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CONTRIBUTORS
Monica Cady
Trey Cady
Crystal Clark
Tom Craig
Logan Fazio
Craig Mandell
Todd McFliker
Jeff Noller
Sam Osborn
Natalia Real
Tanya van Kampen
Joseph Vilane
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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 Tshirt 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
by Craig Mandell
Gotan Project
If you happen to be dyslexic, you may have already realized that the word “Gotan” is simply
“tango” rearranged. You may have also realized that the word “Project” is “jectorp”
rearranged, but “jectorp” isn’t really a word, so you’d better stop reading this and go see
someone about that dyslexia. And hey, while you’re at it, go pick up Lunatico, the latest
offering from this progressive group that fuses classic, sultry Argentinian rhythms with
modern hip hop and dance beats.
G
Gnarls Barkley
After hearing Shaq’s last rap record, we were pretty scared that another basketball player
might be trying his hand at the mic. Fortunately, we soon realized that this new group was
only named after hoops star Charles Barkley. That’s a good thing, and if you happen to
enjoy progressive musical pastiches of everything from ‘70s soul to modern hip hop, this
highly-anticipated collaboration between Cee-Lo Green and DJ Danger Mouse is an even
better one. (P.S. – We’re just kidding, Shaq. You are a visionary poet of the highest order.
Can we have some Heat tickets? Please?)
The Glitterati
What ever happened to big, anthemic, sleazy hard rock and the dangerous rockers that
played it? Oh yeah - Vince Neil got fat, David Lee Roth went bald, and Axl Rose got crazy.
So who’s gonna take the reins now? The UK’s Glitterati are certainly trying. They look the
part, sound the part, and, er…yeah, that’s good enough. For those of you who miss the
days when it was cool to have bigger hair than your girlfriend, throw away that Stryper CD
and check out their self-titled 2005 debut.
Graham Coxon
If the only thing you know about the band Blur is that they were the ones who sang that
“Woohoo!” song, you probably don’t know much about Graham Coxon. If, however, you
spent more time debating Oasis Vs. Blur than you did Bush Vs. Kerry, you should know
that Coxon was a big contributor to some of the best rock songs of the ‘90s. Now he’s
gone solo, and while his former band-mate spends time moonlighting as some sort of
strange singing cartoon (see: Gorrilaz), Graham’s quietly been putting out records that’ll
have you chanting “Woohoo!” all over again. (As in, “Woohoo, this record is really good.
I’m glad I found it.”)
Gram Rabbit
Okay, so here’s what we know about the indie psychedelia collective that is Gram Rabbit:
They come from the Joshua Tree desert. Their lead singer is a hot chick who goes by the
name of Jesika Von Rabbit. Their two albums are called Music to Start a Cult To and
Cultivation. And, they even have their very own, strange “happy cult” known as the “Royal
Order of Rabbits.” You can insert your own joke here, it’s too damn easy. We’re gonna go
take a nap.
ballads need to wail and whine. Their heartbreaking songs are
more like angry teenage diary confessions. The ponderings
are so straightforward that you kinda wish they’d passed them
by their English Lit. teacher for editing first. While the emofactor scores high, the melodic flow falls flat on tracks like
“Two Messages” and “El Radio.” But before you lose your
buzz, Planeside switches back to what they do best – dirty
hair metal and grunge thrashings. Several of these tracks will
do nicely on your raging summer ’06 mix between Foo Fighters,
Helmet and old school Mötley Crüe. – Monica Cady
Monster Zero
Self Titled
Boomslang Records
With a voice that sounds like Motley
Crue’s Vince Neil (courtesy of Zoog)
and an entourage of band mates that
share a vision of indelible rock and
roll power, there’s no question why
Monster Zero has garnered much
attention through the south Florida local scene. The music is
enthusiastic, emotional, and shows the average listener that
their hopes and dreams are realistic and clearly in sight.
The arrival of Monster Zero is clear in our present musical
cycle, and the name comes straight out of a classic horror
movie. Their producer Keith Rose has recorded with Aerosmith,
Matchbox Twenty, and Sevendust. With high production value,
this band attacks you with hard-hitting tracking including the
single “Fight.” This song gives you classic guitar riff mayhem,
as guitarist Phil’s approach proves to have much nostalgic
ability. Aside from the crushing guitar solos, vocalist Zoog’s
astonishing vocal timing will instantly floor you as he veers
from various methods within the blink of an eye.
Songs such as “Guttcheck” will help you retrieve your
confidence. With a leering percussion vibe followed by a
contagious guitar boogie, this song will make you crave the
intelligence of 80’s metal with a thrust of new age rock
sensibilities. “Out From Under,” which has that classic edgy
feel, gets beneath your skin. We all have a monster, things that
corrupt our clarity in everyday life, but if we learn to use our
energy to fuel our creative side, our monster can grow into
something monumental. Fueling the energy of the youth of
South Florida, Monster Zero send a great message of hope
that there’s still good rock and roll music for years to come. –
Joseph Vilane
Planeside
Milk
Surreal Records
Save some room on that mixtape, er,
CD you’re making. This power rock
trio from New York gets raunchy with
head-banging bass lines and noisy
punk vocals of metal’s heyday on their
sophomore release, Milk. And it’s actually pretty good. Milk
gives off a put-on-your-sexy-red-leather-pants sensation that
makes you want to grab the Aqua Net and curling iron – and
that’s just what it does for boys.
Milk is Planeside’s follow-up to their 2002 debut, For Motion
Discomfort. Though the band’s sound hasn’t strayed too far
from this debut, it did tighten up and gain momentum. With
rowdy rock songs like these, Milk could have been more
appropriately named something along the lines of Jack Daniels
or Grain Alcohol. “I’m putting you on the spot/Are you ready or
not?” roars singer Dave Harris on the album’s most memorable
track, “Aunt Polly’s Dream.” It’s a song about Harris’ obsession
with a MILF.
The essence of Milk is that of fuck-off power choruses about
whiskey and chrome stilettos. It brings back the days of bikini
sluts in videos, oversized band T-shirts and poodle perms.
The fast rock songs are slaves to their unyielding guitar rhythms.
The one thing Planeside didn’t learn from rock’s past is that
Pearl Jam
Self Titled
J Records
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Pearl Jam have survived an error of
dismissal, when bands from the 90’s
grunge scene were passed by and
never to be heard of again. But this
band of songwriters have survived
the test of time, as they consistently
evolve musically, while they manage to remain relevant with
their music in an ever changing society.
Their political beliefs and discontent with conservatism have
become more prevalent on Pearl Jam’s Self Titled 2006 release.
“World Wide Suicide” is an anti-war anthem , with a sound
reminiscent from their early hard rocking days on their
sophomore release V.S. in 1993. The new album progresses
with an ambiance of long awaited hard rocking tracks such as
“Comatose” and “Marker In he Sand.” Songwriting efforts are
collaboratively shared with this entourage of musicians, each
song a representation of their unique personalities.
Having survived nearly two decades on the same page, much
growth is noticeable as the music speaks for a new level of
maturity and free speech. Overall, Pearl Jam shows that they
are comfortable in their shoes and still have the passion to
create a hard edge blend of rock and roll that vehemently makes
the hairs on the back of your neck stand up straight. Whether
you’re cheering for their political stance or surely against the
odds, Pearl Jam have garnered a lot of respect throughout the
years, and with their latest effort there is no shortage of
admiration. – Joseph Vilane
Nothing Rhymes with Orange
Hello Mysterious
Leftfield Recordings
Nothing Rhymes with Orange’s third
album Hello Mysterious delivers their
usual blend of transcendent song
writing inspired by 80’s British Rock.
Not that this is a bad thing, since many
of the songs are quite good with each
consisting of their own character. However, there’s not enough
swagger and punch to make it amazing.
What keeps it from being a lifeless dud are the Coccaro brothers:
guitarist Rich and vocalist Carl Almasy. They provide the fuel
to the band’s fire, particularly Rich who’s shown to be a
very good guitarist with a great ear for melody and multilayering parts.
It is his work that makes songs such as “Like Clockwork”
worthwhile and fun to listen to. Other highlights such as the
jangle of “Billy the Kid,” the REM-fueled rocker “The Silent
Wonder,” and the mystic climax of “Magnolia” deliver very well.
Keys (Blame Hofmann)” that ends with dialogue between a
doctor and a nurse about a patient with no identification before
continuing with the patient’s account on the pulverizing “Rosetta
Stoned.” On “Right in Two,” the front man sings of the pitfalls of
humankind, gifted with so much only to squander on the
meaningless wastelands of war and power.
Carl Almasy has tempered the dramatic vocal ad-libs mostly
that don’t stunt the songs of momentum as on past records.
That has paid off with his style similar to Richard Ashcroft of
the Verve, adding a velvet feel behind his brother’s swooning
guitars as on “Sing.” It’s another example that their work has
become sharper in approach.
When they’re on, Nothing Rhymes with Orange sound great.
When they’re off is when they stumble, keeping the record
from really taking off. The results can be less than memorable
as on “Hospital” that comes off as a botched infusion of Coldplay
and early-period Radiohead. In addition, drummer Zach Eldridge
and bassist Travis Rosen don’t provide enough power and
precision in the rhythm section to make the majority of the songs
take off. Part of this problem seems to be in the production
where those parts seem to be muted.
“Kill the Vibe” fortunately comes at the beginning of the record
since it does exactly what the song title says with Coccaro’s
overdramatic “ohh ohh ohh” in the chorus tend to borderline the
comical.
Hello Mysterious succeeds on the strength of Rich Coccaro’s
guitar work, providing with some great moments, but too often
gets plagued by missteps to make it the creative breakthrough
record they’ve been looking for. – Jeff Noller
Tool
10,000 Days
Volcano
The opening guitar chords by Adam
Jones on “Vicarious” are all it takes
to realize the power that makes up
Tool’s fourth album, 10,000 Days.
Uncompromising, brutal, and
reflective, it shows the California
quartet at the peak of their power
musically and lyrically that’s full of the progression they continue
to have as artists.
Especially in this day and age, few if any bands are able to
take five years between releases continually and be musically
viable and pertinent. Jones continues to amaze with stunning
riffs that hit hard and subtle simultaneously alongside hypnotic
bass work and manic, diverse drumming by Justin Chancellor
and Danny Carey respectively. Whereas the band’s last
release, Lateralus, showed Tool making a quantum leap in sound
and scope that many felt Aenima had been following their
debut Undertow; 10,000 Days brings it all together.
Maynard James Keenan has become if anything more versatile
as a vocalist. He can sing with his vintage style with hypnotic
force as on the first lines in the aforementioned “Vicarious,”
“Eye on the the TV/ ‘Cause tragedy thrills me/ Whatever flavor
it happens to be.”
His lyrics are some of his most direct since Aenima, attacking
the fusion Reality TV with life. He changes to a soulful interplay
on the damning of fundamentalist hypocrisy and preferential
treatment on “The Pot” that almost sounds as if someone else
is singing. Themes of government conspiracy as with the tales
of Area 51 continue on from prior releases as on Lateralus and
Aenima with the eerie three-minute guitar-effect drone on “Lost
Keenan is also at some of his most personal and introspective
as on the 17-minute epic “Wings for Marie” that is about the
loss of his mother after she suffered for twenty-seven years
from paralysis due to a stroke. The way that he approaches
the subtext is sincere and honest with introspective instead of
melodrama. Musically, it sends a compelling message about
what happens in the end to the self when you let go.
