tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66122749914057859792024-03-13T13:06:54.137-04:00DC S E T L I S TDC SETLISTVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-43641256382150649842011-05-10T07:52:00.001-04:002011-06-17T23:12:58.239-04:00"I never set out to be a musician; I just set out to a “good man” Q&A with TED GARBER, Singer/Songwriter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6HsP0IlIvuw/TfwVRkCkdDI/AAAAAAAAAZc/I-TU0QQwO2U/s1600/TED+GARBER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6HsP0IlIvuw/TfwVRkCkdDI/AAAAAAAAAZc/I-TU0QQwO2U/s400/TED+GARBER.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/tedgarbermusic">TED GARBER</a> <b><i>is a local musician who's been strumming and singing for as long as he can remember. This self proclaimed Blues Americana Rock musician has a lot of heart, soul and fellow musician-friends ready to sit in to be part of the sound that is Ted Garber. Get to know him and the new album he has coming out. </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. Blues-Americana-Rock ("leaning more toward the Rock Side!") is how you describe your music. For those who've never experienced one of your shows how does this translate? </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A. </b></i> This is the best name I have been able to come up with for describing my “sound” and my influences. I grew up idolizing my late country-folk singing father, who taught me my earliest guitar chords, solos, and songs. That’s the “Americana” end of things. Additionally, like most kids growing up the 80’s and 90’s I consumed a healthy diet of the pop-rock of the day--that, along with a hearty portion of 60‘s and 70‘s classic rock (I wore out my parents’ “Woodstock” album). However, things really came together when I went off to college in New Orleans. All that NOLA old school rhythm and blues resonated with me in a profound way, and it brought out and continues to bring out some of my favorite compositions. It only occurred to me after the fact that my self-styled classification spells “B-A-R,” which, coincidentally, is where I spent most of my 20’s (gigging and “socializing”). </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vHjasjQ7Zk&feature=related">CLICK HERE</a> TO GET A TASTE OF ONE OF HIS LATEST SHOWS AT STRATHMORE</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. You have a CD Release party happening at The Mansion at Strathmore Hall on May 13th! Congratulations! Tell us about it..</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A.</i></b> This coming Friday, May 13 at 8pm I am throwing a CD Release Party at The Mansion at Strathmore in North Bethesda, MD. The album is called “Live at Strathmore,” and like the name suggests, the songs were recorded at two SOLD OUT shows at Strathmore’s Mansion on January 12 and February 22. There will be a $2 PBR Happy Hour from 8pm-9pm. The Strathmore Fine Artists in Residence are decorating the hall special for the show. Tickets are $15, available at <a href="http://www.strathmore.org/">www.strathmore.org</a> and by calling (301) 581-5100. Parking in the Mansion Lot is FREE for this show. Strathmore Mansion is at 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, MD 20852. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. You said that this album, Live at Strathmore, "is an album of firsts", tell DC Setlist readers what you mean by that.</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A. </i></b> This “Live at Strathmore” album is the culmination of my year spent as a “Strathmore Artists in Residence, from May 2010-May 2011. The first “first” is the fact that the album is recorded at Strathmore. Until my residency began, I had never performed in that venue. Also, the songs I wrote especially for this album pushed me in new directions, even ones I did not anticipate. I wrote and recorded my first reggae song, “Hula Hoop Girl.” The same goes for my first-ever duet, “Third Time’s A Charm,” which I wrote specifically to sing with a fellow resident artist, Chelsey Green. There is my first rap song, “I Don’t Wanna Make A Baby, Baby,” my first commissioned work, “Keep It Movin’,” and this is my first live album of original material. Last but definitely not least, this marks my first time working with my Strathmore mentor, the multi-Grammy winning, Jon Carroll (Starland Vocal Band, Mary Chapin Carpenter), who helped me arrange some of these songs, and who played absolutely stellar piano on all the tracks.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. Tell us who your collaborators are on this album.</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A. </i></b> I had an amazing team for “Live at Strathmore.” My principal band members are some of the area’s best talent: the aforementioned Jon Carroll, the multi-Grammy nominated Scott Ambush (Spyro Gyra) on upright bass and the ever-popular Eddie Hartness (Eddie From Ohio) on drums and percussion. I also had some guest artists on some of the tracks including the multi-Grammy winning Cathy Fink, who plays ukulele on “Hula Hoop Girl.” My live audio engineer, Trevor Higgins, did an amazing job capturing the performances because we worked without a net. Normally, when a big band like John Mayer or Dave Matthews record live, they’re on a tremendous stage that allows for track separation, so little mistakes can be edited later. Our stage was so small, we did not have that luxury. We rehearsed our asses off, and any mistakes we made are on the record. And that’s fine with me--it proves we played this stuff live.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. You are an Artist in Residence (AIR) at Strathmore. Tell us about this program and how you got involved. </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A. </i></b> Each year since 2005, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/StrathmoreArts?ref=ts&sk=wall#%21/StrathmoreArts">The Strathmore Performing Arts Center</a> located in North Bethesda, MD invites area musical artists to submit their recordings and applications for consideration as a “Strathmore Artist in Residence (AIR).” Following that process, invitations to audition are mailed, and dozens audition for the program. Six acts are chosen annually. The program is aimed at fostering creative collaboration among emerging artists and to increase the artists’ education through workshops and connection with veteran musicians who serve as official mentors. Each artist must give two public concerts, an educational workshop and compose a commissioned work. I’m extremely grateful for this program. It really lit a fire under me. I have had the opportunity to work with a group of incredible talents who have all inspired, encouraged and supported me this last year. I hope I have done the same for them. And, I hope we will continue to work together and remain good friends going forward! </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. Congratulations on winning a WAMMIE this past February! For those who aren't familiar, what is a WAMMIE and what category did you win? </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A</i></b>. A “Wammie” is the affectionate name for a “Washington Area Music Association” award. Like the Recording Academy and “The Grammies,” <a href="http://www.wamadc.com/wama">The Washington Music Association (WAMA)</a> holds an annual awards show called “The Wammies,” and local artists receive recognition for their work. WAMA is a great organization because it recognizes the achievements of unsigned artists who would never even land on the radar of the National Recording Academy, even though they’ve sold thousands of albums and their work is outstanding. Another “first,” I won an award this year, “2010 Pop Rock Recording of the Year,” for my 2009-2010 studio album “American Rail.” I am also proud to have been nominated for the overall “Album of the Year” award and for “Pop Rock Instrumentalist of the Year” recognizing my guitar and harmonica playing.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. You have a real connection with the people who come out to your performances and during the course of our interview said, "the audience is the uncredited participant in the shows." What does that mean to you?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A.</i></b> The audience’s reactions on “Live at Strathmore” are actual. The laughs, the coughs, the screams, the clap and sing-alongs. It’s a VERY realistic and believable experience, and it’s a very, very entertaining album. But, it’s more than that. I said that the audience is the “uncredited participant” on the record because I am an entertainer who directly feeds off of the audience’s energy. My best performances often come from an enthusiastic and eager group of particpant-observers who inspire my music in real time. Having a sold out room that’s packed (literally) full of people rooting for you to play and sing your best--that brought out wonderful performances and a highly-charged dynamic.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. We recognized some of the names of the members in your band, introduce the band and tell us about all of them. </i></b><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A. </i></b> Jon Carroll Piano, Backing Vocals and Guitar on “Sunshine in Fog”: --multi-Grammy winner, founding member of The Starland Vocal Band (“Afternoon Delight”) and currently touring with Mary Chapin Carpenter. <br />
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Scott Ambush Upright Bass: Multi-Grammy nominee for his work with internationally renown jazz fusion band, Spyro Gyra, and like me, Scott is from Frederick, MD. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Eddie Hartness: drums/percussion: Eddie is the namesake of the intensely popular NOVA-based folk-rock group, Eddie From Ohio. Eddie recorded my first original song demo for me in late 2003 and has been my go-to guy ever since.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Guest Stars:</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cathy Fink: ukulele--multi-Grammy nominee and mentor, it was Cathy who gave me the idea to make the album (and pushed me to do it!).</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jason Ager: rapper--Jason and I have done several shows together. He’s a super-talented singer-songwriter in his own right. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Max Kuzmyak: trumpet: Max and I know each other from Church. He said he could play trumpet, but he never said he could play it SO WELL! He’s also a singer-songwriter, and he’s opening the CD Release Show with his band.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">John Penovich: lap steel: John actually ran front-of-house sound for the show (and did a wonderful job). But, he mentioned he could play lap steel, and he wasn’t kidding.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chelsey Green: duet vocalist: Chelsey is the other half of my duet, but truth be told, her voice carries the song. She’s amazing, and as a Strathmore AIR, she was brought in to play violin. We only “discovered” she could sing. And she sings her ass off.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. Music runs in your blood, your father was a musician. Did you always know growing up that you would be in the music business? </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A.</i></b> As a boy, I wanted to be just like my Dad in every way. He wasn’t just a musician, he was a community activist--mowing the lawn for the church and looking out for elderly neighbors, and shoveling snow for old ladies, and announcing at little league games. My Dad’s music came from his humility, his gentle soul, and his profound love of people. I never set out to be a musician; I just set out to a “good man” like him. But, one day, he called my younger brother and I into the family room, and sitting next to my Mom, he told us that he had cancer. Over the next 18 months, I watched my hero--a 3rd Degree Black Belt, Marathon running, non-drinking, non-smoking, 6’4” athlete--disintegrate into an emaciated melanoma victim. I felt I needed to carry a torch for him. Music had always been my passion and my first love, but it became a mission, a vain attempt to keep him alive. It took me a long time to start playing and singing for myself, but I think he would be proud of the man and the musician I have become (and continue to become). </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. What are the 5 songs & artists that have been looping on your iPod this week?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A. </i></b> This is going to make you laugh, but I almost never listen to artists who sound similar to me, so here is what I have been jamming to this week:</div><ol style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><li>“DJ GOT US FALLING IN LOVE”: Usher</li>
<li>“NO HANDS”: Waka Flocka Flame</li>
<li>“JUDAS”: Lady Gaga</li>
<li> “FORGET YOU” Cee-Lo</li>
<li> “ROLLING IN THE DEEP”: ADELE</li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xUjCZQek-p8/TfwVj7XdawI/AAAAAAAAAZg/rOhbfcDDKv8/s1600/TED+GARBER+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xUjCZQek-p8/TfwVj7XdawI/AAAAAAAAAZg/rOhbfcDDKv8/s640/TED+GARBER+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-89523424177430341242011-04-26T10:56:00.003-04:002011-06-15T00:35:22.127-04:00"The music is creation and thus it is sexual energy..." Q&A with FEDERICO AUBELE<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vOP9S91Fd-Y/Tfg0fWNo9PI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/HoYf6jHpBF0/s1600/FEDERICO+AUBELE+HEAD+SHOT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vOP9S91Fd-Y/Tfg0fWNo9PI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/HoYf6jHpBF0/s640/FEDERICO+AUBELE+HEAD+SHOT.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/federicoaubele">FEDERICO AUBELE</a> <strong><em></em></strong><em></em><strong><em> played an amazing show last night at the Rock-N-Roll Hotel where Washingtonians got to experience his fourth studio album, BERLIN 13, live. The elements of this album include dub, electronica, acoustic guitar with Latin & European undertones. His voice and the music are sultry; now get to know the man... </em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong>Q. Let's get down to brass tacks. Tell fans where they can find, get a taste of, and ultimately buy your new album </strong></em><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Becw0nnN-PQ">BERLIN 13</a><em><strong></strong></em><em><strong> (we haven't stopped listening to it by the way!)? </strong></em></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong>A.</strong></em> They can check it out and get it on iTunes, Amazon, E Music, the <a href="http://www.eslmusic.com/shop/albumDetail/berlin_13">ESL MUSIC SHOP</a>. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. You've said that you've always been fascinated by electronica and that this album has more of an "electronic element" running through it then your previous albums. Do you ever feel pressure to make sure that your sound is constantly evolving? </em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A. </em></strong> I like to make my sound evolve. It's basically a reflection of how you are. There are certain elements of you personality that always remain constant, and other aspects you change. With the music is the same, some elements define your work and others you change, thus evolving and changing. I don't think it's a good thing for an artists to remain static.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. We loved it when you were explaining that you can manipulate electronica more like a painter then a musician. Please share with our readers how that process works for you.</em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A.</em></strong> I think technology got to the point where, if you work with electronic media, you can really create and finish your work, pretty much like a painter or a writer, without having to go through a lot of other people. Painters don't have to go through a sound engineer, a guy that mixes, another guy that does the mastering, etc. It's a much more direct creative experience and I think that is great.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. You are on the ESL Music Label. How did you originally hook up with Eric Hilton and Rob Garza of Thievery Corporation? </em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong>A.</strong></em> I sent them a demo, years ago. Eric wrote me back an email with notes for every song on the CD. He told me to send him more tracks whenever I was ready. I think i sent him about 3 demos total and then he said that they liked my work and that they wanted to have me on the label.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. We love your video </em></strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO2_mLNhIpI">Bohemian Rhapsody in Blue</a><strong><em></em></strong><em> </em><strong><em>. Tell us what the filming of that video was like; you filmed it in England, no? </em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F3wpjS0v2m8/Tfg1o_jTj0I/AAAAAAAAAZU/k8olTF1qgd8/s1600/FEDERICO+WALKING+AWAY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F3wpjS0v2m8/Tfg1o_jTj0I/AAAAAAAAAZU/k8olTF1qgd8/s320/FEDERICO+WALKING+AWAY.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A.</em></strong> We filmed in London, in Stock Newington, which is a really nice area. We shot mostly indoors, but there were some scenes we had to do in a Park. I remember that while we were shooting, there were some older guys that work in the Park looking at us. They were very curious with what we were doing and kept commenting and talking to us in such a thick cockney accent, that none of us could figure out what they were saying.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. What is your studio at home in Brooklyn like? You mentioned that you loved the fact that today's technology allows you to do it yourself.</em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong>A.</strong></em> My studio is very computer based. I have a pair of really nice monitors, a nice pre-amp, a really good <Photo 2>mike, some guitars, a bass and a bunch of MDI controllers. The rest I do inside the computer, it's all good software. Some years ago technology was still not that good and you would need a lot more hardware. This works well for me because of how i work and the type of music that I make. If you have an acoustic Jazz trio, you might need to go to an actual recording studio, it's a different scenario.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. Your tour has officially kicked off! Where else will you be performing? </em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A.</em></strong> We go to Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Aspen, then to the west coast, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, L.A., San Diego, Las Vegas and Austin, and we finish the tour in NYC, at the Gramercy Theatre.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. During our interview it came out that you bartered guitar lessons for learning how to read tarot cards in your native Argentina. You still read cards today. What do you primarily use this unique skill for now? </em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A. </em></strong> I use it mostly as a self analyzing tool. It helps you a lot to get in touch with your subconscious and figure out things. Most people relate it to seeing the future, or asking questions about love and fortune. But for me it works really well to communicate with myself.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong>Q. We spoke a little bit about your interest in psychology and how you feel that both creative energy and sexual energy come from the same place. How would you say this has manifested in your work? </strong></em></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A. </em></strong> Sexual energy is what makes humans relate to one another and in some cases reproduce. It's a very powerful thing. I red somewhere that the energy that makes you want to have sex with someone and the one that makes you want to be friends with some people is the same, the difference is just in the dose, but it is all attraction. The music is creation and thus it is sexual energy, whether your music sounds obviously sensual or not, it's the same energy that powers it.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. Caring for the environment is a top priority for you. What is one way you think each American can make a big difference starting tomorrow? One little change that can have an impact? </em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A.</em></strong> One little change goes a long way. Just simple things like using your own grocery tote bags when you go shopping instead of bringing back home a lot of plastic bags. That already helps a lot. Recycling is very important too, but ultimately, the less amount of trash you generate, the better.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. What are the 5 songs and artists that have been looping on your iPod this week? </em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A.</em></strong> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1) Actress - Hubble</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2) Lone - Ultramarine</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3) Gonja Sufi - Ancestors</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4) A Certain Ratio - Shack Up</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5) Mala - Don't Let me Go</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-254743580201330082011-04-25T08:43:00.001-04:002011-06-15T00:24:12.622-04:00"Folk songs in the debris..." Q&A with Aaron Thompson, DC singer/song writer.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uqv8a8JLE-0/TfgylT2o00I/AAAAAAAAAZI/hH6RYzZV1E4/s1600/aaron+thompson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uqv8a8JLE-0/TfgylT2o00I/AAAAAAAAAZI/hH6RYzZV1E4/s640/aaron+thompson.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Meet Aaron Thompson and his band aptly named, the Aaron Thompson band! We met Aaron almost a year ago while he was performing at a local art maven's birthday soirée. His soft, earthy sound was memorable and we're glad to see things taking root in this budding musical career. Read on to see what projects he's got in queue.</em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. So give us the details of the cool gig you have coming up this Thursday night at the Renwick Gallery in DC?</em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong>A.</strong></em> The show we played at the American Art Museum in January worked really well, so the Renwick Gallery asked me to play at Handi-hour, an arts & crafts happy hour with home brewed beer from Churchkey. Janel Leppin (janelleppin.com) and Lex Paulson will be playing with me and the boys on cello and piano. We recorded parts separately for my first album (aaronthompson.bandcamp.com) and this will be the first time we're all playing together. The show is next Thursday, April 28th at 5:30 and cover is $15. Beer's included! More info here - <a href="http://bit.ly/hOxjnd">http://bit.ly/hOxjnd</a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong>Q. How would you describe your bands style and who influenced you musically growing up?</strong></em></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A. </em></strong> We play folk songs in the debris of the music we've listened to growing up. Some may not be folk but they all tell stories and build on that, and we try to make all the parts work with the story. Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan and Jeff Buckley had a lot of influence on me growing up. When I was a kid there was always classical piano music in the house, and I went through a punk phase in high school before I heard Jeff Buckley. He covered Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah and I knew that was the kind of music I wanted to play. Only I had to shift it a little because my voice isn't so angelic:]</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. You mentioned that you've got a mini-southern tour coming up. What towns & clubs are you hitting?</em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A.</em></strong> It started Friday and we played at The Garage in Charlottesville. Then there's Gillie's and a small show inside a silo in Blacksburg, The Billups Art Gallery in Nashville and then back up to DC for the Renwick show. I have a show in Baltimore at Golden West Cafe May 7th and The Living Room in New York on May 18th. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. What was it like filming the video of your song <a href="http://vimeo.com/18708920">A Record A Wheel Video</a>? The result was amazing.</em></strong> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A.</em></strong> Thanks. It was cold, and it was hunting season:) <a href="http://vimeo.com/chriskeener/videos">Chris Keener</a> is a great producer and working with him on this one was a lot of fun. His family owns a cabin up in PA in the middle of nowhere, and we found some train tracks nearby that fit the mood of the song. We played it a few times til the sun went down and went back to the cabin. O yes, and I made it out of that wreck alive somehow. The driver is probably scarred for life.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. You recently returned from an epic trip cross country where one of the high lights was getting to play at <a href="http://sxsw.com/">SXSW</a>! Tell us about that experience. </em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A.</em></strong> I met up with the boys from Wandering Hat a few months ago to talk about making a music video and they mentioned they were getting ready to drive a Winnebago across the country and had an extra spot. I immediately jumped on board. We drove to California and back and I set up a few shows along the way. The good people at the Blind Pig Pub in Austin let me play there during SXSW under the condition that I'd have a backing band, so I got in touch with a band from San Antonio and they were all in. The day before they cancelled on me and while I was grieving to Jess Dye (<a href="http://myspace.com/lightfootva">myspace.com/lightfootva</a>) she offered to sing harmony and play drums. So she saved the day. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The new video was shot by the house boats in Sausalito, CA. Sonya Harway lives out there and sings the harmony part. <a href="http://vimeo.com/22725947">CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO of Houses In Water</a> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. What and who is behind <a href="http://www.wanderinghat.com/">Wandering Hat Production</a>? </em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A.</em></strong> Wandering Hat is a few filmmakers from Falls Church who make some really great short videos. One of my favorites is a video called December 15th (<a href="http://wanderinghat.com/?p=314">wanderinghat.com/?p=314</a>). Brian Stansfield started it and now they all work as one living, breathing organism that runs on coffee and microprocessors. It's pretty incredible to watch.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. For those who want to track you down please provide us with the name of your Youtube Channel and the link for your website!</em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A. </em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Youtube - <a href="http://youtube.com/twilightparademusic">youtube.com/twilightparademusic</a> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Website - <a href="http://aaronthompson.us/">aaronthompson.us</a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Facebook - <a href="http://facebook.com/aaronthompsonmusic%20and%20twitter%20at%20twitter.com/aaronthompson_%20">Aaron Thompson Facebook Page</a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. How do you find new music these days? Pandora? SoundCloud? </em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A. </em></strong> Mostly through good friends. I've found a lot of great music on Pandora.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q. What are the 5 songs and artists that have been looping on your iPod this week? </em></strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A.</em></strong> Leonard Cohen - Chelsea Hotel, PJ Harvey - Battleship Hill, Tom Waits - Hoist That Rag, The Jesus & Mary Chain - Dirty Water, Wild Nothing - Chinatown</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-55097525294074006492011-04-25T00:46:00.013-04:002011-06-17T23:21:23.572-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LSqkh9dGKGM/TfwYFssdxUI/AAAAAAAAAZk/FOHkZVXz5i4/s1600/Federico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LSqkh9dGKGM/TfwYFssdxUI/AAAAAAAAAZk/FOHkZVXz5i4/s640/Federico.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> FEDERICO AUBELE at the ROCK-N-ROLL HOTEL 4/25/2011Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-72148502832168194552011-04-17T12:42:00.003-04:002011-06-15T00:08:31.715-04:00IMPRESSIONS FROM THE ROAD: Tour Diary by HASH VYAS from THIEVERY CORPORATION<div class="tweet-row"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9M-p1fTeHx0/TfgrYhpeZPI/AAAAAAAAAZA/f4xrYwxzyaA/s1600/Hash_SXSW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9M-p1fTeHx0/TfgrYhpeZPI/AAAAAAAAAZA/f4xrYwxzyaA/s640/Hash_SXSW.jpg" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" width="426" /></a></div><div class="tweet-text pretty-link"><span class="at"></span></div><div class="tweet-text pretty-link"><span class="at"></span></div><div class="tweet-text pretty-link"></div><div class="tweet-text pretty-link"></div><div class="tweet-text pretty-link" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="tweet-text pretty-link" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Introducing Hash Vyas, best known as the bassist for Thievery Corporation. Hash provides the hard driving bass line we've all come to recognize and groove to not only for Thievery but for many other musical projects he has going with bands known both locally and internationally. Hash has put together a diary that includes his insights while on tour these last few months, check it out... </i></b> </div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>What follows is a show log or tour diary of the past month! Different bands, different styles, different places! At the end of it all, what I really got from it was a desire to get my own thing off the ground! I’ve been playing the sideman role for the past 5 years and feel like it is time for me to get busy again. I’ve dug not having to deal with a band and being a bandleader, but it’s something that I know and am familiar with. After 10 plus years with GGGAH, I got a little burnt out, but the flame has been re-ignited! </b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>March 5th: Sun Wolf at Sofar DC </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yeah, you can say “crazy show,” about this one. We arrived at the house party from American Ice Company and we were definitely in a rock and roll state of mind! Our fearless leader Kalani was in a very excited mood for the gig! The previous night he mentioned to me that he wanted to set his guitar on fire and I quickly had to tell him that was a bad idea for 2 reasons. First, you can’t burn a guitar anymore! Jimi Hendrix already did it and that’s that! Second, I happened to be in Rhode Island (that’s where my parents live) when the whole Great White fire fiasco happened! Pyrotechnics can be a good thing in rock, but you need to have qualified people around who know what’s up! If not, it can be a real bad idea! Here’s a clip of the first song we did… Since the pyro was out, we just got a little wild!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_86274211"><br />
