DJ Indie Jake of WUVT - Interview

Valdyr interviews Jacob Bock, radio dj for WUVT 90.7 Blacksburg, VA
Valdyr: First off, could you tell us a bit about you and what you do?
Jacob: Well, for about two years now I've been hosting my own show on WUVT 90.7fm in Blacksburg, an independently owned radio station (and one of the last of its kind). Basically, I'm responsible for finding and playing music that people haven't heard of, stuff that would slip under the radar in the mainstream radio of today.

Valdyr: How did you first get involved with WUVT?
Jacob: Every semester there's basically an organizational meeting that's open to anyone, and one year I said "I really need to be doing this" and went to the meeting. Everyone was really friendly and, basically, they just wanted more people.
I had to start on AM, of course, which we kinda use a a training ground for new DJs. As luck would have it, I was on AM while the AM director was on FM, so I got to stand in on his show every now and then. And when they had some slots open, he suggested me to move up to FM. I was pretty lucky in that regard, getting to be on AM when he was on FM. So I was on AM for a total of four weeks before I got my very own FM slot... 2-4am on Tuesdays. That was quite a change from the midday AM that I was doing. But when you get the chance to move up, you don't pass it up.

Valdyr: What's the goal of a station like WUVT?
Jacob: Well, our main goal is to play music that people haven't heard yet, and to intentionally play stuff that challenges the listener. We played a lot of bands before they became "big"... Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, The Flaming Lips, things like that. College radio across the country is really a hotbed of new and rising artists. A lot of it stays in college radio, because some stuff is just too complex for mainstream radio. Bands like The Mars Volta - who strain the limits of what they do as far as they can - for example. "The Widow" was a good breakthrough single for them, but I don't think other radio stations are going to be playing the other four songs on the album that are 10+ minutes, no matter how mind blowing they are. Since we don't have corporate sponsorship, we get to be a lot freer about what we play and how we play it. And we try to take advantage of that as best we can.

Valdyr: What's been the most difficult aspect of being a radio DJ? The most rewarding?
Jacob: Heh, probably the most difficult was doing 2-4am for a year! Seriously though, a lot of the most painful and rewarding aspects of being a DJ have to do with the music. I've found some absolutely incredible bands through there that I never would have heard of otherwise...and then there are times that I've taken a stab at something new and wasted five minutes of airtime as a result.
Though probably one of the most rewarding things is when you do hit on something new and incredible, and the listeners let you know. I always get a big kick out of it when someone calls up and asks me what I'm playing, since I know that's at least one person who's going to try something new off the beaten path.

Valdyr: How do you feel about the state of the industry today?
Jacob: Heh, isn't that a tough question... well, on the one side, there's the major labels that are really concerned with the dollar count at the end of the day, which is always hard to see; especially when one of your favorite bands is having troubles with their major label and not getting their music out. On the other hand, though, things today are getting awesome - independent labels are on the rise, and they're gaining power fast.
The internet has really helped with that, I think - it's much easier to find out today what's going on with some small label out of Kansas. And the rise of indie labels is really refreshing - especially when the bands that they have are getting mainstream notice. Take Franz Ferdinand, for example - they got huge buzz in the indie circles months before the album ever hit the US; now, they're getting played on Sony PSP commercials. I'd like to think that college radio helped that along somehow.

Valdyr: Are you involved with any other aspects of band promotion, and if so, what?
Jacob: Well, I work at a local venue too, not really promoting as much as just working there; but through that I've met a ton of bands that aren't even on labels yet, and wouldn't get a chance to be heard.
The whole thing kinda works as one system in a college town... the DJs and the people who go to shows are the same. So the venue can help the DJs find new bands, and vice versa. Live music is so important to independent music...it's how most of these bands make a living.

Valdyr: Where are you hoping to take your career as a DJ?
Jacob: Well, I'd love to stay in the radio industry as long as I can, and hopefully move up to larger radio stations in the future; there are a lot of stations around that still try to play music that's new and groundbreaking, and I feel I really need to be a part of that. The number of stations like that are shrinking, but they're still out there and need to be heard.

Valdyr: What kind of promotional opportunities do stations like WUVT provide for bands?
Jaocb: Well, we have a few different things - of course, any band can send us their stuff and if it fits in, we'll play it. WUVT has also sponsored several shows in the area with some decently big-name artists (Engine Down, Blueprint). We also love to have bands come in and play if they can, there's a show on Wednesday nights which is live in-studio performances.

