Music

B-Sides enters the Vortex with Erykah Badu and catches up with Centro-matic lead singer Will Johnson

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Will Johnson: It depends over there. I guess South San Gabriel is a better-known name in Belgium than is Centro-matic, which is kinda funny. We'd like to eventually take a Centro-matic/South San Gabriel tour in the States. I think in certain cities it could be justified. For right now, we'll keep it with Centro-matic and for certain shows we'll have South San Gabriel. There was a point in Switzerland where this guy walks up and said, "Well, I don't get the first band, but the second section I really loved." Five minutes before, someone said the exact opposite thing. It was really funny, because I don't have a response for that. Both individuals approached it as if they were possibly offending us.

Centro-matic played Twangfest last year. How does your band fit into the Americana genre?

Well, the Americana tag has been confusing to me as a fan — it's such a broad stroke to paint with. As far as what people consider Americana over the years, I think we kind of fit within that. We're not twangy, but we do use loud folk chords every now and then. We also try to push it a little, but to less overt folk song territory, into more spacious territory. It's nice to know that we might be accepted within that group.

What can you tell us about the new record?

The new record is a double album — one side is Centro-matic and the other one is South San Gabriel. We just felt like it was time to do a fairly unconventional release. And these two records sit well together and illustrate some of the territory into what we explore musically. The Centro-matic side is definitely more of a raw record. It's not nearly as polished or shiny around the edges as the last couple records. Most of it was written and recorded in the studio. It has a spontaneous feel, too. It gets back to the warts-and-all technique we used on earlier records. South San Gabriel is more orchestrated, it has more strings — it took more bodies and brains to make. It's a dark record and fairly complex, instrumentally.

I have to ask about your beloved St. Louis Cardinals. What do you think of the team so far?

I gotta say I'm pleasantly surprised. I went to see them in Houston, and it was very sound baseball. I hope they can stick it out till the end of June when we get some of the big boys back off the disabled list.— Christian Schaeffer

7 p.m. Wednesday, June 4. Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust Street. $20. 314-241-2337.

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