History in the making

>> Only time will tell what tricks
and truths lie in !!!’s Myth Takes

YOU STILL DON’T GET IT: !!!

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

Bi-coastal American band !!! (or “chk-chk-chk,” if you like) formed in 1996. Whether they were reviving the punk-funk fusion of the early ’80s, or anticipating the post-millennial dance-rock revolution of the Rapture, DFA et al, is a question of historical perspective. Their recent third album, Myth Takes, demands the same long view of time, in the themes it addresses and in the mass of information woven into the band’s boisterous blend of disco, world beat, techno, dub, punk and soul. Which isn’t to say, mind you, that the record doesn’t dish out instant gratification by the bucketload. The Mirror reached singer Nic Offer in Eugene, Oregon.

Mirror: I’d like to discuss your tour with Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2006. It struck some people as weird, but it made sense in that between the early ’80s and you guys, they were the ones keeping punk and funk together. Do you see them the same way?

Nic Offer: Yeah, they’re interesting because when we started, we were specifically trying to do something different from them. I think we really wanted more of that disco sound, clean guitars and stuff like that. But when we finally did get asked, it made sense in that they have an open mind toward punk, and just what they understand about not giving a fuck. I also think they’re neat in that they never made any desperate plays for the mainstream—the mainstream always came to them. That’s pretty cool, I think.

M: One song on Myth Takes I’d like your thoughts on is “All My Heroes Are Weirdoes.” Could you tell me in your words what that song’s about? It does seem to link quite well to the title of the album.

NO: It does connect specifically. I feel like it’s hard to recognize your place in history, and things always seem worse or better back in another time. It’s very easy to disconnect yourself like that. With the political situation now, it’s been impossible for people to realize just how bad it is and how it will be remembered. So I felt like comparing it to something like the legend of Nero, a madman who everyone knows 1,000 years after it happened, to connect that to what’s happening now.

But instead of just being a critique of the Bush administration, I felt like the reason Bush won is that the Democrats just didn’t put up anyone who was a real person, a real personality. They put up someone who was basically a response to statistics of what they thought people wanted. At the end of the day, in a tough situation, it was going to take a hero, someone who thought differently. That’s who people will follow, someone who has different ideas, someone stronger. It’s a very short song, really, I think it’s very succinct, but it kinda ties a lot of things together.

M: I’m blown away by the album artwork, by Kevin Hooyman. It’s very much like some of your longer songs, in that it’s something really dense with information that the audience can really get entirely absorbed in. I’m curious why you chose Hooyman for the gig, and what your thoughts are about what he created.

NO: He’s just, quite honestly, a friend of ours. We’ve always done our best stuff when we’re able to work with our friends. We started this band as friends, and we saw that trying to bring in other people who don’t get where we’re coming from usually makes for bad art, so it just made sense because Kevin obviously was just one of us, and happened to be a great artist as well. At first, it didn’t feel like the music to me—it’s not very city, and I thought of Myth Takes as a city record. But as soon as it became the cover, it kinda became the music, which makes it interesting to think about all the records I love. I think of their covers as part of them, so you think, if you’d matched it up with something else, what would fit?

M: The record is something I think I’ll be picking apart for years, and the artwork’s the same way, requiring lots of repeat visits.

NO: Absolutely—that’s how we’ve always made our music, there’s a lot in there, and reading some of the reviews, it’s interesting to see what people do get out of it and what they don’t. Hopefully, the record will stand and get passed on, and people will begin to slowly pick it apart and see what all is in there. There’s a lot that they’re still not getting. I’m sure Kevin feels the same way.

With Holy Fuck and Telefauna at les
Saints on Friday, May 18, 9 p.m., $18