PERFECT BUZZ - Listen to "Supermassive Superstar" !

One morning we received an email from a group we didn't know anything about. We love this type of email!

We invite you to join us in discovering PERFECT BUZZ. They hail from Portland and have just released a digital EP called Supermassive Superstar on 1 May.

Petey answers our Monster questions!

Taste question: Which artists have influenced you the most, and what can you tell us exemples about this influence? Who is the artist you dislike and why will he/she never influence you?

I’ve been an obsessive Beatles fan my whole life and was a stoner as a teen and listened to all of the big classic rock bands: Zeppelin, Floyd, Hendrix, etc. Lots of reggae and Grateful Dead too. After high school I got really into first-wave punk and hardcore and started playing in punk bands. Bad Brains was my favorite and were a massive influence. Around this time I was also getting very into Black Sabbath and digging deep into classic R&B, soul, rockabilly and blues.

In the mid-90s a friend lent me the Cheapo Crypt Sampler comp and it was a game-changer! I had no idea this scene existed and I loved every band: Gories, Teengenerate, Lazy Cowgirls—all of it. The Crypt Records catalog opened my world up and this led me to a ton of great garage, R&B, proto-punk, plus all the garage-punk bands and labels active at that time. I still feel very aligned to that community and much of the music that evolved out of that scene.

Perfect Buzz never set out to align to any particular scene or style. I just write songs that come from decades of loving all kinds of music. I wouldn’t put a specific label on it, but people like labels and I guess “garage-punk” is as good as any.

As for music I dislike, I am not a fan of most of the ways punk and hardcore evolved after the early to mid-80s. If I had to name one band, I’d say Hatebreed. I probably haven’t given them more than seconds of my attention, but they represent the macho tough-guy hardcore scene that I truly despise.

Intellectual question: Which 'non-musical artist (filmmaker, writer, painter...) played an important role in the way the band evolved…

Nobody! My influences are all over the place and totally random. Movies will often influence my lyrics, but never a specific filmmaker. Most of my reading consists of music biographies or old crime novels. I suppose I could call out Mike Stax because Ugly Things magazine might be the number one way I discover old but new-to-me music. Thanks Mike!

History question: Can you sum up the life of your group?

When my band Pure Country Gold ended in 2011, I was burnt out on being “band leader” and joined the Suicide Notes where it was refreshing to just focus on playing guitar. I did that for a decade or so and formed Perfect Buzz while the Suicide Notes were still active. My friend Tad moved to town and was persistent about us making music with our buddy Ray. We had all lived in Humboldt County, CA and played in bands together before moving to Portland. I had a backlog of mostly simple pop songs I’d written and we started with those. I’d never really used guitar pedals much and started putting fuzz and trippy pedals in front of me to mix things up. Our sound just evolved organically out of all that.

We played a ton and put out a 7-inch right before COVID put us on hiatus. When we started up again, everybody was busy with other things. I was very frustrated with how slow things were moving and this led to us ending it. Thankfully we recorded the songs that became the Supermassive Superstar EP before fizzling out. Super grateful for the role those guys had in defining the band.

Soon after, my buddy Luke approached me about playing music. He was in a fantastic band called the Gimmicks, who put out some great records on Estrus, and we had played shows together with various projects over the years. I decided to keep it going as Perfect Buzz–I wasn’t ready to abandon the songs, and didn’t see the point of a new band name if I wasn’t going to reinvent myself. We found our bassist Wes three weeks before our first show–he learned seven songs in 3 practices and nailed it! The live show is more energetic now and the songs are moving into exciting new directions. We’re thrilled to record a new EP in a few weeks–all songs born out of this Mark II lineup.

Champollion question: What is the meaning of the band's name?

Whether it's through use of intoxicants or not, a perfect buzz is when you are lifted into a place of pure joy! That’s what this band is for me and I hope our music helps others get there.

Buddy question: Who has helped you most in your band's adventure and without whom you wouldn't have had the same evolution?

There’s this great dude named Uncle Scotty who hosts a Portland radio show that plays only local bands. He’s been very supportive and regularly spins our music. Not sure how many people listen, but occasionally we’ll meet someone at a show who says they came out after hearing us on the radio–that’s always great to hear.

Scotty is a character–a former heavy metal singer with many stories from his time in the Hollywood metal scene in the 80s. He’s out seeing live music most days of the week and comes to almost every show we play. Each time he tells me that there’s many other bands he could’ve gone to see, but he chose Perfect Buzz. Thanks Scotty! Go to radiohottub.com if you want to hear what’s going on around here.

