Bursting with their usual bouncy, effortlessly hooky pop songs, the album may take a few spins to become truly addictive, but before long you'll be singing about the shim-sham club, too. Supplanting the guitar crunch on a few softer tracks is a touch of pretty—Yo La Tengo–style gravitas, suggesting a more mature effort. And then the "Sweet Potato" song comes on, bringing silly back. Guess they're in touch with their youthful spirit, after all.
We asked all four members about working out to their own music, before quizzing them about their biographical album title, “The Hair the TV the Baby and the Band.”
Excluding yourself, who has the best Hair in music...past and present?
Jone Stebbins: As far as the ladies of rock I always loved Debbie Harry's hair for past. And for present I would say Gwen Stefani because her hair always looks perfect! I found out recently that Will knows her hair dresser, kudos to whoever he is. For the men of rock, past would have to be David Bowie, because his hair always looked cool, except in the "Let’s Dance" phase—which I have forgiven him for. Present, Will Schwartz.
The fall TV season has seen some interesting new shows. Have you been hooked on anything? What do you think of “Dirty Sexy Money”?
Roddy Bottum: The season's too young for me to be hooked on anything yet. I'm waiting patiently for the return of “The Sarah Silverman Program.” Hated “Private Practice,” found the pilot of “Gossip Girl” promising, definitely am in for the long haul for “Survivor China.” But ultimately miss Dick, Daniele and Bret Michaels. A lot.
You've written about the Baby before...is your band intrinsically maternal? Do you like how the word rolls off the tongue? A joke?
Will Schwartz: When Imperial Teen began I was 22 and Lynn, Jone and Roddy were slightly older and it was my first band and they had all been in bands before, so there was naturally a subtle parent/child dynamic. Also, vocally, I would do this scream-y, whiny thing that was dubbed the "angry baby.” Now we're more so in a brother/sister dynamic, but I still have the nickname "Kid," which I like a lot.
I read on your blog that your band has a pretty big fan, who wrote a manuscript called “Stalking Imperial Teen.” Um, are you scared a bit?
RB: We're tickled to death with the prospect of “Stalking Imperial Teen” getting published. I'm reading it now and it’s absolutely hilarious and a full on rollicking ride. We're not creeped out at all. Heidi Rogers has become a friend of the band. She and her two cohorts have followed the band on tour in the great Northwest for the past six years. It’s an original piece of fiction that's original and fresh and unlike anything I've ever read.
On the blog you admitted to working out to your new album. I do the same...but more with "Seasick" and "On." Do you all share in this activity? Do you throw in some air guitar/piano/drums while in mid-stride on the treadmill? Because I do....
Lynn Truell: I think I have only worked out to the latest one. It was mostly to familiarize myself with the songs again, as we had not actually played them in months. We recorded them in March of 2007 and then didn’t play together until September...so there was a lot of relearning going on. And, yes, I saw myself doing a little air-drumming in the reflection of all those gym mirrors! But it is something I definitely try to control, air-playing of any kind!
I was at the Maxwell's show you recorded. Were you nervous before knowing that what you played would be a "show of record"? I love the end result. The energy (and mild fuckups) are so real...
JS: It's always a bit more nerve-racking when you know you're being recorded. It wasn't our idea to record a "live" album, the club and a digital music company were doing these live recordings of the bands that played there. They wanted to do it and we thought, "Why not?" We were just hoping it would be a good show. It's a fun snapshot of that night, but by no means the definitive best live show ever.
Why do you suppose Imperial Teen is considered a pretty definitive "college radio" band?
WS: When we were on a major label we always internally were more aligned with an indie aesthetic and sense of ethics, while flirting with a big pop sound. For our last two records we've been on Merge Records, which is a definitively college radio type of label, so I think we're naturally perceived that way and make music that has a do it yourself kind of feeling to it.
What is one thing that has never changed in over ten years of touring?
WS: Much to the dismay of Lynn and I, there are a lot of scatological references made in the tour van. If I'm sharing a bed with someone else in the band I like to sleep head to toe unless it's a king bed. Roddy is the main driver. Jone and Lynn are more on top of the cash money. I do like seven psychotic idiot checks whenever we leave a venue or a hotel.
Intro by Catherine Hopkinson. Imperial Teens plays Oct. 18 at Southpaw
