Good Read: Dying For Triplicate

Check out Todd "Zman" Zalkins new book "Dying For Triplicate". Todds also the frontman of Corn Doggy Dog and the 1/2 lb and has long been a part of the long beach punk scene.

"Dying for Triplicate" is an inside glimpse of a horrific story of addiction, and proof that we can change, and break free of something that we never dreamt possible.

Check it out here

http://www.dyingfortriplicate.com/

You can also check out Corn Doggy Dog and the 1/2 lb at

http://www.myspace.com/corndoggydog

Notable Mention: Pasadena

Their album "Sick And Tried" is high on my list really worth checking out.

You can hear samples of the album "Sick And Tried" right here

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/pasadena

YouTube Classic: Live@Subs - Holiday In Japan

Live@Subs live in the PBS Studios, Melbourne Australia

Interview: KnowledgeBorn07

My interview with Knowledgeborn07. I've been a fan since I was a kid. He released a new album for free this year so naturally I had to interview him.

How did you get your start with music? When I was a kid we were the only house on the block with a basketball hoop. Neighbors from all around would throw games in our back yard....bust out the gold spray painted ghetto blasters ....people carving jordan and nike symbols in their hair and blaze some Rob Base...Run DMC...all the good stuff while us younger kids imitated ...tryed to jump in...then eventually just watched and rapped.....When I would go to school I would rap on the playground to my friends and the girls of course...then around junior high one of my friends had a little project studio in his basement where he recorded punk songs. We dug the beastie boys...RATM dropped Freedom....it was on from there...........

Whats been your biggest influance? My biggest influence in life are my kids. If I didn't have them I would be a sad MOFO...haha...I am a sad MOFO but...."I got my kids" ....sorta........nah but family is a huge influence...not only my own but just families and seeing that connection of love and compassion.........also culture influences me......any kinda of art....creativity....life....love....definatly other peoples music...Music has shaped me into the person I am today for the most part.

Whats your music writing process like? Sometimes I write a paragraph of how I'm feeling at that moment...i put it away....it eventually makes its way back to me when I'm blocked and i try to form it into a song......other times I pick up the guitar....find a melody on one string.....figure out the chords....sstrum and see what comes out.....write it down....get a ruff recording...then it my transform into something good...or take a back seat in which I only bust it out when some friends are over and I laugh in embaressement. Other times someone will send me a tune and I'll sit and write to it. Or I'll just go into the studio and record some random stuff...write stuff on the spot and perform it. It all really depends. Everyday is a new adventure in writing and I hope that never stops. Countertops....napkins....boxes....smartphones.....my hands...or i'll call someones voicemail and leave a message of a melody in hope that it won't get lost....

How do you feel about the current state the music business is in? I love it! I think there is so much good music out there and its just an endless see of new bands out there. Music makes me high! It's not a competition to me its a koalescence.

What are you drinking? hmmmm.....last night I drank Svedka and Grapefruit juice with a splash of lemon gatoraid....that was pretty tasty actually and gives you a little boost...haha....I like Scotch on the rocks brother.....straight to the point...and micro brews.......

Whats been your best moment in music? I think my best moment was recording this last album and collaborating with some great people/artists.

How do you feel about mainstream music? I like Lady Gaga.....but not until I saw her interview.......

I see you callab with alot of artists. Who have you liked collabing with the most so far? My favorite artist that I have colaborated with so far besides Johnny Cosmic would have to be Zack Walters of 3rd Alley. Dude's just a bad mofo.

Cosmic Knowledge is one of my favorite albums of 2010! What was the major message for the album? The major message was that it doesn't matter where you come from or who you are ...we are all the same at the end of the day when the lights go out.....it was an album thrown out into the wild web like a message in a bottle floating in an open sea.......sunshines and storms ....regardless....just hoping someone will find that bottle(album) at the time in their life when they need it most and it can help them thru their own struggles because I was bleeding in that album......everything that has gone on during that recording process was seeping out of me....but thats how an album should be....heartfelt and true....sometime I felt like my guts were being tornout but now im healed and stronger.......The message inside that bottle is different for everyone that desides to grab it and open it and actually give it a whirl....it's for everyone......

Whats the next move? Next move is grab some Frankies Ribs tonight...hahah.....nah ....just trying to get that free album (www.knowledgeborn07.com) into as many hands as I can while moving forward with music and expressing myself musically.....i'm working on my next album and also have a collaboration album in the works with some friends of our old band Roots of Kreation and some guys from the legendary Ways to be Worse crew....so look for that ......The art work was done by chris dyer....an amazing artist from Brazil....there is a documentary coming out about him and one of our songs off the album with be on that documentary so stay tuned and check out http://www.positivecreationsmovie.com/ .............Peace and Blessings......

KnowledgeBorn07 - 27 Miles

YouTube: Slaughterhouse Rootz performing "Chico" on Green Rights Radio

Great vid

Notable Mention: Three and a Quarter

Three and a Quarter is not only an notable mention but, Also one of my favorite bands.

Check out there myspace at

http://www.myspace.com/threeandaquarter

Buy there record "Chubby

Dubby" from Long Beach

Records at

http://www.longbeachrecords.com/

Free CD Download: Cosmic Haze - Street Corner Prophets

Knowledgeborn07 fans check this out! Free cd download of the album Cosmic Haze - Street Corner Prophets feat. Knowledgeborn07

Check it out and download it here

http://cosmichaze.bandcamp.com/album/street-corner-prophets

Interview: 3RD Alley

My interview with Zack Walters of 3RD Alley. 3RD Alley has its own sound in a flood of music that mostly sounds the same. With two full length albums out and one on the way. Both albums are classic in my opinion and will be taking over your cd player/mp3 player in no time.

So Zack what first got you interested in music? I was always into music as far back as i can remember, while my friends were buying G.I. Joes, i was buying records. When i was like 5, i made a drum set out of the tin cans that those christmas sugar cookies came in by taking that clear packing tape and stretching it accross the top over and over until i could get what i thought was a decent sound and i'd play along with my favorite songs. Music always seemed magical to me.

