Artist of the Week 11/7/2011 Centro-Matic

[Tequila Cowboy]

So when I decided I wanted to do an AotW on Centro-Matic I wanted it to be special. I figured that since they're friends and occasional collaborators of Patterson Hood and DBT that they deserved an extra special place in the sun. We asked Patterson (more like reminded him) if he would write a few words about Will & the boys and, although he said he would love to, the timing was such that life got in the way. Hopefully at some point he will write something and we can add it here, but for now it's not to be. I had some exchanges with Scott Danbom and thought an interview might happen but, again, that was not to be. Then I thought of asking Brent Best about his thoughts about his Denton neighbors but no such luck. People are busy and shit gets in the way and sometimes fate steps in and dictates how things go. So that's why, in the end, you get me and my thoughts on what has become my second favorite band currently playing. I'm not worthy but it'll have to do.

The first time I ever heard the name Centro-Matic was sometime in 2004 as I was just starting to get into the new music scene again. The late Jay Bennett was singing their praises in a piece in one of the Chicago papers and I made a mental note to check them out. That was pretty far down my list though as I had just discovered DBT, was catching up on what some of my old favorites were doing and generally exorcising my jam band demons after way too long in jam band hell. Fast forward to late 2006, I was deep into my DBT fandom and I was dutifully reading Patterson Hood's year end best of list. Right at the top of that list was Centro-Matic Fort Recovery. I had remembered them from that 2004 piece and decided that if Patterson thought so highly of them it was time to check them out. I downloaded the album within minutes of reading the list and dug in. Now I have to say I was not immediately captivated although I wasn't turned off either, The second song, Calling Thermatico, had me tapping my foot and by the third, Patience For The Ride, I was singing along with the chorus. I like the rest of the album just fine but didn't connect with much else right away. I realized that this was one of those bands that was going to take some work to really and truly appreciate. After all, I thought, those always end up being the best ones. So where to go next? Well I had no idea. I started really trying to listen to Fort Recovery for starters and sure enough it started to really sink in. Every note had a purpose, every word had meaning even if it was only a feeling and it became obvious that this was the work of a really talented songwriter in Will Johnson (lead vocals, guitar), and a really talented band with Scott Danbom (backing vocals, keyboards, violin, bass), Matt Pence (drums) & Mark Hedman (guitar, bass). The songs didn't always make sense in any sort of a linear way but I felt them just the same. The effect was reminiscent of early R.E.M. Although not in any sort of a sonic way, just the feeling that I got from a repeating lyrical phrase or a sustained note in the song. Plus every time I listened I heard something new, a high harmony here, a random snare shot there, this shit was deep and utterly mesmerizing. So now I was hooked and for the next two years I dug into a bunch of their music including Love You Just The Same, South San Gabriel Songs/Music (the predecessor to Centro's quieter and equally excellent spin off band), Navigational and their first record Redo the Stacks. Every couple of months I'd go on a kick and immerse myself in this music. My favorite songs were all over the place the already mentioned tracks from Fort Recovery plus The Fugitives Have Won and Monument Sails from that record, Flashes & Cables, Breathe Deep Not Loud & Mighty Midshipmen from LYJTS, Rock and Roll Eyes, Are You Ready for the Shutdown? And Good As Gold from Redo the Stacks and so many more I'd be listing them all day and no one wants that.

Ok so now you've guessed that I had become quite the fan so imagine my delight that in 2009, the year I finally decided to make the pilgrimage to Athens for DBT Homecoming, that Centro-Matic was going to be the opener (South San Gabriel with Athene native Matt Stossel was actually first on Thursday night). Not only was I going to the 40 Watt for my favorite band I was finally going to see Centro-Matic. In the absolute chaos of that memorable weekend you would think they might have gotten lost but I walked away from that weekend not only basking in the DBT glow, but with a brand new appreciation of Centro-Matic as a great live band. I saw them again a few months later in Chicago playing for about 40 people and thought it was criminal. I've since seen them play for larger crowds ut they're still criminally under appreciated in my eyes. This year seeing them open for DBT at the beautiful new Georgia Theater was another fantastic experience. The first night they barely made it in time for the show and yet they rocked as hard as anyone could want. They were supporting their excellent new album Candidate Waltz and the smiles on the faces around me showed that they had made new fans and energized old ones. People were even singing along to the excellent new songs especially All The Talkers (about seeing a band in a club) and Only in my Double Mind, Neither show was your typical opening slot either, these were full hour and a half shows. Hell I was in full rock and roll frenzy before DBT ever took the stage and that was a good thing. On Saturday night DBT brought them out for the encore and the two bands took us home together in a rock & roll twofer like few I've ever seen. Patterson closed the show with a riff on his usual refrain saying “we are Centro-Matic & Drive-By Truckers”. None of them left anything on that stage. After the show people came up to me asking for recommendations of what to buy at the merch table and then showed me their new vinyl hauls and CD's with immense smiles. Rock & Roll motherfuckers.

