September/October issue 2013 by Ellen Eldridge

September/October 2013

How to: Generate Story Ideas Decide to self-publish

How one band partnered with an indie label

/ index /

/staff/ Ellen Eldridge Russell Eldridge Victor Schwartzman David Feltman Danielle Boise Leah Bishop

Editor in Chief Operations Poetry Editor Editor, staff writer Music Editor Copy Editor, graphic design

/contributers/ David Feltman, Rose Riot, Victor Schwartzman, Patio Screendoor, Jenna Hughes, Alicia Winski, Danielle Boise, Michael Bradley, Paul West, Tillman Smoot

/stories & photos/ Vans Warpted Tour Review..........................................3 Photos from Mayhem Festival 2013..........................4

Vans Warped Tour Review

L.A.N.D Bags...................................................................7

Review by Jenna Hughes

Success from a Strong Partnership Betwwen an Indie Label and Band...................................................9

The 19th annual Vans Warped Tour rolled through Atlanta on July 24 at Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, bringing with it hordes of punk rock kids with their parents and veteran Warped enthusiasts alike. Fans braved the heat to spend the “best day ever” seeing their favorite bands and discovering new music. This year’s 93-band lineup was one of the most diverse to date, featuring metalcore bands such as Chiodos and August Burns Red, pop/ punk acts such as Tonight Alive, ska gods Reel Big Fish and everything in between.

Author advice: Generating story ideas, deciding to self-publish................................................................12 Listen to this Prairie voice............................................13 Copyright Infringement..............................................16

/interviews/

/share this issue/

Interview with Michael Alago on “Beautiful Imperfections”.................................................................18 Interview with Ashland Belle.......................................20 Interview with Alethea Kontis....................................22 Interview with Melinda Kirwin of The Falls.............24

/reviews/

Film: Pacific Rim.........................................................26 Film: The Lone Ranger..............................................26 CD Review: Black Joe Lewis: Electric Slave..........27 CD Review : Fates Warning: Darkness in a Different Light................................................................27

CD Review: Ministry: From Beer to Eternity........28

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More interesting stories...........................Back Cover

email ellen@targetaudiencemagazine.com

Summer Festivals:

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The Kia Soul and Forte main stages seemed to be the most popular and also featured the more aggressive bands on the tour. I caught Chiodos first on the Forte stage, riling up the crowd with their post-hardcore songs. Front man Craig Owens grabbed the crowd’s attention and kept it with his powerful vocals and relentless energy. The band satisfied fans with songs such as “Baby, You Wouldn’t Last a Minute on the Creek.” Meanwhile on the Spotify stage, up and coming hip-hop/electronic group Wallpaper brought down the house and drew a fairly substantial crowd. The band, fronted by multi-instrumentalist Ricky Reed, was high energy and visually

appealing with several members of the band dancing and jumping around during their performance. “Puke My Brains Out” and “Stupidfacedd” were well received by the crowd. Orlando’s post-hardcore Sleeping With Sirens lit up the Forte stage next, and seemed to be very popular with the young girls in the audience. Heartthrob lead singer Kellin Quinn enjoyed every minute of his popularity, asking the crowd if they were hot and sticky and then declaring, “Hopefully this next song will make the girls even wetter.” The band played hits such as “If I’m James Dean, You’re Audrey Hepburn.” The highlight of the day for me was Black Veil Brides on the Kia Forte stage. The band, another Warped veteran, commanded the stage with their powerhouse energy. Every member of the band had something to offer the crowd and they never stopped moving, pouring their heart and soul into the music they were creating. Fronted by Andy Beirsack, the glam rock/metal band is known for their use of black makeup and styles reminiscent of Kiss and Motley Crue. Their sound has progressed from early post-hardcore screamo to the current more melodic rock sound featuring violin played by guitarist Jinxx. The band played mainly songs

from their latest album, 2012’s Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones. The Used took the Forte stage next, with an army of masked men and women taking the stage and staring at the audience before lead singer Bert McCracken appeared between them in a pink mask and the band launched into “A Box Full of Sharp Objects,” one of their most popular songs that features Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” as its intro. McCracken taunted the audience for a couple of songs, and then finally removed his mask to reveal a pink Mohawk and war paint on his face. He threw colored chalk up in the air and out into the audience, effectively covering himself as well. Though the set was short, fans got to hear hits “The Taste of Ink” and “Pretty Handsome Awkward.” Other notables: Citizen, Forever The Sickest Kids, Alvarez Kings, Billy Talent, August Burns Red Photos can be seen on the Target Audience Magazine website.

Photos from Mayhem Festival 2013 in Atlanta

Amon Amarath photo by Michael Bradley

Evan of Arttika 7, photo by Michael Bradley

Battlecross photo by Michael Bradley

John 5 of Rob Zombie, photo by Michael Bradley

Huntress photo by Michael Bradley

Butcher Babies photo by Michael Bradley

Huntress photo by Michael Bradley Five Finger Death Punch photo by Michael Bradley

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L.A.N.D Bags By Paul West Taken at first glance, the hand bags produced by the L.A.N.D. company don’t stand out from their counterparts. But what makes them special is the same thing that renders their creator, who goes by the name Patio Screendoor, distinct: a combination of integrity, forward thinking and outside-the-box creativity, with an eye toward the greater good.

L.A.N.D. stands for Landfill Avoidance the Natural Decision, and it means just what it says: L.A.N.D. makes 95 percent recycled, reusable grocery bags, made to simplify users’ lives while easing their impact on the environment.

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Screendoor’s idea for the L.A.N.D. bags began in innocuous fashion. Carrying his groceries home one night, the handle to his reusable grocery bag broke; his groceries were all over the place, and his dinner plans were ruined. “I was mad as hell,” Screendoor said while recounting the tale. “I thought, I guess I’m having noodles without sauce tonight.” Once he got over being sore about his groceries, Screendoor got to thinking. He got to thinking about how recycled bags were made, and about the larger implications of the process. Screendoor did some research, and learned that most recycled bags were made overseas--even if the recycled materials came from here in the United States. He already knew they were short on durability, and he was “disillusioned” by how much companies were charging for bags that didn’t last. When he learned about the materials most recycled handbags were made from, he decided that he could do better.

point: Screendoor doesn’t focus too much on esthetics (the original handles were pink, for reasons related to availability of material), but instead he wants to “create a durable product that lasts, and create some jobs.” This last aspect is also essential to Patio’s plan. Patio Screendoor, who is a veteran of the entertainment industry, decided to pursue a different path and has seen his ups and downs. He’s witnessed, and experienced first-hand, the effects that joblessness and lack of opportunity can have on communities and families. His dream outcome for L.A.N.D. is to return to the East Coast (where he is from, though he and his family currently live un-extravagantly in New Mexico) and create a production center where he can employ people at a living wage.

