Hot Grit
Plenty of bands write songs about living in New York Citysome of the best records ever made are love letters to this townbut for Pop 1280, its the seedier side of life in New York that is the most inspiring.
Vocalist Chris Bug moved to New York in 2008 after a two-year, post-high-schoolgraduation sojourn in China, hoping to avoid becoming a middle-class college grad, he says. Convinced to move to New York by his long-time friend Ivan Lip, Bug settled in Greenpoint and the two decided to start a bandbut in a twist on the traditional model, Lip decided he wanted to recruit members who didnt already play an instrument.
People who cant play an instrument have weirder ideas, Lip says, People who can play their instrument usually like Radiohead.
This made Bug the perfect choice. The duo eventually landed a bass player, John Skultrane, and drummer Andrew Smith.
Ivan started writing music along with Chris, whod hum the occasional tune into his cell phone and email the clip to Lip.
The resulting sound was pegged as Downer Punk and has been compared to The Birthday Party, though after a few listens, Pop 1280 feels a lot more like Rollins-era Black Flag, metal-influenced and droney, with a synthesizer component comparable to Suicide or the The Screamers.
I meet Lip and Bug at the Mark Bar in Greenpoint, next to Tommys Tavern, where the band is about to play a show. We soon decide that Mark, filled with Polish locals and studded-jacket-wearing drunk punks, is too loud for us to talk. Lip asks if I want to go his place a few blocks away.
Im a bit taken aback. Most bands seem obsessed with maintaining an air of mystery. However Lip, who looks a bit like a Voidoidsera Richard Hell, crossed with young Amadeus in, well, Amadeus, has no problem with letting me sit in his living room and drink his Pabst, free to spot his Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia DVD set and anything else that might prove him to be a normal kid. When I ask if the guys download music, they respond in the affirmative, another surprise since so many bands as of late consider it uncool to listen to music on ones computer. However, when I ask why they decided initially to put out 7-inch singles instead of an easy-to-produce CD, Bug and Lip answer in unison: Street cred.
Much of the lyrical content of The Grid, the bands recently released 12-inch EP, describes a Naked Lunch-style New York City. In the title track, the group sings about seeing someone masturbate in publicHes beatin it/ hes beatin it. I ask about what its like being a band here, whether everyone is as jaded as some say, whether theres too many bands for anyone to pay attention. Lip says that what he once considered to be a thriving music scene is in a lull this year.
For our purposes there was a really good scene of bands a year ago that have since broken up. Twin Stumps and Drunkdriver broke up. Nice Face moved to L.A. There was a nice little rip-it-up-and start-again-type scene that revolved around a little community at Silent Barn, but the people we knew there have since moved out. It always ebbs and flows so Im not worried.
About being a band in New York, Lip admits, It sucks that rent is so high and you have to rent practice space. I have friends in Portland who pay $200 a month for rent and can practice in the basement, but there, maybe getting a job is really hard or theres only a few places to play.
Lip and Bug have a rapport with one another and in talking to me they emanate a juxtaposition of earnestness and arrogance thats ultimately endearing, much like their music. Similar is their relationship to the city. Lip and Bug like New York because they hate it. For them, the perfect muses are public masturbators and shit sailors.
If youre living in Portland, you dont have to deal with the daily rage and hate and disgust of New York City, says Bug.
Lip agrees, adding, I really like it here. I dont really like many places, but I like it here.
>> Pop 1280 Nov. 27, Death By Audio, 49 S. 2nd St. (betw. Kent & Wythe Aves.), Brooklyn, no phone; 8, $TBA.