Interview of the Week; Covering the Basses with Speed the Plough's Cindi Merklee

Cindi Merklee is a New Jersey based musician/bassist currently enlisted in the growing family known as Speed the Plough. Her musical journey can be traced back to the 90's when she joined her brother Joe Merklee in the indie meets power pop act Balloon Squad. Years later she resurfaced with the alt. rock outfit The 65's. Since that time we've crossed paths numerous times at shows, sat for some portraits and kept in touch on Facebook. Since an ill fated 65's interview a few years back. I've wanted to get the scoop on Cindi's musical journey and diverse influences. In part one of our interview, she brings us up to date about her departure from the 65's and becoming a member of STP. Thanks Cindi, 
I can't wait for the sequel. James Damion

James: You recently had the opportunity to play with Mission of Burma at Brooklyn's
Bell House. I remember how excited you were when you first found out. How did the opportunity come about and how did the show go over.

Cindi: Not too long after the
Hoboken Arts & Music Festival last fall J
ohn Baumgartner reached out to Todd and asked him to keep us in mind should he have an opening at The Bell House. Next thing I knew we were on the bill with Mission of Burma in February.  Perfect timing, I suppose. But yes - I was thrilled to be playing the Bell House at all. Having the opportunity to play with Mission of Burma was almost surreal. It didn’t fully sink in until we were loading in.

To be honest I felt we’ve played better shows -
I know I wasn’t in top form, but there were some real good moments where we all really came together. I just wish we had more of those that night. Regardless, our set seemed to go over well and whatever anxiety I had at the end of it was washed away when I crossed paths with
Clint Conley as I headed back stage. He greeted me with a firm handshake and a job well done. Couldn’t ask for a better conclusion to our portion of the night. I’m still smiling about it.

James: Mission was a band that really helped shape my Punk ethos as a teenager.
Their post reunion material has more than cemented that spirit. Did you have any special kinship with the bands music?

Cindi: Sadly they were a band I totally missed the bus on. I knew of them through my older brothers but didn’t familiarize myself with them until Unsound, which is a stellar record.
I’d feel bad about this if they were nothing more than a nostalgia act these days but they’re anything but. They’re still very much relevant and their set at The Bell House ranks among one of the best I’ve ever seen. Inspiring on so many levels.

James: I fondly recall meeting Toni and John through Al Chrisafuli at a 65's show.
How did you come to know them and how did the opportunity to join the band present itself?

Cindi: I’m a little foggy on the details of when exactly we first met but it was definitely a byproduct of being a part of the Dromedary family. It was probably at the first Camelfest or when the 65’s shared the bill with them at Mexicali - I can’t recall which came first.
I’ve known Ed Seifert for years, though. He used to record at my brother’s studio back in the 80s with The Ambivalent Bros.

James: Did leaving the 65's and joining Speed the Plough coincide?

Cindi: There was a bit of a gap between my departure from The 65’s and joining up with Speed the Plough - maybe six months or so. During that time Al Crisafuli had reached out to me to let me know John & Toni were thinking of asking me to contribute vocals to a new song of theirs. Before that came to be, I was invited to their Monday night jam sessions that summer where I found myself among not only my future band mates but also the likes of Dave Weckerman and Glenn Mercer which was kind of crazy for me having more or less grown up in the Hoboken scene. Later that year I wound up recording backing vocals for Speed the Plough on  “Mansion” (which is on the Tag Sale portion of the compilation that was released on Bar None back in September). A few months later I got a phone call from John Baumgartner telling me that Dan Francia had decided to leave the band and asked if I’d be interested in taking over bass duties. I was already on the record so it made sense. Plus I was thrilled to have the opportunity to join them, so it was easy to say yes.

James: As you know, I was very fond of the former and quite disappointed upon hearing you were no longer with them (Recalling your absence at Camelfest II)

Cindi: Thanks, James. The 65’s had persuaded me to stop pushing music on to the back burner. Going to school full time and working 40 hours a week left little time for anything else but Daniel, Joe & John were really supportive. For that I’m grateful. I had been a fan of Shirk Circus, The Dark Brothers, and C.I. Infidels plus Daniel Smith has sort of been a mentor to me over the years (as crazy as that may sound to some, including him) and remains one of my closest friends. Unfortunately the creative relationship within The 65’s ran its course before the potential of that line up was realized, however Dan and I have talked about recording together at some point. The challenge is getting the two of us in the same room at the same time but we haven’t ruled anything out so who knows.

