I’ve spent 48 1/2 years on this earth and I’ll admit I’ve still got an awful lot to learn. There are some things, however, that I am just about certain of; punk rock is the most underrated form of music out there and has influenced just about every music genre , Donald Trump is the most dangerous thing this country has ever seen, and The Drive-By Truckers are the best live band on the planet.

Of course, you are free to disagree, this is still America, after all, (at least for now), but I will never waver on a single one of these statements, so any arguments will be futile. I realize that music is such a personal things and that we, as individuals connect with bands on so many different levels and for so many different reasons. And for a person that sees bands weekly and loves music so deeply, I am really saying something with the fierceness in which I express this opinion. For the love of music, if you have not seen DBT live, just do it. I don’t care who you are, your mind will be blown.

I’ve been a huge fan of DBT for about 15 years, and every single year my love and appreciation for the band and this incredible music they make grows deeper. Their lyrics mean more and their convictions are ones that I hold true to my own heart. But despite the beautiful left leaning and socially just messages in their lyrics, despite the fact that they’ve been together for over 20 years, they play harder and better than anyone out there, possibly ever.

I am always excited by the prospect of bringing a new member into the ever growing legion of DBT fans. I invited the man I’d recently begun dating to the show. He’s a musician and although he had previousloy had no idea who DBT were, had enjoyed the music I’d shared with him so far. I had a photo pass for the show, and even though it was in DC, I knew I’d meet up with a few fellow “Heathens” (DBT fans) down there. So the two of us embarked on what should have been a 4.5 hours drive and it wound up taking 8 hours.

We arrived at the show with only minutes to spare, and there is no designated photo area at the venue. But by some miracle, just as we walked in, a space opened up right along the rail. This would be a clear and accurate predictor of how the rest of the weekend would go.

The night opened with a stellar performance by Hiss Golden Messenger, but truth be told, I was tired and could hardly wait for the headliners. Whenever I wake up on the morning of a DBT show, it feels like Christmas morning, as silly as that seems. I was so excited I could barely stand it.

This show was the second night of the DC stop and the end of this leg of the tour. The energy in the room was a living, breathing thing, I was certain magic would happen that night. The boys certainly did not disappoint. Nobody plays a show like Drive-By Truckers. They put their entire soul into it. They clearly love their music and it’s evident that they love their fans and have an incredible time playing for us.

We danced and sang and hollered our way through about 2.5 hours of one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. The band played some of their best in addition to covers by Prince, The Ramones, John Lennon and Neil Young. The room was alive that night. And when the band exited the stage, I turned to my new boyfriend. He was sweating and smiling and exhausted. But he looked me right in the eye and told me that was one of the best live shows he’d ever seen. Right before my eyes, another Heathen was born.

That was 11 months ago. We are still together and going to see our 4th DBT show as a couple in Brooklyn on Friday. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Drive-By Truckers will be at the Brooklyn Bowl on 3/29 and 3/30. Hope to see you all at the rock show! We will be right up front!

1. 1. Surrender Under Protest
   2. Darkened Flags on the Cusp of Dawn
   3. Ramon Casiano
   4. Guns of Umpqua
   5. A Ghost to Most
   6. Goode’s Field Road
   7. One of These Days
   8. This Fucking Job
   9. Shit Shots Count
   10. The Company I Keep
   11. Shut Up and Get on the Plane
   12. Lookout Mountain
   13. Gravity’s Gone
   14. What It Means
   15. Love Like This
   16. 18 Wheels of Love
   17. Women Without Whiskey
   18. Puttin’ People on the Moon
   19. Zip City
   20. Let There Be Rock
   21. Kinky Hypocrite
   22. The KKK Took My Baby Away
       (Ramones cover)

        

   23. Gimme Some Truth
       (John Lennon cover)

        

   24. Once They Banned Imagine
   25. A World of Hurt
   26. Marry Me
   27. Hell No, I Ain’t Happy
   28. Sign “☮” the Times
       (Prince cover)
   29. Hell No, I Ain’t Happy (Reprise)
   30. Rockin’ in the Free World
       (Neil Young cover)

This list is always very difficult for me to put together. Because I enjoy so many different genres, the decision-making becomes nearly impossible. I’ve scaled it down to these gems, because they are the ones that I turned to most often this year.

