Interview with Glenn Pinson of Ride the Boogie / CD Review

Ride the Boogie – S/T (Longhair Illuminati) – Coming out June 17
By Andrew Fersch

Do not judge a book by its cover (or more importantly title) cause then you are gonna miss out on genius like this. Ride the Boogie may be titled due to a relatively unrelated Michael Jackson reference and have nothing to do with their style, yet they have created an album that rocks equally as it does entertain (regardless of what you think about the name). Starting from the first catchy notes of the Beatles-esque “Hop Along Chastity”, RTB knows that you need more than just great music to make a great song, although, even if you took the vocals out and just had the few understated instruments with their hand-clapping it would probably still be pretty awesome. It then morphs into straight up rock and roll ala White Stripes (without the whiny-ness of Jack White) or Royal Trux with “Big Ass Bass” and “Naughty Corner”. The album moves back and forth from this sort of rock to acoustic beauties like “Mustache Riders”. Although it’s hard to take someone seriously who belts out; “The night was young and time was on our side/The girls were jamming with their legs swinging wide/And just as I thought I’d have to swallow some pride/We had a crew of two for a midnight ride”, it’s equally hard not to fall in love with them for being lyrically ingenious. Then the foursome follows it up with a Supersuckers sounding “Mexico” without ganking any style, it’s original and it’s rock and roll as hell. Ex. Vaux’er Adam Tymn and ex. Places to Park’er Glenn Pinson co-wrote the album while living in different states and the genius of that is that their respective styles shine and the album is all the more diverse for it. Anti-cat songs, killing cold-hearted businessmen, and a girl named Lousie “slurpin’ and blurpin’, chewin’ and chirpin’”, what doesn’t this album have? That’s not a rhetorical question, the answer is nothing.

Interview with Glenn Pinson of Ride the Boogie
By Andrew Fersch

How did RTB begin?

We put a lot into it. It kinda came as a side project. Well, not really a side project—it was just songs we had written while we were in different bands. Adam and I have two other musicians that play with us who contribute but not as much as Adam and I. We do the bulk of the writing, music and lyrics. It all started while we on the Warped Tour together. They had that John Lennon recording bus with some sort of songwriting contest. They had a full bus with a mini studio; we had these songs we had written ourselves. One of the songs was “Mustache Riders.” Adam just showed me it on the guitar and sang along. We went on the bus, tracked it—played drums, guitar. That was the first song [we did together], maybe five years ago, if not longer.
From then on, we established this partnership between the two of us: let’s collaborate. Once we did get home to separate places, I’d have a song and, since we both have the ability and equipment to play and write on each instrument, we’d each individually demo these songs. Between the two of us, the entire band was taken care of. We’d send these songs back and forth, and then we’d work it out till we were in the same place and get together. Between the two of us, we had 15 or 16 songs demoed by ourselves then and we just split up the duties. Then we had Kevin come out and sit in on some of that stuff. Around us, we got him to play to his full potential. We’d tell him, “Just ’cause you don’t do it in the band your in, it doesn’t matter.” He had all kinds of unconventional instruments. We used him as the third member. Stuff Adam and I couldn’t do we would have him do. And between the two of us, we kept up the songwriting.
We did the bulk of it in five days at a friend’s studio. We narrowed it down to those 11 songs that we could basically get done quickest. If you ask us separately, there are songs we each think should have made the record. We then took mixes home and at our studios we added the bells and whistles, polished the records.
With this particular project, we’ve kinda wanted to put it out there as a whole group, have it be songs out in the open, very song-driven. Whatever it took to make the song work, to come across how we wanted it to, we did. Even in the sleeve we just wrote all our names, not about what we did. We’ve done shows as a two piece and set up every instrument we had and between the two of us just jumped between instruments—we got a good response from that.

Many of the songs on the new CD remind me of other bands style-wise (from Queens of the Stone Age to the Supersuckers to the Beatles to Mike Patton’s various side projects), yet the album is entirely unique in its overall feel and ability to not fall into a copy cat album or any one genre. How would you describe yourselves?

I think our intentions were to be creative songwriters and not singer-songwriters to the tune of a normal singer-songwriter, with your acoustic guitar [singing] about meaningful, earthy things. We wanted these songs to come across as a creative outing, where there is more thought about the story involved. [We] didn’t set out to be a particular type of band. We did set out to write particular songs, and we wanted them to all be storytelling songs, something you could put your hand or head around without the music getting in the way.

How does living apart affect the band on an everyday basis? Do you intend on staying spread throughout the country? How does touring work? Is it a full time gig?

It’s bad, because we don’t have that band practice time that most bands have. Our songwriting isn’t very band-oriented. We don’t get into a warehouse space and jam out and come up with songs that way. We already have the song written when we get together and we just rehearse the songs we have already written. It’s a setback in a way, because it takes us a while to get used to it. When we went to California [for our most recent tour], we met there at the airport, picked up our van, went to Huntington Beach and back-lined everything we had for the shows. The first two days we spent going over our set list, two days rehearsing and, on the third day, we played the songs at a show. It works to our advantage because that’s all we’re worried about. It comes across better than someone who’s been playing and practicing those songs all day long. Just the fact that were playing those songs live—we’re super jazzed about that. Eventually, though, we get to thinking, “Fuck, what would happen if we were in the same place?”
It is a goal [to be in the same place]. The good thing from us being in bands before is that we definitely know that touring is fucking gruesome sometimes. For us to be on the road for months at a time is pretty grueling. If every show isn’t a bitching show, it can wear on the band. It’s refreshing going back home, getting together for two weeks at a time. For two weeks, everyone comes to Florida, uses my house as a base, goes to Colorado and uses Adam’s house as a base. It’s kinda been an advantage that we’ve used for our own good.
We could be coined as a local band in four places—not that we want that. As far as full-time, it’s not really. We still have to have jobs while we’re home. All the money the band makes gets put right back into the band. We paid for the artwork to be custom made [by Tymn’s former bandmate, Joe McChan]. The band is definitely a full-time thing, even though we aren’t playing full-time. We don’t have full-time tours booked. We don’t have what working bands have. That’s definitely a goal. We have people who are interested in working with us. Being that we were in bands before, we want to do it on our own terms where it’s a comfortable situation for us. We don’t want to be a full-time band for the sake of being a band. We definitely want to think things out. One of the mistakes we made in other bands is that we just went along with the flow to where we got lost in the shuffle. We know a little more and are trying to get it to work for our advantage, but we’re happy with what we’re doing right now.

Were the lyrics written entirely by Tymn? Are they about real people and animals (“D is for Chet,” “All Night,” “Mexico”)? Who wrote the music?

We wanted to write a record, which is just that—writing a record. We didn’t sit in a warehouse and jam, we wrote a song about going to Mexico. I wrote that song on the demo, wrote it in three hours because I had this Mexican guy I met at a restaurant I worked at who could just speak broken English telling me about how I should go down there. He left my house after one night [of hanging out] and, three hours later, I had the song demoed with lyrics and music. There are other songs that we wrote together. “D is for Chet” is a real story about a real cat. A friend had a cat named Chet and it was a weird cat. He’d just chill with us like one of the men. At a moment’s notice he’d be gone, take off or claw ya. Adam wrote that song with Kevin and a friend of ours in California. “All Night” I wrote here in Florida, did the same thing—just wrote it then and there. It’s about a girl I was kinda involved with at the time who made it that easy for me. I just put it into terms that seemed more like a story that people could relate to.

You’ve got a unique sound and songs that could completely be heard on the radio. You all came from bands that had record label deals and some of you were on the Warped Tour. I’ve got to ask, why Longhair Illuminati records? Is it related to the negative dealings with Atlantic that Adam and his prior band Vaux had?

We don’t have a record deal with Longhair Illuminati. We recorded [the album] ourselves. We just worked out a licensing deal. Phil Pirrone [owner of Longhair Illuminati] had started this little label and we played a show with his band as a two piece at the Bluebird. He kept asking what we were going to do with our record. He told us, “I’ve got this deal with Icon Distro and they let me put out whatever I want.” He could get records pressed really cheap and get them in stores. Honestly, for a while we put him off, until we realized, “Shit, we got this record done.”
We worked out a 50/50 licensing deal and he helped us print the records and establish a physical release date, June 17. It gets our record distributed regionally. As far as with Vaux going to a major [label], it was probably one of the reasons we decided to go on our own. One of the reasons [Vaux] dismantled is because they made some poor decisions with Atlantic Records where they were ultimately left with a kick-ass record and no one to put it out. As they were getting thrown through the ranks, they were trying to keep control of the record and they lost, and that put a bad taste in Adam’s mouth.
We were reluctant to go with someone like that. We kept it close to us and people offered, but we were trying to be wiser than we had been in the past. We kept it to ourselves, recorded it ourselves and paid for it ourselves.

Interview with Ryland Steen/Reel Big Fish

Interview with Ryland Steen, drummer for Reel Big Fish

What are you specifically looking forward to about the Warped Tour? How many times has Reel Big Fish played it?

I’ve been drummer for three years now. The band played Warped Tour in 1997 and 2002. The band is on the every five, six year rotation [with Warped Tour]. It’ll be good. I feel like Reel Big Fish is just as popular today as they were in their heyday. It’s good to do things like this. It gives you a whole new market, a whole new generation of kids.

