Merciful Chest Fever
Did Aliens Influence Some Important Lyricists? By Sean Casteel
Merciful Chest Fever: Did The Aliens Influence Some Important Lyricists? By Sean Casteel One of the best-received articles posted on my website is a speculative piece I wrote about the possible influence of alien abduction on the lyrical genius of Bob Dylan, the undisputed poet laureate of rock music. Dylan’s name is kicked around periodically to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, so we know he’s no slouch with words. The idea that his poetry stems partly from UFO contact may sound laughable to some, but it’s a concept I take very seriously. Nevertheless, Dylan is not the only rock music luminary to show signs of abduction and UFO contact in his lyrics. A similar strong case can be made for Canadian poet/songwriter Leonard Cohen. Like Dylan, Cohen comes from a Jewish background, but unlike Dylan, Cohen also studied for years with Buddhist masters. The same fiber of spiritual backbone runs through the lives of both artists. One of Cohen’s songs, “Sisters of Mercy,” seems particularly suited to this kind of analysis. The song begins: “Oh, the Sisters of Mercy, They are not departed or gone. They were waiting for me when I thought
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that I just can’t go on. And they brought me their comfort and later they brought me their song. O, I hope you run into them, You who’ve been traveling so long.” It is more than apparent that some kind of visitation is talking place here, from which the poet draws comfort at a moment of desperation. For some abductees, a bond of affection develops which they direct toward the aliens, with a few even voicing the complaint that they miss the aliens when they’re gone. The singer is saying that they’re never really gone in that protective sense of their presence. “Yes, you who must leave everything that you cannot control,” the song goes on. “It begins with your family but soon it comes round to your soul.” This again speaks of abduction, specifically the way the experience runs along family lines to serve what is believed to be the aliens’ interest in genetic experimentation. The fact that it “comes round to your soul” seems to address the idea of the mortal’s soul being part of the mix, a component of mankind that the aliens take as seriously as they do the physical body. “They lay down beside me, I made my confession to them. They touched both my eyes and I touched the dew on their hem. If your life is a leaf that the seasons tear off and condemn, They will bind you with love that is graceful and green as a stem.” There is a sexual component to these lines that has led some interpreters to believe that the “Sisters of Mercy” are prostitutes, but it is more likely a reference to the bond of affection mentioned earlier, which, given that the visitation is from alien females, may still describe a sexual experience that is another aspect of the aliens’ genetic and medical procedures. The fourth and final verse nails it. “When I left they were sleep-
ing, I hope you run into them soon. Don’t turn on the lights, You can read their address by the moon.” The first two lines here look like an attempt at self-empowerment. Cohen says “they were sleeping,” but it’s more typical for the aliens to leave behind their abductee sleeping in his bed when the experience is over. The part about reading “their address by the moon” plays on the moon as a feminine archetype and there is even a loose association with the notion of the Sisters of Mercy coming from outer space. “And you won’t make me jealous if I hear that they sweetened your night. We weren’t lovers like that and besides it would still be all right.” This and other lines in the song seem to express an idea of “the more the merrier,” a kind of longing to share the experience with others, a belief that the experience is positive, loving and uplifting and that everyone should have it. Granted, that’s not how every abductee feels about what’s happening to him or her. But to abductees of a certain stripe, again, there are feelings of love being shared between them and the aliens. Some abduction researchers compare those loving feelings to what happened to Patty
Hearst in 1975. You may recall that the heiress was kidnapped by left-wing radicals and over time began to identify with her captors and even boasted of having joined them in robbing a bank. In Leonard Cohen’s case, however, the lyrics seem to imply a mature and genuine bond. Yet another song from the 1960s seems extremely relevant and again deals with the notion of a nocturnal female visitor and her overwhelming effects on the songwriter. “Chest Fever,” by the group The Band, is generally credited to guitarist Robbie Robertson, though there are various versions among the group of just who wrote what. “I know she’s a tracker,” the song begins. “They say she’s a chooser, but I just can’t refuse her.” From the outset, the female is called “a chooser” that the singer can’t refuse. Often during an abduction experience, the gray alien will tell the abductee that he or she is a “Chosen One,” which has been interpreted in many ways and does not always come as a comforting thought to abductees. The fact that the singer can’t “refuse her” is an expression of helplessness, a total absence of will on the part of the singer. Just as an abductee
will sometimes discover that he or she is paralyzed and cannot command even their own body, choice has been eliminated for the singer as well. The repeated refrain of “Chest Fever” goes like this: “And as my mind unweaves, I feel the freeze down in my knees, But just before she leaves, she receives.” The singer expresses a total and complete mental disorientation as well as repeating the idea of physical helplessness. What the female “receives” before she leaves is an open question, perhaps inserted just for the need of another rhyme? In the song’s bridge, the lyrics are “It’s long, long when she’s gone, I get weary holding on, Now I’m coldly fading fast, I don’t think I’m going to last very much longer.” In spite of the terror and paralysis, the singer complains of missing the alien female when she’s gone, as with Leonard Cohen’s “Sisters of Mercy.” Again, the bond of love and affection developed over time as part of the experience seems stronger than the fearful, traumatic aspects. “I’m like a viper in shock,” the lyric continues, “with my eyes on the clock.
The theme of disorientation and shock recurs, and the “eyes on the clock” line seems to imply that the singer is experiencing the visitation consciously to a certain extent and can see parts of the bedroom in a waking state, such as a clock on the nightstand. When I chose to write about “Chest Fever,” I decided I needed to verify the lyrics, since they’re not totally intelligible on the original recording. So I did a little surfing with Google and discovered there are varying versions of the lyrics, which told me that others also had a hard time understanding the exact words in certain places. (For the sake of this article, I have relied on parts of the lyrics that are agreed upon from source to source.) In a Wikipedia entry about the song, lyricist Robbie Robertson is quoted as saying that the lyrics to “Chest Fever” were “nonsensical,” and had originally been intended to fill up space while the musical tracks were being recorded. “I’m not sure that I know the words to ‘Chest Fever,’” he said. “I’m not even so sure there ARE
words to ‘Chest Fever.’” Is this foggy-minded forgetfulness another example of the “merciful amnesia” thought to be imposed by the aliens themselves, to spare the abductee from traumatic memories?
body. There is a spiritual depth to abduction, a brief glimpse into a literal Technicolor Oz that we have not even begun to explore and which stands far outside our proverbial black and white Kansas home.
Does Robertson feel some kind of need to bury the experience or experiences that inspired “Chest Fever” into some locked vault hidden in his brain? I was reminded of Whitley Strieber’s title for his first book on his abduction experiences, “Communion,” which he said he received from a gray alien who seemed to have overheard what Strieber originally intended to call his book, which was “Body Pain.” We should all be grateful a cooler and more poetic head prevailed.
Admittedly, you’d likely have to be born sometime within the borders of the Baby Boom to have a real interest in Leonard Cohen and The Band. Although it is said that artists from that timeframe of the 1960s and ‘70s still attract new fans all the time, this article will most likely be more relevant to people who can remember that era of rock and roll firsthand and without needing a parent to guide them to it.
In any case, there is an obvious correlation between “Chest Fever” and “Body Pain,” both three-syllable expressions of extreme, even debilitating physical stress. But the contrasts between light and dark in alien abduction and the emotional ambivalence that so often accompanies the experiencer’s attempts to make sense of what has happened go far beyond simple discomforts of the
However, I’m sure this tendency of UFO contact to inspire musical artists continues to this day, and that younger readers can find their own lyrical connections in the more current crop of rock stars, though I doubt you would find much on the subject in hip hop or death metal lyrics. But that could just be my old fogy prejudice rearing its ugly head, right? Just as the skilled use of hypnotic regression pulls up
abduction memories from the unconscious mind, it is that same unconscious mind that is the probable source of lyrical inspiration, especially for the higher level of lyrical poetry written by the artists discussed in this article. Could a select group of lyricists somehow be “channeling” for an alien muse? Is the human mind a kind of “medium” for alien “artists” to work in?
