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Teen Idle’s music is a rich tapestry with heart and soul. < Back Woven with Feeling: The Artistry of Teen Idle Nicole Brice Oct 9, 2025 Share Teen Idle’s music is a rich tapestry with heart and soul. Sara Abdelbarry is an exceptionally gifted musician hailing from the vibrant shores of Asbury Park, New Jersey , who goes by the name of Teen Idle when she’s creating music. I had the pleasure of meeting her through my good friend Jeff Crespi recently, and her passion for music immediately struck me. Since her debut release in 2020 , she has taken the local music scene by storm, unveiling an array of captivating singles and EPs that showcase her extraordinary talent. Sara is a true force to be reckoned with because she not only makes music, but she also does all the production herself, too. Credit: Jeff Crespi With an angelic voice that resonates with profound depth and emotion , Sara has a remarkable ability to draw you in with every note she sings. I find myself completely entranced by her music; it’s beautiful, haunting, creative, and simply amazing. One of my personal favorites is ‘ Burning ,’ released in 2022. The guitar sound at the start is incredible. I love this song so much! It feels like a mix of Juliana Hatfield and Tanya Donelly , with a hint of PJ Harvey —a true alternative dream. In 2022, Abdelbarry was asked to contribute to a Jersey Shore compilation , where she put her own enchanting spin on The Beach Boys’ classic ‘ Don't Worry Baby .’ Additionally, she has taken iconic tracks such as ‘ Be My Baby ’ by The Ronettes and ‘ Bad Romance ’ by Lady Gaga and infused them with her distinctive style, breathing new life into these beloved songs. Sara’s music is a rich tapestry woven with heart and soul , and every time I listen, I experience a chill coursing through me. Her sound embodies a genre I like to call Alternative Americana Rock Pop —if that doesn’t yet exist, I’m more than happy to claim it as our own! Credit: Jeff Crespi In addition to being profoundly gifted, Sara Abdelbarry is a radiant spirit , overflowing with creativity and passion that shines through in her music. We warmly invite you to dive into her entire catalog and experience the artistry she offers. Discover more about the inspiring Sara Abdelbarry and her captivating project, Teen Idle , below. MaM : I was reading how you play numerous instruments, so with Teen Idle, are you a one-woman show? Is that all you? SA : Essentially, the band really started as basically my solo project in college. I started around 2018 . It was just my outlet for writing music, and I didn’t want to put it all under my own name because there’s a specific connotation that comes with using your own name, and it can cause assumptions about where you’re from culturally, just based upon a name. The general assumption usually is that this person isn’t a singer-songwriter, and so that was the last thing I wanted for this project. I’m making everything from acoustic rock songs to really big ballads. The moniker Teen Idle was something I had had in my back pocket since high school. I had seen the name somewhere, and I told myself that when I have a band, this would be the name. I do all the writing and production, and it is basically a solo project in that sense. However, in a live setting, I have a full five-piece band. I play rhythm guitar , and then we have a synth player , drums , bass , and then a lead guitarist . It’s cool because all of these songs I write in my bedroom, and I make these productions. Credit: Jeff Crespi My first EP was recorded in a local studio. Still, the first stuff I was recording, and really the point of making the name Teen Idle of the project, was just for me to get things out there, so I ended up posting a bunch of music to Bandcamp , and it was more like a solo project. Still, I had always intended to have a full band when playing shows. I was living in New York at the time, attending college in New York City , and when I moved back home after college, I realized that all my friends from high school were living in different places. So, I told myself that I wanted to be part of the music scene in Asbury Park . I had been a part of it growing up because I had taken music lessons in Asbury , so it was sort of my introduction to the scene because I was taught by people who fronted bands in Asbury , and it always inspired me. I told myself, ‘That’s what I need to do when I am older,’ and I guess after I had moved back home after graduating college, it was sort of like a daunting feat to find a way to become part of this music scene. I ended up investing all of my energy into it, but due to COVID, I didn’t play my first show as Teen Idle until 2021 . Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : I want to say your voice is extraordinary, and as I was prepping for this interview, I was listening to your Beach Boys cover, and I absolutely love The Beach Boys. When did you discover you had a natural gift for singing, and how old were you when you really started to get into music? SA : You know, it’s interesting, because I’ve just been obsessed with music in every way, shape, and form since I was about six years old. I remember in second grade, when I was living in New York , I would go over to my neighbor’s house after school. We would sit down and watch MTV music videos, and his mom would make us frozen mac and cheese. It’s just such a core memory. I would watch these people, such as Gwen Stefani , Jennifer Lopez , and Avril Lavigne , and I started to develop an obsession with pop stars and their music. I think I bought my first CD shortly after, in second grade , and I would listen to music every day on the bus. I was always singing, yeah. I think I was nine when I picked up a guitar, and I was into the Jonas Brothers , and they were a big enough inspiration to me to pick up a guitar. I was always singing along to their music, accompanying everything I saw on the Disney Channel , and I've just realized I have a passion for singing. Credit: Jeff Crespi Vocals have been a real journey for me, though, honestly, and sometimes I think people think it’s easy for me. I’ll watch old videos of myself performing at The Stone Pony with the music school I was a part of. In high school and middle school, I was a shy child, but I was clearly passionate about singing and performing. Listening to how different my vocals sounded at that age compared to now, it’s almost as if I’ve developed this lower register, and I guess life happens, but it wears your voice down. It’s interesting to hear how much higher my voice was, but from when I started playing shows with Teen Idle to now, I have become more aware of how I am using my voice by watching older videos. It’s been a journey of learning how to use it correctly. MaM : On your song, ‘ Burning ’, you have this incredible guitar tone at the beginning of the song, and I wanted to see if you used any special pedals or anything to get that sound? It hooked me. SA : Oh wow, I’m trying to think, honestly. I haven’t listened to the recorded version in a while. MaM : It really caught my attention, and I tend to zone in on stuff like that. I’m a massive sucker for a heavy bassline, too. SA : I produced and recorded the song by myself and was experimenting with different sound effects and pedals. I honestly think it emerged from some weird audio mishap, and I just kept it. MaM : We call those "happy accidents". So, you also covered ‘ Be My Baby ’ by The Ronettes! Let’s talk about that. That’s always been one of my favorite songs. What an incredible rendition of a classic song. I love that you’re bringing these older songs into a newer generation, but with a different spin. You’ve got The Beach Boys cover and this one. What made you want to cover those songs, and do you have plans to cover any other classic songs? SA : There’s a local record label called Shore Points Records , and seasonally, they’ll put out different compilation albums, so the Beach Boys cover was actually part of this compilation called Local Summer . Just a bunch of Asbury artists covering songs that reminded them of summer, and I agonized over which song to pick. After I looked through my music library, I felt that I really knew this song well, and it’s such a vibe, and I’m constantly bobbing my head to it. I got into the studio with my drummer, James , at this place called Lakehouse , which is, coincidentally, where my drummer and I met when we were kids. Still, James is a talented producer and engineer, too, so just the two of us in the studio made that cover. He did the drums , and I played everything else on it basically. Additionally, he’s a heavy-hitting drummer , which inspired me to create a more rock-oriented version. I then decided to write a guitar riff over it that differs from the original. I think that song is so brilliant, and the chorus is fantastic. Now, ‘ Be My Baby ’, that was for a different compilation. I put together a compilation of all female artists and asked them to contribute a song. The funds went to a charity that fights against the trafficking of women. I just wanted to cover a really powerful female artist. MaM : Which leads me to ‘ Bad Romance ’ by Lady Gaga. How did that one come about? SA : That was another one that we did for a Shore Points compilation, and this one was all women-focused, highlighting different artists in the area. I got to do that one with Cory Blair ; she is just a phenomenal musician and one of my favorite songwriters. The concept was to pick a song from a powerful female artist you like, similar to the other one, but we toyed around with different stuff. We eventually landed on doing a Lady Gaga song, and we had to figure out which song was a doable song to do to make it our own and different. I’ve been obsessed with ‘ Bad Romance ’ since literally the day it came out. We wanted to honor her music and completely reimagine it. We took apart the entire song – rewrote the chords, redid everything. We wanted to slow it down, too, but when we did, it was eight minutes long, so we had to take out huge chunks. We then had the idea to do a sort of country version, because I haven’t seen that done yet for a Lady Gaga song. I had this clear vision in my mind, and then we just set it up. It was a grueling process, but we learned a lot. We basically wrote a new song using the lyrics and structure. MaM : What is your favorite genre to listen to, and do you have a specific top band? SA : I love so many different things. I think it would be impossible for me to say. I listen to a variety of genres, including classical, jazz , Middle Eastern funk , 90s grunge , and indie rock , but it depends on my mood—different bands suit different situations and moods. If I want a hype playlist, I’ll listen to those early 2000s pop songs. I’m open to everything. As far as bands, the reason I started writing music, I would have to say, is because of Fleetwood Mac . I remember discovering them as a teenager, and shortly after, I wrote my first song. I love Nine Inch Nails and St. Vincent . Her guitar playing and how she conducts herself in her career are amazing. I have so many. Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : How do you approach writing a new song? Do you come up with a lyric or melody first? SA : I have definitely written stuff that is more on the intentional side, so I have to sit down and do it actively, but usually the way I work is I’ll make a demo , and if it’s not for an intentional compilation, then a song will usually start with a feeling . Maybe I was inspired by something that happened in my life. Perhaps I’m feeling really happy and uplifting . I’ll either be noodling around with the acoustic guitar or playing the piano, but sometimes, through noodling, I’ll discover a riff. I record everything I think is a good idea in my voice memos, so I have a million voice memos of stuff with me noodling with stuff that could become a song later. If I’m sitting down to write something, though, if I’m feeling a certain way, it’s usually me noodling around on the acoustic or humming a melody with words that don’t make sense to sort of get the syllables of what I want the song to sound like. When I’m actually writing lyrics, I’ll try to write something that follows those syllables and the rhyming scheme, but that actually makes sense. I’ll then make a full demo of everything, even if I’m going to be recording with someone else. Production and songwriting are really linked for me. Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : What’s been the most challenging part of navigating today’s independent music scene? SA : Good question. It’s much different now than it was in 2015 , and I think the toughest thing is trying to figure out how to get people to listen to the music —trying to figure out how to do things organically and DIY with no budget, too. So, yeah, doing things on a budget and t rying to fight against the social media algorithms for exposure , and the trends, too. Trying to figure out how to break out of that mold and do something that’s really individual and goes against the grain. Walking that line, knowing what is going to get you exposure. As Teen Idle continues to establish a distinctive place in the indie music scene, fans won't have to wait long for the next release. A new single titled 'Vampires' will be available on October 24 , followed by a full-length album scheduled for release in spring 2026 . Teen Idle is only just beginning, so be sure to stay tuned for more updates. *Cover photos by Cory Blair and edited by Sara Abdelbarry To learn more about Teen Idle: www.teenidle.net Teen Idle Home page of Teen Idle, an indie group from Asbury Park, NJ. Teen Idle is the musical moniker of New Jersey songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Sara Abdelbarry. All live photos by the man with the plan, Jeff Crespi www.jeffcrespirocks.com JEFFCRESPIROCKS See through a different lens! www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . 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With Halloween 2023 right around the corner, Mixed Alternative got together to recommend some of our favorite Halloween movies! < Back 20+ Halloween Films to Watch This Season: Feast Upon This Keeley Brooks & Mixed Alternative Staff Oct 22, 2023 Share With Halloween 2023 right around the corner, Mixed Alternative got together to recommend some of our favorite Halloween movies! ‘Tis the season for all things spooky, my friends, and here at Mixed Alternative, we love the weird and spooky because, well, that’s just who we are—well, maybe not spooky but definitely weird in the best possible way. In addition to costumes, candy, and creepy-looking house parties, Halloween is also celebrated in cinema. With the 2023 Halloween season right around the corner, we thought it would be fun to give you guys a little roundup of our favorite Halloween movies recommended by our writers and editors. Happy Viewing, my friends. --------------------------------------------------------------------- C.G. SMITH Evil Dead II (1987) Director: Sam Raimi Cast: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Ted Raimi, Kassie Wesley DePaiva The Evil Dead franchise follows Ashley “Ash” Williams (Campbell) in his battle to survive on onslaught of flesh-possessing demons that he and his friends accidentally unleashed when they found an old book, the Necronomicon, at a cabin in the woods and read it aloud. Oops. Evil Dead II finds Ash holed up in cabin with a group of strangers as the demons continue their attack. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qBGnzz7mPI “I first watched Evil Dead II in middle school with friends at a sleepover, and what I loved about it then and now is the way it mixes comedy with gore . It’s wonderful. Evil Dead II will always be one of my favorite horror movies because of how absolutely fun it is to experience and how many memorable and quotable scenes there are not just in the franchise but in Evil Dead II in particular.” A Quiet Place (2018) Director: John Krasinski Cast: John Krasinkski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe If they hear you, they hunt you. Imagine having to live in a world where making the softest sound could get you killed. In A Quiet Place , a family must live in silence to avoid mysterious creatures that hunt by sound. Knowing that even the slightest whisper or footstep can bring death, Evelyn (Emily Blunt, of Edge of Tomorrow ) and Lee (John Krasinski, of The Office ) are determined to find a way to protect their kids while desperately searching for a way to fight back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR7cc5t7tv8 “ A Quiet Place is so great on so many levels, as it took something we all tend to take for granted and made the mere act of making sound a death sentence. Imagine giving birth in a world where you can't make a sound and there is no medical care, where you must keep your newborn quiet lest it be snatched by an alien before you can blink. Babies are not quiet, so the combined tension of giving birth silently and keeping a newborn quiet are just horrific. A Quiet Place is excellent writing and acting merging into a masterpiece from one spectacular idea . While A Quiet Place Part II didn't quite live up to the original, I still hold a place in my heart for this movie.” *Honorable Mention: The Omen (1976) Director: Richard Donner Cast: Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, Harvey Stephens, David Warner The Omen is about a boy named Damien (Harvey Stephens, of The Bat ) who is believed to be the Antichrist. When American diplomat Robert (Gregory Peck, of Cape Fear ) adopts Damien after his wife Katherine (Lee Remich, of Around the World in 80 Days ) delivers a stillborn, Damien’s first nanny hangs herself. When Father Brennan (Patrick Troughton, of Doctor Who ) warns Robert that Damien will harm Katherine’s unborn child, it isn’t long before Brennan turns up dead and Katherine miscarries when Damien pushes her off a balcony. As more people around Damien die, Robert investigates the kid’s background and realizes Damien may just be the devil’s son. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS-sXcx30O4 “I read ‘The Omen’ book as a young child and later saw the film. The idea that a child had been born as the son of the devil to an influential family and would one day rise through the ranks of society was fascinating to me. The way The Omen built suspense and overall tension is truly something to witness . ‘Damien, it's all for you.’ Plus, I kinda looked like the child actor when I was his age.” --------------------------------------------------------------------- JEFF CRESPI Drag Me to Hell (2009) Director: Sam Raimi Cast: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Ruth Livier, Lorna Rave, David Paymer Alison Lohman ( Gamer ) stars as Christine Brown, a beautiful girl with a loving boyfriend (Justin Long, of Accepted ) and a great job at an L.A. bank. Her heavenly life becomes a living hell when, in an effort to impress her boss, she denies an old woman’s request for an extension on her home loan. In retaliation, the crone places a curse on Christine, threatening her soul with eternal damnation. Christine seeks a psychic’s help to break the curse, but can she afford the price to save her soul? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd8NNcd4Oeo “ Drag Me to Hell is one horror movie that always stood out to me. Actress Alison Lohman does an amazing job as the lead and looks a lot like our editor-in-chief, Nicole Brice! Drag Me to Hell has some very suspenseful and scary moments throughout the film, starting from early on. I think this is a great movie that doesn't fall into a list with the more obvious ones ." The Exorcist (1973) Director: William Friedkin Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Lee J. Cobb, William O’Malley One of the most profitable horror movies ever made, this tale of an exorcism is based loosely on actual events. When young Regan (Linda Blair, of The Exorcist: Believer ) starts acting odd—levitating, speaking in tongues—her worried mother (Ellen Burstyn, of Requiem for a Dream ) seeks medical help, only to hit a dead end. However, a local priest (Jason Miller, of The Exorcist III ) thinks the girl may be seized by the devil, so he makes a request to perform an exorcism, and the church sends in an expert (Max von Sydow, of Flash Gordon ) to help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDGw1MTEe9k “I would have to say the scariest film of all time would be The Exorcist . The story, cinematography, acting, editing, and old school techniques combine perfectly to cast a deep shadow of fear in the hearts of any viewer. ” *Honorable Mentions: Saw Franchise (2004) Director: James Wan Cast: Leigh Whannell, Cary Elwes Creators: James Wan and Leigh Whannell, Shawnee Smith, Tobin Bell, Danny Glover A groundbreaking horror franchise, Saw is about a sadistic serial killer named Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) who kidnaps people and sets them up in one of his perverse little puzzle games so that they have the choice: live or die. In the original Saw movie, photographer Adam Stanheight (Leigh Whannel, of Upgrade ) and oncologist Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes, of The Princess Bride ) regain consciousness while chained to dirty, grimy pipes at either end of a filthy bathroom. As the two men realize they’ve been trapped, flashbacks relate the fates of Jigsaw’s previous victims while the two men are forced into torture as they fight for their survival, as Gordon’s wife and young daughter watch via closed-circuit video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-1QgOMQ-ls “As far as gore goes, the Saw franchise is fantastic and ultimately features some of the most cringeworthy horror scenarios available today . It’s no wonder the Saw movies make up the highest-grossing horror franchise of all time.” Halloween II (1981) Director: Rick Rosenthal Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasense, Charles Cyphers, Dick Warlock After failing to kill stubborn survivor Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis, of True Lies ) and taking a bullet or six from former psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence, of Halloween ), the masked Michael Myers follows Laurie to the Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, where she’s been admitted for Myers’ attempt on her life. The institution proves to be particularly suited to serial killers, however, as Myers cuts, stabs, and slashes his way through hospital staff to reach his favorite victim. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzOdUKVD8Ac “There’s a lot about the Halloween movie franchise that stands out for numerous reasons, but one of my favorites is Halloween II , which focuses on Dr. Loomis’s hunt for Michael as a traumatized Laurie is rushed to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital. Only thing is, Michael is right behind her and when he gets into the hospital, the action makes for one unforgettable scene that forever stands out for me. It’s a must see .” --------------------------------------------------------------------- CHUCK BROOKS Get Out (2017) Director: Jordan Peele Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener, LaKeith Stanfield, Betty Gabriel, Marcus Henderson In a slam dunk of a directorial debut from actor, producer, writer, and comedian Jordan Peele ( Nope ), Get Out follows young couple Chris (Daniel Kaluuya, of Black Panther ) and Rose (Allison Williams, of M3GAN ) as they go to visit her parents in Upstate New York. Chris has never met them before and is a little weary about this milestone in their relationship. When they first arrive, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship (Rose is White, Chris is Black), but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries leads him right to a truth he could’ve never imagined. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koQKnuQb7zQ “What I enjoyed about Get Out is its commentary on how Black people are treated in the 21st Century. Peele managed to write an ingenious horror movie that’s stone-cold realistic commentary on the enslavement of a race of people for their perceived physical attributes and longevity . Get Out is masterfully told and acted out on all parts of the cast—the ensemble of which was a big deal. The scene where Chris is struck in sheer terror emanates with how Black people must feel today: like there’s an area where if they cross some perceived line in reality, there’ll be retaliation by the system. Catherine Keener ( The 40-Year-Old Virgin ) and Bradley Whitford ( The Handmaid’s Tale ) represent this and capitalize on Black lives before Black Lives Matter ever became a thing. This movie is important for a lot of reasons : It’s a good movie with a valuable message as a horror movie , it adds to the shallow repertoire when it comes to black horror films, and it crosses borders like Us (2019) does. The social commentary with Get Out is exploitation on Black people as a whole treated as a commodity, as something to be traded or sold. Peele wrote a horror movie about Black people that is a real-time horror tale set in real life, and he couldn’t bring more valuable views and messages to the masses with his work.” Zombieland (2009) Director: Ruben Fleischer Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, Bill Murray After a virus turns most people into zombies, the world’s surviving humans remain locked in an ongoing battle against the hungry undead. Four survivors—Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson, of White Men Can’t Jump ) and his cohorts, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg, of The Social Network ), Wichita (Emma Stone, of La La Land ), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin, of Little Miss Sunshine )—abide by a list of survival rules and zombie-killing strategies as they make their way toward a rumored safe haven in Los Angeles … at the house of one Bill Murray ( Lost in Translation ). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlW9yhUKlkQ Zombieland is one of the best comedy-horror films today. From its comedic aspects such as Columbus’s rules for surviving in this new zombie-infested world to the tough but sensitive levity Woody Harrelson brings to his character to the zombies’ development and adopted zombie-telling techniques from other areas, everything about this film works together to enhance an already excellent storyline . Zombieland is exciting, full of wild action with well-choreographed stunts, and it features just the right amount of gore without being too much. Zombieland is a movie that you can still watch and get something out of it, even if you’re not a zombie person . --------------------------------------------------------------------- EZEKIEL KINCAID The Exorcist (1973) Director: William Friedkin Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Lee J. Cobb, William O’Malley One of the most profitable horror movies ever made , this tale of an exorcism is based loosely on actual events . When young Regan (Linda Blair, of The Exorcist: Believer ) starts acting odd—levitating, speaking in tongues—her worried mother (Ellen Burstyn, of Requiem for a Dream ) seeks medical help, only to hit a dead end. However, a local priest (Jason Miller, of The Exorcist III ) thinks the girl may be seized by the devil, so he makes a request to perform an exorcism, and the church sends in an expert (Max von Sydow, of Flash Gordon ) to help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDGw1MTEe9k “ The Exorcist set the standard for possession movies. Friedkin's bold adaptation of Blattey's novel has shocked and scared audiences since its release in 1973 and still does so to this day. Often imitated but never replicated, no possession movie has ever surpassed this one in thrills and chills .” Hereditary (2018) Director: Ari Aster Cast: Toni Collette, Milly Shapiro, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter and grandchildren begin to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry, trying to outrun the sinister fate they’ve inherited. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6wWKNij_1M “I once read somewhere that Hereditary was The Exorcist of this modern-day generation, so it is no surprise I love it. The Exorcist it is not, but that doesn't mean it isn’t unsettling. Ari Aster's dark take on the cult/occult subgenre of horror will keep you awake for days . That’s a guarantee.” Halloween (1978) Director: John Carpenter Cast: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tony Moran, Nancy Kyes, Charles Cyphers On a cold Halloween night in 1963, six-year-old Michael Myers brutally murdered his 17-year-old sister. He was sentenced and locked away for 15 years. But on October 30, 1978, while being transferred for a court date, a 21-year-old Michael Myers steals a car and escapes, returning to his quiet hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, where he looks for his next victims. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5ke9IPTIJQ “John Carpenter and Debra Hill raised the bar for slasher movies with Halloween . Ominous, atmospheric, and foreboding, Michael Myers has a creep factor that many of his predecessors and contemporaries lack. Halloween also has the best theme music ever !” --------------------------------------------------------------------- KEELEY BROOKS 28 Days Later (2002) Director: Danny Boyle Cast: Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns, Naomi Harris When a group of eco-terrorists free a chimp from its lab cage in a Cambridge medical research lab, they’re unaware it’s infected with what is called the “Rage virus” and unknowingly unleash the apocalypse. When London bike courier Jim (Cillian Murphy, of Peaky Blinders ) wakes up from 28 days in a coma, he finds London in total collapse, the world in destruction, and society completely obliterated. It’s only when he’s chased through the streets by aggressive, wicked fast, bloodthirsty creatures and is saved by a couple of uninfected that he learns what has happened and must figure out a way to survive in a world not only full of raging zombies but also littered with broken down groups of humanity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7suz9ndPBHg “ 28 Days Later was the first zombie movie to truly scare me. Before then, I’d never seen fast zombies, let alone violent, aggressive ones. I love everything about this movie, from its concept to its pace in storytelling to its simple use of blood to imply more than what is seen. 28 Days Later features stellar acting (this was Cillian Murphy’s first big movie) and a smart soundtrack that drives the panic and tension throughout the story. And further compounding this hair-raising scenario is the horror story within the horror story , which shows what happens when humanity ceases to exist. I also love how Director Danny Boyle juxtaposes this horrific scenario with the beautiful backdrop of nature—ironic since nature is where viruses originate. ** For more about this movie, read my full review of 28 Days Later . World War Z (2013) Director: Marc Forster Cast: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, Matthew Fox When former U.N. investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt, of Ocean's Eleven ) and his family get stuck in urban gridlock, he senses it’s no ordinary traffic jam and he’s right: The city is erupting into chaos at an incredibly fast pace, leaving little to no chance for escape or survival. A lethal virus spread through a simple bite is turning healthy people into something vicious, unthinking, and feral within a matter of 12 seconds. As the pandemic threatens to consume humanity, Gerry leads a worldwide search to find the source of the infection and, with a stroke of luck, a way to halt its spread. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slfrrjPndV4 “Clearly, zombie movies are my favorite horror movies--next to slasher films, of course. World War Z had the same effect on me that 28 Days Later had: sheer terror . I didn’t think it was possible to amp up the aggression, speed, and bloodlust that zombies of the early 21st Century had come to display, but World War Z came along and nailed it. With the exception of about four minutes at the beginning and end of the film, World War Z is adrenaline-inducing and heart pounding from start to finish . Every single moment of this film is level 10 panic and chaos—no time to think, no time to movie, no time to fear. The cinematography is gorgeous, again using the technique of juxtaposing breathtaking views with a horrific reality. And I have to give mad props to the makeup and special effects department, who, no pun intended, killed it with these zombies. Those moments in the halls of the Center for Disease Control had me holding my breath as I sat there, mouth wide open, in total awe and appreciation of what I was seeing: tension to the max . Also, that massive horde of zombie savagely climbing the walls of Jerusalem is just breathtaking—terrifying, but breathtaking. World War Z is stellar horror all the way around .” Scream (1996) Director: Wes Craven Cast: Drew Barrymore, Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, Neve Campbell, Tatum O’Neal, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Henry Winkler Set in the small town of Woodsboro, Middle America, Scream ’s plot follows high school student Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell, of The Craft ) and her friends, who, on the anniversary of her mother’s murder, become the targets of a costumed, knife-wielding serial killer known as Ghostface. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWm_mkbdpCA “I love Scream because it scared me without terrifying me and made me laugh in ways that didn’t make the movie any less effective in its serious nature. Featuring one of the best opening scenes in a slasher movie , which was alone enough to instill the fear and pace of this narrative and hook us in from the get-go, Scream reinvented and revitalized the slasher-horror genre . It’s funny and clever in dialogue and character portrayals—thanks, in part, to momentous performances from David Arquette ( Never Been Kissed ), Matthew Lillard ( Good Girls ) and Henry Winkler ( The Waterboy )—while remaining deep in the vein of seriousness, psychological thrills, and plenty of jump scares. Craven masterfully builds tension and self-parody as the body count in Woodsboro rises and a fright-masked knife-wielding maniac stalks high school students in middle-class suburbia. Another reason Scream is a must see : the irony in Randy Meeks’ (Jamie Kennedy, of Son of the Mask ) scene explaining the rules to surviving any horror movie: (1) never have sex, (2) never drink or do drugs, and (3) never ever ever, under any circumstances, say, ‘I’ll be right back.’” Cujo (1981) Director: Lewis Teague Cast: Danny Pintauro, Dee Wallace, Daniel Hugh Kelly, Christopher Stone Adapted from infamous horror author Stephen King’s story of the same name, Cujo is the terrifying tale of a sweet St. Bernard who is bitten by a bat and contracts rabies. Cujo, who roams between his owner’s house and auto garage on the same property, starts behaving oddly and becomes very aggressive, eventually morphing into a dangerous beast thirsting to kill. When stay-at-home mom (Dee Wallace, of Sons and Daughters ) gets caught in Cujo’s crosshairs while out on a fateful errand with her young son Tad (Danny Pintauro, of Who’s the Boss? ), she must fight to protect herself and Tad from Cujo when they become trapped in their tiny Ford Pinto after it breaks down at the auto garage … for days, with no help in sight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFUD8b-BZCc “I won’t lie: Cujo scared the absolute shit out of me when I first saw it as a young teen. It’s not the rabies-infested dog that makes Cujo so scary; rather, it’s King’s claustrophobic scenario of being trapped in a tiny, dysfunctional car guarded by crazed, rabid beast that terrifies. From the scenes of Dee’s escalating fear to Cujo viciously attempting to get into the car to Teague’s filming techniques that keep us grounded in awareness, Cujo is definitely one of the scariest real-life scenario movies I’ve ever seen . I never looked at St. Bernards the same way after seeing this film.” Beetlejuice (1988) Director: Tim Burton Cast: Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones, and Winona Ryder After Barbara (Geena Davis, of A League of Their Own ) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin, of Supercell ) die in a car accident, they find themselves stuck in their country residence, unable to leave the house. When the unbearable Deetzes (Catherine O’Hara, of Schitt’s Creek , and Jeffrey Jones, of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off ) and their teen goth daughter (Winona Ryder, of Mr. Deeds ) move in, the Maitlands attempt to scare them away without success. That’s when they turn to rambunctious bio-exorcist Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton, of Batman ) and all hell breaks loose in the best possible Tim-Burton way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8drwhnYhmw “I adore this movie and everything about Tim Burton’s exaggerated gothic style. Beetlejuice features an all-star cast who, honestly, couldn’t have played their roles any better. Beetlejuice is original, creepy, funny, artistic, and completely entertaining . This movie never gets old and now with a sequel coming in 2024, I suspect Beetlejuice will reach a whole new generation of fans. I can't wait.” --------------------------------------------------------------------- MO THORNTON The Night House (2020) Director: David Bruckner Cast: Rebecca Hall, Sarh Goldberg, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Evan Jonigkeit Reeling from the unexpected death of her husband, Beth (Rebecca Hall, of The Town ) is left alone in the lakeside home he built for her. She tires as best she can to keep it together, but then the dreams come and disturbing visions of a presence in the house call to her, beckoning with a ghostly allure. But in the harsh light of day, any proof of a haunting dissolves. Against the advice of her friends, Beth digs into her husband’s belongings in a frantic search for answers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Tshycci2ZA “I love a good scare, and one of my go-to films for a sleepless night that has me double-checking the locks on my door while experiencing mounting, almost unbearable suspense is The Night House . Rebecca Hall stars as a widow whose grief is complicated by anger, confusion, and guilt as her husband died by his own hand. The remote lake house setting makes it all the creepier (and more delicious) to explore, along with the protagonist's thin spaces between reality and nightmare.” Fear of Rain (2021) Director: Castille Landon Cast: Katherine Heigl, Harry Connick Jr., Madison Iseman, Israel Broussard “ Fear of Rain brilliantly takes the audience into the dark, terrifying world of a teen girl who struggles with mental health.” Rain (Madison Iseman, of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle ) has early-onset schizophrenia, a condition that not only causes her to see vivid hallucinations but also puts a strain on her parents. When she meets Caleb (Israel Broussard, of Fear the Walking Dead ), a charmingly awkward new kid at school, Rain finally feels a lifeline to normalcy. But as she starts to suspect her neighbor kidnapped a child, she must figure out who and what is real while also battling the overwhelming forces that haunt her daily life . “The danger she encounters during her episodes might not all be ‘in her mind.’” https://youtu.be/jFxOxLLzjG8?feature=shared “Full disclosure: Both The Night House and Fear of Rain deliver heart-stopping jolts of fright that let me skip the gym the next morning—an added appeal.” --------------------------------------------------------------------- NICOLE BRICE Halloween (2007) Director: Rob Zombie Cast: Scout Taylor-Compton, Malcolm McDowell, Tyler Mane, William Forsythe, Udo Kier, Danny Trejo Nearly two decades after being committed to a mental institution for killing his stepfather and older sister, Michael Myers breaks out, intent on returning home to Haddonfield, Illinois. He arrives on Halloween with the indomitable purpose of hunting down his younger sister, Laurie (Scout Taylor-Compton, of An American Crime ). The only thing standing between Michael and a Halloween night full of bloody carnage is Dr. Sam Loomis (Malcolm McDowell, of A Clockwork Orange ). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjWLc-7SI00 “Rob Zombie’s Halloween completely changed my view of the Halloween franchise. Growing up, I always felt that beyond the first two original Halloween films, the franchise became cheesy and stale. Then in walks Rob Zombie with this scary as f**k take on the narrative and I was blown away. To this day, Halloween (2007) still freaks me out, but in a good way." Sleepy Hollow (1999) Director: Tim Burton Cast: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Jeffrey Jones, Christopher Walken Set in 1799, Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow is based on Washington Irving’s classic tale “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. Faithful to the dreamy custom-bound world that Irving paints in his story, Sleepy Hollow mixes horror, fantasy, and romance while featuring an extraordinary cast of characters that dabble in the supernatural. And, of course, it features Tim Burton’s unforgettable gothic style to it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=504uo6f3xEc “I absolutely love everything about Sleepy Hollow . When Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp, of Pirates of the Caribbean ) is sent to the creepy town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate the decapitations of three people, he soon discovers the culprit isn’t another person but is the legendary apparition The Headless Horseman . Everything about this movie is perfect : the acting, the tone, Burton’s pace of his film, the cinematic techniques used to create suspense and fear, the scenery, the narrative—absolutely perfecto in my opinion. --------------------------------------------------------------------- SHAUN CORLEY Night of the Living Dead (1968) Director: George Romero Cast: Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman The black-and-white George Romero classic Night of the Living Dead follows seven people trapped in a farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania as they fight to fend off a hungry horde of reanimated corpses. Pragmatic Ben (Duane Jones, of Vampires ) does his best to control the situation, but when the reanimated bodies surround the house, the other survivors begin to panic. As any semblance of order within the group begins to dissipate, the zombies find their way inside. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob8vZhSjES8 “ Night of the Living Dead is my first favorite movie from when I was all of 10 years old. When I revisited it in college, I found out it held up really well. What I like about Night of the Living Dead is its subversive nature. It was a commentary on 1968 America, and it is still relevant today .” The People Under the Stairs (1991) Director: Wes Craven Cast: Ving Rhames, Sean Whalen, Brandon Quintin Adams, Everett McGill, Wendy Robie, A.J. Langer When young Fool (Brandon Adams, of The Sandlot ) breaks into the home of his family’s greedy and uncaring landlords, he discovers a disturbing scenario where incestuous adult siblings have mutilated a number of boys and kept them imprisoned under the stairs in their large, creepy house. As Fool attempts to flee before the psychopaths can catch him, he meets their daughter, Alice (A.J. Langer, of Private Practice), who has been spared any extreme discipline by her deranged parents. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx4jKIzvVUo “ The People Under the Stairs is the first R-rated movie I ever saw in theaters. How my dad convinced my mom to let him take me I'll never know. The People Under the Stairs comes across as goofy and campy, but there's actually a great deal of subtext about gentrification and ‘urban renewal’ in it.” --------------------------------------------------------------------- TIM JACKSON The Exorcist (1973) Director: William Friedkin Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Lee J. Cobb, William O’Malley One of the most profitable horror movies ever made, this tale of an exorcism is based loosely on actual events. When young Regan (Linda Blair, of The Exorcist III ) starts acting odd—levitating, speaking in tongues—her worried mother (Ellen Burstyn, of Requiem for a Dream ) seeks medical help, only to hit a dead end. However, a local priest (Jason Miller, of Paradox Lake ) thinks the girl may be seized by the devil, so he makes a request to perform an exorcism, and the church sends in an expert (Max von Sydow, of Flash Gordon ) to help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDGw1MTEe9k “The scariest horror movie for me remains The Exorcist. At maybe 13 years old, I saw the TV version of the original 1973 movie, and even that version with the most graphic scenes and swear words removed was the scariest movie I had ever seen . Several years later, I saw the full, uncut version and was once again terrified. The Exorcist is exquisitely done . Its special effects for that era were superb. The subject matter, especially for someone raised in the church, seemed so much more real than a Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees. The Exorcist avoided a lot of the jump-scares and other horror tropes and instead just told a story that scared the shit out of you. It's the all-time best horror movie , in my opinion. *I also love some of the movies adapted from Stephen King's books: The Shining, Pet Sematery, Carrie, Christine, and Cujo , for instance. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story < Back Belles, Balls, and British Accents: Bridgerton Spinoff Arrives in May Keeley Brooks Apr 26, 2023 Share Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story If you’re a big Bridgerton fan, you’re gonna want to go ahead and clear a day next weekend to binge-watch its prequel series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story . The six-episode limited series drops next Thursday on Netflix. While the show itself is based on Julia Quinn’s series of eight novels , each of which focuses on a different Bridgerton sibling’s quest to find love, the prequel is masterminded by Shonda Rhimes via her production company Shondaland. Centering on Queen Charlotte’s rise to prominence and power, it will tell her backstory and introduce us to her younger days while also chronicling her love story with and betrothal to King George. The show will also focus on the great societal shift that occurred as a result of their marriage, as well as on the early lives of Lady Danbury and Bridgerton matriarch Violet. India Amarteifio ( The Tunnel TV series) will play a young Queen Charlotte while Golda Rosheuvel returns as the Queen Charlotte we met in Bridgerton . courtesy of Netflix In an interview with RadioTimes , Rosheuvel says that in spite of the title, Queen Charlotte isn’t just about the young Charlotte, the young King George, or the queen in her middle years. “Lady Danbury and Violet and the whole matriarchy are there, too, both young and as they are in Bridgerton . It’s about how these women came to be – how a woman of colour [sic], in Danbury’s case, got into the court and then all of the emotional love, the relationships between the women and how they were built up. But throughout, it’s all kept under the umbrella of Bridgerton .” Roshuevel goes on to describe the inner workings that enable the older Queen Charlotte and her 17-year-old persona to exist in the same universe as “a behind-the-scenes Bridgerton ” and says the two series overlap in flashforward and flashback: “… so where in Bridgerton I might have been at the Presentation Ball and then leave the room, in Queen Charlotte I walk straight into a scene that’s in the spinoff.” To ring in the New Year, Netflix released an image from the show featuring Arsema Thomas ( Redeeming Love ) as a young Agatha Danbury. courtesy of Netflix In February, they released an image of a young King George, played by Corey Mylchreest ( The Sandman ). courtesy of Netflix In a TUDUM exclusive first look online, we get to see the cute but awkward first time they meet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUONzsAzv1I For Valentine’s Day, Netflix teased us with a literal peek at the new series and released its premiere date. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DUXYyTkerU While the Bridgerton storylines are all works of fiction, Queen Charlotte is actually based on a real individual (she wasn’t a figure in the novels but was added to the TV production). In a 2021 interview with Variety , show creator Shonda Rhimes commented on her fascination with the monarch. “I’m very obsessed with Queen Charlotte, and I always call her the Beyoncé of the show,” she told the magazine. Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born a German noble and became queen consort to George III upon their marriage in 1761. She married him in a whirlwind love story. King George announced his plans to marry Charlotte, a princess at the time, without ever meeting her. According to the royal family's website , the couple tied the knot a whopping six hours after meeting each other for the first time when Charlotte arrived in Britain that September. Definitely love at first sight. The couple had—hold your breath—15 children (14 of which were born at Buckingham Palace) and were happily married the first 25 years of their marriage. It’s a miracle she survived so many births, given the time period. While in the series the monarch mostly fills her time indulging her proclivity for society gossip, in real life Queen Charlotte was also an amateur botanist and a passionate patron of music, especially the works of German composers like Handel and Mozart, who, at age 8, was invited to play at court. As portrayed in Bridgerton , King George III suffered several bouts of mental illness, which were reportedly kept a secret from the Queen. Eventually his illness became a permanent condition and made it impossible for his wife to be around him. As his condition deteriorated in the late 18th century, Queen Charlotte found refuge in a country estate she purchased near Windsor Castle called Frogmore House. A few years later, in 1801, she commissioned an addition to the grounds: Frogmore Cottage . King George III died of mania in 1811, and after serving on the throne for 57 years, Queen Charlotte died in 1818 at the age of 74. Their granddaughter Victoria, daughter of their third son Edward, would later become queen in 1837. The Frogmore properties are now most famously associated with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who hosted their wedding reception at Frogmore House and later called Frogmore Cottage home for a brief period before permanently breaking away from their working royal roles in early 2020. Currently, Princess Eugenie lives there with her husband Jack Brooksbank and their son August. For readers who might be wondering, there will be a book tie-in. Rhimes will co-author a book with Bridgerton author Julia Quinn about the queen’s rise to power , and that book, published by Avon Books, is set to be released the same day the show premieres. “Taking Bridgerton from book to screen was fascinating for me to watch, and it's such an exciting challenge for me to take it in the other direction, this time crafting Shonda's brilliant vision into a novel," Quinn said in a statement. "I'm especially thrilled to have the opportunity to write about Queen Charlotte, who was not in the original novels. Her character —and Golda Rosheuvel's brilliant portrayal of her— was a tour de force, and I think readers will love getting a chance to know her more deeply." Rhimes’ prequel series looks to continue the refreshingly un-stuffy tone that made the original show such a hit, though whether it will return to the steamy, raunchfest of Season 1 remains to be seen—though, something tells me we can expect plenty of passion. Beyond Queen Charlotte , Netflix has confirmed that Bridgerton will be back for at least two more seasons . The upcoming Season 3 is set to disrupt the book order and adapt Julia Quinn’s fourth book in the series, “Romancing Mister Bridgerton”. It’s expected to arrive either later this year or early next year. If you want more of the inside scoop on what’s to come, you’ll have to wait and get it from Lady Whistledown. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story premieres May 4 on Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLtnNw0KT78 Keeley Brooks is an entertainment writer who hibernates in NW Alabama and is a voracious consumer of film and streaming content, much to the chagrin of her family. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

You Never Know < Back The Nine Lives of Paul Sanchez C.G. Smith Nov 30, 2022 Share You Never Know “Ram Das and Alan Watts would tell the story of the Chinese farmer ,who one day his horse runs away, and his neighbor says, ‘That’s too bad.’ And he goes, ‘Well, you never know.’ The next day the horse comes back leading five wild stallions and his neighbor says, 'That’s wonderful!’ and the guy replies, ‘Well, you never know.’ The next day his son’s trying to break one of the stallions and he falls off and he breaks his leg. His neighbor says, ‘Oh, that’s terrible!’ And he goes, ‘Well, you never know.’ The next day the army comes through conscripting young men for the service, and they take all but his son because he’s got a broken leg. His neighbor says, ‘That’s wonderful!’ And he says, ‘Well, you never know.’ That’s life. What looks like a wrong turn sometimes is the greatest thing that could have happened.” – As told by Paul Sanchez. _____________________________________________________________ It has been said that the best art comes from suffering. Others claim it comes from the joy and happiness that make art what it is. New Orleans songwriter, actor, and producer Paul Sanchez, formerly of the hit band Cowboy Mouth , is well acquainted with both. From his early experiences living as one of 11 siblings in a poor, working-class family in the rough Irish Channel neighborhood of New Orleans in the 60s to playing in front of tens of thousands of people on stage, Paul embodies a life lived. He grew up in New Orleans , then lived in New York in the late 80’s and has since traveled all over the world. But he still loves coming home to the Crescent City . “One of the things that makes New Orleans special to me in my travels is that it's an entrée to anywhere in the world. When you say you are a musician from New Orleans you get a respect before you even play a note that most musicians have to earn,” says Paul. There are many glimpses into this incredible life throughout the extensive catalog of music he has written, produced, or simply been a part of over the years. His lyrics can be beautiful and dark, sometimes silly, and other times dead serious, but they always tell a story. Sanchez has 11 albums out with his former group Cowboy Mouth and another dozen or so on his own and with other musicians. This includes the musical project Nine Lives , based off Dan Baum’s New York Times best-selling novel by the same name that may soon become a television series. To be this prolific you really need to have something important to convey in your music. “I don’t really think about what I’m going to write … before I start writing,” he says when asked about his process. “Often, I am writing so fast that I don’t realize what it is I have written until it is finished. Sometimes not until years later. When my ex-wife left me, I looked back at the songs that I had written while we were married and realized most of them were about being lonely and [feeling] unloved. The songs have always known me better than I have known myself. It feels like they are written by someone else who has whispered them to me as if in a dream, a gift from the universe. I hear a melody and words and I follow them to, what seems to me, their natural conclusion.” Credit: Marc Millman Paul’s first gig was filling in for a friend at a French Quarter venue at the tender age of 16, and since then he has performed all over the world from intimate gigs in private homes to multiple Jazz Fests to stadiums with tens of thousands of people. He started singing after his father passed away when he was only five years old. “My father was sort of the heart of the family, and when he died, [for the first six months] my mom [would spend] all day at the graveyard. I had five brothers and five sisters and most of them were still at home when he died. A little boy singing was prettier than a house full of people crying, so everybody encouraged me to sing. [Early] on I knew my singing made other people feel better. I didn’t know if it made me feel better, but it made other people feel better and that’s been sort of the inner quest [for] the rest of my life.” Paul wrote his first song before ever playing the guitar, and at a young age formed an imaginary band with a friend and called themselves The Possibilities . He wrote their theme song at age 6 after hearing The Monkees and Herman’s Hermits . “We’re the Possibilities,” (very 60s, he interjects), “Yes, we’re The Possibilities. We may have no style but we’re gonna try to get up high, ‘cause we’re The Possibilities, and that’s what we have: a possibility.” In his teens, Paul started learning guitar, and at 16 he played his first gig. He was then was in a band called The Backbeats , whom he formed with Ellen DeGeneres’ brother Vance . In 80s he moved to New York’s East Village to join the anti-folk scene there and learned a lot about songwriting and performing from the people he met there. credit: Billy Nova, a.k.a. William Moeller “I’d gone up to New York to be the next Bruce Dylan or Bob Springsteen . I read this tiny ad in the Village Voice that said, ‘If you want the real thing, come to The Fort at Sophie’s.’ So, I walked across the island, not knowing how far of a walk that was going to be, and in 1986 how dangerous it was. I walked into this little bar where they’d moved the pool table, and the singers were just standing under this light. There’s a guy with a clipboard, Latch – who’s still a friend, so I walked up to him and said, ‘Hey man, I’m from New Orleans, can I play?’ He pulls his glasses down and he goes, ‘Are you good?’ I went, ‘I’m pretty good.’ He went, ‘I didn’t ask if you if you were pretty good, I asked you if you were good.’ One of my friends was standing with me and he goes, ‘Hey man, this guy’s f*ckin’ great.’ Latch looks over at my buddy, doesn’t say a word, looks back at me and goes, ‘So are you good?’ I went, ‘Yeah, I’m good.’ He went, ‘Okay, you can play.’ I loved that. It was his first lesson: if you can’t own it, you can’t be it.” When asked if he wrote many songs while in New York, Sanchez says he, "worked a movie up there-- A Kiss Before Dying with Matt Dillon and Sean Young (she was crazy as a road lizard) --was staying at a friend’s place on 14th St. My friends were kind of, big people, and they were fuckin’ and I was sleeping on the couch against their bed, and it was obvious, so I was getting divorced and was depressed so I split, and I thought I’m just gonna do a shot at every bar between here and Houston St. and think about where I went wrong. I didn’t know how many bars they had in New York – it rivals New Orleans. So doing shots of Wild Turkey and on the return trip home, sometime around two in the morning I decided to call my ex and explain my side of things one more time. After she hung up on me, I went back and grabbed my guitar, drunk as shit and went on the roof of the building and wrote Light It On Fire .” Many of us remember Paul from the New Orleans rock group Cowboy Mouth , which he co-founded, toured the world with, and released many albums with over 16 years. In 1992, he met a woman who gave him her card. Paul replied to her with some demos for “Jet Black and Jealous” he had made in New York in 1987 on a Tascam four-track cassette recorder. “So, I sent them to her, and she goes, ‘I love this, I want to put it out. What I’m hearing on this record is this guy’s singing songs like he believes nobody’s ever gonna hear them.’” And that’s how Sanchez began doing solo records and in 2006, when the flooding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina washed away everything he owned, he decided to quit Cowboy Mouth and focus on his own material. Since then, he has released nearly 20 records either solo or with other musicians. credit: Joanna DeGeneres Paul suffered years where he couldn’t sing because of dystonia , which is a movement disorder that causes the muscles to contract involuntarily. With singers, it’s a chronic voice disorder characterized by spasms of the muscles in the larynx, which control the voice. “The four years I couldn’t sing were very humbling, but I took it as a grace. I took it that the universe was trying to teach me something I needed to know. I’m only at the beginning of the trail of realizing what that is and then incorporating it into the music. I’m singing different[ly] than I did before. It’s like a stroke victim learning to walk again, you know? [With t]his neurological condition, the neurons in your brain are … misfiring. From the throat surgeries, the breakup, the traveling 400 miles a week, etc., they thought I was in trauma, and they said, ‘Let’s shut this guy down.’ The way his dystonia therapist put it to him was that he had a traumatic event in childhood that began a loop of “I’m not worthy” talk, and then a second trauma in adulthood altered “I’m not worthy” into “I don’t even want to be me.” When his therapist asked why he thought this was happening, Paul said, “I think I have a profound desire not to be Paul Sanchez anymore. My brain doesn’t want to be that guy anymore. I’m now teaching my brain that it wasn’t the music; it was life.” Thankfully, a voice coach helped get Paul singing again and back on stage for our entertainment pleasure, and we are so glad he is feeling better and singing/talking again. As for influences, Sanchez credits The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen early on, connecting to the mythos of their escaping poverty through music. “[They were] all were very open about their own influences and as a fan, I listened to the people they talked about, and my musical education is a result of doing so, from Woody Guthrie to Frank Turner .” “One of the most revealing interviews I ever read was Bruce Springsteen . Back in the ‘90s he took four years away from music to go into therapy ‘cause he had wanted to commit suicide. So, after four years off course he went back to music, he made a record, he’s going on tour, and Rolling Stone sends a respected writer … to interview him. At one point he says, ‘So Bruce, are you still going to do four-hour concerts, because you know everybody loves those?’ He said Bruce grinned said, ‘Well I love ‘em too, but I found out through therapy that I also stay up there that long because it’s the only place I don’t feel worthless.’ What struck me was, he didn’t say, ‘It’s the only place I feel worthwhile.’ He said ‘It’s the only place I don’t feel worthless.’ That to me was more honest. For me, I grew up in poverty, and an abusive situation, and music was my place not to feel worthless. It’s healing. That’s why you go back to it.” Today, while many of his influences circle back to his originals, Paul says he gets inspired by songs he hears. “ Alex McMurray, Davis Rogan, Jim McCormick, John Rankin, John Thomas Griffith —great songwriters inspired me to try to write great songs.” And besides the music Sanchez creates, he’s also an actor. “Acting, for me, is completely different than making music. Making music is an expression of who I am, my essence in words and melody. When I am acting, I memorize the lines and then I say them as the director would like them to be said. More often than not, a director will come up to you right before a scene and ask, ‘Can you say it like this?’ Being a musician, I try to mimic the tone and inflection, the rising and falling of his or her voice. More often than not the director is thrilled because what I’m doing is saying it like it has been in his or her head for months. I’m not trying to put my stamp on it; I’m trying to put their stamp on it because it’s their show, not mine.” He even spent some time filming the hit HBO series Tremé , which Sanchez says was a joy. “ David Simon and Eric Overmyer are true music fans, and they treated the musicians like gold … [and gave] great advice.” Paul says the show was so real, it felt like the writers were eavesdropping on the lives of him and his friends, adding that the writers love NOLA, and it showed in the series’ writing and direction. He says they created a historical document of the culture and music of New Orleans that’ll be invaluable in years to come. And he has many interesting stories from his time filming. “We were filming a [funeral] scene in a church Uptown. [It] was packed with musicians, mostly hired extras, and I sat next to John Boutté . On a break, David Simon sat and talked to me and John . I mentioned that it was amazing to see so many musicians gathered [in one place] and how they were committed to realism no matter the cost. David Simon responded with, “It isn’t the money; it’s the emotional equity.” I was so struck by the phrase that I turned it into a song with Alex McMurray called ' Emotional Equity ,' which appeared on my release, Paul Sanchez and The Rolling Road Show - Reclamation of The Pie-Eyed Piper .” Paul notes that the NOLA music scene is far more diverse now than it was in his youth. There wasn’t much of a scene for singer/songwriters when he was young, and he credits Tréme with bringing a new perspective to the music scene. He adds that NOLA provides a unique place for artists of all ages, noting that you may not get rich, but you’ll always be playing music. He’s been around the world and performed in some amazing places, with some amazing talent, so I asked him to share some of his most memorable experiences. “When I was in Cowboy Mouth , we played a music festival in Atlanta , Music Midtown Festival , opening for Cheap Trick . The audience in front of us was 50,000 people , [and] the crowd literally disappeared down the street as it sloped down from the stage. Ellen DeGeneres had Cowboy Mouth on her show after [Hurricane] Katrina, and it was pretty special. I knew her when she was starting up: she opened for a band I had with her brother Vance DeGeneres , [which is] pretty funny looking back ‘cuz we were the hot new-wave band in New Orleans at the time, and she was just looking for a gig. It was wonderful to be on her show. It’s always wonderful to see someone you know live a dream. Credit: Facebook I feel the same way about Darius Rucker . He has always been so generous to me. In 2016 , he brought me on tour to write songs. The songs were never used, but he also brought me on stage to perform during the tour and most notably for me, at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville . There’s no way a Channel Rat like me gets on that stage without somebody like him putting me there." When asked if there an album, performance, or project he is most proud of being involved with, Paul speaks of his project Nine Lives: A Musical Adaptation Live , which is an adaptation of the best-selling novel by Dan Baum . It follows the lives on nine people in New Orleans from 1965 , when Hurricane Betsy ravaged the city to 2005 when Hurricane Katrina destroyed it. Speaking of Nine Lives , it may have a new life of its own, possibly becoming a television series soon. After a disappointing experience with trying to get it on Broadway, there’s a new team of people involved with doing it right this time. “ Nine Lives has been a very interesting journey. It started in 2007. My friend Colman deKay goes, ‘Hey man, I read this book called Nine Lives , a bestseller, and I think you and I should turn it into a musical.’ I thought he was insane. I can’t write a musical. He went to bed, and I started flipping through the book. I found the scene where John Guidos goes to his first drag party with his clothes in a Schwegmann’s bag and I fell right in, and I wrote 'Feels Like a Lady.' I took it downstairs to him and I said, ‘What do you think?’ He goes, ‘Oh boy! Let’s finish it now!’ And we did. Then he wrote to Dan Baum and said, ‘My friend and I have written some songs out of your book, and we’d like to turn it into a musical.’ (After some initial skepticism), he loved it. I wish I could’ve brought it to fruition in his lifetime.” The Nine Lives record was actually made from a grass-roots organization called Threadhead Records , where people could donate money as little as $5 to help New Orleans musicians get back on their feet after Katrina . This was well before Kickstarter or Go Fund Me . Paul and his friend John Boutté did a fundraiser one night and a chance meeting helped get the funding for the record. “This guy from California walks up and says, ‘Hey man, you guys are great together; you should do a record.’ I look at him and go, ‘I just lost everything I own. I can’t afford rent, let alone a record.’ He went, ‘Well, how much do you need?’ I told him and he said, ‘I’ll get back to you.’ Being in the music business I thought, ‘Yeah right.’ Two weeks later he calls up and says, ‘Okay I have a check, where do I send it?’ I didn’t know what to say. He didn’t say, ‘I need you to sign a contract’; he didn’t say, ‘I need to hear the music’; and he didn’t say, ‘I need to own the music.’ He said, ‘Where do I send the check and promise me on your word as a gentleman that when the CD comes out, you’ll pay us back from CD sales.’ They started this thing called Threadhead Records and in four to five years’ time, they put out records by sixty artists who didn’t have the money to do it. In my opinion, it both saved and changed the face of the New Orleans Music scene for generations to come, because they gave so many artists the chance to record.” And the story for how the funding for Lives came about is quite interesting, and it involves the infamous Pepsi Challenge . “ Pepsi had this challenge where they were going to give away $50,000. We were the ninth-place contestant and we got $50,000, and then Threadheads raised another $150,000.” Paul’s industry friend, Michael Cerveris , brought the idea and the songs to his people in the theater scene, and they ended up with a playwright named Lisa D'Amour . D’Amour had gone to Dominican High School in New Orleans . She was not a true New Orleanian, although she claimed to be. She worked on Nine Lives for a year and a half and ended up trying to cut twenty of the original 39 songs, writing ten of her own. She wanted to start it all off with a slow, mournful dirge called ' I Feel Like I Wanna Die Today ' instead of Paul’s original upbeat song. “I’m like, ‘You don’t get New Orleans at all baby. We dance in the face of death,’” Paul laughs. After he parted ways with D’Amour over creative differences, she took all the same characters and turned it into a show called Airline Highway and it ran in Chicago from December 2014 until February 2015 , then on Broadway from April 2015 until June 2015 before it closed for good. “So, mid-pandemic the rights have lapsed, they don’t own my music anymore, and I get an e-mail saying ‘Hey, we found this great director who wants to do it and we’d like to pick up our option to the music again.’” After more communications and some further attempts to change Paul’s vision, Nine Lives was shelved once again. “These are my songs, and I don’t want some stranger changing them and writing lyrics for them. I told them the same thing I told my ex-wife: you can’t have my songs. You can have the clothes off my back, you can have my last dollar, but you can’t have my songs.” Once the producers let the rights to the book lapse, and Chris Joseph , who started Threadhead Records , got wind of it, he bought the rights from Dan’s widow and put Paul on as a partner. Bohemia Production Company loved it and wanted to produce it as a dramatic series that leans heavily on music. “I didn’t have a problem with that, because music is used so interestingly in television shows now. So, I said, ‘Great, run with it.’ [T]hree days later, the creative director was having drinks with an old friend who is a writer, and he says, ‘Hey, I think we’ve got our next project. It’s about a book that’s about New Orleans after Katrina .’ He said his friend put down his drink and went, ‘Please tell me it’s Nine Lives , because it’s my dream to write [it].’ Extremely serendipitous.” “For me it’s really great that it has a possible life as a tv show, because so many people are invested in it emotionally. It also captures a period of time in New Orleans that I was born and grew up in which made writing the songs possible. I didn’t have to write a Katrina Record post-flood. I wrote this thing called Nine Lives , where I was speaking through nine different people’s voices – actually like twelve to twenty different people’s voices. I was speaking about my feelings about the flood, but I didn’t have the soul crushing experience of it being [in] first-person. I didn’t realize that until later.” Credit: Facebook Nine Lives as a television series is still very much in its infancy, but its future looks very, very bright. “The vibe I’m getting is that they see it and hear it the same way we do. The fact that the writer, Frank Everleigh , lived here, the fact that he’d been through that experience of having been ostracized by his community, and the fact that I’m very passionate when I speak about it, well, they were really taken with that. They really want to have my voice in on the script. So, I’m excited to have some input on the script because the Broadway writers weren’t like that.” I smile and tell Paul that that is why the first option isn’t always the best one ... because you never know. *cover photo from artist's website To dive into Paul's discography: Apple Music: ‎Paul Sánchez - Apple Music Spotify: Paul Sanchez | Spotify Website: www.paulsanchez.com Paul Sanchez | Official Paul Sanchez transforms audiences with his unique blend of music and storytelling – at once powerful, sad, humorous, entertaining, and hopeful. Fans may know native New Orleanian Paul Sanchez as a founding member of the rock band Cowboy Mouth, with whom he has 11 albums; for his role in the HBO series TREME where he played himself; or as the creative force behind the musical NINE LIVES, a musical adaptation of the best-selling novel by Dan Baum. NINE LIVES follows the lives of nine people in New Orleans from 1965 (the year Hurricane Betsy ravaged the city) through 2005 (the year of Hurricane Katrina) and beyond. Facebook: Facebook Instagram: Paul Sanchez (@paulsanchezmusic) • Instagram photos and videos www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Send an email to mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

