I was pretty surprised when Dan from Said The Gramophone got back to me about doing an interview for the “get to know your blogger” feature here at Muzzle of Bees. I was even more surprised that he agreed to do it. Making up 1/3 of the greatness that is Said the Gramophone, and being one of the blogs that I read long before I decided to make my own, it is with great honor and pleasure that I give you the interview below. Thanks Dan!

Let’s get some general background on you. Where do you live, how long, etc.

I don’t really have a home right now. I’m living in Montreal as I type this (with my cousin Monica) but I will be moving next week, and I have no idea where I want to move to. Answer: I don’t know.

I want get an idea of your musical taste evolution if you will. What were some of the first albums/tapes/CD’s you bought?

My first musical experiences were not purchases. I have two older sisters, and it was their stuff that really got me into music in the first place. We’re talking House of Pain, Fushnikins, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. First album I ever got as a gift: Pearl Jam’s Ten.

How about some of the more recent CD’s you’ve purchased?

My most recent purchases were eps by Telefauna and Dorian Hatchet. But my most valued purchase was Les Angles Morts, but that was a few months ago.

Where do you buy the majority of your records? Do you support a particular record store in your area, buy online, and if so, where?

I buy most of my cds at CD Esoterik in Montreal. But they’re closing now. So I guess I’ll never buy cds again.

When I started listening to music, there were certain musicians that led me in the path of a lot of other bands. Did you have any similar experiences with bands growing up?

Yes, I have two bands that did that. Pearl Jam was first, and that basically did me for all of high school. Because Pearl Jam leads to Nirvana (which should have lead in another direction, but I was blind) and Smashing Pumpkins and The Tragically Hip. But then in the last year of high school, I heard Modest Mouse and Kid A, and that was a whole nother path. On to Pavement and all things malkmus, then I got lucky and had a class with Win who invited me to my first arcade fire show, and that was…well, a huge part of my life.

What are some of your favorite records of all time?

If I actually said what I thought, they’d be records that I’ve discovered recently (Remain in Light, Blueberry Boat) and I have no idea if I actually feel they’re the best records of all time, or if I’m just able to convince myself over and over that I’ve just discovered the best record of all time.

Any idea how many albums are in your collection?

slightly less than 40G. 17 days of music. ugh, there’s too much.

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If you could spend time with 3 musicians, who would you choose?

Mm. good question. First, I’d want to be forced together with 3 musicians, I wouldn’t want them to feel like they’re doing me any favours, you know? So, I guess I’d like to be sentenced to community service (of painting a mural depicting the theme of “real life monsters”) with Matthew Friedberger, David Byrne, and Jordan Himelfarb.

I’m sure you’ve seen some great concerts. Can you tell me what the first concert you saw was and when? To follow that up, are there any particular shows that stand out in terms of being favorites?

The first concert I went to (with Mike D’Aloisio) was The Tragically Hip; it had rained that day at the speedway, so it turned into one of those mud concerts. My sister taught me that breaking rules is sometimes fun. The best concert I’ve been to, however, is no question the loft show that got Wolf Parade signed to Sub Pop. This guy kept pushing past me, I saw him like thee times, and I kept saying to myself “that poor guy probably doesn’t realise he looks exactly like Isaac Brock.” turns out it was Isaac Brock, and we danced together to This Heart’s On Fire. Man, best music-related night of my life.

What are some bands that you haven’t gotten the chance to see live, but would really like to?
Red Pony Clock. Agent Simple. Please come to Canada, both of you!

How did you choose the name of your blog?

I didn’t choose it. But the thing about names of stuff — bands, blogs, books, etc. — there’s a whole bunch of bad names, but a good name is not something you expect, and if the stuff the people with the name do is good, the name just gets better and better. If I had a blog, it would be called The Brag of a Cigarette. No, it wouldn’t, that’s shitty.

Can you tell me what got you into blogging, and are you surprised by the popularity your blog has attained?

Sean got me into blogging. But I don’t even think of what we do as ‘blogging’. Or maybe I feel like the best music criticism feels more like blogging.

What are some of your favorite blogs? Music or otherwise.

I have a problem keeping up with the news. I get most of my news from my friends, and they usually tell it to me with “Don’t you know this?” in front of it. So, I read my friends blogs, but they’re just talking about their lives. In terms of music blogs, I go to Fluxblog and Pop Sheep almost every day. Gold Kicks. oh, and The Face Knife, for movies.

How important do you think music blogs are in general? Do you think they will continue to be as popular as they are today?

I think they’re important. The same way zines and independent publishing in general is important. And I hope they stay popular, but even if they don’t, they won’t go away.

Let’s get away from music for a bit. What are some of your favorite movies and television shows?

again, I’m so fickle, that it’s usually the things i’ve been watching lately that have the most importance to me. I watched Ali: Fear Eats the Soul the other day and loved it. I also watched Cobra Verde for a paper, and that was great too. I liked The Brown Bunny, but when I was buying it at the video store, the girl thought I was a perv.

Outside of music do you have any other interests or projects?

Not anymore. long story. but the horizon looks good, so, fingers crossed.

A lot of people have a favorite concert t-shirt, do you have one?

No. There is an unseen power that haters have over me. I’ve been soured on band shirts because the idea exists that it might be uncool to wear band shirts, or that there’s some sliding scale of coolness when it comes to how cool your band shirt is. So I just refuse to even play that game. I know, I have problems. I’m afraid of things that aren’t there.

In your opinion, what’s the best place to eat on your city?

Again, haters, but Santropol. I usually get the “Northern Lights” sandwich, no ham.

Animals dressed as humans. Funny or not?

Absolutely. When the cat I live with gets a bag stuck around her waist, I call it her “pretty dress”.