Success From a Strong Partnership Between an Indie Label and a Band

“If I don’t get rich doing this, whatever…it’s not about The L.A.N.D. handbags are made of a material that, that,” he said. His aim is to create a useful, socially when you think of it, seems perfect for the job: recy- responsible business that has a net positive effect on cled billboards. “When they come down, they’re dated,” America and its communities. If L.A.N.D. were to make Screendoor noted, and they’re certainly made of dura- him a wealthy man, he said he’d use his wealth to find new ways to give back. He seems to be off to a good ble material. start. As for the bags’ creation, Screendoor describes the http://lovemylandbag.com process as “painstaking.” They’re individually hand-crafted by the founder himself, in a process that includes silk screening, washing, cutting, and stitching. The only part not made from recycled material is the handles, for which Patio is looking for affordable recyclable material. Aside from their conscientious composition, L.A.N.D. bags are quite user-friendly. Sturdy and spacious, they have just enough capacity for a good shopping trip but aren’t so big as to weigh a ton when full. The handles are long enough to sling over a wide range of shoulders, but short enough that the bag doesn’t scrape the ground if carried at arm’s length. And functionality is part of the

Strange One Records artist Inviolate has been making a name for itself in the Southeast with a live show that blends metal and electronic elements, and a belly-dancing front woman. The band executed its first tour through the Northeast in May, 2013, and continues to strengthen its presence in the Southeast with many weekend warrior runs to cities and venues outside of Atlanta. Kadria and Chris talk about how important it is for the label and band relationship to work.

Partnership and Communication Strange One Records is an independent label with a small roster. As with many indie labels, the relationship between band and label differs greatly from the major label model. There is less money to put into a band’s release, but much more personal attention given. I am Inviolate’s label rep, and also their

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manager. I have worked closely with the band through each major decision of their career. This relationship works best when the band is also very proactive, and I always recommend that bands do not seek management until they are already making things happen on their own. One mistake that many bands make is to stop working as hard and paying attention to their careers just because they have added other professionals to their teams. A good manager works hard to open new doors for a band, and to help the band decide which path is best. A good band is ready to charge through those doors, while creating their own means of entry. Flexibility is always essential for indies. For example, Inviolate and Strange One were starting to plan another Northeast tour for this fall, but when Inviolate was added to the bills of some strong national acts in Atlanta, we decided to postpone the tour and take advantage of the better opportunities in the home market.

Kadria: Very much agree with the statement that a band has to establish itself with hard work, ‘wearing all hats’ and having a basic understanding of all business components that go into a band’s brand before taking on a manager. The trust level also has to be complete between band, manager and label as well, and open, 100% honest communication to be maintained at all times. Inviolate is definitely blessed to have that kind of partnership with Strange One Records. When the tour idea with our friends in Enders Game first came up back in January, and emails started flying, I added Chris to the chain at the first opportunity so he could be kept in the loop and contribute his ideas, especially since he lived in the part of the country we were planning to play. I also CC him as much as possible whenever I’m reaching out to regional promoters and venue owners about Inviolate potentially playing shows there, and he’s my first sounding board when new ideas and opportunities arise for the band. A good manager’s feedback, guidance, opinions and support are invaluable in helping a band on their journey.

Pounding the Pavement Chris: I recently relocated back to Atlanta after spending four years in New Jersey. The last four years meant a long-distance relationship

between band and manager. There are pros and cons to this scenario. When a band’s manager, label reps, or other agents are located in different states, they are not able to have as much face-to-face contact with venues or fans in the artist’s home area. This puts more responsibility on the artist and their home town field reps to get out to shows and make their presence known, while the label promotes mostly via social media and press releases. The flip side of this is that having representation in a different area of the country can help get the artist to break in different markets before they ever play a show there. Even if a band’s management is located in the same area, I strongly recommend that bands get in as much face time as possible in their local scene. This has been especially effective for Inviolate, since Kadria is great at networking, and the “metal belly-dancer” always stands out in a crowd. In ether instance, touring is still essential for a band to truly break new markets. Kadria: From the band perspective, we’ve found it’s just as vital to break out of Atlanta and start showing up in person to support the music scenes outside of the hometown.

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We do a lot of online research to find bands who would be a good fit with Inviolate. There have been Saturdays where I’d personally drive to cities like Columbia, S.C. or Knoxville Tenn. [from Atlanta] for the sole purpose of supporting and making friends with a band who impressed us with their music posted on Reverbnation, while at the same time handing out flyers with Inviolate’s social media sites and online contact info on it, checking out the venue they played, talk to the booking agent (if present) there, make note of the stage and PA arrangements, etc. and just overall getting the scoop and local vibe of the place. Since he couldn’t physically accompany me, I’d also made it a habit to text Chris with some rath e r stream-of-consciousness notes about my impressions during the course of the evening. When Inviolate finally got a chance to play with those non-Atlanta bands in their hometown, their fans have told us “oh, we thought Inviolate WAS a local band -- we see you all the time here.”

That presence and “one of us” feeling is an essential first step in creating a regional fanbase. Yes, it takes time, extra gas, and plenty of pre-planning. I also recommend having plenty of promo postcards, business cards, demos and the like on you at all times, and have your smartphone primed with some of your songs or your YouTube channel set to play your video. Because this process is never a one-way street, we’re also continually in the process of carefully planning Atlanta shows to bring these non-local bands to our hometown so we can bring our home fanbase to them, just as they have to us.

Tour Promotion and Logistics Chris: For the planning of Inviolate’s Northeast tour in May, we used the geographical distance to our advantage. I was able to book the Northeastern shows, and Inviolate booked the Southern shows. I visited each Northeastern venue prior to the tour and delivered promo materials. Inviolate did the same thing for the venues in their area. In the weeks leading up to the tour, the bands started a massive social media campaign.

a band hasn’t had face time with yet. And sometimes bands may get interesting requests from the manager akin to: “Would you make yourself available at 2 a.m. on Sunday to call into the radio station so they can record an interview to air it later in the week?” Of course the answer is yes, especially when the band just can’t hop in the van to drive over to the radio station. We also find that directly interacting on Twitter and Facebook with the fans and friends of the other bands on the bill, going to these bands’ pages and writing some well-crafted posts also helped build buzz for places we never played before. Also, “indie budget” literally means “save wherever you can without sacrificing the integrity of the show”. It helps to leverage “in-house” skills like graphic design where you don’t need to shell out of the band budget for that service. Pick up these “secondary” skills wherever you can. We also were able to budget the tour using data we collected about gas mileage, etc. from our previous weekend warrior runs. Chris: Kadria made a good point about “in-house” skills. Each band member has an area in which they excel, whether it is computers, art, talking to people, or even fixing the band vehicle. Creating a plan that utilizes the strengths of the band members and agents is the key to long-term success. By manager, band, and possibly label all doing their part, it is certainly possible to execute many successful shows or tours on an indie budget.

Strange One Records sent out press releases. The bands and manager made radio appearances to push the tour. The best shows of the tour were the result of this combined effort and having a promoter that really pushed the show as well. A good promoter can greatly improve a show’s turnout, but a band should never rely on a promoter to do anything more than book the show. Kadria: The Internet, and all its social media sites are a great boon in reaching out to potential fans whom

Author advice: Generating story ideas, deciding to self-publish

Listen to this Prairie voice

By Amy McCorkle

By Victor Schwartzman

They say the journey of a million miles begins with a single step. I’ve self-published before, but that’s not why I decided to self-publish the Last Warrior series, which starts with a heroine in a post apocalyptic world, Justice, an escaped slave 14-year-old, and follows her on her quest for vengeance over the span of eight books until she is 28. I’ve always struggled to write stand alone books let alone a series. But I have several series out. Many of them in the sci-fi/dystopian setting but they are much more adult. In fact, they’re erotic romance. “The Last Warrior: Sweet Sacrifice” isn’t even a romance. Not that the series won’t eventually have romance in it, but romance isn’t her focus, not initially. Initially, it’s all about seeking justice for the brutal slayings of her mother and father.