I’m really excited about playing with the other bands, The Beat Union, Say Anything, The Aggrolites—they’re all good friends. It’s my first [Warped Tour]. I’m definitely excited, being able to hang out with friends all summer long. When you get to know people in bands you never get to see them because they’re in bands, too. From what I understand, it’s just a pretty crazy summer vacation. You play your half hour set, then you are free to do whatever you want.

How does The Warped Tour differ from other festivals you have played?

We always go to Europe during festival season. We played Bamboozle Left Festival [in Irvine, Calif.] a couple weeks ago. These shows are “no sound check, throw instruments on the stage as fast you can and play as many songs as you can” shows. It was Bamboozle’s first time on the West Coast, with a Warped Tour set up: a bunch of stages, a lot of bands.
I would hope to get some sort of jam sessions with other bands going. I can only hope there’s a tent backstage where people can jam. At Lollapalooza backstage they had a big tent where people would just jam. I’d love to have a jam session, double drums with Josh Freeze of The Vandals and Dave Singer of Beat Union singing.

Have you ever played in a venue as big as Mile High Stadium?

I’m guessing it’ll probably actually be in the parking lot, then you get to thinking, “Well, where does everybody park?” I would just tell people to bring lots of sun block and money for water.

Has having so many members in the band over the years had an effect on how the band operates? I would imagine a Les Claypool scenario where whoever’s been there the longest just writes the music and everyone else just plays it.

The three main, original members—Aaron, Scott and Dan—they’re the oldest members, core guys. Aaron has always been the main songwriting force in the band. He’ll come in with the song basically set up and give ideas: you play something like this or that. The actual songwriting he starts with. It’s cool. It works out well. Aaron is one of those guys into suggestions. He’s cool with that—not a dictatorship, more of a democracy. Sometimes it is better to have the one person who picks up the ball and runs with it. The band is happy about current situation.

They’ve been doing it since they were 16, 17 years old. When [RBF’s 1997 mainstream hit single] “Sell Out” came out, the oldest member was 22. If you still put on a great, energetic show and people still like your music, it doesn’t matter your age. The RBF crowd keeps recycling. They get older, they feel they need to listen to more “serious” music, and so they pass our CD’s on to little brothers and sisters. Then they come to shows and the crowd recycles to younger kids. It’s one of the reasons RBF is still just as big today as ten years ago. It has become more of an institution or cult. It’s not about the hit single. People know what to expect, so it works out good for us to keep in with young kids. It’s kinda cool, makes you feel very relevant, and it’ll be fun to do Warped. We’re just as relevant today as ten years ago. We did a summer tour with Less Than Jake last year, and people say ska punk is dead, but we were doing two thousand tickets a night.

What do you think the future holds for Reel Big Fish?

The band still tours six to seven months a year. A month ago we got back from two months in Europe—over 60,000 ticket sales over the whole tour. We’re still going strong. It’s a working band: constantly touring, new fun recording projects, looking at split EPs or a covers record, possibly a tribute to Poison. Also, we’re still touring for our latest, Monkeys for Nothin’ and The Chimps for Free. We’re just gonna keep recording and keep touring. We’re in a great spot right now.

Interview with Dierks Bentley

Interview with country singer Dierks Bentley

You are playing so many different venues these days to so many different types of crowds, from Stagecoach to Lollapalooza. How and why do you think this has happened to you instead of so many other acts who appeal to more than one demographic?

In the beginning, we made a commitment to do things our way. We did crazy tours: 41 shows in 45 days, lots of rock bars, just trying to push the envelope. We wanted people facing the band, paying attention, not dancing. And we’d have the local crew looking at us like, “You sure you’re in the right place?” We just shattered the bias. It was us all wanting to play different types of places. And personally, I had always wanted to play Bonnaroo. We just did it and our music took care of the rest, winning over people. It’s about not getting too comfortable playing in certain places.

Do you still tour 300 days a year?

We don’t anymore. We’ve got four semi trucks, two buses now. Our crew gets exhausted, up at 8, in bed at 3 am. With bigger venues you can really only play weekends, too. You get just as many people [seeing you], it’s just not as intense. It’s just as busy now, though, as it was then.

How are festivals and touring different for you?

I really love festivals, but the variety of touring feels great. I like being in control of our tour, but this time of year, after a long tour [over 100 days], I’m looking forward to being outside—the feel, the atmosphere.

I just interviewed Reel Big Fish, who played Lollapalooza a couple years back, and they told me there is a tent for musicians to jam in backstage. I’m thinking you playing guitar, doing a duet with Mason Jennings, with Zach De La Rocha and Trent Reznor doing backups, Kanye doing the choruses, G Love on harmonica and Wilco taking care of the rest of the music. Who would you want to play with this year?

Trent Reznor! I’m a huge fan of Nine Inch Nails. Just to meet him will be great, let alone something musical. The Whigs, National, Brand New, Noah and the Whale—I really like what they do. The Black Keys, Radiohead—It’ll just be fun to be a part of the whole deal. Like Austin City Limits, it’s just a great place to meet people.

Why did you choose the Fillmore for your DVD?

It was just the vibe of the building. It feels like a big rock bar. We had played there and thought it was perfect. The period where we were as a band right then was captured by [the DVD].

How do you describe your live show?

Well, I really believe in our show. The set lists I come up with every night. If you stick around for the whole thing you’ll find something that you love. If you’re 8 or 80, there’s bluegrass, Johnny Cash covers: something for everyone in the room. Pushing boundaries, keeping it fresh, testing yourself, and playing for folks who don’t know the songs.

You sing and play guitar, and there’s a lot of AC/DC style rock played at the end of your show. Would you rather be a Bon Scott or an Angus Young?

I do love playing guitar, I’m just not good enough. I will always just act like one of the guys in the band—I am. The three of us are across the front, kind of a nickel defense, three in front, two in back. I’d rather be the Bon Scott, but I’m just not good enough.

Interview with Mike McColgan/Street Dogs

Interview with Mike McColgan of the Street Dogs

I used to go to The Rat every Sunday and see the Dropkicks with you singing. How does a huge tour like the Warped Tour differ from those small venues? Have you played the Warped Tour before?

When [the Warped Tour] started, what they did was they got as many bands they could get a hold of, had skateboarding and had music, and, even though it’s gotten really big, there’s still a good, strong punk and ska element this year. We played it in 2005. It is way different, though, than other shows—only playing a half hour. We’d play on top of a cardboard box or in Carnegie hall. We’re not gonna turn down an opportunity to get our music out there.

How political are you with your music? Do you think an audience like Warped Tour cares about your message?

In the Street Dogs, we’ve never shied from the politics that are in us as people—our feelings, our anger, the disenchantment. The transparency of the Bush administration catering to the rich: it’s clear and apparent to any reasonable, practical person who looks at things objectively. As a songwriter and lyricist, I’d be doing music a disservice if I was talking about how bummed I am my girl left me. Those are trite, insipid things. What about the bands that have the courage to stand up and say things are fucked up and don’t expect a pat on the back for it? Bands like The Clash and Stiff Little Fingers were like that. That’s what we’re trying to follow in the steps of. Billy Bragg and Bob Marley—lyrically, they were punk. With the Street Dogs, not everything is political; we won’t shy away from it, though. It’s always been a part of me, too.

I think if you take a close look at our music lyrically, you’ll see the heavy political nature, but if you see us visually without that, we’re not gonna come off as this huge political outfit. As far as what we say and play, we’re not trying to indoctrinate anyone and make them feel like they are wrong. There are people who come up to me and disagree with what I say, but say they are thankful I stand for something,

Any regret from leaving the Dropkick Murphys to become a firefighter?

I made the decision I made. I stuck by it and I feel comfortable. No second thoughts: that never entered my mind. And I never expected that—I felt there might be a level of regret, but it never happened. I was in the Boston Fire Department for four years. What the Dropkicks did went above and beyond expectations. I can say confidently and truthfully that the Dropkick Murphys is an excellent group on record and live. They’ve taken the Boston scene all throughout the world. It’s only been a positive force. Their music, their track record—it’s amazing.

How does being from Boston influence your music? There are many Boston-centered songs. What do you think the draw is for people outside of Boston to music from and about Boston?

I think, on some level, especially in our choruses, there is a universal appeal. We let the listener know, hey, this is our experience, this is what we’ve gone through, and maybe what you’ve gone through is similar. And we can all put our glasses in the air and come together. That’s that infinite moment, when it all comes together. You explain where you’re from, what you’ve been through, talk about relationship, politics, war, love, friends gone, and you try to let people into that. As a writer, you don’t want to pigeonhole it—you try to let people in. At some level, we have succeeded at doing that. The nation was born in Boston. They taught the rest of the nation to be the rest of the nation. In some sense, Boston and Massachusetts is where everything started and it’s still a barometer of where everything is at.

How did you decide to leave the Boston Fire Department and return to music?

It started innocent and casual with Johnny Rioux calling me up, telling me that he had some songs he wanted me to sing on in 2002. It evolved to writing some songs and playing some shows. We got an offer to do a record, went ahead and did it, got some shows with Flogging Molly on the East Coast, and I found out that performing , writing and recording was a real gratifying, soul-fulfilling thing. In 2004, I made the decision to do this full time; I’ve never looked back since. I’ve been blown away by how much people wanted to see and hear what we were doing. I felt good about playing again. Our newest release [coming in June on Hellcat Records] is the best record we’ve done.

