Introducing: Crystal Antlers

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In a year that’s brought us a whole host of great experimental noisey buggers, Crystal Antlers still shine out. The Californian band have started to be whored around the internet, their infectious grooves and whig-outs and garage based fun allowing this writer to proclaim them his “New Favourite Band”. I caught up with bassist and vocalist Jonny Bell to find out more…

For people out there that have never heard of you. Give us three reasons why they should…
Don’t really know what to say to this, just go buy the record or illegally download it, then continue reading…

Can you recall the moment when you first decided you wanted to become a musician?
When I was Twelve years old & I heard “Overnight Sensation” by Frank Zappa.

Where do your songs come from? What’s your inspiration?
Straight from the heart. The inspiration is mostly the impending Apocolypse, but also Love.

Name your Top 5 records.
For Today, in no particular order:
- Sleepers “Seventh World”
- Plastic Ono Band “John Lennon”
- Getto Boys “We Can’t Be Stopped”
- Roland Kirk “Volunteered Slavery”
- Al Green “Lets Stay Together”

What was the first gig you ever played and was it a success?
Our friends band & us played a birthday party for a 16 year old boy, about 100 miles away from home. There were only about 6 of his friends there and all they really wanted was to ooogle the girl in the other band. We played in the living room to our friends in the other band, while the birthday boy & his pals played pinata in the back yard. By no means was it a success, but it wasn’t a total loss cause we stole a lamp they had that was made of deerhoofs.

What one piece of criticism has stuck in your mind and was it justified?
I try not to pay attention to reviews, but my friend always likes to bring it to tell me about the negative things she reads. Apparrently we’ve been called “Sweaty” a lot, & that’s completly justified.

What one thing has caused you to waste your free time in the past 6 months?
My Computer. Always a complete waste of time.

If you weren’t making music, what do you think you’d be doing?
Working on producing a reality/animation show about my Job Chimney Sweeping with an ex-bankrobber, a junkie punk-rocker, & aninsane-acid-casualty boss.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
The job I still have Chimney Sweeping…

We’d like you to make us a mix-tape. Pick five tracks with a theme of your choice.
The theme is B-sides of Less-Successfull R&B & Rap singles produced by
Russel Simmons in the late 1980′s:
1. Oran “Juice” Jones- “Your Song”
2. Alyson Williams- “Yes We Can Can (Dub Version)”
3. Run DMC- “Christmas in Hollis”
4. Davy D- “Let’s Rock”
5. Hurricane- “Super Fight”

Crystal Antlers on Myspace