5. Valerie June: The Order Of Time.

Valerie opened for Drive-By Truckers at the festival at which I had my first press pass. Her music is a gorgeous and ethereal mix of blues and soul and the bluegrass she grew up singing on her front porch. June is that rare mixture of old soul and innocent child. Her songs exhibit both a beautiful and deep understanding of the world around her as well as a child-like innocence. “Astral Plane ” is a perfect example of this. June is a star on a meteoric rise. There is no stopping her. And thank goodness for that.

4. The War On Drugs: A Deeper Understanding.

This album is studio perfection. Its dream-like sound sweeps you up and surrounds you with lushness and depth and a quality of sound that envelopes you like a favorite old blanket. It’s familiar, yet incredibly new. This is, by far, my favorite War On Drugs album. Adam Granduciel never tells us the entire story. Instead, we are allowed bits and pieces of the narrative, flashes of what it is he is trying to tell us lyrically. But when you close your eyes and let the music wash over you, it all makes perfect sense.

 

3.  Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett : Lotta Sea Lice

I’ve always been a huge fan of Kurt. His quirkiness, individuality and ability to craft exquisitely catchy sings that remain beautifully unique and different are the qualities that have always drawn me to him. Courtney Barnett is his perfect musical partner. This album marries their uniqueness in a way that shines a light in both of their talents without detracting a thing from the individual merits that make them both so listenable. While at first, it seems like a simple record, its  complexities and musical depth are there in full force. I can’t stop listening.

 

2. The National: Sleep Well Beast.

This album is full of darkness, melancholy and reflection. It speaks to any one of us navigating minefields of desperation and sadness and pain. It makes one feel safe in the knowledge that even pain and longing  and grief can be beautiful roads we navigate on our way to better and happier places. And don’t we all need that from time to time?

1. Jason Isbell and the 400 unit: The Nashville Sound

There was no doubt in my mind what album would be number one on this list for me. A fan of Jason since his days in Drive-By Truckers, his songwriting is my favorite on earth. Since he was 21 years old, his songs and lyrics have touched me more than those of any other songwriter.  Isbell notices things. He is a keen observer of the world around him, noticing and feeling even the tiniest shifts in feelings and emotions. This album, which came at a time of such darkness for so many of us after the election of our current POTUS, touches upon community, love of family, humanity, and doing what’s right. It’s a glimmering light that guides us in from the storm. The song “If We Were Vampires” is one of the most beautiful love songs of all time and “Hope The High Road” talks us down off the ledge with lines like ” There can’t be more of them then us, there can’t be more.” I have a full review if this album in a previous blog post. Suffice it to say, to me, this album is a masterpiece.

 

 

 

I’ve been a huge fan of the Proletariat since I was a young teenager. As a lover of words and an even bigger supporter of justice and fairness as well as an enemy of political and religious corruption, they were one of the first bands that’s lyrics  hit me right in the gut and right in the heart. Literate, witty and intelligent, they were a band that just spoke to me. And their music was no joke, either!

I was lucky enough to interview the band for the second time recently. And as usual, they not only welcoming and kind, but funny as hell. Additionally, they played a kick-ass show not to be missed.

J. Tell me what’s been happening with the band since I last saw you? Any new music coming out?

Rick: Yes! We have a single coming out and we plan on recording an album in January . It’s being produced by Lou Giordano, who produced “This Is Boston Not, LA ” and our two albums.

J.  What was the songwriting process like this time?

Rick: Either Pete or Don would come up with something musically and I’d have lyrics already written.

Don: Rick’s got a whole notebook full of lyrics. So we will have the music, Rick will come over and we’ll just flesh it out some more. Rick will listen to the music and dig through his lyrics until we find what works.

J. Tom is in California, how does that work when it comes to the writing process?

Rick: We record it roughly with a drum machine and send it out to him in California.

Tom: Yeah, they try their best to get it right and send it out to me and I put it all together ( laughing)

J. The  time I spoke with you guys, it was a few weeks before the Presidential  election. Rick, you’ve always been political. Has the election of our current President influenced any of your new music?

Rick: At our last interview I remember talking about how there was no way in the world this guy was going to win. I think I said “Trump winning would be great for my songwriting”. But man , I could really do without it. It’s unbelievable that this guy is our President.

I still use politics in my writing. The single is the subtly titled ” The murder of Alton Sterling”. Politics will always influence my writing.

J. When I saw you last it was the first show you’d done in decades. How has touring been and how many shows have you done?

Rick: This will be our 85th show… no. It’s our 17th.

Don:  We do a string of shows together and then take a couple of months in between.

J. How does that fact that you’re in California factor in, Tom?

Tom: I usually fly up a couple of weeks before we go out so we get to practice and make the whole thing tight again.

