Blogcritics Author: Paul Hawkins

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Interview: Kathleen Haskard, Shhh Don't Tell

Paul Hawkins — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 08:35:45 EDT

Singer, songwriter, political activist, and all round task manager has her new album out on July 27th, Don't Tell is released on her own Howlin` Hound label. Along with producers Chuck Prophet and Simon Alpin, Kathleen has made an album of immense weight, warmth and searing honesty. Prophet and Alpin have woken the guilty preacher, smoked his last cigarette and served him up a condemned man's breakfast whilst Kathleen`s songs challenge his congregation. These two men have produced an album of casual brilliance, letting the songs rise in the swirling swell of 21st century uncertainty. Kathleen is a sussed and culturally aware musician who passionately believes in the healing capacity of music, people power, and that the personal is most definitely political. We got together to chew over music, life, and the family tree.You have lived a varied and interesting life Kathleen. Looking at your bio on your website, what came first for you, music or politics? Definitely music. My dad was a singin’ in the shower kind of guy. He has a beautiful voice and was into Tommy Wolfe and Fran Landesman's 'Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most' type jazz. I was in school and church choirs from a very young age. An alto age 10!Tell me something about your political awareness. How did your bullshit detector antenna know where to home in? If activism can be genetic then it may have always been there laying dormant until it was lit up at 14 by my high school history teacher, Paula Ogren. Her mantra was “apathy is a sin”! and if you have the right to vote in what purports to be a democratic society then it is practically criminal to not exercise that right. And if you are a woman, even more negligent and a minority woman, well, you get the gist.Who would you namecheck as inspirations to your music? My dad, The Beatles, Leonard Cohen, John Prine, Bob, the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Bros, CSN&Y, JD Souther, Jackson Browne, Marianne Faithful, Joni Mitchell, Dolly, Bobbie Gentry, Steve Earle, Robert Burns, and the mighty Chuck Prophet.And more generally on your life?My mom, Sister Mary Karlyn, Paula Ogren, Tom Hayden, Tom Paine, Sarah Raphael, my ridiculously beautiful, talented sons, Skylar, Aubrey, and Luke are a constant source of inspiration and exasperation. My mad scientist/physician husband Dorian. His work ethic and dedication to his vocation is astounding.You have quite a lineage, ancestors who led challenging political lives, tell me about them? My maternal grandfather Robert O’Dowd was an Irish 1st generation American who was a card carrying member of the Communist Party back in the day when it was a romantic movement. When the farm in Michigan went bust he went into town to join the rank and file in the booming auto industry. He became embroiled in the embryonic Labour Movement and fought for the rights of workers to be members of a union. Though inspirational it was to be his undoing. He helped organise and lead various strikes and routinely got his head stoved in by government goon squads. He died of a brain haemorrhage years later in his favourite bar. He wasn’t yet 40.My maternal great grandmother Elizabeth Broom was a colourful Englishwoman from Devon who owned and ran a speakeasy during the Prohibition which included girls upstairs as an optional extra.And my great great uncle on my dad's side of the family, Jesus Garcia, is a folk hero in Mexico who was a train engineer when a dynamite laden train caught fire in the middle of the town of Nacozari, Sonora. He drove the train out towards the mines away from the heavily populated town center and blew up with the train! A folk song "Maquina 501" tells the story in a bit more detail. That was November 1907 so this year is the centenary party which I’m hoping to get to.I always find it confounding when I hear people say "I leave the politics to the politicians"........that in itself is an act of disengagement, surely? Yep. That old apathy chestnut again. There’s no point whinging about stuff that you can ostensibly affect change about if you don’t make your feelings known to the people in power who are supposed to be there to represent and implement our ideas and opinions. Bitching and complaining can be great fun but pretty ineffectual unless it spawns great literature or art or is backed up with calls and letters and voting with your feet on polling day. Unless of course you are a member of the Anarchist Party whose motto is “Don’t Vote"! Because whoever you vote for The Government always gets in.” Naomi Klein has written a book called No Logo, in an attempt to de-mystify and critique globalisation and capitalism. She makes clear the complete lack of unbranded public space, ie gigs, art exhibitions, murals - multinationals have crept into patronising all these events and use them as a tool to enhance a brand culture for themselves. What's your view on this?I instinctively disapprove of obvious branding and am much more likely to be positively predisposed to companies that keep their sponsorship on the down low. but therein lies the rub; no brand - no visibility and no easily attributable credit. Whatever happened to the buzz that came as a result of anonymous altruism?It got sponsored by Nike. When will Tony Blair be in the dock for war crimes, I wonder? My guess is never. Just as it’s only a matter of history that booze is legal and marijuana isn’t. With Blair, it’s a question of whose in power, when, and whose empire of dirt is the most omnipotent. I don’t think history will be kind to him but he seems to be getting away with it at the moment.I think the Iraq atrocities will follow him around like a bad smell for the rest of his pampered, cushioned life. I recently interviewed writer Chris Salewicz who has published a bio on Joe Strummer, were you a fan of Strummer and The Clash?In spirit I most definitely am. The attitude, the energy, and the sheer balls that came across through the music was radical and exciting. Sonically/melodically I was challenged to a duel by them and the music left me feeling agitated and unresolved, which maybe was the point in the first place. I already had a young baby and so couldn’t/didn’t throw myself into that anarchic whirlwind lifestyle.How was it singing on Neil Young's album, Living With War? How did it come about?It was thrilling! It was combining my favourite things, singing and shouting about what’s gone wrong with our “Jesus take the wheel” form of government and how it’s been hijacked and being pillaged by this right wing cabal even as we speak.I had flown into LA after having spent 2 very productive days recording the new album with Chuck Prophet in San Francisco, still high from the art we had begun to make. I was awakened around 8:30 am by a phone call from my great friend Dan Navarro (Lowen & Navarro) asking if I would be up for a 12 hour backing vocal session in the Capitol Records building. At first I was kind of blasé about it cause I was half asleep and sort of on vacation. But when he said “Kath, it’s for Neil Young” I let out a yelp and dropped the phone. I had to be ok’d by the great Rosemary Butler who along with Neil conducted the choir. She had heard me sing and at a festival in Durango we had both played at the previous summer and so I was in.What happened then?Dan came and got me and off we went. We sang for 12 hours with 2 half hour breaks for food. As soon as we arrived we were split into bass, alto, and sopranos. The lyrics were rolled up on a giant overhead projector screen and as we read them people would audibly gasp or burst into spontaneous applause. I couldn’t believe that finally someone with his sort of high profile and access to the big media machine was coming out of the closet and singing/saying/shouting even, about the injustices of this war and the hypocrisies that we tend to tolerate in our society on a daily basis. We came out of the session 12 plus hours later exhausted, elated, and floating in a surrealistic “we can change the world” bubble. My throat chakra was buzzing and glowing. Yeah that’s right the healing power of music….You have many songwriting credits, via Bug Music. Do you write songs with people like Stacey Earle in mind, or do they hear your version and arrangement first?Yeah I have a couple of songs on other people’s albums but they have all been direct collaborations. Stacey Earle and I met through her publisher at the time Jewel Coburn (Ten Ten Music) who wanted us to get together and write so as to combine our writing sensibilities. Stacey has this folk/hillbilly country/Mexican mariachi thang she does and I’m a kinda genre blended west coast, alt blues rock, folk rock noire, jaded by living in London kind of writer. So we wrote “Losers Weep” for her first album Simple Gearle and her big brother Steve sang harmonies on it. It’s a song that we both drew out of our shared experiences of being single teenage mothers. Stacey’s dad Jack Earle helped us finish it off. Another is “I Got My Own Way Of Doin’ Things” on Lowen & Navarro’s Scratch At The Door. It started life as a slack blues idea I had knockin’ around. We were all in the room and hammered it out together. I have yet to have an artist record a song that I have written without them in the room with me. But the night is young.Don’t Tell will be released at the end of July. Tell me about the songs on it?Half the songs are co-writes and the other half are just me. Track 8, "Hallelujah" was written by Chuck and me on the spot in the studio while recording the album. He had invited his friend JT Leroy down to write with us that day and I was really unsettled by it. Writing songs is a very intimate process for me and so when he announced that this crazy 15 year old boy/40 something woman/number 1 selling author was comin’ in to try her hand at songwriting, I freaked. She never turned up so Chuck and Paul Revelli started laying down this drums and 6 string bass, White Stripes-esque rock riff and the lyrics just started spilling onto the page. I couldn’t write them fast enough. There are some irreverent catholic metaphors and water and death by drowning are some of my recurring themes. You`re still in therapy then? And did you have the drowning theme in mind when writing "Like A Pearl Necklace" by any chance? No. More like gargling…. On "Like A Pearl Necklace," Track 6, started by me pilfering a couple of lines from my friend Phil Colley’s poem that set me off on the adventure of writing the rest of it with a friend and collaborator here in London, Toby Slater. The pearl necklace in question is an actual pearl necklace not a metaphor for the shimmering residue that results in various leisure pursuits! It’s a ‘justify your war/behaviour within relationships song’ that Chuck made dark and eerie by playing a weird little 3 octave organ and his shadowy guitar licks.Okay. Glad we got that cleared up. "Leave To Remain," Track 10, I wrote on my own after mucking around with various picking and plucking single notes and chord progressions quite a way up on the fret board from where I usually play. I play guitar by ear so happy accidents are a big part of my writing technique. Lyrically, it started off as an exploration of my so called “permanent residency” status in the U.K. The actual stamp in my passport reads INDEFINITE LEAVE TO REMAIN. A pretty vague ethereal way of saying ‘you can stay for now, anyway’. It sort of morphed into a song about trying to get something across to someone. About communicating your essence… or not. About how you can more fully understand and appreciate someone or something in their absence. Simon plays lap steel on this one and when we were mixing it I said I wanted him to pull up the volume of the lap steel track. But he said the “drifting in from the next room” vibe was perfect for the song. And so it is….Produced by Simon Alpin and Chuck Prophet, how was Don’t Tell recorded? Was it done in one hit? No. Because we are all so busy with our various satellite projects it was a real challenge to find chinks in our respective schedules to get down to doing some recording. Simon and I did some basic guitar and vocal guides in my front room in Camberwell (southeast London) and some drum tracks at studio near Bristol that Portishead has used. Did you do any recording outside of the U.K.? I went to Chuck in San Francisco where he pulled in his muso posse at Hyde Street Studios and we recorded 5 of the songs live, as a band with very little post production tinkering. Working with multiple producers can be tricky but we avoided most overlapping and so there are songs that are entirely Simon produced and songs that are Chuck treatments.And who else played on the album? Both Chuck and Simon play guitars and bass throughout. The drummers are both called Paul, Revelli and Wigens to be exact. The one and only Danny Eisenberg on Hammond and piano, Tom Heyman on Pedal Steel, JJ Wiesler on guitar, Julian Wilson from the UK’s Grand Drive lent his organ and vocals and my great friend and collaborator Sandy Stewart did BV’s on our song Play Me.You manage yourself, run your own label and, as you mentioned, are your own masseur when on the road, does the control of your music, your art, outweigh the hard grind this must be? I know no other way. I would love to have the support that a great label can offer but it hasn’t come my way yet. Whether I would be able to let go some of the artistic control for the sake of having the help with the machinations of getting the music to a wider audience is unknown. Like any sort of working relationship it’s all about your ability to compromise.Whats your plan for the coming year? Gigs, gigs, and more gigs. I have put together a great band here in the UK and I am in the process of setting up a U.K. tour in September and regional U.S. tours starting with the South and Southwest in November. Because of the cost of touring with a band, the plan is to have a local pickup band in every region. It is another way of keeping it fresh too. Different players bring something new to the table and keep the stale bread at bay.And finally, the devil, is she/he all bad? Or just an over used and redundant religious metaphor, rich with harmful guilt association used by the church to instill fear, loathing, and control in its followers? Flip Wilson’s immortal line “The devil made me do it” was used as a way to distance his character Geraldine from taking responsibility for his/her actions. I was raised in the Catholic church and from the age of 10 – 17 went to Catholic schools.I was branded by Ranch Catholico from an early age too, managed to get a skin graft once I hit mid teens.I never really believed in the devil. From around the age of 10 I found myself at odds with the nuns when I questioned how pre marital sex and murder could be in the same category of sin. All organised religions have their own particular methods of control. The one thing most of them have in common is this sense of a Heaven and a Hell. They justify their existence by acting as the go-between for us mere mortals, with God/Heaven and the Devil/Hell. I prefer to take responsibility (or not) for my own actions and forge my own relationships with whoever does or doesn’t exist. I find the only reason the devil is of any use is for red costumes on Halloween, a way to change up the way to serve hard boiled eggs!Many thanks Kathleen. Her new album and her second, Don't Tell, is out on 23rd July, on the Howlin' Hound label and is available from all good purveyors of sound art.Read more about Kathleen Haskard and cosy on up to her and be her friend on her myspace gang bang site.