Greta Gunselman. And I would be remiss if I forgot to add Annie Elzoghbi of Blackwyrm. There are many roads to New York, and the scariest thing to me in the world is taking this series to the Big Apple the place of my dreams, and having them reject it. So I’m going to take a round about way in and hope my series is successful enough to make it in self-publishing to get the attention of New York. Not that it’s an original idea. Others have traveled this road. I’m not special because I chose it.

I’m special because I’m a human being; everyone is. Even we writers who toil in relative obscurity. Right now I get to call all the shots, cover art, editors, content of what I So where was this dream of a series cooked up? Why, will and won’t change. But I’m not stupid; I listen to those it was all in the cards. Actually it’s nothing I wouldn’t who know better than me in those instances. I know have dreamed up anyway, but it’s like my card reader which battles to fight because ultimately we all want the Bertena Varney focused on my energy and the same thing. The best product available. archetype of every heroine I’ve ever written came out in her reading of me: a young adult, which is weird because I don’t write young adult as a rule. I fashioned I fear New York in some ways. I’ve heard the stories of it more as a coming of age story. She said the heroine how the author is ignored, of how their work is gutted. Of was young, strong, a warrior, has been on her own and how you pay for your own marketing as a newbie. They alone for a long time and she out to exact justice. And wanted authors with this nebulous thing called a that it was an 8-book series. Suddenly ideas just started platform. Bob Mayer, guru that he is, explained this way popping into my head. Honestly, that’s the prototype and it just clicked. YOU are your platform, your BOOK is for every heroine I ever wrote. the product. I think that’s why my Letters to Daniel blog has taken off like it has. My twitter feed builds when I retweet interesting stuff and talk to friends and people The question is, am I fulfilling my vision or hers? It’s get to know me. I know it’s led to sales. Nothing mine. She simply keyed in on my energy. I wanted to monumental but one sale is good thing. tell a post apocalyptic story. And having a mentor as opposed to a romantic interest is a nice change up for me. Following a girl as she grows into a woman is So you see, I’m not in the self-publishing market to perfect. become a millionaire. I’m in it to see a passion project through to completion. And if New York notices? That’s just the cherry on top of what is an already very nice I’ve decided to do something different with this sundae. project. I’ve decided to self-publish the series. Why not small press when the small press has been so good to me? I’ve decided to take a chance. I’ve learned a lot about promotion under the tutelage of Christine Bell, Lea Schizas and Savvy Authors. I’ve been given the opportunity to be beta read by the likes of Julie Butcher and edited by the skilled Lea Schizas, Tanja Cilia and

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Target Audience is published from Atlanta. That location is about as far from the Prairies as you can get. If you are reading this on the internet, you yourself are, statistically speaking, almost certainly not living on the Prairies. If you have never lived on the Prairies, the sky is a river, the clouds rushing overhead with nothing to stop them—no mountains, no tall buildings or even trees. You can see thirty miles in any direction, the Earth is flatter than a pancake, and there is nothing but you unprotected and the world. There are towns and cities, isolated from each other by canola or corn or wheat or nothing. Prairie communities developed whatever they could not carry in on their backs. While life today has all the usual comforts, the weather remains extreme. The climate of Winnipeg, Moanitoba (where your poetry editor lived for 25 years) is similar to Siberia. The weather and landscape and hard work has an impact of the people living there. The stereotype of a Prairie person is private, respectful, wary, slow to act. That sounds like a lot of people. What is the difference in the Prairie voice? A poet from Brooklyn (your editor was born and raised there) might write about personal loss in a style best described as IN YOUR FACE. How might a Prairie poet write about loss?

“GONE” This is the world without you: the decanted light of winter, a rented house on the riverbank, your apple preserves in the pantry holding autumn in a glass jar. Nothing loud. There is rural imagery, although more in the absence of concrete or neon. What has happened—a death, a break up, a simple day trip— is not important. The poem is about the images: the house is rented, not permanent. The preserves are an

attempt to make something seasonal permanent. Autumn in a glass jar is an image of the end of growth and stocking up for a harsh winter—or just a nice gesture. “Gone” is included in “Yes,” the first book of poetry from Rosemary Griebel. “Yes” was published in 2011 by Frontenac House (Calgary, Alberta, www.frontenachouse.com) and was received very favourably when published. We’re getting to it two years later, and that’s because it is worth reminding readers about. Griebel grew up on an Alberta farm. Does that mean the poetry is about corn and dirt and bugs? Tending crops? Carving venison? Not, the Brooklyn poet is saying, that there is anything wrong with corn and dirt and bugs and killing Bambi’s mother. Prairie people tend to relate to the environment from a stronger basis than a cartoon. The following poem is a good introduction to a young woman growing up on the Prairies:

“ON FIRST HEARING A RECORDING OF VIRGINIA WOOLF” The winter I was seventeen I devoured all of your books one after the other, and imagined your voice like that of my mother’s, traveling down a long hallway from a room distant as childhood. You spoke of the triumph, jingle and strange, high singing of life – in its midst the feeling of being suspended above earth, alone. Even then, I knew there were birds that flew by night, though I couldn’t see them or the land they left behind. Every life is a kind of fiction, all longing, a dream. I turn the pages and the lives of Mrs. Ramsay, Prue and Lily Briscoe follow. 13

Now, coming out of silence, echoey and static on an old recording – your words with their plummy, ornate British tones, certain as Bond street, girls in pink muslin, iron cooking pots and a lighthouse. This sudden surge of tenderness: Here you are, Virginia! Your voice intimate in my ears, your words which I have eaten over and over so I could utter them, now alive in this room of my own. Of course, Prairie girls of 17 would be interested in Virginia Woolf for the same reasons Woolf’s writing struck a resonate chord in 17-year-old girls in Manhattan. The poem is straightforward and direct, part of being a Prairie voice. It helps if you know Woolf and what a ‘room of your own’ means, but if you don’t know that you probably would not be reading the poem to begin with (which means you really should read some Woolf.) Prairie issues these days, at least in Alberta, include industrial pollution. In the past, most pollution probably came from the chemicals used on farms, where there were farms in northern Alberta. The oil sands project now dominates that part of Canada, fully supported by the government. Separating the oil from the earth is a complex, dirty process. Many Canadians, including me, are concerned about how the oil is produced, the impact on the local environment, and the dangers of shipping it by pipeline or railroad. What used to be a relatively pristine wilderness now reeks of methane and boasts poisoned water.

“NATURE II” You remember the simple smell of dirt while driving winter roads to Fort McMurray where malls are overweight with stuffed shoppers who cannot consume enough in this new Eden. As a child you burrowed deep into leaf rot and worm tunnel, inhaled darkness of badger and bone. 14

Paradise: earth, breath, sky above. It was before you understood you were Adam, cast-out into a world that had to be remade and renamed, a new world, marked with hungry ghosts of gas wells, methane skies, misshapen seasons, dirty brine feeding the exhausted snow of winter. Yet somewhere in you lives that green memory of a time when the land lay down at night and listened to the moon, carrots were sweet and orange on the tongue, poppies bloomed the colour of summer. Everything was connected. Ancestors wheeled among the galaxies, and earth was home. Living on the Prairies does not mean only adjusting to the environment. You live with the animals you raise for food and profit. Griebel writes of the relationship honestly, tongue partly in cheek.

