Who Are You? What Do You Do?

9 questions for Yarah Bravo

2008-01-27T12:33:00.000-08:00

Humboldt's own DJ Danny dropped a line the other day regarding a return visit from "international hip hop producer extraordinaire" DJ Vadim . The Russian-born DJ is coming to the Jambalaya Saturday with multi-culti MC Yarah Bravo. Max Ulis from the Lighta! crew out of Vancouver BC and local DJ Zanapod open.

Who are you?

I'm Yarah Bravo aka Little Miss B aka Lil Tornado aka GLUE aka The Mothergrain... among other things.

Where are you from?

I'm originally from Brazil. and my mother is from Chile, but i grew up in Sweden and as soon as i was old enough to travel by myself i left for London, UK. and since then i been traveling the world. i became a hip hop nomad! and today i see myself as a child of the world.

What do you do?

I breath ! i live ! i laugh! i cry...
But i also make music. i write and i write a lot. some say i'm an mc, some say i'm a poet, some say i'm a singer.
i am a thought deliverer. A lover of rhythm and words, and patterns.
yo i'm just a young girl trying to capture the world and bottle it up in a song.

Why do you do what you do?

cause if i didn't do it i would go crazy. it's my therapy, my best friend as well as my lover.

What are you working on?

My solo album!!! which i'm so excited about i think i will naturally combust. and electrocute myself on exposed wires. and i'm also doing collabs, to expand my mind. twinkling on the production side of things.

What’s next?

A westcoast tour is what's next!! my absolute favorite place to rock, except for France!. Cali inspires me! so february will be spent traveling up and down the westcoast.

When will you be here?

2nd of February. with DJ Vadim and my mother, if you don't know DJ Vadim...well, god bless Wikipedia then ....y'all know what to do ; )

Website? MySpace?

www.yarahbravo.com
www.myspace.com/yarahbravo

Anything else you want to add?

Eat more vegetables, listen to more reggae, be generous towards your fellow man ... support the 3rd renaissance of hip hop, go to my myspace add me, add my crew. let's connect.
lets grow. I-FLY

8 questions for David Daniell

2008-01-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

Who are you?

My name is David Daniell. I'm a guitarist. I've been playing with a guitar/guitar/drums trio called San Agustin for the last 10+ years, with releases on Family Vineyard and Table of the Elements. The last few years I've been focusing on solo electric guitar.

Where are you from?

I grew up in a small town called Vidalia, in south Georgia. It's about halfway between Macon and Savannah. There was a huge onion field across the road from my house for much of my childhood. In 1991 I moved to Atlanta, where I played heavy post/math-rock in a band called Barrel for a number of years. In 1996 or so, the bassist from Barrel (Andrew Burnes) and I started San Agustin, with myself and Andrew on guitars and Bryan Fielden on drums. Andrew and Bryan still live in Atlanta; I moved to NYC in 2000, then to Chicago in mid-2006.

What do you do?

Lots of different things. My solo guitar work is lately focusing on layers of textures and drones with references to the blues and the legacy of guitarists such as Sandy Bull, John Fahey, Sonny Sharrock... My live music is almost entirely improvised (though I've also written large ensemble pieces for acoustic instruments, minimalist work in the Terry Riley sense of the word); my solo recordings are through-composed, but using improvised elements as building blocks.

Since moving to Chicago I've been playing in a duo with Doug McCombs (of Tortoise, Brokeback, Eleventh Dream Day). I've also spent the last couple of years working with composer Rhys Chatham and with drummer Jonathan Kane (the original drummer of The Swans).

Also, in 2002 James Elliott (a.k.a. Table of the Elements artist "Ateleia") and I started a record label, Antiopic. Our most recent releases are a 3" CD of the guitar trio of Tetuzi Akiyama, Oren Ambarchi and Alan Licht; and a double CD release of the work of Alvin Lucier, performed by bass clarinetist Anthony Burr and cellist Charles Curtis.

Why do you do what you do?

That's a tough one, I really don't know if I can give a very insightful answer. I enjoy art that plays with the perception of time - and I think music is the very best way to do this. The passing of time is the big undeniable fact of living, after all. So, working with long-form music, repetition, drones, etc, as well as with references to styles and sounds which may be naggingly familiar but unplaceable, all these are tools for screwing around with an audience's (and my own) experiential sense of here-and-now vs. the moments passing by.
What are you working on?

The big focus for me lately has been developing and expanding my live performance set. After the current short tour of the west coast, I head to Europe for a month.

I've also been working on a recording project with Jeremy Lemos (of White/Light - http://www.jeremylemos.com ) and making plans to record the duo with Doug McCombs. A new solo album is in the works as well.

What’s next?

After the west coast dates (San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Arcata, Portland, Seattle) I go back to Chicago for a couple of weeks. During that time there are two San Agustin shows in Chicago (first time this band has played in Chicago) and I have a solo show in Milwaukee. Then like I wrote above, I'm gone to Europe for the month of February - Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium and Switzerland. By the time that's over, the worst of the Chicago winter should be nearly gone...

When will you be here?

January 14th at Jambalaya. Starving Weirdos are on the bill (and they put together the show - many thanks) as is Michael Fles' project "Sahaja".

Website? MySpace?
main website: www.daviddaniell.com
myspace: /davidwdaniell

also you can find me at Front Porch Productions

and here's Antiopic, the record label I run: http://www.antiopic.com

Anything else you want to add?

Nothing I can think of. Thanks again.

- david daniell

a few questions for Akimbo

2007-05-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

Two members of Akimbo answered the assorted questions. You should be able to figure out who is who.

Who are you?
My name is Nat Damm. I play in Akimbo.
I'm Jon and I play bass and do vocals in Akimbo. I have also been known as The Gateekeeper, and if you have any information leading to the whereabouts of the Keymaster I would appreciate any help you can lend.

Where are you from?

I'm from Seattle, I live there now.
I'm from Seattle. Yes, I've heard of Nirvana. No, I didn't know Kurt Cobain. Yeah, we have the space needle. Yes, it rains a lot. And yeah, everyone here drinks coffee all the time.
What do you do?

I spend 30% of the year playing rock and going on tour, and the rest of the time I get paid to play videogames.
I play drums in Akimbo. For a living I am a freelance designer. I mainly design concert posters. I do a little t-shirt design here and there, record artwork and layout. I am also the booking agent for an all ages venue near Seattle called The Old Fire House.

What are you working on?

A bowl of chili and a cold beer.
Akimbo just came home from a US tour. We stopped in louisville KY for three weeks to record two albums. One will be released on Alternative Tentacles August 21st, its called Navigating the Bronze. The other album is called Jersey Shores and will be released on another label sometime in 2008. As far as today goes, I'm going to work on album art for a band called The Fucking Wrath and then making a few posters for a venue in Las Vegas. Then I'll have some beers and watch TV.

What's next?

I'm gonna watch Lost in bed with my woman and my cat.
What's next is an amazing tour with DMBQ! we'll take it easy after this short west coast tour and then hopefully do either a big US tour or Europe in the fall. then we'll grow beards and wait out the winter.

When will you be here?

May 17th, with DMBQ. You also probably wanted to ask where, and that would be The Alibi.

Who's DMBQ?

DMBQ is the most insane live band that has ever lived. We are going to have to resort to all kinds of ridiculous shenanigans to make up for our comparatively lackluster snore fest of a show.
just go and see them, they will blow your mind.

Website?

www.livetocrush.com

MySpace?

www.myspace.com/akimbo

Anything else you want to add?

The new album NAVIGATING THE BRONZE is out August 2007, available from us and Alternative Tentacles. Good beer drinking music, excellent tunes to have an arm punching contest to, a great soundtrack for a pillow fight.

