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PUBLISHER 

Sean McCloskey 

sean.mccloskey@RAGmagazine.com 

EDITOR IN CHIEF 

Crystal Clark 

crystal.clark@RAGmagazine.com 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Monica Cady 

monica.cady@RAGmagazine.com 

COPY EDITOR 

Niki Lemeshka 

niki.lemeshka@RAGmagazine.com 

SENIOR EDITOR 

Joseph Vilane 

joseph.vilane@RAGmagazine.com 

SENIOR EDITOR 

Marc Suriol 

marc.suriol@RAGmagazine.com 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Monica Cady • Trey Cady 

Tom Craig • Logan Fazio 

Craig Mandell • Todd McFliker 

Jeff Noller •Sam Osborn 

Matt Pashalian • Natalia Real 

Tanya van Kampen 

Joseph Vilane 

RAG Magazine 

8930 State Road 84 #322 

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33324 

954-234-2888 

general info: 

info@ragmagazine.com 

advertising info: 

advertising@ragmagazine.com 

www.ragmagazine.com 

RAG MAGAZINE is published monthly by RAG Magazine Inc. in 

Davie , Florida. All contents are copyright 2007 and may not be 

reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Opinions 

expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, 

publishers, advertisers or distributers. RAG reserves the right to 

edit or reject advertising which may result in legal action or is in 

poor taste. Liability for typographical error is limited to reprinting 

that part which is in error. 

P. 32 

RAG MAGAZINE - APRIL 2007 - ISSUE # 84 

CONTENTS 

8. GEAR HEAD 

9. BANDS YOU NEED TO KNOW 

12. CD REVIEWS 

15. UPCOMING DATES 

16. FROM MYSPACE TO MYCOLUMN 

18. GOT THE LOOK 

20. CONCERT REVIEWS 

23. PHOTO PASS 

26. ABORIGINAL 

27. HAKE 

28. JANUARY 

32. THE FLAMMING LIPS 

38. GYM CLASS HEROES 

39. EISLEY 

40. THE ACADEMY IS 

41. LONG LIVE ROCK 

44. SNOW PATROL 

46. THE USED 

48. FILM 

52. CLASSIFIEDS 


WHO LOVES YA BABY? 

Pepper took a few minutes at Langerado to give 

our photographer a big kiss for the wonderful 

article on the band in our March issue. 

Photo Trey Cady 

DEERHUNTER 

-Silvertone 200XL Guitar Head (for bass) 

-DigiTech DigiDelay 

-DigiTech DigiVerb 

-Korg KP2 

-Roland Space Echo 


BANDS YOU NEED TO KNOW, A-Z 

- Sir Arthur Conan Mandell 

So, you think you’re hip... 

You’ve got your subscription to the NME, Puma sneakers, jeans so tight they can’t come off (really, someone get help), an extensive vintage T-shirt 

collection, you’ve seen all the Jim Jarmusch films that exist (and even some that “don’t”), and you won’t listen to anything once it’s been “discovered” 

by the mainstream. Well, Mr. or Ms. Garofalo, you ain’t seen nothing yet. With each new issue, we’ll be bringing you a monthly list of a few more bands 

you need to know if you want to be at the forefront of the next musical revolution. And it’s all alphabetical! Just grab your overpriced coffee and i-tunes 

password and listen up, you might even learn something. You guessed it, it’s RAG Magazine’s BANDS YOU NEED TO KNOW, A-Z 

Quad Riot 

There once was a band called the Cure. They were on the cover of this very 

magazine last month. They have a singer named Robert Smith. He has a 

distinctive style. There is also a band called Quad Riot. They have a 

singer named Johnny Saunders. He also has a distinctive style; it just 

happens that his distinctive style is the exact same one possessed by Mr. 

Smith. This, in some circles, is known as copying. In other circles, it is 

known as flattery. Still in other circles, it is known as Grilled Cheese. But 

those are crazy circles, and you probably shouldn’t be hanging around those. 

Quactus 

What do you get when you combine a duck and a cactus? A big headache! 

Oh, and you also get Quactus, a talented jam band based out of Los Angeles, 

California. Their logo features a cactus with duck bills and eyes. We can 

only assume this a Quactus. Does such a thing really exist? We can’t 

say we’ve encountered one in our travels as of yet. We have encountered a 

creature that was half-watermelon, half-Mario Lopez - or we might’ve just 

been drunk watching Saved By the Bell. 

Quadpod 

Apparently, Quadpod is “the shore’s premier reggae/rock/blues band.” What 

shore they’re referring to we’re not exactly clear on. We did learn that they 

used to be called Tripod, and changed their name after getting a new 

member. This baffles us. Like, what happens if they gain a sax player? 

What if their drummer dies in a bizarre origami accident? Are they going to 

keep changing their name? That’s just silly. No, that’s not silly, it’s crazy. 

No, that’s not crazy, it’s mad. And do you know what else is mad? Our 

love for Quadpod! Okay, not really. 

Quadrant215 

The first song on this drum and bass duo’s MySpace page is called “My 

Beautiful Glock.” Which is funny, because - save for a couple of letters - 

it’s got the exact same title as a haiku we wrote on the wall of the bathroom 

Barnes and Noble a few weeks back. Quite frankly, ours had much more 

depth. Get it, depth? Sorry, that was completely inappropriate. 

Qwww.RAGmagazine.com | 9



RAG’s CD REVIEWS 

Finger Eleven 

Them Vs. You Vs. Me 

Wind-Up Records 

Many things used to set Finger 

Eleven apart from the rest of the 

crop of bands; going from eerie 

and jangley one minute to angry 

and heavy aggro hard rock the 

next minute. Melding vocalist Scott 

Anderson’s scratchy and 

sometimes falsetto voice against 

start stop rhythms and creepy 

lead lines was uncommon when 

Tip was released. The band’s robotic live shows also showed that 

they were a group, if anything, worth checking out. They followed up 

with The Grayest of Blue Skies and a commercially successful selftitled 

album. Ten years later, Finger Eleven release their fourth studio 

album, Them Vs. You Vs. Me, and long-time fans like myself are 

scratching their heads wondering, what happened? 

Pop Them Vs. You Vs. Me in your player and it starts off with the disc’s 

first single, “Paralyzer.” The hi-hat and kick drums are joined by a very 

upbeat melody running over a danceable rhythm guitar track. “Paralyzer” 

actually sounds a bit like a mix of Franz Ferdinand and Modest Mouse. 

Finger Eleven show some promise with “I’ll Keep Your Memory Vague” 

and the psychedelic tinged “So-So Suicide.” The laid back feel of 

“Window Song” is actually very cool, but second grade rhyme schemes 

such as “Between me and the window’s pane/From my inarticulate 

brain“ more or less ruin the song. 

As you progress through the remaining tracks on Them Vs. You Vs. 

Me, you may find yourself skipping to the next track, especially on 

“Sense Of A Spark” and “Talking To The Walls.” Though the songs may 

be short, the band falls short of the successful formula employed on 

their last album. My recommendation would be to go back and check 

out Finger Eleven’s first albums, as the band playing on Them Vs. You 

Vs. Me does not seem to be very representative of what they used to 

represent sonically. -Matthew Pashalian 

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ 

Type O Negative 

Dead Again 

Steamhammer (SPV) 

After some time away, people 

were starting to wonder whether 

or not Type O Negative was done. 

With a less than stellar last record 

and a greatest hits compilation 

released, things didn’t look so 

good for the band. Frontman 

Peter Steele did some time and 

band members went off to do side 

projects. The end? Hardly. Out 

of nowhere, the band revealed they were with a new label and let 

loose the aptly titled Dead Again. A more aggressive and energetic 

album than their previous studio effort, 2003’s Life Is Killing Me, Dead 

Again would have been the perfect follow-up to 1999’s successful 

World Coming Down. 

Dead Again starts off with the title track in a slow Sabbath-esque 

burn, only to break into a quick old school punk feel. Anthemic and not 

quite what you would expect, lyrically the track is about coming to 

terms with drug addiction. Fast pulses found on “Tripping A Blind Man” 

and “Halloween In Heaven” have a Misfits punk edge to them and 

barked lines such as “Halloween In Heaven/Christmas In Hell,“ are sure 


to keep you going. Surprisingly, coming out of left field is the almost 10 

minute ballad “September Sun.” Of course it would not be a Type O 

track without the bands unmistakably epic, down-tuned guitars, 

pounding drums and organ solo that enter at just the right moments. 

Dead Again’s final cuts, “An Ode To Locksmiths” and “Hail And Farewell 

To Britain,” prove to be this disc’s perfect album closers. The disc’s 

tracks should have been shuffled around as the album’s continuity is a 

bit lacking, but this is still a great record to satiate your goth rock needs. 

Type O Negative has finally returned and brought with them the disc 

that fans have been waiting for. -Matthew Pashalian 

Korn 

MTV Unplugged 

Virgin Records 

MTV’s legendary Unplugged series 

has always boasted a roster of 

musical acts which have pushed the 

boundaries of what people’s 

preconceived notions of their 

respective genres were. That being 

said, I can think of no better band to 

finally get their own Unplugged 

special than Korn. Having singlehandedly 

spearheaded the “nu metal” movement of the late ‘90s, Korn strip 

down their loud trademarked seven-string dirge guitars and bring out the 

acoustics for this amazing performance. 

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Korn open their set with applause to ”Blind,” a concert staple and fan 

favorite from their self-titled debut record. Featuring additional 

percussionists, Korn take an aggressive tune and give it a surprisingly laid 

back, classical jazz feel. On “Freak On A Leash,” Korn bring out 

Evanescence vocalist Amy Lee, to lend her style to the breakthrough 

track. Of course, not as thick as the original, the song carries its own dark 

quality courtesy of the use of violins and piano which give the song new 

life. Lee’s moaning in the bridge, however, can get annoying. Standing out 

creatively as one of the best tracks on the disc “Falling Away From Me” 

features added bells and almost a completely new arrangement. 

Two things that did not mesh well with the band were their renditions of 

the Radiohead classic “Creep” and Korn’s own “Make Me Bad,” which 

features guest vocals by Robert Smith of The Cure. In theory, bringing 

Smith in for the vulnerability in his vocals is a cool idea, but it actually 

comes across a bit too weak for the song. An excellently reworked 

“Coming Undone” almost has a Star Wars vibe and, though not a favorite, 

”Twisted Transistor” actually sounds great with the addition of violins. 

Korn has always been a groundbreaking band musically and their MTV 

Unplugged performance is no exception to that. The band does the 

unexpected by adding percussion, violinists, backing vocalists and even a 

musical saw to the fray. -Matthew Pashalian 

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Alabama Thunderpussy 

Open Fire 

Relapse 

In the past ten years, Alabama 

Thunderpussy have carved their 

own little niche in the music world 

with a no-holds-barred sound that 

has both southern swagger as 

well as their aggressive stamp on 

heavy metal. Over the course of 

five albums the band has gone 

through some line up changes, but 

has always seemed to be consistent in their wild and raging songwriting. 

It is this last statement that makes their sixth album, Open Fire such a 

shock. Continually through the course of eleven songs, the band can’t

decide if they want to sound like Iron Maiden or Judas Priest on Jack 

Daniels. The riffing by guitarists Bryan Cox, Erik Larson, and Asechiah 

Bogdan on such songs as “The Cleansing,” “A Dreamer’s Fortune” and 

“Brave the Rain” is decent. However, there’s nothing that hasn’t been 

heard before. For the first time, the band sounds like they’re following 

bands that have been mixing southern boogie with classic heavy metal 

instead of leading the charge. 

What really kills the album, however, is new vocalist Kyle Thomas, 

who can’t decide if he wants to sing like Rob Halford, James Hetfield or 

Bruce Dickenson. His over-the-top vocals sink any groove the rest of 

the band gets into. It’s embarrassing and face-cringing to hear a band 

that pull off some good song introductions that provide some real cockswinging 

attitude, only to have Thomas quickly castrate it. 

For a band that has such a brash and raunchy name you would think, 

especially ten years into their career, they would keep the ruckus 

going - with Open Fire, they limp into mediocrity. –Jeff Noller 

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they needed to take a step back. 

Chimaira 

Resurrection 

Ferret Music 

Everyone knows that Chimaira went 

through a rough patch following the 

release of their eponymous third 

album that nearly detonated them 

into extinction. Having overanalyzed 

the making of that record 

to the breaking point under the hand 

of guitarist Rob Arnold, who wrote 

all of those songs, the band knew 

Having jumped ship with Roadrunner and joined Ferret Music late last year, 

the Cleveland sextet roar with a re-energized sound, offering an explanation 

as to why they may have named their new album Resurrection. 

From the opening chords of the title track through the album’s finish, the 

band explodes with intensity and power. This momentum doesn’t stop as 

Arnold and fellow guitarist, Matt DeVries, churn out jackhammer riffs on 

such songs as “Pleasure in Pain,” “End it All” and the battering ram of an 

album closing “Empire.” 

Singer Mark Hunter continues to scream and bark with gusto while he with 

Arnold, DeVries, bassist Jim LaMarca, newly-rejoined drummer Andros 

Herrick and electronic specialist Chris Spicuzza show their collaborative 

powers on the experimental centerpiece, “Six.” 

This is a sound of a band truly reborn after the hair-pulling nitpicking of 

their last record. Chimaira play like they’ve learned from their mistakes and 

are now allowing the music to flow. Resurrection is their strongest 

statement since their Pass Out of Existence, and they seem as if they’re 

only getting started. – Jeff Noller 

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Ligion 

External Affairs 

Maple Jam 

Throughout their sophomore debut 

External Affairs, Ligion seem to 

be completely unsure what kind 

of sound they are supposed to 

have. 

Whether it’s their sounding like a 

harder version of Indie Rock ala 

the Killers (“On the Way”), spacey 

Southern Rock (“Lost My Car, “Get Over Me”), generic Hard Rock 

(“Come On”), or sappy balladry that could fit on some cheesy eighties 

action movie (“For You”); Ligion perform like they’re lost in translation 

on an endless highway in Montana or Arizona depending on what you 

envision B-movies starting Eric Roberts and Sylvester Stallone. 

You don’t expect a band to make you squirm and scrunch your head as 

to wonder, “Why would you write something like that?” But these guys 

do, and in large increments. 

That said. They’re not a bad band. They play well and that’s evident on 

the last two tracks of the album: “Hey, Hey (I Don’t Care)” and “Carry 

Me.” But it’s not enough to change the inevitable conclusion that Ligion 

haven’t found their way to their destination just yet. – Jeff Noller 

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Modest Mouse 

We Were Dead Before the 

Ship Even Sank 

Sony Records 

After such a brilliantly groundbreaking 

release like Good 

News for People Who Love Bad 

News in 2004, the boys of 

Modest Mouse have a lot to live 

up to. Immediately after the 

opening notes of the initial track 

“March into the Sea” ensue, one 

can tell that the bizarre four-piece have done it again. The 

deliciously bizarre vocal soundings uttered from the mouth of 

vocalist Isaac Brock continue to remain a staple throughout the 

entire record. It is great to see that such an artistic and creative 

band still know how to utilize their original talents to their utmost 

advantage. 

Although their previous album earned them commercial success 

and television time with tracks like “Float On” and “Ocean 

Breathes Salty,” thankfully failed to recreate any possible radiofriendly 

hits this time around. The album’s first single “Dashboard” 

has not yet reached any worthy achievements, probably due to 

the fact that it is rather obscure and reminiscent of the group’s 

earlier independent recordings. 

