Summer 2008 by Target Audience Magazine

Issue #4 - Summer 2008

FOR PEOPLE Who READ

TEO PERALEZ Page 18

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS! Also in this issue:

IMAGE in MUSIC

(Does it matter?) Page 2

Live Review:

Before the Solstice and Unseen Stimuli Page 12

The Art of

ANDREW MORRISON!

IN THIS ISSUE: FROM THE COVER

Ellen E. Aldridge, Editor-In-Chief James Hestor, Music Editor

GETTING MINISTERED TO. . . P. 7

Victor Scwartzman, Poetry Editor

A farewell to music Legends MINISTRY and Interview with Burton C. Bell and John Bechdel

Mark Negron, Graphic Design

Hanzel Und Gretyl . . . P. 10 Exclusive interview with the band.

Ean Moody, Art Director

Contributing writers: Jonathan Bennett, Tanya Butler-Lett, Russell Eldridge, James Hestor, Justin Hyde, Michael lee Johnson, Noah Kaplowitz, Lucky Martin, Metal Mark McPheeters, Douglas J. Rodgers, Darryl Salach, Kate Tracy, Thomas Vaultenberg Contributing Artists: Cyan Aldridge, Chris Darroch Biggs, Avi R.Hanafia, Andrew Morrison, Ean Moody, Ash Newell, Lisa Oakes, Clint Scott, Erik Stenberg

Teo Peralez . . . P.18

Target Audience exclusive!

Hanzel Und Gretyl ................................................................................... 1 Image in Music: Does it matter? ........................................................ 4 The Secrets to Success in Online Dating ...................................... 6 Getting Ministered To ............................................................................ 9 Live Review: Before the Solstice and Unseen Stimuli ................ 12 Interview with Miz T: Gospel Comedian ......................................... 15 Featured Artist: Andrew Morrison .................................................... 17 Teo Peralez: The Smell of Burning Leaves .......................................... 19 CD Reviews.................................................................................................... 22 Ace Noface and the Misdeals................................................................ 28 Poetry from readers ................................................................................ 31

w e i v r e Int

Hanzel Und Gretyl By Ellen E. Aldridge

This quarter, I was lucky enough to

conduct a phone interview with Loopy and Vas of the band Hanzel Und Gretyl. We braved the weather to speak candidly about the latest release, Zwanzig Zwolfe, and the ideas influencing it including Mayan doomsday prophesies and ideas of a change in consciousness soon to come to planet Earth. T.A.M.- What does Zwanzig Zwolfe, your latest album title, mean or translate to? Loopy- Those are the German words for the number 2012. T.A.M.- What inspired the theme of the Mayan belief of apocalypse in 2012? Vas- Well, it’s the end of the Mayan calendar and lots of people from skeptics and psychics to channellers and weirdos say all kinds of different things, but I think it is a good time in the universe. I think we should have a record dedicated to a change of human consciousness and something to celebrate like the beginning of the end and a new beginning. Just add some beer and loud music to it and that’s what you got in 2012. T.A.M.- Do you think that “apocalypse” concerns a literal end of the world as we know it or more of a changing in consciousness? Vas- I just believe that we are just going to become more psychic, more aware of who we are and our purpose in life. We will treat each other kindlier and we’ll just be a little bit more magical.

Loopy- I think it is a load of horse shit and I don’t think people are going to be kinder to each other in four years. I think that’s pretty insane. I think you can expect more tornados! You can expect a lot of extreme weather and you know, quite possibly, the end of the human race. Vas- Now he’s talking. I don’t think he’s bred for some people! But, you know, that’s happening now; tornados, earthquakes and massive amounts of people dying all over the planet. That’s always been happening. I think that we are just going to be open. More people are going to be more aware. For example, everyone is becoming greener; we are just evolving.

SUMMER 2008 ISSUE

T.A.M.- What do you think is going to change about the consciousness of our society? Vas- I think we are going to become more spiritually aware. I think we are going to be more open to the matrix of the universe and be in tune with the ism of the now.

of the human world. Loopy- I think all this doomsday crap is just as good and makes for good beer and good heavy metal lyrics and that’s about it.

T.A.M.- Where did you hear about this whole Mayan idea? Loopy- I think it is the premise for the new Indiana Jones movie. We’ve always sort of been in touch with just a weird doomsday cult kind of feeling. Vas- I have been studying astrology and medicine my whole life and I’ve always been in tune with this sort of thing; a lot of my friends are into it. It’s just common knowledge and it’s something that I have always known. I just know that it exists and the whole universe will be shifting. The planet will be very intense and have a lot of energy; astrology is very important. It’s just another time; it’s just another thing, the Mayan calendar ending…. T.A.M.- So have you read anything like The Celestine Prophecy? Loopy- I heard about it from a drummer years ago. It became his bible and he tried to make us read it. Vas- Everyone will, in their own time, and they are going to awaken to each his own. Take 2012, this album, all this content and you can think of it any way you want to. It could be a big party with a lot of beer. Good times like a euphoric change

T.A.M.- Let’s shift our conciousnesses now over to your album. I’ve listened to it twice since it arrived the other day and it’s awesome, ‘end of the world’ music, but I don’t speak German. Why do you have German lyrics if you are Americans? Loopy- A lot of people think we’re from Germany, but we just have similar tastes in music to bands like Rammstein who we toured with a few years ago. A lot of the stuff we both like tends to be German. Yelling out loud in any language is OK, but when you yell out loud in German it’s 10 times more therapeutic. It makes heavy music just a notch heavier.

Vas- It’s really fun to sing in German because you become this other personality… T.A.M.- Do you guys consider yourselves Metal? Loopy- I don’t. We like metal and we certainly have a metal influence, but I don’t think we’re embraced by the metal community and I’m sure Metal purists don’t consider us metal. Vas- People think we’re industrial, so we’re kind of lost in the woods just like the fairy tale….

Vas- Here’s the real deal. We’re independent. We have an Independent Label and when that happens, you’re on your own. There’s no management; no booking agency. When you’re on your own it’s harder to do all that you want so it takes longer.

Fans of Hanzel Und Gretyl should check out the new album and tour schedule at www. HanzelUndGretyl.com.

T.A.M.- Since we have an interview with Ministry also in this issue would you like to comment on touring with them and any possible influence or inspiration you got from them? Loopy- Certainly they influence us. I’ve been a fan of Ministry since they were new wave back in ‘92 and I think they’re arguably a great band for machine-driven, heavy metal. We were influenced by the time we toured with them and more so now. Vas- Ministry is awesome! The first time I saw them my hair stood out on all ends! Touring with Al was amazing. T.A.M.- Your last album was Scheissmessiah in 2004. Why did you take 4 years to release this album? Loopy- When you go on tour three months with ministry you need about 4 years just to recover! Seriously, we had a lot of good breaks and we had a lot of bad breaks and it’s a real struggle for us to do things they way we want to do them and still be as active as we would like to. SUMMER 2008 ISSUE

IMAGE in MUSIC Does it matter? Target Audience ask some artists who know the answer.

The question of “How important is image in music?” is pondered by almost every band in the industry today from the independent garage bands to the pop stars shaking their stuff for the Disney Channel (we are calling YOU out Hannah Montana!).

But, how should a band view “image” when they set out to rock and master music for the expression and art of the act? Target Audience Magazine asked a few of the more image conscious bands how they view image and what any artist should remain aware of when self-marketing their music.