What’s a day on the Warped Tour like for you?

We’ll be out there meeting people, signing records. We’ll get out of the venue, unwind, go to a bar or see a movie—just social time away from Warped Tour. Some bands get crazy, some don’t. We’re not like Guns N’ Roses and Mötley Crüe. We’re out here for the music. I’m not saying they’re not, we’re just pretty focused on what we’re doing: striving every day to make an impact, everywhere we go, make a mark.

Sage Francis Feature/Interview

Trying to move the underground above ground
By Andrew Fersch

Seems like most everyone these days seems to fashion themselves some sort of artist or musician. And when you’re seeing high priced hookers on TV claiming that they moved to New York originally to sing, that might be where you have to draw the line. Then again, mainstream music these days is often filled with disappointing high priced folks who have prostituted their integrity to get where they are, so maybe a 22 year old in the oldest profession who has a penchant for hooking high powered politicians WOULD have something new to offer. At the very least, there could be one quite funny song about Eliot Spitzer’s junk.

As it stands though, both are bound to disappoint. Unsigned folks who appear on MySpace and who’s crowds at shows consist of three slightly disappointed family members and one very ugly drunk blonde woman past her prime are no worse than a Snoop Dog who plays to packed arenas, shows up late and high as a kite, and performs as well on stage as the elephant man would in a beauty contest.

That’s where Sage Francis comes in. Well, Sage Francis and a plethora of other guys you probably have never heard of it you don’t give a damn about rap music that hasn’t made it on the radio. More likely though, you give a damn about good music and just haven’t heard everything that’s being offered, and it’s about time that you did.

Underground hip hop has long been a fixture in the Boston scene, never has it come so gloriously from the armpit of America. Housed in Providence, RI, Paul “Sage” Francis is writing the rap music that record labels don’t believe you are smart enough to hear. It’s like a teacher telling you that you would prefer a McGraw-Hill history textbook to Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United State”, an insult to your intelligence.

Francis is one of many rappers these days coming out with truly intelligent music and he’s doing it his way, refusing to succumb to pressure to sell-out in any fashion whatsoever. Owning his own record label while being a huge part of a burgeoning music scene, Francis still finds time to co-run a website with fellow artist B. Dolan called knowmore.org, where they deal with issues ranging from environmental concerns to human rights abuses.

Attempting to educate the masses through uncommonly intelligent lyrics and some pretty amazing music, spending their free time dedicated to important global and local causes, and yet, chances are, you haven’t heard of them, what’s wrong with this picture?

What’s wrong is who is deciding what it is you are exposed to. You won’t see a Sage Francis on TV, even though parents opposed to rap music would probably be able to feel some connection to his feelings on the war, or the state of our country today. So why, if parents don’t like Snoop, and his music is truly sub-par, does he end up plastered all over TV and the radio while Sage and the rest of the intelligentsia are playing college shows to a fraction of the audience?

Maybe it’s because Sage doesn’t like the idea of living with the sacrifices he’d make by prostituting himself to get a deal like that, or maybe, just maybe, it’s only because you haven’t heard him yet. And although you probably won’t become the head of MTV and get Sage his own TV show anytime soon or get him a multimillion dollar record deal, you owe it to yourself to give him a listen, to stop insulting your intelligence for once, and to give the future of rap music a chance.

Listen to him: Strange Famous Records (www.strangefamousrecords.com)

Be like him (belief wise at least): Knowmore (www.knowmore.org)

Interview with Sage Francis

What first got you into hip hop? What was the biggest obstacle when you first started out? Biggest obstacle now?

"Well, it's a tale that has been over told at this point. Hiphop found me at the age of 8. It was a powerful force and I couldn't ignore it. I needed as much of it as I could get and that hunger didn't get satisfied for many, many years. The biggest obstacle might have been finding my own place in a craft that I loved so much. I didn't just want to re-do what has been done so I had to find my own voice and approach. Make an actual contribution. I believe I have done that and I continue to do that. The biggest obstacle now is having a personal life outside of music and business."

You have been releasing music since 1996, if you had to choose one song that you are most proud of writing, which one would it be and why?

"I have about 4 that are neck in neck for that prize. The songs I am most proud of writing are the ones that carry multiple meanings while clearly explaining a situation that affects me personally. As long as the execution is good and the outcome is solid. Doesn't always work out the way I intend it to."

Have your politics in your songs ever been questioned by other artists? Or at your shows? Any good stories from that?

"Hell, this happened just yesterday. My grandmother is part of an organization that holds peace rallies in RI. She asked me to perform at an event and I happily obliged. I sat through a female folk performer who sang her peace songs. I sang along. She talked about how...if she was in a gas chamber she wonders what she would be like. She concluded that she would be the one singing Coombaya. We clapped our little clap (all 10 of us) and then I took to the mic. I said, 'If she's going to be the one singing Coombaya, I'm going to be the one on the other side of the gas chamber screaming FUCK THIS SHIT!' Needless to say she was unamused as were everyone else in the place except for my Grandmother. I also explained that I could be the yin to her yang and our yin-yang symbol could turn into a ninja star that would cut off all the nazis' heads. Crickets started chirping. At the end of my set this woman told me that I need to preach peace instead of violence. I told her that I don't preach violence. She said, 'Well, you were clearly trying to tear down Gandhi and his accomplisments in that last song.' I told her that she misinterpreted what Slow Down Gandhi is all about and she said, 'Well, maybe you should make a clear explanation before doing the song.' I disagreed and told her I don't need to do that with my music. As an artist I don't feel comfortable doing that. And on and on and on this rollercoaster rode. Coombaya, my Lord. Coombaya."

If you have to give a summation of your opinions of the music played on the radio, what would it be?

"I don't listen to much radio, but that's because almost all the hiphop I hear on it is very sterile. Like someone with a white coat made it in a labratory while the mice screamed and chewed their own ears off."

You started knowmore.org with friend B Dolan with the hope that you would "raise awareness of corporate abuse, and to serve as a catalyst for direct action against corporate power", how’s that going?

"Knowmore.org provides an amazing service that has not reached its full potential yet. We're an organization that needs to grow and develop, and that's happening as fast as we can make it. The more people who get involved the better. It is a free service provided to the public, and it can only reach its potential when enough people utilize it."

If you controlled TV, radio, and the movie industry, what would we all be watching and listening to?

"Ha. Well, I don't want to put myself in that position. Because I don't want to be Clear Channel."

What’s next for Sage Francis?

"Running the Strange Famous Records label. We're releasing Prolyphic & Reanimator's 'The Ugly Truth' as well as B Dolan's 'The Failure' within the next couple months. We're all doing multiple shows together. B Dolan and I will be touring Europe together. We're expanding our online store and digital store at www.SFRstore.com and working on more music. Looking for more artists. And of course I have my own material to put together. A new album and DVD. But that's not my focus at this very moment."

Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

“When I returned to the bedroom, refreshed and dressed, the girl was asleep on her back in the conciliatory light of dawn, lying sideways across the bed with her arms opened in a cross, absolute mistress of her virginity. God bless you, I said to her.”

The master of storytelling returns after quite a hiatus, ten years since his last novel, Of Love and Other Demons, to be exact. And what a wait it was. The author of such literary masterpieces as Chronicle of a Death Foretold, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and his critically acclaimed masterpiece Love in the Time of Cholera waited nearly a decade to enlighten the masses once again. And what did he decide to do? He decided to be Metallica. He figured he might as well pull an Aerosmith. What does that mean? It means that he went away, build up a bunch of hype for his very loyal and strong fan base and then after ten years of waiting released a flimsy (115 pages) and pricey ($20 US) piece. Piece of what is up to you.


The story of a ninety year old man who decides that the year he turned ninety he “wanted to give (himself) the gift of a night of wild love with an adolescent virgin” surely sounds like a nice love story, but is far from it. Marquez commonly talks about prostitution in his novels, which is a direct result of him growing up in Columbia in an area and time where it was a very common practice. What makes his other novels different from this is the context.


Stories of love are Marquez’s specialty. Not regular love as many people would imagine it, but wild stories of love in amazing situations where there is little chance of success. Stories that make you cheer on the inside for an underdog, who no matter how many flaws he has, has the capability and desire to love someone unconditionally. In Memories of My Melancholy Whores Marquez seems to forget just how important this is to the story line.


The absurdity of the love story between the covers is one that might have been a side note in one of his major works, but flounders given the fact that little information is given about the characters, other than the narrators love/hate relationship with whores, and the fact that his virgin sews buttons in a button factory. Character development isn’t everything in a story and it shouldn’t have to be, but even in a story about impossible and absurd love, one must feel something for the characters or the author runs the risk of alienating readers by the absurdity and insanity of characters’ actions and the outcomes of those actions.


This is not to say that this book is entirely without merit. Marquez is still an amazing author with a great talent for storytelling. He has always been labeled a writer of “magical realism”, but I think he is a writer of far from magical love in magical places, whatever that can be neatly labeled as. This is what made Love in the Time of Cholera such a tremendous novel. No matter what the characters do, good and bad, and there are plenty of both in all of his novels, you know that they are doing it for a reason. In Memories, there seems to be no reason to his rhyme it saddens me to say that for this reason alone, there is little reason to read this novel except as a footnote to his other writings.

