A Cultural Analysis: Inspiration to Independent Music Culture by Melissa Trembath [Guest Wreckers]

May 21, 2012 Leave a comment

Note from the editor:  Indeed, many of you will recognize the name Trembath as it is the same as my own.  Melissa is indeed my wife, and thus was automatically included as a guest for our second run of Guest Wreckers.  Biased much?  Of course.  But, when Melissa said she had chosen to write about Independent Music for an assigned paper on culture analysis in her English class at SFCC, and furthermore that she would be using the book I founded/edited Children of Mercy: Tales and Teachings From The World of Independent Music as an artifact to represent said culture, I was seriously in awe and extremely flattered.  It is also a very well structured and informative paper, and deserving of a spot on Trainwreck’d Society.  And she promised me a back rub and several other favors.  So sue me if I did so oblige.  If you have an issue with this, start your own blog, and complain about these matters elsewhere.  Other than that….Enjoy!

Melissa Trembath

Liz Rognes

English 101

5/11/12

Inspiration to Independent Music Culture

How does one explain the independent music culture? It means so many different things to different people. Tim Chaplin from the experimental rock band Factory Kids defined it as  “Doing things for yourself-in some cases, often by yourself, out of sheer necessity-or just because you want to”(Chaplin, 44). For Cyndi Kimmel, a former DJ for KZUU at Washington State University, independent music “is an intended focus on the independence of music from major commercial record labels and boundaries” (Kimmel, 109). The term independent means: free from authority, control, or domination, operate alone, non dependant, and capable of thinking or acting without consultation or guidance from others. With that definition I think independent music is freedom to do what an artist wants, make the music they want, without having to answer to anyone.

In the independent music culture, one artifact that represents an inspiring aspect of independent music is a book entitled Children of Mercy. It is a collection of stories and essays from people within the culture. The contributors to the book write about many different topics including the struggles of being an independent artist, what independent music means to them, independent music history, and several other topics that hold a significant meaning in the independent world. In this book the reader gets forty different perspectives that are all centered on independent music and its culture. In this paper there will be perspectives from contributors in the book, as they wrote them in Children of Mercy. They will help to explain the independent music culture and the significance of this book.

One reason Children of Mercy is a unique book is because of how it was produced. If we were to apply the standards of independent music to this book it would definitely qualify as an independent project.  It has so many aspects of the independent culture in its creation.  It was produced by a publisher working out of his garage, created and edited by a music blogger, and distributed by the founder who would drop off copies to local bookstores. Another interesting part of this book is it had a compilation album that went along with the book. In addition to submitting an essay to the book some artist donated music or created original songs for the album.

Children of Mercy: Tales and Teachings From The World of Independent Music

An additional unique quality to this book was that it was made with little money out of pocket from the creator. There was a fundraising event where people donated money to help get the project started and completed. The album was handmade and the artwork for the album as well as the book was freely created by friends of the founder. It was literally a group effort to bring this book to life. Also another unique quality to this book is that all profits are donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The charity was chosen because a contributor to the book has a son who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis. This book has many unique qualities to it, even though it is just an ordinary object.

Children of Mercy is after all just a book, which is simply an ordinary object. It is also not the first of its kind. There have been other books like this one. An example is Peter Terzian’s Heavy Rotations which actually influenced the editor to create Children of Mercy. Terzian’s book has similar qualities to Children of Mercy but it is also very different. In Heavy Rotations music journalists write about different albums individually. This is a contrast to Children of Mercy where members of the independent music world are writing about all different aspects of life within music.

Children of Mercy stands for everything Independent. It stands for independence from the mainstream media as an important way of having art uncorrupted and free from influence. It reinforces the belief that music creation can be done easily as long as the artist has the drive and spirit to create art for and by themselves. As Matt Montgomery, a music journalist and founder of MusicGeek.org, said about an indie band winning a Grammy: “It’s yet another road sign on the long trek toward a culture of independence in music, culture, and society”(Montgomery, 79).  I believe Children of Mercy is also a road sign toward getting recognition for independent music into the world.

People outside of this culture might not understand the significance of independent music. They could see Children of Mercy as just another book about music. Some people could look at independent culture as amateurish. They might think that anyone could be an independent artist even if they do not actually have any talent. In the words of Matt Montgomery on the significance of independent music “when information, media, culture is not spoon-fed, people think. And they don’t just think a little – they think a lot, and they think constantly. If not because they have to, then because they can”(Montgomery, 80). The beauty of this culture is that there is so much available. If people do not like one artist or group that does not mean they will not like any others. There are so many different sounds, emotions, and thoughts thrust out into this culture. In Children of Mercy the contributors highlight these aspects throughout their tales and teachings from the independent world. While some people may say that it is just another book, it is actually a meaningful book full of hopes, dreams, thoughts, ideas, emotional struggles, and inspiration.

Children of Mercy Compilation Album (The Beechfields Record Label, 2011)

Children of Mercy can enlighten people about real life accounts in the independent culture, by actual people in the independent world. It offers a perspective into this culture that may have never been put out there before. This book speaks to the independent at heart. Not just people who play music or write novels but, whatever it is they want to accomplish they can. They do not need a publishing agency to accept them, or a major music label to put out their music. Do it yourself. Jess Gulbranson put it best when he wrote “No matter how bad you are at what you love to do, or how untrained, or unmotivated, YOU CAN DO IT. Just start”(Gulbranson, 71).

After exploring Children of Mercy my thoughts on independent music and the culture surrounding it has been enhanced. This book has helped me realize how much passion is put into independent music. The main reason independent music is important to me is because of the torrent of emotion that the music exudes. I love the feelings I get when I listen to independent music whether happy, sad or angry. I connect to it and that is what music is about to me: the connection. Cyndi Kimmel stated it best when she said “we comprehend music as a universal language used to express everything seen, thought, felt, and done reminding us of our shared commonalities”(Kimmel, 109). I feel as though I understand just a bit more about the independent culture after reading all the stories and teachings within Children of Mercy. When looked at a little closer people can find added meaning, more inspiration, and a different perspective then they may have had before reading Children of Mercy.

Melissa Trembath is a student with dual studentizionship at Spokane Falls Community College and Spokane Community College with studies in Diagnostic Medical Sonography.  She is also the mother of three daughters and the wife of Trainwreck’d Society’s founder/editor/head wino Ron Trembath.  She currently resides in Spokane, Washington and has been deemed to be the greatest woman on earth.