“For me, image is a huge part of the live performance. It doesn’t mean you have to be a good looking person (just look at The Rolling Stones!). It just means you should put on some kind of a show. It’s entertainment. It’s what the audience is paying to see. Most of the bands I have toured with over the years were really big in the performance side of things. Genitorturers did the sexy stage show with props and stuff. Crossbreed did the whole glow-in-the-dark gimmick. PIG had a front man who was, well, interesting to say the least. And Dope is one of the most energetic bands I’ve ever been with. The audience came to see a show, not to listen to a CD. Bands like KISS and Alice Cooper will be around forever because of their stage shows. Nine Inch Nails because of their intense antics and amazing lights. Gwar because, well, they’re Gwar! Not saying these bands music doesn’t stand on it’s own, because it does 100%. But I’m sure the impressive live performance can only help the situation. It gives people something to enjoy. Something to remember. I try to keep that in mind every time I hit the stage.” “For of me, image is a huge of the live per--Angel Team Cybergeist andpart Dope formance. It doesn’t mean you have to be a www.myspace.com/cybergeistmusic good looking person (just look at The Rolling www.DopeArmy.com Stones!). It just means you should put on some kind of a show. It’s entertainment. It’s what the audience is paying to see. Most of the bands I have toured with over the years were really big in the performance side of things. Genitorturers did the sexy stage show with props and stuff. Crossbreed did the whole glow-in-the-dark gimmick. PIG had a front man who was, well, interesting to say the least. And Dope is one of the most energetic bands I’ve ever been with. The audience came to see a show, not to listen to a CD. Bands like KISS and Alice Cooper will be around forever because of their stage shows. Nine Inch Nails because of their intense antics and amazing lights. Gwar because, well, they’re Gwar! Not saying these bands music doesn’t

stand on it’s own, because it does 100%. But I’m sure the impressive live performance can only help the situation. It gives people something to enjoy. Something to remember. I try to keep that in mind every time I hit the stage.” --Angel of Team Cybergeist and Dope www.myspace.com/cybergeistmusic www.DopeArmy.com

“For us, finding an image came pretty naturally. What we wear on stage is not a far cry from what we wear from day to day, though we certainly put more effort into it. Hell, people pay to see a show, so I think bands ought to give ‘em one! Dress for the occasion! For bands looking to get started, I’d strongly suggest finding an image that fits what you’re doing and stands out at the same time. Make sure you’re comfortable with it though, because you could find yourself ready to blow your brains out after the one hundredth

gig wearing neon, fur-coated pants. But yeah, you want to catch people’s eyes, make ‘em give you a second look. But most of all, just rock!” – Andy Deane of Bella Morte www.Bellamorte.com

Certainly for Hanzel Und Gretyl, from our perspective, image is mindnumbingly important and I can’t imagine that there is any rock band or any band who would say image is not important. I mean, for us, it certainly is because were just discussing this earlier today how literally everything upon everything has been done to some extent and I think how to present yourself and how to represent your music is probably more important than the music itself.” – Loopy of Hanzel Und Gretyl “Generally speaking our image is fantastical and absurdist; it’s just pure fantasy in its darkest parody with how I come out in black leather and red pig tails while Loopy wears lederhosen and a helmet with a spike! We project alter ego personalities like a twisted fairy tale” – Vas of Hanzel Und Gretyl

SUMMER 2008 ISSUE

The Secrets of Success to Online Dating By Kate Tracy

If you have a monitor and a keyboard, can you find love online? Some people will scoff at the very notion of online love while others will call to memory how so and so met their significant other years ago while in the infancy of the internet. “When you ‘talk’ to the same person every day for hours and hours you truly do get to know them well. You share secrets you would not with someone standing before you. “ I never really intended to make a romantic connection via cyberspace. I never subscribed to or glanced at dating services or online personal ads. For me, love fell into my lap by way of Myspace. I am one of thousands of Myspace poets and one day I read another’s poem and commented on how much I liked it. He sent me a friend’s request and we began the long, involved process of beginning to get to know one another by volleying what was to become a 20,000 page email back and forth across the ocean. We really were just friends, neither with the intention of starting more. It started with asking about each other’s respective countries. I am a Midwestern city girl in the States and he resides in a small town in England, but the more we learned of one another, the closer we became. Over a course of mere weeks, that friendship quickly proved itself to be that all elusive love. In any other world, at any other time, we would not have met. For us, the internet was the only viable option for finding what we’d both been standing before you. seeking. Little did we ever hypothesize we would You trust a bit easier and if you’re doing it the have to travel over 4000 miles to claim it. right way, you’re more real than you have ever That was five months ago. We are due, finally, been with anyone before. to meet in just a few weeks. I’ve never kissed this No one, whether dating in person, online, or man or held his hand and yet I am knocked over already married, knows if their relationship will by the intensity and depth of our relationship. Many survive. The success for online relationships tends have asked if it’s real. to be on the higher end of the spectrum though When you ‘talk’ to the same person every day for simply because you end up delving deeper than hours and hours you truly do get to know them well. you would on your average movie date. For many, You share secrets you would not with someone 6

it is easier to show who they truly are while behind their computer desk than across a table at a crowded restaurant. Just like any other relationship, for some it works and for others it does not. Just like any other relationship, there are pros and cons to dating online: Cons include, but certainly are not limited to:

cism aspect. When you are forced to wait weeks, months, or sometimes even years to meet someone you love there is an electricity palpable in the very air around you. An excitement little else can compare to. Trust - the infamous double edged sword. In a long distance relationship carried over cyberspace you must trust your significant other. You have no choice, really. Trust him or her or end it now, because without that, like every other relationship, it is doomed to fail.

• Lack of human touch - there are only so many things you can do with a mouse before you term yourself pathetic. And, to be honest, blowing a kiss to my monitor makes me feel On a personal note, in him I also found my like I am thirteen all over again. biggest supporter, my most trusted confidante, and • Limited communication - for us there is the my very best friend. This is an extreme rarity in added difficulty of a six hour time difference. today’s world - technological wonderland or not. Aside from that though it simply isn’t possible to just pick up the phone and call him to tell So, if you’re looking for what I found, here are him I miss him. Not without selling my soul to the phone company at any rate. So, we use the rules I followed... instant messenger, emails, and time allowing, 1. Be real. Look, if you really want a happy webcams. Technology is beautiful but it still ending you must realize sooner or later they cannot replace two voices responding to one will meet you face to face. You could ruin another. Trust - this one will be your hardest the future through current dishonesty. Being challenge. Do you really know who’s behind exactly who you are will be more than enough the monitor on the other end? The wonderful, for the right somebody. If it isn’t - move on handsome surgeon you just met might well be now. Life is short. Carpe Diem! a fifteen year old boy covered in acne asking 2. Trust, a little. You have to give in order his mom to drive him to the internet cafe. to get. This does not mean you tell him/her your entire life story when you first ‘meet’. Depressing not knowing, isn’t it? However, it also means you are not allowed to interrogate him/her when they show up to So let’s move on to pros. Pros include, but the IM screen five minutes late. Start just by again are not limited to: trusting a little - if they prove to you they are • Knowing someone on a deeper level - look trustworthy, fantastic. If a friend messages I was in a decade long relationship and did you to ask why you were telling your boyfriend not know half the things about that man that about her sex life, follow advice for #1...move I do about this one. When you talk, you build. on now. Through your construction you will forge a bond that most you meet in person cannot fathom. Romanticism - I do not care who says what, there is very simply something enchanting about finding love with a ‘mystery person’. Anyone can go to a bar or a club - but out of all the millions online you two managed to find one another. Odds?

• Anticipation - neatly ties into the Romanti-

3. Be a chatterbox! There is no evil nun with

ruler in hand in cyberspace. Well, probably, but that’s for another article. You will really never get to the truth of who the other person is without intense communication. Talk about politics, weather, dogs, children, art, purple elephants... whatever you want, but talk. If this person is real, you will be able

SUMMER 2008 ISSUE

to determine it through your communication skills. If they are lying, you will also be able to see the chips and flaws. This really is your strongest tool.