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You wouldn’t think any bands would be able to take five years
between releases and continually generate something so
stunning, but Tool is one all their own. 10,000 Days finds Tool
peaking creatively with one of their best and most powerful
statements in music. – Jeff Noller
Jack Johnson And Friends
A Weekend At The Greek &
Live In Japan
Brushfire Films
So, are you just now finding out
who Jack Johnson is? Is your
answer “yes?” Shame on you,
you’ve been missing out on one of
music’s best kept folk writers. The
music of Hawaiian native Jack
Johnson is best described as laid
back and chill. The kind of music that
you can put on and feel like you’re right there. Well, Jack has
finally packaged his live show into a two-disc DVD set. The
secrets out, you’ve been missing out.
The first disc, A Weekend At The Greek, was filmed over a
two night stand at Berkley’s famed Greek Theatre on
September 19-20, of last year. The disc opens with jack
strumming out “In Between Dreams” on a beach against a
rock formation against the shores before introducing his
backing band. You then get a short story by jack and friends
about how it all really began for Jack and how he came to
where he is today.
The show finally opens up with “Never Know,” and “Taylor,”
two songs that seem to turn into a crowd sing along. Jack’s
biggest singles such as “Taylor,” “Sitting Waiting Wishing,”
and “Flake,” of course, get major crowd praise and applause.
Every now and then you between songs that are short
interludes where Jack and the band comment on songs or
give some insight into the story behind the song.
Disc two, Live In Japan, is really more of a documentary of
Jack’s 2004 Tour than really a concert like Disc one. In
between songs we see jack and company going through
Japan and checking out your basic views out the window of
a car, from the countryside to the big city. You are treated,
however, to some great little backstage off the cuff jams.
All in all, Jack put together a great little two-disc set for the
big fan. Disc one is really all you need, but disc two shows
you a bit more of a personal/human side to Jack that you
otherwise wouldn’t see on your average DVD release. –
Matthew Pashalian
Fiona Apple
SunFest
May 6, 2006
With the charming high notes, she melts your heart. With the dejected, angry notes, she
sounds like your psycho ex-girlfriend. And live, she stretches both personas to the max.
Saturday night Fiona Apple was the closing headliner for SunFest, the annual music and
art event in West Palm Beach. Following up on what Ashley Simpson started earlier that
afternoon on the opposite end of the park, Apple’s gig was something of a jump from the
usual funk, rock and pop artists that noodle and dance at this festival.
Though Apple may never lose her label as the crazy, dismal chick who
told the nation that “This world is bullshit,” she can belt out tunes that
make a grown man get goose bumps. Well, at least the dude standing
in front of me at this show did. “Doesn’t she look great in purple?” he
repeatedly asked everyone in his vicinity.
In a plain lavender tee and with stringy hair (sometimes in a ponytail,
sometimes not), Apple wasn’t looking to win any red carpet awards
for her ensemble, but her I’m-not-trying-to-be pretty-role is part of her
appeal. No matter how she may work to ground herself (even with
her Banana Republic-esque wardrobe), there is just always something
enigmatic about the nymph-like pianist with a startling, robust voice.
The remarkable wind raging during Apple’s set seemed to only validate
her unworldly aptitude. Even Apple agreed. “I feel like I’m in a dream,”
she commented about the severe breeze. She never said she wasn’t
an eccentric dreamer. Apple has admitted to being a bit intense with
her thoughts. Songs like “Paper Bag,” were written when she thought
she saw a white dove as an omen that things in her life were on the
rebound, but then she realized the “bird” was a plastic bag. (She
wrote the song title as “Paper Bag” because it just sounded better
than plastic.) But even tonight, Apple had her sights on the sky, maybe
for a sign, or maybe just to study the plane that was circling with
glittery advertisements. She admitted that she had imagined it, too, to
be something more spectacular.
For several songs Apple opted to take the mic over the ivories. Wildly
waving her arms and screaming so loudly that she missed the exact
pitch a few times, Apple was sobering up her beer-blitzed crowd at
SunFest. Favorites like “Shadowboxer” and “Criminal” were just as wellreceived as her newer selections “Get Him Back” and “Better Version of
Me.” Never considered a marathon performer, she nailed the headliner
job with her 15-song set. And that’s not any Apple-contrived fantasy; that
was reality. – Monica Cady • Photo: Sean McCloskey
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JAMES BLUNT PHOTO
James Blunt
Seminole Hard Rock
May 10, 2006
There was a feeling in the air like no other, the crowd felt
mesmerized by the aura of James Blunt. Although away from
his homeland of the U.K., thousands of people in the
audience surely made James feel right at home throughout
his heartfelt performance on this night. Most people know
the name James Blunt by the constant air play of his first
single “You’re Beautiful” has been receiving throughout the
world. This high-pitched tune was saved until the very end of
the show, but there was many other classic tunes that
captivated the audience for over an hour of delectation.
Not many people know what exactly Mr. Blunt is truly capable
of on the live front, but given the opportunity to witness one of
his performances, you’ll surely leave with more than a smile
on your face, but also with a newfound growth and eternal
inspiration. James Blunt spent a year in Kosovo as a soldier
in the British Army, and that exposure of the horrors of strife
and conflict inspired the emotional tenor of musical
compositions. The lyrics and melodies were compiled in his
spare time, this fueled the fire for the genesis of his
impressive debut album Back to Bedlam. With a unique
falsetto voice that fits cohesively with his acoustic guitar based
melodies, Blunt creates a style that is part folk, rock, pop,
and indie, and eminently listenable.
A gracious gentleman, with traces of David Gray and Elton
John, Blunt shows his audience a bombastic bend of honesty
and change. This man didn’t leave a rock unturned or one
thought unquestioned on this night as he belted strong fervor
with a song such as “Tears and Rain.” You could instantly
hear a hush over the crowd as they stood on his every word.
James may be well wise beyond his years, and the audience
couldn’t help but notice during his slender performance of
“Wise Man,” speaking prolifically with a voice that echoed the
arena he touched the hearts of many.
Not weary about his often high pitched voice, James joked
with the crowd before one of his more somber hits as he
mentioned that his voice sounds much like a girl at times.
But the beauty of Jame’s performance is that he knows well
enough how to use his voice to his advantage, as a true
instrument soaring high into the heaven before each and
every phrase recited. His upcoming single “Goodbye My
Lover” resonated loudly from a simple man and his
instrument of choice, speaking of his tragic loss. And for
those in the audience that were elevated by Blunt’s spirit, he
had a little help from his friends as they sang along to “High.”
And finally James Blunt’s performance came to its conclusion
with “You’re Beautiful,” the crowd sang along and raised their
heads high as if they all have found true meaning to the
song. Therefore my experience in attendance at a James
Blunt show was an awakening so to speak, which shows
that you can put on an unforgettable show if you’re not afraid
to wear your heart on your sleeve. In allowing himself to
become vulnerable with his audience, James shared a piece
of his soul on this night, with many people who returned the
favor as well. – Joseph Vilane • Photo: Sean McCloskey
Bloc Party
Revolution
April 25, 2006
After finishing with the stellar “Helicopter,” Bloc Party bassist Gordon Moakes
asked the crowd, “We haven’t played in a couple of months, does it sound like
it?” The crowd definitely disagreed that April night at Revolution, where the
band started a mini-tour of the U.S. that would include mostly festival dates.
This being one of the only actual venue gigs that they would do before heading
back to England to work on their follow-up to last year’s smash Silent Alarm,
the crowd knew that they were in for a treat.
Vocalist/guitarist Kele Okereke sounded in fine form as well Moakes, guitarist
Russell Lissack, and drummer Matt Tong. The raucous crowd bopped and
moshed into the air as the British foursome delivered a stunning set. Tong
himself tore up the drum kit with his rapid-fire timing that adds so much power
to the songs such as on the revved-up “Positive Tension.” Moakes and Lissack
jumped and flew about the stage during the songs like unleashed lions from a
cage, especially on songs such as on “Pioneers” and the closing “Like Eating
Glass.”
The song that had the crowd going berserk was the now-classic anthem
“Banquet” that’s been played as background music for both MTV and VH1 as
well as during many sports events. Okereke stomped up and down as he
strummed the first chords of the song with the crowd instantly responding. On
songs such as “Blue Light” and “This Modern Love,” Bloc Party’s more subtle
moments had the audience transfixed. Especially on the former, in which the
stage was lit with only blue spotlights to create that quiet and calm moment
before things erupted again.
During the set, Bloc Party played a couple of new songs such as one called
“Uniform” that received a good response. After finishing the song “Plans,”
Okereke mentioned a little bit about feeling a little rusty as the band had been
holed up in a London studio working on the next record. However, the
audience thought otherwise as the show saw the band on fire. The best
moment was during the encore when Okereke in particular walked back
onstage with a large mug of what could only be tea, given the rectangular
paper tail bit hanging over it. The venue felt like home to them as well as to the
crowd that wished the show didn’t have to end. – Jeff Noller
FOOTY
Local Icon Leaves Y-100.7
Famed morning radio personality John “Footy” Kross, Jr. won
the lottery. Well, at least that’s how he feels after 32 years on
radio. “I’ve hit the lottery. Thirty-two years on one radio station
(Y-100.7) is a long time and it’s been quite a ride,” he says.
Like any major go-getter, Footy is due an extended vacay – and
for now, the only plans he has include taking his boat, the
Wanderer, out to play. Aside from relaxation, he’ll continue in his
role as CEO of Here’s Help, Inc., a residential rehabilitation center
for adolescents located in Opa-Locka.
Footy’s career began with the “Tanner in the Morning” show in
the ‘70s as sports reporter “Athletes Foot” with Bill Tanner and
Jim Rhiele. In the ‘80s, he was part of “The Sonny Fox Show”
with Ron Hersey. The Y-100.7 Morning Zoo followed with Bobby
Mitchell. In the late ‘90s, it was “Footy and The Chicks at Six,”
and most recently “The Kenny & Footy Show” with Footy and
Kenny Walker. The show’s latest campaign involved outrageous
billboards of Kenny and Footy looking nine months pregnant.
“Many generations of South Floridian’s have grown up with
F o o t y, ” s a i d M i c h a e l C r u s h a m , R e g i o n a l Vi c e P r e s i d e n t ,
ClearChannel Communications. “He has impacted the lives of so
many with his creativity, tireless community efforts, and great
entertainment. He will forever be known as one of South Florida’s
greatest personalities.”
While Y-100.7 works out the morning show’s future lineup,
Michael Yo continues to fill in until the new segment is ready to go.
