EDITOR’S NOTE: This story originally appeared in the November 2001 issue of Magnet and reported in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. We are reprising it here to mark the auspicious occasion of Spiritualized performing at The Fillmore Philly on Good Friday, in support of the new LP And Nothing Hurt. Enjoy. BY JONATHAN VALANIA Somewhere Over The North Atlantic, Sept . 25, 2001 Ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in space—35,000 feet above the Earth, to be exact. We’re on our way to Ireland to tag along on a Spiritualized tour. It’s gonna be fun, but there are some risks […]
NEW DAY RISING: Q&A W/ Former Husker Du/Current Porcupine Bassmaster Greg Norton
BY JONATHAN VALANIA Five years ago, I went to Portland to profile Bob Mould for a MAGNET cover story. In the course of many hours of interviews, I asked Mould the question he’s been asked 457,876,621 times on the off-chance that the 457,876,622nd time he’s asked if Husker Du will ever regroup the answer would be different. No such luck. “There’s no need, there’s no need,” he says.”That band did everything it had to do the first time around. To try to put the lightning back in that bottle ain’t going to happen. You know, I’ll be really simple about […]
UNDONE: The Complete Oral History Of Weezer
Artwork by Fuzzysocks102. EDITOR’S NOTE: A vastly shorter version of the following oral history of Weezer appeared in MAGNET MAGAZINE in 2014. In advance of Weezer’s performance at The Met tomorrow night, we are publishing the complete and unabridged version. Enjoy. “The best history of Weezer I have ever read.” — PAT WILSON, DRUMMER BY JONATHAN VALANIA This year the Blue Album turns 20, and Pinkerton is old enough to vote. Two decades-plus of being Weezer hasn’t all been Buddy Holly glasses and hash pipes for The Last Band Standing, Alt-Rock Class of ‘94. At various points along the way […]
TONITE: The Importance Of Being Johnny Marr
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story originally published in issue 95 of MAGNET MAGAZINE in 2013 upon the release of Johnny Marr’s first proper solo album, 2013’s The Messenger. Marr followed it up with Playland in 2014 and Call The Comet, released back in June. EDITOR’S NOTE: This story originally published in issue 95 of MAGNET MAGAZINE in 2013 upon the release of Johnny Marr’s first proper solo album, 2013’s The Messenger. Marr followed it up with Playland in 2014 and Call The Comet, released back in June. We are re-posting this story in advance of Marr’s performance tonight at […]
The Complete Robert Pollard MAGNET Interview
EDITOR’S NOTE: To mark the auspicious occasion of GBV playing Union Transfer tonight here’s the complete, unexpurgated MAGNET interview with Robert Pollard in New York City June of 2013 Issue Number 100 SCALPING THE GURU In the time it takes you to read this Robert Pollard will have written and recorded three brilliant albums and disbanded Guided By Voices again. MAGNET stages a Beer Summit to find out how and why. BY JONATHAN VALANIA No light or air or hope gets past the front door of Desmond’s Tavern, a grungy windowless taproom in midtown Manhattan that looks like a […]
DEJA VU: Jonathan Wilson’s Spirit In The Sky
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article appears in the February 2013 issue of MAGNET MAGAZINE. We are re-posting it today in advance of Jonathan Wilson’s performance at Boot & Saddle on March 9th in support of his new solo album, Rare Birds. BY JONATHAN VALANIA It is another peaceful, easy-feeling evening in Laurel Canyon. The day has finally surrendered to the onset of night, which signals the beginning of shooting the waltz scenes in the video for “Dear Friend,” the lead-off single from acclaimed producer/singer-songwriter Jonathan Wilson’s new album, Fanfare. The location of the shoot is patch of driveway at the end […]
FROM THE VAULT: Summer Bear
