A Mixtape Interview

Venezuela’s dance punk quartet La Vida Bohème has had one hell of a month — nominated for two Latin Grammy awards, included in the FIFA 2012 video game soundtrack, and (last but not least) a finalist for  MTV Iggy’s Best New Band in the World.

We interviewed them last May before their album released in the US, and five months later Henry, Rafael, Daniel, and Sebastián remain as irrepressibly candid and as formidably intellectual as ever. If a lot more busy and rather giddy with excitement. We asked them for their thoughts on the other finalists, the passionate loyalty of their fans “La Resistance,” and whether their favorite Canadian philosopher/media theorist Marshall McLuhan got it right all along.

When words weren’t enough the self-deprecating La Vida Bohème (they don’t think they’ll win anything!) turned to videos to explain their thoughts and feelings, so hang on tight for an interactive ride that’ll end with a peek into the future.

So, you’re having a pretty great month! 2 Latin Grammy’s, the FIFA 12 video game soundtrack, MTV Iggy’s Best Band finalist — how did you react when you heard the news?

We still can’t believe all that’s been happening to us this month. We’ve been trying not to get overwhelmed by it, but it’s kind of hard not to feel blessed and humbled by all the good news. I think there is only one way we can express how we excited we feel about MTV Iggy’s Best Band In The World, the Grammy nominations, and FIFA 2012, and it’s something like this.

With so much good news, have you found time to celebrate? What’s your favorite way of celebrating — champagne and caviar? Hookers and cake? Re-reading Marshall McLuhan?

There has been very little time to celebrate since we started recording the new album very recently. But we’ve had a couple of celebrations, that, in spite of not including the great McLuhan, at least were as magnificent as his work. This included:

1) Getting wasted at our best friend’s house
2) Going to support our local football team (Caracas F.C.)
3) Sebastián and Rafael took some drums that were left behind at a club we were playing at yesterday and actually transformed the backstage in a big “tambore” party [laughs].

Sadly, we are like f*@king band camp [laughs].…I hoped we had a “cool” story to tell you guys about our parties, but they actually are something like this.

Ok, let’s go through your competition one by one.

1. The Grammy for Best Rock Album. Nuestra was nominated, but who do you think will be your toughest competition?

We think “Por Lo Menos Hoy” by No Te Va A Gustar should win the Grammy for Best Rock Album. We love what they are doing. They rock. Have you seen the “Chau’s” video?  It crazy! Truly, we love what they are doing.

2. The Grammy for Best Rock Song. “Radio Capital” was nominated — who do you think will win?

Zoé’s “Labios Rotos.” It’s one of the most beautiful songs ever written in Latin America, and in a fair world, it should truly be the one to take the Grammy home.

3. MTV Iggy Best Band – who do you think will be your toughest competition?

It’s hard to tell. We really love that the competition has brought to our eyes a bunch of bands we had no clue about and actually are amazing. Plus, it’s a real honor to be nominated with people like Ximena. We are fans of her work.

We think 2ne1 are the ones that are going to win. They are gorgeous! Plus, they are huge in South Korea, right? We kinda feel like the rascals that crashed the party because someone left the door open…but we like that [laughs]. Hope we can crash this kind of party more often.

NEXT: “Ximena, if you are reading this, we love you….please don’t run away”