Valdyr: What advice would you give to bands trying to get their music more airplay?
Jacob: Well, that all really depends on where they want to get played, I guess...but of course the biggest thing that will get you heard is to stand out and be different; try doing something that hasn't been done very much. Try something new. Try something old, but make it sound new. Think about bands like The Strokes, The Killers - these are bands that didn't invent what they're doing, but they're doing it at a time when nobody else was, and people listened up. Also, it's important to find the right place to get your stuff played - different cities will have different audiences. Portland, Oregon and Austin, Texas aren't going to play the same things.

Valdyr: What advice would you give to aspiring on-air personalities?
Jacob: That's a tough one...I'd say the hardest yet most important thing to do is to be relaxed. Make the listener feel like you're talking to them, not just talking to anyone who listens. Watch out for dead air! Nothing makes people want to change the channel more than dead air.
College radio does get a stigma of people who aren't really the best speakers, I guess. And the best way to fight that is to, well, get better at talking! Take speech classes, public speaking. And really, just don't over think it too much.

Valdyr: Well, that's all the questions I had; is there anything else you'd like to say or add?
Jacob: Play shows! And for people that aren't in bands, go to shows! Taking chances on live music is what keeps independent music going strong. I don't know how many times I've gone into a show with no expectations and been really surprised. Support live music!
Oh, and if you're in a band, sell those little one-inch buttons. Those things are excellent advertisement. I'm totally serious about that buttons thing, too. I've had people ask me about such and such band, and I've told them that they're playing a show; and then the people go to the show they wouldn't have known about otherwise.

Valdyr: Thanks so much for the interview, and for supporting good music!

A Review of today's MP3 Sites

As we're living in the post-mp3.com days, bands are struggling to find free and accessible services to display their music. Here at Radio-Active-Music.com, we've had plenty of experience in setting up accounts for ourselves and bands we work with. So we'd like to do a quick comparison of some of the major mp3 sites we've worked with lately, and let you know how they can help - or hurt - your promotional efforts.

Myspace.com
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)
Myspace seems to emerge as one of the top sites competing to replace good ol' mp3.com. Myspace stands out from other sites with its amazing networking capabilities, allowing users to find all sorts of musicians and friends with similiar interests. Myspace offers a clean profile with the ability to stream and/or download up to four songs, as well as numerous catagories including photos, influences, band bios, website, and more.
The bad side is that myspace is easily growing too fast for itself. Numerous server failures are constantly plaguing the system; currently, many bands are having difficulties in making their songs available for download, or even having their account name work - lots of bands that have lately registered go to their www.myspace.com/bandnamehere url only to find themselves back at the home page. Not a good situation for a band trying to promote.
But considering the service is free, easy to register and set up, and a very popular trend in the music world today, it's managable and worth waiting out the small problems.

Download.com
Rating: 2/5 (Poor)
I'm pretty frustrated with download.com. On one hand, I guess I can commend them for attempting to screen every single profile, but if you're going to do that, have the staff to support it. The waiting time on the site claims to be a week or two, but try something more along the lines of two months. On top of that, make a small error, and your profile is rejected, meaning you correct in five minutes and wait another few weeks for the next review.
I've been trying to make a profile for a band on here since December and have yet to have it approved. I give up.
Once you get your music on the site it looks great, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you've got more time and a hell of a lot more patience than I do.

GarageBand.com
Rating: 2/5 (Poor)
Creating a profile was very easy, but in order to upload songs you have to either pay or do a certain number of reviews. Now hey, I run a music promotion site, I don't mind doing reviews. Especially since it'll double as me supporting our friends that have profiles over there!
I wish I could figure out how to do said reviews. I've opened their music player in three different browsers and have yet to get the review function to work. They've apparently just launched a new player that's supposed to be more compatible, which I have to say is nice since I'm not too fond of RealPlayer personally, but it looks like they've got a long way to go to get this new system to work.
I'll keep checking back though. My faith is not all gone.

Soundclick.com
Rating: 3/5 (Acceptable)
Again, profile creation is easy and understandable. A basic (non-paid) account gets you a bio, photo, and three songs, as well as basic mailing list and message board functions if you want. I think my biggest turn offs are visual; the site is a woeful late '90's webstyle, and the pop-ups even make their way into my Firefox browser. Server speed can be a bit slow at times. I do have to say I really do like their radio station creation feature. Users can create their own playlists using files uploaded to their favorite bands' profiles. I've used that feature more than once at work when I hadn't brought in my own computer to jam out with. Users can also bookmark their favorite artists on their home page, making checking for updates and navigation very easy.

Purevolume.com
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)
Profile creation is much more extensive than some other sites, but if you have the time to sit down and do it right, it really will add to your bands' searchability. Band profiles are easy to find, have a clean appearance, and I've rarely run into server problems.
I think Purevolume is an under-appreciated artist resource today, as I don't see a lot of bands utilizing the site, and therefore not many fans think to either. But I'd highly recommend this site for hosting music downloads and streams.