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story originally posted on Sept. 5th 2012 BY JONATHAN VALANIA It is another blazingly hot and hip mid-summer day in Brooklyn. Boomboxes, guinea tees, gold chains, water ice, open fire hydrants. It’s kind of like Do The Right Thing without the race riot. The girls walk by in their summer clothes. The boys walk by in their skinny jeans. The subway is redolent of stale urine and diesel. It’s high noon and the sun is punishing and relentless. There are many things in abundance in Brooklyn — coffee shops, craft beers, beards — but shade isn’t one […]
FROM THE VAULTS: No Sleep ‘Til Reykjavik
EDITOR’S NOTE: In advance of Sigur Ros’ show at the Mann Center on Friday, we present this encore edition of my 2012 MAGNET cover story. BY JONATHAN VALANIA Iceland isn’t the end of the world but you can see it from here. This is both a blessing and to a lesser degree a curse. Much less. It is the land that time forgot, and as such a place of uncommon purity. Primeval is the word that comes to mind: smoldering volcanoes, black sand beaches, towering geysers, geothermal hot springs, epic waterfalls, vast lava fields that recede infinitely out to the […]
FROM THE VAULT: After Dark, My Sweet
EDITOR’S NOTE: In advance of The xx’s performance at the Skyline Stage of The Mann on Wednesday May 17th, we present the complete 2012 MAGNET cover story profile written by yours truly. Enjoy. BY JONATHAN VALANIA It is the tail end of another hot, dog breath day afternoon in early August. Mercifully, we are on our way to some place that is, for one night anyway, cool: Staten Island. There are many locales that you might associate with the sound, the look and the vibe of The xx — London after dark, Tokyo circa Lost In Translation, Manhattan around […]
EXCLUSIVE: Wayne’s World
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Flaming Lips play a sold out show at the Fillmore tomorrow night. To mark this auspicious occasion, we are posting the complete text of my 2014 MAGNET cover story. You lucky ducks! BY JONATHAN VALANIA FOR MAGNET MAGAZINE We’d been traversing the spine of Tornado Alley for the last two hours when the stewardess announced that we would be landing in Oklahoma City in a few minutes, and that we should fasten our seatbelts and return our minds to the upright position, when the drugs took hold. We are, as the saying goes, off to see the […]
INCOMING: Sarah Silverman Got Me High
Artwork by REXPLUNA EDITOR’S NOTE: There is more to Sarah Silverman — who kicks off a two-night stand at the Keswick on Sunday — than just ‘fake-racist meta-jokes’ and fucking Matt Damon. There is also doody jokes. But seriously folks, after 34 episodes of The Sarah Silverman Show, 30 movies, two Emmys, and one memoir, she’s just getting started. On the doody jokes. Just kidding. You’ll see. The following is an exclusive excerpt from my 6,300 word 2014 MAGNET cover story. Enjoy. ________ BY JONATHAN VALANIA When I meet Sarah Silverman for the first time she is coming out of […]
STOP MAKING SENSE: A Q&A With Fred Armisen
Photo by GENE SMIRNOV BY JONATHAN VALANIA FOR VICE Last night, comedian Fred Armisen (ex-SNL cast member, star of Portlandia and Documentary Now!, sidekick/leader of the Late Night With Seth Meyers house band) kicked off an East coast run of live comedy dates that mix the glib wackiness of his stand-up with sneak previews of the forthcoming seventh season of Portlandia and live renditions of the music of his various faux-bands (the cluelessly pro-authority punk of Ian Rubbish & The Bizarros, the ersatz Laurel Canyon soft-rock of The Blue Jean Committee, the artsy-fartsy New Wave nonsense-making of Test Pattern, etc.). […]
INCOMING: In Bob We Trust
Employing the same Buckeye ingenuity that keeps the Goodyear blimp afloat, Robert Pollard can polish a turd with Budweiser until it shines with 24-carat radiance, transmuting a tossed-off, six-pack idea into a classic rock artifact or at the very least a beguiling no-fi curio. As captain of the drunken boat that is Guided By Voices, Pollard built a cottage industry by churning out cheap, miniature melodic masterpieces with all the fidelity of a ham radio broadcast. He does it with volume — by which I mean quantity not loudness. As such, the discography remains daunting if only for its […]