James: I would imagine joining an already established act to be tough. You were joining a family in every sense. What was the process like? Was there any hazing involved?

Cindi: Hazing? HA!! No, none of that but it was a bit intimidating at first trying to familiarize myself with a 30 year catalog (which I’m still becoming familiar with). The family dynamic was another element to consider, though I had been in a band with one of my older brothers for years so it wasn’t a completely foreign concept. Once I got over my initial insecurities it was a matter of finding my place in the band, so to speak. While I haven’t gone in with the intention to re-write every bass part to every song, I’m also not necessarily one for learning a song note for note. I’ll listen to the original and if I feel it the way it was recorded, that’s how I’ll learn it. Otherwise I play what I feel or what I am able to manage while singing. That’s still a challenge for me so in some cases I have dumbed down bass parts so I don’t short circuit. Throughout this everyone has more or less given me a a good amount of leeway - no one has ever said “No, you’re playing it wrong.”

James: What's your involvement / input in writing new songs for the band?
Everyone has encouraged me to bring my own songs to the table which I will get around to but haven’t done yet. As far as the band goes, this is probably the most collaborative atmosphere I’ve had the good fortune to find myself in. Someone will bring an idea in to the room and we all kick it around until it starts to come together (or doesn’t). No one comes in with everyone’s parts charted out. Toni will take notes but on a whole it’s a very organic process. We all come up with our own parts and consider any suggestions that are thrown about. If I come up with a busy bass line for a song John wants to have more of a folk feel to it, he’ll tell me - and has - and I’ll strip it down. Given that our catalog more or less runs the gamut from folk to jazz to psychedelia to indie rock there’s plenty of ground to cover.
My focus is to compliment whatever the song dictates. If that means keeping it simple,
I’ll keep it simple. If it means playing something more propulsive or textured, I’ll take it in that direction. Having the room to stretch out like that from one song to the next is one of my favorite things about this band.

James: How will you be Ploughing forward with the band? Tour, New Record?

Cindi: We’ve played a whole slew of shows over this past year which has been great. We’ve taken a bit of a winter break to get some recording in at Mix-o-lydian but we’re starting to line up shows for the spring. Right now we’ll be heading to Beacon, NY, Brooklyn & Montclair - all in May.  As for the next record - no concrete plans just yet as far as I know. I’m just looking forward to recording the new material and seeing what takes shape.
Speed the Plough For more info on the band

Dromedary Records Al Crisafulli Shares His Thoughts and Favorites from the Year 2013

That's Al with the Merge shirt and cup of mirth.

I'm Al Crisafulli.  For the past 20 years, much of my free time has been devoted to running Dromedary Records, a tiny micro-indie label that's been fortunate enough to release a bunch of fantastic literate, guitar-based pop records by a lot of like-minded DIY enthusiasts.  In the process, we've all been able to forge some spectacular friendships, help some needy people in New Jersey, and put on some fucking unreal shows.

Aside from getting married and having kids, curating this great music has been the highlight of my life, and being asked to compile year-end lists like this, in addition to being incredibly flattering, is a great opportunity for me to point at some fantastic records that people need to hear.

2013 was an incredible year for independent music.  The top of my "favorite records" list is, in my opinion, beyond doubt, but the next five or six are relatively interchangeable.  And I'd be remiss if I didn't recognize the fantastic local music produced this year by the likes of Wax Darts, The Everymen, Speed the Plough, Wreaths, and the Karyn Kuhl Band.  Despite the closing of the state's greatest music venue, there's lots to be optimistic about when it comes to New Jersey indie rock.

Tan Vampires - Ephemera (self-released): Home-spun, rhythmic, folksy indie rock from
New Hampshire, beautiful and captivating.

 Iceage - You’re Nothing (Matador): Equal parts noisy and melodic; this is on one hand a crushing punk record, and on the other a harmonic masterpiece.

Speedy Ortiz - Major Arcana (Carpark): Give me dissonant, riff-laden math rock, and I’ll love it every time.

Deafheaven - Sunbather (Deathwish Inc): Ever wonder what it would sound like to mix brutal speed metal with mellow post-rock?  It sounds like this, and it’s awesome.

d.smithsucks - The End Of Everything (self-released): Anthemic, Mould-esque guitar rock with an obvious Lemonheads influence from a guy who dislikes the Lemonheads.

Earthless - From the Ages (Tee Pee): Massive guitar solos, ten minutes long, like they’re supposed to be.

