11 Questions With...The Fast Romantics

Hailing from Calgary, promising indie-rockers The Fast Romantics are rolling through town next week, primed and ready to showcase all the highly diverse, wonderfully melodic tunes off their eponymous debut at the Pyramid on September 6th. And I've got a pair of their cds to give away if you're interested. Simply shoot me an email (on the side bar) by Tuesday @ 3 p.m. with the subject line "The Fast Romantics CD Giveaway", your full name in the body, and I'll draw the winner randomly.

Plus, the band's vocalist Matthew Angust was nice enough to take part in my not-yet-but-maybe-one-day legendary "11 Questions", and below he reveals which artist he listens to in the shower, sheds a new perspective on 'desert island albums' criteria, and gives props to South Park. Enjoy!

1. Where are you right now?

We're all on our couches in Calgary, recovering from what was an incredibly successful CD release party on Saturday night. Packed house, amazing hard-partying crowd. Great way to kick off the tour!

2. Who is the best Calgary-based band (other than your own, of course)?

That would have to be our friends Secret Broadcast. We like them so much that we even decided to go on this Canadian tour with them.

3. What are your top three, all-time, desert-island records?

That is ridiculously hard, but we'll try. Ask us tomorrow and you'll get different answers. But if we had to board the plane to the desert island right this second, let's take... The Clash's "London Calling", Blur's "13", and David Bowie's "Low".
In case you're curious about tomorrow, it would probably be Radiohead's "OK Computer", The Beatles White Album (with double albums you get twice as many songs. When on a desert island, you have to think about quantity too, I think). And as for the third one, hmm, probably Spoon's "Gimme Fiction".

4. What’s one song you love, but regularly dismiss as a “guilty pleasure”?

Lead guitarist Matty K sometimes listens to Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" when he needs a good cry. As for me, sometimes I like to listen to Bjork in the shower. I can't really name a particular song, in most of her songs she sounds like a dying whale, but in some sick way it's nice.

5. What was the last great concert you saw?

Radiohead in Vancouver in the pouring rain with no raincoat.

6. Who is one producer, alive or dead, that you’d just love to work with?

I think we'd all agree that Nigel Goderich would be a great producer to work with. Or Danger Mouse. Or George Martin. You keep asking for one answer, and I keep giving you many. Us Fast Romantics have a habit of over-pleasuring.

7. PC or Mac?

Mac. I wouldn't even know how to use a PC, they're weird. Alan, our drummer, he still uses a PC, but he has special powers.

8. Simpsons, South Park, or Family Guy?

South Park.

9. Would you rather have invisibility or flight?

Flight. If I needed to be invisible, I could just fly up where no one could see me. Easy.

10. What book(s) are you currently reading?

While we're all really really avid readers, I'm not currently reading anything, which is sacrilegious. But this band is a full time gig, these days we only get the chance to eat, sleep, and rock.

11. And finally…who’s your favourite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, or Raphael?

My mum didn't let me watch the Ninja turtles because it was too violent, so I called Matty K to ask him. He says Leonardo.

Infinite Playlist: The Very Best - Warm Heart Of Africa