ALEATORY #24: Jeepster

What happens when a trio of alt-rock outsiders that formed in San Francisco wind up getting signed to a French record label prior to releasing their recorded-in-a-Lake-Tahoe-cabin debut? Why, you get Jeepster, of course.

The band -- consisting of singer Jonah Wells, drummer Justin Goings, and guitarist Kyle Marcelli -- just barely released their first album, What If All the Rebels Died?, and it sounds like the distillation of all the 90s alt-rock giants you can think of through a lo-fi aesthetic. It's impossible not to hear the spirit of the Smashing Pumpkins surge through tracks like "Sweet 1:23" or the Radiohead-by-way-of-Harvey-Danger keyboard waltz that is "Fiction Fiction". Though tracks like "Ex Oh" perfectly capture that sense of pre-millennial Modern Rock nostalgia that is so tragically lacking on the airwaves these days, the group still proudly exists in the present, coming soon to a town near you but not before each member participated in Globecat's 24th Aleatory, revealing that not only can the group teach you how to smurf, but also that you should avoid playing at Days Inn Motels and that you should be afraid of "The Man" ...

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19. Favorite foreign film?

KYLE: Alejandro Joradowskys Fando y Lis; before Jeepster, I wanted to name my next band Tarr after the fictional city portrayed in it.
JUSTIN: A woman is a woman.
JONAH: Brazil.

22. Favorite vice?

KYLE: Cigarettes, they're fast, relatively inexpensive, and they don't subdue, damage nor hinder human interaction. If anything, they're a catalyst to human interaction, which on a good day, I support.
JUSTIN: Jamming.
JONAH: Soft drugs.

27. Favorite chord/chord progression?

KYLE: The ones invented by myself that don't have names, and the ones that don't have names made by other musicians.
JUSTIN: I play drums...
JONAH: Chord/chord? ...progression? ...favorite?

32. Best thing you learned this week/month?

KYLE: I learned about the sanctity of life, the various depths of love, and how relavent I feel my art is. It's been a busy month.
JUSTIN: Don't do drugs.
JONAH: "...Gods favorite color is purple."

33. What's something you could teach anyone in an hour or less?

KYLE: How to dance, how to tie a shoe, how to negate the obvious, how to point out the obvious, how to forgive, how to forget.
JUSTIN: Don't do drugs.
JONAH: How to smurf.

38. What is your family like?

KYLE: Very important, very practical, very logical, very loyal, and vey supportive.
JUSTIN: I love them.
JONAH: R e l i g i o u s.

43. What's the road ahead look like?

KYLE: Imagine the road as a collection of variables co-dependent on other varaibels, and that this road has never been driven before. It looks very strange in a very endearing way.
JUSTIN: Worldwide.
JONAH: Worldwide Travel.

45. What's the best lie you've ever told?

KYLE: It wouldn't be a good lie if I acknowledged the truth.
JUSTIN: Nothing good.
JONAH: I can't remember any I'm proud of.

47. Biggest fear?

KYLE: Flying, this is a new fear, one only relavent after a realization of the science behind an airplane.
JUSTIN: The man.
JONAH: Loneliness, though I think I'm finally getting over that one too.

48. Biggest moment of triumph?

KYLE: In the midst of it.
JUSTIN: So far, finishing What If All the Rebels Died?
JONAH: Boogie @ Midnight.

52. At what point did you realize that music was going to be your full-time occupation?

KYLE: It's not an occupation. When you realize it's an occupation, it's not art, and you've lost focus from why you started making music.
JUSTIN: When I was born.
JONAH: I've been high my whole life.

55. You're curating a festival. If you could choose any two bands to open for you, who would they be? To open?

KYLE: Warren Ellis from the Bad Seeds doing a solo effected violin set, followed by some smooth dancey fun band like the Whitest Boy Alive or Phoenix.
JUSTIN: The Walkmen, Dr. Dog
JONAH: Ratatat and The Flaming Lips.

56. Have you ever considered writing or producing for other artists?

KYLE: Everyday, I will be as soon as Nate Pendry gets out of jail and Sham Ulrich learns to compose his drunken piano banters into incredibly complex pop songs.
JUSTIN: Occasionaly.
JONAH: And how.

