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PUBLISHER<br />
Sean McCloskey - sean.mccloskey@ragmagazine.com<br />
EDITOR IN CHIEF<br />
Crystal Clark - crystal.clark@ragmagazine.com<br />
MANAGING EDITOR<br />
Juliett Rowe - juliett.rowe@ragmagazine.com<br />
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS<br />
Monica Cady - monica.cady@ragmagazine.com<br />
Marc Suriol - marc.suriol@ragmagazine.com<br />
WRITERS<br />
Monica Cady - monica.cady@ragmagazine.com<br />
Crystal Clark - crystal.clark@ragmagazine.com<br />
Paul Evans - paul.evans@ragmagazine.com<br />
Lauren Lester - lauren.lester@ragmagazine.com<br />
Scott Josephson - scott.josephson@ragmagazine.com<br />
Kelly Morrissey - kelly.morrissey@ragmagazine.com<br />
Juliett Rowe - juliett.rowe@ragmagazine.com<br />
Tanya Van Kampen - tanya.vankampen@ragmagazine.com<br />
Joseph Vilane - joseph.vilane@ragmagazine.com<br />
PHOTOGRAPHERS<br />
Crystal Clark - crystal.clark@ragmagazine.com<br />
Tom Craig - tom.craig@ragmagazine.com<br />
Sean McCloskey - sean.mccloskey@ragmagazine.com<br />
Jason Valhuerdi - jason.valhuerdi@ragmagazine.com<br />
<strong>RAG</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>, Inc.<br />
8930 State Road 84 # 322<br />
Davie, Florida 33324<br />
954-475-8065<br />
954-473-4551 fax<br />
general info - info@ragmagazine.com<br />
submit concert info - shows@ragmagazine.com<br />
advertising info - advertising@ragmagazine.com<br />
www.ragmagazine.com<br />
<strong>RAG</strong> MAGAZINE, INC.is published monthly in Davie, Florida. All contents are copyright 20<strong>03</strong> and<br />
may not be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed herein do not<br />
necessarily reflect those of the editors, publishers, advertisers or distributers. <strong>RAG</strong> reserves the right<br />
to edit or reject advertising which may result in legal action or is in poor taste. Liability for typographical<br />
error is limited to reprinting that part which is in error.
CONTENTS<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2004</strong><br />
#47<br />
24.....DEADSET - “Most of my songs are about issues I am dealing with in my life,” explains<br />
Salvatore, lead singer of South Florida’s own Deadset. “It’s a very personal record.”<br />
30.....MAROON 5 - <strong>RAG</strong>’s Monica Cady catches up with Maroon 5 during their national tour<br />
to talk about life on the road.<br />
34.....FEAR FACTORY - “If we can make this a successful record–it’s the ultimate<br />
redemption…” says Fear Factory drummer Raymond Herrera.<br />
38.....MESMER MACHINE - Orlando based rock outfit Mesmer Machine leaves the<br />
desert behind, but brings the r.o.c.k. with them.<br />
40.....A Dream Of Reality - “We went from playing in front of five people to playing for two<br />
hundred. It was nuts.” AJ Diaferio tells Rag <strong>Magazine</strong>.<br />
48.....Sound Tribe Sector 9 - “Whether at a downtempo sway or a raging sweat,<br />
whether they’re from the suburbs or the city—kids want to dance.”<br />
MONTHLY FEATURES<br />
06..UPCOMING & DATES<br />
12..PHOTO PASS<br />
16..MOVING IN STEREO<br />
20..CD REVIEWS<br />
44..CINEMA<br />
46..DVD REVIEWS<br />
51..CLASSIFIEDS<br />
C
Southern fried and finger licking good: Southern Culture on the Skids<br />
makes two appearances in south Florida this month. The North Carolina<br />
band is supporting their latest release Mojo Box (Yeproc Records),<br />
and if you haven’t ever seen them, well then, what in God’s name are<br />
you waiting for? The band puts on one hell of a show, complete with<br />
ass shakin’ rock and roll, and lots of big hair. Wednesday March 3 rd at<br />
I/O Lounge, Miami, and Thursday March 4 th at Respectable Street,<br />
West Palm Beach.<br />
With all this pseudo retro rock becoming popular, why not just go see<br />
the real thing, and one of the bands that started it all? Finally a concert<br />
where you can yell out “Freebird” and not look like an ass. Lynyrd<br />
Skynyrd with Georgia Satellites, Saturday March 6 th , Sound Advice<br />
Amp., West Palm Beach.<br />
I double dog dare you to yell out “Freebird” at a Cannibal Corpse<br />
show. The band that’s banned in various countries around the globe<br />
will be tearing it up at the Culture Room. There are other notables<br />
on the bill as well: Vile, Exhumed, and Hypocrisy. Saturday March<br />
13 th , Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale. And good luck with that<br />
“Freebird” thing.<br />
“That’s what’s great about songwriting, that you get to express that<br />
day or that moment immediately and then relive it over and over again<br />
and every time you sing it means something different,” Melissa<br />
Ferrick told Rag <strong>Magazine</strong> back in 2002. The Boston-based singer<br />
songwriter just released a live album, 70 People At 700 Feet, and has<br />
a new one around the corner. Ferrick’s live shows are intense, raw,<br />
and completely exhilarating—indie rock at its best. New York City<br />
singer-songwriter Edie Carey also plays, as well as south Florida’s<br />
own Beverly McClellan. Saturday March 13 th , Respectable Street,<br />
West Palm Beach.<br />
In its third year, Calliope Fest is working hard at becoming the little<br />
festival that could. Started by promoter Jeff Freeman in 2000, Calliope<br />
Fest picks up where Lilith Fair left off, and manages to bring an<br />
incredible amount of talent under one roof. Billing itself as a “celebration<br />
of women in music”, Calliope Fest should not be missed. Lisa<br />
Loeb headlines Saturday night, and Sophie B. Hawkins headlines<br />
Sunday night. There are a slew of talented women playing both days.<br />
Nini Camps, Amy Steinberg, Halcyon, Diane Ward, Linda Nunez,<br />
The Sirens, and many more. Saturday March 26 th and Sunday March<br />
27 th , Young Circle, Hollywood.<br />
I am so excited about this show I can’t stand it, so I’ll just get right to<br />
the point. Slipknot, Chimaira, Fear Factory. This year’s edition of<br />
the Jagermeister Music Tour is sick as hell, and will be huge.<br />
Wednesday March 31 st , Backstage at Sound Advice Amp., West Palm<br />
Beach.
TUESDAY<br />
WEDNESDAY<br />
THURSDAY<br />
FRIDAY<br />
SATURD<br />
TURDAY<br />
SUNDAY<br />
MONDAY<br />
TUESDAY<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 2<br />
THE SOCIAL – MAE, Copeland, The Working Title<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 3<br />
I/O – Southern Culture on the Skids, The Heatseekers<br />
HOUSE OF BLUES – Soil, Man Made God, Silver Tide<br />
THE SOCIAL –Zoa, Believe In Toledo, Finned Pilot, Our Given<br />
Day<br />
CAREFREE THEATER – Lucinda Williams<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 4<br />
HOUSE OF BLUES – George Thorogood, The Destroyers<br />
THE SOCIAL – Drive By Truckers<br />
RESPECTABLE STREET – Southern Culture on the Skids<br />
OFFICE DEPOT CENTER – Hoobastank, Linkin Park, POD,<br />
Story of the Year<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 5<br />
CULTURE ROOM – Moshi Moshi, Brothers Past<br />
CHURCHILLS – The Heatseekers, The Enablers, The Holy<br />
Terrors, The Mission Veo<br />
THE SOCIAL – Milka, Amy Steinberg, The Mission Dolls<br />
THE FACTORY – Treeport, Jupiter Sunrise, Fallen from the<br />
Sky, A Dream of Reality, Words Now Heard.<br />
THE UGLY MUG – Wrecktifier<br />
OFFICE DEPOT CENTER – Maroon 5, John Mayer<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 6<br />
CULTURE ROOM – Level It, The Octave<br />
HOUSE OF BLUES – Victor Manuelle<br />
THE SOCIAL – Southern Culture on the Skids<br />
WILLS PUB – Danali<br />
THE UGLY MUG – Wrecktifier<br />
BROADWAY BILLIARDS – Wednesday’s Child<br />
SOUND ADVICE AMPH. – Lynyrd Skynyrd, Georgia Satellites<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 7<br />
HOUSE OF BLUES – Willie Nelson<br />
THE SOCIAL – Sound Tribe Sector Nine<br />
DADA – Hashbrown<br />
THE FACTORY – Starflyer 59, The Party People, The Kick<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 8<br />
HOUSE OF BLUES – AFI, Thursday, Coheed & Cambria<br />
THE SOCIAL –G-Love & Special Sauce<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 9<br />
HOUSE OF BLUES – AFI, Thursday, Coheed & Cambria<br />
THE SOCIAL – Mad Lib & Peanut Butter Wolf<br />
WEDNESDAY<br />
THURSDAY<br />
FRIDAY<br />
SATURD<br />
TURDAY<br />
SUNDAY<br />
MONDAY<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 10<br />
HOUSE OF BLUES – Ludacris, Chingy, Nocturnal<br />
THE SOCIAL – Spacek<br />
CULTURE ROOM – Johnny Dread<br />
THE SOCIAL – Melissa Ferrick<br />
DADA – The Yoko Theory<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 11<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 12<br />
CULTURE ROOM – Rambler, The Hep Cat Boo Daddies,<br />
The Jack Theory Trader, Osiris Rising, Temple<br />
THE SOCIAL – Dame, The Jason Choi Band<br />
BENNY’S ICEHOUSE – Wrecktifier<br />
OFFICE DEPOT CENTER – Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Missy<br />
Elliott, Tamia<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 13<br />
CULTURE ROOM – Cannibal Corpse, Hypocrisy, Exhumed,<br />
Vile<br />
I/O – See Venus<br />
SURF CAFÉ – Billy Bloboby, The Holy Terrors, The Mission<br />
Veo<br />
HOUSE OF BLUES – Steve O & Company of Jackass<br />
THE SOCIAL – Rocket 88<br />
DADA – Timb<br />
BENNY’S ICEHOUSE – Wrecktifier<br />
RESPECTABLE STREET – Melissa Ferrick<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 14<br />
HOUSE OF BLUES – Erykah Badu, Floetry<br />
THE SOCIAL – Cannibal Corpse, Exhumed, Vile, Hypocrisy<br />
DADA – Doorway 27<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 15<br />
HOUSE OF BLUES –The Strokes, The Sounds<br />
THURSDAY<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 18<br />
DADA – Higher Zenith<br />
HOUSE OF BLUES – Saves the Day, Grandaddy, Dios<br />
THE SOCIAL – Summerbirds In the Cellar, Padallock Grafts<br />
FRIDAY<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 19<br />
CULTURE ROOM – Scars of Life, One<br />
THE SOCIAL – The Get Up Kids, Recover, Rocky Votolato
SATURD<br />
TURDAY<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 20<br />
DADA – Septembre<br />
AAA – Britney Spears, Kelis<br />
CULTURE ROOM – Gavin Degraw, Matt Nathanson, Michael<br />
Tolcher<br />
HOUSE OF BLUES – Story of the Year, Hazen Street, Saosin,<br />
Adair<br />
THE SOCIAL – Some Other Life, One Less Reason,<br />
Transmision<br />
DADA – Whirlaway<br />
MONDAY<br />
THE SOCIAL – Carbon Leaf<br />
WEDNESDAY<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 29<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 31<br />
SUNDAY<br />
MONDAY<br />
WEDNESDAY<br />
THURSDAY<br />
FRIDAY<br />
SATURD<br />
TURDAY<br />
8 • <strong>RAG</strong> MAGAZINE • <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2004</strong><br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 21<br />
HOUSE OF BLUES – Fuel<br />
THE SOCIAL – School for Heros, Hand to Hand, Minus Driver<br />
DADA – Spazimoto<br />
HOUSE OF BLUES – Nickel Creek<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 22<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 24<br />
THE SOCIAL – Stellastarr, John Vanderslice, Ambulance,<br />
Will Johnson<br />
THE SOCIAL – Phantom Planet<br />
DADA – The Yoko Theory<br />
SUNDAY<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 25<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 26<br />
CULTURE ROOM – MEST, Fallout Boy, Matchbook Romance,<br />
Dynamite Boy<br />
THE SOCIAL – Thrice, Poison the Well, Darkest Hour, Moment<br />
in Grace<br />
THE FACTORY – Bleeding Through, Death by Stereo, Himsa<br />
THE UGLY MUG – Wrecktifier<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 27<br />
CULTURE ROOM – Control Machete<br />
THE SOCIAL – The Twilight Singers<br />
DADA – Catalonia<br />
THE FACTORY – Thrice, Poison the Well, Darkest Hour,<br />
Moments in Grace<br />
THE UGLY MUG – Wrecktifier<br />
SURF CAFÉ – Wednesday’s Child<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 28<br />
CULTURE ROOM – Superjoint Ritual, Divine Empire<br />
THE SOCIAL – Bleeding Through, Death by Stereo, Himsa<br />
SOUND ADVICE AMPHITHEATER – Jagermeister Music<br />
Tour<br />
THE SOCIAL – Ignid, Asphalt<br />
Get your dates and<br />
venues listed FREE!<br />
shows@ragmagazine.com<br />
or 954-473-4551<br />
VENUE<br />
LISTINGS<br />
ALLIGATOR ALLEY - 5501 NE 2nd Ave, Miami 305-757-1807<br />
AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA - 601 Biscayne Blvd, Miami 786-777-1000<br />
BAYFRONT PARK AMPH - 301 N. Biscayne Blve, Miami<br />
BORDERS - 12171 West Sunrise Boulevard, Plantation 954-723-9595<br />
CHURCHILLS - 5501 NW 2 Ave, Miami 305-757-1807<br />
CLUB M - 2<strong>03</strong>7 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 954-925-8396<br />
CULTURE ROOM - 3045 N. Federal Highway, Hollywood 954-564-1074<br />
DADA - 52 N. Swinton Ave, Delray Beach 561-330-3232<br />
GOTHAM HALL - 1502 Hendry Street, Ft. Myers 239-337-4662<br />
HOUSE OF BLUES - 1490 E. Buena Vista Dr.,Lake Buena Vista 407-934-BLUE<br />
JACKIE GLEASON - 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach 305-673-7300<br />
JAMES L. KNIGHT CTR - 400 SE 2nd Ave, Miami 305.372.4634<br />
KELSEY CLUB - 700 Park Ave, Lake Worth 561-296-1407<br />
LOST & FOUND – 664 South Highway 17-92, Orlando<br />
MIZNER PARK AMPH. – 433 Plaza Real Boca Raton<br />
O’ SHEAS IRISH PUB - 531 Clematis St. WPB<br />
OVATION - 3637 South Federal Highway, Boynton 561-740-7076<br />
POMPANO BEACH AMPH. - 1806 NE 6th Street Pompano 954-946-2402<br />
POORHOUSE - 110 SW 3 Ave, Ft. Lauderdale 954-522-5145<br />
RESPECTABLE STREET - 518 Clematis St., WPB 561-832-9999<br />
SEA MONSTER - 2 New South River Dr. W, Ft. Lauderdale 954-463-4641<br />
SOUND ADVICE AMPH. - 601-7 Sansbury’s Way, WPB 561-795-8883<br />
THE FACTORY - 2674 Oakland Park Blvd Ft. Lauderdale 954-566-6631<br />
THE ORPHEUM - 8th & 14th Tampa 813-248-9500<br />
THE SOCIAL - 54 N. Orange Ave, Orlando 407-246-1419<br />
