Jamin O’Brien was the host of this episode of KCSB Live. Jamin’s now a TV and film director and producer in New York City. I think we sounded pretty good.

Rogue Cheddar live on KCSB from January, 1992:

I remember it was really cold below Storke Tower. I remember not being able to hear anything in the studio earphones. I remember drinking beers outside. I remember loading up afterwards and thinking we did really well despite not being able to hear a goddam thing. Jamin was really cool to us and excited about us playing on the show. I remember it was late at night and that’s how we got away with some expletives during a couple songs. Too bad we didn’t play our Minor Threat “Salad Days” cover, because this is what these were.

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Listen to the track “S.E.X.Y.R.O.B.O.T”:

The Pinker Tones will be playing at this weekend’s Warped Tour and they might be reason enough to go to the Home Depot Center.

These boys from Barcelona put together an eclectic mix of electronica, Beach Boys pop, Latin-infused loungecore, and just-plain-fun music. “Wild Animals” is a CD that has been on constant rotation in the car stereo, hence this late review. Yes, they’re Spanish but most songs are in English, and one is even in French to test you erstwhile Francophiles.

Starting out with the infectious “Hold On” before moving to the very funny electro-parody “S.E.X.Y.R.O.B.O.T.”. There’s also a video for the sweet-leaning “Happy Everywhere” but my favorite tune is the obvious summer tune “The Whistling Song” which seems to have a sample of Debbie Harry’s “The Tide is High” lurking in its DNA.

We can’t recommend this album enough and it’s shameful to have taken so long to impart this to you. Their live show is also a lot of fun with plenty of live clips on You Tube to check out before you head to the show. If you’re already going to the Warped Tour and have never heard of the Pinker Tones, make sure to check them out while you are there.

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Listen to the track “Diamond Hoo Ha Man”:

I was a fan of Supergrass when I heard I Should Coco thirteen years ago – In It for the Money, which came out in 1997 was a great psychedelic follow up but I haven’t followed them since 2000. Is it just balmy nostalgia then, that makes me like Diamond Hoo Ha – with its very basic and straight ahead rhythms and incredible fuzz guitar? It’s what Supergrass does best, what made them a name when they were still teenagers.

While there are some references to the psychedelic sidestreets that Supergrass took in their eponymous 1999 album – some songs have horn sections, and a variety of keyboards, but these are simply embellishments, and not the brooding focus that they became on some of their songs in later albums. This is Supergrass we’re talking about though, so even though the guitars are thick and fuzzy punk pop, the songs are all about melody but it’s melody with cajones. Diamond Hoo Ha starts out very strong with “Diamond Hoo Ha Man” (listen above), “Bad Blood”, and “Rebel In You”, things slow down a bit for several songs until the delightfully weird “Whiskey & Green Tea”. While all the songs aren’t winners, there’s enough to know that Supergrass is back on track. Even if you haven’t enjoyed _all_ of Supergrass’ studio work over their dozen-plus years of existence, it’s well-known that their live shows are fantastic, and any of the opening tunes of Diamond… listed above will rock and shouldn’t be missed.

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We had a chance to speak to guitarist and vocalist Jack Barnett, one half of the pair of identical twins [they might not be identical - this was speculation on my part and was a mistake] in the band, as the band walked the streets of Chicago a few days ago. The task of interviewing them typified the experience of a band on the road: we had to break off the interview several times as we were interrupted by el trains passing directly over the band or the seemingly endless cavalcade of fire trucks and police cars that seemed to be magnetically drawn to the band’s location. I very much appreciate Jack dashing in and out of doorways and otherwise trying to find a less noisy place to chat, what a trooper.

LAist: So this is your first full tour of the US [after their brief foray to SXSW and LA in March], how is it going so far?

Jack Barnett: It’s been really great, we’ve had really good reception in these cities, I think these are the major cities of the United States that we’re going through. We’re really looking forward to LA because we had a great time there at the Roxy, plus we really want to see more of LA.

LAist: In the review of your new CD we said that there was a retro industrial sound, reminiscent of Front 242 and others from that era, except that the beats and melodies are truly your own.

Jack Barnett: Yes, people do say that, as well as mention Joy Division which is interesting because we didn’t really listen to that music – we’re definitely aware of it now and enjoy it, but those bands weren’t direct influences. Something that we all enjoy listening to is stuff like Aphex Twin.

LAist: You mentioned wanting to see more of LA, you should head down to Venice since that’s where Aphex Twin’s video of “Windowlicker” was shot.

Jack Barnett: Oh really?! That would be cool, we’d want to see that, we also want to see [Mann's Chinese Theater] and do all that touristy stuff, because, you know, we’ll be in LA!

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Last month LAist reviewed Nortec Collective’s excellent new album “Tijuana Sound Machine”. The Nortec Collective performs live tomorrow at 3:00pm on the Music from Around the World Stage at the Make Music Pasadena Festival which is FREE for all ages.

In advance of their appearance, LAist had the opportunity to talk to Pepe Mogt (aka Fussible), one half of the Bostitch & Fussible producer duo behind the Nortec Collective

LAist: Just after “Tijuana Sound Machine” was released you did several shows in and around LA, how did those go?

Fussible: The shows went really well – much better than we anticipated. We played at the Echo and we expected people at it because of the promotion but when we got there the place was full and there was another 200 people outside. [Laughs] We had friends with us and they couldn’t get in! It was beyond packed.

LAist: “Tijuana Sound Machine” seems to be a product of the duo that is Bostitch & Fussible rather than then entire Nortec Collective, what are the other collective members doing?

Fussible: The thing is, we had these songs ready and we could get this album out now. The others members have other songs that we will all be working on so there will be other releases coming sooner. Also, the collective worked on making certain sounds on “Tijuana Sound Machine” as well as the look and feel of the records, the graphics, and those kinds of things.

LAist: Your music is this great blend of classic Norteno-style ethnic music and electronica. Who are some of your inspirations?

Fussible: We’ve been playing music for 20 years, in Tijuana, DJing in the clubs, so I enjoy thinking about the music that got us going, Cabaret Voltaire, New Order, Joy Division, Tangerine Dream – what is really the old school electronica. Then we moved on to house music but that’s how we got our start. But we have this history of traditional music, it is a part of our lives, so we’ve done our best to make this new music. To add a bit of spice and make something more, something that is truly our own.

See Nortec Collective play for free on Saturday @ 3:00pm at the Make Music Pasadena Festival which is located at the Pasadena Playhouse

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