Must Reads by Marquez;


One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Love and Other Demons, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, In Evil Hour, and Love in the Time of Cholera.

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Written in 1985, this will truly be the legacy of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The heart-wrenching story of a poor, ugly, feeble boy named Florentino Ariza who falls madly in love with a woman far out of his league, Fermina Daza. The story follows these two characters and their separate but interconnected lives from adolescence to old age through marriages, businesses, and of course, prostitutes. Marquez successfully searches the depths of man’s soul and his strange desires in this absolutely beautiful tale of love, in whatever form we believe it to be. This is a book that should be mandatory for every human to read, and no human who ever reads it will view love the same again.

Kanye West "Late Registration" CD Review

Kanye West – Late Registration (Roc-A-Fella 2005)

Welcome back to class Mr. West. Late Registration may be late in some respects but it’s just in time to reassure people that rap music has the capability to be the most enlightened music out there, when it chooses to be. Kanye West realizes this and chooses wisely when to be, and when not to be.


His sophomore follow up to the hugely successful College Dropout, does little less than solidify Kanye as what he himself calls himself, a “hip-hop legend”. A little cocky for my taste, but then again, what’s a rapper if not full of himself? Bringing back comedic genius Bernie Mac, West shows his refined taste and why that automatically makes him better than Nelly. So does the fact that he’s from Chicago and not Missouri.


The first single from Late Registration is “Gold Digger” and is a perfect example of Kanye’s style. He can move in one song from one point of a view to another while keeping it smooth and believable and he does this perfectly in this. He starts off telling the listener about a girl with lots of money, many kids, lots of rap lovers in the past, and subsequently how much he still loves her and doesn’t care about how much he has to spend on her. Then he changes his tone and starts talking about a guy who can’t afford her who has “that ambition baby, watch his eyes” whose gonna change to a Benz from his Datsun. I think Kanye is a little bit of both of these guys, he was the kid who had the ambition and then became the guy who had the money and I think he’s a bit lost which personality is his these days.


The second single, “Heard ‘Em Say” is tremendous. It features Adam Levine of Maroon 5 helping out with the chorus over some beautiful pianos and a great bass line. This is just the beginning of showing more of his soul on the album and he does a great job of it here.


It is, as usual, not the singles which are the best songs on the album though, they are just the hooks meant to get you to purchase the album and hear what he really has to offer. What he has to offer is song after song of pure genius, musically and lyrically. From the hypnotic rhythm of “Drive Slow” to the violin enhanced laid back style of “Late”, Kanye shows how relaxed he is capable of being and how much he can vary his style.


There are a few tracks though which would be hits in a just world. Starting off with “Roses” where Kanye talks about his Aunt being sick and how he and his family deals with pain, very reminiscent of the love he shows for his family on College Dropout and also on this release with “Hey Mama”. With lyrics like; “If Magic Johnson got a cure for AIDS, and all the broke motherf$%^&#s passed away, you telling me if my mommas in the NBA, right now she would be ok?”, you have to respect his pure honest feelings and his disgust at life sometimes.


Without a doubt though, it is his collaboration with Cam’ron on “Gone” that makes this album a godsend. The violins and piano flows smoothly over two of the best rappers out there today in this six minute epic showcasing the best they have to offer. The soulful sound, the clever lyrics, the change up halfway through the song, all genius.


This is an album that could change the way you think if you go into listening it with an open mind. Listening to Kanye’s two first releases makes me believe that he truly could be the next great rapper, that is, if he doesn’t fall victim to what he himself admits is his biggest fault, thinking too much about what others think of him. If he can avoid this, he could end up being the most important rapper for this generation.

Walking on Eggshells by Jane Isay (with interview)

Every once in a while a book comes along that truly changes the readers’ perception of the world and challenges them to think deeply. Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s 'Love In The Time Of Cholera' is one. 'The Prophet' by Kahlil Gibran is another. 'Walking On Eggshells' is not one of these books.

Based on the assumption that everyone has as bad a relationship with their families as she does, new author Jane Isay manages to pack a whole lot of nonsense into her 237 page book, nonsense which leaves the reader with more questions than answers.

Isay, who was an editor for years apparently thought that since she was around writers, she would be able to be one as well, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Eggshells deals with the “relationship between adult children and parents”, a specifically interesting topic to anyone who is at the stage in their life where they are examining their family life and trying to make sense of seemingly odd actions of parents or children as people grow up.

I say “researched” the topic by interviewing “nearly” 75 people, adult children and parents alike. And she has managed to convince herself that these interviews hold the answers to the intricate relationship families have. In reality, these interviews only seem to share one thing, that everyone she interviewed is obnoxious and doesn’t realize it.

The family problems dealt with in the book range from in-laws to drinking, and there doesn’t seem to be a reasonable character in the bunch.

Overbearing parents, unappreciative children, you name it, these people ARE it. Isay neatly packages these horrorshows and tries to justify the actions on both sides, even when no one is doing the right thing.

and Instead of reading this book, I would wholeheartedly recommend spending a few hours with your family, talking to them, getting to know them. Isay talks little about the idea of gaining and giving mutual respect, which to me, seems the most obvious idea for families which are having these issues.

One thing is for certain, this book did give me a stronger appreciation for my own family, they may not be perfect, neither should the be, at least they aren’t any of these people though.

Interview with author Jane Isay

Now, do you believe that EVERYONE has a serious flaw in their relationship with their families? Even if they don’t act that way?

I think that people who don’t have any issues in this area have probably worked quite hard to get it that way. Certainly the people I interviewed, who had wonderful relations with parents or grown kids has thought about it. They had learned from life, lessons that made sense. Every once in a while I see a blog or review that says I must think people don’t get along and I think “good for you, you’re happy!” My sense is that in the baby boomer generation there has been trouble figuring out how to navigate this relationship because our relationship was so different. They were the greatest generation; they knew exactly what was best for us. This new generation wanted to be closer but we’re not sure how to make that happen.

Do you have children? How is YOUR relationship? What was the motivation for doing this book?

I have two grown sons, and it’s gotten better. I wrote it because I missed my sons and didn’t have the connections that I wanted. As an editor I tried to get others to write the book, no one did and so I quit my job in publishing (as an editor) and wrote the book. I learned so much from writing it about my own kids. I never told my parents anything that was really bothering me, it wasn’t the kind of closeness that my generation wants with their kids.

You say you interviewed “nearly” 75 people, who were these people? Friends/family? If so, do you feel they were completely honest with you knowing what it was for?

Most of the people in the book I spent a maximum of two hours with. I found myself in the course of writing the book warming to the people I had interviewed though. I identified and empathized with them. I did like all the people in the book. The vast majority were not friends. I have however kept up connections with the people in the book, just keeping up to date

What did you learn about the relationships between parents and children?

The most important thing I learned that was your generation loves us even if you don’t return our phone calls. Parents are astonished to see how much love there is even when there isn’t much shown. It’s a new stage of parenting, wholly different from other stages that have been written about. People really want it to work out, and I found there were a whole lot of small things you can do. You don’t need a family council to say lets get close, there are a whole range of things you can do to make sure there is an understanding and recognition of differences and boundaries. I guess the thing I discovered is that guilt separates people terribly. If you feel bad about something you did as a child, or your parents, it causes distance. People have a hard time getting close. I found there are two magic sentences, mine to yours is “I’m proud of you”. Parents don’t have to wait till they win a Nobel or Pulitzer to tell them. And yours to mine is “Hi ma, how are you?”, a communication without an agenda, that’s the best a parent can hear. It’s very hard for parents to give up that sense of responsibility that they can make grown kids lives better. Parents simply have to do it, we can’t control the world. I also find that with parents one of the ways that’s very helpful to disengage with this naggy pushy advicey worry thing is to remind themselves they did the best they could and what their kids are experiencing isn’t their fault.

Words of wisdom for families? What can the parents do? What can the children do?

Children can initiate conversations now that they are no longer so anxious with their parents being the giants in the room. They should be considerate of their parents. You’d be amazed how great a kind word from a grown kid can feel, it can feel wonderful. Grown children can be treated like adults when they begin to act like adults. In their 20s parents get mixed messages from children. All we want is to be seen for the imperfect but loving people we are, not some kind of imposing giant who’s pulling all the strings. That takes work on both sides. I think that when that happens things begin to get easier. A sense of humor is essential to all good families. I make the worst green beans, and I always make them for Thanksgiving and instead of looking at me cross-eyed they laugh about it. You can’t laugh about it until you feel like a separated individual where I’m your loving mother but just another person.

All anyone is ever looking for is recognition for who we are and that’s what our kids are fighting for, for the people they are, not the people we wanted them to be. And parents want to be treated for who they are. I love you but you are a pain in the neck. Each of these interactions are a two way street. I think you would be amazed how just a kind word is savored. I’ll give you an example from today, my son and wife just had their second child. Their first is 3 ½. The first comes and spends a day a week with us, and we kept him while the baby was being born. I got this sweet note thanking us, and all day I’ve been thinking about that note. And I wanna say to her, “You can’t know how much you mean to our family.”

How about families which are so far from in contact or even civility?