It is of course impossible to know any of that for certain, but at least we’re being entertained while we wait for the final truth of the UFO phenomenon to emerge.
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Achieving Your Tone by Christopher Jordan A Simple Guide to Intonation By: Christopher Jordan Hey there fellow gear heads. In the last few installments we have pondered the quest for the ever illusive “Tone” and how to achieve the sound we have been so long searching for. From picking instruments to amplification and effects, we covered the gamut and broke down the most critical points. Now that we have the basics down, it’s time to start dealing with the details. We have all had that more than confounding moment when we have just strung up new strings on our electric guitar or bass, wound them up to tune, went to play a chord and something just was not right…especially when you begin to move up the fret board. Suddenly your perfectly tuned old friend sounds janky as can be. “Why God, why when it used to sound so great does it now sound like hammered…well
you know!” Don’t worry this is a much more common situation than you may think. Believe it or not in my more than 15 years as an engineer I have only met a handful of musicians who intonate regularly. The perfectionists do it almost as regularly as tuning, especially if the instrument has been moved frequently from one location to another. The easiest way to tell if your guitar is intonated properly is with a tuner. Turn your tuner on and pluck an open sixth string, now place your finger on the twelfth fret of the sixth string and pluck it again. The tuner should read EXACTLY the same, or at least as close as possible for proper intonation. Follow this simple step for all strings on the instrument and you will soon find the culprit that is not intonated. “Well how did my previously intonated instrument get suddenly dis-intonated in the first friggin’ place?” you may ask. Well here’s the perfectly simple answer. Let’s say you move the instrument a lot and bump it around,
like in the trunk of a car perhaps, change a string or in this case all of the strings the saddles spring loose tension and set the saddles to a different position. A different position, even slightly, can change the intonation of a string. Let’s break down the operating principles here, first the parts. The groovy plate that holds your strings in place on the body of your guitar is called a “Bridge”. The super neat little blocks that the strings sit on are called the “Saddles” and the long screws with springs around them are called the “Saddle Adjustment Screws”, these determine the distance of each string saddle from the edge of the bridge. Now that we know the parts let see how this happens. Remember, a guitar is a tension instrument. This means that the tone is created by the vibration of a string held under tension. The bridge holds the string ball or tied end to the guitar body to provide the resonance and on the opposite end of the guitar is the nut and tuning machines which provide, well the amount of tension.
“Hey what about those nifty saddles you were talking about?”
note of the string to flat and more tension brings the note to sharp.
Well my friend whereas the bridge provides the resonance and the tuning machines and nut provide the tension, the saddles provide the height of the string from the neck and the saddle adjustment screw allow you to change subtleties of string tuning by allowing you to adjust the bridge tension on the string, less tension at the bridge makes the
A quick review of the old mnemonic device “lefty loosey, righty tighty” and I think you can figure out that a turn to the right on the saddle adjustment crew yields a sharper note than the turn to the left which renders a flatter note. With your tuner on go from open note to twelfth fret on each string slowly and slightly turning the saddle adjustment screw appropriately until the desired intonation on each string is reached. Viola! One perfectly tuned and intonated instrument. Now I know all you repair techs are like “Hey man, you just told them all.” Yes, I did. If a car owner should know that his tires need to be rotated regularly then guitarists need to know they sound funny when not properly intonated…there I said it. And there you have it, the Austin Hot Mods simple guide to intonation, what it is, why you need it and how to attain it. Until next time, may your fingers be nimble and your notes sustained to perfection. ~Christopher Jordan has been a live audio/video engineer and recording artist for over 15 years and owns AustinHotMods.com an Austin,TX based pedal modification and repair company.~ Have a comment, technical question or an article suggestion? Visit our contact page on AustinHotMods.com and let us know.
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By Charlie Hodge Before you hear the harrowing tale of Marrugon, a Romanian refugee forced to flee his village clutching all his belongings, I first must set a few things up, prove a few points, make a few accusations and generally pave a path for the afore mentioned harrowing tale. I can remember a time before the question “paper or plastic?” existed. It was less eclectic time when consumers could ‘shop till you drop’ and buy as many groceries as your station wagon could carry and as a courtesy for spending all that hard earned money a youngster trained in the art of stacking would bag your groceries in paper sacks free of charge. Then the plastic bag was invented Boom! Now rinse, wash and repeat the same process as before but with the choice of plastic thrown into the mix and change station wagon to Suburban.
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Now along comes Austin, Tx.’s ban on plastic bags which begs this mathematical question: If plastic bags are removed as an option shouldn’t by default good ‘ol recyclable paper sacks slide right back into their previous role, or are grocery store fat cats to busy rolling around in all that extra bag money? PAPER – PLASTIC = PAPER! Now back to Marrugon. Like many of you I forgot my stupid bags when I went to the HEB and this is when I was transformed from a law abiding U.S. citizen into a Romanian refugee named Marrugon fleeing his village clutching all his worldly belongings. It happened in a flash, when the checker told me paper sacks are no longer free and, eco-ironically, plastic bags are 25 cents apiece. Marrugon would pay no more! And at that moment, with shame in his eyes he gathered his belongings into his arms and looked for a way out. As Marrugon fled he swore he heard the automatic door mocking him in the tongue of a neighboring rival village. Regardless, he made it to the border of his Toyota but not without loss, like his kindred spirit Sophie, Marrugon had to make a choice along the way. Keep his grip on the wine or the log of beef? His decision was easy because his wife would kill him if he dropped the wine.
What is your decision? Are you going to let Austin’s bag law and the greed of the grocery store fat cats turn you into Marrugon next, or are you going to call a random phone number for HEB you find on google and start yelling incoherently about Romania and your rights only to hang up before the person can respond, like I did? I think you know the right answer.
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Austin Audio Academy Interview with Harry Netti by Russell Dowden
Rockstar Magazine talks with Harry Netti Founder of the newly opened Austin Audio Academy. Rockstar Magazine: Welcome to Rockstar Magazine. Tell us about the Austin Audio Academy and introduce the founders and staff. Austin Audio Academy: Austin Audio Academy is the premiere audio engineering school in Austin, TX. We offer workshops at several levels to teach live audio production & prepare students for successful careers in the live entertainment business. Whether they aspire to go on the road and tour with a rock n’ roll band or mix sound at their local church, we’ve got them covered. All of the instructors at AAA are incredibly experienced and seasoned live engineers that have been in the business for years. We know what it’s like on the road, what is expected, and what students need to know to be the best in the business. I have been fortunate enough to work with some incredible artists over the past 35 years, including Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Whitney Houston, Aerosmith, and Earth, Wind & Fire. In addition to myself, the teaching staff includes Jim Finney who has been mixing FOH for an Austin favorite, Asleep At The Wheel; John “JB” Blasutta who has toured with just about everyone, including Led Zeppelin; Aaron Foye who is currently Wil-
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lie Nelson’s monitor engineer; and Travis Hatem who currently mixes FOH for Blue October. We also have a couple of great “field marshals” - live engineers who Skype in to the classroom from time to time. They are Nathan Lettus and Scott Koopman who currently tour with the classic American pop band, Chicago. Their live-from-the-road sessions are a student favorite as the Internet brings the venue right into the classroom in real time.
ence to teach and develop the next generation of great audio engineers.
Rockstar Magazine: Where did this Idea come from to start the AAA?
