Lewis Dilettante

2010-05-29T18:05:00.000-05:00

CLICK ME! CLICK HERE! YES, RIGHT HERE! I'VE MOVED TO TUMBLR!

Deep breath

2010-05-28T18:42:00.000-05:00

I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous I will not be nervous

Holy bajesus

2010-05-28T10:42:00.002-05:00

Me: It seems like I'm destined to become a cat lady.
Guy: What's wrong with cats? I have a cat and it's awesome.
Me: Cats are cool, I just wouldn't consider going on a date with one.
Guy: Well, would you consider going on a date with me?

Tonight. :)
Grace Kelly - Mika

Fool me once

2010-05-27T12:09:00.001-05:00

Well, I'd prefer if you didn't fool me at all.

Andrew Bird - See The Enemy

Change! Refresh! Renew!

2010-05-26T10:27:00.002-05:00

So much is gonna change soon.
-Home
-School
-Lifestyle
And maybe, quite hopefully, loneliness.

fun. - Barlights

I swear

2010-05-25T23:11:00.001-05:00

Sometimes Cursive can save my life.

Cursive - From the Hips

"I didn't really stop, I just forgot."

2010-05-25T10:52:00.001-05:00

Thank you for remembering.

Nada Surf - I Like What You Say

Oh, by the way

2010-05-24T19:21:00.001-05:00

Whoever told me this is a crappy movie needs to go die.

I don't need to be reminded

2010-05-24T13:06:00.001-05:00

I'm listening to audiobooks all day.

Kate Nash - Nicest Thing

Hm.

2010-05-23T23:16:00.002-05:00

I'm so far away from you,
Pacing up and down my room.
Does Jesus only love a man who loses?

Babe, I'm a thousand miles away
And I just don't know what to say
'Cause Jesus only loves a man who bruises.

Nick Cave- Hold on to yourself

I'm really trying not to give a fuck.

2010-05-23T19:02:00.000-05:00

About you, that is. And it's working.

But I'm lonely

2010-05-23T09:20:00.001-05:00

Coldplay- Warning Sign

Every single night ends up the same

2010-05-22T20:42:00.001-05:00

fun. - All The Pretty Girls

Braaaaainssss

2010-05-22T14:56:00.001-05:00

After a two-hour car ride, I’m glad to say that I started listening to my audio books. I began with Mur Lafferty’s The Takeover, of which I got through seven out of the ten episodes. This audio drama is about Maureen, a woman who works at a corporate office and is offered a pretty good promotion. However, taking this promotion means working with zombies (Zombies being the better workers because they work long hours without sleep and do whatever they’re told). Maureen has to choose what is more important: being human, or the awesome benefits that come with working at Zombinc.

WHAT I LIKED:
The humor. Lafferty incorporated a lot of simple, clean humor into the story, which made it a lot like The Office (which isn’t a bad thing). Originality. I’m not a huge zombie-buff, but out of all the zombie-related books and movies I’ve read/seen, this is the first that has made zombies an equal instead of a crazy monster. The Takeover does mention zombie slaying, but that isn’t the main focus- zombies are ABOVE the humans. Characters and dialect. Aside from the zombie aspect, all of the characters and whatnot are very believable and accurate, especially when it comes down to capturing the kinds of personalities and relationships that go down in an office environment. There’s not a single character to hate, and thank god, none of them have annoying voices. Music! Each episode has a really catchy and clever opening and closing song, both done by Andrew of Songs To Wear Pants To. Click here for the best of Songs To Wear Pants To.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
Sound quality. Overall, each episode was easy to hear. Most of the characters’ dialogue was recorded very well, but for a few, there was a lot of echoing and fuzziness that really wasn’t supposed to be there. Zombie noises. I know that it’s hard to come up with the RIGHT zombie noise when nobody is really certain what a zombie would sound like. I just hope it was better than those on The Takeover. Regular zombie dialogue sounded like bad sex, and bitings sounded like someone gargling water and spaghetti. However, I do have to give kudos to the deterioration of the voices of bitten humans. Not necessarily great, but it documents the “change” well. BIGOT! Seriously, that is 50% of one character’s dialogue. Lack of bloodshed. Though I did praise The Takeover for not being the typical zombie plot…c’mon, we have to have SOME sort of zombie killing! Zombies do bite humans in the audio drama, but humans killing zombies is mentioned, not actually performed.

So there you have it. Once again, you can download The Takeover for free here. I still have to listen to three more episodes, I already recommend this to anyone.

I don't wanna do this anymore

2010-05-22T07:29:00.002-05:00

Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody (RAC Mix)

Love,

2010-05-21T19:43:00.000-05:00

I Will Possess Your Heart - Deathcab For Cutie

This song belongs to you

2010-05-21T18:11:00.001-05:00

Listen, listen

2010-05-21T12:14:00.002-05:00

Manhattan. I enjoyed Hannah and Her Sisters, Husbands and Wives, and Mighty Aphrodite, but Manhattan just didn't cut it. Forgive me, Woody.

Anyway, I discovered a great new site today called Podiobooks. I've finally calmed down about classic literature becoming free to download, and now I'm discovering lesser-known works that are a bit more modern. I thought I'd just download one book...I mean, the only audiobook I have ever downloaded was Mere Christianity by CS Lewis. Needless to say, I got nine. Here's all that I downloaded, complete with link, picture, and the website's summary. (Note: Each chapter of the audiobooks can be downloaded via links found at the very bottom of the page)

1. A Brief Conversation with My Hair by Russell Bradbury-Carlin
A Brief Conversation with My Hair is a collection of short literary humor pieces that have been previously featured on such websites at McSweeney's, Yankee Pot Roast, The Big Jewel, Opium Magazine, and The Science Creative Quarterly. Some of the titles (which may give you an idea of the content) are: "The Calls of Cthulu", "All I Need to Learn, I Learned From Kindergarten Cop", "Diary of a Grocery Cart", "Dionysus: Party Clown", and "A Brief Conversation with My Hair". The forty-plus pieces in this collection find the bizarre in the everyday or some bit of the everyday in the already bizarre. If you ever wondered if Allen Ginsburg could have put his considerable talent to writing pay-per-click ads or how Calvin and Hobbes may have responded to reading Hemingway, you will find the answers here.

2. All Kinds of Things Kill by Robert R. Best
Nine-story horror anthology by Robert R. Best.

3. Blood Witness by Dave HittCatherine is a 1500 year old vampire. (She’s really 1800 but she lies about her age.) Chris is a high school senior. She is a blood sucking creature of the night. He is a Jehovah’s Witness. Together they discover something that threatens the existence of every vampire, and the only solution is to break the One Law that binds them all.

4. Forever Fifteen by Kimberly Steele
Lucy Albert is not your ordinary maladjusted suburban adolescent. Born into the era of the Black Plague in medieval Italy, Lucy is chosen as a mate by the sinister vampire Sebastianus against her will. Struggling to survive in a modern world she cannot identify with, Lucy isn't looking for attention.

Welcome to Forever Fifteen, where a lonely girl seeks refuge in a world awash in everyday brutality, a world where only blood and death can sate her hunger. Journey into Lucy's past as you experience the terror of the Black Death and the harsh reality of womanhood in the Middle Ages. Enter Forever Fifteen, the fast-paced thrill ride that is redefining vampire horror.

5. How To Succeed in Evil by Patrick E. McLean
Alternately funny and dark, a HtSiE is the story of Edwin Windsor, Evil Efficiency Consultant. A biting satire of both modern business and the conventions of the superhero genre.

6. Sellout by Brad Lockwood
A bored loner helps a stranger, falls in love, and becomes an accomplice.

7. Stories I Told Myself by Patrick E. McLean
Funny, moving and always exquisitely well-produced, this collection of short stories and essays from the award-winning Seanachai podcast is not to be missed. If you like this American Life, but wish that Ira Glass' voice was a bit softer on the ears, then this is the audio book for you.

8. Synthetic Marmalade by Mike Luoma
Poems, Song Lyrics and Magic Spells written by Mike Luoma over the past 20 years. Luoma's poems and lyrics range from idylls on Vermont ("The Monkton Road") to songs the Boss might like ("Cars & Girls")to spell-like ritual poetry ("Ceremonies of Light and Dark"), and all points in between. The poems and spells are recited, the lyrics are sung accompanied by a guitar, recorded straight to two-track with some overdubs. The content is presented in a different order from the print book so that songs and poems could be mixed together. Special guest Sean Kelly of the Samples helped record "Sonny's Got A Gun" and plays on the track.

9. The Takeover by Mur Lafferty
If you've ever worked with corporate zombies, then you've experienced The Takeover. Web designer Maureen and her friends struggle to adapt to their new work environment as coworkers from Zombinc, the zombie staffing company, come to work with them. Language barriers, arguments over the contents of the work fridge, and what a "promotion" really means are all addressed in this "Shaun of the Dead" meets "The Office" audiodrama.

Well, this post DEFINITELY didn't turn into Oprah's Book Club. Anywho, I haven't started any of these yet, mainly because I don't know where to begin. The Takeover sounds like the most probable pick, though. I'll review it in future posts.
Unfortunately, that's my Friday night. Woody Allen and audiobooks. Kind of modern-bohemian. Mostly pathetic.
LCD Soundsystem- New York I Love You

The song...

2010-05-20T08:11:00.004-05:00

that won't get out of my head.

"Anyone that needs what they want
And doesn't want what they need
I want nothing to do with

And to do what I want
And to do what I please
Is first on my to do list

But every once in a while
I think about her smile
One of the few things I do miss."

Hello again.

2010-05-18T16:31:00.003-05:00

Back. :)

All I can say is that there were multiple reasons why this all stopped. One, I was going into my last year of high school and was far too busy to even look at the blog. Two, it just wasn't going where I wanted it to go. I was supposed to share music, thoughts, and art, and eventually it was devoted to interviewing bands. Just...a mess. Third, my now ex boyfriend got in on it, which really fucked things up. No more sharing with people. Haha

Starting this summer, lots of changes are occurring. New school, location, friends, lifestyle, EVERYTHING. I figured that in all this time of change, I could restart this blog...it has a lot more potential than being my online flash drive.

Obviously, it is no longer All You Can Eat Plus Mints (the URL cannot be changed). It is now Lewis Dilettante. I am going to Lewis University now, and the rest is self-explanatory. The blog's purpose is going to be my original goal: share music, thoughts, and everything in between. Just no more interviews. I am SO done with those.

For now, I'm going to figure out how to get this thing on a popular level. MP3s will return next post.

