United Bamboo coat, Calvin Klein shirt, Nudie Jeans, Valentino shoes
Mike: Calvin Klein shirt, Nudie Jeans. Jessy: Samantha Pleet shirt, 55DSL skirt
Mike Bones is the favorite guitarist of every musician that you like in New York. He’s the New York music-geek world’s secret weapon, having played in the (and we don’t say this lightly) downtown supergroup Soldiers of Fortune. Everybody who saw them during their extraordinary run of shows last year was knocked flat on their asses. They sounded like Crazy Horse. Seriously, it was like seeing Crazy Horse in a tiny little room, playing at full tilt. Mike and Pat from the band Oakley Hall were the two guitarists, and they traded lines and solos back and forth in a manner that made you unashamed to say things like “Nice licks!” If you can find a bootleg of their album,
, you are a lucky little music enthusiast.
Mike has been doing stuff like Soldiers for a while now though—he’ll just pop out with a group of musicians, or back up someone like Cass McCombs live, chop everyone’s head off, and go home.
But now, finally, he’s done a record all his own. It’s called and it is totally not what we expected. We figured we would put it on and hear perfectly executed electric Delta blues with some Johnny Thunders via Howlin’ Wolf vocals. That would have been great in and of itself. But instead we were slapped in the face with an epic album that brings to mind the best work of Leonard Cohen. It’s a record that takes its time, unfolds slowly and majestically, has fucking strings on it, and contains some of the most considered and well-written lyrics we’ve heard in forever. Seriously, who does good lyrics nowadays? Recently, Vice sat down with Mike on the banks of the scenic East River and smoked about 40 Newports, which is what he smokes, and talked some shit. Vice: When did you start playing the guitar?
Mike: Did you start making stuff up early on? Tell me about this Les Paul of yours. It, um, fell off the back of a truck, right? But you knew what a Les Paul was at that point, right? Did it work? Mike: Surface to Air sweater, APC shirt, Helmut Lang pants; JR: Fremont dress Everyone who commits to being a great guitar player has to go through a period when it’s all they do, all day long. You have to become like a guitar-nerd hermit. What was your life like then? Is it a secret that you were a heroin addict? Is it off the record then? Come on! People who are creative who get into that shit go one of two ways. They either work on their thing constantly, like you did, or they drop it all and then years later start up with the “I coulda been a contender” stuff. So something good came out of it then. When did you first start writing songs?
Like who are we talking about here? Didn’t you spend some time down South learning from some cool old guys? Get it out of your system? Mike: Patrik Ervell jacket, Generra shirt, Kim Jones pants; Lauren: 55DSL dress Were you able to successfully bring that stuff back with you? Many people have tried. No… But you’re one of those guys who’s been playing around town for years now. There’s Soldiers of Fortune, you’ve played with Cass McCombs… A session guy? The songs on the record have a lot of words. It’s a real lyricist’s record. I remember being at your house last year and you were reading, like, Greek tragedies. laughs So is there Sophocles in your lyrics? You’re really into that period of Leonard Cohen that people don’t like to namecheck so much—even though it’s his best stuff. I’m Your Man, The Future, Various Positions You used to give a lot of guitar lessons. OK, so what’s your favorite chord? Nice! It’s all natural. Last question: Will you cop to the fact that a lot of people think you’re the best guitar player in New York? Come on, cut the shit. There we go! United Bamboo coat, Nudie Jeans, Valentino shoes
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Mike has been doing stuff like Soldiers for a while now though—he’ll just pop out with a group of musicians, or back up someone like Cass McCombs live, chop everyone’s head off, and go home.
But now, finally, he’s done a record all his own. It’s called and it is totally not what we expected. We figured we would put it on and hear perfectly executed electric Delta blues with some Johnny Thunders via Howlin’ Wolf vocals. That would have been great in and of itself. But instead we were slapped in the face with an epic album that brings to mind the best work of Leonard Cohen. It’s a record that takes its time, unfolds slowly and majestically, has fucking strings on it, and contains some of the most considered and well-written lyrics we’ve heard in forever. Seriously, who does good lyrics nowadays? Recently, Vice sat down with Mike on the banks of the scenic East River and smoked about 40 Newports, which is what he smokes, and talked some shit. Vice: When did you start playing the guitar?
Mike: Did you start making stuff up early on? Tell me about this Les Paul of yours. It, um, fell off the back of a truck, right? But you knew what a Les Paul was at that point, right? Did it work? Mike: Surface to Air sweater, APC shirt, Helmut Lang pants; JR: Fremont dress Everyone who commits to being a great guitar player has to go through a period when it’s all they do, all day long. You have to become like a guitar-nerd hermit. What was your life like then? Is it a secret that you were a heroin addict? Is it off the record then? Come on! People who are creative who get into that shit go one of two ways. They either work on their thing constantly, like you did, or they drop it all and then years later start up with the “I coulda been a contender” stuff. So something good came out of it then. When did you first start writing songs?
Like who are we talking about here? Didn’t you spend some time down South learning from some cool old guys? Get it out of your system? Mike: Patrik Ervell jacket, Generra shirt, Kim Jones pants; Lauren: 55DSL dress Were you able to successfully bring that stuff back with you? Many people have tried. No… But you’re one of those guys who’s been playing around town for years now. There’s Soldiers of Fortune, you’ve played with Cass McCombs… A session guy? The songs on the record have a lot of words. It’s a real lyricist’s record. I remember being at your house last year and you were reading, like, Greek tragedies. laughs So is there Sophocles in your lyrics? You’re really into that period of Leonard Cohen that people don’t like to namecheck so much—even though it’s his best stuff. I’m Your Man, The Future, Various Positions You used to give a lot of guitar lessons. OK, so what’s your favorite chord? Nice! It’s all natural. Last question: Will you cop to the fact that a lot of people think you’re the best guitar player in New York? Come on, cut the shit. There we go! United Bamboo coat, Nudie Jeans, Valentino shoes
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