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JOHN REIS o TRIBAL GEAR o THE MARS VOLTA o SWITCHFOOT BRO AM o THE RANDIES
JULY 2005 FREE
COVER PHOTO: CLAY PATRICK MCBRIDE
JULY 2005
CONTENTS
03
EDITOR’S NOTE
MUSIC CONNECTING PEOPLE
05
R U M O R S > S TA F F P I C K S
REL ATIONSHIP ADVICE FROM A SUICIDE GIRL ? +
06
T H E M A R S V O LTA
SHOW REVIEW: LIVE @ RIMAC ARENA
08
JULIETTE & THE LICKS
FINGER LICKIN’ GOOD
13
JOHN REIS
SPOTLIGHT: JOHN REIS GOIN’ COCONUTS
17
TRIBAL GEAR
FA SHION: STREET CULTURE
20
S WA N D I V E
CD REVIEW: SOMETHING TO MELT THE SILENCE
22
OT TO’S DAUGHTER
CD REVIEW: OT TO’S DAUGHTER EP
24
THE SPOTS
CD REVIEW: OR ANGE B OOM
26
RECOMMENDED
ANYA MARINA’S RECOMMENDED FROM FM 94 / 9
28
HOOTENANNY
CULTURE: LEE ROCKER GETS READY TO “ROCK T H I S T O W N ”
30
SWITCHFOOT BRO AM
BACKSTAGE: SURFIN’ IT FOR THE C AUSE
34
THE RANDIES
BACKSTAGE: INTERVIEW WITH L AUR A C ATALD O
36
THE LOC AL PYLE
TIM PYLES
M U S I CM AT T E R S
01
editor’s note
SDMUSICMATTERS.COM
editor
art director
correspondents/staff writers
JEN HILBERT
KIMBERLY LOSTROSCIO
CHRISTINE ERICE
MARY SMEDES PIKE
photographers
KIMBERLY LOSTROSCIO
SUMMER MOORE
editorial writers
ANYA MARINA
TIM PYLES
freelance writers
prepress
proofreader
videographers
KEVIN FARR
JED GOTTLIEB
CULLEN HENDRIX
BART MENDOZA
KIM SCHWENK
KIMBERLY LOSTROSCIO
MARY SMEDES PIKE
BRIAN DESJEAN
webmaster
KEITH DRIVER
advertising
MEGAN DUNN
[email protected]
858.490.1620 x10
distribution
publisher
SNIPE MARKETING
snipemarketing.com
GREG PASSMORE
SDMUSICMATTERS.COM
Please send all submission queries, CD’s, and any other
questions for review/publication.
ATTN: JEN HILBERT
4901 Morena Blvd. Suite 211 San Diego, CA 92117
phone: 858.490.1620
fax: 858.490.1622
email: [email protected]
02
M U S I C M AT T E R S
MUSICMATTERS Magazine, issue July 2005. Copyright © 2005 by SDMUSICMATTERS.COM. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited. Letters to SDMUSICMATTERS.COM are assumed intended for publication in whole or part without permission from the writer. MUSICMATTERS
Magazine does not necessarily endorse the lifestyles depicted in these pages. This
magazine is intended for mature audiences, and both the magazine publisher and
staff encourage you to live a responsible, healthy and balanced lifestyle while supporting your local community and abiding by its laws. Please don’t become one of
the many tragic statistics of musicians overdosing, harming others or generally
behaving like an idiot.
o
JEN HILBERT
editor
THE FIRST TIME I SAW JULIETTE LEWIS was in the movie
Cape Fear. She played a young girl opposite an ex-con who wanted
revenge against her father. I remember watching her and feeling
that there was a rare depth and honesty in her portrayal of this
troubled girl. There were qualities about her that I admired. She
was not your typical Hollywood bombshell yet she exuded her own
brand of sexuality that somehow seemed even more appealing.
In her subsequent acting roles she continued to cultivate that
sexuality and add a sense of danger and excitement.
As of late, Lewis has
decided to channel that
same sense of danger,
excitement and sexuality
into her new career as
a rock star. When I was
invited to check out
Juliette & The Licks at
their CD release party
in Hollywood, I wasn’t
quite sure what to expect.
Their album, entitled You’re Speaking My Language, was met with
mixed reviews. I must admit, prior to seeing the band perform live
I too had mixed feelings. Could Lewis and her band be considered
credible in the music world? And why would Lewis decide to make
the leap from an already stable and successful career in acting to
the risky realm of rock ‘n’ roll? I had the opportunity to ask these
questions and more when I talked to Lewis shortly after the CD
release party. What I learned in our discussion is that she is driven
to succeed and she’s not afraid to fall on her face in the process.
Her actions speak as loud as her words. Whether she’s at Warped
Tour performing side-by-side with other up-and-coming bands or
spending night after night playing in dive bars, Lewis is ready to
pay her dues in order to make her rock ‘n’ roll fantasy a reality.
The band Switchfoot is also working to make dreams come true with
their own unique surf competition. The first annual Switchfoot Bro
Am surf competition was held on May 14th in Encinitas, CA. The
competition was designed to raise money for Care House, a charity
that works to assist homeless kids and at-risk teens. We attended
the competition and spent some time chatting with Switchfoot
about their decision to organize the event. According to lead singer
Jon Foreman, “You put your money where your heart is.” Read our
story for more on the Bro Am and what motivates the philanthropic
fellows of Switchfoot to give back to their community.
In closing I’d like to leave you with a quote from Juliette Lewis,
“What I get in rock ‘n’ roll that I don’t get in movies is that
connection with people.” Remember, whether it’s at a live show, a
surf competition, or in any other way, music does connect people,
and that’s a wonderful thing!
M U S I CM AT T E R S
03
o
RELATIONSHIP ADVICE FROM A SUICIDE GIRL?
STAFF PICKS
Have you yet witnessed the
phenomenon that is The
SuicideGirls? You know, those
nearly naked gothic burlesque
show beauties who tickle your
fancy with their theatrical S&Mtinged sexuality? Well, if you’ve
never caught them live, at least
now you can listen to their voices
on the radio (though it’s no close
comparison). The Girls recently launched a radio show on Los Angeles’ Indie
103.1 that deals with a variety of topics including romance, relationships and
dating. Hosted by SG founder Missy Suicide, the show airs Sunday nights from
midnight until 2am. The hosts take phone calls from listeners, discuss news and
cultures stories from the SG News Blog located at http://www.suicidegirls.com/
news, play music and feature celebrity guests. “SuicideGirls Radio” programs air
live on the radio and on the web and are available through SuicideGirls.com as a
weekly podcast. Be sure to tune in to Indie 103.1 on Sunday nights or you can log
on to http://suicidegirls.com/radio/ or http://indie1031.fm/listenlive.html.
by Mary Smedes Pike
rumor
Wilderness Survival
Stereotypes and Types of Stereos
Catch Camera Records
Released - July 2005
www.lavivrusssenredliw.com
Intimate, brooding vocals usurp hauntingly charming little melodies
on Wilderness Survival’s freshman album, recorded in the bedroom
of singer/songwriter Nick Grosvenor. Each track on the album evokes
subtle, conflicting emotions leaving you unsure whether to smile or
cry. Various musical building blocks like piano, trumpet, woodwinds,
accordion, synthesizer, and guitar effects make the music wise beyond
its years. Those intrigued by the affected song-speak of Bright Eyes and
comfortable with Beck’s inner-cowboy will feel right at home with Nick
and his Wilderness Survival. Check out some tunes at www.myspace.com/
wildernesssurvival.
