People Noise

By Mat Herron

Zeke Buck, left, and Matt Johnson of People Noise.Here’s why

you haven’t seen Zeke Buck in a while:
Every day, the singer and guitarist for People Noise wakes

up, turns on his computer, maybe plugs in an instrument and a

microphone, and writes.
He writes heavy songs, he writes light songs. He doesn’t get

out much, but when he does, it’s usually to drop off

recordings to his buddy, Matt Johnson.

Johnson’s kind of a hermit, too. He was ready to dive into

the home improvement business when Buck called.
Now Johnson’s hooked. “I’ve never been this obsessed or

enthusiastic about anything before,” he said.
He drums forever on a farm out in rural Kentucky, not quite

the middle of nowhere, but damn close. No Internet. No cell

phone service. It’s very Unabomber.

He studies Buck’s songs, learns the schemes, the twists, the

changes. Then he sits down on a drum stool and begins laying

the foundation, like a builder trying to make sure the house

doesn’t collapse.
When he’s done, Johnson returns the songs to Buck, who plays,

edits, nips and tucks.
“Matt’s been kind enough to let me steer the bus,” Buck said.
He’s talking about songwriting, but sooner or later, these

guys want to ride in a bus, not just steer one.

Full blast
“There’s so much lost time to cover,” Buck said. “Basically,

I’m trying to start anew.”
Hence the obsession. The preparation for what would become

the songs People Noise started almost immediately after Buck

parted ways with VHS or Beta, a group he played in for 10

years.
Buck knew he wanted a sound — “not ’80s” — and he knew he

wanted to sing. He had sung opera in his early teens, but he

didn’t sing at all in VHS or Beta, and he missed it.
Turley Richards was going to change that.

Richards is a blind Louisville musician whose vocal range is

practically limitless. But his real talent is enhancing the

person, as well as the voice. It’s a good thing, too, because

Buck was terrified, so he hired Turley to teach him how to

sing all over again.

“I really felt exposed,” Buck said. “(Turley) coached

confidence. He was there to support me.”
Later this month, People Noise starts recording its first

album, Ordinary Ghosts. The songs cover everything from

reincarnation to Buck’s thoughts about his former band.
On stage, Johnson and Buck will be joined by Rahman McGinnis

(guitar), Woody Woodmansee (keyboards) and Mike DuFresne

(bass).

Some labels have expressed an interest in the band by

contacting the group via its MySpace page, and Johnson said

the group is actively looking for a manager, and a booking

agent, too.
People Noise will probably start playing out locally in the

spring, Johnson said. For those gigs, Buck said the band will

basically “draw a perimeter around Louisville.” The shows

won’t be anything elaborate, mostly smaller venues so the

band can work out any kinks that might come up.
“I miss the road so much,” Buck said. “It removes you from

objects of desire, and you’re only left with yourself and

your friends.”
That’s ideal company. “I don’t know what to expect,” Buck

said. “We’re gonna do it, and we’re gonna do it any way

capable.”
- LEO

By Joshua Hammann


Zeke Buck used to have a lot of things that made life easier:

a nice van, a label, a lawyer, publicists and enough music

industry connections to launch a thousand careers.

But in December 2005, just a few days after VHS or Beta

finished an epic and exhausting tour, all of those luxuries

disappeared. Buck was kicked out.

Did he see it coming?

"I did and I didn't," he says. "I guess I did, but I just

didn't want to believe it."

Buck isn't really interested in looking back anyway, not when

there is so much in front of him.

His new band, People Noise -- which he founded with longtime

friend Matt Johnson shortly after being dismissed from VHS or

Beta -- is already working up demos and booking shows.

They'll open for TV On the Radio in March at the Brown

Theater and should have a new album out soon.

Buck and Johnson met when they were teenagers. While Buck

knew nothing but classical composers at the time, Johnson

introduced him to Led Zeppelin, Cream and Black Sabbath. They

would lounge around listening to records almost every day.

"We've been through a lot, me and Matt," Buck said. "The

other guys are such great people, too. It makes the

transition so much easier."

