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23 September 2006 -

Saturday is typically a slow day, so here are a few important things to keep in mind: New album by the Decemberists on 10/03 and Trail of Dead have a new album coming out soon as well.

Have you watched "Dog" on A&E? Well, it seems Dog (he's a bounty hunter) is in some legal hurt because of the capture that made him famous. He was te guy who went tinto Mexico to capture the heir to the Max Factor fortune who was wanted for multiple counts of rape (he was convicted and is serving 124 years). Well, it is illegal to bounty hunt in Mexico so Dog and his cohorts are jailed in Hawaii and are awaiting extradition.

Waiting on the PS3? It will hit the US shelves on 11/17 with a price tag of $499 for a 20gig hard drive or $599 for a 60 gig. Ouch, that's a lot of money.

Today's video is "Easy Love" from MSTRKFT. Not being able to dj in a few weeks is kiling me, but I can tell you that you will hear this song from me as soon as I'm back.

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22 September 2006 -

Holy hell. After a week of pure techological hell, DeadJournalist is back - hopefully for good. What happened? The laptop that the site ran off of scrashed and died leaving both me and the site without a means to update.

However, there is come good news. In the last week four - count them - four inteview came in. The interview with Voxtrot will go up tonight with the rest to follow shortly. New software and hardware will hopefully allow for the next step in site upgrades as well.

Tomorrow, we'll get back to daily updates and videos. For now, I'm just happy to be back.

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14 September 2006 -

I woke up this morning to find that Ann Richards had passed away. Regardless of your political leanings, she gave one of the best one-liners of the past two decades with the, "George W. Bush was born with a silver boot in his mouth" barb in 1990.

So here's the good news: DeadJournalist.com has a ton of interviews in process. I don't want to jinx us by spilling names, but I'm sure pretty sure you'll like what you read.

Readership continues to go up, for which I'm thankful. I'm also glad that the content we bring you is worth you coming back.

If you haven't heard Boy Kills Boy, they sound like a mix of Hot, Hot Heat and maybe the Killers? Regardless, this song has been at the top of my playlist for the last month, so today's video is for "Suzie".

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13 September 2006 -

Project Runway. Addiction.

Today's video is by an artist that is a need to know. I played the cover of "Cut Your Hair" back in July so here's Cassettes Won't Listen - "Where Did Go"

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12 September 2006 -

We at DeadJournalist.com will second Insound's suggestion that today may be the greatest release date in (recent) history. The Rapture, TV on the Radio, Basement Jaxx and Yo La Tengo all have new CD's out today. I have two of the four on order, so hopefully they will arrive tomorrow.

Why do people care so much about Britney Spears?

I was very happy to find this video: Guided by Voices, "Bulldog Skin".

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11 September 2006 -

I'm working on more interviews, so there won't be much hullabaloo today. It's a little light on news today anyway. I guess we all know why.

I commented on this a week or so ago, but this is the last week of WOXY. I spend many days in 2000/2001 listening to WOXY on-line while covering the latest news goings-on. There shall be no future of rock 'n roll ...

When you don't have as much time as you used to, or you get so caught up in the latest one-week blog wonder, you tend to forget about great artists from time-to-time. So today's video is "Another Morning Stoner" by And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead.

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10 September 2006 -

Sunday. Video. Film School. 11:11.

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9 September 2006 -

DeadJournalist.com is thrilled to bring you an exclusive interview with TV on the Radio.

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8 September 2006 -

It's Friday. Yay. The Afghan Whigs have reunited. Yay! Aimee Mann turned 46? How is that possible? And are Michael Penn and Aimee Mann music's most underratted pair?

This weekend I'm going to try and listen to some new music and work on the site upgrades.

We (the collective) have a good idea for a new section. Stay tuned for news.

In honor of the Afghan Whigs, here's "Blame" live from 120 minutes. Skip ahead to 1:17 to move past the long intro.

Added note: Atlanta is a music scene on the up and up. Everyone knows about the hip-hop scene, but with Cartel, Mastadon, Copeland and Snowden all generating buzz in their respected scenes, maybe Atlanta will be the next Portland.

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7 September 2006 -

I woke up this morning (6:05am Eastern) just in time to hear, "breaking news out of LA as Paris Hilton has been arrested for DUI." I thought about throwing up a post, but it was 6:05am. I walked out the door at 7:10am for work. Rather than listen to NPR, I listened to Silversun Pickups and Tokyo Police Club. (By the way, can you tell I love their new discs?) Little did I know I'd be leaving work at 7:30pm and getting home a few minutes before 8pm. Days that long and that busy mean little in the way of worthwhile news, information or humour.

A note for Atlanta-folks - tomorrow night is the opening of the new Lenny's. Make sure and check it out.

Today's video is "Young Bride" by Midlake. Enjoy.

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6 September 2006 -

Bob Dylan hit #1 with Modern Times. Good for him. With Johnny Cash gone for a couple of years now, there are only a few historically significant singer-songwriters from the mid-1900's still putting out work. Dylan, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and the Rolling Stones (I know, I know).

We got our new LocalRec gear today, and it's dynamic. And Atlanta people, make sure to check out our friends with BLINK at the Granite Room for an art show/walk. For more info: www.graniteroom.com

So have you seen or heard that Justin Timberlake is covering Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in his live shows? He's also covered "Tennessee" by Arrested Development. Throw in having members of Three 6 Mafia on stage (as well as T.I.) and playing guitar and even beat-boxing and rapping (and not badly - according to reports) I will admit it ... I wouldn't mind seeing J.T. in concert. He's an easy target for a lot of the music snobs out there, but face it, the guy has talent.

Sony is cutting distribution of the PS3 to half what was originally projected. $1k holiday gift anyone?

While I (note: no "we" here) am killing my cred with some people, I'll go ahead and admit that in 1995, I really enjoyed Everclear. "Heroin Girl" and "My Sexual Life" are two of my fav songs from that time-frame. I saw a note today that the drummer from Everclear is in some group called the Oohlas. They're on Island Records (welcome back by the way) so who knows.

Finally, today's video is from everyone's band de jour, Hot Chip. Yes, I know this song is getting close to "Crazy" and "D.A.R.E" overplay status, but what the hell. But for several days I've had a DeadJournalist.com reader request that I post the video, so chaulk this one up for the people.

PS - I have an interview that I've been working on for a couple of days, so it will go up today or tomorrow.

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5 September 2006 -

As much as I love holidays, I think I loathe that first day back even more. The good news it - tomorrow's Wednesday.

It is a bit of a slow news day, so here's what I'm listening to currently: Silversun Pickups, Tokyo Police Club and M. Ward. All three are excellent in their own way.

The Silversun Pickups have a lot of what made Smashing Pumpkins' early work so good in them. Tokyo Police Club avoids Interpol comparisions, although they do share a similar sound. And M. Ward is one of my favs of any genre.

Two videos today and there were a handful more I wanted to post.

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4 September 2006 -

The big news thusfar today is the death of Steve Irwin AKA the crocodile hunter. He died after a stingray pierced his chest while he was working on pieces for one of his shows. While his death isn't shocking - he wasn't exactly sitting on his couch all day - it is sad as the world has lost an engaging personality.

On this Labor Day, here's a classic video from Talking Heads. While I'm not a huge fan of this song, the commercial clips from the '80s are amazing.

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3 September 2006 -

DeadJournalist.com is Beta-testing a new format for its home and/or blog page. This will get us into the 2000s once it goes live. Imagine, comments, RSS feeds and more!

The Goat Roast is today (an annual tradition) so in honor of that, today's video is by the Arcade Fire.

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2 September 2006 -

Breaking News: MySpace has announced that beginning in the next few weeks it will enable bands and artists to sell music on their Web site through a partnership with Snocap. Artists will upload their music to Snocap and it will then go on to MySpace. Both companies will take a portion of the sell. This will allow bands to sell their music directly to MySpace.com members.

I took the day off from the site yesterday to recharge my batteries. In doing so, I missed a sad story that broke mid-day yesterday. WOXY.com is ending operation on Sept. 15. It will take a near-miracle to keep the station going. But here's hoping that happens. WOXY has been around since '83, serving southern Ohio and then the world with a unique blend of folk, blues, underground rock and more. The station - known as "The Future of Rock 'N Roll" -was featured in the 1988 movie "Rain Man". Along with KEXP, the station was one of the few that cared more about the music than the ad dollars.

Now for some good news - Tribe Called Quest is reforming at eight years. The hip-hop legends will begin touring soon.

Today's video is from the Rapture's post-VMA party on 09/01/06. Thanks to Stereogum.com for the video.

Let the debate begin ... Is the Rapture the most important band of the 2000s?

Finally, our friends at LocalRec will be launching their long awaiting new line of tees on Labor Day. Check them out when you have time.

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31 august 2006 -

I didn't set out to watch the MTV VMAs. But, I needed something brainless, and so I watched most of it. How horrible. I don't know what was worse, the Panic! At The Disco performance, Jarod Leto talking about group sex or the All American Regects. Maybe it was Pink (with Lou Reed???). Did every person taking the mic have to agree to go "woo!" or say how awesome getting a moon-man was?

The best? The Raconteurs, T.I. aka KING and Sarah Silverman.

It wasn't hard to notice that MTV is about to push Rock back in front of Hip-Hop. There were way too many bands, artists and under the breath mentions of Rock videos coming back to MTV. With appearances by Lou Reed, Axl Rose, one of the dudes from ZZ Top, the Raconteurs and a decent show-ending performance by the Killers, you get the idea ...

So anyway. Back in the mid-'90's I was a huge fan of Local H. The two-man band covered "Toxic" last year, so today's video is a live performance of the song. Bonus video: Local H's "Bound for the Floor" from 1996.

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31 august 2006 -

New Video. New Interview. New Blog with ability to RSS and comment is in the works. Busy. Tired. I hope everyone enjoys the Prids interview. Feedback would be great.

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29 august 2006 -

Today's big update is with the addition of the Parachutes interview and the Aisle Say review of "Little Miss Sunshine." Today's video is a lovely number by Blur.

September is teeming with great releases. But did you know that the Lemonheads are dropping a new disc? Say what you will about the band (I happen to like them a great deal) but Evan Dando had a smooth voice, wrote great songs and obviously a thing for virgins. For all of you closet Ryan Adams fans, don't forget, the Lemonheads could sing an alt-country song pretty good, too.

And if you haven't heard that John Meyer and Jessica Simpson are making whoopee, where have you been? I know, but admit it, you check out the those blogs, too.

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28 august 2006 -

Seriously, today's video is maybe my fav. dance song ever. Viva Le Tigre!

So John Mark Karr didn't kill JonBenet? Shocker. Did you happen to see Katherine Harris shoot her mouth off about the seperation of church and state? Eminim is launching his own shoe? Congrats to the kids on the Columbus, Ga., little league team that won the little league world series today.

Am I the only one that thinks the Thermals are overrated? Stereogum.com had a very positive -and passionate - review of Snowden's live show in Brooklyn. If you missed their interview with DeadJournalist.com in June, read it here.

Tomorrow will be a new movie review for Little Miss Sunshine, a new interview and yet another day video.

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27 august 2006 -

The Emmy's are tonight, and although I don't watch a ton of television, I'll be watching if for no other reason than to enjoy a night of, well, watching TV.

I really like Le Sport, so check out their video.

I have been listening to the new Tokyo Police Club and the new Beirut. The Tokyo Poilice Club cd is good, but the Beirut disc is amazing. It is work every bit of the acclaim that it has been receiving. For a 20 year old, this guy is absolutely crazy-good. Maybe DeadJournalist should go for an interview, eh?

And finally, check out the new Aisle Say movie section by Sam Mitchell.

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25 august 2006 -

Check out the new interview with the synth-pop band I Am The World Trade Center.

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24 august 2006 -

I was hoping to get the interview with I Am The World Trade Center up today, but this has been a long week and I just didn't have it in me to get it up tonight. However, if it doesn't go up early tomorrow morning, it will be up tomorrow night.

Just a few notes: Bloc Party is opening for Panic! at the Disco - what?!?! The new Shins album will be out in January, finally. Jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson died today. He was 78.

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22 august 2006 -

The DeadJournalist.com interview with Cities is now up, so make sure to give that a read. As always, more interviews on the way.

I must be in a dancing mood, because today's video is by CSS, the Brazilian group that is setting all the scene kids on fire.

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21 august 2006 -

Here's the new video by the Rapture. Tomorrow is the long-awaited release of Snowden's new album Anti-Anti.

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20 august 2006 -

The Similou is a yet another Swedish band that can really make a snappy pop song. So today, "All This Love" is the DeadJournalist.com video of the day.

I decided to add another video, "Summertime Cowboy" by Husky Rescue. The song came out last year, but it continues to be one of my favs.

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19 august 2006 -

Happy weekend. Here's the "Saturday" video by Cut Copy. YouTube is the best thing on the internet since the "i kiss you" guy in '99..

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18 august 2006 -

Here's some Friday love with the new Outkast video.

Elvis Is Dead TONIGHT!

Our good friend Preston Craig was featured in an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution yesterday. The article was done last week at DSC, where I have dj'ed for about a year and a half.

This is the conversation Preston and I had about the piece, which I found to be funny and I think you will too.

preston: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/dekalb/stories/0817dkxsocial.html
chuck: i saw that last night
preston: not a bad piece
preston: although they cut all my mentions of you
preston: it got cut in half she [the writer] said
preston: all the good quotes got cut because it was a "family paper"
chuck: that's too bad - but it is the ajc
preston: which makes me think they cut my comment about loving you because you would dance like a male stripper to your own songs
chuck: haha - that is probably why

For the record, I have never been a male stripper.

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17 august 2006 -

Check out the reviews section (link always at the top of the page) for a new DeadJournalist.com offering called "Concert Experience" and features last night's Silversun Pickups show in Atlanta. This also is the first article by DeadJournalist.com's newest contributors Manu Muraro - so check it out.