Paul H has been interested in popular culture, music, and all of life's rich themes and contradictions for most of his life. After some time living in his car and on friends' sofas, Paul is now re-housed and re-armed with a sawn-off laptop. He likes nothing better than a cup of tea and a roll-up whilst chewing over the proverbial lump of global fat with anyone who will listen. He writes for The Brink, Outsideleft, The Handstand and anywhere else that will have him.

Interview With Chris Salewicz, Author Of Redemption Song: A Biography Of Joe Strummer

Paul Hawkins — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:32:01 EDT

Chris Salewicz was a close friend of Joe Strummer, the cool outlaw rock icon, whose impassioned politicized lyrics, humour and confrontational stance as The Clash frontman projected him to dizzying heights of fame. The Clash were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. Strummer's untimely death in 2002 spawned huge and deeply respectful responses amongst his friends and fans from the far reaches of the four corners of the globe. The inspiration, influence, respect and love felt for Joe Strummer was overwhelming. As Salewicz indicates in this interview, he had to write Redemption Song. It is a detailed, open and honest biography of the man. From the perspective of a close friend for 30 years, Salewicz has managed to not only capture the energy, angst, and poetic beauty of the musician, songwriter, political activist, poet and cultural icon, he has skilfully articulated Strummer's fears, his complexity and reveals the man's down to earth humanity. Never shirking in laying bare the demons that fuelled Strummer's gut-wrenchingly dark low times and the wilderness years following the demise of The Clash, Salewicz writes with compelling authority. With rich detail culled from his friendship with Strummer himself, his many many friends and, of course, his family, Salewicz makes a very persuasive case for him to be added to the long list of protest singers that include Woody Guthrie, John Lennon, and Bob Marley. He certainly convinced me. A sincere and rivetting biography of a warm, outspoken and searingly articulate man, whose drive, integrity, passion, and artistic accomplishments ensure his centrality within forms and discourses of music and popular culture.I had the chance to talk with author, journalist and film producer Chris Salewicz recently, following the release of Redemption Song; I have just finished reading Redemption Song Chris, it is certainly the definitive biography of Joe Strummer, in my opinion. What inspired you to write the book?The day after Joe's funeral, on December 30 2002, I sat down to write all my thoughts and impressions of what had just occurred. I finished two weeks later, with exactly fifty pages written. Speaking to my agent, I mentioned what I had been doing. He asked to see it. Then he came back to me and said, "Do you realize you've just written the first chapter of a book?" By that time I sort of did, and we went from there. A couple of people told me it was my job to write Joe's biography, and although I initially tried to escape this task, I knew they were correct. So this is what happened.How long did the book take to write?It took me three-and-a-half years, an interesting length of time to study my mood-swings. Needless to say, I went mad several times! What do you feel is different about your book to others written about him?To be honest, the only other book specifically about Joe is the one written by Kris Needs. When I told him I was writing one, he said, "Right, I'm going to write one too." Which rather surprised me. But he took a book he was already writing about The Clash and added Joe's name to the title. But I knew the real story: I knew what had gone on, and I knew almost all the witnesses. He packed in so much to his life, what were Joe`s most interesting/compelling characteristics?Joe loved detail, and getting detail right - which stems from his art-school background, I think. I love his view of "Just get on with it," which is something we could all benefit from. Although Joe didn't always follow his own advice, of course - I'm thinking about his wilderness years from roughly 1985 for the next ten years. But also I loved the fact that Joe - and the rest of the Clash - were so funny. They knew that you should never take anything seriously, whilst at the same time being totally serious about everything. They were not a political group, but great satirists. What would you say were the defining moments in his life?I think that the suicide of Joe's brother David in July 1970 fired the rest of his life. As he said, "He chose death: I chose life." It clearly was a traumatic catalyst in his existence. But also meeting Bernie Rhodes and Mick Jones in April 1976 when the Sex Pistols supported Joe's pub-rock group The 101'ers had high significance. As did his misjudged decision to fire Mick Jones from the Clash in August 1983. And I think that meeting his future wife Lucinda was of great significance: after that he seemed motivated to start his music career again. His alcohol intake was a regular feature throughout the book, how much do you think Joe was dependant on it? Was he an alcoholic?I think Joe liked a drink. And other things too. It was all fuel, to keep the whole deal going. Redemption Song is full of fascinating detail from Joe, his family and his immense set of friends, were there any difficult aspects of writing such a thorough and informed, book?I was concerned that I would hurt those close to him, and therefore trod very carefully over certain issues. Needless to say, I didn't always succeed... What would your top 5 Strummer penned songs be?"White Man," "Coma Girl," "Straight To Hell," "Clampdown," and "London's Burning." (I'll change my mind tomorrow). What do you think set him apart from his contemporaries, say Elvis Costello, for example?That he was a true man of the heart and really cared for people and humanity. Even though he didn't necessarily always care enough about himself. What would you say his legacy was?Beautiful lyrics, extraordinary stage performances, the birth of World music, and a far more egalitarian world than existed in 1976. The music and attitude of The Clash has seeped into the entire culture. Of course, Joe believed his true legacy might be the global campfire scene! Was writing the book a way of helping you to put your great love and friendship with Joe into some perspective?Of course - although I didn't realise it when I started out. And I also didn't expect it to be as traumatic and heartwrenching as the process turned out to be. On many occasions tears were running down my face as I was writing. What would you think Joe would make of your book?Joe's fine on my book. The day before I came to the US on my book tour I had a dream in which Joe seemed to be about to punch me on the nose. But as his fist grew nearer to me, it unfurled and he put a spliff in my mouth. Thats a lovely dream! What is your next book to be about?I'm not telling you yet! This book is one of the best biographies I have ever read. I know Joe lived the life he did, but you have written about him in such a way as to make me feel at times Joe was sitting next to me. Reading your book also made me think back about my life, in relation to what Joe Strummer was doing then, which very few books do. I have to admit to finding it difficult to couch these questions actually, the book had so many answers! Thanks so much. I'm touched by what you say. Your questions were great! With very warm thanks Chris Salewicz and Greg Ekelman at SpecialOps Media Read more about Joe StrummerRedemption Song - The Ballad Of Joe Strummer is published by Faber and Faber. Available in all good purveyors of written words.Joe smoking photo courtesy of Anthony Saint James.