“THE PIGS” Maybe it was the way we became animals. The rusty smell of turning meat on the grill, the private urges of the bedroom, memory, the summer heat and the women arriving in his truck, night after night. The women arriving with pink purses, thinking they were safe from the street. And the pigs sleeping, making those little noises that pigs make when they sleep. Their velvet ears the size of a man’s hands. And what they can do. The hands of one man. Or maybe it was the season. Fall coming on and that heavy light dragging across the land. The details deepened the day. We couldn’t talk because there is no justice when you know nothing is as it seems, nothing the same. Remembering how as a teenager I fed pigs, an age when the boys in big trucks talked about porking the girls, and I loved their eyes. I loved the soft light

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of the pigs’ eyes when they looked up from the trough. They trusted me to feed them, would eat anything: fermenting grain, bones, cabbage heads. Aren’t we all born into a trust with this world? And with what measure and certitude do we get into sorrow’s truck and ride.

for wonder as I headed into the white, blurred fields where sparrows and homeless scatter like chaff. There I quaffed the sharp chiseled air, the slow, sad light of merciless winter and said, yes, this world is for my mouth forever …. “Yes” contains several sections, many poems and plenty And I am in love with it. o’ themes. Her Helen Keller poems haven’t even been Yes. mentioned. Throughout all of the writing there is a directness that is refined by a Prairie gust. The book starts with a quote from E.E. Cummings, “I imagine that yes is the only living thing.” Griebel notes in the acknowledgements at the end of the book, “What we listen for in poetry is a way of being in the world, a way of knowing.” The last poem in the book is a knowing way of looking at modern Alberta and our lives.

“WALKING WITH WALT WHITMAN THROUGH CALGARY’S EASTSIDE ON A WINTER DAY” Blue-white afternoon. The Bow river churns and smokes as the city rumbles, economy chokes and bundled homeless build cardboard homes in the snow. Yes, Walt, this is the new world, and how often has your huge, burled form lengthened beside me as we strode through parking lots, the filth and ice of streets? Great seer, I listen for your relentless cheer and barbaric yawp: Unscrew the locks from the doors! Unscrew the doors themselves from their jambs! The truth here is that it is not easy to loaf and invite the soul, when you fear death from winter winds; when crystal meth is more common than a leaf of grass. But I am learning from you. Today, when I passed one of the brokendown men, I barked, By God! You shall not go down! Hang your whole weight upon me. The man looked at me as when the pain is far away, then suddenly clear. I kept walking (a small thrill of fear) and summoned your great capacity 15

opyright Infringement. You’ve all heard of it, right? Two words artists of all genres equate with the proverbial bogeyman. It’s out there. You know it is, but you don’t really think it’s coming to get you— Until it arrives on your doorstep. By Alicia Winski A while back I too was under the impression that while this dark cloud hovered somewhere, it wasn’t over my head. Well, that all changed when I was caught in its thunderstorm. I have a few friends that like to do recordings of poetry that they then set to music, and frankly, some of them are pretty damned good. I always kind of wondered why they would read someone else’s work over someone else’s songs, but assumed, wrongly, as it happens, that it really wasn’t hurting anybody. So, I asked one of these friends to do that for a poem I had written a while ago that I thought might sound pretty good read aloud by a male and while he declined reading that one, he did ask to do another one that meant quite a bit to me as well. I said yes, and the finished product was just lovely. I was extremely happy with it. I was a bit concerned however, when days later, I found that recording, along with a couple more recordings of mine he had done as a surprise, showing up on YouTube. My former partner and myself had a monetized site after all, and we liked to have people visit our work on our site so that we can get paid something towards maintaining our site. In short, every hit on YouTube was effectively taking money out of our pockets. My partner and I asked this friend to take down the videos, and since he was less than happy, and not particularly willing to do so, we compromised. He would take down the accompanying poems and leave only the recording. I was somewhat mollified but not a lot. I left it alone however, as it didn’t seem to be such a big deal. Well, it turned out to be a far bigger deal than I thought when I, like so many people who love seeing their names online, decided to see how many listings of my name were on Google. And there were quite a few that I recognized. However, when I came across one unfamiliar link, and clicked on it, I was directed to a lyrics site where the opening soundtrack was my poem being read by my friend. I didn’t remember being asked. I didn’t remember signing anything. So I wasn’t sure how they got hold of it and felt free to use it. And then the YouTube light bulb clicked. Knowing that this lyrics site was also monetized, I started thinking seriously about the ramifications of having my poem as their pirated soundtrack and decided to have it removed. Well, that might have been a good idea if they had bothered to provide a contact link, phone number or address at which I could actually contact them.

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I spent an hour or so wildly clicking on their various pages in search of some way to contact them when I realized there was a “member’s login” field, and thought that if I registered, perhaps I’d be eligible to actually get hold of a person of authority. Well, I didn’t find a person. But what I did find were several more of my poems being read out loud. Horrified by this invasion of privacy, I contacted my partner and I proceeded to describe how I was planning on annihilating the thief to which she responded that I needed to calm down. That’s when I enlightened her to the fact that they didn’t have just my work there, they had hers. Game on. Sniffing around the foreign country links they had listed at the bottom of their page, I managed to click and follow to nine other sites featuring my poems. Nine. All monetized sites. And they all with hits. Again, money out of our pockets, and copyrights infringed upon. Now I understand that as an artist, I should be appreciative that someone liked my work enough to copy it and display it on their sites, but much like a chaste woman whose dinner date is assuming that she will be his desert, I like to be asked before I’m violated. The biggest challenge I faced at this point was that there were not only no contact links on any of them, but that they were all international sites and based in Spain, France, and Russia; countries, from my understanding, who didn’t necessarily recognize my writes to my own work. But again, that was a moot point given that there was literally no contact information provided. Contacting the Federal Copyright office got me little more than insincere sympathy and a barbed question of, “What did you think would happen when you let someone post your work to YouTube”? Ouch. She had me. My complaints and protestations were voided on the spot. As were my dreams of recovering any rights to my own work. Work which, I might add, had apparently been hoisted repeatedly for quite some time which meant, effectively, that they were most likely embedded quite firmly onto far more sites than I had already found. Which meant that not only was I virtually helpless in pulling the work, but that competing monetized sites were gathering the meager pennies our site would have earned if I had simply done the smart thing to begin with. Kept my work off a public site that is traveled by millions daily. A bitter pill to swallow. But one I had no choice but to choke on. The bottom line is this: How bad do you want your work out there? Are you willing to sacrifice a poem, a song, a story, artwork in hopes that it will be the lure that bring people back to you? Are you willing to literally give it away to others who could manipulate it’s use a thousand different ways? If you are, hey, that’s the way to do it, but if you aren’t, well, think a lot longer and a lot harder than I did when somebody asks if they could “share your work”. Because they aren’t likely to be sharing it with a friend or two, but rather anybody and everybody who has internet connection. Exposure versus violation. Put that way, it’s not a hard decision, is it?

