Song Of The Day: Labretta Suede & The Motel 6, "Mean Mouthed Mama"
From 2013, here's Labretta Suede & The Motel 6 with "Mean Mouthed Mama."
Enjoy1
Enjoy1
Kathi Wilcox: The Culture Brats Interview
During the late eighties and early nineties, you probably noticed the early rumblings of DIY culture fused with practical feminism that eventually turned into what would come to be known as Riot grrrl. Back then, any number of bands took credit for or claimed association with the movement but after the smoke had cleared, there wasn't much doubt left about who was left standing in the shelled-out remains of the initial explosion: the seminal Bikini Kill.
They were the first across a dangerous musical threshold and lay down on a few punk landmines so that other women could follow suit and walk through a little less frightened. Over the years, band members and friends collaborated, stayed active, played under different monikers, and lived their lives fully and artistically.
Recently, longtime friends and Bikini Kill bandmates Kathi Wilcox and Kathleen Hanna reformed the once experimental The Julie Ruin (a side project that originated with Hanna some years ago), recorded the soon-to-be-released album Run Fast, and got ready to go on a national tour. We spoke with Kathi recently about things past and a future that looks more than rosy.
Hey Kathi, how are you today?
Good how are you?
We are here in Washington DC, and you all were on NPR this morning!
Yeah, I know! They put it up last night. We just got finished watching the VMAs and I was just checking online and Kenny from my band was like, "Oh my god, they put it up early." Because we knew they were going to put it up but they went and did it early. Yeah, super exciting.
So you guys have the new full length release planned for September 3rd, Run Fast, and the first ever national tour with The Julie Ruin with a stop here in DC at our beloved Black Cat on September 7th. There are a lot of people really looking forward to this, longtime Bikini Kill fans . I've heard the single and the album and while the old songs you did in Bikini Kill still really hold up after all this time, the new material is fresh and packs a great punch. It's great. Did you think the impact of the older stuff would remain so fresh in the minds of the people who were around for Bikini Kill and that the new material would keep attracting so many new young fans?
I have to tell you that I'm totally surprised. We have only played two full-length shows so far and it has been a lot of young people, but more surprisingly it's just when I do interviews or when I go out and people come up and they say, you know, not that they're necessarily Julie Ruin fans but that they're Bikini Kill fans and they're fourteen and they're kind of like "We just found out about it." Kathleen keeps saying this in interviews but I'm experiencing the same thing. It's like they age through it and there's always a new generation of people that find out about it. And I don't know if it's Rock Camp For Girls or maybe it just fills a void that girls kind of need or something, but I am surprised. Also, I'm happy. I'm happy that girls are finding it and feeling it and relating to it that strongly. And while I'm happy, I'm also kind of bummed because maybe that means things haven't changed very much in this other way, that girls are still experiencing all the same stuff that we were when we were girls, so that might be one reason that they are relating to it.
First Look: Dallas Buyers Club
This looks amazing! But I have a soft spot for Matthew McConaughey. What do you think?
Your Guide to Becoming a Docuphile: Two Docs About Two Fascinating Families
Each column, I recommend lesser-known documentaries that I stumble across or are suggested to me, tweet me your suggestions @robinhardwick. This week, I look at two HBO documentaries that deal with the endurance of familial bonds.
My Flesh And Blood (2003)
My Flesh And Blood chronicles a year in the life of the Tom family. Susan Tom is the adoptive mother of thirteen children with serious mental and/or physical disabilities. My cynical self expected Susan Tom to consider herself a martyr and a savior. Sure, it's admirable, but is it possible? Is she really helping these children?
Absolutely. Susan provides a loving home for these children, but she is also stern when she needs to be and sets boundaries when needed. She shares her hardships, fears, and self-perceived failures in her quest to mother, which makes her relatable and not on a pedestal. The film only features a few of the children, who are fascinating and of course, heartbreaking. Faith was burned in a fire as a baby and suffers disfigurement that will affect her for the rest of her life. Xenia was born without legs, and appears to be very well adjusted and comfortable with her body, excelling socially in her junior high and is able to joke about her condition. Albert has a rare skin condition that gives him severe infections and loss of limbs. Finally, Joe has cystic fibrosis and is not expected to live much longer, along with severe HDHD and behavioral problems.
What I admire the most about this documentary is not a parade of illnesses and abnormalities. It's about Susan Tom dealing with whatever issues come along with parenting these children, which is anything from invasive hospital visits to typical parenting woes. What the camera shows is a well-behaved, although rambunctious group of kids, mostly due to Susan's patience. Even more surprising is that several of the children still have contact and relationships with their birth parents, which Susan encourages.
