Q&A: Filmmaker Joshua Winch

When I first met Joshua, we discussed him directing a music video for one of my songs. Although that hasn't happened yet, he's becoming quite successful with his own projects, the big one so far being the film "The Devil's Gravestone" (www.thedevilsgravestonemovie.com). He's always involved with something, and even was involved with a Men's television show (www.mendotalk.com) and got me invited on the show for a little conversation and fun. We've kept in touch and I nailed him down for a lil' email Q&A about movies and somesuch. Read on and find out more!

Q: Tell us how you got started in filmmaking. What attracted you to it, and what did you like about it?

JW: Well I went to NY to be an actor...and they told me theatre wasn't right for me but I had a good look and good talent...So, film was the logical next step...I have always loved movies...and I have always wanted to be an entertainer...It is really hard work, long demanding days for just a few seconds, maybe a couple of minutes of film...but when it is done and someone likes it...Those long days don't matter anymore

Q: With digital technology filmmaking is now open to almost anyone with a good computer and a camcorder. How do you feel about the changes taking place in the industry, and is the internet going to destroy the massive moneymaking potential the movie industry has had over the years like it did for the music industry?

JW: Well being an indie film producer as well as an actor, I am very thankful for the advances in technology...we can make a cheaper but yet better project...that allows us a much greater chance of getting our work seen. Hollywood will never be taken down...they are going to make their money but...for those of us that don't already have a foot in the door, the internet and digital filming process can definetly help us get exposure, get our ideas, and work out there. The most inventive films with the most original ideas aren't coming out of Hollywood but...the biggest money makers are , and will continue to for a long long time

Q: What are some of your favourite films that have inspired you, or that you just plain dig, and why?

JW: Wow, you know that is a great question because film is subjective...I have always loved classic movies Bogart, Newman, Brando, but then we go into Deniro, Pacino... As far as being inspired as a filmmaker...Kevin Smith, Quentin Tarrantino, and Robert Rodriguez...have been very inspiring because they started out as Hollywood outsiders who made the most of their actors, imaginations, and very low budgets

Q: Who are some of your favourite actors and actresses, and why?

JW: My favorite actors and actresses are really the ones from the golden age of Hollywood. However we have some wonderful actors today...Johnny Depp, Gina Gershon, Gary Oldman,...you know the actors that pick and choose their roles wisely and always seem to leave an impression

Q: What sort of cinematography do you appreciate and how does that affect a film, for those who don't realize it?

JW: Well, I always like a crisp clean picture...even when a scene is supposed to be dark and dirty...I want it to pop... You can tell the best story in the world, but if it doesn't have the right pictures to go with it...your audience won't remember it...it just that simple

Q: How important can lighting, or lack thereof, be for a film?

JW: I think that goes hand in hand with the cinematography question...you need your set or location to pop...by that I mean you need to see it...really see it...Lighting is easily over looked, but it can really make or break your shoot

Q: Is too much emphasis placed on creating sellable soundtracks for films nowadays?

JW: Hollywood is huge on this...sometimes even to the point of overshadowing a film...music is the sound track of our lives...and this needs to work with your film, not against it, or overshadow it...it is great when you can make money on both ends like Singles or The Crow, both great movies and sound tracks. Sell the movie=Sell the sound track, but sometimes a movie doesn't need JT or Beyonce and most often they are better off without them

Q: Would you rather work with digital or with real film and why?

JW: I love the versitility digital gives you, film is harder and more expensive to work with...that being said I never turn down working with film

Q: What are some of the challenges filmmakers face that the public really has no clue about?

JW: Well everything...the Hollywood image makes people think that making a film is easy, fun, and will get you fame and glory. For most of us it is many months or even years of planning, budgeting, scouting locations, building sets, finding a crew, casting, shooting, and then months of editing.

Q: What do you personally like to listen to as far as music and bands?

JW: I am very eclectic in my music tastes, My mp3 player has a millions songs everything from Marvin Gaye to Darlington [thanks for the shout-out- haha] ...you aren't gonna pin me down on a style or a band but....I do love some music none the less

Q: What are the past film projects you've done that are near and dear to your heart, and why?

JW: Well Street Creatures is near and dear to my heart because it was my first feature and I met one of my best friends in the whole world Mr. Jay M. Roach, who I have worked together with on many projects since then. I also am have a soft spot for Sex Machine...I met so many great people at Asphalt Planet...gosh it was almost like summer camp

Q: What are you currently working on, film-wise, and what do you have planned for the future?

JW: I am working on The Devil's Gravestone
future projects......are up in the air right now...my main focus is The Devil's Gravestone...this is by far the biggest project I have ever produced and so I have put alot of effort into making sure we stay on the right track

Q: What other projects do you have your fingerprints on?

JW: Wow, you know I have been doing this for over twelve years now so I have been apart of numerous commercials, short films, plays, and just a few feature length projects...but as for recently... I did a short film called Debt, a play called Sideman, and through all that The Devil's Gravestone has remained my main focus

Q: Where do you see the industry headed in the next 5 years?

JW: Hollywood is righting the ship, the business of making movies will be as strong as ever......but with the internet, netflix, redbox, computers and digital HD cams you will a lot more indies. This is very exciting to me...a new frontier of film makers and actors hitting us with original, entertaining ideas.

contact Joshua thru www.roachfilm.com

Q&A: Tish Ciravolo of Daisy Rock guitars!

The story of how I discovered Daisy Rock and this Q&A.
It was about 2002 sometime. I'd been playing a Gibson Les Paul Special I had refinished using pink glitter nail polish and I called it the princess. No guitar company made a pink glitter guitar. I presumptuously contacted just about every guitar company and proposed a model in pink glitter with a Les Paul shape and star fretboard inlays, really flashy. The only company to contact me back was Daisy Rock. Then-PR lady Karissa Read said she couldn't offer me my own model, but that Daisy Rock would endorse me and I could pick a free guitar from their lineup. At the time, they didn't make a lot of guitars. I chose the Elite because it looked the coolest and it was a sweet guitar. Fast forward a year or so later I think, and Daisy Rock introduced the Rock Candy guitar- Les Paul shaped and 2 different types of pink glitter with star fretboard inlays! Needless to say I was thrilled. Finally a guitar company made a pink glitter axe! In 2005 I ended up picking one up in Atomic pink, and it was great. Daisy Rock had improved their sound and quality and it was a great axe. I used it recording and playing live, on my "Live Dallas 2007" CD and featured it on the cover of that CD. I ended up selling that one to my friend Mandy in California who loves it, and I am playing another pink glitter Rock Candy you can see in my live photos. No other guitar company makes a pink glitter axe, let alone one with a super fast and slim neck. Daisy Rock continues to improve their guitars and quality and now boast a stunning array of guitars and basses that rival any! They also now boast a great roster of endorsed artists (including my friends Jay of the Prozacs, Jay Dee of Johnie 3, Rebecca of the girl group Lovie, and Cera of Screaming Red). Fast forward to now. When I started this blog I was in contact with now-PR lady of Daisy Jessica Murillo. Jessica's been such a sweetheart and very supportive. I asked her if maybe I could do Q&As with some BIG name Daisy Rock artists. Lo and behold she sets me up with the biggest name of all in the Daisy Rock world- Tish Ciravolo, the head honcho, VIP, Queen of Daisy Rock! I'm proud to be on board with her company and so are my friends, and if you haven't tried out a Daisy Rock guitar, you should, because you will love them too. The guitars look cool, play as sweet as ice cream and sound hella rad cranked up. Tish has revolutionized the guitar world and made it gobs of fun again with her sweet guitars. Get to know Tish with this Q&A! Read on.

Q: What made you want to start playing guitar?

Tish: my best friend, Barbara Haughey in high school played acoustic guitar because her big sister, Ann did, and she was the coolest girl we knew…… then I saw Suzi Quattro on Happy Days playing bass as Leather Tuscadero and I thought that whatever she was doing, she was super cool……..

Q: Did you ever think when you started up Daisy Rock, that it would become what it has today?

Tish: Never in my wildest dreams…….

Q: Which guitars do you personally play and like the best, and why?

Tish: I play the Daisy Rock Rock Candy Silver Sparkle Bass. Because it is the easiest bass to play I have ever owned.

Q: do you have a room in your house like Nigel of Spinal Tap, with tons of guitars filling it up?

Tish: I have about 15 guitars in my little collection…. And no, don’t even look at them!

Q: Do you play any other guitars other than Daisys? Surely you're a guitar nerd like the rest of us.

Tish: Do other guitars exist?

Q: What sort of amplifiers do you use?

Tish: Gallien Krueger, Line 6, Bogner

Q: do you use any effects pedals?

Tish: I love Chorus, Flang and Distortion on Bass

Q: Tell us a bit about your own musical projects you have going on for yourself.

Tish: Currently, I play bass and sing in a band called sASSafrASS, which includes members from the Daisy Rock Girl Guitars staff. This past March, we played the annual Daisy Rock Girl Guitars benefit called Pretty In Punk, which was held as the infamous Los Angeles venue The Roxy. It was so much fun to get to play a bill with some of our endorsed artists in a night celebrating The Runaways, with proceeds of the night going to charity. And I got play bass in the BANGLES!!! And Vicki sang with my band!!! Even Cherie Currie made a special performance of The Runaways hit tune “Cherry Bomb”, with sASSafrASS playing back-up. Here’s a video clip if you wanted to check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWHD3c6YCWI&feature=channel_page

Q: What is your job like as the inventor of Daisy Rock? Trips round the world, giving fun people cool guitars? Almost like a guitar santa, making people smile everywhere you go?

Tish: My job is so varied, but you are right! One day I’m dealing with a lot of business things – sales, supply, factories, importing, balance sheets and then the next I’m doing an interview on a blog!!! We also support so many causes and getting girls to play guitar and enjoy music, so there are a lot of events that I get to go to and I love it when I hear the stories from girls about how guitar has changed their life. :)

Q: What other things do you like to do besides guitaring? are you into fashion or any sorts of hobbies? Do you go to lots of concerts? surely your presence is demanded by many.

Tish: I do get invited to go and have fun at a lot of different things, but I love to be a mommy and hang with my two girls and we love to shop and eat and watch ‘gilmore girls’! And I love fashion, but 80’s rock and roll/goth/cowgirl/’50 vamp – Grease style fashion… huh? See! Very original. I love to write. I love rock shows, especially when they are closer to my age – no Jonas Bros for me!

Q: Does it give you a thrill when you see people playing your guitars?

Tish: It is so cool to see people playing my guitars, and I even keep a Family Photo Album section on www.daisyrock.com as a running timeline of pictures I’ve received by mail. I welcome anyone to submit photos of how they Daisy Rock to info@daisyrock.com, as well as posting under our Fan photos album on Facebook. Staying connected to our community is also very important to me, so hearing and seeing people with their Daisy Rock Girl Guitars via social networking channels as MySpace, Twitter, and YouTube has been fun.

Q: Can you tell us anything about the R&D and manufacturing of the guitars and that process?

Tish: Every January and July we debut new guitars at the Summer and Winter NAMM shows, so R&D and manufacturing is always in the works year round. Developing guitars has been really fun and really challenging over the years, and some guitars have stayed and some have been discontinued due to low popularity. More recently, we have been going directly to our artists and community asking them what they would like in a Daisy Rock Girl Guitar, what color, what features, etc. and their suggestions have been useful in mixing with our development ideas to create the freshest new guitar specifically designed with the female player in mind.

Q: What does the future hold for Daisy Rock and yourself?

Tish: World domination! Every girl plays guitar! We rule the world! Guys get so frustrated, they all of a sudden become the ‘well, he’s pretty good for a guy’ and then we have won!!! I’m kidding :) . But not about the world domination part.

obscure music pick: Mr. T Experience

I fell in love with MTX (as fans call 'em for short) when I got their album Everyone's entitled to their own opinion on vinyl back in the early '90's. With great, fun poppy rock and roll tracks such as "Marine recruiter", "Danny Partridge", and "Pleasant valley sunday" matched with fun silliness such as "Surfin' Mozart" and "Surfin' cows", they weren't taking themselves or that uptight music business too seriously and were having fun yet could play their instruments with great talent and write amazingly fun pop rock and roll. The songwriting and lyrical ability of the main man Dr. Frank Portman (now an accomplished author) was simply amazing. MTX went on to release many records, including one with a tongue-twisting title ( big black bugs bleed blue blood ) and the classic song "Even Hitler had a girlfriend" (off the album our bodies, ourselves ). My two favourites ended up being Milk milk lemonade (with the great lunchbox collection on the cover), and "Love is dead" (considered a masterpiece by fans). Besides an interesting cover of the Smiths' "What difference does it make?", Milk milk lemonade featured standout tracks "last time I listened to you", "Love American style", "I love you but you're standing on my foot" and "book of revelation". You simply have to get these songs in your Zune! The greatness of the album Love is dead cannot be understated. it's incredible! Standout tracks include: "Sackcloth and ashes", "I fell for you" (with a amazingly funny music video for it you can see on youtube), "Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba" (ALSO with an amazingly funny video for it you can see on youtube), "I'd do anything for you", "Semi-ok", "Deep deep down", "Thank you (for not being one of them)" and "Dumb little band" (a must for anyone in a struggling band). Get these great songs by MTX or you are missing out on true pop rock and roll greatness! Find copies of all of 'em on Amazon!