</a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://iamsunwolf.com/2011/03/08/tiger-blood"><b><i>SUNWOLF</i></b></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i> March 10th: Frank Mitchell Jr. at the W Hotel, DC</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is one of the projects I’m involved with right now that I’m very excited about! For those of you who are not aware of FMJ, he’s the sax player in <a href="http://www.thieverycorporation.com/"><b><i>Thievery Corporation</i></b></a> and <b><i><a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/seei">SEE-i</a></i></b>. He’s been on the scene in DC for years and is now fashioning himself as a singer/songwriter. The vibe is a very funk, soul, and disco groove thing. This was his second live performance and it was a little awkward. I say this because the stage wasn’t really fit for a band. The hotel had a DJ booth directly in the center of the stage and we had to figure out where to fit. Yes, we were aware that initially it was only going to be the DJ duo Ancient Astronauts performing, but things changed at the last minute. We’re an 8 piece band, two horns, bass, guitar, congas, keys, drums and FMJ singing and occasionally blowing sax. I ended up playing on the floor because of the lack of space and the fact that I like being with the people! Stages sometimes take the audience participation away. It becomes more of a movie type thing where people stare and usually stand several feet away from the stage. Instead, I feel we should all be partying together. Which is why I’ll usually use that semi-circle in front of the band as a dance floor! If the crowd’s not using it, well, I will! I think the show was good, but it was hard to judge the crowd reaction. I think it had a lot to do with it being a party and not a proper show.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>March 12th: Thievery Corp at The 9 Mile Music Fest, Miami, FL</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Arrived on the 11th</i></b>, barely getting sleep from the previous night’s FMJ show. We got to Miami and it was very chilly, I was hoping for a little warmth, but that wasn’t the case. On top of that, the promoter had us out in the suburbs of Miami by the mall. A solid half hour away from anything fun! That sucked! Usually we’re in a hotel on South Beach, but we happened to be in town at the same time as the <a href="http://wintermusicconference.com/thelist"><b><i>The Winter Music Conference</i></b></a> and hotels were either sold out or super pricey. Outside of the weather and lodging, it was a blast! We were playing what in essence was the Bob Marley festival. Julian, Kymani, Damien and the rest of the extended family were performing. The location was Bayfront Park. We played there last October while we were on tour with Massive Attack, however instead of playing in the amphitheater we were set up in the actual park. Our set was super short! It was about 55 minutes, which compared to our 2 hour plus marathons, was as easy as taking a walk in the park (pun intended!)! I really like the short festival sets because we usually just destroy it! It’s pretty much all up tempo bangers and that translates well with festival crowds who tend to be inundated with bands and mood altering substances!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>March 15-19: <a href="http://sxsw.com/">SXSW [AUSTIN, TX]</a> </b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Tuesday the 15th</i></b>, I arrived early in the afternoon and had a gig that night with Nappy Riddem at the Copa. NR consists of DJ/producer/percussionist Rex Riddem and vocalist Mustapha Akbar. When performing live they are join by drummer Jeff Franca and sometimes myself. It’s funk, soul, and electronic based stuff. We played a Jeff Strange/Papa Chop party and all I can say is that those guys have there shit together! My friend Marcos, who goes by the name Chico Man, played earlier in the night and was awesome! If you get a chance to check him out, do so!!! We went on last around 1 am and there was still a decent crowd there. The highlight of the set had to be when Rex started to play Jeff’s cymbals with his hand and accidentally knocked it off its stand. The cymbal ended up slicing my cable in two pieces. At first I thought I had pulled the cable out of the amp, I’ve been known to do that, but quickly realized what happened. Within seconds, which felt like minutes, we were able to change out the cable. At the end of the show, it was pretty funny, but living through it is a different story! Unnecessary stress!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU6ktKpkF94"><b><i>NAPPY RIDDEM</i></b></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9sR_xI8AmZE/TfgrzHvnszI/AAAAAAAAAZE/K-VBq2hcDZQ/s1600/Rob+Garza+and+Mustafa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9sR_xI8AmZE/TfgrzHvnszI/AAAAAAAAAZE/K-VBq2hcDZQ/s320/Rob+Garza+and+Mustafa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Wednesday the 16th</i></b>, this was the official first day of the music portion of SXSW. The film stuff happens the previous week. Yes, it was a complete cluster fuck as it has been in the past. I had already attended 3 of these back in 2002, 2004, and 2006 with my old band Gogogo Airheart. Back then we thought we were contenders and tried to do all the hustling and schmoozing shit that goes on with the festival. However, this time around I was playing in 3 different bands which I didn’t have any personal commitments to other than playing and having to perform my best! It was great not having to meet anyone for business purposes. I got to hang and meet people just because, without some bid agenda. That was nice! Early in the day I headed over to the Virgin/C3 house on Red River across from Stubb’s. <a href="http://www.c3presents.com/"><b><i>C3 PRESENTS</i></b></a> manages TC and our tour manager was performing there with his hybrid DJ crew Lance Herbstrong. Check these guys out if you get a chance. They’re pretty much a mash up unit, but live they have ex-Porno for Pyros guitarist Pete DiStefano with them. He does a pretty interesting Jimmy Page thing with the bow, but again like the fire thing, it’s pretty hard to swallow since Jimmy Page made it so famous. Who knows, maybe you can combine the burning guitar and bow thing together and make it something new. Just need to make sure the bow hairs don’t burn. Rob Garza followed them with a DJ set and rocked it! I dig what he spins, most people expect mellow lounge-y shit and instead he drops a lot of heavy psych-groove stuff! Keep on fucking with them Rob!!! Later that night I performed with Sun Wolf at the Green Garage. This was a 4th Cut Presents showcase and unfortunately had to be relocated from their original space. Initially the spot was going to be right next to downtown, but the organizers and authority decided to shutdown all un-official parties. Which led to relocating further outside of downtown. We went on last and there weren’t many people there, but we did rock it!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Thursday the 17th</i></b>, St. Patrick’s Day. Yes, there was a lot of green all around! My first gig of the day was at the Virgin/C3 house with Frank Mitchell Jr. Eight of us were cramped up on a tiny stage, the energy was great even though the performance was a little shaky. It was pretty much a warm up for the evening ESL/Fort Knox/Tru Thoughts/Dubspot party that was set up once again by Strange and Papa Chop. The spot was killer. It was an outdoor rooftop bar and it was almost a full moon. I was a beautiful night! Opening the show was Nappy Riddem and I think it went very well. Musically we sounded great and the people who were there were receptive. It was early and not really crowded yet. By the time I played with FMJ again, it was on! The Funk Ark played before us and destroyed it! Those guys are on fire right now and if you get a chance to check them out, you will not be disappointed. Yeah, from the name you can guess what type of stuff they play, however right now they’re on a heavy afrobeat tip, it’s very tight and very danceable. The Funk Ark is FMJ’s backing band. Trading me out for their bass player. It’s hard for me to describe the energy of the FMJ set, we smoked it and we could tell, because the people loved it! Frank was on point, as was the band! Highlights of the night included Ocete Soul Sound and The Empersarios. Speaking of the Empersarios, have you listened to there debut release on <a href="http://www.fortknoxrecordings.com/"><b><i>FORT KNOX RECORDINGS</i></b></a>? If not, go out and get it! You’ll be in for a heavy, funky, Latin, dance party! Right on, Javier! </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Friday the 18th</i></b>, during the afternoon I had a moment once again at the Virgin/C3 house playing with a good friend of mine Felix Pacheco on one cut with his ensemble Cilantro Boom Box. It was 2 horn players, a lead singer, plus Frank O. of Poi Dog Pondering/Thievery Corporation playing percussion and back up singing (Frank that Happy Mondays song you went into fucking rules!!!) with Felix playing bass and triggering samples! Very cool stuff!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Later on in the night I was part of the 2nd un-official showcase presented by <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/4thCut"><b><i>4th CUT PRESENTS</i></b></a>, because of the change in location and distance from everything else happening in town, this show was sparsely attended. Regardless, it didn’t matter that it lacked attendees. The show that night had some amazing bands! I played with NR and FMJ that night. The Funk Ark, Empersarios and Ocete all performed too. However, I was really excited by The Echocentrics. It’s Adrian Quesada and several others from Ocete with vocals from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/pages/Natalia-Clavier/19078156081"><b><i>NATALIA CLAVIER</i></b></a> from TC and Brazilian Tita Lima. As described on there website, they are “a southern-fried, laid back, and psychedelic-tinged” outfit. Keep a look out for these guys! </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Saturday the 18th</i></b>, I flew back home after 4 days of some serious “partying” and lack of sleep! I went to bed at 8:45pm and woke up the next morning at noon! Was it worth it? I guess I can say yes, but only cause I wasn’t trying to push a product other than myself. I met some cool people who might help me out in the future, but even if they don’t, it was still great to meet them! Extra shout out to Strange and Papa Chop!!! Thank you guys!!!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>March 26th: Natalia Clavier at the Gibson Showcase, DC</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This was a 3 song showcase, where I played on 2 songs. It was a BYT party with hosts Matthew Hemerline and Seaton Smith. It was music and comedy! <a href="http://www.saraschaefer.com/"><b><i>SARA SCHAEFER</i></b></a> and Brooke Van Poppelen were the guest comedians. Sara is head blogger for Jimmy Fallon show and she was great! Very funny stuff! Brooke came on after her and continued the laughs! I love when music is combined with other forms of entertainment. Seeing a bunch of bands in a row can get tiring, especially when some bands just plain suck! Other than that, I really dig the Gibson Showroom! There are a bunch of them around the country and are usually invite only. Even though I’m not a user of Gibson basses, I do love looking at and playing them. Many, many years ago I owned a 1968 EBO and completely dug it. Mostly because I love Jack Bruce and Andy Fraser and they used to use them in Cream and Free for those of you who don’t know who they are. However, I’ve always had issues with the neck being kind of heavy and that’s why I don’t use any these days! Regardless, the spot rocks and you do too Lora! I hope to play more shows there in future!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>March 27th: Mars Volta at the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/930club">9:30 CLUB</a> (show review) </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I know these guys from my GGGAH days. We shared the same label (GSL) and Omar eventually bought into it, so technically he was my boss. It was billed as the Omar Rodriguez Group, but in actuality was the Mars Volta. I guess it all depends on whether Cedric wants to sing or not. Got there as soon as they began and witnessed an hour and twenty minutes of what looks to be their upcoming record! These guys are pretty amazing! I remember seeing them when they started, and it was kind of a continuation of At the Drive In, you know short songs. However, these days they have become more jam based, but not the hippie type shit! More King Crimson and dare I say it, YES! Cedric reminds me of a cooler looking version of Jon Anderson! Sorry man, it’s just not that Robert Plant! If these guys come back to town, YOU BETTER BE THERE!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_86274279"><br />
</a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe3gCZ5D1ek">OMAR RODRIGUEZ</a></i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>March 30 – April 4: SEE-I in Colorado</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>March 30</i></b>, I finally got the weekly gig 18th Street Lounge gig. I’ve been playing with these guys for several years now, but only on out of town gigs. It’s nice to feel like you are truly part of the band and not just the out of town guy. However, this gig was like playing with the B team. Rob Myers (guitar) and Jeff Franca (drums) were out of town in Colorado with the Fort Knox 5 live band and that left us with a new drummer and guitar player. To sum things up, let’s just say it was a little loose! Not bad, just loose!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>March 31st</i></b>, left the lounge at 3 am and had to catch an 8 am flight. Didn’t get much sleep before the flight and didn’t get any good sleep on the plane. We flew to Denver and then transferred to Aspen. Seems like I’m up there all the time these days. I’ve been there 8 times for gigs in the last 2 years and I’ll be out later in the summer twice with Thievery Corporation again on separate occasions. We played at the Belly Up, which is a great intimate venue that everyone plays. It holds about 400 people and the owner Michael Goldberg rules! I’m not sure how aware you are these days about the Medical Marijuana situation in Colorado, but it’s like the wild, wild, west out there! Let’s just say that SEE-I is a reggae/P-funk band and… there was a lot of smoking and eating going on!!! If you know what I mean! We managed to rock the spot even though we weren’t fully rested, but again I think the medicine made it happen! Oh how I (we) love Colorado!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoGwk4lYZ9g&feature=related">SEE-I VIDEO</a></i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>April 1st</i></b>, we headed out to Fort Collins and played at the Aggie Theater. I always wanted to play here with my old band, but we never got around to playing anywhere outside of Denver before heading east or back home to San Diego. That said, we were doing this run of shows with Fort Collins local band Dub Skin and had hoped for more of a turn out, but who knows what else was going on that night. This show actually turned out to be pretty good considering the long drive from Aspen.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>April 2nd</i></b>, we played at Cervantes in Denver. This show was a private party put on by some company that supplies materials for hydroponic setups. We happened to be in Denver during the Cannabis Cup. Yep! You heard right! I was pretty crazy for all the right reasons! We slammed the crowd and it showed by the response in between songs! After we rocked it, Charlie 2na, from Jurassic 5 fame followed. He had a three piece band. Keys, bass and Fish from Fishbone on drums! They were amazing! I’d like to give a big shout out to Scott the owner of Cervantes! Great club and thanks for letting me crash at your place!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdAYLYwTI1o&feature=related">SEE-I Video LIVE in Colorado</a></i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>April 3rd</i></b>, we were supposed to play in Breckenridge, but encountered a freak snowstorm. Less than 24 hours earlier it was 85 degrees in Denver, record temperatures. Now it was hailing which eventually turned into snow. The I-70 freeway was shutdown and that led to the cancellation of the gig. Thanks to local promoter Adam Stroul and our tour manager Andy Cerutti we were able to put together a last minute gig at Quixote’s. Wow, what a crazy place and crazy vibe! We were on after a Grateful Dead cover band in a venue that was filled wall to wall with Grateful Dead tour posters and stickers! Okay, I will admit, I love the Dead (!!!), but the guy who owned this place REALLY loves the Dead! This show turned out to be incredible! My rule throughout the years has always been Sundays and Mondays suck pretty much everywhere in the world unless you’re in a popular group, but we managed to have about 300 hundred people in there! The place was pretty much packed!!! It also turned out to be one of the best gigs that I’ve ever had with these guys. We played for 2 and half hours! Our second set was heavily improvised and the crowd loved it! What do you expect from people who just watched a GD cover band! That show, ended the 4 day trip with a trip!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>April 4th</i></b>, headed back to DC and played the Wednesday night lounge gig a couple of days later! This time with the A team!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Can’t wait to get out of town again!!!</b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Ashish Vyas (aka HASH) is a bassist currently residing in Washington, DC, playing with the aforementioned bands plus who knows who in and out of town! </b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-50418400862938426652011-04-10T20:57:00.003-04:002011-04-17T02:16:09.183-04:00A "dirtier type of energy with distinctive contradiction." Q&A with Don from Presto Bando!<div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jAQqMnYsAGM/TaJSZf54GDI/AAAAAAAAAX8/3LknXcopd44/s1600/Don+Presto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jAQqMnYsAGM/TaJSZf54GDI/AAAAAAAAAX8/3LknXcopd44/s640/Don+Presto.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b><br />
</b></i></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b>Check out our latest Q&A with Don from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/PrestoBando">PRESTO BANDO</a> let us in on everything from walking the line between discomfort and joy to "male-to-male peanut butter/fluffer nutter regurgitation" to "crowd chants and horseplay." Never a dull moment with this crew or their music!</b></i></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><b><i>Q: How did you come up with the name of the band, Presto Bando?</i></b></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b>A:</b></i> Presto Bando was a nickname that my father called me growing up. I thought it was a good fit for a band being that I wanted to just show up, plug in, play, and entertain. As a band, we only wanted to deal with absurdity in our music, we didn’t want to have to tune or return text messages or advertise ourselves in any way. Our first logo was a play off of oxy clean. At first we wanted the band to be experienced as an instantaneous aid and ode to existence. Something to make your derangement a little easier because you see how worse off other people are. Then the band sort of shifted to, “What if you ate the oxy clean? What if we were an audio emetic?” We wanted to become a band that you go to shows to experience, to walk the line between discomfort and enjoyment. To shake you loose of the soundtrack of your daydreams and the songs you play loud in your car or sing in the shower. We wanted our performances to illustrate the old, dirtier type of energy with distinctive contradiction. </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b>Q: Share with us how you came together as a band.</b></i></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b> A:</b></i> I previously played in an experimental improvisational band with our bass player Corey called Evokiai. We met in school and played in this band from our late teens through our early twenties. In our late stages we believed only in improvising songs. Anything previously written was unacceptable. We would come up with everything on the spot, lyrics and all, and hope the recorder was working so we could remember what we had played. Our last performance as Evokiai came at Artomatic in 2009. We wrote/performed/improvised a ballet that captured the beauty and abrasiveness we were always in search for. Corey then moved south to Alabama to try and spill some oil.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"> Following this, I played in a rockabilly band with our drummer Evan called Skin Pink Outfit. Evan helped hone the wild sound so that other people might be able to enjoy our records. As just a guitar and drum duo, we felt freer to experiment live. I would take the mic and dance; Evan would pick up the guitar, strumstick, or keys. Eventually our shows became performance art. Some lucky readers may remember a night at Solly’s on U Street about a year ago that involved male-to-male peanut butter/fluffer nutter regurgitation. We made a record that sounds so innocent now called “Shelves of People”.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">Corey moved back a week before the gulf oil spill and we all decided to start a new group. I was very unstable at the time, being that in the span of a few days I had seen a blackened dolphin gutted and scentless on a beach, and then a few days after saw a bald eagle in a tree in College Park, MD. We carried this animal instability into our first group project, the Washington Post Pet Songs competition. We recorded a rendition of a tune about my dog “Stella” being a four-legged vacuum cleaner. We did not win or place in this competition, though I truly believed they never received our submission because we mailed it on the last possible day and I refused to donate change to the gulf cleanup cause. We have been going strong ever since. </div><div class="photo photo_right" style="clear: right; color: #333333; float: right; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding: 2px 0px 5px 10px; width: 180px;"><div class="photo_img" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=216459138369628&set=o.216646581683413" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><img class="img" src="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/215336_216459138369628_131952736820269_993955_5319071_a.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px;" /></a></div></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b>Q: We understand you have a new CD coming out in about 2 weeks, how exciting! Tell us about it.</b></i></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><b><i>A</i></b>: We picked the ten songs that we felt had the most time to settle into the saddle. We recorded them all live and only added backing vocals after. We wanted to make something more understated than our live shows, something that represents the calmness and melodic density within each song. Also, I wanted people to be able to hear what I was singing about. The CD can be downloaded from our <a href="http://www.prestobando.com/">PRESTO BANDO WEBSITE</a> starting on Sunday April 10th. It is free on the internet and free at our shows. The physical CD's will be hand-stamped and individually numbered to validate it as an authentic copy.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b>Q: What was your first experience in the studio as a band like? Challenges? Pleasant surprises? </b></i> </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b>A:</b></i> Our only disagreement was where to go for lunch on our main day of recording. We decided on McDonald’s and I swear my Fish Filet had a piece of tail or some other nautical lump in it. This only served as a Proustian moment, the dead dolphin and our beginnings returned to consciousness and reopened the doors of our original purpose. It was then I realized that we were sitting in the middle of a bunch of youth soccer teams and their parents, babies being fed fries and then bottles the next minute. We looked different. We were feeling the eyes of everyone in the establishment. We were making a record.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">The hardest part of recording was finding the line between our over-the-top live shows and the song-as-a-precious-gift approach the studio can sometimes engender. We enjoyed the rare experience of playing live and being able to hear what each other was doing. It was the first real time we heard ourselves as a band and not just the screams and drunken fumbling we have come to expect from each other. That we are all competent musicians was the most pleasant surprise. </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b>Q: Do you Tweet? What's your Twitter handle?</b></i> </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><b><i>A:</i></b> Yes we tweet. Our band is @PrestoBando. </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b>Q: For those who've never heard your music before, describe your style & feel</b></i>.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b><br />
