Featured Album Review - Issue 59

Atmosphere
When Life Gives You Lemons...You Paint That Shit Gold
Rhymesayers Entertainment

What can I say about Atmosphere's newest release that isn't already a given? Slug is a dope MC. Impeccable storytelling style and top-notch production make "If Life Gives You Lemons..." one of this year's best. True to Slug's sound, Atmosphere's new album unveils brutal realities within the human race and lays them out on the table for your dissection. Incorporating more live instrumentation than previous releases, the Atmosphere sound has become much more intelligent and diverse, whether the track is comprised of merely a guitar and Slug's words, as in "Guarantees" or the smooth head-bobbing funk of "You". I've got to say... I have yet to be disappointed by these Minnesotans. Every album is a classic.

Dave Crosland Interview - Issue 59

When did you decide art was your calling? Did you go to school for it?

I've been drawing since I was a little kid. I have a Polaroid of myself at two-years-old, using one of my dad's draftsman pencils. But I made the big "this will be my life's pursuit" decision my junior year of high school, after I saw The Lion King. I watched the opening and was like, "I could do that!" Shortly after that, I started looking into art schools for college. I ended up attending The Columbus College of Art and Design, and graduated with a BFA degree in 2000. It's funny, because I was all set to go into the sciences. I was a chemical technology major in high school. I even worked in a university lab one summer. But when it came down to it, I liked science and was good at it. But I LOVED making art.

Who are some of your influences in the art world?

My influences range from friends like Jim Mahfood and Mike Huddleston, and extend to folks like Brian Froud, Ralph Steadman, Basquiat, and J.C. Leyendecker. But I'm also heavily influenced by filmmakers, like George Lucas, Quentin Tarentino, Hitchcock... the list could go on forever. Basically, anything visual or musical that's been a part of my life, from Sesame Street until today, is on my list of influences.

How did you get started in comics?

I self-published the first issue of my minicomic, "Slop," Kinko's-style in 2000, and kept the series running with a new book each comic convention season. I would set up at conventions and sell Slop, along with any other art merch I could muster. And at a 2002 convention in Chicago, I met this writer named John Layman. He dug my art and I liked his idea for a comic called "Puffed." It's a story about a theme park employee who's trapped in a dragon costume... very twisted, quirky stuff. So I designed the characters, drew a few pages from the script, and we pitched it around to various publishers. Thanks to some friendly backing from colleagues and the keen insight of Jim Valentino, "Puffed" got picked up by Image Comics. So by 2003, my first professional comics work hit shops. And I haven't looked back, since.

How's the response for Everybody's Dead been? How far do you expect the series to continue? or is it planned as a mini?

So far, so good! I've gotten positive feedback from friends, fans, and strangers, alike. And it's felt great to have a book out in stores, again, after taking a break from comics in 2007. While writer Brian Lynch and I would like Everybody's Dead to go on into a sequel, we're sticking with a five issue mini-series, for now. I think anything beyond that will depend on the success of the first series.

Would you say that comics are making a comeback?

I wouldn't call it a comeback because comics and graphic novels have always had a strong following. Especially overseas. I just think more mainstream folks in the USA (and in our entertainment industry, in particular) are finally starting to realize the power of the comics medium. From book reviews in The New Yorker to comics-to-film Hollywood blockbusters, people are appreciating the incredible range of imagination captured in comic books. They're seeing them as a source of badass storytelling with solid characters, and that's great.

What's your favorite subject to work on?

With most of the books you've drawn, there's been a hint of humor that your style adds to the story. Do you ever see yourself doing a more serious book? Generally, I just enjoy working on stories with interesting characters. The humorous tint on my releases has a lot to do with me working on scripts by comedy writers. Now that I'm finally giving my own stories time and attention, I think you'll see a wider tonal range in my comic work. I have a lot of story concepts in my bag of tricks, and some of them are pretty serious. One of them is downright dark. Of course, I'll temper my serious subject matter with brief moments of comedy. That's just life... even in the worst situations, people can find a reason to laugh. It's like our pressure relief valve. Touches of humor in a harsh story help give the tale more humanity.
How much of a role does music play in your artwork? Who are some of your favorite bands?

Music plays a huge role in my artwork! When I play music while I work, it ends up becoming the soundtrack for what I'm drawing or painting. So I try to put on tunes that sync up with the mood of the art, or that energize my imagination. I'm into too many bands to name absolute favorites. But some of my top work-to-this musicians are Edan, The Mars Volta, Mike Patton, Rza, Gza, Led Zeppelin, John Williams, Dose One and Jel, Murs, Cansei De Ser Sexy, Busdriver, Subtitle, Madlib, MF DOOM, and Gary Wilson, to name a few.

