Turn It Down

Evolved PR & Marketing in Lansing, Michigan

2011-04-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

Hello all, please check out my new company Evolved PR and Marketing, we are based out of Lansing, Michigan. Evolved offers services to businesses as well as bands and solo artists.
If you are in need of someone to handle your social media marketing, or your news releases and press releases, contact me at the link below:
http://www.evolvedpr.com
While we are based in Lansing, we also have clients in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Jackson and Mount Pleasant.

Publish Post

New Nolan Strong tribute LP features Dirtbombs, Reigning Sound, Mark Sultan & more

2010-07-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

Coming soon (October 2010 at the latest) from my small label, The Wind Records and Norton Records!

"Daddy Rockin' Strong: A Tribute to Nolan Strong & the Diablos" is a vinyl LP stocked full of smokin' Nolan Strong & the Diablos covers! Executive Producers Rich Tupica and Billy Miller have been compiling this track list for over a year, and it was worth the wait.

It features songs by The Dirtbombs, Reigning Sound, Andre Williams, Cub Coda, Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby, The A-Bones, Mark 'BBQ' Sultan, Lenny Kaye, Outrageous Cherry, The Hentchmen, Demon's Claws, Gentleman Jesse & His Men, Danny Kroha & the Del Torros & more!

The record also features heartfelt liner notes written by soul legend Andre Williams, a close friend of the late Nolan Strong and fellow Fortune Records artist.

Nolan Strong was a Detroit singer, a fantastic pre-Motown star. "The Wind" and "Mind Over Matter" are two of the best songs to ever come outta the Motor City - those songs are remembered on this tribute LP.

This record marks the second release from The Wind Records ... Norton Records will kindly distribute the LP.

Visit The Wind Records web site:
CLICK HERE to visit THE WIND RECORDS

For more information, e-mail Rich Tupica at:
richtupica@hotmail.com

RIP Jay Reatard .... thoughts from Greg Cartwright, Alicja Trout & more

2010-03-05T20:50:00.000-08:00

R.I.P. JAY
Here is a link to a story I recently wrote about the late Jay Reatard for Razorcake.
LINK to read:
CLICK HERE to read the Jay Reatard tribute story..
This story features thoughts and memories from Greg Cartwright (Oblivians/Reigning Sound), Alicja Trout (Lost Sounds), Steven Pope (Jay's band/Barbaras) and Scott Bomar (Memphis producer/musican).

I had the honor of interviewing Jay three times. Links to those can be found at the link below:
CLICK HERE to read the previous interviews with Jay

Jay Reatard Interview! Addresses the haters.

2009-08-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

Jay Reatard is blowin' up!
Photo by Rob Walbers

CLICK HERE to BUY the "Watch Me Fall" CD/LP

By Rich Tupica
richtupica@hotmail.com

Success has been bittersweet for songwriter Jay “Reatard” Lindsey.
While he has been basking in recent accomplishments and a steadily growing fan base, the 29 year-old Memphis native has also been facing ridicule from friends who had previously supported him since he started playing music in 1998.
What is it that’s made some of Lindsey’s old supporters turn their backs on him recently? Comparing his first band, The Reatards, to his electro-black metal band, Terror Visions, shows the versatility he has accomplished with every record. He has been continually evolving, which makes the sudden backlash seem more related to success, rather than a dislike for his latest records.
Could it be that Jay is being savaged by haters?
The title “Watch Me Fall,” which is his new album on Matador Records, is a reference to the sudden onset of shit talk.
Though, according to Lindsey, the subject matter on the new LP hasn’t changed much from his usual motif.
“The record is about the same crap I’ve always written about; death, girls and a general dislike for society,” Lindsey said.
He also said the record touches on a new element.
“It’s also about me coming to terms with being a little older and dealing with mortality issues, a kind of slipping away from the whole youthful idea of being immortal,” he said. “It’s serious, but with a sense of humor as well.”
Read the following interview to get the scoop on his new album, the story behind his performance with Beck at the Nokia Theater, and a bunch more.

To read my previous interviews with Jay, visit the links below:
CLICK HERE to read the first Turn it Down JAY interview
and
CLICK HERE to read the second Turn it Down JAY interview

So, Jay, do you think you’ll be able to take a break from touring anytime soon?
I don’t know. I’ve already got a lot of my next album already written. It looks like I’m going to be pretty fucking busy until next year, around this time, until I get another break.
I don’t really write too much when I’m on tour. So I utilize all the time I have when I’m home.

How did you book TV Smith from The Adverts to tour with you as an opener?
The whole thing was my idea. I just figured out a way to get in touch with him and asked him if he ever toured America. He said, “Not much at all.” He’s been waiting on the right situation to do it. I sent him a copy of my record and he really liked the Adverts cover I did on there. We just started chatting and it all came together.

How long did it take to complete the new album?
I recorded the entire thing, then I flew to New York to turn it in. I worked on it from May through January 2008 in my spare time. I turned in 14 songs and started talking to the guys at Matador. I told them I felt I was kind of rushed through this process. I still had to master it at that point and take the cover photo. They said, “Well, you’re kind of right, we did kind of rush you through this process.” So I just flew back home, and I think I recorded about four tracks, and re-did a bunch of them. I ended up with like 17 songs and about 20 different tracks to pick from. I narrowed that down to 12 tracks. The first 3,000 or so LPs are going to come with a 10-inch EP; you can’t buy the 10-inch individually, you have to buy the album to get it. With iTunes you’ll probably be able to download all 17 songs, I’m not sure though.

Will you release some of the unused songs on 7-inches?
I was going to do that, but unfortunately whatever you turn into the label, the label owns. If I would have had the foresight to see that those songs were going to be cut, I could have held them back and released them on my own label or whatever. Before the year is out I think I’ll still have three or four 7-inches out.

Did you wind up using any new instruments on this record like you’d planned?
I built up a lot of different stuff that I was going to use, some different instrumentation. In the mixing process I scaled it down. I think there may be two songs with cello, but it’s really subtle, I don’t think you’d even notice it’s there. It’s just a wall of sound. I think I left some mandolin parts on one song. There is some Farfisfa and upright piano on some. It’s not really that big of a departure. At first I was starting with all these different instruments, but I wound up leaving the songs more skeletal.

Cover for "Watch Me Fall" (Matador)

Why is the new LP titled "Watch Me Fall"?
I feel my life has changed drastically. You would think after you move to a better label that your peers would be cheering you on. The close friends I keep around me were pretty excited that I was going to do something different. But I was very surprised by a lot of people that I thought were my friends, how they flip flop on how they stood as far as what I was doing musically or with my life. Which kind of turned into the same thing, there is not much of a separation anymore. I thought people would be stoked to see my endeavors in life sail at this point, but I guess success is really relative to a lot of things.

How have people been talking shit? On the internet, you mean?
The internet is the easiest way to do it, but I don’t put much value on those people. It’s more like people who are close to me. It’s not a big deal. Well, I guess it’s a big enough deal that I named my album something like that. I felt it was a fitting title, it’s not too cheery of a record. It’s not as upbeat as anything I’ve made before. The A-side is a punk record, when you flip it over it turns into this moody, not necessarily indie-rock record, but I guess closer to that than what people consider punk.

Do you think some people may have turned on you because you moved up to a bigger indie label?
Labels are the easy thing to judge by I guess. I don’t think what I’m doing has really changed all that much. I still record in my dining room. The type of songs I’m writing are slightly different, but that’s not a valid excuse for somebody to absolutely write off what I’m doing. I’m not super self aware or anything but I am almost positive that with every band I’ve been in, from album to album, there has been a slight departure in style from the one before. I do try to keep a general aesthetic with my music, which is: home crafted punk rock. It’s been kind of a weird year for me.

Do you feel that you have succeeded musically?
The fact that I made this record and I’m done with it, I feel I’ve succeeded, I’m done with it. Whether it sells or not, well I really don’t base success on numbers, monetary value or anything like that. I feel like there is a lot of people around me that probably do think that way, so this record is just me sounding off to those kind of people. It’s tongue in cheek, I guess.

What’s the story behind the “I Did Coke With Jay Reatard” pins that have shown up on eBay?
Oh yeah. It’s really strange. I was looking around at those. I was like, “Oh, ha-ha, funny.” Then I noticed the eBay seller is from Cleveland and the girl I’ve been living with for the past couple of years is from there. So I asked her if she recognized this guy’s seller name, I was like, “You have a friend named that, right?” And she said "yeah." So she e-mailed her friend and said, “What’s up with those pins?” He was like, “Yeah, they’re funny, huh?”
There is only one degree of separation between him and me. I think that’s a little bit close for his comfort. I have a sense of humor, but I can honestly say that I’ve never did coke with that guy in my fucking life.

Do you get tired of people spreading drug rumors and talking about you punching people?
I think it’s funny that people think doing coke makes people violent. I didn’t try any hard drugs until I was at least 23 - my most violent period was probably from age 17 to 21. I didn’t even drink alcohol until I was 20 or so.

What comes first for you in songwriting, lyrics or music?
Definitely music, because that’s what my ears go to first. I feel like words have to come naturally, you have to write about what you know. If you don’t do that, it’s going to be apparent. I refuse to use words in my lyrics that I wouldn’t use in conversation. I think a lot of people pull out the thesaurus when they write lyrics and it comes off a little contrived. I’d rather be accused of having my lyrics be too simple or obvious than too abstract or too wordy.

Are your live shows going to change on your next tour?
Once we start playing the new set we will definitely try to make the set more dynamic. It’s changed a lot, even from just a year ago. It’s a lot more noisy now, but more dynamic. It’s not just balls out all the time.
I also think we are going to have longer sets. Every time we go out we extend it a little longer. We’ll probably play closer to 20 songs now, about 60-minutes long. Justice from the Final Solutions may come along and play guitar.

Jay packs the house. photo by Caio Porto

Did you record this album at your house and did you have any help playing the instruments?
I did one track in a studio, a reel-to-reel 8-track studio. I was happy with the results. Billy played drums on four out of 12 songs, I played everything else.

What have you noticed about becoming more popular and playing shows?
I guess what people try to do is, the more popular the band becomes, the more they try to recreate the comforts of home on the road. It’s kind of fighting a losing battle. That’s one of the worse parts - if you enjoy being home. You can’t bring your house on tour with you. That’s the biggest downfall, no matter how much money you’re making, or how many people show up, you still can’t sleep in your own bed. The first week of touring you always miss home. From the second to the fourth week you are kind of numb and you want to go home. It takes time adjusting back and forth.

You recorded a cover of a Beck song, which he used as the B-side on a 7-inch, how did that come about?
Beck’s manager sent an e-mail and asked if I was down for it. I guess he is a fan and wanted to work together in some form. That was the idea they came up with. Rather than doing remixes for the B-side of his newest single, he got somebody to cover it. He thought it’d be a little more creative than just doing a remix. I flew out to LA after that and we played a show together, hung out a little bit. He’s a nice dude. It was kind of strange, he wouldn’t take no for an answer - he wanted me to come out and sing with him on the song. I was kind of like, “I don’t know the lyrics, man.” I recorded the song and I heard it on the radio two or three times, but I hadn’t put much thought into it after that. I should have seen that coming and learned the fucking lyrics. I had his manager go print them out on a piece of paper!” I was nervous, I thought it was going to be kind of corny, but you know whatever. It’s one of those things if you pass it up, you’ll regret not doing it for the funny memory.

Was it weird playing on stage with such a huge star or are you getting used to it?
No, I never get used to anything. The only thing I got used to was playing shows with no one there. I got really used to that. Now it’s so far out of my element that it feels incredibly weird. I am getting more confident and trying to do things that I’d normally be afraid to do musically. Two years ago if you would have asked me if I would ever walk out on stage at the fucking Nokia Theater with Beck I probably would have laughed at you.

You also did a split with Sonic Youth, who arranged that 7-inch?
Well, we’re on the same label but I know that for awhile now Thurston Moore has been paying attention to what I’ve been doing. Way back, close to four years ago, he came to a Shattered Records showcase at SXSW and bought every bands’ record. He hung out and watched the Angry Angles set, he’s a nice guy.

What’s up with your label, Shattered Records? I notice you are pressing new records?
I have a bunch of releases lined up. It’s all about finding time to do them. I got Hunx & His Punks, a Box Elders single, Cola Freaks - just a lot of bands I really like. I recently signed up Nobunny for his third LP. There is this punk kid from Memphis named Seth who has a band called The Useless Eaters. I think he’s like 18 or 19 years old. He’s just making stuff on his 4-track in his bedroom.

How did you hear about The Useless Eaters?
I think I heard his shit on MySpace. It’s really exciting to start working with a young, snotty brat again. Not unlike myself when I was his age. I didn’t know him and he lives in town. I e-mailed and asked him if he wanted to do a record. I gave him money to pay his bills and what not. Took him out to eat a few times. He was really stoked. I feel any label can put your record out but anything extra people did when I first started putting out records, to make me feel like they actually cared about me personally and what I was doing, those small things went a long way.

Do you see yourself staying in Memphis? Or maybe moving to New York or something like that?
I could never live in New York, I can’t be caged up like an animal. I think I’ll be in Memphis at least for a few more years but I might be here permanently. I’m probably going to be buying a house in the next few months. The house I’m buying is essentially two apartments, so I’ll hopefully be able to use it to run my business and studio out of the other side.

Buying a house - that’s a pretty grown up move.
Yeah, if you also would have asked me awhile back if I’d own a house and have an actual, legal business in the state of Tennessee called “Jay Reatard,” I probably would have laughed. But I think if I would have had this kind of ambition when I was 18, I don’t think things would have turned out the way they did.

What has been the high point of the past two years for you?
I guess the times we have been to Australia have been incredible, man. We played a traveling festival, we played outside everyday. We toured by airplane so we didn’t have to sit in a van. It was just a great experience. I ate a lot of healthy food and spent a lot of time with good people. I’m to the point now where it’s not all about getting completely shit faced and trying to put on a spectacle for people. It’s become something else. I’ve found an audience that’s willing to except it. It’s entertaining enough for them to just watch somebody get up and play some songs and convey a little emotion as an energy. They don’t need the next step. They don’t need to see a three-ring circus with a guy trying to destroy himself on stage every night.
The high point is - almost everything. I can’t really think of any negative points in the past year and a half of my life. It’s all been up hill. I know that stuff eventually runs out, but whatever. I’m just enjoying everything. I try to take it all in and remember.

Reatarded Links:
CLICK HERE to visit Jay Reatard.com
CLICK HERE to visit Shattered Records, Jay's label
CLICK HERE to visit Jay on MySpace

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Greg Cartwright interview! Oblivians tour, new Reigning Sound and growing up in Memphis

2009-07-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

Greg Cartwright photo by Theresa Kereakes

By Rich Tupica
richtupica@hotmail.com

Today’s world is filled with generic punk, contrived garage rock and sappy love songs. I figure it must be hard to pay homage to a form of music without becoming a parody of it.
Fortunately, Greg “Oblivian” Cartwright has continued to release tried-n-true records for the past 20 years that echo influences properly.
His songwriting may reflect his massive collection of old vinyl records, though after listening to any album by The Compulsive Gamblers, Oblivians or Reigning Sound, it’s obvious Cartwright has something to say and he does it in a genuine style all his own.
He blends classic soul, rock, folk, country and doo-wop into a melody and tops it with honest storytelling lyrics that often lean toward heartache.
Having been born and raised in Memphis, as a teen he absorbed the hotbed of music that surrounded him. His high school days were spent at the Antenna Club, a now defunct music venue, that booked punk and rock’n’roll shows - one show, in particular, helped to set the course of his future in music.
After spending the 1990s and 2000s releasing a pile of albums, Cartwright has established a dedicated following while continuing to reinvent his sound with every record he puts out.
Now living in Asheville, NC with his family, Cartwright seems more focused on music than ever. He may be busy raising children with his wife Esther, but he still finds time to sneak out to his garage where he writes music.
Aside from his work in Reigning Sound, who have a new studio album, Love & Curses (due out August 11, 2009), Cartwright is also a midst a much anticipated reunion tour with The Oblivians, along with The Gories. There are also a couple of planned reunion shows with The Compulsive Gamblers set for this summer.
To find out more on the ‘Two Sides’ to Cartwright, read the following (world’s longest!) interview with the man himself.

When did you first get into rock‘n’roll records?
Growing up, my dad was a record collector, so we always had lots of records around. I just really liked the kind of stuff that he played. He was into a lot of British invasion bands and some early American rock stuff like Chuck Berry, The Beatles, The Kinks and all that. When we were in the car we always listened to oldies stations, so I got a big dose of doo-wop and R&B. It used to be, when I was a kid, oldies stations were not as limited as they are now. You’d hear a lot of oddball things, like local hits, not just Top 40 stuff. I think kids nowadays listen to oldies stations and get the idea that there were only about 90 hits from the years 1956 to 1970.

Oldies stations don’t really play any ‘50s music at all anymore.
No, they really kind of deleted a lot of that stuff. In fact, I remember when I got my very first car when I was 17, it was a Dodge Dart, and I listened to an oldies station religiously. They played a lot of doo-wop and R&B that I was really in to at the time. I remember the day I was driving to school my senior year and I heard an ad on the radio that said, “The new Oldies 98, no more boring doo-wop! Just hits from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.” I thought, man, what is with this? Not only do you have to take away all the good music, but you also have to insult the people that like it? (laughs)

Which is funny, because it’s not boring in any sense.
No, it’s great. It just goes to show, as each generation gets older, I guess they decide that the people who want to hear that were a dying breed and they weren’t going to cater to them anymore. Little did they know there were kids who grew up on that stuff and really dug it as well. The times roll on.
Now you look at the schedule at any given bar, in any given town there is inevitably an ‘80s night. Now, that’s an oldie. Madonna is an oldie. I guess to some people it is, to people who grew up during that time period it may be classic. As the decades roll on, the concept of what is a truly classic song changes.

Reigning Sound's debut 7", "Two Sides to Every Man" (2001)

You’ve mentioned how you spent a lot of time with your grandmother growing up, why were you at her place so often?
Both of my parents worked and my grandmother didn’t so I just spent most of my time with her. At one point we lived right across the street from her. Eventually we moved, but it was only a couple blocks away. She was always only a bicycle ride away. That was from when I started kindergarten on. Every summer was spent with her. This was pre-day care days. Beyond summers, I spent almost every weekend with her. She was a real interesting person to hang out with. She’s a real character.

Was your family always in Memphis?
I pretty much grew up there my whole life. With the exception of when I lived in New York for about a year or so.

Did you grow up in a suburb or Memphis proper?
I was not in a suburb until my last two years of high school. But up until then we lived in a part of town called Frayser (in North Memphis), that was inside Memphis proper, in the area where the International Harvester Tractor manufacturing plant was. That’s where my grandfather worked, where one of my uncles worked and then my father worked at the Firestone factory making tires. At that time in Memphis, you had the agriculture, which was still a big part of commerce there - but there was a bit of factory work as well, and two of the biggest were Harvester and Firestone. Everybody pushed to get a factory job right out of high school. There wasn’t a lot else, to be honest. But then Harvester closed and Firestone closed and the ‘70s up to the ‘80s were some lean years for Memphis. There was some bad things about that, because obviously there was no money. When there was no money coming in and no reason for people to go there, Memphis kind of got trapped in this time warp of things not changing very much for a decade or two.

How did you get serious about record collecting?
My dad was a record collector, so the idea of having a lot of records was something I was born into. When I was just a six year old, I had a portable record player that I’d take with me everywhere I went. I inherited all my uncle and aunt’s records that were at my grandmother’s house where I spent most of my summers. She gave me all of their 45s, there was a lot of oddball Memphis stuff in there that you wouldn’t hear on the radio anymore. There was just a lot of odd stuff in general in there. Also, spending my summers with her, she was a total pack rat and we’d spend our days going to thrift stores and yard sales and she’d give me like $2 to spend. And once I grew out of the stage of buying GI Joes and stuff I started looking for other things and I always liked records, so my appetite for getting more records just grew and grew. By the time I was in my teens I was getting introduced to other things by friends at school, like a lot of punk stuff, more out-there things that were on the fringe of culture that my dad didn’t know about - things I wasn’t going to hear on the radio.

Greg at Goner Records in Memphis photo: Bullyrook

What got you paying attention to punk rock?
A lot of the punk stuff really clicked for me because it really seemed like a lot of the same aesthetic that I liked about other music. There was a definite line you could draw from some ’50s and ’60s stuff to The Misfits because the chord changes are basically the same. Also, a lot of my friends in junior high and I would go to see these all ages shows at the Antenna (a now defunct Memphis club). A lot of those were hardcore shows. I really gave it a shot, but hardcore never really clicked with me, aside from maybe one or two bands. The things I liked most about music - the melody, really good lyrics and all that, was not there. The energy and angst was there, but it didn’t seem to have any hooks, it all seemed the same.
Like I said, there were exceptions, but for the most part I saw 100 hardcore bands and liked three of them.

If you didn’t dig hardcore, what were you into?
I remember I went with a friend one time to see an all ages show, I was probably about 16. We waited and waited, I can’t even remember who the band was, but we waited a long time for the show to start. Finally McGee, the guy who owned the Antenna, said, ‘Well the band called and said they have a flat tire, they’re not coming.’ So we were kind of bummed. I was too young to drink at the time but we always managed to find alcohol anyway, so we found some alcohol, went somewhere with a couple quarts of malt liquor and then wandered back toward the Antenna to see what was going on. We managed to get in and it looked like there was a band loading in stuff, there was going to be a show. We were thinking maybe something happened and this band made it after all. But it wasn’t the hardcore band at all, it was a local band that I was totally unaware of called Tav Falco & the Panther Burns. When I saw that I thought, ‘Well, this is infinitely more interesting than any of that stuff that people had been dragging me to see for the last year and a half.’

So you dug it right away, huh?
It instantly clicked with me. Although it was chaotic, there was definitely a wild, almost punk element about Panther Burns. But he was into all the kind of stuff that really turned me on. That was Tav’s thing - blues, rockabilly, country, odd R&B. Suddenly I thought I’ve been wasting my time trying to like hardcore and here’s this thing that was in my own backyard that I was totally unaware of. From there on I started looking for more bands like that. Then you get into The Cramps and all of these other things that kind of ride that line, that are really good, gritty rock‘n’roll, but are also on the outside of culture, like punk. So that was a real eye opener. I continued to hunt records in thrift stores and junk shops.
The fun part of record collecting, especially back then, and this is obviously pre-internet, is that when you find something, if you find a really cool Andre Williams 45, you’ve got no point of reference, no internet to research it, you’ve just got this totally amazing jewel. It’s a mystery. You sit and listen to it over and over and think, ‘Where did this come from? How could somebody make something like this?’ That’s definitely what sparked me as a record collector and to want more records. Those mysteries are what keep you going. When you think you’ve heard everything you find something way-out and crazy.

Greg Cartwright photo: Paul D

Unfortunately, there is a lot of garbage to sift through to get to the good stuff.
You got to know what kind of things you’re looking for. Back when I was just hitting thrift stores all the time records cost a dime. I could buy a handful and if half of them were stinkers it was no big deal, I still only spent a dollar. Things are more expensive now and with the internet you got these people that try to hype records that are really only average, or in some cases, just flat out bad. They use tag words like “fuzz,” “northern soul,” all these things that trick people into buying bad records. Back then it was a cheap gamble. Now you have to know exactly what you’re looking for because things are more expensive.

When did you first start writing songs?
Probably by the time I saw Tav I already had a band. I was already trying to write songs. The first band I had … Well, I played with people in their garages and stuff as early as 7th grade. Probably by the time I was in my last year of junior high school I had a band with these guys I went to school with, The Stiffs, I think, was the name of the band. The name of the band changed a couple times. It was me and this guy named Chris Coble, Shaun Jacobson and another buddy of mine, Tom, played guitar for awhile. I would write songs and we’d do lots of covers. Not long ago I found a rehearsal tape, there was a couple of my songs and there was a cover of The Yardbirds’ … I can’t think of the name, but it wasn’t a common Yardbirds track. It was on one of the LPs my dad had, a track I really liked. These other guys, some of them were aware of the music I was listening to, but some of them weren’t and it was pretty amazing that I managed to drag these people along to play with me. They were kind of weird songs, they dug them but it was one of those things where you hope to get somebody else to dig what you dig. It worked out pretty good.
I was trying to write songs and listening to my dad’s records and would try to cop what some of the people were doing. I remember when I was 14 or so I was really into The Man Who Sold the World and Ziggy Stardust albums, I just thought those records were so amazing and I was really blown away by Mick Ronson’s guitar playing. I was just starting to play guitar and I was really trying hard to cop Mick Ronson’s sound. It was really exciting to me.
At the same time I was also trying to write songs in the mold of John Lennon and David Bowie, all these people I heard on a regular basis at my house. That was the roots of what I was trying to write like.

When did you start to take playing music a little more seriously?
I kept playing, I was playing in bands all that time. There was never a time when I wasn’t playing music. I graduated high school in 1988, but I think when things really clicked was maybe a year out of high school. A friend of mine who was friends with Jack (Yarber) introduced me to Jack. Actually, he had gone to see a movie with Jack and his girlfriend on a double date. This guy was Terry Tate, he was my roommate and he said to me, ‘I went out and saw a movie with this guy last night, he likes all the same kind of crap you like. You guys should get together and play some music.’ So I think we got together once with Terry who played drums with us. But that didn’t really work out because Terry was more into a pop-funk sound, that was kind of popular at the time. So that didn’t work out so well, but me and Jack did hit it off and we kept trying various lineups. We would recruit pretty much anybody who would play with us.
There were a couple of stoner guys who lived in Jack’s building, we got them. One guy, Boyd, was a bongo player! We got him to play drums with us. Boyd’s stoner friend, who didn’t even really play an instrument, we got him to play bass. We would play songs and record them. We did a demo tape with that lineup. I can’t even remember what we were calling that band. We’ve toyed with releasing those things over the years, but I don’t know, they’re pretty bad (laughs). I can say when I met Jack I felt like I had a real cohort that I could bounce ideas off of. Things took a more serious turn at that point.

Gamblin' Days: Jack & Greg

So how did The Compulsive Gamblers get together?
The Gamblers came after a band we had called The Painkillers, which was our first real band we had that we played shows with. It’s kind of blurry, but that was probably ‘90 or ‘91. Our first EP came out, we recorded that sometime in ‘91. Jack and me lived together and recorded over in our apartment on Madison. We had a big kitchen and we set up all the gear and recorded all of that stuff in there.

