The Downbeat 5 Interview: SXSW 2010

Countless bands have broken up for reasons far more trivial than the end of a romantic relationship between two primary members. You have to admire the dedication the Downbeat 5's lead guitarist JJ Rassler and vocalist/rhythm guitarist Jen D'Angora bring to the band, seeing as they have kept the group together following a divorce. When you listen to the Downbeat 5, there's no sense of animosity or of a band soldiering on through strife. What you hear is a combination of vicious focus and an obvious joy at the prospect of keeping the kinds of music they love so completely alive. Rassler took time out of his weekend to discuss the Downbeat 5's history, what keeps them together, and what they have planned for this year's SXSW.

Describe your sound.

Real rock 'n' roll. Garage, soul, and R&B.

How did the Downbeat 5 form?

At the time, Jen and I were married, and we didn't feel like watching TV. No, I've been in bands most of my life, and Jen was itching to be a part of a band, and she tried a couple of different things with different people. We'd write and sing together in the living room, different styles, country and rock. It became obvious that we had to take it out and form a band.

What are your musical influences?

We both have a real deep love for pure country, old-timey stuff, '30s and '40s stuff. We both have a love for the New York Dolls and the New York sounds of the '70s, and we both have a love for girl-group music.

How did you come up with your band name?

We wanted something really simple that said what it is. It's the downbeat. It's the backbone of rock 'n' roll. One of our favorite bands and influences is the Animals, and they used to hang out and got their start at a club called the Downbeat. We even named our first album 'Ism,' which is an Animals album title. But it was about six months before any of us realized that there were four of us, not five of us. Five sounds better than four, though. It's got a ring to it. There's humor in it. It's tongue-in-cheek. Rock 'n' roll has got to be fun, man. If you get too serious about rock 'n roll, then you're f---ing up, man. You're putting tuna fish in your cereal.

You've obviously played in some legendary bands, such as DMZ and the Queers. Do you feel a certain obligation with the Downbeat 5 to keep this kind of music alive, or do you just do it for the fun of it?

You're right about the first part. We started doing this out of the sheer love of this music. When we were first starting out and Jen was learning guitar and how to best utilize her voice, I'd say "try this song" or "try that song," and it was just what we dug doing. It wasn't really with a band in mind. As far as the second part of your question, there's not a deficiency of bands by any stretch of the imagination. As to whether more or less of them are into it out of passion or into it out of commerce, who's to say? Our originals sound like they came from a mill that was constructed with the bricks of soul and R&B and harder-edged rock 'n roll. They can't help but sound the way they do. We also choose obscure covers because we think those songs deserve public awareness. There is an air of wanting to pass on good music that might otherwise be forgotten.

I'm sure you noticed at the beginning of the last decade that there was a bit of a garage-rock revival, but it died fairly quickly. Were you disappointed about how it flamed out so soon, or were you encouraged that the movement even came to prominence at all?

A little bit of both. We were happy that there was a more national focus, like, "Oh, there's this thing, garage-rock." Inasmuch as it opened doors for bands like us, we were grateful for that. Some of the bands under that banner, I found questionable that they were even under that banner. Others, it was quick to see where their heads and hearts and minds were. That's not to go with that punk ethos of the '60s and '70s where if you make it, you're a sell-out. You had to be starving or toothless to be a real punk. They all sold out right away anyway. The Sex Pistols didn't even have a chance to sell out. They were manufactured. Anyway, some of the bands in that newer movement were really good, and kicked the door open a bit. As a result, Little Steven started his underground radio show, and that put the doorstop in the open door and keeps it flowing. God love him for it.

It's been a few years since your last album [2007's 'Smoke and Mirrors']. Is there another on the way?

We're working on it now. Jen and I are working on material for it. We're both involved in offshoot projects. That's why it's taking so long. It's also difficult to fund ourselves, with the economy as it is. But it's worth it and fun. We've been together for ten years and the only thing we've changed is drummers, so we're in this seriously. We just have to do little side things to get some money together.

Anything special planned for SXSW?

We're doing some more in-stores and parties and stuff. Going down is a costly venture. For what it costs to fly down there and put us up in hotels and stuff, we can make a record. I got a ton of respect for the SXSW people for how they run it, though. It's an incredible coordinating job. People wondering where our new album is, it goes to our hotels and airfare. It's $1000 a person, and our second album cost three grand to make, but it's a blast to come down to. And our new album is on its way.



Daniel Kirschenbaum is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.