Whos your biggest influence musically? Well, naturally its changed alot over the years but, as far as songwriting goes, i'd have to say elliott smith, i love his songs and how unobvious they are. John Lennon and David Bowie also in the same vain have influenced me for similar reasons. But then there's NOFX, Sublime and NWA that influenced me to not stay confined into one arena, it's like they taught me to have bite lyrically. I love music that throws blows, that'll come out and bite you on your ass!

What was your first recording like? haha, um, sterile. safe and boring.

Whats been your most memorable moment in your music career? I'd have to say there's been a few times when someone has sat down with me and told me how much certain songs meant to them and how it helped them in some form or fashion. "Happy tank" for some reason has struck a major chord with a handful of people who were going through tough times and they told me that it helped them through it, to me that makes everything beyond worth it.

What band do you like playing shows with the most and why? There are too many to mention. But playing with bands that are just cool guys and know they are good musicians so they don't have to overcompensate by acting like premadonnas is always a treat.

Whats your music writing process like? i change it up a lot, i used to mainly write with an acoustic guitar and then build from there, but lately i've been trying all kinds of different methods. I've been writing lately more around beats. i usually do a bunch of demos before i actually get the song worked out, record them over and over until i think they are ready to spend money recording. On ASS i wrote "hit mix" from the sampled windshield wipers of my girlfriend's car. Been playing around a lot more like that as well lately. Also had the experience of writing "belly floppin'" for bFoundation's last album, which I wrote the melody and lyrics over their instrumental, that was fun and different. Would like to work with other artists as well.

What was your major inspiration for After School Special. (Which is still my favroite album for all time just had to add that in there)? Nice man, thanks! I wrote most of those songs before 3rd Alley got together and had a solo album ready to be released, but then we amplified it, and turned them into 3rd Alley songs. Obviously it's full of alot of relationship drama, I was on a roll with a string of crazy girls and thought they'd make good stories for songs. I was also having some crazy insomnia going on so it deals with that as well. It was written over a span of a few years off and on.

What was your major inpiration for Shiny Shady People and how did you change musiclly from A.S.S.? I wasn't really trying to change the sound, I had just been traveling alot and was heavily influenced by old world rhythms in Europe. It's just what i was going through at the time. Had i been living in Hawaii and drinking pina coladas on the beach it would've sounded way different. I think the darkness on it came from a lot of pent up frustration i had with our "ground hog day" way of life. It seems everybody just is on autopilot and just living, like on a treadmill. I was mad at suits in the corporate world, politics and religion as well.

If your drinking what are you drinking? Cazadores

What have you been jamming lately? Chuggo, have you heard this guy? amazing! Tyson turned me onto him. Honestly, I haven't been stoked on really anything lately, with the exception of bands that we have toured and love. Like Bandgeek Mafia from Germany and Jaya the Cat from Amsterdam. Knowledgeborn07's album was pretty rad too. I did just buy a Cartola record and the song "alvorada" is trippin me out. I really like some of Julan Casablanca's solo album.

What are the next plans music wise? get this new album out and get out and play to our fans.

When can we expect a new CD/recording? We are pretty much done tracking the new record we're gonna call "shoulda, woulda, coulda" but we are going to release a single either "medicated" or "bloodshot eyes" with a couple of b-sides first till we get the rest all mixed and ready to release. That should happen in the next couple of months.

Anything you want to say to your fans peoples out there? thanks for the patience, we have been slow roasting the new album so that you can take out your dentures for this one.

Check out there myspace at

http://www.myspace.com/3rdalley

On The Spot Interview: Catfish Mustache

My chat interview with Tania the frontwoman of Catfish Mustache. Straight outta Gilbert, Arizona they have an unique sound thats worth checking out.

Me- So Tania how did you get your start in music?

Tania- well, i played the alto sax in 6th grade... and later in junior high, i discovered hip hop and started rapping. my parents always had a massive music collection, music was always playing somewhere in my house growing up.

Me- how did Catfish get its start?

Tania- Eric (the guitarist) was in a different band and they had a show booked... a week before the show, his singer cancelled... Eric didn't want to leave the club with an empty slot, so he asked me to rap and asked his cousin Brandon to play drums we put together about 5 songs that week and played the show. That was also my first time singing in front of a large group of people, i never knew i had it in me.

Me- who influences your music past and present?

Tania- who doesn't? I love all types of music from Sam Cooke to the Roots to System of a Down. I just wrote a song that was sortof influenced by a combination of the Temptations and the Abbot Kinney Lighthouse choir (gospel choir). I listen to music in different phases... one week soul and funk, next week I'll be playin the Toadies. All of it inspires and influences me.

Me- i hear that you gotta switch it up. Do you have any recordings out? Are you working on a record?

Tania- we are almost finished recording our first cd. it's been a long and educational process. we're hoping to have it out by the end of next month

Me- Whats it like being a female singer in a flood of mostly male frontmans?

Tania- i like the fact that it makes me stand out a little, but it's frustrating bcuz i don't always get taken seriously. Some people think it's just a gimmick ... until they hear us play and can see that it's legit

Me- What venue do you like to play the most?

Tania- i really like the vibe at the Sail Inn

Me- What other hobbys do you have other than music?

Tania- sewing and arts and crafts type stuff... i'm workin on making a gang of wallets and purses to be sold at our shows i like to cook too. i'm pretty good in the kitchen if i do say so myself

Me- what is your favorite thing to cook?

Tania- hmmm... that's a good question... i make some pretty amazing fish tacos... you would think i was mexican. i make the salsa, cabbage slaw, get that queso fresco in there. it's a thing of beauty i've also recently started to perfect the art of smoking ribs it's not easy... u gotta keep the temp just right for so long. low and slow all day

Me- dry rub or marinade?

Tania- dry rub for sure... but i like to put a little sauce on at the very end. i leave it up to people eating to put more sauce on if they want

Me- if your drinking what are you drinking?