</b></i></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b><br />
</b></i></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b>A:</b></i> We play a variety of styles, all accompanied by the phrase "high energy". We have a strong blues influence, as well as an experimental edge. We sound a little abrasive the first time or two you hear us but once the melodies become understood people find we are a pop band. Take a listen to the new record and decide for yourself. We are an American band. <i><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X516IteE7c" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X516IteE7c">(Click here to get a taste!)</a></b></i></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><b><i>Q: When and where are your upcoming shows?</i></b></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><b><i>A:</i></b> On Saturday April 18th we will be playing a matinee show at <i><b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Baked-and-Wired/134625793248511" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Baked-and-Wired/134625793248511">Baked and Wired</a></b></i> in Georgetown from 1pm to 3pm. Come by and get some coffee and cupcakes at a spot that has been very supportive of us and other local artists. Later that night we will be playing at The Red Door in Chinatown staring at 8:30 with our friends Paperhaus, Lithia Corsica, and Pree. Then on May 7th we will be playing at The Alley Cat in Alexandria, VA at 9pm. Check our website for addresses and more details. </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b>Q: Tell us about the Ballet/Performance Art show you're putting together for June. Sounds cool. </b></i></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b>A:</b></i> Our last ballet had live music and classical/modern dance. The storyline was influenced by, but not parallel to, Greek and Roman spirituality, gender discomfort and domestic abuse/cunning. This new project being performed on Saturday, June 18th will be more performance art. It will be live music along with prerecorded clips and other theatrical elements. The story will be based around a fantasy soccer player, Donald "Horsehair" Fabuelonna, who has been an obsessive daydream of mine for the past two years. I wanted to give these thoughts extension so the majority of my daydreams from my early twenties did not go to waste. We are planning for it to be a stereoscopic experience. There will be soccer balls on bungee cords, references to Denzel Washington's Oscar acceptance speeches, unnatural European sports narration, crowd chants and horseplay. We will also have some great bands opening for us as well. It will be performed at St. Stephen's Church in Columbia Heights. The next two and a half months will be totally creatively devoted to this project. We are excited about the possibilities. </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><b><i>Q: What are the 5 songs and artists that have been looping on your iPod this week?</i></b></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><b><i>A: </i></b> </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">Elvis Presley – I’ll Hold You in my Heart</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">PJ Harvey – The Glorious Land</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">Washington Phillips – Key to the Kingdom</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">Scars – Adult/ery</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">The Beach Boys – Don’t Go Near the Water</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G7rI3lQaR1Q/TaJSonq7omI/AAAAAAAAAYA/803ByMfSLGM/s1600/PrestoBandoVelvetLounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G7rI3lQaR1Q/TaJSonq7omI/AAAAAAAAAYA/803ByMfSLGM/s640/PrestoBandoVelvetLounge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-87042574889592856722011-03-27T14:06:00.001-04:002011-03-27T14:12:47.455-04:00NATALIA CLAVIER at GIBSON GUITAR CENTER IN WASHINGTON, DC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TTrSyX1wSWg/TY98FFFNJJI/AAAAAAAAAW8/Oa7mOZyGQto/s1600/close+up+natalia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TTrSyX1wSWg/TY98FFFNJJI/AAAAAAAAAW8/Oa7mOZyGQto/s640/close+up+natalia.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">NATALIA CLAVIER PLAYED A BEAUTIFUL SHOW AT THE GIBSON GUITAR CENTER IN WASHINGTON, DC</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">See a taste of last nights show at </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/DCSetlist?ref=ts" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">DC SETLIST on FACEBOOK</a>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-59895526272186943202011-03-05T12:47:00.003-05:002011-03-27T14:58:39.078-04:00SOFAR SOUNDS EDITION 3 INTERNATIONAL MUSIC SALON / DC<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WT06Z8mOMb0/TY-BlWQLJAI/AAAAAAAAAXA/iUZtIeNTlXo/s1600/sunwolf+flowers+sofar+sounds+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WT06Z8mOMb0/TY-BlWQLJAI/AAAAAAAAAXA/iUZtIeNTlXo/s640/sunwolf+flowers+sofar+sounds+3.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FLOWERS</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U-JDGaxL7tY/TY-BtoFL6bI/AAAAAAAAAXE/2YrC5oxpGeg/s1600/LouLou+sofar+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U-JDGaxL7tY/TY-BtoFL6bI/AAAAAAAAAXE/2YrC5oxpGeg/s640/LouLou+sofar+3.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LouLou sings for SUNWOLF</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--Q20jn5n7EU/TY-By_7pBxI/AAAAAAAAAXI/LTWLJUAqnNE/s1600/LIGHT+FOOT+Sofar+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--Q20jn5n7EU/TY-By_7pBxI/AAAAAAAAAXI/LTWLJUAqnNE/s640/LIGHT+FOOT+Sofar+3.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LIGHTFOOT</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GTxCseyF_Jw/TY-B37kh_WI/AAAAAAAAAXM/xXVE8aI2_84/s1600/HASH+sofar+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GTxCseyF_Jw/TY-B37kh_WI/AAAAAAAAAXM/xXVE8aI2_84/s640/HASH+sofar+3.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HASH</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w7D_hdw6PDI/TY-B-pwvV1I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/g9If4oMjFMI/s1600/Acordian+sofar+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w7D_hdw6PDI/TY-B-pwvV1I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/g9If4oMjFMI/s640/Acordian+sofar+3.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second String Blue Grass Band</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aUa_t3toHVw/TY-CEq2UXFI/AAAAAAAAAXU/kCt5zJXZ5H0/s1600/Second+String+Band+Sofar+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aUa_t3toHVw/TY-CEq2UXFI/AAAAAAAAAXU/kCt5zJXZ5H0/s640/Second+String+Band+Sofar+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second String Blue Grass Band</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DP6cNEVT7Aw/TY-CLCylHXI/AAAAAAAAAXY/5-tVwcGNANo/s1600/RedFitz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DP6cNEVT7Aw/TY-CLCylHXI/AAAAAAAAAXY/5-tVwcGNANo/s640/RedFitz.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick Fitzhugh of REDFITZ Productions</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k_SCuteo7q4/TY-CsvGjRrI/AAAAAAAAAXc/QbveepH5L94/s1600/sofar+sounds+edition+3+k+flow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k_SCuteo7q4/TY-CsvGjRrI/AAAAAAAAAXc/QbveepH5L94/s640/sofar+sounds+edition+3+k+flow.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">KALANI of SUNWOLF</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-co8smRJqvtM/TY-CzJ0utEI/AAAAAAAAAXg/yK7AIExl_GU/s1600/1208064482_Ye4g2-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-co8smRJqvtM/TY-CzJ0utEI/AAAAAAAAAXg/yK7AIExl_GU/s640/1208064482_Ye4g2-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PBR</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S4vvKdPq_EY/TY-C2Rae3bI/AAAAAAAAAXk/Gf6GS_qWio4/s1600/1208065327_35WTY-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S4vvKdPq_EY/TY-C2Rae3bI/AAAAAAAAAXk/Gf6GS_qWio4/s640/1208065327_35WTY-M.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew Buckwilde</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6RYSFm2F5Ws/TY-GgkSOMrI/AAAAAAAAAXw/EHlWQaE97Qg/s1600/ORA+sofar+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6RYSFm2F5Ws/TY-GgkSOMrI/AAAAAAAAAXw/EHlWQaE97Qg/s640/ORA+sofar+3.jpg" width="428" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ORA NWABUEZE</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UaWnjJsb-wc/TY-Gx1StXcI/AAAAAAAAAX0/tTgUi8p8p9E/s1600/2nd+string+sofar+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UaWnjJsb-wc/TY-Gx1StXcI/AAAAAAAAAX0/tTgUi8p8p9E/s640/2nd+string+sofar+3.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strings of Second String Blue Grass Band</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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PHOTO CREDIT: MARK SILVA<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-27473900285769353002011-02-24T13:05:00.001-05:002011-02-26T13:26:26.697-05:00SUNWOLF HOWLS AT THE MOON: Q&A with ROB TIFFORD (aka KALANI) of the DC band SUNWOLF!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6boVlUkNToQ/TWlBQEiGR4I/AAAAAAAAAWo/ADLo4Y1ZO10/s1600/kalani+%253A+photo+credit+Rob+Myers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6boVlUkNToQ/TWlBQEiGR4I/AAAAAAAAAWo/ADLo4Y1ZO10/s640/kalani+%253A+photo+credit+Rob+Myers.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em>Photo Credit: Rob Myers</em></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong>Q: Who is <a href="http://iamsunwolf.com/">SUNWOLF </a>(Click here to check out their music! The Cherry Crush track is DC Setlists' favorite)? Introduce us to the band.</strong></em></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong>A:</strong></em> Sunwolf isn't really anybody. It is more of a feeling. I have been fortunate enough to find a band that shares this idea and belief in the immediate. Will Rast plays drums, Hash plays bass, Tom Bunnell plays guitar and Enea plays keys.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong>Q: When talking about the band you said, "it happened organically", how did SUNWOLF form as a band?</strong></em></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vu8ZqDeBOPo/TWlBlkjxldI/AAAAAAAAAWs/W0VQ3_efOLM/s1600/Sunwolf+Velvet+SHow+2-24-11+flyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vu8ZqDeBOPo/TWlBlkjxldI/AAAAAAAAAWs/W0VQ3_efOLM/s320/Sunwolf+Velvet+SHow+2-24-11+flyer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A:</em></strong> Yeah it was pretty organic. I had a show to play and was talking to Hash one day about how I had no idea how I was going to be able to play bass and sing at the same time. At that time, I thought I would play bass because that is what I played normally. Hash said he would play bass, that meant I could play guitar and sing. Then I figured I would have a backing track with the beat and all the other sounds on it, but I really didn't want to have to deal with a computer during a live show. So, I was hanging out with Will Rast one day and asking him what he thought about playing to a click track and out of the blue, he said he would play drums. I was stoked, I didn't even know he played drums!! So all of a sudden I had a sweet rhythm section. I was talking with Tom one night, same type of thing, and I asked if he would want to play because I needed another guitar because I am really not that good a player, and need somebody to fill in all space I leave. So he joined and then the four of us played together a few times and I like it, but I kept hearing keys. Will was the only guy I really knew who played keys and he was playing drums. Flash-forward a week, I was DJing at ESL, and Enea, he does the sound over there ,and I were listening to what each of us was working on, and Enea liked the Sunwolf tracks and I asked if he wanted to play keys with us. He said yes thankfully. It all just fell together really naturally. It just goes back to idea behind Sunwolf which is that it is more of a feeling. You couldn't plan this, it just happened, and that is what makes it really special for me. Its this feeling I want to create with music. That feeling of the immediate and the moment. </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong>Q: What are the details for your gig TONIGHT?</strong></em></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em> A: </em></strong></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We play <a href="http://www.velvetloungedc.com/">VELVET LOUNGE</a> with OKINAWA</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">doors 7:30</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">OKINAWA 9:15</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sunwolf 10:00</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">tickets $8</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong>Q: How did you hook up with Okinawa? </strong></em></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A: </em></strong> OKINAWA is Danny and his brother's band. I know Danny from when he was</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> playing with Owls and Crows. He is an awesome drummer! OKINAWA rocks!</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q: How long were you in studio working on the SUNWOLF EP? You'd mentioned, "it was all about capturing emotion" for you.</em></strong></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A:</em></strong> I guess you could say I have been working on this for years, it is really the natural culmination of me working on music in my studio. The actual EP came together very quickly. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/federicoaubele">FEDERICO ABUELE</a> produced it.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Again, back to the organic thing. I was playing Federico some of the tracks I had, which were really just sketches, and was asking him some advice on how to get some structure and he said he would work on a mix for track if I wanted. So he did a mix of 'the hunted' and I loved it and he was having fun stepping in as the producer so we did more. He would send me versions and we would talk and make revisions and get to</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">a point that we both really liked. I am working on a few more tracks to make a full length and will properly release something on vinyl in the summer.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong>Q: Where did the name SUNWOLF come from and how would you describe your sound? </strong></em></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A:</em></strong> How would I describe my sound? I don't really know. I guess dreamy? I just know when I get it when my head gets all swirly. The name came when I was camping over the summer.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That night there was a full moon and you could also see Jupiter below it. It was a really beautiful night. I was sitting by the fire playing guitar and it came out in a lyric and I liked the way it sounded. I thought it would be 'cool'</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q: What does SUNWOLF have cookin' early this up coming summer?</em></strong></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A:</em></strong> I will release a full length sometime over the summer and keep playing shows.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q: Turn us on to music some of us might not have heard before! What are the 5 songs (& artists) that have been looping on your iPod this week?</em></strong></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><em>A:</em></strong> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gabor Szabo - Search for Nirvana</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">T Rex - Ballrooms of Mars</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra - Some Velvet Morning</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bill Fury - I'm Lost Without You</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Funkadelic - Mommy what's a Funkadelic?</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-41eV4fE9I0U/TWlCitxAaVI/AAAAAAAAAW0/JWDrkXEENLY/s1600/sunwolf+band+%253A+photo+credit+Rob+Myers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-41eV4fE9I0U/TWlCitxAaVI/AAAAAAAAAW0/JWDrkXEENLY/s640/sunwolf+band+%253A+photo+credit+Rob+Myers.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em>Photo Credit: Rob Myers</em></div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-75570461502983223162011-02-17T16:14:00.002-05:002011-02-22T09:29:43.905-05:00AND YOU DON'T STOP!: Q&A with CHUCK D Leader of the legendary hip-hop band PUBLIC ENEMY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g7ZNgqhibvY/TV2N7UnfFCI/AAAAAAAAAWY/0ClCJmOUapQ/s1600/chuck+d+hat+hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" j6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g7ZNgqhibvY/TV2N7UnfFCI/AAAAAAAAAWY/0ClCJmOUapQ/s640/chuck+d+hat+hands.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carlton Douglas Ridenhour is better know as Chuck D, the leader of the socially conscious hip-hop band Public Enemy. Chuck D is an author, producer, rapper, music activist, radio show host and supporter of up and coming talent everywhere. We were able to sit down with Chuck as Public Enemy celebrated the 20th anniversary of their infamous album "Fear of a Black Planet" on a major world tour this year, check it out...</span></em></strong><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Q: We caught Public Enemy’s show at the 9:30 Club when they came through D.C. this past August. Great show, by the way. How was it hitting the road again with long-time bandmate, Flavor Flav, on another world tour? You just got back.</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>A: </em></strong>I mean we’ve never really gotten off the road so it’s like it’s just a continuum. Every year and a half has a different theme and this theme was 20th year anniversary of Fear of a Black Planet. Public Enemy's been continually touring for 24 years. I don’t know where people get information sometimes, like we broke up or whatever but we’re the longest running group and we think that there’s been groups that broke up but that’s not us. So I don’t know how they confuse it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Q: So we met you this past October. Both you and Bomb Squad member/producer, Hank Shocklee, were panelists at the </em></strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=580830720#!/Futureofmusiccoalition">FUTURE OF MUSIC COALITION POLICY SUMMIT</a> <strong><em>held here in D.C. at Georgetown University. Artist survival in this new digital age was one of the many topics that was discussed. In your point of view, what would be the top three things that you think aspiring artists need to know given the current landscape of the music business?</em></strong></span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--p4J3zpozQA/TV2OFzb_SuI/AAAAAAAAAWc/EW1o3fti5XM/s1600/PE+LOGO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" j6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--p4J3zpozQA/TV2OFzb_SuI/AAAAAAAAAWc/EW1o3fti5XM/s1600/PE+LOGO.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>A: </strong></em> They need to know the history of the music and the genre that they’re getting into. I think artists need to know all the elements and all the details of the surrounding infrastructure to realize how lack of the infrastructure that there is. And I think that – when I say the history before, they need to know what was distribution in the past? What was manufacturing in the past? What is it now? If we don’t know what happened before, you can’t make parallel adjustments. And I think artists need to definitely be able to manage aspects of technology in order for them to do more things themselves because we’re in the digital realm and if the artist doesn’t know how to actually work these tools then they have to partner up with people that do. </span></div><br />
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<em><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Q: What do you consider to be the most valuable social media tool for you right now? </span></strong></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>A:</em> </strong>There’s a lot of things that are equally valuable. And you can jump ahead and start with social technology and social medias but if it doesn’t really answer to what you’re about and the demographic that you’re trying to talk to, you could be spending your time in an abyss of nowhere. Social media-wise for me I personally choose Twitter because it reduces the amount of work I have to get across and answer questions. I can answer questions in short form. It requires a certain skill that you have to reduce your characters and still get your point across. I like it because I could deal with more people that way whereas email and Facebook – I’m not on Facebook but I have people around me in my company they’re on all social media but personally I’m an ordained "tweeter". And I don’t tweet things that don’t make sense to me, like I wouldn’t tweet like, “Okay, this is what I had for lunch today and you know.” For a social gathering per se, I’m always trying to give out an opinion or some advice and that works for me.</span><br />
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<em><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Q: At the Future of Music Coalition Policy Summit you mentioned that you are interested in a company overseas called SellaBand, tell us about it. </span></strong></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>A: </em> </strong>Yeah, I’m actually working with a company called <a href="https://www.sellaband.com/en/projects/publicenemy">SELLABAND</a> and actually what it does is it gathers band funding for and also investment into albums or records or any different project so I’m involved with them on a future record that we have produced as Public Enemy and I really wanted to be involved with working with SellaBand to help other artists see it but sometimes you’ve got to prove that you’ve been using it as well, that’s how Public Enemy got involved in it.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Q: You’ve done a huge number of collaborations with artists including D.C. native, Henry Rollins, Rage Against the Machine, Sonic Youth etc...</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>A: </em> </strong>I never knew Henry was from the D.C. area. I’ve always been a fan of his, Henry Rollins is a god in my eyes. The vision in my mind is that he encouraged me to always do strong shows, never slack off and also encouraged me and my books.</span><br />