Our school was established under the basic premise that we should and can deliver the most effective instruction, and that is why we take a very hands-on approach. This isn’t the type of school where you will just memorize definitions from a textbook and hope that you remember all of the terminology once you get a gig. Let me be clear though. We don’t skimp on the fundamentals - in fact, students get drilled on fundamentals every day in our workshops. However, I believe that people learn by doing, and our workshops are especially designed so that students understand and retain everything we teach. For example, students will learn how to mix sound on actual mixing consoles. We teach students the most effective ways to load in and load out of a show. We walk through actual stage plots. We take students on field trips to concerts to see how it is done in real life. It’s all very practical and very hands-on.
Austin Audio Academy: Well, to be quite honest, there are no other schools out there that exclusively teach live audio to those who want to work in the live music industry. Most audio schools focus on recording arts, although they may have a live component where they offer a small portion of their curriculum for the live stuff. I have found that given the incredible amount of knowledge and talent required to function as a competent engineer in the live entertainment industry, there just was huge gap that needed to be filled. Although the recording schools are excellent at what they do, we feel that we can offer the most comprehensive instruction pertaining to the live situation. Our staff has so much knowledge and experience and we are very passionate about sharing it. We want to use this experi-
Rockstar Magazine: Tell us about the classes. What unique skills can students learn here? Austin Audio Academy: Our instructors have experience in just about every live situation for audio techs and engineers, so they are uniquely qualified to show our students the ropes.
We also take a “whole person” approach to teaching. I spent decades working in the touring industry at the highest levels and I made it my mission to make it a career. In other words...I wanted to last. So it took me decades of observation to understand the character traits that are necessary to not only get your dream gig, but to keep it. All of our students will not only learn the information and the skills that are necessary for success, they will assimilate them easily because of our whole person approach to teaching. Those who make the decision to attend our workshops will emerge with all the skills and mindset necessary to be a successful live audio engineer or technician. Rockstar Magazine: What are your requirements to enroll? Austin Audio Academy: Passion for audio is all that we require for enrollment. It really is that simple, but we do also require that students pay for the workshops in advance, and if you are under 18 years of age, a parental consent form must be completed by the parent(s). Rockstar Magazine: Finally, a place in Austin to learn to mix LIVE SOUND. Austin Audio Academy: Yes! We are so happy to be a part of the Austin community. With festivals like SXSW and Austin City Limits, and countless music venues abound, we couldn’t have picked a better place to open our doors than the “Live Music Capital of the World.” We are located at SoundCheck Austin where there are rehearsal rooms and gear rentals available for musicians, as well as several music-related companies that include the Austin Music Foundation and Fender Guitars. Students are literally in the thick of the music industry at the Austin Audio Academy.
Rockstar Magazine: What would be a sample of a schedule with the Academy. Austin Audio Academy: Classes typically begin on Mondays and students can pretty much pick the time of day that works best with their existing schedules. We offer morning, afternoon and evening classes. Each day is limited to four hours of instruction to avoid information overload. Workshops last from 1 day to 1 week, and one can choose to begin at either 10:00am, 2:00pm, or 6:00pm. Most of the workshops are logical progressions, so you can spend a month or two learning from us without spending a fortune. Rockstar Magazine: Is there a typical Semester or are there classes always available? Austin Audio Academy: Austin Audio Academy is not an accredited institution so there are no set semesters (yet). Classes are always available and all interested persons need to do is call or email us to schedule an appointment to for a free counseling session. Our telephone number is (512) 348-6866 and our email address is info@ austinaudioacademy.com. And don’t forget to visit our website: www.austinaudioacademy.com. There’s a whole lot of helpful information there. Rockstar Magazine: Just how affordable is the Austin Audio Academy? Austin Audio Academy: Our workshops range from $99 for a one-day “Basics” workshop and no workshop is more than $495 for the weeklong courses. We feel that’s extremely affordable and the knowledge you’ll gain is more than worth the time and money.
Austin Audio Academy: That’s a difficult question. I am hoping that it is sooner than later and that’s about as specific as I can get right now. Rockstar Magazine: Tell readers about your background Harry? Who founded the Austin Audio Academy? Rockstar Magazine: The Idea for the foundation is just great. Tell readers about this side of the business. Austin Audio Academy: Thanks, Russell. I’m glad you asked. We have set up a nonprofit foundation to accept donations of cash, new or used gear, and other gifts. 100% of these donations go to the Academy to use as learning tools, and the monetary donations go into our scholarship fund so that we may provide financial aid to those in need. (There is a “Donate” tab on the home page of our website for anyone who might be interested.) Rockstar Magazine: I hear that you may be offering classes online soon. When do you think that will happen?
Austin Audio Academy: I founded the Academy a few years ago. In 2009, John Blasutta and I were sitting around the kitchen table (really we were!) and the idea was born. JB and I are old road buddies. We met while both of us worked for Showco. I didn’t meet him until my about 15 years into my career, but we’ve been great friends ever since. My background is one of a million stories, but basically I dropped out of college after my first year because I decided at the tender young age of 18 that I did not want to be a doctor…I wanted to be a rock ‘n roller! I started out in humble beginnings with a bunch of friends who formed a cover band. We played at all of the local
nightclubs six nights a week. That was my proverbial “school of hard knocks.” I got discovered by a guy who owned a lighting company and thought I had potential. Not one to let a door close in front of me, I took that ball and sprinted with it to a fantastic career as an audio engineer. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the best in the business. In addition to the artists I previously mentioned, I have also toured with Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, Lionel Richie, Barry Manilow, Elvis Costello and Natalie Cole, just to name a few. Rockstar Magazine: What is your message to folks about this great opportunity with the AAA? Austin Audio Academy: We always say, “Our experience is your advantage.” Take advantage of our experience. I wish I had someone to teach, guide, and mentor me during the beginning stages of my career, and that is what we set out to do for all of our students. If you have a desire to work in the music industry, Austin Audio Academy
is the place for you. Even when I have students who just want to come and learn about live audio as a hobby, they always tell me that they’ve come away learning much more than they had ever imagined. We all have a real passion for teaching and I personally guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Rockstar Magazine: Best way to reach the school for enrollment questions? Austin Audio Academy: The best way to reach us for enrollment questions is to call our office at
512-348-6866. Or if you prefer, we have a registration form that can be found on our home page on our website under the link. “Event Registration.” Rockstar Magazine: Thank You again for your time Harry. All the best to the Academy! See you in Class! Austin Audio Academy: Thank you, Russell. Rock Star Magazine is a great publication and to all of your readers, keep on rockin’!
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makes a lot more sense once you find out what it’s really about. That song was inspired by this Asian personal trainer who was grilling this girl in front of me to get toned up before she hit the club that night. So listen to it, now knowing the back story, and it will make total sense. Of course it’s also a really great workout song.
RM: What would you guys call the Genre? Disco-Tech , Synth-Pop, Industrial, Electro-Rock? Kriss St. Kriss: Electrofunk punk is what we call it but we throw everything from new wave to hip hop to industrial in there. We don’t really care what it’s called as long as it’s sexy and contagiously animalistic.
RM: How did the band form and how long has this line-up been together now? Johnny X: The band first started out as myself, an MPC2000 drum machine and VS-880 Digital Recorder back in 2008. I literally puked out the first CD “Chronic Electronic” in like 3 months with a bag of Sour Diesel and a few bottles of red merlot. The song “Lies” was written first and then I basically followed that same musical formula and wrote the rest of the album super fast. Now I feel with the new band that we’re writing more high energy upbeat songs that we can rock on stage. Having a band this time around to collaborate with will be a lot more exciting and the new material is just getting stronger and stronger.
D A E
Ferocious E: We’ve been around for close to six years now but the new line-up has been together for less than a year. I’ve been in the band for two years and Rona joined us recently on the drums.
RM: What are some of Dead Love Club’s musical influences?
D
LO V E
Johnny X: DLC was inspired by 80’s bands like Depeche Mode, Judas Priest, Suicide, Thrill Kill Kult, Duran Duran and dare I say the gay biker guy from the Village People. Visually, I personally have always been drawn to the androgynous rock singers like Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Rob Halford, Prince and the epitome of all andro front men…David Lee Roth. To me those guys were true rock stars.
