Featured IPO CD Artists: The Viewers, Jonathan Segel, The Shamus Twins
Featured IPO CD Artist: The Viewers
IPO Vol 20 CD Song: “Who’ll Be The One”
1) What was the reason you chose the song you did for the IPO CD?
The song, “Who’ll Be The One” is one which we end each live show with. Its upbeat “Motown” tempo always gets people on the floor. It’s also a song which has gained us radio airplay all over the world.
2) If you could play your dream gig, which other three to four artists would be on the bill with you? They can be living, defunct, or dead.
Being a ‘60s-influenced band of course our number one choice would be The Beatles closely followed by The Who, The Kinks and The Byrds.
3) Which artists are you/your band most inspired by?
The Beatles
4) What is your favorite part about playing IPO and/or being on the IPO CD?
Meeting other artists at IPO has been a real thrill the past two years. We’ve continued sharing info with those we’ve met.
5) How can people who fall in love with your song on the IPO CD get more of your music and find out about any gigs you’re playing?
Visit: www.theviewersband.com. Youtube: theviewersband Facebook: www.facebook.com/theviewersband Twitter: @ViewersBand
Featured IPO CD Artist: Jonathan Segel
IPO Vol 20 CD Song: “No Backup Plan”
1) What was the reason you chose the song you did for the IPO CD?
“No Backup Plan” is pretty power-poppy. It’s such a knuckle-draggingly dumb riff with a melodic counterpoint in the choruses, I thought it’d be, well, catchy. The album it comes from, “Superfluity,” has a number of different types of songs and pieces, and this was the most apt for a pop compilation. Or so I think, anyway!
The song is funny, in a slacker sort of way. On the album, it comes toward the very end of a long journey, after all the trials and tribulations of the other tracks.
2) If you could play your dream gig, which other three to four artists would be on the bill with you? They can be living, defunct, or dead.
I’m thinking about the old Bill Graham shows at the Fillmore where they had like Miles Davis with Captain Beefheart or whatever, completely disparate styles and genres on the same bill. But for 3 or 4 artists to share the bill with, this is going to have to be a festival: it’s gonna take all night. So. I’m happy to be the opening band, so that I get to watch the rest of the show (and have a drink after our set.) Let’s root this all in about 1970 and have Jefferson Airplane, Frank Zappa and the Mothers, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and then why not? The Grateful Dead. How predictably classic rock, I guess, but heck, that’s what I’d like to sit around and watch after playing. Oh well. Hope the acid is good!
3) Which artists are you/your band most inspired by?
I listen to a lot of different kinds of music, and make a lot of different kinds as well, (much of which is exemplified on my most recent album!) In the pop rock world I’m very influenced by Scott Miller’s Game Theory and Loud Family, they’ve been in my pantheon of greats since I was in high school. And of course the New Pornographers, whom I feel are in that same lineage of smart pop sound. In the guitar rock world, well, you can see from my answer about the dream gig that I’m into the greats of the electric guitar, to which list I will add Richard Thompson as a major influence, both in playing and writing. In the electronic world I’m really into Venetian Snares and Squarepusher, plus the old glitchy guys like Oval and Microstoria. In the western art music world I’ll just say I dig baroque music heavily, and then most 20th century stuff. Not so into the strict classical period anymore, nor the romantics. And I love the late 20th century minimalists. In the jazz world, any of those guys who played in the ‘60s and expanded the boundaries of the genre. This list is woefully incomplete, of course.
4) What is your favorite part about playing IPO and/or being on the IPO CD?
Well, playing the songs, first of all, and then seeing the other bands! On the IPO CDs I’ve found several new bands that I like, it’s always great to hear new things you like! It’s a cool community.
5) How can people who fall in love with your song on the IPO CD get more of your music and find out about any gigs you’re playing?
best way is to check at
http://www.jonathansegel.com
or
http://music.jsegel.com
or
http://www.campervanbeethoven.com
Featured IPO CD Artist: The Shamus Twins
IPO Vol 20 CD Song: “You’ll Never Take My Heart”
1) What was the reason you chose the song you did for the IPO CD?
The song (and the recording) is ancient, it goes back to when then-and-still-current partners in The Shamus Twins, Jerry Juden and Tim Morrow, first got together. But it’s still something we could put in our set today.
2) If you could play your dream gig, which other three to four artists would be on the bill with you? They can be living, defunct, or dead.
I’m going to stick with current touring bands. It’s tempting to say the Beatles, but I was at a Beatles concert, and all through the supporting acts’ sets it was like, “Get the f*** off!”. So, I’ll say the Jayhawks, Tom Petty, The Pretenders.
3) Which artists are you/your band most inspired by?
Too many, and all over the map! Of course British Invasion, but then there’s Americana, Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, and even groups like Capital Cities.
4) What is your favorite part about playing IPO and/or being on the IPO CD?
It’s got to be the camaraderie between the bands and the diversity of the music. It all falls under the Pop Umbrella, but there’s such a variance in the interpretation. The song’s the thing!
5) How can people who fall in love with your song on the IPO CD get more of your music and find out about any gigs you’re playing?
We’ve got the Shamus Twins Reverb Nation @ www.reverbnation.com/theshamustwins , Tim’s also got some solo CD’s www.reverbnation.com.timmorrow , and Jerry’s been recording a solo CD for years now, almost finished, ask him!