Ben Flanagan and Jamie McGoldrick, also known as The Trophy Fire have built up a respected name for themselves and have already performed with prominent acts like Ozma and dredg, and they’ve landed spots at festivals like SXSW and this year’s Noise Pop. Although it may seem like gentle pop music at first, the brilliance of their 2008 debut, A Lifetime in the Middle of the Ocean is slowly revealed over repeated listenings. The songs are buoyant and lively at times, melancholy and dark at others, and always resonate with an underlying intensity. The Trophy Fire lays out beautiful melodies that are deceptively complex, layering sounds and instruments upon one another and trading contrasting vocal parts with ease.
You can catch The Trophy Fire in our Noise Pop co-sponsored show featuring Far, Picture Atlantic, and Stomacher at the Bottom of the Hill at 8pm Thursday.
Today, the day of their enormous show with Far, lead vocalist/guitarist Ben Flanagan answers the Kuestionnaire.
____
1. Could you state your name and what you do in the band?
Ben Flanagan, Vox/Guitar
2. How would you describe your sound?
Loud and Pretty
3. What is your favorite local band?
Dredg and Picture Atlantic
4. Any concerts that blew your mind recently?
Them Crooked Vultures at the Fox Theater. Absolutely blew me away!
5. Any non-musical influences you would like to mention?
Richard Dawkins, Paul Auster, Ray Kurzweil, Sartre, Camus, the big Dragon with the Ring Wraith on it in Lord of the Rings
6. If your music was to be the theme of a film/TV show, what would it be?
good question….I am watching six feet under right now so we’ll go with that.
7. What musician/artist would you like to collaborate with for a day?
Freddi Mercury
8. What is the album you listen to on a cold rainy day?
Turn on the Bright Lights by Interpol
9. List four songs you would listen to on a roadtrip?
” When the Levee Breaks”Led Zeppelin, “Everything Means Nothing to me” Elliot Smith, “Love Ridden” Fiona Apple, “Head over Heals” Tears for Fears
10. Where do you see yourselves in 7 years?
not sure
11. What is the last book you read?
“The Road” Cormic Mcarthy
12. Is image a factor in music or is it a waste of time?
It’s both
13. Any embarrassing moments on stage you would like to share?
Put my foot on the monitor in Seattle once and started slipping and our guitar tech had to lift me up in front of a coupe thousand people. that sucked.
14. Any favorite tour locations?
The Slowdown in Omaha, Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC, Nokia Theater in NYC
15. Lastly, what is your present state of mind?
scattered
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] The Trophy Fire – Divide from A Lifetime In The Middle Of The Ocean (2008)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] dredg – Gathering Pebbles (Son Of Robot Remix) (2010)