tmdistant takes us on an expedition through sound with his new track “grow into the blossoms”. < Back tmdistant: Music Beyond Boundaries Erica Machen Nov 30, 2023 Share tmdistant takes us on an expedition through sound with his new track “grow into the blossoms”. Combustive —that's the first word that comes to mind when contemplating the musical stylings of tmdistant . As a young twenty-something British black man, what you see isn't what you get … or what you expect. And that's precisely what he aims to deliver to his listeners: the unexpected. With his newest track, “ grow into the blossoms ”, tmdistant soars well past delivering the unexpected. In taking a first listen to "grow into the blossoms", I'd like to declare: Mission accomplished! This shoegaze track exudes not only alt-rock and electronica vibes but also manages to incorporate subtle R&B influences. For those unfamiliar with the genre of shoegaze, it's a fusion of obscured vocals, guitar distortion, effects, feedback, and overwhelming volume. The convergence of deeply emotional lyrics and vocals, coupled with genre-bending tones and stylings, beckons the listener to close their eyes and absorb the song's message. With lyrics like "Finally, I'll leave" and "Did I make a big difference", listeners quickly realize "grow into blossoms" isn't as sublime as assumed. This listen undoubtedly evokes curiosity and emotion throughout the journey. An artist recognized for seamlessly blending indie, pop, alternative, hyperpop, electronic, and rock, tmdistant has earned praise from outlets and tastemakers like AFROPUNK, Wonderland, EARMILK, and more. He has also received editorial support on various Spotify playlists, showcasing the expansiveness of his musical influence. Releasing today, November 30, 2023, tmdistant's newest single marks the beginning of a new era for him as he delves into the realms of shoegaze. After exploring the interview of the mind behind the music, you won't want to miss the fantastic aural experience that is "grow into blossoms." MaM : Thanks so much for talking with me today! Give us a brief intro and tell us how you came to be known as tmdistant. t : Hey, my name is tmdistant, I am an artist from Essex UK, but I originally grew up just outside of North West London. Growing up in London, a lot of people had code names. Mine was T for a long time. Then I added the M, because that’s also a part of my first name. It stands for “trust minimal”, which says a lot about me and my music. The distant came over time, because I started to realize that's who and what I am. MaM : Your music has been described as a unique blend of genres, including indie, pop, alternative, hyperpop, electronic, and rock. Can you take us back to the beginning of your journey and share what initially drew you to explore such a diverse range of sounds? t : When I first started releasing music in 2020, my manager created playlists to inspire my music. He would show me so much music that I’ve never heard of and so many different genres that I never listened to or even tried to learn from. So, that, in turn, made me think of music differently and start to try different things. Then, it made me take pieces from different genres and styles and mesh them together, therefore creating my own genre of music. I used melodies from slower folk music and R&B music, putting them on indie, indie-pop, folk, rock, indie-rock, alternative rock, hyperpop, and all sorts of shoegaze beats. MaM : "grow into the blossoms" is the first single from your upcoming EP, "vivid memories of dreams I've never had". It seems like a departure from your previous work, with a shift towards shoegaze and alternative music. What inspired this evolution in your sound, and how has the process been for you? t : ‘grow into the blossoms’ is the start of a new era for me, and it wasn’t even a move that I made purposely. I wanted to try something new and step into a new realm, and then that song came out amazing. So, I decided to make more music geared in that lane, and that’s when the EP was born. I’ve always loved alternative music, and I’ve been on it for a second. So, I thought … why not delve deeper, dig deeper, and go for something darker and more interesting for a black man like me, who also looks the way I do. I like shocking people. Being who I am, I get judged before they even see or know what I am about. So, I wanted to give people something they don’t think I can do. MaM : Your single "I don't need a therapist" spent an impressive nine months on the Apple Music playlist “Glitch”. Can you share some insights into how that track came together and on the significance of it finding a home in such a notable playlist for such an extended period? t : ‘I don’t need a therapist’ was such a different song for me at the time, and I loved it. That song made me go into the rock side of music more, and it is beautiful. The song connected with so many people, and the editors at Apple seemed to connect with it as well, so it stayed in their playlist, Glitch, for such a long period of time. It was a perfect fit. It was such a big moment for me to even be added there, because it was still so early in my career. I still think about it 'til this day. It was written in a difficult time in my life, where I needed to talk to someone about what I had going on, but I didn’t feel like I could talk to anyone. I just wrote all my thoughts into a song talking about how “I don’t need a therapist to save me, I'll put my heart in a song”. That’s how I coped with most of my problems, and people felt that too and related to that. MaM : You've gained support from various Spotify playlists, including “Our Generation”, “New Music Friday UK”, and “Alt. Pop”. How does it feel to receive such recognition, and do you think these placements have played a role in shaping your audience and musical direction? t : The recognition I have garnered over the last year has been so surreal, and I can’t even explain how much it has made me and the team feel appreciated for all the hard work we’ve been putting in, grinding to make things work, and they did very well, and they continue to. I wouldn’t say these placements changed anything for me other than realizing who my audience is. So, I have to keep that in mind, which is super important. It has let me and my team know what we’ve been doing is working. It gives us hope for the future and helps us plan ahead. MaM : It's fascinating that you're actively involved in the London club scene and perform live weekly. How does your interaction with a live audience influence your music, and what kind of energy or experience do you aim to create for your listeners during your performances? t : Performing is my second favorite part about being an artist, other than creating the music. I am trying to perform at every chance I can, whether it's weekly or monthly. This year, it was a couple of times. Sometimes when I’m making a song, I'll be thinking about how it will make people feel when I perform it or how well it will sound when I perform the song. So, I tailor it to fit that on some occasions. I want to make people feel something when they’re in the room with me. In life, we all are so desensitized to everything. When I am singing, I want people to feel more than they usually do in their day-to-day life. That’s the experience I tend to create in my performances. MaM : Planning a small tour in Ireland and London early next year and making it free to reach new potential fans is a bold and interesting move. Can you tell us more about your decision to take this approach and what you hope to achieve by connecting with your audience in this way? t : My manager had the brilliant idea to do this tour as a way of meeting new people and making new fans. So, it is perfect as I step into a new lane, creating a new fan base to add to the one I already have. As well, this being my first tour, we wanted to take advantage of gaining experience and venturing to places we haven't been before. MaM : Your upcoming music video for "grow into the blossoms" has us intrigued. Without giving away too much, can you share any insights into the creative process behind the video and how it complements the overall theme of the song and the EP? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvjYhlL1QjU t : This video was meant to be DIY and homegrown, just like the song. I shot and edited everything myself, just like the song. I mixed the song myself. So, I wanted to try and do everything else to the best of my ability. I shot it in an abandoned train station. The song needed a video that would match the vibe. The train station got the vibe perfectly because it gave me a sense of loneliness and solitude. MaM : What is next on the horizon for you? What should we look for soon? t : The next thing is to keep working on my craft and getting better in every aspect of the meaning: more shows, better music, improved performances, and a bigger presence on social media. I want to make friends with all of my fans and supporters. I want everyone to feel welcome when they come to my shows and listen to my music. I want my music to be a safe space for everyone that relates to it or finds comfort in the words and instruments. Don’t forget, “ grow into blossoms ” is out today. Go ahead and check it out in its entirety. We promise you won't be disappointed. Stay up to date on all things tmdistant by visiting any of his below-listed links. tmdistant | Spotify tmdistant | Instagram tmdistant | Facebook tmdistant | TikTok tmdistant | YouTube *all photos courtesy of tmdistant Erica Machen is a beast when it comes to consuming, writing about, and reviewing music. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Big in the 90s < Back For a Good Time, Call Keeley Brooks Oct 25, 2022 Share Big in the 90s The 90s are remembered (and missed!) for so many reasons—one of the main ones being that the decade was important in music history. When grunge, hip-hop, alternative rock, and industrial rock emerged, so too did hordes of fans. These genres gave us so much good music that produced a slew of hits still making crowds go wild. One band having fun with that is New Orleans-based ultimate 90s cover band Big in the 90s. With a repertoire of pop music, grunge, R&B, and alternative, their set list includes everything from Britney to Brit-pop (Hello PULP! Anybody? No?), Gin Blossoms to Ginuwine, and everything else in between. Big in the 90s is Jonathan Pretus on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Stephen Turner on lead guitar and backing vocals, Joe Bourgeois on bass and backing vocals, and Kyle Melancon on drums and backing vocals. Occasionally you’ll hear Melancon and Turner on lead vocals as well. Singer Jonathan Pretus and drummer Kyle Melancon both spent time in New Orleans-based bands that actually WERE big in the 90s. Pretus was guitarist for Cowboy Mouth, and Melancon was drummer for Dash Rip Rock and Imagination Movers. Bassist Joe Bourgeois was in MyNameIsJohnMichael, Stephen Turner was guitarist in EPIC, and for years, Turner, Bourgeois, and Pretus were part of the acclaimed rock band The Breton Sound. During that time, the guys kept hearing the same thing from record labels, management, and radio programmers, “You guys are great. You’d have been big in the 90s.” So, after 8 years in The Breton Sound, around 2019, the guys “put the brakes on” the band but didn’t want to stop playing music. Recognizing that all their musical roads intersected somewhere in the 90s, it seemed like a natural progression to start a band playing the eclectic 90s songs they loved and grew up with. “We could just play music for fun and not worry about the business aspects that being in an aspiring band brought,” said Pretus. “The name came about because with The Breton Sound, we were told multiple times by a variety of labels, radio programmers, and industry-type folks that they loved what we were doing but [that we’d have been big in the 90s]. So, [the band name] came from that, and we all agreed it was going to be the name almost as quickly as we agreed to start the band.” The guys also say that each show is like filling a six-disc changer with all your old mix CDs and hitting shuffle. Every song in their set is a classic that’ll provoke you at some point to squeal, “This is my JAM!” to your girlfriends and boyfriends, I guarantee it. Hell, even the band themselves have songs that make them squeal. They aren’t shy about it. Here’s what the guys had to say when asked about favorites of their own: JP : My favorites are usually “Flagpole Sitta” by Harvey Danger or anything by Oasis. KM : My favorite 90s song is probably “You Get What You Give” by New Radicals. It’s just a perfectly crafted song. I hope to put that in our set one day. As far as songs we currently play, my favorite has to be “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind. [It’s definitely] one of the most fun songs to play on drums, ever. ST : My favorites are “Larger Than Life” by Backstreet Boys, “Sweater Song” by Weezer, and “No Scrubs” by TLC. MAM: So, then, I have to know if there are any songs that take it a step further and make everyone lose their shit? JP : Our set’s pretty banger-heavy, [so] there’s a lot of shit-losing throughout the night! “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind always crushes. KM : I never would’ve thought that it would’ve had this kind of staying power when it came out but “My Own Worst Enemy” by Lit sends people into an absolute frenzy. It’s bananas. I don’t quite understand it, but I absolutely love it. ST : For me, “Pony” by Ginuwine. It’s hilarious. Especially when Jonathan uses his prop pony on a stick. MAM: Shut up! Are you serious? You’re right: That is hilarious. Is there a video of this somewhere out there? ST : There absolutely is. Readers, click PLAY below, and enjoy the giggles . https://video.wixstatic.com/video/999a0f_81162f99493342eb88044f23b0f222e4/240p/mp4/file.mp4 Big in the 90s bring these and many other songs to life, faithfully and with the energy of a top-notch live show from seasoned performers who’ve played stages of all sizes, to crowds of all sizes, all over the country. While Big in the 90s is based in New Orleans, they aren’t limited to playing in the city. The guys are branching out beyond the NOLA area and often play in Baton Rouge, but they have spent the past year kind of “cautiously cementing” themselves in their home market. “COVID is so unpredictable, and we never know what’ll happen with cancellation due to it,” said the band. They hope to branch out through the Gulf South region in the New Year. While there are no albums for Big in the 90s, their collective work as The Breton Sound and Kyle’s work with Dash Rip Rock and Imagination Movers are readily available. There are, however, plenty of opportunities to catch them live for the rest of this year. Be sure to check their website frequently for additions and updates, too. Nov. 12 St. Rita Fall Fest, Harahan, LA Nov. 18 English Turn Country Club, New Orleans, LA Nov. 25 The Broadside, New Orleans, LA *featuring strings quarter Electric Yat Quartet Dec. 17 Zony Mash Beer Project, New Orleans, LA To squeal about a song to the guys, or for booking and further information, visit them online at www.Biginthe90sBand.com . Facebook /biginthe90s Instagram @biginthe90sband Twitter @biginthe90sband *photos courtesy of Big in the 90s www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Cecily’s music is insightful and pleasing to the ear, a breath of fresh air with the motivation to spread her positivity through her art. < Back Cecily: Soulful Music With Ambient Affirmations Erica Machen Nov 9, 2023 Share Cecily’s music is insightful and pleasing to the ear, a breath of fresh air with the motivation to spread her positivity through her art. If you’ve ever needed the perfect soundtrack to accompany the moments your eyes are gently closed and all you see is the warm glow of your eyelids as the sunlit breeze kisses your face, look no further than the melodic musings of vocalist and songwriter Cecily. With a family who infused influences from artists such as John Coltrane, Motown, Smokey Robinson, and R&B from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, her vocal artistry brings prismatic color and warmth to the soul as the purity of her message washes over the listener and leaves an indelible mark. Cecily’s soprano octaves provide a surprising duality with her ethereal yet earthy delivery, and, as we chatted for our interview, her soothing personality left me just as spellbound as her music did. Originating from Washington, D.C., with a background in Political Science and Black Studies, Cecily's journey as an artist began as a powerful call to bring purpose and empowerment to her community . After ten years of nurturing her musical talents as a passionate hobby, she took the leap to turn her passion into a full-fledged career. Supported by an exceptional team of hand-picked musicians, dedicated management, and her husband, Cecily has achieved numerous accolades and awards , solidifying her presence as a force to be reckoned with in music world. Just as her newest release “I Am Love” delivers a simple and positive message coinciding with depth and dimension , the same can be said for Cecily herself. It came as no surprise to discover her passion for healing, meditation, and affirmations, as all of those things are revealed within her music. Cecily is simply a breath of fresh air with the motivation to spread her positivity through her art. Prepare yourself to feel connectivity as you read along with our chat. MaM : Cecily, for those just discovering your music, could you describe your unique sound and the musical influences that have shaped your style? C : I describe my music as soul music with a lot of influences of jazz, 90’s R&B, with a little bit of folk mixed in as well. I like to work with live instrumentation and real musicians in a space creating together, because I think that's how you capture the best energy. In terms of who people liken my music to, I really love 1970’s soul and R&B. Generally, you'll find a lot of sounds from that era in my music. I've had comparisons to Minnie Riperton, for example, in terms of my vocal stylings and some of my arrangement choices. People have also compared me to Amel Larrieux, who is more of a 90’s or early 2000’s R&B singer. Some of my favorite current artists who I think my music kind of likens to are Cleo Sol and Lianne La Haves , who are both from the UK. Photo provided by artist. MaM : Your parents' record collection had a significant impact on your music. Can you share how their love for artists like Miles Davis and Smokey Robinson influenced your artistic journey? C : I actually inherited my parents’ record collection. My dad passed away a couple years ago. My mom said she didn't listen to records anymore, so I could have them. Now I have a pretty large record collection. Thanks to them for that. What's interesting is that my parents are nine years apart in age, and that gave them different tastes in music. When [my mom] was a little girl, Motown was huge, and she loved Motown. Smokey Robinson is her forever crush. I grew up on a lot of Motown. My dad, he really loved jazz. He kind of came of age during the Bebop era. He loved Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane and Ahmad Jamal … A lot of jazz artists from the 50s and 60s. So, I have disparate influences. I had Motown with its classic soul sound, but also formulaic. You can kind of hear that in the way they approached things, and it works. Then, if you go to Miles Davis or John Coltrane, they were experimenting. There was thought and intention, but I definitely don't think a formula was the approach to things. It was very different kinds of things to grow up listening to. What my parents had in common is they both loved 70’s soul music. I also grew up listening to Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Gil Scott-Heron, and those type of things. All stuck with me. I'm also the youngest of four, and all of my siblings are much older than me. They had their own music tastes. I grew up listening to hip hop and R&B of the 80ss and 90s. My brother listens to house music. I was introduced to a lot of different kinds of black musical forms, and it was a great way to grow up. MaM : Your debut album "Songs of Love and Freedom" received critical acclaim and won a Wammie Award . How does this album reflect your musical vision, and what was it like to receive such recognition for your work? Photo provided by artist. C : That album was a big turning point for me creatively, professionally, and spiritually, because I put out an EP prior. That [EP] was my first project. I still like it, but it was me figuring out what I wanted to do and working with people that were recommended to me by my managers at the time. I didn't always feel seen in that process. I felt like we made the music, but I wasn't necessarily sure if it was me. When I came back around to do the process again, I was doing it all on my own in choosing all of my co writers, letting it happen organically, finding different producers, choosing my band members, and doing a lot of sonic research. It really taught me a lot about myself and was an empowering journey. I still feel really good about that album. So, it's one of my things I am most proud of. MaM : This brings me right to “Awakening Pt. 1”. It, too, was well-received and earned you several nominations and awards. Can you tell us more about the themes and inspiration behind this project? C : That project was inspired by some books that I read leading up to when I got married. We all think we know so much about love, but maybe I should actually study it like people do everything else. So, I just picked up this one book, just off chance in a bookstore, called ‘How To Love’ by a Buddhist master who passed away last year, named Thich Naht Hanh. I just read this book back to front a few times, and it was really impactful for me. The next book I read was called ‘The Mastery of Love’ by Don Miguel Ruiz. It had so many lessons and was a good way to reflect on life and what I've been taught about love. It was good to reflect on places in my thinking that needed to be revised on what love is and what love can be. Later, when reading ‘All About Love’ by Bell Hooks, I decided I want to create a project pulling from these concepts and ideas. That was kind of the inspiration for both ‘The Awakening Pt. 1’ and ‘The Awakening Pt. 2.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1D3_CJ1NZ8 MaM : You're not only a talented artist but also a healer who offers meditations, workshops, and sound healing sessions. Tell us more about how these practices are connected to your mission as an artist and a healer? C : In 2020, when things were locked down, I couldn't connect with people in terms of live performances. I also I felt like I couldn't create music in the way I was used to in being separated from my usual writing partners and bandmates. It started out when I had written some affirmations for myself in a time that was very fear-inducing. I called them ‘Affirmations for a Pandemic’. I decided, these are good, let me share these with people. So, my husband recorded me with video and audio. I put it on YouTube, Instagram, and this meditation app called Insight Timer. I was surprised by the reaction. People were saying, ‘Wow, this is so helpful. Thank you so much for this.’ Insight Timer chose the recording of it for their editorial pick and put it on the main page. I got a lot of engagement there and realized life is telling me this is something I need to dig into a little bit more. So, I started doing guided meditations live on Instagram. I love writing, I love words, I like using my voice. I started doing these guided meditations as another way to use my voice and my words. MaM : Your new single "I am Love" is generating attention. How has this song been received, and what message or emotions do you hope it conveys to your audience? C : I'm really happy with people’s response to the single. I love this song. I sometimes tend to be a little wordy and overly complicated in my writing. With this song, I wanted to write something that was simple. It definitely has depth to it. It started off as a poem, so it still has its poetic aspects. I wanted to write something that made you feel at peace and happy—just something that feels like a nice like warm summer day. You know, like where you're with someone you love or just yourself out in nature, eating good food. That was the energy of the song. … The message was really simple. As I said, affirmations are a big part of my life. I wanted to write a song that was an affirmation. The album ‘The Awakening Pt. 2’ is all about exploring unconditional love. Specifically, the kind written about in Bell Hook's book, ‘All About Love’. I had a poem where I had written, ‘I am love,’ and I thought, ‘This could be a song.’ I thought [it] would be a good way to bring forth my message of the power of love, acceptance, affirmations, and also Bell Hook's idea about simple living. She says living simply makes loving simple. I thought that was really beautiful. I'm kind of combining the two concepts of exploring the simplest pleasures in life with knowing that I am love. It’s about the belief in God, the source, the universe, or just this idea we all are connected to a genuine love, a deep, complete, and divine love. Stating plainly, ‘I am love’ can be very powerful. Even though it's a simple song and I wanted it to have … a singalong part or even something you can even two-step to; I also wanted to have some depth in there that people feel. I think the song has the combination of both. I love it for that reason. MaM : Are there any new announcements, news, or projects on the horizon that you'd like to share with your fans and our readers? C : ‘I Am Love’ is out now! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7OWj3A2PRM There's a music video for it dropping very soon, and there will be some new merchandise soon to accompany the new release. The second single is coming out in January, and the new album is coming out in March. And there you have it—your breath of fresh air for the day! In a world filled with hyperbole and scattered focuses, Cecily recenters us with the ambient peace she exudes. Take a moment and explore her prismatic vocals by visiting the below-listed links. Cecily | Official Website Cecily | YouTube Erica Machen is a beast when it comes to consuming, writing about, and reviewing music. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Jonathan Machen aka Profit is a lyrical prophet of rock and hip-hop subgenres fueled by the deepest levels of pain and enlightenment. < Back Jonathan Machen aka Profit: Finding Refuge in Music Nicole Brice Dec 11, 2023 Share Jonathan Machen aka Profit is a lyrical prophet of rock and hip-hop subgenres fueled by the deepest levels of pain and enlightenment. In the ever-evolving world of music, talented artists constantly emerge, each with their unique style and sound. But every once in a while, a truly gifted artist emerges—one who not only speaks to your own experiences but also captivates you with his memorable sound. Jonathan Machen aka Profit is one of those musicians with an inherent musical gift and with it he has carved his path, drawing in listeners with his smooth, soulful voice and heartfelt insightful lyrics, as well as his hybrid-fusion sound merging hip hop and R&B with hints of rock and country. Jonathan Machen aka Profit is one voice you hear and don’t easily forget simply for one reason: You can’t. His effect lingers long after the music fades. Credit: Gary Governale Born in Crowley, Louisiana, Machen grew up a burn survivor, meaning he is no stranger to the depths of physical pain—pain that quickly compounded when he found himself the target of insensitive bullying. As an adult and single father of three, Machen suffered extreme personal loss, and his only refuge was the peace and motivation music provided him. The awareness he gained through experiences like these have molded him into the empathetically enlightened vessel of talent he is, reminding us that words—and how we treat other people—really do matter. He's a smart musician. Jonathan Machen aka Profit is as eclectic as, say, someone like Beck or Louis Cole ; he’s definitely traveling along the same interstate. With a passion for storytelling—as is evidenced on songs “ Refuge ” and “ Long Night ”—he shows he doesn’t stick to one style or genre but rather a menagerie of subgenres living amongst rock and hip hop. Mixed Alternative had the opportunity to sit down with Jonathan Machen aka Profit to learn a little more about his life, find out the scoop on that “Daydreaming” video featuring No Limit Gangsta, and see what’s next for him. MaM : Jonathan, thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. I’ve been going through your YouTube and music catalog, and you have such a diverse body of work. Tell us a little more about how you fell into making music. JM : I was born in Crowley, Louisiana, near Lafayette. … A lot of people don’t know it, but I am a burn survivor. At 2 ½ years old, I was burned by a crawfish pot that someone had taken off a propane burner and set down. I was running backward playing, tripped, and caught myself, so I ended up with second- and third-degree burns from my bellybutton up to my neck and from right above my knees down to my ankles. During the healing process, I had to wear a pressure suit and go through extensive physical therapy, where I also underwent several blood transfusions and skin grafts, too. I’m a miracle baby. After the accident, they had to airlift me to Baton Rouge from Lafayette, and I actually died and came back. From there, growing up consisted of being teased and hazed because when kids don’t understand something, they attack it. I’ve always loved music, and I can recall dancing around to old records in my mom’s living room. She had four bookshelves full of CDs and we had boxes all over full of records, so I grew up hearing and listening to everything. I immersed myself in it all as an emotional release. It was where I could find acceptance and be heard. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Who or what inspired you musically when you were growing up? Did you have any favorite bands or artists? JM: Otis Redding, King Richard, Frank Thomas, Phil Collins—believe it or not. Anything Motown, too. It just ha[s] this soul and vibe. A good bit of R&B, too. MaM : What initially got you into writing lyrics? JM : As far as lyrics go, I started out writing poetry, and it was more a cry out than anything because I felt like I didn’t have anyone else who understood me besides my mother. I had no other outlet for these emotions I was dealing with. See, I was angry at the world because of what I had been through, and I had to go through some serious mental warfare with controlling my anger so I wouldn’t just snap on people. After I had been writing poetry for a while, I won a contest in school, and they published a poem of mine. That taught me that my words do matter. The first time I heard Eminem, as corny as it sounds, I realized I could put my words to a beat, and that’s how it all began. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Let’s talk about the video for “Daydreaming”. The song is a bit mesmerizing to listen to … and it features No Limit Gangsta . How did you get him to guest on the track? JM : He’s a friend of mine who was signed to No Limit Records. The video for “Daydreaming” came about because the whole concept of that video is one big dream where we fall asleep and the dream plays out, and then we wake up and we’re like, ‘What is going on? Where did all the riches go?’. It’s as simple as that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKWS8IhM4ow MaM : What was the first song you ever wrote or recorded? JM : It was a track called “Angels Talking” when I was about 14 or 15 years old. The song never got released, but we did put it on Reverb Nation, and it was recorded on a stick mic with a laptop. MaM : When did you realize you could be on to something with your music? JM : When I was about 18 or 19, I would do a bunch of open-mic nights at Club Rags, and I was always the only white guy there. I would go on stage nervous as hell, but when people started moving and jumping to my music, I started going more, and it got to a point where I was there every week, and I would have a line of people almost at the door wanting to shake my hand. That experience helped me get my foot in the door with the local scene. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : With a background in rap and hip hop, how would you describe your sound these days and what’s next? JM : I would say I am my own genre. My music has country, bluegrass, and some R&B in it, and I try to put my heart into every song because each one is a story. I have a song called ‘Survival’ that I’m going to release in the second quarter of 2024 and it’s about my mother, who passed away from cancer. The main hook talks about God pulling flowers from the garden, and so it’s a very deep and meaningful song for me. ‘Hollow Rain’ is another song that I’m releasing in the first quarter of next year and that one is more about me as a whole because of my scars from my burns. The beginning verse says, ‘He walks around with no tattoos because he ain’t got [sic] the point yet, but he’s still bruised, and pain hangs around like open wounds. He was hazed by cowards and fools …’ See, it’s a story, and I have about 13 or 14 more that I need to record that are just as powerful. MaM : Do only life experiences inspire your lyrics, or do you draw from fantasy, too? JM : Everything that I write and choose to release comes straight from the heart. …[W]ith ‘Daydreaming’, the idea was to get people interested with a cool concept, but ‘Refuge’ was about God being my refuge through everything. ‘ No Colors ’ is another song that talks about the political division being forced on Americans as well as the racism, and so I wanted to express with the lyrics that I won’t hate my brother because we come from different mothers … this is about love for me. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Where do you see yourself in the next five years? JM : Well, I’ve got new music coming out and when I have about seven of the songs recorded, I plan on having a listening party with family and friends and I want to get them to pick the best five, which will be put on an EP. I hope to do that in the first quarter of next year. I want to be able to write songs for other artists, too. I don’t need all the credit either, but I just want to get more of myself out there. I also have a plan for helping impoverished communities with hydroponic gardens that I want to teach the youth about. Maybe make a non-profit to help with that endeavor, and have it include even more than that. You could have the garden, but maybe a basketball court or other things to keep them interested. I feel that the youth of today is losing essential survival skills like we had back in the day, and I want to teach them these things … fishing, too—show them that a fish can feed their family. I have a lot of plans, and more is coming soon. For more on Jonathan Machen aka Profit, visit any of his links below. Be sure to follow him on social media to stay up to date on that forthcoming EP! Jonathan Machen | YouTube Jonathan Machen aka Profit | Spotify Jonathan Machen aka Profit | Apple Music Jonathan Machen aka Profit | Facebook Jonathan Machen aka Profit | TikTok *Cover Photo by Gary Governale www.governalephotovideo.com Zenfolio | Home I have been working as a video professional since 1993, with a wide range of experience writing, producing, directing, shooting and editing. A strong interest in videography, specifically lighting and composition, led me to photography in 1998. Rapidly changing technology has blurred the line between video and photography, allowing me to work in both mediums.. Baton Rouge, LA, United States www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Few Blue has the rhythm that will bring you to your knees. < Back Straight from the Bayou: Few Blue’s Vibrant Sound Redefines New Orleans Music Nicole Brice Sep 3, 2024 Share Few Blue has the rhythm that will bring you to your knees. In my many years of discovering new music, it never ceases to amaze me how Louisiana talent can be so different in so many ways. Louisiana has become known for its intense metal scene as well as zydeco and jazz , but often, the more unique bands coming out of this state tend to get buried. It’s not because they are not talented but because people’s musical tastes are focused elsewhere. When a band is recommended, I never know what to expect. After receiving the recommendation to check out Few Blue ’s music, it only took one listen to fall in love. Few Blue is one of those bands with an infectious lead singer who reels you in with her pure talent and powerful vocal stylings—stylings reminiscent of great female singers like Miranda Lambert , Pat Benatar , and the ever-forgotten Alannah Myles . Camryn Wisniewski’s energetic persona and insatiable personality are a perfect fit for the well-rounded outfit of talented musicians she shares the stage with, who play a style of music so rowdy that you can’t help but get excited. This band is so tight. If Miranda Lambert were to front Pat Benatar’s band from the 80s, then you would have Few Blue. Their first EP, So Damn Wrong , was released in January 2024 and is an intense kick to the gut with standout tracks such as, ‘ Oops ,’ which makes you snap to attention instantly because of how powerful it is. It’s an ass-kicking female anthem with pure, fierce sonic energy. ‘ Call Me Crazy ’ is another high-powered track with impressive and compelling lyrics that speak of love and longing. To be honest, this entire EP kicks so much ass. Truly, it does. There is not one single bad song. Put So Damn Wrong on your list of EP’s to check out NOW ! A tight-knit group of friends who began their careers together at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Few Blue is on a path to greatness because of its intense energy in the musical landscape. The band is comprised of: Brad Boozer (guitar), Rob Schexnayder (drums), Christian Liang (bassist), and Camryn Wisniewski (vocals). If you were to ask me how to describe Few Blue’s music, I would have to say that it’s just good. It's as simple as that. Based in New Orleans these days and fresh off playing a show at LSU’s Welcome Week , the band has a busy rest of 2024 lined up with even more planned for 2025, so I was thrilled to catch lead singer Cam on an off day. We discussed the history of the band, vocal influences, what the future holds, and more. Read on below. Camryn Wisniewski (vocals) - Credit Gary Governale MaM : So Damn Wrong was just released in January. What has the response been so far to the EP, especially with such a strong opening track as ‘ Oops ’? That song is a swift kick to the ass. Cam : This song was a joke song. I think we were hanging out and drinking a few beers when it was written because we do these jam sessions when we go on trips together where we sit down and write songs. Brad will start strumming random chords … like B, A, D, right? As he’s playing, I’ll freestyle on top of it. ‘ Oops ’ is one of those situations. It started with a story about this red-haired girl, and she’s one of my good friends, but it was a strange situation at the time, and it made a great song which the term “ Oops ” is one of Brad’s favorite terms for when something wrong happens, like “Oops, my bad.” MaM : It’s just such a powerful track! Cam : That’s the attitude we wanted to convey, too. It’s like an instant rollercoaster. MaM : How do you usually approach writing material? Cam : Well, we’re actually writing some new material now and figuring out a process that works for us. This is going to be our first album but our second release. When we started the band, it was just four kids in college who wanted to jam together, but now things are getting more serious, and people want us to make more music, so we’re trying to figure out how to become actual songwriters. When we started writing the So Damn Wrong EP , usually we would have the melody first, or Brad would have a riff first, but for like ‘ Call Me Crazy ’, that was my melody with some simple chords that we jazzed up. We also changed the chorus to make it more upbeat and exciting, but for the rest of them, it was all Brad with a riff, and we would build on it. Once you get the first verse done, then you can pretty much do anything with the song. It’s been a challenge because we just started off having fun. For ‘ Song Why ,’ the bass player came up with this simple bass line, like three notes back and forth. Then, I wrote on top of it next, and it started to build. Build the base and then put layers on top of it. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : I love that. You never know where the song could go when you have a mass collaboration like that. Cam : I will say, though, that sometimes, if you have too many minds involved, it can get a little crazy, but it worked out great when we recorded ‘ Oops .’ MaM : Where did the name Few Blue come from for the band? Cam : For a long time, we have tried to come up with a meaning to tell people about the name, but it is just from a random word generator. None of us could think of anything at first, so one of the names the guys threw out was “Piraha”. (laughter) They wanted to be different and stand out, but obviously, “no” with that name. (laughter) My drummer, Rob, had this random word generator and was messing with it. These two words pop up each time, and you must decide which word to keep and which to toss. So, it generates the word “few” and another word. He liked “few”, and then “blue” came up, and we liked it, but it was a bit of a tongue twister, but I think it’s different from what we’re seeing around us. Fleetwood Mac probably sounded like a terrible name at some point but look at what the name means now. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Right?! So, what made you want to pursue the type of music you play? Cam : My background is a little crazier and different than the guys. The guys are all about classic rock legends and own tons of vinyl. I did musical theater growing up. That’s where I get my confidence and stage presence from. I was not a musical theater kid, but I did musical theater. Does that make sense? It was an excellent outlet for me. I wouldn't say I liked the acting part, but I loved the dancing because it was fun and carefree. Through the years, I found that ABBA was my favorite music for musical theater. I always pick the ABBA songs for karaoke and whatnot when I sing. When the guys said they did classic rock, though, I had to convince them to blend a little of my style with theirs, but finding the perfect mix is doing what I do now. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Your sound is big. What is it about music that makes you feel so passionate? Cam : I get an adrenaline rush going on stage, and it is just a feeling. It’s my outlet I could not live without, and I’ve written poetry for years since I was a kid, but I would sit down with my ukulele and put all these puzzle pieces together through song while staying genuine and authentic with what I wanted to say. I love all the alliteration and wordplay with music, too. I feel emotions deeply, also, and I’ve always been a writer. It’s just something I need to do. Even if no one hears it. MaM : What’s your favorite song to perform? Cam : Right now, it differs, but ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries is one of them. We rock that song up enough to where everyone is headbanging, and it sits so perfectly in my range that I can easily let it all out and scream. It's such a fun song to perform. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : What would you say your songs are primarily about, and how would you describe your music to a random stranger if you were trying to sell it? Cam : We love rock music and are just trying to pay homage to our inspirations, but lyrically, we’re just telling a story, and people are relating to it. Heartbreak and tough times will always be an influence, but ‘ So Damn Wrong ’ is about a bad relationship at the time. A bad guy and a good girl trying to make things work. It’s so damn wrong, but it could be right, and she’s not gonna wait for ya. That’s exactly how I felt at the time, too. ‘ Call Me Crazy ’ stemmed from high school and relationships with the message that if you’re not crazy, are you really in love? At that point, just call me crazy because I am in love, and I’m crazy. I’m sure a lot of the lyrics are from boys pissing me off. (laughter) MaM : Life experiences. Cam : Exactly, life experiences. MaM : Life experiences make the best art! Tell me about your worst and best performance so far. Cam : So, our worst performance … we got hired to do a private event, and as you know, in the south, the rivalries go hard. At this event, half of the LSU people and half of the Alabama people were there. The two parties didn’t quite know each other well, so when it came to the music being played, we weren’t told much. In fact, about a week before the event, we were told we needed to learn a bunch of new songs. The problem was that the girl who hired me was for LSU, so I started singing more Baton Rouge-based songs like ‘ Calling Baton Rouge ’ and ‘ Louisiana Saturday Night’ because I was ready to get people going. At one point during the party, one of the Alabama people came up to me because they said I was only singing LSU songs, and they wanted Alabama songs. We didn’t mean to do anything wrong, so at one point, I even got on the mic to tell people we would play whatever they wanted to hear. It was just one of those events where you don’t have enough information and then shoot yourself in the foot once you get there. It was so awkward. We packed up early because the Alabama people wanted us to stop playing and turn on other music. The best performance … there are quite a few. We just played at FLORA BAMA , and they scheduled us for the 6:30 p.m. -10:00 p.m. spot, which is a fantastic spot to have. I’ve done that spot with another band before because it was a great spot, but once we played the 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., it was just insanely packed. There were people all the way to the back, and all were engaged with us the entire time. I’d tell them to put their hands up, and everyone had their hands up. It was phenomenal! Everyone was so into it. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Have any other musicians ever given you any advice, and if so, what was it? Cam : I talked to Randy Jackson from Zebra , and it was so surreal since the guys in the band love them. Zebra means something to me. I finally got to meet Randy Jackson because my music teacher is friends with him. He gave me advice on how to preserve my voice. I used to have this very princess-sounding falsetto voice, which I still do, but it’s changed because I’m screaming so much on stage. I’m learning to control it. He told me some excellent singing advice, told me to drink grapefruit juice, and told me tea dehydrates you, too. I have talked to older bands on the scene, too; everyone has told me not to worry about what I’m writing and to write what I feel. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with in the future, and if so, who? Cam : David Shaw and the Revivalists . Our drummer, Rob, has gone to so many of their shows. Rob and I are close, so if we sit around and need some cheering up, he’ll play their music for me. It’s special to me—dream collaboration. MaM : What do you have going on for the rest of the year, and where do you see yourselves headed in the future? Cam : We’re trying to get some new music out by the end of 2024 / early 2025. We have a few more shows scheduled at FLORA BAMA , some others, Southport Hall , Rock N Bowl , etc. We’re booked through the year's end so you can catch us somewhere. We play almost every weekend. We’re just going to be putting our heads down and grinding. Everyone is so passionate about moving the band forward, and it’s not easy, but we’re doing it. Credit: Gary Governale As Few Blue continues to grind it out on the local scene and beyond, they stand poised to influence a new generation of music lovers with a refreshing sound that can only be attributed to the cohesive energy found within this well-rounded and talented group of musicians. With a busy rest of 2024, be sure to try and catch a show with this up-and-coming act before they sell out stadiums worldwide. To learn more about Few Blue: New Orleans Young Band - Live Music (fewblue.com) *Cover photo by Gary Governale www.governalephotovideo.com Zenfolio | Home I have been working as a video professional since 1993, with a wide range of experience writing, producing, directing, shooting and editing. A strong interest in videography, specifically lighting and composition, led me to photography in 1998. Rapidly changing technology has blurred the line between video and photography, allowing me to work in both mediums.. Baton Rouge, LA, United States www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Elle's impressive discography, with its lyrics of love, self-discovery, and resilience, is a testament to her growth in sound and lyrical depth. < Back Elle H: Louisiana’s Own Songstress Making Waves in the Music Scene Nicole Brice Oct 23, 2024 Share Elle's impressive discography, with its lyrics of love, self-discovery, and resilience, is a testament to her growth in sound and lyrical depth. When I was first introduced to Elle Hudson , better known as Elle H. , I was instantly drawn to her magnetic personality and beauty. Elle is the type of woman that oozes confidence and sensuality while also being tough enough to kick your ass. Well-loved and respected in the Lafayette, Louisiana, music scene for her artistic contributions and overall vibe, Elle H. is an electric force of female rage mixed with the sympathies and heart of art and life. A powerful voice for women with deep and personal lyrics, she wrote her first song at 6 years old and had the talent and drive even at an early age. After hearing her mother listening to the music of powerful women like Etta James and Joan Jett , she instantly realized her desire to perform on stage. Now, she is on a journey to make a name for herself in the ever-evolving music industry. Credit: Gary Governale Elle's impressive discography, with its lyrics of love, self-discovery, and resilience, is a testament to her growth in sound and lyrical depth. Her music tugs at your heartstrings. It makes you feel emotion; to me, that is the ideal formula for a musician to leave a lasting impression. Each energetic and captivating live performance of Elle’s is a chapter in her journey, entertaining her audience with her expressive vocals and authentic persona in a truthful, poetic, and angelic way. Her presence alone is so captivating that one is instantly drawn to the energy surrounding her, feeling a part of her journey. At 13, she had a profound spiritual moment at a concert. This unbelievable feeling of life and energy overtook her, putting her in a trance for three days. Upon emerging from her trance, she started to have a more significant appreciation for life. Now, at 23, Elle has been writing and making music for over ten years without slowing down. By channeling her trauma into her art, she continues to craft poetic songs that exude female sexuality. We had the opportunity to sit down with this empowering female recently to chat about her music and more. Check out our conversation below, and then go down that rabbit hole and check out everything she has put out. I assure you that you will be a fan soon after. MaM : Thank you for the honor of speaking with you today. What would you say is your driving force to make music? Elle : I know how powerful music can be, how powerful honesty and transparency can be, and how lifesaving they are. I want to help people through my music. That’s why I do what I do. MaM : You had mentioned that when you saw Kelly Clarkson perform on American Idol, it made you realize your destiny. What other musical artists have influenced you? Elle : Nina Simone , Gwen Stefani , Lzzy Hale , Nicki Minaj , Etta James … I like a little of everything, but I am drawn to powerful women. That’s the main thing. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Which genre of music would you say is your favorite? … or are you all over the board with music tastes, like me? Elle : I love everything and plan to do a little of everything in my career, but I would have to say R&B is probably what I listen to the most. R&B is such a broad genre so that many topics can be discussed under that umbrella. I was actually part of a hip-hop collective for about four years. MaM : I’m a huge fan of hip-hop, too. That’s awesome. I had no idea. Elle : It’s a significant influence on who I am, and I also have hours' worth of original R&B and rap songs that I just haven’t gotten around to recording yet. I’m just going with the flow for now, though. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : How would you describe your music for someone discovering it for the first time? Elle : Well, it changes depending on the project. My slogan for the recent album has been Heartbreak Queens or Heartbreak Hot Girls. I am trying to redefine what it means to be a sexy, hot girl. I want people to know that radical authenticity is sexy, and that vulnerability is alluring. In a day and age where shallowness is sold to us through the media, I want to show that there is more underneath it all. MaM : I really dig that. Your insight is refreshing. Elle : I had to realize that once I got my woman body in the twenties, people would interact with me differently depending on how I was dressed. I realized that I could use my sex appeal to make you listen to me. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : I know you dabble in burlesque , too. Tell us a little more about that. Elle : I do. The burlesque was never anything I imagined myself doing, but it was an opportunity that I had happened upon, and it has inspired me. The dancers I have met along the way, too, have helped me to refine my craft. My burlesque side is more of an homage to the more secure and timid version of me because, honestly, there is a version of me out there that would have judged the hell out of me for doing this 100%. She was very conservative and scared of everything. So, on the one hand, it’s an homage to self, but it’s also a way for me to take control of this again … this fantasy that people have projected onto me. If you think I’m sexy when I feel I’m awkward, I’m gonna use that to my advantage. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Take us through a little of your musical history. You released the Introduction EP in 2017, correct? Was that the first recorded music you put out, or did you have something before that? Elle : I have a few covers I recorded in the studio, too, but I’ve never released them. They were really more for me. That was my first project, though. I was about 15 years old when we started and 16 when it was released. I was actually given the studio time by my mom as a birthday gift. MaM : So, after the Introduction EP , you released a series of singles and then came out with Symmetry . Elle : ' Symmetry ' is a whole other bag of rats. (laughter) Credit: Gary Governale Elle : So, my mom actually passed in June 2018, and this project initially had over six songs that were finished. After she passed, my life abruptly changed, so ' Symmetry ' is really about my grieving process. I look at it as a dissolution of self. I questioned my spirituality. I questioned my identity. I even questioned my sexuality. I pushed a lot of people away because I was feeling so much. I tend to isolate until I feel better. MaM : I do the same thing, so I can relate. Elle : Right? I need to be able to break shit in my own comfort. I need to be able to scream if I want to scream and get it out of my body. You know what I mean? I need that space to feel, which is what ' Symmetry ' was. The songs are an ode to my mom and our complicated relationship. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : I think that it’s incredible you were able to channel those feelings into something spectacular. So, I noticed that you collaborate with some of the members of First Street Hooligans . I love that band so much. Tell us a little more about that. Elle : So, Matthew Richard , lead singer and guitarist for the Hooligans , is my band's guitarist. I had just broken away from my hip-hop collective and felt drawn to the rock scene. I would jam with this band called Slightly Sour , which was a metal band. I was good friends with the drummer, Sebastian Elias . He then introduced me to some other people, and then I met Matt , and I showed him all the music I wanted to do. Matthew is very talented. I haven’t met many guitarists with the ear he has. I played him the beats that I had, and it kind of went from there. We decided to go under Elle H. or Elle H. and The Untitled . In the process of that, I met the rest of his band, and we all clicked really well. It was just a fun and laid-back collaboration that seamlessly came together. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : That’s awesome. So, this next question, I always like to ask this question because I get some interesting answers, but tell us about your best and worst shows so far. Elle : So, this one show, I had this heckler. Elle H. and The Untitled were supposed to play, but then bad weather happened, and it ended up just being me and my guitarist. This show was out of town, and the venue was dead, but we were just trying to fulfill the night. The same people had been in there all night without anyone new really coming in. There was this one group of rowdy, drunk married couples. They were older, and the men kept hooting and hollering because before the rainstorm happened, it was supposed to be a swimsuit party. So, I was wearing booty shorts and heels in my swimsuit amongst a sea of Cajun men. (laughter) So, we’re in the middle of playing ‘ Too Much ,’ and as I’m hitting some high notes, this guy in the back starts mimicking me, and I didn’t want to make the venue mad, so I just let it go, but it was pissing me off. Later, as I’m getting into the songs I’m singing, this man starts saying, ‘Take it off! Take it off!’ and crap like that. Finally, the bartender told him to shut up and get out, so he finally left. After he left, it was great! (laughter) Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Ok, so best show? Elle : Ok, so I have to put a lot of thought into this because I will say we have put on some really great events. I will honestly give myself credit for that. My favorite one has got to be the house party we put on as a band. It was to announce ourselves as a band because we all have different projects. The audience was a diverse group from various parts of the city. We had everything from 19-year-old frat boys to 32-year-old guitar heads. We made a big batch of punch and had a great night. It was in Matt’s garage, actually. It was fun to open up and show people who we were. However, after this year’s Fete du Void , that will probably be my favorite gig. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Is there a key message you want people to take away from your music and performances? Elle : I just want to help people awaken their hearts. I want my shows to be a safe place for them to just be themselves. MaM : Hell yeah! So, in the next five years, where do you see yourself? Anybody you’d like to collaborate with? Elle : I would love to collaborate with Miley Cyrus . Her song ‘ Midnight Sky ’ came out as I was leaving a toxic relationship, and it was exactly what I needed at that point. I would love to be a household name eventually and be known for my authenticity. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : What’s on the agenda for the rest of 2024 and beyond? Are you doing any writing? Elle : Honestly, I write every day because it’s hard for me not to write, but I actually plan to take a trip with Matthew , and we plan to record in the mountains using the sounds of nature to create an amazing project. I definitely don’t want to stop doing shows, but I’m hoping to manifest a tour soon where we can move more towards Texas and New Mexico. Credit: Gary Governale As Elle continues to forge ahead artistically, she will no doubt continue to carve her path through the modern music scene due to her unwavering drive and will to succeed. She is not just a rare talent, but a beacon of authenticity, a quality that resonates with us all. I look forward to witnessing the future unfold for Elle H. To learn more about Elle and to experience her music, just hit one of the links below. Facebook: Elle H. https://www.facebook.com/selftitledelle Facebook: Elle H. and The Untitled https://www.facebook.com/ellehandtheuntitled Instagram: Elle H. and The Untitled Elle H & The Untitled (@ellehlive) • Instagram photos and videos Instagram: Elle H. Elle H (@selftitledelle) • Instagram photos and videos Spotify and Apple Music: TOO MUCH - Elle H *All photos by Gary Governale www.governalephotovideo.com Zenfolio | Home I have been working as a video professional since 1993, with a wide range of experience writing, producing, directing, shooting and editing. A strong interest in videography, specifically lighting and composition, led me to photography in 1998. Rapidly changing technology has blurred the line between video and photography, allowing me to work in both mediums.. Baton Rouge, LA, United States www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90's flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

28 Days Later is one of the best zombie movies ever made, having popularized the fast zombie craze of modern-day cinema and terrified moviegoers around the world with its horrific scenario. < Back 28 Days Later: Feast Upon This Keeley Brooks Oct 18, 2023 Share 28 Days Later is one of the best zombie movies ever made, having popularized the fast zombie craze of modern-day cinema and terrified moviegoers around the world with its horrific scenario. Rating: 5 out of 5 raging zombies Growing up as a Gen Xer, I was, of course, aware of George Romero’s infamous zombie canon and was intrigued by the whole concept, but it wasn’t until the mid-2000s when a friend made me watch 28 Days Later (2002) that my intrigue completely changed. Not only was 28 Days Later my first introduction to the brilliantly talented Cillian Murphy ( Oppenheimer ), but it was also my first intro to a new kind of zombie beyond the slow, dread-inducing shufflers of the 20th century. Prior to watching 28 Days Later , I’d never seen (or even considered) fast, vicious, blood-thirsty zombies, and the idea was so horrifying to me that after watching it, my zombie interest turned into obsession. Although Nightmare City (1980) is often credited as the first movie featuring fast zombies, it was 28 Days Later that popularized the fast zombie craze of modern-day cinema and terrified zombie lovers and moviegoers around the world with its horrific scenario. And don’t get me wrong: While I love the concept, if fast zombies ever appear and start chasing us and we’re running together, I will trip you in my effort to reach safety. I’m kidding. Following the aftermath of a deadly viral outbreak in Great Britain, 28 Days Later focuses on Jim (Cillian Murphy, of Oppenheimer ), a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma 28 days after an accident to discover bustling London life completely obliterated and in total destruction, not another human soul in sight. After wandering the streets alone and easing into a church, Jim realizes the horror of the situation he finds himself in when he is chased by raging, bloodthirsty, once-human creatures. credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures It’s only after he’s rescued by a couple of survivors that he learns what has happened. Nearly a month prior to Jim’s awakening, a group of eco-terrorists in Cambridge freed a lab chimp from its cage, not realizing the chimp was infected with a highly contagious, aggression-inducing virus called the “Rage virus.” Unlike what we’ve seen in other zombie movies, one does not have to be bitten to be infected. All it takes is one drop of blood from an infected to drip into your eye or mouth or an open wound, etc., and that’s it: You’re done. Within seconds, the virus overtakes its host, completely morphing him/her/them into a violent, vicious creature that aggressively salivates for one thing: bloody carnage. Case in point: Check out what happens to Brendan Gleeson ( In Bruges ) after a drop of infected blood gets in his eye (warning: the scene below is intense): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzdxUlCNPLA While this scenario is indeed horrifying, heart-pounding, and hair-raising, it’s not what makes 28 Days Later such a terrifying film. The fact that what was once the military has set up a blockade and is broadcasting protection as a cover to lure female survivors into sexual slavery so they can repopulate the world does. And this is where the movie really gets delicious, as Jim jumps into action to save the only two females he’s come to know—one being a minor. 28 Days Later shows what happens to society in a frantic, post-apocalyptic crisis. In such a scenario, you’d like to think that when there’s a common enemy to fight, humanity would band together, but it doesn’t happen like that: The law breaks down, forcing humans to self-regulate, and self-regulation always leads to a form of anarchy, which is what we see here. 28 Days Later is arguably the first zombie film to successfully show the true breakdown of humanity and those effects in a post-apocalyptic crisis. Furthermore, while these fast zombies serve as a symbol of loss and meaning amongst a plethora of society vacancies, they also serve as metaphors for society's need for immediate, mindless consumption of, well, everything. So where there are multiple interpretations of a zombie crisis between all zombie movies, one thing that remains standard throughout all of them: Human beings can’t be trusted to take care of each other in the middle of a crisis where there is no collective hope because consumption has taken over. There’s a lot about 28 Days Later that is hands-down masterful, including its horror within the horror story, but what I love the most is the way Director Danny Boyle juxtaposes the terror of what is happening with the beauty of nature (i.e., colorful geometric tulip fields and sprawling English country sides)—ironic since nature is where viruses originate. That alone is what easily makes 28 Days Later one of the best zombie movies ever made . In addition to its stellar narrative, the actors each give outstanding performances riddled with inherent fear, the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, and the creative editing techniques as well as the soundtrack nicely drive the tension and pace of the movie, allowing the viewer to oscillate between safety and fear as 28 Days Later moves through its cycle of death, destruction, and rebirth. In 2007, a sequel released called 28 Weeks Later , but it was not written by 28 Days Later screenwriter Alex Garland ( Ex-Machina, Sunshine ), was not directed by Danny Boyle, nor did it feature Cillian Murphy and his character Jim. Some liked it; some didn’t. However, there is hope. Word on the circuit is that it looks like Garland, Boyle, and Murphy are teaming back up to bring us another sequel, which will likely be called 28 Years Later . I don’t know about you guys, but I’m already waiting with my giant bucket o’ popcorn and my safety blanket. Oddly enough, while 28 Weeks Later seems to be streaming multiple places, 28 Days Later is not currently streaming anywhere but is available to purchase and is well worth the fee. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcDhdb6J3rM Keeley Brooks is a big ole movies, television, and streaming nerd with a voracious appetite for entertainment consumption and an uncontrollable urge to write about everything she watches, even if it sucks. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Separatr’s music delves into the depths of human emotions, providing an introspective and relatable experience with poetic lyrics. < Back Separatr: Making Innovative Noise Pop Waves from Asbury Park Nicole Brice Feb 20, 2024 Share Separatr’s music delves into the depths of human emotions, providing an introspective and relatable experience with poetic lyrics. Have you ever had a band instantly resonate with your energy on many levels? For me, it does happen every so often, but the music must have the right combination of noise, groove, rhythm, and melody. Having recently learned of a noise pop duo out of New Jersey called Separatr from one of my favorite humans, Jeff Crespi, I decided to check out the band’s body of work. One listen to their EP “ Queen Ace ” on iTunes was all it took. I was hooked. Not only is the music tightly produced, but the artwork for the EP cover fits the mood and vibe of the tunes perfectly and the vocals are insanely good. Electronic music has always been a favorite of mine because of how it has revolutionized the industry with its distinctive style. Its rhythmic beats, synthesized melodies, and intricate production techniques make it a genre that continues to evolve and push the boundaries of musical creativity. With raw unfiltered energy, Separatr ’s music delves into the depths of human emotions, providing an introspective and relatable experience with poetic lyrics. From the pulsating synths on ' Obvious ' to the sonic rhythms on ' First In Line ', the Queen Ace EP explores a bevy of themes such as self-discovery, inner struggles, and societal observations. Credit: Jeff Crespi The embodiment of perseverance, drive, and dedication, Separatr is made up of vocalist Stephanie and her producer husband, Joe , who are currently embarking on a new direction with their music careers having recently relocated from Bellingham, Washington in 2023 to Asbury Park, New Jersey . Because of the intense scene the area has to offer, the duo chose New Jersey to continue their creative endeavors and they currently have many projects in the works. Mixed Alternative Magazine had the opportunity to chat with this up-and-coming duo recently to discuss their cross-country move, influences, and aspirations for the future, so take a moment to learn a little more about Separatr . MaM : You guys are from Bellingham, Washington, and are currently residing in Asbury Park, New Jersey. What was it like completely transplanting your life to move to a new area? How difficult was it to initially break into the scene in Asbury Park to start booking shows? Joe : It’s been great actually. The scene here is so supportive and welcoming. We’ve only been in Asbury since June 2023, but many people have heard our story and think it’s really cool. It’s actually how we’ve gotten a few shows. It’s really refreshing. MaM : What initially got you both into music to where you wanted to make your own? Stephanie : We both always have been into the idea of playing and performing. I’ve always been a singer. Growing up, people would tell me I had a good voice, and I tried to learn guitar, too, but I was just never truly into it, but I can play a little. I’ve always been a singer and a songwriter, though, but it was always in the back of my mind that I would do something with it. When Joe and I met, it started becoming more serious. Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : Tell us a little more about how the name of the band came about. I read that you took inspiration from a Radiohead song for the name. Joe : I liked the word graphically with how it looks, and it also is a little inside joke, too, since Radiohead is named after a Talking Heads ' song. So, it’s kind of like Talking Heads , Radiohead , and then Separatr . MaM : It’s a very unique name and it sets you apart. Now, as far as influences go with you guys, I made some notes. I wrote down if the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s met 12 Rounds and Kite Base and had a baby, then that would be Separatr. Who do you cite as your ultimate influence, though? Joe : I think that’s the first time I’ve heard someone else mention 12 Rounds . Atticus Ross – anything he does with Trent is amazing, but he’s pretty much part of Nine Inch Nails now, and it’s weird to think of them as a duo, but anything those two do is a huge influence on my production style. Stephanie : For sure, one of the first bands that we talked about when we first met was the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s . They were a big one for both of us. Joe : Yeah, I gave you a leaked copy of " It’s Blitz! ” before it came out. Stephanie : I had gotten into them with “ Show Your Bones ” and I love “ Fever to Tell ”. Certainly, Karen O is an influence on our music in a big way, and her range, too. You hear that with my singing, too, the way she’s not afraid to go crazy with her singing and then be delicate. Vocally, The Kills are an influence, too, with them being a duo. No Doubt and Garbage were huge for me growing up also. Gwen Stefani is a big one as well. Credit: Photo provided by band MaM : How would you describe the type of music you make for those not familiar? Joe : I like the term noise pop and anything that incorporates pop … alt-pop or dark pop . I think it really sets us apart from just being a rock band. Even locally, we try to make sure we play shows with other pop acts. We can get pretty loud and rocking, though, so for me, it’s more like a study in dynamics bringing in the loud/quiet/loud structure. MaM : Take us through the creative process. How do you come up with new concepts for songs? Joe : It’s always changing. Usually, I’m doing the production side by developing the sound. Stephanie writes the lyrics. We then come together to record vocals, but it’s ever-changing. MaM : As far as collaborations go, are there any musicians you want to work with in the future? Joe : I want to do a song with Blaise . Stephanie : He’s a local singer up here. We just performed a show that was a winter prom theme here in Asbury and it was our first time playing a show with him. He’s just a character and really talented. Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : I haven’t heard of him but am going to look him up when we get off this call. If you had the opportunity to open for any major acts, are there any that you would just jump at the chance? Joe : Oh wow, that’s a great question. My mind goes to Sleigh Bells , but then that would be too similar to what we are doing. I’d open for Nine Inch Nails . Definitely. Stephanie : Yeah, totally, but there are so many that would be amazing. Joe : Or maybe even some big pop star, so we could have one foot in the pop world. MaM : If you weren’t doing music currently, what would you be doing? Joe : If I wasn’t doing music, if that somehow was not in my DNA, then I think I would be doing something with broadcasting. Looking back now, I wish I had gone to school for broadcasting. What I love about this band is making the content, doing live-streaming, video production, all of that. Stephanie : It’s an interesting time to be in music because there is so much more accessibility to produce your own music. That also means that it’s harder to make headway because there is so much going on. Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : Do you have a favorite song to perform? Joe : It changes so much. I would have to say, ' Deadstock '. Stephanie : I agree with that as well. Often, it’s whatever the newest song is. “ Deadstock ” has been really fun to perform live because it’s a bit different for us. At the prom show we played recently, everyone did a cover, and we did, “Take My Breath Away”. It was a lot of fun. Joe : I put some big heavy fuzz guitars over the chorus for ' Take My Breath Away' , which gave it a different sound. MaM: I would love to hear your rendition of that. Such a great song. Do you plan on releasing a cover of that? Stephanie : I think we will. We had several people coming up to us after telling us we should, so hopefully soon. Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : What does the future hold for Separatr? Stephanie : We’re excited about some upcoming shows we have planned, and we should have some more music coming out this year at a more rapid rate. Joe : We’ve been doing this for a long time, but Separatr still feels like a new thing and we’re still learning and growing our community, so much more to come. Separatr is not just another band in the music industry; they are a breath of fresh air and a beacon of innovation. As they continue to evolve as a band, they are destined to leave a huge mark on the industry, so stay tuned and be sure to check out all their current music on your favorite streaming platforms. Bio Link: separatr Bandzoogle: Separatr ( bandzoogle.com ) www.jeffcrespirocks.com JEFFCRESPIROCKS See through a different lens! www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90's flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . A huge thank you to Jeff Crespi for all of the amazing photos. Visit www.jeffcrespirocks.com to view more. Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