But South Florida will never forget Footy’s famous optimistic closer:
“Have yourselves a great day; I know I will!” – Monica Cady
HATE MACHINE
KAFFE KRYSTAL
PHOTO: SEAN MCCLOSKEY
BRAD GARRETT
JACKIE GLEASON THEATER
PHOTO: SEAN MCCLOSKEY
RADIO
KAFFE KRYSTAL
PHOTO: SEAN MCCLOSKEY
QUEEN & PAUL ROGERS
AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA
PHOTO: TOM CRAIG
HEART
SEMINOLE HARD ROCK
PHOTO: SEAN MCCLOSKEY
FALL OUT BOY
BANK UNTIED CENTER
PHOTO: SEAN MCCLOSKEY
THE FRAY
SEMINOLE HARD ROCK
PHOTO: SEAN MCCLOSKEY
Tribal Tongue
Sunfest
Photo: Doug Heslep
Molly Hatchet
Mr. G Rock & Roll Bar
Photo: Zac Pagett
LEFTOVER CRACK
Story & Photos: Jeff Noller
The sun is scorching down over the people sitting and standing in line
before the front door to Tabu in Fort Lauderdale as I drive down East
Oakland Park Boulevard on one Sunday afternoon in the middle of April
to interview one Stza Crack of the stalwart underground punk band
Leftover Crack. It’s hot when I get out of the car, and being inside the
venue before show time without all the people yet doesn’t give much
respite as the air conditioning is not functioning properly. It gears to be
a long evening in this sense, especially as it’s feeling hotter and muggier
at the back of the club behind the kitchen in the band’s dressing room.
It is thanks to concert promoter Cancer Michael, known for his
promotions of shows at the likes of Churchill’s, that I am able to sit
down with the front man for a few minutes to discuss the band in its
recent incarnation. As I find out later on after the interview, the band is
explosive live. The venue’s packed to the brim with over 400 people
when it generally only holds 275. People are stage diving left and right,
the crowd’s moshing in manic fashion, and Stza and the boys are
loving every minute of it.
“This is probably our most fun tour yet,” says Stza. “Mostly because
we’re booking it ourselves and it makes a big difference.”
If there is one band that is the antithesis of what the music industry
stands for, it is Leftover Crack. The New York-based group has
sustained and succeeded for over a decade with little press or any
help whatsoever from the likes of radio and MTV. Not that Stza is
complaining in the
slightest, as it’s part
of what makes them
a huge underground
following with many
kids’ searching for
information on them.
“I don’t give a fuck
about the press.
What I give a fuck
about is playing
shows for these kids
that really love us
and not having that
screw up. A key [to being as big in the underground] is not getting any
press at all.
“When you don’t have any information on you, people are curious. If
your politics are controversial – and that’s one reason why we don’t
get press is because of that – it’s why we have shows cancelled. At
the end of the day, the only thing I care about is making sure that
doesn’t happen and the kids are able to see us play. I don’t care about
money or press attention. I don’t care about any of that shit. I only
remember being young and into the music, and I just appreciate how
the kids out there have been there for us,” Stza says.
The band is composed of true punks unlike most that say they are, like
Fall Out Boy, but are really just a boy band like N’Sync with guitars.
They’re street-level revolutionaries from their lyrics to the cover art on
the albums to how they conduct themselves day to day. They are antiracist, anti-sexist, anti-homophobic, anti-law-enforcement, and prochoice, rebelling against all forms of Fascism at every level. Songs like
“Nazi White Trash,” “Gay Rude Boys Unite,” “Rock the 40 Oz.,” and
“Clear Channel (Fuck Off!)” paint the picture of a no-holds-barred band
that will do things only on their own terms. It’s what rock ‘n’ roll is
supposed to be: energetic, uncompromising, and radical.
“There are a lot of problems because of the politics we have. And so
what happens is that kids seek us out. If you can write good songs
with good lyrics on top of all that controversy then you’re on to
something. Kids will stick to it, and it will make them feel special that
they’re your fan and not reading about you in Spin Magazine. They’re
not reading about you in every single publication, so it makes them feel
good that they’re into a band that is underground.”
But being as fervently radical and independent has not always made it
an easy road as with the problems Leftover Crack has had to deal with
the corruption and greed that plagues the labels and the industry at
large. Even as they booked most of this tour, they had to go through
Ticketmaster with a few shows that they were doing with the
Subhumans. Wanting to play with them in a show, Stza and gang had to
relent, but grudgingly so.
The same feelings can be felt toward their former record label, Hellcat,
whom the band says treated them like so many other artists; as
disposable assets such as with advances to record albums and having
to pay that back. Stza says the way Hellcat used them disgusts him,
but at the same time, he understands how it also helped them gain a
larger audience in the underground.
“As much as we hate Hellcat Records and however shitty they treated
us, it did help us that they put ‘Infested’ in the Boot compilation that sold
over 300,000 copies. That’s how many kids that [heard our music and]
really put us on the next step where we could avoid all of the press
and industry bullshit to get to where we are now. We didn’t have to
deal with any of that, so it’s nice.”
With their current U.S. tour on a roll and with another one to follow
mostly in the Midwest this summer before heading to Europe for dates
in August then returning to do the Cracktober fest throughout October
and November, Stza hopes to have some new music out soon. A live
album should follow this fall following a show at Blackpool Wintergardens
in England that will have material from all the records with Hellcat as well
as a couple of new songs. Whether everything happens the way he
would like, Stza says the band will press on the way they always do;
playing music that’s on their own terms without compromise and directly
addressing the issues that continue to plague our world.
“The industry doesn’t care or stand for what I believe in when it comes
to making music. I don’t pretend to have solutions. I say what I have had
to say in my songs. I don’t pretend how to handle the world’s problems
as well as our government’s and all that shit. I am just singing about
them. Maybe someone in the crowd that is smarter than me will come
up with a solution. They can tell me, and I can spread the word on it. I
am open minded.”
28 • WWW.RAGMAGAZINE.COM • JUNE 2006
She’s gonna bang on that piano bench with a drumstick
and giggle sweetly before going into a dangerous rant
about a boy who’s “so goddamn young.” Her pouty red
lips and glamorous curls may fool you into thinking she’s
gonna sing some kind of Celine Dion top-40 pop number,
but that’s where you’re wrong.
This Russian-born Jewish New Yorker has the spunk of
Tori Amos when she’s throwing a fit, the soulful heat of
Fiona Apple getting heavy, the fairy-innocence of Björk,
and the I’m-pretty-but-I’ll-kill-you flow of Poe. But that’s
just scratching the surface of what 26-year-old Regina
Spektor brings to her performance.
Her songs tell stories from various perspectives:
divorcees, cancer patients and love-ridden souls. Whether
the tales are autobiographical or not doesn’t really matter.
Uh, and don’t ask Spektor because she really doesn’t
want to talk about that. She prefers to think of these
characters as just that, roles that she is playing and
presenting. For that, she deserves an Oscar because
the songs seem so personal that you’d swear young
Spektor had experienced all these things herself. That’s
where she gets you – making all this seem so real and
sincere.
With her 2004 major label debut, Soviet Kitsch, Spektor
proved that she isn’t afraid to take chances, and she was
dubbed part of the East Village anti-folk movement. The
single “Us” got major airtime on VH1 and was used in a
UK advertisement, making Spektor a known name. Her
intense piano melodies, off-kilter beats and angelic vocals
partnered with honest, real life thoughts to make a
powerful statement that she was strong, au fait and bold.
Spektor even lent some beatbox-style ticks and pops, and
made racket with everything from pianos, guitars and
drumsticks.
This month, Spektor makes another artistic declaration
with her 12-track LP Begin to Hope. From the get go, it’s
clear that she has polished some of the dangerous curves
of her last record. It’s something safer for conventional
ears, but that’s mostly due to the glossy production
elements. There’s still some raunchy punch for her typical
fan base – little bags of cocaine, Wonder Bread and selfdone haircuts populate the lyric pool.
While on the West Coast, Spektor agreed to take some
time to e-mail RAG Magazine (our long distance bill could
use the break), answering our questions, telling us what’s
so cool about her latest project, and why she’d love for
you to bring her some soymilk.
——Original Message——From: Regina Spektor
To: Monica Cady
Sent: Mon May 22 10:49:21 2006
Subject: RE: REGINA INTERVIEW
Story: Monica Cady
What was the biggest artistic challenge you face while
creating Begin to Hope? i.e. Did you feel pressure (from
33 • WWW.RAGMAGAZINE.COM • JUNE 2006
fulfilled like that – so fully arranged. It doesn’t mean that these
are the definitive versions, just that they are special versions.
With Begin to Hope, in addition to piano, you incorporate
electric guitar and drum machines. You played some guitar
live on tour. At what age did you get interested in guitar and
drums?
I grew up on the Beatles, so I always loved guitars and drums.
But I think playing a bit of guitar myself came from necessity –
you don’t get to have a piano around at any time. They are
heavy, sometimes hard to come by on the road, but there are
always people around who have a guitar.
Why was it important to you to add guitar and drums to the
record?
Well, not so much guitar. I mean there’s only two songs out of
12 with guitar on it. But drums were very important. I have a
huge love for beats, drums, loops, all that. It feels so good in
my body to have a beat. Six of the songs have drums on them,
or some sort of machines.
In Stores June 13th
yourself or outsiders) to top Soviet Kitsch or make
something different?
Good question. I think for the most part I just wanted to have a
chance to really work in the studio. That had never happened
before. Everything before was always done quickly and there
wasn’t much of a chance for me to grow as a producer. I love
writing parts/arranging music, so this was my chance to do it,
but I don’t think I felt pressure to do it. If anything, I think I put
pressure on others to let me do it, haha ...
Press are saying you are not the same artist that emerged
from the NYC circuit in 2001. Do you agree? What changes
do you see in your music?
Haha, hmmm. What’s so fuckin’ different about me? Just
kidding ... I think we change all the time ... I’m not even exactly
the same person from year to year, so of course I change as a
musician. It would be pretty horrific if I was the same musician
today in 2006 as I was five years ago ... that would mean that all
my experiences touring, traveling, living, watching world events
unfold, listening to new music, looking at new art, etc. – all of
that has not left a mark. That would suck. Then again, four of
the songs on this record are some of my oldest songs,
predating Soviet Kitsch. I’ve had people tell me my new songs
are more mature than my previous records. If by mature, they
mean old, then yeah :-) I don’t know ... people are too busy
trying to classify/identify ... They should just listen, see if they
like it.
What about Begin to Hope makes you most proud or excited?
I just love the idea of people hearing these songs captured like
that. The sound of it is amazing to me – quality and the
arrangements. It’s my first time being able to see the songs
Your lyrics are extremely detailed, witty, fun and sobering.
Some artists say their lyrics are afterthoughts that simply
work with their melodies. How essential are your lyrics when
it comes to developing your song structures? Do you develop
the music so that it fits with the lyrics, or vice versa?
That is so kind of you to say that, about the words in my songs.
Lyrics are so important to me, usually I write everything at the
same time, though ... so it all kind of forms together. I guess
there are exceptions. Hmmmmm … I don’t know if that was a
very good answer on my part.
You have compared telling the stories within your songs to
being an actor who plays different characters. Some of your
songs are extremely effective in this sense (“Chemo Limo”
from SK). Do you enjoy playing out certain emotions more
than others?
None that I have noticed. I think I just enjoy the whole thing –
being someone else, feeling empathy, or just general exploring
of their character. It all depends on who they are.
You seem to have a great artistic relationship with The
Strokes. On this record, you work with Nick Valensi
(“Better”). What do you think it is about both your musical
styles/artistic approaches that has led to these
partnerships?
