INCLINATION Issue 8 by INCLINATION

The Best of the summer of 2010

ISSUE 8

the fabulous jonny cola answers our same old ten for us

Phil Ryan not only photographs but he also interviews Eleven Dollar Life for us!

Artist Of The Month... Lizzie Van Housen Sarah 13 talks to Derek Woodz!

chicago’s metal mergence

FREEDOM TO ROCK POWERAGE

LISSY GETS THE EXCLUSIVE ON SCORPION’S FORMER DRUMMER

HERMAN ZE GERMAN

contributors in this issue Lissy MacMillan - Editor in Chief/Layouts and graphics / writer Cola - Creative Director/ writer Shaz - Interviews (Australia) Josi Hannon Madera - Fashion Phil Ryan - Photography & Interviews Sarah 13 - Writer Nick Giles - Writer (England) Mike Paus - Political Writer Matt Irie - Guest Writer Juliette Tworsey - Guest Writer Mark Doddato - Photography

For Show Schedule and to hear archived shows go to: blogtalkradio.com/inclination & www.inclinationonline.com

contents Special Features

Issue 8

August/September 2010

Freedom To Rock By Lissy (4-5) Smoking Bans & the war on Smokers By Juliette Tworsey (8-10) Interview with Herman Rarebell By Lissy (14-20)

Music Reviews

Didium & The Black Bonnie Picture By Nick (6) Jane Collymore By Nick (21) Doris Brendel/ The 9s By Nick (27) Lostaura/ Under The Flood/ Beyond Threshold (35) Reggies Rock Club/ Slow Intentional Damage (39)

Regular Features Whore-O-Scope By Cola (7) Interview with Derek Woodz by Sarah 13 (24-26) SSStyle by Josi (11) Interview with Eleven Dollar Life By Phil Ryan Hannon Madera Artist of the Month (28-34) By Cola (12-13) Paus for a Cause Metal Mergence By Lissy (36-38) -Mike Paus (22) Matt Irie Rebutts- Shut up and Drive By Cola (40-45) (23) Same Old Ten with Interview with Powerage By Shaz (46-48) Jonny Cola (49) Music & Violence - By Sarah 13

(50-53)

Views (opinions) expressed herein are those of the individual authors and advertisers and do not necessarily reflect that of INCLINATION, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s affiliates, or its owners. Although we do our best to uphold the integrity of this publication, we are not responsible for nor do we endorse the advertisers or individual opinions within this website.

freedom to rock By Lissy MacMil an

Original flag art by Paul Goyette Photos provided by Loretta

www.freedomtorock.org So many times I have wondered what I, a regular person, could do to show our troops how much they are appreciated and get irritated that the government doesn’t do enough. The pay is pathetic, the family advocacy programs are a joke and the services available to our Vets are insulting. While FREEDOM TO ROCK may not fix those problems, they certainly lift spirits and show that they’re supported. Loretta Palacios started FREEDOM TO ROCK, a non-profit organization while she was working as a civilian contractor in the military. She was inspired, not only by what she saw day-to-day but also by a news report on Afghanistan, she said that the people were scared, then “The news anchorman, said after some time, the people were smiling and not scared anymore. Our troops showed them security, and freedom to walk the streets. What once was a quiet town became a joyous time, when the people had the music in the streets up loud. The anchorman said these people now have the FREEDOM TO ROCK. When I heard that, I knew what my goal was. To bring entertainment to those men and woman who have risked their lives for our freedom and other human beings to experience what we as AMERICANS have.” To bring the “gift of music” is what this organization does, and with a lot of help from production companies, artists and civilians that all believe in FREEDOM TO ROCK, the dream has become a reality. “It has taken time, but is very important to all of us to bring what is greatly needed for our troops. The troops need to have a boost in morale, and know that the civilian world and the METAL rockers want to show their

support.” With Raymond Herrera (Fear Factory and Arkea) at her side, they have already been putting on events in California for the Marines and Navy for five years. With his help, bands like Stemm, Deftones, Mudvayne, Killswitched Engage, Chimaira, Hatebreed, Adema and Black Label Society

have become interested, and in 2011, FREEDOM TO ROCK plans on taking their tour through all of the US Armed Force Bases. Local bands are also supported through this tour, and already Etched In Red, Medius, A Race Called Man, and In Remembrance and a band from Italy called ENEMYNSIDE have been picked up. When I saw that Stemm were involved it didn’t surprise me, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting these guys a few times and I know how passionate they are about supporting out troops and wrote a wonderful song dedicated to them. When I told Loretta about my love for them, she added, “Stemm is an awesome band. These guys are so down to earth, but most of all, are real in what they feel in their heart for our military. They are true Americans

and supporters of our troops. I love these guys…. STEMM ROCKS THE TROOPS!!!” There are plans to bring on a talented tour manager who works with big headliners and a production company, civilians wanting to watch the show and our wonderful troops will be able to watch through a live stream. When I first heard about this, all I could say was “WOW!” it must mean so much to our troops that someone is doing something so big, so wonderful for them, Loretta told me “When I talk to the Armed Forces up close...I see their eyes in excitement when I tell them about our tour. They cannot believe that the METAL bands want to perform for them. That feeling goes deep inside me, where I am so choked up. I tell them directly, when you hear FREEDOM TO ROCK coming to your base, REMEMBER, I did this for you, because you all are set deep in my heart, for what you have given all of us in our AMERICA.” Like Loretta, I think those men and women are deep in many of our hearts and I know that we can’t all do something as huge as FREEDOM TO ROCK to show how we care. But we can help Loretta as the tour is supported solely on donations and sponsorship. If you are a company wishing to sponsor, you can get more information at www.freedomtorock.org, you will find a presentation with details and demographics and sponsorship levels, you can also email or call Loretta directly. There’s a donation button on the website and any amount you can afford I know would be truly appreciated, Loretta also wants your ideas… “The civilians can shout out to me on our website, and tell me what ideas they have.

We support other non-profit organizations such as Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund www.semperfifund.org, Fisher House http://www.fisherhouse.org/ aboutUs/aboutUs, and the Wounded Warrior Project http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/?gclid=CIiwuvj16 I C F R F M a g o d p l O s nw. ” Any bands that are interested need to register online at the website with pictures, video and music. “I approve all new bands coming online and actually take the time to listen, and read their profiles. Headliner bands can reach me directly at 760.755.3681 or by email at Loretta.palacios@freedomtorock.org” They’re planning on taking the tour to Europe in late 2011, so bands over that way should sign up too! Please

spread

the

word…

“We are privileged to have our FREEDOM TO LIVE, FREEDOM TO DREAM, FREEDOM TO ROCK” --Loretta Palacios--

Didium & The Black Bonnie Picture

‘Whimsical Beauty’ & ‘A Valley’ ‘Whimsical Beauty’ is the debut al-

bum from Didium & The Black Bonnie Picture and it is a true work of art from the heart and soul of Didium and all those in this bonnie little band. The band line up is Didium on acoustic guitar and vocals, Cecile Strange provides vocals and saxophone, Josephine Støjberg adds more vocals and some violin, Sebastian Vinther plays lead guitar, vocals, glockenspiel, baritone guitar and percussion. Niels Hasselstrøm played bass on all tracks, but has since left the band to be replaced with Kasper Nissen. Emil Eggert Scherrebeck is on drums and percussion and Jakob Kvist Hansen plays piano. The ‘picture’ painted by this highly creative piece is a magnificent ride through the fairground of magically blended indie rock and pop styles, so unique to Didium and his Black Bonnie Picture.

Article by Nick Giles

On playback, the disc carries you very merrily through its 45 minutes of aural joy. Didium’s vocal style is one of true quality; Cecilie and Josephine highlight the harmonics of his creative vocals to perfection. A lot of great albums tell a story, paint a picture, or reflect feelings and themes. Maybe I have seen the film ‘Moulin Rouge’ too many times but I can clearly visualize Didium and the Black Bonnie Picture on the stage of an updated, modern music hall, the feeling and emotion contained within this masterpiece of modern rock creativity reflects that ambience beautifully.

To bring you up to date with Didium and the Black Bonnie Picture, during May this year a second album was released on the new Sureleaf label. This album is called ‘A Valley’ and is such a good follow on. It is much brighter and breezier, taking Didium’s vocal capabilities to their limits. The whole soundscape broadens and brightens highlighting the outstanding quality of this band of exquisite musicians.

To listen to ‘A Valley’ http://www.last.fm/music/Didium%2B%2526%2Bthe%2BBlack%2BBonnie%2BPicture Purchase link http://www.gucca.dk/cd-album/didium-and-the-black-bonnie-picture-a-valley_111940.php

Cola’s Whore-O-Scopes Happy Birthday Leo! Social = Productive. Don’t limit your own capacity for networking. Jump outside of the box and expand your circle of minions! People want to work with you and for you. Work for them and with them too! It will all pay off very soon. The other day when your phone rang and the call was “Blocked”, it was a wrong number. Breathe. A big promotion at work is headed to your least favorite co-worker. Slashing their tires might make you feel better. Hiding a bag of weed in their briefcase and making an anonymous call…well…even better. Please don’t try any new looks this month. People are getting dizzy from all of your wardrobe changes. Life isn’t a Broadway show.

Let your buddy take the fall for you. They want to, and if you don’t all hell will break lose, family style.

Last month was hard for you, but this month you’ll get a free pass with the wife/husband/bf/gf. Just remember to be nice even when you’re fantasizing about crushing up glass and putting it into their scrambled eggs. If you want to travel to a foreign land, even figuratively speaking, this makes you a “Tourist”. Be prepared for the reality of becoming such. If you quit now, you’ll never know what could have been. Sometimes the Lord open a door….whatever…. sometimes the door is a trap door that leads to a pit of sewer waste. Ummm….Yeah, you still suck. This month you will catch crabs.

Don’t forget who loves you. Even when you’re not a rock star. The people in your life who know the real you will be there for you when the chips are down. Who knows? You may cash out this time.

Quit being so impatient. Hard work pays off, it just takes forever in this unforgiving economy. Keep your chin up and your meds down.

Hope you had fun being everybody’s bad aftertaste. It’s truly sad when the joke is on you and you’re duped into believing that you’ve told it.

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A bit about me first...I was born and raised in Chicago, which is where my band FireBug was formed. I currently live in Los Angeles with my band. In addition to being the front person for FireBug, I also contribute regularly to Smoker’s Club International (www.smokersclubinternational.com), Freedom 2 Choose (www. freedom2-choose.info), and my own blog entitled Jredheadgirl (http://jredheadgirl. blogspot.com)..I am not advocating the upstart of smoking; however, I am advocating freedom of choice, while protesting the extremism of the anti-smoking movement. When I came home to Chicago in January 08’ it was a wake-up call for me. The smoking ban had just been passed. My band played at the Double Door. Let me just say that it’s really hard to get people to come out to see a show in January when there’s a smoking ban. So there I was, standing outside in the frigid temperature of -8 degrees Fahrenheit wondering what the hell had happened to Chicago, I mean California is one thing, but Chicago? When I returned to California I learned that outdoor smoking bans were being passed in many towns across California, with some even threatening arrest and jail-time. Bernard Parks, who sits on the Los Angeles City Council, proposed a law that would make it a misdemeanor, punishable by arrest and imprisonment, to smoke a cigarette on a city sidewalk. I soon started to realize that this was an extremist element with huge political ties, even at the global level. Being a person who detests extremism on any level, I felt it only natural, being a smoker myself, to stand up in protest. Here are some sons for opposing

of my reasmoking bans:

1) Smoking bans are based on the premise of mob rule, which goes against everything that this country stands for. We live in a representative democracy. All citizens have equal rights under the law. Smokers have just as much of a right to smoky air as non-smokers have a right to smokefree air. Smokers are a minority who take part in a legal activity; therefore, smokers have the right to assemble and the right to pursue happiness, even if that chosen activity is unpopular with the majority.

Reasons Why I Oppose Smoking Bans and the War on Smokers to live according to our own free will. Additionally, social denormalization then can be used as a mechanism to profit off of our imperfections. If bureaucrats and politicians can act to protect smokers from themselves by imposing restrictions, there is no limit to their power of “coercion” in the name of behavior modification. Coming soon to a town near you: Outdoor Smoking Bans (Many towns in California), bans on smoking in your own home (ditto, CA. again), companies that refuse to hire smokers), www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/ am_news_links_pa_hospital_refu.html. www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/07/08/ us.smoker.jobs) hospitals that discharge smokers, (www.9and10news.com/ category/story/?id=240483&cID=2, the war on fat, the war on salt

(http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/ news/local_news/new_york_state/ chefs-call-proposed-new-york-saltban-absurd-20100310-akd ), the war on fast food chains (http://articles.latimes.com/2007/sep/10/ local/me-fastfood10 ), the war on cell phones (http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/ Article/540850/201007191859/ Cities-Eye-Cell-Phone-Radiation-.aspx …2nd hand radiation?), bans on loitering, aka, “sit laws” (http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Existing-loitering-lawhaving-little-impact-87088877.html ), the war on sugar and soda(http:// articles.sfgate.com/2010-07-06/ bay-area/21939137_1_vending-machines-soda-obesity ), the war on unpasteurized milk, etc… There is no end in sight to the list of possible things and activities that could be banned. This scares me because politicians love to ban things; it makes them look like they’re doing something productive whilst Rome burns all around them. 3) Smoking bans lead to prohibition and we all know how well the last one went.

4) Smoking bans set a bad precedent. Tobacco is a legal product; therefore, smoking is legal. If smokers can be prohibited from assembling with one another, then anyone can be penalized, should their way of life come under scrutiny by “experts” armed with “studies”? This means that politicians can push anyone around, even if they’re not doing anything illegal, whilst still making boatloads of money off of the very same people being restricted, which leads me to my next point…

5) Tobacco is taxed beyond what is fair; we smokers contribute more to society than we get back; therefore, we should be free of harassment by the ruling classes. Smokers are an asset to the economy in many ways. The myth that smokers are a financial burden upon society is incorrect and insulting. We fund parks, finance road construction, balance state budgets,

and pay for the health insurance coverage of other people’s chil-

dren (SCHIP), even though we may not have children ourselves; and to prove my point, here is an excerpt from the Heartland institute that sheds light on this issue: “Harvard Professor Kip Viscusi has repeatedly demonstrated that smokers already pay more in excise taxes than the social costs of their habits. Even before the MSA, “excise taxes on cigarettes equal or exceed the medical care costs associated with smoking.” For example, Illinois’ cigarette taxes, according to Viscusi, were $0.13 more per pack than the social costs of smoking before the settlement added $0.40 to the price of a pack of cigarettes, before the $0.40 a pack tax hike approved by the state legislature in 2002, and before Cook County’s $0.82 a pack boost in 2004.” (Source: Heartland Inst. http://www.heartland.org/suites/tobacco/). 6) Smoking bans are anti-free market. Choice is taken away from private citizens, along with the option of more liberal solutions, such as separate rooms and/or sections with improved ventilation. 7) Smoking bans discriminate against veterans who fought for this country be denying them the right to smoke in their own clubs. 8) One ban always leads to more bans; power is very addictive and dangerous. 9) Smoking bans hurt the music business. It’s very difficult for an up and coming act to keep people in the club when half of the club is outside smoking. This increases the burden of trying to get exposure in the first place. 10) Smoking bans are socially divisive. 11) Smoking bans are funded by large pharmaceutical companies and “nonprofits” that profit from the advertisements of Nicorette, Chantix, and other stop smoking aid. For example, the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation (producer of Nicorette and Nicoderm) gave $99 million to the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association (http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product.

