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Ben Blackwell of The Dirtbombs
interviewed via email - q's by John Rogers John Rogers: The Dirtbombs record basic, instinctive, bass and rhythm led rock 'n' soul music. Your first record was a fuzzy, noisy rock opus, your second, "Ultraglide In Black", was a covers album composed of rock n roll interpretations of old soul songs... what can we expect from the third? Ben Blackwell: the next album, titled "Dangerous Magical Noise" is different from the other two. some say it sounds kinda glam, but i'm not so sure. there's one song that sounds like the buzzcocks, another that sounds like the miracles, and another that sounds like a certain ratio. it's really all over the place. it's just the way mick's brain works. JR: I'm curious as to what you guys listen to. Is it all scratchy old punk and blues vinyl, or are you down with the electrocla$h kids, or are you all different in your tastes, and if so, do you argue? I'm constantly getting into rucks with even close friends about what is good and what isn't. BB: everyone in the band has entirely different tastes in music. there's a few things (COCO, adult.) that everyone can agree on in the van. i myself am into that whole "Back from the Grave" obscuro sixties garage 45's. pat's really into old soul, jazz, and dance punk stuff, and so is mick for the most part, and as i sit typing this, it's fair to say we're all into ALL of that stuff. jim is really into 50's and early 60's pop music, AM radio classics. it's all an eclectic melting pot. JR: This is the second time we've tried this interview. You said the questions in the first one were lame because I asked you about "the Detroit scene" and The White Stripes. Thing is, that's what everyone who doesn't actually live in Detroit is curious about. Why don't you wanna talk about it? BB: i guess i don't want to talk about the detroit scene and the white stripes is because that's what i'm always talking about in interviews. it just gets monotonous. it gets to the point where i sometimes wanna tell interviewers "you wanna know about the white stripes? talk to them". as for the whole detroit thing, i just feel that the more anyone talks about this "scene" is the more it gets blown out of proportion. there's a handful of bands, most of them friends, who all make music, come from the same town, and generally hang out in the same cliques. i think it was best referenced as "Detroit High", someone saying that it's just like high school because everyone is up in everyone else's business. JR: You don't drink. Rock 'n' roll music has a historic link to getting absolutely f*cked on every kind of drug you can get your hands on... BB: i like being in control of myself. whenever someone uses being drunk as an excuse, it sounds like such bullsh*t. plus, there needs to be the sane person to take care of business every once in awhile. people are always amazed when i can remember the dates or setlists of shows from five years ago. i say "yeah, that's what happens when you don't drink". i guess it's the historian-side of myself coming out. JR: "Guitar music has gone so far down the line now that true originality is impossible" versus "there is always room for new interpretations and styles". After "Ultraglide", I would expect a Dirtbomb to take the second position? BB: i think guitar music will always be evolving. music is cyclical. i like to think that while what the dirtbombs are doing now might not be enormously important, that maybe it'll inspire some kid in his bedroom to do something that'll turn the world upside down. it's the continual stream of music, that we're all building this big pyramid that's a collection of all the music in history. we're just happy to have our little brick in there somewhere. JR: The music industry has an aim to get bands known worldwide to rake in the ca$h. Therefore the music press could be seen as e$$ential. There might be a million people who would love your stuff, but if they don't know about, they ain't even going to hear it, never mind buy it. So is the music press important? Or is it simply that the aim stated above isn't shared by a lot of bands, who just want to play? BB: i think exposure is key for a lot of bands. i mean, it's almost 2 1/2 years since we released "Ultraglide" and i still get emails from people saying they just heard about the band and bought the album. with this new album, we'll definitely be more visible than before. we've got a publicist now who's job is to get us in the magazines, so i think that can definitely help us out. but every publicist in the world will tell you that articles don't sell records. i think that it either works or it doesn't. hopefully for us, most people who hear the band seem to dig it, and so maybe more people will take a chance in buying this new record. JR: It looks like you, Mr. Benjamin Jesse Blackwell, have found yourself in a position in which you can express any thoughts you might wish to share with the BBC website reading world. Go ahead. What's on your mind? BB: my mind's pretty vacant right now. check out my record label, http://www.cassrecords.com... JR: OK. You have a new record. You are touring. If you wish to adverti$e, now is the time. BB: "Dangerous Magical Noise" will be out mid-October. we'll be touring extensively after that. keep your eyes at www.thedirtbombs.net for all the info. http://www.thedirtbombs.net... http://www.cassrecords.com... http://www.brainlove.cjb.net...
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