Tania- pyrat rum is delicious and smooth i like filthy vodka martinis sometimes too

mmmm... all that olive juice

Me- whats your guys next move?

Tania- touring. i can't wait to get on the road

Me- where you guys heading too?

Tania- nowhere officially yet, but i'd like to play around the southwest this winter... maybe work our way up the west coast a little

Tania- how did u hear about us?

Me- I think i saw you guys on an site or something my memorys a bit of a blur

Tania- did u just see me talkin trash about "white boys singin reggae"

Me- that is what reminded me to interview you, I have a list of people I think that would surprise most

Me- so whats your beef with white boys singing reggae?

Tania- i don't really have one. I wrote that song about so many copycat bands out there. It seems like so many bands out there are just trying too hard to sound like Sublime or Dirtyheads...

... what happens then, is we have all these bands that sound exactly the fucking same.

Me- My outlook is theres alot of bands that I don't like for all kinds of reasons. Theres alot of crap coming out of the reggae punk community. I like to listen to and promote what I dig. Let people follow and jam to what they like.

Tania- i like variety in music. when i go to see a live show, i want to see who the musicians are in a way. i don't just want to see who influences them. Ya know what i mean?

Me- Anything you want to say to your peoples/fans out there?

Tania- ummm... keep on the look out for our cd release! tell your friends! spread the music

Check out their myspace at

http://www.myspace.com/catfishmustache

Interview: Dan Sherrill

Interview with solo singer/songwriter Dan Sherrill hailing from Wyoming. Dan's shared the stage with so many bands/artists it would take half a page to list them out. (Note: This is one of the first interviews I wrote out so the questions are kinda on the short side.)

So Dan how did you get your start in music? My mom is a long time musician/music teacher (she still plays piano/organ for wedding, church, etc.) So I got into music at an early age (voice and piano right away). Then in 5th grade, I started the good ol’ 5th grade band program playing the trumpet, and still actively play it today. Guitar came a few years later in 7th grade or so, and I haven’t looked back yet with the axe..

Whos has been your biggest influences in music? I’d have to say my mom for sure. Music teachers I’ve had through the years. My high school choir teacher, Mr. Swann did alot for my voice. My college music proffs – Dr. Royer and Mr. Parker were huge as well....

Then as far as “influences” in the big scope of things, I’d have to say Mishka, Brad Nowell, Dennis Brown, Slightly Stoopid, Johnny Cash, and Miles Davis to name a few.....

Have you been in any bands before going solo? Oh yeah. Got my first good experience in high school – playing with my homies in a band called Beta Caroteen. This was in Watertown, SD. As far as a high school garage/grunge/punk band, we were pretty good. It was a vital step in my music “milestones”....

In college then, my bro Tony Speiser (who I played in Beta Caroteen with) and I moved to the Black Hills of South Dakota and started the MMB (mighty moose band). We were pretty darn popular in South Dakota and put out on full LP entitled “get loose with the moose”, in which is now out of print. When I moved to Wyoming to start a family and new teaching career in 2004 -- is when I went solo. Since then, I’ve sat in with bands here and there, played with a 2 piece acoustic rock band, but most significantly – I’ve played guitar, sang, and tooted my trumpet on countless shows and cities with my good bros SLAUGHTERHOUSE ROOTZ out of Denver, CO. So much fun and it gives me the “full band” adrenaline that a person digs ha ha..

How is it balancing being a family man and be an actively touring musician? It’s hard man, but yet it flows and fits well. First of all, you gotta have a good....I mean GREAT woman by your side. She believes in me, supports me, and allows me to tour and play lots of shows....but I still make time for the family in which is essential. Unfortunately, I’ve seen too many musicians “fall” or “get grounded” so to speak from the road because they don’t have an understanding and supportive woman by their side. You can’t be selfish, you gotta give and take a little – do the best you can to make it balance.

Whats the Wyoming music scene like and how do you fit into it? Well Wyoming itself is the smallest (population wise) state in the Country. We only have 500,000 people in the whole entire state. There really isn’t much of a scene compared to surrounding states like Colorado and Utah. For the most part, the demand for entertainment in Wyoming is Country and or Western.... Casper seems to be the hub of the state and I have done pretty dang well up there. There’s a fair scene there. Jackson Hole (ski area) is cool as well, and Laramie (U of Wyoming) is pretty good.....I’d have to say for a “cowboy state”, Casper probably holds it down the best.

How do you feel about the Reggae Punk music scene these days? I like it. But it’s starting to get kinda saturated with the same ol’ stuff, generic stuff if ya get my drift. A lot of it sounds the same, a lot of us have talked about this particular issue. Overall though, more exposure is good exposure so I can’t complain.....

Whats been some of your most memorible times on the road and jamming? I’ve had some killer times traveling/playing with Slaughterhouse Rootz. Heck, we just played a couple of weeks ago in Minneapolis on the Slightly Stoopid bill w/ Jon Wayne and the Pain as well as the Collie Buddz. That was sick. Tours to California have been great, love heading that way. I’ve made 6 tours in the past 4 years and they’ve always been great. Great friends out that way. Going back to South Dakota (my old stomping grounds) is always crazy. Great crowds, good friends and peeps gettin’ down to the Wyoming Reggae ha ha...

Who do you like to share the stage with the most? Jon Wayne and the Pain really hit me with a good vibe when I recently hooked up with them in Denver. Since then, I’ve played another show with them. They are awesome. Playing with SHR on the Mishka Bill was a dream come true. I’m a huge Mishka fan/influence as I mentioned earlier. Of course Slaughterhouse Rootz is always exciting to play with. Mike Pinto, Ballyhoo, and B-Foundation, Fayuca, Tatanka are sick to share the stage with. Great fellas, great musicians, real peeps, so rad.

Check out his myspace at

http://www.myspace.com/dansherrillrootsrockreggae

On The Spot Interview: Jon Wayne And The Pain

My late night facebook chat interview with Jon of Jon Wayne And The Pain.

Me- So Jon how did you get started in music?

