It doesn’t seem like 5 minutes ago when I was setting up www.choosemymusic.org. Here we are though, one year on and getting stronger by the day.

What started out as a project to relieve the pressure and boredom of unemployment, Choose My Music set out to firstly provide random album reviews of albums chosen by my readers, at random from my huge CD collection. I then decided I had a good platform to interview some great indie label and as yet undiscovered new bands to my ever growing “fan base”.

Then in August 2011, the idea which changed it all. The State Of Music project was born – which created Choose My Music Records, a SXSW Showcase, an appearance on BBC6 Music, Q Radio and Amazing Radio as well as countless music blogs and review sites.

So to celebrate Choose My Music’s first birthday, you can download The State Of Music Vol.1 and The State Of Music Vol.2 on a pay what you like basis. If you want to pay nothing then you can. Just enjoy the music!

Grab your free downloads right here

I would like to say a huge thanks to everyone who has visited this website and given me the support to make it the success it has become.

Welcome to the start of something that should hopefully be a lot of fun.

Outside of my family and friends I have two great loves. Music and football. So I figured, with this being a European Championship year why not combine the two?

Over the past couple of months I have been scouring Europe for some of the best bands and solo artists I could find from all 16 of the participating Euro 2012 countries.

The plan is this:

1) All the bands will be grouped together exactly as they are in the official Euro 2012 first round draw.
2) During the first round YOU dear reader will be able to vote for your TWO favourite bands from each group.
3) The two bands who finish with the highest votes in each group go through to the knock-out rounds
4) The knock-out rounds are drawn exactly as they would be in Euro 2012. For example; Winner of Group A v Runner up of Group B
5) At the knock-out stage YOU can vote for your favourite and the band with the most votes will go through to the next round. This continues until we reach the final and crown a winner on Sunday 1st July

Group A will be posted here on Friday 8th June. If you would like to keep up to date with the project then don’t forget to follow us on @ChooseMyMusic on Twitter or Choose My Music Records on Facebook

Admittedly with my State Of Music project taking up so much of listening time over the past 9 months I have been missed out on a fair bit of music – but I can honestly say that to my ears this Canadian based duo have made the first true kicking ass album of 2012.

Occasionally it feels chaotic with Paul Saulnier’s post punk vocals blending so perfectly into the mix they become part of the orchestration as opposed to the main focus point. This ensures that ‘Death Dreams’ continually keeps you guessing as it progresses through its 40 minute running time, which even though a perfectly average time span for a full length album – it could still be twice as long and I would enjoy every second of it. It is not often listening to an album becomes an experience, to say PS I Love You have nailed it is a massive understatement.

Thanks to the wonderful people at Paper Bag Records and Sarah Maynard at Divison PR, I caught up with PS.I Love You last week to find out a little more about them. Before that though, have a little listen to “Don’t Go” from their new album and watch a session video of the brilliant “Sentimental Dishes”

CMM: Welcome to Choose My Music, as always in these features we should start by asking who are PS I Love You and where in the world would we find you?

PS is Paul Saulnier and Benjamin Nelson and sometimes Tim Bruton is in the live band. You’ll find us in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Sometimes Toronto.

CMM: PS I Love You has existed since 2006 starting out as a solo project – how did the two of you come together to form the group?

Benjamin is a really good drummer and I asked him to back me up. Then we started created new songs and PS I Love You became a duo permanently.

CMM: I’ve seen your music described as both dark and light as well as Pitchfork claiming you “want the apocalypse now” – how would you pitch yourselves musically?

Our music is full of equal parts joy and anguish. We celebrate life with sound at the same time we’re hiding from living. But usually one of my songs goes like this: “girls girls.. blah blah blah.. problems problems…la la la…places places woah oh oh..” Hopefully people can enjoy that.

CMM: Over the past 12 months of doing this website I have featured an ever emerging and developing Canadian music scene, including people like Gregory Pepper, Factor, Gescha and Intrstllr – did having bands like Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene breaking through on the international stage help foster the scene further or did it just make people look much harder into Canada?