Thank you, thank god for you

2009-10-08T07:09:00.002-05:00

Wall Street's Finest

2009-09-25T18:51:00.002-05:00

Members: Steve Tackett (Vocals, guitar), Jordan 'Ging' Ullrich (Guitar), Ryan Myers (Drums), and Mark Evans (Apparantly as of now)
Location: Coal City, Illinois
Wall Street's Finest on MySpace

Once again, say hello to the benefits of being my friend. :]
Anyway, there's not much bad to say about Wall Street's Finest: They rock, only 1/3 of them is capable of filling out interviews, and Ryan Myers shouldn't be taller than me.
Enjoy the interview I had with Ryan!

So, Wall Street's Finest...are you really Wall Street's finest? Do you find people often confuse the band name with "World's Finest", the long-running Superman/Batman team-up?
Well, since we're all crime-fighting stock brokers, yes. All the time. Actually, no. That's a lie. Such a thing will never happen, EVER...

How did you guys meet, and what made you decide to start a band?
I remember Steve towards the end of last school year was just like, "d00d, let's start a band". And we had like, a million different musicians before we got down to gigging and rehearsing regularly with Jordan shredding bass.

Is there any interesting background info you'd like to share?
We spend a good 90% of the money we make from gigs at T-Bell. And I'm not ashamed of this in the slightest.

When you say that the band is "Comin' at ya like a spider monkey"- what exactly is that like? How does a spider monkey typically approach things?

With great valor, endurance, and mad musical skillszzzz.

You guys just recently played your second show at the Korova venue in Morris, Illinois. How did the audience like you?
Since our audience has been mainly friends, they've taken to us quite well, I guess. But everyone else who's seen us or heard out music has been impressed on some level.

While walking out of Wal-Mart on Friday, September 11th, I was approached by Steve, Ryan, and their favorite groupie, Mark Evans. Steve tried getting my friend Dan and I to come to their gig at the Korova that night, and we unfortunately couldn't. Steve didn't seem happy about this, and I feared for my life. Does Steve knowingly invoke fear upon those to don't come to your shows?
Yes, he does. And believe me, it helps. You're cursed until you come to a show now, and I'm not even kidding. Also, Mark's in the band as of now. If you would have been there, you would have known. *Sigh*

Are there any upcoming shows for you guys?
We'll be playing with the Summer Set at Korova on September 28th and at Cosmo's (next to the Congress Theater) in Chicago on October 2nd.

What musician inspires you the most, and for what reason?
My personal hero is Neil Peart of Rush, for his obviously unparalleled percussive skill, amazing lyricism, and overall inspiring life story. He's just a badass.

What is a typical practice like for Wall Street's Finest? Is there a lot of sweat? I would imagine that churning out songs at the rate of a sweatshop would entail a lot of sweat.
Psh, you have no idea.

I know that Jordan can play trombone and Steve knows a little French horn. Would you ever consider mixing those instruments into one of your songs someday?
I think we'll save the horns for some separate ska projects for the time being.
How much didgeridoo can we expect on WSF's future material?
Since you've just inspired me to incorporate some of the thunder from down under into our lineup, I'm going to say keep your ears peeled.

What do you say to the rumors that Steve reigns over the band with an iron fist, in an egotistical, Noel Gallagher-like fashion?
I would have to ask what you were on when you wrote that one. And if it's possible I could get my hands on any.

Speaking of iron things, does the band enjoy TV's 'Iron Chef'?
TV...funny. Funny indeed. I have not the time for such foolish things.

What is your biggest struggle as a small band?
Getting the word out about us is the biggest setback at the time.

Do you have any short-term goals for Wall Street's Finest? Long-term?

Short-term, get locally known, keep writing, recording, and gigging until we've become somewhat popular at least in the local area. Long-term, I don't think we've really set any major goals yet, but a studio album would be nice. Maybe get a record deal and sell our souls away touring for a while...good stuff, really.

What do you say to the rumors that Jordan's girlfriend Morgan is already breaking up the bad, in a Yoko Ono-like fashion?
Since Jordan is a bit of a red-haired John Lennon himself, anything's possible.

Have you guys been discussing any release of a WSF EP, demo, or even a full-length album?

We hope we can get some tracks recorded professionally by Steve's cousin. I'd imagine at least an EP could come out of that.

Should the band fail, would Ryan ever consider becoming the co-host for Entertainment Tonight, like the guy from Sugar Ray did?
Maybe, after pigs fly and hell freezes over, I think I'll have some time freed up for such events.

What do your friends and families think of Wall Street's Finest?
They've been nothing but supportive and totally cool thus far!

Do you guys have names for your instruments?

They have their own names...

Are any of you in any other bands?
Jordan and myself are working on a ska band, known at CCHS as Flores and Girl Pants.

Favorite kind of cheese?

Colby jack is where the shit's at...

Any final thoughts?

There will never be final thoughts in a mind as catastrophically creative as mine. *Sighs*

2009-09-23T15:47:00.003-05:00

Best daydream ever:

So I don't necessarily remember where I was or what I was supposed to be doing, but I just pictured myself swinging a baseball bat in this room full of glass...cups, chandeliers, bowls, you name it.

What makes it better is that "No Surprises" by Radiohead was playing the entire time.

SONG OF THE DAY:
"No Surprises" by Radiohead (Left click...)

Think about it.

~

2009-09-13T09:50:00.000-05:00

WANTED

THE SOUNDTRACK TO THIS MOVIE, OR EVEN A COPY OF THE MOVIE

Holla. Please.

Launchpad Away

2009-09-09T16:48:00.004-05:00

LAUNCHPAD AWAY

Location: Manteca/Modesto, California
Members: Larry Yadao (Vocals), Anthony Yadao (Guitar), Jack Bearden (Guitar), Kevin Russ (Drums), Peter Tilley (Bass)
Genres: Pop alternative, pop punk, rock, indie, acoustic
Record label: None
Launchpad Away on MySpace

As my readers know (Yes, all three of them), I've been pretty swamped lately with school and other things. I haven't even payed attention to any band-related things for the blog. However, on the rare night where I have nothing to do, I received answers to an interview from a great Cali band that seems to have been as busy as I have. Enjoy one of the first (and last) interviews you'll be seeing for a while.

Launchpad Away makes me think of some classic Nickelodeon show. How did you come up with the name?
Larry: I actually get this a lot, and you're actually on the right track. When I want to give a short answer, I'll say that it's basically taken from the fact that when you are on a launch pad, it means you're going to take off, and that's what we want to do with our music. But to be honest, it actually came from a song AND a cartoon. See, I wrote a song some time ago and didn't know whether to call it "Dining With Denial" or "One World Act". Well, I decided to look at the abbreviations of each, just to see if it spelled out anything, and it ended up being "DWD OWA". Well, DW made me think of Darkwing Duck, and I remembered that launch pad in the show called Darkwing "DW". So I stuck onto Lauchpad, which then left me with Launchpad OWA, and OWA sounded like "away". So the song ended up being named "Launchpad Away". Well, that song ended up being filed somewhere, yet I liked the name, so we named the band Launchpad Away! See why I usually say the shorter version?
Anthony: *Laughs*
Peter: Word.

It looks like you guys are still a baby band, having only formed in February of 2009. How much have you done within the past seven months?
Larry: We've actually done a lot. We've had only six or so shows, and with it have opened and played with a LOT of great artists. Just recently, we played with The Color Turning, who is on Scott Wieldman's (Stone Temple Pilots) label. We have also played with Josh Damigo, who has opened up for Jason Mraz and even the Jonas Brothers. We've sold out our demos, earning money for shirts which we've been selling at our shows, and we've had offers from people wanting to help produce our album in the future.
Peter: This band is going to be epic.

How do you all know each other?
Larry: I know Pete through Anthony. Keven through Pete, and Jack contacted me a while back. We finally met up and got things rolling.

One of the songs you have posted on your MySpace is "Flamingo" (which is my personal favorite). How do you feel about the near-endangerment of the Andean flamingo? If Launchpad Away becomes widely popular, would you consider starting an organization to help said flamingos (or, perhaps, adopt one)?
Larry: First off, thank you for the compliment about "Flamingo". I actually recorded that song years ago. In fact, the version we play now is a lot more "mature" with a different arrangement. But I'd love to help the flamingos. Anything that likes shrimp as much as I do is cool in my book.
Anthony: If I can ride it without hurting the poor thing, sign me up!
Peter: Flamingos are only pink because of the food they eat.

What's the music scene like in Manteca? Do you fit into it well, or are you the first of your genre?
Larry: The scene isn't too loud. Well, it is, but it isn't. The scene around here is screamo/hardcore, and though it serves its purpose and we have no problem with it, we feel that it's time to bring another side out of music around here. See, we understand how serious and determined you have to be to "make it", but I think sometimes we tend to let that factor bleed too much into the main purpose in music. The joy of it...whether it makes you sing along with a smile on your face or makes you cry, music is a good thing. Not something negative. And a lot of times, it can be looked on as that. We want to work out butts off to get our music to the biggest stage it can be at, and yet be able to make people feel like we're the same group of guys that goes to Denny's after shows to just hang out.
So to answer your question, there isn't much of our music around here. It's either heavy or indie, and we're in between.
Peter: We are definitely trying to pave the way for a more alternative scene in our area. There are a few bands but not many, and none seem to really come together. I'd like to see a local venue have an afternoon show packed with local bands, you know?

Are any of you in other musical projects?
Peter: Awaiting Better Music. It's a low-rate Tenacious D duo comedy band type thing.

Do you have names for your instruments?
Larry: I call my microphone Mike!

I noticed that since you contacted me about an interview, you literally gained a member overnight. Are you considering recruiting any more musicians? If so, what qualities/abilities should they have?
Larry: It's actually something I've been thinking about for quite some time. In my last band, which was metal, I was always just vocals. I love when frontmen such as Corey Taylor from Slipknot or Heyley from Paramore can run around, focus on their art, and connect with the crowd with what they can do on stage. I want to do that too, and I know others can do that with guitar and singing at the same time. I'm just not the best guitarist combined singer in the world.
Anthony: Two words: tambourine player.
Peter: Kevin?
Larry: In terms of what we look for in a member, I have one statement: I'd rather have a person in my band that's a great guy/girl and is an average musician than a jerk that is an amazing musician. It's all about the connection and the fellowship. If the heart and passion is there, along with the talent, it will work. One without the other won't.

Who does the majority of songwriting? Where do you gather most of your inspiration?
Larry: I usually do in terms of melody of the songs or lyrics. The guys will throw guitar riffs and pieces of their songs, and from there, I'll write for hours and hours. I carry a little recorder everywhere I go and I have at least 300 five-second tracks of just melodies. My inspiration is things that make me feel joy, or things I want to help solve. I try to write about self-improvement or recognizing and solving what's around us and inside of us. I also get inspiration from family and favorite musicians such as Michael Jackson (RIP King of Pop!), FOB, Slipknot, and Paramore. I like going to local shows a lot too to get the feel of what's around me.

