Straight from the streets of LA, Cobalt Cranes are a foursome, who incorporate their immediate surroundings of sun, sand and silicone and bash it impeccably together with loud, raw, garage psychedelica. They are also an extremely nice bunch of individuals and have taken the time out to talk to us about Pumpkin Pancakes, cool LA bands and everyone's favourite Californian resident Arnold Scharzenegger.
Hello Cobalt Cranes, would you like to introduce yourselves ?
Tim: I play Guitar and sing
Kate: I'm Kate I play bass and sing if my mic is loud enough.
Mateo: My name is Mateo Leonardo. I play lead and rhythm guitar.
Travis: TRAVIS MOORE/ DRUMMS
How would you describe the Cobalt cranes sound? what does Cobalt Cranes stand for?
Kate: I would describe our sound as NU-Rage (the rage pronounced like the rage in garage; my lame marketing attempt). We are heavily influenced by 60's garage punk. So we started out with a very lo-fi garage sound. As we wrote more songs we began going in a different direction. we realized that we also have a very melodic side too. So It's kind of a" melodic garage" sound. Cobalt was the name of this zine my friend Lauren and I tried to start in middle school. There is half an issue somewhere, we never actually created a full one. That word Cobalt always sounded electric to me. It sounded cool. It also has two meanings as an element and a color. Same with cranes, an industrial crane or a bird. Someone should write a fucking poem.
TIM: We like a lot of old rock-and- roll like the Rolling Stones and 60's garage punk. We started writing and recording in an apartment in Korea Town. We had one microphone and very cool neighbors! The first song we learned was "Chinese Rocks" by Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers. We found this VHS tape with live recordings of Heartbreakers and really early Television performances. I think we got it at the Fairfax Fleamarket. We saw Sonic Youth play the Daydream Nation tour, and that influenced our sound a lot. Our name sounds cool, and it sounds like an old 50's gang.
What is the funniest thing that has happened to you in the last week?
TIM: There's this really funny French Bulldog that lives next door. He's afraid of everything. I can hear him from a mile away because of his gobblin like breathing. He always makes me laugh.
Travis: I GOT CALLD' A HOMO WHILE WALKING DOWN THE STREET.. HAHA.. THAT WAS ACTUALLY PRETTY FUNNY..
Travis: Listening to the Cobalt Cranes on your show and hearing you say that we are "wicked". That was funny and awesome at the same time. Thanks for the opportunity. It is an honor. That definitely made the week interesting.
Kate: I can't think of one from from last week. But one of my favorite funny moments or stories is my homemade fake i.d. story. I was 17 and I thought I could get away with anything. I found a forgotten i.d. in the register at the job I had at the time. I got a passport photo taken and went to a copy store. I waited until the youngest looking person was available to help me. I asked him to laminate my photo onto the i.d. he did. That night I went to the Troubadour. I told my on a date that I was 22, confidently walked up to the bouncer, and handed him my sweet i.d. He looked at it, looked at me, and in less then 10 seconds peeled the laminate right off. I took two steps back and bolted.
I have family who have just moved to LA and reside in Santa Monica, when I come and visit them, where would you recommend I go to see some interesting stuff?
Kate: Don't waste anytime! Get a head shot immediately and a waitering job. You never know when a reality TV scout is around. No but really, I would drive down sunset starting from Caesar Chavez in downtown and take it all the way to where it hits the ocean. I always thought that would be a cool if I wasn't from here. Every part of town has it's own thing happening. It's the small things in each Neighborhood that make LA interesting to me.
Mateo: I'll tell you what is cool: the art gallery scene. There are many little art galleries near downtown Los Angeles that have awesome shows. The coolest (or wickedest) bands play at these venues. The cover is always around 5 bucks and you can bring your own beverages.
The view of downtown Los Angeles at night is also very cool.
During the day I would definitely recommend outsiders a walk in Venice Beach.
TIM: There are so many cool things to do in L.A. First I would check out L'keg's calender and see if there is a good show that night. L'keg is a really cool music venue and hang-zone in between Echo Park and Downtown. I would also go to Topanga beach on highway 1. That beach rules.
Travis: I RECCOMENND L'KEG GALLERY, AND CRANE'S TAVERN... THERE PRETTY COOL RIGHT NOW...
I was actually in La briefly last year for a week and became addicted to Pumpkin pancakes, it's my birthday on Saturday and I want some for my breakfast, do you have any suggestions on how to make them?
TIM: I don't know about pumpkin pancakeses but there are a few cool places in L.A to get pancakes. Fred 62 in Loz Feliz has good ones, and Pan's Diner in Inglewood (where they shot the beginning and end of Pulp Fiction).