Rick: And technology really helps.

J. What have your crowds been like? Old school fans? Younger kids or more of a mix?

Rick: We consciously try to put newer bands on the  bill so that we can get more of a mixed crowd. That way we get a newer set of ears listening to our stuff and our fans get to hear some good new music. It’s kind of a win-win. We don’t want that vaudevillian nostalgia act. For the most part we’ve been about 60 percent successful with doing it that way, but some promoters want to do it differently.

Don: At our show last night, the oldest kid was about 18. We’ve also played shows where it’s mostly people from back in the day.

Rick:  The youngest kid last night was about ten. And he knew all the songs on Soma Holiday. He said his Dad liked us and he’d watched us in you tube. It was wild.

J. Tell me some of your favorite stories from the road?

Peter: Well, Stiv Bators wanted to beat up Rick once. We were opening for them and the crowd was just not into us. They were acting up and not really into it.

Rick: So I got pissed and I said, ” You guys are waiting on these fat, overblown, hippie rock stars…”

Pete:  Yeah, and after that the crowd was better… they got more riled up and the second half of the show was better. But when they show was over, Rick had taken off already and Stiv walked up to me with these two big guys looking for him.”Where’s  your singer?”. He was already gone, but they wanted to find him! ( laughing)

Don: And  there was the time you got chased by Rob Halford.

Rick: I got hit by a tomato thrown by Rob Halford. Judas Priest was looking for a local band to open for them and they were auditioning this band. I guess that was probably kind of cool, but at the time I was pissed. It was pushing back the set and delaying everything. So when I got up on stage I said something like “Oh, we have to kiss the great Judas Priests ass? Ruin our show so we can listen to this hippie bullshit?? I just  went off. Then all of the sudden, I get hit by a tomato. I guess Rob Halford was pissed as hell that I was ripping his band. So he goes upstairs to the restaurant, grabs a tomato a chucks it at me. I grabbed it and chucked it back in the audience. Some kid came up to me after the show with tomato all over his clothes and glasses and told me he liked the show, but why’d I have to hit him with a tomato?”

Don: What a British  thing to do. Here I am, in my leather chaps, chucking tomatoes at the singer of another band.

J. So you have a history of pissing off the other bands?

Rick:  Yeah. I’m not a good opening act!

The Proletariat will be releasing a new record in 2018 and will be touring as well. I’ll keep you posted on tour dates as well as posting a record review as soon as the album is out. Don’t miss them, but maybe bring your raincoat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seeing the Dead Boys play live was a dream I’ve had since I was thirteen years old. I just never expected it to come true. Last year, when I got to interview Cheetah Chrome for the first time and see he and his band perform an awesome set list that included some Dead Boys classics, I thought it was as  close as I’d ever get. When I heard that Cheetah and Dead Boys drummer Johnny Blitz would be going on tour with a new Dead Boys lineup, I have to be honest in saying I had really mixed emotions. Jason Kottwitz, who’s been playing with Cheetah for years, had already earned my respect, and Ricky Rat has been a mainstay in the punk world for decades. I suppose the real question in my mind was who the hell would ever sing? Who on earth could possibly fill the shoes of Stiv Bators? Stiv was my hero. He had more charisma and more stage presence that just about any other singer I could ever name. There was something so raw, so fucking real about him. You just couldn’t stop watching. So I’ll be honest when I say I had real and serious doubts about this. Who was this Jake Hout, and how would I ever stomach watching him front one of my favorite bands of all time?

The thing was, after interviewing Cheetah, I knew what Stiv meant to him. I knew how important  it would be for Cheetah to preserve his legacy and let all dignity associated with the Dead Boys remain intact. Because of this, I went to the show expecting something decent. What I got instead was a performance that blew my mind. This lineup is no joke. Cheetah and Blitz played like they’d never stopped playing together. Kottwitz and Rat were solid, charismatic and very talented additions to the band. Jake Hout, however, was the one that impressed the living hell out of me. I’ve had many friends comment that the band is “Not the Dead Boys” or something similar. I get it. I’ve seen bands that were reincarnated with new front men just to earn a few bucks. And they normally make you cringe. This is not the case here. Hout exhibits a stage presence and charisma that’s rarely seen. And despite being so charismatic, remains humble enough to know how lucky he is to be fronting a band that he’s loved and admired for so long. The music industry is not normally a place dripping with humility. Jake Hout is that rare artist who is incredibly talented, but also very grateful. So before you judge, go take a listen. Trust that these guys know what they are doing and would never settle on doing this half-assed. The band means too much to them. The Dead Boys are on tour now and I’m excited to say I’ll be seeing them again at the Bowery Electric in NYC ( January 28 and 29). Stiv is looking down with a smile, gentlemen. I know he approves.

