There's a free newspaper in Auburn called The Corner. It's pretty fresh. After the most recent These Are Magnets show at the Gnu's Room, a writer from the paper approached and asked for an interview. I obliged. Here it is, along with a video and a scan of the paper.Gnu's Room Showcases New TalentAnnie Gilbertson for The Corner NewsFor Josh LaFayette, it's not just about the music. As creator of These Are Magnets, LaFayette is tackling the solo music project from a unique angle. He insists that what he produces lies heavily on the honesty and artistic merit of the overall presentation as a whole, as well as a union with the audience.The intimate environment of the Gnu's Room during his 7 p.m. acoustic performance Saturday proved to be the ideal setting to realize this endeavor and get Auburn acquainted for his newly released debut album "Control."LaFayette's pairing of originals and covers, including Melanie Safka's "Brand New Key," allowed him to demonstrate his immense range of vocal capability.Making humorous faces and casting teasing looks when slowing down the tempo of some songs worked to distinguish LaFayette's stage presence — perhaps to no lesser degree than his graphic art work set up to his side did.LaFayette explained that by dovetailing his love of visual art and music, audiences are receiving the most authentic presentation of what he has to offer:"There is no need to choose between the two as they are both a part of me," said LaFayette. "Graphic designer Chipp Kidd does book covers and write books. I'd say I am heavily influenced by this idea. Then there are bands like Kiss and Van Halen who also created their own logos. I am presenting myself as a whole, a visual and aural artist, not one as a hobby and one as a career."Having graduated from Auburn's graphic design program last December, the Jackson[ville], Ala. native said that the material for These Are Magnets stemmed from his senior thesis, giving him the foundation to record his first album, package it, and even make marketing material such as T-shirts, stickers, and a website.LaFayette said that the White Stripes and the Black Keys were some of his major influences as well as Bob Dylan, who prompted him to learn the harmonica and contributed to building the album into a fusion of electronic and folk sounds.And while "Control" was recorded with [all of the instruments of (this was a misunderstanding, as I recorded all of the instruments myself)] a full band, achieving a contemporary indie blues rock sound, LaFayette's local touring of personal venues such as Eighth & Rail, Toomer's Coffee, and Cambridge Coffee have all been solo acoustic performances."In performances, I am trying to get the old feel of the '50s and '60s back," said LaFayette. "I want everyone to feel as if we are friends just hanging out. I don't want people to feel intimidated because, really, we are all on the same level, just in different spots.""I'm having fun playing by myself, but I'd like to recruit friends to play the album live," he said.Catch These Are Magnets soon if you can, LaFayette said that he's moving to Italy soon."I'd like to play there and I know I'll always be making music and creating imagery as long as I exist," he said.Bottle Up and Explode, one of Auburn's newest indie alternative bands, also played at the evening's performance, showing potential to fill a softer niche in the local music community.To learn more about These Are Magnets and Josh LaFayette, check out his material online at thesearemagnets.com, joshlafayette.com, or myspace.com/thesearemagnets.From the AudienceI wish there was more room to dance! —Rebecca WilliamsIt's very good. I hadn't heard of him before, but it's emo that finds a way to succeed. —Justin Dealy [That one kind of stings.]Yeah, it was a really good show, you know "good music." It's nice to have something like the Gnu's Room around here. This is where you come to see the real talent. —Matt Pike
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