THE STATION - 843 Lee Road, Orlando 407-645-4558<br />
TWILIGHT - 1507 East 7th Ave., Tampa 813-247-4225<br />
UM CONVOCATION CTR - 1245 Walsh Ave Coral Gables<br />
VENU - 100 SW 3rd Ave. Ft. Lauderdale 954-766-8477<br />
WALLFLOWER GALLERY - 10 NE 3rd St., Miami 305-579-0069<br />
WILLS PUB - 1815 N. Mills Ave Orlando 407-898-5070<br />
WOODPECKER RECORDS - 3615 S. Fl. Ave., Lakeland 863-647-9872<br />
VENUE<br />
LISTINGS
GET A<br />
FREE T-SHIRT<br />
12 ISSUES $25
OPETH<br />
CULTURE ROOM<br />
FEBRUARY 10, <strong>2004</strong><br />
PHOTO: JASON VALHUERDI<br />
FLICKERSTICK<br />
CULTURE ROOM<br />
FEBRUARY 19, <strong>2004</strong><br />
PHOTO: JASON VALHUERDI<br />
DEVIL DRIVER<br />
CULTURE ROOM<br />
FEBRUARY 10, <strong>2004</strong><br />
PHOTO: JASON VALHUERDI<br />
BETTE MIDLER<br />
OFFICE DEPOT CENTER<br />
FEBRUARY 28, <strong>2004</strong><br />
PHOTO: SEAN MCCLOSKEY
11th Annual Bob Marley Caribbean Festival<br />
February 7, <strong>2004</strong><br />
Bayfront Park Amphitheater<br />
STEEL PULSE<br />
SOJA<br />
NASIO FONTAINE<br />
CULTURE<br />
Photos: Jason Valhuerdi<br />
STEEL PULSE<br />
STEPHEN MARLEY<br />
MOTHER BOOKER<br />
DAMIAN MARLEY<br />
JULIAN MARLEY<br />
INDIA.ARIE
Moving In Stereo<br />
as heard by<br />
Darren Paltrowitz<br />
Thanks to a warm opening reception that<br />
now also brings my writing to Australia<br />
and the U.K., Moving In Stereo is back for<br />
Round 2. Although still jobless and having<br />
celebrated my not-awaited 22 nd Birthday<br />
by the time you’re reading this, there<br />
still remain many reasons to get your calendar<br />
book out and be optimistic; and hopefully<br />
you’ll find dozens of them down below.<br />
…From The Island<br />
A lot has happened on my home turf of<br />
Long Island over the past month that’s<br />
gone unreported. It’s been published that<br />
Taking Back Sunday has completed the<br />
demos for the second album it will shortly<br />
be recording, and that Brand New turned<br />
down a Summer arena tour with Incubus<br />
in favor of writing its third album, but where<br />
was the mention of Blood Red? The band,<br />
featuring former Silent Majority vocalist<br />
(and MerchDirect artist) Tommy Corrigan,<br />
is said to be playing its last show in the<br />
coming weeks, and two legendary area<br />
bands are rumored to be reuniting for that<br />
occasion…Greyscale, a Warped Tourplaying<br />
quintet that interestingly blends<br />
Metal, Funk, Dub and Pop, is said to be<br />
moving out to the West Coast to pursue<br />
music full-time, while the Loren Israelmanaged<br />
The Kites will be going back to<br />
L.A. in May for recording; their half-recorded<br />
album was lost due to a faulty harddrive…Something<br />
from these parts that<br />
has been getting a lot of mention, however,<br />
is the Long Island Music Hall Of<br />
Fame, which is being championed by corporations,<br />
local government and L.I.-bred<br />
artists like Eddie Money and Twisted<br />
Sister’s Dee Snider alike…Two bands<br />
that could eventually wind up part of the<br />
LIMHOF if the hype keeps up are Nightmare<br />
Of You, featuring Brandon Reilly of<br />
the recently-disbanded Drive-Thru<br />
Records act The Movielife, and Dearly<br />
Departed, which just put out its excellent<br />
debut disc — titled Believing In Ghosts –<br />
on One Day Savior Recordings. The two<br />
will be playing together, alongside Orange<br />
Island, for Nightmare’s first-ever gig on<br />
March 6 th .<br />
…From The Studio<br />
While tribute albums are generally overhyped<br />
and disappointing, Epic Records<br />
is currently assembling one for Sly Stone<br />
for a Summer <strong>2004</strong> release. Being assembled<br />
by Chic songwriter and overall<br />
THE CARDIGANS<br />
GARBAGE<br />
SLY STONE<br />
WEEZER<br />
studio guru Nile Rodgers, Sly 2K is currently<br />
counting on contributions from Beck,<br />
Moby, John Mayer, Lenny Kravitz, The<br />
Black Eyed Peas, The Roots, Maroon 5<br />
(anybody remember when four out of the<br />
“5” were called Kara’s Flowers?) and<br />
Buddy Guy. Audioslave and Aerosmith<br />
remain rumored participants as of press<br />
time…Armed Love, the third full-length<br />
from The (International) Noise Conspiracy,<br />
is currently finished and in the<br />
midst of post-production with A-List producer<br />
Rick Rubin, who is also helming<br />
the forthcoming Weezer disc…Foo Fighters<br />
visionary Dave Grohl does have the<br />
Probot album to hawk, beyond his sessions<br />
with Killing Joke, but that hasn’t<br />
stopped from him drumming on the upcoming<br />
Garbage album, which was recorded<br />
in the same Wisconsin location<br />
as the latest from As Tall As<br />
Lions…Speaking of the almighty<br />
Grohlness, Ash’s new disc had Dave’s<br />
right-hand man Nick Raskulinecz behind<br />
the boards in L.A., and his Queens Of The<br />
Stone Age buddy Josh Homme will be<br />
looking to record another QOTSA collection,<br />
despite the recent lineup departures<br />
of Mark Lanegan and bassist Nick<br />
Oliveri…Mr. Grohl could probably be used<br />
in Oasis, who currently lack a full-time<br />
person behind the kit and have Noel<br />
Gallagher playing on the demos for the<br />
band’s sixth studio album. Also in the<br />
works for that Manchester band is a DVD,<br />
for which early to mid-1990’s fan-taken<br />
footage is needed by producer Dick<br />
Carruthers.<br />
…From The Side<br />
Side-projects generally lack substance,<br />
but one that makes me laugh is The<br />
Forces Of Evil. Not to be confused with<br />
the Euro-Metal band of nearly the same<br />
name, this band features Reel Big Fish’s<br />
Aaron Barrett and members of Jeffries<br />
Fan Club and The Scholars playing “evil<br />
Ska.” The album is out through Jive/<br />
Interscope and includes covers of Van<br />
Halen and Suburban Rhythm<br />
anthems…Glassjaw may not be touring<br />
or recording at the moment, but three of<br />
its members have been keeping active.<br />
Frontman Daryl Palumbo has a collaboration<br />
with Dan The Automator titled Head<br />
Automatica, which looks to be coming out<br />
on Warner Brothers Records. Head recently<br />
played a high-profile live show in<br />
L.A., also featuring Glassjaw drummer<br />
Larry Gorman (ex-Orange 9MM) and<br />
former Movielife singer Vinny Caruana.<br />
Meanwhile, guitarist Todd Weinstock is<br />
part of the well-hyped Easy Tiger project
with The Reunion Show’s Skully, Descendre’s T.J.<br />
Penzone and the aforementioned Brandon Reilly, while<br />
also spottable in the latest Brand New<br />
video…Maplewood, the 70’s Rock-inspired quartet led<br />
by Champale’s Mark Rozzo and with Nada Surf’s Ira<br />
Elliot on drums, currently has its debut album in the<br />
can and a showcase gig at SXSW forthcoming. Apologies<br />
for being outdated go out to Nada Surf, who it<br />
turns out not only finished three weeks of recording<br />
with Death Cab For Cutie’s Chris Walla, but have a live<br />
CD and DVD coming out beyond a tour diary from vocalist/guitarist<br />
Matthew Caws in Magnet <strong>Magazine</strong>, and<br />
a song soon appearing in an episode of The O.C.<br />
…From The Ex’s<br />
With ¾ of the band coming from Errortype: 11 and the<br />
other ¼ having been the guitarist of Quicksand, it is<br />
with good reason that Instruction signed a deal with<br />
Geffen Records after less than a year of playing together.<br />
The band recorded its heavily-awaited debut<br />
with Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, KISS, Aerosmith) – and<br />
Instruction already has a rave review in NME to brag<br />
of…Further Seems Forever, a band mostly known because<br />
of its former singer forming Dashboard Confessional,<br />
has announced its break-up after the departure<br />
of replacement frontman Jason Gleason. It appears<br />
that FSF will be splitting into two separate groups…The<br />
Fire Theft is a powerful trio comprised of Sunny Day<br />
Real Estate founders Jeremy Enigk and William Goldsmith<br />
and Foo Fighters bassist Nate Mendel. The<br />
act’s worthwhile self-titled is now out on Rykodisc and<br />
will be out on an amazing-sounding tour with Grandaddy,<br />
Hey Mercedes and Saves The Day in the coming weeks.<br />
18 • <strong>RAG</strong> MAGAZINE • <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2004</strong><br />
…From The Stage<br />
Speaking of Hey Mercedes, I was fortunate enough to<br />
catch the quartet’s recent sold-out gig at The Mercury<br />
Lounge. Alternating between selections from their two<br />
Vagrant-released full-lengths, the band played with<br />
extreme intensity on “Quality Revenge At Last.” The<br />
songs slightly faster in a live setting, it constantly remained<br />
a wonder how drummer Damon Atkinson was<br />
able to keep up with the time-signature changes and<br />
sudden breaks of such poppy-yet-complex songs.<br />
While the overly-sweetness of co-headliner Wheat was<br />
a bit much for me to take, the eclectic openers known<br />
as The Honorary Title played sincere Indie-Rock that<br />
definitely blew more than a few spectators away – myself<br />
included…During the week-long trip to Tokyo, Japan<br />
that I was fortunate enough to take last month, I<br />
caught two diametrically-opposed shows at the same<br />
venue (Shibuya Kokkaido) on consecutive nights. First<br />
was Glasgow, Scotland’s Belle & Sebastian, who had<br />
a charismatic solo-acoustic warm-up performer in Eugene<br />
Kelly. Mixing up rarely-performed tracks and extended<br />
versions of favorites, there isn’t any possible<br />
way that an open-minded person could have walked<br />
away from the Belle show uninspired. With each of the<br />
core band members a multi-instrumentalist, auxiliary<br />
horns and strings being added to some songs and<br />
lead vocal duties being shared amongst three members,<br />
this was ethereal unpredictability. However, my personal highlight<br />
was a lively version of “You’re Just A Baby,” which was a duet between<br />
Sarah Martin and the aforementioned Kelly. On the contrary, David Lee<br />
Roth stuck to the hits, opting to play only one selection from his latest<br />
release, Diamond Dave. Peppering wall-to-wall classics – every Van<br />
Halen and solo favorite, minus “Janie’s Cryin’” — with the banter that<br />
makes DLR everyone’s favorite Rock personality, this was the sort of<br />
eventful concert experience that rarely exists anymore. Giving the crowd<br />
tunes from the first two VH albums that hadn’t been performed in many<br />
years, die-hards and casual listeners alike should have been pleased.<br />
While most of what Dave said probably went over the proverbial heads of<br />
most audience members – it’s a wonder that he didn’t use Japan-born<br />
rhythm guitarist Toshi Hiketa as a translator – especially at the point<br />
where he spoke “en Español,” we are talking about a man who still does<br />
all of the high-kicks and mid-song gymnastics that he was doing 30<br />
years ago! And his four-piece backing band? Well, all the harmonies are<br />
there and “Lightning” Ray Luzier certainly works circles around Alex Van<br />
Halen. If you see that Diamond Dave is coming to your town, you must be<br />
there.<br />
…From The Stereo<br />
Sometimes the best music you can find comes to you for free, and recently<br />
such happened to me when I received a sampler CD from Jonny<br />
Polonsky. A former wunderkind discovered by Frank Black and praised<br />
by Jeff Buckley, before undergoing two troubling major-label situations,<br />
he’s been offering a free EP of new material to those who visit his website<br />
at www.jonnypolonsky.com. My favorite of the batch is “Even The Oxen,”<br />
which features Polonsky on all instruments, and just may be one of my<br />
favorite songs ever…After nearly a year of waiting, the latest album from<br />
The Cardigans — Long Gone Before Daylight – is due for a U.S. release<br />
in late May. For those who had shelled out for the import, re-buying it here<br />
means getting a bonus track and a DVD containing three songs from the<br />
Rosklide Festival and two music videos…Have you heard A Beautiful<br />
Extended EP from Clem Snide? Whether or not the band is usually up<br />
your alley, the lead-off track – a cover of Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” –<br />
is a pleasant surprise. Same goes for Grandaddy’s Sumday and<br />
Bagheera’s Twelves; two discs that are poppy yet experimental and wellproduced…As<br />
for a Rock singer-songwriter that’s destined for bigger<br />
and better things, there’s Charlie Mars. His fourth full-length overall,<br />
Mars is backed up by producer Rick Beato and Darren Dodd, both of<br />
whom you may recall from a should’ve-been-big band from Atlanta named<br />
Billionaire. And speaking of long-deserved due, Rocket From The Tombs<br />
– a band responsible for the formations of Pere Ubu and The Dead<br />
Boys — has finally released its first disc on Smog Veil Records, and<br />
it surely is interesting to hear early versions of “Sonic Reducer” and<br />
“Ain’t It Fun.”<br />
…From The Future<br />
For those who see musical-theater as to-be-avoided entertainment, perhaps<br />
they should reconsider what’s currently titled as Spamelot. Intended<br />
to be a Broadway version of Monty Python And The Holy Grail, Eric<br />
Idle – who recently put out his as-alter-ego Rutland Isles solo disc – has<br />
penned new songs for this forthcoming production, which looks as if it’ll<br />
be directed by Mike Nichols. However, it is not expected that any members<br />
from the Monty Python troupe will be involved onstage.<br />
If you have news to report for the next edition of Moving In Stereo, press<br />
releases and all other correspondence for Darren should be sent to<br />
DARREN.PALTROWITZ@<strong>RAG</strong>MAGAZINE.COM<br />
© <strong>2004</strong> – Column used with permission from Darren Paltrowitz. All right<br />
reserved.