Jerra
Play Like A Girl
Sugar Hooker Entertainment
Released - April 2005
MISSY SUICIDE : © 2004 SG SERVICES, INC OPPOSITE: JUSTIN MICKLISH OF THE POPCORN REVOLT PHOTO: KIM LOSTROSCIO
www.jerra.com
04
M U S I C M AT T E R S
SAN DIEGO’S STREET SCENE SECURES
KILLER LINEUP
by Jen Hilbert
Get ready to have a killer time! The 2005 San Diego Street Scene has announced
that its headliners will be The Killers, The Pixies, The White Stripes, Social
Distortion, Snoop Dog and 311. The following San Diego bands are also included
in this year’s lineup - everybody’s favorite glam kings, Louis XIV, pop punk heroes
Unwritten Law and “noise terrorists”, The Locust. This year’s festivities will be
held at Qualcomm Stadium on July 29th and 30th. Single day tickets are $45.00
and two-day tickets are going for $65.00. For more information on this year’s
Street Scene 2005 go to www.street-scene.com.
SD BAND INKS RECORD DEAL... AND WE
HAVE THE PHOTO TO PROVE IT!
by Mary Smedes Pike
When SoCal singer/songwriter
John-Mark sent us this press
photo of himself signing a
contract with Maverick Records,
we just couldn’t resist putting
it in the magazine for all to see.
John-Mark and his band, The
John-Mark Band from Carlsbad,
CA were signed by Maverick
A&R executives Scott Austin and
Guy Oseary, with Scott planning
on putting the group in the recording studio soon to start on their first record for the
label. “I always dreamed of this day, and it was always Maverick that I felt was the
right home for my music,” said John-Mark. For more on this burgeoning artist visit
his profile at www.myspace.com/johnmark.
To “play like a girl” used to convey an insult, but in the rockin’, chordstrumming hands of Jerra, it’s definitely a compliment. An independent,
DIY grrrl, Jerra’s music reflects the multiple personality tug-o-war that
many modern females face. Heavy but melodic, sweet but tough, smart but
playful, serious but fun - it’s not an easy feat, but Jerra pulls it off like a pro.
If you’re a fan of Veruca Salt or Hole, be sure to check out Jerra.
Unklefesta
Robots At Your Front Door
Self Produced
Released - April 2005
www.unklefesta.com
How do you think infinite space would sound? If I were to imagine what
it would sound like, I think that I would liken it to Unklefesta’s album
entitled Robots at Your Front Door - kinda spacey, kinda crazy, and
definitely like nothing else that’s being done in San Diego, electronic
music. Recorded at T3 Labs in San Diego these cosmic rhythms are made
for space travel, mind warps, and alien dance warfare. Check ‘em out.
SonGodSuns (2Mex of the Visionaries)
Over The Counter Culture
Up Above Records
Released - April 2005
www.upabove.com
Over The Counter Culture is a stunning example of why this hardhitting L.A. emcee has been referred to as the “hardest working man in
underground hip-hop.” Joined by Jean Grae, LMNO of the Visionaries,
Life Rexall of the Shapeshifters, and many other preeminent performers,
2Mex delivers a hiphop masterpiece that everyone can relate to. When
discussing his latest solo work 2Mex said, “It’s me listening to Elliot
Smith and trying to re-create that in hiphop form.” Unafraid to be true
to himself, 2Mex is bold, smart and poised for success. For more info on
2Mex and Over The Counter Culture go to www.upabove.com.
M U S I CM AT T E R S
05
show review
o
The Mars Volta guitarist Omar
Rodriguez-Lopez.
THE MARS VOLTA
RIMAC ARENA 04.22.05
by Cullen Hendrix
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PHOTO: KIM LOSTROSCIO
“THE MARS VOLTA is neither a concept album band nor a prog band,” states the
opening line of their press kit. If their sold-out show at UCSD’s RIMAC Arena was to
be believed, I’m going to have to go ahead and call bullshit. Is it prog rock? Hell yes:
a twenty-five minute shape-shifter of an opening song (“Drunkship of Lanterns”),
tempos and time signatures that send music majors scurrying for scratch paper, and
damn near impenetrable lyrics sung in a soaring, crotch-throttling falsetto abounded.
But this is not your mother’s prog rock. With neither a sequined cape nor solo interlude
lifted from Stravinsky in evidence, The Mars Volta juxtaposed defiantly pretentious
songs with a (mostly) unpretentious live show.
Anyone lucky enough to have seen At The Drive-In knows that MV vocalist Cedric
Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez can bring the ruckus with authority;
Bixler-Zavala’s pre-show advice to the crowd was, “Be careful with each other out
there.” This wouldn’t turn out to be an issue, as both the performers and the crowd
were centered on the music. This was itself incredible:
for a band with nothing even approaching a marketable
single and way outside of the mainstream, The Mars
Volta attracted a truly diverse (and large) crowd. Indie
kids, metalheads, Dream Theater devotees, buttoneddown Latinos and hip hop boys decked out in Raider
gear all came together to see the show.
Since the demise of ATDI, Bixler-Zavala has become
more sensual, his youthful rage replaced by a strutting,
sashaying stage presence (clad in a black suit, no less)
that owes more to Morrissey than Iggy Pop. Looking like
equal parts a youthful Pete Townshend and Jimi Hendrix
(as envisioned by Jim Henson), Rodriguez-Lopez is all
arms, legs, and afro, but he too had left behind his guitarswinging acrobatics in order to concentrate on laying out
some seriously dense lines and atmospherics.
The rest of the band moved through the impossibly
complicated compositions with incredible focus and
skill. Jon Theodore (drums), Ikey Owens (keys), and
Juan Alderete (bass) may be the baddest rhythm section
on six legs, a group of trained killers of the highest order,
but only Theodore played with enough ferocity to divert
some attention from the band’s frontmen. Tall, brawny,
and blessed with Ralph Lauren good looks, Theodore’s
mid-set shirt-doffing was greeted with, ahem,
“appreciative” applause from many women (and more
than a few men).
With no opening act to speak of and few distinct
transitions from song to song, the night was a steady
diet of what has become The Mars Volta formula: a
pummeling schizoid intro followed by a spaced-out
breakdown chock full of vocal histrionics that lead
back into a whiz-bang recap of the intro that collapsed
into glitchy electronic samples and RodriguezLopez’s wall-of-sound guitar effects. This had a few
consequences. One was that the songs themselves
became inconsequential, just a few bars to grab
the listener before the whole thing veered off into
unexplored, improvised territory. It might be something
old (“Concertina” from the Tremulant EP) or new
(“L’Via L’Viaquez”), but does it really matter? Another
was that in all this jamming Bixler-Zavala, possessed
of an incredibly nuanced and strong voice, did a lot of
prancing around and not a lot of singing. Ultimately,
the songs were so chock-full of ideas, shards of riffs,
horn lines, polyrhythms, laser-light show effects, etc.
that came and went at breakneck speeds that they were
almost impossible to appreciate. Listening to a song
like “Cygnus…Vismond Cygnus” is kind of like riding
a motorcycle through the Louvre at 150 mph: sure, you
probably saw a lot of great art along the way, but how
much can you remember? o
M U S I CM AT T E R S
07
Finger Lickin’ Good
by Jen Hilbert
photos: Nabil Elderkin
IT’S A TUESDAY EVENING AT HOLLYWOOD’S TROUBADOUR
nightclub, and the place is jam-packed with a diverse, rambunctious
rock ‘n’ roll crowd. They’re all here to see actress-turned-rocker
Juliette Lewis and her band The Licks perform in support of their latest
release, You’re Speaking My Language. Generally finicky creatures not
easily impressed by celebrity, this group of Los Angelans are genuinely
enjoying themselves as they watch a blonde, barefoot Lewis bend
her slender, agile frame to and fro like warm taffy then strut and stalk
across the stage with a Mick Jagger-like swagger. Her hallmark gravely
voice screams, “You’re speaking my language baby!” and the crowd’s
excitement reaches a crescendo as she stagedives into the sweaty masses
with reckless abandon.