Jon- I started taking guitar lessons when i was 9 and first played songs by the doors and other rock and roll classics like stairway to heaven and other top 40 picks. Love me two times was the first song I sang in front of people

Me- Nice man. I've seen interviews were you talk about being a former addict how does it influance your music and do you have any advice for the peoples out there trying to get clean?

Jon- Being a recovering drug addict does have a big influence on the music. The inspiration i once got from those drugs turned out to be the thing that nearly took my life and ultimately left me uninspired. Now that i look back on it, the main thing that helped me get clean was seeing that I didnt have to live that life anymore if I didnt want to. I saw other people who had similar stories to me change their life through taking different actions and gaining contact with a power greater than themselves.

Me- Some pretty strong words of inspiration. What is it that you like most about music?

Jon- I like how, when the Im feeling either our music or someone else's music. I can leave the surface of the earth and find myself completely content in the present moment. I have found that being in the present moment is the most wonderful place to be, even if things appear to be going bad. I have no control over the past or future, but have complete control over my life in the here and now. Music has brought me to that place more than anything else

Me- I hear you on alot of that. Do you still see racistism is a problem today?

Jon- Not as much in the groups that i surround myself with usually. But, when we play in smaller communties, that have been extremely sheltered from other cultures and races i do see it more. I dont respond well to Racist people. I usually loose my composure and say something that I regret. So i usually turn the other way and leave a conversation if It gets a racist tone to it

Me- What was the major thoughts behind your first record? I've listened to it many times. Theres alot of great tracks on it and tracks that make you think. A couple that I think alot of people can compare to there own lives.

Jon- Yeah Im glad you can relate to it. I think that having a struggle in your life and moving past that struggle is something that a lot of people can relate to. Even if it hasnt been drugs or alcohol, we have all had tough parts in our lives and being able to move past it is a unifying theme.

Me- So Jon do you have any other hobbys than music?

Jon- Yeah, I really enjoy Longboarding around the neighborhoods and chillin at home here in Uptown Minneapolis. We're on the road so much that its just nice to not be in a moving vehicle. I also enjoy fishing, but dont make it out very often.

Me- What did you change on your new record what was the major influence behind it? How was recording it?

Jon- We had progressed more as a band when we we went into the studio for our latest album and had more of a complete idea of what we wanted than on the last album. My personal influence of most of the songs had come from me getting excited about life again. Getting back in the swing of living, realizing that life doesnt have to be a series of self inflicted pains. The recording process was tedious, but we ended up getting a pretty good album out of it. Im altogether pleased with the outcome of our new effort.

Me- I wanna personally thank you for doing this interview, Do you have anything you want to say to your fans/peoples out there?

Jon- We have found so much support from our fans that we will keep up the hard work. You people have made it worth while to play all these shows in all these cities. We wouldn't be Shit without you. Thank you for everything. If you believe in us, help us spread our music to people who have never heard it.

Check out their Myspace at

http://www.myspace.com/jonwayneandthepain

Also check out the bands website at

http://www.jonwayneandthepain.com/

Interview: SlaughterHouse Rootz

Interview from the road with Denver, Colorado's own SlaughterHouse Rootz. A Reggae Party band thats definitely worth giving a listen to.

How did the band get started? Kyle & Wyatt met at the end of 2006 along with a rapper named Cloud9 and they started SHR by playing a couple of shows, at first it was more of a rap/reggae group. At the rappers last show, they met Heroic d who was playing bass with Denver band Plastic Nation, over the next few weeks they played several shows together. In June 2007 the lineup was Wyatt, Kyle and Hd on bass. Several months later we added Byrd to do FX for the vocals and drums. We decided to put him on stage instead of behind the sound board so that he could dance and roll spliffs for us during shows...

Where did the name for the band name come from? SlaughterHouse Gulch is a 4x4 trail west of Denver

For those unfamiliar with you, how would you describe your sound? We have been called "Ganja Rock" but the way we like to describe it is "dirty party reggae" our goal is to usually get drunk and stoned with our fans while we are on stage (and after)

What are your sepreate influences and what influences do you all share? we all love Sublime and Slightly Stoopid, and of course to party!

Heroic: Any band Tim Armstrong was in and old school gangsta rap like NWA, Rappin 4-Tay & Biggie

Kyle: Jon Bonham, Jon Theodore, Omar Rodrigez Lopez, Cedric Boxler Zivela & Miley Cyrus of course!

Byrd: Steve Miller, Jack Johnson, Pink Floyd and gotta add the Greatful Dead

What has been your best memorable live moment so far? we played a bachelor party one time with Gabriel from Fayuca on guitar, there were two strippers getting it on on the dance floor, and we we mean ON! If you can picture "Double Doggie-Style" involving a two-headed dildo and lots of lube ... all this going on right in front of the stage as we played! It's rare two see to chicks just going at it but doing it live to our music was so sweet and we had the best view!

Pipes or blunts? Ha! Silver Surfer Vaporizers!! We all have pipes of course too but on the road we like blunts and fat joints. Byrd is a master roller and that's usually our preferred method. HD does have a metal pipe he carries around that we call "the classic" not too good but it doesn't break

If your drinking what are you drinking? Jim Beam, it's our thing.

How was recording your album "Ball Sacks & Bass"? We got into a collective called "the MotherShip Creative Firm" they had glass blowers, graphic artists, a screen printing shop and a recording studio. We had been looking for a studio to work with and when we walked into this place we just knew it was for us. FIrst off we rolled in each with a 40oz in hand and smoking blunts, because wanted a studio that could work with us in our "natural state" these guys were down! Our drummer Kyle knew a few of the guys from high school and one of them, Cole was in still in engineering school so it worked for us, we wanted someone fresh who didn't know much ... like us so that we could do whatever we wanted on the album, you know pushing boundaries that we shouldn't. We took a couple of weeks in September and October 2009 to record.