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Welcome to Mobile (A True Story) by Phil The Tremolo King [Guest Wreckers]

May 20, 2012 4 Comments

I woke up before the alarm went off. It was hard to believe I had gotten my biological clock used to waking up at 4AM. Outside, Government Street was pitch dark and quiet as a mouse…no cars, no birds, no dogs…Mobile was a pretty sleepy town to begin with. I tried to make out shapes in my room but the only thing I could see were the red digital numbers of my alarm clock.

I turned on the lamp next to my bed. It was only a 40 watt bulb, just enough to see. I looked around the room. The bare bulb hanging from the ceiling,  outlets attached to the socket. The muddy brown wooden waynescoting, the dark green stained wallpaper. The massive rusty fridge in the corner. And my favorite: on the wall, a thriftstore painting of bright red roses on black velvet.

Time to get up and make the donuts…I put some ground coffee in my little cooking pot, poured in water from the sink and put the pot on my hot plate.  This was my way of making morning coffee. The resulting liquid was disgusting and full of grounds, but at least it had caffeine in it. I quickly brushed my teeth in the little porcelain sink, ran some hot water over my face and put on my clothes.

The day labor place , appropriately named ‘Work Load’, was only about ten blocks away. I scurried through the neon-lit empty streets, hoping I would work today. Otherwise I had gotten up at 4AM for nothing and most importantly, I wouldn’t have money for food and the twenty-five dollars a week my room cost me.  The sun was coming up as I approached the little storefront with the fake wood paneling on the walls, the drab neon lighting and the glass window counter at the end where the owner sat and looked out over us. His name was Jack; he was actually a pretty decent fellow considering the line of work he was in. To my surprise this morning he was out on the street, talking to some very haggardly looking people. They were walking towards the building in the early rays of the rising sun.  An old woman with no teeth, long stringy bleach blond hair, in jeans and sneakers, her skin grey and wrinkled like a gator. Two young men, one fat, one skinny, sporting crewcuts and wearing  t-shirts and dirty jeans. The fat one wore a baseball cap. Meaty ears like cauliflowers. Tiny watery eyes so close together he looked cross eyed. His face pasty white with red blotches. Like a pig.

Besides Jack I was the only white person in the day labor place. Nobody seemed to mind; I certainly didn’t. We all sat on the hard plastic chairs, waiting for Jack to hand out the day’s assignments as the phone started ringing. Every time Jack would glance up from his desk towards us, eager hands rose up in the air. Pick me! Pick me! Jack would point at the ones he chose, and off they went. This was just about as close to rock bottom as anyone could get. The jobs were all manual labor. None paid more than minimum wage. You were charged half an hour’s wages for transportation in a van to and from work. There were no benefits of course, and there was no job security at all. Basically, whether you worked or not on any given day was up to Jack. This was a pretty small place; no more than twenty would be workers would show up per day, about all the place could accommodate. Certainly not as big as some other day labor places I’d seen like the one in Atlanta which easily held a few hundred workers. Perhaps that was why Jack seemed not such a bad guy.

Most of the work was at Bellingrath Gardens. This was a large botanical garden complex, open to the public, in a nearby town called Bellingrath. Today was no exception. About eight of us were chosen to work.  We were each given our work slips and out we went, towards the waiting van. To our surprise, our regular driver was not behind the wheel. Instead it was the redneck from that morning with the baseball cap and the pig face.  He did not greet anyone. He just stared straight ahead with a hard, cold stare.

Usually the van was full of laughter and talk. We might have been down on our luck but that did not stop my coworkers from trying to wrestle what little joy they could from their daily existence. Today however it was ghostly quiet in the van. The new driver was like an evil spirit sending out bad vibes.

The van became a little tin box on wheels filled to the brim with tension, the passengers prisoners on a trip to nowhere.  Mike, a gentle giant of a man in his fifties, who never even cursed, sat rigidly, his finger idly brushing something off his seat. His eyes were full of sorrow. Something was going on inside that van; something gnarled and twisted, ancient, dangerous, full of fear and horror, infinitely evil. Something that brought out old animal instincts of survival passed down from generation to generation. Only I had no idea what. All I knew was that we had a new driver.

Our old driver, who was black,  would always play old time soul on the radio. The passengers would sway and tap along, sometimes singing softly. That too had changed.  Now country music was blaring from the radio. It sounded mean and harsh. A few murmured protests were uttered. The driver ignored them.

So the trip continued in tense silence. The driver drove very aggressively, making hairpin turns at high speeds and taking crazy risks. Several times Mike gasped. The driver seemed really mad; for the life of me I could not figure out why. Was he mad at us? For what? He really seemed mad at the whole world. But why take it out on us?

After an eternity we pulled up at Bellingrath Gardens.  Like sheep we piled out of the van and walked towards the supervisor’s desk where we would be told where to go. The men looked like convicts, doomed men. We were the scum of the earth. Everybody knew it and we knew it too. The driver talked and joked with the supervisor, every once in a while throwing us a dirty look. I could sense an old hatred in their souls, a hatred that went back hundreds of years.  Blind, stupid, completely irrational, and therefore all the more dangerous. These little men with their little lives held on to their hatred because it made them feel superior.

But I had learned very quickly not to make waves. My survival depended on it just as much as my coworkers. My little weekly room kept me off the street and out of a shelter. My measly paycheck kept me in groceries and cigarettes and the occasional beer. So I quickly became a sheep among sheep and did what I was told.

The only other white man on the crew was Donnie, an old alcoholic with skin like leather and a twinkle in his eyes. We were working at a small table piled high with fresh dirt, filling new flower pots with it. This early in the morning the dirt was filled with nits, tiny white dot-like insects that jumped out and bit your hands.  Nasty little bites that stung first and then itched. Everybody told me I’d get used to it, but I never did.

“Why was everybody so quiet in the van?” I asked Donnie. Donnie had taken me under his wing from day one, showing me the ropes, warning me of snakes and generally giving me advice. He was also a great story teller. He always called me ‘li’l buddy’. But this morning he too was strangely quiet.           “ Shoot, li’l buddy, I don’t know” he answered vaguely    “ you know how them guys get sometimes. Maybe they was tired, or sumtin’.”  Mike was working alongside us. But he too kept quiet.

