Mail-intervju - Jon Modell, Car Bomb Nytt amerikanskt band med stor experimentlusta. Debuten "Centralia" har nyss kommit ut på Relapse Records och är du ett fan av galenskap och band som Dillinger Escape Plan och Meshuggah, är det här bandet för dig. Här bjuds även på en del jazzassociationer, något man ofta läser när det handlar om band i den här genren, men i Car Bombs fall visar det sig att medlemmarna faktiskt har ett genuint intresse för jazz. Vi tyckte att bandet var så pass intressant att lite frågor kunde vara på sin plats. Sagt och gjort, frågorna skickades och Jon Modell svarade. So, what´s going on right now? We're exploding man - that's what's going on!!! Video is on Headbangers ball (MTV2), CD just dropped a week ago - touring plans are brewing - 2007...the year of the bomb!!!! Please tell us how you all got together. Previous bands, introduce the members and so on. Elliot (drums) and I used to play in this band Spooge - it was like a combination of mr. Bungle, Primus, Pantera, Ripping Corpse, Al Dimeola, Confessor, and, of course, Zappa - crazy with a sense of humor. Greg and Mike used to play in Neck - they were like a post-hardcore experimental-ish band - like the heavier Faith-No-More stuff mixed with something (never could quite put my finger on it...but I always dug what they were doing). They put out a couple of great CD's in the late 90's. Anyway...we used to gig together from time to time and for a while, we shared a rehearsal space called...the Dungeon (see below) What is/was The Dungeon? So there was this butcher shop here on Long Island that had some available storage beneath it - they'd rent it out to bands and we'd make noise next to the refrigerators and freezers full of meat - mmmmmm....dead flesh. Who came up with the name Car Bomb? That´s a a name that could stir up some controversy in the US, right? I suppose it could stir up some controversy...but we're just a band - we're not literally blowing people up...just figuratively!! So, Greg and I were listening to the classic album from Negativeland, he had never heard it before and the song 'Car Bomb' came on. The guy just randomly lists a bunch of car parts, then the song pauses and he yells out 'CAAAAAAAARRRRBOMMMMMMB' followed by a huge explosion. Greg and I looked at each other, started hysterically laughing, and instantly knew that 'car bomb' was to be the name of this project. Your album is called "Centralia". What´s the idea behind that? Centralia is the name of this town in Pennsylvania. It was a mining town and apparently, the mine caught on fire, that was like fifty years ago. It's been burning for FIFTY years and they predict it will continue to burn for another 100. I quote from the promo cd "vicious jazz inspired blasts...". Are you into jazz and if so, what kind? Elliot is the biggest jazz guy in the band with myself coming in second. We are both into a bunch of the 70's fusion bands like Return to Forever and Weather Report. Jaco was an unbelievable force in bass playing and jazz in general. Elliot is a huge Vinnie Colaiuta fan, so he'll pretty much listen to anything that guy does. Elliot is also into some latin jazz stuff and he's been listening to a lot of Horacio 'el negro' Hernandez for a while now - that guy is amazing!. Complete independence - so fucking smooth - and all with nice dress shoes on!! So, I'd say Elliot incorporates his jazz influence into his blast beats and comes up with some crazy shit!! A few words about the following titles: "Gum under the table" This song is about Avril Levigne's tour bus driver. While he is driving he keeps thinking about crashing the Tour Bus to kill her. "Cellophane stiletto" The thoughts of a suicidal transvestite. "Hypnotic worm" Is about how we are just products of our neurochemistry. It´s about how easily we can be manipulated once the proper neurotransmitters have been introduced into our brain. "Cielo drive" This is about Roman Polanski's view of the Manson murders at Sharon Tate's house. The next day the news paper headline was "Sharon Tate Blood Bath Orgy". What made you decide to go with Relapse Records? They are a pretty good fit. They are known for signing some pretty extreme bands so they certainly have a track record and know how to market this crazy shit, plus they are a great bunch of guys who really seem to be all about getting shit done!! Influences? On your website, name such as Meshuggah, Dillinger Escape Plan, Frank Zappa and Mr Bungle come up. There are only about a million...We do listen, have listened, and will continue to listen to countless bands, soloists, and general musicians. They have all shaped us in some way or form along the way. Certainly everyone I've mentioned in this interview and those you just listed are biggies. Any other Swedish acts you´re into, besides Meshuggah? Aren't Mnemic from Sweden? I caught them a couple of years ago at Metalfest in Massachusetts. They were pretty rocking. I'm not really into the black metal genre and I know there a some Swedish black metal bands floating around. It's just not my thing... Any fun memories from the recordings of the album? The whole thing was fun. I mean, it was frustrating as all hell, but everything was sounding very good right from the start (well, actually we had to record the drums twice...but the second take...the one that's on the CD...came out incredible). There was progress every day so it was easy to be excited about it, plus we did it ourselves, so we didn't have the pressures that come along with paying for it!! Best show so far and why that one? We played the Crumbsuckers reunion show at BB Kings in NYC last summer. The rest is self explanatory!!! Amazing show!! Tell us about your earlier releases. Car Bomb released a 3 song EP that had 'Solid Grey', 'Rid', and 'His Eyes' (the first 3 songs we wrote) on it. Neck had a bunch of 7"'s and 2 full length CD's (including the legendary 'Should My Fist Eye', that CD rules, and Spooge just released a bunch of demos over many years with some crazy fucking tunes on it. We recorded everything we had (probably around 25 tunes), but never had the money to mix/master/release them. We still have the recordings and they sound like SHIT!!! But nice to have nonetheless. Any chance of catching you live in Sweden soon? I think you should call Matt Jacobson and demand that he send us to you...ASAP!!! Plug your album for those who haven´t discovered you yet! "Centralia" is 30+ minutes of the craziest rhythmic smashfest to come out of America, and it's just the beginning... Car Bomb - Official website
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