IUMA.com
Rating: 2/5 (Poor)
I'm pretty sure IUMA is on it's death bed, which is sad, because a few years ago I was really happy with the site. The server speed is dreadful; I'm on DSL but it's like being on a 56K modem for song downloads.
It's really a shame, because IUMA offers several different styles for bands to choose from for their profile pages, and offer much more space for song uploads, including the ability to sort by albums, as well as nice places for a band pic, bio, and more. This would be a great site if fans had the patience to wait on such slow downloads.

Eric & Andy of TBMChicago.com - Interview

Valdyr interviews Eric and Andi, founders of TBMChicago.com
Valdyr: We'll start off first with having you guys just give us a brief introduction to who you are, what you do, and what the goals of your site are.
Eric: I'm Eric. I've been doing design on and off for about six years now. I just starting getting serious with VKX Design a year or so ago. As far as my work on TBMChicago goes, I guess I'm responsible for part of the design and maintenance work - and the cute little promo graphics.
Andi: I'm Andi. I've been doing design for a while now. It started off with doing some shitty local band sites, but it evolved into more graphic-oriented work. I started with Zamolxis Design about two years ago, and it's since gone through a few incarnations. My work with TBMChicago extends to flash, some of the design work, and collaborating on the content with Eric.
We started TBMChicago.com because TBM is obviously a great band that doesn't get all the recognition it deserves. We wanted to change that. We realized that with all the creative aspects that the band handles, they don't have all the time in the world to promote themselves. That's primarily why we started TBMChicago.com -- so they wouldn't have to worry about that as much.
Eric: I think we both recognized that there are a lot of Chicago kids into the band too, so we felt Chicago was a natural place to set up our home base.

Valdyr: How did you first become associated with TBM?
Eric: I found TBM back when I first started doing design work. I was in a band at the time, and we were making the mp3.com rounds. They were called Imagica then. I'm pretty sure the song was Happy Birthday, although then it was known as "The Birthday Massacre."
Andi: My friend, Ana, was talking in a chatroom one day, and someone in the room promoted the website. She thought it was awesome, so she told me about it. I was totally blown away by both the band and the website, even though it wasn't exactly the nothingandnowhere.com that we know now. It was still completely awesome. They were known as Imagica then too. I think another big factor in both Eric's and my interest in the band came from talking so much in high school. Ultimately, our common interest in the band heightened our individual interest in the band.

Valdyr: When did the idea for TBM Chicago first come about?
Eric: TBMChicago was something I've been kicking around for a long time. I've actually gotten different version of the site up from time to time, but they were always scrapped. TBM finally played their first US tour in late 2004, and I ended up meeting them at one of the shows. They were a really cool group of people, and after talking with them about the idea, it sorta became a reality. The more I thought about it, the bigger I wanted the project to be. I started talking with Andi about it, and it seemed obvious to me that she had a lot of great ideas. We began to throw ideas off one another, and the site was born of that.
Valdyr: Very cool. I saw them at one of the US shows, too; at the Jaxx in Springfield. It was an awesome show!
Eric: Awesome! I wanted to see them in Chicago, but the whole 21+ thing didn't pan out too well. I ended up seeing them in Michigan. Because of the age thing, a lot of Chicago kids went.
Andi: Except me. I tried to get Meghann to work something out, but the club was really strict.

Valdyr: What's been the most difficult aspect of creating and maintaining the site? The most rewarding?
Andi: The most difficult aspect is definitely keeping up with everything; from donations to stickers to just regular content.
Eric: And there was that whole poster fiasco...
Andi: We had a lot of problems with bandwidth because we got so many visitors, but that ended up being a good and bad thing. After some talk with CKVance, we got a server upgrade, so it all worked out. The most rewarding part is definitely going to sites like MySpace and seeing random Chicagoians put "TBM" in their interest page, whether that's our doing or not. Just last night, I saw a girl put TBM in their profile that goes to my high school. It was pretty damn awesome.

Valdyr: What are some of the current and upcoming promotional tools you are utilizing to get the word out about your site and TBM?
Eric: Well, we had a big fund raiser for stickers a while back. We ran into a bit of trouble, but we're actually expecting the shipment any time now. Literally. Like, USPS could be dropping them off at my door as we speak. As far as everything else, we've got a bunch of flyers and icons up. We actually get submissions for that stuff almost daily. We have few people who are constantly supplying us with new stuff (Joe of OG and Ashlie come to mind), and we're always out searching the web for new stuff.
Andi: Now that we're wrapping up stickers (I think they'll last for a bit), we're moving on to pins.