The brilliance of We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank lies 

in Modest Mouse’s continuous desire to stay away from writing 

simply a collection of songs. Despite having been signed to a 

major record label for their last three releases, the band have 

still allowed themselves their own creative freedom to maintain 

their trademark sound while building their overall fanbase through 

their original style. This capability gives them the opportunity to 

exit the recording studio with nothing less than a piece of artwork. 

With or without radio success and television spots, this record 

will most definitely fly off of the shelves. Modest Mouse, 

throughout their long reign in the independent music scene, has 

and will always be one of music’s finest. Every listen of this 

album is equivalent to a reiteration of the previous statement. 

They are simply that good. - Logan Lenz 

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INDIE 

RELEASE 

Mika 

Life in Cartoon Motion 

Casablanca Records 

After watching a popular television 

singing contest recently I decided 

that singers are simply not as good 

as they used to be. Maybe I had 

been listening to too much Stevie 

Wonder or Mariah Carey at the 

time, but I almost felt as if my 

generation had failed me. I needed something or someone to 

come along and tell me that the current musical world that I live in 


RAG’s CD REVIEWS 

can produce something better than Jessica Simpson and Jason 

Mraz. 

Almost instantly, as if fate had intervened, I became overwhelmed 

with someone’s glorious tone and unimaginable vocal range. 

“Who was this remarkable specimen that I was hearing?,” I asked 

myself while I quickly gathered my composure in order to identify 

my recent musical savior. 

I soon learned that this fascinating artist was known as Mika 

(Me-Ka). Without hesitation, I decided to listen to more of his 

tracks. I was immediately blown away by his amazing talent and 

undeniable originality. The single “Grace Kelly” is a song laced 

and saturated with all of his vocal abilities. Ever since hearing 

this song, I have dubbed Mika “the new Freddy Mercury.” If Mr. 

Mercury still existed on the Earth, it is easy to say that a modern 

Queen record would sound a lot like Mika’s new album Life in 

Cartoon Motion. 

Some standout tracks on the CD are “Lollipop,” “Relax,” and “Billy 

Brown.” Encircling the entire album, the pulsating beats and 

infectious rhythms are not something to be exposed to when 

trying to avoid a dance floor. Mika hails from the UK, which made 

me wonder why my wish had to be granted by an Englishman. I 

almost felt as if my “American” generation had failed me this 

time. - Logan Lenz 

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Kinlin 

Self Titled 

Indie 

I first became aware of Kinlin when 

I witnessed their live show a few 

months back. They were the 

opening act for 80s metal veterans 

Winger, the first thought that came 

to mind was how powerful the 

vocals were, it was an awakening 

so to speak. Yes, I stumbled upon their performance by chance, 

but its those perfect accidents that reel us in, and give our senses 

a new found magnetic flow. I was jolted with a bout of electricity 

that night and after listening to Kinlin’s debut self titled CD — I 

was amazed on how they were successful in capturing their 

live sound on one disc. 

Vocalist Dewayne Hart sets the stage on fire, as he bombastically 

soars with his approach on the opening track “Aftermath.” Hart 

is responsible for tracking and mixing this album that the band 

stand so proud for. All the writing, recording, and mixing for the 

album took place at the Barn in Davie, Florida with rumors of the 

barn being severely haunted. Whether it was ghosts of 80s 

metal virtuoso gods, or just the spirit of rock and roll, Kinlin were 

successful in creating an album with strong production value 

and artistic integrity. 

Patrick Johansson’s steel driving beats are enough to make any 

drummer proud, its clear that Johansson is the backbone of this 

project holding steady the fine reigns of rock superstardom. 

“Still I Fall” and Turn It Up” are two hard rock gems that will 

surely boost your emotions to a new level. A band of new faces 

that play hard rock music like their veterans of the next millennium, 

Kinlin is surely a band to keep an eye out for in the years to 


come. This CD is highly recommended, note the sophisticated 

and angelic cover art. www.kinlinonline.com -Joseph Vilane 

EXPERTS IN... 

Shadows Fall 

Threads Of Life 

Atlantic Records 

Shadows Fall has built a well 

respected name for themselves 

in the underground heavy metal 

scene, but now they have 

matured a bit and with the help 

of a major label they are on their 

way to reaching more people 

with their ferocious sound. 

Threads of Life is filled with promise and hope for future metal 

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head on goers, because it shows that metal can still reign 

supreme in an ever changing society. 

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Threads Of Life shows the band going to the proverbial next 

level, their first single and lead opener “redemption” immediately 

sets the volume with an arena ready anthem that will control 

your every movement.With its slower tempo “Another Lost Hero” 

was written from a personal perspective, written about the loss 

of singer Brian Fair’s cousin, as he defended his country fighting 

in Iraq. Shadows Fall transcends the course with Threads Of 

Life, and they give new meaning to the industry taking you on an 

endless sonic journey. -Joseph Vilane 

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My Bitter End 

The Renovation 

Uprising Records 

“Tear apart and within time, rebuild 

life.” These are just some of the 

words recited by Tyler Guida on 

“Salvage The Structure,” an 

abrasive track which will give your 

ears quite the ringing. If the music 

doesn’t effect you, Guida’s lyrics 

will. My Bitter End’s The 

Renovation is a very interesting and technical CD. The work that 

stands out the most is the guitars, the intro lead in “The Renovation” 

and “To All Things Expendable” surely grabs your attention as you 

fiercely reach out for the wings of tomorrow. This band can easily 

be compared to the likes of bands such as Between The Buried and 

Me, Glass Casket, The Human Abstract, and so forth, but you’ll find 

your inner self soaring into another world built with an innovative 

structure. 

You may not be “Comfortable With Corpses,” just one rather creepy 

title on this record, but the song does hold a deep meaning on war in 

America. As they are a band that may be considered metal core/ 

death core to some, but if the listener gives them a good listen, it 

shows that this bands surely does stand out like a sore thumb. This 

CD is a slice of pure talent that deserves to be heard, and if you like 

a mixture of melody and technicality, look no further than The 

Renovation. Sticks out like a sore thumb and will make your throat 

bleed if you attempt to sing along. -Joseph Vilane 

www.ragmagazine.com

concert dates 

1 

Augustana – Culture Room (F) 

Trivium, Lamb Of God, Machine Head, Gojira – Revolution (F) 

X Conceptual Noun II – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

Reggae Fest – Bryant Park Amp. (W) 

Vince Gill – Hard Rock Live (F) 

2 

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – Studio A (M) 

Comeback Kid, It Dies Today – Ray’s Downtown Blues (W) 

Dan Serro Vinyl Jazz – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

3 

Poison The Well, Heavy Heavy Low Low – Culture Room (F) 

The Colour – Studio A (M) 

Common Curtis, Dimenxia – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

Crazy Fingers – Bamboo Room (W) 

4 

Stephen Lynch – The Improv (F) 

Beyond, Mahes, Jorge Herrera – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

CeU in Concert – Studio A (M) 

Hagus Magagus – Bamboo Room (W) 

5 

Meatloaf – Mizner Park Amp. (B) 

Iko-Iko – BankUnited Center (M) 

Carter Beats The Devil – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

VNV Nation And One – Studio A (M) 

Nora Jean Brusco – Bamboo Room (W) 

6 

Fabrika Music Presents – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

Lazaro Casanova vs. Conway – Studio A (M) 

Sue Foley – Bamboo Room (W) 

7 

Plain White T’s, Dear and the Headlights – Culture Room (F) 

The Motels Feat. Martha Davis – Sunrise Theatre (FP) 

Tuff Luvs, Dead Hooker’s Bridge Club – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

Soulidium, Theory of Discorder, Simplekill – Revolution (F) 

Howard & The White Boys – Bamboo Room (W) 

8 

Olga Kern – Au Rene Theatre (F) 

Coup D’Etat – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

9 


10 

TV On The Radio, The Blood Brothers - Culture Room (F) 

Nastie Punk – Churchill’s Pub (M) 


11 

Animals of the Arctic, Mahes, Kendra Day – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

Bridgeport Folly – Bamboo Room (W) 

12 

Circa Survive, Cute Is What We Aim For - Revolution (F) 

Dominique Vouk, The Drive Home, Jacob Groten – Culture Room (F) 

Spam Allstars – Hoy Como Ayer (M) 

Ghostland Observatory – Studio A (M) 

Kenny Loggins – Kravis Center (W) 

MercyMe, Audio Adrenaline – BankUnited Center (M) 

Punk Rock Fundraiser – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

13 

Anti-Flag, Set Your Goals, Alexisonfire – Revolution (F) 

Salif Keita – Rhythm & Roots (M) 

Earl Greyhound – Studio A (M) 

Spam Allstars – Tobacco Road (M) 

The Flaming Lips – Pompano Beach Amp. (F) 

Knocking Shop: Devinim, Boy Prostitute – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

Hal Ketchum – Bamboo Room (W) 

Robert Goodman Band – Myer Amp. (W) 

(B) Boca Raton • (F) Ft. Lauderdale • (FP) Fort Pierce 

(M) Miami • (MB) Miami Beach • (W) West Palm Beach 

14 

Haste the Day/From Autumn to Ashes – Culture Room (F) 

Brand New, Mancester Orchestra – Revolution (F) 

Ratatat, Despot – Post (M) 

House of Fools, MC Chris, Piebald – Ray’s Downtown Blues (W) 

Torche – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

Immortal Technique – Studio A (M) 

15 

Tom Jones – James L. Knight Center (M) 

Palm Beach Jazz Festival: Chick Corea, Gary Burton (W) 

Nott Us, Nameless, Funeral For A Clown – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

16 

Jack’s Mannequin – Florida International University (M) 


17 



18 

Mojo Room Ramble – Mojo Room (FP) 

Dance Jenny, Mahes – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

The Killers – Hard Rock Live (F) 

The Dillengers – Bamboo Room (W) 

19 

Otep – Mojo Room (FP) 

Days Of The New – Culture Room (F) 

Robert Goodman Band – South Shores (W) 

20 

Otep, Static X, 2 Cents – Culture Room (F) 

Love Arcade, Paramore, The Almost – Revolution (F) 

420 Festival – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

Jason Ricci & New Blood – Bamboo Room (W) 

21 

Days of the New – Mojo Room (FP) 

Cattle Decapitation, Daughters – Respectable Street (W) 

Honda Civic Tour: +44, Fall Out Boy, etc. - Sound Advice Amp. (W) 

Holy Soldier – The Scene (F) 

420 Festival – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

Benevento Russo Duo – Culture Room (F) 

Drunk Stuntmen – Bamboo Room (W) 

22 

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Revolution (F) 

23 


Butch Walker and The Let’s Go Out Tonites – Revolution (F) 

24 



25 

Crossbone – Mojo Room (FP) 

Spam Allstars – Purdy Lounge (MB) 

Black Finger – Bamboo Room (W) 

26 

Cartel, Lydia, New Atlantic – Revolution (F) 

Captured By Robots – Churchill’s Pub (M) 

Spam Allstars – Hoy Como Ayer (M) 

Jim Weider & Project Percolator – Bamboo Room (W) 

Puddle of Mudd, Chevelle, Buckcherry – Hard Rock Live (F) 

27 

Bowling For Soup – Revolution (F) 

Superchic[k] – Boomer’s Amusement Park (F) 

Hot Rod Circuit, Limbeck – Ray’s Downtown Blues (W) 

The Toasters, The Briggs, Pitch Black Radio – Culture Room (F) 


FROM MYSPACE TO MY COLUMN 

Curtis Lake is a dude who has a bunch of free time, which, lucky for you, he spends hanging out in his parents’ basement commenting to 

his top eight and sniffing out good new bands. He may have Tom prominently displayed in his top eight, but we feel certain that you’ll want 

him in your No. 1 slot after you take a listen to the best new bands he’s discovered for you on MySpace. Afterall, who has time to sift 

through all the hundreds of bands vying for your friendship every day? 

Icon’s guitarist, Jeremie Leonard, is a music purist, who has a deep appreciation for his 

craft that is infectious. After former bassist, Josh, decided to parlay his typical rock and roll 

band repertoire of sex, drugs, and rock and roll into a porn career, Leonard became the glue 

that held the band together. Equally important lead vocalist, Gabe, actually takes the reigns 

while I observed the band, teaching new bassist, Willy, all the bass lines from Icon’s 

catalogue. As he was effortlessly playing Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke,” even Willy found 


SINKING SATURN 

www.myspace.com/sinkingsaturn 

Could it be that Cooper City, Florida based Sinking Saturn, is the face of what is yet to 

come? Given their youth, I don’t suppose there is really any alternative to them becoming 

the future of the South Florida music scene. Fortunately for us, this young pop-punk 

four piece has skills beyond their years. On the surface, Sinking Saturn is group of high 

school kids devoted to music; A and B students whose talents are only surpassed by 

their idealism and intellect. 

Sinking Saturn’s lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter, touted as Zack Attack 

on the band’s MySpace, started rocking in utero while his parents attended Grateful 

Dead concerts. He studied Jazz in junior high and began looking for his own musical 

signature. At the now advanced age of 16, he has known bassist, Cheesecake Jake, 

and guitarist, Joey Shmo (whom he refers to as “the new guy”) for ten years. Given 

their ages, that accounts for two thirds of the group members’ lives; giving them plenty 

of time to have worked out the kinks that many more established bands struggle to deal 

with. They have moved from playing with spoons on pots and pans to moving people 

with their emotionally charged songs, most of which focus on the fairer sex. 

As I sat down to witness one of the band’s jam sessions, I recalled the last time I saw 

Sinking Saturn drummer, Phil of the Future. The14-year-old drum prodigy somehow 

managed to get himself booted from the Rocking Idol Battle at Revolution in 2006; getting 

tossed out of a venue by a huge bodyguard who had Phil by the back of the neck. With 

his large afro-mop of a hairdo hanging low completely covering his face and looking 

sheepishly humbled, I stopped to inquire what had happened. “Kids will be kids,” I 

eventually heard from a faceless voice. Phil seemed to have caused as much of a 

ruckus that night in the club as he did sitting at his drums today. Although I am still not 

sure what took place at Revolution, I do know that no establishment would toss him out if he were playing the drums. 

Having banged on his Grandfather’s drum set at a very young age, his grandfather, being a drummer himself, immediately recognized Phil’s 

talent. His family then encouraged him to learn and he has not stopped playing the drums ever since. “Music is my life,” Phil says, with the 

rest of the band chiming in agreement. 

They refer to themselves as “good friends creating good music,” and I can’t agree more. They believe they can change lives with music 

and the intensity of their live show. At an age when I could barely spell or read a music note, Sinking Saturn aspires to the lofty goal of 

finding perfection in music. 

If you were quick to judge, you could think that because of their ages, Sinking Saturn would have about the depth of the Backstreet Boys, 

but you would be wrong. Sinking Saturn has singular restored my faith in the future of 

American music. In a few years you won’t find many people on the planet that will be able 

to do what this band can do. They seem determined to work their way into greatness one 

song at a time. Check them out at Revolution on May 20th for the Rocking Idol Showcase. 

ICON 

www.myspace.com/iconmusic 

Icon is a shitty name for a band but, in my opinion, so is Tool. Despite that, I love these Boca 

Raton based rockers. You almost need to create a new language to properly describe 

what Icon does; the music itself is not ineffable, but the power behind it is. 

Although their website gives little information about the musicians, I was able to get a little 

more information when I sat down with the band. I’ve figured out that Icon consists of four 

very talented musicians who think and act very differently than mainstream education, 

philosophy, religion, and authority profess. There is originality to their music that has yet to 

gel into a greatness that matches their individual potentials.

himself in awe of Gabe’s bass playing prowess. Jeremie notes that Gabe is 

even better on the piano. Quiet, reserved and downright debilitatingly shy 

drummer, Phil, transforms into a Danny Carey prodigy when he is on the 

drums; he is exceedingly technical - almost mathematical, mixed with the pent 

up rage of lashing out at an unfair world. The drums are paradoxically and 

simultaneously his conduit to inner peace as well as his outlet for anger 

amidst all that ordered chaos, varying time signatures, quick rolling bass riffs, 

and burning sticks. 