Johnny X & Ferocious E
RM: You guys have a different type of look and presence from other bands here in Austin. What’s the motivation behind your image?
Johnny X: Our band is all about style and intrigue. DLC is a dark, fashionable band that I want to evolve and change so it never gets predictable. We want to blur the lines between leather, rock n’ roll, high fashion and punk rock stylings.
B
Rona: We always try to change things up and surprise people. You never know what we’re going to be wearing or, better yet, not wearing at the shows. Emmy and I have a wardrobe full of sexy little things. Each band member has their own styles and image, but collectively, we like to keep that allure. We like fantasy and mystery. We also want our audience to be free to express themselves however they want in their own fantasy and mystery. Like Johnny said, it’s about losing your inhibitions and not worrying about being judged. That’s what makes it fun!
RM: Do your fans have a name yet? Dead club zombies or something? LOL
CL U
Rona: Um. We’re not quite sure, yet. “Lovers”?
RM: Where can readers catch the jamming sounds of Dead Love Club this February? Rona: You can buy or order our debut release “Chronic Electronic” at Waterloo Records, our website deadloveclub.com, iTunes and Amazon.com. Our self-titled EP is also available for free download on our website.
RM: When is the new album released online and where can we get a copy? Johnny X: The new EP is available for free now on our website deadloveclub.com so there is no excuse to not know our songs and get hip to Dead Love Club’s music.
Don Jon
Rona Rougeheart
RM: Thank you guys ! Tell readers where your next few shows are. Rona: We play Tuesday, February 11 at Metal and Lace - Saturday, February 15 at AJ’s Live in Marble Falls and Thursday, February 27 at Elysium. Check our website for more dates because we’re always adding shows. Come out and see us! Bring your sexy, leave your inhibitions at home and be ready to dance! O
For news, show dates and for a free download of the new self titled EP, visit deadloveclub.com facebook.com/deadloveclub :: twitter.com/deadloveclub www.rockstarmagazine.com Page 15 •
Kriss St. Kriss
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2014 Upcoming Shows March
7th The Music Presents Home Away From Home 8 th Death X South West 9-10-11th OPEN STAGE TBA 12th AustinLocalMusic.com Showcase 13 th Grenada Party 2014 14-15th Reggae In The Hills Presents: Jams Space Awards
APRIL
18-19th Austin Reggae Fest Camp-out Afterparty 25-26th NEOCLOUD
May
Country and Bluegrass Festival Latino Festival
June
The Music Ranch Anniversary Party
July
Freedom Fest First Annual Rockstar Magazine Festival Classic Rock & Blues Festival Redneck Olympics
The Music Ranch Presents
By Serena Brown he Music Ranch is ringing in the New Year with a bang. On New Years Eve TMR held an intimate gathering of staff and volunteer to shows our appreciation for all their hard work. Word of mouth has reached volunteers from across the country. They have come from Arkansas,
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Nebraska, California, Pennsylvania and New York. Our volunteers are dedicated to bringing the vision of a venue built by musicians for musicians to a reality. A vision that has inspired all of us to dedicate our time to the future of The Music Ranch. We have accomplished so much under the guidence and direction of our chief Gino Cavazos, TMR owner, who leads us with love and generosity. We continue to encourage new volunteers to come and share The Music Ranch vision. We’re building a massive organic garden, a dog park that will be available for doggy daycare
during shows, a disc golf course by Underpar Golf, an RV park and a paintball course. We are all pumped for 2014. On January 17th Kat Aleman, our promotions director, held a kick ass hard core rock show. The fire was so big it kept everyone warm and the music was hotter than the fire. Pint of No Return, The Last Shade, REAL TALK, From Broken to Blessed and Swamp, from Massachusats headlined and brought down the house. We would also like to thank Illumignarly and our kick ass sound guys, Alec Alren and Paul Brezendine. Artists Always Welcome!
Featured Volunteers
August to September TBA
J What brought you to The
Music Ranch? We were just travelling and passing through Austin. We heard about The Music Ranch from a friend and when we came up to visit we met Gino. He really inspired us to be involved here.
October
WeirdFest Rocktober Fest Pumpkin Man Haunted Trail
November
J What does TMR mean to you?
27th Hippy Thanksgiving
December TBA
Book Now for 2014 Page 16 • www.rockstarmagazine.com
Rachel Shoening & Gavin Hanson
It feels like a home to us. We love being part of TMR and offering as much help as we can. It’s a great Atmosphere where everyone is on the same page with the vision.
J What project are you working on? We’re really commited to the garden. Gino has given us an opportunity to work on a little bit of everything. J What are your future plans
for that project? Put up some walls and grow some veggies. And make it a garden for everyone to enjoy. Donate our leftover food to charity. We want to grow a garden that provides food for the venue concession.
V
C. SWANSON
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Band Interview by Serena Brown Pint of No Return Luke Jones and Tony Galbraith
J What’s it like working together? Luke Jones: Tony comes up with a lot of the ideas and Luke adds to it. We really collaborate well together.
J Describe your genre. We really feel that it’s acoustic punk or outlaw punk or just dirty rotten gutter nastiness. People try to call us folk punk. We come from a deep punk background and we love acoustic music so our genre just evolved naturally.
J How did you come up with the
name Pint of No Return? We’re big fans of puns. We do pun contests all the time when we’re bored. It was just a perfect pun to represent us, we drink a lot!
M
T R
The Music Ranch Manor
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Decker l
130
45
Austin
H
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Hornsby l
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183
Del Valle
l
themusicranchatx1@gmail.com 512-574-2767
J What brought you to The Music
Ranch? We made friends with the guys from Bury The Rod and they told us about it. The first time we came here we were totally blown away. We just wanted to play here and it was our mission to find out who we needed to talk to. When we found Gino he told us all about his vision, that this place was built by and for musicians and that really inspired us. He told us we could come back the next night and
play and practice anytime. We came and just didn’t want to leave. It’s the Never Ending Story! ATREU!
Luke Jones & Tony Galbraith
J What does The Music Ranch
mean to you now that you have been involved? Hard work and Anarchy. Musicians helping other musicians. People coming together for a common goal. Everyone loves everyone and everyone is accepted. We work hard and party even harder.
Last Quotes “ San Dimas High School football rules!”
....Tony
“ You miss100% of the shots you dont take. ...Luke,Michael Scott & Wayne Greztky
Building a Landmark in Austin for Musicians and Artists “Let The Music Flow And Never Let It Stop...” G Over 80 Acres Corporate Events Concerts Festivals Vendor Booths Private Parties RV Park Camping Hike and Bike Trails Skate Park by ATX Ramps Design Pedicabs
BYOB (No Glass) Sweet Spot Sk8 Shoppe By Mana Vera Multi-Day Events 1 stage, 3 stage and multi stages avail. Camping avail. for SXSW, ARF, ACL, Fun Fun Fun Fest Dog Park & Day Care All Pets Welcome
Multi-Day Events Southern hospitality in Austin Weird Musicians and bands Welcome to Rehearse on our Stages Anytime Blank Canvass for Painters, Sculpters, Carvers and Artists Great Staff
Coming Soon:
Paintball, Disc Golf by UnderPar Golf, Aunt Fanny’s Food Truck
WANTED Music Lovers & Volunteers
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EASTSIDE BLUES SYNDICATE Interview with Harlod McMillan Inn before that; Steve Dean had a place down on South Congress called the Austex, I think. Alexander’s, Scottie’s BBQ. The hotel bar in the old Stephan F. Austin Hotel (I think run by Steve Dean also) had a great mix of blues and jazz. A little joint on East 5th called Spellman’s. The Hole in the Wall booked blues, too. During this time the scene was very furtile with talent and pretty exciting. It was before the Vaughn Brothers and the T-Birds got famous and Antone’s was still booking all of the Chicago cats and folks from Louisiana and South East Texas. During most weeks you could find the likes of Albert Collins, Albert King, Buddy Guy or Delbert McClinton playing in town.
