tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71223751310382034002024-03-05T12:11:34.068-08:00BLANKLANDSeth Pettersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08699608582086502063noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122375131038203400.post-72399277098941330052009-12-13T10:18:00.000-08:002011-11-19T16:34:07.081-08:005 Questions with Michael Runion<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14GovUybNR8XVxhvQTHWNGmSGtiDobFaLg6mJI_1KMjxmM-du1CTps7tpk_CLchGpBcPhOXtKaTpdx_w4FsrbOHsz5Xo7nJw8HDmWRoq2tA-Cg5zYgs05QS0E2ziGF6mFLbRwk-xNQ6MT/s1600-h/runion2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416638959701043602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14GovUybNR8XVxhvQTHWNGmSGtiDobFaLg6mJI_1KMjxmM-du1CTps7tpk_CLchGpBcPhOXtKaTpdx_w4FsrbOHsz5Xo7nJw8HDmWRoq2tA-Cg5zYgs05QS0E2ziGF6mFLbRwk-xNQ6MT/s400/runion2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 265px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
As far as I know, Michael Runion was born and raised in the suburbs of Ventura County—although he has made L.A. his home for the past 10 years, and it’s fair to say Los Angeles is his true home. There is a certain quality to his songs where I hear these worlds colliding. Un-jaded in the smog, the self-proclaimed King of LA.<br />
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An opening slot followed his last release “Our Time Will Come,” on the Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley band summer tour of ’09. The title track off the aforementioned record has a very soft, minimal, country swing feel to it with Runion’s lilting whisper-of-a-voice cooing, “Well, the moon’s playing dead to trick the ocean, and the hills they sleep on their side.” Dylan-esque blues almost … à la “It takes a train …”<br />
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Pumping up his new Tour Ep with the garage rock cruncher “Maxine,” Michael is up to his usual: making unique and wonderful music and bringing it to beautiful people.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">1. When you're making music with a group do tend to be a leading voice or let things shape themselves?</span><br />
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Depends on the group. I have a band that I've assembled that accompanies me on my solo material, and I tend to be the main voice when we work together. I have a pretty strong idea of what I want to achieve, which I think comes of as intimidating, from time to time. I have another band, JJAMZ, which functions as a proper unit. Democratic and all that. It shapes itself.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />2. You've travelled quite a bit...is there a place out there, other then LA, where you wouldn't mind hanging your hat and why?</span><br />
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I love Germany. Berlin is pretty amazing, and the couple times I've played there the response has been pretty great. Scandinavia is fun. Japan is pretty fucking rad. There's nowhere I would rather shop. Japan turns you into a consumer, for sure. I don't think there's anywhere else I'd live in the United States besides Los Angeles. New York wears me out, and every time I'm there it's like a vacuum is attached to my wallet. Great to place to visit, but LA is my home.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKJpGOGp8t4tGlFGFccLVm00r5T_mTvroexL2eFB_iUDcJFkc94kD-H9bisy4sGlPuCJeVyFMW4C0hF1jwWgW8JxSit0bJURr7SmaCa1hNtT7luF28Ii3_jyBE12Mh2fRsVZGoi4e4G2A/s1600-h/runion3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416638973269066690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKJpGOGp8t4tGlFGFccLVm00r5T_mTvroexL2eFB_iUDcJFkc94kD-H9bisy4sGlPuCJeVyFMW4C0hF1jwWgW8JxSit0bJURr7SmaCa1hNtT7luF28Ii3_jyBE12Mh2fRsVZGoi4e4G2A/s400/runion3.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Do you want your music to be a viceral or more atmospheric experience?</span><br />
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Hmm, I'm not very excited about those choices. Somewhere in between. Visceral, I suppose, trumps atmospheric. I want my songs, which are simple and straightforward, to be understood right away. I want you to get a feeling of what I'm trying to accomplish by the end of the first verse. I'm not trying to be mysterious or elusive as an artist.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />4. Do you tend to fly solo or are you part of a creative community?</span><br />
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I would consider myself part of a community. The majority of my friends are talented musicians, and we keep things close and collaborative. I like my space, don't get me wrong, but I need groups and gatherings or I'll go crazy. It's gotten to the point where I don't really go to shows of bands I'm not friends with, because I go to so many shows already to support people I know and admire. It's very inspiring to constantly be surrounded by people that are busy pursuing what they want to do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijviPXHXbBDCAiBoJuTRs1IbntVXpVInxS2a7PB2iEm2z3JyXt9j2ooyGwQeCBp3UbLkDMMMUt6n1I199hUG5MTsFIOl09H2emQHzMK7qLNRxbYgSRHXg4Qi6JowG87aKh85ncR48nIJyR/s1600-h/runion1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416638965769905426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijviPXHXbBDCAiBoJuTRs1IbntVXpVInxS2a7PB2iEm2z3JyXt9j2ooyGwQeCBp3UbLkDMMMUt6n1I199hUG5MTsFIOl09H2emQHzMK7qLNRxbYgSRHXg4Qi6JowG87aKh85ncR48nIJyR/s400/runion1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 305px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">5. How would you paraphrase the body of your solo work?</span><br />
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My body of work is a lot like my real body. Slim and tender, but trying to get toned.<br />
<a href="http://www.michaelrunion.com/">www.michaelrunion.com</a><br />
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<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LUj96fXac8Y&hl=en_US&fs=1&">
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LUj96fXac8Y&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Seth Pettersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08699608582086502063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122375131038203400.post-79041878175380194952009-12-11T13:11:00.000-08:002009-12-11T17:35:38.119-08:005 Questions with Simone Rubi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5QyabS8dQ8FXkqu41w45puh977gnwmyCF9T6ESo-8m94q2BhasrB5AUqdUJ3eQYxcXPG0lXRC4hJNThR51SdHCUXt9yRiuOacUQLg_TeB6AZuy-vPRUy6oV9XfgjKElCf5vxb0gltfRLJ/s1600-h/rubi3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 335px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5QyabS8dQ8FXkqu41w45puh977gnwmyCF9T6ESo-8m94q2BhasrB5AUqdUJ3eQYxcXPG0lXRC4hJNThR51SdHCUXt9yRiuOacUQLg_TeB6AZuy-vPRUy6oV9XfgjKElCf5vxb0gltfRLJ/s400/rubi3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414092376943752866" border="0" /></a><br /> I used to book acts at Buffalo Records based in Ventura, CA. Simone was friends with the owner of the shop, John Healy. One summer night she brought in her keyboard and played some songs from an album she was working on at the time, called "Explode from the Center". I didn't see her again until a few months later in Stockholm. She showed me around the city and helped me get a show at a vegetarian restaurant named Hermans.<br /><br /> Simone Rubi is powerful. Catch her if you can. Look at your watch, whatever time it is, chances are Simone is up to something interesting. As half of the dance-pop duo, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/rubies">Rubies</a>, you can hear Simone sing, and sing well. As an artist working on everything from album covers to art installations, you can see Simone create. Always creating, always collaborating. She is a true inspiration and a wonderful friend, just ask any of her friends.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. What is the hardest part of having a band?</span><br /><br /> I think the hardest part is making sure everyone in the band is happy and fulfilled. Whether it's on tour, performing, dealing with royalties, or being sensitive to what works musically for everyone as individuals. Everyone is different when it comes to staying inspired and motivated to make the whole thing work.<br /><br /> There are so many facets to being in a band- it's very much like family or a relationship. Being conscious of what everyone needs. Kind of feels like a family business. Mixing business with pleasure. The other hard part for me is to handle most of the business side of things and also write songs. It's two very different mind-sets and some days it becomes very overwhelming to handle all aspects of a band, especially when you put a lot of expectations on yourself and set your goals high.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />2. When you perform live, do you create the vibe or does the audience create the vibe?</span><br /><br /> Both. Some shows start very mellow and the audience seem very distant or cold- and that really pushes me to convince people through our music that what we are offering is a fun and honest place to be. Especially when we play places like Japan or Russia- where culturally it couldn't be more different- those shows are very challenging and often the most rewarding because we've not only accomplished performing our songs, which is very comfortable for us, but we've accomplished understanding each other and the audience in a whole new way.<br /><br /> The audience can sometimes encapsulate a very tiny version of an entire culture. The way they respond, or dance, or facial expressions and how they clap and cheer. Most often though, we like to bring a certain vibe to a place that is inviting people to dance and join us on stage. We want to bring everyone into our house (stage) and have a dance party in the bedroom.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqky95wvmf6ef4JODVa4R-OK0DLOGOxOvYJBaLOJcxw9d_0dSzvQECXT-w_MTOAP1mYeiWuSsLV5R6nKzT-GNz3OsdU0NkSzXRyW2XdsgNFB23MaJJ86Qy7BHg9wXwdK60xTFC_wxlYFL/s1600-h/rubi4.htm"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 355px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqky95wvmf6ef4JODVa4R-OK0DLOGOxOvYJBaLOJcxw9d_0dSzvQECXT-w_MTOAP1mYeiWuSsLV5R6nKzT-GNz3OsdU0NkSzXRyW2XdsgNFB23MaJJ86Qy7BHg9wXwdK60xTFC_wxlYFL/s400/rubi4.htm" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414128106306471298" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. What is your take on the current "music business"?</span><br /><br /> This is a hard one. There is no rule book. There is no real 'school of rock' for people that spend their lives devoted to make money playing music and writing songs. There is no guarantee ever. No consistent pay check. You work super hard to get a promise in the form of a contract- that keeps you going- and sometimes pays the bills if you get a song licensed for tv or film- but I don't think there is any real promise in the music business. I think it's completely up to the band or songwriter to believe in what they are doing and also have a smart marketing approach if you want it to be your career. I also think everyone is so completely used to downloading music for free- which is great to promote your music- but I also think at this stage, we can all figure out ways to still support musicians by still buying their music. Even if it's $1 a song. It's worth it.<br /><br /> A lot of the music business is based on response and enthusiasm that the band creates firstly with their songs and then the label or band has help with a publicist and some radio publicity. I think no matter what, it's really important to trust and like the people at the label that you work with. There is always a risk that they just want to be excited to work with you if you have some sort of buzz- but can also be very quick to forget about you and work with the next band that comes along. At the core, you have to be really happy with the music you're making and hopefully that will come across.<br /><br /> I've noticed a whole new strategy for making 'it'. I have friends that have been signed and received huge advances and then there was a ton of pressure on them and then they ended up disappointed and the songwriter became jaded and lost the plot. A better way is to do a slow build that isn't based on doing a bunch of press- gain your fans naturally but help them become familiar with your music. The fans that find you and the ones that will stay with you through your musical career. Not the ones that bands force their music on- or the fans that labels get you by marketing you as a trendy band.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-gTGvaP8lS80Z25ybJsCDU7_TAVfhfOPuPcRPSLaJZsD0Nw_2CIzHyFlFDX3V_28vetnm_z23vwI0_FJEmMA5J83BhSuAf24YlpUovCfYei-LibTX11qAEZugafd3GUOBfk8WZsfCYpT/s1600-h/rubi1.htm"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-gTGvaP8lS80Z25ybJsCDU7_TAVfhfOPuPcRPSLaJZsD0Nw_2CIzHyFlFDX3V_28vetnm_z23vwI0_FJEmMA5J83BhSuAf24YlpUovCfYei-LibTX11qAEZugafd3GUOBfk8WZsfCYpT/s400/rubi1.htm" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414091503516702994" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. What is your favorite album cover of all time?</span><br /><br />I don't have a fave. I like so many.<br />I really like the cover for Studio's album <a href="http://www.oesquema.com.br/trabalhosujo/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/5036discos-studio-yearbook2.jpg">'Yearbook 2'</a><br />Also <a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B001Q8FRMQ.jpg">"History of Melody Nelson"</a> by Serge Gainsbourg.<br />Also <a href="http://img.maniadb.com/images/album/230/230620_1_f.jpg">"Bare Trees"</a> by Fleetwood Mac.<br />Hmmm...and dare I say, the <a href="http://vox2.cdn.amiestreet.com/album-art/Explode-From-The-Center-by-Rubies_EGNZx0mJocgx_full.jpg">Rubies</a> album cover?<br />It's true. I really love it.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Is there a place in Europe that you don't care if you never see again?<br /></span><br /> Sometimes the really touristy spots of Europe can kill all romantic notions of old world historical Europe. Rome has changed a lot. The area near the Colosseum is just filled with cheezy tourists. You are shoulder to shoulder with obnoxious people. I love the piazza Navona area though and Trestevere there. I didn't love Faro in Portugal. It's hard though because I can find beauty almost anywhere. Even the dirtiest of streets and the most desolate of houses. I am curious and interested in the every place.<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8JI7iW8sy8Y&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8JI7iW8sy8Y&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />for more on Simone: <a href="http://www.simonegoes.blogspot.com/">www.simonegoes.blogspot.com</a>Seth Pettersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08699608582086502063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122375131038203400.post-6329075601830424192009-04-27T09:36:00.001-07:002009-04-27T09:48:49.214-07:005 Questions with Chris Vena<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRDhqEJwunxahVP_W5_OUWndHHTrkKl_Sn6nYhwryhZ1XjKuyWMeXn7wxp8_lCWJEpcbzm2WHZo66_sP7l9jcmGL-q7lLTKiVqhDYSEtOLPy4YffxS4zH7_-jOFRldbMbHc1TgreRbIWW/s1600-h/Vena1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRDhqEJwunxahVP_W5_OUWndHHTrkKl_Sn6nYhwryhZ1XjKuyWMeXn7wxp8_lCWJEpcbzm2WHZo66_sP7l9jcmGL-q7lLTKiVqhDYSEtOLPy4YffxS4zH7_-jOFRldbMbHc1TgreRbIWW/s400/Vena1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329411173440276978" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CSeth%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.yshortcuts {mso-style-name:yshortcuts;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:10;color:black;" >I first met Chris Vena ten years ago while at the <span style="cursor: pointer;" id="lw_1240849777_0"><span class="yshortcuts">San Francisco Art Institute</span></span>. We were both enrolled in a studio painting class with the cooler than should be humanly possible Dewey Crumpler. However, it wasn't during class that we had our first conversation. Rather, it was a chance run in at the studios on a Friday night.