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<em><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Q: How did the collaboration with Rollins on Black Flag’s “Rise Above” come about and how do you think hip-hop has influenced those musical genres?</span></strong></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>A:</em> </strong>I guess they usually happen from phone calls and “do you mind checking this out?” And that’s how they happened. They don’t really happen from lawyer to managers like they used to and that’s good. So it’s something that I think – it works for the business and I think artists who communicate with each other on ideas and certain things, I think it’s something of a great direction for the art form. We need journalists in hip-hop who maintain their smarts and don’t actually stoop to dumb themselves down or dumb themselves in a corner just because they feel it’s the popular direction. I think they need to hold their ground covering with some kind of standing and integrity. Same thing with managers. We don’t need managers that cater to the artist. I think that managers need to encourage the artist and I think too much of that over the last – I’m trying to figure out how many years, maybe 15 years of management and infrastructure being sloppy. The new media, media companies, people who just have been doing it just to stay paid and that kind of ticks me off. For me I think it’s beyond what you get paid. You have to have some passion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Q: You have many great artists on </strong></em><a href="http://www.slamjamz.com/">SLAMJAMZ.COM</a> <em><strong> record label</strong></em><em><strong>. Can you tell us about Crew Grrl Order and their song, “First Lady” and the SHE revolution that they’re trying to spark?</strong></em></span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eJaAV4YCJM0/TV2OOnjaz8I/AAAAAAAAAWg/o_yA4A0Zxes/s1600/CHUCK+D+cartoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eJaAV4YCJM0/TV2OOnjaz8I/AAAAAAAAAWg/o_yA4A0Zxes/s1600/CHUCK+D+cartoon.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>A: </em> </strong>Yeah, most importantly I think that there have been a bunch of the things that have challenged hip-hop, people talk about hip-hop being such a big musical genre. Well, how about womens involvement in hip-hop? I think that’s fallen off drastically. Women as groups, women who are autonomous to any kind of male-dominated order. The first hip-hop record, there was a woman who was the head of the record company, Sylvia Robinson, who discovered the Sugarhill Gang and Sugar Hill Records was her own company. Then you had the all female group The Sequence who had like one of the first five records that came out & The Sequence were in that top five. So you have a women group and women involved in the arrangement of rap records and hip-hop and that’s pretty much been eradicated. It’s been male-dominated and women have been chased out of hip-hop as far as autonomous figures. So I wanted to be involved with helping this out in a brotherly manner. So I want all the artists that we have on SLAMjamz, I don’t say that they are my artists and I don’t say that I’ve discovered them because they’ve already been artists now. Crew Grrl Order is all women, they think they want autonomous decisions and then they made a record that and not every rap record that comes out has got to talk about what I got or how we manage this and how we’re posing up against that. They did a record about somebody and in the 20th year anniversary of Ladies First by Queen Latifah, they made a record called FIRST LADY which was their dedication to First Lady Michelle Obama, now that’s a first. I would love to get, to have Michelle Obama see the video ( <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEwV8-jMws0">CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO</a> ) one day and listen to the song. But Crew Grrl Order, they made that decision on their own and then at the same time, they also did a record called Go Green which is about the environment. So rap music can change the world and I’m glad to be involved with and then associated with artists that want to make that change. So SHE-movement, what I do is like we, my partner Gary G-Wiz, we set up an internetwork so for women Sisters in Hip-hop Everywhere, and for women in rap music, we set up SHEmovement.com. That’s what we do. We set up portals for our internetwork and for our infrastructure, for the lack of infrastructure that’s out there. So you can go right on the SHEmovement.com and see that there are women artists, emcees, DJs, rap artists, everybody involved in the elements of hip-hop and they’re coming along one by one and we hope that that’s a niche portal for Sisters in Hip-hop Everywhere. That’s what S.H.E. stands for. And we’ll have radio stations and even web TV branching out of that because they’re shooting their own videos, they’re making their own songs and they don’t have to worry about submitting their music to some guy oriented/testosterone-filled thing.</span></div><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Q: Given the election of President Barrack Obama, do you still think that America lives In Fear of a Black Planet?</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>A:</em></strong> I think America’s policy has been just to distance itself and detach itself from the rest of the world. And this policy of isolated dominance has negatively affected America and the beautiful thing I think about President Obama is that his whole agenda has been trying to reattach America with the realities of the rest of the planet, how to fit in and not dominate. And even in the State of the Union, the other day he spoke on that. I think those are great attributes of this President, he is trying to reattach America with the rest of the world. When people ask me,“What do you think about President Barrack Obama?” I call him President with a salute, is like good man - bad government but he knew that coming in. He came in prepared.</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Q: We always ask everybody to turn us on to some new music and share with us the five songs and artists that have been looping on their iPod this week.</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>A:</em> </strong>That’s impossible for me. That’s impossible because I do a radio show. I do a radio show called “And You Don’t Stop.” It goes around the world and we’re setting up our radio internet with <a href="http://www.rapstation.com/">RAPSTATION.COM</a> which will be a hub for all the radio shows, playing rap music and hip-hop around the planet. We can be streamed on iTunes on Enemy Radio which is the first dedicated to Public Enemy with music in all our affiliated radio stations. So I have a radio show called, “And You Don’t Stop” and it can be heard on WBAR.org. Check it out on the archive area and it’s almost like 120 minutes of what’s like 60 minutes of Bryant Gumbles' Real Sports. It’s the sum of many parts. So I always have a vast amount of songs circulating around me, past, present, future, international, local. So it’s hard for me to name the names but... I will tell you that on my Crew Grrl Order, the group just started with the Heet Mob which is on my latest album from Kansas City and we had an album out called "Found Missin" and then Son of Bazerk, who actually opened up that night in D.C. And they’re wonderful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope that you tweet me at <strong>@MrChuckD</strong> and you can catch our music at SLAMjamz.com, which is the longest running hip-hop site. Period.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IrhB7z1J-k8/TV2OWunqvuI/AAAAAAAAAWk/tMXXgUg1Jh0/s1600/CHUCK+D+blk+wht+TSHIRT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" j6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IrhB7z1J-k8/TV2OWunqvuI/AAAAAAAAAWk/tMXXgUg1Jh0/s640/CHUCK+D+blk+wht+TSHIRT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-39135791385986639732011-02-12T19:26:00.002-05:002011-02-12T21:25:18.462-05:00THE FUN BOMB! Q&A with KAMAL SOLIMAN, member of the band LANCE HERBSTRONG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJi70-st9Sg/TVcb_MpJZ8I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/bS8a6I4dVSE/s1600/LANCE+Blk+and+Wht.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJi70-st9Sg/TVcb_MpJZ8I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/bS8a6I4dVSE/s640/LANCE+Blk+and+Wht.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>The band LANCE HERBSTRONG also known as "The Fun Bomb" rolled through DC this past week as the opening act for Morcheeba at the 9:30 Club. The universe seems to be conspiring for the band to be in the right place, at the right time with support coming from all directions. We caught up with them backstage to get the scoop on who they are and where they're headed. See what DJ Kamal Soliman shared with us before the show. </i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: Who is Lance Herbstrong and how did you formulate?</i></b> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A:</b></i> Lance Herbstrong is Kamal Soliman, Bill Sarver, and Peter Distefano. Bill and I started all this just as a fun studio project to remix songs we liked. I was a big fan of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/manuchao">Manu Chao</a> and befriended them all when they played Lollapalooza in 2006. When Manu opened up the song Politkills for remix, I called bill to do the engineering for it. I know Manu is a clash fan, so we decided to use the original instrumental version of the rock the casbah beat, a song called 'Mustapha Dance.' after doing that song, we didn't do anything for a year, until I came off tour with thievery. Bill and I did our second song, a mashup of Thievery's Meu Destino and Manu Chao's Mi Vida. The new song is entitled Manu Destino and this is the song that launched everything for us. Thievery loved it, ESL labelmate Federico Aubele loved it and enlisted us to do a remix for his album. Once ESL licensed our music, we came up with the name, and were off and running from there. Peter joined the band when we played lollapalooza. We remixed his Porno for Pyros song Orgasm, to debut at lolla. I asked Peter to play it live with us and he loved it so much, he never looked back and is now a permanent member of the group.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: </i> <i>You've been the tour manager for Thievery Corporation for several years now. How supportive have Eric Hilton and Rob Garza been of your own musical endeavours?</i></b> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A:</i></b> Rob and Eric are a huge inspiration to me personally and to the band. But with Rob and Eric it's not just a job. I consider them to be great personal friends - and they are also one of my favorite bands, I love everything they've done, and after touring with them and the live band, I felt really inspired to work on music myself. That inspiration led to our second remix Manu Destino. From the second they heard it, they have been nothing but supportive of what we are doing. And they invited Lance Herbstrong to play 2 official Thievery Corp/Massive Attack after parties on our last tour, and every time they both came up and played with us at some point during the set.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: For those who've never seen one of your shows how would you describe your musical style? </b></i> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A:</i></b> That's tough to answer because we don't stick to anyone genre. People tell us we do have a 'sound' but I'm not really sure what that is, although I do recognize that there is one. What we do is take iconic old songs that people know and remix them or mash them up with others, so what you hear is a combination of the familiar music you've known all your life (but maybe haven't heard in a decade), and we put our own spin on it and modernize it for the people of today. It's all an homage to these great songs of old that captured a feeling, and what we try to do is build on that feeling but take it to the next level. I like to describe our show as a "fun bomb." When we do our high energy sets, we see shit-eating grins on everyone's faces, and people both older and younger we see dancing like they haven't in quite sometime. Especially these days when a lot of DJ culture is listening to really hard dub step, which gets people moving but not really dancing, I feel our</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> show is a breath of fresh air to those that really like to groove and move their bodies.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: We understand you've got tracks on Soundcloud and iTunes.</i></b> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A: </i></b> The songs on iTunes are the ones that we licensed to ESL music - those are Luna y Sol ( <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/federicoaubele">Federico Abuele</a> remix ), I Came Running ( <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/ancientastronauts">Ancient Astronauts</a> remix ) and Cantata ( <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/pages/Natalia-Clavier/19078156081">Natalia Clavier</a> Remix ). All the other unlicensed songs are on our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/pages/Lance-Herbstrong/103207753050263">Facebook</a>, Myspace and Soundcloud. If you go to <b><a href="http://www.lanceherbstrong.com/">LANCE HERBSTRONG</a></b> and give us an email address, you can download our ACL set. And once on the homepage you can click thru to all our other online properties. The songs we've chosen to remix come from every genre. Go to the sites and see for yourselves.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ADxbeLnNQIs/TVcb2xkWVxI/AAAAAAAAAWM/9wUdgXI7wxc/s1600/Lance+LOGO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ADxbeLnNQIs/TVcb2xkWVxI/AAAAAAAAAWM/9wUdgXI7wxc/s1600/Lance+LOGO.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: You played Lollapalooza last summer, tell us about that show...</i></b> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A:</i></b> Lolla was our second show ever, and where everything came together for us. We had just finished the Orgasm remix and asked pete to sit in with us 2 days before the show. Our drummers were invited to sit in with us here as well since they were from Chicago - they are Frank Orrall of Poi Dog Pondering and Thievery, and Ricky Gonzalez of the Thickness and Chicago Afrobeat Project. We met Ricky the day of the show, and Peter never heard of us until we asked him to sit in 2 days prior. The stage show was great, it was a coming out for us, where people in the industry who knew me came out of curiosity and left knowing that we actually have something good going. We also played the Lolla afterparty on site at the festival, and this was the gig where everyone including us realized that Lance Herbstrong has something unique. The after party was explosive, we did the high energy set and people were having the best time ever. It was amazing, and this led to people in the industry giving us many more opportunities, without them having to doubt if the show was gonna be good.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: You are based in Austin, TX and ended up playing an impromptu gig at the Zinc Stage at ACL 2010! How did this come about? </i></b> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A:</i></b> This was crazy. We had played the night before opening for Beats Antique. At 3 AM I took all the band gear to my office on site, as we were playing the ACL after party the next day. I got a call around 1 PM asking if it was possible for lance to sit in. Since we had all the gear there, it was possible, I just had to wake up the other guys. We got everyone down to the fest and went on at 3 PM. We were replacing the Gayngs who had their bus and gear repossessed by the bus company and couldn't play. No one knew who we were, but we won them over. We had a huge crowd, and since I work for the festival, everyone was there to support. Our creative team made an 8 foot joint and threw it into the crowd, all kinds of people were onstage dancing, it was a pretty epic, totally spontaneous, and a moment we will never forget.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: How stoked are you to be opening for MORCHEEBA tonight the 9:30 Club! </i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A:</i></b> We're totally honored and still surprised that we're even here. And to start in DC at 930 club of all places is even that much sweeter for me, since Thievery and The Roots I have to them are all based here. We're very excited, and looking forward to playing some of our more down tempo melodic stuff to warm up the crowd before Morcheeba.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: We love your Electric Avenue Videdo! Why did you pick an Eddie Grant tune? </i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A: </i></b> Electric Avenue is yet another reggae remix we've done. Reggae is a big influence, and this song is so great, we felt it needed to be brought back to life. We don't use any of the chorus parts, just the main verses, and the video, well we just had fun with it. The whole thing is a blast back to the 80's - anyone who lived during that time knows how big that song was, and the comedic video is a reflection of that time. We hope everyone enjoys it, we had a damn good time working on the song. Special thanks to our VJ Chris Jackson for creating the video. <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q566cg8ThWM&feature=player_embedded">CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO</a></b> .</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1334461094"> </a></i></b><i><b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/federicoaubele#%21/SXSWFestival">South By South West</a></b></i><b><i></i><i> is in right in your backyard in Austin. Will you be playing any gigs that week? </i></b> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A: </i></b>We are. Right now, we are playing the <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/C3Concerts">C3 CONCERTS</a> </b>Late Night Industry Party, the Madison House Agency showcase at Beauty Bar, and a show at the Virgin Music House. We will probably add another show or two by the time it comes upon us, but so far we have these 3 shows.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: What are the 5 songs (& artists) that have been looping on your iPod this week? </i></b> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A: </i></b> A lot of whats on my iPod is old classic reggae: </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reggae is therapy to me, and when we travel I pretty much need to hear it, it just hits you right, its like the sun or the ocean after a big hangover, it just rejuvenates. I have 'Roll Call' by Tenor Saw, 'Wicked Act' by Black Uhuru, 'Legalize It' Sublime version, 'Ganja Smuggling' by Eek-a-Mouse, and 'M16' by Lone Ranger (who we actually mixed into a drum and bass track and mashed that up with Thunderball's dnb version of 'Bam Bam' by Sister Nancy - new version altogether is called Bam16).</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ErqNrKRMo8M/TVccKY-kAqI/AAAAAAAAAWU/wYVfUtTmf8Y/s1600/Lance+at+Lolla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ErqNrKRMo8M/TVccKY-kAqI/AAAAAAAAAWU/wYVfUtTmf8Y/s640/Lance+at+Lolla.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Photo Credit: Brad Dancy</i></div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-52116279783126411002011-02-04T02:00:00.001-05:002011-02-04T02:01:55.941-05:00In one word: FUNKY. Q&A with Daryle Maciocha a.k.a. DJ DMAC!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TUuiIRecdeI/AAAAAAAAAWA/paC_gwI0ESc/s1600/DJ+DMAC+GREEN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TUuiIRecdeI/AAAAAAAAAWA/paC_gwI0ESc/s400/DJ+DMAC+GREEN.jpg" width="297" /></a><b><i></i><i>DC SETLIST recently caught up with local DJ, Daryle Maciocha. DJ DMAC managed to cover ghetto funk, the art of being a "music-obsessive", digital cumbia, the Smithsonian all while "keeping the soul largely intact"! Read on...</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: Hey DJ DMac, for those who have yet to catch one of your gigs, how would you describe your DJ Style?</b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A: </b></i> In one word: funky. In many more words, its an eclectic blend of nufunk, old-school hip-hop, funky breaks, electronica, vintage funk and soul, breakbeats, Latin, heavy disco, house, electro and a touch of indie. I have wide-ranging tastes and that's reflected in what I play.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<b><i>Q: Tell us your story. How did you get started DJ-ing?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A:</i></b> Always a music-obsessive, I was offered a gig at a local bar in college in upstate NY. It was an 'alternative' night (when that term actually meant something) and I was hired to play alternative rock and indie dance. Despite learning basic DJ skills on the job every week, my residency there was really popular and as the night grew so did my hunger for new sounds. Soon my sets encompassed hip-hop and techno and whatever else I thought would work. It was a crazy Thursday night party where a crowd of college kids and locals of all different stripes danced to music we all really loved. I had taste and talent in inverse proportion, but it didn't matter much at the time! Eventually I got some deep exposure to the underground rave scene, which was a real education. I heard some incredibly talented DJs and some really amazing music.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After I finished school and moved to DC, I got away from Djing for a number of years (I was a Smithsonian employee and believed I had to start acting like an adult--it didn't last...) but continued to collect vinyl like a fiend (indie, old funk & soul 45s, dusty soundtracks, hip-hop, whatever I was into at any given moment). I got an opportunity to DJ at Ian Spiv's [now-legendary] Spilt Milk night at [the even-more legendary] Red. Hearing friends with serious collections play deep funk and rare disco from original vinyl on that incredible sound system was a truly singular experience. Soon after Spilt Milk, I met DJ Eurok and really got inspired to step up my game and take the craft of DJing seriously.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: What's your twitter handle?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A: </b></i> @therealdjdmac</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[Some other dude registered 'djdmac' before I did, tweeted once almost 2 years ago, and has done nothing since. Luckily I've owned <a href="http://www.djdmac.com/"> http://www.djdmac.com</a> for years!] </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: You've been on the DC scene for 10 years now. In your view, how has the scene morphed/changed?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A: </i></b>Like everywhere else DJ culture finally hit the mainstream, which has changed the scale of everything. DJs can now sell out mid-sized rock clubs. If you'd have told me in 2001 that local DJs would be selling out the 9:30 Club in less than 10 years, I never would have believed you! But here we are.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Technology has had the biggest impact. Laptops have largely replaced traditional vinyl and social media has completely reinvented promotion. Digital production tools are readily available--as are nearly instantaneous means of distribution--and we're seeing serious DC talent make waves globally without record label backing. That's amazing and inspirational.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Despite all that hugeness, though, you can still hear great underground DJs spinning in intimate spots all over town. There's room for everybody. And an eager audience for it, as long as you let them know you're there.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: You've got a gig at Dodge City FEB 4th called </i></b><i><b>VAQUEROS ELECTRICOS</b>!</i> <b><i>Who's hitting the decks with you? </i></b> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TUua-dgvDsI/AAAAAAAAAV4/AWoWYHK4MOo/s1600/VAQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TUua-dgvDsI/AAAAAAAAAV4/AWoWYHK4MOo/s400/VAQ.jpg" width="256" /></a><b><i>A:</i></b> The always awesome Rusty B. of All Good Funk Alliance. We spin funk, boogie, funk, hip-hop and digital cumbia. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dodge-City-DC/135491429820059">DODGE CITY</a> is a great little spot and the dance floor has been really heating up as of late. Come show us some love.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: You also have a show at Marvin's every 3rd Friday of the month, what can folks expect?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A: </i></b> Well, I'll be in Paris with my lovely wife this month so I won't be at Marvin in February, but come March I'll probably have a healthy stack of French house along with the funk, soul, breaks, disco and hip-hop I usually play.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: What's your preferred source for finding new music these days?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A: </i></b> These days I rely on new release notices from folks like Groove Distribution, Turntable Lab, Rough Trade, and Soulseduction. I regularly read Pitchfork and Stereogum. And Ghetto Funk has been *killing* it lately!</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I can always count on finding something new--whether its a brand new release or a dusty vintage gem--at Som Records. The internet's fast, convenient and seemingly limitless but nothing's more satisfying than digging through real crates in a real record store. [This is not a paid endorsement, honest.]</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: Finally, what are the 5 songs & artists that have been looping on your iPod this week?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TUuinp52JzI/AAAAAAAAAWI/dLAQyaay-0Q/s1600/DJ+DMAC+BLUE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TUuinp52JzI/AAAAAAAAAWI/dLAQyaay-0Q/s400/DJ+DMAC+BLUE.jpg" width="245" /></a><b><i>A:</i></b> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1.) Escort – Cocaine Blues (Escort Records)</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Slinky but chugging disco rework of Dillinger's dancehall classic 'Cocaine In My Brain.' One of my favorite singles of 2010.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2.) Mooqee and Pimpsoul – Keep Poundin' (Bombstrikes)</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Largely based on a sample of Buddy Rich's cover of 'The Beat Goes On,' this is a swinging mid-tempo breaks monster.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3.) Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno - Dog With a Rope (Tru Thoughts)</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Will Holland further explores his fusion of cumbia and dub. Simultaneously ground-breaking and authentic. Cold weather blues antidote #1.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TUueuYRnv-I/AAAAAAAAAV8/RMkZB-VIAVs/s1600/DJ+DMAC+AST.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>4.) Incarnations - Make You Mine (Love Monk)</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Members of Brooklyn-based Phenomenal Handclap Band head to the south of Spain to create a breezy slice of Latin-grooved pop. Cold weather blues antidote #2.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5.) Adele – Rolling in the Deep (Jamie XX Shuffle) (XL Recordings)</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The warm, thumping acoustic soul groove of Adele's pre-album single gets an electronic reworking by Jamie from The XX, adding martial snare drums, handclaps and synths, but keeping the soul largely intact.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <i></i> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-38517922988498219232011-01-25T22:14:00.001-05:002011-01-30T23:03:58.193-05:00"I had always had a “shadow life” as a working musician..." Q&A with David Levy, Co-Founder of Bach 2 Rock!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TUXklohQM6I/AAAAAAAAAVY/eOEANbvpt-A/s1600/david-c-levy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TUXklohQM6I/AAAAAAAAAVY/eOEANbvpt-A/s320/david-c-levy.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">David C. Levy has been the Cambridge Information Groups principal advisor since they acquired <a href="http://www.sothebysinstitute.com/">Sotheby's Art Institute</a> in 2003. David left his home town of New York in the early 90's to lead DC’s largest private cultural institution, the <a href="http://www.corcoran.org/">Corcoran Gallery of Art</a> and its College of Art and Design, where he served as its President and Director until 2005. Prior to leaving New York he was Chancellor of <a href="http://www.newschool.edu/">The New School University</a>, a post he accepted after completing 20 years at the helm of <a href="http://www.newschool.edu/parsons">Parsons School of Design</a>. During his tenure at Parsons, David built it from a small school with fewer than 500 students into an international institution with an enrollment of 12,000 and a world-wide network of campuses including Los Angeles, Paris, The Dominican Republic and Japan. A life-long professional jazz musician as well as an art historian, photographer and designer, David founded New York’s first degree granting school of jazz, which thrives today as one of the world’s leading jazz conservatories, The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. During his tenure at Parsons and The New School he initiated and oversaw the mergers of the Otis Art Institute of Los Angeles County into Parsons and the Mannes College of Music into the New School. We recently spoke with him about his latest venture, <a href="http://www.b2rmusic.com/bach-to-rock?z=v3">Bach 2 Rock - America's Music School</a>! Check it out...</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. What is Bach 2 Rock?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A. </b></i> Bach to Rock (B2R) is an emerging chain of music schools serving students of all ages and based on a couple of very logical but innovative principles. These are summed up by our belief that students learn best when they join together to play the music they like the most. So the core of our method is to place students in small bands of four to six players, creating a powerful bonding based on social and musical interaction. This is coupled with an opportunity to play music that is meaningful today and for which kids get significant peer recognition and social credit.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our students also take private lessons with us but we generally limit these to half an hour, so the ideal instructional time is 1½ hours -- an hour of band or ensemble practice immediately following or before the private instruction. From a technical perspective, B2R students are preparing themselves to play whatever music floats their boat – literally from Bach to Rock!