Valdyr: The TBM vs. Kill Hannah remix you guys did is killer; any plans to do any more songs or other exclusives in the near future? Andi: Hahaha, the Alkaline Trio one!
Eric: Shhhhh!
Valdyr: LMAO!
Eric: The remix was one of the first things I had in mind with the site. Kill Hannah really embodies the more synthetic music scene in Chicago, so they were an obvious first choice. I also didn't have any direct support from either band when I did the remix, so I had to try to cut it up myself. It was kinda difficult, but I think it was well worth it. We've been kicking around other bands even before that mix was done. We thought about The Blank Theory, but they're not very big around here. Oh, and they just broke up. And then there was, yes, Alkaline Trio. Andi doesn't seem to be such a big fan of that idea, though. They're just a name to me. I've never really heard them. I guess that was a bad idea?
Andi: I still go to high school, so all those Alkaline Trio groupies are there. I gave the band a legit chance since they were so adamant about the band, but they just didn't do it for me.
Eric: We've gotten a lot of suggestions, but none from Chicago! We want to keep mixing bands that at least come from the City. We're always open to ideas.

Valdyr: What are you guys planning on doing to support the Blue video release that everyone's so excited about?
Eric: We have a few flyers up on the site, but we're keeping our bigger announcements hush hush. Andi and I are working with several other people (and yes, Simon is still one of those!) on the new VP.com. A large part of our focus regarding the video is going into that.

Valdyr: Well, you led right into the next question; I had heard that you were helping with the new Violet Prison. What can you tell us about that, or is it all a big secret?
Andi: We're keeping it under wraps right now, but trust me, it's going to be awesome.
Eric: We can't really say anything about. Just know it's going to be brutally awesome.

Valdyr: You guys do web and graphic design; are you offering services to other good bands looking for extra help?
Andi: Oh, definitely, I'm open to anything. So far, I've just done some small local bands, but anything bigger would be completely awesome. I offer both graphics and web work, so if a band would want just a CD layout or a full website, I can do both. Most of my portfolio is up on www.zamolxisdesign.com. Heh...I should update that soon.
Eric: She's modest, really. She's done all sorts of stuff. School sites . . . I think she even did a church website.
Andi: Yeah, the church was an...interesting experience.
Valdyr: I did a church website once, too. It was indeed interesting!
Eric: I stick mostly with bands. That just seems to be what allows me the most flexible artistic expression. VKX Design really started with the design for Dear Me Dear You's website. Since then, I've done flyers, artwork, stickers, all sorts of stuff. I just launched www.vkxdesign.com a few weeks ago with a portfolio and all that good stuff. Most recently, and this has been something of a secret until just now, I'll be doing the new Lunarclick.com.
Valdyr: Oh? Killer! I was wondering who was doing that site!
Eric: I've been talking with the band for a while about it, and it was just confirmed today - so you're the first to know about it.
Valdyr: Awesome!
Eric: Thanks! I think everyone was kinda wondering that. They're another really good band in the genre, and it'll be really cool to see them up and running online again.

Valdyr: What advice would you guys give to fansites, street teams, or bands looking to expand their promotional efforts?
And: I'm pretty sure TBM has a webkit out. That's what I started off of when I did my TBM Fansite, The Edge of Revelation. That's a really good resource. The only advice I can give is to let your creativity run wild -- that's what TBM is all about. Creativity. I remember one person did a website that wasn't purple and black, and Aslan commented on it (in a good way).

Valdyr: Well, cool! That's all the questions I had for you guys...is there anything else you'd like to say?
Andi: We definitely could not have gotten as far as we are now without all the support we've been getting. Seriously, everything's been awesome. Thanks to everyone who contributed!
Eric: Really quick, I wanted to plug the free stickers to anyone who is reading this! Go to the site and request a free pack. On a final note, Andi and I are big fans of Radio-Active-Music and everything it's doing for the scene. It's exactly the kind of effort these bands need to give them the recognition they deserve. I think it's great that so many people are so drawn in to TBM (and so many other bands in the genre). I've always said this, and I'll stick to it. I think TBM has the best fans in the world. You guys rock.
Valdyr: Thanks so much guys! You guys have one of the best band promotion sites I've seen, both in design and effectiveness. Let me know if there's anything we can do for you!

KEV - Interview [D1 Music]

Valdyr interviews KEV, Centerline Entertainment's new rap artist, about his upcoming album.

Valdyr: Tell us a bit about your upcoming album.
KEV: It's called "Street Trophy." A lot goes down in the street; it seems like every time you turn your head, there's someone else missing...It's rough. There's a lot more evil than good, but you know, things are ok once you get that you're in the hands of the Man upstairs. 'Street trophy' really means 'tombstone'... the only trophy you get living in the streets.
I write my music so that you can actually hear something new each time. I want to make a thorough beginning and ending. I write my music like I'm doing homework; I start writing like it's a story. My songs are all stories, not any "me, me, me" or "look at me, I'm the one bragging" like other rappers. The entire album is a story and I'm not the main character just telling it like it is.