BIRTHDAY!
A few other people that share my birthday:

* 1786 - Davy Crockett, American frontiersman and soldier (d. 1836)
* 1882 - Samuel Goldwyn, Hollywood producer (d. 1974)
* 1887 - Marcus Garvey, Jamaican leader, Rastafari prophet (d. 1940)
* 1893 - Mae West, American actress and playwright (d. 1980)
* 1896 - Leslie Groves, American engineer, built The Pentagon,directed Manhattan Project (d. 1970)
* 1904 - Leopold Nowak, Austrian musicologist (d. 1991)
* 1911 - Mikhail Botvinnik, chess player (d. 1995)
* 1913 - W. Mark Felt, FBI associate director and Deep Throat Watergate informant
* 1913 - Rudy York, baseball player (d. 1970)
* 1920 - Maureen O'Hara, actress
* 1930 - Ted Hughes, English poet (d. 1998)
* 1939 - Luther Allison, American blues guitarist
* 1943 - Robert De Niro, American actor
* 1948 - Rod MacDonald, American musician
* 1951 - Alan Minter, boxer
* 1954 - Eric Johnson, guitarist
* 1955 - Richard Hilton, American heir
* 1956 - Gail Berman, president of Paramount Pictures
* 1958 - Belinda Carlisle, American singer
* 1959 - David Koresh, American cult leader (d. 1993)
* 1960 - Sean Penn, American actor, director
* 1962 - Gilby Clarke, American musician Guns N' Roses
* 1964 - Colin James, blues musician
* 1966 - Rodney Mullen, American skateboarder
* 1966 - William E. Dudley, American poet
* 1968 - Ed McCaffrey, American football player
* 1969 - Donnie Wahlberg, American actor and singer
* 1970 - Jim Courier, American tennis player
* 1971 - Jorge Posada, Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player
* 1979 - Antwaan Randle El, American football player
* 1980 - Lene Marlin, Norwegian singer
* 1986 - Rudy Gay, American basketball player

Today is also: Independence Day observance in Indonesia.

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16 august 2006 -

It's Atlanta week with two interviews with Atlanta bands up today.

Some notes from today: Ryan Adams and Willie Nelson are working together, with Nelson appearing on one of the new Adams' CD's (there are three more due by the end of the year) and Adams producing Nelson's new CD. Smashing Pumpkins - or is that just Billy Corgan - is in the studio working on a new album of some sorts.

Bruno Kirby, who co-starred in City Slickers and When Harry Met Sally died yesterday at 57. Bob Thaves who created the comic Frank and Ernst died Tuesday at 81. And, 29 years ago today, Elvis died - or so they say.

Forgotten amazing track of the day: "Eighties" by Killing Joke.

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15 august 2006 -

A drive from Atlanta to Nashville and back in 12 hours allowed me the opportunity to listen to some music I hadn't had time to get to for a couple of weeks. With that said, DeadJournalist.com recommends:

The Pipettes
We Are The Pipettes
Catchy and fun, the Pipettes are a mix of Lush, the Raveonettes, the Go Team and any one of a number of doo-wop groups. The title track relentlessly bounced in my head for hours. The Brits usually do it better - and the Pipettes do.

The Knife
Silent Shout
Swedish ambient/goth/dark wave bliss. It's probably not like anything you own, but if it is, then you might own a disc by Mesh. While a few songs have a moderate dance tempo, most are the types of songs that you'd listen to 2am on a Tuesday while fighting insomnia. You'd swear you understand it, and wonder why you didn't know about is sooner.

Judah Johnson
Be Where I Be
DeadJournalist was lucky enough to get an advance of this group's new CD. If Muse was more daring with their sound, they might make a good comparison. The group's disc is easily accessible to all audiences, but their blend of melancholy indie rock, synth and studio effects should make this a sleeper hit of late-2006. If Judah Johnson makes it on to the soundtrack of one of the new shows on the CW, just remember, we told you first. (As a bonus, they will be touring with DeadJournalist fav's Huskey Rescue in the mid- and north-west.)

Don Williams and Pozo Seco
Spend Some Time With Me
This 2005 re-issue of the 1970 album by Pozo Seco is absolutely amazing. DeadJournalist is a huge fan of Don Williams, and this album record in his pre-country days is an amazing collection of covers that range from "Strawberry Fields" to "Always Something There To Remind Me" to "Ruby Tuesday". The songs are recorded from vinyl. The gentle giant has an amazing voice, and his work with this folk-pop group is an absolute must for an serious music fan.

Cansei de Ser Sexy (CSS)
Cansei de Ser Sexy
By now you've heard "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death from Above". If not, you are living under a rock. This Brazilian dance-pop group's latest album is top-shelf. Don't sell the band short because there are at least three other songs which provide as much dance-bliss as their current single.


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14 august 2006 -

The day got away from me today, so I wasn't able to get up the next interview. That should happen tomorrow. A few notes: Of Montreal has re-recorded one of their tracks (Wraith...)for an Outback Steakhouse commercial; Pitchforkmedia has release it's 200 greatest songs of the 1960's; and Pitchfork is also reporting that Interpol has jumped ship to sign with Capitol Records.

I was listening to KEXP Friday when they debuted a track by 120 Days. It was a killer track by the newest Vice act.

Oh, and Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson split. Finally.

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11 august 2006 -

Friday, finally. There are a ton of things going on this night in Atlanta (home base of DeadJournalist.com). Sad to hear that Mike Douglas died. If you don't know about his long running music/talk show, get learned.

We have a ton of interviews outstanding, with four more artists confirmed today. Between now and the end of the month we hope to bring you a number of interviews.

Be safe tonight and we'll talk tomorrow.

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10 august 2006 -

So, looks like it was a slow news day ...

Take a break from the action and check this out: here

It's totally normal for a 10 year-old German boy to sing "It's Raining Men" on Star Search, right?

Here's a great take on pop music and the top 40: here

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9 august 2006 -

It's been a long day, so we'll keep this short today. Did you see the photos of Frances Bean Cobain in Elle? How is Mighty K.C.'s daughter this old? Also, Yeah Yeah Yeahs will be touring fall.

For everyone in Atlanta, Oppenheimer, who was interviewed by DeadJournalist.com last month, will be playing Drunken Unicorn tomorrow night. If you like synth-pop, check out this show.

Personal note: I don't put much personal things on here, but this afternoon I got a cool phone call. I got a call from a cat I grew up with. It's always great to catch up with old friends, but especially those from the way back. Looks like I'll have a chance to see a lot of the old WWCG crew from back in the day in a couple weeks. I'm pretty stoked about that. So if you've got an old friend that you haven't spoken to in a while, why don't you track them down and give the a call. Or at least track them down on MySpace or Facebook or Friendster (does anyone still use Friendster?) or last.fm or whatever. - Chuck

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7 august 2006 -

So this news is a little old, but if you missed it, Limewire is being sued by a group of record labels for illegal music download. The group is headed by none-other than Sony, who's failed attempt to encrypt CD's is well known. Don't they know that the best music is free anyway?

DeadJournalist.com has added a profile on last.fm and on musichawk.com. Add us if you can find us.


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5 august 2006 -

Death from Above 1979 is dead. An official announcement on their Web site confirmed yesterday that the band is finished. In an (un)related story, the Eagles are working on their first new album since 1979. Let's all blame the Eagles for the end of DFA1979. Okay, so it was personal and professional differences, but I think we still might blame the Eagles anyway.

In other news:
Johnny Marr (the Smiths) has officially joined Modest Mouse.
"In the Future" will be the new Morrissey single.
The bassist from the Stokes is putting out a solo album.
Aurther Lee (Love) died at 61.
Gorillaz will release their third album in January '07 (Dangermouse is producing).

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4 august 2006 -

Happy Friday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5zWaTEVkI

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3 august 2006 -

I got my hand on the new Lucero album and although it has more production value (major label and all), it still sounds like Lucero. Thankfully.

I ran across a track by Smoke Ring Days out of New York City. Really nice track in that acoustic Pretenders sort of way. Also, check out a track by the Scanners called "Lowlife" as it is another delightful track.

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2 august 2006 -

Wednesday has brought some sad news, legendary country singer Freddie Fender, 70, announced he has incurable lung cancer. Fender's star was brightest in the 1970's with his hits, "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" and "Before the Next Teardrop Falls".

Elton John has bashed current American bands for lacking creativity. Maybe he should stop listening to the radio or watching MTV and realize the best American music is off the beaten path. It's made by diligent artists from Canada, don't ya know?

Ryan Adams and Beck debuts new songs via their Web site and/or MySpace. Beck's is gone. Adams is due to have three more albums out by the end of the year. Without counting or looking it up, how many is that this year? Five? Six?

Rich over at Cable and Tweed reminded us that today would have been the birthday of Jerry Garcia. He makes a good point about Garcia's lack of respect throught the indie music scene. We like some early work, but we can not stand the jamming.

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1 august 2006 -

Twenty-five years of MTV. If you have VH1 Classic, they are playing the first day's programming today. Some of us didn't grow up with cable, so MTV was a mystical place where dreams, fake boobs and Mad Max were made.

It's been a while since we've talked about sports, so it's time to discuss a few things. (First, is there anything better than red wine? Red wine and homemade oatmeal coconut cookies? Thanks, bay!)

The Braves continue to play like a team headed out of the playoffs. The starting pitching has been horrible. We thought a trade to get Greg Maddux might be flying under the radar, but the Dodgers giving up an All-Star to get a 40-year-old pitcher who is 9-11 with an ERA close to five was, well, a silly. The Braves still have a bright future, but the one person they miss more than anyone is Julio Franco, whose work ethic and baseball knowledge have proved to be irreplaceable. Oh, they also miss a starting rotation.

The Hawks, we love them, but man, oh man, they are in a bad way. We had season tickets back in the day, but now, we just hope they don't start 2-16. Joe Johnson is the man, and Josh Smith will be a stud, but they need more bigs. Lo' Wright, this means you.

The Falcons lost Brian Finnerian today to an ACL. This hurts their wideouts, but also kills them in special teams. At 6' 5", Fin was huge on punt and field goal blocks. But, their defense will be much improved, and while having a solid 3rd wideout is good, having a good defense wins Super Bowls.

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30 july 2006 -

For those of us in the states, what happened today in the UK probably went by unnoticed. Today was the last Top of the Pops show on the BBC Two. Running for 42 years, the show was a staple of the pop music scene in the UK. The last few years saw a sharp decline in ratings, a radical overhaul in presentation and a more distant relationship with BBC Radio's Radio 1. The show's Web site and magazine will continue to be produced.

If you happen to have access to VH1 Classic and haven't checked out "The Alternative" program - and you love alt. rock from the 1980's and 1990's - track it down and watch it. Although the program recycles episodes frequently, the plays some almost forgotten about tracks. I happened to check it out today (catching two shows I'd already seen), but here's a selection of artists they played: Depeche Mode (Black Celebration), The Smiths, Heaven 17, Rancid and the Chili Peppers (Breaking the Girl).

So, it's not all good stuff, but when you have a chance of catching a Flesh for Lulu video or Split Endz or Marcy's Playground, well, take it!

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28 july 2006 -

EXCLUSIVE Interview: Irving
Chuck Norton, deadjournalist.com

If you drink cheap wine all the time, you tend to forget just how smooth a good glass of wine can be. The same can be said with music - too much music is just good enough to quench your thirst - but not good enough leave you with a sense of enjoyment and satisfaction.

The Los Angeles collective, Irving, is like a good glass of wine - smooth, satisfying and enjoyable. Blending classic California rock with radio-friendly pop sensibility, Irving released its first full-length album, Death In The Garden, Blood On The Flowers, earlier this year.

With three vocalists and five songwriters, Irving is more of a collective than a traditional one vocal lead band. Formed in 2001, the group's current line-up of Aaron Burrows, Alex Church, Brent Turner, Brian Canning and Steven Scott has been working together since late-2002.

Although five songwriters and three singers could cause disjointedness and lack of direction, Irving's ability to utilize different sounds and vocalists is a strong-point. The collective's musical diversity can be heard in the tracks "If You Say Jump, I Will Say No", "Jen, Nothing Matters to Me" and "Situation".

For more information on the band, visit their Web site: www.thebandirving.com or their MySpace.com page: http://www.myspace.com/irving.

DeadJournalist.com caught up with Irving's Steven Scott for this exclusive interview.

Is it true that Irving originally formed to support a friend's art opening?

SS: Yes, sort of. Brian, Alex and I were writing songs together when a friend asked us to play her friends art show. So we got a keyboard player and a drummer, and called ourselves Irving.

Did you think that you'd take the band this far when you started?

SS: Yes. After our first show, we thought we were headed for the big-time! Antony Bland (Crysalis Music) was there and offered to manage us. I actually called my mom and told her that I was gonna be huge! Its embarrassing now, but that's what happened.

What has been the biggest change musically in the band since Good Morning Beautiful was release in 2002?

SS: Well we changed keyboard players and aged 4 years! We got better musically and lyrically. We became a little less "cute".

The band has worked with producers from such bands as The Shins, Earlimart, Grandaddy and Modest Mouse. How has this helped you grow as artists?

SS: Well, our buddy Aaron Espinoza from Earlimart engineered our first record. And Jim from Granddaddy is our friend too, so honestly, they were there engineering and giving us encouragement. It's always fun to work with friends!

Phil Ek (Modest Mouse, the Shins) showed us how fast things can get done - when they need to. He's the best. Everyone forgets Elliot Chenault even though he produced more than half the record! He's really good too! He did our EP. Hopefully folks will talk about him in the future.

What has been the most satisfying part of your success?

SS: Well, success is all relative, you know? We still have a long way to go if you ask me. Not that I need to be rich or anything, but it'd be nice to be at the Shins level. That said, I've got a lot of friends that would love to be at our place.