“I wanted to do it all unsafe,” Lewis says in our conversation several
days after the show. “I wanted to make mistakes, fall on my face, move
a crowd and see what worked.” Her ballsy attitude will certainly help
Juliette & The Licks distinguish themselves from the other actor/
actress-fronted bands that music critics regularly eat for lunch. Gaining
respect will not be easy though, especially among the typical selfaggrandizing record store clerks and music junkie types. To admit that
an actor’s or actress’s band has a shred of talent would be to commit
a form of heresy within their circle of music fanatic friends. I wonder,
does Lewis understand that?
“Do you feel that your band will have to work even harder to gain
respect because you’re a celebrity?” I ask. She begins her response
talking about her creative process and how her standards are always
really high but she avoids answering my question directly. It seems as
though she knows what she wants to say but is concerned about how
it comes across. After a rather winded explanation she finally says in
a matter-of-fact, no bullshit tone, “To answer your question in short
answer - yes. I feel like we’ll have to work five times as hard or harder
than any new band.”
But Lewis isn’t throwing herself a pity party anytime soon. She
understands that her celebrity offers opportunities too. Undoubtedly
it helped land The Licks their recent appearances on The Tonight
Show with Jay Leno, Live With Regis & Kelly, and Late Night With
M U S I CM AT T E R S
09
juliette & the licks o
Conan O’Brien. “It’s a double-edged sword that I
wield,” she says of her fame. “I don’t mind. It’s fine.
It’s what I know.”
What she “knows” comes from her highly praised
roles in films like Cape Fear, which earned her an Oscar
nomination at the age of 19. Legally emancipated
from her mom and dad at age 14, Lewis jumped into
the Hollywood shark tank and proved that she had the
skills to be a successful actress. In addition to her role
in Cape Fear, she’s starred in movies like Kalifornia
opposite Brad Pitt, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
alongside Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio,
Quentin Tarantino’s vampire tale From Dusk Till Dawn,
and Oliver Stone’s controversial and much talked about
cult classic Natural Born Killers. Her acting career, as
well as her romantic ties to Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp,
kept a young Lewis in the media spotlight and celebrity
gossip columns, where she remains to this day.
In fact, one article recently claimed that Lewis had
given up all sex and alcohol in order to channel her sexual
energy and frustration into her music. While I suppose it
seemed plausible, I was a bit skeptical so I asked Lewis
if it was true. No sooner had I finished uttering the last
words of my question when she laughed and said, “Oh I
love how it’s like a game of telephone... The alcohol thing,
I’m not much of a drinker and I’m seeing someone now,
so the no sex is out the window.” (Lewis is reportedly
dating Joseph Arthur, a fellow musician.) Although the
rumors about her ban on booze and sex are false, she
does admit that music is a very satisfying creative and
emotional outlet. “Music is so filling. I’ve never found
any creative medium that you could actually use that
energy of desire so completely and have it be fulfilled.”
Her statement seems heartfelt. She confides that the
desire to get involved with rock ‘n’ roll has been “brewing
for a long time.” She already regularly employs music as
a means to instill her with a movie character’s emotional
content. For example, to summon the character of
Mallory in Natural Born Killers Lewis listened to Jimi
Hendrix’s “The Killing Floor” and “Voodoo Child”.
She’s also been writing songs for over a decade now
and in the last several years she wrote a few that she
says were “in the ballpark” of what she wanted a band
to sound like.
Going from the “ballpark” to a real live band is a bold
move, but Lewis, not one to shy away from a challenge,
got right to work and cut her touring teeth on last year’s
Warped Tour. The Warped Tour is a traveling music
festival that wanders from town to town each summer,
bringing punk and rock bands to fans (predominantly
young boys between the ages of 12 and 18) around the
country. It’s a grueling tour schedule, and the crowd’s
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M U S I C M AT T E R S
o juliette & the licks
not always easy to please. These kids like punk rock,
they like bands who provide an outlet for their energy
and aggression, and Lewis’ fame doesn’t mean squat
to them. A mention of the actress is likely to evoke a
“Juliette who?” Most Warped Tour attendees are too
young to be familiar with Lewis’ notorious film roles.
Lewis admits, “We were kinda the freaks on that tour
because we’re like the curiosity factor - are they for
real?” However, she also says the band received a lot of
positive feedback and she was thrilled when members
of bands like Bad Religion and New Found Glory would
wander over to watch their set. According to Lewis,
Warped Tour is where Juliette & The Licks became a
proper live band. “You’re tested everyday,” she says.
“You don’t know when you are going to play... you’re
always dirty, it’s always hot, and it really felt like a lot
of people say: ‘a rock ‘n’ roll summer camp’.”
It’s difficult for me to imagine Lewis on Warped
Tour. Why would she want to hang out in the hot
sun and dirt with pierced and tattooed teenage boys
while they debate whose set was better - Motion City
Soundtrack or Flogging Molly, when she could easily
be hanging out in a chic, air-conditioned Hollywood
club with the likes of Johnny Depp or Giovanni
Ribisi? What is it that she gets from music that
she doesn’t get from her acting fame? Her answer:
“What I get in rock ‘n’ roll that I don’t get in movies
is that connection with people. With music it’s
instantaneous, and just to watch people light up, it’s
really amazing. I love that connection.”
And it’s not just the connection to her fans that she
finds so satisfying. It’s also the bond she’s built with
her band. When I ask her what’s given her the most
pleasure in the last year, her voice suddenly softens,
and she sounds like a young girl
about to share a secret crush on a
boy. “It’s gonna sound really gay,”
she says in a somewhat embarrassed
tone, “but the first thing I thought
of is creating opportunities for my
band. Like, for example, we just
played Jay Leno and they were
all calling their parents.” She’s
thrilled to see them get so much joy
from an experience that she most
likely sees as just another day in
Hollywood. Lewis claims they are a
happy band. When I tell her that’s a
rare thing she says, “Yeah. I mean
we’re in a fucking band. We are so
intimate you can’t imagine.”
To date, Juliette & The Licks have
garnered comparisons to Iggy &
The Stooges, Chrissy Hynde, Patti
Smith, and Blondie. Not too shabby
if you ask me. However, there are
also some very bitter reviews, like the
one on Gigwise.com that compares
Lewis to “a preening Hasslehoff”
Juliette Lewis, Paul III, Jason Morris,
Kemble Walters, and Todd Morse.
“Music is
so filling.
I’ve never
found any
creative
medium that
you could
actually use
that energy
of desire so
completely
and have it
be fulfilled.”
and claims she’s, “just Alanis Morrisette
with a better haircut.” Fortunately, Juliette
& The Licks don’t seem too concerned
with the naysayers. They know they
aren’t reinventing the wheel. Lewis says,
“Speaking My Language is literally as basic
as a campfire or like cavemen going ‘boo boo
ahh ahh’, but if you’re coming from a place
of fear you’ll always overthink things and
care too much what other people think. I just
put together a great band, and we just play
what feels good, what sounds good to us.”