9 questions for Aidan 'Shiwa' Wing

2007-04-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

Who are you?

1) My name is Aidan Shiwa. The name Aidan came to my parents simultaneously in a dream, it is a very old Irish word for "Fire" or "The Firey One". The name Shiwa was given to me when I was a baby by a Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trumpa Rinpoche. When asked the meaning of my first name, he chose the name 'Shiwa', witch meant "Peace" in order to keep the fire peaceful.

Where are you from?

2) I am from La Honda, a small town in the Santa Cruz Mountains that is most famous for being the town where Ken Kesey lived and hosted his Acid Tests.

What do you do?

3)I am a musician, a poet, a producer and a singer, I have been since age 11. I grew up listening to a wide variety of musical styles, and the music I play now reflects many of those influences. The music that has struck a chord deepest within me is Reggae. When I was a kid I wore the grooves down on all of my parents reggae albums, and would do chores in order to save enough money to bike down to the record store a by new ones. My whole philosophy on music and life is "balance". This world is globalizing fast, and of all the blessings and downfalls of that one of the aspects that process is exposure into many cultures and music. At this time and in this place we are redefining culture, out of many we are one. Many of the reggae artists from California sing in Jamaican accents over Jamaican riddims. I only sing in my own voice, the one that was given to me at birth and has grown with me all my life. Many of my songs are rooted in reggae, yet influences of Soul, Rock, Hip-Hop, Latin and World can be heard within the grooves.

Why do you do what you do?

4) I am a musician because that is what I am. I have had no choice in the matter. I did not choose music, music chose me. I believe music is the universal language. I have traveled all over the world and never had trouble communicating. The lyrics I write have a purpose. Unification is my goal through music. Music can connect our hearts, and our minds. The earth and all its creatures are in turbulent times. The need to connect is more critical then ever. Musicians are the messengers of the people, our cultures ambassadors, the peoples voice. We know that the mic is more powerful then the sword or gun.

What are you working on?

5) Right now we are busy working on our album "Peaceful Fire". This long awaited debut CD is due for release on June 1rst.

What's next?

6) The album is our whole focus right now, we are in the studio constantly. When the album is released, we will be playing heavily up and down the West Coast.

When will you be here?

7) The show will be Friday April 27th at show begins at 8:00. (arrive early because it only goes 'till midnight). It is at the Six Rivers Brewery in McKinlyville. $10.

With who?

8) I am coming up with the We-A-Dem band. We all played originally in a group called Pacific Vibrations. With Pacific Vibrations we played many festivals such as Reggae in the Park, Whole Earth and Monterrey Reggae Fest, and toured the West Coast. We also released an album "Eastern Sun". After Pacific Vibrations some of the musicians went on to form We-A-Dem, which has is currently one of the hottest back up bands in the Bay Area, backing up such artists as Army, Abja, and Norris Man. D.J. Mountains Lion Sounds will be opening and closing the show.

Website? MySpace?

9) My website is www.myspace.com/aidanshiwa also check out www.myspace.com/weadem

Peace, Aidan Shiwa

10 questions for Adeem from Glue

2007-04-06T16:46:00.000-07:00

Who are you?

-My name is Adeem and I'm the last person you would expect to make as much noise as i do. I'm also the voice for the newest hip hop soul sensation, Glue. By the way, who are you? (I'm Bob, the questioner.)

Where are you from?

I'm from Keene, New Hampshire. In the middle of nowhere but also in the heart of everything. I grew up there listening to hip hop and then eventually making hip hop music. Now i live in a smaller town called Peterborough. 7000 people, no major chain stores, it's almost like heaven, but more boring i would assume.

What do you do?

-Sometimes i don't do much and other times I'm doing too much. I rap for a living, try to sing for a living, substitute teach when i need to be doing something else for a living, and I also make a mean rice and tempe curry dish.

Why do you do what you do?

-The passion i have for music is like nothing else i experience (besides love). It's all i want to do and it's the only thing i want to make a career out of. I also make music for people who still believe they have power to change things for the better. My music is about the life i live and it's for whoever can relate.

What are you working on?

-I'm working on some good breathing exercises so i can get better at yoga and I'm also working on 3 new albums. A new glue record, a solo record, and my second record with New Hampshire/Santa Cruz native DJ MF Shalem (www.myspace.com/shalem).

What's next?

-Tomorrow, i hope. Glue is currently on our first headlining tour and we're trying to spread the word as much as possible. Give people great shows and a night full of memories. This is our second nationwide tour in support of our latest record on Fatbeats records "Catch as Catch can" and we hope this tour will push us past the 1 million album point! Respect that.

When will you be here? With who?

-We will be playing in Eureka at the Red Fox Tavern on April 13th. I will rocking your face off with the other members of Glue, djdq and Maker.

Who's that?

-Thanks for asking. Maker is the best producer you've never heard of and has better records than you do. He has been the foundation for Glue's sound since we started playing together in 2001. dq is a member of the 2006 usa dmc champion turntable champion crew, the animal crackers. He is a self professed folk-tablist and is a genius with one turntable (in my humble opinion).

Website? MySpace?

-Our website is www.gluemakemusic.com and we also have built a huge party of friends at www.myspace.com/glue (everyone of those friends are real people and in no way are just robots sending spam). Respect.
We would love to just get everyone on myspace onto our website instead of having to deal with the nonsense of myspace, but that's not how it works (right now).

Anything else you want to add?

-Thanks again for asking these questions and we'll see you at the show. Please come out and support this show, we promise it will be a damn good time. Also check out www.gluemakesmusic.com and pick up our new album. Let's love each other.

12 Questions for San Pablo Project

2007-03-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

Who are you?

We are San Pablo Project, a band influenced by music from all parts of the world. But most specifically influenced by our forefathers of funk from the bay area Tof P, Sly, etc.,

Where are from?

Most of us are born and raised in the bay, but some at sometime in life have lived elsewhere, Missouri, New Orleans, Boston...

Is that San Pablo as in Route 123?

San Pablo , as in San Pablo Ave.... We rehearse there and the original members all met there.

What do you do?

Most of us have day jobs to pay the bills. engineer, piano technician, caterer. But some do nothing else but play and teach music.

Why do you do what you do?

I'm sure we all play music out of the love of playing and creating it. It is definately the creative outlet we all need to remain sane...

What are you working on?

We're working on constantly bettering ourselves as musicians. We're working on helping our songs and set grow as we do. Keeping the material interesting for us and the audience, and most of all FUNKY...

What's next?

More touring, spreading our musical groovus infection to the masses...a new cd...

What is the sate of funk in the Bay A. at this time?

In the bay there is definately an afro-beat thing infecting the masses, but also a lot of that good ole, down home finger licking funk like Booker T, Meters, etc., We prefer to mix it up with a set that throws down a few afro-cuban grooves, and dalop of reggae, pinch of afro-beat, and of course a healthy dose of, as you described, "a fine hunk of chunky funk,..."

When will you be here? With who?

We'll be up there at:
The Six Rivers Brewery on March 22nd in McKinleyville.
And,
The Pearl Lounge in Eureka on the 23rd of March, and April 21st. (almost earth day)
Most likely playing by ourselves....

Website?

Just the myspace. We get WAY more traffic from the myspace page then the website ever gave us and its has all the info most clubs need to book....

MySpace? www.myspace.com/sanpabloproject

Anything else you want to add?

We just love creating music, whether on the spot or thru composed. And our reward isn't the money, ha, like theres any.... Its the incredibly positive response from audiences. The first time we saw our grooves infect people and they started dancing along with us, we knew that we had to keep this up and spread the "positive vibrations."

