Column: Gordon Raphael #13, May 2003
By: Gordon Raphael
May Day 2003 +++ Well dear loyal readers, writers, musicians and artists: Hello from Angel, London and it's Springtime with changes in the air and special lighting effects from nature that allow the sun to shine here past 9:30 at night giving us more and brighter space in which to rock.
This is going to be a short and intense bit of writing in contrast to the sprawling wordy 'goes on for a bit...' articles I've placed up here as of late! Do ya realize this is my 13th column for this rockfeedback cyber-spot? Fasten your seatbelts please cuz here we go.
Several days ago I got a call from Mr. Ryan Gentles aka the Wiz Kid manager of The Strokes asking me to take a trip to New York, say May 23rd - and begin that which very well could turn out to be the long awaited, and greatly anticipated second album! Yes I am delighted, a little surprised - so off we go to TMF studios to try our luck, mixed with a little science and the art of sounds.
For the past 3 months I have been focused on doing something that I have successfully avoided for years and years: starting my own damn rock band! Thanks to the 'NME' magazine, (which enjoys ripping me and all my best projects to shreds for some strange reason...) I placed ads which led me to discover Matt the drummer, Jason the guitar hero, Tim on bass and Pete the keyboardist of my dreams.
We are called Crystal Radio, and plan to perform our first ever concert at The Basement club-night at Buffalo Bar, May 22nd at 10pm-ish. My demented vision of what Mellotron enhanced, blues based rock might be is flowering in the London climate! I think it sounds smashing and hope to travel to all the electric-music friendly towns in the world to play these 11 and a half songs! See you out and about then?
In order to inspire the development of live music, Anna Mercedes (singer from Miss Machine) and I have built a jam room/chillout and music studio in the Limehouse area of London. It's got black and silver walls, old synthesizers galore, a loud PA and machines that help us watch DVD's and make tea. What else could an artist want? This psychedelic dungeon is also headquarters for Shoplifter Records (view the official record-label site) and we are celebrating the first release; Miss Machine's 'All American Girl' single, and their recent high level UK tour with The Buzzcocks, for which a big shout out goes to Mr. Pete Shelley, and in fact the whole band, who were very friendly and supportive during the entire tour, super cheers for that!!
Soon to come on Shoplifter: Regina Spektor, Kill Kenada and Miss Machine's second single called 'Not Another Pop Queen'! Maybe even Crystal Radio will have a chance to put out a single this year!
A few bands that have blipped across my screen, to watch out for are: Union, a fast-paced, but song-oriented band that one could truly describe as rebellious and in their own musical world! Ray-On, just got outta the studio with these guys and there are 4 tracks we created that sound at once 60's, punk rock, and soulful without borrowing clichés or taking the easy way out. Otherwise, please buy (several copies of) the El Hula album 'Violent Love' which I produced, because it is so interesting and special, hooray for Blair - whose orchestration, vision and singing voice are so very ooh-la la. (That's an expression for things you really like when you come from Seattle, like I do).
And so we shall meet again, mentally in cyberspace - or face to face in some dodgy pub. Give us some love for a second The Strokes album, and we're off...