Anything go down while recording your album "Ball Sacks & Bass" you want to share? A good note is that every session we we're completely drunk and high, that was our goal to capture that feeling and vibe. Some tracks we had to throw out because one or all of us were just too drunk or stoned to get anything right. There were ounces of Colorado's finest burnt over the recording of BSB that's for sure!

Are you guys working on a new recording? we have been writing a lot of new songs and are planning on an EP release before the end of the year showing off some of the new additions we have added to the band.

Whats the big plan for the rest of 2010? so far this year has been epic for SHR we have had the opportunity to play great gigs and showcases like this years SXSW party ATX Wildfire and supporting spots on shows with the Dirty Heads, Supervillians, Iration, and so many others. We finally got ourselves a good manager and have just recently had a big change to our lineup and as always we are still working on our overall sound. More on that over the next few weeks as we get our shit together... on this tour we have a new vocalist, DJ and guitarist so things have been quite interesting on the road for us, the future is wide open and we are not sure what that means exactly but we do know that SHR will be rocking and smoking out the scene with some sweet new music soon.

Any bands/artists/peoples you want to give shout out to? First off a huge shout out to the "No-Coast" reggae/rock scene that is going down in the Midwest. Bands like Jon Wayne & the Pain, Vibenhai, and Eleven FIngered Charlie. Most of the attention is on bands that come out of the west coast or even recently the east coast so to see bands in the middle of the country making great music only raises it for all of us. Mad love to our homies in Tatanka they are taking their brand of electro-pop-reggae-step to a different level, also a big shout out to our sponsors at Silver Surfer Vaporizers they have been a big support for us and our music, go buy one.

Check out their website at

http://slaughterhouserootz.com/

Check out their Facebook at

http://www.facebook.com/SlaughterHouseRootz

Interview: All Underground Sound (A.U.S)

Interview with Mogwai Of All Underground Sound. Outta Toowoomba, Australia this group mixes many different styles and hits you with catchy lyrics and great beats.

How did this group get its start? A.U.S came about through a close bond that my other group The Lowdown (which is currently on hiatus) formed with Skinz Markus and Nikzman of Brisbane hip hop crew Kryptamistik. The Lowdown and Kryptamistik performed together very often and we quickly developed a mutual appreciation for each other's music. We had been kicking around the idea of collaborating together on some tracks and the opportunity presented itself when The Lowdown's other emcee (Dom) went overseas at the end of 08 beginning of 09. Previously things had been crazy busy with The Lowdown and it wasn't until then that we had some downtime to get into collaborating with the Krypta lads.

I was on the facebook page for AUS and I noticed the huge members list, How did this musician line up come to be? Its not really that we have a huge number of members, more so that we have a lot of really talented friends who have hung out in the studio with us and jumped on a track or people who have had an idea for something and collaborated with us. The core members so to speak would be Nikzman, Skinz, Cook, Lizard, myself and recently New Year's Steve on deejay duties.

How do you describe your music to the peoples? That is a hard question to answer as we tend to come out with whatever we feel at the time. Our music is definitely hip-hop but we also have a huge love for reggae, same with soul/funk/blues/jazz etc. We don't tend to repeat ourselves when it comes to sounds or styles, all the songs sound different and that keeps it fresh and interesting for us. The short and easy answer however is that we are a hip hop group.

Whats the Australian music scene like and How do you guys fit in it? Its extremely competitive due to the fact that there are an incredible number of super talented bands/groups/musicians out here of all styles and genres. Add to that the fact that due to our relatively much smaller population compared to places such as the U.S and Europe the music market is a lot smaller and therefore it is much harder to break through to the top of the game. As for how we fit into the scene it is a bit hard to tell just yet as we're just getting started with All Underground Sound. We just did our first show with one of Australia's premiere hip hop groups Spit Syndicate and one of Queensland's most up and coming crews Eloquence & Truths. We were lucky enough in The Lowdown to play with pretty much all of Australia's biggest and most well renowned hip hop and reggae groups and Kryptamistik have been doing their thing for 10 years and have opened for some incredible names both local and international. Both groups have respect in the scene and we hope to build from that. I think A.U.S's music will appeal to a lot of different people, there's really something in it for everyone, or at least I think so.

With there being as many artists in one group how do songs usually come together? There's no set process really. It can happen in any number of different ways. A lot of times it can start with a beat that someone (mainly Cook, Nikz or Mark at this stage) has put together, say a programmed drum pattern or a sampled loop and either live keys and bass or sampled instruments found from wherever. Then if it calls for it I will come up with some guitar (or in some cases Kipper from The Lowdown). When it comes to the musical instrumentation the process is on going in terms of refining and experimenting with sounds and ideas until the song is done. I tend to come up with a lot of the vocal hooks but not in all cases. I find its easier to get verses happening once a hook is established as it gives you a central feel and idea to work off. Whoever has the best verse to fit the song at the time its being done jumps on on the mic for raps and that's about it. Scratch and samples were basically added last to this first record but that not necessarily the case all the time either. The creative process is a really interesting animal with a life of its own.

I heard that theres a debut album coming out, How was recording this new album? The debut album is called 'Quest'. Its a 14 track album including one remix. The remix was done by someone we have a great deal of respect and admiration for – Lotek, he was born in Jamaica but moved with his family to England when he was young. He's now based in Melbourne Australia. He started his production/emceeing career in England and has worked with Roots Manuva (one of our all-time favourite artists) extensively. Lotek also dropped a verse on our lead single Flip the Situation. He has been very supportive of our music and has also mastered the album. I highly recommend checking out Lotek's albums, they are seriously dope. Find him online here - http://www.facebook.com/wayneabennett?ref=ts

As far as recording the album was concerned it was a bunch of fun mixed with a lot of hard work and time. We recorded everything ourselves between Cook's studio in Toowoomba and Skinz's studio in Brisbane. We took our time with the album to get it as close to perfect as we could, all up it took a bit over a year and a half.

Is there any other recordings planned in the near future? We're already working on the second album. We have shit-loads of beats in varying stages to work on already. Some are more developed than others but over all they have one thing in common and that is that they are solid fucking gold. I have no doubt that the second album will be a lot better than the first even though I am proud of and love the first album to death.

