Girls With Glasses Rule The Bar

Mad Planets

Mad Planets are so good, they sound like everything considered noble and virtuous in indiepop! They rock, they roll, and they have fashion sense. I only have good things to say about them. The vocals are everyone's favorite; a blend of girl/boy singing. The lyrics are clever and every song so far is interesting. No throw-away stuff. Write Papercut today and buy their stuff! I command you.

Okay, first off - why Mad Planets? Is there a story behind it? There were a bunch of names going around; Chickendog, Embryo Smile, Starpower (but that was taken). Mad Planets is an old videogame which no one seems to have heard of except Erik. It w as psycho-crazy and he liked to play it. No affiliation with Sarah Dyer's zine Mad Planet, though we dig it and Action Girl. We're not trying to kid anyone -we're plural!

Have you done anything other than the Learn To Say Goodnight cass.? And what's up with this new project you're doing with Trey? We're on a compilation with My Favorite and Bouncing Souls and other cool bands called Compilation Shmompilation. Our song is called "Intrigue and Division" and we recorded it at a Long Island Heavy Metal Reverb Haven - by accident, sorta. The project with Trey/FPAP/Papercut records is a split cassette with the Cups, Tanya from the Receptionists' latest group . We should be recording in the next few weeks for that if Tara ever gets a break from homework. Erik's winter project is his '66 VW camper for touring.

Who writes the songs? One of us will bring in a worked out tune structurally, and then we each jump in with our own unique ingredients and throw them into the mix. We rarely have a song "evolve" from us just jamming out. We write privately, then see what happens when we all get our hands on it. Years from now critics will debate who is really responsible for each tune along the lines of the McCartney "Penny Lane" and Lennon "Strawberry Fields Forever" debates.

Do you have any funny/sad/terrifying/other school memories to share? Erik had a bug in his hair and John was called Alfred E. Newmanberry. Tara's 9th grade English teacher took her aside one day because he was concerned that she seemed moody & depressed. These were his words of advice/consolation, "You know, Tara, you don't have to walk around like Natalie Merchant all day, even if you are a fan." (!?)

Do you all like the same type of music? What do you listen to when you're all together? John likes the Swirlies and Man or Astroman? Erik likes Sonic Youth and Resphigi. Tara likes Lois and Brahms. All these overlap. When we're together we're usually driving somewhere in John's car and listen to a mix tape Fran made for him that has Tiger Trap on it and this song "You're No Flower."

What are the best and worst things about living in Stonybrook? Best: lack of light pollution...commutability to NYC...races to Tara's car...the fancy old houses near the neighborhoods on the Long Island Sound. Worst: NO CONCENTRATION OF YOUTH POPULATION!...far from the x-pressway...at times, suburban hell...having to switch at Huntington for the Long Island Railroad...no good venues to play.

Any last messages for Today's Youth? 1. Keep a diary (write your lives. Care about each other). 2. Love to dance. 3. Celebrate 2000 - the new millennium is ours! 4. Don't doubt that you're smarter than computers and the people who sell them to you. 5. Listen to National Public Radio.