skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Why I Decree it to Be So:
You're already in smit with Steve Mason, you just might not realize it. If, say, you're a person of excellent taste and have seen High Fidelity more times than you can count, you'll definitely have heard, noticed, and come to love Steve Mason's naughtily angelic voice swell above that glorious Beta Band contortionate tomfoolery. Now, years later, Mason's voice is still as hypnotic as he flies solo with the release of Boys Outside. The music is slightly less manic and madcap, and Mason shows a deeper, more mature side to his lyrics. But that voice is as beautiful as ever. Boys Outside was one of the most pleasant surprises of the year, as far as I'm concerned.
Dearest loves, the Steve Mason-ness just won't stop today! We've got one heck of a treat for you, yes you (well, you if you happen to be in the DC metro area or willing to come to the DC metro area on a Tuesday night, that is). We've got a pair of tickets, courtesy Domino Records, to see Steve perform song after glorious song over at the newly-merged Red Palace on Tuesday, December 14th. If that's not a reason to look forward to a Tuesday night, I don't know what is. All you need to do to win the tickets is holler at us and tell us why you should be the one who wins. We'll alert the winner the day before the show. So have at it, y'all. You've got until noon EST on 12/13. And good luck. mp3: Boys Outside (Keep Shelly In Athens Remix) (Steve Mason from Boys Outside)
I love Domino Records, The Beta Band, and most things Scottish. So it stands to reason that I am so beyond excited to be able to share this here interview with you, my little lambs. Steve Mason, former Beta Band-ian, has taken once more to recording (not that he really ever stopped, mind you, but now he's operating under his own name as opposed to a King Biscuit Time-esque moniker), and this makes me quite a happy girl indeed. Boys Outside is the record in question, and I'm quite sure that as gentlemen and ladies of discerning taste you'll want to plump for it immediately. But first, Mr. Mason was kind enough to marinate a moment or two on those same ole questions I always ask. Here's what he had to say. His thoughts on Trent Reznor, record stores, and nostalgia just might surprise you. Les Enfants Terribles: How the hell are you?
Steve Mason: After defying death many times on my drive from Scotland to London in the snow and ice, I am optimistic.
LET: What was the last song you listened to?
SM: Dominique Young Unique - "Show My Ass".
LET: Playing music is:
SM: Hard to do, but harder to stop.
LET: What album most made you realize you wanted to make music?
SM: I don’t think it was an album, I just didn’t want to be a car mechanic anymore.
LET: Beatles or Stones?
SM: Pistols.
LET: Top 5 albums (of now, of this month, or of ever):
SM: Nas- Illmatic, Stone Roses, Vangelis- Blade Runner soundtrack,
U.N.P.O.C - Fifth Column, AC/DC - If You Want Blood.
LET: Favorite music-related movie?
SM: Beat Street.
LET: Half-full or half-empty?
SM: Smashed.
LET: Which of your peers do you think is making the best music these days?
SM: I don’t know who my peers are! But they need to try harder whoever they are, cos I ain’t heard of them.
LET: What’s the first thing you think when you wake up in the morning?
SM: I really don’t know. I just hope something good happens I suppose.
LET: Little-known Steve Mason fact?
SM: I invented Dub Reggae.
LET: The greatest record store in the world is:
SM: Closed!
LET: Shaken or stirred?
SM: It matters not a jot my friend.
LET: Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
SM: Keep running.
LET: If you weren’t a musician you’d be:
SM: A car mechanic.
LET: If you were so inclined, whom would you form a tribute band in honor of?
SM: I just wouldn’t. Nostalgia is for people who have lost their way.
LET: Describe Boys Outside in ten words or less:
SM: Imperative.
LET: Best song ever written?
SM: By me? “Boys Outside”. By someone else? “Hurt” - Trent Reznor. Possibly!
mp3: All Come Down (Steve Mason from Boys Outside)
Why I Decree it to Be So:
