SHELLEY: I love being an underground band. I wouldn't have it any other way.
RANALDO: I think it's what we are to a large degree. It's an incongruity because we're on a major label, and yet we have our own indie label as well. But for the larger music-buying population, for people buying Britney and Outkast records, we're an underground band, because we don't exist in that world. We're in this totally other world and we're really happy there. We love the music we make there and we love the community
SHELLEY: And we're glad they didn't kick us out
Touring
STARPOLISH: I see you're doing a Lollapalooza tour, and then you're touring in Australia and New Zealand with J Mascis. Is Watt playing with him?
RANALDO: I think it's a solo tour. We've seen [Watt] a lot in the last year, though.
STARPOLISH: [Watt] has been a really good friend of ours; he helped us launch the site. He was the first person on our advisory board and he's just an awesome guy, so I was curious. But doing these kinds of tours — as you get older, and you have families and responsibilities, does that change being on tour? Are you still a live band that loves to play?
RANALDO: I think we are. I mean I don't think we've changed too much about that except that we have to just work a little harder on getting the schedules to work out, with school schedules and things like that. We love making records, but we really love playing live as well. It's definitely one of the things we do that keeps us energized and that we totally live and love to do. It's always been one of the biggest turn-ons and it remains that.
SHELLEY: There's something about when a live show is going well, that's sort of why you got into a band. Because you're so in the moment, and it's not the same moment as when you're having fun in the recording studio or making a record, but it's got all that sort of glory going on that you dreamt of when you were 12 or 13.
STARPOLISH: So that still exists?
RANALDO: Oh, yeah, of course it still exists for us. But that's why people go to live shows, because it's a unique thing, you know? It's not like listening to a record. It's a group experience. It's not just about the band on the stage, because on a good night it's about everything that's happening in the room. The audience is a synergistic part of it and it's something that happens in this moment and then it's gone. It's got this evanescent quality to it, you know? And it's really just a remarkable thing. It continues to be something that moves people to go out in numbers to see live events, whether it's rock n' roll or theatre or whatever. A live show is something that's happening in the moment. It's not reproducible. It's not something you're watching on a tape that you can say, "Oh let's watch it tomorrow night." It's still this magical thing.
Article comments
1 - dave
the closing song on Washing Machine is Diamond SEA!!! not STAR!!! if your going to write a review get your facts straight!!!!!!
2 - POO
UR BAND IS THE BEST !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3 - _sheccid_
is my favourite band!! it's great i love them, kim gordon you are so fucking pretty, i lover her xD
4 - HW Saxton
Never heard of the band:"Fuck You All!".
Are they a punk band or what?
5 - sydney
they're a post-punk band... garage-rock sort of experimental indie band. Almost leaders of the indie rock movement in America over the late 80's and early 90's.
They mix alot of experimental noise and soundscapes, sometimes, with catchy melodies.
6 - HW Saxton
Sydney, I was responding in jest to the
way the comment above mine was phrased.
I'm aware of who Sonic Youth are,as well
as Wasted Youth,Reagan Youth & Big Youth
as well.Sarcasm,does not carry well over
the Internet sometimes.Thanx.
7 - Jon Bob
Dave told you, and this is serious, really. If you do intend to redeem yourself or cover this mistake up, you should fix the whole damn paragraph, because it was Moore who did the vocals on DIAMOND SEA. Gordon (Kim) is a female, and for the 19 minutes of this spectacular track you obviously never heard, its easy to tell that thurston is not a female singing. Kim plays great bass on this track by the way, you should know (sarcasm). You dissed my favorite band, now i'm gonna find you like jay and silent bob and kick your ass!
8 - Jon Bob
Thanks for doing the SY piece, though. They're totally cool, and barring that 3rd paragraph i have no complaint. I can forgive, but we can only hope that they will be so merciful and not destroy you, thats right becuz they buy and sell people like you all the time, they'll probably cook you for breakfast and let the leftovers spoil in the fridge when they're not even thinking about you cuz theyre too busy on the road rocking and being totally cool. I'll leave you alone now, i'm sure you've got some homework and studying to do .
9 - declan
grow up, bumpkins