What is Rock'n'Roll? Many current bands whose records are filed under "Rock'n'Roll" certainly do not belong there. But there is one band from Sweden, who has got the right to be labeled "Rock'n'Roll". I am talking about the Dialtones. After listening to their debut album, i could not resist emailing singer and guitarist Magnus and begging for an interview. Here is it:
OK, you have been around since november 1998. Why did you quit your previous band The Dishrags? In what aspects was this band different from the Dialtones?
The reason I quit The Dishrags is personal and pretty much between the four members ONLY! Dishrags were faster, more punk, more drunk/sloppy. Our lyrics were pretty much in the Angry Samoans vein.
How is it being able to release 7inches and an album nearly at the same time? Did you feel honoured because of that? I mean, Screaming Apple, BadAfro and Radio Blast Recordings are quite famous labels...
Itīs cool. Iīm glad those labels were interested in my band. I mean, Screaming Apple put out a 7inch with The Vikings.
Why have you mentioned that Vikings 7inch on Screaming Apple? Do you consider them as your heroes?
Because Steve Baise was in The Devil Dogs. I donīt consider The Vikings as heroes, but The Devil Dogs was THE best band of the 90's! And I thought it was pretty cool that a label that put out a 7inch with a former Devil Dog would be interested in my band.
On your homepage, i have seen that live-7inch you have done...
Yep! We recorded it at our releaseparty.
Did you have any particular reason for it?
Nope, it was just something we did and gave to friends who attended the releaseparty.
What do you think about recording shows (for live-records) in general?
Itīs cool, as long as the recordings quality and the performance is good!
Is that something you would like to do some time?
Yep, itīd be nice to do a live LP or CD in the future. We do a great show and I think itīll sound good on record.
Why, do you think, there are so many labels which want (wanted) to release records of you? In what aspects ,do you think, are the Dialtones different from other bands?
First, I guess they liked us. Second, every label seems to want a piece of the Scandinavian "action" nowadays because of The Hellacopters, so I guess thatīs a reason so many people wants to put something out as well. The biggest difference between my band and every other Scandinavian band is that weīre more PUNK and more 50's R'n'R.
How many records are you goint to release this year? How many records are planned?
A 12inch EP/CD, a 10inch/CD, three 7inches, one 5inch single and weīre appearing on a couple of compilation CDs/LPs. But I guess thereīs going to be more stuff.
On what labels are the new records going to come out?
We're doing the "ShortSharpShock" 12inch EP on Radio Blast. Beluga is doing the CD. Then weīre doing a 10inch/CD on Punch Records in Spain. Now Or Never is doing 2 7inches with us and weīre doing a split 7inch with The Alley Gators on Desert Inn in Italy. Desert Inn is also putting out a Boys tribute CD where we do a cover of "Not Ready". Hopefully weīll have a track on "Riot On The Rocks Vol 2" LP on Safety Pin in Spain. Later this year weīll do a 5inch single on R'n'R Blitzkrieg, Mark Murrmanns label. Again, we'll probably do a lot more, but thatīs what weīve got at the moment.
What about Scandinaviaīs current RīnīR scene? Are there more RīnīR bands or is it still Hard Rock area?
Yep, 100% Hard Rock with a couple of dorky neo 60's "garage" bands thrown in to make the whole thing more embarrassing.
How did you manage to get a cultural reward? I guess you are happy about the money but isnīt this something rather uncommon for a RīnīR band?
To make a long story short, I pretty much had the balls to walk up to City Hall and demanded some $$$. Iīm still amazed it worked!!! Yep, itīs very uncommon. I guess theyīre trying to show the younger voters that theyīre still "hip" and "youthful". HA! Did you know that Chuck Berry NEVER received any awards etc??? Kinda weird considering the impact he had on EVERY goddamn guitarrist out there.
What do you say if someone tell you that you sound exactly like the Devil Dogs? Do you feel honoured or are you getting angry?
Iīm getting a bit tired about it. On the other hand I guess thatīs what happens when you share the same influences (50īs RīnīR and 70īs Punk). But the thing is people seem to think that weīre nothing but a bunch of imitators, and that pisses me off! I donīt sit around at home, endlessly spinning "Saturday Nite Fever" looking for stuff to rip off...
Do you know there is another band called the Dialtones? Itīs a Ska band from the USA...
Boy do I! They suck! Theyīre CHRISTIAN!!! Actually things have been kinda ugly between the bands 'cuz we put out a 7inch before those guys so we asked them to change theirs so there wouldn't be any confusion. But of course they refused! Itīs been proven over and over again throughout history, you just CANīT REASON WITH CHRISTIANS! I think a friend of theirs is going to put out a CD with those guys. His label is called FLIPSIDE! Ha! Ha! Ha!
You stated that you wanted to make noisy music like the Sonics or Link Wray? Do you think that you have achieved that? Or have you developed in a different way?
This is RīnīR! This shit hasnīt developed one bit for something like 50 years!!! And thereīs no reason it should! But I think my songwriting has improved a lot lately.
