Keep Musicking: Menomena is still going to do this according to Danny Seim

Danny Seim has a way with words. He’s the one who often writes publicity pieces and tour blogs of Menomena’s (mis)adventures. Perhaps his funniest submission deals with the cassettes of Christian music he was allowed to listen to when he was a kid.

And even discussing Brent Knopf leaving and Menomena continuing, Seim evokes laughter in the midst of Menomenite depression with comparisions and humorous analogy. "We lost a major creative force in Brent, but thankfully, Brent's not Kurt Cobain, and we're not Nirvana. Brent's more like Peter Gabriel and we're more like Genesis. And everyone knows how much better Genesis got after that talentless hack Gabriel quit. Waitaminute…"

His thankfulness at the opportunity to have worked with two of his favoriate musicians for the past ten years is obvious. But, Seim and Harris sticking it out together isn’t so far off the beaten path of ideas. Before Knopf joined up to form Menomena, Seim and Harris formed a few different bands--one of which was a grunge band called Bede. He reports he and Justin Harris have already begun working on the next Menomena album.
Seim and Harris have been primary songwriters for some great songs. Seim listed songs primarily attributed to Harris, The Pelican, Muscle’n Flo, Weird, The Late Great Libido, Twenty Cell Revolt, TAOS, and Queen Black Acid. In addition to Harris’s instrumental skills on bass and sax, he became the star vocalist of Mines.
Seim’s got more than a few interesting songs to his credit, from his solo collection Lackthereof’s “Ask Permission” is worthy of note and comes with a cool video. His arranging and lyrical skills birthed “Five Little Rooms” from nearly-orphaned Deeler loops. However, the fans will miss flourishes that could only come from Knopf.

They have added in Paul Alcott of Dat’r. And with Dat’r having one other member, Matt Dabrowiak, he has also been adopted in for the next leg of the Menomena tour. Dabrowiak will take Joe Haegge’s spot as he returns to his duties with his other bands, Tu Fawning and 31 Knots. Those who followed Ramona Falls watched multiple lineup changes for various legs of the tour, including iterations with Danny Seim on bass and Paul Alcott on drums. Coachella attenders shall see the fruits of Menomena's labors.
Meanwhile Knopf is busy producing records and getting back to composing Ramona Falls songs. “It’s so invigorating to daydream new ideas.” While someone can always play keyboards, Knopf has a unique style which comes naturally to him.

While someone else might be able to play his part in live concerts, it remains to be seen how Menomena will survive this schism. In so many ways, it just won’t be the same. But then, it already wasn’t. Menomena heroically still limps along on the Oregon Trail. “Between the skin and bone is where the West was won…” Hopefully they will not die of dysentery.

http://blogs.wweek.com/music/2011/01/19/danny-seim-and-brent-knopf-talk-....