An Interview With Sam Jeffers, Percussionist, Multi-Instrumentalist, And Artist With Fridge

Paul Hawkins — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 08:35:53 EDT

With seemingly limitless exuberant energy, Fridge burst out of the trap to remind us what we have been missing from Adem Ilhan, Kieran Hebden and Sam Jeffers on their latest album, The Sun. A musical expansivity, the creativity to renegotiate the sonic spectrum and the vitality of spirit to produce sounds that make us listen in unexpected ways are some of my key reference points to their latest album. The term post-rock is a weary one, worn threadbare over the years as musicians have sought to mangle and distort those sacred musical patterns that we are familiar and safe with.Bark Psychosis were the band that first did it for me and there are many other mavericks who push the possibilities into the unfamiliar. Fridge is another band I would always cite as inhabiting this space and The Sun is a beautiful example of this. From the first crack of driving percussion from Sam Jeffers, they set the tone for the rest of the album. It`s not a punk album, but it has the vibey edge and snarl of a garage band. This vibe of exuberance seeps out of The Sun, regardless of the tempo. The art and the process are of great importance to Fridge. Whilst the three members have all been hard at work on their own musical projects they can mix and match instruments at will. An instrument that is also pushed to the fore is the studio itself. Sounds and loops flicker in and out of the mix, as if they are caught in a swirling eddy that churns and spins the tones and resonance into new forms for aural interpretation. It would be unwise to read into this total unfamiliarity of form, and the one thing that becomes clear is the warm rich harmonies at play on this album. Yeah, it has tunes. Beautiful harmonies that take shape like the tattoed skin(s) a coiled snake sheds in time to the seasons natural rythmn, it all takes place under The Sun. Did you think it was all awkward sounds, stuttering and crawling at you like a manic ecstasy casualty, brain fried, nodding out to the tin foiled morning come down ? Well, you thought wrong buddy!Fridge member Sam Jeffers spilt the beans with me;Sam, how does it feel to be about to pick up the sticks and the reins after a longish hiatus?It’s been a longish pickup really. It feels good, but it’s been nearly a year since the record was finished. It’s been hard to get us all together.What have you all been up to since last playing together as Fridge?Kieran has been Fourtet, Adem has been Adem and I have been a student and running Worklesshard. We all have had a great time doing it, but we’ve always wanted to make another record.Who does what in Fridge?The roles aren’t always as clear as this, but Kieran plays guitar, Adem bass, and me drums. Kieran tends to do most of the production work and Adem most of the other weird other instruments. I go to the shops and buy chocolate.And who are your personal musical inspirations?We all love (in no particular order) – John and Alice Coltrane, the Battles records, Caribou, and Ghostface. At least, these inspire me this week. You can probably guess which inspire me every week.They all shine brightly through, for sure, so what made you decide to record and release a new album?.We’ve actually been recording it for a long while. We’ve been about half done for two years and the last year has been a pause between finishing the recording (last August) and releasing (now). The decision was an easy one – we love to play together, we love the way we make music, we even love some of the music we make and we hope that as many people as possible will get pleasure from it too.So where did you record the sessions that became The Sun?Last August in a concentrated two week period at the Exchange Studios in London. We built on a lot of earlier recording we’d done at Adem’s house over the previous couple of years.You have a warm up gig at Bardens Boudoir, in London and a bigger gig soon afterwards, in August, will you be performing anywhere else?We’re playing at Field Day on August 11th, then in Dublin, Belgium and at The Green Man Festival a week later. We still hope to book a few more shows, but time is ticking and I have to be back in the US for my studies in early September.I hope to catch one of these shows, I am looking forward to hearing how you sound live, what is your set up for these gigs?We’re going to add two extra people to the band to help fill out the sound. This should mean we’re able to better reflect the sound of the records than ever before (previously, we’ve had to lose some of our most-loved songs because we’re unable to play them at all faithfully).Do your lives overlap beyond your musical connections?We’ve been friends since we were 11. Our lives are entirely intertwined, we speak several times a week and, provided we’re in the same town, hang out as much as possible. I just got back from a nice BBQ with Kieran. Lamb kebabs – very civilized.What were your greatest moments in the life of Fridge?We never really played enough shows, so that’s really a regret, but I think we played one at the Scala in London that felt very triumphant and home-comingy. We had a ton of friends and family there, so it was just a really lovely night. The other, which isn’t strictly as Fridge, was when we played "Born in the USA" with Badly Drawn Boy at a giant French festival. It felt boss.So Sam, what will your eco shelter contain to get you through?Some basics – Marmite (for me and Adem, but not for Kieran), 3100 pieces of long-life, toastable bread, Margarine, 1 x Netflix warehouse, 1 x laptop, 1 x great library, some more conclusive Sopranos episodes.What has been your defining moment when making The Sun?As always, it’s the moment when the finished thing drops through the letterbox. As with Happiness, I designed the art for the record, so there’s a big will it/won’t it work moment there too. Seems to look good, so now it’s just a case of people being as into it as we are.Any final thoughts before the gigs and The Sun is released?Can’t wait.Will there be another album and more dates?Yes – there’ll be more of both, but when and where is very, very vague. Life does appear to be remarkably short and there’s plenty to get through.With thanks to Sam Jeffers and Fridge. The Sun is out now on Dominoin Europe and Temporary Residence in the USA on the bands own Text Records imprint.Conducted from the front with zero stress and a very slacked off bowline by Paul Hawkins.

Interview with Charles Stuart: The Man Who Likes Watching - Part Two

Paul Hawkins — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 14:10:52 EDT

Part Two of an interview with singer and multi-instrumentalist Charles Stuart (see pt 1). His new album, The Man Who Likes Watching is out now on Slowfoot.Lets go off point a bit. What are your thoughts on the current Iraq War situation ?"My thoughts are pretty much the same as they always were. Put simply, greed is a very bad thing and greed on this scale where thousands of innocent people have been losing their lives over an extended period of time? I can't think of a word to describe it really."Speaking of George W. Bush, who would you vote for in the US presidential elections ?Well... Richard Pryor passed away recently so I'll have to get back to you on that one.What`s your eco-footprint look like ?I don't do too badly. There are a few things I could polish up on like eating less processed food, using less electricity and water wastage but generally I think I do my bit.Thats gonna be big business in the UK soon, fines for not recycling are on the way. How much TV did you watch as a kid ?I watched far too much TV growing up. I would be sat in front of the screen for hours on end and I swear I was being hypnotized. I would come away from the screen with these messages in my head. I am so thankful that these messages were only telling me to go out and buy the latest and newest and most delicious chocolate bar.Some might say that was still overt political brainwashing. How political should musicians/artists be?Thats a tough one. I can understand people getting annoyed when some superficial pop star decides that its his or her job to tell them who to vote for. But if any musician or artist is in a position where he or she can shed light on or raise the profile of a particular cause directly or indirectly then I think that should be welcomed.He isn't a musician or an artist, but do you think the Australian Prime Minister was right to order their cricket team not to tour Zimbabwe ?I didn't even know about this. I was going to say that I don't follow cricket anymore but this is about politics is it not?Yeah, to do with the rule of despot Mugabe and his ruling ZANU-PF PartyI guess the question is when does Sport become political? And do sportsmen have a conscience? I think by all accounts Mr. Howard did the right thing.Yeah, I agree with you Charles, I think if you have that platform, then use it positively. Are there any more drugs you feel should be legalized?I think I'll abstain from answering this question as the only drug habit I ever had was my non usage.What have been the greatest moments in the life of Charles Stuart?Making it into the starting eleven of the St. Johns Under-12s football team; being kissed by Tracey Pooley behind the school hall; and saving up enough money from my job at the dry cleaners to buy my first keyboard. Watching the sun go down above the Caribbean Sea from the balcony of my mothers house in Canefield, Dominica. Not forgetting any really good party where the music was so good I just wasn't able to stop dancing, regardless of how tired I was.They sound like some life shaping experiences. Were they in any order? No ? Ok, lets move on. Identity and multi culturalism are some keywords thrown into the hat when attempts are made to define one`s ethnicity. What encapsulates, or sums up Englishness for you ?One image that always stays with me is the Prince Charles and Lady Diana wedding. I must've been about 12 at the time and couldn't really get my head around all thisfuss..I remember thinking exactly the same!It just didn't interest me. But my Mum decided it was all very important and that the family should sit and watch the whole thing on TV. I kept trying to figure out what relationship me and my family from the Caribbean had with the Royal family and why we were watching this.Well, it's a fair question.My parents weren't English and at the time I was very confused as to where I came from and where I was suppose to fit in. Today of course there are many different things that I would call, or associate with being English and a lot of those things originate from other cultures.Good point, we did like to put ourselves about a bit, whether the indigenous peoples liked it or not.So whether its tea, jerk chicken, fish and chips, the Notting Hill Carnival, a round down the pub, rice and peas or Roots Manuva, for me these things have all come together somehow under the banner of Englishness.When Global Warming makes it too hot and necessary, what will your Eco-Shelter contain to get you through ?I'll probably be flying with the angels by then, but if by chance I'm still around and this Eco-Shelter is big enough then I'll have a piano, one or two good books, including the bible, I always wanted to read that one, water and some dry food.Do you have an opinion on the recent The Cutty Sark bonfire - should tax payers money be spent on rebuilding it ?I have fond memories of school trips and of fun days out visiting this old ship down in Greenwich, and I really don't know how something like this happens or is allowed to happen. Would it have happened in another country? I'm not so sure. And as for tax payers money being spent on it, shouldn't English Heritage be footing the bill ?It's a little hazy as to where the money is coming from. I hope it was insured. Do Premier League footballers piss you off ?Only the ones who don't play for West Ham United. Other than that most of the players at the bigger clubs do need a bit of a reality check from time to time.The reality TV show Big Brother could be seen as a defining set of images and values of our culture, what do you think ?I think we are all doomed.Does Myspace work for you ?I'm not really sure yet. I guess it means that I have to spend a little more time in front of a computer than I had to spend when I never had a Myspace. I guess its just one more thing.And finally Charles, having just talked about Myspace, its traditional this question; The Devil, is he all bad ?I want to say no.So what plans do you have for the coming year ?Try to stay healthy; try to be as polite as I can to everyone that I meet; try not to go mad and get a dog.And there we break off, spit out the husks and go our separate ways. Charles has a couple of London gigs coming up 21st June at Leonards, 42 Northampton Road, London EC1 and on July 17th at The Comedy, Leicester Square, London. As your friendly attorney, I strongly advise you to buy the album The Man Who Likes Watching. Available from Slowfoot, all good music vendors and a fair sprinkling of so-so outlets too.