4. Let your gut befriend you. If you were

walking down a dark alley at night and heard a strange noise at the end of it, would you keep walking or would you turn and run? Right. So why do it in cyberspace? If something feels off to you, trust your own instincts - we have them for a reason, you know.

5. Open Pandora’s Box. Before meeting

your significant other I think it’s very important to ask, do you do really ‘know’ them? Their secrets, their hopes, their dreams...their criminal record! Honestly, you can never know too much. Knowledge is vastly underrated but it can mean the difference between a relationship finding its way into a fairytale and another before a judge.

discuss them. I am a firm believer if they give you a reason to doubt them it is also up to them to repair that damage. So grill, interrogate, torture (okay, not the last one, legal hangups and all) to get the answer you need. If they are offended, so be it. If they love you, they will want to put your fears to rest. If they refuse you the answers you seek, take it as a sign they will do the same when you are married with four kids living in Passaic. Will it have helped me in the long run? Will my relationship defy the odds and be one of the happy ever-afters? I do not know. No one does. Part of the beauty of life is that it is a never-ending surprise. But, for now, following the rules has brought me a very real online love. I only hope your own pursuits are just as wonderful.

6. Never judge a book by it’s cover.

People who weren’t asked to prom and are ignored as wallflowers at the local watering hole have a distinct edge meeting people online. You’re dating Brad Pitt? Really? Well, his name is really Gordon but uncannily he looks just like Brad? Okay, you are either the most foolish or most blessed woman on this planet. Know the person behind the profile pic. Know also if their twentieth webcam is once again conveniently broken, they lose their way to the post office to send you ‘hard pics’, and would rather face the Apocalypse then meet you for coffee...well, Angelina, the signs ain’t good. On the other hand, there is a veritable bevy of ordinary, normal, very mortal humans to be found online too that are brave enough to post pics of how they really look. Those are the special ones you want to keep an eye out for....the real ones.

-- Readers can view Kate’s blog at www. to read fails, GRILL. There is a difference between MySpace.com/daisiesandrain agression and assertion. All I can say is this the whole story and await her upcoming is your life, your heart, and your trust you marriage to her “Brit”! --

7. Barbecue, anyone? When all else

are playing with. You owe it to yourself and others who love you to be cognizant of your own doubts and fears. If you have concerns, 8

: O T D E R E T S N I M G N I T GET A Farewell to Music Legends

Image by Ash Newell by James Hester

Those who appreciate fierce, heavy,

of the band for its final tour. The following is some of industrial music need to pay homage to synth-metal what they said prior to their onstage circus pioneer Al Jourgensen and his often imitated band, manifesto: of crass nonconformists, Ministry. After 27 years of pummeling the minds and ears of listeners, the tech- Target Audience Magazin: Who or what are some nological beast known as Ministry is saying farewell of your primary influences? on its final world tour to support its two most recent albums The Last Sucker and Cover Up. The band John Bechdel: Early keys. Early synth and keyhas eleven full-length studio albums including four board rock. Grammy nominations. Three of the group’s albums Burton C. Bell: Early and post-punk British new have sold more than 500,000 worldwide. They are wave. Obviously Ministry. We love and Al all of The Land of Rape and Honey (1988), The Mind is a Ter- his work. It’s an incredible honor to get to play rible Thing to Taste (1989), and Filth Pig (1996). Minis- with him. try’s Psalm 69 (1992) has been certified platinum with TAM: With the politically-charged nature of Minmore than a million sales worldwide. istry’s music, does the band endorse any particu Burton C. Bell and John Bechdel graced Target Audience Magazine with a candid interview, just minutes before performing to a capacity crowd in Atlanta for the “C U LaTour.” Readers might recall Bell’s powerful work as the guitarist for Fear Factory and Bechdel’s commanding presence with Killing Joke as a keyboardist. The two were recruited by Al Jourgensen to perform on the two latest Ministry CDs, and also to be a part

lar parties or candidates?

JB: Al’s always rooting for a Democrat. Al tried to get things set up so so he and Ministry could perform at the Democratic National Convention, or at least be there to support the party, but it never materialized. He has his preference for candidates, but they are almost always Democrats.

SUMMER 2008 ISSUE

Interviews

BCB: I don’t really care for either party, but Bush has ruined this country (America) so far. I mean, we tried the first time Bush got voted in. TAM: Or won by court decision.

become a star. TAM: So, how do you guys make money in this business? BCB: In general, the band makes more money off of selling merchandise than anything else. We do better from selling CDs, music online and in stores, and stuff like shirts and posters than we do from tickets, because the money tends to be more residual and the amounts we earn are more consistent than from ticket sales.

BCB: Yeah, I’m not even sure who won that election. I think Al Gore might have been a good president. We tried in the first election, but got a raw deal and then there was the second election and neither party had a good candidate. I mean, the Democrats didn’t have TAM: Is it fair that Clear anybody. There was Channel is buying up rano one in the second dio stations and clubs election who could across America and mobeat Bush. All they had nopolizing the popularwas Kerry, and Kerry’s ity of only select artists? a dumbass. None of Photo by Ash Newell BCB: No. It sucks. People the candidates in that were so sick of them, that I think they changed election were worth a damn, but Bush had the the name to Live Nation. But hey, a turd by money to pull it off. any other name is still a turd. It’s just the naTAM: Since your band’s name is Ministry, do ture of corporate greed, or anyone really to you consider yourselves ministers of any parmaximize profits and cut losses. ticular faith or philosophy? JB: Yeah, but they’re brainwashing all of the BCB: It’s a political office in England. kids by programming them to listen to their JB: I think Al said the name came from a movie. crap. It’s just something else you deal with if you want to work in the music industry. BCB: It has nothing to do with religion. It’s a title, like “Ministry of War or Ministry of Finance.”

TAM: What advice do you have for indie artists to be successful???

TAM: So, was it fair to go after Microsoft, but to not go after Clear Channel for being a monopoly? BCB: No.

BCB: Uh…Try a different career.

JB: No.

(laughter from everyone)

TAM: So what do you guys like to do with your free time?

BCB: No, seriously. If you’re in this business for the money, you’re in it for the wrong reason. My advice is for people to go to college and get their educations. Study hard and be a doctor or a nuclear engineer, but don’t try to

JB: I just like to relax and get some peace andquiet alone at home. At home mowing the grass is good for me these days. Afterwards, just sitting back and sipping a beer. We stay

Getting Ministered To: A Farewell to Music Legends

busy playing loud music and performing, so we tend to want to have some “down time.” BCB: I like to jam on my guitar and listen to the latest tunes. TAM: So, who are some of the artists you’re listening to right now? BCB: I’ve got three right now. The new one by Nick Cave, but I like all of his stuff. The soundtrack for the movie 30 Days of Night. The Kills. Lots of stuff really, but those are some of my favorites. TAM: Speaking of favorites, what are your favorite songs to play live? JB: I like to play old blues. Stuff from the 60s. Stuff with keyboards. BCB: Thieves. I absolutely love playing that song. It just flows so well and it really clicks. It’s a great song to jam on live and I’m glad Al recorded it. TAM: What reason most influenced your wanting to work with Al Jourgensen? JB: We’re huge fans of Ministry and Al Jourgensen. I mean it’s another notch under my belt. Al’s work has been such an incredible influence on the heavy and electronic music industries.

