While I was making breakfast for my two daughters this morning, I sang a melody: "Everyone has a belly button," to which my 4-year old daughter retorted back with (to the same melody): "Everyone doesn't want to hear you sing about it!"
snap.
Gosh. There goes my dream of returning to LC's glory days!
:?)
The promised uploading of several archives has begun. I put up a bunch of DVD reviews today. I've had about as much eye strain as I can take for one night, so I better quit now and add more later. I don't want to be seeing this screen in my head and dozing off in church tomorrow.
The next issue is beginning to take shape. I did an interview with Evan from Biohazard, and the guys from Stretch Arm Strong called David last week about setting up an interview for the cover story...
Grace and Peace!
Whoo-hoo! A uniformed employee of Federal Express is about to pull up to our office and plop down a Fed Ex package on our desk. That'll mean one thing. That's right, "Bowfinger" movie afficionados, it'll mean that we're SOMEBODY! He, he. Inside that package, though, will be a few sneak peek copies hot off the press of our new issue and latest labor of love. The FSF photos are brilliant -- both the live cover shot and a great group shot inside of Spider House coffee shop here in Austin.
I wanted to let everyone know that we are about to post a jillion (somewhere between a trillion and a sextillion) CD and DVD reviews on the site. So, when you notice a review of Monty Python & The Holy Grail from a few issues back, you'll know that we are just stockpiling our archives to build us a bigger and better database of content.
While David & his sweetie are watching 24, my honey & I are watching the CSI boxset. Brilliant stuff.
Went to dinner with the band Switchfoot last night (thanks to their publicist!) before their Austin show with Denison Marrs and Noise Ratchet. Of course, I brought several copies of our latest issue to show the band the article we did on them. But there was that review in the same issue. (Thanks a lot, Christopher Rose!!!) He panned the band's latest release -- The Beautiful Letdown, calling it a "letdown." As a good review and a good pan does, it says both good things and bad things about the product. And he said it intelligently with a perspective of the artist's previous work. We stand behind our writers, never telling them what to write and appluading them when they can back up their opinions with reason and detail.
But MAN! It was SO awkward when the band read the interview there right at the table with 3/4's of our staff present. Credit to lead vocalist/songwriter Jon Foreman for handling it straight-up and with class, though. He mentioned having dinner with us to a family member earlier that day, who responded with, "You're buying lunch for THEM?! (after what they said in that review)" It was a classic moment of artist vs. journalist that was right out of Almost Famous. Of course, I whipped out the line, "Yeah, and Rolling Stone slagged every one of Zeppelin's albums..." I couldn't resist. Awkward... I think it was David's first such experience with an artist who felt somewhat wronged by what we published. For me, it came just 20 minutes or less after a lengthy phone call from Steve Rowe (Mortification), who was none too pleased over some remarks in the Relentless review in our Nov/Dec issue. It felt like the theme of the night.
As a communicator, I always try to keep my audience in mind. My audience for HM, I believe, is three-fold: Consumer/Fan (the kid who wants to know if x-album is worth his hard-earned money or not) he/she wants an honest answer; God (I need to write to the best of my ability to honor and worship Him); and the Artist (any criticism needs to be constructive, not destructive). I stand behind our writers when I feel like they have lived up to these standards as well.
The show that followed, however, was very good. The negative criticism of Rose's Switchfoot review was very qualified. It was stated with a respect to the band's art. This band certainly has what it takes. Namely, a charismatic male sex symbol frontman with a great voice, a deft talent in songwriting, and a band that backs him up all the way -- solidly. In a world of Third Eye Blind, Blink 182, Goo Goo Dolls, Train, and Staind, Switchfoot stands out as Christian music's finest modern rock band (sorry Third Day and Kutless, you're close...).
Denison Marrs opened the night at 9:30 with a smart set of tunes, including one new one, which featured some great guitar lines. Noise Ratchet followed with a terrific set that showed the promise that American Records saw when they just signed them to a big new mainstream deal. And Switchfoot, again to their credit, offer an untainted and honest-sounding voice of faith in the mainstream world (and always have, for the most part, even though they've been right in the middle of the CMI). Right before the first encore, I thought I was going to hear something back, as Foreman opened with "Do you guys read HM Magazine?" But then he said nothing else. Letting his next two songs do the talking for him. Restraint = class. Nice.
Went to see a super documentary called The Dance on Monday night. Twas about a man named Billy Roth that has been going into Louisianna state prisons for about 40 years, teaching, coaching and befriending inmates through the sport of boxing. Quite a hero the guy is, quietly and selflessly serving in the Name of Jesus. It was awesome to see the role model himself down in front on stage with the producers after the screening (which was the world premiere).