If you want great hard rock and roll stop by their myspace or see them at the 

Rocking Idol Showcase on May 20th at Revolution. 

Off On A Tangent 

www.myspace.com/offonatangent 

Man, this band screams great 70s big band old time Bad Company rock and 

roll, equipped with big brown poodle afros, bellbottoms, and oversized Ray- 

Bans. Groovy, baby. Wait a minute, this is Off On A Tangent? This band is like 

Fall Out Boy with depth. Great innovative rock with roots entrenched in the 

likes of the masters. Imagine Jimi, Zeppelin, and Foghat all hopped up on 

Starbuck’s Double Lattes and you have this Boca Raton based band. The 

maturity of Off On A Tangent’s sound makes a liar out of Father Time. He’s 

been too busy guarding the clock tower to notice this band get by him with 

talent far beyond their years. 

Jordan Sherman, is the good-looking high school aged lead vocalists who 

strums a bit, fronting Off On A Tangent. He is dedicated and it shows; taking 

vocal lessons and making improvements to his shtick daily. Don’t believe me? 

Listen to the catchy anthem “Here I Go Again,” a youthful but edgy tune with 

great sing along lyrics. “It Got To Me” is another very catchy song, with a 

chorus that I find myself singing when I’m alone, “Take, take, take, take me 

back, back, back.” With Gavin Good on bass, Scott Rowell on guitar, and 

Maximo Cortese on drums, this band is another one of my favorite up and 

comers. You all should be watching their shooting star very carefully. They 

practice in Boca and play out a lot so you shouldn’t have any problem tracking 

them down locally. When you get a chance to see them, you are in for a real 

treat of a live show full of their patented flair, finesse, and showmanship. 

They punctuate their performances with a drum solo that would quiet even 

the most annoyed neighbor. There is something almost spiritual about 

watching Maximo on the drums; like the harmonics of the universe are synching 

to his beats, a forceful resonance with a unified rhythm that we can all feel a 

part of. It almost becomes the heartbeat of the planet. Bang on, young 

Maximo, bang on. Behind this band’s happy choruses and catchy lyrics, Off 

On A Tangent makes me feel one with all that is - and I like that. 



PAUL STANLEY 

REVOLUTION 

Photo: Logan Fazio

GOT THE LOOK! 

Inara George 

Age: 32 

Occupation: musician (The Bird and the Bee) 

My style philosophy is: ’60s 

My favorite item of clothing is: black flats 

My favorite band is: right now is Dr. Dog 


RAG’s CONCERT REVIEWS 

Lily Allen 

March 20, 2007 

Culture Room 

Chain-smoking cigarettes, downing shots of Jägermeister, and occasionally 

spitting, U.K. pop-brat Lily Allen performed to a sold-out crowd at Fort 

Lauderdale’s Culture Room. The pony-tailed brunette was blinged out and 

cutesy in a gold chain, black halter sundress and white high-top sneakers. 

Accompanied by a horn trio, keyboardist, guitarist, bassist and drummer, she 

jump-started the club with a heavy dose of her sunny ska-rap songs, giving 

way into more melodic selections, including the revenge-girl hit “Smile,” and a 

delightful cover of Keane’s “Everybody’s Changing.” Like a next-generation 

Alanis or Gwen, Allen promoted girl-power, and bitched about politicians and 

beauty-pushing fashion magazines (an interesting contradiction, considering 

Allen has been spotted lately in the style sections of music publications). And 

wait, why did we still hear her singing when she pointed the mic towards the 

crowd? Regardless, none of the several hundred screaming fans seemed to 

care, proving this petite badass may also possess enough charm to sweeten 

her tartish 21-year-old naivete. And if backing vocals were her biggest crime 

of the night, maybe all the naughty-girl hype is just that. – Monica Cady • 

Photo: Trey Cady 

30 Seconds to Mars – Taste of Chaos Tour 


BankUnited Center 

Back in October 2005, 30 Seconds to Mars made their first trip to South Florida, 

touring behind their sophomore release, A Beautiful Lie. Opening for Seether 

and headliners Audioslave at the BankUnited Center (formerly UM Convocation 

Center), I was impressed by a.) how good Jared Leto and company were live 

and b.) how the actor turned rock star had the crowd under his spell. 

Fast forward a year and a half to Leto, his brother and drummer Shannon Leto, 

guitarist Tomo Milicevic and bassist Matt Wachter making their fourth appearance 

in South Florida in as many months. Their album has been certified platinum due 

in part to non-stop touring and a couple of cool videos that made major rotations 

on MTV. They returned to the same venue, now on the Taste of Chaos tour. 

Unfortunately for the group, they were packaged with a bunch of bands that, 

apart from the surprising solid set by Chiodos, are not worthy of being on the 

MORE CONCERT REVIEWS AND PICS... Finger Eleven- Page 21 

Langerado - Page 21 

Nickelback - Page 22 

Marley Fest - Page 22 

The Used - Page 23 

Black Label Society - Page 23 

Slayer - Page 23 

Senses Fail - Page 23 


same stage with them. Lead headliner, the Used, in the simplest explanation 

possible - sucked. Senses Fail was a higher-pitched version of My Chemical 

Romance that made you want down gallons of alcohol that were not present 

at the show. All the pre-pubescent looking Saosin members showed why you 

don’t crossbreed Fall Out Boy and Jimmy Eat World. 

30 Seconds to Mars came onstage to a Chinese-styled set that was straight 

out of their hit video “From Yesterday.” The overflowing crowd on the floor 

erupted when Leto and the band stepped out wearing Brooks Brothers’ 

yuppie sweaters, shirts, ties and sports jackets. 

From the moment Leto spread his arms wide in the air like an arriving messiah, 

I knew this would be more of a spectacle than a performance-driven show; 

but that didn’t matter. The crowd ate up all of his antics that included flying from 

the stage, hanging on the first level seat railings like a spider-monkey while the 

kids on the floor went berserk and running around the back of the arena. Leto 

caused a near riot in the process and gave almost every security person a 

heart attack during “The Kill.” 

You can’t deny that the band can deliver, as they churned out fan favorites 

“The Fantasy” and the closing “Attack,” which the Leto dedicated to all the 

band’s detractors by having the crowd chant “Fuck you!” 

On a night that was also Shannon Leto’s birthday, his brother had the audience 

sing to the drummer before he threw his cake into the crowd to a raucous 

applause, it seems like South Florida has become the band’s second home. – 

Jeff Noller • Photo: Tanya van Kampen 

Finger Eleven 

February 20, 2007 

Revolution 

It’s been four years since Finger Eleven last hit the airwaves with “One 

Thing” off of their eponymous third album. That’s generally a long time 

to go between records especially for a band that treads both on numetal 

and post-grunge, which some can argue you can barely discern 

the two. That said, it was surprising to see the quintet play a surprisingly 

strong set at Revolution on a Tuesday night to a packed crowd that had 

come to see the latest hard rock “flavor of the month” in Oklahoma 

City’s Hinder. 

With their new release Them Vs. You Vs. Me, the band from Burlington, 

Ontario came out with energy behind the solid guitar work of James 

Black and Rick Jackett with vocalist Scott Anderson leading the charge 

showcasing songs from their previous two records (their self-titled 

and Greyest of Blue Skies) as well as leading in with their first single 

to their new one in “Paralyzer” that resonated loudly with the crowd of 

both teenagers, their parents, and twenty-somethings. For this journalist 

that had previously only seen the group as a two-hit wonder (their first 

hit was off their debut Tip with “Quicksand” in 1998), it was impressive. 

Behind Finger Eleven came Kentucky’s Black Stone Cherry who 

musically is what happens when you morph Black Sabbath with Molly 

Hatchet, and damn good at it too. Leading the southern rock quartet is 

Chris Robertson, who can play the guitar like a ring-in-the-bell. Their 

eponymous debut album displays some incredible promise with songs 

such as “Tired of the Rain” and “Rollin’ On,” which the band played 

with gusto. 

Hinder finished the evening to a loud, high-pitched reception with a 

high energy set that had everybody moving. Visualize Buckcherry 

only with talent, the quintet sound great, catchy songs, and a tall, 

slender frontman in Austin Winkler that the teenage girls go wild for, 

including their mothers. Their stage was quite the set with eighties-like 

second levels that both guitarists Joe Garvey and Mark King walked up 

stairs to where drummer Cody Hanson pounded on his set. 

Overall, it was a solid evening at Revolution that showcased a couple 

of really good rock acts, and reintroduced Finger Eleven back into the 

fold. – Jeff Noller 

Langerado Music Festival 

March 9-11, 2007 

Markham Park 

Bare feet, beer and bikini tops seemed as essential as the 40- 

plus bands were to the fifth annual Langerado Music Festival. 

Over the course of this three-day event, approximately 42,000 

music lovers danced in the sun and partied into the night to the 

sounds of blues, Americana, jazz, indie rock, DJ sets, electronic 

fusion, surf rock and reggae rap. 

Festival-goers took in performances by Trey Anastasio, My 

Morning Jacket, Widespread Panic, Pepper, Taj Mahal, Sound Tribe 

Sector Nine, Matisyahu, Band of Horses, Girl Talk, Blackalicious, 

the Spam Allstars and Medeski, Martin and Wood, and many others, 

all spread among three stages. 

While still giving a big node to the tie-dyed dancing-bear scene, 

Langerado’s diverse bill also attracted Goth-inspired emo-ites 

and indie rock vintage trendsters. An obvious expanding 

demographic at this year’s event was families with children. 

Lisa Maister, mother of two and resident of Lighthouse Point, 

Florida, commented, “Langerado is an awesome weekend activity 

for the whole family. Aside from a killer line-up, the children’s 

tent added tons of activities for our little ones. There was a 

parade, face painting, sing-alongs and arts and crafts. The kids’ 

area was just another of many reasons why we’ll be back to 

Langerado next year.” 

Having earned a reputation as a baby Bonnaroo, Langerado 

continues to offer a competitive alternative (top performers, 

camping options, organic vendors, environmental awareness/ 

practices) to the high-ticket prices and massive-crowd 

headaches of larger music festivals. 

Langerado also sets itself apart from other multi-day music events 

by offering a more intimate, accessible and clean setting for 

audiences and artists. There is a designated area where fans 

get to meet and greet their favorite bands. Environmental 

awareness programs and practices promote a general feeling of 

community at the event, which ultimately translates to less trash 

on the ground. This year featured expanded on-site recycling 

and not-for-profit Conscious Alliance collected more than 3,350 

pounds of food that was donated to local food banks. Going 

beyond the music performances, Langerado acts as an engaging 

experience where Jam Cruisers can reunite, petitioners can gain 

support for their causes, friends and strangers can dance 

together on the grass, and families can enjoy an outing. – Monica 

Cady • Photo: Trey Cady 


Nickelback 


Bank Atlantic Center 

After selling out nearly a month earlier, Nickelback finally brought their 

traveling circus to the Bank Atlantic Center. Touring in support of the 

massively successful All The Right Reasons for the past year and a 

half, the band brings with them Breaking Benjamin and fellow Canadian 

alt-rockers, Three Days Grace. 

Playing for a solid forty minutes, Breaking Benjamin’s set consisted mainly of 

songs from their current disc, Phobia. While the band as a whole lacks in 

stage presence, vocalist Ben Burnley picks up the slack, coming out of 

his shell a bit as a front-man. Burnley seems to have picked up some 

tools of the trade from Nickelback main man Chad Kroeger, possibly 

from seeing his stage movement and verbiage night after night. The 

two, stylistically, are now quite similar. 

Though Three Days Grace is still a relatively new band, they grab the crowd’s 

attention like veterans, opening up with current album One X’s single “Animal I 

Have Become.” Highlights from their set included vocalist Adam Gontier trading 

verses of “Take Me Under” with Breaking Benjamin’s Burnley and getting the 

arena’s crowd to its feet early on by taking a hand spotlight into the masses. 

Three Days Grace’s brand of start-stop rhythmic rock could use some filling 

and tightening, as their sound was a bit thin compared to Breaking Benjamin’s. 

After catching the crowd by surprise with a flare, Nickelback took to the stage 

letting everyone know just why they are the biggest band in the land, opening 

their set with the raunchy “Animals.” Going to a Nickelback show is almost like 

seeing the band perform a set of greatest hits; you will find yourself singing 

along to almost every song. Drawing on material primarily from their current 

disc, All The Right Reasons, the band plowed through hits “Photograph,” 

“Savin’ Me” and “If Everyone Cared.” Co-Guitarist Ryan Peake took lead vocals 

for a cover of Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)” from the 

special edition of the band’s previous effort, The Long Road. 

A great show highlight was a performance of “Side Of A Bullet,” a song 

written about fallen Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell Abbott. Of course, 

no Nickelback set would be complete without the songs that put them on 

the map, “Too Bad” and “How You Remind Me,” from 2001’s Silver Side 

Up. My only complaint is that the band seems to have phased out 

material from their debut album, The State. Before calling it a night, the 

men closed with the highly suggestive “Figured You Out,” a bit of an odd 

show closer but a great ending to a killer hour and a half concert. If you 

weren’t one of the 18,000 South Floridians in attendance at this show, 

you sorely missed out. -Matthew Pashalian 

Bob Marley Festival 


Bayfront Park 

Spreading a humanitarian message to the masses, the 

Caribbean Festival, also known as the Bob Marley Fest, 

brought a full day’s worth of joy to Bayfront Park on 

Saturday, March 3 rd . In its 14 th year, the Bob Marley 

Festival celebration featuring peaceful harmonies, arts 

and crafts is put on in Miami by the icon’s family usually 

on the weekend of Bob’s birthday, February 6 th . 

However, this year’s festivities were delayed due to 

the Super Bowl. Following the tradition of prior galas, 

donations of four canned goods were required in 

addition to the $30 general admission ticket price. 

Proceeds will be benefiting homeless programs in both 

South Florida and Jamaica. The sold out crowd of 

10,000 truly appreciated the enduring melodies that 

showcased local acts, as well as Capleton, Sizzzla, 

the Gentlemen & Mr. Cheeks, and the talented siblings, 

including Stephen, Julian, and Damien “Jr. Gong” Marley. 

The boys brought “fire to the music,” as Stephen Marley 

explained to me prior to the memorable event. 

A show announcer who calls herself Princess explained that the show was a continuation of Bob’s generous faith, while it helped 

spread his compassionate messages. “It is a breaking edge concert of the best reggae. It’s an ongoing epitaph to music, and the 

event is state of the art.” Packed in front of the stage, thousands of white-skinned surfers danced to the reggae, along with a 

number of older spectators with dreadlocks. However, a majority of the ensemble were too young to remember Bob’s passing in 

May of 1981 at age 36. Yet the positive vibe running throughout the park knew no age limits or color boundaries. The entire 

audience was too busy swaying to the serene messages about love to even think about slam dancing. In fact, thousands got the 

munchies merely from walking through the stands. 

Following the other colorful reggae artists, The Marley brothers took their stage at 10 pm. The famed siblings from Kingston, 

Jamaica delivered a soulful blend of reggae with R&B. Each of the brothers performed their own cuts, along with some of their 

father’s enduring classics, such as “Stir It Up,” “Buffalo Soldier,” and “Get Up Stand Up.” They each took turns at the mic on center 

stage, dancing with a consistent energy. Flaunting 3-feet of dreadlocks, a writing talent and vocal tone not unlike his father’s, 

Stephen sang sweet autobiographical ballads. Much of the material was from the veteran to the business’s new solo effort, Mind 

Control, which hit stores last month. Before conclusing the massive fiesta, the Marley family had the city of Miami chanting poetry 

and swinging in unison for hours. The 14th Annual Caribbean Festival proved that Bob’s music will go on forever. 