PAPA ROACH
Butterfly Boucher<br />
Flutterby<br />
A&M Records<br />
From the Australian with a funny name comes a remarkable<br />
record. Butterfly wrote all the music, played just about every<br />
instrument on the album, and produced most of it herself.<br />
This gem of an album easily falls into the pop rock category,<br />
but there are definitely moments that veer from jazzy<br />
elements, to folky singer-songwriter fare, to deep melodic<br />
grooves. The album opens with the catchy “Life Is Short”,<br />
and quickly rolls into “Can You See The Lights?”, a nice<br />
guitar driven track with lush choruses and melodic<br />
breakdowns. The breakout track on this album however is<br />
“Another White Dash”, which is beginning to garner some<br />
(much deserved) radio airplay across the country. Butterfly’s<br />
honesty and candor on this album, are what make it special.<br />
She doesn’t drag you down with overstated emotion, she<br />
simply puts it out there and let’s you roll with it. And as you’re driving and listening to Flutterby, the line<br />
“Something about having everything you think you’ll ever need sitting in the seat next to you,” really hits<br />
home. (Very) highly recommended. butterflyboucher.com — Juliett Rowe<br />
Nini Camps<br />
So Long<br />
self release/LovePie Music<br />
Miami native and NYC based Nini Camps has been slugging<br />
it out on the indie front for a while now, and this album is her<br />
first release since going solo. Camps has quite a unique<br />
sound—somewhere between alt.country, roots rock, and<br />
singer-songwriter pop rock. There is plenty of slide guitar<br />
on this album, but Nini does it using effects pedals with her<br />
acoustic guitar. She also proudly showcases her Cuban<br />
heritage with her percussive Latin rhythms throughout the<br />
album. Halfway through the record Nini’s sound veers more<br />
into guitar driven pop rock, and Nini shines through with heartfelt lyrics and catchy melodies. Standout<br />
tracks include “Slide”, “Spin”, and “Waiting”. Nini should be proud of this record, this is a great self<br />
produced and self released effort. ninicamps.com — JR<br />
The Beauvilles<br />
Singapore<br />
self release<br />
The worst thing about this 4 song EP is that it’s entirely too<br />
short. This Tampa Bay band has been around for a while,<br />
and it’s a down right dirty shame that they’re not signed yet.<br />
They fall under the indie/garage/retro rock umbrella, and the<br />
thing is, they were doing this sound long before the post<br />
garage rock revolution took place a few years ago. Vocalist<br />
and guitarist Shawn Beauville instills a sense of frantic<br />
urgency on this record, particularly on the title track with his<br />
smooth yet whiskey soaked voice crooning about late nights, love gone wrong, and high expectations.<br />
Shawn’s guitars slip and slide between elegant solos and fuzzy seventies-esque distortion, all the while<br />
the rhythm section keeps things moving with jazz influenced beats (complete with a stand-up bass) and an<br />
undeniable melody. The Beauvilles have an uncanny knack for creating music that is passionate, moody,<br />
and nothing short of brilliant, and the best thing about this EP is that it’s just damn good. thebeauvilles.net<br />
— JR<br />
20 • <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2004</strong> • <strong>RAG</strong> MAGAZINE
To My Surprise<br />
Self-titled<br />
Roadrunner Records/Island Def Jam<br />
Surprise! It’s Slipknot’s number 9, also known as Clown, the insane one.<br />
And this album is just about as far from Slipknot as you can get, and for<br />
this album that works really well. This album is immediately catchy and<br />
addictive, and loaded with power pop tuneage that at times flexes a bit of<br />
muscle and rocks out, like on “In The Mood”, then tones it down a bit, for<br />
instance on the lounge inspired track “Turn It Back Around” and “This Life”.<br />
Rick Rubin does this album justice by not over producing and letting Shawn<br />
Crahan keep his own identity, and that is probably all that Shawn asked for<br />
on this album. Highly recommended. tomysurprise.com — JR<br />
Deadset<br />
Agony<br />
self release<br />
With pummeling drums and thick guitars Deadset have created a sonic<br />
force to be reckoned with. Salvatore Marotta’s melodic vocals carry the<br />
tunes on Agony as he wrestles with betrayal, death, and longing. The<br />
group easily blends styles as their sound runs from nu-metal and<br />
modern rock to elements of classic metal. Very Solid. – Bernadette<br />
Smith
DEADSET<br />
Story: James Franks<br />
DEADSET is a power trio with heavy guitars, grooving beats<br />
and an incredible voice with melodies to match. After listening<br />
to their CD it was obvious to me that this was one of<br />
the best local bands that South Florida had to offer. This<br />
CD is packed with 11 tracks of grooving new metal. Anyone<br />
who likes high energy rock and is into bands like<br />
Sevendust, Disturbed or Saliva will absolutely dig this disc.<br />
One thing that I noticed about this disc was how memorable<br />
the melodies were, after just one pass I found myself<br />
humming one of the tunes on the CD all day long. My<br />
favorite song on the disc is track 4, titled ”Agony.” This<br />
disc was recorded, mixed and mastered at Sonic Groove<br />
Studios in Davie Florida. Another very impressive quality<br />
about this CD was the quality of the recording. This recording<br />
sounds like a big budget recording comparable to<br />
anything you may hear on the radio or buy in the store<br />
today. The band lines up as follows: Salvatore Marotta<br />
(lead vocals/ lead guitars) Eric Taft (bass guitar) Paul<br />
Maynard (drums).<br />
I recently had a chance to see this band live at The Factory<br />
in Fort Lauderdale, and they sounded just like the CD ( a<br />
rare quality for even a national act). The show had crushing<br />
energy, an awesome sound and an extreme level of<br />
intensity. Not only was this band excellent as a group,<br />
they also shined individually as well. This band incorporated<br />
guitar solos, monster drum fills and lots of harmony<br />
vocals. The place was packed with Deadset fans and for<br />
those who had never seen this band before, definitely left as<br />
new deadset fans themselves. After the performance the<br />
band was approached with many fans high fiving and celebrating<br />
a monster performance. The band was then surrounded<br />
by family and friends who have been supporting these<br />
guys for some time now and the vibe seemed to be charged<br />
with a sense loyalty and pride. There were smiles all around<br />
as they all went to the bar to enjoy the rest of the evening.<br />
All three members of Deadset were born and raised in South<br />
Florida and have been friends for over 15 years. They all went<br />
to the same schools and have some real history together.<br />
These guys have been playing the scene for about four years<br />
now. Until about a year ago they used to call themselves<br />
Vent, until another band came along with legal ownership of<br />
the name Vent so the guys changed their name to Deadset.<br />
This band has definitely reached a new level and has set the<br />
bar the rest of the local acts. I would not be surprised to see<br />
this band on MTV or hear them on the radio in the near<br />
future, SO WATCH OUT FOR DEADSET!<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: You’ve recorded a fantastic record, you’ve had<br />
successful shows on a local level, what is next for<br />
Deadset?<br />
SAL: Well we have just signed on with a real hot entertainment<br />
attorney in LA, he’s supposed to be the best in the<br />
business and we are hoping the next step will be a record<br />
deal.<br />
24 • <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2004</strong> • <strong>RAG</strong> MAGAZINE
<strong>RAG</strong>: I hear a lot of different styles in your music, who<br />
are some of your influences?<br />
SAL: Everyone who knows me knows I am a Sevendust freak<br />
I listen to them all of the time and they have really affected<br />
my writing and approach to music, as for my older influences<br />
or influences on my playing I would have to say George<br />
Lynch from Dokken , Tony Harnel from TNT and Alice In<br />
Chains.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: The record seems pretty dark but at the same<br />
time uplifting, what do you draw from to achieve such<br />
a curious and unique mix?<br />
SAL: Well that’s a good question. Most of my songs are<br />
about a situation or an issue I am thinking about or dealing<br />
with in my life. For instance ”Presence” track 6 on the<br />
record is about a person who loses someone and believes<br />
that this person is looking down on them. Although the loss<br />
of the person is painful the possibility of their presence gives<br />
us a sense of hope so have the pain which is dark and the<br />
light which could be uplifting as you say.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: It says in your liner notes inside your CD that you<br />
produced, engineered, and mastered the CD. That<br />
seems like a lot of hats to wear, if you could do it again<br />
would you prefer to have a producer and an engineer?<br />
SAL: That would really depend on the guys. I would embrace<br />
any situation where the people involved would bring<br />
the music to another level or give me the luxury of just creating<br />
and not worrying about production. If I am ever in a position<br />
to where a label hired a producer for us I would really be<br />
looking for the chemistry because once you have that it is all<br />
magical from there. I have just heard some nightmares of<br />
how some producers really ruin a project and that scares<br />
me a little.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: There is a rumor I hear about a possible fourth<br />
member to this project, is this true?<br />
SAL: Actually it is. He is an awesome guitar player, singer<br />
from South Florida his name is Dave and he has been in<br />
bands like Tuff Luck, Nocturnals, Elephant Orange and<br />
E.O.D. He is someone I have been writing with for about 10<br />
years and he is going to really add a lot more to the live<br />
show, future recordings and song writing. Right now he is<br />
living in California so it will be a bit of a challenge to work<br />
out the details but it will be worth it.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: Can we plan on seeing you perform at the Hard<br />
Rock with him?<br />
SAL: Yes, he is going to fly in for the shows and future<br />
recordings.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: What is it about your band that you think the<br />
fans love so much?<br />
SAL: I think they love the groove, the edge. Also I think the<br />
writing really rings true. The writing is pretty angry and<br />
people can relate to that but it is more than just rage, there<br />
is also a message that I think people are getting.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: What is your favorite part of the business?<br />
SAL: Playing live and watching the audience respond to<br />
the music. Especially if we play in an area where we are<br />
new, converting the whole crowd over the course of a show<br />
is the best rush in the world!<br />
PAUL MAYNARD<br />
SALVATORE MAROTTA<br />
ERIC TAFT<br />
WWW.DEADSETROCKS.COM<br />
<strong>RAG</strong> MAGAZINE • <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2004</strong> • 25
MAROON<br />
Levine says he went through a period when he constantly tried<br />
new things, searching for his perfect career. “I went through a<br />
phase where I wanted to be like the most proficient guitarist in the<br />
world. I got really into being a guitar geek and jamming and all<br />
that. Honest to God, musicianship and the dedication to playing<br />
the craft of my instrument is secondary to writing music – going<br />
on instinct and figuring it out on my own. I quickly got sidetracked<br />
[from the guitar]. I tried to do a lot of things in my life. I would just<br />
wake up and decide okay, I want to be an actor and I would try that<br />
for a minute. The only thing I had been doing consistently since<br />
I was a kid was [making music]. So you have to eventually put all<br />
your eggs in one basket, and go for it. Because spreading yourself<br />
too thin just doesn’t work.”<br />
5Story: Monica Cady<br />
To see Adam Levine perform live with Maroon 5, you would<br />
assume he is an extraordinarily confident 25 year old with strong<br />
ideas about passion and love. Shirt off, he coolly struts up and<br />
down on the stage, never turning his back to the crowd. Young<br />
girls on the front row are rapt by his Stevie Wonder-like whoaoh-oh’s<br />
and funkdified straight-from-the-soul delivery. To speak<br />
with Levine, you know this surface conception of his persona is<br />
right on target. During a one-hour phone chat, he reveals inner<br />
struggles with fame, relationships and being an adult. Through<br />
it all, there’s one thing he wants to make clear – he’s no vapid<br />
rock star.<br />
A few seconds into our conversation Levine apologizes for the<br />
squishy smacking sounds coming from his end of the phone.<br />
“I’m eating, and I apologize if you hear nasty noises.” I offer to<br />
call back later. “Nah, I am just eating Chinese food. It’s all<br />
good, just don’t be offended by my horrible manners.”<br />
A Billy Joel album blares in the background of his Sheraton<br />
Hotel room in Tacoma, Washington, and Levine begins to give<br />
a self-description. “Sometimes I am totally guarded, sometimes<br />
I am an open book,” he admits. At this moment, the wary<br />
side is coming through. He is snappy with responses, appearing<br />
either completely self-assured or extremely programmed<br />
for interviews. Levine confesses to being cocky at<br />
times, but says he is always gracious. He continues to babble,<br />
saying he has a bi-polar disorder, which admittedly seems like<br />
an embellishment, but becomes obvious as our banter continues.<br />
“I don’t like to be one thing too often. That’s boring ya know? I<br />
like to experience being different ways - to get different reactions<br />
out of people. I am perpetually indecisive. If I order the<br />
steak, I want the fish. And if I order the chicken, I want to get the<br />
salad. No matter what I order, everybody else’s food always<br />
looks better. It’s a serious psychological problem.”<br />
Sill mumbling through bites of food, he pauses, “You caught me<br />
at a very introspective time in my life, so these questions [about<br />
myself] are very appropriate.” He again makes an apology for the<br />
um’s and uh’s he gives between thoughts. “Sorry, I am just chewing.<br />
[The um’s and uh’s] are a verbal crunch that just sound<br />
inarticulate and stupid,” he says, then immediately begins to make<br />
a conscious effort to sharply enunciate his words with heightened<br />
precision. With such competent responses, Levine sounds<br />
like a total perfectionist, and is undeniably intuitive and intelligent.<br />
He offers clever, but sometimes contradictory ideas.<br />
Having just gone platinum, Maroon 5’s debut Songs About Jane,<br />
is a new direction from their previous alt-rock style as Kara’s<br />