Interview: Charles Stuart - The Man Who Likes Watching - Part One

Paul Hawkins — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 07:48:13 EDT

London based singer/songwriter Charles Stuart has recently released his new album, The Man Who Likes Watching, on the Slowfoot label. It is a record of startling beauty, with an aura you can sense connecting to you. His voice is significant and striking; for all its beautiful warmth, tone and spirit, there is a subtlety, as well as a dynamism, at work that sets the moods and equally guides the swings on his album. Some resolve has clearly gone into pushing the musical boundaries here. As the organic and electronic flecks and splashes summon the nuances of a kaleidoscope, tipping the mirrors and the balance just enough to push the forms in and out of shape. To keep you guessing just when you think, you assume where Charles's songs are taking you. This makes the vibe interesting, refreshingly different and not at all predictable without interrupting the flow. I like that.Charles is performing gigs in London and working on other musical projects that include the sub-aquatic observations of dub, jazz, afro-beat, krautrock and electronica that is Snorkel. I was fortunate to catch him during his downtime and we chewed hard on the global fat.So, Charles, how are things from where you are sitting?Well Paul, right now I am sitting in the living room and its very peaceful. The sun is out, the birds are singing and what would really top it off nicely would be a lovely cup of cinnamon tea! The album has been out a few weeks now and we're steadily starting to gig the songs with a mostly new band. I'm feeling good about the way things are starting to sound. I guess you could say we're starting to sound a bit like a band! (Lots of chin-stroking) Oh, and my local football team (soccer) were almost relegated, but managed to stay up thanks to some divine intervention. All in all things are working out. But hey, they always do, right ?Sounds all good Charles. Tell me something about your background, your roots?I grew up one of eight children in Upton park, east London. (This might give you a clue as to who my local football team is)Yes indeedy, it has to be West Ham United.Well my parents came to London in the late 50's from Dominica to live and work. There was a fair sized west Indian community in east London in the 1970's, so there was always a generous helping of reggae, soca and calypso in the air, as well as coul, funk, jazz and rock.One out of eight kids, bet that was busy around the dinner table?Coming from a big family had its plus points! It was generally a creative household, so there was always something going on. My older brother was an actor, my younger sister was a dancer and we all brought different kinds of music into the house. I guess looking back that was where my appreciation and education started.What instrument did you first learn Charles?There was an old piano in the house, it was brought in for my younger sister to play, but I think she was more interested in dance, so I decided to have a go. By this point I already had song ideas in my head, lyrics on paper and vocal ideas scattered around on old 90 minute cassettes. I started to try and learn some chords, concentrating closely on the white notes only and writing roughly five to ten new songs per new chord.That's prolific by most musicians standards, who were your musical heroes or icons? There were so many, musical and otherwise. People who touched my life. Some who are no longer here, some who are still here and some who are not quite still here.And what was your first band like?An absolute fucking mess.Okay, brutal, but honest, I really can empathise with that first band description. So how did your musical path develop from there?Well you could say things took a turn! I decided that I wanted to do some form of musical study. I wanted to play with lots of different people, experience playing different styles of music and just focus on my level of playing.So I went down to Lewisham College of Music and met up with Dave Moses, the Head of Music there at the time. This was all very different for me. Intellectualizing the music wasn't something I was used to up to that point. I wasn't able to listen to or create music in that way. I found it all very interesting and stimulating.Charles, you mentioned that your other brothers and sisters were into dance and acting, and there was a lot of different music in the house, what interested you about music in particular?The form, the shape, the content, the journey, the adventure, and the way I felt when something sounded sooo absolutely fucking amazing that I could just forget myself.Yeah, you can't get that on prescription and it beats working for a living, doesn't it? How did you get involved with Frank at the Slowfoot label?Frank and I were at Lewisham College of Music at the same time. We played in various college bands together and in one or two bands/projects outside college too. There were always musical projects floating around that we both seemed to be a part of. It was only really a matter of time before we started on a project that heavily involved my material and this particular project is what became The Man Who Likes Watching.How was the process of making that album?Exciting, anxious, frustrating, funny, scary, tiring, joyful, tedious, crazy, dark, merry and long.It's beautiful that you can feel all those emotions when you are making music, isn't it? What are your musical influences on your album?A whole mixture of stuff. I've always been heavily influenced by rhythmic/groove music like reggae, soca, calypso and jazz-funk through to electro and hip hop. The groove is definitely important too, and very evident across, the album.As is the slightly leftfield experimentation. We were beginning to improvise a lot more and I guess that we were looking for that happy medium somewhere between improvisation and set parts.The experimentation for me really marked the tracks out when I first heard them, one of the things I picked up on early. What about your lyrics, because they stand out too?I've always been interested in manipulating words. Hearing hip hop for the first time was great. You could just put all these words together that didn't need to mean anything or make any sense just as long they rhymed. That really appealed to me in the same way Tom Waits drunken ranting or Joni Mitchell`s soothing voice appealed to me because they had a way of putting a line or a phrase across that would just break your heart.That's special when someone can do that. Do your paths cross with other Slowfoot artists?Sometimes, yes. Because Slowfoot is a small label most of the artists are also in house musicians so it means that there is a greater chance of you playing on another artists material. In addition there are a couple of other artists on the label. 129 and Crackle, who with a few of the other musicians and myself, make up another monstrosity called Snorkel. It all sounds somehow incestuous doesn't it ?It's funny how it's often the way, isn't it? You mentioned you and the band are breaking in songs, getting used to each other, what's the set up ?Live we have Frank on drums and samples, Kim on bass, Felipe plays guitar/effects, Ben on keys/samples and percussion. Oh, and myself on keys and vocals.Many thanks to Charles Stuart, Frank Byng and all at Slowfoot.Part Two to follow shortly.