“I met most of the Marley family yesterday, and they are amazing,” said Addie Idid, an energetic concert announcer. “Every one of 

them is extremely down to earth. This is the first time I’ve been to a Marley Fest, and the energy is just overwhelming.” I couldn’t 

agree more with the young lady. The affectionate gathering supplied a harmonious atmosphere that would’ve made the legend 

proud. - Todd McFliker 


THE USED 

THE RAVE EAGLES CLUB 

PHOTO: TANYA VAN KAMPEN 

SENSES FAIL 

THE RAVE EAGLES CLUB 

PHOTO: TANYA VAN KAMPEN 

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY 

REVOLUTION 

PHOTO: BRIAN BALDWIN 

SLAYER 

REVOLUTION 

PHOTO: BRIAN BALDWIN 




LOCAL 

SPOTLIGHT 

ABORIGINAL 

An aboriginal is one of the original or earliest known inhabitants 

of a region. But Aboriginal is one of the new breaking edge 

crews out of Miami. The five young men who have been 

blending genres, hip-hop, rap, and a deejay with a strong 

rhythm section, into unique works of art, both in the studio and 

throughout South Florida’s live venues. They have opened up 

for some giant names, including Black Sheep, L.A. Guns, and 

Slightly Stoopid. And Aboriginal’s debut CD, 4.656%, was just 

released on March 2 nd . 

The band has always had the same line-up, consisting of 

Rodolfo Keyloun on his Ernie Ball Music Man bass, Gio 

“Giogrephy” Perocarpi spinning Technic 1200’s turntables and 

fingering his Yamaha keyboards, and Andres Morales fingers 

either a Gibson or Les Paul guitar. Vocalist Miguel “Discrete” 

Kitrel sings into Shure microphones, sounding quite similar to 

Rage Against the Machine. Meanwhile Eric “Helms” De Armas 

bangs his Gretsch drum kit with Zildjian cymbals. Besides an 

obscure cover every now then, such as the Animals’ “House 

of the Rising Sun,” Aboriginal feels quite strongly about 

performing their innovative tunes. “There’s nothing like your 

own creation,” explained vocalist Miguel “Discrete” Kitrel. 

Aboriginal has had dozens and dozens of influences 

throughout their lives. While I personally hear Sublime’s street 

rap over the metallic grind of Tool, and Metallica’s guitar tones. 

It all adds up, considering that the eclectic ensemble has 

claimed inspiration from everyone ranging from Pantera and 

Metallica to Cypress Hill and A Tribe called Quest. 

While local shows last month entailed Miami Beach’s Jazid and 

Purdy, Aboriginal experienced a colossal celebration for 

4.656%’s CD release party in Miami’s Polish American Club on 

March 2 nd . Performing at the Road dozens of times, “Aboriginal 

usually brings a great show and a superb audience that dance, 

and contributes to the mayhem of the night”, explained Cosmo 

Ohms, Tobacco Road Sound Engineer. 

Their name comes from the address of their studio, as they 

wrote and laid down all of the material in the one building. 

And as far as the decimal point and percentage sign, that 

was just for people to try to wrap their heads around and 

make their own interpretations. When asked what the event 

meant to Aboriginal, Miguel replied “Listening to the work 

now, we feel like proud parents. It is undoubtedly the 

highlight of our career, as it took a few years with blood, 

sweat, tears and a few hard drive crashes to get the work 

done. Patience is a virtue, and hard work and persistence 

truly do pay off. The process was definitely a frustrating 

experience, but never the less enjoyable.” 4.656% 

possesses a funky instrumental, “Breathe,” that sound like 

a cut from the Beastie Boys’ In Sound From Way Out, 

while the intro to “Horsebuck” is reminiscent of the 

Offspring’s 1994 single, “Come Out and Play (You Gotta 

Keep ‘Em Separated).” 

Aboriginal is looking forward to doing a few little tours around 

the country to promote 4.656%. Hopefully a label will approach 

the talented young men with a deal that’s worthwhile, getting 

into a second album, and actually allowing each of them to 

earn a their living with what they love, recording and delivering 

their inventive singles. After all, an aboriginal is a group of 

people being the first of their kind, and Aboriginal prides 

themselves on their uniqueness. – Todd McFliker 


LOCAL 

SPOTLIGHT 

HAKE 

“HAKE is 100% full of energy. All five members work together 

like a motor. And a HAKE concert is to see a band 

being delivered in both English and Spanish, with the essence 

of the rock always in the air,” said vocalist, Ariel 

Nan. Four years ago, HAKE was born in the streets of 

Miami Beach. Today they are regulars performing weekly 

throughout the area, and planning their next national tour, 

as well as an adventure through South America. 

The name, HAKE, spelled with all capitols, developed from 

the conjunction of the band members’ initials, Herny, Ariel, 

IñaKy, and Emiliano. Their names merged as one, the same 

way their creativity takes one unique shape, with five equal 

contributors onstage. 

Ariel and his Shure Rs 130 microphone are backed up by X- 

vier Emiliano on Gibson Les Paul guitar, Fender bass player 

Iñaky Goyco, Fender Stratocaster guitarist Vasko, and Pearl 

cymbals drummer Herny Oriolo. Everyone uses Marshall 

Amps. By 2004, they were already working the Miami club 

circuit, acquiring experience, and sharing bills with great 

artists, such as Nito Mestre, Charly Vega, and their friend, 

Ferreyra, a.k.a. Jaf. They have already toured much of the 

world, earning a following in Spain, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, 

and the States. In December of 2005, HAKE landed its 

first television appearance on channel 252’s New Life TV’s 

music program. Last June, the group worked in a Miami studio 

to record seven songs for their first cut, Revelations. 

Onstage and in the studio, HAKE delivers original singles 

with an aggressive approach to pop rock. Their originality 

is evident on numbers like “Unbearable,” “Ann Named” and 

“Ice in the Soul.” Power ballads, such as “Save Me,” “We 

Owned Forever” and “Profanadores” reflects the souls of 

many of their new listeners, as well as devoted fans, with 

their true-to-life lyrics. The only cover tune that HAKE 

performs is Van Halen’s “Aint Talking About Love.” 

Live HAKE appearances in April consist of Miami’s Soho on 

Thursday the 12 th , Studio A on Friday the 20 th , and Bud 

Light’s Rock en Miami Festival, a grand celebrating of Latin 

music, the next Friday, the 20 th in Bayfront Park Amphitheater. 

In the bilingual band’s near future, the five fellas will 

be making their second video, “She Is Not The Same 

Woman.” HAKE is also planning their second tour of the 

States, trekking from New York through California. The 

boys are also looking forward to their first jaunt in South 

America, with dates being arranged in Argentina, Chile and 

Paraguay. “HAKE’s mission is to touch the peoples’ hearts 

who do not listen to rock, and to transform it,” said Ariel. 

“And this is just the beginning, I promise.” – Todd McFliker 


january 

By Jarrod Dinwoodie 

“Something new. Something fresh. A clean start.” We all find some place along 

our lives where we may think these words or utter the phrase, often on New 

Years Eve. For many of us the decision falls in January. Not only the first month 

of the year, but a Miami based band who proudly wears the same name and 

reiterates its meaning. It represents what they do and the music they play, in a 

city where rock and roll is packed deep into the far corner of the closet. 

January’s sound is something that will surprise most people; it is unexpected 

and experienced. Rock with an emotive edge, driven by pop melody and 

powerful atmosphere, steeped in pleasant jazz chords and head nodding 

beats, which at times seem surprisingly energetic yet somehow calmingly 

smooth. Live the band offers a powerful performance with an emotional 

energy that permeates the crowd and captivates their listeners with songs 

that ring on personal experience, messages and meaning. Every show and 

song is a window into the lives of this quintet. 

The band started up in 1994 after founding member and vocalist, Jacob Gabriel, 

decided to start up his own band after reaching a crossroads in his life. For 

Gabriel, a new band, a new sound and a new direction was best represented 

by the month of January. It has been 13 years now and the band has come a 

long way. January’s current line up consists of Curtis Lewis (bass, guitar, 

backing vocals) from New York, Zeus (drums) from New Jersey, Jacob 

Gabriel (vocals), Castor Pauls (keys) and JP Romano (guitar) all of whom grew 

up in Miami. Each member is from a different background, has a different 

approach to the music and adds to the unique feel and sound of the band. 

The sound of January is flavored by the band’s unique mixture. With influences 

ranging from Janis Joplin, Guns and Roses and James Brown, to Red Hot Chili 

Peppers, Miles Davis and Army of Anyone, the band combines to make a 


melodic rock that Gabriel describes as “Maroon 5 with balls.” The band’s 

foundation is in jazz, though, giving them a pretty good edge; utilizing their 

technical prowess and jazz chops to add credibility to the outfit, becoming 

known as gifted musicians who utilize the value of other genres in the music 

they play. 

Miami is not exactly the best city for rock music. “The city is more about drugs, 

clubs and beautiful women, not that that’s such a bad thing,” as Gabriel says, 

but its not an easy place to be when rock is at the very bottom of its artistic list 

of integrity. For the rock musician in this city, finding gigs, earning fans, and 

making bank is twice as hard and twice as frustrating. January has built 

themselves up over the years, but not without their fair share of frustration and 

hard work. For Gabriel it’s a hard scene because the appreciation doesn’t 

exactly rival that of other cities such as New York. He says, “In a scene like this 

its unfortunate. Don’t get me wrong, I mean, I love Miami. I love my town man, 

but unfortunately it’s squeezing me.” The pressure to play in Miami is sometimes 

overlooked or taken for granted; but it doesn’t keep January down. In fact, it is 

quite the opposite. Despite the deterring nature of the scene in cities like Miami, 

there are still fans - they are far and few between - but when you find them 

they are likely to be a little more die-hard. The same goes for the bands. For 

January, it is about the music and the passion, not the setting. Miami rock bands 

have a stronger work ethic because their craft is not so prevalent here. They 

all love what they do and simply being based in rock-starved Miami doesn’t hold 

them back. January is a totally independent band, and puts forth a lot of 

personal time, effort and money into making it work and doing what they feel a 

passion for. 

Story: Joseph Vilane 

Their first album Things I forgot to Mention, is scheduled for release at the end 

of April if everything goes according to the band’s plan. It will be released under

the title. “” It will be mastered by Mike Fuller, who has worked on big name 

releases by the likes of Eric Clapton and Shakira. The album’s been two years 

in the works but that’s not to say the band is slow at writing songs. Gabriel 

says, “We’ll be together and, like, write a song in ten minutes. We all know 

where we’re going and we all know what we want so we’re pretty productive.” 

The time spent on the album is primarily spent developing the “meaning” of the 

album. All the songs have been thought out, planned and organized as to give 

the album its own feel and own meaning. In this case “the meaning is about 

things you want to say but don’t say or forget to say.” Gabriel explains, “Like 

when you forget something, go home, figure it out later and say ‘oh shit, I should 

have said that.’” Each of January’s songs has its own message relating back 

to this theme. To the band, “Every song is a different experience in this world;” 

an organism of sorts where each song is a separate organ functioning on its 

own to support the whole system, functioning independently but operating 

efficiently as one whole. Or better, like a series of snapshots displayed in one 

thematic gallery. A fitting feel for the album as it somewhat represents the band 

itself; different members from different backgrounds all playing together to 

create this one new, fresh sound. 

January has some big plans for the future. Apart from their musical success 

and growth, the band has much-valued approach to getting involved in the 

community, helping in whatever way they can. “I don’t wanna be just another 

band. I wanna have a band with a meaning and leaving a footprint in the music 

industry, and our meaning is community awareness and whatever is right,” 

according to Gabriel. For January the future is about helping the community 

grow as they grow, and spreading awareness on humanitarian concerns 

such as global warming and AIDS. As they spread their philosophy and 

philanthropy they also plan to spread their song; touring Florida and expanding 

north. 

If you are at that point in your life where you need a clean start or something 

new, don’t wait for January to turn up on the calendar; catch a January show 

or listen to their upcoming release and share in the passion that these guys 

represent. Give Miami’s rock scene a face lift and support a local band with a 

great cause and a passion for what they do. 

ALICE IN CHAINS 

REVOLUTION 

Photo Logan Fazio 




the flaming lips 

By Monica Cady 

Live Photos Trey Cady 

Michael Ivins is barreling along the 400-mile stretch of highway from 

Tarbox Road Studios in Cassadaga, New York, where the Flaming Lips 

have been recording new material for the past two weeks, to his 

Bellevue, Kentucky home. Driving 90-miles-an-hour, he dodges annoying “power 

drivers” and serenely chats with RAG Magazine over his cell phone about 

music, Science Fiction and philosophical matters of life. 

The multi-Grammy-Award-winning Flaming Lips [Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd, 

Michael Ivins] are best known for their cosmic experimental alt-rock sounds and 

energetic childlike approach to live performances, which are replete with fake 

blood, loads of confetti, furry animal costumes and huge balloons. Digital fuzz, 

funky disco rock, trippy woodwind trills, happy hand claps and echoing space 

oddities float throughout their music. They have some seriously extensive song 

and album titles (i.e. “One Million Billionth of a Millisecond on a Sunday Morning”), 

which they were probably writing when emo-it-boy Pete Wentz was still in 


diapers. All of these things make them one of the 

most quirky and engaging bands to have emerged 

from a major label within the last three decades. 

The Flaming Lips were established in 1983, but 

didn’t gain major popularity until 10 years later, 

with their hit single, “She Don’t Use Jelly,” from 

Transmissions From the Satellite Heart. 

Following this success, they went under the 

mainstream radar again, making seemingly absurd 

recordings, such as Zaireeka – a work that 

requires playing four CDs simultaneously to get 

the full effect. They scored big underground 

recognition in 1999, with another artsy rulebreaking 

album The Soft Bulletin, a dreamy, mindexpanding 

production of harps, piano, bells,

organ, strings, oboes, choral harmonies and other grand 

unconventional rock sounds. Another fan and critic-favored 

record is Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, a heady, 

electronically-intricate exploration. The Lips’ fan base just 

continues to grow. 

Staring At Sound 

Over the course of 12 albums, some band-member changes 

(Coyne and Ivins are original founders), and moments of what 

Coyne refers to as “dumb luck,” the Oklahoma City-originated 

Lips have covered sonic territory along the lines of the electronic 

funkiness of Beck, the epic scale of Pink Floyd, the indie-spirited 

space-rock of the Secret Machines, the Americana-laden heartyness 

of Neil Young and the sparkling layers of the Beach Boys’ 

Pet Sounds material. 

One of the most outstanding characteristics of the Lips’ albums 

is their immaculately layered sounds, qualifying them as a 

headphones-essential band. A major player in their meticulous 

album production is 44-year-old Ivins, the band’s resident techhead. 

Working alongside producer Dave Fridmann, Ivins irons 

out all the detailed aspects of their recordings. “We look at the 

studio – not really as another band member – but like another 

instrument, and you play the whole thing,” says Ivins. 

Throwing another instrument into the mix would not be surprising, 

considering the circus of sound that the Lips embrace. It can be 

loosely stated that Coyne is the vocalist, Drozd is the drummer 

and Ivins is the bassist. However, as with everything else they 

do, the Lips follow a more unconventional approach to playing 

music. They have admitted that they don’t even recall who played 

what instrument on some of their earlier albums. Since they 

aren’t strictly tied to specific parts, it has allowed the Lips to 

overcome the limits of being a three-member band, while also 

avoiding the predictability of playing only three instruments. 

