Although I've mentioned it before in these pages, I can't help but reiterate the fact that 2008 has been a cruel year for music reviewing. I don't know if I'm more jaded or if record execs are just stupid, but over 90% of all the releases submitted to me this year have been garbage. So when everything turns to crap, where else do you turn but to the DIY community? A place where bands put heart into their music. A place where the quality of the recording doesn't matter. A place where bands with names like ALGERNON CADWALLADER can produce inspiring music and play small, sweaty shows. Yes, they have a supremely funky name, but after hearing their passionate, noodly take on a classic emo sound, you'll assuredly be remembering that name. Hopefully, too, you can gain some insight and information about the band and their newest full-length, Some Kind Of Cadwallader, by reading the interview below, conducted via e-mail with ALGERNON's Peter Helmis in May 2008.
Pastepunk: A lot of times we try to peg bands with a certain sound or genre. If you were asked to do something similar, how would you define the sound of ALGERNON CADWALLADER, and how did you guys get to that point since you started out? At what point did you guys know you had something worth investing legitimate time in?
Peter Helmis: Luckily, it is not my job to define our sound. It would be awful to be stuck in a spot where people called you one thing and expected one thing from you when chances are you will grow and change just like everything else does. So I don't want to give anyone a head start. Colin, Joe, and I have been playing music together now for about 8 years and it's gotten slower and cleaner and catchier and we still like it. But we're still juggling the band with work and school and all the other stuff that keeps you busy. The band is the only thing with personal investment.
Pastepunk: One fan's description of your music says it is encouraging, optimistic. Is that a vibe that you guys try for, or does it just happen naturally? Is that a good way of looking at your music in your mind?
Peter: We've been getting feedback like that and it's great but we don't necessarily aim in that direction. I guess we're just having fun playing music and that's how it turns out. It's cool that people feel anything at all. I'd probably be just as excited if someone said our music made them pretty sure they were going to die pretty soon.
Pastepunk: I think one of the best aspects of the new album is your ability to mix these intricate guitar melodies with the aggressive nature of the vocals. Can you talk a bit about this dynamic a bit, where it stems from, and how you are able to execute it so well?
Peter: There aren't many guitar chords on our album. Joe and Colin are constantly noodling in and out of each other, but I think our songs as a whole are pretty straight forward and upbeat so shouting and hollering just seem to fit. We grew up listening to people playing music with everything they've got, and I guess we're just doing that. If we do it well, we just got lucky.
Pastepunk: How does the lyrical process work for ALGERNON? I've tried many times to dig deep into the words on the new full-length and find myself singing along, yet I never get a gist of what it really is you guys are talking about. So what are some themes or topics that come up in the lyrics that might be worth noting?
Peter: It's not always easy to say what you want, and sometimes it's easier to hide it. I don't think many people should know the meaning of them. They're probably personal, but the thing about poems is you can usually relate them to yourself and then they'll be much more important than the ramblings of some random self-critical jerk.
Pastepunk: Most of your songs are rather concise, but then at the end of the album you throw on a thirteen-minute closer. What inspired you guys to write a song of this nature? Whose idea was it to use all of the random instruments during the first half? Can we expect more crazy instrumentation in the future or in a live setting?
Peter: We like jamming. Always have. 6-7 hours a day. We'll improv the endings of our songs at shows and stuff. We just decided to represent that in a recording. Since Joe was recording our album there were no limitations and with a healthy collection of instruments from over the years we just decided to have fun with it. We'd like to work it into our shows, but we're also pretty all over the place most of the time.
Pastepunk: You guys seem to play a lot of shows in and around Philly. How has the city/area embraced your band so far? What do you like most about your hometown music scene?
Peter:We have no shame in playing in our city every chance we get. Don't have to drive too far. We have a ton of great friends that make it worth while every time we play. We have yet to be asked to play for the mayor though. There is something worth checking out every single night in Philadelphia. Sweaty West Philly basements have housed some of my favorite shows of all time.
Pastepunk: Speaking of playing shows, you have a summer tour planned in June that will take you throughout the Eastern and Midwestern states. Have you guys done extensive touring yet as ALGERNON? Either way, what are some things that you are looking forward to about the tour? Things you are not looking forward to?
Peter: We've toured the Midwest once, out to Minneapolis and back. Pretty much everything about touring with this band is hilarious fun, and we're lucky to be a part of the DIY community so pretty much everyone we meet will be great people. There's been a good amount of hype from kids in towns we are scheduled to play so we're really excited to get out there. Not looking forward to getting $500 in fines.
Pastepunk: When you see signs that say $4.00 for a gallon of gas, what does it do to the mindset of a relatively small band trying to live the touring life? How do you manage to push through?
Peter: It's definitely a bummer, but at the end of the day it's totally worth it so you suck it up and enjoy the hell out of yourself. It also means we'll be stealing a lot of groceries.
Pastepunk: There definitely seems to be a noticeable amount of bands playing music in the same vein as you guys. STREET SMART CYCLIST, JACOB AND I, LOOK MEXICO, the list is growing all of the time. What does it mean to you to be a part of such a group in a time where a majority of independent music listeners are still stuck on faceless screamo and pop-rock acts? Why do you think this movement is happening now?
Peter: I like these bands. We get to play shows with them so I get to see them a lot. I'm pretty happy about that. I think people that missed out on the mid 90's emo wanted to bring it back. It's punk...who cares. Everything comes back around.
Pastepunk: When you are hungry and on the road (or even at home), where is the best place to stop for a great, yet inexpensive, bite to eat?
Peter: At home: The Pretzel Factory in South Philly. On the road we usually eat pretty shitty until some generous folk cook us a healthy meal (wink wink).
Pastepunk: What is on the horizon for you guys aside from the summer tour? What is the ultimate goal for ALGERNON CADWALLADER as a band? What do you see being the biggest difficulty in achieving such a goal?
Peter: We plan on writing a lot, pumping out records, and then hopefully more tours. I would just like to see this band have fun as long as possible. Our biggest difficulty in doing that will be ourselves.
Although I've mentioned it before in these pages, I can't help but reiterate the fact that 2008 has been a cruel year for music reviewing. I don't know if I'm more jaded or if record execs are just stupid, but over 90% of all the releases submitted to me this year have been garbage. So when everything turns to crap, where else do you turn but to the DIY community? A place where bands put heart into their music. A place where the quality of the recording doesn't matter. A place where bands with names like ALGERNON CADWALLADER can produce inspiring music and play small, sweaty shows. Yes, they have a supremely funky name, but after hearing their passionate, noodly take on a classic emo sound, you'll assuredly be remembering that name. Hopefully, too, you can gain some insight and information about the band and their newest full-length, Some Kind Of Cadwallader, by reading the interview below, conducted via e-mail with ALGERNON's Peter Helmis in May 2008. 