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<br />It was the <span id="lw_1240849777_1"><span class="yshortcuts">first Friday night</span></span> of the first week of class, the biggest meet and greet party weekend of the semester. Not being anywhere near cooler than should be humanly possible, Chris and I had both individually decided that the best place to spend that night would be the painting studios at school, not the bar or parties. Back in those days, the studios were left open to the students 24/7, why wouldn't you go there after class?!?!?
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<br />Nerds.
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<br />At this point, I can't remember who was there first. Let's just say it was Chris. So, I set up my easel and canvas next to his and we started talking and painting. We had a lot in common. We both transferred from community college, played bass, had both came to SF to escape the art voids of our former So Cal beach towns, etc, etc.
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<br />The deal was sealed when I reached into my backpack and pulled out a 22oz Anchor Porter. Chris pretty much immediately ran to the store down <span style="cursor: pointer;" id="lw_1240849777_2"><span class="yshortcuts">the hill</span></span> and came back with more beer. I think we walked the stairs between the school and market 2 or 3 times that night. The conversation drifted from favorite painters into music, from philosophy & religion to history, around The City and back into art.
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<br />Synchronistically, Chris took his abstract canvas and turned it into a rough gestural still life of a pack of Camels. I had started a portrait of a guy drinking a 40oz King Cobra.
<br />Friends.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. What's the bottom line, good & bad, to being an artist in </span><span style="font-weight: bold;" id="lw_1240849777_3"><st1:city st="on"><span class="yshortcuts">Seattle</span></st1:city></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">?</span>
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<br /><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Seattle</st1:place></st1:city> has been great compared to the previous places I've lived and worked. I've been able to make, show and sell more work in the last four years than the all years I lived in <span id="lw_1240849777_4"><st1:city st="on"><span class="yshortcuts">San Diego</span></st1:city></span> and <span id="lw_1240849777_5"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="yshortcuts">San Francisco</span></st1:place></st1:city></span>. I've never seen so many nonprofits and government agencies devoted to the arts. On one website I counted 20, just in the city of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Seattle</st1:place></st1:city>. Compare that to 30 in the whole state of <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">California</st1:place></st1:state>. That says something about the tax paying people who live in this city.
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<br />Despite that being said, the particular type of painting I do is not very well represented around town. Many artist co-ops tend to feature installation, video and <span id="lw_1240849777_6"><span class="yshortcuts">conceptual art</span></span> and a lot of the private galleries tend to deal exclusively in lowbrow/Juxtapoz types of work. My work doesn't fit very well into either category. The galleries and venues that I work with, they don't always get a lot of press, although they do show some great work. There are a lot of talented artists in town that no one knows about. It's a shame.
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<br />The Seattle art scene, and sometimes the music scene, it's a little self-conscious. The critics, in particular, seem overly concerned with representing <st1:city st="on">Seattle</st1:city> as having the same aesthetic you see coming out of <span id="lw_1240849777_7"><st1:city st="on"><span class="yshortcuts">Los Angeles</span></st1:city></span> and <span id="lw_1240849777_8"><st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="yshortcuts">New York</span></st1:place></st1:state></span>. They're trying to prove that we're not a bunch of backwater, grungy hicks that got lucky in the 90's who don't really have anything serious to offer the rest of the world. The art that's written about, it's an imitation of what's coming out of the two "culture meccas" listed above. It isn't good because it's not original.
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<br />The irony is that when you spend all your time obsessing about and imitating what's going on in the big cities, that's exactly what you end up looking like; a bunch of hicks. It's funny, but it's kind of like an art <span id="lw_1240849777_9"><span class="yshortcuts">cargo cult</span></span>. They think if you imitate the trappings of <span style="cursor: pointer;" id="lw_1240849777_10"><span class="yshortcuts">high art</span></span>, then the notoriety will come. Unfortunately, this dooms anything truly unique to this region to go unnoticed. This seems like a problem in a lot of local art scenes though.
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<br />Although I was never a huge punk fan when I was young, there were a few bands I liked and I knew a lot of kids in the scene. What I appreciated and respected the most about punk was the ethos of supporting your local scene. Grunge was nurtured and cultivated by that punk ethos and <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Seattle</st1:place></st1:city> shouldn't be ashamed of that. If the people of Seattle were fiercely loyal to and supportive of their local art scene, I think we would see a lot more interesting original work coming from unexpected.
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<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0eNTsUKWcfJWgJYub5ZAW0wsVqwf-u7nuokNxu4bXTbJtrmjyvkT2rhEXjlikk2nsTbsor6DPwFXT1Corv_QcrkFg-Cam_drFgymZL_vMUfnyZ5L1CTlGYx2vw6oU2TmZIzYucg6_E57/s1600-h/Vena3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0eNTsUKWcfJWgJYub5ZAW0wsVqwf-u7nuokNxu4bXTbJtrmjyvkT2rhEXjlikk2nsTbsor6DPwFXT1Corv_QcrkFg-Cam_drFgymZL_vMUfnyZ5L1CTlGYx2vw6oU2TmZIzYucg6_E57/s400/Vena3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329411172833154402" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:10;color:black;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. The previous answer references Grunge & musical integrity. How would you relate what you do as a visual artist to music? What influence does it have on your work?</span>
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<br />Music is important to me. I grew up in a family and a town that was not very interested in art, so I never thought about artists when I was young. I didn't have anyone around who knew about or made art but I did have friends who made music so that is what I got into. I play bass in a band to this day. Because of my experience with music, musicians usually come to mind before visual artists when I think of artistic movements and philosophies.
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<br />There are certain musicians whose prolific output, integrity and vision I hold in high regard: <span style="cursor: pointer;" id="lw_1240849777_11"><span class="yshortcuts">Miles Davis</span></span>, <span id="lw_1240849777_12"><span class="yshortcuts">Charles Mingus</span></span>, <span id="lw_1240849777_13"><span class="yshortcuts">John Coltrane</span></span>, <span style="cursor: pointer;" id="lw_1240849777_14"><span class="yshortcuts">Neil Young</span></span>, David Grubs, and Rob Crow just to name a few. <span style="cursor: pointer;" id="lw_1240849777_15"><span class="yshortcuts">James Brown</span></span> was important to me early on and still is to this day. I still have tremendous respect for him. I can't think of a visual artist who had the kind of impact on our culture that he did.
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<br />He grew up in deep poverty in the segregated south and yet became one of the most powerful and influential artists of the twentieth century. It's humbling to think about what he accomplished. He had incredible energy, he was an innovator and he continually reinvented himself. His work was based on modification and reinvention of certain traditional forms, which is something that I am interested in with my own work.
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<br />His music was technically sophisticated, required precision from his musicians, but was also accessible to the audience. It was more than just accessible actually. It grabs you on a deep level and it's hard not to move when you hear it, not to mention his live performance. On stage he was an amazing entertainer but managed to control the band like a conductor throughout the show with subtle cues that the audience sometimes wouldn't even notice.
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<br />He was also an important political figure and a tough businessman. I could go on and on about him but I hope you can see what I'm getting at. These are things that I want from myself.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. The subject matter of you paintings (human, animal, bottle of wine, etc) all receives the same level of attention in your paintings. Is this intentional, and is there anything underlying that you want your audience to take from this?</span>
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<br />Not really. The paint handling is intentional but there is nothing in particular that I want them to take away. They can take whatever they get. I don't want viewers to think about my intentions very much. I'd rather they focus on the moment, on their direct experience of the painting. I would hope that they would project something of themselves into it regardless of who I am, what socio-political subgroup I come from or what I think about any particular issue.
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<br />A thoughtful person can take that information from any piece of art without it being spoon fed to them with an artist statement or a little museum plaque. I think most artists feel the same way. Actually, it's the gallery system; the critics and the institutions we have that make the viewers act otherwise. The artists I'm most fond of, visual or otherwise, work from general ideas down to specific. There is a direction but no target. They allow themselves to be surprised and that's what I try to do.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Is there a person or philosophy that forever changed your perspective on art...particularly painting?</span>
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<br />There isn't a single person or philosophy but there were a few people that were important to me. For instance seeing Van Gogh's work in person for the first time was a revelation. I used to think his work was terrible and I didn't see the appeal at all. That was because I had only seen reproductions of his work in books, in movies and on the internet.
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<br />The color and the texture do not translate to those media. I saw a painting of a pot of irises that he had done hanging in the Van Gogh museum in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Amsterdam</st1:place></st1:city> and I literally got choked up. I don't know how to explain it.
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<br />There are other people too. I like Nietzsche's ideas about art. In particular the <span style="cursor: pointer;" id="lw_1240849777_16"><span class="yshortcuts">Apollonian and Dionysian</span></span> dichotomy that he talks about in <span id="lw_1240849777_17"><span class="yshortcuts">The Birth of Tragedy</span></span> is interesting and still relevant I think. You can see similar conflicting ideas in the arguments between the academy and the impressionists, modernism and <span id="lw_1240849777_18"><span class="yshortcuts">post modernism</span></span>, Shakespearean and method acting and even Gong Bi and Xie Yi in <span style="cursor: pointer;" id="lw_1240849777_19"><span class="yshortcuts">Chinese painting</span></span>.