Interview: Writer and Musician Sonny Smith

Paul Hawkins — Sun, 27 May 2007 14:59:38 EDT

Screen writer, musician, and playwright Sonny Smith has recently released a new album, Fruitvale, on the Belle Sound label. A beautiful album full of astute observations and immediate characters, Fruitvale soon becomes an intimate stage, the scenery and the vehicle to evoke the San Fransisco area of Oakland the album is loosely based upon.Smith was born in San Fransisco in 1972 and when he moved to Colorado he took up the piano, playing blues in mountain town clubs and bars. Two years later he was living in Denver, playing long sets at weekly gigs in Muddy's Coffee House and the Mercury Cafe, often late into the night, when the 11:00p.m. eyelids blink slowly and become sleepy buddies of 3:00a.m. ears, a time when atmosphere and vibe can creak and slide out of the gaps in loose floorboards, open windows, or uncorked bottles. An itchy mind and curious feet took him traveling through Central America, settling for a while at an organic farm in the jungle of Costa Rica, an easy seagull's mile from the shore of the Caribbean Sea. He hooked up with two other musicians and they busked by choice, chance or invite along the tropical coastline.In 1996 he returned to his birth place, San Fransisco, and embarked on travel of another kind; the imagination, and the people, places, stories and situations that he conjures to life in his songs, plays, short stories, and screenplays. Smith now favoured playing the guitar whilst performing in and around the city. In 1999 he released the album Who`s The Monster? and in 2000 he wrote, directed, and acted in the short film, Kid Gus Man. His artistic output was gathering pace. Another short film, Green Chili Con Suenos, saw the light of day in 2002, as well as the album This Is My Story, This Is My Song, in the same year. A third album closely followed, Sordid Tales of Love and Woe, and Sweet Lorraine in 2003. The following year Watchword literary magazine commissioned Smith to write ten one-act plays set to music. The plays were written as songs, with vocal parts for other singers to perform. Supported by the Headlands Center for the Arts, this imaginative project was recorded and released as simply One Act Plays. By now his evocative writing, larger than life characters and artistic vision attracted the likes of duetting pairs Rico Bell (the Mekons) and Jolie Holland, Mark Eitzel (American Music Club) and Virgil Shaw, Peggy Honeywell, and Andy Cabic (Vetiver). Filmmaker Miranda July also contributed. That year was a pivotal one for the making of the Fruitvale album. His songs became the subject of interest by Leroy Bach (then of Wilco), who invited Sonny to Chicago to record. Other musicians sitting in on those Chicago sessions were David Hilliard (David Byrne), Matthew Lux (Azita), and singers Kelly Hogan, Nora O'Conner, and Edith Frost. The writing and recording process became a long distance collaboration over the next two years. Kelly Hogan sang with Neko Case and another connection was made. Last year Sonny Smith opened the shows on Neko Case's tour. 2006 also saw Smith on the same bill as folk icon Ramblin' Jack Elliot, the man Dylan talks about with excitement in Chronicles, a tour with the Jolie Holland Experience, as well as performing solo dates. He cited some highlights of last year: Omer - "the guy that plays on Valencia Street. Year after year he remains this city’s most dedicated, unique, sincere, bizarre, angry, chipper, crazy, and prolific performer"; Bert Jansch "at the Music Hall, dressed like a regular old unassuming guy, he launched immediately into a song about his friend murdered by Pinochet. True folk music;" AM Radio - "never ending home of complete insanity. Fascists, paranoid conspiracy theorists, hate mongers, xenophobes, racists, psycho babble freaks, radical religious zealots and right wing patriot sociopaths. AM radio is truly the theater of the absurd;" and Jesse Hawthorne Ficks - "this is the guy that puts all the midnight triple bill film shows together at the Castro." Whilst all this was going on, Sonny had artist in residency duties at the LAB in San Fransisco, where he was commissioned to write and produce Stranger Danger Part 2. He had written and produced Part 1 whilst in residence at the Headlands Centre for The Arts in 2000.Chuck Prophet heard some of Sonny Smith's work and liked it so much he released Fruitvale on his Belle Sound label last month. Chuck said that "the characters in Sonny's songs are so real, don't be surprised if they crawl out of your speakers and bum your last smoke off you. I wouldn't wish running a label on my worst enemy. Sonny is so good I had no choice." I got the chance to quiz Sonny about his album amongst other things last week.How's things, Sonny?Today I am safe.You had the urge to roam when you were younger. How did you come to travel to and around Costa Rica?I had a car that got crashed into so got some insurance money and I bought a ticket.It's a nice continuation, one mode of transport segues into another. What made you return to your birth place, San Fransisco?In Central America I missed libraries and movies. I got a little bored, I guess. San Francisco was a natural choice to return to, I suppose.When did you first start playing songs and telling stories?About 18 I guess, I was flunking out of college, ditching class to play piano and write poetry. Horrible poetry.Any tour plans afoot, now that Fruitvale is out?Australia maybe.How did you hook up with Belle Sound?I sent Chuck a demo 'cause he was asking about me opening at some big gig I can't remember now. He really liked it.How was the recording process for Fruitvale, it became a long distance affair, didn't it? Tedious. With little spurts of magic here and there. I tried to approach it like I was writing a novel such as Dreams of Bunker Hill or Tortilla Flat.Do you have a favourite medium, form, or vehicle, to express stuff, when working? You've written songs, plays, screenplays and some bad poetry.Medium? I guess there's usually a guitar around, and some kind of character I'm working with. What happens is they all swirl together. My plays are more like big long songs. My songs are sometimes like plays with characters and dialogue. They're all kind of the same medium to me.Okay, and what has been your most difficult project?The Dangerous Stranger was my second play. It was hard. Fruitvale was pretty hard in some spots.Whats your take on the current fragile state of the planet and globalisation?I think it's a bummer. Nothing else to add ? Whats your thoughts on reducing global warming?I guess I'm biblical on that one. When greed and evil in the hearts of men subsides... things will be different.Have you any plans to play any gigs or work further afield? You mentioned a tour in Australia, what about in Europe?I have vague plans to do everything, I should say.Nothings definite then? Apart from nothing being definite, that is. Who's going to get your vote in the presidential election?Not sure yet. Obama seems like a good man.And what about guns, have you ever been a member of the NRA?I'm sure I have.Should all drugs be legalised?Of course.That WAS definite. RATM's Tom Morello is playing a Stop The War Coalition Benefit gig in London this month; have you performed against the Iraq War?Yeah, when war first broke there were benefits and stuff all the time. It's tapered off.What's on your to-do list for the coming weeks?Pay some outstanding bills. Write a little bit. Hang out.Tell me about your short film, Kid Gus Man. It was my first and only film so far. It's nothing great but it was a great thing to do. Directors deserve a lot of respect. It's a hard job. Editing was the hardest part though. It was a lonely, neurotic job. The actual shooting of the film was much more satisfying. If I could be anything, I would be a film director in the '30s. The kind that went from shoot to shoot and had nothing to do with the editing or the post-production. That would have been a thrill.It sounds like your enthusiasm may lead you to venture into filmwork again, you clearly got into the process. Are you planning to make any more films?Screenplays don't seem to be flowing out of me these days. Not sure why!It would be great to see some of your film work. I often wonder if the Beatles and the Rolling Stones would have had such an impact if the Internet was around. What's your take on peer-to-peer music file sharing?I think it's inevitable. I endorse it.Yes, I think its a foregone conclusion too. What are your interests outside of music?I have been going to the ocean a lot. I bought a wetsuit. I like to just swim around. I bought Ed Rickets’ ("Doc” of Steinbeck’s Cannery Row) book of Pacific tides. I’ve been trying to identify stuff in some of the tide pools down south of SF. Mostly I can tell a starfish from a mussel so far. I’ve re-modeled my little camper for this purpose.Must be nice to have the ocean close by. Reminds me of living in Brighton. Which artists interest you most?Novelists seem to the most. I like to read about them. Kerouac, Brautigan, Miller, Bukowski, Jean Genet, Celine, Burroughs. All these guys that lived outside the norm. They were all criminals. Thieves, degenerates, liers, cheaters, junkies, or queers (when that was criminal). Or all of these. Or in the case of Kerouac it was just their writing styles that was the most rule-breaking aspect of them. Outlaws I guess you might say.Have you read Chronicles? What did you make of it? I particularly liked the story about making the album in New Orleans, especially that bike ride he took.That’s the one and only chapter I opened up into and read. Wouldn’t it be nice to order a Harley or a Norton or whatever he got and have it sent to your studio whenever you hit a creative wall and go on a ride for a few days? What a lucky prick.Yeah, looking at it that way, it's a rare luxury. I have an albino donkey I hit the road on when my well dries up. Tell me some stuff about Packard Jennings.He’s very socially concious. Some work of his always oriented towards big brother or credit card scams or insurance stuff. He’s very specific with his critiques.What about Dark Hand Lamplight? Saw her open for Bonnie Billy. She draws while her mate sings southern gothic tales. She draws out the story and it is projected onto a wall with that same gizmo your math teacher probably used in high school. It’s very old fashioned cinematic. It made me think of what it might be like to be at one of the first movies. A silent movie with a live piano player. Storytelling should be simple. People complicate it.That sounds really interesting, I like the idea a lot. You mentioned Sister Madalene. Does she do trans-Atlantic healing? I could use her worry-soothing touch when my donkey gets stubborn.She probably does anything for money. She is a palm reader. I’m into dime store mysticism; palm reading, psychic healing, fortune telling, tarot, ESP, hypnosis. I’ve been writing about it a lot. I think they’re all onto something, but in varying degrees. Some of them have actual connections but they’re crooks before they are spiritualists. Others are complete phonies of course. Apart from calls of nature, what makes you get up, get dressed, and scrape the sleep out of your eyes?My three-year-old kid.Thats a fine reason. I have to ask this final question Sonny, its becoming a tradition: the Devil, is he all bad?Yes he's most definitely all bad.Okay, well thanks Sonny, another tick in the all bad column. I hope to see some film work of yours out on the screen, and, maybe some gigs in the UK or Europe would be cool, too. With Dark Hand Lamplight and Sister Madalane on the bill. Its been a real pleasure, my man. Chase up Sonny Smith on his website. Also available at all good music emporiums, as well as some who are not quite up to the mark. Thanks to Sonny Smith and Belle Sound CEO Chuck Prophet. And the donkey.

An Interview With Kieran Hebden

Paul Hawkins — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 09:26:54 EDT

The alliance of a master jazz drummer, who commonly practices for 3 hours a day yet see`s little point in rehearsing new tunes, and a musician whose palette drips folk, soul, and jazz sampled textures seems unlikely, but if you haven't heard any fruit from these two musical minds growing together, you really haven`t begun to peel the skin, or smell the coffee. Yet. Steve Reid and Kieran Hebden started working together in 2005. They released The Exchange Sessions Volume 1, and then Volume 2, in 2006; lengthy and exploratory jams and clashes of vibrant rhythm and sampled sounds, these releases were recorded live, with no overdubs. They were released by Domino Records, and, stand on their own as maps of uncharted musical dialogue and territory. Their originality hasn`t gone unnoticed; in the UK, The Observer Music Monthly commented; "And if there`s anyone there who honestly believes that there`s nothing new under the musical sun, this album might just blow your mind". That journey continued with testing out their tunes to live audiences and they played "all kinds of mad different shows, from drum`n bass nights in Italy, to The Green Man festival in Brecon", describes Hebden, in their Domino records press release, "so the crowds have been really unprdictable. You get old jazz heads coming out to see Steve and dance kids too". Steve Reid had popped his recording cherry by drumming on "Dancing In The Street" by Martha and The Vandellas in 1964, at the age of 19. The drum sticks have stayed in his hands ever since, picking up the rhythm for such icons as Miles Davis, Sun Ra, James Brown, Ornette Coleman and Fela Kuti. Hebden started Fridge with friends Adem Ilhan and Sam Jeffers and whilst playing with them, developed his own sampler-based resonances as Four Tet releasing the solo albums; Dialogue, Pause, Rounds and Everything Ecstatic, as well as being sought after for his remixing skills. The twosome have been writing and recording more songs which were released by Domino on March 19th. You would be wrong to assume that this album follows their previous two. Tongues departs in a tangent that has more focus on shorter, distilled improvisation. Hebden set up a number of sample ideas that Reid had never heard before for the recording session, which took place in February this year, and they have captured, in the moment, the one take, musical responses. They have toured Europe through March as well as playing some shows in the States. They also have a recording trip planned to Senegal for later on this year. Nigel Godrich`s online programme, From The Basement, has featured them live and they have several short video pieces available to get a taster of their formidable sound.Wilst Tongues seeps, bleeps, and tinkles out of the speakers, tunes are beginning to appear with percussion that is humming, propelling and juddering a space craft through random course changes. I got staccato pulses and pounding morse-code transmitters set to roam. A good time then to ask Kieran Hebden some questions about playing with Steve Reid, their new Domino album and their plans for the coming year.Kieran, you and Steve got together a few years back, what are some of your favourite tracks he has done?I find that I enjoy hearing Steve`s drumming on pretty much everything he plays on. Some key tracks that got me into his music are on the albums he released in the 70`s, tracks like "Kai", "Lions of Judah", and "New Life Trio`s Empty Streets".Following your recent tour, what's it like playing with a drummer of Steve`s stature? What have you learned from him?Steve is a true master of rhythm and dynamics and he has opened me up as a live musician by showing me that I could achieve a lot more with live electronics than I realized. It's incredible to play with someone who has such great feeling and timing. He always plays just the right beat for the moment. He has got me thinking about rhythm in ways that I didn't understand before. He is showing me what ingredients make music soulful and spiritual. How long did Tongues take to record?2 days recording and 2 days mixing.Sheesh, quick then, I guess sometimes you can hit the groove and go. What's different about Tongues then, compared to your earlier releases ? Did you set out to consciously change the vibe or the style?For Tongues the idea was to make much shorter tracks than we did on The Exchange Albums. We tried to only do pieces that were three to four minutes long, which is a less obvious thing to do with improvised music. The idea was to do something with a more focused energy that would grab you like a soul or punk album. The Exchange Sessions were more about long journeys into cosmic music. Were there any particular influences that you felt shone through on Tongues?John Coltrane, Morton Subotnick, Photek, Art Blakey, Derrick May, Curtis Mayfield, Kraftwerk, Elvin Jones, Jimi Hendrix, A Tribe Called Quest, Sun Ra, Pierre Henry Carl Craig and many many more.Jesus, that's one hell of a mix - Have you ever considered using any vocalists?No.Okay, no singing then! What was it like performing on the new Nigel Godrich curated Live From The Basement show? It was good fun. A different experience for us, but really nice to be involved in something like that where you wouldn't normally expect to see improvised instrumental music.Cool, so how did you and Steve meet?I had the idea of an electronic and drums duo and was looking for a drummer to do this with. We were put in touch by a friend of mine, Antoine, in France.That gig you played with Steve and his full Ensemble in London at The Koko in 05, I read somewhere that it was burning rubber of people's feet! What do you remember of it?It was a beautiful moment in my experiences of music in London. To see such passionate and wild music being played at a peak time to a young audience that had probably never seen anything like this was really special. It was a unique experience for everyone there and a really important night I think.Did it get put on tape?It wasn't recorded unfortunately. It really felt like a special occasion at the time though.Looks like 2007 will be a busy year for you; new album, with more dates to be added to the tour in Europe, more recording, are you planning any more gigs in America?Yes, we are trying to sort some shows for the summer at the moment. I don't like to plan too much, but there will be more collaboration with Steve Reid for sure, and there is a new Fridge album out in June.Do you have any particular way of keeping yourselves sane when touring?We try and look after ourselves, make sure we have plenty of time to relax so we can be as fresh as possible for the shows. if we are playing music then we are usually feeling perfectly sane and happy.So, spill the beans Kieran, what's on your rider?Ideally, it would be the killer meatball sandwich they once gave us at a club we played in Greece!Many thanks to Kieran Hebden and Fiona at Domino Recording Company