Questions for Benjamin Franklin Freeman

2007-01-31T10:41:00.000-08:00

Who are you?

Benjamin Franklin Freeman

Where are from?

I live in the Mecca of Indie rock, on the east side of Portland,Or.
I noticed that you ask “Where are from?” At first I thought it was a
mistake. I thought you meant to say ”Where are YOU from? , but then I
noticed that it was on the website “whoareyouwhatdoyoudo.blogspot.com/”
over and over again. But now I understand this bit of broken english is
paying homage to the Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski and his
questions?

What do you do?

I sing in a state of the artificial, four piece, gourmet, rock band.

Why do you do what you do?

I’m required to perform. In my contract with Satan, it specifically states
“Any breach of these implied terms, within one human lifetime, will result
in the termination of this agreement.”

What are you working on?

I’m leaving soon on a tour the west coast. Bringing tidings of joy and
presents to all the little boys and girls. We have an new album called
“killyourselfishness” and are in the process of making another to be
released on “Love Harder Records” in the spring.

What’s next?

Electric, flying, vibrating, pleasure, tour buses, that clean the air and
feed the hungry. Everyone gets one free and and they all come equipped
with Benjamin Franklin Freeman music.

When will you be here? With who?

2.03.07 @ The Alibi. I’m not sure what other performers will be gracing
the stage.

Website? MySpace?
benjaminfranklinfreeman.com
myspace.com/benjaminfranklinfreeman
myspace.com/loveharder

Anything else you want to add?

Check out some other music our members are making.
cdbaby.com/domer
It’s my bass players solo album
cdbaby.com/jesusburger
I play a variety of instruments in this sonic explosion.

Thank you very much for the interview, Bob. I hope it will build
excitement for all of us.

Red and Black forever,
Ben Freeman

Dr. Israel

2007-01-25T16:48:00.000-08:00

What's your name?

2007-01-05T19:57:00.000-08:00

10 question for Maystar

2006-08-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

<

The band MAYSTAR

Who are you?

The band MAYSTAR.
I know all bands say this, but we're really serious: we don't really
fit into any genre. It's really frustrating not being about to
identify with any certain kind of sound. It makes describing our
music a chore and booking shows with similar sounding bands
impossible. It's not like we are *that* different, but in a way we
are. We're like shoegaze with out all the instruments, indie rockers
without the rock, gothic without all the black, alternative, but we
just don't sound like Alanis Morrisette. Although a few confused souls
did compare us to Nirvanna.
Others say our sound is kind of like a spine-tingling stripped-down
Pinback and old Black Heart Procession meets Blonde Redhead, Denali,
Deerhoof, and Siouxie. That stripped down part is definitley the thing
that makes our sound hard to categorize.

I am May Jacob
and Abe DeLeon is the other half of the band. He's currently making
out with his guitar somewhere.

Where are from?

From. That's a hard question. I've moved over 40 times in my life,
first because of my mother's restlessness, and then because of living
in foster homes. I've lived many places in California, including Morro
Bay (in San Luis Obispo), Nevada, and a couple places in Alaska. I
currently live in San Diego.

Abe is has lived in San Diego his whole life.

What do you do?

I write lyrics, melodies, and sing. But I guess it's not just singing,
our show is a little bit like going to see a play. I have my degree in
Theatre and I think the years of theatre classes come out when I sing.
Like laying down on stage for parts of songs, and kind of acting the
songs out, in an almost gothic way, kind of. I also design the dresses
I wear for our shows. And I do drawings and graphic design for our
CDs, shirts, flyers, and the web-design for our site and myspace. I'm
secretly a MAC nerd, but shhh, don't tell anyone! ; ) One step in
the other direction and I may have found myself a computer programmer.

Abe plays guitar, keyboards, and drum beats. He kind of does a little
bit of everything. We have all these things we do for our live show,
and he played construction worker for them to come into existence. Abe
used to play drums for Soul Junk. He also played guitar and other
instruments in San Diego's Jupiter Crash and The Verso. He mostly
wrote all the parts for both bands. He's really an amazing guitarist,
he comes up with these guitar parts that no one else around here can
even play.

Why do you do what you do?

I have no idea. I've been writing songs and poems ever since I was put
into foster homes at the age of 11. They were always just written
songs, but as soon as I turned 18 and got away from the foster homes,
I started putting them to music.

Abe plays guitar because he loves it and it's his way of expressing
his feelings. Abe's reason for living is music. Really.

What are you working on?

Right now we're supposed to be working on recording new songs, but I'm
really sick and so Abe is recording what he can by himself. Yeah, the
sick person gets to do the interviews I guess.

What's next?

Next we're thinking about touring some more, and writing some more
songs. We also have a lot of filmmaker friends and keep talking about
making a music video, but so far there hasn't been any time for that.
We always get all sorts of ideas for all these things we want to do,
and there are just so many that we are just all over the place without
any specific direction. We do what we feel. Logic and creativity
always get all mixed up together with this band. Whether that's a bad
or good thing, I don't know yet.

When will you be here? With who?

We'll be playing at the Alibi on Sunday, September 17th.
I've had at least five of my friends tell me to say hi to Ian for
them when we're there, so I take it this must be a good place with
good people.
Apparently we get 5 free pitches of Olympia. If you want free beer,
you should come talk to me. Seriously.
The other band we're playing with is Meru.

Who's that?

I was told that they are from Portland, but their website says
Olympia, Washington. Olympia, like the free beer!

Website? MySpace?

Our website is Maystardesigns.com
I boycotted myspace for at least a year, but finally put up a profile
in late 2004. Abe boycotted myspace until just a few months ago.
We've just now begun to really use it: Myspace.com/Maystar

Anything else you want to add?

I really like carrot juice. Hint, hint.(haha)
Let me know if there is anything else you need from me!xoxo
May*

14 Questions for The Bottom Dwellers

2006-07-31T22:29:00.000-07:00

Subject: Re: Bottom Dwellers

Hey Bob,
Below are our answers to your questions...
Ivan Sohrakoff
Bottom Dwellers
www.bottomdwellersmusic.com

Who are you?

Four young boys who live on I-5 that sing about trucks, drinking and George-fucking-Bush.

Where are from? (originally/now)

Mark is a native Woodland American, and remains so.
Adam is a native San Somethingerotherian, but escaped the city bustle for a twangier country lifestyle.
Chris is a native South Bay boy who jogged all the way to Woodland and stayed there.
Ivan is a native Humboldt-Countian (Fortunan) who left for school and never came back.

We all live within a 4 or 5 block radius of each other in Woodland, California. It's better coverage than the WPD and WFD are able to provide combined. We personally take pride in the level of service, and quality of swampy tonk we are able to provide to our town, even if they don't know they want it yet.

What do you do?

We bring honky tonk to where honky tonk is needed. We live, breath and eat pickin', strummin' and stickin'. We drink lots of high quality beer.

Why do you do what you do?

We love to play music, and probably because of our varied musical backgrounds, landed on the "twang" genre, with some swamp thrown in. However, most contemporary "country music" doesn't sound very good, probably because of commercialism, confusion and bad taste. We're trying to do our part to take country music back from its ugly mainstream state.

What are you working on?

We are working on a new album, mostly writing and working out songs at this point. We made our first album by making songs while recording for the record, but this next one will be just about the opposite. We already perform many of the songs which will appear on the next record, so they'll be seasoned a bit.

What’s next?

LA, Seattle, Winters, the usual. We're opening for the Derailers at the Palms Playhouse in Winters, California to kick off our tour de Humboldt. After Humboldt, we're going to focus on our new recording and get that completed. We've done the Indian Casino circuit, the dive bar circuit, and we're planning on doing some festivals next summer.
When will you be here? With who?

