With loud and crunchy guitars, deep effects-heavy grooves, and a rowdy stage show, Frankie and the Witch Fingers have become one of the most notable faces in the current era of proto-punk rockers. Listen to a song like “Futurephobic” to hear how the group can effortlessly combine wild, glitchy and trippy sounds with a strong, addicting musical structure! You can catch Frankie and the Witch Fingers at Pappy and Harriet’s at 9:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 2. For tickets and more information, visit pappyandharriets.com. Not only is drummer Nick Aguilar a beast in the band; he’s also one of the most hardworking musical minds I’ve seen, as when he’s not touring with the Witch Fingers, he’s playing in other bands, DJing vinyl from his massive collection under the name DJ Nick at Nite, or booking shows in Long Beach.
What was the first concert you attended?
Rush! I was 9 years old, 2007, Snakes & Arrows Tour. My dad took me. The first time I ever caught a whiff of marijuana, and the first time I really knew that I wanted to be a drummer. RIP Neil (Peart).
What was the first album you owned?
Hmmm … well, digitally speaking, probably Moving Pictures by Rush on iTunes. (Shocking, I know.) On vinyl, I think the first few I bought at once were Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti; Iggy and the Stooges, Raw Power; Rolling Stones, Some Girls; and a few more I genuinely can’t remember.
What bands are you listening to right now?
I’ve been listening to a lot of AIR (the French band), Steve Kuhn, Idris Muhammad, Sunny and the Sunliners, Los Saicos, The Meters, Fela Kuti, Keith Mansfield, Gwen McCrae, DEVO, The Kinks, Augustus Pablo … and whatever else I’ve been bumping at home on the turntable these past couple of weeks since I’ve been home from tour.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?
To be completely honest, I’m not super big into shoegaze, “bedroom” pop or outlaw country. It’s cool, I suppose, just not really my thing. Maybe one day.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
Minutemen in ’85, Poison Idea in ’91, James Brown in 1970, Black Sabbath in 1970 … there are literally too many bands I wish I could’ve seen.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
I don’t really have guilty pleasures. I’ve always hated that term, but bands that I genuinely like that people give me shit for the most are probably Sublime, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis, and the Smiths.
What’s your favorite music venue?
There are so many that I love to play and see shows at. I love Pappy and Harriet’s, obviously, inside and out, The Grog Shop in Cleveland, The Church in Philadelphia, The Chapel in San Francisco, Lido Club in Berlin, Troubadour in Hollywood, The Teragram in L.A., The Casbah in San Diego, Doornroosje in Nijmegen, La Maroquinerie in Paris … sorry, I can’t pick just one favorite.
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
“Maybe after he’s gone, she’ll come back, love me again,” “Maybe After He’s Gone,” The Zombies.
What band or artist changed your life? How?
The Minutemen. When I discovered them at 12 years old, they opened up my world to not just punk, but music in general. Everything positive that’s happened in my life of music is because of them.
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
Claude Coleman, the drummer of Ween: “How the fuck do you play all of that complicated shit barefoot?”
What song would you like played at your funeral?
“It’ll Never Be Over For Me” by Thee Midniters, or “Holy Thursday” by David Axelrod.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
Double Nickels on the Dime by the Minutemen.
What song should everyone listen to right now?
“Point That Thing Somewhere Else” by The Clean.