BCB: It sucks really that Ministry is retiring, but I respect Al’s decision. I love his music. I listened to Ministry before and after I had joined Fear Factor and it still inspires me. TAM: What influence do you want Ministry’s music to leave on the world for present and for future generations? BCB: None. No… JB: It’s a way to contribute politically. We want it to be a way we can share our thoughts and dreams and provoke others to do the same. BCB: Yeah. Living the dream. JB: We do it for the music. It’s kinda what we do. The band is calling it quits after a trilogy of CDs (2004’s Houses of the Mole’, 2006’s Rio Grande’ Blood, and 2007’s The Last Sucker) dedicated to its disapproval of President George W. Bush and his administration. Frontman Al Jourgensen has stated that he likes “the synchronicity of Dubya and Ministry riding off into the sunset hand in hand.” After our interview, Target Audience Magazine also spoke briefly with guitarist Sin Quirin who had been delayed and was unable to be part of the interview. He shared that Atlanta was one of his favorite cities to perform in and was very optimistic and enthusiastic about his work with Al Jourgensen and his career with Ministry.

Photo by Ash Newell SUMMER 2008 ISSUE

: W E I V E R VE

BEFORE THE SOLSTICE and UNSEEN STIMULI Brothers From Another Mother

“Gone, Gone, Where’d it all go? Heart of sand let the dogs

go”- “Meaner Than Satan” by Before the Solstice

anger which inspires poems like the one I wrote the first time I saw them perform live: Just a note scribbled on a napkin:

The Penalty Box in Stockbridge, GA felt like punishment for deeds done wrong when Before the Solstice played to a small crowd in a shitty, second-rate atmosphere which included an audacious big-screen TV showing some seasonal sporting event. Not that there is any issue with sporting events, but when fans come to a bar to check out a live show they shouldn’t be side-tracked by a screened sports game behind the band….

Swallow another pill and wash it down with one less fear. Take a step back while you wipe the tear rolling softly down your cheek resting on your lip waiting

“You’re using has made you useless”- Let It Die by Before the Solstice”

for the taste to hit your tongue. When the pill takes effect,

Clint Bussey has a twinge to his voice which wrestles with issues of faith and utter disturbance; a kind of young and beautiful demon spider one would want floating to the surface of a drink inevitably thrown in frustration into the face of some bitch in the crowd who only came to the show to grope the guy who ends up gay. Before the Solstice puts on the kind of show with fiery passion and unadulterated, yet tempered by alcohol,

only then you’ve won, but only for a moment. These moments lost in time… the tear drop mixed with wine.

Unseen Stimuli at The Venue. Dalton, GA

Live shows are immortal moments we cherish as felt memories which can not really be harnessed. Drunken rants about witches and demons and liars and events never taken place fill the hearts with contempt for never losing face enough to fill a

Unseen Stimuli packs the kind of energy in motion to make music any 16-year-old girl, wet with excitement, shake her politics to. “We are gunna need more bombs” acts as a modernday punk anthem to inspire the dance of a generation holding on to avoidance like a no holds barred wrestling match; the consistency in a moment encapsulated in history to come. Watching Unseen Stimuli open for Before the Solstice feels like kinesthetic energy in motion at the end of times; the worst for anyone who feels “love”. Beauty inspired by the unsurpassed aggression of an audience solidly standing as one under the vibrations of a lost generation’s sound. “I don’t wanna be there when the final curtain falls cuz there be no encore and there will be no applause every day I live another day I die inside I don’t wanna be there to witness genocide…” and feel the solo to follow in “Age of Fear”. Together or standing solidly against the feeling of being alone, check out Before the Solstice and Unseen Stimuli. You can find them online at: www.myspace.com/beforethesolstice

Clint Bussey of Before the Solstice void with a word. Thoughts unspoken and never heard, channeled through the fire whose flames leave only ashes and hazy photographs with ring stains from empty glasses. “I will mix the potion myself painstakingly proportionate, just so. Drink it down to my life and health. Some day some how. Some day ‘till we are free” – The Golden Age Though the first 4 seconds of the song are strangely similar to “D7” by Nirvana, “Graveyard Shift” is one of the best songs by Unseen Stimuli, a band tied to Before the Solstice like brothers from another mother or aliens cross-bred across galaxies of sound piercing through the silent majority and announcing dedication to politics and antics alike. “I thought that I just saw something in the corner of my eye. I turned around; nothing was there. I think I’ve finally lost my mind”- Graveyard Shift Daniel Barry of Before the Solstice SUMMER 2008 ISSUE

Ani Difranco

www.righteousbabe.com Ani’s last album was released in 2006, which kinda feels like a decade ago, given her tendency to spoil us with an album (or two) a year. But never fear, DiFrancolytes, for a brand new Ani record will be released on September 30, 2008.

It’s called Red Letter Year, and it’s more than worth the wait. These 12 songs have benefited from a couple years of tender loving care, under the watchful eye of Ani and her co-producer/partner Mike Napolitano. And if you’ve caught an Ani show recently, chances are you’ve been treated to a couple of ‘em. This is focused, layered, joyful music, starring the Little Folksinger, her inventive three-piece band and a cavalcade of guest musicians.

“I feel like I’m back again,” Ani shares. “I’m out in the world and back in my happy self, ready to have a party. “Come September, she’ll be passing out the ultimate party favor: Red Letter Year.

: w e i v r e t n I MizT’s Bio

Miz T

Back At ‘Ya, Lord is MizT.’s latest Christian comedy compilation. Recorded during her most recent church to church tour across the South and Southwest. Back At ‘Ya, Lord is an irreverent, sweet and alternative take on all things sacred. Nothing is safe from MizT’s high energy comedic blitz. She brings her comedic talents to bear on preachers, elders, family, children, the choir, Sunday school, the unfortunate fellow in the closest pew and even the Lord’s Prayer. Always funny and never offensive, MizT’s perspective on every day situations, both in and out of church, will leave you laughing for more. MizT is a native of Austin Texas and is the blessed mother of two adult sons. Her youngest is currently serving in the U.S.

Q: How did you come up with the name MizT? A: A former supervisor said it was too hard to say Tranea’ (pronounced like Renee’ with a T) so he started calling me MizT and soon the whole office was calling me by that name. Q: How long have you been doing Christian comedy? A: I’ve been doing it about eight years. In addition to serving as Emcee and Solo Artist on various church programs, banquets, musicals, Black History and Juneteenth celebrations throughout Austin, Texas and surrounding counties. Q: What inspired you to step out to do Christian comedy instead of secular comedy?

Army, currently stationed at Camp Walker, Korea. She is the oldest child and favorite daughter of her parents, Harvey (deceased) and Fayebaby. Her brother resides in Houston, Texas. MizT Tidbits:

A: One of the things I believe is missing from the church is the ability to laugh with permission. The preacher can’t be the only one able to tell a joke from the pulpit. The bulk of my comedy comes from being a Sunday School teacher working with the babies ages 0-5. Singing in the choir, watching the ushers get a work-out catching and carrying out shouting folk, and bloopers that the preacher has made from the pulpit. I just prefer to put it back in the community where I received it. For me that’s the only difference between Christian comedy verses Secular comedy. We all need laughter in our lives.

Q: How does the church fellowship receive your comedy?

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Performing as a Christian Comedian since 2000

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Appeared on “Austin Stories” which aired on MTV in 1997

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Hosted Gospel Music Matinee 2003 – 2004 season Access Channel 11

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Host of “Nugget of Truth” 2008 season Access Channel 11

The CD is now available on www.miztgospelcomedienne.com, and www.cdbaby.com/cd/mizt and at Waterloo Records (W.6th & Lamar) in Austin, Texas.