Rockstar Magazine: Welcome to Rockstar Magazine Harold. For how many years now has the ESBS been keeping Austin live with the Blues? East Side Blues Syndicate: Our band grew out of the weekly Blue Monday Blues Jams at the Victory Grill about 3 1/2 years ago. We’ve gone through a handful of really good players in the meanwhile—Woody Russel, Johnny Glass, Mike Blue, Roland Lawes—but, the core group is still there grooving every Monday.
Rockstar Magazine:Introduce the guys who make up this Syndicate. East Side Blues Syndicate: Our core group is my old friend Matthew Robinson on guitar and vocals, Jose Ruiz on harmonica, Leland Martin on percussion,and myself playing bass. Right now we are using Wayne Manso and Alex Salinas on drums. For the jams we also invite other friends to join us. Usually Harry Pierce on keys and Mr. Sly on guitar. But, we’ve got something cooking right now that we’ll be surprising folks with pretty soon. A couple of additions for non-jam gigs are in the works.
Rockstar Magazine: How is Austin’s Blues scene evolved over the last 20 or so years Harold? Has it improved or digressed? Page 18 • www.rockstarmagazine.com
East Side Blues Syndicate: Since I’ve been in Austin there has always been some kind of blues community working, but like most other things that are market driven, the blues kind of goes in and out of favor with audiences, the media, and clubs. There has always been, and there will always be the blues in Austin. For the life span of a lot of the folks in the scene right now, a lot of them identify with Antone’s being “Austin’s Home of the Blues.” It’s true that for years Clifford Antone was really a national and international standard-bearer for keeping the blues alive in Austin. But over the years there have also been a lot of joints that also hosted pretty cool blues scenes. Historically, those joints were mostly in East Austin and run by Black folks. Places like the Victory Grill, Charlie’s Playhouse, Ernie’s Chicken Shack, the IL Club and a lot more. Over the years most of those places dried up, as Central East Austin went into decline. I wasn’t in town at the time, I just happen to have studied some of the history. When I first got in the scene there were actually a good number of places around town that had blues, in additional to Antones. None of these places were “big business” venues, but there was some good music happening there. The Bottom Line on East 6th, run by C-Boy; Rome
But in the local club scene and at the jams you had the Vaughn Bros, Kim Wilson, teenage Charlie and Will Sexton, W.C. Clark, Blues Boy Hubbard, Major Burkes, Matthew Robinson, Denny Freeman, Derek O’brien, Angela and LouAnn, Bill Campbell, Tommy Shannon and Whipper, Keith Ferguson, and a whole slue of really good players. So, the local scene really had some heavy dudes and dudettes who were just out doing what they do. They were the “locals.” I don’t think the local scene is nearly as healthy as it was back then. And I’m not being nostalgic. Just look at that list of names of folks who were the cats that showed up for the jams.
Rockstar Magazine: How long have you been hosting the Blue Monday at the Victory? East Side Blues Syndicate: I think this would be year 4.
Rockstar Magazine: While Blues is evident in your sound, there is a fair amount of Soul and Jazz there too. What makes the sound of ESBS so unique?
East Side Blues Syndicate: Well, we are firmly anchored in the tradition. That’s where all of this stuff comes from, but we are not under the impression that it’s still 1957. We play down-home gut-bucket. But, we are not shy about swinging a bluejazz tune, rearranging a standard, playing something soulful and funky, or just making up a groove on the spot. Improvization has always been—and always will be—a major component of the blues. I like to say that all blues IS jazz. photo credit - Ricardo Acevedo - Rockstar Staff
Rockstar Magazine: Where can we see you performing in February this month? East Side Blues Syndicate: You can find us every Monday at the Victory Grill. We’ll be at the Victory Grill also on Feb 1., and El Leon’s on Feb 13. We’ve kind of taken a little of a break from doing some booking as we fill our rhythm section chairs and bring on a special guest vocalist. But, we’ll be back out there soon enough.
Rockstar Magazine: Do you think Black History Month will feature any special shows for the band in February? East Side Blues Syndicate: We’ll be participating in a special show, with other artists, at the Victory Grill in Feb. Date TBA.
Rockstar Magazine: What has the Blues meant to you and members of the band? East Side Blues Syndicate: Blues is the foundation of what propels us in this project. All of us play in other projects and play other styles. The thing about this band is that we play blues because we want to, we choose to. You might see us on other gigs playing other stuff, but the ESBS is an active vehicle for pre-
serving and advancing the blues as a form of American Culture, African American Culture.
Rockstar Magazine: What are some of the bands influences over the years? East Side Blues Syndicate: That list is broad.....we like Howlin’ Wolf, Bobby Bland, Albert Collins, Al Green, Miles Davis, Albert King, Freddie King, Curtis Mayfield, Percy Mayfield.....and a lot of other blues, jazz, soul, gospel musics.
Rockstar Magazine: What advice do you have for new upcoming artist that are performing the blues? Any tips, advice? East Side Blues Syndicate: Play your axe, be grounded in the cannon/the tradition, play with and learn from other (sometimes older) players, listen to the classics and learn them----even if you don’t perform them in public. Trash your ego and be the best you can be at the level you are, while striving to improve each time out. It is not a competition, you play with other musicians, NOT against them. Open your ears wide, learn to be meditative in your playing so you can focus on getting inside the music, inside the tune, and inside the conversation with the musicians your are performing with.
And, don’t waste your time telling anyone how good you are. Wait for someone to say it to you.
Harold. Can anyone come out and perform?
or a private party or wedding or a special event?
“You might see us on other gigs playing other stuff, but the ESBS is an active vehicle for preserving and advancing the blues as a form of American Culture, African American Culture.”
East Side Blues Syndicate: It’s an open jam for the most part. Most all levels of players end up on stage at some point, but we do pride ourselves for having friends who are really at the top of their game, who come to join us each week. We encourage learning and gaining stage time, but we also want to set a pretty high bar for players to aspire to. It’s a balancing act that I think we do pretty well. Everyone is welcome.
East Side Blues Syndicate: I’m the main contact (director@ diverseArts.org) for booking. But you can find us on FaceBook, ReverbNation, and www.diversearts.org.
Rockstar Magazine: Tell us about Blue Monday
Rockstar Magazine: How can Blues fans get in touch with you to book you guys for a show
Rockstar Magazine: Thanks for you time Harold. See you on Monday at The Historic Victory Grill in Austin. East Side Blues Syndicate: It’s been a pleasure. Always good to see you Russell. And, thank you for the support that you show us and the blues community here in Austin.
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Austin Blues Society recognition for blues in recent years with the rising popularity of Gary Clarke Jr., who just won a Grammy, no less! And others seem to be getting more recognition each day.
Rockstar Magazine: Sad Antone’s is currently closed. Hopefully they will keep Clifford’s dream in tact where ever the new venue opens up? Austin Blues Society: We are hopefull of this as well, but must continue on with or without them. Antones has long been a world recognized home of the blues here in Austin and we certainly hope it continues to do so, as we have had a longstanding relationship and association with them!
Rockstar Magazine: Are there more young people getting into the Blues these days than in years past? Rockstar Magazine: Welcome to Rockstar Magazine guys. Tell us about the Austin Blues Society. How long has the ABS been around now and what are your mission goals? Austin Blues Society: The ABS was founded in 2006 bysax player Kaz Kazanoff in memory of Clifford Antone. Our Mission goals are to preserve, educate about, and promote the blues in central Texas
Rockstar Magazine: So give us an update to when your monthly events are hosted and where we can find ABS events?. Austin Blues Society: We host a bi-monthly open blues jam at El Leons located at 1910 E. Cesar Chavez. It is an all ages jam and we encourage young folks to come out and play.