Most of those Gamblers’ recordings didn’t surface until later, am I correct?
Yeah, Sympathy (For the Record Industry) released them later. We released two 7-inches. We released one ourselves (Joker 7-inch), our friend put out the other one (Church Goin 7-inch … note: the Goodtime Gamblers 7-inch would later be released in 1995) .
The bands went on a little longer and we made some more recordings but we didn’t have any money to do anything with them. When we got The Oblivians going, after we did a couple Oblivians records, I approached John and said, ‘You know, we had this other band before that had a couple EPs but there is a lot more material and if you want to do a retrospective CD or something it’d be great to have this stuff put out.’ John said, ‘Yeah, I’d be interested.’ And I said, ‘How much will you give us for it?’ He’s like, ‘I’ll give you $300’ (laughs). Which obviously didn’t even cover what it cost recording all that junk. At that time I had almost written it off as things that were never going to get released anyway and $300 covered some photos and paying a friend of ours to write the liner notes.

While the band was around, where did the Compulsive Gamblers play shows?
We mainly played around Memphis but we did venture down to Louisiana a couple times- and Mississippi. We played places that were close enough to be little weekend trips. We didn’t travel very far.
There was a band that came through town and bought one of our EPs and they were really into it and were courting us, wanting to put out an LP by us on their label, it never happened.
They were doing a big show in Chicago, it was a Ticketmaster event so there were like real tickets, which was a big deal for us. Then I found out that something came up and we weren’t going to be able to play the show. That would’ve been our biggest show, furthest from Memphis. There were tickets printed with our name on them. I still have one ticket.

How serious were you and Jack Yarber about playing music and recording?
We were just really into doing what we were doing. I was very serious about making good art. That was the extent of it. I wasn’t serious about wanting to make a lot of money or wanting to move to Nashville and get clicked into the industry or anything like that, but we were both really passionate about what we were doing. I don’t think either one of us had any illusion that there’d ever be anything but a limited appeal type item. At that point I was aware of a lot of other bands that were mining the same territory as us and none of them were making a million bucks and I didn’t see any reason why I would be. At best I just wanted to be able to make records that would rub shoulders with those records and be available to the same crew of crazy people who were buying these things. There is no motivation for me to do anything but that.

How did you wind up recording the Creep City (1993) album with Casey Scott for Capitol Records?
I went up to New York to work on the record with her. She was a friend of a friend. The Compulsive Gamblers bass player at the time was Fields Trimble, and Fields was Casey’s college roommate. When Casey came down to Memphis she had already been signed to Capitol Records and she was just hanging out. She came to see us play a couple times and approached me after a show and said, ‘Man, I really like the way you play guitar. Do you want to come to New York and help me make this record? I just signed a deal with Capitol and I need to make this record, but I don’t have a band.’ I said, ‘Yeah, that sounds like fun.’ So I did it.

After your stint in New York you returned to Memphis, what did you do when you got back in town?
Not long after that I came back and we did a few Gamblers things. Then Jeff Evans needed a drummer at the last minute for this tour he was doing with 68 Comeback. That was a two-month tour, so that was one long junket after another for me with those things. And without me around it was kind of hard for the Gamblers to play shows. Eventually the band just deteriorated. Also, our drummer moved to live where his girlfriend lived and our violin player, Greg Easterly, moved down to New Orleans with his wife to own a clothing store. It seemed that the whole thing was drifting and I felt something else would come up soon. But we were in the middle.

The Oblivians, 1997, in Detroit photo: Steve Shaw

After the Gamblers were finished, how did The Oblivians start up?
While I was out playing with Jeff Evans, Jack had started playing with Eric and this other guy whose name I cannot remember, but he lived in the same apartment as me and Jack and that guy had a band called The Pump Action Retards. Anyway- Jack, Eric and this other guy who was probably playing drums, they had started jamming around. They had one show and Jack always acted as if it was a catastrophe. The name of the band was The Gold Diggers.
Not long after I got back to town, Jack said, ‘Hey, I’ve been playing with Eric. We had this drummer guy, but he’s kind of an alcoholic and it’s not working out.’ I said, ‘I just played drums for two months, I got my skills now.’ So we went over to Shangri-La Records, where Eric was working, and in the evening after the store closed we’d go in the back room and play music.
At first I was just going to play drums, then I had a song so Jack said, ‘I’ll play drums and you play guitar.’ Then we got it to where it was rotating nicely.
Eventually, pretty quickly, maybe a month's time, we scraped up enough songs between the three of us to do some recording; which became the first set of singles and the first album.

What sessions were the On the Go tracks from?
Those were the demos that were actually recorded at Shangri-la. Just live recordings which we put out as a cassette. It was our first release. One side was us, the other side was an instrumental surf band that Scott Bomar had called Impala.

How big, or small, was The Oblivians’ local following?
We had a small following in Memphis. I would not say that it was a lot of people. It was definitely a group of all of our friends who were all into the same stuff and people who just liked to get drunk and party. Those kind of people will listen to pretty much anything as long as it’s not terrible (laughs).
You got to pull in all your music geek fans and your non-stop party people and soon you got a little scene going. We could always count on 50 or 60 people at a show. It wasn’t bad. As time went on, over the course of three years or so it got to be bigger, but never a lot bigger, in Memphis. It got to be where we could draw a couple hundred people. It was always amazing when we’d go out of town, to Chicago or somewhere, and play to 500 people. We’d be like, ‘Wow! Why are there 500 people here?’
But it was a total hit or miss thing, because then we’d play in Atlanta to like five people so we just never knew. Until the end when we had three records out, by then we built up a fan base.

What bands did The Oblivians often play with?
We played with The Royal Pendeltons. They’d come up from New Orleans and play with us a lot. We’d play with Impala. And if there were any bands passing through town that were into the same stuff, like The Hentchmen put out their first single not long after The Oblivians put out our first single, The Hentchmen are a great band; we’d hook up with them, they’d come down and play in Memphis. You just kind of put out your feelers. Singles were really big at the time, a lot of bands were putting out their own singles. When you heard something that really grabbed you, you’d contact them and say, ‘Hey, we play rock music like you’re playing, if you want to come here and play a show we’ll book you something. Probably get you a $100 and some beer, a little pizza or something.’

Did you have much to do with trying to get The Oblivians on Crypt or any of the other labels?
That was more Eric. You should talk to him about that. He was more focused on people putting out the records. I was just focused on trying to write songs. Eric worked at a record store so he knew all the labels and stuff.

Going from the Gamblers to the Oblivians, did you intentionally change your songwriting style?
I didn’t try to change my writing style, but we limited our sound. We went from a band that had two guitars, drums, bass, organ, violin, saxophone, trumpet - towards the end, we had a pretty big band. We basically peeled it back to two guitars and not even a full drum kit, it was a floor tom and snare. When you do that you’re automatically simplifying. You’re pulling it down to the bare essentials. When you do that, everything becomes a little more primitive. Once we started playing together, and we got a feel for what kind of chemistry that was, then that creates it’s own sound. Once we got the feel of what it was going to sound like with just the three of us, we’d write in that context.
Eric had just started playing guitar, the whole thing was just kind of simple and primitive, and we were all Bo Diddley fans so you could feel this was closer to Bo Diddley than Bob Dylan.
We had gone from being some sort of a rootsey bar band, to some primal thing. Although I didn’t intentionally change my song writing style, it naturally changed due to the circumstances, you work within the medium.

What is one of your fondest memories of playing in The Oblivians?
The first tour of Europe with the Country Teasers was probably one of my favorite things. Even though we didn’t have a lot of money and it was miserable at points, there was so much fun had, it was so fun because the Country Teasers were a funny bunch of guys. They had an incredible sense of humor between them, it made it a sort of surreal experience. Some of the shows on that tour were good turn outs, some not so much. It was up and down, every country was a little different.
The second thing for me was when we cut the record with Quintron (Play 9 Songs LP). We had been playing as just this little three piece, it was really interesting to bring in another instrument because it opened everything up. All the sudden what had been really primitive before was still primitive, but we could expand the barriers just a little and bring in more melody and flush out the bottom end; we had no bass, but the organ could cover the low end. We were like, ‘Well, we can progress outside of this a little bit, and then stop there. There isn’t too much further we can go with this vehicle.’ It was a good note to end on.
It would be hard to go back. That is the thing with music, either you are going to continue to progress or you’re going to stop where you are and say, ‘OK, this is the sound.’ But as man says, ‘Don’t ever look back, because you can’t go back there.’ Once you’ve stepped outside, all you can do is pretend to go back, you can’t really do it. The Stones release an album every ten years or so and they think they’re going back, but they are really not (laughs).

What did you do after The Oblivians called it quits?
The Oblivians ended and we did the Gamblers again for awhile. First we did an album called Bluff City (1999). Then we did another one called Crystal Gazing, Luck Amazing (2000), which the band was broken up by the time the record came out but we recorded it and did a small tour, then that kind of folded. Jack started working on other stuff, and as a pair we had gone about as far as we could go. It was time for both of us to stretch out a little. Jack knew what he wanted to do and I kind of knew what I wanted to do and it didn’t sound much like anything that I had been doing before. We were both looking to stop and collect ourselves and figure out what we wanted to do next.

Original RS: Greg, Jeremy Scott, Greg Roberson, Alex Greene
Photo: Dan Ball

How did Reigning Sound form after the Compulsive Gamblers broke up for the second time?
I had a handful of songs ready for some kind of project. My wife Esther and I did a record called Greg Oblivian and the Tip Tops (Head Shop LP, 1997). It was just some demos and things, some 4-track stuff we had been working on. Then I met the original drummer, Greg Roberson, and he had not played drums in 10 years or something but he was thinking about playing again. He was calling me a lot saying, ‘Hey man, you need to start doing something, you need to get another band together and I want to play for you.’ So I said, ‘OK, Esther has been playing with me, but she has work and other commitments. So, yeah, let’s do it.'
We did that for awhile. Then Greg (Roberson) was more of the kind of person who was on the internet, looking around in musician chat rooms and things like that, which I think is how he came into contact with Jeremy Scott, or on a Web site or something - I think Jeremy basically said he was new to town and looking for people to play with and he listed some of the music he was into.
Greg (Roberson) said, ‘I talked to this guy a couple times over the phone and I think it might be a good match. He’s (Jeremy) is from New Jersey, he just moved here (to Memphis) and he’s into a lot of the stuff you’re into. He likes Gene Clark and The Byrds, 1910 Fruitgum Company’ - and all of these other things, it just kind of clicked, you know. He was into cool rock‘n’roll music. We made an appointment with him to meet us at this house to get together and play. I think it was Me, Greg (Roberson), Jeremy and my friend Tim who had also just recently moved to Memphis. We all played and maybe did one show with Tim playing with us. But Tim was chasing his own thing, trying to get his music going.
Then my friend Lorette Velvette (of The Hellcats) moved back to town with her husband, who was Alex Greene. They moved right across the street from me because they called and said, ‘Hey, we’re moving back to town, we need a place.’ I told them there was a place right across the street, it’s available. I knew Alex played keyboard and guitar so when he moved back I said, ‘You should come over, we got this little thing going with Greg and Jeremy and me.’ He came in and started playing keyboard with us and it just seemed like a great fit. I said, ‘Well, maybe you could trade back and forth, play a little guitar and a little organ.’ We got it going and pretty soon we had enough songs, so I contacted (Long Gone) John at Sympathy and said, ‘Hey, I got this new band, and some songs. I think I could get this whole thing wrapped up for about $800.’ He agreed, so we did it. It went pretty quick, not long after that we had enough stuff for another album so we did another (Too Much Guitar!) and then things chugged along pretty well.

What do you think inspired the transformation into that first Reigning Sound LP, were you listening to a lot of Byrds at the time?
I was listening to a lot of things like that, but at the same time, really what a band sounds like, you can have all the influences in the world but what determines what a band sounds like, whether it’s the Reigning Sound or the Gamblers or The Oblivians, is the chemistry that those people make together. Once you start playing and you see what kind of groove everybody locks into best, that determines the course, that’s how you figure it out. It’s like, ‘I got these songs, and I can go any which way from Sunday, but this is the dynamic that these four people are best at.

Reigning Sound: David Gay, Lance Wille, Greg, Dave Amels

So would you say your songwriting is heavily influenced by the other members in the band?
Absolutely, I write the songs but which direction the songs take is really about the players. It’s the difference between me doing “Stormy Weather” and John Coltrane doing it. Neither one of us wrote it, but the instrumentation and the way the people play it determine whether it’s blue or a jump song. Unless you’re the type of band that get together strictly for the purpose of playing Ramones style things, but I’ve never been in a band like that. I’ve always gotten into situations with people who are into all kinds of good music, then when you play together you put all of those influences into the band, sift it and see what’s left (laughs).

How often do you write songs?
I’d say slightly less than I was a few years ago. But when things slow down enough for me to write, then I write a lot. I’ve got three kids and family life takes up so much of your time when you get older that sometimes I just don’t have time.
Toward the end of last year I decided to quit my day job, I was doing electrical work, to focus more on songwriting again. I’ve kind of been in a period of writing a lot more songs. That’s good, that’s what I’m trying to aim at for this year, to get back into writing more songs.
A lot of it was that I moved, the band was in flux, I had an expanding family with the new daughter and all. The timing was just not right to be a prolific songwriter. There were changes going on inside the band and in my life. Now that everything has settled again, and I have a lineup that’s solid and it’s people who I know are going to be there, I’m ready to invest more time and energy into it.

Is there a process to your song writing?
I just go out in my garage and grab a guitar, usually I write on the acoustic, sometimes I write on the electric but that’s rare. I just strum chords I like and hum until I’m humming a melody and I’ve found a nice chord change. Then I think, ‘Well, OK, this chord change works, is this a chorus or is this a verse?’ Then I try to find a complimentary melody to set next to it. Then I start to think about the lyrics, like, ‘What is this one going to be about?’ Well, usually the tone of a chord change pretty much sets the mood. So you already have a mood, you know if you’re going to be writing about something happy or sad, exciting or telling a story - the music dictates that already.

You tend to write a lot of lyrical bummers, is that intentional?
That’s kind of what I’m good at! (laughs). I’m a big record collector and music geek, I’m a fan of all these people like Harry Nilsson, Gene Clark and Dion; all these people who have great range, 10-octave voices and stuff, but I don’t have any of that. But at the same time, the world is lousy with perfect singers. You can turn on American Idol and every one of them is pitch perfect, and not very interesting. But what I really like is someone who can raise emotion and can write a lyric that makes you feel that you can relate to that. Whether it’s something general or super specific, either way.
When it comes to the kind of singers that I like, I like people who can sing like a bird, but I like people like Dylan as well - who, it’s not how well he sings, it’s the charm of how he sings. I don’t sound anything like him, but that’s kind of where I’m at. I don’t have a whole lot of range. But the thing about people who don’t have a lot of range is that they usually sing in a peculiar kind of way. They don’t have the range, it makes them work a lot harder to hit the notes, which makes them sound like they’re in pain. That lends its self to heart breaking songs.

Are your lyrics inspired by your life, or are they just stories?
I can’t really write outside of what I know, not convincingly. Everything I write about is either about me or something that happened to someone I’m really close to. For the most part it has to be something that happened to me, something I’ve thought about a lot, or something I’ve felt. Most of it is things that have happened to me. Life gives you plenty of fodder for being sad.

Unfortunately, right?
Well, no, fortunately in my case! (laughs)

New! Reigning Sound LP

How would you describe the new Reigning Sound album, Love & Curses (on In the Red - due out August 11, 2009)?
I don’t know! (laughs). You’re going to have to listen to it and tell me. There is a bit of everything. There are some ballads, I really like those. There are some rockers and some things that are a little country flavored. But there are also some things that are angsty and punk. There are happy songs that are about being glad for what you got, and there are songs about being sad for what you don’t have. It’s a mixed bag. I don’t know what to compare it to as far as things I’ve already put out - except it sounds very much like me. So if you like what I do, there is something on there for you.

How long did Reigning Sound spend recording the new record?
Too long. We recorded some songs in Memphis. I wanted to record at my buddy Doug Easley’s studio but then his studio burned down. He started up a new studio but his tape machine broke on him. So we went to Memphis and recorded with him anyway, but we did it at Ardent Studios. Which, Doug is awesome, he did a great job, but the tape machine was not calibrated right and we had some problems with mixing and with the recordings. Once we cut everything to tape, we took it to another room to mix it and it was really distorted because of the mis-calibration. That was really disheartening. But we mixed it anyway because I didn’t have any choice and I was paying thousands of dollars to do it. I think I tried to over compensate for how fuzzy it was,by making it cleaner, and it came off feeling a little sterile to me, so I was disappointed with the whole thing.
Then we tried to record again here in Asheville at a studio called Echo Mountain, with that I got some great results, we got about three or four songs. So I said, ‘I like this, I want to go back there and do some more.’ So I went back about a year later and cut some more songs there. I needed a place like that and nobody had that here in Asheville. Then Echo Mountain opened up and it was like an answer to my prayers. It’s an all analog studio with great equipment. So everything worked out great. The resulting album is mostly the Echo Mountain stuff, peppered with a few things from the Easley/Ardent session that I really liked. Hopefully it will all mesh together nicely, but the album is made up of three different sessions. I think it all falls together pretty nicely.

Lance Wille has been drumming for Reigning Sound for quite some time now, but this will be the first studio album he has played on, right?
There was a stop-gap album that came out in-between Too Much Guitar! (May 2004) and this record, that was Home For Orphans (September 2005), it was just odd-and-ends, Lance was on a track or two on that. Lance also did singles and things, also the Mary Weiss record. But this will be the first Reigning Sound album with Dave Gay on bass, Lance Wille on drums and Dave Amels on piano and keyboards.

How was it adjusting to not being in Memphis while recording an album?
I think I longed so much to be in Memphis and be comfortable in that way, but when I tried to do that it didn’t work in the way I thought it would. I think once I came to grips with the fact that now I live in Asheville and I did the recordings here and were so happy with them, I realized this is my home now and I’m usually most comfortable when I’m at home. I like to work in analog and stay analog the whole process. I don’t go to Pro Tools or voice correction programs - it is what it is when you get a Reigning Sound album. It’s pretty much all analog, there is not a lot of studio tricks.

New Oblivians LP (In the Red)

How did the 2009 Oblivians and Gories reunion come to be?
The first person who brought the idea of doing some shows and the European tour to my attention was Peggy O'neill (Gories drummer). But then Peggy claims it was Eric who brought it to her attention. So I don’t know where the real genesis of it is. But the first person who talked to me about this at any length was Peggy.
I just totally jumped on her bandwagon. I was like, ‘That would be great! It’d be really fun.’ The Oblivians have done a reunion, but The Gories have not. There are thousands of people out there who would kill to see them who never had a chance.
I think it will be really fun, I think it will be better than old times. I’m not looking to relive any glory days (laughs) but I am looking forward to getting together with a bunch of friends. I’m good friends with all of them.

After all these years, how will it be to work with your old band mates?
After The Oblivians folded there were some tense times between us. We had spent so much time together and anyone who does spend a lot of time together, you start to grind on each others’ nerves. It was like a mixed blessing when the band ended. Me and Eric were just about at each others’ throats. That doesn’t mean either of us were wrong or bad people, it was just too much time together. It happens with bands, it happened with The Gories. I’m sure there was a bit of bitterness when that band folded and there was bitterness when The Oblivians folded.
The great thing about time passing is you get to put that stuff behind you and learn how to be friends with that person all over again and appreciate them for what they are.
The best thing that buried the hatchet with everyone in The Oblivians is having this reunion tour. When we started having rehearsals and I said, ‘Man! We have chemistry, this is fun!’ You start appreciating what the people do for your music and that you can do for their music. That’s really cool. It creates a chemistry. When a friendship ends, you just have that lasting bitter taste, that memory about what it is that irks you about that person, you don’t remember the good things. You really need to be reintroduced and see why you were friends with that person to begin with.

Greg links:
Reigning Sound on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/reigningsound

Reigning Sound on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/reigningsoundfans

In the Red Records:
http://www.intheredrecords.com

Goner Records:
http://www.goner-records.com

Compulsive Gamblers MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/compulsivegamblers

Oblivians on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/oblivians

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The Barbaras interview! LP on the horizon!

2009-06-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

The Barbaras! New In the Red LP on the way.
photo by Don "Bullyrook" Perry

By Rich Tupica
richtupica@hotmail.com

Since The Barbaras used a laptop to record a brilliant debut 7-inch on Goner Records in 2008, the Memphis natives have been laying low.
The brilliant "Summertime Road" single sounded like it was recorded under water in a tin garbage can, yet is surprisingly easy on the ears. The tunes were poppy and trashed-out, a perfect combination.
The band's previous endeavor, The Boston Chinks, released two singles in 2007, then quickly moved on and formed The Barbaras. Since then, the members have kept busy, but not so much with their own band.
Two of the band members have been backing Jay Reatard on his never ending tour across the world, putting The Barbaras on a forced hiatus.
Though there is a light at the end of the Reatarded tunnel, the band has an upcoming (Reatard produced) full length on In the Red. While there is no release date yet, Jay did confirm he has been recording the debut LP. He said he had been simultaneously recording "Watch Me Fall" (his new Matador LP) and the upcoming Barbaras record.
I was hoping the band would stay true to its Brian Wilson-high-on-Whippets-sound. However, according to Reatard, the sound has been somewhat altered for the new record.
"It’s a lot different," Reatard said. "Their singles are kind of just like a wall. With the production I tried to put everything in its own space."
"It’s a lot more dry, it’s more … not punk sounding, but more of a Beach Boys and Urinals thing rather than just a Beach Boys-garage-reverb-blown out thing," he added.
For more news on what the band is up to and how they got started, read the interview below.

When did you first start playing music and what inspired you to start?
Billie - When I was about 8 or 9 years old I started playing drums, I was inspired by the White Zombie song “More Human than Human” - I was in the fourth grade. I didn't start singing until this band started a year or so ago. I was always reluctant to sing because I thought people would think I sounded stupid, but then one day I realized that music itself is pretty stupid and fear of being terrible doesn't seem to stop anyone else. I have Home Blitz to thank for alleviating some of my performance anxiety.

Bennett - I wanted to play guitar like my dad.

Will - I think subconsciously I wanted to be on that VH1 show "Behind the Music," or on TRL, but it's hard to say when I actually started playing. I didn't even own any practical instruments the first few times me and Billy tried to form bands in high school, but eventually I benefited from other people's instruments getting left at my parents house and lots of days with nothing to do but play around with them.

Al - I started playing bass in middle school to join my friend's nu-metal band. That didn't last too long, but I kept playing for some reason. I picked up guitar by just watching friends I was in bands with and slowly learning along the way.

What was the first band you played in? What type of music was it?
Bennett - Mutant Space Bats of Doom, it was pop.

Billie - The first band I was in was a high school pop-punk band that sounded like a middle school pop-punk band. I’m not going to give the name because I think people would be tempted to look it up and that would be way too embarrassing for me to handle.

Will - Me and Billie tried a few things together that didn't get off the ground. Alex and Stephen had a high school "party band" where Stephen sang, Al played bass and this guy called Donacock played guitar. Me and Billie met them just in time for Billie to play drums for them at a talent show. I joined after that, along with everyone else we knew who played music, which wasn't many people at the time.
But we had enough to have at least four guitars and two keyboards, in most incarnations, all playing the same three chords. We only played once a summer for a few years because we tried to compensate for our lack of musical ability by throwing hundreds of dollars into props and things for our stage show, all just to play for like 10 kids in a garage somewhere.

Al - Mutz was my first band I played shows with. It was basically how Will described it. We won the "most entertaining" award at my high school talent show. I think the shows with that band were the inspiration for the Barbaras' over the top live setup.

What type of kid were you in high school and what kind of music did you dig back in your formative years?
Billie - I was an extremely body conscious, depressed loser who listened to the Misfits and Minor Threat and cried all of the time. I was mostly driven to play music as an outlet for my painful social anxiety. I went from being the "I hope nobody sees me" type, to the, "Oh, that guy’s naked and covered in body glitter" type just recently.

Will - I was pretty self conscious because I was in a wheelchair in high school. Stephen was like the "weird, funny" kid at his school that a lot of people liked. But we all went to different schools except me and Billie. I don't think any of us felt like we fit anywhere until we met each other two or three years into it. After that we had a really great social group that was completely disconnected from school, and also probably the outside world in general. As for music, I was obsessed with My Bloody Valentine and Top 40.

Bennett - No girlfriends. Some nerd friends and some black friends. I liked The Strokes and XTC and I always bought bootleg Three Six Mafia CDs from kids at school. I liked hip music because my dad was a hipster. I was super confused. Now I'm way hipper than him!

Alex - I went to an all boys prep school and didn't have many friends until I met the other Barbaras. I was really into bad hardcore and indie rock.

How did The Barbaras first meet each other?
Billie - I knew Will from seventh and eighth grade because he would wait for the bus and I would wait for my mom to pick me up and he always had on a Beastie Boys T-shirt and I’d be like, "cool shirt" and he'd be like, "thanks." I think that was the majority of our relationship until high school. I think we first spoke over AIM when we were like 15 and he was a total dick so we got along pretty well.

Will - I solicited Alex's bass playing through an online dating site and he introduced us to Stephen, who he knew since second grade when they used to make short films together which they later realized were vaguely homoerotic. Me and Billie fell in love with them at first sight. When I first started college I met a guy named Chris who was a guitar wizard, so I introduced him to Billie and they started writing songs together. Stephen recorded their first demos and taught himself how to play guitar to join the band, forming the Boston Chinks. We met Bennett shortly after that, through our new friend Cole, when they recruited Billie and Alex for their Psych/Folk band Kazalok. We simultaneously formed a million short-lived bands with different combinations of the people mentioned above, plus a few other characters, until The Barbaras stuck.

Al - Stephen and I went to elementary school together. I met Will and Billie through a pre-MySpace social networking website. Bennett and I played in Kazalok together. We have all been in love ever since.

What is a typical Saturday night for The Barbaras?
Billie - Either getting wasted for almost no reason whatsoever or playing music. Sometimes the two combined and we get mental diarrhea, which can result in something beautiful or something really embarrassing.

Bennett - There’s nothing typical about our Saturdays.

Any of you guys going to college?
Will - Alex just finished a degree in Urban Studies at Rhodes. The rest of us dropped out of the University of Memphis after a year or two.

I've heard about you guys getting freak-nasty on stage, what is one of the more memorable shows you guys have had?
Will - Anyone can get nasty on stage, and our shows frequently come to that, but we prefer to emphasize the "freak" part. My favorite Barbaras show was one with Digital Leather that we didn't know we'd be playing until a few hours beforehand, so each of our costumes were as complex as we could make them in the time available but had no overlying theme.
The best was Stephen's "Cannibalistic Tinker-Pan" costume, complete with fake blood and a sword made of cardboard and tin foil, which he used to battle the audience for the duration of the show instead of playing music. The sound guy kept putting insane delay and chipmunk effects on the vocals between songs, and halfway through the set two guys wearing black suits came in carrying a coffin over their heads. Stephen spent the rest of the show either trying to put audience members into the coffin, or getting stuffed into the coffin by the audience. There were only 10 or 15 people in the audience. It was awesome.