Other than that Cook and myself are working on a dub recording project called Up To Ya Nuts in Dub. We've got a fair bit of the music for it already. It will feature some killer guest vocalists

Do you guys plan on touring in support of this new album? We will be touring and gigging in support of the album for sure. We're in the initial stages of organising an east coast tour of Australia later this year when the album drops. We'll also hopefully be doing some shows with Lotek here in Queensland as well as performing locally and wherever there's a crowd for us to rock.

Do you plan on doing some shows in the United States? That would be fantastic. There was tentative talk of it with The Lowdown. We have some solid connections there so other than the obvious financial expense of such a tour I don't see why it couldn't happen. I guess we'll just have to see how things pan out but I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best!

Whats the next move? Right now we're looking at securing a distribution deal for the album. The way the music scene is in this modern day, things like that are becoming more difficult with people buying less physical copies of cds. If we somehow don't manage to secure distro we'll just hustle the disc on the independent tip. Other than that we're just gonna keep doing what we do, having fun with it and doing it for the love.

If your drinking what are you drinking? We've got a pretty open mind when it comes to drinking haha. We'll drink whatever but we're fond of good beer. Lately its been some New Zealand beers such as Monteith's, Mac's. Also beers like Big Helga's, Big Head, Paulaner and whatever. Cook and myself have also become quite a fan of pear cider to start a drinking/jamming/recording session, its really refreshing.

What would you like to say to your fans and peoples out there? Take a listen to what we do. If you like our sound stay tuned and buy the album when it drops. Also if you're digging it please spread the word around to your friends. Remember to support the music you love so that the musicians have a means to keep doing it.

Check out some of their tracks at

http://soundcloud.com/all-underground-sound

CHeck out their Facbook page at

http://www.facebook.com/pages/All-Underground-Sound-AUS/122388604469950?filter=1

Interview: Deadman Relay

Arron of Deadman Relay answers my questions on whats going on with the band and their new cd dropping soon

So Arron how did you come up with the name Deadman Relay? I work (in real life) as an electronics engineer. It's an electronic component very similar to a kill switch. Like, take your lawnmower for example: If you (man) fall off (dead) of the seat, the switch (relay) is thrown and the mower shuts down. It also lent itself to a zombie theme, which is killer (literally). And I liked how is sort of gave a name to the game that the zombies are playing. They sort of keep passing death along in a relay style.

So what got you started in music? My momma played the guitar in her teens and she had one sitting around collecting dust. That was my first real pleasurable experience in music, but I guess I didn't really get into that guitar until I went through concert band in grade school. The conductor of the band was this real cool jazz type cat name EE Pointer. Taught us about Parliament, Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, Tower of Power and really kind of got me out of the 80's hair bands shit that i was listening to at the time. The hair band stuff came from my uncle who has sang in rock cover bands all his life. My grandma plays piano, grampa the drums, aunt and mom also sing. Hell, I should have put together a family band like the Patridge's or Hanson.

How did the bands current line up come to be? I went to high school with Roach (drums) and Ace Falco (Mic Check). I met Wesley (bass) through a mutual friend in a college town in Missouri, where he was living at the time. We had a pretty big following there and he'd been to some of our shows at the local joints, so when we needed a bass player, we knew where to go. Wesley also brought a hardcore side to the music that really wasn't there in the earlier stuff. He had never played punkrock before, though. We used to fuck with him in the studio sometimes because he would be trying to play this really difficult bass line, really fast over a punkrock section. "Man, it's punkrock! Fucking...who cares! Play that bitch like you stole it."

You got an sound that has alot of Reggae and Punk Elements mixed like a good drink who's your biggest musical influences? Sublime. Mostly. Bob Marley, Toots, Tosh, Dub Allstars as far as reggae. The punk is mostly influenced by NOFX, Ramones, Misfits, The Vandals, ALL. Mostly Southern Cali punk and hardcore from 80's and 90's. Plus, like The Doors, Hendrix, SRV, Hank Williams and a ton of other sort of outlaw musicians who liked to break conformity.

The band used to be called KB Posse for the fans out there that don't know. Why the name change to Deadman Relay? When we named KB Posse, we just thought that it was hilarious to use the word Posse in a band name, especially after ICP. We grew to dislike it, but that's not the full story of why we changed it. People do help to keep you pretty fucked up with a name like that, though. We enjoyed it for a good long while. But, really, we changed it because of a falling out with our "manager" at the time. He had some mental instabilities. Roach had broken his hand on a door in Little Rock, AR where he'd tried to punch a club owner for dicking us out of some dough. Our "manager" was going to sit in for him on the drums for a show in Lawrence, KS. Well, he flipped his fucking lid two days before that show. It's always about a girl, right? He called my girlfriend a bitch for no reason. When I confronted him about it, he tried to stab me with a homemade shank that he made out of a toothbrush. Now, this dude is one cool motherfucker on a day to day basis. To see him do some shit like this was completely out of character. I was worried that he was having a breakdown or something, so I sat down and tried to talk to him (shank in hand, mind you). He is a dear friend of mine and I'm genuinely concerned about him, but he didn't want to talk. He shut himself in his room (right next to mine) and he smashed glass all night long. When we found him in the morning, he had cut himself all up. He cut out parts of his scalp and left a love note for my girlfriend with pieces of hair and blood in it. Now, we were really concerned about him, but more concerned about our well being in the end. We broke all ties with him. He had created and ran all of the social sites and websites for the group and when we lost contact with him, we saw it as an opportunity to start over. I have not spoken to that dude since that shit went down. I hope he remembers to take his meds nowadays. Really though, I hope he's better.

Whats the Kansas City music scene like how do you guys fit into it? The scene here in KC is different. I would say that we do not fit into it at all. You get a lot of artsy stuff. Blues. A fuck load of metal, thrash. Some punk, but those dudes are traditionalists and really frown at the other shit that we do. We haven't actually performed as Deadman Relay for a number of months. Me and Roach play in a blues and outlaw country band that fits in a ton better. It also makes more money. So, that's how we deal with the KC scene, I guess.

