Almost as if they are actively trying to conquer the West Coast music blogosphere, The Actors combine every aspect of pure catchiness, tight structure, and reverb soaked tracks that the current modern music nerd is starving for. But this isn’t piggybacking on the wave of dark synth-rock bands making noise right now, The Actors are viciously original and worth your listening time. With only a 5-song EP (free to download here) and a significant buzz among the Bay Area music scene, the band is on their way to becoming a bit more than they might have expected. Darkly fun music like this doesn’t come around this often, at least not this honest.
You can catch The Actors tomorrow at our own Rickshaw Stop with the Phantom Kicks and SUNBEAM RD. For more info and tickets, click here.
This week we have all three “Actors”, Phil Maves, Daniel Leech, and Cory Aboud answering the world famous Kuestionnaire as they share some of their (and my) favorite local Bay Area bands. Enjoy!
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1. Could you state your name and what you do in the band?
Phil: vocals / bass / keys / primary songwriter.
Dan: guitar / keys / vocals / rock.
Cory: drum kit / hand-played drum machine.
2. How would you describe your sound?
P: Melancholy electronic rock played by hand (i.e. no programming or computers).
D: Hand-crafted electro and indie.
C: Jazz/sex/Macarena.
3. What is your favorite local band?
P: Religious Girls, Maus Haus.
D: Weekend.
C: Bad Bibles.
4. Any concerts that blew your mind recently?
P: Weekend / Magic Bullets / Young Prisms / Dominant Legs (Yours Truly & Underwater Peoples’ secret show).
D: Local Natives @ Bottom of the Hill.
C: The National @ Fox Theater.
5. Any non-musical influences you would like to mention?
P: Adidas; Mr. Show; Iceland.
D: Bill Hicks; Thomas Jefferson; The Machine.
C: Joe Camel; my Blackberry.
6. If your music was to be the theme of a film/TV show, what would it be?
P: Remake of Major League
D: “First Date” could be the theme to Dexter.
C: I Love the 80s/90s.
7. What musician/artist would you like to collaborate with for a day?
P: 24 hours watching Clive Davis buy and sell people.
D: Jonny Greenwood.
C: Fiona Apple.
8. What is the album you listen to on a cold rainy day?
P: The Cure – “Faith”
D: Elliott Smith – “XO”
C: Def Leppard – “Hysteria”
9. List four songs you would listen to on a roadtrip?
P: Neu! – “Hallogallo;” Neil Young – “Like a Hurricane.”
D: Superchunk – “Everything at Once;” Guided By Voices – “Motor Away.”
C: Tom Petty – “Free Fallin’”
10. Where do you see yourselves in 7 years?
P: Fading/recovering.
D: Member of The Actors’ tribute band Thespians.
C: Here!
11. What is the last book you read?
P: Moneyball by Michael Lewis.
D: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer.
C: What you readin’ for?
12. Is image a factor in music or is it a waste of time?
P: Being anti-image is still an image, or at least a stance.
D: As long as humans have sight, image is always a factor.
C: It should be a reflection of the music.
13. Any embarrassing moments on stage you would like to share?
P: Being banned from Bottom of the Hill for excessive volume (the ban was eventually revoked).
D: The Actors are the epitome of class.
C: In a previous band, I played a show in my underwear thinking it’d be funny and cool. It wasn’t.
14. Any favorite tour locations?
P: Las Vegas, Brooklyn.
D: San Diego.
C: Atlanta, Cleveland (from my previous band).
15. Lastly, what is your present state of mind?
P: Comfortably overworked.
D: Wearing shades indoors.
C: Lucid. I save my rave for the weekend.
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[mp3] The Actors – First Date from High and Low [EP] (2010)
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[mp3] Religious Girls – E.S.L. from Open Your Heart to Fantasy (2010)