It's not hard to play in front of a crowd - it's hard to play for 7 people who are questioning why they even came, you know? The most satisfying part of any success is that it proves that its worth all the effort.

Since the release of Death in the Garden, Blood on the Flowers, have you seen a change in fan response at your shows?

SS: The response to this record has been really nice. It's a fun record to listen to. It's dancey but thoughtful. That can be a fun show to see. We play lots of the new songs and only a few old ones.

It used to be that we'd get a good reaction to the new ones, and people shouting and singing along to the old ones. But when we played at the Knitting Factory in NYC, Brian said, "We're gonna play some of the older songs now." and like, five or six people actually booed! It was weird. Good, but weird.

What can someone expect from an Irving live performance?

SS: We all sing live. We usually only do three lead singers but everyone pitches in vocally. It's very energetic. I think people don't really expect to see that but we play all the rock songs, and keep it really fun.

You've had the opportunity to play with some of the most influential artists of the last decade. Was there an artist or group with whom you were most excited to perform?

SS: Oh, that's hard! To tell the truth, I think I was most excited to play with Polyphonic Spree! But then again, we didn't know that Franz Ferdinand would blow up THAT big - the same with Arcade Fire.

Although in retrospect, Arcade Fire was the best show.

They just throw a party on stage! What are you future tour plans? Are you working on a new album?

SS: We are playing July 28th in San Francisco (Bottom of the Hill) July 29th in LA, (the Echo), July 30th in Brooklyn (Mcarren pool w/ of Montréal) and July 31 in NYC (Mercury Lounge). After that, we won't be touring much till October and November. We are going around the nation with +/- then.

We're always writing new songs, but we are going to record in January for the next Irving record.

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26 july 2006 -

From yesterday: DeadJournalist is about more than music (even if that's mainly what we cover). With that said, we enjoyed this article: Lou Dobbs

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25 july 2006 -

EXCLUSIVE Interview: Clearlake
Chuck Norton, deadjournalist.com

With three albums under their belt, Brighton, England's Clearlake has spent most of this year touring Europe and recording tracks for their fourth album. With several highly touted albums behind them, the band has built a strong following in the UK and has a growing fan base in the US.

Clearlake exploded on the music landscape in 2003 with their second album Cedars which drew much critical acclaim - including a 9.1 rating by rarely generous Pitchforkmedia.com. After almost three years, the band released their much-awaited follow-up album Amber in January 2006 to strong reviews.

Consisting of lead singer and guitarist Jason Pegg, bassist Dave "Woody" Woodward, guitarist Jim Briffett and drummer Toby May, Clearlake continues creates its own version of folk-inspired indie rock. One of the biggest influences on the band's sound has been Neil Young. The band shows tribute to Young by covering his track "Cinnamon Girl" on their most recent album.

The band will release "It's Getting Light Outside", their latest single, on August 7.

For more on Clearlake, visit their Web site: http://www.clearlake.uk.com or their Myspace.com page: http://www.myspace.com/clearlakenoise.

DeadJournalist.com caught up with Clearlake's Jason Pegg for this exclusive interview.

How did Clearlake grow musically from Cedars to your latest album, Amber?

JP: We grew in every way as players. There's certain stuff that we've done in the past that we don't want to repeat. We've gotten better in knowing how to create a certain sound in the studio. Now we can work quicker so if something doesn't work on the first pass we have more time to try things a different way. In writing, as you get older and have more life experience - you want to talk about different things.

The band's upcoming single, "It's Getting Light Outside", is accompanied by a video. With the rapid success of YouTube, etc., does it make the music video important again?

JP: I think videos have always been important … if they get across the vibe of a band.

Clearlake's Web site has a rather extensive blog. Does this make it easier to interact with your fans?

JP: I still don't really know what a blog is but our Web site is totally important - it's the best way let people know what we're up to. It's the same with MySpace.

What can people expect from a Clearlake performance?

JP: It seems our gigs are quite conversational sometimes. I can rant sometimes and our audiences are quite chatty. Although to be honest I'm always trying to just get on with the music. It's a lot of us turning up and doing our thing. And hopefully there will be slightly different interpretations of certain songs.

Does the band have plans for a US tour?

JP: Yes, definitely. Perhaps before the end of this year Have you begun to work on a new album? JP: We're quite far into the new album - nearly half way. We've recorded what I think is our best stuff so far. We've just started achieving stuff that's structured but also improvised and quite loose in a kind of Neil Young way.

Is there an artist, or artists, with whom you'd like to work?

JP: We're just about to do some recording with one of my greatest hero's - Tim Smith from the band Cardiacs, I'm very excited about it. He's one of England's best kept secrets. There are always lots of people I'd like to meet, namely Polly Harvey and Kevin Shields.

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24 july 2006 -

Thanks to everyone who checks out DeadJournalist.com on a regular basis. I'm happy to report that we've double in readership since last month. More readers mean more reasons to make this one of the sites you bookmark and read often. To that end, I'm working on numerous interviews and should have at least one, if not more, up this week.

In the meantime, here are two retro-reviews of the Replacements from earlier this year. With several re-releases of their albums out over the past couple of months, now is a good time to revisit one of the most underappreciated bands of the 1980's.

We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
If you are under the age of 25 you may not have been exposed to the Replacements. Fronted by Paul Westerberg, the Replacements created the kind of straight-ahead rock that has long-since lost its place in the American musical lexicon.

Throughout the 1980's, the Replacements' music sat in stark contrast to the new wave and power-pop that dominated the airwaves. Although gaining commercial success in the latter part of the decade, the band's early albums Let It Be, Tim and Pleased to Meet You provide a glimpse into the post-punk, pre-grunge era that has often been overlooked.

Crafting infections hooks with well-writen lyrics, the Replacements have a way grabbing a part of your brain and not letting go. Songs like "Kiss Me on the Bus", "Bastards of Young", "Alex Chilton", "I Will Dare" and "Can't Hardly Wait" prove that sometimes good songs can get stuck in your head.

Although Westerberg is more well known in many circles for his post-Singles career, his work with the Replacements stands out. At their best, the band produced rock music much like Tom Petty, Dinosaur Jr. or Lucero - void of trend and full of vigor.

Pleased to meet you, too
The last of the great three Replacements records, Pleased to Meet You, was released in 1987. (This album is the reason to go used CD shopping.) Early in 2006, I was back-filling my collection with XTC, Material Issue and the Lightning Seeds because I had a big gap in my late-80's/early 90's true alternative collection.

Pleased to Meet You is a CD that you should own. The tracks "Alex Chilton", "Valentine" and "Can't Hardly Wait" headline a classic alternative album

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21 july 2006 -

Since DeadJournalist.com isn't yet on the mailing list of every record label in the world, we're still doing things the old fashion way - going to a record store, buying a disc, and writing a review. Could we download it? Yeah, but we like album art. And bands need dollars, too.

With that said, we finally bought some albums recently, and a few we're going to recommend:

Johnny Cash
American Recordings V
The last of the man in black - a man we revere. We would have bought it even if it only covered Barney songs, but it's as good as any of the five albums Cash did with Rick Ruben.

Wolfmother
Wolfmother
Honestly, we didn't like the few tracks we downloaded with the album first came out. The more we heard, the more we liked the band. Their parents must have had Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Rush and The Who albums, because Wolfmother sounds like they stepped right out rock 'n roll history. All we could do when we hear this album is repeat, "shit - g'damn" over and over again.

The Duke Spirit
Cuts Across the Land
We've been following this band for a while and we love the CD. The UK always knows the time, and the Duke Spirit is intense, raw and full of energy. We hear a little Concrete Blonde in them.

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18 july 2006 -

In the event you missed it, Buck O'Neil became the oldest professional baseball player to play in a game at the age of 94. Who is Buck O'Neil? He's a legend from the Negro Leagues who was shockingly ignored for election in last year's Baseball Hall of Fame voting that voted in 17 other Negro League players. O'Neil has spent the last 60 years of his life promoting baseball and keeping the memory of the Negro Leagues alive.

Tonight's appearance in a indie-league baseball all-star game was a gimmick, but one that will hopefully give yet another push for O'Neil enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. And in case you were wondering, he was intentionally walked - then traded to the other team - and intentionally walked again. The game wasn't important. The man is.

The sports and articles sections have gone off-line for a while. In the meantime, enjoy the interviews. Is there someone you'd like to see interviewed? Send DeadJournalist.com an e-mail.

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17 july 2006 -

EXCLUSIVE Interview: The Black Angels
Chuck Norton, deadjournalist.com

Formed in May 2004, the Austin-based band the Black Angels is on a similar track as bands, such as Kings of Leon and the Black Keys, who found success by playing a seemingly endless number of live shows. Creating what they call, "Drone 'n Roll", the band mixes '60's psychedelic rock with their own Texas-inspired sound.

Founded by childhood friends, Christian Bland (guitar) and Alex Maas (vocals), the ever-expanding band also includes drummer/percussionist Stephanie Bailey, organist Jennifer Raines, bassist/guitarist Nate Ryan and on keyboard/guitar/percussion, Kyle Hunt.

The band's distinctive and ubiquitous sound is derived from the unique backgrounds of their members. Including an heir to a nursery giant, a daughter of mortuary owners, a member raised in a cult, an art student and a preacher's kid who is a former major college athlete - the band's diversity shows in their music.

Following their 2005 debut EP The Black Angels, the band released Passover, in April 2006. The band is in the midst of a North American tour with several dates in the mid-west and western remaining. Upcoming shows include a July 28 show in Chicago, the Hedgpeth Festival (with the Flaming Lips and King of Leon) in Wisconsin on July 29 and a July 30 show in Seattle.

For more information on the Black Angels, visit their official Web site: www.theblackangels.com or check out their MySpace.com page: www.myspace.com/theblackangels.

Deadjournalist.com recently caught up with the Black Angels co-founder and guitarist Christian Bland for this exclusive interview.

How long did it take for the Black Angels to start playing live shows after forming in May 2004? Did things click quickly?

CB: We started playing live shows in June 2004, right when the band was formed. We knew we had something special early on. The band has been compared with many Vietnam-era psychedelic bands.

Did you set-out to draw upon those musical influences when forming the band?

CB: We are all huge fans of the '60's psychedelic music, so naturally that sound will come through in our music. Our parents all had amazing record collections (Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Doors, early Brian Jones Stones, Love, early Pink Floyd). We combine the '60's sound with our own modern take of it.

What do you hope a listener takes from a Black Angels' album?

CB: We want people to open up their minds, and let everything come through. Passover is a vehicle by which to make this possible.

How has the band's sound grown since the Black Angels EP?

CB: Most of the songs were recorded between August 2004 and November 2004. So we had all the songs for the album done when the EP was released in October 2005. We've already recorded 7 tracks for our new album due out in spring 2007.

What is the most important part of a Black Angels live performance?

CB: The mood of the ceremony.

How is the current tour going? Is it important to the band to play live shows as much as possible?

CB: The current tour has been great. We've gotten to play with Pink Mountaintops, Blue Cheer and this November, the Black Keys. People across the US and Canada have really dug our music. I think it's very important to play live shows. That's the heart and soul of our music - our connection with the crowd.

What do you see as the next step for the band?

CB: The next step is to take our music overseas to the UK, Australia and Europe ... and to continue touring across the US.

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16 july 2006 -

Justin Parker Benefit - July 21st

Please join us for the Justin Parker Benefit at Decatur Social Club on Friday, July 21, 2006. I will be dj'ing along with Preston Craig, Jamal and Adam Darby. Let's raise as much money as we can!

From Preston Craig:

As many of you already know, there was a tragic accident that occured at Liberty Tattoo last Saturday night. A car crashed through the front wall/window of the shop pinning Justin Parker. Both of Justin's legs had to be amputated.

Justin is an independent contractor with a wife and two young children. Needless to say, along with the difficult recovery that lies ahead are enormous expenses.

Decatur Social Club and kissatlanta.com would like to do what we can to help out. This Friday... July 21st ALL DOOR PROCEEDS will go to Justin Parkers family. We will be raising the door admission to five dollars for one night only.

Prior to now, I've chased attendance records for my own personal challenges and goals. However, on July 21st I would like to see them smashed once again for entirely different reasons. You, as a patron of the Decatur Social Club make up a crowd that has grown to well over 400 people on some nights. If you all make an extra effort to come out this Friday ... we will have no problem sending a few thousand dollars to Justin's family ... and you can do this simply by going out to socialize and dance.

I will be expanding the sound this week at the club to make both rooms fully functional to accomodate everyone. Raging Burrito will be running hip-hop, grime, and club tracks. Azul will be running indie, classic rock, 80's, and all the usualy shit we get drunk and play.

Azul DJ's: Adam Darby, the_chuck, Jamal and Preston Craig

Raging Burrito DJ's Three special guests are being confirmed.

DO NOT MISS THIS NIGHT... if there was ever a good reason to go out this is definitely it!!

Decatur Social Club Fridays @ Azul / Raging Burrito in Downtown Decatur -11pm-4am - 21+

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12 july 2006 -

EXCLUSIVE Interview: Oppenheimer
Chuck Norton, deadjournalist.com

Three years ago, synth-pop exploded back into the mainstream with the release of The Postal Service's debut album. In the years that have followed, synth-pop fans have had a limited number of quality artists of which to grab hold.

On June 6, 2006, that changed when Belfast, Ireland's Oppenheimer released their self-titled album. "Breakfast in NYC", "Saturday Looks Bad To Me" and "This Is Not a Test" highlight the album - and not coincidently - these songs are featured on the band's MySpace.com page.

Released by Bar None Records (who has an impressive stable of artists), Oppenheimer's album mixes pop sensibility with a heaping helping of blissful synth sounds to create what may be the best synth-pop album of the year.

Oppenheimer's first North American tour begins in Philadelphia on August 3. (It includes two shows in New York on August 4 and August 21 and an August 10 show in Atlanta.) For more information on the band and its upcoming tour, visit the band's Web site: www.oppenheimermusic.co.uk or they band's MySpace.com page: www.myspace.com/oppenheimer.