</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. How Did B2R Come About?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A. </b></i> All of this began about seven years ago when my son, Alexander, then in third grade, was eight years old. He had begun to take very traditional piano lessons and though it was clear that he was musically gifted, the discipline of practicing was just not his thing. This was very frustrating to us because it was clear that he was not coming close to achieving his musical potential.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then the mom of one of his classmates stumbled on a brand new storefront music school in Bethesda with the unlikely name of “East Cost Music Production Camp.” Something about the place intrigued her and so she ventured inside where she met its founder, Jeff Levin, a young, entrepreneurial performing musician and teacher who had left the school system to start a school of his own. He wanted a place where kids could learn the basics while simultaneously forming bands and playing classic, contemporary and even original rock music.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Excited by the concept, this mom sought out other parents in her son’s class, including us, and proposed that our kids form a band and study at “East Coast.” The result was a five-piece band of 8-year olds, in which Alexander was the only member with any prior musical instruction. Not only did these kids have to learn to play and work together, they had to learn their instruments from ground zero. And learn they did!</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The exhilarating thing for me was observing how this band rapidly became a central focus of our kids’ lives. It defined them in many ways, enhancing their self-esteem and giving them unique stature among their classmates. Perhaps of equal importance it became a strong bonding force among us, the parents. We barely knew one another at the beginning but we quickly became good friends, forming a closely-knit group that remains central to our social lives today, some seven years later.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TUYrPtxF0xI/AAAAAAAAAVo/LtxpXuCR1F0/s1600/-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TUYrPtxF0xI/AAAAAAAAAVo/LtxpXuCR1F0/s320/-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For my part, the whole thing was especially intriguing and not a little bit nostalgic. I had always had a “shadow life” as a working musician, playing gigs and on the road with some of the world’s greatest jazz artists, and during my years in New York, where I headed Parsons School of Design and was Chancellor of New School University, I had founded, nurtured and written the curriculum for New York’s first degree-granting school of jazz, The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. But when I came to Washington to head the Corcoran, the demands on my time made it impossible to play music professionally on a regular basis.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Picking up Alexander after band practice at East Coast was redolent with all that music meant to me, and as I would wait for him to finish his weekly practices my musings would run to such things as “wouldn’t it be great to be part of this?” or “why don’t I just do it?” But of course I had a full time day job and there was just no room to put such fantasies into action.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This changed, of course, when I left the Corcoran. In my new role as President of Cambridge Information Group’s Education Division, my initial responsibility was to head Sotheby’s Institute of Art (A graduate school with MA and PhD art history programs in New York, London & Singapore), but I also found myself in an entrepreneurial environment where there was both investment capital and a thirst for innovation. So I went to East Coast’s founder, Jeff Levin, and said, “This is a great educational concept. Let’s take it national.”</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The rest, as they say, is history and in July of 2007 we opened the first of our six Bach to Rock schools in the DC area.<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. What intrigued you about the underlying concept of Bach 2 Rock? </i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A.</i></b> The thinking behind the B2R concept and curriculum (our secret sauce) is a little more complicated than it may sound at first blush. If you consider the nature of traditional music instruction, it becomes clear that this is one of, if not the most, solitary activity we ask of young people. The stereotype (which many of us have lived through) is of being confined to a room with a piano, clarinet or half-sized violin while a parent (usually our mother) has set the kitchen timer for 45 minutes. She informs us that we are not coming out until she hears us playing steadily and the timer’s bell has rung.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Meantime our friends are playing video games or soccer and we hear their gleeful voices, siren-like, through the open window. But unlike Odysseus and his crew, we can’t practice music while lashed to the mast or with our ears plugged with wax. So we suffer through exercises and silly compositions (with even sillier names) written by textbook authors of indifferent ability, or we play music composed three hundred years ago that has little resonance in our everyday lives and is certainly not discussed in the schoolyard or recorded on our iPods.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The end result is that unless a youngster discovers a deep and personal musical proclivity, the advent of music lessons is a declaration of war in most households. After five or six months the student is begging for release and the parents, after perhaps a year or more of acrimony, acquiesce and let him quit.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Does the study of music really have to be this way? No. As we say at B2R, “Learning to play music should be fun. It’s called play for a reason!”</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That line may sound glib, but once you fully take onboard the fact that the solitary nature of musical learning is its greatest deterrent, you can focus on techniques to mitigate the problem and transform musical study into an important part of students’ lives.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Playing Music as a Team Sport</i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At B2R we turn music instruction into the equivalent of a team sport. Bands (teams) perform before large, enthusiastic audiences at exciting competitive events (e.g. Battles of the Bands); they play frequently in public at a variety of clubs and other venues throughout the region and they record in our professional, Pro Tools-based recording studios.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All of this fosters healthy social and interpersonal development along with a steady undercurrent of energy and excitement. And the self-confidence our kids develop along the way is truly astounding. When ten-year-olds can walk up to the mike on the 9:30 club stage and play to a packed house with the energy and bravado of a pro, you know your methodology is paying off, big time!</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. Tell us about the upcoming Battle of the Bands happening at the 9:30 club January 29th!</b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A.</i></b> B2R’s biggest public event in the DC areas is our semi-annual Battle of the Bands, which is held at the 9:30 Club in January and June. The upcoming “Battle” will run for three days, feature more than 90 bands and have an audience of about two thousand. We also have many outdoor concerts in parks and public spaces when the weather is warm and we arrange opportunities for our kids play in clubs and restaurants and to be featured at various community events throughout the region. In Maryland our “acoustic” musicians (i.e., our classical and pop players and vocalists) perform twice each year at Strathmore Hall. In Virginia they play in the concert hall of the Franklin Park Art Center, Northern Virginia’s most important regional venue.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. Is Bach 2 Rock hiring? If so, who are your best candidates?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A.</b></i> B2R is always looking for new talent. We have been expanding rapidly and need qualified musician/teachers to fill our growing needs. Also, we limit our faculty’s teaching loads so that they can focus on their students as individuals as well as continue their professional lives as musicians. As a consequence we have a rather large number of faculty and there is always an opportunity for gifted instructors.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our faculty is comprised of working professional musicians, often in the building stages of their musical careers. We look for people who can couple highly developed instrumental skills with a solid knowledge of music theory and educational talent. We also seek teachers and staff who can both express and demonstrate a genuine interest in helping young people learn.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. Your very own son has a band called R.A.T.E.D. at Bach 2 Rock, tell us about his experience.</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A. </i></b>The band’s name, R.A.T.E.D, is an anagram formed from the initials of its members’ first names. I told you the band’s origins earlier, but the amazing thing about it is that even though these kids started from scratch as eight year olds, by the time they were 12 they had virtually become professionals. In addition to the 9:30 Club and the battles of the bands (which they have won four times), they performed at the Verizon Center when they were 9 and more recently at Comet Ping-Pong, Jaxx, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and at lots of other public venues throughout this area. Their main focus now is writing and performing their own music.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Combining Learning and Social Development</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TUYmtPkeXmI/AAAAAAAAAVc/Ku61qPfHLYk/s1600/-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TUYmtPkeXmI/AAAAAAAAAVc/Ku61qPfHLYk/s1600/-2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In addition to our kids’ intense musical learning, the socialization process inherent in the development of this band has been very interesting to observe. </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kids, as you know, can be really mean to one another – they haven’t learned the social disingenuity that we adults use to overlay our more abrasive feelings, so they don’t cut each other much slack. As this band was developing, if one kid or another wasn’t learning his part or was goofing off, the others would really let him have it. The result was a lot of (relatively good natured) fighting as they came to understand how interdependent they were and how the music required full cooperation where every band member had to carry his or her weight. So in the beginning an hour-long practice was 50% about keeping order and discipline. As they matured, musically and otherwise, they hunkered down to real solid work. Today it is a joy to watch and hear them practice.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And I didn’t mention that they also write and record their own material (as do most of the B2R bands). Here’s a link to a video of an original song called “Sorry,” which they wrote and recorded in 7th grade, at age 12. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiZX5Tq-1Ns">CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO</a> by R.A.T.E.D.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. You currently have 6 locations in the DC area. Word is you're going to franchise Bach 2 Rock nationally. What's the plan?</b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A. </b></i> Right now we are fine-tuning the model, adding and developing some interesting new components such as DJ instruction in a program called “The Beat Refinery,” and we are also expanding our early childhood curriculum. As I already mentioned, we do a lot of recording for our regular students and we have state-of-the-art sound studios with Digi-Design control boards and Pro Tools software built into each school facility. So we are looking to develop a robust recording arts curriculum as well.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once we are satisfied that all this is completely on track and assuming that the economy continues to improve, we will look at a variety of approaches to national expansion. This idea and the excitement our schools bring to their students, parents and communities, is just too good to limit to the DC area.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Interestingly, we get requests to develop schools in other parts of the country all the time – sometimes from parents of former students who have moved to other cities, but often from folks who have just come across us in some fashion and are excited by our approach and methodology. So we know we have a compelling concept and product.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. What is it about the Bach 2 Rock methodology that sets it apart from from other music schools?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A.</i></b> I think this gets summed up pretty well in the way we use the socialization process and team sport approach to motivate students and to make playing music a central focus in their lives for a meaningful period of time.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My son is a typical example; a student who joined the program in elementary school and continues to play, practice and create music in the stimulating environment created by B2R all the way through high school. Like so many of our students, he will have music as a life-long resource, whether he makes it a career or simply a passionate form of artistic fulfillment. By contrast, most kids give up playing music after a year or two of waiting for the kitchen timer to ring so they can quit practicing and go out and play. </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Practicing Made Meaningful; A Sports Analogy</i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I always like the sports analogy, where a kid comes home from school on a late November day. The sun goes down at 4:30 and it is bitter cold but he spends an hour in his driveway putting a basketball through a hoop. This is not about having fun; it is about wanting to excel the next day when he plays on the team. So at B2R we take the solitary activity of practicing music and give it that same kind of meaning – a motivating social and competitive goal that goes beyond the very feeble incentive of merely not being scolded once each week by your music teacher for being unprepared, which is about the only reinforcement most “traditional” music students are likely to get.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Teaching Students of All Ages; From the Very Young to the Elderly</i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is also our extremely innovative method of working with really young children. We start with musical games, which for the very young have been proven to have significant impact on cognitive development. When the child reaches 4½ to five years these activities begin to morph into a program we call “Kids and Keys.” This continues to be game-based and taught in groups but uses keyboards and computers to teach basic technique and music theory. Ultimately Kids and Keys segues (at age six or seven) into our regular private lessons and beginning band instruction.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We also use many of these techniques to work with retired communities and the elderly – even with Alzheimer patients. And there are 30- and 40-something adults who have re-formed bands they had as kids and now come to us for professional coaching and recording. So although B2R serves a very large cohort of elementary, middle and high school students, it is actually a cradle-to-grave operation and a significant community service.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Respecting the Needs and Time of Parents</i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally, we take the parents’ needs into consideration. In today’s over-scheduled world, the last thing a parent wants to do is sit around reading out-of-date magazines while their kid takes a music lesson. So we choose sites that are in or near really good shopping centers. Parents can then schedule their time to include their weekly marketing or other activities (including meeting friends at Starbucks) during the hour and a half that their children are combining their lessons and band practice at B2R.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. Last but not least...what are the 5 songs & artists that have been looping on your iPod this week?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Glen Gould – The Goldberg Variations (Bach).</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dick Morgan Live at Montpellier*</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rick Whitehead, Live in Captivity*</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Francis Poulenc, The Dialogues of the Carmelites,</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and a couple of dozen tracks by Paul Desmond.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>*Dick Morgan and Rick Whitehead are terrific Washington-based Jazz musicians who are as good or better than anyone, anywhere, anytime.</i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TUYn0bJHCOI/AAAAAAAAAVk/OK8AEituwlE/s1600/-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TUYn0bJHCOI/AAAAAAAAAVk/OK8AEituwlE/s640/-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-28194510681766495092011-01-10T00:40:00.003-05:002011-01-10T00:50:55.599-05:00It all started with a "far-fetched idea": Q&A with Sean Peoples, Owner of Sockets Records in DC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TSqYYANX24I/AAAAAAAAAVI/KXs7kusmisY/s1600/sean1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TSqYYANX24I/AAAAAAAAAVI/KXs7kusmisY/s640/sean1.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: So tell us what the impetus was for you to start the Sockets Record Label here in DC. [Quite a big undertaking, kudos to you.] </b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b> A: </b></i> I started Sockets at the very end of 2004. I had been living in DC for a few years after attending American University. At the time, DC was home to a lot of amazing bands after I graduated in 2002. I really wanted to be a part of that in some way. Beginning a label had always been a far-fetched idea, but I had a bunch of friends making some really interesting music around that time. Also, I just really love</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">all kinds of music – from run-of-the-mill pop to weird to really weird.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some of the bands and artists in the noisier side of DC’s music scene, however, were not getting the proper documentation. Net labels were still a little while off and vinyl was just making its resurgence (even though that was a small resurgence in some ways). But there were a bunch of little community labels around 2003 and 2004 that were documenting their scenes in other cities. I felt inspired by what these small labels were doing: buy some recordable CDs, burn them yourself, and make the art cheap but replicable.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: You said you were drawn to this city because of it's musical legacy; who specifically were you referring to? </i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A: </i></b> Washington, DC’s hardcore/punk/experimental music legacy was always really important to me as a kid. One of the reasons I moved to DC for college was to experience some of these bands first-hand. I loved many of the bands on Dischord when I was in high school, including Faith, Minor Threat, Fugazi, Most Secret Method, the Make Up, and Rites of Spring. Duke Ellington. Marvin Gaye, and John Fahey were all from this area. Washington, DC was one of the main stops for the hardest working jazz artists throughout the 40s, 50s, and 60s. And I feel like there’s always been a creative and distinctive energy to the music that gets created in DC. It's a great town.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: You've been quoted as saying, "The best thing about DC is that it's positive and the worst thing about DC is that it's positive." Explain please.... </b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A: </i></b> I think sometimes your biggest strength is also your biggest weakness. DC, I believe, is on the precipice of getting a lot more attention for its fertile music scene. I think sometimes, though, we might need to spice it up a little and spark a little more friendly competition. It will help drive each other to reach a little higher. I think that’s missing from DC in some ways.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: Sockets Records has a showcase coming up, on January 15th at the Black Cat! Who's in the line up and where can we get tickets? </i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TSqZQh6XVMI/AAAAAAAAAVM/_Qch1vfUQfE/s1600/Hume-pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TSqZQh6XVMI/AAAAAAAAAVM/_Qch1vfUQfE/s320/Hume-pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A: </b></i> Saturday, January 15th is the annual Sockets Showcase at Black Cat Mainstage. Three local bands, including Hume, Buildings, and Laughing Man will be playing along with a new Sockets band from New York, Skeletons. I really can’t wait to hear this show. It’s a set of bands that I’ve always wanted to see on the same stage. I think they all have a distinctive sound that pushes the boundaries of experimental pop music. And I think for people who may not know about any of the bands or may just know a few, they’ll be pleasantly surprised.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tickets are available at the Black Cat website: <a href="http://www.blackcatdc.com/shows/hume.html">CLICK HERE</a> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: Tell us about the release of the new Laughing Man CD and where we can catch their next show? </i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A:</i></b> Laughing Man work hard. They are always playing around DC. And I think, over the last two years, the band has really come into its own. The band just released it’s debut CD on Sockets. Entitled The Lovings (’63-’69), the record is a culmination of distilling a huge amount of influences from jazz to blues to soul to raw guitar driven rock. I can’t wait for people to hear the record, which fortunately will be available at the Sockets Showcase and via the Sockets website here: <a href="http://socketsrecords.com/sockets-bands/2010/8/12/laughing-man.html">LAUGHING MAN</a> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TSqZfM-MOMI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/PCHL8E1QBFQ/s1600/socketslogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TSqZfM-MOMI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/PCHL8E1QBFQ/s400/socketslogo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<b><i>Q: We heard another Socket Records band, The Cornel West Theory, is going to be hitting the road soon! What is their tour schedule looking like?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A: </i></b> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/thecornelwesttheory">THE CORNEL WEST THEORY</a> is on the road as I type. The band is working on its follow up to their first record, Second Rome. They will be recording with Dr. Cornel West himself this weekend and I’m looking forward to a late spring release of their second record. This band is so hungry and after opening for Public Enemy, The Last Poets, and a few others last year, I think they have what it takes to get to the next level.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: Not only do you run a record label but you DJ kick ass dance parties! Tell us about the up coming 3rd Anniversary of FATBACK! (and congrats!)</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A: </i></b> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/fatbackdc">FATBACK</a> is a dance party that some of my good friends and I started in 2008. Our formula was simple: transplant the vibe of an amazing, no frills house party to wherever we DJed. And it worked. We had no idea that it would, but every month we get together and play some of our favorite funk and soul for fellow dancers. It’s a blast. And, honestly, it is the folks who come out and dance that really make the party so great.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fatback celebrates 3 years on the 22nd of January. That’s just a week after the Sockets Showcase. I know we’ve got a bunch of surprises in store and I’ve been working on my set for the last month. I can’t wait.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: For our fellow DC twits >>> What's your Twitter Handle? </i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A:</i></b> Ah, it’s easy to remember: <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/sockets">@Sockets</a> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: So tell us Sean, what are the 5 songs (and artists) that have been looping on your iPod this week?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A: </i></b> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> -The new jj mixtape, Kills, is so good. The first track, “Still”,</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> combines ethereal vocals with Dr. Dre. Can’t go wrong there.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> -James Blake’s new self-titled full-length is staggeringly beautiful.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The cover he does of Feist’s “Limit To Your Love” gives me goose</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> bumps.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> -Coma Cinema just popped up on some best of 2010 list and I decided to</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> check them out. It’s the perfect daydreamy-bedroom-pop I’ve heard in a</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> long while. “Be Human” from the record Baby Prayers is a favorite.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> -I’m a big fan of dub reggae and I’ve been really feeling Niney the</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Observer lately. “Ranking Trevor / Whip Them Jah” is one of my</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> favorites from him.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> -I just bought Hugh Masekela’s The Boy’s Doing It. The titled cut is</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> one of the best tracks ever. There’s no denying it. You have to find</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> it. So good!</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TSqZxUbQbSI/AAAAAAAAAVU/hL0ulYzL99Q/s1600/fatbackLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TSqZxUbQbSI/AAAAAAAAAVU/hL0ulYzL99Q/s640/fatbackLogo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-73977467092189277302011-01-03T13:14:00.001-05:002011-01-03T22:48:27.687-05:00DC MUSIC FEST by way of LONDON! Q&A with JEM BAHAIJOUB, Owner of impaginePR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TSIQ0tAy7SI/AAAAAAAAAVA/R6PzQgzVSDo/s1600/JEM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TSIQ0tAy7SI/AAAAAAAAAVA/R6PzQgzVSDo/s640/JEM.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">DC SETLIST recently spoke with Jem Bahaijoub, owner of imaginePR. Jem spoke to us about her years in the music business in europe, her impressions of the DC music scene, The Future of Music Coalition Policy Summit, the DC Music Fest happening next May and more; check it all out here...</span></b></i><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Q: You moved to DC 3 years ago from London after 10 years there in the music business. Where exactly did you learn the ropes? Tell us about your history as a woman in the music biz in London. </span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A:</b></i> I started off working for Universal Music Group in their international promotions department, co-ordinating international promo tours and marketing activities for major artists and bands. I worked with artists such as Luciano Pavarotti, Donny Osmond, and Sting. I was there for 7 years and had an amazing time learning about the industry from the perspective of a major label. I left just before major labels started to take a hit from the digital download market. I went on to become Director of a smaller boutique PR and marketing company in London, working with independent artists and labels, music festival and digital startup companies. For example, I worked on the inaugural lunch of the Hop Farm Festival with Neil Young, Primal Scream and Supergrass. It was the first festival of its kind with no branding or sponsorship.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I definitely preferred this type of company set-up - small, dynamic, grassroots. There was no bureaucracy, it was highly creative and I was able to work with artists just as the whole DIY digital movement started to build momentum. Both experiences were invaluable. I got insights into both sides of the industry. Fortunately being a woman was never an issue. It was all about persistence, enthusiasm and hard-work.</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Q: So now that you've been here in DC a while, tell us your impressions of the DC Music scene. In your view, how does it compare with other U.S. cities such as Austin, New York & Nashville (all killer towns for music). </span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A:</i></b> Well as a outsider moving to the city, I had preconceived ideas that DC was all about politics and nothing else. This is the major misconception most people outside of DC have. I was really pleasantly surprised to discover that DC has a very rich musical heritage and a very vibrant contemporary music scene. There is certainly no shortage of talent here. The major difference between DC and other US cities like New York is there is no music industry structure, so although there is lots of talent the mechanisms to support it aren’t in place. Also the city is very transient which makes it difficult to build a cohesive cultural identity. Both factors leads to low creative retention. Nevertheless, we still have plenty of artists flying the flag for the city - Thievery Corporation, Wale, Wayna etc... The city also has a very positive entrepreneurial energy which I absolutely love.</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Q: What was your inspiration to start your company imaginePR? What would you say is imaginePR's strength?</span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A:</i></b> My company imaginePR came about very organically. When I first moved to DC I immediately started to research the city to find out what it had to offer in terms of music marketing and PR for artists and arts organizations. I discovered there was a huge gap in the market, and saw this as an opportunity rather than a disadvantage. I started off doing some freelance work in the area to test the waters. I received an overwhelmingly positive response and it’s just taken off from there. Since then I’ve worked with some amazing musicians and music organizations and I’m having so much fun. </span><br />
