Other than a few backing vocals and a single bass guitar line, every moment on Floating Action’s self-titled debut release was performed by lyricist, musician, and producer, Seth Kauffman.  It’s 14 tracks of Kauffman-style vocals, keyboard, bass, drums, sitar, ethnic percussion, and guitar takes.  It may be DIY in spirit, but the end product is an expertly produced, charming mismatch of folk, Motown, Caribbean, roots, and indie rock.
Floating Action, in many ways more a pseudonym for Kauffman than an all out band, isn’t his first musical foray. He released a debut full length and EP under his own name in 2006, played with Band of Horses’ Tyler Ramsey both on his solo release and the subsequent tour, toured with Shannon Whitworth, and produced, recorded and wrote much of hailed tropicountry maven Courtney Jaye’s record Queen of Sabotage.  With Floating Action heating up (and based in Black Mountain), Kauffman’s on the move so while be sure to catch him while he’s in town, tomorrow night with his Floating Action bandmates helping The Tomahawks celebrate their record release at the Local 506 this Friday, October 15th.
And now the five hardest questions in faux business:
1. If your band were a sunken treasure, what would it be?
A perfectly preserved case of light-emitting caramel apples.
2. When did you start to think music might really work out as something more than a living room hobby?
I was living in a cabin in the San Gabriel mountains in California, around 2001; trying to make it happen with a band that didn’t happen (the Choosy Beggars).. As it was disintegrating, i contacted this bluesman Abe Reid in N.C., to try to play drums for him. He said ‘i’ll put you to work,’ so i moved back to N.C. and started gigging hard with him for a couple years.. that’s really when it kind of became established that music was what i was going to do.
3. Describe the pressures/pleasures of producing your own records.
Pressures: Tricking yourself into not thinking about what you’re thinking about, then thinking about what you’re not thinking about. Then having to switch back and forth between those when you’re not ready to.
Pleasures: Â No one knows your thoughts, not even yourself, at least while you’re tapping from the purest source. So if you do it right, you can eliminate the middle man and make leaps and bounds beyond conventional methods; losing very little original energy in translation.
4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?
Paula Abdul’s ‘Shut Up and Dance’ remix album.  Maybe the best album of all time.  Marianne Faithfull.  Old Italian cars. Karl Barth. Surfing.  Baja Marimba Band.  Saabs.
5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (how ’d that turn out?)
Never established that.. too busy snowboarding and skateboarding. Started to be a meteorologist for a second in college; then realized it’s all staring at a computer and hard math. I’m terrible at math. Sorry, Dad. (He’s a (Duke) phd electrical engineer…but has become at peace with my genetic shortcomings.)
“And I do the best I can with this head that I got. / And it’s a mighty fine nice head, and it’s got mighty fine nice thoughts,†sings Brian Corum just before imagining his brain and spinal cord strolling down the block donning protective sunglasses and sunscreen. The lyric, from “Summertime†a track off Lonnie Walker’s debut LP These Times Old Times, strikes some sort of playful absurdist mix of nonsense and total sense.
And considering that Lonnie Walker began as Corum’s own sort of one-man-band-choose-your-own-adventure-quest in Greenville, NC, it’s also telling in it’s confidence. Not everyone would take their brainstem for a walk down the block and, furthermore, not everyone would invite four of their best friends along for the ride. Now a Raleigh outfit, featuring the talents of Corum plus Eric Hill, Justin Flythe, Raymond Finn, and Josh Bridgers, Lonnie Walker’s music is a lively bounce of fun and friction—part Americana, part punk rock with a dash of indie-pop just for good measure. And you can catch Lonnie Walker live this upcoming Thursday at the Local 506 where they’ll be joined by their friends Futurebirds and Johnny Corndawg.
And now just the five hardest questions in faux business:
1. If your band were a painting, which would it be? (why?)
This question is pretty difficult. It’s hard to make a match out of two mediums that are so different from each other. You could compare a band by a comparison in the artist’s life, the concept that drives his/her works, the aesthetic of the pieces alone, and I’m sure there is more I’m forgetting. Anyways, I don’t want to just make this comparison for my band alone and since I love the triangle so much, I chose 20 local bands to compare to visual artists.