DeadJournalist.com had is proud to bring you this exclusive interview with Oppenheimer's Rocky O'Reilly and Shaun Robinson.

How long have you been recording together as Oppenheimer?

SR: We've been together for just over a year and a half but we met about three or four years ago. Rocky was doing sound for local bands/venues in Belfast and I was the drummer in an indie rock band called Torgas Valley Reds. We liked the noise that he got for us so he became our regular soundman.

In October 2004, at an Album Leaf gig, we decided to really have a stab about getting something started. The next weekend we had the basics of our first song, "Allen Died, April 5" sorted out and we have not stopped writing/recording since.

What is it that inspires you during the song-writing process?

RO: Most of the time it's just the actual recording that inspires me, playing with sounds, fiddling with keyboards and all that. Finding a sound and a melody that makes your heart beat is the most exciting thing.

SR: Lyrically, I find that good books, great films and strange and beautiful nights inspire me. Most of the music ideas that I come up with start on acoustic guitar. I love layers in songs, so then it is a process of "how can we make this sound great?"

Did you set out to make the next great synth-pop album?

RO: No. Before we started I thought it might be more glitchy and long-winded.

SR: When we started we were recording in a room in Rocky's house with me or him holding a mic at an acoustic guitar thinking "do you reckon this is going to sound ok?" We're both real happy with how it's turned out.

When did you get your first Moog?

RO: After years of want, I finally bought a prodigy last year - just in time for our first ever show. Come the first note, the stage lights had bent it right of tune. Our shaky nerves were shattered right then.

As soon as I could, I got enough together to buy a minimoog voyager. I talk to it everyday.

We've got a room at the studio where I work, it's slowly becoming filled with old keyboards, I dream of the day it's like the stories you hear about the basement in Kling Klang studios.

How is the Belfast music scene?

SR: I believe the music scene in Belfast is really good at the moment. There are loads of great bands that have really varied sounds: LaFaro, We Are Knives, Duke Special and Tom McShane to name a few. There are great bands from all over Northern Ireland/Ireland at the moment, not just Belfast.

RO: I think there're loads of great bands, but not really a scene. Everyone seems to be doing their own thing, from instrumental guitar music like Tracer AMC to power pop like Fighting With Wire to the music of In Case Of Fire, I can't remember a time when there was more music happening here.

If you could share the stage with several of your music heroes, who would they be?

SR: To make Oppenheimer a big band experience I would have Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine) on guitar, Kim Deal (Pixies) on bass, Brian Eno and Richard James (Aphex Twin) on keyboard/noise duties, Jason Pierce (Spiritualized) on guitar, Phil Rudd (AC/DC) on drums and Tom Waits and Gerry Love (Teenage Fanclub) on backing vocals.

RO: What would we do?

Maybe Cornelius, daft punk, KRS one, Kraftwerk, Mates of State, Mina, Folk Implosion, dEUS, Boo Radleys and Mirwais would be ok.

We're playing with the Like Young soon, I've been listening to them non-stop for a few years and I haven't had the chance to see them yet.

Are you excited about the band's first North American tour?

SR: Yeah! My girlfriend is from the States and we did a 3,000 mile road trip three years ago. I suppose that the tour will be a bit like that but with the excitement of playing live shows to a bunch of new people every night, more air horns, more heckling at our soundman (Gerry) and playing with fantastic bands.

RO: I wonder how many states we will get to air horn?

What should people expect from an Oppenheimer live show?

SR: Songs and sounds that will make you move.

RO: Air horns!

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11 july 2006 -

vegas update: it's hot. (although not as hot as past years.) shocking, i know.

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9 july 2006 -

hello from las vegas, nevada - home of thousands of overweight tourists and people willing to do anything to take your hard earned money ($5 for bottled water?). for those of you curious, the flight out here was rocky one. we hit some weather about 30 minutes outside of vegas that turned the airplane into a roller coaster ride. always a fun way to start a work trip.

the great thing about flying, especially on long flights, is one's ability to catch up on reading those books that have been left for dead on the nightstand. so i read more in atlas shrugged. it is one of the best books ever written.

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7 july 2006 -

deadjournalist.com will be in las vegas sunday through thursday (work) but updates will happen throughout the week.

we are also excited to announce upcoming interviews with: oppenheimer, irving, clearlake and the black angels. those will hit this month. and there are a lot more in the works.

this is only the tip of the iceberg.

so check deadjournalist.com more often - and if you aren't already, become our friend on myspace. we do some exclusive stuff on there often.

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5 july 2006 -

EXCLUSIVE Interview: Popup
Chuck Norton, deadjournalist.com

The heart of the Scottish music scene is in Glasgow - and one of the fastest rising bands in that scene is the indie-pop band Popup. For years, Scotland as produced some of the most critically acclaimed bands of their time - whether it was Arab Strap, Franz Ferdinand, Teenage Fanclub, Bell and Sebastian, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Cocteau Twins, Orange Juice or Primal Scream. With an infectious sound and intelligent lyrics, Popup may be next in the long, but underappreciated, lineage of Scottish rock music.

Popup formed in 2004 after hanging out at a Halloween party. The band is made up of singer/guitarist Damien Gilhooley, bassist Michael Cross and the brother and sister combo of guitarist Nicholas Giudici and drummer/vocalist Adrienne Giudici.

The band is building quite a buzz for their high-energy, live shows and their manic touring schedule. Sighting influences as diverse as Aztec Camera, Super Furry Animals and Frank Sinatra, Popup is most concerned about good music - enjoying it and creating it.

DeadJournalist.com recently had the opportunity to chat with Adrienne Giudici and Damien Gilhooley about the band, their live performances, and to ask just how sexy they looked in those Halloween costumes. For more information on the band, visit their Web site: www.popuptheband.com or visit their MySpace.com page.

For people in the States, who may be unfamiliar with Popup, what should they know about the band?

DG: They should know our songs. They should listen to them and consider whether or not they induce any significant emotion for them personally. That's ultimately the only thing worth knowing about any band.

AG: We basically enjoy writing and performing music. We were never expecting to get as far as we have. It just kind of took off unexpectedly.

Your first single, "Lucy, What You Trying To Say?" is coming out on Hijacked Records on July 6th. Is there excitement about this release within the band?

DG: We've been working really hard for a good while now. All the gigs, sessions and everything else all seem a little phony because we haven't hitherto had anything concrete to support. Our first single gives us something to be judged by. It's all part of growing up as a musician, and personally I'm very excited by it.

AG: We are hoping to get a reasonable amount of airplay which is really exciting, especially for people randomly hearing it whilst driving to work. We don't expect it to really get big - just that a bunch of people get to listen to our song on CD is enough for us.

Is the band working on a full-length album?

AG: We are always writing new stuff and hopefully with enough work we will have enough to keep us ticking over for the foreseeable future.

DG: Since we started writing songs with each other - however long ago that was - I suppose we've been working on an album. I think we're getting close to having one that we can let the world hear. We should be recording productively later in the year.

How valuable is playing in front of a live audience?

DG: It's the reason to be in a band. You make your music, you share it with people. The most intimate way of doing that is by getting about and playing as many shows as you can without killing yourself or the rest of your band in the process. We love to play live. We always enjoy it and I'm sure our audiences will come round eventually.

AG: Playing live really helps us to develop the skills we need to entertain a crowd. And its very enjoyable, especially now that people are starting to know the songs and are shouting back the lyrics!

What is the most important aspect of your live show?

DG: Enthusiasm. Music is the property of anyone with the enthusiasm for it. I think we have some really good songs but the studio is the place to tie-up the sound to the best of your ability. The stage is the place to show that you believe in your music. You might be sloppy as fuck but that shouldn't matter if you're really with each word, chord, beat and bump.

AG: As long as we play with lots of energy and good feeling, musical performance doesn't matter as much. So if we make mistakes it doesn't really matter as long as we put on a good show, and that the crowd likes it.

How does the music scene in Glasgow differ from other parts of the UK?

AG: Playing in Glasgow, people know us and appreciate us as they understand the accents! Sometimes, in different parts of the UK, I think people perhaps see us as a bit strange because our music is quite different to what you usually get. In saying that, sometimes it can be even more rewarding when playing to new faces and people really go for it.

DG: Whenever we've played elsewhere, we've never been there long enough to get any real sense of the "scene" as such. I've basically lived in Glasgow my whole life and so I don't know much about the other scenes, other than whatever big sensation might come out of them every few weeks.

Glasgow's great though. It has a great legacy from Orange Juice to Lloyd Cole and The Commotions to The Blue Nile to The Bluebells to The Delgados to Belle and Sebastian to Mogwai to Franz Ferdinand ro Sons and Daughters … I could go on forever but my favourite Glasgow band in years has to be My Latest Novel. They are off the fucking chart.

Has there been any talk of playing shows in the US?

DG: We're a bit too poor at the moment and we should probably make our album first, but we'll get there. I lived in Austin, Texas for a few months in 2005 and it was amazing. I'd love to do some shows out there.

AG: We would really love to as we have had some good reactions from people in the US - from MySpace particularly. There has been some talk of playing SXSW in Austin, which would be fantastic.

The night that Popup formed, you were at a Halloween party. So what were your costumes?

DG: I dressed up as Che Guevara because I'm a sexy communist. Adrienne was a sexy witch. Nick was a sexy, glam-rockish zombie. Michael put on a green t-shirt, drew a fake beard on his face with a brown crayon, and said he was Shaggy from Scooby-Doo ... but everyone knows he's sexy anyway!

The disguise we kept was that of a band, worn by four pals that loved music but had no particular right to have the balls to perform. We did. We do.

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30 june 2006 -

oppenheimer
oppenheimer
months ago i heard this disc while in ella guru. it was wonderful moog pop. comparisons are comparisons, but if you like kraftwerk, stereolab, mates of state or the postal service you will love this album. test drive "breakfast in NYC" and "saturday looks bad to me".

various artists
dirty laundry - the soul of black country
this is out of print - but if you can get someone to burn you a copy (thanks josh) then you'll be in for the best of blues and soul artists covering country songs from the '40's through the '70's.

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29 june 2006 -

who's that kissing derek jeter?
- so it seems that a well-built blonde went running on to the field during the game to touch the yankees' derek jeter yesterday during their game with the braves. it's too bad we're in a world where she'll never be morganna, the kissing bandit, that made a career out of kissing athletes during games. where have you gone, morganna?

- so it seems that the northeast is flooding again. didn't this happen last year as well?

- britney spears, naked and preggers. was one of the 487 best new ideas this: more here

- campaign reform a joke? so says george will (and how many millions of other americans, myself included) read it here

- the nba draft was horrible last night. espn has become a joke. as for the hawks? nothing shocking with their pick.

- as i sit here (off work, woo-hoo) i am watching days of our lives. every single character from the late-80's is back on the show. it's like i haven't missed a beat.

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27 june 2006 -

update three: peter gammons had brain aneurysm earlier today. here's hoping he recovers. not only is he a hall of fame writer, but also a huge fan of indie music (back when indie was, um, indie).

update two: for the few of you who didn't know, deadjournalist.com had a nice meantion last week in the Washington Post. read it: here

update: new deadjournalist logo! new interviews section! new layouts!

so my buddy d.a. said i should put this up, so i am. with the nba draft tomorrow, i have a trade idea for my beloved (and beligered) hawks. atlanta would send al harringinton (in a sign and trade) with salim stoudamire, josh childress and the #5 pick in the '06 draft to the timberwolves for kevin garnett, the #6 pick in the '06 draft (or the t'wolves #1 in '07) and the #36 pick in the '06 draft. the trade makes since as i would give the t'wolves a new, young core and it would give atlanta a star player and a draw at the gate. garnett could play the 5 for atlanta to team with marvin williams and josh smith to for a young and athletic front line.

the hawks could still swing a deal to trade down and pick up more picks or a pick next year. there are a lot of options. with the draft tomorrow, i'm just hoping the hawks draft anyone who actually plays.

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26 june 2006 -

somebody tell me it's not almost july. wow. but really, tell me it wasn't ten years ago since the olympics were in atlanta. although i was in the area (working the worst internship of all time) i didn't go to any events - although i did see the torch go by. i want to know how atlanta pulled that off. i mean, atlanta, the olympics? in a city that cares only about college football, why is this not a bigger deal? atlanta. a city whose city population is less now than it was in 1960. that was one hell of an upset, billy payne.

good for warren buffett for giving the bulk of his wealth to charity. too many people think that the government should support all causes - but in reality, it is those in the private sector that facilitate the most change. what shouldn't be overlooked in this is all the good that bill gates has done with his billions of dollars. regardless of what you think of microsoft, gates' work for the betterment of the people should not go overlooked.

aaron spelling died over the weekend at 83. he was the king of trash tv. here-here.

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22 june 2006 -

Elvis is Dead (E.D. 29) Date Announcement
This year's annual Elvis is Dead party will be held on August 12. More details and this year's shirt design will be coming in the next few weeks. Last year more than 350 people attended, and this year should be bigger and better.

los bravos go boom
it's like a reunion for everyone over the age of 25, when the bravos were horrible every year. this month has been like watching ice cream melt on the leather seats of your car in the middle of summer. you can't stop it, you can't clean it up and you can't stop watching it slide deeper and deeper in the holes.

don't make hamburgers with frozen meat and too much sauce
in a pan it might work. on the grill? you end up eating hot dogs and hamburgers cooked in foil. you will have a lot of fun doing it and they still tastes good. and what they lack in fuctionality, the make up for in memories.