The most intriguing character is Susan's biological daughter Margaret, who at birth had brain illness but has since thrived without any recurring issues. Margaret acts as the second caretaker of the family, sacrificing a normal teenager's life for the care of her family. Now attending a nearby college, her situation begins to weigh on her and she suffers a near breakdown. Susan, despite being the caretaker of so many troubled kids, doesn't comfort her in the way you'd expect.
The documentary only covers a very short time, and even though this is an uplifting documentary, the viewer can't help but wonder what the future holds; several of her children are likely to die young, and several will need constant care for the rest of their lives. I've done extensive searches for what has become of the members of the Tom family, and other than an appearance on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, there is little information about their fate. Maybe it is better not knowing.
There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane (2011)
Diane Schuler, loving mother, aunt, and respected community member, drove for two miles in the wrong direction on a freeway, colliding with a vehicle, killing her two children, three nieces, the three passengers of the other car, and herself. The children in the vehicle managed to call their parents, claiming that Aunt Diane was not acting like herself. I remember hearing about this story on the news and being haunted by what really happened in that car. The toxicology report indicated she was three times the legal alcohol blood level and had been smoking marijuana. Her husband adamantly denies that Diane used any substances; he maintains til this day that a mystery sudden illness caused the crash.
The filmmaker of There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane offered to cover the costs of hiring an investigator and retesting the blood samples if they could film a documentary about her family. Diane's husband and sister in law agreed to go forward; Diane's sister and the mother of the three girls who were killed declined to appear.
I vacillated between thinking that this family was in complete denial of Diane's problem, to thinking there was no way in hell she was drinking, and that something else had gone wrong. How well do you really know someone, even being married to them for nine years? Diane's friends and family are interviewed, painting a picture of Diane that was ideal yet not complete. The frustration of not being able to know the truth, coupled with watching the surviving family struggle with their grief makes this not suitable for a light viewing. Even after watching I still don't know what I truly believe.
My Flesh And Blood (2003)My Flesh And Blood chronicles a year in the life of the Tom family. Susan Tom is the adoptive mother of thirteen children with serious mental and/or physical disabilities. My cynical self expected Susan Tom to consider herself a martyr and a savior. Sure, it's admirable, but is it possible? Is she really helping these children?
Absolutely. Susan provides a loving home for these children, but she is also stern when she needs to be and sets boundaries when needed. She shares her hardships, fears, and self-perceived failures in her quest to mother, which makes her relatable and not on a pedestal. The film only features a few of the children, who are fascinating and of course, heartbreaking. Faith was burned in a fire as a baby and suffers disfigurement that will affect her for the rest of her life. Xenia was born without legs, and appears to be very well adjusted and comfortable with her body, excelling socially in her junior high and is able to joke about her condition. Albert has a rare skin condition that gives him severe infections and loss of limbs. Finally, Joe has cystic fibrosis and is not expected to live much longer, along with severe HDHD and behavioral problems.
What I admire the most about this documentary is not a parade of illnesses and abnormalities. It's about Susan Tom dealing with whatever issues come along with parenting these children, which is anything from invasive hospital visits to typical parenting woes. What the camera shows is a well-behaved, although rambunctious group of kids, mostly due to Susan's patience. Even more surprising is that several of the children still have contact and relationships with their birth parents, which Susan encourages.
The most intriguing character is Susan's biological daughter Margaret, who at birth had brain illness but has since thrived without any recurring issues. Margaret acts as the second caretaker of the family, sacrificing a normal teenager's life for the care of her family. Now attending a nearby college, her situation begins to weigh on her and she suffers a near breakdown. Susan, despite being the caretaker of so many troubled kids, doesn't comfort her in the way you'd expect.
The documentary only covers a very short time, and even though this is an uplifting documentary, the viewer can't help but wonder what the future holds; several of her children are likely to die young, and several will need constant care for the rest of their lives. I've done extensive searches for what has become of the members of the Tom family, and other than an appearance on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, there is little information about their fate. Maybe it is better not knowing.
There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane (2011)Diane Schuler, loving mother, aunt, and respected community member, drove for two miles in the wrong direction on a freeway, colliding with a vehicle, killing her two children, three nieces, the three passengers of the other car, and herself. The children in the vehicle managed to call their parents, claiming that Aunt Diane was not acting like herself. I remember hearing about this story on the news and being haunted by what really happened in that car. The toxicology report indicated she was three times the legal alcohol blood level and had been smoking marijuana. Her husband adamantly denies that Diane used any substances; he maintains til this day that a mystery sudden illness caused the crash.
