Bands named after lit are usually a good chat. The Airborne Toxic Event knows its McSweeney's and DeLillo. North Carolina's Bombadil knows its J.R.R., and its local music history too. The quartet's energetic merge of quirky pop and Bolivian folk bounced off earlier this year in the form of a self-titled debut, but the show is on the road and it must go on.
Tolkien's went on so long that it had to be marketed in three separate books.
Bombadil's doing its part, starting Sunday in San Francisco, with a months-long tour. Listening Post caught up with charango specialist Bryan Rahija by email from Oregon, where his band no doubt was lost in the woods, dosed on Shirley Temples.
Wired.com: Why the name? Are you Tolkien fans?
Bombadil: A friend of ours was reading the books and thought it wouldbe a good fit for us. We read over the passage and identified with thejolly weirdness of the guy, and gave the name a try for a show. Itstuck.
Wired.com: Do you listen to Gandalf? The band, not the wizard.
Bombadil: Gandalf, the band?! We should tour sci-fi conventions withthem. Alternatively, there's actually a coffee shop in Ypsilanti called Bombadil's that might actually get fired up about that bill. Orthere's always Frodo's in Pleasantville, New York.
Wired.com: Your namescreams Middle Earth but your clothes scream Santa Cruz.
Bombadil: We've been trying all along to figure out how to match theclothes with the music. That started out including elements the stylefrom old Bolivian dudes, but these days we're starting to look intoother sources, or making our own clothes. You'd be amazed what you canfind in the women's aisle of the thrift store.
Wired.com: This is somebouncy folk. Reminds me of the Pogues, just less drunk.
Bombadil: Well, we hear more often that we're a more drunk version of the Pogues. But themost popular drink in the band is a good Shirley Temple.
Wired.com: Talk about the North Carolina legacy. Somegreat bands from that state.
Bombadil: The North Carolina scene is really, really exciting right, with a localshow worth seeing just about every night. A lot of bands are steadilyputting the state back on the map. We probably fit somewhere betweenthe biweekly ukelele jam sessions and the improvisational guerrillamarching band.
Photo: Julie Roberts
SEE ALSO:
- Event Horizon: An Interview With The Airborne Toxic Event
- 'Video: One Ring Zero + Loverboy = WTF?
- For Those About to Rock, We Read You
- 'It's Hard Not to Get Geeky': Q&A With Michael Hearst
- This Kid Rock May Not Be For Kids
- Video: Matt Kresling's Deranged Student Loan Pop
- Sesame Street: Great Music Show, Or Greatest Music Show Ever?