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18 june 2006 -

happy father's day

the quest for tennessee sunshine
i have an almost unhealthy relationship with tennessee sunshine (and cajun sunshine). what is tennessee sunshine? it may be the world's most perfect pepper sauce.

no, it isn't a hot sauce like the generic tabasco, it's a vinegar and pepper blend that hits me the right way. i put it on just about everything - from pizza to greens to alfredo. the only two things i might not put it on would be ice cream and cereal. maybe.

here's how obsessed with it i am: i now have one dozen bottles (combined) in my pantry. crazy? not really. last week, the publix closest to me stopped stocking my beloved pepper sauces.

i don't want to imagine a life without my sunshine.

screech and his house
dustin diamond, aka screech from saved by the bell, is having financial issues on a bad home deal from a few years ago. it seems he's going to loose his house if he doesn't come up with a quarter million. he's launched a web site to sell shirts so he can keep his house.

so i bought one.

why would i, an acknowledged spendthrift, do this? why would i help a celeb with a problem that millions of other people fight in vain?

because i can.

see, the nice thing about living in america is that i can throw my money away on a t-shirt that i'll wear once or twice, and keep as a talking point for years down the line. maybe when i'm 64, i'll wear the shirt with a pair of out-of-fashion long-pants and get a nice chuckle out of the whole thing.

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15 june 2006 -

EXCLUSIVE Interview: Snowden
Chuck Norton, deadjournalist.com

Atlanta-based Snowden was formed by front man Jordan Jeffares while he was at the University of Georgia in 2003. During the last three years, the band has matured greatly. They developed an avid fan base by playing shows regularly in Atlanta, New York and Boston.

Jeffares offers distinctively haunting vocal styling, and the band provides a complex and intricate sound. Snowden regularly draws comparisons to Ride, Joy Division, early Cure and Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs.

Along with vocalist Jeffares, Snowden is made up of guitarist David Payne, bassist Corinne Lee and drummer Chandler Rentz. Snowden's debut full-length album, Anti-Anti, will be release by Jade Tree Records on August 4.

Songs from their forthcoming album are available on their Web site: www.snowden.info or on the band's MySpace page: www.myspace.com/snowden.

Jeffares and Payne took time out of their tour preparation to discuss a variety of topics with DeadJournalist.com.

After graduating from college you had the choice of - among other things - medical school or music. What made you decide to try to make it in the music industry? Was it a tough choice?

JJ: It wasn't a tough choice at all. I'd been killing myself to try to prepare for grad school throughout my college years and I had no desire to go straight into a profession. My personality, desires and my perception of the world were changing so fast that I knew I would be making a mistake if I dove into anything right out of college.

I was also pouring out music at the time. It was all I thought about outside of school and I was kind of obsessing over it every hour that I wasn't studying. I'm very obsessive and I transitioned all of my academic ambition over to music.

And that was how Snowden started out.

How long did it take you to get the current Snowden lineup set? Did you know any of the members before they joined the band?

JJ: I was finishing school and my older brother Preston had started showing off some of my early demos to his friends at a dance rock night he was doing at the time. He found the first member, which led to the other four members including Dave. I didn't know any of them before we stepped in a room and played together.

After playing with that group for a while, scheduling demands became greater, and the band changed. Dave had been ready to leave his job since the beginning, so he stayed on. I found Chandler through a friend that said, "your drummer is amazing, but the only person that could hold a candle to him is my roommate Chandler."

Then I found Corinne through a friend in Austin, who said, "If you ever need a bassist, I know the coolest chick in Atlanta, who is amazing."

From then on, we decided to play as a four piece - instead of the original five.

Which do you enjoy more - the process of crafting a song or performing with the band?

JJ: I used to enjoy writing much more, but now I enjoy them both equally. In the beginning I didn't know what I was doing on stage. I couldn't sing very well. I just wasn't comfortable. But now we've really settled into our groove and we know who we are and what we're doing.

DP: Well, they are completely different beasts. I think I prefer fiddling around with stuff in my bedroom and creating sound more than I do just playing a show, but there have been some moments live that are really memorable.

Usually with Snowden, it's just me learning a part Jordan already has and figuring out how to make it work live. Once you've played it hundreds of times though, you don't even have to really think about it anymore.

I send most every little piece I record at home to Jordan, and he's been trying to build off quite a few of them. He took one of the acoustic things I sent him and made a song out of it that's on the album. That was cool. Hopefully some more will end up on the next record. We already have another album's worth of material to choose from.

Who are the artists that influence you?

JJ: The Cure, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, Elliott Smith, Portishead, Wilco, The Zombies, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Sunny Day Real Estate - I always think of better ones later but that's all I've got right now.

Really, what I take away from each of them is their unconventional approaches to everything from guitar work to songwriting. You can pick all of them out of the crowd.

DP: I spent a good deal of my high school years figuring out how to play Metallica's Master of Puppets, Led Zeppelin and Beatles songs. I had a subscription to Guitar Player magazine and was into people like Steve Vai. That was a brief phase though.

Not long after that I discovered Jimi Hendrix and became obsessed. I listened to his albums and live recordings religiously in high school.

I no longer really view guitarists in terms of being technically good. Now, I'm into people who are unique, tasteful and expressive. As of late, I think Nick Zinner is really creative with how he approaches the guitar. His sound is huge and he's a master of looping really cool sounding, simple riffs. I also think the acoustic work of Nick Drake is breathtaking. He had so many unusual guitar tunings.

One of my goals is to learn how to play the entire Pink Moon album. I know one song so far. I have a lot of work to do there.

What was the first thing you did after Snowden had been signed to Jade Tree?

JJ: I finished mixing the album then went up to New York for the mastering. After tha,t I took a month off and tried not to think about the record at all. It was a very stressful process.

DP: It was a long back-and-forth process with Jade Tree, I knew we had the deal before all the paperwork was done. I actually faxed them all the signed contracts from the fax machine at my work. I guess that's the day it really sank in. That was a Friday, and I ended up at Decatur Social Club that night. It's a celebration there every Friday night, but that was a special one I suppose.

Snowden's debut full-length, Anti-Anti, comes out in August. You've spent years with many of the songs on the album, but are there still certain ones that you are eager to perform while onstage?

JJ: We're eager to perform all of them to people who have never seen them. No matter how many times you've played a song, when you're playing it for people who are hearing you for the first time, it's like it's the first time for you.

I never realized how entwined a band and the audience can be. You can feel everything, the stares, people mouthing the words, people stomping their feet.

Snowden has played extensively on the east coast in past years but you're one month away from your first coast-to-coast tour. What's been the biggest challenge of setting up the tour thus far?

JJ: Booking the shows. Booking without a booking agent is ridiculous. I have to work three times as hard to get the dates I want.

While Atlanta has been a haven for hip-hop artists for the past decade, it has had little success or relevance in other genres. Why do you think that is?

DP: That's a hard question to answer. I have no clue really. I think lately there are some really good bands starting to pop up, and that can only help bring attention to the scene here.

I can honestly say that if Snowden does have any success on a national level, we hope to use it to bring more attention to the scene here in Atlanta.

Snowden's first single, the title track "Anti-Anti", will be an animated video, which is quite an undertaking. Whose idea was it to use animation for the video and who is doing the animation for the band?

DP: Well, actually a really nice group of people offered to do a video for us and they filmed us playing in front of a green screen at Spitfire Studios over a weekend a while back. They already had a concept and had sent us some stills with the basics. We agreed, but to be honest we've yet to see anything come back yet.

These guys do video work for a large company and are working on our video in their spare time. Jordan's usually very hands on with everything involving Snowden, but he's just letting them do their thing and waiting to see what they come back with. Hopefully, it will be something we all like.

JJ: Yeah, I have no idea what's going on with it right now but I think it's still a go. When people are working for free and their idea is good, you just let them work.

Wouldn't you like to see the return to prominence of the music video? I mean, where would the world be if Aerosmith hadn't made the "Crazy" and "Amazing" videos and exposed millions of teenagers to Alicia Silverstone and virtual reality?

JJ: Oh yeah, we'd love to turn more kids on to Lindsay Lohan. She needs the attention and we need a video glamorizing the marvel of text messaging.

DP: Ha-ha, good point. Well, I see the Internet as a place where videos are still relevant, especially with the advent of sites like YouTube. MTV doesn't really play that many videos anymore, but I still see a lot of bands making some really great videos.

I just came across a blog post this morning that had a link to a new Broken Social Scene video (Fire Eyed Boy) that's hilarious. With the Internet it's a lot more immediate, you can just go to a Web site and watch all the videos of your favorite band. There's no need to wait around for one to show up on TV anymore.

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11 june 2006 -

deadjournalist is now on myspace. oh the joy. (no, there isn't any sarcasm at all.) but for now, stay up-to-date on site updates, events or just feel free to pass us on to your friends. www.myspace.com/deadjournalist

go to itunes and check out the song "lovers who uncover" by the little ones. it's a fun little song.

i want to get my hands on the new Tilly and the Wall cd as well as the new Radio 4. when i do, i'll get reviews up. although it's been out for a while, i just go the Raconteurs and i've also been sitting on Portugal the Man. so expect those soon as well.

and here's a subtle announcement: coming later this week, a two-part interview with atlanta's Snowden who earlier this year with signed with Jade Tree.

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10 june 2006 -

voxtrot
mothers, sisters, daughters & wives ep
a little stone roses and a little robbers on high street; good pop sensibility and lyrics. peaceful excitement. best ep of the year.

white rose movement
kick (import)
so what if it sounds a little like IAMX and VHS or Beta with a faster tempo? every year needs a band with two or three danceable hits that make you feel a dirty. remember how much you loved Bloc Party before "everyone" knew who they were? go ahead and jump on the bandwagon before everyone else beats you to it.

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8 june 2006 -

gravel crushing intestines

something came up in conversation today that i wanted to expound upon. you never hear about the guys that go in behind enemy lines to shoot lasers or plant sensors that direct fighter pilots where to drop bombs. talk about guys with stones.

i'm nowhere close to an expert on ballistics, but how close is the military to having all missiles and bombs guided by some sort of gps system? i need to make a few phone calls and find out.

al-Zarqawi is dead and i don't feel so good myself

some positive news out of Iraq today with the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, although this by no means will end (or curb) the violence. we are still a long way from having the bulk of our troops out of the region and still have a long way to go to have the country in a position to fend for itself.

setting up a new government is a difficult thing. just look at the difficult road Timor-Leste is having years after breaking away Indonesia. so the U.S. does have a responsibility to put Iraq in the best position for success.

with this said, our country's budget can't sustain this war for much longer. as a responsibility to its citizens - who are footing the bill - the U.S. needs to outline a plan for withdrawal and follow though with this plan as soon as possible before the country's debt gets worse than it is (which was $8,372,622,155,509.19 as of 8:33:09 EST on June 8, 2006).

where's the music?

i'm sure some of you are going, "where the hell is the music?" well, it's still coming. deadjournalist will always be heavy with musical content, but there's a lot of other topics out there. if and when we get a forum, we'll be cooking on high heat.

and when time allows

the nba draft is coming up, the braves are playing like the braves of old, artist interviews, music recommendations and more are in the pipeline. anyone have any drano?

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7 june 2006 -

gay marriage rant

"I don't believe there's any issue that's more important than this one," said Republican Sen. David Vitter. He was referring to the Senate's vote to add a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage today.

To that, I call bullshit.

Honestly, it doesn't effect me directly as I'm not gay and I'm not married. But to say it is the most important issue facing this national is not only ludicrous, it's asinine.

If people of any sex want to get married or have a civil union, so be it. Far be it from me or anyone else to tell them how to live their lives. As long as what people do doesn't cause ill to others, let them do what they want.

If people are going to argue that gay marriage defiles the sanctity of marriage, they should also call for the outlaw of divorce. More people who get married end up divorced than stay married. Isn't that, by the same rational, harming the institution of marriage between "one man and one woman"?

The number of incompetent heterosexual spouses and parents in this country far outnumber the competent ones. Why isn't there an outcry about poor parenting?

The government's role is to govern - not impose religious moral values on it's citizens. Amendment I of the Bill of Rights states:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

And that's what this about: mixing politics with religion. That's another story for another time.

I'm not alone. Today, Lou Dobbs wrote a dead-on piece for cnn.com about the lunacy of a gay marriage amendment. Neil Boortz also finds it to be an utter waste of time. I'm sure 10 minutes of googling will turn up dozens of others saying the same thing.

Sen. Vitter, you are wrong. With war, economic issues, the need for a new tax structure, the fight against diseases and poverty, energy issues, immigration, fair-trade, the continued loss of an individual's property rights, etc., there are numerous issues that are far more important than whether or not two people can legally get hitched.

I'm not sure who is more adrift in a sea of confusion - the Democrats of the Republicans.

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6 june 2006 -

6.6.6. it won't happen for another thousand years. that should make everyone feel very, very special.

i picked up a few new cd's today so i'll be reviewing them soon. it's a good thing i still like owning cd's or i'd go broke buying material to review. note to self - get on label send-out lists.

i'm still working on an interview everyone will love. i'm waiting on one thing and then it will go live.

to hold everyone over, here are a few artists or albums you should listen to or listen to again:

spacehog -the band that should have been much larger than they were.

eddie rabbit - the late cross-over country artist had hits like "operator, operator", "i love a rainy night" and "drivin' my life away". and for those of you that grew up watching the nbc soap another world, he sang the theme song.

devo - the band that most people know for "whip it" but produced albums of genre-bending work.

check out the exposed section for a new entry.

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3 june 2006 -

so my first long vacation in years is soon to be over. excuse me for not being more excited about that. most of my time was spent dealing with or worrying about work and when that's the case it doesn't matter how long one's vacation might be.

now for the results in the smokin' on the square bbq cook-off: team goat roast finished fifth in ribs, fourth in brisket and third in sauce. not bad, but we were all disappointed in brisket results. i thought we had a winner.

i've got to admit, although it's a lot of work and a lot of money - not to mention the time - it was a great time. and it was for charity, so that made it even better.

coming this week will be more reviews. in the next few weeks will be another exclusive band interview.

a reminder that all interviews, including the High Violets, antlerand and Todd Bogin can be found in the interviews/articles section.

now, if you'll excuse me, i'm going to enjoy the last few hours of my vacation.