I see you've played shows at Hot Topic and 180 Teen Center. Do you play live often? What as been the most interesting thing to happen to you at a live show? Do you have a favorite venue or a certain place you would like to perform someday?
Larry: Madison Square Garden. We always joke about that, going "Man, that show last night was fun...but not as fun as when we sold out MSG". That would be a dream. Either that, or somewhere in Japan where there are 60,000 fans singing our songs.
We want to play at least two shows a month and grow from there. We want to eventually get signed, then tour. That's our "local" primary goal. As far as the most interesting thing at a show, there's been a lot. I remember when playing with Josh Damigo, we had a hair fling contest with his cello player and an LPA fan. It was great.
Peter: I would love to play at Arco Arena one day. It's where the Sacramento Kings play, but it's also where most of the concerts I have been to are held. And it's getting to the other side of the venue that would feel like I had really accomplished something with these guys.
Also the Milton Keynes Bowl, because it's where Green Day filmed their "Bullet in a Bible" in front of about 100,000 people. We have to sell out a place like that once in our career.

What are your thoughts on the possibility of Lady Gaga being a man? Would you ever do a cover of "Poker Face"?
Larry: Not really, and I don't care. haha

Do you have any long-term goals for the band? Short-term?
Larry: Long-term is to go all out and be huge. Share our music with as many people as we can. If it only touches hearts around our area, then that's what God wants me to do. But any musician would be lying if they said they didn't want to be on the radio, playing shows in front of thousands.

What musicians do each of you look up to the most?
Larry: Michael Jackson. I don't even have to go into detail about that. But for one man to perform in front of 60,000+ and get people fainting and crying and screaming over him, you know he's that man. In terms of other bands, I like Slipknot, Fall Out Boy, Switchfoot, and Paramore.
Anthony: If I had to choose one guitarist that I always admired, I would have to say Jim Root from Slipknot and Stone Sour. His tone, his style...everything about the way he goes at music is very unique.I've always been a big fan of him from the first time I heard Slipknot, and when I got to meet him at the Family Values Tour when he played with Stone Sour, it really was something that drove me to become the guitarist I am today.
Peter: Mike Dirnt from Green Day is the reason I play bass. I defiantly look up to him and what he does when I play and write bass lines. Also Michael Todd from Coheed and Cambria and Chris#2 from Anti-Flag. They are amazing at what they do and I always think about how they would go about writing when I do. I don't want to be your everyday bassist. I want my lines to be catchy and have some influence on how the songs sound. Which, I feel in Launchpad, they do. I think all of us doing something different in each song really has a good effect on the music we play.

When you're not playing music, what are you guys doing?
Larry: I love to read and play old video games from Playstation and Super Nintendo. To be quite honest, on my days off from work, I'm chilling at a Starbucks, writing. And then besides all that, spending time with my loved ones.
Anthony: I've been blessed with a really large crew of friends that I hang out with on a constant basis. For me, nothing is better than getting everyone together at one house and just chilling and being yourself. I do have to say, though, that everyone who knows me knows that I'm a pretty big video game nerd. For The Horde!
Peter: I'm playing more music.

Any last thoughts?
Larry: Be all about the scene. A lot of people talk about how "scene kids" are bad or how being a part of a scene is dumb. Well, if it is, CHANGE IT! Be all about it, do what you can. People nowadays talk about all the bad in the world. First let's all look in the mirror and ask ourselves, "What have I done lately to help out?"
And most of all, thank you all for the support. You ain't heard nothin' yet!
Peter: Word.

My personal statement for college.

2009-09-09T10:26:00.003-05:00

Personal Statement

Once upon a time, I wrote an essay that was almost 2000 words long. Guess what? It’s scarred me for life and I cannot write a sufficient personal statement that is two pages or less. Please help me change this. I’m pretty awesome. I mean, I got a 3,000 on the ACT, c’mon!!!!!!! You have to accept me! Did I mention I can make good tomato bread? C’mon !!!!!

Anyways, I am pretty cool. I used my birthday money to buy ACT prep classes, took the test in a room with some toads and Dan, got a 30, bragged far too much, and realized that the ACT is all I have going for me! That was a terrible run-on, I’m truly sorry. NOT. Just kidding. But seriously! Accept me! I don’t drink or party! I just cook and complain and sleep. Did I mention I can make good tomato bread.C’mon!!!

I want to be an English teacher. If you accept me, I can be an awesome teacher, pinky swear. I love reading…I mean, I was able to read at age three! C’mon!!! I also write well. That 2000 word hell essay won me the DAR essay competition in 8th grade. Did I mention I can make good tomato bread? C’mon!!!

The best song I have heard in a while.

2009-09-07T23:56:00.001-05:00

TOMATENBROOD!

2009-09-07T13:35:00.003-05:00

Okay...well, in America, it's called tomato bread, but what do you think sounds cooler?
This is a home-made recipe, but there are many other ways of making it if you go to just about any Italian restaurant.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

--Milano Brand French Bread (I usually buy the twin pack)

--Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil

--McCormick Basil Leaves

--One or two medium-sized tomatoes, sliced

--Mrs. Dash Original Blend

--Sargento Mozzarella Cheese Slices (Shredded works as well)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Take one loaf of the French bread and cut it length-wise. Place both halves on an ungreased cookie sheet.
In a small cup mix together some olive oil and basil leaves. There should be enough olive oil to evenly spread on both slices of bread. Add as much basil as you desire.
Spread the olive oil-basil mix evenly across both slices of bread (This, along with the rest of the recipe, is done on the FLAT side of the bread).
Take about three or four slices of the mozzarella cheese and fold them in half, making triangles. Place evenly on both slices of bread. (With shredded cheese, just sprinkle evenly on bread).
Take the tomato slices and put them on the bread slices next. Depending on the size of the width of the bread, you may have to cut the slices in half.
Repeat step 4, placing the cheese on top of the tomato slices.
Take basil and Mrs. Dash and sprinkle evenly on the bread slices.
Put in the oven for about ten minutes, or until the bread is slightly crispy and the cheese has melted.
Take out of the oven, and cut both slices into even wedges. A good sized wedge has about one half of a tomato slice on it.
Serve and enjoy!

This recipe makes enough for two normal people, one starving person, four snackers, or ten anorexics.
You can eat the bread plain, but I enjoy dipping it in ranch or alfredo sauce.
If you have any questions, just comment this post or send me a message!

Reasons Why I Love Life.

2009-09-02T18:29:00.001-05:00

People, people, people.

2009-09-01T11:07:00.002-05:00

When I got to school today and parked my car, I saw the back of one of these things by the back window in the car in front of me. Scared me shitless.

Agh

2009-08-28T16:18:00.004-05:00

Here's a letter my friend Lizzie wrote during class today:
-------------------------------------------

** North ** Street
Diamond, IL 60416
August 28, 2009

The Hershey Company
100 Crystal I A Drive
Hershey, PA 17033

To Whom It May Concern:

I am an avid chocolate eater, and I would like to complain about your chocolate. I think that your chocolate is an insult to all the other chocolates of the world. It is very bitter and doesn't melt in your mouth, which is a very good quality in chocolate. All of the chocolates of the world have a distinct taste, but Hershey's, however, tastes too plain to remember that this chocolate is extraordinary. I was appalled by the taste of your chocolate.

I think to better your taste of chocolate is to simply make it more rich. The best chocolate in the whole world, in my opinion, is Milka. It has the texture, the taste, and the richness any good piece of chocolate should have. I think you should take advice from European chocolate companies, who in several people's opinions have the best chocolate. Would you want your company to be in financial distress because you are not putting out the best quality of chocolate?

I wouldn't want one of the United States' most popular candy and chocolate companies to go down because of a bad product. I would like to say that Hershey Bliss is somewhat of an improvement to your chocolate making, however very pricey for as little as you get. Is it really that hard to make good chocolate at an affordable price?

Sincerely,
Elizabeth McGuire

SONG OF THE DAY
"Chocolate" by Snow Patrol (Left click, take it from there...)

For Sarah.

2009-08-21T20:37:00.002-05:00

Dear Diary,

I met a very attractive guy today on the street as I walked to get pickled pigs feet for my pet canary. Subsequently, my breasts swelled to an abnormally large size. I think I shall go home, eat a can of lima beans, and sing "She Wolf Karaoke Version". This, I believe, will show to be the remedy to my malady.

Will write more when breast size shrinks.

Love, Sarah Horn

Support Force

2009-08-21T17:52:00.005-05:00

SUPPORT FORCE

Location: Portland, Oregon
Members: Booth Wilson (Drums, vocals), Dan Schuman (Keyboards, vocals), Douglas Smith (Guitar, vocals), Jonathan Magdaleno (Guitar, vocals)
Genre: Weirdish Indie Rock
Label: Will be releasing something on High Scores and Records
Support Force on MySpace
Support Force Website

It's not often that I look at a bands MySpace and am greeted with a combination of dolphins, hieroglyphics, and Oprah Winfrey. But, with special thanks to Support Force, I have. I hate admitting that my first impressions were all but serious because of that, but once their music started playing...whoa. "Cyril Koestinger" greeted me with an interesting hymnal-like opener followed with an ambient guitar melody followed with a hypnotic, groove-like rock ballad. Each song is completely different from the other, which really isn't a bad thing.
Here's the (very interesting) interview I had with Support Force.

That's an interesting picture of a dolphin on your profile. Do any of you guys have an obsession with dolphins?
Jonathan: I'd say our obsession leans more towards strange and hilarious pictures. It's crazy because that's an actual military photo. I don't remember what the device on its flipper does exactly (I read about it some time ago), but it looks awful laser-like/futuristic to me.
Dan: That picture's real?
Booth: I initially thought it was of the dolphin uprising of '89. But no, I think Jonathan is right on this one.

Even though you've been together since 2006, there have been thirteen different members/contributors. Have there been problems keeping members in the band?
Jonathan: Well, Support Force had always been a solo project (under various names) up until the past couple of months. I would always have friends play live with me and in recordings, but it was never an official "band", at least by definition. Those other members and the time periods were all determinedly temporary. It just happened to work out that I'd have a certain group playing with me for an amount of time, and then people would come and go as they pleased, which is exactly how I wanted it to be. The current situation with Booth, Dan, and Douglas is somewhat similar in that I write most of the music and kind of guide the process of everything, but when we four started playing together, there was a great amount of chemistry and I began to feel like Support Force would soon flow into more of an equal contribution type of project on its own. It is slowly developing towards that and thus things have only gotten better. However, I can't say what exactly I expect to happen in the future, which is super exciting.