A: For the most part very, very well. I also do parodies and I have a couple of dance skit that includes secular music. It’s not just about church stuff, it’s about living. Sometimes you get to observe some of the funniest things in life!

Q: What’s next for MizT? A: The next first thing is a comedy DVD. The DVD will also be a salute to the musical influences in my life who are my

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Interviews parents. My mother was a choir director / pianoist / soloist for many years and is not able to serve in that capacity at this time. She sang with her family group called “The Neal Singers”. My father who passed away in 2005, was a quartet singer. He and his brothers had a group called “The Soul Savers”. I have video footage of them that will be added to the DVD. I am truly a product of my environment. Q: When is your next engagement? A: My next engagements are August 23, & 24th. August 23 will be an outdoor event called Praise in the Park in Hutto Texas, 400 Fritz Rd. This event is free and open to the public. And on August 24th at 5:00 at the Eastside Baptist Church at 2400 Northeast Dr,. Austin, TX. This event is also free and open to the public.

Andrew Morrison

“Andrew Morrison

was submitted as a featured fine artist by AllIndianz. com who call Andrew “Mr. Seattle”, as he has received many commissions for work and has painted murals all over Seattle. He has also been commissioned to paint homes, businesses and motor homes. The image when you first log onto his site is the actual painting on his garage door.” --Myra of www.Allindianz.com

Artist's Mission Statement My artistic creations connect with all tribes, genders, ages, religions, and races. My art takes a stand against racism, violence, hate, and substance abuse. My art celebrates love, life, and wellness. My art brings together the past, present, and future. I am a historian documenting the times we are living in. Since the beginning of civilization artists have played key roles in society. It is my duty and destiny to create. As a Native American warrior I refuse to let my culture, heritage, and community die. Until my days on earth are no more, I will try to make a strong impact on as many lives as possible. I love creating art with my entire soul.

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You can view all of Andrew Morrisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Work at:

www.onestaa.com 18

Contact

Submit at targetaudiencemagazine.com Be Our Next Featured Artist!

SUMMER 2008 ISSUE

Teo Peralez: Smells Like Burning Leaves

By Ellen E. Aldridge, Editor-In-Chief “Staring at the ceiling, The walls are closing in,

And sometimes I just don't know if we're here at all, You know that I'm searching, For that place to call my own, But out here on this empty plain, it's all so pointless, Might as well grow old... But I can see it in her eyes, That we might be too close, Too much for me to realize, That we just aren't that way” – from “Staring At the Ceiling”

Maybe music is a fluid poetry; a river to write to while floating downstream. Or an enchanting fight against the current; a struggle to encourage the battle upstream I may have a cult fantasy about networking a community of artists, poets, musicians and dreamers in the form of a media outlet; a magazine. But, this idea is not a solid one and will grow like moss on top of rocks sticking their independent heads out of the river stream fighting to the rhythm of a guitar meant for melody. “Rocks” fighting to become organic and alive, unable to drown or be pushed down by the bottoms of corporate river boats leaking advertising. Melody riding on a river is how burning leaves smell Teo Peralez does this for me. He takes the monotony to me. Somewhere from way out west….v out of typing a mere “review” for an up and coming band. I chose to feature his music and SonicBids submission this quarter because of the way the songs I chose Teo Peralez for feature because I connectmade me feel. That is the truest measure of art, in ed with the solos and the dark harmonies cascading my opinion. Something like a painting on a wall in over chords. I also like the lyrics and I am a very vera crowded restaurant which draws attention due to bal person. I strongly recommend anyone who wants shape and color. Something not intended for the something inspirational to perk up ears to listen to limelight, but which can not be ignored. “The Smell of Burning Leaves”. “Summer will be over I think of music as a muse for blogging and writing whatever comes to mind; a form of expression to release tension and exorcise personal demons. Music acts as a background sound like filtered noise in a restaurant, but the truly great music will catch attention and cause thought. True, inspired thought. Maybe even dancing for those with the physical ability to contort and control a body to a current of sound.

soon and fall will soon begin” (from “Evangelist”), but connecting to soulful music means never having to lose yourself in the dark smoke rising over so many meaningless songs. And, honestly, “The Smell of Burning Leaves” is a collection of songs where I am hard-pressed to find a favorite. “Redemption” and “300 Days” caught my ear instantly upon reviewing the SonicBids submission. These songs sent me spiraling through the lyrics printed at www.TeoPeralez.com. “Nebraska Soul”, “Evangelist” and “And I Don’t Care” also tap into a type of feeling which is difficult to describe in words. One needs to just feel the music while riding down a dusty road or even just drinking in a bar somewhere after work before drunken epiphanies spring to mind. Personally, Teo Peralez strikes me as a down-toEarth guy who wants the freedom of self expression and connection of calling on demons to release artistic frustration. At times his music makes fun like in the bonus track, “The Donut Song”. Interested listeners can check out his music and order a copy of “The Smell of Burning Leaves” at www. TeoPeralez.com or www.Myspace.com/TeoPeralez.

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CD REVIEWS Mandyleigh Storm Mandyleigh Storm has released her debut On the track ‘Sunny New Day’, Storm kicks it album ‘Fire and Snow’, due for release on up- tempo in this one, a shining moment on the March 10, 2008 . Look for big things from record. On the song, “Grey’, her vocal range is this new artist who has overcome bouts with displayed with such heart felt reality, the listener severe depression throughout her life only to cannot help but feel her pain and the struggle she persevere, it’s a very courageous story. her early years(just andlook theatstark “For me, image is a huge part of the live performance. It doesn’t meanincurred you havethroughout to be a good looking person The Rollreality that depression entails. ing Stones!). It just means you should put on some kind of a show. It’s entertainment. It’s what the audience is paying to see. Most

of the bands I have toured with over the years were really big in the performance side of things. Genitorturers did the sexy stage She and is originally from the south coast show with props stuff. Crossbreed did English the whole glow-in-the-dark gimmick. PIG had a front man who was, well, interesting to port of Southampton but has since changed Withwith. herThefouroctave and to a say the least. And Dope is one of the most energetic bands I’ve ever been audience camevoice, to see aher show,soulful not to listen her port of call to Perth, West Australia. She has distinctive sound will only win her over with music CD. Bands like KISS and Alice Cooper will be around forever because of their stage shows. Nine Inch Nails because of their intense a young family asbecause, well. well, they’re Gwar! Not saying lovers to stand be hearing a great dealit antics and amazing lights. Gwar theseworldwide. bands musicLook doesn’t on it’s own, because from Mandyleigh Storm in the coming years, that’s does 100%. But I’m sure the impressive live performance can only help the situation. It gives people something to enjoy. Somefor thing to remember. I try to keep that in mind every time I hit the stage. ” sure.

With a stellar array of musicians on this record and the legendary Mick Glossop (Van Morrison, --Angel of Team Cybergeist and Dope Frank Zappa, The Waterboys) producing, the www.myspace.com/cybergeistmusic record was inspired with thoughts of the 60’s in mind. www.DopeArmy.com

It’s rare indeed that a new artist can come along and their voice instantly leaves an impression on you that is somewhat magical in many ways. From the opening bars of ‘Deep Sea Green’ the listener is captivated by the beautiful textures of Mandyleigh’s voice. She’s not afraid to show us her versatility on tracks such as ‘Go With It’ and ‘Keep The Silence’, which have a more traditional pop sound to them.