Q&A: Girl Guitarist Avery Allen

I've known Avery since she played soccer. She went from being a great college athlete to being a great rock and roller and guitar nerd like myself. She's a cool gal who plays guitar with the Applicators and resides in the Texas music mecca of Austin. Read on and learn more about this crazy talented rocker girl!

Q: You went from never touring to being in a well known band and opening up for punk rock legends the Circle Jerks. Tell us about this experiance, what it was like, etc.

Avery: It was pretty cool. My second show with the Applicators was opening for the Circle Jerks, and it was a little bit intimidating. During the first show, we started playing, and I looked behind me and Greg Hetson was fiddling around with my amp, and turned me up really loud. I just remember thinking "oh s**t, now everyone's REALLY going to know if I mess up!". Looking back it was pretty cool, but at the time it was pretty nerve-wracking.

Q: you've got quite a guitar collection. What guitars do you have, and are any your favourites and why?

Avery: Well I have several. My main guitar is a Gibson Les Paul classic. It's my favorite because it sounds good no matter what amp you play it through, and it has a 60's neck so it's really slim and easy to play. I have a Gretsch White Falcon for "special occassions." It's sort of a dude magnet. My grandfather bought it for me before he passed away. I also have a white Gibson Firebird. It looks really cool, but I'm currently on the hunt for some hotter pickups for it. I have a '65 Gibson Melody Maker that is super light, sounds AWESOME, and the neck fits my hand perfectly. I would call it my #2 behind the Les Paul, and I also just bought the Joan Jett signature Melody Maker, which is pretty much an exact copy of my '65, but for about half the price, the tone on both Melody Makers is badass.

Q: What sort of amplifier do you use and do you use and effects pedals and why?

Avery: I hate to be trite, but I am definitely a Marshall girl. I play through a JCM 800 50 watt combo, and it doesn't need a whole lot of effect pedals. It's actually louder than Erica's JCM 900 half stack. I like to keep in minimal, so I use a visual sound jekyll and hyde distortion/overdrive pedal. I use it for just a little oomph, but I can get a super metally sound out of it when I need to.

Q: Who are some of your favourite guitarists and why?

Avery: Billy Duffy of the Cult. I like him because he's very versatile. He can switch off between the Cult songs that sound very AC/DC-ish and the earlier ones that sound a little more new wave, I like that he can do more than one thing.

Q: What are you working on now, musically?

Avery: Currently, I'm writing songs with Johnny O from Lower Class Brats. We're making decent progress, and I have a drummer and bass player lined up for when we're ready to start playing, probably by the end of this year.

Q: What are some of your favourite bands and artists?

Avery: It changes weekly, but a few that are always in my playlist are: Judas Priest, The Cult, Guns n Roses, ACDC, Motley Crue, Bowie, and the Runaways


Q: What made you want to become a rock and roller to begin with?

Avery: My dad used to take me to rock shows when I was little because my mom wouldn't go with him. She said he was too embarrassing! He took me to see Aerosmith and Cheap Trick when I was around 12 or 13. On the ride home I asked him to buy me a guitar, and he did. Also, growing up in a small town in Mississippi, I looked at all the people (and that means EVERYONE in town) who were married with kids at 23, and I thought "I never want to be that." And a rock and roller is about the furthest thing from it, so I ran with that.

Q: What was the first record or CD you bought and why?

Avery: I don't remember the first one I actually BOUGHT, but my dad had a pretty decent collection. Most of the time I would steal his David Bowie and Rolling Stones CDs and sneak them to school and hide the headphones under my hair during class. From a young age I always thought that Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and David Bowie were like, the best thing ever. Still do actually.

Q: What do you do besides play rock and roll? Any other interests or passions?

Avery: Well, I graduated from UT in May, and up until then school took up most of my time. Now, I'm taking what one might call a "mental break." I'm looking for some kind of a job that will allow me to tour, so as of right now I am bartending. I also like to run and work out, and I'm going to start running races soon, triathlons and stuff.

Q: Are there any crazy tour stories you can legally share with us, or funny ones?

Avery: Well we havent toured in awhile, and I don't wanna get anyone into trouble, but being in an all girl band means someone always has some kind of drama going on. I can remember some member of the band who shall not be named taking a pregnancy test in the Wal-mart bathroom, it wasn't funny at the time but now is pretty hysterical.

Q: Are you a bag lady? I mean, do you have a handbag collection and if so, do you have any favourites and why?

Avery: I wouldn't call it a "collection" but I have some good ones! I'm really into the fake couture handbags you can get on the street in Europe. I have a few Dolce and Gabbanas, etc. I also have a really cool white leather (fake) alligator skin purse with studs I got for Christmas last year, it's probably my favorite.

Q: Do you have lots of shoes? And when you go on tour, how do you decide which ones to take? What are your favourites and why?

Avery: Tons. It's really a chore to decide which ones to take on trips.. Usually, I bring a pair of motorcycle boots to play in, a pair of comfies to ride in the van, and maybe one pair of heels for if I'm feeling girly. It's tough to make those decisions!

Q: You used to play soccer. What positions did you play, how long did you play, what did you like about it?

Avery: I was a goalkeeper for ten years. That's actually what brought me to Austin, I had a soccer scholarship to UT. I just really loved playing, and it kept me in good shape, but the college athletics scene made me hate it, and unfortunately, I haven't played since.

Q: Does the slogan "keep Austin weird" bug you at all? Is the music scene there really all it's hyped up to be? Why or why not?

Avery: The slogan doesn't bug me, I get what it means. There are tons of really cool locally owned restaurants and shops here that people in Austin don't want to lose to corporate chains. There is a lot of music here, it's definitely an easy place to get a band happening, but with that being said there are a lot of S****Y bands in Austin. A lot.

Q: How does Austin and Mississippi compare to other places you've been to, musically?

Avery: Well one would think that Mississippi as the birthplace of the blues would have a lot of appreciation for music, but you would be mistaken. Mississippi seems to be full of rednecks and frat boys who only appreciate Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews. As far as Austin goes, like I said before there is a lot of music in Austin but you have to do a lot of weeding through to find the good stuff. Compared to other places, I think it's definitely easier to get a gig in Austin than say, LA or somewhere. I guess Austin really does have quite a big music scene, bigger than most places.

Q: What's next in your future plans? Any goals or dreams or producers or musicians you want to work with?

Avery: Anyone and everyone who will put my record out and work with me and help me to become a better musician.

Q: Any advice to up and coming girl guitarists and rockers?

Avery: Attitude is everything.

Find Avery online at:
www.twitter.com/AveryEAllen
www.myspace.com/theapplicators
www.myspace.com/fascinationstreet1

Q&A: Singer/guitarist Rob of Responsible Johnny

I don't recall the first time I met Rob, but the first time I saw his band Responsible johnny, I was not only thouroughly entertained, but had a smashing time of it as well. They rock hard and Rob is so much fun live, his between-song banter is like a stand-up comedy routine and regardless of how many times you cringe as the humour slides over the edge you can't leave a RJ show without a huge smile on your face and the thought of "i can't wait to see them perform again!". Rob's a great dude and so here's a fun Q&A for ya!

Q: How long has Responsible Johnny been around and how did the band start up?

Rob: The name had been in my head since the mid-90's when I was an ex-musician and current corporate whore wishing I could just walk away and be in a band again. Cut to ten years later and I'm in a s****y metal band and working on a script with my buddy Waldo. We wanted a song to play over the end of the film, so I put together a punk song called Sherpa Girl, got some buddies together to record it as a one off deal (which never happened), and then as they got bored and dropped out I just kept replacing them because I wasn't ready to call it done. At that point it was still casual, but a year later I met Spoon, who was the first core member of the group, we hit the studio two days after that, and now the band is going on five years.

Q: It's well known there's been many members in Responsible Johnny. Why is that, and why do you claim at concerts that (and I'm paraphrasing you here) "eventually everybody will be a member of Responsible Johnny"?

Rob: It's something we like to joke about, and something that we've encouraged to be blown waaaaay out of proportion. If you pull out the members from the year before we were a "real" band, and pull out the people that joined or wanted to join but for whatever reason backed out, only played a show or two - or in some cases none - the number is pretty low. Three bassists and three drummers over a five year period's not too terrible. Why do people leave? Different reasons. Some people just fall out of love w/ punk, or have another passion they want to go after. Some people left because they needed more of an outlet for their songs that weren't necessarily Responsible Johnny music. At least one left to go to med school - although I tried to convince him that punk music was a better use of his time, to no avail. The short timers are usually a different story, and most of the time it just simply comes down to what people have come to expect of the music industry in general and the fact that many people still view punk music as an economically viable genre, despite all of the evidence to the contrary - especially where we're concerned. The band was started for fun, and that's how we've always tried to keep it. I'm not saying that I end every show with a smile on my face, but for the most part this is my outlet for all the stress and all the b******t that happens on a day to day basis, and as soon as I try to turn this into something big it becomes a job. I play music to get away from my job, so why would I want a second one? So, you'll never see a Responsible Johnny shirt in Hot Topic, you won't ever hear us on major radio, and we're never going to be that band that all of your friends are talking about. And a lot of people can't handle that. They want to play to big crowds at Curtain Club and House of Blues, and get their name out there. And I'm not bagging on them for it - if that's what they want, then more power to them. But it's not us. I don't like stages, and I don't like big crowds. Even a show at a place as small as Renos just loses something for me. I want to be down on the ground, right there w/ the audience. I don't want to play to 1000 people that don't give a s**t. Give me 30 that are completely psyched to be there and want to be part of the show. That's a hard thing for some people to understand. Those people quit pretty quickly. It's not the case with every short timer of course, but it seems to be a pattern. As for everybody being in Responsible Johnny, it's just a matter of doing the math. How many punks are left in DFW? How many of them play an instrument? We're a very incestuous scene, so it's just a matter of time before the Observer announces that Christy Darlington has signed on to play triangle.

Q: You have a reputation for wheels-off, wild live performances that include such events as the "no pants jam". How did that start, and how does all the craziness ensure live?

Rob: It didn't really start as much as it just sprang into being. Spoon was a pretty out there guy - actually, he still is - and I'm the same way, so from the beginning there was a feeling of controlled chaos about the shows. People came to see us because they never knew what was going to happen or whether it was all going to fall apart around them. It was all about how to get the crowd to interact and become part of the show. The jokes, the between song stories, the songs made up on the spot...it was all because I wanted to make sure that everyone left with a sense that they had seen something immediate and fresh. Something that they wouldn't see again, even if they came back to every show after that. I used to tell people all the time - I don't care if you love us, and I don't care if you hate us. But I want you to walk out of this show, call your friends, and say "You won't f*****g believe what I just saw."

Q: What sort of guitar and amp setup do you currently play thru and why?

Rob: I've played through a Line Six Spider 2x12 for the past six years, and when this one breaks down, I'll be going out to buy another identical model. I decided to upgrade two years ago, went out and bought a new, expensive amp, played one show with it, and took it back the next day. Nothing beats a tweaked Line Six Insane setting for crunchy hardcore goodness. As for guitars, I play through an Epiphone Les Paul w/ the neck pickup removed - neck pickups are for bitches - and a Gibson Dirty Finger for the body pickup. I can throw a Les Paul off a stage and across the room and then pick it up and still be in tune (and I've tested that theory many times). That's the type of guitar for me.

Q: You appear to have a background in metal bands of some sort, judging from your ability to play "metal-ish" solos and riffs. What sort of metal bands have you listened to and been a fan of in your life?

Rob: I grew up on hair metal, and I say without the irony that is so cool nowadays that the first concert that I attended by myself was Slaughter/Bulletboys/Poison, and I was in heaven. I went from hair metal, to blues music, and then onto punk as far as playing, but it's always been a part of my life, and it's something that I'm always listening to, although not as much nowadays as before. Which bands? I started off in third grade w/ Ratt, Twisted Sister, and Scorpions, then moved onto billions of generic hair bands and GNR clones in junior high, and then Iron Maiden, Megadeth, and Metallica in high school. And now? Mastadon, Killswitch Engage, and Shadows Fall are my mainstays, but if it's loud and riffy then I probably listen to it.

Q: You have very long hair. What are the pros and cons of having very long hair both as a rock and roller and as a human?