<div class="photo photo_right"><div class="photo_img"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img class="img" height="87" src="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs075.snc6/168569_189598681055674_131952736820269_777691_4270098_a.jpg" width="200" /></span></div></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think one of the strengths of my company is that it’s very personality led - I offer a very personalized, bespoke service, I only work with people I believe in, and my clients know that when they hire imaginePR they are hiring me. They are not getting handed over to a team of juniors. I’m also a big believer in listening to your clients individual needs - what works for one musician doesn’t necessarily work for another. Everything has to be personalized and targeted.</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Q: We first met you at the Future of Music Coalition Policy Summit at Georgetown University in October. What a great 3 day music industry event. For those who aren't familiar please tell us what it is and why you think it's important.</span></i></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>A:</i> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/Futureofmusiccoalition" target="_blank" title="http://www.facebook.com/#!/Futureofmusiccoalition"><span style="color: #3b5998; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Future of Music Coalition</span></a></b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> is a National non-profit organization based in DC which focuses on research and advocacy for musicians. It’s an invaluable organization as it fights for musicians rights across all areas of the music industry - from a legislative level all the way down to grassroots digital marketing activities. It’s a fantastic resource of information for musicians and has been instrumental in the development of the net neutrality debate and also recently the victory of low power FM radio.</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Q: One of your latest imaginePR clients is the DC Music Fest! Finally, a DC music festival! First the details: when is it & where will it be held? </span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A:</i></b> Yes the DC Music Fest is going to be great! It’s taking place on May 7th at the Yards Park in South East DC. It’s a one day, open-air festival which will be showcasing 12 bands, 3 singer-songwriters and a DJ across multiple genres. It’s $25 for the day and tickets are on sale through the <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/dcmusicfest" target="_blank" title="http://www.facebook.com/#!/dcmusicfest"><span style="color: #3b5998;">DC Music Fest</span></a></b> website - <b><a href="http://www.dcmusicfest.com/" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "06d8f", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">www.dcmusicfest.com</span></a></b></span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Q: We understand that you are encouraging local bands to make submissions to appear at the festival. How should they do so? </span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A:</i></b> The festival is being curated in a number of ways. Firstly, DC area musicians are encouraged to submit for performance consideration via the DC music fest website. Secondly we are partnering with a number of local music blogs and websites such as The Couch Sessions and the Vinyl District who will be selecting a “recommended” band or artist to perform at the festival. Finally, we have talent bookers scouting for established and new talent in the area.</span><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Q: Will you be tweeting information about the DC Music Fest? What's your Twitter handle? </span></b></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A:</i></b> I definitely will be! You can follow my tweets at <b><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/jembahaijoub" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "06d8f", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="http://twitter.com/#!/jembahaijoub"><span style="color: #3b5998;">@jembahaijoub</span></a> </b>or “like” me on Facebook at <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/imaginePR" target="_blank" title="http://www.facebook.com/#!/imaginePR"><span style="color: #3b5998;">imaginePR</span></a></b></span><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Q: Finally, what are the 5 songs (and artists) that have been looping on your iPod this week? </span></b></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A: </i></b> Artists I’m listening to on my iPod at the moment are: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Marina and the Diamonds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Natasha Atlas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. Lykke Li</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. Amanda Blank</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5. The Dreamscapes Project</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6. Tricky’s new album, Mixed Race.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Photo Credits: Joshua Mellin</span></i> <i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">& Jennifer Vinson</span></i><br />
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<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>You can also check DC Setlist out on Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/DCSetlist" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/DCSetlist</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="goog_1472887555"></span><span id="goog_1472887556"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-75792991856194176582010-12-29T14:23:00.004-05:002010-12-31T00:21:41.437-05:00MAMBO SAUCE! Q&A with DC's GRAMMY NOMINATED MUSICIAN & HUMAN BEATBOX: CHRISTYLEZ BACON<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TRuIBeNxhcI/AAAAAAAAAUc/y6_HJXGPSE0/s1600/BACONthumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TRuIBeNxhcI/AAAAAAAAAUc/y6_HJXGPSE0/s640/BACONthumb.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Christylez Bacon! You may have seen him at any one of hundreds of hi-fi & lo-fi events about the DC area in the last year. The man is in demand! As we head in to 2011 to see what he's working on, we also look back with the Human Beatbox to touch on what has been a stellar year for this local DC artist. </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: As 2010 comes to a close we are guessing that your Grammy nomination was the highlight of the year for you. Please tell us about the children's album you were nominated for and your experience attending the ceremony. </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b> A: </b></i> The children's album is called <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/cfinkmmarxer6">BANJO TO BEATBOX</a>. It was a collaborative project with Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, who are heavy-weights in both children's & old-time traditional music. This project </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i>< Photo Credit: Mark Silva</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> started as a cool way for us to explore the possibilities of our musical worlds with Human-Beatboxing, rhyming, ukulele, banjos, and washboards. Attending the festivities surrounding the Grammys was great! The Strathmore staff accompanied me there and I got to experience the red carpet, the after-party, etc...</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: You recently appeared at a</i> </b><a href="http://on.fb.me/e5xN67">SOFAR SOUNDS</a><b><i> show at Marvins where you mentioned DC Mambo Sauce! For those of us who don't know, what is Mambo Sauce!? </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A:</b></i> Mambo Sauce is god inside of a sauce bottle that is only used for fried-chicken and french-fries! Actually, it's a sauce native to Washington DC, that can only be found in Carry-Outs here. I have a song "Mambo Sauce" which explains all the details.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: You are currently working on a new album called "Hip Hop Unplugged", sounds great. What can you tell your fans about it and when do you expect to release it? </b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A:</i></b> I'm expecting to have it released by Summer 2011, but it's a great small body of work and I want to make sure that it has all the technical expertise that it needs. So, I'm not trying to rush music, even in this age where we want everything to be on a fast-food schedule. This album uses all acoustic instrumentation, vocal trio, and a string & horn section over my songs as well as guitar playing and human-beatboxing.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: As an aspiring musician growing up in South East DC who were your greatest (local) influences? </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>A: </i></b>I draw my influences from various sources, but DC has influenced me rhythmically through Go-Go, and crowd participation. Those influencers would be: Chuck Brown, Rare Essence, Backyard Band, Northeast Groovers, etc. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TRuH0DC56TI/AAAAAAAAAUY/k_XudCeqzl4/s1600/CHRISJoshuaYospynFor+WornMagazine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TRuH0DC56TI/AAAAAAAAAUY/k_XudCeqzl4/s400/CHRISJoshuaYospynFor+WornMagazine.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: Not only are you working on musical projects but you've taken on a project in fashion. Tell us about your collaboration with designers Bill Johnson of Transient & Hugh & Crye? </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Photo Credit: Joshua Yospyn for WORN Magazine ></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A: </b></i> I love what both <a href="http://www.facebook.com/hughandcrye?ref=ts&v=app_4949752878#%21/hughandcrye?v=wal">HUGH & CRYE</a> and Bill Johnson of Transient Clothing, are doing. They are filling a void in mens clothing. Hugh & Crye are creating mens dress shirts that fit according to body types and give a tailored look without the tailor prices. Bill Johnson styled me in his creations for the 2010 Grammy's. Both of them have pieces that match my vision, and I'm working with both to create some custom pieces that I hope other can dig as well!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: Please give the details for your upcoming appearances at PG County Libraries in January & February. </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A:</b></i> This has to be my 2nd year doing the PG County Libraries. Yayyyyyy for consistency!!!! I travel to all the PG County Library locations using public transportation, performing my One-Man Orchestra concert for those communities, while trying to avoid catching a cold.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: You also mentioned that a monthly musical series is in the works; what can you share with us about that?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A:</b></i> I can't reveal too many details because it's still in the incubating phase and I'm still thinking about the perfect venue for it, but every gig that I've done in 2010 (190 Gigs as of Dec 31st) have been people booking me to perform for the events, series, schools, etc... I want to establish a performance-home where I can introduce audiences to my musical tastes and influences in a live & collaborative setting.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: Finally, what are the 5 songs (and artists) that have been looping on your iPod this week? </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A: </b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Donald Fagen & Steely Dan</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Earth Wind & Fire</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bust a Rhymes (Early 90s Era)</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jamiroquai</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kanye West (The New Album)</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Photo Credit: Mark Silva </i></div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-66077073424507917182010-12-22T22:41:00.008-05:002010-12-25T19:27:00.979-05:00He'll Rock Your Amadeus! Q&A with Andrew Bucket, Booking Agent for the Velvet Lounge & Editor-In-Chief of "The Folly"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TRLETQAXalI/AAAAAAAAAUM/avwBfUpzTE0/s1600/AndrewBUCKET.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TRLETQAXalI/AAAAAAAAAUM/avwBfUpzTE0/s640/AndrewBUCKET.jpg" width="640" /></a><em></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo Credit: Shauna B Alexander</span></em></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: You book all of the acts who perform at the <a href="http://www.velvetloungedc.com/">The Velvet Lounge</a> and speak fondly of your experience there thus far. Share with us how you originally landed there and how your role has evolved...</b></i></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>A: </b></i> Well in like 2006 I played a show at Velvet with my old band <i><b><a href="http://soundcloud.com/the-huzbandz">The Huzbandz</a></b></i>, and the sound guy Rob Curtis thought we were the best thing he'd ever seen and became obsessed with us. The rest of the staff thought we were annoying, but none the less, we started hanging out there every night, and it was great because our old stomping ground Wonderland had been overrun at this point by the date-rapey contingent that now dominates it.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The improv psych and noise scene was mostly centered around Velvet and Scott Verrastro's house 611 Florida at that point, and we went to all those shows and were basically the new-b's of the noise crowd. My band mate Haley actually moved in with Damian Languell who lived two blocks away from Velvet Lounge, so it was like the party was either at the house, or at Velvet, and after shows all the bands would party at their place. </div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One night I came to hang out and Rob Curtis was icing his face because Damian had attacked him and he's like "want a job?" So I took over Damian's door shifts and worked as a doorman there for about a year. I was probably the best doorman they had, even though I am very small, because I made it a point to know who people were, and I was really good at managing the money. I got a gun pulled on me when I first started, after this guy was accused of grabbing a girls ass, and I talked the guy into putting it away and leaving, this is while the other employees were hiding behind the bar.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So when Scott Verrastro moved to Philly he asked me if I wanted to be his apprentice and take over booking Velvet, which was the craziest thing I'd ever heard in my life. I was a door man, and I made like no money, and was scraping by and not even able to pay my rent, so this would mean that my rent was more than covered every month and I would get to put shows together. I was really, really, really bad at it for five months and eventually fucked up enough times that I became OK at it. </div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Things kind of blew up when we started doing DJ's downstairs which was something unique to my "administration," because Scott didn't want it to be a party scene in the way a lot of clubs were going, but I had actually been friends with a lot of DJ's since the way-back-when days of Wonderland. The Nouveau Riche guys, and most of the bigger DJ's were all hanging out there all the time when me and Haley were, and we were such good friends, and I had really fun times at their parties, so it was just a no-brainer to do DJ's at Velvet and it totally changed the club from the "seedy dive" that the press always calls it, to a pretty scrappy contender on any night.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TRLEFa4-GfI/AAAAAAAAAUI/3Br9ZW4UWlI/s1600/velvetlounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TRLEFa4-GfI/AAAAAAAAAUI/3Br9ZW4UWlI/s400/velvetlounge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Q: Who are some of the acts & DJ's we can expect to see at Velvet over the holiday season? </i></b> </div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>A:</b></i> Every second Tuesday we have Baby Alcatraz and Kid Congo Powers, and <a href="http://on.fb.me/gaEa6O">Ian Svenonius</a> Ian Svenonius drops by for that all the time when he's in town, so you can really count on that night to rock your Amadeus. </div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: We were disappointed that we didn't make it to see Patti Smith this past weekend at the National Portrait Gallery. You went! Give us your impressions. </b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>A:</b></i> I had been really furious about the Hide/Seek squabbles, for two reasons: the obvious was the fact that the gallery bent to the qualms of one conservative senator who doesn't even live here, and secondly, that the piece was elevated to this martyr status and to be honest I don't even think it was that interesting a piece of art.<br />
<br />
I mean, if you go to Jerusalem there are probably ants crawling on crosses all over the place. I mean, ANTS? Its not like there are maggots, or some other symbol of putrid decay or something like that. I mean, ants are hive bugs, I mean they are ARMY bugs and they are super strong.<br />
<br />
SO really, this thing has super strong army bugs crawling on the cross so ants are this amazingly edifying symbol for christians, you know, onward christian soldier!<br />
<br />
So anyway, the other problem was people were kind of waiting for Patti to come and deliver the gospel to us, and when she got here she was basically like "shut up guys, this isn't my problem."<br />
<br />
And that was the biggest revelation to me and was the source epiphany of my piece I wrote for<br />
<i><b><a href="http://bit.ly/hXlAKD">BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS</a></b></i>.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: You write for BYT! We've read some of your reviews, you're a freaking riot. You've said that you appreciate how they give their writers such license & freedom to write exactly what they want. What has this meant to you as a writer?</b></i> </div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b> </b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>A:</b></i> It's become a hub, and that's been good for everyone in show-biz because of its character in posting arts events. Characteristically you get posted if your event is well put together, and is looking to be a big romp. Really, people who do house shows wouldn't want it posted on a popular website anyway.<br />
<br />
As a writer though, it's been amazing because there isn't really a pitch process for me. I sometimes bounce ideas off of Libby just to see what she thinks, but I could really go nuts on anything I want. That isn't to say I'd write total nonsense just to be irreverent, but I could definitely try things out without worrying that an editor will try to reel me in.<br />
<br />
I started with BYT in 2009 when I went to SXSW in Austin, and Libby had heard about my facebook videos which were this like inside joke between me and some people I knew, and one of these people included me in some top ten list of 2008...ANYWAY, Libby asked me to make a video of SXSW, and I shot and edited the thing in Austin, and uploaded it to youtube. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<em><strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbm91XDiQ3c" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "4725c", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbm91XDiQ3c"><span style="color: #3b5998;">CLICK HERE TO SEE THE BYT SXSW VIDEO</span></a></strong></em><br />
<span style="color: #3b5998;"></span><br />
<br />
After that I did a bunch of interviews and show reviews, and few one off pieces (I did this best of wikipedia thing where I just posted all my favorite weirdo pages).<br />
<br />
I hit a real stride with my advice column, which was pretty popular there for a while, and I got a lot of readership that was outside of the normal set for BYT (lawyers and staffers and such).<br />
<br />