There’s a lot of great bands in Canada and having bands get super popular ups exposure for everyone else I think. People are looking hard into Canada… hopefully they’re not looking for the “next” Arcade Fire or something.. that’s a bad way to look at things. Also sometimes people have the impression that all Canadian bands are from the same small town, vantorontreal, and that we’re all friends and go curling together. But really Canada is so spread out and there’s good bands everywhere who don’t even know each other. (“Each Other” is one of my favourite Canadian bands right now, http://eachotherssongs.bandcamp.com/album/taking-trips)

CMM: Like your debut full length, you are releasing your new album ‘Death Dreams’ through Paper Bag Records – who have a great reputation for releasing some brilliant music. What makes the label so special in what made you want to sign with them?

I’ve always admired the label long before signing so it was a dream come true when the opportunity came up.

CMM: Death Dreams have been receiving some amazing reviews and it looks like it is going to be a bit indie label hit when it is released in May, I guess you are pretty pleased with how it has been acknowledged so far?

Yep. We are extremely lucky to have such good reviews. And we’re very thankful for it’s good reviews that get kids out to our shows and so far that system is working for us.

CMM: Obviously you have some live dates to coincide with the album release, any UK dates currently in the pipeline? Have you played in the UK before?

We toured in the UK last spring and it was amazing. We’re totally going back, I just don’t know when yet/nothing is confirmed at this time.

CMM: And finally, where can people find you online if they want to investigate the band further?

www.twitter.com/psiloveyouband

www.facebook.com/psiloveyouband

You can buy PS I Love You’s latest album ‘Death Dreams’ from Paper Bag Records & no doubt all good online & high street music merchants.

Being a (not hugely) popular music website championing the plights of unsigned new music and indie label brilliance, quite a few emails land in my inbox asking for me to give various bands a listen. I do try and listen to them all, but I have not enjoyed one up until Gerard & The Watchmen flashed up on my computer screen one evening last week.

Usually I find with these emails I rarely get past the first 20 seconds or so (thanks to the A&R section of my Music Business course at college way back when I was a younger, thinner and more handsome chap) – but before I knew what was going on I realised I was already half way through Gerard & The Watchmen’s “I Climbed A Tree” EP – and not only that…I was enjoying it.

So in true Choose My Music fashion I quickly got Dave Gerard from the band booked in for a little interview. Have a little listen to the EP below while you have a little read

CMM: Welcome to Choose My Music, lets start with some basics – who are Gerard & The Watchmen and where are you based?

Thanks for having us! We’re a sort of expanding and contracting group of musicians from the Cambridge/London areas over in the UK. At the core we’re Dave, James and Dan who between us sing and play upright bass, guitars, banjo, lap steel and mandolins (whatever going!) and then we’re depending on the gig joined by the very talented Bella and Rachel who play harp and viola and sing.

CMM: How did the band come together and how long have you been playing together?

I met James at a folk jam session just over a year ago, really liked his playing and just asked if he’d come and play on an E.P I was working on at the time, and it just grew from there, with the others in the band joining. You could say it was musical love at first sight!

CMM: Is the band a full time thing or are there “real” jobs involved to keep it going?

Think it’s a bit of both for most of us, I record other acts and compose, Dan plays bass on a few projects and the girls study music and James is also a designer.

CMM: What are the main influences on the band? I hear some Ryan Adams and Nick Drake in there – anything else?

Good ears! It’s a very broad rage, a lot of the old 70’s English and American artists like Joni Mitchell, Neil Young John Martyn but more recently people like Laura Veirs, Sufjan Stevens and Scott Matthews have all had their effect. A bit more outside the box, more psychedelic stuff reaches into our music, from bands like Portishead, Beachboys and some of those old Beatles records.

CMM: You have recently released your new EP – I Climbed A Tree, which I have enjoyed very much, I assume it has received a positive reception all round?

Thank you! It’s had a good reception so far, it’s just a case of us trying to share it with more people now, and getting out a gigging it.

CMM: Are you doing the proper thing and getting out and touring the EP release and if so where can people catch you live?