E-mails and phone messages are very good, not even being in person yet. Here’s something I thought you would enjoy, no need for a reply. You have to want to do it, but it’s a reminder that you are thinking about the person you are not talking to. The non-obligational communication. You have to want to do it. There’s a man in the book with the same sense of humor as his daughter-in-law and whenever there’s something in the paper funny he’ll collect them and send her an envelope full of these things. When they see each other there is a relationship that wouldn’t otherwise be there. You can even call when you know they won’t be there and just leave a message. Bring back a nice or happy memory from the past. Send them a silly postcard. Every family that’s a big mess also has some good things. When parents have behaved really badly, an apology goes so far, you wouldn’t believe it. One woman who was not in the book told me that she was estranged with her father. He had come back from Vietnam War, abandoned her and her mom. She got in touch for his help and he said he would and that he was proud of her and twenty years of rage melted away and she just saw him as the wounded soldier coming home from war again.

A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas

Widely regarded as one of the greatest poets of the last hundred years, Dylan Thomas is probably only known to the masses for one poem, “Don’t Go Gentle Into That Good Night,” which was about his fathers death. For all of Thomas’ legendary writing about death, and his well-known love of the drink, it’s a bit odd to have a posthumous upbeat children’s story be his most recent release.

“A Children’s Christmas in Wales” is a Christmas-centered children’s book of magical realism. At times reading like a story, at times reading like a poem, Thomas manages to move back and forth effortlessly, as if in the mind of the young boy who is telling the story of the afternoon of Christmas Eve. As a result, there certainly are times when the writing is confusing, and occasionally borders on nonsensical, but it really doesn’t matter though. The story is gorgeously written, the prose flawless in its holiday delight.

Originally written in 1959 and released in a collection of poems, the story definitely has a strong feel of Christmas past, and there is no doubt Thomas was influenced by his Welsh upbringing in his various references to people, places, and most definitely foods in the story.

Newbery Medal winning illustrator Ellen Raskin’s woodcuts are simplistic and perfect for the story. They match with the mini-book design and make for a visually appealing read, which truly does add to the story itself.

This could be a future classic to read to the children on Christmas Eve in front of the fireplace, drinking sherry and port, eating hardboileds, toffee, crunches, cracknels, and butterwelsh. Well, at the very least, it will definitely be a classic for the Welsh, and a beautiful story for the rest of us.

A Boy Named Shel by Lisa Rogak

As a child, a sad majority of my heroes were athletes who, in retrospect, maybe didn’t deserve all that much admiration (anyone else remember looking up to Mark McGuire? — yup, it’s embarrassing). It’s amazing to really sit down though and look at who positively influenced my life, who really made me different than I otherwise would have been. There aren’t that many people I can credit outside my family, but one of those few is Shel Silverstein. For all the other children out there (and parents alike) who had insatiable appetites for his poetry and short stories, there was nothing I thought I had missed from Shel as a child. Of course, over time, I discovered some of his more adult material, his music (yeah, he did write “A Boy Named Sue,” and released an album entitled “F@$& Em”) and his playboy years (a travelogue with no real rhyme or reason per se) most notably. Even getting to experience these I always considered his children’s work his true genius, and since his unfortunate passing in 1999, I continued to hold out hope that someone would write his biography and give some insight into the only human being to ever convince me that poetry doesn’t have to suck.

A few Shel must reads, young OR old!
“Where The Sidewalk Ends” — poetry to make you laugh, regardless of age.
“The Giving Tree” — a beautiful story of someone who gives, and someone who takes.
“Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book” — even though Random House says this book is for adults, that is only because adults are afraid children aren’t smart enough to understand the book is a farce, true genius though.
“The Great Conch Train Robbery CD” — just good songwriting (all right, this might just be for adults ... )

Much to my, and fans worldwide, delight, biographer Lisa Rogak (who has written the most absurd selection of books known to man — just look her up on amazon.com or check out her website at www.lisarogak.com) decided to undertake said endeavor, unfortunately Rogak created more of a time line of his life than a window to his mind. Shel was apparently very interested in maintaining his privacy and cherished his personal life to such an extent that Rogak, even years later, had trouble making any real head way with his friends and family in order to really make this a true biography.

As a child, Shel had the stereotypical young artist’s life. The son of a bakery-owning immigrant, all Shel wanted to do as a young boy was draw, and in story book fashion, all his father did was berate him about the uselessness of that and the need for him to continue with the family business. Of course, he also had a fairly timid mother who quietly supported his decision to follow his dreams. As with seemingly every young boy who feels he has disappointed an unreasonable father, Shel proceeded to spend the rest of his life trying to prove his dad wrong, to little avail (no matter how successful he eventually became).

Rogak rushes through this potentially interesting hardship and unless Shel truly ran into very little trouble on his road to success, she makes it sound as if he was a pretty talented guy who had some pretty great breaks. Apparently, it should be believed that after only a couple years of honing his craft, he happened upon a new men’s magazine by the name of Playboy and the rest was history.

As an artist, Shel was given free reign on about 90 percent of the projects that he involved himself in during his life time and it’s clear that this obsessive desire for personal freedom didn’t just affect his professional life, it was something he expected in nearly every facet of his personal life as well. His life was wrought with an inability to settle down and a monumental fear of commitment, which Rogak directly credits to his watching his parents disastrous marriage and his fear that the same would happen to him if he were to follow in their footsteps.

With much of the book though, very little proof is given to substantiate Rogak’s claim, yet she weakly threads together quotes of ex-colleagues and acquaintances (and an occasional Playmate) and comes to major conclusions about Shel’s reasoning, without ever being able to say it’s fact. While it is certainly a fact that Shel owned several houses, came and went nearly entirely as he pleased, and made as few commitments as possible, what Rogak uses as reasoning and to come to conclusions, really isn’t strong enough to say that it could reasonably be considered fact.

Several interesting facts are brought up and substantiated using quotes of the late Silverstein that he made before his passing. For instance, Shel never intended to write books for children and thought they were too simple for him. He also loathed the idea of people analyzing his books, as he considered it useless. For him, his success with these children’s books merely allowed him to live his life in exactly the manner he wished and, in addition, create whatever else he desired artistically. The other interesting fact was that Shel had two children, one who is alive and living on Martha’s Vineyard, and the other who passed young, and whose death, according to his close friends, changed him into a much more serious person.

Unfortunately, other than some really interesting trivia on what Shel created, accomplished, and adored (namely the ladies), Rogak merely spun together a poorly written “biography” based primarily on hearsay from folks who probably thought they were closer to Shel than they really were. It reads as a time line of the various creations of an amazingly versatile and creative mans life, nothing more. It’s his own work that really illuminates the light in his attic, and it’s his work that changed my, and many others lives.

The Night Birds by Thomas Maltman

Epic literature is rare these days — books which take it upon themselves to entwine whole life experiences of different generations and have them come out seamless and meaningful, speaking to the reader. Epic books truly showcase what writing is capable of accomplishing when a writer pens them. First time novelist Thomas Maltman almost writes a perfect example of one of these novels.

Loosely basing his book off of a collection of children’s stories Maltman read before he moved to “Little House on the Prarie country,” as he calls it, the story begins by focusing on the life of young Asa, a 14-year-old boy born mere months after the (real life) hanging of 38 Dakota Indians in Mankato, Minn. In 1876 tensions still run extremely high and when one lone Indian shows up in town, it’s merely the beginning of what will prove to become the complete uprooting of life for Asa and his family as they know it.

Maltman seems to make little effort to make his transitions seamless while moving from one time period to another. Seemingly arbitrary jumps riddle the pages and, at times, make for confusion until you are able to discern the different narrative styles, and identify who is telling the story. In reality, he is setting an elaborate, and incredibly well thought out scene for what is happening in the book. Maltman’s early introduction of the lone Indian, Asa’s long-lost (and clinically insane) Aunt Hazel, and the peculiar appearance of a group of young cowboys at the family farm are all craftily written to create the world in which the rest of the book is going to take place.

For a novel dealing at least in part with the causes and effects of settlers’ treatment of Native Americans on the plains, Maltman does a truly excellent job not getting too caught up in goofy stereotyping, and manages to create both worlds, while keeping them realistic, beautiful and flawed. There is no sugarcoating of the evils done on each side, there is a merely a blunt honesty of the fact that it is part of our history, it really did happen, and that on all sides, there was disagreement as to whether what was being done was right or wrong.

The fact that the book is not only loosely based on real events, it is also based on real people, gives large parts of the story an even deeper meaning considering these are things that did happen. The story and players may be fictionalized; the human atrocities and the beauty that the human heart is capable of are all heartbreakingly true.

At times a love story, at times history lesson, “Night Birds” is so much more as an entity. It may not be your typical epic novel — it’s shorter, has many different narrators (making it a bit choppier albeit a great deal more intriguing), and it has a much more concrete ending, tying up loose ends created during the tale. It does however have all of the characteristics of a truly great novel. It would be hard to finish the novel and not grow to love even some of the most atrocious of characters as they are all so beautifully made human by Maltman’s words and tales.

If nothing else, it’s pretty clear that Maltman succeeded at what he was trying hardest to do, create a world where the reader would have no choice but to feel a strong connection to both sides. As human beings, we are all capable of turning into anything, sometimes we’re the thieves, sometimes we’re the soldiers, and sometimes we are the ravens.

