WEB EXCLUSIVE: The continuous ritual of Cuddle Magic

Cuddle Magic (left), the "Part-time Residents" of Origivation's Philly Issue (December), had more to say about life and their music than our one page allowed. Here's the rest...

Origivation: Talk about your formation and how Cuddle Magic came to be 3+ years ago. 
Christopher McDonald: Ben’s always been a prolific songwriter and he and I and this other singer Sophie who lives in Australia now wanted to create songs in this chamber type of setting and it really started out with just us three and then we had this other viola player Joanna play and this dude Mike play and it was really this small group type of thing and that was just formed to try and make a recording at the studio at Emerson, which we had access to at the time. 

O: Was Cuddle Magic a backbone for getting away from college? Did it make a difference? 
C: I feel that it has made a difference because it’s allowed at least me to have one musical project that you’re really focusing on and you’re trying to make it successful for yourself and all these other people—it does give you a certain amount of motivation. It keeps you going. You have to get a job and I would really hate to just be doing that. Even if you’re just gigging, to have something that I’m really trying to actively work on and make successful is pretty good. 

O: In terms of the material and the songs themselves, does it help that you were academically trained, so that you can write the music and build off that through distances? 
Dave Flaherty: I think it helps that we all met at the Conservatory, but we really just learned overall a certain style of arrangement and group interaction to the point where if I hear a little snippet of a song I can imagine how we can play it. We’ve established a thing where we know our parts already. 

O: Describe your role(s) in the band using one word. 
Bridget Kearney: If I had to pick one word to describe my role in this band, I would pick FANATICAL. When the band first started, I was not in the band.  I was just the band's roommate and number one super fan.  I would go to the band's shows and my heart would surge with passion for their music, and jealousy because I wasn't taking part in it.  I weaseled my way into the band when the band's cellist moved back to England (teardrop) by saying I would learn cello, borrowing a cello from the school's instrument library and learning all the band's songs on it.  Gradually I came to be the band's bass player (a position I am much more comfortable in, since I am a bass player) and to contribute more fully to the music the band makes.  But I still feel like primarily I am the band's number one super fan AND I get to be in the band.  After shows, when people come up to me and say they really enjoyed the music, I don't have to put on this false modesty for the band's music, because I am a fan first!  I just say, "Fuck yeah!  We're a fucking good band!"
Mike Calabrese: My word would be LAFFY-TAFFY. Cuddle Magic has me feeling like "taffy" in several respects. To begin with, my mind, body and soul are constantly being stretched in new, exciting musical directions. The challenges with which i am presented, and subsequently the new accomplishments I make in the name of "cuddle magic" never fail to expand my mind as a musician and performer, and help me realize musical realms I never imagined I see. All in all, this group has helped make me a more malleable musician. In terms of feeling "laffy," well, that's just par for the course when you're a cuddle magician. Everyone in the band is, of course, serious about what he/she does, and each member can buckle down with the best of 'em.  But, when in comes time to be goofy, anybody in Cuddle Magic is ready. There is levity to the inter-personal side of the band that is very refreshing and comes in especially handy when working through some difficult passages in rehearsal; being too serious squashes the mind's capacity, and one thing one's mind needs a lot of when rehearsing with Cuddle Magic is mental capacity. It helps us have fun, get things done, and ensures a good hang outside of the music as well as in. Being an incredible goof myself, I feel my tendency to clown around has a place in Cuddle Magic, and that just another factor that adds to my fulfillment in being part of the band.  

O: Is it a pretty organic process in setting up shows? 
D: We like to perform as tightly as we can. That’s why we don’t like using monitors. We like to hear ourselves naturally, so all we need to do is turn up our vocals a notch. 

O: Are your parents supportive of your music? 
C: All of our parents are, pretty much. I can say that for a fact—all of our parents are very supportive. We probably wouldn’t have ended up in music school if they hadn’t been supportive.
D: I’d like to think that even if I were eating human feces and ripping heads off chickens on stage that my parents would be supportive, but honestly it’s a little easier to get support from your parents if your band is called Cuddle Magic and it’s listenable music. 

O: Are there plans for another album in the works? 
C: We almost have all the songs for a third album ready to go. If you want to know my hope of hopes, dream of dreams, we can push this record enough to be able to record the third album in 2010 and start it in 2010 with some producer of note. As much as I love recording, it would be great to not have to worry about that, to just be more a part of the music more. I’m really interested in this guy Valgeir Sigurðsson. He lives in Regnivik. He started the Bedroom Community label with Nico Muhly and Ben Cross. He recently released the Sam Amidon album. I really want to go up to him and record with him. It’s ambitious. 

O: Does the band consciously focus on creating innovative music? 
C: I think it’s just writing songs and wanting to play the songs. We’re into music so much that we want to make sure that we are into the sounds ourselves. We’re not really doing something new. We definitely like pretty sounds, even though we like really abstract things—especially singing-wise, and vocal-wise. We like something that is just really nice. I guess that’s the closest connection to the meaning of “cuddle magic.” 

O: What are your thoughts on 2012? 
C: If the world’s going to end, the world’s going to end. It’s not like we’re going to be around to worry about there not being a world. So why are we sitting around worrying about it right now?
D: We have mutual acquaintances that are unhealthily obsessed with the 2012 phenomenon. It can do things to you. It’s dangerous. 

O: Do you have any sexy anecdotes regarding the band and the band’s history? 
B: It might be fun to share some of the conditions of the recording of the album.  Like booking 24 hours sessions at Wellspring because they were cheaper and having all folks sleeping upstairs in the attic while others were overdubbing percussion tracks.  Maybe a colorful description of the Gartland and Philly basements?  Maybe an animated account of van packing, unpacking, packing and unpacking?  A list of the casualties of tours?  The fact that all 9 of us sleep topsy tails in one giant 10 person sleeping bag while on the road?
M: I haven't been in the band long enough to know all the kinky stuff that has gone down with each member, but I will tell you this:  the average cuddle magician appears to be a pilgrim before he/she takes the stage.  Once onstage, he/she lets loose a violent torrent of funk and inimitability that would arouse even the shyest of marmots. That is all I can say.
-Greg Bem

THE LOST INTERVIEW: Henry Rollins on X

The following is an e-mail interview I conducted with Henry Rollins for my profile on X for the June issue of Origivation. It never made its way into the article, but it deserves to see the blog light of day. Enjoy!