59. Worst venue you've ever played?

KYLE: The Casbar in Santa Rosa, it's a venue inside of a Days Inn Motel, but feels like a skating ring.
JUSTIN: Cafe Coda.
JONAH: Those are some big shoes to fill!

61. What's the best advice you could give to a young, upstart band?

KYLE: Realize the difference between a record and a live show, but keep in mind it all coincides to a listener.
JUSTIN: Quit everything in your life that takes time away from the group.
JONAH: Practice/jam/record.

70. What is a personal belief you hold that you would fight for to the death?

KYLE: Love.
JUSTIN: J E S U S
JONAH: Only love.

79. Best concert you've ever been to?

KYLE: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds two nights in a row at the Warfield in San Francisco. Those guys are over fifty and have more energy than most bands I see in their twenties.
JUSTIN: Tie between Radiohead and the Mars Volta at Coachella.
JONAH: Deerhoof @ UC Davis a few years ago.

85. What's the biggest mistake you've made that you inadvertently learned a great lesson from?

KYLE: I don't feel that if I've learned a valuable lesson that the actions that caused it were actually mistakes.
JUSTIN: Not drinking enough water.
JONAH: I've made many mistakes but have no regrets.

87. Ultimately, you will want to be remembered as …

KYLE: A sea shell in a sea of shells that encompass the most beautiful mosaic of culture and art the world has ever seen.
JUSTIN: "That dude can jam."
JONAH: A lover.

90. Sexiest thing about you?

KYLE: My winning personality obviously.
JUSTIN: Probably my tunes...
JONAH: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

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Visit Jeepster's official MySpace.

ALEATORY #23: Japancakes

Though he's said it here before, Davecat feels it's worth repeating: a band's name can make all the difference. If you've got a stupid name, people are going to be less likely to seek out and listen to your music, however great it is. However, if your name is as awesome as Athens, Georgia group Japancakes, your music practically sells itself. Knowing nothing about their 2001 album The Sleepy Strange, Davecat picked it up at the record store based on name alone and has been hooked ever since. Their most recent album, 2007's Loveless, is an full-length, song-for-song cover of My Bloody Valentine's classic shoegaze album, interpreted in their beautiful instrumental style with shimmery guitar, pedal steel, and cello. Brant Rackley, Japancakes' drummer, took the time to speak with us last month, and we are honored to have one of our favorite bands as our 23rd Aleatory.

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7. Favorite composer?

I'm assuming for classical? If so, I'd say Bach. I remember the first time I heard Cantata No. 140 (Sleepers Wake). It's still stuck in my head. Something about the way the strings float around is amazing. It would be a good song to cover and make our own. Heather and Neff could work some magic on that one. As far as modern composers, I'd have to say Brian Eno. He just makes interesting music. I think I listened to Music for Airports for a year straight. Sometimes it's best to hear the music that's not there.

8. Favorite author?/Favorite book?

I can't sit still long enough to read much, classic ADHD stuff. I do like reading David Sedaris books. His stories are hilarious. Being able to be that honest about family and yourself is quite a feat. I need the number of his therapist. Favorite book(s), All the President's Men, any Dr. Suess, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. I have two kids, so most of my reading these days consists of children's books. I'm a big fan of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

9. Favorite song to start (or end) a mixtape with?

Starting song is a toss up between R.E.M. "Harborcoat" and Stevie Wonder "Living for the City". Ending song is toss up between Aretha Franklin "Ain't No Way" and Superchunk "Hyper Enough", the first one makes you long for more, and the second gets you all jacked up and ready to go do something.

15. Favorite exhibit or subject at the museum?

Andy Goldsworthy exhibit. He makes some of the coolest art I've ever seen. The patience that guy has is insane. If you've never seen his work I would highly recommend checking it out. Also, watch "Rivers and Tides", it's a documentary about him and his work. I can't really explain it without sounding like a babbling idiot, but to me it's simple and familiar in an awesome and completely foreign way?

18. Favorite pick-up line?

Do you know of anything that will get blood out of a clownsuit?
I'm married...it worked once.

21. Favorite album(s) from the past year?

I liked:

• Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago. Very stripped down simple record, totally full though.
• TV on the Radio - Dear Science. These dudes simply do some cool stuff with music.
• David Byrne and Brian Eno - Everything that Happens will Happen Today. This record feels good. Picking out all the little loops, blips, and blurbs in this is amusing to me.
• Girl Talk - Feed The Animals. Listening to this is like playing Musical Jeopardy. Very creative. Although I can't listen to it too much.