“Born in the Flames” by Branded for Exile is a non-stop ride of aggressive guitars, tight production, and loud ferocious metal sure to get your pulse going. < Back Branded for Exile: A Force in Louisiana Metal Nicole Brice Dec 11, 2023 Share “Born in the Flames” by Branded for Exile is a non-stop ride of aggressive guitars, tight production, and loud ferocious metal sure to get your pulse going. Louisiana metal has a unique vibe and sound unlike anything heard in other states. Hinting at darkness, the sound evokes visions of living in the humid swamp areas while also providing a gloomy backdrop for life. Louisiana metal is fierce, loud, and strong, but in a state oversaturated with metal bands, one band from Ascension Parish is standing out with their groove-metal style. Powerful metal outfit Branded for Exile has just released a new album, and metal fans, it’s intense. “ Born in the Flames ” features crushing riffs, melodic hooks, and powerful lyrics in a high-energy way, making for one hell of an enjoyable 37-minute listening experience. Click the album cover below to check it out! Released October 28, 2023 Branded for Exile hails from Prairieville, Louisiana, and is known for blending many styles, textures, and influences, ranging from Metallica to Killswitch Engage and everyone in between. Their music is best described as an amalgamation of aggression and emotion, resulting in a truly dynamic and cohesive sound enhanced by each member’s own set of skills: Shannon Guillot is the vocal magic; Scott Hood carries the bass; Blake Cage and Cody Derouen mix it up on guitar; and Zack Leblanc is the rhythm working the drums. Mixed Alternative had the chance to catch up with guitarist Cody Derouen and vocalist Shannon Guillot, where we chatted about their new album, the future direction of the band, influences, and much more. Take a moment to indulge in our chat, and then be sure to stream their new album on your favorite streaming service. “ Born in the Flames ” is a non-stop ride of aggressive guitars, tight production, and loud ferocious metal sure to get your pulse going. Credit: Chad Besse MaM : Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today! Let’s dive right in with your new album, “ Born in the Flames ”. The mix sounds amazing. Tell us a little more about that. Cody : [ Jason Ogle ] recorded the bass, vocals, and the guitar, but the drums were done at OCD [Recording and Production] by Duane [Simoneaux]. MaM : Shannon, your vocals are on point. When I first listened to the song “ Silver Tongue ”, I thought about how your voice is very reminiscent of David Draiman from Disturbed because of the range of your screams. Have you gotten that comparison before? Shannon : When we first went in to record that song, to me, something was missing. It was our weakest song, so we changed some of the vocal parts to make them heavier, and it fit better. MaM : If Pantera and Disturbed had a band baby, it would be Branded for Exile. Do you agree? Shannon : Alright! Cody : I will take that! (laughter) MaM : See, this is the thing, your voice … it has hints of Phil Anselmo at times, too. Shannon : … and I am not surprised that you said that. Growing up, two of my idols were Sebastian Bach formerly of Skid Row and Phil Anselmo . There are some parts on the album that I call ‘Phil-isms’. I intentionally did it the way I felt Phil would do it. Credit: Chad Besse MaM : Your music is so high-energy and in-your-face, and your sound is so different. I feel you guys stand out here locally because of it. “ Numbered Days ” is just a badass song. Tell us a little more about how it came together. Shannon : The funny thing is that ‘ Numbered Days ’ was written in 2013. Me and the guitar player, Blake, … started [the band] Wicked River Rising and [wrote] some songs, but things didn’t work out, so we split up. … [W]hen we got Blake in this band, we still had those songs we had written, so we decided to see if we could still use them. Three of those songs … ended up on this album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXwepGnFkcw MaM : Let’s get into a little band history. Cody : Well, we’ve always known each other, and Shannon and I have played in various bands since 2003, but I was an outsider. I was never from Ascension Parish or the Baton Rouge scene. I started playing in the band Knever with Jeremy Pourcy and John Maher, and at the time, Shannon was with Black Market Halos . We were always crossing paths … playing shows and we had a brotherhood between bands in the early 2000’s. Fast forward to 2019, Knever tried to get back together a few times, but we just couldn’t make it work. John calls me up one day, though, and asks me about Shannon, and then tells me to call him, so I did. That was the beginning of the first incarnation of the band, and Scott Hood, who plays bass—Shannon already knew him from playing in Black Market Halos and Soul Erosion. Eventually, Blake Cage came into the mix from Absolum, and we all meshed. Now, as far as the drummer goes, that’s a different story. We auditioned six people. Shannon : We went a whole year without a drummer. We just could not find anyone, so we got together to practice without one for a bit. One day, a friend sent me a video on Facebook of a drummer I should check out, and I liked what I saw, so I hit the guy up. I ended up sending him some music with no lyrics, and he wanted me to send something with my singing on it. We ended up going to Jeremy’s house [Pourcy], and we put vocals on three songs, and then I sent it to him, and he said, ‘When do you practice again?’ That was it. Credit: Chad Besse MaM : How did the name for the band come about? Shannon : I came up with the name from a song I wrote, and to me, Branded for Exile stands for all the people who grew up like I did. The Metalheads, the outcasts … the ones with the long hair … the ones with tattoos … we are all ‘branded for exile’ in a way. Originally, though, we wanted to call the band Undaunted, but another band already had that name. Everyone liked [Branded for Exile] and agreed upon it, so here we are. MaM : Take us through the songwriting process. How do you approach new material? Shannon and Cody : Someone comes in with a riff. Shannon : Yeah, we’ll start with the riff, and then I freestyle lyrics to it until we get everything together. By the time that is done, I usually have the lyrics written. I like to write straight off the vibe. When we have another practice, I’ll sing the lyrics exactly as they are written to make sure I don’t have to alter them in any way, and then boom—it’s a song. Cody : As far as the music is concerned, everybody plays their part and knows their roles. You can’t have five Alpha guys trying to write one song. Somebody must step back, and another must come forward. With each song, you can tell who came forward to add their special touch. Sometimes you’re the writer and sometimes you’re the producer. Sometimes, you have to just sit back and let it happen. We live by the rule that the song is not finished until it’s recorded. Credit: Chad Besse MaM : If you guys could tour with anyone in the future, who would it be and why? Also, where do you see yourselves headed in the future as a band? Shannon : Shit … (laughter) Shannon : I think I would want to play with Killswitch [Engage]. That is my wife’s favorite band. … but it’s so hard to even imagine being able to play with so many great bands … that’s a tough one. Cody : Since I grew up on 80’s thrash, it would have to be Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax , or Megadeth . Shannon : I know there is going to come a time when I won’t be able to play music anymore, so I just want to put out as much as I can. I want to add to the legacy. I want to get older and have my grandkids go, ‘This is my Grandpa’, ya know? When I was younger, I chased the music dream. I wanted to be a rockstar, but it just didn’t pan out that way. MaM : … but what if it did happen now? Cody : I love these guys and they’re like my brothers, but I don’t know if I want to be over 50 and out on the road touring. If I was still 20 or 30, then yeah, because we did chase that dream, and I did give it 100%. I don’t think that I’m going to look back and think that I didn’t give it enough effort. If something were to happen, whatever it is, I would hope it would benefit all the bands here in Louisiana. A high tide raises all ships. If we get out there and our name gets out there, I just hope that it helps somebody else younger. To learn more about Branded for Exile and to check out “Born in the Flames”, hit one of the links below. Facebook Instagram Distrokid *cover photo by Chad Besse www.cmdbphotography.myportfolio.com chad besse www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Nicole Brice loves discovering new music. Got something you think she’d like to hear? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Jrago < Back What Do a Musician, an Indie Label, and a Video Game Have in Common? Nicole Brice Oct 18, 2022 Share Jrago Jeremy Pourcy is what you might call a veteran of the local music scene in South Louisiana. He originally started out with Knever in 2001 and continues making music with his very own metal band Jrago , in addition to playing bass with the First Baptist Church Worship Team in Denham Springs , LA. And did I mention he is developing his very first video game, Jrago – The Demon Hunter ? Because he sure is! Jeremy was previously involved with bands Eden , The Mysterious Stranger , Ambassador , and Branded for Exile . Multi-talented and multi-faceted doesn’t even begin to cover what all this man is about. We recently sat down with Jeremy to pick his brain on many topics, and he was incredible! Set to release a new album on December 16, 2022 , Jrago and Jeremy Pourcy are a MUST on your worth-checking-out list. credit: Gary Governale MaM : Give us a short bio of everything you have been involved in. I’ve been reading up on you and you’ve been on the scene for many years. JP : Well, in 2001, I joined my first real band called KNEVER playing bass. The lineup was Jason Ourso on vocals, Rusty Laughlin on guitar, and Jon Maher on Drums. I attended high school with Jason and Rusty , so that’s how we knew each other. After a few years, we added Cody DeRouen on guitar. During this time, we almost got a record deal, which failed, but it led to me starting an Indie label called Jrago Records . By 2004, we ended up replacing Rusty on guitar with a dear friend of ours named Luke Fauver . We had played shows with his other band, Caustic 6 , but unfortunately in the summer of 2006, Luke passed away and the band broke up. MaM : …and then from there, you created Eden with your wife, correct? JP : Yes, later that year in 2006, I married my wife, Kelly Smith , and we began to write and record music together. We called our project Eden , and it was mainly just writing and recording at home. MaM : After Eden, you had quite a long list of projects. credit: Gary Governale JP : Yes, I did. So, in 2007, I got a call from Jason Ourso , and he was starting up a new rock band and needed a bass player. It was called Murder on Sunday , which would eventually be renamed to The Mysterious Stranger . My time in the band was short lived, however, and I was replaced with another bassist. A couple of years later, I was invited to play for an A Perfect Circle cover band called Sea of Names (Mer de Noms) . The line-up was Rusty Laughlin on vocals, Adam Shelton on guitar, and Jeremy Rasti on drums. I was playing bass and keyboards. We never played any shows, but we had a good 10 songs we practiced for several months. MaM : It was about this time that you guys decided to bring Knever back, right? JP : Rusty and I joined Jon and Cody again, but this time Rusty was singing. We called it Never Again as a bit of a joke. By 2011, it was finally show ready, but I ended up leaving the project after the birth of my daughter. MaM : And when did Ambassador come about—after the reunion of Knever? JP : 2015 – I get a call from Jason Ourso once again, and he’s starting a new rock band. This time, with Gabriel Vicknair on vocals and Ean Savoy on drums. That was the beginning of Ambassador … but, then in 2016, Knever was back in action and needed a new bassist, so I joined them once again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b0T32Wg8do In 2018, Kelly and I released our third Eden album, Window , and Ambassador released its first album, Belly of the Whale . Coincidentally, Knever also released an album, which was to become the final album, The Collection . credit: Gary Governale MaM : So, what happened in 2019? I know a good bit went down but tell me a little more. JP : Well, in 2019, Ambassador gave me the boot, developing problems in Knever led to a breakup again, and I started to play with Branded for Exile for a few months but then ended up leaving that, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNk0knNcoSY So, by 2020, I was pretty much all alone musically and was trying to record a song unsuccessfully. After a few months, I got a call from Jon Maher , who also left Branded for Exile , and eventually we got our song “ Into the Precipice ” recorded. And that was the start of Jrago . MaM : Obviously, Jrago’s name is a play on your own name and you guys have been releasing songs like crazy. I can’t even keep up. Give us a little more info. JP : With Jrago , we decided to treat each song like an album and release them all as singles. This method of writing and recording allowed us to focus on each song individually. By the summer of 2021, we had six songs finished and decided to put out some CD’s (yes, I realize it’s an outdated medium these days, but we’re kind of old skool). So, our first album was called Destruction Breeds Creation . Our second album will feature eight songs and it’s called Disconnect . We have the release planned for December 16, 2022. credit: Gary Governale MaM : So, you obviously do everything yourself, which I admire tremendously. I, myself, am the same way. What recording software do you prefer to use? JP : I use Apple’s Logic software for recording. As far as why? I had previously used Apple’s “ Garageband ” software, and the interface and button configurations are similar. In Jrago , my main goal was to be able to write, record, mix, master, and produce music without having to get anyone else involved. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoD54kktIUE MaM : What has been the biggest obstacle musically since starting Jrago? JP : Guitar. Without a doubt, guitar. Being a bass player, it took quite a bit of practice to get my first guitar chops up to par to be taken seriously. Even now, I still consider myself amateur at best. In addition, vocals and lyrics were tough, too. Jon had been doing back-up vocals in our previous projects, and now he was able to shine as Lead Vocalist. So, both Jon and I are stepping out of our comfort zones and filling multiple roles in this project. While it’s difficult sometimes, it has allowed us to both grow musically. credit: Gary Governale MaM : As far as inspiration, from whom or where do you draw inspiration? JP : I believe music comes from God . As far as my influences, it would have to be my friends and fellow musicians. Growing up in South Louisiana , there has always been a ton of fresh, original bands all around me. I, honestly, listen to more local music and band room/live recordings than I do mainstream releases. If I had to list some big bands that inspired me, it would have to be Metallica , Tool , A Perfect Circle , Avenged Sevenfold , Nirvana , Pearl Jam , Soundgarden , Killswitch Engage , Dredg , Evanescence , Fear Factory , Times of Grace , The Empire Shall Fall , Eighteen Visions , 36 Crazyfists , Blindside , and Pink Floyd just to name a few. Be sure to check out and follow Jrago on YouTube , Facebook , and Instagram for the latest on upcoming releases and shows! Jrago | Facebook Jrago Studios | Facebook Jrago Records | Facebook Jrago (@jrago_) • Instagram photos and videos Music | Jrago (bandcamp.com) Jrago Records - YouTube credit: Gary Governale *All photos by Gary Governale* www.governalephotovideo.com Zenfolio | Home I have been working as a video professional since 1993, with a wide range of experience writing, producing, directing, shooting and editing. A strong interest in videography, specifically lighting and composition, led me to photography in 1998. Rapidly changing technology has blurred the line between video and photography, allowing me to work in both mediums.. Baton Rouge, LA, United States www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90's flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to us mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

NOLA blues musician Eric Johanson takes his distinctive, intoxicating sound on the road, kicking off his “Don’t Hold Back” tour in North Alabama. < Back Eric Johanson: A Distinctive Blues Musician with an Intoxicating Sound Bud Gambrell Jan 30, 2024 Share NOLA blues musician Eric Johanson takes his distinctive, intoxicating sound on the road, kicking off his “Don’t Hold Back” tour in North Alabama. New Orleans blues musician Eric Johanson recently embarked on his maiden headlining tour, kicking off his first show in Decatur, Alabama. Eric’s style of music cannot be classified into one category, as he is about more than traditional blues. His songs are steeped in the blues, but he also includes the influence of rock, funk, soul, and a little bit of Louisiana style. Born in Alexandria, Louisiana, Eric now calls New Orleans home and uses his travels abroad to gather the many influences that give him a distinctive and intoxicating sound. With the release of his new album, “The Deep and The Dirty,” the power trio sets out to make a name for themselves. Opening Night of the 2024 “Don’t Hold Back Tour” kicked off this past Saturday, January 27, at The Princess Theatre in Decatur. The power trio gave all that they had to please the undersized crowd. Led by guitar slinger Eric Johanson, the band laid into two sets running just over two hours. Eric hit the road in support of his 2023 release The Deep and The Dirty . While playing plenty of tracks from the new album, the evening had a generous helping of tracks from Eric’s previous releases. While Eric was in town, Mixed Alternative had the chance to sit down and have a chat with this brilliant guitar wizard. Read our conversation below! MaM : Your current tour, Don’t Hold Back , starts tonight in Decatur, Alabama. How do you feel about your upcoming tour which is your first headlining tour? EJ : We've certainly had headline dates out there, but this is the first time we're hitting a lot of these venues in a row to headline, so it's exciting! It's really good to be getting back out there and playing for the people. It's always nice when you headline the shows. You can play more material and stretch out. Credit: Bud Gambrell MaM : Since this is your debut headlining tour, is there anything that you are out to accomplish? EJ : We're just wanting to get out there and see folks that maybe heard us online and haven't gotten a chance to see us yet. The live show is really what it's all about for me. It's where the music takes on a life of its own. And you know we never play things the same way twice. There's always improvisation involved and we try to change up the set so we're hoping to see some familiar faces and also turn on some new folks to the to the live experience. Credit: Bud Gambrell MaM : Is there anything that you can tell a newcomer, like myself, on what to expect from an Eric Johanson show? EJ : Well, my music is heavily [influenced by the blues], but it kind of is a little broader than that. It has elements of rock and funk and has that Louisiana influence, and also a little bit of the jam band-like The Allman Brothers-type vibe in there. I don't like to keep it in a box but basically, it's a power trio and we perform mostly all original material from the albums that I've released. Credit: Bud Gambrell MaM : What can we expect to hear on the setlist? EJ : I'll play stuff from all three of the studio releases. I play a couple of things that came out on the ‘Covered Tracks’ releases sometimes, but honestly, these days, a lot of times, I don't write out a set list and we just kind of go with the feeling. I've found that it keeps it more on the edge of our toes to just come up with the next song based on what the moment feels like and the energy that we're getting from the crowd. So a lot of the time I'm really coming up with the set on the spot, but it's always a mix of the original tunes from my three records and you know occasionally we'll throw an old blues tune in there or an old New Orleans tune. MaM : This is a return trip for you to The Princess Theater. I understand the last stop had an interesting mishap. EJ : Yeah, the last time I was there something happened with a breaker or something and the PA went out for a little bit, and I actually ended up just sitting on the edge of the stage and singing acoustically to the room for a couple of songs while they got the PA back up. (laughs) And it actually was a cool moment and a testament to the sound of the room itself. It is a great-sounding theater. Credit: Bud Gambrell MaM : 2024 is looking to be a bright year for you: You just released the tour dates for Europe, as well as a new music video for “Just Like New”, and you are kicking off a tour tonight in support of the new album “The Deep and The Dirty”. In 2023, the album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues chart. How did you feel when you received the phone call giving you the news that it debuted in the top spot? EJ : It feels good! I mean you don't want to get too hung up on things like that, but it definitely is a nice feeling. When you're working on a record you just want to make the best thing that you can make. I want to make something like the music that I want to hear but I can't find or, you know, just something I would want to listen to. You really don't know how people are going to respond to it. So, when you get the news that it's not only sold well but that it's debuting at the top of the genre, it kind of gives you some … feeling like [you’re] onto something. You know what I mean? You just don't know. All you can do is what you think sounds good and it's been great to see other people getting into it. The album is not traditional blues, it's experimental. But I like to think that it's organic, it's raw, it's honest. And if people will respond to that it’s everything. It's great to see it charting and it's been great to hear peoples feedback and reactions to it. We're still excited, man! It's been out for about half a year now and so a lot of people these days get turned onto music through word of mouth. People are still discovering it all the time and it's just cool to see it kind of having legs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUwUD92mLlY MaM: You've been in the music business for several years now, and obviously the music business is evolving. What are your thoughts on the state of the music industry today, especially with the invention of digital music. Where do you stand on all that? EJ : Well, it's kind of a mixed blessing because you don't really make any money from the streaming. I mean, some people will make the argument that you can, but it's such an enormous amount. Millions of people have to be streaming the music for you to make minimum wage. It's basically just a way for people to discover music, but it's not really a money maker for most of us. But that said, you know it really allows for a whole lot more people to find music that they might be interested in. … Back in the day, if you weren't on the radio, if you weren't on MTV, then only your buddies that passed on a tape were going know about your music. I think it's good that there's so much diversity of music out there and that there is a way to put your art out there no matter what. It kind of is what it is. Thankfully, there are still people that are buying physical copies of music, whether it's with vinyl coming back or whether it's people that are buying CDs. Some people buy CDs, and I don't even know if they're playing them in a CD player or if it's just something to sign. But thankfully there are still people that do that because the merchandise table on tour is really how it all works. Without that, it's pretty hard to tour. I would prefer that there was a way to still encourage people to buy records. These days it's hard to even figure out how to buy a record on iTunes. It's all just streaming now, but you know there's not a whole lot that you can do to turn back the clock on that. I just try to look at it as it's a way that people can discover new music and hopefully, they'll come to a show and … buy a T-shirt or vinyl or a CD or something. For more on Eric Johanson or to catch a show on his Don’t Hold Back tour, visit the power trio online at www.EricJohanson.com , where you can find tour dates, news, and shop the online store. *All photos by Bud Gambrell with Dragonfly Imagery www.dragonflyaerialimagery.com Dragonfly Aerial Imagery Dragonfly Aerial Imagery is a locally owned and operated photography business in North Alabama. Call or email us today for an appointment. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Previous Next

Grits & Greens are on a mission to spread their signature sound in support of their new album. < Back Off The Charts: Grits & Greens Bud Gambrell May 1, 2024 Share Grits & Greens are on a mission to spread their signature sound in support of their new album. Before I begin this article, there is something that I want to say. When we announced the launch of Off the Charts last week, I was so taken aback by the support that we received. I could have guessed that there would be a few likes and the sort, but the sheer number of encouraging comments was simply overwhelming! I want to thank every one of you for your support! Now, on with the show. In our first edition of Off the Charts , I am going to take you down to South Mississippi. Down to Hattiesburg, to be exact. Grits & Greens is a four-piece band led by husband-and-wife team Ryann and Jesse McGhee. I had a chance to sit down with Ryann and had a great conversation. I will let Ryann Introduce the band and tell you more, so read on below. Credit: Photo provided by band OTC : Ryann, tell me who Grits & Greens are. RM : So that would be me. My name is Ryan McGhee. I am the lead singer and I also play rhythm guitar and a little bit of keyboard. My husband is Jesse McGhee. He is the lead guitar player, and he also does some background vocals for us. Jackson Bounds is on the drums, and he also does some background vocals for us, too. Jake Noble plays the bass guitar. Credit: Bud Gambrell OTC : For our readers who are not familiar with you, tell us what your main influences are. RM : Man, we are full of a lot of influences. We all kind of come from different musical backgrounds. Jesse and I have a lot in common as far as music goes. We both like the jam band sort of element. We both like bluegrass, too. My mother was a huge Norah Jones fan, so Norah Jones is a big influence on me vocally. But for my and Jesse's influences, we both are huge Tedeschi Trucks band fans. And the guys have varying influences that we all can kind of meet in the middle. You know, bands like Black Sabbath and things like that. We all kind of like the heavier side of things too. And I can't speak too much for Jackson and Jake's influences, but I know there's a good bit of Alice in Chains and Gorillaz , even RUSH . We all like RUSH and YES , the band YES. So yeah, there's a lot of influences that kind of all come together. It's sort of genre-bending. We don't fit into any one genre. We're just sort of like a melting pot of influences. Credit: Bud Gambrell OTC : You mentioned Tedeschi Trucks Band . I see the possible influence of a band led by a married couple. RM : For more reasons than one. The slide guitar. Jesse is influenced by Derek Trucks and the slide guitar and myself with Susan Tedeschi and the vocals and everything, but also just the fact that they're married, and I love the way they handle themselves. I love the way they act in the public eye. I think we’re fans in more ways than one. OTC : With the mention of all your influences, how would you describe the sound of Grits & Greens? RM : Someone said to us the other day, and it was the perfect statement that we had never really considered, but it's like The Allman Brothers meets Prog Rock, and they brought Bonnie Raitt along for the ride. Credit: Bud Gambrell OTC : I understand you have your debut album coming out. Tell me a little bit about that. RM : Yeah, that'll be coming out on May 2nd. And we're excited. This album has been a little bit of a piecemeal for us. It has been several years in the making of the recording. I think we've learned a lot about ourselves and our sound and we're very excited to put it out and in some ways sort of be done with it and move on to the next project. I think that's natural for most artists to feel by the time you get to the album release, so we're just looking at the future. We're excited to share this album with everybody and kind of close this chapter on some of the first sounds this band ever made. We certainly have evolved a lot and we're looking forward to getting it out and looking forward to sharing it with everybody. OTC : Who did the writing for this new album? RM : This album was primarily written by me and Jesse, both lyrically and musically. Instrumentally, it was written by the two of us as well, so we look forward to the next album. It will have a lot more of a collaborative feel and it will have a little bit of a different sound. We like to call this album kind of like Grits & Greens 1.0 and kind of just what we were doing at the time. Like any album, it is just sort of a snapshot in time of what the band is doing at that time and what their sound is. But people have been asking us when we will be selling tangible copies of our music for a while, so we're excited to have it done and be able to sell it at shows. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/999a0f_cc1de5e0686144879bacd918cd0f6202/1080p/mp4/file.mp4 OTC : Are there any songs on the new album that are particularly special to you? RM : Yeah, there's a couple of them. I would say “Wind and Sea”. That one has already been released as a single, but it's on the album and has always been special to me. There's just something about it musically that I love. Of the previously unreleased tunes, there's a song called “The Fall” and it’s special to me, too. I think “The Fall” is lyrically some of my best work, but I did have some help from some other band members with writing it. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/999a0f_7713e63c34424c8dba89ee1f849ff5f0/480p/mp4/file.mp4 OTC : In support of the new album, you have a tour coming up. Are there any exciting stops on this tour? RM : Yeah, we're excited about this first week! We're excited about the whole tour honestly. There are a lot of new venues this go around and some repeat venues. A venue that I've been watching since I was a kid, Proud Larry's in Oxford. We're excited to have that on the tour this year. I've never played there, and I've never been there, but I've heard a lot of really great things about it. I would say I'm most excited for this first week of the tour cause it's hitting some of our biggest cities as far as followers go. A lot of people have been waiting years for us to put out this album. We are just excited to be able to give the people what they want. OTC : As you are preparing to hit the road, are there any challenges that you face as a band on the road fighting for notoriety? RM : Man, you called me on a day that is full of challenges, so I can say a lot about this, but I'll keep it brief. I would say currently being “off the charts”, as you say, can be great. There are ups and downs and there are people that are like you who care and then there are people that don't care. I would say that in the wake of social media, it can be difficult to keep your head above water. I would also say the biggest challenge for me is just booking shows and dealing with venues. There are a million things that are difficult about this and there are a lot that are very rewarding. Credit: Bud Gambrell OTC : What’s next? What can we expect for the future of Grits & Greens? RM : I can't give any sort of timeline on this, but after we get home from the tour, we will be going back in the studio to record our next album, which is pretty much written. There's a lot that's going to go into this album. It's going to be bigger and better than this first album for sure. And as I said, I can't give a timeline on that. We have somewhat of a timeline in mind, but all I can say is the second album may be coming sooner than you think. OTC: So, you've got new songs that are written for the next album. Can fans who come to your shows on this tour expect to hear any of those new songs? RM : Absolutely! They're going to hear songs from the first album, but it's going to be, I'd say, about a 50-50 split of new songs that will be on the second album, and I guess old songs are not super old but old songs that are on the first album. Credit: Bud Gambrell OTC : Are there any parting words that you would like to say to old fans and new fans? RM : Yeah, I would say come check us out at a show. Live shows are really where we thrive. We love the studio, but live shows are indicative of who we are and everything we can do. So, I would say check out our website, check out our social media, and come find us at a show near you. We're constantly touring and constantly spreading the net and we love to meet our new fans and put on a show for them. I hope you enjoyed the first interview for Off the Charts . I have a couple more interviews in the works, so be on the lookout for those. For now, send me an email and let me know your thoughts. Feel free to tell me what you liked or disliked. Tell me about any bands that you know and love and think others will too. Go see a Grits & Greens show. Grab the new album while you are there, and by all means, stop by and say hello to them. Trust me on this one. They are all wonderful people! Until next time, Keep your diamond in the groove! To check out the music of Grits & Greens: Website: https://gritsandgreensband.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gritsandgreensband Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gritsandgreensband Linktree: https://linktr.ee/gritsandgreens YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCaTsQ7yfgCypWDM6HrkOTNw Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5WUZ83C7UmD3DSmUqkldyT?si=a94JARw4TtOx-0royuvyZg&utm_source=copy-link To reach Bud: Email: the_budgambrell@mixedaltmag.com Website: https://bgambrellphotography.com Amazon: https://a.co/d/1CLA9Tz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bud.gambrell www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Got something for Bud to check out? Email him at the_budgambrell@mixedaltmag.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

90’s alt rock with dark and dreamy layered vocals < Back Mindy Scurto and Captive Frame: Reigniting Shoegaze Nicole Brice Jul 31, 2023 Share 90’s alt rock with dark and dreamy layered vocals I recently came across the music of an indie band called Captive Frame. With numerous releases on their Bandcamp page, I was drawn to their sound because it reminds me so much of one of my favorite shoegaze bands, Scarling . When most think of shoegaze, they instantly think of bands such as My Bloody Valentine , Cocteau Twins , or The Jesus and Mary Chain : distorted guitars, feedback, and dreamy layered vocals encasing you in soothing waves of sound. With an insanely creative cover of Nirvana’s “ Something in the Way ,” Captive Frame has found a way to showcase the perfect mix of distortion and feedback making the well-known tune feel reinvented. Other tunes such as “Walking Away” and “Seven Mondays” take the listener through an atmospheric journey of texture and sound. With so many songs to experience on their Bandcamp page, you truly need to experience their music for yourself to understand the beauty of Mindy Scurto’s voice. It’s soft, it’s haunting, it’s seductive. Captive Frame is the brainchild of multi-talented female vocalist, Mindy Scurto, who is currently based out of Florida, and her husband, Joe, who plays lead guitar. Originally from Maine, Mindy is a graphic designer by day and a talented musician by night. Coming from a metal scene in New England, Scurto founded her own graphic design company called MK Studios, where she has taken on numerous projects for her band as well as others to give them the identity they all visually need. In addition to graphic design, Mindy also paints and loves to engross herself in fine art. With a history of over ten years in the business, Scurto formerly managed a music shop in her home state where she worked exclusively with Autistic children teaching them music and integration. I recently had the opportunity to chat with Mindy at length about her music, her life, and her passion to create as well as the current state of her band. Take a moment to learn a little more about this creative woman who knows how to captivate with not only her voice but also with her outgoing personality. MaM : Tell us a little more about the band beginnings. MS : Captive Frame started a long time ago back when I was living in New Hampshire. We had a band before that was called Zounderkite and then another one called Cactus Hag. We toured all over with Cactus Hag and had a lot of fun, but my health got really bad and we ended up moving around New England a good bit. After I was misdiagnosed with diabetes, they essentially told me I was going to die, and at that point I decided we needed to get the hell out of New England because I had developed neuropathy. I couldn’t play anything, and I couldn’t do my art. In the middle of the pandemic, we decided to move to Florida in the southwestern part of the state, and that is where we currently are now. Photo provided by band MaM : So, what year was it that you could say that Captive Frame really got started working on material? Was it 2012? MS : No, it was more like 2014. I remember I was still working at the music store, and I found DKFM, which is a shoegaze radio station, and I was just blown away. That kind of gave me the idea for the band and then Joe, my husband, who is a huge Siouxsie and the Banshees fan, heard this line in the song “Unrest” where she says something about a captive frame, and that really resonated with him. It symbolizes being stuck and the line really stayed with us. When we moved to Florida, we got with a producer and we had this plan and then ended up knocking out an album in a year. It just poured right out of us. MaM : What is going on currently with the band? Any new material coming? MS : We have the live line-up finally and we’ve only practiced twice, but the guys we have are really serious about the music, which is great. We’re not used to people taking the music seriously because we’ve been in some bad situations with band tyrants, and it just really messes up everyone’s time. The chemistry of this group is so right, and we are a super tight family. Currently practicing and working on songs. Cover art for Captive Frame's upcoming self-titled release MaM : Who makes up the current line-up of Captive Frame? MS : I sing and then my husband, Joe, is the lead guitarist. Eric is the rhythm guitar player and then we have Richard on bass and Ghimel on drums. Photo provided by band MaM : I truly love your sound and it reminds me of the band Scarling. Have you ever heard of them? It was a side project of Jessicka from Jack Off Jill. MS : Oh, no shit! That’s so funny. My old roommate from college was a Jack Off Jill maniac. That’s a great compliment. Thank you. MaM : What would you say the future holds for Captive Frame? MS : It would be really cool if we could get signed and we would love to travel, so we will see. To hear Captive Frame’s music, hit one of the links below and be sure to follow them on social media, too. They are working on so many things, so stay tuned! Bandcamp: Music | Captive Frame (bandcamp.com) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/captiveframe/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captive_frame/?hl=en www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

A New Era of Synths < Back NITE: Revamping New Wave Nicole Brice Mar 31, 2023 Share A New Era of Synths While doing my daily scroll on Instagram recently, I came across a duo performing a cover of Local H’s ' Bound for the Floor' and I was instantly stopped in my tracks. I’ve never heard anyone cover this song, and with Local H being a favorite of my brother’s, I felt compelled to check it out further. Intrigued, I turned the volume all the way up to take it all in. After listening to the song, I had to know who these guys are who decided to cover Local H ? As it turns out, their name is NITE , and they hail from Dallas, TX . NITE is an electronic rock band comprised of twin brother producers Kyle and Myles Mendes . They are also joined by drummer Phil Helms ( The Vanished ). The trio is inspired by alternative music of the 80s and 90s, and their sound has been described as darkwave, post-punk, post-industrial, and dream pop. I think their sound is just amazing, creative, and full of artistic flair. Credit: NITE The brothers have released three full-length albums , along with several singles, remixes, and an EP, and they’ve also had the prestigious honor of touring and performing with bands like The New Division, Small Black, Vision Video, Clean Bandit, A Flock of Seagulls, Actors, Midge Ure (Ultra Vox), Magic Sword, Men Without Hats, Night Club, and Berlin—yes, the Berlin. Say whaaat?! After enjoying the Local H cover, I wanted to hear more, and that’s when I discovered their Spotify page full of musical goodness. They’ve even taken on the task of covering an iconic grunge tune by Alice in Chains to make it all their own. Their cover of ' Would? ' is fresh as a shirt straight out of the dryer and is truly remarkable. You must check it out. I reached out to NITE to learn more about who they are behind their sound, and luckily, I had the opportunity to speak with both Kyle and Myles . They’re so much fun; I almost didn’t want our conversation to end. We promise you’ll be just as entertained by them as we are. MaM : Good Morning! How are you? Myles : Hey, I’m doing well. Thank you so much for setting this up. Kyle’s here, too. MaM : Hey Kyle! So, I wanted to start with what made me gravitate towards you guys. That Local H cover is awesome! Very few people give props to Local H and, in fact, my brother is a huge fan of theirs. I want to know your story, though, and I want to convey it to our readers so they can learn a little more about you. So, you guys are based in Dallas, correct? Born and raised there? Myles : Well, we were born in Canada, actually. Kyle : Winnipeg. Myles : Yep, we live in Texas and have for most of our lives, and I would consider myself a Texan more than anything, but we do visit Canada a lot and have played several shows there. MaM : Awesome. So, let’s talk production. I’m assuming you record and produce your own music, but do you also do work for other musicians as well? Myles : We do it for other musicians. We also make music for other companies and do commercial work as well. That’s a new thing for us. We haven’t went [sic] public with it, but we do have a song in a Ford Mustang commercial in China. MaM : Wow! That’s impressive! Myles : It’s not a NITE song, though. It’s just something we produced for commercial work. MaM : Eh, it still counts. How would you describe your music? I was listening to the two EP’s that are on Spotify, and on your first EP, it’s more of a New Wave sound with a little techno. I hate saying “techno,” because it’s a more of an electronic sound, but with your second EP, you add in a little more fuzz and it has more of a rock vibe. Y’all’s cover of “Would?” is insane! I have never heard that song covered in that way, so tell us what inspired you to cover that specific Alice in Chains track? Myles : We, well, just like you said, we have more of that pop/new wave sound in our roots, but I feel during COVID, we started gravitating more towards industrial music. Credit: NITE MaM : Ministry fans? Myles : Yeah, we love Ministry, too. We love that whole sound. Skinny Puppy, too. You name it, we probably like it. There is definitely an industrial accent with our music, and we wanted to bring that back a little but also not take the pop away. We really like early Ministry. Their first album was great. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzNdbw3Ah3s Falling Apart official music video MaM : “With Sympathy”… yep! In fact, I put that down in my notes as a comparison for your music. Your first EP reminds me so much of that album. Myles : Thank you. I love that. That’s an honor to say it. We actually got into Alice in Chains late in the game. I’ve always known about them and who they were, but when I heard the song “Would?”, I thought, ‘Man … this could have been a Joy Division song’—even the comparisons from Layne to Ian Curtis’ life. … [A]nd you know, they both ended tragically. I felt “Would?” is a post-punk song in its own right, though, and I felt like I needed to hear it industrialized. It was also kind of the kickstart to colonize a new branding with more of an industrial sound. I didn’t try to sound like Layne, nor should I even try, but I felt that we took a different vocal approach to it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXUwsbxuKZU Would? by NITE MaM : I completely agree. So, what do you guys want to accomplish going forward? Myles : Well, that’s a good question. I mean, we keep putting out music, and it was last year that our new song “Your Ego is Gone” was released along with the EP you heard. We are due for a new single, though, so we’re going to try and put one out before the tour this summer with The New Division. I think July is what we’re aiming for. We hope to have a single out by then. MaM : You mentioned a tour. Is this going to be a national tour? Myles : Right now, it’s just going to be a Texas tour. We’re hoping for a national tour later on this year with a band called Empathy Test. The New Division actually remixed our song “Life and Love”, and it has amassed many plays and was shared by New Retro Wave. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW4I8b6Avd8 Love and Life (New Division remix) MaM : Oh, I haven’t heard that yet. I’ll have to check it out. Does anyone ever give you guys a Tears for Fears comparison? I hear a tinge of that, too, in your music. Myles : Well, we are big Tears for Fears fans, and a lot of people do reference [them] with us. We are twins, though, and we’ve grown our hair out a little because, as kids, we were in a military school where we had to have shaved heads. It was a juvenile program called Young Marines. We weren’t juvenile delinquents or anything like that, but our parents felt we needed a ‘life experience’ and we got one. We also made a vow to grow out our hair afterwards. My dad loved the music of Kiss and a lot of the 80’s hair metal, so I guess you could say that’s why we have hair like we do. Kyle : It’s not a perm. Yeah. We don’t perm our hair. We have naturally curly hair. Credit: NITE MaM : That’s awesome that you naturally have that 80’s vibe going on. (laughs) So, you guys have a very fresh synth sound. How do you achieve that? I want to know what gear you use. Myles : We make our music through a software called Reason. We record pretty much everything through that, and a lot of our synth sounds are created with that, too. We also have Korg Minilogues we use. MaM : Nice. Myles : Another thing that people have taken notice of is our matching guitars, especially since we’re twins. We are currently playing Fender Jaguar guitars. Kyle plays bass, I play guitar, and they’re pretty much identical. What else, Kyle? Oh! We also have a drummer that sometimes plays with us, and he uses a full drum kit—the traditional one. He also plays with triggers, and that’s also how we capture him. His name is Phil Helms. He’s a veteran of the music scene, and so when Kyle and I were in middle school and high school, we actually listened to his band on the radio, and now he’s playing in our band. His band was called The Vanished, and then after that, they became Seven Channels. They’ve changed the name, but they’ve been touring for years. They’re kind of like an emo rock band. Credit: NITE MaM : See, that name sounds familiar. I bet I know their music. Myles : They had a single that was on national radio. It was called ' Favorite Scar '. That was a big song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=772vUNTWiJg Favorite Scar by The Vanished MaM : Ok, as soon as I get off this call with you guys, I’m going to check it out. There are many bands out there that I may not have heard because of how over-saturated the scene is. Kind of sad, actually. (laughs) Myles : There’s so many bands who had somewhat of a career and then, you know, it goes away, but with Spotify, at least you can look it up and go, ‘I remember this song from, like, 15 years ago.” They only had the one hit, though, unfortunately. MaM : Right, but even Spotify is kind of new to someone like me. I remember back in the day when you had the CD store and that was it. Hell, most of the CDs I used to buy were because of the cover art and whether it was in the genre of music I liked, and then I would listen to the music to see whether I dug it or not. So, new single coming in July … when do you plan to release a new EP? Myles : That’s a good question. I feel we are still learning. I’m seeing a lot of our friends are just garnering a good bit of success, and we have an album’s worth of material. I just feel if we released an entire album right now, we would kind of be hindering our growth. I think we’ll do what is called ‘waterfalling’, where we just keep releasing one song at a time and add a song to the EP every time we release one. Our next release might be the EP plus the new song. MaM : I think that’s an awesome plan. So, back to the Local H cover. What made you decide to cover them and their song “Bound for the Floor”? Myles : We love their music. They’re a duo, and we’re primarily a duo. Phil, our drummer, has always been in the trenches with us, per se, but he’s older and he can’t come out with us to a lot of the shows. He has a family and can’t make it to every gig, so we perform more as a duo. [So], we were just really inspired by Local H being a duo. Plus, we loved the song. Listen to the cover here: https://www.youtube.com/@wearethenite/shorts MaM : Are you guys just releasing everything independently right now? Any interest in being on a label? Myles : We don’t have a label or anything like that right now, but we were a part of Cleopatra Records at one point, and we put out ‘Sleepless’ and an album called ‘Reborn’ through them. After leaving Cleopatra, we put out a remix album, and now we’re on this industrial, you know, crusade. MaM : Guys, we really love what you have going on and can’t wait to hear more. Any parting words or anything else you want our readers to know? Myles : We’re grateful that we’ve gotten to open for so many cool bands over the years, and I feel we’ve been fortunate so far. I feel we’ve seen our audiences grow, and that’s really encouraging. We are just hopeful and we’re positive and we do what we do because we love it. Discography: · I Am Not Afraid - 2013 · Reborn - 2017 · Sleepless - 2020 · Sleepless Remixes - 2021 · Hallelujah Your Ego is Gone EP- 2022 To check out the music of NITE, hit one of the links below and be sure to follow them on social media. NITE (@wearethenite) • Instagram photos and videos www.wearethenite.com https://www.youtube.com/user/wearethenite NITE | Facebook Nite | Spotify Hallelujah (Your Ego is Gone) EP | NITE | Nite (bandcamp.com) Profile / Twitter ‎Nite on Apple Music www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Nicole Brice is a lifelong music guru who covets her vinyl collection, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Got questions or comments? E-mail her at the_nicolebrice@mixedaltmag.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

City Primeval: High noon approaches < Back Hills, Hollers, and Hoodlums: Raylan Givens Returns in Justified Sequel Keeley Brooks Apr 18, 2023 Share City Primeval: High noon approaches Back in 2010, FX brought us one hell of an entertainment drama series in a show about a charming but stubborn U.S. Marshal with his own methods of ensuring justice, Wild West-style. Justified won several awards during its run, including two Emmys, a Peabody, and the American Film Institute TV Program of the Year prize. If you’ve never seen the hit series, now is your chance to binge all six seasons before its sequel revival season returns this summer with eight new episodes. Justified originally ended its run in 2015 but this past January, FX announced the show will be returning this summer for a limited series run with a sequel titled City Primeval . Here’s a recap of the original series followed by everything we know about the sequel and what to expect. Deputy Marshal Raylan Givens, played by the inimitable Timothy Olyphant ( The Crazies ), is a bad-ass gunslinger who hunts criminals in his own way, with no regard for crossing legal lines. This, along with his bold, brash, no-bullshit attitude, puts him at odds with the higher ups in the U.S. Marshals Service, and after a pretty sweet (but illegal) gunslinging incident in Miami goes down in the opening scene of episode one, Givens is reassigned to his hometown Kentucky district full of hills, hollers, and hoodlums ... and memories he wants to forget. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrpyJzAq7Ro (For the layperson, a holler (or hollow) is the area of ground space between hills, in this case in Kentucky … it's unclaimed territory, if you will.) Developed by executive producer Graham Yost , the original series is based on a character from the late great American author Elmore Leonard and his novella “Fire in the Hole”. Leonard also wrote classic crime stories that turned into feature adaptations, such as Get Shorty , Be Cool , Rum Punch, and 3:10 to Yuma , among many others. To date, Justified is one of the most critically acclaimed shows of this century, along with Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad , and Better Call Saul . In addition to Olyphant, Justified also features Walton Goggins ( Sons of Anarchy, The Shield, The Righteous Gemstones ), Nick Searcy ( NCIS, The Old Way ), Joelle Carter ( Home Before Dark, Chicago Justice ), Natalie Zea ( The Detour ), Jere Burns ( Breaking Bad ), Jeremy Davies ( The Black Phone, Twister, Lost ), Margo Martindale ( Sneaky Pete, Cocaine Bear ), and many other recognizable faces. While Olyphant and Goggins were nominated for Emmys for their roles, Martindale took home the award for Best Supporting Drama Actress for her role as the tough as nail Mags Bennett. credit: IMDB Her portrayal in Justified is unforgettable, and after experiencing her there, you're gonna want to jump over to Sneaky Pete on Amazon and check her out her in that. Jeremy Davies, who plays one of Mags’s sons, also took home a guest Emmy, and you’ll see why after you visit the story. Each character has so many unique qualities, they bring the storyline to life with their rich dialogue and memorable idiosyncrasies. The series centers around a long-standing conflict (and inevitable anticipated showdown) between Raylan Givens and career holler criminal Boyd Crowder, played by an equally as charming Walton Goggins. The banter between these two is so much fun, you just can’t help but love and root for them both. In fact, I guarantee you’ll fall in love with every single character in these stand-alone, season-long arcs that offer up the perfect balance of comedy and drama. The show is written and acted out that well. credit: IMDB credit: FX Justified originally ended its run in 2015 with its sixth season, but this past January, FX announced the show will be returning July 18 for a limited series run. Here’s everything we know about the sequel and what to expect. Justified: City Primeval is based on one of Elmore Leonard’s other novels, the 1980 crime drama “City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit”. The book itself does not feature Raylan Givens, but the story was updated by Leonard's son to include the character. It's set in Detroit and follows a dangerous criminal by the name of Clement Mansell, aka The Oklahoma Wildman, played by Boyd Holbrook of The Predator and The Sandman . credit: IMDB The show’s creative team, which reunites much of the team from the original series, was reportedly excited to explore Raylan as a stranger in a strange land after spending years in the familiar, crime-ridden hollers of Eastern Kentucky—Harlan County, to be exact. “We weren’t trying to recapture the show we [previously] did,” explained co-showrunner Michael Dinner at the Television Critics Association winter press tour. “We were trying to recapture Elmore’s tone. This is a book that we really loved. We loved the characters in the book. We thought it would be interesting to pick up with Raylan and catapult him into this story and see him some years down the road. … What we’ve done is true to the show but not the same show.” Dinner served as executive producer on Justified during its original run and went on to produce and direct for Sneaky Pete and fellow FX crime drama Mayans M.C. Sharing the directing role with Dinner is Dave Andron, who is known for being the co-creator and show runner for FX’s Snowfall , which is coming to an end later this year. Justified: City Primeval picks up 10 years after the original series ended. Givens is long gone from his hometown of Harlan and now lives in Miami with his 15-year-old daughter Willa, who is played by Olyphant’s real-life daughter, Vivian. He balances his life between U.S. Marshal and part-time father, but a chance encounter on a lonely Florida highway sends him to Detroit where he crosses paths with the violent, sociopathic desperado The Oklahoma Wildman, who’s already slipped through the fingers of Detroit’s finest once and is looking to slip away again. Givens also has the pleasure of going up against the desperado’s big-time powerful lawyer. Together, these three characters set sail on a collision course a la Elmore Leonard style, and it’ll be a nailbiter to see who makes it out of City Primeval alive. credit: FX "While the setting and characters will are new, it’s still very much Justified in nature," said executive producer Sarah Timberman . “It’s an extension of the show in a kind of storytelling mode even though it’s Detroit. A hallmark of the original show was that you’d spin out into Margo Martindale and Kaitlyn Dever’s world, and you’d just live there and just leave our regulars. And they became the regulars.” The revival reportedly does this as well with characters played by Vondie Curtis-Hall ( Daredevil ), Aunjanue Ellis ( Lovecraft Country ) and Adelaide Clemens ( Rectify ). “You really get into these other lives over these eight episodes, and it’s really fun to watch,” said Graham Yost . And although the math doesn’t exactly add up, it has been 15 years since Raylan left Harlan for Florida, and Willa was only four at the time. The choice to finagle the timeline a little ultimately came down to dramatic considerations. “The age that she plays—15 going on 16—there’s a short window that Raylan has,” said Director Michael Dinner . “He’s at a point in his life where that road is pretty short in front of him. … He’s facing mandatory retirement in the marshal service.” Olyphant continues, “We were attracted to the idea that this is a ticking clock. Raylan is about to lose [Willa] no matter what [because of her age].” City Primeval is also rumored to address what has happened to some of our favorite characters from Justified . Allegedly, early in the revival’s development, the producers didn’t want to bring back any character from the show’s original run, but they eventually reconsidered and decided that as long as it made sense organically within the story, they would explore the idea. However, no deets have been released yet on who might show up or be addressed, but producers have confirmed through FX we will find out what has happened to some of the show’s finest (Wynn Duffy, anybody?). Director Michael Dinner has spoken out on the changing perception of law enforcement as it relates to depicting that in the show. Since Justified went off the air in 2015, there’s been a giant reckoning regarding police brutality. The complications presented by putting a law enforcement officer like Raylan, who (very much like Dexter Morgan in Dexter) is not a bad man but obviously lives by his own code, in Detroit and surrounding him with Black men and women are well understood by producers. “We’re not beating the drum [about race], but it’s certainly front and center,” said Dinner . “The world has changed. And Raylan’s world has changed. … It was important for us to try to get it right, to try to get what Raylan’s life is like in a changing world." Olyphant added, “We’re not a show that cheerleads for law enforcement. Part of what makes Elmore Leonard’s world, and our world, something a little different is the characters are self-aware a little bit. They’re aware of their flaws and they’re aware of their shortcomings. And they’re aware it’s complicated.” While the sequel series revival is meant to stand on its own and be an extension of the Justified universe, creators have alluded to the presence of Easter eggs for longtime fans. My recommendation is that if you have not seen Justified , now's the time to give it a go before tuning into City Primeval . It makes for a fantastic binge. You'll be glad you did, and you'll notice it’ll enhance your revival experience that much more. Here’s the original trailer from Season One. Enjoy the holler, my friends, and be sure to catch City Primeval on FX July 18 and FX on Hulu July 19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDkih-LVZtU Keeley Brooks is a big ole movies, television, and streaming nerd with a voracious appetite for content and an uncontrollable urge to write about everything she watches. Even if it sucks. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

