Dream Cop is Tommy Davidson, a multi-instrumentalist artist out of Blacksburg, Virginia. He frequently makes shoegaze-ish, hazy tunes for those in need of hypnosis and musical healing. We think he has a bright future. We posted about him here. Yeah, we kind of like him. So what did we do? We fucking contacted him. Read below as staff writer Jacob Corbin interviews Dream Cop here at The Milk Carton.

JC: Where did the name “Dream Cop” come from?
TD: I guess, I was trying to think about an appropriate name after making "Marooned" and the "Beach City" track and I was sifting through a copy of Naked Lunch my friend gave me..

JC: Great...

I recently had the chance to sit down with Will Noon, drummer for Straylight Run at a copy shop, of all places, in downtown Iowa City. What follows includes thoughts on politics, major label shenanigans, and marching drums:

TMC: This is Jeremy from The Milk Carton, and I’m here with Will Noon from Straylight Run. Can I have you say hi?

Will Noon: Sure, hello, this is Will from Straylight Run, even though that’s redundant now.

TMC: So how’s the Mile After Mile tour treated you so far? I realize it’s only been a few dates, but…

WN: It’s been good, it’s been cold with a lot of driving, so we haven’t had too much of a chance to hang out with the other bands, but the little time we’ve spent with them has been good. I’m pretty excited to tour with Lydia, I feel they’re one of those bands that’s always been mentioned, and...

Lubbock, Texas' own Yele definitely have their own unique style. This may seem like generic cliche, but given the band's inventive style of all-encompassing indie-isms on their first EP, The Potential, it's clear that the five-piece have carved their own niche in the dusty nights of West Texas. Armed with Beat Happening-esque vocalist and songwriter Travis Pope, keyboard player and singer Katy Brizendine, guitarist Ryan Young, bassist Philip Secrest and drummer Travis Maret, the band certainly have a future as a bright spot in the underground outside-Austin Texas music scene. Stream their Potential EP and check out a wonderful interview conducted by TMC collaborator Kacee Boswell right here!

TMC: So I'm here with Yele, and the members are; Katy Brizendine, Travis Pope, and Philip Secrest.

Travis: No relation to Ryan Seacrest unfortunately.

TMC: My first question is about the name Yele. What's the story there?
...

Back on February 13th that just so happened to be Friday the 13th, I had a chance to sit down with some fellow Iowans, Radio Moscow. They're a psychadelic blues rock band out of City, IA with only one member [Parker] that can legally drink. When you're in a psychadelic band from the middle of nowhere, who needs alcohol? Read on to find out how they got their start and their new record, Brain Cycles.


TMC: Alright, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most of our readers have never heard of Radio Moscow before. Tell us a little about your background and how you ended up on one of the best independent record labels in the country [Alive Naturalsound Records.]

Parker: It all kinda started by giving a demo to the lead singer of the Black...

Like so many bands before them, The Yelling emerged from an abandoned warehouse turned rehearsal space in downtown Los Angeles, CA. Nathaniel Cox (vocals/guitar) and Robert Davis (guitar) founded the band when they moved to LA picking up drummer Michael Judd and bassist Chris McKee along the way. Last October, the band released a 5-track EP with a full-length LP slated for release in the near future. So far, the quartet has played mainly in the LA area but hopefully a broader tour will be setup after the release of their debut record.

For a limited time, TMC is offering a stream of the entire 5-track EP AND a free download of the last track, “Blood On The Steps.” Stay tuned to TMC for more information on the upcoming album and check out our exclusive interview with the band below.

TMC: It’s hard to believe a name like The Yelling hasn’t been claimed before now, how did you guys land on that particular name?

We wanted something...

New Orleans is living and breathing again; teaming with life. Music is exploding out of the rebuilt city like never before. But don't get lost in the mess of noise, Hurray For the Riff Raff is a big supporter, and part of it. With her outlaw style, Alynda Lee's songwriting will make you feel like she's your long lost twin. Filling the noise between her light banjo picking, she's supported by the rest of the Raffers who wield accordions, fiddles, toy pianos, double bass, saws, and autoharps. Not only have they specialized and crafted a homely sound, their stories will craft a deep place in the home of your music collection.

Interview by Charlie Weingartner

TMC: Hey there Alynda! I guess I’ll just ask you to do a brief autobiography on yourself, since you’ve got a great story that people might not know about.