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30 may 2006 -

so i'm sitting here working on an interview for deadjournalist (since i'm off work - or at least haven't been working on work since noon) and watching VH1 classic.

on comes a video by the band Platinum Weird. the lead singer is a beautiful young blond, with long hair. the sound is current and most of the band members look like a they are from mix of kings of leon and a yet-to-be discovered brit-rock band.

i'm thinking that maybe someone slid a new video into rotation to get a little exposure for a friend's band or that maybe it's something VH1 is doing to cross-promote. at this point i'm several minutes into the video.

everything about the video looks like it is new or at least some unknown band from the dawson's creek era. i know a lot about music. i know more about music than 99% the american population, but i can't place this band. it's killing me.

so i google it.

in 1974 dave thomas formed a band (pre annie lennox) called - platinum weird. blah, blah, blah.

it's a hoax. i did a little more digging and come to find out my hunch about the band being "placed" is right.

after doing more digging around the lead singer of this "fictional" band is actually a current singer-songwriter who has written a few things for current pop stars.

didn't anyone learn anything from garth brooks AKA chris gaines?

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26 may 2006 -

enjoy these recommendations.

Grand National
Kicking the National Habit
so what if it came out in 2004? similar to a primal scream of this decade, melodic and sometimes danceable, this album is worth a listen. take "talk amongst yourselves" for a test listen.
- recommended

Islands
Return to the Sea
islands formed from the ashes of the unicorns and their debut cd is quite good. although the unicorns "who will cut our hair when we're gone?" was a critical success, i wasn't in love with it. i think the islands debut is just as solid as the unicorns, if not better.
- recommended

Gnarls Barkley
St. Elsewhere
okay - if you don't know gnarls barkley or if you don't already own this album - where have you been? cee-lo and danger mouse finally got their album released and it will be the album of the year.
- recommended

Eagles of Death Metal
Death by Sexy
the second release by eagles of death metal didn't disappoint. what's not to love about fun, high energy rock 'n roll? i wish there was more of a bass line so it'd be dance-friendly, but that's a minor detail. even though i can only listen to a few tracks at a time, it is still a worthwhile album to own.
- recommended

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23 may 2006 -

vacation, computer problems, interview requests, past-due cd recommendations, social distortion in a jennifer anniston movie, etc., etc., etc., and continued thanks to deadjournalist readers ...

with a long overdue vacation only one day away, i'm in pre-vacation bliss. there really isn't anything better than being one day away from a vacation. the anticipation is the best.

my laptop, which has been as troublesome as my car, is acting up again. i have again lost the use of my cd/dvd drive. however the "service engine soon" light has been on in my car for three months and since i'm taking it in thursday, i have to see what kind of damage that will do before i pull the trigger on a new desktop or laptop.

i have one interview in process (out in a few days) and four interview requests out to artists for deadjournalist. in the next couple of weeks i'll be working hard and heavy to get as many lined up as possible. i will be branching out to non-music related interviews soon.

what is social distortion doing in that new jennifer anniston/vince vaughn movie? mike ness = man.

i've enjoyed watching tv again the last couple of days. i'm trying to relax after months of higher than normal stress. i <3 my couch.

sometimes i think i say this weekly, but as deadjournalist continues to build readership, a major thank you to those of you who check out the site regularly. more people reading is a good thing. as always, your feedback and suggestions are always welcome.

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20 may 2006 -

i regret that i wasn't able to make it to a record-breaking evening at dsc last night. i hate i missed it, but things come up.

part of the reason i missed last night was that i was attending the small dog rescue this morning. while i personally didn't adopt a dog, seeing the turn-out for the four hour event was heart-warming.

i have a soft-spot for dogs, i always have. i haven't owned one for many years nor do a plan on owning one in the near future, but one day when i have the space and the time i hope to have a delightful pup. there was one dog there, a boxer mix, that if i had the space i would have come home with this afternoon.

in atlanta and around the country, there are many shelters that rescue dogs from being put down or take them in when the owner is unable to care of the pet. in many cases they have foster parents that keep the pets until they are adopted.

so if you are looking to adopt or looking for a way of giving back to the community, why don't you look at these rescue shelters first.

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16 may 2006 -

EXCLUSIVE Interview: Todd Bogin
Chuck Norton, deadjournalist.com

How does a nice guy from Illinois go from moving to New York to landing his first gig playing acoustic guitar at a heavy metal show to playing CBGB to releasing his first album in less than a year?

Ask Todd Bogin, a 22 year old singer-songwriter whose debut album The Midwest Fables will be released in June.

While "neo-folk" is replacing "indie" as the new buzz word for new singer-songwriters, Bogin's sound leans closer to traditional folk and blues.

With a distinctive voice and knack for writing direct but personal lyrics, he's an artist you won't soon forget.

When did you realize that being a singer-songwriter was your calling?

TB: Songwriting was always in me. My father is a really talented musician and the acoustic guitar I use today is the one my father always played when I was growing up: a 1977 Guild D-50.

In 7th grade I created this fictitious band called The Arrows, named after the Harry Nilsson song "Me and My Arrow". I created a logo, album covers, band members and more. I didn't know how to play any instruments at the time but I still wrote about thirty songs in this notebook. I would jot down lyrics and hum melodies into a tape recorder.

I started writing actual songs on my guitar around the age of 16 and then formed a band. The first time I ever jammed with a band I knew that writing and performing was what I wanted to do with my life.

What artists have had the most impact on you as a musician?

TB: Well for sure The Beatles. Growing up they were the most popular band in my household. By a young age I knew a lot about them and their albums. They really inspired me with their songwriting.

I never took formal music lessons, but I feel that studying the Beatles helped me to learn about music and grow as a songwriter. I would figure out how to play their songs and study what they were doing with the music.

Another artist that is right up there with The Beatles is Bob Dylan. His songs made me want to write lyrics and read poetry. He is the reason I started playing harmonica at 17. If you listen to Highway 61 Revisited it sounds like nothing that can be done today! It's amazing to think it was recorded in 1965.

In terms of other influential artists Bo Diddley is one. Others are The Who, Hank Williams, Mississippi John Hurt and Wilco. There are so many wonderful artists I could go on forever.

In addition to musicians a lot of authors have influenced me - mostly Edgar Allen Poe and Albert Camus.

You've been in New York for almost a year. How much has the move allowed you to grow as an artist?

TB: Moving to New York forced me to become a better live performer. Being on stage here is much different than anywhere else. The crowds in NYC do not care for you until you prove to them that you are talented.

I have gone through an enormous growing period in terms of life since moving here. Experiencing life in New York has fueled many songs. It's really like no other place. I really love it. Just being in this city makes me want to be creative. It is something in the air. I have never felt that energy anywhere else.

My backing band, The Klaymations (pronounced Klymation) are just amazing at what they do. My bassist Byrne Klay and drummer Hadley Tassinari's creativity and playing ability at times makes me feel inadequate but playing with such incredible musicians forces me to improve.

How long did it take you to have your first "I can't believe I'm in New York" moment?

TB: It happened right after my mother flew home. We had packed up a rented mini van and drove my stuff out here but she left the next day. It was very weird - like being dropped off at summer camp - but not a good summer camp. There was no one wearing a name tag, greeting me and offering me Kool-Aid. Nobody was happy to see me either.

The song "Moving and Growing Old" is based on a poem I wrote in my first few days in New York. It's about that moment in life when you realize you are not a little kid anymore.

In all honesty I have an "I can't believe I'm in New York" moment just about every time I get on a subway or walk around the Village or Union Square or see a roller skating dance contest in Central Park. This whole city is still amazing to me - even after almost a year. Just amazing.

What was it like to play your first show with the Klaymations at CBGB?

TB: The first show with the band was wonderful! My little sister and best friend Adam were both visiting from home. It was really amazing because I knew of CBGB for as long as I could remember. I am really happy to have gotten the chance to play there before it closes.

It was also a realization of what I can do but I also knew I had so much more to work on. But it really was a wonderful feeling because I worked hard to form the band and to get the songs right. Like they always say, the first step is the hardest.

Actually, the first gig I played in New York City was at a club in the East Village. It was just me, my acoustic guitar and my harmonica on stage at 11pm on a Wednesday night around Thanksgiving. The problem was it was heavy metal night - which was the furthest thing from what I was playing. Needless to say a lot of people decked out in heavy metal gear really did not appreciate a kid on stage with acoustic guitar.

Looking back it is quite a funny story. But that was a big lesson in not giving up. That night let me know you have to grab New York City by the balls before it gets yours.

You're 22 years old and you are releasing your debut full-length album "The Midwest Fables" in June. How good does that feel?

TB: The album release will really be amazing. It will be a moment to appreciate where I have come from over the past few years. It will be more for my family and friends who stuck with me during hard times and during times when I was probably not easy to deal with.

The last few years have been really tough on my family. I know that this album is going to make them proud which really means so much to me.

A lot of the songs are about growing up and about isolation, which is what I felt as a kid and as a new comer to New York. I was born partially deaf and struggled with a speech impediment for a long time, so in some sense there is also some humor in me releasing a music album. I can honestly say that I am extremely proud of the music on it.

Plus my fictitious 7th grade band I had an album title called "The Fables of Thaddeus J. Snead." So I kind of had put Fables into my first album.

Another wonderful thing about releasing the album is 30 years from now when I have a belly and thinning hair I can always show my kids that for at least a few months in my life I was a little cool.

Were did you record the album? Are you pleased with the outcome?

TB: We recorded it all on analog with the amazing Tom Lucas as engineer at Laughing Boy Recording Studio. He is just brilliant.

The Klaymations and I did all backing tracks live in one 6-hour session. That goes to show the genius of The Klaymations and Tom Lucas. They know how to support my music and how to deal with the non-sense ideas I come up with. They also have put so much of their own expertise into everything and are a huge part of the sound of the album.

I am so proud of the quality of the sound! I think every song came out so well.

What has been your biggest challenge thus far in your career?

TB: The biggest challenge thus far is getting people to listen to the music, building a fan base and spreading the word. Like I said earlier, in New York you cannot just hand out a flyer and have people show up to your gig. You have to prove something to them. It's hard work but it's rewarding.

You'll be hitting the road this summer to tour in support of the album. Is there anywhere you are especially looking forward to playing?

TB: Well the easy answer would be in Illinois, hopefully in Chicago. I grew up around there. It would be wonderful to play for my old friends and have my father grade my show. He can be tough. He'll be the first to tell me what I did wrong but he'll also tell me what he liked.

Other places would be Nashville and Austin. There's something about those cities and their history with music intrigue me. I know I want to see the Appalachian States too.

Every region of this country is so different and has such a different way of living. I am really too excited to choose. Oh man, this will be fun.

With all that time in a car, have you thought about investing in those seat covers made of wooden beads?

TB: I would get wooden beads if we end up renting a VW Bus. I would deck the van out in lava lamps, mood rings and pet rocks. That would be so cool. In the sad event of not getting a VW Bus I will probably invest in one of those electronic massagers. Those are so nice.

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15 may 2006 -

holy crap, when did it get so cold? it's mid-may and feels like mid-march!

a great interview will be hitting deadjournalist in the next couple of days. also coming soon will be reviews of eagles of death metal, islands, gnarls barkley and more.

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13 may 2006 -

happy mother's day! i hope everyone enjoys a great day with their mom, even if your mom isn't quite as cool as mine.

one of my mom's gifts this year is a mix cd that will come with a catch. i'm making her review the disc. if you didn't read the last review read it here: music my mom says you should dance to.

here are the tracks. be jealous.

white wild horses - nicolai dunger
you and me - her space holiday
love me like you - the magic numbers
you're the loser - the revelations
cool green - the high violets
crazy - gnarls barkley
benton harbor blues (remix) - the feiry furnaces
fraud in the 80's - mates of state
painted by numbers - the sounds
dudley - yeah yeah yeahs
ester c - venice is sinking
in my arms - mylo
circle. square. triangle. (remix) - test icicles
you gonna want me - tiga
hard to beat - hard-fi
dancing shoes - artic monkeys
algorithm of desire - measles, mumps, rubella

make sure to check back to catch her reviews.

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12 may 2006 -

deadjournalist.com show update

*note: there is some line-up shuffling going on, but as soon as the bands are finalized, i'll let you know.

Kicking off the Summer 2006 concert season will be a benefit show for Rivers Alive mid-June at Fortuna in Atlanta.

Doors for the show open at 6PM with the show starting promptly at 8PM. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance via Ticket Alternative beginning May 20, 2006. Tickets will be $12 at the door.

Rivers Alive is a long-running Atlanta non-profit focusing on keeping Georgia's waterways clean of trash. In 2005 Rivers Alive held 153 registered events that involved more than 24,500 volunteers who collected more than 684,000 pounds of debris. Rivers Alive is held annually in early October. For more information or to become involved in Rivers Alive, visit them on-line at: www.riversalive.org.

This show will be a showcase for Fortuna, Atlanta's newest premium music venue which holds 700 people in a soon to be renovated church in the Old 4th Ward neighborhood in Atlanta. Fortuna is located at 569 Ezzard St., Atlanta, GA 30316 or on-line at: www.fortuna-atl.com.

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11 may 2006 -

today begins a slightly different music review format here at deadjournalist. rather than review the albums, deadjournalist will now recommend/not recommend albums. this will make it easier to get to more music. if you are interested in deadjournalist reviewing your album, send an e-mail and you'll get a mailing address to send your cd.