There is also a Limited Edition Cd available which comes with 6 additional demo tracks, a video interview with Mandyleigh and vocal .wav’s of ‘Keep The Silence’ and ‘Go With It’ for the remixers and mashup artists. I highly recommend this album, a stunning debut from a singer on the rise. You can download a few free tracks on her website: www. mandyleigh. com to get a feel for her sound. I predict big sales for ‘Fire and Snow’. -review by Darryl Salach

Noush Skaugen The Los Angeles music scene has delivered some of the best rock music in history with iconic bands such as The Doors, Van Halen, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Motley Crue, to name just a few. Well, get ready to add Noush Skaugen to that list, a Swedish born, British raised beauty with plenty of credentials musically, she is set to put the worldwide music scene on its proverbial ass. She is classically trained on flute, piano and saxophone, Noush has played in jazz, wind and funk bands as well as the renowned London Barbican Orchestra. She has a diverse list of influences from Sarah McLachlan, Alannis Morrisette, U2, Foo Fighters among many others - she draws inspiration in her writing from the emmence scrutiny that’s going on in the world and from the people around her in her life, “ In the past, my songwriting has come from within and from personal experience,” she says. “This time around, I am constantly observing everything around me: people and what they are saying, books and poems I read, movies, and things that trigger personal stuff inside.” Skaugen has already accomplished a great deal of success in the L.A. music scene, capturing awards for ‘ALTERNATIVE POP ARTIST OF THE YEAR & NATIONAL EP OF THE YEAR 2007’ at the recent Los Angeles Music Awards. Currently in the studio working on her debut album ‘Lost And Found’, the sequel to an EP ‘Palomino’, Skaugen’s has joined forces with producer/guitar player Ilya Toshinsky (John Mellencamp) for the new record. She also has assembled a very strong supporting cast of musicians such as Charles Judge (played keyboards for Stevie Nixx, Tom Petty and Sneaker Pimps), Chris McHugh (drummer), Jimmy Shoe (bass). Billy Decker will be mixing the album coming off 3 No. 1 Billboard hits in 2007.

The album has some great moments, with Skaugen’s attempting to carve her niche as an up and coming ‘alternative’ rock artist to be reckoned with. The music starts off with the in your face ‘Never Enough’, it’s a little reminiscent of Pat Benatar’s sound back in the early 80’s but the guitar work is raw and rebellious giving the song it’s own unique freshness. There is more fabulous guitar playing from Toshinsky on ‘Not Going To Give You The Satisfaction’, the song has a punk feel to it with Skaugen’s giving us her best Mick Jagger improvisation, which hits the mark in spades. Skaugen’s wrote most of the lyrics on the record with some help from Michael Logen, and reach a high water mark on the song ‘Let You Go’, a soulful journey into rediscovering one’s self, ‘I remember the day you walked away/ I was free cause I learnt how to give/ I learnt how to love/ I learnt how to love myself/ love myself inside.’ Next are ‘Beautifulize’ and ‘One Last Time’ which are both sung beautifully, showcasing the enchanting vocal range that is Noush Skaugen. The song ‘ Je Dormais Encore’ is written and sung in French, which Skaugen’s pulls off wonderfully. At a recent Sirius Satellite Radio Sirius Stars 102’s Pacific Coast Hellway show, host Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff said of Skaugen’s, “she’s possibly the best singer you haven’t heard yet.” I would tend to agree with that statement, move over Avril Lavigne, try not to choke on your bubblegum. Although Skaugen’s is realistic about the challenges facing indie artists: “ the biggest challenge for me is to balance the time I spend on the business side and the creative side,” Skaugen’s said. “The music world is controlled by the majors and there’s an entrenched system in place. But times are changing and there’s more power in an indie artist’s hands than ever before. I’m looking forward to building a team around me to get everything done.” Look for big things from Noush Skaugen in 2008. For more information on Noush Skaugen, you can check her out on her website: www. noushskaugen. com www. myspace. com/noushskaugen -Review by Darryl Salach

We here at Target Audience have been given the opportunity at a sneak peek to ‘Lost and Found’. SUMMER 2008 ISSUE

Eric Coleville Eric Colville’s blend of rock inspired music takes listeners to a place where melody collides with thought. His vocals surpass the background music quality of something which is easy to listen to and allows audiences to groove to lyrics which truly inspire. Eric Colville has been compared, vocally, to Evan Dando of The Lemonheads and claims influence from the great Beatles, but I can’t speak too much about them. He writes songs about every day issues of wishing love away for its complications to a funky and humorous take on 12- step programs. His style stays clearly from cliché though he covers topics to which many audiences will connect. “1000 Miles” stands out with its rhythmic hi-hat beginning and harmonies backing up the chorus. The crescendo in the guitar work brings out the repeated line, “I’m a thousand miles away” and the solo glides into a mindset where one recollects their own past. My favorite line may well be, “What I knew I know I cannot connect with now/ And even if I could I would not bother anyhow”. That kind of thinking brings ideals of past lives and new beginnings into an evolving epiphany.

Perhaps Eric has his own epiphanies as he is no stranger to making and self-promoting music. He has been “stuck in the middle…between the man [he is] and the one he’s supposed to be” (from “Stuck in the Middle”) for several years creating music. Hopefully his latest release, “X-Ray Glasses” will bring more fans to his website at www.ericcolville.com Fans near New York City can catch Colville at the M.E.A.N.Y festival October 8-18, 2008 and fans local to Massachusetts can hear Eric live at a number of venues throughout the fall. Review by Ellen E. Aldridge

CD REVIEWS Bud Buckley Experience sets apart the dreamers from the hopeless romantics, and with an education in journalism this guitar teacher, Bud Buckley, combines all the necessary facets to write moving songs. He writes universally about ideas which speak to individuals without being cliché. Buckley states “Let Me Go” (the opening track and my favorite) was inspired by www.terrisfight.org” Terri Schiavo, but his lyrics read like a dear John letter or a manifesto written by a madman ranting about being trapped inside a mechanical body or society refusing to listen to the melodies escaping from the vibrations of body language. The art in music lies in the interpretation, so make sure to read the lyrics as well as groove to his tunes.

dre in the words’ sound, “elevate her”. Crowded Memory closes the course of haunted-I love “Elevator” just because of the double entendre in the words’ sound, “elevate her”. Crowded Memory closes the course of hauntedsounding, stream-of-consciousness songs in Buckley’s debut album, It’s About Time, with repetitive choral lines and ghostly harmonies. The name of this album alone shows the dynamic of hidden meanings in melody and lyrics. I give his It’s About Time 4/5 stars and urge fans of music and writing alike to check out Bud Buckley’s fine blend of inspired songs at his website www. BudBuckley.com. Don’t make me beg. Review by Ellen E. Aldridge

The line that hits me like a rock to the back of the head in Keeping Secrets is simply, “I didn’t mean to sink my stones”. This line shifts consciousness from early childhood memories and plays to the hard-hitting truth of an entropic reality. Energy dissipates and relationships grow old and stale. The secret’s out. Everything changes. I love “Elevator” just because of the double enten-

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Ruby Summer The opening guitar in the song “I can do what I want” is very dark for typical pop music. Avril Lavigne influences can be heard during the verses, but when the catchy chorus kicks in an Alanis Morissette style raises its head. Sisters Ruby Summer don’t have the typical voices heard in most pop music. Many pop music singers tend to over sing, but she sings dead on pitch. After hearing “Hey Daisy” and “Mighty Blue Ocean” a little Sheryl Crow influence peeks through. Ruby Summer is recording an album this summer with indie label Flyer Records. They also have an online reality t.v. show in development with Flutie Entertainment. Make sure to check them out at SonicBids and MySpace. Review by Russell Eldridge

