BKLA: Tom, tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, what were you listening to, and when did you start playing your own music ?

I am from London, I started playing bass when I was about 10, my dad taught me and early on I was playing in his rhythm and blues band that would play gigs in pubs. The following years I would muck about on his guitar and later when I was about 14 I started playing drums which I had wanted to do for ages. My dad had bits and bobs of recording equipment from his experience as a producer well before I was born and due to my enthusiasm the years leading up to it on his 4 track cassette recorder we converted one end of our garage into a "studio" and slowly picked up extra bits of equipment over the years. I would spend years early on making guitar based music before discovering keyboard and electronics.

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Starting this month’s reviews with a noteworthy cause, and a record that you can feel really good about purchasing this holiday season. HELP: a day in the life, is a compilation gathering the talents of Coldplay, Gorillaz, Belle and Sebastian, Radiohead and many more, all contributing over 20 tracks of exclusive material to benefit the War Child organization dedicated to help children victimized by conflicts all over the world. The following website has the album liner notes: www.warchildmusic.com or you can also join this organization through their website www.warchild.org.uk to find out more and purchase the record, click on the banner on the upper right.

As a Piece de Resistance this month, we serve Paradise (roadrunner records), the new DVD release by the Dresden Dolls. If you haven’t seen their Brechtian Punk Cabaret live and wonder how a piano and drum kit can make as much noise as Nine inch Nails, immerse yourself in Amanda Palmer and Brian Voglione’s baroque universe. A concert filmed in their Boston hometown also includes an informal tribute to the performance art scene they emerged from with an offbeat pre-show. Each character given screen time, whether on stage or in the audience, could have been a cast member in Moulin Rouge, a Nightmare Before Christmas, or a scratched up Buster Keaton film. Except this Grand Guignol theater experience for modern times takes place in the real world and dares you to squeeze your own creative juice to the last drop. Also included are the documentary “A Day In The Life”, a portion of their performance at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark, and music videos for Coin Operated Boy and Girl Anachronism, their 2005 breakthrough singles. Make sure also to visit their website [www.dresdendolls.com], one of the best art direction for a band site, where they put their fans through the task by introducing a contest to contribute visuals to each track of their new upcoming album. These are the Dolls you don’t want your children to play with, but their seductive mischievous nature will have the last word and win you over. Look for our Dresden Dolls concert coverage archived here.

After Johnny Cash’s Grammy winning American Recording series, producer Rick Rubin does Neil Diamond, and to fully appreciate the significance of this collaboration, you have to consider their quasi deity status in the musical universe. Diamond, the “All American” pop icon whose timeless popularity is the stuff Halls of Fame are made of, and Rubin, whose Midas touch has made platinum selling artists out of the Red Hot Chilly Peppers, LL Cool J and System Of A Dawn to name a few. Applying a tailored “back to basics” singer/songwriter approach to the recordings, 12 songs (Columbia) extracts Neil Diamond’s bare bone essence, warm, graceful and wise, authentic folk made to be savored like a fine wine. .

The Breakestra collective digs back deep into the funky breaks of the 60’s and 70’s on Hit The Floor (Ubiquity), but ditches covering other people’s grooves to perform their own. The recording has a vintage old school sound, the production feat of band leader Miles Tackett, whose wall to wall record collection testifies to his musical knowledge of that era. If James Brown ever makes another record, I hope it’s with Breakestra. The band is best experienced live, cramming over 10 people on stage and selling out every show they perform. Make sure to catch our photo coverage of their record release party at the El Rey Theater in our special event section.

Introducing David Axelrod, a true American innovator. One of the most influential producers of the 60’s, his sound is at the crossroads of the styles of that era, echoing the cinematic scope of John Barry, the pop sensibility of Serge Gainsbourg, the post be-bop psychedelic musings of John Coltrane, while reconnecting with the African roots of Jazz. The Edge (Blue Note) is a retrospective of his work at Capitol Records between 1966 and 1970, both as a producer and solo artist. If it sounds fresh to your hears, it is because artists like DJ Shadow, The Cinematic Orchestra, Zero 7 and countless others have made careers out of sampling or reinterpreting his sound. Hopefully, such reissues will help set the record straight and give his contribution and influence the credit they deserve.

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You know when KCRW is playing the sh*t out of a new artist that he is likely to blow up real soon. The latest playlist favorite, UK singer/songwriter Lewis Taylor resurrects the white boy groove antics of Hall and Oates while conjuring the spirit of both Marvin Gaye and Beach Boy Brian Wilson, who really isn’t dead yet. Let’s be fair and not compare, Taylor is an original, and Stoned (Hacktone Records) has something for everyone: a pop sensibility always on the brink of sounding too commercial, but rescued by a skillful production that constantly segueways unpredictably, taking the listener by surprise. The musicianship is solid, the vocals soulful and the melodies intoxicating… Even with the good looks that make him the ideal poster boy, he remains reluctant to tour the states at this point. Hopefully the overwhelming positive response to his album will convince him to do otherwise.