Now that’s speaking my language! o
M U S I CM AT T E R S
11
JOHN REIS
G O I N ’ C O C O N U T S
by Bart Mendoza
photo: Kim Lostroscio
WHILE IT’S TRUE that San Diego has
had performers who have sold more
records, and even a few with a greater
national profile, without question no one
has had a greater impact on the San Diego
music scene than John Reis.
Over the past two decades Reis has led
a succession of bands, each a frenzied,
blistering take on punk rock ‘n’ roll.
Beginning with Pitchfork while still in
high school during the mid eighties,
continuing on with Rocket From The
Crypt and Drive Like Jehu in the nineties,
and the Sultans and the Hot Snakes today,
he has carved a path through the stale
music scene with a vengeance, inspiring a
legion of new musicians along the way.
A native San Diegan, Reis originally
wasn’t going to be a musician. “I grew
up in P.B., later moved to O.B., and I
graduated from O’Farrell in ’87, the
School of Creative and Performing Arts,”
he recalls. “I was at the school because
I thought I’d be interested in acting. I
thought that I could entertain people,
but after taking some classes I didn’t
think that acting was necessarily the
right vehicle for me to make an ass out of
myself in front of people,” he says with
a laugh. “I think that I lack something,
some natural talent to do that, but music
was always there.” Reis credits his family
for helping him get started. “My parents
always supported that interest,” he notes.
“They bought me my first guitar and
they would take me shopping at Tower
Records when I was a little kid. They even
took me to see the Jackson 5 at the Sports
Arena. Basically anything that I thought
was important, they supported it. I really
have them to thank for everything.”
One local urban legend involving Reis
turns out to be true. He did in fact offer his
songwriting services to fellow students,
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M U S I C M AT T E R S
M U S I CM AT T E R S
13
spotlight
o
14
M U S I C M AT T E R S
“...I still feel that I can be as
connected as I want to be here.”
Today Reis continues to work with his groups, most recently having the
tragic honor of his Hot Snakes being the last act to ever tape a session for
John Peel’s radio show, and with RFTC still an ongoing concern. He’s also
branched out into other music-related ventures, including a job hosting
his own radio show on San Diego’s FM 94/9 and running Swami Records,
releasing not only his own groups’, but also a slew of worthy reissues from
vintage bands.
With so much activity on his plate, it has surprised more than a few people
that Reis didn’t pack up and head to a larger music center when the major
labels came calling during the 90’s. “Well you know, right when I turned 21
my girlfriend, who’s now my wife, and I were talking about moving. Just
because we wondered what else is out there.” It didn’t take long to realize
that San Diego was a great home base. “I started touring so much that I
quickly saw that we have it really good here in San Diego,” he explains. “It
really is a great life, it couldn’t be any better. I don’t see myself really ever
moving unless it’s time to drop out of sight altogether. I still feel that I can
be as connected as I want to be here.” He does leave the door open ever so
slightly, however. “There is that part of me that thinks somewhere down the
line that maybe, someday, I’m going to wake up and stop caring about all
this. And I’m just gonna want to chill on an island and eat coconuts.” o
PHOTO: KIM LOSTROSCIO
wearing a button to advertise the fact. While he only made a few
dollars, this initial foray into songwriting started the ball rolling
on his music career. “I was just thrilled anytime someone took me
up on the offer. I ended up writing hundreds of songs at the school,
but for other people probably about ten to twelve. It would’ve been
a record,” he remarks with more than a little bemusement.
The discovery of punk rock convinced Reis he had to form a
band, with Black Flag’s Gregg Ginn a major early influence.
“Until punk rock it was never something I thought that I could
do,” he says. “I just kind of messed around musically. I had to
tune my guitar so that it made a chord and I could just bar one
finger across them all to make anything that sounded remotely
like music or the songs that I wanted to play. But then punk rock
changed everything.”
Reis felt empowered by the new music he was hearing. “There
were new rules, and those were that there weren’t any,” he
remarks. “Anyone could do it. I started writing to like-minded
kids all over the world. That was really cool. Then I saw kids my
own age traveling the world playing in a band, and that inspired
me as well as made me jealous because I wanted to do that too.”
It didn’t take long for Reis to gather friends for a band.
“There was a group that started when I was in tenth grade,” he
remembers. “It seemed like half the school was in a band, and
they were all actually really good. I mean, they could play and
they were really organized and they would do concerts. I had a
hard time finding people to play with just because of the kind of
music that I wanted to play, so I ended up jamming with a couple
of bands that weren’t exactly the music that I loved, but it was fun
to play nonetheless.”
While not as proficient as his groups today, the basics were
already there. “It was punk, noisy three-chord garage music,
although I really didn’t know what garage music was at the
time. And then later on when I was in 11th grade I started doing
Pitchfork.”
From that point things hit a fast and furious pace. Pitchfork
made a few recordings, splitting at the end of the eighties, but
it was his next group that propelled him to the top of the local
heap. With Rocket From The Crypt he quickly went from indie
king to major label hero when they signed a short-lived deal with
Atlantic Records; side project Drive Like Jehu also scored a deal
at the same time. RFTC became festival favorites, building a
ravenous following, particularly in Europe, and even appearing
on England’s legendary TV show “Top of The Pops” several times.
Not that Reis or the band had much time to enjoy the fruits of their
labor. “To tell you the truth, a lot of those times are a blur,” he
explains. “We went at it at such a rabid pace and we were pretty
relentless. There was a four year period where we didn’t take any
breaks; it was just go go go.”
Is he surprised to be heading into a third decade of musicmaking when so many have fallen by the wayside? “I don’t think
there was ever an epiphany necessarily like ‘this is what I’m going
to do for the next 20, 30 or 50 years,’” he says. “I don’t think that’s
how it ever happens; you just kind of get caught up in it. I mean, it
doesn’t seem like I’ve been doing this for twenty years, it feels like
five years. It doesn’t seem like I’ve dedicated over half my life to
this, it seems like it kind of just started.”
M U S I CM AT T E R S
15
o
fashion
The fashions of Tribal gear are not only hip to the streets but
incorporate a multitude of Southern Cali street culture. A little
bit hip hop, a little bit hardcore, but definitely all Chicano
OG, Tribal has had their head in the fashion game since 1989.
Owned and operated by Bobby Ruiz and Carl Arellano, Tribal
has become synonymous with cross culture and expressing
a lifestyle rather than a trend. “When people decide to wear
Tribal they represent Southern California street culture,” says
Arellano. “We don’t try to pigeonhole ourselves into one type
of scene. We appeal to a mass audience and we try to promote
what we know and what we live. Tribal is a reflection of our
lifestyle. Tattoos, lowriders, hip hop, breakdancing, graffiti, art,
skating, these are things that we live and these are things that a
lot of people can relate with.”
PHOTO: GREG PASSMORE
Tribal gear specializes in originally designed men’s streetwear
with a sick selection of hats, shirts, jeans, hoodies, jackets,
shorts, shoes, jerseys, wristbands, and jewelry. The women’s
line features tank tops, boy beaters, polos, baby dolls, velour
jump suits, custom chux, choneez and hats. All Tribal gear is
one of a kind and features the signature Tribal logo. With over
Bathing suits by 99 DegreesR.