A Nonconformist Sound < Back Unparalleled Talent and Personality: Subliminal Landmines Nicole Brice Feb 7, 2023 Share A Nonconformist Sound All musicians and bands draw inspiration from others, and often you will find hints of those influences scattered throughout their music. For Subliminal Landmines , though, their new sound hints at nonconformity and is one that is uniquely their own. If you like good, loud, punk rock, this band is for you. Taking a cue from Green Day , who are just one of their influences, these guys have solidified a solid line-up and continue to evolve as musicians and friends. Initially possessing a sound reminiscent of the Riddlin Kids , complete with catchy hooks and choruses, the sound of their new material takes on a harder edge with more of a skate/punk vibe . I was lucky enough to hear some of the new material, and I cannot wait until everyone else can check it out, too, because it is killer. Credit: Gary Governale Fronted by Grant Duhon on guitar with Chris Hayes on bass and Casey Bateman on drums, the men of Subliminal Landmines prove they are more than just another punk band. Each member brings an interesting dynamic and personality to the mix for a truly well-rounded listening experience best heard with the volume turned all the way up. The release of 2020’s Gibberish saw Subliminal Landmines forging their way into an over-saturated market during the height of COVID-19 but, truth be told, this album is distinct and unlike anything else out there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBTKzw76z6M Official video for 'Where's My Coke' by Subliminal Landmines If I had to pick one vocalist to compare Grant’s sound with, I just can’t. Truly. In fact, the writer in me wants to bring you these snazzy descriptive words for him, but they escape me. His voice is smooth and edgy and just what you’d expect to hear in a punk band, but yet, does not sound like anyone else. He possesses a style all his own. Credit: Gary Governale Chris has more of the classic punk vibe going for him, complete with a bad-ass wardrobe and an even more idiosyncratic personality. He exemplifies what it means to be punk rock and, in his other life, owns Leviathan Studios, a tattoo shop in Baton Rouge, La., where he has inked more people than I have purses and shoes. With a flair for art and individuality, Chris possesses a strong stage presence and an even larger-than-life persona. Credit: Gary Governale Casey rounds out the band on drums, and this dude hits those drums so hard, you feel their vibrations through your clothes clean into your soul. He’s really good and oozes talent, not to mention he is a Veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Props, my dude. Credit: Gary Governale I had the pleasure of hanging with these guys recently to talk about everything from music, influences, and sound to why Chris owns Twilight on DVD but refuses to watch it, and everywhere in between. A bad-ass, eccentric mix of classic punk rock is how I would describe Subliminal Landmines. Be sure to find their music and jam out as soon as you finish reading this article. You’ll thank me later. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : So, you guys formed in 2017, but you (looks at Chris) were NOT a part of that. Chris : Yes, formed in 2017, but the band has been around for a long time … We’re trying to push what we are doing now, and there have been several changes, but this is the core group now. MaM : Chris, I know you personally from working with you back in the day but give me a brief background on you for our readers. What’s your age? Chris : Do I have to give my real one? MaM : It would be nice, ideally. (laughs) Chris : I mean, I identify as, like 26, but … MaM : Well, you’re a couple years younger than me, and I’m 41, so … Chris : I’m, uh, 37. I’m a baby, remember? I’m a tattoo artist professionally, and I play bass in the band. Grant and I both sing. Hell, Casey sings now, too. It’s really a three-way entourage going on. MaM : Chris, who do you cite as your influence with your playing? Please don’t say Sid Vicious. (laughs) Chris : No, uh, singing-wise, yeah, we’re in the same range vocally. (laughs) It’s kind of a funny thing. A lot of the way I play, if you talk about it, like how I play bass … I started out getting into a lot of basslines from, like, Tool and then some more funky basslines like Gap Band and stuff like that, but that’s not how I play in this band. I bring more technical melodies to this band but more in that punk vein. I’d say as far as that vein of influences, it’d be more Hot Water Music, Alkaline Trio, and I don’t really know. MaM : Ok, let’s talk gear. What’s your favorite bass to play and what type of gear do you use? Chris : I’m a big fan of neck-through basses. That’s always been a thing for me. I always end up going back to an old 90s Peavey Unity neck-through body. I’ve had that since, like, the 6th grade, so over 20+ years. I’ve stripped it down, rebuilt it, and made it all my own. Most gear I try to customize it and make it my own. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Ok, so now, Grant, tell the readers a little about yourself. Grant : So, I’m Grant. I’m 27, and I’m unemployed. (laughs) Got fired on the 2nd day of this year, so I got to start my new year without a job. (laughs) MaM : Well, what were you doing before you got fired? Grant : I was managing a smoothie place in Carencro, La., and I had been working for them since college, but I did that for about four or five years, did the band, got married, and had two kids. I have a son who is two, and a daughter who is about to be one. MaM : So, you’re only 27? Chris : Oh yeah, I got a kid, too. MaM : I know you have a kid. (laughs) Chris : Well, I feel like an asshole if I don’t mention it since he mentioned his. (laughs) Grant : Yeah, so the world is kind of just open with opportunity right now, and I’m just trying to decide what I want to do. I kind of want to be more in the kitchen if I do something, like maybe be a chef or manage a kitchen or something like that. MaM : Go to school for that. Grant : Yeah, exactly. Culinary school. I just want to find something short term, though, to bridge the gap, but I’ve been playing guitar since I was eight years old. Self-taught, no lessons or anything. One of our main influences for me—and you can hear it in our music—is Green Day. Writing style, performance … [I] kind of just took some of that from them. ‘American Idiot’ is one of the first albums I heard by them when I was eight. MaM : Oh my gosh, that makes me feel old. Grant : I ended up, though, going back to listen to some of their older stuff, like ‘Dookie’ and ‘Nimrod’, but out of all of those that influenced me, it would be ‘Dookie,’ ‘Nimrod,’ and ‘Insomniac.’ Each of those albums has a distinct sound for the era they were in. I did listen to a lot of Hoobastank growing up, too, and my mom listened to a lot of Creed. MaM : Chris just made a funny face. Chris : I’m making all the freakin’ faces at Grant talking. Like, stop talking. (laughs) Grant : Just kind of saying what was around me as a child (looks at Chris ), but as I’ve gotten older, my choices have changed. MaM : Hey, we all went through a Creed phase. No judgement. (laughs) Don’t knock ‘em! Grant : I started writing my own songs at nine and even played in front of my 5th grade class with one of my friends, who played the drums. MaM : Wait, what did you guys play? Grant : So, we played some original songs I had written. Did that. As I turned 17, I was focused on college and didn’t play for a couple of years, but when I dropped out of college, I picked the guitar back up and then got the band started, which, 2017 is when the band really got started with me and my friend, Zack, who is now in the Marines, and I told him, ‘Dude, I really want to get a band going,’ and we walked around Lafayette and put up signs looking for a drummer and bassist and eventually, we found some people [and] time passed. [P]eople come and people go, and now we have the line-up we have currently. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : What type of guitar do you prefer playing? Grant : I have a guitar that was a Christmas present—my first guitar when I was eight. It’s a knock-off Fender guitar that you buy from Guitar Center for $199. It has the white pick guard with the tan to black(ish) fade like a lot of the original Fenders have, and it has stickers plastered all over it. Chris : Cherry sunburst? Grant : Yeah, whatever color you’re looking for. That’s the one I used to play with, and it still works to this day, but what I’m playing with right now is an Ibanez that I took apart and kind of pieced together and made my own. It’s dark blue … new knobs, new bridge, got some locking tuners put on it. I would say it’s a Frankenstein guitar, but it’s new besides the body, so it’s not a bunch of used parts. That’s what I play with. Amp-wise I have a 4 x 12 Orange Cab I play with, and I have the Orange Crush Pro head for it. I don’t really use any pedals; I use a distortion Senders pedal and a tuning pedal. Keep it simple. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : So, (looks at Casey), tell me a little more about you. Casey : So, I am Casey Bateman. I’m 32. Grew up in St. Amant. Started playing music around the house because of my dad. I got my own drum kit when I was 12, which is the one I’m playing on today. I started percussion in middle school [and] played in the marching band, but when I got out of high school, [I] went into the Marine Corps and played in the Marine Corps band—played in that for four years. That’s where I learned drum set, percussion, and random things. Chris : Scalping? Casey : Yeah, scalping, too. (laughs) Sure. MaM : Much respect for your service, thank you. Casey : After that, I was in a bunch of random bands—cover bands. I guess the biggest one I was in was in Denver. It was a reggae band, which is really cool, because it was the only band I was able to play shows with in other states. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : What would you say your musical influences are, as far as genre? Casey : Genre? Growing up I was into metal and rap. Eventually, I got my drum set and discovered Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance. I still love those bands, too. I was super into Travis Barker back in the day. MaM : (Us, too, Casey.) Too bad he had to marry a Kardashian, right?! Chris : They’ll be divorced soon. Only a matter of time. Casey : Like him, though, I try to be choppy, and I was inspired by that. I’m really into metal. Like the Acacia Strain and Hatebreed. I think I bring a Hatebreed-type of aggressiveness to my playing. Credit: Gary Governale Chris : I feel you bring a bit of the Creed and Hoobastank vibe into the band. Casey : (laughs) Yeah, I also play jazz drums. I play that around town and I’m actually in a jazz band called Florida Street Blowhards . They’re a bunch of old jazz heads and we just play some music every now and then, and I don’t exactly use those chops here with this band, but it’s fun. When I was in Denver, I actually played in the Denver Nuggets drumline for a while, and it was really fun. I did that for about three years and that inspired me to get back into music, [so] I started my music education degree, and I’m at LSU now, about to finish. I graduate this fall and will be finished by the end of the year. Chris : Wait, so Denver has a team called the Nuggets? Casey : Yeah, it used to be the Golden Nuggets. Not what you’re meaning. Chris : I mean, Colorado is, like, the top state for legalizing weed, so how appropriate they would name their team the Nuggets. (laughter) Casey : Their mascot was this, like, miner. Chris : Now it’s like a hippie? Looks like Jerry Garcia? (laughter) Casey : It’s quite convenient how that worked out. MaM : So, do you feel your fans have been receptive to your sound so far and with what you are trying to accomplish? Grant : I definitely feel that this past year they have been. The energy that Casey brings to the band is new, and then Chris and I are really finding our niche playing together. All three of us [are] synching up. The way crowds have reacted to us this past year has been way different than previous years. We’re more involved with them, but they’re more receptive with wanting to hear us play, and it’s a good feeling. Chris : You know what I just realized? Every single show we’ve had for the past year, like the past five or six shows, we’ve had the entire crowd go, ‘Uhhhh!’ (makes moaning noise). (laughs) MaM : Uh huh, and how did you manage that? Chris : We literally paused the song and hit the crowd with a, ‘Can I get a uhhhh?!’. (laughs) Grant : They usually all do it back. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : How would you describe your sound? I made a note about your music and that it sounds like Blink 182 with an edge. Would you agree with that? Chris : The last album we put out, I could agree with that, but with the new stuff we are doing, we’re moving away from that sound. MaM : So, what would you say you’re evolving towards with your current sound? Chris : I really couldn’t give you something to compare it to, off hand, but it’s just progressed more into an aggressive style. It’s got a heavier edge than before. We’re pushing faster, heavier, and more technical. MaM : So, you don’t want to be as poppy as before? Grant : We’re moving away from the pop punk. Chris : Yeah, we’re pushing away from the older music and moving towards the newer stuff we’re doing. MaM : If you could give me one band that your new stuff compares to, who would it be? Chris : It’s more in the vein of the skate/punk vibe or more traditional punk, like Pennywise . MaM : So, do you guys have any aspirations for the future? Do you want to do this full time, or do you want to keep it as more of a hobby? Chris : I’ve always looked at it as if you’re gonna play in a band, you need to approach it professionally, but we’re not making money at this. Any money earned is put back into the band. You know you can throw us some more risky questions, just saying. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Ok, so, what was this you said earlier about you being a movie buff who owns “Twilight” on DVD, yet you will NOT watch it? Why even spend the money? (laughs) Chris : ‘Cause it’s a movie and I collect movies, but people don’t buy DVDs anymore. Very few. They’re actually losing money on that. I’m buying it for the studios so they’ll keep making movies, but they just can’t keep making THAT movie. (laughs) MaM : Ok, well that leads me to … name one guilty pleasure band or artist that is in your music collection. Chris : Oingo Boingo. MaM : That’s not a terrible band. That’s actually a really good band. Chris : Oh, you mean that I don’t listen to? MaM : No, that you don’t want people to know you listen to. Like, if they saw it, you would be like, “That’s not mine. Someone put that there.” Chris : Honestly, I wouldn’t be ashamed of any of the music I listen to. I listen to weird shit. (laughs) I do have a lot of stuff that people would be surprised of, but nothing to be embarrassed of. I have shit like Patsy Cline and stuff. Grant : I kind of feel the same way, but I can’t pinpoint it to an exact artist. Chris : It’s easier for you because you own the newer Green Day albums. (laughs) Grant : I guess the later Green Day I can’t really get behind. (laughs) I do listen to it, though, but I don’t exactly enjoy it. (laughs) I guess, though, if I had to pinpoint an artist, then it would probably be NBA Youngboy. MaM : Can’t say I have any of that in my music collection. Grant : Like, I enjoy some of the stuff he has put out, but I can’t say that I listen to rap these days. MaM : Well, any closing words? Chris : You know how there is pull-apart monkey bread with the cinnamon on it? MaM : Yeah … Chris : Why don’t we just call it Simian rolls? (laughs) To check out all that is Subliminal Landmines , head on over to their various pages and listen NOW! New material coming soon, as they guys are currently mixing the new stuff. Stay tuned! Subliminal Landmines | Facebook Subliminal Landmines (@subliminallandmines) • Instagram photos and videos (195) Subliminal Landmines - YouTube Spotify – Subliminal Landmines Music | Subliminal Landmines (bandcamp.com) ‎Subliminal Landmines on Apple Music www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Strumming Through Struggles to Stardom < Back Off the Charts: Brandon Elder Bud Gambrell Jul 11, 2024 Share Strumming Through Struggles to Stardom Welcome back to Off the Charts . I’m so glad you’re here! I have not had an article out in a couple of weeks because I took some time to rest and clear my mind. For the most part, I took June off from writing and photography. Everyone needs a break, even me! When I began this column, I jotted down some names of people or bands I would like to introduce you to. The name Brandon Elder was on that list! I was first introduced to Brandon’s music in March of 2024 when I had an assignment to shoot the Conference USA basketball Championship. The Von Braun Center hosted three nights of local entertainment as part of the celebration, and Brandon happened to be playing the Friday Night show. I had heard the name Brandon Elder while researching my book on Side Tracks Music Hall . Of course, now I wish I had seen him perform at Side Tracks . After hearing him for the first time in March, though, I became a quick fan. I didn’t get a chance to meet Brandon face-to-face at the concert in March, but we did chat via messenger on Facebook, where I messaged him a couple of the pictures I took that night. For this interview, I met Brandon at Big Spring International Park in downtown Huntsville . We sat and talked about him and his musical journey. I now know him better, and soon, I think you will, too! My first question, of course, was to dig deeper into who Brandon Elder is, so read on below. Credit: Bud Gambrell OTC : For those who may not be familiar with you, tell me a little bit about Brandon Elder. BE : I’m 29 years old and from Union Grove, Alabama. I started playing music about 7-8 years ago and just started writing and working on songs, and it just went from there. Then, I just started making a career out of it. I love playing music! I love all my fans and am excited for the Alabama Smoke Show coming up here on July 26th . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2x7TQMG0Ec OTC : I saw that you were a contestant on American Idol . Tell me a little about that experience. BE : So, American Idol was cool! It was my first time on an airplane in LA, so all the firsts were fun! The TV part was a little weird, but I had a good time with it. You know, I’ll go back tomorrow! American Idol was awesome! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgA9nEDQo_I OTC : I watched the video of your audition in 2018. You played an original song called Gone. At the end of the song, the judges compliment you pretty much. What did that feel like? BE : It was excellent! It was nice for multiple reasons. It was the second song I've ever written. I had been playing guitar for maybe a year, so it was nice to get those compliments early on in my career, especially those they gave me about my songwriting. I think that's one of the reasons why I will probably continue to write as much as I do. Getting compliments from people like that makes you want to work even harder for it. OTC : One of the judges was Alabama native Lionel Ritchie . When he compliments you, this has to build your confidence slightly. Tell me how that felt. BE : For sure! And it's incredibly cool coming from him since he is from Alabama. I also cover about three or four of his songs in my set. I've always been a big fan of Lionel . So, it was cool! It was nice to get their compliments and be in the same room with them for a little while. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGnXZN7BN1w OTC : There are several ways that you perform your songs. It can be a solo acoustic, or it could be a full band. What is your favorite way to present your original songs? BE : I mean, I like playing with the band. I like it with the acoustic guitar, and I do a lot of shows with my fiddle player. Most of the time, my favorite way to perform my original songs would probably be like me, with another guitar player being more acoustic. I would say it's probably my favorite because most of the stuff I write is not party songs. It's hard for me to write those, which I have some, but it's hard to write the drink-a-beer song or the party songs. A lot of times, when I'm writing, it's a little deeper. It’s deeper than just the beer song or the whiskey song. But most of the time, it's just me and an acoustic guitar—either me and a guitar player or a fiddle player. Credit: Bud Gambrell OTC : Being a songwriter, where are you hoping your songwriting takes you? What's your next step? BE : The next step is to continue putting pen to pad. I would say keep doing what I'm doing and see where it goes. You know, doors open, and you hop through when they open and see where it goes. That's all you can do. OTC : Tonight, as a songwriter, you sit down to write a song with anybody you could pick; who would you write that song with and why? BE : Oh boy! That’s a tough one! Chris Stapleton would be up there for sure. Drake White , an Alabama boy. Jamey Johnson , another Alabama player. I guess the reason I think I gravitate most to those guys is because a lot of the stuff that they write is about a little bit of everything. But most of the things they write are not just about the party stuff. It's more about real-life things, and it just seems more heartfelt. So, I feel like all three guys aren't trying to write for the radio. They write what they want, and if people like it, cool. And if they don't cool. Credit: Bud Gambrell OTC : You’re a local musician, and you’ve gotten to play onstage at the VBC Mars Music Hall . How does it feel to be playing on the big stage? BE : Yeah, it's always fun to get on big stages like Mars because of multiple reasons. It's just a change of scene for one. And then, often, when you're opening for more significant acts, your set is condensed. Some people may think that's a bad thing, but I look at it like, OK, I have 45 minutes to give it the best I've got. You know, I get to get up and sing my songs for 45 minutes and maybe sprinkle a cover or two in there, but I'm not just singing other people's songs all night. So it's nice! It allows you to showcase what it is, who you are, and what you want to do as an artist. It also gives you a chance to let the people in the crowd get to know who you are, not just as an artist but also as a person. Credit: Bud Gambrell OTC : On July 26th, you once again get to get up onstage at Mars Music Hall . This will be a part of a local showcase. Are you looking forward to that? How do you feel about that show? BE : Yeah, it's going to be great! I know everybody on the ticket so that it will be great fun! All of us are never together at the same time, so it's going to be fun to get up there and have a good time with all the guys who are trying to do the same thing I'm trying to do and make a show out of it and get some people there and have some fun. OTC : There will be a lot of local talent on that stage. Does that give you some extra motivation to get up there and show out and do your best? BE : Absolutely! I guess it gives me some extra motivation, but at the same time, I give my best all the time. I don't want to say it will be just another night. It's not going to be just another night, but at the same time, I give it my best, no matter if I'm playing at Mars Music Hall or Moe’s. I will go up there and do my thing anyway, no matter what. Credit: Bud Gambrell OTC : Is there anything you want to say to a prospective new fan reading this right now? BE : With me, you get what you get. I hope that everybody likes what they hear. Ultimately, I'm not trying to change for anybody, and I hope to see you at the show I am putting on soon. OTC : Where can we find your music? BE : You can find it on Spotify and Apple Music . I think it's on like 50-something streaming platforms. It's in the works to get in the studio in the next month or so and start putting out some of the stuff I've been working on to the public. We will try to get in there and get some new music out for people because I haven't put anything out in a little while, but just because I haven't put anything out doesn't mean I haven't been working. We will try to get some new stuff out for the fans and see where that goes, though. Credit: Bud Gambrell I enjoyed talking with Brandon . We could have sat there and talked for who knows how long. But we had to go. Brandon had a rehearsal for an upcoming gig, and I had to get home and start writing this article for you. If you are in Huntsville, I highly recommend attending the Alabama Smoke Show on Friday, July 26th, at Mars Music Hall . Brandon will perform his songs along with several other local bands. It will not be a night to be missed! Click the picture to learn more! I hope you enjoyed this latest article for Off the Charts . I have a couple more interviews in the works, so be on the lookout for those. For now, please email me and let me know your thoughts. Feel free to tell me what you liked or disliked. Tell me about any bands you know and love and think others will. Until next time, Keep your diamond in the groove! Where to find Bud: Email: the_budgambrell@mixedaltmag.com bgambrellphotography.com Bud Gambrell Photography Bud Gambrell Photography is a locally owned and operated photography business in North Alabama. Call or email us today for an appointment. Amazon : https://a.co/d/1CLA9Tz Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/bud.gambrell To learn more about Brandon Elder: Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/brandoneldermusic/?hl=en Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/brandoneldermusic/ Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/artist/2xiJP2U4qbFDWoD9ebOpZA Apple Music : https://music.apple.com/us/artist/brandon-elder/1004631456 YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/c/BrandonElderMusic *cover photo by Bud Gambrell Questions or comments? Reach out to mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Reviving Britpop < Back A Wave of Nostalgia: The Clifftones Nicole Brice Feb 22, 2023 Share Reviving Britpop Ever so often, I will stumble upon a musician whose sound truly resonates with me all the way to my soul. This holds true with Boston singer/songwriter, Scott Clifford. Scott goes by the handle “The Clifftones” on Instagram, but he is a one-man show. He sings, he plays guitar, he makes his own promos, he produces and records his own music, AND he is one awesome guy. A fellow Veteran of the armed forces, such as myself, when Scott and I first connected, we were able to talk military, and that was initially how the conversation started. Scott served in the 82nd Airborne Division overseas in Iraq but has since ended his enlistment. His smooth, soulful voice is truly beautiful, though, and it puts me in such a calm space. I am certain it will do the same for you. Over the past few years, Clifford has released several original singles, but with his latest release, he has decided to pay homage to those who have inspired and influenced him since adolescence. “The Exchange St. Sessions” EP is available March 1st via all streaming platforms, and I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy. It has been on repeat for the past two weeks. This EP of cover songs is hauntingly beautiful and gives me the chills … the good kind you get when the music is truly special. With Scott’s renditions of such classics as “Fade into You” by Mazzy Star and “The Drugs Don’t Work” by The Verve, it’s as if I’m hearing this music for the first time. With a voice that is a cross between Ryan Adams and Tom Waits, I insist that everyone give a listen to his newest release launching soon. You will thank me; I’m sure of it. Scott and I sat down to have a lengthy discussion recently about his music, his career in the Army, and just everything in general. Take the time to read about this incredibly talented man, and then go check out his Instagram for everything Clifftones related. MaM : Good Morning! So, how’s it going? SC : It’s going alright. I was actually going to crack a joke with your text that said, “Alright, I’ll call you at 11:15.” I was going to say, “I don’t know what unit you were in, but it’s 11:18 here already … and then I realized you are an hour behind me.” (laughs) MaM : I forget that I’m in a different time zone from others sometimes, being in no-man’s-land Louisiana. (laughs) SC : At least people are polite there. MaM : Well, kinda sorta. My family isn’t from here. Dad is from San Diego and mom is from Ashtabula, Ohio, so I’ve always been the odd ball, but let’s get this started. First, I love your accent. I know I probably have a southern accent from being down here. (laughs) SC : Well, I wouldn’t say I have a thick one, but I wouldn’t say you have a thick one either, but now, if I have a drink, it really comes out. (laughs) MaM : So, I know you had mentioned prior to this that you were in the military. 82nd Airborne? SC : Yep, so I was stationed at Ft. Bragg and did basic at Ft. Benning and then did AIT at Ft. Gordon. MaM : I did both my basic and AIT at Ft. Jackson. SC : What was your MOS? MaM : It started out as 71 L, but when they did some restructuring, the nomenclature changed to 42 L, but no matter what the number was, was always a clerk. I think I processed more Article 15's than anything. It was as if someone was always in trouble. (laughs) SC: I was a Commo guy. I laughed when you had mentioned the “E-4 Mafia” when we spoke another time. MaM : It wasn’t like the opportunities weren’t there to advance past E-4, but I was happy with my MOS, so I figured, why change it just to gain rank. So, I was E-4 my entire military career and I like to say we knew stuff, but we didn’t want the responsibility. (laughs) SC : Oh, I’m one of ya. (laughs) Yeah, after my 15-month deployment to Iraq for the surge, I just didn’t really care about advancing. I got home from my deployment and just wanted out. That was in 2010, though. It’s been a while. MaM : Same. Ok, so let’s talk music. I could talk military forever. Give our readers a little more background info on you. SC : I am Scott Clifford, and I’m 38 years old. I live in Boston, Mass., and I’m inspired by Rock music, and from an early age always wanted to emulate my favorite artists. I like being able to convey feelings, thoughts, and experiences through music. It’s an outlet for me. While I’m from Massachusetts, I’ve lived and travelled all over the world. I am an 82nd airborne combat veteran, as we already spoke about, and while I’m glad I’m out, I am glad I served. Fun fact: While in Iraq, I managed to get ahold of a guitar and laptop, and in the rare event we had free time, I would make spoof songs with my friends and fellow soldiers. I made a song called “365 in the 325” (325th Infantry Regiment) where me and some of the other guys would sing about the monotony while serving and various broken promises our unit/leadership made. After my time in the military, I studied towards a bachelor’s degree and later a master’s degree in the United Kingdom. I loved living in the UK, and the music scene there was incredible. MaM : When did you first get the itch to make music? SC : The first time I recall music registering in my brain as something fun to do was when I was around four or five years old. I remember my grandparents having an old electric keyboard. I can recall slowly playing the piano from the highest note to the lowest, all the while daydreaming about a little red riding hood storyline in my mind. I really believe this is where I sort of picked up or wired my brain for melody. With every note, I associated a feeling and a picture in my mind. I still do! MaM : Name one influential person in your life who you can credit with putting you on your path to making music. SC : I was lucky as a kid. I remember my dad realizing that I was starting to care less about sports and more about music. He bought me my first guitar. That’s when I realized I didn’t just want to be a fan of music but also someone who creates music as well. Because of my age, I had just missed the Grunge movement, and then here comes this Brit-Pop stuff, which you know I love. In fact, I ended up talking to one of the Gallagher brothers. There is a third one, who is not famous, and he found me on Instagram a while back, and he said to me, ‘You know what your problem is?’ And I’m thinking, ‘Oh, here we go …’ (laughs) He says to me, though, ‘You’re not doing anything new.’ I’ve had so many people say that I’m stuck in the past with my music, but if I sound 80’s, 90’s, or even 60’s, I take that as a compliment. MaM : Well, you know what they say: What was once old will become new again. That’s just the nature of the game. What is your favorite type of music, and who is your favorite artist or musician? SC : My favorite type or genre of music? I’d have to say it is Alternative Rock with a solid Pop leaning. By that I mean everything I’m writing now is heavily based around hooks and a verse/bridge/chorus-sort of structure. Not only do I want the songs to be catchy but also meaningful with the lyrics (the hard part). One of my favorite musicians would have to be Noel Gallagher of Oasis, obviously. The way he crafts a song is often simple but so melodic and anthemic. MaM : What is one of your most memorable live shows you have played? SC: Live music … my experience playing live consists mainly of small pubs and open-mic nights. One of my favorite times playing was while I lived in England. A few of my friends knew I played the guitar and volunteered me to play. Learning all those Oasis songs as a kid paid off that night! MaM : Where do you see yourself headed in the future as far as your music career? SC : Well, so far, it’s looking like an eventful 2023. I’m releasing the acoustic five-track covers EP followed by an Originals EP. I’m also in talks to collaborate with an electronic artist from Europe (trying to push myself out of my comfort zone a bit) and possibly creating the soundtrack for an indie film set in NYC, not to mention planning some live dates and limited run merch for the upcoming EP. Exciting times! I’m still navigating the world of Indie music, but I’ve been fortunate to have had some talented musicians and artists reach out to talk about my work. It’s beyond flattering and tells me I’m on to something. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/999a0f_59a03b7d4ac641a0bec0c110e048e560/720p/mp4/file.mp4 To check out Scott’s music, be sure to follow him on Instagram and then download “The Exchange St. Sessions” EP out March 1, 2023! The Clifftones (@clifftonesmusic) • Instagram photos and videos The Exchange St Sessions (2021-2022) by The Clifftones - DistroKid Music | The Clifftones - Scott Clifford | BostonMA Spotify – The Clifftones TheClifftones (@clifftones) / Twitter *All photos provided by the artist* www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . 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A little bit Riot Grrrl mixed with female sensitivity < Back Candace Schur: Rock’s Next Big Female Powerhouse Nicole Brice Aug 7, 2023 Share A little bit Riot Grrrl mixed with female sensitivity Growing up as a teen in the 90s, I idolized musicians such as Kay Hanley from Letters to Cleo , Gwen Stefani , Lisa Loeb , and Monique Powell from Save Ferris . Their vocals were powerful, their lyrics were poignant, and their style was unmatched. One could even say they encompassed the softer side of the Riot Grrrl aesthetic by showing vulnerability and femininity. In a nod to revisiting that period, new generations of female musicians are taking the reins and paving the way for this latest wave of 90s nostalgia currently hitting us, and one female lead has such a strong presence that I feel she will be the one to reignite the female powerhouse movement in rock music. Her name is Candace Schur . Credit: Jeff Crespi With beauty that rivals Debbie Harry from Blondie, Candace is a hair stylist by day and a kick-ass frontwoman by night. She is gorgeous, fierce, and strong. Her beauty is not just surface level, though. No, her beauty lies also in her lyrics and delivery of her songs. Her energy is so intense that you can feel it radiating as she sings. Her songs are ones I could envision myself as a teenager singing along to in my room when feeling despondent and alone. Credit: Jeff Crespi With intricately constructed tunes showcasing themes of angst and redemption, Schur is the lead singer of the indie grunge/alt band Candy Cavity out of New Jersey . I was fortunate to learn of her music recently from a friend and one listen was all it took; I was instantly hooked. With songs such as ' Not Over It ', which talks about not being able to move forward after a break-up just yet, Schur writes from a relatable perspective about love and loss. We’ve all been there … break-ups. They are terrible and they gut you, but from the teenage girl's perspective, they are traumatizing. ' Not Over It ' is truly the perfect song to be the soundtrack for a love lost in the wildly formative years of adolescence. Credit: Jeff Crespi On another favorite track of mine, ' What You’re Missin ’, the sexy and fierce lyrics make you want to say, “Ya know, I could kick your ass if I wanted to.” The song is upbeat and fuzzy and in-your-face rock. I wanted to learn more about the woman behind the music, so I reached out to Candace . She and I had the most enjoyable conversation and I instantly connected to her free spirit and vibe. Check out a little bit of our conversation below. MaM : Thank you so much for talking with me today. Your voice is incredible, and I love your look. It all just goes together so well. What year did the band form and how did it initially come together? CS : My first band I was in was called Girl , which I formed with a boyfriend at the time. When the band broke up, he took the drummer and I took the bass player, who was also a drummer, too. After that, I had to change the name of the band, but I was the core holding it together. I decided to call the band Candy Cavity . The name of the band had been stored in my memory from math class my sophomore year in high school when I’d be sitting in class just doodling pictures of me fronting an all-girl rock band. It just popped into my mind when I needed a new band name. Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : So, what year did Candy Cavity actually form? CS : 2018 – I can’t remember if our first show was in 2019, though, but it was definitely 2018 when the band formed. MaM : As far as your vocal styling goes, I love your singing voice. It reminds me of Brody Dalle from The Distillers meets Debbie Harry meets Kay Hanley from Letters to Cleo, but who do you cite as your ultimate inspiration for what you do? CS : Growing up, my parents were not big on rock music. My dad listened to mellow 70’s rock—more so like Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young —but he also liked Tina Turner and Alanis Morissette . My mom was more into dance and pop music, but she was all over the place, too. I wasn’t into rock until my teens, just because I hadn’t really been introduced to it, so this was in the early 2000’s and punk and emo was big then … bands like Newfound Glory and The Starting Line and Taking Back Sunday . Green Day was huge. Pop punk was big for me and is what I got into first, but then I started playing acoustic music and I played it for a long time, but I wanted to switch to an electric sound. The songs that I started writing weren’t very good, but I started writing songs when I was 13 and I hid out with all of that, but I don’t think many knew I played guitar. I sang in chorus in high school and any opportunity I was given to sing extra, I took it. I joined this church choir, too, just so I could do more singing. I also took vocal lessons, but I knew I always wanted to take my singing to another level. I didn’t want to be seen as a folk artist, though. When I first started, the songs did end up taking on more of a folk vibe, but there was a point where Riot Grrrl bands were a huge influence for me—bands like Bikini Kill and Letters to Cleo . Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : I love, and I mean, LOVE Bikini Kill and Letters to Cleo. Kathleen Hanna is an icon. Kay Hanley is amazing. CS : Yeah, I actually saw them not too long ago. I went to the city to go see them. They’re great! Veruca Salt inspires me, too. Good Charlotte , too, believe it or not. I got into them when I was really young. I was always drawn to the band’s energy, and I wanted to put on a show with music that people could dance to and really get into. MaM : What do you say inspires your lyrical content? CS : Life experiences, but I have written some songs that are fabricated. It will start with one idea and then I just build on it. I have this one song called ' Happy New Year’s .' I wrote the song kidding around because I have this cousin who is in and out of jail, but I wrote the song from the perspective of his wife. A good amount of my songs draw from real experiences, though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUd31_RQDOE MaM : If you could share the stage with anybody or any band, who would it be? CS : Number one would be Blondie . Number two would be Garbage . MaM : I love Shirley Manson with every fiber of my being. (laughs) Ever since 9th grade of high school, Garbage has been one of my favorite bands. CS : You know who else? L7 ! MaM : Yes! I love L7 so much! CS : I love angst bands so much. But then I also like ones with the glam aspect, too. You know what I mean? Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : Oh, definitely! We are so in sync! Where do you see yourself headed in the future with the band? CS : I want to play shows with bigger crowds, and I want my songs to be relatable and honest for other people and you do what you do, and you put it all out there and you go, that’s all good, and great, but how do I get to the next level? That’s kind of where I’m at right now. To experience the music of Candy Cavity for yourself, hit one of the links below! You’ll be locking yourself in your bedroom singing along at the top of your lungs while having teenage daydreams of hot guys. Facebook : www.facebook.com/CandyCavity Instagram : Candy Cavity (@candycavity) • Instagram photos and videos Spotify : Candy Cavity | Spotify Apple Music : ‎Candy Cavity on Apple Music *cover photo by Jeff Crespi www.jeffcrespirocks.com JEFFCRESPIROCKS See through a different lens! www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90's flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Nicole Brice wishes she could decorate her bedroom with female musician posters, but she’s pretty sure her husband would get mad. She is always on the lookout for the next great female musician to discover, so if you have something you think she should check out, e-mail her at the_nicolebrice@mixedaltmag.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Gino V’s unique ability to infuse his compositions with emotion, technical proficiency, and soul will shape and inspire generations of musicians to come. < Back Gino V.: Redefining the Music Scene with Rhythm and Soul Nicole Brice Oct 20, 2023 Share Gino V’s unique ability to infuse his compositions with emotion, technical proficiency, and soul will shape and inspire generations of musicians to come. In South Louisiana, we have a rich musical landscape with bands playing many genres of music. From rock to zydeco to metal and everywhere in between, the market is saturated with talented individuals all looking to showcase their craft to the masses, and in the ever-evolving landscape of music, there are those rare individuals who possess the talent and vision to create something truly unique. When I first stumbled upon the Gino Vallecillo (aka Gino V.), I was blown away because it was unlike anything I’d ever previously heard, and it did not fall into one category. It’s a little bit of pop with a little bit of soul and a little bit of rhythm & blues. To be frank, it’s just good. Credit: Gary Governale Hailing from the town of Delcambre and stabilizing himself as a fixture on the local music scene in Lafayette, Louisiana, Gino V. has made a name for himself with various projects, including being a touring musician and playing in such bands as Sailor Mouth, Random Animals, HoleOpener, and The Band Forgiven. Gino’s diverse range of projects shows he is a man on a mission to be heard and seen. Multi-talented, Gino plays drums and sings, which is no small feat. With unparalleled skills and an ability to seamlessly blend various genres, Gino possesses an innate musicality—one that is sure to leave an indelible mark on the industry. Born and raised in a musically inclined family, Vallecillo was exposed to a diverse range of music from a young age where he absorbed the various musical styles, forming the foundation of his artistic journey that shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Having just released two new singles independently under his solo brand with the tunes “Shine” and “Back Home”, we were able to steal a few moments of Gino’s time to chat with him recently where we spoke about the state of the music industry as well as upcoming projects in the queue and what the future holds. Take a moment to read a little more about Gino V. and then be sure to check out his music on all streaming platforms. MaM : Thank you for speaking with us this morning. We did a little research on you, and it is insane how many projects you have been involved with over the years. Tell us a little background and history on you. GV : Well, my full name is Gino Vallecillo, but I shortened it to Gino V. because I’m Hispanic but grew up in Cajun Country. Since people have slaughtered my name my entire life, I figured it was easier for people to remember it this way. They can’t mess up Gino. I’m from Delcambre, which is south of Lafayette – about 35 minutes. I started playing drums around 12 years old but didn’t start playing on a kit until I was 14. I’ve been singing as long as I can remember, too, and I grew up in a very musical household where no one else played instruments, but everyone loved music. My dad is from Honduras, so I was exposed to salsa, mambo, and bachata dance styles early on—a lot of Afro-Cuban stuff. He was also into disco and soul music, so I absorbed that influence as well. My mom was more into rock from the 50s and 60s and also into 90s country, so I have those influences, too. Now, my brothers were the ones who liked hip-hop and R&B, so that kind of changed me. As a youth, it helped me to create the gumbo, if you will, of influences that got me here. Initially, when I first started, I was gigging in hardcore and metal bands from the time I was 14 and 15 years old, and that went all through college. In 2015, I decided to move on from the group I had been playing with for the past six years so I could start doing my own thing. I started trying to fill the pool with my singing again because I had taken a hiatus from it to focus on playing drums. I had been gigging in Lafayette in the heavy scene for a while but then decided to jump over to do more soul, blues, and R&B, which in Lafayette, oddly enough, is divided. You do have a few of us that do kind of catch every genre, but there’s so much out here including zydeco, which is huge. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Obviously. GV : You can go out and see many genres in Lafayette, though, but I started taking the jump to do something different. Then in 2017, I started a band that I had initially hoped would be a dirty blues band, but it wound up taking shape to be more R&B-esque with a little rock influence. We were called Sailor Mouth. For about four years, I was in Sailor Mouth, and then in 2021, I was allowed to go on the road with a national recording act for about seven months. I got to experience the world and travel the country, and it lit a fire under me. Being out there inspired me, and I came across many musicians who had given their lives to other artists with nothing that was truly theirs. People don’t realize it, but the music industry is extremely hard. It’s one of the toughest industries to be a part of because it takes so long to establish yourself. There’s no security either. The best way to establish that security for yourself, though, is to have your own thing to fall back on no matter what. MaM : So true … go on. GV : After coming home from that road gig, I didn’t have my own thing anymore, so with the help of one of my best friends, we were able to write “Shine”. He has been super influential in my taking this next step. For the past year, I have written a ton of music and am sitting on close to 20 songs. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Oh wow, that’s a lot. GV : “Shine” is the first release and I have some more music I want to release. My goal is to just continue to build my discography and try to elevate my brand. I have a lot of cool things coming up. MaM : Do you find it’s more difficult to get your music heard these days or do you feel technology has made it easier? GV : To be honest, I feel it’s a little bit of both. I use Distrokid and with that, there’s a lot of content put out because anyone can use it. I do think that because everyone is using streaming services our attention spans are not what they used to be, and for me as an artist, I don’t think I’ll be putting out a full record anytime soon. It would take so much of my time because I would obsess about every single detail including tracking and flow. I feel like singles are the way to go for me to establish my discography. I do like where technology is these days, but I think we’re on a different playing field than where it used to be with music. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : I can agree especially with the whole attention span thing. I couldn’t tell you the last time I listened to an entire album. I keep my music collection on shuffle, so it’s ever-changing. It’s crazy to think how far the industry has come and to think about how much things have changed. Of all these bands you have played in, are any of them still active? GV : Well, with Sailor Mouth, we are on a hiatus. A member moved and one had a baby and then I went on the road. Our guitarist is the guitarist for Wayne Toups right now, so he’s got that gig. Life just happened. I do still play for a very small circle of people currently. I still play for Ray Boudreaux. He’s a singer from Carencro and was on The Voice back in 2013. I also play for a soul singer out of Port Barre named Sarah Russo, who is incredible. I have a few projects. This is what I do full time and it’s what I want to do. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : So, mad respect for the fact that you play drums and sing. I’m not gonna lie: It looks difficult. How do you stay coordinated? How did you hone that skill to where you are just rockin’ the hell out of it? GV : Well, I think that it kind of started when I was younger. I was actually rapping and drumming when I was 14. I kind of dipped my toes into the water just to see if I was capable. Getting into the heavy scene, I found other drummers doing it in rock and metal bands. I got into Atreyu big time and Brandon Saller was a kick-ass drummer who sang. Underoath, Aaron Gillespie, another band with one who plays drums and sings. I was always inspired by it and wanted to do it. In 2016, I found Anderson .Paak and was very inspired by him, and I think that was one of the things in 2016 that gave me a kick in the ass when I saw him live because I knew I could do it. I wasn’t where I needed to be because I needed the mic time, but I knew it could be done. You’re not gonna get good at it unless you’re doing it constantly, so I’m always singing. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : That leads me to your new song, “Shine”—how did the lyrics come about for it? The entire vibe is so strong. GV : So, I had just come off the road and was trying to establish what I was going to do next. Josh, my homeboy, sent me the basic riff while I was on the road, and I had started messing with it. When I found the time to sit down, the song just poured out of me. The melody hit first and then the words came. The song “Shine” in general, I believe, is my outward expression of gratitude for the love I received from my partner. I went through some dark times in 2020 and I would have never gotten through them without my partner in my corner. So, the song is essentially that, but I think it’s up to interpretation, you know? It could be whatever that light in your life is, whatever that thing is that you can cling to that kind of pulls you out of the darkness when it doesn’t really feel like that’s possible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq7mIvKU-Gs MaM : I can definitely resonate with that. You said for the rest of the year you plan to release singles, but what are your goals for the remainder of 2023 and into 2024 and beyond? GV : I want to continue to release music and I would love to do more on the local festival circuit. I’m going for Festival International next year here in Lafayette. I’d also like to do more road gigs … maybe travel through the Bay St. Louis area, maybe Mississippi, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and then go through Texas. The biggest thing for me right now is elevation. I want to take what I’ve been doing and do it on a new level. As Gino Vallecillo’s musical journey continues to evolve, his future projects will undoubtedly push the boundaries of contemporary music even further. His unique ability to infuse his compositions with emotion, technical proficiency, and soul will shape and inspire generations of musicians to come. To check out the music of Gino V., just hit one of the links below! DistroKid : Shine by Gino V. - DistroKid Linktree : ginovmusic | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree *Cover photo by Gary Governale www.governalephotovideo.com Zenfolio | Home I have been working as a video professional since 1993, with a wide range of experience writing, producing, directing, shooting and editing. A strong interest in videography, specifically lighting and composition, led me to photography in 1998. Rapidly changing technology has blurred the line between video and photography, allowing me to work in both mediums.. Baton Rouge, LA, United States www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

The Adventures of Pecos Hank < Back Dark, Moody, Mysterious, and Daring Keeley Brooks Feb 22, 2023 Share The Adventures of Pecos Hank Twenty years ago, when I was in my early stages as an entertainment writer in Baton Rouge, La., I was out covering some local bands when I discovered and fell right in love with a Texas-based opening act called Southern Backtones. I loved their vibe, their presence, their tone, and their music. Not only did the Backtones resonate with me, but they also resonated with everyone else in the room that night. So, I did what any self-respecting writer would do and walked right up to them the second they came off the stage. And I’m glad I did, because it landed me a friend for life in their lead singer, Hank Schyma. We bonded over our love for bands like Pulp, Radiohead, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and Portishead, and over our love for film—specifically the movie Clay Pigeons . (Shout out to my fishin’ buddy!) Schyma, now widely and most popularly known as Pecos Hank, is really one of the most unique individuals you’ll ever meet. He’s quite the popular singer, songwriter, musician, photographer, videographer, filmmaker, and snake charmer/wrangler on several scenes, but that’s not what makes him unique. It’s who he is at his core and his authentic perspectives, as well as his genuine kindness, that leave the lasting impression. His music deeply expresses a lot of who he is, which is a southern badass with a big ole heart. credit: Jay Dryden Oh, did I mention he’s also a professional tornado chaser? Because, for real, he is. He’s the kind of tornado chaser you might’ve seen in the 90s cult classic disaster hit Twister : in love and obsessed with tornadoes, daring to get up close and personal with them, and passionately unafraid yet deeply respecting of one of Mother Nature’s most powerful storms. When he isn’t Hank the musician or videographer or photographer, he’s Hank the tornado chaser and storm expert. Pecos Hank with a giant twister on his tail. Not only is Schyma talented at what he does, but he’s also very passionate about it. Dude spends half the year tracking storms and chasing one of Earth’s most stunningly terrifying energies, and he’s highly sought-after for his footage and live reports during tornado season by many news and weather outlets, including The Weather Channel. He also reports to the National Weather Service when other chasers don’t beat him to the punch. He has also served and continues to serve as a storm consultant on major motion pictures—most recently on Supercell , which is an upcoming disaster movie releasing March 17, 2023, starring Alec Baldwin, Skeet Ulrich, and the late Anne Heche. Not only was “a boatload” of Schyma’s tornado and lightning footage used in the movie, but also two of his tornado pictures were spliced together to create the image seen on the movie poster. The poster image originated from these two photos of Schyma's: credit: Hank Schyma Videos of his are littered throughout the trailer and movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0Cs2DlZ15g Hank witnessed his first tornado in 2002 and captured the fastest tornado ever documented back in 2014, and on May 31, 2013, he was there in El Reno, Okla., to witness and capture the widest tornado ever recorded at 2.6 miles wide. photo credit: Hank Schyma On May 25, 2019, while chasing and documenting storms in Oklahoma, Hank discovered a specific type of transient luminous event (upper atmospheric lightning) called a GhOST, or Green emissions from excited Oxygen from Sprite Tops—in short, green upper atmospheric electrical discharges or green mini-auras. In the photo below, if you look just above the brightest part of the picture, you'll see a faint green hue that casts an afterflow across the sky; that's a GhOST. photo credit: Thomas Ashcraft “I video recorded some sprites over a storm … Later, when I reviewed the footage, I noticed a mysterious green afterglow above some of the larger sprites,” says Schyma. SPRITE stands for Stratospheric/mesospheric Perturbations Resulting from Intense Thunderstorm Electrification. They are large-scale electrical discharges occurring high above a thunderstorm cloud and are often reddish orange in color. Based on their shape, there are three types: jellyfish, column, and carrot SPRITEs. Hank tells me he then teamed up with photographer and SPRITE chaser, Paul M. Smith . “Yeah, this one I’m pretty proud of. [A] buddy and collaborator of mine, Paul Smith, and I discovered a faint green glow that occurs high above thunderstorms after powerful lightning strikes. Think of a random, brief aurora that lasts about one second,” explains Schyma. “We shared the footage with scientists and others on social media. Nobody had heard of it before. Many argued it might be a camera sensor artifact. Over the following weeks and months, Paul captured multiple other GhOSTs at high resolution, silencing the skepticism. This opened doors for us to directly chat with all the real scientist rock stars of meteorology.” The pair worked together to create this educational video explaining transient luminous events. Give it a watch and check out these atmospheric wonders for yourself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGPQ5kzJ9Tg So, yeah—see? He’s a general badass full of no fear and multi-leveled awesomeness. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, in the Pecos River Valley, Hank formed Southern Backtones in the late 90s with drummer Todd Sommer and guitarist John Griffin. As far as their sound goes, think American Southwestern dark, ethereal, gothic-y rock mixed with lonely echoes and moody twangs so delicious, they’ll leave your mouth watering … but not before they cast a spell on hidden parts of your soul and lull you in by the heart strings. They've often been described by media critics as, “Brit-influenced rock with roots firmly planted in Texas” and “moody voodoo rock that intertwines with Spaghetti Western and devil-may-care rock ‘n roll” ... windswept and gritty. In 1999, the Backtones headlined the Levi’s/Stage Stores promotional campaign with their hit song “ Fallen Angel ” from their first album, Los Tormentos De Amor , a self-described psychobilly surf punk album with cult Spaghetti Western twang. That resulted in the band touring through 80 towns across Texas in the first ever stretch Hummer, playing on top of it in retailer parking lots. Footage from those shows wound up as the basis for the Levi’s campaign and was even featured on MTV. Their second album, Unreleased Studio Tracks (2002), holds three surfy Tex-Mex cuts with vintage tones, and their third is self-titled Southern Backtones and released in 2006. It is pure dark indie rock with a heavy art movie soundtrack orchestration and was widely popular, hailed by Airplay Direct as "a beautifully dark cinematic embracement of Brit-pop and psychedelia in a philosophical search for more bohemian influences." IT IS SPECTACULAR. All of its songs longingly ache for a movie to come along and do dark justice in playing out their premise. They’re dark, bold, sexy, and mysterious. Tunes “Forever” and “Everything” were featured in the 2005 indie feature film Drop Dead Sexy with Jason Lee and Crispin Glover, and the music video for “Forever” saw regular rotation on MTV. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSlcKZj3gCQ Personally, my favorite song from their self-titled album is “Glamorous.” Because I love it (and you) so much, click the image below to hear the siren song, but be careful: You will be compelled to listen to it twice, then you'll be compelled to listen to the entire album on repeat. I promise it's just as sexy and menacing and alluring as “Glamorous” is. (wink) Over the years, Southern Backtones evolved and now consists of Schyma, Sommers, and a pretty bitchin’ viola player named Jo Bird the Fiddle Witch , one of the founders of Two Star Symphony , Houston's best-known creators of contemporary classical music for more than a decade. Schyma says of her, “She is such a wicked force of nature, that our whole new sound has grown around her.” She is, indeed, ferocious with a fiddle. Hank recently took some very precious time of his to catch up with me and rap about old times, music, tornadoes, and snakes, as well as what the future holds next for Pecos Hank. MaM: Shit, man. It’s so good to be talking with you after all these years! Thanks for catching up with me. Let’s see, you’re a very unique artist full of many, many, many talents. You sing, you write, you play music, you make videos, you take pictures, you chase tornadoes—I don’t even know where to start with you, so I’ll start at the beginning! PH: Well golly gee, Keeley. Bless your heart. That’s might dern sweet of you. MaM: Ha! You were born and raised in Houston, but do you claim any other areas? PH: Mostly Houston, with a side of Dallas and Huntington Beach, California. MaM: When did you know you wanted to pursue music, and where did the inspiration come from? PH: At age 13, I knew rock and roll was my calling. The electric guitar was the Siren. MaM: Musically, your influences then and now … hit me. PH: The Doors, The Cult, and Danzig hogged my cassette player, until I discovered Elvis. From there, it was Robert Johnson, Chris Isaak, Dick Dale, Muddy Waters, Ennio Morricone, and The Reverend Horton Heat. After a decade of burning out rootsy 1-4-5s, I did a 180 [after] becomingly heavily inspired by Brit-pop. [That was] shortly after I met you [when] we connected admiring Pulp, BRMC, Radiohead, and Portishead over many, many cocktails. Great times! MaM: We did! Those indeed were some great times! So, what kind of success did you guys see over the years, and how has that success contributed to where you are today? PH: Success? Ha ha ha! Nobody down here wants to listen to all that shit fused together. So, we thrived in the small dives, making enough money to pay for gas and bar tabs. [Twenty years ago], thirty people packed in the [former] Red Star Bar in downtown Baton Rouge and it was a good night for us. We worked hard, though, and scored some decent CMJ radio airplay on the East and West Coasts. That helped us put cheese on our Whataburgers. MaM: What was the Backtones most popular album? PH: It was always the most recent one, 'La Vie En Noir.' (Click image to listen.) We were inspired to change themes and make something new rather than sound like a broken record. You get sick of your stuff when you play 75-100 shows a year. This disappointed a lot of old fans, but for everyone one we lost, we gained two—including you and (friend) Sam. MaM: I know for a fact (smile) that one of your favorite and most influential groups is the English rock band Pulp. This is Hardcore is one of my all-time favorite albums, and I have you to thank for that. Have you ever had a chance to meet or speak with Jarvis Cocker, and are you stoked about their comeback tour next year? (Click image to listen.) PH: That album was a game changer. I’ve never heard of Pulp ever playing in the [American] South. Nobody down here wants to hear that shit. (laughter) But I bet they could pack 40 people in the [former] Red Star Bar! MaM: Oh, no doubt! So, after Griffin left Southern Backtones, you spent some time in the acoustic performance area, often as one half of a duet with viola virtuoso Jo Bird of Two Star Symphony. Talk to us about the dynamic between you two and how you got together. PH: Jo was always the darkest, most beautiful artist in the Houston music scene. She sat in with all the best bands, while I gawked on the sidelines. For some reason, she still hangs out with me. MaM: Let’s talk about El Reno Blues , which was your first solo album with a new approach. Talk to us about what that approach was, how it was new for you, and how it was received. PH: In a three-piece band, when you lose a member to crack or a better gig, a big chunk of your sound is lost and replaced with another. When we lost Griffin (to a better gig) and replaced him with Jo, we weren’t the same. Package that up with a different brand, and voilà. … Todd (our drummer), being the badass he’s always been, is now also our bass player. We had our first gig as a trio with him on the upright bass last fall 2021. The show must go on. He does have a 9-5 gig and can’t always make the weekday gigs, but Jo can. So, she and I do a lot of duo gigs on the side. Over the years, some magic has emerged from that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR_F0e1UdZc MaM: Tell us what you’re up to today in a musical sense. Writing? Playing? Recording? Touring? Being a general badass, who’ll never forget his super-bitchin writer friend he met 20 years ago? (laughter) PH: We’re currently halfway through a new record. I suppose when that’s done, we’ll have the impulse to tour where we can. Is the Red Star still open? What about the Bayou? Or the Thirsty Tiger? MaM: (laughs) Well, I don’t think they’re open under those names anymore, but the amount of venues that’ve opened up in Baton Rouge is insane. You’d have no trouble booking there. Where are you currently playing, and what can you tell us about BowiElvis Fest? PH: Just the usual places in Galveston and Houston. Fifteen years ago, I started a festival here called BowiElvis Fest . David Bowie and Elvis have the same birthday, January 8, and every year we have a big party with lots of bands playing Elvis tunes, Bowie tunes, and our own tunes. Splice Records has taken control of it, and man, does it swing. MaM: Dude, that’s awesome. And it sounds like so much fun. So, when I met you, you were known as Hank Schyma, but your identity has evolved into Pecos Hank. How did you earn that nickname? PH: I adore and snuggle (and charm and wrangle) rattlesnakes and tornados. credit: Hank Schyma My bestie, Emilie, pasted my face over a cartoon of Pecos Bill (a fictional cowboy and folk hero in stories set during American westward expansion into SW Texas) . He had a rattlesnake for a lasso and was riding a tornado. It was meant to be. MaM: Let’s jump over to your filmmaker status. When did you notice an interest in filmmaking, and how did you cultivate that? PH: I’ve always loved tinkering with video and made a few low-budget thingies, but I don’t think I deserve that title until I’ve completed something more substantial. Texas Honky Tonk legend Johnny Falstaff and I have completed three scripts. The only thing we need now is 10 million dollars. MaM: Yeah, that’s all we need, too. (laughs) I understand that when you were fronting the Backtones, you also directed, produced, and starred in a full-length blood-thirsty indie film. Tell me more. PH: Johnny Falstaff and I spent five or six years making Honky Tonk Blood . It’s a murder thriller that slithered through the Houston music scene at the time. For many of the bands, clubs, dancers, and artists of that era, it's a deliciously crude little time capsule. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_WJM_thk80 MaM: You also did the same with several music videos. I’m all ears. PH: Yeah, [music videos] are only four or five minutes long and don’t take five or six years to make. The time and money spent on an MV that lives forever on the inter-thingie is much more bang for the buck compared to touring. MaM: Now, rap with me about this tornado-chasing business. What drew you to tornadoes, then to chasing them, then to chasing them professionally for multiple different outlets? PH: I was drawing and sketching tornadoes before I could spell it. It began as a dream, became reality, and then a career. Weird, huh? MaM: When did you first get into chasing, and what was your first chasing experience like? PH: I feel like I’ve always been chasing storms. Whether it was just running into the front yard to see the lightning or driving my first car out to the fields for a better view of the coming storms, it’s always been an obsession. In 1995, Hank joined KHOU-TV’s news team working as a camera operator, which gave him the opportunity to work under their head meteorologist, Dr Neil Frank. Schyma gained professional storm-chaser status in 2007, when he was appointed as KRIV’s exclusive in-house storm chaser. MaM: You started photographing and filming your chases and the emergence of these beasts in a most gorgeous light. How up close have you gotten? Any close calls? PH: As close as you can get without your eyes getting wet! (laughs) Sorry, that’s a line from Old Gregg . Please tell me you’ve seen the Mighty Boosh's Old Gregg . Technically, I’ve been inside several weaker tornadoes and had too many close calls with powerful ones. I’m trying to cut that out. MaM: Unfortunately, I have not seen that one, but it’s now on the list! Do you ever get scared while chasing? Has a ‘nado ever shifted suddenly and seemingly come straight at you? PH: The weekly commutes from Houston to [Oklahoma City] are way more terrifying than tornadoes. I’d guesstimate [that] every 25 times I piss my pants almost getting killed by a distracted driver on I-45, I piss my pants from one tornado not doing what it’s supposed to be doing. MaM: What’s the most frightening tornado-chasing experience you’ve had? PH: It’s hard to compare that time you almost died with that time you almost died. The most recent was in 2019, when I accidentally positioned in front of a rain wrapped around [a] ¾-mile-wide beast. You think to yourself [that] any second now you could be rolling or flying. MaM: Talk to me about these weather, science, and nature documentaries you’re creating, and what kind of twist should we expect? PH: I can’t tell you the twist, that would ruin it. (laughs) For those interested, you can visit his Pecos Hank Patreon page and subscribe to watch his weather, science, and nature videos. MaM: You also create zoology and geography videos as well. Do tell. PH: Whatever neat-o thing I stumble across, I hope to document well. Whether it’s auroras over Russia or whales in Tahiti, I love it all. MaM: How is a typical year split up for you between music and chasing? PH: I’m always torn between music, critters, and storms, but lately music and critters are only getting the leftovers. Half my year is dedicated to capturing severe weather. To all my loving fans around the world, keep your Covid away from me! (laughs) MaM: You print and sell your photos of your tornado-chasing experiences. Have you seen a big demand to snatch up your shots? PH: It can always be bigger. photo credit: Hank Schyma photo credit: Hank Schyma MaM: Tell us where all you chase, how you decide where and what to chase, and what happens after destruction settles? What do you and your team do? PH: Most of the time, I chase alone anywhere from North Dakota to South Texas, Thailand to Australia. For two weeks a year, I join Dr. Anton Seimon’s scientific field operations team hoping to gather data that helps us understand [more about] tornadoes. Anytime we see destruction where human life may be impacted, we try to assist any way we can. Sometimes it’s just letting victims use our phones, and other times we are driving them to hospitals. MaM: Will you ever stop playing music or chasing tornadoes? PH: Only if I’m physically incapable. MaM: What’s the harmony you’ve found between making music and chasing tornadoes? PH: I score all my nature videos with my own music. Who’da thunk you’d sell way more records chasing tornadoes than touring? MaM: What’s next on the Pecos Hank agenda? PH: It’s 6 a.m. Time to go to bed. MaM: Okay, okay, haha. Tell people how they can find and keep up with you? PH: Just google 'tornado.' And he’s not kidding. Pecos Hank is everywhere accompanying the word tornado . For more on this music, snake, and tornado-wrangling cowboy, and for more on Southern Backtones, you can find all your heart desires by stopping by any of the below-listed sites. www.PecosHank.com Youtube @PecosHank Instagram @PecosHank Facebook @PecosHankOfficial Twitter @PecosHank Youtube @SouthernBacktones Instagram @SouthernBacktones Facebook @SouthernBacktones www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

