- This topic has 42 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 1 month ago by
.
-
Posts
-
http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/206258
As far from arrogant as a guitar hero can be
Built to Spill’s Doug Martsch might be the most modest rock star on the planetBy JON FERGUSON, Staff
Intelligencer JournalIt may take a few years, but Doug Martsch usually comes to the realization that his band, Built to Spill, makes good albums.
He’s currently in the middle of that process regarding the Boise, Idaho, band’s most recent release, "You in Reverse."
Martsch said he’s "pretty happy" with it, but still has a tendency to obsess over what he perceives as the album’s flaws.
It doesn’t matter that most critics and fans went absolutely gaga over "You in Reverse" when it was released last year; Martsch concentrates on the imperfections.
"You see all the places where you kind of fell short of what you were trying to do," Martsch said during a telephone interview from his home in Boise. "You assume other people are going to feel the same way when they hear it. They’re going to be, like, ‘That’s a good song but it’s kind of half-assed. There’s some pretty flat notes in that one.’ That kind of thing."
Martsch just might be the most self-effacing rock star on the planet. Of course, he would never describe himself as a rock star. He shrinks from labels like "godfather of indie rock" and "guitar hero," tags that often are pinned on him.
Martsch, modest to a fault, doesn’t buy it.
"My strengths definitely lie in ideas — not being able to play my guitar great or have a really nice voice," he said.
"This is as far from modesty as I could possibly be: I’m not that good a guitar player. I think people think that I am because if you play a bunch of guitar solos and long jams, people assume you’re good at it."
Fans will be able to judge for themselves when Built to Spill comes to downtown Lancaster Tuesday night for a show at the Chameleon Club.
It still might be hard to tell just how good a guitar player Martsch is — and despite his protestations to the contrary, he is very good — because Built to Spill currently is touring as a quintet, with a three-guitar attack.
The permanent members of Built to Spill are Martsch, who also handles lead vocals and writes the band’s songs, guitarist Brett Netson, drummer Scott Plouf and bassist Brett Nelson. Joining them for the tour is guitarist Jim Roth.
"We don’t argue about who gets to play solos or any stuff like that," Martsch said. "It’s all about what we have to do to make this work."
If past history is to be trusted, Martsch and his band mates will make it work.
Since its founding in 1992, Built to Spill has been one of the country’s most consistently interesting, imaginative and accomplished indie rock bands.
It has been on a major roll since 1994, when it released "There’s Nothing Wrong with Love" on Up Records. The band was then signed by Warner Bros. and reeled off "Perfect from Now On" (1997), "Keep It Like a Secret" (1999), "Live" (2000), "Ancient Melodies of the Future" (2001) and "You in Reverse."
There’s not a dud in the bunch and the best of the lot just might be the newest one, arguably the most well-rounded album the band has made.
Martsch said he should be blamed for the five-year gap between "Ancient Melodies" and "You in Reverse."
"I was really burned out on us and what we sounded like and just kind of alternative rock in general," Martsch said. "I’d become obsessed with country blues, and all of a sudden, my musical paradigm had a huge shift.
"Growing up, I was really against musical conventions. To me, if somebody had a beautiful voice or was really talented on the guitar, I kind of didn’t want anything to do with it. I was more interested in people who were making the most of what little they had. It was more about ideas."
Martsch’s interest in country blues moved him to take an interest in virtuoso blues guitarists. He spent months learning how to play a guitar with open tuning and a slide. However, he didn’t want to learn blues songs — so he started writing musical pieces that would allow him to practice. He became an accomplished slide player and turned the pieces into songs, which he recorded at his home.
Those songs eventually turned into Martsch’s first solo album, "Now You Know," which was released in 2002. He also mounted a solo tour, but didn’t play any slide guitar and he didn’t play the songs from his solo album. Instead, he played covers and quiet Built to Spill songs. "It was super fun, but I don’t know how good it was," he said.
Martsch decided to put Built to Spill back on the road after the solo tour and gradually began collecting songs for "You in Reverse," which was recorded in 2005.
Despite his somewhat dour assessment of his talents, Martsch said he really does enjoy being a rock musician.
"I’m not that self-critical," he said. "I’m doing this. I go out in public and do it all the time. I definitely believe in what I do to some degree. That’s the nature of being an artist. You have to be super-critical of yourself if you ever want to do anything with it, if you ever want to please yourself.
"Over time, I come back to liking what I’ve done. I’ve been playing these songs for years and years and years, and I plan to keep on doing it. I also love what I do, and I know I’m good at what I do."