So I've gone this whole time talking about Centro-Matic, naming some songs, some albums and some favorite experiences but I haven't really told you much of their story. It's a good one to be sure like the tale Brent Best told me one night about how Will called him up and asked if he could play him some songs he had written. Now as Brent told it he knew from the Denton scene that Will was one hell of a drummer but he had no idea he was writing songs. Brent said he sat there dumbfounded as he played terrific song after terrific song. One can only imagine. Let's not even mention that Will has some fantastic solo albums and aforementioned South San Gabriel albums he also has played with, and is now a full fledged member of, Monsters of Folk and is now working on a Woody Guthrie project with Jay Farrar, Anders Parker and Jim James. Oh and the man is a walking baseball encyclopedia and a talented artist. Did I mention that he's been known to play shows in people's living rooms? Lets not forget the other guys either, Matt Pence is a sought after producer and photographer and Scott Danbom is a musician's musician playing and touring constantly. Not to mention the man has a harmony voice of an angel.

Now we've reached the end and you're going to want to know where to start with these guys (if you haven't heard them already). The truth is I don't know. Anywhere is fine. Do you like lo-fi? Try going back to the beginning and pick up Redo The Stacks. Or you start where I did with Fort Recovery, or my favorite Love You Just The Same. Or you could pick up this year's Candidate Waltz on vinyl and have it blow you away. I know it will if you let it. Whatever you do get started now. Great sounds await you.

Website:
http://centro-matic.com/

Discography:

http://www.centro-matic.com/discography/









Now go buy some and see them live.

[joelle]

basically,i suck. anyways, recently music has taken a back seat ( maybe even ridin’ in another car at this point) to real life.
i talked to clams ( close to a million years ago) about writing something on centro-matic.
I told him no. then he asked again and I said yes. then I backed out.t it was on again, off again…blah blah


finally after I sucked so much, clams asked tequila cowboy.all good.
much love to tc from me and from tc to c-m.

but thing is, things be…
I had a lovely little email /message interview with scott danbom.
he was so gracious to answer all the serious and stupid questions I posed.
I love centro-matic. I mean I really really do.
There is always some ebb and flow of current favorites (while foundations stay true and strong: dylan, springsteen, big star…centro-matic, the national),
but centro has been top of my pops for a while now.
any disc anytime:roadtrip, shower, dinner party, cleaning the apartment, whatever.
all good. real real good. Trust me.
so check them out if you want. I hope you like them.
I am pretty sure they would like it if you like them and I like them and they are good people and talented musicians and funny as fuck,
so go listen, buy some shit, see a show and buy a bro a beer.


Here is a slightly edited insight into the mind of a fan ( me) and a hell of a man ( scott danbom)
Blah blah blah, polite intro jabber….
Me: 16 years together, right? Lots of other gigs between you all ( screwtopians, solo work, sarah jaffe, Molina, makin’ art, makin’ babies…)
Scott: 14, but who’s counting? We have known each other for 18-19 and lots of projects. An early project we all did was called the Dooms UK, I’ll let the internet do the rest on that one.

Me: where do you all work now ? is it harder to get together?
Scott: Both Austin and Denton ( TX) mostly denton, where we practice and record the most. Will travels the most but we all live in different places now. Dallas, denton, valley view, Austin.