Rob: As a rock and roller it's a godsend. It hides yer ugly mug while still making you appear pretty to all the girls, it gives your headbanging a little extra something, and it makes you stand out a little from the crowd - unless you're at a metal show surrounded by a bunch of other longhairs. For punk it's all about the buzz cut, the mohawk, and the straightened indie/emo hair. So I still stand out, but more as the "what's the metal douche doing here" guy than anything else.
Personal life? Well the ladies are always tugging on my hair or wanting to run their hands through it. I'm not going to argue with that. Cons? Crazy girls can pull you up the stairs by that same hair when their pissed at you - trust me. And hairballs. I f*****g hate hairballs.

Q: Are there any crazy or funny stories you can legally share with us involving Responsible Johnny?

Rob: I'm not sure. What's the statute of limitations in Dallas on crazy show stories?Actually I could tell a hundred crazy stories that have happened to the band, but if you wanna hear one - or experience one for that matter - just come to a show and you'll get way more than you expected...or wanted.

Q: What other bands and artists do you currently like and enjoy listening to?

Rob: It changes from day to day. When most of your friends are in bands you never have a lack of music to listen to. Right now I'm really digging on The Loosies, Giggle Party, and JD Spoon. Beer Gnomes continue to amaze me. On the Shoulders of Giants - out of Sherman - have some really great stuff going on right now. The list goes on and on, and the more I name the more I'll miss, so I'll just stop right there. Outside of punk, I'm a huge jazz and blues nerd, so the holy trinity of Monk, Mingus, and Coltrane are always on rotation, along with Tom Waits and Lightnin' Hopkins. And then there's the aforementioned metal bands of course. This could go on for pages. Let's move on...

Q: Has RJ toured ever and are there any future touring plans?

Rob: We had a show in Gladewater that we refer to as "The Rape Gate Incident" -'nuff said. We also had an aborted tour a few years ago that started out at two weeks, ended up - after cancellations and typical club b******t - getting cut down to one show in Houston, that almost ended in me getting beaten up for singing "F*****d Your Fat Girlfriend" without realizing that apparently the portly female denizens of Houston don't find that as funny as we do here in DFW and will be more than happy to rush the stage and/or tell their gangbanger boyfriends to take care of you in a stabby stabby fashion. As for future tours, I don't see anything happening outside of a weekend tour here and there. I enjoy playing our shows and then being able to sleep in my own bed. And as much as I enjoy seeing new faces at the shows, touring around in a smelly van, living off of fast food, and having to shill merch to get to the next town just doesn't sound like as much fun to me now as it did when I was eighteen.

Q: Are there plans to do a live recording to attempt to capture the craziness for everyone to hear? Or maybe live video?

Rob: We'll be doing a live recording in September in the hopes of people finally hearing the real Responsible Johnny, instead of the oh so sterile version that we keep getting when we record in the studio. As for live video, stay tuned. It's just a matter of time. The trick will be filming a show that doesn't involve me whipping it out for the crowd. I really don't want little rob to be out there on DVD for all eternity...hahaha.

Q: What inspires you to write songs and what are your songs generally about?

Rob: It really depends on our mood. Some songs, like "Amy is a Feminist", come about because I'm telling someone one of my patented long winded stories, and a line catches me just the right way - "Amy always had a copy of the Bell Jar in her bag" - and it just comes tumbling out. Sometimes - and this became a tradition with Spoon and I - we just start yelling out titles until one makes us all laugh and then I'll start scribbling down lyrics. That's how we got "I Like Chicken" and "F***** Your Fat Girlfriend". And sometimes I have an idea and I fight with it for months and months and months, nurturing it and taking care with each and every line, and then we play it for a show or two and abandon it. What are the songs about? Anything and everything. We really don't think too much about what we've got or what we need. I don't think we've ever sat down and said "We've gotta get a song about (x) if we wanna keep this money train rollin' on down the tracks". We just don't censor ourselves and we see what happens. There's really no pattern there. I read Geek Love and wrote "I've Got Flippers". I met a few bands that were a******s, and we got "Jerkface". Dallas banned smoking and I wrote "Gimme Back My Smokes". I was raped by a penguin and we got "F*****d by Penguins". It's all up to whatever pops into our heads.

Q: Do you have any favourite songs you've written and why?

Rob: I have a very short attention span, so my favorite song is usually whatever our newest song is, because I haven't had time to get bored with it yet. "Sherpa Girl" obviously has a special place, being the first punk song I had written in years, and being the first Responsible Johnny song. Love listening to it, not a big fan of playing it...hahaha. "I Like Chicken" and "F*****d Your Fat Girlfriend' are favorites, because they're such great audience songs. People yell "chicken" at me all the time, and "Fat Girlfriend" has led to so many after-show discussions about my feelings towards women (fat and skinny) and whether I'm a chauvinist pig or not. And for the record, no I'm not. I'm married to a feminist. I support women's rights. All I'm asking in return for those rights is that you show me your tits when I ask you to and that you make a f*****g pie every now and then. There, that should stir up the hornet's nest again for a bit...hahaha.

Q: Your wife also plays music as well. Is there ever any tension or competition between the two of you? Are there pros and cons to this situation and why or why not?

Rob: Tension? Not a bit. We both support each other's bands to the fullest, so there's no need for tension between us. Competition? Hell yeah. It's a constant competition to book the better show, to get the better bands on the bill, to write the hookier chorus. If you ever see her on TV accepting a Grammy, you'd better believe that I'll be accepting a Juno a year later. And that's a giant pro. There's nothing better than always having someone around that you can bounce ideas off of that you know is going to be completely honest, and is going to push you to be better. If I bring her a song and it sucks she's going to let me know and she's not going to pull any punches, and vice versa. If I'm having issues w/ the band or a show, she knows what I'm going through and what I'm talking about. You can't get any better than that. Cons? She knocks out songs like it's effortless. I write songs like a chihuahua giving birth to an elephant - it's ugly, painful, and in the end you'll probably just want to kill the result.

Q: What does the future hold for you and RJ musically?

Rob: We never really give ourselves the time to think about that too much. We've just changed the lineup (again), and I'm stepping back from the guitar for a bit so someone that actually knows how to play can have a shot at it, while I concentrate on making vocals not suck so much. Coy is moving over to guitar, Rob (ex Non Radio Friendly) is coming in on bass, and we've got recent DFW transplant Nick coming from up north to bang on the drums for us. This will all most likely last for about a month and then fall apart, at which time we'll start from scratch again. We've finished writing the songs for "The Pornstar EP" which we'll hopefully be recording in the next month or so, and we'll be doing a live recording in September that hopefully won't be a complete musical travesty. Outside of that we'll just keep playing shows until no one shows up anymore, and then I'll hang it up, stay home and watch TV.

find Responsible Johnny on the world wide web:
www.myspace.com/responsiblejohnny

Q&A: Writer and former mayoral candidate Zac Crain

I first met Zac when he was a music critic/editor for the Dallas Observer, during which time he'd give me one great review, then one not-so-great review, and so on. I never felt he purposely slagged me off to be mean; it always seemed he was simply writing his opinion with no hidden agenda. Whenever I've spoken to him, I've found him to be very friendly and interesting and he's always up to something, whether it be his famous bid for mayor, or his brand new book, "Black tooth grin", a bio of the famous Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell. I found him on twitter and, voila! A fabulous Q&A for your reading pleasure.

Q: most of us never experience what it's like to run for public office. Tell us about that experience. Did you face much scrutiny? Did any skeletons in your closet come back to haunt you? Was it a worthwhile experience running for mayor?

Zac: It was probably the best thing I've ever done, even though I ultimately ended up crashing that whole idea into a guardrail along the highway, essentially. The only bad thing was it was exhausting. Most of my opponents had money and time, and lots of it. I never really had either. I had to go to work every day, and I had to come home to a toddler. So there goes the time and money. So I had to hustle, and so did the friends who pitched in. I was proud of us, and I still am. For me, it made me reengage in the city, and figure out what's important to me, but also try to think about what's important for Dallas. We were a bunch of scruffy kids (at least in comparison) but I think, for a fleeting moment, we had an impact. As for skeletons: pretty much everyone already knew them. I like to have a few drinks now and then. That was not, and is not, a secret. And I was upfront about all of that.

Q: During your time as a music critic, you garnered as many enemies as friends, I daresay. How much of your criticism of bands and artists during that time was tongue-in-cheek and how much was serious dislike? Did many artists and bands perhaps take you too seriously? Do you think that local papers and magazines take an overly critical and negative approach to reviews when they could be putting much more positive and supportive energy out there?

Zac: Well, the Sack of Kittens feature wasn't necessarily tongue-in-cheek, but it was meant to be almost cartoonish in its violence toward bands. I mean, it was so over-the-top, it almost came back to the bottom. Everything else, I stand by. It was my opinion--or, at least, it was my opinion at the time. As for negativity, I think sometimes it is necessary. Maybe I, on occasion, steered too far in that direction. But I think you can be too positive, also. There needs to be a balance of salt and sugar. I think the best thing you can do for artists in any medium is to not grade on a curve. Judge them the same as you would judge a band from anywhere else. Because every band is local somewhere.

Q: While we are on that topic, the press in general seems geared towards negative stories and reporting in an attempt to gain readers and viewers through sensationalizing and scandals and leans toward misrepresenting facts many times and using terms like "allegations" and "sources" to get out of being slapped with slander and libel suits. What's your take on this, having been familiar with how journalism works on the inside? Is it mainly editors forcing reporters to write and report on things even they don't like, or reporters trying to make a name for themselves? What do we not know about the biz?

Zac: Pretty much all of that happens, and all of it happens less than people think. Reporters try to make a name of themselves. Editors have their hands tied by certain things. But everywhere I've worked, I've never known anyone to knowingly misrepresent something. The deal is, the media is still run by human beings, and human beings have flaws. Things happen, but I would suspect that you'd find the bad examples are the fault of anything other than malicious intent, and are usually the work of a few bad apples. Unless you're talking about, say, TMZ. Then f**k everything I just said.

Q: I know these questions are long. Like an essay test. What's your feelings on the way the music business has changed over the years? Do you like the changes? Why or why not?

Zac: I like that it is more immediate. You don't need a label. You don't even really need a CD. You need a computer and a fast Internet connection. On both sides. Musicians can record quickly and cheaply, usually, and get it out to the world at large the same way. Fans don't have to wait. I go out less now, but when I do, it does seem like bands don't have to wait their turns as much. That's good and bad. People get big too quickly, sometimes, but on the other hand, a good band doesn't always have to suffer through bottom of the bill slots at s****y clubs forever.

Q: You're now a published author. How do you feel about electronic books? Do you ever think they will gain a toehold? Do you agree with me that printed books hold a romance to them and a historical significance that electronic media can never really replace?

Zac: I will always be a fan of the printed word. Electronic books will never replace that for me. I love everything about actual hard copy books. That said, if electronic books get people to read more, I'm all for it.

Q: hardback or paperback, and why?

Zac: Hardbacks look better on a shelf, but paperbacks are more portable. Half the time, you can slip it into your back pocket. And, they're cheaper. Again, this goes back to: whatever makes it easier for more people to read.

Q: vinyl, cassette, reel-to-reel, CD or MP3 and why?

Zac: If I'm at home, vinyl. You can't beat the sound. Anywhere else: MP3. Can't beat the portability, and the ability to stop on a dime.

Q: What are some of your favourite artists and bands you listen to regularly? Don't be scared to drop in some guily embarrassing pleasures! we all have some!

Zac: It changes all the time, but what I've been listening to lately: early period and late era Dinosaur Jr., Destroyer, Jay-Z, Amerie ("1 Thing" is a song I haven't been able to stop listening to for years), Descendents, Otis Redding and some other Stax/Volt singers, Neutral Milk Hotel, Sugar, and maybe a few others. But for the last two or three months, what I keep coming back to is the Stone Roses. Reni is maybe the most underrated drummer ever.

Q: Why do you think American government and people in general are so resistant to mass use of solar power to generate huge amounts of energy when the technology is already here, already usable and efficient and with mass use, could change our power grid and structure almost overnight?

Zac: I think the initial cost scares some people. But everything you said is essentially correct. That was one of the things I wanted to do as mayor. Not just talk about being green. Actually roll up the sleeves, take the hit, and do it. Also, I wanted to have the most accessible free Wi-Fi in the country.

Q: What plans and dreams do you have for the future? You're consistently surprising us all with your actions and projects. Anything special you're going to spring on us?

Zac: For now, I'm focusing on my writing. I have one book project I'm really excited about, but am not quite ready to reveal. And my friend Kris and I have worked on scripts for various things. But who knows? Every idea I've ever had came together quickly, and then was happening. I'm not ruling out getting back into politics, but it will probably be a while.

Q: While many give up on Dallas, you have remained. Please explain.

Zac: Honestly, I think we have a good mix of people, and an underrated community of artists and musicians and so on. Plus, it's pretty cheap to have a good life here. I love living by the lake with all the trees.