Mike went to get a new cart with empty flower pots, and when he was out of earshot, Donnie leaned in and quietly told me “look,li’l buddy, don’tell no one I told you this, but that family’s been known for being in the Klan for years.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. “the… Klan?’-“Yeah! You know…” and with his index finger he drew in the fresh dirt…three K’s. Then he quickly erased them. He threw me a meaningful look. “Now don’t you go and tell no one I told you that!”

I was stunned. I’d heard of the KKK or ‘the Klan’ of course,  with their stupid white hoods and burning crosses, terrorizing blacks in the old South, lynching and killing with impunity, and making sure white supremacy was alive and well. But that seemed a long time ago….this was the modern age, post MLK and the civil rights movement…surely that kind of blatant racism was a thing of the past, even in Alabama? All day long I thought about it, the haggard people in the morning talking to Jack, the hostile driver, Donnie drawing three K’s in the dirt with his finger.

Quitting time came, and we all piled back into the van, tired and sweaty and with dirt under our fingernails. No matter how desperate their situation, none of my coworkers ever complained about their lot. They just accepted it, and worked hard, thankless jobs for a pittance and without any job security or benefits at all. This hard life that I shared briefly was really not that far removed from slavery.

The ride back to the day labor place was every bit as tense as the ride to the Gardens. Once again the driver’s silent angry hostility, the reckless driving, the deathly silence, and the country music blaring out of the van’s  little radio. Mike, trying to make the best of things, tapped along tentatively to the unfamiliar beat. Finally Jake, sitting in the back, crouched up against the back door since there weren’t enough seats, broke the silence. ‘Hey man…can’t you play something else on that radio?’

Without a word the driver abruptly stopped the van. He opened the door, got out and walked around the van to the back. Then he opened the back door.

‘Get out!’

Jake looked at him wide-eyed but didn’t move.

‘Get out before I throw you out!’ yelled the driver. ‘Go on, get out!! ‘

Quietly Jake got out the van and stood on the road.

‘I’ll make sure you’ll never work for Work Load again!’ spat the driver.

The driver got back in. ‘Anybody else got something to say?’ You could hear a pin drop. It was if everybody was holding their breath, waiting for the nightmare to be over, get home, out of the fucking van and away from this racist pig.

The driver started the van and roared off. I looked back over my shoulder through the window at Jake, who had begun walking. He was completely stone faced. He’d be walking at least an hour to get home.  What’s more, he was now blacklisted from even the ‘last hope’ employment of day labor.  Eviction and homelessness were surely staring him in the face.

I looked at Donnie sitting next to me looking into the distance. It seemed as if all the world’s sadness was on his shoulders.  As the van continued its ride, the heavy silence only punctured by country music, we passed a sign by the side of the road. I looked at it. It said…

‘WELCOME TO MOBILE’.

Phil The Tremolo King is a Belgian musician/artist who currently resides in New Orleans, Louisiana.  He has been playing music solo for years, and has also also been involved in a project known as Tremoflex 9000 featuring former Slacker’s member Vic Ruggiero and Brooklyn based artist Flex Underground.  His latest album, available on Norman Records, entitled 11, is a masterpiece of modern folk and all things estranged.  He has taken the DIY ethos to incredible lengths.  Phil recently completed a successful Kickstarter campaign which allowed him to travel the lower Southwest United States via the Sunset Limited.  He has completed the tour, and will be releasing a documentary about his time on the tracks soon (which you can see rough footage of HERE.  Visit philthetremoloking.com for more details.  Phil also contributed an article and track to the Children of Mercy project and appeared live with the editor Ron Trembath on New Orlean’s WTUL 91.5 and also appeared simultaneously in Sergeant Sparrow Magazine as well.  In addition to these contributions, he is also the project’s Bandcamp and Myspace manager.  Even more unique, the white shadow figure who appears on the book’s artwork (created by fellow contributor Jess Gulbransson) is actually Phil himself.  

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Jamie Jones [Interview]

May 11, 2012 Leave a comment

For children of the 90’s such as myself, or R&B lovers alike, or anybody who has been able to hear for the last twenty years, you know Jamie Jones.  You know him as 1/4 the amazing multi-platinum, Grammy winning foursome known the world over as All-4-One.  All-4-One came to reach success in 1994 with their debut self-titled album that rock the nation oh so smoothly with their hit single, “I Swear” which has now been dubbed one of the greatest love songs of the 20th century, and likely to be of all time.

All-4-One was a sensation to erupt in the mid 90’s, along with the likes of Boyz II Men, Brandy, and Soul 4 Real.  For those of you too young to remember directly, this was before the explosion of the disgusting time in our history that would be the boy band, pop princess era.  So many artists, with actual talent, were almost entirely wiped off the mainstream media map because of the obsession of the youth (sadly, my very own generation) with these prepubescent creatures like NSYNC, Britney Spears, O-Town, Backstreet Boys, Christina Aguilera, etc.  But, for the true fans, they never dissolved.  And one stand out group that has continued to flourish in their own right has been All-4-One.  They’ve continued to record music and astonish millions with their live showings throughout all of Asia, Europe, and back to the states alike.  In 2009 the group released their first album in the US in quite some time entitled No Regrets.  The result was an amazing comeback that exemplified the wonderful mixture of soul and blues that made the group such a hit 15 years prior.  Proving once again, that talent will always override exposure in the world of rhythm and blues.

And Jamie Jones has been their every step of the way.  And the years since “I Swear” first hit the airwaves have been pretty damn good to him.  His voice is more than intact, it has flourished.  His talent is as overwhelmingly superior to so many others as it ever has been.  He’s putting in some solo efforts, continuing work with his amazing production team The Heavyweights, and of course, gearing up for another All-4-One album that will likely sweep us off our feet and rip out our heart strings once again.  We were fortunate enough to steal a few words from Mr. Jones himself.  Let’s see what he has shakin’.  Enjoy!

All-4-One’s amazing 2009 release, No Regrets, is a beautiful blend of new and old school R&B.  Was it a challenge to keep your old style valiant, while still hoping to appeal to a whole new audience?

First off thank you. We just tried to stay true to who we are instead of trying to chase trends or anything else.

The album’s sweetest and obvious highlighted track “My Child” sounds insanely personal.  Is it directly related to yours, or another member’s, life?