For Martsch, that qualifies as bragging.
Built To Spill Tour Dates:
06/30 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue Minneapolis
07/01 – Milwaukee, WI – Milwaukee Summerfest
07/02 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
07/03 – Lancaster, PA – Chameleon
07/05 – Boston, MA – Avalon Ballroom
07/06 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
07/07 – Brooklyn, NY – McCarren Park Pool
07/08 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
07/10 – Toronto, Ontario – Lee’s Palace
07/12 – Montreal, Quebec – Le National
07/13 – Ottawa, Ontario – Ottawa Blues Festival
07/14 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
07/16 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrew’s Hall
07/17 – Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre
07/18 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown
07/20 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
07/21 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
09/07 – Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
09/08 – Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
09/10 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues
09/11 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre
09/12 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
09/13 – Los Angeles, CA – Henry Fonda Theatre
09/14 – Los Angeles, CA – Henry Fonda Theatre
09/16 – San Francisco, CA – Treasure Island
09/18 – Arcata, CA – Kate Buchanan Hall
09/19 – Eugene, OR – WOW Hall
09/20 – Portland, OR – The Crystal Ballroom
09/21 – Portland, OR – The Crystal Ballroom
09/22 – Spokane, WA – The Big Easy Concert Hall
09/23 – Bozeman, MT – Gallatin Co. Fairgrounds
09/25 – Fargo, ND – House of Rock @ Playmaker’s
10/04 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox
10/05 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox
10/06 – Seattle, WA – The ShowboxHope to see Doug and the boys one of these days, but it won’t be this year…
"SG " wrote:Cool to hear he`s into country blues
not many folks I meet know much beyond Robert Johnson about itSG used the word "Beyond"…………you know I love it!
Correction: Built to Spill Not Controlled by Demon
But they are putting out a new singleIt has come to our attention that, contrary to false information reported by Pitchfork on Wednesday afternoon, Built to Spill do not actually "take orders from a tiny, omnipotent demonic being" named Gurguroth.
While this psychic monstrosity is renowned throughout the music industry for allegedly controlling the careers of such other bands as the Goo Goo Dolls, Blake Shelton, and Lil Scrappy, we have been assured by Warner label spokespersons that Gurguroth does not, in fact, have any hand whatsoever in determining Built to Spill’s touring or release schedules, nor does he reside within the billowy depths of Doug Martsch’s beard, where he could theoretically sustain himself on small crumbs and various soup particles.
Pitchfork regrets the error.
In related news, Built to Spill will release a new single on Warner Bros. Records on July 10: new song "They Got Away" backed by a cover of the Gladiators’ "Re-Arrange". Yes, the reggae Gladiators. In fact, both songs are reggae songs. But, according to a press release, Doug Martsch says, "I want to make sure that people don’t think we are becoming a reggae band. We play reggae because we love to play it."The single will be available as a 12" and digital download, and will be in stores, online, and for sale at the band’s many, many shows from July 10 onward.
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_6407859″>http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_6407859
Through misfortune, the music prevails
By John Wenzel
Denver Post Staff WriterWhen a band has been around as long as Built to Spill, nothing delivers a stronger reality check than a poke in the eye- sometimes a literal one.
The influential Northwestern indie-rock band, formed in 1993 by gentle, Neil Young-worshiping guitar hero Doug Martsch, has endured its share of misfortune, including the death of former band member Andy Capps last spring, weeks before the release of its new album "You in Reverse."
Then a detached retina, suffered during a game of basketball, rocked Martsch to the core.
"I could have easily gone totally blind," Martsch said recently from his home in Idaho. "When it first happened, my vision was horrible and I was super depressed."
The emergency surgery and recovery forced BTS to cancel its 2006 South by Southwest appearance. And though Martsch will never fully recover, he’s gotten used to the scar tissue on his retina, which sometimes causes double vision, limits his peripheral sight and makes reading difficult. "The doctor told me the brain adapts and makes adjustments, and just him saying that was a big leap for me," Martsch said. "I was able to deal with it a lot better."
The events leading up to the release of the long-awaited "You in Reverse" could have easily derailed BTS’s touring schedule, but fortunately the music prevailed. The group plays the Ogden Theatre on Friday night with the Boggs.
A lot was riding on "You in Reverse," the band’s first disc in five years. Martsch had burned himself out on music in general after 2001’s "Ancient Melodies of the Future."
