He has participated in International Waters, COOL Serbia, Heavenly Beat, and currently Dress as a drummer.
He likes The Church, 7 Seconds, GoGoGo Airheart, Nicholas Nicholas, Sean Nicholas Savage, Burzum, Prince, Michael Jackson, Ramona Lisa, TOPS, Cattle Decapitation and listening to 96.3 KKMJ when he runs out of ideas.
Conversation:
M: We are perpetually engaged in an endless discussion about artists with large bodies of work that also innovate. There are many artists who offer large bodies of work but do not innovate whatsoever and only regurgitate themselves over and over again out of relevancy.
C: David Byrne and The Talking Heads are the first thing I think of when I defend that idea. After the Talking Heads work David Byrne went on to make a whole string of albums of expansive pop, which would normally be lame, but his work has never gone down in quality. His solo albums are a quality listen all the way through. A good example is the album Feelings.
M: What makes them timeless? They’re a pop/funk band, right? You have roots in much harder music playing in punk bands growing up. How did you fall in love with David Byrne?
C: No way, it’s punk! More Music about Food And Buildings is a punk album. The razor sharp, angular guitars and easy two-part arrangements are punk. The quality of the bass/drum work on Talking Heads records tricks you into thinking your listening to disco or just plain pop rock.
M: Well, speaking of pop, I catch you listening to 96.3 often, especially if you are driving us somewhere. Do you listen to that to balance out the your nostalgia for punk albums?
C: I like rhythmically driven music and the music on that station is completely driven by that principal alone. It’s simple. Beat, then a bass line, then some beautiful singing + harmonies, always vocal driven. There is a certain innocence to that kind of R&B pop music, always with the vocal as the main instrument like in the case of Caroline Polacek or John Maus, with his really grandiose lo-fi pop or even further with Sean Nicolas Savage stuff. It’s like riding on the back of Falcor or some kind of dragon-wiener dog. It’s escapism and completely mindless, but very beautiful with the simple structure.
The Church – Reptile http://youtu.be/uCPC_5j1Few
7 Seconds – Spread http://youtu.be/zmH1_xaQ-vg
GoGoGo Airheart – Here Comes Attack http://youtu.be/reJ6paO6pDM
Nicholas Nicholas – Wrong (album) http://youtu.be/XxjgluhW4mY
Sean Nicholas Savage – Heartless http://youtu.be/h9y7PMmlpK8
Burzum – Dunkelheit http://youtu.be/DPyOhP1GTRQ
Micheal Jackson – Don’t Stop ‘Til you Get Enough http://youtu.be/yURRmWtbTbo
Ramona Lisa – Dominic http://youtu.be/BVPjTC0IGWU
TOPS – Change of Heart http://youtu.be/zBXI9_-sRMc
Cattle Decapitation – Kingdom of Tyrants http://youtu.be/6mgNLE4GHvk
Born In The Wild 