Valdyr: I've seen that your parents, especially your dad, were very influential in your musical education. How do these relationships help create your music today?
KEV: My mom and dad broke up when I was 10, so I was with my pops down south and that's where it all started. Then I moved in with my aunt and uncle. That's really when I got in the streets. My uncle couldn't watch me like my mom and dad did, you know? I learned early. I liked being around my elders - they tell you like it is. I always looked up to them and respected them. I'm all about respect. I looked to my dad. He was both mom and dad to me. Especially in going to California, he was my backbone. He's been through it all. He'd been shot, had his throat cut... and he survived. But you know it meant something to him. Cancer took him away and I pray to see all of us together again, my sister, my mother, me, and him. My mother has lung problems, so I thought I'd lose her sooner. In the end Daddy went first. I know where he is, and that's what keeps me comfortable. The way the Lord works is mysterious. It's just the way it is. we only get one time around. It's not a 'Pac-man', 3 lives for a quarter type of deal. We got just one chance to make a difference. We know we're gonna die, but we gotta survive now. Really, it's all about your relationship with the Lord. You can't hide from Him.

Valdyr: What would be a few of the most important messages you hope to convey through your music?
KEV: I'm speaking about reality ... life. Street trophy is a tombstone. The streets are a dead end way of life landing you in your grave. The song "Life", is all about life. Eyes wide open... watch out, you know watch your back.! "Churrp"; the lifeline of the streets the cell phone. The title has meaning, as well as the song. I love to study the music. Like with my instrumentals, I listen to them for days first, and frame it up. You gotta put meaning into it. It's more about reality and not style.

Valdyr: So there's a lot of hype with your new single and video. What awesome things we can expect from the video?
KEV: The new video is for "Churrp", directed by Dave Meyers. We put all the MCs together and everyone's partying, and then there's the new phones. It's like the phones themselves are talking. You know, "Can't you hear them ringing?" It's talking to you.
I try to make each song better than the last. My friends listen to it, and say it's good, but I'll keep coming up with something better. With this song, I got this hook together, and the 'phone' words, and I knew this was it, this was wonderful. The song is about a day's movement; people calling too early, people waiting for calls, people tracking you down and spying. People are always looking towards it, always looking to the phone. It's like the phone itself is actually speaking, or controlling. That's why it's named "Churrp". I wanted to do something that hasn't been seen.

Valdyr: How did you become associated with Dave Meyers?
KEV: It's like me and him from day one. I was with Willie Brown around '93, '94, and that's when me and Dave started working. My old posse, Slaves to Society, was his first video! That got spread around, got accepted, and he blew up. He always had much love for us; in fact, he's in the video. He's not in any of his other videos, you know. Usually he does his job behind the scenes and that's that, but he's in mine. I'm thinking, "Maybe he needs to have a verse or bar!" I'll have to write him a song!
That's really the way it started. From scratch, people offered me a deal, not the right one. I wanna finish what I started. It goes back to respect. I owe this to my buddies especially the ones who got the street trophy before their time. That's part of the 'street trophy'idea. It's a tombstone. I lost four of them on the streets.

Valdyr: Is there anyone in the music industry you'd like to work with?
KEV: I mean, yeah, lots of them; all the respect, all the love. You know me, I'm out of south, so I'm not picky! I make friends! I feel if someone wants it, they're gonna ask. That's just the way it is.

Valdyr: How do you feel about the state of the music industry today?
KEV: It's sort of a status thing; it's all about east side, west side, south, whatever. It's a feud, and I want no part of it. I think we should all be behind each other - do it for me, for you, for everybody else. That's how I would like to see the game change.

Valdyr: What advice would you give to aspiring artists, rap or otherwise?
KEV: I mean, you need to put down what you love, and work hard toward anything you wanna do. It all depends on how much you want it. If you really want it, there's no overnight, you gotta go toward that point and keep doing it. If you got the talent, you can't just sit on it. I'd advise artists to look around. Don't just focus on different parts, different colors, different humans; don't just look at it in pieces or by races. If you're right with You-Know-Who, the music will come, and stay around for good. Like the old music playing right now still. Make some music that everyone can listen to. Something for everybody; the elders, the kids, people my age. Don't stay in one place.

Valdyr: Can we expect a tour anytime soon?
KEV: Yeah, I'm thinking the tour should be this summer. You can check with Centerline Entertainment for the actual dates. They'd be able to tell you.

Valdyr: Thanks so much for the interview! Is there anything else you'd like to tell your fans?
KEV: Much love right and left to all! Mix the south with the west and you've got the best.