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<br />One style refers to something that it is not through mimesis and the other is an artifact to which it refers. I don't think these two ideas are mutually exclusive though and I try to shoot for some place on the spectrum in between.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. What's one non-art world experience that has most affected you as an artist?</span>
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<br />Traveling really takes you out of yourself. <span id="lw_1240849777_20"><st1:place st="on"><span class="yshortcuts">Europe</span></st1:place></span> for example was an amazing experience for me. You take a wrong turn down a side street and you practically trip over a roman bath, a Greek amphitheater or a gothic church. A connection to history is palpable and it will change you if you let it. Nature is another big influence on me and my appreciation of it increases each time I arrive in a new environment.
<br /></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7NPWA5GN3FdzGml_EqpkZfQft-9TQJCzYK5XwtMGJbZJKXPa9SnIs-pXkm6qdeqqdwMWp36OBXy-BJnbZ2gvBExY2y7ymUgaFAW8RjIlLoeW01KM8Cnxr4Z8AP409UhVOjyaVHvbUTGC/s1600-h/Vena2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7NPWA5GN3FdzGml_EqpkZfQft-9TQJCzYK5XwtMGJbZJKXPa9SnIs-pXkm6qdeqqdwMWp36OBXy-BJnbZ2gvBExY2y7ymUgaFAW8RjIlLoeW01KM8Cnxr4Z8AP409UhVOjyaVHvbUTGC/s400/Vena2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329411839916949410" border="0" /></a>Seth Pettersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08699608582086502063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122375131038203400.post-62400470856274431232009-04-16T12:27:00.000-07:002009-04-17T14:48:53.786-07:005 Questions with Mike Gleeson of Lovebird<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbSdXdd9TCh7bWr61Sy-kedtnbD7Nbh42PVF-zUbsPWaekj6Qo3HnnYW4Wx0A6mIC-LYxgHCstDe_KInVzD4men3NPHhRAfLN4t_mWWBrYCr459_mtJkkfnzgAMACS_TpLpKmUtpYD5Bg/s1600-h/bunny.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbSdXdd9TCh7bWr61Sy-kedtnbD7Nbh42PVF-zUbsPWaekj6Qo3HnnYW4Wx0A6mIC-LYxgHCstDe_KInVzD4men3NPHhRAfLN4t_mWWBrYCr459_mtJkkfnzgAMACS_TpLpKmUtpYD5Bg/s400/bunny.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325377615793113410" border="0" /></a><br />What to say about Mike Gleeson? From what I understand he seems to know what he likes. He once played drums for the hardcore outfit Glass & Ashes, which released 2 albums on the Gainsville, Flordia label No Idea Records, and consequently toured all over North America and Europe. In a recent conversation he admitted to believing that the moon landing was a hoax. Bigfoot and him are tight. His new band, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/lovebirdusa">Lovebird</a>, is somewhat of a departure from past projects, for starters he isn't playing drums, but guitar. Their female fronted sound is already drawing comparisons to Mazzy Star and the like. He has been a safety pin in the Ventura music since before the days of Lazerstar. Wait and see what he does next.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. What would you do if you found a bag of $500 on the street?</span><br /><br />Well, I have to think about this realistically: There would probably be drug-money in the bag, right? And the chances of me picking up a bag on the street and actually looking inside are very slim... unless of course the bag sparked my interest for some reason. If I were to find such a bag on the street, chances are that I would find it on Main Street in Downtown Ventura, on my way to or from work. I would probably hold on to it for a couple days and not tell anyone that I found it. If I heard some poor sap crying about his or her lost bag of cash, then I would return it to them (and keep in mind, poor saps come into my work on a daily basis).<br /><br />If that didn't happen, then I would probably tell the most honest person that I know and listen to what kind of advice they have for me... and after they "talk me into keeping it", I would spend it on the recording of my music. Remember, we're talking about drug-money here, so "morality" really isn't an issue. The old me would have just kept the money right off the bat and blown it on a huge bag of marijauna or something stupid. Actually, the current me might consider that too.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. What was it like to tour Europe?</span><br /><br />Awesome. There's an amazing network of kids and promoters out there that really make touring in Europe a lot easier and more fun than touring in the states. Also, it seems as if kids out there really do their homework and seek out new bands. I know kids out here do the same, but I've never played a new town in the U.S. where over 100 kids would come out to see my band without actually knowing anything about us. Braunschweig Germany was just that, and easily the greatest show Glass & Ashes played on our first tour of Europe.<br /><br />Last Summer I had the opportunity to go out to London for a couple weeks to play the night clubs with Michael Runion and The Royal Family. It was a completely different kind of trip, more of a musical vacation, very relaxing. I was actually able to take in the sites for once. That's really the only problem with touring in general; there's a good chance that you won't be in any of the cities long enough to really take them in.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. What is your most memorable show that you have played?</span><br /><br />This is a tough one because so many great shows come to mind... but I'd have to say that playing The Roseland in Portland with Michael Runion will go down as one of my most memorable shows ever. It was the second sold-out show on Rilo Kiley's final west coast tour. The Royal Family played great, people that had never heard the music before were clapping and dancing, girls were shouting at Michael, telling him to take his shirt off (which was soooo surreal) and friends that I hadn't seen in years came out to the show. The Royal Family and Whispertown 2000 combined forces for one song in an attempt to bring the house down before Rilo Kiley took the stage. We did this at every show for the rest of the tour. It was rad.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. What is a guilty pleasure band/musician of yours? One you can't help but like, no matter how "uncool".</span><br /><br />I'm not sure what constitutes as a "guilty pleasure band" anymore. A long time ago I would have been embarrassed by admitting my admiration for Depeche Mode, in fear of being chastised by the punk rock community. But now I don't give a shit. I'll take "Never Let Me Down Again" over any Black Flag song any day of the week. You might call it blasphemy... or even kinda gay... maybe even "gayphemy". Whatever, you don't gotta be a dick about it.<br /><br />I also really like Neil Diamond... but he's not even considered a "guilty pleasure" anymore. In fact, it's actually kind of "cool" to like Neil Diamond again. What the fuck happened??<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkdkqcsGOz8XwWE2fQyh0pq7UKhrp1vld1lV5Sdk_9-D5DAITmrkQ5rsCk6AA0BJ3omZERLAQyf-PPNP4S1GSBfCYyOnoQd2vSV63EUXdc612eCoM2l1JmJYpFZLvHUFrPAsJgun382nH/s1600-h/lovebird.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkdkqcsGOz8XwWE2fQyh0pq7UKhrp1vld1lV5Sdk_9-D5DAITmrkQ5rsCk6AA0BJ3omZERLAQyf-PPNP4S1GSBfCYyOnoQd2vSV63EUXdc612eCoM2l1JmJYpFZLvHUFrPAsJgun382nH/s400/lovebird.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325779243478168914" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. What is up with Lovebird? How'd you get started, what are your plans?</span><br /><br />Lovebird got together last Summer as a recording project between myself and the brutally talented Nicole Eva Emery. The two of us have actually played together off and on for about 7 years, but last year we decided to get off our asses and actually make something happen. We asked Brian Granillo to play drums with us... because he fuckin' rips and he's one stellar dude. We were also recently blessed by the addition of Ashley Heatherly. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find a girl that can both sing and play keyboards (and bass!)... and Ashley totally rules it. My buddy Joe Baugh will be playing guitar with us for our first show at Nicholby's on April 8th. Joe and I were in our first band together back in 8th grade, so you can imagine how excited I am to finally play with him again after 15 years.<br /><br />Lovebird plans to go back into the studio next month with our buddy Armand to finish up an LP for Blackbird Records. We should expect a release early this Summer. After that, who knows. We've been getting a little bit of press in the UK, so we're going to shoot for a European tour as soon as we can, which still may take a while. In the meantime, we just want to write music, play shows with our friends and have a good time... before the world blows up.<br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/W-mIwEnHSTk&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/W-mIwEnHSTk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Seth Pettersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08699608582086502063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122375131038203400.post-34309748985108167442009-03-27T22:25:00.000-07:002009-03-27T22:34:41.515-07:005 Questions with David Kramer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nMdSDVyTq1OO-TuCW6DyW155RfKRTE4rHZGtlcZcZWAnSjhfi3JsF1m1siIEheg824Fw-BxioZ0rjKt3VlV_L-voX_RSnBLESJDbOQ_bYUFea2CiGwrkrttPprEKJgFxRw8dvEJFpyXM/s1600-h/664.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nMdSDVyTq1OO-TuCW6DyW155RfKRTE4rHZGtlcZcZWAnSjhfi3JsF1m1siIEheg824Fw-BxioZ0rjKt3VlV_L-voX_RSnBLESJDbOQ_bYUFea2CiGwrkrttPprEKJgFxRw8dvEJFpyXM/s400/664.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318107079594042194" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CSeth%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.yshortcuts {mso-style-name:yshortcuts;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Sectio</style><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:11;color:black;" >On an average day, the established art world barely speaks to anything that even remotely represents life outside it's four sterile white walls. Where are the self-questioning moments? Where are the drunken regrets, the unfulfilled dreams? Where is the real life, the truth?
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<br /><a href="http://www.aeroplastics.net/">David Kramer</a>'s work is about real life, the good and the bad. So far, things haven't turned out how you expected or dreamed they would be, and they most likely won't...but they could. To quote the text from one of his paintings in which a silhouetted, nostalgic 1970's couple frolic across a romantic beach at sunset, "One of these days I am finally going to get to ride off into the sunset...And not have to wake up the next morning feeling hungover and like I am already late for work."
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Was there been a defining moment in your life that led you to pursue art as a career? Was it a choice or was it inevitably unavoidable?</span>
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<br />Well, that was a long time ago...When I was in school, I took lots of art classes but sort of kept on changing my major all planning on eventually going to law school. My dad was a lawyer; it seemed like what I would do too.
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<br />I was taking accounting and calculus and studying business and economics, doing terribly in school. I remember working my ass off and still getting shitty grades. One day I had this confrontation with my accounting professor and told her that my grade did not reflect how hard I was working. She told me that there were always a certain number of A's, B's and C's etc every semester and that the grades were divided up on a curve and I got a D and that was that.
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<br />I decided that I needed to be in a career where things were more subjective.
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<br />Of course looking back, I should have realized that art really isn't all that subjective after all. And if I couldn't talk my way out of getting a D back then in school, I certainly was going to have an uphill battle as an artist. But I don't regret my decision.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Being a born and raised New Yorker, what are the best and worst changes that you have seen come about in the city during your lifetime? How has being a native affected your perspective on the local art world?</span>
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<br />Sometimes I feel very provincial having lived here my whole life.
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<br /><span id="lw_1238217726_4"><st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="yshortcuts">New York</span></st1:place></st1:state></span> was a totally great place back in the nineties. <span id="lw_1238217726_5"><span class="yshortcuts">Real estate</span></span> wasn't that expensive. The art galleries and art world was so much smaller and people took huge risks and expected rewards that didn't involve money.
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<br />The last bunch of years have been exciting but kind of one sided revolving around money and the monied. I am anxious to see how the next few years go.
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<br />I have been working in <st1:place st="on">Brooklyn</st1:place> since the late 1980's. I always got a kick out of the Brooklyn art scene as I grew up as a child of Brooklyn raised parents who tried like hell to leave <st1:place st="on">Brooklyn</st1:place> in the rear view mirror. <st1:place st="on">Brooklyn</st1:place> always has been something interesting to me because of my background. <st1:place st="on">Brooklyn</st1:place> was the destination of failure. When I got an MFA I went to Pratt and my folks were like, "We've worked our asses off just to get the fuck out of that place!"