X has had a tremendous (positive) impact on you and your career. What was/is it about X that you found yourself drawn to?

Henry Rollins: I always admired X because of how many memorable songs they wrote and how well they are able to render them live. They are easily one of the best live bands I have ever seen. If you are in a band and aspire to be good live, you are very aware when a band is able to deliver the goods live and as many times as I have seen X, I have never seen a bad X show. Also, the timelessness of their music is remarkable. Those records sound great now like they sounded when they were first released.
 

I remember reading that one of the reasons you were drawn to X was because of their anti-violence stance. Is that correct? If not, could you clarify?
HR: I never thought of the band as being pointedly anti-violence. I never saw any violence at their shows, just people having a good time. Obviously, they are not pro-violence.
 

In what aspects does the band influence you and how?
HR: I admire the songwriting and the performance value. As a unit and as four individuals, they are all very good at what they do. They are also very unique. No one sounds like Billy Zoom, etc.
 

Why is X so important to you?

HR: They are one of those bands I have been listening to and seeing live over half my life. When you have listened to a band that long, you can attach certain points in your life to songs and albums of a band and that’s when the music attains a real resonance in your life. In a way, their songs become yours, that’s one of the great things about music.
 

What is your favorite memory of/moment with X?
HR: I remember seeing them once at the Avalon in Los Angeles 26 years ago. I was talking to John Doe before the show and he was sick as a dog. I felt bad for him, he should have been in bed but the show must go on. He went out there and played and sang so well that night e ven though he must have been feeling awful. That was inspiring.

Three years ago, you revived Rollins Band and toured with X? How did that tour go?

HR: It was cool to get to go to an X show whenever you wanted to for six weeks.

Have you worked with X on other projects before that tour?

HR: No.
 

Were you present at X's Hollywood Rock Walk induction?

HR: Yes I was. I inducted them. Hello! 

-Annamarya Scaccia

More than Lips: An Interview with Michael Ray Bower

Tommy Avallone’s gritty, balls-to-the-wall epic comedy Community College had its premier back in April at Philadelphia’s Trocadero Theatre with much success. An audience looking for laughs filled around three hundred of the five hundred available seats, but actor Michael Ray Bower, who is best known for his role as Donkeylips in "Salute Your Shorts" and had a hypnotic cameo in the film, was unable to make it. Fortunately, July 18 saw the second screening of the flick at Dante’s Bar in Barrington, New Jersey (a location where many of Community College’s dramatic drinking bout scenes were filmed) and Bower had the privilege of attending. With the second screening also a success, Bower spent some extra time enjoying Philly, New Jersey, and New York, and doing some additional film work before he had to head back to his home base, Los Angeles. It was clear that the friendship between Avallone and Bower had come far since the early days of Community College.

How did Bower get brought into the movie? Avallone was always interested in Michael Ray Bower’s work. Bower’s most recent success was playing the guy clamping spark plugs to his nipples in the absurd Super Bowl 2008 Amp commercial (which had over 20 million viewers on Youtube the day after the game), but his diverse acting history includes roles in the movies Dude Where’s My Car? and Evolution, and in the television series "Dark Angel," "CSI," "Singled Out," "The Wonder Years," "Friends," and most famously in the Nickelodeon show "Salute Your Shorts."

After meeting through a podcast, Avallone and Bower hit it off. “I thought it was interesting that he made a joking offer to fly me out from LA to New York and to show me the sites of New Jersey if I would take a part in his movie. I thought he was joking,” Bower explains. Bower agreed to play a hypnotist in Community College, but the role quickly underwent a transformation. “Originally his role was just a hypnotist. Eventually we made it ‘Michael Ray Bower Playing the Hypnotist.' We threw in the 'Salute Your Shorts' references. We sculpted around him,” says Avallone.

The role Bower took on ended up becoming candid autobiography meets whacky caricature. Avallone worked with Bower to create a comfortable character. “He’s one of the first established actors I’ve worked with. He came in, asked me what the character’s motivation was. I come from the school that you should have what you’re doing be funny. Say it and if people laugh you did it right,” Avallone says.

But for Bower, creating the role was not as straight-forward. Having always been faced with the issue of the Donkeylips identity, the goal was also to address the hypnotist’s image while maintaining Avallone’s world of humor. “Avallone and I talked and I told him I didn’t like being called Donkeylips all the time. I thought it would be funny to hypnotize people so you could tell them your real name, so they could forget you were Donkeylips,” Bower says. “It was kind of cool because I started to look like I was a psychopath. Like, ‘I am a God and my name is Michael Ray Bower.'” The result is subtle and quirky, and shows Bower’s impressive control in front of the camera.

Bower is okay with being known by many for his role as Donkeylips, but he’s ready to move on. “I’d like to have tough-guy roles in the future. Not necessarily a role as a serial killer, but I do have a lot of pain I want to get out. Humor’s natural, and it comes to me easy,” proclaims Bower. “It’s hard showing people your vulnerabilities, and it’s really hard to get into the dark areas if you were born into the comedic actor.”

And humor, which comes easiest to him, has already begun to serve as a jumping off point. Both Bower and Avallone have roles in No Footing, a local feature written and directed by Michael Licisyn of Mixed Nut Productions. The movie, which comes out this fall, centers around Madison, an artist (Jensen Bucher) in the Philadelphia area who realizes the life of creativity and glamour is not as easy as it once seemed.

Avallone spent most of his time helping produce the film, and he only fills the minor role (with a total of one line) of a projectionist. Bower plays a prolific, though dark and estranged, video artist who is ironically successful, much to the disdain of Madison. “I make these gothic movies that show the pain and suffering in the world, but I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed. It offends Madison that dorks like me get all the luck while she is the intelligent one and has to struggle,” he says. While the world waits for the finalizations of No Footing, which will premiere at the Broadway Theatre in Pitman later this year, Michael Ray Bower is back to LA to take on work as it comes. His parting words: “Love me, love me, love me.” -Greg Bem

http://nofooting.com/

http://www.communitycollegesucks.com/

Interview with Beyond From Within (Pittsburgh, PA)

Beyond From Within is the brain child of founder, lead singer/songwriter, and single member Steve Andrews. The musical genre of Beyond From Within is a mixture of psychedelic folk, pop, and rock. The psychedelic edge isn’t dominant but has a mellow presence in the music. Elements of synth are also added into the musical mixture to round it out and give a little of something for everyone.