Alynda: Ok, I was born in the Bronx in New York. And I grew up in New York City. When I was 17 I left...

Based in Austin, TX, Jonathan Christ and Chase Gorman of Machine have been flying under the radar with their fascinating IDM and live electronic creations that are heavily influenced by bands like Aphex Twin. Kacee Boswell had a chance to sit down and get an interview with Jonathan and Chase and wrote a bit of an introduction to her experience as well. Check it out below. For more about the band and to hear their music, check out their MySpace page.

On the night of Christmas I went to Jonathan's house to do this interview. Jonathan and Chase showed me their set- up:



All the buttons glowing were beautiful; blues and oranges, flashing in their respective patterns. It looked like a laboratory of some sort, the machines and wires and all sorts of...

In August 2007, Anberlin switched from independent label Tooth & Nail to Universal Republic Records. After taking some time to get comfortable, they finally released their new album, New Surrender, and launched a headlining tour in support of the record. Along the way, The Milk Carton had a chance to sit down with drummer Nathan Young before their show in Omaha, NE, the 12th stop on the tour with Madina Lake and Between the Trees.

TMC: First off, you guys have toured your nuts off since forming in 2002. How does it feel to be headlining yet another tour?

Young: It feels great. You know we’ve been the supporting band all these years so it’s nice to be on the other side of that.

TMC: Does the constant touring ever get to you?

Young: It’s always nice to go back home to see family and friends and rejuvenate but this is what we set out to do. I don’t know what we’d be doing if we weren’t making music and...

The man behind Murder By Death, Adam Turla, sat down with The Milk Carton before their November 20th show at Chicago's Metro. Turla talks about three of their concept albums (including Red of Tooth and Claw), the three upcoming Chicago dates (2/10, 2/11, & 2/12), and his favorite brand of whiskey. Read on for the whole interview.


TMC: The last time I saw you guys, it was Bash on Wabash, a free show in Chicago’s South Loop. Do you like playing free shows?

Turla: That’s how I think concerts should be. The fans get in free, the band still gets paid, and everybody has a great time.

TMC: At the Bash you made it well known that Vincent would be back on keys for this show. Is he back with the band for good or is it just for a few shows?

Turla: We haven’t officially announced anything but he’s playing this show and then we plan to bring him on tour with us in February. He’ll record the next album with us as...

For those who aren’t familiar with them, The Damnwells are a seemingly flawless blend of alternative, country, rock, and pop music. With catchy hits like “Golden Days” and heart-felt love songs like “I Will Keep the Bad Things from you,” the band is considerably well-rounded and loveable; it’s crazy to think they’re relatively unknown. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, The Damnwells formed in 2001 after Alex Dezen (Lead singer/songwriter) asked some of his friends to record a few songs with him. The band, who has toured with numerous hit-makers including The Fray and Cheap Trick, was signed with major label, Epic Records, by 2004. Everything was in place for a high powered launch into stardom until the group was suddenly dropped from Epic right before the release of their sophomore album, Air Stereo, in 2006.

The loss of their contract put an unexpected and hope-shattering halt on the band’s promising momentum; but only temporarily. The 2007 documentary, “Golden...

With over 100 years of recorded music, it's been said that everything possible has been done. But Australian singer-songwriter Whitley has taken initiative to prove that wrong. Blending unique genres that branch from geeky, electronic, Wes Anderson inspired quirbbles to elegant classical guitar, he's created a style all to his own. Touring extensively this fall in support of Ben Kweller, Whitley continues to make ground in gaining success and support of his first long play record, The Submarine. We were lucky enough to sit down with him and pick the brain of the young Australian.

Interviewed by Charlie Weingartner

TMC: So I’m here with Lawrence from Whitley. The name Whitley might lead people to think that it’s actually your name, but it’s not. What’s the origin of the altered name?

...

Along her journey to conquest the world, Grace Potter took a few moments to step aside from her band to chat with us during this years first Outside Lands Festival. A growing regular among music festivals, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals continue to find themselves on bigger stages and in front of greater crowds. Still riding off the success from their 2007 album, This Is Somewhere, Grace enthusiastically talked with us about disaster, sea monsters, and even her idea for a new instrument and we had a blast doing it.

Interviewed by Charlie Weingartner

TMC: Have there ever been any life changing moments for you directly influence by music? Maybe a specific concert or the first time you heard an album or song?

Grace: Iggy Pop...