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Review Of Worth The Quarters
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A Tribute To The Cause
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QXR's Website
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At first it was me and my brother, John. We made "Dave the Slave" together. Jeff (in my Creative Writing class heard "Dave" and decided he had a song he wanted me to sing on, so we did "Lisa, I Got Lyme Disease" together. Sharon, my sister, had some pieces that called for a lower voice, she provides some of the softer acoustic music. Mosty recently, Andy, a friend of Jeff's, heard the first album and is now onboard for the second.
Have you played any shows yet?
No, our first is on May 23, we're playing the mysteriously titled "Jamfest" with 2-twenty minute sets. Andy's trying to set us up some small acoustic sets at some cafes around town.
What is your stance on the condensed soup issue?
I think condensed soup should rot in hell. Puddles.
Good answer. What is your favorite kind of porn? Bondage, animal, vomit, etc?
Hmmm....I would have to go with Mr. Nice. Let me find the link. http://people.cornell.edu/pages/slp29/mrnice.html
What or who are or were your musical inspirations?
I love the Magnetic Fields, Pavement, the Flaming Lips, Belle and Sebastian, and various other indie rock bands. I'm probably most influenced by Magnetic Fields (layering the vocals on Hoverdog). Jeff's very influenced by the Smashing Pumpkins and Dispatch. The siblings I have in the band listen to the same stuff I do. Sharon goes out there with some Kate Rusby and Heather Nova. Heather Nova has created the biggest disgrace of a Beatles cover ever. I forget what song it is. Since the moment I heard it I've been instilled with a burning hatred for her. Andy listens to everything.
What is your favorite song that QXR has made?
That's a tough call. I'd have to say "His Name Was Javert" is one I often find myself falling back on. It's a very well constructed long song, a rarity in these days. It also has a very nice mood, and the lyrics on the chorus are some of the favorites that I ever wrote.
What about your favorite song by some other band?
I never have the same song in the favorite slot for too long. There are too many good songs out there. The one I'm most currently enamored of is "Heavy Metal Drummer" by Wilco.
When did the band materialize and how?
I had a poem called "Dave the Slave." I gave it to John. He wrote music for it. We recorded it. Sharon and I were also working on "He Lives in Japan." I was playing "Dave the Slave" for people in my Creative Writing class. Jeff Mettam thought I had a good voice, he had a song "Lisa, I Got Lyme Disease" that he wanted to collaborate on. So we went to my basement and recorded that. From there Jeff and I decided we worked well together and we proceeded to record more and more stuff. I continued to do work with John and Sharon, and we lumped it into one mass of Worth the Quarters. Andy Kuny listened to it, wanted to get in on the action, and we found his sounds pleasing. We're now QXR.
Are any of your songs particularly close to your heart? (I.E: do you really want to abduct someone)
With a fairly satirical album, its hard to say anything is close to my heart on it. "Dave the Slave" tries to be cute and clever at once, but I don't think I based it on my affections for a certain someone. I don't really want to abduct someone, that would likely result in some sort of statutory rape charge. "(Van) Damme, I'm Bored" is the only one really based on personal experience. That is how I live my life over the summer. I hope I'm not alone.
What is your process, if any, for writing a song?
Jeff does some kind of mysterious witch magic with the guitar. I develop some clever or amusing thought in my head. We get together and see what comes out at the end. I write the lyrics the same day that we record the song. Here's a good example. "The Bathrooms in Hell" started out when Jeff had some music I had never heard before. I got to thinking of a good lyrical idea. I was taking a piss at the urinal and began to ponder the implications of the automatization of the flusher. Jeff laid down the guitar, it was this weird phased thing, and then as I wrote the lyrics it transformed into this acoustic jam thing. And there you have it.