Any plans for future projects? Do you see yourself doing another book with Mahfood? Or maybe your own story?

I'd love to work with Mahfood on something else. Though, we'd probably do a two-man gallery show rather than a comic book. As for my own projects, I'm narrowing down my comic concepts and picking one to run with for a 2009 release. Right now, I'm leaning toward the first part of a space opera epic that's got me really excited. It's practically writing itself. Beyond that, I'll just be doing my normal thing... makin' pictures and rankin' on cornballs...

The Grouch Interview - Issue 58

So how's the tour going?

Right now I'm on the Living Legends Spring Tour. We're five shows deep and they've all been sold out. We play the South By Southwest Music Conference tonight. I think our fans are really excited about the new Legends EP "The Gathering" as well as my album.

Your new record 'Show You The World' drops May 20th... Well polished and cohesive from start to finish the album is one of my favorites of yours to date... How do you feel it compares to your previous solo releases?

Thank you, I'd have to agree with you. I think it's probably my best solo work this far but it's different form the others. I know more now. But I'd say F*ck The Dumb is more raw. The rhyme patterns on this one are definitely put together better. It's hard to say though. It's like asking a mother who her favorite child is.

Your daughter gets to open up the starting track to 'Show You The World'... How much of a part did fatherhood have to do with this album?

My daughter inspires me to be a better person. Sometimes I might go to write some stupid shit and think, how could I explain that to her? I also think that just being around her helps me to be a more creative person. I used her on the cover and on the intro but the album is not really about Rio. It's not a concept album. I did record a couple of verses with her asleep on my shoulder!

Do you see a difference in the CA hip hop scene since you first became a 'Legend'? Do you feel there any issues holding the scene back?

There are differences but I'm not worried about "the scene". There are a lot more avenues out there now to get yourself heard than before. As a man with many responsibilities, all I can do is concentrate on doing what I do as well as I can. The bottom line is that if your material is dope then people are going to like it.

Are there any plans for another collaboration with Zion I? or anyone else?

Definitely, we haven't officially started yet but another Zion I and The Grouch album is in the works for sure. Eligh and I are almost finished with a new one. Daddy Kev and I need to talk about some new stuff. I've got a few other ideas...

Ok...so I have to ask...what is hyphy? Why did it almost become a mainstream disaster?

I'm not an authority on what hyphy is. What I like most about what I think it is is the music. I'm a music lover. Fashion and partying and anything else is secondary to me.
I like the stripped down uptempo 808 tracks with bay area rappers over them. The biggest disaster as far as hyphy goes to me has to be the death of Mac Dre.

Since you're basically at the heart of the West Coast scene right now, where do you think it's headed? Are there any new groups coming out right now that you're diggin'?

There is always good music to be found out there, I'm feeling a lot of Edit's stuff and a group called Brother Reade. My boy Marty James and One Block Radius, Gaslamp Killer and Gonjasufi are ridiculous with it (my folks holler if you see this!)

Ben Templesmith Interview - Issue 58

How did you develop your style? Did you go to school for art?

It was a case, as it usually goes, of one part happy accident, one part deadline pressure/efficiency issues, and the final ingredient, idol worship of the artists I admire and tried to learn via the work I grew up on and admired most.
No art school for me. I went to design school, though I did major in Illustration, it was mostly about the commercial reality side of things rather than honing artistic skills there. They taught me a love of Macs and photoshop however, and that will never change.

Who were some of your influences as an artist?

This one is easy. Ashley Wood, Kent Williams, Victor Ambrus, Ralph Steadman...and countless others.

What made you decide to start working in comics and graphic novels?

I received a vision from a being, claiming to be the Assyrian god "Marduk" (I guess all the current religions are wrong then!) who told me I should spend all my time trying to do them, as it pleased him and I'd receive magical gifts.
So far I've been published, but still looking for these magical godly rewards. I just hope it involves supermodels at some point. Who knows? Actually, I basically just do them because I love the medium, and they're effectively cheap movies, just on paper... and have next to zero interference in the creative process, unlike movies, games and other creative endeavors. I get pretty much free reign. I love that.

I hear Australia's pretty nice...what made you decide to move to the states? Do you feel that your recent move will have any effect on your artwork?

Australia IS nice. Especially if you like things like the weather, decent public health care, education and standards of living, and generally friendly people who love a drink. I come from the most isolated capitol city in the world though. Perth. Long way from anywhere... and the cost of living there just trebled thanks to our mining boom (we sell all our high priced dirt & minerals to China) and so it worked out that I may as well move to the US for awhile, actually be in the same room as the people I work with and soak up the great Cali culture of the arts which I kind of want to get involved with. It sure beats being 16 hours in the future and living with perpetual jetlag by working the nightshift at times.
Don't think it'll have any effect on the art...besides a positive one really, considering I may be able to get different art supplies here than in Perth, which may have been a bit more limited.

