MP3: New Wave Hippies
Psychedelic Horseshit frontman Matt Whitehurst is young Pac in the flesh. Doesn’t mean I like Pac or that Matt’s mom was a crackhead. I never even liked Tupac. But I like the idea of Tupac as in a public figure who will say anything in public and not give a fuck. And it meant something to him and other people. Obviously, they don’t sound anything like Pac, but you smell me playboy.
To me Psychedelic Horseshit’s new album “Magic Drone Flowers” (Stiltbreeze) sounds like when my mom told me to do chores on a Saturday afternoon while she was listening to her old records: a mixture of Bob Dylan and me running over rocks to break the lawn mower so I wouldn’t have to cut the grass again. Or putting a fork in the dishwasher so it would break. Or vacuuming up broken lightbulbs.
During my drunken interview with Matt we talked about the new album, fighting with Deerhunter, philosophy, protesting, and how the Black Lips live album was in fact recorded in the studio.
WF-My favorite song on the record is “New Wave Hippies”. Are you angry at those people or is it just an observation?
MW-It’s kind of an aggravated observation I guess. When I first wrote it, initially it was directed at a certain scene in America’s Underground. As I wrote it, it took on different meanings. “New Wave Hippies” doesn’t necessarily mean jam bands. It’s about people who have a voice in the media and they don’t use it for anything. They just talk about bullshit.
WF-I mean are you talking about “wilderness white”, like Animal Collective fans that are former ravers?
MW-It’s all of that really. It’s the new wave aspect of Hippies. It means the generation of hippies. Like Deerhunter and Animal Collective and shit. People that use electronics. It’s not just about music.
WF-You say something like they don’t protest. They hang out on little machines.
MW-They hang out on little screens. It’s about blogging. It’s not like the 60’s that shit isn’t going to happen. Everyone sits at home and talks about bullshit on a computer instead of getting out and saying things.
WF-Well on the split 7 inch you did with Times New Viking, you said “I am not a man. I have no soul. I don’t care about politics and things I can’t control.” Do you feel like you should be out doing something or do you think everything is bullshit?
MW-I don’t know. I guess I am stuck in between those things. That’s a good question. I should be out doing something. But everything is bullshit and I feel a sense of hopelessness in the world. It’s like if you don’t have an army to go out and fight with then its no question that you will get killed.
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