cal), he began going to their shows and basically striking up a relationship with them...
There must be hundreds of bands that you see and here, what was it about Flattbush that stood out for you and made you sign them up to your record label?
The first time I saw them play was at a musical event in San Francisco called Pinoise Pop. I thought they were pretty wild, and they had a charisma about them that in a very distant way reminded me of the Dead Kennedys. John was already totally hot on them and it just made sense.What was it like producing Flattbush's albums?, were they easy to work with? Was the process easy? did you make many contributions?
The first album, "Smash the Octopus" was definitely a first attempt: for me, in getting to know them and understand how they work, because they have their own musical language that took a bit for me to get hip to. And to get to know them as people too...and then, there's the studio process. This was a newish experience for them at the time, but they're quick learners. I really didn't make many contributions musically on that album, I was more concerned with how to capture what they were doing as best as I could...
What was it that you tried to achieve on the different albums?
Plus you also make a guest appearance on the Seize The Time album, whose idea was it to do that? I also hear you play some keyboards on that album, was that fun to do?
Flattbush not only sing in english but also in their native languages Tagalog and Kapampangan, how hard do you think it is being a band in the US that doesn't always sing in English?
Personally, I think their use of language fits the music perfectly. That said, it definitely makes things a bit harder for them as far as widening their circle of fans....but artistically, it makes no compromises.
The guys are currently working on follow up material to Otomatik Attak, are you involved in that in any way?
These guys basically did Otomatik Attak themselves, and they did an amazing job. Whether they need me on the next one or not is entirely up to them, and I'm happy with whatever they decide.
Finally you know how hard it is being in a band, do you guide the guys (or any of the bands on Koolarrow) in anyway, offer them advice or do you pretty much leave it up to the bands themselves?
The best thing I can do to offer my bands is my perspective and encouragement. The people I respect most in the music world are the ones that have learned to rely on themselves. I try to help in any way that I can, because you're right, it can be a hard road sometimes. Koolarrow is not a large label but I do feel that our bands are doing important things.
_______________________________________________________-
And finally some sad news...US actor Ben Woolf, known for his role as Meep on American Horror Story: Freak Show, and who also featured in the fan made Mr. Bungle video for Retrovertigo has died in hospital after he was struck by a vehicle on Thursday night.I'm sure you will all join us in sending your heart felt wishes to the family and friends of Ben