Anything happen during any of your live performances you would like to share? Lots of shit. We were playing a gig in a college town on the Missouri/Iowa border one time and Roach passed out in the middle of a song, fell back on his thrown and cracked his fucking head on a concrete wall. When we finished the song two minutes later (without drums), he was still passed out on the ground. We were able to "revive" him and he played the last hour and a half of the set. The P-Funk Allstars came up and jammed with us one set in Iowa City. It was sick. Another time, one of our past bass players got fucking wasted and jumped into the drumset. One of the cymbals put a big nasty gash on Roach's face about a centimeter below his eye. Almost lost that one. He did knock that bass player out after the show in the name of liberty. Most of the best stories generally happened on the road, but off of the stage, thankfully.

If your drinking what are you drinking? Myers's Rum and Coke. Jack and Coke. Wine. Boulevard Wheat Beer. Red Stripe.

Pipes or Blunts? Pipes. I like it as clean as possible. But, peach Optimo on occasion.

Who would you like to play on a bill with if you could pick any band/artist? Toots. Dirty Heads. Sublime w/ Rome. NOFX. Vandals. Hank III.

Whats the good word on the new cd? It's finished. We are exploring our release options. It will likely be a download only (with cover art). We just don't know who we are selling it through yet. You will probably see it out during the month of August.

What else do you and the band have planned for 2010? Playing shows and getting back in the studio, brother. It's what we love to do.

Anything you want to say to your fans/peoples out there? Yeah man. We really appreciate all the support. We love playing music, but it's totally different to do it in front of people who love it too. I have bad stage fright and it's kind of a battle sometimes to get up and play, but it's a ton easier when the crowd is like real laid back and dancing and singing along. Nothing like it. Bless you all.

Check out the bands myspace at

http://www.myspace.com/deadmanrelay

Interview: A Bear With A Car On Top

A Bear With A Car On Top answers some questions I had for them about their starting up and their new album thats gonna drop soon.

So first thing first I gotta know what the names all about guys? Brian Whipp - The name is pretty random it's an object you can pick up on one level in the japanese video game "Katamari Damacy." We always make up and hear new versions of it though. The other day we were introduced as "A Beer On Top Of A Car." I think that's the most hallarious one yet.

When and how did you guys start playing? Brian - I was trying to start a band in college and none were really coming together until I met Brendan and Alex Lurhman my sophmore year. I was starting to write reggae songs instead of just punk and Alex really kinda guided that transition. He was this crazy kid from Spain who eventually got kicked out of school and went on to take classes in Santa Barbara and work at a cannibis collective. He was hella good at guitar and we wrote a few songs together and would jam. He pretty much taught Brendan to play a reggae beat. Since then we've just been playing alot and getting alot better and things have been going really well since we got Jeff on bass. Our playing is super solid and things are going really well.

Jeff - Ive been playing music since i was in 3rd grade and when i moved out to cali from AZ i had played with numerous bands off and on until i met brian and brenden and we hit it off, the jams were Dope and are evolving into some really heavy shit. Our live show is where its at, we love the energy and the improv.

What are your guys influances/inspirations musically? Brian - My biggest influence and musical inspiration is Bradley Nowell for sure. I'm pretty much always listening to sublime. I am also really into Tim Armstrong and Jack White. I think Michael Jackson should definitely get alot of props. Led Zeppelin. Eminem.

Jeff Laos - I would have to say for bass it would be Aston Family man barrett and john frusciante all around. i love Fat Freddy's drop, flea, omar rodriguez lopez and the mars volta, Passafire, Salmonella Dub, minus the Bear, dub trio, lee perry and king tubby, madlib, oh and tatanka im really digging their shit. there are so many i love music as a whole, it inspires me.

How does the song writing usally go down? Brian - Songwriting could happen any way. I would say most of the songs we play started with a Jam. We develop it a little an come up with parts then we record it and I kinda freestyle and skat around some lyrics,

Jeff - Improv Jams for the most part for sure. we jam it out to get the vibes right and usually the more you jam and feel it out it will just come together naturally. but i think its best to approach song-writing in every way possible.

Brian - other times me or Brendan or Jeff will just come to the table with a full song done that we had written on our own with all the parts and then teach it to the other guys or have them add to it.

Whos been your favorite band and best spot to play shows with so far? Brian - I love playing at Kilkenny's. It's cool because you can go get crazy beers at Najas, then check out Andy Walo next door, and get some crab for dinner or some live sea urchin. Some bands I'm always down to play with are Meet Me At The Pub, Stinky Pinky, Ease UP, Seedless, and Sand Section.

Jeff - Yea Kilkenny's on the redondo pier is always dope cause i live right up the street and get to make good use of the free drink tickets, haha. i still dig to play the house partys, its just good vibes, we played a dope pool party in the hollywood hills with the sickest view of all of LA. I really dug playing with seedless, those dudes killed it, as well as the movement, Stinky pinky, and the homies Ease up.

What have you guys been jamming lately? Brian - Been jamming Sublime, and Bob.

Jeff - ive been jamming Fat freddys drop for the past 3 years as well as tatanka big shout outs to them, minus the bear, passafire, flying lotus, madlib, classics

Pipes or Blunts? Brian - Pipes and Blunts!!!

Jeff - Whatevers Clever, Vaporizors!!

So I hear you guys are about to drop your first full length album soon? Brian - The album! Yeah I'm psyched for it. I've been working for the last week on the album and we are doing alot of planning for the album release. We started this project in March 2008! It's the longest I've ever worked on anything in my life and its gonna be awesome to see it finished. Its been quite a struggle. Here is a preview of our album art, i have been working on it for the past week, check it out

Jeff - Be on the look-out for it, its a sick record. its not gonna be your typical reggae rock release. Lots of hard work put into it and its only the beginning. Im really stoked to be apart of it!!