Andrews calls Pittsburgh home and his music (Beyond From Within) is his one man creation - he writes the songs, plays all of the instruments (guitars, bass, keyboards, drums), and sings all of the vocals. Andrews talked about his one man project, saying “The concept and name of Beyond From Within came about when I was writing the deep, psychedelic song 'Seven Strangers.' Beyond From Within is original, clever, creative, and unique. The unique melodies and thoughtful lyrics take you on a soul searching journey."

After pausing, he mentions his influences. “The biggest influences on Beyond From Within are the Doors, Rolling Stones, and the Who. Jim Morrison's deep lyric verse has been a great influence on my writing. Their music is fantastic!!," he says. "Some of my favorite songs are, 'Paint it Black,' 'Light my Fire,' 'Street Fightin Man,' and 'We Don't Get Fooled Again,' etc... [They] are songs that have influenced my melody writing."

Andrews continues: “My first experience with music came when I was a vocalist in a grade school choir. I started playing and creating music about fifteen years ago. At first, I didn’t know what a chord was, key signature, bass clef, treble clef, etc...I started as a lyricist. Then, I took some guitar lessons, and everything else has evolved from there. I am considered a self-taught musician."

Andrews’ Beyond From Within project can be seen as a flashback to the past. The songs have a '60s psychedelic feel, mostly thanks to the guitar parts found on them. The lyrics have an underlying spirituality, not heard too often in this day and age.

Beyond From Within has an album out by the same name. The tracks that stand out due to being acoustic guitar driven are, “Forever Road/Lonely Penny,” and the Dylan-ish folk pop song, “Between the Rain." Andrews comments on his self-titled album (reviewed in the latest issue of Origivation): “Beyond From Within was created with the objective to encourage and take listeners on a journey that they will want to take over and over again." The final outcome of Andrews' debut CD is a solid gold hit for those music lovers wanting to experience something different.

When asked what was in the future for Steve Andrews and his Beyond From Within one man project, he thought a moment and then said, “Beyond From Within is on a timeless journey searching to explore and conquer minds, which it has yet to conquer and discover.”

If you would like to find out more about Beyond From Within and experience it’s timeless journey go to http://www.beyondfromwithin.com. -Crazy John Kerecz

WARPED TOUR EXTENDED: Interview with Sing It Loud

Sing it Loud grew out of a friendship between cousin's vocalist Pat Brown and guitarist Kieren Smith, who founded the group together and added members whom they met locally in the Minneapolis music scene. The band was offered a contract with Epitaph Records after playing only seven shows together. Their debut release for Epitaph was an EP produced by Josh Cain of Motion City Soundtrack, released in March 2008.

They released a full-length album, Come Around, in September 2008, which hit no. 44 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.

We sat down during Warped Tour with singer Pat Brown to discuss the tour, his music, and his new girlfriend.

Can you tell us how you started out?

Brown: We were all in touring bands that were pretty popular in our hometown (Minneapolis area of Minnesota). Our bands kinda fell apart, 'cuz there were people who wanted it a lot more than others. Seeing as we had the same aspirations, we just kinda formed what we thought would be a personality super group (since we had all been in bands with people that we wished we weren't). We played our first show on July 11, 2007.

When'd you get your first big break?

Brown: The story of how we got discovered was a very “right place/right time” sorta deal. We won this contest to open for Motion City Soundtrack, which is a band that is really popular from our home town. We befriended them at the show and kept in touch. They pitched us to their label, Epitaph, and convinced the owner of Epitaph, Bret, to fly out to see us. He did, and signed us.

How does it feel to be on a label, Epitaph, with a mainstay of music so different than yours?

Brown: Some people might look at it and think that it's weird, or not a good thing, but I love it 'cuz I'm not only on a label with bands that I really looked up to for a long time, like Bad Religion, NOFX, Atmosphere, Story of the Year, Newfound Glory. The coolest thing about it is that there's no band on our label that sounds like us. Alotta major independent labels these days sign the same band over and over with the same trend. We're lucky to say that we have a reputable, long-standing-bad-ass-record-label. They signed us because they like our music and what we're about, whether or not there are other bands that sound like us on their label.

How do you like Warped tour? Is this your first Warped tour?

Brown: It is our first Warped Tour. It's amazing! There are a lot of bands that I grew up listening to, and alotta bands that we've toured with and have become friends with. Add in alcohol, subtract the bullies, and it's basically like a summer camp for 22-year-olds--it's alota fun/a traveling party. Warped tour was such a part of my teen years (when I was in junior high and high school), so it's really cool to be a part of it this year.

It was really sick when you got everyone in the audience to crowd surf.

Brown: Yea, did you like that? Nice. Yea that was fun, I do that every day. 'Cuz alotta times, you know, people are shy, so it's fun. It's funny. It's really funny 'cuz you get people who are stoked and you get people who are really pissed off that people are crowd surfing, but whatever, I think it's funny. When I went to warped tour I crowd surfed all the time--and at shows--I loved it.

You got the crowd pretty pumped up with that.

Brown: Yea, its fun. Gotta have a good time, you know.

It seems like you guys have a lot of heart as a band. You made a speech on stage about people who hate on everyone else, and how they just come to Warped Tour to make fun of people. You further stated that you want everyone to be united and cool to each other. That's what Anti-Flag are all about.

Brown: Yea and that's what Anti-Flag does to this day. When I was in high school, I wasn't popular by any means. There were alotta people at my school who were such assholes to everyone, and made fun of people for no reason. Like the high school jocks that just make fun of people, and like two years after high school, it's like, “Bro, high school football is over man, what are you gonna do now, how are you gonna find your coolness, 'cuz there is none, you're an asshole.” Alotta people suck, and it bums me out. Some bands get up on stage, acting tough, and yelling at their fans. They talk smack about other bands and try to act cool. We don't do that. We just try to have a good time. And if other people are trying to not let us do that, then it's like whatever. I totally hate people like that, it makes me sick, and so I preach.

So you just try to help people love themselves?

Brown: Yea, it doesn't matter if your tall, short, black, white, Jewish, Christian, gay, lesbian, straight, transsexual, I don't care what you are or what your into, everyone's badass in some sorta way. Not alotta people know that 'cuz people bring them down, and it bums me out.

How do you feel about your new video, “Come Around” on MTV2 and MTVU?