“We got over the idea that just because there are three people in 

the band, there just has to be three instruments playing at any 

given time. So, I think, early on, just whoever had an idea, 

whoever was going to do something would say, ‘Well, what do 

you think of this?’ And a lot of times it would be that no one 

would like it, or you’d try the idea and you wouldn’t like it. Just 

as long as you had 10 other ideas behind it, it didn’t really matter. 

I think after a while, I think we sort of, I don’t know if learned to 

be is the right word, but not to be so precious about things – [not 

being] wrapped up, in who was playing a specific part. You 

know, because sometimes the part will be great, but a particular 

instrument won’t suit it,” Ivins says. “I think we just moved 

toward what was going to serve the song the best.” 

The Wizard Turns On 

Lead man Coyne has become rock’s bona fide bubble boy, literally 

walking inside a giant clear plastic ball atop his audiences. With 

his engaging persona, bright eyes and snappy pink-and-grey 

business suit, Coyne is like the Willy Wonka character of his 

music factory. As the lyricist, he spins out extraordinary ideas 

with unearthly brilliance and imagination. The melodies may run 

the gambit from bouncy and carefree to far-out and contemplative, 

but among all the dizzying instrumentation, a cold-water splash 

to the face will usually come via the lyrics. 

“Do you realize that happiness makes you cry? Do you realize 

that everyone you know some day will die?” (“Do You Realize??” 

– Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, 2002) 

Like Wonka, 46-year-old Coyne introduces his followers to a 

thrilling world, where anything is possible and inspiration 

abounds. The grey-haired vocalist has big freethinking ideas, 

IN STORES NOW 

and doesn’t hesitate to voice his radical concepts. On the inside 

cover of the band’s latest, and most political album, At War With 

the Mystics, he writes: “I would love to be able to make Radical- 

Protest-Rock-Anthems that enlightened the masses. But I know 

that, after all, our music (like all art) is just us fumbling around in 

the dark … trying to give some shape and some meaning to 

internal expressions.” 

Up Above the Daily Hum 

These kinds of thoughts don’t only appear in linear notes and 

song lyrics. Talking with Ivins makes it clear that these ideas 

enter the typical, daily conversations among the band members. 

The Lips are inquisitive and mindful of the universe’s 

massiveness, but are also aware of the greatness of daily life. 

“I think we are realists and pragmatic, but we’re also optimistic. 

I think saying ‘everyday life,’ does ‘everyday life’ a disservice,” 

says Ivins. “Because all of [life] is wondrous, whether you’re 

going to a concert, or driving down the street. I mean, [the band 

and I] were even talking about, say you’re driving home from 

work, and it’s five or six o’clock and the sun’s going down. Why 

is it some people will look at the sunset – it’s the same sunset, 

wherever you are, doing whatever you’re doing – and some 

people will think, ‘Wow, that’s magical and beautiful’ and all that, 

and other people are drumming on their steering wheel going, 

‘Why aren’t I home yet?’ And you know, obviously, you can’t be 

smelling the roses every second of every day, but, I think, even 

in our songs that have the most fantastical elements, I think 

that’s everyday stuff. Because I think we try to look at life as 

this wondrous, magical, crazy thing – whether you’re sitting on 

the couch watching a hockey game or at movie, or falling in love, 

or enjoying family, or anything that makes life worth living.” 

“If you could watch everybody work while you just lay on your 

back/ 


THROUGH THE YEARS WITH THE FLAMING LIPS 

1986 1987 1989 1990 

Would you do it?/If you could take all the love without giving 

any back/Would you do it?/And so we cannot know ourselves 

or what we’d really do... With all your power” (“The Yeah Yeah 

Yeah Song” – At War With the Mystics, 2006) 

Taking advantage of life’s every minute is important to the band. 

“We don’t need this daylight savings thing where we just move 

the hour around. We need to just make the day longer,” says 

Ivins of trying to fit everything into a 24-hour period. He always 

anticipates having free time to explore other things when they’re 

at the New York studio, but it never works out that way. “It sort of 

ends up being, ‘And in my spare time, I’m going to –’ and that’s 

sort of the running joke. Well, I think that’s just our running 

joke, in general. I think just as we’re doing it more, I think we’re 

coming to the realization that there isn’t some [point where], 

‘Okay once we get this out of the way, then, we’re going to be 

able to do this.’ I think we’re just starting to resign ourselves to 

just, ‘This is how it is.’ And try to actually enjoy what we’re 

doing, while we’re doing it.” 

The band isn’t currently focused on an album per se, but all of 

their works-in-progress will eventually reach the public, in some 

form or another. “Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of what’s 

going on,” Ivins says of their studio time. “People will ask us to 

try our hand at a song to put in a movie, or something like that, 

and we just even look at those sorts of [projects] as 

opportunities. We’ll just sort of do a song and sometimes 

we’ve had them where people are like, ‘Well, that’s not really 

what we were looking for.’ But, hey, it was what we wanted to do 

anyway, so it will end up on B-side, or a record, or a shoot off 

onto an idea for some other sort of songs,” he says. 

Vein of Stars 

A lot of the Lips’ ideas have an out-of-this-world quality, and 

Science Fiction plays an important role in their sound. 

“And I’m there, looking up at the sky/And I’m scared thinkin’ 

’bout the way that I/Don’t understand anything at all …” (“It 

Overtakes Me/The Stars Are So Big … I Am So Small … Do I 

Stand A Chance?” – At War With the Mystics, 2006) 

“The stories that are set in the Science Fiction arena, I think, 

when it’s done the best, are actually not anything to do with the 

future. It’s all about ideas that are happening now. They just 

happen to be set in outer space, maybe it’s set in the future, or 

wherever. I think a lot of times, those ideas and ways of looking 

at things, free you up to look at things differently than you might 

in just, I don’t want to say a mundane setting, and realistic is not 

the right word,” Ivins says. “I don’t know. There’s something, to 

me, about Science Fiction that does allow more leeway in telling 

a lot of the stories or putting ideas across.” 

Recently when the band had dinners at the studio, they were 

attempting to watch “Cosmos,” a 13-hour Sci-Fi documentary 

series that originally aired on Public Broadcasting Stations in 

the ’80s and was recently released as a DVD series. Ivins 

chuckles as he’s describing these impromptu dinner-and-amovie 

sessions. “Five seconds into [the DVD], it has to get 

paused, and somebody will have some question of, ‘Now, wait 

a minute, what do you mean?’ And then of course, we’ll spend 

all of dinner trying to figure out the riddles of the universe. I 

don’t think we actually got through an episode of ‘Cosmos,’” he 

says. “I remember even being a kid and watching that stuff, and 

it’s entertaining, and wondrous and educational – and all that 

stuff all together. I think that’s just a great way to be.” 

One of the most blatantly extraterrestrial-minded Lips projects 

is their highly-anticipated Christmas On Mars, a film that has 

been years in-the-making because of all the in-between work 

that creeps onto their agenda. “We actually, just yesterday, 

pulled open a session for one of the scenes in the movie, and 

built some of the soundtrack music for it,” says Ivins. The Lips 

are approaching the music for the film in an atypical way by 

creating the music simultaneously with the movie, rather than 

having the soundtrack be more of an afterthought. “There are a 

lot of great movies that have a lot of great music in them. But I 

think we’re, other than the sheer length of time that it takes to 

put it out, actually going about [making a movie and its 

soundtrack] a little bit differently, I think. So, we’ll see what 

becomes of this whole thing,” he says. 

Turn It On 

Though Ivins has a passion for technical work, amazingly, he 

says that studio sessions can be boring at times. “There’s 

something about the immediacy of the [live] performance, and 

being in front of people, and people being around other people 


1992 1993 1995 1997 

and sharing an experience that is just different from the studio,” 

he says. 

Anyone who has ever witnessed a Lips show would agree that 

their performances are eccentric, extravagant and unforgettable. 

“I think some people would argue [with me] maybe, but I wouldn’t 

be that interested in just us showing up and just playing. That 

seems like, ‘Oh, what fun is that?’ – for the audience or us. That’s 

why we do [the kind of shows we do], because we want to come 

out and make it worth people sharing their time with each other 

and us, because in the end, that’s what it’s all about,” he says. 

The Lips’ gigs reveal a fun, lively side that their contemplative, 

serious lyrics might not. “There’s sort of nothing worse than 

being so serious, but not being entertaining at the same time,” 

says Ivins. “You have to be able to be both, because otherwise 

you just go one way too far. It’s either a textbook [approach], 

and everyone knows how unexciting that is. Or, just something 

that’s so fluffy with nothing to it, and, well, that’s just bad. So, 

hopefully there’s something in between.” 

All We Have Is Now 


1998 1999 2002 2006 

“I always try to move forward and look ahead, and try and not live in – well, 

we always have these weird conversations when we’re together, and I forget 

who had brought it up – but the whole philosophical idea that you are sort of 

living in the future and the past at the same time. It’s pretty rare actually 

that you are living right in the moment, well, that’s just tough to do. But it’s 

tough to do in some other ways, because you don’t want to live in the 

present, disconnected from the past or not thinking about the future. Well, 

it’s sort of a treacherous road there.” 

Speaking of roads, Ivins is about halfway home – where he can’t wait to be. 

“Oh gosh, you know, sometimes, you are at home and just want to order 

some pizza and sit on the couch,” he says. “Sometimes it actually is an 

effort to get out of the house. But I try to as much as possible. And that’s 

why – because we know being at home is good – we want to make sure that 

if people want to get out of lounge clothes and come out to a club or a 

theater wherever we’re playing – we want to make sure they get – not even 

their money’s worth, but their time’s worth. [After seeing our show, we want 

them to feel] like, ‘Now, that was some time well spent.’” 

See the Flaming Lips live: 

April 12 - at House Of Blues, Orlando 

April 13 - Pompano Beach Amph., Pompano Beach 

April 14 - Jannus Landing, Saint Petersburg 

Story: Todd McFliker

Gym Class Heroes 

Between the die hard hip-hop fans and the teeny boppers surrounding me in 

Orlando’s Club at Firestone, I wasn’t completely sure whether I had somehow 

ended up at either a 50 Cent or a Christina Aguilera concert. Throw in a cluster 

of art-alternative rockers (obviously in attendance to see the RX Bandits), and 

you have yourself quite a diverse audience. 

With such an assorted blend of listeners, it was no surprise to witness every 

inch of the venue’s spaces being filled shortly after the doors opened. It was 

difficult to fathom that the newly-famous Gym Class Heroes (GCH) possessed 

the power to summon more than 1,000 screaming fans to a show, when only 

two years prior they were living humbly out of a battered bus. 

The band’s recent success seems to have come out of nowhere following 

their recent re-release of the hit single “Cupid’s Chokehold” - a song that 

continues to not only conquer pop radio stations, but also MTV’s TRL. Prior to 

the re-release of the song, GCH seemed to be doing alright for themselves with 

their 2006 release entitled As Cruel As School Children. They also managed 

to congregate a large independent fan base with their previous full length 

Papercut Chronicles, which offered a more raw and organic side of the band. 

Their unique blend of hip-hop, pop and modern rock appears to be more 

prominent and more accessible to the masses on As Cruel As School Children. 

Their current success can easily be attributed to their more attainable sound, 

but their continued support from both Fall Out Boy and their Florida-based indie 

record label Fueled By Ramen does not seem to cause any detriment to their 

musical triumphs. 

Despite their speedy success, GCH still know exactly who they are, and 

understand how to display that notion on stage. Classified simply as “great 

stage entertainers” by many music critics, band members – Travis McCoy, Matt 

McGinley, Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo and Eric 

Roberts have managed to keep their feet on the 

ground while maintaining their signature humility. 

RAG Magazine had the exclusive opportunity to 

sit down with the two remaining founding 

members of GCH. Slightly hidden under his large 

hooded sweatshirt, MC/Vocalist Travis McCoy 

and the rather timid drummer, Matt McGinley, 

presented themselves to me with not-sosurprising 

smiles on their faces. It was obviously 

appropriate to assume that they are thoroughly 

enjoying every minute of their recent victorious 

journey to the summit of the modern music scene. 

RAG: It has been quite a rapid leap to 

success for GCH. It almost seems like 

your mainstream success ensued 

overnight. Are you overwhelmed by 

everything that is happening to you? 

McGinley: The only reason that I know we have 

become more successful is from people telling 

me that we have. It really does not feel like a 

whole lot has changed for me. 

A lot of your recent success was mainly 

incited by the re-release of the hit 

single “Cupid’s Chokehold,” a song 

that also holds a spot on your previous 

record. Whose idea was it to release 

the song again? 

McCoy: It was pretty much the people’s decision. 

They started playing the song on the radio in 

Milwaukee and requests for it gradually picked 

up. Other radio stations began to add it and the 

song eventually caught fire. We just figured we 

had to roll with the momentum of the song. 


By Logan Lenz 

GCH obviously possess a unique sound. Did you set out to make 

something different or is the overall sound an end result of individual 

influences? 

McGinley: We obviously wanted to do something as a band and a lot of 

us are deeply rooted to hip-hop. I think we naturally developed our 

overall style that way. 

Who are some of your main influences? 

McGinley: Bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, and 311. When I met 

Travis he put me onto KRS-One and the entire hip-hop scene and that had a 

huge impact on me as well. 

Now that you are headlining your own tour, how do you go about 

developing an interesting lineup of opening acts that will complement 

your sound? 

McCoy: It’s a really cool thing! We don’t really fit in anywhere, so now 

that we can pick who we play with, we decided on acts that offer a 

little something for everybody. K-OS is super-charismatic hip-hop. 

P.O.S. is a more aggressive hip-hop act. The RX Bandits are just an 

insane rock band. It’s a pretty cool lineup! 

Was it difficult for you guys to fit in on a bigger tour when you were 

one of those opening acts? 

McCoy: It usually took the crowd a few songs to really get into us. But that’s 

how it always has been with us. 

McGinley: I always found it exciting to play on such different bills and attempt 

to convert their crowd onto us. 

Story: Jeff Noller 

What kind of bands do you think you mesh best with live? 

McCoy: I don’t know. We’ve played with everybody: Run DMC, Mobb Deep, 

Rusted Root. They all went great! 

What’s your favorite track off of the new album? 

McCoy: For me, it has to be “Viva La White Girl.” 

As Cruel As School Children offers 

a plethora of diverse facets of GCH. 

Explain the writing process for the 

record and how you develop the 

mood and vibe of each song. 

McCoy: Before we made the record, 

we decided that we wanted to record 

a “summertime” album. A lot of the 

songs capture that type of energy. 

We don’t take ourselves too seriously. 

We’re all just having fun. For this 

record, it was our first time working 

with producers and the first time we 

had a lot of time to work in the studio. 

We recorded Papercut Chronicles in 

three days. It was definitely a 

different experience for us this time 

around. 

To quote the new album, Travis 

you said, “We’re still your 

favorite I-heard-about-them-first 

band.” What can you say to fans 

who may oppose your recent 

mainstream success? 

McCoy: That concept is never going 

to change. I’ve been there! I’ve been 

that kid that’s been into a band and 

watched them explode and it has 

made me bitter. At the end of the day 

though, who doesn’t want to be 

successful? Nobody gets into this 

business not to make it. It’s a weird 

situation, but if you knew us 

personally, we are still the same 

people that we were two years ago.