Spinal Tap question: What's the most stupid thing that's ever happened to you?

First thing that popped into my head was the time I was required to submit a drug test for a job. I had already been working there for a few weeks and kept delaying the test because I knew I would fail. I finally had a drug-free friend piss in a jar for me and I smuggled it in. Because I wouldn’t be submitting my own piss, I thought it would be funny to take a giant bong hit before I went to the lab. I was very stoned! After I handed over the pee, they knew what I had done because the temperature was so far below normal. They made me stay until I gave them a real sample. Because I was so high, I could only hope for a miracle. The next day I got a call from my employer, and they said that not only did I fail the drug test, but that I really failed and I would not be working there any longer. Oops!

Question Happy Few: What's the biggest benefit you've derived from your band, and can you tell us about it?

Knowing that I’m helping people have a great time is the biggest benefit. Watching people in a crowd rock the fuck out to my music is the greatest thing ever!

Art question: What book, film, record and current band made you flash?

Book: Jeff Tweedy’s How to Write One Song is helping me think about lyric-writing in a new way. I’m always trying to stretch my lyrics into new directions, and this book is super inspiring and useful.

Film: I saw the restored version of Pink Floyd’s Live at Pompeii in the theater a couple of days ago. I’ve seen it a dozen times, but this version looks and sounds amazing. This is the band at their peak. Watching it made me want to use my delay pedal more–ha!

Record: On Sundays I’m always trying to pick the perfect morning music that my girlfriend and I will both love. Sunshine pop, vintage folk, and classic jazz are common picks. But a few months ago I picked up Mother Earth’s Plantasia LP specifically for these days and it sets a perfect vibe for us. It’s trippy and magical and epic, but perfectly relaxing and our plants love it too!

Band: A few years ago that Spotify end-of-year thing said my top 5 bands were the Beatles, Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Pretty Things and Lavender Flu–I thought that was pretty hilarious. Lavender Flu are from here in Portland and their latest LP is amazing. I love how they move so naturally between garage-rock, heavy noise, art-pop, indulgent experimentation. They inspire me to keep bringing variety into what we do, but I’m not good at getting weird like those guys.

Funny question. What's the funniest thing that's ever happened to you?

I was in a band called Pure Country Gold—we were a fairly raucous garage-punk band and not a country band. We were on tour in Austin, TX which is very popular for music tourism: country, blues, etc. We were playing a punk club called Beerland which was right in that part of town where there are dozens of clubs with bands playing for tourists every night.

I noticed a group of elderly people at the show, and when the opening band started in with their very trashy punk, they rushed to the door demanding a refund. They said it was false advertising, pointing at the sign out front that said “Tonight: Pure Country Gold”. I was on the floor laughing so hard. The club refused to give their money back–a good thing because there were very few people there and we needed that $40!

Camembert question: What's France to you, apart from the land of wine and cheese?

I am close friends with Cecilia from the great No-Talents and spent a week in Paris before I headed off to see them reunite at the Funtastic Dracula Carnival, maybe 10 years ago? I got to see them play a private show for friends, catch a great Chrome Reverse show, and saw a couple of other punk shows that I can’t remember. Everybody I met was awesome and kind, despite the reputation here in the US that the French are all rude and snobby. I had a great time and devoured lots of wine and cheese.

I can’t wait to get back there and see more of the country. There have been so many French bands that I love: Thundercrack, Sonic Chicken 4, Les Thugs, Métal Urbain, Splash 4—certainly more I am not thinking of now. And I love some of the very popular old pop: Jacques Dutronc, Françoise Hardy. Cecila deejays in Portland occasionally and will exclusively play vintage French pop, garage, punk, etc. I don’t know who most of the bands she spins are, but it’s always great. Otherwise, I'm not very hip to what is happening in France now, but I do dig Les Lullies and Melody’s Echo Chamber.

Sponsorship question: Who can you sponsor for Les Monstres Sacrés, and how can you convince us to talk about them? 

Girl Drink Drunks are our good buddies from here in Portland and do not get the attention that they deserve. All of them have been in amazing bands over the years and singer Joel Jett is a great singer, frontman and general goof. Many are aware of his former bands the Flip-Tops and the Minds, but Girl Drink Drunks is my fave. It’s great garage-party-punk and their shows are always super fun. They have two great LPs that you should tell the world about!

Thank you Petey!

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