Q: Why is Dallas the "can't do" city, and what can anyone do to change the mindset and entrenched negativity that clouds this place?

Zac: That's simple. DO SOMETHING.

follow Zac on twitter:
twitter.com/zaccrain

Q&A: Jay Dee singer/guitarist of the band Johnie 3

I met Jay and Myke of Johnie 3 in 2004. We performed many shows over the course of three U.S. east coast tours together in '04 and '05, becoming good friends in the process. Johnie 3 claims to be fans of my music- but I'm a fan of theirs. Their songs are great, their live shows are wheels-off and rockin', and Jay is one of the greatest dudes ever. They covered my song "Gisele and me" live, and even wrote a song about me called "CBD" (following the grand tradition of the Queers "Ben Weasel" and my song "Joe Queer sucks"). You've got to check Johnie 3 out and get one of their CDs, you'll be so glad you did! Jay did a quickie Q&A with me between their busy schedule of U.S. tours and European tours. Read on.

Q: fave songs of yours you play and why?

Jay: Of course I think all the new stuff Rocks! We play the old stuff everynight. I think we played pretty much the same set everynight this past tour. A couple differnt ones thrown in here or there. I love playing "Hang The DJ" and "Ohio Girls are Eazy". The hidden song off our Self Titled record called "Drunk" is fun as well. Some songs we have only played once and that was when we recorded them. I guess some songs are better on record than live.

Q: What made you want to be a rock and roller?

Jay: The first time I say Elvis and how crazy the girls went. Then I was totally hooked when I saw KISS and the show that was possible to put on. Not too many people can say they get to do what they wanted to do since they were 7 years old. I do! 3 chords have taken my around the world and back and still goin strong!

Q: what type of guitar do you play and why?

Jay: I play a Danelectro Hearsay model. It's a mosrite copy because I wanted to be Johnny Ramone but couldn't afford to be. It's light and take a f*****g beating. 7 or so years later and it still sounds great. Danelectros by themselves probably sound like s**t but I ripped out the pickup in the bridge and put in a Seymour Duncan George Lynch Screamin Demon Humbucker. That's my sound..I have a 1600 crate head run through a 4/12 marshall half stack. Some dude wanted to use my head the one night and asked "Where is the clean channel at?" haha! I just laughed and said.. ummm the what?? It might have one but f**k if I know.

Q: tell us about the song "ohio girls are easy"?

Jay: That song isn't about ALL Ohio girls. But they know who they are ;)It's just a spoof on the "Earth girls are Easy". Plus, when other bands hear it they always ask me if it's true and they wanna come and play here to find out. So if you really wanna know.. come to north east Ohio!

Q: where does the name johnie 3 come from?

Jay: In the 1980's there was a movie called "Short Circut" Starring one of our favorite actors (next to ARNOLD of course) named Steve Guttenburgh. The robot in the film was named Johnny 5...there are 3 of us...spelled the name different...and you have Johnie 3.

Q: what's going on with the Cincy versus Cleveland rivalry?

Jay: There is no rivalry...there sports teams haven't done anything since the Big Red Machine days of The Reds. Yes, true, Cleveland is on a historic NO championship drought. However, we are soo close with the Cavs! Indians are young and Hungry. Browns are blaah but I'm a Dolphin fan so who cares. I follow the browns cause you want them to do good cause they're our home town team ya know? Myke and Mr. KC are big fans but not me. The rivalry with the Steelers isnt even there anymore. It's been so one sided for so many years. It's the Ravens/Steelers that is the big one now. Speaking of that..long time great Browns QB Bernie Kosar was in the paper today talking about how he's bankrupt and his wife is taking all his money. What a b***h!

Q: The rumour is that you and myke duct tape two straps together because you are so tall it's the only way to "lowride" your guitars. any truth to this? and does it bug you that I refer to you guys as the "ohio giants"?

Jay: Yes, that's very true about the guitar straps. I still use it to this day. However the people at Ernie Ball have a new strap that fits us perfect. I think they woke up one day and realized that kids aren't the only ones that play them and maybe to make them with more length. I'm a tall drink of water..gotta spread my s**t out ya know?? We are the tallest band in punk rock so yes we are the Ohio Giants! And 2004 or '05 named the sexiest band in Punk Rock by Jersey Beat. Look it up!

Q: what was the drama going down when you guys played at insubordination festival?

Jay: Ahh insubfest. Ok here is the quick version...The first year we played and rocked it. Sold good merch and a crazy fun time. Second year came and we didnt get asked back. So of course I wonder why and then I'm told "You know what you did. You guys were so out of control blah blah blah" We had a blast so I'm totally clueless on what we did wrong. So 3rd year comes and Mr. Jon S. Rally gets us on because nobody from the fest organizers wanted us there. So we figure if they kicked us off for no reason the first year (still to this day I'm not aware off why) I wanted know what we did to get banned for life. And we did just that...I won't go into what. There is video of some of it out there plus if you were there you know already.
Rock is supposed to be dangerous and unpredictable. Bands today will try and say the right thing and do the right thing so they can get in these cliques so everyone is this big fake happy family. It's not like that so we don't pretend to get along with EVERYONE. If you're a d**k.. we will let you know you're a d**k be sure. We are out to have a good time in whatever town we are in. Our shows are fun cause you don't know if we are going to fight each other on stage, Trash our gear, fight a promoter that ripped us off, be too drunk that we're passed out 5 mins before we play. But the show must go on. It's a traveling circus and I LOVE to be a part of it!

Q: what's the deal with you guys and me [Darlington]? why'd you write a song about me and how did we tour together and such? I'm sure people wonder.

Jay: Elvis is why I wanted to play Rock and Roll, Ramones are why we started a band, but bands like Darlington, Apers, MTX are why we are out there f*****g doin it! I learned not to give a f**k what anyone thinks and to do my own thing. If you like it- jump on..if not I won't lose a single second of sleep over it. Being a big Darlington fan I figured I'd send an email on a long shot of asking to do a split 7' with him. So during Darlington's "Moron-a-thon" record we were blown away that he wanted to and was pretty much the start of Johnie 3. We had been around a year or so before but it gave us some ground to stand on. Then we got to tour with him 3 times all over the USA! Some of my favorite tour stories come from those tours and it's kept rolling ever since. We are great friends with Christy and he's one of the last ones in the business who "gets it" still.

Q: what's next for you guys?

Jay: We hit the road this summer with the Dee Cracks from Austria! They f*****g rocked it every night! It was great playing with them. So that was our summer tour. Also we played some shows with our favorite Danish the 20 Belows and the Mighty Apers from Holland. If you don't know who they are then stop reading this. New record coming on "Knowhere Records" end of summer/fall! Look for it! Plus the "Going Knowhere Fest" in Grand Rapids, Michigan July 25th and 26th with Sloppy Seconds, Huntingtons, Sheckies, 20 Belows so many more!

Q: when are you going back to europe?

Jay: We "do europe" Nov 3- Nov 22nd it's looking like. We will have the new record by then and tour with one of Europe's best "The Hitchcocks" from Denmark! I hope their new record is out cause they f*****g rock! See you over seas... "Till Death Do us Party"!

find Johnie 3 online at:
www.myspace.com/johnie3

Q&A: Simon of The Slants

I've known Simon for many years now, but it wasn't until recent years that we got to know each other as friends and not just music biz acquaintances. He's been in a few bands, but his new band, The Slants, has really gained momentum and both their sound and image stand apart from the crowd. Simon's a talented musician but also has many other talents and he's one of the most interesting people I know. He's also one of the most stand-up people I know and I think he's pretty cool. Read on and you will also.

Q: I first met you in 2000 during the Huntingtons tour when you were booking. Do you still do booking for bands?

Simon: Yep, I run a company called Last Stop Booking. Whenever I have extra time, I try help people out on tour - either completely booking them or filling in holes. I know what its like to be an artist struggling to find shows, let alone to depend on someone else to do it. Sometimes you just end up in the weirdest places - an elk's lodge, a bowling alley, a bookstore, etc. when you're really expecting a venue. I hate it when that happens so I try and get bands places that I know and have actually been to or played at myself. In reality though, I hate booking shows...but I love helping bands.

Q: You've been in other bands before the Slants. Will you tell us about those bands, your role in those bands, and what happened?

Simon: Like most musicians, I've been in more bands than I can even remember, but I think the two most important ones before The Slants would be Rockaway Teens and The Stivs. The Rockaway Teens was a pop punk band that I played guitar and sang in for four years. That's where I got most of my band firsts - first tour, first time on stage, and first time I started learning how to manage a band - from booking to merchandising. The other band members slowly lost interest and I just moved on to other things. A few years later, I joined The Stivs - a straight up, AC/DC meets The Stooges punk band. Originally, they asked me to play the drums but when I stepped into the band, it was as their bassist. Eventually, I started taking on more - booking shows for the band, some input into songwriting/production, and some of the business behind the scenes. That's where I really learned how to move on stage! Cliffy (founder/guitarist) and I left at the same time when we both felt like we needed to be doing something else.

Q: I've read that the Slants were formed after ads were placed on Craigslist and even in Asian-American supermarkets. Can you elaborate on this process?

Simon: I knew that I wanted to start an Asian band, I just didn't know how. In fact, I didn't really know any Asian musicians into electro rock, so I started plastering the town with flyers in Asian hangouts and hitting every online classified I could find. It took almost two years, but eventually things fell into place.

Q: You've been quoted as saying that you're proud of your Asian heritage so taking the name the Slants and making it your own was sort of destroying it as a racial slur- I'm paraphrasing you there, but was that the intent behind it? How has the reception been to that and do you encounter resistance from the Asian community?

Simon: Originally, I just thought that the name sounded cool because it was funny and that people wouldn't really get the double meaning behind it initially. I never thought that the term "slant" was offensive at all but when I learned that people were using it as a word of hate, I wanted to make people realize that having slanted eyes can be a beautiful thing. It's kind of like how the gay and lesbian community took and transformed the word "queer" into the proper way to address them. The Asian community has been extremely supportive. The Asian press has been helping promote us and it is really cool to get messages from kids saying that they now have an Asian role model or that they feel better about themselves because of what we've done.

Q: The Slants have been described as a dance/rock band. What does that mean? What does electroclash mean?

Simon: It means what it says - it's rock n roll that makes you want to dance. We like to call it "Chinatown Dance Rock." It's the same with electroclash, just another description for rock music infused with electronics.

Q: What's the music scene like in Portland as compared to the other places you've toured?

Simon: There's a definite "Portland sound": that most people describe as indie/folk with a lot of other movements behind it. Portland is great in that there's a thriving music scene here but the crowds definitely seem divided...and a little jaded too. It seems that way with most major cities because they're used to a few hundred bands playing every night.

Q: Tell us about the controversy the Slants generated during the Bodog battle of the bands competition.

Simon: We p*****d them off because we told them to shove their million dollar contract. First of all, I normally hate Battle of the Bands competitions - they're usually cheesy, have horrible bands, and only offer a little studio time or pizza as a prize. This one seemed different so we decided to enter to get some extra publicity and would drop out anytime we felt uneasy about it. Well, we started flying through each round (took first every time) and they started talking to us outside of the competition, eventually offering us the actual prize - a million dollar contract. But the contract was so bad and non-negotiable that we decided to turn it down with the option of going on their reality tv show. I'm glad we did because they went out of business anyway.

Q: How did you get hooked up with performing at Anime conventions and how has that helped the Slants?

Simon: I originally went to an anime convention to try and recruit Asians for The Slants. That was a huge mistake because there were almost no Asians there - but they were obsessed with the culture. I thought it would be a perfect fit once the band started going so I started contacting a few and the whole thing just exploded. In the last year, we made appearances at over 30 of them! It's been great for us because the fans are so into it. There's nothing like playing for thousands of kids dancing to the music and singing the songs.

Q: what has the response been to your album "Slanted eyes, slanted hearts"?

Simon: The response has been overwhelming! A lot of great reviews, a few not so-great ones. Overall, I'm really proud of it - we did everything ourselves from recording to the artwork to promoting it...and now, we're working on the follow-up release.

Q: tell us a little about the writing and recording process between the band members.

Simon: In the beginning, I'd work with Gaijin (our former keyboardist) to develop song ideas or riffs that I had. Then we'd take the project to the rest of the band where the song would come alive - drums, vocals, guitars. For this record, Johnny (guitar) and I have been recording demo versions of songs to the show the band and Aron has been taking care of all the vocals. It's much easier for us now because we can make CDs of these demo songs and listen to them over and over again to come up with new ideas or find ways better ways to make the songs flow.

Q: do you have any special or meaningful songs that you like the best and why?

Simon: All of our songs are special and meaningful.

Q: What sort of Bass and amplifier do you play through? Do you use any effects? Why do you play the gear you play and what do you like about it?