Garbage - Bleed Like Me

I remember the days when Version 2.0 never came out of my CD player. I’ve been a long time fan of Garbage since the “Stupid Girl” days, but lately I’ve had to wonder about this band. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a band evolving and changing, but it seems that in a lot of cases, the longer a band is around, the softer they become. The self-titled release and 2.0 were, in my opinion, the highlights of this band’s career. Beautiful Garbage had it’s points, but on the whole was a disappointment to me. This fourth release, Bleed Like Me, has picked up more steam from where Beautiful Garbage left off, but still doesn’t quite close the gap of reaching the initial two albums’ glory.

I’m so glad that the band went back to a more hard rock feel, but completely ditching the electronics and programming was a mistake. Version 2.0 had such a powerful mix of rock and electro; I’d love to see and hear more of that.

I will say, however there are a few very good and rockable songs here. The album starts off with “Bad Boyfriend”, a captivating and sing-along-able introduction, but the next few songs take a dive downhill for awhile. Even the first single, “Why Do You Love Me” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I love the vocals, and a lot of guitar work, but overall, it could have been so much more of a song. The title track was in a similar way underdone. But then, on track 6 we get “Metal Heart” which is much like the old Garbage I know. This is by far my favorite track on this album and a constant on my play list. Great vocals, great riffs, and a driving rhythm. The following song, “Sex Is Not The Enemy” is my runner-up with in-your-face lyrics reminiscent of the sexually-charged “Wicked Ways” from 2.0.

The rest of the album continues in a typical rock way. Nothing terrible, nothing spectacular either. To conclude, it’s not a bad album. It won’t make my top 10 albums of this year, but I’m not overly sorry that I bought it either. I still have faith in the band, and hopefully album five will reach back up to the standards I know they can make.

Recommended Tracks:
“Metal Heart”
“Sex Is Not The Enemy”
“Bad Boyfriend”

Disown - Requiem Of One

Disown has had a special place in my heart ever since I saw them live in Cleveland last year. The performance instilled in me a lasting respect and love for this band, and their latest release has only encouraged my musical love affair with one of Ohio’s finest industrial acts.

One of my favorite aspects of this album is the phenomenal programming that sets Disown apart from the tragically mundane hard rock bands of today that lack creativity. Disown adds variety and movement to heart-stopping basslines and drum beats and creates a truly driving and impressive sound.

But they aren’t afraid of pulling back either into the softer melodies of songs such as “Mary Lies Bleeding” or “Undeniably So”. The entire album is very versatile, and the band certainly never has the problem of being locked into one sound or one way of thinking.

I’m totally impressed with the amount of depth of the music and lyrical content. Every time I listen I hear something new or understand something more. It’s in some ways a conceptual album, taking motifs and themes of religion and relaying more universal truths most expressively through Jae Rohrer’s wonderfully enchanting voice.

The songs that I originally fell in love with on the older demos are better than before, and I certainly have some new favorites. In fact I was so pleased with this album that I had to go back and buy their first release, “Angels and Atheists”, because I couldn’t get enough of Disown.

Suggested Tracks:
“Policy of Truth” (a phenomenal cover of Depeche Mode, and Disown’s current single hitting radio stations everywhere)
“Far Away From Here”
“INRI”
“Undeniably So”
“Epitaph”

Celldweller - The Beta Cessions

After the phenomenal release of the self-titled album, I, among thousands of other fans, have been anxiously awaiting the release of a new album. To feed the frenzy, Celldweller released this double disk set of demos, remixes, and instrumental tracks to give the fans something to chew on while waiting for new material.

I picked up my copy after a dazzling performance by Klayton and the boys in Baltimore. The collection is exactly what they promised: several demo versions showing the evolution of the debut CD, as well as some of Klayton’s solo work, and even a spectacular revision of Circle of Dust’s (Klayton’s previous band) last song, “Goodbye”.

The band has joked in the past about Switchback being the most expensive song ever recorded, with countless versions and mixes having been created over the years. It was amazing to hear all of the different paths that Celldweller took this song down before arriving at the current album version. In the same way, there were previous versions of other album favorites, including “Stay With Me”, “Under My Feet”, “So Sorry To Say”, and “Afraid This Time”. Many artists would have left off years ago with these versions, but Klayton is clearly a man determined for nothing but absolute and total perfection, continuously chipping away and revolutionizing his music.

The few solo tracks are more like club dance beats, and were an interesting and refreshing look into Celldweller’s evolution as an artist. Finally, the first CD ends with the first few instrumental tracks, and the second CD continues in that vein.

