NEW YORK - For those who thought supergroups became an extinct species of rock band when Cream and Yes packed it in, a collection of Canadian indie musicians is rejuvenating the lost form.
The New Pornographers, a group of nine led by Carl Newman, include alt-country chanteuse Neko Case, Dan Bejar of Destroyer and, now, even Newman's niece, Kathryn Calder. But Newman is clearly the straw that stirs the power pop.
After his 2004 solo album, "The Slow Wonder" (recorded under what he deemed the more rock 'n' roll sounding name of A.C. Newman), The New York Times hailed him as "one of our continent's shrewdest new songwriters."
The crescendos, falsettos and "hey-la's" of "Twin Cinema," the Pornographers' third album, are reaping similar reviews. Spin magazine said: "They're team players in a way that few other bands are right now, and they'd throw themselves on a grenade if it'd get the rest of the crew to the next hook faster."
Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, the Pornographers first assembled for a single track on a charity album. That grew into their debut album, "Mass Romantic" in 2000, which was followed with "Electric Version" in 2003.
Their songs are typically filled with so many turns of melody that, Newman says, the band itself gets confused at what's a bridge and what's a chorus. Though not known for introspective lyrics, Newman says "Twin Cinema" is about viewing one's life like a movie.
But the singer-guitarist says he's starting to feel less disassociated from his life, citing a line from the album's last track: "stacked crooked, but now I'm on my way."
Starting in September, the New Pornographers will tour North America - but not before Newman can discuss life as a redheaded rocker, explain "Sing Me Spanish Techno" and offer some advice for Axl Rose.
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The Associated Press: How does it feel to be one of the only redheads in rock?
Newman: It's weird; it's brought up so much. If you Google me, I'm constantly referred to as "red-haired." I never really think about it. There's me and Josh Homme (lead singer of the Queens of the Stone Age), but in terms of leaders of bands, the main players, who else is there? (Long pause.) I didn't know I was such a pioneer. Wow, there's so few of them, I might actually make it into the Redhead Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. First, I'll have to start the Redhead Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. I think it'll be based out of my closet.
AP: The New Pornographers first got together just for one song - a lark. Now with three albums, does it feel like you're a real group?
Newman: Sometimes when we're in the studio, it's just like a studio project. Sometimes, it's just me and (bassist/engineer John Collins) for long periods of time. But when we get together and play, it's an entirely different ballgame. Then we are a band. I don't know, maybe a lot of bands are like that. It's very different playing live and being in the studio. What makes a band? I don't know. We've always been a band.
AP: On your sophomore record, "Electric Version," you seemed to pull back the pop exuberance of "Mass Romantic." Did you have the same approach on "Twin Cinema?"
Newman: I'm always trying to pull it back. It's almost too easy just to rock all the time.... It's so much easier to be immediate when you're just hitting somebody full force. Yeah, I think it's just trying to add more subtlety.
AP: Your lyrics are sometimes called nonsensical. Is each song about something?
Newman: Some stuff is about something. In the Spin review, "Sing Me Spanish Techno" is actually singled out as being a totally nonsensical song, but I could go through that song line by line and kind of say what it's about. And sure I could understand how nobody would know.... A lot of the time, I just like the sound of language. I don't want to sing gibberish, but I like the sound of the words more than the content of the words. I like writers like Dylan Thomas.
AP: The chorus of "Sing Me Spanish Techno" ("listening to one song for too long") is very hard to get out of your head.
Newman: Somebody else was just saying that line is kind of genius in an evil way because it's the line that haunts people the most.... It's kind of self-reflexive. It's very postmodern. The song that you can't get out of your head is basically talking about the fact that you can't get it out of your head. It's the best self-reflexive song since "Can't Get it Out of My Head" by ELO!
AP: Must be the single then, right?
Newman: "Use It" is actually the single. We shot a video... Luckily, it's pretty easy for us to make videos because there's a pretty good infrastructure in Canada for getting grants. Like we've made a bunch of videos and they've all been paid for - which Matador (their label) loves. How many bands come with free videos?
AP: After churning out three albums in three years, are you running dry on songs?
Newman: It's not rocket science. I mean, when I read books, somebody writing a novel is waaay more impressive. In the time it takes somebody to write a good novel, a person should be able to write like ten albums of stuff.... It's like, you call yourself a songwriter or a musician and you can only come up with ten songs over four years? What are you doing with your time? I just decided I want to be prolific.... Axl Rose shouldn't be spending 20 years on "Chinese Democracy."
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