Jimi Hendrix - People, Hell & Angels (Legacy Recordings): unreleased studio recordings initially intended to be the followup to Electric Ladyland. A fresh batch of Hendrix just reminds me of how important his contributions were.

Widowspeak - Almanac (Captured Tracks): Mellow.

Jesu: Every Day I Get Closer to the Light from Which I Came (Avalanche Recordings) -
Not enough songs.  Not loud enough. Still brilliant.

Cheetahs - Extended Plays (Wichita Recordings Ltd.): Washes of distortion, powerful
pop hooks, like a 90s indie rock revival. I’m an old man, I love this shit.

Polvo - Siberia (Merge): If I didn’t love their last one so much, I’d say this one might be their best work.

Yo La Tengo - Fade (Matador): Just a brilliant record, from a band that makes very few missteps.  Musically, there’s very little I will miss more than YLT’s Hanukkah shows at Maxwell’s.  Hopefully, anyone who got to see one understands just what a special thing those shows were.

Bailter Space - Trinine (Fire): Bailter Space is one of the greatest (and loudest) bands ever; their new record does not disappoint.

The Night Marchers - Allez Allez (Swami): Loud, sweaty bar rock with enormous hooks and catchy choruses.  What’s not to love?

Kvelertak - Meir (Roadrunner): Norwegian metal.  I can’t understand a fucking word they’re saying, and the cookie monster vocals fly in the face of everything else I listen to, but this is an absolutely amazing record, a collection of monstrous riffs and enormously melodic guitar work, and I’m fairly certain that if Kvelertak had existed when I was in high school,
I would have run away to Scandinavia.

There Will Be Fireworks - The Dark, Dark Bright (self-released): A powerful, dramatic piece of art, more mature than their debut but equally expressive.

Kurt Vile - Wakin On A Pretty Daze (Matador): When it came to Kurt Vile, I was not an early adopter, but now I’m working hard to catch up.  I love the laid back quality of his vocals, the reverb on the instruments, and the way his songs have a tendency to break somewhere in the middle before meandering off in a different direction, like a stoner with ADHD.

Bardo Pond - Peace On Venus (Fire): I’ve been fascinated with Bardo Pond’s melodic jams for 20 years.  Waves of massive distortion with beautiful, melodic flute passages over endlessly repetitive riffs create a complex brand of psychedelia that the term “stoner rock” simply doesn’t do justice.  When their music gets more accessible, as it does on this record, the result is always brilliant.

Bottomless Pit - Shade Perennial (Comedy Minus One): One of the best bands in America.

Radioactivity - s/t (Dirtnap): Blindingly fast guitar pop with brilliant hooks, like late 60’s garage pop, late 70’s skinny tie new wave, and mid-80’s punk rolled into one fantastic band.

Joel R. L. Phelps & the Downer Trio - Gala (12xu): Out of nowhere comes a new
Joel R.L. Phelps record, and it’s the most brilliant thing I’ve heard in a while.  Not even a contest, easily the best record of the year.

Favorite Reissues:

Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (Zappa): Finally, all the Zappa titles are being released digitally.  Apostrophe is one of my favorites, if only because “Uncle Remus” is my favorite Zappa song and I’m finally able to own a clean digital copy of it AND properly compensate the estate.

Come - 11:11 (Matador): Fuzz-encrusted blues.  One of the most beautiful bands, probably their best record.

Speed the Plough - The Plough and The Stars (Bar/None): A lavishly-packaged collection of songs from their first four out-of-print albums, rare live recordings, and some new stuff as well, released by New Jersey’s greatest record label.

Songs: Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co (Secretly Canadian): Songwriting.

Lemonheads - Creator (Fire): One of the best records by a band that’s been a massive influence on me and my little record label, it’s so great to see these records back in print again (and to hear the Lemonheads with Evan Dando and Ben Deily together)

Favorite Live Performances:

The Feelies - Maxwell’s, July 3: Saying good bye to the world’s greatest venue, Brenda Sauter singing the Velvet Underground’s “After Hours” to close the set.  Not a dry eye in the house.

Yo La Tengo - Boulder Theater, May 21: Catching one of my favorite bands from back home while in the midst of a long, cross-country trip took away some of the homesickness.

Overlake - Asbury Lanes, September 19: Watching a great new band coming into their own is an exciting thing, and this performance was tremendous.

Stuyvesant - Maxwell’s, June 26: New Jersey’s best band play their final show at their home base.

Stuyvesant/The Brixton Riot/The Anderson Council - The Court Tavern, February 9:
Just a great bill.  Loads of power pop.