An Interview With Bob Frank And John Murry

Paul Hawkins — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 20:10:27 EDT

Bob Frank and John Murry released World Without End in the States late in 2006, picking up friends new and old, and glowing reviews as its sand blasted country rasp exposes the rotting, black underbelly of the human psyche; Murder and Death.Many would recoil from such a topic to hang your songwriting hat on for one tune, let alone make it the barbarous backbone of a score of tales on their album World Without End. Bob and John have stepped up to the dock and sworn themselves in as storytellers of the most compelling order.The gruesome twosome connected through mutual friend and Memphisonian Don McGregor, who taught John his best licks, often unbeknown to John, playing songs written by Bob from his 1972 album on Vanguard. When they first met up, John and Bob found themselves playing the same tunes together; Bob having written them, John having learnt the guitar on them.They decided they would record an albums worth of old murder ballads together, but found something was restricting the feel and the flow, so they did their research and wrote World Without End. All with the same black backbone. Beautifully produced by Tim Mooney, the music matches the subject matter, dark and mournful, yet also takes on a mysticism all of its own, with some seriously heart felt playing and immortal arrangements.John and Bob have caught the ears of Rolling Stone`s David Fricke, who draws comparisons with such luminaries as Leonard Cohen and Warren Zevon in calling their album being "all bullets, blades and guilt without end".UNCUT Magazine hears a "dazzling collection of blasted country folk and grimly haunting murder ballads, shot through with harrowing images of death, damnation and eternal suffering".Memphis Guru Jim Dickinson pulls the best accolade out of the hat, declaring World Without End is "as timeless as death". You can`t get more paradoxically real than that.I had the real pleasure of catching up with Bob and John as they prepare to take their songs out on a European Tour. It was refreshing to hear their thoughts on all manner of things going on in the world, as well as their music. How`s life treating you currently?John: Not well, Paul. I mean, we do have this album coming out on May 7 in Europe, the tour lined up, etc. Some things are going good. Fuck it: not well. My wife and I are separated. Not well. On the other hand, not well.Bob: Fine. Some things are very good, some things not so much. Overall I suppose it's better than it used to be.Sorry to hear that John, I hope the dust settles soon. What do you make of the recent tragic shootings on that College Campus?John: I honestly don't know. A smart Asian kid in the south can't take it. It's tragic, like you said. But goddamn if Americans don't immediately jump on the "crazy kid" bandwagon every fucking time. No one even tries to understand.Bob: I can't call it.Just out of curiosity, are any of you member`s of the NRA?Bob: I have been in the past, but am not now. I do own guns. I don't think they are of any use in settling disputes.John: Yes, because I took hunter's safety in middle school and they make you a Lifetime Member. Not saying I'm proud, though. I own a .357 revolver. I'm not so sure they don't settle disputes, but...Yeah, I could find a .357 having a certain persuasive quality. OK, so whats chopping your musical kindling at the moment?John: I been digging through my older stuff a lot lately. I've been listening to a bunch of Mississippi hill country stuff like Junior Kimbrough, RL Burnside, Jesse Mae Hemphill, etc. Also, I'm still really obsessed with Dylan's last release, Modern Times. Also, I think all the Makeshift Records stuff coming out of Memphis, TN right now is genius.Bob: John turned me onto a bunch of interesting stuff recently like the Drive By Truckers, The Compulsive Gamblers, and I've been listening to a good bit of Warren Zevon since David Fricke compared me to him. I didn't even know who he was before that.I really must get hold of a copy of Dylan's last album. You have a busy time ahead of you, tell me about the tour?John: It begins with us leaving San Francisco on May 3rd and getting to Kilkenny, Ireland on the 4th. Our first couple of dates are at a festival there. The rest span the Scandinavian countries, Austria, Germany, the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It looks like a lot of fucking driving, Paul. I don't drive well.Bob: John doesn't drive well? He drives me insane. I guess John will have to drive in the morning and I'll smoke hash in the afternoon and take a nap. I sorta feel like I'm going back to Vietnam. Twelve hours on a plane going to a place where I don't know anyone.Tell me about the subject matter of World Without End, and why you picked this topic?John: I wanted to explore the more forgotten side of American destruction on a personal level and try to understand why people did what they did. I still don't know. I don't agree with Hannah Arendt anymore, though. There's nothing banal about the stories we wrote about.Bob: I though they were fascinating stories; people walking around with guns and shooting each other. Lots of violence in this world. It's a commentary on that.There is some great playing on the album, tell me about the musicians on World Without End?John: Well, a shit load of people played on the thing but the core of it was Quinn Miller on bass, me and Bob on guitars, Tim Mooney on drums, and Nate Cavalieri on keys. Nate and Tim are fucking geniuses. Nate essentially took on the role accidentally of the arrangement of the songs through his choices musically. Often what he chose to play would dictate the direction the songs went sonically. Tim Mooney, for me anyway, epitomizes what the rock and roll ethos is really all about. He still believes in it. That can't be said for many folks anymore.Bob: It was a different scenario because all the parts were made on the spot. It became a very synergistic environment where everyone played off of everyone else. It worked well. Really well.How was the song writing process? What was it like writing those dark songs that appear on World Without End?John: Writing them involved research, etc, and wasn't particularly taxing. It wasn't until we began listening to playbacks that I felt horrified myself. What had really happened hit me then. Somewhat like what a seance must feel like.Bob: We told each other stories and then started writing. Before we knew it they'd be done. We'd sit on the deck, smoke cigarettes, and they'd be done. Then we'd write another. They don't hit you until later.You recently changed record labels, who do you record for now?Bob: I was on Vanguard back in the early 70`s, but that ended way back then. I was on any Bowstring in the US for 10 years, then this happened; John got it all worked out.John: Chris Metzler in the UK got us on at Decor through Undertow and we're on Evangeline Records in the States (not the European one) with a bunch of great artists. We just wanted some changes, ya know?Evangeline Records, thats with the Go Go Market then, isn't it? Lets talk about governments and politicians, what's your take on the state of current American politics?John: I'll be happy to see Bush go and happy to see U.S. and foreign troops removed from Iraq. This shit runs so deep, though, it seems ultimately unsolvable. It makes me wish for isolationism sometimes. I`m simply sick of foreign powers controlling foreign powers. We've got enough shit to deal with here at home. Hell, there's more than enough to deal with in my own city. Money. We got it? Where is it. I know some folks that could use some healthcare.Bob: I'll be happy to see him go but have enjoyed disliking him so much. In a sense, it's just so easy to pick on him. Will the next one be as dumb?The incarceration of suspects without trial in Guantanamo Bay has caused a huge amount of criticism of the American government, what do you think of it?John: It's in Cuba. Why do we keep forgetting that? Give it back. Plus, I wanna go to Havana. I wanna take a bucketload of Bibles into Jerry Falwell`s house and see how he feels when I piss on `em.Bob: Maybe the guys like Rumsfeld and Bush should spend a few nights there with Dick Cheney in his hood and whip, see how they like it. (Or is that what they already do in their undisclosed location ?)Have you ever come across a CIA agent? Maybe accidentally spilt coffee or a coke on one?John: Seriously, Paul, I don't want to get all fucked up like Scooter did. No comment.Bob: How would I know? I have a friend who used to work for the FBI.I respect your right to no comment John, Scooter got into all sorts of deep shit, didn't he? There is a moral in that story, for sure. I would like an opinion on this next question, if you can. Should all drugs be legalized?Bob: Sure. Especially weed. It is very medicinal, in many ways. Much safer than alcohol or cigarettes.John: At least opiates. Those are nice. Weed is disgusting. It smells like Bob. Honestly, yes, I think all drugs should be legalized. Who am I to decide what someone chooses to do with their time, money, or body? The drugs would be cleaner (and better), cheaper, and controlled and taxed. Sounds good to me.Bob, you are right there. The medicinal qualities are wide and far, and there`s no tax on weed currently, is there ? Wonder how they would work out the duty? Anyways, let's move on. In one song on the album, you wrote about the Klu Klux Clan and a gruesome lynching. Have either of you ever experienced institutional racism?Bob: Racism is a very subtle thing sometimes. Sometimes people can mistake other things for racism. And not notice that something else really is racism. You can't legislate this.John: Sure. Anyone who says they haven't is either dead or is a neo-con. Frankly, liberals (and I'm a liberal guy) miss it more than anyone. San Francisco is at least as fucked up as Memphis, if not more. Blacks live in neighborhoods and liberals lock the doors when they drive through them, saying "it's so dangerous there". In the South they just say nigger.You have a busy time ahead of you. Tell me about the tour?John: It begins with us leaving San Francisco on May 3rd and getting to Kilkenny, Ireland on the 4th. Our first couple of dates are at a festival there. The rest span the Scandinavian countries, Austria, Germany, the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It looks like a lot of fucking driving, Paul. I don't drive well.Bob: John doesn't drive well? He drives me insane. I guess John will have to drive in the morning and I'll smoke hash in the afternoon and take a nap. I sorta feel like I'm going back to Vietnam. Twelve hours on a plane going to a place where I don't know anyone.Jesus, is he that bad ? Better not forget your seatbelt, Bob, or your medicinal supply. Who are you taking on the road with you, band wise?Bob: This time, just me and John.John: It's just me, Bob, and the version of Bob that gets mad at me for stupid shit like losing his house painting supplies (I have repeatedly apologized).Ok, so a pared back sound. It will be good to hear those songs breathe with that arrangement. What guitar set up do you have for this tour?Bob: A small acoustic parlor body Martin, with a Fishman pickup.John: A '69 Fender Telecaster with a P-94 in the neck and a Lil'59 in the bridge and a Bigsby, a newer Les Paul Special with P-90's, a Blackface Fender Deluxe Reverb, some weird old vintage pedals, and a Guild acoustic.You have quite a few dates on the shores of the United Kingdom. What comes to mind when you think of the English, as a race of people?Bob: The fact that my first album after a thirty year layoff, was "A Little Gest of Robin Hood". It's a 600 year old English ballad, the oldest Robin Hood song in existence, and the longest. It lasts an hour and a half. I got it all on one CD. Barely. I took the old Middle English and turned it into modern English, and then set it to some guitar picking, and sing it like a talking blues. Oxford dons love it. They say with my Southern accent, I sound more like Middle English than a modern Englishman does. That's what I mainly think about when I think about England nowadays. We sing a lot of outlaw ballads on World Without End, and the Gest is the granddaddy of them all. Check it out. The same language pops up in these newly written songs. It becomes a tradition.John: I like 'em. They've always liked the South, too. As a race of people though: damn if y'all didn't start this fucked up colonialism shit. Little man syndrome? Just kidding (sort of). Y'all really did a number on the Scottish and the Irish, too. Cut it out, kids...Yeah, guilty as charged on the colonialist trip, been paying for it ever since. Not so sure we started it though. If you do the Robin Hood number, thats going to be a long set boys. Now, what do you know about the game of cricket?Bob: It's like baseball, but they use a flat bat, like a paddle. I think. I don't know shit about cricket.John: You mean like for baiting hooks? Fishing?Lets get back towards home, whats your favourite brand of coffee?Bob: Max Blend. From a coffee shop in Oakland.John: I don't drink coffee. Also, I think that Fair Trade shit is a fucking ridiculous hoax. Somebody gets an extra goat once a year? Yippee!John, interesting you should say that about Fair Trade goods. I am very interested in examining the hollow construction of the genre of World Music, what do you understand by it?Bob: I guess it means music from all over the world, or music that is an organic soup of all the music from all over the world. Or music that is soupy and falls in your lap.John: Jesus I hate that phrase. "World Music". I think it can be translated to mean "music for white people made by people who aren't white for white people to vulturize culturally".I know where you`re coming from there, literature is an active agent within constructions of culture too, indelibly. Who is your favourite author?Bob: August Wilson. John: Graham Greene (so damn underrated), William Faulkner, Albert Camus, Philip Roth, Cormac McCarthy, Dostoevsky.Thats a good mixture there, maybe next time we will discuss literature and its different genres. Moving on to God. Have you any spiritual beliefs?Bob: Yes, many. They have to do with the nature of reality and the evolution of consciousness, are related directly to behavior.John: I'm a Roman Catholic. Don't laugh. I'm not kidding. And no, I wasn't raised as one.I`m not laughing, I was bought up a Catholic too, try not to feel too guilty about it, John. Talking of good healthy Catholic guilt, the devil, is he all bad?Bob: No worse than the mind conceiving him.John: Not so much. Kinda a kinky fella. Chuck Prophet knows him real well, says he has a great singing voice and plays soccer like a mother fucker. I mean, where would we be without the guy? Does anyone really want to die, go to heaven, and praise God endlessly. The devil doesn't ask for that kind of grandiosity.Really? I must check out the Papal team in the Italian League. What are your views on the death penalty?Bob: I think it is self-contradictory. The penalty is the same as the crime. If it's such a terrible thing to kill somebody, why is it okay for the state to do it?John: I don't think "the state" has the the right to determine who lives or dies. It's equally absurd, if not more so, to kill people to show others not to kill. I'm not a pacifist, though. Fuck with my family or the people I love, that's another thing not involving the state at all.Bob, I agree, its a walking contradiction, just happens to be a popular walking contradiction, like so many things in the world. How do you relax?Bob: Different ways. Stretching helps a lot. But as far as truly deep relaxation, I have to meditate.John: I argue with people.No you don't John. You do not. Who is your rock`n`roll hero?Bob: Jim Dickinson.John: Jim Dickinson.Do you have any other projects planned?John: We already recorded it.Bob: We recorded a bunch of tunes I wrote after I got back from Vietnam. It's kinda a southern white boy soul thing, The ladies will love it, it's some very pretty music. We got the same musicians on it, so we got that same good solid feel to it.Ok, just one more, given Dan Stuart`s involvement in an Enviromental Think Tank he told me about. Are you offsetting any contribution towards Global Warming that you may make on your coming tour?Bob: Not that I know of.John: We're riding with another band, so they'll be seven of us in the fucking thing. I think that counts.Yes, it does count John, you may even be able to claim some kind of tax break on that, check it out.Bob Frank and John Murry`s album, World Without End is out on Decor Records (DECOR011CD) on May 7th in Europe. It is already released in the States on Evangeline Records at all reputable music outlets, and selected disreputable ones too.Catch Bob and John on tour across Europe. Tour starts on May 5 at Ryans, Friary Street, Kilkenny, Ireland and ends up on May 27 at The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, Scotland.Check out all the info at their website. Be their friend on Mydisgrace. Many warm thanks to Bob, John and Chris at Undertow Management.Undertaken with a smile, zero stress (apart from maybe Bob looking forward to John`s driving in Europe) and a slack bowline.