The filmmaker of There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane offered to cover the costs of hiring an investigator and retesting the blood samples if they could film a documentary about her family. Diane's husband and sister in law agreed to go forward; Diane's sister and the mother of the three girls who were killed declined to appear.
I vacillated between thinking that this family was in complete denial of Diane's problem, to thinking there was no way in hell she was drinking, and that something else had gone wrong. How well do you really know someone, even being married to them for nine years? Diane's friends and family are interviewed, painting a picture of Diane that was ideal yet not complete. The frustration of not being able to know the truth, coupled with watching the surviving family struggle with their grief makes this not suitable for a light viewing. Even after watching I still don't know what I truly believe.
First Listen: Eminem, "Berzerk"
I was hanging out with someone the other day and an Eminem song came over the speakers. "What happened to Eminem?" was the immediate question.
Apparently, he's been busy working on this kickass jam:
Apparently, he's been busy working on this kickass jam:
Song Of The Day: Fleetwood Mac, "The Chain"
From 1977, here's Fleetwood Mac with "The Chain."
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Gag Me With A Tweet: Roddy Piper, Corey Feldman, Boy George, And More
Here's the latest Gag Me With A Tweet, our weekly look at some of the best tweets from some of our favorite '80s musicians, actors, and celebrities!
Had a coke with Jim Brown and Darly Starwberry! I can see why they were H.O.Fers! Good men!
— Rowdy Roddy Piper (@R_Roddy_Piper) August 24, 2013
I HAVEN'T DONE COCAINE OR ANY OTHER HARD DRUG N OVER 20 YEARS! I DON'T DO METH, AND IM NOT A JUNKIE! SO STOP TRYING 2 CHANGE THE TRUTH!
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) August 24, 2013
Get rid of nasty drug dealers and have legal dealers in suits. Like when Thatcher turned trade unionists into fat cats. Genius!
— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) August 24, 2013
My WH pals. pic.twitter.com/MWSKc2jeXV
— Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) August 24, 2013
Thanks @realJonLovitz for having me on the show. My sides hurt from laughing so hard. pic.twitter.com/hLdD5HCPSd
— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) August 24, 2013
Just for fun I visited my old MySpace page. Yeah, it’s still there, but now there's a bunch of kids skateboarding in the swimming pool.
— Al Yankovic (@alyankovic) August 21, 2013
He or she that dies with most toys...leaves them to his or her family who either sell them for half their worth or run them into the ground!
— Dee Snider (@deesnider) August 21, 2013
Ok, I'm back. What did I miss?
— Molly Ringwald (@MollyRingwald) August 21, 2013
Today just got fucking incredible!!!!!!!
— T O M M Y L E E (@MrTommyLand) August 21, 2013
PS: If the occasional F-bomb offends you, you should probably un-fucking follow me immediately.
— Richard Marx (@richardmarx) August 20, 2013
It usually does take me a little while to get back into the swim of things upon returning home from hol.
— Simon Le Bon (@SimonJCLeBON) August 20, 2013
Song Of The Day: Joy Division, "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
From 1981, here's Joy Division with "Love Will Tear Us Apart."
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
First Look: Losing It With John Stamos
Yahoo! has a new web series coming out called Losing It With John Stamos, where John Stamos talks to various celebrities about how they lost their virginity.
And it's acted out by puppets.
And it's acted out by puppets.
First Listen: Richard Simmons, "Hair Do"
Yes, that Richard Simmons.
This is either the best or worst song you'll hear this week. I'm still undecided.
This is either the best or worst song you'll hear this week. I'm still undecided.
Tears For Fears Do Arcade Fire
And it's fantastic!
Here's Tears For Fears covering Arcade Fire's "Ready To Start:"
Here's Tears For Fears covering Arcade Fire's "Ready To Start:"
Song Of The Day: Stages & Stereos, "Small Town Favorites"
From 2013, here's Stages & Stereos with "Small Town Favorites."
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Pod-Fascination: Topics
Pod-Fascination is a regular column in which I recommend podcasts and specific podcast episodes. Tweet your suggestions to me @robinhardwick.
Topics
As a fan of now-legendary comedy troupeThe State, I am always overjoyed to see members of the group still collaborating on projects more than two decades after the group formed. Members of The State are behind such pillars of comedy as Wet Hot American Summer, Reno 911!, Viva Variety, Childrens Hospital, and countless others. Any current successful comedy likely involves at least one alum of The State.
Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter, reuniting after their brilliant-but canceled Comedy Central show Michael & Michael Have Issues, have started a weekly podcast called Topics. Aptly named, the two discuss philosophical and erudite topics such as "Does God Exist," "Power," "Utopia," etc. As expected from these two, the humor comes from farce and satire. Michael Ian Black maintains his persona as a condescending pompous jerk, while Showalter falls easily into the voice of reason. Michael Ian Black has maintained his asshole persona so well, that it is sometimes hard to tell if it really is a persona, especially after some recent Twitter feuds.
The conversations are inane, misguided, and quite frankly ignorant, which is the fun of it. This is not for the typical comedy podcast listener who likes broad characters and elaborate setups. Defenses of Hitler have come up in several episodes, for example. The thing that makes it more layered than other comedy podcast is that the podcast contains a lot of anti-humor, which is acknowledged by the hosts, which makes it even more anti-humor.
The podcast has also included in-between episodes that address listener emails, which only adds to the justification of the hosts' (or the hosts' personas') ignorance. Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black have used this formula in several projects for a while now, but why change when it works so well.
TopicsAs a fan of now-legendary comedy troupeThe State, I am always overjoyed to see members of the group still collaborating on projects more than two decades after the group formed. Members of The State are behind such pillars of comedy as Wet Hot American Summer, Reno 911!, Viva Variety, Childrens Hospital, and countless others. Any current successful comedy likely involves at least one alum of The State.
Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter, reuniting after their brilliant-but canceled Comedy Central show Michael & Michael Have Issues, have started a weekly podcast called Topics. Aptly named, the two discuss philosophical and erudite topics such as "Does God Exist," "Power," "Utopia," etc. As expected from these two, the humor comes from farce and satire. Michael Ian Black maintains his persona as a condescending pompous jerk, while Showalter falls easily into the voice of reason. Michael Ian Black has maintained his asshole persona so well, that it is sometimes hard to tell if it really is a persona, especially after some recent Twitter feuds.
The conversations are inane, misguided, and quite frankly ignorant, which is the fun of it. This is not for the typical comedy podcast listener who likes broad characters and elaborate setups. Defenses of Hitler have come up in several episodes, for example. The thing that makes it more layered than other comedy podcast is that the podcast contains a lot of anti-humor, which is acknowledged by the hosts, which makes it even more anti-humor.
The podcast has also included in-between episodes that address listener emails, which only adds to the justification of the hosts' (or the hosts' personas') ignorance. Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black have used this formula in several projects for a while now, but why change when it works so well.
Song Of The Day: Parade Of Lights, "We're The Kids"
From 2013, here's Parade Of Lights with "We're The Kids."
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Gag Me With A Tweet: Jane Wiedlin, Boy George, Weird Al Yankovic, And More
Here's the latest Gag Me With A Tweet, our weekly look at some of the best tweets from some of our favorite '80s musicians, actors, and celebrities!
I keep getting spam from #SingleChristianMingle so today I wrote them back: pic.twitter.com/GP7BPIM1CB
— Jane Wiedlin (@janewiedlin) August 18, 2013
“If you've never eaten while crying you don't know what life tastes like.”
— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) August 18, 2013
oh, and then I took over Parliament with a pose they couldn't manage. c http://t.co/mTUgwWCCOI
— Charlie Sheen (@charliesheen) August 18, 2013
Who has 17 thumbs after purchasing a mint severed thumb collection on eBay? THIS guy!
— Al Yankovic (@alyankovic) August 17, 2013
"Kindly go fuck yourself. Oops, wrong recipient." Me, 1st thing this morning. Dont text before coffee. iiii]; )'
— Slash (@Slash) August 17, 2013
I'm sure flies have a purpose in the world, but hell if I can figure out what it is.
— johnette napolitano (@therealjohnette) August 17, 2013
Great show last night, thank you! pic.twitter.com/dDTUXPs6p3
— STEPHEN PEARCY (@StephenEPearcy) August 17, 2013
PRESENTING THE BRAND NEW LOOK OF @CoreysAngels presented by @sydneymariausa w @CourtneyAnne12 @jsurls pic.twitter.com/DSGwaB9jqP
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) August 17, 2013
#FlashbackFriday 1987 Doing my best @JohnStamos impression pic.twitter.com/Pz6L7lBR0v
— Richard Marx (@richardmarx) August 17, 2013
For some inexplicable reason I find flipping through the big IKEA catalogue strangely calming.
