CD Reviews - Issue 62

STS9
Peaceblaster
1320 Records

You can’t help but like these guys. No, they may not have spikey faux-hawks or wear immense amounts of eye makeup. They don’t prance around on-stage with crumped-out dance routines…they don’t even sing (well maybe a little)… STS9 don’t need any of that commercial propaganda… their music speaks for itself.

Although some have cast the band into that mystical hairy-bushed realm cleverly hidden within the Northwestern festival circuit, there’s no doubt that Sound Tribe Sector 9 are much more than just your average jam band – even on the international level they pack houses with their heavy atmospheric grooves. For years, groups such as the UK’s Ozric Tentacles and Austria’s Dzihan & Kamien have embraced the energy of modern dance, house and jungle music in a live band setting, and with the release of Peaceblaster, Sound Tribe are set to join those ranks. Having delved into everything from Soul to Hip Hop to Jazz on previous releases, their grooves are always funky and unique. Unlike the majority of electronic music, it lacks the repetitiveness found in a programmed loop. The live band atmosphere, though tough to even distinguish at times due to the band’s impeccable timing and synchronicity, adds depth to each track, transcending every piece of music into a tiny soundtrack for life’s journey.


Beck
Modern Guilt
DGC Records

Danger Mouse is like an infection. But not one that’ll scab and puss all over the place, grossing out your little sister - more like one that gives you super-powers...like getting bit by a radioactive spider and suddenly being able to take down unruly foes. That’s right. Beck now has super-powers. I kid you not. It seems that every record the lanky, laid-back Danger Mouse ends up touching becomes a classic, and Beck’s ‘Modern Guilt’ has just outdone them all. My apologies to CeeLo... From minimalistic, yet danceable grooves on tracks such as “Youthless” and “Replica”, to the more catchy, pop feel of the opening track “Orphans”, Modern Guilt is like a breath of fresh air in a world overcast by heavy formulaic rock and over-commercialized rap. Beck has once again outdone himself, and if the MTV generation catches on, there may be hope yet for the future of music...


House of Badger
Death Birds
Independent

What the hell is a House of Badger anyways? I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of one of those. Come to think of it, I don’t think I even know what a badger looks like, let alone the type of dwelling that a badger would reside in. Regardless of the odd name, this Portland trio’s sound, though at times quite minimalist and spacey, is a completely engaging experience. Blending elements of surf to progressive to psychedelic rock, at first I didn’t exactly know what to think of House of Badger, but after hearing the track “Darkness Is Light”, an image of early Jefferson Airplane popped into my head - but with a much more talented and updated Grace Slick. House of Badger’s sound is a unique blend of catchy melodies and experimental guitar riffs…and led by singer/guitarist Amanda Kelly’s smooth yet intoxicating vocals, HOB’s newest release Death Birds is a veritable indie masterpiece.

Comic Book Tattoo - Issue 62

Comic Book Tattoo
Tales Inspired By Tori Amos
Image Comics

“Your big bag of rocks finally got here!” My boss chimes in as he hands me a box weighing slightly more than a small child after a gluttonous day at the fair. I open the box in a wave of excitement as shards of corrugated cardboard and newsprint go flying about my office. And then I see the shiny green cover drawn by Jason Levesque in all its glory... Finally, my very own copy of Tori Amos’ long awaited and much anticipated Comic Book Tattoo, a 480-page anthology of short stories and brief artistic episodes put out by Image Comics based solely on Amos’ immense musical career. Laid out sequentially and including full lyrics to some of Tori Amos’ most memorable recordings, Comic Book Tattoo is the ultimate homage to one of the most prolific songwriters of our time. Each song is reinvented and reinterpreted through full-color illustrations in a way that has never been done before. Featuring Pia Guerra, David Mack, Hope Larson, Ryan Kelly, Jonathan Hickman, Ted McKeever, Jock, Anthony Johnston, Dame Darcy, Carla Speed McNeil, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Mark Buckingham, Ivan Brandon, C. B. Cebulski and many more, the book is even given an introduction by the legendary Neil Gaiman, creator of The Sandman. Filled with art and stories from some of the most brilliant minds in the comic world, even if you’re not a fan of Tori Amos’ music, this book will no doubt entertain you!

Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer - Issue 62

Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
Trevor Matthews, Robert Englund
Director: Jon Knautz
Brookstreet Pictures/Anchor Bay Ent.

Set to become a new cult classic amongst lovers of the Horror Comedy, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer delivers a bloody and often hilarious tale of a plumber who’s unknowingly thrown into a world he’d been suppressing since his childhood - a world full of blood-thirsty monsters. Featuring the legendary Robert Englund, best known for his work as Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, who gives a very believable performance as the passionate and often eccentric Professor Crowley and introducing Actor/Producer Trevor Matthews as our wrench-welding hero, this movie is not your average low-budget horror flick. There’s no shortage of fake blood and zombies... And did I mention it was produced by a bunch of crazy Canadians? Capitalizing on the attitude and humor that made Bruce Campbell and the Evil Dead series so popular, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer manages to entertain from beginning to end. I can’t wait for many sequels to come.

Exclusive SDCC '08 Interview: Joe Hill - Issue 62

Author of one of the hottest comic titles released this year, Locke & Key, Joe Hill is well on his way to making a huge name for himself, not only as a New York Times Best-Selling author, but as one of the most imaginative and creative new writers to embrace the comic genre. And did I mention he’s the spawn of Stephen King? Choosing not to go by his famous literary last name, Joe Hill has successfully broken into literature without the help of his father’s illustrious career, but through his own unique and modern writing style which seems to touch at the very core of human nature. His first sold-out comic series, Locke & Key tells the story of a family thrown into a supernatural web of mysterious locked doors, hidden keys and ghostly apparitions as a haunting family secret is set free to seek revenge. I had the amazing opportunity to chat with Joe for a little while about his jump into the comic world…

What inspired you to start writing for comics?

You know, my very first professional fiction submission was a comic book. In the 80's, they had the Marvel tryout book, which was like half a Spiderman story. And if you were an artist, you were invited to draw the rest, and if you were a scripter, you were invited to write the rest. So I was 12 and I wrote my version of the ending, which got a formal rejection - I don't know why, 'cause I thought it was brilliant. I have something of a comic book imagination; maybe its because so many of my favorite writers work in comics - you know, Alan Moore is one of my favorites. I quote him in the beginning of Heart Shaped Box. Neil Gaiman - I was just crazy for Sandman in high school. One of my very very favorites is Brian K. Vaughn. I think he's the best writer of our generation, you know, it's unbelievable. So I've always had a desire to work in comics. It's something I'd always really wanted to do.

Where did the idea for Locke & Key come from? How did the series come about?

Well, I had put together this book of short stories, and I couldn't sell it in America. I did wind up selling it to a small press in England - this is my first book, 20th Century Ghosts. A lot of people think it's my second book, because it came out second in America, but, you know, it was actually my first box - it came out almost a year ahead of Heart Shaped Box. Around the same time I sold the collection, I also was invited to do a script for Marvel Comics. A talent scout there had spotted me.

That was when you wrote for Spiderman right?

Yeah, Spiderman...it's not a very good one - my Spiderman story was not very good, but writing it got the hooks in me and really made me want to do more. I just thought it was so exciting to think in terms of panels and reveals, you know. And I liked the flow of a comic... So I worked up some pitches for different ideas and I sent them in and they were all turned down. But, one of those was Locke & Key...and it wouldn't really go away. Every couple of months i'd think of a new key or something new I wanted to do with the characters and I had a very clear picture in my head of Bode, who's the youngest of the family’s three kids. I wanted to write about him... And then, Heart Shaped Box came out and did pretty well. The guys at IDW Comics got in touch with me and they said 'you know, we'd really like to take a couple of your short stories and adapt them into comics' and I said 'wait a second. I've got something else for you.' And that's how we wound up doing Locke & Key.

Do you listen to music when you write?

Someone once asked me, 'Did you do a lot of research for Heart Shaped Box?' and I said 'Yeah, I started researching at 14 when I bought Led Zeppelin 3... And I've been researching ever since!' What happens is certain stories get collections of songs around them. And then it's all I listen to when I work on the story - you could probably imagine what kind of music I was listening to when I was writing Heart Shaped Box.