26. Favorite badass?

Inspector Jacques Clouseau. Every since I was a kid I wanted to be this guy. I got a thing for the bumbling detective.

27. Favorite chord/chord progression?

I got nothing for you on this one. I deal in simplicity, you know, pick up drumstick-hit drum.

28. What instrument would you most like to learn to play?

Piano, or anything other than drums really, but mostly piano.

29. Who do you wish more people were listening to?

Globally? Each other. Musically? Japancakes, every little bit helps.

32. Best thing you learned this week/month?

That the kind of UFO's that exist in my daughter's world, are fart-powered and they are only interested in collecting human underpants. She's a genius.

35. What's the best place you've randomly discovered while on tour?

We played some shows in France for the Sleepy Strange album. We were in Paris for a few days of the tour and there was a chocolate shop down the street from our hotel that was fucking great. I think it was a mother and daughter who owned/ran it. Every time we would go in there they would let us try all the new chocolates for the day. If you could marry a chocolate shop, I would. It just so happens that we also randomly discovered that Paris is the best place to; have your bass player step in dog shit (aprrox. 3-4 times in one day), chocolate bars filled with liquor, and one of the most hilarious clown paintings of all time.

41. If you could go anywhere in the universe, where would it be?

Where ever those UFO's my daughter draws are from. That place has got to be hilarious.

47. Biggest fear?

Although it's not very likely, being trapped under ice. That would be fucking terrifying, especially if you could see someone trying to help you. Realistically, something happening to my kids. I tend to freak out a little bit whenever I have to back out of my driveway. I have this horrible feeling that I'm going to back over one of my kids.

51. What are you currently obsessed with?

Gummy Coke Bottles. Fucking delicious.

52. At what point did you realize that music was going to be your full-time occupation?

This question doesn't apply to me. I only pretend it's my full-time job. Over-thinking and under-doing is my full-time occupation.

66. Worst song you've heard recently?

Anything by Kid Rock or Katy Perry. I appreciate "what" they do and they're obviously hard workers. I just don't get it. However, Jimmy Buffet is my least favorite ever, of all time, ever.

68. Favorite interview you've ever been a part of (aside from this one, obviously)?

We were interviewed in a van, in a parking lot on the Seine in Paris. It was cold, crowded, and hilarious.

69. There's got to be one: who has been your craziest fan?

Two come to mind. There was a guy in France who heckled the shit out of us. It was insanely funny though because he just spouted out the only bad words he knew in English. He'd yell stuff like "monkey shit" "I shit on your piss" "I suck your piss" Really funny, then he stumbled outside while we were loading up and knocked over a mirror I bought over there and broke it. Douchebag.

The other dude was in Athens. He hopped up on stage in a green monkey costume and just started playing the harmonica into the mic. Everyone in the band thought he knew one of us and it was just a friend having some fun. Turned out to be some random fan who thought his terrible harmonica playing would be a nice addition to our music. Again, total douchebag.

88. What's your deepest source for musical inspiration?

People trying. Hard to explain. I like to see people trying. Just anything. Something new, kids learning to walk, problem solving and determination type stuff.

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Visit Japancakes' website.

ALEATORY #2: Gotye

If you live outside of Australia, chances are pretty good you haven't gotten to hear Gotye—yet. At home, Gotye (the one-man act of Wally DeBacker) is an award-winning indie pop star, pulling down an ARIA (the Aussie Grammy) for best male artist in 2007 and a Most Outstanding New Independent Artist award in 2006 for his album Like Drawing Blood, which went gold.

Now Like Drawing Blood is hitting Europe and Japan later this year, behind lead single "Hearts A Mess," a track Davecat has been putting on pretty much every mixtape he's made since it came out. Everyone needs to hear this song (no, really), and now, soon, you'll be able to get the album without the hefty import fees (assuming you don't live on the left side of the map). Wally was kind enough to take some time from rocking the rest of the world to be our second Aleatory interviewee, and we couldn't be happier.

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9. Favorite song to start (or end) a mixtape with?

"In My Pants" by The Reddings. Defies description. Everyone should find outwhat this song is about.