1.) Bowerbirds– Andy Goldsworthy: he uses what he finds around the area of land in which he chooses to work to create earth sculptures that decay sometimes just as fast as they’re created.
2.) The Love Language– Gustav Klimt: Klimt’s work is decorative, romantic, and very erotic in certain pieces. I feel like “Libraries” fits the look at points in the album.
3.) Hammer No More the Fingers– Keith Haring: don’t really have a good reason why Haring’s work reminds me of HNMTF but it does
4.) Mount Moriah– Rembrant- super classic painter and print maker. I especially love his prints b/c he would etch them and flatten the metal and etch them again over and over.
5.) Shit Horse- Andy Warhol: There is almost a sense of irony in Shithorse. I guess I think that comes mainly from the way the was band started. They are also the best punk rock group in the triangle.
6.) Megafaun– Robert Rauschenberg- I feel like anyone who has seen Megafaun play live and have also seen Rauschenberg’s work should know exactly what I’m talking about. This was an easy comparison.
7.) Americans in France– Basquiat: Josh’s voice reminds me of Basquiat’s brush strokes.
8.) Veelee– Piet Mondrian: I chose this artist b/c just like Veelee, Mondrian creates his designs while using a very limited pallet.
9.) Embarrassing Fruits– Arcimboldo: HA
10.) The Rosebuds– Georgia O’Keefe- We’ll this was hard. I guess the flower reference is something you could easily compare. Her works are all very naked, beautiful, and they engage the viewer.
11.) Lonnie Walker– Jeff Wall: Jeff Wall is one of my all time favorite photographers. Â His work is, a lot of the time, based off of classic paintings that he then recreates without mimicking. I feel that lots of times I write after experiencing some sort of inspiration through already written songs, movies, books, and whatever other creative pieces or ideas I stumble upon. This isn’t always the case, but I make it a point to never push that part of me away. Wall also arranges his subjects to create a scene that brings about a story before he even puts his eye through the lens of his camera. I find that I work out most of what I want a song to sound like in my head before we ever start arranging it as a band. This also can change, but thus far it has been working alright for me.
12.) The Light Pines– Hieronymus Bosch: When I hear the lyrics Josh is saying it reminds me of something classic and mystic at the same time. Also, There is a lot going on in his work besides just the overall painting. If you zoom in close up there are tons of little subplots and important details.
13.) Annuals– Frida Kahlo: Adam Baker writes and arranges most all of Annuals parts alone. Spending hours upon hours arranging and rearranging the his songs. Kahlo spent a good portion of her life in the hospital painting self-portraits in isolation.
14.) Old Bricks– Andrew Wyeth: The art of the debut Old Bricks album reminds me of something Wyeth would paint.
15.) Motor Skills– Man Ray- Motor Skills’ live show with all the lights is kind of like a rayograph.
16.) White Cascade– Jackson Pollock: The layers of the music is so thick that at times it almost sounds like white noise. Pollock’s paintings remind me of the same.
17.) NAPS– Marcel Duchamp: This is directed to Daniel’s take on creating music and his avenues in getting it heard by others.
18.) Birds of Avalon– Ansel Adams: Both artists feel epic and create something that feels larger than the sum of its components.
19.) Max Indian– Paul Cezanne: Most everyone wouldn’t mind having a Cezanne piece on their wall. Max Indian’s music can’t really piss anybody off. You hear it, understand it, enjoy and accept it.
20.) Whatever Brains– Willam de Kooning: Both artists feel/look sloppy in a very good way. Colorful and catchy as well.