Rockstar Magazine:What got the Austin Blues Society started? Give us a brief history on ABS? Austin Blues Society: The Austin Blues Society was started by friends of Clifford Antone as a memorial of sorts to him. It has since grown well beyond that to include sending local bands once a year to compete in Memphis at the International Blues Competition.
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Rockstar Magazine: Been hanging out at the Victory Grill the last few months for Blue Monday. Good to see you guys there. Any plans for another night for a weekly event at a new venue since Antone’s is now closed? Austin Blues Society: Since Antones closed its doors on January 1st, 2014, we have moved our open blues jams to El Leons at 1910 E. Cesar Chavez. This move made the most sense to us as there is a very deep and rich blues history on Austins east side. The jam used to be every Monday at Antones, but since the move we have decided to make it every 2nd and 4th Thursday at El Leons.
Rockstar Magazine: Any favorite local artist here in Austin for Blues? Austin Blues Society: Matthew Robinson and the Jelly Kings, Miss Lavelle White, Hosea Hargrove, Birdlegg, Sam Evans (Soul Man Sam), Ruthie Foster, and WC Clark are just a few of our blues legends here in Austin that we love and hold dear.___
Rockstar Magazine: How has the Blues genre grown in the Austin area if at all in recent years? Austin Blues Society: Austin seems to be getting more
Austin Blues Society: Absolutelyy more seem to be getting turned on to the blues than before, as is evident at our jams. We have some amazing young guitarists, keyboardists, etc. that are constantly turning heads and getting serious about preserving and performing this fantastic art form. they range in age from 11-16 years old and never cease to amaze us!
Rockstar Magazine: How can fans of the Blues genre support the Austin Blues Society? Austin Blues Society: By becoming a member at our jams or our website, austinbluessociety.org. a 1 year individual membership is only $20.
Rockstar Magazine: What are some benefits of becoming a member of the Austin Blues Society?
Austin Blues Society: We keep you posted via email and Facebook of_all the blues events going on in and around Austin, as well as hold special events that members get in at a discount for and we hold a members only Christmas party every year.
Rockstar Magazine: Thank you for your time guys! Best wishes to Bill and Veronica and the rest of the staff at ABS. Keep Yalls Mojo Working! Austin Blues Society: Thank you, and keep it Blue!
By Russell Dowden
Rockstar Magazine: Welcome to Rockstar Magazine guys. Lucid Dementia: Thanks for inviting us in.
Rockstar Magazine: I should have had you in my old magazine Weird Magazine or Paranoid Magazine, but here we are in Rockstar Magazine. Introduce the band members and what each performs. Lucid Dementia: Sheldon Reynolds: Male Vocals, Song writer and producer Holly Barentine: Female Vocals, lyrics AzilX: Drummer, Creative director Ste7en: Guitarist, Live Video Tim Duvall: Bass Guitar Luci: Puppet/Band mascot
Rockstar Magazine: Why the name Lucid Dementia? Lucid Dementia: The literal basis of the meaning is that our songs are very clear about very demented subjects. It’s influenced by the Chinese yin and yang concept, how opposite forces intertwine and are influenced by each other. It is also the full name of our puppet/mascot: Luci D. Dementia
Rockstar Magazine: Name some of your influences, no doubt Horror has played a big role in the bands evolution. Lucid Dementia: Sheldon: I have a background in theater, with a bachelors of fine arts. I’m heavily influenced by the absurdist movement, the avant-garde, Japanese Butoh, Punk, Industrial, the occult and of course horror.
Rockstar Magazine: So “When the World Leaves you Behind” is like the 6th studio album from LD? Tell us about the new CD.
Rockstar Magazine: Describe the genre for Rockstar readers. Sounds for electro gothic, industrial to me. Is that fair to say about your sound?
Lucid Dementia: “When the World Leaves you Behind” is our 4th full length album, it’s 13 songs dealing with different types of ghosts and ghost stories. It’s a boiling cauldron of the occult, horror movies and just a dash of creepy, childlike silliness.
Lucid Dementia: It is admittedly our downfall that we don’t fit well in any one genre. After a night of hair pulling and teeth gnashing we settled on: “Lucid Dementia is a horror based hybrid mix of Metal, Electronic and Industrial music fronted by a female/male vocals combo.”
Rockstar Magazine: I caught your show at Elysium a while back. Purchased some merch including the new CD. What a show! You guys are like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s like Halloween everyday with this project. How did the bands roots begin?
Rockstar Magazine: Where are you performing in February or March of 2014?
Lucid Dementia: Sheldon: When I first started Lucid Dementia, I wanted to do something that didn’t sound like anything else, or look like anything else out there. I wanted it to be theatrical and shocking at an absurd level. I come from an 80’s hardcore-punk background, and I am influenced by writers Antonin Artaud, Samuel Beckett, and of course Industrial music, which I consider the natural evolution of punk.
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Lucid Dementia: As of right now we are booked to play our Music Video Release party at the Romani Gallery Annex on February 8th 2014. This will be the release of the music video for our song “It Came From The Dead”. It’s a cinematic horror story directed by up and coming horror director Justin Paul Warren and features Micheal Baldwin from Phantasm.
Rockstar Magazine: What is “When the World Leaves you Behind” telling listeners? Walk us through this song. Lucid Dementia: Sheldon: It’s loosely based on the movie Carnival of Souls. It’s also about growing old and loosing touch with the world as you once knew it. I wrote it, but it’s really become Holly’s song though, which for her I think it’s grown to have a deeper meaning. Holly: WTWLYB has a deep meaning to me, because my life ended last year when my family was torn apart. My world left me behind. But I’m trying to come back to life.
Rockstar Magazine: I like Paranormal Paranoia perhaps for Obvious reasons for folks who know me. But where does the inspiration come from for these songs. Lucid Dementia: The album is based on a ghost story involving the life of a woman, following her unfortunate life from birth, to a battle with a spirit that leads to her death. The story then continues to follow her as a ghost, as she starts a kind of ghost army that wreaks revenge on the living that betrayed her and beyond. It is a story that is inspired by a dark uncomfortable place, from things that I’ve survived in my own life.
Rockstar Magazine: Where did you record this last album? Lucid Dementia: This album like all our albums are self produced in the Lucid Dementia rehearsal/recording studio, but mastered by Jerry Tubbs at Terra Nova studio.
Rockstar Magazine: How can readers learn more about Lucid Dementia? Lucid Dementia: Our official website is a good start: http://luciddementia.com/ and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lucid-Dementia/185074624510
Rockstar Magazine: Any plans for shows for SXSW this spring? Lucid Dementia: The band has been around almost 18 years now, we have applied 17 years in a row and have never chosen. I kind of decided this year that we didn’t need to pay the application fee again. We don’t have any definite plans as of yet but are really waiting to see how things go once we release our new music video. There is a lot of excitement about it, so chances are we are going to get busy.
Rockstar Magazine: Thanks guys for your time and I look forward to booking you for future shows. Especially Halloween! How can people book you for a Corporate Event or Private party? Lucid Dementia: Email us: info@luciddementia.com or contact us on our facebook page.