— Susanna Hoffs (@SusannaHoffs) August 17, 2013
Game: Blouses http://t.co/3jShq2r9Ci http://t.co/3oEI8kQsKB http://t.co/G0uLp2mbJk pic.twitter.com/dNwDPifP8j
— PRINCE 3RDEYEGIRL (@3rdeyegirl) August 16, 2013
..It's real. pic.twitter.com/vJkwUiO6mc
— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) August 16, 2013
Song Of The Day: Joey Scarbury, "Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)"
From 1981, here's Joey Scarbury with "Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)."
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Song Of The Day: The Meaning Of Life, "Laura V."
From 2013, here's The Meaning Of Life with "Laura V."
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
First Look: C.O.G.
This is one I've been looking forward to seeing since I first heard about it in development:
Song Of The Day: The Fleshtones, "I Was A Teenage Zombie"
From 1987, here's The Fleshtones with "I Was A Teenage Zombie."
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Thorested Development
BuzzFeed calls this the mash-up you didn't know you needed and they are so right. Just watch.
Am I the only one who's thinking they'd watch a whole series of these?
Am I the only one who's thinking they'd watch a whole series of these?
Song Of The Day: Fine Young Cannibals, "Johnny Come Home"
From 1985, here's Fine Young Cannibals with "Johnny Come Home."
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Animotion's Bill Wadhams: The Culture Brats Interview
It's not every day you get to speak with the guy who taught you how to play synthesizer. But that's kind of what I did when I spoke with Animotion's Bill Wadhams, whose "Obsession" was one of the first songs I taught myself how to play on the synth. Bill spoke with me about the Lost '80s Live tour, Mandalay Bay, where he was when he first saw the "Obsession" video, and more.
Animotion will be performing as part of the Lost '80s Live show in Long Beach on August 24th. What can fans expect at the show?
Well, the Lost '80s Live shows, they string together a bunch of bands. We all play abbreviated sets, about twenty minutes per band. But we pack as much as we can into that twenty minutes. Each of the bands will be playing their biggest hits.
The tour played at Mandalay Bay's Beach Stage this past weekend. What was that like?
It was fantastic. The show sold out. There were 3,500 people there. The crowd really comes to see bands from the '80s and they're just on fire. They're a really fun crowd. It was a great night.
What's the location like? Isn't that where they watch you in water?
Yeah. It's crazy because at the Beach Stage, you can actually stand in the water if you want. The deepest part right in front of the stage is maybe three feet deep. The actual floor of the stage is ten feet above the water, so you don't want to be too close or you can't see. But if you go online, you'll see pictures of the stage and you'll see lots of people standing in the water with their shorts or bikinis. It's a fun venue.
Why do you think festivals like Lost '80s Live are so popular?
Honestly, a lot of people know the songs better than the bands, I think. For some of us, people are more likely to come out to a show that has a few '80s artists. If Animotion was playing by itself, it's less likely to sell out a venue or bring the people out.
Strength in numbers.
Exactly.
"Obsession" is one of those touchstone songs from the mid '80s. When you guys were
recording it, did you have any idea how big it would become?
No. As a matter of fact, I kind of thought that it would not be a hit. It was kind of wacky how Animotion came together. I had a solo band. I met Astrid and a few other people that had formed a group and they were lacking a male singer/guitarist/songwriter because there had been a shakeup in their band. I joined up with them and to me it was kind of a wacky project, but it had some things I didn't have in my solo career. I didn't have a lawyer, a manager, a producer. Astrid and a couple of the other people were in another band and they had some of that going on. When I hooked up with them and we recorded the album, I thought, "Well this is all good but I don't really know if it's ever going to see the light of day." After we recorded the album and actually put it out, it sort of did nothing for almost a year, from the time we recorded it until the time it was added to a P1 station in Los Angeles. Once it hit that station, it took off. But I did not see that coming.
MTV was so huge at the time. What went through your heads the first time you saw your video on there?
The album was out and it was not doing very much. It was getting local play in LA. The first time I saw the video was on a... a radio station had a video program called Video One in Los Angeles. I was painting a house and I heard the song on the TV in the house. There was some lady living there, a little old lady, and I said, "Excuse me, can I come in and take a look at your TV because I think I might be on it." She said, "Sure. If you're on TV, what are you doing painting my house?"
I don't remember when I saw it on MTV, but I can tell you once it hit MTV, we were being played in power rotation, which meant once an hour. Once it hit MTV in power rotation, I was recognized every time I walked out the door. It was phenomenal.