Flowers – a band that began in 1997 and dissipated soon after<br />
its first debut. After some time apart, the band reconvened as<br />
Maroon 5, changed their musical style, gained a guitarist,<br />
and have met constant success since.<br />
A willingness to experiment with sound gave Maroon 5 their unique<br />
platform, and Levine explains that the band will continue to try<br />
new things for the next record. “We could easily go in a completely<br />
different direction. We’re always going to be rooted in<br />
what made us who we are. I don’t think that’s going to change too<br />
drastically. It’s going to be a very different record. It’s kind of refreshing<br />
because there’s no category that we fit into comfortably,<br />
which I think has always been our goal.<br />
“I think bands run into a problem where they get too formulaic<br />
about things and their approach gets too predictable. We all get<br />
together in a room, drink a bottle of whisky and write music all<br />
day. If we did that every day or every time we went to write, everything<br />
would wind up sounding exactly the same. So it’s nice to<br />
change the artistic process so that you can be influenced by outside<br />
things. You don’t want to be too caught up in your own world<br />
or you’ll end up making the same record twice, which we will not<br />
do,” he says with extreme firmness. “I want nothing more than<br />
our next record to sound like hip hop, meets classic rock, meets<br />
the Beatles. And that’s where we want to go with it. That’s pretty<br />
bizarre. I want our reach to be a bit audacious. I think that if we
always do that, that’s kind of the recipe for our success.”<br />
Maroon 5’s “This Love” video is one of the most played on VH1, and Levine<br />
delves into what it is like to be a celebrity in America – a topic he simply can’t say<br />
enough about. “I’ve been wrestling with this a lot lately – I don’t want people to<br />
think that because I’m on MTV interviewing supermodels and picking out clothes<br />
that I am vapid and shallow. I really have a big problem with empty celebrity and<br />
I think that it’s one of the biggest problems we have in our society right now is<br />
that we have become celebrity-obsessed to such<br />
a perverse extent that it’s really interfering with our<br />
culture in a bad way. You know, it’s like with your<br />
Paris Hilton and this and that. I don’t mean to rag<br />
on poor Paris Hilton because I don’t blame her for<br />
that. It’s just, what is behind the celebrity? Because<br />
celebrity means nothing. People aspire to<br />
be really famous – and it’s just like, why? There<br />
needs to be something behind your motivation. I<br />
am a little bit obsessed with that topic.”<br />
Levine claims he does not consider himself a<br />
celebrity, but then says, “Everyday I realize that<br />
[we’ve made it]. I call James (Valentine, guitarist)<br />
everyday and I’ll be like ‘Dude, we’re fucking famous,<br />
can you believe that?’ There are different<br />
levels of fame. Whether we fall down or keep<br />
going, we’ve gotten to this point. That’s happened<br />
already. Like our record just went platinum. That<br />
is in the past, but that is a real achievement. So<br />
no matter what happens at this point, I consider<br />
myself a success.<br />
“I want to be as successful and huge as anyone<br />
else, I want to sell millions of records and I want to<br />
be big – but that’s okay. That’s a healthy desire. I’m<br />
not ashamed of that in any way. I just want to make<br />
sure that it is done tastefully and with integrity.<br />
“The more success you have, the more it becomes<br />
primitive. I go on stage and my guitar is all ready. I<br />
don’t have to carry my gear around like I’ve done for<br />
years and years. And now, all I am required to do is<br />
show up and play, and maybe talk a little bit about it.<br />
I am so happy because I can really get back to what’s<br />
really important, and that’s making the music.”<br />
For Levine, fame mostly means freedom. He remembers being in high school and having to abide by a rigorous schedule – a time<br />
he considers the hardest in his life. “[Now] I can go and do whatever I want. I mean obviously there are parameters and things that<br />
I have to do, but I hardly consider it work. After this [interview], I can have the day off. I can go walk around until the morning. I have<br />
that freedom,” he adds with a tone of enthusiasm and power.<br />
“I think Woody Allen once said, ‘I wake up every morning and I still thank God that I don’t have to wake up and go to high school’ -<br />
which is true. That’s like obviously a paraphrase. But I still feel that way. Every moment that I am able to do as I please, I’m happy.<br />
That’s pretty amazing, whether it’s with my friends or lovers or whoever. Just like I have the freedom to see this whole world<br />
because of what I do – and that’s pretty exciting. I’m so lucky. Fuck man, I am one of the luckiest people in the world probably.”<br />
So what do rock stars actually worry about? “There are the things that get to everybody regardless of what your positions are in life,”<br />
he states bluntly. According to Levine – growing old and maintaining a romantic relationship top his list at the moment.<br />
With regard to relationships, he replies, “Do I have the time? Can I give myself 100 percent to another human being? That is the<br />
question, my friend. That is the question I just cannot answer.”
Perhaps it’s just hard to have a relationship because of the rock-star lifestyle and schedule.<br />
“Eh, I guess,” he pauses. “That’s kind of bullshit though, right? If you’re in love with somebody you<br />
should surpass all that. Once again, I’m giving good advice and not being able to live by it. If<br />
you’re in love with somebody, you make it work.”<br />
For the first time during our conversation, Levine seems to have slipped into a deeper layer of<br />
thought. “I’m definitely not a kid. Twenty-five is not a kid anymore. The great excuse for youth is<br />
‘Fuck it. I have the rest of my life,’ and then those years start to narrow. And you realize, fuck, I’m<br />
an adult.”<br />
Levine asks how old I am, seemingly trying to relate or get advice on this matter. I do my best to<br />
assure him that he is experiencing feelings shared by almost every mid-twenty-year-old. Think<br />
about bands like Blink 182, who are still acting young and rebellious into their 30’s.<br />
“They’re fucking hilarious, talented and great. But you always think, is that how you want to be?<br />
Who knows? I don’t know if I’ll be streaking, making poo-poo and pee-pee jokes at that age.<br />
Maybe I will, you never know. Maybe they are incredibly enlightened. I take myself too seriously.”<br />
Levine continues, “I’ve always been all about me. You have to get to that point where you can give<br />
yourself up. And I don’t know if I am there yet, which is my eternal struggle these days. I don’t<br />
want to be the old guy in the club. I see a lot of very unhappy rock stars, dudes that are past their<br />
prime. I’ll tell ya, it scares the shit out of me, to be totally honest. It depends – you either go off the<br />
deep end and you become all about you all the time – forever. Or, you have a moment of pause or<br />
clarity – get your shit together or whatever – and become the responsible, together rock star. I<br />
don’t know, I’m on the fence.”
Interview: Juliett Rowe<br />
It’s a nice spring afternoon in Los Angeles,<br />
and Raymond Herrera has<br />
been home for eight days. As the<br />
drummer and a founding member of<br />
Fear Factory, Herrera has a lot of<br />
things to do, and the in the next few<br />
weeks that he is home, he has to rehearse<br />
for the band’s upcoming jaunt<br />
on this year’s edition of the<br />
Jagermeister Music Tour, finish the<br />
new album’s artwork, and do a<br />
shitload of interviews. But there is not<br />
much else that he would rather be<br />
doing after Fear Factory temporarily<br />
called it quits last year. Herrera wants<br />
everyone to know that the band is back<br />
together, rejuvenated, and ready to roll.<br />
The new album Archetype drops on<br />
April 20 th on Minneapolis indie label<br />
Liquid 8 Records, which also has Midnight<br />
Oil, and Hall and Oates on their<br />
roster. The members of Fear Factory,<br />
vocalist Burton C. Bell, new bassist<br />
Byron Stroud (from hardcore metal<br />
band Strapping Young Lad), Christian<br />
Wolbers who has switched to guitar,<br />
and Herrera see the new album as a<br />
redemption of sorts–the ultimate payback<br />
from a band that has lost a<br />
founding member (former guitarist<br />
Dino Cazares), and has spent much<br />
of the last year legally wrestling with<br />
former label Roadrunner Records.<br />
Raymond Herrera has a lot to say, and<br />
he talks to Rag <strong>Magazine</strong> about the<br />
new album, the old label, and the<br />
band’s newfound freedom.<br />
Rag: How do you feel about new album?<br />
First new material in a couple<br />
of years right?<br />
Raymond: Well every album has pretty much been about three years between every<br />
album. That’s not going to happen anymore though. [We’re] definitely going to start<br />
working on new material probably when this tour starts.<br />
Rag: When did you start writing material for this album?<br />
Raymond: There was a lot of off and on, because there was a lot of legal stuff we had<br />
to deal with. It took about a year to get it all done. We had a lot of parts, maybe 2001,<br />
we had a lot of material already. But we didn’t have any songs finished. So we just<br />
kind of sat down and decided to finish the record. Pretty much a year from that point–<br />
even that was probably too long.<br />
Rag: How do you typically write?<br />
Raymond: Burton does all the lyrics, and Christian and I pretty much wrote the entire<br />
record. The way we worked on this one was, me and Christian would come up with<br />
like a blueprint, or an idea for a song. Like a bunch of different parts that don’t really<br />
mesh together, but we can work on it. So we give that to Burt, and depending on what<br />
he would sing over, is what we would or wouldn’t keep. We would continue from<br />
there, and as we got the song together more, we’d give it to Burt again, and he would<br />
have more ideas for it. We just kind of went back and forth, which was very different<br />
for us. Usually we would give Burt a finished song and say, “Here, put lyrics on it.”<br />
Now it was more of a collaboration. He didn’t sit down with us and write the music,<br />
but what he would do to the song would depend on what we would keep and not<br />
keep, so in a sense he was writing the songs. We just kind of went from there and<br />
that’s what we did the entire record. The vocals were just good. All the verses were<br />
catchy, the choruses were catchy, there’s just a lot of hooks. That’s pretty much the<br />
way we did this record.<br />
Rag: Have you guys ever made a conscious effort not to repeat yourself?<br />
Raymond: No, not really. We don’t necessarily not do certain things because it’s like<br />
the same thing that we have done before. You have to do what you’ve done before–<br />
that’s why you have your fans. Fear Factory fans don’t want to buy Fear Factory<br />
records if it doesn’t sound like Fear Factory. There’s nothing wrong with taking what<br />
you do and if you’re good at it, and not duplicate it, but doing the same type of style.<br />
Because of that, we’re going to keep writing songs that sound like Fear Factory.<br />
There are certain things that we’ve done, like when we were writing the new record,<br />
and something sounds like an older song, we’d have to change it, because obviously<br />
it sounds a little too close. You don’t want to do the exact same thing. We’ve<br />
got our niche, we’ve got our style, and of course we’re going to stick to that. From<br />
time to time we may wander off and do something a little bit different, like add an<br />
extra instrument, or take a different approach to a song, but most of the time we want<br />
to try to keep the Fear Factory nature–the sound and the style.<br />
34 • <strong>RAG</strong> MAGAZINE • <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2004</strong>
I have a production company, and I do a lot of music for<br />
video games. The cool thing about that is one day you<br />
can be working on a classical song, the next day you<br />
could be working on a techno track, and the day after that<br />
you could be working on voice overs. That is very freeing.<br />
It’s free to do any type of music, and there’s always different<br />
stuff that’s being thrown at you. In a band, you’ve got a<br />
certain style that you’re playing, and you kind of have to<br />
cater to that style because that’s what you’ve created for<br />
yourself. To a certain extent, you are limited because<br />
you’re in a band, and you’re hitting a certain genre and a<br />
certain fanbase. But you can still do little things, little<br />
nuances and make it a little different. When we started<br />
the band, our label didn’t even know what to classify us<br />
as. Fans didn’t even know how to classify us. We’re not<br />
really a metal band, we’re not really an industrial band.<br />
We’re not really a hardcore band, but we’ve got songs that<br />
could be considered hardcore songs. We kind of just<br />
started doing different things right off the bat. When Burt<br />
came out with the heavy vocals and the melodic vocals,<br />
that was different. Nobody was doing that. But we had<br />
done different things already, and kind of made it into a<br />
Fear Factory style.<br />
Rag: Do you feel that you were ahead of your time when<br />
you started doing that back in the early nineties?<br />
Raymond: We might of been, but obviously the band wasn’t<br />
extremely melodic or heavy at times. We kind of did a little<br />
bit of everything, and we might of been a head of our time<br />
in the sense that we started using our music in a different<br />
way. We love Nine Inch Nails, we love Metallica, we love<br />
Depeche Mode, we love all these different styles of music,<br />
and it kind of shows in the music itself. Maybe in a<br />
sense we were ahead of our time, because around the<br />
time when I was growing up, there weren’t a lot of people<br />
who listened to different types of music. I either had friends<br />
that listened to Slayer, or I had friends that listened to the<br />
Smiths, or I had other friends that listened to the Cure, or<br />
other friends that listened to Gary Numan–so nobody was<br />
really listening to everything. That was the one thing back<br />
in the day that wasn’t really constant. Like now, people<br />
listen to everything, and growing up, that was rare. I was<br />
one of the people that listened to everything. I worked at a<br />
record store...and because I worked at a record store, I<br />
was exposed to stuff that I would never listen to. I think<br />
that helped me a lot–to musically understand stuff besides<br />
Sepultura and Slayer. Our singer worked at a record<br />
store for a while, our guitar player worked at a record store<br />
for a while, and I did too, and that kind of helped a lot. It<br />
brought all these different ideas, and all these different<br />
