Blonde Redhead

The perseverance of Blonde Redhead, which is releasing "Sit Down for Dinner" in its 30th year, stems in part from the realization that the process of making the record should definitely be fun. "I usually agonize and it's painful for me to write music, but I didn't suffer that much with this record," Makino says. "I wanted to put my foot down and say, 'We can have a good time together.' The record sounds quite optimistic." Amedeo adds, "We really relate to each other. We rely on each other's inspiration. Kazu completes what I start; Simone completes both with rhythm."

Perhaps this adds another layer to the title "Sit Down for Dinner," as the music is a pleasure, with the ease of a new conversation among familiar friends. Crucial to this equation is Blonde Redhead's innate harmonic sensibility, which Makino calls the heart of the band. "We have a language that we've maintained," she adds. "We try to change rhythms, concepts and sounds. But that harmonic sensibility has remained the same. It hits the same part of the heart."