15 years of experience in the
SoCal scene, Tribal continues to
dominate the market and has started to take over the globe by
expanding to New York, Tokyo, Hamburg, Bordeaux, Taiwan,
Manila and Mexico City. Check out Tribal gear at a store near
you or go to www.tribalgear.com and let Tribal gear represent
you to the fullest.
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M U S I C M AT T E R S
Photography: Kim Lostroscio
Model: Brea of Deep Rooted
Spread: Brea with Nick of Tribal Gear
M U S I CM AT T E R S
17
18
M U S I C M AT T E R S
S D M U S I CM AT T E R S . C O M
19
cd review
o
Swandive (left to right):
Scott Spick, Tom Amador, Ryan Morgan, Bill
Cañedo, and Lance LaFave.
SWANDIVE
SOMETHING TO MELT THE SILENCE
by Jed Gottlieb
20
M U S I C M AT T E R S
ooo
guitar crunch and Jeff Buckley’s
yearning vocals. Amador’s solo on
“Meaning of it All” has John Frusciante,
“By The Way” quality. And everywhere
there are clear nods to Echo & The
Bunnymen, Coldplay, and Love And
Rockets. One could get obsessed with
teasing out all the bands that Swandive
mined to build their sound (“Was that
some Velvet Underground I heard
back there?”), but it’s more fun to
just absorb the hard-to-describe sonic
textures and admit that everything
these days is derivative.
“It’s true that the majority of our
influences are coming from the UK
and New York,” says vocalist Scott
Spick. “But there’s a San Diego twist
to our music.”
Spick and Amador agree that they’ve
borrowed a lot from dreary north eastern
bands, but they also think the sunshine
and nice weather have bled into their
brooding tunes.
“From a songwriting aspect, the
San Diego scene offers a blatant
juxtaposition to our music,” says
PHOTO: SUMMER MOORE
“DESCRIBING MUSIC IS LIKE
DESCRIBING LOVE,” says guitarist
Tom Amador. It’s damn near
impossible to do.
“Everybody’s experience is different,”
says Amador. “I could tell you that I’m
falling in love with this beautiful woman,
but love is something you understand
based on experiences. Saying ‘I’m
falling in love’ doesn’t necessarily reflect
what I’m feeling.”
Maybe Amador’s inability to describe
music—and love—stems from the
strange, uncommon sound his band,
San Diego’s Swandive, creates. If
Amador played guitar for Unwritten
Law or Blink-182 it really wouldn’t be
that hard. “We play Southern California
pop-punk,” he would say, and we’d
all understand. But Swandive’s music
doesn’t much resemble their San Diego
peers’ music.
Not that it’s difficult to see where
Swandive came from. Their LP debut,
Something To Melt The Silence, can
be dissected song by song. “Drifting
Slowly” is a marriage of Radiohead’s
Rated:
Amador. “But the songs are
starting to reflect the lifestyle
in San Diego. We can have a
somber emo tune with a very
positive message.”
While Swandive have managed
to embrace both sunshine and
gloomy post-punk, it is too early
to tell if San Diego will embrace
Swandive. The band has been
around for a couple years, but
almost all of 2004 was spent
recording
the
self-financed
Something To Melt The Silence. To
their credit, Swandive managed
to record a polished, professional,
well-produced album without the
backing of a record label. Now the
band hopes to parley the album
into a healthy local following.
The band’s had a good start with
gigs at the Kensington Club and
the Casbah and some local radio
play. Their sound makes them
stand out, which is both a positive
and a negative.
“Being based in San Diego is a
blessing and curse,” says Spick.
“We are kind of unique, and that’s
always a good thing. On the other
hand, it’s always nice to be part of
a scene where there are a lot more
acts you are compatible with.”
Swandive are still at the
beginning—the album’s only
been out a month, and they’re
still putting together summer
tour dates. But they’re at a good
starting place. If San Diegans
are willing to give an unfamiliar
sound a chance, Swandive
won’t disappoint. o
M U S I CM AT T E R S
21
cd review
o
Jacqueline van Bierk of Otto’s Daughter.
OTTO’S DAUGHTER
OTTO’S DAUGHTER EP
by Kim Schwenk
Rated:
ooo
22
M U S I C M AT T E R S
o www.ottosdaughter.com
http://www.myspace.com/ottosdaughter
PHOTO: KYLE ESTES
LOSING A MEMBER OF YOUR MUSICAL
FAMILY almost seems like losing an
appendage or a piece of the well-evolved soul.
The neon-burned hills of Los Angeles may
seem different to Otto’s Daughter after their
loss of drummer HH Gadget, but the missing
component hasn’t quite parked the band’s
intention. Although Gadget left the project
this past Spring to pursue other endeavors,
vocalist Jacqueline van Bierk gathered her
wings of momentum for the group, enabling
them to release new material for a self-titled
demo EP and eventually a full-length album.
Otto’s Daughter’s original conception
materialized out of a union between European
transplant Jacqueline van Bierk, HH Gadget,
and guitarist Jim Robbins in New York City.
The charm of the Pacific managed to relocate
the band to LA, and not long after they solidified the band with
guitarist Garrison Fagro and bassist Chimpo. Their dark appeal
and tech-friendly metal fit the niche for the shimmer rock oversexed
fanfare of Southern California.
The female fronted “nu-metal” genre is a point beaten too
repeatedly to address. Artists like Lacuna Coil, Nightwish, and Alas
chalk up points for virtuous feminine fury as the despots of an audio
consortium, but the focus on gender at this point is overemphasized.
The possibility of Otto’s Daughter being shelved on the same stand
as Evanescence is believable, but Amy Lee is prudish compared to
the mature white heat sensibility of van Bierk. She’s both serious
and sly; her voice licks the moment of sensuality.
The two previously released albums, Renew and Void Of Course,
are both seductive in nature and convincingly brutal. Where many
industrial/metal crossover bands fail by stoking the negative energy
fire, Otto’s Daughter boasts vibrancy without sounding like a
teenage melodrama. The compositions have predisposed tendencies
towards consistency, a trait recognizing hardworking musicians, but
can lead down the path to monotony. At this point, Otto’s Daughter
is at the fork of the creative highway, and with the new material they
have a chance to fully plow the course with integrity.
The crisp demo features a three-track appetizer foreshadowing
a prospective full-length album. The tracks create a trilogy of
guitar sequences of the edgiest kind. Van Bierk portrays the saint
of seduction with her provocative and bold proverbs on the track
“Mars” and on the Middle Eastern-hinted tease of “Angels”. The
influence working with Chris Hall (Stabbing Westward) bleeds
through the guitar arrangements – clean, heavy, and satisfying.
Sister Machine Gun comparatively could be another compatible
band with Otto’s Daughter.
The EP deserves a three and four-time initial listen because it
could be easily written off as another industrial-based hard metal bit.
Typically with music, by only scratching the surface, the real richness
doesn’t materialize until you practice patience. Otto’s Daughter
warrants the rotation, apparent from their diligent mission seen
through the matured evolution from past releases. The trick for the
band, then, would be resisting the tendency to pigeonhole themselves
into a moody metal band riding the coattails of Gothesque pop music.
In any case, dedication seems to be on the tongue of Otto’s Daughter,
the option to fail left behind with the weak-willed.
M U S I CM AT T E R S
23
cd review
o
The Spots (left to right): Kurt Finn, Keith
McJunkin, and Wally Bitz.