How was recording the album and did you guys run into any challenges while recording? Brian - We lost our bassist pretty much right after we started, and Brenden got sick with some strange stomach syndrome and went home to Deleware for like 6 months. At one point I was living out of my car and I found out we hadn't paid rent on our practice studio in a month and a half, which had all our equipment in it. But we've come a long way and I think all the time we put into it is really gonna pay off.

Jeff - Yea there is alot of heart in this album, you can hear it. i was really stoked that right after i joined the band i got to get right to work in the studio.

Whats the next move? Jeff - Tour, tour, tour

Brian - Next move is touring/partying!

Anything you wanna say to your fans/peoples? Brian - Come to our shows!!!!

Jeff - We got love for you, come out to our shows and kick it with us. and check us out online @ www.rastabear.com and www.reverbnation.com/abearwithacarontop

Notable Mention: SlaughterHouse Rootz

Check out SlaughterHouse Rootz a dub rock four piece hailing from Denver, CO. They also have a bunch of shows coming up also!

Check out their myspace at

http://www.myspace.com/slaughterhouserootz

Search for them on facebook theres also songs on their facebook page.

Reviews: Cyclones (Pre Rolled Perfect Cones)

NOTE(Please read legal disclaimer at the bottom of the page before reading)

I have almost no ability to roll a joint let alone a cone styled spliff, Saw these in a local shop and thought I would give them a try. These are pretty sturdy while loading your "mix" into it. I tried the flavor "Trainwreck" I don't really recommend the flavor as its 13 flavors smashed into one so theres alot of stuff going on with it still, none the less it was good. It ended up just being kind of fruity flavor I would say to try a normal flavor first. These are worth a try the next time your at your local smoke shop if your like me and cant roll a cone spliff.

Interview: Matt Irie and Ethan Grooms of Erosion

Matt Irie and Ethan Grooms of Erosion answers some of my questions about whats going on with their band Erosion

I wanna start this off By asking where the name for the band came from? Matt - Basically, going through a few different options and with about every thing under the sun being taken, we realized Erosion would be a good fit.

Ethan: yeah, we threw names around for a little while an we didnt want anything to cliche, erosion fit.

How did you guys all meet? Matt - Nate and I met years ago at one of the local bars and had alot of the same interests in the same music and clicked from there. Come to meet Ethan and Joey last year at one of the shows Nate and I were doing as a duo, few days later came over to jam and everything came together.

Ethan: Me an Joey have known each other since about middle school. We grew up through high school playing in different bands an stuff. Me an him were in a band for a while an it kind of became stale for us an everyone kind of went separate ways. We had a mutual friend that kept telling me an joey he had some friends that we should get up an play music with. So we go check matt an nates duo show one night an the rest is history.

Who has been your biggest inspiration so far? Matt - I would say my family, of course all the guys in the band, and all the cool people I have met so far doing this.

Ethan: Life, an the people around you.

How has your music evolved since you first began playing music as a band? Matt -Came quite far, with every rehearsal we take some time and jam out for a bit to get a vibe for a new song and take it from there. One thing I can say is we take it a step further everytime, not to be defined a certain genre. While still sticking to the reggae sound though.

Ethan: Its been reggae from the get go, but everyone has a bit of a different style they bring to the table that gives it a different feel.

So far how have the shows been? Matt - We have done 1 show as the band with Pasadena down in Myrtle Beach. We do plan on taking this out to the masses though. Looking to get the most energetic and fun live show we can together to make sure everyone remembers the name. Gonna be a good time.

Ethan: Like Matt said super fun. Have got to meet some cool people. Were ready to start doing more shows an get the name out there.

What has been your biggest challenge so far? Matt - In my opinion it's been everything, but in a good manner you could say. With the band you take in that everyone voices there idea for how something should grow. With this being the first run for myself in a stable musical setting, it's been really cool to take all of it in and just keep building.

Ethan: I wouldnt say ive personally had a challenge yet. Im getting to do what i love..play bass, hang with good friends, and overdose on reggae music!!

Hows the recording going on the debut album? Matt - We have alot of ideas brewing up, I had a few solo tracks we have worked on that never got released, and like I said before, every rehearsal we have, we develop so many new ideas for songs. Got some good stuff coming for sure in the form of an EP I believe.

Ethan: Good, taking our time. Its hard, everytime we get together an jam theres always something new we play or learned an want to incorporate into a song.

How do you guys feel about the current state the music business is in? Matt - In every genre of music you have a certain level they say you can reach. I believe this reggae\rock genre is starting to make a bigger name for itself with all the groups who are doing bigger things. The rising bands making a name for themselves as well. It's all about unity in my eyes. You have to get out and network with everyone you meet. Keep it fresh in the eyes of the fans,friends, whoever is taking time to give their support. This is not a business for the lazy,or weak minded that is for sure. Much support to those doing it up.

What are you guys drinking? Matt - GENNY LIGHT, IPA,Jager,Miller,Bud Light,Liberty micro brew,Ethan drinks alot of Christian Bros. Brandy as well. E Dubb Whiskey,and a ton of Sailor Jerrys.

Ethan: Brandy, alllll day.

Whats the next move? Matt - Taking it one stride at a time for the moment being, many things to come for sure. Erosion is a name you will be seeing for awhile, so get used to it haha. Got some cool things in the works we are keeping wrapped up till its time. You can keep up to date on the facebook "Erosion" and the myspace as well at www.myspace.com/erosionmusicnc

Ethan: Bass & Beer store

Review: Twisted Water Pipe (Cheap And Effective)

I was looking for an cheap starter bong and I ended up trying this one. I bought this at a local shop for only 40$. I think this is a good throw away piece based on the price (like if your moving or something). Its an decent smoke, Only problem is you really have to watch the water level or that water comes back real quick. The seal is decent. I did end up getting a little bit of a thicker bowl for it cause the bowl it came with made me feel like I could break it if I pressed on it too hard. I have hit it on a couple tables and it hasn't chipped or cracked yet. It's made is the USA and I think this is worth an buy based on the price or as a good starter piece.