Simon: I have a two customized versions of a Jaguar bass that Fender made for me last year, I use those through a Mesa Boogie bass amp and a Mark Bass 8x10 cabinet. I don't really use any effects on stage other than the natural overdrive I get from cranking up the gain. I love the gear I have now because its light, sounds great, and dependable. I've used a few other bass heads before while in The Stivs, but ended up overheating and melting parts on a few of them but have never had that problem with the Mesa. As for the bass, I love it - the way it looks, plays, feels.

Q: Do you have any crazy tour stories you can legally share with us?

Simon: On our summer 2008 tour, we got detained at the Canadian border for a few hours because none of us had our passports. When searching the van, they found a jar of herbs and dried plums that my mom gave me to help with my sore throat but the officers thought they were drugs. I tried to convince them that it was just stuff any Chinese mother would give their kid and they didn't believe me until they actually tried one. Also, when we were in Boston last Winter, Tyler, Gaijin, and I broke into Aron and Johnny's room while they were asleep. We froze their underwear and socks to the balcony outside, smeared toothpaste on their pillows, soaked their toilet paper in water, taped ketchup packets under the toilet seat, and all kinds of other mayhem. Aron was so out of it when we woke up in the middle of the night that he shaved his head because he thought it there was glue in his hair!

Q: What does the future hold for the Slants? What's next?

Simon: Right now, we're writing and recording our second album. That will be followed by some light touring and then world domination.

Follow the Slants online at
www.myspace.com/theslants
http://theslants.com
www.youtube.com/slantsvideos

Obscure music pick: Hagfish

After singer George Reagan joined the band, I became a huge Hagfish fan. I'd known the Blair brothers before, but with George on board they became a formidible songwriting and performance team. Locally, they got a reputation for really fun, spontaneous live performances that left you smiling. Their music was fun and poppy with an emphasis on girls and sex and just plain tomfoolery, and a local label called Dragon street signed 'em up and the recording was entitled "Buick men", which supposedly was graffiti George saw on a club bathroom stall. Look at the photo and you'll see it's a phrase disguised within a phrase. Clever. Buick men was a great CD that relected their sound perfectly, and adding accomplished drummer Tony Barsotti cemented their sound. Standout tracks on Buick men included "Happiness", "Stamp", "Flat", "Gertrude", "Sad", "Disappointed", "Trixie", and "Hose", amongst others that were great. Well, after that, London records signed 'em up and off they went to the Blasting room in Colorado to record their major label debut under the team of Bill Stevenson (drummer of ALL/Descendents) and Stephen Egerton (Guitarist of ALL/Descendents). The result was "Rocks your lame ass", a collection of some of the best songs off "Buick men" along with some newbies. Every single song off "Rocks your lame ass" is amazing. It sounds great, George's vocal simply sound fantastic and the band rocks. All the songs I listed as standouts on "Buick men" were rerecorded and the new versions are amazing (except for "Sad", such a great song, wish they'd given that a go as well). Some new tracks on "Rocks..." that are incredible include "Plain", "Bullet" and "Did you notice". These two CDs are must haves for any serious rock and rollers collection. Get them! Find all their CDs on Amazon!
BONUS HINT: get the track "Grin Doggy" off the CD "that was then, this is then" to add to your Hagfish collection as it is excellent!

Morrissey: Rockabilly!

I'm a huge Morrissey fan. What many of you who aren't very familiar with Mozzer don't know is that Morrissey has many fine rockabilly songs that you would love. Although in the Smiths, Johnny Marr tinkered with genius rockabilly guitar parts in some songs, when Morrissey went solo, his backing band of the great Boz Boorer (rockabilly legend), Alain Whyte (also very well versed in rockabilly) and bassist Gary Day (who even played upright bass live and in studio) not only converted many of his songs to a more rockabilly feel for live performance (just watch the Live Dallas video- the rockabillied-out versions of "King Leer", and "Angel, Angel, down we go together" are amazing!), but also they wrote new songs with Morrissey that are specifically rockabilly. So, I've already recommended the Live in Dallas DVD, as it's great versions of songs, tall quiffs and rockabilly riffs will have you dancing your legs down to the knees. There are some CDs you need to check out as well.
Find the Live Dallas DVD on Amazon!



The "Beethoven is deaf" live in Paris CD is a must-have. The sonic quality is very excellent and the versions of songs are amazing. It contains a rockabilly version of the great song "Sister, I'm a poet", as well as an amped up rockabilly version of the song "The Loop" (which Tiger Army famously covered before they opened up for Morrissey on tour). The other songs are all excellent as well. Find a copy on Amazon!



"Pregnant for the last time" is a way far out cool song that I love. The lyrics and wit are excellent and the musicianship is top-notch. A great fun rockabilly jam.



The Morrissey live at KROQ EP is a must-have also. There are 3 songs recorded live that are absolutely perfect and gorgeous in every way possible and far superior to any other version of these songs (Although the piano-only original version of "There's a place in hell..." is amazing also). The three songs- "There's a place in hell for me and my friends" (which he also performed live on the tonight show with Johnny Carson- there's a clip on youtube you can find), "My Love Life" (which is one of my favourite songs all-time because of this version, could be the most beautiful song in history), and "Sing your life" ( a rousing, rockabilly version which he also performed on the tonight show with Johnny Carson same night as "There's a place in hell..." and there's a clip of this one on youtube as well). You HAVE TO BUY THIS EP. Find copies on Amazon!



"Pashernate Love", the B-side for "Tomorrow" (which is an amazing, unique and gorgeous song in its own right). Is a lovely up-tempo rockabilly number that will get your pulse pounding and senses reeling. The cover photo of Moz in a speedo by a hotel pool with bassist Gary Day, both sunning themselves, is a bonus candid. Find a copy on Amazon!

Obscure music pick: the Funland band

back in good ol' '97-'98, I went to see Funland perform live many times, and even got to open up for them a few times. I asked singer/guitarist Peter Schmidt to play on my "Girltroversy" album in a guest appearance, which he did, contributing great creative guitar solos on my songs "Sugar fix" and "Judy Jetson". Their ill-fated Arista debut EP "Sweetness" featured great songs and great cover art. However, their full-length album, simply titled "the Funland band" was awesome! Great production with plenty of guitar trickery and fun to go 'round, great drumming and bass lines. The songwriting and arrangements were stellar and the songs were all very dynamic. Drummer Will Johnson went on to form and front the band Centro-matic, while singer/guitarist Peter Schmidt went solo. Guitarist Clark Vogeler ended up in the Toadies. While their other achievements have been great, this album stands the test of time and you should get a copy! Standout tracks: "Garage sale", "Spinal music (Skred is a)", "Parallel lines", "Impala", "Radio" (the hidden track, 17 some odd minutes after the final track), "Bleed like anyone", "Downstage"
Find copies of both on Amazon!

Obscure movie pick: Heathers

If this movie was released now, it would stir up a mighty controversy. But, when it was released, no one realized how it would foreshadow our modern times in its violence. The dark comedy of violence in this movie and the stellar cast aside, the very idea of a hot, preppy, wealthy girl gang called the Heathers (with each girl named Heather) who play croquet and terrorize was simply awesome. Hey, don't we all want our own Heathers-inspired girl gang to be a part of? I reference the Heathers in my song "Karen Elson". The Heathers are just plain cool. See this movie!

Starring: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097493/

Obscure music pick: Bobgoblin

Back in good ol' '97 & '98, Bobgoblin was a neat band that had an interesting concept going. Beyond the imagery and concept though, was an amazing rock album called the 12-point master plan. The drumming was creative and good, the guitar sound was great, and the songwriting and arrangements were unique and fun. They blended in keyboards creatively with the guitars, neither drowning the other out but both complementing each other. Their live show was good, but 12-point master plan is a must-have. This will be one CD you will always be glad you have and earn its way into regular rotation on your Zune. Hint: Also pick up their first CD, "Jet". It has a song on it that 12-point master plan does not entitled "Real Dilemma", which is one of their best songs. Standout tracks on 12-point master plan: "One down, one across", "Pretty in my uniform", "Standing up (to the voice of America)", "Climb", "Overthrow", "Pinata", "Mental suburbanites" & "Close your eyes, kids".
Find both these CDs on Amazon!

Q&A: Bassist Mark Pirro of Polyphonic Spree!

I don't recall exactly when I met Mark, but it was many years ago, at a time when Dallas had a confluence of extremely talented and diverse musicians thrown together in a mixing pot called Deep Ellum. It was a special time, and all of us eventually moved on in various ways and grew into ourselves, I guess you could say. Though times are no longer as freewheeling and crazy as they were then, it's wonderful for me to see what everyone from that time accomplished and when I ran into Mark randomly recently, he agreed to do this interview via email. He's likely most well-known for playing bass in the successful rock/pop band Tripping Daisy and the very unique and artsy Polyphonic Spree. But there's alot more to him, and those of you who don't know are missing out! He invented a microphone that is now becoming commonly used called the Copperphone (which I had the pleasure of using on two of my albums, "Euthanize me" and "Sex") and he has lots going on! So read on and find out more about this special and talented artist! (photo by Allison V Smith)

Q: you've been in the music biz a looong time. How are things different now than they were when you were touring with Tripping Daisy?

Mark: Back in the 90's getting signed to a major label and having a shot in the
mainstream arena was a realistic goal, especially for bands with a 'less than mainstream' image/sound. Hundreds bands got that opportunity and dozens actually succeeded and are still around today. However, now the ideal of being on a major label and breaking into the mainstream is pretty much reserved for polished pop stars and hip hop artists. The fact is, the major label model is going away fast and the ones that are surviving can't afford to take many risks. That being said,
it is a great time to be in a band and putting out music, regardless of it's commercial value. The truth is with the internet, there are many more avenues now than there were before to get your music out there. The business may be more diffused because of that, but it now gives everyone a platform to be heard.

Q: how long had you been thinking about developing your own gear before inventing your own microphone? and how did the inspiration strike you?

Mark: I'm not sure if it really was a goal I was setting out to do...However, I have always been curious about how things worked and as a kid and I would take apart old radios, telephones, etc. I also seem to have one of those problem solving minds that won't turn off. I'm always thinking of different/better ways to do things. Having played music for so long with Tim Delaughter, I saw him struggle in getting a reliable method for his beloved, 'telephone vocal' effect. Back in 2002, I thought it would be cool if he just had a microphone dedicated for that purpose. So I started researching stuff on the net about audio electronics and microphones. After a few months of tinkering and experimenting, I finally had a working prototype. Alas, the Copperphone was born. After Tim started using it, I was getting a lot of requests from other people to make them one too and then it became clear that there was a market for such a product. From there it just has evolved into 'hmmm... I
wonder what other things I can make'.

Q: how popular has the Copperphone been?

Mark: Well in the world of audio gear geeks, I'd say it's pretty well known. Now more than ever, many people have their own home recording set ups and a lot of those people want to get their hands on interesting and charming things to play with in their studios. I suppose the Copperphone has that appeal. I also have a respectable list of producers, engineers and bands that are using it too.

Q: what inspired the physical appearance of the copperphone? It looks so classic and retro.

Mark: Well when I was prototyping it, I first was using PVC pipe because it was easy to work with and inexpensive. Part of the sound for the Copperphone comes from a phenomenon known as mechanical filtering. It's not that different from pressing a toilet paper tube up to your lips and talking into it. The tube changes the sound. So once I got the right length of tube figured out for the sound I was going for, I wanted something more presentable than PVC. So copper tubing was the next logical choice. With a bit of blood, sweat and tears, it polishes up quite nicely!

Q: do you collect old microphones? if so, how many do you have?

Mark: Actually, no I don't. I have a friend who is a vintage microphone dealer and he let's me borrow stuff from time to time when I'm in the middle of a recording project. His name is Rob Wrinkle and you can check out his stuff here: http://www.coolmicrophones.com

Q: what do you think about microphone design and how it's changed over the years?

Mark: Well after the fidelity aspect was mastered, the emphasis was put on the aesthetics. You really started to see it in the 50's and 60's. Microphones started to look more like spaceships than anything else. In the 70's and 80's it seemed the focus was on functionality and durability. Now we are in a whirlwind of sonics and design aspects. Some manufactures like Royer Labs are going back to the old ribbon mics, some like Audio Technica are cranking out low cost, no frills yet reliable condenser mics and some companies like Baltic Latvian Universal Electronics are paying homage to the classic high end Neumann stuff with amazing attention to appearance. Finally, you have companies like Shure and Schenhiser who are still producing the same designs that were made decades ago.

Q: what is your opinion on the best mics or mic brands for various applications? it seems everyone's got their opinions.