 

J. Please tell us the story about how you wound up in the Dead Boys lineup.

J.H. I’ve known Jason Kottwitz for years. He and Cheetah have been playing together since 2013 and Jason always thought I’d be a good fit. Cheetah was doing his own thing at that time with his solo album and newer songs. But when the 40th anniversary was coming up, they scouted for singers for a Dead Boys set and Jason thought of me. Misty, Cheetah’s girlfriend, showed him some video of me as well and eventually I won the job.

J. I understand you were in a Dead Boys cover band. What was it about these guys that drew you in and made you such a fan?

J.H. Yeah , for years every Halloween me and a crew of Bay area musicians would do a zombie Dead Boys cover band called the Undead Boys. I’ve loved the Dead Boys since I was a kid. It was my favorite band when I was young and just never faded for me, really. It’s the sweetest spot right between Rock and Roll and Punk Rock of anybody in my opinion. It’s got the magic of invention in the music. Something was beginning! You just can’t  fake that feeling. Also, for reasons I’m not sure of really , I’ve just always made people think of Stiv. I’ve played in several different bands, different kinds of music, and his name always comes up. I’ve  got that kind of wild, rascally, sexual way of performing. I didn’t mean to be doing Stiv you know. It’s  just we’re similar in some ways.

J. What was it like to step on stage with Cheetah and Blitz for the first time as a Dead Boy?

J.H. Oh man, it was crazy! We played the Whiskey a GoGo in Hollywood. Beyond my wildest dreams type of thing. I was so over come and high on life I totally wasn’t paying attention to how much I was drinking and was just pounding back the Jameson’s and Guinness. Cheetah didn’t know how well I can handle the drink yet, and was like “Holy shit,  this bastard is wasted!” Hahaha! I wasn’t nervous at all though. I know the material inside and out. I nailed the gig and right there and then Cheetah knew it was gonna be me.

J. How do you think Stiv would feel about this lineup?

J.H. Well, Cheetah and Blitz say he’d be proud. All his close friends at the gigs tell me he’d love it. This always makes me tear up to think about it. Obviously, we all wish it could be him up here. He just can’t make the date, ya know. I think about it everyday. I mean to honor him.

J. What’s life like on tour?

J.H. Madness! We all jump in a little van and run in circles all around the country. We are always on the run and we’re all wild. We party like monsters. We just did 14 dates straight, with only 1 night off and then it’s on to the next.
There’s always some logistical nightmare. Floods, hurricanes, bomb threats, con men, terrorists & of course,  insane Dead Boys! Its a very full lifestyle.

J.The Dead Boys are such an iconic band in the punk genre. When you look out into the audience, do you see mostly older fans, younger ones or a mix?

J.H. We draw all ages. Its great! Every gig there’ll be some real ol’ timers right down to the fresh faced kids and everyone in between. I think the majority is on the younger side. It’s  amazing to see how the music still resonates. I love giving the old school that feeling again, making the time all fade away for a moment. But what really gets me going is knowing we’re passing the legacy on to the new generation.

J. What’s the plan going forward?

J.H. After this West Coast run we’re gonna meet up in New York in January for a couple gigs then head to UK for a couple weeks. We’re gonna do Europe later in the year and more American dates I assume. We’ve talked a bit about writing new stuff. Cheetah’s got some riffs. I’d love to just get him and Johnny together in a basement like the old days and rock ’em out till we come up with somthing. It’d have to be really goddamn good with a legacy of such weight. But we’re experts at the sound so on the one hand it’d be kinda easy. Cheetah was playing this sweet, kinda tragic lick the other day at soundcheck and Johnny just busted in with a super aggressive beat to it, I sang some suicidal dirty talk & it was like… Wow. That sounds like Dead Boys! Exciting! Got my fingers crossed…

 