You guys are unfairly labelled as one-hit wonders. At this point, do you just laugh it off or point them to your two other Top 40 hits?
Well you know, our keyboard player said it best: "You don't see any TV shows about two-hit wonders." They keep pulling us in, whether it's NBC, MTV, VH1 or whatever. "We're doing this thing called Hit Me Baby..." When I first heard the moniker, I was like, "Oh, great. That kind of sucks." But now that it doesn't really matter to me. It's all good.
You also record and perform with Brian Huston. I listened to a few of your originals and covers and you guys sound great together with really great harmonies. What brought the two of you together?
Brian is a film director and I've done some work as an Art Director on film here in Portland. We met on a video set. He put together a jam session with a bunch of people working in film and video in Portland. We had a good old time and after we did it a few times, I noticed that Brian was the one in the group that could really hold a harmony. He was really steady with his melodies and harmonies so we decided to start playing out together. We've been doing that for about four years and we have a bunch of shows coming up in Portland between now and the end of the year.
Final question: Make your dream Lost '80s Live show. Pick five contemporaries to perform on the bill with you and tell me what song you'd all perform together as the final jam.
Ooh, nice. Well the Lost '80s is kind of like... we're not the Princes and Phil Collinses. At least I know we're not the A-list of the '80s, but some of our songs are A-list. But if I had a choice of any '80s groups on the bill, I'd start out with Peter Gabriel. David Bowie. The Eurythmics or Annie Lennox. And Simply Red.
One more.
I'd say A Flock Of Seagulls because they've been great to work with for the last ten years. We've done a lot of shows with them and they're a great live band and they're good guys.
Awesome. What song would you all perform together as the final jam?
"Sledgehammer."
Animotion will be performing at Pine Ave. in Downtown Long Beach on Saturday, August 24 as part of Lost '80s Live. Joining them on the bill will be A Flock Of Seagulls, When in Rome (UK), Gary Myrick, Boingo Dance Party, The Flirts, Naked Eyes, and more. Tickets are still available.
Song Of The Day: Timbuk 3, "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades"
From 1986, here's Timbuk 3 with "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades."
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
A Flock Of Seagulls' Mike Score: The Culture Brats Interview
As time passes, the mind plays tricks on the memory. It's an inevitable result of living long and seeing much as you pass through. For those of you lucky enough to have been around for MTV's maiden rocket launch as the first wave of bold and eager new artists beamed into your living rooms, you are sure to remember the daring coiffure and irresistible melodies of A Flock of Seagulls. When I think back to the space-age melodies and the no-holds-barred fashion choices, I chuckle to myself before recalling the music. We all loved the music.We spoke to Mike Score, A Flock Of Seagulls' lead singer and primary songwriter, who will be rolling out the classics along with other famed '80s artists during a big concert in Long Beach on August 24th.
I'd like to start out by talking about a few big things coming up, one of which is the big concert in Long Beach on Saturday August 24th, hosted by the legendary Richard Blade and featuring A Flock of Seagulls and many others. It's interesting that for so long, all these hugely popular bands from that very pivotal moment in music history stay so vivid in the collective consciousness of the people who love them. Everyone waxes so poetic about everything from the '80s and you ask them to come up with some '90s groups that made the same impact and you only get a handful. It must be rewarding to still have the love. Do you still get that great audience feedback when you are up there playing live?
Oh, a lot of the time yes. Because I think it was an era like the '60s where you tend to remember every band and what they did. I think that what happened in the '90s is that bands became more generic and they sounded more like each other. So in the '60s and the '80s, every band seemed to have its own personality and you knew almost the instant that a note came on the radio which band it was. For me, that's what makes the difference: the individuality of the bands rather than the conformity to each other. I think audiences like that. They like to go, "Well now Berlin are on" or "Now A Flock Of Seagulls are on" or Wang Chung and they know that it's a different sound. You go see a bunch of '90s bands and it's the same sound for three hours.
I've seen a few planned festivals featuring '90s bands that were previously huge either tank or cancel because of poor ticket sales. Made me think hard about staying power.
Yeah, I don't think they write songs. I think the '80s was the last real era of songwriting rock bands, you know? And then it just became formalized and I don't know why. I guess it's just the way that the people who created those bands grew up. They grew up with more of a formula in their heads than trying to be individual.
You've been touring a lot. Now I know that this big concert in Long Beach is you with A Flock Of Seagulls, but you've also come out with your debut solo single "All I Wanna Do" this year. When you are playing with the band do you ever work any solo tunes into the set list? Or is it just hits for the fans?
