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- Posted: 06/09/2014 23:13
- Post subject: BEA Interview: Lastings
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Goodsir: Hello!
Lastings: Hello man. How’s it going?
Goodsir: I'm good, but I think I'm supposed to be asking you the questions, haha
Lastings: Right… interviewer asks interviewee. Got it.
Goodsir: First off, what was your introduction to music? Did you discover it yourself or were you introduced by a friend or family member?
Lastings: That's a tough question, I suppose. My family has always been into music, the same way everyone was in the 80's. I have pretty vivid memories of riding around in the car listening to Bruce Springsteen and such… but, around the early 90's when I was 10 or 11, I really developed a passion for it on my own.
Goodsir: Interesting, Bruce Springsteen was definitely an early exposure for me, but maybe that's just because I live in New Jersey...
Anyways, what led you to discover album-oriented music?
Lastings: It's interesting that I can still pinpoint the time and the album, but I guess it had a pretty profound effect on me. The album was Ten by Pearl Jam, so the year had to be 1992. I bought the album, like everyone else, because I liked “Jeremy”, “Even Flow” and “Alive” when I heard them on the radio/MTV. I listened to those tracks exhaustively and found myself exploring the album much more. In time I had noticed that I was tired of those tracks, but still listed to tracks like “Once”, “Porch”, “Garden”, “Oceans”, and “Release”.
I say that album had a profound effect on me not because it's my favorite ever (If you look at my chart, you won't even find it in my top 100), but because it was the first time I really found myself liking an album from front to back. This is when I really began to develop an understanding that the best music is not always what is presented to you on the radio/MTV. It's all out there for you to explore and find on your own.
Goodsir: That was a very nice, in-depth explanation. I love that album!
What lead you to the little humble website that is BEA?
Lastings: Thanks. I’m probably going to listen to Ten on my way home from work, now… ha.
To be honest, I'm not sure. I think it was some Google search. I was probably searching for Spin Magazine's top 100, or something like that, and I landed at BEA. It piqued my curiosity and it's been one of my main go-to place to find new music ever since.
Goodsir: That's pretty similar to how I found it.
What would you say are the most important albums that you have discovered through BEA?
Lastings: Good question. Honestly, a lot of my recent favorites were discovered through BEA. Off the top of my head, I found Teen Dream by Beach House, via the yearly chart (which I go to every day to find the most recent great albums). That album is now up to #10 on my top 100 I believe.
I also became acquainted with both Bjork and Sigur Ros via BEA, and they are groups that I've simply fallen in love with.
Goodsir: What other hobbies do you have an interest in besides music?
Lastings: Besides listening to music, I also play music. I play guitar and piano. I join in in some open mics if they are around. I play sports as well. I play baseball and hockey, as well as coach a little league baseball team. I like video games too, but can't seem to find as much time for them as I used to.
I'm a big movie guy, also.
Goodsir: What artists inspire your music-making the most?
Lastings: Well, to say music-making would probably be an overstatement, as I'm a pretty mediocre musician and can't write music for shit. But, I really like to learn by playing songs by artists like The Allman Brothers, Steve Winwood, and more recently, The Strokes and Jack White.
Goodsir: Personally, what is your favorite genre of music?
If there even is one, that is.
Lastings: I couldn't even tell you. As I get older, I can tell you it's not hip-hop. I hardly listen to hip-hop anymore (except Kanye West). But other than that, I'm just as happy listening to an album by Daft Punk, Bjork, Tool, or Fiona Apple. It's all music to me.
Goodsir: How many live shows have you been to? And which one is your favorite?
Lastings: How many? I don't know. Probably a lot. I saw Arcade Fire this year and that was really awesome. I saw both The Shins and The Raconteurs at First Ave. in Minneapolis (which is a small intimate venue). Those concerts were really cool. I saw Pearl Jam and Tom Petty when they toured together. That was a pretty great night of music.
Goodsir: That is really cool. Lastly, how do you buy music?
Lastings: If there is something that just came out and I want it immediately, I usually buy it off of iTunes. But other than that, I still enjoy going to record stores and buying the CD's. The only difference now is that instead of going directly into a CD book, they just go on to my computer and then in a box somewhere. I also use Spotify now, which, I'd say has drastically reduced the amount of music that I buy.
Goodsir: Okay! I guess that's about it. This was a good interview, thanks for that.
Lastings: No problem. I enjoyed doing it. Thank you!
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You do well!