The Outcast by Sadie Jones

The Outcast by Sadie Jones
Harper – March 2008
352 Pages
24.95

Review by Andrew Fersch

It’s only fair that everyone is allowed to have their own idea of what it means to be an outcast. James Dean was one type of outcast, Jeffrey Dahmer was clearly another. Lewis Aldridge lands somewhere in-between these two and comes from the creative mind of first time author Sadie Jones.

“The Outcast”, which follows the Aldridge family through good, and more commonly bad, is written with magnificent detail and attention paid to dialogue and setting. Jones has a knack for drawing the reader in and transporting them to the 40’s and 50’s, suburban life just outside of London. And if she had just not let absurdity get in the way, she would have potentially written a rookie masterpiece. Unfortunately, Sadie’s idea of what an outcast is seems to be quite cliché at times and actually ends up coming off as a school girl fantasy that SHE (not tom-boy neighbor Kit Carmichael, as ends up happening in the book) either always wanted to live, or maybe partially did live.

What begins logically with lots of insight into the mind of a troubled boy who loses someone he loves dearly morphs into a weird story about a boy meeting and becoming smitten with a prostitute, getting into a fist fight, and then turning into an arsonist (with some in-between). The unfortunate part is that Jones built up so much potential with the characters early on only it only lets the reader down later in the book when it comes time for issues raised to be dealt with, and they are, but in a patently absurd fashion.

What’s worse about the book post Aldridge’s jail time for arson than the absurdity of it is just how uninspired it all seems. What began as social commentary about being judgmental (and suburban life in general) became a cheesy love story soap opera, a movie of the week (rife with unnecessarily awkward sex scenes and goofy melodrama). Maybe Jones wasn’t intending to write a social commentary, with her skills though as a writer, how she begins the book and the various topics (death, child abuse, sexual assault, and more!), it would have been hard for her not to.

Jones has done several things quite remarkably, most notably creating the characters and then introducing them to the reader in a most magnificent manner. She has also shown that even though she falls into traps that seem either a little too obvious or a little too ridiculous that she really knows how to write. So while Lewis Aldridge and Kit Carmichael may prove to be a little too story-book for some readers, Sadie Jones will at the very least provide proof of what she is quite clearly capable of.

Prolyphic and Reanimator CD Review/Interview

Prolyphic and Reanimator – The Ugly Truth
By Andrew Fersch

The ugly truth is that hip hop music on the radio is embarrassing at best with its message and style. With millions of dollars at their disposal, record labels are still releasing trite nonsense and trying to pass it off as vital, and then are surprised when everyone steals the songs off of the good ol’ internet. Artists with something to say may not be blasted on record label run radio stations but it’s sure as hell out there, and rarely is it done as well as on Prolyphic and Reanimator’s first full album together “The Ugly Truth”.

Prolyphic may not write stirringly positive lyrics, he certainly does seem to write what he feels and he’s got as big a chip on his shoulder as he claims in all of his interviews. As the same time, Prolyphic isn’t just another smart angry MC who insists on complaining his way through the entire album, he’s capable of having some fun, although he definitely seems more serious than silly on “The Ugly Truth”.

Of the fifteen songs on the album there are definitely songs which stand out more for their lyricism and message (“Artist Goes Pop” and “On The Side”), and there are some that stand out for their musical ingenuity (“Survived Another Winter” and the almost comically wacky and wonderful “Dick and Jane”), throughout though both Prolyphic and Reanimator show just how talented they both are and there aren’t many weak points on the album.

This might not be music made to bump at the club, thank god though that not everyone who makes hip hop chases that dream to California and sells out, otherwise, we wouldn’t be blessed with MC’s who have strong opinions, and aren’t afraid to share them.

1) If you had to label the rap music you heard on the radio, what would you call it? And what would you call the music that you (and Sage, and others) are making?

I am not a big fan of labeling music, but I will give it a whirl.

The rap music I hear on commercial radio I consider to be manufactured pop music. All of the songs usually follow a certain protocol to attract a certain audience. There are not too many songs that contain substance and the artists themselves are usually groomed into being a manufactured "pop" personality. Most of it is superficial and most of those songs will be forgotten in 10 years just like every other popular trend. Also, this doesn't just apply to commercial music. There is a certain protocol that a lot of "indie artists" follow as well to attract certain fans. Which makes their music just as shitty.
I would call the music that I am putting out right now Hip-Hop music and I feel that Sage is in the same category. Some people might disagree and think otherwise, but Hip-Hop is what's at the core of our music. Of course there are outside influences and people could argue that it borders other genres of music, but so what. Why would any artist want to limit themselves? That's why I'm not a big fan of genres, labels, categories, etc. because everything is related. Nothing is excluded. So, yea my answer is C. Hip-Hop.


2) Is there anything you are not willing to rap about? Any subjects that you don't/won't write about?

Yes and No. Most of the songs that I write about now are from my own personal experiences and from my perspective. However I do want to explore writing from different perspectives. I won't write about a subject that I am not familiar with and try to pass it off as one of my own experiences. But, I might want to imagine and do research about what it is like to be someone or something else and write from their perspective or from 3rd person. You know? I'm not afraid to write about any "taboo" subjects, but I will not try to bullshit about subjects that I no nothing about.

3) Are you involved politically in any way? If so, in what way, if not, why not?

I have no intentions for running for Congress if that is what you're asking. But, I am a citizen of the U.S. and I do care about what is going on in this country and outside of it. I pay my taxes, I vote, I recycle, I try to do what is best for the planet and I try to stay socially aware. I could definitely be more involved in my community and I feel that I could always being doing more "politically". So, I try my best. I'm at an age right now where I am still selfish and my life is unstable financially. So, when I have free time I usually spend it doing things that I care about and with people I care about.

4) Alright, you got together with Reanimator for this album, if you would work with other folks who would they be? (Don't think just hip hop necessarily - any artist, any medium).

There are a ton of musicians I would like to work on music with, ranging from well known to unknown. Off the top of my head at this moment, I would be interested in doing music with Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley from Portishead, Dan The Automator, Prince Paul, Mazzy Star, Tom Waits, Medeski Martin and Wood. I am also an aspiring film director and I would love to do a film with Sticky Fingaz from Onyx. I think he could be a good actor. I would like to be a Cinematographer for Werner Herzog and would like a shot at being a writer for Curb Your Enthusiasm. I'm a big Larry David fan.

5) Do you think that "the game is fixed and the magic is fake"? Is
there anything we still have control over in life?


The "game" is fixed in many ways, but that doesn't mean the rules can't be bent or broken to work in your favor. The magic is fake, fake, fake. I am not impressed anymore. The bar needs to be raised. Out with the magicians and in with the clean up crew. We need someone to show us how to fix things, not to keep us entertain by illusions. Yes, we still have some control because we have options and choices. They may not be the best options and choices, but we still have them. And how we react and the decisions we make effect everything in the universe. I truly believe that.

6) Is the reference to people moving to CA and selling out in "Survived Another Winter" a dig at someone specific?

My verse is about how I didn't do that. How I stuck it out in Rhode Island and didn't jump on the bandwagons when they were headed west. I had a few people in mind when I was writing it and if someone gets upset and feels that they fall into that category, so be it. Sorry, that is just the way I feel.

7) Who do you listen to?

I listen to my girlfriend Sandrine, my Dad, my Mom and my sister. I listen to other people's conversations. If someone is saying something interesting or even uninteresting I'll give a listen. When it comes to music, I listen to anything that hits me in the chest and inspires me. It could be anything.

Necks Out for Adventure by Timothy Basil Ering (with Interview)

Necks Out for Adventure by Timothy Basil Ering
Candlewick Press (Jan. 2008)
48 Pages
16.99

Review and Interview by Andrew Fersch

Timothy Basil Ering may not have been the illustrator parents were pining for their children to adore when he illustrated the macabre “Diary of Victor Frankenstein” in 1997, they also probably would have had no idea that he would also go on to illustrate Kate DiCamillo’s Newbury Award winner “The Tale of Deseperaux” in 2006, or that, eventually, he himself would become an illustrator turned author for the little ones based on that first work.

Ering’s most recent work, “Necks Out for Adventure”, his second foray into the world of illustrating his own writing, finds Edwin Wiggleskin, a slimy little clam, who is willing to do just what the title says in order to find his place in life, or others’ way out of trouble. By doing so, he takes himself out of the ocean he knows and loves, and into a world he’s never experienced before, experiencing, yup, you guessed it, adventure.

This story isn’t all that different from illustrator turned author Ering’s life in some respects. Born and raised on the beaches of Cape Cod, Ering knew that he needed some adventure, and after graduating high school and starting to take some gen. ed. classes at the local community college and realizing he just “wasn’t into it”, he decided he was going on an adventure.

“And so I sailed around with the Navy. We went to Hawaii the Philippines, Australia, Africa, met a ton of people from all over the US.” Ering knew being a lifer in the Navy wasn’t for him, but it did give him a chance to hone his other big passion, illustration.

“In the Navy, I was drawing all the time. A bunch of my buddies writing home would want me to draw cool images on their cards, they saw me do it, and then I would do it for favors, a few bucks, whatever. I would draw beautiful roses, and after forty-five days at sea, you couldn’t wait to get a letter back, smelling of perfume, you’d just lay down on your bunk and place it over your nose.”

Knowing though that his time in the Navy wasn’t meant to last Ering began courses at Grossmont Community College in San Diego, where he immersed himself in all things art. Growing up the idea of being an artist for a career never occurred to him, his time in the Navy convinced him he needed to do something with art, and once at Grossmont he related to the Daily that “as each semester went by I was more gung-ho and pumped about a career in art.”