Interview with Michael Alago on “Beautiful Imperfections” By Danielle Boise Renaissance man and New York City native Michael Alago may be best known as a music producer and former A&R executive, who has worked with such vastly talented and differing acts from Metallica and White Zombie to Nina Simone and Cyndi Lauper; but he left the music aspect of his life behind in 2003, instead focusing on his passion for photography. Alago has since been known for his style of photographing friends, bodybuilders and male models in erotically charged atmospheres in states of undressed in his ”Rough Gods” series. Alago has just published his third book, “Beautiful Imperfections,” which takes a striking look not only at the male physique but also meshes a striking balance between the emotionality and masculine side by showcasing half-naked men with tender vulnerability inside fleeting moments. The twist is that every image captured in the book was taken with iPhone Hipstamatic app.

accomplishment when a book one works on comes to fruition. What drew you to create this sort of project? Alago: I created this project with the iPhone Hipstamatic App because I like to experiment with a variety of cameras and technology. How did you build this project? Did it come to in your pieces or was it fully formed when you started? Alago: I started this project a bit by accident. I was shooting images on the iPhone with the Hipstamatic app and was loving the crazy wild results. There was a variety of films lens’s and flashes to pick and choose from. The experiment was exciting to see, so I started to print the images and was thrilled with what I saw so I decided it needed to be a book.

Photo Courtesy of Michael Alago “Rough Gods”

Alago’s “Beautiful Imperfections” exhibit is running at Cock Gallery in Portland, Ore. I had the chance to speak briefly with Alago and ask some a little bit about his process and how this latest book came to him.

What part of your musical background were you able to incorporate and use that as a way to find expression in this project?

Photo Courtesy of Michael Alago “Rough Gods”

And how did you come up with the title, “Beautiful Imperfections”? It as if the words are battling it out against each other with the modern concept of beauty/beautiful and imperfection clashes with a gorgeous descent. In your opinion, which wins— beauty or imperfection?

Can you give me a little background on “Beautiful Alago: Once again the same way I came up with my brand “Rough Gods.” I was playing with words-thought Imperfections,” and what it means to you the images were in indeed gorgeous and beautiful. I personally? loved the wild imperfect results the iPhone camera Alago: “Beautiful Imperfections” is my third and latest gave me so I went with it because the words worked book. It is always a wonderful feeling of well together.

Were the models eager to participate in this project? website, show your portfolio and show confidence in the work. Alago: Men have always been eager to work with me once they see my work. I think they like the strength What do you hope to do next? and vulnerability of the pictures. Alago: I don’t know whats up next as I live in the moment and I am enjoying my current exhibition at Cock Gallery in Portland, Ore., and that my latest book is out there for all to see.

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Photo Courtesy of Michael Alago “Rough Gods”

You can follow Michael Alago’s adventures on Facebook Alago: My history in the music business really has nothing to do with my current work except at times or contact him at info@roughgods.com. during photo sessions I play loud music to get me and Alago’s exhibit of “Beautiful Imperfections” will be open the subject inspired. through Aug. 31at Cock Gallery in Portland, Ore. What was your favorite moment in the process of creating “Beautiful Imperfections”? Alago: I always love laying out the images on the floor in my living room – very old school and just start mixing and matching and pairing up photos next to each other and see the magic happen that way. Do you have any tips or suggestions for artists trying to find ways of getting their artwork on a platform where it can be processed and discovered? Alago: Be true to the craft and shoot whatever inspires you and if you have a good eye for subjects locations lighting composition etc you stand half a chance. I think the platform these days is going viral online, have a great

Interview with Ashland Belle Interview by Danielle Boise Ashland Belle hails from New York, but is taking the country scene by storm with their debut release, Bringin‘ Country Back, which was released Aug. 3. The independent band takes the heart and soul of country and mixes it up with a splash of southern rock, creating an infusion of highly enjoyable music. I had a chance to sit down and discuss Bringin‘ Country Back, touring and what makes Ashland Belle shine as a band. Do you think that coming from Buffalo, N.Y. has always too excited and motivated not to write. Our flavored your sound by adding a Northern hilt to inspirations for our music span across decades of country the songs within a Southern-infused country world and southern rock. you’ve joined? A couple of my big influences include guys like Keith I think there is a hint of the Northeast in our writing, Urban, Brantley Gilbert, Garth Brooks, Alabama, and both in lyrical content and in some aspects of our music, vocally, Dwight Yoakam. Dwight has a way of making you but being raised on the likes of Dwight Yoakam, Vince feel and hear his pain in his voice. To this day it gives me Gill, Garth Brooks and the like, our location has had little the chills. effect on our overall sound. Every time I listen to “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere,” What was the process like of recording Bringin’ when he hits that chorus and he is just simply singing “Oh Country Back for you? I,” I feel a desperation that no other singer can portray. That’s always a goal of mine when I sing and write. I want The recording process for Bringin’ Country Back was a to make our fans feel what I’m feeling and exactly how multistep and stressful endeavor for sure. But luckily for I’m feeling it. us we are always up for the challenge so I think we handled it all well. From laying down the music tracks, With such an influx of talented musicians, what makes all the way to tracking the last set of vocals, there was an your music stand out amongst a sea of overwhelming sense of excitement and worry for this other gifted artists? album to hit the airwaves. While there are so many great up-and-comers out there, I Along the way, however, we had to make some very last feel that we stand out because of our edgy southern rock minute choices that could have potentially derailed the sound and our infectious pop hooks. When I heard whole project. Luckily, after having two mixing guys Rascal Flatts for the first time, their hooks and harmonies and two mastering guys back out of the project, we floored me and that’s the kind of experience I feel we can were hooked up with Mike and Dan in Nashville, who deliver to the listener with a little rock to keep them even took the album and brought it to the level you guys more on the edge of their seat. hear now. I believe everything happens for a reason. You’re not currently signed on with a label; how does Are you writing any new material in between that impact you getting your music out to the promoting Bringin’ Country Back? If so, what are masses and what have you found to be the best tools your inspiration and influences that contribute to in reaching your fans? the building your sound? Without a record label backing us, we have had to rely on We are ALWAYS writing and working on new material. the indie promotional companies like CD Baby to get our We have a strong dedication to this project and we are music out to the fans. Plus, we have worked really hard

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over the past year to grow our following, via Facebook There are two other songs I wish made this cut (but we and Twitter, and that has paid off tremendously. will release them on the next record). One being “Me Without You” and the other “Finer Things in Life.” Both are Not having a big time backer definitely hinders the full very great songs that are an even greater extension on potential of what we are capable of achieving, but that our identity as an artist. We look forward to getting those doesn’t mean we shouldn’t work that much harder to out to everyone soon! reach all of our fans out there. Like I mentioned before, we love to work and we love our music and fans so we will do what is necessary to get AB to the masses. Having toured with greats like Jamey Johnson to Luke Bryan, what did you take away from those experiences as building blocks for performing live? Watching guys like Luke Bryan perform live allowed us to really hone our live show and make it a real show, not just a band playing songs. I have been performing for 11 years now, and I always learn new things from all of the artists we share the stage with. In the past we have all done festivals and big national events with other various bands, so with all of our professional experience, this band hits the stage for the first time as if we have been around for six or seven years. Our live show is the essence of this band, and we like to make it feel like a rock show, like Keith Urban’s live performances. I enjoyed the entire album; it holds the listener’s attention. I really connected with a couple of the songs, like “Dumb Enough” and “Play That Old Guitar,” and I really fell in love with “Dream Called You.” What was your favorite track on the album and why? Was there any other tracks you wished you had either added or changed out that didn’t make the cut? Well, we are all glad that you enjoyed it so much. Thank you for really taking the time to listen to it thoroughly and being able to detect and connect to these tunes. My favorite off of the album is “Dumb Enough.” I wrote the song in about a half hour while watching a Luke Bryan live performance. I like the song so much because it is a real honest look into a break up and it exposes that feeling in all of us when we break up with someone. For a while you want to see them unhappy but at the same time you don’t want them in your life so it’s like a catch-22. That part of a breakup has always fascinated me.