?id=14912), $1.5 million to Americans for Non-Smokers’ Rights (http:// www.rwjf.org/programareas/grant. jsp?pid=1141&id=57556). The RWJF owns 80 million plus shares of J&J stock. So there we have it, specials interests have a lot to be gained from smoking bans. For more info, go to http:// cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2006/04/financial-ties-between-anti-smoking.html. 12) Smoking bans violate the property rights of small and large business owners. Bars and restaurants, unlike courts and police stations, are not public property. Owners of private establishments invest

their own money and therefore, should have the choice of whether to make their venue smoking or non-smoking. A simple sign at the door to alert potential patrons of a said venue’s policy would be sufficient. Patrons are then allowed to make their own choice on whether or not to enter. 13) Smoking ban proponents assume that all people seek the homogenization of bar and restaurant culture. Nothing can be further from the truth. There will always be different demographics with different wants and needs; it’s human nature. This goes back to point # 6. ...and to my next point… 14) Smoking bans are bad for business; many bars, restaurants, and casinos suffer massive revenue loss, many even suffer closure; this means job loss for many; it also means that it is that much

more difficult to obtain work in the hospitality industry in the first place. Several of my favorite hangs in my hometown Chicago that catered to my demographic closed soon after the Illinois ban went into effect. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis conducted a study of the economic impact of Illinois’ smoking ban upon casinos and found a loss of revenue in the 10s of millions annually (http://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/regional/09/07/casino_smoking. pdf). Over 6,000 pubs have closed in the U.K. (the reason why my last tour was cancelled) since their indoor ban went into effect and 39 continue to close every week (http:// www.savethepub.co.uk/). Many bars and restaurants have closed all across America as a result of smoking bans (http://www.smokersclub.com/banloss3.htm). 15) The war on smokers has increased hatred and crimes against smokers (http://encyclopedia. smokersclub.com/4.html). 16) Smoking bans are not effective means to get people to quit smoking. In fact, they often have the opposite effect. Many places around the world have witnessed an increased uptake of the habit amongst many in the youth culture. 17) Smoking bans throw old people out into the rain and the cold. That is cruel and wrong. Everyone deserves a place to go. 18) Smoking bans are based on lies. The exaggerations of the risks of second hand smoke (SHS/ETS) have been so blown out of proportion that if we were to apply the same level of risk assessment to many of the things that we do in everyday life, we simply would not be able to leave our front door. Eleven epidemiological studies were done in the United States on the connection between ETS and lung cancer, and of those eight found a positive risk, three found a negative risk but none of them were statistically significant (that is, none of the U.S. studies could make the statement that there was a causal relationship between second hand smoke and cancer). Source:

http://yourdoctorsorders. com/2009/01/the-mythof-second-hand-smoke/ At the behest of Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Ca), the Congressional Research Service (CRS) spent two years examining reports and came up with the following conclusions regarding second hand smoke and lung cancer (Redhead and Rowberg, 1995):   (a) The statistical evidence does not appear to support a conclusion that there are substantial health effects of passive smoking.  (b) It is possible that very few or even no deaths can be attributed to second hand smoke.  (c) If there are any lung cancer deaths from second hand smoke, they are likely to be concentrated among those subjected to the highest exposure levels (e.g., spouses).  (d) The absolute risk, even to those with the greatest exposure levels, is uncertain. In response to the EPA’s decision to classify second hand smoke as a class A carcinogen, Federal Judge William Osteen interviewed scientists for four years and thus declared in back in 1998,   “The Agency disregarded information and made findings based on selective information… [The EPA] deviated from its risk assessment guidelines; failed to disclose important (opposing) findings and reasons; and left significant questions without answers… Gathering all relevant information, researching and disseminating findings, were subordinate to EPA’s [goal of] demonstrating [that] ETS was a Group A carcinogen… In this case, the EPA publicly committed to a conclusion before research had begun; adjusted established procedure and scientific norms to validate the Agency’s public conclusion, and aggressively utilized the Act’s authority to disseminate findings to establish a de facto regulatory scheme…and to influence public opinion… While doing so, [the EPA] produced limited evidence, then claimed the weight of the Agency’s researched evidence demonstrated ETS causes cancer.” (Osteen, 1998) The World Health Organization International Agency on Cancer published a

indicate that under normal conditions, the components in tobacco smoke are diluted below existing Permissible Exposure Levels (PELS) as referenced in the Air Contaminant Standard (29 CFR 1910.1000). It would be very rare to find a workplace with so much smoking that any individual PEL would be exceeded.” (Letter from Greg Watchman, 1997)

A study from the U.K. showed that the average London bartender inhaled the equivalent of six cigarettes annually (about one quarter of a pack). (Matthews and MacDonald, 1998)

report concluding that there was no statistically significant risk of lung cancer in non-smokers who lived or worked with smokers (Boffetta, et al, 1998). In a study spanning 16 U.S. cities, the U.S. Department of Energy researchers placed monitors on nonsmoking bartenders and waiters who worked in smokefilled bars and restaurants to measure the amount of environmental tobacco. The conclusion was that the monitors detected minuscule amounts of tobacco products. (Jenkins, et al, 1999) The harm that might come from such minuscule amounts of exposure was calculated as “none” to “improbable harm”.

A study that was published in the British Medical Journal by epidemiologist James Enstrom and Geoffrey Kabat (2003) concluded with a result that is quite the opposite of that which is propagandized by anti-smokers. Their study of 35,000 Californians showed that lifelong exposure to a husband or wife’s smoke produced no increased risk of coronary heart disease or lung cancer among the non-smoking spouses.

In 1997, Acting Assistant Secretary of OSHA, Greg Watchman stated:   “Field studies of environmental tobacco smoke

Article Written by Juliette Tworsey

ssstyle... By Josi Hannon Madera While I might be the type of person who eagerly awaits runway updates on style. com, I am most impressed by the ingenuity and flair of everyday people who, regardless of their budget, manage to pull off their own signature style. I’m not alone, it seems, because more and more often, the high-fashion runway designers are taking their inspiration from the ground level because when you turn to the street you’ll find much more interesting pieces than those that get showcased in modern fashion magazines. One doesn’t have to stray too far from the pack to create a signature style, and unique accessories are the key. You won’t find one-of-a-kinds at department stores, but there are fabulous deals to be had at local arts and crafts fairs, resale shops and estate sales.

My current favorite accessories are lightweight shawls and wraps. They add a burst of color, or a touch of lacy femininity, and are easily stashed in hobo bag. As a Midwesterner, I am accustomed to weather that goes from 95 at noon to 55 at sundown, so besides being a fun addition to a wardrobe, simple wraps are also really practical. Play with how you wear wraps – put them on them backwards, or asymmetrically, or let long ones hang almost to the floor. I love adding a little drama to the looks I am creating, even if it’s just for a trip to the grocery store… it’s never a bad day to hear “hey, where’d you get that kickass shawl?”. Another upside to shawls and wraps is

that you can make your own, and then you KNOW it’s just for you. Knitting, crocheting or sewing your own pieces allows you to control everything from color to texture to style. There are thousands of patterns available, and when combined with all of your options for yarns and fabrics, creating something unique is a no-brainer. Even if you’ve never done anything like that before, I suggest you try it out. The satisfaction that comes from creating one’s own garments is so fun and fulfilling that it’s worth getting over any initial worry that you won’t be good at it. Trust me – it’s all a lot easier than it might look. To get started with knit or crochet, I recommend signing up at Ravelry and browsing the galleries. Scarves and wraps are the simplest ways to begin to learn these arts, too. If you are more interesting in sewing a wrap, Pattern Review is easily the best sewing website on in the internet. Not only are there reviews for patterns and machines, there is so much helpful information in their message boards that you only need access to a sewing machine to get started. I’m also a big fan of handmade bags by local designers. Not only are the prices more in line with my budget (one can normally get 3 or 4 bags for the cost of one Coach). I know I’ll have a bag that no one else is carrying around. I mean, call me shallow if you must, but when I spend over $300 on a purse, and then see someone else with the exact same satchel I get a little bummed. However, when I purchase a handmade purse by a local designer, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing I am helping to support an artisan in my community. So while it’s clear that statement pieces aren’t limited to the realms of costume jewelry, donning a few unusual bijoux can take a comfy pair of jeans and a favorite T-shirt and make them seem glamorous. While I can’t imagine donning the style head-to-toe, I’m currently obsessed with Steampunk accessories and their clever juxtaposition of the delicate and the mechanical. Lace with watch gears, filigree with skeleton keys, leather bracelets studded with computer chips, copper cthulu earrings

– these things give me a girly giggle while simultaneously appealing to my inner geek. Delicious bits of unique frippery cannot be found at your local mall, or at nationwide chain stores… but you’re bound

to find something you adore at artisan markets, consignment shops and Etsy. com. You can add something fabulous to your wardrobe while simultaneously supporting creative hard-working artists.

Purse shown from Bags By Gala, Cthulu earrings from HighwindSteamworx. www.style.com www.ravelry.com http://sewing.patternreview.com

AUGUST ARTIST OF THE MONTH: ELIZABETH VAN HOUSEN The Art World Through Her Eyes Interview By Cola Cola: What is art? (In your own words) Elizabeth: Art to me is not only the end result of the creative process, but also the creation of something new. Art can be made from anything, but it is only when applied, does a creation become art. Art is love poetry, the beach, epic sonnets and plays, giant wall murals, mosaic tiles to freeway entrances, paintings. Art can be a performance, or a stand-alone sculpture. It represents the emotional freedom expressed when all of my creativity is released. My art is always evolving in my mind; whether I am on the bus, on a swing, or on the beach. Ideas form into thoughts, and then thoughts can be written down in a sketchbook. In the book, I generally use watercolor and ink to give the idea form, and then a drawing emerges. Art also represents freedom from the norm, and where art takes me. No one else could even imagine. Art is love.

Cola: your

How start

did you get as an artist?

Cola: Do you feel that Chicago has a strong support network for artists?

Elizabeth: I started making art as early as kindergarten. I had been doodling my way through high school and college lectures. Now as a senior at The American Academy of Art, with an expected graduation of August 2010, and a Bachelors degree in Fine Art (majoring in Illustration) itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fantastic.

Elizabeth: It is in fact, a fantastic place for artists. Chicago offers many art festivals during the summer, as well as networking events that happens pretty much every day. www.chicagoartistsresource.org is a great place for artists looking to network, and the site has many different types of networking groups that one can attend.

Cola: Who or what inspires you?

Cola: Where are you planning on taking your art professionally speaking?

Elizabeth: Inspiration comes from many places, although many are nonart related. I find that looking through magazines, watching dogs play at the dog park, spending a night below the stars, and just hanging out with friends is where my main inspirations come from. Its peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s little quirks, idiosyncrasies, the chaotic mess that our world is, bring me to create my art.

Elizabeth: I plan on working as a freelance illustrator for the next couple of years, until I find a suitable ad agency to work for illustrations, storyboards, or concept designs. Cola: What do you do for fun? Elizabeth: In my free time, I enjoy listen-

iefoot, Slightly Stoopid, Counting Cards, the Copyrights, Municipal Waste, Pepper, Sneaky Gene, DJ Demchuk, Stalin Youth, Sublime, EOTO, Phish, DIRECT HIT!, Teen Idols, Teenage Bottlerocket, Dear Landlord, and The Expendables. Cola: How can people commission you, or acquire your current pieces? Elizabeth: Most of my artwork can be found at my website: www.elizabethvan-housen-art.com. I am available for commission, and can be reached at elizabethvanhousenart@gmail.com, where I can discuss rates with them. Cola: Where are your favorite Chicago hot spots for viewing art and or hearing music? Elizabeth: My favorite places to view art are The Art Institute of Chicago (especially the modern wing), The Contemporary Art Museum, and the Bill L. Parks Gallery space at The American Academy of Art. My favorite places to go to a show include all of the Chicago DIY collectives or houses like Locked Out, The Moving Castle, The Mopery, The Box Social, and most importantly The Flopsy Tea Haus. I also enjoy Ronny’s, Reggie’s Rock Club, and the House of Blues. Cola: Have you done any traveling? If so, what cities do you feel have the best art? ing to music, going to the many DIY Chicago punk rock shows that there are to offer, dumpster diving, painting portraits, and reading up on anarchist literature. Cola: What kind of music do you enjoy? Elizabeth: Music is a great fascination of mine, so there must be variety. I listen to a collection of reggae, dub-step, punk rock (Old School Punk Rock, Crust punk, Folk punk, Beat music, Anarcho, ‘77, Do It Yourself, Hardcore punk, Riot Grrl), also some Death metal, along with The Turbo Vamps!, Bassnectar, Corpse Gas, Weird Science, Flipper, Suicidal Tendencies, Masochistic\Values, Vibrators, Rebelution, Flying Lotus, STS9, Dispatch, Soja, Brother Inferior, Defiance, Ohio, Jack Johnson, Punk rock, Das Kapital, Wook-

Elizabeth: I have traveled pretty much the entire United States, minus a couple states (including Alaska, and Hawaii). I have also lived in Santa Cruz, Chile for a year, traveled up and down the entire beautiful coastline, and been to Peru and Argentina for two days each. With all of that, I think that the city of Antofagasta, Chile, has the best art. Its art is rich with the history of Chile, as well as western influence, and some (times) strong catholic overtones. Cola: What is your artistic working process? How do you get what is in your head into physical reality? Elizabeth: My artistic process is pretty simple, while sometimes I have an artistic block, but with some more caffeine, that is easily fixed. Usually, if I am paint-

ing someone’s portrait, I just look at what I see, and draw/paint right from there, but if I need to come up with something on my own, I just need to take a walk around the block to get the creative juices flowing in my head. Then my ideas flow down from my brain, into my hand, into my pen, and out onto the paper. Then I paint. Cola: How did you come up with the ideas for your website? Elizabeth: I come across so many advertisements and commercials everyday, that I get inspiration from them. So I look through www.google.com for ideas (that aren’t illustrated, but should be), and I go from there. Much of my art on my website are class driven projects, but then I take the art I make in class, and create similar projects on my own time that are similar Cola: What is your favorite artistic medium? Why is it your favorite to work with? Elizabeth: My favorite artistic medium to use by far is watercolor paint, and various sizes of black Sharpie permanent markers. I also enjoy collages of ripped paper included with the watercolor and permanent markers. Cola: What advice would you give to an aspiring artist that is maybe short on confidence in their work? Elizabeth: Keep on making art, and keep on showing it to people. The more people see your art and give you positive criticism, the better. Cola: Where yourself in

do you see 10 years?

Elizabeth: To tell the truth, I have no idea. Hopefully married with children and a successful Illustrator are all my plans for that long in the future. .

Interview with Lissy MacMillan

On Location Photography taken for INCLINATION by Mark Doddato I was very fortunate and did what thousands of girls all over the world could only dream of doing.... I sat and talked with Herman Rarebell, former drummer of the super rock band The Scorpions. He is doing his own thing now with friends and musicians and recently put out a new album on Dark Star Records called “Take It As It Comes”, I got my time with him while he was here promoting the new CD...I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed doing the interview. Lissy: Well I’d love to hear about how you got to where you are today. How old were you when you first started playing the drums? Very young, I was twelve years old. I

I was at a wedding and I saw a drum kit and after the wedding when everyone was completely drunk, around midnight, I had the courage to jump behind it and bang a bit. So I could feel it was my instrument, felt confident from the first second. Of course I couldn’t play, I was just banging it. Lissy: You had a few bands when you were a teenager, right? Yes, my first band was a school band, we were 14/15, we were called The Mastermen and we played every weekend, every Friday, Saturday, Sunday we played the pubs, you know? Monday morning we all had to go to school, but The Mastermen, we were all teenagers. Then

when I was 17 I joined the Fuggs Blues, this band had a British guitar player, Pete Wilson and we played the American air bases in Germany every night, forty five minutes, fifteen minute break, four sets every night and we played the top forty, that kind of thing. This went on till I was about nineteen and my Dad said you should at least study music, become a serious musician, so I went to Music Academy in Saarbrucken, and I studied two years there and in 71 I said that’s it, I’m going to England to join the next big band. I was hoping I could join Uriah Heap or Deep Purple. But then obviously the realty was that my money ran out, I was a barman, I was a gardener, taxi driver, I did all those jobs, then later in 74

L Lissy: When you first joined the Scorpions, were you already playing to really huge crowds? They had four albums already at that point, right?

I finally got work as a studio musician. Played with small bands in England…played with a band who played in Universities, stuff like this, then in 76, I met Michael Schenker, he was the other German musician who played with UFO and he said to me, “My brother is coming to England with his band Scorpions, they’re looking for a drummer, don’t you think it would be a great idea if you went there and did an audition?” So that’s what I did then, with about another forty/ fifty other drummers. So after the audition was over and we’d played the three songs we got the famous “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” and I thought, I’ll never hear from them again. But true enough, they called the next day… “We think you’d be the right drummer for us, can we take the drum kit with us to Hanover?” I went back to my British Girlfriend at the time, and said “I have to tell you something, I have this German band that just took my drums and they want me to join them in Hanover, they want me to be there in one week.” So I packed everything and joined the Scorpions. It was May 18 1977. Reason I remember this date is because it was the day Klaus Meine got married. So the rest is History… the rest you know. But this is how I got to them.

They had albums, but they were only known in Germany, then when they had the album Virgin Killer, this was the first album that became big outside of Germany. So because of this we became big in Japan and we got booked for a tour there and I joined just after Virgin Killer. First album I made with them was Taken By Force. So then what happened, we got invited to play the first Japanese tour, I played songs from Virgin Killer because this was the album that was big in Japan. On this tour we made Tokyo Tapes, the live album. After this Ulrich Roth our guitar player left the band, he decided he wanted to do his own thing. So suddenly, we’re standing there and we have no guitar player so then Rudolf said, “My Brother, Michael Schenker just left UFO” and we said, “Oh this is great.” So what we did was we took Michael as the guitar player, but what we had to realize was that in these days Michael was not very reliable. So he showed up at some shows, some shows he didn’t show up. And as this went on, Rudolf his own brother said, “Look you can’t do this, either you do your thing and we get another guitar player… and this is how we got to Matthias.” Lissy: When you first came to the US, what was that like? Can you remember your first impression? Absolutely, we got found because of the bus coming from Japan and

the album

bus coming from Japan and the album Lovedrive was made. We got signed by American management, David Krebs and Steve Leber that at the time also had, Aerosmith and Ted Nugent, and Steve Leber had a band from Australia called ACDC and a band called Def Leppard had just signed. So we were in vey good hands, because the very first gig they booked us was in Cleveland Ohio in front of 80,000 people in a stadium at a festival, together with Ted Nugent, Journey, ACDC, Aerosmith, Thin Lizzy and the Scorpions played at 10 o’ clock in the morning. But we left a good impression because the very next day we continued on tour as the opening act for ACDC. Then we were the opening act for Ted Nugent, and we did a tour for Aerosmith. Then the next album came out which was Animal Magnetism, which made people’s ears go like this… but the big breakout album was the one after this that was called Blackout. Blackout was probably the album that was played here in Chicago up and down all day and was really making big news. We became the headliner now. Our opening band was Def Leppard, which was funny when you think back about this, and then we went on tour again with ACDC and Def Leppard was the opening act. I remember we snuck the drummer, Rick Allen in the back because he was only sixteen and he wasn’t allowed to drink then. That was me and Bon Scott. Lissy: You guys must be really tight; do you still have a good relationship with all those guys? Whenever we see each other we have a good laugh, you know? I went to visit ACDC when they played in Munich and we had a great laugh when I came in the room. Everybody remembers those days. Actually the way

Blackout happened is Cleveland Ohio again, we played as special guest to Judas Priest. Judas Priest was headliner, Def Leppard, again the opener, this was 1980, and one night we’re staying in a cheap hotel cause that’s all we could afford then, Rudolf got arrested on the street, I see this and I go to the police “Oh he’s our guitar player” so I took him into this hotel and he’s slapping the beer on the table and Judas Priest and Def Leppard are watching some TV and he just took the beer and threw it at the TV and he left the room and went upstairs. He couldn’t remember anything the next day, so this is how blackout got put together. Lissy: What is, in your opinion, the best thing about being a rock star?