As a women who is both a veteran punk and an extreme lover of music of just about every genre, I am not stupid. I realize that music has always held sexist undertones and sometimes even been blatantly predatory.  And I was probably naive, and most definitely too accepting of some of the lyrics and behaviors I’ve witnessed over the years. Punk, unlike many other music genres, was always very heavy on the testosterone. I was often one of only a handful of girls at shows as I was growing up. But the thing was, I was never made to feel that being a girl was a bad thing. In fact, it wasn’t until a few years in that I ever experienced being treated as anything but a complete equal by the men and boys in the punk scene. Punk was a world in which you fought sexism. You stood up against those who exhibited bigotry and misogyny and hate. It was a place to be strong and stand up. It was a place of acceptance. It was a place where you never backed down from what you believed. When the Dickies controversy happened, I was angry. But I was also very willing to look at both sides of the argument. What blew my mind, was how many people laughed this off. I’ve spent every day since it happened trying to figure out if I was being too sensitive, too naive or too un-punk. But It has helped me to figure out an awful lot about what I see as right, what I see as wrong, and what I am willing to risk to take a stand. For over 3 decades, that’s what I have come to believe really being punk is.

I consider myself a feminist. I’ve raised both a fiercely strong, bad-ass  daughter, and an equally strong son, who is confident enough in his own skin to understand that women are his equals and treat them accordingly. This is not self-congratulatory. I was raised by a man who believed this, so its always come naturally to me to raise my children the same way. Being raised this way  makes misogyny even harder to understand. Most disturbing to me, however, is when I look into my beloved punk rock music scene and see that it isn’t always what I believed it to be. I’ve written a blog post about having to give up favorite band of mine when one of the singers became an outspoken Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist and I’ve re-examined many of the other bands I love who’s political and social messages seem to not reside in the same universe as mine. But I’m not stupid and I’m not naive. I’m fully aware of the fact that if I were to drop every single band that had lyrics that didn’t match my belief system exactly, I’d have a pretty small music catalog to listen to. I’m no snowflake ( a term I happen to despise, but gets tossed around so frequently by bullies and right-wing extremists, that it seems relevant) but when extreme language and derogatory behavior towards women spill over into the real world, when musicians or actors or that asshole at your job, or now even the fucking President of the United States, decide this language and behavior is acceptable, when it is laughed off and justified, It’s time to stop sitting on the sidelines and to speak up. If not, how will anything ever change? And isn’t that what punk is really about?

For those of you who are unaware, The Dickies, who have long been a favorite band of mine, stirred up some controversy at Warped Tour in Denver recently. The band, who I was lucky enough to interview in 2016 (minus singer Leonard Graves Phillips, who is at the center of the controversy) and who I’ve seen many times over the last decades, has always been politically incorrect. Their humor is tongue-in-cheek and juvenile, yet often really funny. There was never a single moment when anything this band has done has been offensive to me. (At least I thought not, but I guess I had missed a couple of things. More on that later.) I laugh at songs about Stuart the penis and take joy in the fact the show includes a freaking penis puppet. I am not easily offended and I understand that humor is the key to so many great things in life.  I also think that punk rock should remain punk and be dangerous and continue to challenge authority, but Phillips actions at this show were more than dangerous. And it’s where I have to draw the line.

There have been many versions of the story about what happened passed around. But the one that seems to stand is that Phillips was making some pretty predatory remarks about some of the underage girls in the audience, as well as the audience members as a whole. A women who was a part of a group called Safer Scenes, who were at the show, (along with a band called War On Women), to help prevent harassment and violence at shows, took great offense to Phillips words and held up a sign to protest. The sign read “Teen girls should be shown respect, not gross jokes from disgusting old men. Punk shouldn’t be predatory.”  Phillips, who can clearly dish out the shit, but can’t take it, responded with this:

“Kiss it, ya bitch! I have fucked farm animals that were prettier than you, you fucking hog,” he then proceeded to attempt to lead the audience in a chant of “Blow me! Blow me! Blow me!’ and wrapped it all up with the lovely and endearing “How does it feel?To get shouted away, you cunt? C.U.N.T. can you spell it? You’re a fat cunt. Fuck you!”

Phillips rant went viral and many in the scene began to take sides. Many men went so far as to celebrate Phillips for his “punk ” behavior. Phillips issued a statement that fell very far short of an apology. In fact, it was more like an essay on how hard it is to be Leonard. While initially, a statement from the Warped Tour producers alluded to the Dickies being kicked off the tour, this was not the case, as the incident happened on their last scheduled day of performing.