For what it is, this is a great album for any true Celldweller fan. The other mixes and versions are a delight and refreshing experience while we’re all waiting for the new material. My only comment would be that, for me, the instrumental tracks weren’t much of a necessity. Perhaps karaoke DJ’s are thrilled, but I’ve honestly only listened to the second CD once, and even then I didn’t make it all the way through. But hey, the price was definitely worth it, and the first disk is always in my CD player.

Recommended Tracks:
“Goodbye”
“Switchback (2001)”
“Beginning Of The End”

Jay-Z & Linkin Park - Collision Course

I know that some people turn up their noses at both rap and Linkin Park, but I have to let you in on a secret: I love rap! I grew up with it in a lot of ways, and I’ve always been attracted to the driving beats and the delivery of lines. So when MTV did this Collision Course with Jay Z and Linkin Park I was instantly intrigued.

I was not disappointed! I’m very impressed with what these guys were able to do with merging their musical styles together to create five very memorable songs. I don’t think I’m the only one either; when I was driving through Blacksburg last week on the way to Jacob’s radio show, we passed two other people jamming out to this album.

I have to say that my favorite songs tend to be the one where it’s predominantly Jay Z rapping over LP’s beats. The two go together phenomenally, and I have to say that I honestly prefer these versions of “Dirt Off Your Shoulder”, “Encore”, and “99 Problems” even more than the original songs. And LP’s backing with their own lyrics just intensify the emotion and the rock.

To be honest, the only reason I dropped this album down to a 4 rating is that for a six track album, it was way too pricey. True, you get a DVD too, so maybe I’m not being fair, but after seeing the live and studio footage a million times on MTV already, it wasn’t much of a consolation to me. But hey, if you’ve got the money and the same secret affinity to rap as me, this is a good album to check out.

Suggested Tracks:
“Dirt Of Your Shoulder / Lying From You”
“Numb / Encore”
“Points Of Authority / 99 Problems / One Step Closer”

Rick Monroe - Interview [D1 Music]

Valdyr: When did you make the conscious decision to plunge full throttle into the life of a rock star?

Rick: I’ve always wanted to play! I guess, looking back, I would say that when I was little my mom had a lot of records. A really eclectic collection. I was so surprised to see such a variety of music. It really moved me to do something similar.

Valdyr: Like many independent artists, you've fought your own way up, including releasing your first two albums on your own label, Divorce Records. How rewarding has it been to create your own label?

Rick: It’s always been kinda weird. Interesting things always seem to happen to me. I never meant to start the label. I went in to start recording a live album, and that’s when I met people like Keith and Matt. Bam, things kept rolling…started really pushing it, got all the air play, got distribution, and then I get a publicist. We go from barely have anything in stores, and then I have a spot on “Entertainment Tonight”. We were landing all these TV shows and radio shows, had a ton of press, but not really selling in a lot of stores. We were unable to fully capitalize by getting the records out. On the next record, it was the same thing. I started hanging out with the Texas Tornadoes and ended up recording in their studio, then started doing USO shows. I toured everywhere with that...Russia, Cuba, Vietnam, all over the world, and that led to a lot of interesting opportunities. There was this woman at the time doing “Voice of America” and the show “Border Crossings” which was trying to stop propaganda during the Cold War. The goal of the show was to provide free radio for people with only once source of news. I remember realizing that I had millions of people listening in on that show. We even got calls from China! We had a few Chinese ask me if I was planning on writing a song for the Olympics! I was thinking, “What is this translator saying?”
But because of that show, she liked the way I handled myself, so I ended up doing a private show for Gorbachev. And I’m there, doing vodka shots and trying to sing in Russian with him. Seriously! Later I was invited to Russia; at that time many of the political figures were big on orphanages, so I was asked to do a tour throughout the orphanages in Russia. We just kinda stumbled into things like that. I went to Vietnam too. It’s crazy that I can just look around and say “Hey, you’re the PM on Burma...can you pass the tongs?” I actually went to the gym with him once. Then I realized that I was hanging out with someone who had made terrible human rights violations…it’s crazy how things turn out.

Valdyr: You've worked with many notable artists on your previous albums, including Keith Howland (Chicago), Lance Morrison (Don Henley, Rod Stewart) and Matt Laug (Alanis Morissette). How has it been like working with these guys, and how did it come about?

Rick: A lot of them were friends of mine. Like Bruce Howe – he does the music for South Park now. I remember watching Ren & Stumpy and him saying “Man, if only I could do something as cool as that!” I just knew a good group of guys. They’ve all gone on to do amazing things. It’s sheer luck.

Valdyr: Is there anyone on that caliber on the new album?

Rick: Some of the guys helped me with the tracking in Nashville. Micheal Rhodes, for instance. He had just stopped playing with Sting the night before he flew up. But I also ended up bringing my record home and had my guys work on it, too. We wanted to see if we could keep the quality up ourselves, and we did.