That is a good question… well of course you know, people treat you different, that I think is a good advantage, but I’ve never really thought about what the best thing is…I never wanted to be a rock star, I just wanted to be a great musician who plays the music he loves most. Then when we became big it was a big surprise for all of us. I remember when we went to the record company in Germany and we said that we’d like to play in America it would be very good if you released our album there, they laughed at us, they said “You’re crazy? You think they’re waiting for you in America?

They have Deep purple, they have all the great British bands you know?” We went crazy and said we wanted to play in a stadium, and they were all “hahaha” and as you know, we did. I think it was having the belief and the perseverance, don’t give up until you reach u know? Lissy: Absolutely. Who have been gest musical

your biginfluences?

Oh definitely from England, Led Zeppelin, that’s my favorite band of all time. Because I grew up with bands like Yardbirds, The Kinks this was my early influences. Especially now living in Brighton, a lot of people tell me about those early years, in the sixties, The Who started there, in fact they did Qua-

drophenia, it was filmed in Brighton and every day when I walk along the pier I walk around this area, of course back then it was the mods and the rockers and there were big fist fights there in Brighton in those days. They were driving around on Vespas, the mods and the others had these big bikes. Lissy: When you wrote “Rock You Like A Hurricane” did you know it was going to be such a big hit? I had a very good feeling this song was going to be played on the radio a lot, you know? In this

song, both the lyrics are perfect and the music is perfect, both fit perfect together. That makes for me a hit song, a whole time classic. A few days ago they voted the 100 best rock classic songs of all time and Rock You Like A Hurricane made up to number three. Everybody knows that song. And nowadays its played just as much as it was played back then, I can see all the radio stations that are playing it, especially in Chicago here, the Loop plays it at least once a day. Lissy: Oh yes, it’s always being played! What other song, do you think with The Scorpions was just as important, made just as big an impression? Blackout for sure was the big breakout here in America; I remember generations of kids singing along

when we played it live. So Blackout, obviously the ballads: Wind Of Change, Still Loving You, this was another part of The Scorpions and I don’t think there is anyone in the world who can sing them better than Klaus Meine, its perfect for his voice and so personally I think those are the things that make The Scorpions. Lissy: About six of the Scorpions album covers are very controversial, do you think they helped with the sales, do you think they hindered them? In the early days when you look at the cover of Lovedrive, with

the chewing gum on the breast of the woman and they’re sitting in the back of the car. It was done by Hipgnosis, they’re a great company that did the album covers for Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, so when they did this cover and I saw this I said to Storm, the designer who made it, I bet this gets banned in America, the album came out, it was banned and the record company put it in red vinyl. You know what the kids did? They bought 500,000 copies just to see what was behind it. Then we were considered rebellious and we were suddenly “in”, and then Playboy voted this cover of the year. So this was the best thing that could happen. It just goes to show that a cover can make a lot of ambience. So then what happens is the next cover was just as troubling, the title was animal magnetism Lissy: Oh yeah the girl kneeling with the dog. Mmhmm, everyone was like, “this is dirty, its like the woman is giving the man a blow job”, this is your dirty mind if you think this… Lissy:

It’s

your

interpretation…

It’s your interpretation, they’re just on the beach looking at the dog, you know? It’s your dirty mind, you should be ashamed. Lissy: ing

Yeah for

he’s

just askdirections…

Exactly! Well done! He’s asking for directions. That was two covers, then came the cover from Blackout, what a classic cover, with the two forks in the head. That cover made more posters than anything else. I wish, you know it would go back to vinyl because in those days you had something to look at: how this was recorded, who played on it, all this is missing now

Lissy: Personally I think all the covers were very artistic and tastefully done. Very tastefully done. I think now, because all the record companies are broke now, they’re making quick decisions in their art department which means someone’s sitting behind their computer and he’s going through his library and in one hour, here’s your cover. But a company like Hipgnosis would spend three weeks on a cover and come back with some ideas, like with Lovedrive for example. And he would say, what do you think of this, this and this and then finally if all five guys were like, this is the cover, if

it hits everybody, you know. First time I saw the one with the chewing gum, I pissed myself laughing, “Do you really think this will make itself to America? It’s a fantastic cover but I bet my ass they’ll ban this”, and I swear it was one day out and they banned it. This was the best advertisement you could have in 79. Lissy: Coming a little bit more current, how did your signing with Dark Star Records come about? A guitar player in my band, James Jackson, told me one day, I contacted Dark Star Records for you, they’re

very much interested in having you as an artist on their label and have your new album on the label and finally was very happy to find a label that knows what they’re doing, with very good digital distribution and they’re one hundred percent behind me, that’s what I needed. When I said I want to come to America first to promote the album and play for the radio stations and then come on tour, they were overwhelmed, they were very happy. Lissy: own

And you had record label

your too?

I had Monaco records along with Prince Albert of Monaco, it was a great label, we did it from 962001, and in 2001 we got broke like so many other record companies because the internet came and took a lot of business away, nobody bought our productions anymore, so in the end we were just forced to close down. Then after, we did this thing with Ronnie Wood where we showed his pictures, he’s a great painter by the way, we showed the paintings by him up on big screens, and we played live to that, and at the same time we had six dancers, six female dancers, so it was half music, half art show, it was a great thing you know. Unfortunately the cost for the show was too much to tour with the whole thing, so we also called that a day. Then I went to do a band called Drum Legends with Pete York and Charly Antolini, that was great fun. We had the three drummers up front and the band behind you. We played a mixture of rock and jazz, it was really good cause Charly is a good Jazz drummer; Pete can

play both rock and jazz. I think it was a really great combination and you can see some of these performances on Youtube. And then Pete and Charly left cause Pete got a job with Helge Schneider. Helge Schneider is a guy like Bruce Springsteen, big superstar in Germany and I said to my wife, why don’t we do Herman Ze German as the next one now? You play saxophone on there and we make sure we have only killer songs. So the band members brought the songs and I’m the producer so I picked out of sixty songs, I picked the best twelve, no album fillers, this is the album you have. What’s your favorite song on the album? Lissy:I really like Heya Heya. Me

too,

favorite

too.

Lissy: It’s really good. You did that for a charity… World Vision? Why did you pick that charity? Because money really gets there, I went myself to Ghana, Africa, I saw the children there. Two of my children- I supported the one child for nearly thirty years and two of them are now doctors. They started with nothing from the ground and with twenty-five dollars a month you can feed that child, give them their education, the school books, everything. That’s less than a dollar a day; I think everyone can afford that. I know money gets there, I know they take money to pay employees and stuff like that but they really build the schools there, they really feed the children, they really educate them. Cause I believe when you really want to help someone, you don’t just give them money cause after a while he gets used to it, he’s waiting for it, he gets lazy, it’s better to educate that person and then that person knows how to make their own money.

Lissy: That’s wonderful! Is there a website where people can find out more information? Yes,

it’s

worldvision.org.

Lissy: You have a lot of different musicians on Take It As It Comes; will the musicians on the CD be coming with you on tour? Of course, absolutely, I’m gonna bring Stefan Erz my lead singer; he’s a very good-looking guy for the girls. He’s good looking right? Its very important to have a good looking front man, Thomas Perry, my long time friend, long time co-writer, as you know we signed him to Monaco Records and we wrote lots of songs together. Then my American friend James Jackson who normally plays in Strikeforce and Jens Abler of course on Bass. Lissy: hope I

Brilliant! get to see

Well I you guys!

Well the plan is to come to America in November, maybe we’ll do a package tour with Dokken or Great White or I just go out on my own as Herman Ze German and friends and we’ll do the house of blues, that kind of thing, introduce my new album, my new band and of course take it as it comes. Lissy: I guess from the song, Freak Show, you don’t like reality TV shows? Do you secretly watch them, at least just to laugh at them? No, I’m forced to watch them. There’s at least five on at the same time whenever I watch TV. I asked Stefan what songs he had and I heard Freak Show and I said I want to do this one, and we went into the studio and recorded it again, BTW, Jens Abler played on that song, lead guitar, rhythm guitar and bass! I said to Stefan, what I like most about this song is it’s very heavy,

it’s just my cup of tea, but what I really like is the lyrics, cause I’m so sick of this shit. You have the mother there and her daughter and they’re shouting at each other “you’re fucking my boyfriend” then the boyfriend turns around and says “Did you know your mother fucked my ex there?” What level have we come to? It’s ridiculous you know? Then they start beating each other up, it’s ridiculous. It’s a freak show. Lissy: I really got into “I’m a celebrity get me out of here” Yeah yeah they have this show in Germany too. They put the celebrities in the middle of nowhere and make them eat worms, its ridiculous, and then you have twenty million people tuning in to watch this Lissy: I heard something that Gorbachev said to you, and something you’ve experienced, The Beatles changed America and then Scorpions changed Russia. Do you think there are any bands around now that could make the same kind of positive change where it’s needed? I hope so. There must be young bands out there that have that aim, to change people’s minds and bring love and peace. I think that when Gorbachev told us that, we were sitting there talking with him, he said, “You know what is heavy metal?” We said ummm no… and he took his shoe off in front of the

UN and hammered it on the table, and it was in the days of the cold war when Reagan and them were in power. But then he said the biggest mistake America did was when they let The Beatles in. Because they changed the rock n roll world, they made rock n roll happen, that’s the truth. Then he said, “My biggest mistake was letting you guys in, look what happened, the days of communism are over.” When we played that stadium, you could see clearly the soldiers who were there to keep the people separated were waving their hats and singing along, you could see clearly the days of communism were over. Then the same weekend, Klaus wrote Wind Of Change there. We were the first ones to realize a Hard Rock Café in Moscow, this was the first one they built, and I couldn’t believe we were eating a hamburger there. Then on the 9th of November I’m sitting in a hotel in Paris and I put the TV on and the wall is falling down! People are on the wall and crying. A year later we played in the same place with Roger Waters, The wall, 380,000 people there in no-ones land, before where there were mines and people got killed. Those moments I will never forget. It was big, Brian Adams, Cindi Lauper were there. It was huge. Lissy: If you hadn’t been as successful as a drummer, what do you think you’d have been doing for the last thirty years? Open up a porno company and make porno movies and become very rich. Lissy:

Great!

love

that!

We talked earlier about your influences, obviously now you’re someone that drummers look up to have you come across any musicians or drummers in the last ten years that have completely blown you away? Oh yes, a lot of them! Thomas Lang is one of those guys; he’s like a machine the way he plays drums, really fantastic. But there has not been a drummer like Bonham where you go “ahh what’s this?” and crazy guys like Keith Moon, these are the things I feel we are missing these days, or another Ginger Baker and you go Oh wow! What is this? Everybody has become too similar. Personality, originality of those great ones have gone missing, you know what I mean? When I listen to the top twenty now, it sounds to me that half of that is drum programming, nothing to do with real drummers. But when you listen to all the new drummers they all play literally the same style. This is where I think the personality has to be put more out there. Charlie Watts, you can think all you want about his drumming, but you can’t copy it. Lissy: I think back then, there was less to work with so you had to be more creative. Absolutely, also these days you have the possibilities of the digital revolution where you can program a whole drum kit and if you make a mistake you simply cut it out, whereas before you had to play the whole song again all the way through if you made a mistake. Sometimes I had to play the song fifty times. That’s crazy! That is crazy but it makes you really tight as a drummer. You don’t want to sit there for two days playing the same song over and over…. Dieter Dierks had me play the same song, sometimes sixteen hours a day, the only thing miss-

ing in his hand was the whip. I used to call him the slave driver.

I’d say “I can’t I cant” and he’d say “Play again, again!” and now those days are over and recording is much more fun cause once you have a good take you just repair it. Lissy: Right, although I think maybe that just makes people lazy. That’s true, but I think I would not like to play the same song for sixteen hours. I prefer the new way. Lissy: Oh sure. So what are your favorite drums to play? I’ve been endorsing, since 1992, DW, before that I endorsed Ludwig drums. I had a short interlude with Yamaha and Pearl that lasted two years every time, but mostly my kits are with Ludwig and DW. Now I have a new offer from DDrums

from Elliot Rubinson, that I played a show with Michael Schenker at a music exhibition and Elliot is the bass player in that band, so he said to me “why don’t you play DDrums?” So I said get me some, so maybe next time you see me playing, I’ll be playing DDrums. I have many DW Drums, and I like the DDrums, I’m open. I take it as it comes.

It depends you know, I have concerts where I go through five pairs, but those are made of hickory so they’re excellent they don’t break so fast.

Lissy: Then what about your sticks? Do you use hickory, Bamboo?

You can purchase Herman Ze German’s new album: Take It As It Comes and find out more information on him at:

(Herman then goes to his closet, pulls a pair out for me and signs them) Oh these are hickory, thank you so much. How many pairs do you normally go through in one concert?

That’s all we had time for as they had to leave to get to the appearance at Best Buy. Lissy: Thank you Herman, we really appreciate you talking to us.

www.hermanrarebell.com www.myspace.com/hermanrarebell www.myspace.com/hermanzegerman

www.darkstarrecords.com

Her album titled ‘Chivalry has Died’ was recorded using the name ‘Farchild’ and is so good. Since this release Jane has released an EP titled ‘The Garden’ under her own, real name. More recently Jane has released another EP called ‘Wastewww.myspace.com/janecollymore land Sailor’. The songs from this EP which are on Jane’s my space page is another perfect example of Jane’s creativity and quirky style. All of the above has been Jane Collymore from Seattle entirely written, played, redoes not claim to be anything corded and produced by Jane, other than herself, with no a wonderful accomplishment. claims to be anything oth- To top this, the musical projer than someone who origi- ect is just one of the projects nally began writing in order that Jane works on in order to to release her inner feelings explore her various creative and social complaints. She cortex’s, She has also become does this wonderfully with a national Volleyball star. an overtone of idealistic op- During a hiatus from sport timism and hope. When I in 2007, she hit the Seattle first found Jane on myspace. music circuit, playing Folk in com she was calling her mu- coffeehouses & fronting Rock sical project ‘Farchild’ but bands. In 2008, she opened for is now using her real name. The Presidents of the USA & Her music is highly creative Sir Mix A Lot at some of Washwith a truly personalised feel ington’s premiere venues, The to it, being free to take it any Showbox & Napavine Amphiway that she pleases. This Jane theatre, and won 1st place in does so well as she creates an MovieBigShot’s National song intelligent and intuitive form writing contest. She has also of alternative, experimental done fit/ commercial modelling pop/rock, and it is great lis- in print & TV ads for Underartening, soothing, inspiring mour Sportswear, Northwest and refreshingly uplifting. Health Magazine, & T-mobile.

By Nick Giles

mour Sportswear, Northwest Health Magazine, & T-mobile. To get a taste of the amazing eclectically vibrant styles of Jane go to her myspace.

makers and takers By Mike Paus There are few Congressmen that have any kind of inkling as to how far America is along its debt (death?) spiral, and even fewer have proposed anything serious to do something about it. One of them, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) has laid out a fairly realistic plan for making the country solvent again. Of course, since it actually tackles the main underlying cause of the future destruction of the economy, that is, out of control entitlement spending, there is exactly zero chance his plan will be passed. But more interesting to me than his plan was something fundamental he said after he presented it. “We’re on this trajectory where we will have more takers than makers in society”, Mr. Ryan wisely pointed out. A statement simple enough that even a child could understand it. If you have more people taking than making, if you have more people on the dole than paying taxes, how long

d o y o u h a v e before the makers can’t pull the weight of all the slackers on the wagon? I dare say we’ve already passed that point. If you count all the people on unemployment, which is rapidly evolving into a long term benefit, all the people on Social Security, all the people on Medicare and Medicaid, all the people on food stamps and AFDC, not to mention all the public sector union employees and their enormous pension plans, we’ve already crossed the Rubicon and there is no going back. There are too many people whose livelihood is now completely in the hands of a government bureaucrat, and these people will only vote for politicians that will give them more from the makers of society. It’s time to come to grips with the fact that there’s not enough money to meet all of the taker’s exorbitant demands. We currently have a 1.4 trillion dollar federal deficit this year on top of a 13 trillion dollar debt. Social Security is now paying out more than it takes in, and it has an unfunded liability somewhere around 56 trillion dollars. Medicare and Medicaid were already unfunded before the specter of Obamacare puts more patients in the system. The states are running huge deficits, and unlike the federal government, they can’t print up money to make up the difference. Everywhere one looks, there

i s a see of debt with no end in sight. So what’s the answer? Start calling out the takers. One state that got so bad that it’s on the brink of bankruptcy is New Jersey. Drastic action was needed, and the Garden State’s voters actually put in a man that took action. Governor Chris Christie has drastically cut everything he can, and more importantly, he calls out the takers when they inevitably whine about it. The best example is Mr. Christie calling out a fairly reliable group of takers, the teacher’s unions, who complained when they were asked to contribute to their medical plan for the first time and have their ample wages froze. Most politicians back down when confronted by perpetual takers, but that is what is going to have to happen if budgets are going to get balanced in this country. Too long we’ve endured the whining of the takers trying to guilt us out of our money. Don’t let them. When a taker inevitably complains and says they’re not getting enough, shame them, point out how much they are getting in handouts, point out their bloated salaries, point out their huge pensions that they make a minimum of contribution to, and point out their low retirement ages. The makers have to earn what they get, it’s time for the takers to learn the concept.

As we are an entertainment publication and not a political one, we thought it might be a good idea to obtain a different view point on Mike Paus’ article “Makers & Takers” so we asked Matt Irie, a good friend of INCLINATION and poltical activist to do the honors.... made up of “Makers and Takers,” a quote from Republican Paul Ryan, who lifted it from the conservative self-aggrandizing book of the same name by Peter Schweizer.