DeVotchKa
Curse Your Little Heart (ep)
one new song and five covers are masterfully done by this denver-based group. if you don't know them, they're sound is part folk, part eastern european and all pretty good. the ep is nice but dig a little deeper so you don't miss their original work.
- recommended

Compilation
Future Retro
remixes of classic '80s tracks ranging from the cure to inxs to howard jones fall a little flat because nearly every song has a two minute techno/house intro. if you can get past that, then there are some delightful mixes including alphaville (forever young) and book of love (boy). however, if you aren't a dj then don't bother with the whole thing.
- not recommended

Mylo
Destroy Rock & Roll
while the demise of dance music is greatly exaggerated, this cd certainly is the best album to come out since bloc party's last offering. great beats through the album make it an instant fav.
- recommended

The Streets
The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living
despite wanting to like this album a whole hell of a lot, it was nothing but disappointing. why go into more detail? it just isn't worth it.
- not recommended

Baby Dayliner
Critics Pass Away
if you want an album that you can do any one thing to - this is not your album. if you want a quirky mix of spoken word, dance-pop, soul and a tick of hip-hop then check out baby dayliner's third offering. if you are on a limited budget, there are better albums out there. if you like his previous work and have the money and time to get, then it is very much worth your time.
- not recommended, but recommended

Controller.Controller
x-amounts
the album was a little disappointing, but only because of lofty expectations. the perfect album to play when you are doing something else but want to stay distracted by music. a great driving album as well.
- recommended

The Baby Huey Story
Living Legend
a 2004 re-issue of the classic soul/funk album from the late baby huey is certainly worth borrowing from your friends and teeters on being worth spending $18 of your hard-earned money. however, if you aren't a student of modern-music history you might not want to waste your money.
- recommended, but not recommended

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6 may 2006 -

baba o'riley is on itunes, the nba playoffs are on the tele and i'm sitting here thinking of everything i need to get down between now and friday of next week. so instead of doing anything about that i decided to address a few issues that have been on my mind of late.

last night was another weird night for me. thankfully i think i finally got the rust knocked off during my last set which will hopefully unleash the flood gates for next week. it was nice to see a few people who are fellow conversationalists.

in watching parts of the braves game - and with foxsports taking over a larger role in broadcasting games - i have a few observations. there's something about this team i don't like. maybe loosing julio franco hurt them or maybe it was rafel furcal but something is a miss. while the braves always start out slow, being down nine games one week into may is a deep hole. i think it may take a drastic move to get something done.

now on to the nba. the key in most championship teams in any sport is having players who understand the game and that the less glamorous parts of it are often the most important. with ten years of players coming out without receiving proper coaching the difference in well-coached players and good players has never been wider.

if there was ever a show made for me it is modern marvels.

a final thing before i either get stuff done or watch the rest of the suns/lakers game while wishing i could see the boxing match tonight. If you've made it this far do me a favor and take 30 seconds to send me an e-mail and let me know you read this. readership has been great over the first six weeks of the site but i want to make it better so your comments are always welcome.

thanks for reading deadjournalist and listen to the new devotchka ep.

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3 may 2006 -

i'm working on a few things which will be up in the next week or so. i have several interviews lined up as well as quite a few album reviews.

if you haven't heard the band of horses new cd make an effort to check it out. st. augustine and the funeral stand out as amazing tracks. i've been listening to this outstanding album all week.

i had a teacher in high school who would occasionally talk about music. while he didn't coach anything, everyone called him coach fleck. coach fleck enjoyed the work of don williams and so do i.

if you are unfamiliar with don williams, he is a country/folk singer-songwriter who has been recording since the mid-1970's. if you grew up listening to country or if you listen to one of the solid gold saturday night programs, you'll know a handful of his songs when you hear them. while he was never a superstar (his hits include "i believe in you", "tulsa time" and "some broken hearts never end") he was vastly underrated.

legend has it that in the late-1980's, when his u.s. career began to wane, he took his craftman's ship to australia, new zealand and europe where he found amazing success.

williams has a smooth, comforting voice that makes you feel safe when he sings. so if you are in the mood for something outside your normal playlist, give don williams a listen. and while you're at it, listen to vern gosdin, an equally under-respected artist.

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27 april 2006 -

EXCLUSIVE Interview: Antlerand
Chuck Norton, deadjournalist.com

an audio-visual experience beyond what a typical band brings to a performance - that's antlerand. this portland-based reaches outside the safety-net of one-dimensional pop music to create a more complete sensory experience.

antlerand released their debut full-length cd, branches, in feburary 2006. formally known as invisible, the band is comprised of vocalist and video artist chris larson, musician zach okun and percussionist delaney kelly.

if you are near a radio or a computer on may 8th, you can check out antlerand at 3pm pacific when they will be playing live on seattle's kexp (www.kexp.org).

i had a chance to catch up with zach okun recently for a wide-ranging and entertaining interview. and check out their web site www.antlerand.com to watch video clips of their singles "not it's a year" and "far too clean".

how long has antlerand been together?

zach: we've been together for about 3 years. chris and i have known each other for ten actually. he lived with some of my high school friends in santa cruz. and when i'd visit them, we would all play music together.

i remember using my first recording device (a digital 8-track) to record a song that would come to be on the invisible ep years later.

he met and recruited delaney shortly after we recorded the ep, and the three of us played together for the first time just days after i moved to portland in an improv ensemble called the land camera micro orchestra, opening up for menomena's cd release.

you guys are a rare example of a long-distance relationship that worked. tell the truth, how did you really meet chris? it through e-harmony.com, wasn't it?

zach: it was jdate, actually. i wanted someone who could make a mean gefilte fish, and i ended up with someone who could make a meaner matzah-ball soup.

why didn't we think of starting that web site? we could have made millions!

zach: speak for yourself. i'm on the board at match.com.

all the great ideas are already taken! anyway, you were saying ...

zach: right, chris and i stayed in touch and became friends in our own right. after college (in our favorite city of the south), i moved to seattle.

since chris was in portland (a short jaunt away) we kept in touch and visited each other a couple times. then when i went to audio recording school in tempe, az for 8 months, he came down, we recorded some songs, decided to make it an official ep, and made plans to give it a go.

we were also both determined to incorporate the visual aspect of our live show. we were both vaguely annoyed by visuals at rock shows that seemingly had nothing to do with the music, and often served as a distraction. we decided to have the two be interconnected in a way that improved upon the music. but we were also determined that the music should stand on its own. that way, the visuals were an added bonus for the live show.

i know the band changed their name from invisible to antlerand when signing with sound family records in seattle. what led to the name change and why antlerand?

zach: there are two reasons. one is that there is a hip-hop producer/musician who already had the name. also, there are so many bands/album titles that use the word invisible that when we re-released the album with sound family we thought it would be a good idea to reinvent ourselves.

one day, the three of us were walking in a park somewhere in south dakota while we were on tour as invisible, and night fell quickly. it was an eerie night and we lost track of where we had parked the van. hours went by without seeing any signs of civilization. we came across what appeared to be a field of antlers. delaney appeared to be glowing green and chris suddenly didn't need his glasses to see perfectly. there we were, meandering in the middle of nowhere seeing only antler and antler and antler ...

by the way, i'm not saying i'm pathological, but perhaps sometimes i am what i'll term truth-challenged.

antlerand has been getting lots of airplay on several well-respected radio stations like kexp in seattle, woxy in ohio and wras in atlanta. have you gotten more fan feedback from the airplay or the national tour anterland went on last summer?

zach: we definitely have. but it's not the same as someone who's seen us play. the live show is a different beast altogether, and inspires a different reaction. but it's been lovely to have people from far and wide respond to the music and let us know that they enjoy it. nothing better than getting a cd order from overseas.

one person in malaysia wanted to know when we'd come play out there. and we have a fan in russia who wrote us the most charming and inspiring email ever.

speaking of the touring - is anything coming up on a national level?

zach: we just went out for a couple weeks down the left coast and around the west. we plan to head out again for a national tour in september. if all goes as planned we'll be seeing you before the first leaf falls.

route 66 in a van or bus?

zach: we bought ourselves a van--the ice horse we call it. i just realized recently that someone can mis-hear its name and think we said 'the eye sores', but old icy is far too pretty for anyone to believe that nonsense.

just how many felonies have been committed inside the ice horse?

zach: several. but if we ever get pulled over, we are a christian rock band on our way to reverend gilmore's service.

what do you think, will it work?

it worked for scott stapp. and hey, i know a couple of good tv lawyers if you need one.

zach: ooh, like who?

gilbert, motlick, nugent and a few others - but they probably aren't too cheap. speaking of paying the bills, your album branches came out a couple of months ago. how is the response to the album?

zach: the response has been pretty good. we'll see in the next few months if it continues, but so far it's only gotten better.

i think the album is sort of slow to catch on to people. it's not the kind of pop music that immediately infects you. and it's not easy to categorize, but it seems that a lot of people hear it at first and are interested enough to listen a bit more and then it starts to unfold for them. which i think is a good thing.

any songs of which you are especially proud?

zach: i'm pretty proud of all of it. the relationship one has with one's music/art/etc. is a complex thing, often involving love, hate and everything in between.

you caught me at a time when i have a pretty good distance from it, and i'm happy with it.

you and your long distance relationships ... i know it's early, but is the band working on a new album?

zach: we're working on writing the material. we'll probably begin to record it sometime this summer, but most likely won't finish it until the end of the year.

i know you are involved in various other projects. do you find that success in one band makes it easier to be creative in other outlets or does it make it difficult to remained focused?

zach: it can be difficult in terms of time commitments, but it's also very fulfilling to get to work with other projects.

i play bass in a band called the kingdom, and recorded our first full-length album, and it's really nice to get to play music that's different from antlerand's. i wish i could be in dozens of bands, all with different stuff, but we can't all be rob crowe.

in fact, i have no idea how that guy does it.

i also got to work with a band called the minders here in portland, who i am a huge fan of. playing bass and helping with the production on that was really fun and another welcome creative outlet.

also, in my atlanta days, i was in a band called the fairline parkway. we released one album (some of my first recordings) but never really played live, because it was really just two of us. but raj and i have always planned on continuing with it, and in the last year or so we have made some trips across to country to see each other and work on new music.

we also enlisted the help of some friends on both coasts (including some new band members) and have nearly completed our second album. it needs to be mastered but i'm really proud of it and i'm happy about that.

is there an comparison between the atlanta music scene and portland's scene?

zach: i have to say, i was never really entrenched in the atlanta music scene. maybe i just wasn't old enough or around enough to get to know the scenesters.

the portland music scene is overflowing. it's incredible really how many bands and musicians there are here. alternately inspiring and sickening.

i hope i don't sound like a curmudgeon.

so, curmudgeon, what are you favorite 2am dives in both places?

zach: oh wow. in atlanta, i really liked a bar in decatur near the all-girls' college that i'm forgetting the name of, called trackside. it's not a dive, but i also really like the earl in east atlanta.

in portland, the dive bars are plentiful. one of my favorites until recently (we had a tiff) was 'my father's place'. i tend to go to whatever bars are in my quadrant (portlanders will understand).

probably not the best places to keep you in the running to be america's next top model? tell the truth. you watch the show, don't you?

zach: my roommates don't allow me to watch t.v., but truth be told i spend a lot of time at my girlfriend's house and you might not believe me, but that show is on right now. i haven't yet seen it, but as soon as i finish this sentence i'm gonna have to check it out now.

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24 april 2006 -

yeah yeah yeahs
show your bones

i was probably the only person not to be overwhelmed by the yeah yeah yeahs' fever to tell when it came out a few years ago. so i was apprehensive when they're new album show your bones came out.

i'll be a contrarian's again as i like this album although many people i've spoken to don't like it as much as fever to tell. the current album is less exploratory and more honed.

from gold lion to honeybear to phenomena i like most of the songs on this album which is a lot more than i would have thought.

man man
six demon bag

the decemberists on acid. impressive but boring. maybe its the time of year but despite many tries i can't love this album. i like it a lot, but i don't love it.

clearlake
amber

i was looking forward to getting this album but it was as flat as a week-old coke. there are a couple of nice songs, but mostly it lacked descript and was bland.

the long winters
ultimatum (ep)

i love eps. i really do. two really amazing songs in ultimatum and the commander thinks aloud. worth a listen.

artic monkeys
whatever it is people say i am, that's what i am not

with so much hype about this band (and a lackluster ep) i figured this would be a one weeks listen and then i'd toss it in with a pile of similar cd's i through money away on.

but for a change, this album stands up to the hype.

if there's a cd you are going to buy this spring, and you don't already have it, buy this disk. talent, attitude, good writing and good music is a top-shelf combo.

morrissey
ringleader of the tormentors

why, moz? why?

antlerand
branches

a disc that breaks away from a lot of what is heard on the radio these days. a couple of really nice songs carry the album. with several lead singers, the band may be one album away from finding their best sound.

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22 april 2006 -

everyone get ready and make plans for next friday, because i will be bringing everything i have for atlanta's decatur social club. it will be the best sets i've ever dj'd. i've been away for five weeks and i'm going to make up for it. i won't disappoint.

i will be working on reviews with i hope to have up tomorrow.

no more love on the run. hells yeah billy ocean, hells yeah.

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18 april 2006 -

today: new piece on exposed, a few new things on sports and articles is up and going.

rumors have it adult swim will be launching it's own network. note to my friends at adult swim: bring back parker lewis can't loose!!!

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17 april 2006 -

the best freakin' mix tape ever - 08.17.96

side a -
garbage - sleep
fiona apple - sullen girl
hayden - stem
pulp - something changed
radiohead - nice dream
ruby - paraffin
ben harper - another lonely day
cracker - big dipper
dog's eye view - dodge
amie mann - all over now
morphine - whisper
lifter - something borrowed
blur - end of a century

side b -
garbage - kick my ass
jane's additiction - jane says
fun lovin' criminals - we have all the time in the world
boss hog - i dig you
tool - sober
republica - holly
the raincoats - pretty
the posies - fight it
live - top
lifter - 402
angelfish - sleep with me
pj harvey - hardly wait
blur - parklife

in doing some cleaning this weekend i found this mix tape. ten years later i can live with all but two or three songs. not too shabby.

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16 april 2006 -

massive update to the exposed section today. check it out.