ideals into play, and created this band that was at the time<br />
really groundbreaking. That’s really special to me. Nowadays<br />
I see a lot of bands doing what we do, and it doesn’t<br />
bother me–I actually think that’s kind of flattering. I think<br />
it’s really cool...Fans and musicians are always looking<br />
for something new and something fresh to just inspire<br />
you, and just to be into. You want to be into something<br />
that’s new, and different, and just good–and we all kind of<br />
strive for the same thing. I don’t take that as an insult at<br />
all–I think it’s cool.<br />
36 • <strong>RAG</strong> MAGAZINE • <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2004</strong>
Rag: So you produced the new album yourself, were there any thoughts on bringing in a big name<br />
producer? Were you under pressure from to deliver something big after you left Roadrunner?<br />
Raymond: That’s the irony there–Roadrunner would have never let us produce our own record. Roadrunner<br />
wanted a big name, because they felt they wanted a big name, not only because they probably<br />
didn’t believe in us to be able to produce ourselves, but because they wanted to tag a big name onto the<br />
record so they could use it for promotion. I was personally always against that. I never really thought that<br />
we needed a [producer]. I mean we needed a producer for the first two records. I was like 18 and 19<br />
years old–I didn’t know anything about recording. The second record you’re still kind of learning, and by<br />
the time we did Obsolete, I was like, “Why the hell do we need anybody to produce this? We can do this<br />
ourselves.” Nobody knows my drum sound or my ability or my drumming better than I do. The same<br />
goes for every other musician in this band. When Chris is doing guitar tracks–I know what sounds good<br />
and what doesn’t. He knows as well, you know? I was always kind of against it after like 1997. When<br />
we left Roadrunner, we definitely wanted to produce our own record, since we weren’t able to do it<br />
before. When we got into this deal with Liquid 8 Records, they gave us all the freedom to do whatever<br />
we wanted to do. To answer your question–no we weren’t. We wanted to produce our own record. We<br />
always do demos, we always do pre-production by ourselves, and the actual recording gets produced<br />
by somebody else, and it’s like, why? I learned more on this last album than probably every other album<br />
except for the first record because I had no idea what was going on. We had a lot to prove on this record,<br />
and it makes it feel that much more better that we were really able to do it ourselves from the ground up.<br />
If we can make this a successful record–that will just prove to everybody that we knew what we were<br />
talking about all along. It’s the ultimate redemption in a sense.<br />
Rag: Can you talk about what happened with Roadrunner?<br />
Raymond: Basically what happened with Roadrunner is that we told them the band had broken up.<br />
Technically the band did break up, there was a lot of personal issues between our singer and our old<br />
guitar player. So eventually the band broke up, and we called the label and told them that we owe you<br />
three more records on this contract, but the band is done. It’s over–that’s it and we’re done. To make an<br />
extremely long store kind of short, the label wouldn’t accept the break up, and said that [we] still owed<br />
them three records, and we were pretty much speechless. We thought that if we didn’t continue, we’re<br />
kind of screwed, because they can suspend our contracts, and we can be left with nothing. We can’t do<br />
anything until they decide to unsuspend us or let us go, or whatever. The only thing left to do was for me<br />
and Christian to write some songs, because then from Roadrunner’s point, they can either decide to<br />
give us the money that they owe us, or drop us. So we write three songs, and we somehow convince<br />
Burt that we should do this. Burt decides that he’ll do it–but only if it’s the three of us...so we do some<br />
demos for Roadrunner, and they’re ecstatic about the songs. We’re like, “Ok, well then give us the<br />
money that you’re supposed to give us for the next record, then I guess we can continue on.” Well since<br />
there was a leaving member they didn’t want to honor our contract, so we’re like, “Ok then, drop us.” So<br />
that “go ahead and drop us”, took about seven months to do. So finally we get dropped, but this entire<br />
time that we get dropped, me and Christian continue writing music. The day that we get dropped, we<br />
start getting calls from bigger labels, and just other labels in general, and we’re like well maybe we<br />
should continue. We had a talk with Burt, and he [thought] that it was a lot of fun doing the three songs.<br />
He’s like, “Well if you guys want to write more material...” and we had already written another five songs.<br />
So then we started meeting with labels, and before you knew it, everybody wanted the band, even though<br />
there was a leaving member. So then we had to deal with a contractual situation with our old guitar<br />
player, so that was another while. So to make another long story even shorter–if Roadrunner had just<br />
said, “Ok the band is over,” there would be no Fear Factory right now. It kind of took Roadrunner not<br />
letting us go to actually continue this band. Because we continued, it [was in] people’s heads and other<br />
labels were very interested in the band. All the things that had to fall into place in order to continue–there<br />
was no way we could have planned this. Here we are today with a new record, and everybody seems to<br />
be really happy–especially the fans, which is the most important part of it.<br />
Rag: I’m sure that rejuvenated the band as well.<br />
Raymond: Now we all feel really blessed that we were given a second chance. That adds another<br />
reason why we wanted to make this record even better–as a band you always want to make your next<br />
record better than anything you have done before. We had so many reasons on top of that to just make<br />
this record that much better. There was a lot of negativity–there were a lot of fans that weren’t really sure<br />
about the band since there was a member not in the band anymore. All of that kind of added fuel to the<br />
fire, in a sense, to just want to make this record that much better.<br />
Fore more info visit fearfactory.com, and check out the band on the Jagermeister Music Tour,<br />
which visits West Palm Beach on March 31 st at Sound Advice Amphitheater.
MESMER MACHINE<br />
Story: Joseph Vilane
“A lot of people compare us to Jane’s Addiction<br />
and U2, and stuff like that, but I still think we<br />
have captured our own sound,” explains Larry<br />
Bost, bassist for the central Florida based band<br />
Mesmer Machine. The band originally hails from<br />
the Mojave Desert, and throughout our phone<br />
conversation Larry talks about how the influence<br />
of growing up in desolation is undeniable<br />
through their music. “I think the bass in “Fill The<br />
Room” gives it that Quentin Tarantino spaghetti<br />
western feeling. It’s all about the rhythm section<br />
in that tune. A lot of those emotions are<br />
drawn out from the desert.” The band is<br />
rounded out by David Harman on vocals, Alex<br />
Denillo on drums, and Joe Denillo on guitar.<br />
A few years after forming, the band relocated<br />
to Longwood, a small town just north of Orlando,<br />
where they are currently based. With<br />
the release of their self titled debut EP late last<br />
year, Mesmer Machine are ready to conquer<br />
the world, or most of south Florida for that<br />
matter with their interesting yet psychedelic<br />
musical approach. If it wasn’t for their experiences<br />
in the small desert town of 29 Palms,<br />
California, this band wouldn’t be what it is today.<br />
“It was like real natural; it was great I<br />
didn’t have all of the hype from the city, but I<br />
had the tranquility and the space to get into<br />
nature and hiking, and being with my friends,”<br />
explains Larry. “Because of that kind of desolation,<br />
where the friends that you get are the<br />
friends that you keep—you’ve gotta deal with<br />
your issues when you have them with your<br />
friends. And that’s why we’re here doing what<br />
we’re doing right now because of all that.”<br />
On their four song EP the track “Sugar Glue”<br />
surely stands out from the rest. “That’s the<br />
song that’s gonna be the radio hit. It’s the<br />
catchy radio tune, as far as the college pop<br />
culture, and the young girls, I think they’re<br />
going to eat it alive, and they already do.”<br />
Aside from pop ditties, you can hear the<br />
psychedelic, artistic influence with songs<br />
like “Mary” and “Fill The Room”. “Mary affects<br />
me like…that song by Pink Floyd “Lunatics<br />
In The Grass,” it wasn’t consciously<br />
inspired by that, but it just came out at a<br />
rehearsal,” Larry explains. Bands like Pink<br />
Floyd stayed true to themselves, and they<br />
definitely stood out from the rest, especially<br />
at their time and era. And those are the<br />
records you’ll see for many years to come<br />
in the thrift shops, those are the songs<br />
people will remember for many years down<br />
the line.<br />
Larry describes each and every member of<br />
this project enthusiastically, starting with<br />
David Harman. “He’s been working with the<br />
Denillo brothers since like 1989, and he<br />
started when he was just a kid right out of<br />
high school playing in various bands with<br />
those guys. I played in bands with those<br />
guys growing up, I think over all that time<br />
he’s honed in and garnished a true talent, a<br />
true vocal talent. I think he’s great and I’m proud to be working with<br />
him, he’s one of the greatest.”<br />
“We have a phenomenal drummer, not to brag or anything but we’re all<br />
extraordinary musicians, we have something to offer just from playing<br />
together, and the way we do something we have something special<br />
going down for sure. Our drummer Alex Denillo is just a great guy, he’s<br />
fucking totally funny, he’s smart, he’s like a rock and roll encyclopedia.”<br />
The band grew up listening to much of the same music; they have<br />
been on the same track, but still they’re open minded to various new<br />
sounds that are readily available. “David went out and bought an<br />
Outkast record just the other day, and I think they’re awesome. A lot<br />
of people don’t understand—they think rock and roll is all fun. They<br />
see the five percent of work right there on the stage, but behind that<br />
is a shit load of work, preparation, rehearsals, recordings and doing<br />
what we’re doing right now. I have a lot of respect for all genres of<br />
music, I think that what people have to offer has validity.”<br />
There are some who hang in there for five years and then start<br />
having doubts about a career in music. They think to themselves,<br />
‘well maybe I should get a real job?’ The real importance, when it<br />
comes to music is that you have to really enjoy what you’re doing.<br />
“You’ve gotta stand on your own hind legs,” says Larry. Madroad<br />
Recordings is excited about the new EP and rightfully so, aside from<br />
“Sugar Glue” the songs on the disc are different than what you<br />
would normally hear on the radio; this is a band that surely takes<br />
risks. It’s a big decision in not signing to a major label, but Larry<br />
explains the band’s reasons, “I want to make records, that’s why<br />
we’re not signing with a big label. If we have an independent label<br />
we maintain control, and we want to put out records, we want to<br />
put out two records a year and play until we’re old men. We love to<br />
play and that’s the deal, we’ve been playing this year and now we<br />
have the chance to move into a more professional zone. We want to<br />
maintain that kind of integrity, to put out the records and not just get<br />
lumped in with…the big boys.”<br />
Four songs aren’t enough to quench their audiences thirst, and<br />
Mesmer Machine have a full length record coming out later this year.<br />
“I don’t think there’s enough really good rock bands out there,” asserts<br />
Larry, “you know you’ve got The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The<br />
Hives and stuff like that that’s really pop sounding, but on our next<br />
record Joe Denillo will throw down some leads that no one’s<br />
doing…it’s like Jimmy Page stuff, there’s some stuff that just sounds<br />
like Led Zeppelin—that kind of strong musicianship.”<br />
“Everyone holds a really strong weight in the band. We’re a tight<br />
band, we’ve been doing this for many years, and we’ve stayed<br />
friends all of this time.” Mesmer Machine’s level of persistence is<br />
something to be admired, and they pay attention to more than the<br />
basics in the music industry. “Ninety percent of being a good musician<br />
is being a good listener, you need to listen to what the fuck is<br />
going down with your other dudes. So when you do go to build, you<br />
know what the hell to do, you choose the right approach.” So there<br />
is more to the sex, drugs, and rock and roll attitude? “It’s not all about<br />
drinking beer and doing drugs (laughs). We all can’t be Jerry Garcia.”<br />
There’s a lot to be said about where you’ve started and sure it’s<br />
great to never forget your roots or where you came from. “We met<br />
each other out there in the desert, we became friends, we learned<br />
our craft out there, and here we are doing this now, and it’s often<br />
said that you always go back to where you started.” Larry expresses<br />
his final thoughts, “My whole is goal is someday when I’m<br />
successful, I want to move back out there and have a nice desert<br />
ranch and a killer studio.”<br />
For more on Mesmer Machine, go to madroadrecordings.com
Every school has<br />
a dozen of them. A<br />
group of four best<br />
friends that form a<br />
band and play the<br />
music they love is<br />
certainly no new<br />
idea theses days.<br />
Music seems to<br />
be circling in the<br />
blood of today’s<br />
youth. And, for<br />
Coral Springs<br />
band A Dream of<br />
Reality, they’re no<br />
exception.<br />
While taking a<br />
break from practicing,<br />
A.J. Diaferio,<br />
vocals, and Rob<br />
Faulstich, bass,<br />
relax among the<br />
foam padded<br />
walls of their practice<br />
room. (The<br />
rest of the group is<br />
John Ruiz on guitar<br />
and vocals,<br />
and Matt Botting<br />
drums.) The bass<br />
drum kicks from<br />
the band next<br />
door, sound resonates<br />
through the<br />
walls, and the faint<br />
sound of murmuring<br />
can be heard if<br />
you listen closely.<br />
But inside this<br />
room, all that’s<br />
heard is laughter.<br />
Joking around<br />
with one another,<br />
it’s clear that the<br />
core of the band<br />
lies in it’s founding<br />
friendships.<br />
A<br />
DREAM<br />
OF<br />
REALITY<br />
Story: Lauren Lester<br />
Just as they try to find their place in the halls of high school, so<br />
too are the guys trying to find their place among the sounds of<br />
music. Although they may not sound like any other band out<br />