Brown: I love it I'm really stoked on how it turned out, 'cuz we worked really hard on it. We all went out to LA, in January, to do the video. We chose to do it with a guy named Luke Aca. He really understood our personalities as a band. There were a couple other people that wanted to do our music video who were better known in the industry, but we all felt that Luke had the best treatment. Honestly, he nailed it. It couldn't have turned out better.

What's the process involved in choosing a treatment?

Brown: Basically, Epitaph sought out a list of 10 music video producers, and sent them our ideas and song, then the producers come up with a storyboard. We then get an email with the 10 treatments, and we picked the funniest one.

It was funny, I really liked it.

Brown: It was fun, he's great.

Did you meet your girlfriend, Dani from the Millionaires, on the tour? Or do you not wanna talk about that?

Brown: No, I can talk about that, for sure. I get asked that a lot actually lately (laughs). 'Cuz people are talking about it a lot.

You guys are a really cute couple.

Brown: Oh, well thank you. Sing it Loud went to the UK with a band called Cobra Starship, right before Warped Tour. She hit me up on the Internet, and she's like “Yo, I'm really stoked to spend time with your band on tour this summer, 'cuz we're both playing the Warped Tour.” And I hit her back with my number and said 'Hit me up whenever.' And she texted me when I was on the plane, actually, on the way to the UK. We were texting back and forth, then we took off, and I didn't have my phone on for two weeks. When I came back, I just started texting her again, and it grew from there. I asked her out on the first night of the tour.

So wait, she just found you on MySpace?

Brown: That's where she initially talked to me, but we knew who each other were for a while, I guess, like known each other's bands and stuff. 'Cuz like when you're in a band in this genre/scene, you know who everyone else is. Like alotta bands on this tour I hadn't met until two weeks ago, but I could point them out in a crowd 'cuz I know what they look like. 'Cuz I go on the blogs and on websites and watch other bands music videos, so I can see what other people are doing, and try to learn from it.

What are you aspiring to do in the future with your music? I know you're working on a new album.

Brown: We've already started writing it, we're recording it in the fall, which we're really excited about, and after that we're gonna be touring nonstop. And I guess collectively as a band, we just wanna fund our lives with playing music. Like I don't wanna go to school, I don't go to work, I don't wanna do that stuff, I already did it and it sucked--I didn't like it. I just wanna be able to do what I do, live off of it, and not have to worry about anything else.

If you could tour with anybody, who would you like to tour with?

Brown: Probably a band called Taking Back Sunday. They're like my favorite band. They got me into this kinda music. Or also a band called Jimmy Eat World. I'm super into them as well. Those would be my two dream bands to play with.

Do you wanna tell us about your album, Come Around?

Brown: Well, you can pick up our album, Come Around, anywhere right now. It came out September 23, it's got 11 tracks. It features guest vocals by Alex Gaskarth from Alltime Low and Justin Pierre from Motion City Soundtrack.

What direction is your new album going in?

Brown: We're going in a more of a rock/'90s/jumpy sort of theme. It's kinda like our CD now, mixed with Third Eye Blind, Taking Back Sunday, and Def Leppard. That's how it would sound - very commercial and very pop.

Can you tell us a funny tour story?

Brown: It was our first tour ever. We booked it ourselves. It was a month after our band started, in the late summer of '07. Ben, our keyboard player, was driving. We were crossing the Lower Peninsula of Michigan into the Upper Peninsula. We didn't have a tour manager, guitar tech, merch guy--it was just the five of us. We had driven all day long, so we were all very tired--except for Ben, who slept in. So we were like, “Ben, is it cool if you drive, we're gonna sleep, so we can play tonight.” And Ben was like, “Yea, sure.” So we all fall asleep. About three hours later, Ben wakes us up and is like, “Dude, guys. Dude!” (We didn't have GPS, so he was using MapQuest on his little shitty phone). We all woke up, and he's like, “Dude, I fucked up really bad.” We all sat up, and it was like “Welcome to Canada.” We were at the Canadian border. He missed the turn. He missed the exit and took us three hours out of the way. And we didn't have any of our passports, so we had to explain why we had to turn around. We ended up missing our show, and it was like really bad. It wasn't funny at the time, but now it is.

So did you call the venue and tell them what happened?

Brown: Yea, it was fine. It was a huge bummer, but it was really funny.

Do you have anything else to add?

Brown: Make sure to come check us out on Warped Tour. We're playing every day on the Hurley stage for the rest of the summer. Also, pick up our record Come Around in stores, iTunes…all that jazz.
-Roya Butler

WARPED TOUR EXTENDED: Interview with Gallows

Formed in 2005, Gallows is an English hardcore punk band from Hertfordshire, England. Guitarist Laurent Barnard united with bassist Stuart Gili-Ross, and with the rest of their band mates, released their debut album, Orchestra of Wolves. The album caught the attention of Bad Religion's Brett Gurewitz, who released it in the US on independent label Epitaph Records with new tracks including a cover of Black Flag's “Nervous Breakdown.” In an interview, Gurewitz named Orchestra of Wolves as one of his favorite albums of 2007, praising it as being the best hardcore album since Refused's The Shape of Punk to Come.

The band won the 2007 Kerrang! Award for best British Newcomer, and were recently signed to Warner Brothers Records, releasing their label debut, Grey Britain, on May 2 of this year.

During a stint on Warped Tour, guitarist Laurent Barnard discusses the tour, their album, and why every Gallows show leaves audiences begging for more.

How did you get your nickname 'Lags'?

Laurent Barnard: When I was about 10 years old, I was on the school football team (soccer as you Americans like to call it). At the time, I had a really good long distance goal score. Meanwhile, another player from Yugolsovia, who was a friend of mine called “Dragenslocavitch,” was scoring all these amazing goals for long distance as well. So he started calling me “Lagenslocavitch.” That name later got shortened to “Lags,” and somehow for 18 years, it's managed to stick. That's how I got “Lags,” the nickname. I always get asked this question, so hopefully, now, kids can search and find out the reason why, so that's good.

You guys have been quoted as saying: “If the crowds don't fear their own safety then we're doing something wrong.” Can you elaborate on that?

Barnard: I think our singer Frank said that. I feel like music's become really safe. Going to shows today isn't quite like it used to be. Back when hardcore/punk rock first started, there was an element of danger at shows--like you don't what's going to happen, and it was like exciting. But now when you go see a band, it's the same show every day--a rehearsed set. It's just a bit boring. We're trying to inject some excitement back into music.