If you're on the fence about it, check out these top 5 reasons to see "Napoleon". < Back Reasons to See Napoleon: Feast Upon This Keeley Brooks Nov 13, 2023 Share If you're on the fence about it, check out these top 5 reasons to see "Napoleon". It’s no secret I’m a big fan of historical adaptations. What I love most is the opportunity to experience a certain time period through different perspectives. Some of those perspectives are as historically accurate as possible while others are merely loosely based on a certain era. With Ridley Scott’s heavily anticipated Napoleon adaptation releasing soon, it’s safe to say we can gear up for a picture that’s as historically accurate as possible and just as rich in atmosphere. The film—guaranteed to be an epic masterpiece —stars Joaquin Phoenix ( Joker ) as Napoleon Bonaparte and Vanessa Kirby ( The Crown ) as the Empress Joséphine and is based on Napoleon’s astonishing life, offering an intimate portrait of one of history’s greatest military leaders. If you’re unsure about it, here are my top five reasons why you should see Napoleon . #5 : Deep Dive into Napoleonic History Given that Ridley Scott has expressed clear interest in Napoleon as a historical figure and this is his second go-around with the Napoleonic era, we can expect as accurate a depiction as possible. With 2023's Napoleon , not only are we getting a deep dive into the events surrounding one of the most mythological military commanders ever, but we’re also diving into the effects of his tumultuous private life , giving us as close to a personal look at the emperor’s private life as possible. During the French Revolution, Napoleon rose rapidly through the military ranks and, as a general, seized power in a coup d’état in 1799. He then crowned himself leader. Next, he set out waging war against European nations and expanding his powerful empire, all while embroiled in an intense romantic battle with Joséphine, which ultimately served as the force driving him to conquer the world. Over the course of a single decade, Napoleon led a revolutionary French army against the other great powers of Europe and succeeded, even bringing down the Holy Roman Empire. After tearing across Europe for a time, his career finally came to an end in 1821 on the remote island of Saint Helena, where he died at the age of 51. Scott reportedly will make Napoleon’s romance with Joséphine the center of his movie—an aspect often overlooked in previous Napoleonic adaptations. Vanessa Kirby and Joaquin Phoenix as Joséphine & Napoleon. (credit: Apple TV + Columbia Pictures) When the two met, he was a 26-year-old French military officer, and she was a 32-year-old single mother of two. They fell deeply in love and soon married, but both were known to have affairs. They spent five years in marital unbliss before divorcing in 1810 after Napoleon accepted Joséphine would never be able to give him the heir needed to maintain his line. Napoleon’s story is that of a war criminal , really— a psyche overrun with obsession and madness . What makes it so intriguing is that he was a man who came out of nowhere to seize and rule everything, all in the name of love. What’s makes it so tragic is that he did all he did in an effort to win Joséphine’s love, and when he couldn’t, he conquered the world to destroy her; unfortunately, in the process, he wound up destroying himself. To see this tragedy play out in the era of 21st Century film will be utterly exciting and captivating. Other iconic moments of French history teased in the trailer include the 1793 public beheading of Marie Antoinette; the 1795 defeat of French royalists, where Napoleon ruthlessly fired on protestors in the streets of Paris; and Napoleon’s infamous self-coronation as Emperor of France in direct antagonism of the Catholic Church and Pope Pius VII. #4 : Cinematic Reunion of Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix on set (Columbia Pictures). Napoleon reunites Joaquin Phoenix and Ridley Scott for the first time since Gladiator (2000), in which Phoenix plays the power-hungry ruler and last emperor of the Pax Romana, Commodus. His performance there is masterful and chilling, slicing you right in half as a viewer. S tunning and gorgeous in its own right, Gladiator was Phoenix’s first big production, so it’s quite fitting now that the two artistic forces are teaming back up for one of cinema’s biggest historical portrayals . If you saw Gladiator , you know how well the two support and feed off of one another’s creative energy. You also know what these powerhouses are capable of producing together. Both Phoenix and Scott have had over two decades to refine their respective craft and explore themselves as they relate to that craft, so we have every reason to be excited about this reunion, which will no doubt be anything short of brilliant and thrilling. #3 : Costumes & Sets Vanessa Kirby as Empress Joséphine and Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon (Columbia Pictures). Costumes and sets are integral aspects to creative and enhancing a story’s atmosphere. Lucky for us, Ridley Scott is known for going all in where both are concerned. His films are rich in detail with stunning visual style and are known for dropping us right into a certain time period so we can experience it for ourselves. And that’s what a good historical adaptation should do: represent history as accurately as possible in a way that allows viewers to lose sense of their own place in time. For Napoleon , Academy Award-Winning Costume Designer Janty Yates, known for her work on Gladiator , is teaming back up with Scott, so get ready to be awe-struck. The two have collaborated on several films, including Kingdom of Heaven and The Last Duel , and from those alone we know to expect opulent sets dripping in vibrant fabrics—in this case, of chiffon, silk, satin, and lace adorning the neoclassical styles that were widely popular during the Napoleonic era. Coronation outfits are always popular standouts, so pay close attention to Napoleon and Joséphine’s lavish outfits in particular: He wore a gold-embroidered white satin tunic and red velvet cloak embellished with golden bees, while she wore a white satin gown with puffed sleeves and gold detailing. # 2: Battle Sequences credit: Apple TV + Columbia Pictures Ridley Scott is no stranger to action epics featuring epic battle sequences and historical bloodshed incited by political turmoil. It’s his bread and butter. In fact, he’s already made the hefty proposition that Napoleon will feature not one, not two, but SIX large-scale battles spanning Napoleon’s prolific military career. Here’s why this is exciting. Where early Napoleon-centric films of the past also tackled the leader’s infamous battles, they often focused more on a specific military moment—The Battle of Waterloo, for example—and made a grandiose spectacle out of it. Technology has come a very long way since then, and with Scott’s vision at the helm, I’d say buckle up for quite the spectacle. Scott planned Napoleon ’s massive battle sequences, like the tactical masterpiece that was the 1805 Battle of Austerlitz, in regular meetings with the heads of various production departments and with military advisors in order to ensure scale, choreography, accuracy, and cohesion in presentation. As previously mentioned, Napoleon is Scott’s second attempt at capturing the lived experience of the Napoleonic Wars, so you know his heart is wholly in this presentation. His first attempt was with his 1977 debut film, The Duellists . Given how much he planned and consulted where these cause-and-effect sequences are concerned, one thing’s for sure: Napoleon will not skimp on spectacle. Not even a little. And isn’t that what we often love most about historical adaptations? I know I do. #1 : Joaquin Phoenix Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte. (credit: Apple TV + Columbia Pictures) The Oscar winner is one of the most talented, versatile, impactful actors of modern-day cinema. He’s well known for his emotional, soulful, thunderous performances—especially those featuring a heavy psychological aspect, like Joker . Ridley Scott himself has said Phoenix is perfect to play Napoleon , that he is “the best player of damaged goods.” Excluding their reunion, the idea alone of seeing Joaquin Phoenix play one of the most powerful and emotionally complex military generals-turned-leaders is excitedly appealing. He has an authentic ability to dissolve himself into the psychology of his characters, which is part of what makes him so alluring. He understands darkness and uses that to create unforgettable dimension in his characters, layering them with varying levels of innocence and sadness mixed with power, love, and danger. To see Phoenix play any emotionally complex character is an experience that exposes us to deep empathy and awareness of something we haven’t yet considered. He often winds up carrying the entire film, as opposed to the film’s own story. Judging from early promotional materials, this will be the case with Napoleon . Reportedly, Scott realized his film centered around Phoenix’s performance and even rewrote the movie during filming to ensure Phoenix’s comfort level with his character portrayal. This allowed the actor to focus solely on bringing the depths of Bonaparte to life in an unforgettable way. Because of that, I imagine Napoleon will be the most immersive, authentic Napoleon Bonaparte film experience to date, one that sees us all hold Joaquin Phoenix in the highest esteem. Ridley Scott recently told Deadline , “No actor could ever embody Napoleon like Joaquin. He created one of movie history’s most complex emperors in Gladiator , and we’ll create another with his in Napoleon .” Mmm, I bet they will, and I can’t wait. Napoleon releases in theaters on November 22, 2023, before streaming on Apple TV+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAZWXUkrjPc Keeley Brooks is a big ole movies, television, and streaming nerd with a voracious appetite for entertainment consumption and an uncontrollable urge to write about everything she watches, even if it sucks. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Roger Ricks < Back Nothing But Heart and Soul Nicole Brice Dec 7, 2022 Share Roger Ricks If Bruce Springsteen and Dire Straits had a band baby, it would be Roger Ricks. No lie. Roger is a singer / songwriter based out of Zurich, Switzerland, but that’s not all he does. He also produces his own music and builds his own guitars, as well as markets himself AND giving the proceeds of his music sales back to charity. Wow, this man is incredible. I first stumbled upon Roger’s music via Instagram, which by the way, is an excellent way to discover new talent because of the visual aspect the medium allows. I often find myself scrolling through bands and artists and liking them, then following them, where I indulge in all they showcase on their profiles. The profiles then lead me to iTunes where I buy their music for my collection. With smooth, clear vocals and crisp, clean guitar work, Roger’s music inspires me. Truly, it does. Because I admire what Roger is doing so much, I decided to reach out to him to get to know a little more about what he makes him tick and guides his stance. With a new single releasing on December 9, 2022 via all streaming platforms, this is one artist you need to check out if you haven’t already. I threw Roger a few questions so I could learn more and was very delighted with his answers. Check it out and then go check out his music! MaM : Wow. I am very impressed with you. Your website is solid, too. Let me ask you, what led you to start producing your own music in lieu of having someone else do it? RR : I started recording my songs when I was about 12. At that time with two old tape recorders and much later with the computer. For me, music production is not a purely technical task, but part of the creative process of creating a song. Since I don't do music full-time and I also have a family, producing on my own allows me to work on my songs whenever I can and want to. Usually this is late at night when everyone else is already asleep and I can really dive into my creative flow. Roger's home studio setup MaM : So, you mentioned you have new music coming out. Tell us a little about the new single you are releasing. RR : The single is called "Lost,” and the lyrics were written by the wonderful Emme Pierre. Originally it was planned that she would sing the song and I would write the music but unfortunately, she lost her voice permanently before the recording due to health reasons, and we decided to record the song with my voice anyway. The song is about how people are willing to exploit others and take advantage for their own profit. This is a topic that always concerns me and is also a well-known phenomenon in show business. There is something energizing and intoxicating about striving for success, but you can also get lost in it and become too distracted from the essentials of life. MaM : Wow, what an amazing topic to tackle via songwriting. I can’t wait to listen to it. What music or things around you are inspiring you to create these days? RR : Musically, I am influenced by the older guitar gods like Slash, Eric Clapton, and Joe Perry. Of course, there are other virtuoso guitarists who can do technically amazing things with the guitar, too, but I'm more fascinated by catchy licks and melodic solos that you can also sing and that release emotions in me. Emotions of everyday life are also what inspire my music. My music is a diary of my feelings over the years. When something is bothering me, I process my thoughts into music and make them audible. Therefore, every song of mine in a way fits to a special event or a period of my life. MaM : I noticed on your website that you play a custom-built guitar. I want to know more about your custom guitars. Was it a particular sound you were looking for and that’s why you decided to build your own? Also, too, what type of guitar inspired the ones you build? RR : I am a typical Les Paul guitarist. I love the full sound. A few years ago, I was thinking about buying a flamed top Les Paul, but my budget didn't allow it. So, I had the crazy idea to build it myself. I always liked craftsmanship and so I watched YouTube videos of Luthiers for hours until I had the feeling that it could really work. I ordered the woods and parts and just started, and it grew from there. I had a lot of fun; it was like a meditation of sorts to grind the woods and in the end, I had a nice flamed top guitar resembling a Les Paul in my hands. Of course, it sounded a little different than if I had bought it but just different, not worse. This only further awakened my passion and since then the tones of my own guitars are an important part of my music. One of Roger's custom guitars MaM : I know that charity work is very near and dear to your heart. Can you tell us a little more about that and what you do? RR : Music has always been a very important part of my life. It has carried me through some really difficult times, and I don't know where I would be without the power of music. For me, music can build bridges, to connect people who otherwise would not communicate with each other and to make a positive difference in the world. I decided to set the goal of dedicating my music to a meaningful cause because 20 years ago, a school friend started an aid project in Ghana to help street children and to really make a difference through local education instead of just transferring money. Honestly, the money often doesn't get to where it's supposed to go or doesn't have a lasting effect, but through "Chance For Children" ( www.chance-for-children.org ), the children are given the opportunity to work out a long-term perspective for themselves. All my proceeds from my music goes 1:1 into this foundation. The idea is that people can donate money just by listening to music. You don't have to open your wallet, just spend a few minutes of your time listening to music to make a positive difference. This makes my music more meaningful and motivates me to put even more energy into it. I really hope that with time, more listeners will stream my music and I will be able to support more projects. For more information about Roger, visit his website at: Songwriter | Roger Ricks Music | Zürich On Social Media, he can be found at: Roger Ricks | Facebook Roger Ricks | Zürich | Facebook Roger Ricks (@roger_ricks_music) • Instagram photos and videos YouTube Roger Ricks - Topic - YouTube Spotify Roger Ricks | Spotify iTunes ‎Roger Ricks on Apple Music www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Boiler Room are on a mission to make a significant impact in the world of metal. < Back Boiler Room’s Revival: A Resurgent Force in Metal Nicole Brice Mar 28, 2025 Share Boiler Room are on a mission to make a significant impact in the world of metal. I was a teenager in the late 90s / early 2000s , a time when nu metal , a subgenre of alternative metal , dominated the airwaves. Bands like Korn , Limp Bizkit , Slipknot , and Deftones were everywhere, and because of the mediums we had back then to bring us new music, only certain bands were filtered my way. Here I am in 2025, and I was recently introduced to Chris Lino , vocalist for the New York City-based nu metal band Boiler Room , thanks to my good friend and photographer , Jeff Crespi . Unbeknownst to me, Boiler Room had a very successful career for a while from 1996-2001 , sharing the stage with Type O Negative , King’s X , Clutch , Orgy , Life of Agony , and Static-X . Still, after changes at their label, they walked away from forging their legacy, so why are they back now, and what has been going on all these years? Credit: Jeff Crespi Gritty, raw guitar riffs and an aggressive yet melodic style, Boiler Room , were part of the broader DIY movement until they were discovered and signed. Chris Lino ’s vocals are thick, raspy, and full of soul. With a unique combination of sounds and clean screams, he can go from sweet to sour in only a few seconds. Truly, this man's voice is amazing. It’s remarkable how music machines work. Oodles and oodles of bands come out yearly, but it’s up to the geniuses who market these bands to make them stand out, so how and why did Boiler Room get lost amongst the shuffle? Credit: Jeff Crespi With their recent resurgence, Boiler Room is on a mission to make a significant impact in the music world. Their blend of rock and metalcore is a force to be reckoned with, and they're not holding back. They released the single, ‘ No Patience ,’ in 2024 , followed by ‘ Changes ’ in 2025 . The band's focus on live shows in the days ahead is a testament to their determination to share their music with audiences everywhere. Boiler Room’s past labels include Roadrunner and Tommy Boy Records , two significant players in the music industry. After years out of the spotlight, they are currently looking for a new home, a move that could potentially reshape their musical journey. Boiler Room’s current line-up is Chris Lino (vocals), Nick Seditious (guitar), Tommy Spano (drums), and Peter Rizzi (bass). A humble, charismatic, and talented human, I truly enjoyed my recent conversation with Chris Lino . We delved into the band's past, current journey, and future plans. Please take a moment to dive into our conversation below and then listen to their latest ‘ Changes ’, which is out now on all streaming platforms. The official music video for 'Changes' by Boiler Room - out NOW! MaM : Thank you for joining me today. I had to go down the Wikipedia rabbit hole to learn more about you guys, but you started as a thrash metal band in 1996, correct? Chris : Actually, we started in 1992 , and we were called Bible Black . In 1993 , we were selected to play the Foundations Forum alongside Accept , Kiss , I Mother Earth , Quicksand , and Rob Halford , who was working with his new band Fight at the time. We had a demo with the song ‘ Judgment Day ’ that passed the board with Concrete Marketing , so they voted us in, and we were selected for the show. I don’t know if they still host the Foundations Forum , but it used to feature signed bands, established bands with new material, bands that had just been signed , and then there was us – we were an unsigned band looking for a deal. We ended up playing, and it was awesome. Life of Agony was there, too. We knew them from Brooklyn . Rob Halford was actually at the side of the stage, and when we completed our set, his manager said, “Mr. Halford would like to meet you guys.” MaM : Wow, that’s awesome. Hell yeah. Chris : He was the nicest guy, and he gave us some simple yet great advice. “Just keep writing”, he says in his British accent to us, and he was thinking about managing us at that time. He was looking to start a label and had a management company. We ended up touring with Type O Negative and Life of Agony . We had Ken Kriete , their manager, who was helping to manage us at the time. That relationship fizzled out, and our original guitar player ended up leaving, so we put an ad out in The Village Voice – back in the day, that’s how it was done. MaM : Man, back in the day, that was the only way you could advertise for anything—no social media. Remember paper flyers for shows, too? Chris : Oh yeah. So, we ended up putting the ad out there, and we had to go through approximately 128 demo tapes . We were very popular in the tri-state area and on the verge of something significant. At the time, we were also in talks with some labels. We eventually went through all the demos until we came upon Rob Caggiano ’s demo, and it was different because he wasn’t just shredding on it and playing. He remade a Misfits ’ song, sang on it, and created a versatile demo that stood out. He could sing backing, but he never did in the band. Man, so he pulls up and right away, he just had this swag and this attitude out of the gate. (laughter) He showed up, though, and had all the right equipment and everything. We had asked him to learn four of our songs from our recently released indie album, and he nailed two of them. However, he didn’t put in the work for the other two. The drummer and bass player were kind of “eh” at first, but then I told him to show us a couple of his riffs and stuff he was working on. He busted out some riffs that just blew me away, and I was inspired immediately. I was like, “Do that again!” (laughter) That was one of our singles, too, ‘ Do It Again ’, no pun intended, but once he busted out this riff, I immediately started adding vocals to it, and that was it. He and I hit it off immediately, and we wrote all of what turned out to be the first Boiler Room record. We wrote about 80% of it. We had a creative connection. It was around this time that our music also began to be played on KROQ . MaM : KROQ was the place to be heard back in the day. Chris : Yeah, they had a metal show on Sunday , and we were one of the first unsigned metal bands to be played on it, and we had a couple of shows in the area. One was at Irving Plaza where we opened up for Machine Head , and then another time it was Orgy, and when we opened up for Orgy , it was insane. We have a video of it on our Facebook page . We just blew it up that night, and we had another manager give us his card while saying, “I’ve never had a local band blow my signed band away.” (laughter) After that, the phone calls started coming in, and we initially signed with Roadrunner . We went out to L.A. and recorded the whole album out there. ‘ Do It Again ’ ended up being released on MTV’s “ The Return of the Rock ” CD Volume 1, alongside many other heavy hitters. It was Kid Rock , Korn , P.O.D. , Papa Roach , Sevendust , us, and a plethora of other great bands . We were off to a good start, but we ultimately hit a brick wall with some of the politics in the music industry. It had nothing to do with us, but there was a change in leadership, and the original CEO who had signed us ended up leaving the label, and the new person showed no interest in us. They kept pushing our release date back, so we knew we needed to get off the label. We ended up getting off the label eventually and signed with Tommy Boy/Warner Bros . They were trying to get into the nu metal scene at the time because you had bands like Limp Bizkit blowing up. We were off to the races after that. Photo provided by band We went on tour with Disturbed and Kittie . Kittie was the headliner back then. So, Disturbed started taking off with their first album and ultimately left the tour. We decided we needed to get back on a tour with them, and we ended up touring the tri-state area with them. It was great. Then, we toured with Mudvayne to promote the release of their first album, and from there, we embarked on a club tour in Europe , which also went very well. Came back from Europe , and the label dropped us because we weren’t selling enough records in the States . They owed us for another album, though, so we settled that and then decided we needed to regroup. Rob , though, had already agreed to join Anthrax , so we knew that conversation was coming. Everyone just ended up going their separate ways until I hooked up with Mike Orlando from Adrenaline Mob . He suggested that we redo the Boiler Room record because he’s a producer and engineer and has a studio in Staten Island , and he thought we had a sort of legacy going with Boiler Room . I decided to select the choice songs that Rob Caggiano and I wrote, which I felt did not receive their fair share of recognition. So, we re-recorded them with new production, and we pumped them up. We did four songs from the Boiler Room record, and everything else is new material. One song, ‘Rectify,’ on which Ron Thal played an insane, ripping solo, but we had to edit it for radio, so we have two versions of that song. On tour with Disturbed - photo provided by band MaM : Who all did you bring into the mix for recording this go-round? Chris : So, Mike Orlando hooked me up with Peter , and we found Nick , the guitarist, and Tommy Spano on drums. That got the line-up back together, but I started recording the album before I met Pete . We had Jason Bittner from Shadows Fall and Overkill play the drums, and then Pete came in to record the bass. Mike Orlando did the guitars. Nick did a bunch of leads on it, but the album had already been recorded when we hooked up with them. We then released the single ‘ No Patience ’, which was initially titled ‘Patience’, as the song has nothing to do with actual patience. Additionally, Guns N' Roses already had a song called ‘ Patience ’, so we reworked it and released it as a single. We have a video on YouTube that is performing well, with over 400,000 views. The official video for 'No Patience' by Boiler Room MaM : Then you have ‘Changes’, so tell us a little more about that one. Chris : That I wrote with Mike Orlando . I didn’t get into that story, so after Boiler Room broke up, he tracked me down before he blew up. We hooked up and started writing, and did something called Out of Body , so ‘ Changes ’ was an Out of Body song. A lot of the songs, his songs, ended up on Adrenaline Mob's first album , which they changed the melodies and the lyrics, but ‘ Changes ’ was the song we wrote together, and he never used, so I was like, “Let’s re-record that one and put it on the new Boiler Room album.” Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : Hell yeah, man, so you just decided to dive right back in to start releasing music. Was it because you missed it, or because you felt there was something there that you just needed to express? Chris : Both. Orlando is like, “Dude, when you gonna get back in the saddle again?”, and I’m like “Eh…” I told him I was thinking about doing something different, but he was like, “Nah, redo some of that older material. Redo the whole album.” I was like, yeah, I’ll redo some of the songs, but I’m not redoing the entire album. Like some of the songs that fell by the wayside, like ‘ No Patience ’, which we used to do at soundcheck when we were touring with Mudvayne , and they would stop in their tracks to listen. Imagine you’re touring with Mudvayne , and they stop to listen as you’re doing soundcheck, asking what the name of the song is and why the song isn’t in your set. That was the one song that I always wanted to redo because it never got a fair shot. Chris Lino of Boiler Room - photo provided by band MaM : So, tell us about the new album and when it will be released? Chris : It’s going to be nine songs with the edit of ‘Rectify’. We're looking at June for the release date. Pete and I also wrote a new song for the album called, 'Haunted'. We can't wait for everyone to hear it. MaM : Who were some influences that shaped your sound when you were first starting out? Did the idea for the band come about in high school, or how old were you when you first decided to start a band? Chris : I was in college when the band started. We had all the influences prevalent at the time, including Pantera , Black Sabbath , and Metallica . Then, Limp Bizkit and Korn were gaining immense popularity, which also influenced us. I don’t think there is any musician out there who a Black Sabbath riff hasn't influenced. MaM : In fact, down here in Louisiana, most bands are always influenced by Black Sabbath and Pantera. Pantera is a southern thing, though. You can’t live in the south and not like Pantera. Chris : We actually got to meet them when we were touring with Type O Negative because Phil is a fan of Carnivore and Peter Steele . After Type O Negative started taking off, Pantera jumped on a tour with them. We got to see them in Albany, New York , I think. Ken , Type O’s manager, was still managing us, and he invited us backstage to meet the guys. Phil was nowhere to be found, but Dime and Vinnie were awesome. They told me, though, that if I wanted to hang out with them, I needed to start drinking. (laughter) MaM : Oh yeah, gotta hang with them Pantera boys. Chis : You'd better start banging some shots out now. They were really cool. Rex was somewhat standoffish and asked us who we were, but overall, it was a great experience. I met Vinnie a second time years later because, after the lead singer of Drowning Pool passed away, I tried out to be their new singer. Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : Wow! Did you? I had no idea. Chris : Yeah, they called me up after a year of mourning. Boiler Room was done. I was demoing with Mike Orlando , and I was shopping again. My old A&R guy, who had my demos, knew I was trying to secure another deal. However, he informed me that he had sent my demos to Paul Bassman , Drowning Pool’ s manager at the time, and that they were interested in meeting with me. They reviewed over 300 demos from around the world and narrowed it down to me and another guy. They sent me the album with no vocals so I could practice on it, and then they also sent two new songs . They asked me to write melodies and lyrics for the two new songs. I was in New York and did this, and it took me a couple of weeks. They ended up flying me down to Dallas, Texas , and the drummer was cool. Here I'm playing the entire Drowning Pool record, singing it, and it was surreal. It felt like Drowning Pool karaoke, but I had the actual band. (laughter) MaM: So, what ended up happening? Did you not take the gig because you would have to move? Chris : That was some of it, but they had another guy they were looking at, too. It just didn’t work out, but I was honored. They were very nice guys. So, after we did our jam and everything, they took me to the strip joint in Texas that Vinnie and Dime owned. They said they wanted to “send me off”, but they hadn’t let me know yet what their decision was. I walked in, though, and met Vinnie Paul again, and he goes, “You gonna be the next singer of Drowning Pool?”, and I go, “I hope so, we’re gonna see what happens.” The rest of the night, I was hanging out with Vinnie Paul , the guys from Damageplan , and the guys from Drowning Pool , and man, they were drinking like fish, man. I fell right into it, too. They go, “We hear you don’t really drink", and I go, “Ah, man…” (laughter) They end up passing me a bottle of Jack , and go, “Give me a five count.” MaM: Oh no … (laughter) They got me bombed, and the next thing I know, their manager goes, “You’ve got about four hours. We’re gonna drive you to the airport and drop you off.” They then let me know that they hadn’t made their decision yet, but they ended up going with the other guy. Paul Bassman tried to help me and Mike Orlando with Out of Body by getting us signed to Drowning Pool’s label , but that fell through, too. That was it for a bit, and I gave it a break until Mike Orlando tracked me down again. He kept pushing me to do something, and at the time, I was doing an acoustic thing that later evolved into a plugged-in thing. Still, the whole time, Mike is trying to push me to redo the first Boiler Room record, which led to the decision of doing the songs Rob and I wrote, but not the entire album. MaM : That’s actually a smart way to approach it. Chris : Yeah, so I had some new music I wanted to do as well, so I kind of just leaned on my strengths with what I do. I put the rapping thing away. My three most significant influences at the time were Chino from Deftones , Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots , and Phil from Pantera . I was becoming a hybrid of those influences. What I realized, though, is I needed to just “come with it” – that ballsy, raspy voice and forget about the rapping and the ominous whisper thing that Chino does. I veered away from that by just doing what I do best. Then, one night, I was watching a show with Steve Vai , and they asked him what he attributed his success to. He told them that you have to lean on your strengths. If you do something well, lean on it. …and here we are. MaM : Do you feel technology has helped or hurt the music industry? What’s your take on all the technological advancements in music? Chris : I’d have to say both. When we were growing up, you’d buy the whole album and listen to the entire CD . You’d open it up, look at the artwork, read the credits, and examine the pictures— it was a whole experience. You became a true fan. Some songs you liked. Some you didn’t, but at least you knew the entire album. Now, it’s like they’re promoting Attention Deficit Disorder . You download one or two songs. There’s no actual record sales anymore. It’s all based on streams , and that’s misleading because you don’t have real fans anymore. At that time, securing a record deal was highly challenging. You had to do it from the ground up – garage band style. Now, anyone can put up anything. It’s great because you can access the music more straightforwardly, but in a way, it’s not. MaM : What are the plans for the rest of 2025 and beyond for Boiler Room? Chris : Well, we’re gonna release the new album in June . My focus is this … I know everyone wants to focus on social media these days, but I’m grassroots, and the social media only goes so far … I’m all about getting people to shows . We’re looking to partner with a larger national act to secure a spot on some of these tours. I want to flood out the entire tri-state area, hit the East Coast or the South , such as Louisiana . If we could secure a good show with a national act, that would work. We’re in a rebuilding process right now, though. We’re trying to rebuild the foundation of our fanbase and replant the flag. Shows … quality shows. We’ll see where it goes. As Chris Lino and Boiler Room move forward in the modern music scene, they stand poised to bring their powerful music to a new generation. They stand out as a band that embodies grit and substance. Their music isn’t just something you hear; it’s something you feel. I look forward to watching their journey unfold. Boiler Room is a name to remember. They’re not just playing metal—they're living it. To learn more about Boiler Room: Facebook: Facebook Discogs: Boiler Room Discography: Vinyl, CDs, & More | Discogs Wikipedia: Boiler Room (band) - Wikipedia All Music: Boiler Room Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More... | AllMusic YouTube: BOILER ROOM - YouTube Instagram: (@boilerroom_band) • Instagram photos and videos *Some photos by Gessner Photography Eric (@ gessner.photography ) • Instagram photos and videos *Other photos by Jeff Crespi www.jeffcrespirocks.com JEFFCRESPIROCKS See through a different lens! www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Grey Areas isn’t just a band; they are a movement. < Back Grey Areas: A Louisiana Metal Band Looking to Inspire Hope in a World Filled with Chaos Nicole Brice Feb 13, 2025 Share Grey Areas isn’t just a band; they are a movement. It's always a thrill to unearth a new band from Louisiana, each one a unique sonic journey. Recently, I stumbled upon the metal band Grey Areas from DeRidder, Louisiana. Their first single, ‘ Burial ,’ is a testament to their distinct sound that instantly captivated me. Released August 23, 2024 ‘ Burial ’ was released on August 23, 2024 . It is a healthy blend of metal and metalcore with progressive elements and a melody. With hard-hitting vocals and a strong opening – the song starts jamming early and is a solid tune sure to get your head nodding. The band is comprised of like-minded musicians with tenacity, personality, and ambition. Brad Nesbitt plays the drums, Cody Alexander plays the bass, Randy Taylor is the vocalist, and Xander Lee plays the guitar. With new music set to release in April, Grey Areas is steadily letting those creative juices flow to drive their vision forward. More than just a typical metal band, Grey Areas' music has an underlying message of unity and hope. They want to illuminate things that are not always black and white in a world filled with chaos and to do so, have created Hope Fest , which will take place on Saturday, April 12, 2025 , at the DeRidder Fairgrounds Pavillion – a local original music festival designed to give back to those in need, with proceeds being directly donated to Foundations Sober Living House in Lake Charles , LA. With the recent addition of Randy Taylor from Twisted eXistence on vocals, Grey Areas has solidified their line-up with a powerhouse frontman destined to light the stage on fire with his explosive vocals. What struck me immediately about Grey Areas was their unwavering professionalism and genuine kindness. They are a group of guys you'd love to hang out with, and Mixed Alt Mag had the privilege of a lengthy chat with them. Take a moment to get to know them better. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : What other musical projects have you been involved in? Cody : Brad and I were in the band Southern Death Toll . Brad : It was classic death metal – hard and fast … thrashy. We had a solid ten-year run with that. MaM : So, what led to the formation of Grey Areas? Xander : I was in some groups back in the day, too, so this was in 2010 when we realized we all had something musically in common, but in 2023, we decided to do something and jam. MaM : How did you decide on the genre of music to play? I listened to ‘Burials,’ and it has so many influences. You can’t categorize it. You’ve got some prog, death metal, regular metal, and thrash … but it’s truly unique. I actually saw a comment on your Facebook page recently, too, where someone mentioned you are one of the most creative bands out there. I can honestly agree with what I’ve heard so far. Who are some of your influences musically? Xander : Black Label Society , Pantera , Slipknot – pretty much anything metalcore. Randy : Killswitch Engage , Pantera … bands that incorporate some clean singing with some screaming. Cody : I agree with the metalcore bands, but I’ll branch out and listen to various genres and artists. A little rhythm and blues, a little rap … I like to funk it up a bit. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Growing up, how did you know you would end up playing the instruments you currently play? For instance, Brad, how did you decide to become a drummer? Brad : I was a bass player first and didn’t realize I wanted to be a drummer until I suffered an injury. My arm became paralyzed, so playing drums was a type of physical therapy that stuck with me. It just became my thing, I guess. It was constant motion, and it still is therapy, honestly. I think I got good at it. Xander : My parents were always playing music growing up, and something about guitar – or just the sound – it stood out to me. I always just wanted to play and make noise. Randy : I started playing guitar at about ten and just stuck with it. I still play guitar for another band, Twisted eXistence , too. I’ve known Xander for a couple of years now, and when he told me about Grey Areas , I started coming to the shows. Once their last singer departed, things just came together. Vocals are a relatively new concept, but it’s fun so far, and I’m just winging it. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : It was just a natural fit. See how things work out. Cody : It came out of necessity. When I was about eight or ten, I started taking guitar lessons, and my dad was a drummer in a church band. I couldn’t touch drums but had always wanted to play guitar. The church band needed a bass player, so I swapped over to that when I was a teenager, and it naturally came together. I’ve played church music, country, and metal. MaM : What have you worked on since the single dropped in August? Any new music? Xander : Absolutely. Cody : We’re still pushing for the whole album. We’ve been practicing and have the structure of the new songs. We're also trying to get the old set fully recorded. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : When can we expect that? Xander : Maybe the end of 2025, but we’re not quite sure yet. Very soon, though. MaM : Are any shows coming up for 2025? Xander : So far, we’ve been invited to Eclipse Fest 2025. MaM : Hell yeah! It's a great festival that Nick Cline does. Xander : Yeah, we’re excited to play that. We’ve some other shows in March, and then we have a festival we’re putting on called Hope Fest in DeRidder in April. This will be our first big event. Randy : It’ll be big for rock and metal, especially for this town and this area because it’s a rural area—very country. The metalheads are out there, though. Xander : When we were younger, if you wanted to go to a concert, it was either Lafayette, Houston, or New Orleans, two to three hours away. This will bring it all closer to home. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : So, let’s talk about the new single. Your sound is so strong on this track, and now, with the addition of Randy on vocals, I can’t wait to see the band's progression and how your sound evolves. How do you keep yourselves in a creative mindset to write new music? Is there something you do to influence that creative vibe? Xander : Not really, to be honest. My writing methods are not traditional. I like to improvise when we jam. I’ll come up with a ton of stuff in a session, but sometimes it just doesn’t stick. When I find something that works, I’ll try to find something that fits with it, and then it all builds. It’s a long process sometimes. We don’t try to force anything. Brad : We just let it create itself. MaM : Yeah, that’s what you’ve indeed got to do. Don’t force creativity. Randy : Yeah, once Xander has his piece done, and we have the guitar riff, we can map out the drum patterns, etc. My notes on my cell phone are loaded with words and phrases. Catchy stuff. If it fits, it fits. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : What would you like listeners to know about your music if they discover it for the first time? Randy : It’s authentic. We’re not trying to copy anyone. We’re just trying to put our ideas out there. Xander : I want it to speak to people going through things in the grey. What society doesn’t deem typical — grey issues. MaM : If music doesn’t speak to or inspire me somehow, then I won’t be interested. I get that. Xander : We want to have fun and inspire people. It's as simple as that. As Grey Areas continues to carve their path through the underground Louisiana music scene, they stand poised to bring their heavy, brooding sound to the masses. They embody the modern metal landscape, blending complexity, emotion, and, most importantly, authenticity in a way that feels distinctly Southern while planted in the global metal scene. Grey Areas isn’t just a band; they are a movement. They represent the boldness of Louisiana’s musical spirit, reinterpreted through the lens of metal, and as their fanbase grows, it’s clear that this band will leave a lasting impact on the genre for years to come. For more information on Hope Fest coming up in April, visit: Hope Fest 2025 | Facebook For more info about Grey Areas: Grey Areas | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree Press Kit for Grey Areas Upcoming shows: Click picture for more info. Click picture for more info. Click picture for more info. *All photos by Gary Governale www.governalephotovideo.com Zenfolio | Home I have been working as a video professional since 1993, with a wide range of experience writing, producing, directing, shooting and editing. A strong interest in videography, specifically lighting and composition, led me to photography in 1998. Rapidly changing technology has blurred the line between video and photography, allowing me to work in both mediums.. Baton Rouge, LA, United States www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Want to be featured? Reach out to us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Coming together to celebrate the summer solstice < Back Festival of Litha Returns to Downtown Florence in June Keeley Brooks May 18, 2023 Share Coming together to celebrate the summer solstice Summer is right around the corner, and with it comes all of those highly anticipated festivals full of food, fun, music, and crafts. Returning to downtown Florence, Ala., for the third consecutive year is the increasingly popular Festival of Litha, hosted by Hesperia Mystic Shoppe out of Sheffield, Alabama. Last year, the festival was held in Wilson Park in Florence and featured dozens of local vendors and live music over the course of three days. This year, the event will feature close to 80 vendors and will be held on Sunday, June 11, 2023, at a new location: The Historic Sweetwater Depot located at 502 S Royal Avenue in downtown Florence. “I have felt drawn to this historic area of Florence,” says Hesperia owner Kendall Gilchrist, “and I am happy to introduce an event to bring more attention to this side of town that holds cute little restaurants.” The festival is a FREE family friendly event that runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and locals are invited to come out and enjoy some great food, local arts/crafts/goods, and live music by local and surrounding-area musicians. courtesy of Hesperia Mystic Shoppe Litha (pronounced Lee-tha) is the celebration of the summer solstice and the beginning of Summer, which occurs this year on Wednesday, June 21. It has been a celebration amongst many cultures for many, many years but its origins are rooted in Celtic lore. Litha is said to be a time to celebrate the power of nature and its fertility, as the solstice represents the transition from action to nourishment, which is exactly what the sun gives us during the long nights of Summer. Even in those who do not mark the summer solstice, there is an internal flame within when the days get longer, and the sun leads us through better times. By celebrating the sun and the power it provides to all nature, humans are spiritually ignited and thus connected to its life force. For those familiar with the Eastern concepts of yin and yang, the solstice is a time of maximum yang—the longest day of the year. “This year,” says Gilchrist, “people can expect more of a market feel with bits of entertainment for both adult and kids alike. There will be food, live music, and a bar inside the Depot where you can cool off. We currently have around 80 vendors this year—such growth from around 25 in previous years!” courtesy of Hesperia Mystic Shoppe Vendors will be placed inside and outside The Depot, with many vendors selling metaphysical-themed arts and crafts as well as candles, bath and body goods, jewelry, books, and so much more. “I've always been community-driven, I just couldn't figure out for a long time what I could do to bring together like-minded individuals and support small businesses like myself,” adds Gilchrist. “It feels good to see others succeed in doing something they love, and I get to witness that at each festival I do now. I'm happy to support these local vendors as they have supported me in so many ways. I hope each of my vendors gain more and more confidence in what they do because some have never had their craft out for the world to see. There are such beautiful, talented, gifted crafters and creators in this area! I'm so glad I can provide a safe space for them.” As far as the music goes, this year will feature live performances from jazz/funk/blues/rock multi-instrumentalist Charles Brooks, singer/songwriter Bryson Bishop, and pop-rock duo Thrice Sovereign. Charles Brooks (by Rachel Neal), Bryson Bishop (social media), Thrice Sovereign (by Amanda Chapman) Kicking off the live music at 4:30 p.m. will be Dr. Charles Brooks , UNA Entertainment Industries professor and a multi-instrumentalist across a slew of genres. He is most known for his wicked four-mallet jazz vibraphone skills, but he is also a classically trained percussionist who plays drum set, piano, hand drums, synth keytar, and acoustic guitar, to name a few. For Litha, he’ll be rocking faces off with the synth keytar as heard below in this year’s Black History Month tribute to Stevie Wonder. For more on Charles Brooks, visit www.TheCharlesBrooks.com . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R2OK689L2U Bryson Bishop will take the stage at 5:30 p.m. He is a Shoals-area singer/songwriter who will keep you entertained with some of your favorite covers from artists like James Brown, Michael Jackson, and so many others, and you might just hear an original song or two in his mix. To check out Bryson's beautiful singing, visit him on Facebook and Instagram . courtesy of Bryson Bishop Music social media Up next around 6 p.m. will be Florence-area singer/songwriter Aaron Dean . courtesy Aaron Dean social media And closing out the music for the evening at 6:30 p.m. will be Thrice Sovereign , a Florence-based pop-rock female duo comprised of multi-instrumentalist Kristen Borden Talcott and singer/songwriter Amanda Lee Borden Talcott, who recently released their title single from their debut album “Waiting to Thunder.” Their songs are groovy tunes composed in a popular style that draws on heavy guitar riffs and the fat, distorted sounds of hark rock with artistically relatable lyrics. You certainly won’t want to miss the energy! For more on them, visit www.ThriceSovereign.com . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vIa7bn3Klg Festival of Litha isn’t all Gilchrist has in the works for this. year, though. On Tuesday, May 23, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Hesperia Mystic Shoppe and Lava Room will partner to host Brooklyn-based goth-folk musical duo Charming Disaster with a pop-up shops experience full of metaphysical items in downtown Florence on Mobile Street in support of the band. The duo will perform from 8-9:30 p.m. inside the Lava Room, and blue-cup cocktail drinks will be served alongside a delicious menu. You can even take the blue cups out onto Mobile Street to accompany you in your shopping. Charming Disaster will also be selling their merch after the show. Says Gilchrist, “Overall, it will just be a fun evening to get out midweek and take a break from it all!” So, mark your calendars, people in the Shoals area! The Charming Disaster Pop-Up Shops Experience happens Tuesday, May 23, from 6-10 p.m. at the Lava Room , and Festival of Litha happens Sunday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. There’s even a new Halloween festival coming this year, courtesy of Kendall Gilchrist and Hesperia Mystic Shoppe, but you’ll have to stay tuned for that. I promise to bring you everything you need to know about Samhain Horror Night closer to October! www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Previous Next