there, one thing’s for sure: like many other local bands, these<br />
guys play with nothing but heart. Record deals and contracts<br />
haven’t blurred their vision yet. When these kids play, it’s not for<br />
anything else but the love of music. More than anything in the<br />
world, they adore getting on stage and giving their fans everything<br />
they’ve got.<br />
Rag: What first brought you guys into music?<br />
42 • <strong>RAG</strong> MAGAZINE • <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2004</strong><br />
Photos: Jason Valhuerdi<br />
Rob Faulstich:<br />
Boobs.<br />
AJ Diaferio: I’m<br />
going to go with<br />
boobs and ass,<br />
cause that’s<br />
what Ludicris<br />
would say. Big<br />
ups to Luda.<br />
Rob: No, I’ve<br />
been into music<br />
my whole life,<br />
since I was a<br />
little tiny nothing.<br />
I grew up on<br />
Dream Theater.<br />
Rag: Are there<br />
any bands that<br />
really inspired<br />
you when you<br />
were younger,<br />
or even now?<br />
AJ: Dude, Journey.<br />
Steve Perry.<br />
Rob: Dream<br />
Theater, Incubus,<br />
Rush, Elvis.<br />
AJ: Dude, Rush<br />
was awesome! I<br />
like pop-punk to,<br />
so I’m going to<br />
go with Blink and<br />
Green Day. With<br />
Green Day all<br />
things are possible.<br />
Rag: How did the<br />
band originate?<br />
Rob: Oh, man.<br />
Do you want the<br />
whole story or<br />
the condensed<br />
version? Well it<br />
started back in<br />
7th grade. I<br />
wanted to start a<br />
band and it was just a bunch of friends who really sucked. And<br />
then we just moved on and got some new people and some<br />
people left. Which brings us to now, where we have the present<br />
A Dream of Reality, where we just got John playing guitar a couple<br />
months ago. It’s been good ever since.<br />
Rag: How did you get the name A Dream of Reality?<br />
AJ: I made it up. I came up with it about three years ago when I<br />
was starting a band with my friend. We were trying to come up<br />
with a name. The first name I thought of was What’s Lost is Not<br />
Forgotten. And then I came up with A Dream of Reality, and he
Rag: If you could set up a dream show, who would be on the line<br />
up?<br />
AJ: Oh man! The Used, Story of the Year, Glassjaw, Finch, Thrice,<br />
Thursday, Brand New, Yellowcard, Senses Fail.<br />
Rob: I’d say Dream Theater and Kings X.<br />
AJ: Basically Warped Tour. We’re auditioning for the Ernie Ball<br />
Stage this year actually.<br />
Rob: Did we mention Poison the Well for the line up? Oh, and<br />
Incubus. This could go on for days.<br />
thought it was the stupidest name he’d ever heard. I was like,<br />
“Dude, It’s so emo though!” So we ended up not picking it, but I<br />
never forgot that name. I moved from band to band to band, and no<br />
one wanted to use it. And then I found these guys and they had an<br />
awful name. And ‘A Dream of Reality’ just seemed to fit us and the<br />
music perfectly.<br />
Rag: How has your music changed recently?<br />
AJ: We’re experimenting more. We’re trying to blend different styles<br />
of music together to come up with our own unique sound. We<br />
have emo mixed with some hard core.<br />
Rob: We finally found our sound now. The first A Dream of Reality<br />
was more of like a new metal band. It was a heavier side, and now<br />
we found the sound that really suits us. We found what we love to<br />
play on a daily basis.<br />
Rag: Being such a different sounding band, how do you think<br />
you fit into the local scene?<br />
AJ: It depends on who you’re playing for. There are some kids who<br />
will listen to anything, and are totally open minded. And then there<br />
are those who, unfortunately, only stick to one frame of music.<br />
They only listen to one type of music. Then there are the kids who<br />
are there for the music. They love it. They’ll listen to anything. It’s<br />
hard to explain.<br />
Rob: At the same time, we don’t fit into any category and yet we fit<br />
into all of them. There’s something everyone can relate to in all the<br />
different parts of our music. I think that appeals to a larger group of<br />
kids. I love every last one of our fans.<br />
AJ: It’s just being able to say you have fans. I just see us as a local<br />
band. It’s weird to think we even have fans. I don’t care if we’re<br />
playing in front of my parents, in that moment we got to do something<br />
that isn’t normal - playing music. You’re doing something<br />
you enjoy and you love. You can’t really think of a better thing on the<br />
planet.<br />
Check out www.adreamofreality.com for more information, and<br />
catch them when they play The Factory on March. 5 th .<br />
Rag: How does the song writing process go?<br />
AJ: I knew they were going to ask that!<br />
Rob: As much as it’s heard on MTV, I’ll literally just wake up at 3 in<br />
the morning, and say, “Wow, that’s really cool.” And I’ll go and write<br />
down some weird riff. I’ll just hear something in my head and start<br />
playing it. Other times we practice and pull something out of our<br />
ass. We’ll start jamming for like ten minutes and it will turn into a<br />
song.<br />
AJ: He’ll come up with something, and our guitar player will write<br />
something to it. I’ll go walk around and entertain myself, because<br />
they say I talk too much. They’ll call me back in and play me the<br />
complete song. I’ll put vocals to it right then and there. Usually,<br />
when I hear the melody of a song, I get an idea instantly of what the<br />
song will be about.<br />
Rag: What do you do during your free time?<br />
AJ: Goats.<br />
Rob: Everything.<br />
AJ: We just try and hang out. Everyone’s in school except for me.<br />
We have jobs outside of school.<br />
Rag: How have the fans received the band?<br />
AJ: We went from playing in front of five people to playing for two<br />
hundred. It was nuts. It went from nobody standing in front, to us<br />
turning around to plug our instruments in, and turning back around<br />
to see a room packed with kids. It was amazing. I was so happy. I<br />
think that was one of my happiest moments.<br />
42 • <strong>RAG</strong> MAGAZINE • <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2004</strong>
www.glitzychix.com
By: Crystal Clark<br />
HIDALGO<br />
Viggo Mortensen & Omar Sharif<br />
Directed by: Joe Johnston<br />
Touchstone, PG-13<br />
44 • <strong>RAG</strong> MAGAZINE • <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2004</strong><br />
I’m fairly certain that this movie’s title<br />
may persuade you to believe that its<br />
star is a little, spotted mustang named,<br />
Hidalgo. But in reality, its star is Viggo<br />
Mortensen, and I don’t say this to be<br />
negative, only honest. In fact, as<br />
Hidalgo’s owner, Frank T. Hopkins,<br />
Mortensen is quite perfect in this role<br />
that requires him to be part outlaw, part<br />
cowboy, part lost soul. But more importantly, it’s made abundantly clear that Hopkins<br />
loves Hidalgo with all his heart, in fact, they’re best friends; therefore, the set-up’s<br />
premise that Hopkins would actually risk both his and his horse’s life to trek 3,000<br />
miles through the Arabian desert is simply disheartening. Except for the fact that<br />
it’s based on a true story. So as the race begins, so does the waiting game... they<br />
race and they race and they race. Along the way, the director must find a zillion<br />
ways in which to capture the beauty of a heard of galloping horses and the world<br />
around them: and he succeeds about five times. Other than that, the expedition<br />
itself is quite boring, but not bad. And yes, there is a significant different between the<br />
two when referring to the silver screen. Trauma, is another issue altogether. For kids<br />
under the age of 10, and especially, avid animal lovers (my hand raises quickly) this<br />
might be a difficult journey in of itself, even when you know for a fact that all of the<br />
heart-wrenching animal stunts are fake.<br />
AGAINST THE ROPES<br />
Meg Ryan, Omar Epps<br />
Directed by: Charles S. Dutton<br />
Paramount, PG-13<br />
Meg Ryan has spent y-e-a-r-s desperately trying to shake<br />
the “Hollywood Sweetheart” stigma she inherited in 1989<br />
after the release of “When Harry Met Sally.” Notice that I<br />
said, “trying to shake” in the above sentence. So far,<br />
Ryan hasn’t had much luck in her quest, even though<br />
she’s been really good in a number of dramas (City of<br />
Angels, Courage Under Fire, When a Man Loves a<br />
Woman). Her latest attempt at career reincarnation comes<br />
in the form of true-life character, Jackie Kallen, boxing’s<br />
first (and only successful) female promoter. Here, Ryan<br />
CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN<br />
Lindsay Lohan, Alison Pill<br />
Directed by: Sara Sugarman<br />
Touchstone, PG<br />
is required to flesh-out a persona that is smart, sexy, and<br />
rough-around-the-edges (personal attributes that no doubt<br />
attracted Ryan to the part). My official tally sheet indicates<br />
that I’ve awarded Ryan a large majority of points for echoing<br />
a flawless Minnesota accent and for showing off some<br />
tremendous range; yet she still seems to be missing the true<br />
heart and soul of a champion. Charles S. Dutton personifies<br />
infamous cut-man Felix Reynolds, yet he’s put to much better<br />
use as the film’s director. That leaves Omar Epps in the ring<br />
as Luther Shaw, the raw talent Kallen discovers on a whim<br />
and dedicates her life to making a superstar fighter. Epps’<br />
boxing moves were impressive (if it was a double, I surely<br />
didn’t notice), but his acting was even better; it was a topnotch<br />
performance that seemed to resonate from within his<br />
eyes. It is that heartfelt look in his eyes that embraces you<br />
and then dares you to believe in him too.<br />
As I sat quietly within a jam-packed theater waiting for the movie to start, I was confronted<br />
with the rampant resurgence of teenagers running amuck. It was obvious that<br />
they were happy to be there, but I wasn’t quite sure if it was because of the impending<br />
screening of Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen or the simple fact that they were<br />
out of the house and shrieking happily amongst their friends. I’m guessing, it was<br />
probably a little bit of both. Before long, the teenage innocence and sheer joyfulness<br />
became contagious and I was transported back the fifteen years my mindset needed to<br />
be in. As the movie’s credits began to splash colorfully across the screen, the frenetic<br />
screams died down and the concentration began. Almost immediately, recent teen<br />
sensation Lindsay Lohan (Freaky Friday) captured the complete essence of the title’s<br />
drama queen Mary, a name she quickly materializes into the more divaesque-sounding,<br />
Lola. Lohan perfects her teen queen character within the first ten minutes of the story;<br />
therefore, the rest of the flick lacks any real surprise or the much-needed “what-willhappen-next”<br />
excitement. Nevertheless, there is a plot: enter a school musical (which<br />
allows Lohan to showcase her song and dance routines); a deepening crush on<br />
members of a rock band; and a clichéd school bitch that challenges our teen queen’s<br />
every move. There are no real stones to be unearthed here, and no scandalous secrets<br />
are discovered. There truly aren’t even any life lessons to boggle down the characters (or viewers) minds. Therefore, what I’m<br />
really saying is that there’s no real drama for said drama queen to confess to. I guess that’s precisely why she has to make most<br />
of it up. Alas, Lohan is cute-as-a-button, and therefore, you can’t help but buy into her prima-donna antics and dreamy teenage<br />
angst. Besides, I think we can all confess to being a teenage drama queen at some point in our lives.
TWISTED<br />
Ashley Judd, Andy Garcia & Samuel L . Jackson<br />
Directed by: Philip Kaufman<br />
Paramount, R<br />
Ashley Judd has been making a concerted effort to take on the type of<br />
challenging roles that other actresses typically shy away from. That being<br />
said, I do think it’s time for her to take a break from signing-on to crime<br />
thrillers, and move on to other genres. In her newest thriller, Judd tackles<br />
the title role of Jessica Shepard, an alcoholic cop that has just been rightfully<br />
promoted to the homicide division. The ever-important first day on the job<br />
goes horribly wrong when she’s presented with the murder of a man she’s<br />
previously been intimate with. Soon after, another one of her conquests<br />
turns up dead. As the victims pile up and the force is faced with a terrifying<br />
serial killer, Shepard’s life begins to unravel and she is forced to deal with<br />
the demons of her past and present. Andy Garcia (one of the most<br />
underappreciated actors in Hollywood) thankfully joins the cast as a<br />
mysterious homicide cop. Samuel L.“needs a vacation”Jackson rounds out<br />
the power trio as Commission John Mills, a tough-as-nails police vet, who<br />
just might have stumbled on to the real reasons Shepard’s world is crashing<br />
down around her. As always, Judd turns in quality work, but the script is<br />
based on far too many convenient incidents that will no doubt make your<br />
head spin and your eyes roll; both which will probably occur just minutes<br />
before you let out a formulaic sigh. This is a case that probably never should<br />
have been opened; although, if there ever was a cast that qualified as a<br />
guilty pleasure, this would certainly be the one.<br />
46 • <strong>RAG</strong> MAGAZINE • <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2004</strong><br />
WELCOME TO MOOSEPORT<br />
Gene Hackman, Ray Romano<br />
Directed by: Donald Petrie<br />
20th Century Fox, PG-13<br />
Locked far, far away in some obscure Hollywood vault, there lies a pact<br />
written in an agent’s blood that states: regardless of the genre or quality<br />
of a movie, Gene Hackman will always come off with integrity. I’m serious;<br />
this guy can do no wrong or rub anyone the wrong way. In fact, the mean<br />
and nastier his characters come across, the more we ultimately end up<br />
loving him. So here’s to granting Hackman the spotlight to do comedy<br />
(even though it’s a really bad one), because we all know his dramatic<br />
flair will righteously return; simply because he’s never met a thriller script<br />
he didn’t like. Back to the vacation in Mooseport, and Hackman is Ex-<br />
President Monroe Cole and he’s a hoot and holler of a good time. On the<br />
other hand, E.R. phenom Maura Tierney is savagely wasted as a longsuffering<br />
girlfriend whose sole purpose is to be the go-between-girl that<br />
sets up the largely mundane plot. As for Ray Romano, not only does<br />
everyone “not love” his Raymond character on TV, it might be a good<br />
idea for him to actually play a new character when he decides to do a<br />
movie. As Handy Harrison, his acting chops prove grossly out-of-sync<br />
compared to his fellow actors, and it was especially painful to watch him<br />
yearn for the applause of a studio audience to validate his performance.<br />
Welcome to Mooseport? Uh, unless you r-e-a-l-l-y love Raymond, you’re<br />
better off staying home.
