Liars have been rattling audiences since 2001 when they broke into the Brooklyn scene with They Threw Us in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top. They were hailed as the return of the Williamsburg rock scene (a big deal in New York City), but after several albums involving complicated narratives and screeching dark songs, some critics were not as generous. Now back with a self-tiled album, the Liars pared-down and (dare I say) catchy tunes have brought them back as the regaling princes of indie-rock without compromising what they do so well. I phoned in with lead singer Angus Andrew this past summer, just days after they opened for Interpol at New York City's famed Madison Square Garden.

Fish Rap Live: So I saw you guys on Friday night at Madison Square Garden, did it live up to your expectations?
Angus Andrew: Yeah I think so; it was a real buzz, being there. And we're all NBA basketball fans so that made it a big deal.

FRL: Let's talk about this album for a little bit. What was it like recording in an old radio station in East Berlin?
AA: The complex itself is amazing and then it has all these incredible rooms that we were able to use. It was quite a trip down some sort of memory lane, so there's a lot to think about when you're there.

FRL: Let's talk about two albums ago, We Were Wrong So We Drowned. As you know, Spin called it unlistenable. How does that affect what you were doing with this one?
AA: We've put out a few records now and we've put our listeners through quite an experience. I think that this time we wanted to have a little present at the end of the journey-or half way. It's kind of a simple listen, you know?


FRL: You have a very diverse sound on this album. How did you achieve that?
AA: I think that's really been from the beginning, but the records that we made in the past have been quite specific in their ideas, and the sound of them. I think that some people have had trouble referencing or pigeon-holing those sounds. I guess on our last record, it was like crap rock, or something weird like that. And this record, it felt really good; we wanted to make songs that people could make those connections to easier. So we wanted to make a song that showed people that we like Metallica. There's a song that shows people that we like The Cramps. It felt good for the first time to make songs that people could position in the historical, musical context.

FRL: Did you feel that you were making any compromises with this album in terms of artistic integrity because you were going more that route, or do you think you did exactly what you wanted to do?
AA: I think you must know that it's always what we want to do, but what you have to realize is that making a more traditional type album for us is very new and quite out there. So even though this may have been our most conventional album, for us it really felt like our most experimental.

FRL: So let's say your iPod broke, and you could only take three CDs with you on your cross country tour, what would they be and why?
AA: Well I don't have an iPod so it doesn't apply, but I recently came across the Blur record that's entitled Blur.

FRL: Oh I love that record!
AA: Yeah, isn't it cool? I could listen to that everyday, so I'd take that one. Because we're going on the Brit-pop thing I'd take Pulp, This Is Hardcore. And for some research, 'cause I've never really been into Oasis, but I think they must write good songs, so I'd take the greatest hits of Oasis.

FRL: If you could merge two or three movies together to currently explain your life what would they be and why?
AA: Well, it would probably start out as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 'cause I'm Charlie. I used to wear the little skivvies and everything. I really associated with Charlie, before Johnny Depp and the new one. So it would start there and then move into 2001: A Space Odyssey, I think that would be a nice rendition. I fucking love the cave man, that's just really cool. And for a finale I'd like it to be one of those modern-day scary movies, like Scary Movie.

FRL: Like a parody of a scary movie or really Scary Movie?
AA: Like a really scary movie. But you know how when they make scary movies these days they end up looking like parodies anyway? Like Saw? I like those movies, lets say Saw. I'd end up in a room on my own with just instructions on how to break out.

Liars will be playing at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on October 20th in San Francisco.