The BIG Reveal are Off the Charts < Back Unveiling The BIG Reveal: Alabama’s Rising Alternative Rock Band Bud Gambrell Apr 7, 2025 Share The BIG Reveal are Off the Charts 395 ! Three hundred ninety-five miles. That amounts to a car ride lasting around six hours. You are likely asking yourself why this is relevant. Well, I will tell you. I was contacted on Tuesday of last week by my editor and publisher, Nicole , regarding a band she wanted me to research called The BIG Reveal . Just a quick sidenote: Nicole is the one who makes it possible for me to write these articles. She has been so very supportive of me since we first met. If you get the chance, stop by the contact page and show her some love. Let her know you appreciate what she does. Now, back to business. I reached out to the band she suggested, The BIG Reveal , and was able to interact with their manager, Chad Parker , to get things rolling. We had a nice conversation, and he provided me with some background information. It was enough information for me to dig in and learn what I could before I interviewed them. One thing to note about The BIG Reveal is that this is a young band , which I truly enjoy learning more about the up-and-coming talent out there. They are the future of music , so we need to delve deeply into the music they are creating. The music industry has become a shell of its former self, and with so many avenues to discover music, when you think about it, there really isn’t one good avenue. It’s all so cluttered, and amongst the clutter stands The BIG Reveal . Photo provided by band The number 395 I mentioned above represents the number of miles it would have taken me to get in my car and drive to Grand Bay, Alabama , where The BIG Reveal originates. Since that was not possible on short notice, I relied on the interwebs to assist me. We live in the glorious days of technology. We have YouTube , which hosts a plethora of videos. (Mark one off the bucket list. I got to use plethora in a sentence.) YouTube is great because you can see the video of a band, not just an audio recording . We also have social media pages at our disposal. Like many bands, The BIG Reveal has music available on their website , which is a feature that a good number of bands these days don’t even have. Can you believe that? When you can visit one spot to see it all, it makes things easier when researching a band. Once I did my homework, it was time to call the band and have a conversation. Dive in below to learn more about The BIG Reveal . OTC : Hello guys! Thanks for taking my call. Introduce me to the band. Gavin Parker : I'm Gavin . I play guitar and sing. Blake Hall : I'm Blake . I play drums. Luke Puckett : I'm Luke . I play bass and sing harmonies. OTC : How long have you guys been together? Gavin : We've been together for about a year, but Luke just came in a couple of months ago to play bass for us. OTC : How did you guys meet? Gavin : I started the band with a couple of friends from school, and we were having fun. We got pretty good, but then it started getting serious. So, they backed out because they had other commitments at school, such as sports. Then Blake , the drummer , ended up living like five minutes away from me. Someone gave me their number, and I contacted them. After we met, he started playing drums for me, and then we met Luke online a couple of months ago. Click to visit The Big Reveal's website OTC : Can you tell me about your musical background and how you got started? Gavin : My entire family plays music. I grew up around it and just listened to the ' 90s pop-rock stuff. It has been my favorite since I was a little kid. Blake : I started playing drums about two years ago. I have always liked music a lot and always loved the drums! Luke : No one in my family is musical whatsoever. I decided I really wanted to about four years ago. I've always been classically trained on the piano . That started when I was about six or seven years old. I took lessons, and then I self-taught myself the bass about four years ago. OTC : Did the bass clef from your piano lessons carry over to the bass guitar? Luke : Yes, sir, it did. It helped me learn bass guitar quickly. OTC : While I was talking to your manager, he mentioned the Arts Block Party at UAB . Tell me about that. Gavin : Yeah, that was back in September 2024 . We entered a competition they had. It was like 150 something submissions . People got to vote on four bands that they wanted to play at the Block Party . Our fans showed up to vote for us! So, we ended up playing there! Jemison Hall at UAB was really cool! Photo provided by band OTC : So, the competition with The Arts Block was going to be in Birmingham , and you guys are in South Alabama. Your fans must have really stepped up for that. Gavin : Yeah, so that's when our TikTok page was starting to get a lot of traction. We made a couple of videos, and they all went and voted for us. OTC : Tell me a little bit about your fan base. They seem to be loyal. Gavin : Our TikTok site started picking up around June 2024 . We currently have approximately 37,000 on there. The local fan base is pretty devoted! They come to a lot of our shows! Our fan base is pretty cool for voting for us in multiple competitions that we've won. OTC : You also won a radio competition for WCPR . Tell me about that competition. Gavin : That was a competition to play at the Biloxi Crawfish Festival . 97.9 , CPR Rocks was running an ad explaining where you could submit your band’s music, and then people could vote for you to play. So, again, the same people, the same thing. People voted for us to win. I guess they like us! We will be opening for Puddle of Mudd , Hinder , Cowboy Mouth , and Marcy Playground at the Crawfish Music Festival on April 26th . Click to go to 97.9 WCPR's website OTC : You have a new album coming out. I'm assuming it's your first time in the studio. Could you describe the process of recording the new album? Gavin : We tracked everything at our home studio. One of the bands that we met in Birmingham at the Arts Block Party connected us with their mixing engineer in Knoxville . So, we tracked everything at home, and then we sent it to him, and he makes it sound good. OTC : Can you share with me a memorable experience while recording the new album? Gavin : I'm trying to get everything right and not being too much of a perfectionist. Just getting it how we want it because it's going to be there forever. It’s our first album, so we’re trying to make it as good as possible. Upcoming shows for The BIG Reveal OTC : Did you learn anything about yourself through your music during that recording process? Gavin : The thing I learned is that I'm more of a perfectionist than I thought I was. It took a while for me to accept some stuff. Blake : I learned that recording is a lot harder than it seems. I prefer the live shows to the recordings. It's just a long process. OTC : How would you describe the music that you created for the new album? Gavin : I'll say that it's real close to ’ 90s alternative rock , pop rock , post-grunge stuff. One of my favorite bands is Sister Hazel . You can hear their influence on this album. The ’90s pop-rock stuff is really what this album is influenced by. OTC : Blake, what would you say your influences are? Blake : My influences are bands like Foo Fighters , Nirvana and Led Zeppelin . They have influenced the way I play. OTC : What about you, Luke? Luke : Nirvana for me as well, and The Beatles . And then there were a lot of the 90s bands, like Green Day . However, I also really enjoy alternative rock , such as Goo Goo Dolls and The Killers . OTC : What are your long-term goals for the band, and what are you most excited about for the future of your music? Gavin : I think the goal has always been to do it until we can't anymore. Just keep doing it, having fun, and getting a larger and larger fan base. Luke : I think for me, it's definitely that I want a tour. I would love to go on a tour. The BIG Reveal album release show coming on April 11, 2025 OTC : What role does your social media play in the way you're focusing your career? Gavin : Our social media got us some attention from a couple of major independent labels that we are keeping in contact with. It has really helped us out a lot. TikTok has been strong for us. We are able to record live videos of what we are doing. It’s a way to put yourself out there and let people know what you are doing. OTC : What's the most unusual fan interaction that you've had so far? Gavin : We had this guy at our very first show. He had a little too much to drink, and he ended up coming up and almost getting up on stage. He was pointing the finger at me and singing the wrong words. But he was having fun. Blake : They always want me to sign broken drumsticks. I hit hard during shows! OTC : You are a new band. Do you have a favorite venue that you’ve played at so far? Gavin : Bozos in Pascagoula. We're having our album release party there. People always show up there, and we always have a great time. We played at The Soul Kitchen in Mobile for 92.1 the ZEW 's Christmas show, which was pretty cool. OTC : I have one more question. I'm going to ask all three of you with this one to see what y'all come up with. If your band had a superpower, what would it be and why? Gavin : I would fly so that I could fly around. Fly around the shows and I could surf on my guitar—air surf, you know, with a wireless setup. OTC : Like the Silver Surfer ? Gavin : Yeah, that would be pretty cool. OTC : What about you, Luke? Luke : My mind is a little bit more practical. Just to be able to play everything and not mess up, and just be impervious to making mistakes. OTC : Blake, what do you got? If your band had a superpower, what would it be and why? Blake : Probably not to run out of energy. Three-hour shows can really take a toll on you! OTC : Any final thoughts for your fans, old and new? Gavin : Our debut album is set to release on April 11th on Spotify , TikTok , and across all our social media platforms. At an early stage in their musical journey, this group of young men already has a loyal following. The one thing missing from their fan base is you. Get on board! One thing I haven’t mentioned before is the band's age. I wanted this article to be based on their music, rather than having any preconceived notions about their youth. Gavin is only 16. Luke is 18 and Blake is 17. This is a promising young band, and they are only going to get better. Until next time, Keep your diamond down in the groove! Where to find Bud: Email: the_budgambrell@mixedaltmag.com Website: https://bgambrellphotography.com Amazon: https://a.co/d/1CLA9Tz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bud.gambrell My new book Bud Gambrell Photography by Bud Gambrell | Blurb Books Where to find The Big Reveal: Website: The BIG Reveal Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557900071233 ‎ Apple Music: The BIG Reveal - Apple Music Spotify: The BIG Reveal | Spotify TikTok www.tiktok.com/@_thebigreveal *photos provided by the band www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Got something for Bud to check out? Reach him at the_budgambrell@mixedaltmag.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Unique analog collage displays manifesting as one collective dreamscape < Back Taryn Chase Jackson: Mixed Media Creative Keeley Brooks Aug 1, 2023 Share Unique analog collage displays manifesting as one collective dreamscape The older I get, the more I appreciate art that makes me think in a really outside-the-box way and doesn’t lay it all out for me. While I enjoyed that when I was younger, today I appreciate the mystery and curiosity behind exploring every little detail. I have more life experiences under my nails from which to draw my deeper conclusions and find hidden meaning and interpretation. I appreciated that when I came across the artwork of North Alabama analog collage creative Taryn Chase Jackson . Courtesy of Taryn Chase Jackson Jackson is no stranger to the creative world. As a child, she was unexplainably drawn to things visually without really knowing or being able to express why. Today, she knows and expresses it a lot over the canvas with her unique analog collage displays of mixed media and assemblage . Her work is nostalgic, full of vision manifesting as one collective dreamscape. Having always identified as a creative person, she currently spends her time as a creative writer, a grant writer, a singer, and an analog collage artist. Her genuine love for her visual craft is seen in the fine detail of her artwork, which is carefully pieced together with intention. It’s easy to get lost in exploring her creations, searching for your own message. It’s harder to pull yourself away from the stories and thoughts those creations inspire. Born and raised in New York , Jackson has lived in Virginia and North Carolina , and she now lives in Alabama. In high school, her work was published in the local newspaper and won a Tri-County Arts Council’s Scholastic Gold Key Award for Art. Since then, Jackson has completed a visual art concentration as part of her bachelor’s degree, and she also holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in creative non-fiction writing. While in high school and college, Jackson says she took a variety of drawing and painting classes and even won some awards, but ultimately, she didn’t love those mediums and struggled to recognize what she did for fun as “real art.” In fact, it wasn’t until she moved to the Muscle Shoals area and joined a group of artists that she became more serious about pursuing collage as a medium. As an analog collage artist, Jackson says she doesn’t design or edit anything digitally. “Everything you see in my work is made of paper I cut by hand and glued down. … My process is less conceptual and more driven by using found images. Personally, I’m overwhelmed by the idea of having literally every image at my fingertips and being able to resize or manipulate them however I wish.” She further elaborates that she prefers the randomness and synchronicity of putting images together in a way that seems natural, and I have to say, I can understand that. Reject the mainstream, forge your own way. We hear that, Taryn. We hear that. "Smile Like You Mean It" (Courtesy of Taryn Chase Jackson) Jackson enjoys living creatively and avoids specializing, feeling it’s best not to limit yourself as an artist by sticking with one category or genre. Instead, she says, we could be, “exploring, blending, and creating new categories/genres that may not even exist.” She genuinely enjoys making the world a much more aesthetically pleasing place to experience, and that shines through in each of her visual efforts. Recently, I had the chance to chat with Taryn about her life in the arts, her preferred medium, and her artistic processes. Check out our conversation below! MaM : Taryn, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with Mixed Alternative. Please tell us about yourself. TCJ : This is an intimidating question, so here are a dozen phrases that collectively describe me: I’m a creative, grant writer, wife, bonus mom, dog mom, Gen-Xer, double Gemini, bisexual, pagan, elder goth, compulsive collector, and maximalist. MaM : That’s a mouthful, but I like it! When did art come into your life? TCJ : I went to parochial school (essentially being home schooled at church) through the 7th grade, so I didn’t get basic art education until I switched to public school. But I loved cutting up magazines growing up and would save bits of paper or candy wrappers for no reason other than I liked the color or texture. Later, my high school friends and I started a photocopied zine that relied heavily on collage. We also decorated FBs (also known as Friendship Books) with what were basically miniature mixed media ads that we mailed to pen pals to find other fans of new wave and alternative music—obviously, this was pre-Internet! (laughs) I eventually took a variety of drawing and painting classes through high school and undergrad … but I didn’t love those mediums, and of course, I never recognized what I did for fun as “real art.” It actually wasn’t until I joined a group of artists in the Shoals that I became more serious about pursuing collage as a medium. MaM : What has your life as an artist been like? TCJ : I've always identified as a creative person. … The term “artist” is so loaded. Many people narrowly define the term as one for just visual artists or for people who make a living from their work. But creating in the context of a capitalist culture means that we have to unlearn the myths we’re taught and then be brave enough to define our work and its value for ourselves. "Toxic Positivity" (Courtesy of Taryn Chase Jackson) MaM : Who has been your biggest artistic influence? TCJ : That’s a tough question! Years ago, I probably couldn’t have named a single 2-D collage artist, but I do remember the exact moment I discovered the work of Joseph Cornell , who pioneered the assemblage. And I always felt a kinship with the Surrealists, with René Magritte and Man Ray among my favorites. I suppose there is a parallel in the way they bring disparate, familiar things together to form a cohesive whole that surprises and delights. MaM : How did you find your art style? TCJ : “Style" is one of the great mysteries, I think. Art teachers can really only introduce you to basic skills and concepts, to artists who have led the way, and give you a forum to experiment—but developing your personal taste and style is a process you have to do on your own, intuitively. You build on what works and throw out what doesn’t, and eventually other people will claim that they can recognize your work without seeing your name. But I personally think everyone’s style should be evolving all the time. MaM : While you’re making a piece, what goes through your head? TCJ : I’ve learned that I work best if I think in terms of a series or a theme because it keeps me coming back. For example, in 2019, I started a project based on the 22 cards of the Tarot deck called the Major Arcana. Each card represents an archetype or symbolic meaning, so I tried to find images that resonated with the particular card I was working on that day, then piece them together in a way that made sense to me. It’s almost like putting together a puzzle, except one where you've lost the box that had the final image on the cover, and you have to figure it out. So, sometimes I start with a concept or a feeling, and other times I pull a couple of core images I’m drawn to and see what else might complement or play off of them. I’m often surprised by the final result, and that’s part of the joy. "Solar Plexus Chakra - Gut Feeling" (Courtesy of Taryn Chase Jackson) MaM : Some of your collages are whimsical and some are more serious. What affects your art process when you’re making art? TCJ : Maybe it’s the Gemini in me, but I do often combine images that seem opposed—the sweet and the dark, the safe and the dangerous—leaving the viewer to wrestle with their own associations and, ultimately, assign their own meaning to the composition. Sometimes my pieces start with a theme or a word/phrase that I focus on to select images and create a vibe. Sometimes I have so much fun playing with different compositions that it’s hard to commit to the final layout. But ultimately, I know I’m on the right path if I can amuse myself at some point. Not every attempt is a masterpiece, but you always learn something in the process. "Gaia's Messenger" (Courtesy of Taryn Chase Jackson) MaM : In what ways is creating healing for you? TCJ : Creating is the ultimate form of healing, because in the process we’re returning (or attempting to return) to our true selves—the person we were as a child, when we were unabashedly curious and self-accepting, before all the self-doubt and people-pleasing that comes with maturity. If we can successfully tap into that core while we’re creating, we’re headed in the right direction. MaM : Are you frequently involved with local art shows? When and where? TCJ : Since I started submitting my work to exhibitions in 2020, I’ve been fortunate enough to be included in several juried shows at the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art and the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts here in the Shoals—as well as at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center in Decatur, AL; Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, AL; and even the Arc Gallery in San Francisco, CA. Dates for my current shows are as follows: · “ArtWorks" 2023 Member Exhibition at the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art , Tuscumbia, AL (July 22-Aug. 12, 2023) · “Making Waves: Waterscapes in Art” 2023 Online Juried Exhibition by Southern Tier Center for Emerging Artists , Jamestown, NY (Aug. 1-31, 2023) · "Myth in Form” Alabama Women's Caucus for Art (ALWCA) Juried Exhibition, Carnegie Visual Arts Center , Decatur, AL (Sept. 29-Nov. 4, 2023) MaM : Any advice for other artists out there (interested in mixed-media collage)? TCJ : Fortunately, collage is an extremely accessible medium: If you have paper and glue, you can do it. You don’t even need scissors—just tear it! If you supplement it with paint or markers, you have mixed media. Make it 3-D by adding found objects, and you have assemblage. Unfortunately, the idea that anyone can do it is part of the reason some people think it doesn’t belong in the world of "Fine Art.” Historically collage was also something more women did than men, so of course, that counted against it as well. But my advice to those interested is to a.) ignore the gatekeepers, and b.) get familiar with collage artists—historical and contemporary—to figure out which styles you like (or don’t). Follow the collage community on Instagram and subscribe to Kolaj Magazine or other publications that include collage. Imitate one technique and then another. Make a piece based on a particular song or a piece that someone you care about might enjoy. Let yourself get weird. "Forbidden Fruit" (Courtesy of Taryn Chase Jackson) With all creative work, every single person—even those with decades of experience—has to start with a blank page. So, the most valuable skill you can develop is figuring out the best way to trick your own brain into creating. For example, if you make excuses about not having time, tell yourself you’ll only work for 15 minutes. If you feel self-conscious, just tell yourself you’re just going to test a new method or technique—anything that lowers the stakes. Of course, then you have to resist the urge to judge, stay curious, and come back and do it all again. For more on Taryn Chase Jackson, visit her online at https://AnySlyEnchanter.wixsite.com/my-site or on Instagram @AnySlyEnchanter . *Cover photo "Liminal Spaces" is courtesy of Taryn Chase Jackson. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Musical Gumbo Master Continues with Spring Forward Tour and a New Album < Back Off the Charts: Otis Walker Bud Gambrell Mar 25, 2025 Share Musical Gumbo Master Continues with Spring Forward Tour and a New Album The making of this article goes back a few months. I first spoke with Otis Walker in November 2024. Otis had a new album release coming up, and my plans were to be there. Well, as sometimes happens, life steps in and changes your plans. Our original interview was set to be at the album release party on November 29, 2024, the day after Thanksgiving. The morning of the party, I woke up with a flare-up of vertigo . There go those plans. Fast-forward to March 17, 2025, where I received a message from Otis, “I would like to personally invite you to our show this Saturday night.” I had been attempting to fill up my schedule for the spring and summer, but it so happens that my Saturday night was open. So, my reply was, “I am going to see about taking you up on this invite. Thank you!” Saturday Night’s show was to be held at Tangled Strings Studio in Huntsville . I was familiar with the venue by name only. I have seen the shop, but since they specialize in custom guitars , I have never stopped by. Lo and behold, it is a concert venue, too! I am unsure of how I missed out on that news. This is a very special place for live music. It is not too large or too small. It is just right for a songwriter/storyteller-type event. I tell you all that to set the table, as they say, so you can get a better visual for the space. Saturday March 22, 2025 As I walked into Tangled Strings Studio , the first person I met was Lisa Chang . She was up front selling tickets. Lisa is also a local musician with a fantastic voice. Otis and Lisa did a vocal duo during Otis’ set. I had never seen either of them perform, so I was mind-blown! Credit: Bud Gambrell The second person I ran into was Otis himself. Sometimes, it’s odd how these things work out. Otis and I began conversing as if we’d known each other for a while. We had just met for the first time. It’s always a bit of a concern with me that an interview will be stale due to no chemistry within the interview. That was not to be a worry tonight. Credit: Bud Gambrell We quickly realized common ground while talking about the band and stage set-up for the night. Otis added Kim Coffey to the percussion to add that extra beat. At almost the same time, we said, “similar to The Allman Brothers ” dual drummers. Otis told me that they are his favorite band. Mine too! Kim’s husband Donnie Cox is also in the band playing lead guitar. The pair also play in another band I worked with a few months ago. The band is rounded out by Richard Best on drums and Otis’ son Eli Brown on bass . Many moons ago, I worked with Richard , so the band was no stranger to me. Local songwriter Brett Carlisle opened the show. You will meet Brett and read more about him in an upcoming Off the Charts article. Our second band of the night was The Silver Silos , led by Taylor Burton . The Silver Silos are Taylor on guitar , Jacob Greene on bass , and his brother Brad Greene on saxophone and lap steel . Taylor is a friend of mine, and it is always a pleasure to have a conversation with him and hear his songs. The following is part of our conversation. For time and space purposes, I cannot include the entire conversation. Our conversation seemed very open-ended and long-winded. OTC : Otis, it is great to see you! It's nice to meet you finally! OW : Thanks for having me, man! OTC : We were first supposed to meet in November at the album release party. I'm sorry I couldn’t make it. So, tell me how the new album is doing. OW : It's our first time ever doing an album, so, you know, I have no metrics to measure against another album, but the first release did all right. The second single has had over forty streams in less than a month on Spotify . So, I mean, I think that's pretty remarkable. Hardly any of the streams are from my hometown, which is funny. We got lucky to get on a playlist and move forward. This is funny because the album's name is ' Forward ', so that's what we're doing. We're just trying to keep one foot in front of the other. OTC : Where can we find this new album? OW : You can go on the website at otiswalkerband.com . We've got the full album up for sale there. We're releasing one single every six weeks out to the wild. If you want the entire album, you can go to the website and you can purchase it there. Click picture to purchase OTC : Where did you find inspiration to write this new album's songs? OW : Well, you know you're going to find that you came to the right show tonight because we're doing the storytellers type show. I will tell you different stories about the different songs tonight. But, you know, I get a lot of different inspirations. Sometimes, it's a personal experience. Sometimes, I hear a lyric from another song that sends me in another direction. And you know, I feel like I'm an old bird now. I’m in my late 40s now. When I first started songwriting, it all had to be about something I felt. And now, I like to stew on it and get a story. So, in my older years, it's more story based. OTC : We will stop talking about how old we are at this point in the interview. (laughter) OTC : Did you write the songs on the new album, or did you have any interesting collaborations? OW : Out of the ten songs, one song was co-written by a buddy from college. The other nine songs were 100% mine, and then as far as the way that we did in the studio, you know, we all sat down at Clear Wave Studio and came up with how we wanted to produce the songs. They were all 100% mine, minus ' Southern Twist '. OTC : Do you have any future plans for any collaborations? OW : I've talked with a few guys. Taylor Burton and me, who we're playing the show with tonight. We've talked about that. We're gonna get together. I have also talked to Brett Carlisle , who's opening up tonight. He is a young songwriter, and we're also looking at it. My life hero is Barry Billings ; he's a great songwriter. Hopefully, we'll get to sit down and write a song together one day. OTC : As spring and summer are here, you've got new show dates. Do you have any particular dates or venues that you're looking forward to playing? OW : Well, tonight is! Here in Huntsville is our ticketed advance show. We're playing many shows where I’m solo and with the whole band. I love coming out and playing at a Tangled String Studio show where we get to have such an intimate chance to be with the audience because you're four feet from the first row. I love that! Credit: Bud Gambrell OTC : Do you have any goals for 2025? OW : Man, I would love to get to the part where we become a regional act . That is my goal! My dream is to be able to start playing some festivals and take out on the road what we're doing here in Huntsville and take it out to the people not here. The Huntsville music scene is intense. We could take it out to the rest of the southeast. OTC : What got you into music? OW : Well, I'm going to tell that story tonight. When I was growing up, we had a Ford Falcon , and it had a tape deck in it, and in that tape deck, there was a Roger Miller tape. I heard a song from Roger Miller and all those stories he tells. Man, it just lit a fire under me. Now, the other side of it is that my uncle, Bo Jack Killingsworth , is a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame , and so growing up with him, I got to see people and be around people that not everyone would get to be around and experience. My uncle is my hero. Roger Miller lit the flame, and going to see Uncle Bo at a show. I thought he walked on water. OTC : So, Roger Miller lit the flame, and Uncle Bo fanned that flame? OW : He sure did! OTC : Are there any past or present instructors that you look up to, and what qualities do they have that you admire? OW : I went to college and got a degree. But while in college, I got to play with the Iguana Party , which had Barry Billings , Danny Kirsch , and Joey Flippen . Those three men were my age now, and I was in college. They taught me everything I know about music. From how to roll up a cord to knowing the right song to play at the right time and how to play with dynamics. I mean, all those boys are my heroes. No guitar player can outdo Barry Billings . I'm sorry. I know some great players are around, but Barry hung the moon! OTC : What's the best piece of advice another musician ever gave you? OW : (laughs) That's a great question! I think that I was told once that I can't play everything in the first song. I get very emotional. One of my band mentors told me I had to leave something for the third set. When I first got up there, I just started trying to play everything simultaneously. OTC : What is it about music that makes you so emotional and feel passionate? OW : Man, you hear that bass drum, and then you hear that snare, and that's my heartbeat! And then my emotions kick in as soon as I hear the drums, and the passion comes out! Because I get to do something that is very much, honestly, my drug! I mean. I love music! It's not about money. It's not about fame. It is as if there's none of that. I'm still playing music in my basement on a Saturday night because I cannot live without getting the music out of me! The recommendation from this music lover to the music lover reading this is to get to an Otis Walker show if you are in the North Alabama area. Otis Walker 's music, a unique blend of styles, is something you won't want to miss. You will want to grab the LP or CD from the merch table while you are there, too. I know you will want to hear the songs repeatedly because the album is good but hearing them live is even better! For those not in the North Alabama area, let’s all hope that Otis Walker becomes a regional touring band so you will also get the chance to experience him live. One way that you can help make that happen is to support local original music in your scene wherever you may be. Show up for shows and let these musicians know you appreciate what they are doing. Until next time, Keep your diamond down in the groove! Where to find Bud: Email: the_budgambrell@mixedaltmag.com Website: https://bgambrellphotography.com Amazon: https://a.co/d/1CLA9Tzk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bud.gambrell My new book: Bud Gambrell Photography by Bud Gambrell | Blurb Books Where to find Otis Walker: Website: https://otiswalkerband.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OtisWalkerBand Facebook: Facebook Instagram: Otis Walker Band (@otiswalkerband) • Instagram photos and videos Soundcloud: Stream The Otis Walker Band music | Listen to songs, albums, playlists for free on SoundCloud ‎ Apple Music: Otis Walker Band - Apple Music Where to find Tangled Strings Studio: Website: Tangled String Studios Facebook: Facebook Instagram: Tangled String Studios (@tangledstringstudios) • Instagram photos and videos *all photos by Bud Gambrell www.bgambrellphotography.com Bud Gambrell Photography Bud Gambrell Photography is a locally owned and operated photography business in North Alabama. Call or email us today for an appointment. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Got something for Bud to check out? Reach him at the_budgambrell@mixedaltmag.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Okay Kenedi’s debut album is more than just okay. It’s a wonderful ride of alt-pop that is superb, loaded with fun and introspection, and a heartfelt reminder that we’re all okay. < Back Okay Kenedi: A Casual Introduction Is Hard to Come By Tim W. Jackson Oct 20, 2023 Share Okay Kenedi’s debut album is more than just okay. It’s a wonderful ride of alt-pop that is superb, loaded with fun and introspection, and a heartfelt reminder that we’re all okay. One might consider the fact that Okay Kenedi just released her first album somewhat miraculous. Her father is a fundamentalist pastor, and she wasn’t allowed to listen to secular music growing up in Cumming, Georgia, just north of Atlanta. After she finally played music professionally, she had just given up on the dream when things took a turn. Recorded at Ivy Manor in the legendary music recording area of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Okay’s debut album “A Casual Introduction Is Hard to Come By ” is a wonderful ride of alt-pop music with every song displaying its own vibe. For instance, the song “Dress Better” is a sure-fire party anthem, while “Fathers Want Sons” is a thoughtful, reflective slow number. The rest of the album is pretty much everything in between. But the path to this rousing debut album wasn’t easy. Growing up in Cumming, Georgia, Okay Kenedi’s existence seemed far from big city life. She was only allowed to listen to worship or contemporary Christian music, despite how important music was in her early life. “My grandmother played piano for the church, and they practiced all the time,” Okay says. “I've spent a lot of time with her, and I took an interest in piano at a really young age—probably because I was raised around it. So, my parents put me in lessons around five years old, and I took nine years of lessons.” She knew she had a knack for music, a love strengthened in middle school. Okay started teaching herself guitar with the help of YouTube videos, and her middle school chorus teacher allowed her to bring her guitar to school. “She would let me stick my guitar in her office and … come into her classroom in the mornings and play piano,” Okay says. “I wrote her an original song in eighth grade as a goodbye from me and all my friends who were in choir. I wrote it with five other friends, with our 13-year-old minds. I'm sure it was horrific but beautiful at the same time.” In high school, Okay auditioned to be in theater mainly because she was told that twice a year there was a showcase where she could bring her guitar and play. The audition went well, and she says that she accidentally ended up in the advanced theater travel group. “I knew nothing about theater, and it horrified me,” she says, “but I did, in fact, get to play twice a year with my guitar and sing a song.” Courtesy of Okay Kenedi Okay recalls writing her own version of a song from Wicked and the theater teacher actually liking it. She didn’t know it then but through all of her musical experiences, the building blocks were being put in place for a future in music. As it turned out, she did like the advanced choir program and says that being in choir, musical theater, and music production in high school helps her musically. “ l like the tedious work you hate to do ,” she says with a chuckle. “I think that stuff refined a lot of my music. I could pick out a harmony and know what it meant. And I like breath control. We do a lot of vocal exercises. I can't say that I love doing them but I'm grateful that I did it now.” Though she had written songs since she was a kid, she started looking at music more seriously after high school. Okay attended Lee University, a private Christian school in East Tennessee, and the University of North Georgia. Her love for music continued to grow and in 2019, she met Micayla Wise and Sarah Dickerson, now both members of her band, in a Christian group that had a lot of emphasis on music. “I was always writing,” she says. “I wrote tons of songs. I just kept writing all through high school, all through college, but I didn’t do anything with the songs. Micayla was the first person to say, ‘Hey, do you write music?’ So, I was like, ‘Actually, I do.’” Okay played some original music for Micayla, who encouraged Okay to do something will the songs she’d written. It evolved through several genre changes. “You gotta find yourself before you find your genre,” Okay says. “So, it was like going through a lot of pants that didn't fit until I settled into this.” This is the music on Okay Kenedi’s new album, which came oh so close to never happening. In September 2021, Okay felt her music wasn’t gaining any traction. She had booked her final show, which was at a bar in Atlanta. “We have to be adults at some point and pick a career that makes money,” Okay recalls saying to her band. “We have to put gas in our cars, and I need to move out of my parents' house, so this is my last show on the books.” Some crying from the band ensued but logic dictated that it was time to call it quits. They had a lot of fun together, but it was time to move on. As the night of the show arrived, Okay was headlining for a young guy who had just released his debut record. “He had a bunch of people who had come to hear him play,” she recalls. “When I came up to do my set, everyone just left because the crowd was all his friends and family—and he was done. So, it was basically me, the band that I brought, and, like, four friends.” Knowing it was her last show, rather than just going through the motions, she decided to give it her all. Courtesy of Okay Kenedi “I sold that show harder than I sold any show to my four friends.” She was gonna go out with a bang, and she did. “It just so happened that in the back of that room was music producer Dan Hannon ,” she says. He was impressed with her talent and saw lots of potential. He was part of a team that operated Ivy Manor, a recording studio in Sheffield, Alabama, just minutes away from Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and FAME Studios . Dan and the team took Okay under their wings. Besides Dan, an award-winning producer with more than three decades in the music industry, there was former SteelDrivers frontman Gary Nichols , along with producers and engineers such as Clint Ingersoll, Jared Przybysz, and Ivy Manor founder Michael Shane Wright. “I was so new to the way this actually works when you're not trying to do it in your attic,” she says about her new team. “Besides the writing and recording, they even helped me get some stylists in L.A. that designed clothes for me and a hairstylist in Atlanta, and we did 16-hour-a-day rehearsals with me and my live band to polish for the live-show thing. They helped me become an artist.” Of Okay, Wright says he admires her creativity and skill, specifically highlighting her song “Fathers Want Sons” by commenting on her display of skill as a songwriter. Her strength in vocals, as well as her natural charisma and leadership skills, is a trait that Wright sees as integral in a performer. “I was immediately struck by the quality of her songwriting,” Wright says. “She has a unique ability to take her personal experiences [and] translate those [into] universal experiences, then communicate that experience in three or four words.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maAQPqSRLmA The hard work is paying off. Five singles have been released thus far: “1 Birthday Behind” , “Dress Better” , “Fathers Want Sons” , “Pharmacy” , and “Young, Dumb, & Naive” . In these songs and the other six on the album, Okay shows a penchant to be both introspective and fun. As for the album title, “When we first made a website, I didn't even know what to put in my bio,” Okay says. “So, I literally put ‘a casual introduction is hard to come by’ in place of where my bio should go. Then I thought, ‘What if we just named my record that?’ It's like an introduction, and it's funny because I didn't know what to say about myself. My record will say it all, so it's a spoof off of that.” “A Casual Introduction Is Hard to Come By” is out now and worth your time to give it a listen. When Okay Kenedi becomes a household name, you’ll be glad you were there from the start because, as her merch says, “We’re all Okay!” For more on Okay Kenedi, her singles, and her 11-track debut album (which dropped today, Oct. 20!), visit her online at www.OkayKenedi.com , Spotify , Bandcamp , Facebook , Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can also access her album, songs, vlog, music accounts, and her signature roast coffee at https://linktr.ee/OkayKenedi . Tim W. Jackson is a seasoned journalist and author with a penchant for all things dark, macabre, and somewhat sinister. He lives in Tuscumbia, Ala., with his super cool artist wife and their dogs, Maple and Ginkgo. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Trust Them 'Cuz They're Young, Talented, and Handsome < Back SaxKixAve: Much More Better C.G. Smith Jan 18, 2023 Share Trust Them 'Cuz They're Young, Talented, and Handsome Most musicians are lucky to have one successful project. In a world where there are anywhere from 50,000-100,000 songs being released every day, the market is oversaturated and the chances of breaking through this noise are harder than ever. Musicians who actually do break through and have any kind of success with one group is a rarity, let alone those who can take on and do well with multiple musical projects. New Orleans duo SaxKixAve is comprised of award-winning rapper Alfred Banks and Albert Allenback , saxophonist and flutist of the twice Grammy-nominated group Tank and the Bangas . These two artists are plenty busy with their main gigs, but thanks to the suggestion of Tavia Osbey, manager of Alfred and of Tank and the Bangas, that the two work together at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, these artists started a side project that is truly something special. Their first record, “ I Don’t Wear Suits ”, was released in April 2020 and is a celebration of this collaboration, and the duo has been performing those songs in front of live audiences whenever they can find the time to do so. SaxKixAve is currently finishing up their follow-up record, and I was lucky enough to be able to have them both over to chat about that, about how they make this project work with their busy schedule, and about some of the band’s highlights so far. MaM : I’ve heard a couple different versions of what “kix’ed” this all off. How did this insane, wonderful experiment begin? Albert : Well, Tavia—the manager of Tank and the Bangas and the engine, the logistic and business/life-path mind behind it all—hit me up and said [Alfred] was looking for beats. She said, ‘I know you make beats. Let’s get you in the studio together and see what happens.’ Alfred : It was great … I like Alby. He’s good money. We crack wild jokes. He sent me an email of beats, I picked one, I wrote to it, knock this one out. It was right when COVID hit. So yeah, I got in the studio with this dude, [and] we laughed for about three or four hours before we even started really recording. I thought, ‘This is a good guy.’ We recorded ‘Tawny’ and I guess he liked what I did. I loved it, and we just kinda kept goin’, kept goin’, kept goin’. Then it was like, ‘Hey man, you wanna make this a thing?’ Albert : It was like a 'Step Brothers' moment. Alfred : Yeah! He was like, ‘Yeah!’ I was like, ‘Aight.’ [sic] Albert : Are we in a band? Alfred : Are we a band?! Albert : Yeah, I think so! Alfred : (to Albert) Do you remember how we came up with the name? I know we joke about it. Albert : I remember us opening a Word document and trying out different fonts and stuff. I don’t think we tried it phonetically. I don’t think we ever would have tried this dumpster fire of a phonetic pronunciation—have you ever tried to say it fast? Albert then attempts to say the band name SaxKixAve quickly several times in a row. Albert : No, it’s terrible. Why did we do this? Maybe we should shorten it to SKA and say we’re bringing ska back and hire a trombone player. (laughter) Alfred : Definitely. Nah, I think this is one of the best things I think I’ve ever done. I enjoy this so much. In 2018, Banks was named "Best Hip-Hop Artist" at the Best of the Beat, presented by New Orleans' premier music publication, Offbeat Magazine . He followed that up with the 2019 Big Easy Award for Best Rapper, presented by Gambit Weekly . credit: Gary Governale MaM : It’s opened you up. Not just personally but creatively, too. You’re now singing a little bit. Alfred : Definitely. [Singing] was something I always wanted to do, but I didn’t really have the producer to help bring it out in the right way that would make me sound good, because my voice doesn’t have a lot of range. I can hit some notes but not too crazy. So, someone [who] could make something that could make me sound even better than I am … I think Albert does that. Rapping to shit I wouldn’t normally rap over—he’s down to go there with me. He’s down to do some really wild stuff, and I’m down to at least try and see what happens. In 2020, the two performed live as a duo for the first time at an Onbeat Session for Offbeat Magazine filmed at Loyola University. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiYRqaIQaDc Alfred : That was the very first time we had ever performed together, ever. How nerve-wracking was that?! Albert : It was terrifying. Alfred : I was scared out of my mind. Albert : (to Alfred) Doing this thing with you, having to do it live and perform the songs, I’ve become a much better piano player the past two years, and you don’t put a lot of pressure on me. We don’t put a lot of pressure on each other. Alfred : I don’t know how to read music. I’m not about to insult or critique someone when I don’t even know what you’re doing. Albert : I’m not a rapper—I’ve tried. It’s more difficult than it looks! (from the album “I Don’t Wear Suits”): MaM : So, have Albert’s rapping skills have gotten better? Alfred : I think Albert has more skills than he thinks. Maybe he couldn’t be a ‘rapper’ rapper, but (to Albert) you’re a good writer. You might not have rapper swag per se, but you could rap. Albert : I could deliver it, but it might not be believable when attached to a body—MY body. (laughter) Alfred : (to Albert) You really understand how songs go. He’s a dope-ass writer outside of being a musician. Albert : I just got [sic] to say this: As my rapping skills have improved, so, too, have Alfred’s declined. (laughter) It’s perfectly even, the way things have gone down. It’s more of a parasitic thing. (to Alfred) I think I’m stealing your rap life force. (laughter) MaM : Your songs have a wonderful mix of silly and serious. What’s y’all’s vision for what SaxKixAve is now and what it can be in the future? Albert : I think we want to have this digestible funny thing, because we’re both naturally funny and when we get up on stage, we’re not sure what it is, but something happens between us that generates what people have been calling entertainment. (Alfred breaks out in laughter.) Some sort of passable thing happens. We want it to be funny, but we want the funny to help communicate. Our natural state is tinged with melancholy. Our natural state is more depressive … more low energy. So, if we have this high-impact thing that’s kind of funny, then we can get in things; there's no other way to say this: We laugh so we don’t cry. It’s something that I’ve … learned watching Tank—how do you interface with the audience? You can be doing the best stuff in the world, but if you have any contempt or if you’re just holding the spoon of baby food out of reach of a toddler, that’s just rude. You should interface with the crowd so you can get it to them. We want this mix of goofy so we can be ultra-serious, and we want to be ultra serious so the funny stuff is even funnier. Alfred : I disagree with everything he just said. I’m here for the money. (More laughter ensues.) Alfred : We’re both very serious. We’re both really good at what we do—like, obnoxiously good at what we do. In the back of my mind, it’s about making how good we are palatable. Sometimes being really good can push people away like it’s not even relatable. I think the comedy takes the edge off. It’s like, ‘Let’s just vibe and have fun. Some of it is just on the cuff, but we give ourselves that room. In our other situations, there’s a lot of structure. For us, the future, people are going to hear … the music is going to be even much more better [sic] than it is now. More jokes. It’s just going to be unapologetically amazing. Albert : SaxKixAve: much more better [sic]. Alfred : That’s grammatically correct. credit: Gary Governale MaM : Was there a moment when you both knew you had something? Alfred : That [first] recording session. I always tell that story [about the song] ‘Tawny’ when I say [the word] crib. [Albert] was like, ‘Dude, can you yell ‘crib'?’ and I was like ‘What?’ Albert : Like 15 times. Alfred : I had to yell it and I was like, ‘Why am I doing this? This is stupid.’ Then he played it back and I was like, ‘Oh … yeah.’ That was the first time I trusted him. (to Albert) When did you feel like we had something?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLpjIRY0OuU Albert : When I knew we had something was when it was backed up by a crowd. I think we were doing Tip’s (Tipitina’s) or something. You said a few things in a row that I didn’t find very funny, but people were losing their minds. They were also losing their minds with the songs, and I was like, ‘What’s happening?’ There are things that only happen once per show [like] Alfred [going] off on this freestyle thing; we usually do this at the show. He’ll just freestyle rap for, like, five minutes. You’ve seen it: People hold up stuff out of their pockets [for him to rap about]. As I see the crowds more and more, I’m just like, ‘Wow, well let’s just be honest and a little unsure of ourselves, because apparently somebody likes that.’ MaM : Your dynamic—when you come together, it’s something you wouldn’t expect, I think, from seeing you both in your respective projects. It just works somehow. Alfred : I think that shit’s amazing, too. That Tav (Manager Tavia) ... maybe she didn’t see SaxKixAve, but she just thought we’d do good together. I don’t see Al all the time. We’re both doing our own thing, but every time I see him it’s like we were just hanging out yesterday. I don’t know if it’s because of our same sense of humor—the way that we’ve come to some recent discoveries about ourselves, but we just gel really well. (to Albert) Outside of the music, I can actually hang with you; that comes through, too. [Another] moment I knew we had something was [during a show] when the mic cord came out, I put [it] back in maybe halfway through the verse, and I finished the song. We had another song after that, but I was like, ‘Yo, Al, audible, play a beat.’ I freestyled about me f**kin’ up, and the crowd lost their minds. I was like, ‘Yeah, we got somethin’ here. I don’t think we can lose. This is incredible.’ That shit was dope. (to Albert) What was the first big show we did? I think when we did Performance Inception ... when you opened for yourself? Albert : Yeah! When SaxKixAve opened for Tank and the Bangas at one of The Broadside shows [last year]. Alfred : That was the first time I think Tank and the Bangas had [sic] saw us. When they came back and said, ‘You guys are amazing,’ I was like, ‘Yeah, we’re lit. We are LIT.’ credit: Gary Governale Albert is known for wearing short shorts all the time. MaM : Albert, is it hard for you to be behind the keys when people can’t see the full leg action? Albert : We’ve been workshopping methods to get around that, talking about maybe having a video feed that’s right under the piano, directly pointed at the legs and maybe running some sort of monitor behind Alfred so it’s just my knees constantly while he raps. Alfred : (to Albert) I know you’re joking, dude, but I’ll tell you this: You know what everybody says? They don’t even talk about your bun first; they talk about your legs. I’m not even joking. Everybody [sic] like, ‘Dude, the guy with the legs.’ MaM : I hear you’re working on your next record. Is there a title for it? What can we expect? Will it be similar to the first one? Alfred : There IS a title . (to Albert) Are you cool with that? Albert : Let’s do it! Alfred : (begins to count down) One, two, three … Albert : Wait, on three or right after three? Alfred : Like, ON three. One, two, three: Albert’s legs. (laughter) Albert : Ahhh! Sorry, ok, ok … Go!” Both together : One, two, three … ‘Nectarine Peels.’ Albert : Yes, we know you don’t peel nectarines, [and] we address [that]. MaM : It makes people think, and that’s the point. Alfred : (laughing) It’s provocative, man. Albert : It actually came from a text message. (to Alfred) Didn’t you just send the words nectarine peels or something? I was like, ‘Nectarine Peels?’ Alfred : Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! Albert : So, I said it has a kind of a ring to it. It seems to mean something, and then immediately I went and wrote this little melody and song at the piano when I got that text. I sent it to Alfred the next day. We’ve taken it to mean a whole lot of things thematically. A big part of it is ambition and its corrosive effects on how we think people see us, how we see ourselves, how we want people to see us, and how we want to see ourselves. That’s one of the main themes of it. I think we’ve made some of our best songs ever. It’s about the same runtime [as ‘I Don’t Wear Suits’], but there’s six real songs. Alfred : I feel like the first project, as great as it is, it was us figuring it out. I think for this one, it’s like, ‘Okay, this is dope, but how do we refine it?’ Keep it us, keep it funny, keep it light or, in some instances, not even as light. We have a song where we switch the topic seven times within the song … switch the energy. We kind of have an idea of what we are now. credit: Gary Governale MaM : So, no sophomore slump, then? Albert : I think this [album] is way better. We’ll see if people like it, but we have this thing: We love dance music, and we love old school hip-hop. So, we kind of find this thing—we have this sliding scale between boom bap and dance sometimes, and it’s really cool. You see little seeds of that on ‘I Don’t Wear Suits.’ We’re putting the very final touches on it. We’re almost completely finished. We’ve got great features: Mega Ran is on this, Pell is on this, LeTrainiump is on this, HaSizzle’s on this … Alfred : Who else is on there? Albert : Is that it, or is there one more? Alfred : I think Albert Allenback is on it. (laughter) Albert : There’s a fledgling rapper named Lyriqs da Lyraciss from New Orleans, and he’s on this record. Alfred's original rap name was Lyriqs da Lyraciss. Alfred : Bless his little heart. That guy, that guy left us around 2015. Bless his little heart. Albert : That was the first rapper I ever sent beats to. He left me unread. credit: Gary Governale Albert explains how he first tried to work with Alfred back in January of 2014. Albert : I’d been making beats for, like, two months but you couldn’t tell me they weren’t the greatest thing in the world. So, I sent him this impassioned paragraph about how I’m studying music at UNO (University of New Orleans): ‘Here, I made these beats, they’re real songs, and they’re great. Here’s nine of them. Check these out. I don’t use any samples.’ I wrote this to a prospective business partner [and] said, ‘I don’t use any samples. I make THESE biscuits from scratch.’ Alfred replied, ‘Word.’ Alfred : Yeah, I’m bad with that. So, here’s a little secret about me: I get overwhelmed really fast. I get about 20 to 30 DMs a day, and I can’t let one go unanswered. (to Albert) I’m just very bad with that, right? I’m the worst with that. Albert : But you’ve gotten better. You set much better boundaries now, and I’m proud of you. Alfred : I’m trying. Let me ask you a question, Albert: How did you hear me? Albert : I think it was this list in Gambit [Weekly]: the five worst rappers you need to avoid. Alfred : I was number three. Albert : You were all five! (Laughter ensues.) Alfred : I’ve just always wanted to know how you found me. Albert : Must have been someone from UNO shared a video or something. I honestly do not remember how I became your friend or followed you. You were constantly updating your status. MaM : His social game is on point. credit: Gary Governale Albert : It still is to this day! Alfred is just a fountain that you just put digital cups in front of and he says, ‘Here, take more, my child.’ I don’t have that. My fountain is not on. Alfred : It’s out of necessity. It won’t get done otherwise. I want to be successful. I don’t have money, so I don’t have a person promoting me all the time. So, I literally have to promote myself all the time. So, I just have to respond to that message. It can’t go unread. Albert : (to Alfred) I learn a lot from you, self-promotion-wise. I feel embarrassed and goofy just to be here sometimes. Just to be on planet Earth. I think there’s a lot of people like me. You’re going to post the thing you love to do and for some reason, you feel like it doesn’t matter. It can be some huge stuff and for some reason, we get in our heads and self-consciously you feel like it doesn’t matter, no one cares, but that’s not true. Alfred : (to Albert) I admire you about how much you detach yourself from it. I think that’s the illest shit ever, because I could never be that way and I admire someone that can. Albert : You inspire me. Like, when we make a video or a skit or something, or make an announcement, the only reason it gets done or posted with any kind of schedule or intensity or intention or commitment is because I feel obligated to live up to what you got [sic] goin’ on. So, I really appreciate your help in sharing more and feeling less embarrassed about self-promoting. I come from that tradition of people of ‘don’t talk about yourself too much.’ Alfred : One of the main things of this group, I really want people to know Albert Allenback as a solo act. I want people to know him because he’s really good. I just want people to know this motherfu**er is amazing. Drop your nuts, Cuz! Albert : Well, thank you. I will take that into consideration when it comes time to lower my testicles. credit: Gary Governale MaM : You both have your successful projects. How do you find time to do SaxKixAve? Is it just those slivers of free time? Albert : Yep, when we can; that’s the only way. We have conversations. We’re like, ‘Hey, you know what? I still really like you, still like doing this, but I’m busy right now.’ We’re really good at being able to keep a good, professional relationship. We’re close, but I think maybe there’s a part of us—some internal kill switch—that doesn’t let us get too close or something? It works really well. Alfred : (to Albert) I respect you and your time. I think one of the things you did early on was lay the boundaries of your time. I think I did that very early, too. I respect that. I know that when you’re running with Tank and the Bangas, you’re busy as shit. When I’m dolo, I’m busy as shit. We both respect each other’s time. So, when we HAVE time, I try to be as malleable as possible, given his schedule. I do a lot of shit, but I do have a little bit more free time than he has. So, I’m like, ‘Yo, when you free?’ ‘I’m free here.’ Done. Albert : That is how it goes. That is true, and you text back FAST. Alfred : That bitch always [sic] in my hand! credit: Gary Governale credit: Gary Governale MaM : There’s a lot of artistic freedom in SaxKixAve. How do you keep from floating away into the creative stratosphere with this, because it seems like opportunities are limitless. What keeps you both grounded and productive? Alfred : We do have some form of an outline of what we expect from each other. We go into the studio with this blank canvas. It’s not huge though. It’s a nice-sized canvas that we can throw a bunch of shit at and scrape off the paint that doesn’t work. We aren’t just throwing darts at the wall and seeing what sticks.” Albert : Fortunately, we know that we can do a lot of things, but I think we’ve also seen enough people try to do too many things. We have made a concerted effort to at least make an attempt to identify what we do the best That keeps us in the same bowling lane. Alfred : Definitely. Otherwise, you start making all kinds of weird shit. Not the good weird but that bad weird. That Chris Cornell and Timbaland-weird stuff. MaM : Things that just shouldn’t exist. What have been some highlights on stage so far? Alfred : So, a guy at Tipitina’s was saying my job (freestyling to things people hold up) was easy because people bring out the same things, and I was like, ‘Dude, I can literally freestyle about anything.’ Albert : (to Alfred) He was giving you shit because, ‘You can prepare for a phone and a lighter, and a comb, and keys.’ Alfred : So, I was like, ‘Go ahead, do whatever.’ I didn’t know that they had got [sic] together because Albert, him, and one other person were just pulling shit onstage, and I just knocked it out every single time they brought something out. That was one of the bigger eruptions we’d had. Albert : We had a Shop Vac, and a dolly, a partition, and a barricade … Alfred : … an ice chest, an orange cone. I just freestyled. The reaction of the crowd … felt good. French Quarter Fest was, by far, top five of my favorite shows I’ve done with you. Albert : Yeah. We had a drummer; it was great. Alfred : The story behind the set is so crazy. Albert : Oh yeah. It was horrible rain, and we weren’t gonna’ get to do the set. Pell stayed, but HaSizzle and LeTrainiump were gonna sit in with us and the rain messed everything up. Everyone else had other stuff to do, but then they let us do like 35 or 40 minutes and that was amazing. One of my favorites was from that Tip’s show as well. It was either a girls’ weekend or a bachelorette party—I couldn’t read the t-shirts—but they did NOT like us. First of all, we came out to this song of Alfred’s called ‘Too Much,’ which is a beat I made, and it is entirely his fault for picking it. (Albert laughs) It’s a wild, ecstatic, frenzied beat—wild music—and we came out to that hard. We came out swinging; we were spinning around and jumping. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p-_D-Kh6X8 There were eight to 10 older women in matching sequence and t-shirts, who just wanted to celebrate Karen or whatever. They were not having it with us. I pointed them out and said, ‘Hey, I know we came out swinging, but we’ll get you back.’ By Alfred’s freestyle, they were into it and having a great time. My other favorite: We played a show [at a gallery] and there was a drum set up on stage. Alfred was doing his freestyle, so I grabbed a cymbal and walked it into the crowd, held it up, and Alfred rapped about it. I didn’t put it back, which is what got me in trouble. This drum set belonged to a kid at NOCCA (New Orleans Center for Creative Arts), and this 14-year-old kid came up to me after the set and he was pretty pissed. He wanted to fight me. I felt more like I related to him than anything because when I was 14, if you had touched my saxophone, I’d be like, ‘What the f**k is wrong with you? Where do you get off touching my shit?’ So, I understand, but it was funny because this fourteen-year-old kid really wanted to fight me because I moved his cymbal. Something clicked where I knew I was now an adult, because I didn’t feel like I was another fourteen-year-old being dressed down; I felt like I was able to take my lick. ‘Hey, you know what? I’m actually sorry and I understand why you feel that way, and I shouldn’t have touched your shit without asking.’ credit: Gary Governale MaM : I know y’all have jokes. What’s your favorite joke right now? Albert : What’s the difference between a chickpea and a garbanzo bean? (Silence for a few moments as the joke goes over my head.) I’ve never had a garbanzo bean on my face. (Much laughter ensues.) Alfred : There’s no way I could ever top that. MaM : Your social media videos are pretty funny. Do you guys sketch them out before you do them, or do you just hit record and go? Alfred : Definitely sketch them out. Albert : We fancy ourselves, against our better judgement, as some sort of amateur sketch comedy team. We are NOT. That’s why we make music. Listen, we’re musicians first; we’re not Saturday Night Live writers, okay? This is a means to an end. Don’t hold us accountable for this. A lot of our videos are Alfred doing funnier shit in the moment than either of us could’ve come up with just writing it out. Alfred : Yeah, those videos are great. I think we’ve had two go viral. You know its popular when you get those assholes that are like, ‘This shit isn’t even really that funny.’ Those trolls. It’s like, ‘Yes! We did it, baby!’ (laughs) Albert : At least they feel something. We spend much more time than we’d care to admit coming up with these. Alfred : I really enjoy doing it. I don’t enjoy it as much as the music, but I do enjoy creating because we both have funny shit in our head, and we live in a time we can legit act it out. Albert : And it feels like a break from the music. It feels like going into woodworking or something. There’s no pressure on this. I’m just building a cabinet; I’m not making my life’s work, which is what the music can feel like sometimes. You have to step back and be like, ‘Hey, chill out, because this is putting pressure on you.’ Spoiler alert: You don’t make great things when you feel a lot of pressure. Maybe some people feel like the pressure gets it going for [them] but for me, I have to be in a relaxed state and let good things happen; otherwise, I’ll shape myself into all kinds of molds that aren’t me. Alfred : I ain’t [sic] gonna lie, I enjoy pressure. I think back to, like, 2010 when I was freestyle battling guys and that feeling of being scared shitless out of my mind, jumping on stage in front of these people, not knowing what I’m about to say and just reveling in it. Being like, ‘Oh, I just can’t wait … but what if I f**k up? This is great; I love it.’ Albert : (to Alfred) Props to you. That’s amazing. That’s like being a stand-up comedian. I could never imagine. Alfred : I may sound cocky, but I’m very much an amazing rapper and I am looking for a moment to stumble. I want to f**k up because I want to learn where I f**ked up at. I want to perfect that and do it again and be much better at it. Albert : Sometimes you just want to feel human. (laughter) Alfred : Seriously, though; I really do enjoy the pressure. Pressure makes diamonds. credit: Gary Governale MaM : So, Albert, you’ve been making beats for a long time. You have a decent back catalog of tracks to pull from. This new album, is it pulling from that or are you coming up with new stuff on the spot? Albert : Some of it is brand new, some of it is ideas that I’ve been working on for years. You make these things and see what comes out. It’s new to everyone else, but it’s something you may have been working on for so long. I got some advice really early on. I forgot this fella’s name, but it was the first time Tank and the Bangas were playing a super lounge at Essence Festival. We were getting to hang out at Essence, and it was awesome. Kelly Price’s music director was there. He said he had started making beats late in life. He said, ‘Just make it and hold on to it because you might like it, but you never know who will.’ I’ve really taken that into account. I have probably over 1,000 songs or song ideas. At this point, I’ve been making beats and writing songs and doing full productions for almost 10 years now. I have a lot built up; it’s just a matter of, ‘Man, you remember that one I made a long time ago? Let’s see if that works.’ That’s how I get to a lot of good stuff, and then seeing what Alfred does. It’s like two comets hitting. Now I’m more likely to try a few more things and be like, ‘You know what? This is working. We’re going to go with what works, what’s good, how he said that this time, and how he was feeling this time, and how I was feeling right here.’ Just going more with using the stuff as it happens, instead of, and this is a nice tie-in—this is what ‘Nectarine Peels’ is about—instead of making yourself a delicious, fragrant, niche, sub-variant of a peach called a nectarine that some people are going to love and that some people aren’t even going to know about or care about … trying to force yourself into being an apple or an orange or any of the other Renaldo and LeBron-level fruits. You can do that, or [you can] stay being your nectarine delicious self and probably make yourself and a lot more people a lot happier than if you’d tried to be a banana. Alfred : I disagree with everything he just said. (laughter) Albert : SaxKixAve: much more better. credit: Gary Governale MaM : Is there anything else you’d like to say about the new record? Alfred : This new album slaps. Albert : It’s good! Alfred : ‘ Nectarine Peels’ ... I'm very proud of it. I like it. MaM : How many tracks are going to be on it? Alfred : About nine in total. Three skits. Albert : It’s like a 23-minute runtime, but it’s, like, nine tracks. We don’t want anybody to have to skip a song because they want to skip one of our stupid skits. I want to give people total control. Honestly, just take the skit off the album if you want, that’s fine, but we want to give people the option. Alfred : This album is amazing. Albert’s production on it is nuts. The songs came out so good. Lyrically, I feel like I’m doing some really cool things on here, jumping out of the box on stuff. We’re just having fun, and I really think people are going to like it. Currently, there is no release date for SaxKixAve’s second album, Nectarine Peels , but you can check out their website for any updates and be sure to follow them on social media. YouTube: @saxkixave1922 Instagram: @saxkixave Facebook: facebook.com/Saxkixave Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/saxkixave *All photos by Gary Governale www.governalephotovideo.com Zenfolio | Home I have been working as a video professional since 1993, with a wide range of experience writing, producing, directing, shooting and editing. A strong interest in videography, specifically lighting and composition, led me to photography in 1998. Rapidly changing technology has blurred the line between video and photography, allowing me to work in both mediums.. Baton Rouge, LA, United States www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90's flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Email us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

There is always time to catch a classic movie. < Back Top 5 Movies That Rock Jeff Holmes Jul 22, 2024 Share There is always time to catch a classic movie. A catchy score in a film can elevate it from good to great. The movies in this list take that idea a step further. These picks are all about the music. Whether it's blues , classical , heavy metal , jazz , or just plain old rock n' roll , they show us why music is so valuable in our lives. 1. Amadeus Amadeus is the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and what shaped his music. Mentorship is challenging, especially when your protege` has more talent. For Salieri, Mozart proves to be a challenge and much, much more. This Best Picture winner (1984) shows us talent alone does not a musician make. Two sides of the same coin, Salieri and Mozart both demonstrate what a tormented creative genius looks like. Bravo Amadeus ! 1984 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R4fbdzzXok 2. The Blues Brothers The Blues Brothers follows Jake and Elwood as they hurry to raise money. Their childhood orphanage is being shut down and they're the last hope. The only way to accomplish their goal is by getting the band back together. Reconnecting with each member of the band proves challenging. Along the way, the band proves to be true musical outlaws, as they stay one step ahead of the law. Don't worry, there are plenty of jams along the way. Ride along with the one, the only, the Blues Brothers. 1980 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HCR4c1zPyk 3. Pirate Radio Pirate Radio is the story of how rock n' roll fought to survive in 70s era Britain. Rock music was officially banned by the British government during this time. A workaround to this was moored offshore boats that played nothing but rock. The government opposed these so called 'pirate' radio stations by doing everything they could to shut them down. This hilarious movie, complete with a perfectly executed soundtrack, illustrates that deep down we're all rockers in one way or another. Rock n' roll will never die! 2009 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRh1-cyWfGQ 4. Soul An animated film from the masters at Pixar, Soul doesn't include any immediately recognizable characters, however, the film is certainly a one of kind experience. Joe Gardner, a middle school band teacher, is taken on both a musical and spiritual journey to find his place in life. He is consumed with waiting for his chance to perform professionally. Will his dream come true or does the universe have other plans? 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs--6c7Hn_A 5. This is Spinal Tap This is Spinal Tap stands out as both a comedy film and rock and roll masterpiece. An originator of the mockumentary style, the film took its time growing an audience. Today it is undoubtedly a classic, equally known for its rocking soundtrack as well as its myriad of jokes. If you're a fan of more modern musical comedy acts such as Tenacious D , Weird Al , Flight of the Concords , etc, and somehow haven't yet seen it - get on it! You won't want to miss This is Spinal Tap! 1984 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6F0VyKp4Ik Be sure to check these films out if you haven't yet because they are some of my favorite films that rock! -Jeff- www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90's flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Matt Mahaffey is Just Being HimsElf < Back Self-Made Genius: Tracing the Musical Legacy of Matt Mahaffey Noah Hughey Jul 10, 2025 Share Matt Mahaffey is Just Being HimsElf Matt Mahaffey doesn't mind if you’ve never heard of him or his band, Self . But if you have, the release of their first single in a decade might be a sign that he’s not quite ready to let go of the band that jumpstarted his career. The release of the single last December, ' Love You Less ,' coupled with a resurgence of the band on platforms like Spotify has led to a burgeoning community of new fans online in 2025, 30 years after the release of their first album, Subliminal Plastic Motives . Released October 24, 1995 For Mahaffey , music has always come naturally. “When I was a kid, once I got drumsticks, I would go beat on, you know, fresh barbwire to the fields,” he said from his home studio in Nashville, Tennessee. “You know, like, cause they would string it and it would have a tone to it, like, bzz . And each level of it was a different tone.” Born in Kingsport, the musical ballast he had access to was worlds apart from the sound he would end up producing in his early career. “My parents had disco and easy listening and Little River Band and Eagles and stuff like that,” he said. “I was just like, the 70s stuff was so boring to me, that I had access to in East Tennessee .” However, when an opportunity to join a local band sprouted up, he could not refuse. “And they're just like, we need a drummer. And I'm like, oh my God, I'm going to audition for a band,” he said. “Next thing I know, I'm like 13 and playing at Dollywood with them every summer, you know. And as soon as I could drive (...) I would drive up to Bristol, Tennessee (...) and just,” he began mimicking his rhythmic ticking of the drum, “all night long for hours and get paid 50 bucks or whatever.” A still shot from our interview Looking back at it, Mahaffey expresses gratitude for his origins in the south. When he first lived in Nashville and Murfreesboro during college, its reputation stood out as a cradle for country music. But the late eighties and early nineties were a time for change not only musically, but technologically. For Mahaffey , this meant the harmonies of traditional bluegrass came together with an influx of west coast hip hop to form a single artistic vision that remained in the back of his mind throughout his early career. “That's one thing that is my superpower, I always hear harmonies all the time and rhythm,” he said. “I started playing in rock bands in college and was a good drummer. And so in Murfreesboro, where I went to school at MTSU, there just wasn't a lot of drummers. It's a music school (...) And so, next thing I know, [I] was just playing in a different band several times a week. It's like punk rock on Monday, piano pop on Wednesday, reggae on Friday. And that was cool because that exposed me to a lot of different styles and meeting a lot of different people that just had different viewpoints on how to make music.” The project that was Self wouldn’t have been totally possible without his older brother, Mike Mahaffey . “He was my idol, you know, and he was so good at the guitar and he practiced so hard when we were kids. Then, when he was 18, he was just like, ‘I can legally go join a touring band,’” Mahaffey recalled his brother’s success swelling with pride. “He just moved up this rung really quickly of these agencies, the next thing I knew he was in Florida with a band called Blackfish signed to Epic Records (...) we were, just, both just in disbelief. And they made a record with Sean Slade and Paul Kolderie , who produced Radiohead's first album .” But for Mike, the ladder stopped in Florida with Epic Records , prompting a call home that would eventually give the world Self . “I was making beats in my dorm room and my brother called me from an Island, And he was like, ‘Hey, they're not putting out our second record. Can I come write with you?’ And I was like, ‘Come on,’” said Mahaffey . “And I had written ‘ So Low ’ and ‘ Marathon Shirt ’ for the first album. But it was just beats on a four track and he came in and just put his guitars on them and we got a record deal. Poof. And I was like, ‘Well, I guess we're a band, bro.’” Official video for 'So Low' Those first songs the brothers produced would go on to become the band’s first album, Subliminal Plastic Motives , which was released in October 1995. Setting a sort of unspoken precedent for their discography, the album seems to capture the essence of the era it was produced in its unique musical concoction. There is a distinct grunge that hits immediately, reminiscent of the sounds of bands like Nirvana which had taken the rock scene by storm during the mid nineties. And yet, less than a minute into the album’s first song ' Borateen ,' Mahaffey’s experimentation with hip hop and the unconventional electric sounds he’d been listening to in college are unmistakable. “Subliminal Plastic Motives has a special place in my heart because it was done to analog tape,” Mahaffey said. “You couldn't Google how to get a certain sound or make something work. You just had to figure it out (...) We beat on pots and pans, we everything and it's all very live. And this is before like you had a bajillion loops at your fingertips. It's more personal because it's farm to table. It's handcrafted, there's no presets back there.” Self was signed to Spongebath records that same year, and added Chris James as their keyboardist, Jason Rawlings on drums, and bassist Tim Noble (who’d be replaced by Mac Burrus after a 1997 tour). It seemed at the time that Mike had brought his accelerationist star power to the band. “Out of the gate, Lou Maglia [President, Zoo Entertainment] (…) sunk a million dollars into promoting the band to the industry,” Mahaffey said. “So we were in all the magazines, all the industry magazines, and we made videos, and they were on MTV and - they didn't really play them a lot, but they were on there - so people would recognize you, those types of things.” Official video for 'Cannon' from Subliminal Plastic Motives With the influx of money from major labels, the band, and Mahaffey in particular, now had the resources to experiment with the harmonic project that had been sitting in his mind since college. “Most of my successes with Self are more just artistic internal pats on the back,” he said, patting his own back and smiling. “Being able to have a huge budget and do whatever I want to in the recording studio, be like, ‘I want strings on this.’ And then next thing I know, there's a room full of string players and like, we're doing it,” he motioned around himself, as if he had been taken back to that studio, surrounded by a string section, an erratic passion inflamed in his eyes as he recalled his gluttonous request fulfilled by the studio. “It was just blatant, you know, waste, wasting money. But at the same time, like, you're making records. I was making records like my heroes made records. And that felt very good.” This might have been where the story ends. I could tell you that Self was endlessly propelled to fame, that they signed onto the early Dreamworks label at the turn of the century, contributing ' Stay Home ' to the original Shrek film soundtrack . That they influenced music history forever with the resources at their disposal to continue experimenting with the available sounds before them. But a combination of factors that fans and outside speculators alike have interrogated for the last 20 years would ultimately dim the shine of Self . First was the collapse of the Dreamworks label in 2003. “They went to a lot of artists on that label and were like, ‘Hey, you guys, we let you do what you want on the first album because we want to have a good reputation for making cool art. This time around, we kind of need something for the radio,’” Mahaffey said. At the same time, he was working on Self’s fifth studio album, Ornament and Crime . But just before they were to release the album, Dreamworks sold the label, which was ultimately dissolved, leaving the album on hiatus. Self's Ornament & Crime album Second was the untimely passing of Mike Mahaffey in 2005 , which happened suddenly while the younger Mahaffey was on tour in London with Beck . Losing one half of the creative vision behind the band and its lead guitarist, in the eyes of many fans, was the shattering point. That might be an overzealous exaggeration of the story behind Self . But Mahaffey said, “for obvious reasons,” his brother’s passing did effectively confirm at least a short period of radio silence from the band as their personal and professional lives changed elsewhere. It was this outside change that, as he conveyed it, seemed to have the greatest impact on not just Mahaffey’s career but the whole band’s collective future. When Maglia signed Self onto Zoo Entertainment ’s record alongside Spongebath in 1997, Mahaffey recalled him calling their music ahead of its time. Their distinct electric sound that blended the rhythm of hip hop with the harmonies of rock and pop music in a way that pioneered the alternative scene so early on was among the first of its kind on an industry level. “I think I was trying to blend a lot of different things and put a lot of square pegs in round holes that hadn't really gone together yet,” he said. “I wore all my influences on my sleeve, (...) I was trying to cram Prince and Depeche Mode and Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails and Weezer , (...) and, you know, funk and jazz and everything into this tiny package.” Despite the millions of dollars poured into Self so early on, however, Mahaffey says the record buying public at the time largely felt like it was a lot of noise. Yet, that doesn't seem to hurt his feelings all that much. “When I look at it, I'm super thankful because I have friends that had a big number one song, and they're my age and they're like, ‘Well, I gotta go out on the road for three months and leave my kids and sing that damn song every night,’” he said. He looked to his right, a smile creeping onto his face as he began to say the next few sentences through a raspy chuckle. “And it's like, that's what I wanted. That's what you want when you get into rock, we're like, ‘I just want that hit song that everybody loves.’ And I never had one because my stuff's weird.” Perhaps at the time that was true. As Mahaffey describes it, perhaps the public’s “music ADD” wasn’t equipped for the combinations Self put together, the eclectic variety that birthed every new Self song, and the genreless limbo it existed in. Mahaffey still had to earn a living after Self’s indefinite pause in 2005 . “So I started working on Shrek and I started working on films. I started working for Hans Zimmer . And I was just like, this is where I belong. We make weird music. Composition is the place,” he said. “I toured in Beck's band for two years and got to play with Radiohead and every band that I grew up listening to. So it's like, and I still didn't like it, you know? I liked the people I was with, but it's just like, yeah, you're in Rome, but for like two hours, right? You're not seeing Rome. You're just physically there (...) I am more of a studio rat.” So, a studio rat Mahaffey became, pursuing composition as his full-time job while Self became something of a distant, if not fond memory. The same was true of his band mates, who would produce Prince’s last albums and book talent on the Jimmy Kimmel show , respectively. Mahaffey equated their collective work ethic to the band Pavement, which broke up in 2000, returned to tour in 2010, and once more from 2022 to 2024, toying with the idea of a new album. “They live all over the place and they’re just like, ‘You want to tour? Yeah, I got a minute.’ And they rehearse a couple of times and they go tour,” Mahaffey said. “And I was like, let's be like Pavement . We'll just do that.” Mahaffey smiled as he recounted his new career in composition, reiterating the love he has for Self that ultimately made it possible. “I love making records, but I love scoring,” he said with a boyish grin on his face. “Like it is just, I can't wait to work every morning. I’m just like ‘Coffee! Oh boy!’” He began to laugh to himself, “I'm so excited about my work all the time. ‘Cause it's infinitely rewarding. ‘Cause it's a brand new challenge every single day.” Acting as Self , Mahaffey did release their 2014 EP Super Fake Nice in a unique moment for him after he had built his dream studio, but it was more in line with the Pavement method of a periodic release in the middle of his busy days producing over 80 minutes of music for animation a month than it was a full return of Self . The EP was met with largely positive reviews, but some of the revamped sounds of the band in its modern form, taking on new harmonic equations to generate songs such as ' Runaway ' did throw some reviewers off, expecting a mid 90s nostalgia-fest. Released July 29, 2014 In the background, however, the platforming power of the internet to promote and store the unique sounds of Self would serve as not only a time capsule of their moment, but an opportunity for new fans with broader tastes for music in the future to discover the hidden gem that was the band. When Mahaffey finally got verified on Spotify thanks to a manager friend, however, this quiet underbelly of Self fandom would explode for the first time in 10 years. “It just got ridiculous. Where it was like 40,000 [followers], you know, I got 40,000, what is going on?” said Mahaffey . His verification on Spotify couldn’t have come at a better time, either. Other alt rock bands were getting verified and pushed together by Spotify’s new AI algorithm, such as Tally Hall and Lemon Demon . And it was one night, he passionately recalled, his daughter had the answer as to why. “She's like, ‘Dad, I think I've sleuthed it out.’ And she shows me her phone. And it's a video of Talley Hall listening to Dead Man and people thinking that it's a new Talley Hall song.” What this signaled as well was that Self was doing well with kids. Young people, as young as 14 years old, were discovering Self through TikTok edits and montages featuring some of Self’s most standout work. As the fandom surged online, they have begun scouring the internet for all the lost media of Self , one young fan commenting under the song, ' No One Knows You ' on YouTube , “LOL THE WAY EVERYONE IS DISCOVERING SELF AT THE SAME TIME.” 'No One Knows You' by Self To Mahaffey , who once spoke to Alternative Press a decade ago about the influx of younger fans 20 years after Self’s debut , to see that influx continue at full steam 30 years after Subliminal Plastic Motives has been nothing if not gratifying. Today, Mahaffey continues to compose full time, still fulfilled by the new musical creations he gets to experiment with day in and day out. “I'm writing more in this day and age than I ever did pumping out Self songs,” he said. More than that, the freedom his new life has given him has allowed him to more passionately pursue his family life alongside his work. “If I'm not doing that, then I'm hanging out with my kids. It's like, I want to be a competent father. My daughter has a rock band. Covered ‘ Runaway ’ two weeks ago at a show and didn't tell me about it. And that is incredible.” He laughed to himself. 'Runaway' by Self As 2024’s release of ' Love You Less ' indicates, Mahaffey isn’t ready to let go of the band that made all of this possible. “I want to do a record. And I have a bunch of cool stuff,” Mahaffey said, pointing behind himself to his home studio setup. In between different unfinished works, he took the time to polish off the peppy, upbeat love ballad that wasn’t quite what he had in mind for a sixth album. The song could be taken as indicative of what a new Self record will sound and feel like, carrying with it two worlds: One, the band’s distinct blend of 90s hip hop and alt grunge that is hard to recreate unless, like Mahaffey, you were literally there. The other will be the new sounds he’s been listening to, more instrumental, grand, no doubt working in his composition experience to give Self fans something worth waiting for. “It's one of those things that has to just be a labor of love,” he said. “You can't expect, like, anything in return other than, hopefully, comments online of people being like, ‘I like this.’” To learn more about Self: www.self.is Self Self is a band you like. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Got something for Noah to check out? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