Valdyr: Who would you like to work with in the future, and why?

Rick: Oh, I wanna work with Nelly! Just kidding. I dunno, there are so many great musicians out there. My wife’s telling me to mention Gretchen Wilson. I would love to work with Gretchen Wilson. She’s phenomenal. I came home one night and was just ranting and raving to my wife about her. Leann Rhymes is great, too - polished as a gym. But I really love the guttural singing from the heart.

Valdyr: You’ve mentioned that you’ve played virtually everywhere; there's a lengthy list on your site about all the countries you've toured, which we now know that’s because of your work with the USO. But such extensive touring is quite a feat for an independent artist. From experience, what advice would you give to artists who'd like to follow in your footsteps?

Rick: You just have to think outside the box. Follow every lead until it works. So much comes across the desk, and in my case, it was usually the extremely bizarre ones that worked out. I’d look into something, and the next thing you know I’m opening for a big festival in Arizona. Then, my brother called the USO, and at that time they just happened to need a band. I’d tell bands to really pursue non-traditional methods and not be afraid to throw yourself out there.

Valdyr: You've performed at some VERY notable audiences, including the US / Vietnam Embassy in honor of the re-opening of diplomatic relationships between the US and Vietnam, as well as for Mikhail Gorbachev, the former President of the Soviet Union. Both have strong political implications; do you consider your music to have any kind of political or moral message that's important to the world today?

Rick: Not at all. Pretty much to me, politics and art are separate. Some people combine them, but I’m just trying to make people to feel. Most of my music is focused on the good and the happy, because life is pretty crappy to begin with. Maybe in that sense that brought me over to those countries. After traveling so much, I’ve seen that no matter where you go, people are all the same. Everybody feels.

Valdyr: What can you tell us about your upcoming tour? Where will you be going, and why should everyone make plans to see your live show?

Rick: Europe first – Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium and England that I know of. We’ll be gone for about a month, starting in May. I can’t wait to go and see the European version of line dancing! There’s a US tour in the works. We’re mainly doing some festivals first, but then there will be a more solid tour for the record release – some sort of promo tour, probably mid to late June. Our single is doing really well, especially in Europe. A lot of country artists don’t look to Europe or elsewhere; they just look to Texas, the south, etc. But I really want to keep my music global. I actually just got an invite to Argentina in fact.
As far as live shows go, I give everything I have - energy, a good edge - we come off really clean. Some bands you might be disappointed by the sound not being same as the album. But for us we match it, if not even beat the album quality. We’re fun! We try to create a real party atmosphere.

Valdyr: What would like to tell your fans about your new album?

Rick: Buy it! I think it’s something they’ll dig. I hope they enjoy listening to it as much as I did making it. That’s how I feel about my music. I’m more proud of this than anything I’ve ever done.

Valdyr: In checking out your site, I saw that you had a page dedicated to your truck, which just rocks. So tell us about the Bronco.

Rick: It’s pretty cool! I got it on Ebay in fact. This dude was broke and sold it dirt cheap. This truck was in pieces. Every time I work on that truck, I send him pictures. Lately he’s been stationed in Iraq. He says he can’t believe how much I’ve done. In fact, I just got a letter from him saying he’s back and safe. He’s coming to see it! He was a gunner on security for the convoys, so he was always in a kill zone. I was really happy to see that he came back safely. He’s always excited to see what I’ve done with the truck.

Valdyr: How did you become associated with D1, and what do you hope will come of this distribution alliance?

Rick: Well, we came together through my manager, Harlan, who has known Jay for many, many years. He was talking to Lou, and found that Jay was looking for country singer for the label. These days, country is a very cool thing, and people are really getting it. And yeah, I wanted a distribution deal. They seem to think it’s something good. And I want to get records in the market place. I’m excited, they’re excited, so it’s the beginning of a great relationship I’m sure. I dig Jay’s work, especially the mixing he’s done for some others. It’s cool. And you know, I’d rather be the unique guy. I know seeing a cowboy on the front of D1 probably raised a lot of eyebrows! But if I went to Nashville and got on one of those labels, I’d have to stand in line to be noticed. Again, the cool thing about music is the diversity. With things today like MySpace, people list their music style and it’s everywhere from 50 Cent to Orgy to Tim McGraw! People are diverse, and it shows.

Valdyr: This was a great interview, and you’ve definitely got a lot of awesome things in store. What else would you like to make the fans aware of?

Rick: We’re getting ready to shoot a new video for our first single, “Remember the Music”. The song is getting pretty good airplay on secondary stations, but we’ll really be working on pushing that towards major market stations soon!

Valdyr: Thanks so much for the interview, and good luck!