Where did the band name come from?
Jonathan: It's actually the name of a glacier in Antarctica. It was named after a US naval fleet. In this house I used to live in, there was a map of the world on the wall of the bathroom. I'd always look at it whenever I was hanging out in there, doin' thangz. It really appealed to me upon first discovering it and what's when I changed this project's name for the fourth time.

Does Support Force ever play live?
Jonathan: Yes we do!
Where?
As of right now, we've just been playing in Portland since we love being a part of the music scene up here (and also can't really afford to travel anywhere else, ha).
How often?
This summer was when we first started playing shows, and I'd say we were doing 2-3 shows a month. We will continue trying to play that same amount as soon as the new EP is released.
What have been your best experiences live? Worst?
Our best experiences playing live so far have probably been the past four shows or so in which we've received many kind words and developed lots of new friends. I'd say our worst experiences always have to do with our equipment. I have an amp that sporadically spikes in volume, which I foolishly tried to use at a show one time. We're saving up to fix these problems, though.
Dan: I'm ambivalent about our most recent show. One of the best shows yet, but my keyboard stand came apart and my Moog almost came crashing down mid-song.
Douglas: My favorite part of playing live has been getting to play with so many amazing local bands and meeting a lot of very cool people who are genuinely interested in our music.

You guys have had six past releases. How did your listeners like them?
Jonathan: It's hard to say what people thought about them because I never really took them too seriously. There were a couple releases that I was complimented on but not by any more than 40 or 50 people, most of which were friends or people I knew before I started recording. Whenever I write music, I write it based on what I'd like to hear or what's important to me. The fact that anybody else has an opinion will forever be crazy and awesome.
Are you recording a new EP or album soon?
Yes, we are currently recording a new EP which does not have a release date yet. We would like to release a full-length vinyl by next year.

I noticed Oprah Winfrey as number one on your top friends. Do you think the next 'Oprah's Favorite Things' episode will be lavish or low-budget due to our economy?
Jonathan: To be honest, I do not know what that is. The only thing I remember was when she gave everybody in the audience a car and they all went fucking crazy. She's in our number one spot because I think the whole 'top friends' thing on MySpace is pretty ridiculous. To sit down and order people and bands into numerical importance is strange to me.
Booth: I'm waiting for her to buy the whole country dinner again, like with KFC. That or Oprah stimulus checks.
Douglas: I can't say I have ever seen a full episode of Oprah. I'm all about People's Court.

Are any of you four in any other bands?

Dan: All of us somewhat work on solo recordings, but nothing outside of SF.
Booth: I am, for another few weeks. The songwriter of the band is leaving Portland. We're doing a joint show with SF as a farewell for him.
Douglas: I had a solo project that I was never able to get very serious about. I would play shows with Jonathan a lot, but it was mostly just for fun. I do intend on starting something up again. I have been writing a lot and I am pretty excited about it, but my focus right now is on Support Force.

Is there a hidden message in your 'About Me', with all of those crazy symbols? Or are you aliens, or, dare I ask, alien dolphins?
Jonathan: No, no hidden message. I came across that text on accident and thought it looked rad, so I just put it in our bio. I think the fact that I'm Mexican makes me pretty alien dolphin.

What are some of your strongest musical influences?
Jonathan: I try not to let other bands influence my songwriting, which is always an impossible attempt. I've had a lot of favorite groups and artists since I really started liking music in the 5th grade, so I'd say all of those groups kind of meshed into my prepubescent and adolescent development. Currently, I'm really into Neil Young and the song "Gypsy" by Fleetwood Mac. For the past couple of years, I've been really into Liars and Califone, along with the Kinsella family (Joan of Arc, Owen, American Football, etc.). There are many others that I really enjoy as well.
Douglas: I've been really into The Books lately, but Neutral Milk Hotel was what really inspired me to start writing and playing music.

Do you have any goals for Support Force?
Jonathan: Our current goal is to play as many shows as possible and eventually tour a lot. Ideally, in the future, I'd love to be able to live off of making music. But what musician doesn't, you know?
Booth: Ideally, we want to take on U2 in a battle of the bands.

Lyrically, my favorite song is "Cyril Koestinger". Jonathan, what inspired you to write that song, as well as your others?
Jonathan: "Cyril Koestinger" is pretty much about what I felt in the process of going from 18 to 20. From my aspirations to my frustrations to my realizations, etc. It's just a giant vat of teenage angst and introspection. It's also about wanting to blow everything off in order to give music all of your attention, which to me just means understanding that nothing is as important as personal happiness and self-fulfillment. Being 20 is just so strange to me, for I still feel as if I'm 15. There's a lot of that in there, too. Almost all of my other songs are about similar things or current world situations and how they relate to me or how I perceive them. Ultimately though, most of my songs are incredibly personal and I treat them as a complete expression of who I am. They're very important to me in that aspect.

What is your biggest struggle as a small band?
Booth: We still have to pay for our own burritos and wash our own clothes.
Jonathan: I'd say just getting a name for ourselves. There are so many bands out there that are all trying to do the same thing. It takes a lot of work to try to get people continually interested in you. We don't want to just jump on a bandwagon and get immediate success off of the coat tails of others, which makes it more difficult because that's usually what the general population wants: similarity, continuity, etc.

What do you guys do when you're not making music?
Douglas: I love to cook with my girlfriend and hang out with my two cats. I have been trying to get back into skateboarding, but I don't go as often as I would like. When we are not playing music, we are usually out at a show or something.
Jonathan: I like to read, cuddle with my 20 pound cat, and chill hard with my girlfriend. Other than that, I hang with these goobers quite often.
Booth: Currently, online chess. My cat isn't morbidly obese, so she's not that much fun.
Dan: Coding, circuit tinkering, and reading. I tend to devote a lot of time to music though, so nearly nothing else.

Any last thoughts?
Booth: Not really. Thank you.
Jonathan: Thanks so much!
Dan: Michael Jackson lives.

SONG OF THE DAY
"Architect of Policy" by Support Force (Left click, take it from there...)

Crooked Halo

2009-08-20T17:16:00.006-05:00

CROOKED HALO

Location: Hampton, Iowa
Members: Mike Deardeuff (Lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Patrick Owen (Lead guitar, backup vocals), Steve Hanson (Drums), Denver Nettifee (Bass)
Genres: Hard Rock, Metal
Record Label: Currently seeking
Crooked Halo on MySpace
Crooked Halo Merch

Say hello to the first ever hard rock/metal band to be featured on the blog! I had to laugh a bit when I got a request for a post from these guys. I mean, since when did a metal band want to be featured on a bright-colored, grassy, and bubble-filled baby blog (Let alone follow indie rock bands and two ukulele players)? Luckily, Crooked Halo is not your typical hard rock band. Instead of relying solely on growling and doom, they have amazing vocals, lyrics, and a guitar trio that's not to be spat at. I had a chance to interview them, while Jim reviewed their latest EP, ...Still Burning.

Congrats! You're the first hard rock band to be featured on teh blog. What made you choose that genre instead of, say, Yiddish folk music?
I guess we were just fortunate enough to find a group of people that had the same interest in music and that desire to play in the small town of Hampton. There are only about 3000 people in this town, and it's been crazy how far we have been able to go so far from such a small area. As far as Yiddish folk music, that was Denver's first choice, but we managed to get him on the rock boat.

Yamaha basses, Pearl drums, Peavey amps...those couldn't have been cheap. How did such a new band score such nice equipment?
We have always looked at equiptment as an investment for the individuals and the band collectively. With musical instruments, you definitely get what you pay for. You could always go out and buy a $200 bass cab and it might be okay for a while, but I would rather pay $200 a month for a couple months and get a solid, great-sounding cab that will last forever and have exactly what you want instead of what you settle for in the cheaper models. We have always had connections at music stores in the area as well. Rieman Music, West Music, and Guitar Center have all been great. Also, American Music Supply has this awesome no-credit buying system. I suggest you check it out.

I was looking at the guestbook on your MySpace. You've got lots of fans all over America, but also a few in London. Did you ever expect your music to spread that far?
Honestly, when we started, it was all about having fun and making music. In a way, it still is and always will be. If you aren't having fun doing it, then don't do it. As far as fans overseas, it's crazy. We have some fans from Ireland that email and comment our page all the time. We love it. We always like to respond and chat and meet new people as much as possible. I don't think there has ever been an email unread or even unresponded to in the MySpace. We don't want to take things for granted at all.

I noticed that you listed Mountain Dew as an inspiration.
Yeah, the Mountain Dew inspiration was kind of an inside joke thing that we have. I'm glad you asked about this one as opposed to other inspirations. When we first started practicing, it was at Mike's house. In Iowa, you can redeem cans for the deposit. So, at times before we took the cans in for cash, Mike had a wall in the kitchen covered in Mountain Dew boxes filled with empty cans. That is how much Dew had been drank through a few weeks of practice.

For those who are too lazy to use Google, what is scordatura?
Scordatura is just a fancy musical term for detuning your instrument. Since we drop tune, I thought it only fitting to educate the world.

You have quite a few shows coming up. What's the most interesting experience you've had?
One of the most interesting experiences in a positive note is playing at the legendary Surf Ballroom. We headlined a show there and it was incredible to think of all the greats that had played there before us. Not to mention the fact that it was the last place Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens ever played before their deaths. It was an amazing show and earned us more recognition in the north Iowa area.
As far as most crazy, we have a lot of those. One time, Denver, in the middle of the song when the build was coming back into the chorus, decided that it would be a good idea to jump-kick off the wall and spin back to the middle of the stage, still rocking out. He had done this many times before in the same venue, but this time, hit a weak spot in the wall and kicked his leg through the wall. He had to yank his foot out from his high-kick position and lost his shoe down the inside of the wall as he brought his foot back in. He had to finish the set in one shoe.

Would Patrick or Mike ever let a fan braid their hair if they asked nicely?
Sure. Are you asking nicely?
Maybe.

What tattoos does Denver have?
Denver: I am sort of what they call the illustrated man. No, not really. I do have about sixteen tats, though. My most recent and one of my faves is a bass clef that starts at my right shoulder and works its way to my chest down to my right side, having music notes following down my right side.

Any last thoughts?
We really appreciate being a part of this interview and it has been one of the most fun ones to do. We appreciate the research that you have put into it and hopes everyone checks out our new EP, which is available at our merch site (see above) for only $5. And if you are in the area or online, come say hi!

"Closer To Perfect"
This track starts off with a quiet, ambient hum and, as a listener, you have no idea what you are in for. Then in comes the ridiculously complex riff, and the rest of the band following shortly after with a pounding rhythm. The drummer is really spot-on. Special attention should be paid to the vocalists: they shift effortlessly between screaming and singing. And the lyrics are very intense- they seem to be pulled from a place incredibly deep to the band. Also, the production is great. This song, like the rest of the EP, just sounds really good. On this track, it's really all about the vocal delivery. I'm not sure if it's the lead singer Mike who does the screaming, but holy hell. I haven't heard a vocalist this over-the-top since 80's Chris Cornell (at times it sounds like he's actually being tortured...but in a good way. This is raw and powerful stuff). He's like a banshee. I can actually imagine paint peeling off the walls when he hits some of the high notes.