Eisley 

By Tanya van Kampen 

If you asked the DuPree family, they would probably tell they’re the 

luckiest people in the world. They get to tour the world playing music 

and they get to do it together. Together they form Eisley, comprised of 

sisters Sherri (vocals, guitar), Stacy (vocals, keyboard), and Chauntelle 

(guitar), brother Weston (drums), and cousin Garron DuPree (bass). 

The DuPree’s have been at it for quite some time now – starting quite 

young. In fact, Stacy, the youngest of the sisters, wrote the band’s 

first song when she was just eight years old and she continues to be 

one of the band’s primary songwriters today. Eisley has put out a 

handful of EP’s, both on Reprise and independently released, as well 

What has it been like working on the album in Malibu? 

Malibu was extremely relaxing. We stayed in this house right down 

the road from Richard’s (Gibbs, producer) house – the studio. It 

was just really nice to be by the beach and we just hung out a lot. 

It was really relaxing. 

Do you find that that has an effect on the recording process – 

your location? 

Sure. Usually we record in cities or small suburban places where 

there’s lots going on, so this was kind of out of the way and it was 

awesome because it was Richard’s studio - and it’s a state of the art 

studio and the walls change and move around, and there’s light that 

comes in, and there’s windows. It’s just very different from your regular 

studio where it’s just dark. So it was very refreshing. 

I’ve read that you’ve been doing backing vocals for various 

bands such as New Found Glory and Bright Eyes – are you 

invited quite often to perform guest vocals? 

Yeah, it’s sort of surprising but we enjoy it a lot, we like collaborating 

with other artists. It’s been cool, it kind of gets you 

away from your own thing – especially when we 

did the Bright Eyes thing, we were recording 

straight and it felt good to go and get away and 

have someone tell you what to do, you don’t have 

to think. 

What was your childhood like? 

It was good as far as I can remember (laughs). 

Lots of playing in the sand and lots of kids stuff. We 

started getting into music really early on so from the 

time I was eight it was all just experimenting with 

music and playing shows. 

I remember Sherri saying that children’s 

fiction literature has been a significant 

12 influence in the band’s songwriting. As you 

all are growing up and experiencing life as an 

adult, have you established any new 

influences in the writing? 

It just depends really. It could be from anything. But definitely 

things that feel good like a child’s book or anything that 

has a good feeling we draw inspiration from. 

as, their full-length album, Room Noises, also released on Reprise. 

Lately, they have been diligently working on their new album which is, 

no doubt, being eagerly anticipated by their dedicated fans (which, by 

the way, includes Coldplay’s Chris Martin and wife Gwyneth Paltrow). 

I spoke with Stacy just weeks before Sherri and Chad’s (Gilbert, New 

Found Glory) big wedding day. We talked about the new album amongst 

some other chit chat, and Stacy was her charming and pleasant self. 

Rag Magazine: Does the upcoming album have a name yet? 

Stacy DuPree: It doesn’t actually. 

What bands and musicians put their stamp on this record in 

terms of influences? 

We actually didn’t listen to too much during the recording process. But 

I would have to say older stuff – like the Beatles. Classic stuff like that, 

and we’ve been listening to a lot of Roy Orbison lately. 

Are there any songs on the album that stick out for you? 

Well, I like them all. But I think one that stands out would be “March 

King’s Daughter” because we got this crazy brass section to come in 

and do these horns and we got to watch it and help orchestrate it, so 

we were really excited to do that. 

I read in Sherri’s journal on the band’s 

website that the wedding is coming up in 

February- how much of a surprise was it 

when Chad proposed to her? 

We knew – just the way it all happened, the way 

they met. They met on tour and everyone had such a great feeling 

about it. 

Is it true that he proposed at the premiere of Chronicles of 

Narnia? 

He did and everyone was pretty much there. It was me, my mom, and 

both my sisters. He went to go get popcorn and then, boom, he’s on 

one knee. 

Last time we spoke, you all mentioned that the band doesn’t 

have much of fan base in your hometown of Tyler, Texas. Has 

that changed at all? 

No, not really. It’s just funny. Chad gets recognized here every once in 

awhile, but as far as our fans go it doesn’t happen a lot all. 

Any tips or info for people who want to break into the music 

business? 

I would say persistence. We’ve been doing this for almost 11 years 

now and it’s really about enjoying what you’re doing at the time and just 

being really persistent. 

How would you sum up Eisley in one word? 

Oh, I got one! I would say ‘Honesty’. 


THE ACADEMY IS... 

Carden continues, “I think we’ve been very 

blessed. We go out, play our show, and 

make records between that. To me, when 

we go on the road, we’re very on the 

mindset that we’ve had the opportunity to 

play with bands on like Motion City 

Soundtrack and Something Corporate. I 

think we did a really nice job of both 

stealing and borrowing fans - the reason 

why you go on tour, which is to turn on 

new fans. In the beginning, no one is too 

cool to get a sense of what a band is all 

about, to decide if they like a band or not. 

It’s so hard for so many bands, so I don’t 

take for granted having an understanding 

of the platform that we have. To be able 

to open up for some bands, that I am able 

to headline with my own shows, I 

definitely feel lucky.” 

The Academy Is… now have a new album, 

Santi, due out April 3 rd . Their first single, 

“We’ve Got a Big Mess on Our Hands,” 

shows that this is the next step up in the 

songwriting process for Beckett and 

Carden. 

By Jeff Noller 

It’s been two years since I started as a staff writer for Rag Magazine. 

My first in-person feature came after a month when I covered a new 

band from Chicago, Illinois named The Academy Is..., who were opening 

up for Fall Out Boy on their nationwide club tour. 

Their debut album, Almost Here, had barely been out a couple of 

months; and on that balmy and muggy April night on stage, the band 

blew away the crowd. Even then, most already knew the lyrics to 

their songs such as “Attention” and “Black Mamba.” 

At the now-defunct dive, the Factory, on Oakland Park Boulevard in 

Fort Lauderdale, I had the chance to interview the tall and lanky vocalist, 

William Beckett, in the band’s tour van. Apart from almost being 

personally thrown out by security for not having “proper” backstage 

passes - even though Beckett walked me into the backstage dressing 

room area to initially do the talk - the interview and the band’s 

performance were something else. Beckett was both sharp and 

reflective in person, as well as engaging and charismatic on stage. 

The crowd ate him up. 

“It reminds me of being in the position that we were in ’05 because of 

the scene of those bands that we went out with, that were not of the 

stature that they are now,” laments guitarist and Beckett’s songwriting 

partner, Mike Carden, who will be playing to tens of thousands of 

people this spring, again with Fall Out Boy. “I get excited in the sense 

that we have played to that many people. Obviously, both sizes are 

very different, but both have the same effect. It’s kind of a natural 

thing for me to go up in front of 20,000 people because you’ve 

conquered an element of fear.” 

“When you’re in a band such as this, you feel very fortunate. In 

addition to playing with the Academy Is..., certain tours were very 

important. Then when we get to do our own shows, it makes it that 

much more fun for us. It’s nice stepping back and taking a look at 

what we have done, doing both headlining shows as well as being 

in tours such as this one with Fall Out Boy where we’re in the middle 

of a list. We couldn’t be happier with our success. We played with 

Fall Out Boy two years ago, as you said, and we’re thrilled with the 

success that they’ve had.” 


“This record took 22 days to make,” 

assesses Carden. “I am not sure if it’s 

shorter than Almost Here, but it’s around 

the same.” With big-time producer Butch 

Walker behind the boards for their 

sophomore release, Carden says he didn’t allow the group to think 

about perfecting a song too much. 

“We’ve kept in touch with Butch Walker, and he does a good job with 

producing a record. The best thing that he did was just allow us to 

turn to our instincts. He’s more of a person that lets William and I go. 

He comes in and says, ‘Let’s go with the guitar part.’ The first take 

always has this kind of energy, in which you don’t over think it. It’s 

like you’re playing in your own room.” 

Carden says, “People that are on their second, third and fourth 

records are in a weird place usually. It takes too much time, and you 

second guess yourself. A lot of times you will get frustrated and it’s not 

an enjoyable process when you over-analyze it. So Butch has an 

amazing instinct when it comes to knowing when a song is going and 

when to call it a take. They’re rock songs at three-and-a-half minutes 

with drums and guitars. It’s not supposed to be rocket science. You 

just go at it on the seat of your pants.” 

The initial response to the new material has been overwhelmingly 

positive, a fact which doesn’t go unnoticed with Carden. He will be the 

first to admit that it’s not easy to know how you’re progressing as a 

musician. “You look in the mirror everyday and you don’t know how 

much you grow,” admits Carden. For me it’s a natural progression. 

Your style will always improve and change from where you were 

when you were young. You keep learning and evolving. It’s reading 

certain words, ways and artists; it seeps into you. There is no 

conscience effort to step up. I am glad everyone is saying that. I am a 

much better guitar player and songwriter as a result of it; but it’s more 

about making a conscience effort to improve myself.” 

Two years ago, Beckett mentioned on that tour van that they wanted to 

keep going on the road and “not play to the same four people but to 

crowds older than your fan base, to different countries. If people like 

you, great, if not that’s America.” Now, embarking on their biggest tour 

yet, Carden finds the comparison from my first story on the band 

something else. “It’s trippy! You can get bugged out about that because 

in some sense it has happened for us. It’s crazy shit.”

LONG LIVE ROCK 

Two of the coolest entrepreneurs around, Jamie and Betsy Huysman 

recently opened the most divine store imaginable in the shops of Bayside 

in Miami. Long Live Rock & Other Obsessions sells works of art revolving 

around the classics. On top of some Miami Heat memorabilia, including 

Shaq’s size 22 sneaker and Miami famous gangsters such as Scarface, 

Long Live Rock contains signed guitars, photos and records ranging 

from the first Zeppelin LP to the Allman Brothers and Billy Joel’s vinyl 

containing true art, rather than digital images. The framed pieces run 

anywhere from a hundred bucks to $1000.00 a pop. Meanwhile, 

concert T-shirts available include the Stones, Hendrix, and AC/DC, while 

the selection of literature is made up of Elvis, the Beatles, Jerry Garcia, 

U2, and Metallica. Other memorabilia entails items from Nirvana, AC/ 

DC, and Green Day hats, as well as necklaces, wallets, and incense 

representing Zeppelin, Floyd, and the Dead. 

Talk about a match made in rock and roll heaven, Jamie and Betsy are 

a couple of die-hard fans of The Who. About twenty years ago, the 

two met up and ended up following the band around the world. After 

successful careers in other professions, they opened Long Live Rock 

& Other Obsessions on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, 

November 28 th , 2006. Since the grand day, the Huysmans have received 

nothing but positive feedback from shoppers. “Running the business, 

I learn so much from everybody who walks in here,” explained Betsy. 

“Everybody has a story about a concert that they went to. It’s been a 

real education for me.” Mouths drop open on a daily basis, as Long 

Live Rock is the coolest store they’ve ever seen. 

“We believe that everybody has this common rock and roll dominator 

spirit. The music allows people from all over Africa, Finland, Norway, 

France and Australia to bond, despite all of the horror, war, and hostility,” 

Jamie clarified. “Then the music is something that connects and bonds 

men and women in this little store like I never expected.” There are no 

boundaries with age 

either. A thirteen-year-old 

ventured into the shop a 

few weeks ago and 

educated the Huysmans 

on everything to do with 

both Jeff Beck and the 

Yardbirds. “It totally blew 

our minds,” Betsy 

proclaimed. 

“Everything we sell has 

a diary. In our tiny little 

world in Bayside, we 

want to rekindle South 

Florida into the rock 

scene,” said Jamie. “We 

want it to be an 

epicenter.” There will not 

be any franchising, but 

there is talk of placing Long Live Rock affiliates in new locations, such 

as Boca Raton’s Mizner Park. Hell, a customer wants to open one in 

Australia. The Huysmans are not opposed to such an expansion. 

They simply have to find an entrepreneur who appreciates the concept 

and can connect with the vibe. The self-proclaimed “hippies” are 

confident that timeless tunes form solid bonds that connect folks of all 

ages and backgrounds. Miami is home to some fabulous paraphernalia, 

stories, and collectibles. And according to Jamie, Long Live Rock simply 

wants to share the classic artifacts with its consumers, even if it is 

extremely “sad to see the good stuff go.” 

Check out Long Live Rock & Other Obsessions seven days a week in 

the Bayside Marketplace, online at www.longliverockmiami.com, or 

give the store a jingle at 866-550-ROCK. And watch for the upcoming 

Long Live Rock newsletter. –Todd McFliker 



color

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SNOW PATROL 

By Joseph Vilane 

The questions we ask determine the answers we get and often the 

directions we take on our course of life; it is from these answers that 

we create the actions of our day-to-day lives. But not many question 

the originality of one alternative rock band from Ireland named Snow 

Patrol. Eyes Open, the bands latest offering, was nominated this year 

for a Grammy. Some would say that Eyes Open is Snow Patrol’s post 

card from the cliff’s edge, and in reality, it was. I spoke with drummer 

Jonny Quinn as he explained where and why the band chose such a 

remote location to record their latest collection of tunes, and why their 

message is one that has connected to people worldwide. 

Snow Patrol are appreciated for the solemn kindness that vocalist 

Gary Lightbody breathes into every word. Their audience has absorbed 

the jubilation of Lightbody’s soft spoken melodic structure. A double 

dose of lithium some might say? Lightbody is simply reaping the rewards 

of success in an industry that can easily cloud one’s mind. But just 

imagine if success is judged by how much a person enjoys their work 

or when the message is pure and good hearted. With Eyes Open, one 

can easily take notice and find a faithful journey beyond what we can 

see with our own two eyes - we are given the chance to listen like 

never before. 

Snow Patrol (Lightbody - Vocals and Guitar, Nathan Connolly - Guitar, 

Paul Wilson- Bass, Tom Simpson - Samples and Keys, Quinn - Drums) 

are frequently compared to Coldplay in the press; appropriate given 

the fact that their music does mine a similar vein of sound. This is lush, 

powerful music, with big times waiting ahead. They have found mass 

appeal with their sounds and with something they can be proud of. 

Regardless, this band continues to surprise us. If you went to 

see this mixed Scottish/Irish group on tour after hearing their 

wistful breakout album, Final Straw, you would be amazed. 

“We’ve never been on front covers of magazines,” asserts Quinn. 

“We try to stress the context that you can just be yourselves 

and if people like it it’s because we’ve put a lot of hard work into 


it and just making the live experience a good one.” 

In February 2005, Snow Patrol resided in Dingle on the west coast of 

Ireland. Quinn knew the area well and convinced the band that a 

remote cottage would be most helpful in conjuring up imagery and 

inspiration for their next musical adventure. “The day we recorded the 

album from Dingle in the past couple of weeks, we set up all the 

equipment in one room and lived in the house,” says Quinn, “and we 

woke up everyday and thought of some ideas to put these songs 

together. Final Straw was recorded in a smaller room; this time we had 

a bigger studio.” The cottage, once used by Kate Bush, helped channel 

the band’s spirit. The studio was on a cliff’s edge with the sea crashing 

just beneath, setting a scene for moments that helped this record 

reach completion. 

One thing that really sets this quintet apart from others in the music 

industry is the band’s tight wound unit, their friendship and most 

importantly, their musicianship. Like a lot of legendary acts such as 

The Beatles and Irelands own U2, Snow Patrol bring a refreshing level 

of confidence to the fold as they adamantly take each and every step 

closer to living their dreams. 

Leaders of the free world of a broken social scene, may be one way 

to describe the music of Snow Patrol, but they are still students of the 

game. Quinn lists some of the bands best teachers, “Cream, the 

Beatles, Velvet Underground and I think the rest of the band would say 

Nirvana. A lot of American alternative acts.” Such musicians have 

given this band the confidence to make music for themselves. While 

drawing from their predecessors Snow Patrol have been able to create 

a style that’s all their own. 

“Well, the thing with Nirvana was that they weren’t playing your 

traditional songs, “says Quinn. “The songwriting was really good as 

well. They didn’t just repeat what has been done before. They tried to 

find a lyric that would work in a lot more accessible way than a lot of

the bands at that moment. And just their sort of attitude; just having a 

three piece idea and keep it a simple faction.” 

Snow Patrol’s new album, Eyes Open, a collection of songs which 

more than makes good on the promise of its predecessor, 2004’s two 

million copy selling, Final Straw. The first tracks released, “You’re All I 

Have” and “Hands Open,” feature very rock and roll style beats, 

collaborated with a cleverly hatched stream of harmonious balance. 

Lead singer, Lightbody, shines on this album with the ballad “Chasing 

Cars,” where Lightbody sings, “If I just lay here/Would you lie with me 

and just forget the world?” An interesting concept, and one worth 

imaging even just for a moment in time. 

Snow Patrol have been up against it before. It’s two years now since 

their unforgettable anthem of love and longing “Run” was released; 

reaching number five on the UK charts and propelling Final Straw to 

number three, going on to sell 1.2 million in the UK alone. Eyes Open 

shares the same sentiments. The hymn-like electronica on the closing 

track “The Finish Line” helps you absorb the beauty of Snow Patrol’s 

melodic formula. “It’s bigger and bolder and we have a bit more 

confidence,” asserts Quinn. 

To say that all of our questions have been answered is an 

understatement, we’re constantly searching for the omnipotent project 

or dedicated musician to satisfy our listening needs. As we search 

for like minded artists that tell us not only something about 

themselves, but about our experiences as well, we can begin to 

understand the joy of not only creating music but living it as well. 

Jonny Quinn and the men of Snow Patrol have been working very 

hard to create a sound all their own and, through rejection and hard 

times, they stuck to their guns and continue to create music that is 

a clear representation of their unique personalities. Quinn offering 

some advice for struggling musicians says, “Don’t give up after six 

or seven years and just work hard and don’t be scared to put a lot 

of time into it.” 

So what path has Snow Patrol created for their listeners to follow? 

Well, for those who share the same passion to succeed with integrity 

and poise it may be a bit too early to predict not only their path but the 

course the band will set for them in the future. “We haven’t thought 

about our legacies yet. We’re just thinking about our next gig,” says 

Quinn. “I just think that the legacy will be that we made a difference and 

that might inspire people who think they’re not good enough.” 


THE USED 

By Tanya van Kampen 

Live Photo Tanya van Kampen 

Bert McCracken often proclaims his love for music. The vocalist of 

The Used also loves his fans that love music. And the unity resulting 

from the mutual fervor is electrifying. It’s a significant reason why 

The Used plays music and why their continuously growing fan base 

faithfully supports them. This is, undoubtedly, at the very core of the 

band’s ongoing success. 

Fans of the band have always appreciated the their sincerity and 

down to earth personalities. There’s no fancy outfits or pretty made 

up faces. They’re gritty and honest. And their lyrics follow suit. 

Thus The Used writes songs that tap into the listener’s emotions. 

Lyrics flow with a delicate eloquence via McCracken’s versatile but 

consistently passionate vocal delivery while angry guitar tones surge 

through creating powerful melodies. It is no wonder that their fans 

feel so connected to them. 

However all the loyalty in the world couldn’t keep the inevitable from 

happening. Differences with drummer Branden Steineckert brought 

about his firing back in September of 2006. Remaining members, 

McCracken, guitarist Quinn Allman, and bassist Jepha Howard, did 

not skip a beat and moved forward with friend Dan Whitesides as 

the new drummer. And The Used is happy to have their fans move 

on with them. 

My phone conversation with Quinn Allman delves into the issues of 

ex-drummer Steineckert, as well as, the optimism surrounding 

Whitesides and the upcoming album Lies for the Liars due out on 

May 22nd. 

Rag: What can you tell me about the new album Lies for the 

Liars? 

Quinn Allman: It kicks ass. It’s the best album and it fucking kicks ass. 

Is there a particular song off the album that best defines 

the band today? 

Yeah, It’s a song called Hospital. It’s just about feeling like you’re 

gonna die all the time and people telling you that you’re not good 

enough. And hoping that you’ll die on the way to the hospital as they 

tell you you’re gonna live. 

Did the three of you go into the studio wanting to create a 

heavier album this time around? 

It just happened. We really didn’t know what to expect. 

Does it piss you off when critics or people write you off as 

a just another screamo band? 

Yeah, because they miss the point… it doesn’t piss me off, at all. I 

actually never read reviews. Everyone can have their opinion – 

that’s cool. I think people should say what they want. If they think 

that’s what we are… you know, that’s the only part of it they see… 

they’re not a part of the music when they’re listening to it. If they 

were part of the music while they were listening to it, they’d see 

something different. 

Berth is the second CD/DVD combo released in between 

studio albums; do you think it’s a helpful tool in preparing 

the fans for the upcoming album? 


Yeah, it’s a tease. (laughs) We were just sitting on a half finished 

DVD for some time and timing’s a bitch. I don’t know, it was just time. 

And we wanted to give something to the fans cause’ we hadn’t given 

them anything in such a long time. 

From watching the DVD, it’s obvious the band has a lot of fun 

making short movies, will you guys be putting out more DVD’s 

in the future in between albums? Will it become a regular thing? 

Well, it just depends on where everything goes. Right now we’re 

putting up videos on You Tube like left and right everyday. I think it’s 

gonna be more about getting people to come to our website and keeping 

them up to date that way… so, it’s more real. 

What do you do when you’re on break from the road? How do 

you decompress? 

Well, me and Jepha still live in Utah and we live, no shit, like within 10 

blocks of each other. So when we’re at home me and Dan will meet 

and go get some coffee. Jepha will meet up. We’ll go to Wal-Mart, we’ll 

go to Barnes and Noble and try to talk to girls and just hang out. We 

always hang out… get drunk or whatever. 

Do you have problems going out in your hometown with people 

bothering you and following you around? 

Yeah, but not really. I mean, if I go into the mall – forget about it. If I’m 

in the produce section of a grocery store – then I’m fine. 

The band’s live performance is incredibly honest and raw – is 

there a lot of self-preparation that goes into it? 

Yeah, especially now. Our live show now beats the shit out of our old 

live show. And our new drummer is insane. Now that we have Dan in 

the band we can communicate a lot easier. Before this tour, we 

prepared for about three weeks. But, yeah, we like to keep it really 

raw… just new and fresh. 

With all of the band’s success so far, how do you all manage 

to stay so down to earth and grounded? 

Well, I’ve lost my fucking mind – being on tour and doing all this shit 

since I was 18 – I’ve lost my fucking mind. People coming up to me 

asking me for fucking pictures, 

“Can I get your autograph”, I’ve lost 

my mind. I wouldn’t say I’m 

grounded at all. I don’t anyone else 

that knows what I’m going through 

so, as far as my close family and 

friends, that’s all that matters to me. 

I don’t need new clothes or any of 

that. My true friends and family is 

all that matters to me. 

For the last year and half, Branden was miserably sick of touring 

and whether he was or not, we had a few little blowouts. And he 

was riding on his own bus – he didn’t want to be around anyone 

that drank. I mean, literally, if you had a beer in your hand, he would 

not talk to you. So, we just kind of started to grow apart that way. 

And then when we started to jam at my house, I live so close to Dan, 

and we’ve known Dan from his previous band, Salt Lake, that I’d be 

like “Come over and let’s hangout, let’s jam.” Alright, we’d jam and 

we’d come up with five ideas in an hour. And then I’d go over to 

Branden’s house and the whole communication was totally wrong. 

And then we’d start to jam and it was like rewinding the tape of your 

progression and your ability three years back. But with Dan it was a 

progression, complete progression and perpetual motion always – 

with whatever we were writing. We told Branden, “Sorry man, we’re 

gonna do this without you. I don’t think your heads quite where mines 

at or the rest of ours is at.” And then Dan came in. I don’t know, it’s 

always a weird thing to describe in words what happened but its 

just the general feeling that things weren’t gonna work out the way 

they were. And it’s for the best. We’re all fucking 100 times happier. 

I know Branden’s 100 times happier with Rancid - that’s like his 

favorite band of all time. 

What is it that you appreciate the most when it comes to 

your fans? 

Probably that they get involved in the music. As long as it inspires 

them or it integrates into their lives somehow… or they allow it to 

– that’s always nice. 

What’s your favorite part about being in The Used? 

My favorite part about being in The Used – that question is loaded. 

I love every single part of it, every single minute, every single day, 

no matter how good or bad I feel. It’s the only thing that I know that 

I can do is play music and be with the people that I truly, truly want 

to make music with. Just being able to make music with people I 

love is really my favorite part. 

How would you sum up The Used in one word? 

Coleslaw. I think that’s one word. 

Do you have any modern day 

heroes? 

I really think that Dave Knudson from 

Minus the Bear – the guitar player - 

he is a goddamn genius. To me I 

think he’s one of the top guitar 

players that have ever lived. I don’t 

know, as far as heroes go, my dad 

is my hero. It’s the truth for no other 

reason than he’s made a life out of 

nothing – he can build anything, he 

can do whatever he wants, he can 

do anything on his own – for a million 

reasons, I look up to my dad. Our 

new drummer Dan is one of the 

greatest people I’ve ever met. I 

consider him a person that stands 

up above the rest. 

How did Dan come into the 

band? 


FILM 

I Think I Love My Wife 

Cast: Chris Rock, Kerry Washington, Gina Torres 

Director: Chris Rock 

Chris Rock is an abrasive guy; his voice especially. When he gets 

all worked up, his eyes wide, toothy smile yanked up into his 

cheeks, his voice sounds like a poodle’s bark put through a cheese 

grater. Rock’s comic timing has more to do with decibel levels than 

it does with pauses. So fancy my surprise when I learned that his 

next project would put him in the role of Richard Cooper: uppermiddle 

class father, husband, and all-around suburbanite; the type 

of guy who’s embarrassed to raise his voice in public. And with 

him also in the director’s chair, adapting what’s known to be a 

respectable French drama (Chloe in the Afternoon), I Think I Love 

My Wife could be a serious turning point in Chris Rock’s career. 

The final product, however, doesn’t manage to make that turn. In 

fact, it’d be more appropriate for Mr. Rock to re-title his film from I 

Think I Love My Wife to I Think I Overestimated Myself. 

The film takes on the dilemma of fidelity in a bored, routine marriage. 

Mr. Rock manages to distill the dilemma down to a question of sex, 

asking “If I’m not getting sex at home, why can’t I get sex 

elsewhere?” His wife, Brenda (Gina Torres), is a modern black 

mother, working as a teacher, a wife, and a mom in a Westchester 

neighborhood populated by white people. Rock has toned down 

the race-card bits here, trading in shock factor for some smart 

comments on the assimilation of black and white cultures. 

caliber, where the real drama settles in. 

His character, Richard Cooper, is wealthy and typically successful, 

constantly narrating with the sort of internal monologue Mr. Rock 

brought to his semi-autobiographical TV show, “Everybody Hates 

Chris.” His thoughts wander mostly to the Manhattan women he 

passes by on the train to work, Rock’s camera creeping always 

closer to the more tasty bits of the female physique. The whole of 

his imagination culminates into his old high school friend, Nikki Tru 

(Kerry Washington), dressed to kill and leaning seductively onto 

his office desk one afternoon. She visits unannounced, in town 

looking for a job recommendation from Richard. They meet for 

lunch and hit it off like back in the day. He’s married and known 

to be safe and she’s the party girl from high school that forgot 

to grow up. The meetings continue in secret, raising questions 

at home from Brenda and raising eyebrows from secretaries at 

Richard’s office. The dilemma eventually mounts to the sexual 

For a product built from scratch by Chris Rock, ironically working as a pure film auteur here (a term used mostly for, ahm, good directors), 

I Think I Love My Wife is fairly innocuous. It probably could have even eeked out a PG-13 rating if Rock didn’t have such a fascination with 

the F-word. And he does well by the narration, sometimes bringing an insightful honesty to the married man’s dilemma and the middle-aged 

tragedy. 

The problem lies sadly in his own performance. He isn’t a good actor. His directing feels amateurish, with bizarre camera choices and a 

crappy comic timing that decapitates most of the jokes. The writing, paired this time with Louis C.K. (“Lucky Louie,” the HBO series), deals 

clumsily with dialogue and stretches and scrunches up the story into an awkward timeline (for instance, it’s unclear whether the last half 

hour is an act or an epilogue). And, the main problem, his wife character, Brenda, is so boring, so nagging and so motherly that we don’t 

ever find the sympathy to root for her. I wanted Richard to leave her and, I’ll admit, I rooted more for Nikki. We’re supposed to feel sympathy 

for the neglected wife in this sort of film. We’re supposed to come to despise the morally strained husband and love each of the women 

equally. That way it’s a moral dilemma for both the husband and the audience. Match Point conducted this dilemma masterfully. Each 

member of Woody Allen’s audience reacted differently to the dilemma, depending on morals of their own. Rock’s picture is lopsided in this 

way, and it comes together like a tolerable song on the radio: just catchy enough to not turn off. - Samuel Osborn

Aqua Teen Hunger Force... 

Cast: Dana Snyder, Dave Willis & Carey Means 

Director: Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis 

One word: Horrendous. The Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon 

Movie Film for Theaters is the animated feature based on the 

Adult Swim series that ceases to be cute, funny or even amusing. 

Sure, it’s a cartoon, but it is far from being a children’s flick. In 

fact, the film has been given an R rating due to crude and sexual 

humor, violent images and plenty of four letter words. Meanwhile, 

Aqua Teen is too juvenile for any man or woman. Written and 

directed for the big screen by the television show’s creators, 

Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis, the movie hits theatres on April 

13, but spectators would be better off staying at home. 

The three main characters are a box of french fries, a milk shake 

and a meatball. The super-sized crew teams up in a New Jersey 

home and goes searching for a piece of exercise equipment, as 

it poses a severe threat to the balance of galactic peace. The 

plot revolves around a unique weight-lifting set, the “Insanflex,” 

that travels through time. There are a handful of other creatures 

searching for the device, including Abe Lincoln, a record-mixing 

spider wearing a diaper, a french fry eating poodle, a monster 

who sounds like Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as an oddball 

whose gag reflex is activated by bull semen. Meanwhile, the 

bad guys, the evil Plutonians, have joined forces with the 

Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past to take control of the 

renegade Insanflex in a bid to rule the universe. 

SNL’s Fred Armisen and Bruce Campbell add their voices, but 

the film’s best feature is a cameo vocal appearance by Neil Pert, 

the legendary drummer of Rush. The Aqua Teen soundtrack 

features sound bites from the movie, on top of Phil Collins’ “In 

the Air Tonight,” as well as a mix of heavy metal, indie rock, and 

hip-hop original recordings from artists such as Mastodon, Killer 

Mike and Unearth. Regardless, spend your time and money on 

something that’s actually entertaining. – Todd McFliker 

COMING SOON TO THEATERS NEAR YOU! 

3/30 

Meet the Robinsons 

Blades of Glory 

Peaceful Warrior 

4/6 

Are We There Yet? 

Grindhouse 

The Reaping 

Penelope 

4/13 

Aqua Teen Hunger Force... 

Perfect Stranger 

Disturbia 

Slow Burn 

4/20 

Fracture 

The Nanny Diaries 

4/27 

The Invisible 

Next 

The Last Legion 

Kickin It Old School



Reign Over Me 

Cast: Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith 

Director: Mike Binder 

In a lifetime we are all sure to lose a family member or two, but 

how often is it that you hear about a person who loses their 

entire family? That is just the scenario brought forth in Mike 

Binder’s dramatic Reign Over Me, a story about a man who loses his 

entire family in a plane that hit the Twin Towers on 9/11. 