The Seagulls thing is the Seagulls thing. And I've kind of been working towards keeping that as kind of era specific. When I do my solo stuff live, I might include a couple of Seagulls things but the Seagulls thing, I don't think I'm going to stretch it out with solo stuff. And in fact I did my first solo single but I've got a second one ready to come out and an album right after that. But you heard about the robbery right?
Ugh, yes I did. That was actually the next thing I was going to ask you about. I heard all the rough copies and demos for the solo album were in that van, right?
Yeah, they were. I was going to finish it up right as it was taken. Stuff we've mastered and stuff we've finished mixing, but the album will still go ahead. It just means that I can't do any remixes or add or take away from anything because the main drives with all the tracks on them were stolen.
I'll assume that waylaid and delayed you quite a bit.
Artwork and everything was on them and the funny thing is that one was the main drive and then the other one was the backup and you know I was all like, "I'm fine, I'm good, everything is backed up if I lose a drive," but then they both get stolen at the same time. So even my backup was stolen. It's not a case of "Oh well, at least we can carry on."
You seem to have dealt with it rather well. Even Richard Blade, who is legendarily mild-mannered, came on his show on Sirius SX and each time before he'd play one of your songs he's recount the horrible story of the gear and the van being stolen. He was angry enough for ten men. So they found the van but none of the stuff in it, huh?
Yeah, well they found a couple of bits of gear but nothing that we needed. Just a few old pieces of gear like cabinets and guitar amps but nothing that gives us any hope that we'll get anything else.
Kind of makes you wish the culprits would find themselves surrounded by angry A Flock Of Seagulls fans and hit with the karma stick.
Could still happen.
Never say never.
Well, this has happened and I can't really do anything about it, I've just got to go on. And I mean, of course it makes me angry but angry doesn't get me through the next show or I can't walk on stage and go "I can't play because these bastards stole all my equipment." We're going to go on and do the best we can with what we've got. And it will take us a little while to put our sounds back together but that's what we've got to do. It's just a case of you've got to do what you've got to do.
That was some tap dance you had to do though. You went on stage right afterward with borrowed equipment, didn't you?
Yeah, we just borrowed some gear and played and everyone said it sounded great. We were like, "Well cool." That probably means that we can get by. We play on stage for ourselves, so we wanted to sound as good on stage as possible. But I think fans will be a bit more forgiving, you know what I mean? If little pieces are missing or the lead guitar doesn't quite get it right, the audience is still into the song. But for us it's like every little thing that's missing is a big thing. Like I said, we are just going to carry on and put it back together bit by bit. I think shortly we'll be, "Well, okay that happened but now we'll just be more careful in the future."
Lesson learned but I suppose you can't prevent well prepared thieves from following you after the show to your hotel.
Yeah and we've had long discussions about now and the thing is we've been traveling around with our gear in that van for years and nothing has ever happened to it so we got complacent. It just shows you that no matter what you do, really you have to keep an eye on everything you own.
You are very embedded in the cultural consciousness both musically and visually. MTV's rise and and domination had something to do with that. Now that the music video's time has sort of come and gone and in its place is this strangely manufactured cookie cutter system that rolls out very specific looking and sounding artists. Having been on the cutting edge of a new age of music and having seen that roll through, how do you feel about the dramatic and very corporate change in the music industry? Imagine A Flock of Seagulls tying to break in this climate?
I think the whole corporate thing has ruined the whole music scene. Maybe lawyers and accountants, they've taken over. You know rock and roll was always a chancy thing and you took your chance and most times if you were good, you made it and if you weren't, you fell by the wayside. Now unless you come up through Disney or something like that, then you are not going to get a chance. I know that there are lots of independent bands that put out their own things and they're successful but I don't think it's the same as being, say, a rock star from the sixties through the eighties. In the nineties, corporations took over the whole thing and they ruined the individuality and like I said before, the whole idea that you could come from nothing and play your guitar great and become a big rock star. That just doesn't seem to exist anymore, at least not on in the forefront of rock. Maybe you can do it in the background and then break through later, but I'd hate to be in a band starting out now, put it that way.
Granted not everybody who tried from the '60s through the '80s made it, but it was a lot more freewheeling and dangerous. And seemingly fun. I like it when I remember someone, they leave their mark. When I mention A Flock of Seagulls to someone they get an immediate visual and can sing at least a few songs. I know of no one who can't recall the hair and the videos. But now you'd never get promoted or managed correctly or allowed to do your thing. You make money or you get dropped from your label. I've seen big artists leave or get dropped from their label.
I don't think there are any real labels anymore really.