It wasn’t personal at all. I did the music and gave Delious the instrumental and he came back with that idea. My best friend was going through that at the time so I did use him as inspiration.

You spent the first half of this millenium touring extensively, and almost exclusively throughout Asia and Europe, even having an album on released in Asia.  How did those years abroad effect you as an artist today?

 Those years really grew us as singers and performers. It also taught us how to perform and relate to different types of audiences.

You’re 1994 single “I Swear” is considered by the ASCAP, and listeners alike, as one of the greatest love songs of the 20th century.  Why do you think this is?  How does a track become such an amazing song on such a beautiful, yet sometimes complicated, issue such as love?

One thing I think of all the time when I’m writing is that I’m not just writing songs, I’m writing emotions. Music has a way of attaching itself to your memories and emotions. A great song like I Swear touches people right where it counts. It also allows people to say the things they wanna say, but don’t know how to say.

How did your production team, The Heavyweights come to be?

It started back in 1997 when my partner Jason and I did a song together for my wedding.  I met our other partner Jack around 2001. All-4-One had been asked to sing on a charity song he wrote called “Love Shouldn’t Hurt”. We hooked up to write and have been partners ever since.

The Heavyweights have been known to cross boundaries into the likes of hip hop music.  Do you ever see yourself experimenting in that field as a singer turned rapper?  

I am a secret rapper, but I’ll never do it for real as a whole CD. Maybe a verse here or there.

I always have to ask…where do you keep your Grammy?

Over my fireplace in my living room.

What is in store for Jamie Jones personally, as well as All-4-One?

I’ve been working on a solo R&B project. You’ll hear it really soon. I’m also getting some new music together for the group to also record soon.   I’ll be tweeting about it so stay in touch at twitter.com/jjones26

What was the last thing that made you smile?

Your last question : >)

Discover more Jame Jones and All-4-One news at their website.

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Ralph Steadman [Interview]

May 10, 2012 Leave a comment

For literary, political, and/or drug related resource, we all know we can turn the magical pages of the work of the legendary Hunter S. Thompson.  He was a enraged yet compassionate genius who touched everyone from philosophy scholars, right on down to pot smoking Bob Marley poster having philosophy scholars.  And it is almost entirely possible to envision Hunter and his distinct work with another name we all know and love.  No, I’m not talking about Johnny Depp.  Although he is dreamy in his own way.  No, our hero of the hour is the very Ralph Steadman.

When Hunter S. Thompson teamed up with Ralph Steadman over 40 years ago, the world would never be the same.  Gonzo was born.  What is Gonzo?  Well, if you think you can describe it, you most likely have no God damned clue.  Lest it be said, those who truly understand Gonzo, are probably the most fascinating creatures and bastards of this world.  The only people who truly understand the world and the trite yet mystical piece of shit it can be.  And if you think you truly understand it, you probably don’t.  You egotistical bastard.

But, I digress.  Ralph Steadman’s fascinating drawings and artwork for the likes of Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas, The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Deprived, Curs of the Lono, etc. have become synonymous with the world and work of the late Thompson.  An accomplishment in his own right.  But, his work has not stopped with the Gonzo world.  He’s done work for almost any damn periodical you can think of.  He’s penned his own books.  He’s contributed art for anything from Alice in Wonderland adaptations, to album artwork, to Vonnegut tributes.  The very art school he once failed out of now has even celebrated his life’s work.  His work speaks for himself.  But, I thought it would be fun to let him speak for himself as well with a few questions for one of the greatest artists of the last century.  So, that being said, here are a few words with the legendary Ralph Steadman.  Enjoy!

If you weren’t an esteemed artist and writer, what on earth do you think you would be doing?

Trying to solve Grossenheimer’s Laws of Adiabatic Masses!!

Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas

Nothing vicarious! Good down to earth wet ink! It creates the surprises because I never make ‘roughs’ first….

Did your time served in the Royal Air Force shape you into the person you became in any way?

Only that I failed to make it as a Pilot! I would have loved to be one of those- and I never liked Factory life making the damn things!! Though I used to make model Airplanes- ad infinitum!

If you were to create a soundtrack of music to represent your creation of and in experience with Gonzo art, what sort of music would we hear?

I think it would be something like- Bob Dylan’s ‘Somethin’ is happening- but you don’t know what it is- Do you- Mr. Jones….??

On the topic of music, you are known to have done some pretty amazing cover art for some amazing acts… Are there any artists out there you would like to do some art for that you haven’t already?

I have just done something for SLASH.  And if the Kinks ever do anything else- that would be a plus!

Your illustrations of Alice In Wonderland, Animal Farm, and Treasure Island were absolutely phenomenal.  Can we expect any other revised visuals of classic material? 

I have recently done Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451- that looks OK!

Do you have a defense against naysayers for the obvious ideals that cartoonists and caricaturist artists can have the same fortitude and importance as, say, more straight laced or classic artists?

I am not accepted as a ‘real’ artist ‘cos I do cartoons!! FUCK those people!!!

What would you say is your finest non-artistic accomplishment in your life?

Swimming every day I am at home- in my own pool- whatever the weather!!!

from the Fahrenheit 451 collection

What can we expect from Ralph Steadman in the remainder of 2012?

I have just completed the drawings for a book of ‘Extinct Birds/Boids’- with an excellent text by Ceri Levy.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

Watching my grandsons Ollie and Toby bouncing up and down on their trampoline this morning in the garden!

Learn more about Ralph Steadman, including art for sale, when you will see him again, and his thoughts of carp, America, and all that is eternally sad with the world, at his website.  Also check out his company’s site where you can drop some cash for some amazing art.

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Ember Schrag: The Sewing Room [Album]

May 9, 2012 Leave a comment

Her voice is as gentle as summer’s rain, yet her words burn through your heart like a burning match in the moonlight.  Who might this be?  Obviously it has to be the midwest based darling of the folk world, Ember Schrag.  Being one of today’s most immaculate singer/songwriters to emerge since Neko Case went solo.  She rights with the pain of an oil soaked sea lion, yet sings with the softness of a gentle bird resting on a willow tree.  Her latest release, The Sewing Room, is merely a continuation of the sort of triumph we should have come to expect from this lovely curator of persuasive and angelic masterpieces.

Just as she did on her 2009 debut album A Cruel, Cruel Woman and her 2010 follow-up EP Jephthah’s Daughter, Ember Schrag demonstrates just why exactly she is one of the finest artists strumming and singing beautiful tunes today.  Harrowing and humbling are tunes like “La Maria” and “In The Alley” from her latest release, The Sewing Room.  There is a bit of religious overture within her songs, but only in the sense that she believes in something beyond her own self.  Even if that something is simply another human soul.  She begs to be understood.  But, like so many fabulous artists over the years, it is the mystery of their soul and what they aspire to feel that will always be the most appealing.  The ability to self interpret as we see fit is a gift we should all cater to, and be thankful for a wonderful songstress such as Ember Schrag for allowing us the opportunity to feel something, anything, everything.

Photo by R. Clark

Ember Schrag’s sophomore full length release, The Sewing Room, drops on June 30th courtesy of Philadelphia based labels Edible Onion Records and Single Girl Married Girl Records.  If you act quick during the pre-order phase, you can receive your copy of this fantastic album with a hand-bound illustrated lyrics book.  But be quick!  Only the first 100 buyers will receive this gem, and they might have very well already been snagged up.  Never too late to try.

And be sure to look out for Ember on tour.  She is constantly moving around, playing wherever you may be as well.  Check out her Website for pre-order and tour information.

Filed under Music

The Memorials: Delirium [Album]

May 7, 2012 Leave a comment

The wild and ready Viveca Hawkins and prodigal son Thomas Pridgen are back for more this year!  It’s hard to believe, or even consider the idea, that they were due for another release already.  No dust has fallen upon the cover of my own copy of their debut album.  I still find myself in a frenzied stir of rock and roll dreams as I indulge in their perpetually well-mannered form of rock and roll anarchy.  But, alas, the cherry on the top has arrived.  The Memorials are back in a strangely different, and actually far superior way.  I didn’t believe it to be possible either, but you have to hear this album.

The sophomore effort from The Memorials is not just a collection of spastic, well timed tracks for our amusement.  No, Delirium is nothing short of a rock and roll opus.  The tracks are extensive in length, which will leave you spinning out of control, and even after 9 minutes or so you will be clenching your teeth while you beg for more.  The spirit of Delirium is intense to say the least.  This album is the soundtrack to a high paced taxi ride through Times Square with a driver tripping balls on benzidrine and cocaine, all the while telling you his feelings.  The guitar work is exasperating sound, leaving you drenched to the bone in sweat and jealousy of how shitty you play guitar yourself.  And, as could only be expected, Pridgen’s drum work is phenomenal and rightfully overexemplified which leads to us getting to hear Thomas at the highest point of his career.   The final track of the album, ‘Mr. Entitled” also features some absolutely mind blowing saxophone and flute work that will definitely surprise you ears and senses.  And of course this said track is fronted by Hawkins’s dubiously beautiful vocal chords that battle the likes of Jill Scott or Keyshia Cole.  Only badass!

Yes, these cats are absolutely incredible.  It was staggering to hear at first, as I just could not imagine such improvement and drastic change in a group that I have come to know and love so whole heartedly.  It is becoming bloody obvious that The Memorials are going to have a time spanning career that will constantly be filled with the pressures of constantly out doing their last turnout.  But, I am willing to believe that they are up to the task, and we the listeners shall never be let down.  Tough job for them, but awesome deal for us!  Just as a memorial should do, this a band that will stand as a true testament of what could be, but rarely is, done to rock and roll in this day and age.

The Memorial’s sophomore album, Delirium, drops on June 5th.  Check out the bands website for more details.  Also check out this great mention of the band on NPR’s All Things Considered.  If you can’t take my word for it, you have to believe NPR, right?

Filed under Music

Bloomsday 2012 [Playlist]

May 5, 2012 Leave a comment

Tomorrow (Sunday May 6th) is Bloomsday!  A day when 50,000 plus insanely driven Spokanites and visitors will hit the streets for one of the biggest 12K races in the world.  7.46 miles of moderate intensity that boosts a painfully unavoidable hill of magnanimous proportion frightfully known to locals as “Doomsday Hill”.  And yes, I am running it.

I am not exactly the most fit and/or healthy person in the world.  I do tend to run whenever I can, as George W. Bush once suggested, to “purge my system of poisons”.  Whatever bouts of debauchery that can not be burned out through morning coffee usually seems to find its way out through my pores as a stride through the downtown streets of Spokane, often ending with a leisurely stroll through just a few of the hundred acres plus that is Riverside Park.  But, alas, I have once again decided to partake in the most holiest of holy running events in Eastern Washington.  It really isn’t as bad as some people could make it out to be.

And with said running, must come music.  I don’t fancy myself one of those people who sincerely claim that they “must have music” when they run.  They are wrong.  And ridiculous.  In fact, ear buds are not actually allowed to be used during Bloomsday.  Why you might miss one of the few locally driven bands playing along the course that you don’t care about, and probably aren’t actually worth the cost of the 30 seconds of listening you had to endear as you passed on by.  But, this is no deterrent from bending rules that were meant to be completely broken.  While I don’t believe I “must have music”, I want to.  And that is good enough for me.  It gives me a chance to dig into some more exciting songs that I wouldn’t normally listen to at home in my ratty pajama bottoms and the morning paper & coffee/bourbon.  Yes, this is my time to get loud.  I like my running music upbeat.  Is there really any other sort of way?

And I seem to be having a stream of illustrious fortitude for very loud music lately (my latest music show goings being seeing TacocaT and Bobby Joe Ebola & The Children Macnuggits).  So, I thought it would be nice to let everyone know what will be illegally blistering my ears for the (hopefully) fulfilling 7 1/2 miles I plan to endure.  Below is a list of 30 tracks that will guide me along this self righteous passage.  And the next time you find yourself yearning to sweat out the previous night’s over indulgence, think of all these great tunes, and get your self righteous out on the streets.  Let’s begin:

(Note: Many of these tracks will be highlighted with links to sites where you can stream/buy/love the songs themselves.  Enjoy!)

TacocaT

TacocaT – Volcano

Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling – First We Take Manhattan (Leonard Cohen cover)

Walk Off The Earth – Somebody I Used To Know (Gotye cover)

Fun. – All The Pretty Girls

The Ascetic Junkies – Jenny, Don’t Do That!

Soul Distraction – Not Gonna Sing About You Anymore

Nas – Black Zombies

Axemunkee – Acid Django

The Fenbi International Superstars – Two Miles From Home

Bobby Joe Ebola & The Children Macnuggits

The Memorials – Flourescent’s Unforgiving

Atmosphere – American Disgrace

Hosannas – When We Were Young

Jared Mees & The Grown Children – W.W.J.B.D.

Iron Maiden – Run For The Hills

Tyga – Rack City

Bobby Joe Ebola & The Children Macnuggits – Sandwiches & Ammunition

Mother Love Bone – This Is Shangrila

The Illness – Lengua De La Muerte

Flying Spiders – Fadism

Golden Bloom

Blitzen Trapper – Fletcher

Portugal. The Man – So American

Golden Bloom – Rhyme The Reason

Rush – Tom Sawyer

Kanye West (featuring Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, & Bon Iver) – Monster

Strength – Metal

Corey Chisel & The Wandering Sons – Born Again

Trick Trick (featuring Eminem) – Welcome 2 Detroit City

Sleater Kinney – Entertain

The Dandy Warhols – Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth

The Jesus Rehab – Holiday

Filed under Features

Sadistik [Interview]

April 23, 2012 2 Comments

Cody Foster, better known to his loyal following of fans as Sadistik, is artistically indefinable by any means.  He’s the sort of lyricist that other famed lyricists would do right to emulate, or at the very least, learn some shit from.  He’s been around the world on endless tours and has spit more verses than you’ve shared bong hits with your “cool Aunt”.  The pride of Seattle (not Minneapolis as so many believe), this indie hop hopper has conquered the land, and has developed a loyal following unlike anything the music industry could imagine.  And he’s done it all on his own.  On his own, but with a whole lot of help, to complete juxtapose my previous statement, with the likes of other amazing artists like Kristoff Kane, Eyedea, Kid Called Computer, Lotte Kestner, Louis Logic, Bodi, Mac Lethal, and so many more.

And while I absolutely adore Mr. Foster’s work, when the opportunity to swap words with the this indie hip hop sensation, I could think of no one better to help me think of some ideas for conversation than my old friend and part time musician, barista, and long time college attendee, Christina Hess.  She resides in Minneapolis (again, not home to Sadistik) where we all know just might be the Mecca of indie hip hop, being the home to the now legendary Rhymesayers Entertainment.  Christina has definitely been my go to girl when it comes to all things dealing with the subject matter, and she had some great things to ask the mad hatter of hip hop.

So check out this wonderful conversation with one of today’s greatest hip hop artists and read as we discuss his future, Edgar Allen Poe, loss of friends, and G.G. Allin’s infamous enemas.  Enjoy!

 

 

Ron Trembath: What can fans expect from your upcoming Whiskey Note Speaker Tour with Louis Logic?  Any new material?

You can definitely expect some new material on this upcoming tour with Louis Logic. I’m finally going to start unveiling some of these new songs from Flowers for My Father, but I’ll still be mixing in some of my older music as well. I also am planning on improvising during my sets more and seeing how the crowds digest it. We’ll see how it goes.  (Note to reader: We are well aware that this tour is not “upcoming” anymore, and that Sadistik recently had to to bow out of the last couple remaining shows.  Some time elapsed between the interview and this session.  We just wanted to keep his response, because, well, in the Train Wreck’d Society, Cody Foster shits gold plated diamonds and can do no wrong.  So we want every word he will give us.  Please continue….)

Christina Hess: In your opinion, what is the best thing since sliced bread?

I would have to say Jameson being readily available. Shout out to whoever made that possible.

CH: If we looked in your refrigerator, what would we find?

Basically a lot of beer and sandwich ingredients. I go out to eat pretty often so my refrigerator wouldn’t impress you.

RT: Who do you consider to be the best female vocalist out there today?

Well, best and favorite are two very different things. I would say my favorite is my friend Anna-Lynne Williams. She goes by the moniker of Lotte Kestner and I absolutely love her sound. In fact, she will be appearing on my new record a few times. Some other female vocalists I’ve been listening to lately are Phantogram, Warpaint, and Blonde Redhead.

CH: Who are some of your non-musical influences?  Why?

I have a ton of non-music influences. I think if you listen to my music closely it’s pretty evident actually since most of my references are from film or books. I’m a huge movie buff, especially horror films and foreign, and I would say that is probably my biggest influence outside of personal experiences and relationships I’ve had. I’m also becoming quite an avid reader these days as well. I’ve definitely learned that everything I experience, watch, read, hear, etc. makes its way into my art in one way or another.

RT: It’s been said that you are quite the film buff….let’s do the whole desert island thing, and grant the fact that you had a TV and DVD player with magical electricity on this island….What 5 films would you not want to be stranded without?

Ah, speaking of the devil. That’s tough, but here’s what comes to mind:

1. A Clockwork Orange

2. Oldboy

3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

4. Suspiria

5. Eraserhead

CH: What are some of your other creative outlets?

This is something I’ve actually been exploring more lately. I’ve kind of come to grips that I need creative outlets in order to avoid feeling crazy inside my head at times, but sometimes I just don’t feel like writing or I don’t feel as confident in the words I put together so I need other outlets. I’ve been slowly learning some basics of guitar and I’m also working on a poetry book. I also wrote and directed that “Higher Brain” video with Kristoff Krane and I really loved that experience. I absolutely love film and would love to direct at some point in my life. Maybe I could make some cool creepy short films or something eventually, I don’t know. That’s one thing I love about having full creative freedom with my projects is that I get to be involved in other mediums such as album artwork and music videos.

RT: If you were sent before the supreme court to defend hip hop music as being a “truly artistic” genre, what would you say?

People have been arguing over what’s art and what isn’t forever. I think that as human beings, we have this curious need to compartmentalize everything and try to squeeze it into a box just to see if it will fit. To answer your question though, of course rap is art; it’s people expressing themselves. Now, is it good art, or relevant art or innovative art? That’s a different discussion. Genres are such a broad term to me. I personally see rap artists like Sage Francis or El-P in a different artistic light than someone like Gucci Mane or Lil’ B, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t art. I mean, Jason Pollack dripped paint on a canvas, Andy Warhol hired people to replicate his paintings to claim as his own, and G.G. Allin would give himself enemas on stage. Are they artists? Obviously, those are drastically different examples but I personally believe it is all art, some of it just happens to speak to me louder and clearer than others.

CH: How do you separate yourself from other rappers (in your genre, as well as others)?

That’s a good question and it’s something that I’ve thought about pretty often lately. Since music is so accessible to make these days, there are thousands upon thousands of rappers all vying for the same goals and the thought of fitting into a crowd has never really appealed to me. I work really, really hard on trying to get better at my craft and I hope it shows in the final products and that people will find a reason to want to hear what I make. I mean, I’ve never met anybody that is exactly like me, so I don’t think I should be a replication of anybody else artistically. I certainly am influenced by a lot of other rappers and admire some of their work very much, but I hope that at the end of the day people can say I have my own sound in some way or another.

RT: Our mutual pal Alex, a.k.a. Bodi, wrote about his experiences with the late Michael “Eyedea” Larsen in a little book called Children of Mercy: Tales and Teachings From The World of Independent Music.  You were also friends with, and worked alongside Eyedea before he passed (The book was also dedicated to his memory.  How did Michael influence you?  And how much of him is in your own art?

Micheal has influenced me even more drastically than I think I’ve fully realized. I find myself thinking of him and missing him on a daily basis. I actually made a song about him and shot a video for it in Minneapolis with his friends and family recently. The goal of the song wasn’t to say how great of an artist he was, I think that’s been pretty obvious, but how good of a friend he was to me.  He also was the connection that brought Kristoff Krane and I together, whom I consider to be one of my best friends and favorite artists. The fact that Mike believed in my music in one way or another will always be one of my proudest achievements and I don’t really have an accurate way to describe how I miss him.

RT: If you could perform for any historical figure, alive or dead, who do you think would most understand your work?  Why?

I’m going to cheat and give an answer for each. The first person who comes to mind as a dead historical figure who I think would understand my work would be Edgar Allan Poe. I feel like he obviously wrote very dark material but the closer you inspect it the more you can see the craftsmanship and details he put into his work. He also had a pretty difficult time dealing with certain obstacles in his life that I think would relate to my material in some way. As for a living person, I would say David Lynch. I admire him for many reasons, but I really love how Lynch doesn’t give a shit about answering concrete questions in his films, but instead he is much more concerned about painting the mood and tone that he wants you to feel. Oftentimes in his movies you can’t really recall all the details of the plot like in most movies, but you can remember the way it made you felt long after it is finished. I feel like I aim for that in my music at times.

CH: Do you believe that Minneapolis could be considered the epicenter (a.k.a. the Compton of the early 90’s) for indie hip hop?  Why or why not?

Is this why people always seem to think I’m from Minneapolis these days? Haha, anyways, I guess that would seem like a fair statement to me. I mean, the Rhymesayers guys have really built the business model for indie rap in a lot of ways. I have a lot of respect for their work-ethic and feel like they deserve every bit of their success. Beyond the bigger acts in the Twin Cities, I feel like there’s a ton of talent out there too. Kristoff Krane, No Bird Sing, Kill The Vultures, Ecid, etc. are all great acts that are below a lot of people’s radar.

RT: What was the last thing that made you smile?

My girlfriend just gave me a home made birthday card. That made me smile.

To learn more about Sadistik and his current and past releases, upcoming tours, and all the what have you that you could ever want to know, head over to his website, sadistikmusic.com.  And you can find him on that new social media site called Facebook.

Filed under Interviews

Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling [Band]

April 20, 2012 2 Comments

Photo by Kelly Davidson

If they weren’t so increasingly verbal and creating all sorts of tunes via an almost pathological amount of avenues….Michael J. Epstein and Sophia Cacciola could be mysterious.  But, alas, this match made in indie rock heaven  is absolutely everywhere.  They have no less than nine touring and/or working acts including Darling Pet Munkee with the amazing Axemunkee guitarist Catherine Capozzi, The Michael J. Epstein Library, Epstein’s crucial part in Shawn Fogel’s uke tribute to Neutral Milk Hotel conveniently titled, Neutral Uke Hotel, and Space Balloons. The latter apparently puts on an amazing birthday party for three-year olds.  But, you can not know this diversely talented and eccentric duo without knowing their pseudo gargantuan like act, Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darlin.

Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darlin is, for the lack of a yearning to use better words, and absolutely amazing group.  When they stormed my ear drums a couple of years ago with their brain splitting take on the already eerie enough Leonard Cohen cut, “First We Take Manhattan”, I was absolutely smitten.  So much so that by the their 2011 EP, Questions Are A Burden To Others, fell into my life, I most certainly could not image how I once had a fully functional adult life before a band decided they should create an outlandish musical reincarnation of the cult TV show, The Prisoner.  It didn’t seem like a life I wanted to go back to, and I am thankful I never will.

For those few souls out there who have yet to hear DNFMOMD and have your world completely rocked, you’re pretty lame, and redemption is necessary. For further description on your loss, I guess you can try to imagine what it would be like if Neko Case and Sufjan Stevens started a Black Sabbath cover band with their gears turning towards a mystical heaven, and maybe the tenacity and excited overtures of the likes of New York Dolls.  They have cultivated an amazing following of strangely fanatical listeners, and have scored some high honors across the media world including scoring the #6 spot on Time Magazine Online’s Top Ten Most Creative Videos list with their take for take remake and reconstitution of the opening scene from the cult TV show The Prisoner.  And then there is Cacciola’s nomination for the covenant Best Female Vocalist Award from The Boston Phoenix, winning big at SENE festival (also for “Arrival”), and without fear of any sort of fear of reprisal for self deprecation, they scored a spot on Crappy Indie Music The Blog’s Recession Proof Music List.

More recently, Michael and Sophia have embarked on yet another amazing adventure entitled Music Begins Where The World Leaves Off.  Jumping on the bandwagon of their own genius work covering Leonard Cohen, the duo has decided to make the essential to all music enthusiasts cover album.  They will be releasing monthly(ish) cover tracks throughout 2012.  Two tracks have already hit the interwebs, including Bruce Springsteen’s “Cover Me” and The Eurythmics’s classic anthem “Sweet Dreams”.