Who writes the songs for The Barbaras?
Bennett - We all write songs and then we stay up all night recording together. The song goes through changes and is usually 100 times better after we record it.

Will - A lot of songs start with vocal hooks, and then chords from someone else, but recording is definitely our biggest writing tool because that's where we lock ourselves away and go crazy messing with the arrangements, making millions of overdubs and tweaking everything about it. Bennett is a background vocal mad scientist.

Al - Someone will usually have a very basic song idea and we all throw in our ideas during the recording sessions. We have had some failures, but when it works out it is really exciting.

How do you make time to practice and write when you are always touring with Jay Reatard?
Billie - It's really hard to make time for it. I’m about to be home from Tard-touring for about a month solid, so we hope to write and record a few more singles while I’m in town and slather the mid-south and beyond in glittery cum as well.

Bennett - You just got to be hyper-active.

How have the recent tours with Jay been? You guys are playing some bigger shows these days.
Billie - The tours have been fine, I'm really tired of being compared to Garth from Wayne's World. Also I’ve noticed that if you look a bit freakier than your average person, people think they have the right to come up and molest you. I've been trying to educate people on this tour - just because I look funny doesn't mean that I'm not going to kill you. A girl in Soho, London yesterday grabbed me by the hair and yanked and asked in an obnoxious chirp, "Is that a bloody wig?" - so I grabbed her by her own mop, and asked, "Do you usually yank the hair of total strangers, you stupid fucking bitch?" I’m just trying to spread the gospel of don't fuck with freaksiology.

What are you doing when you're not playing music?
Billie - I’m on tour more than half the year, so my hobbies are pretty lazy ones when I’m home. Eating, buying records, sleeping, bongin' - you know.

Bennett - I clean for money, collect trash to wear, take drugs and read.

Is The Barbaras upcoming LP on In the Red going to sound similar to the Goner single and the demos?
Bennett - No, it sounds like Jay Reatard.

Will - It's not quite as lo-fi, and ‘the studio’ has been our main instrument before so it's weird to have someone else in charge of it, but we record all the songs ourselves first so we can make sure nothing gets lost when we re-record it with Jay. He knows what he's doing so I'm excited.

The Barbaras are:
Al - Guitar and vocals
Bennett - Guitar, bass & vocals
Billie - Lead vocals & drums
Stephen - Bass
Will - Keyboard & guitar

Links:
Barbaras:
http://www.myspace.com/thebarbaras
Jay:
http://www.myspace.com/jayreatard
Goner Records:
http://www.goner-records.com
In the Red Records:
http://www.intheredrecords.com/

Barbaras influences:
"Joe Meek, Jan and Dean, R. Stevie Moore, Sid and Marty Krofft shows, Phil Spector and other weirdos. Beach Boys inferiority complex. Mental retardation. Whatever we're getting each other into any given week." - Will

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For permission to use quotes or text please: email richtupica@hotmail.com

NOBUNNY interview

2008-12-29T18:43:00.000-08:00

Nobunny! "Love Visions" LP cover

By: Rich Tupica
richtupica@hotmail.com
(This first appeared in Maximum Rock N Roll, Nov. 2008 issue)
http://www.maximumrocknroll.com/

Armed with only a furry, white bunny mask, a pair of pink panties, and set of knee-pads, Tucson, Arizona's own Nobunny delivers catchy bubblegum punk with a smile and a whole set of spastic dance moves.
Nobunny is a seven-year-old jackalope/human that isn't afraid to mingle with the crowd while letting his genitals bounce to the music, which is what he has been doing since his first gig in 2001.
Some reports have claimed that Nobunny is actually an alter ego of Justin Champlin, 31, of Okmoniks and Sneaky Pinks fame, though that is yet to be confirmed.
When asked about his identity, Nobunny commented, "I have a stupid human mask that I wear sometimes before I go onstage — so I don't get mobbed."
While the mystery of his genetics still looms, the music of Nobunny is clearly a pop majesty that could make the Ramones dance in their graves.
Non-stop touring and an already classic LP later, Nobunny shows no signs of slowing down.

How would you describe yourself?
I'm that fool in the alley laughing. I'm that body sleeping in the park. I'm a skateboard and a tallboy.

What city did you grow up in? What did you do to keep busy as a young lad?
I was born in the desert about 45 minutes outside of Tucson, Arizona, on March 3, 2001. Momma was a jackalope and daddy was a human. People think the desert is all death, when in fact there is a lot of life — jackrabbits, wild dogs, rattlers, scorpions, coyotes, and the moon. The moon is my other mother. I used to set up drums in the desert under a full moon and get weird. My childhood ... my sister mainly raised me. She fed me peyote and taught me how to kill.

Photo: Rob Karlic

According to the Chinese proverb, "A sly rabbit will have three openings to its den." Tell us about your den.
My den is groady to the max. I never learned how to take care of myself. I'm surrounded by my own bodily fluids in bottles and cans, on tissues and shirts, on the floor, on plates, on my sheets. The windows are always open, and I do little there other than sleep and creep. I have always had an aversion to home and a need to roam. I'm not a stay-in and watch TV kind of guy. I don't like to speak indoors. Outsider, all the way. The libraries and public parks are my dens.

When did you first start playing music? What inspired you to get started with the rocking?
I was born an Elvis impersonator. I quickly got bored with the formula and started writing my own songs. The first was "No Bunny Blues." I performed on the street in the big city of Tucson, but my first official show was on Easter 2001 in Chicago. It was the day Joey Ramone died, which was a bummer, but the show had to go on. I did a few originals and covers of the Dictators, Bobbyteens, and the Electric Eels.

Photo: Rob Karlic

What influences make up Nobunny?
Girls. Girls. Girls. The elements: air, earth, water, and fire. Love. Truth, The moon. As far as music: Hasil Adkins, Lil Bunnies, Albert Ayler, Elvis Presley, the Cramps, Gentleman Jesse, John Battles and ELO.

Did you ever go to college?
I went for three days. I'm not sure how that happened as I'm only seven and I hate school. It makes me nauseous. To each their own.

What is a typical day like for you?
I spend most of my time in libraries and public parks. I'm a pretty social fool, but I do spend most of my time alone, either reading, drinking, or sleeping. Or designing my BJ machine.

Photo: Rob Karlic

What are some records you have been jamming lately?
I only have about twelve records and I never listen to them. I really love music, but I'm really poor and stupid. I almost never listen to music. I don't have a record player, CD player, or even a tape deck. That said, lately I love Cheap Time, Thin Lizzy, and Dreamdate.

Do you plan to keep playing music? Or do you have other aspirations?
I love playing music, and I don't plan on stopping. I wouldn't say I "need to do it," but it would seem silly to stop. I also love goin' to the bone yard with female humans.

Photo: Bullyrook

How did your debut LP, "Love Visions" (1-2-3-4 Go Records), come to be?
The songs were all home-recorded—some with people, but mostly by myself. I'm really touched that people like it at all. I've had a lot of people asking to put out records, and while I certainly want to put out more it takes me awhile because I'm picky about songs and stuff. I'm pretty burnt on bands that put out a billion records a year with only a few good songs between 'em. That said, look for more Nobunny records coming your way soon.
Hopefully I can put out some quality as opposed to quantity.

Photo: Canderson

How has this recent tour been going for you?
Touring has been awesome. It's all I really want to do lately. Touring and porkin'. Touring and porkin' and getting high. Touring and porkin' and getting high and eating pizza and pork. I've been on three tours in the last few months and they keep getting better and better. Each one has been crazier than the last. I've had a different lineup each trip. With So Cow I had a band that included Mr. So Cow, Jason Testasecca, and Trent "Dirt Turd" Purdy. When I was out with the Okmoniks I played by myself. On this last tour with the Wax Museums, they backed me up every night. It was so punk you could puke.

Is there a groupie scene for Nobunny?
Groupies? Sadly, no, but people sure like to grab at my bits and throw spanks at my butt when I'm performing. The closest thing to groupies is probably some fat dudes in Goner shirts. Bless their greasy lil' hearts. Next time I play Portland I've agreed to perform with Dave and Teri's (Slip Its, Tie Reds) new band, the Stuffed Animals, so hopefully we can get some furverts out to that one.

Photo: Dan Lang

Being a jackalope, was it harder to get a record released? Is there a Nobunny fan club yet?
Well, I'm not fully a jackalope. I'm not really anything when it comes down to it. The only real trouble I've had as far as releasing records is my inability to send people recordings. I have a bunch of fun projects lined up, but I have a serious self sabotage problem. I could have a bunch of records out already, but I'm real picky, which, honestly, I wish more bands were. While I don't think what I've put out is all that hot, at least I don't put out a half-baked 7" a month.
Part of me wants to because I realize that these things come and go in phases, and that a year down the line no one will care about me, but I still don't want to just put out any ol' turd. Just golden turds, or at least bronze — shit, what am I talking about? The Nobunny fan club doesn't actually 100 percent exist, but I'd like it to. I got some awesome friends and fans out there.

Are there any other jackalope/humans that you have encountered? If not, how do you plan to procreate?
While I'm not 100 percent of their exact heritage, there are a whole mess of bunny jerks on this big blue marble. You got your Lil Bunnies, The Rhythm Chicken, and Bun E. Carlos, to name a few. While I think kids are cool, cool, cool, and I love, love, love to love, love, love the ladies, I have no, no, no plans to have this bloodline continue.

Photo: Canderson

Have you ever encountered any prejudice?
People think I'm a gimmick, a joke, a pig in the poke. I guess I am, but not any more than most of these other jerks in these other jerky bands. You can still be passionate and express yourself without taking yourself real seriously. I'm quite often too honest and open with people, not in the sense of being mean, but more being honest about what I'm like, which is apparently not for everyone.
Deep down, I'm a good person, or I try to be and deep down I'm not, or, shit, no, I don't know… I just know that some fools like me and some sure don't. That's okay though, be it prejudice or not. I get called a "fag" here and there, but I don't really care. Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke. They are the joke. They are the enemy. I am the cookie monster. Only I'm more like the sex monster, the drunk-sex monster, the drunk-sex monster in your closet, the drunk-sex monster in your closet breathing to the beat. I live the life I love, and I love the life I live, c'mon.

What is Nobunny's ultimate goal in life?
Endless Summer. Ultimate Scummer. No Bummers. But seriously folks, I'd just like to keep touring and playing for peeps, playing for keeps. Know what I mean? Tour, tour, tour.

Hop on over to these NOBUNNY links:
Nobunny on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/nobunnylovesyou
BUY the NOBUNNY LP!
http://www.myspace.com/1234gorecords
Sneaky Pinks:
http://www.myspace.com/sneakypinks
Okmoniks:
http://www.myspace.com/okmoniks
Visit Maximum Rock N Roll!
www.maximumrocknroll.com

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Copyright: Maximum Rock N Roll.

Veloura Caywood! Lansing lo-fi!

2008-12-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

Cathy Illman aka Veloura Caywood
photos by Kim Nastal

By Rich Tupica
richtupica@hotmail.com

The sound of tape hiss is the back drop of Cathy Illman's brilliant catalog of lo-fi, homemade recordings.

The crackles and pops of the cassettes are merely accents to a catalog of solo music that range from bittersweet and raw to glaringly heartfelt and poppy.

The prolific East Lansing singer/songwriter, also known by her stage name Veloura Caywood, started recording songs on a cassette tape 4-track recorder as a high schooler in 1997. Since then her voice has become increasingly powerful, reflecting her classic country idols Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn.

Her seamless blend of ‘60s garage rock and girl groups mixed with old country will be showcased live for the first time in over four years on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009 at the Small Planet in East Lansing, Mich.

Illman, 30, said her three Veloura Caywood albums are unconventional and primitive.

“I didn’t know how to use the 4-track that well,” she said. “I didn’t use effects or know how to make it sound professional. I wanted to do the opposite of that. I didn’t want to learn how to use it, I wanted to do it my way. It ended up sounding really lo-fi.”

Her songs were always written and performed all by her lonesome, which caused her to have to make due with the lack of an actual drummer.

“I would just use whatever was around for percussion,” Illman recalled. “I’d take a CD case and I’d hit it with a pencil, I’d hit shoes together, or whatever happened to be around at the moment.”

Illman said she is heavily influenced by ‘50s and ‘60s rock and some ‘90s acts like The Muffs, Nirvana and early Beck. However, it’s her love for Hank Williams Sr. and an assortment of other true country singers that has helped her to become an honest songwriter.

“I like old country music because it’s sincere. Emotions are really important,” she said. “Everyone can relate to the feelings, even if they can’t relate to the situation. To me country music encompasses that idea. I don’t know how many times I have cried listening to Tammy Wynette. It’s pure and it’s from the heart. That’s how I write.”

Illman also played in numerous Lansing bands starting around 1996. Stints with Vulture Island, Atlantis and The End Times were Illman’s introduction into the local music scene. Another venture was her all girl ‘60s revivalist band The Flamingo-gos, which lasted from 2003-2004 while she lived in Brantford, Ontario.

“Playing in The Flamingo-gos was fun,” she said. “We were all into vintage clothes, so on stage we’d wear old go-go dresses or colorful psychedelic vintage clothes and go-go boots. We also had a pink go-go stand for our live show that was covered in fake pink fur for people to dance on.”

While Illman admits her time in The Flamingo-gos was the most fun she’s had in a band, she is most proud of her solo albums, which feature her most personal lyrics.

“When I first started, it was all about boys. It was the only way I could cope,” she said. “I was dating this guy who was really crazy and I could never understand what he was thinking. I wrote lots of songs about him. They were angsty songs.”

As for her comeback show at the Small Planet, Illman said it will be strange playing her old songs.

“It will be weird because I don’t feel that way anymore. I can’t relate to the old songs anymore. Some are about people I haven’t seen in 10 years. So I don’t care about them anymore. I like the songs, but the feeling, I have to apply it to something new. I have to get my mind to think about it in a different way to be able to play it.”

So why, after four years, did Illman decide to give music another go?

“My life has taken a good turn. A whole bunch of good things happened all at once. It made me want to get into music again,” she said. “I went through this phase where I was depressed and just wasn’t motivated. All the sudden all these good things happen. I got a new job, I got engaged, I moved into a house that I love and I met a bunch of new people. Stuff started working out.”

Links to Veloura Caywood:
Click here to visit Veloura Caywood on MySpace.

Click below to hear her album "Kins" for free!
Click here to LISTEN to Veloura at Cometkaze.com .

Cathy Illman on her property in Haslett, Mich.

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Jay Reatard! New Interview!

2008-10-21T14:07:00.001-07:00

Photo by kirstiecat
Jay Reatard sporting an Oblivians t-shirt at the 2008 Pitchfork Festival

By Rich Tupica
richtupica@hotmail.com
After thirteen years of evolution, Jay Reatard’s brand of obnoxious drunken-punk has transformed into a tight explosion of effects, feedback and pop harmonies.
His life is vastly different today than it was back in 1997, when Goner Records released “Get Real Stupid,” his sloppy debut 7” single.
From his troubled “Teenage Hate” days in Memphis to his upcoming, twee-inspired album, he is now playing festivals in front of thousands of people and gigging with Beck.
In recent years, Jay hasn’t stopped touring for more than a few weeks at a time — though his hard work is paying off in the form of a multi record deal with Matador and coverage in national magazines.
After a successful series of Matador singles and a sudden burst of attention, is Jay happy with his life? Nope.
To find out why he isn’t satisfied and details on his new “wimpy” album, which he plans to finish recording by January 2009, read on.

What’s up with your next full length album?
I’ve recorded half of my new album already and I’ve got about 20 songs written. When we go home from this tour, I think we have like ten days off before we go to the UK, I’m going to try to finish a couple more songs. Then in November, after the UK tour, I think we have two months off, so I’ll just finish my entire record in that two months.

Will your new album sound similar to the Matador singles?
I think more so, I’m going to go even wimpier.

What styles of music have been influencing your new songs?
I guess some people would call it twee music, more wimpy stuff. I really like that style. I’ve really been wrapping my head around it and trying to interpret it. I’m trying to inject that style with more energy.

What is your new album going to sound like?
My whole thing now is I’m trying to write songs that sound cheery, but obviously aren’t. I don’t know, this next record is going more in that direction.

Will it have a bigger production than your previous records?
It has a lot more auxiliary instruments. It’s got organ, some mandolins, a cello, a lot more back-ups and harmonies. It’s big-small. I like putting all these things that could make it sound really big, but it still sounds small and not like orchestral-pop music. I don’t think I’m Phil Spector or anything. The stuff I’m working on now has melodies intertwining in-and-out of each other, but live that is never going to come across. I just approach live shows differently. I just want it to be like an assault live, and softer on records.

Jay on Matador: http://www.matadorrecords.com/jay_reatard/

Are you satisfied with where you are at in your life right now?
I can’t ever allow myself to be satisfied. I can’t ever allow myself to be content with the situations I’m in or I’ll lose my ambition. A while back I was getting a little too content with the lifestyle and being financially comfortable for the first time in my entire life. As far as my music being to a point where I envisioned as a kid, where I wanted it to be - honestly it doesn’t feel any different from the first show I ever played. I always got this hole in my stomach that makes me want something more than what I have. Not Lamborghinis and fucking HD TVs or anything, I don’t know what it is, but it’s something that keeps me driving. I tend to beat myself up so I don’t get lazy.

How is it working with a bigger label? Is it different than dealing with In the Red Records?
Yeah, they operate differently as far as their strategies on how to sell records. In the Red is a label ran by one guy, Larry - he’s doing everything himself, so a lot of times records on his label have to be real word of mouth, a real grass roots thing. Matador has the man power and funds to try to expose you to a crowd that wouldn’t normally stumble upon you. They can expose you to, dare I say, more normal people, who might discover your records, aside from the hip indie kid or punk rock guys.

Photo by Brian Jenner
Jay playing a show in Toronto on Oct. 3

How is it playing to bigger crowds?
It all usually feels the same. The only time it feels weird is when there is a huge barrier. I did a tour with the Black Keys where every night there was an eight foot barrier between the stage and the audience — that was a bummer.

Why did you decide to put out a 7” singles collection with Matador rather than just an LP?
I was talking to five or six different labels. So in the mean time I wanted to light a fire under all of their asses. Everyone was dragging ass to get offers in to put out our LP, so what better of a way to scare major label dickheads than to do six records with one of the bigger indie labels in the world. It kind of confused them all. Eventually I ended up digging the Matador dudes and decided to work with them permanently or at least for the next five years or so.

Now that you’re with Matador, will you ever do any singles with other smaller labels?
I could do singles with other labels, but I don’t really see what purpose it would serve. Unless there was a label I really wanted to maybe help get some exposure, I’d maybe do a single for them. Otherwise, Matador probably has some of the best distribution out of all the indie labels in America. They work really hard on Matador Direct, where they sell direct to 250 mom-and-pop stores. They carry everything from Goner Records and In the Red releases and sell those direct to these stores as well. So basically, if I was to do a record on a smaller label, Matador would likely order it and sell it for them anyway.

Have you made a video for any of the Matador singles?
Yeah we made a video. It’s still being edited so I have no idea how it’s going to turn out. I think that anybody in the post-Devo world who tries to match up images with their music is going to fail miserably. I think everything Devo did was just perfect.

Did you try to make your video similar to something Devo would have done?
No, our band doesn’t really have such the message that Devo has, that comes across with their images in their music - they are just perfect at tying stuff together. I just don’t like videos, I don’t even like watching them. Basically, for the video, we just got drunk, goofed off and had a film crew film it.

Does touring constantly stress you out — do you need a vacation?
I could feel stressed out if I was on the fucking beach with nothing to do, you know? I was just wired that way.There is no ‘on or off’ anymore, it’s cruise control pretty much. Everyday I wake up and have to work on something. If I stop I get so far behind. There is just no reason to take a vacation, because when I do, it’s just two weeks of work building up. Then when I get home all the relaxation I got in is just negated by how much stress I have to deal with to catch back up.

What does your family think about you being in national magazines and so on?
My parents borrow money from me now, instead of the other way around. I figured they spent a lot of money on me when I was a kid, so it’s cool to give back, actually.

How has your music evolved in the past two years?
Live, it’s getting more and noisier I think. I have started adding too many effects pedals, to the point where I am tap dancing now. I don’t want to add extra people to the band, we are going to avoid that as much as possible, but I think we are going to add another guy next year just to play organ, acoustic guitar and back-up vocals. I keep hearing something bigger in my head, sound wise. There is no way to do that except now, on stage, I have to pre-record all these parts on stage (with guitar pedals) and turn them on with my feet.

What are some common misconceptions about music?
I think 99 percent of my media profile, for lack of better expression, is based on bullshit and completely off. It doesn’t bother me, I don’t let it. The last thing I should do is sit around and cry over blogs or whatever, you know, like, ‘This Brooklyn vegan thinks I’m a butthead,’ or whatever. The misconceptions come in where people try to figure out if its punk rock, indie or whatever. I don’t know, man, it’s really weird in this post modern world, no one knows what to do when they’re not told what something is.

So you think a lot of people only like what they hear is hip?
People have to be told what something is because their whole personality is based on what they are being told. How can they be an indie rocker if they are not told, ‘That’s indie rock!’ Their identities are created by what they consume. We could be playing the same exact songs, but if you tell some dude with a mohawk we’re an indie band he’d call us pussies - if you tell an indie rocker dude that we are punk, then he thinks we suck.It’s just all labels. I just think its noisy pop music. I’ve got influences from the 50s to the 80s — even the 90s.

How do you approach lyric writing?
I always think about lines. I came from The Ramones school of lyrics. I’m not into storytelling lyrics or anything like that. If I convey a message it’s more of a mood or something. I try to get a mood across and normally it’s a pretty negative one.

Are you going to continue doing smaller tours, or would you consider doing a huge tour as an opener?
We’re starting to play more and more big festivals, we’re flying out to play a show with Beck in a couple months. Just doing random stuff like that. I don’t know if I would ever want to play for an arena band or anything like that, but I haven’t done it, so I can’t really knock it either.

I hear you are producing and recording your band mates other band, The Barbaras, new album (In the Red), how is that coming along?
It’s about half way done. It will probably wrap-up around the same time I finish my album. We have been working on both albums at the same time. We will probably correlate the release times. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I tour so much The Barbaras don’t get to do much, so I think correlating will really help people hear that band too.

Will the album sound like The Barbaras singles?
It’s a lot different. Their singles are kind of just like a wall. With the production I tried to put everything in its own space. It’s a lot more dry, it’s more … not punk sounding, but more of a Beach Boys and Urinals thing rather than just a Beach Boys-garage-reverb-blown out thing.

Will you ever play with any of your past bands again, like Terror Visions, Persuaders or Final Solutions?
I don’t really have a desire to. I think with this band I’ve been able to explore and take everything I’ve liked about every other band I’ve been in and properly use it. I’d just feel like I was going backwards if I worked on anything else. This is a band, it has my name on it. I feel a lot more freedom as a solo person to just do what I want to do, sound wise. I think I’ve started to achieve the goal I’ve always wanted since I started playing music, which was to break the genre mold.

Jay Reatard 2007 Turn it Down Interview (#1)
http://turnit-down.blogspot.com/2007/10/jay-reatard-interview.html

Reatarded Links:
Jay Reatard on MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/jayreatard
Jay Reatard's blog
http://jayreatard.blogspot.com/
The Barbaras on MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/thebarbaras
Matador on MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/matadorrecords
Goner Records
http://www.goner-records.com/
http://www.myspace.com/gonerrecords

In the Red Records
http://www.myspace.com/intheredrecords

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
For permission to use quotes or text please: email richtupica@hotmail.com

Haunted George and the Mohave Interview!

2008-07-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

Steven George Pallow, aka Haunted George

By: Rich Tupica
richtupica@hotmail.com

Often times, a person's final home is the hot, dry desert because their body was dumped there after something horrible happened to them ... Haunted George is a man who prefers to live there - where he writes songs about caskets, piles of meat and being buried alive.
Steven “Haunted George” Pallow, 40, moved to the Mohave desert in Llano Del Rio, California because he “wanted away from people.” Since then he has been surrounded by Joshua trees and cactuses while penning songs that reflect the rugged terrain he calls home.
While recently he has made a name for himself as a one-man band, George has been balls-deep in fuzzy, primitive rock bands for over 20 years.
The Beguiled and The Necessary Evils, his previous bands, kept George busy during the late ‘80s and '90s - releasing albums on both Crypt and In the Red Records.
Larry Hardy, owner of In the Red, met George in the late ’90s at a Cheater Slicks show in Costa Mesa while George and James Arthur (former Fireworks) were forming The Necessary Evils.
Today, Hardy said Haunted George’s upcoming album (to be released on In the Red) has songs that beat-out his already impressive body of work.
“I've heard the rough mixes, it's not finished yet" Hardy said. "It definitely has some of the best songs he has ever written.”
“This one was recorded in a studio rather than George's home 8-track,” Hardy added. “You can expect it to be heavier, darker and gnarlier than his previous albums.” The new LP may be released on Halloween, but Hardy said it may be delayed until early 2009.

What city did you grow up in? What was it like?
I didn’t grow up in a city. I grew up in Santa Ana, California - it is a city about 35 minutes south of Los Angeles but it is geographically a huge area. The part of it that I grew up in is suburbs. Compared to what it’s like now though I feel like I grew up in the country. The cow pastures and orange, lemon, and avocado groves weren’t that far away. We used to play in them all the time and I’d see owls and California quail. That’s all gone now. It’s all built up with homes. It really depresses me whenever I go down there.

What music did you dig during your formative years?
My oldest brother was a Beatles, Doors and Rolling Stones fan so that was some of the first music that I was exposed to. In grade school on my own I started listening to KRLA (1110 am) a legendary Los Angeles rock'n'roll/oldies station that played nothing but rock‘n’roll and rhythm ‘n’ blues from the early 1950’s to the early 70’s. They had all these great DJs like The Real Don Steele, Emperor Hudson and Johnny Hayes.

Catacombs: Haunted George in Paris.