Well, even before I met them, I had such love and respect for
their music. Then they took a huge chance and took me on
my first-ever tour with them. That’s something no one had
ever done for me ... just listening to them every night – their
songs and musicianship are on such a level, that most
bands can’t come close. The counterpoint in the songs that
Julian writes is staggering, and then the band plays it with
such passion and precision. Nick is like a guitar surgeon
sometimes – so technically precise. In a lot of ways what
attracted me to their music was the same kind of feeling I got
from listening to classical music – that pulsing feeling, with
very composed/intellectual elements.
So many people dream of being a musician and playing for
crowds. What is the best part of doing what you do?
34 • WWW.RAGMAGAZINE.COM • JUNE 2006
I love the amazing amount of energy I get from the people
who come to my shows. They are very giving, very respectful
and open minded. I love that I get to make something and
bring it to people, and they take the time to accept it or at
least try to accept it. I am so fuckin’ lucky.
To what do you attribute your success up to this point? (i.e.
hard work, supportive friends/family)
Wow ... all of that ... most is from always having had amazing
people around me – amazing family, teachers, friends.
Do you set goals for yourself or just let things happen/flow?
I set hopes for myself – like I hope my music gets better. I hope
I become better at life, at communicating,
at helping people – those kinds
of hopes, but nothing specific, I just go with whatever is going
on.
What do you do when you’re not thinking about or working on
music? (Read? Recommend any good books? Watch TV, Play
poker, etc.)
It depends where I am. At home, I hang out with friends and
family. I love movies. I read books, walk around a lot. I love
walking everywhere when I’m in NYC. On the road, it’s different.
I meet a lot of new people. I stare a lot. I’m a big into staring. I
visit friends I have in the cities I tour, and I end up eating a
bunch of crap on the road. I spend my time searching for
soymilk. :-)>
Thank you for your time! You rock!
Thank you very much, take care!!! – Regina
Begin to Hope hits stores June 13.
MARCH 2nd at the Culture Room
in Ft. Lauderdale
ad - mdc
as high as their producers ego. But the advantage of starting out fresh in the
local scene is that you’re given an opportunity to represent yourself wholeheartedly with an image that’s true to yourself and reflects your original musical vision.
Story: Joseph Vilane
You can’t take music that represents a lifetime of influences and pigeonhole it
into one specific thing. In the 90’s Grunge was just a word, a label to define
something that was difficult to pigeonhole in order to make it marketable. Yet
stores even began selling grunge fashions. Grunge and fashion should really
have been self canceling phrases if used in the same sentence. As usual,
money made it’s own rules and entirely missed the point. But a new breed of
listeners is catching on in the South Florida scene! Slate’s music is a conglom-
erate of various musical styles yet with a sound all their own. Slate’s music
speaks in volumes. Influences range from 70’s English hard rock to every
hard rock act of yesterday and today, but with all of today’s sonic punk.
One problem with materialistic accounts of consciousness is that they never
seem to capture, in any intuitively convincing manner and what is involved in
the facts of conscious experience. In the materialistic era of Britney Spears
wannabes, fashion at times is substitute for individuality. Mainstream image
and sound constantly goes in cycles where a musicians priorities are stacked
Slate, featuring Trevor -vocals/guitar, Phil Nico -guitar/vocal, Fred Harty -Bass
and Chris Johns -drums have presented a new blend of hard and heavy rock
and roll mayhem! With their unique sense for melody, optimism and the entertainment value of a good rock show, it’s safe to say that you’re investing your
time wisely after attending one of their blockbuster shows. Slates second high
profile gig was with the legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd, there with thousands of
people in attendance, the audience first became aware of the bands deeply
soulful intentions. It must be an incredible rush to perform with such a legendary act so early in your career, yet that only fuels their energy even further as
Slate gaze into the future of endless possibilities.
I didn’t think I would have any problem recognizing both drummer Chris and
vocalist Trevor arriving for the interview for Rag Magazine. They have that
signature rock and roll look: long black hair, leather clothes and a dynamic
attitude to match. No it wasn’t just the cool shades, it was the whole persona
which galvanized my attention. Throughout my conversation a local bookstore
in Boca Raton, both Trevor and Chris came off as two very dedicated musicians that share a passion for rock entertainment.
Trevor writes lyrics that are very autobiographical on his life, so anything you hear
him celebrating is real, it’s pure brutal honesty coming from a man that knows how
to rock with the best of them. “I write on the spot,” says Trevor, “if you listen to the
song “Age Is A Page,” how that came about was a situation with my dad. Here’s my
dad asking me you’re still doing music? When you gonna grow up? You’re not
getting any younger! As soon as he said that, it triggered and I was like wow, man,
38 • WWW.RAGMAGAZINE.COM • JUNE 2006
here’s my dad saying this to me, and age is a page, that’s how I look at my life. I don’t
look at it as I’m getting older, because age is just a number.”
The track “Age is a page” sets the tone for where they are now, the song was
written on a shoe string budget by Trevor and Chris. Every song after that measures up to “Age Is A Page,” they have their fair share of happy celebration songs
such as “Sweet And Delicious”, and of course the omnipotent ballad “Me Myself and
I.” “Me myself and I is as Beatles as you get,” says Chris, “that’s as classic as you
get, it’s all about what Trevor was going through emotionally. We’re all around the
same ages and we’ve all been around the same block, when I throw out something
that happened to be many years ago, he’s right there. So again it’s an open book.”
When 1992 kicked off with Nirvana’s Nevermind hit at No.1, it was obvious that punk
rock had finally conquered the mainstream. But it also meant goodbye to big production shows, the fireworks and lights were replaced by a dark nonchalant shows
focusing primarily on the music and lack luster entertainment value. “The 90’s killed
the music,” says Trevor,” it was good music but it was a dead period. You didn’t see
big productions no more, you didn’t see the big shows. The big shows didn’t start
happening again until you had your boy bands, unfortunately this is the truth. They
brought Vegas back! Now you’re starting to see bigger productions in music and
you’re starting to hear bigger a production on records.”
“The shows are easy,” says Trevor, “the rehearsal room is where we really push
ourselves. We do the sets over and over and it’s always consistently with that
same energy. That means the band is definitely getting off on each other, we’re
playing for the people, we’re definitely getting off on our own music. You can hear
it in the energy level, the energy level never drops down, unless we’re just dead
beat and we’ve had enough. We’re pretty consistent in our energy.” If the nineties
error taught us anything it was that, you can’t sell a statement unless you have a
hook. That was the rule of the thumb with Nirvana and many others from the 90’s
scene, and that mentality reins supreme in today’s world of rock music, especially
in the studio.
“Rolling Pennies,” the stand out track on Slate’s debut EP is a perfect example of how
someone lives there life, whether you’ve been through hard times financially, it’s all
about literally rolling pennies to survive, to make ends meet with your bills and your
mortgage for the house. The music is about everyday life, Slate adamantly states
that they’re not writing about politics, but still the music remains relevant with the
latest happenings we all ave to deal with. “I don’t think politics have a place in rock
and roll for me,” says Trevor, “I just don’t see it, let politics be their thing. There’s things
to write about, but for rock and roll, it should be more fun than anything, rock isn’t
supposed to be taken very serious, even though it is very serious.”
Slate’s self titled EP was recorded first class, the band teamed up with legendary
producer Rick Finch of KC and The Sunshine Band to produce cuts for their debut
album. This EP is very much a collaboration effort, it’s all ours and Rick Finches,”
says Chris.” It was good, it was a good experience, it was fun and it’s nice to work
with a Grammy award winner, we spent Christmas vacation making that all of
December, and maybe the first week of January.” The band spent Christmas day
working in the studio, sacrificing their holiday vacation to put the final touches on
their EP, and the results are very promising.
“We are destined to make ourselves with every time we get together,” says Chris,
“we play for each other, we’re all an audience in the scence where if I’m not
impressing these guys or if they’’re not impressing me, there’ no reason to be on
stage. And I can care less at that point who I’am impressing out there, it’s because
I have to impress my band members first. That being so deep, you can appreciate
that being a musician.”
Respect is earned in industry, and a lot of people are getting a lot of free rides and
whatnot. But the main thing is if you’re happy with yourself, if you’re happy with
your music as a whole, eventually a lot of people will see that, there’s integrity, and
there’s honesty in that. If it’s real, if enough people come to the show, if you can get
ten people out of that show to feel half of what you’re feeling, I think it’s an accomplishment as a whole. And that’s the mentality that the members of Slate share, to
reach out to as many people as possible that share the same sensibilities to rock and
be entertained.
DEF LEPPARD
Story: Craig Mandell
There is a moment in every young person’s life – regardless of who
they are or where they live – when they will find themselves in a
crowded bar, and Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar On Me” will come
on over the speakers. At this time, chances are, at least 50% of said
bar will then proceed to sing aloud in drunken unison, completely
forgetting any and all burdens that had previously been afflicting them.
It is a magical moment, and one that’s set to play on until the end of time.
Rick Allen is the man drumming on that massive record, and my goodness,
he’s doing it with one damn arm. So yeah, that time you won the
spelling bee in eighth grade was pretty impressive, but nothing compared
to this guy’s accomplishments. And as for his group as a whole, well,
the two Diamond Awards (recognizing sales of over 10 million) they
received for the ‘83 Pyromania and ‘87 Hysteria albums pretty much
speak for themselves.
So can there really be anything left to prove for a couple of guys
who’ve toured the world countless times over, released quality rock
records for two-plus decades, and slept with more women than Wilt
Chamberlain on a year-long ecstasy binge in Amsterdam? Apparently
the answer is Yeah!, Def Leppard’s new covers record featuring 14
songs they grew up with, and which without, might never have
embarked on such a fantastic voyage.
“It’s an album we’ve always wanted to make – ever since the beginning,”
explains Allen. “It’s a treat for people to get to hear what we were
listening to when we were on the other side of the fence.”
Can it be true – there’d be no “Rock of Ages” or “Armageddon It” were
it not for, er, Badfinger? Indeed, Yeah! finds Leppard pulling off more
than worthy renditions of classics and should’ve-been-classics by
artists such as T-Rex, Badfinger , The Kinks, Mott the Hoople, and
ELO. The mix is varied yet cohesive, with most of the tracks lingering
around mid ‘70s glam/rock territory. And as usual with Lep, it all sounds
slicker than the hair of a Camaro-driving waterbed salesman.
Standouts include the T-Rex and ELO tunes, as well as
Faces classic “Stay With Me”, in which guitarist Phil
Collen takes lead vocals and sounds, as Allen duly notes,
“more like Rod Stewart back in the day than Rod Stewart
does.”
You may be wondering, of course, how they decided
which tracks to cover. And where’s the ABBA? Allen
explains that the idea was to choose songs that helped
influence their sound – preferably hits or semi-hits in
the UK, but not necessarily in the States. Each band
member made their own separate list of potential songs
for inclusion, before convening to discuss things. And
the result:
“Everybody’s lists were pretty similar,” recalls Allen.
Naturally, some minor disagreements did occur, but “I
think in the end, we picked songs that made everybody
happy in the band.”