Photo by Kelly Davidson

With the direction these two are headed with their wonderful concept of petrified and tamed insanity, it is impossible to not feel continuous bursts of excitement.  Enough excitement to wet yourself in a white suit I would suppose.  Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darlin is most definitely an act you do not want to sleep on.  Or shall I say: forsake!  No I don’t think I will.  Or did I just do it?  No matter, this is amazing stuff, and the world needs to know the power of these amazing chaps with the audacity to be one of the foremost pioneering bands out their today.

Learn more about this amazing group at their Website.  And be sure to make your way over the The Boston Phoenix site to vote for Sophia Cacciola as Best Female Vocalist.  And keep yourself in tune with all of their other projects on Mike and Sophia’s own Blog.

Filed under Features

Zia McCabe [Interview]

April 1, 2012 Leave a comment

The Dandy Warhols are a peculiar bunch to say the least.  For some of us, they are a household name as common as any other indie rock band of the last few decades.  For others, they might not ring a bell.  For independent film fanatics, Ondi Timoner may have introduced these fun-loving hipsters (before there was such a thing) to us in the Sundance favored documentary, Dig! which chronicled over a decade’s worth of footage between the Dandys and another cult favorite Brian Jonestown Massacre.  Some may simply hear any given track from these now electronic-indie rock messiahs and ponder….are these the guys from the Mythbusters theme song? (Yes, yes they are.).  They are also the brain children of Beat The World Records, which houses the mythical yet relatively unknown band of youngsters known as 1776 that deserve to be world-renowned.  And for some of us, they may be the centerpiece of every tree decorating event come holiday season with their amazing adaptation of the greatest Christmas song ever made, “The Little Drummer Boy” (Okay, this one might be mostly personal.)
No matter how you know them, or don’t, these geniuses in their own right are veterans and have consistently proven themselves as a staple in the indie rock world through pure and raw talent and intuition of what it takes to create beautifully crafted indie rock in a world where any sort of indie rock could please the masses.  And nobody (not even front man Courtney two last names), accentuates such beautifully crafted charisma as the band’s keyboardist and masterwoman Zia McCabe.

Zia has been a staple in the Portland community, as well as the first lady of one of the finest indie rock acts of the now.  She has been around since the beginning, and her influence has been obvious as the band has progressed over the last few years into a legendary act that has moved beyond a simple cult following.  I was fortunate enough to steal a few digitally infused words with Zia where we discuss The Warhol’s 9th (or 10th?  You decide…) album, her country music side project, her controversial pregnancy photo shoot for Suicidegirls.com, and how being a mom and a rocker is absolutely awesome, and can lead to amazing causes and opportunities.

 

Your band, The Dandy Warhols are officially releasing your ninth full length album, This Machine, in April.  What can fans and new listeners expect to here from this venture?

Ha, I thought it was our tenth… I have a really hard time when it comes to describing our albums. I can say there’s more writing collaborations than we’ve ever had which I think gives the album an eclectic sound in a different way than previous albums. We also took a simpler approach when it came to tracking, as in we each kept our tracking to a minimum rather than layer on as many tracks as we fancy. This made it easier to create tracks that sound like we do in real life.

 

Tell us a bit about Brush Prairie.  What influences such a transition in music genres?

I grew up in a  log cabin in Battle Ground, Washington (not far from Brush Prairie, Washington where I was born) listening to Willie Nelson and the like.

Vintage country and psychedelic R&R are equally my roots, so now I’m finally getting to entertain both sides of my musical coin. Plus I LOVE getting to be the lead singer dolled up in vintage western outfits. Beyond that I’m interested in fronting a band with a vintage soul sound and/or blending all these genres together.

You’re Dandy band mate Brent Deboe has also ventured into the folk and country scene as well.  Any chance of a collaboration?  Tour?

Yes, we already talk about covering each other’s tunes and touring together and all those fun things, I’m sure we’ll end up writing together on the road.  Since his band is based out of Australia, we’ve discussed me getting a backing band over there and doing some shows together as our first item of business. Good times!

Can you tell us a bit about your involvement with Rock N Roll Mamas, and what your involvement has been in this movement?

Jackie is a local film maker and mother who got me involved as a subject for her Rock Mamas film several years ago. It’s shaping up to be a great film about the life of woman who have a passion for their music and in no way are willing to leave their children behind. I’ve also made some small music pieces for Jackie to use in the film.

 

You are notoriously known for being a hard working and rocking mom.  As the years keep passing, does it get easier or harder over the years to handle the stress?  (Explain)

As any parent knows, it doesn’t get easier it just keeps changing. There are always new dangers to prepare for and challenges to face as we do our best to raise intelligent, inspiring humans. Of course having a baby on the road was a massive challenge that I still look back on and wonder how I ever pulled it all off. However, I am very much looking forward to getting Matilda back on the road with me this summer since her being in school has kept her at home the last couple years. It will be fun to have a more independent, lower maintenance kid on the road and one who can better enjoy and learn from the unique experience of rock and roll tour.

 

You are officially a Suicide Girl after you posed nude for SuicideGirls.com while you were pregnant.  How was this experience?  Was it enlightening in some way? (Explain)

It was 103 degrees  outside and I had a migraine but I didn’t want to miss the chance to document that time in my life and be the only pregnant suicide girl. I’m glad I did it but wouldn’t consider it enlightening. I think they mislead viewers with the image of a sexy website ran by the chicks but as far as I can tell it’s still got some sleazy dude running the show.  I think my set turned out tasteful and displayed the beauty of a heavily pregnant woman with class. I also like the controversy it caused with the suicide girl fans.

What exactly has made you continue to call Portland home after all of these years?  What intrigues you about the city, if anything?

I love that this town was founded by pioneers and pirates. (my family was part of the Lewis & Clarke expedition) Portland has taken pride in being creative, diverse, independent, rebellious and a leader in all things environmental and subjects culturally edgy. Besides that, Portland is nestled between a majestic mountain, dripping rain forest, wild coast line and a unique desert. I love this part of the world!  As much as I love traveling, this will always be my home.

 

What does 2012 have in store for Zia McCabe?

Lot’s of touring in support of This Machine for one thing. I’ve also invested some important time in the field of self-improvement and life reorganizing. I’d like to complete Brush Prairie’s first full length album, build up my commercial music business and maybe even witness the end of the world as we know it.

 

What was the last thing that made you smile?

My daughter. She gives me a thousand reasons to smile every day. Yes, a few frowns in there too, but sooooooo worth it!

Filed under Interviews

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