In the end, Reign Over Me is really about the ties that bind us in 

friendships we make throughout our lives. When former college 

roommates, Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle) and Charlie Fineman 

(Adam Sandler), run into each other on a New York street corner 

they rekindle a bond that will forever change both of their lives. 

Alan and many others whom hadn’t heard from Charlie since he 

lost his family, did not know what had become of their old friend, 

who had been in a state of shock and denial and had convinced 

himself that he never had a family. 

In reconnecting with Charlie, Alan is able to muster up the courage 

to stop letting others control every aspect of his life. Alan’s 

main problem is that he is easily stepped on, and Charlie helps 

him stand up for himself, even if it is by some trickery. Alan, 

however, has a few tricks up his own sleeve and is able to get 

Charlie to open up a bit and talk about his wife, kids, and the past 

he seems to want to forget. 

Adam Sandler cannot be in a lead role without some element of 

humor being present, but in Reign Over Me, Sandler’s efforts 

focused more on the little truths that we find in everyday life. 

Quite possibly giving the performance of his career, you will find 

Sandler’s portrayal of Charlie Fineman’s devastating story so 

convincing it is sure to bring you to tears. - Matthew Pashalian 

THE LAST MIMZY 

A Conversation with director Robert Shaye 

Rarely do big studio executives step away from their desks and onto sets to direct a 

movie of their own. But for the first time in over fifteen years, Bob Shaye, co-chairman 

and founder of New Line Cinema, has directed his own picture. And it’s a film some 

people have hailed as the next E.T. We sat down with the Big Suit and spoke about his 

new film, The Last Mimzy, the fourteen years it took to get moving, the danger of online 

word-of-mouth, and Dwight Schrute’s bare, white ass. 

RAG: Somebody just told me it took you fourteen years getting The Last 

Mimzy off the ground. What took so long? 

ROBERT SHAYE: Well, yeah, but it wasn’t a day and night endeavor. First of all, I had a 

pretty involved day job, being co-chairman of New Line. And there was a lot going on 

with New Line in those years. The second reason was that Mimzy is based off a great 

story (“Mimsy were the Borogoves” by Lewis Padgett) that captivated me as a fourteen 

year old boy in Detroit. But it ended with the kids becoming super-geniuses, with all kind 

of super powers, then stepping into a circle made out of the toys that made them that 

way, and disappear. That’s the end of the story. So that raised a lot of issues about what 

happens afterwards. Do they come back? Do the parents follow them? It just raised way 

too many questions. 

RAG: In fixing the ending, is Mimzy a great departure from the original 

source material? 

ROBERT SHAYE: Well, as it turns out, that short story part represents only the first 

twenty minutes of the movie. After that we had to create a satisfying last two acts of the 

movie that would justify adapting it into a feature film. And we went through, like, nine or 

ten drafts of the scripts with five different writers. Bruce Rubin, who actually wrote two 

different scripts, was hired twice, Toby Emmerich, president of our production company, 


wrote two more extensive drafts, and 

then in the middle of all this we had three 

other writers. And there were several 

chunks of time, two or three years, where 

I had decided that Mimzy was just a nut 

that couldn’t be cracked. I mean, there are 

certain things that are written that cannot 

satisfactorily be translated into film. 

Everything that’s great in literature isn’t 

great on film. But Michael Phillips (Mimzy’s 

producer) was very persistent and he 

would call every so often with new ideas, 

get me fired up again. I’d hire another 

writer, and it all went in circles like that 

until it eventually ended here. 

RAG: Did you go the standard 

Hollywood route in targeting a market audience, doing market 

research, all that whatnot to release the picture? 

ROBERT SHAYE: No, we didn’t do any of that at all. Actually, the film took 

on a life of its own. I knew that it would be a complicated film to market, but 

I also knew that it had the potential to be a very broad film. It could be a film 

that would appeal to grown-ups with its provocative ideas, and also a film 

that is very enjoyable for kids. After all, the film is told, in large measure, 

from the point of view of a six year old and a twelve year old. They’re the 

ones whose brains are changing. The short story was more about the 

parents worrying about what it happening to their kids. But I thought that 

this was a more interesting approach, watching the film through the 

children’s eyes, with more wonder in it and less scary drama. Of 

course, the parents had important roles, but I thought it was 

interesting that Tim’s (Hutton) character had no idea what was 

actually going on with his kids. Actually, when we first made the film 

there was a lot more screen time for the parents. The parent 

audience we tested it for, though, didn’t like all their bickering. They 

didn’t like that they were fighting all the time. So we toned that down 

a little bit because parents didn’t like seeing families fighting in front 

of their children. They didn’t want to raise that issue. 

RAG: Yeah, it wasn’t a dysfunctional family film. We’ve had too 

many of those over the years. 

ROBERT SHAYE: I know. I wanted it to be a PG film, not PG-13. The movie 

was going more towards something that doesn’t talk down to kids. I hate 

those stupid kids shows, Pink Pony or whatever they call it. It was 

interesting enough so parents aren’t looking at their watch all the time 

waiting to get out of the theatre. And I think it came out that way. I think I 

did the right thing. 

RAG: Was that the only segment parents objected to? 

ROBERT SHAYE: Actually, when Rainn’s character gets up in the morning 

and goes to the refrigerator to get a piece of cake, he’s not wearing 

pajamas. He bends over and we see his 

butt. With more sophisticated audiences, 

and we tested a lot of audiences, they 

thought it was one of the big laughs in 

the film. But I got a whole bunch of 

reaction when we screened it for 

parents saying they don’t want their kids 

seeing some man’s naked butt. We 

ended up spending $20,000 putting a 

pair of underpants on Rainn digitally. 

RAG: I thought I noticed 

something… 

ROBERT SHAYE: Yeah, he’s wearing 

leopard-skin underpants. But it’s ok. Why 

should I offend five percent of the 

audience for a little joke? The kind of 

people who are offended by this joke, those kind of parents, they talk a 

lot. They get on the internet now, and all of a sudden it’s a big turn-off. 

RAG: Since you brought up the subject, what is the current 

attitude towards online critics, bloggers, etc? 

ROBERT SHAYE: Well it’s dangerous. Everybody thinks they’re film critics 

and page sixers and all that other stuff. People sneak into test screenings 

like Aintitcool.com. And, yeah, it’s nice when they get it right, but these 

people aren’t trained journalists. They can offer a point of view, but just 

because they can see it in print online, they suddenly have an aura of 

authority. I used to be disc jockey in college on the dormitory radio 

station. I know the feeling. You wonder if anybody’s listening to you. I 

mean, I used to offer a hamburger and a coke for anyone to call in. Just 

to be sure I wasn’t talking to myself. Actually, once I did an hour and a half 

show and then realized somebody had forgotten to turn on the transmitter. 

I think one of the follies of the internet is that if people Google a movie 

they come up with sixteen opinions that they take as gospel. The internet 

is such a false façade. I mean, people don’t even use their real names. 

Sexyboy13, Sam456, or whatever. You don’t know these people. But 

you trust them. 

RAG: Technology will always be ahead of legislation, and you 

always have to adapt. And business has to adapt. 

ROBERT SHAYE: Right, somebody asked me what was going to happen 

to the film industry because of the internet. And, of course, I don’t know. 

But I believe it’s going to adapt in a way, and I think audiences are going 

to adapt too. The proliferation of media systems is never going away. 

However, I don’t think that many people are going to watch movies on 

their iPod or their cell phones. People are going off on such crazy tangents. 

I think it’ll pull back. But I think filmmakers have to be better entertainers 

these days, because there are so many ways to postpone viewing a 

movie because of these new developments. And if we want to keep 

people going to theatres, and we definitely do, there will have to be 

movies worth going to the theatres for. 

RAG: You mentioned the 

importance of theatres. Are they 

still really an essential element 

for the film industry? 

ROBERT SHAYE: We need them 

because it’s the best place to see 

movies. How many times have we 

rented a movie, sat down with a 

glass of wine, and fallen asleep? 

It’s not the emotionality, provocation, 

the joy of movie-going in a big theatre 

with a bunch of strangers you share a 

communal two hour experience with. 

And this is what I hope for The Last 

Mimzy. It has, at least for the audiences 

who’ve seen it so far, a lot of emotion, 

a lot of joy, and a lot of thoughtfulness. 

All good stuff worth visiting your 

theatre for. - Sam Osborn 


MUSICIANS’ RESOURCE 

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954-452-0676 

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mercurystudiosinc.com 

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UPCOMING 

E-Mail: info@ragmagazine.com 


MUSICIANS WANTED 

Drummer needed for already playing out classic-alternative rock 

band. Singing a plus! No drugs, own equipment, and own transportation. 

Need solid, dependable player. We play in the browardwest 

palm area. Contact tenkorsv@aol.com 

Drummer 26 Bass 41 need guitarist and frontman vocalist to 

complete hardrock metal band doing all original music. Plan on 

recording CD and doing live shows in near future. Contact Ariel 

at 561-543-2353 

Former Rumblefish guitarist and drummer looking for “likeminded” 

musicians (with good day jobs) to play real music and 

gig once a month—Need Bassist, guitarist and/or keyboards, 

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Hollywood/ Ft.Lauderdale—practice 1x week—quality sound good 

chops—no goofs. Jack-305-801-2641 Jerry-954-234-8801. If you 

NEED to make money gigging, don’t call. 

Part-time Dance Band performing disco, funk, and dance rock 

covers seeks MUSICIANS & Male/Female VOCALISTS. 30-40’s, 

reliable, no drugs, team players. Will gig 4-6x per month after 

ramp-up. Songlist at www.danceovation.com/ songlist. Rich 954- 

494-2413 

South Florida very own Widow Makers* looking for bass and drum player. 

Must have own ride, must have ‘ready to take over the world’ type of 

attitude, must be open to practice on weekends, and MUST BE ABLE TO 

PLAY YOUR INSTRUMENT. Widow Makers* are a mix of Hard Southern 

Rock (Pantera, Down, etc.) and Metal (Metal Church, Overkill, etc.). We’re 

ready to record our demo, our album, and we’re ready to start playing live 

(again). If you think your up to the task contact Angel at (786)-487-2143 

Lead vocalist ( frontman )/keyboard or rhythm guitar player, needed for 

actively working rock band. Gigs booked months in advance. Classic 

rock-newer alternative. Must be an experienced LEAD VOCALIST ( 

FRONTMAN )THAT PLAYS EITHER KEYBOARDS OR RHYTHM GUITAR. ( 

Please don’t respond if you don’t.) Drug-free, own transportation, not in 

another band, experienced and responsible. If interested, please e-mail 

Conair0000@aol.com 

Blues and R&B band looking for singer. Must have day job – No pros or 

floaters. 954-962-6757 

Looking for bass player and drummer that’s not with other band. 

Practice 2x a week at our studio. Have paying gigs and recording, not a 

start up band. http://www.myspace.com/greetings fromlimbo123 954- 

383-0284 

Rock band into Rob Zombie, NIN, Mortiis looking for drummer. Dedicated, 

able to play with sequence and travel. www.myspace.com/ 

funeralforaclown Alex (561)3051921 Noliosky(786)443 6634, 

Ewar(786)3334014 

Flamboyant powerful lead singer / lead guitarist – Miami Dade grad with 

club convert work cover/ originals seeking bassist. Drummer, rhythm guitarist. 

27 – 50 years old. Songs include Los Lonely Boysm Santana, 

Prince, Hendrix, Creed, Foo Fighters, 3 Doors Down, Stevie Ray, ZZ Top, 

Van Halen, Nickelback. Call 561-201-1593 Vocals a plus – No Drugs. 

Rock & Roll original / cover band is looking for the lead vocalist / frontman 

to complete the band. We will be recording, touring. We have lots of 

originals, we need a take carge experienced vocalist. Must be dedicated. 

If interested: Call Art 954-684-7303, George 954-817-7585 or Mike 954- 

292-9597 

AUDITIONS for house band in local area. Guitar, bass, keys, drums, front 

singers. FULL TIME WORK. PAID REHEARSALS. Songlist 2000 or current 

(pop, rock, R&B, hip hop) For more info visit our website 

www.housebandtalent.com 

Guitarist, Singer, Drummer Seeking Bass Player to complete Original, Eclectic, 

Psychedelic Rock Band influences include Smashing Pumpkins, The 

Cure, Janes Addiction Contact Greg at 954-793-3059 

Lead vocalist/Guitar solo preformer looking for established band to join 

CD DEMO PACKAGE - $395 

8 Hours of Studio Time Includes: 

Recording, Editing, Mixing, Mastering 

CD Master + 100 printed copies. 

CD & DVD DUPLICATION 

CD Packages: 100 for $150, 300 for $399, 500 for $599 

DVD Packages: 100 for $250, 300 for $699, 500 for $999 

Includes: Duplication, Layout, color printing on disc, & white sleeve. 

Jewel cases and full retail packages also available. 


playing Classic Rock/Rock and Roll(50’s-Present).Have played gigs for 

past 5 years locally and have current gigs.Must have a fun attitude towards 

music. Call Delaney 786 543-1041 

MUSICIANS AVAILABLE 

Strong lead vocalist / guitar player available. For working or 

soon to be working band. R&B / Rock Blues / Soul band. Also 

work on record. Serious motivated musicians only. Contact 

Dan 954-923-9372 

Musicians: Keys (L.H. Bass), Sung, Guitar & more. Available for established 

national act, major label experienced. Prefer pre-2000 songs. No 

bar bands or “start-ups.” 954-720-8249 

Pro Frontman, Lead singer and lead guitarist seeking work new rock funk 

blues / classic rock 39 year old and 20 years experience, music major. Call 

786-521-7627 

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE 

Sound Equipment For Sale. EAW SPEAKER CABS: All LIKE NEW...2/ 

FR 129Z, 12'& HORN: $500 pair. 2/SM 109z, 10'& HORN: $400 pair. 1/DB 

15’POWERED SUB: $500. 2/QSC 3402 POWER AMPS: $650 EACH. Call 

Jim: 954-234-8654 

Collector’s dream Rare 1975 Paris Banchetti, famous luthier, 

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Sunn 4-10” Bass cabinet. Used very little – Church gigged 3x rest 

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LESSONS 

Bass Guitar Lessons: All ages & Styles. Student will learn music 

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Call David at (305)270-3950. miapolitics@aol.com 

World touring drummer Patrick Johansson offers private lessons at his 

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visit WWW.PATRICKJOHANSSON.COM or WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ 

PATRICKDRUMMER. Patrick Johansson has more than 20 years of touring/ 

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Drum Lessons now being offered. All levels at your home. World class lesson 

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EQUIPMENT REPAIR 

All model speakers repaired JBL, EV, RCF, Cerwin Vega, Celestion, 

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GUITAR REPAIR 

Acclaimed Luthier, Larry Lashbrook is back in town! Mr. 

Lashbrook is renowned in all phases of Luthiery; he is particularly 

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D Guitars Miami. Full-service repair and manufacturing shop 

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CD DUPLICATION 

CD Duplication – Call Danny 561-616-8716 

DRUM REPAIR 

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INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES 

Recording Studio & 3/2 single family home in Broward County, Fl. 

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RAG Magazine is expanding! How would you like to run your own region? 

Port St. Lucie/Stuart, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Jacksonville & 

Naples/Ft. Meyers regions are available? info@ragmagazine.com or call 

954-234-2888 for more info.

004/07 - RAG Magazine

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