The selections should leave long-time fans content as
well, as they fit quite seamlessly into the alreadystacked set of Def Leppard classics. Look for the band
to play a number of them when they hit West Palm in
mid-July, and...what’s that? Weren’t planning on going?
You really might want to reconsider. RAG was there
last summer when Lep played the Seminole Hard Rock
Hotel and Casino, and, save for that “Poison4ever” tattoo
we had removed a few years back, could’ve easily
been convinced we were back in 1989.
“That’s really cool,” says Allen of the compliment. “Then
it had the desired effect, you know? We work really
hard getting the sound that we get when we go on
stage. We practice a lot to get that right.”
Of course, the musical landscape has changed quite
drastically since the days when Def Leppard ruled the
world, and the massive sound of ‘80s arena rock is no
longer the norm. Drums, for example, are no longer
Monica
Cadylike a
soaked with so muchStory:
reverb that
they sound
large boulder crashing against a freeway.
IN STORES NOW!
“I think the sound has become more real, as opposed to larger than
life,” Allen acknowledges. “A lot of the sounds that we came up with
back then kind of evolved in the studio, and, you know, what you think
is one snare drum is actually four or five snare drums put together. I
think what we tend to do now is break that sound down a little more
and go for something that sounds a little more real.”
Production aside, however, many of their tunes are written well enough
to render them timeless. At least in rock and roll terms. In fact, Leppard
is one of only a few bands still around today that is, without question,
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame caliber. Think about it - isn’t it hard to imagine
most popular modern rock bands making the Hall? You’d have the
Stones, the Who, Led Zeppelin, Elvis, the Beatles, and…Fallout Boy?
Something about that just isn’t right. Quite wrong, in fact.
We wondered what the drummer of a legendary band who does
deserve the honor might have to say about the current, shall we say,
“shortage of talent,” but Allen doesn’t necessarily blame the bands
themselves.
“Without mentioning any names,” he explains, “I just think that what
record companies call artist development is kind of a thing of the past.
Interestingly enough, if we were just coming around now, we wouldn’t
have made it to our most successful records, because we probably
would’ve been dropped after our second record because of the fact
that it probably didn’t sell that much. It’s sad, in a way, that people are
only getting a taste
of the real deal from some of the older bands, and a lot of the newer
music is a little bit throwaway in terms of how the record companies
really get behind it.”
Rick’s got a point there. But at least we can all be thankful that his band
got the opportunity they did. They were the ultimate act for the decadent
‘80s – rocking hard and partying harder. And you’ve got to wonder,
does he miss that crazy time?
“I survived it,” Allen enthuses. “I’m happy for every day that I get, to be
honest. My responsibilities have changed, you know, I have a daughter
and dogs and all kinds of stuff, so, you know, I’m actually very happy
where I am in my life right now.”
cd - duplication
Lead singer/guitarist Annie Hardy is the
quintessential rock front woman in the
typical prom queen’s body. She sings with
guts and angst and you might not really
expect it by just looking at her, as she
looks like that shy quiet type. Annie’s
lyrics suggest shifting into outer space,
sharing a physical structure and
creating her own musical identity in
the process. Although her lyrics do
seem sophomoric and childish at
times, in Annie Hardy are rare
qualities instilled, the same qualities
that makes her a fascinating
musician such as curiosity,
dedication and a true love of
music.
G
I
A
N
T
D
R
A
G
If I can describe my impression
of Annie Hardy concisely, I
would
instantaneously
describe the seeming love
child of musical geniuses Kurt
Cobain and PJ Harvey, she
has the talent to go very far
and with what she lacks
she’ll gather as she
progresses. When I
phoned Annie late in the
evening last month, it
seemed as if I had
awoken her from a deep
sleep. Early on she was
groggy and very short
with her responses.
But
as
our
conversation progressed,
she truly impressed me with her witty
charm, as well as the desire to improve as a
songwriter and how it’s often difficult to describe her love
for music in general.
ne
h Vila
p
e
s
: Jo
Story
U
nicorns have always held some sort of mystery and promise
of untold adventures. Many have fancied them since
childhood. For our first remembrance of them come from
storybooks, it’s the fairytale nostalgia that intrigues us, and the
many possibilities that inevitably await. For a unicorn is often
compassionate, strong, and ready for whatever battles may await
them. Hearts And Unicorns, the nonchalant title of Los Angeles duo
Giant Drag’s debut album proves to exemplify the quirky visions
during adolescent days, their attempt to cure the grief that surrounds
us to find happiness within. Sometimes music can prove to be both
highly weird and accessible at the same time, and Giant Drag are
another prime example of that musical contradiction.
When a band can masterfully intertwine weird alternative tracks like
“Kevin Is Gay” with the more digestible “This Isn’t It,” you are truly
hearing an act in a very exclusive league. This duo consists of 24
year old singer/guitarist Annie Hardy and 27 year old Micah Calabrese
who is the one man rhythm section playing drums and keyboards.
Two very different personalities mesh very well in this project, where
Annie curses like a drunken sailor stricken with tourettes syndrome,
while Micah has a more laid back persona. What some would think
of as a recipe for disaster has proven to be a delicious dessert with
bombastic alternative rock originals and the ever sweet cover song
to balance out the mix.
I can imagine Annie awaking in the middle of the night, only to find a
notepad by her bedside. As she writes her final thoughts, she
scurries back to bed only to awoken in the morning not knowing
where or why inspiration struck. “It (the music) comes from life
experiences, it comes from whatever I’m going through at the time,”
says Annie. “I’d like to say it’s written from a characters perspective,
but I may be too self involved for that. Music is kind of a cathartic
thing for me when I’m going through some shit, so that’s how 95
percent of the songs come out. And then there’s some other ones
that I just don’t know where they come from like “Pretty little
Neighbor,” they just comes out in art from my perspective.”
But yet this duo managed to record an interesting cover song in
Chris Isak’s “Wicked Game,” which actually makes Isak sound very
cool. “Yeah I think you have to do that (re-create the song) if you’re
going to do a cover song,” says Annie, “otherwise it just sounds like
karaoke. But I’ve been playing that song in the band I was trying to
do before Giant Drag, and for our first show ever we had booked a
show before we were actually a band, so we added that song in
their just to fill out the set so we would have eight songs. But it was
a song that I always liked and was equally appreciated, so therefore
we’ve been doing it forever.”
And then there’s Annie’s voice, melding the driving energy and
ferocity of hard rock with the grace and grandeur of folk music and
at the same time synthesizing elements of classic seventies, blues
and even 20th century atonality. “It’s not just one theme,” says
Annie, “it’s so many different things, almost a bi-polar ego from
“Kevin is Gay” which I consider to be one of
the most upbeat songs I ever wrote. I definitely
don’t over think it, sometimes I don’t think about
it at all. Most of the time when I’m writing a
song it all comes out at once as a whole, and
I don’t even really question the lyrics and it’s
almost like the song is just handed over to me
and I don’t even feel like I’m there writing it.”
And let’s not forget about Micah, he is an
enormous part of the sound, whether he’s
ripping crunchy, muscular riffs along side of
Annie, he is the backbone of this project,
enveloping Beatles-style harmonies in a cloud
of haunting synthesized acoustics. Micha’s
adventurous playing infuses the band with a
presence that often makes the duo sound like
a four piece. But as a two piece, Giant Drag
have more freedom to experiment musically.
“It really came about due to convenience,”
says Annie, “ Micha one day as a joke started
playing the drums and the synthesizer bass
at the same time and we laughed, but then we
were like Ohh shit this works. It’s a great
situation to only have two people it’s really
simple and it’s really easy,
and it puts limitations on
us which I also like”
quirky sense of humor . But what type of impact will they initially leave on on their
audience? “I don’t know that I really think about it,” says Anne. “Our live shows are
something that evolved naturally, where lot’s of people talk about the fact that I talk
and kinda make jokes throughout it which just came from Micah having to change
the settings on the synthesizer, and it I didn’t do it there would be 30 to 60 seconds
of silence which is kind of awkward I just want people to not think it sucks basically.”
The music appeals to a vast array of listeners, while some young men may feel
puzzled by Annie’s free expression of sexuality, and often question if she’s mature
enough to fill their fantasies with delight. Although she looks young, she is far from
sheltered, she has a strong business sensibilities and knows that the industry is
often fickle and set on disastrous fall outs. “I’m a pretty open person, even sometimes
when I shouldn’t be,” asserts Annie, “and I guess some people think “Oh she’s
such an actress, she’s so funny,” and that’s not acting, that’s the way I’m all the
time. I’m just going up there (on stage) and being myself and playing songs, but
they can just think what they want.”
Just like the Unicorn, upon discovery, this animal stands pointed out to us with the
single horn jutted from its forehead. With great caution we gaze back at this creature,
regretting it was no closer for us to examine still more minutely. But be not afraid,
yet definitely expect more cosmic happenings from Giant Drag. This duo shares
both the strength and beauty of a magnificent creature, as well as the ability to
reflect the choice of reason to heal a broken heart. Through Childlike sensibilities,
in the music you will find peace ad acceptance heading towards a new adventure,
the joyous anticipation of a new more stable love.
The songs, which are
actually
more
like
meditations on death, are
brought to life by the
music, with expressive
interplay among the two
songwriters. And Annie
is expressing her true
aura, even if it comes out
in childlike nursery
rhymes at times. “The
Beatles were the first
band I really liked,” says
Annie, “and there’s a lot
of
stuff
that
subconsciously comes
through like Guns N
Roses and the stuff I
listened to when I was a
kid that made me want to
play music. “But I wasn’t
like oh I want to be Guns
N Roses or The Beatles, I
just always wanted to
have my own thing.” And
that’s
the
overall
impression with H e a r t s
And Unicorns , it’s very
original, and although it’s
tainted with various
hidden influences, it’s
really hard to pinpoint
exactly where the whole
thing came about.
Hearts And Unicorns, a
grungy collection of guitar
driven pop songs are all
the more lively because
of Hardy and Calabrese’s
43 • WWW.RAGMAGAZINE.COM • JUNE 2006
THE STILLS
Story: Monica Cady
Everybody knows that listening to a good record can sometimes make
you cry. But apparently making a good record can, too. The Stills admit to
shedding some pain water during the creation of their second LP, Without
Feathers.
Leadman Tim Fletcher isn’t bashful about sharing the struggles his band
had during the recording process. “There were a lot of ups and downs,
and people crying,” he says. “A lot of people don’t see what goes into the
making of a record. [People] don’t understand the circumstances. All that
said and done, I’m just glad that we actually [finished the record], and gave
it our best shot.”
We wanted to make a record that no matter what anyone said, we were
proud of it,” he says firmly. “There’s no other way you should do it when you
are making music or art. I don’t think you should be compromising, and you
should follow your heart.”
Unlike the moody dance rock of Logic Will Break Your Heart, Without Feathers
moves to the celebratory rhythms of soul, ‘70s rock, and other inspirations
including Van Morrison, The Band and The Clash. “All these influences that
we’d been holding back for years just came through,” says Fletcher. The Stills
felt they had finally captured their innate style.
Thematically, Without Feathers addresses some of the issues that the band
were dealing with on tour – loneliness and wanting a place to call home.
“Some of [the lyrics] are pretty dark, and a lot of them are about things falling
apart, separation, sadness,” says Fletcher.