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<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4wxW16Z79JqiZOQ7JRBc1bYRiZF-9tI_8-aCfxqIH7YSTxd2Qc7K0obRtFrpZVR-QwuEnnNeO9rbdZsrhJUFQtSg02kWGRqQknbACuWr8xlshT-xrvzqxLsC_uFOwM5UDO-UClaCGdH_/s1600-h/642.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4wxW16Z79JqiZOQ7JRBc1bYRiZF-9tI_8-aCfxqIH7YSTxd2Qc7K0obRtFrpZVR-QwuEnnNeO9rbdZsrhJUFQtSg02kWGRqQknbACuWr8xlshT-xrvzqxLsC_uFOwM5UDO-UClaCGdH_/s400/642.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318107076429578546" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:11;color:black;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Your exhibitions combine multi-media installations, theatrical lighting, and drawings and painting on paper and canvas, which heavily use both hand written as well as type written text. Do your initial concepts have their start in one more so than the others? Also, do you find a favorite amongst them all as of lately?</span>
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<br />I tend to start out by writing and <span id="lw_1238217726_6"><span class="yshortcuts">telling stories</span></span>. Everything else falls into place.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Being an artist who heavily uses text in their work, how has maintaining your personal blog, toothless-alcoholic</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Georgia;font-size:11;color:red;" > <a href="http://www.toothlessalcoholic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1238217726_7">www.toothlessalcoholic.blogspot.com</span></span></a></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:11;color:black;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">, affected your use of words and expressing your personal thoughts? Also, what are your thoughts on the importance of an online persona as a creative person?</span>
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<br />Recently I've been meaning to get back to blogging. I've been kind of burnt out or just plain too busy. The writing on the blog helps inform the writing in the studio (or visa versa) and I am going to get back to blogging very soon. I've been busy this month but things are slowing down.
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<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZ5EheGAEOZ_iruV8hXBO7CcKu3MrEmVsQ6a44sEnJ2W9qJnTWx1oPy1ivHixnbEmlFkrtb8DdAojziQSLj3Ocse6zk15CAo2GUyxFD6KhcNYfMJ4o-whIrsjD9-lOFoyov9PD8Se6hB2/s1600-h/641.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 327px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZ5EheGAEOZ_iruV8hXBO7CcKu3MrEmVsQ6a44sEnJ2W9qJnTWx1oPy1ivHixnbEmlFkrtb8DdAojziQSLj3Ocse6zk15CAo2GUyxFD6KhcNYfMJ4o-whIrsjD9-lOFoyov9PD8Se6hB2/s400/641.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318107069865266082" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:11;color:black;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Is there any advice that you could give young/emerging artists who still have not made a breakthrough, as far as getting into respected galleries, receiving proper recognition and having their work be more than just something they do late at night, in between working a full-time job and trying to maintain a personal life; what some would call a hobby? </span>
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<br />If you really have the burn and desire to be an artist, keep going.
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<br />My advice about getting the work out there is to read that book: THE RULES about dating </span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:11;color:red;" ><a href="http://www.therulesbook.com/" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1238217726_8">www.therulesbook.com</span></span></a>. </span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:11;color:black;" >The art world seems to work something like that.
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<br /></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:11;color:red;" ><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w_Y_0_tfwQ" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1238217726_9">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w_Y_0_tfwQ</span></span></a> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--></span>Seth Pettersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08699608582086502063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122375131038203400.post-81861863817946143722009-03-23T22:52:00.000-07:002009-03-23T23:48:04.140-07:005 Questions with Britt Govea of (((folkYEAH!)))<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc58jKRUYYAkuEwDrbmTQ51X7wEENn6c06eI4xKLZKWg6jHdoFMyfZhWBdpmv6EtgduOPcVyEeNWvTB27q5aPy1NNHJhzlyVBQAbc8-JUr39Q_XYTdz-vuplb8caa__AfjZXKXQALRpy1N/s1600-h/BG(2).jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 306px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc58jKRUYYAkuEwDrbmTQ51X7wEENn6c06eI4xKLZKWg6jHdoFMyfZhWBdpmv6EtgduOPcVyEeNWvTB27q5aPy1NNHJhzlyVBQAbc8-JUr39Q_XYTdz-vuplb8caa__AfjZXKXQALRpy1N/s400/BG(2).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316638457274328946" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CSeth%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Georgia; 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mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.yshortcuts {mso-style-name:yshortcuts;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:11;" >Britt Govea is a real dude. He and <a href="http://www.folkyeahpresents/">(((folkYEAH!)))</a> present shows like the ones you heard about happening in the good old days of rock n roll. California has since been taken over by bullshit in many regards, but next time you let that get you down, go see the Beachwood Sparks play at the Henry Miller Library. You soon remember the magic of this vast state and all it's treasures. Britt often comes to mind whenever I think of Big Sur and some of the best concerts I have ever attended. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:11;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. How did you get started with (((folkYEAH!)))?</span>
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<br />The first (((folkYEAH!))) event was a weekend of Superwolf (<span class="yshortcuts"><span style="cursor: pointer;" id="lw_1237873750_0">Bonnie 'Prince' Billy</span></span> & <span class="yshortcuts"><span style="cursor: pointer;" id="lw_1237873750_1">Matt Sweeney</span></span>) shows in <span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1237873750_2">January. 2005</span></span>. After that, I thought why not more live music in <st1:place st="on">Big Sur</st1:place> and other awesome rural locations. Then the true love became curating unique billings in various locations form <span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1237873750_3">Henry Miller Library</span></span> (one of the best spots on earth!) in <span class="yshortcuts"><span style="cursor: pointer;" id="lw_1237873750_4">Big Sur</span></span> to larger events @ GAMH in SF and beyond.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. What is the best show you've ever seen?</span>
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<br />Wow, so many come to mind but perhaps <span class="yshortcuts"><span style="cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; background-attachment: scroll;" id="lw_1237873750_5">Bonnie 'Prince' Billy @ Henry Miller Library</span></span> in Oct. 2007 or <span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1237873750_6">Bob Dylan</span></span> @ The Santa Cruz Civic in <span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1237873750_7">March 2000</span></span> or <span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1237873750_8">Merle Haggard</span></span> @ <span class="yshortcuts"><span style="cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; background-attachment: scroll;" id="lw_1237873750_9">Crystal Palace</span></span> right after his bout with cancer.
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<br />All were unbeatable on many levels but who could deny Cluster @ Farmlab in LA, or Entrance Band in Big <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Sur.</st1:place></st1:country-region>..so many, so many. It is best to just live in the musical moment and enjoy it while you are in it and then move on down the line.
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<br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPJ6tcnOECGFNKv8xoofBzH8fNhnS6ARPIriakAYSQnXl0wVK3RqDzG8QFXOmWEyuTumOWI97C0p7Y2YXqIMsaJFR54adJ4i7oq0myGB5TSP8mTsUspHbPCayFcEPVsFGK3hyzPDY18FO/s1600-h/fyp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPJ6tcnOECGFNKv8xoofBzH8fNhnS6ARPIriakAYSQnXl0wVK3RqDzG8QFXOmWEyuTumOWI97C0p7Y2YXqIMsaJFR54adJ4i7oq0myGB5TSP8mTsUspHbPCayFcEPVsFGK3hyzPDY18FO/s400/fyp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316638453912723970" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:11;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:11;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. If you were forced to choose between a house with a beautiful view and no land, or a house with land but absolutely no view, what would you choose?</span>
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<br />I'll take the view because I am a dreamin' man so I need the inspiration.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. What was the last music you overheard that made you ask, "who is that?
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<br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thedurutticolumn.com/"><span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1237873750_10">The Durutti Column</span></span></a> who my very good friend Matt Baldwin turned me onto.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Who are your heroes?</span>
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<br />Merle Haggard, <span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1237873750_11">Johnny Cash</span></span>, <span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1237873750_12">Hans-Joachim Roedelius</span></span>, <span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1237873750_13">Leonard Cohen</span></span>, Konrad "Conny" Plank, Bob Dylan...man, that's a lot of heroes. Perhaps they are not heroes but more people with whom I have had a prolonged respect/admiration for in the sometimes fickle world of music. I admire people that do what they feel and move forward as such without restraint. That said, <span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1237873750_14">Tom Waits</span></span>, David Berman, <span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1237873750_15">Neil Young</span></span> and <span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1237873750_16">Will Oldham</span></span> should be saluted too.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
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<br /><o:p></o:p><p></p> Seth Pettersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08699608582086502063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122375131038203400.post-48225336594686351032009-03-16T12:23:00.000-07:002009-03-16T12:38:43.682-07:005 Questions with Deepakalypse<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j7eJXDkr3fRSclpI-MPrclvgA4O2ZExoUvlVl6qVtkPcqNHg6eEQC66DRY5KdXtpJYwfod9ZYSJLBk2Q7PbPCpH-q3-mvaryvDELjp2vQk4_3GU1bULy9-xkbb23QoKXLG1PHa41bXKG/s1600-h/ChineseLanterns72.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j7eJXDkr3fRSclpI-MPrclvgA4O2ZExoUvlVl6qVtkPcqNHg6eEQC66DRY5KdXtpJYwfod9ZYSJLBk2Q7PbPCpH-q3-mvaryvDELjp2vQk4_3GU1bULy9-xkbb23QoKXLG1PHa41bXKG/s400/ChineseLanterns72.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313869306712462866" border="0" /></a><br />Is <a href="http://www.myspace.com/deepakalypse">Deepakalypse</a> a musician whose love for music has leaded him to travel the planet? Or, is he a born traveler who’s found himself in music along the journey? For having known him for the better part of over 15 years, I’d have to say that he is both, a tangled combination of the two.<br /><br /><br />If you asked him these questions, you might get an answer like, “I don’t know…I’m a Gemini.” He’d then probably laugh a bit and change the topic over to where he’s headed to next. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, New Orleans, New York, Paris, Caracas, Wellington, back to Ventura…anywhere is fair game.<br /><br /><br />His songwriting style combines loose jazz-punk guitar melodies with philosophical lyrics that serve more as questions and metaphorical reflections rather than a preached truth. Sometimes accompanied by as little as a drum machine or as much as a 4-piece band, you will never hear him play the same song the same way twice. He just plugs in and plays. Whatever happens, happens.<br /><br /><br />His style sums up a mixture of personal narrative and poetic observations of the world that seem to pull people in, no matter what their perceived musical tastes are. He’s played kitchens, coffee shops, dive bars and wine bars where he’s had the hip-hop heads, rockers, hessians, hipsters, hippie moms, soccer moms, intellectuals and even a rogue republican or two feeling the greatness of the moment that they’ve found themselves in.<br /><br /><br />So, try to track him down. Run to where he’s playing next if you can keep up. Or, sit and wait if you have the patience. Either way, he’s probably booking a show in your city, town or village at this very moment. Just be on the lookout for an 80’s Mercedes Benz that smells like french fries.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. For Deepakalypse, what’s more important, the music or the message?</span><br /><br /><br />The music is more important than the message. I like to have messages in my songs but music doesn't have to, really. I do want to make people think but I also want people to be able to forget about life's bullshit and have a good time and dance.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. What is the one globetrotting experience that you wish you could share with everyone like they were there with you?</span><br /><br /><br />The globetrotting experience that I’d like to share with everyone would be my trip to France for sure. It was just a fun 3 weeks and I got to play a lot around town. My friends Francois and Nicolas took good care of me and it was just a great experience all together. Great clubs and people and the city is beautiful.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. If life is a bus, are we driving or are we passengers? What stop do you want to be let off at, or will you ride till the end of the line?</span><br /><br /><br />We are definitely driving the bus! We all have choices even when we think we don't. I rule my destiny just like you rule yours, and she hers, and he his. I guess I’ll get off when I feel its time...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDb-vM2ZsjccvDClohS9vzzLGRHt9WPSoMfZYOOQIa0MgkZiHvX2s7sBcI_mPYkhl800iHU7QmTz10RUMyWbdG9apc34Gey5ADvvW5Nxzg7DOtBFagcgnskAd-cXu48kkVLVtfJ_eXoJg/s1600-h/OnGrass72.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDb-vM2ZsjccvDClohS9vzzLGRHt9WPSoMfZYOOQIa0MgkZiHvX2s7sBcI_mPYkhl800iHU7QmTz10RUMyWbdG9apc34Gey5ADvvW5Nxzg7DOtBFagcgnskAd-cXu48kkVLVtfJ_eXoJg/s400/OnGrass72.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313869340100588306" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Not many people outside of your general vicinity would probably know this but; you’ve been involved in the alternative/renewable/sustainable fuel industry (primarily for automobiles) for quite some time now. Can you explain to the average person a little of the: who, what, when, where, how and why of this…and how it could relate to their life? </span><br /><br /><br />Right now when it comes to alternative fuel it usually requires a person who likes to tinker with stuff and work on things like cars and such. I’m one of those people so I got involved in veggie oil stuff a few years ago. I went in over my head but got out without any crazy lawsuits or injuries, luckily.<br /><br /><br />I still drive veggie but am more interested in using electricity and water to make something called HHO. It works really good with gas cars which, is what we have more of, way more of so it’s getting exciting cause we don’t need to get some oily fuel that’s all dirty. We can just use water as an additive to the gas we get to buy so conveniently at the corner.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Ok, so…in your songs, you've spit on a window and you've spit in the face of a general. Don't get me wrong, that's cool but...what's up with that? Also, what are you going to spit on next?</span><br /><br /><br />Well actually I didn’t really like that spitting on a window part so I tend to say "a brick through your window.” I know its lame to change lyrics after they've been recorded but who cares.<br /><br /><br />I’ve been spitting on the ground lately cause I bought a bag of sunflower seeds for the trip that I’m on and I like to pack them like tobacco in one cheek and then split them in my mouth and save the shells on the other side. I roll down the window and spit them out the window so I don’t spit on the window like I did in my past. So it does make sense!<br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NM4opkRAFWk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NM4opkRAFWk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Seth Pettersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08699608582086502063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122375131038203400.post-77328294202902356282009-03-12T11:02:00.000-07:002009-03-12T12:59:49.978-07:005 Questions with Brook Dalton of 86<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkRy4LWAj9OqgKwFqvc72KRv1u8kqg_MSx4WLhUq30LuindiH35ET42nvhiq39HxPI4n7qcVYIqWwqdq4KhjmWHxBD9jSVJPn4eSCziNaBANhKuy_WHc1NtdfJ15GtuVt5G8Ey3uS_ZtM/s1600-h/brookmuppetfb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkRy4LWAj9OqgKwFqvc72KRv1u8kqg_MSx4WLhUq30LuindiH35ET42nvhiq39HxPI4n7qcVYIqWwqdq4KhjmWHxBD9jSVJPn4eSCziNaBANhKuy_WHc1NtdfJ15GtuVt5G8Ey3uS_ZtM/s400/brookmuppetfb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312366643560954962" border="0" /></a>Not only does Brook Dalton have a gift for music, he is respected in his community as an organizer, artist, poet, and a curator of the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/8eightysix6">86</a> Art Gallery (where he also dwells) in Ventura, CA.