American Gun is a phenomenally written and directed experience by relative cinematic novice, Alan<br />
Jacobs. It masterfully chronicles the journey of a distraught father, Martin Tillman (Coburn), as he<br />
embarks on a fact-finding mission to trace the factory origin and subsequent people that have come<br />
in contact with the gun used to kill his daughter, Penny (Madsen), during a random act of violence. In<br />
the midst of this quest, Martin diligently searches for his habitual run-away granddaughter in an effort<br />
to inform her of her mother’s death. While burdened with these two unrelenting emotional<br />
circumstances, Martin must also find the strength to come to terms with his daughter’s death; a feat<br />
which he’ll only accomplish when he accepts the senseless reason her death occurred in the first<br />
place. Coburn’s delivery is fierce, fragile, and flawless -all at the same time- and his cinematic range<br />
(methodically perfected by performing in more than 100 movies over a forty-five-year career) is<br />
gloriously captured within this one, and his last, film. The screenplay is intrinsically brilliant and<br />
thought-provoking while also managing to twist and turn into territories you’d never expect, yet the<br />
everyday tragedies addressed occur in every city, in every state, and on any given day of the week.<br />
The directing is so on-the-mark, and<br />
subtle, that it simply slips by you until the<br />
credits role and you begin rewinding the<br />
scenes in your mind. Outstanding script<br />
aside, American Gun will most likely<br />
become synonymous with celebrating<br />
Academy Award winner James Coburn’s<br />
mesmerizing last performance; Coburn<br />
died of a heart attack just months after<br />
the movie’s release on the film-festival circuit, and sadly, American Gun never<br />
found its way to a wide theatrical release. In fact, the only words that can sum up<br />
Miramax’s major oversight come from Coburn himself (in character as Glen in<br />
DVD<br />
Paycheck) as he uttered his now infamous line, “That’s just mean!” And yet, Miramax<br />
saves face by finally releasing this 2002 film to DVD. The DVD’s only additional<br />
footage is an A&E Biography on James Coburn and –whoopee- some Spanish<br />
subtitles. However, where most DVDs must contain oodles of bonus material to<br />
justify their purchase, James Coburn’s performance is all you’ll need to validate this<br />
sale. You’ll be blown away, literally; and I’m not just talking about the loaded gun.<br />
The thriller “Cold Creek Manor,”<br />
which used to reside in your<br />
local multiplex, has left a<br />
DVD<br />
forwarding address: it will be<br />
relocating to a DVD player near<br />
you. The Dennis Quaid, Sharon<br />
Stone, and Stephen Dorff driven<br />
DVD comes fully-furnished with<br />
a variety of bonus features,<br />
including an alternate ending,<br />
Cooper’s documentary, the<br />
“Rules of the Genre” featurette,<br />
an audio commentary with<br />
Director Mike Figgis, a French<br />
audio track, Spanish subtitles,<br />
and the obligatory section of deleted scenes. We meet the<br />
Tilson family amidst the chaos of just another one of their<br />
hectic mornings. By the end of the night, we learn that Leah<br />
and Cooper have officially become fed-up with the hustle<br />
and bustle of the big city, and decide to pack up their kids<br />
and head to the countryside in search of some quiet and<br />
quality family time. In the blink of an eye, the Tilson clan<br />
discovers and purchases their dream home -an exciting eventuntil<br />
the family realizes that the previous owner (Dorff) had<br />
never intended to sell his family’s property and thus the real<br />
estate battle begins. Even more thought-provoking is the<br />
movie’s tagline: Have you ever wondered what happened in<br />
your home before you lived there? At least now, you can<br />
ponder this ironic kiwinky-dink while watching the DVD from<br />
within the very houses in question. As for Cold Creek Manor,<br />
its “for sale” sign goes up March 2, <strong>2004</strong>.<br />
In keeping with our real estate<br />
theme, Miramax has decided<br />
to list the Drew Barrymore and<br />
Ben Stiller owned Duplex. This<br />
prime unit was built from the<br />
ground-up out of the darkest of<br />
comedy and breathtaking<br />
sinister wit. Its beauty is<br />
accentuated by Stiller’s<br />
penchant for getting the grossout<br />
laugh no matter what; this<br />
is a guy with some serious<br />
commitment to his art and his<br />
follow-through is simply mindboggling.Co-owner<br />
Barrymore<br />
gleefully boasts her ability to<br />
play sweet, silly, and stupid—and mostly all at once. Nevertheless,<br />
the key to this house lies in the cold-wrenched-hands of the<br />
pesky Mrs. Connelly (played to the nine by 81-year-old spitfire,<br />
Eileen Essell). Mrs. Connelly is a miserable elderly tenant that<br />
the couple unknowingly inherited with the property. The Danny<br />
DeVito directed and Barrymore produced Duplex hits the market<br />
in March and doesn’t come equipped with many upgrades –a<br />
behind-the-scenes motif and a few deleted scenes are what you<br />
have to work with. But hey, this probably won’t matter if your dream<br />
movie consists of some good old-fashioned satire amidst an<br />
all-out comedic war between wacky married goofballs and a<br />
mean old lady. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be glad you don’t have<br />
to go toe-to-toe with this renter. After this walk through, you’ll<br />
certainly understand why this Duplex keeps winding up on the<br />
market again and again. If nothing else, Alex and Nancy’s plight<br />
will no doubt prove how true the old adage really is: if it sounds<br />
too good to be true, it probably is.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong> MAGAZINE • <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2004</strong> • 47
The music is a platform for creativity, empowerment and reflection. Labeling<br />
Sound Tribe Sector Nine as a “jam band” would neglect the transcendent<br />
quality of the songs and forego the hypnotic, introspective ambiance the band<br />
creates. This isn’t a keg party, 4:20 background soundtrack – it’s a musical<br />
connection and soulful embrace with sound – and that’s putting it lightly. In<br />
layman’s terms, it’s a seaside meditation yoga class for the ears. The music<br />
takes you on a path – it’s your course – a personal journey.<br />
Formed in 1997, within the Atlanta suburbs, these five musicians sparked<br />
what became a great universal community of followers. The band packed<br />
every venue they played with smiling faces and positive energy. Incense<br />
swirled and candles glimmered as the instruments warmed and awakened<br />
the air. Among audiences of bobbing heads and flowing forms, their songs<br />
spoke – though they are without words.<br />
The five members always stand as one, without a frontman entertainer to<br />
distract and control the scene. They are, according to the members, like the<br />
five Chinese elements – balanced, equal and essential. This was the tone.<br />
This was the attraction. The band happily transplanted to the brisk coast and<br />
airy mountains of San Francisco – a necessary change for creative flow. Eight<br />
years later the message is worldwide, with tours to Japan and abroad. The<br />
feeling is the same, the purpose unchanged.<br />
Percussionist Jeffree Lerner offers Rag some insights into the forms behind<br />
these interplanetary sounds and ideas that inspire them.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: How would you describe yourself, and how is your personality reflected<br />
through your music?<br />
I’m going to speak for the group, not personally. But I think we represent a lot<br />
different backgrounds and musical tastes. I think that’s really reflected in the<br />
diversity of the music. We’re all so different, but when we work together we<br />
create something that’s larger than any individual. Most of the kids [in the<br />
band] grew up in suburbia. I grew up in the country. Our keyboard player grew<br />
up in Japan. So there are a lot of resources to draw from within the personalities<br />
of the group, which all translate to the music.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: What attracted you to music initially?<br />
I’ve always been attracted to music as long as I can remember. First thing I’d<br />
do when I’d get to my grandparents’ house is pull out the pots and pans and<br />
start drumming away. It’s always been a part of me. And I can speak for<br />
everyone else. It’s just part of who we are. Culturally, and in this world at the<br />
time, it’s the way we can get our creative voice out. It’s the best medium for our<br />
voices.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard<br />
your music before?<br />
That’s a tough one isn’t it?<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: Yes, definitely.<br />
I would tell them a little bit about what we do. It’s an experiential kind of thing.<br />
Interview: Monica Cady<br />
You really need to experience it to see what<br />
we do. Words are really hard. I can speak<br />
of what we try to do. I think a lot of what we<br />
do is try to balance technology and the organic-ness<br />
of playing live instruments –<br />
and using those tools appropriately on<br />
stage. There is so much diversity in what<br />
we do. There’s some stuff where we just<br />
play all live instruments. There’s some stuff<br />
that’s very technology based. But, it’s<br />
rooted in jazz and funk. I can’t say what it<br />
really is. Take any famous painter, and what<br />
that painting meant to all the people who<br />
saw it could be very different from what he<br />
intended to paint. So, I don’t want to steal<br />
that experience from anyone by telling them<br />
what it is or isn’t. It could be a million different<br />
things for every person.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: It becomes very personal because<br />
the sound is through each person’s point<br />
of view.<br />
That’s part of our intention. Music that has<br />
lyrics kinda guides you through thoughts<br />
and ideas. You know, the person is introducing<br />
ideas through words. Whereas,<br />
what we try to do is just offer a space. The<br />
space is for you to discover whatever it is<br />
you need to discover that night. We are not<br />
necessarily directing you in that respect.<br />
So, I think that is how it becomes personal<br />
because people are allowed a space to<br />
really go within themselves without being<br />
guided by words.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: Do you feel more of a sense of freedom<br />
performing live versus in the studio<br />
recording?<br />
They allow different freedoms. In the studio,<br />
you are allowed to go for things that<br />
you think would never make sense – and<br />
maybe get them to work. When you perform<br />
live, you are trying to be cohesive …<br />
I don’t want to say it like that though, because<br />
we do a lot of experimenting live.<br />
I think they each lend a lot to each other.<br />
I think they are all connected. They definitely<br />
allow different experiences within
that. It’s a real good balance.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: Do you see a huge change from your first work to<br />
now?<br />
Oh, absolutely. Even from tour to tour. I think it’s just growth<br />
and learning new techniques, tools and it’s a constant evolution.<br />
We’re growing up and coming into our own. It’s<br />
always going to be changing. I don’t think it would be good<br />
for our fans for it to always be the same. I think that’s kind<br />
of why they are attracted to us. If we do a show in Miami<br />
this time – in six months it’s gonna be a whole different<br />
show. We push ourselves for that. We always want to<br />
keep it fresh. Hopefully that will never change. And if it<br />
does, it probably means we aren’t working as hard as we<br />
should (laughs).<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: What inspires you most?<br />
Nature and culture are right up there. They are the big two.<br />
We live in the Bay area and all the art and culture around<br />
us, friends and family … the artists and community that<br />
surround this band are just a huge part of our inspiration.<br />
All the painters and sculptors … everybody that does their<br />
thing, even the climate of the world – the election year is a<br />
big thing. We are just trying to get kids involved and informed<br />
about the world around them. We are really trying to<br />
make some changes – get kids to vote – spreading a message<br />
of empowerment.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: Your music has been said to be a ‘message without<br />
words’ – what is the message?<br />
Well, the message is one of inspiration. And I think our biggest<br />
hope as artists is to inspire others to create. You are just<br />
seeing five kids onstage who could be any five kids. And I<br />
want everyone to know that they have that power to create as<br />
well. We are really nobody special up there. Everyone has<br />
this potential. Time is art, and we can really create beauty<br />
within all this madness that’s going on.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: What do you do right before a performance to<br />
prepare?<br />
We have a little ritual. We circle up with whomever our best<br />
friends are backstage at the time. And we let our intentions be<br />
known. We kinda ‘om’ together and tone and move up the<br />
chakra, just bringing that focus and intention and putting our<br />
day behind us, love on each other, and go on stage.<br />
Other than that, we talk about music all day long. We get up<br />
on the bus and we talk about what we’re going to play tonight.<br />
We write our set list out before sound check. It’s a pretty<br />
serious thing – not your everyday rock’n’roll band – traveling,<br />
partying, wild women kind of thing. We’re just kind of serious<br />
about it, not that other people aren’t, but we’re just not like<br />
that.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: What are you thinking about when you’re performing<br />
on stage?<br />
(Laughs) Well, if everything is going well, I’m not thinking<br />
about anything, just enjoying the moment. I know all of us<br />
really feed off our fans – the bright smiling faces and people<br />
moving their bodies. I think about that a lot. I love watching
people get<br />
down. I really<br />
want our fans<br />
to realize that<br />
they are creating<br />
this as<br />
much as we<br />
are.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: Tell me a<br />
little bit about<br />
the crystals,<br />
candles and<br />
incense. You<br />
create such an atmosphere.<br />
Those crystals and all the setup is not necessarily a part of<br />
the band. It’s a group of individuals that travel with us and<br />
set up those alters. The fans are responsible for that. I<br />
could call them fans, or the sound tribe. It’s the sound tribe.<br />
I mean, I love the crystals there, but I’ve played shows without<br />
them. I think it’s more for the fans. They just look at them<br />
in amazement. It’s just to create a good, natural environment.<br />
We really have to give thanks to the people who do<br />
that. I don’t want to take false credit for that. It’s much more<br />
than just ourselves creating this atmosphere. We have some<br />
