Efrain Calderon is a 20-year-old singer/songwriter from North Bergen who plays messy folk-y (some might say anti-folk) songs. He's got that everything-but-the-kitchen-sink mentality, but while that dooms a lot of songwriters to endless wankery on Casios and toy xylophones, Calderon brings it all together nicely, reminding me at times of the late, great Chicago band Bill Ding, and other times of One Foot In the Grave era Beck. He keeps it short and sweet:
Day job: Record store snob
What's the worst or most interesting thing that's happened to you at work?
Having to listen to the Mr. and Mrs. Smith soundtrack, after it was played by a co-worker. Thankfully his work ethic was as bad as his musical taste.
Does work ever conflict with your band?
Everyone at work really has a great passion for music. They are all very supportive of my music, and though I may have to plan around work sometimes I can't think of any other job I'd feel so at home at.
Do you have health insurance?
I am enrolled in college this fall. As a result, I am required to be covered, but it's very limited. I wish I could afford more.
Who are the three people you'd most like to have at one of your shows, in terms of helping your music career?
David Bowie seems the man of the hour after attending a few Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! shows. I'd rather have a thumbs up from someone like Jeff Magnum of Neutral Milk Hotel, or the ghosts of Harry Nilsson or Elliott Smith.
If Wal-Mart approached you about putting your music in an ad, for a large sum, would you do it?
Nope. I haven't purchased anything from Wal-Mart or Target for two years now. It's really not that hard to live without. There's a reason things are so cheap -- somewhere down the line someone's paying the price.
Any additional thoughts on the relationship between work and art?
Work has helped supply a lot of ideas. When you're forced to listen to albums that you're not picking, you're forced to keep an open mind. I've learned about so much new music, and can finally stop lumping things into genres. You realize quickly that good music, or good art is good art, and the label isn't important so long as the feeling is the same.
On the Web: Efrain Calderon
Day Job is a weekly column examining the contradictions, conflicts and convergence between “work” and “art.”
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