As you will release several records, how do you come up with enough ideas for that amount of songs? I guess you will need a lot of songs...
Yep, but thatīs not a problem. Iīve got 50 years of RīnīR history to pick from.
Donīt you think that the expression "RīnīR band" has been used a few times too often? Your mentioning "50 years of RīnīR history" brought me to this question.
Yes! Yes! Yes! Everything from the dreaded Cliff Richard to Led Zeppelin has been called "RīnīR". Itīs kinda strange: what started out as a certain musical STYLE in the 50īs has turned into something that you slap onto every piece of shit AC/DC clone whatever because they play GUITARS! Fuck that! What I meant with "50 years of RīnīR history" is the BEST parts, 1955/1966/1977. Although Iīm not that fond of the 60īs stuff. Too whiny.
Ok, I understand why you mentioned ī55 and ī77. But why ī66?
'cuz I guess 1960īs garage was at its peak then. In ī67 things started to get ugly.
In one interview you stated that you all are unemployed at the moment. Is that still the case? How can you afford equipment, recording and postage and so on?
Nope, Iīm not unemployed anymore. But I still canīt afford postage, equipment etc. As far as recording goes, we pretty much ask the labels to fork up some $$$.
Are you still playing as a three-piece? Is one guitar enough to play your songs? Or are you still trying to find a second guitar player?
Yep. Weīre still looking for a second guitarist, but so far I havenīt found anyone interesting. Most guitarists have too much metal influences, you know Kiss/Iron Maiden/Manowar/Metallica...I hate that stuff. So Iīm looking for someone whoīs into Chuck Berry/Link Wray/Johnny Thunders/Steve Jones...
Now that the guys from moshable called it quits, are there any other Scandinavian fanzines which are worth reading?
Of course, Savage is still around!
Have you gotten around to making your own fanzine?
Iīve tried TWICE. Now Iīve given up, fuck it, thereīs so many fanzines already!
What about touring? Are there any plans? I mean, you have several offers for releasing records, any booking agency already got in touch with you?
Hopefully weīll do an European tour this summer. I havenīt heard from any booking agencies yet.
How long are there going to be real RīnīR bands? What future perspective of RīnīR music in general do you have?
Thereīs always going to be SOME real RīnīR bands out there. In the future I see this whole thing getting smaller and smaller. Hopefully itīll last another 50 years.
Why do you think is the RīnīR scene getting smaller? Canīt you imagine other times when once again there will be lots of people enjoying that wonderful music?
First off, a lot of the old guys are dying off. I mean, Screaming Jay was the latest to call it a day. And I really donīt see anyone taking their place. Nothing REAL that is. I see a bunch of phonies screaming "RīnīR" all the time but I still hear the same CRAPmetal. Second, the mainstream is too damn SQUARE to once again embrace this stuff. I mean, it hasnīt been deemed commercial since 1959. Thatīs when the crooners took over and itīs been downhill ever since. Third, the so-called "underground" community seems to be busy sucking up to either the Supercharger/Mummies "garage" clones or the longhaired, former DEATHMETALfreak cockrockers. Did that make sense?
Do you really think one is able to compare any modern RīnīR bands with those originals? I mean all current RīnīR bands, be it Devil Dogs, New Bomb Turks, whatever, would be called "punk" bands by outsiders and not "RīnīR" bands.
Well, in the 50īs Elvis Presley looked like a "nigger pimp" to a bunch of people and the teenagers that were into the whole R'n'R/R'n'B scene greased back their hair and wore leather jackets and were known as juvenile delinquents. They werenīt called "punks" but people still saw them as "trouble", "no good" etc. To me itīs the same thing. I mean if Little Richard or The Sonics would start out today I can pretty much bet theyīd put out stuff like "Saturday Nite Fever" or "Destroy-Oh-Boy!". And if The Turks or The Dogs wouldīve been around in the 50īs I guess they allīd have greased hair and play in some knife-wielding Rockabillyband. Take The Customs or The Real Kids of the 70īs, I feel itīs WRONG to label those guys "PUNK" - considering the huge amounts of SHIT that has been lumped into that category - and unless thereīs something very wrong with your hearing youīll see/notice the connection with the 50īs stuff. Even Sid Vicious covered Eddie Cochran! On the other hand, people who grew up with the belief that utter limpdick shite like The Beatles, Beach Boys, Paul Anka etc is "rock and roll" will never see that connection, but it doesnīt matter. People who are into that crap never really GOT IT anyway - they were lost from the beginning - and really donīt have anything to do in this "scene".
Any comments? Anything to add at the moment?
Send money...
Thanks a lot!
Discography (already updated):
1999 "Split with Aerobitch" 7" (Beluga Rec.)
1999 "So Many Girls" 7" (Bad Afro Rec.)
1999 "Same" LP (Screaming Apple)
1999 "Introducing" 7" (Radio Blast Rec.)
2000 "ShortSharpShook" 12" (Radio Blast Rec.)
2000 "Double A-Side" 7" (Now Or Never Rec.)