A recruiter from the Art Center in Pasadena, where Ering intended to study after GCC, came down one weekend to check out portfolios, and Ering says; “I knew I was gonna go there, my next jones was to get accepted there. After Art Center you get out of there with this huge toolbox of knowledge, but you have to find your way.”

Finding his way was just one more adventure for Ering though.

One day an art director from White Heat Publishing in New Mexico came up to check out portfolios and Ering pulled a Edwin Wiggleskin, sticking his neck out, taking a chance, and it was rewarded. White Heat offered Ering an opportunity to illustrate a book with “a lot of anatomy drawing” and offered very little other information. It wasn’t until months later that things finally started coming together with the book (and unfortunately for Ering, plans for a father and son 3000 mile sailboat trip). Fortunately, the publisher didn’t make him choose one or the other, and so Ering’s first piece major piece of work was done on a boat, between Florida and Guatemala, spear-fishing and “knocking food off trees”, having to be flown from wherever he might be at any given time to drop off finished work and pick up his paychecks.

Although his career began as an illustrator, and Ering himself acknowledges that it was very fulfilling and though he wasn’t searching for anything else, he ended up finding it.

“I really got into the thought that being a children’s book illustrator would be really cool. I would look back at one of my favorites, and wanting to make killer art is one thing, illustrating other stories is really cool, it’s a rewarding challenge, I just kept thinking I’d like to write my own book and illustrate my own world that I’m writing.” From this came 2003’s “The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone”. The process was hugely different than what he was accustomed to.

“It was augmenting the illustration, before I tackled it, not knowing how difficult it would be. I always liked being wacky and silly, outside the box, so much so that the first story I tried, I didn’t know what I was in for. I went through so many drafts, it was the first time I really worked with an editor... it became like a painting to me, it’s so close to painting now, the writing.”

Ering considers himself very fortunate that he hasn’t been challenged on his artistic integrity by publishers, even when some of his characters might strike some younger children as a bit frightening. He also asserts that he could go anywhere from here.

“I’m always considering a full book, I’m blown away by how a writer can continue a thought, compose a thought from beginning, a setting, an atmosphere, a problem, continue that for hundreds of pages, have the problem solved, a conclusion, it blows me away, then to have it be interesting. I get this kinda anxious, fun little zing once in a while that I wouldn’t mind trying that.”

Knowing that Tim’s worked with award-winning authors before, his response to who he would most like to work with in the future, is as telling as his brooding, thoughtful illustrations.

“Tom Waits. If we were buddies, I would definitely say Tom Waits, his writing drips paint.”

This is an awfully apt choice from a man whose illustrations scribble down their own volumes of stories, even without their accompanying words. Maybe someday the world will be just adventurous enough to let this happen, for now though, it’s safe to say we can rely on Edwin Wiggleskin and Timothy Basil Ering, who will be sharing their adventures with the rest of us.

Things I've Learned From Women Who've Dumped Me edited by Ben Karlin (with interviews - Dan Savage and David Rees)

Things I’ve Learned From Women Who’ve Dumped Me
Edited by Ben Karlin w/ Stephen Colbert, Bob Odenkirk, Dan Savage, Andy Richter and more
Grand Central Publishing
February 4, 2008
240 Pages

It’s true, being funny does not mean that you are shielded from the sadness of heartbreak in this world. It does however mean that you are more likely to look at the humorous side of things and then, god willing, be asked to write a short story for a compilation of short stories, which is then published and gives its readers many, many laughs at your misfortune. And thanks to Ben Karlin, these personal un-triumphs of human dignity are now fodder for the general public’s delight at how, at least in one way, real (and pseudo) celebrities have to deal with the same crap we do when it comes to love.

Karlin, the former executive producer of the Daily Show and the Colbert Report has a mother who thinks he’s a mighty fine catch and a plethora of friends who have managed to compile a number of some of the funniest losing love stories ever written. Calling on some of the funniest names in comedy today, Karlin has succeeded in humanizing (at least some of) the people who make us laugh.

Of the 31 short stories, there are so many stand outs that it would be as unfair to choose favorites, as it would be to turn a grudge into a work of art (as Andy Selsberg does in “A Grudge Can Be Art”). It would be as ridiculous to say that only a few of these writers have lived through some pretty ridiculous situations, as ridiculous as someone actually ejaculating on their cat (as Neil Pollack relates he did in “Don’t Come On Your Cat”). The fact of the matter is, some of them are far more entertaining than others, and yup, they tend to be the ones where something really ridiculous happened.

Heartbreak is painful, and these gentlemen share all different types of pain, in their very different types of stories. Patton Oswalt share the painfully believable, (while for most of us guys, not livable), differences between his wife and his stripper ex-girlfriend in “Dating a Stripper Is a Recipe for Perspective.” Paul Simms gives us the painfully genius in a realistic, I’m a guy-I’m not sure what I want, kind of way in “I’m Easy”.

David Wain brings to the table the painfully awkward and realistic of trying to understand women who are potentially un-understandable in the quite clever “Persistence is for Suckers”. And renowned newspaper columnist Dan Savage adds the painfully confused effort at trying to fit in with “I Am a Gay Man”.

Sure, not every story is comic genius, there’s the painfully awkward with Larry Wilmore’s creeper about his daughter, “Women Are Never Too Young to Mess with Your Head”. Thanks to Rodney Rothman there is also the painfully lame “I Still Like Jessica”, which proves little more than that being a “grown man” has little to do with being grown up.

All humor aside though, love can lead to devastating events, and even though a good majority of the writers here are poking fun at their own experiences, they are doing it in such a heartfelt way that it’s hard not to be able to empathize with them. Damian Kulash, Jr., lead singer of OK Go, wins the painfully reminiscent of real life award with “A Dog Is No Reason to Stay Together”, and Bob Kerrey is champion of the painfully beautiful in “Sometimes You Find a Lost Love, Sometimes You Don’t”.

Whether you have had fifty ex’s, or married your first love, some part of this will relate to feelings you have felt, they just happen to be a whole lot more humorous when you hear about them having happened to someone else.

SHORT INTERVIEW With DAVID REES, author of “Get Dumped Before It Matters”

1. You claim a never having been dumped status, yet then say that you were dumped by your girlfriend in HS, got back together with her, and dumped her. How do you justify saying you were never dumped then?

I claim that getting dumped, resuscitating the relationship, and then dumping the girlfriend, cancels out her dumping me. As long as my high-school girlfriend and I dumped each other the same amount of times, my net balance of dumps carrying over into the next relationship equals ZERO.

2. If you didn't learn all these supposed lessons from women when you were younger, what lessons have you actually learned from your wife about women?

All the lessons mentioned in the essay (the lessons I never learned from girlfriends) are actual problems my wife and I had to work on-- actually, problems I had to work on, on my own: Staying productive and motivated during the day; not slipping into a lazy, depressing lifestyle (we cut the part about me hitting refresh on talkingpointsmemo.com all day); spending time in the kitchen preparing meals; not wasting every night in front of the television. The point of the essay was, if I had learned these lessons before I met my wife, they wouldn't have been a burden in my marriage (which they were).

3. What do you have against frozen bagels made by robots, sweatpants? And do you really believe they could lead you to "getting fucking divorced"?

When I wrote this essay, my wife and I honestly were having problems in our marriage, most of which could be traced to my entropic, depressing attitude. I am pleased to say that things have much improved, and that these days I am getting out more, cooking and baking bread again, and trying to have a brighter outlook towards life. Also, I no longer wear sweatpants around the house! Most days I even go the extra mile and put on a collared shirt. I wish I could take credit for the line "Frozen bagels made by robots," but that was a suggestion made by the editor of the book, Ben Karlin. He's creative that way.

4. What would you recommend do to make sure they learn these valuable lessons that you never got to learn?

Read my essay over and over again, until its profound truths become second nature. Then, express their gratitude to me by depositing enormous sums of money into my bank account.

SHORT INTERVIEW With DAN SAVAGE, author of “I Am a Gay Man”

1. How does it feel to get dumped by a woman you seemingly were never going out with, especially when you don't even like women? Ever happened with a guy since then? (Being dumped w/out ever really "dating" them that is).

Well, we were sort of going out, and one of us had to do the dumping. Better her, I think. If I had dumped her it would've been taken as proof that I really wasn't interested in pussy, otherwise why would I dump Wendy? And the whole point of Wendy was convincing friends and family that I wasn't gay, that I had a deep and burning desire for pussy, so it simply wasn't possible for me to dump her. So... man...if she hadn't dumped me, there's a chance I could still be with her to this day. Which would be a tragedy for all concerned.
I've never been dumped by a guy I wasn't officially seeing. I have, however, been dumped by a guy that I was about to dump. I was like, "No, wait -- not fair. I was so totally going to dump you!"

2. If you already knew you were gay, what is it exactly that you learned from your multiple sexual encounters with Wendy and subsequent dumping?

That I could fake it, physically. But that I couldn't fake it emotionally. I didn't have the stomach for a life of Larry-Craig style deception.

3. Do you prefer writing short stories or your column?

I really enjoyed working on that story. I'd love to write more of 'em. But, man, I love writing my column -- I have the best job in North America.

The Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken

The Giant’s House
By Elizabeth McCracken
Published by Dial Press Trade Paperback – 2007
272 pages
$13.00 at Bookworm in Edwards

Reviewed by Andrew Fersch

According to Peggy Cort, the lonely, and inept at human interaction, small-town librarian protagonist of The Giant’s House, librarians are not all bitter spinsters. Really, it all depends on what your definition of a spinster is though. If the standard dictionary definition is at all believable, than Peggy Cort is indeed quite the spinster.

Living an altogether unspectacular life filled with the disappointment of never being able to help people to quite the extent she’d like to as a librarian and the never ending loneliness of a person who leaves work to sit by themselves in their apartment, Peggy Cort is in prime position for having something sort of peculiar occur in her otherwise unremarkable life. And that something peculiar is James Carlson Sweatt.

James Carlson Sweatt, the boy who grows exponentially with age, is just twelve when he walks into Peggy Cort’s library at six foot five inches tall. And it takes little time for Cort, at least in hindsight’s memory, to admit that she fell in love with him near immediately. It takes the same amount of time for her to insist that the feeling had nothing to do with sex or sexuality, or even anything other than the love a librarian feels for a reader who truly utilizes her skills, she insists that it was something much deeper.

With a sub-title of “A Love Story”, it’s clear that more than a professional relationship will be blossoming; it’s how it blossoms that is both off-putting at times and terrifically sweet at others. From their first meeting, author McCracken weaves the story of James and Peggy as it very well might appear in real life. The obsessive illogical thought processes, the feeble attempts at creating a relationship out of just about nothing. Everything seems just a little too awkward, and the whole time, Peggy seems just a little too comfortable with the awkwardness.

McCracken is quite a talented writer, the book reads like an autobiography, and pretty much feels like a true story the entire time. The characters are filled to the brim with personality, and whether, as the reader, you agree with their specific personalities (or actions), it is impossible to deny that McCracken crafted real-life people here.

What’s most endearing though in The Giant’s House is just how honest it all is. McCracken pulls no punches, allowing her characters to make human decisions and human mistakes. Few books, and authors, allow such vulnerability in their main characters and although it is heartbreaking at times, McCracken made a wise decision in allowing her characters to be that vulnerable.

In the end, McCracken ends up with a beautifully sorrowful tale of unrequited and unaccepted love, and ends up with a dazzling love story that is hard to put down, and although it’s at times hard to accept just what is happening, it’s even harder to accept how others are reacting to it. The Giant’s House will make any thoughtful person re-think what love actually means, and how they choose to express that love. For that McCracken should be commended.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

It is rare that a book can take a tough subject, make light of it, and still come off as heartfelt and genuine. Lots of writers poke fun of, point out the ironies in, or just plain opt to eschew racism, Sherman Alexie gives racism a swift kick in the crotch though, bringing it to the forefront without pulling any punches.

Arnold Spirit, the water on the brain having protagonist of Alexie’s newest novel, is chock-full of issues. He’s poor, he’s ugly, he’s got a terrible stutter, he’s a chronic masturbator, and worst of all for him, he happens to also be a Native American on a reservation, where even his teachers acknowledge that if he stays, it will “kill him”. So what does he do? He transfers to the all white school off of the reservation.

What makes this novel so different than other books which deal with issues of racism is its delivery and its intelligence. Arnold is a real boy, with real issues, and he deals with them with the same ineptitude that a real, awkward, 15 year old boy would. Although it’s been some time since Alexie was a teen, he manages to conjure up the life of a teenage outcast in a manner unparalleled by any other modern adult writer. This is no small task, especially since most folks try to block out many of their teenage memories, especially their most painful ones.

The move from the reservation school to the suburban white school ruffles more than just the white feathers as his own reservation companions have their own issues with him making the move. The result is a painfully hilarious account of his first year of high school. No issue is taboo, as Alexie addresses much more than overt racism, he tackles less talked about types of discrimination, he picks apart friendship and what it really means and the heartbreak that it can cause, and he clashes head on with the issue, and pain, of teenage love. Broken dreams and loss may be rife throughout, they are a part of life though, and they are rarely as realistically and eloquently stated as they are in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

This absolutely true diary may be a work of fiction; it is the most realistic work of fiction and by far, the most entertaining, to come out this year. Alexie has written a novel that at once entertains and educates, and one that should be required reading for everyone, regardless of ethnicity, age, sex, or race.

Taken by Edward Bloor

Taken by Edward Bloor
Knopf Book for Young Readers
October 2007
256 pages

Premise makes or breaks a book, that is a scientific fact. A well written book about a cow that stands in a field all day doing absolutely nothing will likely not make for a page-turner. Of course, there are exceptions to this general rule; it is just that though, a general rule. Taken is not lacking a plausible and terrifically interesting premise, it is lacking in delivery of said premise, making for a book that seems a little lackluster, not quite living up to it’s potential.

Set in 2035, Bloor writes of a world where kidnapping is a “major growth industry.” A place where the rich got richer, and now have to live in compounds to save themselves from being victimized by the treacherously poor hordes. Again, premise can make or break a book, and this is a truly ingenious premise. A world where the poor cleverly kidnap the children of the wealthy to gain monetary compensation. A world where the wealthy hire stereotypically-named armed house servants, who double as personality-free security guards. A world where everything is not what it seems. Unfortunately, in the midst of this entire deft premise, the plot line fails to draw the reader in, at least in any convincing way.

Charity Meyers, daughter of wealthy tan-lotion magnate Hank Meyers, and step-daughter of “reality” TV host/abomination, Mickie Meyers, lives a pretty posh if not overly lackluster life. This all changes the moment she is taken, with her families permission, by two men in an ambulance away from her otherwise very unexceptional life.

What happens after this is a flashback and forward montage of the days leading up to the kidnapping and to the actual kidnapping itself. Both aspects of the story seem forced and filled with stereotypes about different classes personalities and points of view. It’s hard to read at times and not cringe while thinking that Bloor must be very middle class because he seems to have little grasp on the thought processes of either the ultra-wealthy, or the destitute.

As a result, the dialogue seems trite and too obviously gives away the premise of the novel, which is the fear of a world where people are too fearful and hateful to work and live together. A place where the wealthy care so little about the poor that they wont even make sure that they get proper medical care.

The scariest and also most intelligent aspect of this book is that it could all really come true. The rich are getting richer, the poor getting poorer (and much greater in number). The haves are locking themselves into safe and secure areas, gated communities, and the like, and are hording the best services for themselves. The have-nots are barely getting by, and are likely to become more desperate as the situation becomes more dire, in particular, when it comes to health care.

Bloor’s premise reels you in, makes you want to change the world, better the lives of those around you. It’s just his writing that makes you feel as if you’ve been taken.

Seeing by Jose Saramago

Seeing Is Not Necessarily Believing by Jose Saramago – Seeing (2006, translated in 2007)
By Andrew Fersch

As far as sequels go, they tend to be hit or miss. Arnold Schwarzenegger wouldn’t be the last action hero if it weren’t for Terminator 2. On the other hand, I might still be able to respect Keanu Reeves (and to a lesser extent Alex Winter) if Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey had never seen the light of day. The difference though, is these were sequels to things that were menially enjoyable and garnered little respect for their cinematic genius. Jose Saramago’s “Blindness” on the other hand led him to a Nobel Prize for literature, so a sequel of his needs much more to be expected of it.

“Seeing” begins four years after the conclusion of “Blindness”, the epidemic of contagious blindness gone from the capitol city without and explanation and without any real lessons learned from the government. Instead of writing a book that immediately jumps into the issue of the citizens’ outrage with the government’s lackluster (and at times horrific) response to the epidemic, Saramago opts to take an entirely different route with his writing, and with his characters.

What was at once a political novel and social commentary, “Blindness” differed greatly from “Seeing” in that its subject and the issues raised were much clearer, much more black and white. In “Seeing”, there is a feeling that he is always just about to reach that point of clarity, and then confusion when he delves deeper into the minute thought processes of governmental leaders. This is not to say that Saramago does not make his points clear, on the contrary, the novel focuses around the idea that a government, faced with the fear of being considered obsolete by the populace, would react harshly, viciously, and without forethought.

It is this summation of government that pushes this book through points of confusion and it is also this focus on government which summarily changes the style one might have grown accustomed to from “Blindness”. Fantasy turns to theory, and theory based, quite clearly, at least to some extent, on Saramago’s younger years.

Growing up in Portugal, Saramago claims that for “political reasons” he became unemployed after working for the Social Welfare Service. There is a sense that this disillusionment with the government, and probably a good deal of watching similar absurdities in real life, led to the writing of “Seeing” as more of a manifesto of the wrongs governments commit than an entertaining novel.

Clearly, Saramago is a spellbinding author. Aside from run-on sentences abound, and (hopefully) sub-par translation at times, the writing draws the reader in with less so it’s story, and more so it’s ability to break down what people say and what it actually means.

In all though, the greatest difference is with how Saramago decided to conclude this book as opposed to with “Blindness”. Since that publication of that in 1998, he has clearly undergone changes in his writing style, although luckily has not lost the luster that made him very deserving of a Nobel Prize. It may be clear to see why “Blindness” is a masterpiece, if you look closely though, you would have to be blind to believe that “Seeing” isn’t one in its own right too.