Mark: I look at microphones like camera lenses. There are various lenses; wide
angle, telephoto, fish eye, etc. and they all manipulate the image a certain way. Microphones are no different when it comes to sound...they basically filter or color the audio coming in. As far as what brands and types are best for what applications... well I'd say I'm still figuring that out. It seems it changes from project to project. One thing is for sure, if you want an old am radio/telephone sound, you gotta use a Placid Audio Copperphone!

Q: do you like using in-ear monitors or traditional floor models? why or why not?

Mark: I tried in ears, but being a bass player, it sorta took the power out of my sound... I just need to hear myself, the drums and Tim anyway, so I just have a floor wedge by my amp.

Q: what made you want to be a rock and roller?

Mark: My Dad and the Sex Pistols.

Q: what sort of bass and amp do you like using and why?

Mark: I really have experimented with this over the years... I first pieced together some old Peavey stuff. I used two of those amps and bi-amped them together. One for the lows and one for the highs. It was very durable and road worthy and I tell you it was the best sounding set up I ever had. But it had to be very loud to sound good and in small clubs and venues, I discovered that I was rarely in the PA. Then I went through the whole SVT phase... Great sounding stuff, but very big, heavy and cumbersome. Plus those amps are fragile with their tubes and elaborate circuitry.
When I started paying with The Polyphonic Spree we had so many people on stage, I needed something small yet powerful and most of all reliable. I started using this really simple solid state Fender with a single 15 inch speaker called a BXR 300.
Because space was usually tight on the stage I sometimes found myself standing on my amp. It made a great floor riser, but I couldn't hear it very well standing on it. I eventually took a piece 3/4 inch of MDF board and drilled a bunch of 1 inch holes in it and laid my amp on it's back and put the board over it. Then when I stood on it, I could really hear and feel my bass. Plus I had a personal riser at every gig!
But all in all, what I've come to realize is that if you are playing in places with a decent sound system, the PA is going to be the best bass amp you will ever have. It's powerful, loud and effecient. I still play through that little Fender and just run into a Sans Amp DI. I let my sound man and the PA do all the work.

Q: what are some of your favourite songs or artists and why?

Mark: I'm a sucker for some of those old classic rock songs. Baba O'Riley by the Who, Starship Trooper by Yes, A Day In The Life by the Beatles. I suppose all those songs have an epic nature and a classic spirit to them.

Q: what are your current musical and recording projects?

Mark: Well the Spree is getting ready to start another album here in a month or so, so I'll be busy with that. Recently Tim and I finished up a project called Wee See (http://weeseeworld.com). We have a visual artist/animator friend in NY who created a bunch of 2 to 3 min dvd video animations intended for infants. He needed an audio landscape put to it so he had Tim score it and I engineered and mixed it. However, it's not at all that typical obnoxious and vibrant stuff you come to think of regarding children's videos. Actually, it's all very simple yet creative use of basic shapes in black and white. With the music, it creates a very relaxing and almost hypnotyzing experience. I think it might have as strong appeal in the minimalist art scene as it does with the parent/baby demography. Currently out of our project studio, I am recording a trio of talented young guys from Allen, TX called 'Ode To Trees' (http://www.myspace.com/odetotrees). I really like working with young bands because they always have a lot of enthusiasm and usually have a few
great songs that deserve to have 'a better than demo' style recording.

Q: whats next on the horizon for you?

Mark: I just got married last month and I am looking forward to starting a family. Both me and my wife have spent the better part of our lives being performers and living a renegade lifestyle. I think we are feeling that natural urge to settle down a bit. We just bought a house and I have a really nice shop space in the back where I can really focus on my audio project building endeavors. I've got a few new products out... You can see/hear them here: http://placidaudio.com

Q&A: Guitarist Cliffy Huntington

I've had the pleasure of knowing Cliffy for many years now. Over that time, we went from seemingly opposite extremes in public image to getting to know one another as friends and realizing that we had so much in common. He's most well-known for his work in the band the Huntingtons. I had the honour of opening for his band the Huntingtons on tour in 2000, as well as sharing space on the "Split" CD with them and on that CD, they covered one of my songs and I covered one of theirs. Cliffy also wrote a piece for the forward of my musical biography that was very flattering. We've stuck it out as friends even when many people moved on, proving that first impressions and other people's misinformed opinions don't matter when you're really friends with someone you know well. We have a mutual respect for each other's talents and personal beliefs and even when we do disagree on topics, it doesn't matter because we are friends that respect each other and that's more important than disagreeing on a subject. he's passionate and dedicated to the music he loves and his faith and I dig that. We both love each other's music and I'm so happy he submitted to my Q&A so I could pick his brain about some things. The world is a better place with Cliffy in it, and I'm glad he's my friend. Enjoy the interview!

Q: you're most famous for your role in the band the Huntingtons. What have you been doing since then?

CLIFFY: I played guitar in a NY Dolls/Stooges influenced punk rock 'n' roll band called The Stivs for 5 years. During that time, the band released three albums (Reaction Jackson, TBIL revisited & Sweet Heartache And The Satisfaction, all of which are available on iTunes and Amazon, etc), toured the west coast twice and did one national tour. We also made it up to Canada several times. I left The Stivs in early '06 to start the band I'm in now, an AC/DC influenced hard rock band called Main Line Riders. We've done one east coast tour, played a few music festivals and made two albums so far (Shot In The Dark & Worldshaker..both are still in print and available on Retroactive Records compact discs, as well as digital download). I also still get together for a show every now and again with my old Huntingtons mates, too, which is always a good time...in fact, we just did a new album (Punk Sounds) that is available as a digital download or as a compact disc from the fine folks at Knowhere Records. That's it for the bands...I got married two years ago and my day job is workin' here at Steinhaus as a mastering engineer. I've worked on a boatload of records and comps and stuff...been doing that professionally now for five years.

Q: Back in the Htons days, you played a strat and a Peavey amp. What sort of setup do you have now, and why the change?

CLIFFY: That's right...a black American Fender Strat with a maple neck and a modified 5150 amp head with a Mesa slant cab. I'm now exclusively using Gibsons (my main guitar is a classic white Les Paul Studio). My amp set up now is a 1979 Marshall JMP 50 watt amp head with a 1981 Marshall cab with the old style checker board grill cloth and loaded with Celestian blackbacks. My tone now is the best I've ever had...it's remarkably good. It's the kind of tone that makes you really enjoy playing guitar. I changed my amp and guitar setup, mostly because the music I was doing needed that Gibson and Marshall punch. Simple as that.

Q: I understand you have a one-off custom Gibson. please tell us how that came about.

CLIFFY: Yep...it's a black Les Paul Special that was modeled after my old Strat...it's very unique and sounds and plays fantastic. Gibson does limited edition runs of their various models from time to time and a few years ago they came out with the New Century Edition Les Paul Special. I thought it was fairly cool, but there were some things I didn't like about it (mirrored pickguard with matching mirrored truss rod cover, lack of pickup rings, stock tuners). My special is a modified version of that guitar. It has a white pickguard, black pickup rings, personalized truss rod cover and sperzel locking tuners.

Q: How did you get into mastering, and how is that working out for you?

CLIFFY: Well, it started based on personal need. I was recording stuff with The Stivs and shopping it to labels and whatnot and needed it to sound better than just straight from the studio. It was all trial and error based on things I had learned while sitting in 15 or so mastering sessions (Huntingtons albums as well as albums I had produced for other bands). The two guys I learned the most from were Alan Douches of West West Side Music in North Jersey and Jack Endino (producer extraordinaire...Nirvana, Mudhoney, Soundgarden, Black Halos, etc). It's working out for me great these days...business has been booming. I've been very interested in music and albums since I was a kid, so this is really just an extension of that. I am intensely driven and have a mind and personality that can handle blocking out everything around me and just honing in on a single task, which is very conducive to the mastering profession.

Q: do you have any personal favourite Huntingtons songs, and why?

CLIFFY: Losing Penny has been one of my favorite songs by the band for a long time, I love the melody, the lyrics and I love how it feels to play it live...other favorites include I'm Not Going Downtown, Leave Home, Joanie's Got Problems, The Last Time That You Left, Pencil Neck, Too Late, Poster Kids, I Don't Like It and Hooray For You.

Q: You've moved around the country alot. Why is that, and do you like any place better than others and why?

CLIFFY: I was raised in a single parent home and we moved around a lot, so being a traveling musician who is always willing to pick up and start again from scratch is something that feels relatively natural to me. My wife and I keep our possessions to a minimum to help facilitate our ability to live this way...it is the road we have chosen and we are okay with that. We meet a lot of people and have friends all over the country and that's a great thing. I'm an east coast boy and so the east coast is definitely my favorite place...I also really like the midwest, for its simple way of life and authentic friendliness of the people. The pacific northwest is the most beautiful and amazing and yet filled with people who imagine the beauty isn't even there...it's a crazy thing. I love Texas and Florida and always have so when I get the opportunity to spend time in either location I count that as time well spent. California and New York don't do it for me at all...neither does Missouri or Utah...had bad experiences in both states. The south is good and so is Oklahoma and Nebraska...all filled with good people who are honest, decent and hardworking. I like that a lot.

Q: what are some of the bands/artists you listen to regularly right now?

CLIFFY: The punk rock I listen to the most is the Queers, Teenage Bottlerocket and Darlington. Kiss, Ramones and AC/DC have been major staples of my musical diet for the past 15 years and I don't expect that to change. The Donnas' Spend The Night album continues to be one of my favorite albums ever...I can't go a few weeks without listening to it. The Copyrights, Zeke and Kix get a lot of plays as well.

Q: Do you have any wacky tour stories you can legally tell us about?

CLIFFY: I'm a good boy...all my tour stories are legal! Tour is tour...there's never enough time to stop and smell the roses, always too busy just gettin' to the next town and tryin' to make an impression, y'know? When I was in Italy with the Huntingtons a kid overdosed and died...it was horrible...seemed like it wasn't even possible, but as we were leaving the venue, we saw him on the street covered with a white sheet. Life is short...I never understood why people do things to make it end early.

Q: What do you like to do besides play guitar and rock out? any hobbies?

CLIFFY: My life pretty much revolves around music...with the occasional movie and Seinfeld episode here and there. I've been a political junkie for many years, but I am learning to let that go (which is a great thing!). I go to church, play with my dogs...you know...the normal stuff.

Q: what made you want to be a rock and roller to begin with?

CLIFFY: I was drawn to music early, listening to Kiss records with my brother when I was 8 years old. They seemed so larger than life, still do. In my early teenage years I discovered Stryper and Poison...both of those bands were very important to the development of my desire to play guitar and be in a band. I wasn't exposed to punk rock until I was in my late teenage years.

Q: what is your current musical project? tell us about it.

CLIFFY: Main Line Riders...as discussed in my answer to the first question. It's a hard rock band dedicated to spreading the Gospel, which is at the center of what I'm all about these days. We're living in dark times, there is an enormous need for people to hear the life changing message of the salvation that Jesus offers.

Q: what does the future hold for you in music?

CLIFFY: The grave. I will do this until I die. I was born to rock.

You can find Cliffy online here:
http://www.mainlineriders.com
http://www.huntingtonsusa.com
http://www.steinhausmastering.com

Lip balm: Burt's bees

I've tried just about every lip balm out there and never liked any till I used Burt's bees. Now, I swear by it, and everyone I've met who uses it swears by it. You simply can't leave the house without that little yellow tube in your pocket. If you value your lips and want to keep them looking and feeling kissable, you best have a tube of Burt's bees on you at all times!

Link to website:
http://www.burtsbees.com/natural-products/lips-lip-care/beeswax-lip-balm.html

Q&A: Jason Gauvin of the Prozacs

I've been blessed to know Jay for many years now. We've performed shows together on tour, shared the stage at the old CBGBs together and had many fun times. We both like each other's music and have mutual respect for each other, and I'm proud to call him a friend. He's also a fellow Daisy Rock guitar endorsee! His band the Prozacs rocks and it's about time you cretins checked them out! They got the east coast on lockdown and wouldn't you know it, his wife is a derby girl. What a coincidence. Jay took some time out of his busy sched. to get in a lil' Q&A with me. Enjoy and go getcha some Prozacs!

Q: what inspired your new song "the jam"?

J: My wife Andrya (a.k.a. Andy Nihilate ) skates Roller Derby for the Western Mass Destruction, of which I am a big supporter. The Prozacs have played a couple bouts and many Derby events in New England over the past few years, so writing a Derby Inspired tune just came naturally.

Q: are you jealous I got together a roller derby music video before you could?

J: Ha Ha!!! That’s rad you got in there with a Derby video...but I would not say I am jealous. We will hopefully be putting one together in the near future and then we can put them side to side on the track!

Q: the Prozacs have been around a long time. any crazy tour stories you can legally share with us?