Interview with Alethea Kontis Interview by Tillman Smoot You have been a New York Times best-selling author for a few years now. What does being a New York Times best-selling author mean to you on a personal level? Is it an accolade that you were actively hoping for when your first book was published?

The second thing is my family—when a desire like publishing that has consumed you all your life finally takes off, it’s tempting to let it continue to consume your life. You can’t. Like a teenager, you push the envelope as far as possible, testing your mental and physical limits ... and those of your family. I did that last year. There were The first goal of every aspiring writer is to get published. some not-so-pretty emotional moments, and at the end It’s the brass ring. Some never achieve this goal. But if of 2012, I got very, very sick and stayed that way for almost three months. you really want it, you will find a way to make it happen and plant your flag at the top of the mountain. Now I have a better idea of how to balance my time You don’t really care what comes after that. between work, family life and tours/conventions. The last But … then what? What happens after Inigo Montoya bit of difficulty is convincing them that while I still have defeats the six-fingered man? After your first book is fun traveling all around the world, it’s still work, and very published, you start setting other goals for yourself, exhausting. ones that will motivate you to push forward just as strongly as that first brass ring. This series of boxes to How do you approach your workday as a writer? Can check is different for every author ... but some things are you walk us through the typical day for you and how the same: Foreign sales. Publishing a sequel. Publishing you set goals and manage deadlines and with multiple houses. Publishing in a different genre. expectations? Hitting the New York Times list. And so on. On a perfect day, I go to the gym in the morning, sit down While I can check the box and say I’m a New York Times to write when I get home, and don’t stop until Joe and best-selling author, I still don’t feel like I deserve it. My the girls get home from work/school. Then I spend name was on “The Dark-Hunter Companion” ... but so dinner time with my family, relax to watch a show, and was Sherrilyn Kenyon’s. And let’s be honest—she’s why then work on emails and interviews while the girls do the book hit the list two weeks in a row. Did I write the their homework. book? Sure. Am I proud of the book? Absolutely. Will I And then your inbox blows up and your grandmother continue to introduce myself as a New York Times best-selling author? Yes, sir, because Joe Lansdale told dies; and you have to go to the post office and the bank, and the afterschool program needs you to sub again, and me to. there’s laundry to be done and there’s nothing for dinner; It just adds another box for me to check on my list: Hit and you’re leaving on Thursday for New Hampshire and the New York Times ALL BY MYSELF. I’ll get there. Maybe you still haven’t packed yet. ... even to no. one. But that’s another box. There are publisher deadlines, and there are personal With “Hero,” the follow-up to your debut young adult deadlines. I make lots of to-do lists, and I have a lot of personal deadlines. Sometimes I won’t answer emails for novel, “Enchanted,” coming out this fall, are you finding that your everyday life has changed at all? weeks in order to shut down the inner personal assistant and get some actual fiction writing done. There are two ways in which my life has changed. The first is that I am now very aware of my time. I have a Every day is a struggle against laziness and entropy. It’s clearer picture of how much work I need to put into not that it gets easier ... but the daily struggle each day to achieve what I hope to achieve. Does that becomes familiar, almost a comfort. mean I have fully embraced discipline? Yeah. I wish. But I still try harder, every day.

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Where do you feel that your most creative and productive writing gets done? Do you have a specific room in the house that you feel most comfortable in?

with touring for “Enchanted. “

I don’t blame the publisher—in this day, age, and economy, everyone has to play it close to the vest. Honestly, I’m proud of myself for both I produce the most wonderful writing at writing proving I could move books and retreats. My friend Mary Kowal hosts one or two a year at delivering the sequel to deadline. her parents’ home in Chattanooga, and the Waterworld Mermaids always stay at the hotel a few days after the How has the evolution of the book industry changed Washington Romance Writers conference to things for you as an author? Do you have any concentrate on writing. suggestions for the struggling writer in today’s market? These retreats are like a godsend. I am somewhere far from home with only one thing on the schedule: WRITE. You have to be flexible. You have to try anything and So I do. At great length. everything. Keep an open mind. There’s no one way to do anything anymore. Write as much as you can, as often as I’m hoping that once I have an official home office, I’ll you can, and don’t stop. be able to have more productive hours at home ... but there’s just something about removing yourself from That said, you should also make sure that you keep your that space that’s so refreshing. agent and/or publishers aware of everything you’re doing so that 1. They can promote you where possible How do publisher deadlines work? Can you tell us and 2. You won’t accidentally step on someone’s toes a little bit about how Hero went from getting the when you’re not looking. Being unprofessional, green light to being submitted for the editing accidentally or otherwise, is never a good idea. process? How do you feel about using social media to increase When the publisher gives you a deadline for a public awareness of your products? Is it something manuscript, that’s when you have to turn it in. Earlier, if that you embrace enthusiastically, or something that possible. Douglas Adams has that great quote that you feel is a necessary evil? laissez-faire authors adopt about deadlines whizzing by ... but publishers really do appreciate authors who turn It’s quite simple: If you feel that social media is a in their manuscripts on time, and I enjoy having an “necessary evil,” then you have no business there. It’s like appreciative publisher, so it’s a win-win. reading books to kindergartners. If you’re not having fun, they can tell. Then it’s no fun for anyone. “Hero” was difficult in that I wasn’t sure until the last minute if the publisher even wanted to continue the I’m very lucky in that I love social media. My personal Woodcutter Sisters series, so I didn’t write it. I suppose philosophy is “Every stranger is just a best friend I haven’t I should have just written it anyway ... but they weren’t met yet.” I have met the most amazing people online, or happy with the outline and first 20,000 words I had at conventions where we continue the friendship online delivered to them the previous year, and I didn’t want to ... it’s a wonderful thing, and a great way to keep in touch. finish a book they didn’t want in the first place. (In hindsight I should have just worked on a completely For me, social media is more about ME, and the books different book ... but that’s moot.) are just something I do. I do promote my books, sure, but I more often am taking pictures of fans and friends “Enchanted” was a one-contract book, with little hope from conventions all over the world, and posting them for a continuation, despite my dream of a seven-book so that the rest of my friends and family can live vicariseries. But when the first print run sold out the month of ously through me and fully experience the magic that is release, the publisher came back to my agent with the my world. contract for two more. Which meant I only had five months to write “Hero,” and I do wish there were better ways to two of those were already booked solid connect them all (Facebook, Twitter,

Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.) without having to post in several different places at once, and I think I have a pretty good system up ... but in six months that will probably all change again. I also wish I had more time to mess about with it, of course ... but I do still need to do that pesky writing at some point.

We really wanted to capture a little bit of the magic of the Hotel Hollywood on the EP, so we recorded the reverbs down in the bowels of the hotel in the men’s toilets. We played the vocals back through a guitar amp set up in the bathroom and recorded the sound. It was quite eerie hearing the isolated vocals echo through the empty hotel. Now there is a little bit of porcelain reverb, or pee-verb as we’ve been calling it, on every track!