Music Review: SJ Esau - Wrong Feed Cat Food Collapse

Paul Hawkins — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 10:40:36 EDT

SJ Esau made his Anticon-label release on March 13th with Wrong Faced Cat Feed Collapse. SJ Esau is Sam Wisternoff, who grew up in, and still is a native of, Bristol. He has a past history that is worth taking note of, when his sprawling soundscape of 12 tracks grows and grows on you until it unfolds in your head into a flowering masterpiece of understated composition. Yeah, it knocked me up out of bed, and I let it right on in.He was half way through a four-year rap career, in the vibrant late eighties UK Bristol scene, at the impressionable age of ten. Yes, <i>ten</i>. He free-styled with 3D from Massive Attack at local parties, Tricky turned him onto Slick Rick and he was signed to a local label run by no less than Smith and Mighty, under the moniker of TFP. A lot to live up to? Well, yes and no. Sam has used this heady apprenticeship, and more, to become an artist who has made an album that knows the impact and importance of melody, timing and feel; creating atmospheres that tense and then languidly stretch out all over Wrong Faced Cat Feed Collapse. I like his titles too.Combining humour in melancholy is both a lyrical and an artistic gift that SJ Esau deploys collectively, with dexterous musical creativity. The infusion of drama into the slumped darkness of Queezy Beliefs. A paused quiet, then driving distortion, coupled with claustrophobic strings, that explodes on "Cat Track" (he has no balls), and, the nagging jabs of stabbing horns in "Geography" (donkey dancing in the bath) over and under subtle hints and light, deft touches of building, growing percussion, all show to great effect this deft touch. I defy you not to get drawn into the eddy and swirl of the swooning "Wears the Control", and, in a delicate, understated lope, become tangled in submerged sirens and underwater noises that somehow are competing with, yet complementing, a harrowing emotive vocal.Sam Wisternoff, augmented by local Bristol musicians and artists Max Milton, Sean Talbot, Charlotte Nichols, Helen and Pippin Sadler, enters almost fabled genre-less territory without a stumble, his eyes firmly glued on a compass bearing heading towards expression, expansion and exploration. One part Pavement, one part Low, one part De La Soul, then the whole thing shaken, not stirred, under the influence of the back-catalogue of the Anticon label, really only hints and nods at this albums vibes. Using a plethora of instrumentation, including the violin, trumpet, trumbone, clarinet, piano, guitar, bass, percussion, glockenspiel and something called The Bugbrand Light Dependant Theramin (the creator of which, Tom Bug, mastered the album ) he changes tack and pace from shadowy quiet to explosively loud, subtle hooks to brick walls, vocal melodies that twist and turn and a large fucky chest of folksonic understatement. Still based in Bristol and embedded in the cities creative artistic community, Wisternoff has an interesting back-catalogue;Anticon label`s Why?, amongst others, have reworked an albums worth of Wisternoff`s originals on Stop Touching My Cat, released in 2005. Wisternoff is also an active member and co-creator of numerous musical collaborations such as the Jeremy Smoking Jacket, featuring vocalist Rose Kemp and Max ilton, Onanist Homework Robot and the Guano Ignoramus.Wrong Faced Cat Feed Collapse knocks on your door a brooding, dark stranger, sells you a bag of bones and talks you into offering him a light to your best cigar. Before you know it, you are pumping his open hand, whilst welcoming him in like a long lost brother who you suddenly know like a best friend. You dont instantly know him, and, you didnt catch his name, but there are a lot of familiar family traits you just know the order they are in is to be trusted.Olo Radio have a fucky podcast mix by SJ Esau well worth checking.