What about in high school?
By the time I started high school I had already heard a little from cool bands that my older brother turned me on to like the New York Dolls, The Stooges, The Ramones, Black Flag, and The Adolescents. He had known of The Adolescents early on because he went to high school with one of them. There was also a group of guys a few years older than me that turned me on to other bands like The Damned, Agent Orange, Fear, TSOL, and Stiff Little Fingers. Through another group of friends I discovered 45 Grave, Angry Samoans, X, Flipper and The Dead Boys. I would go over to other guys' houses and they would let me make tapes from stuff in their collections. We swapped records and taped each other’s stuff. Then later they could say, “Man, you didn’t even know about The Damned until I told you about them.” They could lord that over you in certain circles. I’ve found there has always been a sense of one-upmanship between music fans that you just have to deal with. Someone always has to show you that they are cooler and know more about music than you do. Music messages boards are rife with that shit.

What kind of punk did you like best?
I really liked the punk rock that had its roots in early rock ‘n’ roll. A friend of mine had this really sexy sister who seemed way older than us but was probably only 16 or 17 at the time. She was an ex-punk gone rockabilly. She gave us tapes of the Stray Cats, The Blasters but more importantly those King and Federal original 50’s rockabilly compilations. Those records floored me. I thought “Granddaddy’s Rockin’” by Mac Curtis was as punk as anything I had ever heard. The Charlie Feathers cuts were just so weird and otherworldly sounding. That’s when I jumped head first into rockabilly. Elvis’ Sun Sessions was something I listened to hundreds of times. Jerry Lee Lewis was like a god to me. I actually had a little shrine to him in the corner of my room with all these pictures of him that I had collected. I wasn’t into neo-rockabilly, just the original 50’s stuff. The newer bands never seemed to get that vibe that the original generation had - some did but it was few and far between.

The Beguiled!

How did you find out about The Cramps?
One day when I was 14 years-old I was with these six guys jammed into a VW bug yelling and being stupid and I heard this music on their tape deck. I started yelling over them, “Hey, Shut Up! What is this?” It was “Human Fly” by The Cramps and it just blew my mind because it was a marriage of all this stuff that I was into but that the people in scenes kept separated. You see, back then if you were a punk you listened to GBH, or you were a mod and you listened to The English Beat or something, or you were a rockabilly and you listened to The Stray Cats, or you were something called a New Romantic and were gay but most people didn’t jump around between scenes.
I’m sure there were a lot of people that did but for the most part you were either one or the other. The Cramps didn’t seem to be following that rule. I remember driving around with these guys and everybody asking, “What do you want to do?” and I said, “Let’s go to the record store!” That day I bought two records; 'Songs the Lord Taught Us' and 'Gravest Hits.' That changed my whole attitude and from then on I just considered myself a rock ‘n’ roller.

What else were you digging back then?
Shortly after that I saw the 1967 movie "Riot on Sunset Strip" and that opened me up to 60’s punk and psychedelic bands like The Chocolate Watchband, The Seeds, The Standells and The 13th Floor Elevators. I began collecting surf instrumental 45s and LPs too. I liked the hit surf instrumentals I’d heard on KRLA and Agent Orange, who I had already seen a few times, mixed surf into their music; they did covers of “Pipeline”, “Miserlou” and “Mr. Moto”. Original surf records were still fairly easy to find being how Southern California was the epicenter for that scene in the early 1960’s. If you looked you could still find plenty of stuff by Dick Dale and the Deltones, the Chantays, and The Lively Ones. I started collecting records in thrift stores, used record stores and garage sales. I just started digging deeper and deeper into more obscure music.

So were you were getting bored with just punk?

Punk was starting to suck. When “Institutionalized” by Suicidal Tendencies came out all the hard-core bands jumped on this trend of playing real slow, dirgy and Sabbathy and then going real fast. All these jock-surfer guys that people now call “dude-bros” were into it. You’d go to a show and eight guys would beat up one guy because he looked different and wasn’t wearing the proper “punk” uniform. I was saying to myself, “Well, this is fucking gay.”… And it was. I remember getting together with “punker-girls” that dressed the part; they had Mohawks or Chelsea haircuts, safety-pin earrings and bondage pants. At their house I’d start digging through their tapes and records and seeing shit like The Cocteau Twins and Depeche Mode.
Most of the older punk guys that I hung out with that used to go to shows at the Masque and Florentine Gardens were embarrassed by it and would say, "Oh man, it didn’t used to be like this.” They all got into old American Blues, Country and Jamaican reggae. Around this time I got a whole stack of my Grandpa’s 78’s. Ernest Tubb’s “Nails in my Coffin,” his version of “Thirty Days” and the Hank Williams records got me into Country Music. I got really into the Blues too. That was the big common denominator when we started The Beguiled - we were all big fans of Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Little Walter. That’s the first stuff we started playing. The Beguiled started while we were all still in high school. We sounded like the 1963 version of The Rolling Stones in the beginning.

Necessary Evils!

You live in a "remote area", describe the landscape and why did you pick that location?
The landscape? On the front cover of the “Pile O’ Meat” record I’m standing next to some Joshua trees with my Silvertone guitar. That picture was taken by my wife, on my property, with her back to our house. That’s what my property looks like; Joshua trees, Juniper trees, Cholla cactus. We chose to live out there because I’ve always loved the desert. My Great Grand parents moved out here in their teens. They homesteaded property in the Mojave Desert in the 1930’s. Since I was a baby visiting Grandma and Grandpa meant going out to the desert. I just always loved it and wanted to live in it. I’ve lived all over different parts of the Los Angeles area - Hollywood, Long Beach, Burbank, Van Nuys. I had enough of the cities. I wanted away from people.

How often do you write music? What inspires you to pick up the guitar or write lyrics?
It varies a bit. I usually go through spurts with song writing. I write lyrics first. I carry a notebook with me and write down lyrics in verse form as if it is poetry. Later I sit down with my guitar and just play. I might record myself doing that and when I listen back to it I find parts that I like and then match it up with some lyrics. I really don’t know what it is that inspires or motivates me. If I did I’d focus on it and write more stuff. Hiking around and being by myself in nature for several hours works sometimes, but it usually happens after some kind of extreme emotional experience whether good or bad. When I get into a writing spurt now I try and take advantage of it and milk all I can out of it because I really can’t force myself to write stuff when I’m in a dry spell.

What are you doing when you're not dealing with music? Any other hobbies?
If I had twice the amount of hours in a day I’d still be busy from when I got up until I went to bed. I work and that means, now at least, that I commute into the city. So that right there takes up the majority of my hours in a week. Other than that I like to paint and draw when I have the time. I like to hike and camp. I rock hound - collect rocks- and have been dabbling in taxidermy. I like to black powder shoot. I have some replica 1860’s pistols and they’re fun to shoot off. I have an old ’58 Chevy truck that I work on and a 1947 Plymouth Business Coupe that is in pieces that I want to get running one day.

So, you are also working on a film, too?
In the last six months I’ve been working on and off on a movie I’ve been shooting on a mini-DV camera. It started as this little five minute short and now it’s at 45 minutes and I keep adding to it. I’m shooting it without a script so I keep coming up with ideas and tagging them on to the story. I’ve been making it with my wife. It’s just the two of us doing everything. I’ll make costumes and props, set up a shot, tell her what I want to do, then she shoots it and I walk around in the scene doing whatever. I edit it at work when nothing is going on. The movie was taking up a lot of my extra time… so much so that I was actually putting music stuff on the back burner. I’ve had to stop the movie so that I can focus more on the music.

Who are you pulling for in the US presidential race and why?
Politics? I hate it when I hear musicians give their opinions on politics. I can’t stand hearing from people who most of the time can’t even hold a shitty job tell me how they think the world should be run … my own opinion included. You asked and I dodged the question. I think that all three are big “One-Worlders” so I’m not for any of them. If I had to pick the lesser of the three evils I would go with John McCain because I think he wouldn’t take away my gun rights and raise my taxes as quickly as the other two are just dying to do.

Would you say you are Republican?
I’m really not a Republican because I don’t think America should be “spreading freedom” around the world; it just gets us in these messes and we blow a bunch of money. I also think if people want to smoke weed or shoot dope then I don’t think the government should be there to protect them from themselves. I think a lot of Republicans are so business oriented that they don’t look at the U.S. as a country of people, but as a market. Their allegiance isn’t to the flag or the country but to the dollar and when if the buck craps out hard enough, like it’s doing, then where will their allegiance go?

I take it you are definitely not a Democrat!
I am definitely not a Democrat! If I wanted to go along - just to get along and have people like me, I would just call myself a “progressive” and be another guy for “peace.” No one would give me any shit about it. Peace? Saying that you are for “peace” is like saying you’re for “goodness”… What the hell does it mean? I work in Hollywood now and everybody is some NPR listening dickhead. They love to talk about how “compassionate” they are but no group in the world is more viciously cutthroat when it comes to business than the people in Hollywood.
All my life I’ve been preached to by leftwing pains-in-the-ass; teachers, bosses, television and movies, musicians - It has never stopped no matter where I go or work. I swear they are worse than the most preachey born again Christians you will ever meet. All these old hippies constantly proselytize to me or these guys I work with ask me, “Dude, did you watch the Daily Show last night?” and I’ve told them a million times that I don't get any channels. I only use my TV to watch DVDs. The Daily Show? These people think he’s some cutting edge outsider. No one has their nose jammed up Hollywood’s asshole more than that guy; he fucking hosts the Academy Awards!

So, what do you want from the government?
I just want the government to leave me alone: pave the roads, kill the crooks and put out fires. I don’t think I should have to pay taxes for schools. I don’t have any kids. If the people that chose to have them didn’t care enough to get the money to educate them why should I care? If you care about them so much then you can go pony up the money. I won’t stop you. “But then all the people would grow up and become criminals…” In Los Angeles they already do and isn’t that why God made the gas chamber anyway? All this socialism is much more about taking power and keeping people down than it is about “helping out your fellow man”. It’s Christian morality repackaged by these people that say they want religion out of politics. They want your and my money for the same reason the most crooked and creepy preacher does; for themselves and their friends. They’re actually worse because they do it at gunpoint and can put you in jail if you don’t comply. These people don’t have altruistic goals. I think the government run school system in California actually has very nefarious intentions. I think that they are intentionally trying to dumb-down the next generations in order to make a permanent lower class of ignorant consumer worker-bees.
Maybe I’m just reacting to all the people immediately around me; I do a lot of hippie-friendly things like hiking and shopping at Trader Joes. I do have some hippie in me and I let it shine. When I hike I always carry a trash bag and pick up trash. I recycle. This last Spring Equinox I even found myself in the mountains in a natural hot-spring full of naked hippies chanting mantras in the light of a full moon. I joined in and was cool with it. I’m OK with socialism just not forced at gunpoint. Where I live there used to be a Socialist community that existed from the teens to the 1930’s called “Llano Del Rio”. Everybody that belonged to it volunteered like a co-op and had a little duty that they would do for the good of the group. It eventually fell apart because of infighting. My problem with socialism is that I’m sure that there were some guys that busted their ass from sun-up till sundown wading through shit fixing toilets while there were other guys that said, “My job is to be the camp bard; I’ll wake up late, play the guitar, make funny jokes and screw your girlfriend while you fix toilets.” Fuck that.

What do you think about Obama?
Obama scares me because all the wrong people are cheerleading for him and he seems like a snobby asshole. At least if he wins it will be interesting and shake things up. I heard his spiritual advisor/guru/astrologer say that whites and blacks have different brains. White people dance on the 1st and 3rd beat while blacks dance on the 2nd on 4th beat! I guess if you’re “progressive” then black racism is good racism. May we all live in interesting times.

Can you tell the readers about Snuff Maximus?
Snuff Maximus is this alter-ego, side project that I have been doing since the early 1990s. It’s more abstract-sound track and experimental kind of stuff. I used to team up with Mike Ball (guitarist from the Beguiled) and we used to do stuff together on thrift store bought tape recorders. I stopped doing it for a while after he died - but in last eight years or so I’ve been doing a lot more of it. Originally the Hook or Crook LPs that came out were going to have Snuff Maximus CDs included with them but for budgetary reasons the idea got scrapped.

Is there any Snuff for sale?
I still haven’t officially released any Snuff Maximus stuff except for a couple of cuts on some my Haunted George records. In the last couple of months I’ve made about five hours worth of Snuff Maximus stuff; a four CD set of just meditation sounds for my wife. She was looking for some records to just zone-out and meditate to and I said, “Wait, I’ll make you some.” So I made these gigantic tracks based on the rhythm of the human heartbeat. It slows down a little bit every few minutes. I did another one based on the rhythm of meditative breathing. This was different for me because it was the first time that I was making “music” - if you can call it that - that had a very specific purpose to it. James Arthur (guitarist from the Necessary Evils & Fireworks) has jumped into this kind of stuff too in the last couple of years. He made of really wild sounding atmospheres for my little movie that I was talking about earlier. There is some of his stuff will make you literally sick to your stomach. Somewhere he found these old recordings that hunters use to attract larger prey; the sounds of small animals suffering. He’s incorporated these into his soundtrack recordings for me and it has worked out nicely because my movie is kind of a psychedelic horror movie.

On tour, is it nice being a one-man band (with a 2nd guitarist) rather than traveling with a full band, like you used to?
Yes and no. It’s easier but with a bigger band there are more people to talk to, help haul equipment around, watch the crap you might be selling and there are more guys if ugly things start to happen. On the other hand, a smaller group has less people to track down when you need to get going, there’s more room in the vehicle, people will be more likely to put you up and feed you and you can save a lot of gas money using a smaller car. Jimmy and I have done trips up to San Francisco in a sedan.

What is a typical day like for you?
For a little while now I’ve been working down in Los Angeles so it’s like this - I usually get up at 6:30, feed my critters, make coffee, drive down to LA, work on some movie project doing either picture or sound work, walk around at lunch either to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery or Amoeba Records, come back, do more Avid or Pro-Tools stuff, then I might go over to Jimmy Hole’s place and practice music or go home, practice music, eat some food, then go to bed and fall asleep in front of a DVD or book around 11:30 or so. On the weekends I try to go hiking or something that involves being outdoors. When I worked for the State Parks I was up at 5:30 and home by 2:30 because my work was only 15 minutes from me. Then I had way more time to paint, hike, or play music during the middle of the week. I miss that.

What is next for Haunted George? I hear there is a new LP on the way.
I am leaving to go to Europe with the Lamps in about a week. When I come back I will record the next LP with Jimmy Hole. This will be my first LP that has somebody else on it other than just me. I am pretty excited to start it. I wanted to wait till after we got back from Europe to record this. I’ve already got more than enough material for the new record written and Jimmy and I plan on playing those songs live first so that they will be nice and tight when we come back to the States.

How did you hook up with Hook or Crook, In the Red and the other labels you have worked with? How did your songs get from the desert to those labels?
James Arthur originally started Hook or Crook as a partnership with Chris Owen. I didn’t really know Chris at the time but now I consider him a good friend. James doesn’t really deal with Hook or Crook anymore. It’s Chris’s label now. James wanted me to do a Snuff Maximus record for Hook or Crook but then he heard the Haunted George stuff and wanted to do that instead. That was “Panther Howl”. By the time the second record, “Pile O’ Meat” was ready, Chris and I had gotten to know each other and were friends and so I went with him again. He’s been great and I have nothing but good things to say about Hook or Crook. I’d love to do more stuff with Chris but I’m going to do the next record with In the Red because Larry asked and was so good to me during the Necessary Evils days. Other labels have just contacted me and we’ve worked something out.

Where do you record your music?
I record the stuff in my garage, pick out the choice cuts, then run them though an equalizer and send them to whoever is putting it out to master. I’ve been pretty easy about doing singles. In fact, I haven’t turned down anybody that’s asked me yet. I just have one provision - it’s got to be a jukebox single… meaning a 7” single with the big hole in the center, running at 45 rpm. It has to be able to play in an old jukebox and if it doesn’t have those three things then it’s no good. That’s my rule but I’ve bent it a couple times when push came to shove.

Since you have the name "Haunted" in your name, do you believe in the paranormal? If so why?
I do actually believe in the paranormal. I think 99.9 percent of the time that you hear someone claiming to have had a supernatural experience it’s totally bullshit wishful thinking on their part or they are maybe insane. That being said I believe that there are things out there. I don’t have an explanation for them myself but I have been exploring it for most of my life in one way or another either through religion or what people call the occult sciences.

Have you ever seen anything suspicious with your own eyes?
I’ve had two very real experiences involving what could be called ghosts or spirits; one that I won’t go into detail with here was with a group of people in an abandoned house at night. We all saw and heard the same thing lasting close to a minute and then the house suddenly started swarming thick with flies. The other event also involved another person; I had a vivid dream where a friend of mine that had recently died visited me. It was very realistic. He sat there and talked with me for what seemed like several minutes. I asked him questions and he answered them. Then he told me that he had to go but that he was fine and not to worry. I just thought it was a dream but a few weeks later one of my friends told me that while experiencing a 102-degree fever he had a vision that was bothering him. What he described to me was exactly what I had seen in my dream with this mutual friend of ours sitting down, talking and saying many of the exact same things that I had heard him say. That could be a coincidence.

What about UFOs?
I’ve had two experiences with UFOs. Now, I’m not saying that these were flying saucers with aliens from another planet, I’m saying that they unidentifiable flying objects. First; my wife and I saw this huge fireball that buzzed by our car on the freeway one night and then disappeared. We both shot up and said, “What the Hell was that?” The second event was by myself. I again saw a fireball shooting through the sky while driving on the 101 Freeway through the Cahuenga Pass… not quite flying saucers over Hollywood. It must have lasted six or seven seconds. I even time to roll down my window to get a better look.
Now all those things I just described could be explained rationally in one way or another I’m sure but really I choose to believe in it just the same way an atheist chooses to not to believe. William S. Burroughs used to claim that he had sex with daemonic entities and he said -I found the exact quote here - “If we are going to investigate incubi and succubi - daemonic entities with sexual intentions - seriously, I really feel that we must begin by admitting that psychiatrists have no more objective proof that they come from our imaginations than priests have that they come from the devil…”- that is my attitude. Plus a lot of atheists that I’ve met are really humorless uninteresting people.

I hear you have a crystal ball, how do you use that?
I have a crystal ball that I practice scrying into - meaning I am trying to see visions in it. The other day I took it to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and went to the Cathedral Mausoleum that houses the Valentino Shrine. Out of nowhere I saw a witch riding on a broom and a demonic laughing face. The witch was straight out of a comic book. It was so weird. It was a classic comic book witch almost exactly like the one on the back of the “Pile O’ Meat” record. The laughing demon face looked like something from an old B&W 1930’s Popeye cartoon. I watched both of these visions, lasting about three or four seconds each and then jumped back and realized what had just happened. I tried for several more minutes to do it again and couldn’t get it to happen. Again, these things could be explained as things happening inside my head or a waking dream but even if that is just the case then it is still happening in my reality and is real to me isn’t it?

LINKS:

Haunted MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/hauntedgeorge
Haunted blog:
http://butchersfloor.blogspot.com/
Snuff Maximus!
http://www.myspace.com/snuffmaximus
Hook or Crook
http://www.myspace.com/hookorcrook
In the Red
http://www.myspace.com/intheredrecords

Three albums that influenced the sound of Haunted George
1.) Jack Starr “Born Petrified” (Norton Records)
2.) Link Wray and his Ray Men “Jack the Ripper” (Swan)
3.) Louise Huebner with Louis & Bebe Barron
“Seduction Through Witchcraft” (Warner Bros.-Seven Arts)

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Please write for permission to use any text.

King Khan voodoo INTERVIEW!

2008-06-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

Devil not in disguise: Khan signs to Vice, takes over world!
photo: Christian Kock

By: Rich Tupica
richtupica@hotmail.com

King Khan has been an eccentric figure in the garage-punk scene for over a decade.
While he may be notorious for wild (often nude) live shows, he has a catalog of records under his belt that prove he is more than a great showman.
The Canadian born Khan got his start in music alongside his longtime friend Mark “BBQ” Sultan, as a member of one of Montréal’s best garage bands, The Spaceshits, who mixed punk and true rock’n’roll. Since then he has expanded his sound and toured non-stop with either the doo-wop laced King Khan & BBQ Show, or the psychedelic-soul inspired King Khan & The Shrines.
The Shrines are currently on the road and working on new material. Khan describes it as a "mix of '60s psychedelic punk, old school R&B, 60's New Orleans funk and a bit of Sun Ra freak-out," he said. "I usually like to describe it as a Japanese animation monster tearing things up with eight dicks."
To find out about more about Khan's recent deal with Vice Records, progress on a new album with BBQ and his upbringing in voodoo, check out the interview below.

I hear you grew in a musical family, can you tell me about that?
Well apparently my great grandfather was a sitar player who was not so successful and became addicted to opium. My father also attempted to play sitar when I was a kid and actually smashed one, no joke! He had a very bad temper. Poor sitar. Poor me. My little brother, little sister and I started playing instruments when we were pretty young, I was around the age of 12. We actually have been recording songs together for the past eight years. My sister played electric piano in the Del Gators and is now busy making babies and her solo project called Cocobeurre. My little brother has kind of this Lou Reed meets Mississippi John Hurt thing going for him. I hope to put out the “Best of Moon Studios” this year which will have lots of their stuff.

Quiet time: Khan poses sexy for Theresa K!
photo: www.punkturns30.com

I hear you are interested in voodoo, how did that come about?
I remember my grandma telling me stories about Indian witches who could steal your soul with owl meat when I was a kid. Since then I was pretty interested in it. The first real voodoo stuff started happening to me when my wife and I bought some Chango candles. We bought them because they smelled good and had a really cool print on them, we had no idea what we were getting into. So my wife started lighting these candles whenever I would go away on tour. This was an old German sailor’s wife tradition whenever the sailor went away. After a while we started noticing that bad stuff would happen when she would forget to light the candles. Anyways I basically let the spirit of Chango into my life and became more aware of signs and hocus pocus.

Have you ever actually practiced voodoo?
When BBQ and I went to Brazil that was also a totally huge learning experience. I was on this quest where I would dress up like the devil and do tarot cards hoping to be the voice of the devil. I went to a big voodoo church and asked if this was okay and they told me it was very dangerous, but if anything bad happened I could be cleansed there. So I did it, and it was fun and scary. Every time I read someone’s cards the devil card would pop up, every time! Cole from the Black Lips and I used to play this game where you spread the cards and try and find the devil. The first tour we did in the south together he managed to pull out the devil card every morning on his first try - he is a pretty magical guy.
The trip to brazil was really amazing. I was hoping to really get scared and see some kind of scary black demon but instead we went on a camping trip in the jungle and wound up in Dr. Mengele's backyard. So in some way I found the devil's hideout but he was white, German and long gone, thank god.

Khan looking unbeweavable! photo: Funny.Cars

How is it touring with 12 Shrines?
It makes my life an endless rollercoaster but as the song goes - I live the life I love and I love the life I live. I support my family with my music and am very proud of that. The constant touring can be painful sometimes, but it’s the only thing I want to do. The best part is obviously playing intense chaotic shows, watching people go ballistic and joining them. Actually even better then that is the feeling of coming home and having my girls freak out when I open the door. The worst part is road ass and food that has been cooked with no love.

What was the first band you ever played in? What type of music did you play?
My first band was called The Krishnas and I dressed up like an Indian woman for it ... I was about 12 years-old. My best friend from childhood would come over with his little brother and we made a very embarrassing movie about it. We played our own type of "Indian music" with a sitar, Tablas and a harmonium. It was more like musical comedy than a band. What’s even funnier is that my buddy who was in that band is now inventing adult toys and has a revolutionary new dildo that will open the gates for the next big sexual revolution, unfortunately I am not permitted to divulge any more information about this subject.My first real band was with Danny from the Spaceshits (CPC Gangbangs, Del Gators) we went to kindergarten together and started playing music together when we were like 17 years-old. It was called the Maury Povitch 3 and it was some kind of indie rock - punk stuff. Then I joined the Spaceshits and my life was saved by rock ‘n’ roll.

On the air: Khan on 106 FM Jerusalem photo: 106fm

Why did you move away from Canada?
I fell in love, made babies, and started a new life in Germany.

How is living in Germany? How is the vibe there?
The people are wonderful and open minded. The beer is amazing and plentiful and the hot dog was invented here I think. What more props can you give to a country? I also like saying that I became a father in the fatherland.

How often do you write music? What inspires your music?
Inspiration comes in spurts like all of the most wonderful things in life. I am generally quite lazy so I can never really sit down and write stuff - it usually starts with a gut feeling and then flush!

Goners: Khan with BBQ at Goner Fest 2005! photo: Canderson

I hear you have children, what do they think of your music?
I have two daughters and they love it. “Teenage Feotus” is Saba Lou's favorite song. Bella's favorite is “Why Don't You Lie.” Saba Lou just put out her first single on Die Slaughterhaus Records. They make me very certain that the future will be okay for rock ‘n’ roll.

What has been your proudest moment as a musician?
There have been many, among the top ones I would say playing in San Paolo and watching my friend give head to her boyfriend on stage while me and BBQ played; hanging out with the Sun Ra Arkestra in their hotel room for three nights -they let me crash on the couch - recording the Black Lips “Let It Bloom” in my living room; and basically every time I record a song with my family.

Now that you're on Vice Records, what is next for you and The Shrines? Any plans with the label yet?
Since none of The Shrines’ records were ever officially released in the U.S., we made the “Supreme Genius” compilation. The next album will also be on Vice Records. The plans haven’t changed since we started - just plain and simple world domination.

Aside from music, what are some leisurely hobbies that you partake in?
Laziness, painting, rolling up boogers, being the tooth fairy, cooking, eating, making love, eating hot sauce ‘til it hurts and making booties shake.

Are you and BBQ going to put out another King Khan & BBQ album? Any plans of that in the near future?
We have just recorded about seven new songs at Moon Studios here in Berlin and will finish the rest of the songs in Montreal this summer - so I think by early next year we should have a new record. With The Shrines the process is a bit longer but I hope sometime next year there should be a new record.

What else are you currently working on?
Besides my abs, I am preparing for The Shrines U.S. invasion in July. I have also been recording some new songs here and there with my daughters. Summertime is here finally and it is time to take a trip.

LINKS:
Check out ALL the hits and more....
King Khan & the Shrines
http://www.myspace.com/kingkhantheshrines
KK & BBQ Show
http://www.myspace.com/thekingkhanbbqshow
Haramazda
http://www.myspace.com/haramzada
Cocobeurre
www.myspace.com/cocobeurre (Khan’s sister)
Moon Studios -Berlin
http://www.myspace.com/moonstudiosberlin

King Khan recommends three albums:
MF Doom - “MM..Food?” (Rhymesayers)
“The Instant & Minit Story” - Various (Charly)
“Ethiopian Modern Instrumental Hits” LP - Various, (L arome Productions)

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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Please write for permission to use any text.