There is no question that America’s health care system and social welfare programs have problems. However, the libertarian individualist position on welfare reminds me of a spoiled child unwilling to share his or her toys. For his article, Makers and Takers, Mike Paus spends all his energy attacking spending entitlements progressively distributed to benefit the less fortunate and none on tax entitlements regressively distributed to benefit the affluent. He says nothing of the laissez faire policies run amuck that have contributed greatly to our current economic deficit. Instead, he reduces America to being

“

Not all of those on “the government dole” are taking us for a ride. In fact, many put in more hours and work harder than most. A great number of the people taking advantage of government programs do so because they have no other choice and most, if their circumstances were more favorable, would prefer to take care of themselves (see The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David K. Shipler). Reducing America’s economic troubles to the markers of “Makers and Takers” is the type of oversimplification that serves to gloss over any meaningful dialogue about the issues surrounding America’s present state of economy and is unhelpful at best. Paus would have you believe that the “Takers” all come from the same so-

cial background and had all the same advantages and opportunities as the “Makers.” This vulgar dichotomy assumes an equality of origins that flatly does not exist. With all that in mind, it is impossible to discuss the specifics of our economic problems without calling into question the very structure of the capitalist economy and of our political system itself (something that would take far more space than allotted here). Paus is not interested in this. He is not interested in the emancipation of the species nor of the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. Rather, he is interested in individual rights which present no real challenge to the capitalist system. I believe we have rights which acknowledge that human beings are more than just the animal drives for territory and self-interest. I believe health care, education, food, and shelter should be guaranteed as part of any social contract. I believe the strong have a duty to the weak. Now that I think of it, perhaps Paus is right in splitting us into the two camps of “Makers and Takers” and what I really want to argue is that we need a political system of justice where all the “Makers” are “Takers” and all the “Takers” are “Makers.”

Sarah 13 talks to derek woodz, manager of “vampires everywhere!” and musician Photos By Renada Freeland You could consider Derek Woodz a man of many talents. He not only writes, performs, produces and records his own music, but can also be seen fulfilling the duties of Tour Manager for the up and coming band Vampires Everywhere! Woodz is full of pure natural talent, something that the music industry seems to lack now a days. I was able to steal Woodz away from his crazy schedule to catch a few minutes with him in the early hours of the morning for this interview. You’ll find that Woodz isn’t just talent but is humble, funny and has an instant charm about him. Sarah 13: A lot of people pop in a song or playlist for certain events and/ or moods, what do you think people would consider using your music for? Derek Woodz: “To be used for? Inspiration really. Inspiration, and I want everyone to get something from that song. At least touch one person from it, and I am happy.” S13: ‘Free’ really seems to have a story behind it, what was the inspiration or cause for you to write this song?

DW: “Really? That song was written in a time of my life where I was in between bands, and it was just a really weird time in my life. A lot of times I write songs at 5 in the morning *laughs* and, if you just read thru the lyrics, it just expresses exactly how I felt at that time. Exactly everything I was going thru, good and bad,

both. How I felt about everything.” S13: As well as being a musician, you are also tour manager for Vampires Everywhere! Do you believe that each helps the others out? Does being a musician help you when managing other musicians, does it make seeing their point of view easier? And as a

musician does managing others allow you to be more aware and understanding of certain instances? DW: “Yeah it definitely opens me up to a whole new world. I have been in the music industry, not only as a musician. I have done a lot of different fields of the music industry. I just wanna learn how to do everything, pretty much; I want to be the best at everything. It definitely opens my eyes a lot. It helps me as a musician too. I have learned so much doing this as well, but at the same time, since I have done so many different fields like that, yeah it’s definitely helped me out a lot as a musician.” S13: At this time there is no music out for purchase, do you have any plans on releasing your music? DW: “I do, I do, well I am on the road right now with Vampires Everywhere! So, after that we have a minute of down time, it’s not really down

time, but we have a minute. And I do have plans for the future. They’re big plans, I can’t really say yet. But, I have just been stirring up the stew.”

S13: Is the music you’re writing now, the same type of music you were writing and performing before in other bands, or have you changed directions?

S13: How did your roots in music and the music business begin?

DW: “Right now, the stuff that I have released is absolutely different from anything I have done. I have been in pop-rock bands, I have been in hardcore bands, I’ve been in …I have done a lot of different styles. Like I said before, I just wanna be the best at everything. I have a wide variety of music I do like and am really passionate about. I have just done a lot of different bands; it built me up to what I do now. I am gunna be releasing some more stuff. And it definitely just builds from there. It’s not necessarily in a different direction, but its more developed and evolved.”

DW: “How it began? I kinda grew up with music around me. My dad was a musician, and there was always touring musicians staying at my house and would crash there whenever they were coming thru town. And, I would get to meet them, and they would give me little tips, even at a young age, and my dad worked for a radio station. Whenever I was super young, I would go on the radio station and basically read the request number. It was super cool for me. I listen back now and it is crazy, but that really gave me a head start you know? I just kinda grew up with it and it’s what I always loved to do…from the very start…”*shrugs and smiles*

S13: What are the 5 most random songs in your Ipod? DW: *smiles and laughs* “Hey J” *laughs* “What are the 5 most

Check out Derek’s music at http://www.myspace.com/derekwoodsmusic

random

songs

Ipod?”

J (Killa, Synth for Vampires Everywhere!): “I didn’t know you had an Ipod” DW: *sings* “Do you believe in a thing called love?...Actually I don’t have an Ipod.” *laughs* “I don’t actually” S13: “Or music player” DW: “My music player?“ J: “Tom Petty” DW: “Yeah, I mean, it’s all stuff I like really. No one else likes it though.” *Long pause* “I don’t know…I really don’t want to answer that…” *laughs* “I’m scared to answer that” S13: “Why?” DW “Everyone is gunna make fun of me” S13: “I’m not gunna make fun of you…” DW: *pauses* “Alright” *Looks around* “The Bee Gee’s” *Laughs* “I like The Bee Gee’s, they’re cool, they’re not bad” S13: “That’s two” DW: “Ok, alright…what else do I got? I don’t know…I don’t even listen to music…” *laughs* “I don’t know what’s in my Ipod, it’s crazy…I mean I listen to all the good stuff though, all the inspirational stuff. Death Cab, I listen to a lot. Uh…U2....David Bowie?” S13: A lot of your songs seem to be about love and/or women, would you consider yourself to be a romantic? DW: “I’m very romantic….But I’m one of those…what is it called? Closet…?” S13: “Closet Romantic?” DW: closet winks

Yeah..I’m one of those romantics” *pauses and at camera, smiling*

S13: Currently you are the sole contributor to your music, do you ever plan on adding members to your band, or are you going to stay a one man show? DW: “Yes…for the next album, that I am gunna do. Right now I’ve just released single songs. I haven’t released really an album since I have been in a full band, but yeah. I think once I start doing shows a lot more, I’m gunna have a full band. I like working with a group of people anyway. I like hearing other people’s opinions and feeding off of each other. And I don’t think just one person can do everything. One person can only write so much. S13: Do you find it difficult having to produce yourself? Everyone is their own worst critic, is it challenging having to approve your own music or matching lyrics and music? DW: “Not really, I have done this for so long, I really try not to force anything what so ever, if I am sitting there and I can’t think of lyrics or a tune I just let it go, I just let it come to me. And a lot of times, I’m just out doing whatever. And I’ll just have little lines come to me, and I’ll just write them down, and I’ll go back to it later. Usually they’re the catchiest stuff I have written, you know. They just come to me. Yeah, not really though, I like producing my own stuff. S13: What is the typical writing and recording process for Derek Woodz? DW: “ Like I said, it’s just I let it come to me, let it come natural, I just don’t force anything, just let it flow.” S13: Do you think that by being associated with Vampires Everywhere! You have brought in more fans and maybe brought in fans you may not have had before? DW: “Yes and no..I think it’s good that we’re associated with each other. But a lot of their fans like heavier music. I do also, but I like everything too. If they do also, then I mean that’s

good. I mean there have been a lot of fans that liked that style of music also. Its something totally different for me, so I think it’s just something new for everyone. It’s a style of music that I don’t think has been big, a lot of stuff is acoustic; it’s really raw stuff. I don’t think that’s really popular right now. I’m a huge Bob Dylan fan, you know. *pauses* I should have said that before. I’m a HUGE Bob Dylan fan, and that’s a huge inspiration for me. S13: You obviously are a very talented musician and have a wide array of instruments you play, what instruments do you play? Which one started it all and how did each transition to the next? DW: “I started off playing piano, actually. I was really young when I started playing piano. I took lessons, and I thought that is what I was originally gunna play. Then I started playing guitar, and that was just my thing for years and years and years. And along the way, I just learned almost every instrument and I just picked up instrument after instrument. I have just been on the road a lot and I have played with a lot of local musicians. I learned a lot of different stuff from them. I can play a lot of different instruments, but I am mainly a guitarist. S13: Is there anything else you would like to contribute or add? DW: “Check out the music…and…I love you *smiles*

THE NICK FILES Some while ago I was trawling around in myspace.com looking for inspiring music and good new bands, this is something that I have always taken great pleasure in doing. To my great delight I stumbled upon this page

I have a copy of this for review and this little feature does not do it justice at all, it is just to highlight the musical prowess and qualities of my friend Doris. Samples of all of Doz’s work can be found at WWW.DORISBRENDEL.COM

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DBDRIVING

Ever since then I have been enjoying the music created by Doris Brendel and her various projects. Doz has been working hard at this for twenty years now and has such a vast amount of experience which shines out. This new project was put together in collaboration with producer and musician Dave Beeson and has led to the recording of a new Album, ‘The Last Adventure’. I have

doris brendel the last adventure

On this site you can discover all that you need to know about Doris and her musical endeavours and I strongly recommend that you do so. Doz has created a true masterpiece with ‘The Last Adventure’, the release date is the 1st of November this year. It is well worth the wait, I have been playing this album very frequently and I can honestly say that it stops me in my tracks every time.

www.myspace.com/the9srock

Back in 2008 the three members of The 9s were all playing in separate bands, Nathan, Hugo and Gregg got together and conceptualised The 9s in a Stockwell beer garden in September of that year, with the intention of playing music a bit louder than the bands they were playing in at the time, whom they were playing with that night. And it was all just for fun as

a release from playing in bands that were playing the type of songs that people seemed to want as a way of gaining popularity. It just so happened that on this first jam session Nathan, Hugo and Gregg hit it off so well and they had such a good time that they all left the bands who they were in and formed The 9s. The 9s started rehearsals in February

2009 and played their first show on 22nd of May. Since then the band have gone from strength to strength and are very active in the central London scene. If you like good honest hard rock in the style of say, the Foo’s and Queens of the Stone Age, then do check out The 9s. I do not believe that will be disappointed Go to The 9s space page where you will find the link to the mini album ‘Here Be Monsters’

eleven dollar life Interview and Photographs By Phil Ryan Phil Ryan: Tell us about yourselves, music backgrounds, side projects going, anything else you guys got going on… Eleven Dollar Life: Always got side projects, there are a million of those. Well, we’re Eleven Dollar Life; we’re a Chicago funk rock band, kind of fusion of a variety of different things. You can just label us as an indie band, since that just seems to be the bucket that everything else kind of goes in. A frock band, funk rock band, that’s not bad, that’s better than anything we’ve come up with. We’ve been trying to come up with a name for funk rock. Like if someone ever found us. We came up with junk rock, skunk rock, trunk, bunk, but I think we are going to give up on the iterations. But, I’m Brian, lead singer, I’m Kyle,

drums, I’m Eli, bassist, Chad the guitar player, Marc on keys. We’ve been together like seven years. Chad and I (Bryan) originally got together with a different lineup about seven years ago. They’d been in bands prior to that and I came in as their lead singer and then we just had a rotating lineup of people until we got Mark. He was the next one in the mix. And then came Kyle came in as our drummer about a year and a half ago, year ago, about ten drummers later. Then Eli’s the last addition, with our base lineup here, that’s what makes us what we are today. PR: How did you guy’s get together… EDL: Each one of us answered an ad for the most part. Yeah, we’ve all come off of the Chicago Reader or

Craigslist, it’s that kind of digital age, ya know. Side projects, lots of side projects going on. PR: How‘ve the show’s been going, crowds like, for you guys… EDL: Building. Yeah, it’s weird. At a better level now then we have, then we’ve been building up to this level. And we finally feel way more confident now, with drawing crowds then we did, say one to two years ago. Yeah, we’ve been at it for a long time and we’ve kind of been add10.5 we went through a transition phase. Yeah, mostly just friends, stuff like that, and friends of friends. Then we just recently started getting to a point were we look out into the audience, and we don’t know everybody that’s there anymore.

We’re now starting to get to the point where folks have heard of us before. The girl cutting my (Brian’s) hair today was like, ‘Eleven Dollar Life, I’ve totally heard of you guy’s.’ I (Brian) was like, Excellent! Fantastic! That’s great. But, any young band will tell you it’s hard to draw people out. There’s such an expectation of club owner’s that you come with this ready made audience. And, for some reason, for some bands that’s the case, ‘cause you have a million friends from the suburbs. But, for other bands, like us, we have to work at it. We have to plug at it and literally make a fan one by one. And bring them out. We’ve always been really good at converting people. Put us in a room full of people that have never heard us before. What was that, there was like that one Lincoln Park

gig, we did this show and people who never ever heard of us before were asking for our autographs by the end of the night. Yeah, we signed autographs at the end of the night, for the very first time that ever happened. It was cool. And you’ll see it tonight, it always happens, we’ll wind up, you’ll get a draw for the other bands that come walking in and they always put us in a pretty good location in the line up. You’ll see folks just stop what they are doing and just turn around and come walking over to the stage. Before the end of it, we have everyone dancing in the front. Then converting those folks into people that will come out the next time is the real key part. That’s the next thing we are working on; we are in the learning curve on that. It’s a tuff hurdle to bring those folks back out again PR: You guys just convert anybody. Are they sticking you with bands similar to what you sound like? EDL: Yeah, we’re just now getting to that. We get stuck in whatever lineup

that they put us in. That sometimes come across really weird. Like we’ll get put up with, like a, death metal band. Or it could be a surprise. But it’s getting better to where it fits in a little more like; us playing with a reggae band, like we did last time. Fits us better than say us playing with like a heavy metal band. Tonight actually, we are playing with good friends of ours Pipe Dream, playing just before us. We’ve known those guys for years. And, this is actually kind of an exciting show for them. They are playing all their originals this time; they’re usually a cover band. So, that’s the first

time we started building our community really, into a couple of bands that can play together. We have a weird sound, it’s very dancy, it’s very upbeat, sounds a little different from the stuff that usually on stage. So we usually get to capture the attention from some folks in the audience. I’ve heard us described before that we, well this is my spin on it, we’re definitely straddling that line between indie and com-

mercial. You know, the music is just just indie enough, but still commercial enough that it’s still accessible to the masses. Whatever that means. *laughing* Well, we definitely like to bridge the age gap to. Ya know, to between the younger people and the middle aged people. We kind of feel we can definitely please the whole bunch. PR: So, what is on the agenda for you guys this summer? EDL: We hope for a big summer. Our first full length record is coming out. We’ve release three different EP’s before this, but our first full length album is titled ‘We’ve Waited As Long As We Could’ and it couldn’t be a more appropriate title. Because it’s been seven years coming together to find the exact right line up and the exact right set of songs that we wanted to lay down. So, we’re recording up at Drasik Studios in Andersonville, our record label, Ten24, is putting it out. We are finishing our final tracking mid way through this month and then because of the mastering, so we’re looking at, probably late July as a release date. Should be exciting. After that, who knows, we’ve got a couple of festivals on tap that we’re going to try and play. We’ve got, I’m hoping for a pretty decant connection with Pitch Fork and then we’re just going to

do an all out media blitz after this and get on with any place that we can. It’s to get people to remember you, you have merch, and CD’s and that’s been our biggest enemy is ‘who’s paying for this?’ We don’t have CD’s. We don’t have t-shirts. That’s our next big hurdle, to get a table of things that people can buy so they will remember you, rather than just your name, or you writing it on the back of a

business card or something. Yeah, we’re on a label, but we’re on a small label, so it’s a startup. It one of those things that we have to work at it just as hard as they do. I don’t know. It just makes us kind of appreciate it more, gets us small victories. Give and take. Yeah. PR: We already went through how you guys classifying yourselves. So, what are your favorite places to play in Chicago? EDL: *everyone kind of started throwing places out all at once* Elbow Room is one of them. Yeah. This is one of them. The Elbow Room. Wise Fools is real good. You know why, you know why I love this place so much? Is, it, as you go down stairs and in the downstairs area, it literally reminds me of like every quintessential club that you would see on every late eighties early nineties TV show. It was like the smoky atmosphere, yeah but the smokes gone, but actually that’s even more perfect. You always like walk down the stairs it’s like this little room with the stage in the middle. The pole, and a pole, a random pole in the middle of the site lines, sure. But, we play here, we’re playing Goose Island mid way through the month for their big fest. We’ve played Double Door, we love playing the Double Door. Had a great time there. Played Beat Kitchen a bunch. Subterranean was fun. Red Line Tap has always been good to us. Wise Fools has been great to us. And that was kind of where we knew we had some pop crossover because, it’s just a bunch of college kids you know. We didn’t draw anybody there. They didn’t know who the hell we were. They all just stopped what they were doing and came up to the stage. For an original band, which was weird. PR: The crowd sometimes is just an osmosis thing. One little catchy thing and there all over it. One catchy beat. EDL: They’re finicky as hell, but yeah. You’re right. As long as you’re not putting them to sleep, they’re all yours. Keep the energy going. Some girl came up to us after that and said ‘you guy’s were great this time, I loved your last show too.’ I just looked at her and I’m like, I’m 99% sure you were