Me: I love Spain, centro-matic loves spain. Spain loves centro-matioc. Why do you resonate with the Spanish?
Scott: Not sure. I find it interesting when any one country or region likes an artist more than another. I think Spain has their own thing, they like what they found and they stick with it .It is getting a little more clicky,like primavera or Benicassim, but more popular stuff gets, the more the trends start to follow it. And we have never been included in trends. I do love Spain and will continue to love it. Muchas gracias Spain!

Me: If each member (you, will, mark, matt) were an animal, what would they be?
Scott: like the band, the Animals? I think, actually, we would all be birds…or sloths. Half bird, half sloth. (* put bird)


Me: what album best encapsulates centro-matic? (lyrically, instrumentally, sound wise?)
Scott: this is a hard one. Cliché answer is, we haven’t made that one yet. But I think that people that don’t enjoy their own work are quite sad. My favorite record is South San Gabriel/Songs Music. It’s a real honest record. It was recorded live and it really starts to feel like a band to me. The short answer: all of them.

Me: Do you feel like you have to win over the “talk talkers”?
Scott: Kinda, yes. Some people are never going to get “IT”. But most people want to be won over. Even if you are not naturally drawn to our music, I would argue with anyone that we are not a good live band, And since we are not a popular band, we have played a lot of opening slots. That scenario really does bring out a lot of strengths of centro-matic. I feel we can turn a lot of heads with our live shows.

Me: Over the last 14 years, have there been different “eras of sound” so to speak or are you constantly changing or evolving rapidly?
Scott: I think that changes naturally. My favorite artists are really versatile. I love different places we have gone. I think if we had the time we would go all over the place, style wise, but still sound like us. I give credit to all the members for really helping this along. And Will’s songwriting, forget about it.

Me: will j is a kick ass drummer. Does he ever drum on your records while matt is producing?
Scott: Sure does. Redo ( redo the stacks) was all him. A lot of fort recovery and dual hawks was will. Matt is really great about trying to capture a moment of a song being born or at least put it on tape for the first time and he wants will in the moment, etc…..my joke for a while in denton , which is home to some of the best drummers ever, is centro-matic has the best 2 drummers in town. Actually, it was never a joke. It’s kinda nuts.


Me: Please name the following:


Your favorite 3 singer/songwriters and then bands from
20’s-50s: skip james, woody Guthrie
60’s-90: neil young, andy partridge, robyn Hitchcock
2000-present: Patterson hood, sarah jaffe, will Johnson
20’s-50; I love early blues, jazz and classical
60’s-90: bandfinger, the smiths, R.E.M.
2000-present: teenage fanclub, my morning jacket, the long winters

Me: what was the last cd you bought?
Scott: the new Idaho record

Me: do you think vinyl make a difference in regards to sound nowadays?
Scott: vinyl can be a really great analog punchy sound, which is really nostalgic to people, I like it, but I don’t prefer it all the time.


Me:
Ok, drive by truckers and centro-matic and they hybrid into : Patterson hood and the screwtopians. ( you, neff, will, brad morgan, david barbe, Patterson) can you compare and contrast those sounds?
Scott: you know, it is really patterson’s deal. But he also really likes what we do musically, so we can really stretch out on his stuff and fit within his music being ourselves. It ‘s suppose to be different.That’s why you play with different people.It’s super fun that way. Those guys are fantastic to work with.

Me: what album thus far, not including candidates waltz has been your
a.) Most critically acclaimed?
b.) fan favorite?
c.) Financial success?
Scott:
a.) LYJTS, Carlton, and fort recovery
b.) hopefully of all them
c.) not sure, fort recovery maybe


Me: do you have any magizines in the van/bus when you tour that everyone reads? Books? Games?
Scott: I like national geographic personally. Mark and Will have the best book suggestions. We all love radiolab and This American Life.

Me: any dietary restrictions among the members of centro-matic?
Scott: Mark is a vegetarian now which is inspiring. It is hard to eat right on the road and it affects different members’ weight and shit. Getting old is stupid. I should drink less maybe.

ME: You all recently put out a 24 song sampler, truthfully, that little nugget does or should do what this Q/A was supposed to. But I felt like writing anyway. I am the ultimate cherry picker when it comes to music…but for centro I like to do the album through and then through again.i think it is about discovery, taking time with albums as a whole. Nuances.
Scott: yes, this is very important, but this day and age it is hard to find time to listen to a whole album. I love when a song comes on shuffle that blows me away, and then I am like, what band is that? And what album? It might inspire me to sit down and listen to a whole album.