We’re organising a few short tours as we speak, and are playing a few festivals in the UK, such as the Cambridge Folk Festival, Secret Garden Party, Rhythm Festival and a few in Europe yet to be confirmed. We’re hoping to get over to the USA in February 2013 if we can get enough support!

CMM: Any favourite venues you like to play?

I have a real obsession with theatres, there’s just something so historic and beautiful about them. Old churches always sound amazing as well, just anywhere that’s a bit unique but in honesty we’d play anywhere that people would listen to us!

CMM: I don’t often cover a lot of UK bands on this site, for various reasons – as a band who is out there doing their thing, how is the music scene out there at the moment?

First of all thank you for having us! In truth it’s a little mixed, there are some wonderful bands coming through and a great scene in places that is growing but generally speaking I don’t think there is the same appreciation for live music as there is in the North America, Europe or even Ireland.

CMM: Any other bands you have seen who you think we should be keeping an eye on?

There’s some really cool bands close to me, check out ‘The Last Dinosaur’ and for a bit more folky sounds ‘the Willows’. Also ‘the Staves’ are an incredible band, there’s just something amazing that happens when siblings sing together!

CMM: Finally, where can people get hold of your music and make contact with you?

You can buy/download the E.P here, and if you want a real copy we’ll send it anywhere.

http://davegerardandthewatchmen.bandcamp.com/album/i-climbed-a-tree

For websites try these
www.davegerardmusic.com
www.facebook.com/davegerardmusic
www.twitter.com/davegerardmusic

You can email through the website if you want to say hi!

I am fully convinced that I have completed something which has never been done before and to be honest, why would anyone want to? But finally completing my music map of America is quite frankly one of the greatest things I have ever done. I don’t often feel proud of most things I do, but this has been one amazing experience. I’ve discovered lots of great bands, made some amazing new friends, opened up a record label and held a State Of Music Showcase at SXSW….all from my home here in England.

Of course the project still continues in album form. The State Of Music Vol.3 is released on 29th June 2012, with the following two volumes due before the end of the year. The album releases so far have raised some much needed funds for Camden Calling, a UK community group who work to support homeless musicians.

Please feel free to keep in touch with me via my Twitter account or Facebook page. You can also find links to all 50 State Of Music posts right HERE

So it is time to go out with a bang, with help from Minneapolis based hip hop collective Doomtree, but more specifically this post is all about one of their members, Dessa.

When I first heard Dessa’s latest album Castor The Twin, I instantly wanted to put on for a second spin, and then when the album wasn’t playing all I could think about was when I could listen to it again. With its mixture of soulful vocals and live chamber instrumentation – it really is something that needs to be heard to be believed. It takes guts to make a hip hop album like this. Dessa should be heralded across the music world for even considering it, let alone pulling it off in spectacular fashion.

Doomtree (including Dessa) are heading to the UK in May for their first ever adventure this side of the pond. I have posted the tour dates at the bottom of this article.

So, for one last time – please welcome the final State Of Music artist. Number 50 – Dessa.

CMM: Welcome to Choose My Music. I suppose the first question is – who is Dessa and where in the world would be find you?

I’m a musician, a writer, and a member of the Doomtree collective–7 members, 10 years, 30+ albums. I live and work in Minneapolis, but tour hard, so with any luck I’m somewhere near you at least once a year. The whole Doomtree team is embarking on our first European tour in May.

CMM: How would you best describe your music?

My strength is as a lyricist. I work hard for the precision in my songs and edit like a motherfucker. My music is literary, and often a bit melancholic, but with the drive of hip hop.

CMM: You are part of the Minneapolis collective Doomtree. Could you maybe explain to the folks at home who Doomtree are and how you became involved with them.

Doomtree is a 7-member hip hop collective. Friendship first, then music, then business.
I first learned about Doomtree when a friend lent me a home-burned and hand-screened CDR. The music on it captivated me–honest, rebellious, funny, charismatic stuff. I asked where my friend where these Doomtree guys were from and, as it turned out, they were my next door neighbors.

CMM: You last album “Castor The Twin” makes really brilliant use of live instrumentation. What made you decide to go down that route as opposed to the usual “beats” method?