“I think the first record was a lot about anxiety, dejection, isolation and alienation.
And I think [Without Feathers] is more real, the fruition of all those feelings on
the first record. [Logic …] was more theoretical, and this [new] record is lived.
Today, 27-year-old Fletcher is chatty, introspective and vivacious. He’s
waiting inside a vegetarian restaurant in Hamilton, Ontario, for his to-go
lunch of sweet-and-sour soup, and curried vegetables with mushrooms.
Over his cell phone, Fletcher divulges the details surrounding the band’s
unexpected new musical direction, fresh lineup and the challenges
associated with the changes.
If they were Lindsay Lohan red carpet celebrities, the Stills’ story might be
game for tabloid juice. In 2003, the Montreal quartet was seemingly an
instant indie rock hit with their debut Logic Will Break Your Heart. The
group’s bittersweet dance songs and East Village residency bundled
them nicely with everything cool that was coming from the New York
scene. Vocalist Tim Fletcher, drummer Dave Hamelin, guitarist Greg Paquet
and bassist Oliver Crowe toured for two years solid before taking a muchneeded break from the blur of their success.
Touring had not only physically exhausted the band, but it was also draining
them mentally. “We had been on tour for so long, and we had been sort of
flustered. [Touring] can get to you, especially when it’s your first album,
and you’re doing things for the first time without a frame of reference. It
was pretty much go-go-go-go, so there was this mounting tension day by
day. When we did our last show, which was in Miami, we were like,
‘Okay, we need to relax for a long time, and let all kinds of changes take
place,’” says Fletcher.
These transformations were more drastic than any of the members probably
anticipated. In September 2005, Paquet left the band due to creative differences.
As a result, Hamelin switched to guitar. Touring keyboardist Liam O’Neil and
drummer Colin Brooks (of Brooklyn indie band Sea Ray) became permanent
fixtures in the group. “It was a different band with this new sound. A lot of
people outside were scared, but we were like, ‘Just trust us,’” explains Fletcher.
While everyone around them seemed insecure about the band’s future, Fletcher
claims that the Stills remained confident in their quest to produce another album.
“We knew that things were going to be different with Greg leaving the band. A
lot of people were going to be freaked out,” he says.
Surprisingly, rather than stifling their productivity, all this outsider doubt only
fueled the band’s motivation. Throwing caution into the wind, the members had
an added incentive to start clean and take artistic chances – but not merely for
the sake of reinvention, for the sake of doing what felt right. “We all had really
good ideas, but I think Dave provided a lot of the ‘No fear, go do this.’ And we
all got inspired by that mood.
“I think that there wasn’t that much pressure [on us] because second records
are notoriously the records that decide the fate of a band. And we were like,
‘Let’s make a record that we want to make, the way we want to make it. And if
everyone shuns it, and it goes straight to hell, then the boat goes down in
flames with us on that boat, and we’re happy to stay upon it with it going down.’
The Stills will be at the Culture Room along
with special guests Rogue Wave on June 7th.
The theory has been turned into practice, and we’ve actually lived it. I think it’s
sort of a sobering, calm, more natural reflection on, ‘Wow, look at what fell
apart. Look at what state we were in.’ You know [the opening track] ‘In the
Beginning’? [One of the lyrics] says, ‘It’s just never what it was in the beginning.’
That’s true of relationships that sour. That’s true of our feeling about being in
the band. So that song was really a key song, lyrically and musically, because
it said, ‘Fuck the bullshit that we’ve been going through. We can rise above it.’
“When you’re on tour all the time, you live in a bubble, and it’s hardly a home.
You have to come to terms with being uncomfortable all the time, which is a
noble endeavor, but a difficult one,” he says pensively.
Having moved from New York back to Canada, Fletcher seems fulfilled in his
current situation, almost to the point of sounding wise beyond his years. He
says that the knowledge he has gained from being in a band has been vital.
Whatever happens, he thinks the Stills have been loyal to their artistic principles,
and that’s what matters most to him.
Through it all, Fletcher’s glad one thing remains: his place in the world. “I can’t
believe how fortunate I am, and if I wasn’t in a band, I’d want to be in a band.
I think that crafting songs and meeting people who are doing the same, and
being inspired by people making music is the fundamental thing [about what
we do]. It can drive you nuts sometimes. It can drive you absolutely nuts, as
any art should, I think,” he adds thoughtfully. And while their new tour will
undoubtedly bring a new set of trials, for this moment, the Stills seem to have
something to smile about.
44 • WWW.RAGMAGAZINE.COM • JUNE 2006
12
piano competitions, but I didn’t get my big break until karaoke, it’s sad
but true. I used karaoke to get over my fear of being on stage.
RAG: What jobs did you have before becoming a professional
musician?
Restaurant jobs. I used to bus and serve on tables right up through
the days of signing the deal. It was sort of surreal to be waiting on
tables while taking phone calls with the label, it made for good
conversations at the table.
Story: Paul Evans
Big 10-4, the modern rock quartet based out of Orlando, Florida have
taken on the challenge of winning over fans one by one. Over the
course of the past two years they’ve grown from college dives to 500
capacity sellouts in Orlando, Gainesville and first dibs on opening slots
for touring acts at House of Blues. You can sit back and indulge in the
waves of remiscent melodies and piano-scapes on tracks like “Oxygen”
and “Tangled”. Or step up to the front of the stage and have your brow
blown back by the immediacy of “Walking Disaster” and “Long Night
(Sleepless).” The daring word play and brain swelling melodies will
conjure visual soundtracks of those late nights of drinking, women and
figuring out what life is all about. Having signed with Universal Records
(3 Doors Down/Jack Johnson/Godsmack) they are releasing “Testing
The Atmosphere” produced by Matt Wallace (Maroon 5, Train) on May
16th, with a headlining slot at FMF2006 in Orlando. We sat down with
lead singer Dan Verduin, to talk about the past, present and hopeful
future...
RAG: Where did you grow up? Did your environment
encourage you to be creative?
I grew up in South Florida for most of my life until I went away to
college in Orlando (Central Florida) and ended up staying there to
pursue music. Growing up I was really interested in sports and
running around the neighborhood, but loved to listen to music with
my brothers.
RAG: At what age did you begin playing music?
Piano lessons started when I was 11 i think. I didn’t practice much
but picked it up pretty quickly. I only took lessons for a couple years
until i quit to pursue sports.
RAG: Did you take music lessons in school or in college or
did you have private instructions, or are you self-taught in
singing and playing the piano?
The piano lessons were private when I was younger, but after all of
those years off I pretty much consider myself self taught on the
guitar and piano. Vocally I had a couple lessons, but those lessons
have been on preservation of the voice. I picked up the guitar in
college and learned off of internet tab, stuff like Dave Matthews or
whatever was on the radio.
RAG: Did anyone in your family play music or influence you
to play in front of an audience?
I have three older brothers and we all enrolled in music classes
when we were younger. They all chose the guitar and I took the
piano, they tried to push the accordian but that wasn’t happening.
My brother and guitarist Matt also started taking lessons back them
and continued whenever he needed a push.
RAG: Who are your early musical influences? Did you ever
dream about being any of them?
I remember it being Billy Joel when I was younger. Loved the piano
and the way he story told. Bon Jovi was one of my early rock
influences also, they are great performers. I would definitely dream
about being them in front of thousands of people, i think every kid
has too.
RAG: What were your early musical experiences like?
Did you play in school bands, or perform in stage productions or jam
with other bands in your area? When I was younger I played in
RAG: How did the band members meet?
After years of open mic night, the band started to form. My brother
joined my from South Florida to play alongside of me on guitar. Jimmy
Russo, the drummer, used to run sound around town and attached
to the music. Matthew Reed, bass, joined the band a bit later after
being in the Orlando scene with other bands, we were both fortunate
to find each other.
RAG: Whose idea was it for the name of the band, Big 10-4
and how did he come up with it?
I was sitting around one night jotting down band names and watching
TV. Crossing off names and coming up with some strange one’s, it
was an old movie that inspired the name. I think it was Smokey and
The Bandits, or something like that, where one of the characters
yelled it out. I immediately wrote it down and started testing it on
people, it definitely fit the vibe of the music and the personality of
the band.
RAG: Where was the band’s first gig? Did you play cover
tunes or original songs at that show? What did you learn
from that first experience?
We used to do alot of open mic nites to see whether the songs came
across well. Then we got a last minute phone call to play a cinco de
mayo party, we accepted it and the rest is history. We never really
believed in playing cover sets, we sneak a cover in every now and
then, but we’ve been fortunate enough not to do cover gigs. We
learned alot from that experience, one that were might have not
have been ready and , two, to collect you promised money before
you go on stage!
RAG: How does the band rehearse before a gig? What do
you focus on during the practice sessions? Do you do any
warm-ups before a show?
Depending where we are about to play, we have different routines.
If we are going on the road, we just brush up on the catalogue of
songs and focus on some rusty areas. If it is a home show, we
have different goals right now. We have to make sure that we are
giving them something that that haven’t seen from us before. Alot of
brainstorming goes on from intro music to playing a special new
cover, or introducing a new song.
Everyone has specific warmups before shows. I practice on getting my energy up and vocal
exercises, Jimmy bangs on his drum pads and “The Matts” warm up
there fingers on the guitar.
RAG: What was the first original song that the band
composed? Who wrote it and how were the levels and
sequencing of the instruments determined?
The first song ever written was Superpowers and it ended up
making the record. A song about a guy who just wants to vanish
from the bad situation he is going through with a woman. I wrote the
song on the side of my bed with an acoustic guitar.
RAG: Did you self-produce the album Testing The
Atmosphere or did you have a producer? What role does
the producer play during the recording sessions? What
does he/she look for as far as the sound goes?
We are extremely fortunate to have Matt Wallace produce “Testing
the Atmosphere”. He has worked with great bands like Faith No
More, Maroon 5, and Train. The producer is the person that helps
arrange the songs, organize the engineering, and focus on getting
the sounds out of the instruments. We wanted to work with Matt
because of his ability to make raw rock records.
RAG: What are some of the themes in your songs like
“Walking Disaster” for instance? What are your songs about
and what inspires them?
Looking back at the album I found I write a lot about life, but focusing
more about the positives then the negatives. I write about the
negatives but always have a message of hope it seems. Walking
Disaster is a song based on someone (me) who seems to have a
limited amount of success because when things go right, there is
always that one thing there to push them back, I hoping those days
are behind us! The record is basically a journal of my relationships,
philosophies, and day to day activities such as the partying.
IN STORES NOW!
call from Universal and they asked if it was too late. We set up a
showcase at small bar and the label flew down a week later to
catch it. They loved it and within a couple days they made an offer,
and we gladly excepted. It’s been amazing, this label is allowing us
to grow and build a foundation. It’s pretty cool to look down at the
CD and see the Universal logo, we are proud.
RAG: Do you have any memorable moments from being on
stage together, or about the audiences and being on the
road?
Too many to count. Playing with some of our favorite bands like
Seven Mary Three, Sister Hazel, and Better Than Ezra have made
for great nights. The nervous nights of showcasing are scary yet
memorable. The last home show we played was probably the biggest
rush on stage, it was the first time we sold out a show before we
walked into the building. I’ve never seen so much energy in one
room.