The other guys, in this case, are Rahman McGinnis on guitar,

Mike Dufresne on bass and Woody Woodmansee on keyboards. Buck

and Johnson, a drummer, do all the writing while the other

three musicians, who have extensive jazz backgrounds, will be

called on primarily for live performances.

Where VHS or Beta was dedicated to uninterrupted rhythms and

deep grooves, People Noise abandons the dance floor directive

for darker terrain. The space waves and marching beats of the

Secret Machines show up on early demos the band has recorded.

The music is thick with moody keys but in the end it is still

guitar rock, even if the guitars are sometimes disguised with

effects and pedals.

In writing, anything guitar- or keyboard-related is Buck.

Johnson, who has dabbled with every sort of instrument, is

naturally responsible for the beats.

"I wanted it to be so far removed from what was going on,"

Buck said. "It's like a divorce. You need to be independent

again."

But to be independent, Zeke had to shed not just his band,

but all the connections that came with it. He's booking

People Noise shows himself and without the expansive Rolodex

that VHS or Beta enjoyed.

So far, he's doing fine. People Noise plays in Illinois twice

in February, including a gig at the venerable Chicago club

Schuba's. They play March 20 at the Pour Haus, but their

Louisville debut will be the TV On the Radio show on March 9.

Buck went to high school with TVOTR drummer Jaleel Bunton,

and People Noise actually came close to securing several

dates on the Brooklyn band's upcoming tour until logistical

concerns prohibited anything more than the Louisville show.

People Noise's debut album, which they will begin recording

with Kevin Ratterman next month, should be available at that

show. It's a quick ascent, considering they're on their own

now.

"We have no perks, no hook-ups, nothing that is going to help

us," Buck said. "We have no booking agent, no manager, no

label and no money."

But he does have plenty of what he needs most -- freedom.

"I wanted to write and not have it compromised," Buck said.

"Being in control is nice. It's something I really needed."
- Velocity Magazine

PEOPLE NOISE
***½
Ordinary Ghosts
Let them haunt you.
Vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Zeke Buck was a co-founder of disco-funk dance machine VHS Or Beta, but don’t expect his new project, People Noise, to inspire any sort of discotheque insanity. As the evocative music on Ordinary Ghosts demonstrates, the Louisville, Kentucky, band are the latest addition to a crop of artists (see also: Asobi Seksu, Autolux) who are bringing back shoegazing – a style of music characterized by sculpting beautiful music from chaotic noise. (In People Noise’s case, think early Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead – or ask your parents about Swervedriver and Ride.) The best songs on Ghosts (the molasses-like slow burn *The Killing Fields,* the Muse-meets-Verve title track) temper swirling reverb and fuzzed-out guitars with sections of tranquility; another highlight, the string-sweetened *Turn Around,* is a laid-back slice of psychedelia featuring Buck’s Thom Yorke-esque croons. Ghosts drags a bit in its midsection, but the pair of squall-pop gems (*Harrison Bergeron* and *Sedation*) are the catchiest bits on the album. (SELF-RELEASED) Annie Zaleski - Alternative Press

VHS Or Boom Bip
People Noise, formed by former VHS or Beta guitarist Zeke Buck and Boom Bip's Matt Johnson, will make their recording debut with the June release of Ordinary Ghosts. Citing influences from Black Sabbath to Björk, the Louisville, Kentucky band are currently underway with a nationwide tour - Taylor Mason, CMJ - CMJ

People Noise might be described as the gap between Alice in Chains and Radiohead plus a little something extra. - Sarah Sullivan, Eureka Times Standard - Eureka Times Standard

Remember VHS or Beta? Well Zeke Buck, along with Matt Johnson on drums have a new band called People Noise. These guys are sure to be big so make sure you check them out while they’re still growing. - Key Club Hollywood, CA - Key Club Hollywood, CA

Their new sound is a shoegazey-reverb-heavy-fuzzout. It's very Smashing Pumpkins, Jesus & Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine-esque. - Dodge, My Old Kentucky Blog - Old Kentucky Blog