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If a psychedelic trip was to achieve Fine Art status, it would sound a lot like Scottish duo Boards of Canada’s third album the Campfire Headphase (Warp). Playing out like a David Lynch film, an engaging non linear narrative is left to the interpretation of the listener, opening an introspective vortex the way an old faded photograph draws you in, observing a moment that has passed but still has a story to tell. Less abstract and more melodic than its predecessors, the introduction of guitars (both acoustic and electric) as center pieces in the arrangement echoes Pink Floyd’s Meddle and Wish You Where Here. BOC are the masters of beautiful sound decay, and the resulting melancholic undertone is emotionally compelling, never to be dismissed as background noise

What ? Another Beattle’esque band from the UK with inescapable poppy choruses attached to rock guitars? No, the 88 didn’t hang out at the pub watching soccer games with Oasis and Blur, but are a fine SoCal bread rock band, and their latest album, Over and Over (Mootron Records) bears a surprising sound coming from a music scene dominated by Beck and Elliott Smith wannabes. They are humble and incredibly talented, and you may just find them handing out their own flyers outside of concert venues, which means that in spite of their record deal and radio airplay, they are still paying their dues. Support your local talent and buy this record today ! Then next thing you know they’ll be huge… in England !

Toronto native Lisa Shaw known as THE voice of the San Francisco House Music scene and has been featured on almost every Naked Music release of the past 5 years. Warm and sexy like a hot summer night, nurturing like a home cooked meal, her long awaited debut Cherry (Naked Music), does more than heat up an old dish, and Shaw breaks out of format into lesser known terrain, a bold move from someone whose following goes to night club and responds best to established formulas. Her potential had already been tested with collaborations outside of Naked with the likes of Q-Burns Abstract Message and husband DJ Swingset. Like Sade or Amel Larrieux, she puts her songstress skills ahead of the beats, blossoming amidst a futuristic blend of R&B ballads and breakbeats produced by Jay Denes and Eric Stamile of BlueSix. Kudos for moving things forward.

Underworld (the UK dance outfit who gained worldwide notoriety with the Trainspotting sdtk) is making some news by NOT releasing a new record. Rather, they are marketing their Riverrun Project via downloads available through their website [www.underworldlive.com] only. So far two 20 minutes very experimental tracks, Lovely Broken Things and Pizza for Eggs have been released, offering a blissful progressive journey better suited for headphones than the dance floor. Each download is watermarked individually, a measure clearly directed at file sharers (which might raise a right to privacy debate with consumers advocacy groups), but which could also become another milestone in the inexorable demise of the physical music product.

My Morning Jacket’s new album Z (ato records) is a shifting puzzle, like a suspended mobile whose elements each occupy a space for a moment while remaining in perpetual motion. You could call it psychedelic dream pop or progressive indie rock, better yet, just listen to it. One’s consciousness might drift towards familiar sounds, but once filtered through the pinhole of the mind’s eye, the music as a whole creates an otherworldly experience. How ambitious for a band to toss aside convention, engage in free association and move towards the sublime.

For questions or submissions email mgoldstein@thebookla.com

TBKLA - “We Have Sound”, your first album has a raw feel, a straight forward “Lo-Fi” approach to production. Please tell us what was so unique about the recording process, and did you perform all the instruments yourself ?
The thing is, the "lo-fi" sound was not deliberate per-say, I was really trying to push the equipment I had sonically to always try to achieve the highest production I could with what I had. Working with fragile equipment and experimenting with pushing it I discovered how about the emotion that can be achieved through how you record, and mainly that it was more important to record the emotion than to labour over recording a perfect take. So the sound came about through necessity but it wasn't as if I was was holding back and was being deliberately "Lo-fi". I did play everything myself, but not just for the sake of it but honestly because I had discovered things about each instrument that really excited me and I play everything with conviction and the excitement of knowing how the bits go together and relate to each other, it is quite nice not having a favourite instrument or the pressure of thinking each instrument always has to be represented. The approach has never been straight forward.

BKLA: What inspires your lyrics ? Is it mostly personal experience ?
I don't know really, lyrics have always been the least thought about in a strange way. They always go on last and during the process of the song coming together I have had time to be informed by the shape the song's taking so they seem to fit and seem appropriate. Word-wise it is a great deal of escapism and I've always enjoyed interesting, clever and suggestive lyrics, ones that leave something for the listener to fill in even if I have a very specific idea of what they mean to me, as a result I tend to say that they are written like "one side of a telephone conversation", there are questions and statements made that are almost rhetoric in what they are trying to get across. Basically it's quite simply stuff that I like the idea of me saying, like writing a speech.

