Named after northwest poet Charles Potts, the Magic Windmill Band trades in what they describe as “New York City Experimental Country.” It’s about as accurate as anything else to describe their sound - we threw the anti-folk, freak-folk question at them below to no avail – but you shouldn’t think that the CPMWB are any way pretentious art-folkers. Primarily formed around Travis Catsull and Cavedweller’s Dirk Michener, the group builds off the vocal harmonies of Catsull and Reed Posey to twist clever and often hilarious narratives about everything from “Airwolf” to the corrupting influence of their own music. And how can you not love a band that lists Roger Miller and Syd Barrett alongside each other?
The Charles Potts Magic Windmill Band plays this Monday with Pink Nasty and Jana Hunter at the Mohawk.
Profile: Charles Potts Magic Windmill Band
Year Formed:
2002
Members/Instruments played:
Travis Catsull - vocals, Dirk Michener- guitar, vocals, Preston Dukes- bass, vocals Tim Bond- drums, vocals, Reed Posey- vocals
Former Bands/Side Projects:
The Windmill Band is a side project. The “real” bands are Cavedweller, Count Dracula’s Weed Smuggling Jam Engine, The Wyndyms. The former bands are too numerous to name, but Hard Rock Zombie and The Corn Falcons, Tonight We Die Tomorrow We Kill, The Partridges and Pears, Catsull, Dukes and Defcon, The Convention Center, League of Gentlemen, Abashed, The Uncanny Lunkheads is a good place to start.
Albums (Year of Release and label):
Self Titled Cassette (Business Deal Records, 2003), Becky (Business Deal Records, 2004) Wyoming 7” (Business Deal Records / The Temple, Inc, 2005), Shiny Trophy (Business Deal Records / The Temple, Inc., 2007)
Influences:
Asphalt the Recorder, Roger Miller, Syd Barrett, The Gatlin Bros., GG Allin, Toby Keith, Silver Jews.
Strangest comment or comparison ever made about your music:
Someone said we play “stoner country” and then someone said Akron Family something or other.
Favorite local bands:
Horse + Donkey, Yellow Fever, Basic, The Sword, The Zom Zoms, Black Nasty, Crow, Shapes Have Fangs, Lucky Tubb, Smoke Detector, Pataphysics.
Favorite local venue:
The Carousel Lounge
Upcoming shows scheduled:
Dec. 11th @ The Mohawk w/ Pink Nasty, Jana Hunter. Jan 20th @ The Carousel Lounge w/ Stillwater Pioneers, Spitwire Tumbleweeds
Shows over the next month that you’re excited to see (other bands):
The Zom Zoms and Undoing of David Wright @ Flamingo Cantina. Coma in Algiers, anywhere they play. Rusted Shut @ Emos. Is Shellac ever coming back to Austin?
Some of your favorite albums from the past year:
Om – Conference of Birds, Rusted Shut – Rehab, Rosanne Cash – Black Cadillac, Gene Defcon – Throw Up and Die
Ideal band (past or present) to open for on a national tour:
Om and Rusted Shut OR Roger Miller and John Prine.
Austin Sound questions:
Favorite line(s) from a Charles Potts poem?:
“I love you and
I am not ashamed
Of my mustache
Let us go tripping once again
Down any street in any town”
-from the book, “Kiot”
Freak folk vs. Anti-folk. How would you characterize the difference (or are they both bankrupt terms)?:
Fuck it.
Song Introduction:
Run Johnny Run – An anti-prohibition song about “Johnny” who illegally brews the greatest moonshine around until the Feds find out, destroy his still, arrest him and force him to start making moonshine for the government.
Sound Off:
Every year during truck month we quit our jobs by telling our bosses to “shove it” and go on a 31 day bender. Kill all cops, dmt = “business man” trips, xanax parties, devil core half-pipes and someone’s got pink eye again. The dog got in the house and tore up the only bath towel when I had all 3 flavors of Snus in my mouth. Let’s just talk about Toby Keith all nite while flipping off the sky. A whole keg of Sparks, 1 thirty foot sandwich in the back of the El Camino.
Mp3’s:
Run Johnny Run
Ain’t Seen Nothing
Website:
Myspace