We'll be in McKinleyville on Friday, August 25th at Six Rivers Brewery and on Saturday, August 26th at Blue Lake Casino. We'll be cramming as much blistering twang into the sets as we can muster. Be ready to dance, and wear your shit-kickers. We'll be the only band both nights.

Who's that?

Where? Did you see someone? It's just you and me, right?

MySpace? Website?

http://www.myspace.com/thebottomdwellers

http://www.bottomdwellersmusic.com

Bonus question round:

What's up with all that twang?

We feel that most modern "country" music is lacking twang, and that is a bad thang, mang.

Did your Humboldt upbringing have any influence on the Bottom Dwellers?

Maybe. I (Ivan) really detested country music while growing up in Fortuna, and in fact, was a bit infamous for my opinions on the subject. I wrote articles for the Fortuna High paper voicing my opinion on the awful commercial country music played during on-campus lunch. I later discovered that country music doesn't have to sound bad. Thanks to musicians such as Wayne Hancock, Neil Young, Junior Brown, Buck Owens & Willie Nelson, I gained an appreciation for twang.

How's the propane-fueled van working out?

The propane part is fabulous. It takes a little more effort, but it feels good to make sacrifices for the environment. Other things like the broken door, rear air conditioner, and wonky seat belts are just like any other band has to put up with.

Car Talk?

It's a fact. A song from our debut album called "Company Truck" was featured on an episode of Car Talk. We submitted it, and they played it. I guess people who like cars like the Bottom Dwellers.

Anything else you want to add?

Thanks for the interview. We appreciate the support. We'll be selling our debut CD "Twang Americana" at our shows, and we'll be featuring a great pedal steel player (Dave Zirbel) those nights as well. Dave is from Sebastopol and regularly plays with Johnny Dilks, The Mother Truckers, and just finished recording some steel tracks on (believe it or not) Sammy Hagar's new record. We decided we needed some star power to take on HumCo.

10 questions for the Avant Gardeners

2006-07-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

> Who Are you?
> We're the Avant Gardeners... the self proclaimed darlings of the
> mysterious underground backwoods Plumas County Funk Scene. the band
> consists of the following folks:
> Dave Willis ,Vocals and percussion
> Art Garcia ,Guitar
> Mary Lynn Risley, Bass and vocals
> Jimmy Leal, Drums
>
> Where are you from?
> Dave- born in Yuba City, Ca. 20 year Plumas County resident
> (currently living in Taylorsville)
> Art-born in Los Angeles ,28 year Plumas County resident(currently
> living in Quincy)
> Mary Lynn-born in Colorado 16 year Plumas County resident
> (currently living in Indian Falls)
> Jimmy- born and raised in Greenville ,Ca(Plumas County)currently
> living in Lakeview,Or
>
> What do you do? We have been together as a band since 1993 ,we all
> have day jobs...
> Dave- Cook/Custodian at a State Preschool
> Art- Mental Health case worker
> Mary Lynn- Prep-Cook at a local resort
> Jimmy-Fisheries Biologist out of Lakeview,Or
>
> Why do you do what you do?
> We love playing music together but are not willing to sacrifice
> our quality of life and families to become FAMOUS. We love the
> music but aren't so sure about trying to "make it big". I think the
> reason we're still together and loving it is because we haven't
> tried to turn it into a serious business (though we would consider
> it if the opportunity presented itself). We do it 'cause we dig it
>
> What are you working on?
> We have been recording new songs for a new CD , it's been hard to
> get it all together though. Jimmy lives in Oregon and we don't get
> together often enough to keep up the momentum required to 'Get 'er
> Done'. We haven't considered throwing in the towel yet. We are
> still writing new songs and working on them when ever we can. We
> have a pact that we made years ago to continue to play till we
> physically can't do it anymore...so far so good!
>
> What's next?
> Finishing our new CD and reprinting the old one(so far we've sold
> 1000 copies locally and at our shows! ('Untilled' our independently
> released in 1996). Actually establishing a Web-Site !!! Other non-
> fun business related crap to further our music careers. Adapting to
> major Global Climate change.
>
> When will you be here? With who?
> Friday July 21 in Eureka @ Kelly O'Brien's w/ Big Earl and the
> Cryin' Shame
> Saturday July 22 in Orleans @ The Orleans Mining Co.
> Sunday July 23 somewhere in Humbolt Co. @ our drummer's brother's
> wedding!
>
> Who's that?
> Big Earl and the Cryin' Shame is a local band that Jimmy's brother
> Johnny plays guitar in.
>
> My Space? Web-Site?
> Someday soon,we'll keep you posted.
>
> Anything else you want to add?
> In regard to our long over due 2nd CD... anything worth having is
> worth waiting for. Looking forward to playing Humbolt County!!! See
> you at the show(s)
>
>
>

11 questions for The No No Spots

2006-07-09T16:52:00.000-07:00

I stopped by the Works yesterday looking for flyers about shows I may not have heard about elsewhere. I found one for a show this Sunday, July 9, at the Accident Gallery in Eureka. It was disconcerting because I kind of knew about the show, but realized I'd completely left it out of the paper this week. (It's not much of an excuse, but I never got a formal press release about it.) I received the No No Spots CD on Monday (the day we went to press since it was an early week due to the holiday) and got this e-mail back from one of the Spots yesterday. For those who might want to go, the show starts at 8 p.m. and also includes the Moog duo Volts Per Octave and my MySpace friends, The Professional Superheroes.

From: "the no no spots band"

Date: July 4, 2006 7:37:14 PM PDT

Subject: Re: No No Spots!

Hi Bob, This is Lana from the No No Spots, I have just written all my answers after your questions below, Take care and hope to see you at the show. Lana.
(note: I'm pretty sure Lana is the blonde on the right.)

Who are you?

Lana

Where are from?

Originally from Edmonton, Alberta / now Vancouver, British Columbia.

What do you do?

Rock the skins for the NO NO SPOTS

Why do you do what you do?

Because there is never a dull moment.

What are you working on?

Nailing the click for a couple of new songs.

What’s next?

Recording an amazing album in September/06

When will you be here? With who?

Mid July/06 with Volts per octaves (see above)

Who's that?

We’re about to find out...

Side question, connected to Q.No. 2: Has working in Canada and being a Canadian band given you opportunities band from the USA don't get? (Government art grants for example...)

Those options are there and I'm sure they have helped out some bands or smaller indie labels, There are so many bands applying, and the chances of winning that lottery are slim. So I prefer to avoid waiting for the free card, Really the only way to get shit done, is to just do it. If you really want something you will find a way.

MySpace? Website?

www.myspace.com/thenonospots and www.nonospots.com

Anything else you want to add?

Try to eat something green everyday, get plenty of exercise and drink your water.

9 Questions for The Shondes

2006-07-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

Subject: The Shondes (from NY)

Hi Bob,

So sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you with the answers to your
'questionnaire' - we have been madly preparing for our national tour and are
now on the road. We answered these collectively... Temim, The Shondes

When will you be here? With who?

Sunday, July 30
The Shondes
Dark Side of the Cop
@ The Alibi
744 9th St, Arcata

Who are you?
Why, we're The Shondes, of course! We're a queer/trans rock quartet mixing
classical, feminist punk, and jewish music with radical politics to make you
dance and break your heart!

Where are from?
Brooklyn

What do you do?
We make passionate and radical political music about our world and our lives in
order to struggle, create change, and to be a force of exuberance that can help
sustain our communities.

Why do you do what you do?
We are four individuals who come from really different musical/political
backgrounds but have all found ourselves in a similar moment where we
desperately need the joy that comes from writing and playing together, and feel
an incredible passion for social justice struggles. Bringing all that together
is the project of the Shondes and in that way it meets all of our needs at a
really deep, visceral level.

