Mixing up some visuals for the closing song off their self-titled, Oakland's Brasil shakes up a bunch of vintage images for the visual showing of, "Stay in Town". Hatching plots of managerial overlords on "Dr. Zero", the high-flying absurdism of "Drunk at the Controls", and other conversations; the East Bay group spells out affirmations of hold it down and hang around attitudes.
Jasper, Paul, Tom and Michael combine vintage footage of audio meters, home movies, military movies, animated sequences of 'defense production' and more to make an ode to living, leaving and staying in the municipality you love to hate. Guitars shred out air raid riff warnings, as images of analogue radio days hunker down to the bunker busting array of army drill procedures. Synced up to Jasper and the band's rapid fire reminders that, "you might have won the battle but you haven't won the war", fights the tech wave escalation by refusing to escape or flee the Bay. Though their moniker makes a nods to the South American country of their namesake, Brasil's embraces their Oakland home with a commitment to excellence, and holding down their post in the face of all threatening adversity.
Jasper Leach talked briefly with us about the great exodus from the Bay Area, the mantra of "Stay in Town", fun with digging through the Prelinger Archives, and some wild post-holiday stories.
I love this song, is "Stay in Town" like an ode to keeping it local, East Bay wise?
It's an ode to absurdity and an ode to the place you live and an ode to leaving the place you live in which you probably think of doing every day. It's a mantra. A daily affirmation, and it's more relevant than ever now that 'everyone' is leaving according to the national media.
The visualizations are great, how did you all go about adapting the rocker to the found film footage?
Late nights spent drinking and digging through the Prelinger Archives is an education in the history of social control in America. Lots of wild videos in there. These are public home videos to do with what we want and now we get to choose what they mean.
How have the holidays been for the Brasil bunch? Projections for 2014?
Let me ask you this: have you ever woken up in a rented santa suit, beard and all, on the floor of your room, covered in baked beans and Tapatio, beside a suitcase record player scraping the center label of the best of Gary Glitter? Do You Wanna Touch Me? (Oh Yeah!). My friend, there are no predictions for 2014.
Brasil's self-titled is available now via Bandcamp courtesy of Beggar's Choice Records.