The BirdDogs - Interview! Pontiac blues-punk!

2008-05-26T14:54:00.000-07:00

photo: Daniel Throesch

The BirdDogs - stick to the roots.

By: Rich Tupica
richtupica@hotmail.com

If Led Zeppelin were in the final stages of rabies during their prime they likely would have sounded much like the Detroit-via-Pontiac band The BirdDogs. The band’s first release, 2007’s ‘The Great Baptist Witch Hunt’, is stocked with dark-blues riffs, guitar solos, shouts and lyrics that in no way paint a picture of love or understanding. Rusty sharp objects, killing people, the devil and going fucking crazy is what Robbie Buxton, 29, lead vocalist and guitarist, preaches while kicking out three chord punk, followed by Stones tinged American roots tunes.
The band is currently recording their second full length record at their home studio and are always gigging around Detroit.
Be sure to check out one of their shows before Buxton follows through with some of the demented shit he howls about.
Here is what he recently had to say, read on.

Full name, age, hometown?
Robbie Buxton, 29, born and raised in Pontiac, Michigan.

When did you first start playing music?
"I didn't pick up a guitar until after high school. I had little to no musical talent at that point. The only thing that really existed was a love for rock & roll. At a very young age I would sneak into my aunts bedroom and listen to vinyl - things like T-Rex, Zeppelin, Nugent and Beefheart. I always dreamed of playing guitar but it wasn't something I was too ambitious about. I suppose I was 19 or 20 when I really got into it. My folks had this old acoustic sitting around. The strings must have been an inch off the frets. I took it home and played the thing every night after work. I remember sitting on the floor of my bedroom listening to Hendrix and The Yardbirds, trying to pluck out something that sounded right. Once i developed my knowledge of the guitar i got into
the banjo and mandolin a bit as well.

Young dude: Robbie jamming out many moons ago.

Were you in any bands before The BirdDogs?
"For the longest time I played alone. Other than picking up some chords from an instructional book I was completely self taught. I was pretty wrapped up in my own little world musically. One day I purchased a four-track cassette recorder. I started goofing around with that and it wasn't long after that I started thinking about how cool it would be to have a band to record. I put out some fliers at music stores and I formed a band called Out By Fall. We played one show. It was pretty bad. The only thing that came of that mess was our drummer Jarvis, who wasn't a drummer at the time. He played bass."

How did the BirdDogs form? How long have you been together?
"We formed in late 2005. We had two guitar players in Out By Fall. It was decided that my writing and playing were too 'bombastic' and that it just wasn't going to work out. Everybody went separate ways. I was really bummed but I went right back to work with my four-track with some new ideas. A few months later Jarvis called me out of nowhere. I invited him over and he brought me a bag of tomatoes from his garden. I showed him what I had been up to with my four-track. He wanted in on it. He was the first person who really believed in what I was doing. I remember seeing an old drum kit at his house and I asked him if he'd be interested in playing drums instead of bass. He had very minimal training on drums but we both had the patience to help one another develop. I had access to this run down carlot in Pontiac. We set up our equipment there and played just about every day over the next year. We added Ben on bass in late 2006. He is a longtime friend of mine. He was sick of the bands he was playing in. He came out to one of our first shows as a two piece. It wasn't long after that he joined the band. Recently we added a tambourine player. He deems himself as Mr. Nicely."

Where was your first show? What do you recall about it?
"Our first show was at this bar north of Clarkston called The Deer Lake Inn. It was horrible. At this point we had a handful of originals, a couple souped up Big Bill Broonzy covers and I believe we also covered something off the Soledad Brothers' self titled. There were only about seven people there. They hated us. The bartender kept coming over telling us to turn down. We sold one of our demos for a few bucks. We were both so broke. I remember taking that money, buying a couple 40s."

photo: Daniel Throesch
BirdDogs: (left-right) Jarvis Logan, Ben Littles, Robbie Buxton.

How would you describe your band's sound?
"I'm not sure what we sound like. We're still figuring that out. It's hard to pin us. We have so many different influences. Our first full length was sort of a blend of everything. You can hear blues, punk and country in there, it's quite an interesting mix. We even threw in an old hymn I remember hearing often in church as a child. These days we are much more focused in our endeavors. The next record is really shaping into something we are all very proud of. We are more comfortable with each other. I am really growing as a songwriter and we're all starting to understand the concept of recording a good record."

What are some other Detroit area bands you are digging?
"Right now I'm recording and co-producing a tripped out record for Friends of Dennis Wilson. I'm really into their music. They are so fucking intense. They put so much into what they do. I also dig stuff like Heroes and Villains as well as some of the other X! Records stuff. I've been listening to my Blanche records as well. There's too much to list really."

How many shows have you guys played so far? Any tours or records you guys have planned?
"As for shows, it would be difficult to count. We spent a lot of time playing to nobody starting off. It's nice to see folks coming out to shows now. As for a tour, it's in the air that we might head out west this fall. We're playing the Deep Blues Festival out in Wisconsin again this summer, we'll probably add a few dates to that trip. We are currently working on our second full length that we are calling 'The Satanic Troubadours Audio Almanac'. We're all very excited about our work in the studio."

Have you been following the presidential race? If so, who are you rooting for?
"I follow what's going on but it's hard for me to pick or choose. It's all so very rotten and corrupt."

photo: James Thomas
Goodnight!: BirdDogs at The Belmont

What are you doing when you're not playing music?
"I've built my own 16-track analog recording studio. I record a lot of Detroit Bands when I'm not recording my own. Aside from that I'm painfully boring. I won't burden you with details."

The BirdDogs go from minimal to bluesy rock within the same tune, what are some bands that helped to influence that sound?
"When we first started recording I remember sitting around the studio listening to a lot of Fat Possum vinyl, stuff like Junior Kimbrough, RL Burnside, Robert Belfour and T-Model Ford, whom we will have the privilege of sharing a stage with at the Deep Blues Festival this year. I fell in love with the simplicity and rawness of those recordings. That's just those guys being who they are. That's really what we want to capture with our recordings. We want you to know who we are when we're recording. We will continue recording in such a manner but we're growing. Our sound is constantly changing. The next record will be a bit more complex. We've really started studying music. Going into record this time around we've all been listening to records like 'Their Satanic Majesties Request' by the Stones and a lot of The Beatles albums. We're now adding instruments like dulcimers to our work now. We're anxious to get it out."

Who writes the songs in the band?
"I write the songs. I'll come up with a ditty on the guitar or a few chords, then comes a few lyrics that I later construct into a full song. If the idea is solid I take it to the band at rehearsal. If it feels good we go with it, if it doesn't then we move on. We used to record songs pretty quick after their conception. Nowadays we're spending more time breaking things down, trying different things, building things up and tearing them down. Ben and Jarvis have much more input with the song structure now."

Why are you called The BirdDogs? Is there a story behind the name?
" We just wanted something that sounded old. Gene Vincent has a song that I love called 'Bird Doggin'. That's where the initial idea came to me."

Are you guys going to college?
"None of us currently attend college. I went to school for a couple years studying architecture and construction technology, prior to that I attended seminary school for a short period of time. Currently I play guitar and sing in a rock'n'roll band, I also work in a junk yard - go figure."

photo: Rebecca Solano
BirdDogs: Mr. Nicely is center!

You guys self-released a record. Who recorded it and how can people get it?
"We recorded it. We have a 16-track reel to reel. Ben and I did the majority of the recording, engineering and mixing work. We sent it out to Saff Mastering down in Chicago for the final touches. We began recording immediately after adding Ben to the lineup so what you hear on the record is basically us getting to know one another. We tried a lot of different things as we had no real pressure in the comforts of our own studio. There's a minimalistic feel to it yet we did things like reversing the tape to lay down a few backwards guitar tracks. If folks are interested in obtaining a copy of 'The Great Baptist Witch Hunt' they only need to contact us on MySpace."

What is a goal the band is working on right now?
"We'd like to get out on tour more often. We always have a huge response when we play out of state. We've also just started recording a new record. We'd like to have it out by late summer."

The BirdDogs are:
Jarvis Logan - Drums
Robbie Buxton - Guitar, Vocals
Ben Littles - Bass
Mr. Nicely - Tambourine, Yelps & Howls

Link:
http://www.myspace.com/thebirddogs

Upcoming BirdDogs Shows:
Jun 21 2008, 6:00pm
The Bohemian Nation Home
Detroit, Michigan

Jul 18 2008, 12:00 (noon)
Deep Blues Music & Film Festival
Lake Elmo, Minnesota

Jul 19 2008, 11:00pm
4th Street Fair
Detroit, Michigan

Jul 25 2008, 9:00pm
The Lager House
Detroit, Michigan

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Please write for permission to use any text.

The Dial Tones - Interview!

2008-05-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Dial Tones!

By: Rich Tupica

richtupica@hotmail.com

Rock’n’Roll in Detroit seems to have switched gears in recent years. Where organ driven garage bands like The Hentchmen left off, a new wave of more odd and noisy sounding bands like Tyvek and Terrible Twos have formed. The Clone Defects are finished, but Timmy Vulgar has continued making noise with the weird-synth driven Human Eye.The Dial Tones have decided to stick to the influences they grew up on, the late ’90s, early 2000’s batch of bands who were more Captain Beefheart than Devo. Their ‘oldies’ are The Sonics, Keggs and The Gories.
They have a batch of songs recorded by Detroit fixture Jim Diamond and are hoping to get them pressed on a record in the near future.
Lead singer and guitarist Eric Allen, 22, recently dropped some knowledge about his band The Dial Tones, read on.

What is there to know about Eric?
"Well, my name is Eric Allen. I’m the oldest and, therefore, the dad of the band. Hence, my nickname being 'dad.' I’m 22 and I sing lead vocals and do a slight bit of strumming. I was just singing but everyone got tired of my incessant use of the cowbell and tambourine. Next are Nick Knight and Kyle Schanta who are both 19. Nick plays drums, wags his tongue a lot and is into the coolest shit. Schanta sings vocals as well, plays a mean lead guitar and writes the best songs. Then, last but not least, we have the kids of the band, Darrell Haas Party, Kyle Danger Davis and Muskrat, who are all 18 years young. Darrell is a classically trained pianist that we gave a couple of Hentchmen records to and told him to forget everything he knew before and learn this stuff. He’s a man/boy genius. Kyle Davis plays lead guitar and sings a lot of vocals too. He is our resident blues aficionado and is also an amazing songwriter. Muskrat is Muskrat. That’s all there is to know. He’s a great kid and I’m really glad he’s in our band and not someone else’s. He is the quiet backbone of The Dial Tones."

What's your hometown?
"My hometown is vastly different from the rest of the guys in the band. I’m from Royal Oak so I’ve kind of always been exposed to Detroit and all of its glories since it's only about 4 miles down the road from me. I’m sure you know about Royal Oak. It’s the town everyone wants to live in unless you live here. It used to be cool when stores like Repeat The Beat, Wendell’s, Cinderella’s Attic and Dave’s Comics were around, but now it’s kind of just like a coffee shop and restaurant mecca. As for everyone else, they are from New Baltimore, which means a trip east on I-94. It’s pretty much a cultureless vacuum up there. There isn’t much to do except hang out at Wendy’s or this park on the water. That or you go play your guitar, piano, drums in your basement and become phenomenal at them. So I’m kind of lucky in that I’m so fortunate to have amazing musicians in the band. I got too distracted by beer and other things to ever become that good."

The Dial Tones in the early days - 2007.

How did The Dial Tones meet?
"It’s kind of weird that someone from Royal Oak would make it out to New Baltimore - Chesterfield to jam with some kids, but I guess it's some sort of musical cross-pollination. I played in a punk band when I was like 18 with a mutual friend of Nick's and when we would play shows all these weird kids would come down from New Baltimore and hang out. So I have known the guys since - shit since they were probably 12 years-old.
Nick and I just became best friends really because I was over punk at 16 and he was starting to get into a lot of the bands I loved. We started playing together about a year and a half ago, banging out The Sonic’s 'The Witch' as a two-piece. He was also jamming with Muskrat and Kyle Davis separately and we decided to combine it all together. That incarnation of The Dial Tones lasted for about six months and we added Darrell as an organ player in June of last year.
It kind of changed the sound a bit from more like Chuck Berry and powerpop to what our original intentions were to be a 1960s garage band like The Sonics, JuJus, Count Five, Keggs and all that fun shit. Topping it off we brought Schanta in because he’s the nicest guy in the world and he was always hanging around anyways. It turned out to be a smart move because he’s a fantastic songwriter as well."

The Dial Tones with Nikki Corvette

What do you plan to do with the Jim Diamond recordings the band recently finished?
"The plan is to release them as soon as we can. I’ve been talking with a lot of labels, pestering Ben Blackwell and others looking for some sort of a deal or help. In such tight economic times it's rough to ask someone you know to dump 700 dollars into a vinyl 7 inch, but I’ve made some headway in the past few weeks and I think you can count on something being out before the end of summer. If no labels come through I can see ourselves putting it out this summer. We’re no strangers to D.I.Y."

You guys have a lot of Detroit influences, what else inspires your tunes?
"I’ve never really been out of Detroit, save a trip to Ireland and a few other small things, and I kind of don’t really want to know what else goes on outside of my city. I guess that sounds kind of close-minded, but as far as I’m concerned Detroit has always been our biggest inspiration. Seeing The Fondas made Nick and I start this band. The Terrible Twos, The Muldoons and The Go make us want to be so much better.
I remember I took the guys to see The Go at Cityfest last year. They had never seen them before since they are a lot younger and I remember looking at their faces when The Go were playing. It was priceless. We haven’t been the same band since. I remember when we went and saw The Terrible Twos open for The Black Lips a few months ago. The guys - their faces just all lit up with the hugest smiles and it pushes us that much more to be better. People like that and Mick Collins, Ed Gillis, Dan Kroha and Jack White just continuously make us want to push it out farther and farther. As for what inspires the tunes besides the aforementioned bands, it’s -surprise- things in Detroit.
I’m constantly looking around when I’m driving for things to write about. We have a new song called 'Al Wallace is a Black KKK Rat' because I have seen that written on walls all around the city. Another new one is called 'Ghetto Bird' which is a loving homage to Ice Cube’s song of the same name and the copters that constantly fly over my apartment. We have another new song called 'Alleged Party' which is about Kwame inviting The Dial Tones over for a party at the Manoogian."

Eric Allen, wearing Gucci.

What are you guys up to when you're not playing music?
"We all work jobs and, except for myself, go to school. Haas is going to State this summer and currently works at Petco last time I checked. Nick is going to Grand Valley soon and works at a Chinese restaurant that Kyle Davis worked at a few days before he was let go. Davis hangs out with his girlfriend a lot, rakes leaves and saves bunnies for money. Muskrat just lost his job due to hard economic times and is looking for a job. Hire him he’s a good kid if you have a job.
Kyle Schanta goes to Wayne State and makes pizza at Pizza Hut and has a nice girlfriend Taylor he likes a lot. As for myself, I work full time at Real Detroit Weekly as an editor and writer and put a lot of time into that. When I’m not there I’m usually hanging out with my wonderful girlfriend, playing my free Xbox 360 or drinking a fine beverage from Bells, Kuhnhenn’s or Motor City Brewing Works. Do I get my free beer now?"

How many shows have you guys played? Any plans to play outside of Michigan?
"We have played a lot of things that are loosely considered shows. We’ve done a lot of glorified practices in basements, parks and shit like that. All together I’d say we’ve probably done 25 shows in like a year of existing. I’m really proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in the last year alone and I think it can only go up from here. We’ve got a ton of stuff coming up, we just played with The Black Hollies, which was probably our best show yet. We are also playing with Mike from Hentch’s new band Speedy Greasy and some of the dudes from Rocket 455 in June at Northern Lights.
As for playing out of town, we’ve gotten a lot offers to play out of state from people willing to put us up and stuff. It will eventually happen someday I’m sure, maybe just weekend trips or something, but my job is demanding in that I can’t really be away that long. We are also all kinds of poor. Right now though we are more concerned with getting better local shows, opening for our heroes and doing some headlining stuff with bands we dig."

Do you follow politics? Do you have a choice for president and why?
"It’s funny someone was just telling me that The Dial Tones, White Panther thing - some of us wear their pins, John Sinclair is a hero of mine and I guess our strong resemblance sound wise to the MC5, has really turned them off about us. In all honesty, our songs have absolutely nothing to do with politics. I guess some of the new songs have a political tinge since two of them are about cops and one is about Kwame Kilpatrick. Regardless, we aren’t the MC5 or The Clash. We aren’t going to shove anything down anyone’s throat.
I don’t really know what everyone thinks politically in the band. I think its safe to say that none of us are exactly happy with what is going on in the world. I follow politics pretty closely, although not as much I should. I graduated from school with a minor in political science so I’m interested in all that shit. In the upcoming election, I will vote for Barack Obama because not only does he best represent my views out of all the candidates, but he seems genuinely concerned with changing the establishment of Washington D.C. This is something that has been apparent for a long time and I’m excited that a main party canidate is trumpeting such change. I will probably kill myself if John McCain wins, that is if he doesn’t die first, which is quite possible because he’s older than dirt."

What is a typical day like for you or you and the Dial Tones?
"I’ll try not to dwell on myself for to long, but a typical day for me is to go to work at Real Detroit where I write about bands, businesses and people. I get a lot of free stuff because people apparently care about my opinion. It is nice to spotlight music that I think is good and I’ve been able to talk to a lot of awesome musicians like BBQ, The Black Lips, Eddie Gillis, Against Me!, AIDS Wolf, The Kills, Jay Reatard and so on and so on.
I think I’ve touched on everyone else’s jobs in other questions and they pretty much all do their work and school thing and then go wreak havoc on New Baltimore. We all go to a lot of local shows and hang out together when we get a chance. We all are pretty big record nerds so we spend a lot of time on that stuff and way too much money as well."

What is a pet-peeve of yours?
"I can generally say we don’t like people who aren’t modest. We have aspirations for this band, but we aren’t willing to take a Machiavellian approach to it and burn bridges in the process. There are some people we know that just really have a problem with this. It’s always their way or the highway. I don’t think any of us have the time or patience for that kind of attitude. This modesty 'situation' that is considered our 'pet peeve' really showcases the best thing about our band.
We have this kind of gang element to us in that we were best friends before we were in this band together and we are willing to do anything for each other. So situations arise with someone who doesn’t know their place and we feel like we have to show them where it is. I just made us sound like Agnostic Front or something, but it’s true. We would do anything for anyone in our band."

Who do you think is better, Elvis or The Beatles?
"I really don’t know - The Stooges - nah, I won’t be a dick. I think we would all probably agree on The Beatles. Although they both pretty much stole from black people. The Beatles eventually went on to make really interesting music of their own after their obsession with Chuck Berry was over. Elvis never really got over that and plus he never gave credit where credit was due."

Link:
http://www.myspace.com/detroitdialtones

The Dial Tones are:
Kyle Davis, 18 - Lead Guitar and vocals
Kyle Schanta, 19 - Lead Guitar and vocals
Eric Allen, 22 - Rhythm guitar and vocals
Muksrat, 18 -Bass and vocals
Nick Knight, 19 - Drums
Darrell Haas, 18 - Organ and Piano

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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Please write for permission to use any text.

Johnny Walker Interview! Cut in the Hill Gang

2008-03-31T10:33:00.001-07:00

End of an era: Johnny Walker at the last Soledad Brothers gig.

By: Rich Tupica
richtupica@hotmail.com
* photos: Carl Hoff

Johnny Walker was the mastermind behind the raw blues and punk sound of the Soledad Brothers. The Ohio based guitarist and vocalist, who is best known for mixing delta blues and distortion with a touch of Keith Richards, has a new unit called The Cut in the Hill Gang.
Walker, now a Covington, Kentucky resident has two respected local musicians backing him on a batch of new songs that sound similar to the Soledad Brothers, though the guitar work is now teetering on the edge of Mike Bloomfield.
When Walker is not playing for a crowd of drunken folks at clubs with Cut in the Hill, he is playing his songs for kids he works with at a children’s hospital.
To read more about the new Cut in the Hill Gang 7” record (Little Room Record Co.), and Walker’s ability to beat box, check out the interview below.

Hey Johnny, what is your hometown? Is that where you met Ben Swank?
“Toledo, Ohio. I stayed in Toledo for years. I was from south Toledo, Ben was from Maumee —we formed there kind of by default.”

What bands did you dig back in high school?
“Of course I liked The Stooges and Velvet Underground, Negative Approach and the Necros. I listened to Bauhaus and Joy Division, stuff like that was going on.”

Did you play in any bands in high school? If so, did the bands you mentioned influence the sound of those bands?
“Oh yeah, I played in bands. I covered all those songs. It was really arty — it was called Camus Trust, named after the French existentialist writer Albert Camus. When you’re 17, that’s what you go for, existentialist — fucking bullshit. It was really arty, it was kind of a cross between the Butthole Surfers and Joy Division, really confrontational, but arty at the same time. There were a load of other bands that were inconsequential. It was racket, racket and more racket.”

Are there any Camus Trust recordings floating around?
“No, that stuff is long gone, not that anyone would want to listen to it."

Did you play many shows back then?
“Oh yeah, we used to play at this little place on the East side called Kids Town. It was like a shack with electricity. The cops would always show up and once they figured they could shut us down because there was no plumbing in the building, unbeknownst to us because we had been using this toilet for about a year. As it turns out, there was no access to the sewer from the toilet, so it just drained underneath the club the whole time — which was pretty sweet! (laughs), most punk! We had to fix the plumbing in the punk rock club, the only one in town, so we could have a place to play.”

When did you start and finish college?
“I went to the University of Toledo in the late 80s early 90s, after that I guess I never stopped.”

Has all of that college paid off yet?
“That’s the whole cruel irony of the whole thing —I am managing about $150,000 debt on about $16,000 a year income. It’s pretty funny! (laughs) Someone is laughing somewhere!”

Are you currently practicing medicine?
“I’m not actually practicing right now. I work at a child’s psych hospital. I am just doing programming for the kids and music group therapy and setting up all kinds of group therapy.”

How old are the kids you work with?
“They’re anywhere from 3 to 21 years old. There are about 100 kids in the hospital. I set up therapeutic groups and also, whenever there is a crisis, I have to do a crisis intervention. Today was a pretty brutal one, I get beat up pretty good doing it, but I’m pretty tough.”

I bet that job is pretty stressful.
“It is pretty stressful. It can be kind of scary. I was talking to my friend about it — the kids are on psychotropic meds, so to them it must look like I’m in the Matrix or something! (laughs) I’m moving all fast!”

How do you like the job?
“I love the job, it’s the best job I’ve ever had, but I want to be a child psychiatrist. I’m having problems with my licensing right now and I have to do my residency, but we’ll see how it pans out. Worst case scenario is I’ll just hang out with some hillbillies in Kentucky and play some bluegrass and work with little kids in a psych-hospital.”

*Lager House: Johnny with Cut in the Hill Gang.

When did you first get into the blues?
“I always listened to it. I just never had the capabilities. Even when I was in Henry & June I was a horrible player. I used to drive everybody nuts with it. I mean that kind of playing is deceptively simple. It’s not something just anyone can sit down and do. I mean, anyone can sit down and play a Joy Division bass line, but it’s really hard to sit down and play a Rolling Stones bass line. There is a bit of style involved. Me and Ben were the punk rock half of the band and then the other two guys were the stylists.”

Your blues didn’t sound like typical commercial, was that on purpose?
“No, it’s not commercial, unfortunately. That’s why I find myself in the predicament that I’m in, selling CDs and t-shirts from my last band.” (laughs)

Maybe it should be more accessible!
“Yeah! I’m down for some commercialism.”

Getting back to music, was Henry & June the first blues band you formed?
“Yeah, it wasn’t the first rock band I was in, but it was the first blues-based band I was in.”

How long did Henry & June stay together?
“Oh, maybe a year, we broke up and much to my chagrin we get an offer to open up for Jon Spencer on tour. But the guys wouldn’t get the band back together, so that was that. We ended up opening for Jon Spencer anyway, like seven or eight years later, but I would have preferred to open up for him when he was really good.”

Like ‘Crypt Style’!
“Oh, god — dude! Some of that shit just blew me away.”

What did you do after Henry & June broke up?
“I started playing more guitar then. I started a band with my friend Doug Walker and we called the band Johnny Walker. That’s how I got stuck with this hideous curse of a name. Basically I got stuck with my friend’s last name — it’s like getting married to him or something.”

Like hetero life-mates?
“Yeah! Something like that. He was talking about it when he moved back from New York and everybody was calling me Johnny Walker and he was like, ‘Hey! That’s my name!’ I was like, ‘Yeah, well, I’m not really happy about it either.’”

Why did Johnny Walker break up?
“The reason that band broke up is because we used to get into fist fights a lot. We’re kind of like brothers.”

What happened to Doug Walker?
"After that band broke up, he moved out to LA and played drums with Brian Jonestown Massacre, that’s a little known fact, I don’t think anyone really knows that. He basically got kicked out of that band for getting in fist fights with Antoine. This is funny because he left Toledo because we got in fist fights. We’re still super tight friends. It was more like we were living together and just like brothers. We have gotten into a lot of punch-ups. He is a good dude though. He’d take a punch for me just as much as he’d give one to me.”

What was one of the fights?
“Once it was my birthday and I was really drunk. I was stepping on my cables on stage and I unplugged my guitar about six times. He got pissed off and he was sitting on milk crates — so he picked up one of the milk crates and smacked me on the back of the head! (laughs) I jumped over the drums and started choking him! We stopped and we looked, the drums went everywhere, I had my hands around his neck, we look and there is like 100 people watching with their mouths open. Then we picked up the drums, set everything back up and finished the set.”

So these brotherly fights were quite frequent?
“Yeah and not just at shows. We had this stuff in the hospital and you spray it, like if someone has a code-brown, you spray it and it’s really smells strong. So I went up in his room and sprayed it all over the inside of his pillow (laughs). Oh, he punched the hell out of me for that one!”

After the band Johnny Walker broke up, who did you kick the shit out of next?
“I didn’t kick the shit out of anybody! I was defending myself. That’s when Ben and I started playing as a two piece. So it was kind of out of necessity. Doug and I were just fighting too much. The last fight we ended up getting into ended up being really bloody. Yeah, it was not as bad as it sounds, but I was wearing a white shirt and it looked really bad. So it was like, yeah, this band should break up, it’s going nowhere fast. I needed someone to sit-in and so Ben played some shows with me.”

*Johnny Walker at Cut's first Detroit show

How was Ben’s drumming back in the early days?
“It was horrible. He got better. He pounded just as hard but just got better. But we were really bad back then, man, we were horrible. It was bad. I’m not going to lie to you. That was about ‘96 and I had no fucking clue what I should be doing on guitar. Ben was in about the same position on drums, so it was more punk than it was rock.”