Since then, I've just been doing pieces like the Cyndi Lauper show or the Patti Smith thing, where I write on stuff I'm particularly invested in either emotionally, or chemically. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: "The Folly" is a literary journal that you are spear heading with a colorful cast of others. Who is involved, what is your vision & when is the first issue coming out?!</b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>A: </b></i><b> </b><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Editorial Board</b></span>:</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<b><i><a href="http://on.fb.me/eSYedW">Sheldon Scott</a> </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">General Manager of Marvin, poet, actor, playwright, and performance artist.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<b><i>Adrian Parsons</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Performance artist, member of the band Exactly.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<b><i>Jennifer Jeremias</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Co-Founder of Bored of Trade, and Tooth and Nail craft fair </div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<b><i>Holly Thomas</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Washington Post</i>, writer</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<b><i> <a href="http://on.fb.me/eUWpjt">Seaton Smith</a> </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Comedian, actor, and writer</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<b><i>Ryan Hunter Mitchell</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Celebrity hair stylist, musician, and writer</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<b><i>Haley Dolan</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bread of Many Stationary, proprietor</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<b><i>Madeleine Starkey</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i></i><i><a href="http://on.fb.me/ehG68X">DC Modern Luxury</a></i><i><i>,</i> </i>writer<i> </i></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b></b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b><i></i></b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b><i></i></b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Our creative support at large</b></span>:</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<b><i>Philippa Hughes</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://on.fb.me/h0R99I">The Pink Line Project</a></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<b><i>Lora Moinkoff </i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://on.fb.me/gq46op">Gibson Guitar Showroom</a> </div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<i><b>Svetlana Legetic</b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Brightest Young Things</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<b><i>Glodine Young</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Fridge, artspace</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The journal is the brainchild of myself and Lex Paulson, and we sort of drunkenly said we would do it, and I guess Lex is of the Hemingway ilk-- doing everything you said you would do when drunk-- and forced me to pony up and actually do it. So we made a list of the most interesting people we know and in one week had our first meeting on the roof of Madame's Organ. The people at the first meeting are largely the ones who stuck around, and we picked up some really cool people since then.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My "vision" is more about my taste in writing which is really simple. I feel like I've always known these kinds of people who don't really self identify as writers or as writerly or as literary types, but they will write something on their facebook or their blog and its AMAZING or hilarious, or brilliant just because they themselves are one of those three things, and so it's like they are better than writers because they are writing out of a compulsion instead of a practice. So I just wanted to ask interesting people to write me whatever they wanted to write about, and I could trust that whatever they gave me would be great.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TRLDldOsJfI/AAAAAAAAAUE/_TsmOR0oHWQ/s1600/Folly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="335" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TRLDldOsJfI/AAAAAAAAAUE/_TsmOR0oHWQ/s400/Folly.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: You and local artist Adrian Parson are going to be curating visual art shows! What can we look forward to? Art, MUSIC, secret shows???</b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>A: </b></i> Same shtick, different media. We'll be showing artists who aren't really artists. It's called Freaking Nobodies, and it's going to happen in January at Red Door most likely. </div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: Finally, what are the 5 songs (and artists) that have been looping on your iPod this week?</b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>A:</i> I made you a primary list and an alternate list</b>:</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Primary</b></i>:</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ellen Foley- We belong to the night</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moon Duo- Stumbling 22nd St</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sinead O’connor- i want your (hands on me)</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oppenheimer Analysis- Don't be seen with me</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tori Amos- Winter</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Alternates</b></i>:</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mazzy Star- Ride It On (live- the black session- paris 1993)</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yaz- Only You</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kurt Vile and the Violators- Good Lookin’ Out</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Communards- Don't Leave Me This Way</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Psychic TV- Have Mercy </div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-11260479066007802362010-12-12T14:06:00.001-05:002010-12-12T14:08:20.816-05:00Drums & Swagger: Q&A with Drummer & Producer Kevin Murphy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TQUa6iZHuJI/AAAAAAAAATk/n9Ygrw-VH0c/s1600/KEVIN+SHADO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TQUa6iZHuJI/AAAAAAAAATk/n9Ygrw-VH0c/s640/KEVIN+SHADO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<i><b>DC Native Kevin Murphy has honed his drumming chops for the past 20 years touring with both local & national acts. We recently caught up with him and talked about life on the road, Randy Houser, the music biz, his experience as a producer, Willie Nelson and his cousin, Dante Ferrando (owner of <a href="http://www.blackcatdc.com/">THE BLACK CAT</a>). </b></i><br />
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<i><b>Q: You've been touring pretty much full time with southern rock artist <a href="http://www.randyhouser.com/">RANDY HOUSER</a>, tell us just how heavy the tour schedule has been and about the recording of his latest album, "They Call Me Cadillac", that came out in November.</b></i><br />
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<i><b>A:</b></i> I filled in for Randy earlier in the year for a month, and when he called me to join up more permanently they were in the middle of the typical summer schedule, which is really heavy for country artists. I had no part in the recording of the record and had only known Randy socially, so I didn’t even know there was a record coming out. The schedule was 4 nights a week already, so I didn’t notice a big change on the release date. Randy’s disc is a real record, with real flaws and a truth in it’s tone. We don’t really mimic it live at all, we’re much thicker and present a larger wall of sound, but I like that, and so does Randy. <br />
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<i><b>Q: You mentioned that you & Randy Houser will be appearing on both Late Night with David Letterman and the Jimmy Fallon Show! Can you tell us any of the details and when we should be looking out for that? </b></i><br />
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<b><i>A:</i></b> hmmmm….the details on those are gonna be tough. I really don’t know WHEN things will come up, they just will. We were scheduled for Letterman in September and Fallon for the night before Thanksgiving, but were bumped. Randy keeps in touch with Letterman, who is a big fan of Cadillac’s, so I’m sure we’ll get back on there soon.<br />
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<i><b>Q: You've toured for almost 10 years with the band <a href="http://www.tonic-online.com/">TONIC</a> . For those who aren't familiar with them, who are they and what's the latest?</b></i><br />
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<b><i>A:</i></b> Tonic’s biggest hit was called “If You Could Only See”, and I think it was released in ’97. I remember being positively sick of hearing it on the radio by the time Earth To Andy opened for them and we became friends. I think the Tonic guys got the shaft, in a way. They had some big success, but were lumped in with other groups of the time and didn’t really ever get to own their own identity, except among the real fans. In my opinion, they were and have continued to be the most artistic group to have come out of that era for pop rock. I’ve enjoyed my time with Emerson, Dan and Jeff. I think they’re great musicians and writers, and I’m sad that I don’t get many opportunities to play with them now. They have a record that came out earlier this year, all of them produce, Jeff is a composer for TV shows, and Em is working on his writing here in Nashville. I’m happy that he and I can see each other regularly.<br />
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<i><b>Q: Growing up, what drummer did you look up too & try to model yourself after? </b></i><br />
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<i><b>A:</b></i> Bonham. He was the king. I loved Myron Grombacher, who was Pat Benetar’s drummer and NEVER got the proper credit for his skill and taste. I liked Billy Cobham, who was a fusion guy. I liked everyone who hit drums, really. I don’t even know who played drums for Men At Work, but “Who Can it Be?” was the first song I ever played on a drumset.” I liked that band. <br />
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<i><b>Q: After 20 years on the road, how would you say the business has changed and what do you think will be expected of young musicians coming up now?</b></i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TQUbkaWnZdI/AAAAAAAAATo/8i1iorT4NTI/s1600/KEVIN+DRUMS.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TQUbkaWnZdI/AAAAAAAAATo/8i1iorT4NTI/s320/KEVIN+DRUMS.png" width="213" /></a></div><i><b>A:</b></i> I think the paradigm has obviously shifted on every level and continues to. I think it’ll settle down soon, but the shift was ugly. Not only has the business end changed drastically because of the internet, but touring is harder from the economy. Another notable change is that PEOPLE have changed. They stopped buying CONTENT and focused only on INTENT. The sizzle. I think people are growing tired of hype and really just want to see a songwriter or band play shit from the heart again. Taylor Swift is huge because people believe her. Jamey Johnson and Houser are finding an audience because they are EXACTLY what they seem. I think a younger musician or group should focus on developing their skill and communication more these days. It wouldn’t hurt to see some younger acts dig a little deeper to discover where their idols got it from, and extend the art rather than mimic. I was producing a band last year that kept referring to other bands as the benchmark, saying shit like “we want this to be like Sevendust”, and I just kept wondering why they weren’t interested in investigating what it would sound like as THEM. Tons of singers in Nashville are trying to be Carrie Underwood, but who the hell wants another one? She’s good at that, there’s no reason to have another version. Younger artists need to get off their lazy asses and do the work. Talking big is great, walking big is better. You have to look across from each other and ask the hard questions, give the hard answers, hug it out, and make your statement. I’m proud to have come up in the scene when I did, man. You could go see a festival or show and catch Everything, Gibb Droll, Egypt, Almighty Senators, Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, Dave Matthews Band, Fighting Gravity and 5 other bands, and ALL OF THEM sounded unique and interesting. All had their own style that they had created. I don’t see that these days. Very few young acts have the balls to really make a statement. They want fame and money, they don’t really have anything to say. It’s sad. I hope more artists and groups start to rise up. It’s starting to turn around, I hope the pace picks up. There’s good music out there, you just have more shit to sift through these days. <br />
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<b><i>Q: You started out on the DC music scene but have recently moved to Nashville! As a musician, it must feel great to live in the heart of a town with such a rich musical history & where many of the street signs are shaped guitar picks!</i></b><br />
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<i><b>A:</b></i> Nashville is great. The community is smaller than one would think, and everyone genuinely wants to help out. I feel alive there, and I love that there are simply more options, musically, each night than in most towns. The musicianship is ridiculous. It’s a different level of player here. Every time I hear “I’m gonna make it” from a rookie I want to take them to any given club in Nashville on any given night and say “here ya go, Slappy. Everyone here has played tours for 15,000 people a night, and half of us have had record deals, some of us more than one, and we’re still fighting it out for the good tours and sessions. If you’ve got the balls to jump into the fire, welcome.” I should actually do that for a TV show... <br />
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<b><i>Q: Hey wait a minute? We just remembered, isn't Dante, who owns the Black Cat, your cousin?</i></b><br />
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<i><b>A: </b></i> Yup! Dante Ferrando is indeed my first cousin. We were mostly into different scenes, and his was one I didn’t appreciate until long after he’d exposed me to it. I’ve met people out on the road that speak of him as if he’s a superstar! Henry Rollins remembered him fondly, Dave Grohl and I talked about Dante being a badass for 20 minutes before he exclaimed that “us Virginia boys, man, we’re different. We’re gonna take it all over!” I’m a little bummed that Dante and I never really got to hang out. Our lives are so busy that I only see him once a year. He’s tighter with my sister Dana, I think because he was the guy she’d call when running her club (Trax in Charlottesville) back in the day when things got stressful.<br />
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<b><i>Q: You'll be on tour with Willie Nelson next summer! What's the line up and how cool is that?!</i></b><br />
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A: I’m not sure of the final line up, but from what I understand right now it’s Jake Owen, Houser, Jamey Johnson and Willie. Another guy I like named Lee Brice told me a couple of nights ago that he thinks that he’s on it, too. I hope Randy keeps me around for awhile, I’d love to do it, the idea of spending a summer supporting Willie is amazing, and would be one of those incredible tales to hold dear for life. I’m hope if some jackass cop decides to bust Willie next year that I’m with him. That would be awesome. <br />
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<i><b>Q: You’re producing now, as well. What projects are you working on?</b></i><br />
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<b><i>A: </i></b> Well, I’ve always produced, either in bands or for local and regional artists in Virginia, and wanted to continue as I branched out in Tennessee. I was looking for an opportunity and thankfully the first artist that I toured with,<i><b> <a href="http://www.joshgracin.com/">JOSH GRACIN</a></b></i>, liked my ideas on the bus during late night rides. When he signed with a new label, he asked them to let he and I produce his new project and they (<b><i><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Average-Joes-Entertainment/214136604201">AVERAGE JOE RECORDS</a></i></b>) went for it. We spent a couple of months really making something that defined him and satisfied his tastes, while allowing me to sonically make it what it needed to be, and I’m really proud of it. I think it comes out in early 2011, and perhaps it allows both of us to continue building our careers. I’m currently working with two female artists, LoriBeth Hogan, who is unsigned, super talented and a lot of fun to work with, using Rob Thomas’ engineer, Mark Dobson, who is great, and Danielle Peck. Danielle has had some hits and wants to redefine what and who she is in 2011, and I’m excited to get things moving. We’re picking songs for her now, trying to find the right statements and texture. I’ve got a couple of other things that are possibilities in 2011, but I’m in a holding pattern for the go ahead to move forward on those. I love producing. I like helping to strengthen a voice and an aesthetic. I hope to add and build through 2011 and beyond with that aspect of my career.<br />
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<i><b>Q: Finally, what are the 5 songs (and artists) that have been looping on your iPod this week?</b></i><br />
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<b><i>A: </i></b> I’ve been home this week working on finding songs for a project I’m producing soon, so a lot of my listening has been demos and stuff like that, but my “clean the house” mix has everything from “Pet” by A Perfect Circle to “So Hard” by Rhianna. I love Jay Z’s production. The mix has a cut from Loretta Lynn’s record that Jack produced, some Dead Weather, Skynard, Lil Wayne, Earth Wind & Fire, Fleetwood Mac, and a side project of mine called “Loose Cougar”. I’m pretty random when it comes to what’s playing. I’ll either turn it or I won’t. I like stuff that is what it claims to be. If I smell pretense, I turn it off. Some stuff is fine, but I just don’t care for it, and I sometimes can’t explain it. I don’t like The Doors. Never have. I turn Kings of Leon off immediately when it comes on. Slipknot’s albums sound like shit, but I like the intent. I like things with swagger.”<br />
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“You know what? That’s it. That’s my shit. I like things with swagger.”<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TQUbxrSbEXI/AAAAAAAAATs/OUCaGOEo0tI/s1600/Kevin+Rigg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TQUbxrSbEXI/AAAAAAAAATs/OUCaGOEo0tI/s640/Kevin+Rigg.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-80190810663094923252010-12-10T14:28:00.009-05:002010-12-12T14:49:29.365-05:00SOFAR SOUNDS DC LAUNCH / 2010<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TQUil0A11OI/AAAAAAAAATw/Vp355HHJGSk/s1600/SOFARsoundsDC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TQUil0A11OI/AAAAAAAAATw/Vp355HHJGSk/s640/SOFARsoundsDC.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">SOFAR SOUNDS (of London) @ MARVINS for the DC LAUNCH</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TQUixE7QHGI/AAAAAAAAAT0/F185w3vw6xY/s1600/BACON.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TQUixE7QHGI/AAAAAAAAAT0/F185w3vw6xY/s640/BACON.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">CHRYSTALIZE BACON</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TQUjFtnKqdI/AAAAAAAAAT4/1TSr_RRC7y0/s1600/HEMERLEIN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TQUjFtnKqdI/AAAAAAAAAT4/1TSr_RRC7y0/s640/HEMERLEIN.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">MATTHEW HEMERLEIN</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TQUjQCr_TcI/AAAAAAAAAT8/e3W1JsLT488/s1600/THORNLEY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TQUjQCr_TcI/AAAAAAAAAT8/e3W1JsLT488/s640/THORNLEY.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">JOHN & PAUL THORNLEY of US ROYALTY</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TQUjYcmgAFI/AAAAAAAAAUA/Gge23R3jowM/s1600/ADEphil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TQUjYcmgAFI/AAAAAAAAAUA/Gge23R3jowM/s640/ADEphil.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">PHIL ADE </div><br />
SOFAR SOUNDS ~<br />
"Songs From A Room offers artists and music fans the unique opportunity to perform and experience intimate gigs in packed London living rooms each month. The movement is now going global with shows happening in New York, Paris and many other cities worldwide."<br />
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Check them out at: <a href="http://on.fb.me/f746od">SOFAR SOUNDS Facebook Page</a><br />
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MARK SILVA PHOTO CREDITVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-6761880829874774772010-11-23T23:47:00.001-05:002010-11-27T19:14:54.770-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TOyPzb8owmI/AAAAAAAAATc/7X3FczfgsXc/s1600/Ekhi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TOyPzb8owmI/AAAAAAAAATc/7X3FczfgsXc/s640/Ekhi.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44373815497#!/pages/DELOREAN/29229522797">DELOREAN</a> i</em>s a Span-tronic four piece who named themselves after the classic 80's flick, "Back to the Future". Their European pop sensibility has its roots in the clubs of Ibiza, hence the release of their latest album, "Subiza", on the True Panther Record Label out of New York. They received critical acclaim at SXSW in 2007, have toured with the likes of jj and Miike Snow, have received favorable reviews from the notoriously hard to please</strong><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> </strong></em><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> </strong><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> </strong></em><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">Pitchfork Music <a href="http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14147-subiza">(Click here to read the review)</a> and are about to introduce themselves to the District of Columbia, tonight, at the Rock N Roll Hotel. See what Ekhi had to share with us...</strong></em></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QngeN-5wGQ">Delorean - STAY CLOSE (Officia Video)</a> </strong></em></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">Q. Tell us how the band met and formed in your hometown of Zarautz, Spain in 2000?</strong></em></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">A.</strong></em> We hung out in the same places when we were teenagers and started the band then. It's all pretty simple, we wanted to make music together. What focused Delorean, was that we were completely open to any and all kinds of musical references. We've kept that attitude since then. </div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">Q. It's evident that the band has really evolved since your early days of remixing when you compare it to your new album "Subiza". What experiences were the most influential in sparking the bands creative growth?</em></strong></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">A. </strong></em> Studio production has been the biggest change for us. Now we've learned how to make arrangements, for example. That's something we didn't care about before but having the computer allows you to experiment with sax or stringed arrangements, for example. And that's what makes you to learn a little more about song writing. It's a very rich experimental field for a band that mainly worked jamming in the rehearsals. </div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">Q. How did your relationship with</em></strong><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> </em><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://www.truepanther.com/">TRUE PANTHER RECORDS</a></em><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> come about? </em></strong></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">A.</strong></em> We became Dean Beins' (Mr. Bein runs True Panther which is owned by Matador Records) friends October 2008 and kept a close relationship since then. We love Dean and his record label, we really wanted to put out the record with him, as if it was the only acceptable option for us. After the record was done he told us he wanted to put it out. Now we're so happy to start this 'adventure' working so close to a friend. </div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">Q. You run a blog called </strong></em><a href="http://desparrameeeee.blogspot.com/"><i><b>DESPARRAME</b></i></a> (Disorder)<em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">. What's it's focus and any plans to post an English version so we can follow it with out going through google translator! ;)</strong></em></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">A. </em></strong> The focus is 'Music we like or find interesting to share". As far as we're always on tour our best friend DJ K**O runs it mainly. It's very club oriented but we like to post any kind of music. We also put parties with him. We've had Jackmaster, Bok Bok, L-Vis 1990, Untold, Slackk, Deadboy, Radioclit, Lemonade, Top Billin, Spencer, Rustie, Hudson Mohawke, Mwëslee, Guido, BFlecha, Swindle, Noaipre, Elijah & Skilliam.... </div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">Q. If you had your pick of any band in the on earth to launch a global tour with right now, who would it be and why?</strong></em></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">A.</em></strong> We'd love to do a True Panther Mystery tour with all of the TPS bands. We'd love to launch a Desparrame global tour, but that seems as well hard to happen. We'd like to open for Phoenix too, we love that band. </div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">Q. What's been the bands biggest challenge recently?</strong></em></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">A.</strong></em> Putting together a rounded and worked live set. And making a new record too, but that will happen probably from next fall and on. </div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">Q. DC is stoked! You will be performing at the Rock N Roll Hotel TONIGHT! We heard you and the band will be doing a pre-show event at <a href="http://www.sweetgreen.com/">SWEETGREEN</a></strong><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"> </strong><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">on Capitol Hill at 4pm this afternoon. What can we expect at this event? </strong></em> </div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">A. </strong></em> Unfortunately we're not doing a pre-show. We're going to sign albums and T-Shirts. It seemed too tight on the schedule to do a pre-show so we selected 10 songs we love, to help make a play list for Sweetgreen. </div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">Q. Word has it that when you are not playing live you are performing crazy DJ sets. What is your DJ calendar looking like in the not so distant 2011 and what are your favorite venues to DJ in, in both Europe & the U.S.?</em></strong></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">A.</em></strong> Any club with a decent sound system works for us, honestly we don't really care much as long as the sound is big! </div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">Q. What are the 5 songs (and artists) that have been looping on your iPod this week? </strong></em></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">A. </strong></em></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">- Sueño Latino "Sueño Latino (Derrick May Emotion Second mix)"</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">- Hype Williams "Untitled 8"</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">- Bíceps "Muñeco de Ficción" (Instrumental)" (on Dj K**Os "Espanish Boogie Vol. 2")</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">- Main Attrakionz "Elevate ya name"</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">- Teengirl Fantasy "7AM" (Album)<br />