Who are your musical influences? Do you guys like Minor Threat, Gorilla Biscuits, Sick of it All?

Barnard: Our influences range from all those bands to Discharge, back home, as well.

What about Amebix?

Barnard: I actually listen more to a lot of American Hardcore like Fugazi, the Stooges--bands that are taking rock 'n' roll and doing something different with it. I think with Gallows, we're not just a straight up punk or hardcore band; instead we incorporate loads of different musical elements.

Tell us about your recent signing to Warner Records.

Barnard: It's really a good opportunity for us to really push the band. It was wicked being on Epitaph, 'cuz they released some of our favorite albums, and signed great bands such as Bouncing Souls and Converge. But moving to a major label makes being in a band a lot easier--a lot easier to handle. Signing to Warner made sense for us, 'cuz it just meant that our band will have more support behind us. When we were on Epitaph, we were very DIY. Although we like DIY, we've been playing in bands for over 10 years, and are looking to make Gallows work. So we're really happy. Everyone's working really hard in helping us reach our dreams.

Can you tell us about the now-legendary, on-stage tattooing of your singer, Frank Carter, at the Reading Festival?

Barnard: We played a show at Reading Festival--which is a massive deal for us, and it was the first time we ever played it. We had just come back to the States, and it was one of our best shows ever. During our set, our singer, Frank was like "Ah, yea this is great," and asked Dan Smith (a friend of ours, who had some of his tattoo equipment with him) to get his tattoo stuff. Dan got it, and brought it on stage, and we kinda forced Chad, from Newfound Glory, to tattoo a lock with seven dots on Frank. The seven dots was for 2007, and the lock was for "The Lock Up Stage," which was the stage we were playing. It was a pretty spontaneous event. That's what we're saying: it's good to have random things happen in music. If you come to a Gallows show, you know it's not going to be exactly the same as the last show.

How do you feel about Warped Tour. Is this your first time at Warped?

Barnard: We did Warped two years ago, and that was really hard. Coming back two years later is a lot better--more people know us, so the shows are better. It's going really well. We made heaps of new friends and got to hang out with loads of old friends as well. We know loads of bands, as well, now which is really cool--when they come out to the UK, we get to hang out and see 'em again. So yea, it's like the whole friendship/family vibe of Warped tour. The one thing I'd say about Warped tour is there's a lot of non-punk rock bands playing, which is not something you associate with a punk rock tour, but I guess it's like trying to attract different crowds. Being a hardcore/punk band, I think we're pretty different than a lot of other bands on tour with us at the moment.

Tell us about your new album, Grey Britain, which came out in May.

Barnard: It's kinda like a concept record about everything that's wrong with England. We're not trying to say that England is a terrible place to live. It just has a lot of problems. The album focuses on all those issues. It's wicked. We spent so much time and money making sure the record is what it is today. This new album may not be something our fans expect, in listening to our past albums. There's heaps of piano and strings--we just tried to make a really big dramatic album.

Tell us some of the problems you focus on in the album.

Barnard: Quite a few, really: Youth Crimes, Politicians, Religion…I wish I had a record here so I could look at the album and tell you which song is about which. In whole, it's basically a social and political view of living in England.

Your single, “In the Belly of a Shark” recently came out on Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock. Can you tell us about that?

Barnard: We're all massive video game fans. We've got an Xbox there [pointing to the Xbox in their bus], and we got it especially so we could have one for the tour. We got asked if we wanted a song on Guitar Hero. If anything, it helps…kids are gonna play Guitar Hero, kids who have probably never heard of Gallows. Hopefully they'll check out Gallows, and then check out the bands that we like--listen to something different.

You have a “Viva Hate” tattoo on your forearm, is that in reference to Morrissey?

Barnard: Yea, it's from Morrissey. It's just a cool phrase as well, I reckon.

What does it mean to you?

Barnard: I was really angry when I got it--actually I got it done yesterday. And, I donno, it's just like all my tattoos, they don't really mean much. Like I got this one [pointing to a tattoo of a key] when we were recording in the studio, so I got the key to the studio 'cuz it was a good time. Then [pointing to another tattoo] mom and dad. Then, [pointing to a tattoo of a rooster] a French cock, which means “family” in French. A lot of my tattoos don't mean anything though. I just like 'em. I get 'em cuz it's a fun thing to do I think.

Anything you want to add?

Barnard: Check out our myspace, check out our record, and come to a show.

-Roya Butler

Interview with Rob Miller from Amebix

Britain's Amebix is one of the first bands to blend anarcho-punk and heavy metal music. Formed in 1978, and split in 1987, they recently reunited as of 2008.

Crusties both young and old packed the Trocadero venue to capacity on a mid-January night for the legendary hardcore punk band, uniting to go on tour for the first time in twenty-two years. This was a dream come true for punks young and old who have wanted to see the glory that is Amebix live.

The heavily influential sound of Amebix laid the foundation for crust punk. It's hypnotic and haunting melodies merge the harsh cold brutality of metal with the raw punk edge of anger, calling out injustice. All over the US, punks united to witness their unforgettable shows. The venue was flooded with a sea of black leather and metal studs as the crowd sang along with Amebix singer Rob Miller, “Arise!”

We were honored enough to be able to interview vocalist, Rob Miller, from the island of Skye, after their highly anticipated US tour.

Regarding your song, "Largactyl," can you give us the background story of how that song was written? Also, how do you feel about overmedication of children today? Lastly, what does the last lyric of "Largactyl" mean: "At 21, they'll be coming for you?"

Rob Miller: "Largactyl" was written about our first drummer Martin, who was diagnosed as Paranoid Schizophrenic after we left his place in Devon. The medication they put him on was Largactyl, which seemed extreme for someone essentially so gentle. The lyric is: “Senility at 21...they'll be coming for you, we were still young”--it means that the men in white coats are coming. I think there is a lot of over diagnosis of social problems that didn't really exist when I was a kid. If you were a pain in the ass, you got a punch. Sorted.

Can you tell me the story behind the song "Beyond the Sun"? It's my personal favorite.