For news and info visit luciddementia.com
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Honey & Salt
Artist Feature by Francois Larosa
Honey and Salt by Francois Larosa Rockstar Magazine has the opportunity of venturing into the New and Vintage Clubs here in Austin, as well as the surrounding counties. This one tonight was the Iconic Carousel Lounge. At 50 years old it’s still alive & kicking with Live Music and Great atmosphere. If PT Barnum and John Waters got together and decided to give input into developing a dive bar, this would be it. David Lynch (Filmmaker of Twin Peaks) would feel right at home. The band I came to see was an Indie Rock Band Called, Honey & Salt. (Just a side bar note, this combo mixture would not be good for a Facial Cleanser). The members who make up this band are Wade Allen(Guitarist), Austin Sears(Bass), and Danny Mee(Drums). I got a chance do alittle sit down chat with the Group. Rockstar Magazine: Hi Guys, Nice set, really enjoyed your style, and Page 24 • www.rockstarmagazine.com
original songs. Where are you guys originally from? H&S: Thank , well where from sort of all over, like Dallas, San Antonio, and Atlanta, Georgia. Rockstar Magazine: Listen to your set, and liked your songs: Cohere, Lucky Patterns, Feed the Common Sense. I researched you guys before I came here and saw that you just put out a EP recently called, Cohere on Digital Album. You guys just Rocked on the BandWagon of BandCamp.com. Tell me more about that? H&S: It’s titled, “EP”, it’s a 4-track album in the high-quality format of your choice (MP3, FLAC, and more). You mentioned all the songs on the Track, except, I’m eating Bamboo.” Rockstar Magazine: Really enjoyed the Songs, what are your influences?
H&S: We really like Faraquet, Medications, Fugazi, Hella, Cinemechanica, At the DriveIn, Tera Melos, and Pterodactyl. Rockstar Magazine: Your Music has been defined as Rock, Experimental Math, and Progressive Punk. Experimental math, I won’t ask but; How can you tell that a mathematician is extroverted? A: When talking to you, he looks at your shoes instead of at his. Ok, I feel better. How would you describes your music? H&S: As far best describing our sound, many people call us an Indie Rock band, although we’re definitely influenced by a lot of Punk and Post-Punk bands. Rockstar Magazine: What are your futures goals for 2014 as a Band?
H&S: We just finished the Digital Album, so know were playing different gigs, and expanding our fan base followers via Live performance, or online. Rockstar Magazine: How can we check out your music online? H&S: http://honeyandsalt. bandcamp.com/ or check us out at Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/honeyandsalt Rockstar Magazine: Thanks guys, I love your tunes & will definitely be checking you out down the road.
H&S: Thanks you so much for taking the time and coming out and listening to us. What kinda Pen is that? Rockstar Magazine: It’s my Hello Kitty Pen, and my used Writing pad, that I need for my Experimental Math. Don’t laugh, I’m using it to write your Interview.
H&S: Sorry Brotha, l ove your Pen!!! Interv iew by Francois Larosa
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Rockstar Magazine: Half kidding about that last question. But seriously with the sound and the lyrics you guys write, it’s kind of a HE-MAN - And the Masters of the Universe meets Jason and the Argonauts. I love it!
Awesome Death:
Awesome Death:
Doug: Coffee, cheese, and the need to poop. Both of those three things influence me greatly.
Matt: That’s one of the better descriptions I’ve heard...throw the Ultimate Warrior in the mix and we got something! Doug: I have the power… of Fleece!_
Rockstar Magazine: Welcome to Rockstar guys. Introduce yourselves and what instrument each perform.
Awesome Death: Doug: I am Dug. I perform the bass. Matt: Matt Death -drums Geoff:Geoff, lead vocals and Theremin.
Rockstar Magazine: How long has the band been performing together now?
Awesome Death: Matt:
Just over 4 years Geoff: Our first show was in July of 2009 at Room 710! Doug: We have been performing somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,000,000 minutes.
Rockstar Magazine: Describe the song writing process.
Awesome Death:
Doug: When Jesus cries, we sit at his feet with a bucket. The collected Holy Tears are then divided into three shot glasses. We pound those and pee out a song. Geoff: I usually write lyrics first and Doug is an amazing riff machine. It takes him 10 seconds. Matt: Geoff brings the Awesome, Doug and I bring the Death.
Rockstar Magazine: Tell me about the Shadow of the Cyclops. What is going on here? Aaaagghgggghh!!!
Awesome Death:
Matt: Couldn’t tell ya...I’m just frantically trying to keep up Geoff: Cyclops. He’s Huge. Doug: I don’t know what is going on here. I never know what is going on here.
Rockstar Magazine:
I love Shadow of the Cyclops, and Awesome Death and of course MANLY! What color was the acid you were taking in the 90’s?
Awesome Death:
Matt: What are you half kidding? Same color as it is today ;) Doug: It was the color of Awesome. Geoff: I ate some black pyramids once and then I got surrounded by some wrought iron snakes.
Rockstar Magazine:
Zombie Picnic? OK, I am getting stoned now!
Awesome Death:
Geoff: It’s best that you do. Matt: Good...I’ll bring the chips. Doug: Puff. Puff. Pass.
Rockstar Magazine: Are you guys motivated by Horror? - Sam Raimi Evil Dead specifically.
Awesome Death:
Geoff: Absolutely. Matt: Probably, ask Geoff. Geoff: Absoluely Doug: No… wait… Yes. Geoff: Absolutely. Grew up on Evil Dead 2.Also you already mentioned Ray Harryhausen. And George Romero. And Lucio Fulci. And David Cronnenberg. And John Carpenter. And Joe Dante. And Fred Dekker. And Jim Wynorski. And William Lustig. And William Castle, Roger Corman, Ed Wood. I could go on forever. Tobe Hooper.
Rockstar Magazine: Name some of your influences.
Geoff: Butthole Surfers. Matt: Always been a huge fan of Stuart Copeland and Herb from Primus myself. As for the band as a whole, hard to say, probably the guy from Rambo mostly. Geoff: Matt, I think you mean the guy from Over The Top, who also played Rambo.
Rockstar Magazine: Where can this TRIO of MADNESS be seen again live?
Awesome Death:
Geoff: Wednesday! February Twelfth! With our friends SuperEtte! At Head and Lace! I mean, Metal Hunters! No it’s Metal and Lace. Google it.
Rockstar Magazine:How can people look up your music and hear these tracks or book you for a show? Basic contact info.
Awesome Death: Geoff: If
you want to book us email me at jethrobot@gmail.com, or contact our Facebook. Our website is down, but if you’re our facebook friend we’ll always tell you bout our shows.
Rockstar Magazine:You guys are Manly Men that piss Whiskey! Love the Songs! At the time of my death I’m going to Die an “Awesome Death!”
Awesome Death:
Geoff: The best way to die is the only way to die! Doug: In your dreams.
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What is Bitcoin? Rockstar Magazine: There is a lot of speculation on currency devaluation on the international economic level. Explain how bitcoin works and why it is beneficial in today’s FIAT currency? Rockstar Magazine: Welcome to Rockstar Magazine Steve. Introduce yourself and tell us about bitcoin? Texas Bitcoin Conference: Thanks! It is great to be here and I appreciate Rockstar Magazine’s time and their interest in Bitcoin. My name is Steven Wilkinson and I’m a 7th generation Texan that has always had my hands on some form of technology. I discovered Bitcoin in early 2011 and instantly knew this technology had as much potential as the Internet did in 1992. I began mining and experimenting with the new technology, which led me to start Austin Bitcoin in 2013. AustinBitcoin.com consults with individuals and businesses about Bitcoin’s wonderful potential and we partnered with BitPay, the world’s largest payment processor for Bitcoin, to offer the best merchant services to our clients. I typically say that if the Internet was a country, Bitcoin would be its money. Bitcoin is simply an accounting ledger that is held and managed by the Bitcoin network “cloud”. Everyone that participates in the Bitcoin network can see the ledger and all transactions that exist within it so anyone can do a real-time audit of an account. An account within this ledger is held with a special series of letters and numbers called your Bitcoin wallet address. Just like email, people can use their wallet address to send Bitcoin to other Bitcoin wallet addresses or request an address send them some Bitcoin. This is all managed peer-to-peer and without a central authority or institution so there is no one group you have to trust to use it. Since there are
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no middlemen to go through, transactions can happen instantly, with little to no cost. Put simply, Bitcoin makes you your own bank. Also, just like email was one of the first applications of the Internet technology, Bitcoin as money is only the first application of the Bitcoin technology. There is still so much more that will be done!