"I felt like I didn’t really have much to offer," Martsch said. "I had to get my equilibrium back to be able to appreciate what I was doing."
Time, playing with friends outside of BTS, and a solo album and tour helped him center his priorities. Martsch professes to being more comfortable with himself these days – a good thing since his band’s famously busy road schedule cuts a wide swath across North America through October.
You would never suspect Martsch’s self-doubt from the audience, his jam-leaning solos and lockstep chord changes alternating with hurricane force. Dinosaur Jr.’s J. Mascis, a guitarist Martsch cites as a major influence, would be proud.
Credit Built to Spill’s lineup with its performance prowess of late. Bassist Brett Nelson, drummer Scott Plouf and guitarists Jim Roth and Brett Netson (of Caustic Resin) help Martsch balance his melancholy melodies and explosive chops, which have influenced everyone from Modest Mouse to Death Cab for Cutie.
"Each tour, we try to bring out a few songs we haven’t played before, and we do a certain amount of jamming on stage," Martsch said. "We haven’t had any major burnout so far."
Earlier this month the band released a two-song single ("They Got Away," backed with the Gladiators’ cover "Re-Arrange") and has been recording material for a new album, although Martsch doesn’t think it will see light any time soon.
Warner Bros. recently reissued BTS’s 1997 opus "Perfect From Now On," 1999’s "Keep It Like A Secret" and last year’s "You in Reverse" on vinyl, a rare move by a major label that thrilled record-collecting fans. Each was limited to 2,000 copies, remastered from the original tapes and repackaged in deluxe gatefold.
"I mentioned it to (Warner Bros.) because I wanted it to happen, and they really took off and ran with it," Martsch said. "I was really psyched."
In fact, Warner Bros. had wanted to re-release every BTS album as a vinyl boxed set to celebrate 10 years on the label, but Martsch said some of the band’s past labels were flaky (Up Records) or uncooperative (C/Z Records).
But nice as the reissues are, they’re just dressing atop the band’s core.
"I definitely feel we’re a better live band than anything," Martsch said. "We’re not in a hurry to do anything but play."
"SG " wrote:Cool to hear he`s into country blues not many folks I meet know much beyond Robert Johnson about it"Now You Know" (2002) is a decent solo effort by Doug, SG. Worth a listen, if you haven’t heard it!
Yeah, Now You Know is a solid album. Everything Doug has done has been pretty good or great. Plus, he’s probably the nicest guy in the world too.
"built_to_spill " wrote:"Now You Know" (2002) is a decent solo effort by Doug, SG. Worth a listen, if you haven’t heard it!Yeah,I missed out on checking out that one.Will get to it someday
Awhile back I played the song The Weather from Ancient Melodies for my mom.She was amazed by how much Doug sounds like Neil Young on that song.Neil`s voice is pretty unique and she did`nt think anyone else would sound like him.By the way,drummer Scott Plouf used to play with The Spinanes.Alot different stuff than BTS but worth hearing.It was fronted by Rebecca Gates,not big on guitar skills but her songwriting and understated voice was a beauty plus Scott`s pounding drum style sounded great with her.They did 3 albums,the first 2 are highly recommended:Manos and Strand.A couple of vids here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhMj_Wye6Bc IhMj_Wye6Bc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIodcvaclvg hIodcvaclvg
"Tom " wrote:Yeah, Now You Know is a solid album. Everything Doug has done has been pretty good or great. Plus, he’s probably the nicest guy in the world too.Yeah, the first track on it is really nice.
http://www.livedaily.com/news/12782.html”>http://www.livedaily.com/news/12782.html
Built to Spill balances albums, shows
By Christina FuocoSome bands can’t wait to hit the road to promote a new record–the shows are fresh, the songs are brand spanking new and the good vibes are renewed.
Not indie-rock heroes Built to Spill.
"We are never that attached to an album," Built to Spill frontman Doug Martsch said in an interview with LiveDaily. "In fact, when we finish an album, we usually are kind of burned out and don’t want to play any of the songs. But on this tour, we do a few songs off the new record [2006’s ‘You in Reverse’]. We do a pretty good balance of all the records.
"When we record, we listen to the songs a bunch. We just get burned out on even hearing them at all. When we finished [1997’s] ‘Perfect From Now On,’ we didn’t … play one song off that record on tours for three to four years because that was one on which we were especially burned out. There’s probably some magic there still, but you’re completely immune to it."
It’s coming around to that time again for Built to Spill. Martsch said he’s written a few songs for a forthcoming album. He’s not quite sure, however, if he’s happy with them.