"In Between Us"
An amazing drum pattern starts this one off. I'm talking like Neil Peart-caliber. It really caught me by surprise. It's complimented nicely by a thundering, propulsive bass line. In fact, this little moment here that opens up the track may just be my favorite moment of the whole EP. I see the band lists Alice in Chains as an influence, and I can definitely sense a bit of that here, especially in the more laid-back vocal parts. They remind me of Jerry Cantrell. I also dig the lyrics I wanna break away/I need the seeds of change as they seem to be very resonant at this point in time in American history.

"Do You Believe"
This one starts off with what appears to be an acoustic guitar and breaks up the pace of the EP nicely, with the rest of the song continuing in a still-rocking but a bit more laid-back vein. Lyrically, this song addresses a theme common in all of our lives: feeling unappreciated, and having the strength to press on in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Never give up, never give in/You can't hold me down'. It could apply to any situation, be it succeeding in sports, or in a relationship. It's pretty much universally applicable.

"Addiction Affliction"
Firstly, I really appreciated the wordplay on this one. My addiction, my affliction/This disease is killing me. It's not often you get to mention alliteration in a song review. But in all seriousness, his seems to be the most intensely personal song in the set. The line Help me find a reason, help me find a way/Help me. I can't breathe and I fucked up again is repeated again and again like a mantra. There actually seems to be a deeply-rooted message in the lyrics, honestly heartfelt and sincere. Their words ring true, like people who can actually relate to what they are singing about, and don't just use their hard-hitting subjects for shock value.

"Justified"
This song starts off with a very beautiful, Eastern-influenced guitar line. There are some more Alice in Chains overtones here too (it reminds me a bit of something that might be on their Jar of Flies EP). The rhythm section is incredibly precise throughout- and the drums get really interesting around 2:12. Overall, I thought this was a nice way the close things, although I will admit to being slightly disappointed that the lyrics made no reference to the Justin Timberlake LP of the same name. But, I guess that would have been a ridiculous demand. What the song does appear to be about is the aftermath of a tumultuous relationship, and coming to terms with the end...knowing you had done what you could to salvage it and that sometimes, things just don't work out. Actually, I make it sound like a bit of a downer, but still a fitting end to a powerful and brutally honest, good old hard rock EP, something we just don't get enough of anymore in a musical atmosphere overrun by hip-hop and bizarre (but admittedly sometimes great) indie pop.

Team Light You on Fire!

2009-08-19T19:16:00.005-05:00

TEAM LIGHT YOU ON FIRE!

Members: Jeremy "Jer Bear" Maurizi - Vocals. Damien Hager - Rhythm Guitar/Back-Up Vocals. Brian Revor - Bass/Back-Up Vocals. Adam Petkus - Drums. Ian Sullivan - Lead Guitar.
Genre: Unclassifiable
Location: Chicago Heights/Homewood/Glenwood, Illinois
Record Label: None yet, but looking

Team Light You On Fire! is a 5-piece band from Illinois. Their sound that is sort of a blend of punk and metal, drawing heavily from all kinds of influences. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing them and have been listening to two new songs from their upcoming EP The World Is Not Loud Enough which is due out right in time for Halloween. One thing that really radiates from all these guys is their passion for simply putting on the best show that they can for their fans (something which they all agree is better than sex by the way). And the passion really carries over to the songs on the EP, with it retaining that sort in-your-face intensity of being right there seeing the band play, while refining the sound and also allowing a trick or two from recording studio technology. The presumably reclusive Ian did not participate in the interview, but all the other guys talked fondly of him, so I can only assume he's trying to cultivate some mystique as an eccentric lead guitarist.

THE REVIEW
The first track I listened to was 'Last Goodbye', which starts off with a short riff and quick build-up on the drums before really kicking in, and exploding into the crunchy verse. Immediately I was struck by the dual-vocals- a combination of a tradtional, passionate croon and a sub-sonic howl- and how well those two seemingly opposing sounds meshed together. I also found the melody to be instantly memorable, withh the lyrics seeming to carry a lot of personal impact: 'My hands shakes as I write these words/ You messed with my mind, my head wants to explode'. I for one can think of many times my head has felt like it wanted to explode, so this is something I think everyone can relate to. Throughout, the drums move at a breakneck-pace, with the rest of the band following and chugging along like a train. Things get really interesting during the bridge, where a riff that sort of reminds me of the intro to 'Welcome to the Jungle' emerges, and the lead guitar comes in with a brief but very tasteful phrase, before transitioning effortlessly back into the chorus: '...Let the streets run red with blood/ No one will be safe and sound, not after what you've done'. The track is capped-off with some particularly deep growling and a skillful little display of drum-fireworks.
The second track I checked out, and my personal favorite of the two, was 'Asleep in the Trenches'. This track kicks right in with some riffage that can really only be described as 'badass'. The lyrics: 'Divided we stand/ United we fall...'- seem to be carrying a message of self-reliance... that sometimes, the only person you can really count on is yourself. For some reason I keep getting a bit of a Mastodon feel from this track (mainly from the churning guitar and the guttaral wail of some of the vocals) not a bad thing at all since personally I think Mastodon is one of the better, if not best of the current metal bands. Around 3:20, the band starts engaging in some very interesting rhythmic interplay that actually called to mind System of a Down. The band then segues neatly back into a reprise of the beginning with a cool echo-effect on the vocals that could have come off as a little cheesy (but doesn't) before ending ending on a killer, menacing growl. Something else I just have to say about this track, is it makes me think of the music they play in those 'Army of One' commercials, you know, just that really over-the-top, dramatic metal- which again is not a bad thing, just an observation, and also I think surprisingly appropriate because the title 'Asleep in the Trenches' does call to mind images of being in the trenches of war.

It should be noted that the Team Light You On Fire! guys cite just as much of a punk influence as metal (as you'll read in the interview they all have a fondness for Rancid), but there does seem to just be a predominantly more-metal lean to their songs, at least what I've heard so far.

Here's the interview.

How long have you guys been a band?

Jer: As a full band we've been together since April 2009, but the whole thing started back in January right after my old band Misfire played our final show.

How did you guys meet?

Jer: Well me and Brian knew each other for a while cause we were friends in high school and used to be in 2 bands together, then I knew Ian from school also.

Brian: Me and Jeremy have been homeboys for quite a while, going on 5 years. I met him in speech class and didn't like him at first because all he'd talk about was boxing.

Jer: According to Damien, I've met him plenty of times from old Misfire shows, but I never really started talking to him till i posted a bulletin on Myspace saying that TLYOF was looking for a rhythm guitarist and he responded...

Damien: Well I stalked Jeremy's old band Misfire for a while. Eventually they disbanded, and I saw Jeremy at work a couple days later, asking him if he was doing anything else band-related at the moment. From what I gathered he already had another full band, but a few weeks later he posted the bulletin on Myspace about needing a new guitarist, and I filled that position.

Adam: I met everyone through Damien. I'd known him since probably my second year of high school, though we never talked much back then until one day we were at a friend's party and started talking music. He told me one day he'd like to get together and jam...

(Editor's note: And the rest, as they say, was history.)

Has your line-up always been like it is now or have there been any changes?

Jer: Our line-up has seen some changes. The band originally started out when my old band broke up cause I couldn't stand the idea of not playing music. So I started talking to Brian about playing bass, then I started talking to Ian during some games of beer pong and thats kind of how it all started. Once we got Ian he got a drummer named Brian who never showed up to a practice so we eventually replaced him with my friend Pat. After about a month of practice Pat quit due to unknown reasons, and at this time we had just recruited Damien to play guitar for us. Lucky for us, Damien knew of Adam and from then on we've been the same.

Who would you say your biggest influences are?

Jer: My biggest influence has always come from punk music, mainly the band Rancid. They are my inspiration for everything. but for this band I get a lot of influence from Escape The Fate. They seem to fit the style of TLYOF a lot more than Rancid does, and I try to take as much influence as I can from their old and new singer when it comes to my stage presence.

Brian: My tastes in music have changed over the years. I used to be really into metal, bands like Pantera and Trivium but then that started to fade once i heard Rancid for the first time and I consider punk rock to be my first love. I still like metal plenty but Rancid changed my entire world when it came to music. I try to incorporate several different styles into what i play, trying to throw some punk sounding lines in some of our heavier stuff. Recently i have really become a friend of ska and the Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto have been some of my favorite bands.

Damien: My main influence has always been punk rock, from a very early age I've been listening to a lot of punk bands. Ska also plays a large role in what I do- for a while I was in a ska band for about 2 1/2 years. Even though my main influences have been punk my favorite band is Pantera. Most recently my influences are expanding.

Adam: It's hard for me to narrow it down to just specific ones.. cuz there are a lot of different bands and styles of music that influence me.. I would first have to say my father influences me.. he plays the drums and I guess I just picked up the skill from him.. But other influences would be Metal, Rock, Punk, Jazz, and Rap (yeah rap, I know)... I mainly was hooked on things like Megadeth and King Diamond... also newer things like Dream Theater... those were the bands and styles that most influenced me.

How did you come up with the band name?

Jer: The band name was created kind of from my old band in a way. Back when I was in Misfire I had this friend Zack that I always worked with who decided that since my band was called Misfire, we would call ourselves Team Backfire. So eventually it turned into kind of a big thing for us, we always hung out and would introduce ourselves as Team Backfire. So one day after Zack left for the army I was talking to one of my friends at White Castle and started to say 'Team Backfire', when i realized it was pointless cause Zack wasnt around anymore. So I started to think of things related to fire and eventually thought of "light you on fire". And I thought Team Light You On Fire sounded so good that I texted Brian and we decided that would be our band name way before we even had a band.

Have any of you ever actually committed arson?

Jer: I did without knowing once, I accidently threw something that was on fire on the ground, not knowing that there were a bunch of dead leaves there and walked away. When I returned later I saw a bunch of fire trucks there and walked away. I also accidently lit a kid that we called Wiggles on fire... but he was ok.

Brian: Never anything serious, just lighting little things on fire just for the sake of watching it burn. Never any people though, unlike my Jer.

Damien: Yes, but i'm really not able to explain it.

Adam: I used to burn things just for the hell of it.. me and my friends would just light shit on fire all the time. Nothing super serious though... I also have never lit anyone on fire...

Any thoughts on the upcoming new Kiss album?

Jer: I didn't know there was an upcoming Kiss album.