Miller: It is basically homage to friends who died along our way, some through drugs, others through motorcycles. I like it as an emotionally driven song but also find it a bit too personal at times. My ex died a few months ago riding her Trike. She had lost one leg in an accident a few years ago after I left. And she really got me into the whole bike thing again after Bristol (where Amebix lived before moving out to Radstock near Bath, where we recorded Arise). So my son, Richard is dealing with the loss of his mother now and feeling alone. She was a very tough woman. The split with her is what drove me to move to Skye 20 years ago almost. She taught me a few things, not the easiest person in the world, but a real warrior spirit.

“Beyond the Sun” has a very heavy feeling of melancholy. A cold harshness seems to pervade through out all of your music. Even “Drink and be Merry” ends on the dark note of: “For tomorrow, we may die.” Was this dark outlook on life a reflection of the squatter lifestyle that the band lived while writing these songs?

Miller: Yes, but there is also a positive side to these songs. “Drink and Be Merry” is a statement that things can be very tough around you but you must still seize the day and make the best that you can from it. “The Darkest Hour” actually gave hope to one guy when he was going to commit suicide. He wrote to me that he was going to throw himself off the roof and someone in a flat below was playing this and he "got it." I have a large amount of very personal mails from people who say what a significant and positive impact Amebix was in their lives. For a long time, I was very uncertain about what we had done, whether anyone understood us, as there was no feedback at all when we were first around. We had a very very small audience, most of them reluctant. Amebix is a phenomenon, a band that has surprisingly achieved a cult status over the years. Playing to sold out venues in every city in the US was totally amazing for us.

You are cited as creating crust punk. How does it feel like to have made such an impact?

Miller: I don't feel comfortable being tagged with that label. I think Amebix was always a band that stood apart from our contemporaries, in our approach, attitude and unwillingness to conform to "scene" parameters. I think the term "crust punk" is not something that we consider ourselves to be part of. Crusty was a term used in Bristol to denote the punks who were really living on the street--not the studs and leather guys who would spike the hair up on the weekends, but that is all. People seem too ready to adopt a packaged lifestyle complete with uniform and prescribed political belief structures that I personally find very claustrophobic. We are not interested in being defined by a genre. If anything, we are in our own selves complete and don't need to be labeled. We rose from the original punk scene to define our own music in our own way. Motorhead are just Motorhead, Killing Joke are Killing Joke, and Amebix are just Amebix. We don't need to feel secure in our nest.

While squatting, you must have struggled for basic needs: food and shelter. How were you able to gather the equipment to make your music?

Miller: Our equipment was always basic. We would drag guitars around with us, try and get secure places to put things in but generally it would be a case of borrowing from other bands whilst we were playing. We came to Bristol with a bass and a guitar and a synthesizer, and managed to save money to buy leads and strings when they were needed (although I am sure I only ever changed my bass strings about four times in as many years). It was always a bit of a struggle, but between ourselves and Disorder, we managed to play.

I understand that you squatted with Disorder. Were your bands friends and influential on each other? Do you keep in touch?

Miller: We shared the same drummer for some time, but the two bands were distinctly different. I didn't like any of the thrash/fast music at that time--even Discharge. I preferred “Ain't No Feeble Bastard” to any other song because it had pace and power. I saw the hardcore stuff as dissipating power. We were all the best of friends regardless, and played a lot of gigs together. We shared whatever we had with one another. I still talk with Boobs and Steve.

Living the squatter life sounds like it was cold, hard, and depressing. Is the dark tone that pervades throughout all yours songs that you wrote at that time a reflection of that life?

Miller: I think “Winter” is a great summary of those times--the harsh life on the streets in the winter time. There is certainly bleakness about some of our early music that is very apparent…desperate times.

You've lived by the "No Gods, No Masters" creed for decades. How has its meaning changed over the years?

Miller: My views on most things have stayed consistent. “No Gods, No Masters” is open to interpretation. For me, it is about autonomy and following your own path, even if it leads away from others. It is ultimately about being true to you.

Please tell me more of how tour reshaped, or refreshed your views of the punk scene.

Miller: Firstly, we were amazed at the sheer number of people that came out to the shows. Pretty much every venue was sold out. People came from all different areas. One guy in Seattle commented that there are at least five distinct "scenes" there, and that show was the first one that he had ever witnessed people from all those scenes in the same place. It felt very unifying, and I am happy to see that Amebix had such a far reach. I was encouraged to see older people from the punk scene that had taken the original ethos and integrated that into their lives, manifesting that spirit in independent radio, magazines, and websites. When the band split in 1987, the entire experience left a bad taste in my mouth. I found the mentality of the scene in the UK really claustrophobic in a lot of respects. For me, it seemed to turn in on itself and demand conformity to a new set of rules--which is exactly what we were fighting against. We are faced with this now as well, when some people assume that Amebix should be playing in squats for beer money all over Europe, when it isn't like that for us anymore. We enjoy playing again, and want to express that by putting on a solid show. It's important for us to attract different people from all over. Our message was always a universal one, not to be jealously owned by a select group. Punk rock, to me, opened everything up as possible, and I was so happy to see that manifest in people's lives on our last visit to the U.S. The anarcho-punk scene in the UK had a few positive effects, in that people were encouraged to DIY, but the constant struggle for security led to people forming more and more obscure cliques, and forgetting that the message goes outwards and not inwards.

Your brand of anarchism seems meant to be implemented on a personal level. How do you feel about those anarchist thinkers who feel that an overhaul is needed on the structure of society itself?

Miller: Each to their own. I understand peoples desires to make the world conform to their will, but it is also important to recognize the will of others and not arbitrarily impose yours.

Why were you initially called “The Band with No Name?”

Miller: It was after the Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Westerns, where he was “the man with no name.” It just tickled us a bit.

Then you created the name Amebix, meaning simplicity (coming from the basic form of life ameba)?

Miller: Yes, it was to indicate that we were a very basic musical unit.

What was it like meeting the legendary Jello Biafra?

Miller: Fine. He was very enthusiastic about us and gave us a break to release "Arise." We had him on stage in SF to sing "Largactyl."

How's it like living on the Isle of Skye?

Miller: It is both difficult and amazing. The winters are long, cold, and dark, offset by long days in the summer. Here, there is some of the most magnificent scenery in the world, and the freedom to roam wherever I like. I have walked and camped all over this island, and the Outer Hebrides. I have grown to love the wilderness and the solitude that it offers, as well as a good fire in the woods with friends. It is somewhere that I would be haunted by if I ever left, and has become a part of my soul as much as Devon--where I grew up.