What are you working on?
So many things! We probably spend equal time conceptualizing new songs, writing
and practicing, as well as working all day and all night on booking and
promoting a nation-wide tour and finding creative ways to make ourselves
accessible to and connecting with people in different artistic and activist
communities.

What’s next?
Hopefully after this tour we will be in a position to record and release an
album. We have more than enough material and are incredibly excited about it!
Besides that, we will certainly continue to organize events that are inspiring,
politically challenging and fun. For example, this fall we are planning two
benefit events - one for the Sylvia Rivera Law Project and one for Jews Against
the Occupation.

How do politics, both personal and global, affect what you do?

We make music about what we feel passionate about, whether that's about issues
like the Israeli occupation of Palestine or our own experiences of misogyny.
The sound of our music reflects our passion for our politics and our lives-
it's both intricate and raw, with intense dynamics of tension and release. We
make music that is integral and moving to our lives with the intention of
providing that experience for others, and that's political- getting or staying
in touch with the feelings that come up around all the personal and political
struggles we go through.

Your name, The Shondes, is a Yiddish word, which in and of itself says something about who you are, but it's also a word indicating rejection. Do you (can you) simultaneously embrace your heritage and embrace your rejection while rebelling against it?

It is deeply powerful to us to take a word that embodies this exact
contradiction for us and to use it with love, humor and conviction in our work
and our music. We talk about being Shondes because of the complicated
relationships we have to the places we come from and also because of our
commitment to putting out our politics and our passion into the world, even
when that's not always the most popular or easiest thing to do.

8 questions for Marshan

2006-06-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

Subject: Re: some questions from Arcata, California

Hi Bob, we're more than happy than anwer your questions

Who are you?

Marshan - Scottish Rock N Roll Band
Graeme Duff - Guitar,Vocals
Kevin Burges - Bass
Malcolm Thomson - Drums

Where are you from?

We're from Glasgow, Scotland. Not too much to say about Glasgow other
than it has the highest murder rate in western Europe, poorest health
record in Europe and lowest life expectancy in Europe. Consequently it
is has one of the most rocking night life's in the World.

What do you do?

We play proper Rock N Roll. None of that whiny emo nonsense that the
kids are buying. More like the old honest good time music that's
hasn't been selling since 1976.

Why do you do what you do?

The power of rock compels us.

What are you working on?

We've got a new album coming out ("Brought to You By the Goodtime
Girls" - Beard of Stars Records (Italy). Other than that we're touring
the west coast of the US in July.

What’s next?

Another record and another tour of the dive bars around the world.
Stadium tours and platinum records are for those who compromised.

When will you be here? With who?

We'll be in Arcata on July 15th, I think we'll be playing with another
local band at the Alibi...

Anything else you want to add?

Thanks for the interest and time, if anyone is looking for a fun time
on Sat the 15th then come to the alibi. Check out some of our stuff @
www.myspace.com/marshanrock

9 Questions for Imaad Wasif

2006-06-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

From: Imaad Wasif <>
Date: June 12, 2006 7:23:03 PM PDT
Subject: Re: write me if you have any more questions...

> On Jun 12, 2006, at 3:47 PM, Imaad Wasif wrote:
>
>> Please feel free to write me if you have any more questions.
>
> I have a standard set. Wanna give it a go? (no hurry)
>
> Who are you?
>
> Imaad Wasif
> >
> Where are from? (originally/now)
>
> Born in Vancouver, B.C., educated in the desert in California, India, Los Angeles, and San
> Francisco, now residing in Echo Park, California. Imaad Wasif has been in
> Lowercase, alaska!, The New Folk Implosion.
>
> What do you do?
>
> Sing, Play Guitar, write Songs.
> Also currently Playing guitar, bass and keyboards as a touring member of the Yeah Yeah
> Yeahs.
>
> Why do you do what you do?
>
> love, necessity, creation, growth, change, intimacy, to perpetuate and divine chaos,

> maintain semblances of sanity, Exorcise old ghosts and demons
>
> What are you working on?
>
> Writing songs for my next record
> Playing with the two part beast
>
> What’s next?
>
> my june solo tour
> july solo dates opening for the YYY’s
> playing in the YYY’s through the year
> east coast solo tour in September
>
> When will you be here? With who?
>
> June 30th - Eureka, CA @ The Pearl Lounge
> appearing With the two part beast
>
> Who's that?
>
> two part beast = my band, one part Adam Garcia and one part Bob Bruno
>
> Anything else you want to add?

>> Can’t wait to come back to eureka

10 questions for los olvidados

2006-06-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

>> Who are you?

> my name is Alex Jones and i play guitar and sing for los olvidados.
>
>> I assume it's los olvidados, as in the Luis Bunuel film about
>> what sociologists like to call "youth at risk." Why that name?

> Rey (our drummer) and I are film students and really liked the idea
> of taking the name from Bunuel's film, maybe in small part because
> we knew it was a challenge for most people we know. I really love
> that film; the character relationships and reality of it are unlike
> almost any other film. It just moved me I guess. The film doesn't
> translate to the literal "the forgotten," but "the young and the
> damned," and that seemed just as a good a starting point as any for
> this band.
>
>> Where are from? (originally/now)

> We are from Moorpark, CA a small town in Ventura County.
>
>> What do you do?

> I write songs and play guitar and sing.
>
>> Why do you do what you do?

> I think part of is instinct, part of it is the need to express
> certain ideas or feelings or reactions that I wouldn't be able to
> do without music. I think I am probably a bad communicator and
> music allows me to communicate in alternative ways.
>
>> What are you working on?

>> Going on our west coast tour, getting ready to record our full
>> length record in July/August.
>>
>> What’s next?

>> The full length being recorded and released, hopefully followed by
>> more touring all over the U.S.
>>
>> When will you be here? With who?

> June 18 at the Alibi with our friends and two of our member's other
> band, Polar State.
>
>> Who's that?

> they are an indie/experimental pop band along the lines of minus
> the bear, explosions in the sky, nada surf.
>>
>> Anything else you want to add?
>>
> We are very excited to do our first west coast tour and to see
> Arcata. I just watched The Corporation and the scene in Arcata got
> me even more excited.

myspace.com/losolvidadosmusic

8 Questions for Kiss Her For The Kid

2006-05-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

> Who are you?

> We are " Kiss Her For The Kid"! We have been a band for 2 1/2
> years. We just released our first E.P. named "Gee" a few weeks ago
> on Bee Gow Records. We are doing our first tour June 2nd through
> the 11th of 2006. We started in our basement and from there have
> moved out to playing shows all throughout Seattle and surrounding
> areas. We are getting radio airplay up here in Seattle and look
> forward to playing down the West Coast.
>
> Where are from? (originally/now)

> Hannah Roberts - Hoopa, CA
> Sean London - San Jose, CA
> Mike O'Dougherty - Santa Cruz, CA
> Alex Tryzna - Seattle, WA
> Now we all live in Seattle.
>
> What do you do?

> We write pop/rock/fizz tunes that make us want to dance, rock,
> reminisce, and go crazy. Our influences include The B-52's, X, and
> The Pixies.
>
> Why do you do what you do?

> We have to because it is a part of us. We play music because it
> gives us a voice for expression and it makes us feel really good.
>
> What are you working on?

> After we get back from tour, we are going to go back into the
> studio to record our first full length album. We are very excited
> about our songs. We will be looking to release the next record at
> the end of this year.
>
> What’s next?

> Have a blast on tour, play good shows, meet new people, listen to
> new music, and enjoy the small window called summer in Seattle.
>
> When will you be here? With who?

