Zoom-in Online

THESE QUESTIONS GO TO ELEVEN is a new ZIO blog series. Each week the same 11 questions are answered by a different musician via email. Check out Zoom In Music every Wednesday for a new installment or subscribe to the RSS feed.

This week Eddie Argos, lead singer of the wonderfully idiosyncratic Art Brut, shares his answers with us. Art Brut formed in 2003 and released their first single, appropriately titled "We Formed a Band," on Rough Trade Records the following year. 

With their honest lyrics and offbeat live shows, Art Brut have gained an international following. Over the past few years, we've seen the Art Brut franchise bands, fame in Germany, a charming split 7" single with previous Rehearsal Space guests We Are Scientists, and they even achieved success in America, particularly in New York City with a multitude of sold-out shows and a blistering performance at Siren Music Festival in 2006. Art Brut will release their third album, Art Brut Versus Satan, in April. It took only two weeks for them to record it. They have the one and only Frank Black as producer and comic book artist Jeff Lemire doing the artwork. 

1.  What music was played in your home while growing up?

My dad played a lot of Bob Dylan. Which I sort of liked at the time but really love now. Bob Dylan made me realise from an early age you didn't need to be able to sing to be the singer in a band. My mum actually stored all her records in my room when I was growing up, so I had access to loads of brilliant records from a very early age. The Cure, Jesus And Mary Chain, Squeeze, Mink Deville, David Bowie. That kind of thing.

2.  Who is the best artist we have probably never heard of?

I'm rubbish at knowing how well known bands are. So I hope I'm not being patronising when I say The Yummy Fur  are the best band you've never heard of. I love The Yummy Fur. They're from Glasgow which seems to have a disproportionate number of amazing bands when compared to anywhere else in the world. If a band is from Glasgow odds on they will be brilliant. The Yummy Fur were on a record label called Guided Missile. It's probably worth buying every record that came out on that label. I dont know how to describe The Yummy Fur, but in their song "70's" they claim: "We used to rip off The Fall / We rip off Eno now and sing like Jerry Hall."

3.  What record did you used to love, but now can't stand?

"Cant stand" is quite a strong term. I used to own one of those "The Greatest.... Album" of all time compilations. It was a rock one. It had bands like Guns N' Roses, Bon Jovi, and Lynyrd Skynyrd on it. I played it all the time. There might be a few songs on there that I don't like anymore, but I probably would still think some of it was awesome if I put it on now.

4.  What song do you want played at your funeral?

Whole Lotta Love by Led Zepplin. (It was the theme tune to Top Of The Pops.) 

5.  What is your favorite b-side?

My favourite b-side is "Car Crash" by The Auteurs. It is the b-side of "Light Aircraft On Fire." The Auteurs have a lot of very good B-sides. When I was younger I spent a lot of time looking for Auteurs singles in charity shops and second hand record shops so I could hear the b-sides. Just as I completed my mission to own them all, they were released on the compilation album Luke Haines Is Dead making all my searching seem futile.  

6.  Which medium do you prefer: vinyl, cd, or download?

I used to prefer vinyl and collect obscure seven inches. Nowadays I just take what I can get. I like music. I don't care what medium it arrives in. 

7.  What artist would your fans be surprised that you like?

I love Billy Joel, but that probably isn't a surprise as he is AMAZING.

8.  What musician or group would you choose to cover one of your songs?

I've always wanted to hear Noel Gallagher cover our song "My Little Brother."

9.  Who is the most overrated artist?

I think Radiohead are the world's most overrated band. I especially hate their fans. Self-satisfied pricks who will try and explain to you that you don't like Radiohead because you don't understand what they're doing. I understand what Radiohead are doing, I just think it's boring and would rather listen to something else. 

10. What musician or band do you wish you'd seen play live in their prime?

Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers. There are very few recordings of The Modern Lovers live, but there is one live collection called Precise Modern Lovers Order. Every time I put that record on I wish I could have seen them live. That's not to say Jonathan Richman is past his prime though. He is a very different muscian today than he was when he was with The Modern Lovers, but I saw him two years ago in San Francisco, and he was incredible.

11. What non-musical influences do you have?

Loads. There is a song about how much I love comics on the new album though, so let's say comics is my main non-musical influence today. 

Delve even deeper into Eddie's head by reading his blog. 
Listen to Art Brut's music on last.fm and MySpace.
Watch the video some American college students made about Art Brut for a class project.
Check out some of Eddie Argos' other bands: Art Goblins and Glam Chops.
Discover The Yummy Fur and the Guided Missile record label. 

Check out more installments of THESE QUESTIONS GO TO ELEVEN:

Adam Green
Camera Obscura
Chin Chin
The Cribs
Darlings
Dead River Company
Fool's Gold
Fujiya & Miyagi
Golem
Jukebox the Ghost
Talib Kweli
Ben Kweller
Jeffrey Lewis
Lights
The Low Miffs
M83
Man Like Me
Marina & The Diamonds
Meg & Dia
A.C. Newman
Cale Parks
Silvery
Tapes 'n Tapes
Tiny Animals
The Von Bondies
White Rabbits
Wild Light
Yo Majesty!

To keep up with Zoom In Music news, blogs, and videos, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.