10. Favorite lyric?

Well, I might as well elaborate a little on that Reddings track.

"There's a girl name [insert garbled name that rhymes with, um, something like "blurl" here], who took me round the world- every place she thought I should be. I said "hey- wait a minute. My rank as a lieutenant- in the army of the freaks". No sense. Absolute gold.

22. Favorite vice?

Nutella. With a side of nutella.

23. Favorite natural oddity?

Metamorphosis. CATERPILLARS TURN INTO BUTTERFLIES PEOPLE! HOLY SHIT!

27. Favorite chord/chord progression?

The one from the chorus of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb". And also Urban Cookie Collective's "The Key, The Secret". And 65.37% of other pop songs ever written. It's something like C, G, Bb, F.

31. Other than musician, what career would you most enjoy?

Highway toll collector. Every day's different.

32. Best thing you learned this week/month?

CATERPILLARS TURN INTO BUTTERFLIES PEOPLE! Wait... I found that out last month. Hmmm... I learned about Iran's history (from a graphic novel called Persepolis). It's bloody terrible. And I felt both intensely thankful and guilty for the luxurious, safe and wasteful existence we enjoy/exploit in Australia and other parts of the western world.

34. What's the best joke you heard recently?

Apparently the shortest joke ever. Very American. Not very funny. But here it is: "Pretentious? Moi?"

35. What's the best place you've randomly discovered while on tour?

Having a roll of toilet paper on you at all times is incredibly helpful. Particularly when preparing to go on stage and beset by a last minute toilet call in a venue whose toilet you haven't checked out beforehand.

38. What is your family like?

Brilliant. Loving and inspiring and supportive. I'm incredibly lucky.

46. Where do you keep things hidden? What do you keep hidden there?

On my hard drive in a folder called "BoringSoftwareDriversYouWouldn'tEverNeedToLookAt". In it, there are LOLcats.

47. Biggest fear?

Someone discovering my LOLcats collection.

51. What are you currently obsessed with?

The newest record player I bought. It's a tiny model of a Volkswagon "combivan" (I dunno what folks outside Australia call this particular model of van) with a stylus attached to the bottom. It drives around vinyl you place on the floor, and has a little built in speaker to play the music. I bought it in New York and although it warbles, skates and has a terribly tinny sound, it's still the best record player ever.

54. So far in your career, what's been your proudest accomplishment?

Getting the first copies of the "Hearts A Mess" 7" single on vinyl. It's not really like I manufactured them, but it felt great to see my first vinyl release. The artwork looked brilliant, the vinyl master and cut was pretty good, I'm proud of the song, and I felt proud all over.

57. Most rock star thing you've ever done?

Admonishing the audience for yabbering loudly in the front row during a show. As it turns out, they were yabbering about how they wanted to bonk me. But all I heard was distracting chatter. Wait... the most rock star thing I've done is brag in an e-interview about fans discussing wanting to bonk me in the front row of one of my shows.

64. Weirdest promotion you've been a part of?

Promoting myself. It gets stranger every time I speak. Did you know I was born in an airoplane that crash-landed on the tip of K2? I crawled down the peak (at age 0, yes) and was raised by villagers until I left my adopted parents to become a world-famous pastry chef. Where did I go to begin my brilliant career? Antarctica of course. Great weather there.

68. Favorite interview you've ever been a part of (aside from this one, obviously)?

One in Japan where the fellow tried speaking English for an hour. He couldn't speak English. I just replied in Japlish-isms. Things like "YOU OUGHT TO GET DO SOME A LITTLE EXERCISE .EVERYDAY" and "ERIC CRAPTON".

71. How well do you feel your music lends itself to remixing or being covered?

It's fine I guess. Depends on who's doing the reworking.

86. With Radiohead's In Rainbows release and Nine Inch Nails doing boffo business with his online releases, do you see yourself ever doing some alternative kind of release for any of your future projects?

It's something I've been thinking about for the next record. Not that I've got the massive profile and existing fan base to be able to support such adventurous and progressive release strategies. But you gotta think big, and original, to get places.

88. What's your deepest source for musical inspiration?

The deep, deep boom of an 808 deep kick drum on the bottom of the deepest deep house track you've ever deeped. I mean heard. It's so deep I almost experience brown note response.

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Visit Gotye's website.

Photo by James Bryans.