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Gothamist Band Interview: Apes and Androids
By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 23, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 23, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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We first heard of Apes and Androids when we saw the video for their song "Radio". The tune was catchy and we felt the same sort of dance in our pants feeling we felt when we first saw Ghostland Observatory. We then made them our Band of the Week, so clearly their mechanical rockbot had climbed into our subconscious. Tonight they play at Sin-e, and we hear it's going to be insane. Good insane. Robotic rock opera-tastic.
Check it out, they go on at 11pm at the Friction show at Sin-e. In the meantime, you can watch their video for "Radio" here.
Let's get this out of the way, where did your band name originate?
Well first there were the dinosaurs, but they got too fat and turned into oil. And then the Arabs came and they all drove Mercedes Benzes! But also, an ape is the embodiment of "ideal" male sexuality and an android, female sexuality. Everything's about sex, right?! it also spoke to us because when we're writing our music, we're equally obsessed with really detached electronic motifs and animalistic, BEASTLY ones!
What is your first conscious memory of living in New York?
Diving head first out of my mother's vagina!
What is your favorite place to drink in NYC, and what's the best night to go out?
The men's room. And the best night to go out is Thriller Night!
Now its time for some fill-in-the-blank action
“You know you’ve made it when…”
You get interviewed for the Gothamist!!!!!!!
“It’ll be time to pack up the gear for good when…”
Ever-ree-thing is gonna be alright. Rockabye. Rockabye.
“I’ll never forget the first time I…”
Fucked. (Duh).
“I’ll never forget the first time David…”
performed a concert with Brian and Will and Eric and Morgan. It was called Apes & Androids. That was a funny movie.
Let's have some fun with word association. Give me your immediate feelings on the following (if you’ve got no discernable feelings, make something up that won’t embarrass you in the morning)
Yankees
Wankees!
Mets
Pets (the uncomfortable kind in my bathing suit area)
CBGBs
CDeez nutz!
Britney
Shitney
Pitchfork
OhMyRockness!!!
Blogs
bsites. It's how young people refer to websites.
Gentrification
Low rents!
A few quickies on the music tip
What was the most played song on your iPod (or an equivalent music playing device) in the past week?
"Fat" by Michael Jackson
Who would be in your ultimate music supergroup, your all-star Olympic team of rock?
Esteban, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Buckethead, plus that guy who sings Born in the USA for the singer.
If you released a 7” what would you put on the cover?
I would at least attempt to flush it. And I guess if that didn't work I would cover it with toilet paper.
What was the first/last album you bought on the day it was released?
Die Romantik!
If Josh Schwartz, creator of the OC, asked your band to perform on his tv show (as Modest Mouse, the Killers Tom Vek and the Walkmen have) would you?
ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!? TELL HIM YES!!!
And finally...What came first, the music or the misery?
Misery hit the big screen in 1990 I think. The Music's first EP wasn't released until 2001.
Tagged
band
band interview
Band of the Week
dance
Ghostland Observatory
Music
new york
night
nyc
radio
sex
Tonight
vagina
video
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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