RAG: Will you be making any music videos for the songs
from Testing The Atmosphere? If so, which song will have
a video and what can people expect to see?
No plans for one yet.
RAG: What instruments and equipment did you use in the
recording studio to create the sound, and what studio did
you use?
We are a rock quartet with guitars, drums, and piano. We did most
of the recording in Matt Wallace’s personal studio (Studio Deluxe),
which was great, it took a lot of the pressure off from being in a big
studio. We did track the drums and piano in larger studio called “The
Pass” in Los Angeles.
RAG: Has the Internet been beneficial to you? If so, which
sites have helped BIg 10-4 the most?
Myspace has been huge for this band. www.myspace.com/
bigtenfour. We are a very fan/friend interactive band we love to
stay in touch. Sometimes it’s hard to keep in touch on the road and
this has allowed us to do so. Our website is launching this week
and from what I’ve seen it’s extremely original.
RAG: How did the record deal with Republic Records come
together? How were you discovered by the label?
We were being scouted by a couple of major labels at the time and
we showcased for them. One in particular stepped up and made
and offer. We were almost signed to this label until we got a phone
RAG: Do you have any words of wisdom or advice you would
like to pass onto aspiring musicians?
Take care of you business and be good to people. Soak up every
moment, because the best one’s fly by. And write from the heart,
people can tell when you fake it.
47 • WWW.RAGMAGAZINE.COM • JUNE 2006
FILM
A Prairie Home Companion
Meryl Streep, Woody Harrelson, Kevin Kline
& Lily Tomlin
Director: Robert Altman
In truth, I’m not one to worship Robert Altman. His films—barring the
rarities—have been, for me, mostly inconsequential. They’re wispy
and lighthearted and mostly nonchalant. They work, but on a
momentary basis; acting like a bubble that bursts the second the
lights go up. Most of the same can be said about A Prairie Home
Companion. Only, this time is simply works better.
Garrison Keillor who penned the “A Prairie Home Companion” radio
show also works the fingers behind the typewriter for its film
adaptation. His script has a kind of “concentrated structure” to it; it’s
duration running throughout “A Prairie Home Companion’s” final live
broadcast show. He balances onstage performance between
backstage interactions, the camera smoothly swirling amongst the
audience, the stage, and the inner workings of the theatre.
If Altman flashed the negative to achieve a washed-out look for The
Long Goodbye, he did quite the opposite for A Prairie Home
Companion. The cinematography is rich and
sensational, often whirling between different
sets in long, gorgeously extended shots. This
isn’t your typical backstage DV debacle; but
the work of a director at the very height of
his career.
The cast is yet another stunning ensemble,
most of them probably flocking to Altman’s
direction. Beat this: Meryl Streep, Woody
Harrelson, Kevin Kline, Lily Tomlin, Virginia
Madsen, Tommy Lee Jones, Lindsay Lohan,
John C.Reilly, and Garrison Keillor. Yeah. The
beauty of the film is that none of these actors
quite seem to be acting. Attribute this to
Altman’s classic overlapping dialogue, but
don’t forget to bow your heads to the
performers as well. Often I’m annoyed by
Altman’s stubborn persistence with
overlapping dialogue. I’ll argue that when
Altman should be trying to make cinema, he
insists on imitating real life. But with A Prairie
Home Companion, the overlapping dialogue
is mandatory. Altman’s best when he’s making
a film mostly about people and not about story.
This is most obvious here. My one complaint
with the film is its aversion to storyline. But this isn’t too much of a
problem because A Prairie Home Companion is, if nothing else, about
the people of the radio show. This is a story about human beings,
where overlapping dialogue is only expected.
first describes as a femme fatale, and later as an angel. As she
convinces us of her divinity, Noir finds a way to use her as an
assassin to ward off the buyers of the radio show. This fantasy
element works only to heighten the vibrancy of the rest of the film,
where feet stay firmly planted to reality. Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin
play the singing sisters Yolanda and Rhonda Johnson, with Lindsay
Lohan as their gloomy daughter Lola. The three, as contrasting as
the actors are on paper, flit about in a realm of familial nostalgia,
with Lola penciling out her suicidal songs and scoffing beside their
make-up mirrors. John C. Reilly and Woody Harrelson are Dusty and
Lefty, the singing cowboys who crack dirty jokes backstage and
jerk the chain of censorship with Al (Tim Russell), the stage manager.
Chuck Akers (L.Q. Jones) and Evelyn (Marylouise Burke) are the
elderly lovebirds who chase a potentially fatal lovemaking. And
holding all these characters together is Garrison Keillor, whose
nostalgia is matched only by his pragmatism and lack of sentimentality
towards the show’s demise. His performance is probably the most
memorable, as the picture is fuller when he strolls about within it,
offering truth to the blind antics of some of the other roles with his
endless cache of stories.
A Prairie Home Companion’s bubble doesn’t burst as the lights go up.
Instead, we find ourselves wishing the show would go on and the
performers keep up doing their crazy little acts. This is Altman in
his element; where humans are meant to be portrayed as humans.
It’s still lighthearted and mostly nonchalant, sure, but it’s also
about nostalgia and reminiscence, and the beauty that surrounds
a family built behind the red curtains and a WLT microphone. –
Sam Osborn www.samseescinema.com
The story finds itself toeing the line with magical realism. Virginia
Madsen plays The Dangerous Woman, who Guy Noir (Kevin Kline)
JUNE 2006 • RAG MAGAZINE • 48
The Da Vinci Code
Cast: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellan & Paul Bettany
Director: Ron Howard
After nearly three years of putting it off, last week I finally
picked up and read The Da Vinci Code. Being the
40,000,001st person to read the book wasn’t much fun,
as a dozen or more people giddily peered over my shoulder,
asking what page I was on and oh-so-accidentally letting
the twists slip off their tongues. I figured that since all the
other 40,000,000 people who’ve read the book will view
the film adaptation in a gnawing, nit picky book-to-film
comparison, I probably should too. Trying to review a film
from a perspective no one in the theatre will have has
never been a winning stratagem. And Dan Brown’s book
was fun and riling, utilizing convincing art history and
extremist theology to thicken its otherwise pulpy tale. As
a film, its prospects were titillating: the damned thing was
pretty much written to be a movie in the first place. But
when put to practice, some key elements were lost in
translation. Granted, Ron Howard is a more eloquent
storyteller than Dan Brown, utilizing the language of film
with more agility than Brown can maneuver the English
language; but the script lost something along the way: for
all its length, Mr. Howard’s The Da Vinci Code has lost its
scholarly charm.
Now don’t go running off thinking Hollywood’s done it again; this is a respectful adaptation that constricts its creativity to stay true to the worldwide
literary phenomenon. What I mean is that Akiva Goldsman’s adaptation seems to rush itself in some of the wrong places.
For those of you who’re like me and have somehow avoided the book for the last years, here’s a little synopsis: a respected curator for the Louvre is
found dead with a mysterious smattering of clues surrounding his body. Symbologist and Cryptologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and Sophie Neveu
(Audrey Tautou) track these clues down to their historical significance, tromping around Paris and London in search of the Holy Grail, the curator’s
controversial secret. Going any more in depth is a waste of print-space. I was the only person who hadn’t read the book anyhow.
The finest moments of the novel, most will admit, occurred when Langdon and Neveu sifted through their encyclopedic knowledge in search of
solutions to their international, multi-millennial treasure hunt. We were educated as they whittled down the answers, introduced to stifling theories and
tasty little factoids. But with the film adaptation, Mr. Howard seems to skim over the puzzling aspects of the hunt. Answers seem to simply pop into the
characters heads. Oh sure, every once in a while an anagram gives them a few seconds of trouble, but Mr. Sauniere’s (the curator) brilliance is never
properly honored. The trail he laid for the pair was intricate in the novel, laden with double entendres and charmed solutions. Goldsman’s script doesn’t
have time for such nonsense, floating along past these magical moments of scholarly adventure and replacing them instead with other conversations
lifted from the text that offer up disappointing substitutes.
Beyond this, however, I have no quibble with the project. Put simply, it’s the moving picture version of the book we read, but without the clunky
sentences. The best people in the business were put on this project and it certainly shows. Not only does Ron Howard prove yet again his careful
command of the film medium, but the casting is also watertight. Mr. Hanks and Ms. Tautou strike the chord of off-kilter chemistry that Mr. Brown aimed
for in his book, while the ghostly Silas is haunting and pathetic in the form of Paul Bettany. And yes, despite Hanks’ much abused hairdo, his performance
is the most respectful of all. He’s just fine as Robert Langdon.
And there’s no need to worry about the screenplay taking
its own creative liberties. The one major change from the
book is well handled and probably a better choice anyhow
(it has to do with Captain Fache and Bishop Aringarosa).
There are little things changed too, but only shifted to speed
up Mr. Brown’s otherwise sloppy action sequences.
Instead of Sophie hitting the brakes and calmly driving
away from the tightly guarded U.S. Embassy, she embarks
on a wild, backwards car chase in the deeply congested
streets of Paris. Ron Howard knows how to drive his film
in these scenes, and his control of The Da Vinci Code is
its winning token.
This isn’t the best adaptation The Da Vinci Code fanatics
could’ve hoped for, but it’s a solid flick. The eloquence Mr.
Howard delivers is a vast improvement over Mr. Brown’s
fumbling language, while Brown’s adventure is
undermined by Howard’s slighting of the treasure hunt.
This is a fair trade, sure, but it prevents both works
from achieving greatness. - reviewed by Sam Osborn
of www.samseescinema.com
UPCOMING
Cars
Cast: Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Michael Keaton
Director: John Lasseter
It was bound to happen. After one-upping itself over and again with pioneers and masterworks like Finding Nemo and The Incredibles, there had
to be a stumble. Pixar’s track record couldn’t be that good. We just didn’t expect Pixar to take a face-plant into a hot puddle of carburetor fluid.
If an infant’s picture book was the idea Pixar had in mind when they birthed this project, then maybe John Lasseter and his team deserve
applause. Their film works on this level, refusing to smarten up or hunker down on any ounce of maturity. The fundamental error, perhaps, is that
it asks us to relate to automobiles. Not just a world where automobiles keep their speech skills secret a la Toy Story, but a world made up entirely
of cars. Even the flies swarming the light bulbs are VW Beetles. I can relate to superheroes, I can relate to fish, I can relate to monsters, I can
even relate to bugs, but a machine that looks like my childhood Hot Wheels? Sorry. Giving a car googly-eyes and bumper lips does not make it
human. And for that matter, the cars don’t act human. The personalities of these characters mirror most of the characters I remember from a
babysitting experience years ago, when I watched “Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends”. They’re broad and smeared with stereotype; kind, easy
traits that reflect Cars’ story.
It’s the tale of Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and his time spent in Radiator Springs, a backwater town that rests on the grave of
Route 66. Stranded there a week before his big showdown with Chick Hicks (voice of Michael Keaton) and The King (voice of Richard Petty),
Lightning gets himself mixed up with the locals and thrown into jail. The mayor of
the town, Doc Hudson (voice of Paul Newman) and the prosecutor, Sally the
Porsche (voice of Bonnie Hunt), sentence him to a road pavement job that will
requires five days of work. Lightning’s arrogant and huffy, steamed that he’s stuck
in a ghost town with the likes of Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) the rusty towtruck, and Ramone (voice of Cheech Marin) the custom paint-job fanatic. But his
stay turns therapeutic once he softens up to Sally and finds there’s more to a car’s
life than endorsements.
