Buddyhead Records Interview and CMJ Party | Times Square New York City

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Buddyhead Records Interview and CMJ Party

Travis Keller is the co-founder of Buddyhead Records. His partnership with Aaron North began as a webzine gossiping about rock stars and showcasing Keller’s photography work, but they became infamous for their stunts (i.e. the now classic Fred Durst episode). With their reputation solidified, Keller and North founded Buddyhead Records on a shoestring budget. It paid off. Keller granted us an interview before the label's CMJ showcase at Lit Lounge; his responses prove that it doesn’t hurt being a dick in this business either.

Watch our exclusive video interview with modwheelmood's Alessandro Cortini!

www.buddyhead.com

Q: How did you and Aaron North meet?

Travis: Moscow, Idaho... '96... GOING OFF!

Q: What made the two of you start the Buddyhead Webzine and record Label?

Travis: Boredom.

Q: Which band/star do you think you should be grilled next and why?

Travis: I think Christina Aguilera should be drilled by us. Why? We love her art.

Q: There were quite a number of memorable stories involving Buddyhead. What was the most memorable incident? Name as many as you like.

Travis: That one time. That other time. Oh, and those other times.

Q: As a label, what do you do to set yourself apart from the others?

Travis: Name another label who's motto is "Touch As Many As You Can Before You Die"...

Q: Any new bands for your label that you want to share with us?

Travis: Yeah, check out The Cassettes' new album, Neath The Pale Moon, as well as their last record (only out on iTunes), which is self titled and features the rhythm section from Dead Meadow.

Also check out the world's first "post-hip-hop" band, The PoPo. Their debut self-titled record comes out on November 14th.

Also out are Wires On Fire's self-titled debut full length produced by Alain Johannes Natasha Shneider of Eleven and Queens Of The Stone Age, modwheelmood's "Enemies & Immigrants" (featuring members of Nine Inch Nails and Abandoned Pools) & Shat's - "Cuntree." Out in early 2007 will be a book of Travis' photography and Gayrilla Biscuits/Pink M.C.'s Split 7 inch!

Q: Are there any bands out there that you'd like to sign to your label?

Travis: We'd really like to sign Radiohead and Oasis now that they're both outta their deals.

Q: What kind of music are you going to mix at The Lit Lounge?

Travis: We'll be mixing primarily Sexyemogrunge. Maybe some gay hardcore too. It sounds hard but it's not.

Q: Describe your ultimate rock and roll sexual fantasy.

Travis: Beat it creep.

Buddyhead Showcase Party

Nov. 1, 2006 at Lit Lounge

Aaron North and Travis Keller teamed up to create a webzine gossiping about rock star's shenanigans and publishing their phone numbers on the web. Their claim to fame was breaking into Fred Durst’s offices at Interscope Records, stealing his baseball caps, auctioning them off and donating all the proceeds to a rape victim’s shelter in Los Angeles. Despite death threats and lawsuits, North and Travis soldiered on to form an independent record label.

Fast forward a couple years to the 2006 CMJ Music Marathon, Aaron and Travis threw a showcase party at the Lit Lounge to showcase the hottest bands on their label. Over two hundred fifty folks crowded into the Lit Lounge on the Lower East Side to enjoy the night and the tunes. Here are some highlights.

The Popo

The PoPo – Cute name, but their music is anything *but* cute. And that’s a good thing. Only together for two years, these guys managed to churn out post-punk/hip-hop music fitting for a Saturday afternoon zombie flick. Pure musical fun with a respectful nod to the band’s Middle Eastern heritage. Plenty of feedback and psychedelic guitar riffs. They certainly got the crowd going.
http://myspace.com/thepopomusic

The Casettes

The Cassettes – Formed by Shelby Cinca, The Cassettes are a Musical Explorer Society. Right after the riotus set from The PoPo came another strange entity, as The Casssettes unleashed their self-styled “Steam-Punk Vaudville” tunes to the unexpecting crowd. Who knew American folk could encompass such a tasty stew made up of synths, banjo, theremin, tabla and saw players. This is the true face of American Folk music today: an eccentric blend of down south tools with other cultures thrown in. Kind of like bath tub gin mixed with hindu lager.
http://www.thecassettes.com

Modwheelmood

Modwheelmood – Pelle Hillstrom and Alessandro Cortini were students at the Musicians Insititute in Los Angeles. Each went on to carve their own paths within the industry: Hillstrom became the guitarist of Abandoned Pools, Cortini went on to work with The Mayfield Four and Nine Inch Nails. The two always kept in touch and formed ModWheelMood. Stripped down to keyboards, guitars and electronics, ModWheelMood evokes minimalistc electronica with guitars and nervous but lilting vocals from Cortini. Tonight, Hillstrom was in London recording an album, so Cortini performed solo with a keyboard, an electronic trigger console and an acoustic guitar. He pulled it off without a hitch, starting off with an acoustic set, then switched to an electronic setting when he got bored with the guitar. It’s chill out sounds with rock guitars thrown in on top of emotive vocals, ModWheelMood can do not wrong.
http://www.modwheelmood.com

Watch our exclusive video interview with modwheelmood's Alessandro Cortini!

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