Brian: I also wasn't aware but I was never really into them, they were more of the shock effect and show than actual music.

Damien: I'm jizzing in my pants just thinking about it.

Adam: Kiss sucks... I never listened to them and don't plan on starting now... so obviously that tells you I don't know shit about their new album coming up... lol

(Editor's note: Yeah... Kiss does suck... I know. Sorry guys.)

Do you play live a lot?

Jer: We try to play as much as we can, but it's hard cause there's not many places in the area to play at anymore.

Brian: We like to play as much as we can, but limited vehicles and limited venues kind of prevent that, but we make the best of it.

Adam: I would love to play live all the time... but there are limitations to that.. most of the band members have jobs and have to work their schedules around that... I go to school... so I have to manage it around that...

Do you like playing live?

Jer: I love it, it is the greatest feeling ever. I wish I could play shows every night, its better than sex.

Brian: It's pretty much my favorite thing in the world, even if there are only a few people there I feel that we must put on an awesome show for them, but when there is a lot the feeling is so much greater, its better than sex.

Damien: If i didn't i wouldn't, but its better than sex.

Adam: Playing live is probably the best thing ever.. especially when people are into what your playing.. when the crowd is head banging to your music.. It kinda makes you feel like you've done something good for the world.. and it's better than sex.

You are in the process of recording an EP- what's it been like?

Jer: The EP isnt finished yet, we're only 2 songs in right now, but it's a work in progress. We have 4 songs written and we're in the process of completing 2-3 more. We're recording it as the songs are written, then we record them at McWoah's Studio in Mokena, Il. We plan on having everything ready for release this Halloween and it will be called "The World Is Not Loud Enough".

Brian: The guy's at McWhoah's are awesome guys who do good work and make the recording process a lot easier.

Damien: It was a really quick process.

Who's the primary song-writer?

Jer: Damien and Ian are pretty much the song-writers

Brian: Damien and Ian write the majority of the music, Jeremy writes the lyrics, I don't really do any writing except for some bass fills and some different bass things that fit in with the songs.

Adam: Damien and Ian.. they are the guitarists so they write the backbone for the songs... Jeremy does write some of the lyrics... and of course I come up with the unique drum part for each song... also Brian contributes as well...

What are your ultimate goals for the band?

Jer: I would love to make a career out of playing music, but if I cant then I want to have as much fun as possible and make music that people like.

Brian: Having music as a career would be pretty much the greatest thing ever, even if this band goes nowhere it is a lot of fun playing shows and just creating music, hopefully music that other people like

Damien: Get signed and get bitches =]

Adam: To someday become well known and famous.. It would be a great thing to remain in this band forever...or as long as I'm still alive.. that is providing they still want me in or still feel passionate about music at that time.. I would love to record many albums with the band... and continue to put on kick ass shows for the people...

SONG OF THE DAY:
"The Last Goodbye" by Team Light You On Fire! (Left click, take it from there...)

Umm...

2009-08-19T14:40:00.002-05:00

...Gimmie.

Buy a copy for yourself (or your most favorite blogger) here.

Adult Videos

2009-08-18T10:39:00.003-05:00

ADULT VIDEOS

Location: DeKalb, Illinois
Members: Donald Hoffman (Everything you hear)
Genres: Indie, Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Record Label: None
Adult Videos on MySpace

Oh, the benefits of being a musician and being my friend. I don't remember how Donnie and I started talking, but we did, and we've had some interesting conversations. However, before he was Donnie the friend, he was Adult Videos, the guy with an array of instruments, amazingly twisted yet honest lyrics, and a voice channeling a much manlier Claudio Sanchez.
In between giving music lessons, working, and being overly flirty, Donnie was able to answer a few questions for me.

Donald J. Hoffman...what does the "J" stand for?
The "J" stands for Joe.

You easily have the most interesting band bio I've ever read. How much of it is true?
Actually, it's all true. I could have gotten even quirkier, but I wanted to maintain some semblance of trying to act professional. The sad thing is, the bio as it is is the very best I could do.

How did you come up with the name Adult Videos?
I'm a fan of double entendres. There's the obvious connotations that come to everyone's mind when they hear the band name. I mean, in the band's music itself, there is obvious reference to sex, divorce, adultery, child abuse, and all that. And I've always bought into the Bruce Springsteen school of songwriting where all the best songs come across as mini-films, and these are the topics I'm preoccupied with. That being said, originally, the band name was merely a reference to my childhood. When I was young, I used to refer to PG-13 and R rated movies as adult videos, blissfully unaware to the reason why grown-ups would always snicker at me every time I said it.

It looks like you're a mult-instrumentalist. What all can you play, and what motivated you to try so many instruments?

I can play a few. I mean, obviously I gravitate towards strings. On that front, there's the double bass, guitar, ukulele, mandolin, banjo, and the dobro. But I've alos got a decent enough background on piano. That being said, a lot of the other instruments you hear are from my background in MIDI programming and the incredible quality of modern samplers. I've got a pretty strong background in composition, and a degree in the field. So I've always had a strong interest in tonal colors, and I view instruments more for their sound than what a proficient player might want to do. A lot of the time, it's the actual timbre as opposed to the actual music that makes more of an impact on the listener, so when I'm in the studio, it's that side of me that pops out.

What are some of your musical inspirations?
At the end of the day, I would think that's obvious. I know I'm not doing anything particularly new. Despite how big some of my music may sound, at the end of the day, you can tell I've worn my way through quite a few Morrissey, Springsteen, and Lou Reed records. I love good songwriters, and despite my production style, you can tell at the end of the day everything I do was simply written on an acoustic guitar with a notebook and pencil. I think, honestly, the surprising influence for me comes more from television and film and literature than other artists. I touch more on comedians than how much I have a Mick Jagger fetish, and to me it's inescapable how strong I feel it comes out, while others might be oblivious to it.

What made you decide to do something with your love of music?
Honestly, I got into it because I spent most of my adolescence writing poetry. And, let's be honest, chubby poet boys growing up in a farm town don't get girls, so I figured I could at least pick up a guitar while I'm at it and that'll be that. Unfortunately, being a chubby boy with an acoustic guitar singing off-key about my feelings didn't help me get laid either...which caused me to write more. Really, when you think about it, it's a downward spiral that ends with a cheeseburger overdose outside of Tampa.

Were you the one who made Kim Kardashian go blonde?
No...but it really doesn't work for her, does it? I'd make some horrible joke about the curtains not matching the drapes, but that Ray Jay sex tape she made has got to go into the wall of fame. I mean, the Paris Hilton one was just a sad joke. But Kim's got some serious talent. If she wanted to, I'm sure she could put Eve Lawrence to shame, but I doubt she'd make a dent in Tory Lane. I honestly think she could take a punch even better than Sasha Grey.
(All views expressed in this interview are those of Donald Hoffman and Adult videos, not All You Can Eat Plus Mints, Blogspot, or any other websites.)

What do you write most of your songs about?
I like to think I write about mature themes. Instead of breakup songs, I tend to write about divorce. I don't view things as taboo, or things that you shouldn't write about. If it exists, it exists. At the center of every song tends to be a character, and it's him dealing with living in society where he doesn't belong, or one in which being a decent person isn't enough to get by. My characters live in the real world, and not in the idealistic one which most songs tend to tend to romanticize tiny events with melodramatic brushstrokes. As much as I'm sure people will disagree with me, I don't go for shock value in my songs. There may be awful shocking things that take place in them, but they're not what the songs are ever truly about. They're about the turmoil in the decisions people make every day. It's about what we're capable of doing, but something holds us back...or it's about trying to reconcile the ideals of good people in a bad world. That's what I focus on.

When you write songs, I think you occupy a territory that kinda floats between fantasy and reality. The best songs are the ones you're not even sure about anymore. Some things have happened first-hand, some things have happened to friends. Some are urban legends, some are just hyperbole. But at the end of the day, they're all things that have either happened to someone, or are capable of happening. So in that context, they're all real-world experiences.

I noticed you have a few shows coming up at some great venues. What is your favorite part about playing live?
Feeding off of the crowds. Getting them into it. It's when people come up to me afterwards and sincerely compliment me on a set, or ask thoughtful questions about the performance or the songs.
Least favorite?
After all these years, I still get intense stage fright. Usually I need a couple of drinks just to step out onto a stage, much less play well.
Do you have a favorite venue?
I do have very fond memories of the House Cafe in DeKalb, Illinois, but a good venue is nowhere near as important as a good crowd.

A mysterious source informed me that you no longer want Adult Videos to be a solo project. Is this true? If so, what kind of musicians would you want to recruit?
Well, for years, Adult Videos has been a solo show, consisting of me, my instruments, and programmed accompaniment. It's limiting, or at least stressful, to tour and play alone. It takes a social art, and makes it into an incredibly lonely process, even moreso than it has to be. Ideally, there's no right answer. I woudl love Adult Videos to be suit my whims, whether it's touring with a string quartet, a typical rock set-up, a gospel choir, or a synth backing band. I'd love to be able to flesh out a full-time core act, but I always wanted to expand the act into a much bigger sound, and I'd love to have that at my disposal during the recording process as well.

I read the poem "To You" on your blog. Who is 'you'?
Everyone as their first love. But not everyone realizes that after obsessing over their first love, it's more of a reflection of their own voids and not a single person. For instance, it's usually not the person we miss, but the ideal that we've turned them into. An ideal that no one could ever live up to. So really, 'you' is an obsession with an ideal that no human being could possibly live up to.

If you could tour with any musician, who would it be and why?
That one's not too hard to answer. For both a good show and a great set of touring companions, I'd say the Hold Steady. My liver disagrees, but that's a given.

Who do you think is a better banjo player- you or Steve Martin?
...I don't fuck with King Tut.

What's life like as a self-ordained minister?
Actually, I'm not, I'm a legally-ordained minister. And it's about what I thought it would be: rather plain. It's something I did as a legal protest because frankly, if monsters like Fred Phelps can run around using religion to maintain websites like godhatesfags.com, then the government should give no extra legal rights or implied social standings to any member of any religious organization. So, I took it upon myself to secure the same legal rights that any reverend has.

Are there any interesting upcoming projects for Adult Videos?
I'm planning on finishing up the debut album by my 25th birthday next February. Other than that, just touring and support.

What has been your biggest struggle as a musician?
It's just fighting above the noise to be heard. Or get a following or get booked. The biggest struggle for me personally has been undertaking the entire process on my own. I'm my own manager, producer, booking agent...I do everything. At this point, I'd like to find someone to take on some of those responsibilities.

Favorite poet?
John Berryman or Charles Bukowski. That would should be obvious...however, there has always been something that's haunted me about Gordon Downie's poetry as well.

