Get To Know Your Neighbor: A Blog on Blog Interview Series #1 Peter Arko of Ears of the Beholder

Well, I’ve been doing this blogging thing for more than a year now, and the difference between online friends and IRL friends no longer exists. The number of amazing people I have met in the indie music world that I am lucky enough to now call friends is uncanny. I wanted to show my appreciation for all of the awesome blogger/music writer folks that have helped me realize it’s ok to obsess over music 24/7 and made me feel like I’m a part of something bigger.

So I am introducing a new monthly (possibly bi-monthly) series on GITNB, that is my way of saying thanks to those folks mentioned above, and a chance to give back to the community that I love so much. This was also an opportunity for me to give you, the reader, some insight into the blogs that have influenced me. Consider it my own personal take on #FF (Follow Fridays). The series will consist of a five question interview with a different blogger/writer each time, along with a few word associations and of course, a list of what you should be listening to. Hopefully you’ll discover a new blog or artist you haven’t heard of yet. You might even learn something new.

For my very first edition of “Get To Know Your Neighbor,” I chose Peter of Ears of the Beholder. I have been friends with Peter for quite some time, and he was the first person to really support my music obsessions and kind of lead me down the rabbit hole of music blogging. He is also one of my SXSW housemates and one of my favorite people to go to shows with. Peter has done so many amazing things for the indie music scene that I felt the need to honor him with the very first interview. Guy is the shit.

Check out what EOTB says you should be listening to and read the interview after the jump!

1. What is EOTB all about?
Well these days I would say it’s occasionally a blog, and occasionally a party. I’ve always wanted it to be a blog, but also a launchpad for other projects. So whether I’m producing an event or promoting an event, or going into my other music endeavors, I never wanted it to be limited to just a blog. I think the blog is sort of the web presence for the various ventures that I have taken on.

AA: Sweet. So what other music ventures are you involved in?
PA: I run a party series with my buddy Mark from Yvynyl called MEGABLAAG, and I guess we corral music nerds into a dive bar at music festivals and then we rage till late in the night. It’s a way to bring the internet world to the physical world and ya know hug it out with all your favorite bloggers and artists and label people and kind of bring the community together in a party atmosphere with lots of drinking.

AA: I’m usually pretty tipsy at your events, refresh my memory and tell me about all the cool artists you have had at your parties in the past.
PA: CMJ we had Born Gold, Beat Connection and Chad Valley all play live sets. We had Caged Animals, Teen Daze and Twin Sister all do dj sets.

At SX we had Purity Ring do his first “booked gig,” which was just a dj set, but it was really fun. Corin is a good dude. We also had Wiseblood, Nite Jewel and Young Magic dj, then we had Gobble Gobble (now Born Gold) blow our minds with a crazy, party of a live set. Then we tried to have Brahms dj, but the bar manager pulled the plug on us. It was a great night overall and a very successful first event.

It’s nice to see people brought together and start collaborating on crazy stuff. We hope it opens lots of doors for people at those events. Networking is totally a weird, career, ya know mover/shaker word, but it kinda works, especially if it’s done in a cool situation instead of some name tag, conference thing. Haha

Besides Megablaag, I also started a compilation label with my friend Robert of See The Leaves, called City Limits Records. So far we have put out one compilation of San Francisco artists, and put it on vinyl as a limited release. The basic concept was we were going to have bloggers curate compilations that highlight current indie music scene in their city. As we release more, (which seems to be taking longer than we want), we eventually would like to have it become a series of vinyl collectible time capsules of each local music scene.

My other project is also booking and putting on local concerts in San Francisco from time to time.

2. So what should I be listening to right now?
PA: Well, let me check my exfm, how about that? Haha. Well gotta rep my bay area buddies Yalls and Dylan, and his new project, Some Ember. Been diggin’ that guy, Thrupence, he’s got some chill beats. I know I’m kind of late to the game, but Oliver Tank is pretty cool. I’ve also been vibin’ to that Darkside EP by Nicholas Jaar and David Harrington.

3. Most underrated?
PA: Frankly, I was really surprised more people weren’t into the new Future Islands record. I thought it would make a lot more best of 2011 lists. Everytime I listen to that album I like it more. I don’t know if it’s my favorite of 2011, but I was surprised I didn’t see it on more lists. I don’t know how to speak for the super indie nerds, because we rate, we’re always rating, we’re probably overrating.

4. What makes a blog good?

PA: I mean it depends. Some people probably hate blogs now because no one writes anything. Or nobody criticizes stuff, well you do that stuff, you’re probably better than most of us.h
AA: Well thanks!

PA: I don’t know, blogging is getting younger, I mean I wish I was as cool as Eloise, from Verb/Re/Verb when I was in high school. So I mean, some cool stuff happened this year in the blog world, but we might say that next year too. I’ve felt like that for a few years now.
AA: Absolutely, and you’re probably right. We all just live in the moment.

PA:I think a good blog will bring depth to your musical palate. It’s going to make you like new sounds, hear new sounds, the composition and structures of music, and things like that, and expand your tastebuds. I don’t think it’s about your consistency or frequency or anything like that, cuz you know, five million other blogs posted the same thing. It’s about you as a blogger, and what your listening to, (not that anyone is reading necessarily), and what that does to your music tastes.

5. Band/Artist Crush
Julia Holter. I think she’s a babe. I don’t know, I like her music a lot.

Word Associations:

Azelia Banks
NYE – I feel like I need to explain, was with some friends and they were bumping the Azelia Banks 212 video all night.

Dubstep
Car commercials

SXSW
MEGABLAAG

James Blake
Minimal

Pitchfork
Best new music

Twitter
Light reading

Vinyl
YES PLEASE

The last show you went to?
Balam Acab at Public Works

What did I miss?
Sorry I haven’t been blogging as much lately, but I love everyone, come to Megablaag at SXSW 2012.

Fuck yeah. Keg stand Olympics. You can be on my team Peter.

Ears of the Beholder says you should be listening to:

Yalls

Some Ember