Xtortya

Xtortya is a solid band that blends together the worlds of hip hop and rock. Their style is similar to Linkin Park, so if you like them, look Xtortya up immediately. The lyrics are personal and a ton of kids could easily relate to them. The music is based around the lyrics and flows beautifully through each track. The guitar are simple, yet powerful when they are needed to accent the vocals. The bass playing really stands out to me as I listen to their music. Being a bass player, I could tell that this bassist knows what he is doing. He knows when and what to play at just the right moments. They obviously have the drive to make it in the music scene, but I believe that the rap/hip-hop scene has passed on. A little more originality musically and this band could have a solid future on their hands. Keep an eye out for this band in the near future. Review by Metal Mark of AtlMetal.com

CD REVIEWS

Midori/Audioclique

Midori/Audioclique is a powerful band that hails from California. Their style of music can only be described as enchanting. After the first listen, the sensual vocals blow you away. They take you to a place that eases the soul. Midori is known for her lyrics and voice, but you have to hear it to fully respect her. The music warms your soul with the soothing rhythms and melodies. The lyrics are deep and meaningful and take on an array of different topics. This group has already started to gain fame through online sites and their fan base is growing daily. Simply said, Midori wears her heart on her sleeve and the music is the perfect background for her vocals. I listened over and over to their songs and I was just blown away by the power you felt in every note. Check into this band if you love passionate, moving music. Prepare to be amazed. Review by Metal Mark of AtlMetal. com

Divinity Destroyed True experimental metal is a hard concept to pull off in the metal world. Divinity Destroyed is the closest thing that I have found that I could call experimental metal and not think twice about it. This band truly sounds like nothing you have ever heard, and that is a great thing in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music scene. The vocalist, who plays the keys as well, has an original style that is unlike any vocals I have heard before. Keyboards are always a test for any metal band, yet their keys fill each song with that magical addition that fills the song till the end. The guitars anchor each song and the riffs are easy to bang your head to any time. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a fan of metal or industrial, check this band out for something new. It is an acquired taste, but for me, this is a band I will be telling everyone I know about. Review by Metal Mark of AtlMetal.com

SUMMER 2008 ISSUE

Getting Ministered To: A Farewell to Music Legends

An Interview With

AND THE MISDEALS By Darryl Salach

There is a young, 36 year old man from East Lansing, Michigan who was diagnosed three years ago with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a devastating neurological disorder. Ace had a hard time initially dealing with the disease,”I spent the first six months after my diagnosis feeling sorry for myself, playing euchre on the computer,” Ace explains. He then had a revelation one day and thought that he could leave a legacy behind with music so now all of his energy goes into fighting the disease and writing great tunes. Prior to his illness, he was a bassist for a touring rock band, but now due to he is forced to make his multi layered music one note at a time with the help of specialized computer and online keyboard. He has been known to sit in front of his computer for long stretches, sometimes as long as 8 hours at a time. However his songs are innovative, soulful and very well written masterpieces, little gems as I like to call them. The band is called Ace Noface and the Misdeals, taken from a euchre term where a player draws an ace and nothing else but only 9’s and 10’s, however the band definition is simple. A terminally ill alternative piano-rock artist, who would like to leave behind a musical legacy, he wants his music to inspire others in the purist form. Upon listening to Ace Noface, you can feel the Steely Dan and Beatles influences are very prevalent but his songwriting reminded me somewhat of Syd Barrett from the early Pink Floyd albums.You have to look no further than a song called ‘Eggplant Monsoon’ with lines such as: Found some recipes that looked alright/ Tried to stimulate their appetite/ We ate eggplant every other night/ they got angry. Ace writes his music from the heart and in my opinion has already touched and inspired many especially with these words from ‘Drowning In Me’: I’m not the iron horse/ I’m not the luckiest alive/ But I won’t sit and wait/ For the black angel to arrive. The song ‘An Honest Ten Percent’ was inspired by the movie ‘King Rat’, it’s a WWII flick about an American corporal who runs a black market. Ace took some of the dialogue from the movie and put it into the lyrics of the tune,

Ace explains, when the corporal was asked how much he profited from each transaction, he would reply, with an honest ten percent. The band has been capturing some notoriety from many in the media, from the Chicago Tribune to college radio stations. “Ace Noface creates music, that confronts the grit of life, not soon to be forgotten.” Said DJ Petros from WUMD radio. Ace Noface is no stranger to youtube. com, marketing his music effectively with a video for his song‘Drowning In Me’, which contains a wanderlust of visual images as if Ace is letting the viewer into his world. If you enjoy the sounds of bands such as Radiohead, Nirvana, Acenoface, Steely Dan and early Pink Floyd, then you will enjoy the sounds of Ace Noface and the Misdeals. You can learn more about Ace by going to his website: http://www. acenoface. com/ and his myspace page: http://www. myspace. com/ acenofaceandthemisdeals My interview with Ace Noface: When I first listened to your lyrics, I instantly thought of Syd Barrett... has his writing influenced you at all? I am much more heavily influenced by Frank Zappa than Syd Barret, though both are surrealistic in their lyrics. You wouldn’t know it by listening to my music, but I spend a lot of time listening to hard rock and heavy metal. I usually start the day by listening to AC/DC’s “If You Want Blood” really, really loud. Those guys wrote some pretty compelling lyrics. I’m sure that every alternative rock composer says that are influenced by the Beatles, and although that’s true for me, I’m just as likely to dig on lyrics from the Beastie Boys, Bob Dylan, Steely Dan, Daniel Johnston, or David Allan Coe.

SUMMER 2008 ISSUE

Interviews

I have a very methodical approach to writing lyrics. I read a book that mixes literary theory and personality psychology theory to create a system where you utilize both hemispheres of your brain to write better songs. I am a very left-brain dominant person, which means I have a tendency to seek closure, and when I first started writing, my lyrics had clever rhymes but ultimately they didn’t have any identifiable topic or message. Now, I am more likely to come up with titles for a song (it all starts with the title), either a newspaper story I read, or a book (I can’t read paper books because my hands can’t turn the pages, but I listen to a lot of audiobooks), or maybe a line from a movie that affected me emotionally then sleep on it to give my right brain a chance to let the song develop. For example, my song “No One Lies About Being Lonely” is from a book I read in middle school, From Here to Eternity, and my song “An Honest Ten Percent”is the catch-phrase from the main character from another World War Two Era movie, called King Rat.

because Logic has dozens of guitar amplifier simulators in it.

The line “No One Lies About Being Lonely” was very moving to me because I wrote it at a point where I didn’t have very many friends and I felt isolated and alienated because I thought at that time there were very few people who cared about my well-being. Now that I have a girlfriend, and a growing number of mucial collaborators, both local and through the Internet, and a growing fan base, I don’t feel this way as much anymore. As far as “An Honest Ten Percent,” the movie King Rat was very moving to me because the main message of my music is defiance in the face of difficult situations, and the movie is based in a Japanese prisoner of war camp in World War II. The main character who used this line about ten percent found a way to flourish in the midst of that awful environment, and I see that as a parallel to my personal experience of writing music despite being profoundly disabled.

I currently have enough songs to create a CD, but my only plans of making a physical CD will be when I have my live band performing, so that they can have something to sell to the audience. The only CD’s that I make now are made one at a time at home to go to radio stations.

Do you play all of the instruments yourself and how do you put it all together, do you have a music studio in your home? My studio is a souped-up Apple Power Mac G5, and a USB condenser microphone. I write music in Finale musical notation software using musical typing, entering one note at a time using an on-screen keyboard and a touchpad. I export files from Finale to MIDI files that I drop into Logic, the professional music sequencer for the Mac, where I arrange and mix down the song. All the drums are either prerecorded loops, or MIDI powered drum machines. The bass, keyboards, strings and wind instruments are all software instruments. The guitars and vocals (that’s not me singing, my ALS has diminished my lung’s vital capacity to 25% of normal) are either e-mailed to me from collaborators from All over the world (Italy, Great Britain, Australia) or local musicians. When guitarists come over, they plug their instruments directly into my Mac,

Have you played any live gigs? is that possible or something that might happen in the future? One of my goals for this year is to put together a band that will play my music live, with me working behind the scenes as a songwriter, band leader, manager, promoter and studio engineer. I’m hoping I can start building a local, then regional following with the band. I am very eager to hear what my songs sound like played by a live band, and to see an audience’s reaction to the songs and the performance. Will you be putting out your own cd? with that?