THE SPOTS
ORANGE BOOM
by Christine Erice
Rated:
oooo
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M U S I C M AT T E R S
PHOTO: KIM LOSTROSCIO
STARING AT MY DESK in the MusicMatters office, one might think that
a bomb detonated and, in a blaze of glory, left a chaotic mess of papers,
business cards, notepads, press kits and CD’s in its aftermath. In some
strange way this mess gives me a sense of comfort. Call me a crazy, trashhoarding bag lady, but I have learned to accept it. Most of the clutter
consists of CD’s that bands have sent in for possible review. I have to
be honest, most sit here for awhile before I have the chance to listen to
them, but eventually they end up in the disc drive, cranked to deafening
decibels for the whole office to hear. On one day in particular I decided
to try and make some sense of the disaster on my desk by “organizing”
my CD collection, when I came across a hot orange disk entitled Orange
Boom by The Spots. I lazily pushed play on my keyboard, not suspecting
that I would soon be infected with a new obsession.
Rarely do I hear an album that affects me to this degree. I could not
stop playing it. I blasted it everywhere, from my car stereo to my bedroom
boombox, where I shamelessly rocked out my best sweaty air guitar solo
in a pair of red choneez and a wife beater. To me, this band defines what
rock ‘n’ roll music should be - noisy, impulsive, vivacious, and sleazy,
charged with the hormones of a 17-year old boy that stir the anticipatory
juices of every sexually healthy female on the planet. This music is filthy,
raunchy, and simply fucking brilliant! It is the kind of album that puts
butterflies in my stomach and a tickle in my panties as soon as the first
pick grazes a nylon string. Every track is blues-infused, junk rock mastery
shot to hell with a bucketful of the demon’s semen. Each time I hear lead
singer Kurt Finn’s nicotine-stained vocals scream a wretched, sexually
frustrated cry, I get the urge to jump out of my chair and start dancing with
an animalistic fervor. Plain and
simple, this music was written
for lovemaking, and I am saying
that in the nicest way possible.
The Spots emerged from the
windy city of Chicago, Illinois
with Kurt Finn on lead guitar and
vocals and Keith McJunkin on
bass. After a short stint in Arizona,
the twosome hit San Diego where
they ran into drummer Wally Blitz
(The Liquorice Quartet), and
the rest is history in the making.
When I first started listening
to Orange Boom, a track called
“Brassy Boots” was my favorite.
It is a heart-wrenching tale of a
man’s lust for a sassy woman as
he screams, “Brassy boots, rub
till it bleeds!” Damn! Soon I had
changed my mind and decided
that “In The Night”, a horny tale
of carnality in the dirty parts of
town, was my new drug. The track
“Walk” pulsates with a fresh
sound that I have been craving in
the swell of sleepy indie caca that
has pervaded the late 00’s. “Kiss”
is a sexy little number that begs
to be blasted as Finn screams,
“When you’re standin’ in the
mirror, don’t you know what you
do? You wanna feel so dirty, I
wanna give it to you! Well I need
your kiss! YEAH! OW!!” All eight
tracks on the album are great.
Pure enthusiasm is all that can
possibly be said about this band’s
astounding talent. Go out and get
this album and reeducate yourself
about the fundamentals of good
old fashioned sex, drugs, and rock
‘n’ roll. I’m getting all steamy just
writing about it! “Meet me on the
dirty side of town!” o
M U S I CM AT T E R S
25
recommended o
a’s
n
i
r
a
M
Anya
d
e
d
n
e
m
m
o
Rec
from FM 94/9
The Local 94/9 Member of the Day is a wee little feature that
spotlights a San Diego band or artist every weeknight at 9pm on
FM 94/9. Here are some of my favorite Local 94/9 Members of the
Day from the last month or so. They range from new to defunct,
familiar to fresh. Either way, you can’t find a more diverse and
prolific music scene than the one in our own backyard. (The Local
94/9 airs Sunday nights at 8PM on FM 94/9).
RYAN FERGUSON - “SUDDENLY” (Three, Four)
MANUOK - “NOMETOUCHERPAS”
PINBACK - “PROG” (Blue Screen Life)
DIRTY SWEET - “ISABELLE”
TOM BROSSEAU - “WEST OF TOWN” (What I Mean To Say Is
Goodbye)
BUSHWALLA - “TWO CHORD”
_
ALEX WOODARD - “WONDERFUL” (Mile High)
RYAN FERGUSON - “WINDSHIELD” (Three, Four)
OPERATIC - “INTERESTED IN MADNESS”
SABA - “SOMEONE LIKE YOU” (Letters To Doe)
ASHLEY MATTE - “FOR NOW” (Colors)
BUNKY - “YES/NO” (Born To Be A Motorcycle)
SWEETNESS - “SPELLBOUND” (Ashtray Floors)
STACY CLARK - “I UNDERSTAND”
LUCY’S FUR COAT - “EL CAJON” (How To Survive An Air Crash)
DRIVE LIKE JEHU - “CARESS”
PEPPER - “7 WEEKS” (In With The Old)
THE SHAMBLES - “ALL SORTS” (West Of Eden Comp.)
THE RED WEST - “TODAY’S ANOTHER NATION”
GET BACK LORETTA - “CALLING ALL CARS”
*Note to local bands: send your best,
most radio-friendly tracks (CD only) to:
Anya Marina c/o The Local 94/9
1615 Murray Canyon Rd., Ste. 710
San Diego, CA 92108
26
M U S I C M AT T E R S
M U S I CM AT T E R S
27
o
culture
LEE ROCKER GETS READY TO
“ROCK THIS
TOWN”
THE HOOTENANNY HEADS TO
OAK CANYON RANCH JULY 2, 2005
by Jen Hilbert
“ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS for me on this
record is that I did a version of ‘Rock This Town’ which
is completely different than how it was with The Stray
Cats. It’s a total rework to a whole different direction,”
Lee Rocker told me as we discussed his latest album,
The Curse of Rockabilly. According to Rocker, The Curse
of Rockabilly has a lot more range than his prior record,
Bulletproof. “There’s some stuff that is kind of at the
psycho end of things, and then there’s one or two things
that are probably on the ballad end.” The ex-Stray Cat
will likely reveal his “Rock This Town” rework as well as
a host of brand new songs at this year’s Hootenanny.
For those of you unfamiliar with The Hootenanny,
it’s an annual celebration of the rockabilly lifestyle. It
is to rockabilly what Coachella is to alternative rock,
just replace the hipsters and indie shoegazers with
tattooed greasers and girls that look like Betty Page.
The Hootenanny’s got multiple stages to host an array
of rockabilly artists. Combine that with vendors, hot
rods and, of course, lots of beer and you’ve got one hell
of a party!
Lee Rocker has performed at every Hootenanny to
date but two (the first Hootenanny was in 1995). When
I asked Rocker what was most memorable about playing
at The Hootenanny he said, “I think one of my best
memories was playing with Scotty Moore. Scotty’s a gem
of a guy, practically invented rockabilly guitar playing...
and just hanging out with him and watching him kind
of take this in, seeing 10,000 young rockabilly fans out
there. That was kind of cool to expose him to that.” I got
goosebumps as Rocker described his memory. Scotty
Moore was the original guitarist for Elvis Presley. He’s
been around since rockabilly began. I can only imagine
what Moore was thinking as he looked out at that whole
new generation of rockabilly devotees.