not at our last show. But, we’ll take it. PR: So, being an indie band, pretty tough, so how do you guy’s do for your promotion? EDL: Social network. Yeah. Yeah, there’s been a lot of social networking. That’s really helped out a lot. Lots of facebook, lots of myspace. Emails, phone calls. Friends of friends. PR: When you guy’s aren’t rockin’ on stage, what do you do during the day? Any of you guy’s still have day jobs? EDL: All of us, yeah. I (Eli) go to school for music, living the dream, what can I say. *laughing* Yeah, he’s the only full time musician right here. Kyle sells copiers. I (Chad) use copiers, yet I won’t buy from him because I don’t trust him. *laughing* Mark does, works with web production. I’m (Bryan) a corporate event marketer, I work for a marketing company. Everybody’s got to do something. So, you know, all of our jobs have all been pretty cool about that. There at least some degree, or another, his (Chad) jobs really supportive of us. Marc’s job lets him get out when he needs to. So does Kyle, Kyle kind of works on his own really. And my (Bryan) job has been great about supporting us. They often come out to see our band. They come see us all the time. We got lucky. We luckily we don’t work for shit jobs that don’t respect artist’s what so ever. They actually give a damn. Our companies are pretty small, except for Kyle, he works for a pretty humungous company. But, you kind of have a small division, right? Yeah, take it to the man I guess. PR: What would you say you biggest influences are, as a band and as individuals? EDL: We were all just talking about that last night. We all have very, very different influences. (Bryan) What would you say your biggest influences are? (Kyle) Growing up it’d be Dave Matthews band, others. But now a days, you know, it’s just any band that I’ve never heard before, that just blows my mind. And that’s really who influences me the most. (Bryan) Both Chad and I kind of

grew, our teenage years, in like the prime and heydays of alternative rock. So that’s like a huge influence on us, obviously, as it was for anybody that went through that generation. But, I was in a bunch of old rock bands in college and high school and they were okay, but they were really just kind of boring. It wasn’t really until I got, like, into late ‘70’s funk that I started finding, like kind of, my niche. I think that’s kind of what my voice was made for anyway. Um, it’s a shame I wasn’t born in the ‘70’s, I might have been a very good, you know, I might have been one of the Bee Gee’s or something, I’m not sure. But we all have ridiculously different influences. (Eli) Yeah, I have, I mean like, right here, I heard this album, I was telling these guys on the way over here. I heard this album, Live at the Fillmore East. You know, Buddy Miles, Billy Cox, when I was in the third grade. That was it, it was over. But, from then on, you know, I mean, I’ll listen to anything. Anything from, like, you know, old school be-bop. (Bryan) Plus, you have metal influences, too. (Eli) I listen to a lot, I play with a progressive death metal band who takes influences from like Gore Guts, Negativo, stuff like that. I like heavy stuff, I like sounds, I like 20th century classical stuff, whatever, I guess. (Bryan) What are your influences? (Mark) I’m like an old prog head and jam band as well. (Bryan) Yeah, he’s a big jam band guy. Which is good for a keyboardist. (Marc) The thing is our influences don’t really match, but they definitely overlap. There’s definitely a little spot where we’re all together at some point in time. We’re all big Beck heads for one. (Chad) Yeah, Jeff Beck is one of my all time favorites. Also very into old school funk and old school reggae, I love that, and it kind works in some of that in. Ska music, old stuff. (Bryan) We’ve kind of talked about this before. What kind of winds up happening, and I think the reason why our songs are a little different than anything I’ve ever heard, honestly. And I’m trying to keep it in perspective, and trying to keep our music, in like from a distance so I can really view it. We’ll write songs together and I know it’s going to be a

a good song if Chad writes a guitar lick and I hate it immediately. I’m like, I can’t write anything to that, that’s ridiculous, that’s not going to work for anything. You know, then he’ll work it a little bit more, and then Marc will throw in a keyboard line and I’m like, okay I kind of see how this is going to work now. I can kind of see how this is going to go. Then he’ll develop it a little bit more and suddenly it’s perfect. And it just matches perfect with the keyboard line. We get a bass line that works with it beautifully. And Kyle throws in a drum beat that’s not what we expected at all. And then suddenly it works perfectly. (Chad) I mean, our main, real philosophy, I think, from the beginning, is nothing follows each other exactly. You know, like the bass is not playing the root notes of the guitar, it playing it’s own song. The guitar is playing it’s own song, the keyboard is playing it’s own song, and they all come together. So, that’s been a real (Bryan) It some how works, just somehow comes together. (Chad) It makes it much more interesting. (Bryan) We had an old drummer of ours, he used to say we came up with these crazy guitar licks, rhythms, and riffs that just should not exist. He was like ‘I don’t know how any of you guys come up’, like none of us, well he (Eli) has theory and Mark has a little bit of theory training. But, the rest of us are just playing. I think you (Kyle) do too, no? So, Chad and I are the only complete numbskulls out of the group that don’t know what the hell we’re doing. (Kyle) Even though you guys don’t have any theory background, I think these songs a driven so well because Chad’s guitar work and his ability to write just a good song, good song structure. (Bryan) It’s inherently kind of knows what her wants to hear and puts it out there. (Kyle) I mean with the crowd, the one thing that drives the song the most, when you first hear it, is the lyrics. And the vocals and how they go well together with the guitar. (Eli) Yeah, you know, a lot of people get caught up in that and the theory thing. But, all theory is, is a way of communication within music. Communicating more effectively and if you can do that, on any level. Whether it’s on the standard theory method or something else or if you’re using this, that, or the other,

it’s all the same result. It’s all just a language man. (Bryan) We’re definitely getting that, we’re getting people; the songs are getting stuck in people’s heads. It’s always a really big compliment if the sound guy has one of your songs on his iPod. We were playing at gig a venue a while ago and the sound guy asks ‘are you going to play Suitcase?’ Yeah, yeah, we’re going to play Suitcase. ‘Good, cause it’s been on my iPod for the last two weeks.’ I was like Awesome! That kicks ass. I love that. That’s a great feeling. PR: Based on what you guys were saying, no one comes up with ‘Here’s my rough draft of a song’? EDL: (Bryan) Very rarely. It’s very collaborative. (Marc) What will happen is, Chad will come up with one of his unorthodox chord progressions. (Bryan) Right. (Marc) And the rest of us will kind of add on to it from there. (Bryan) Right. (Marc) But, it’s not like, okay, it’s got to go this way. You do this, you do that, you do that. (Bryan) Lyrics always happen last. (Marc) Yeah. (Bryan) You know what’s really strange is, we name the song before the lyrics happen. So, very few of our songs make any sense from the title, because the title doesn’t have anything to do with the song. It’s literally just the random word that we came up with to associate with the song. (Chad) That has been true since the very beginning. Even before Bryan even joined the band, when it was me and some of the guys that really started the project. That’s always been, it starts out with the music then we have to give it a title. So very rarely does it ever, and sometimes we’ll change it. (Bryan) That’s kind of fun too, because then people try to figure it out. They’re like, ‘what does this mean?’ We’re like, ‘you figure it out, whatever you want it to be is fine by us.’ (Chad) The fun thing about Bryan, he never tries to read into it. If we call it something right away, he never reads into it. Our singers in the past always tried to read into what we titled something and write about it. Don’t read into what we call it, it doesn’t matter. Perfect example of that is, we a song called Brainfield, which used to be called, that’s the short version of Captain Brainfield. This meant

nothing, because we kept telling our singer ‘do not to read into the title.’ So we named it something as stupid and weird as we could think of. And just to prove our point. Do not read into the titles. (Bryan) There’s also that one, Weather Channel. They have one called Weather Channel. (Chad) Were the guy actually sang Weather Channel. (Bryan) *singing in and old lounge act tone and snapping fingers* weather channel, weather channel. (Chad) We like, slapped him across the face and said stop. We’re like stop, just ignore the damn titles and just write the damn music. Bryan has been just excellent at just feeling the music and not even, the song title doesn’t make much difference. (Kyle) There’s even an old song that you guy’s had, that I love, it’s like one of my favorites. It’s going to be on the up coming album and it’s called Figure Something Out. Because they were like, well, we’ll figure something out eventually for the title. (Bryan) Yeah, that was literally how the title happened. Like, what’s it called? I don’t know, we’ll figure something out. Figure Something Out was the title. (Chad) There’s a song Sound 11, which was made because our old bass player has a recording in our own home studio and used sound number 11 on his little stompbox. So, he said ‘well, let’s call the song Sound 11.’ It’s funny because, our band is called Eleven Dollar Life, so I mean that’s how we get out song names. (Bryan) One of my favorite ones that’s happening tonight and I think it’s the third song in our set, called Stream of Consciousness, and I’ve wanted to do this song for the longest time. I finally got my wish. It’s essentially, we make up, I make up the lyrics to the song every night. It’s always fresh. It’s always original. And I never try to pre-produce it ahead of time. So… (Marc) The music’s set, the lyrics are always... (Bryan) Yeah, the music is set, but yeah, I don’t know what I’m going to talk about before I go in there. I don’t know what I’m going to sing about. It’s just whatever happens to come out of my mouth. And sometimes it rhymes and some times it doesn’t. And sometimes it’s really good, and sometimes it sucks. But, I just love the improve quality of that and it’s just, you know it’s another example of we just like to have fun on

stage. And if we’re not challenging ourselves to have fun, then we should be doing something else. (Marc) We have no fear of improv-ing. Just all sorts musical interludes between songs. We will just break into something before, let’s have a shot, let’s play something, oh wait I’ll have a shot with the audience. (Chad) Are we a jam band? No. Not at all. (Marc) But, we do jam. (Bryan) You won’t see any fourteen minute songs come out of us. That’s like one third of our set time. We’d have three songs to write. PR: Where do you see the project going? What’s the ultimate goal for Eleven Dollar Life? EDL: (Bryan) The goal for everybody, we want more people to hear our music. We want, ideally, want a larger record label to take some notice. We hear a lot, listen to a lot of radio, listen to a lot of stuff that’s out there. I think, I think every band goes into their project thinking ‘my stuff’s good enough to make it to the next level.’ You know, a lot of times they’re right. And, a lot of times they are very talented musicians and it has potential and it just never goes anywhere. And I’ve tried really hard throughout this entire project to keep a good perspective on our music. I really do feel like we’ve got a lot to say. We’ve got a good message. The lyrics, and the meaning of the songs, mean a lot to us and I think it will resonate with folks. And our songs are catchy and they stick in your head. They do something to you. They make you move or bop your head. Or, just make you think about stuff. That’s what we want. And that’s exactly what we want. Would we turn our nose up to a gigantic, million dollar contract? Of coarse not, it would be great to be able to do this forever and not have to worry about another job. But, I think that’s really been more the focus. Especially for Chad, he’s one of the most driven guys I’ve ever met. (Chad) Because, I hate my day job, I want to get to the point where that’s all I want to do. (Bryan) And he wants to get to the point where he likes his day job. (Chad) If I can get to the point where I can live comfortably just playing music, I’m happy. (Bryan) We don’t need to be bajillionaires. (Chad) I don’t need to have five homes off in the

south of France. (Bryan) I’d be happy to just being able to afford to tour around the country, all the time. (Chad) That’s what I want. (Marc) The industry is so much different now than it was. It used to be, you had to get the big contract. You needed to get the big people behind you. Today, you don’t really have to. You just have to keep enough people interested to keep yourself going. And it’s a lot easier to do it today than it was a long time ago. So, you know what, bring it on. We’ve got the ability to do it. We’ve got the drive to do it, so bring it on. (Bryan) So in the future, I guess the future is, finish this album. Push it as hard as we can. Our label is getting behind us now and really doing some good work with us. Play our gigs, get radio play, and see what the next step is. And just be ready and prepared for whatever comes down the pipe to start to take us to that next level. Whatever that next level is going to be. PR: Sounds like a vision. EDL: Yeah, it is. PR: How do you guys feel about the current state of the music industry? Radio’s dieing, internets taking over. How is this effecting you guy’s? How do you want your music to be heard? EDL: (Chad) You can’t replace a live band. Everyone I know says ‘I still like to see a live band.’ (Bryan) Here’s the thing, I’ve never agreed with anyone that says radio is dieing. I mean you look at things like, you look at live stage shows. Live stage shows a hundred years ago were all there was. That’s what you did. You went and saw live stage shows for theater, for comedy, for music, whatever. And then movies, movies came along and people said that’s it, live stage is dead, theater is dead, movies are gonna kill it. It didn’t kill it, it just changed it. You know, and then movies were the only thing you could do. Then when TV came out, people said movies are gonna die, movies are gonna, TV’s gonna kill it. It didn’t kill it, it just changed it. You know, and then when TV came around, I skipped radio, radio was a whole format. Before TV, radio was all there was to do until TV came out. Then when video

killed the radio star, it didn’t do that, radio still stuck around. (Marc) I’d like to point out that the radio star lived, a whole lot longer than the careers of the two geeks that were so quick to proclaim it then. (Bryan) The internets not going to kill radio, it’s not going to kill the record industry. It’s going to change the way people think about it. You know, it’s going to be less controlled by large conglomerates, and big guys in suits with big rings on their fingers that get to tell you what the next pop song is. It’s going to be more controlled by guys like us, like you. (Chad) That put our own songs out. (Bryan) Yeah, and who are smart modern guys. (Chad) That some guy in California can hear it without paying a damn dime. (Bryan) They just got to figure out how to get their music into the hands of a lot of people. And that’s the real challenge. (Marc) And that’s the thing you embrace new technology, not be afraid of it. Oh god, I’m afraid of the internet, I’m afraid of iTunes. You know what man, here, have all you want. (Chad) Which is what our record label is focusing on, let’s not fight it, so much as let’s join it let’s embrace it. Let’s focus on digital distribution. (Bryan) Right. We’re going to do a small press for it, mostly for nostalgia sake. Some people just like to hold the CD in their hand. But, Ten24 has been always about it. You know, the owner, Greg Klimczak, the very first thing he ever said to me is ‘We want to do an all digital release, if possible. You know, we want to promote it on the web, want to release it on the web.’ When the people come to shows and get their album, we want to give them on a flash drive or thumb drive, so they can take it back and can immediately load it on their computer and put it on their iPod or mp3 player. Which I think is smart as hell. (Chad) No one is dragging CD’s around. (Bryan) Yeah, no one is dragging CD’s around, you might have a few in their car. I ride the train every day and there isn’t anyone that isn’t listening to their iPod. PR: I don’t have one.

EDL: (Chad) I still bring my boom box around. (Bryan) You’re the last hold out. See we need to have CD’s for the nostalgia, for the hold out’s. *Marc said something, that wasn’t very clear* (Bryan) Marc is a hundred and ten years old. *Then we went off on a thing about vinyl. It’s classic. We all still think it is superior to CD’s in sound. Maybe we’ll bring the debate of the CD’s vs. Vinyl out some time.* PR: As far as live performance go, do you feel theatrics come into play? EDL: (Bryan) Yeah. There’s a limit too. I worked for radio time in Phoenix, right and I saw bands trying to do that, theatrics. One of the first gigs I ever had to go to was Blink 182. And I had to in-

terview those guys back stage. I don’t know if you ever saw a gig from them, but those guys were all over the stage. It didn’t stop there. When they were backstage and they were all over the room, bouncing off the wall of the dressing room and what not. And it was fun, but I don’t think we have that same kind of a vibe. There’s a certain amount of control you have to bring to your theatrics. You have to, I mean your audience will come to you, as far as you bring them, but also you have to know your audience. There’s been times where we’ve come in and we’re thinking we’re going to kick this gigs ass and we get up there and the audience just isn’t there, you know. They’re chillin’, they’re sitting down. So we have to pull back and

give them the energy that they want. We can’t just like, throw it in their faces and be like ‘pick it up, dance with it, do something.’ You have to read your audience; you have to know who you are playing to. PR: It’s rumored you guys have a growing relationship with Inclination, Lissy and Cola speak highly of you. Bryan, and your buddy Greg at Ten24 Records, what do you see the marriage evolving into? EDL: (Bryan) I feel like I’m being interviewed now. *laughs* I talked to Cola a little while ago, it was funny, ‘cause you, sometimes you meet those people that you just immediately click with. And Cola and I just clicked immediately. We got on the phone, we’d been kind of playing phone tag for a while, and we got on the phone finally. I was at work, so I had to sneak off into a conference room and shut the door, and we just talked for like 25 minutes about just random shit. We just talked about where we’d been, what we’d done, and how we got here. I guess they’d been lacking a really good marketing arm for a while. I came from a radio background, primarily, and a music background. And then, I was a theater major in college and went to grad school for arts administration. So, I basically came into the art scene from, kind of a how do you make it work, nut and bolts kind of way. Now I work in marketing. I don’t know how the fuck I fell ass backwards into this job. But, I turned out to be pretty good at it. And, I’ve been able to take a lot of what I’ve learned there and apply it to our band, which has been working well with our social media aspect and stuff. When they started taking a look at the stuff we were doing, they asked if I would be interested in doing some marketing work for them. So, I’m hoping that grows into something. I like what they do. I’ve got a chance to go through their web site, I’ve obviously done their radio show. I think it’s, given the fact that it’s just so god damn easy to not give a shit and to just go home at the end of

the day, from whatever day job you did and just sit there and watch American Idol. And eat your food, then go to bed and get up in the morning and repeat your process. I’m always really very impressed by anybody who has the inertia, and the drive, to do something like what they’re doing. You know, even if it’s not, I don’t know what their readership is, I hope it’s huge. I hope they’re getting a million hits a month. I hope there’s hundreds of people listing to their radio show. But, for every one of those success stories, there’s people that are doing this simply because they gotta do something. And that’s why we do this. That’s why every single one of us leaves our house at 8 o’clock on a Thursday when we’d much rather just hang out at home and be lazy, and goes out to this practice space and jams our ass off for 3 hours. Because we need to do more, we need to make some kind of mark on the world. We’ve got a lot to say and we’ve all this stuff bubbling up inside that needs to come out. (Marc) No matter how much it sucks, you might sit there and say ‘I really do not want to go to practice today.’ But, the fact is, if you’re not, you’re going to hate yourself so much more. (Chad) And when you get there, its like, ‘oh yeah, this is why I came.’ (Marc) Exactly. By the time you’re done you’re always in a good mood. You’re always happy. You’re always like ‘yep, I feel good about things, this is why we’re doing the things we’re doing.’ (Bryan) I’m sure that’s what Cola and Lissy are doing too. I mean, they’re driving across the country right now. They called me earlier from Yellowstone National Park, where they’re getting rained. They look like crap. They feel like crap. But they’re still going, because this is what they chose to do. And god bless them, I mean, that’s, I like those girls a lot. I like Inclination a lot. And I hope Eleven Dollar Life, us and them, have a brilliant future together. PR: I know they would love to be your sister publication. But what can readers of Inclination expect out of you all? More follow up interviews? Reviews? EDL: (Bryan) Oh yeah, definitely. (Chad) Anything they want. (Bryan) Yeah, I mean, we’re all pretty creative