The Dodies’ music blends powerful riffs with fearless creativity. < Back Unfiltered and Unleashed: The Dodies Redefine Raw Power as a Dynamic Duo Nicole Brice Jul 5, 2025 Share The Dodies’ music blends powerful riffs with fearless creativity. As a child of the 90s, I’m really enjoying the wave of nostalgia in the world currently, especially when it comes to music. I can honestly say we had some of the best music back then. It was raw and impactful—not overly polished, yet still perfect. This sentiment perfectly captures the sound of the next band I have for you, The Dodies , and believe it or not, this band is nowhere near new, but they’re new to me, and now they’ll soon be new to you, too. Credit: Facebook The Dodies are a grunge, alternative, garage rock band from the southern deserts of Israel, but when they are in the states, they call Texas their home. From the first listen, it's clear they are destined for greatness due to the tremendous sound that radiates from the speakers with every note played. Their poetic, introspective lyrics are paired with a deep artistic flair , featuring loud, crunchy guitars, heavy basslines, and powerful drums at times. However, they can also switch gears and perfectly orchestrate a softer, more poppy sound, as if it comes naturally. With their secret weapon producer, Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal , this duo has crafted a sound that is uniquely crisp, tight, and full of energy, and I am obsessed. Credit: Facebook Music, at its core, is a personal experience for each of us. I strive to keep my articles authentic and genuine. When I hit play on my iPod to explore The Dodies’ discography , my initial reaction when that first song started playing was, and I said it out loud, “This is so good!” The Dodies consist of two musical talents: Yoni Avittan , the primary vocalist and guitarist , and Ran Aronson , who handles background vocals, bass, keyboards, and drums simultaneously. Watching Ran perform in videos is astonishing; I genuinely have no idea how he maintains the stamina to keep up with everything. It’s truly remarkable. Yoni Avittan’s vocals are always spot-on and showcase an impressive range, soaring like Justin Hawkins of The Darkness . He embodies the quintessential strong frontman with his hypnotic presence and sheer unfiltered talent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ILZKGmFVLc 'Boiling Point' LIVE Since 2020 , the duo has released three full-length albums , and one live album , a notable achievement in an industry often flooded with EPs and singles. Each album was created with precise attention to every detail, down to the order of the songs and the artwork and remind me of some of the great albums of the past for their artistry. In 2020 the Dodies released, It’s One Hell of a Ride , and it is a non-stop journey of exceptional music. Every track is strong, with not a single bad one. One standout for me is the lead track ‘ Boiling Point ,’ which even has a fantastic video on YouTube . I find myself dancing around in my kitchen when I listen to it, but truth be told, this entire album is exceptional, and deserves some serious listening time, so be sure to dive in. Released April 24, 2020 In 2022, Floating in Limbo was released, and it is another amazing album. While listening to it, I couldn't help but wonder: can these guys produce anything less than great? Released April 20, 2022 2025 marked the release of Dreamism , which starts off a bit softer before diving into the signature sound The Dodies have developed, and one can clearly hear a Radiohead and Muse influence with some of these newer songs. Once again, every single track on this album is killer. All killer, no filler, as I like to say. Released February 28, 2025 But, believe it or not, The Dodies don’t just stop with music. Yoni is currently working on a book to complement their trio of albums, bringing everything together full circle. Dynamic, insightful, and brilliant, this duo is poised to blow the roof off modern music. Read on to learn more! MaM : How did the partnership with producer Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal come about? Yoni : We recorded our first album in Austin, TX at Orb Studios . Matt Noveskey knew someone who helped us reach Bumblefoot , and he loved our music. We were really wanting to push it over in the states, and Matt Noveskey was key in helping us reach other people. MaM : One thing I noticed when listening to your three albums this morning was that with his involvement, you have defined your sound. Your sound is your sound. It’s refreshing to have come across your band. Yoni, your vocals are extraordinary. Have you ever gotten the comparison to Justin Hawkins from The Darkness ? Yoni : That is the most frequent one. I do love The Darkness , but I don’t listen to them that much. I listen to that British trio of Radiohead , Muse , and Coldplay – early 2000s type of stuff. That’s mostly what I listen to. Credit: Facebook MaM : Your voice has such range. Is there something you do to warm up or keep it in shape? Yoni : Well, sometimes I do have to do some warm-ups before shows, because if I don’t, it won’t be as good. It is a challenge to sing high. MaM : I can only imagine. With you being a duo, how does that work for a live show, or do you bring in extra musicians to complement what you do? Ran : We don’t usually bring in any additional players on stage. It works for us. It suits the genre, as well, because we do want to keep it basic and rock . I don’t think it would work if we were a prog metal band or something like that. Credit: Facebook MaM : How do you even keep up to play that many instruments? Ran : It is very physical, for sure. I feel like the more I do it, the more I get better. It gets better the more we practice. Working with Ron , with Bumblefoot has been one of the biggest contributions to our sound. He told us that’s your sound – keep it simple. Same thing you do live and just go to the studio with it, and stick to it. It’s very easy to fall into tracking and overdoing it. MaM : I think it’s impressive as hell that it’s just you two in the band. You have such a thick and full sound to your music. How did it come about with just you two? Yoni : Well, it was just more efficient for us. It was more efficient to tour with two people, too. Ran : There are definitely advantages sound-wise, logistics-wise, and we actually used to be a three-piece, but yeah, we just love it in all aspects. Credit: Facebook MaM : Three albums under your belt, and now you have just released Dreamism , which I love the album cover, so my next question is, who designed the cover art for that release? Yoni : Well, I guess I just thought about what correlates to the name of the album. An image of an influx of info in a person’s head – addiction to dreaming and seeing excessive dreaming as a type of sickness or overthinking. We reached out to a certain artist to help with it, and he did a good job by taking a thought I had and making it his own. Ran : His name is Spencer , and we came across him and found all his work. MaM : Album art is big to me, and I still focus in on it because I feel the artwork brings it all together. The cover sets the tone. Ran : It’s getting easier to fall into AI-generated covers. You can spot it right away. He did a great job, and it has his aesthetics with the collage. Yoni : Also, we’ll be coming out with a book called Dreamism with the same cover to go with the album. MaM : Tell me about this. That sounds awesome. Yoni : The novel is about a young musician from southeast Texas who falls in love with his psychiatrist. I then detail their connection and how it helps him overcome depression. The first part of the book is titled “It’s One Hell of a Ride.” The second part is called “Floating in Limbo”, and the last part is called “Dreamism.” The music goes along with the story, and that’s pretty much the premise. It’s my life’s work. Credit: Facebook MaM : I love that, and love that it’s based upon the three albums! I can’t wait to read it! How did you get the inspiration to do something like that? Yoni : Well, I just went to therapy, and that was basically it, and it went well. (laughter) MaM : I love that – so you based it on your life? Fictionalized it. I love that, and I just love the whole creative process. Where do these ideas come from? How do we bring these ideas to fruition? Is there anything you’d like to tell us about the book that you didn’t touch upon? Yoni : It’s getting ready to go, and I’m editing it now. We’re very excited, and we’re gonna post a lot about it online, and try to push it. MaM : What’s the release date? Yoni : I don’t have a release date quite yet, but we’ll let you know. Credit: Ben Anderson MaM : How would you describe your sound to a new listener who has just discovered it? Yoni : I keep switching the genres. Usually, I just say we’re a rock band. It is kinda grunge . MaM : How did you get influenced to do the garage band type of music you do? Yoni : I mean, I guess I listen to a lot of early 2000s rock , but I do feel that the 90s rock captured something that has yet to be topped. The screaming in that music was the best and one of the last great things we ever had. The younger generations right now are still really into grunge and early 90s-style music. That’s pretty much what I grew up with, even though I didn’t grow up in the 90s. Credit: Facebook MaM : I feel like the '90s were one of the last times musicians were truly creative and authentic. By the late 90s to mid-2000s, it had lost its creative spark and become more of a mass-produced, cookie-cutter type of thing. However, look at the industry. The industry stopped pushing garage bands and music with heart and started pushing prefabricated music with no substance. I agree that it was the last great time for music. Yoni : Even in the early 2000s , though, I agree that it was more fabricated, but at least something was going on, you know. I think that after social media, and the rise of social media, it has deteriorated more. MaM : Well, that’s the whole TikTok generation. Some of these artists are like, it’s been great for my music, and I’m like, how? People are hearing snippets, and then they’re not coming to shows, so where is the incentive in that? Yoni : Yeah, they just don’t know what great is. (laughter) Ran : It’s crazy, you hear like one specific part of a song, so you don’t even know the whole song. Let alone an entire album. Yeah, we’re one of those bands who still believe in the concept of albums and want to tell a longer story. A longer, deeper story. Credit: Facebook MaM : What inspires you to create, and how do you find your lyrical concepts come to fruition? For example, I’m a writer and an author, and sometimes a phrase or word will pop into my head when writing a piece, so I’ll write it down somewhere, and then I’ll assemble it all into something at the end. Take us through the creative process. Yoni : Yeah, I feel pretty much the same. I have an idea for a song or lyrics, but I would rather have a melody to go along with it first, so I can fit the vowels correctly with whatever the song ends up being. I don’t want to stick lyrics that have nothing to do with the melody that I’ve written. The melody has to come first. Ran : Yoni writes the songs, and what usually comes to me is the melody and lyrics, and then we work on it together. It becomes a mutual joint process after he has pretty much written the song. We then keep building stuff on it and add new parts. We try not to overdo it and try to give the proper respect for the lyrics and melody. We love to keep it simple. MaM : You don’t force it. You let it happen organically. Ran : Yeah, we don’t force it. If we feel that there’s a place for a violin part or something similar, we add it; if not, we don’t force it. Credit: Facebook MaM : How long does it take you to develop a song? Yoni : Yeah, there’s no formula for it. I guess some songs can take a few months to perfect, and some a few minutes, but overall, if it’s not really there after we first write, then I think it’s kind of useless. I know a lot of songwriters who would have a verse, but nothing else other than that. Ran : Some of the songs from our newest album, ‘ Dreamism ’, we had already recorded even before we recorded ' It’s One Hell of a Ride '. They were already there. We had the concepts early on, and didn’t want to record a song that didn’t fit there. By the time we got to the studio to record the music that had already been in existence for a few years, it had changed, because we kept playing on it and kept working with it. It evolves. MaM : What would you like to achieve in the next five years? Where do you see yourselves musically and professionally? Yoni : I’m embarrassed to expose my wildest dream. MaM : You can keep it vague. Yoni : We want to push the music and book together, and hope that it works. We’re trying to add a deeper aspect to our genre. As The Dodies continue their artistic journey, we can expect even more amazing experiences to unfold. These talented individuals showcase their divine gifts with every note sung and every word spoken, and I can't wait to see what they create in the future. Their latest album, Dreamism , is now available on all streaming platforms. However, to truly appreciate The Dodies' music, I recommend starting from the beginning. Play their first album and immerse yourself in their entire discography . To learn more about The Dodies: The Dodies Store Instagram: The Dodies (@thedodiesband) • Instagram photos and videos Spotify: The Dodies | Spotify Facebook: Facebook Bandcamp: Music | The Dodies X: The Dodies (@TheDodiesBand) / X YouTube: The Dodies - YouTube *All photos are sourced from The Dodies' Facebook page. If any photographers would like credit, please reach out. If it wasn't noted, I couldn't find it. I would love to give proper credit. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Email us at: mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Christina Binns < Back Flowers, Glitter, and Resin, Oh My! Nicole Brice Oct 29, 2022 Share Christina Binns You may not have heard of the name Christina Binns in the Art world YET , but you WILL . Putting her entire heart and soul into what she creates, this chicka knows how to merge the aesthetic of beauty and fragility into pieces worth having in your collection and showing off. I first met Christina , or Christi as I know her, when we had an honors English class together freshman year of high school. Christi had some wicked style, even back then, and I can remember her always having the latest and greatest fashions from the Delia*s catalog, which I always seemed to be lusting over. Lucky for me, though, Christi and I hit it off, become best friends, and then I had access to that same great fashion she paraded up and down the halls of our high school. With a knack for combining colors, textures, and styles, her fashion sense trickled over into her artwork, and throughout the years even though we may be miles apart, I have never forgotten how awesome this girlie is, and now, I would like to bring her art to you, the readers of Mixed Alternative Magazine . Art by Christina Binns Recently, Christina and I had a chance to chat, and I threw some questions her way, which she did not disappoint in answering. Get to know this incredible visualist and artist and then check out her work and buy something. You’ll want to buy everything because it is ALL phenomenal. In fact, in choosing the images for this piece, I had a hard time narrowing it down, so when you get to the bottom of this article, you MUST check out her work on social media. Christina Binns MaM : What age did you notice you had the art gene and a need to create? I remember you taking Art classes in high school, but never really asked you about your creations. Also, too, for the longest time, I had all the drawings you made me saved in a drawer at my mom’s house. It’s true. I wonder where those are now. Hrmm. CB : Well, I’ve been creating since before I can remember. I’ve always had a vivid imagination, still do. As a kid, I’d conjure up these elaborate stories & add my own illustrations. I was always doodling. I’m always in my “happy place” when I’m making things, always have been. Whether from my writing or my art, no matter the method, when I’m creating, that’s when I’m most fulfilled. So, to answer your question, the need to create has always been present. MaM : Thinking back, do you remember the first piece of art you ever created? CB : Oh man, the FIRST piece ever?! Where’s my memory when I really need it… well, since I can’t recall the 1st ever (that’d of been at a single-digit age), how about I go with a couple that really stuck with me through the years, both wooden creations. One was to be a box that opened & closed, the other a functioning mobile, with fully moveable parts. I’ll start with the box. Decided I was making a ladybug box, with wings on top that opened to reveal an itty-bitty cavity for tiny treasures & such. So, we all know ladybugs are round, right? Well, cue the naysayers – and I quote, “You can’t make a box round. That won’t work – it doesn’t even make sense!” Challenge accepted and annihilated – BOOM! You know I had to make the bug box & yes, she is filled with tiny what-nots & she’s perched on my shelf in my art room. For the mobile, I made a waving dude, whose arms, hands & head were moveable. Picture an upper body, shoulders/arms on up, cartoon-style, crazy wavin’… I think I gave him a bowtie too. Good times. No clue where he went, but I’m pretty sure I gave him to somebody, maybe my brother – who knows. Wherever he went, he sure was awesome. Both projects were just before I hit my 20’s. While they weren’t early in my art days, they both helped me to really hone in on that imagination of mine. Making these 2 things happen just as I had dreamt up, that only further solidified what I already assumed: If I can imagine it, I can probably make it happen, I can DEFINITELY try! Thinking you can do something is half the battle, so if you truly believe in you, then you’re already halfway there. Art by Christina Binns MaM : If you had to pick one piece as your favorite, what would it be? Give us the deets, sista. CB : My absolute favorites, as of now, would have to be a tie between 2 completely different pieces, both of which are displayed in my home. One is a giant pair of _x_ gallery-wrapped canvases that I painted, embellished with broken glass and added resin to. There’s just something about the soft, muted colors I used, mixed with the sheer size of them. I often stare at them with the same admiration as when I 1st made them & they’re a regular topic of conversation when someone visits. So delicate-looking thanks to the colors & design, yet slightly dangerous, courtesy of the jagged-edged, broken shards of glass poking out from the resin. My other fave is the 2nd cold porcelain sculpture that I ever made. Roughly 100 individually hand sculpted flowers & leaves flow over the edge of an 8x10 gesso panel. I left it unpainted simply because I love the way it looks. Truth be told, I really impressed myself with this piece. It encouraged me to take the plunge into the world of cold porcelain. I was in love… with hand sculpting! Art by Christina Binns Funny story, I stumbled across this medium by accident (or maybe fate, who knows) when making a magnolia flower piece for my sweet momma. I knew I wanted 3D flowers coming up from the canvas but was struggling with what to use to get that effect, that could still be painted. After doing a ton of research & speaking to some other sculptors in the clay world, I landed on cold porcelain, an air-dry clay that’s nearly translucent when completely dry. Picked up the supplies & made the most gorgeous piece with 3 life-size magnolias and several leaves, on canvas that I painted & added a few layers of resin to. I painted the canvas this ridiculously pretty blue, so after adding the resin, it looked as if the magnolias were floating on water. As they say, the rest is history! MaM : So, I know you have another gig to pay the bills, so where do you call home these days and what are you doing when you are not creating art? CB : Currently, I live in Cypress, TX, just outside of Houston. I’m an artist at heart, always, so I don’t really have set hours, since I wear a few other hats as well. I’ve been a licensed Realtor in Louisiana since 2007 (with Realty Executives South Louisiana Group) and in Texas since 2020 (with Fathom Realty). Additionally, I work remotely as a CRM (Client/Customer Relationship Manager) & Email Marketing Coordinator for a Washington state realty firm (since 2019). This side hustle allows me to work on my marketing skills, as well as my creative/content writing capabilities, which comes in quite handy for all those hats I wear. I also wrote a yet-to-be-published book that I plan to self-publish. One of these days I’ll jump off that fence & make it happen! Art by Christina Binns MaM : Give us some info about life over the years and your fave medium to use in creating pieces. It’s been forever since high school even though it seems like just yesterday. CB : I live in the burbs with my wife Sequence & our 2 dogs Cooper (pointer lab) & Cole (Pug). I moved here in 2019 after Sequence’s corporate ladder-climbing landed her in the Houston area. We also lived near Atlanta, GA for a few years, but most of my life was spent in Louisiana, split between Baton Rouge & Prairieville. I worked in retail management for many moons, primarily in shoe sales. When I was in Georgia, I worked in Recruiting for a minute, before eventually moving back to my home state. From there, I was office manager for the Louisiana brokerage I’m licensed with, for a few years, before making the Texas leap. Let’s see, some other facts about me… I’m a damn good cook, I’m a water baby through & through (stick me with my family, friends and all the pups, plop us near a lake/river/beach & let us be, lol). I love a good documentary & I’m still a cartoon fanatic, even at 40. Art by Christina Binns I like my music loud, a bass junkie, if you will. I’m eclectic when it comes to music, I like everything except country. Ok, ok, I do like some country, but that’s a limited category for me. Now, as far as what’s on the turntables, that’s likely to be drum ‘n bass or jungle, a little EDM, a lot of old school rock & rap and the occasional comic relief (listening to Richard Pryor on vinyl is a whole experience). Like I said, eclectic. Being a mixed media artist, I use so many different mediums, it’s hard to pick a favorite. I think my answer to that depends on the day. I can say that I can always get down with a paint session, no matter what’s going on. I’m a painter, sculptor, woodworker, mold-maker, card maker, sewist (seamstress, if you’re old school), wood burner, soap maker and resin artist, all wrapped into one. I’m no one-trick pony, that’s for sure! I enjoy trying new things all the time - I think it keeps me sharp, you know! Thinking outside the box, being open to trying new styles & mediums & being ok with something not turning out as planned… I do these things regularly. Some of the materials I like to incorporate into my artworks: paint, wood, dried flowers, resin, genuine crystals & stones, broken glass, alcohol inks, gold leaf, cold porcelain, silicone, cardstock, gold foil. Art by Christina Binns As far as canvases go, I like to use everything from gallery-wrapped canvases and wood panels, to old scratched up vinyl records. If I can repurpose something that would have otherwise been discarded, that’s a bonus. Giving new life to a would-be trash item, to me, that’s something special. All the vinyl I use are retirees from my personal record collection of over 1,000. I try to keep them in the rotation, pun intended, especially since I have them in such abundance. No matter the artwork I’m creating, if I can reuse something lying around for it, I take every opportunity to do so. On that note, any time I do a paint pour, I make multiple pieces from one single pour. That excess paint can be stretched far, helping me to be more time-efficient in my creative process by cranking out several pieces at once. The same goes with any resin projects. The more I can make with a single batch of product, the better! MaM : I’m sure there are other artists out there you admire. Please tell us who and why. CB : Hmmm… yet another toss-up for this one. It’d have to be between Daniel Popper & Gil Bruvel, both incredible artists, both with a focus on 3-dimensional art. Neither of them ceases to blow my mind with their creations. Daniel has these other-worldly sculptures of massive proportion, on display all over the world, in some of the most breath-taking places. Next time I’m in Mexico, I have GOT to remember to hit up his Tulum sculpture, “Ven a la Luz”. It’s a bucket list item, for sure. Then there’s Gil, who uses thousands of individual wood pieces to create these unbelievable faces, also on a larger scale. The skill & talent these guys possess is unreal. They’re both incredible at their craft. Art by Christina Binns To check out and purchase some of Christina’s amazing art, you can visit her on social media at: Christina Binns | Facebook Christina Binns (@b__christina) • Instagram photos and videos www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

An interview with Travis Marc < Back No Sleep for Deep Sleep Atlantic C.G. Smith Jul 12, 2023 Share An interview with Travis Marc New Orleans-based alt-rock/alt-post-grunge duo Deep Sleep Atlantic is making some pretty big waves with the recent release of their debut album, Prelude . Earlier this year on March 31st , the duo released their debut single ' Bipolar Tendencies ,' a darkly energetic tune less about the mental illness and more about the fragmented way in which society operates. The song was a powerful first step for them, and they’ve successfully backed that power up with the release of their first album. Comprised of singer/guitarist Travis Marc and drummer Daniel Perez , the album is full of creatively catchy lyrics that focus on remaining aware and mindful while facing and connecting to life and its challenges, and on doing so with courage. All the parts on the album were recorded by Travis , and after meeting Daniel , the two joined forces. Daniel Perez and Travis Marc, photo courtesy of Deep Sleep Atlantic Travis is a SAMA-nominated multi-instrumentalist/producer/songwriter originally from Johannesburg, South Africa , who spent time in London with different bands before landing here in the States. He has been playing and writing music professionally for about 25 years. He’s a hell of a guy, a consummate professional, and keeps himself insanely busy. Credit: Gary Governale I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to sit down with him and talk about his musical history, his work ethic, and his most recent project, Deep Sleep Atlantic. Here’s what he had to say: MaM : So, you’re on your third continent. You spent your first 19 years or so in South Africa, then moved to London to play in a band, and now you’re here in New Orleans. How did you end up here, and how does New Orleans rank? TM : So, I was going through some stuff, and it was a real tough period in my life, and I just needed to get away, so I booked myself a trip across America. While I’ve been in bands my entire life and toured pretty much everywhere, there were parts in America I’d never been to. New Orleans was one of those places. I came here and was here for a few days, then I met a girl. We hit it off and we did the distance thing for, give or take, three years; it was tough. We … eventually were like, ‘What are we doing here? Let’s start looking into one of us moving.’ We weighed out the pros and cons and it made more sense for me to move than her. MaM : You had a project in England at the time? TM : I did, I did— Dead Days . In fact, we’ve got a record that we are still trying to finish. We’re doing it remotely, so that record will come out, I’m hoping, this year. At a push, maybe next year. We’re jokingly calling it ‘English Democracy’ because it’s taken us a better part of four years already, but it’s outstanding. We’ve put out three records, and it’s by far the best one. It’s totally different from Deep Sleep Atlantic. MaM : Now you moved down here, happily ever after. How long did it take you to get into the scene here in New Orleans? TM : I auditioned for my first band about six days after I arrived, on the 11th of February. I got married the 22nd. The week before I got married, I went and did an audition. ... It was the strangest audition I’ve done in my life, and I’ve done some weird ones. But I got the gig, and I then went to two jam sessions, both at DMACS, and I think by the 27th or 28th everything started shutting down [because of Covid]. So, it was really bizarre because the day we got the call that people needed to start going home and stuff, I was supposed to play that night. So, at that point I guess I was here for twelve days or so? Thirteen days? I got very lucky because I was working as an assistant at Esplanade Studio at the time, and everything shut down except for the studio. So, while the gigs stopped, the studio was busy as hell, so I was in the studio every single day. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : What changes do you think you’ve gone through from the very first project you’ve been in until now? Are there any major changes that you can point out, or were you just out of the womb a natural? TM : Hmmm. That’s a tough one. I’d love to claim that, but no. I still feel like I really have to work, but I don’t mind it. I enjoy the process, you know? I guess there’s no massive changes. I can listen to stuff that I was involved with as a teenager and go, ‘I think I’m a better singer now,’ or, ‘My lyrics definitely make more sense now as a writer,’ but that’s not necessarily fair, because how can you relate to something you wrote as a 15- or 16-year-old and now listen to it and say, ‘Those lyrics are crap.’? Because they weren’t crap at the time. They meant something to me, even though I can’t relate to them now. If I’m really pushed, I’d say I think I’ve become a better writer. I’m less worried about whether I can put all the cool things in and make people think, ‘Oh, wow; what a cool little guitar part.’ I don’t care. It’s all about the song. I do not care about the genre. I do not care about anything else—just the song. Now that being said, I do care about the sonics of the song while we’re living in this it’s-all-cool kind of world, and I do think of little details: ‘Were the snare drum hits consistent or did the one guitar part go out of tune on the last chorus? Or, man, I can hear that sibilance kind of mouth noise. Stuff like that drives me crazy. MaM : We both had music in our lives growing up, thanks to family. Do you think you’d be the same without that experience? TM : It really plays a part. Whether it helps shape you, I’m sure it does. I recently read this very interesting article. This DNA scientist was saying he’s on the cusp of proving that humans are who they are, and it’s set in your DNA from day one, and while your surroundings and upbringing will play a part in who that shapes, the bottom line is you are who you are. Now I don’t know if I believe this, but I’m also not a scientist. It got me thinking. Credit: Gary Governale I definitely had other ambitions and aspirations, other things that interested me that I was gung-ho on achieving, but once I discovered music, none of that mattered. Music was a big part of my upbringing—not to the point where I was playing or anything, although my parents always told me I was doing certain musical things that made [them] go, ‘Huh.’ I don’t know if I’ve spoken of this before, but something that always makes me wonder, especially as I get older, so I was, I guess, luckily, expelled from kindergarten. For a year, I was at home … with my coloring books and my mum. She had a side hustle where she would knit jerseys, beanies, and gloves. She had this room with a big knitting machine and a radio. The radio would stay on, she would do her knitting, and I would sit there coloring in my coloring books while listening to the radio. I fell in love with Fleetwood Mac and Bonnie Tyler, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, and Madonna, Phil Collins—whatever the big hits of the day were—Tom Petty, all that kinda stuff. Keep in mind, I don’t know how knitting machines work now, but I do know that then, it was this long, rectangular thing, and this bracket would go from left to right and then back. It had a timing kind of thing to it. (Imitates the sounds of the machine going back and forth) Now subconsciously, maybe that did something, I don’t know, but I’ll tell you, my parents are adamant it did something. My dad was a printer. He had proper machinery that weighed hundreds and hundreds of tons. So, I had this year off and these machines—they’re called Heidelbergs. So, this thing comes down, almost like a mechanical karate chop. It goes up and it comes down. (Imitates the rhythmic sound of the machine) MaM : (Begins to sing Pink Floyd’s “Money” in time to the sounds) TM : Exactly! I obviously didn’t know who Pink Floyd was, but my parents swore to God that I would, between sitting there in the room with my mum falling in love with these 80’s melodies and standing inside my dad’s factory with this machine, they claim that I would stand there and make up these raps to the machinery timing, or I would play paint buckets, trying to stay in time with this machinery. So, that particular year was everything. I can’t give it all the credit because I don’t know, but I’ve never struggled to work with a metronome, ever. I do put that down to the knitting machine and the Heidelberg printing press. MaM : What inspires or influences you nowadays? TM : I take inspiration from anything: conversations, words, podcasts, songs—anything I can listen to and go, ‘That’s cool.’ Credit: Gary Governale If it’s cool and I want to explore it, I’ll make a note of it, and when I’m at my wit’s end and I can’t think of something, I’ll pull up my notes. For the most part, I’ve never needed to wait for inspiration to hit. It’s like, I work at it. I’ve always treated it like a job. So, 8 to 5 I need to create, or work in studio, or get better at editing, or producing, or creating content. I’ve never been that stereotypical sleep-‘til-4-o’clock musician. The long and short of it is, if I don’t do something that makes me feel like I worked on trying to get better at my craft every single day, I can turn into a moody bastard. So, keeping my own shit together means I’ve either got to get up early and practice, or when those around me that I love go to bed, I’m going to stay up for a few hours and practice. Whatever I need to do to allow myself to feel like I’m alive. MaM : Plus, I think you need to stay connected to whatever that is that we’re trying to tap into, right? I think the longer you’re away from it, the harder it is to get back to it. TM : One hundred percent. I write a song every day. Might not always be a whole song, but I’ll at least do a verse and a chorus, and I’ll put it on the back burner. I could pick up your guitar now and write us a song. It would not be difficult for me. I consider that a true, true blessing, okay? I know people who will spend six, seven years on one song, you know? It’s different for everybody, but for me, it just comes. I do think, to your point, if I took it for granted and I had this attitude of, ‘I can write songs whenever,’ take a ten-year sabbatical and come back, I’m pretty convinced that that gift [would] be gone. I’ve definitely had a couple people get frustrated over the years. ‘What’s that song about?’ I’ll be like, ‘Well, what do you think it’s about?’ They’ll go, ‘Well, you wrote it.’ I’ll reply, ‘Well, did I? I mean, my name’s on the credits, but somebody else wrote that song. It just came out in the form of my hands on a guitar.’ I’m not trying to sound arty; I genuinely believe this. I remember reading interviews with certain people that were like, ‘It just comes out of me,’ and I’d always be like, ‘This motherf*cker. It just comes out of me. Bullshit.’ Whatever that is, is a hundred percent true. It just takes a little bit of refinement from my side. MaM : Do you have a favorite song of yours that just came out and has been untouched since it first came out? TM : There’s a couple, yeah. In my last band, we had this song called ‘Liar Liar,’ and I’ve got early demos of that from when I was 16, 17. It’s identical. On this new record, ironically that first single we put out, ‘ Bipolar Tendencies ,’ I got home from the studio that one day, picked up my guitar, sat on the bed, [and] fifteen minutes later I had ‘Bipolar Tendencies,’ and I was like, ‘I should put this on the record.’ I went and demoed it, did the drums a couple days later. That’s identical to how it was. Nothing changed, except I put a sample of a heartbeat in it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgBPk-zff-U Official Video for 'Bipolar Tendencies' MaM : You recorded and engineered this new album yourself, right? TM : I was never the guy who was like, ‘I’m gonna produce my own record, I’ll engineer it.’ Listen, I do think there are strengths in letting other people do stuff, like the Deep Sleep Atlantic record--my buddy Taylor Tatsch , he mixed that record. He did a superb job as far as I’m concerned. You can get too close to the stuff. Where my thought process behind it all changed was, I was in a very well-known studio, and I was just there playing on this person’s record. It wasn’t my record, but I’d known the producer. This particular artist, they couldn’t get their thing right. They were in the live room and I’m in the control room with this producer, and I don’t know if he knew that I was in the control room, or if he just didn’t care, but a comment was made, something along the lines of, ‘Ah, fer f*ck’s sake, just get it right already! It’s a shit song as it is.’ The artist never heard that, but I heard [it]. It suddenly got me thinking, ‘Wait, I’ve been in hundreds of studios by now. I wonder if this is how they feel when I’m paying to have my music recorded?’ That was the changing moment. After that I was like, ‘Nope, I’ll do it myself.’ … If you put some true care into it, people can tell, man. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : So, the new band, Deep Sleep Atlantic, tell us how that came about and where do you see it going from here? TM : I’d been in bands forever. I decided I was moving to America—I was done with bands. A friend of mine introduced me to a mutual friend, who is fairly visible in the music industry, who says to me, ‘We’d love to have you on our books.’ I’m thinking, ‘Me, on his books? Why now? I leave in less than a week.’ So, I said, ‘No, thanks, man. If you take me as a writer, but as far as bands go, I think I’m a little burnt out.’ I’d been gigging more than 20 years at that point, closer to 25. Bands are hard, you know? You’re dealing with all these different personalities and not always in a nice, positive way, you know? So, I come over here and I’m working at Esplanade [Studio], and every day I’m seeing really great artists coming in to do their thing. I’m sitting at home after a few of these sessions and I’m thinking, ‘Yeah, that was great, but I’ve got songs that I think are better than that, or different.’ Not in an egotistical way, just in a comparable way. So, I start writing songs. Next thing you know, I’m creating logos, writing down band names, and I’ve got about 43, 44 songs. I’m still talking to this guy who wants to manage me, and eventually he says to me, ‘You will come out as an artist, and I’ll focus on pushing you as a writer. That’s the only way we’re doing it.’ So, I said, ‘Okay.’ So that’s what led to Deep Sleep Atlantic being created, but by this point, I’m almost finishing the record and I don’t have a band. I’m still not sure if I want to have a band. Then I meet Daniel at Esplanade Studio. He and I hit it off. So, I tell him that I’ve got all these songs and I don’t know what I’m gonna do with them. I sent him, like, three songs. He comes back and says, ‘Dude, I loved the songs. We should jam sometime.’ And that was it: He and I started the band. It was as easy as that. Where we see it going, who knows? I mean, you never know where these things could go. As an actual band, we’ve only been officially out there now since the 31st of March, and it’s exceeded all my expectations thus far. I’ve been in some very good bands; I’m extremely blessed to say that. We seem to be getting a lot of feedback and a lot of love and a lot of positive response. So, where do we see it going? We’ve got some plans. I’m not going to be juvenile enough to talk about them because if they don’t transpire, then you get egg on your face. MaM : How did you come up with the name? TM : It wasn’t taken. (laughter) I hate to use the word ‘woke’ in a wrong manner, but the play on it would be just being insightful and awakened to your surroundings. Chad from the Musical Lab podcast … told me that he thought it was that we had traveled across the Atlantic. Now listen, I can’t take credit for that. I hadn’t even thought of that, but it’s a fairly cool concept. Daniel and I have both lived in several places at this point and we travelled from those places across the Atlantic to get here. Now that didn’t inform or influence the band name but, you know, America is one of the biggest countries to exist, and there’s so much going on here at the moment. Some people are very sensitive to it, and some people aren’t. So, for me, I think the name is kind of just a play on … we’re at this point where there doesn’t seem to be middle ground. You’re either one of these really insightful and have-to-preach-about-it kind of people, or you’re one of those other, ‘Naw, it’s not even a real thing’ when it is. So, I don’t know. I just think it’s much like a song. You take from it what you will. For me, it’s an important name because of certain situations around it, but that would be how I describe it. We went through hundreds of names. Originally, we wanted to go with something else. We even did a couple tester gigs under a different name, only to be at a gig and this bass player I know came to me and said, ‘I tried to check you out before the gig. You know, there’s a rapper out there using that name. So, I went and checked. We are big do-stuff-behind-the-scenes kind of guys, and we had done all this work. We were about to launch, we registered all the socials, we registered the website, we did all the things that you do, right? We put up one little post and about three weeks afterwards, this rapper puts out a song and emerges under the same name. Three weeks after our post. Now, I’m not saying he took the name, but that name was so unique, that I think it would be very hard for someone else to think of that exact thing. Humans are more similar than we admit, so I’m not saying it’s not possible, but when that was brought to my attention, I was like, ‘Okay, pull everything back. We’re not launching. Shut all of that stuff down and let’s regroup. That’s what eventually led to us taking the name Deep Sleep Atlantic. MaM : Talking about live shows, you have a few under your belt now with Deep Sleep Atlantic. How have those gone? TM : Fantastic. MaM : So, Daniel is on drums and vocals, you’re on guitar and vocals, now, to fill in the other spaces … TM : I split my signal between a guitar and a bass cab, so that fills a lot, and we play with tracks. We’ve got a Pro Tools rig, and that fills the little keyboard-y parts that we’ve got on the record and a couple little nuances. We play with in-ears, we play to click. We do all our own sound, so basically when we get to a venue, they give us what they want to mic, we then feed them our tracks so it’s in the mixing desk, then they feed the signal back to us and we have control over all the levels. It definitely takes a bit of that spontaneity away because we are locked into playing to our tracks. Every now and then, some inspiration hits and you want to go jam it over here, [but] you can’t do that. It takes some serious discipline to do what we’re doing, but it’s also not so bad because I have always been a fan of bands that sound like [they do on] the record. MaM : So, let’s talk about the album Prelude . Where did you record that album? How long did it take, and are there any stories from the recording sessions? TM : [We] recorded that album in my house, except for the guitar solo in ‘ Bones ’—that’s my buddy Zack [Loy] from the band Live. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJPeOMB7tEU Official Video for 'Bones' There’s a saxophone solo in ‘ Blue ’—that’s Dave; he plays in the Dave Mouton Experience . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wvpZFEpwiI Official Video for 'Blue' And then there is a cello part in ‘ Mess We’re In ’ that I didn’t play. Everything else, I did in my house. I was doing it in between gigs, and sessions, so I did it sporadically. A story regarding it would be, it was shotgun house. I’ve since moved—the neighbor who basically convinced me to move was extremely, uh, [long pause] I think if she could have, she would have done everything she could to prevent that record from being made. It started getting to a point where I couldn’t even cough without banging coming from the other side of the wall. It started to become a bit of a joke, but not in a good way. It was in a—and I don’t mean for this to sound condescending—but it was in a ‘I think this person needs some help’ kind of way. MaM : Well, after months of hearing drums through the wall! TM : Well, ironically, I had the drums done before they even moved in! Okay, guitars—I’m a bit of a stickler for the guitar. You may have to do a part 500 times before you find the tone that you like. So, I do understand that from a neighborly point of view, especially if you are at home and you hear the same riff all day. I understand that can be frustrating. It got to the point where my wife and I would turn the television on and [within] two or three minutes, the pounding on the wall would start. Then we started to hear violin. Not properly played violin, more like the screeching sound from Psycho . After that, these notes started. You’d come to the house and there’d be a note on the door about something, or there’d be a note in the backyard about something, or there would be a note under your door, or in your post box. I tried to meet in the middle. I made a schedule, and I said, ‘Look, I’m not going to make noise every day. I definitely won’t make noise after 7 p.m. I get that you want to relax and stuff, but you’re at home all day.’ At this point, I’m only home maybe two days a week because I’m working at the studio. It was really reasonable; it wasn’t, like, every day. She said, ‘Oh, no, I need those times for my clients.’ I said to her, ‘There’s nothing more I can do. I’ve stopped the noise, we don’t turn the television on, and we don’t even have guests at the house because we don’t want to upset you.’ MaM : You have cough drops ready. TM : Exactly! So, it got to a point where we were like, ‘Let’s just move.’ That did hinder the album process. It was an album that could have taken me, let’s say, a month. Let’s say a week for drums, a week for bass, maybe a week for guitar, and a week for vocals. I could have been done. The drums and the bass were done before she got there. She just wasn’t willing to meet me in the middle. So that was both a funny and frustrating aspect of the album. MaM : Do you think any of that influenced any of the vibe on the music you were recording? TM : No, no. I mean, definitely some of the frustration while playing guitar came through. There were definitely moments where I was like, ‘Okay, you’re gonna make this hard for me? I’ll turn it up.’ Credit: Gary Governale MaM : How do you balance the art versus the business? You’re obviously talented creatively, but you also have a lot of knowledge and experience in the business side. How do you work in both without going crazy? TM : I think it’s much harder than anyone gives it credit for. I think if you start thinking about the business stuff too much, it will affect the art. You don’t want that to happen. So, I, personally, try not to think about that when I’m making music. I try and look at them completely separate. It really doesn’t make me sound rock n’ roll at all, but I will have lists … of stuff that I need to do to take care of business and I will dictate certain hours of the day to do that, whereas when I’m creating, or recording, or making art or anything, I worry about none of that. I think you NEED to think about the business though, unless you have someone who can take care of that for you. People are listening to music with their eyes now, so you could have the greatest record out there and it might be discovered (the good ones always are discovered eventually), but if you’re not taking care of something that [allows] people [to] somehow find you, I think you’re doing yourself an injustice. Plus, it’s in your best interest to learn that side of it now because no one’s going to care about your music, or your art, or you as much as you. I’m happy to do the work, I’m not lazy. I’m many things, but I’m not lazy. Follow Travis and Deep Sleep Atlantic on all social media and streaming platforms, available at www.DeepSleepAtlantic.com . To see their tour schedule, click here. *cover photo credit: Gary Governale www.governalephotovideo.com Zenfolio | Home I have been working as a video professional since 1993, with a wide range of experience writing, producing, directing, shooting and editing. A strong interest in videography, specifically lighting and composition, led me to photography in 1998. Rapidly changing technology has blurred the line between video and photography, allowing me to work in both mediums.. Baton Rouge, LA, United States www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Leave your inhibitions at the door < Back Asheville Keeps it Weird with the Return of ABSFest Tim W. Jackson May 8, 2023 Share Leave your inhibitions at the door To all of our alternatively weird and perfect friends here in the South, this one’s for you! Long an annual staple of the Asheville, North Carolina scene, the Asheville Burlesque and Sideshow Festival , also known as ABSFest, makes its glorious return after a brief hiatus. Festivalgoers are in for a wild ride over Memorial Day weekend as ABSFest rolls into town for its 14th year. Coming up May 25-27, 2023, ABSFest events will be hosted by Asheville Raven & Crone, The Grey Eagle, and The Orange Peel, and promises to bring together provocative performers from far and wide. It's a celebration of the strange, the unconventional, and the sometimes bizarre—but all in a super fun way with lots of love in the room. The event is the creation of Madame Onça, aka Lauren O'Leary, an entertainer, touring performer, author, artist, and—obviously—an event producer. credit: TheDancersEye.com ABSFest was a natural outgrowth of her life at the time as co-founder and director of the Future of Tradition Center for Folkloric Arts from 1999 to 2006 in Asheville. It was home to the fire, circus, and world dance arts, all of which were growing in popularity. Now living in Virginia, Onça is happy to bring the festival back after a COVID hiatus. “I was quite surprised to be—as everyone was—thrown from the organizational horse,” Onça says about having to cancel this and other festivals during the initial pandemic shutdown. “We haven't had it until this year because, from the point of view of long-term planning, there's a lot of people in the village artistically and administratively that make the festival happen.” Onça says it seemed they were maybe in stasis forever, just waiting for the right time to return. “This year, once everybody had made their decisions about how they were gonna handle their relationship with vaccinations and so forth and the venues went back to a more standard situation, we felt like we could plan. So, we're on.” To ease back into this first year, though, Onça says she’s made it an invitation-only festival rather than by application. “Usually we invite a few headliners, and then we invite artists to apply from all over the country. But because we knew we were coming out of a period of absolute uncertainty and into a period of still wild uncertainty, I was like, ‘Why don't we just work with folks who have done the festival with us before?’” Nonetheless, Onça and her crew have brought a world-class collection of performers for this first year back. Just a small selection includes “The Cocoa Barbie” May Hemmer (featured on cover image), “Queen of Subtle-Tease” Talloolah Love, death-defying jester Paolo Garbanzo, comedian and “professional pickpocket” Les S. Moore, belly dancer Sarah Joy, sideshow performer Opal Lechmanski, and Vaudevillian Carmel Clavin. death-defying jester Paolo Garbanzo (credit: Dave Parrish) sideshow performer Opal Lechmanski (credit: Isaac Harrell) Musical guests are friends of Mixed Alternative Magazine , Charming Disaster ! credit: Charming Disaster Charming Disaster will perform Friday, May 26 for the Speakeasy Séance, which ExploreAsheville.com says is, “like an acoustic rock opera with ghosts and pasties!” You certainly won't want to miss their performance ... or any of the performances, really. The event is all about pushing boundaries and celebrating the wonderfully weird, with workshops such as songwriting, burlesque, and making events welcome to marginalized performers who are also part of the festival. It also includes an array of vendors and a raffle, as the festival’s charity partner this year is Asheville’s feral kitten rescue, Sister Kitten. ABSfest is all about breaking down barriers and having a good time, but perhaps the most exciting thing about the event is the sense of community that it creates. This is a festival for people who might not fit into the mainstream. It's a place where you can be yourself, no matter how strange or unconventional that might be. “I’m so looking forward to being together with these wonderful people again, “Onça says, “and just feeling the energy and vibrancy of this event again.” So, if you're ready to explore the edgier side of life, if you're ready to push your boundaries and embrace the alternative, then ABSFest 2023 is the event for you. Just be prepared to leave your inhibitions at the door. Here’s a look at the array of events: World Spirit Tarot with Madame Onça Thursday, May 25, 2023 Asheville Raven & Crone 640 Merrimon Ave., Suite 207, Asheville NC 5 p.m. courtesy Madame Onça ABSFest Speakeasy Burlesque & Live Music Show Friday, May 26, 2023 Grey Eagle Music Hall 185 Clingman Ave, Asheville, NC 7 p.m. - VIP Doors Open 7:30 pm - General Admission Doors Open 8 p.m. - Burlesque Murder Mystery with all live music played by New York City’s goth folk duo Charming Disaster ABSFest Workshops Saturday, May 27, through the day The Orange Peel 101 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC ABSFest offers burlesque, circus, and business workshops. Train with artists from around the country in the ABSFest Sexy Seminary in stagecraft, circus arts, fire performance, burlesque, and more. Open to all levels. ABSFest’s Big Night – Saturday Spectacular Saturday, May 27, 2023 The Orange Peel 101 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 7 p.m. - VIP Doors Open 7:30 p.m. - General Admission Doors Open 8 p.m. - Saturday Spectacular, hosted by Washington, DC’s sorceress of stand-up, Violet Gray For further information, visit www.ABSFest.com . Want your festival to be featured in this magazine? Email the editor at the_keeleybrooks@mixedaltmag.com . Tim Jackson is a seasoned journalist and author with a penchant for all things dark, macabre, and somewhat sinister. He lives in Tuscumbia, Ala., with his artist wife and their remote-chewing dog, Maple. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Previous Next

The Alabama Heathens are off the charts! < Back The Alabama Heathens: Southern Grit Meets Raw Rock Energy Bud Gambrell Apr 18, 2025 Share The Alabama Heathens are off the charts! Could there ever be a better way to begin an interview than with tacos ? That’s right, tacos . The only thing that could have made it any better would have been beer , but none of us were day-drinking, so the beer will have to wait another time. When I contacted Jude Roberts of The Alabama Heathens and asked about an interview, he picked the location for lunch. He chose a local restaurant, and away I went for a talk with Jude and The Heathens' lead singer, Dylan Johnson. It’s unusual for an interview to begin with a video, but in this instance, I feel it may be necessary to tempt your musical taste buds. Take my word for it. Turn this up! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrO3XsywlzU The Alabama Heathens - Here for the Whiskey I have known these two young men for a couple of years now. If memory serves me correctly, I met them both while shooting a video for Jude’s father, Mike Roberts . That was the second music video for 5ive O’clock Charlie , Mike’s band , for which I had shot a drone video. Jude brings up a funny story about the shoot later in the interview. Stay tuned. Mike Roberts is a musical staple in the Huntsville music scene. Our story goes back several years. I met Mike several times and saw him play with 5ive O’clock Charlie and Travis McCready . Around 2021 , our friendship just seemed to bloom. Mike has become one of my favorite people to run into, either by accident or a planned lunch. He is genuinely a good soul! That day was also the first time I saw the now Alabama Heathens play. At that time, they were playing together under a different band name. I was working, so I didn’t get to listen closely, but from what I can remember, they were very good. If you know Mike , you know he always wears a smile and has wonderful things to say. Much is the same way with Jude . The apple didn’t fall far from the tree in this case. Dylan and I have gotten to know each other better, too. He is also always a pleasure to work with and become friends with. Unfortunately, I do not know his father. They say your children are a reflection of you. If that is the case, his father is a wonderful man. Fast-forward to July 2024 . The Alabama Heathens performed in The Alabama Smoke Show , if you remember the article I wrote for that event. Seeing those guys play on that big stage at such a young age was impressive. I have seen them since, and they keep getting better. During our lunch, we spoke at length about many things. I couldn’t tell you much about our discussion, as I was not recording that part. The banter and laughs did not stop. The parts I recorded are in the sections you are about to read. My first question was for Dylan . Credit: Bud Gambrell Photography OTC : Dylan, tell me, who are the Alabama Heathens? Dylan Johnson : The Alabama Heathens are a southern rock band out of North Alabama. On lead guitar , we have Jude Roberts . On drums , we have Ethan Chandler . On bass guitar, we have William O’Rear . And I'm on lead vocals. We pride ourselves on authenticity. I think we bring an old soul to our original music. OTC : What's the story behind the band's name? Dylan : It comes from a song I wrote two years ago called ' Alabama Heathens .' I wrote it about my buddies I grew up with. I felt like we were, you know, hometown heathens, I guess you could say. I can't really remember who mentioned it as the band name. I was initially against it, but maybe Jonathan said we should be The Alabama Heathens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbjEJIiVTTw The Alabama Heathens EP OTC : What got you into music? Jude Roberts : Well, my first instrument was the tuba in 6th grade, and by the end of 6th grade, I got braces. I didn't want to play because, you know, braces suck when you're trying to play a brass instrument. Michael Cline said, ‘Hey, you should play bass instead.’ So, Michael Cline got me playing bass. I've been into music since before I came out of the womb. Credit: Bud Gambrell Photography I would like to give you a side note: Michael Cline plays bass for Mike Roberts’ band, Five O’clock Charlie . OTC : Why is that? Jude : My dad was reading a music theory book in the lobby while I was being born. I remember crawling on stage at an early age, maybe two or three, with headphones on while everybody played loud guitar amps and drums. And I've always just been around music, you know. I took my dad's CDs to go show the kindergarten class or the pre-school class. But I didn't really get into playing music on my own until Michael Cline got me playing bass, and until I heard The Clash's London Calling album. The entire album is golden! Credit: Bud Gambrell Photography OTC : Dylan. what got you into music? Dylan : Well, I think listening to records at such a young age. And the earliest I can remember, I feel like it was the radio, too. Driving to school and riding in the car seat are the earliest I can remember. It was Johnny Cash . I guess it was the voice that I loved the most. I think it was ' Ring of Fire .' That was my favorite song. Kiss was another band that I loved as a kid. I would bang my head on my car seat. OTC : Were these your parents' records? Dylan : Well, some of these came from the radio, you know, from 95.1 The Rocket . My dad's records got me into wanting to play music. I just grew up listening to Bob Dylan , and Steely Dan was always on the record player. So much so that I would turn the record player off because I kept hearing the same song repeatedly. And then what got me into wanting to play was when I was 12, my dad took me to my first concert, ZZ Top . The production, the lights, the sound, the interaction of the crowd, you know, watching people cheer and laugh and cry, and seeing what music could do to somebody. It just hit me right away! I feel like I was born into it. Bud Gambrell with Jude and Dylan from The Alabama Heathens OTC : What are your main influences? Dylan : Ohh, man. I mean, musically, I would have to say one of my biggest influences would probably be Neil Young . As a songwriter, he has his sound; nobody else sounds like him or writes like Neil Young . Bob Dylan is the same way. Maybe it's because I was named after Bob. It's the reason that I'm so into him. But I just grew up on that music. OTC : Jude, what are your influences? Jude : My most significant influence is my father . You can't escape the DNA. That DNA influence , I guess, is a weird way to put it. I've always heard him playing, and he was my first reference for an electric guitar player and what an electric guitar player should be. That was my first taste of hearing music, and I love Jimi Hendrix . I'm a big Duane Allman and Derek Trucks fan on slide guitar . I'm a big Rory Gallagher fan, too. I like Paul Kossoff from Free and Mick Ralphs from Bad Company . For the longest time, I said my three significant influences were Mike Roberts , Jimi Hendrix , and B.B. King . I've added Rory Gallagher and Duane Allman to that list, making it five . Credit: Bud Gambrell Photography OTC : Now you guys just did some dates in Florida. Tell me how that went for you. Jude : Oh, that was great! That was fun! We played Docie’s Dock in Fort Walton Beach , which you can't see, but I'm wearing a hat they so kindly allowed me to keep. It was a warm reception for our first time playing in Florida . The crowd had their attention on us, which you can't say for some venues. We just had a great old time! OTC : Dylan, tell me some things the Alabama Heathens have coming up for this spring and summer. Dylan : Tomorrow, we'll open up for a band called The Skeeters in Fort Payne, Alabama. That should be a massive gig for us! We're looking forward to that! I know the Alabama Smoke Show is coming back on July 19, 2025 . I'm not exactly sure who is all on the bill for that, but I'm looking forward to playing Mars Music Hall again. That's a staple of Huntsville , so I'm very grateful to be a part of that. Hopefully, we will visit Minnesota to play some shows around August or September . We're getting that worked up for about five days or something. We will try to sneak our way from Tennessee to Kentucky and Minnesota . I think it would be cool if we could get that done. We want to try to get some real touring going on. I mean, that's our main thing. Plus, we've been in the studio. Credit: Bud Gambrell Photography OTC : Speaking of that, I’ve seen pictures of you in the studio. Can we expect some more new material coming soon? Dylan : Absolutely! Hopefully, by mid-summer, our song ' Throw the Dog a Bone ' should be coming out. We've already been in the studio and cut it. We're excited to put some new music out! I think we're just going to do singles for the next couple of months and see where that takes us, and hopefully be prepared, you know, by next year to do a full 12-song album . OTC : Speaking of singles, the latest one is ' Here for the Whiskey ' . I've heard it, and I’ve watched the video multiple times. I love this song! Jude, tell me a little about how the initial idea and the song's recording came about. Jude : Well. ' Here for the Whiskey ' was written by Dylan Johnson, James LeBlanc, and Jonathan Moody. They had a recording sent to me when I first joined the band with all of the original songs to learn. So, you know, I joined the band not long ago compared to these guys. And I just figured out how to add slide guitar to the songs. Playing in a band with two guitar players is pretty hard to figure out where you're supposed to fit. We had a pretty good idea of what we were doing, but Jeremy Stephens at Clearwave Studios helped us orchestrate and arrange it to be more professional. OTC : I think the slide stands out on a great song. You mentioned Duane Allman . Where do you get your slight guitar influence from? Jude : Again, my dad was my first slide influence. The first riff I ever learned was ' Whole Lotta Love ' by Led Zeppelin , and he showed me how to do the slide part. I've been playing the slide technically since I first started playing guitar, but I didn't get into it until I heard Derek Trucks playing slide . Derek Trucks is probably one of the greatest guitar players ever to walk the earth. So that led me back to Duane Allman . I've been listening to Elmore James . Warren Haynes is a huge slide influence on me. Warren plays slide in the standard tuning instead of an open tuning like Duane or Derek. We play many songs, and it's easier for me to go ahead and play in standard tuning. I don't want to have to switch guitars if I want to play slide. I just put my slide on my finger. George Harrison is also a considerable influence. Credit: Bud Gambrell Photography OTC : Have you gotten any feedback from the new song yet? Dylan : We posted it on Facebook , and I've received a lot of great feedback from friends, family, and fans. We also put out a music video for it, which was super cool! It has almost 1000 views. I'm not sure what the streaming aspect of it looks like, but I think it's done pretty well so far. OTC : We have worked together a couple of times. We’ve done photo sessions together, but I think the first time I met you, Dylan, and Jude may have been the first time I met Jude. We were in the field on a rainy day, shooting ' Fast Country ' for your dad's band, 5ive O’clock Charlie . Do you remember that? Jude : Oh, I remember that like it was yesterday. OTC : I think y'all were still called the Debriefers at the time. Now, that's an interesting name. Tell me about the name Debriefers. Jude : Before I do that, I will say the biggest thing I remember about that day is Bud Gambrell dropping a smoke bomb on us! I looked back at my drummer, who's also named Dylan. Dylan Hurley. He is a wonderful human being! Seeing the expression of terror on his face as he got engulfed by smoke , and then slowly but surely, the entire band got engulfed. I watched the video. We all just looked panicked and confused! Then we're just engulfed by smoke, and you see Bud leaving the crime scene. (laughter) I add a little smoke to everything he remembers about that day. Well, it was supposed to be a “little”. The smoke would make the video more visually appealing, right? Somebody back me up here. Mike? Duane? Dylan? Anyone? If one smoke bomb was good, two smoke bombs would be great. Anyway, it was funny, a little? Here is the video . You be the judge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvcDRB_2MF4 Fast Country by 5ive O'Clock Charlie Jude continues to explain the name of his previous band. Jude : The Debriefers is a spin-off of the Panty Droppers , a beautiful name. Dylan Johnson came up with that. We tried for a good month or two to figure out a name. Band names are hard. Man, it's just like a song title. You must find the right one but can't use any old name. So, I decided to do some Grissom academics and make it Debriefers . So, we were able to be school-friendly. OTC : Dylan, surely, there's something else you remember better about that day than the smoke. Dylan : Well, there was a damn downpour. I remember that. Yeah, I remember it rained like crazy! We were on a trailer. We were on a gooseneck trailer set up with a great sound system. And we had a crowd we were playing for. We played ' Whipping Post .' It was a bit rocky, but we had a good time that day. I remember it coming down in a downpour out of nowhere and packing up all that PA equipment in the rain. We were in Duane Walker's cow pasture. Credit: Bud Gambrell Photography Duane Walker also plays in 5ive O’clock Charlie. I met Duane at a Blackberry Smoke concert before I knew he was joining 5ive O’clock Charlie. We started a conversation and became friends, as if we’d known each other for a long time. OTC : What are your long-term goals for the band, and what are you most excited about in the future of your music? Dylan : To go on tour. I mean to live that tour life and play music. We could have shows like we do back home, but out on the road. The main goal is to play our music to people who want to listen to original music. Make them dance. You know, make them cry. It's a compliment to make somebody cry with your song because it means they're living it. You know what I mean? I'm not afraid to listen to music and cry. Because, I mean, that shows its authenticity. You know what I mean? For the long term, man, I'd love to get an album, a couple of albums under our belt, and eventually be headlining shows instead of opening them. Our brand can sell, make people happy, and have a promising career. Credit: Bud Gambrell Photography OTC : The headline shows are going to come. Trust me, it's coming. How do you define success as a musician? Jude : Playing something new every night that makes you happy. And if it gets you off, then great. If it gets the crowd off, too, then that’s what you're looking for. Being a musician, you're never going to be satisfied because you're always going to be working to be better or working to do something differently. So, having shows and getting paid for what you're doing is the goal: I'm happy if I can pay my bills by playing my guitar. But if I can be creative and expand my knowledge as a human being and musician, that's what you want. Credit: Bud Gambrell Photography OTC : What's the most important thing you want people to take away from your music? Jude : I want people to know who I am and what I've been through by listening to my notes, lyrics, and everything I put forward. I want people to feel like I did when I heard Jimi Hendrix or Derek Trucks for the first time. I want people to have an excitement for life that drugs can't give you. The enthusiasm that only music and God can give you. Credit: Bud Gambrell Photography Dylan : I want somebody to be able to listen to our music and relate to the hurt, the heartache, and even the good times of it. You know what I mean? I would hope that when people hear us, they don't think that we're just some other, you know, local band that's trying to do it. I mean, this is our full-time gig. This is full-time for me, and it is for Jude. I know that we put our heart and soul into this: traveling, playing, and riding. The writing is about things that we know. We're not trying to be somebody we're not, which happens often in this business because you get offered all this stuff, and then you buy into it. But I don't think we've ever settled for mediocrity either. I don't ever want to do that. And I want people to know that and keep on listening. Credit: Bud Gambrell Photography OTC : If you could perform anywhere worldwide, where would it be and why? Dylan : Veterans Park in Priceville, AL. (laughs) Dylan : My first thought was the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville . The history there! I got to see Jason Isbell for my first show ever at the Ryman. He's one of my all-time favorites. Who wouldn't want to play at Red Rocks ? I guess it would be the Ryman , just because it's the Mother Church! Everyone sits on church pews , and all eyes are on you. Jude : Well, it would not be Veterans Park in Priceville, Alabama. (laughter) Jude : I also want to say the Ryman because my father has played there , and I feel I owe it to myself to have two Roberts play at the Ryman instead of just one. That would be cool! I would also love to play at one of the Fillmores or the Apollo Theater in New York . I’m a big fan of old R&B , blues , and soul music . Man, the Apollo is where all those guys were at. B.B. King , James Brown , and you know all those greats. So, that'd be cool to play that room. Credit: Bud Gambrell Photography OTC : What's a fun fact about yourself that your fans may not know? Jude : Musically or not, musically? OTC : It can be either—just a fun fact about yourself. Jude : I've pissed on an Irish castle, and I found out later that it's a felony. I don't know if you can publish that, but you can. I'll give you permission. (laughter) OTC : As long as we don't say which one, they can't press charges, right? Jude : I reckon. I'll tell you which one. OTC : Let’s not invite the law into this. Jude : I was walking around, and I, you know, I had to go. It's really beautiful in Ireland ! It's beautiful with a lot of places to go to take a piss. (laughter) Credit: Bud Gambrell Photography Dylan : I used to be on a pool team. I love to shoot pool. I love playing golf when I'm not working. I have several hobbies. I love the gym. I try to eat clean. I don't eat the best, but I like physically caring for myself. I do kickboxing and boxing and run and all that. I enjoy that kind of stuff. I don't know if that's a fun fact. But that's what I'm doing when I’m not playing music. I'm either shooting pool, playing golf, or boxing. Credit: Bud Gambrell Photography OTC: One last question. If you had the chance to meet your favorite rock star and ask him or her one question. Who would you want to meet, and what would you ask them? Jude : I have two answers. Do I only have to give one? OTC : Two will be fine. Jude : My first one is Jimi Hendrix . He was always creating and on the forefront of just new shit and pushing everything to its boundary and to its edge and making new boundaries. And how did you do that? That'd be my question. How did you consistently break boundaries? OTC : Ok, number two? Jude : The second would be Gregg Allman . I would like to ask Gregg Allman what microphone he used on Eat a Peach . I've been wondering about that for the past month. Dylan : I mean, if I can meet anybody and ask anything, it would probably be Neil Young , honestly. How did you produce an album like Harvest ? You know, where does that sound come from? Who writes that? It's kind of the same with Bob Dylan . How does somebody write that kind of music and continue to write that kind of music in their late 70s? I would ask how they have made it this far. Being on the road and not losing their minds. I'm sure they're crazy, but you must be crazy to do what we're doing anyway. OTC : Do you have anything else to add for your fans, listeners, and new potential fans? Dylan : Man, come out and see us! Come talk to us. Buy a T-shirt and ask for a sticker. We'll give you a sticker. Follow us and like our music. We love y'all! We want to meet y'all and create a family, you know, that wants to support us. And we want to hear from you. You know what I mean? Just let us know if there's a certain song or anything you want to hear. Jude : Rock 'n' Roll isn’t dead, so come out and fucking rock with us! You heard Jude! Get up and get to a show to rock with this band. By all means, catch them between sets or after the show and introduce yourself. You will not meet a more sociable bunch of young men. Until next time, Keep your diamond down in the groove! *All photos by Bud Gambrell Photography www.bgambrellphotography.com Bud Gambrell Photography Bud Gambrell Photography is a locally owned and operated photography business in North Alabama. Call or email us today for an appointment. Where to find Bud: Email: the_budgambrell@mixedaltmag.com Website: https://bgambrellphotography.com Amazon: https://a.co/d/1CLA9Tz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bud.gambrell My new book: Bud Gambrell Photography by Bud Gambrell | Blurb Books Where to find the Alabama Heathens: YouTube: Alabama Heathens - Topic - YouTube Facebook: Facebook Instagram: The Alabama Heathens (@thealabamaheathens) • Instagram photos and videos Where to find Dylan Johnson: Facebook: Facebook X: Dylan Johnson (@D_JohnsonMusic) / X Where to find Jude Roberts: Facebook: Facebook www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com D o you have something that Bud should check out? Email him at the_budgambrell@mixedaltmag.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