When I started touring the A Badly Broken Code (released in 2010), I brought out a really killer trio as a backing ensemble. Sean McPherson plays stand-up bass and leads the band; Dustin Kiel plays guitar and keyboard, sometimes at the same time; and Joey Van Phillips plays drums. These three are not only great players, but they’re really excellent musicians. Naturally, we began to rearrange the songs, writing new parts. Hip hop production does some things that live players can’t, and players do some things that production can’t, so we looked for ways to play to our strengths–and to avoid sounding cheesy, which I think is a common pitfall for live hip hop. In the end, we ended up with a sound that falls somewhere in between terms like ‘experimental hip hop’ or ‘chamber pop.’ Admittedly, I’m lousy with that sort of nomenclature. But whatever it’s called, it sounded significantly different than the recorded material. We decided to capture these new versions, and in doing so enlisted a few of our talented friends: the soprano Aby Wolf and the violist Erica Burton among them. The product, I think, is a more cinematic project that pushes the lyrics forward, and leans toward an elegant, orchestral sound.

CMM: When I listen to your music it feels like a very personal account of life. Is your writing inspired by real life events or is it your excellent abilities in creative and descriptive writing that draws me to that conclusion?

Almost everything that could be true in my lyrics is true. If I’m writing about flying around in the talons of an oversized crow, well, that I invented. But I try to capture details, and even dialogue, as faithfully as I can.

CMM: Could you perhaps give a run down of the music you have released so far?

In 2005, Doomtree released my little EP called False Hopes–that’s a name we use for a lot of our unofficial or short-run projects. My next solo project, an album called A Badly Broken Code didn’t come out until 2010, an indefensibly long interim by industry standards. In the meantime, however, I’d contributed to a dozen other discs. The most notable was probably Doomtree’s self-titled album which dropped in 2008. Then, most recently, I released Castor, The Twin in late 2011.

CMM: Like most artists involved in the hip hop scene you are no doubt involved in many other side projects, are there any that you would like to share with us?

Outside of music, my first priority is writing. I published a collection of essays called Spiral Bound, and I’m overdue for my follow-up project. It’s phenomenally challenging to write while on tour–it is for me, anyway–but I’m grinding hard to complete my next manuscript.

CMM: Where are your favourite places to play both in and out of state?

At home in Minnesota, I think my favorite venues would have to be First Avenue and a handful of theaters, the Fitzgerald and the State among them. Out of state, I really like the House of Blues in New Orleans.

CMM: What’s next in the pipeline for you?

I’m 9 songs into my next album and about halfway through my second collection of prose. And trying very hard not to freak out.

CMM: And finally, where can people reach out to you online and where can they get hold of your stuff?

People can check out music, videos, pictures, and all that stuff at www.doomtree.net/dessa.

You can catch Doomtree in the UK at the following venues (all opening for Yelawolf)

14th May 2012: Electric Ballroom, Camden, London
15th May 2012: O2 Academy 2, Bristol
16th May 2012: O2 Academy 2, Birmingham

View The State Of Music in a larger map

I am not sure how I found The Rubbish Zoo hiding out in LA, but I am sure glad I did. Not only because I really needed to complete this project, but also because they are brilliant. Similar vocal melodies to recent Choose My Music feature Mad Gregs but with a slightly louder edge.

Even more perfect was that they released their new EP just ten days ago.

CMM: Welcome to Choose My Music. I suppose the first question is – who are The Rubbish Zoo and where in the world would we find you?

The Rubbish Zoo is five piece indie rock band originally from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and currently living in Los Angeles.

CMM: How long has the band been in existence and how did it all start

We have been playing together for about a year and a half. Growing up in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Ian and Adam, who are brothers, were playing in bands together, while Jerrick, Jordan, and Jason played in a separate band. Throughout high school and college our groups rivaled each other in Battle of the Bands competitions and opened for each other on numerous occasions. Before moving to LA in August of 2011, Ian played drums for a stint with Jerrick, Jordan, and Jason’s band. During this time, a plan manifested to form a “super-group” once we moved to California. Adam was living in Idaho at the time, and the rest of the boys convinced him to move out to join the band without having ever played together before. And over a year later, here we are.

