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Interviews

My Favorite Things: Edward Sharpe’s Alex Ebert

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This week: Alexander Ebert, the messianic leader of L.A. hippie-folk collective Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, whose hit song “Home” (from debut album Up from Below) and eclectic live shows have attracted a huge cult of devoted Ed-Heads. Ebert, 32, just released his first solo album, Alexander (via Community Music).

FAVORITE SONG:
“‘In the Summertime’ by Mungo Jerry. An infinitely whistle-able levity aide and instigator of skipping and generally realizing the genius of having fun.”

FAVORITE ALBUM:
Sandinista! by The Clash. It’s the White Album of the ’80s.”

FAVORITE NEW ARTIST:
Ariel Pink (‘new’ being within the past 15 years). I first heard him on [Loyola Marymount University’s non-commercial station] KXLU about 10 years ago and was like, “fuck ya.”

FAVORITE WEBSITE:
Awesometapes.com. It’s given me much African music, which I downloaded in the U.S., put in my iPhone, and played thru rental car speakers while driving through Africa. A distinctly perverse, mind-bending experience.”

FAVORITE RECORD STORE:
“This shop on Franklin Avenue across from the Scientologist Celebrity Center in Hollywood. Yes, Celebrity Center.No, I’m not a Scientologist. Or am I? I’m every woman and man, etc.”

FAVORITE CELEBRITY:
“I’m going to change that to Favorite Actor: Richard Gere. It’s all about the ‘suspicious minds’ and ‘my little liar’ scenes that end the remake of Breathless. Don’t sleep on it!”

FAVORITE PIECE OF MUSICAL GEAR:
“A Native American hand drum my dad got me loooong ago. I still have it, still record with it.”

FAVORITE VIDEO GAME:
“I think about Zelda longingly sometimes, and Tetris has real-life applications, especially when packing the trailer full of gear.”

FAVORITE BOOK:
Don Juan by Lord Byron. It’s kind of sad, really, to read anytime other than a week before departing earth. Otherwise you are likely to be convinced a whole trove of other writers like him might exist and failingly search author by lauded author, hoping upon hope, year upon year, for something to drive you to the same heights. Kerouac and Dylan Thomas each have their own giddy heights, too.”

FAVORITE PET:
“Dog. It’s the only animal that seems totally at ease as a pet.The rest seem vaguely disturbed by the whole thing.”

FAVORITE LIE:
” — ‘I don’t make the rules’…. We all make it all, except physical death. That rule, it seems, is universally imposed in this particular, instrumentally observable universe.”

WATCH: Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros perform “Home” on Letterman

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qb9jY8yAxgs