Giant corporations bought most of them.
It used to be like Island Records would grab an artist and say, "Oh I like these guys, let's put their record out" and it was a chance and the band took their chance. Now it's not a chance, the corporation just says, "We'll spend five million dollars and this guy is going to be huge" and then next year some little girl will come along and we'll do the same with her. Almost like you don't need talent.
And anything considered a mistake can just be glossed over. Auto-tune is the biggest thorn in my side. I hate it.
And I think American Idol and all that makes it interesting and what's the other one from the other side of the pond?
X FActor?
Yeah, it's stuff like that where people will become stars. It used to be if you were good, you got on TV and became bigger. Now they start their careers on television and they can't maintain on TV then their career is immediately on a downward slide. I really look at it and I kind of go, "Thank god I'm not starting out now."
Recently I watched some live footage and I compared it to older recording and I've got to say your voice still packs a punch. When I showed it to someone else they kept referring to A Flock Of Seagulls as synth/pop and I argued saying I remember you more as a guitar-driven band with layered melodies. Weird what you remember. Maybe I've been categorizing you wrong all these years.
Well, when my brother was drumming he was just a nonstop machine, so that drove everything along a lot of echoes and guitars and stuff like that. But you know what I think? That when people like something they add a little bit of something to the music themselves. You start going and little melodies appear in your head maybe just to add to what the band is playing. And of course when we recorded we multi-tracked everything so it probably sounds a little different. I think we're quite raw live and it seems to work for us for some reason. We might be better off with another synth, but it works as a four piece and that's how we've kept it.
Further dates on the tour past the August 24th concert in Long Beach?
We've got more shows, like this weekend we're playing the Mandalay Bay, then Long Beach, then we go out to Flagstaff Arizona, down into Mexico, and then across to NY and back into Minneapolis. The thing is, because it's not a tour where we play every day it can be a week or two between the shows and we could choose a couple more. If it's doing okay, it keeps getting extended by another couple of dates here and there. When it does well, promoters pick up another show here and there.
That's a lot of time and travel. When you work on your solo stuff between all this, that leaves little time where you aren't on the road. Will you just go out and tour when the solo record comes out as well?
Yes, if it gets to that point when the album comes out, I'm going to have agents try to put a tour together. It will be a short tour and then judging the reaction of that and what's going on with the Seagulls, I'll try to slot that into there. If we are doing, say, a Seagulls date in NY then I'll try to do a solo date in the same area in the same time frame. The whole thing will travel out not just as two separate bands but as a whole unit. And as far as the travel, it's better than sitting home and cooking flapjacks or whatever.
True. But you better pack your suitcase for a long trip.
I've lived out of a suitcase for the last twenty-five years really. Apart from I once took a year off and I had a great year doing stuff, but as soon as I got back to doing music I was like, "Ah, this is home." For me, being on the tour bus is like exploration. I like meeting fans, I like playing. It can get tiring with the travel but when you have a good show and you're tired, it lifts you out of that. You go, "Wow, that was awesome." And you know what the other thing is? When you get that call to do a show, it's kind of like they come out of nowhere. Usually the agent will call up and say, "Hey got you another two shows, blah blah blah, can you fit them in?" and you go, "Of course I can fit them in" because this is what I want to do. It's always a good feeling, it's never like, "Oh goddamn it, not more shows!"
As I get older, I'll have plenty of time to sit around and wonder why isn't anybody calling me.
Since you are a musician, if you were in charge of a music festival and you booked the acts and chose their final song to play before the last curtain-who would you choose and and what would be the tune?
So I'm choosing one song that everybody would have to play?
Yes.
I think I'd have everybody sing "Hey Jude," and extend the end by twenty minutes so the whole crowd could get into it. I'd have Jimi Hendrix play a lead guitar solo in the middle of it. Actually I went to go see Paul McCartney a couple of months ago and I don't know how old he is now but he was absolutely brilliant.
Seventy one, I think.
He was brilliant, he had so much energy and his voice was great. I was just wowed. He looked like he was having a great time. The songs he played were brilliant and of course I'm a big Beatles fan anyway. But that to me was like, "This is a true rock star doing the real thing." So yeah, the closer would be "Hey Jude," the crowd can get involved in it and I'd have Roy Orbison, who I thought was brilliant in there.
A Flock Of Seagulls will be performing at Pine Ave. in Downtown Long Beach on Saturday, August 24 as part of Lost '80s Live. Joining them on the bill will be When in Rome (UK), Gary Myrick, Boingo Dance Party, