I am lucky enough to be friends with amazingly creative people. Two of them are part of the band The Black Tape (find them on Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace), and sat down with me for a little one on one on one to chat about the Chicago music scene, The Black Tape’s musical goals, and hand knit Weird Al body pillows.

It is increasingly difficult to come up with a band name that sums up what a band brings to the table. How did you come up with the name The Black Tape?

“It’s a reference to the tapes I used to record my emo songs on when I was in high school, those old Maxell XL1′s,” Rashid said. “I had a Tascam 4 track recorder and would just get home from school and start recording everything.” Jamie, however, took a less magical view of the naming process. “We (Rashid) came up with the name through a laborious process involving a SHIT load of beer-drinking and tedious efforts to out-quip one another. The war raged for days. We grappled, came up with names upon which we all agreed, faltered, waffled, cleaned slates, and began anew.”

Where you worried about all the other ‘black’ bands out there? Black Crows, Black Flag, Black Sabbath, The Black Keys, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Black Eyed Peas, etc

While Jamie thinks Rashid’s blackness will protect The Black Tape from everything, Rashid thinks that if you’ve got the talant to back it up, it doesn’t what your name is. “The name to me comes secondary; all we want to do is play good music.  It’s just a label that we give ourselves, it doesn’t define us.  The Beatles could have been called The Shoe Horns and they’d still be one of the greatest bands that ever lived.”

And what does The Black Tape bring to the table?

In addition to what Jamie brings to every table, (“Tons of jewelry, cash, and airbrushed jump suits”) The Black Tape, wants you “to remember rock and roll when it was fun.We start from the core and write the best song we can write and hope that people can connect and just have fun,” said Rashid.

Facebook says your influences are The Kinks, The Zombies, The Beatles, The Crystals, The Bryds, and Motown, but there is a decidedly modern rock guitar solo in most of your songs. Are you modern-rock-ing up classic influences, or is The Black Tape still trying to find their definitive sound by playing with genres?

Rashid says that growing up in the 90s has shaped his songwriting and pointed him in the rockin’ guitar solo direction. “I think it’s a little bit of both. I write what I’m feeling and that’s what comes out.  In the past I’ve written songs that were much more traditional rock songs, but right now this is where my head is.  The guitar solo’s are just me trying to be a guitar god,” he laughed. Jamie has another theory. “Rashid is staunchly committed to the theory that every second of a guitar solo translates into one additional virgin on the celestial planet over which he will rule after his death.”

There are so many sub categories and sub-sub categories of music now; by identifying yourselves as ‘rock’, do you give yourselves more room to play with different sounds? As opposed to feeling like you need to stay in any particular sub-sub-sub category?

“I feel like we say we play rock and roll because that’s exactly what it is,” Jamie said. “To me, the music sounds like the rock and roll my parents introduced me to as a kid. There is a definite emphasis on trying to develop our own ‘sound’ without relying too heavily on our equipment to do that for us. I guess the best way to describe our current sound is ‘intentional’. I feel that everything we do in this band is done with great attention paid to what role the part will play in progressing the movement of each individual song.” Rashid agreed, “To me, it’s all rock and roll no matter how many labels you put on it, it started with people like Chuck Berry and it just evolved into this gigantic tree with so many different branches, I’m starting to get confused.”

As a new band, how do you decide where you are going to play? Or are you just taking whatever you can get at this point?

Jamie and Rashid both agree that they are taking anything they can get and forming new band friendships. “Often, the bands you play your first shows with are also playing their first shows, so it’s a bit like forming your first friends in elementary school,” Jamie said. “You’re sort of deciding whom you want to hang out with for the next couple of years.”

While hanging out with you guys, I’ve heard rumblings that The Black Tape is ruled by Rashid.

Jamie

He concurs, for the most part. “I wouldn’t say I’m in total control, yes I’m the principal songwriter, but we’re a very democratic band.” But Jamie is ok with it! “These songs are his, so of course he has a very defined vision of what he thinks they should sound like. I think more than a “controller,” Rashid just has a very focused vision. As we develop as a BAND and start writing songs together, I think our individual input will become increasingly important and integral to our still-developing sound.”

What is The Black Tape’s musical goal? I’ve heard a lot of references to making it to Pitchfork next year.

“Right now our goal is to be a working touring band,” Rashid said. “Just do what we love.  It’s really hard when you have a 9-5 and you spend the majority of your daydreaming about being at practice or when the next show is coming up.  Pitchfork would be amazing and we’re really pushing hard to try and get some gigs like that.” Jamie agreed. “My musical goal is to ALWAYS make progress. In every band I’ve participated, I find it to be of the utmost importance to set achievable goals and make sure they happen. If those goals aren’t being achieved, then the band is obviously stagnant. So far, our short-term goals in The Black Tape seem to continually get achieved. We first wanted to practice and write cohesive songs. Then we wanted to record a demo and play shows. Next we want to put out an album and possibly tour and play larger venues. I feel as if all of these things are, at least to some degree, coming to fruition.”

What is your biggest musical guilty pleasure?

“Well, I hope Rashid says The Smashing Pumpkins here, but I honestly don’t think he feels guilty at all for liking them,” Jamie giggled. “I’m pretty sure there’s more than one Sugar Ray song that I like a LOT. Okay, I went and saw Sugar Ray at “Taste of Lincoln Park.” and pretty much sang until I was hoarse.” And no mention of The Smashing Pumpkins for Rashid! “I love love love the Dewey Cox soundtrack, I listen to those songs like everyday.  I mean they are pretty good songs, for a satire on the music industry, don’t you think?” We think lame, Rashid! We know you’ve got to have some Jewel in your collection somewhere.

And, because this is The Sweatshop of Love, afterall, if you were a knitted object, what would you be?

“I’d have to say mitten’s cause I can’t stand cold hands,” Rashid said. But Jamie got into the Sweatshop spririt with some crazy shit! “I would be a knit body-pillow replica of Weird Al, because though it would be moderately funny to have around, it would be COMPLETELY unpleasant to sleep with.”

Ain’t that the truth.

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