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<br />Brook's knowledge of life is vast, and his reputation as a raconteur--in combination with an easy wit--can't help but draw others into his gravitational pull. His formidable talent is augmented by an affection for narrative art: this man of stature is also a serious comic book collector. To check out Brook Dalton's published work, please visit: <a href="http://www.xraybookco.com/index.html">X-Ray Book Co.</a>.
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<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CSeth%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Verdana; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:536871559 0 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">1. What is 86 to you? When did it become such a community center</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">?<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">That’s kind of a big one to start out with.<span style=""> </span>On a basic level it’s a house and an art gallery.<span style=""> </span>There are five rooms here and I do what I can to continually make it as affordable as possible, so as a consequence I’ve lived with dozens and dozens of different folks over the years.<span style=""> </span>I literally couldn’t name all of the people I’ve lived with. <span style=""> </span>There have been roommates that have put out albums, published books, received Master’s Degrees, absorbed astronomical amounts of THC, etc.<span style=""> </span>We’ve had a steady group for the last few years now and they’re all amazing people.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">As an art fan, I feel luckier than I can express to live here because there are hundreds of pieces in the house that I get to come home to every day.<span style=""> </span>Each work of art (except for four) contains the number 86 in it, in some form or another, as a symbol of the sense of community that sort of embodies the place.<span style=""> </span>There really is an astounding atmosphere here and we’re constantly surrounded by the funniest, smartest, most talented people you can hope to meet.<span style=""> </span>I think the sense of community probably started around 1994.<span style=""> </span>We used to be more of a party house until then, but that’s when the first Eighty-Six paintings started to roll in and also when we began to organize events rather than just have random parties.<span style=""> </span>To this day, we’re known for our events and it’s nice to see them gain steam every year.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">We’re also pretty heavily involved in the music scene(s) around <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Ventura</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style=""> </span>Everyone who lives here is a musician and we do what we can to help promote shows or let touring bands crash on our couches in order to help out in any way we can.<span style=""> </span>Through it all, I think it’s safe to say that the sense of community has remained so strong over the years because we always try to stay as positive as we can while providing a fun/entertaining outlet for people.<span style=""> </span>Well, as much fun as you can have without waking up in the clink or having to visit the free clinic the next day.
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<br /><b style="">2. Do you have a certain personal vision of what you want out of your drumming or do you try to emulate techniques you admire? Or both?</b><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">Over the last couple of years, my goal with drumming has been to ride the fine line between being a role player and adding a creative element to songs.<span style=""> </span>I mean, I don’t want to stand out by being flashy or incorporating weird timing changes, but I do want the drums to be integral to the way the song is meant to sound.<span style=""> </span>I don’t ever consciously try to imitate other drummers or techniques, but I certainly get motivated by specific people.<span style=""> </span>For instance, I’m really into Glenn Kotche right now but I wouldn’t go to band practice and try to add some fills or beats to a song that might sound like his style.<span style=""> </span>However, I will take notice of the care and scrutiny that he takes with his drum parts and in turn I’ll try to do the same with songs that I play on.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">Listening to good drummers usually lights a bit of a fire under my ass to pay more attention to what the drums should be doing in a song and to try and adhere to that.
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<br /><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldfWOD9vpOSlQ0-ZuzJNrQVNhYuY7p6BK324LESUMKqarsxmrpfgAwox0nZQz8OcQZdQncZ9CcdZ1IndY8VuzFMPHylBULpjLF35cEChDvu3scyOqO1SwZ3GzwSNQ0NqKcjVKHdRGirZI/s1600-h/bdaltonfb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldfWOD9vpOSlQ0-ZuzJNrQVNhYuY7p6BK324LESUMKqarsxmrpfgAwox0nZQz8OcQZdQncZ9CcdZ1IndY8VuzFMPHylBULpjLF35cEChDvu3scyOqO1SwZ3GzwSNQ0NqKcjVKHdRGirZI/s400/bdaltonfb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312383606155042226" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;"> <b style="">
<br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;"><b style="">3. Who are some of the poets you enjoy?</b></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">I’m eternally thankful for the poetry of Bukowski.<span style=""> </span>I would never have motivated myself to start writing if it weren’t for him.<span style=""> </span>Some others that stand out are: Sharon Olds, Billy Childish, Gerard Manley Hopkins, e.e. Cummings, Robert Browning, Christina Rossetti, Dan Fante, Raegan Butcher, Raymond Carver. <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">Poetry is kind of a weird beast to me.<span style=""> </span>I appreciate a lot of the underground/counterculture stuff because it appeals to my punk rock upbringing and disposition, but I truly feel that much of the canonized pieces are more than deserving of their status.<span style=""> </span>It’s almost like the angry, more colloquial stuff really jives with my emotional state, but the anthologized poems become incredibly engaging when dissected and explicated.<span style=""> </span>Especially the Victorians…I dig them friggin’ Victorians.
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<br />4. Do you consider comic books to be high art? Is there a particular example you can give?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">Some of it, certainly.<span style=""> </span>The beauty of comics is that they can appeal to two sensibilities simultaneously.<span style=""> </span>There really are a lot of phenomenal, intelligent writers doing top-notch work on some titles.<span style=""> </span>Authors like Brian K. Vaughan, Bill Willingham, Alan Moore, and Neil Gaiman really understand the craft and write better than most other people who put out books that don’t have pictures in them.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">On an aesthetic level, some of the very best artwork being released today is in the comic medium.<span style=""> </span>I’m also happy to see the borders between the gallery/fine art scenes and the comic book world starting to blur.<span style=""> </span>I think that comic artists such as James Jean, Ashley Wood, Charles Burns, Alex Ross, Dave Cooper, Eric Powell, and Ben Templesmith are going to help merge the two realms.<span style=""> </span>Also, I’d like to say that there is absolutely no truth to the assumed edict that the true ‘artistic’ talents in comics lie in the indie/underground titles and that hero books are nothing more than spandex and uppercuts.<span style=""> </span>Some of the most thoughtful and intriguing writing being published today is coming from super hero books.<span style=""> </span>Seriously.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>
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<br /><b style="">5. What's your current passion?</b><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia;">I’m always juggling a handful of things that I’m passionate about, but lately I’ve been inundating myself with music.<span style=""> </span>I’ve been going to a shit-ton of concerts, as well as playing as many shows as I can, and for some reason it seems like I’ve been having more and more really good conversations about music lately.<span style=""> </span>I’ve also been introduced to a bunch of bands recently (thanks, Lingua) and that kind of serves as a catalyst for the enthusiasm.<span style=""> </span>Furthermore, I can’t stop record shopping.<span style=""> </span>It’s getting ridiculous.<span style=""> </span>I don’t really think twice about spending money on records, but I don’t view that as a fault.<span style=""> </span>It’s not an obsession, it’s sustenance.<span style=""> </span>Besides, if I start to spend too much on music I’ll just cut corners on other expenses.<span style=""> </span>For instance, I’ve bought about 20 records this week, but I barely picked up any crack cocaine or Cambodian porn.<span style=""> </span>It all works out in the wash.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<br />Seth Pettersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08699608582086502063noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122375131038203400.post-20045400420714239172009-03-09T14:45:00.000-07:002009-03-27T22:37:20.292-07:005 Questions with Matt Eckel of Jack Wilson Jr.<font face="Georgia" size="2pt"><a href="http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b326/meckel79/?action=view¤t=swsteps400.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b326/meckel79/swsteps400.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><i>Clockwise from top: Mike Corwin, bass / Dave "Mustang" Lang, piano / Matt Eckel, guitar & vocals / Brian Demski, drums</i><br><br><p>It's another Friday night in Los Angeles. Haloed streetlights lace the quiet fogginess of Echo Park, casting shadows along the quiet stretch of Glendale Blvd. between Temple & the 1st St. Bridge. Behind an unassuming, rolling metal gate, a small crowd of brown baggers in a tiny parking lot assures you that you've found just where you need to be... welcome to Pehrspace. </p><p>It's Friday the 13th to be more precise, and Jack Wilson Jr. will be killing it here tonight. The house lights cast a dim red glow over the band as they warm up into their fitting 1st song of the night, "Red All Over." A slow bass groove notes the tempo as "Pt. 8: Jason Takes Manhattan" looms in frozen frame on the back wall. Next, guitar and high hat lead into vocals. </p><p>With total "tell it like it is, brother" honesty, the love-life advice lyrics evoke from the crowd heart felt "uh-huh's" & "damn, that's true" laughter. There's no other way to properly express the feeling in the room. By the time that the verse has reached the brutal truth, "...you'll never be in love until you're happy on your own," someone cries out, "THAT'S COLD!!!" The crowd nods, claps, dances and raise their drinks.</p><p>This is how <a href="http://www.myspace.com/jackwilsonjr"target="_blank">Jack Wilson Jr.</a> works a room.</p><p><br><b>1. To date, what is the Jack Wilson Jr. story? </b></p><p>The idea for Jack Wilson, Jr. came at the tail end of 2007. At that time Brian and I had been playing for several years in a band called The Natural Disasters. We had just released an album earlier that year, but by this point we'd been performing some of these songs for a very long time. In addition to that, I was feeling like we weren't really getting the recognition we deserved, specifically with regard to the blogger/promoter community. In retrospect, I could have been more proactive in terms of soliciting this kind of attention. I think my attitude at the time was that it was their job to find us. At the same time, I found myself wanting to write more musically expansive songs. Don't get me wrong; Brian is a great drummer. He plays with a lot of taste. One thing I loved about Natural Disasters was that he was able to come up with a unique "signature" for each song, whether it be the beat itself or some kind of fill or set up. That's not an easy thing to do, especially when the songwriter shows up with so much similar-sounding material. But in the end, there's only so much you can do with just drums and guitar. That was kind of the point of that band, to see how far you could go with it. And we did. But then I started wanting to play ballads. </p><p>During this time I was also playing in another band called Lucinda & the Lost Dogs (they have since changed the name to Dustin Fire). There were some lineup changes throughout the years but for the most part it was Lucinda, Mustang, and myself. Lu is a huge lover of country music, among other things. The three of us collaborated on probably 20 different songs and it was a great learning experience. Thinking back on it, this is probably what inspired me to want to write songs with more of an ear for melody, or to experiment more with different feels and tempos. You can get a whole new depth of feeling out of a song just by slowing it down a little bit. Towards the end I brought Mike in on bass. He had been a friend for a while but we hadn't had too much of a chance to play together up until that point. A lot of people know Mike as, like, a genius guitar player, but I think he actually likes playing bass more!