> We play at the Pearl Lounge in Eureka on Sunday, June 4. Four
> great bands: Romanteek (from Olympia), The Monster Women, Dance!!
> Attack!!, and us. Show starts at 8 PM.
>
> Anything else you want to add?

> We can't wait to play with The Monster Women, they rock! It is
> going to be a great show so we hope to see you out there!
> You can check out more info on the band at myspace.com/
> kissherforthekid and kissherforthekid.com
>
> thanks...

10 Questions for Big Chief Tom Vanoy of the Siskiyou County Homewreckers

2006-04-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

Who are you?

We are The Siskiyou County Homewreckers comprised of: CHIEF (guitar and lead vocalist), LITTLE PETE (lead guitar and bass), BIRDMAN (lead guitar and bass), THEO (drums).

Where are from?

Chief is originally from Cleveland Ohio and now resides in Siskiyou County. Birdman is originally from Pittsburgh PA and now lives in Siskiyou County. Little Pete was born and raised in Siskiyou County and continues to live there. Theo grew-up in the Santa Rosa area and now resides everywhere including Siskiyou County.

What do you do?

We do originals and rock-n-roll/blues covers.

Why do you do what you do?

We all come from diverse musical backgrounds but all share a love for rock-n-roll and blues music. Since Chief has joined the band we have expanded our repertoire to include original songs that he has written.

What are you working on?

We are working towards becoming a band that plays only originals in order to establish our own sound, relying less and less on cover tunes.

What’s next?

Possibly an all original CD as our original song catalogue expands and of course more live shows!

When will you be here? With who?

APRIL 22ND @ KELLY O'BRIEN'S PUB IN EUREKA. OPENING FOR US WILL BE: SLAP SHOE FLY. SHOW STARTS AT 8 p.m.

Who's that?

SLAP SHOE FLY is a hillbilly duo that plays high energy, acoustic, original songs. Johnny Callahan is from Siskiyou County and Jason is originally from West Virginia. They just released their first CD titled: Decades In the Grain. They are just coming off a tour in Nashville, TN. in support of their CD.

Website? MySpace page? Anything like that?

Nothing like that.

Anything else you want to add?

Two of the band members (Chief and Birdman) also have side projects that they are currently involved with. Chief is a singer/songwriter from Cleveland who moved to California six months ago in an attempt to expand his solo career. Many of his songs explore the current state of our world as well as the many personal trials and tribulations of his life. Chief is currently working on a CD project that should be out in the fall 2006.

Birdman has an alter-ego personality known as AFRO-YT. AFRO-YT is a rap artist who enjoys making people laugh with his sarcastic wit and intrinsic ability to rhyme. He currently has released two CD singles entitled; un-FRO-gettable and A Goofus One.

The Siskiyou County Homewreckers live a remote mountain community along side the Salmon River. No one in this community is on the grid. We rely totally on alternative sources of energy (solar/water). We practice in a poleshed on the second tier that is only accessible by a 20 foot ladder relying on a small propane heater for warmth. Our shows are high-energy, with music geared towards those who like to dance and have a good time.

8 questions for Cirkus Pandemonium

2006-03-14T19:09:00.000-08:00

Who are you?

Cirkus Pandemonium... Autumn Augustus, Nemo Lenkin, Noah Fillpot, JRo, Tony Shy Fire and guests.

Where are from?

Based out of Portland for the last few years. Currently traveling the west coast in our Cirkus Bus The Great Pandamo!

What do you do?

We do firedancing, trapeze, juggling, coreographed fighting, fairy skits and such. We do a lot of street performing whereever we can find a good spot and a crowd.
We are featuring our new trapeze rigging that mounts to the side of the bus and we just completed a stage on the roof today! 3-14.

Why do you do what you do?

Because I'm driven by dreams of flitting fairies and dueling demons that are sent from the Gods of Pandemonium.

What are you working on?

I'm organizing the Anarchist Pagan Beltain to happen in southern Washington. Also planning a summer tour and organizing our show.

When will you be here? With who?

We will be playing at the Synapsis warehouse in Eureka on Sat the 18th. Tickets are $8, $5 to students. We will be playing with the Humboldt Circus.

Who's that?

The Humboldt Circus is a great group of Humboldt University freaks. They are both talented and hospitable in a way that only Humboldt could create.

Anything else you want to add?

Visit www.cirkuspandemonium.com
All travelers who wish to visit Pandemonium are warned that while there are many ways into hell, there are scarcely any ways out of it!

10 Questions for Fleeting Trance

2006-03-10T09:18:00.000-08:00

From the leader of Fleeting Trance

Date: March 10, 2006 8:58:08 AM PST
Subject: Re: Fleeting Trance back in Humboldt County

here ya go Bob let me know if you have any more questions

thanks, Manasseh

Who are you?

We are a bunch of friends traveling through the world making music, and making new friends everywhere we go. We have drums, bass, guitars, sometimes more....we are mainly something that was created in your own mind to entertain yourself while you wait for the inevitable.

Where are from? (originally/now)

members are born in Western Massachussettes, San Francisco Califonia, Portland Oregon, Zimbabwe, Inglewood California, Bakersfield, California all ending up in the bay area. Our base is now in Oakland.

What do you do?

We combine elements of classic rock, americana, soul, R&B, w/ classic old skool country and attempt to put a modern twist on the whole thing.

Why do you do what you do?

Well its not a simple question but here goes.....if we don't play music all the little children will go deaf from the crap their parents can't let go of. The parents will tell them to do simple tasks, like taking out the trash, or cleaning their room, but the children wont hear them they will only hear a Janis Joplin song pounding in their heads. This will in turn scare the children and they will start taking drugs they don't understand and finally turn to fake music to go with their fake drugs. We can't let this happen people.

What are you working on?

getting to San Francisco by 10am, but most likely by 10:30am....beyond that we are tracking demos for some rich people who want to buy our souls and sell them at a fair price.

What’s next?

We all play music in a million different projects...so we always stay busy. To always know what's next for Fleeting Trance we have a website www.fleetingtrance.com We check it ourselves to find out what we are going to be doing.

When will you be here? With who?

We will be there on Tuesday, March 28th @ Six Rivers Brewery w/ Stereo Chromatic & Koozito @ 8pm

Who's that?

Stereo Chromatic hooked us up with the show they are a local band in Humboldt county, Koozito is Craig Koozer, a member of Fleeting Trance that has a new record out, he is an amazing songwriter. He used to play in a band called SkipLoader and they were signed to Geffen Records, touring w/ the Foo Fighters and many great acts as such.

Anything else you want to add?

yes I like humboldt county a great deal and I'm excited to be playing there again. We've done a bunch of shows in Redway and a few shows in Eureka & Arcata and we have always been treated nice by the locals. so hi and thank you to anyone who knows us : )

7 questions for zZz

2006-03-07T20:41:00.000-08:00

From: "Björn Ottenheim" <filterzakje@hotmail.com>

Who are you?

We are zZz.

Dot Fox plays his vintage Organ, Korg and Pianet like Beethoven on LSD.

Sir Big Sexy bangs on his 3-piece kit like Bonham and sings like Elvis on acid.

Where are from?

Amsterdam, born and raised.

What do you do?

We create mix of violent trance, psychedelic electro wave, garage soul and dirty rock & roll.

Why do you do what you do?

We actually don't know. It just feels great doing it.

What are you working on?

We are working on new songs for our second album and preparing for our tour in Japan.

What’s next?

Our tour in Japan

When will you be here? With who?

We're coming over March 10th at 6 Rivers Brewery with DMBQ.

And we're gonna play 3 shows on SXSW and record at the Sun Studio 22nd of March.