Yeah, I mean, we’re all pretty creative people, we’ll pretty much help out in anyway we can. We all know music, love music. Marc is a fricking google wikipedia of musical facts. So, I mean. (Marc) Just up to the mid’90’s. (Bryan) That’s when he kind of disappeared. (Kyle) That’s when the wii took over. (Bryan) Yeah. That’s when the wii took over. So, we have a lot of resources between all us, and I think that would be a pretty good resource center for them in a variety of ways. Weather it’s reviewing other rock bands and really canvassing the city for the new music, putting together festivals. We came damn close to thinking about putting a festival together a while ago but, we just lacked the sponsorship. Once we get those behind. PR: I have a venue, 4000 capacity. EDL: (Bryan) Beautiful. See, that’s how it all comes together. This is how it all comes together. You meet one guy that has a venue. You meet another guy that has the marketing bucks. And you meet another guy that has the merch. It’s just these kinds of connections that you have to keep plugging away at. And that’s how stuff, like, I don’t know, Pitchfork, comes together. It was three guys sitting in a room one day and said ‘hey, let’s put on a festival.’ I hope all of this stuff comes together. I hope it turns into something. Any time this kind of stuff comes together, and turns into something, it makes more opportunity for other bands. PR: One last thing, where did the name Eleven Dollar Life come from? EDL: (Bryan) I’ll let Chad tell that story. (Chad) Easily enough. Back in college, when this thing started, we wrote a song, the old bass player and I, we didn’t have a name for it. This goes back to us, you know, just wanting to call the song something. So he said, ‘well, you know what, let’s not even worry about it, we’ll think about a name later’. I said, ‘well, we need to worry about it, it’s Friday night, what are we going to do tonight? Let’s see how much money I got.’ So I said,

“shit, like $11, looks like I’m leading the $11 life tonight.’ So, he says there’s your name, Eleven Dollar Life.’ Fast forward about three or four years later. We’re in Chicago. Members have changed. A different sound. Our roommate at the time, which wasn’t in the band, we were thinking about new band names and he says ‘I’ve always like that song, Eleven Dollar Life. What if you named your band that?’ We’re like, alright. We’ve never looked back. We’ve thought about name changes a few times but, we’re always like, you know what, screw it. It’s Eleven Dollar Life. Love it. Hate it. Whatever. That’s what the name is. (Bryan) Yeah. Plus, it makes a really good acronym. E.D.L. It just kind of rolls off the tongue. (Chad) Yeah, lot’s of L sounds in the name. (Bryan) The one thing that I was trying to stray away from is, I was noticing in Chicago was, there are so many bands with one word names. So many bands with one word names. It’s a common thing. It’s understandable. It’s short. It’s easy. Goes on a marquee really nicely. Believe me, every venue owner fricken hates us when we show up to a venue, because we take all their E’s and L’s. But, it gets noticed. (Chad) We didn’t want to be a ‘The’ name either. (Bryan) Yeah, we didn’t want a ‘The’. You know when you find it. Another problem we thought about too. We did come up with a couple of other names that we were thinking about. But, we found other bands that had those names. No one had Eleven Dollar Life. PR: Lots of non topic talk happened near the end here. Other bands, audio media, what some bands put out. Old 8 Track radios for cars. Home made merch. All in all, it was a great interview, from both parties. It was a good first jump back into the media world. It felt good to be back again. The show was great. I kind of went into it, without listening to any of their tracks, but was totally converted by the end of the show. They have great energy, great songs, and, if you’re lucky, they might play something unique at the end of the set.

http://elevendollarlife.com

REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS

LOSTAURA The Hiding Place www.myspace.com/lostaura

Under the Flood “Alive in the Fire”

Beyond Threshold “Revolution”

If you want 12 amazing tracks that are filled with “fire”, then look no further. Under the Flood capture the essence of desire and moody rock with their release “Alive in the Fire”. From tracks like “Escape” and “Gravity”, they achieved a subtle genius with their combination of heart and heavy. The song arrangements are stellar and the general feel of the album is that of a continuity that flows from one track to the next, allowing their listeners to feel as though they are being told a story. This is an attribute that I feel stands out in their music and also makes one imagine that their live show must be very flowing on a performance level. I could easily picture these guys being able to perform on song with very little space between the next, using perhaps a smooth transitional effect, and in the process creating a feeling of non-stop rush and entertainment.

Another Jason Z. produced album, and another winner for Turkey Vulture Records. A hard hitter filled with angry rage that we can all relate to, Beyond Threshold’s “Revolution” album strikes hard and hits fast. This group of talent packed, seasoned musician get right down to it from the get go. When you pop in your CD and crank the volume, you’ll see exactly what I mean by this. Any fan of heavy and skillful music should pick this masterpiece up! I feel lucky to have been able to review it, as I had the privilege of rocking out hard while getting my “work” done. This was more like a vacation for me, I wholly enjoyed my listen. Great work Erik Virgin, Todd Paluzzi, and Chad Foster on vocals and of course Tom and Chad’s axe/bass work is imaginative and on the mark. RJ Marinas brings up even more guitar energy while Tom Kasten hits the skins hard and with technical spirit and flow. A chomping circus of energy and emotion, Beyond Threshold’s style and delivery on this release is real “Revolution”!

For all you Indie snobs, like myself that are looking for something new, now that it’s not cool to like Kings of Leon and The Killers anymore, here is the perfect band! Lostaura play melodic indie rock, in my opinion, very definably British with the powerful guitars and lyrics that lift you up with their energy. From “One In A Million” through to “All It’s Worth”, their debut six-song album starts off sounding highly elevated and ends on a melodramatic note that gave me chills. The Hiding Place is an album that keeps you entranced as each song has it’s own unique intensity. This band is going to be massive! Wait and see. By Cola

By Cola

By Lissy MacMillan

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iNTERV IEWS AND STORY BY lISSY m pHOTO ACmILLAN S bY cOLA This year, Scott Jackson and company bring Metal Mergence back, bigger and better than ever before with a killer lineup of bands, vendors and supporters of underground metal, like Dark Star Records and Wornstar Clothing. Cola and I were there, not only to show our support and check out the show but to also get the scoop on what Metal Mergence is all about. We talked to Falsefaced, Ari Lehman (First Jason), Mindwarp Chamber, Malas, Andre Almaraz (Souls Demise) and Tony Spillman (Earthen Grave) to find out the band’s perspective. These guys have been playing anywhere from twenty to forty years, so we had diversity in age, and not all of these musicians have played in metal bands their entire careers. One of the guys in Falsfaced played in a Doo Wop band (?), the

guys from Mindwarp Chamber have played Jazz, Blues, Pop, modern Rock, Indie Rock, Punk and everything in between, Malas have both played in punk/hardcore bands, and Andre and Tony both started out playing a more heavy rock style music. Metal Mergence is about “the metal scene, everybody getting together” “getting to know more people” “feeling a sense of community” “A showcase of the local talent” this everyone agrees on. Tony Spillman also said that “its people trying to work together. With the way the record industry is these days there’s not a lot of money out there, not a lot of opportunities, so it’s people networking together, a cool thing I think” Everyone involved should definitely get as much out of this event as possible… even the bands not playing. There is an opportunity to get more fans here, especially if you’re a band from the suburbs. To join in the camaraderie of the metal community and just have a great party with their metal brothers was the goal of the evening

Most bands believe that there’s a good support system within the Chicago metal community. Of course, it all depends on who you know, like anything. More support from clubs and radio stations would be appreciated, and while some bands believe there is already a strong sense of community, others would like to see more. “We’re here to support everyone else too, we’re not just looking for support, we’re a part of the metal scene” said Malas, a very good point made! Some people think metal needs to

THEIR FAVORITE CHICAGO BANDS MACABRE JOHNNY VOMIT DISTURBED ELEVATION NOVEMBERS DOOM TROUBLE MASTER CARDIAC ARREST DEEPSPACEPILOTS SACRED DAWN MINDWARP CHAMBER BUDDY GUY RONNIE BAKER BROOKS THE CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY

come out from the underground, while Andre thinks that metal should be underground “if it got any bigger, it might not be too cool” Too often these days I hear that no one goes out to shows anymore, no one is supporting this or that, but everyone I asked goes out on a regular basis to shows, on average, once a week. At the very least, 7 times a year due to family responsibilities and money. “There’s always so much going on and if I have the time and money I’ll do it” said Dan from Malas who goes to two or three shows a week!

Metal Mergence is a one of a kind event in Chicago and only happens once a year, well it takes a lot of planning so Scott couldn’t be putting this kind of event on once a month, but I have heard the excuse of a venue being too far away as the reason for not going out to shows, so I wondered if something like

like this were to be done in different areas of Chicagoland would it be as successful and supported? Falsefaced thought it was a good idea “…yeah, for more exposure, more hype for metal. If we make them believe they will believebuild a passion!” Another point that was made is that there aren’t any “metal bars” in the suburbs anymore and there’s also a feeling that certain areas are more into the cover/ tribute bands. But bringing it out to the suburbs could make the network bigger. Andre said “I’d like to think so, they have bigger festivals that we hear about in different states and cities and I’d like to think that metal bands in general, especially local unsigned talent feel that sense of community among them” Build it and they will come?? Tony thinks that “Too much of a good thing just becomes too much of a thing” that it’s more important to put the focus on the one event “build a reputation of having good acts where it might spark the interest from outside areas…” These bands are good acts too! I asked them for advice for musicians starting out, which of course earned me the initial response of “Don’t do it!” in jest, but these guys will all tell you they do it because it’s a part of them, it’s in their soul and you

can’t play in metal bands if you expect to make money. “If you’re gonna do it, do it cause you wanna rock out!” –Malas. It’s also hard work, you have to keep at it, practice your instruments, Andre even suggests playing several so you’re versatile. Act and play with intergrity…”If you’re fake, people pick up on it” – Falsefaced. “Get out of the basement” – Mindwarp Chamber…you can be amazing when you play alone, but you need to get the experience of playing with others, “it’s totally different, and you’ll learn a lot playing with a band” Ari Lehman suggests getting protocols so you get used to making recordings, because that’s all part of technique

Although Live Performance is key, and check your ego at the door. “Learn to agree to disagree” said Tony, “I think that’s one of the toughest things for young bands is that one person doesn’t like what the other person is doing so bands only last a year/ year and a half. Egos and attitudes get in the way and it’s all a big mess” The best thing about playing in a metal band is that time when you’re on the stage and your fans show their appreciation, and that makes up for all the things that suck, like lugging gear in the snow and freezing temperatures, the lack of money, tour buses breaking down… you get the picture. The bands that played are all very busy; Falsefaced are working on new music and getting some new merch together. They’re also going to have something they called “Falsefaced TV”, as soon as I get more on that I’ll let you know. Mindwarp Chamber just released their new album “Supernova” so they’re promoting that with the help of their label, Dark Star Records, playing at Metal Anthem at JJ Kelleys and already working on new material. Malas are working on a new album called “King of Thieves” that, all going well, will be out in a couple of months and they’re hoping to book a tour and get out of Chicago for a bit. Souls Demise are playing shows and focusing on their first full length album. Earthen Grave are getting a lot of exposure and good shows

thanks to their violinist Rachel Barton and are working on gaining some interest from a major label. They’re also working on an album. So, whether you made it to this year’s Metal Mergence or not, support local music! Get out and watch live shows! The bands you’re watching are performing with passion and giving you everything they’ve got, we should do the same for them! Scott Jackson, Scott Davidson, Tonya Leigh, Yvonne Nieves, Dann Szymczak and Eva Flora do this great thing every year for the Chicago Metal Community and together we can make it grow and grow. With the way things are going in today’s music industry it’s all about DIY and networking together, using your resources. Don’t waste

this opportunity. Thanks and see you next year….

reggies rock club chicago By Cola

I’ve always been a fan of venues that host live music and do not segregate the bar area! Reggies is my pick for the month, not only due to the fact that I am able to get my drink on while not missing a beat from my favorite bands both local and legendary, but also because of the wickedly awesome atmosphere, cool as hell staff, unreal drink prices…. yes….Chicago still has cheap beer… and of course the amazing sound. I’ve found that in the past decade the rock venues in Chicago have slowly began to rot away to nothing more than my fond younger years memories. Places that used to have great acts and a packed room are now host to yuppie scum winos and local tragic hipsters. NOT REGGIES! I love that the folks are coming out for the music and the booze, rocking out and letting loose, all of this while getting a righteous BANG for their BUCKS. I was in heaven with my low priced drinks (many of them) and actually being able to hear the music correctly…great sound system. Also,

the layout is ideal for rock shows. The stage is set for the bands convenience, they have a nice basement area the host a “Green Room” for the artists to kick back before their sets and on top of everything else, they are attached to their Record/Music Store and another room, the “Music Joint” with more entertainment if the Rock Room’s art of noise doesn’t float your boat that evening. Did I mention the tasty munchies satisfiers? Yes, they have a full kitchen that serves a little something for every pallet. You really don’t have to go anywhere else to get your groove on while out on that section of Chicago’s State Street. Food, Booze, Music…. GREAT MUSIC…and a crowd full of kick ass people that are their for the same reasons as you make Reggies a MUST stop in our fair city of Chicago. Rock on Reggies! Keep up the great work and keep the town rockin!

slow intentional damage - “Unstoppable” Review by Cola Slow Intentional Damage’s powerfully driven ten song release “UNSTOPPABLE” drove me wild. These guys are well equipped to go far with their emotion yet HEAVY tracks which are certain to hold any listener’s attention. J. Brad lamb, Jim Means, Joshua Turner and Doug Howell come together to create a meaningful sound that is both well orchestrated and fun. Produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Jason Z, this album is a solid example of what music should do to the audience, and that I believe is make them think about what they are listening to, beyond the

notes and beats. The lyrical mastery plays a large part in Slow Intentional Damage’s ability to grab onto your ears and heart. It is blatantly obvious that a lot of thought, experience and what I believe to be as “pain”, went into the writing process on “UNSTOPPABLE”. Recorded at Full Spectrum Recording Studios, this killer production will keep the fans coming back for more and also break them out, exposing their music to an entirely new audience. This CD is a sure fire “turn up the volume”, in Inclination’s book. Slow Intentional damage with the help of Turkey Vulture Records, are destined for greatness.

h t t p : / / w w w. m y s p a c e . c o m / s l o w i n t e n t i o n a l d a m a g e

SHUT UP & DRIVE!

Article by Cola If you have yet to have the pleasure of driving across the country from our fair city of Chicago and heading west bound…you have no idea what you are missing. My first piece of advice to you, though I am truly biased in saying so, is to avoid the airlines, take your wheels…see all of what you would miss while in the air. Yes, the reality of this task is that you will be trapped in your vehicle, so you may want to pack wisely, choose a roomy car/van/ SUV/RV and in doing so assure that you’ll be comfortable for the LONG haul. I can imagine that some of you out there reading this are wincing at the thought of a solid 14 hour drive, but if you have a partner in crime who is willing to split up the driving, it’s not so bad. The perks are worth the effort. America, land of crooked politicians and environmental upset, still has much beauty to offer and in my humble opinion, touring our states and checking out all of what the many roadside attractions have to offer are just a couple tempting reasons to jump in head first into the road trip Americana adventure. Lissy and I did just so. Starting our journey at 7pm central time, as to drive the bulk of the ride at night, north through Wisconsin and west through

Photos by Cola & Lissy Southern Minnesota…states that we felt were safe to drive through at night, though we still installed deer whistles. We made it just into South Dakota when ULTRA-FATIGUE set in and we were forced to call it quits for a bit. We pulled into a truck stop (SCARY!) and decided to nap a bit. Side thought, I am thankful for tinted windows. Waking up to truck whistles, engines roaring and people scurrying about, we decided to get some South Dakota style breakfast at a nearby diner. We enjoyed our eggs, coffees, orange juices and then got back onto the blacktop. Heading 90 west toward Keystone, we were lucky enough to view the majesty of South Dakota’s Black Hills,

a blue sunny sky, clean air, mild weather, the awe of Deadwood, free roaming bison, sheep and cattle abound…and of course…signs for “Wall Drug” every mile on the mile. We just couldn’t resist, we stopped at the ultimate tourist haven in South Dakota, “Wall Drug“. For those of you whom are not familiar with “Wall Drug”, it is a mini-town, couple square blocks of shops, cafes, restaurants, and a mall packed with plenty of campy old west sees and dos around every corner. With everything from genuine South Dakota gold to handmade soaps to guns, Wall Drug is the quintessential tourist trap for the traveler passing through and needing a break from the drive. Lissy and I opted to have a liquid lunch at the most adorable jewelry and antique shop / Coffee Shop that has been owned by the same lady (around our age) since she was 19 years old. She managed to cleverly remodel a small space into an alluring boutique like atmosphere that was packed with delicate and feminine trinkets and jewelry, household items and of course a rockin’ coffee bar, perfectly placed in the back of the shop, that was screaming our names after a rough night of driving and poor napping at the truck stop. The espresso was on the mark! It gave us just the

right amount of pep to continue on our route down 90 toward our first hotel stop in downtown Keystone. Arriving in downtown Keystone and checking into the Mount Washington Inn was a breeze. There were only a few trucks sharing interstate 90 West with

us, making the drive itself peaceful and stress free. Downtown Keystone (As shown on our very first video blog) is a quaint throwback to the 1800’s old west towns. Loaded with more shopping, restaurants and saloons Lissy and I explored the street at night…but we’ll get to that in a bit…first we did the ultimate obvious…we visited “Mount Rushmore National Park and Monument”. It was large. It was impressive from

an artist point of view, and it was of course a place where I found my own little adventure. Yes, Cola scaled a fence….breaking federal laws and took a trek as far up to George Washington’s head as I could possibly…safely get to.

head as I could possibly…safely get to. Fun stuff, as Lissy was forced to stand guard while I took some snapshots, one of myself appearing to “pick” the nose of our founding father. Sitting on the nearby benches, gazing up at the monument, Lissy and I discovered that we are both American History flunkies. Trying to guess who the third president whose head was carved into the mountain, we came up with: Burt Reynolds, John Holmes, Tom Selleck, but had to iPhone google it to come up with the correct prez. LMAO!

