Every once in awhile, a band comes along that just has everything you love crammed into one place. The Burnside Project is such a band: spry indie-rock guitars meet throbbing synths and techno beats, all while lyrics pour out Richard Jankovich's head that range from smart to smart-ass (I mean, c'mon, the guy gave an in-song shout out to Philip Seymour Hoffman years before that big Oscar win). Though their disc The Networks, The Circuts, The Streams, The Harmonies scored a minor hit with "Cue the Pulse to Begin" back in '03, they band has remained busy, releasing The Finest Example is You in 2005 and re-releasing their '00 effort digitially late last year. Now, Richard is busy doing lots of new songs and remixing under his Pocket guise, but, also, delivering terrifically sarcastic answers to Globecat's fourteenth Aleatory ...
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16. Favorite campfire story?
Unfortunately, I cannot remember any. It probably had ghosts in it.
26. Favorite badass?
Pat Buchanan.
33. What's something you could teach anyone in an hour or less?
Particle physics.
35. What's the best place you've randomly discovered while on tour?
The East Coast of the United States Of America - it is a lovely place!
36. Lyrics first or music first?
Differs on each track. Mostly, music first.
43. What's the road ahead look like?
Sleepy. Burnside is pretty inactive right now but my Pocket work is in full swing. Check it: www.music-by-pocket.com
52. At what point did you realize that music was going to be your full-time occupation?
Um...it's not. Well, actually it is - I work in music branding and licensing. But I don't think that's what you mean...
60. What's the worst show you've ever played? What would you have done different?
Way too many to count - probably at Pianos when I lost my shit and kicked a mike off the stage. That's about as punk as we get. It was pretty cathartic for us.
67. Do you reach any kind of personal catharsis when it comes to songwriting/performing?
I reach catharsis through kicking mikes off of stages, as I mention above.
68. Favorite interview you've ever been a part of (aside from this one obviously)?
No, this one is pretty terrible. My best interview was probably while on tour in Japan and I had no idea what they were asking - I just answered everything with "green and tumbleweeds."
81. If you could sync an album of yours to a movie (like Dark Side of the Moon and The Wizard of Oz), what movie would it be?
Magnolia.
82. Current pop song that you would file under "guilty pleasure"?
I really like Rihanna and I will kick anyone with a mike who disagrees with me.
85. What's the biggest mistake you've made that you inadvertently learned a great lesson from?
Agreeing to do this interview.
88. What's your deepest source for musical inspiration?
The world around me, television, paranoia.
89. You just died. I'm sorry. Fortunately, your will states that you want very specific music to be played at your funeral. What did you choose?
New Order for the upbeat parts, Replacements ballads for the part when everyone cries.
92. Which venue are you dying to play but have not yet had the chance to?
The Houston Astrodome.
94. What's your hardest song to replicate live?
Well, probably the ones we never played live like "Outside Tennebrae" or "An Easy Sell"
98. Would you say that there's somewhat of a political undertone to your music? If so, what motivates it?
Absolutely - though I keep it purposefully subtle. What motivates it? A deep and utter hatred for right wing lunacy and left wing failure to give a shit.
99. Licensing your music out to companies for TV ads: good or bad?
Have you seen our songs on TV?
100. Even with the gradual decay of the B-side, most artists still have vaults of unreleased songs. What's in yours?
Loads of garbage - it's unreleased for a reason, in my opinion.
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Photo by Angela Langer.
Visit the Burnside Project's website.
