Sunday, March 8, 2009

EXCLUSIVE: Roadrunner Records’ Monte Conner Talks Stoner Rock

Chances are that when a giant rock from outer space smashes into the rest of our governmentally-respirated economy and the book is closed on Western Civilization as we now see it, the circles are few and far between in which Roadrunner Records A&R legend Monte Conner is going to be remembered for exposing us all to the likes of Floodgate and Karma to Burn.

But, few and far between though they are, they’re these circles, damn it, so when I had the chance to talk to Conner, it wasn’t the stories about Max Cavalera and Sepultura or Glen Benton and Deicide that I wanted to hear (though those stories are awesome as well). I wanted to know about why the first Queens of the Stone Age record was put out by Roadrunner in Europe and not the US. I wanted to know why the version of Leadfoot’s Bring it On that I paid a dollar for in the junk bin at a record store has his label’s logo on it, but not the one I had from way back whenever that album came out. And I wanted to know why stoner rock makes for bad business when for the most part the music is traditionally structured and easily accessible. Well, fortunately Monte’s a bit of a talker. And unbeknownst to many — but, I admit, knownst to me before I set up the phoner — he’s actually a pretty big stoner rock fan.

Just on the other side of that “Read More” link down there, Conner opines on the above, how come the genre has never taken off commercially, and much more, including some of his all-time favorite stoner bands and albums. Enjoy. Read more...

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