Back at the hotel in the little downtown area, we’re drinking “Moose Drool” and hearing a cowboy sing his songs, catching glimpses of some very odd little stops…doing our thing, while trying with all our might not to stay out too late, as we had a bit of a drive ahead of us the next morning toward Yellowstone National Park, a nice 9 hour ride. Morning arrived and we were once again on the road. Luckily the sun was shining and the sky was blue and healing. After “Moose Drool” and my Vodka/Red Bulls, a bit of sunshine and clean air did us both wonders. The drive to Yellowstone was beyond breathtaking. Imagine rounding up and down mountains, through tunnels dug into mountains, cruising along streams and rivers, estuaries packed with fishing enthusiasts,

until finally we crossed though the national park to arrive at our next stop. Yellowstone National Park is an amazing natural volcanic landscape. Beyond the geysers and sulfur ponds smoking everywhere, Lake Yellowstone frozen and awe inspiring with unique beauty, we were lucky enough to get up close and personal with some VERY LARGE and VERY WILD animals. Bears are big and scary….period. The bison were ever bigger, but somehow not quite as scary. Elk are gentle giants, grazing and chewing on tree leaves. They almost seemed to smile at me. It was so much to take in. Roadblock…the campground that we had booked was unfortunately a BUST! Along with the fact that when we did reach our destination, the weather had gone haywire, temperature capping off at a chilly 43 degrees Fahrenheit and rain pouring down onto us as if the gods were tossing pails of icy water downward, we were disappointed to discover that our campground was a giant slab of concrete, not at all conducive to tenting it. So…once again we opted to check into a hotel nearby and seek out another campground in the morning. Morning arrived and with a bit of luck and perseverance we were able to find a nice wooded area to set up camp. The weather though, was atrocious. Raining, wind blowing, and storms growing in strength, we were forced to build a make shift tarp shelter out of the car tarp and some bungee cords strapped to the trees. It was a torrential downpour and a complete nightmare as far as sleeping comfortably. The day proved difficult, as we froze while sitting soaked with nowhere to run to other than the van with a bit of heat on here and there. We couldn’t wait to move on to better weather. St. Regis Montana, northwest of Yellowstone was a quick 5 hours away and we arrived at an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. Tree lined and clean, the St. Regis Campground in St. Regis Montana was a nice overnight break for us after a night from hell in Yellowstone. The owners were friendly and helpful,

full of stories about the area and suggestions for our morning espresso stop. Note: The Pacific Northwest is loaded with drive-thru Espresso/Coffee “huts” that knock “Star(we take all your) bucks” out of the water. In the morning, we made our final stop in Montana at a quaint Espresso hut and got our caffeine on!!! We were ready to roll through the small but ultimately gorgeous (and what I WHOLE HEARTIDLY believe to be the most striking area of our nation) pan handle of Idaho (Coeur d’Alene), down through Washington and into Oregon, where we were off to the Pacific Coast Highway 101, through Astoria (GOONIES 25th Anniversary) and onto Cannon Beach Resort Campground, our next 2 day stop. I’m completely at a loss for words. Without making Inclination a target for a law suit…I will state the following: Corey Feldman is not the sweet guy you may think that he is. Sean Astin is awesome beyond words. The folks who are dedicated to following “The Goonies” are an interesting and fun bunch. Astoria, Oregon is beautiful and scenic. Cannon Beach played host to filming many scenes out of “The Goonies” and many other coastal themed films, “Point Break” just to name one. Lissy is now officially a “Goonie”… see posted photographic evidence. We met the “Truffle Shuffle” champion of the 20th “Goonies” anniversary.

Now, for the rest… Our camping experience in Cannon, Beach was marvelous. We were within walking distance of the old town shops and restaurants and also the ocean. Lissy and I made out video blog for the day on the beach that was made famous by “The Goonies”.

The sun was setting as we walked the shore, splashed around in our knickers out in the clear blue sea water, and truly experienced Cannon Beach. The town is filled with colorful characters, and is ultra-safe to walk around at night in. It was a memorable stay.

After our two overnights in Cannon Beach, Oregon, we once again headed out onto the US 101, driving southbound to Leggett, California, home of the giant redwoods, and also Redwood River Resort Campground. After hours of driving down the awesomely breathtaking US Route 101, also known as the glorious “Pacific Coast Highway”, and taking a multitude of stops along the way, just to bask in the pretty sites and of course load up on caffeine at the many espresso huts along the way, we finally arrived at our lodging.

We were overjoyed to not have to assemble the tents, as we entered our rustic chalet and plopped down onto the sofa. Lissy and I laughed for about ten straight minutes after reading the sign over the sink in the kitchen that read, “For $25 we will be more than happy to do your dishes.” Also, the wi-fi was not FREE, as it had been advertised. It was $6 per devise, per day. Now, with our laptops and iPhones and PDAs…well you do the math. We had lost both cellular signal and GPS signal somewhere between the southern tip of Oregon and still had zero connection. We swallowed our giggles and paid for the WEAK wi-fi.

Other than that bit of ridiculousness, the resort was charming. A heated pool, close to the ocean, close to all of the classic Redwood stops, (Avenue of the Giants, Confusion Hill was literally across the road on the opposite side of

the 101, The Peg House, The Chandler Tree, etc…) hosted many walking trails through sky high Redwoods down to a lovely lazy river; The Eel River and to top it all off, the landscape was covered by geodes GALORE! Agates and Aventurines, Tiger’s Eyes, moonstones, you name it. All we need is a rock tumbler and a hot glue gun and you’ll be hearing all about the “Inclination Body Accessories” line. The resort was hippy owned and therefore, extremely liberal about our pot smoking and heavy drinking. We were like sweet little nymphs running through the wilds of No Cali’s finest scenery. As Lissy and I are both avid outdoors enthusiasts, we took advantage of every moment that we spent surrounded by nature in the raw. We “heart” the Redwoods! Sadly after our 3 days/2 nights were up, we carried on, bidding adieu to one of America’s most beloved national forest. We headed south and east through the Sierra Nevada Mountains toward our next stop, an overnight on what we had thought was on our way to the Rockies; Eureka, Nevada. All hell broke loose on the weather front.

As we sat starring at the radar on the weather station, my heart began to flutter…I was for the first time in years, feeling like a panic attack was coming on. It became obvious to both of us that taking interstate 70 any further east would be dangerous to say the least. There were snowstorm warning in Colorado, tornado watches and warnings also in Colorado and Missouri, and flash flooding going on in our general destination direction. We wracked our brains for a bit. Backtracking seemed boring and depressing at the same time. I stared at the atlas and it hit me. “Let’s take Route 66 home.” Lissy was of course thrilled at the thought of waking up in the morning and heading toward Albuquerque, New Mexico and upwards of 100 degree weather, after we had been quite chilly in the beautiful Pacific NW, and we had nothing but clear sailing in our road tripping future. Beyond, opening up more opportunities for great stops, we would be avoiding all the shitty and dangerous severe weather. So, after a great night’s sleep in the tiny ghost town of Eureka, NV, situated on the lonely Hwy 50, we jaunted south toward Route 66 / Interstate 40 east. Crossing into Utah and then into the western edge of Colorado, we shot south to Albuquerque, of course, again

again jumping out of the car at every overlook and roadside artisan’s stand. Eating up hours of our day, we finally pulled into a nice hotel in Albuquerque, where we spent our night beering, and blowing off steam. The next morning we headed to a campground off 66, where we enjoyed a ride into an old mining town filled with quirky shops and an old train. We walked up and down the main street taking pictures and browsing the stores. The weather was ideal. It was a warm and dry 96 degrees, with cool breezes shooting in at us when we needed it most. Between the art, clothing, raw turquoise, oddities and antiques, we were in “Girl Heaven”. A nice afternoon of shopping and great New Mexican food really hit the spot. We headed back to camp just

just in time to hang back and enjoy the magic of the star lit sky of New Mexico minus the hideous light pollution that we city folk experience. As we took in our nightly ales and enjoyed the sky show, we decided to get our shuteye early, as to go get our “kicks” a.s.a.p. As the sun rose, we loaded up and headed out down the classic two-lane American Highway that is Route 66. After about 3 hours, I slammed on the brakes…I remembered that we should not miss “The Blue Hole”. My “Trazzler Trip” (a short article) sums it up…

“200 miles east of Albuquerque, New Mexico in the town of Santa Rosa is “The Blue Hole”. This 81 feet deep, artesian spring is crystal niently off of U.S. interstate 40, Route 66.

. Though this natural phenomenon may have been around as long as 10,000 years ago, it was only in 1960’s that divers began to explore the now popular watering hole. If you obtain a permit, you too can experience the dive, both day and night at this roadside wet-suit-clad attraction.” -Cola

After taking great photos and watching folks jumping off the cliffs into the spring, we continued on our journey. We soon entered “The Lone Star” state’s pan-handle and hit the Midpoint Café for a bit of graffiti and photo opportunities. We of course at this point were famished and ready for a couple pints. We just had to do it…we popped in for supper at the legendary “Big Texan”, home of the gigantic 72 ounce steak. Lissy and I of course did not even attempt it. The restaurant rules state that anyone that can finish the huge pile of beef in under an hour, eats it free, gets their photo on the wall of fame and receives a t-shirt with their name and time, along with the “I ate the BIG TEXAN” bragging phrase. We enjoyed a couple nicely portioned filets along with lovely beer and great ambience. Slot machines, a shooting gallery and the freedom to SMOKE at the bar, made it all worthwhile! Upon leaving the restaurant we once again busted out our marker and signed the giant boot situated out in front of The Big Texan steakhouse. We also met Jeffrey Mathis of San Antonio, TX, a young man who achieved the feat of consuming the 72 ounce steak in just under an hour and then afterward

making use of the bucket on the floor next to him…then ordering dessert. Nice! Well, he may have been sick the day, but he has his picture on the wall and he has the shirt. Bragging rights…umm…yeah. We drove on… Oklahoma City is oh so pretty. Well, it was flooded and raining like hell when we got there. We opted to spend a night at another hotel, and relax for the night. We woke up the next morning and did a bit more Route 66in, but due to the inclement weather (POURING RAIN) decided to just have a bit of breakfast a local greasy spoon diner and head to one of only 4 cavern tours in the world, “Fantastic Caverns”. A tremendous education and sprit lifting ride through the cave made everything feel better, though the weather was still quite nasty. A final hotel overnight in Missouri, and we were headed back to the flatlands. We experienced so much in only 16 days. Our great country is filled to the brim with sights to behold. I must once again reiterate to you all that driving is the way to go. When you choose to fly to your destinations, you miss so much along the way. We literally circled the map, from the badlands of South Dakota, to the volcanic region of Wyoming and Montana, to the upper panhandle of Idaho, to the pacific coast of Oregon and California, through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, into Utah, Colorado, down to New Mexico; eastbound on 66, and finally back up north to Illinois, where we feel lucky to have the ability to share our adventures with you all. Hopefully after reading through our instant replay, you’ll all feel inspired to hit the road. There are so many exciting places to see and people to meet. All I have to say is, “Shut up and drive!”

Powerage POWERAGE is a modern, high-energy rock band consisting of two sets of teenage brothers from Hinton near Newcastle Australia. Their ages range from 14 to 19 With a unique fresh sound, incorporating influences from the classic rock gods to more current bands, Powerage has been performing in venues and festivals in Newcastle, Sydney and along the East Coast since they formed in early 2005, and more recently expanding their list of achievements to include the world stage. POWERAGE first tasted notoriety in late 2005 winning a talent competition on the National Rugby Leagues’ “Footy Show” in front of 15,000 screaming fans at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Although extremely young and inexperienced at the time, Powerage went on to win the entire competition, which then whetted their appetite for bigger things. With a range of influences ranging from Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, The Foo Fighters, Jet and Wolfmother, the band has worked tirelessly not only to establish and grow their own brand of modern and powerful rock but to deliver a consistent, tight high energy live show for everyone including a whole new generation of fans. With a packed itinerary of gigs and supports for the likes of Matchbox 20, Australian bands, Thirsty Merc, the Screaming Jets and Grinspoon under their belts, including live performances on 2MMM’s Ugly Phil program and Channel [V], POWERAGE surged to a massive crescendo in December 2008, taking out the title of “Australasian Best New Band” in the internationally-recognised Global Battle of the Bands tournament. Representing their country, the members of Powerage performed in London against bands from 35 other countries, taking out 2nd place and winning the hearts and souls of all present, including a number of music industry heavyweights. Since that time, Powerage has gone on to play a range of high profile shows including the Royal Easter Show and at NRL football matches and in March 2009 released their First EP “Get Ready” and music video “Let’s Jam” to great reviews both in Australia and overseas. In addition to releasing the CD, Powerage has continued to gig regularly and now have their music available through iTunes, Amazon and CD Baby including the CDs being sold at various outlets and at Powerage gigs. myspace (www.myspace.com/powerageband ) and youtube www.youtube.com/powerage9 Powerage in a sense are unique in the current musical environment, as they, unlike a range of new bands who have a focus on pop based music, are a young band committed to keeping no- frills rock alive for now and into the future.

By z a h S r a l l i M

Shaz: Firstly could you please introduce your band and Members.... Our band is called Powerage and it consists of Ben Crawford (drums, vocals), Zac Crawford (lead Guitar, lead vocals), Jeremy Minett (rhythm guitar, vocals) and Nikk Minett (bass, vocals) Shaz: Could you tell me how you got Your Name and why? We decided on the name Powerage, around 5 years ago, when we first started. We were starting an ACDC cover band at the time and we thought “Powerage” was suitable as it was the title of an older album of heir’s and the “Power” and “Age” factor had a likeable coincidence, as we were all aged 9 - 14 Shaz: What is your Musical background...(You and your band members? Tell your story.) We are two sets of brothers, Jeremy and Nikk Minett and Ben and Zac Crawford, who all grew up in the same small town of Hinton and met each other at Hinton Primary School. Ben and Zac – We have been involved in music ever since we were little as our Dad was always in bands and there were instruments lying around the house all the time. We tried a few instruments growing up, taking piano lessons and trumpet lessons, but that didn’t last long. Then Zac moved onto guitar and began teaching himself after a few weeks and I (Ben) started getting Dad to teach me a few beats on the drums. A few years later I got more serious and furthered my piano studies while focusing on the drums in Powerage. Zac up until recently also started playing the drums in one of our other projects which he really enjoys.

projects which he really enjoys. Nikk and Jeremy - basically we started playing music at primary school where we attended with Ben and Zac in Hinton. At the time we would go up to Ben and Zacs house after school to have a jam. At the time I (Jeremy) was having guitar lessons with a friend of dad’s in our street but Nikk could play very little bass and had to be shown what to do at the practices. Nikk decided to have lessons a few years into the band. We both now contribute to songwriting and backing vocals in the band as well. Our dad was a bass player in his younger years in a Ramones concept band and we got into music through him. Shaz: Where have you performed? What are your favourite and least favourite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows? We have performed here, there and everywhere but our favourite venues would be playing on big stages at festivals. A few of the memorable performances over the years have been Playing at the Channel 9 NRL Footy Television Show grand final (which we won) at the Sydney Entertainment Centre when we were 10 -15 in front of 10,000 people Performed at the World Final of the Global Battle of the Bands in London in 2008 where we placed 2nd out of 37 countries Performing at our hometown Newcastle Knights Rugby League stadium each year in front of around 25,000 people Performing the main stages at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney in 2009 Our Played shows @ 20th Feb – Royal Hotel -Waratah 26th Feb – Cessnock Show

20th March – Maitland Bike and Hotrod Show at Maitland Gaol 31st March The Annandale Hotel Sydney 11th April – Scorcher Fest at the Roundhouse University in Sydney 27th May – ROCK SAGA in Negril, Jamaica Shaz: What genre of music do you consider your work to be and who are your major influences? Our music is rock and we gain influence from many bands like The Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, 30 seconds to Mars, Jet, Wolfmother and Paramore. Shaz: How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together? When we first started writing music, our songs were predominately influenced by 70’s and 80’s bands but over the last year our sound has been evolving and taking in influences from a wider range of bands. When listening to our recent works and comparing them to more of our older songs you can see an improvement in our song writing whether it be lyrics, structure, melodies or technical ability. Shaz: What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?) Our songs are about a lot of things; relationships, conformity, corruption, betrayal, greed and many more. I like to hope that listeners have their own opinion about what the song is about and they can relate to it. Shaz: What has been your biggest challenge as a band? The biggest challenge was find-

finding a lead singer for the band after our first vocalist, James Naldo left in early 2006. We held many auditions and even had our own radio show called “Looking for a Lead”.