We return in May. We can't say [with who]...but here is a hint. First name is Fatboy, last name is Slim.

Please mention our website www.soundofzzz.com

8 Questions for Martin Dory

2006-03-02T22:50:00.000-08:00

From: Martin Dory <martin@martindory.com>

Who are you?

Americana Singer/Songwriter from San Francisco

Where are you from originally?

Washington DC

What do you do?

I write songs and then I sing them.

Why do you do whatever it is you do?

Every time I think I'm going to quit writing songs, I think about what has brought meaning to my life. If I scan the entire breadth of what the world has to offer, great songs, for me personally, have done more to capture the complexity of existence than anything else out there. Whether they are trying to communicate depression, love, party time, call-to-action, great songs are phenomenal at transferring a state of mind. So much better than anti-depressants or alcohol or drugs. Are there studies on this? There must be. What better challenge than to help explain and move people with song. Words and music are just a favorite fascinating combination of mine. Like pretzels and orange juice.

What are you working on?

I'm working on some more songs for another CD. It might turn into a couple CD's. When I write, I end up with songs which are all over the map and I really am trying to keep the ones that go together, together. I don't have much luck controlling the style of song which comes out so I just have to take what comes out and put it in the right box. When one my boxes gets filled, I'll be ready to roll. But I have a couple boxes going at once.

What’s next?

The couple of boxes I mentioned above. One's a bit poppier, alternative (but not alt rock) and verbose. One's will be a bit more country, hopefully with a few less words. I'm trying not to write so many darn words.

When will you be here? With who?

These are all solo shows. Me and my acoustic guitar and an electric guitar and a harmonica. I think I see there is a piano at Old Town Coffee and Chocolates so I might do a few numbers on that.

Friday, March 17th, 7:00p - Eureka, CA

Old Town Coffee & Chocolates

211 F Street Phone: 707-445-8600

Saturday, March 18th, 1:00p - Trinidad, CA

Catch Cafe

355 Main St. Phone: 707-677-0390

Sunday, March 19th, 6:00p - Eureka, CA

Chapala Cafe

201 2nd St. Phone: 707-443-9514

Thanks again. Let me know if you need anything else.

Best, Martin

10 Questions for Strix Vega

2006-03-02T22:28:00.000-08:00

From: " Andy-Strix Vega" <strixvega@hotmail.com>

Who are you?

We are Strix Vega, a local (Arcata) folk/indie/rock band that has been playing together as a trio for about two years. Strix Vega is comprised of Colin Begel (Vocals/Guitars/Lapsteel/Theramin), Brian Godwin (Drums/Bass), and Andy Powell (Bass/Rhodes Piano/Keyboard/Guitar). Andy and Brian played together in a previously existing Arcata band called The Crums with Andrew Edwards, Ben Beaver, and Max Brotman. Colin played a few shows with The Crums, and after the evaporation of The Crums, Colin asked Andy and Brian to form a band with him.

Where are from?

We are all living in Arcata currently. Colin is originally from Vacaville, CA; Brian is from Detroit, MI; and Andy is from Los Angeles, CA.

What do you do?

We write and play music.

Why do you do whatever it is you do?

We all love playing music (especially original material). We won't lie, we also slightly enjoy the ego massage that comes along with being a musician.

What are you working on?

We are currently finishing up our debut album.

What’s next?

Gigging locally (as always), CD release party, West Coast tour, and a second album.

When will you be playing locally? With who?

Our next gig is during Arts Alive at the Ink People through the Placebo on March 4th. Colin and Andy will be playing as a duo and playing pretty low-key-acoustic-type stuff.

March 10th, Strix Vega will be playing at Brogi's Boiler Room with Children in Heat and possibly a third band.

March 22nd, Strix Vega will be playing again with Franklin Delano (from Italy) at Sacred Grounds.

April 5th, Strix Vega will play with acaramanamaraca (with Abe Ray of The Placebo) at Humboldt Brews.

April 29th, Strix Vega is playing at The Alibi for a benefit concert with The Buffy Swayze.

The last show Strix Vega has planned so far is May 27th in Portland, OR with Bright Red Paper.

Who's that?

Should have read this question before typing that whole paragraph...Children in Heat are a Misfits cover band (Arcata?). Franklin Delano is a band out of Italy. A car a man a maraca (not sure of the spelling...I may have spelled it backwards) is a band started by Abe Ray of The Placebo. The Buffy Swayze is a band based out of Eureka (I believe), and Bright Red Paper is based out of Portland, OR.

Where might someone learn more about you?

Our MySpace page: <www.myspace.com/strixvega>.

Thanks a lot Bob. We'll stay in touch. Cheers, Andy/Strix Vega

9 Questions for Ninja Academy

2006-03-02T22:11:00.000-08:00

Who are you?

We are Ninja Academy, a bass and drums instrumental duo. No, there is no singer and yes, we do dress like ninjas when we play.

Where are you from?

We are from Los Angeles, born and raised.

What do you do?

Indo-Ninja - bass, Outdo-Ninja - drums. We also have some special members: Donkey Punch - martial arts, Gongis Khan - The High Priestess

Why do you do whatever it is you do?

“We started this ninja shit, and this is the motherfucking thanks I get?" We've been playing together for many years, in many bands. This group is just a progression and extension of that.

What are you working on?

We're working on getting our latest album, bra'ka dOm, out there. We released it in September. We want the world to hear it.

What’s next?

We're also working on some new tunes. But again, we're still trying to get this album out there. This will be our second West Coast tour and we'll probably do a South Western regional tour in August.

When will you be here? With who?

We will be in Arcata at the Alibi on Monday, April 17th. We're touring with our friends, The Mormons. It looks like we'll also be on KHUM earlier that evening.

Who's that?

The Mormons are a 5-piece, post punk band — they rock hard. Yes, they dress like Mormons. Check them out and be converted.

Yes, we're on Myspace.

10 Questions for Josh Erwin from Packway Handle

2006-03-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

Who are you?

We're a Bluegrass-quintet from Athens, GA playing Bluegrass w/ a vengeance. (Josh plays guitar.)

Where are you now? Where are y'all from originally?

Right now [2/28] we're in Hailey, ID. We're playing at the Sun Valley Brewery tomorrow night, and Whiskey Jacques' on Thursday. We spent about a week and a half in CO, another week and a half in MT, then this week in Idaho. Our home for the band is Athens, GA. We left there for this tour on January 31.

What do you do?

We play bluegrass the way we see fit...there's plenty of original compositions we perform at shows, lots of creepy end-of-the-world gospel tunes, some old-time fiddlin', and some bluegrassified ‘80's cover songs by bands like The Cars, Violent Femmes, and David Byrne. [By the way, there's free downloadable MP3s at www.packwayhandle.com...check the "tunes" tab]

Why do you do whatever it is you do?

Right now, we're touring as a band because the time's finally come to quit the day jobs. We've done tours before, but they've never been able to be more than 2-3.5 weeks long. It will be 5 years this spring since we've been playing together, and our sound has been honed during that duration. There’s value in what we're doing and the way that we play music... I believe that because there really is an original way that we portray bluegrass. It’s definitely not done in the way it was done in the 1950s and ‘60s... We're not trying to preserve the original Bill Monroe's style of playing bluegrass. There are so many more ways we've found to use the standard bluegrass instruments [banjo, mandolin, fiddle, guitar, and bass] to play the music we like.

What are you working on?

Right now, we're working on a standard of quality and consistency of quality from show to show. That's one of the good things about playing & performing music full time in a band- together- everyday at a new venue. Also, there's some new original tunes that we're writing/composing for the spring.

What’s next?