What is your favorite Mountain Goats song and why?
My favorite Darnielle song has always been a little known rarity track called "Soft Targets". Basically about the almost violent daily struggle trying to maintain a marriage. The ending lyrics We embrace on the floor in the kitchen/Emissaries from neighboring lands/If I hunt down the vampire that did this to us/I will rip out his heart with my hands has always stuck with me as the sheer willpower and determination it takes to maintain any real relationship.

It looks like you've had some pretty epic facial hair in the past. Would you ever go Grizzly Adams and dye your hair blue?
No. I have a day job and a desire to have sex once again before I die. Though, frankly, I'm doubting that will ever happen.

What are some of your hobbies/interests outside of music?
Well, despite 80 to 90 hour weeks, I do manage at using nearly all of my free time watching television. But seriously, how could you not these days? Have you seen the quality of writing on shows like Hung and Mad Men? It can leave you gasping for air.

Any last thoughts?
...I'm still slightly fixated on that Kim Kardashian sex tape. And when/if she'll make a sequel.

SONG OF THE DAY:
"Nasty Boys Parade (Demo)" by Adult Videos (Left click, take it from there...)

Red Channel

2009-08-18T09:08:00.003-05:00

RED CHANNEL

Location: Chicago, Illinois
Members: Ben (Vocals), Brett (Guitar, vocals), Chad (Guitar, vocals), Brady (Drums), Curtis (Bass)
Genres: Punk, Rock
Record Label: THROW UP Records
Red Channel on MySpace

Do you remember the first punk song you ever listened to? No, Green Day and Avril Lavigne do not count. I'm talking The Ramones, Misfits, etc. My first punk song was "London Calling" by The Clash. The badass vocals and blunt lyrics made me fall in love with REAL punk (and fall out of love with Hot Topic). I instantly developed appreciation for bands like Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, and my personal favorite, Black Flag. That's why, when first listening to Red Channel's "Prove Them Wrong", I was floored. I thought I was listening to some unreleased Black Flag song. After picking my jaw up off the floor, I was lucky to get an interview with Red Channel. Enjoy!

So, where did the name Red Channel come from?
Brett had stumbled across it. "Red Channels" was a pamphlet-style book that named Communists in the entertainment industry back in the day. We liked the sound of it minus the "s" and liked the logo. We were all sick of being in bands that were "The ______s".

Who are your biggest musical inspirations?
The Chicago punk scene, past and present. We all have that in common and then everybody has their own personal tastes. There's five of us, so there are all types of influences coming together. It works out really well.

Has anyone ever told you that you sound like Black Flag?
We don't think anybody has told us that. We take that as a compliment, though.
Do any of you five look up to their work?
All of us are fans of them. We just did another interview that happened to have Ron Reyes in it too!

You guys have a lot of shows coming up. What's your favorite part about performing live?
Shows are what it's all about. It's just too bad that it's not like it used to be. When we were younger, all we would do was go to shows. Now it doesn't seem like kids go to shows as much as they used to. We don't know if it's the scene, the bands, or a combo of both, but it's definitely not the same. There needs to be more all-ages shows around the entire Chicagoland area.
Do you have a favorite place to perform?
We love playing all-ages venues, but The Mutiny is always fun and free too!

Do any of you have names for your instruments?
Chad does. His guitar's name is Gloria. It was the first song he learned to play on that very guitar...many, many, many years ago.

Are you in any other music projects?
Curtis plays guitar for Evil Empire, and has so for a few years. The rest of us just play in Red Channel.

Would you ever consider doing a cover of Hannah Montana's "Ice Cream Freeze (Let's Chill)"?
Umm...no. We've never even heard that song, but it's probably not our style. That's a funny title, though.

While looking through your MySpace pics, I noticed a couple of you have some pretty badass leather jackets. Any reason behind that?
Thanks. We originally joked that leather jackets, black t-shirts, and jeans were our band uniform, but it got too hot out to do that all the time. Plus, that's rock & roll!

I also noticed Chad's leopard print guitar strap. Is he a fan of leopards?
Who isn't?

What are your interests outside of music?
A few of us like baseball. We can prove it too, we have pictures!

Any last thoughts?

Yes. We have two brand new songs on the THROW UP Records Dry Heaves compilation CD. Please check that out and come see us play!

SONG OF THE DAY:

Wait for it...

An Introspective Mess

2009-08-15T12:44:00.006-05:00

AN INTROSPECTIVE MESS

Location: Merced, California

Members: Tippy Montgomery (Ukulele, Vocals, Lyrics)

Genre: Acoustic Folk Whatnot

Record label: None

Most likely the first thing one notices about Tippy Montgomery AKA An Introspective Mess is her blue hair. It's pretty cool, I will admit that. But she is also a really talented singer-songwriter with a unique, ukulele-driven sound. I have my suspicions that the whole blue hair-thing is just a tactic to get people to notice her, and draw them into paying attention to her music. Lyrically, her songs are quite heart-felt and touching, and they obviously come from a very personal place. Remarkably, she actually answered every single one of the questions I provided her with, so what follows is a very detailed interview. Enjoy.

Lots of people usually pick up an electric guitar or sit at a drum set when they want to play an instrument for a band. What made you choose ukulele?
The ukulele was one of my ‘last resort’ instruments that I fell into playing thanks to two musician-friends of mine, “Uni and her Ukelele” and “High Hopes”. They both seemed to think of the uke as an easy instrument to learn, and they were right! Also, surfing the world of YouTube, I had run across so many talented songwriters who use the ukulele as their instrument of choice in a beautiful, almost spellbinding way - far beyond children’s songs. It’s a very versatile instrument if you really take advantage of it.

Did you try anything else before settling on it and would you ever consider playing anything else?

I have tried guitar and couldn't get hang of it- too complicated. I would love to learn the violin - it was my first musical interest when I was a kid.

The ukulele obviously only has 4 strings and not as many frets as other string instruments, so there are fewer chord possibilities- as a result it would be easy for a lot of songs to feel/ sound similar. How do you keep things musically fresh and interesting in your playing? (Like ‘Superglue and Seashells’- that sounds different particularly from all the others and is also my favorite)
I worry a lot about giving each song it’s own identity, and the best way to do that is by writing in the moment. I find the longer I spend on a piece of music the more patchy and robotic it becomes, where as if I am in the moment, it all flows together and the emotion - the essence of music - is there. ‘Superglue & Seashells’ is a good example of that.

Would you ever be open to collaborating in a band-setting or do you feel you work best on your own?
I hope to someday bounce ideas off other musicians, but for now I’m too big of a wimp to take that leap! Plus, I’ll admit that I have trouble being a team player. Ha!

Do you enjoy playing live?
You know, I have a love/hate relationship with playing for a crowd. It is so scary and intimidating, yet once I finish my set, it feels great. That feeling of accomplishment is what keeps me going back for more.

With the ukulele, I’m sure it works very well for intimate settings but when playing to larger crowds, do you feel the sound carries well?

It is difficult to carry over into bigger shows or even acoustic nights at certain places, because sometimes the setting and the attendees just don’t fit the particular music I play.

Did you always envision yourself as a musician or did it happen somewhat accidentally?
Completely accidental. I had written poetry and always kept writing as an outlet, but it never seemed to satisfy me. Eventually, I just had to get up the courage to try new things and once I got a taste of songwriting, I became addicted. Trust me, I’ve tried to quit!

Do you have a favorite song you have written, and why?
Ooh… I have a couple favorites, but I hardly ever play them for anyone but myself. I’d have to say one of them is “Daydreaming”, because I finally found the balance between keeping the message personal and relating with others. Another is “Broken Promises”.

Some of your lyrics seem to be very personal, does that make it harder to perform or do you use performance as a kind of way to vent- sort of an emotional cleansing?
Performing is a very hard thing for me to do, especially if I’m playing a new song for the first time. There’s always a fear of taking it too far, and showing too much of myself to people that may or may not understand. But the music I listen to, and the songwriters I love are very honest and emotional. I can relate to them, and deeply respect them for coming out and sharing pieces of their lives with an audience. It’s a beautiful experience.

Who is the strangest artist or band you have ever been compared to?
Ha! It would have to be Janis Joplin. I’ve gotten that comment twice, and I don’t understand it at all. Perhaps it’s a joke?

Who are some of your favorite musicians?
Very hard question! Hmm… Justin Furstenfeld (Blue October), Amanda Palmer (The Dresden Dolls), Regina Spektor, Danielle Ate the Sandwich, R.E.M, Rocco DeLuca, Delta Spirit, Aslyn, The Beatles, and of course my friends, Tommy Delgado (Fresno, Ca.), The Panduhs (Patterson, Ca.), and Charlie Don’t Surf! (Modesto, Ca.).

What are your thoughts on another famous vegan, Paul McCartney?

I really respect Paul McCartney. Not only as a phenomenal musician, but as a voice for the animal rights movement.

Were you raised vegan or was it something you chose on your own, and was there a specific experience that led you to make the choice?
When I was twelve (November of 2002) I made the decision to finally begin my life as a vegetarian. It never made sense to me why people chose to discriminate between species of life; why cuddle a puppy and butcher a cow? However, it wasn’t until later (March of 2007) that my mom convinced me to take it all the way. She had recently become a vegetarian and decided to approach it as ‘all or nothing’, so that night we made the transition into veganism.
Not gonna lie, I miss cheesecake!

I saw your dog in the video for ‘Lessons Learned’- what is it’s name?

Aw, yes, her name is April. Isn’t she cute?

I noticed you recently recorded an EP. Do you enjoy recording?
I enjoyed it this time! In the past I had done recordings on my own, and they never came out right - I’m terrible with technology! But I lucked into meeting a very talented songwriter by the name of Dustin Caldera, and he was an absolute joy to work with!

Being that your music is pretty sparse and ‘organic’ one might say live, do you have any urge to spice it up when recording, with all the possibilities of having extra tracks and free reign to add whatever you want, or do you prefer to replicate the live sound as closely as possible?
I like to keep it simple and raw. Honestly, the music that grabs my attention isn’t in your face, it’s feeble and… well, yeah, it’s organic.

What would you say your ultimate goal as a musician is?
Overall, I want to be relatable. It’s important for me to be honest in my songwriting, because the issues I address (depression, suicide, self-injury, etc) are usually tip-toed around, or even down-right avoided. Music has been my everything, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve turned to the words of a song for guidance and hope - I want to write a song that someone can connect with. And, yes, I am aware how cliché that sounded!

Do you find that there is much of a ‘scene’ where you live in Merced or is it a bit of an uphill-battle to find and connect with potential fans?
There’s a scene for those over 21 and interested in going out to a bar, but other than that, no. I travel to shows most of the time, or play house parties, as I’ve made it a personal rule to play only shows that are accepting of everyone - no discrimination!

Do you have any celebrity crushes?
Regina Spektor!