Rockstar Magazine: Ok great! And there is a conference coming up in March that will tell Austin and central Texas all about bitcoin. When and where is this taking place? Texas Bitcoin Conference: Yes! We have a grassroots organization, the Texas Bitcoin Association, which was formed out of enthusiastic Bitcoin supporters, Liberty activists, tech gurus, developers and investors from Texas. With South by Southwest bringing a captive audience to town, I knew we had to capitalize on this opportunity. The Texas Bitcoin Conference will take place March 5th and 6th at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. We are catering to people brand new to the technology all the way to hard-core developers. We will be offering multiple speaking tracks, panels, workshops / tutorials, an exhibitor garage, a hackathon with over $1 million is prizes and contracts, a car display on pit lane and the world’s first Bitcoin only concert for charity. Check out TexasBitcoinConference.com for more details and tickets.
Texas Bitcoin Conference: Bitcoin could be seen as a deflationary currency as only 21 million Bitcoin will ever exist. Currently there is a little over 12 million Bitcoin in the market. The rest of the Bitcoin will slowly become available to the market through a process called Bitcoin mining. Bitcoin mining is provided by specialized computer equipment running the Bitcoin protocol which is verifying every transaction and securing the network. Since there is not a centralized control over the system, there is not the temptation to devalue the currency for a short term gain. Again, we do not need to trust a group of people or institution; we only need to trust the math behind Bitcoin which is incorruptible. Also, Bitcoin is completely open source so anyone can read the code and understand what is going on under the hood.
Rockstar Magazine: Who founded bitcoin and do banks work with this new set up?
Texas Bitcoin Conference: The founder / founders of Bitcoin is a mystery. He, she or they are known by the name, Satoshi Nakamoto. Satoshi wrote the white paper that the present Bitcoin protocol is based on but Bitcoin has evolved into an open source community project now. Banks will end up working with this technology either using something like Bitcoin directly or creating their own cryptocurrency. This technology is still the best way of transferring value without the need of a trusted third party that has ever been created.
Rockstar Magazine: How easy is it to set up my business to accept bitcoins? Texas Bitcoin Conference: Setting up your business to accept Bitcoin is really very easy. All you need is to create or setup a Bitcoin wallet, secure it with a very strong pass phrase, and you are able to start accepting Bitcoin. The current drawback to accepting Bitcoin directly is that you will more than likely need to exchange it into Dollars as some of your suppliers may not take Bitcoin yet and there is some volatility risk. This is why Austin Bitcoin partnered with BitPay.
BitPay’s service will allow a merchant to accept Bitcoin, lock in the exchange rate for 15 minutes to allow the transaction to complete, covert the Bitcoin into Dollars at that locked in exchange rate, then have those Dollars direct deposited the next business day. It works the same way credit cards do but without the fraud risk or high processing fees. BitPay’s highest processing fee is 1% and goes to a flat rate once you establish good monthly volumes. There are no other fees with the service so a merchant can sign up and only pays when a customer uses the service. Austin Bitcoin is happy to assist anyone looking to accept Bitcoin for their business.
Rockstar Magazine: Are the FED and large banks afraid of BitCoin? Texas Bitcoin Conference: They may not be afraid now, but they will, as the Bitcoin technology makes us not need a private Federal Reserve to loan the US government money. This disruptive technology is the perfect answer to the banking status quo and all the problems associated with central banks.
Rockstar Magazine: What are common misgivings about Bitcoin , if any?
I see the same outcome with Bitcoin. As Andreas Antonopoulos says, “Bitcoin is the Internet of money.”
in which you deposit legacy currency, such as Dollars, and are able to buy Bitcoin on the open market.
“once the majority of people began using the Internet many wonderful capabilities and development brought us new things like Skype, Facebook, Netflix, Amazon, Google, etc...”
You can find local individuals willing to sell Bitcoin via LocalBitcoins.com. The easiest way is to sell goods or services directly for Bitcoin.
Rockstar Magazine: Where can I exchange my dollars for Bitcoins? Texas Bitcoin Conference: FUD. Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt are the biggest misgivings with Bitcoin. I see the same fear mongering within Bitcoin
as I did with the Internet in the 90s. In the 90s, I remember hearing that only bad people use the Internet and if you do decided to use the Internet, you will lose your identity and all your money. We all know that this
was only true in rare occasions and once the majority of people began using the Internet, many wonderful capabilities and development brought us new things like Skype, Facebook, Netflix, Amazon, Google, etc.
Rockstar Magazine: Where can folks learn more about the conference and Bitcoin? Texas Bitcoin Conference: People can find out more about our conference at TexasBitcoinConference.com. They can also visit AustinBitcoin.com for more information about Bitcoin in general and about our merchant services via BitPay. They can also check out BitcoinMagazine.com, Coindesk.com, and Bitcoin.org.
Texas Bitcoin Conference: There are many options: You can mine Bitcoin. (Not recommended) You can use digital exchange services which operate very similarly as a brokerage house,
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Nasty Nathan’s Waterloo Underground
Nasty Nathan’s Waterloo Underground
we can come up with some answers together.
First off, who is this guy and why am I excited to read his column every month? What exactly is his street cred?
I have decided to talk about all you out-of-staters moving in and shutting down the downtown music scene. You knew that there was music downstairs when you got your cool little condo. You knew that Shady Grove was going to have live music that gets played live on the radio! Heck, that’s why you moved here! Why would you complain and try and shut it down? It makes no sense!
My name is Nathan Olivarez aka Nasty Nathan or some people just call me Drama and I have been a staple on the Austin music scene for over 30 years. I have been around so long that my band Dancyr (yes with a Y) tied with the Texas Tornados as Best New Band and the Access television show I used to help work on, CapZeyez, even beat out Austin City Limits on their 20th anniversary plus a few more really kick ass things I’d love to blow my horn about but hey, I’m here to talk about ALL of us little guys in rock n roll. The guy who goes to make the scene happen on a Tuesday at midnight and gets paid what you decide to tip. That’s who I want to talk about. I am NOT here to talk about the big guy who gets all the chicks with the best gigs and the only press that gets put out, although every once in awhile they will pop up and grace the pages of this little rock blog. But not this time. So every month I will try and talk about something relevant in the new Austin music scene. Maybe
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Also, musicians are out there paying to play with the parking, the parking ticket, and his beer tab. Let’s not forget about the five dollar bum that you finally have decided to call security so he doesn’t steal your gear while you’re trying to make the dream a reality! I must admit, all you people have gotten so spoiled that you have expected to see great caliber musicianship on any day that you go out. One cool answer would be to pay musicians a flat rate. A rate the club owners and the city could come up with to compensate the musicians for their time and since I’m fixing the world, throw in some free parking! There have been new clubs that have popped up all over East and
South Austin that are drawing good numbers. They have picked up the slack of downtown. They even have earlier shows so you can get in and out supporting our local music and still being able to work the next day. Plus, there is so much music to choose from.
“It’s not just about the big festivals, it’s about what happens the other three hundred and fifty days of the year.” And I think I have this “there just isn’t a scene anymore!” bullshit settled once and for all! If you’re in another band, don’t just ask people to come see your shows and to vote for you in the Austin Chronicle Music Awards poll, why don’t you go out and check out and support bands yourself! There are a lot of ROCK STARS expecting people to come see them while refusing to go see a
show themselves! Heck! Go see two this week if you can. People really do miss you! Needless to say as Austin changes the music scene will change right along with it. It’s not just about the big festivals, it’s about what happens the other three hundred and fifty days of the year. And together we can make the changes needed to get the music scene to really thrive again instead of just making a good bumper sticker! SEE YOU AT A SHOW SOON! N.
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