CMM: How best would you describe your music?

We write intelligent, technically proficient, indie pop songs.

CMM:You are know living out in California after rerouting from Wyoming. I imagine the scene from your home state wasn’t very conducive to what you hoped to achieve? How is the local music scene in Wyoming?

You would definitely be correct in assuming that. The scene in Wyoming is a close-knit group. You have the opportunity to play do-it-yourself shows to your friends on the weekends. The bands in the scene tend to lean toward hardcore and metal, though you can find a wide genre of bands playing on shows together. There have been some truly passionate people that have helped grow the scene to what it is and give locals a chance to showcase their creativity, which we are glad to have taken part in.

CMM: One thing I am hoping to find in this series is some kind of link between where a band is based and their music. Do you feel as an artist you are influenced by your surroundings and the scene around you?

Most definitely. Coming from a small town, everyone in the town more or less knows your band if you’re making solid music and the access to their immediate feedback informs what you’re doing and how you can improve. The small town environment shapes concrete goals to aspire toward, like playing in big cities and gaining a following there.

Now living in a city that is a launching points for national music acts, it seems everyone here is in a band or knows someone that is. Everyone here is pursuing a creative interest and this has really brought focus to what we are doing. If we aren’t on top of our game, there is someone else that is. We can definitely see the melting pot of culture out here informing our endeavors as we progress.

CMM: What other influences do you have, musical or otherwise?

Pretty simply we draw our influences from music- classic rock to new indie bands, books and television. Creativity inspires more of the same.

CMM: Could you perhaps give a run down of the music you have released so far?

We released our first four song EP, “A Great Detective Race”, in January 2011, followed by a single called “The Hidden Harbor” in March 2011. We are releasing a new EP on Friday, April 13th called “The Rubbish Zoo” EP.

CMM: Are you able to get out an play live much?. Where are your favourite places to play both in and out of state?

Our live show is as equally important to us as writing music. We aim to play as tight and exuberant of a set as possible.

In Wyoming some of our most memorable shows we played were at the University of Wyoming in Laramie and multiple times at a VFW Hall in Casper. In Cheyenne we fondly remember playing at The Atlas Theater, a historic playhouse built in 1887 that is supposedly haunted, and The Meeting House, an old research facility on the outskirts of town.

We’ve been fortunate to play quite a few shows out in California so far and hope to keep it up. Some of the places we’ve played and enjoyed include: The Mint in Los Angeles , Detroit Bar in Orange County and at the Queen Mary as part of a Halloween event.

CMM: What’s next in the pipeline for you?

Our brand new EP, “The Rubbish Zoo EP” is coming out this month and we plan to support this by sharing it with as many people as possible and playing as many live shows in the area as time permits. We are want to branch out creatively and film a music video and hopefully collaborate with some interested parties in other new endeavors.

CMM: And finally, where can people reach out to you online and where can they get hold of your stuff?

We can be found on most all social networking sites online. Our Facebook page (http:www.facebook.com/therubbishzoo) is one of the easiest places to drop us a line. Our current releases are available for download on our Bandcamp page (therubbishzoo.bandcamp.com) and on iTunes. Our Bandcamp page also offers other band related items like physical CDs and apparel.

View The State Of Music in a larger map

New Mexico was perhaps the most difficult, I guess that is the problem when a significant proportion of the state is desert . I even asked a band I am acquainted with, who regularly tour the entire United States, if they could suggest a band they have come across in New Mexico while out doing their thing. Their response was a simple “I don’t think there are any”

Imagine then, my joy at finding Faith In Foxholes one evening. Then imagine my anticipation waiting for a reply. During this process to find 50 bands, I have perhaps contacted well over 70, some bands have even agreed to take part and then vanish into thin air at the crucial moment. Lucky for me then that Lucas Floyd, the man behind Faith In Foxholes replied and completed his questions within about a week.

So here we are. Part 48 of 50. Just two more to go before it is all over.