Did you expect Locke & Key to be such a popular series?

No, I didn't expect it. I thought it would be more like the short stories - because Heart Shaped Box came out and did very very well. It was like all my daydreams all at once. You know, before Heart Shaped Box, I had written four novels I was unable to sell and for me it was like every wish coming true all at once. It was awesome...kind of bewildering. I thought, in the immediate aftermath, I need to do something low key and under the radar - something that no one will read. Just something that 9 or 10 people will read, you know, just doing it for me and a few other people as a way to re-center myself...um...to not be an asshole. What I didn't expect was that people really liked the comic and got attached to those characters. So what I guess I'm saying is that I was hoping for a no-pressure experience, but I didn't get it, because now it's important not to screw it up, so...I'll do my best with it. I hope I can pull it off...what If I screw it up though? I don't know...we'll see.

Joe Hill & Artist Gabriel Rodriguez of Locke & Key meet face-to-face for the first time at Comic-Con...

San Diego Comic-Con 2008 - Issue 62

Ah, San Diaaago…the whale’s vagina… After battling through the five hour drive from Santa Cruz to Southern California and somehow surviving the almost three hours of horrendous LA traffic without blowing my brains all over the sun-roof, I made it to San Diego for preview night at Comic-Con International 2008. To my shock and amazement, it seemed as if Preview Night, originally designated as merely an added bonus for professionals and 4 day pass holders, was any indication of the upcoming week’s events, it was set to be one hell of a packed convention hall. The convention center, adorned with booths ranging from the more extravagant and expensive, such as those of Fox, Walt Disney, SciFi Channel and Marvel Comics to the more humbling booths of IDW Publishing, and Image Comics, proved this year’s con had something for everyone…if only it were easier to navigate through the dense crowds… Unfortunately, I managed to miss the majority of my planned activities due to long lines and overcrowding all week... Probably the only time that I didn’t feel the qualms of social anxiety was during my interview with Joe Hill, when we were fortunate enough to find the one deserted, curtained-off area in the entire venue. One thing was very clear walking into the convention center everyday - Movies & TV have taken over. Whereas no more than five years ago, comics were the convention’s main focus, it seems there’s been a shift towards the highest bidder, and unfortunately, though comics are slowly becoming a more accepted art form and gaining popularity amongst young-adults and kids alike, their success is ultimately dwarfed by the mega-millions that Movies & TV continue to rake in. This year, it was more than apparent, and I won’t be surprised if next year we see fewer comic publishers & vendors deciding to make it out to what was once known as the definitive comic book Mecca.

...perhaps the coolest vinyl figure EVER! This is definitely NOT for children!

Jim Mahfood Interview - Issue 61

Jim Mahfood, aka Food One, has been making a living off his drawings and scribblings since 1997, amassing a huge international cult following and a healthy mini-comics collection. Best known for his work with Kevin Smith on the illustrated version of ‘Clerks’, Mahfood’s work has appeared in comics, books, magazines, music videos, skateboard decks, t-shirts, and album covers all over the globe. A popular name at live mural paintings and various DJ/hip hop events around the country, he recently finished a series of cans for Colt 45 and painted up the walls of MTV studios in LA.

What came first for you? The music or the art? Did you go to school for art?

The music came first. My mom always played really good records. That’s what started it for me. I soon discovered drawing after that at a very young age. I’m not a great dj. My little brother, Dan, aka DJ Mahf, he’s the superstar dj in the family. He’s in a group called the Earthworms. They’re amazing. I do all their album covers and art. You can check them out at www.myspace.com/earthworms. I spin records casually at art shows and with my brother, but I can’t mix or scratch well. I went to art school at the Kansas City Art Institute from 1993-97.

Your recent hardcover sketchbook, “Mixtape Vol 1”, is full of music references - compiling stuff you’ve done for album covers, concert fliers and even artist pinups...
What’s your favorite piece in the book? When is Volume 2 coming out?