What is next for you after “Hero”? What projects are you working on now? Right now, right this very moment, the next thing after Interview with Melinda Kirwin of “Hero” is the third book in the Woodcutter Series: “Beloved.” I have a publisher deadline of October, but The Falls Interview by Danielle Boise a personal deadline of the end of July. When I’m done Melinda Kirwin, of Australian duo The Falls, sat down with with all this touring in May, I’m going to dive back into Target Audience Magazine to talk about the process of that ... even if I need to travel to a different state to do so. making of The Falls debut EP Hollywood (which was released Sept.17) with Tony Buchen, the Usually I’m working on a short story or two on the side autobiographical content of their writing style and (I have a short story problem ... they’re just SO MUCH advice to other fellow artists. FUN), but I’m currently waiting to hear back about a secret project that may take up quite a bit of my time in With a folk bent, Hollywood pretty thoroughly the near future. documents the evolution of your relationship: from And while all that’s happening, my agent is still shopping around a novel, an intermediate fantasy series, and a collection of my fairy tale short stories illustrated by one of my favorite artists ever. I’ll also be putting out another short story collection via e-book, and at some point I’ll be launching a Kickstarter to reprint my essay collection “Beauty & Dynamite” and its sequel, “Murphy’s Girl”. As Neil Gaiman says, we must be dandelions. Good thing I enjoy dancing on the wind. Now I just need to make enough money to hire a personal assistant. (Adds to list of check boxes. ...)

friends to lovers to becoming exs. It must have been extremely cathartic to not only write, but also record this EP. Now that Hollywood has come to life, how do you feel about performing these very autobiographical songs for a live audience? Is there any hesitation or is there more of an empowerment in these songs for you live verses recording them in the studio? When we are writing we don’t really talk about the deeper content of the lyrics, but we have, somewhat unconsciously, documented our whole relationship in these songs. Sometimes, it is not until we are in the recording studio that the meaning behind a lyric becomes clear, as one listens to the other record the vocal.

You’ve toured with some amazing talent, like Of Monsters and Men to Passenger. What were some of your favorite moments?

How was it working with famed producer, Tony Buchen on Hollywood?

I think some of my favorite moments on the road were when we were touring with Passenger. We were playing huge rooms in Australia, whose stages where Man, Tony Buchan is such a talented musician and ordinarily graced by rock acts and full bands. The producer. We were playing each week down at the Hotel greenrooms would usually be trashed and packed for of Hollywood – just two voices, a guitar and a stomp box – people, but on our tour, Passenger was performing solo, when we went into the studio to record; it was really as was Stu Larsen who opened and we performed as duo. important to us that our debut release reflected that sound. We didn’t want to lose the two of us in a band. I always found it quite amusing how un-rock’n’roll we folkies were before a show. The four of us siting round Tony really ‘got’ that, and helped us produce an EP that backstage, drinking tea and maybe having a sandwich. we truly feel sounds like ‘us.’ We are so grateful to him for We always felt like we should knock some chairs over or helping us craft something we are so proud of. Playing leave an empty chip packet on the floor – just to be a with our band is transformative and our Hollywood little more rock’n’roll! recordings are how we hear the songs in our heads, but it’s nice to know that duo or band, the songs retain the What do you find has been the best tools for you to same strength. use in order to get music out there for the public to consume? Are you creating new material, and if so, will you further draw upon your relationship or will you work Before we hit the studio, we played live as much as we on other topics? could to really grow our fan base and get our music to new ears. Once we finished recording, we took our single We have been writing a lot the past few months and I to radio and that, combined with continued touring, think that there will always be an element to our songs really took things to the next level for us. that is autobiographical. However, besides our personal relationship, we draw a lot of inspiration from our friends Do you have any advice for other artists trying to and other characters in our lives, and from stories we’ve make their way through the music industry? heard (real or invented). The music we are listening to also has a huge influence on the way we write. Work hard, trust your gut and don’t give up.

Performing our songs live can be extremely hard, having been so unashamedly honest in writing them. It’s like laying yourself bare onstage for all to see. It can be a little overwhelming, but I think that it also means there’s a rawness to what we do that intensifies and supports the sincerity of the lyrics. It seems that the content of our songs often hits us when we least expect it, so both recording and performing can be challenging.

When we were writing the songs for Hollywood, we were listening to a lot of music from the mid to late 60s and early 70s like Simon & Garfunkel, The Byrds and Neil Young, and I think this is reflected in the way we harmonize together.

What was the best part of creating Hollywood for you?

Musically we are inspired by so many different artists, so I guess ultimately we want our sound to be constantly

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developing, growing and changing. I think we’d like our debut album to reflect that – we’d like The Falls sound to be diverse, like bands like Fleetwood Mac. We’d like to have our ‘Landslide’ tracks but also our ‘Rhiannon.’

Where do you see and hope your style and sound develops into as you move forward?

With a sound similar to The Civil Wars and a lyrical content in the vein of artists like Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, does it feel weighted to be compared to such acts and talent who has a raw and honest intensity and vitality for their craft or do you feel it’s an honor of achievement? It is definitely a huge honor to be compared to artists that we respect, admire and are inspired by. We feel very humble to be included in such company.

Film Review: “Pacific Rim”

creature design elevate the film well above the typical big budget blockbuster. This film revels in nerdgasmic Review by David Feltman exploitation and offers everything you could hope for Had this film been released in from a summer movie, assuming you were hoping for Japan I’m sure it would have some robots to punch some monsters. received a splashy and overly honest title like “Super Robo Film Review: “The Lone Ranger” Monster Battle!” Thankfully for a Review by David Feltman movie about psychically linked soldiers in giant robots fighting Trying to breathe new life into extra-dimensional monsters, beloved but forgotten franchises the only thing mundane is the sounds good on paper, but seems name “Pacific Rim.” Just for doomed in practice. Promising example: in the first 15 projects like “The Green Hornet” minutes you get to see a and “John Carter” have only giant robot, piloted by Charlie Hunnam (aka Jax from managed to bury anything “Sons of Anarchy”), kamehameha a 40-story behemoth loveable about their source named Knifehead. materials. Likewise, while Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski Story takes a backseat to spectacle, giving attempt to re-skin the “Pirates of director Guillermo del Toro the opportunity to paint the Caribbean” films in cowboy hats, “The Lone Ranger” the screen in 3D madness. What we’re offered is a multi-million dollar Saturday morning cartoon filled in fails to grasp the spirit of the original radio/TV show. equal measure with mammoth Lovecraftian With the “Pirates” films, Depp and Verbinski stood firmly cosmic beasties (here named kaiju after Japanese on the shoulders of Errol Flynn style swashbuckling s creature features), cheesy end of days bombast and erials, but the duo scrambles to capture the spark of the impromptu kung fu fighting. Every little piece of old west bullet operas in “The Lone Ranger.” To futuristic tech, every brightly colored projectile, every glowing monster orifice is designed to leap off compensate, Verbinski simply throws one reference after the screen. This is the rare movie worth the couple of another at the screen, hoping to cover up the deficit of personality. “The Lone Ranger” steals scenes from silent extra bucks for the glasses. to spaghetti westerns, switching from Buster Keaton train The cast is stellar. Hunnam and Idris Elba ham it up as stunts to “El Topo” treks through the desert. The film also the deep and brooding heroes while Charlie Day and confuses kookiness for cleverness, trotting out a surreal cast that includes a transvestite henchman, a one-legged Burn Gorman play an “Odd Couple” pair of wacky kaiju experts. Fellow son of anarchy Ron Perlman makes madam of a hell-on-wheels brothel and a host of crazy a comedic appearance as a kaiju poacher/black market carnivorous bunny rabbits. And even these kooky characters aren’t original, each one lifting from “Dead male enhancement supplement Man,” “Planet Terror” and “Monty Python and the Holy salesman. The characters are admittedly shallow Grail” respectively. archetypes and the story about family and shared trauma is suspiciously similar to Joss Whedon’s “The Clocking in at nearly three hours, “The Lone Ranger” is an Avengers,” but del Toro’s world is so big and unwieldy mess of wandering motivations and poorly imaginative that it’s easy to overlook the plot’s defined plot points. Verbinski tries to disseminate the shortcomings. story through a Museum of Natural History framing “Pacific Rim” definitely marks a departure for del Toro, a device that only proves to be ridiculous and distracting. It’s hard to get invested in the story when the big bad is man known largely for making quiet but just as generic as his henchmen and the family he visually striking fairly tales like “The Devil’s Backbone” and “Pan’s Labyrinth.” While del Toro’s knack terrorizes only exist on screen to be victimized. Depp’s standard weirdo shtick is old hat, but Armie Hammer’s for nuanced parables is sadly absent, his adept comic timing makes him surprisingly impish sense of humor and Jim Henson level of