"I’d almost say we’re ready to make a record, except almost everything is kind of slow. I haven’t quite been able to figure out if that’s just what it is and we’ll do it, or if we need to put more upbeat songs into it."
Martsch explained he’s unsure what inspired the slower tunes.
"I don’t really know why that stuff happens. Lately, whenever I write a song, I write something really pretty and soft," he said.
Martsch has been writing alone lately, but "You in Reverse" was the opposite. It was a collaborative effort amongst the different band members and even Martsch’s wife Karena, a poet.
"Different records are different. [The band] will get together and just jam for hours at a time and just record it. The jamming serves the purpose of trying to come up with parts and ideas of songs," Martsch said.
"It’s not jamming like we’re all noodling around. We’re just trying to come up with interesting parts. That might be about half of the material. Maybe half of it is stuff I just wrote by myself. I put the parts together. For example, ‘This jam part fits well with this part that I wrote myself. … These two jam parts go together. … Change the key of this one or the tempo of this one and it’ll fit with this one.’ Then I write the lyrics, and my wife sometimes writes the lyrics," Martsch said.
"She’s a poet. She’s just sharp and has the same sort of sensibilities as me and sense of humor. We work different methods. Sometimes I’ll use things she said without it being a lyric suggestion. Sometimes she’ll jot down a bunch of stuff. Sometimes I’ll have the song and I’ll just record myself playing it and just mumbling words. Or she’ll listen to it and write down what she thinks I’m saying or what I should be saying."
In the meantime, there’s still more touring left to do. The US tour wraps with a three-night stand in Seattle Oct. 4-6. Then it’s off to Australia. For now, there are no future plans to tour the US.
"I don’t think we’re going to be doing any more touring in the US until we’ve got some recording done," Martsch said. "We might do a handful of things here and there, like if someone wants to play a festival or something. Then we’ll go to Europe again next summer. I think, with the US, we’re going to try to lay low after this tour. We’ve been out so much in the last two years."
October 9, 2007
In Which Seattlest Only Tells You the Ending:
Built To Spill @ The ShowboxTime, having surrendered to the whims of sound, had fallen away to some dark corner of the hall and in its place was a band on a mission to go out in style. We had no idea how long the final encore had gone on. We knew only that we didn’t care. This wasn’t some finale we wished would come to an end, so we could finally walk to our car, pausing for a moment to rest our tired legs before driving home, mind swimming, ears buzzing. This wasn’t even a song in the traditional sense — more like a supernatural joyride for the senses. Doug Martsch and and the rest of Built To Spill seemed to each be animated by something hardwired in the pit of their souls. Martsch, in particular, looked to us like a vessel or a channel through which these songs poured. His eyes, in fact, were closed most of the night while his voice, his hands and his fingers took care of business. A friend of Seattlest commented that Martsch’s playing was "like butter on a hot dinner roll," and as strange as that comment was, we think we know what he meant.
And then Martsch, after letting a particular note ring out to its conclusion, simply stopped playing. He squatted and listened to his bandmates play and he smiled. Moments later, another guitar was set down. Then the stage hands began taking things away. They took instruments offstage. They unplugged things. They rolled up cables. But the drummer kept going and the bass guitar and another guitar, making strange pops and whines that made mouths drop and ears tingle. Stage hands began unscrewing and removing hi-hat, splash and crash symbols. Another guitar lies down but the beat is persistent and stronger than ever. Instruments and amplifiers are carried from the stage, left and right. The meandrous bass guitar grows still and then it’s just the drums. Only a bass drum and the toms now, stubbornly thundering away until we can all feel it coming — the final beat, a period at the end of a new favorite story. The crowd exhales and a roar of applause competes with the unearthly volume of everything we’ve just heard.
I saw BTS when they played Las Vegas on 9/10. Really good show. There were some mic troubles but they were really well put together. They definitely had their songs down. Doug is a pretty small guy though.
What’s everybody’s favorite BTS record? I love Perfect From Now On, that’s probably mine. Keep It Like A Secret rocks too. Ancient Melodies of the Future is extremely underrated.
~Jeremy~
"Jeremy " wrote:What’s everybody’s favorite BTS record? I love Perfect From Now On, that’s probably mine. Keep It Like A Secret rocks too. Ancient Melodies of the Future is extremely underrated.
~Jeremy~
Perfect From Now On is my fave.Live is worth hearing for the 20 minute version of Neil Young`s Cortez The Killer
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.