You guys tightened up nicely though.
“Yeah, after years and years of practicing, that’s kind of the way it should be I think.”

How did you get a record deal with Estrus for the first Soledad album?
“They sent us a post card and asked us if we wanted to put a record out. That was after we had that single out on Italy.”

Soledad Brothers were a two piece for a long time, why did that change?
“Yeah, for like the first three or four years — until I went to med school and started hanging out with Brian and writing songs with him.”

Didn't the Soledad Brothers officially move to Detroit from Ohio?
“All of us were up here for awhile. Ben was up here for a long time, about four years. Brian stayed up here for awhile, I did for awhile. I also lived in Cleveland for about two and half years. We’d drive all over and whenever we could practice we would.”

How did you guys hook up with the clique of Detroit bands?
“We came up and played at the Magic Stick, but it was well before there was a stage. We played with the Demolition Doll Rods in between all the pool tables and some rock kids came up to the show. First Henry & June show in Detroit was with the Demolition Doll Rods. We played a lot of shows with Laughing Hyenas, too, opening up for them. I’m still pretty tight with John, he should be coming tonight, I left a message for him — hopefully he does, he’s a rock relic if there ever was! He’s a good dude.”

What do you think looking back on those early days in Detroit?
“It was just something to do. There wasn’t anything else to do, really. No one really cared. No one in Detroit cared about the bands, besides the bands. If we were playing here (Lager House) eight years ago, it would be us, about 25 other people that were in bands and maybe some of their girlfriends. It was basically just a bunch of bands that hung out and played together at home or at bars. We would make bands up for shows. A scene that sticks together will do good things, but the competition you see in other towns between bands is just stupid — you’re shooting yourself in the foot.”

*One for the road: Soledad's last gig at the Magic Stick

Did the Soledad Brothers get a lot of attention when you were featured in NME and other magazines like that?
“A little bit, but not loads. Yeah, we were in a lot of national magazines but I don’t think it really translated to success. I mean, a lot of people thought we were making loads of money, but I mean, dude, I was barely able to fucking eat.”

I recently heard a Soledad Brothers song on the TV show Dog the Bounty Hunter, how did that go down?
“Yeah, that didn’t pay so hot. No, I got lunch for about a month on that one. That’s kind of funny because he ended up being a racist, how weird is that, a band called the Soledad Brothers on that show.”

How did the Soledads write songs?
“I wrote all the songs and Ben would pound out the beat. Sometimes I would do a beat-box to give him an idea what I was going for. I remember the first time I taught Ben how to play a Bo Diddley beat, I did a beat box! I listened to a lot of hip-hop when I was a kid. I liked Dougie Fresh, UTFO, RUN DMC — Boogie Down Productions, I like that shit a lot. I rip that stuff off a lot on harmonica. A lot of my harmonica playing is mimicking people on turntables, believe it or not.”

You should put out a hip hop 7” record!
“I’ve already thought about it. I’ve got a bunch of 12 inches at home that on the A-side is the actual single, then on the B-side is an instrumental — just take that and just layer stuff over top of it. You could take ‘Rock the Bells,’ that’s pretty fucking known, everybody knows the instrumental version of that song with some hand drums over top of it, with an upright bass.”

Why did the Soledads break up?
“It had run its course. I just felt that we should move on to new things. It’s OK, all things must pass, you know.”

Did you think you’d keep playing music after the breakup?
“I’m always going to play music; it’s like meditation for me. It’s very therapeutic. I do it at work all the time for the kids. They dance around in circles and say, ‘Play that ‘tiger’ song again!’”

As in “Cage that Tiger”? So, you play Soledad songs for the kids?
“Oh yeah, they go nuts for it. I do therapeutic music group at this hospital.”

When and why did you decide to move down to Covington, Kentucky?
“I headed out to Kentucky well before the Soledad Brothers broke up. There are really good musicians there, that’s why I moved.”

Is there a decent music scene down there?
“Oh, yeah, I live in a Masonic lodge and there are musicians in and out of there all the time. I live in a ballroom in my apartment that’s basically a recording studio. I have been recording lots of country and bluegrass in addition to what we do. There are some good rock bands, too.”

*Bang a drum: Lance Kaufman, Cut in the Hill's back beat.

How did your new band Cut in the Hill Gang form?
“I was playing bluegrass down in Kentucky and this kid Brad is a super bad ass on mandolin and he’s totally screaming on guitar. I just plugged him into one of my amps and turned it up all the way — I turned on my amp and turned up all the way and we started rolling tape. We went through about three drummers before we arrived at Lance. No one in town really knew Lance is a drummer because he sings in a rock-a-billy band and plays an acoustic guitar. When people saw him setting up drums they were like, ‘What?’ You’ll see — you’ll see what they do! It’s sick. It’s nice to be the weak link in the band. If anybody ever fucks up it’s me! (laughs) They just do their thing. It always sounds good, it’s always tasteful, they’re really good dudes and they’re really reliable.”

*On fire: Brad Meinerding, Cut in the Hill's guitar prodigy!

How far do you plan to go with Cut in the Hill Gang?
“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t really think about that stuff too much, I just want to enjoy it for what it is. I’m not so ambitious anymore. I’m pretty jaded on the music industry right now. I think it’s filled with a bunch of bottom feeders and a bunch of opportunists and a lot of really fucking fake people. The last record label that I was dealing with was like, ‘Oh, your stuff is just too lo-fi.’I was like, ‘Wait a second, you told me that you didn’t want it to sound like I recorded it on a computer? Now you’re telling me it’s too lo-fi and you’re worrying about it not being licensed?’ It’s like, what are you a shill? Or are you a rock-n-roll label?”

So you’re pretty much fed up with that side of music?
“I’m not really down with record labels too much anymore, but these Little Room (Record Co.) kids are pretty awesome though. They are just doing it for fun; I’m just doing it for fun, so it works out nice. I’m thinking about just releasing all of my stuff on vinyl and just fuck everybody else. If they want to listen to it on their iPods, they really have to work hard to do it.”

Cut in the Hill Gang: from left, Lance, Johnny & Brad
(promo pic)

Walker-Certified Links:

Cut in the Hill Gang

http://www.myspace.com/cutinthehillgang

Little Room Record Co.

http://www.myspace.com/littleroomrecordco

Soledad Brothers
http://www.myspace.com/soledadbrothers

Turn it Down on Myspace

http://www.myspace.com/turnit_down

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Please write for permission to use any text.

The Black Hollies Interview - New Jersey Rock

2008-03-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

Debut LP: New Jersey's own, The Black Hollies!

By: Rich Tupica
richtupica@hotmail.com

“Imagine listening to old Northern Soul 45's on a battery operated portable record player while viewing a kaleidoscope in a lavender grove,” is how lead singer and bassist Justin Angelo Morey describes his New Jersey-based psychedelic garage band, The Black Hollies.
After spending his formative teenage years listening to Brit Pop, collecting old rock and soul 45s and tuning into WFMU, Morey honed those influences into his own ‘60s inspired band in 2004.
Since then, the band has evolved into a polished, pop-inspired unit with traces of sitar.
Recently The Black Hollies played SXSW and are wrapping up their tour across the United States.
For an almost complete history, and the story behind the chocolate factory, read the below interview with Morey.

How did the Black Hollies form? How long have you been together?
“Around the month of July in the year 2004, we were all hanging out together in Jon's old attic. There was an old turntable located next to a bookshelf that contained books on all sorts of subjects. We would mostly spend time listening to old 60's soul 45's and while reading books on mysticism, art, geography and spiritual enlightenment. I guess we were trying to pick up puzzle pieces of our lives while discovering new mediums to express our ideas. I suggested trying to write similar music to the others and eventually we pulled the power plug of the record player out of the wall socket and turned ourselves on.”

What is your home town like?
“My home town is Jersey City, New Jersey. I was born in the Margaret Hague Ward of the old Medical Center over on Montgomery Street. We resided in the Greenville section where I was exposed to all sorts of cultures, art and music. The neighborhood was a pretty rough area and presently is even rougher. The chances of being jumped while walking home from school were very high. When I was in the eighth grade, I can vividly recall always walking my first girlfriend home at night with a tool called a ‘Cat's Paw,’ (it's usually associated with general contractors and an eighth grader trying to protect not only himself but his pretty girlfriend) in my coat pocket just in case we ran into any trouble. Fortunately we never had the need to employ such a defense mechanism."

Rock City: Justin Angelo Morey playing the Detroit Fest of Art.

What part of the city do you live in?
“Presently, I live in the downtown area of Jersey City. There are still rough sections, but the number of young professionals now calling it home has been inspiring real estate agencies to increase rents all around. Developers are taking advantage of the new settlers by filling in holes with massive luxury condo buildings. The city has been diluted and the PATH stations are overcrowded. On a positive note, I'm no longer called, ‘The Beatles’ as much. I guess that by the time they get to me, they've already said that more than a dozen times and just get to the point. ‘Brotha' can you hook another brotha' up with some bread?’ If I've got a dollar I can spare, I hook them up. I believe that one day it will come back to me when I need it.”

What first got you digging rock-n-roll music? What bands did you like back in high school?
“Throughout high school, I was absorbing what was going on all around me. I had discovered WFMU a couple of years prior to high school and would look forward to Bill Kelly's radio program on Sunday afternoons. I had no idea that the records he was playing were considered ‘Garage Rock’. I simply liked the way they sounded. Also, every Saturday afternoon on this public radio station over in Newark, NJ there was this DJ Felix Hernandez, who's still going strong, that would spin old 60s soul music."

Were you a big soul records collector back then?
"I wasn't a collector of rare soul at this point in my life, nor did I know how to classify this genre. I simply liked the songs he would play. In high school, the whole Sub Pop, Touch and Go, SST, Amphetamine Reptile catalogs mixed with old Funk 45's — mixed with The Happy Mondays, Blur, Stone Roses, My Bloody Valentine, that is what my friends and I were listening to mostly. Usually we would venture over to Hoboken and purchase all of these new discoveries at a record shop called Pier Platters, R.I.P... Another record store called Stan's Record Shop was my favorite place to escape reality and listen and learn about rare soul music, which still exists today, (it has) tons of old soul records worth checking out when visiting Jersey City. It was a block away from my high school. We would stop by there on our way to the bus stop and dig in the record bins for old 45's."

Back to his roots: Morey & Co. visit Terre at WFMU

Did you see any good rock shows back then?
“There were plenty of bands to see at an all ages venue on Rivington called ABC NO-RIO. We used to take the PATH into the city and walk all the way down Houston and see all of these punk and hardcore bands. Trying to find our way back home in the dark and cold winter nights was scary as hell; always a story to tell the classmates on miserable Monday mornings. Everything was rather routine until one evening when I was invited to come out to see a show at a place called the Scrap Bar in New York City. I still can not recall how we managed to get into this show because we were quite young. The first band was alright but not really my thing. The second band however, changed my life forever. I never viewed or listened to music the same after this spiritual awakening. The Nation Of Ulysses absolutely blew my mind and there simply hasn't been another experience like that ever since. I will forever be in debt for what they provided me that night. Thank you, Nation Of Ulysses.”

There is obviously some 60s influence, but what are some other kinds of music you dig?
“Obviously I really love 60's freak-beat sounds, but I've grown obsessed with rare soul. It started a couple of years ago as an appreciation but now I'm powerless when it comes to it. I have no discipline and when I hear a certain song that makes the hair on my arms raise, there's no other choice but to try and find a copy for myself. Considering the fact that the past couple of months the rent has been paid late, it's probably not a good thing to be on the hunt for certain records. The other members of the band are into 60's freak beat and 60's soul music as well but, unlike me, they appreciate other music. For example, Wiley is a massive Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Noel (‘Silent Morning’ fame) fan. Jon absolutely loves Spacemen 3 and The Small Faces. Nick really digs The Rolling Stones and Neil Young.”

The Black Hollies are on tour right now, how have those shows been so far?
“All of the shows we've played so far have been both interesting and thoroughly entertaining for us all. You really never know what kind of scenario you're getting yourself into prior to setting foot inside of any venue. Rituals have become a part of our daily routine. Jon and Nick have entered a secret competition that tests driving endurance. We're talking like all state versus all county, or something along those lines. Regardless, Wiley and I don't really fully understand what they're trying to do but we're certain that something is going on. Wiley begins our day with positive affirmations regarding life. When the distance to the next city exceeds eight hours of driving, Wiley may see to it that we get additional reading. Running out of gear sends us into panic mode so naturally we'll begin to withdraw into our little worlds until we receive gifts from fans at the venue. That's always a pleasant surprise and we're more than grateful. SXSW was fantastic for us because our friends from home, The Nouvellas, flew into town. We managed to go bowling together one evening. What a great way to spend your evening off.”

What are you up to when you're not playing music?
“When not playing music, I'm most likely going to be found at my day job over at Al Richard's Chocolates. I am a molding production coordinator over there. Believe it or not, I manage to come up with some solid song foundations while working. I usually have to stop what I'm doing and grab a scrap piece of paper and do my best to find a working pen before the idea turns to raspberry jelly filling. When I'm not tempering chocolate for semi-solid molded items for Al Richard's, I'm probably at home cooking. I truly enjoy cooking food while listening to my records. My past dinner guests will probably warn you ahead of time to eat something before you pop over because you're probably going to be served at 10 p.m. Okay, I apologize for detaining you all but my dishes speak for themselves and I'm rather confident that they were worth the wait. Besides, the records and the wine were fabulous.”

What are some bands that you'd recommend to a friend?
"Nouvellas, The Above, Beauty Ray (Wiley's upcoming solo project) and The Beatles."

The new Black Hollies LP and CD, "Casting Shadows"

What records does the band have available? Anything new in the works?
“Currently we have our first LP, 'Crimson Reflections' and we have our latest LP, 'Casting Shadows'. We have them both on vinyl as well as CD format. Our first single, ‘Tell Me What You Want’ and our split release with The Dansettes are both available (Ernest Jenning Record Co.) Currently we do not have copies of our new ‘Paisley Pattern Ground’ b/w ‘(Hold Tight) Go Out Of Your Mind’ single (Dead Flowers Productions) as the sleeves were printed wrong by the manufacturer — we hope to have them any day now.”

Kick the bass!: Morey (left) on stage

What is the best and worst part of being a rock band?
“Best part is performing your set to the fans and turning new people on to your sounds; especially when you're able to gain people who immediately dismissed you prior to witnessing a live performance.
“Worst part is that some people think its tough having one wife, you try having three husbands. For example: Four members and one hotel room. That means two grown men to a bed each night. Each member is so paranoid at the possibility of nocturnal dry humping occurring that you never obtain a good night's rest.”

What is a goal the band hopes to reach someday?
“Obtaining enlightenment.”

The Black Hollies are:
Justin Angelo Morey - Vocals, Bass
Herbert Joseph Wiley IV - Guitar, vocals
Jon Gonnelli - Guitar, vocals
Nicholas Ferrante - Drums

LINKS:
Black Hollies official site:
http://www.myspace.com/theblackhollies
BUY their shit!
http://www.ernestjenning.com/band_theblackhollies.htm
Booking: Sinister Foxy:
kimparis@gmail.com
http://www.myspace.com/sinisterfoxy
Dead Flowers Productions:
http://www.myspace.com/DeadFlowersProductions

This work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Please write for permission to use any text.

Wreckless Eric Interview!

2008-01-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

Wreckless Eric has a new album in the works!

By: Rich Tupica
richtupica@hotmail.com

There is much more to Wreckless Eric than the song "Whole Wide World," his catchy 1978 debut single on Stiff Records.
After a few successful years and drunken tours, Eric became annoyed with the business ideals of Stiff. By the early '80s he decided to ignore the music business.
That doesn't mean he quit playing music, he has never stopped writing or performing, he just started doing things on his own terms. Eric began recording himself at his home studio.
He steadily released albums throughout the 1980s and '90s on various independent labels that did not interfere with his music in the manner of Stiff Records.
If you ask me, that is when Eric's true genius was presented. During this period of his life Eric suffered from alcoholism, which eventually lead to a nervous breakdown. He filed for bankruptcy and moved from his native England to a secluded, countryside shack in France for almost a decade. All the while he was writing thoughtful songs that evoke more emotion than the average punk rocker.
His post-Stiff bands The Captains of Industry, The Len Bright Combo, Le Beat Group Electrique and The Hitsville House Band all released records that were at times poppy, spazzy and even dark. His lyrics always seem to tell a strange story, you're never exactly sure who they're about, but his narrative voice keeps your ear to the speaker, waiting to hear what's next.
His ability to capture odd guitar sounds and strange thoughts on record is what I appreciate most about him. From Joe Meek inspired weirdness, to beautifully crafted lo-fi gems, no two LPs have been the same.
Recently, Eric, 53, has started work on a new studio album with his girlfriend and fellow musician, Amy Rigby, at their home studio in France. They have been playing shows as a two piece group, almost like a punk rock Johnny Cash & June Carter!
Amy and Eric met each other at a venue in England. Fast forward a few years and they are planning to be married.
"The first time I met Eric he was covered with snow," Amy recalled. "He had a box of LP's under his arm, he was coming into the club I was playing at to DJ. Everyone told me he'd been in France but now lived on a boat or something, which I found ... interesting. I remember he was really nice to me, not scary like I imagined, and he played great records."
To find out more about their upcoming album, Eric's brawl at a recent gig, as well as some of his thoughts about his career so far, read the Wreckless Eric interview below.

Where are you right now & how are you doing today?
"Living in South West France with my girlfriend, Amy Rigby. We're just finding our feet here. I've lived in France before but it's all new to Amy."

Amy and you have been together for awhile now, are you married yet?
"We’re nearly married! We are actually planning on getting married early on into the next year."

Amy Rigby & Eric perform during a recent tour photo:pab2000

How did you and Amy meet?
"Well, I’ve had a crush on Amy for many years. We met years ago in Hull, in Yorkshire, which is a town in England. I used to be an art student at Hull Art College, I studied painting and sculpture. I was there at the beginning of the 70s. I played in bands out there, I wrote ‘Whole Wide World’ while I was living there. Anyway, years later, a few years ago, Amy was booked to play in this place up in Hull when she was touring. She was booked to play in this place called the ‘Bull Hotel.’ In fact, in the early 70s it was me who made it into a venue. I talked to the landlord and I said, ‘I got a band and we want to play here.’ It was the fist place I played ‘Whole Wide World.’ Years later Amy is playing there and the promoter said, ‘I want you to come over and DJ. I want you to meet Amy, you’ll like it because she does 'Whole Wide World.'’ I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, yeah. I’ll come along anyway.’ So, I was DJing this gig, I was playing all of these records. I remember being late and also remember being in the middle of splitting up with a long-term girlfriend, but I played ‘Whole Wide World’ with Amy on stage. Then I didn't see her for a few years and I heard she lived in Alabama or something weird. Then we kept meeting up and I was with someone else. It took ages, but eventually we did get together."

Do you like being back in France?
"Oh yeah, I love living in France. Me and Amy were dating, she was in America, I was in England. She would come over to me and I would come over to her. Then it was like, what are we going to do? I thought about moving to America. We did think about moving to upstate New York, but I didn’t really fancy it because it’s cold up there. England, where I lived, was not a good idea. I don’t think Amy quite liked coming to England. I don’t think she wanted to live there. Then she came to play in France, she had to do a gig in Paris. I came over and we spent a couple of days and I said, ‘Look, this is where I’d like to live. This is where I used to live and I want to come back.’ Then she said, ‘Well, if you want to do that I’ll come over.’ I said, 'I’ll put my house up for sale as soon as I get back (to England).' Well, I sold the house in 24 hours! It was a bit of a shock. Now, we have been in this house (in France) for just over a year."

Is your family living back in England?
"Yeah, my daughter lives there and my mother lives there."

Being a former art student, do you plan to create any art or paintings in the future?
"I just do the music, really. It’s all music and writing. In some ways I’d like to be doing painting, but there are too many pop stars doing painting and it’s questionable. You can spread yourself too thin in the end. I love recording, I love going out and playing live and I love writing books. I have to do a certain amount of song writing as well."

You and Amy Rigby have been touring some as "The Eric & Amy Show." Will there ever be an album?
"We’re working on it. We’re making an album and we’re half way through. Then we’ll want to tour coast to coast. We want to do it all. We want to play everywhere we can possibly play in the States. Anywhere we can get an audience. Obviously if there isn’t much of an audience we can’t do it because it will end up costing us money."

Will the record sound like the live show or will it be different on record?
"I think records are different than playing live. More and more with technology people try to replicate their record on stage. I’ve always been of the mind that your record is not the blue print, but it’s presenting something more like a rough, lively, sketch."

What instruments are used on the new Eric & Amy album?
"On the record we use all kinds of stuff. We’ve done a lot with bossanova beat-boxes. The old-fashioned organ type beat boxes. We don’t have a drummer. We figure if we get a drummer it will normalize it. I mean, we just don’t want to be normal. Rock music is normal so it’s a question of guarding against normality."

Do you prefer to use analog or digital recording equipment these days?
"It’s a mixture. We've got tape machines and a computer. Really, it's whatever I can get a result on."

Do you record any bands other than your own in your home studio?
"I’ve had a recording studio. I used to run a little recording studio in France. Then I moved back to England for a while and I had this recording studio in Brighton. I stopped doing it because I couldn’t stand it. You have a bit of a recording studio and you think, ‘Well, alright, I’ll record another person to make ends meet.’ Then you end up doing that all the time. You end up recording people’s hideous demos and horrible bands. So I stopped doing that a few years ago."

What about your your recent live shows with Amy Rigby? I heard they're more acoustic type sets?
"Yeah, but it’s going through the PA and also into an amplifier through a fuzz box."

What sound do you two go for with your live gigs?
"Either me or Amy is playing an acoustic guitar most of the time, but the idea is that the acoustic guitar is our bass and drums. We go for a big fat acoustic sound."

Eric performing at a 2006 show photo:Adam PW Smith

What instruments do you guys play on stage?
"Amy plays the acoustic guitars, she plays the electric and keyboard. I play bass guitar, electric guitar and acoustic. I play the organ on stage sometimes. We do a lot of harmonies."

Do you dig playing the recent shows with Amy more than the Stiff days? How are you two liking the road?
"Back then, I had my first album and ‘Whole Wide World,’ it was great. But I was pretty weird, I was the space cadet, I was the rustic whiz kid. We played free jazz and people did not quite understand but they were mesmerized. It was this mixture of free jazz and pop, it got straightened up.
I ended up doing what I was told (by Stiff Records). Having lead guitar players. I mean, nobody fucking needs a lead guitar player. These people listened to Steely Dan records! They thought my songs were a great vehicle for their playing. They are machine operators. They can’t do anything original. Some of them can quote Jimmy Page, some can quote Jimi Hendrix or Robert Cray. I don’t know, it’s just boring. Or they think they’re the best George Harrison impersonator.
It’s nothing, it doesn’t have anything to do with me and it doesn’t have anything to do with what Amy does. It's just something you don’t need. So, I mean, I don’t have all that around me now and I’m happy about that.
Amy and me together, we have a terrific time, we have a great time traveling around even when it’s exhausting and inconvenient. We enjoy seeing towns and seeing the countryside, meeting people and playing together.
I do enjoy the shows. I love playing live. I’ve always loved playing live. I mean, people think I stopped playing; I just went underground. I’ve always played. I think I’m better than ever now. Nick Lowe said to me 20 years-ago, ‘Don’t ever stop, because the more you do it, the better you’ll get.'"

Eric on stage, post-Stiff!

What is one of your craziest stories that you witnessed on the road touring?
"The other week Amy and I played in Canterbury in England. It was one of those places that thinks it's encouraging culture but is run by fools. The young man in charge was very drunk and quite possibly coked-up too. We just thought he was the doorman but halfway through the set he came on the stage and started turning my amp down. I told him to fuck off. I was in no mood for any of it because the PA was hooked to a limiter and kept cutting out and the sound man wasn't any good, and there were some troublesome people who wouldn't shut up. Earlier on I'd invited one on stage so that he could get whatever it was he wanted to say off his chest and leave us in peace. He threatened to hit me so I lunged at him with my guitar. Fortunately he moved sideways and avoided it - more by drunkenness than good judgment.
The security did nothing about it. So later on the coked-up doorman comes back and starts fiddling with things, and as we finished the song before the last one in the set the sound man pulled all the faders down. I was so mad that I picked up the mic stand and threw it across the stage. Then I did the same with Amy's mic and I pushed the coked-up twat out of the way and suddenly there were three large men holding me down and a fourth calling for police assistance on a walkie talkie. And all the time Amy was yelling at them to let me go and I was trying to break free so that I could hit the organizer.
All this happened on the stage in front of the audience who just sat there watching as though we were a TV show. We'd been going down really well up until then. The management refused to pay us because I'd apparently broken all their equipment, but then they relented but kept back a third of the fee which they said they were going to donate to charity. It's a fairly pathetic story, but at least it's a recent one. And it's not a story of naked women and sinister drugs, they've really been done to death by now."

Going back to your childhood, at what age did you start liking music?
"I probably wrote my first song when I was about nine. I think my mum found the lyrics and told my aunt about it because my aunt nudged me conspiratorially one day and asked me if I'd written any more songs, I was really embarrassed. I've always liked music but it was The Beatles and then the Stones that really got me serious about it."

What kind of music did you dig back in your school days?
"The Who, The Small Faces, The Kinks, The Easybeats, then it was all progressive stuff. I loved Led Zeppelin at the start but their second album came out and kids that weren't hip were into it so it got to being a drag. Same with Pink Floyd - I lost interest when they did that album with the cow on the front of it, but they were never really quite right without Syd. I loved The Jimi Hendrix Experience but I've never had much time for anything after 'Electric Ladyland.' I used to be like that about Dylan and 'Blonde On Blonde' but I'm over that now.
I loved 'SF Sorrow' by The Pretty Things. They were the first real group I ever saw. They changed my life.
When I was 15 or 16 years-old I got into jazz. I bought 'The Art Of The Improvisers' by Ornette Coleman because they'd sold the last copy of 'Hot Buttered Soul' by Isaac Hayes. I still sing bits of that Ornette Coleman record in my head, particularly 'Moon Inhabitants,' 'The Fifth Of Beethoven' and 'Legend Of Bebop.' I think it's done permanent damage."