2. When did you first think music was something you’d like to try?
I first started writing songs near the end of middle school and continued through early high school. I stopped playing in mid to late high school and it was around my sophomore year in college that I began writing songs again. I don’t really know why I stopped or anything. I guess I just got board of it and didn’t think I was gonna be any good at it. I got a push from some friends who I played some songs for in College and so I started playing solo at house shows and DIY venues. It kind of just grew into something that people wanted to hear and I had buddies that would book me shows, which kept me busy at writing new songs. It was just a natural progression I suppose. I mean, I always knew that I wanted to do something with my life that I found enjoyment in. I’m still not convinced that music is a great way to go to maintain a decent living, but even if I wasn’t playing shows and doing interviews like this I would still be at home writing songs and recording them because it’s something that I find pleasure in completing
photo by Brian Vetter
3. Describe how North Carolina has affected your music.
I have found a shit ton of bands that I love here. North Carolina music keeps me inspired because I’m always hearing new acts that I love and sharing ideas with like minded artists keeps my mind fresh. I feel like people who live in Baltimore would say the same thing about Baltimore though, just as all the bands that picked up and moved to Brooklyn would say the same thing about the music scene in Brooklyn. I will say that North Carolina music fans give more attention to local music than most places that I’ve been. I feel that they are the best part about it all.
4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that might really surprise people?
I’m not really sure what would surprise people. I really love Slick Rick and a bunch of other old school Hip Hop. I listen to a decent amount of classic country too, but I feel like that might not be all that surprising to people.
5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (how ’d that turn out?)
When I was in daycare I used to draw my own comic book characters. I’d give them superpowers and tape 4 pieces of paper together to create a huge battle scene with all of them fighting each other. I was super young but at that time I thought I wanted to be a comic book Illustrator. I also remember wanting to be an oceanographer at one point because I was so intrigued by the ocean. When I was playing hockey I fantasized about being a pro hockey player and when I was playing Sega Genesis all the time I wanted to be like Sonic the Hedgehog. I used to spike up my hair as a kid so that I could look as cool as Sonic. haha. As far as the “how did it turn out?” part, I never really ended up doing any of the previous things mentioned professionally. I also, never turned into Sonic the Hedgehog but the future is still uncertain and anything can happen.
Truck on down to the Local 506 next Thursday, October 14th to catch Lonnie Walker in action. And, by all means, give Brian a high five when you see him!
Menomena / Suckers / Tu Fawning @ Cat’s Cradle – $12 adv / $15 day of the show
Born Ruffians / Winter Gloves @ Local 506 – $9 adv / $11 at the door
The Nasher Presents “The Record” After-Party hosted by WXDU @ The Pinhook – $TBA
Fri – 10/8
Wild Wild Geese CD Release! with Drunk Tigers / Bad Cop @ The Nightlight – $5
Anoop Desai and Friends / Clef Hangers / J Timber / Madame Sabrosa @ Cat’s Cradle – $10 adv / $12 day of the show
Minus Sound Research featuring The Moaners,The Kingsbury Manx, Free Electric State & Birds and Arrows @ The Arts Center in Carrboro – $10 adv / $12 day of the show
Joe Pug & The Hundred Mile Band / Vandaveer @ Local 506 – $10
Minus Sound Research featuring Americans in France, Shark Quest, North Elementary and Organos @ The Arts Center in Carrboro – $10 adv / $12 day of the show
Deerhunter / Casino vs. Japan / Ducktails @ Cat’s Cradle – $15 adv / $17 day of the show
Scout Niblett / HOLY SONS / Michael Holland with Peas and Collards / Bad Mr. Viswas and the Family @ The Nightlight – $7
Transportation CD Release! with Simple @ The Cave – $TBA
Sun – 10/10
Built to Spill / Revolt Revolt @ Cat’s Cradle – $20 adv / $23 day of the show
Steve Gunn / Ezekiel Graves / Villages @ The Nightlight – $6
When your house burns down in the middle of a torrential hurricane, it’s a pretty good bet that whatever almighty there is up there is telling you to get the hell out of Florida. At least that’s what Rob Ruin and his wife Allison thought when in 2004 Hurricane Frances threw a transformer down on their home and left them with little more than some clothes, a Clash LP and a silver hollow body guitar. The couple took the hit, packed up and moved to Chapel Hill to be near a few long lost childhood friends.