When we get back home to [be based out of] Athens we're going to begin our 3rd album. This one will be an all original album. There's been some stuff that Michael & I have written that we've been playing for a while, and also some other new stuff that needs to be laid down and recorded.

Are you by any chance on your way to SxSW?

Yes! We're going to crash the streets w/ the acoustic instruments that whole week. We're working on playing the Flagpole suite. The Flagpole Magazine is Athens, GA's town paper. They get a suite every year and host all kinds of bands, and usually have home town bands come through to play. [By the way, why do you ask about that?] (Educated guess: We’re looking at a slew of bands stopping in Humboldt on their way to or from Austin and SxSW.)

What's a Packway Handle?

Exactly...think about tourette's syndrome.

What is going on in the graveyard?

Probably somethin' you've never seen...

The Packway Handle Band plays Sunday, March 5 at Six Rivers Brewery, McKinleyville and Monday, March 6 at Heartwood Institute south of Garberville,

9 Questions for a Homesick Hillbilly

2006-03-02T21:04:00.000-08:00

A virtual interview with Jaybird from the Slewfoot Stringband who plays this Saturday night at The Alibi with members of the Dirtnap Band, something they call Homesick Hillbilly, and Hillstomp, a kick-ass duo from Oregon.

Who are you?

I'm Jay Swanigan, and here's my brief interview answers.

Where are you now? Where are you from originally? What do you do?

Right now I’m sitting in a living room with good friends and bandmates JJ Cady and Brian Gibson. I live in Eureka with my beautiful and very Pregnant wife Amber. I am originally from Sacramento then decided to move to Eureka 5 years ago to begin a new life dedicated to music, nature, a new family.

Are you really homesick?

About the Homesick Hillbilly: My Grandfather Bud Swanigan moved from the Ozark hills of Missouri in the ‘40s when he met the love of his life, My Grandmother, Vinita. They met in Patterson, Calif. when he was on leave from a South Seas tour. They married and moved to Tracy, where they raised a family and still live. My Grandfather is a nostalgic, Poetic, writer these days (a long retired heavy machinery mechanic) he has recently Published two books through Abraxis and you can find them on Amazon.com (anyway he has been a Picker his entire life even after a industrial accident severed tendons in his left arm, he Plays what he can. I'll send you a CD I have archived recently. He writes about his childhood a lot, hence Homesick Hillbilly. I'm insPired by him and get nervous he will be leaving us soon; he's 83 this June.

What are you working on?

I'm working on a lot of original material with my close friends.

What’s next?

I'm Playing this Saturday with as the Dirt naP Band (three Piece: 6 string, 12 string, and UPright bass) with HillstomP (from Portland).

Who's that?

HillstomP is a two Piece high-energy band. Good friends of mine. We have Played shows here and in Oregon for the last 3 years.

What is a Slewfoot anyway?

I honestly don't know what a slewfoot is. It's the name of an old mountain song.

Thanks for the interview, it's always a Pleasure tyPing on a keyboard with a broken lower case P. you have to hold shift and P to even get an uPPer case!

www.slewfootstringband.com is my active site until my Personal site is uP.

- Jaybird

12 Questions for David Berkeley

2006-03-02T21:03:00.000-08:00

This came in the mail yesterday from Joli von Einem of Cuckoo’s Nest etc.

Event: Singer/Songwriter David Berkeley and Adam Buchwald
Atlanta based Singer/songwriter David Berkeley makes his maiden voyage to the Westhaven Center for the Arts w/ his mandolin and banjo-wielding sideman Adam Buchwald for an intimate evening of acoustic music. Berkeley's songs are rich with imagery, stories that transport you to the rivers of Idaho, the battlefields of the Civil War, the rail lines of the great plains, the lonely roads of America…
Feb, 24th 7:30pm at Westhaven Center for the Arts.
$8-$12 suggested general $5 students, call 677-9493 for reservations or info.

The note included a link to David’s website so I shot him a note with 12 questions.
Here’s what came back:

David,
I heard you're coming this way.
Can I ask you a few questions?

Yes

Who are you?

I am David Berkeley.

Where are you now? Where are you from originally?

I live in Atlanta, GA. I was born in New Jersey. In between, I lived in New York City (for a girl), Cambridge, MA (school), Santa Cruz, CA (writing music and generally wasting time), Santa Fe, NM (working for Outside magazine and living with raw foodists on a compound of sorts), Idaho (working summers as a river rafting guide on the Salmon and Snake), Alaska (writing for Let's Go Alaska) and, believe it or not, a month in Humboldt County working for the Redwood National Park maintenance crew.

What do you do?

I am a singer/songwriter and guitarist, which means that I spend most of my life writing music and then singing and performing what I’ve written. My music is in the ‘60s world of songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Cat Stevens or the more modern circle including Elliot Smith, Damien Rice, Ryan Adams, David Gray. The New York Times and many other journals compare me to Nick Drake. The Times wrote: "Berkeley sings in a lustrous melancholy voice with shades of Tim Buckley and Nick Drake...as his melodies ascend to become benedictions and consolations, the music shimmers and peals."

Why do you do whatever it is you do?

For the past 10 or so years, I suppose I’ve looked to find a path that allows me to bring out something uniquely mine, something authentic, something that expresses my relationship with the world. It's a difficult search, one that isn't necessarily over. But I feel like I can express and connect and give more through my songs than other forms of writing and certainly more than through working as a waiter or a caddy or a barista or other jobs I’ve held.

What are you working on?

Currently, I’m promoting my latest CD--a live CD/DVD called Live from Fez. It features a scattering of songs from my first 2 CDs (The Confluence and After The Wrecking Ships) and some new material. My full band plays on the disc, and it captures our final show at [Fez] the New York City listening room that became our home in New York. Like many great music rooms, Fez closed down. But we wanted to capture what we did there and how special the room was. We kept in my banter with the audience (which I tend to do a lot of) and held back from utilizing any studio tricks. What's left is an intimate, energetic and hopefully entertaining and moving glimpse of our musical journey.

What’s next?

A European tour. A new record. And hopefully a duck hunting trip with Dick Cheney.

When will you be here? With who?

I’ll be at the Westhaven Center for the Arts on Friday, February 24th at 7:30pm. I'm bringing my mandolinist/banjoist Adam Buchwald with me.

Who's that?

He is known affectionately as Buck, and he's a crowd favorite always. He's recorded on all my projects and doesn't mind long road trips and history books on tape.

Where can someone find out more about you?

My website is www.davidberkeley.com there's also www.myspace.com/davidberkeley there are pictures available for download at the press link of davidberkeley.com -- where you can also read other reviews.

Thanks for your time Bob, and as this show is last minute, thanks for helping to publicize in any way you can.
Best, David

7 questions for Le Ton Mité

2006-03-02T21:01:00.000-08:00

Virtual interview with Le Ton Mité

When I visited Le Ton Mité's MySpace page, I found an invitation to ask 20 questions. I sent him my standard six questions plus one, with an apology that there were not 20.
Here is his response:

Who are you? Le Ton Mité

What do you do? Share songs from North Pacific America

Where are you from? Olympia, Washington

Why do you do what you do? It is my occupation

What have you been working on? Sharing songs from my new recording, "Tickets to Real Imaginary Places" on the East Coast and West Coast of the United States and looking for a new location to call home. I currently have an art exhibition up at the Department of Safety in Anacortes, Washington, called "How to Get There From Here."

What’s next? I will tour the "Lake Coast." Denver , Minneapolis, Winona, Stevens Point, Ypsilanti, possibly Oberlin, then a tour of Italy, France, Holland and Germany in April/May.

What else? I am currently working on a DVD compilation of my super 8 films with soundtracks by various friends. I also am planning out my next art show and recording of children's songs in French. I would love to tour in Japan.