Any musical artists you absolutely cannot stand?
There are a ton of popular musicians I can’t stand to listen to, but I have nothing against any of them. The joy of music is seeing people gravitate to it and find something - anything - they can relate to. Whether it be the Jonas Brothers or Billie Holiday, it doesn’t matter as long as someone out there can really feel something while listening to them.

If you could tour with anyone, who would it be and why?
Anyone that was in it for the right reasons, not money or popularity.

Is there any famous song you wish you had written?
Of course! I find myself saying, “Why can’t I write a song like this?” all the time. The short answer: If I did, I wouldn’t like it!

SONG OF THE DAY:
"Day Dreaming" by An Introspective Mess (Left click, take it from there...)

Camping Party

2009-08-14T11:12:00.005-05:00

CAMPING PARTY

Location: Portland, Oregon
Members: Aaron Bergeson (Everything you hear)
Genre: Pop/Shoegaze/Ambient/Americana
Record Label: None yet, though a friend released his album
Camping Party on MySpace

Upon looking at the Camping Party's MySpace, I must say I was impressed. There was such a strong vintage feeling, which is refreshing when half of the music pages I see consist of skinny jeans, bright colors, scary hair, and other unmentionables. Yet, one thing did cross my mind: This is probably a 67-year-old guy who will remind me of Willie Nelson. Despite this thought, I confidently hit the play button and was shocked to hear a mesmerizing combination of an acoustic guitar and dreamy, light vocals in "Anxiety". (I was even more shocked to look through the pics. Aside from a couple vintage photos, I saw a guy far from 67 with HUGE gauges.)
Here's the interview I had with Aaron.

Dang man! How big are those gauges?
My ears are stretched to one and 3/8ths of an inch.

Anywho, how did the name Camping Party come about?
Internet doddling.

What inspired you to start making music and eventually an (amazing) album?
I've been playing music since I was about 6 years old. I would say that my oldest memory of inspiration to play music is the cassette Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys, which I received as a child.

Do you play live often?
For a while, it seemed like I was playing out every two weeks, mostly smaller cafe-type settings.
Any favorite places to perform?
I had a show at the Someday Lounge the other night which went well, but my favorite so far was my show at Dunes Bar.

It looks like you can play a lot of instruments. What all can you play?
I can play keys, guitar, bass, and harmonica. I will pretty much try and figure out any instrument I'm handed.

I noticed via your MySpace that you have a rare appreciation of vintage Americana (old camping photos, Betty Boop background). Any reason behind that?
Honestly, I mostly just like photos from the late 1800's and early 1900's. The Betty Boop background was a random video that was playing behind me at Dunes Bar in Portland. It ended up working out really well with my set.

What has been your biggest struggle as a musician?
Getting the shows I want to play, and money. There are all kinds of instruments and noise devices I would like, but can't afford. I have a lot of material I would like to record in a studio, but don't really have the means.

If you could play a show or go on tour with any band, who would it be and why?
Morrissey, no question. Big obsession of mine.

Are you in any other bands?
Not currently. I'm too shitty to work with other musicians.

What are your other interests outside of music?
Veganism, bikes, and coffee.

Any last thoughts?
Listen to the album Elysium by The Velvet Teen. It's amazing, and had a huge influence on me.

SONGS OF THE DAY:
You can download Camping Party's whole album, East of the Idaho Canal, for free here. (Left click, take it from there)

'Say!' by The New Vitamin

2009-08-13T22:57:00.005-05:00

THE NEW VITAMIN

The New Vitamin on MySpace

The last musical artist I can recall that had ‘vitamin’ in their moniker was probably Vitamin C, the weird girl with the orange hair… you remember- she had that catchy but annoying graduation song like 10 years ago? Well even if you don’t remember it’s okay, because The New Vitamin is the total antithesis of that… She was one girl- they are five guys. She produced saccharine pop- they make hard-hitting electro-indie rock. She’s from New Jersey (which is my home state so I guess that’s remotely cool). They hail from Vienna, Austria. Am I going far too in-depth here with the comparisons to a flash-in-the-pan late-90’s pop starlet? Yeah. But I think there’s a method to my madness: these guys are far from a flash in the pan.

Take ‘Say!’, their latest single. It’s got bits of Bloc Party (the vocals have a hint of Kele Okereke to them) and The Clash, building very quickly on droning guitar riffs and propulsive New Wave-y dance-drums. I will admit that most of the time I have absolutely no idea what lead vocalist Vitamin J is actually saying, but that hasn’t stopped me from listening to this track at least a dozen times, and singing what I think are the lyrics. I also just noticed that a Vitamin C also apparently plays bass guitar for the group, but I kind of doubt it’s the same one that wrote that graduation song. Whoever it is, they are really laying down a solid groove. And I love how the track ends, in a wash of sustain and slight guitar feedback.

The Humms

2009-08-10T20:03:00.004-05:00

THE HUMMS

Location: Athens, Georgia
Members: Zeke Sayer (Guitar, vocals, organ), Tyler Glenn (Bass, backing vocals), John Bleech (Drums, backing vocals)
Genre: Garage/Surf/Psychedelic/Rock/Punk
Record Label: EP by Oddbox Records, everything else by Gypsy Farm (self label)
The Humms on MySpace

You know how every now and then, you go to a thrift store or mall and find a little treasure that you can afford to have? Well, The Humms are definitely the musical equivalent of that. Upon looking at their MySpace, I instantly heard a genius combination of old-school garage punk, with a very strong modern surfer twist. Yet another unsung band that I have the joy of discovering. :)

Here's a small interview I had with Zeke.

You guys are easily one of the best psychedelic bands I've heard in a long time. What are some of your main musical influences?
We are always listening to different things. The ones we keep coming back to are The Carter Family, The Mummies, Flaming Lips, Dexter Romweber, Flat Duo Jets, Radiohead, and Beatles.

How did you come up with the band name?

I honestly can't remember. Let's say a rock covered in grape jelly came to me one morning in March and said, "You will be The Humms".

How long have you guys known each other?

Tyler and myself have known each other for 2 or 3 years now. I went to high school with his older brother. We've known Bleech for a little over a year. Tyler and I were in a band before The Humms, and after that we found Bleech in Commerce, Georgia, down the road from a gas station.

Any deep background information you'd like to share?

I was kicked out of high school in the 11th grade for shooting a girl with an aerosoft toy gun.

Do you have names for your instruments?

No, but I have a picture of Sharon Tate taped to my guitar.

Who is the main songwriter?

I am, mainly. Sometimes the others come up with things, but I'm usually the one that finishes them up. Bleech has been slowly getting into songwriting. When all is said and done, we've all added in our own thing by choice or mistake.

What are the main inspirations for your songs?

I can't really think of any inspirations besides just wanting to write a song that we like.

Is there any possibility of The Humms doing a cover of "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot?

We've all thought about that. We keep telling ourselves we are going to work on a cover of "Gangster's Paradise", but it keeps getting put on the back burner.

What are your current musical career goals? Any long-term goals?

We don't have any musical goals that could be reached within a suitable amount of time. One long-term goal is to enjoy our time here. We're also making a film called Planets vs. Crocodiles, which will be a documentary about music scenes and touring with us. You can watch a trailer for it now at www.thehumms.com .

Where can I usually find The Humms playing live?

We've played everything from venues, basements, a Nazi hang-out, and a Mormon house party. We like them all. We just got home from doing our first real leg of a tour. We went up through Kentucky and Illinois.

Any big upcoming shows?

In a week we will start out again, going through Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

What do you guys find most challenging about being a band?

Holding things together seems hard sometimes, but it always manages to work out right before we cut each others throats.

I have heard rumors that Zeke is leaving the band to focus on his secret relationship with Demi Moore. Thoughts?

I liked Ghost, but that's as far as it goes.

What do your families and friends think of The Humms?

A lot of our friends respect/like what we're doing, but in Hartwell/Commerce, Georgia (where we were born), no one really understands this type of thing. It's all modern country and classic rock there, which is one reason why we had to move to Athens. Our families like it, but don't always understand either. We're still their "babies" in their eyes. My dad and Tyler's dad understand mostly though because they've both been touring musicians in their younger days. My dad actually still gigs and is approaching his mid 70's. Bleech's father has also been so helpful, helping us lug the stuff around in the early days.

Any hobbies aside from making music?

I honestly don't do much else. I have other bands that keep me busy when The Humms are away: The Ice Creams, Z-Dog and The Travlin Gypsy Band, and other things with my home label Gypsy Farm. Tyler does a lot of painting. He actually just got commissioned to do a mural for a local business. He also spends a lot of time at the Athens Skate Park and "dabbling with things around the house we live in. Bleech usually stays at home, plays video games, collects old country records, and reads.

Any last thoughts?

Many.

I can honestly say that when I visit a band's MySpace, I normally don't spend more than five minutes on it. I read what's interesting, listen to a few songs, and leave. However, today was a first: while typing up the interview, I stayed on The Humms' page long enough to finish their entire music player's worth of songs-AND I was a little sad when it all ended. Their latest EP, Are You Dead?, strongly reminds me of Devendra Banhart meets The Beach Boys meets funk. Each song is more addicting than the last, which makes Are You Dead? an incredible EP.

Here is a little background from Zeke on each song:

"Are You Dead?"--Written one night while I had a smoke on my back deck at my old house. Before I moved to the city of Athens, I lived in the hills of North Georgia by myself and there was a cow pasture behind the woods in my back yard. That night, I listened to the sound of a cow screaming while it was being attacked by wild dogs.

"Do The Graverobber!"--The idea of robbing graves has always fascinated me, not yet to the point of actually doing it...but it was intended to be a dance that I came up with. You shuffle your feet and make digging movements with your hands while shaking your head.

"LSD Is Evil!"-- It was actually about a time when I took shrooms, but LSD rang better in song form.

"No One Wants to Be Alone on Valentine's Day"-- It speaks about how everyone gets lonely from time to time, even if you get over it in a few days. It's half-way kind of mocking the idea.

You can pre-order Are You Dead Yet? here. Hurry, only 120 copies available.

Smile, smile, smile...

2009-08-04T20:37:00.004-05:00

VALIDATION

Easily one of the best short films I've seen in ages.

SONG OF THE DAY:
"Photograph" by Weezer (Right click, Save Target As...)

Sigh

2009-08-03T07:29:00.004-05:00

Here's a fun game for you to try:

MY INTERACTIVE BUDDY

What's the point? Well, you take items, torture the little bubble dude, earn money, buy better items, torture the little bubble dude some more. You can even make him look like a Telletubbie!
(My personal favorite combo is having no gravity, infants, and a flame thrower)

SONG OF THE DAY:
"Local Girl" by Adam Kesher (Right click, Save Target As...)