Questionable Corner: Abe Vigoda

Yesterday I told you guys how much I'm enjoying the new record from L.A. noise punks Abe Vigoda. It's a really solid record even if it's only 30-minutes long, and with the band hitting New York for the weekend I thought now would be the perfect time to catch up with the band and see how things are going.

PTST: You guys have obviously been linked with the scene coming from the Smell, how do you guys react to all the comparisons to the likes of No Age and Mika Miko? Do you honestly feel you should be held in comparison to these bands just because you've played the same local venue a few times? What makes you different from the rest of the Smell bands?
AV: Yeah we do get that comparison a lot which is cool with us because they are our friends. I do not think that any of us sound like each other. Its more like an attitude or vibe or something. We all definitely have a good sense of humor about things and don't take things too seriously. We might not sound alike but I do think we have similar ideologies about music.

PTST: Your new album Skeleton hit store shelves on Tuesday, how do you think it compares to your first two releases? Is there any big changes your fans should be on the lookout for when they first listen to Skeleton? What are your personal favorite tracks on the new album?
AV: We get asked this a lot, probably because it is pretty radically different to our previous records. I do think that this record is a much more polished and a lot dreamier and poppier but it totally has the same punk spirit as the other records. Our songs are still brief and have weird structures. I think that our favorite track of the record is the last song and titular track "Skeleton". It is one of the last songs we wrote for the record and its closer to the new stuff we are working on.

PTST:You guys are now on tour with fellow LA rockers No Age, how's the tour going so far?
AV: Tour with No Age is amazing! They are the best people to tour with. Its easy because we are such good friends so it makes it way more fun and easy to do things. And so far every show with them has been so great! I was a little nervous that maybe people wouldn't be that into us because we are opening but its been really great its a totally good match!

PTST: Have you guys had a favorite stop so for, or are there any places you're really looking forward to playing in the next few weeks?
AV: I'm really looking forward to our New York dates,its always really fun there and lots of people come out, its also our first time playing a festival which is really exciting and a little nerve wracking. But yeah really siked to play in Canada also because we have never even been there.

PTST: Your music has been described as "tropical punk", is it a fitting moniker for what you guys do? Is it the addition of steel drums that makes it stick, or is it the overall mellow vibe to the music that gives it it's tropical feel?
AV: I think that people label us as that and it makes sense to a point. The drum beats are very close to that tropical sound. But I think that also the sparkly guitars add to that. We don't use steel drums even in recording, its just the guitars with reverb and distortion and some delay. I'm not too sure that the songs are that mellow, they seem very fast and spastic to me, but we are down for mellow too!!!

PTST: Are you guys excited for your weekend in New York City? Which venue you are you looking forward to the most here in the city?
AV: The Todd P show I hope will be awesome! He has set up things for us before and they have been super fun, and we are playing with Ponytail who I'm super excited about!

PTST: What's up for you guys once the tour is done?
AV: We are going to go home and relax for a little. Maybe work on new songs but for sure we are doing another tour in the fall in the US and going to the UK in the late fall for at least two weeks.

Abe Vigoda - "Skeleton"
Abe Vigoda - "The Garden"

Abe Vigoda - 2008 Tour Dates
Jul 9 - Floristree ** Baltimore, Maryland
Jul 10 - First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jul 11 - Seaport Music Festival Pier 17 New York, New York
Jul 12 - Todd P Outdoor Show w/ High Places, Ponytail and others NYC
Jul 13 - Mercury Lounge w/ Titus Andronicus, Ponytail New York, New York
Jul 14 - Middle East Downstairs ** Cambridge, Massachusetts
Jul 15 - La Sala Rossa ** Montreal, Quebec
Jul 16 - Legendary Horseshoe Tavern ** Toronto
Jul 17 - Eagle Theater ** Pontiac
Jul 18 - Empty Bottle w/ Guns N Bombs, Hollywood Holt Chicago, Illinois
Jul 19 - Pitchfork After Party @ Schuba's w/ High Places Chicago, Illinois
Jul 21 - Triple Rock Social Club ** Minneapolis
Jul 23 - Artlife w/ Women Calgary, Alberta
Jul 24 - Richards on Richards **, Mika Miko Vancouver
Jul 25 - Capitol Hill Block Party! Seattle WA
Jul 26 - Hawthorne Theater **, Mika Miko Portland
Jul 28 - Great American Music Hall **, Mika Miko San Francisco
Jul 29 - LoBot Gallery **, Mika Miko, KIT Oakland, California