Any plans

My current plan for music distribution is my pay-what-youcan music store on my website. I am doing this because, first of all, I can keep track of the average donation people give for each song as a way of determining which musical direction my audience wants me to pursue, and secondly because I feel that giving listeners an opportunity to express how much value the song has to them creates more goodwill between me and the listeners. So far, all of my donations have been more than the 99 cents that iTunes charges for a song, and although they could, nobody has bought my song for $. 01! What’s your real name? how old are you? tell me about your musical background? did you play music prior to your illness? I was born Lee Abramson, but these days I prefer to be called Ace. I am 37 years old. My musical history is documented at my humor site: http://www. porkrind. com

What is the prognosis of your illness? ALS is a degenerative neuromuscular disease that invariably leads to severe paralysis. People with the disease lose the ability to speak, swallow, or move any of their voluntary muscles. My progression has been relatively slow and stable, but I have read that the disease is unpredictable, and my condition could worsen significantly at any time. So far, the disease

has only affected my breathing, so I may be looking at having a ventilator installed in my throat or else I would asphyxiate. I have done a few things to prepare for a point where I am no longer able to speak. A computer company just released a product called ModelTalker that works sort of like voice recognition software, but in reverse. I trained the software for 6 hours to teach it my voice. Now I have software that when I type text into it, it reads the text in a voice that sounds just like me. I have also drawn out my living will, and I am looking into finding facilities that care for ventilator patients in case I can no longer live at home. I am in a race against time to create a meaningful musical legacy. Do you produce the videos you have on youtube or is someone helping you with that? I made all those videos by myself. Each one was made with iMovie on my Mac. Each one took about 10 hours to complete. I finished â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tarzan the Ape Manâ&#x20AC;? in one sitting.

SUMMER 2008 ISSUE

Poetry Submitted by readers!

*From Toronto to Ottawa* By Michael lee Johnson She comes, she goes, unnoticed. She walks, she talks, to no one. Her night is the long city street sheltered, protected by neon. She amuses, she entertains, swaying her slender body, no one offers, and she shouts out for no reward

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Twinkleâ&#x20AC;? by Lisa Oakes http://www.talentdatabase.com/channels/1-Art/profiles/543901-Lisa-Oakes

SUMMER 2008 ISSUE

A Suicide

By Noah Kaplowitz i heard on my local news where a man put a shotgun to his head. from his nose up was gone brains worming out of his shattered skull. they took him to the county hospital because according to maryland law they have to if the patient has a pulse. jesus i thought he had a fucking pulse? they interviewed a dr. who saw him. he seemed quite shaken. apparently his patient could still talk

the word hung in trees in phone lines on the backs of spastic moving squirrels. in the walk of broken men. in the sprint of young children. the word stuck with me in the street. at work. in the eyes of everyone i passed. my god even in my daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. and as i drifted off to sleep it echoed loud off all four walls making my chest tingle and my mouth go dry.

somehow and repeated the same word over and over. i shut the television trying to gather myself looked out the window and saw it everywhere

Art by Avi R.Hanafia www. vileation. deviantart. com

POETRY Obama on the Overhead TV

By Justin Hyde

on the other hand he’s cancer to everything decent.

but i’m a passive-coward unless drunk.

i suppose the best we can do is cross our fingers and hope for the rapture.

in this book to my left nietzsche’s talking about instinct versus knowledge and the type of person who dips from each bowl. i tell myself if i tried reasoning with an idiot like this he’d call me a nigger lover and his righteous ignorance would just be stoked

if it ever happens i’ll be going to hell right along with this son of a bitch but maybe down there i’ll have the stones to crack a few of his ribs.

SUMMER 2008 ISSUE

www.eriksart.com

on the one hand he’s got strong convictions unlike the apathetic majority.

but craven syllogists like me talk themselves into all sorts of inaction.

Art by Erik Stenberg

if a nigger ever gets elected president i’ll go shoot ten of ‘em just on principal, says this wire-lipped trucker in camouflaged snow pants one booth over at the flying j.

in the bigger picture if i had any marrow at all as a human being i’d go bitch-slap him:

POETRY What Lies Beneath By Tanya Butler Lett You think Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m scarred and marred. Who are you to judge? Some say beauty is only skin deep, But I am so much more. I tell you I am the sunrise That wakes up each and everyday. I am the sound of birds chirping In the early morning haze. I am the cotton clouds That blow across the sky Spreading peace around the world One person at a time. I say you must look much deeper If true beauty is what you seek. This body is just a shell For the soul that lies beneath. In Memory of Candice Kay Buttram Art by Cyan Aldridge www.cloud07studios.com

POETRY Perfect Citizenship Award my grandparents

so when they

never dared

had the decency

interfere with

to die weeks

the lifelong civics

before retirement

lesson that

the government

flowed

sent a

from classrooms,

Perfect Citizenship Award

radios, factories,

and a check

slaughterhouses,

not big enough

encyclopedia salesmen,

to box up the remains.

Art by Clint Scott moosebmd.blogspot.com

by Thomas Vaultenberg

faucets and Hee Haw

Thanks by Douglas J. Rodgers i inhale your beautifully repulsive fragrance as my shoulders slump with every moment that passes there is only more impatience my desire for you is purely lust

www.cloud07studios.com

Art by Cyan Aldridge

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve walked miles for you in the rain and in the snow though i never feel satisfied with the harshness of your soothing glow you are my friend when anxiety grasps my mind though i only feel more unsettled when our conversation runs out of time a nourishing disease that i scorn with every breath though i cant leave you alone till there is nothing is left oh god! how i hate to love my darling cigarette

SUMMER 2008 ISSUE

Art: Ascension by Chris Darroch Biggs Prints of this piece can be purchased at: http://chrisbiggs.imagekind.com

Valley of Decision By Jonathan Bennett Where light turns to sound And sound into water Where a mist like angels Falls in your eyes And fire dances on the walls Where there is a concert golden Shining off the waves

Where symphonies gleam When walls are broken And a peace like none before Is born to you through new light Where you find God’s will In a shower of wings That’s where I’ll be

Where emotion like a sail Takes you into a rising chorus And a wind sets the angels to laughing Where knowledge like fire Spills over to tears And walls are consumed

www.asshat.com

POETRY What's the matter with him? By Darryl Salach I know how it feels to be walked to the curb, cast aside and told 'never mind'. it started from an early age even before my untimely birth and it has haunted me to this day. I'm not excusing the way I am or blaming anyone for that matter

WE NEED ART FOR THIS POEM

I'm only looking for calm waters for a change instead of the dark skies that surround my inner circle. I seem to have forgotten how to smile the depression of my circumstances continues to neutralize my energy, my drive, my passion for life. I tend to wallow at times hoping the bleeding might coagulate into some new found freedom or insight. 'what's the matter with him?' asks the voice. 'look at his eyes, he's bound to do something

Art by Ean Moody

crazy one day, you just watch, you'll see!'

www.moodyillustrator.com

control yourself, little man, control yourself if you can.

Submit poetry for next issue by attaching no more than 3 poems with contact info to: VictorS@mts.net SUMMER 2008 ISSUE