Attention San Diegans: Maren Parusel is looking for a drummer. Influences/sounds like: Camera Obscura, Feist, Fiona Apple, The Cardigans, etc. She recently recorded with Kim Fowley, who discovered her on the streets of Austin, Texas! Her band plays regularly around San Diego and Los Angeles and tours a lot. Must be dedicated, able to tour frequently and able to hold a steady beat! Currently recording a full-length album with Paul Jenkins of Blackheart Procession. Please spread the word!
I'm partial to Maren because she's a close friend and former bandmate. But aside from those two things, I'm a huge fan of her music. She plays almost any instrument you can think of and her songs are nothing short of little pop masterpieces. In an effort to help maintain this blog and keep it interesting and different, I decided I wanted to send Q&A's to my favorite musicians and here's my first Q&A. Enjoy!
K: You grew up in Germany. Did American bands have a big influence on your life growing up?
M: yes! in Europe American bands are very popular. they pretty much play the same songs on the radio like here, but we also have all the European bands coming into the mix, which gives it a nice change! My mum was a fan of Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkel, Beach Boys and Leonard Cohen. My dad always listened to Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and he loved Abba. My mum also plays classical piano, so i grew up with lots of Beethoven too :) I remember loving that song "The Letter" from the Box Tops when I was 12! ...buy me a ticket for an aeroplane..lalala. so good! K: Why did you move to America?
M: I did work as an intern at a Tv station in Germany right after High School. I was so fascinated with California, seeing it from the movies, i had always dreamed of moving over there. When the company i worked for had to let go of all its employees, i thought that i could either go to school here in Germany or move to California and become a musician. As you can see I chose the second of the two. :)
K: What was the first concert you ever went to?
M: um...i think it was a reggae festival in Cologne called Summer Jam. The stages are on an island in a lake and only connected by a couple of bridges. All around the lake people build up their tents and camp there for a week. It was so much fun and i remember not taking a shower for 4 days!!
K: First record (or CD) you remember buying?
M: My first cd i bought was for this guy i had a crush on when i was 12 or 13. He invited me to a birthday Party and I bought him "mmm" by the Crash Test Dummies, because it was his favorite song...:) It was also the first time i ever went into a music store by myself and bought a cd. I was so intimidated by all the older cool kids there hanging out and looking through records, that i ran inside, asked the guy at the counter for the cd, bought it and ran out as fast as i could not looking at anyone... i think one of my first cds I bought for myself was Operation Ivy or Ace of Base! one of the two.
K: Recently you joined a bigger band as their guitarist to tour nationally, opening up for the Killers. That must have been really exciting to perform in front of such a large crowd. Do you prefer performing in front of thousands of people, or performing in front of a smaller, more intimate crowd, playing your own music?
M: It was pretty nerve wracking to go on in front of thousands of people but in the end i realized that its really not about how many people you play to, its more about what you can share with an audience music wise as a performer and become one with the music and the crowd and be able to share something so personal like a song with an audience. This can be in front of 20 people or thousands. K: If you could cover any song, what would it be?
M: Right now me and my band are trying to cover the song "changes" from David Bowie. I also would like to cover" these days" from Nico (velvet underground)
K: If you weren’t a singer and a musician, what would be your dream job?
M: um... i always wanted to be an astronaut...ya, i think i would wanna be that. I'm fascinated with space!
K: You’re stuck on an island and have one record to listen to for eternity. What would that record be?
M: oh no, I can't really answer that. I don't think I want to listen to only one record for eternity. It would drive me crazy! I think I would prefer my guitar , so i can play whatever. I would get really good with all the practicing. K: What is your favorite dessert?
I haven't listened to records in a while, I simply don't have time (not to mention I've been lazy). But today I cleaned my room, kicked back in front of the fan and enjoyed some great LPs and 45s:
The Anasazis: Introducing the Anasazis 7" (I Hate Rock n' Roll, 2009) Even though I rarely leave my little ol' hermit shell, I try to make it out to see these guys when I feel like I can stay up past 9pm. I really do like this band and their new 7" rules! Lo-fi and super catchy garage in the same vein as the Black Lips. I really love the song "UFO's" - so catchy, I cannot stop listening to it!
Maren Parusel: s/t 7" (Single Screen Records, 2009) Maren is one of my BFFs and she seriously is one of the most talented women I have ever met in my life. Her songs are SO catchy, I get them stuck in my head all the time. This is her debut record and if you like dreamy pop gems, you'll be way into this record. "Days in Universe" sounds like a Beatles song (when they were stoners), complete with violins... so pretty.
Lady Gaga: The Fame 2 LP set (Interscope, 2008) It's a rarity to find gold nuggs in the vinyl new arrival bins. A few weeks ago I found a used (!!!) copy of Lady Gaga's album on vinyl!! So excited. Say what you want about Lady Gaga, but you can't deny girlfriend writes great dance/pop songs and has a killer voice (and have you seen her play piano? Holy moly this lady is talented). I really love the song "Summerboy" - it makes me feel like I'm 12 years old all over again...
Comet Gain: Beautiful Despair 12" (What's Your Rupture?, 2006) Took a chance on this record based on the cover art. I just read their Wikipedia page and it described them as having "heavy influences from Dexys Midnight Runners and northern soul." Um. What? Don't really hear any of that influence on this record... one side reminds me of the darker Velvet Underground material and the other side is straight up rock n roll/Brit pop. Good stuff!!
Martha and the Vandellas: Dance Party LP (Motown, 1965) I picked this up because I wasn't sure if I owned it already. I decided to buy it not based on the two top-notch hits (Nowhere to Run and Dancing in the Street), but because they did a cover of one of my favorite dance songs EVER: Mickey's Monkey. Of course, their version is amazing. But I gotta say, Smokey's version is, and will always be, my favorite...
The Scientists: Blood Red River LP (Munster Records) A re-issue of their early 80's material. I only owned the Scientists early stuff, when they were more of a punk/rock n roll band. This era of the Scientists blows me away, it's seriously amazing. Sounds like the Cramps, but if I dare say so, better? Just really dark and totally different than their poppier stuff. Highly recommended.
Jay Reatard: Watch Me Fall (Matador, 2009) Every time I see Jay, he blows me away. His band is so tight!! I like this new album, albeit, I've only heard it once, for the first time today (aside from the song "I'm Watching You", which reminds me of an old groovy bubblegum tune mixed with Nick Lowe's "Cruel To Be Kind", that I've played about 10 times in a row!!)