</p><p>When the Jack Wilson band started up, we had Mike on guitar and his old buddy Noah from Cal Arts on bass. It was really rad to be surrounded by all these great musicians; they'd be warming up to Charlie Parker's "Confirmation" and then I'd have to show them my little four-chord song. Eventually Noah left the band when his other group got signed [the Airborne Toxic Event]. Actually, I just heard today that their label merged with Island, which is huge. It's funny seeing him on TV with all his ridiculous rings and necklaces. I get a real kick out of it.</p><br><p><b>2. What's behind the name Jack Wilson, Jr.? </b></p><p>The name Jack Wilson, Jr. comes from a historical figure I learned about while working as a teacher at the Autry Museum in Griffith Park. Brian worked there also, along with Joey Siara, artist Michael Hsiung, and Grant and Justin from Echo Curio. Jack Wilson was the English name, or "white name," given to Native healer and self-proclaimed prophet Wovoka by the Wilson family, for whom he sometimes worked as a teenager. Wovoka became a national celebrity among Indians in the late 1880s as the originator of the "ghost dance" phenomenon. This was a communal dance involving a large number of people, who would join hands and dance in a circle sometimes for hours, to the point of fatigue. Performed correctly, the dance was supposed to result in a mystical erasure of the white man and the return of the buffalo to the plains. Dancers would occasionally collapse with exhaustion and later claim to have experienced visions of the new world. This was during the time just after the close of the frontier when the last of the tribes were being forced onto reservations. It was an act of desperation.</p><p>What's interesting is that Wilson's philosophy incorporated Christ's teachings of forgiveness and non-violence. Ironically, the hysteria of the dance was seen by the US Army as a prelude to war, and resulted in the assassination of Sitting Bull. He was actually shot by a member of the Indian Police. The fallout of that event led to the Wounded Knee Massacre just two weeks later, an ugly, shameful end to one of the ugliest and most shameful chapters in US History. Jack Wilson though, as a person, was never really qualified as a political leader. He was a self-mythologizing con artist, whose "magic" was fairly close to magic as we understand it today-all illusion and slight of hand. We did a song on the Natural Disasters record called "Ghost Dance." Robbie Robertson and Patti Smith also have songs by that title.</p><p>Then there's also Jackie Wilson, "Mr. Excitement," whose unique style of dance was derived from his training as a boxer. If you watch his videos on YouTube with that in mind, you can see it right away. They're the same moves that "made" Elvis. Not to say that Elvis wasn't a great dancer, because he was. But a lot of what you might recognize as his signature moves actually came from Jackie.</p><p>Lastly-and I didn't realize this until after we'd settled on the name-Jack Palance's character from Shane is also named, guess what, Jack Wilson. He's one of the baddest dudes in the history of Westerns. So there it is: cowboys & indians and rhythm & blues.</p><br><p><b>3. What are your thoughts on the local LA music scene? </b></p><p>God, there are so many bands. Probably the highest number per capita anywhere, ever. But it doesn't bother me. I think it's great. It's the harvest to the proverbial seed planted by bands like The Minutemen and Beat Happening. I think what bothers me about it is that the bands that wind up getting attention are not necessarily the best bands. Some of them are. There doesn't seem to be any correlation; it has more to do with promoter politics and a willingness to play that particular game. I'm probably being na•ve by pretending it has anything to do with anything other than hustle and, eventually, money.</p><p>I'll clue you in on something I'm a bit hesitant to admit-for the past several months, we've only played two venues in LA: <a href="http://www.pehrspace.org"target="_blank">Pehrspace</a> and <a href="http://www.echocurio.com/Cabinet.html"target="_blank">Echo Curio</a>. I can't say enough about either of these venues, or rather about the people that make them what they are. Five bucks, tops, the bands get paid out, you can drink for cheap as long as you agree to be discreet... you can't beat it. I don't want to name names but we've had situations before dealing with other clubs where you have last minute changes to the lineup, to set times, and then a real hard time getting paid to top it off. Which would be one thing if the organizers made any effort to promote the show (did any "organizing" as it were). But if it's all on the bands, then they should receive a larger portion of the profit. Or retain the option to limit the door price.</p><p>To be honest, I don't know how much of a "scene" it really is. In my mind, a "scene" is a bunch of local bands influencing each other, resulting in some kind of unifying "sound" (ie. "the Seattle sound"). LA has everything. Except hip-hop, which is lamentable. I'm talking more about the Silverlake/Echo Park scene, not the city at large. There are so many talented people pursuing so many different musical paths that it's hard to define what the so-called Eastside Scene is really about. I remember one night playing poker with a bunch of musicians from different bands. We were listening to Creedence and someone said, "God, how can you guys listen to this? I mean, didn't they ever hear of distortion pedals?" Which really shocked me, you know, because most people we tend to play with don't own any guitar pedals... maybe an old Metal Zone or something, for sentimental value. But that shows you how diverse it is. And I love that about it.</p><br><a href="http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b326/meckel79/?action=view¤t=cactus400.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b326/meckel79/cactus400.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br><br><p><b>4. What's one quote or piece of advice that forever changed your perspective on music...particularly songwriting? </b></p><p>I'm reading a book right now called Songwriters on Songwriting, which is full of good stuff. One thing a lot of people say is that you can't lead the process too much. You have to let the song lead you where it wants to go. You have be able to sort of "unfocus," I don't know, like one of those magic eye paintings or something. I was never any good at those; I could never see the sailboat or whatever. Paul Simon does this thing where he throws a ball against the wall to preoccupy his conscious mind. He says if a line jumps out at you, just take it down, don't start worrying about what it means. I tried it a day or two after reading his interview, and sure enough, I got a great song out of it. At first it didn't seem to be "about" anything, but after I had most of it down, I was able to step back and see that it was very specifically about two things that were very current and very personal.</p><p>Tom Petty is really annoying. Most of his big songs came instantly, or "in as much time as it takes to play the song." But then you look at a Tom Petty song, "Free Fallin'" for example-the whole chorus is just one word that gets repeated. I wish I could write a song like that; I don't know why I feel like every song has to be a page long. He talks about trusting in your subconscious. Like with "You Wreck Me." He had a placeholder lyric-"you rock me"-which he knew was corny but he left it because something about it sounded right. Then one day he had the idea to change it to "you wreck me" and boom the whole song came into focus. And I think a lot of what makes that a powerful lyric is that it does sound so similar to "you rock me." There's a lesson.</p><p>When I was in college, I sang in this band called The Dirty Tanners. The rest of the band had no musical training at all, with the exception of the drummer, who was a jazz guy. Because we were limited in terms of what we could do musically, the songs all evolved from jam sessions in the basement. I couldn't just walk in with a song and start calling out chords. So I would take these jam tapes and play them loud on my bedroom stereo, and kind of walk around singing nonsense syllables in order to get ideas for a melody. And I would record that. And what was cool about it was that listening back, I could hear myself using certain vowel sounds or words or even phrases. So once I could figure out what I was trying to say, the conscious mind could then kick in and finish it. That was productive for me, and I don't know why I haven't tried it since. Maybe I will.</p><p>If I had to single out one specific quote, I guess it would be something Bob Dylan said, in that same book. Which is ironic because he absolutely refuses to take the interview seriously. It was hard for me because I'm a huge fan and it's sort of childish... I mean it was cute when he did it in 1965 and the press was coming at him with all these dumb questions about what does he have to say about "x" as the spokesman of his generation? My girlfriend doesn't like Dylan, she says he's "a liar" for all the stuff he came out with early in his career about having been in the circus as a kid and living in New Mexico or whatever. I mean, when you look at some of the stuff, it's not to be taken seriously: [telling his life story, Playboy, 1966] "I wind up in Phoenix. I get a job as a Chinaman. I start working in a dime store, and move in with a 13-year-old girl. Then this big Mexican lady from Philadelphia comes in and burns the house down." But anyway, after 15 pages of jerking this guy around (most of which I skimmed, or skipped) he finally says, "There's something about my lyrics that have a gallantry to them. And that might be all they have going for them." And that's the end of the interview. I think that's true. Songwriting is not like writing a short story, or a magazine article. If anything, it's like... instant messaging. It has to be simple. Fragmented. Ordinary. It just has to sound right.</p><br><p><b>5. What's your favorite bicycling in LA story/experience? </b></p><p>That's hard... I guess it was four or five years ago, right when <a href="http://www.midnightridazz.com/"target="_blank">Midnight Ridazz</a> was starting to get big. I lived in an apartment with a couple and their two cats and a dog and an injured bird. We met some people on the ride, and afterwards everybody came back to our place. I cooked breakfast burritos and we continued to drink and at some point someone had the idea to play charades so we did that for like an hour, taking it totally seriously, you know? With these kids we'd barely just met. I haven't done any of those group rides for a while now, but I used to love it when someone would roll down their window and yell, "what are you riding for?" The best moment was when someone did that and this guy wearing a chicken suit cruised by, screaming his head off. I don't think I've ever heard a more perfect answer to that question; if there is one I'd like to hear it.</p><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KsskPPgkIe4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KsskPPgkIe4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object></font>Seth Pettersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08699608582086502063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122375131038203400.post-80124932792161214012009-03-02T18:09:00.000-08:002009-03-12T13:25:20.052-07:005 Questions with Joshua Redman<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nHG5BVtzI6EtjU4ACHYjoDyBMy2DrA00HLOomQJ_eBD4uB67gqbKZyNmRln5PEpk4DvOEU2aXZmZMAAx8N0R3uoS3MJrFr6IEN75VxaTy9f4087sXmIMBxM4kakjei1ojamz79uerBQh/s1600-h/me+ccs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 322px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nHG5BVtzI6EtjU4ACHYjoDyBMy2DrA00HLOomQJ_eBD4uB67gqbKZyNmRln5PEpk4DvOEU2aXZmZMAAx8N0R3uoS3MJrFr6IEN75VxaTy9f4087sXmIMBxM4kakjei1ojamz79uerBQh/s400/me+ccs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308781417525521906" border="0" /></a><span style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:11;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:11;" ><o:p> </o:p></span><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CSeth%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Helvetica; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:536902279 -2147483648 8 0 511 0;} @font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} span.apple-style-span {mso-style-name:apple-style-span;} span.yshortcuts {mso-style-name:yshortcuts;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:11;" >Josh, Joshua, Hosh, Hoshwa, call him what you will. He's got just about as many names for each hat that he can proudly wear. As host of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/5432fun">5...4...3...2...FUN!</a> a radio show on 91.9 KCSB FM in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Santa Barbara</st1:place></st1:city>, he spins the kind of pop most people would have never expected to hear on the air waves.