I don’t have a favorite. All the stuff in there is different and they all have different styles of technique and execution behind them. Mixtape Vol. 2 drops on Sept. 3rd. I just got a copy from the printer and it turned out great! I might have advance copies for sale with me at San Diego Comic Con in July...

How did you hook up with Slug & Murs to work on Felt: the comic? How was the writing process like with those two?

I met Murs years ago when we both lived in Arizona. We’re both comic book nerd/hip hop fanatics. He introduced me to Slug and them around 2002 and the rest is history. I didn’t really write with those guys. They gave me an advance of the Felt 2 album and I listened to it about 300 times and then wrote and drew a comic about it. Those dudes were cool enough to give me creative freedom on it.

Anything new coming out soon or in the near future?

I’m doing a new comic book series called Kick Drum Comix. It’s two issues, they’re all new art and stories in blazing full color! I’m lucky enough to have two colorists, Justin Stewart and Anne Masse, that are working with me to make this stuff look tight as hell. The first issue drops on Sept. 10 and the second is Oct. 29th. It’s the best stuff I’ve ever done. You can see a preview of it at: http://foodoneart.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html

If you could write or draw a book about anything in the world, what would it be?

I’d like to do a fully illustrated history of funk and hip hop hardcover coffee table book. Maybe Fab 5 Freddy could write it with me or something.

What’s your favorite subject matter to work on? color or b&w?

I guess favorite subject matter is whatever i’m into at the time. Sometimes i like to make comics about music or politics or hot chicks with guns selling weed and blowing shit up. The new stuff, Kick Drum Comix, is all short stories about characters that are all involved with music in one form or another. I’m doing both B&W and color these days. They’re both equally important to me.

Do you see a summer full of Comic-based blockbusters having a positive effect on the comic industry?

No. Movies have no impact on the comics, unfortunately. The masses enjoy spending their money on over the top, big budget summer blockbuster comic book movies, but they don’t go into comic shops. They don’t read for fun or support underground art like comics for the most part.

Do you feel the mainstream population in the US is ready to embrace the comic medium as a legitimate and powerful art-form like they do in other countries?

Not really. There’s too much ignorance and short attention spans here. Comics have the stigma of being kid’s stuff in America and it will probably always remain that way. It’s a bummer, man.

Any plans to release any music? Any mixtapes of the musical variety?

I’m in an experimental group called Sound Proof Closet Noise. You can check out stuff out at: www.myspace.com/soundproofclosetnoise

What do you listen to when you draw? Who are some of your favorite bands/acts right now?

I have thousands of albums so I always listen to a wide variety of stuff. Right now I’m really into anything by Clutchy Hopkins, Shawn Lee, Gary Wilson, I dig that new Santogold album, Budos Band and El Michels Affair are the shit, anything by Sun Ra, Madlib, Jay Dilla, James Pants, Cortex, Atmosphere, the list goes on and on...

Who would be on your ultimate desert island mixtape? And what would it be called?

It would be called, “How to Stay Funky” and feature cuts by James Brown, Parliament, Curtis Mayfield, Funkadelic, Clutchy Hopkins, Gary Wilson, Shawn Lee, Miles Davis, Coltrane, Beasties Boys (Paul’s Boutique), Prince Paul, Madlib, JayDee, David Axelrod, yadda yadda yadda, you know the deal...

A Few Words With JoJo Simmons' Team Blackout - Issue 61

With a legend like Rev Run as your dad, is there any pressure on you to come correct with your lyrics?

JoJo: Of course! It’s cause he’s the King! So now I’ve got to take the throne and make the throne bigger, you know what I’m sayin’? I’ve got to make the name bigger. I’m not afraid. I’m stepping up to the plate and I’m ready to do it.

What’s it like having Rev Run as an Executive Producer? Was he hard on you guys? Who else worked on the production for the album?

JoJo: Basically, he approves and denies the songs for the album, so it wasn’t like a hard thing or whatever, it’s basically in the end whatever he says goes.

Zack: On the album, we worked with Rockwilder and his production team, and we also work with Ron Brown from “J5 on ‘em”.

What new flavor do you feel Team Blackout brings to Hip Hop?

