Sure, we’re always curious to know about an artist’s upcoming release, most recent tour, or arsenal of analog gear, but XLR8R‘s also got a curiosity for quirk. Thus, each week, we email a different artist and find out what makes them tick, in the studio and in life. Next up: Though he’s a man of few words (hey, it made the copy editing process faster), Tim Hoey of Melbourne’s Cut Copy shared some thoughts on basketball, alarm clock theft, and his girlfriend’s pajamas.

What are you listening to right now?

We just saw My Bloody Valentine… it’s going to be hard to listen to anything after that. It was like being hypnotized with a sledge hammer. Incredible.

What’s the weirdest story you ever heard about yourself?

That I paid my way through university by becoming a professional online gambler.

What band did you want to be in when you were 15?

Wu-Tang Clan.

Worst live show experience?

Mike Loves Beach boys show, 2002.

Favorite city to play in?

Hometown. [That would be Melbourne, Australia, for the uniformed.-Ed]

Which album do you like better: Apocalypso or In Ghost Colours?

Doobie Brothers.

What is your favorite thing you own?

Magic Johnson rookie card.

Name one item of clothing you can’t live without.

My girlfriend’s pajamas.

What’s cuter: Kittens, penguins, or Scarlett Johansson?

The Platypus.

What did you always get in trouble for when you were little?

Stealing alarm clocks from hotels.

Which pop star would you most like to work with?

Warren Ellis.

What’s the last thing you read?

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Beautiful and the Damned.

Complete this sentence: In the future…

I will be older and wiser.

Stupidest thing you’ve done in the last 12 months?

Not going to an NBA playoff game when we had the chance.

What’s next?

Dinner.

Last Week: Girl Talk