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<br />Last year he started up <a href="http://www.sbdiy.org/">SBDIY</a>, promoting the best underground shows all across the county. When he's not too busy making sure the population surrounding UCSB is experiencing enough cuteness, he also tours the country with his sister, Rebecca, as they perform her songs under the moniker <a href="http://www.myspace.com/watercolorpaintings">Watercolor Paintings</a>. If Josh and his beard are dancing, chances are you are too.
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<br /><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color:black;"><span style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">1. What is the worst part of hosting your own radio show?</span></span></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;color:black;" >
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<br /><span class="apple-style-span">Oh this is a little hard. Obviously there are more best parts than worst parts. This might be silly, but not being able to go to show shows on Thursday night is the worst! Thursdays at 10pm is probably the best time for the show to be, but sometimes I have to miss shows I want to go to, or leave them early. Everything else is the best!
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<br /></span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >2. What was your favorite song of 2008?</span></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >
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<br />I've never been good at making top lists or picking favorites. Maybe 'Lindy' off of the L.A.K.E. tape. I've only listened to that song while driving, and the speakers in the car are very poor quality, but I really really like that song. Or maybe this song that my friend Mallory wrote that might be called 'We Sing Our Hearts Out.' Hmmm or maybe, 'Blanket' by Glass Cake. You know what, Girl Band, as a whole, was probably my favorite song of 2008. Yah.
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<br /></span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >3. If you could be any animal, living or extinct, what would it be and why?</span></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <span style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;font-size:100%;" ><span style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<br /><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" class="apple-style-span" >Well not a bird for sure. I hate anything that flies. I mean, I'm jealous of anything that flies. And not a water animals because I don't really like the water. I've never been good at answering this question either. Something real hairy I guess. A bear of gorilla or something. A bear-gorilla.</span></span></span></p></span></span><span style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-orK8rLWgi6Vou5LiDDKmss-uBZ-0uUVeWzi13jaG0a_zVHvijLHfuWOMQ94oA5CVzFFyLBqJV1yWvg5fy9E76WWR0GfotqSNDphki6v-AOK9Tgxd-7ps6Fjxx74eQBKXwkSKBZJxVI79/s1600-h/joshred.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-orK8rLWgi6Vou5LiDDKmss-uBZ-0uUVeWzi13jaG0a_zVHvijLHfuWOMQ94oA5CVzFFyLBqJV1yWvg5fy9E76WWR0GfotqSNDphki6v-AOK9Tgxd-7ps6Fjxx74eQBKXwkSKBZJxVI79/s400/joshred.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312395266896854962" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;font-size:100%;" ><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-family:Georgia;">4. What was the first album you bought with your own money?</span></b></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >
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<br /></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Ummmm I think it was probably a ska cd. I have no idea. You know what, it was probably <span id="lw_1236045988_0"></span></span><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">The Fury</span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"> of <span id="lw_1236045988_1"></span></span><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">The Aquabats</span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">! Haha yes!</span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:black;" >
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<br /></span><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-family:Georgia;">5. If <span id="lw_1236045988_2"></span></span></b></span><st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="yshortcuts"><b><span style="font-family:Georgia;">California</span></b></span><b></b></st1:place></st1:state></span><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-family:Georgia;"> was destroyed by an earthquake, where would you move to?</span></b></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;color:black;" >
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<br /></span><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Wait, would I not be destroyed with it? Maybe I'd rather be destroyed with it? I try not to think in hypotheticals, but if for some reason I survived said earthquake, I would live on a boat. That would be nice. I wouldn't have to live in any one place, and if the place I was at at the time was destroyed, I could move on. Easy. Maybe I'll do that someday anyway...</span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:11;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> </span><p></p> </span><p></p>
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<br /></span><center></center></center>Seth Pettersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08699608582086502063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122375131038203400.post-20035248280550610922009-02-26T12:46:00.000-08:002009-03-23T23:52:44.782-07:005 Questions with Jason Bays of the Spires<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNeq-V00kIRWINwd8oF1PNpEk3rYxashwWwThyhU76htlrnamEHZBJY8AtCv8u114Cs2S-Zbsh5-qMFZjTxT7FzMCQ3urx_exOn0_4zorZdkojHvT84B2So6wuDLcER5tKhyuY1R1Jj9w/s1600-h/jb2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNeq-V00kIRWINwd8oF1PNpEk3rYxashwWwThyhU76htlrnamEHZBJY8AtCv8u114Cs2S-Zbsh5-qMFZjTxT7FzMCQ3urx_exOn0_4zorZdkojHvT84B2So6wuDLcER5tKhyuY1R1Jj9w/s400/jb2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307211451307481090" border="0" /></a><br />Part revivalist and part visionary, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thespires">The Spires</a> of Ventura, California, blend warm indie fuzz with swoony-croony often-thoughtful lyrics that create a nice mellow high. Consisting of husband and wife duo Jason Bays and Colleen Coffey (the fearless leaders of <a href="http://www.beehouserecords.com/">Beehouse Records</a>), and new edition Katie Kindred on bass, The Spires make one of the most exciting and interesting bands in Southern California … yep.<br /><br />Jason, Team Spires front man and main song contributor, is probably one of the funniest guys I know—along with being one of the most musically inclined. Not only is he an avid Lou Reed fan, from which there is no hiding, but he also massively digs on Bill Evans and Miles Davis.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />1. Is there a specific album that had a huge impact on you in your youth that you see as a direct influence on where you are today as a songwriter and a musician?</span><br /><br />There have been many records that I can see looking back as kinda touchstones. Records that at some point in my life clicked for me and made me see things differently. Took the blinders off, or just confused me at first. Too many to list but here are a couple.<br /><br />First came <span style="font-style: italic;">Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols</span>.<br />I was just getting into music and didn't really know what was out there except for my father's anemic record collection. He did have a cool 45 of Dick Dale's Misirlou though. That song is still amazing. He had some cool Stones stuff too.<br /><br />Anyway - One of my friends was getting into punk rock and turned me on to The Pistols and it blew my mind, it's all been down hill since then (financially speaking). I just wanted to be Sid Vicious or Johnny Rotten so bad - I couldn't pick. They where both so cool. They Pistols had long since broken up and Johnny was doing PIL but my 15 year old mind wasn't ready for that. The Pistols had it all. Great songs - they still hold up, great production, danger, cool record art and best of all they showed me that anyone could make music, cool music. Just pick something up and play what you feel. I blame that record for everything that's happened since.<br /><br />Postscript: They have since become buffoons and a cartoon image of their former glory. Too bad. But they did turn me on to cool music like Wire, Crass, Swell Maps, Ramones, etc...<br /><br />Next: Nick Drake - <span style="font-style: italic;">Five Leaves Left</span>.<br />I was kinda of over the rock action for a while and someone said that I looked like Nick Drake since I had long hair and gave me a copy of Five Leaves Left to listen to. I wasn't into it at first because I had been conditioned to hate all things folk but it soon took over my life. Calling Nick Drake folk is like calling Garth Brooks country. No bag on folk music, I love a lot of it now because of Nick (Fairport Convention, Bert Jansch ). Nick was heavy and working on another level. I couldn't get my mind around his guitar playing and all those crazy guitar tunings. He has so much power and depth that it's hard to believe he was only 20 when he put it out and almost completely ignored in his day. I guess he wasn't into promotion but who in their right mind is? I would have to say River Man and Three hours are the one two punch - like floating in a blue dream. Joe Boyd's production, or lack of it, is perfect.<br />Pink Moon and Bryter Layter are just as good but I heard Five Leaves Left first. I hope one day I can write a song half as good and half as sad as the songs Nick wrote at 20.<br /><br />Last but not least <span style="font-style: italic;">The Velvet Underground</span>.<br />I don't remember when or how I got into VU because they were always there. I always knew about them but never really heard them. I feel VU is that way for a lot of people. Cool to mention as an influence but not really an influence - at least not directly. At some point years ago I picked up the first record used - went home, put it on Sunday Morning followed by I'm Waiting For The Man and fell in love. Sunday Morning is such a beautiful and dreamy song to put next to the one about scoring dope. I was like WTF? You can do that. All that wonderful atonal guitar noise was there too and very inspiring - nobody was doing that then. It was the summer of love and VU was in the summer of bummer along w/ Arthur Lee. Plus, they had Andy Warhol and Nico making things even more badass. It was like all the coolest people in NY started a band. It was only later after getting all their albums that I really realized how great a band they really were.<br /><br />They did it all - noise, pop, country, ballads, and always sounded like VU. I would have to say that Sterling & Lou are my biggest influences for sure. It's like Dylan says: I don't break the rules because there are no rules. VU knew that right out of the gate.<br /><br />Other albums I would like to expound upon if I had time:<br />Pavement - <span style="font-style: italic;">Crooked Rain Crooked Rain</span>; Bob Dylan - <span style="font-style: italic;">Blood On The Tracks</span>; Mile Davis - <span style="font-style: italic;">Kind Of Blue</span>; John Coltrane - <span style="font-style: italic;">A Love Supreme</span>; Felt - all their records; The Smiths....<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGO0grz1VJF0zKPpOZ64q96n7Y_XGwGElXkbynC07Msgj1pKX4bI-zyyeGU03gx-v87N8JGFenI6CIXLK0G7SwwFVJCl9eSuoj7TKazqqp3DKqhYZAmtL0zfMLr5wMY0Yo1zUHF1L4Tfdg/s1600-h/jb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGO0grz1VJF0zKPpOZ64q96n7Y_XGwGElXkbynC07Msgj1pKX4bI-zyyeGU03gx-v87N8JGFenI6CIXLK0G7SwwFVJCl9eSuoj7TKazqqp3DKqhYZAmtL0zfMLr5wMY0Yo1zUHF1L4Tfdg/s400/jb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307211134090333666" border="0" /></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. When you write a song, does it tend to be about a past experience or a present feeling? Or both...<br /></span><br />Sometimes both but often it is about the moment or the mood I'm in. I really try to write as intuitively as possible at first and then go back later and fine tune things. Sometimes songs come real fast and all at once and other times they sit around for months or even years. Then all of a sudden they pop out wanting to get finished. Other songs are kind of like old cars sitting around the front yard that you pick parts off of to make a better songs. I never push them around.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />3. Is music art? Are you an artist?</span><br /><br />Colleen says that art and music are two different things. Apples & oranges but still in the fruit family. I think that some people that make music are artists. I think Django Reinhardt is up there with Picasso or Hemingway. Coltrane is an artist. I might have written a couple songs that I might consider art but I don't think that makes me an artist. Maybe one day. I have a hard time arriving at places.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. These days are you more influenced /inspired by music or things outside of music?</span><br /><br />I'm really trying not to be influenced by music right now. It can clutter you mind - all those bands. It's hard because I love listening to music. I find a lot of inspiration in old jazz, drawing, Kerouac and his ability to string words together, nature, my band. I am always trying to look around the corner you know. I often just want to get to a certain sound or color in my music.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. What are The Spires plans for '09? </span><br /><br />We are putting out our new record called "A Way Of Seeing" in March on Beehouse and already writing for the next one. Lots of shows, hopefully. Making some groovy new friends. Just doing things The Spires' way. That is to say we keep on keeping on.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JqYGmijquvI&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JqYGmijquvI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Seth Pettersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08699608582086502063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122375131038203400.post-62805070444287746612009-02-24T15:54:00.000-08:002009-03-12T13:38:22.608-07:005 Questions with Dale Dreiling<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ft7zYzDBJHQNRhn6_-JagFMW34W5mUSTz4tt0j6pI41V2VRqZzGLZfsNPYFhgNmkWVBusrJKdBe2rcm8gUO-ohhebcEtcR5EIbbTvxV2XSU4bDcZMT8SxDMFDKk6OGArx98Za5uWJY9h/s1600-h/BlankPic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ft7zYzDBJHQNRhn6_-JagFMW34W5mUSTz4tt0j6pI41V2VRqZzGLZfsNPYFhgNmkWVBusrJKdBe2rcm8gUO-ohhebcEtcR5EIbbTvxV2XSU4bDcZMT8SxDMFDKk6OGArx98Za5uWJY9h/s400/BlankPic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306520106836051810" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.daledreiling.net/">Dale Dreiling</a> is definitely an individual. He once told me that his art was "urban". Naturally I would have to agree because I usually run into him drinking wine from the bottle, in a paper bag. He's moved up and down the west coast, searching for the best spot to dwell. For one art installment a couple of years ago, he did a series of Bill Murray paintings, that's right ghost bustin ass, Bill Murray. He's also been known to use money as a theme for some of his work, along with hobos, condemned buildings, and Richard Pryor. Apparently he likes to read too.