I’ve been a Dickies fan forever, and when I interviewed all but Leonard last year, I found them to be thoughtful, intelligent and kind. I still hold onto that belief about them. And I understand them wanting to defend one of their own, That’s human nature. But this is about way more than just the Dickies or a loud-mouthed dope who went too far. It’s about society and what it deems appropriate. It’s about how we, as a nation, continue to view women. How so many men get away with speaking to and about women in a way that is intentionally meant to demean, degrade and put them in their “place”. It’s about the sexualization of underage girls and the degradation of women who don’t meet specific standards of beauty (The hypocrisy of this is often maddening, when you look at what many of the men hurling this hate look like themselves). It’s about the fact that so many people (including some women) in this country base a women’s value and worth solely on what she looks like.

I reached out to many members of the punk community about this topic. A few didn’t respond. One male musician agreed wholeheartedly that misogyny and the rants of Phillips had no place in punk, but preferred I not include his statement. One was on the side of Phillips. But I interviewed punk rock goddess Alice Bag about the situation, and as always, she answered perfectly.

 

J. Do you believe there is a problem with sexism in the punk world?

Alice: Sadly, yes. I think there is sexism everywhere but it makes me particularly sad to see it in punk. Punk is meaningless if it excludes women or engages in misogynistic practices.

J: Is it ever ok to excuse predatory and violent behavior towards Women and do you believe that Phillips actions fall under those categories?

Alice: It is never ok to excuse predatory behavior. I have to admit that I am not a completely nonviolent person, I will defend myself from anyone threatening me or a loved one with physical violence.

I don’t know that I would classify Leonard’s behavior as predatory. I’m thinking that he might have felt defensive and lashed out at the woman holding the sign but his response was grossly inappropriate, misogynistic and dangerous.

J: How do you feel we, as women, should stand up against the sexism so out in the open in this country today?

Alice: I think we need to call it out when we see it or hear it. It’s tough, especially when the people who are doing it are people who you consider friends but sometimes friends need to hear that they’ve done or said.

This is no longer about a band, but a society in which misogyny and a lack of human decency are exhibited way too often. A place in which these kinds of behaviors seem to be getting the green light more and more frequently. It’s about living in a country where enough people find talk about sexually assaulting women by “Grabbing them by the pussy”  so inoffensive that the perpetrator of those heinous words now resides in the White House.

The real issue about the controversy is that this behavior and the acceptance of it spawn more hate. By turning a blind eye and laughing it off and accepting that it is EVER okay, under any circumstance, gives credence and power to those who treat women this way. It empowers them to believe it is okay. That women are NOT mens equals and that this kind of behavior is justified. How language this offensive, degrading and cruel is no less violent than the hurling of a fist. And speaking of fists, it’s time to address the elephant in the room of this entire controversy. That is, that men who spew such venomous hate are rarely doing it for the first time and they have often done much worse. That brings me to an incident that happened with Phillips in Australia in 2015, when he got angry at a female audience member and not only pulled her hair, but punched her repeatedly in the head. Why has this not been brought up? I find it extraordinarily relevant. Phillips issued an apology after the incident, but apparently has learned no lesson. And while I may have been willing to forgive horrific behavior once, this makes it much more difficult to swallow.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe behavior of the Safer Scenes woman was not appropriate. She apparently went so far as to throw the sign at Phillips. I will never condone that kind of behavior. But I’m also not going to sit back and be quiet when I find something to be extraordinarily WRONG.

I know many of you reading this will disagree with me. I know I may lose readers and I may even lose interviews because of my view. But I’ll stand by these words. Punk has never been about being a bully. It’s always been about sticking to your beliefs, challenging things you find wrong and never, ever backing down. So in my view, punk is not dead. And it never will be. As long as we always do just that.

 

 

 

 

 

A large majority of my readers have most likely never heard of the band The Brains. Part of the reason I began this blog in the first place was to share my sincere love of music and I find it especially rewarding when I can turn people on to a band that will blow them away. If you take a listen to this band, or better yet, go and see them live, you will understand immediately how special these guys are. Hailing from  from Montreal, Canada the band is often classified as psychobilly (For those unfamiliar, think  Stray Cats meet the Ramones) but are really much too intensely layered to be defined by any one particular genre. This band is  not new to the music scene, and in fact, have 7 albums and 15 years under their belts. While Rene D. La Muerte is the bands only original member, the addition of bassist Colin The Dead and drummer Phil The Beast, has enabled this band to finally reach a point where they have fulfilled all of the promise of greatness they alluded to with their earlier albums. As a trio, they play off of each other strengths and really understand the end goal they are trying to achieve. Their unconventional approach to music is refreshing and genuine.