Do you have a sword shop in Skye?

Miller: I have made swords for the past 18 years here on Skye, training myself in the Art of the Medieval sword smith. This has brought me to be well recognized in my field. It is a hard job but very creative: www.castlekeep.co.uk

You reissued your last album Monolith. Do you think you'll re-record arise?

Miller: No. Arise 2 was released a few years ago with the bonus tracks. Monolith may see a vinyl release one day. But for now, we are concentrating on recording new material.

Tell us about your influences such as Killing Joke.

Miller: We saw KJ in Trafalgar square in 1980 at a CND rally. They had a profound influence on us, as they manifested energy in such a powerful manner--it was almost psychotic. Black Sabbath also a huge influence, as well as the bands we grew up with T Rex, Bowie, Iggy, etc.

Have you heard the bands Converge or Bane? Do you think some new bands are becoming more courageous as the hardcore bands were in the late 80s, to rip through the molds?

Miller: I cannot answer that question, I have not had any contact with music for over 20 years.

Can you tell us about the new compilation that you released, No Sanctuary: The Spiderleg Recordings?

Miller: Yes, it was the result of trying to re-claim our Master tapes from our first three releases. It took some time, but the new staff at Southern were very helpful, and we were able to get the tapes back and release them on one CD/LP. They have been boosted and cleaned up a bit, but essentially the same. It's a good package that Jello has taken a lot of care into putting together. As a record, it is more primitive than our later material but still very visceral.

Can you tell us about your DVD, Risen. When do you plan to release it? I heard it will include interviews and live footage.

Miller: The DVD is now released and receiving a favorable response. It is the labor of Roy Wallace who put the project together as a tribute, and as a consequence brought Stig and I together with Roy Mayorga, which has brought the band back to life. We are all very happy to be taking things forward from here.

-Roya Butler

Tommy Avallone & his Community College

Tommy Avallone is not quite sick of his latest movie, Community College, which would surprise anyone if they knew anything about the past few years of his life. The indie comedy has been four years in the making. The 80-minute movie finally reached its first climax when it premiered at the Trocadero Theater on April 1, packing 350 seats of the near-500 in the venue. Among the general audience there was a very respectable response: laughter, turning in chairs, having a pretty good time, and a bit more laughter.

Community College follows four guys—Chino (Jordan McSorley), Rod Oswald Dean (Tim Dean), Herby (Tommy Avallone), and Jonny300 (Jonathan Dean), who are all attending a very purgatorial college in Haddon Heights, New Jersey. As they get drunk daily, fall asleep in class daily, and generally slack off, it’s revealed that the group is merely staying connected with academia to get free health care. But the short class periods, complete with annoying peers and too much work, are not good for the group. The guys spend most of their time at a local bar, the “Barrington Pub,” where they get free drinks from their bartender friend, Smutty.

After a day where the bar is closed without warning, and all four of the guys are trying to find some logical explanation and not freak out, Smutty fills everybody in that the bar has been going through some economic throws and will have to be shut down. The guys are informed, however, that if they can raise the $10,000 to pay off the bills, they can become the owners of the bar, and then, logically, they can start getting free drinks again. The catch: they only have a month to do it. “The goal is to work hard to eventually not work at all,” explains Avallone. And the main story makes a lot of sense—it’s familiar but not cliché, on the border of comedy and tragedy, yet never becoming melodramatic.

At times, Community College runs a bit into the realm of absurdity, leaving viewers scratching their heads at all the over-the-top zaniness—like when Avallone’s character, Herby, recalls his last girlfriend, who is a mermaid. He dumps her because she won’t put out: “No vagina, no dice.” Where does that come from? At the same time, the movie hits on a humorous, nonsensical side to college life, an alternate reality in itself, that anyone and everyone who has ever set foot on a campus can probably relate to. Ever heard anyone say they are “majoring in rebellion”?

Perhaps the movie succeeds in its comedic relevance because Avallone, who wrote, directed, edited, co-produced (with Brian L. Hagan) and co-starred in Community College, has always been of the mind to write what you know. “I wrote this in 2005 and, at the time, I was going to college and I was working as a video store clerk,” Avallone remarks. “Well, you can’t write a movie about being a video store clerk, so I wrote about a community college. I didn’t want to grow up, so the whole movie is about not wanting to grow up by going to college.”

The content of the movie, which includes countless cameos by friends and celebrities, as well as strange characters, like a purple octopus hanging around the bar all the time without any reasonable explanation, give this movie a weird, inside-joke vibe that is confusing but humorous nonetheless. The movie seems to obviously draw in from some bigger names in indie comedy. “I was influenced by Kevin Smith because he did a lot with little,” says Avallone. “And early Richard Linklater. Anytime there’s something [in Slacker] about anything at all, they move on to nothing.” But Avallone has also been trying to get away from the obviously-mimicked approaches in his first movies (Wasted Apples, Small Kid Tank Top, Here’s the Yesterday) and develop a look of his own, an idea not too difficult for someone who ran for town mayor as an homage to Andy Kaufman.

One of the most creative qualities to Community College is its core plot. Some of the best comedy movies have really only been successful as movies because of their stories, characters and settings, and Community College would probably never have succeeded without its memorable scenes. Examples include entry into a college class for dumb and deaf students, featuring Avallone’s character, Herby, making fun of his unsuspecting peers with a live studio audience; a war between two lemonade stands; a crashed party where the four protagonists each get some very strange action; a flea market where a boxed-up head is purchased. Then there’s the reoccurring home base at the school’s library, which is used by the four as a center for schemes, plans and, ultimately, recovery. Yes, Avallone has created a masterful micro-world by doing so much with not necessarily so little, but with what is available, and what many know.

While the movie was a thrill ride that moved fluidly from scene to scene, the humor’s source was often hidden. Where did that joke come from? What the heck is going on? Are they talking about what I think they’re talking about? These questions and more ceaselessly pop up, making the movie stagger and turn, working to both break up the endless stream of jokes but also raise an eyebrow or two. A perfect is example is Michael Ray Bower’s cameo. You probably remember Bower back in the day from Salute Your Shorts. He was the one who played Donkey Lips. He was also in Dude, Where’s My Car? and more recently, he was in an Amp (the beverage) commercial involving jumper cables attached to his nipples. The genius and ultimate issue with Bower’s presence in Community College was that Bower’s hypnotist character is directly referred to as Donkey Lips, and not everyone may know the reference. But only seconds away, Herby pegs this young grade-school girl in the head with a dodge ball.