The Hootenanny draws rockabilly greats of young and
old. New bands, like Orange County’s Nekromantix, as
well as legends like Chuck Berry can be seen there. When
I asked Lee Rocker’s new guitarist, Buzz Campbell (Buzz
is also with the San Diego band Hot Rod Lincoln), if he
had any Hootenanny stories, he said, “I’ve got a million
great stories. How my group [Hot Rod Lincoln] backed
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M U S I C M AT T E R S
Chuck Berry, and Chuck kicked the piano player off the
stage. Or how this guy almost knocked me over while
walking backwards, and I turned around ready to clock
him, and it was the Reverend Horton Heat all dressed
up in his flame cowboy suit. Or how Joe Strummer came
over to the merchandise table and bought a Hot Rod
Lincoln shop jacket from my roadie. When we found out
about it we knocked on his tour bus and tried to give his
money back... he wouldn’t take it.”
I’m sure every Hootenanny attendee has a story to tell.
As I contemplate the event’s popularity I wonder what it
is that gives rockabilly such a wide and varied audience
to this day. Rocker said he thinks it’s “the fact that it’s
real music and it’s got everything going for it... it’s the
original rock ‘n’ roll and it’s the original punk rock, in
a sense. It kind of shook things up but it’s a positive
thing... it’s got a look with it, it’s got a beat so people can
dance, party, have fun.”
Out of curiosity I asked Rocker if his family is as
passionate about rockabilly as he is. “They dig it,”
he said. “I’ve got a son who’s fifteen who plays heavy
metal guitar. He likes rockabilly but at the moment he’s
not playing it. Although I did get him a big, fat, orange
Gretsch guitar, so maybe one of these days he’ll learn
rockabilly - I can only hope.” We can only hope too. How
cool would it be to see Rocker and his son playing The
Hootenanny together? Now that’s a Hootenanny story
I’d like to be able to tell.
For The Hootenanny’s full lineup and more go to www.
thehootenanny.com. o
M U S I CM AT T E R S
29
backstage
o
SWITCHFOOT BRO-AM
SURFIN’ IT FOR THE CAUSE
by Mary Smedes Pike
AT FIRST GLANCE, it was just another Saturday
at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas: families were
parked under umbrellas on the sand, kids ran
to and from the water, surfers suited up in their
wetsuits. But this was no ordinary day at the
beach. On Saturday, May 14th, Moonlight Beach
was the scene of the first annual Switchfoot
Bro-Am surf contest. Yes, the band Switchfoot.
You might have seen them all over TV recently,
but they’re Encinitas natives to the core and
they still call the beachside community home.
And now they’ve thought up a way to use their
newfound commercial success to give back to
the community that has given so much to them
over the years. “We had this idea two years ago
on our way back from Australia. We were just
kinda thinking back to the old days and thinking
about all the people that have given their time,
all the people that have given so much to us, and
it was like, what can we do?” recalls lead singer
Jon Foreman. What the band came up with was
The Switchfoot Bro-Am, a surf contest with a
goal to raise money for a local San Diego charity
called Care House. According to Jon, Care House
is an organization that helps out homeless kids
and at-risk teens in San Diego. There are an
estimated 3,000 kids that are homeless or at-risk
in San Diego County. Encinitas was the perfect
location for this event because, “We grew up
surfing here, this is our hometown,” says Jon.
“The whole goal of this was to be able to give
back to our community that has given us so
much, and so it’s only appropriate that we have
it in our own backyard.”
Why did the band choose this particular
charity? “You put your money where your
heart is. After you meet these kids you can’t
leave ‘em behind. We’ve gone down to San
Diego a couple times to hang out with ‘em,
and that’s kinda how this developed. When we
were thinking of places where we could give
back, this was the first thing on our list.”
As far as the contest part of the event is
concerned, the rules of the surf contest
coordinate with the band name. “‘Switchfoot’
is to ride with a different foot forward than you
normally would,” Jon explains. “The contest is
built around - you have to ride one wave with
your left foot forward and one wave with your
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M U S I C M AT T E R S
right foot forward. Every surfer gets scored
on two waves. And it’s also kind of a tag team
thing. You have to run down and tag another
player, two surfers from each team at a
time.” Sixteen teams of four surfers entered
and competed in the Bro-Am on May
14th after making a $500 contribution to
Care House that served as their entry fee.
From 7:00am until 3:00pm surfers ran in
and out of the water in brightly colored
rash guards until it came down to the
final two teams, Surf Ride Board Shop
and Jet Pilot Wetsuits. The winning
team was to take home four custom
Switchfoot Bro-Am skim boards,
while all proceeds from the contest
went to Care House. The final scores
weren’t announced at the beach but
at an awards ceremony held later
that night at La Paloma theater
followed by a private Switchfoot
concert held exclusively for contest
participants and Care House kids.
M U S I CM AT T E R S
31
backstage
o
32
M U S I C M AT T E R S
PHOTOS: KIM LOSTROSCIO
So what’s in it for the Care House kids? “A lot of them learned how
to surf, and a lot of them learned how to play guitar,” Jon reminded
me of the day’s activities, which included surfing and guitar lessons
for the kids. “Basically it’s just hang out and have a day at the beach
and just kind of be celebrated. That was the big idea. A lot of these
kids have been through more things than I’ve ever been through and
they’re ten years younger than I am. To be able to give ‘em a day at the
beach and really say ‘You’re important, and we admire you,’ that’s
kind of the point. And so the surf lessons and guitar lessons and the
concert tonight [are] all just built around a day at the beach.”
“To see someone’s face after they catch their first wave is just
an incredible experience... to be able to give that to someone, the
experience of catching waves... It’s just like looking at somebody’s
face after they play their first chord on the guitar. It’s this idea that
you’re in new territory that you’ve never been in before. Whether it
becomes a pastime for them or not, they have a bunch of boards that
we’re giving to the Care House kids. That’s exciting... that they can
have future trips to the beach and have these really great boards to
be surfing on.”
Finally, what has been the most rewarding thing about
Switchfoot’s commercial success? Well, according to Jon, “Being
able to put on something like this. This is one of the biggest things
because for me, playing a big show, that’s a great feeling, but it’s so
much better to feel like a community. Like when you leave the stage
and everyone’s still singing; that’s my favorite part about playing
music. And this feels like the same type of community where everyone
came here to gather around these kids and say, ‘You are amazing.
Thank you for being alive.’ I think it’s rare to have and to feel like all
these people from different backgrounds, different beliefs, different
stances, we’re all comin’ together to celebrate these kids. I love it.”
So, what were the final results of the Switchfoot Bro-Am surf
contest you may be wondering? Well, Surf Ride took first place,
with amateur surfer Derek Bockelman stealing the spotlight, Jet Pilot
came in second, and composite team Macbeth Shoes/SURFING
Magazine/Cobian took third place. But the real winners at the BroAm were the Care House kids, who took away the grand prize - a most
unforgettable day at the beach. o
M U S I CM AT T E R S
33
backstage
o
Laura, Sienna, Kelly, and Megan of The Randies.
INTERVIEW WITH LAURA CATALDO OF
THE RANDIES
04.22.05 - BRICK BY BRICK
by Kevin Farr
34
M U S I C M AT T E R S
PHOTO: ANTHONY MASTERSON
RISING OUT OF THE SORDID UNDERWORLD of champagne lounges and seedy
punk venues, The Randies encapsulate a sound somewhere between pop-punk and
straight-ahead rock. The nearly all female band’s estrogen is balanced out by the
lone male drummer whose hard-hitting batter tactics help to define The Randies’
sound. Sexually explicit, overtly comical, and subjectively conscientious, they offer
melodic punk songs with a tinge of crunchy chords and lyrics like, “Your actions
mimic a bitch in heat, you’re always on your back, you’re never on your feet.”
