Watch Out For Rockets was largely just an epic recording project masterminded by David Jones, best represented by the release of last year’s official debut, Let Me Levitate, but this year the band has formed into a proper quartet and begun emerging on local stages. With the recent release of their sophomore album, Beasts With Hearts of Gold, WOFR unloads an epic twenty song disc that spans the spectrum from light, lo-fi indie pop, to blistering guitar and Guided By Voices-styled rockers, to dark and throbbing dance-punk beats. While the band determinedly maintains their 4 track aesthetic, live they are an explosion of unexpected and relentless energy. You can brave the Rocket launch this Saturday, June 13 at the Beauty Bar as they share the stage with Arizona’s Holy Rolling Empire and local mashup king Car Stereo (Wars).
Profile: Watch Out For Rockets
Year Formed:
We have been calling ourselves a band since 2003, but we didn’t actually do anything until 2007. That’s when we decided to put an album together. We are lazy.
Members/Instruments played:
On the album David plays the majority of the instruments, but now that we play live it is as follows:
Jonathan Terhaar - drums
Aaron Rimbey - guitar
Lucas Urbanski - bass
David T. Jones - guitar, vocals
Former Bands/Side Projects:
We have a side project called “Big Girl”, which so far consists of just drinking and laughing.
Albums:
Let Me Levitate (Sept. 2008)
Beasts With Hearts Of Gold (April 2009)
Influences:
Sebadoh, Guided By Voices, The Flaming Lips, The Kinks, Fugazi, David Bowie, T. Rex, etc…
Strangest comment or comparison ever made about your music:
Some girl compared us to Alex Chilton/Big Star
Favorite local bands:
Zest Of Yore, Follow That Bird
Favorite local venue:
Mohawk
Upcoming shows scheduled:
In town we are playing Saturday, June 13th at the Beauty Bar
Shows over the next month that you’re excited to see:
We usually just regret missing shows after they’ve happened.
Some of your favorite albums from the past year:
Zest of Yore’s Quality Of Life, Chain and The Gang’s Down With Liberty….Up With Chains!, The Entrance Band’s Prayer of Death
Ideal band (past or present) to open for on a national tour:
Cheap Trick
Austin Sound questions:
Y’all have released 37 songs on only two albums in the past year. Where do y’all find that much songwriting inspiration?
Honestly, it’s just boredom and the urge to create something.
We’ve been watching out for rockets, but what do we do if we see one?
Give it hugs and drugs.
Song Introduction:
The first song is called “Lift Off Cloud Controller.” It’s just something we came up with and recorded real quick. It’s kind of like if Fugazi and Guided By Voices had a baby, then trained the baby to be an astronaut.
The next song is “Urgent Serpent Merchant.” It’s kind of about finding yourself cut off from the rest of humanity. Sometimes you’re King Shit, and sometimes you are just a hermit that smells like shit.
Both of these songs are on Beasts With Hearts Of Gold
Sound Off:
We just want to put forth our ideas about music. We like the aesthetic of being able to just be in the kitchen or living room and pressing the record button. Using a 4 track allows us to not even have to worry about sonic correctness; it’s gonna sound pretty shitty no matter what. You just go with it, hoping something good comes out. Also, making up songs on the spot and then recording them ensures that you won’t over think it, and the results can be pretty interesting. Doing it that way allows the song to be in the driver’s seat.
Mp3s from Beasts with Hearts of Gold:
Lift Off Cloud Controller
Urgent Serpent Merchant
Website:
Myspace