CMM: Welcome to Choose My Music. I suppose the first question is – who are Faith In Foxholes and where in the world would we find you?

I am Lucas Floyd; I play, write, and record every Faith in Foxholes song here in my hometown Albuquerque, New Mexico.

CMM: How long has the band been in existence and how did it all start?

Faith in Foxholes started as my side project about six years ago when I was in a local rock band. It has since taken over my attention and become my main musical outlet.

CMM: How best would you describe your music?

Melancholy Jack Johnson… with accordion… sometimes.

CMM:.New Mexico has been a very hard slog to find a band, indeed even Hawaii and Alaska were found before NM. What is going on with the music scene down there right now?

Music is tricky here in NM. I’m impressed you found me, I don’t do a very good job of marketing myself. The main “scene” that thrives here seems to be metal so if you’re some other style it can be a hard sell.

CMM: One thing I am hoping to find in this series is some kind of link between where a band is based and their music. Do you feel as an artist you are influenced by your surroundings and the scene around you?

I love New Mexico. We have great weather, wonderful camping/climbing/hiking, wonderful people, and gorgeous sunsets every single night. That being said I don’t really have any connection to NM in my music. I don’t know why, I’ve never really thought about it. Sorry to be counterproductive to your link.

CMM: What other influences do you have, musical or otherwise?

I love historical love stories, especially tragic ones. I like to write about those kinds of stories. I frequently fabricate love stories in history. My song “Charlotte Calls Me Home” is about Hernan Cortes and a woman I made up for him: Charlotte. Grim I know. I also fabricated a love song about “Pretty-Boy Floyd” the bank robber in my song “I’m Related to a Bank Robber.” I also love the grotesque and creepy. “Vlad Dracul and the Devil” is the retelling of a folk tale about how Dracula came into existence.

CMM: Could you perhaps give a run down of the music you have released so far?

To date I have released two full length albums. “Home & Things Just Like It” in 2009 and “Dear Baby” in 2011. Alongside these albums there have been a handful of music videos which are all on my Youtube and Facebook.

CMM: Are you able to get out and play live much?. Where are your favorite places to play both in and out of state?

I don’t actually play live much. Since I played all the parts on the album I have to get my friends together and teach them the songs. My friends are incredibly talented and we have had a great time playing a few shows but for the most part our schedules are so complex that I usually wind up playing small acoustic shows around town with my friend Dave. Life. I don’t really have a favorite place to play. Really anywhere quiet with comfortable chairs.

CMM: What’s next in the pipeline for you?

I’m trying to finish up a music video for my song “Dear Baby” and I’m trying to put some shows together. I’m not actively putting another album together yet but I’m still writing so we’ll see what happens there. Also my song “The Downside of Paris” was just nominated for best song in the 2012 NM Mic Awards, so fingers crossed.

CMM: And finally, where can people reach out to you online and where can they get hold of your stuff?

I am on Facebook at facebook.com/faithinfoxholes. I also have a few music videos at youtube.com/faithinfoxholes. There’s some music streaming at soundcloud.com/faithinfoxholes and both of my albums are available for download at faithinfoxholes.bandcamp.com. My first album is free. That’s right… free.

View The State Of Music in a larger map

Hawaii was always going to be a tricky state to cover, detached from the mainland by some 2000 miles its music scene is naturally very insular. Of course I found the usual Ukulele music, but in my eyes no one plays the Uke as wonderfully as Elsa Rae. I also found a lot of hip hop, reggae, a little bit of indie and of course my Hawaii representative Welwing.

The first and only instrumental entry into the State Of Music project, Welwing is a one man show headed by Matthew McVickar, a mainland exile doing his thing in the Pacific Ocean.

CMM: Welcome to Choose My Music. I suppose the first question is – who are Welwing and where in the world would we find you?

My name is Matthew McVickar and Welwing is my moniker for my solo electronic music. I am from Massachusetts, but currently live in Manoa on Oahu, Hawaii. I’ve been here for five years; I moved after finishing college to start a web development company, and I am currently a freelance web developer working on and playing music at night.