Eric back in his Stiff days

What were you up to in the year or so before you got signed to Stiff Records? Were you playing lots of gigs and writing songs? Did you think that you'd soon be successful?
"No. I was an art student up in Hull in the North East of England. I played in a couple of bands and people said we were crap, and then some of them started to think we were quite good, and then everyone thought we were really good and I was the star of the show. I just wished I really was good but I was always pretty uncertain, still am. I only moved to London because I had an ambitious girlfriend. Success came as a shock. I wasn't ready for it and I always feel that I had to learn everything in public."

Eric on the cover of Melody Maker

How did Nick Lowe get involved with your music back in 1977, how was it working with him on "Whole Wide World" and so on?
"He was Stiff Records house producer. That is, he was signed to Stiff and he was probably the only person there who had a handle on producing records. He was brilliant, he still is."

I once heard that Stiff Records did not promote you enough during your final days with that label? Did Stiff Records really have something to do with your quitting music for a while in the 80s or is that bullshit?
"Stiff Records had everything to do with me quitting the music business. I don't know that they didn't promote me, but everyone there had a different idea of what I was and what should be done. In the end I felt as though I really didn't exist outside of those people's own egos.
Stiff Records now is a very different proposition. The label was re-floated 10 years-ago by new people and we get on really well."

Yeeeah! Wreckless on stage! photo:Rick Walton

You’ve said you had a drinking problem, which is a very hard thing to battle. What was it that finally got you to stop?
"I got too drunk to play (music) once too often. Life was a living hell. I hated the life I was living and somehow realized that I had the power to change it if I really wanted to. It was hard, it took me years to adjust. I had a nervous breakdown at the end of the 80s but I never went back to drinking."

During the 1980s, you started quite a few great bands under various names. One of them was The Captains of Industry, formed in 1985. What’s something that sticks out in your head when you think about this group?
"I was being managed by my friend Johnny Green who used to be The Clash's road manager. We auditioned loads of people to be in my new group and eventually I got signed to the Go! Discs record label. By then various formations of the group had fallen to pieces - there wasn't a group anymore, just the drummer, Dick Adland. So I got Norman Watt-Roy to come and play bass and he brought in Mickey Gallagher. Then we went on tour and it cost me loads of money. I should have done it all as Wreckless Eric but I was trying to move on.
The whole thing was a disaster because no one knew who or what Captains Of Industry was and we got really bad reviews. It was the 80s and everyone was having a great big cocaine party - all except me, drunk and disgusted in my corner. I tried to make an album about the state of the country, real life under the Thatcher regime, but no one wanted to know. I think the production lets it down - I particularly don't like the vocals or the vocal sound. When 'Different Class' by Pulp came out it all became clear, that was the album I'd wanted to make but I wasn't up to it."

The Len Bright Combo cd cover (Southern Domestic)

Another one of your bands was The Len Bright Combo, who put out a brilliant album back in 1986, it got great reviews, was there a second album?
"There was. It was called 'Combo Time!' We split up shortly after it came out."

Your former band Le Beat Group Electrique was also amazing. What was your life like when you recorded that back in 1989?
"Recovering from a nervous breakdown. Learning how to enjoy life. I moved to France immediately after I finished recording Le Beat Group Electrique. That was a turning point, I spent nine years living in the French countryside in a shack. I went on tour in Holland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and occasionally in the UK in order to earn what little money I needed to survive. In some ways it was tough. I had no real heating, just a couple of old woodburners that I salvaged from the scrap yard and a gas heater that worked on bottled gas and made the place damp if I used it too much. There was no hot water, no insulation and the electrical wiring was apt to catch fire occasionally."

When and how did you start living in the shack?
"I moved to France in 1988, ’89 because there was no future for me in England and I like France. I ended up living in the middle of nowhere in this really old semi-derelict house (laughs). People said it was unlivable, but I lived in it. I lived in that place for a couple years, then I lived in this other place for seven years, then I moved back to England for a while. And then I came back (to France)."

Meekified! "Donovan of Trash" cd cover

What was your life like when you were recording, my favorite Wreckless Eric album the 'Donovan of Trash' LP (1993)?
"I was living in that shack in France. I recorded it in that dilapidated house. It took ages. I did it all on the four-track, Teac open-reel machine and a couple of old Ferrograph two-track machines. I was bouncing stuff backward and forwards on those. I recorded it like a Joe Meek record. It’s very fucked up sounding, that record."

What inspired you to write a song about the 1960s producer Joe Meek on your 'Donovan of Trash' album?
"The first record I ever bought was ‘Globetrotter’ by The Tornadoes back in 1963. I really like Joe Meek’s stuff. I’ve always had this thing about Joe Meek for years. When we were doing the ‘Beat Group’ album we used to be on about Joe Meek. We’d be like, ‘Yeah! We’re just like Joe Meek, we’re recording up in this flat.’ We recorded that album in a flat, an apartment.
Suddenly this guy wrote a book about Joe Meek. We got a hold of this book, and this was before it was a bestseller, it is now, but at the time nobody knew who Joe Meek was. We got a hold of this book and it told the story and it talked about how he recorded songs and it had photos that we’d never been able to get a hold of before. (After I read the book) I immediately wrote ‘Joe Meek.’ It took me a week to write that song, it took me a week to get it right."

Best song ever? The "Joe Meek" 7" vinyl single.

Sympathy for the Record Industry released the CD format of 'Donovan of Thrash', how did that happen?
"I wish I never had anything to do with Sympathy For the Record Industry because that guy (Long Gone John) is not exactly straight. He told me he pressed up 1,000 copies of it and he’s still selling it. It’s taken him all these years to sell 1,000 copies? Like 18 years or something, I don’t understand that."

I have been looking for the 'Donavan' vinyl for a long time, I can't seem to track it down.
"It’s getting rare. I will re-release it eventually. I was thinking of doing a remix."

Paul McCartney had a bunch of sheep or some shit when he lived in a shack with Linda! Did you raise any animals in yours?
"I had a rabbit. I had a dwarf angora rabbit, a white one, and he was called "Remix." He used to break-dance and he was house trained. He had the run of the house and he used to sleep in the cage at night. He was very happy and he was very intelligent as well because he wasn’t kept in a cage all day.

I always used to forget that he was there. A lot of people would come around to see me and suddenly a little white rabbit would run through the kitchen! (laughs) I would have mentioned that there was one! A lot of people would think they were hallucinating because he was very Alice in Wonderland."

Did Remix the bunny like to chew on your stuff? My rabbit does every once in awhile.
"I used to have to keep him out of the studio. There was a board I put across the door, but he used to jump up and look in. When I was working in there he would run past, jump up and look in. It was like he was saying, ‘Yup! Sounds good! That’s good, carry on!’ Another thing he used to do was when I put a record on, he would rush into the kitchen and do a little break dance. He would just run in, do that, and then run out!"

"Bungalow Hi" (Southern Domestic) album cover

More recently, your last album, "Bungalow Hi" (2004) has a bungalow on the cover, is that your house?
"If that had been my house I wouldn’t have had to make another record! (laughs). Actually, that house ... To me, the whole album had a theme. ‘Bungalow Hi’ was an album about the quality of life. I love the title ‘Bungalow Hi’ because a bungalow is not high, it’s almost low. The word bungalow, I’ve always loved it. I grew up in a bungalow, I recorded that album in a bungalow and it was an L-shaped bungalow. Before I lived in the bungalow, I used to live in a boat but I had to get rid of the boat and I was a bit sad about it, a bit heart broken."

How old were you when you lived on the boat?
"Too old to be living on a boat, I suppose it was about six or seven years ago."

How did you come up with the album title "Bugalow Hi"?
"I was going to call the album, ‘The L-Shaped Boat,’ but it became ‘Bungalow Hi.’ I always think of Hi-fi when I think of bungalows, because bungalows came along at the same time as Hi-fi and easy listening, things like that. I was living this 70s fantasy in my bungalow. Listening to the Ray Coniff Orchestra or whatever! (laughs). Some of those easy listening records are great stuff. Jose Feliciano, Nancy Sinatra and stuff like that. So, I thought of ‘Bungalow Hi-Fi.' It just seemed to have a bit of poetry about it."

How did you find the house for the album cover?
"It took ages to find the right house to photograph to put on the front cover. It was really difficult to find the absolute right house. I found that one somewhere up in the north of England. I went along with a friend of mine who is a photographer to look for a house. We were driving by and I said, ‘That’s the house! Stop the car! That’s the house! That’s it!’
The front cover is actually the back of the house. The front of the house didn’t do any good for us. So we thought, ‘How can we get back there? Obviously we just can’t climb over the garden wall, there might be a dog or something.’ So my friend (the photographer), she said, ‘It’s not a problem, just follow my lead.’
She rings the doorbell and a woman comes to the door, it’s this old lady. She (the photographer) says, ‘I’m sorry to bother you, but we were wondering if we could take some photos of your house, we’re art students and we’re doing a project about houses and your house is just the sort of house we need.’ The old lady said, ‘Ooh, well, that is just marvelous! Would you like to come in?’ Next thing we’re being shown in and meeting the husband who was a retired truck driver.
He showed us all around in the garden and everything. We had a tour of the house from the cellar to the attic and then we had a cup of tea. It was a nice house, very cool house. Then we took the photos and that was it. I just hope they never find out! (laughs)"

So they don't know their house is on an album cover?
"No, I don’t think so. People get a bit funny when it’s LP covers. They think there is money in it for them and there certainly isn’t!"

The Monkees covered your song 'Whole Wide World' on their 1987 reunion album "Pool It!" What did you think about that?
"Oh yeah! That was hilarious. This is 1987 and at the time I was very depressed. I actually had a nervous breakdown in the end. I don’t blame The Monkees, it wasn’t their fault (laughs). I was sort of wondering what the fuck am I going to do with my life. I had left The Len Bright Combo, that had all split up. Nothing was going right. When I talked to this guy I knew from Music Week he said, ‘It’s funny, I was just thinking about you. I've just seen something, apparently The Monkees have covered ‘Whole Wide World.’
It's like, I always go back in time. So when The Monkees did ‘Whole Wide World’ I was instantly transported to 1966 or 1967 and I’m going ‘Wow!’ So I talked to the boss of the record company and he said, ‘You've got to have a copy, I’ll send a copy over to you immediately. We’re really pleased that they’ve done it, they’ve done it in the style of the original and it sounds fantastic.' So I’m walking around and going, ‘Wow!’ I’m making these mental lists, ‘Last Train to Clarksville,' 'I’m a Believer,' … 'Whole Wide World.' (laughs) For a few days I was absolutely insufferable. ‘Neil Diamond, Goffin & King, Harry Nilsson … Wreckless Eric!’
They always used the best songwriters. So I was really strutting around, thinking, ‘Yeah, I write songs for other artists, The Monkees!’ (laughs)
Then the record comes through the post and I rip all of the packaging off and I’m looking at the cover, and it’s looking a bit 80s. Then I’m jerked out of my 1966 fantasy. I looked some more at the record; there are only three of them (Monkees). Mike Nesmith isn’t there, he was the one who knew what he was doing.
Then I put it on, it was the second track and it was just … horrible. It was Mickey Dolenz singing it and you could just see the jazz hands, like the old Jolson jazz hands going on.
I was looking at who had written the rest of the songs and it was a song writing team called 'Fairweather & Page.'
I think it’s in my book, at the end of (my time at) Stiff Records, Dave Robinson said I couldn’t write tunes anymore. He said, ‘You’ve never been able to write good tunes, so I’m getting some people in here to do the tunes, you just write the lyrics.’ He put me together with ‘Fairweather & Page,’ and they were a couple of wankers, fucking horrible. Eventually they made it big, they wrote ‘We Built This City on Rock-n-Roll’ for Jefferson Starship. So anyway, I’m looking at all the other writers on this Monkees record and most of the other songs were by ‘Fairweather Page,’ the songwriting team. So they don’t use the best songwriters in the business, do they! I wasn’t in good company!
It was really a downer. At the same time, I can edit the record out. I’m good at this, I’ve edited the record out of it and I’m really fucking proud! (laughs) I’m very proud that The Monkees covered me."

In 2003, you published your first book, a biography about much of your life so far. Do you plan to write in any other styles, other than non-fiction?
"I also want to do some fiction writing as well. Which I’ve got ideas, some bizarre ideas; I’m working on that. There is a thing on my site at the moment, a link to a blog, which is the ‘Page Family’ page.
The Page Family are the most boring people. They’re sort of like an English standard, average, consumer family. Their hobbies and past times are listed as ‘shopping’ and ‘watching T.V.’ They are the most dull people. Anyway, I write this blog of the Page Family, just started that. That actually started one night when Amy was having trouble sleeping, so I said, ‘I’ll tell you a story! I’ll tell you a really boring story and then you’ll be able to sleep.’ It was so dull I fell asleep in mid-sentence. She was like, ‘And then what happened?’ (laughs) They’re a part of a fiction world. I just like the idea of making it exist in reality. I’ll probably wind up making Myspace sites for people who don’t exist."

Buy Eric's book at his official website!

How did you finally decide to write your book, "A Dysfunctional Success: The Wreckless Eric Manual" (2003 Do Not Press)
"I always wanted to write a book. People were saying, ‘You should write a book about it.’ I was like, ‘How the fuck do you get a book published? I’ve got no idea.’ So I thought this is all too difficult. Anyway I kept on writing stuff, having stops and starts with it. Then with the advent of the Internet I started writing stuff and putting it online.
Suddenly I got a call from a guy I knew who had been a promoter and an agent and later became a book publisher. He said, ‘I’d like you to write a book, would you like to?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I would, but I don’t know if I can, really. It’s just an undertaking.’ Then I said, ‘I would really like to write a book, but not the sort of book you’d want.’ Then he said, ‘Well, it depends, what kind of book do you want to write?’ And I said, ‘Well, I think I could write a good biography, but I don’t want to write all that normal stuff that people write about being famous, like, "Oh, then we signed the contract, then we met David Bowie and then Elton John walks into the dressing room and meanwhile, Kenny, our lead guitarist was getting a blowjob."’ You know, all that kind of crap."

And then came the cocaine!
"Well, there is a cocaine incident in my book, but I think its much more low-life. I said, ‘I’m not interested in writing one of those books.’ He said, ‘Look, do me a favor. Just so long as you make a mention of Stiff Records and admit to who you are, because then we’ll be able to sell it.' Okay, right, then he said, ‘I think you should write it under your real name and we’ll just make sure that Wreckless Eric is on the front cover or in the title somewhere.' So that’s what I did, but I also made him give me an advance. This is a guy I have known for years. I said, ‘Look, I know you haven’t got any money, really, but the only way I’m going to write a book is if I’m sort of obliged to. I need some money before I do it. I’m going to invest some time in it, but I need an advance.' So he paid me an advance, we agreed in an advanced structure and I wrote the book."

Eric at one of his book readings photo:Adam Smith

How long did it take to write the book?
"It actually took me a couple years because I kept moving house. I think I kept moving because I was trying to get away from the book, but it kept following me! (laughs)"

Are you planning to write another book, a follow up to "A Dysfunctional Success"?
"Yes, I’m planning to. We just moved into this house and I haven’t got a room to write in at the moment. We got the studio sorted out and it’s livable and everything. Once I get the attic fixed up, I’ll have somewhere to write. At the moment, I’m sitting at the entrance hall at the computer; it’s not exactly conducive to writing. It’s more than I can do to answer emails at the moment."

http://www.wrecklesseric.com

Amy & Eric! Check for tour dates and their upcoming album!

Eric LINKS:
Wreckless Eric website:
http://www.wrecklesseric.com
Wreckless Eric Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/wrecklesseric
WATCH THIS! Eric doing his thing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDf3bFCxpIE
Eric on NPR (audio interview and songs!)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5325415
Eric's Page Family blog:
http://thepagefamilypage.blogspot.com/
Eric bio on Trouser Press.com:
http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=wreckless_eric&tr=y
Amy Rigby online:
http://www.amyrigby.com/
http://www.myspace.com/amyrigby07
Photo Links!
Rick Walton's rock pics!
http://www.rikwalton.com/music/rock/wrecklesseric/gal.html
Adam PW Smith pics:
http://www.adampwsmith.com/
Pics by Pab2000!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pab2000/418838368/

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Bobby Harlow of THE GO INTERVIEW!

2007-12-25T13:12:00.000-08:00

The Go's front man, Bobby Harlow Photo: Ami Barwell

By: Rich Tupica
richtupica@hotmail.com

The Go, fronted by Bobby Harlow, is one of Detroit’s finest rock-n-roll outfits. From one album to the next the band seems to evolve while remaining true to their unique 60s influenced songwriting.
The band formed in 1998, before Detroit was plastered throughout NME and other music rags around the world. The Go’s vision was a part of the blue print that would soon define the revival of Motor City rock music.
In September of 1999, Sub Pop released The Go’s debut album “Whatcha’ Doin.” Buried under the fuzzy, lo-fi recordings were a handful of great songs penned by Harlow and his long time friend and band-mate John Krautner. The original Go lineup also included guitarist Jack White (White Stripes), who not only performed, but also co-wrote two songs on the record.
Following the band’s debut album, the band has since acquired a loyal fan-base that extends far beyond the United States. Records on various labels and successful tours have filled much of the band’s time.
The dirty-garage-rock sound heard on the first LP has developed nicely into a finely tuned classic sound.
Mixing psych and pop with some Beatles, Stones and a pinch of their own secret ingredient, The Go’s new album, “Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride” (Cass Records), presents classic sounding guitars with thoughtful lyrics.
Ben Blackwell, owner of Cass Records, has witnessed firsthand many transformations The Go has gone through since their formation.
“If I hadn't noticed a change in The Go's sound, I'd be deaf,” Blackwell said. “As a band, it seems like they've never stopped evolving while still maintaining a consistent feel or vibe that so many other acts just can't get their arms around.”
“They’ve never made the same record twice,” Blackwell added, “and yet it still always sounds like The Go,”
Blackwell has known Harlow for many years, and he recognized early on that he was not only an artist and musician, but also a unique individual.
“I first met Bobby Harlow in fall of 1998 while The Go were recording demos in southwest Detroit,” Blackwell said. “I had a copy of the MC5 Saginaw Civic Center bootleg LP with me. The cover photo is a striking color shot of the band live with Rob Tyner laying prostrate. When I showed it to Bobby he said, ‘I wonder how Rob Tyner ended up in that position?’ It's something I never would have thought of myself and seemed to almost establish a higher form of thinking that I’ve come to expect from the man,” Blackwell recalled.
After nearly a decade together, bassist John Krautner said he and his band mates have grown as people and musicians.
“We've changed musically by growing as individuals,” Krautner said. “The great thing about being in The Go is that change is always welcome. Changing stuff up all the time makes recording a fun experience.”
From The Go’s earliest recordings to the new LP, one factor has always remained: Harlow’s distinct voice.
“He doesn't like to brag so I'll do it for him,” Krautner said. “His singing voice is one of a kind.”
To find out more about The Go’s trials and tribulations, read the interview with Bobby Harlow!

What high school did you go to? What bands were you into back then?
“I attended Kimball High School in Royal Oak, Michigan. Like so many teenage kids, I was into a bit of everything. It was all modern, aggressive, goofy stuff. The big groups of that time were Metallica, Danzig, Public Enemy, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Nirvana, Ministry and Primus. Some of my friends were into Joy Division and others were into the Grateful Dead as well. I liked heavy metal.”

What was your first band, any before The Go?
“When I was 15 years-old I started playing the guitar. At the age of 17 I bought my first 4-track tape recorder. Before I met John & Marc (guitar player & drummer for The Go) I was obsessed with recording. I would lock myself away, for hours, all night and record songs alone."

Bobby Harlow (right) in 1991, with friend Shane

Didn't you live in Grand Rapids for a period of time?
"When I was 20 years-old I moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan and there were many musicians attending the university. I met a great deal of good, talented people and I recorded and produced an entire album with pianos, strings, brass; beginning to end, 12 songs. My 21st birthday was spent in the studio, producing. The album never saw the light of day. Very few people have heard it and I don't care. There are plenty of interesting sounds on it but I don't plan to let anybody in. There were actually two records, the other was 30 minutes long and was supposed to be the soundtrack for a cartoon feature.”

Bobby on stage! Photo: Carl Hoff

What did those early, Grand Rapids-era, recordings sound like?
“I believe I was 19 or 20 years-old (when I recorded) the cartoon soundtrack called 'Dr. Puerco Drinks the Ooze.' It had its roots in classic rock-n-roll, but wasn't restricted from venturing into other territories. The more traditional rock album (I recorded) sounded like a hybrid Pink Floyd, Stooges, Velvet Underground influenced imitation. The recordings from when I was 17 and 18-years-old are all very pot-headed and Beatles driven … surprise. Now, I'm full circle but without the pot, I'm merely headed.”

What university did you go to in Grand Rapids?
“I didn't. I dropped out of school when I was 16 years-old. I was interested in music and nothing else. I was tired of the musicians in my circle. I wanted to go to a place where things were entirely different so I moved to Phoenix, Arizona in order to experience something new. I lived there for one month and was depressed because it was winter and all of the palm trees were limp. I explored the college in Tempe but the students seemed too content in their cave and I didn't think they wanted to be interrupted. Also, I was being haunted by aggressive-ghosts, that's true, so I had to leave. I moved to Grand Rapids to take an opportunity with the college kids and their desire to create music. I could also use the university piano rooms for recording. I'd walk in like I owned the place and set up shop. Nobody would question me. I was able to develop quickly there.”

Attack! Bobby on stage in Brixton photo:Ami Barwell

Did you finish school, or did music take over? Would you ever go back to school?
“School was boring. Music is exciting. That's how I had felt. I've now set my path. If a person's ambition is to become a surgeon, they attend medical school. If a person's ambition is to become a musician, they would have to attend music school. And if a person's ambition is to somehow psychologically emancipate from those preconceived notions, good luck with that. There is always sacrifice. My friends who have become lawyers could not seriously pursue a musical career, even if they wanted to, unless they jumped ship. Even then, they would not have the experience to make certain crucial judgments that are detrimental to an artist's struggle for a unique, individual voice that speaks of the common, human conditions. It would be next to impossible for them.”

Bobby Harlow Photo: c/o Sinister Foxy

Do you see yourself finding a career outside of music?
“I rarely think of anything other than music. I've never allowed anyone's will or determined views to be imposed upon my creativity. The sacrifice is, it seems that there is no financial security in the business of music. The artists always sit on the doorsteps of the rich. Charles Bukowski told me that in one of his books. I've been fortunate enough to set my own pace, believe my own idealistic dream and remain a stubborn character. I don't take the virtues for granted. I have a sound in my imagination, anything that deviates from my minds song is wrong. Anyone who has ever worked along side of me knows that what I want is very specific. I don't like to work with people who don't know what they're doing. I know what I'm doing... it may not be to everybody's liking, but I'm doing it one way or another.”

Bobby in black & white

Other than rock-n-roll stuff, what types of music do you listen to currently?

"I listen to Jazz; Sun Ra, Coltrane, Miles, Pharaoh Sanders, Alice Coltrane, Monk, Dizzy, Bird, Brubeck, Keith Jarrett, I like Lee Perry. I periodically go through hip-hop phases and listen to Eric B & Rakim, Wu Tang, DMX, N.W.A., old stuff. Mainly, it's Jazz & rock-n-roll. I guess I listen to a lot of soul as well. I just kind of lump that in with rock-n-roll though. I love Little Richard and Diana Ross. I like Michael Jackson."

How did The Go get together? How did you all meet?
“John & Marc were in a band called 'The Rail Face Wonder Wheel.' We had a mutual friend who told them that I could record groups. They hopped in a car and drove up to Grand Rapids. We hit it off and I thought that they were excellent musicians. We recorded our first song called 'Send Me Down Love' which is a Doo-wop number. I moved down to Royal Oak (Michigan) and we started The Go.”

Bobby recording the "Super Cuts" LP

What is life like in Detroit? Do you live in the city? Ever get your car broken-into? I have a couple times out there!
“I've had my windows bashed in. I lived in the city for one year and that was enough for me. I like Detroit but I don't want to worry about my stuff. I prefer the suburbs.”

What were some of the early gigs like? Didn't you guys play the Gold Dollar? What was that place like to play?
“We were Gold Dollar regulars. Our first Detroit show was a secret gig at Paycheck's Lounge in Hamtramck. We were afraid to let people see us so we booked it under the name 'Blackula.' Just so happens that Zack Schipps, who's now in the Electric Six, stopped in for a beer that night. He was the only person to see The Go's first show. He says he liked it. The Gold Dollar had a real communal vibe. Most everybody knew each other and we had a great time there. The Gold Dollar houses my best memories of Detroit.”

The Go with Jack White (far left)

How long did Jack White play with The Go? Did he have a major role in the band?
“Jack played on our first record. Jack and I wrote a song together and he wrote with the entire group as well. He was important to us but we were on a path that couldn't be interrupted. Jack, I believe, really enjoyed his time in The Go. We were the only rock band that he ever officially joined. Unfortunately, it just couldn't work out. I miss Jack, a bit. He's a very talented guy, as you know.”

What are some Detroit bands that you are digging these days?
“I like The Pizazz, The Human Eye, Loretta and Julie Lucas, and Zoos of Berlin. On the garage side of things, I like The Muldoons.”

Bobby and Marc Fellis on drums Photo: Corwin Wickersham

Hasn't The Go gone through quite a few line-up changes? Is it hard to keep a band together for so long?
“John, Marc and I have played together for over 10 years. Marc and John have been playing together since they were both 16 years-old. We've always enjoyed changing the sound and experimenting. That's why, I believe, we've been through so many lineups. We just enjoy making music and creating new identities through sound. It's kind of like acting. We can become different people, play new roles with each new song. I've never liked to be the same person for too long.”

The Go promo photo: Fabrizino

Is it true that Sub Pop rejected The Go's second album, "Free Electricity," because it was too noisy? I read that on Wikipedia.
"They certainly didn't reject it because it was 'too noisy.' Wikipedia is full of shit. It's a useless website. Sub Pop definitely didn't agree with the type of noise coming from their speakers. Artists should be able to do whatever they want. If they're not doing it for money, I say it should be completely untouched by all outside parties. Sub Pop did not comply. What did they want? Who knows?
They provided The Go with it's first record and from there we've never looked back. I couldn't be more grateful for Sub Pop. They really drew a lot of attention to the band."

How has The Go's sound developed over the years? Your latest album sounds quite polished and focused.
“Thank you. I don't know that our sound has developed, but our approach is different. I record and produce everything now. It's allowed us to experiment a great deal more than before. Our sessions are private and we can create as much, or a little, as we choose without having the pressure of other people's opinions and agendas.”