J: One of the best might be after we played in Jersey with The Sheckies, The Apers, Johnie 3, The Leftovers…the day before the first Insubordination Fest in 2006, we partied at this girls house in Jersey and everyone was pretty trashed. All good fun and nothing bad happened. Well, Matty Prozac was pretty hung over and sick the next day and played the fest feeling like s**t. We had a fight on the way home from Baltimore ( I decided to get rid of a member after the fest and the band didn’t agree with my decision at the time ) and didn’t really talk much. He still felt sick though….and said he just drank too much. So I dropped him of at home ….and within like 4 hours, Matty was in the hospital getting his appendix removed.. He had ruptured it…partied, played the show and drove from Maryland to Massachusetts before knowing what was wrong. Thank god he found out when he did!

Q: what makes the east coast attitude so different?

J: With all the climate changes and states/cities being so close and clustered in the New England area…people are generally p****d of and rude I guess. It seems to be the reputation anyways. Things are a little more laid back and less busy as you go more south into the Carolinas though. Not really sure of how different the attitude is compared to the West Coast though.

Q: are you still involved with Loose clothing?

J: Loose has been kind of quiet the last 4/5 years or so. My wife and I are planning to make a return with it though. All in due time I guess.

Q: what made you want to be a rock and roller?

J: I guess just going to shows and getting into the music so much….just evolved into playing and living it as well. I have made some of my best friends and best times in this world of music. It was mainly for fun and the creative outlet…which still stand true today. I love being on stage and performing as well.

Q: Was it special to perform and record live at CBGBs?

J: It was definitely an awesome experience. The show was with 24 hours notice and the recording was just a sound board recording to have as a memory of playing CBGB’s. Putting it out as a release was an afterthought….but I am glad we did. We may not have another chance to ever play there, and it’s such an institution the world of rock music that many will only get to wish they had rocked there.

Q: Was the massachusetts mandatory healthcare thing a success? why or why not?

J: I don’t think so. Let’s force you to get health insurance…and if you can’t make it happen or afford it…then you get fined at tax time as well. I f***ing hate politics.

Q: Would you have voted for mitt romney?

J: No answer for you here. Sorry.

Q: What sort of guitar and amp do you play and why?

J: I play a Daisy Rock ‘Rock Candy Custom Special’ out of a Soldano Hot Rod 50 amp./Marshall 4x12 cabinet. I got an endorsement deal with a little help from Jay from Johnie 3 with Daisy Rock and just fell in love with the guitars. They play easy and smooth…and sound great. Been rocking them ever since. I had played thru Flav from Squirtguns Soldano rig a few years back and love how it sounded. I bought a Mesa Boogie instead. After about 3 years, I found a Soldano Hot Rod 50 on ebay and knew I wanted it…so I snagged it. It’s got that Marshall 800 quality but a little bit dirtier….which works great for me. It’s pretty much a no bulls**t amp. I can’t see using anything else any time soon.

Q: What's next for the prozacs?

J: Well, I am rolling with a fresh new line up….and we just released our newest album on 12” LP with Knowhere/No Breaks Records…and on CD with Cheapskate Records. Also at press is a split 7” with the McRackins from Vancouver Canada. We have some shows lined up…and hope to do some touring in the coming months.

find the Prozacs online at:
www.myspace.com/theprozacs

Q&A: the fire eater/derby girl Dixie Witch

I got to meet Dixie thru the Assassination city roller derby. She's a great derbyer, but also does fire tricks and fire eating! She was in my roller derby music video and she agreed to a lil' Q&A. Read on!

Q: When did you begin doing fire tricks?

Dixie: About a year and a half. I taught myself fire fans around New Year's this year.

Q: How did you learn how to eat fire and do fire tricks? Were you scared at first?

Dixie: When I was in New York, I was in the experimental and gothic belly dance troupe Chovexani and later a duo called Diablerie. We really wanted to create a old-fashioned vaudeville or carnival vibe for our shows so we started inviting all kinds of performers: burlesque girls, musicians, poi spinners, glass walkers. I even got put inside a giant clear latex balloon once! I figured I needed my own circus trick so I learned fire eating from a friend of a friend in San Francisco. I don't burn very easily so it seemed like I would have a knack for it!
I hula hoop too, so my next project is working with a fire hoop!

Q: When and where do you get to do fire tricks at? Do you practice at home?

Dixie: I usually get talked into lighting things on fire at Assassination City after parties or friends' birthdays and I sometimes do fire along with my belly dancing gigs. Fire usually goes over well at outdoor festivals, carnivals, with bands, at burlesque shows, barbeques...stuff like that. I'd like to start doing more shows around DFW now that I've moved back.

Q: What sort of fuel is used? Does it taste bad? What does it taste like?

Dixie: I use naphtha or "white gas". It burns pretty cleanly and at a fairly low temperature. Well... a low temp for fire! It smells like lighter fuel but doesn't really have a taste, although I've bitten down on my torches and they taste like burned marshmallows.

Q: Have you ever set yourself on fire or burned yourself?

Dixie: Not really. I've singed some loose threads on my clothes before, but they sizzled and went out before I even had a chance to swat at them!

Q: Do you have any crazy stories you can legally share with us?

Dixie: funny you should ask. I'm always wary of getting busted by an overly cautious police officer, but law enforcement wandering by tends to be some of my most enthusiastic fans!
I think the balloon thing was the strangest thing I ever go myself into. I thought it was kind of silly... get in a balloon, dance around until it pops... but out of every act that night that was the one everyone remembers. Maybe everyone had a combo latex/asphyxiation fetish! I think I learned a little too much about the audience that night.

Q: Where'd you get the name Dixie Witch?

Dixie: It was intended to be a pun on "the Dixie Chicks" but it is also the name of a band from Denton. I liked it because I am both very Southern and am a pretty devout witch.

Q: You're also a roller derby girl. How did you get involved with that and why?

Dixie: It seemed like a fun way to keep myself occupied and meet new people. It's kind of taken over my life, but in a good way. My teammates are like my sisters.

Q: Have you ever combined roller derby and fire tricks?

Dixie: I'm pretty sure that would be a recipe for disaster for someone, if not myself, but I never say never.

Q: What sort of bands and singers do you like? Are there any that get you pumped up to do fire tricks or derby more than others?

Dixie: I listen to devil music. Rock, classic rock, metal, industrial, gothic, gypsy punk. I think White Zombie is just about the best music to do tricks to and was pretty excited when we picked "Black Sunshine" as the LSA intro theme.

Q: What else do you enjoy doing besides fire and derby?

Dixie: Well, my day job is fashion design and I do a little freelance illustration too. I spend a lot of time at the library. I'm a nerd at heart.

Q: how can people contact you to book you for firey performances?

Dixie: My myspace (/thedixiewitch) has photos, videos, contact info, and upcoming gigs.

Q&A: pinup model Dayna Delux

I've had the pleasure of knowing Dayna for many years. She's always been very sweet, very personable, and at only 5' 1", she's an absolute doll! She looks ageless and from her early career with the Campbell agency to her freelance work now, her reputation is growing with each appearance. It's been great watching her achieve success with her modelling from afar, and now she's known far and wide. Her bio and resume is HUGE! (read it at: http://www.daynadelux.com/bio/bio.php. Congratulations on her new baby and all her successes. She indulged me with a little Q&A between her newborn baby responsibilities. Read on!

Q: How long have you been modelling and such? And what all do you do these days? Enlighten my readers.

DD: I started really modeling in 2005 and moved to California late in the year. I do many different jobs like magazines, car shows, clothing companies, shoe companies, guest appearances, etc.

Q: You've been around a bit. Do you remember Retrokitten? (Retrokitten was a networking site for photographers and models before there were any social networking sites like myspace or facebook. I had a profile on there early on myself)

DD: I remember RetroKitten! I think I still have a page there but haven't checked it in a long time.

Q: How's the twittering been for you? Is it fun?

DD: Im addicted to twitter right now. Its a place for my random thoughts and marketing. I like keeping track of my friends too.

Q: How do you find time for everything between work and work and family?

DD: Its hard and now with my newest addition to the family its going to be more difficult but I'll find a way!

Q: What are your favourite events to participate in over the years?

DD: I love all the car shows. It's great to get paid for going to a show I would have gone to anyway!

Q: What's your beauty routine like? Are there any products you specifically use to stay looking ageless?

DD: I do like Prescriptives cleanser, Lancome's moisturizer, Lancome's Artline and Dr.Brandt's eye cream. They've been a part of my routine for many years!

Q: I'm assuming you have a crazy collection of outfits and shoes. Where do you find everything and what are some of your favourite items if I assumed correctly?

DD: I have 2 extra closets full of my shoes and clothes. Most of my shoes are from Penthouse shoes which I got most of them for modeling for the line. Most of my clothes are given to me for modeling too. some of my favorites are my corsets from Versatile Fashions.

Q: Are you a bag lady? I mean, do you have a giant purse/handbag collection? Any favourites you like and why?

DD: I do have a large collection of bags but I usually stick with just one. My Trophy Queen and Dungaree Dolly Bags are my favs.

Q: Are there any photographers and other models you like working with more than others?

DD: Not really, Ive had a great time with them all.

Q: Do you have any crazy stories from any of your jobs you can legally share with us?

DD: I have tons of stories but nothing I can talk about without embarrassing myself or someone else.

Q: What's living in southern cal like compared to Dallas? Do you like it better there?

DD: No, people in Cali are different from Texas people. Southern hospitality, ya know. I love southern California, there's so much to do and Hollyweird is where its at!

Q: Have you learned how to surf?

DD: I never learned to surf even though my husband is a surfer. Now that I live in Vegas it'll probably never happer.

Q: Have you ever been to Rae's Diner in Santa Monica?

DD: No I haven't but Ive heard about it!

Q: What artists or bands do you like to listen to regularly?

DD: There are so many to list. I love my old country and 80's.

Q: Do you play any instruments yourself?

DD: No but Ive always wanted to play the violin.

Q: What Does the future hold for the great Dayna Delux?

DD: Hopefully I can continue to model for a few more years and maybe make my way into acting. Fingers Crossed!

find Dayna online at:
www.daynadelux.com
www.myspace.com/daynadelux

1st image is Photographer Holly West
2nd is Mitzi & co
3rd is RK studios
4th is Rachel Stephens
5th is a poster!

Obscure music pick: the click five

In 2004, when I first saw the video for the song "Just the girl" on NOG/N when I had satellite TV, I didn't know whether to be appalled or thrilled. The song itself was catchy and poppy in all the ways that I love pop rock; the video was cheezy to the point of cancelling my satellite service. Ok, so cancelling the satellite can't be blamed on the band. They were snappy dressers and the song was great, however, I didn't give them a chance. Fast forward to '07. I got a slot opening for the Click Five in Dallas. The concert was ok, there was a enthusiastic crowd of almost all females, and they were enthusiastic as well. However, they had a new singer as the original singer had quit. They also had a new CD, "Modern minds and pasttimes". Not long after that show, I'd heard they broke up. I stopped by the used CD store and picked up a copy of their new CD and old CD. The new CD was NOTHING like the first one. I didn't like it at all, save for one song "Jenny". Their first CD, "Greetings from Imrie house" absolutely blew my socks off. Not only was every song simply amazing, the production and performance was top-notch and amazing as well! Ok, the only song I didn't like was a cover song- "Lies", but who cares about that? It was a cover. The other 10 songs were simply some of the best pop rock-n-roll songs I'd ever heard in my life, and they were so good, I've listened to them almost every single day since I heard them, and that is no lie. Each of the ten songs combines wonderful rock guitars that even a guitar nerd like me would adore, poppy but unusual song arrangements, top-notch production and musicianship, and the original singer and the band harmonizes thru the beautiful melodies and lyrics like no other. Get "Greetings from Imrie house", delete the cover song "lies" and replace it with "Jenny" from the 2nd CD and then you have 11 of what will soon be your favourite songs in the world in your ipod. They are definately mine. In order of how I like them:
1. "Angel to you (Devil to me)"
2. "Just the girl"
3. "Resign"
4. "Pop princess"
5. "Friday night"
6. "Time machine"
7. "Catch your wave"
8. "say goodnight"
9. "I'll take my chances"
10. "good day"
Find copies of this great CD on Amazon!

amazing competitive eating records.