So just who are these champagne drinking, sexually explicit divas of LA? And
what’s this Friendship Motor Inn they frequently refer to? I had a chance to find out
what the pop-punk quartet was all about when I sat down with guitarist/vocalist
Laura Cataldo before The Randies’ set at San Diego’s Brick by Brick.
The first bit of information that needed clarification pertained to the Friendship
Motor Inn. What was this place they spoke of? Laura grinned as she spoke about the
comfortable seediness of the inn on Crenshaw Boulevard. This was the metaphorical
birthplace for the girls. Their prior band was dubbed Friendship Motor Inn, but short
attention spans and industry nudges influenced the band to reassess their name.
Thus, The Randies were created from the remnants of the Friendship Motor Inn but
they didn’t neglect the motivating factor, which drove them to utilize their prior name
- Friendship. “Our basis for the band is about relationships,” states Laura.
So what’s the link between a grimy LA inn and the three female friends/musicians
who would eventually become The Randies? One could assume that it’s about girls
being randy, not with each other (I don’t think), but girls joking about being randy
- guys they’ve dated and the trials and tribulations that ensue. I asked Laura if the
band’s new name was a direct sexual reference, to which she laughed and replied,
“Yeah, it kinda came out of that joke.”
Their album, At The Friendship Motor Inn, is laden with sexual innuendoes
and overt sexual references. Track titles run the gamut from “Boys in Stereo”,
which illuminates our sexist, male-dominated rock culture, to “Put Out” (a selfexplanatory track about a bitch in heat). Their website message board is riddled
with misogynist comments by immature males attempting to prove their virility
through anonymous postings. Laura’s seen the dialogue.
“It’s scary. I’ve had a few fucked up things said about
me.” She blushes and laughs, then facetiously replies,
“But I’m just like, OK.”
Sexual appeal can attract a crowd. Is all the sexual
attention a benefit or detriment for the band? Where does
the sex appeal end and the band begin? I pointedly asked
Laura if the sex appeal was a purposeful and conceptual
part of The Randies. “It’s not meant to be that way,” she
says, “but I think people just take that and run with it.”
The Randies aren’t the next Who or Cream. They play
within their limits, producing tight and lyrically honest
music. But will their sound be compromised by the wrong
type of press and recognition? Is the band concerned
about the sexual commentary overshadowing the musical
aspect of The Randies? “I’ve been kinda worried about
that more. I don’t really want it to be about that.” And
what about industry influence? “We don’t wanna be up
there wearing short miniskirts and tank tops. We all like
playing in jeans and t-shirts. We like getting dressed up on
occasions... but we’re not gonna push all dressing alike or
being overtly sexy.”
At this pivotal moment in the interview it was time to
get to the bottom of an issue plaguing music – sexism
and the industry’s use of sex for profits. I inquired about
Laura’s opinion on what motivates the industry to sell,
push, and exploit sex. Was this considered sexism in the
eyes of a rock ‘n’ roll woman? With a stern and serious
look on her face she affirmed, “Uh, yeah.”
For any males reading this article who guilelessly think
we all have equal opportunities, remember that women
only make seventy cents to the dollar compared to males
for the same job. If that’s not sexism, what is? And what
of equal representation and respect in the industry for
women? Are they receiving it? Laura retorts, “No.” She
then busts into a laugh, “I think it’s getting better, but
there’s a problem... men are men and women are women.
There’s always gonna be that kind of male domination
thing. It’s frustrating too... there’s a lot of great female
artists and musicians out there, but then there’s some guy
who’s maybe not that brilliant but he’s a guy and he gets
notoriety... that a female should.”
But these industry elements and societal prejudices
aren’t deterring The Randies from making their way
in the crowded LA scene. They’re fervently pushing
forward, rocking shows, breaking hearts, and sipping
champagne. Go check out the Friendship Motor Inn. It’s
always open. Flick the cigarette butt off the bar stool, pull
up a seat, grab a drink, and indulge yourself in the exotic
atmosphere of The Randies. o
M U S I CM AT T E R S
35
the local pyle
o
o ADVERTISEMENT o
o the local pyle
by Tim Pyles
AHH JULY - STREET SCENE IS IN THE AIR! But what’s
this, it’s not in the streets and it’s not in September?! I attended
the first Street Scenes, and they were in big parking lots, so it’s
like going back - old school style! The 2005 Street Scene is in
the parking lot of Jack Murphy Stadium (Qualcomm, if you
must) and features a diverse selection of San Diego bands from
Louis XIV to The Locust - what diversity. Not to mention all
the other cool bands - White Stripes, Pixies, The Flaming
Lips, Garbage, Death Cab For Cutie, The Killers and so much
more! It’s a mini-Coachella! This isn’t your daddy’s Street
Scene! It’s new and hopefully improved! The event is also
sponsored by 91X and FM94/9. Street Scene is July 29th and
30th, and more info can be found at www.street-scene.com
Speaking of Louis XIV, a couple of months ago they shot a video
for “God Killed the Queen” in Los Angeles where fans were
invited to be in the crowd for the live performance scenes if they
“dressed to impress.” The clip was directed by the collective
Made by Robots, and it’s supposed to have a “Sid & Nancy”,
rock-and-roll-mayhem-at-the-Chelsea-Hotel feel to reflect the
band’s glam-punk vibe. We’ll see. In case you missed it - Mark
and Brian of Louis XIV got up and sang w/ Lucy’s Fur Coat
at the Friday Casbah show during their three-night stint. They
have been good friends since their Convoy days.
Pinback’s “AFK” can be heard on a Nintendo DS video game
commercial, I always forget to notice what game it’s for, but
how cool!
Sprung Monkey is back with more than 40 new songs written! Currently picking from the 40, the band will be scheduling a
“Sweet Home San Diego Tour”, which will visit some of your
favorite dive bars. Even though members are currently in other
projects, all bands will continue without disruption.
Check out casbahmusic.com for The Local Pyle &
SDMusicMatters monthly shows.
Special Events in July:
July 1 – August 26: Free Twilight in The Park Summer
Concerts at Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. Free
twilight concerts are held Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
from 6:15-7:15pm. 619-235-1105 or www.balboapark.org
July 14-17: Comic Con International at the San Diego
Convention Center
July 30: Jason Mraz on the Today Show NBC “live”
July 30-31: Annual San Diego Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade and
Festival (Parade: University Avenue / Festival: Marston Point)
Make note and go!
Special Show notice: FRIDAY, JULY 8th at The Kensington
Club with THE TEETH (special reunion show), Jon Cougar
Concentration Camp, and special guest The Heavy Metal
Warrior. Be there!
36
M U S I C M AT T E R S
So there you go, that’s a little bit of news - but I can always use
more, so please help! Help me to help you! I’ve got your back,
Southern California, and if you read this I want your news! It’s up to you to be proactive and get it done. Sometimes it’s
like pulling teeth, so please send me an e-mail and some of
your music! If you want the address you have to e-mail tim@
sdmusicmatters.com. Thanks for your support! I am The Local
Pyle - visit me at www.myspace.com/thelocalpyle.
POSTER: KIM LOSTROSCIO
John Pertle, a.k.a. Johnny Love of The Johnny Love Sound,
played the Casbah once, and yes I booked him! Otherwise, he’s
been big on the all-age circuit; I believe his case involving child
pornography is still pending.
M U S I CM AT T E R S
37