NEW YORK — Think of Beauregard, the debut album from indie duo Pepper Rabbit, which will be released next week, as a musical scrapbook, truly global in its scope. Featuring Eastern musical influences and sampling the horn section of a Bayou funeral procession, the record was recorded in New Orleans in 2008 and 2009. Originally conceived as a solo project for frontman Xander Singh, Pepper Rabbit’s other half is Luc Laurent.
Leading up to CMJ, Singh jotted down thoughts about the band and his personal musical tastes.
BLAST: Describe your sound in 10 words or less.
XANDER SINGH: Funny orchestral, weird, experimental, good old-fashioned pop.
BLAST: Which three artists are your biggest influences?
XS: Salem Al Fakir, David Bowie, Jamie Lidell.
BLAST: What’s your favorite album of 2010 so far?
XS: Spoon, “Transference”
BLAST: If you were going to spend the rest of your life on a desert island, which three albums would you bring with you?
XS: Jamie Lidell’s “Compass,” Supertramp’s “The Very Best of … ,” David Bowie’s “Diamond Dogs”
BLAST: Name a song you wish you’d written.
XS: “Five Years,” David Bowie
BLAST: Name something non-musical that has inspired your songwriting.
XS: Golf and dogs.
BLAST: What was your first concert?
XS: Tina Turner with Lionel Richie opening
BLAST: What’s the number one thing you can’t live without on the road?
XS: A good selection of Patton Oswalt stand-up on the iPod.
BLAST: If you could ban one artist from ever making music again (or ever having made music), who would it be?
XS: I would just make sure Creed didn’t make a second album. The first one’s pretty decent.
BLAST: Which other acts are you hoping to see during CMJ Week?
XS: Candy Claws, Violens.
Pepper Rabbit plays at 8:30 p.m. Friday at Cake Shop, and at 1 p.m. Saturday at Cameo Gallery.
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