Literature produces a blast of unfettered, jangled proto-punk raucousness, cut with deliciously lo-fi garage playfulness touched off by the sound of the Modern Lovers. Behind Nathaniel Cardaci’s lyrical wit and onstage mania, the quartet is equally capably of compelling pop gems-in-the-rough and shots of fevered energy, bolstered by guitar from MothFight’s Kevin Attics and bass courtesy of local tape-and-vinyl label Natrix Natrix impresario Seth Whaland. Last year, Literature put out their debut, Hello Berlin on cassette, which recently just got a second run from Voice Academy and Dead Format. They are also the first band to turn the tables on us with their own interview in their awesome Sound Off below. Literature will be open for interpretation this Saturday, May 15, as they blow out Beerland with the Beets, Ringo Deathstar, and Yellow Fever. Get a taste with the track “It’s Cruel” for download.
Profile: Literature
Year Formed:
2009
Members/Instruments played:
ERIK SMITH - drums and hallucinations,
NATHANIEL CARDACI - Guitars and Vox,
KEVIN ATTICS - Guitars + Vox,
SETH WHALAND - DR. BASSS
Former Bands/Side Projects:
DATED, SPELLS, CAVEMAN PONY, REASONABLE AL YANKOVIC, CALI HOMO, MAGIC FOX SHIT, HUNDTS KUP, JR. STEAZ, MOTHFIGHT,
Albums:
2009-HELLO BERLIN (tape - VOICE ACADEMY/DEAD FORMAT)
Influences:
1977-1989, POWER AND JANGLE POP.
Strangest comment ever made about your music:
“HOW DO YOU LIKE EVEN LIKE COME UP WITH THAT STUFF THAT I LIKE.”
Favorite local bands:
BAD SPORTS,THE ZOLTARS,CRUDDY,SERIOUS TRACERS,STUNTS,SIMPLE CIRCUIT, BIG BOYS, MEAT PUPPETS, THE YOUNG,BELAIRE, YELLOW FEVER, SOFT HEALER,CRY BLOOD APACHE,PURE ECSTASY, yeahhhhwaahhhhhyyyyeeeeeaaaahhhhhhhh,
Favorite local venue:
BEERLAND, ANY HOUSE VENUES THAT DON’T SUCK, TRAILER SPACE,THE GRAND.
Upcoming shows scheduled:
May 15: BEERLAND W/ THE BEETS/ RINGO DEATHSTAR/ YELLOW FEVER
May 22: House of Guys
Jun 1: TRAILER SPACE W / THE AMBULARS (D.C.)
Some of your favorite albums from the past year:
Nathaniel-
BRIAN GLAZE - GREEN LIVING <3(WORLD FAMOUS)
BAD SPORTS- S/T
BARE WIRES-ARTIFICIAL CLOUDS (TIC-TAC-TOTALLY)
RADIO CITY - CLASS OF 77' reissue(RADIO HEARTBEAT)
FRESH AND ONLY'S - GREY-EYED GIRLS(WOODIST)
Rickles(erik)-
Ratas Del Vaticano - Mocosos Pateticos (siltbreeze)
Fontana - S/T (X! Records)
Silk Flowers - S/T (PPM)
Hornet Leg - Ribbon of Fear (K Records)
Gay Beast - Second Wave (Skin Graft Records)
Kevin Attics-
LUBOS FISER - VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS SNDTRK (FINDERS KEEPERS)
BRIAN GLAZE - GREEN LIVING (WORLD FAMOUS)
PART TIME - S/T (VOICE ACADEMY)
SHIT AND SHINE - 229-2299/GIRLS AGAINST SHIT (RIOT SEASON)
MILK AND COOKIES - S/T (RADIO HEARTBEAT)
Seth Whaland-
Simon Joyner - Out into the Snow (Team Love)
Ideal band (past or present) to open for on a national tour:
MADONNA
Austin Sound questions:
What is some Literature recommended literature?
NATHANIEL- PETER LANCE, MICHAEL CRICHTON, VOLTAIRE
KEVIN - TOM CLANCY, BEVERLY CLEARY, THOMAS CHATTERTON
RICKLES- ISAAC ASIMOV, R.L. STINE
SETH- DAVID FOSTER WALLACE, JOAN DIDION
Your debut cassette was titled “Hello Berlin” - we’re curious as to what exactly you and Berlin had to talk about?
KEVIN- IT’S FROM THE MOVIE “COME AND SEE”. NATE AND I WERE WATCHING IT AND THIS LITTLE KID THAT LOOKED LIKE A DIRTY, MINIATURE DREW CAREY PICKED UP A TELEPHONE IN THE MIDST OF A BOMBED-OUT WASTELAND AND JOKED “HELLO…. HELLO… BERLIN?”. WE PUT THE SAMPLE AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR TAPE.
Song Introduction:
THIS SONG IS ABOUT EATING REALLY BAD FOOD. DON’T FORGET TO LISTEN FOR THE TWO-NOTE GUITAR SOLO OVERDUB IN THE BEGINNING.
Sound Off:
Austin Sound: If you were to interview a reanimated Dimebag Darrell, what question would you ask him?
Literature: What is your favorite Van Halen song?
Austin Sound: How about World War II; they locked up all the Japanese people for being fat?
Literature: I think it’s because they were fascists.
Austin Sound: Finish this sentence, “CranActin is _________”
Literature: Is… Cran… tasstin…..
Austin Sound: So alot of people say you sound like Bobby McFerrin.
Literature: We love chess, yeah.
Austin Sound: Remember the 80’s? We all danced to Wall of Voodoo’s “Mexican Radio” while driving Bruce Springsteen’s “Pink Cadillac”. After Chernobyl, we all said of Russia “She Blinded Me (With Science)”. It was a “Deep Impact” on all of us when “Kurt Cobain” shot himself “In the Head (Zombie)” by the Cranberries.
Literature: (Stares off blankly.) Not Really.
Austin Sound: How did you feel about the recent regicide in Sealand.
Literature: Sometimes the bitch comes down with a cold… and a whip.
Austin Sound: You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?
Literature: (Drops Popcorn)
Austin Sound: I’m new at this. What’s a good ending question?
Literature: Start with “In Conclusion”, then add “Buy our shit”.
Mp3:
It’s Cruel
Website:
Myspace
best. sound off. ever.