<br /><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Helvetica; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:536902279 -2147483648 8 0 511 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Helvetica; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:536902279 -2147483648 8 0 511 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -</style><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style="">
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<br />1. Whats the best "art-city" on the west coast, and why?<o:p></o:p></b></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >
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<br />Los Angeles.</span><span>
<br /></span></st1:place></st1:city></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >More so than whether its the best art city on the west coast or not, I like living here more than any place I've ever lived. I'm not living the ideal life yet, but since living here, I feel I've produced the work thats most true to what I have been striving for, creatively.</span>
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></st1:place></st1:city></span><span style=";font-family:Helvetica;font-size:85%;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Helvetica;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">
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<br />2. What makes good art?</span>
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<br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Two Charles Bukowski quotes:</span><o:p style="font-family: georgia;"></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"To do a dull thing with style, now THAT'S what I call art"</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-size:100%;" >"Bad taste creates many more millionaires than good taste."</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nTP4Cw-a0Hp1ifw6uJU9GqtDrmVsBEhmBv8rWm8Jrs6kbCkXU8qlssjzA_uVm2esXsdapdF5VYxHebGnPoQS8EYAB4wnhW4n7ZnnQ_ZinBiwUNsqrHqck2xi392axdKd_hWZaK9I4JUp/s1600-h/AlmostSuperhumanBlank.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 328px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nTP4Cw-a0Hp1ifw6uJU9GqtDrmVsBEhmBv8rWm8Jrs6kbCkXU8qlssjzA_uVm2esXsdapdF5VYxHebGnPoQS8EYAB4wnhW4n7ZnnQ_ZinBiwUNsqrHqck2xi392axdKd_hWZaK9I4JUp/s400/AlmostSuperhumanBlank.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306520662325656818" border="0" /></a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Helvetica; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:536902279 -2147483648 8 0 511 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">
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<br /></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;">3. If you had a time machine, where/when would you go?</span>
<br /><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Helvetica;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
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<br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I don't really know, I'm pretty happy to be where I'm at in time and space. Not everything's perfect, but this sums up how I feel: Our past makes us who we are, all we have is right now, and I have hope for the future. You should check out Chuck Palahniuk's </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">RANT</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">, it's about time travel.</span>
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<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><br />4. What was a highlight of 2008?</span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><o:p></o:p></b>
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<br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Entrance Band show at the Wicked Shamrock in Lompoc.</span>
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<br /> </span></p><span style="font-size:100%;"></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style="">
<br /></b></span></p><p style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style="">5. Has there ever been a time when you reconsidered being an artist?<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><o:p></o:p></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;">
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<br />Reconsider being an artist, no. If it’s part of who you are, it would be hard to pretend that it’s not there. More than a few times, though, I’ve needed to take a time out. Not from actual art making, but from the business side of the art world. If <i style="">that</i> was the question, then the answer would be yes.</span></p><p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-size:10;" ></span><b style=""><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeUb3PsSWRjXFqNHxJeJAKFx7qoKnYagM6A7OenbFqEqSfzP9y8Lg0FKPNPd18RoSucTtNotk9EOqa-jCaOiOAMw-nF2ltJkM3SOxZxP3UDJ0c8YPK9IHSmEiyNpOtWDjeVOj-EmixegM/s1600-h/TallTalesBlank.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 340px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeUb3PsSWRjXFqNHxJeJAKFx7qoKnYagM6A7OenbFqEqSfzP9y8Lg0FKPNPd18RoSucTtNotk9EOqa-jCaOiOAMw-nF2ltJkM3SOxZxP3UDJ0c8YPK9IHSmEiyNpOtWDjeVOj-EmixegM/s400/TallTalesBlank.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306570428234725698" border="0" /></a>Seth Pettersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08699608582086502063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122375131038203400.post-70700619522434430682009-02-18T22:45:00.000-08:002009-03-12T13:48:12.742-07:005 Questions with Randall Sena of Le Petit Protest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNl6Ov-BTp62-ow5rWua83xksa-W05Cd0iz3Df1f-wKyYc0GeNMrGCNVvoNgpjnR-AQq0ChrPH51S7ncNkQ6_2IgUZ3wrAeylG_0x7zv9uQ9IpbGn_8OTtDstoP40bf-O4k5CEEj20Wyg/s1600-h/Jonny+5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNl6Ov-BTp62-ow5rWua83xksa-W05Cd0iz3Df1f-wKyYc0GeNMrGCNVvoNgpjnR-AQq0ChrPH51S7ncNkQ6_2IgUZ3wrAeylG_0x7zv9uQ9IpbGn_8OTtDstoP40bf-O4k5CEEj20Wyg/s400/Jonny+5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304402535671134562" border="0" /></a>Randall Sena is a bad-ass in more ways than one. He showed up big time on our radar when we first saw <a href="http://www.myspace.com/lepetitprotest">Le Petit Protest</a>. He is the front man and behind the scenes guru for that band, which is currently on hiatus. A prolific songwriter by today's standards, his ear for melody and sincere lyrics are right up there with the well known greats. Get him into a conversation about nearly anything and he has a stance on the matter. He has also been know to put his foot in his mouth. Aside from LPP he also operates <a href="http://www.myspace.com/certainsparks">Certain Sparks</a>, a recording studio in his hometown of Lompoc, California. We asked him 5 questions of the "run of the mill" standard:<span style="font-weight: bold;">
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<br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia;">1. What got you started playing music? Was it inherited or was it something you discovered on your own, or through friends?</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia;">
<br /><br /><br />Well, when Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994, MTV began airing replays of Nirvana's ‘Unplugged’ appearance. I was 14 years old when I first saw a video clip for their song, ‘All Apologies’.
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<br />The naturalness of the performance, the display of actual emotion, & the bands unkempt sense of style all instantly appealed to me. I was completely awe-struck by this music group that was on my TV and yet, looked like they had just gotten out of bed, this strange crew that played their instruments without making exaggerated faces or employing an over the top sense of showmanship. These guys that seemed “poised, yet totally screwed up!”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia;">
<br />Specifically, I can remember being moved by Kurt's unique singing style.
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<br />I noticed right away that, at the very least, the music was entirely different than any music I had heard before. And even that, somehow, it expressed the doubt, confusion and hypocrisy that existed in us all.
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<br />It was completely transformative and shaped many of my ideals as a young man.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="" face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia;">I video-taped the ‘Unplugged’ performance in its entirety and would watch it literally everyday before school. One day I was at school talking about Nirvana when another student over heard me and offered to give me a poster of Kurt Cobain. He told me that he played the drums & even knew how to play some Nirvana songs.
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<br />At our first jam session I started to play Nirvana’s ‘About a Girl’, but when those drums came in FULL POWER, rendering my little acoustic guitar & borrowed 10 watt amp virtually useless -MY MIND WAS TOTALLY BLOWN. I laughed for 15 minutes straight! It was maybe the best moment of my life.
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<br />I’ve been chasing the silver shadow of that experience ever since.
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="" face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia;"><br /><br /><b>2. What are the pros and cons of being a musician in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Lompoc</st1:city></st1:place> ?</b>
<br /><br /><br />I’m not sure of any real difference between being a musician here in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Lompoc</st1:place></st1:city> or anywhere else. What excites me about writing and playing music is very personal and has very little to do external forces or geographical locale.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="" face="georgia">
<br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia;"></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIkm1mG7FYlTuGX-0weh1f2V0paO2MeyDNTC9Yi3N_9m5bkMk6O9WlYco-YscOE34wvkTm1esgjX8fSHa9iVNJNAVfZv59K367AGKH7Bq0TMuqaOKC3eCnmq86lzibu0UdB94FfoXpqr_/s1600-h/l.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIkm1mG7FYlTuGX-0weh1f2V0paO2MeyDNTC9Yi3N_9m5bkMk6O9WlYco-YscOE34wvkTm1esgjX8fSHa9iVNJNAVfZv59K367AGKH7Bq0TMuqaOKC3eCnmq86lzibu0UdB94FfoXpqr_/s400/l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304770241193019906" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="" face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia;"><b><br /><br />3. What makes a great song?</b>
<br /><br /><br />A great song is memorable lyrically and melodically. It should sound both foreign and familiar. It should exist in a realm just outside of technical prowess.<br /><br /><b>4. What gets you excited/inspires you? And on the other side of the coin, what takes the wind out of your sails?</b><br /><br />I am excited by all of life’s potentialities. I am excited by the realization that almost anything you want to can actually come true! I am inspired as a songwriter by looking in people’s windows, and imagining their stories. I am encouraged by those who have lived and continue to live with dignity, amid all the spiritual rubble.<br /><br />On the other hand, I am very aware of my own, often self imposed, limitations. I feel very, very down when I spend too much time thinking of all that I CANNOT do. I feel spaced out when I acknowledge that I may not be one of the chosen. The wind is taken from my sails when I see young people turning into their parents and their talents, & charisma going to waste.<br /><br /><b>5. When you are an old man looking back on your life, what do you hope to see? </b><br /><br />I hope to see someone who rose above the murky-murk of day-to-day life; found some fresh air up there, and made a dozen, dancing, dreams come true.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<br /><div class="Section1"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/l4cpqitNhSg&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/l4cpqitNhSg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div>Seth Pettersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08699608582086502063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122375131038203400.post-12479205369275033202009-02-01T19:57:00.000-08:002009-02-19T23:06:15.938-08:00Welcome...BLANKLAND started out as a paper fanzine which put out Issue #1 in 2005. The fanzine focuses on interviews with bands/musicians that we deem interesting and/or inspiring. Only 100 copies of the first issue were ever printed. It featured interviews with Ventura County bands: Glass and Ashes, Le Meu Le Purr, and the now defunct Holy Diver. Blankland rises again into the digital domain in an effort to save trees and time. This whole idea came to me while swinging on a swing. Enjoy the upcoming interviews!<br />-Blankland Staff<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrdMwtm6uA8WQr0aXIHc7Pv22Y-BzsdziD_JDsL6Y_M9nMjFFDfLlCLd0q8c7sqTfbeQEZwssxcYsiDIMmhVuo7Ru7100Ji0-t_7yl_xnR17b1aH5BkJ6GyBGQsp9r9Z4c9onlBdTfUNN/s1600-h/IMG_0121.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrdMwtm6uA8WQr0aXIHc7Pv22Y-BzsdziD_JDsL6Y_M9nMjFFDfLlCLd0q8c7sqTfbeQEZwssxcYsiDIMmhVuo7Ru7100Ji0-t_7yl_xnR17b1aH5BkJ6GyBGQsp9r9Z4c9onlBdTfUNN/s400/IMG_0121.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298045904858365474" border="0" /></a>Seth Pettersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08699608582086502063noreply@blogger.com0