CMM: How long have you been performing as Wellwing and how did it all start?

I’ve been performing for about two years. It started as an offshoot of the band I play in, Clones of the Queen (http://clonesofthequeen.com). I had never made music before joining the band about two and a half years ago, but after I joined I started working on it a lot and eventually began creating tracks to play solo.

CMM: How best would you describe your music?

Electronic music with an emphasis on layering, intricate rhythms, and homespun sounds. It’s bright and danceable but with nontraditional structures.

CMM: As expected Hawaii was a very difficult find for this project, how is the music scene out there right now?

Hawaii’s music scene is very small, but it’s quite lively. The rock scene in particular is thriving and exciting, and there are a lot of hip-hop crews as well. The electronic music scene has yet to really coalesce, but I hope it takes shape over the next year. Among musicians and fans and friends, the sense of community is very strong, so it’s a great thing to be a part of.

CMM: One thing I am hoping to find in this series is some kind of link between where a band is based and their music. Do you feel as an artist you are influenced by your surroundings and the scene around you?

I am certainly influenced by the beautiful climate here–I love nature and live in a valley next to a park, so the birds and the rain and mountains all factor into my work. Other local bands, too, are incredibly inspiring and I try to learn from them as much as I can.

CMM: What other influences do you have, musical or otherwise?

My musical pantheon is: Four Tet, Caribou, Animal Collective, The Books, and Prefuse 73. They are my favorite artists of all time and the ones who have had and continue to have the most influence over my music.

I also read a ton of music writing and listen to a lot of different music. I try to learn something from all of it, whether musical or extra-musical. I like to make maps of my favorite songs and dissect them to find out how they work, and apply the same principles to my music.

CMM: Could you perhaps give a run down of the music you have released so far?

August 2011: ‘Live Start’ EP, a 15-minute collection of remixes and original material. (http://welwing.bandcamp.com)

January 2012: Beats for Beatroot Qualifier, seven beats created for a local producer battle that I won. (http://soundcloud.com/welwing/sets/beats-for-beatroot-qualifier)

April 2012: Beats for Beatroot Championships, four beats created for the producer battle championships. (http://soundcloud.com/welwing/sets/beats-for-beatroot-championships)

CMM: Are you able to get out an play live much?. Where are your favourite places to play both in and out of state?

Yes, I play about once a month or so. There are a lot of clubs in downtown Honolulu that have regular events and opportunities to play. My band COTQ plays even more frequently, almost once a week. Neither I nor the band has ever played outside Hawaii–it’s very expensive and difficult to get off-island and set up shows!

My favorite venues here are Mercury Bar, thirtyninehotel, and Manifest. And Hawaii Theater!

CMM: What’s next in the pipeline for you?

I’m going to keep working on music with my band (we’re putting out an LP in a few months) and work on my own music as well with the hopes of putting together a beat tape at the end of the year with my best stuff.

I also just applied to the Red Bull Music Academy to be held in NYC this fall, so I hope to get accepted!

CMM: And finally, where can people reach out to you online and where can they get hold of your stuff?

SoundCloud has one-off tracks and other collections, and Bandcamp has the ‘official’ stuff.

http://soundcloud.com/welwing
http://welwing.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/welwing
http://twitter.com/welwing and http://twitter.com/matthewmcvickar

View The State Of Music in a larger map

So who are Snake! Snakes! Snakes! and how did they get here? Answers to all of this and more below.

CMM: Welcome to Choose My Music. I suppose the first question is – who are Snake! Snake! Snakes! and where in the world would we find you?

Snake! Snake! Snakes! is a indie-rock group from Phoenix, Arizona. David Cooper-Drums, Jon Messenger-Guitar/Vocals, Georgie Rodriguez-Keyboards/hot pants, and Chris Sanchez-Bass. You could find our music, photos, info, and videos on snakesnakesnakes.com & snakes.jux.com.

