We have to admit that we couldn’t help rooting for Notekillers. These veterans of the indie music scene are back and certainly sound like they are ready to show a whole new generation how to simply rock! We caught up with guitarist David First to get the skinny on Notekillers. (Or is it The Notekillers?)
The Deli: How did Notekillers start?
David First: Way, way, way, back, back, back in the day, in 1976, two of us, Halkin & I, rekindled a bandmate-hood that began in junior high. We started out totally improvising what we called "free rock" and slowly began imposing spring-loaded structures that I started bringing in. Another old friend, Bilenky, came in much later – sometime in 1977. Version 1.0 lasted till 1981. We reconvened in 2004 shortly after re-animator extraordinaire Thurston Moore mentioned us in an article in Mojo magazine. We’re having MUCH more fun this time around.
TD: Where did the band name come from?
DF: Those were rebellious, angry times, and in that spirit, it seemed important that we take a stand against something personal for us. Notes – polite, proper pitches and sounds – seemed like a worthy adversary. We wanted to annihilate them…or at least see that they got a good slapping around. Sometimes it’s Notekillers and sometimes it’s The Notekillers – we can never seem to definitively decide.
TD: What are your biggest musical influences?
DF: The original rock & rollers – especially Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley & Link Wray. Psychedelic rock of the late 60s – Yardbirds, QMS, J. Airplane, and maybe, especially, a Philly band from back then – Mandrake Memorial. Free Jazz (Cecil Taylor, Albert Ayler), serious funk (early Kool & the Gang, Parliament/Funkadelic). The subversive structures of John Fahey. And for me, personally, my studies with local legend Dennis Sandole – under whose guidance I developed the chord-melody concepts behind all our stuff.
TD: What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently listening to?
DF: I love people who are trying to create something genuinely new and nonretro. These days that generally means artists working largely in the realm of sound sans vocals or played-out ego memes. People such as Zs, Oneida, Parts & Labor, Noveller. Just saw Weasel Walter’s new trio w/Marc Edwards – Cellular Chaos – and that was pretty terrific. Philly guy Nick Millevoi always seems to be in the middle of something interesting – saw him do a lovely solo show a couple weeks ago. We did a show at the M-Room recently with Empty Shapes – they impressed us with their entrancing heaviness.
TD: What’s the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought?
DF: We’re old – the Doors at the Town Hall was the first show Halkin & I went to – and I even got Ray Manzarek’s autograph. First album was Meet the Beatles purchased at EJ Korvettes on Welsh & the Blvd.
TD: What do you love about Philly?
DF: The kids and bands that have made things way livelier and healthier than things were when we were starting out. The Philly creative music scene receives national attention – those of us who’ve been around long enough know that this wasn’t always the case. Not by a long-shot.
TD: What do you hate about Philly?
DF: The chip on the shoulder that I still sense sometimes.
TD: What are your plans for 2010?
DF: Get back to playing more shows. We took time off to get a new record together – which is now done. It’s called We’re Here to Help and will be officially available in early November on Prophase Records. But we’ll probably have it at shows earlier than that. Otherwise, we’re working on new material and ever-new ways to blow up things and take people for a ride on the shards.
TD: What was your most memorable live show?
DF: All Tomorrow’s Parties in England a couple years ago was fun – I could easily get used to playing in front of a thousand-plus people all the time. A recent show at Union Pool in Brooklyn that encored with saxophonist Daniel Carter joining us was a blast. And anytime we’ve played at Pilam.
TD: What’s your favorite thing to get at the deli?
DF: Breyers mint chocolate chip.
– The Deli Staff