ZapTown

The TV Buddhas will be performing at The Melody Inn, Sunday, September 12. They will be teaming up with HotChaCha and The Kemps. $6 will get you in, 9 p.m. gets you the glorious sounds. For more information, visit the Melody Inn website: http://www.melodyindy.com/

All it took was an EP for Berlin’s TV Buddhas to come out swinging with a fury. This self-titled ode to rock and roll preserves the danger of Iggy and the Stooges with the charisma of Richard Hell and the Voidoids underneath that late night TV glow of California’s early ’80s punk scene.

Originally from Tel Aviv, Israel, the now trio (husband/wife Juval Harring and Mickey Triest and brother Uri Triest) has grabbed the essence of what rock and roll is all about and blown it into cosmic proportions of youth spirit. Taking to the streets of the U.S. with a six-week tour, they won’t save rock and roll, but they will be sure to give it a swift kick in the face.

Harring talked about their EP, due out in the U.S. on We Are Busy Bodies, why it was only recorded in the matter of an hour, and how they can keep the momentum of their massive live show schedule barreling through.

Link: http://www.myspace.com/tvbuddhas

What is it about the spontaneity of recording with the EP that the band was attracted to? What drew you to that element of sound within your band?

We started out as a duo, and added Uri this year. We were into writing new songs and recording hastingly cause we had a big tour coming up. Our friend Nico Poisson came from France to Berlin and recorded us on his tape machine. It just felt right to dive into something unknown. None of us knew how it would come out.

The EP is a lo-fi recording without the lo-fi feel. It’s a more powerful testament to the fury of rock than most modern rock bands who spend weeks and bleed over thousands of dollars in studio equipment. How did the band blow up the sound with the resources you constructed (a microphone and a field recording tape)?

Nico made the mono recording stereo, and we added vocals very quickly later. Nothing much was added. It was recorded in a rehearsal room in Berlin. We had just one track
so there was really nothing to work with. Were used to recording live anyway. The amps were actully kinda wimpy. But Nico did a good job. French people know how to make rock and roll.

TV Buddhas harks back to time in the early ‘80s where the punks would spend their nights under a TV glow and listen to crazed punk rock like The Weirdos, Avengers, etc. That was our weekend nights and to sit around playing something like Risk instead of go to a party and get drunk with the jocks and preps was our middle finger. I also remember watching an episode of House M.D. (a show I never thought I would reference in an interview like this) where he was interviewing this kid for an intern position. He was trying to be all cool, and Dr. House said that “if you want to be cool and go against the grain, go home and read a book. Now that is punk rock.” It’s this type of anti- attitude that makes your music stand out. What is your perception of that? Is this an intentional statement in your music or just something unconscious?

This feeling is imprinted in our personalities, all three of us. Mickey dropped out of college cause she has A.D.D and was intimidated by the concept of studying. Were all like that in way. And our reaction has always been to go home, close the door, and turn on the TV. When we started the band the idea was to make rock and roll, that incorporates our fears, tells stories about them, and deals with them. We wanted to make something that is real in our world.

You have racked up an amazing amount of shows as a band? What has playing hundreds of shows taught you? How do you keep the momentum alive and thriving? Do you have any favorite moments from it all? If so, what are they?

Doing long tours was the financial thing to do, coming from Israel. Longer tours meant more shows, that covered flights, van, gear etc. But then we just didnt stop, and touring became
our life. Now were based in Berlin, but we still tour that way. I think we were actualy IN our apartment for less than 3 months last year. Touring brings alot of anxieties out of you, but also teaches you to overcome them. Alot of bands seem to be these packs of wild boys in dirty vans partying all the time, but we just try to survive, shower as much as we can, treat ourselves to “normal” human being stuff like a nice dinner , or walking around a super market, prentending like we are shopping. If anything unusual happens on tour, we just do what we always do, and run away.

How has your relationships as family (and husband and wife for Juval and Mickey) contributed and affected this band?

We could tour endlessly being married. Actually this whole marriage thing is to keep the band together, and we added Uri cause he’s Mickeys brother
and he couldnt escape the band so easily too.

How important is “place” to you? The band started in Tel Aviv and then relocated to Berlin? How did Tel Aviv play in to the formation of the band and what was it like playing music of your caliber in a country like Israel? Is it different? Similarities? Why did the band choose Berlin as your current home?

Berlin is cheap. Its hyped up, but we really dont care about that, its just cheap like you wouldnt believe. We live near a park, with a pond and ducks. I mean, in Israel i lived in Holon. Tel Aviv is great but the rest of Israel is not very musically happening. There wasnt much touring to do there, and we couldnt really live off our music staying there.

I do not see Tel Aviv as a stop on your continuous tour schedule. Any plans to go back and play?

Playing there is really good. But when your a domestic band, promoters tend to get petty with you, and we do so many shows outside of Israel that going back there makes more sense as a holiday, than a tour.
What do you feel are the most important elements of the band? What does it all mean to you?

We want to be appreciated in the way we appreciate bands like The Replacements or The Ramones. They were innovative and real, and their songs make us feel like being us is OK. We want to make someone else feel like that too. we want to write songs about life.

What is the future of the TV Buddhas?

Get a house, get a dog, do less touring, eat healthier food and work out. We also want to work on the show Entourage.