Now, years later, Ruin found a new home and new musical inspiration— first in Spider Bags and now in Wild Wild Geese. The Geese, Ruin, drummer John Jaquiss, bassist Kent Howard, and guitarist/keyboardist Nathan Toben, play spunky garage rock that’s as beautifully noisy as it is playful.  Click on over to their Odessa Records page to download their debut EP Are You a Baby? for free. Then, be sure to head out to The Nightlight Oct 8th where they’ll be celebrating the release of their full length Sorry, Earth, along with their pals Drunk Tigers and Bad Cop.
And now just five questions for one of the geese to gander:
1. If your band were a mother goose story, which would it be?
This is going to sound horribly depressing, but I say this with a smile; I have no clue. I have long had this theory that, being the youngest of three, by the time I was born my mother had kind of given up on the typical childhood teachings that my older siblings and most kids were raised on. It always cracks me up how thin my knowledge is when it comes to nursery rhymes, bedtime stories and the like. Being wild wild geese though, I guess we’d have our own story as the wayward children of Mother Goose herself. I might have to start writing this, hmmm…
2. When did you first think music was something you would like to try?
As long as I can remember, I’ve always been attracted to the raw response people have to music. For me, more than any other art form, music has the potential to completely shift a mood or kill a room with a single change in notes. That said, I remember my father went to England on business when I was younger and he asked the clerk in a record store what “the kids were listening to†in order to bring a hip gift home for my brother and me. He brought home a Simple Minds record and the Cure’s “Disintegration†and let us fight over them. Lucky for me, my brother chose the Simple Minds record. I remember how sad I became popping the cassette in and hearing “Plain Song†for the first time. I think that was when I started thinking about playing and creating these devastating sonic concoctions myself.
3. Describe the last time you totally geeked out about a song.
As any of my friends can tell you, I was the obnoxious, music-pusher friend, cranking a car stereo and forcing passengers to suffer through whatever I was obsessing over at the time. Recently, it has been this track “Ocean City†by Kurt Vile; a warbling, stripped down acoustic pop gem that cross fades into an ambient, spaced out keyboard line. Two instruments, vocals, perfection.
4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?
My wife and I have a Greater Swiss mountain dog named Meatball that makes the strangest noises when he’s excited. We call it the “woo woo,†and I think all along I’ve just been trying to replicate that musically.
5. What did you want to be when you grew up? (How did that work out?)
The Big three:
1. photographer: I’m terrible at it.
2. chef: I watch a lot of Food Network.
3. musician: I’m havin’ fun with it.
Help Wild Wild Geese celebrate the release of their new record, Sorry, Earth at The Nightlight Friday, October 8th. And, by all means, give Rob a high five when you see him!
On nice Wednesday nights, if you’re lucky, you can find Leah Schinasi, Jordan Hutchinson, and Phil Blank paused somewhere on the streets of Carrboro playing music. Equal parts fiddle, clarinet, and accordion, these three join forces as Gmish to play klezmer in a style that blends the flashier concert customs with the downhome dance traditions.
If you ask Phil, though, mostly “they spend way too much time deciphering the complex language of ornaments, phrasing and rhythm from scratchy 78s.”  The fidelity and passion of the tunes they play thanks to all that time head-scratching and busking on the sidewalks around town pays off with wildly fun shows. But don’t just take my word for it, catch Gmish in full tilt next Thursday, September 30th, at The Nightlight where they’ll be joined by Taraf de Unemployed and Blood Jar Creepers, as well as, folklorist Vincent Joos, who’ll be sharing stories about his recent fieldwork in Romania.
And now just five questions for Gmish’s king of the squeeze-box:
from "The Mysterious Ragmen of Jonkonnu" by Phil Blank
1. If your band were a dance move, what would it be?
A slow draggy dance, with lots of hand movement, shuffling feet, and gazing (what they now call “social
networkingâ€), preferably under a street light.