Me: if centro-matic were lost in a jungle, who would you eat first if need be and why?
Scott: jjeeeezzzz. Maybe mark because he doesn’t have any more bad stuff in his body and it would be the healthier choice.

Me: in your opinion: do you enjoy recording or playing live more?/ do you think centro is better live or on record?
Scott: apples and oranges. Beatles and Stones. I’ve heard people say we are a better live band, but a lot of bands suck live and maybe we are showing what the potential of a live rock band is all about. There are so many tricks in the studio, which is cool. But you should know how to play.



Scott danbom( NOT dambon!!!) is a fucking dude. Great hair, mad skills, great heart, sharp wit, etc.
OK represent. A good good man and a gifted musician. He was kind enough to answer all these ridiuculous fan ( atic) ponderings.
Now, go listen to some centro-matic mother fuckers.


Me: Finally, off topic, you know I have mad respect for will j. I buy his art, host his solo show, practice my toaster dance…but I gotta know, is there really only 1 brown shirt? Is it magic? How can it be?
Scott: I think there is more than one, but now I want to know.

[StevieRay]

Props to TC and Joelle on this. One of my favorite things to do is throw on this band's entire catalog on "shuffle" - they are so consistent and really don't have any "dud" records. The Centro set on "Dual Hawks" was the album that hooked me a few years back.

[Clams]

Props to TC and Joelle on this.

x2. Great job TC, and thanks for coming through Joelle.

I'm not nearly knowledgeable enough to add much to this thread, so I'll just post this link to the band's official (and free) 24 song sampler:
https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php? ... YUIzZUE9PQ
(you can also access it from the Centro-matic website, which is linked in TC's initial post).

I'd also like to mention Will Johnson's baseball artwork, which is fascinating and impressive. There's a link to it on the band's web site, or you can use this link:
http://www.willjohnsonart.com/

[scotto]

Wow, you guys.
That was some nice stuff. Loving the new LP, too.

[Jonicont]

One of those bands I always wanted to check out but never got around to. Athens 2009 probably would have changed that but I had to install my daughter in college (wife said don't even fucking think about sending me alone). Picked up Candidate Waltz vinyl based on TC's rec and really liked it so I knew a few songs going in. Live, this band is another story. Liked what I heard on Friday nite at the Georgia Theater but was kinda preoccupied with the cameras. Saturday--sitting with my wife in the balcony, We were both mesmerized. Turned to Patterson at one point and said "these guys are fucking amazing"--He said--"yeah--they're like The Band--everyone of them is an incredible musician" Sent a text toTC during the intermission and walked out with Fort Recovery and Love You Just the Same. Been listening to all three pretty much consistently since then. As TC said, there is so much to discover. Repeated listenings are a must. Nice work Dean and thanks

[dime in the gutter]

good one.

joelle brings the thunder.

[Mr. B]

Terrific write-ups for one of the greatest bands in America. Will J's living room show in Chicago earlier this year was a 2011 highlight for me.

[Will]

Just another "hallelujah" for the chorus here. I found out about Centro-Matic through that same best of list from Patterson, and jumped in with both feet into Fort Recovery. Totally agree about that same feeling as early R.E.M., and I'm reminded a little bit of Vic Chesnutt as well--words as poetry and as an instrument. Saw them live at the same at the same homecoming show and picked up Dual Hawks from the merch booth, didn't stop listening for months. I slowly immersed myself in their back catalog and got to see Will's house show in Atlanta last year. The guy couldn't have been nicer, and my framed copy of the show poster that he and Anders signed now hangs proudly in our living room, alongside my wife's Bright Eyes and Jump Little Children posters.

Candidate Waltz is another knockout from the guys. Their show at the Earl at the start of the tour was one of my favorites of the year, and I later heard that Andre 3000 was in the crowd checking them out. Plus, Will dedicated a song to Dale Murphy, my favorite baseball player of all time. The last time I saw them was that GA Theater shows, where they owned the crowd for their set. It makes me really happy that two of my all-time favorite bands have such a friendship and admiration for each other.

So, yes, I agree with everything in this thread.

