In a city where the water quality rivals that of steel mill runoff, and a mayoral candidate frenetically asserts he coined the term ""fish and wildlife"": Madison's place on the ""classy totem pole"" is that haggard frog shaped character that appears toward the stump. Madison's own Sleeping In The Aviary emulates this acidic, wild-eyed mentality in their new album Oh, This Old Thing?—a brisk power pop album that bites and scathes, yet affirms that Madison has an aspiring music scene outside of Steve Miller revival bands. The Daily Cardinal sat down with Sleeping In The Aviary's lead singer and guitarist Elliott Kozel just before the band set sail for a spring tour.
Daily Cardinal: How did this current lineup come to being?
Elliott Kozel: Beverly begat Lancelot
Lancelot begat Juan
Juan begat Todd
Todd begat Thorson
Thorson begat Beverly II
Beverly II begat Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve begat Lil' Odie
Lil' Odie begat Chesthair Rollins
Chesthair Rollins begat Lardo Ballsworth
Lardo Ballsworth begat Blandie the Rest Area Destroyer
Blandie the Rest Area Destroyer begat Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand begat Slimey
Slimey begat Steve
And Sleeping in the Aviary really looked up to that dude (Steve).
DC: Take us through a day during the recording process of Oh, This Old Thing:
EK: 5:45 a.m. - Morning band meeting. Two grapefruits each and warm milk to start the day.
6:30 a.m. - Daily calisthenics 25 crunches, 10 squats held for five seconds apiece.
7:00 a.m. - Silent prayer.
7:15 a.m. - Round table discussion of regional current events of the day. Assignments from the previous workday are turned in.
7:30 a.m. - Watch pre-recorded Carson Daly from the previous night.
8:12 a.m. - Nap.
1:00 p.m. - Afternoon band meeting. Biscuits and milkshakes.
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Phil Collins power hour.
3:00 p.m. - Shopping.
3:45 p.m. - Shopping. Pick up latest issue of Spin again.
4:00 p.m. - Check Spin magazine to see if there's a review of us in there yet.
4:20 p.m. - Microwave some soft pretzels and veg out.
8:00 p.m. - Evening band meeting. The assignments from the previous day have been corrected and returned.
8:40 p.m. - Set the VCR to record Carson Daly.
9:00 p.m. - Bow hunting.
9:00 p.m. - 9:01 p.m. - Consume the raccoon.
10:00 p.m. - Take shrinky dinks out of the oven.
10:25 p.m. - Brush teeth, comb hair. Ready for bed.
10:30 p.m. - Silent prayer.
10:45 p.m. - 11:45 p.m.- Figure out how to tuck each other in.
11:54 p.m. - Go to Sleep.
3:39 a.m. - Silent weeping.
DC: Thirteen tracks in 23 minutes; was this spitfire songwriting style something you guys always worked with?
EK: We write fast songs 'cause they're popular.
DC: One of my friends called your band ""A threeway sexcapade with Ted Leo, The Libertines and the Sex Pistols""—Do you hate when people generalize your sound like that, or are you pretty indifferent?
EK: Oh yeah? Well, one of my friends called your friend ""A three-way fuck-face who fucks fruit bags and shit."" Yeah.
DC: Who is in charge of all the artwork?
EK: Jah. He is my copilot.
DC: I'm sure you've been asked this plenty of times, but who is Maureen and why doesn't she like you anymore?
EK: No comment.
DC: Judging by your tour schedule you seem to be pretty popular in the South. How are the southern fans?
EK: They talk funny. They own and operate Waffle House. They wear overalls. They drink mint juleps. They brag about how hot it is.
DC: What's the best record store in Madison?
EK: My neighbor's house when he is away at work.
DC: Anything else to add?
EK: 5,6,7,8: Shop with bleach. There are many traditions of astrology, some of which share similar features due to the transmission of astrological doctrines between cultures. Other traditions developed in isolation and hold completely different doctrines, although they too share some similar features due to the fact that they are drawing on similar astronomical sources. Dark Tranquility is a Gothenburg metal band from Sweden.
