J. Wang (Owner) Fast Crowd Records, Dan Padilla
What is your name and band/label/etc?
J. Wang. I play in the band Dan Padilla and lazily run Fast Crowd Records.
What are your top five albums that were released in 2012? (In order 1-5)
- Muhamid Ali - s/t LP
- Bob Mould - Silver Age
- Divers - 7" EP
- Cheap Girls - Giant Orange
- Toys That Kill - Fambly 42
What band did you discover in 2012 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I would have to say Divers. I'm a huge fan of Harrison's music and have some history with his old band Drunken Boat. That band was so great and I was waiting to hear something from some of those members. Divers have Harrison and his brother who also played in Drunken Boat towards the end. I love music so much and the emotions it causes inside of me. I know it's different for everyone. There are so many things that go into it for me. A lot of people just like the way it sounds, but for me there is more to it. The message and lyrics and the truth behind the people writing it. I have the conversation a lot with people about something that comes out and you just can't get enough of it. Like a cd or tape that you get and put in your car and can't take out. You just listen to it over and over for like a month straight. That is one of my most cherished things in life. Divers did that for me with only 2 songs. I anticipated seeing them at Awesome Fest 6 in San Diego and they were 20 times better than I ever thought they could be. It was my definite high light of the festival. They have a full length coming out, and I can't wait to listen to it for a month straight.
How will you remember 2012? (In terms of music)
I think for me 2012 was the year that I was always waiting for. That being the time when younger bands coming out of Southern California finally happened. There was a long lull where it seemed like there wasn't any new bands filling in where the old ones dropped off. Now there are so many great bands coming out of southern California like Summer Vacation, American Lies, The Bertos, Joyce Manor, and Horror Squad to name a few. All these bands have been around for a while, but I think it was just my awakening. I remember having tons of conversations with people asking when it would happen, and I think if finally did.
What can we look forward to from you in 2013?
Dan Padilla's new Album Sports Fans should be out by the turn of the new year. I'm really stoked on all the songs and the recording. I feel like it's the best thing we've ever done and I don't usually feel good when we're done recording so that makes me happy. Fast Crowd will probably release 1 full length LP over 2013. I've been writing a lot of different stuff lately so Matty Bloodbath and myself are probably going to start something different with a complete instrumentation overhaul.
What records are you looking forward to most in 2013?
Divers full length, Rumspringer full length, and Low Culture's new full length on Dirt Nap.
Fundraising sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have made a strong impact on the ability of artists to release music. Do you think this approach is a trend, or will it continue to shape how artists produce their material?
I think the digital format will always be dynamic and things will change as people become more clever. I remember when Fast Crowd decided to go digital and I knew nothing about it, so I actually asked Todd Congelliere from Recess Records, which we respected as a great label, what he thought about it and how he handled it, and that's literally how we made the decision of what we were going to do. Dan Padilla has done donation based stuff for a long time to raise money to put out releases. Not in the same format as kickstarter but the same idea, just remove the corporation. If you create stuff that people like they are going to find a way to help you if they find value in what you're doing. If you play shitty music nobody is going to give you any money anyways.