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7 april 2006 -

retro-review: teenage fanclub

teenage fanclub
bandwagonesque

if you were walking down the street and someone stopped and asked you what band had the album that spin magazine named the best album of 1991, what would be your guess?

nirvana? my bloody valentine? U2? REM?

the answer: teenage fanclub. (NME had it at #2 behind nirvana's nevermind.)

scotland's teenage fanclub won acclaim because of their early-alternative/power-pop sound which dominated college radio pre-nirvana. from 1989 to 1993 there were many now forgotten bands creating great records during the post-wave, pre-grunge hey-day. notables included the posies, the charlatans, the ocean blue, the connells, aztec camera, camouflage and a dozen more worth naming.

at the top of that list is teenage fanclub.

the aptly titled bandwagonesque was a highlight of the era. with a sound quite similar to big star, the band churned out an amazing album with their first release on geffen.

the single "star sign" may have been the albums best known track, but "the concept", "alchoholiday" and "what you do to me" are also top-shelf tracks.

the band is still together and still putting out albums. their 1995 album grand prix and 1997's songs from northern britain were more commercially successful than bandwagonesque, but as is typically the case, they are also less relevant.

with the resurgence of the classic alternative sound beginning to happen, check out teenage fanclub and bandwagonesque. you'll be delighted that you did.

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6 april 2006 -

thursday night. no reviews. they're coming soon. this week proved to be harder than i could have imagined. those of you who know why, know why. that's all i'm saying about that. over the next two weeks i'll add more content. a new logo is also on the horizon. patience, grasshopper.

i have reviews coming this week from: antlerand, man man, portugal the man and yeah yeah yeahs. i might throw a few more in for good measure. i will also have a few more exclusive interviews in the next few weeks.

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27 march 2006 -

EXCLUSIVE Interview: The High Violets
Chuck Norton, deadjournalist.com

A musical double-take. That is the best way I can describe my reaction upon first hearing "To Where You Are" by The High Violets. The subtle intensity of their songs, which harkens back to the shoegaze movement, was surprising and refreshing.

The band's second release features several superb tracks, including "Invitation", "Sun Baby", "Two Where You Are" and "Cool Green". With the layered, ethereal guitars of Clint Sargent and the satisfying voice of Kaitlyn ni Donovan, the band's finely honed sound is apt to change your personal music landscape.

The Portland-based band is comprised of lead vocalist Donovan, guitarist Sargent, drummer Luke Strahota and bassist Aaron Overstreet. While finishing up their recent western states tour, Sargent and Donovan graciously took time out of their schedule to discuss the band and their new album.

What's the history of The High Violets?

Clint: The High Violets were born in 1998, but it wasn't until 1999 that we secured Kaitlyn ni Donovan as the vocalist. Luke Strahota (currently drumming) and I created the band when our former band The Bella Low fell apart.

It took a while to find the right singer. In fact, when Kaitlyn first offered up her services we initially declined because she had her own band. To this day she contends that she just wanted to party and play tambourine with us. But obviously with a voice like hers she had to be persuaded to be the main singer.

Your sound is refreshing compared to the current wave of sound-a-like indie bands. Teeming with layered guitars that create a rich, ethereal verve, the band draws a lot of comparisons to My Bloody Valentine, Ride, The Sundays, Slowdive and other shoegaze-esque bands of the late '80's or early '90's. Do you find the comparisons flattering?

Clint: Well, it's hard not to be flattered when someone compares you to My Bloody Valentine. We just played a show in Tucson and a girl attending the show was told about the MBV reference and her reaction was "we'll see". But at the end of the show she felt it held up.

To be honest when we started out these bands were a sort of blueprint. I think it would be wrong to say The High Violets are a carbon copy or some sort of tribute sound because there are other influences in our music.

Who are the artists that influenced you musically?

Kait: Satie, Ravel, XTC, Cocteau Twins, Kate Bush, The Church, The Ink Spots, Elvis Costello, Lisa Germano, Talk Talk ...

Clint: Echo and the Bunnymen, The Jesus and Mary Chain, New Order, The Cure, The Chameleons, Clan of Xymox, Ride, Lush, Stone Roses, The Verve, Oasis ...

Kaitlyn Ni Donovan now provides lead vocals exclusively; how has that allowed you and the band to grow as artists?

Clint: One of the reasons for this was to show that it's important to us that our sound is more associated with her voice. It also frees me up to concentrate on guitar figures.

However, we do enjoy our voices together and for sure will do more of this on the next record as well as having a few that I sing.

How was your experience working with producers Jeff Saltzman and Tony Lash on "To Where You Are"?

Clint: Great! They both really made this happen for us.

Jeff was very up front when the drummer we were initially using wasn't working out. He was like, "We can't use these tracks." This created quite a bit of drama - resulting in that drummer's departure - but we stuck it out and got what we wanted.

Tony was also pretty direct about some things that weren't up to speed; that really needed to be better. And again we put in the extra effort.

Are you flattered by all the positive industry buzz the band is receiving? And does it add pressure to your performances?

Clint: Very flattered, and yes there is pressure and stress. I would say that the performances at this point are like a pressure valve in that we let it out and really go. Once we are playing and all the gear is working - I really think the pressure is off.

Kait: Yes and yes.

I know they are like you kids - you aren't suppose to have favorites - but are there any tracks on the new album that you love a little more than the others?

Kait: I like the beauty and power of the ending of "To Where You Are".

Clint: Well I suppose the track I'm most proud of is "Invitation" because it's the one we worked the longest on and really put in extra effort. It was another case of "these drums aren't right". This time it was Tony Lash to break the news. We ended up redoing the drums to make it right.

The band is currently finishing a western states tour. How has the reaction been to this tour?

Kait: Very enthusiastic with a record number of encores!

Clint: It's been great getting out to places we haven't been to yet and meeting people who have been fans since our first record. We met a guy in Albuquerque who was like "High Violets, I love that band! Wait you're right here in front of me!"

Although "To Where You Are" was released in January, are you working on new material?

Clint: We are talking about the next record a lot and thinking about how to proceed. It will be interesting to see what songs develop - or should I say make the cut.

I know that I have 10 or 15 ideas floating in my head and Kait has songs. And Aaron has some ideas and Luke wants to do some old-fashioned style writing in our practice place.

So yeah we're not short on material. It's juggling touring with the process of writing a new album that will be challenging.

What is you best-case scenario for 2006?

Clint: Cover the nation touring, record new album and sign a new record deal with European distribution.

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26 march 2006 -

while on the road yesterday i heard of the passing of one of my heros, buck owens. part of my saturday night routine was watching hee haw, of which owens hosted with crossover artist roy clark.

owens struggled with his role on hee haw over the years because it came at a high price to his recording career. while clark was a successful artist in his on right (as a guitar player primarily), owens was a bona fide star.

his southwestern roots played a large roll in his unique honky tonk sound. with his back-up band, the buckaroos, owens found success on such songs as "tiger by the tail" and "act naturally".

although taking the gig as co-host of hee haw (which is the longest-running syndicated show in television history) exposed owens to a larger audience, the novelty of the show cast a cloud on his recording career. other than a successful duet with dwight yoakam in 1987, owens recording career has been sadly overlooked for the last 40 years.

i have always been drawn to the tight harmonies found in honky-tonk and appalachian gospel (think statler bros.). part of this fondness is thanks to buck owens.

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25 march 2006 -

of insomnia. after going through three weeks of insomnia i started sleeping well this week. that put a dent in my deadjournalist progress. i leave in a couple of hours for a 14 hour trip to and back from johnson city, tn. that's going to be fun. enjoy the updates.

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25 march 2006 -

review: hank williams iii - "straight to hell"

three weeks ago, on a whim, i ordered hank williams iii third country release "straight to hell" on amazon. the album was just out and i wanted to listen to something different. i had no clue what to expect. was this going to be kid rock all over again? was it going to be a milestone album that starts bringing outlaw attitude to a genre lost in pop-lust?

over the last few weeks i've listened to the album several times and i'm still not set in my opinion. one minute i think it's a nice resurrection of classic honky tonk and outlaw country. the next minute, i think it's nothing more than an feeble attempt to exploit a name for commercial purposes.

i think i've settled on it being a little bit of both.

williams does sound a lot like his grandfather, american song-writing legend hank williams, and wants everyone to believe that he's living harder than his father, good ole hank williams jr. "smoke and wine", "pills i took" and thrown out of the bar" offer intriguing looks inside the life of this american legacy. but williams' sometimes gets his testosterone revved too much, like in "crazed country rebel". not surprising for a guy who spent years as a cow-punk artist before cutting his first country album to pay child support bills to the daughter of a nashville record executive.

many of the songs on "straight to hell" reference the early-70's country outlaws. this isn't a valed attempt to tap into displaced country music fans either. while it's great to hear the names of waylon jennings, johnny cash, merle haggard, willie nelson, david allen coe and hank william jr. mentioned in the song "country heroes", it looses it's novelty quick.

williams sets out to prove that he's an outlaw and that he doesn't care about the nashville establishment. hank 3 also calls out kid rock to help further establish his heritage - both by birth and by location.

billy joe shaver he isn't, but hank williams iii does provide some of the outlaw spirit that's been missing in the americana/country realm for years. "straight to hell" isn't going to become a landmark album but it is an album to which you can drink cheap whiskey.

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20 march 2006 -

the replacements
pleased to meet you

if you are under the age of 25 you may not have been exposed to the replacements. fronted by paul westerberg, the replacements created the kind of straight-ahead rock that has long-since lost its place in the american musical lexicon.

throughout the 1980's, the replacements' music sat in stark contrast to new wave and power-pop. although gaining commercial success in the latter part of the decade, the band's albums "let it be", "tim" and "pleased to meet you" provide a glimpse into the post-punk, pre-grunge era that is often overlooked.

crafting infectous hooks with well-writen lyrics, the replacements have a way grabbing a part of your brain and not letting go. songs like "kiss me on the bus", "bastards of young", "alex chilton", "i will dare" and "can't hardly wait" prove that sometimes good songs can get stuck in your head.

although westerberg is more well known in many circles for his post-"singles" career, his work with the replacements stands out. at their best, the band produced rock music much like tom pretty, dinasaur jr. or lucero - void of trend and full of vigor.

released in 1987, "pleased to meet you" is the last of the great three replacements records. this album is the reason i go used cd shopping.

pleased to meet you is a cd that you should own. the tracks "alex chilton", "valentine" and "can't hardly wait" headline a classic alternative album.

while i personally favor the album tim, if you are out and see this disc in the used been, go ahead and pick it up.

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20 march 2006 -

nothing worthwhile to comment on today. a few interesting things from the weekend mainly came from the sports world where the ncaa men's basketball tourney provide excitement and also from nascar where bill lester became the first african-american to start a race in 20 years.

i think this might be a good place to make a couple of points. first, while the story is a little overexposed, it points to how few minorities are in racing. while i know more about nascar than the other leagues, i think former nba player larry nance is the only other regular series racer of color - and he's in funny cars. (i am not including international drivers in this topic.)

while nascar has a large fan-base of repugnant, uneducated, hateful and racist fans - they have even more fan who are none of those things. did i mention it's a billion dollar business? nascar owes more than a few of it's millions to products enjoyed by an international and multicultural collective. let's face it. it's entertainment - so it's about time it expands to include more diverse drivers.

in the local music scene, there are a lot of good shows going on in atlanta this week. the gossip, the joggers, man man, the magic numbers, the elected and the psychic hearts are all playing. i won't be attending many if any of these because i'd rather enjoy some quiet time. however, if anyone wants to drag me out, i could be persuaded.

a teaser for my new readers. i have just confirmed several interviews and will be working on setting more up over the next few weeks. as my readership grows, i hope to be able to give everyone a reason to come back a couple of times a week.

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19 march 2006 -
pandemic. i didn't pay much attention to the notion of the bird flu until a few weeks ago. while it is partially propaganda - the reality is it could pose a serious risk to millions of people worldwide.

one of the things about my generation is how we have been spared from great turmoil. yes, 9-11 happened. yes, there is the war in iraq. but unless you lived in new york, dc or knew someone that was involved, you are unaffected by the occurrence. the only time you remember it is when the media talks about it or when you pay the 9-11 fee to fly.

the iraqi war is mainly felt through increased gas prices. i know no one in iraq. although i had good friends who spent time in the military, they either got out or i lost touch with them so many years ago they no longer matter to me.

a pandemic could and would change everything. so would a true biological or economic war. of these, the pandemic scares me the most. even if only 1-percent of the nation died, that would surely effect friends, family andcoworkers. all of us would risk being stricken. and moreover, the nations economy would take a powerful hit.

loss of productivity along with the reallocation of funds could cause the nation to fall into a deep recession. that would surely stifle the real estate market and send stocks plummeting. with most americans - and the soon to be retiring baby boomers - investing heavily in stocks and real estate, millions of americans could be wiped out of most of their savings. imagine enron for everyone.

in the short term, imagine schools closing; businesses unable to make payroll; disruption in the mass distribution chains across america. getting a loaf of bread or a tank of gas or medical care could all become nearly impossible.

the likelihood of this happening is probably 5- to 15-percent. it has caused me to start thinking about adding a few more canned goods and buying some bottled water - just in case. having a little extra cash on hand might not be a bad idea either.

hopefully, none of this will happen. but hey, we don't live in utopia. we live during the downside of rome. if anything, it has caused me to think more about the important things in life and how silly it is to spend so much time worrying about the small stuff.

easier said than done.

for more information on the bird flu pandemic, visit www.pandemic.gov or just search it yourself on your browser of choice.

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17 march 2006 -

pounding molten iron into a usable object is hard, hot, dirty and painstaking work. so is creating a tangible outlet for an idea that has been hidden away in a back pocket for years.

soon, this site will be populated and moderately interactive. for now, i'm enjoying being doogie howser, m.d.

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16 march 2006 -

four years in the making, deadjournalist finally is a reality. finally.
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Outkast - Morris Brown