I now dearly regret allowing my sense of obligation to goad me into attending this crowded keg party. It's filled with girls who can't seem to go more than 11 seconds without saying 'œohmigod!'? and guys with gel in their hair having an in-depth discussion about which is the best Killers song. I don't know where the exit is, and I have to wait for my sole friend in here who, unbeknownst to me, is stealthily rounding second base in some forgotten nook of the house. So I lock myself in the bathroom for a couple of minutes to steel myself, almost stepping on a discarded MP3 player on the floor. 'œI wonder whose this is,'? I think before taking a seat. From beyond the door, I hear this guy yell out raucously to one of his friends. 'œYo guy, don't be such a faggot!'? Ever more determined to insulate myself from my surroundings, I turn on the player. 'œErase the sound!'?, cries a razor-edged voice, as skewed guitars throw themselves into the fray. Obscure lyrics weave through this random song that seems kind of like a Husker Du and early Trail of Dead mash-up infused with Fugazi's fightin' spirit. There's a brief buildup and then comes the thunderous chorus: 'œPregnant boys makin' pregnant noise!'? Fuck yeah '“ this was a fortuitous find indeed. The song? 'œPregnant Boys'?. The album? The June-released Such Triumph. The band? Chicago's The Narrator.

 
FIRST OF ALL, INTRODUCE US TO THE NARRATOR. THEN TELL US ABOUT A TALENT THAT EACH OF YOU POSSESS APART FROM THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR ROLES WITHIN THE BAND.
Sam Axelrod: James (Bass) is really on top of the American pizza scene. Nate (drums) is the best breakdancer in the band. Jesse (guitar, vocals) is the best actor/dancer. Sam (guitar, vocals) can play a little floor hockey.

LISTENING TO "PREGNANT BOYS" MAKES ME FEEL UNSETTLED AND A LITTLE THIRSTY. WHAT IS YOUR IMMEDIATE REACTION TO MY REACTION? P.S: THAT CHORUS IS THE FUCKING SHIT!
Sounds like you need a drink. That's what we try to do when we're thirsty. I'm glad that you get unsettled when you hear it. Our intention when we wrote it was to make Canadians uncomfortable. But seriously, thanks for thinking the chorus is the fucking shit. We think so, too.

DESCRIBE IN 30 WORDS OR LESS WHAT CHICAGO IS LIKE.
It's really hot in the summer. It's really cold in the winter. It's less windy than you think. It is kind of windy, though, sometimes. There's a lot of Thai food and Mexican food. There's a lot of traffic in the daytime, so if you want to drive around and explore, go at night. It's a lot better. That's probably more than 30 words and not really a description. Sorry.

SPEAKING OF CHICAGO, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT A CERTAIN NOTORIOUS MUSIC PUBLICATION BASED OUT OF THERE. I SAW THAT YOU GUYS HAD AN EXCERPT OF A PITCHFORK REVIEW OF SUCH TRIUMPH ON YOUR WEBSITE. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF PITCHFORK; AND OF MUSIC JOURNALISM IN GENERAL?
Hmm. Pitchfork's pretty good, I guess. It's kind of like Variety magazine for indie rock, but on computers. They seem to be liking us a little more these days. They always sell our promos back to Reckless [that's the good record store in Chicago. -Ed.], though. Music journalism, huh? That's a pretty loaded question since it's
coming from a music journalist! I don't know. It's ok, I guess. It really depends on the writer. Some are really effective, and some are pretty annoying. Wanna be friends?

CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT MY PERUSAL OF YOUR LIST OF PAST SHOWS HAS LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT YOU GUYS HAVEN'T PLAYED IN TORONTO BEFORE. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PLAYING HERE? FOR THAT MATTER, WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO PLAY A SHOW IN A TOWN YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO BEFORE?
You are not wrong. We have a shitty website, but we have the most comprehensive past shows list of any band ever. We have not played in Toronto before, and we are very excited. We hear very good things about your little town. We have played a lot of shows in a lot of different places, and a lot of them have been pretty terrible. That said, we'll pretty much give everywhere at least one chance. I've got to imagine Toronto will rank pretty high.

WHAT IS ONE THING WE CAN DEFINITELY EXPECT FROM YOU GUYS WHEN YOU PLAY HERE THIS MONTH?
Oof. That's a tough one. Drunkenness, toplessness, and poignancy. I gotta go.

By Pras Rajagopalan