How does it feel to finally release Dead Space? I know it's been in the works for quite some time now... Has the response been good as far as you can tell?

Honestly I'm well beyond the days of eager anticipation before a comic comes out. (Except maybe unless I'm writing it as well!) I've done enough now, so it's all kind of an old hat in that respect. There's also a huge disconnect between when you work on the book and when it actually comes out; Months and months in between sometimes. I also don't go to the stores much, so I don't even see things on shelves often! I just see people at cons and hopefully they dig the books. And yes, thus far the response has been great.

Do you see the Dead Space series continuing after the release of the video game? Who came up with the concept for the story?

You'd be surprised what's planned for 'Dead Space'! Of course, I can't talk about it all, it's not my place...but there'll be more than just a comic and a game, it's really a big launch. I'd love to see the whole thing continue (story-wise) if the success grants it of course. I can't claim any credit for the actual story, I'm really on the book just to flesh out the universe a little visually myself and bring the comic aspect to life. It's actually an EA property, so a few super creative folks over there came up with the whole initial concept and such and we're working in collaboration with them. Antony Johnston as writer is far more involved in the story than I am of course.

What's your favorite subject matter to work on? What's been your favorite project thus far?

People think of me as a horror guy, but I'm effectively a sci-fi guy... it's just the darker stuff that really gets me. Which is a big reason I put my hand up for 'Dead Space', when EA offered me the gig. I love things like 'The Thing', 'Aliens', 'Event Horizon' and 'Dark City'. I'm not one for slasher films or torture porn. I need the fantasy/dark futuristic/alien type stuff. So far my favorite project, to be brutally honest, is still my ongoing personal project 'Wormwood Gentleman Corpse', which is a riff on old BBC sci-fi shows like Dr Who, coupled with my warped sense of quirk and lots of demons...and taking the piss out of it all. I do a miniseries of it in my spare time...except I basically have none.

Where did the idea for Wormwood come from? Do you see yourself continuing it beyond the current four part series 'Calamari Rising'?

Oh sure I do. It's my guilty pleasure. I fit it in when I can. I'm probably looking at doing some other projects I have lined up once the current miniseries 'Calamari Rising' is done, but I have a ton of stories planned for the future, when IDW Publishing, (who print and put the book out) and I can fit them into the schedule. At least one mini a year is my goal. Soon there'll be three TPB's worth of the stuff out there...which is a nice chunk for such a personal cult project I think considering many creator initiated projects sometimes don't even make it past a couple issues (historically speaking).

Ok, so as this is a music magazine, I have to ask...what type of music do you listen to? Do you listen to music when you draw? Who are some of your favorite bands?

Right now I alternate from some moody movie score music from stuff like Batman Begins, Gladiator, that sort of stuff, and Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Aphex Twin, NIN...but sometimes it just depends on the work and the mood. Those are the core sounds though. A huge favorite of mine however is an Aussie band called Regurgitator...and another called TISM (This Is Serious Mum). They can do some pretty hard stuff, but maintain an air of "piss take" with their lyrics at times.

Do you have any other projects planned beyond Fell, Wormwood & Dead Space? Red Snow kicked ass...You think you'll do another mini for the 30 Days of Night series?

There are lots. I'm at a point literally right now where I'm picking and choosing from lists of cool things, as well as working on a bunch of my own projects that I'm not ready to talk about yet. But no, I don't think I'll be doing another '30 Days of Night' miniseries. Red Snow, which I wrote and drew was to be my last comment on that property, for quite some time. There should be more 'Wormwood' sporadically between the other stuff I've got coming though. It's a case of too many stories and never enough time with that one.

Comic & Graphic Novel Reviews

Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm
Vertigo Comics
w. Percy Carey
a. Ronald Wimberley

You may not be familiar with his music, but you've heard the name. Who is MF Grimm? Well, let's just say that without this man's poetic mind, many of your favorite rappers would still be living at home with their mothers. 'Sentences' is an enthralling autobiographical account of Percy Carey a.k.a. MF Grimm's rise to fame and the struggles he faced constantly being pulled into the world of gang violence. Honestly, I couldn't put this book down until I was finished. It's hip hop history at its rawest; from the days of the DJs and body-rockin' to the rise of the MC and the 'gangsta' movement.

Everybody's Dead
IDW Comics
w. Brian Lynch
a. Dave Crosland

David Crosland of 'Scarface: Scarred For Life' fame once again teams up with IDW to illustrate this zany Animal House meets The Living Dead type thriller. It's Halloween and the Beta Eta Delta house (formerly Omega House) is throwing the craziest costume party ever. After altercations with the beefcake Omega fraternity demanding their house back simmer down, all seems ok... But what happens when everyone's asleep will change their lives forever. Overall a fun read, this book brings some much needed humor into the current Zombie craze. I can't wait to see where they go with the rest of the story.