Kate: Happy Birthday. I don't know how to make Pumpkin Pancakes but as a Birthday present I have googled the recipe for you.
INGREDIENTS
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 3 tablespoons brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1 cup pumpkin puree
* 1 egg
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 tablespoons vinegar
DIRECTIONS
In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot
What are your influences?
Tim: Bands from the past and new bands that play rock-and-roll. The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Grahm Parsons, Bo Diddly, Motown, Black Sabbath, Link Wray, The Cars, Johnny Thunders and the Heart Breakers, Sonic Youth, Nirvana, the Ramones, The Black Lips, Liars, Elvis. Also Delta and Chicago blues, guys like Blind Lemon Jefferson and Howlin' Wolf.
Kate: Here are some: The Vaseline's, the B-Girls, wipers, the Adverts, Chuck Berry, Johnny Thunders and the Heart breakers, The ventures, The Sonics, Bo Didley, Black Sabbath,The Damned, Red Kross, X, 13TH floor elevators, The Rolling Stones (esp. Keith) Shellac, Nuggets, richard hell and the Voidoids, Sonic youth. Kim Gordon made me want to play the bass. Geezer Butler too. Lady Bo! Pj Harvey and Patti Smith gave me the guts to sing.
Here at Tuckshop we are always looking out for cool stuff, are there any bands/artists/people that you think we should check out?
Tim: There are some really cool new bands in L.A right now. Blue Jungle is a great band that reminds me of David Lynch's movies. They are dark and twisted, with lots of reverb and mean looks. The Tiajuana Panthers are a cool band from Long Beach that sound like a punk version of the Beach Boys, and the Allah Las are a cool new band from L.A that we have played with a couple times at L'keg. They do a great cover of a Bo-Diddley song where they add a noise-chorus .
Kate: Bands you should check out: Blue Jungle,The Grand Elegance, Indian Jewelry, Paint, Aids wolf, Tijuana Panthers, useless keys, The Allah Las, okie dokie, the Gossip tree, Ariel Pink, The B-girls. My Friend Lauren Dukoff's photographs are really incredible. I love her black and white photos the most. She has a book coming out soon called "Family". Also check the L'Keg gallery they're always curating new exhibits and they put together some of the funnest live shows I've been to in a while. It's a really unique all ages multimedia space, with a real DIY pulse. It's cool because artists and musicians can do their own thing. The L' Keg gallery is run by the band Blue Jungle and Walt who is the art curator. Our favorite shows have been at the L'Keg. Actually we played our second show there. Our very first show, we were too drunk to play a full set so we wound up playing "chinese rocks". Horrible.
Having looked at pictures from your L'Keg gig, I noticed these crazy drawings on the wall in the background, any idea who did them?
Kate: That was a really fun show. The L' Keg galley put together an exhibit called "Nostalgia's no good" documenting the la "underground" scene and the artists and bands involved. There were documentary videos, photographs,fliers, and other art. Check the link below to see the show's flier with all of the of the artists involved:
www.lkeggallery.com
In England, Arnold Schwarzenegger is seen as somewhat of a living legend, As weird as it may sound, we often spend hours over a few drinks repeating "Arnie Slogans" to one another. Do you like Arnie and what are your favourite Arnie quotes?
TRAVIS: "GET TO THE CHOPPPAAAA"
"COME WITH ME IF YOU WANT TO LIVE"
"ITS NOT AA TUMMMAARR"
Tim: Arnold made some great movies. Terminator 1 and 2 are so awesome. Does anyone remember the Club-Noir? Its in the first one, when Sarah Connor meets the Terminator for the first time, in slow-mo. The first time I came to L.A was to work on T3 as a PA intern (production assistant a.k.a non-paid grunt worker). It didn't last long. I would sleep a lot on the set because the hours were so terrible. I got caught sleeping in one of the trucks and got fired. I never saw Arnold. One funny quote , I forget which movie, was when a girl is about to die and Arnold shows up in the nick of time. The girl asks Arnold why he took so long to get there, and he just says "traffic".
Kate: I have the obvious Arnold quote "I'll be back". But I have an image of him from Terminator that has always stuck
The part when Arnold or the Terminator is "born" and he's naked in fetile position in a dark dirty alley. That was a tender moment. Don't Judge.
Mateo: Arnold is charming and a little scary. I don't have any favorite quotes from him, but I do remember watching somebody throw an egg at him. He didn't say anything, but that was my favorite Arnold moment.
Where can people find Cobalt Cranes?
Come to our shows!
We sell our cd's at our shows. We are recording our 12" Lp now that will be released in the summer.
Myspace.com/COBALTCRANES
Thank you Cobalt Cranes xx
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