BKLA: Tim Love lee of Tummy Touch records was a key figure in the development of your album . Tell us about your relationship with him and how he became instrumental to the project.
My relationship with Tim was never really straight forward and I think we locked horns on quite a few things during our relationship but I think it was only because we are both very strong minded people and Tim is also an artist and musician in his own right so he would tend to have more specific musical opinions on things and I would have thought he thinks I enjoy being difficult but I just tend to have a different opinion and at the end of the day it was important that I held up my opinions on what I was doing. Tim suggested working with Tom Rixton (who produced the record) which was very important for the album in the sense that much of what Tom offered I wasn't physically capable of doing, mostly involving computers and it was great to have that at my disposal. I owe Tim a lot, he's a great guy and I respect him, but I can't really remember us ever agreeing on anything.

BKLA: Your album is barely out and already you have toured the US twice. How does it feel to go from your Dad’s garage in the UK to meet an audience on the other side of the world ?
Well it's only really been a tour and a half which is still much less that I've done in the UK and Europe. The album came out later here so I really wanted to work hard in bringing the progress up to the same level so I wouldn't have to get in different mindsets depending on where I was. The record is quite old for me now and I didn't really want to continue promoting it strongly into next year as I am now working on the next album, which is the most exciting thing for me. I have been playing gigs since I was quite young in various bands so the performance side of things isn't really that new and to be honest even if it is a ten hour flight and different accents and a different side of the road its still a bunch of people in a room and it doesn't seem to alien, which is good, everyone gets (pretty much) the same treatment from Tom Vek.

BKLA: How has touring been for you ? Word is, you lost a drummer somewhere between Seattle and Los Angeles. What happened there, and what other roadside impressions or anecdotes (good and bad) have marked your travels ?
Yeah he went home because he wasn't happy and I don't think he saw the bigger picture, when you are on tour it does seem like its all about getting on stage and playing an instrument, but that's such a small part of the whole thing. It was a shame it happened but I kept going and it ended up leading to a very interesting performance of the music which I'm actually incredibly proud to have done, and to have been able to do and to have given a try, for the sake of the good people who were interested in seeing me live. Other things have happened but it honestly doesn't hold much importance to me the only thing it's about is 10 songs on my album.

BKLA: What do you think performing your songs live with a full band brings to your music ? Will it affect how you approach your next record ?
It had always been a struggle to get what's on the album live, no disrespect to anyone but I don't think we ever got as close as I would have liked, it's down to me and I gave a great deal of effort into trying to direct the thing but its all a learning experience, I'm quietly quite proud that we never toppled the songs as they are on the record and that's how it should be, if anyone wants to know what I'm about just buy the record.

BKLA: In addition to some very interactive games (a first I think), you have many videos on your website, all which seem to be conceptualized in the same “do it yourself” attitude as your songs, with limited means, but with maximum effect. Who are the people behind the scenes, and are you involved in their creation. Are they part of the Tom Vek artistic “package” ?
The first 2 videos were very much "DIY" as me and my flatmate at the time Chris Cairns who I had studied with actually made them ourselves, for the videos that came after I think it was always about pushing what we could do with the given budget so I'm glad that they have all looked like effort went into them because they all had.

BKLA: You also went to Graphic Design school. Do you integrate that with your music career? Any other aspiration you haven’t fulfilled yet.
Well I do all the design so yes. I love design and wouldn't let anyone else do it only because it makes incredible sense to me that if anyone knows how it should look it's me! Sound and vision is pretty much enough to keep me entertained in my life.

BKLA: What are your thoughts on how bands use myspace to promote themselves, with more each day being from the UK ?
Of what I know about it it seems a great concept but that's always been there with the internet, the fact that anyone anywhere can get the information you provide is what is so fantastic about it, it's not exclusively myspace that's great, but I think that only because I know how to make a website and at least you don't need to know html for myspace, so it's a lot more usable by anyone which is what's great about it.

BKLA: With new artists like you blending influences and pushing the envelope beyond a definite style, where do you see this all going, for the music industry in general, and your own future ?
It concerns me a little bit that people think there needs to be a desire to be different, its not as cynical as making new genres out of remains of ones that exist, it's just about making noises that I genuinely find interesting. There will always be people making music because it genuinely excites them and the music industry tends to go through waves of finding them, then reproducing them. It's just about integrity basically and the understanding that if the music comes first there will always be an industry for it.

Words and photos: Marc Goldstein. Make Up: Michelle Morgan. Shot on location at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. Read our review of "We Have Sound" in the November music reviews. See our live coverage of the 11/23/05 show at the Troubadour in the special event section.

Tom Vek online:
www.tomvek.tv/

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