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entertaining as the titular ranger. But Hammer’s performance isn’t enough to save the movie. “The Lone Ranger” is a slogging pastiche filled with missed opportunities.

CD Review: Black Joe Lewis – Electric Slave

recorded on analog equipment. If you close your eyes, you can imagine that you are sitting in on a jam session. When I played the EP for my husband, he had just come home from a long day at work and he reluctantly agreed to listen to one song before going to bed. I played him “Vampire” knowing that he would love it, and seven songs later he was wide-awake playing air drums and proclaiming, “This is the best album I’ve heard in years!”

Review by Rose Riot

Download the album and pre-order it now. I am going to Black Joe Lewis has the make it a required listening for all my friends. Black Joe ability to transport Lewis will be performing at Terminal West on Sept. 8. listeners to a different space and time in reality. Most of Electric Slave was produced by GRAMMY award The first time I saw a winner Stuart Sikes (White Stripes, Cat Power, Modest performance, I went from Mouse) and recorded at Church House Studios in Austin, being a middle-aged Texas. Three of the new tracks (“Skulldiggin,” “Dar Es woman in the year 2009 Salaam,” “My Blood Ain’t Runnin’ Right”) were recorded to a teenager in the 50s and produced by John Congleton (Explosions in the Sky, who snuck out, and was St. Vincent, Okkervil River) at Elmwood Studios in Dallas. peeking into the window of a juke joint witnessing “the devil’s music”; I have been a huge fan ever since. The band will tour supporting Electric Slave beginning in September, playing a number of shows along the east Lewis combines the best musical influences and styles coast including a show at New York’s Terminal 5 on Sept. from the last six decades and cranks out a bluesy, jazzy, 26. funky, punchy soul sound that, when added together, equals pure rock and roll. http://www.blackjoelewis.com/ Electric Slave (out Aug. 27 on Vagrant Records) is dotted with inspiration from some of music’s greats. The song CD Review : Fates Warning – “Young Girls” has a distinct New York Dolls vibe. My Darkness in a Different Light favorite track, “My Blood Ain’t Runnin’ Right,” is the song Review by Tillman Smoot that Lou Reed wishes he recorded in 1973. “Vampire” has kitschy 50s feel that summons the ghost of Lux Interior. “Guilty” makes Rob Tyner not roll over in his grave, but shimmy, shake and smile. Do not mistake anything on Electric Slave as copycat of other artists; these songs are simply the product of people with amazing tastes in music. I like all things Black Joe Lewis including the harder, dirtier turn he takes on the new EP. The whole album sounds fuzzed out, which produces an effect that makes Lewis’s amazing vocals sound better. Hearing a perfect album is a rarity, and Electric Slave is a perfect album without a weak song on it. Electric Slave pays homage to a non-digital era. It sounds like it was made using vintage gear and

It’s been almost nine years since progressive metal band Fates Warning released its last album, FWX. A near-decade can be a lifetime in the music industry, and countless numbers of bands have formed and broken up in less time than that. After nearly two years of hard work in the studio, Fates Warning will release their 11th album, Darkness in a Different Light on Oct. 1. The opening track on the new album, “One Thousand Fires,” is akin to a shot of adrenaline to chest, both startling and gasp inducing. It is the sound of nine years of silence

shattered in an instant by an explosion of passion and power. It is the return of a band that still loves what it does and cannot wait to prove it. After “One Thousand Fires,” the band takes its foot off of your neck and lets you breathe a bit. The second track, “Firefly,” begins to slow the pace a touch; it is playing it a bit coy. Shorter than many previous Fates Warning songs, each track on Darkness in a Different Light is direct, to the point, and sure of itself. But if you’re worried about the absence of a song epic in length, then the final track on the album, “And Yet it Moves,” is for you.

CD Review: Ministry – From Beer to Eternity Review By Patio Screendoor Holy cow indeed! “Hail To His Majesty (Peasants)” stomps into existence with sputtering static and the crunchy mechanized sounds of modern day terminators coming for our proverbial souls. Its repetitive yet poignant chorus drives home the point that we are only stupid peasants in the grand scheme of things. You can almost hear the predator drones flying overhead as our current president stands proud upon his dais and tells us to suck his motherfucking dick. There is no doubt about who the first track off of Ministry’s long anticipated 13th album, From Beer to Eternity, is about.

One thing that is absent from Darkness in a Different Light is the band’s frequent use of keyboards. Many Fates Warning fans may be a bit surprised to hear the band play without the now familiar musical layer of keyboard, but the group’s creativity is stronger for it. Instead, guitarist/producer Jim Matheos and engineer Phil Magnotti have managed to develop a rich and elaborate music-scape. With their skill, they have embedded a message in the album. The message is simple: “You missed something… listen again.” With cover art set in a modern day post apocalyptic wasteland, Al Jourgensen appears as a savior and captor You can find pre-Bobby Jarzombek orders for Darkness in imagery that someone more conservative might in a Different Light as well as news and tour info at Fates describe as blasphemous or even disturbing. Warning. Controversial samples and grinding guitars, coupled with the precision of perfect robotic drum beats, meld to ignite in an explosion of prerecorded television news channel political hypocrisy and dissonance that only l isteners of advanced mental capacity would even dare attempt to comprehend. The schizophrenic conspiratorial diatribes explicitly describe our failure as a species and our impending doom. Our worlds current political state and the over proliferation of television and shopping as a quelling drug for the masses are also subjects that have not been left untouched. Al's lyrics in the dub infused “Thanx But No Thanx” are reminiscent of a drug-addled rant by a grumpy old crazy homeless man whose mind was lost long ago in a war we shouldn't have been fighting in the first place (mind you he has been honing his craft and harboring resentment about our society for over 30 years and his best friend just died). We are extremely fortunate that this album was even released. You can even hear the heartfelt goodbye in “Enjoy The Quiet.”

Sept./Oct 2013