[Slipkid42]

I flew all the way into a tropical storm in NOLA to see DBT this past Labor Day weekend. One of the main reasons I pulled the trigger on those shows, was that Centro-Matic was the opener. I learned of C-M here on the 3DD board. They had gotten glowing reviews from TC & joelle (among others). I found them very much to my liking.
They were sensational @ those Tip's shows. They are extremely talented and harmonious musicians. I was especially impressed w/Will. He pulled double duty both nights (and a few others on the tour as well). He subbed on guitar for Patterson (who had injured his hand). Will learned 40 some odd DBT songs in a couple of days, so he could fill in. He seemed to take it all in stride & didn't miss a beat (as far as I could tell). Will was like a ray of sunshine on those VERY rainy days.

Thanks for turning me on to these guys, you guys. joelle, your interview w/Scott DaNboM was downright probing. Nice work.
TC, that write-up came straight from the heart, I could tell. Centro-Matic is certainly worthy of all the love you give them.

[dime in the gutter]

centro-matic/daytrotter sessions

http://www.daytrotter.com/#!/concert/centro-matic/20030317-3737630

very worthy.

check it.

[joelle]

joelle, your interview w/Scott DaNboM was downright probing. Nice work.

hey, thanks slipkid42! it was my pleasure

[Tequila Cowboy]

joelle, your interview w/Scott DaNboM was downright probing. Nice work.
TC, that write-up came straight from the heart, I could tell. Centro-Matic is certainly worthy of all the love you give them.

maybe you are taking sarcasm classes from the Beebs, don't know.
can't say for certain.
"downright probing?"
i just asked some of the things i wanted to know.
plus, there are only so many times you can ask/read about influences, what a song means, who does most of the songwriting, etc blah.
regardless, i got me some hard love for the denton boys

I'm certain no sarcasm was involved in Slip's response. Oh and it was a damn fine interview. Nice job.

[beantownbubba]

joelle, your interview w/Scott DaNboM was downright probing. Nice work.
TC, that write-up came straight from the heart, I could tell. Centro-Matic is certainly worthy of all the love you give them.

maybe you are taking sarcasm classes from the Beebs, don't know.
can't say for certain.
"downright probing?"
i just asked some of the things i wanted to know.
plus, there are only so many times you can ask/read about influences, what a song means, who does most of the songwriting, etc blah.
regardless, i got me some hard love for the denton boys

I'm certain no sarcasm was involved in Slip's response. Oh and it was a damn fine interview. Nice job.[/quote]

For sure.

[Slipkid42]

No, no, no; I wasn't being sarcastic. I thought it was a very thorough & enjoyable interview. I mean you even got him to say which band mate he would prefer to eat. That's 'downright probing'. Sorry if it came across as sarcastic.

[joelle]

aww hell y'all
i'm cool. i see now, "probing" was the word i misunderstood. let's all delete these 4 past comments and get back to centro-matic.
good times

[Tequila Cowboy]

let's all delete these 4 past comments and get back to centro-matic.
good times

Best course of action? Listen to Joelle.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Listening to some live Centro-Matic and decided to dig up this thread. Sometimes I'm amazed at just how good this band is.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Listening to Candidate Waltz and remembering for the 70,000th time why Centro-Matic is one of my very favorite bands. Damn. Oh and don't forget Will Johnson's Scorpion is formally released on Tuesday. Get you some.

[RolanK]

Listening to Candidate Waltz and remembering for the 70,000th time why Centro-Matic is one of my very favorite bands. Damn. Oh and don't forget Will Johnson's Scorpion is formally released on Tuesday. Get you some.

Word!

I bought a copy of Candidate Waltz at the Nuci auction and have been listening to it a lot since then. (took me weeks to discover that the CD leaflet was signed inside...)
Really enjoying Scorpion as well.

[dime in the gutter]

re-reading this.

excellent job, tc. great thread.

it is criminally under used....apologies.

amazing sonics by centro. shit popping in from everywhere. edge. awash in cool sounds and riffs. lots of cool nob twisting. satisfies in a lot of different ways.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Really good interview with Will Johnson"

http://dailydoseoflit.com/2012/10/13/sa ... l-johnson/

[Smitty]

Living Room Tour 2013: Hosts Needed!
NOVEMBER 29, 2012
Hello Friends! We need your help. Will Johnson is headed out on a Living Room Tour in February. We need hosts for the dates and towns listed below. Please get in touch if you live in or near or in-between one of these places and you could host a show. Read below for all the details on how the shows work and how to submit our house.

