Tiny Moving Parts [Interview]

With their new album Celebrate (reviewed in full on TMMP here), Tiny Moving Parts are flying the flag for manically complex, yet still emotionally evocative rock. With that in mind, I chatted to TMP vocalist/guitarist Dylan Mattheisen about Celebrate, motivation, golf, and more… Read more…

Posted on 01 June 2016

Press To MECO [Interview]

Press To MECO are a one of a kind band. Dropping pop-punk, post-hardcore, and math-ridden influences into their own musical melting pot and cooking up a genuinely unique sonic style, Press To MECO are exactly the kind of band the rock world needs right now: Different, special, exciting, and forward-thinking.

From February 22nd through to March 9th, Press To MECO are touring the UK with Max Raptor and Allusondrugs – and here, TMMP talks to vocalist/guitarist Luke Caley about motivation, life after the release of debut album Good Intent (reviewed on TMMP here), and Press To MECO’s ultimate goal…

The last time we spoke, you were about to head off and tour the UK to support the release of Good Intent. How did that go? Any road stories?

The tour was so awesome! I think three shows overall sold out, and every date had Read more…

Posted on 25 January 2016

Press To MECO [Interview]

TMMP is dedicated to discovering and supporting musicians who break boundaries, beat the best expectations, and mean what they play.

Is it trendy? Is it cool and hip and in and [insert alternative buzzword here]? Who the fuck cares, honestly?

A self-conscious reluctance to experiment holds a lot of musicians back from doing something fresh, new, and vital. Now more than ever, musicians are placed under constant and unrelenting pressure to conform to the ways of the past – expected to be slaves to external demands, pleasing everyone except themselves.

The thing is, all the styles and genres that we take for granted now were alien once. Jazz is now considered quaint and archaic, as is classic rock’n’roll – but when those movements first kicked off, people had no idea what to make of it. From the perspective of those original jazzers and rock’n’rollers, we live in the future – and yet that same future is frequently soundtracked by vintage sounds.

Although there’s nothing objectively wrong with that, it’s still a little ironic that this future currently tends (and trends) toward the past, rather than looking forward and trying something new. Too many of today’s musicians have forgotten that the (metaphorical) musical melting pot even exists, neglecting it in favour of textbook, formulaic recycling.

But then, there are bands like Press To MECO. Read more…

Posted on 01 October 2015

Bowling For Soup [Interview]

If you’re trying to get the Girl All The Bad Guys Want, hung up on a Bitch, or suffering from mixed feelings about a girl named Emily, Bowling For Soup have not only felt your pain, but also written a song about it. These guys are pop-punk legends, and are set to return to British shores in February 2016 for their “How About Another Round?” tour. With live shows, longevity, and drinking in mind, TMMP wound up talking strip clubs, jail, nutsack uppercuts, and the Grammys with BFS bassist Erik Chandler…

You’re set to hit the UK next year for your “How About Another Round?” tour. On the topic of drinking, what were the contents of the most expensive round you’ve ever bought? 

I can’t say that we actually “paid” for it, but this tab went to the record label and was eventually charged back to us. So, in the long run, we paid for it.

There is a legendary “gentleman’s club” in Atlanta, Georgia, called Tattle Tales, made famous by getting a name check in Motley Crue’s Girls Girls Girls – and I believe the tab was about $8000. That’s roughly £5100. It was a good night, and only one person went to jail – and he was not a member of BFS.

Which are better – American bars, or British pubs?

We, as a band, are a fan of the dive bars. So if you’re talking a straight up British pub, I have to go Read more…

Posted on 22 July 2015