Music Monday - The Devil Has the Best Tuna Talks My Bloody Valentine, MIA and More...

Music Monday with The Devil Has the Best Tuna

The Devil Has the Best Tuna is an odd name for a music blog, but we're fine with that because they have been staunch supporters of Green Light Go artists. Based in Liverpool, England, "The Devil is dedicated to unearthing known, unheard, unseen, unheralded, unfamiliar or down right unbelievable bands old or new that have not yet hit the radars of the British public." Main Devil, Paul Kerr has reached out to North America, picking up on the newest State-side bands as well. He does such a great job, we decided to let him keep his "European/Canadian" way of spelling things like "flavour."

Music Monday Q&A

1. How long has Devil been operating?
The Devil's first post was on Sunday August 6, 2006 ... titled "I've Started Something." I started it because of a band called the Monolators. I loved their sound and wanted to share their brilliance with the world. I can’t believe that it was nearly four years ago and the blog is still thriving.

2. What makes Devil different from other websites?
The Devil focuses on the unheard, the unknown, the unseen, the unheralded, and the unfamiliar. The type of band that lost a champion when the late great John Peel died. The Devil takes the road less travelled seeking out talent and originality in those dark corners that others pass by. You’re more likely to find an Indonesian Yeah Yeah Yeahs sound alike on The Devil Has The Best Tuna than the latest blogosphere flavour of the month.


3. Do you think Devil has a specific musical niche?
The Devil is too eclectic to be considered niche. I write about bands that excite me, that move me, that make me laugh, that make me cry, that make the world a better place. There’s something for everyone on the blog whether you’re into Americana, Brit-pop, alt-rock, shoegazing, punk, junk or avant-funk.

4. What contemporary albums are you looking forward to coming out?
I love the use of the word contemporary just in case I was looking forward to the Greatest Hits of Vera Lynn or Engelbert Humperdinck's latest oeuvre! I’d love to be able to say I was looking forward to the second La’s album and the new My Bloody Valentine album ...but I assume you mean albums that are likely to see the light of day!

Although they’ve already released albums this year I’m already looking forward to hearing more from Happy Birthday, First Aid Kit and Tiny Vipers. I’m hoping that the amazing Gaggle will be releasing an album sometime soon and I can’t wait to hear ‘Surfing The Void’ the much anticipated new Klaxons album. Other albums that I’m hoping will make my ears smile are M.I.A’s ‘/\/\/\Y/\’, The Coral’s ‘Butterfly House’, Bombay Bicycle Club’s ‘Flaws’ and School of Seven Bells’ ‘Disconnect To Desire.’

5. How does Devil support independent music and what is important about doing so?
The Devil’s mission is to bring independent music to a wider audience. I spend hours each week searching the Internet for the wired, the weird and the wonderful. As well as the blog, I tweet on independent bands and I wax lyrical about independent bands on Facebook. I like to think I do my bit!

It’s important to do so because if music was left to Simon Cowell, the suits, and the major labels we’d be served up nothing but over hyped, over processed homogenized common denominator, spreadsheet rock. Wallpaper music for lifts and shopping centres and what a dull, boring and excruciatingly irritating world that would be. So it’s important to support independent music if only to wipe the smile of Simon Cowell’s smug self satisfied face”!

6. Do you think online publications are taking precedence over print magazine? What kind of effect do you think that has on bands?
It may be a generalisation, but where oldies like The Devil cling like limpets to the printed word, the younger the music fan the more likely they will get their information online rather than through print. The online world is more democratic and provides many more opportunities for bands to be heard and to reach beyond their hometown audience. However the sheer size of the Internet can make it difficult for bands to make themselves heard. The blogosphere can sometimes seem like the biggest closed shop in the world with the same bands appearing on multiple blogs. It’s often the bands with the best PR companies, not necessarily the best bands that get the most publicity. Plus ca change!

7. What blogs/publications do you read other than your own?
As you would expect I read a lot of different music publications and blogs to both keep up with what’s happening in the world of music and to find new bands that I’ve not yet stumbled across to feature on the blog. There isn’t enough room to list all the various blogs/publications that I read but those I find myself returning to time and time again are MP3Hugger, Song By Toad, Artrocker, NME, Mojo and Uncut.

8. What has been your most definitive moment since you started your blog?
The most definitive moment was when I got my first reader on the day I posted my first blog. It was that one reader who made me think it was worth continuing. I wish I knew who he or she is so I could thank them for making an old Devil very happy. Without their curiosity the blog may never have gotten past the first post!

9. If there is any musician/band you could interview (dead or alive) who would it be?
Alive would have to be Morrissey, but I’d probably be struck dumb and end up asking him something really stupid. Dead would be John Lennon and I’d ask him was the Walrus really Paul.

10. If you could be in any band (of all time), who would you rock with?
At the risk of being boring it’d have to be The Smiths, although given my lack of musical talent and being tone deaf I’d probably end up on flower duty.

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