Vice Interview: The Tranzmitors

Here is an interview I did that never saw print.

GO FAST NO GO SLOW

The Tranzmitors Play It Underground

When it comes to making tunes everything has been done already. That’s just one of those maxims you have to remember. Why bust a nut trying to make freakier, out thereier, avant-psche popadelia than everyone else? You just end up looking like a cunt. Either that or your name is Devandra Banhart. No matter how hard you try there will always be someone out there doing whatever is you think that only you are doing before you. Wanna make low frequency drone splatter explosions? Dude, haven’t you heard of Filthy Turd? Wanna make miked up, glass shatter, self mutilation? Dude, never heard of Justice Yeldham? The point being that sometimes it’s more productive and, hell, just a lot more fun to look backwards in order to move forwards. Why bother re-inventing a wheel when you can just make it the slickest, lowest riding, big dick swingingest, chromed out 22” dub out there. Or in the case of the Tranzmitors, the sharpest suited, pointiest shoe’d most slicked back band out there. These guys all look like they’ve just stepped out of the cover of “In The City”. Ok, ok, so they kind of look like cunts but I sure would prefer them to be playing at the bar than the fabulous freak brothers. They play sinewy, refined pop punk that makes you want to sing along to all the choruses about dancing in the back rows and all sorts of other crap you don’t really care about. They are so dedicated to the whole backwards looking thing that Stiff records has come out of retirement to put their LP out. Groovy.

You come from Canada, what are you playing at pretending that you are in the Jam?
Jarrod O’Dell (keyboards, vocals): We just love all those records. The Jam, The Style Council, Mod stuff. I wouldn’t say 2 tone influences our sound but I like the way they dress. I mean, come on, look at us. That is why we are super psyched about the record coming out on Stiff over here. They had Ian Drury and the Blockheads and Elvis Costello and a killer logo. They had it all really. Mod stuff is great in general though wouldn’t you say? Scooters and all that crap, I love it, they really had it going on. Are there any scooter rallies here?

Dude, London isn’t like Quadrophenia any more. If it was who would you play with?
Jeffrey McCloy (guitar, vocals): Well, The Jam obviously. And Madness.
Bryce Dunn (drums, vocals): Shit, that makes us sound so boring. Can’t we talk about fighting and drinking or something?

You do seem to just want to talk about the Jam. Everyone calls me Jam. Maybe we can just talk about me?
Bryce: Maybe not.

OK, you are all pretty big. I don't want to get in a fight with you? Do you get into many fights?
Jarrod: It’s been known. We won’t back down. You have to be able to come out swinging you know?

JAM NIGHT

The Tranzmitors self titled debut LP is out on Stiff Records now.

www.myspace.com/tranzmitors