14 things that made Casper & the Cookies’ ‘Dingbats’ possible
Jason NeSmith and Kay Stanton of Casper & the Cookies weigh in with a list of things that influenced their latest album.
Dingbats by Casper & the Cookies
Jason NeSmith and Kay Stanton of Casper & the Cookies checked in this morning with a list of 14 things that influenced their latest album, Dingbats
- Casper & the Cookies
A bag of throat lozenges was the initial influence on the song “Drug Facts.”
Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood: “Some Velvet Morning (When I’m Straight)”
Oblique lyrics, chilly yet beautiful arrangement.
The Soft Boys: Underwater Moonlight LP
In turns nervous, jangly, threatening, and funny.
The spirits of Craig Lieske and Bill Doss permeate the album. Good friends gone too soon.
Game Theory: Lolita Nation LP
All of us were just getting a handle on the brilliance of Scott Miller and his bands Game Theory and the Loud Family when he was suddenly just gone. His mix of super-charged hooks, big brains, and a bullshit detector par excellence will be an influence to us forever.
Stephen Hawking: A Brief History of Time
I don’t claim to understand all of it, but I did find it took my imagination to new (or very old) places.
Aquaserge: Ce Tres Cher Serge LP
Our US tour with the French progressive rock group (featuring touring members of Stereolab) showed us that everything was still possible, and nothing is forbidden.
Manu Chao: Clandestino LP
A highly customized sound pallet that sustains an album and gained worldwide acclaim!
Paul McCartney: McCartney II LP
We like to rate McCartney tracks on how many baggies it took him to get to that special place. This whole album is a five-baggy affair, especially this b-side, “Check My Machine.”
Arthur C. Clarke: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Like the Hawking book, great brain fodder.
The Nerves: The Nerves EP
The Paul Collins tour of 2010 brought the Nerves’ power, passion, and concise songwriting to Athens, GA for one night. It remains one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.
Pylon: Chomp
Visceral, pounding, post-punk; a flying buttress to my life.
Can: Ege Bamyasi
A playground for obsessive counters.
Flaming Lips: Transmissions from the Satellite Heart
This is what it feels like to truly be born again.
Casper & the Cookies play the Earl on Sat., March 15 with Takenobu, Robert Schneider (of Apples in Stereo), and Virginia Plane. $7. 9 p.m. 488 Flat Shoals Ave. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com.