2. Why did you name the group Gmish (yiddish for mish-mash)?
Leah, the fiddler who thought of it says, “hmm it was a while ago…. I think my idea was that the word
gmish described us as a group, in that we were different people with different histories and backgrounds
(musical and otherwise) coming together to play the same music. Plus it’s just a fun word! “
3. Describe your feelings toward the accordion.
The accordion is the primal ooze of instruments. I have an old beat-up one where you can hear the notes crawl out of it, open their eyes and squint into the sun. It tends to be in the muddled middle of things, sonically and physically. Even motherly maybe? Push!
from "The Lowest of the Low" by Phil Blank
4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that might really surprise people?
Most of my inspiration comes from local traditions to which I was not “kin†but was lucky enough to experience in raw, unamplified and casual contexts. Seeing my wife sing gospel music from her youth and seeing her relationship to it was a demonstration of the emotional potential of that music and an inspiration for me to never (never never ever) try that myself. Hearing David Long play Bill Monroe style mandolin helped me understand the blunt overpowering punch that can be in traditional music. It is something that doesn’t always come across on recordings and seems to be rapidly fading. I once watched my friend Ben Hartlage listen to the Stanley Brothers and I heard the resolute male humility and regret in Carter’s voice (I was always distracted by Ralph’s part.) I’ve been lucky enough to have dozens of these moments and they really gave me an ear for hearing things in klezmer and other musics from the
same period in history.
5. What did you want to be when you were a kid? (How did that work out?)
When I was a kid, I mostly wanted to be left alone to read, draw and play music. So far so good!
“The vanishing frontier is not going to save our modern fears,†or so goes a line from the Embarrassing Fruits (Joe Norkus, Lee Shaw and John Neville) new record, Frontier Justice. Delivered in sedate deadpan over a trundling riff, the lyric is a peak at the album’s thematic bent—the realization that growing up is as much about accepting that nothing really changes as it is about trying to make them.
The slacker-maturity of that sentiment is as much a reflection of the band’s evolution as it is the player’s personal journeys. From their debut split 7’ Sumr Stupid Drunk Fun to the First Time EP to last year’s Community/ Exploitation, the musical push has always been about stumbling toward enlightenment.  It’s an arc that’s garnered them cheers for their “easy going spirit†and pop-rock reverie and that now sees them amalgamating indie/classic/post-rock influences with confident, collaborative abandon. And you can catch them in the act and help them celebrate the release of Frontier Justice at Duke Coffehouse this Friday when they’ll be joined by Midtown Dickens and Lonnie Walker.
And now just five flustering questions for Joe-fruit:
Aural orgasm…..No but seriously -Â there’s more collaboration. Our bass player has been writing more and singing/playing guitar on some stuff. A lot of it has a more classic rock feel, mixed w/ the nineties sounds on some of our earlier records. We worked really hard on little lead guitar things. We recorded it to tape too, so there’s a bigger, warmer sound.
3. Describe your last or most embarrassing moment.
Richmond VA, @ Nara Sushi (had to be there)
4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that might really surprise people?
Motorhead, Stone Temple Pilots, Babasonicos, Pappo’s Blues, Bonnie Prince Billie, Lil Wayne
5. What did you want to be when you were a kid? (How did that work out?)
I wanted to be a chef, and an artist, and later on a rock star. I cook for me and my girlfriend, I do web design and graphic design, and I play in a band called Embarrassing Fruits, so as far as the first 2 things go, my life worked out pretty well. 😉
Head out to the Duke Coffehouse this Friday to help Embarrassing Fruits celebrate the release of their new record, Frontier Justice. And, by all means, give Joe a high five when you see him!
The Moaners (Record Release Party) / Ryan Gustafson / DJ Steph Russ @ The Nightlight – $5
Local Label Slam! Pox World Empire Records @ The Pinhook – The artists of Pox (Nathan Oliver, Organos, Anna Bullard, Felix Obelix, etc) will be out in full force, you should be too. $5
Free Electric State / Left Outlet / Goner / Decoration Ghost / On the Take @ The Pour House – $7
The Sanctified (Night 2): Megafaun / Fight the Big Bull / Justin Vernon of Bon Iver / Sharon Van Etten @ Duke – $26 / $5 for Duke Students