A few days ago I posted a song from a new group from NYC called Beat Radio. Since their website is a bit short on details about the band, I decided to ask them a few questions. Frontman Brian Sendrowitz was kind enough to answer a few of them via email. Here is the interview.
(CYS)Who is Beat Radio?
(BS)Beat Radio is Mike McCabe on bass and vocals, Jim Mansfield on Drums, Phil Jimenez on guitar and keyboards and me on Vocals and guitar. I write the songs. Phil is the producer.
(CYS)How long have you been doing this?
(BS)We played our first show in June of this year and we just played our fourth show. all the shows have been at Sin-e thus far, but we are venturing out in the coming weeks. All the guys in the band had played on my two solo records, which were more acoustic singer-songwriter based. Jim was also the drummer for an earlier Beat Radio lineup I fronted that played around New York from 1/02-6/03. The other guys in that lineup went on to form a band called the Diggs that are getting to be fairly well know in New York as of late.
(CYS)Are you guys doing music full-time or do you still have day jobs like the rest of us?
(BS)Jim does music full time. Phil is a full time record producer. Mike and I have day jobs.
(CYS)I know you’ve sent out MP3’s to a number of blogs and from what I can tell the response has been positive. That’s a pretty DIY approach to self-promotion.
(BS)We’re DIY by default, by necessity, and out of love. I emailed a bunch of bloggers about our band partly because I can’t afford to hire a PR company, and it would probably be a waste of money anyway, but also because reading MP3 blogs has had such a huge effect on me personally over the last few months, and the whole way I listen to and consume music. I must say it has been a huge help. There’s such immediate gratification. Less than a week after we finished mixing the studio version of treetops, it was posted on a bunch of blogs and we actually had an A&R guy flying out from LA to see us. It’s all been very surreal and exciting.
(CYS)When & on what label is the new Ecstatic EP coming out on?
(BS)That’s a good question. We’ll be done with the EP in a few weeks. We’ve spoken with a couple independent labels. We just haven’t decided yet. It looks like it may turn in to a full record, if we can get some sort of budget. We’ll know more soon. We’ll have some more MP3’s out there soon as well.
(CYS)What are you listening to these days? What’s in your stereo right now?
(BS)I just got the new Broken Social Scene. I really love the music they’re making. They’re probably my favorite band at the moment. Scorcese’s Bob Dylan documentary and the companion soundtrack are amazing. My favorite record last year was Joanna Newsom’s Milk Eyed Mender. I still remember the first time I heard her. It was shocking. As a writer I think she’s just stunning. I still listen to Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks often. I think that’s the best record ever.
(CYS)NYC seems like a tough indie scene to crack. How have audiences responded?
(BS)New York is just flooded with bands. It’s really hard to build up a steady following. Last week was our fourth show and it was the first time we were able to pack the place out. The response was amazing. It seems to be all about momentum. Right now things seem to be swinging in the right direction for us.
(CYS)Any plans for touring in the near future?
(BS)Yeah, that’s our immediate goal. Nothing scheduled just yet but it seems really close. We’ve all toured before in some capacity and are anxious to get out there together.
(CYS)If Pitchfork reviewed your EP, what rating would they give it and what would they say about it?
(BS)I don’t know how to answer that without being either sarcastic or narcissistic, so I should probably leave it alone. I hope they review us and like us. I think they will.
So when Beat Radio gets on the road and out of NYC, I suggest you all check them out. If you haven’t already, go over to their website and listen to the songs they have posted.
Another great group that I was recently introduced to is Frantic Mantis. My brother said I should check them out and that the band consisted of members of Frodus/Decahedron and Division of Laura Lee, and after hearing them I have to say it is a seamless merging of the sounds of those bands. On their myspace page they call it “Datapunk.” It is punk/hardcore with little 8-bit electronic flourishes. If you liked either of the members previous bands, you will almost certainly like this.
Although their first record was a commercial smash, The Knack are basically a one-hit-wonder. “My Sharona” is a truly great song though. I love how the bridge/solo sounds like a completely different song, but yet goes right back into “the riff” that we all know so well. It may be the only tune of theirs you can name, but it is a good one.
MP3 | Frantic Mantis – Dark Horizons Data Is Not Information
MP3 | The Knack – My Sharona Get The Knack
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