Bobby Harlow Photo: c/o Sinister Foxy

The Go's latest album, "Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride" has great album art. Who designed it?
"Thank you. A very good friend of ours has been working with the group. Michael Wartella is a cartoonist. I like his personality so much that I just asked him if he could design our album art and direct our videos. He's extremely talented and has brought so much more life to the band's identity, in my opinion. Not only has he designed our album art but he's also completely responsible for the 'You Go Bangin On' music video. He's just finished the art on our holiday single called 'Christmas on the Moon' as well."

The Go released the latest album with Cass Records and a single with Italy Records, another Detroit record label, any reason behind that?
"Ben Blackwell, head of Cass Records, is a friend of mine. I've known Ben since he was knee high to a grasshopper, which is still taller than me.
I think we've got, 'we' meaning Detroit music groups, we've got all the advantages to create, record and release great music. Dave Buick (head of Italy Records) and Ben Blackwell both have record labels because they love music. They're not looking to make a profit, just break even, hopefully.
They're genuine music fans who make certain that good music is available to people who want to hear it. That's why I'd like to go into recording and production. I want groups to be heard as well. I won't charge any money to record a good group. It's free, kind of. If a group has good songs then they ought to have good recordings as well. They ought to have great recordings without the burden of studio costs and with the opportunity to work with somebody who actually cares about the end result."

The Go, live at Piano's Photo: Thee Roxxan

What equipment do you use to record your band?
“In my experience, I've found that microphones are the most efficient way to record music. I used to be quite retro, believe it or not, and was in the habit of recording everything using a quill and stretched Egyptian cotton. That came to a screeching halt when I had accidentally spilled black ink on the guitar player's new jeans. He then stood up, removed his silk glove from his purse and slapped me across the cheeks. We dueled at dawn ... I was victorious ... he forgot to bring his pistol. Guitars players are so predictable.”

How is touring all over the U.S. and other countries? What are the best and worst parts of it?
“There is no best or worst, in my opinion. It's all the same. I like the big cities like New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle and Portland. I hate L.A. with a passion.”

Bobby's mugshot! Photo: Joshua Band

How many tours has The Go been on? Do you remember the first one?
"My best guess is that The Go has been on somewhere around ten to fifteen tours, including Europe. I do remember the first tour. It wasn't that long ago, actually.
In fact, the first tour was seven years ago. If you visit The Go Myspace page and look through our photo album and you'll find a picture called "The Free Electricity Band," which is pre-Free Electricity. That's a photo from the first tour. That tour was completely insane. I'm still recovering."

Ever have any horror stories happen on the road?
“We could write a book. Somebody else should tell the stories. I won't do it, too incriminating.”

Who writes the songs in the band? What is the band's process of writing songs?
“John and I write the songs. When we first began, as a group we would write together. John would play the guitar and we would both sing. I would write the words down as we made them up. Now we write independent of each other. John calls me and says, ‘I've got a song named ‘Invisible Friends’, then we record it.”

How often do you write songs?
"I write when inspiration hits. Sometimes I write 10 songs or none. It depends on whether I have something to say. Usually, I write when I'm annoyed. Really, if I feel strongly and emotionally about something I can turn that into a 12 song record. I can't write when I'm feeling content. That's why I never play the lottery. If I won a million bucks I'd be washed up. It's not worth the gamble."

A few years back attention on Detroit was crazy, are there still good turnouts to shows?
“The turnouts are still very good. It's the same as it was before, I think. If your music is good, or your show is entertaining, people will turn up at your gig. The Gold Dollar was no different. The 'Detroit Craze' was no different."

The Go!

I heard you guys recently had one of your songs on a major network television show? Did you guys notice any extra attention towards The Go after it aired?
"No. We make money by having our songs placed in movies and television. There is no extra benefit from having a song in a show unless you've written the theme for Taxi or are featured in a Michel Gondry film. Actually, there is one exception... we have two songs in the remake of 'The Hills Have Eyes' and the art-damage-punk-rockers loved it; more horror please.”

What are some of your hobbies aside from music?
“I like to collect microphones, compressors, preamps, equalizers and reverbs in order to make music, if anybody would like to contribute to my collection. I enjoy items found with tubes in them, or dated before 1977. Just in case a potential sugar-mama decides to read this correspondence, she should know what's expected. No surprises, no drama. I'm expensive.”

A recent Go promo photo

What is next for The Go? Is there anything in the works?
“We're currently recording new material. I have plans to record and produce other bands as well. There are a few local groups that, I believe, would benefit from the sound I'm able to achieve. I may start a website. Maybe open a bank account. I may begin speaking with an Australian accent. I was thinking of beginning a nightly activity of reading under low light, therefore, in a few years, I'd be able to wear prescription glasses. The works are in the works, as they say.”

How long will The Go keep playing music? Is there any end in sight?
"Not sure. As long as the songs sound good, I suppose we'll continue to release albums. A band like Guided By Voices or The Flaming Lips have been around for twenty some years. The Go have really only made it to eight years.
I guess we've got a lot of work ahead of us. That's really, ultimately, the deciding factor... if The Go keeps it's members busy then we won't have much time to think about quitting. It's kind of like war; if a soldier focuses on killing his enemies then he won't have time to think about killing himself. Just thought I'd add that bit of inspirational insight. Har har. Oh, all of this and it's not even 9 a.m. yet. Sometimes I wonder..."

GO to these LINKS:
Official Website of THE GO:
http://www.thegodetroit.com/
THE GO on Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/thegodetroit
BUY! THE GO STORE:!
http://store.thegodetroit.com/
Cass Records:
http://www.cassrecords.com/
Italy Records:
http://www.myspace.com/italyrecords
Other GO-able Links:
http://www.odysseyzine.com/articles/interview_thego.htm
http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=11861
http://www.nypress.com/print.cfm?content_id=1132
Check out these cool sites!
Photo-Link for Ami Barwell:
www.musicphotographer.co.uk
Sinister Foxy! (Go Pics):
www.476ad.com/sinisterfoxy

Thanks Ami!

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Please write richtupica@hotmail.com for permission to use quotes.

Jay Reatard Interview

2007-10-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

Jay Reatard on his 2007 tour photo: Christina Wozniak

By: Rich Tupica
richtupica@hotmail.com

Jay Reatard never went to high school. Instead he stayed home and recorded songs. As it turns out, this wasn’t such a bad idea.
When Jay was 15 years-old, he went to a small venue in his hometown of Memphis to see a Rocket from the Crypt gig, but left in awe of the sloppy opening band, The Oblivians. This is when Jay Lindsey became Jay Reatard.
After that show he started to record home-made punk tapes that reflected the lo-fi sounds of The Oblivians, with a touch more anger. Jay named his band The Reatards, even though at its first conception, the only member was himself.
Eric “Oblivian” Friedl was a key figure in Jay’s early musical influences. In 1997 Friedl also released the first Reatards 7” record on his own Goner Records.
“We liked the recordings,” Friedl recalled. “I guess I knew it was just one guy and I thought it’d be interesting to see what would happen if he showed up and tried to play it all at once.”
Friedl said he likes the music Jay was making a decade ago, but he is also impressed with his recent, more polished tunes.
“I could put on the old stuff and it still sounds really good,” Friedl said. “But his new record blew me away. I followed him around and watched seven of his shows at SXSW and I loved all of them. I think he’s doing really, really well,” Friedl said.
A handful of 7” singles and LPs were released under The Reatards moniker. On stage Jay was known to spazz, scream, and roll around. However, when Jay and his then girlfriend Alicja Trout formed the keyboard-heavy Lost Sounds in 1999, Jay steadily began to concentrate more on music and less on stage antics.
After the The Lost Sounds split-up, Jay worked with many side project bands, most notably: Angry Angles, Destruction Unit, Persuaders, Final Solutions and Nervous Patterns. He also recorded and released a pile of records on his own independent record label, Shattered Records.
Today, Jay is right where he wants to be, in control. He recently wrote and recorded (playing all the instruments himself) his latest and most successful album to date, Blood Visions. Almost non-stop touring takes up much of his calendar, he spends more time in a mini-van than most people could fathom. However, his hard work is starting to pay off. While touring, Jay doesn’t have to sleep on floors and eat bullshit anymore. He can now afford to live comfortably on the road.
Jay’s latest tour has allowed him to do things his way. He no longer hides behind a band name. He’s not a Lost Sound or an Angry Angle, he’s just Jay Reatard.
To find out about his upcoming deal with Matador Records, read the interview below.

What music did you listen to back in high school?
“I didn’t go to high school! (Laughs)"

How did you stop going to high school?
“I just stopped going! (Laughs) "

What did you do while you were supposed to be at school?
“I just sat and recorded music all day … slept and ate Big Macs.”

What bands were you digging in your teens?
"The first bands that I really liked were Rocket From the Crypt and Nirvana, stuff like that, music I saw on MTV. In 1995 Rocket From the Crypt had The Oblivians open for them in Memphis at this big shitty rock venue. I thought The Oblivians were like the worst band I’d ever seen, but there was something about it I was drawn to. I went to the record store and described the band to the person at the counter. I was like, ‘It’s this drunken sloppy band with no bass.' She was like, ‘Oh, that’s The Oblivians,’ and I bought their records. From there I just started hanging out with Eric (Oblivian) and he turned me on to other stuff I would have never found out about otherwise.”

So The Oblivians were a big influence on your early music?
“I was just trying to rip them off.”

Reatards! in San Francisco photo: Canderson

How did The Reatards start? Wasn’t it just you and a recorder at first?
“I recorded songs on a 4-track recorder. Eric asked me to play a show with The Oblivians and this band Gasoline. It would have been the first show I ever played when I was 15 years-old. I had kind of tried to make it seem like I had a band. I thought nobody’s going to want to put out my record if I don’t have a band. So I lied and said I had one, but when Eric asked me to play the show I had to admit to him that I didn’t (Laughs)."

Jay in the Netherlands photo: Dylan Blue

How did you end up playing the show?
"Eric called up a few people and asked them if they’d play with me. Greg (Cartwright) from The Oblivians was the only person who agreed, he played drums, so it was just a two piece. It was like that for a year at least. It was kind of weird going from ripping somebody off to actually playing with them.”

How did The Reatards transform into The Lost Sounds?
“I don’t know, it really wasn’t much different at first. It was still just me breaking crap and rolling around and getting naked, except there was a keyboard behind it.
The girl in the band, who was also my girlfriend at the time, got really annoyed by that. So basically, under girlfriend pressure I started concentrating more on music rather than freaking out.”

Is that when you became more focused on songwriting?
“That’s when the band got more serious. Originally I wanted to do something like The Dwarves with keyboards, but we got away from that and just kept going until it turned into bad pop-prog by the end of the band! (Laughs)”

What was your first tour?
“I guess the first tour was in ‘97, I went with The Persuaders through the Midwest. Reatards went to Europe in ’98, I was just 18 … and we did a west coast tour. The Lost Sounds was the first band where we seriously started touring three or four times a year.
But, I think I’ve already toured more this year, with this band, than The Lost Sounds did in the last three years of our existence.”

Live at Rob's House! photo: TWITCH

Do you still prefer recording music at your house or would you want a big time producer to record you?
“Not really, I mean, soon I’ll have the option to hire a producer or whatever I want, but I still want to do it at my house.”

What do you use to record your music?
“I use this 24-track digital machine right now. Sometimes when I record I really want to spend a lot of time on something like that Blood Visions album, I recorded all the drums and basic tracks on tape and then dumped it over to a digital machine.
Right now I’m not really recording albums. I’ve been doing demos and 7 inches, but I just do them digitally because it’s a lot faster.”

Angry Angles! Alix and Jay photo: Canderson

How do you decide what goes on a 7-inch and what to save for a full length album? Do you put much thought behind it?
“I didn’t used to, but now I kind of have to. I’m doing this project with Matador Records, it starts in like a couple months, where about every two months for the next year I’ll put out a single on Matador. I was thinking, ‘Wow, I’m going to write a lot of songs, but what am I going to do for the next album if that’s the case?’”

Have you had any offers for a record deal since the release of Blood Visions?
“Just like, major labels and bigger indies. I haven’t really decided who I’m going to do the next full length with. My options are open.”

Blood Visions album cover, In the Red Records

Do you think the Blood Visions LP is your best album so far?
“Yeah, I’m definitely the most happy with it because it’s the first record I’ve made as an adult. I didn’t have to compromise anything about what I wanted to do with it. Something is a little bit more fulfilling about knowing that people are into it more than anything I’ve ever made. It feels good to know I made it myself and I don’t have to share the credit with anyone (Laughs)."

Have you encountered any angry-punk fans who are upset that you don’t play sloppy early-Reatards style punk anymore?
“Yeah, people are like that all the time. There was this guy at GonerFest, before the show he was really drunk and trying to pick a fight with me about playing an acoustic guitar. When we were playing he started throwing vodka in my eyes and heckling, he was all mad. During the acoustic set, it was the funniest time to do it, we fucked up a song so I threw down the acoustic guitar and practically knocked him out, and then I punched him in his fucking face. Some of those people cross the line. They think they own musicians, they think they own a band and if the band changes they take it personally, it’s really strange. I can’t relate to it. If a band I like change into something I don’t like I just stop listening to them, I don’t go to their show and throw vodka in their eyes.”

Are you going to keep operating your record label Shattered Records?
“Yeah, I think so. I just don’t have the time right now. We’ve been touring constantly since March (2007). Whenever I get a break I’m going to start it up again.
The last two releases I was going to do, I felt bad that I didn’t have the time, so I gave them to other labels to put out, rather than making bands wait until I have time to do it.”

Jay at GonerFest 4 photo: Windy Mayes

Are there a lot of good bands in Memphis right now? Has the music changed a lot since the 1990s era of garage rock?
“There are not really a whole lot of bands, at least ones that are good. The people that were playing in the 90s, most of them are still playing the same shit, still. And they’re just sitting around going, ‘Why didn’t I make it?’ There’s just not a big market for out-of-tune, amped up, bluesy punk rock.”

What are some of the newer decent Memphis bands?
“There are some new bands. The guys that back me up, The Boston Chinks, I like their band. The dudes who play with me also have another band called The Barbaras that’s completely different from anything in Memphis; it’s like really sloppy Beach Boys punk. There are newer, younger kids starting to do stuff again.”

Jay, live in Europe

Are you writing new songs right now?
“I’ve been writing and posting demos on this blog I started. I’m recording eight singles that’ll be out this year and a new album hopefully within the next six months, I hope.”

How often do you write songs?
“Every day that we’re not on tour I write. If we go home for two weeks, I’ll try to write 14 songs. I’ll throw away most of them. I like the process of vomiting out a bunch of nonsense and then going through it and figuring out what’s keep-able. Sometimes out of 14 songs there will be enough parts to put them together and make four or five songs that are good.”

How is touring for you? Does it suck or do you enjoy it?
“Touring is good, I mean, it’s getting better. I don’t think I could do it anymore if I had to sleep on floors and shit. It’s gotten good enough now to where we can afford to stay in hotels and eat what we want, rather than crash on floors and scrounge enough change for Junior Bacon Cheeseburgers, I can’t live like that.”

Jay Reatard feature in Thrasher Magazine! 2007

What’s next for Jay Reatard?
“We’re going to go home (after the tour) and I’m going to work on all these singles. Then we’re going to Australia in February or March. After that we’ll go to Europe and then start the whole U.S. touring cycle over again.”

Is it odd for you to play shows in other countries and have such great turn-outs?
“Yeah, in Europe it’s weird. To see people singing along to songs in a language that’s not even their native tongue. If I look down and see too many foreigners singing along, I’ll change the lyrics on the spot just to see them get confused! But yeah, it’s really cool. It’s what keeps you moving and wanting to do it.”

Reatarded Links!

Jay on Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/jayreatard
Jay's Blog!:
http://jayreatard.blogspot.com/
In the Red Records:
http://www.myspace.com/intheredrecords
Terror Visions:
http://www.myspace.com/terrorvisions
Shattered Records:
http://www.shatteredrecords.net/
http://www.myspace.com/shatteredrecords
Nervous Patterns:
http://www.myspace.com/nervouspatterns
Lost Sounds:
http://www.myspace.com/lostsounds
Destruction Unit:
http://www.myspace.com/destructionunits
Final Solutions:
http://www.myspace.com/thefinalsolutions
Jay's band
Boston Chinks:
http://www.myspace.com/bostonchinks
The Barbaras:
http://www.myspace.com/thebarbaras

PUNK PICS:
Canderson!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/canderson/

Jay in Rotterdam photo: Dylan Blue

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
for permission to use quotes or text please: email richtupica@hotmail.com

THE MULDOONS Interview! Detroit Rock Family!

2007-06-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

The Muldoons! photo: Patricia Muldoon

By: Rich Tupica
richtupica@hotmail.com

The Muldoons are a family punk-rock band from Detroit, Michigan. Shane, 10 and his older brother Hunter, 13, both write and play guitar while their father Brian, 48, pounds away on the Gretsch drum kit. These kids haven’t even reached high school yet and they have already opened for virtually every great Detroit rock band, recorded a couple 7” singles and are days away from releasing their debut full length album. Dirtbomb Ben Blackwell and his uncle Jack White of The White Stripes will co-release the new LP on their labels, Third Man and Cass Records, making this even more of a family oriented album. Not to mention Hunter and Shane's mother Patricia and their uncle Dan Muldoon did the album art. Though, I should warn you, even in the presence of their father the Muldoon boys were not deterred from penning songs about topics that would get other kids grounded for a month!
Hunter and Shane’s lyrics on the new LP range from explosives, to comic book fantasies, to killing zombies “one by one.” While their guitar riffs echo The Stooges, Nirvana and on one track The Gories, they use their influences to make every song different from the next. Ben Blackwell recalls the day he discovered The Muldoons’ music, “My first experience with The Muldoons was actually reading Shane's handwritten lyric sheet for ‘Destruction Boy’. She may kill me for saying this, but Shane's mom was looking at me, almost scared, saying, ‘Social Services are going take him away,’ while I thought I'd finally found the reincarnation of Darby Crash,” said Blackwell. The Muldoons first public gig was not at a bar, it was opening for the Grammy Award Winning White Stripes, Blackwell was there to witness. “The first time I saw them live was complete and utter joy...I'd taken a 6 a.m. flight from Ottawa, where the Dirtbombs had just wrapped up a three day Canadian tour, back to Detroit to catch them in their surprise opening slot for The White Stripes at the Masonic Temple. But there was also a bit of uncertainty as to whether or not it would actually happen, so it was all kinds of anticipation and fear and excitement building up at the same time. When Shane started singing that first song I felt so proud I almost started to cry,” said Blackwell. Since The Muldoons first started playing music in late 2004, they have gained the respect of veteran Motor City bands and their loyal followers making them a staple in the rock community. “The Muldoons are pretty damn important,” said Blackwell. “Not only did they set a precedent for a lot of the ‘kid rock’ bands, but they also put on a blazing show every time they step onstage. And they never play the same set twice. Hunter and Shane are humble and yet remain a force to be reckoned with. Brian's not too bad either,” said Blackwell. If you want to buy their new album, be at the Lager House in Detroit, Michigan on June 9th for the record release party.

Brian, what were the first bands that really got you into music when you were a teen?
Brian: "In my preteen years, I listened to what my brothers were buying, from The Beatles to all the things that were happening at the Grande Ballroom and on WABX fm in the late sixties. My early teen years I was obsessed with the album 'Raw Power', The New York Dolls first album and The Spiders From Mars era of Bowie. When I was in my junior and senior years of high school it went from Brian Eno to Phillip Glass to The Ramones and all that early punk stuff."

How about you guys, what bands have influenced your tunes the most?
Hunter: "Well, the guitar work of artists such as Kurt Cobain, Ron Asheton, Johnny Ramone, Fred 'Sonic' Smith, Wayne Kramer, Pete Townsend, Tony Iommi and Jack White. The lyrical phrasing of Dee Dee Ramone, Kurt Cobain, Iggy Pop, and Ozzy Osbourne...the first five Sabbath albums only."
Shane: "Some bands that influenced my music are Beck, The Stooges, MC5, The Ramones, The Go, Nirvana, Black Sabbath, The Hives, Hot Hot Heat, Led Zeppelin, New York Dolls, and the list goes on."

Hunter and Shane, when did you first learn an instrument? How old were you and what did you play?
Hunter: "I started taking drum lessons when I was five-years old. I picked up the guitar when I was 10-years old. I took guitar lessons when I turned 11."
Shane: "I was six-years old when I first took drum lessons. I was eight when I started playing the guitar."

Hunter Muldoon! photo: Dan Meyering

What does your mom think about the band? Has she ever jammed with you guys?!
Hunter: "Our mom is very supportive of our music. She has yet to jam with us, but someday! She’s been to every one of our shows, listens to a lot of loud rehearsals and has been very loving and supportive of our music since the beginning."

Shane: "I remember her singing ‘Red and Black’ with me during a rehearsal once, or maybe it was ‘Wild Thing’. Our mom takes all the photos for our records and video tapes a lot of our shows."

Brian, you still run your home business, can you tell me a bit about that?
Brian: "I’ve been a furniture upholsterer for 28-years now. I run a one-man shop. The last 15-years I’ve focused on restoring furniture designed from the mid century modern era."

What do you guys do when you're not playing music, any other hobbies?
Hunter: "I like to skateboard a lot, but everything else I do is music. I’m in three bands, and it’s my only passion in life."
Shane: "I like to play baseball and basketball and I’m on a soccer team called the Sonics. I like to skateboard with Hunt and others from the neighborhood. Video games, Guitar Hero!"
Brian: "Cycling on Belle Isle and restoring vintage Italian racing bikes."

Hunter and Shane, do kids at school dig your band and do they get to come to see your shows?
Hunter: "We have never told one kid at our school about our band. We really don’t think they would be interested at all, even if we were to tell them. Our musical interests are just too far apart. They like rap, hip-hop, and newer rock music. They have probably never heard of most of the bands we mentioned, or bands we have played with."

What are your favorite newer bands right now?
Shane: My favorite band right now is SSM.
Hunter: My favorite band right now is The Go.
Brian: My favorite band right now is Lee Marvin Computer Arm.

The Muldoon brothers! photo: Patricia Muldoon

What is the best and worst part of playing in a rock band?
Hunter: "The best parts are when we get to play with some of our favorite bands. The worst part is when gear malfunctions and I have to figure out why it broke. It’s even worse when it happens live."
Shane: "Best part is being asked by a good band to be on a bill with them. The worst part is loading and unloading gear."
Brian: "Getting excited about playing a new song they’ve come up with. The worst part is trying to fit all the gear into our car for shows, a Ford SUV, plus leaving enough room for all of us.

Who writes the songs in The Muldoons? Is it a group effort?
Shane: "Sometimes I come up with a guitar riff, but most of the time it’s Hunter. If we all like it, we try to make it into a song. When we first start to run through it I usually don’t play guitar, I just make up words that will fit. Sometimes words from another song will fit and I’ll sing them. Once I figure out the words and can remember them, I'll try to learn the guitar part and practice singing and playing at the same time. Some songs come together fast, like ‘Zombies.’ Some take a long time, like ‘Tall’.
Hunter: "Yeah, what Shane said."

Shane, Brian & Hunter Muldoon

How often do The Muldoons practice and write songs?
Brian: "Unless there is something more important going on, it’s usually four or five times a week. Generally right after we get back from school for 45-minutes or so, hardly ever on the weekends. New songs get worked on when one of them comes up with something we all get
excited about spending the time to develop further. It’s always a guitar riff first, lyric ideas second. Sometimes they write them together, usually it’s Shane though."

The Muldoons have 7” records out on Detroit-based Cass Records, and now a full length is on the way. Jack White’s label Third Man is putting it out along with Cass. How did this come about and how involved was Jack with the record?
Brian: "When we finished mixing all the tracks I sent one to Jack to see what he thought. He thought it had some great moments and offered to help us. It took awhile to figure out how the distribution would be handled. Ben Blackwell's Cass Records is going to help us on that end.

Shane at The Lager House! photo: Patrick Currie

Where did you guys record the songs for the new album and how long have you been working on this album?
Brian: "We recorded and mixed the record at Brendan Benson’s Le Grand Studio here in Detroit before he moved to Nashville last spring. At the end of last summer it was sent to New York City and was mastered. Through the winter my brother Dan Muldoon worked on the sleeve art. My wife Patricia took the photos. We’ve been at it on and off for a year or so.

Do you plan to do a tour for the new album?
Hunter: "My dream in life is to be a musician and just go out on tour whether it’s with The Muldoons, or another band I may have. I would love to go out and support our new LP, but it’s hard because my parents have to work and 10 months out of the year we’re in school.
Brian: "We’re going to Chicago in July, we hope to get back to New York this summer. We will do what we can, gas is rather pricey now."

Hunter getting down! photo: Patrick Currie

Hunter and Shane, being younger than most bands, how do you get along with your fellow Detroit bands? Are they pretty cool to you guys?
Hunter: "Everyone is extremely nice to us in the city. They’re all very positive and supportive. They come out to our shows and talk to us. All in all, they’re really cool and nice."
Shane: "Yeah, what Hunt said."

Shane and Hunter, How was it opening for The White Stripes at The Masonic Temple in Detroit? That's a huge show! Were you guys nervous at all?
Hunter: "Personally, I was really nervous. All that was going through my mind was, 'What if they don’t like us? What if I break a string? What if I forget how to play a song?' So that was kind of nerve wrecking. It was also a bit intimidating having all those people staring at us when we first got on stage. The reaction we got was even more surprising. The show was amazing and I was really happy that we got to do it, I think it opened up a lot of opportunities for us."
Shane: "I remember sound checking in the afternoon being fun when nobody was there. It was kind of scary when it was full of people and we were waiting to go on. I remember Jack telling us to just keep going if we made a mistake and to not stop. I sang into the mic Jack uses over by Meg so I wouldn’t have to look out at the crowd. We played eight songs in about fifteen minutes. It felt good to have people cheer for us."

How would you describe your band to someone who has never heard your music?
Hunter: "I would have to say loud, energetic, in your face punk rock.
Shane: "We write songs for 10-year olds everywhere."
Brian: "Feedback."

If The Muldoons were approached, would you ever consider signing with a big label?
Brian: "If there was an opportunity for wider distribution for a record, promotion and tour support, sure, why not? I think any band that makes something they’re proud of would like to see it be made available to a wider group of people than they could reach through shows, the internet, or a Myspace page."

THE MULDOONS LP! Available June 9th!

art: Dan Muldoon

Muldoon LINKS!

The Muldoons Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/muldoonsofficialsite
Cass Records: (BUY Muldoons!)
http://www.cassrecords.com/

Third Man Records info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Man_Records
Article about The Muldoons:
http://thesouthend.typepad.com/tsenews/2006/11/the_muldoons_pl.html
84 Tigers Interview:
http://www.84tigers.com/?p=25

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