Zack: I think Team Blackout’s gonna’ bring that delicious flavor of fun. We’re gonna’ be bringin’ back the fun into the hip hop and we’re really focusing on the lyrics…you know, we’re still stepping up lyrically, but we’re having fun with it…makin’ records for the girls, for the clubs, the dudes to bump in their whip…we’ve got somethin’ for everybody!

What makes your group stand out above the rest of the acts out there?

Zack: Well, there’s not too many groups out there any more…there’s a lot of solo artists, so as far as hip hop is concerned, but no groups. We’re one of the new groups…something new to see.

What are your intentions with the LP? Is it more than just a straight party album?

Zack: I mean…we have a lot of fun with it. There’s a lot of party tracks on it, but you know, we’ve got some songs that are for the girls…like. We’ve got this song “Gotta Have Her” which is gonna’ be the second single on the album and basically the song is about how the girl looks so good that you just gotta’ have her…you know, we’ve just got different concepts on the album…

How does one ‘J5 on the Beat’ exactly and where’d the dance come from?

Benji: Well, the beat came from Ron Brown’s producing. It just came out of nowhere. Everybody was textin’ us on the Myspace sayin’ that they wanted to hear a J5 song since they’d seen me do the J5 in the pool (on VH1’s Run’s House). We just put it out there for the people to enjoy it. It’s not going to be an official single, but we have a buzz track out right now called “Lights Down Low” so you should check it out…

JoJo: Tell ‘em how you came up with it…

Benji: Oh yeah, yeah… It was crazy. Jo was actually doing a Run’s House scene and me and
Zack were just chillin’…We had nothing to do so we just did the dance out of nowhere and it’s crazy cause JoJo’s dad saw me doin’ it and then in the studio he called me out and said ‘hey, I’ve seen you do your dance…’ Then he said I’ve got to do it in the pool, so just did it for them. But before that, I would show Zack & JoJo my dance first and we were just laughin’ and buggin’ at it…we weren’t even takin’ it seriously, we were just doin’ it for the fun of it, out of nowhere. It’s crazy how the littlest things come out, though…

Who are some of your favorite acts out there right now?

JoJo: Um, definitely, my favorite rapper is Fabolous and I’m definitely feelin’ Lil’ Wayne right now…Jay Z…I’m a big Dipset fan – that whole crew…those are my influences right there.

Zack: My major influences right now I would say, would be Nas, I’m feelin’ Lil’ Wayne a lot, I’m likin’ The Cardiff Three…JaRule. I’m a big fan of JaRule…he was one of the first artists I was listening to when I was young. Also, Jay Z and Kanye West…

Benji: Nas, 50, Lil’ Wayne’s doin’ his thing right now, he’s killin’ it, as you can see…

What are your plans once the album’s released? Any tour plans?

JoJo: I mean, if the song blows up, then yeah, we’re out there.

Zack: We’ve also got the K1X promotional tour comin’ -

JoJo: - yeah, yeah…

Zack: It’s this new clothing line, K1X, that we’ve got an endorsement with…we’re about to be doin’ a 12 city tour with them goin’ all around the world to Foot Lockers promoting the clothing line and sneakers. It’s crazy…definitely a blessing…

Featured Album Review - Issue 61

The Wanteds - Failure Looks So Good
Self Released

Like a glimpse back into the indie scene that built the Grunge sound, this Portland trio’s new album had me from track one. Combining gritty yet catchy hooks, loud guitars, dissonant solos and driving drum lines, The Wanteds remind me of the music from my teenage years that inspired me to get out and pick up the guitar. With a sound reminiscent of more well known bands like Mudhoney and Superchunk to West Coast indie bands such as Overwhelming Colorfast and American Sensei, The Wanteds’ sound is huge.
Having overcome a drug addiction and been reborn through the birth of his son, frontman Tommy Harrington has been through a lot in his tumultuous career. And having started The Wanteds as a one-man band, I think he’s finally found the right group of people to help him get his voice heard. Perhaps his entire journey can be summed up in the band’s name:
“On some level” Harrington says, “we all walk through life with a basic desire to be wanted.”