Working with Bower meant a lot to Avallone, who really never had the chance to work with an established actor before. “He grew up doing this. I’m the guy in charge and I had to talk to a guy who’s already a professional about what to do,” Avallone says. “We ended up suiting the role to him. We said, ‘Let’s rewrite this so we can make this funny for you.’ So we had him playing himself as a hypnotist. I always like when people make fun of themselves in the movie. You have Donkey Lips in a movie and you have him reference Donkey Lips.”

Despite how much is going on under the surface, the movie constantly rebounds from its hidden side of strange, anecdotal references. Even if you don’t know the history Scott Schwarts, Brian Heffron, MC Lars, or Bob Levy, their roles are still hilarious. Scott Schwartz, who plays the bars owner, played Flick in A Christmas Story. Brian Heffron is the infamous wrestler, Blue Meanie. MC Lars is the self-proclaimed originator of post-punk laptop rap. And Bob Levy is the popular comedian from New Jersey, featured regularly on "The Howard Stern Show."

But these great guest actors, and the dynamic roles they play, as well as the quality of the video and audio, and the overall pizzazz of the story itself, almost never happened. Community College has a history, and the end result is far more substantial than it could have been. Through an amazing resilience, Avallone and his team, which includes Brian L. Hagan, Michael Licisyn, Tim and Jon Dean, Bower, Robert Boileau, and Michael Pallante, went through excruciating difficulties in trying to get the film to be where they want it. “In 2005, we canned the movie for the first time and decided we wanted to rehearse. It’s always better to shoot in nice weather, so we decided to wait and shoot in the summer of 2006,” explains Avallone. “We rehearsed for a little bit, then we decided to shoot on the weekend. That took up until November, 2006. Some of the cameos we had to wait on. MC Lars—that was February 2007. Then there were a lot of it was technical problems. 2007 to 2008 was spent capturing everything.”

Now, it’s well into 2009 and Avallone’s entertaining movie has had its initial success, but Avallone still wonders, ponders, all the effort he put into it. “After you hit a certain point—you work on a movie for so many years—you ask the question: is it ever going to be good enough to face completion?," he says. "But I haven’t gotten tired of the movie yet. I think the movie’s short. At 80 minutes, it’s not too long, and you’re never like this [looks at his watch]. I haven’t hated it yet.” - Greg Bem

Henry Rollins on the West Memphis Three

The following is exclusive bonus content from the Henry Rollins interview in this month's **POLITICAL ISSUE**. Check out the whole article by Annamarya Scaccia by picking up a copy or downloading the PDF from our website.

Henry Rollins on The West Memphis Three

It was an unspeakable crime - on the afternoon on May 6, 1993, three eight-year-old cub scouts, Steve Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore, were found cruelly mutilated and murdered in West Memphis, Ark. Before long, three teenagers, Jessie Misskelley Jr., Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols, were in custody.

Police boasted that they’ve solved the case - that the three in question were, in fact, the killers. But there lied a problem in this certainty – it was based on a jaundiced eye and a disturbing need to put it to a close. These were three kids with black hair and heavy metal t-shirts and novels by Stephen King (during the trials, prosecution use these common predilections as indicators of their culpability, claiming the three boys were sacrificed in a satanic ritual), so they had to be guilty, right?

After 12 hours of grueling interrogation without counsel or parental consent, mentally handicapped Misskelley Jr. confessed (he later repudiated it that evening but to no avail). It was a coerced “error-filled” confession, the defense claims, but that didn’t matter to police. On June 3, 1993, the boys - now known as the West Memphis Three - were arrested and in early 1994, convicted of murder.

Found guilty, Baldwin received life without parole, Misskelley Jr. got life plus 40 and Echols was sentenced to death.

Fifteen years later - and still imprisoned - Misskelley Jr., Baldwin, and Echols, along with loved ones and supporters, maintain their innocence (in 2007, Christopher Byers' stepfather, John Mark Byers, said he was finally convinced the WM3 are innocent after 14 years of believing otherwise). Others are still certain of their guilt. What’s Rollins take?

“Well, there’s a lot of [injustice] in America,” he says. “I think America has a great justice system but sometimes it makes mistakes and justice is not served, even though the verdict was left to a jury of your peers. The peers didn’t get all of the information or the information wasn’t kneaded out in a way of proper context. So I believe in the innocence of Jesse, Jason and Damien very much.”

“This is not uncommon for people who are quite innocent to be champed up on really scary charges,” he adds.

Rollins is just one of many supporting the WM3. As part of his espousal, which began seven years ago after watching case documentaries, Rollins has organized benefit shows and released Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three in 2002 to help raise awareness.

Like many others, Rollins contends it was a botched case. The defense, he says, didn’t have the budget to “realize the results from the evidence,” while the prosecution had unlimited amounts of resources and finance. “It’s just too bad that Judge [David] Burnett, in all his wisdom, couldn’t see this miscarriage of justice on his watch and, to this day, he still doesn’t want to know about it,” Rollins says.

In early September 2008, Judge Burnett, who served on the original trials, denied a motion for a new trial, rejecting claims that new DNA evidence proves the innocence of the three men convicted. This could be seen as a set back on some level, says Rollins, but it could also be a fast track to get to federal court. (Ed. Note: As of October 12, a month after the Rollins interview was conducted, Baldwin and Misskelley will return to court from Nov. 19 – 21 when their Rule 37 hearings – failure to make disclosures or to cooperate in discovery – continue in front of Judge Burnett).

“Hopefully, [the denial] expedites a more rational courthouse because you really don’t want Judge Burnett going through all this again because you see that he has no interest even though it’s a whole new day,” he says. “Evidence-wise, he’s still stuck in, ‘well, a jury of their peers saw that they were guilty and I’m done’…As far as his judgment, you know he knows better.”

So where do Misskelley Jr., Baldwin and Echols find their patience in mist of this seeming injustice? “Perhaps some of their inspiration is knowing that there are people on the outside who are pushing," Rollins says. "There’s thousands of us out here who [are] not forgetting. This isn’t a thing we did for a while. We’re on this until they get out…I think it’s very important to let something like that be known to someone who’s in that situation.”

-ANNAMARYA SCACCIA