Getting Sassy with...Sea Wolf

We here around THE CULTURE OF ME were once obsessed with all things relating to Sassy and Dirt magazines. And while those titles are long gone, the sentiment of how they covered the culture industries has indeed left its mark on writers and culture vultures everywhere. It is because of that influence that we are proud to present our features post, "Getting Sassy with...", wherein we bring you that much closer to your favorite bands by way of a simple Q&A session that's both painless and informative. Ha! Beat that, FOX News!

This time: Sea Wolf.

(photo by Alex Prager)

The Los Angeles-based Sea Wolf really is the vehicle, creatively, of Alex Brown Church, the singer/songwriter and one-time member of Irving who is consistently backed by a revolving door of compatriots. After releasing three efforts--an EP, and two full lengths, the most-recent of which, White Water, White Bloom, just came out a little over a week ago--it seems like the indie rock act is showing no signs of slowing the pace or dying out any time soon. The progenitors of sunny, perfect-for-autumn indie pop are already on a ton of dates behind the disc and we caught up with Church and got our questionnaire back.

Name?
Alex Brown Church.

Hometown?
Berkeley, CA.

I now live in:
Los Angeles, CA.

Number of states visited?
49. Still have to hit Maine.

My favorite place in my hometown is:
Griffith Park.

Most recent phone bill total?
$84.47.

Items found in my day-to-day bag (if applicable)?
A couple of books, toothbrush and paste, notebooks, mini digital audio recorder, laptop.

First album bought on your own?
Rap! A hip-hop compilation, circa 1983.

Favorite song memorized as a child?
"Don't Fence Me In" as sung by Willie Nelson.

When I sing in the shower, it’s usually:
"New York, New York". Sinatra style.

The one song that must be on every mixtape is:
"A Day In The Life" by the Beatles.

Last book read?
Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie.

Favorite book ever?
All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy.

Favorite thing you bought this year?
My Fireglo Rickenbacker 330 12-string electric guitar.

After the jump, Church tells us even more, like tales of retail, Lykke Li, the wonders of New York City and how to best push your own band's music videos.

Getting Sassy with...Hadouken!

We here around THE CULTURE OF ME were once obsessed with all things relating to Sassy and Dirt magazines. And while those titles are long gone, the sentiment of how they covered the culture industries has indeed left its mark on writers and culture vultures everywhere. It is because of that influence that we are proud to present our features post, "Getting Sassy with...", wherein we bring you that much closer to your favorite bands by way of a simple Q&A session that's both painless and informative. Ha! Beat that, FOX News!

This time: Hadouken!.

UK-based indie rock/electro/grime act Hadouken! have gotten their fair share of praise and criticism, which is usually the mark of a great band. We mean, who listens to an act that's consistently praised (with zero backlash) or, naturally, one that is simply and wholesale disliked and panned? That's right, no one. Anyway, the group are still prepping their second full length studio album after dropping the M.A.D. EP early this summer, and we caught up with Christopher Purcell, Hadouken!'s bassist, to find out about life in the outskirts of the UK, working as an insurance underwriter, the glee-inducing Spotify and French composer du jour Jean Michel Jarre.

Name?
Christopher Purcell.

Hometown?
Colchester, Essex, UK.

Current place of residence?
London.

Number of states visited?
One. (Ed. note: this made us LOL immediately upon reading.)

Favorite hometown haunt?
There's not much to do in Colchester, but the park is nice.

Most recent phone bill total?
£45.

Items found in my day-to-day bag (if applicable)?
Blackberry, wallet, oyster card.

First album bought on your own?
I can't really remember...I remember buying Flat Beat by Mr. Oizo on cassette for sure.

Favorite song memorized as a child?
Probably something that my mother would have been playing at home, in which case "Please Mr. Postman" by The Carpenters. If it was the first song I distinctly remember listening to on my own it would be "Oxygene, Part 2" by Jean Michel Jarre. I was listening to my dad's Jean Michel Jarre cassette in the car whilst reading a Goosebumps book. It scared the shit out of me.

Last book read?
Brett Easton Ellis, The Informers & Alan Moore, V For Vendetta (if you're counting graphic novels).