This week has been a blur of writing, work, writing, work, editing, work, and all the things it takes to oversee an issue going to press (like gathering ad files). Late at night I snuck out to catch a few shows. I walked into a small club called Privilege and made the choice to go right at the entrance instead of left. I patiently waited for the show to start as 6 musicians (!) set up on a stage not much bigger than a king-sized mattress. "That's not Ester Drang!" I thought, but I couldn't help but watch these noise terrors go nuts. They're called Swarm of Angels and they were insane. I quickly explored the venue and found the outdoor Patio stage where Ester Drang were already in musical stride. Their dreamy guitars were sounding sweet, and they kept a decent-sized crowd pretty captivated. Next off was a set by Soviet, who were playing at the same time three blocks down the road at the infamous Emo's. There were four huge lines to get in - those with SXSW registration badges, those with music festival wristbands or cash tickets waited in block-long lines outside two entrances. By the time I navigated to the right door, Soviet had just finished impressing the snot out of the crowd by the stage that I jealously interviewed. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead, and I figured I'd have to sit there for a couple sets I was only mildly interested in - SubPop's Kinski and Jungle Brothers. I stuck around for a few songs of Kinski. Nice ethereal and spastic jamming. I hoofed it over to another infamous club - Antone's to catch the next Texas legend - Gary Clark Jr. This young lad (I think he's above voting age now) is quite the classic blues virtuoso. It'll only be a matter of time until he becomes another household word in blues circles. I could only sneak a peek from an open door outside, as the long lines outside were only moving as people exited (Thanks in part to the fire in Rhode Island last month).
I headed back to the main part of 6th Street for part of The Militia Group's showcase. I saw a very pleasing set by Acceptance, caught up with writer Brian Quincy Newcomb for a chat, followed by several songs by The Rocket Summer. The precocious Bryce Avary is not quite the one-man show (he was accompanied by a organist), but he still wowed the crowd with his gentle but obvious understanding of the perfect pop song and the musical talent to switch from guitar to drums. Singing those "Bah-ba-ba's" in perfect time while playing fairly intricate drum patterns is a feat in my book. I decided to take a chance at being able to see a little Trail of the Dead, even though I knew I'd see gargantuan lines of impatient people, but the badge line was non-existent and I was able to see several songs. Amazing. Four guys on two guitars, bass and drums were accompanied by a four female string section of Oboe, and violins (never can quite tell the difference twic viola and violin). The experimental mixture is fabulous, adding more tension and dynamics to an emo and pop influenced driving rock show. Seeing the drummer come out with a cymbal stand and back fall into the audience while smashing away was classic. Then I went home to ponder my good fortune. More to come in the following nights...
Saw a great movie Saturday night, called The Journey. It's a documentary filmed by Eric Saperston and his friends, one of whom was working camera for MTV Road Rules (or Real World, I forget) and he recruited to join the trip with little to no budget. It started out with the idea of interviewing several people, mostly leaders like former President Jimmy Carter and corporate CEOs, garnering wisdom to pass on to the younger generation. Like a good concert that finds my mind swirling around personal and artistic dreams, this movie stirred up visions and dreams that I've had for a while. Great stuff. Like many of the "reality tv" shows of its day, it shows all the warts, fights, and shenanigans that 3-4 people crammed in a VW bus experience in a really long cross-country road trip. Twas fascinating to see this haphazard plan reveal truth from the voice of many. Fun.
In between panels and movies and parties are crammed sessions of my own writing for the May/June deadline. We're making a mad dash for the end here, as we have to get our issue #101 printed and delivered to the GMA convention early next month. It's shaping up real nice. I'm personally overjoyed by the return of Melba Jackson, who reveals a chance meeting she had with Boris Karloff back in the day...
Take care!
...it actually exists out there!
I have been jamming to all these releases from Limb Music Products, distributed in Europe by SPV and in the USA by Navarre.
Bands like Zandelle, ShadowKeep, and Luca Turilli. (Yeah, it's non-sacred, secular music) This stuff is great! It's been great listening to the bombastic sounds of ShadowKeep and the tightness and heaviness of Zandelle and Luca Turilli.
I'm typing this with a giant guitar pack on my back. I'm reviewing a couple Ritter Guitar Backpacks. I probably look like the hermit on the back of the Zeppelin IV album right now, except I'm hunched over on a computer chair and wearing a Guitar Pack. Other than these minute details, I am classic rock!
MCA Records (Universal Music Group) sought out and bought Pillar’s record contract from Flicker Records. A repackaged (new art and photos) and remixed re-release of Fireproof (with a bonus DVD included) will be going out to the mainstream market worldwide later on this year. "It will probably be a while before we are able to release any new Pillar material," stated the band in a recent press release. "Our next four new albums will be released under MCA."
"Fireproof" will be the first single going to mainstream radio, which will be released this month. There are also plans for a "Fireproof" video that will be pushed on MTV.
"Since MCA Records doesn’t have a Christian department they worked out a deal with Flicker Records allowing them to license us to the Christian market."
The band requests our prayers: "Underground! Now is the time to step it up. We are going to be putting out a message that is on the other end of the spectrum from a lot of other bands. Please keep us in constant prayer. Pray for our families, wise business decisions, that we constantly have people around us to hold us accountable, protection, strength to overcome temptation, and that we can bring the message of Christ to many in a tactful way. We will keep you updated on everything going on. Thank you for helping us take this to a whole other level. Stay UP!!"