Interview Part Three : Destroy All Rational Thought`s Director Joe Ambrose and Frank Rynne

Paul Hawkins — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 08:52:45 EDT

For the whole picture, read Part One and Part Two of the interview, if you haven't done so recently. I guarantee Part Three will make more sense if you do. I really want to explore another big theme that stands out within this interview and the DVD, that of the presence, music, energy, and the cultural symbolism of The Master Musicians of Joujouka. Theirs is a compelling role, you both said that they were acting as the glue, the oil, that lubricated the Show and yet held it together. A unique property for anyone or thing. What was the aura like during their mesmerizing shows?Frank Rynne: The volume these men achieved playing just acoustic instruments was astounding. The musicians played with furious intent and purpose. They were at once frightening in their intensity and beguiling through their repetitive trance inducing beats. Hamri’s presence and his care for the music and its performance was evident in its wild authenticity. There was nothing remotely “Real World” or “World Music” about these performances. It was easy to understand the phrase “one thousand year old rock’n’roll band” which Timothy Leary and Burroughs, in the early 70s, used to describe The Master Musicians of Joujouka. It was evident attending the Dublin shows. However, I endeavored not to be beguiled by the half baked acid casualty baggage that attached itself to the Joujouka story when written up by people like Robert Plamer in the 7Os. Unfortunately that brand of American hippy rubbish had and has little relevance to the actual music and lifestyles of the village. Bob Palmer actually believed that the hill Joujouka sits on was a spaceship.A lot of interest surrounds this music, the culture, and the village...FR: I have spent years working with and living with the musicians. When you know them and their families, spend a lot of time in their individual homes, and see their children grow up over a period of years it gives you a very different and more accurate knowledge about the music and the villager`s lives. It is easy to understand the culture shock that those hippies experienced. For me Joujouka is not too dissimilar to the area of Co. Clare in Ireland where my grandfather farmed. The music too is often quite similar to real Irish folk music. However, as an acid freak hitting the place in 1971, it may have appeared rather strange especially with mounds of kif clouding perceptions of the “real” reality.Would you say the cultural history of Joujouka is core to the music as well as the work of Hamri ?FR: Gysin’s paintings especially his Moroccan ones were heavily influenced by Sufi sects. I have recently seen a review of a 1956 art show by Hamri which Gysin organized at the 1001 Nights restaurant. Gysin and Hamri set up 1001 Nights to allow the Master Musicians of Joujouka to be seen by a wider audience.The reviewer noted that all of Mohamed Hamri’s works were related to the local magic of his home village of Joujouka/Jajouka, and the titles reflected this. I think it will emerge just how much influence Hamri had on Burroughs and Gysin when writers and researchers start to look in that direction.The scene on the DVD of The Master Musicians of Joujouka playing with drummer Brian Downey, from Thin Lizzy, and Hamri, cajoling and gently teasing more from the musicians, is another real highlight for me, what memories do you have of that gig?FR: The first time I saw Brian Downey he was in the recording studio nailing his drum kit to the floor for the first session of my band The Baby Snakes’ first album, Sweet Hunger. We finished the drum tracks by nine that night. Brian Downey is possibly the greatest rock drummer still with us and ranks with Charlie Watts and John Bonham easily. To get Brian and The Master Musicians of Joujouka together was a major musical moment. Brian is as instinctive as they are and he gelled instantly. His love of the blues and jazz informed the cool sound of Thin Lizzy. With Joujouka he provided a masterful and powerful sequence of rhythms that completely fitted their beats. That was a remarkable event and improvisation. Ramuncho Matta, the surrealist painter Roberto Matta’s son, provided abstract murals on his guitar and The Baby Snakes guitarist Niall O’Sullivan gave Boujeloud a hard rock edge. Nothing interfered with the Joujouka sound, it all just got harder and nastier. Beautiful. The musicians loved it. They have a great fascination with drum kits.What is the connection to your collaborative cultural vehicle, The Islamic Diggers?Joe Ambrose: The Diggers started life as a sort of anarchist movement. I edited an underground magazine called The Digger after I left university and that name derived from the Digger proto- anarchists in the English Civil War (as opposed to the contemporaneous Levellers who were proto-socialist), Emmet Grogan’s Diggers in San Francisco during the Summer of Love (also anarchist in orientation), and Oscar Wilde’s university-days Diggers movement which sought to dig out a road which disappeared into a bog – in other words a road going nowhere. I had these political/aesthetic frames of mind in my head around the time that it became obvious that the leftist Islamic militancy of the Seventies – that of the PLO, Gadaffi, and Saddam – was losing ground to the more Koranic militancy of Osama and his merry men. I related more to the leftist anti-imperialist rebel Seventies stance and thought it’d be great if there was an anarchist Islamic movement, hence the concept of Islamic Diggers. I’ve been involved with the politics of the Arab world since I was eighteen. When we started recording music together, we decided to call ourselves that name. The militancy continued hand in hand with the music. The principal manifestations of this activism are the Cultural Intafadas against the so-called Islamic heretic, Hakim Bey, and against Bachir Attar`s Jajouka. Hakim Bey is a fake mystic and a fake revolutionary. Bachir Attar leads a commercial psuedo-Joujouka crossover act called The Master Musicians of Jajouka Featuring Bachir Attar. In both of those Cultural Intafadas, we are reasonably successful and they are both ongoing. As far as I’m concerned Islamic Diggers is an ongoing project which can’t be discontinued or prevented. We included a new track, El Fna, on the Destroy DVD. This was produced by Paul Schroeder, best known for his incredible work on the Stone Roses’ second album, Second Coming. A tragically underestimated album.What are you working on now?FR: Musically I am working on a project with Niall O’Sullivan which brings me back to my roots as a rock’n’roll singer, performer, and songwriter. We started working together on The Baby Snakes, when we were 17 years old, and it feels good to get back to that energy.JA: I have my next book, Chelsea Hotel Manhattan, out in April. I’m very excited about it because this is something I’ve been working up towards for a few years. I think it’s my best book – I have total faith in it. It’s also my most unconventional book insofar as I’m normally a pretty conservative prose stylist. Stylistically, it bears comparison with my first novel, Serious Time. I hope Chelsea Hotel Manhattan will make people laugh and cry. I`d like to work on something with Chuck Prophet again but Chuck has his own book to do and I`m sure it`ll be quite a book because Chuck is a cool customer in every sense of the phrase.FR: I have known Chuck Prophet and Dan Stuart since the mid 80s and last met up at the Green On Red show in Amsterdam last summer which was great. Chuck is one of the greatest guitarists and that is the direction my music is going these days. I suppose we are all people who, both, knew and respected Jeffery Lee Pierce of The Gun Club. Stanley Booth, Tav Falco, the whole Memphis thing around Jim Dickinson and Alex Chilton also unites us in taste and connections.Those Green on Red shows were good, I liked the re-scheduled Astoria gig in January last year, the anti-Iraq War slides shown during the encores were a powerful statement.....JA: I’m also hoping to see a book which I wrote with Frank called Hashishin out with Sidecartel in the not too distant future. I had a big success in Ireland late last year with a book of Irish history and I’m doing a sort of sequel to that which should be out before the summer. I have a handful of other projects on the boil but I tend not to talk too much about future plans because future plans are just fantasies until you’ve signed a contract and been given a release date. My main project is my third novel which is a long way from being finished. I’m pretty confident that a couple of filmic projects will come to fruition. I also intend returning to activism in a pretty serious way. I’ve been working in front of a computer too long and I’ve let some people get away with stuff for too long.FR: I am working on a movie project with a French film director which involves me mixing my training as a historian with writing an epic movie. I have been working with The Master Musicians of Joujouka for the last year for the first time since Hamri's death in 2000. Last year I was down there six times and brought the musicians to Porto to play an amazing show at Casa Da Muisica. The CD Boujeloud which I spent four years working on was released at the end of 2006 and is getting a great reception. It contains all the music from the Boujeloud ritual, The Pipes of Pan. The musicians had a good year in 2006 and they are keen to promote the real Sufi music of Joujouka globally. They were visited by Billy Corgan in March when he was researching the new Smashing Pumpkins album. I have an interview with Ulick O`Conner and a piece on Herbert Huncke in Joe Ambrose's forthcoming Chelsea Hotel Manhattan book and the book on Hassan I Sabbah, Hashishin that myself and Joe wrote will be out this year. I am also currently working on a detailed study of the Irish revolutionary movement the Irish Republican Brotherhood or Fenian Brotherhood and their involvement in the Irish Land War 1879-83.And here endeth the interview. Many issues have been covered and opinions given. I hope this has enabled the context as well as the content of the Destroy All Rational Thought DVD to be examined and discussed, as the Here To Go Show has proved to be a unique and powerful event.The controversy surrounding of The Master Musicians of Joujouka /Jajouka continues. Notable is the sporadic popularity of a “Jajouka” band, led by Bachir Attar, whose father was a Master Musician of Joujouka. Attar`s musicians have toured and enlisted the support of the likes of Talvin Singh, whose own music adorns the coffee tables of many around the world. Of particular interest to me in this is the talismanic significance of the position of a 'celebrity in production and promotion' of Bachir Attar`s Jajouka band. This is of considerable value, indeed heavy with currency, suggesting to the consumer cultural and authentic worthiness. Adding a celebrity producer enhances an aura of authenticity, according to Philip Schuyler`s interesting essay on Moroccan Music and Euro-American Imagination, to the industry`product`, ie, in this case, to Attar and Singh`s Jajouka CD. It follows that one can be lead to believe without said 'celebrity', the product is therefore 'lacking' (in the consumer`s eyes) in the marketplace, i.e. the World Music Section in the supermarket, or, the full page advert in Mondomix, for example. Schulyer proposes that the addition of 'celebrity' is one of a group of signifier`s within the Music industry (1). The term, World Music, being a Music industry created niche market. These signifiers are included, contrived, or attached to instill the attributes of authenticity, spirituality and originality in the product, making it an attractive purchase and legitimizing consumption of the product. The extent to which the village and the people of Joujouka fully feel the impact of sales, in the bettering of their lives and in preserving their cultural heritage, is difficult to establish. That is a fascinating piece of work I intend to research in the future.Many kind thanks to Joe Ambrose and Frank Rynne.Note(1). Taken from Chapter 6, Moroccan Music and Euro-American Imagination by Philip Schuyler, in Mass Mediations - New Approaches to Popular Culture in the Middle East and Beyond, edited by Walter Armburst, University of California Press, 2000Joe`s book, Chelsea Hotel Manhattan is scheduled for an April release on Headpress and the release of Hashishin, co written by Joe and Frank, is to be released on Sidecartel later this year. Frank Rynne is hard at work on a movie project and songwriting for a new album.Destroy All Rational Thought is available on DVD through all scrupulous online media outlets as well as over the counter at outlets at your discretion.MVD distribute in the USA. Screenedge elsewhere.