The band, known for their lyrics, peppered with tales of the supernatural, evoke classic horror story themes and richly detailed story lines. But don’t let the subject matter fool you. These guys are about way more than just the macabre  The sheer talent present in this band is clear from the very first note. Punk, meets rockabilly, meets Latin music, meets the blues. Every single song energizes the crowd and makes you want to get up and dance. I have seldom witnessed a band that plays so hard live and there is absolutely no way you can be at a Brains show without becoming totally immersed in the contagious energy, talent and showmanship. These gentlemen are superstars in the making. They exude such raw talent and amazingly original style, that I have no doubt that their time will come.

Bassist Colin The Dead plays the meanest stand-up bass I may have ever heard, while drummer Phil The Beast, in keeping with his name, plays the drums like a man possessed by some wild and untamed spirit. The rhythm section of this band makes it incomparable to almost any live band you’ll hear today. A solid, steady force to be reckoned with, but one that drips with unique originality that makes it all their own.

When you add the gorgeous and soulful voice of singer and guitarist Rene D. La Muerte to the mix, you have something pretty close to perfection. A trifecta of style, talent and energy that will take you on one hell of a ride.

I was able to sit down with the band at Cafe Nine in New Haven, CT recently.

J. Rene, you are the only original member of the band. How did you start? 

Rene:The Brains started on my birthday in 2002, but when I was younger I didn’t have money to go into the studio, so I put recording music on standby. Eventually,  when I was working in the studio I decided to actually do this. I brought back old songs. Tweaked them, made them faster and heavier. For a couple of months I couldn’t do this band, and then at Halloween, when everyone was able to practice and get together, we did a few shows before. So we did our Halloween show and had makeup on it was supposed to be for Halloween. Everybody loved the makeup, so we kept wearing it for a while. The sound just continued to grow and we kept making records and here we are.

J.Who does most of the songwriting?

Rene: The band has 7 albums, and  in the beginning I sang, wrote the albums, I used to do everything.When Colin came in, he started to give  some input on the lyrics and on this last album, Colin basically wrote most of the lyrics. I then took care of all the music and production.

J.You produce the records. Is that something you were trained in?

Rene: Yes, I do that for a job, too. I fly all over the place to do it. I did the Koffin Kats album, I’m working on some new stuff with The Gutter Demons , a band from Canada,

So that’s my other job. I used to work in a studio and clean the studio and when I was doing that I learned all of the old school tricks with tape and how it sounds and how to make an original sound. When people come out of school today,they don’t know how to make an original sound. These kids coming out of school don’t really understand that, yet.

 

J. So you guys write the songs together as a team?

 

Phil: So Rene writes the melody and then we all do it together. Colin writes the lyrics. It only took a few weeks to write the last album. We work really well together as a team.

 

J. How did you end up in the band, Phil?

Rene: Phil is our third drummer. He was a replacement drummer 8 years ago and we started working together and then 6 years later he showed up and he replaced the old drummer. We need a new drummer, the old  drummer was fucking up because he was always too drunk.

Phil :  I said “I’ll do a few shows and we will see how it goes.” And I’m still here.

Rene: Phil works really well with other people and so does Colin. They are just easy to work with and have good ideas and are really dedicated.

J. The latest album, Out Of The Dark,  is phenomenal. It sounds like you guys are really growing as a band, that you fit really well together.

Rene: It was cool to make that album, I made it sound a little more big studio.We do work really well together. We just feed off of each other very well. It seems to just work.

J. Is there a new record coming?

Rene: We are beginning to discuss it. But we write and record everything in about a month. When we start, we just keep on going until it’s done.

J. It’s been quite a while since the band has toured the U.S. How are you feeling about being back?

Phil: We are touring the US for 5-6 weeks and seeing how people are feeling and getting inspired. We are really excited to be here and to have people come out to the shows.

Rene: It’s been 6 years since we’ve been here. It’s really good to be back. Just to be here after 6 years is great. It’s amazing

J. Your lyrics are filled with references to the supernatural. Are you a believer in that kind of thing?

Rene: Yes! The guys always say I’m too sensitive for this shit. I always know when there are ghosts or spirits around.I don’t always want to know it or feel it and it can put me in a bad mood. It’s weird when you’re at a show and you can feel shit like that.

I was born in Chile in the war. I used to see dead people on the street. It got to be normal for me. So I started to really like things like horror movies, and the Misfits and the Ramones. It just all seemed to fit together for me. Then I started to like bands like The Stray Cats and the 50’s and 60’sinspired music. I got into rockabilly and it got a little heavier and heavier. But as far as the supernatural stuff, I want to be this band that talks about horror movies and makes like mini movies to go along with the music.

