DeadJournalist.com Exclusive Interviews:
Cymbals Eat Guitars
Chuck Norton, DeadJournalist.com
06.23.09
Leading the next wave of outstanding bands out of New York (Staten Island to be specific) is the four piece Cymbals Eat Guitars. Founded by high school friends and band mates - vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Joseph D'Agostino and drummer Matthew Miller - Cymbals Eat Guitars were rounded out after bassist Neil Berenholz and keyboardist Brian Hamilton answered D'Agostino's ad for musicians on Craigslist.
The band's first album, Why There Are Mountains, which was self-released earlier this year, showcases the talent of a band on the brink of stardom. Given an 8.3 and a "Best New Music" tag by the indie-staple site Pitchfork.com, the album will be re-released on September 22, 2009 by Sister's Den Records. (New album cover shown on the right.)
Among those taking notice of the band is Charles Bissel of The Wrens, saying of the band and D'Agostino, "I’ll be the first to go on record saying that Cymbals Eat Guitars/Joseph Ferocious will end up indie famous within the year."
The band's DYI success has been noticed internationally as well, with UK's NME saying about the band's debut album, "Why There Are Mountains may be one of the best 'indie' (the album is self-released, so, y'know, actually 'indie') albums of the year. And with the major label skyline being obliterated like something out of Independence Day, it's time to batten down the hatches."
With their buzz continuing to grow, Cymbals Eat Guitars will be playing a handful of dates this Summer including the 80/35 and Pitchfork Music festivals. The band will then head out to play a number of dates, primarly in September, on a mini-tour opening for Pains of Being Pure at Heart.
Summer Tour Dates
6/28 - Cake Shop w/ Bedtime & Teletextile - New York, NY
6/29 - Great Scott w/ Magic Magic & Bedtime - Allston, MA
7/2 - MOKB Presents @ Vollrath Tavern - Indianapolis, IN
7/4 - 80/35 Festival - Des Moines, IA
7/18 - Pitchfork Music festival - Chicago, IL
With Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
9/5 - Middle East Downstairs - Boston, MA
9/6 - La Sala Rossa - Montreal
9/7 - Horseshoe Tavern - Toronto
9/8 - Logan Square Auditorium - Chicago, IL
9/9 - Stage Door at The Orpheum - Madison, WI
9/10 - Slowdown - Omaha, NE
9/12 - Monolith Festival - Morrisson, CO
9/13 - Kilby Court - Salt Lake City, UT
9/14 - Neurolux - Boise, ID
9/17 - Musicfest NW @ Doug Fir - Portland, OR
9/21 - Casbah - San Diego, CA
9/22 - Club Congress - Tucson, AZ
9/24 - Lola’s - Fort Worth, TX
9/25 - The Mohawk - Austin, TX
9/26 - One Eyed Jacks - New Orleans, LA
9/27 - Club Downunder - Tallahassee, FL
9/28 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA
9/29 - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC
9/30 - Black Cat - Washington DC
10/1 - Ottobar - Baltimore, MY
10/5 - First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA
For more about Cymbals Eat Guitars, visit their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/cymbalseatguitars.
DeadJournalist.com returns with this exclusive interview with Joseph D'Agostino of Cymbals Eat Guitars.
Tell us a little bit about Cymbals Eat Guitars. What would you like someone who is learning of your for the first time to know about the band?
JD: We two men and two boys from Staten Island, Jersey, Queens and Brooklyn pumping out the epic jams. We love what we do and we're incredibly thrilled that we're being given the opportunity to do it in a professional capacity.
With members ages ranging from the early 30's to the early 20's, how has the band balanced the age dynamic musically and personally?
JD: I've expended all my smart-ass answers to questions about our ages, so I'll just say that the only time any of us thinks about the age gap is when we're asked about it. It has little to no bearing on how we interact with each other.
If anything, I'd say it's a boon that Neil and Brian are older than Matt and I, because they've had more time to study different genres and fill their bags of tricks with elements of motown, funk, disco, classical...
You self-released your first album, Why There Are Mountains, earlier this year. For the band, what was the biggest benefit of doing so?
JD: Being able to keep the lion's share of our earnings has been nice, since we're in that nascent stage where we're spending more money than we're making.
When writing a song, what do you find to be the most critical components of the creative process?
JD: To never once think about writing a song. I find that if I listen to enough music and read enough, lyrics will just sort of happen, and the song will follow.
In past interviews you've said that Pavement was one of your biggest influences. How have your musical influences directly impacted Why There Are Mountains?
JD: To me, "Gold Soundz" is the ideal song. The lyrics, in conjunction with the melody and the slinky, jangly vibe are perfectly sad, and that guitar nirvana in the middle has influenced every note I've played since I heard it for the first time. "Shady Lane" is great too, I think that was the first Pavement song I heard.
In terms of how WTAM was shaped by these influences, I can really only think of one moment where I was like, "HEY, I need to do something like that!" I had just bought the Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain reissue, I popped in the second disc, and by the time that joyous, ecstatic two-chord freak at the end of "All My Friends" had finished, I knew I would be unfulfilled in any occupation other than music-making.
(Watch a live performance of "Cold Spring" from June 2009 via YouTube below.)
What can someone seeing you perform for the first time at a live venue expect from a Cymbals Eat Guitars show?
JD: They can expecting a thrilling rock show-- four dudes valiantly attempting to bring a beastly overdub fest live, and succeeding in most instances, IMO. A ton of energy, a ton of sweat. Because I'm soaking wet and totally uncomfortable after every rehearsal and show, I've been thinking about getting my sweat glands zapped with botox or something, but then we'd be that band with the super-fat singer. I'd need to cut down on the pre-bedtime bowls of ice cream with twix bars smooshed in the middle.
As you prepare to play a handful on festivals this Summer are you making any changes to your live performances?
JD: Playing out of doors takes a certain degree of getting used to, since everything sounds so differen ... but we're not exactly changing anything, we're just beginning to understand how we should sound and what to adjust from an equipment standpoint (levels, etc.) to achieve the desired result.
What is the most bizarre thing that has happen to you at one of your live shows?
JD: People started to show up!
Is there an artist that you've encountered recently that you've been recommending to your friends?
JD: Our keyboardist Brian recently turned me on to some friends of his from Chicago, a band called Sybris. Their second album, Into the Trees, is a thing of magnificence. When they crash into that heavy half time shit in "Oh Man!", I pee a little.
What were you listening to in 1999?
JD: The Marshall Mathers LP
Which do you prefer: MP3, CD, Tape or Vinyl?
JD: None of the above! Minidisc, all the way. That was a format, right?
One Drink; One Movie; One Album:
JD: Gin and tonic, Moonstruck ("Chrissy, GET ME THE BIG KNIFE!" Nic Cage's best role outside of Adaptation), Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.