The Boys
Dynamite Comics
w. Garth Ennis
a. Darick Robertson

America's favorite superheroes are corrupt. Less and less concerned about the safety of the people and more worried about how they look on camera, they've gotten sloppy with their arrogance. So, how do you defend the world against the world's greatest defenders? And who could possibly be crazy enough to go up against these superheroes? One of the most brutal and raunchy books on the shelves right now, Garth Ennis' 'The Boys' spits on the idea that superheroes are flawless and throws them into a harsh reality full of corrupt business practices and sexual deviance. Perfect.

Chumble Spuzz
Slave Labor
by Ethan Nicole

If the Devil himself were to posess anything in the world, it'd probably be a pig. Better yet, a prize pig at a local carnival. Or at least that's the way writer and artist Ethan Nicole sees it in his psychoticaly hilarious and hard to put down new book 'Chumble Spuzz.' After winning a posessed pig at a carnival the two unlikeliest of heroes, Gunther and Klem team up with the trigger-happy duo of General Woodchuck and Kernal Corn Nut as well as the eccentric and evangelistic Reverand Mofo as they venture to hell to kill the devil. This has got to be one of the funniest books I've read in a long time.

CD Reviews - Issue 58

Cava Menzies
Give In Let Go
Cava Music Group

With a sound reminiscent of vocalists such as Goapele & Esthero, Cava Menzies weaves her rich blend of soul, jazz, rock and hip hop with top-notch production on her debut Give In Let Go. Featuring MCs Zion & D.U.S.T., this album plays to the heartbeat of the Bay Area neo-soul sound. The album's deep, relaxed grooves and expert instrumentation make you want to just kick back, close your eyes and listen.

Myself
Protest In Disguise
Couture Music Wear

Mashing up genres like it's nobody's business, this New York by New Orleans native is set to break down all the walls that stereotyping builds. He's tall, lanky and has some serious dreads, but you won't hear a whole lot of reggae on his debut album Protest In Disguise. Backed by a versatile band with styles ranging from ska to punk to hip hop, Myself isn't out there to catagorize himself into any genre. "It's definitely a mixture...it's like Gumbo. A little bit of this, a little bit of that..."

The Grouch
Show You The World
Legendary Music

His first solo release in more than five years, The Grouch refines his gift with Show You The World. It's the familiar Grouch attitude, just polished up all shiny. One thing that's certain throughout the album is his daughter's influence. With an overall sense of optimism in his words, unlike previous releases that favored a darker social commentary, still keeps to The Grouch's distinct brand wit and angst. With guest features such as Murs and One Block Radius' Marty James, this is by far my favorite of The Grouch's albums to date...not to mention one of the best hip hop releases in the past couple years.

Knobody
The Clean Up
Heiroglyphics
As the newest member of the Hiero crew, Oakland's Knobody has some big shoes to fill. Luckily he's shining the tips on his 10 & 1/2's and is about to 'give the industry a good swift kick in the ass.' His rhyme schemes are immaculate with instant classics like "Supa" and "Oh My Job". Well on his way to becoming your favorite underground MC, Knobody's been running the streets hustling his music for almost 10 years - finally breaking through in 2007 with a full length in stores. He's ready to take over the nation's eardrums, 'hustling for purpose!' I'm telling you, if you sleep on this record, you'll be bummed...so go get it!!

The official SECOND posting.

Times are crazy over here at Your Music Magazine. For one, you may have noticed the "Sierra Nevada Brewing Co." logo that's been gracing our covers...well, they're now Your Music Magazine's Official Sponsor, so go out and support by gettin' wasted off their beer...i kid...drink responsibly, people...
Secondly, last month, YMM's new website experienced a record 20,000 unique hits. That's a huge climb from the months previous and we're expected to reach at least 250,000 hits a month by the end of the year...like I said...these are exciting times here at YMM!!
Also, I've started up a section dedicated to Comics & Graphic Novels which includes Reviews & Interviews with Artists & Writers. Issue 58 featured cover art and an interview with 30 Days Of Night artist Ben Templesmith. This month, Issue 59, it's an interview with Dave Crosland, artist for books such as Scarface, Everybody's Dead and Puffed.

Welcome To The Fresh Organic!!

Welcome To My Blog!!!!
Ok, so I can't believe it either...I have stepped into the digital realm of journalism...
Hopefully this will be a better way to provide you with my most recent reviews & interviews...as well as a healthy dose of daily rantings!!!

On that note, I leave you with a shot of me at my old job:

Probably the toughest job of my life... But the views were amazing!!