 

 

J. You guys have done some very cool covers. My favorite is when you sing The Cure’s Lovesong. How did that come about?

Rene: We were on  tour in England for the first time. I thought it would be a fun and unexpected song to play.You have the psychobilly scene and it can become stuck up. I wanted to sing a song and that they would all know. The people really liked it. It was also a way to bring us some attention. We know what our fans want and we try to provide it for them. I like to do The Cure song, and everybody gets it. I thought it would shake things up a bit.Sometimes scenes are very stuck up. Sometimes throwing something unexpected in there is really good. Our music is for everybody, not just the psychobilly crowd. It’s influenced by all kinds of music. Punk rockers can connect to the fast beat, people who like swing can connect to that bass,  everybody can connect to something. 

J. I prefer your version over The Cure’s.

Phil: Yes. I do to. It’s got a happier feel. Less depressing.

 

Colin: When you said you wanted to do that Cure song I was this close to slitting my fucking wrists. I’d never heard the song before but when I did it was so fucking depressing! I though “What kind of garbage is this?”  But we  made it better.

J. What bands are you inspired by?

Rene: Stray Cats, Elvis, Misfits, Ramones, Nekromantix. I like music from Chile, where I’m from, meringue and salsa. I’m inspired by a lot. 

J. What do you hope to accomplish on this tour?

Rene: I just want people to come out and see us. I want to keep making good music that people want to here. I’d like to produce the next record in California. This tour is reintroducing us to the U.S. 

You can purchase all of The Brains music on iTunes. And I highly suggest you do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This blog has officially hit the six month mark. Six months?  Is that it?  I feel like I’ve been doing this forever sometimes. My life has changed so drastically and so dramatically since I decided to write again.Initially, I was nervous and scared and felt I couldn’t do it. I worried that I was getting too old and that bands would never allow me to interview them and that press passes were out of the question. But every single time I felt that nagging, oh so familiar voice in the back of my head telling me I couldn’t do it, I began to stand up to it.  She had kept me from doing the things I loved for far too long. Held me back from dancing and singing and writing and being who I am at my core.  I began to think about the things I have done and overcome in my life. A childhood filled with abuse. The absolutely terrifying prospect of being a mother and doing it right. And I have! I’ve had two very successful careers and businesses. I changed my entire life at the half-way mark and made it better. I have friends and family and music that I absolutely LOVE and a dozen reasons or more to get up and be happy and proud each day. Why did I believe the shit that voice told me?  Why do any of us?

But the thing is, no matter what I did, that God damned voice was still there. She tried her best to get me to stop and play nice and be the perfect little Fairfield County, Connecticut Mother. She made me shut down the person I was out of a fear of being different. She had dictated far too much of my life. Stopped me from being who I really wanted to be for decades. And one day I looked her right in the eye and said “Fuck you. I’m done. You are not going to control who I am anymore. I’m no longer allowing it.”

The funny thing is, that’s all it took. Just believing it. That day, I sent out interview requests and two said yes. One was the amazing Willie Nile and the second,  a hero of mine, Henry Rollins. After that, all fear was gone. Of course I was going to do this! And I have.

To me, this blog was about doing something for myself. I’d have been happy with it if I had no readers (well, maybe not None!). But as I began to get press passes and interviews and my readership grew, I began to feel proud. And like I really was meant to be doing this. As This blog has surpassed  6500 readers, I see that I am. I’m blessed and lucky. I’ve done interviews with many of my music heroes. I’ve seen too many amazing shows to name. I’ve stood in the press box with a crappy little 400.00 camera next to others with 10,000 dollars worth of equipment and didn’t crack, even when some territorial mean girls tried to make me. I’ve interviewed people I was completely intimidated by, and made them laugh and joke and really tell me things. I’ve reconnected with old friends and made so many new ones.I got a tattoo that I’d been dreaming of and afraid to get for years because I was terrified of being judged. I shut that voice down, and when she tries to creep back in, which she often does,I kick her the hell out the door again.

The point of this story, and this entire blog, is to prove to people that living your dream is a possibility. It WILL happen if you are determined enough. You can do this. But don’t listen to me and don’t follow my lead. Listen to your own voice and make your own way. You can DO THIS. And when that miserable little voice starts to break you down, tell her to shut her  mouth and get out of your way. Her words don’t matter. They never have.