Overseas radio, email interviews, Internet magazine articles, appeared on Australian radio station 2mmm and did a live acoustic performance in the studio in Sydney, Featured in Australian magazines and newspapers, Interviewed on SBS TV The Crew program and have Shaz: Are you a member of had our songs played. Appeared on any music organizations? Channel V, TV promotions for local and regional Shows, i.e. The Royal Easter APRA, (Australian Perform- Show, Also the exposure we receive from ing Rights Association). myspace, youtube, facebook and twitter. Shaz: Who handles your Shaz: If you could tour with anothdaily business activities? er band who would that be and why? (Bookings, promotions etc.) The Foo Fighters or Paramore. They are Brenda and Ian Crawford, great bands with fantastic songs and most mine and Zac’s parents. of all put on high-energy live shows. Shaz: What are long-term career

your goals?

Shaz: How big a part has The Internet played in promoting you as a band Have several album releases, and getting your music out there? tour Europe and America, play sold out shows, get a Grammy. Shaz: Do Any Major

you tour

have Plans?

At this stage we don’t, but when we get back from Jamaica we will most likely start planning. Shaz: Do you have any endorsements? If so what companies? Sabian,

Gibson,

Ernie

Ball.

Shaz: If you could play music in front of a large audience where would that be? The Isle of Wight festival in 1970 would have been great ha-ha but now perhaps Madison Square Gardens. Shaz: What type of media exposure has the band received?

It has played a very large part in getting our music out there and building our fan base. We could never have hoped to have reached as many people as we have done without it Shaz: Is there anything you would like to add for your fans...... We really appreciate everyone who is and continues to support us and our music both here and overseas. We are committed to taking our music as far as we can and to get to play to as many people around the word as we can. Thank you so much guys for this Chance to get to know you all and for taking the Time Out to do this with us..... We Wish you success in all you do and Hope to See you On Tour soon...

The Same With Old Ten JonnyCola Questions by lissy

1. What was the concert you went

www.jonnycolaandtheagrades.net

Jonny Cola & The A-Grades are a five-piece band from London, that play “pop” music. Not exactly Lady Gaga, more like Bowie or Roxy Music. - a sophisticated style of glam. Safe enough to be played on the radio, but cool enough for the noncomformists to dig. last to?

The Melting Ice Caps at the Old Queen’s Head in Islington, London. I used to play keyboards for the singer, and this was his first gig with a new . band. Very dapper and most enjoyable. 2. Who would like to record a

you song

most with?

Dizzee Rascal. Who cares what it sounded like, it’d be a Number One.

listened

5. Who would y o u say is the most underrated musician in the History of Rock N’ Roll? At the moment, me.

3. What are you reading right now? A Journey Through Ruins: The Last 6. What’s your favorite meal? Days Of London by Patrick Wright. It’s Anything which doesn’t have a piece of cultural history about the fucking mayonnaise on it. impact of Thatcherism and the slow death of the welfare state in the UK. 4.

you

live,

had

what

one

would

day

you

left do?

Go to Crystal Palace Park and drink.

7. Where in the you most like Panama or Turkmenistan.

world to

would visit?

8. What was the last song you to?

Pinball by Brian Protheroe. I highly recommend it. 9. If you could be someone else for 24 hours, who would it be and why? Adam Why?

Ant, but back in Why the hell

10. What has biggest fashion

been faux

1981. not? your pas?

How long do you have? Probably the white boiler suit. Or the skin-tight turquoise print trousers. Need I

leopardgo on?

music & violence

All too often in today’s society the entertainment industry takes all the blame when a member of society behaves inappropriately. The music industry is no different; any sort of violence gets pegged on the “angry” music. It’s been the same for years, we have all seen countless musicians and bands being attacked and blamed for the problems the youth and others have. I have always been disturbed by these accusations. Does music really lead to violence? Can music control how a person behaves? I took these questions up with the people who would know best, the musicians. When first working on this article, I had originally planned to do a whole essay and just insert some quotes here and there from the bands. After reading their responses, I couldn’t do it, below are a handful of artists from different genre’s,

an article by sarah 13

different backgrounds, and even different countries. I asked them all to honestly answer the same three questions; How do

you feel about the statement that music leads to violence? How does it feel to know that the music you have created has made a difference in someone’s life and acted as a catalyst for good? And is there anything else you would like to say/contribute? These are their unedited, honest views on these issues. I guarantee that after reading this you will, like I have, appreciate these talented artists even more.

-Acey Slade Guitars/songwriter/vocalist Acey Slade & The Dark Party (Ex Murderdolls/Dope/ Trashlight Vision/Roadrunner United/Amen/Wednesday 13) No, I think violence leads to violence. I also think more people are killed in wars over oil and religion then there ever was over a song. -Oh yea...there are CD’s I can’t even listen to today because they remind me of times I’d rather forget. Those songs were like little hits and doses of compassion of understanding. And let’s face it, most of don’t regret our pasts...but that doesn’t mean we want to relive them. Listen to those albums makes me relive them sometimes... -That’s amazing to hear. I just try to keep in mind the Nelson Mandela speech where he said, ‘and so as we let our own light shine, we consciously give others permission to do the same.

-Buy the ticket take the ride...” http://www.myspace.com/aceyslademusic

-Del Cheetah Bass/Songwriter/Vocals Sex Slaves “Saying music leads to violence is a societal copout. People have been trying for years to blame violence on music, movies, TV, video games, etc. when the simple fact is that some people are just violent and they have to be held accountable for their own actions, not the Marilyn Manson record they bought. Have you ever turned on Animal Planet and seen a cheetah ripping the throat out of a gazelle and drinking its blood? Why not blame the cheetah for the violent crime in our society? I wouldn’t say music is salvation, but it does speak very deeply to some people, as do art and poetry. Everyone has that special song that reminds them of their first love, or that magical day at summer camp, or their first time stealing a car and driving it into the river. It’s the best feeling in the world when someone tells me how a song of mine helped pull them through a tough time. I hope my music can be part of the soundtrack to some crazy teenage years, and people will listen to it in 20 years and remember feeling up Suzie for the first time in the back of their mom’s Nissan. All that being said, I think emo music CAN lead to violence, cuz I wanna kick the shit out of those bands every time I hear it.”

-Adam Savage Guitarist/songwriter MONGREL

Jason “J_Killa” Shaffer Synth/Keys Vampires Everywhere!

http://www.myspace.com/mongrel

“I strongly disagree that music leads to violence. I think sometimes people use music as an excuse for violence but it isn’t causing the violence. People will sometimes justify their violent actions using music, or will take the pseudoanonymity of being in a mosh-pit to hurt people but I think that’s more an indication of violent people creating a justification for their actions and not the music’s fault. Unfortunately a lot of people tend to look for a scapegoat rather than taking a much harder look at things and taking personal responsibility. Blaming music is much easier and requires less thought and reflection. It also makes for much better ratings for news programming and politicians to blame a celebrity or source of entertainment for social ills than looking at the real issues which may not be so popular in their acceptance. I do think that music is a form of salvation in that it gives the creators a positive outlet for their frustrations with their lives and with the world around them. It gives fans of music something to look forward to (concerts, albums coming out), for people who feel rejected by their family/society - it gives them a sense of belonging and not being so alone, it can give people a sense of hope, purpose, and release. Music can be used to raise money and awareness for important causes, to express discontent and promote change. In the case of Mongrel, I’ve seen friendships (even relationships), and a sense of family develop among our fans who often came into our circle not knowing these other people and feeling isolated. It’s amazing as an artist to see the positive impact and that your music can be the catalyst for such things. Music has been a very positive thing in my life, it has given me something I love to do, an outlet for frustrations, some amazing friendships, cherished memories, and inspiration and drive to do something in life more than being a 9-5 slave to a cubicle.”

“I think music can lead to anything the listener wants it to. There are many ways to judge a song, two of which are: listener perspective and artist perspective (among many various concrete ways). The listener’s best criterion for a song is simply, how it makes you feel as you listen. And the artist also has his or her own unique opinion on the feeling and meaning intended through sound. Nobody likes a song that makes them feel shitty. It’s some certain feeling of high, or empowerment, or serenity, or rage, or whatever, that we all desire in a great song. The better constructed the song; the more aptly an accurate impression of the artist’s mind can be displayed. So, yes, music CAN lead to violence, but it’s not the song’s fault, and maybe only partially the artist’s fault. However, listeners are fully responsible for their actions (if not their initial reactions). But freedom of expression is crucial. i.e. an urban song passionately discussing racial and social inequities that beckons the listener to vigilante action.... versus (for me), for example, how 23 by Jimmy Eat World gives me a positive and constructive feeling, regardless of the lyrics, or how Transatlanticism by Death Cab For Cutie brings back comforting memories, or how Imagine by John Lennon makes me ponder how we all can be just a little bit better. At the end of the day, people should realize that a song is simply a song. 3 and half minutes of, well, whatever. If you haven’t seen “I’m Not There” about Bob Dylan’s life, played by 6 different actors, I highly recommend it. It inspired me and is totally relevant to your inquiries on the intentionality of songs and fans reactions to artist’s behaviors, actions, and songs. HAS my music affected others in a positive way? I don’t know. A handful of people have told me it has, and that’s the biggest compliment an artist can receive. OR... is it my personality, my goals, my thoughts, my feelings, my actions, my conversations, my songs, everything, all in one package, that may have been the reason for my effects? Not to say that a song can’t stand alone! Thanks for jogging my brain! ;) ♥”

Indifferent. It depends on what the artist/band is trying to say or portray with the music. Then it’s up to how the listener as an individual LETS the music influence them. Yes, salvation is a good word for it. I can think of many times music has influenced me and others I know in a very positive way.

-Dustinn Lowry Guitar/songwriter/backing vocals We Are The Becoming http://www.myspace.com/wearethebecoming

It feels amazing. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity. The purpose of the songs I have been a part of and created were to be uplifting and positive, so if someone gets that out of it then I’ve done my job. At the end of the day, I feel that it is the listener that should take responsibility for the feelings and actions, negative or positive, they get when they listen to a song. It is up to them to act on those feelings. The song writer may be promoting violence but the listener chooses to be violent or not.”

-Miki Peltola Bass/Songwriter/Vocals Vanity Ink -Bullshit. If you’re fucked up then you’re fucked up and music’s got nothing to with that. Same with the movies and videogames. It’s pure entertainment. -OH YES!! Music helps me get through every day. Life ain’t always peaches but music makes it worth living. -Has it? :) If so, I’d be very honored. Everything I create comes from the heart and my own life. -Just to point out that music has kept me going through all the shit. I could not think my life without it. And yeah, the angry music is relieving! :) “

-Eric 13 Guitar/vocals/songwriter Sex Slaves “I really only have a comment onone of the questions, the third. One of the most rewarding things about being a songwriter and performer is having someone share deep personal emotion in reaction to one of your songs. You prefer it to be positive of course, but I’ve had people say that a particular ballad moved them to tears, or that they felt the same way some times, but never knew how to say it ‘til they heard my song. “It reminded me of when my grand mom passed...” is one that I got that was pretty heavy. They did follow up saying that it made them feel good in the end to remember her, but that’s some intense stuff. On a much lighter and fun note, it’s always cool to have people call you in the throes of partying to tell you that you’re album is the soundtrack to the best time of their life, or they’ve just blown the speakers in their new ride blastin’ your tunes. That’s about the best review you can get...and no ‘music doesn’t lead to violence’, mental problems do.”

This is absolutely ridiculous statement. I think unreasonable actions lead to violence. Music can definitely change someone’s mood, but to put the blame on a 3:30-4 minute song is rather pathetic. It is like a painting. If the artist created a piece that appears “violent” to the public or even if it is intended to be violent. But I doubt the artist would say “See... that’s how it is. Now go kill.” There is a fine line between self expression and things being taken out of context. I think everything starts from home. The way people are brought up. Expand their mind at school. Look at both sides of the coin without being bias. Probably every musician I know would not be what they are if it wasn’t for music. Including myself. It shapes you in a way that nothing else can.

-Percy Trayanov Bass/Keys Acey Slade & The Dark Party

It feels good in a sense that somebody has related or has been moved by either music or lyrics. It means that the person listened a little deeper into the song. I don’t write to “cure” people. But if I can bring out a positive spin on things, well, that’s great. Nutella at this moment.”

“I think that if someone is full of rage or angry that can affect them sometimes. Of course I think kids could be more effected by that but it’s like every other thing...when you have had enough with life or about a specific situation...one word can make you explode, so I guess some lyrics can do the same I definitely believe that music can effect you in a positive way..It actually saved me from a lot of shit. It sounds like the same thing musicians say over and over but music is one of the very few things that lets me feel alive and excited. Music is therapeutic and in my case, a need. Well, that’s a good feeling especially if you were writing about something intense and important to you...when you see that you are singing something where people can relate to you, it is even better because first you did something good for yourself and then you feel like you “helped” someone else. I think it’s one of the biggest reason to make music...you are sending out a message to people and if it makes them feel good, that is great!”

-Sonny Lanegan Singer/Songwriter White Pulp

IN CONCLUSION... As for my opinion, I believe that they just use music and any form of entertainment as a scapegoat, for how messed up people are. They don’t want to be held accountable for their actions, so they place the blame on anything but themselves. Music is that, just music, its entertainment. Music can be uplifting and positive, I know from my own experiences that music has always been there and music is the reason I am alive today. While working on this article, someone I considered to be influential, and one of the reasons I even did this article, was taken from the world; Paul Dedrick Gray, or #2 to most fans. Paul was the bassist for Slipknot, a band that is no stranger to controversy and being blamed for suicides and school shootings. Slipknot was the band that started so much for me. In honor of his memory, his wife, his family, his friends and his fans, this article is for him. I am dedicating this piece to one of the 9 men who helped me in ways I can’t even begin to explain. Music is beautiful, music is life. R.I.P Paul, you will always be missed and the world was robbed of your talent.

GENERATION INCLINATION SHOW RE-CAP BY COLA show, be sure to catch the archived podLissy and I again enjoyed a fabulous month of internet radio broadcasting pandemonium. We’d like to thank our wonderful guests, whom without, the show would consist of she and drinking in my garage and complaining about everything from chipped nails to shitty Vodka. We started out our July showcase with a recap of the amazing road trip that we took together across the whacky US of A. Burning through an hour with our tales of adventure and chaos, we reveled in every minute of it. We wanted very much to share with you all everything that we experiences while cruising down the interstates into various cities and small towns, all the while promoting Inclination and making fun new friends. We hope you guys enjoyed the show and can’t wait for our next vehicle voyage! We were thrilled to do something a bit naughty this past month, when we invited Adult Exotic Entertainer Miss Scarlet Zombie and Los Angeles Starlet Blankbaby to join us as we hosted an hour of “Talk Sex”. Both Miss Scarlet and Blankbaby assisted us in broadcasting one hell of an evening show filled with talk of all those “little things you hide and little things that you show”. A crazy episode that is X Rated in my book for sure. If you missed out on our “Talk Sex”

cast…it will stimulate your minds and bodies. Thanks again to both of you wonderful and powerful women for being both candid and entertaining, while dropping sexual science and waxing love, love, love. With Metal Mergence just around the corner at the time, and the Damien Dante soon to be released independent horror title “Jezebeth” looming the underground media world, Jeffery Swanson, Dark Star Records President, joined Lissy and I for a night of Metal chatting and band promotions. A fun cast can be caught in our archives if you didn’t get the opportunity to stream us live. Thanks again to Jeffery for allowing us to play some terrific rockin tracks and take part in a genuinely interesting conversation about all things Chicago Metal. For more information on Dark Star Records or the “Jezebeth” soon to be released film, go to www.darkstarrecords. com. Tell em, Lissy and Cola sent you! An episode that you had all been wait ing for, who am I kidding? We had been waiting for it too! Mr. Tony Duggins himself, of Chicago’s beloved Irish Punk Circus; The Tossers, rang our little radio show and got the party started. While drinking beers behind a Jewel Osco, Tony spoke with us about everything from movies to music to life as a parent and musician. We had so much fun that the show ran over

by an hour! The “After Party” (as we like to refer to it) is available in our archives. All of you are free to stream, download and EXPERIENCE what you missed when the live feed was cut. You don’t want to miss out on the extra bits of insanity and genius that Tony gave to us that fateful Wednesday night. Our final two shows for the month of July are about to happen. As I am writing this, I am also prepping audio for our guests tonight: Ed Shafer and Mike Greaney, two Chicago rock guitarist with a unique style whom, formerly of the Modern Rock winner “Phistine Verona”, will be performing our very first remotely performed live acoustic set. Two great vocalists and string masters, these guys will knock it out of the park. Our final show for July is set to feature Johnny Vomit’s Vocalist “Johnny Vomit” and Guitarist Eric Ondo, a night packed with obscenity and metal fury for certain, tune in and TURN UP! Just a quick reminder that all of our shows can be streamed live from both our website’s home page and also our blogtalkradio page. Listen on your mobile smart phones, listen from your laptops, listen from your local library…we don’t give a fuck….just listen…and if you miss an episode….due to your own retardation, you can stream and even download any one from our blogtalkradio page.