CMM: How long has S!S!S! been in existence and how did it all start

We’ve been a band since 2005. It started as a four piece with bass, guitar, drums, and cello. We later found Georgie playing a keyboard at a party. He had a little monkey with him that collected change from people. After the monkey rejected the offer to be in the band, we asked Georgie and he said, “ok.” Our drummer got the gout and quit the band. We got a second guitar player. We tried out about five drummers before David weaseled his way in the band. Then our second guitar player quit and it’s been us four dudes since.

CMM: How best would you describe your music?

A good way to describe our music… I don’t know… It’s indie rock, pretty much. Loud music. Dramatic? Gay friendly.

CMM:. I am assuming there is a very diverse scene in Arizona. What are the genres of choice out there and what other bands should we be keeping an eye on?

Yeah, Arizona has a pretty diverse music scene. The more popular music out here in my opinion would probably would have to be punk and metal. Tempe has a lot of really great indie bands coming up. A couple of my personal favorite bands right now Future Loves Past, Gospel Claws, Underground Cities, Coats & Villa (rip). Theres really A LOT of good bands coming out right now. I could really go on when I think about it. DECKER! Those cats get down too. Doctor Bones. Theres a lot….

CMM: One thing I am hoping to find in this series is some kind of link between where a band is based and their music. Do you feel as an artist you are influenced by your surroundings and the scene around you?

I think our music is definitely influenced by our surroundings in Arizona. We LOVE taking band trips up north for the snow, hanging out at the lakes in the summer, or having fires in the desert when it’s cold at night. Arizona has a lot of beauty that a lot of people don’t realize. I think it definitely shines through in our music.

CMM: What other influences do you have, musical or otherwise?

We all have different influences and they definitely range, from nature walks in the forest with the moonlight guiding you -to- watching James Brown pour out his heart and soul on stage and it makes you cry. Theres a ton of things that make us want to write music!

CMM: Could you perhaps give a run down of the music you have released so far?

We really haven’t released a lot of our music. Back in 2008 we recorded two songs at the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences and released it on our Myspace and free cd’s. A year later we recorded two songs at Sky Bison studios and released them the same way. In 2010 we recorded at Flying Blanket studios and released our self-titled E.P. Just recently we released two more songs that you can buy on Itunes.

CMM: Are you able to get out an play live much?. Where are your favourite places to play both in and out of state?

We do play live shows on a regular basis. There are some really good places to play out here. Every club/bar has their own qualities. Crescent Ballroom (great sound, really nice venue), Yucca Tap Room (ALWAYS a party there), Rogue Bar (BEST staff, trashcans, always a good time).

CMM: What’s next in the pipeline for you?

Next on the list for Snakes, is ALBUM. We have a bunch of songs already written and the newer ones are even better. We’re planning on getting in the studio in June or July. We’ll keep you posted!

And finally, where can people reach out to you online?

People can reach us at snakesnakesnakes@hotmail.com, and check out tracks on our website at:

http://snakesnakesnakes.com

We also have our tracks on itunes as well:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/snake!-snake!-snakes!/id379178993

View The State Of Music in a larger map

For those of you new to the site, Camden Calling is an organisation I help to raise money for through my State Of Music project. Without going into specifics they are a small community group who support homeless musicians, artists and other creatives. You can read previous articles I have written about them here and here.

The opportunity to spend some fleeting moments with Camden Calling was too good of an opportunity to miss, especially when there were still so many of their artists I had yet to meet. I was perhaps way more excited to chat to Dekay & The D’Mans, Ben Is A Dark Horse and Rukas than they were with me, although their kindness and appreciation for the money that has been raised was evident in our discussions, which was more than enough to warm my wet feet following a day traipsing round London during numerous storms and downpours.

The reason for the event was to showcase the Camden Calling – Locked In Transit project which has been funded through The National Lottery. The idea of the project was to enable Camden Calling members to record music videos around the theme modern life and how it is affecting us all. The event premiered the 4 videos, which you can now watch below.

Those of you who have bought a State Of Music album so far, give yourselves a big pat on the back and feel all nice and fuzzy about yourself as you helped to make this happen. If you haven’t got yourself a State Of Music album yet then why not pick one up from www.stateofmusicalbum.com or on Itunes