Cars is, well, just very silly. Its story surrounds a life lesson, which is a formula
that, when put to Pixar, stands a chance. Not a great chance, as central lessons
tend to dilute otherwise human stories, but a Pixar-sized chance nonetheless. But
the lesson turns infantile and the film moot, sullied probably by our enormous
expectations. This stuff will work fine for your toddler, and maybe distract a wideeyed nine year-old, but trying to compare it to The Incredibles is the only tearjerking moment you’ll have in the theatre. The art can be pretty, sure; but these days
digital beauty is standard. And paired with the plastic-esque car animations, the
lovely backgrounds mean even less.
Luckily for Pixar, their films aren’t known for being Thomas the Tank Engine look-alikes. Cars, let’s decide, can be Pixar’s single use of the Get Out of Jail Free card.
Now they’re back to square one. Their revenues probably won’t be dented by this
hiccup, since everyone’s still giddy from The Incredibles. But when Ratatouille
(Pixar’s next project) is released next Summer, the film will have its share of
skeptics. Ratatouille is headed up by Brad Bird, director of The Incredibles—and
hardly anyone from this Cars hack-job is on the project—so we can at least expect
a move to square two. For now, however, Pixar can go sit in the corner, hiding
beneath its dunce cap. - Sam Osborn of www.samseescinema.com
MUSICIANS W
ANTED
WANTED
Music Teachers PT/FT – Need all
instruments and vocal – Experience &
Music Degree – Autry Music Institute,
Inc. – www.autrymusic.com – Fax Resume
954-565-2221
Guitarist Wanted-Loud, crunchy, MoFo wanted for original
Hard Rock Band. Approach like Zakk-Godsmack, Saliva,
Korn, etc.. Marshall and Mesa Boys only need apply. Line
Six, Peavey, Carium etc stay home and piss with the pups on
the porch. Tattooed outlaws welcome (long or short hair).
Serious situation, will surround you with some badass
MoFos. Bring ego, leave bad habits at the door, but
ABSOLUTELY- talent a must- Pros Only! Eric- (954) 567-1568
Tired of bands that all sound the same? Me too. Guitarist,
harp-blower and vocalist seeks to form dynamic blues-rockcountry band with stable, mature musicians who can’t quit
their day jobs, but want to jam, have fun, put together a killer
set list, and eventually play out on a regular basis, also
possibly compose and record. The idea is to have an eclectic
list of musical styles that can appeal to a wide audience
range. No smoke, drugs, egos, or baggage, please. Contact
561-451-2822 or [email protected].
We are two southern rock guitarists looking to work an
original CD project. We are looking for a female singer,
drummer and bassist. It would be nice for female to play
bass. Pleas no drugs with transportation and equipment.
Serious inquiries only. If interested contact 786-473-0080
Phantom Productions is currently searching for a hot,
upcoming Cuban female singer to be the featured artist in
the theme song for a new show that will air on a cable
network. This job requires the highest level of professionalism
and artistic ability in the styles of hip-hop, latin, and soul. Go
to http://homepage.mac.com/ brett.pftv/FileSharing2.html, to
download the release and get the address to send in your
submission. Submissions without signed release will not be
considered and will be destroyed. Good Luck!
Guitarist/Songwriter seeks Drummer/bassist/keys(sampler)/
vocalist (Males or Females) for original band. melodic,
psychedelic, noise rock influences include Smashing
Pumpkins, verve, U2, Janes Addiction, The Cure. Call Greg
954-793-3059
Bass player wanted. All original band, must be able to practice
twice a week. Davie area. Influences: Rush, Mars Volta,
Sparta, Disturbed, etc… Team attitude is how this works.
Interested? Call John 954-937-8126
Working professional cover and original hard rock band
looking for drummer and bass player age 30-55 year old.
New and classic rock plus originals – have plenty of work.
Call 561-201-1593
WANTED: Rhythm guitarist lead vocalist and lead guitarist
vocalist Early Kiss covers, metal, originals. Seeking serious,
dedicated, mature Open Mics, Paying Gigs, Song Writing,
Recording Call 954-258-2825 email [email protected]
CD & DVD DUPLICATION
$1 PER CD - $2 PER DVD
Price includes Full Color Printing on Disc
and a white cd sleeve. Jewel cases are
available. 48 hour turn-a-round.
954-234-2888
Original band looking for experienced drummer and bass
player. Must have gear and talent. Have warehouse, equipment,
and radio quality songs. Gigs lined up, will play some covers,
but working on album material. Call Joe at 786-879-4303 or
email [email protected]. I even own new rock venue
www.indieunderground.loboentertainment.net. Check it out.
Professional re-mixer looking for female or male vocalist to
market with indie label, internet. All styles: rock, techno, dance,
trance music. 561-201-1593
Original lead singer and guitarist from assassin looking for
bass player with backups to complete band. Classic rock with
some new. Once a week rehearsal, gig one weekend a month.
No major commitment. Just do your homework. Must be
reliable, have own rig and transportation. Michael 954-9742543 or Tony 954-547-8415
Established progressive metal band (located in
Sunrise)looking for vocalist. Must be able to sing and gutteral
growl scream. Experience a must. visit www.fivesinsago.com
or call Goat 954 253-9956
MUSICIANS A
VAIL ABLE
AV
Bass player available for original alternative band. I have open
mind. influences include verve, U2, Janes Addiction, Sonic
Youth, The cure, Smashing Pumpkins. Call Greg at 954-7933059
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. No fill in
types. Contact DAN 954-923-9372
Lead guitarist / lead singer. 38 years old. 25 years experience.
Berkeley graduate. Rock, Funk Blues, new/old seeking work.
Pros only 561-201-1593
Drummer looking for a pro cover band. I have lots of experience,
dedicated, transpo and a day job. Also interested in the right
original project. Please only serious. Ready to go or near
ready to go bands call Art 954-684-7303
22 yo. Hard Rock/mental lead singer available with over 50
songs written (lyrics only) and can’t wait to put music to them. I
am dedicated and hardworking and want to make this my life,
so serious only reply. Influences: Flaw, Nonpoint, Godsmack,
Disturbed, Mudvayne, Sevendust, etc. If interested please
contact Tom 954-614-5698.
29yo. Singer / songwriter looking for working band or acoustic
guitar player to work on songs that I have written. I’m also
willing to play covers or whatever has potential. I enjoy playing
ballads, top 40 & soft rock. 786-556-2156
Bass player looking for original band with commercial hard/
heavy rock sound. I just relocated to South Florida from Dallas,
Tx. I am looking for the right situation. Prefer bands that are
signed to an indie label or are doing the right things themselves,
have CD already released or studio ready, gig-tour ready, well
promoted with website, mgmt, publishing deal, good
personality and good sense of direction. I will need to hear
demos first and foremost online.
Contact me at
[email protected] for more info.
EQUIPMENT FOR S
ALE
SALE
Mackey CR 1604 Vlz 16 channel mic/line board $400. Stewart
World 1.2 amp $250. 2 Peavey DPC 1000 amps $250 each.
Digitech DSP 16 effects processor $100. Rane active
crossover AC22 $100. All stacked in Cellini Case on rollers.
This is a fabulous rig, but I will sell separately. Two Peavey
Sub compact sub woofers $150 each. Contact Elliott at 954785-3569 or cell,954-815-3060. This will go quick.
DRUMS - “New” Mapex Maple silver lacquer. 22”x20”,
16”x16”, 12”x9”, 5.5”x14” Walnut snare. 21” Sabian,
18”Zildgian. Pearl eliminator hi-hat. Axis pedal. Cases
included. $1200 A Steal! 305-829-1553
Fender 2/12 Deville. The Hot amp. Screams. Great condition
all redone at MAE. Great for Blues and jazz. Call Mike 478 451
7310 or home 954 733 6916. $500.00
Fender twin reverb for sale silver faced- great shape $550.00
[email protected] or call 954-970-4299 ask for don
Ludwig rockers drumset-huge set-10 drums- dual kick with all
hardware and zildian cymbals- beautiful red color- email me
for complete listing and photos $1,[email protected]
954-970-4299, don
Line 6 Flextone HD II Head, Line 6 4x12 Cabinet, and Line 6
Floorboard with gig band. $725 for everything. Call Anthony
954-821-8958, leave a message.
RECORDING STUDIOS
Producer with 32trk home studio available $25hr. Great
rates, live drums, vocs etc. Clean up your tracks and/or remix,
overdub etc. Also 24 trk digital mobile recording. SE
Hollywood 954-922-5604
Studio Drummer with Pro-Tools Drum Studio available to record
on your demos. Don’t ruin your demo with a cheesy drum
machine! Great rates! All Styles Welcome. 954-732-0730
MIXER
Attention singers musicians! Remix your tunes. Professional
producer/mixer with several hot records will mix/re-mix your
tunes to be more sellable & marketable. Call 561-201-1593
HELP W
ANTED
WANTED
Music Teachers PT/FT – Need all instruments
and vocal – Experience & Music Degree – Autry
Music Institute, Inc. – www.autrymusic.com –
Fax Resume 954-565-2221
Sound tech/ lighting tech/spotlight operator needed for “condo
circuit”. Must have experience running all three. 150.00 per
night (4-5 hrs) and up. Upscale locations in Broward and palm
beach counties. Call don-954-970-4299, 561-281-3149
RAG Magazine is looking for a magazine distributor for its
Orlando and Ft Myers markets. If you have a truck and are
available for one day a month please call us at 954-234-2888
or e-mail at [email protected]
SOUND / LIGHTING / ST
AGE
STA
Sound and Lighting Rental for all Occasions Packages starting
at $125.00 Setup and delivery for free. You can reach us at 561533-9065 or E-mail us at [email protected]
EQUIPMENT W
ANTED
WANTED
I am looking to purchase used and vintage guitars. Call 561305-0228
DRUM REP
AIR
REPAIR
Alliance Drum Co. not only can we custom build your new drum
kit but we can repair or referbish your current kit. Call us at 954974-1466
GUIT
AR REP
AIR
GUITAR
REPAIR
Acclaimed Luthier, Larry Lashbrook is back in town! Mr.
Lashbrook is renowned in all phases of Luthiery; he is
particularly adept in setting up your guitar to play the way you
never dreamed possible. If you are unfamiliar with Mr.
Lashbrook’s work, you may ask to see some of the guitars he
has made over the last 40+ years & to read what numerous
other noted musicians have written about him. Call Larry in
Ft. Lauderdale at 954-551-1946 – SEE OUR AD ON THE BACK COVER!
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Opportunity to invest in the ultimate guitar is available now. If
you are interested please contact me at 954-767-2155
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? [email protected] or call 954-234-2888 for
more info.
The first band that e-mails us with correct
answer gets a 1/4 page B/W ad for the band in
the July 2006 issue! [email protected]
Who was on the cover of the May 2003
issue of RAG Magazine?
WWW.RAGMAGAZINE.COM