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</div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-73267081289257294772010-11-21T13:03:00.001-05:002010-12-01T00:25:37.855-05:00GUITARS NOT GUNS! Q&A with Gregg Hammond Founder & President of the DC Affiliate of Guitars Not Guns.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TOlcqZoQKVI/AAAAAAAAATM/YU2X2aa0hDc/s1600/GNGgregg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TOlcqZoQKVI/AAAAAAAAATM/YU2X2aa0hDc/s640/GNGgregg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=120615564646816&v=wall">GUITARS NOT GUNS</a> is an amazing after school program here in DC. When we caught up with its founder, Gregg Hammond, he talked to us about gangs, guitars and the Guiness Book of World Records! See what else he had to say...</b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. Guitars Not Guns, we love it! Please tell us what GNG's mission is and how it benefits the DC community. </b></i> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A.</b></i> Guitars not Guns’ (GNG’s) mission is to inspire at-risk and underprivileged youth to succeed in life by providing them music education opportunities through the use of volunteers and partnerships in their community. We help instill in them the confidence and character necessary to grow into productive members of society and responsible adults. GNG’s method is to engage the youth’s creative potential with a structured music program, taught by caring adults in a safe environment, and then couple that with our mentoring in music-related careers. We provide them free guitar lessons with the belief that the art of music connects the child to higher life goals and ambitions. We are a community based organization that provides these youth with a positive alternative to the self-destructive behaviors of substance abuse, crime, truancy and gangs. Serving the community of DC we make our streets safer. Guitars Not Guns is an all volunteer and donation based non profit with no paid employees. It comes from our hearts and our desire to make our city a shining example of what we can do around the nation and around the globe. The students are loaned a guitar at the beginning of class. If they learn 6 guitar chords and can name all the parts of the instrument they get to keep the guitar. They have earned it, and can be proud of themselves for their accomplishments.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The website for GNG is <a href="http://www.gngnca.org/index.html">GUITARS NOT GUNS</a> people can donate online through our "Donate Now" button on every page. We are also a member of the United</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Way. Member #9319</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. Where are the classes for the youth involved in Guitars Not Guns held?</b></i> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A.</b></i> Classes are held at Boys and Girls clubs, Parks and Recreation Centers, and other locations that are between a students' school and home. We are here because we are able to provide a safe alternative in places where our youth might otherwise be negatively influenced by gangs and misled peers. We are open to discussing other locations as well.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. Where do you get the guitars for the program? Do you accept used guitars? </b></i> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A.</b></i> We use our donation money to purchase new guitars for the students from Johnson guitars so that each student receives the same quality instrument as the next student.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TOldASuxSSI/AAAAAAAAATU/4d3BzIgfbT8/s1600/GNGlogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TOldASuxSSI/AAAAAAAAATU/4d3BzIgfbT8/s640/GNGlogo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. You mentioned that you will be meeting with the White House soon to discuss the possibility of your GNG students performing the guitar anthem that you wrote called "Set Me Free". Tell us about that. </b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A. </b></i> I am working on details to have a performance of the guitar anthem "Set Me Free" written by Gregg Hammond and Vince Scheuerman for the students of GNG at the White House. I am doing this to inspire our students to believe that they can achieve success in their playing, enough to play at the White House. This will show the nation and our community that our students' success is worthy of a great performance.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. What was your inspiration for writing Set Me Free? (available on iTunes now) </b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/gregg-hammond-vince-scheuerman/id395264931">CLICK HERE TO BUY ON iTUNES</a> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A.</b></i> Growing up as an at-risk youth, and having an electric guitar that I wanted to learn to play, but having no teachers available to me I ended up in the streets getting into trouble. I came very close to going to prison. Music, and guitar specifically, was what moved me away from that troubled life. The song "Set Me Free" brings the message that music and playing guitar can make a difference in a way that no other thing can. We all have music inside of us, and if the seed is nurtured it will grow into something magical and joyous. I wrote the song for the students of GNG to play and sing and feel the power of the music inside of them and express it.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">*15% of the proceeds from sales of "Set Me Free" go to GNG DC.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. You also teach guitar to the general public. For those interested in taking lessons from you, how can they get in touch? </b></i> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A.</b></i> Interested students can go to my website <a href="http://www.dcguitarlessons.com/">DC GUITAR LESSONS</a> for details. Emailing is the best way to be in touch with me: greggsguitarlessons@yahoo.com</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. We understand you have decided to throw down a Guiness Book of World Records challenge! Please give us the details! </b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A. </b></i> I have been working on this for about 3 years now. I had a practice run on Oct. 31st this year. I have another practice run in April 2011. The official date in June 2011 here in DC at RFK stadium will be announced in Jan 2011. We are gathering to set the record for "the most guitarist playing the the same song at the same time in the same place".</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are some really cool details about this that everyone should know. Not only will we be setting this record, but we will also be using skype simulcast from around the globe to set the record for "The most guitarists playing the same song at the same time at the same time around the globe". The song is "Set Me Free". We are setting up a fund for the GNG students around the globe to participate at no cost to them. All details about this event are updated on <a href="http://www.dcguitarlessons.com/">DC GUITAR LESSONS</a> as they become available. The idea is to bring our GNG students who are foster care and at-risk youth into a global event focused on playing the song that was written for them, and giving them the opportunity to be part of our global community of musicians.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. What are the 5 songs (and artists) that have been looping on your iPod this week?</b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A. </b></i> Oh my, that is a hard question........ Just 5? that's not fair! okay then........ ouch. Too many songs.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Joe Satriani ~ Circles( Blending mellow guitar and total jam too)</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Beatles ~ Let It Be( this song is simple yet profound)</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. Led Zeppelin ~ The Battle of Evermore( love the mandolin) I play and teach mandolin</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. Ozzy ~ Dreamer( as crazy as Ozzy seems, he knows the truth)</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5. Rush ~Time Stand Still( it says what we all feel daily)</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6. Jimi Hendrix ~ Little Wing ( a master guitarist at work)</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I could go on forever, so many amazing guitarists out there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TOlc18sbGUI/AAAAAAAAATQ/Q-2N5VVGbgI/s1600/GNGguitars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TOlc18sbGUI/AAAAAAAAATQ/Q-2N5VVGbgI/s640/GNGguitars.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-80317663258490104002010-11-20T13:28:00.002-05:002010-11-21T13:31:38.442-05:00FATBACK DANCE PARTY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TOlk7RMOFWI/AAAAAAAAATY/lXyzCHiH6Ew/s1600/pigFATBACK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TOlk7RMOFWI/AAAAAAAAATY/lXyzCHiH6Ew/s640/pigFATBACK.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">FATBACK is a soul/funk dance party every 3rd Saturday at LIV in DC.</span></div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-65214037985820796582010-11-13T13:42:00.003-05:002010-11-14T14:05:52.065-05:00GET BAKED! Q&A with Tony Velazquez, Co-Owner of BAKED & WIRED in Georgetown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TN7Z6wNob_I/AAAAAAAAAS4/0fBDUZ6bt4o/s1600/AlexTONY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TN7Z6wNob_I/AAAAAAAAAS4/0fBDUZ6bt4o/s640/AlexTONY.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Tony Velazquez & his wife Teresa own and run one of DC Setlists favourite coffee houses: </b></i><b><a href="http://www.bakedandwired.com/">Baked & Wired</a> </b><i><b> in Georgetown. They're Sweets & Tweets are among the best you'll find here in the District. When we sat down with Tony he talked about NYC, pies, unicorns, street musicians, baristas & of course getting BAKED!</b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. We love the fact that not only do does Baked & Wired serve the BEST cupcakes we've ever had but you are also dedicated to promoting the arts! We understand that you have local bands perform at your coffee house! Tell us who will be performing at Baked & Wired next?!</b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A. </b></i> Here at Baked we strive to serve homemade, incredibly delicious sweets as well as provide our customers with SWEET tunage for their darling ears. For the month of December, we have some Bill & Ted style most-excellent jams headed your way!</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The December line-up</b>:</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Friday 12/3: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/TheSpotsDC">THE SPOTS</a> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Friday 12/10: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/TrumpetGrrrl">TRUMPET GRRRL</a> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Friday 12/17: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/PrestoBando">PRESTO BANDO</a> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TN7aIXd-7kI/AAAAAAAAAS8/FuGLe8tI3ms/s1600/BandBAKED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TN7aIXd-7kI/AAAAAAAAAS8/FuGLe8tI3ms/s640/BandBAKED.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not only do we host live music, we also host local artists. Typically, we schedule the art opening with a live performance. We recently held a Halloween costume contest, concert, and art opening. The artist currently hanging in the shop is <a href="http://www.danaellyn.com/">DANA ELLYN</a> and we held her opening along with the rockin' tunes of Presto Bando. Feel free to find us on facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Washington-DC/Baked-and-Wired/134625793248511?v=wall">Bake and Wired</a>. We will have event pages for all gigs and probably some sarcastic quips. </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. Baked & Wired shows some serious TWIT WIT! What's your handle on Twitter and who's behind all those hilarious tweets? </b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A.</b></i> Behind the giggles and puns of our tweets you will find the verbal acrobatics of our tutu-wearing, slightly neurotic, Alex Shinko.<i><b> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/bakedandwiredDC">BakedandWiredDC</a> </b></i>provides our Twitter-followers with step-by-step directions on how to get baked, as well as thoughts of unicorns, the sweet liquid bliss of coffee, and random references to Val Kilmer. Along with long walks on the beach and picnics in the park, Alex enjoys drawing on the sidewalk and spends her time contemplating what to put on the chalk boards seen strewn about the shop. Beyond Alex's time spent eating steak, getting baked, making magic, and ending world hunger, she also books the bands and promotes them via the book of face and twitter. She hails from the bustling metropolis known as Pittsburgh and her dream gift is a typewriter. So, if you want to win your way into her heart you should get her one...and probably bring a steak...or two...and read her some Dorothy Parker. And then maybe you should get baked. Duh.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. So tell us how an architect from New York becomes the owner of an amazing coffee house in DC. Quite a transition, what's the story there?</b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A.</b></i> We were bored, very bored with the type of work we were doing - that's how Baked & Wired got started. The architecture and graphics business was as stale as a 7-11 doughnut and we had always had the itch to open a bakery and coffeehouse. We were already using the space on TJ as a graphics store (the ZAP sign is still on the wall), I carved out a small shoebox shape area in a corner and designed it trying to get some NY flavor in DC. Our location sucked so all we could do was create a place that made you want to come. It's all about the "feel".</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. We show pix of local street musicians we run into around DC all the time. You actually have local street musicians perform outside in front of Baked & Wired once a month. How did this come about and who should local street musicians contact to get on the Baked & Wired "Street Musician Roster"?</b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A.</b></i> Our street musicians series started with our 'get baked' 4.20 anniversary this year. A lot of these one person performers are absolutely creative - what! - trumpet/keyboard/vocals; guitar/dreadlocks/ghungroo........ and we wanted to give them an outdoor venue where people could actually listen to them rather than rushing by on their way to the metro. No schedule at all with the street musicians, just like everything else we do. (To get on the street musician roster call the store and ask for Tony: 202.333.2500)</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. You sell doggie snax called ZILLA BONEZ! How did this pooch friendly idea come about?</b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A. </b></i> So, my daughter Tessa made a Valentine's day card when was a a kid. It showed our dog Zilla (with her dinosaur head) with thought bubbles showing the things she loved -bones, kittys and hearts. Years later she started baking homemade dog biscuits for Zilla and taking them to the park to share with the other mutts. The mutts would go sniff crazy when the biscuits were close by. So, what the hell, we might as well package them up and offer them at Baked. Which takes us back to the Valentine's day card because we made it the main label on the bags. The pups love the Zilla Bonez.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. Your cupcakes understandably get a lot of press; we personally loved the Un-Porked Elvis cupcake. But tell us about your amazing PIES! Are you going to be featuring any seasonal pies in time for the holidays?</b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TN7afAZPV4I/AAAAAAAAATA/G4Pzt5MMovg/s1600/PIE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TN7afAZPV4I/AAAAAAAAATA/G4Pzt5MMovg/s320/PIE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A.</b></i> ummmmmmmm pies. That's where it all started for us. Eat the pie. By far our best product. We individually handcraft (is this really a word?) each shell and bake them in a glass dish - anything in a tin is scary. The fillings are amazing but the crust is what makes the pie - light, flaky and tasty. We got a bunch of flavors for this season but the apple cranberry crumb, and the wild blueberry cranberry with pecan crumb are the bomb.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q. Baked & Wired takes coffee seriously! The smell of Intelligensia and Stumptown coffees are constantly swirling in the air, mmmmm. Tell us about the "Thursday Night Throw Down" that you will be sponsoring in January! What is it? Give us all the details please...</b></i></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TN7aqiI_G6I/AAAAAAAAATE/Wm2FUY_o9i8/s1600/Cafe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TN7aqiI_G6I/AAAAAAAAATE/Wm2FUY_o9i8/s1600/Cafe.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A.</b></i> Because Baked is located in a land far too laden with politics and Windsor knots, we strive to provide our own take on remaining serious about our product without the button-ups and briefcases. All of our baristas trained for hours on pulling shots, steaming milk, and crafting drinks into works of art. Independent coffee shops throughout DC host a monthly latte art competition known as the Thursday Night Throwdown. Sponsored by PBR, the throw-downs allow baristas from all over DC to come together and do what they love most- drink beer. I mean, make excellent coffee. Baked will be hosting the January TNT on Thursday the 13th. The event is open to the public and you can find more information about TNT by clicking here: <a href="http://wdcthursdaynightthrowdown.wordpress.com/">THURSDAY NIGHT THROWDOWN</a>.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Q. What are the five songs that have been playing at Baked & Wired this week?</i></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A. </b></i> The five most played songs of the week are:</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tame by the Pixies</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Africa by Toto</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gangster's Paradise by Coolio</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Third Planet by Iron Horse</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612274991405785979.post-58497861444036527812010-10-21T16:51:00.002-04:002010-10-21T20:52:31.388-04:00MUSIC AS MEDICINE: Q&A with singer, songwriter Craig Honeycutt!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TMCmp-VaP7I/AAAAAAAAASo/akTphas8Bwk/s1600/HoneycuttHEADPHONES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TMCmp-VaP7I/AAAAAAAAASo/akTphas8Bwk/s640/HoneycuttHEADPHONES.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>In catching up with Craig Honeycutt, the former lead singer for the band Everything, he talked about his years in Hollywood, a painful back injury, Obama,<a href="http://sunwukongproject.bandcamp.com/album/into-the-yasuni%20"> Community Service</a> and how all things came full circle; making life more productive and ultimately more Tranquillo! </b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: Last April you completed a year long project on YouTube called COMMUNITY SERVICE. That project began in LA & ended right here in DC with a great show at BloomBars. Please tell us what it was, how it came about & what you learned on the road.</b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A: </b></i>Yes, and what a journey! It is so difficult to talk about the beginning and the end, because it's all a continuation really. I had been in LA for 5 years creating music for various projects. An amazing experience, because of the level of production and process is awesome. But I was far away from the songwriting that I had started as a kid and what has always been my go to place creatively. I was sitting on about 4 years or demos that I wasn't really finishing; just experimenting with. Using my creative mind, full time in Hollywood really bunt me out in terms of adding more time in the process to further the songs. Luckily, in November 2008, my back went out to the tune of 11 MM's of disc sticking into my siatic nerve. Which is crazy really. I literally could barely get out of bed everyday. Somehow I managed to get it together to come back home for Obama's Inauguration in 2009. IT WAS SO INSPIRING! I spent a week at all the events and hobbled down town to the mall for the big event. I was so moved that 2 million people could make an event like that happen; and that law enforcement was there to make it smoother. Everyone worked in concert together. I realized it wasn't about a president, but a mass of people; a creative group think/group action to make that day come to pass. The day happened peacefully, and I thought to myself that I had a responsibility to use my talents to their fullest. Songs have always been my home. So I went to the studio at Monkeyclaus in VA and started work on an EP. It was then that I headed back to LA to try to figure out the path ahead, whilst trying to deal with a hugely injured back. My friend Larry Weintraub, who I knew from the record business saw a YouTube video I'd sent him, and threw out a challenge. He challenged me to start a channel on YouTube and do one song per day for a year. I thought it was suicide! After much thought, I decided to put my self on notice and do it. Change my life through music. One thing I have noticed is that playing music is a very healing endeavour. So I decided to use this project to play myself back to health. So on April 8, 2009, I started the <i><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/communityservicechan#p/a/063E5BDA5DABAAA0/0/ZiSdH3T0WIk">COMMUNITY SERVICE CHANNEL</a> </b></i>on YouTube. Community Service itself as a name is actually a bit of a joke; because it refers to what happens when you get in trouble in your hometown as a kid. I was really interested in learning lots of covers, because its a great way to learn how great songs are written and it gives you lots of songs to play in various situations as icebreakers. If you play a song people love, then you become friends. Unless of course you butcher it! The journey started in LA, and I decided that I would leave Los Angeles, travel across the U.S. and see where I ended up. The trip spanned from LA to Hawaii, New Orleans, NYC, cross country and places in between. On APRIL 8, 2010, I did a free show at <a href="http://www.bloombars.com/">BLOOM BARS</a> in DC, it was a lot of fun. It was my first full show in about 5 years. My back is strong now, no surgery necessary. MUSIC AS MEDICINE!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: Left coast vs. Best coast.... Now that you've lived & worked in music on both coasts, what stands out to you as the quintessential best both have to offer. </b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A: </b></i>Hmmmm, that is a difficult one. Both have good things. One thing about the West Coast is space. There is a lot of space throw really amazing events. Burning Man, Lightning in a Bottle, Coachella, Electric Daisy Carnival.....I also think there is a little more openness in terms of laws that allow for a little more......well........something. The proximity to silicon valley and all of the new thought and technology is also amazing out there. Hollywood is great for process and production value. The east coast for me is home. I love the roots of it. The seasons and the traditions, and the old world touch on music. So much soul and real, deep groove comes from here. DC is such a great hub for so much of the roots of american modern music. And, you have NYC, which of course, is NYC. No need to go into that one! It stands on its own... Sometimes I felt very far away from the stuff happening in europe in LA.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: Can you describe your writing process? </b></i> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A: </b></i> It's constantly evolving really. I get lots of little threads in my mind and try to put them down. You can build a whole symphony off some of the little threads running around up there. Sometimes it's just on guitar. I also right a lot of music electronically. The computer is a great tool to think like a proper composer with various elements at your finger tips. Then basically, i just start freaking out on stuff until it sounds the way it should. It either happens super fast, or it takes years. Who knows really!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <i><b>Q: We understand that you recently reunited with Jim Ebert, a local DC producer who worked with you (on your hit, HOOCH in the late 90's with your former band, Everything) to produce a tune called TRANQUILLO. How was it working together again?</b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A: </b></i>I had started writing the tune in 2008 while I was living in LA. I was really wanting to write a simple tune about living in Southern California. The sun, the beach, the traffic, the glamour, the hardship, etc... I finally finished the song in April, and wanted to start recording and releasing songs again. Jim Ebert, who has been living in DC, produced "Hooch". One of my goals in all of this was to bring things full circle and work with people I know and love again. Sort of a new start, a new chapter; shaking hands with the previous chapter and seeing where it lead. The other reason is that I think Jim Ebert is one of the best Producers for recording Pop Vocals in the music industry. So, I wanted to really get back in the studio and start digging in, and make a simple pop tune with some honesty and soul. Jim is great in the studio, and has a great process. I am going to give it away to people and just see where the song goes. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: In addition to all the song writing you've been doing, you've also taken on an amazing project involving the Shenandoah Music Trail! The SMT is a non-profit organization that is "dedicated to preserving, promoting and maintaining the integrity and roots of the Shenandoah Valley's Mountain Music Making traditions and its various configurations." Please tell us about your role in the project, and the big festival happening next 4th of July!</b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>A: </b></i>Thank you for bringing this up! I went to school at JMU and have been lucky to have Dr. Ronald Carrier as a mentor for many years. Dr. Carrier was President of JMU from 1970 to 1998 and is still very active at the school. He brought me in to this process. The Shenandoah Music Trail is a cultural corridor stretching from Winchester, VA to Roanake, VA celebrating all of the traditional music of the Shenandoah Valley. It is a big project, and one that I am excited about, because I am learning a whole new musical language. Our big launch is next July 2, 3 and 4th in Luray, VA at the Ground of Luray Caverns. We are throwing the 50th Anniversary of the World's First Bluegrass Festival which was held there in 1961. It is going to be a historic event for sure. Bluegrass and Mountain Music is an amazing form, and is really something to experience live. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TMCm48sdiaI/AAAAAAAAASs/rbp070MEP5Q/s1600/SUNwuKONG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TMCm48sdiaI/AAAAAAAAASs/rbp070MEP5Q/s320/SUNwuKONG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: Congratulations on your new release <a href="http://sunwukongproject.bandcamp.com/album/into-the-yasuni%20">SUN WUKONG </a>! Describe this funky & adventurous, studio project that you worked on at Monkeyclaus, a studio in southern VA. </b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>A: </b>Yes, yes, yes......I love and make a lot of music of different types. Sun Wukong is a project out of <a href="http://www.monkeyclaus.org/">MONKEYCLAUS</a> STUDIOS in Nelson, VA. It is a duo with my friend Abel Okugawa. We really just wanted to make some "Life Sountrack" Music. Moody, worldy music that has no real lyrics. Just grooves and sounds. The first EP has turn out pretty cool I have to say. We already working on our second EP. You should give folks a link to the site. We are letting people download it. Will also be available on iTunes as well very soon.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: We understand you're doing a radio show today! For those who want to catch it, where can do they need to go?</b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b> A: </b>Yes. I did an interview and played some songs on 106.1 The Corner in Charlottesville, VA. You can listen online at www.1061thecorner.com </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b> </b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>Q: What are the 5 songs (& artists) looping on your iPod this week?</b></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>A: </b>Great question. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">#1 I have been listening to <a href="http://www.jameszabiela.com/">JAMES ZABIELA</a>'s new mix for MixMag. James is an amazing DJ and Producer from the UK who is managed by my friend and former "Everything" manager, Randy Reed. I love dance music, and James is super talented.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">#2 I have also been recently turned on to Sleigh Bells. Super dirty! </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">#3 Ali Farke Toure is always in my playlist.</span> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">#4 DJ Luciano "Tribute to the Sun" is one that has been getting steady play as well. </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">#5 K'Naan is a good one right now as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TMCnB1Q-AgI/AAAAAAAAASw/UaA7Ihsw1Bc/s1600/CRAIGbetterPIC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gkQAJu3a9UA/TMCnB1Q-AgI/AAAAAAAAASw/UaA7Ihsw1Bc/s640/CRAIGbetterPIC.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616339158624074533noreply@blogger.com0