Favorite book ever?
American Psycho.

Favorite thing you bought this year?
A Spotify premium subscription. Such a relief to finally be rid of those adverts!

After the jump, even more with Mr. Purcell about favorite records, things to save in a house fire and the Deftones.

Getting Sassy with...Kleerup

We here around THE CULTURE OF ME were once obsessed with all things relating to Sassy and Dirt magazines. And while those titles are long gone, the sentiment of how they covered the culture industries has indeed left its mark on writers and culture vultures everywhere. It is because of that influence that we are proud to present our features post, "Getting Sassy with...", wherein we bring you that much closer to your favorite bands by way of a simple Q&A session that's both painless and informative. Ha! Beat that, FOX News!

This time: Kleerup.

Somewhere along the way from being a super-producer of sorts in Sweden to making his way into the brain canals of the US pop mainframe, Andreas Kleerup became relegated mostly as "that guy who worked with Robyn and Lykke Li on massive tracks". And while that is in fact the truth, what's more important to note is that Kleerup's debut, eponymously titled 2008 record (which saw stateside release in July) is so much more than just the collaborations within. Sure, much of the record is sweetly melancholic electro pop with some siren acting as vocal muse to Andreas's synths, stabs and strings. Yet it reaches for more than just templated Swedish electronic pop music. Listeners would be resting assured to the album's overall vibes (and to that of this man's production wizardry and necessary notability) by truly calling Kleerup what it is: an emo record. Yes, we said it. It's an emotionally charged disc full of the feelings one has in his/her twenties: love, hope, loss, confusion, disintegration, worry. It's heartbreaking and brilliant, fragile at points and guarded at others. We wanted to put Andreas Kleerup further up front in your minds, dear readers, so we sent him off the questionnaire. And while he was forward with some answers, he also lopped entire ones off of his response. But what did you expect really? We think you'll find the answers--and what he did admit to--to be quite fascinating.

Name?
Andreas Kleerup.

Hometown?
Stockholm.

I now live in:
Er, Stockholm.

Number of states visited?
I have been to many places in the US--east coast, west coast and even the middle of nowhere. I’ve been to California, Nevada, Wisconsin, NY and PA, to name a few.

My favorite place in my hometown is:
Any nice restaurant that has good shrimp and white wine where I can bring my mom out for an evening.

Most recent phone bill total?
I honestly don’t know! My mom handles all of my invoicing but I don’t think it was a very high bill. I have a good phone plan.

Items found in my day-to-day bag (if applicable)?
My iPod, computer, medication, books, underwear! You can only go without underwear for so long.

First album bought on your own?
Kiss Love Gun when I was 4 years old back in ’83.

Favorite song memorized as a child?
Kiss “Reason to Live”.

After the jump, more time spent with Kleerup.

Getting Sassy with...Wallpaper.

We here around THE CULTURE OF ME were once obsessed with all things relating to Sassy and Dirt magazines. And while those titles are long gone, the sentiment of how they covered the culture industries has indeed left its mark on writers and culture vultures everywhere. It is because of that influence that we are proud to present our features post, "Getting Sassy with...", wherein we bring you that much closer to your favorite bands by way of a simple Q&A session that's both painless and informative. Ha! Beat that, FOX News!

This time: Wallpaper.

Ready to drop their new LP, the ew-cleverly titled Doodoo Face, on September 22, Oakland's Wallpaper. is a duo we've been on the hook of for as long as we can remember. They've rocked every party harder than anyone at any venue they've played. They've Auto-Tuned Jay-Z's "D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)". They've remixed the best tracks from the last two years, coined a new Internet phrase in "booty Tweet is the new booty call", toured almost relentlessly to garner a following worthy of them and just have generally been a better barometer for incessant, OCD production and way under-appreciated, genius-level compositions. Also, they're super nice guys. So when we got our questionnaire back from Eric Frederic aka Ricky Reed, we were stoked to get inside the head of one of our favorite indie frontmen/funk-party icons.

Name?
Eric Frederic.

Hometown?
Berkeley, CA.

Current place of residence?
Bay Area at large.

Number of states visited?
Maybe 35.