PLEASE GET IN TOUCH BY MONDAY, DECEMBER 10th.

PS: We’re working on plans to get Will to the west coast for living room shows later in the Spring. More news about that soon!

Thank you! – Bob

FEBRUARY
12 – Houston, TX
13 – Baton Rouge or New Orleans or Mobile, AL
14 – Waverly, AL
15 – Tampa, FL
16 - Day off
17 – Athens, GA
18 – Atlanta, GA
19 – Nashville, TN
20 – Memphis, TN or someplace in Mississippi.
21 – Arkansas
22 – Denton or Dallas
23 – Someplace in central Texas
24 – Austin, TX

Please get in touch if you want to host a show. We’ll make this as easy as possible for the hosts. All you have to do is let us borrow your living room for a couple of hours and in return you’ll get 5 free tickets for friends and our eternal gratitude.
Here’s how it works.

1. You have a house or loft space that can comfortably and safely host 35-50 people. A place with a big living room, finished basement or other indoor residential space would be ideal. (sorry, we can’t do outdoor shows). There needs to be enough parking nearby and your neighbors should be cool. It would be a huge bummer if someone called the cops because of all the extra cars and people coming to your house. You probably shouldn’t do this if you live in a small apartment with a bunch of uptight neighbors or a cranky landlord.

2. The shows will not be open to the public and no tickets will be sold at the door. We’ll pre-sell a set number of tickets for each show on our website. Be realistic on how many people your place can hold. We need to know how many tickets we can sell in advance. Ticket prices will be $15.

3. We’ll provide you with a detailed list of everyone coming to the show. This way the host won’t have to deal with money and only needs to check people off the list as they arrive.

4. The host gets 5 free tickets for the show. If you have other friends who want to come to the show you can direct them to the link to buy tickets on-line.

5. We’ll ask people to start arriving around 7:30pm. The shows usually start at around 8pm. It should be over by around 9:30pm. We’ll make it clear to everyone that they should be out of your house by 10:00pm.

7. You don’t need to provide any sort of sound system. All you need is a chair for Will to sit on while playing and some kind of ambient lighting like a floor lamp.

8. Your home address will not be published on the web and will only given to those people who purchase tickets.

9. We’ll need your help to spread the word to your Facebook friends and Twitter followers.

After reading all of this and you are interested please send an e-mail to: bob@undertowmusic.com and adam@undertowmusic.com

Please include a photo of the space where you would like to have the show and put “Will Johnson Living Room Show” and the city where you live in the subject line of the e-mail.

We’ll review all requests. Once we have a routing figured out we’ll be in touch with people in the towns we are able to work into the schedule.

Thank you for your interest and support.

Bob

[TW_2.0]

Favorite Centro-Matic album ?

I am diving deeper into the catalog and looking for places to start.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Favorite Centro-Matic album ?

I am diving deeper into the catalog and looking for places to start.

Love You Just The Same or Distance & Clime. Seriously though there ain't a bad one in the bunch.

[Cubfan06]

Nobody seems to ever show love to Centro-Matic half of Dual Hawks, however I love it.

"All Your Farewells" may not be Will Johnson's most defining work lyrically, but it has always been an incredibly moving song with bittersweet undertones.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Nobody seems to ever show love to Centro-Matic half of Dual Hawks, however I love it.

"All Your Farewells" may not be Will Johnson's most defining work lyrically, but it has always been an incredibly moving song with bittersweet undertones.

I love that record. Frankly I love Centro-Matic and Will's solo stuff so much that I neglect South San Gabriel. That fact alone puts this one in my regular rotation because you get the best of both worlds.

[RolanK]

Very nice interview with Will by Otis Gibbs here

[cortez the killer]

Apologies if this has already been posted elsewhere, but it is new to me.

Fuel/Friends Chapel Session #26: Will Johnson

[cortez the killer]

Will Johnson interview on The Blue Indian. Will talks about the first time he met Patterson.