What happens when a trio of boys decide to transport themselves from squeaky Ann Arbor, Michigan to the rough-and-tumble streets of Brooklyn with intentions to just “play music, skateboard, party, and have fun,” is nothing short of awesome. Awesome Color, that is–- the psychedelic garage rock band they subsequently formed. Made up of neon-T-shirt-loving Derek Stanton, Michael Troutman, and Allison Busch, the now Bushwick-based band has toured with the likes of Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth, whose legendary member Thurston Moore even produced their upcoming second full-length release Electric Aborigines on his indie label Ecstatic Peace.

psychoPEDIA caught up with a slightly hungover Awesome Derek one weekend, hot on the trail of their new release, to find out more about how the boys play and pass the time in their hometown of Bushwick:

What's the most awesome thing about your 'hood?
I like to see a little chubby fat kid with his shirt off, hanging in front of a fire hydrant, getting totally sprayed.

Least awesome thing?
I think it’s too expensive, but it’s cheaper than Williamsburg. That’s why people live here. But you see a lot of fights, and the kids are out of control. There’s a lack of respect for life–- litter on the streets, people don’t clean up after their dogs. But I think the buildings are beautiful. You get on a roof, and it makes you feel like you’re in Babylon.

What’s the biggest difference between Michigan and Bushwick?
People speak Spanish in Bushwick–- in the stores, wherever you go. And where I’m from, they speak English. So you think, “I wish I spoke Spanish, that’d be cool.” It’s just really different. And of course, the dirt, graffiti, trash, dog shit.

With such a high concentration of immigrant communities, particularly Puerto Ricans, there must be good ethnic food?
It’s an international feeling, like being deep inside the melting pot. The restaurants are actually pretty bad, though. There’s a good Spanish restaurant on DeKalb and Wyckoff. I go to this place called Bill’s, half Spanish and half American food—they make a good egg and cheese sandwich.

There are so many bands are coming out of Brooklyn these days, but who are the all-stars from Bushwick particularly?
NYSE Hits and the Tall Firs, who bought a house really close to me. Usaisamonster is another one that kicks ass. I think it’s safe to assume most bands live in Bushwick, or Greenpoint, and Williamsburg, depending on how successful they are. That’s how I ended up there. You can easily get a place to practice. There are fewer bitchy, rich white neighbors. You can rent a place and get away with stuff.

Is there a Bushwick-Williamsburg rivalry?
It’s just white kids complaining about shit. A lot of people can’t afford to live in Williamsburg, so they move out to Bushwick. But I bet there’s some hipster kickball team from Bushwick that battles some hipster kickball team from Williamsburg.

Is there anything inspiring about making music where you are than any other part of the city?
I think it’s that the surroundings are a little bit dark and dim. There’s not much you want do outdoors. Once you get out, it’s all concrete. In the summer, it’s all sweating. Not to mention getting harassed. I can’t even say how many times I’ve been hit by eggs. So, you stay inside and focus on music. You’re pretty far away from everything, so it makes you turn inside and get into the practice space. If I lived in California on a nice ranch, I would probably not be making as much music. But it makes you feel like you’re on a mission. You’re living in this shithole for a reason.

What's the best place to kill some time?
There are a lot of good thrift stores that I like to go to, like Office Ops on Knickerbocker Avenue. There’s a really good one on Wyckoff and Myrtle. On the border of Bushwick, the Ridgewood Theater [recently closed] had cheap movies that I went to— it was one of the oldest in the country. Where we usually hang out is on the roof—it’s the Bushwick type of thing to do. In the summer, instead of just wandering around the street because there aren’t many parks—it’s a concrete jungle.

Where can you find Awesome Color hanging out on a Friday night?
Everybody goes to Williamsburg and the city. But if you’re going go out and see a show, there’s Market Hotel and Raven's Den/Silent Barn, which are both rad venues, and some of the best in NYC. They’re not run by assholes, and there’s a little more freedom. You can get away with a lot more in total underground venues. They have regular half-shells. It’s just much more conducive to creativity than some square venue where you have to buy two drinks with a 10 dollar cover. Silent Barn— no rules.

Are there spots to avoid?
It’s generally safe, but you’re just subject to being harassed. For most people, Bushwick would seem super un-safe, and statistically it is too. But you don’t really see what’s going on. And there’s a lot more people getting mugged in Williamsburg, because people have more money there. But avoid walking around at 3 in the morning drunk off your ass, or falling asleep on the train.

~Leann Peterson


Don't miss Awesome Color on May 2 for a CD release show at Glasslands, and May 3 at Market Hotel.
Electric Aborigines releases stateside on April 28.

First photo by Chad Karty
Second photo by mercurialn via Flickr
Third photo by Sagrado Corazon via Flickr
Fourth photo by nikki nicole via Flickr
Fifth photo by Bob Battams
Seventh photo by trisho via Flickr
Eighth photo courtesy of Market Hotel
Ninth photo via NorthJersey.com