The music of Jean Claude Seagal captures the complexities of life and relationships with melodic hooks and gritty rock sensibilities. < Back Jean Claude Seagal: A New Journey through Alternative Rock Nicole Brice Mar 22, 2024 Share The music of Jean Claude Seagal captures the complexities of life and relationships with melodic hooks and gritty rock sensibilities. Growing up as a teenager in the 90s, I was obsessed with DIY bands that did not conform to a certain look to get their messages across. I admired the authenticity of bands such as Sonic Youth, Buffalo Tom, The Breeders, and Archers of Loaf because of the raw power found in their music. Using scaled-down production techniques mixed with feedback and fuzz, these bands set a precedent for many who are trying to emulate their style now. They say that time repeats, and it is repeating now. Enter one of the newest bands in Baton Rouge, Jean Claude Seagal. With potent lyrics combined with a smooth delivery and just the right amount of grunge fuzz, these guys are emerging as a continuation of the alt/grunge sound of the 90s, and their music is packaged as such. Possessing personality and sheer talent, the band comprises Justin Tatman on vocals and guitar, Nick Maggio on bass, and Robby Gray on drums. Credit: Gary Governale Formed in 2024, Jean Claude Seagal’s first release is titled “State Champs,” and with this EP, the band has created a sound combining elements of indie rock, punk, and grunge, creating a style that is both familiar and fresh. With honest, confessional songwriting that speaks to our experiences and emotions, Jean Claude Seagal has created timeless music that will connect with listeners, reminding us of the power of honest, heartfelt songwriting. Click the picture to listen Mixed Alternative Magazine had the opportunity to chat with the guys of Jean Claude Seagal recently about the band's origins, plans, and much more, so take a moment to learn a little more about one of the newest bands on the scene in Baton Rouge. MaM : Thanks for meeting with me today. Let’s dive right in. How did the band name come about? Justin : I was in a band a long time ago, and we were trying to think of a name for it, and the drummer at the time suggested Jean Claude Seagal, and I thought it was the greatest thing I had ever heard, but we never used it, so years later, here we are. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : So, how do you all know each other? Nick : Well, I met Robby over a decade ago off Craig’s List. We were starting a couple of projects here and there, and I needed a guitar player, but see, we were all in the band, Minus One. This was over a decade ago. Minus One was another alternative rock band, and we were around for a bit until COVID hit, and that just killed it. We just decided recently to form a new band, and here we are. Robby : I’ve known Justin since elementary school. He and I have been in and out of bands since we were kids, and Nick and I have another project we’ve been working on that we can’t find members for currently. It’s a progressive rock project. Not the stuff you generally hear around Baton Rouge. I picked up playing drums when I was about 11 years old, with no lessons. I started listening to Metallica as a kid and then begged my dad for a drum set. I love playing drums, and if you listen to my playing, you’ll hear a little Metallica influence—the triplets I do with my feet and stuff like that. It’s in there. I’ve always thought that the drums help bring energy to the songs. Justin : His style brings more potency to the music with a little punk influence. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : What got you each into music originally? Justin : I saw Nirvana’s “Live and Loud,” and when they were playing “Endless Nameless” and just messing around and throwing stuff everywhere, I was like, “I can do that!”. That’s really where it started for me. Robby : For me, it was when I sat down behind my first drum kit. My crappy drum kit. (laughter) MaM : Well, you gotta start somewhere! Justin : My mom had this little acoustic guitar, and I asked her if I could start playing it, but she didn’t think I would stick with it. I started tuning it and messing with it, though, and she would get mad at me. Nick : For me, I loved music from the get-go. My dad would throw on Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album in the car, and he had a good bit of Whitney Houston, too, but for me, the way loud music resonates with you. Your whole body shakes with the music, and I always wanted to be a part of that. When I was 14 years old, my mom bought me my first guitar, and it was a no-name replica type of guitar. Some knock-off 6-string thing. I’m mainly a guitar player, though. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : So bass is new for you? Nick : Well, yes and no. I can pick up a bass in a pinch. I listen to a lot of music that has intricate arrangements, and I like to think of a song in its totality—just everything in it. Everything has its part to play in making a cohesive sound. One band, one sound. MaM : So, who are your biggest influences as far as the sound of this band? Justin : I like Hum and Dinosaur Jr. Sometimes it’s upbeat, and sometimes it has that noisiness to it. They don’t try to make their music all posh or anything. Nick : As far as influences for my bass playing, I like a lot of heavier bands. Dan Briggs from Between the Buried and Me is one of the best bass players on the planet, in my opinion, but he has a way of carrying the low end that is different from just sitting and playing your scales up and down, and I try to emulate that with what we do, but in a more simplified way because I’m not nearly as shreddy as that guy. Robby : As for me, I have a hard time finding a band to compare us to. I would say that I take my influence from Rise Against mixed with a little Metallica. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Where was the EP recorded? Nick : My house MaM : So, what was the creative process like for writing and recording it? How did you get the songs that you decided to put on the EP? Nick : We had those songs ready already, so we spent a week tracking drums, half a week tracking the rest of it, and another week mixing it down. We got it done quickly. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : What is your mission statement as a band? What do you hope to accomplish in the future? Justin : We want to stay creative, and we hope that people like what we are putting out. Nick : At the end of the day, we just want to rock people’s faces off and have a blast doing it. As Jean Claude Seagal continues to forge ahead in getting their music out to the masses, they no doubt will find those who resonate with their unpolished and bona fide sound. To hear their new EP, “State Champs,” just hit one of the links below, and then be sure to follow them on social media to stay up-to-date on all upcoming shows. Facebook : Facebook Instagram : Jean Claude Seagal (@jeanclaude_seagal) • Instagram photos and videos Apple Music : Jean Claude Segal, Apple Music Spotify : State Champs EP by Jean Claude Seagal | Spotify *Cover photo by Gary Governale www.governalephotovideo.com Zenfolio | Home I have been working as a video professional since 1993, with a wide range of experience writing, producing, directing, shooting and editing. A strong interest in videography, specifically lighting and composition, led me to photography in 1998. Rapidly changing technology has blurred the line between video and photography, allowing me to work in both mediums.. Baton Rouge, LA, United States www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Bringin' back the classic rock vibe < Back Born to Rock: Adam and the Metal Hawks Keeley Brooks Apr 24, 2023 Share Bringin' back the classic rock vibe By now, just about everyone on the planet has seen their video creatively (and hilariously) reviving the Guns ‘n Roses classic rock tune “Sweet Child O’ Mine”. If you haven’t, don’t sweat it—you know I’ve got you covered. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4eo6LS9lto BUT, you must also watch this take, because it features new drummer Griffin McCarthy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNiAKNJOTnk This fun-loving group of irresistible talent is known as Adam and the Metal Hawks and right now, you can’t open TikTok without seeing one of their infamously funny and wholly entertaining music videos full of prowess and passion. The band shot to stardom last summer when Jack Black finally publicly acknowledged his musical doppelganger in lead singer Adam Ezegelian after the band recreated Tenacious D’s “Kickapoo”, posted it on TikTok, and called on Black to duet with them. After six attempts to get his attention, and with the help of social media followers embarking on a public pressure campaign calling on the celebrity to respond, Black did just that. “We tried to incorporate either songs that he had covered or his songs,” Ezegelian said in an interview with Sweety High , “and we worked them into different formats for our TikToks.” At the time the Hawks posted these videos, their one main goal was to get the actor and musician, who covered the track in the hit movie School of Rock , to post a video reply. So, fans and band members constantly posted on Black’s TikTok videos, urging him to respond, and on May 27, 2022, he did. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzqJtpfct48 This attention, paired with their impeccable three-part harmonies and meme-worthy videos, shot the band into notoriety heaven and the rest, as they say, is history. “That was an amazing experience,” says lead singer Adam Ezegelian. “We’re all huge fans of [Jack Black] and Tenacious D, his band, and their music, so, in the beginning when we first jumped on TikTok, we kept getting comparisons to him because of my voice and facial expressions. So, we sort of leaned into it and started posting videos … a little challenge to get him to duet us, and eventually it just worked. … It was crazy. We were all in shock.” While Black has followed the Hawks on social media and liked some of their posts, he hasn’t necessarily responded verbally, but Ezegelian notes he is keeping an eye on them. “One day, hopefully we’ll do something worthy enough to get his attention and maybe get the invite out or to open for them on tour, which would be amazing. We’d love to play with them. We’re just holding on and keeping his attention and hopefully sending something out he’ll enjoy.” The guys have even gotten the attention of Styx with their mouth-wide-open version of “ Come Sail Away ”. With over three million followers on TikTok and one million on Instagram, it’s safe to say Adam and the Metal Hawks are the most famous band to emerge from social media as quickly as they have, but it’s not just because of their talent. These guys are so down to earth and genuinely hilarious on and off camera, their infectious energies and personalities suck you right in and make you feel like you’re hangin’ out with your best homies, just having a good time and kickin’ it to some bitchin’ rock tunes. All hailing from Long Island in New York, Adam and the Metal Hawks features, from left to right, original founding Metal Hawks members Johnny Barry on guitar and Ryan Daversa on bass, Adam Ezegelian on lead vocals (and I do mean lead vocals), and Griffin McCarthy on drums. Though none of them grew up together, you’d never know it given how they interact with and support one another. They’re truly a band of brothers enjoying life to the best of their ability, then sharing their experience through music and entertainment. Image taken from artist social media Prior to Adam, the band was known as Metal Hawks and consisted of Johnny and Ryan, who met at a local talent show in 2014, and the group’s original drummer, Alex Hertler, who left the band in 2022. (He is featured in the first “Sweet Child O’ Mine” video at the beginning of this article.) The three played every bar and club on Long Island and honed their craft before meeting Adam through mutual friends in 2019 and bringing him in to sing. “I was playing bass and singing at the time, so it was a little bit of a blow to my ego” laughs Daversa, who, in my opinion, bears a bit of a resemblance to 80’s rock band Warrant lead singer Jani Lane but who most commonly gets compared to Eddie Munson of Stranger Things or Michael Beck of the 1979 action-crime thriller The Warriors . “But, you know, the way Adam sings, man, I don’t want to sing anymore. That guy’s just too freakin’ good.” Once Adam took over singing duties, Ryan—heavily influenced by rock greats Rush, Van Halen, and Led Zeppelin—shied away from the role of lead singer and began focusing more on bass. Image taken from artist social media Guitarist Johnny Barry recalls always having had the vision of being in a rock band. He picked up the guitar when he was eight, and at age 10, he started his first band called Metal Hawks with two other kids, who would later be replaced by current bandmate Ryan Daversa on vocals and later, bass, and former drummer Alex Hertler. “My parents were very into music but never played any instruments. My dad loves classic rock, and his favorite band is Van Halen, which is also my favorite band,” Barry says. “Mine, too!” Ryan chimes in with a laugh. Adds Griffin, “Yeah, we’re all in fortunate situations with our families, who understand how difficult it is to do this for a living and to pursue it—my parents especially, because they’re musicians and know firsthand how difficult it is to get started. Our family circle is very supportive, so we lucked out with that. They’re all very great people.” “My dad is our number one fan, for sure,” Johnny continues, and the other guys agree. He credits Guitar Hero with helping him find his passion. “For my communion at eight or nine years old, my parents got me my first guitar, and ever since, I kept trying to start a band. I’m also into AC/DC and Greta Van Fleet.” Image taken from artist social media After Hertler left the band in 2022, drummer Griffin McCarthy was quick to audition and take over the throne. It was his addition that allowed the Hawks to pull out those beautiful three-part harmonies and achieve that awesome sound not many bands can pull off, especially since technology plays such a huge role in today’s music. “We’re trying to bring the classic rock feel back, especially to these kids on TikTok [who] may have never heard any of this music before or just heard it in a random animated movie. … We’re trying to be that voice of rock that just brings it back,” Ezegelian explains. And bringing it back they are, but they’re also putting their own spin on the sound, and that’s what makes them so unique. Each member is his own reincarnation of some great classic rock artist and collectively, they have a really hip vibe of effortlessly singing like birds while playing instruments, and that is pretty impressive. McCarthy said they all took the best of their inspirations of that era and molded it into their own style and brought it together, and it blends well. “It’s great people see it for what it is because there’s a huge gap in the market for that right now. So, it’s very cool to see this generation want to go see a full band live, [especially in this modern technological age]. It’s good for us because that’s what were here for,” laughs Griffin. Image taken from artist social media McCarthy cites his biggest influences as Rush, The Who, and Queen and says he’s been drumming since the age of three. “There was always music in my house. My parents are piano players and always played for me, then I started picking some of it up and playing a little on my own. I always had rhythm from an early age.” He eventually started showing interest in the drum set, which his mother noticed, and when he was seven, she enrolled him in drum lessons. “I got my first drum set at eight, and I haven’t stopped playing since. I always foresaw a future there. I fell in love with the drums immediately. And it’s amazing, because I’ve finally found a band who wants it as bad as I do.” McCarthy has toured with several acts prior to Adam and the Metal Hawks, including Yngwie Malmsteen and Prong, who went on the road with Overkill, and he even toured briefly with a Broadway production of “Rent”. Lead singer Adam Ezegelian says he’s been fueled by rock energy since he arrived on this planet, and his parents had a lot to do with that by raising him right and exposing him to good music. Growing up, Adam was active in plays and musical theater—even jazz band and an acapella jazz ensemble. Image courtesy of artist social media “I just love performing,” he says. “You know, making people laugh and clap along and bob their head … just getting into it.” Ezegelian’s life changed in 2015 when he auditioned for American Idol and got a ticket to Hollywood. He took his influences of Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses, and AC/DC, as well as his love for rock, and filled people with happiness with his resonant, multi-dimensional voice and animated facial expressions. Adam sailed right through to the Top 16 before being sent home, then in 2019, he met the Metal Hawks and, as their website says, “they’ve had stellar rock chemistry ever since.” And they’re right: Their chemistry is so stellar, it’s palpable. That might have something to do with the fact that they were all raised so right in being constantly exposed to some of the best, most influential music on the planet. Someone needs to give these guys’ parents a giant high-five for being so cool. Way to go, parents; you guys truly do rock. Recently the guys finished recording their second album as Adam and the Metal Hawks, though their first one, a self-titled album that dropped in 2020 during Covid, features their former drummer. Their hit single from that album released Sept. 2019 and is titled “ Turn Around ”. It’s a love song encased in a hard rock shell, and that’s easily relatable to all of us. That single set the tone for who they were and, shortly thereafter, they released “ Wastin’ Time ”, then “ Backwards ”. Since, with new drummer Griffin McCarthy (who reportedly plays a mean cowbell), the Hawks have released two other singles with videos, “Hey Hey Mama” and “Love is on My Wishlist (When It’s Christmas)”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H0m1MD2cUk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGUxSx5cSUE “We’ve been working for over a year [on this new album]. These songs are songs we’ve taken on road and played at shows and gotten crowd feedback and changed things here and there, and we’re just very excited to show you guys what we’ve been working on. It’s gonna be great when we can release it and see what everybody thinks,” says Ezegelian. “Yeah, all the songs are diverse and unique in their own way,” adds McCarthy. “Not one song sounds like the other. You won’t feel like you’re listening to the same song twice. It’s very original.” Adam continues, “A lot of our material is coming from our personal experiences, of course, and we want to make sure everybody can take something away from each song ... so, there’s strength in having that wide array of songs. There’s something for everybody there: power ballads, acoustic ballads, heavy songs, fast songs … if you’re a rock band fan, there’s gonna be some songs that you’re gonna love. As far as concept, a lot of it has to do with our rise from nothing to [being a] viral sensation, so we’ve got some good stuff on there—inspiration from being cooped up from Covid and the culmination of the past couple years going into this album. It’ll be a large weight off our shoulders once it’s released to just spread it throughout the world ... 10 lovely tracks.” I’d say the fellas are getting used to their newfound fame quite well. They remain graciously humble, without all the ego, but reality did smack ‘em right in the face last year while playing a festival in Switzerland. The guys agreed that seemed to be a pretty huge “Oh SHIT!” moment for them. “That … moment, for me, was about five minutes before we were going on stage in Switzerland last year. There were 15,000 people there … and it was the biggest crowd we’d played for. That was one of the only shows in my whole career where I was shitting a brick. It was that nerve-racking. But, after the first two songs, the crowd was totally into it, and we got a standing ovation.” Griffin agrees: “It was mind-blowing to see that many people in one space. It was such a unique experience. And what a beautiful area Switzerland is, too. The band before us didn’t have much crowd engagement, so we were worried the crowd wouldn’t like us but two songs in, they were engaged and going nuts for every song. They were super loud, super high energy. It was nice to see that because majority of those people had no idea who we were. [It] was really amazing to have that reception and make so many new fans at once.” Ryan chimes back in: “Yeah, that is one of my favorite things about playing these festivals. No one knows who you are but if you’re good enough and blow people away, then everyone knows who you are. That makes fans for life.” Currently Adam and the Metal Hawks are gearing up for their UK tour happening later this year, and they’re already working on their third album. While there are currently no U.S. dates at this time, the band does expect for that to change. “We don’t have anything formal to announce just yet but, like I said, [we have this] new album that should be out by summer or end of the year … maybe singles and videos out by summer,” says Adam. “We’re playing a bunch of festivals this summer to push the album release, and we have the UK tour lined up. I’m sure very soon after there will be something announced for the States.” Rock gods, we hope so. The guys also hope to return to Canada for another tour after playing there last year, and they say they’d also like to get some South America dates. “We’re just looking to jump all over the world and just spread the music.” So, if you can’t tell by now, these guys are a group you’re going to want to follow and keep up with, because they’re on the verge of blowing up worldwide. And, given what they’ve already produced and released, there’s no telling what kind of genius is waiting in the wings. One thing’s for sure, though: Adam and the Metal Hawks are just getting started. Expect great things from these guys, my friends. Image courtesy of artist social media In the meantime, I highly recommend visiting their social media pages and diving into their videos. I spent an entire day going down the AMH video rabbit hole and there’s so much yumminess in there, I sat covered in chills, boosting my serotonin, whilst rocking out with them to Toto, Queen, Twisted Sister, Aerosmith , Scorpions , The Romantics, Meat Loaf, Bon Jovi , Led Zeppelin, Elton John, AC/DC (with water!) , Leonard Cohen , Metallica, Van Halen, Steppenwolf--do I need to keep going? Because I totally can. They’re downright entertaining, engaging, creative, talented, original, and full of that classic rock goodness we’ve all been longing to return. "We're just always trying to have fun in our videos," Ezegelian said. "That's why we have such a large following: They want that little piece of fun, that serotonin boost, in their day, and that's where we come in." One day, guys, people are going to be covering your tunes and paying you tribute in the honorable and exciting ways you are doing now. And so, my friends, I leave you with quite possibly some of the best compilation videos in existence. Enjoy, and don't say I didn't warn you! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI2I10rNVSk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucKQDibzh04 For more information on Adam and the Metal Hawks, and their badassery, cruise on over to any of the links below and rock your face off. YouTube @AMHBand Instagram @AMHBand www.amhband.com HOME | amhband.com AMH is a hard rock band from Long Island, New York, formed in 2019. The band consists of American Idol finalist Adam Ezegelian, along with Johnny Barry, Ryan Daversa and Alex Hertler. They released their debut album Adam and the Metal Hawks in April of 2020 and have since seen viral popularity on TikTok and other social media platforms. Twitter @AMHBand Facebook @AMHBand TikTok @AMHBand Spotify www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

RobenX is promising a legacy of influence that transcends music alone. < Back On the Rise: RobenX Nicole Brice May 8, 2024 Share RobenX is promising a legacy of influence that transcends music alone. Who is RobenX ? He is a fearless artist, a beacon of authenticity. His life is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit, drawing inspiration from the depths of human existence here in the School of Earth. With a profound narrative of resilience, talent, and empowerment, Roben is not just a musician but also an author, model, anti-bullying advocate, and advocate for albinism . His journey took him to Geneva, Switzerland, in 2018, where he spoke and performed at the United Nations during their Human Rights Day Celebration , a testament to his unwavering spirit. Credit: Andrew of Ejji Studios RobenX, originally Robdarius Brown, hails from Memphis, Tennessee, a city steeped in the rich musical traditions of blues, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll. His early life was marked by significant challenges, but it was through these trials that he discovered his refuge in music. It became his voice, escape, and a way to share his experiences with the world. RobenX's music is a unique fusion of genuine expression and profound emotional depth. It resonates with the vocal stylings of two hip-hop legends, Onyx and Eminem . If these two had a musical lovechild, it would be RobenX. His music is a return to intelligent hip-hop, reaching into the depths of your soul with its raw emotion. The energy he infuses into every song is palpable, radiating from every note and lyric, creating a powerful connection with his listeners. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2siUBr5-ho His newest single – “ Blood on the Leaves ,” – was released on April 3, 2024, and is a journey from the depths of pain and existence. It’s dark. It’s gritty. It’s honest. It is exactly what we need in music because it is authentic. On my favorite track, - “ Dial Tone ,”- released in 2022, Roben changes things up and sings a little more while going through the real emotions associated with disassociating from someone. The words are intense and full of pain, culminating in the chorus with the words, “This shouldn’t be the price of love.” So true, my friend, so true. Another favorite song of mine, “ Devoid ,” was released on the Mental Interlude EP in 2020 and is pure poetic genius because I’m sure many can identify with Roben's feelings of just being over everything in a moment of frustration and anger. However, what truly sets RobenX apart in the hip-hop community is his unwavering commitment to advocacy. Through his lyrics and public presence, he not only raises awareness about albinism but also challenges the stereotypes and misconceptions that surround individuals with this condition. His advocacy is a beacon of light, illuminating the path toward a more inclusive and understanding society. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/999a0f_357554171ccd4987857a8a68c089271b/1080p/mp4/file.mp4 Mixed Alternative Magazine recently had the opportunity to catch up with the extraordinary RobenX, and we enjoyed chatting about anything and everything. With so much depth to Roben’s character, we had a good bit of ground to cover, so take a moment to read more of our conversation below to learn about the phenomenal artist, RobenX. Credit: Andrew of Ejji Studios MaM : You’ve released a ton of music since 2012. What was the first song that you ever wrote? How did it feel to bring your musical vision to life via song? RobenX : I was a freestyler when I first started, and I was doing that when I recorded my first song, “They Love Me,” which is still out there, probably buried on my YouTube , but the first song I wrote was a song called “Just Maybe,” but I never released it. That was the first time I had decided to hone my craft. Writing was such a weird concept to me regarding writing music. I used to write stories all the time, but I had never written a song. I had to catch all the words flying by me with all these fleeting emotions, but once I started crafting a song, I realized how much more potent it could be and how much control I had over what I could say. MaM : How old were you when you wrote that? RobenX : I was 13 or 14. Credit: Daneel Ferreira MaM : Who would you say has influenced you the most when making music? I noticed you have quite a bit of diversity in your music. RobenX : I’m just going to rattle off a bunch of names because there are so many, but they are near and dear to what I do: Korn, Three Days Grace, Tupac, Tech N9ne, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, System of a Down, Breaking Benjamin, Disturbed, Thousand Foot Krutch, Mindless Self Indulgence, The Temptations, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem. I almost forgot Michael Jackson and David Ruffin, too. MaM : There is such diversity. What mission statement would you like to convey to people discovering your music for the first time? RobenX : I want people to take my stories and use them to help themselves. I want to use my pain to heal the pain. I experienced a lot of different scenarios and got to experience things I probably shouldn’t have at a young age. Still, I want to testify that your past helps define you, but don’t let it limit you. The world is yours to do what you want, so use my words to appeal to you. Use my stories and find yourself in the music. Take my words and apply them to you. Credit: Andrew of Ejji Studios MaM : How do you approach the songwriting process? Take us through that. RobenX : It’s different every time because I’ve written some songs in five minutes. Some songs, though, can take months. Sometimes, I have an idea that I’ll record or write stuff down, but sometimes, the concept is there, but I just haven’t found the right instrumental. It all must align with the universe. I try not to do things the universe doesn’t need, so if the idea doesn’t speak to me, I usually discard it or set it aside until it’s time. Usually, I’ll hear a track and listen to what it is trying to get me to say, and I listen to the universe and the higher-ups who give me the stories I need. For example, a lot of what is going to be on “Shoulda Died” is just internal and reliving some of the past trauma that I experienced as a teenager and as a young adult. Credit: Andrew of Ejji Studios MaM : I like to call those universal happenings when you listen to the divine guidance given. So, the next question I have for you is funny but one that will get you thinking. You’re headed to live on a deserted island and can only bring CDs by five artists. What are you bringing? RobenX : Believe it or not, my list would be small. Ok, Smino’s “ Noir ,” Tupac’s “ All Eyez on Me ,” Kendrick Lamar’s “ Good Kid ,” Three Days Grace’s self-titled album , System of a Down’s “ Hypnotize ” or “ Toxicity ”. (laughter) Man…I can’t forget about Michael Jackson’s “ Thriller ”, too. That’s hard. (laughter) MaM : I love that. You are such an inspirational individual. So, what are you working on currently? You released a new single in April but must have something else in the pipeline. RobenX : I am working on a new project, and I’ll go ahead and give you the title; it’s called “Shoulda Died.” We’re also working on a coloring book inspired by my book, “ The Colors of Olleh ,” a children’s book, and Teiyonna Douglas is the illustrator of that book. She created all the pictures. She also did the cover art for several of my releases, including “ The Mental Interlude ” EP and for a mixtape I have on YouTube called Moldy . Her artwork is on that cover, too, and she’s been helping me a lot. She is creating the coloring book all by herself, though, and I give suggestions here and there, but I will also be releasing some songs from “ The Mental Interlude ” EP in their live versions. Credit: Daneel Ferreira MaM : Wow! So much is going on! So, when do you anticipate some of that dropping? RobenX : If I can, I want to have something out by June, but my goal is June or July. MaM : Let’s discuss your book, “ The Colors of Olleh ”. What was the process like putting all of that together? RobenX : The inception of “ The Colors of Olleh ” was simple. I wanted to write a book and tell a story about a child with Albinism but not have Albinism be the main focal point. I just wanted a character who had Albinism. He sees colors and lives in a world of black and white. I called Teiyonna immediately to pitch the idea to her, and she loved the concept. However, she thought about making each page monochrome to show that Olleh can see color when others cannot. The idea started snowballing to where colors were representing differences. When people don’t see people for who they truly are, they are living in black & white. To see the beauty of difference is to see in color. If you say you don’t see color, you live blind. It’s all subjective. Richard Hervey is the producer. He goes by the name of Enigma, but he has helped on numerous tracks of mine, and he was the one who helped turn the entire concept into a book. He took Teiyonna’s ideas and made them bigger, and then “ The Colors of Olleh ” was born, and Olleh’s name is just “hello” backward. Olleh is a traveler, though he could be anyone, and he meets a young lady in the story named Vye, who ends up being the leader of the story. Her character is to show people that they can step up and not wait for a change, but they can be the change. Olleh goes to this town to tell people that he can see color, and they can see color if they accept him. At first, people are hesitant, but then Vye decides she’s curious, so she accepts Olleh, and when she does, it’s easier for others to do so. It shows leadership. Step up and be the change. Small note: Vye’s name is taken from the color violet. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/999a0f_19a08ae5304c461a84a2e6e4f0334441/1080p/mp4/file.mp4 MaM : You’ve done so much, a true Renaissance man, but I read you’ve also worked with the United Nations on some things. Tell us a little more about that. RobenX : I was doing some Albinism awareness and anti-bullying work and was asked to be part of a video educating people on Albinism. However, I didn’t think too much about it afterward. Years passed after I had done the video, and I didn’t hear from them. They didn’t have my e-mail, so they tried to reach out to me via my social media, but the messages went to my spam box for some reason. One day, I checked my spam folder, and there were many messages. I would have missed the opportunity if I had just waited a day later to read the messages. I was flown to Geneva, Switzerland, and I got to meet the High Commissioner of the United Nations, and it was insane. I was 18 or 19, and coming from Memphis, with growing up how I did, flying to a different country was wild. For reference, my grandmother has never left Memphis. My mom was the first in her family to graduate from college. This was a huge deal. Once I got there, I was allowed to speak about Albinism and human rights and what we could do to make a difference in other countries. See, in other countries, people with my condition are considered spiritual or magical and are often killed because of this. Their body parts are then used in rituals and incantations, but if the poachers don’t get them, then they are dying from skin cancer because of overexposure to the sun, and they don’t have access to proper healthcare for their conditions. I wanted to use my voice to see what we could do to help them. I was made a Human Rights Champion and allowed to meet other leaders from all walks of life. It was amazing. Very powerful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgktjQA3abc MaM : Where do you see yourself headed in the future? RobenX : I want to do so much, and I know I can’t save the world in a day, but the goal is to reach as many people through as many mediums as possible. I want to flood the market correctly with the right things. No matter where you turn, things aren’t full of love labor. I want to create mediums that speak to people, help people grow, and give people power. I believe we are on that journey, too, and I hope that in the next five years, we can reach people with positivity through all mediums. RobenX exemplifies the powerful intersection of art and advocacy with each new track, performance, and interview. His journey underscores the potential for music to entertain, enlighten, and provoke change. As his message spreads further, he promises a legacy of influence and change that transcends music alone. To check out Roben’s work catalog, hit the link below and be sure to follow him on social media. *cover photo by Andrew of Ejji Studios *videos provided by Extreme Dreams USA www.teamrobenx.com HOME | TeamRobenX www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Eclipse Fest is a celebration of community and music, inspired by hope and bold optimism. < Back Eclipse Fest 3 Returns to Lafayette: A May 2026 Gathering at Feed N Seed Nick Cline Jan 16, 2026 Share Eclipse Fest is a celebration of community and music, inspired by hope and bold optimism. Eclipse Fest is heading into its third year, growing each time into a celebration of community and evolution. It began with no connections, no experience, and no clear plan—just a passion to give the underdog a chance back in 2024 . That spirit has always driven the festival, serving as a platform for talent that might otherwise go unnoticed and offering the scene fresh sounds it deserves. What started as a small dream has now drawn participation from across Louisiana and interest from bands nationwide. The line-up for Eclipse Fest 3 In 2026 , a new vision is shaping Eclipse Fest , with alternative music and its unique aesthetic at the core. This year’s lineup features 14 bands over two days, plus a special guest from New York . Pre-sale tickets are $10 each / $15 at the door / or for a 2-day bundle, it's $25. More info can be found here . Day 1 welcomes back Double Knockout , HolleeStar , and Grey Areas , alongside Playing The Hero , Sick At Heart , Silvercapbaby , and Kismet —covering metal, emo/pop-punk, and indie/alternative for an eclectic day of music. Eclipse Fest Day 1 - May 15, 2026 Day 2 expands the sound, with returning acts Phantum Sun , Jean Claude Seagal , and Goodbye Academy joined by Carnelian , Elle H. , Belle Grove , and New York’s The Amatory Murder —bringing together grunge, alternative, emo, funk, and industrial influences for a dynamic close to the festival. Eclipse Fest Day 2 - May 16, 2026 The festival kicks off May 15th and 16th at Feed N Seed in Lafayette . Stay tuned to Eclipse Fest’s Facebook , follow-up articles, interviews, and band socials for all the details. Follow along as the story unfolds—a celebration of community and music, inspired by hope and bold optimism. For more info visit: https://www.facebook.com/share/17mopWCTRA/ www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Pure energy, speed, and catchy lyrics < Back VOID: Lafayette’s Answer to the Modern Thrash Metal Scene Je'an-Paul Keller Jul 9, 2023 Share Pure energy, speed, and catchy lyrics Coming up August 19, 2023 , Louisiana’s own metal masters VOID are set to perform at Rad Fest 2023 at PARC International in Lafayette, Louisiana , and they are the first in our installment of interviews with all the acts on the bill. These guys are the new face of heavy metal and if you’re not familiar with them yet, you soon will be. The five-piece powerhouse of thrash metal goodness known as VOID formed in Lafayette, Louisiana, in 2019 by the Davenport brothers, Jackson and Logan, who grew up loving bands like Black Sabbath, Metallica, and Anthrax, to name a few. I truly went into the void when I listened to their debut album Horrors of Reality . It’s pure nostalgia and an excellent nod to the mid-to-late 80’s thrash metal days of the past—Jackson guitars and Marshall amps that punch through your ear drums straight to your brain. The current line-up is Jackson Davenport (vocals), Gabe LeJeune (guitar), Logan Davenport (bass), Alex Bernard (guitar), and Aaron Landry (drums). Credit: Chad Besse Everything about this band is pure energy and speed, with catchy screaming lyrics that will make you think, make you laugh, or make you get lost in your own mind; either way, VOID’s music will leave you wanting more. These guys almost incite a riot every single night they take the stage due to the intensity of their shows, and they love interacting with their fans. Ready to emerge from the Louisiana metal scene and take the world by storm, VOID is like a pack of hungry sharks and is quickly gaining local and national attention. Tearing up the Gulf Coast with their in-your-face riffs, ripping dueling leads, melodic harmonies, tasteful bass lines, and fast and precise drumming, VOID is a band you need to check out now . Not to mention, they have insanely visual music videos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyGsY3EmGIQ Official Video for 'Voodoo' Currently on tour with Labyrinth and Life on Mars , I recently caught up with Jackson and Lily Shea, the band’s photographer and videographer, to rap about who they are, their live videos, and what the future holds for them. Here’s your chance to get to know a little more about VOID , then afterwards, be sure to catch them at Rad Fest 2023 in August. MaM : I’ve been listening to your album for the last two days and I really like it. The thrash metal sound totally brings me back to my childhood and growing up in the eighties. Jackson : Awesome, man, I appreciate that. MaM : Who or what has inspired your sound? Jackson : We formed back in 2019, and we were very driven by Black Sabbath, weirdly enough. We wanted to play stuff like Black Sabbath but heavier. Then, over the years, we [went] through a few different line-up changes, and we found thrash metal. You know, coming out of the big four, we found bands like Exodus, Testament, and Forbidden. I think those three bands are very big inspirations to us and still are with the music that we write today. Credit: Chad Besse MaM : Awesome. I actually thought you guys sounded a lot like Anthrax, MEGADETH, old school Metallica, and old school Slayer. Jackson : Those are definitely sources of inspiration as well. Whenever we started playing thrash, we wanted to be Metallica so bad, and then we kind of just grew out of that and found the better stuff, I guess. I mean, I still got [sic] love for Metallica, but that’s basically where it all came from, I guess. MaM : What would you say influences you to make music? Jackson : Music is a way for me, and I speak for all the guys, and I say this, but it’s a way for us to basically escape from our problems and stress and get together and work on something as a team to make something awesome that we’re all proud of. So, we always look forward to writing new music, because it gives us an excuse to go out and work as a team and create something. Credit: Chad Besse MaM : Can you tell us a little more about how your band initially came together? Jackson : It started with me and two buddies. We were jamming some old Black Sabbath songs in the garage and were like, “DUDE, let’s start a band,” and we did. We all had musical differences, though, and kind of parted ways after that initial jam session, but the name VOID and the idea just kind of stuck with me and I ended up finding the people that had the same vision I had, and we just kind of started it from there. MaM : Love the name for the band and was wondering if you could give us a little background info on it? Jackson : So, it actually goes back to the whole Black Sabbath thing. We worshipped Black Sabbath and wanted to play music like that. We were playing at a party a long, long time ago, but we didn't have a name and decided on VOID because of “Into the Void” and the whole Black Sabbath imagery thing. It just kind of stuck. Credit: Chad Besse MaM : I love your sound and your tone. What mic do you use? And whenever you generate your voice, what kind of vocal exercises do you do beforehand? Jackson : I'm the worst person to ask about this, but usually I'm using a Shure SM 58 for vocals. For other shows that are more like DIY, I have this one vocal mic that belongs to our drummer that I like to use. I cannot think of the name right now. I make sure I drink a lot of water with honey in it, too, because that helps. I'll run through scales with my voice, too, before shows and usually it helps lubricate my throat. MaM : I’ve noticed your fans like to join you on stage sometimes at shows. How does that make you feel? Jackson : It's awesome, dude! It's so cool, man. Makes me feel like all our hard work is paying off when people sing our songs with us. MaM : Your whole look and your music videos and images are quite unique. Will you shed a little light on the inspiration behind some of the videos you guys have done? Lily Shea : It has become second nature to have my camera out all the time because I never know when I'm gonna strike gold, but the music videos are just such a blast and everything we do is impulsive. Credit: Chad Besse MaM : Was the video for “Voodoo” shot at a real cemetery or on a studio set? Jackson : It was shot at Fright Trail in Scott, Louisiana, which is almost like a haunted house attraction because it's all woods and creepy. MaM : You guys did a bad-ass cover of Megadeth’s “Sweating Bullets.” Is there a particular reason you decided to cover that song? Jackson : We've only played that song maybe two or three times and it was because at a jam practice one time, I started singing the words “sweating bullets” in a Dave Mustaine-sounding voice and then we discussed playing it. We initially ran through it as a joke, but it sounded kind of cool. We played it for the next few shows after that until we got tired of it. Credit: Chad Besse MaM : Can I ask how tagging Snoop Dogg for the “Feeding Frenzy” video came about? Jackson : We are so stupid and think that we're so funny. “Feeding Frenzy” was a brand-new song at the time, and when I was typing out the captions for the video, I asked the guys in the band what else should I put. ‘Is that all that I should put?’ Someone in the band mentioned tagging Snoop Dogg, so I put in the captions, “Everybody tag Snoop Dogg,” and I got so many comments tagging him because of it. Snoop never did see the video, but I’m sure he would have loved it. Credit: Chad Besse MaM : What does the future hold for VOID? Jackson : Right now, we are working on a new single. We want to put out new music by August or September as a refresh for our fans. We probably won't do another full length for about a year or so, but we are also in talks with some big-name bands to play shows, too, so we’ve got quite a bit coming up. To experience VOID for yourself, be sure to check out one of their links below, and don’t forget to catch them at Radfest in August! • VOID • | Instagram, TikTok | Linktree Void | Spotify *cover photo courtesy of Chad Besse Je’an Paul Keller is a member of the 501st Legion and a huge sci-fi nerd. He’s also a HUGE music lover and is very passionate about drawing, sketching, painting, and making cosplays and movie-accurate costumes. The force is strong with this one. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

A Fresh Approach to Pop Art & Surrealism < Back Brilliance for a New Era: Lori Bequette Nicole Brice Nov 6, 2022 Share A Fresh Approach to Pop Art & Surrealism Sometimes an artist’s work catches my eye, and I am instantly hooked. This go-round one artist has truly exemplified what it means to learn from the greats to make new interpretations of mediums made famous by those before her, and eye-catching her work is , indeed. May I introduce, Lori Bequette . Lori Bequette Lori is based out of Baton Rouge, LA where she lives with her husband and 4 y/o daughter trying to balance motherhood with creating art. Growing up, Lori cannot recall a time when she was not fascinated with or not actually creating something. “I think a huge part of my entire identity has been always knowing that I am an artist. It has always just been there, ya know?”, says Lori upon being asked when she knew she had the itch to create. In recent years, Lori’s path has taken a detour due to her duties as a mother, but that has not stopped her from doing what she loves. “I went from painting everyday to not painting at all. Having a supportive partner, and allowing myself to create again, has been detrimental to my mental health, and I honestly assumed I would be rusty [when picking up a paint brush again], but instead picking up my brushes again was like riding a bike, and in many ways, I felt like my skills had somehow ‘leveled up’. It felt SO GOOD to be painting again.” Art by Lori Bequette Lori’s work is so stunning that you can’t help but stop to take notice and admire the detail she puts into each painting. With a knack for capturing life in vivid detail, Lori’s pieces jump right out at you. Art by Lori Bequette When asked who or what inspires her style, Lori responded, “This is hard for me to answer. I am self-taught and have never taken any classes or courses, so my style and techniques were developed by me. I take inspiration from an enormous variety of artists and turn to diverse styles and mediums to guide and influence my creativity. I especially love when I find a new artist with work that leaves me questioning my own interpretation of a message or story.” Lori’s work is ever-changing and geometrically guided with influences from both Pop Art and Surrealism . Often incorporating abstract components, her paintings usually begin with a face or character where she builds upon that concept to tell a story. Art by Lori Bequette “I’m often blending nature and animals into my work in an unusual way. The hexagon is a shape I implement quite regularly. It’s such a precise and symmetrical design, yet like a puzzle, forming a more fluid shape or figure.” Art by Lori Bequette When asked which famous artist she would like to spend the day with, living or dead, given the chance, she replied, “Well, that does not seem fair, BUT I am going to choose Rene Magritte . He had such talents, and I mean, he had the ability to forge other artists’ work to sell when he struggled with poverty showcasing a wide skill range. He was able to aesthetically play with illusion within his own work by giving ordinary objects new context and meaning. His pieces were always thought provoking. I would love to tour his mind.” Lori doesn’t credit one specific person with giving her the want and need to create, but instead says, “I don’t think there’s just one person. My family, my friends, even strangers whom I never met on social media have always supported me in my adventures. My husband has always been extremely supportive in me pursuing my dreams and I feel lucky to be able to work from home. I gained support early in life from teachers who recommended I be evaluated for creative giftedness, but I remember just loving that. With support from teachers, I found school to be less exhausting than others. I do have ADHD and am a victim of childhood abuse and trauma, so having the opportunity to have a safe place to withdraw and create was a relief at times. It goes without saying that art, even in my 40’s, is still a tool to withdraw and escape because we all need that. I need it.” To check out Lori’s amazing masterpieces and to see about purchasing some of her work, you can visit her on social media via Facebook and Instagram . Lori Bequette Art | Facebook Lori Bequette (@art_bylori) • Instagram photos and videos Art by Lori Bequette www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Insightful, brilliant, and talented < Back Alfred Banks: A Blessing from the Crescent City Nicole Brice May 22, 2023 Share Insightful, brilliant, and talented Growing up, I loved the hip-hop showcased on programs like Yo! MTV Raps . The music had heart and a meaningful message. However, over the years, hip-hop has seemingly evolved away from impactful rhymes and verses towards themes focused on excess, elaborate stage shows, and corporate endorsements. As a result, I stopped paying attention and shifted my musical tastes elsewhere—until one artist emerged who could rhyme about anything and everything, with verses that had both meaning and heart. Alfred Banks ' body of work is so diverse that it will leave you amazed. He can take a blank piece of paper and create a rhyme about it right on the spot. Banks is a hip-hop musician based out of New Orleans, La. , and his latest release, ' Blessing ,' is a nod to the city that raised him. In the song, he says, “It’s a blessing coming from the Crescent” and for Alfred Banks, indeed it is. The man reps New Orleans wherever he goes, and we are lucky to be able to enjoy his talent. Banks got his start in the industry under the moniker Lyriqs Da Lyraciss at age 17 and has shared the stage with Rakim , Lupe Fiasco , Wu-Tang Clan , Tyga , Desiigner , and Kendrick Lamar , among others. He has performed at New Orleans-based events Voodoo Fest and Jazz Fest , and he even visited Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, Germany. Did I mention one of his songs was used for a Volkswagen commercial and that numerous songs of his are licensed to shows and movies? His knack for rhyming, his charisma, and his insightful lyrics are what got him noticed in the biz and, as we like to say, the rest is history. He has been steadily churning out music ever since, with many new ones this year, but he does not limit himself to solo material—no. This man is involved in so many projects, we lost count after a while. We did ask him about all those wonderful endeavors, though, and you can read more about them in this interview. Currently, Alfred is focused on promoting his newest album Nectarine Peels , which is part of his collaboration with Albert Allenback of Tank and the Bangas in a group called Saxkixave . These two are like the odd couple of hip-hop and their infectious videos are beyond hilarious and showcase Bank’s personality in a whole new light. In fact, the duo goes together like peanut butter and jelly and truly do complement one another. Albert makes these killer beats and Alfred comes up with the wittiest rhymes to go with them. Released May 18, 2023 In addition to Saxkixave , Alfred is continuing to perform shows like crazy, showcasing his solo material. Check out this convo we had with him recently, then go check out his catalog of material. You will fall in love with him as much as we have. MaM : When I first discovered your music, the thing that drew me in was your use of words. You can pretty much make a rhyme about anything. When did you realize you had this gift with words to take it to the next level professionally? AB : I remember when I was in sixth or seventh grade, I used to freestyle a lot. I lived in Tallulah, Louisiana for, like, three years and I would freestyle a lot with some of the kids around there. I would gravitate towards anybody who rapped—actually, I’ll go back a little further. Fifth or sixth grade was when I started noticing that I liked remixing songs in my own way. Me and my man Nigel would make comedic remixes for them. We would take any song that was hot at the time, which was 2000/2001 , and remix them about food. I started noticing I could do that off the top of my head. … Junior high was when I started to write raps, which were kinda cool. I was more into that battle type of energy. My sophomore year of high school was when I truly started writing, though. … I really started freestyle battle rapping and I noticed I could think of things on the spot. My whole thing was coming from New Orleans , you have to know how to rib and I got ribbed a lot … picked on a lot and my way to fight back was to just rap. I would just head to toe and people would die laughing. That’s kind of how I got my name. I started uploading music to MySpace and stuff. It started getting a little bit of traction and I did some shows around town. I started battling first. … I just started noticing that if I looked at someone, I could make a rap about it to whatever degree. I fell off it for some years, though, and focused on my songwriting and touring. Around 2019 , I did a tour with my man Mega Ran and he did this thing where he would ask people to hold stuff up in the air and he would freestyle about it on the spot and I [thought that was amazing and wondered if I could do that]. I started doing it with Saxkixave and it goes over well and keeps my freestyle sharp. People kind of know me as a freestyle guy now, so it’s kind of cool, then you meet someone like Ray Wimley , who is a freestyle savant, and he went viral because he freestyled with Common a few years back for Essence Fest . We actually did a freestyle battle at a Pelican’s game and that was me in front of thousands of folks having to put my freestyle skills to the test and, respectfully, I was the victor in that situation. … I don’t really write a lot, not as much as I’d like, but freestyling just kind of works. credit: Gary Governale MaM : Well, as far as your lyrics for your songs, what inspires your lyrics? 'Blessing,' of course, is based upon your love for New Orleans, but I was listening to your music and you’re all over the place with content and what you talk about. None of your songs are the same. AB : I know sometimes it makes it hard to be marketable when you do a lot of different things, but I just have a lot of different interests and I’m not always in the same space. To some degree, I guess I need to find a vein, but for the most part, I’m all over the place and I love that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIbOpf3wVp8 'Blessing' performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2023 MaM : Where did Underdog Central come from? AB : That’s my life mantra I live by. Underdog Central is the place where the overlooked go to hone their skills to come back and become admired. It’s my label name, too, and my social media handle. I made it my social media handle ‘cause Alfred Banks was taken, but because it’s my label, I wanted that name to be first before anything. I want people to know what my brand is. When I first came out, I was a little rough around the edges, a little unrefined, so I had to go back into my proverbial batcave and fix things. I came back out, though, and now am who I am. I feel like the people who are extremely talented tend to get overlooked and are always having to fight from behind from a deficit and always must prove who they are no matter if they are the most talented one in the room or not. You can’t take anything for granted and you must treat every moment as if it’s your last, so that’s what Underdog Central is about. credit: Gary Governale MaM : Are you born and raised in New Orleans? AB : Uptown, yeah, uptown New Orleans. Uptown kid for sure. MaM : Your brand of hip-hop is the type that is missing these days. It has those classic undertones and that hint of nostalgia. Your lyrics with 'Blessing' are so insightful and that song truly resonates with me. AB : Yeah, that’s a style of record I have never done before. One thing I have been noticing lately is I am the most off-brand New Orleans person you will ever meet. [I’m] born and raised in this bad boy, but when you look at my everything … I don’t even look like I’m from New Orleans. I don’t act like I’m from New Orleans…like some things I don’t even relate to, but I am definitely from here, but I never made a song I felt could resonate here. All the music I make is more for everyone. I also made it from the angle of where if someone from Detroit heard it, they could be like, ‘I feel this way about my city.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KbtuRVxlQ4 'Blessing' on YouTube MaM : What struggles or roadblocks did you encounter when you first tried to break into the industry? AB : Just making hip-hop in New Orleans. There was a big scene from 2007-2015 where it was a community and there were shows happening and people would come out to the shows and we all tried to support each other and spread the word about each other’s stuff, then after that, there was a shift in the music. I can say to a degree that I’ve stayed contemporary with my style. It doesn’t sound like it’s from 1989 or anything, but the more lyric heavy and conceptual idea-driven music doesn’t have as big of a platform here as other stuff. The people in the scene here, though, started to get older and started [coming out less]. That and the fact that New Orleans is not a hip-hop city, and so it doesn’t matter how talented you are. It’s been like, ‘Where’s your bounce song?’ or ‘You got a dude playing trombone on it?’. It’s funny now, though, the response I’ve gotten for the song ' Blessing ' … thirteen years into my career, you would have thought it was the first song I ever made because everyone is like ‘Finally, you got a record we like.’ I’ve got albums that have charted across the U.S., but that record is doing pretty good in New Orleans, specifically. Pick your battles. My biggest thing was just trying to do my brand and my style of hip-hop and bust open these doors that are solely reserved for people who do Zydeco or brass band music—stuff people consider New Orleans but, to a fault, it’s so New Orleans that no one wants to hear anything else. But I always thought it was weird that these big platforms—these big festivals here—only portray a certain style of New Orleans; where’s the hip-hop? That’s always been the main issue with me. I want to be the guy that can go into a room filled with musicians who do not do hip-hop to any degree but do my thing and it resonate or translates with them. I’ve kind of become that guy, though. I’m the guy in a room full of brass bands and zydeco bands who is the hip-hop representation, which is a gift and a curse because I never get to perform for my people. I always get to perform for people who are being exposed to what I do for the first time, so it kind of creates this very uncomfortable energy, which can be a bit weird at times. I’m a part of this group called Glbl Wrmng and we’re doing this Wednesday at the Square thing, which I don’t know the last time they had a hip-hop group perform there, but … I have this never say die, blind optimistic view of life, though, so I just keep going for some strange reason. credit: Gary Governale MaM : No, but that’s a good thing! You’re not admitting defeat at all. You’re just like, “I don’t care what you’re gonna throw at me. I’m just gonna keep doing my thing until it resonates,” ya know? AB : …and the funny thing is it hasn’t stopped me. I’ve been able to tour all over the world. I guess it’s not that big of a deal, but for me it is. I’m doing it less about me and more about the next. I’m a young guy, but I’ve been out for a while, and so I just want to look out for the next guys coming up that feel like me because everybody is a street rapper, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I come from the hood, but I don’t see it from that angle. I was in a house and my mom kept me in the crib, and not everyone is from that cloth. There are people, though, that take those experiences and turn them into something else. Not what you would expect. I just try my best to be that alternative for people who love hip-hop, care about bars, care about lyricism and concepts, good beats, melodies, etc. MaM : … and you bring it all. You’ve got the whole package with it. AB : I appreciate that. credit: Gary Governale MaM : Glbl Wrmng — tell me more about this. AB : Word, so Glbl Wrmng is a collective about 35 people in the city from engineers to producers to singers to rappers, graphic artists, etc., and we just all [come together] … so Glbl Wrmng is like, ‘Nope! We can!’ So that’s what we’ve done and as a collective. We’ve performed at Buku Fest , we’ve opened for Tyler the Creator , and we’ve played Jazz Fest . We’re going to be playing Wednesday at the Square , and so we’re using this as a platform to get some of the guys in the group exposure with their first big stages to give them that experience and to be around people like Pell or Train or me to help usher in those guys to just make great music. I love being a part of Glbl Wrmng. It’s very interactive. It’s teaching me how to support people from a very active standpoint, and I truly mean it when I do it and vice versa. It’s allowing me to also get involved with other people’s careers to some degree, which is fire. MaM : Well, it’s a collective grouping of like-minded individuals all supporting each together, which is awesome. AB : Yeah. Glbl Wrmng put out an album during the pandemic and I’m on it. Saxkixave is on it. It’s called ‘ Glbl Wrmng Vol. 1 ’ and it’s a dope record. We’re working on Vol. 2 right now, but at the end of the day the one thing I have learned is that collaboration is very important, especially for me the past three years. Working with Soul Rebels , working with Brassaholics , working with Flow Tribe , working with Glbl Wrmng , working with Tank and the Bangas , and all these different people has been helping me elevate my platform and get in spaces where I probably wouldn’t be normally. I’m very grateful for that. Just working to get that buzz to where it needs to be and it’s been a trial at times, but I want to just keep rapping and keep working and the inevitable will happen at some point. credit: Gary Governale MaM : So, 2023 you’re gonna just do a lot of touring or are you working on any other new solo music? AB : … Instead of putting out new stuff to the same folks, I already have music that resonates, so from there I think I’m going to use videos and promos as a ploy to get people to check out the catalog I have and then go from there. I have a lot of music that hasn’t been unearthed just yet. I have a project called Mere-Exposure Effect , which I feel is one of my best projects writing-wise. It shows I could do radio records if I really wanted to. Mere-exposure effect is an idea that if you recognize it, you’ll like it, so the whole project sounds like radio records. If it sounds like something you already know, then you’ll like it by default. I have a project called ‘ Road to a Rolex ’—some of my hardest hitting beats. I’m rapping about getting money the entire project but from a couple different aspects. I have a project titled ‘ One Guy Standing by Himself. ’ That project debuted at number three on iTunes . It was one of my most successful projects to date. That’s a project I wrote to get myself out of the mind state of COVID . I wrote that project in like a week and it’s more introspective and a little lighter-hearted. I [also] have a project called The Beautiful and that’s my magnum opus and is my biggest project to date. That project is about my brother and his struggle with schizophrenia and his ultimate suicide. The day of his funeral, I had to leave in the middle of his service because I had a show to play that night, and so I wrote an album about the car ride from the funeral to the show, so in that album, I develop schizophrenia too; so, I sort of battle it throughout the album. That’s my biggest project to date and a lot of people don’t even know it exists. I’ve also got The Range 1 and 2 . I do a song with Wheatus and a bunch of people. It’s like five different genres in one project. credit: Gary Governale MaM : I am just blown away with all the projects you have. How do you even sleep? AB : Well, for me, I did go through a time where I was putting out a lot of music and it does seem like a lot, but it really isn’t. I’ve got songs that if someone goes back in like 15 years to discover them, they’ll be like, ‘That shit was fire!’. A catalog full of those records. Some may consider me a conscious rapper and I’m not conscious in the vein of social or political issues, but I rap about things from my point of view. MaM : Well, just life. I’ve listened to all your music, and you are all over the place. No song is alike. You have so many different styles and facets to your personality and what you do. You can go from a silly track to something super serious. AB : For sure. MaM : … which I feel is so endearing and is going to continue to resonate with people—even those who are just now discovering you for the first time. AB : Honestly man, that’s just how my brain works, cause we’re human. We all go all over place. There are some days where you are very happy and so you want to listen to a happy song and then there are days where you are not happy and you don’t want to even hear music, but if you do, you want to hear some sad stuff that is introspective. Some days you want to hear something lyrical. Some days you will want to hear something conceptually driven, but that’s just how I feel. Sometimes I don’t want to write a rap record, I want to write a dance record. I want to do some EDM . I want to do like a hyper-pop record. There are some days I want to do some industrial shit. credit: Gary Governale MaM : That’s what I’m talking about. That’s my kind of music. AB : Some days I wake up, I want to go work with Albert and do some jazz or acid hip-hop or some days I just want to rap my ass off to show people how good I am. That’s just where I’m at and the path I’m on and people seem to like it. MaM : I think it’s a great path and, in fact, I don’t think you should change a thing with what you are doing. I think it shows diversity and it does not keep you in a certain type of music or anything. You are unique and different and have your own brand that is going to resonate because it is so unique and different. AB : Thank you. I’ll tell you this with all the things that have gone against me, all I’ve ever had [were] my skills and [they have] gotten me further than anything else I’ve ever done. I think that is what is going to keep me busy and keep my lights on. I just care about music, and I care about being good. I do come from the competitive aspect where if you put me on stage with other rappers, I’m going to try and outperform. I want to be the best in every room I’m in and I don’t know too many who still care about that. credit: Gary Governale MaM : You are nothing but heart. AB : Thank you. I want people to go, ‘I want to be invested in his brand of great because that boy is good.’ At the end of the day, though, I’m an entertainer, so it’s not about me. It’s about you, the audience, and I like to keep those things in mind. MaM : What are your plans for the rest of 2023? I know we’re halfway in, but where do you see the rest of the year headed for you? AB : It’s weird, I’m at this weird transitional part of my career where the business infrastructure that has been supporting me is not there because we decided to do our own thing and go our separate ways, but I’m back solo. I’ve been adjusting to that. We do have some other things down the line, though. Pre-COVID, I was doing close to 100 shows a year and in June, I’m going to Ohio. I’ll do three shows out there, then I’m going to Colorado in July. Just trying to get back to the West Coast. To experience all that is Alfred Banks, hit one of the links below. You won’t regret it. Alfred Banks (@underdogcentral) • Instagram photos and videos Alfred Banks | Facebook Alfred Banks | Spotify ‎Alfred Banks on Apple Music Saxkixave | Facebook SaxKixAve (@saxkixave) • Instagram photos and videos @SaxKixAve | Linktree *Cover photo by Gary Governale www.governalephotovideo.com Zenfolio | Home I have been working as a video professional since 1993, with a wide range of experience writing, producing, directing, shooting and editing. A strong interest in videography, specifically lighting and composition, led me to photography in 1998. Rapidly changing technology has blurred the line between video and photography, allowing me to work in both mediums.. Baton Rouge, LA, United States www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Nicole Brice loves good music and loves discovering new music she has not heard yet. Do you have something you’d like her to hear? Hit her up at the_nicolebrice@mixedaltmag.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Phantum Sun’s music blends the ethereal with the visceral in a lush atmospheric fusion. < Back Phantum Sun: An Immersive Journey Through Sound Margo Leblanc Aug 26, 2024 Share Phantum Sun’s music blends the ethereal with the visceral in a lush atmospheric fusion. Phantum Sun , a Louisiana-based band from Lafayette known for its unique sound and dependability, has recently surprised the local music scene with its unwavering work ethic and drive. But why? What started it all, and who influenced them? Who is Phantum Sun ? Phantum Sun is grunge with a bit of rock and a little alternative . They don’t have one specific category that their music falls into. The band makes music for those who appreciate the artistry of creating songs. Phantum Sun started because of Nick Cline and Alec Louviere's high school aspirations to create together. In 2023, when long-time friend Drake Lasseigne joined the two, the line-up became complete, and here we are. The trio is full of spirit and angst, shown heavily in their music. Nick is on vocals and guitar, Drake is on bass, and Alec rounds it all out on the kit. Credit: Facebook Phantum Sun’s music balances the familiar warmth of nostalgic tones with a forward-thinking approach to composition. Lyrically, Phantum Sun is all about introspection and emotional depth. The lyrics aren’t always straightforward, but that’s part of their charm. With three singles under their belt, the band’s latest song, ‘ Robbery ,’ was released in May 2024 and is reminiscent of early 90s alt-rock by The Smashing Pumpkins , Screaming Trees , and Buffalo Tom . Mixed Alt Mag recently had the opportunity to speak with the guys from Phantum Sun about their music, aspirations, and more. Take a moment to learn what makes this band so unique below. MAM : Thank you for speaking with me today. First, who inspired you to pursue music, and how did they influence your original songs? Alec : Anything 80s related to rock' n’ roll got me to get up and start learning drums. Feeling the beat and sound of that era made me want to get up and do the stuff these guys were doing. Drake : I’ve been interested in music since I was a kid but didn’t have an outlet to learn to play an instrument until middle school. I took up saxophone, but it’s not the type of music I was into. My dad loved the look and sound of the grunge movement in the '90s, so he showed me the hard bass lines of Krist Novoselic and the melody powerhouses Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell . No questions what inspires me to make music. Nick : My biggest inspirations were my love of blues, grunge, metal, and everything really. I grew up listening to Ozzy Osbourne , Metallica , Stevie Ray Vaughan , Soundgarden , Green Day , and Alice in Chains . Eventually, I found myself fascinated with garage rock, which was my tipping point regarding sound and songwriting. All my influences have now fused to make one absurd amalgamation of tones, influences, and passion. It all ties together to make up the sound of Phantum Sun. Credit: Facebook MAM : How would you describe writing new music and the process that goes with it? Alec : I like to feel what the other two put together, then come in and see what fits the style we’re going for in that specific song. Drake : Nick writes the guitar parts and lyrics, so whenever he shows them to us, I watch and listen to what he has to say and start thinking of bass lines that match to get the best bass line I can for that particular song. Nick : I usually write many lyrics and guitar parts per day. Then, I bring the melodies, guitar parts, and lyrics to the band. After that, we jam and feel out the idea until it sounds like what we want as a unit. Credit: Facebook MAM : Who would you love to collaborate with one day? Why that person? Alec : I’d personally love to collaborate with Tommy Lee , just to study and learn about his drumming style. Drake : Definitely, Dave Grohl . Dave is my favorite musician and seems to be a genuinely good guy. He knows so much about the industry that I could learn from. Nick : I would love to collaborate with Jack White . Jack is why I picked up the guitar five years ago, and I haven’t put it down since. His guitar tone and passion for music would make for a wicked collaboration that would lead to me learning more as a musician. Credit: Facebook MAM : Where is your favorite venue where you’ve performed so far? I know you guys have been playing shows like crazy. Alec : I enjoy outdoor venues, partially because we can be as loud as we want; it feels freer, and the crowd tends to engage more. Drake : The 19th Hole in Houston, Texas has been my favorite so far. The bar's vibe has been immaculate every time we’ve been there; the stage is huge, and the sound guy is amazing and does such a great job. Nick : My favorite venue is a toss-up between Artmosphere and the 19th Hole . Both venues have shown unimaginable kindness to me and the guys. The vibe and sound of both venues keep me wanting to come back more and more every time we play there. Credit: Facebook MAM : That’s awesome. Having the support of the venues is enormous, in my opinion. What skills have you learned along the way that help you to be productive as a musician? Alec : After learning bits and pieces from other bands that we’ve played with, I’ve learned to practice consistently, but also being patient really helps when it comes to drumming. Drake : To me, it’s the chemistry between Alec, Nick, and me on and off stage. It never gets tedious or tiring if you trust each other. Nick : Practicing, trust in the process, hard work, networking, and the ability to learn from the smallest lessons are all skills that I have adopted and built on to become a more productive musician. Credit: Facebook MAM : What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses in being musicians? Alec : I think my strengths and weaknesses go hand in hand; it’s weird. I’m still learning as we go. Drake : The ability to blend what Nick does on guitar and Alec does on drums into something that makes the song thicker and heavier. My weakness is my age, which is due to my lack of experience. I’ve only been playing bass since 2021. Nick : I think my greatest strength as a musician is my never-ending sense of wonder and passion for music. It keeps me on the path of learning and evolving as a songwriter and musician. My greatest weakness is my need to be too hard on myself. Credit: Facebook MAM : Outside of music, what other hobbies and interests do you have? Alec : I know it’s probably not a “cool” thing to admit, but I’m a huge wrestling fan. I’m all about anything WWE . I also love puzzles, if anyone needed more proof of me being a nerd. (laughter) Drake : I’m a big outdoorsman. I love hunting and fishing, especially here in my home state of Louisiana . I feel so comfortable when I’m either on stage, on a boat, or in a duck blind. Nick : Outside of music, I am deeply interested in learning about anything I can, writing, watching horror, fantasy, sci-fi, etc., reading comics (preferably DC), and whatever else sparks the ADHD fuel in my head. Credit: Facebook MAM : What would you be doing if it weren’t for your interest in a music career? Alec : In all honesty, I have no idea. I never really had a backup plan. Drake : I’d probably be going to college for something related to the tech industry, but I never really had a plan B in mind. Nick : I would be in a field related to writing. Writing has always been my second love, after music, so anything dealing with that would be great for me. With their first tour approaching this fall, Phantum Sun continues to work hard to make a name for themselves in the local scene and beyond. If they come to your town, take a chance and see them live. You might just be a little surprised. They are a band built on hopes, dreams, and aspirations of someday making it big with raw talent and an unconditional love for music. That love fuels their drive to pursue no other life paths besides making music for the masses. To experience the music of Phantum Sun, just hit one of the links below. Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/artist/5PdjxAClNtSIyvvnj2vgsU Apple Music : https://music.apple.com/us/artist/phantum-sun/1710758804 YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@phantumsunofficial Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/people/Phantum-Sun/61556703719338/ Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/phantumsunband/ www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Margo Leblanc loves listening to music, writing about music, and discovering new music. Do you have a band you think she'd like? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link