I like to watch competitive eating. It's one of the most amazing things one could watch. Here's some of the most amazing records listed on the IFOCE website, read and be amazed! I'm pretty sure I can beat the Fletcher's corn dog record if I could enter:

Corn Dogs
12 Fletcher's Corny Dogs/ State Fair of Texas
10 minutes/ Sept. 28, 2003
Richard LeFevre

Armour Vienna Sausage
8.31 pounds Armour Vienna Sausage /Lowe's Motor Speedway Charlotte
10 Minutes/ May 28, 2005
Sonya Thomas

Brats
58 Johnsonville Brats / Brat Days
10 Minutes/ Aug. 5, 2006
Takeru Kobayashi

Butter
7 quarter-pound sticks, salted butter
5 minutes
Don Lerman

Cheesecake
11 pounds Downtown Atlantic Cheesecake
9 minutes/ Sept. 26, 2004
Sonya Thomas

Chicken Nuggets
80 Chicken Nuggets
5 Minutes
Sonya Thomas

Chicken Wings, Long form
182 chicken wings
30 minutes
Joey Chestnut

Cow Brains
57 (17.7 pounds)
15 minutes
Takeru Kobayashi

Crab Cakes
46 Phillips Crab Cakes/Baltimore Waterfront Festival
10 Minutes/ April 29, 2006
Sonya Thomas

Doughnuts
49 glazed doughnuts
8 minutes/October 2, 2002
Eric Booker

Doughnuts, Cream-filled
47 Glazed and Cream-filled Doughnuts/MLE St. Patrick's Day Chowdown
5 minutes/March 17, 2007
Patrick Bertoletti

Dumplings
91 Chinese dumplings
8 minutes
Cookie Jarvis

Eggs
65 Hard Boiled Eggs
6 minutes, 40 seconds
Sonya Thomas

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
47 grilled cheese sandwiches
10 Minutes/ June 10, 2006
Joey Chestnut

Gyros
12 12-oz Gyros/Niko Niko's Greek American Restaurant
10 Minutes/May 17, 2008
Patrick Bertoletti

Hamburger: Big Daddy Burger
9 pound cheeseburger/ Plaza Hotel Casino
27 minutes, 0 seconds/ Jan. 21, 2006
Sonya Thomas

Hamburgers
11 1/4 Burgers (1/4 pound) "Cloud Burgers"
10 minutes
Don Lerman

Hamburgers
7 Burgers (3/4 pound) "Thickburgers"
10 minutes
Sonya Thomas

Hamburgers: Krystals
103 Krystal Burgers
8 minutes/October 28, 2007
Joey Chestnut

Jalapeno Poppers
118 Jalapeno Poppers/University of Arizona
10 minutes/April 8, 2006
Joey Chestnut

Jalapenos, Pickled
266 Pickled Jalapeno Peppers
15 Minutes
Patrick Bertoletti

Jalapenos, Pickled, 8-Minute Record
247 pickled jalapeno peppers/State Fair of Texas
8 minutes/Oct. 8, 2006
Richard LeFevre

Jalapenos, Pickled, Short-Form
191 Pickled Jalapeno Peppers/La Costena "Feel the Heat" Jalapeno Eating Challenge
6.5 Minutes/Sept. 16, 2007
Patrick Bertoletti

Kolache Factory Kolaches
56 Sausage and Cheese Kolaches/Kolache Factory in Houston, TX
8 Minutes/Sept. 14, 2007
Joey Chestnut

Kolaches
44 Cherry Kolaches/GoldenPalace.net at the Nebraska State Fair
8 Minutes/Sept. 2, 2006
Patrick Bertoletti

Krystal Hamburgers, 2 minutes
39 Krystal Hamburgers
2 minutes/September 2007
Bob Shoudt

Lobster Rolls
41 Lobster Rolls in Boston challenge
10 minutes/Sept. 23, 2006
Takeru Kobayashi

Maine Lobster/ Kennebunk
44 Maine Lobsters (11.3 Pounds of meat) from the shell
12 minutes/ Aug. 13, 2005
Sonya Thomas

Matzo Balls
21 baseball-sized matzo balls
5 minutes, 25 seconds
Eric Booker

Mayonnaise
4 32-ounce bowls mayonnaise
8 minutes
Oleg Zhornitskiy

Onions
8.5 ounces Maui Onions (three onions)/ Whalers Village
1 minute/ Aug. 8, 2004
Eric Booker

Oysters
46 Dozen Acme Oysters/ Acme Oyster House
10 Minutes/ Mar. 20, 2005
Sonya Thomas

Oysters, Short Form
34 dozen Acme oysters/French Quarter Festival, New Orleans
8 Minutes/April 12, 2008
Patrick Bertoletti

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches
42 PB&J/Drum Corps International
10 minutes/Aug. 8, 2007
Patrick Bertoletti

Pickles, Sour
2.99 pounds
5 Minutes
Cookie Jarvis

Pickles, Vinegar
2.7 Pounds Kosher Dills
Six Minutes
Brian Seiken

Pizza Hut P'Zones
4.82 lbs Pizza Hut P'Zones
6 minutes/July 10, 2007
Joey Chestnut

Pork, Pulled Sandwiches
45 pulled pork sandwiches
10 minutes/ Sept. 1, 2007
Joey Chestnut

Quesadilla
31.5 4-inch Cheese Quesadilla
5 minutes
Sonya Thomas

SPAM
6 pounds of SPAM from the can/ SPAMARAMA
12 minutes/ Apr. 3, 2004
Richard LeFevre

Sweet Corn
34.75 ears sweet corn/ Sweet Corn Fiesta
12 minutes/ Apr. 29, 2007
Crazy Legs Conti

Tacos
48 soft chicken tacos/ Zocalo Restaurant
11 minutes/ Sept. 29, 2004
Sonya Thomas

Tamales
71 Tamales/Old Town Lewisville/Dallas Tortilla & Tamale Factory
12 Minutes/Sept. 1, 2007
Timothy Janus

Tex Mex Rolls
30 Tex Mex Rolls/ GameWorks at Great Lakes Crossing
12 minutes/ Mar. 12, 2005
Richard LeFevre

Turducken
7 3/4 pounds Turducken.com Thanksgiving Dinner
12 minutes/ Nov. 26, 2003
Sonya Thomas

see all the world records at:
http://www.ifoce.com/records.php

Q&A: Todd Deatherage

I've known Todd for many years now, and I've always respected his talent. I've enjoyed seeing him perform probably over 100 times and I've had the honour and pleasure of having him perform 2 live concerts with me before, one of which was released on limited edition CDR (Live Dallas 1999 on Mutant Pop Records), and more recently I remastered those tracks and reissued them on a limited edition CD and digital release (Indoor-outdoor luxury BBQ). He's one of the most talented singer/guitarist/songwriters I've ever met, and a genuine, great person as well. Introducing Todd Deatherage, ladies and gents! Photo by Allison V. Smith

Q: I first knew of you when you were in high school at arts magnet in Dallas. How long have you been playing guitar?

Todd: I've been playing guitar for 21 years now. I got my first guitar when I was twelve, and started playing classical shortly there after. From there, I went on to study blues, jazz, rock, country, etc. As a child, my mother played ukulele and acoustic guitar. She was my main musical inspiration growing up.

Q: Was it helpful to be surrounded with talented, artistic peers in high school at arts, such as singer/guitarists Matt Hillyer (Eleven Hundred Springs) and Dan Phillips (Slowride)?

Todd: Matt has always been one of my huge influences. In high school, he got me into country and rockabilly music. He took me to my first blues jam when we were both fifteen, at The Nostalgia Lounge in Dallas, TX. Ever since I've known him, he's been a great singer and guitar player. It's kind of weird, but Matt was always good. I feel like there are few people you can truly say that about, but with him, it's definitely true.
Dan Phillips and Drew Fleming were both great talents to have been surrounded by at Arts Magnet as well. Drew and I have played music together on and off for over ten years now, and he's such a gifted musician. Dan was in the first version of The Calways with Steve Visneau and I. All in all, I've been pretty lucky to have talented friends!

Q: You've moved around a lot. How has living in different areas influenced your songwriting?

Todd: Moving around and living in different cities has definitely shown through in my songwriting. When I lived in NYC, I was very influenced by the rock scene that was emerging in lower east side. Bands like The Strokes, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Robbers on High Street, Kevin Devine, The Damnwells, and many more were really starting to make a buzz. 9/11 had just happened and New York was a bizarre place to be. Musically, though, things were really starting to explode. So in a way, it was a terrifying and exciting time to have lived there.
When Megan and I lived in Michigan, my songwriting became a little more focused. Ann Arbor was kind of the calm after the storm and I was more in step with myself as an artist. I toured around the country a lot solo and with a band.
Austin is pretty cool so far. I'm once again in the Texas Music scene, and I really like it. I guess I kind of missed the whole experience, and it's definitely coming through in my songs. I dig the country-fried!

Q: do you have any crazy tour stories you can legally share with us?

Todd: Sure, too many, but I really don't want to embarrass anyone that's given me a place to stay for the night. I'm very thankful that strangers have opened up their homes up to me and let me stay, even as "different" as some of them have been.

Q: What's your favourite song or songs you've written, and why?

Todd: "She's Leaving Me" is still one of my favorites. I almost always end my set with it and people seem to really like it. "Linger On" would have to be a close second, because I spent so much time writing and rewriting it, and was pretty happy with the final product. It first started out as a really dark song about death and then morphed into a break-up song. I think it was a good choice to change it, because I already write too many sad songs. That would have been a little too much on the "get therapy" side.

Q: Do you find it difficult to perform older songs that were once very relevant to your life but now are no longer relevant?

Todd: No, I don't really mind at all. I'm obviously not famous or even very well known, so a lot of times that particular performance could be the first time someone is hearing a song I wrote. I try to keep that perspective every time I perform and that usually keeps things fresh for me. I can easily get lost in the song once it starts going.

Q: What sort of guitar and amp setup do you currently play thru and why? Are you a guitar nerd?

Todd: I wish I was a guitar nerd, but maybe I'm too broke or too simple-minded to be invested in equipment. I still play the same American Telecaster I bought back in '93, and my amp is a Hot Rod Deluxe I got in the late 90's. As far as effects, I use a Boss Tremolo and a Line 6 delay pedal. Nothing too fancy, really. Often I just plug straight into my amp!

Q: Can you read music? And if so, how has that helped you in your performing?

Todd: I've read music since I first started playing guitar, and it has definitely helped in my writing and live performances. I've also sung in choirs and am currently studying Music Education at Texas State in San Marcos. I try to sight read vocally for about 30 min to an hour a day. It's a skill I enjoy and always need work on!

Q: As you've aged, have you found it more difficult to hit notes? What do you do to maintain the vocal chords to keep your great range?

Todd: Actually since I've been studying at Texas State, with my current voice teacher, Dr. Mungo, it's been a lot easier to hit high notes. The voice, as an instrument, is so much more athletic than playing the guitar. If you exercise daily, one can remain fit. It's the same thing with your vocal chords. I try to work on technique as much as possible, and when I don't, I can really tell.

Q: What are you up to musically right now, and what does the near future hold for you?

Todd: I'm currently playing my own shows locally and I am the guitar player for The Jeremy Steding Band. Jeremy is a great singer/songwriter in the Texas Music circuit. Check him out!
I'm also working on a new record that I started about a year ago in Michigan. It has been a little slow coming with recording, but I think I'm finally starting to make some headway. I'm really excited about a lot of these songs. I spent a lot of time writing them and touring on them. I tried to pick the ones that people seemed to like the best when I was on the road a bunch from '06-early '08.'

Q: What's your songwriting process like, and what inspires you to write?

Todd: My songs are usually pretty autobiographical or fiction based on some sort of reality. I'm always a sucker for a love song. I think that's human nature. I usually will go through spurts of creativity and write a few at a time. I wish I knew the secret behind what inspires me. I kind of don't push it and then it appears. Sometimes I don't write anything for six months. Songwriting is an unusual process for me. I wish I could be more disciplined about it.

Q: What are some other artists or bands you enjoy listening to lately?

Todd: This is always a hard question for me when people ask, because I honestly just listen to a lot of the same people. I still love Rufus Wainwright, Lucinda Williams, Merle Haggard, Todd Snider, Lefty Frizzell, and other old country greats. I'm also a big fan of Ralph Vaughan Williams' song cycle "Songs of Travel." I have a great version of Roderick Williams singing it and I listen to it pretty frequently. I love German Lieder as well. Schumann and Schubert are kings in my book. Mozart is always amazing to me too. The way he wrote for the voice has probably still never been matched.

Q: So I've been told you're in Austin now. Do you like the slogan "keep Austin weird" or does it bug you?

Todd: I think that whole "Keep Austin Weird" thing is a little silly. I kind of don't get it. Next to NYC, Austin is pretty tame. But it is a blue city in a red state, so I guess that's what the slogan is mainly about. I am pretty liberal, and do appreciate the desire to keep it that way. So maybe I am into the slogan after all!

Q: how is the Austin music scene these days? Is it living up to the huge reputation it's gotten?

Todd: Austin is a wonderful town; I really enjoy it. It's pretty great to be able to see guys like Dale Watson and Redd Volkaert for free all the time. There are a lot of great musicians in Austin and the city really seems to care, which is a plus. I still love Dallas, though. I hate the whole Dallas vs. Austin thing. There are a lot of great musicians in Dallas that get overlooked because of the whole "City of Hate" slogan. Can't we all just get along?

Find Todd online at:
www.todddeatherage.com
www.myspace.com/todddeatherage