License to aisle

>> San Francisco’s Aislers Set get the good seats

by LORRAINE CARPENTER

“I’m really excited. I have these visions of Montreal—I don’t know if I’ve ever even seen a picture of it, but I imagine that I’m going to want to move there. Is it fantastic?” An interesting question from Amy Linton of the Aislers Set, the San Francisco-based ’60s beat band on the verge of a “chance-of-a-lifetime” gig supporting Belle & Sebastian, during whose marathon soundcheck Linton plans to explore our fair city for the first time. In fact, this tour is a first for the Aislers Set, who have yet to play to over 500.

“I’ve never been around so many people with a common interest, I feel like we should take advantage of it and pass out petitions or something,” says a surprisingly shy Linton, the founder, frontwoman and songwriter of the retro pop quintet, whose story goes something like this:

When her mod-meets-shoegazing band Henry’s Dress disintegrated in ’97, Linton gathered a guitar, drums, two mics and an eight-track in her garage and worked out a wack of solo songs which wound up on the Aislers Set’s debut Terrible Things Happen. To flesh out the LP, she took on some like-minded musicians, all of whom moonlight in other bands: Wyatt Cusick (guitar, vocals) is with Track Star, Alicia VandenHevvel (bass) plays for Poundsign, Jen Cohen (Farfisa) for Fairways, and Yoshi Nakamoto (drums) holidays in Scenic Vermont.
The Aislers Set—named for Linton’s strange dream about hundreds of people packing aisles—have since recorded a second album, The Last Match, a more collaborative mix with three very B&S-style songs by Cusick, along with more budget-Spector pop and some harder-hitting garage numbers. And Linton’s 10-foot-by-10-foot garage is still Aislers Set HQ, which, along with her architect day job, she plans to keep.

“I like things to sound pretty big, which is impossible to get down there without totally unnatural effects, so that has a lot to do with how we sound,” says Linton. “I work on all those little details and nuances for a really long time, and I don’t think that could happen in a proper recording studio.”

After being at the helm through two self-produced albums, Linton is conflicted at the thought of outside influence.

“That’s what all our friends are for. We make mixes and give them out to see what other people think, but it would be nice to have somebody less biased to lend an ear and give advice. But I’m not sure I would always take it. I like having control.”

After touring alongside bands like Sleater-Kinney, who bring reps from leftist organizations on tour to distribute “literature,” Linton recognizes her potential influence. Aside from her half-joking petition idea (“anti-war propaganda isn’t what the audience is there for”), Linton doesn’t disapprove of politics working their way into her songs.

“I’ve been trying to do it for years, but I wind up wanting to sound like a hardcore band. But I know it’s possible. I remember listening to the Housemartins when I was in high school and they were really political. I just haven’t found a way to do it yet… (very quietly) but I will.” :

With Belle & Sebastian at Metropolis on Tuesday, May 7, 8pm, $32.50