Favorite hometown haunt?
Brown Sugar Cafe, Taqueria El Buen Sabor.

Most recent phone bill total?
$100.

Items found in my day-to-day bag (if applicable)?
Laptop, MIDI controller, underwear, deodorant, toothbrush, phone charger.

First album bought on your own?
Eric B & Rakim, Don't Sweat The Technique.

Favorite song memorized as a child?
The Police - "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da".

Last book read?
Way Of The Peaceful Warrior.

Favorite book ever?
The Fountainhead.

Favorite thing you bought this year?
Ain't bought shit this year. Groceries?

Much more with Ricky Reed, including his love for every job he's ever held down, after the jump.

Getting Sassy with...The Whip

We here around THE CULTURE OF ME were once obsessed with all things relating to Sassy and Dirt magazines. And while those titles are long gone, the sentiment of how they covered the culture industries has indeed left its mark on writers and culture vultures everywhere. It is because of that influence that we are proud to present our features post, "Getting Sassy with...", wherein we bring you that much closer to your favorite bands by way of a simple Q&A session that's both painless and informative. Ha! Beat that, FOX News!

This time: The Whip.

We've straight been jocking The Whip's X Marks Destination for a bit now, we've met the band a few times (truly nice by the way), and we're super psyched that they love our city enough to be coming back to play the Electric Zoo Festival on September 5 and 6. We sent this little questionnaire of ours off to them and got probably the best interview out of the entire lot of "Getting Sassy..."'s yet. We've learned all too much about Bruce Carter's likes, dislikes and found his request to serve as backing band to Daft Punk a really remarkable idea to ponder.

Name?
Bruce Carter, my friends think it makes me sound like I’m some police guy from "CSI: Miami" but I look at it as a nod to my Scottish blood.

Hometown?
Oldham, Lancashire. It’s an old mill town about 5 miles outside of Manchester. We we're lucky growing up as there were a couple of wicked little clubs for us to beef it up at which was good for a small town. When we got older we could get a train for 2 quid into Manchester and see all our favorite bands passing through and shop in the cool record stores there, buy stupid garish clothes and herbal cigarettes, look at city girls, tough guy stuff. It was a nice setup.

I now live in:
Saddleworth, I've just retreated back to "the hills". In my hood that doesn't mean "Beverly Hills" but the pennine hills between Manchester and Leeds, the Lancashire/Yorkshire border. It's sweet meat, I lived in Manchester city center for the last 10 years which was amazing, the rest of the guys still kick it there but I’ve done the hippy thing and re-found my zen in the green pastures of the hills. Some folk find these hills a little bleak, covered in moss and fog, but I love it. It's a really inspirational place to live; I’ve come up with so many ideas and new songs since I moved up there. I keep staring in to space and taking deep breaths, which is always good. The city is just down the road and we're always traveling through cities so it's good to get back to the country and find head space when I can.

Number of states visited?
States, you mean counties, stars from the flag? I think we practically did the whole hog on our last trip over to you guys. We spent 5 weeks driving 9000 miles around your beautiful pastures. It was an amazing trip; we saw so many great things. We started at SXSW and headed east, did New Orleans (top place), WMC was bonkers, and then we did the whole east coast. I love New York!!!! Then all the way across to Seattle and saw everything in between, had a west coast adventure and lost our minds in the Joshua Tree National Park. My only disappointment from the trip was that they have knocked down the E.T. ride in California's Universal Studios, truly a criminal act. I worked my around the states towards the holy grail of movie rides to find out it's been upgraded to some Simpsons ride, I’m crushed. We went to some amazing parties on the tour though and we're up for some more action in New York.

My favorite place in my hometown is:
The Church Inn. It's a pub up in the hills, they make their own real ale there and it's £1.50 a pint, they name them things like "shaft bender" and "ex-moor hound dog" (dogs are welcome too). Stuff like this keeps you grounded after a weekend away at some cool parties. They also do an awesome beef sandwich with gravy on it. Food is moist in these climbs, you can get salad on it too but that’s a bit wrong.

Most recent phone bill total?
It used to be a lot but now you can call on truphone and Skype to send your kisses to loved ones for cheap. However, Hotdog our bass player doesn't adopt as much thrift to his dialing and last time we were in the states his bill was over £500 for the month. Wild times. Crazy lover.

Items found in my day-to-day bag (if applicable)?
My laptop is an extension of my mind and with me at all times. I record all my new songs on to it while we are on the road, I don't know what I did before this, and I guess I used to have a notebook and propelling pencil. I do like to travel light though, it's liberating if you’re only away a couple days to just have 2 t shirts and underwear. Some CD's and phones to DJ and that’s it.

First album bought on your own?
My first 7 inch single was Madonna, "Get Into The Groove" and had her with Rosanna Arquette on the front that looked much cooler than Madonna. My first album was Belinda Carlisle, Heaven On Earth, she was the first girl that I had pictures of on my wall, at the time she was a hottie or as we say in England, "well fit".

Favorite song memorized as a child?
"Agadoo" by Black Lace. It’s one of those stupid kids songs with a dance routine that people would act out at 80's discos while stood in a circle smiling at each other. Actually, people should do this kind of dancing more now, it's so uplifting.

When I sing in the shower, it’s usually:
Epic and ruins my voice for the rest of the day, karaoke is always good for ruining my voice too.

The one song that must be on every mix tape is:
"Raspberry Beret" by Prince, it's always good at the end of a night/tape/life/funeral.

After the jump, way way more with Bruce, including Zombie Nation, The Velvet Underground and his love for the "Daniel" video.

Getting Sassy with...Doctor Rosen Rosen

We here around THE CULTURE OF ME were once obsessed with all things relating to Sassy and Dirt magazines. And while those titles are long gone, the sentiment of how they covered the culture industries has indeed left its mark on writers and culture vultures everywhere. It is because of that influence that we are proud to present our features post, "Getting Sassy with...", wherein we bring you that much closer to your favorite bands by way of a simple Q&A session that's both painless and informative. Ha! Beat that, FOX News!

This time: Doctor Rosen Rosen.

A short while ago, we started catching wind of this Doctor Rosen Rosen character (mainly from the man himself) talking up the fact that he'd undertaken a project that we'd never thought possible--and to be honest, all too necessary. He was remixing, no, re-interpreting the entire sophomore studio record from Lily Allen, It's Not Me, It's You. The record, albeit great and a more mature take on the once-chav girl, was not going to end up on our top 10 list. It just wasn't. But we gave the Rosen Rosen record a shot, because we'd heard teasers and individual tracks that were brimming with promise. But what we ended up with was nothing like we expected: an unusually melancholy and dark, swirling, head-to-toe tilt in a new direction while remaining mindful of the source material. Rosen Rosen has succeeded in an impressive feat: ending up assuredly in our top ten. We had to send our questionnaire his way to get inside his brain and see what he's all about--aside from tremendously creative processes.

Name?
Doctor Rosen Rosen.

Hometown?
Hailey, Idaho.

I now live in:
Los Angeles (more specifically in Silverlake).

Number of states visited?
I'm going to guess 20.

My favorite place in my hometown is:
A place called "Joint Point". I used to go there during high school with my friends almost daily. During the winter we would build a huge snowboard jump and spend hours fucking around.

Most recent phone bill total?
Just looked it up. $273.46. That can't be right.

Items found in my day-to-day bag (if applicable)?
No bag for me.

FFirst album bought on your own?
Paula Abdul, Forever Your Girl.

Favorite song memorized as a child?
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince "Summertime".

When I sing in the shower, itʼs usually:
I usually just freestyle rap in hopes of annoying my wife.

The one song that must be on every mixtape is:
Ice Cube "Today Was a Good Day". That song puts everyone in a good mood.

Last book read?
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.

Favorite book ever?
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.

Getting Sassy with...Tiga

We here around THE CULTURE OF ME were once obsessed with all things relating to Sassy and Dirt magazines. And while those titles are long gone, the sentiment of how they covered the culture industries has indeed left its mark on writers and culture vultures everywhere. It is because of that influence that we are proud to present our features post, "Getting Sassy with...", wherein we bring you that much closer to your favorite bands by way of a simple Q&A session that's both painless and informative. Ha! Beat that, FOX News!

This time: Tiga.

Tiga, the Montreal-based remixer/DJ/producer who's remixed pretty much every stellar act known in this here universe of electro music since 2001, has always seemed to us to be an enigma, a person whose output exceeds (and it well should) his personality; a sort of quiet conqueror who lets his analog tracks do the talking. So when we got this questionnaire back from him, telling of his love for Berlin, Barcelona and Guns 'n' Roses, Garry Kasparov or that his life may have taken a turn towards a career as an accountant, we gasped and felt honored. So of course, we're sharing. Tiga plays the Electric Zoo Festival on September 5 at Randall's Island in New York.

Name?
Tiga.

Hometown:
Montreal.

I now live in:
Montreal.

Number of states visited?
States? As in the United ones? 29. I have been almost everywhere, notable exceptions: Korea (North and South), Israel, South Africa and Iceland.

My favorite place in my hometown is:
Schwartz's Delicatessen.

Most recent phone bill total?
Cell: 1300; Home: 98; Office: 84.

Items found in my day-to-day bag (if applicable)?
You mean pockets? Cash, house keys, poppers, car keys, scraps of paper with lists on them, receipts, wallet in back pocket with credit cards, cell phone. Condoms.

First album bought on your own?
Blondie, Parallel Lines.

Favorite song memorized as a child?
"Nobody's Diary" by Yazoo.

When I sing in the shower, it's usually:
"Unchained Melody" or Smokey Robinson or U2 or "Nothing Compares 2 U".

The one song that must be on every mixtape is:
"Ashes to Ashes" by David Bowie.

Last book read?
3 are all getting finished today: Junky by Burroughs, How Life Imitates Chess by Garry Kasparov and Altered States, History of Acid House by a guy, I can't remember his name.

Favorite book ever?
Impossible question... Waiting For The Barbarians by Coetzee? Despair by Nabokov? Fountainhead by Ayn Rand…

Favorite thing you bought this year?
M5 (car) and collection of "Michael Douglas" portraits.

After the jump, more tales with Tiga.

Getting Sassy with...Busy P

We here around THE CULTURE OF ME were once obsessed with all things relating to Sassy and Dirt magazines. And while those titles are long gone, the sentiment of how they covered the culture industries has indeed left its mark on writers and culture vultures everywhere. It is because of that influence that we are proud to present our features post, "Getting Sassy with...", wherein we bring you that much closer to your favorite bands by way of a simple Q&A session that's both painless and informative. Ha! Beat that, FOX News!

This time: Busy P.

(photo by Ysanya Perez)

We don't think there needs to be a big brouhaha about Busy P and what you should know about him as an introduction. Sure, he runs what may be one of Europe's best record labels. And yes, he has his little fingers in everything electro stemming from that side (and maybe a bit on this side) of the Atlantic, with breakneck scheduled sets and surprise appearances, etc. He's also (gasp) a really really down-to-earth person, on the level of a friend to most people he meets and has enough time to chat with. Oh yeah, and he also managed Daft Punk for twelve years. Naturally. We're super excited to have had him spare a few minutes to send a response to us for our questionnaire, where he discusses being forced to play the flute at a young age, Deee-Lite's mixtape perfection and getting into Pink Floyd at an early age, among other things, and cannot wait to see him bang shit out at the Electric Zoo Festival this coming Labor Day weekend at Randall's Island.

Name?
Pedro “Busy P” Winter.

Hometown?
Paris, France.

I now live in:
Paris, in Montmartre, the north side of our lovely city.

Number of states visited?
You mean how many times I’ve visited your country? Whouaa so many times, maybe 50?

My favorite place in my hometown is:
I'm lucky to live in the perfect town. Mixed crowd, artists and crack heads, perfect mix.

Most recent phone bill total?
Ahaha I like this question, something like $500.

Items found in my day-to-day bag (if applicable)?
I got converted into slim jeans; I can't put anything in my pockets now! Just my Crackberry in my ass I’ll say.

First album bought on your own?
Pink Floyd, The Wall, thanks to my older brother.

Favorite song memorized as a child?
"Another Brick In The Wall", sung in a French English way.

When I sing in the shower, it’s usually:
It's usually crap.

The one song that must be on every mixtape is:
Deee-Lite, "What Is Love?"

Last book read?
Something from Michel Houellebecq, a French writer.

Favorite book ever?
My art books, I prefer to watch rather than read.

Favorite thing you bought this year?
Some art for my walls. Scott Campbell, Suzannah Sinclair and more Neckface!

Instruments played (chronologically)?
Piano for a year, flute forced at school!

After the jump, more with Pedro Winter.

Getting Sassy with...Heidi

We here around THE CULTURE OF ME were once obsessed with all things relating to Sassy and Dirt magazines. And while those titles are long gone, the sentiment of how they covered the culture industries has indeed left its mark on writers and culture vultures everywhere. It is because of that influence that we are proud to present our features post, "Getting Sassy with...", wherein we bring you that much closer to your favorite bands by way of a simple Q&A session that's both painless and informative. Ha! Beat that, FOX News!

This time: Heidi.

(photo by Lars Borges Berlin)

As host of the BBC Radio 1 program "In New DJs We Trust" and co-owner of Phonica Records, Canadian-born technophile Heidi has had her eency little fingers on the pulse of everything hot coming through the airwaves in all of Europe. She's worked with M.A.N.D.Y. for years, had her fair share of rad DJ mixes and tracks and knows a thing or nine about house, techno and jack music. On the heels of her soon-to-be massive appearance at this year's Labor Day Electric Zoo Festival, we sent off our questionnaire and she tells us about Berlin, Janet Jackson's Control and getting way too many promo discs.

Name?
Heidi.

Hometown?
Windsor, Ontario Canada.

I now live in:
Berlin, Germany and London, England.

Number of states visited?
Probably around 40.

My favorite place in my hometown is:
The Coach And Horses.

Most recent phone bill total?
875 pounds. Ouch!

Items found in my day-to-day bag (if applicable)?
Phone, lip gloss, wallet, computer, iPod, keys. Your boring everyday sheisse.

First album bought on your own?
Janet Jackson, Control.

Favorite song memorized as a child?
Well I wasn't a child but I was pretty young and it was Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, "It Takes Two".

When I sing in the shower, it’s usually:
Something from the 80's.

The one song that must be on every mixtape is:
Something by Led Zeppelin.

Last book read?
David Sedaris, Me Talk Pretty One Day.

Favorite book ever?
Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

Favorite thing you bought this year?
A plane ticket for my sister to come and have a vacation with me in Mexico.

After the jump, way more with Heidi.

Getting Sassy with...Digitalism

We here around THE CULTURE OF ME were once obsessed with all things relating to Sassy and Dirt magazines. And while those titles are long gone, the sentiment of how they covered the culture industries has indeed left its mark on writers and culture vultures everywhere. It is because of that influence that we are proud to present our features post, "Getting Sassy with...", wherein we bring you that much closer to your favorite bands by way of a simple Q&A session that's both painless and informative. Ha! Beat that, FOX News!

This time: Digitalism.

(photo by Ben Pobjoy)

We're still waiting and waiting and waiting for a new LP to come around from the German dance punk duo Digitalism to follow the wildly successful Idealism that came out in 2007, and we know the boys are hard at work on this effort, so when we were given the option to interview them at all, even just for a minute, we jumped. Immediately. So, we didn't get a 100% commitment to respond to every single one of our questions that we usually throw at our favorite artists, but we did get asked to partake in this "bloggers ask" thing where a few of the Web sites that we actually read on the daily as well as us would submit three questions to the band and they'd answer them. We're still not totally happy with how much exposition the band gave to every question that wasn't ours, but it's still worth posting.

When I sing in the shower, it’s usually:
Basslines.

My favourite place to play on tour is:
On stage!

Press play on your iPod/media player and list the first three songs that come up:
Taxi Girl: “Mannequin”; Azzido Da Bass - “I Want U (Jence remix)”; a Digitalism unreleased song.

Submitted by THE CULTURE OF ME

After the jump, the rest of the "bloggers ask" questions.