people in the family, who crystals are their thing, like music<br />
is our thing.<br />
I think part of this big art project, that is Sector Nine, is just to<br />
create that space and venue for people to do their art. We<br />
have painters on the stage. We have people who are passionate<br />
about crystals do crystal layout. We have a flower<br />
arranger friend from New York who comes out and just does<br />
flower arrangements for a song. He just brings out a big<br />
empty vase and flowers. We just really enjoy being able to<br />
provide a space for other art forms – whether it’s painting,<br />
poetry, emceeing or sculpture. All the arts in our community<br />
are amazing.<br />
<strong>RAG</strong>: What can you tell me about this new album you’re<br />
working on?<br />
We are all really excited. It’s the first time we’ve had the time<br />
and resources to do an album like we’ve wanted to do. The<br />
name of it is ‘Artifact’ and we’re gonna be finishing it up this<br />
week and the next. Hopefully it will be available in the late<br />
summer. We’ve been working on it for eight or nine months.<br />
We are going to be really happy with it. It’s a lot different<br />
[from the other albums]. It was just an opportunity for us to<br />
express ourselves in a different way than we do live.<br />
There’s a story. It’s a theme in a way – the idea of an artifact<br />
– what we leave behind as artifacts as a culture is kinda how<br />
we’re defined in the future. Within that we also have the<br />
power to leave behind artifacts – things that don’t work for<br />
us. It’s kind of all tied into the whole emotional content of the<br />
album. (Laughs) Ya know, if we wanted George Bush to be<br />
an artifact – we have the power to create that artifact. It’s a<br />
really empowering thing.<br />
STS9 invites you to be a part of their Conscious Alliance<br />
program. Bring 10 canned goods to the Langerado Festival<br />
on March 6, and receive a free poster and overall happiness<br />
for making a difference. Visit their Web site for<br />
more details www.sts9.com<br />
GET A<br />
FREE T-SHIRT<br />
12 ISSUES $25
Vocalist wanted. Self promoting 3 pc<br />
band (guitar, bass & drums). Our<br />
music has various rock & roll styles.<br />
Must be reliable, open minded & serious<br />
about your music. Larry 561-723-<br />
7265<br />
Wanted: Guitar player/ Vocalist/ Drummer<br />
& Percussionist. I am a vocalist &<br />
Bass player who needs good musicians<br />
for an original project. This is Pop/<br />
Rock and you must be a contemporary<br />
pop oriented musician. Late 30s to<br />
40s is fine. Must be capable of entering<br />
into a contract. Must be willing to<br />
travel in the spring & summer of <strong>2004</strong><br />
and have a visa / passport for possible<br />
dates abroad. Experienced and pro<br />
please. Business oriented will excel in<br />
this position. 954-792-8135<br />
Seeking male vocalist, front man for<br />
prog hard rock band due to label interest.<br />
2 nd CD currently in production<br />
at Miami Beach Recording Studios.<br />
Influences Rush, Yes, Dream Theater,<br />
Kings X. Very serious inquiries only!<br />
Contact Gus at Kung Fu Connection<br />
305-895-8326<br />
Drummer and guitarist needed for established<br />
South Florida band. Looking<br />
for pros with gear and the hunger<br />
to make it. Band is based in Palm<br />
Beach County/Broward. Influences –<br />
Pantera, Soulfly, Mudvayne, Korn,<br />
Hatebreed, Deftones, Sepultura, Fear<br />
Factory. Need to know your instrument,<br />
no drugs, need reliable transportation.<br />
If interested (serious<br />
inquurues please) contact Evil at<br />
evilonek@hotmail.com or 954-630-<br />
9842. Feel free to check us out at<br />
www.madsic.cc<br />
Guitarist needed! Drummer and bass<br />
player are seeking two great guitarists<br />
to start a hard rock/modern metal band.<br />
Something like Sevendust, Staind, Disturbed,<br />
etc. Serious and dedicated<br />
musicians only please. If your serious<br />
about making good music and want to<br />
play out as much as possible and tour,<br />
this is it! 18-30 only please. Give me a<br />
call and lets talk. Franklin 954-695-<br />
9521<br />
Vocalist needed for metal band. Influences<br />
are Slayer, Messhuggah,<br />
Death, Megaseth, Overkill. We play<br />
all original music. Contact Chris 561-<br />
702-1183<br />
Established hardcore/ metal band in<br />
search of bassist and 2 nd guitat player.<br />
561-432-3582 or killpeople@webtv.com<br />
Drummer, Guitarist & Keyboardist<br />
wanted. Our influences are Deftones,<br />
Finch, Staind, Cold and Poison the<br />
Well. Your own wheels a must!! We<br />
have about 15 songs written. We have<br />
gear for shows. Must be dedicated.<br />
For more info call Carlos 954-655-8300<br />
or Jeremy 954-368-4937<br />
Bass player and lead guitar needed to jam<br />
and possibly gig with 30 something<br />
rhythm guitar/ singer and drummer. We<br />
have some originals and covers, this is for<br />
fun. Influences: Black Crows, Neil Young,<br />
Dave, Coldplay, call Adam 954-205-7767<br />
Vocalist is looking for musicians to form<br />
a queen tribute band. Please contact<br />
Michael 954-8<strong>03</strong>-6588<br />
Bass player wanted: style – The Cure,<br />
Dido, The Stills, Interpol, Rehearsal space<br />
is in Delray Beach / I-95. Ages 21-35.<br />
Pete 754-264-2674.<br />
thereflex101@aol.com<br />
Guitar player looking for creative open<br />
minded musicians to start project for fun<br />
and more. Need singer/ songwriter. Good<br />
with hooks. Bass player must be creative<br />
and drummer with chops. All must have<br />
modern style with and appreciation for<br />
the past. Call Rory at 305-621-6775<br />
Bass player wanted Miami/ Kendall area<br />
for part time rock cover band. Need individual<br />
who is dedicated. We play classic<br />
and modern rock covers. Call Mike 954-<br />
450-6629 or mrcairo@bellsouth.net<br />
Guitarist wants to start an all original<br />
Southern rock band… yes, I said a Southern<br />
Rock band. (as crazy as that may<br />
sound.) Skynyrd, Hatchell, Blackfoot –<br />
Anyone interested? Very experienced –<br />
just finished a demo. Rick 954-806-5984<br />
or southland45@aol.com –<br />
www.broadjam.com/southland<br />
Singer/ songwriter/ guitarist seeking musicians;<br />
have demo; Jeff Buckley, Sonic<br />
Youth, Nick Drake, Zepplin, Old Floyd,<br />
experimental Beatles. 305-205-2479<br />
Highly skilled lead guitarist/vocals over<br />
30 years experience looking to find a<br />
cool established classic rock band that<br />
needs the above. Styles range from<br />
blues/heavy rock/jazz rock/pop also lead<br />
and harmony vocals. Only pros.<br />
Thanks. Eric 954-530-1123<br />
Bassist: Blues, R&B, working or near<br />
working band. Broward Area. Dave 954-<br />
962-6757<br />
Bass player looking musicians or band to<br />
$$ WE BUY $$<br />
• GUITARS<br />
• AMPS<br />
• EFFECTS<br />
TOP DOLLAR!<br />
CALL US!<br />
954-772-6900
Jam or form a band. All Styles. Call Lou<br />
561-493-3995 or 561-385-5161<br />
Pro Drummer looking for established<br />
group for original and cover gigs. Have<br />
lead or backup vocals – Call Peter 954-<br />
234-3071 Anytime. – Leave Message -<br />
Guitarist looking to start or join top 40<br />
cover band. Have studio to practice in<br />
Coral Springs – Serious minded only.<br />
Ages 20 to 40 must be able to practice at<br />
least twice per week. No flakes. 954-<br />
340-7867 Justin<br />
Experienced lead singer/ songwriter/ guitarist<br />
looking for working band. Influences<br />
are U2, Live, STP, Creed. Have<br />
demo. Contact Eddie 561-818-6383 or e-<br />
mail clarkshigh@aol.com<br />
Experienced Lead Guitarist / Vocalist seeks<br />
Working band. Rock, Blues, Alternative,<br />
Country etc… I have excellent gear,<br />
Transportation, and professional attitude.<br />
(Can travel if profitable). Please! Serious<br />
inquires only! Call Dave 786-243-9510<br />
or davemiley41@hotmail.com<br />
Kickass drummer available for your<br />
demo’s! Killer rates! Perfect with clicktrack!<br />
All styles: Rock, Metal, Fusion,<br />
R&B, etc. You name it & I’ll play it!<br />
Pete 954-732-0730 or<br />
drum2dance@bellsouth.net<br />
Guitar and/.or bass player, 40s. Looking<br />
for band or musicians – Blues, classic<br />
rock, originals. Frank 561-305-3385<br />
Bass player seeks working or near working<br />
classic rock band. Excellent knowledge<br />
of classic rock, Motown and blues.<br />
Can fill in on short notices. Also plays<br />
keyboards. 954-401-7645<br />
Guitarist available. 43, playing since 16.<br />
Lots of club experience as sound man,<br />
band leader, sideman. Lead/ slide some<br />
vocals. Prefer Blues/Jam rock. Currently<br />
tied down with small kids. Want any<br />
opportunity to jam I can find time for.<br />
Reliable and professional. Rob 561-702-<br />
3647 Boca.<br />
Experienced drummer: seriously looking<br />
for FT band in country rock and all types<br />
except heavy metal. Will relocate for<br />
serious band with contract. Have resume,<br />
played with & recorded with local bands.<br />
If you want a hot drummer to set your<br />
band on fire call Phil 518-233-7187<br />
Fender concert amplifier – designed<br />
1964 Paul Rivera, Point-Point wired<br />
method. Mint Condition $750 OBO<br />
Eric 954-530-1123<br />
Yamaha P-200 electric piano – 88 keys,<br />
weighted excellent piano sounds built in<br />
spkrs or amp. Case, stand $1100. Korg<br />
T-2 great keyboard! 76 keys. $650 Jeff<br />
954-3<strong>03</strong>-5380<br />
4JBL4871, 4JBL4845, 6QSC amps<br />
3000, 2000 & 700. Limited/compressor,<br />
3 way x-over, EQ – Best Offer. Pioneer<br />
25 CD changer $75, new vestal delay /<br />
sampler $100, tape deck $25, car cassette<br />
pullout $25, Gemini turntable $100,<br />
Kenwood amp KA84 200w $100, 305-<br />
534-6110 lanceo@kulchashok.com<br />
Marshall Valvstate AVT – 20 watt –<br />
new – mint - $200, Yamaha UD Stomp<br />
– new – mint - $200, Digiteck GNX3 –<br />
new – mint – card - $300 954-895-5254<br />
– 954-791-4248 Chris<br />
Bass – BC Warlock with coffin case. Orig<br />
owner – 6 months old. Exc. cond $400.<br />
Hammond organ model 412 spinet with<br />
bass pedals $250 561-478-4101<br />
Marshall JCM 900 – 100 watt amp head<br />
model 4100, mint cond $575 OBO, please<br />
call 954-260-7123<br />
8 channel PX-800-DL powered crate<br />
mixer. 150 watts per side. $150 firm.<br />
Two full range cabs. 175 watts each. $75<br />
each. Call 954-554-7452<br />
dantecatt@hotmail.com<br />
Martin D-15 very good cond with gig bag<br />
$300. Peavey data bass, combo amp digital<br />
power 450 W, 1-15 inch black widow<br />
$325 Mark 954-701-1427<br />
Music Lab Studio in Kendall area.<br />
Analog multitrack recording. $225/10<br />
hr block, live multitrack $375/15 hr<br />
block. Includes mix, mastering, 50 free<br />
CD copies, engineer w/ 20 years experience.<br />
Cal Bob 305-785-4806. Rent our<br />
6,000 watt tri-amped PA, Crown, JBL,<br />
Mackie. Equipment list: www.sacredentertainment.com/<br />
musiclab.htm.<br />
ROCK! The Farm Recording Studio.<br />
West Davie. Unique and hip atmosphere.<br />
Excellent<br />
sounds.<br />
www.thefarmrecording.com for a better idea<br />
or call 954-895-6540<br />
Recording studio w/ pro tools. 32 tracks,<br />
Mac G4, Fucusrite pre amp & compression.<br />
Yamaha drums, assorted guitars &<br />
mics. Run by a pro musicians/ producer/<br />
engineer, who has worked on many hit<br />
records. I guarantee to make you demos<br />
or masters feel and sound fantastic! 561-<br />
745-3810 or chcsabo@aol.com<br />
Phuturetrax Recording specializing in<br />
electronica, dance, reggae, hip hop and<br />
pop, In the heart of SOBE 305-695-0520<br />
GOD OF THUNDER<br />
MUSIC STORE • LESSONS<br />
REHEARSAL SPACE<br />
INSTRUMENT REPAIR<br />
INSTRUMENT RENTALS<br />
954-523-7087
Solid Sound Studio is located just<br />
north of sample rd on powerline in<br />
Broward. We feature brand new rooms<br />
(6) with all new equipment in a comfortable<br />
setting. See our ad on page 3<br />
for more information. 954-974-1466<br />
Sonic Groove Studios in Davie. The<br />
best rehearsal studio in Broward county.<br />
Play on gear like Marshall, Yamaha, Sure,<br />
Ampeg and more. Play in the coolest A/<br />
C. Out with the old and in with the new.<br />
Check out our full color ad in the center of<br />
the magazine. For more details 954-577-<br />
4021.<br />
Zephyr Studios (Kendall) - Large Rehearsal<br />
Space available, $15.00 per hour - 3 hour<br />
blocks in prime time available. Crank<br />
out to your satisfaction. Call 305-251-<br />
3217 Visit our website for more infowww.zephyrstudio.tripod.com<br />
LESSONS<br />
Drumset lessons now being offered at your<br />
home! World class lesson plan designed<br />
to get you noticed. Music business, showmanship<br />
and auditions also covered.<br />
Beginners welcome! Bob 954-916-9309<br />
or 954-296-9286<br />
HELP<br />
WANTED<br />
Music Teachers FT/PT degree, guitar,<br />
voice, piano www.autrymusic.com Fax<br />
resume 954-568-3259<br />
PERSONALS<br />
SWM – Blond, Blue eyes slender, mid30s<br />
– drug free – looking for SWF. Enjoy<br />
music, beach, concerts, mall & church.<br />
Friendship + possible long lasting relationship.<br />
Serious inquiries only. E-mail<br />
lbergu@bellsouth.net<br />
MISC.<br />
Tax Preparation and accounting services<br />
for business or personal satisfaction<br />
guaranteed by CPA/musician. We<br />
also specialize in getting mortgages for<br />
people with poor credit. 954-987-6934<br />
Mike<br />
Musicians Exchange referral services<br />
– Membership just $10 a year! Est.<br />
1976. Musicians…sign up for So. Fla’s<br />
oldest established musicians referral<br />
services for just $10 per year, get gigs,<br />
find other musicians. Bands, working<br />
or not, place a free musicians<br />
wanted ad. Musicians websites & hosting:<br />
6 page web sites for musicians,<br />
bands, businesses & individuals from<br />
$299 w/one free year of hosting. 2<br />
page websites including 1 sound bite<br />
and free year of hosting $149. Referral<br />
service is online only.<br />
www.musiciansexchangereferral.com<br />
or www.musiciansexchange.cc or call<br />
954-523-1776<br />
Business Opportunity. Start a 2 nd income.<br />
Very little out of pocket cost. Free Computer.<br />
888-382-4640 Ext 5482.<br />
www.howard.moneywayz.com.<br />
WWW.<strong>RAG</strong>MAGAZINE.COM<br />
WWW.<strong>RAG</strong>MAGAZINE.COM<br />
WWW.<strong>RAG</strong>MAGAZINE.COM<br />
VHS TO DVD TRANSFER! ONLY $20 PER<br />
TAPE! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?<br />
954-296-5027<br />
WE MAKE RECORDING<br />
FUN AGAIN!!<br />
Never lose a perfect take again - Fix out of tune vocals - play<br />
it backwards - experiment without commitment - The days<br />
of tedious guesswork are OVER.<br />
64 TRACK DIGITAL<br />
Featuring Protools 24 mix with Copy / Paste Editing and<br />
Full Mix Automation w/total recall of all settings. Sure,<br />
there are other studio’s starting to jump in on the Protools<br />
Bandwagon, but we’ve been driving that wagon since 1995<br />
and supporting the local artist since 1979.<br />
Plus<br />
Also supports 64 tracks of ADAT<br />
24 Track 2” Analog • CD Mastering • MIDI Studio<br />
AMEK 100 plus channel automated console<br />
12101 SW 131 Ave<br />
Kendall, Fl 33186<br />
305-255-3889<br />
YES -<br />
we speak<br />
english<br />
www.NaturalSoundRecording.com
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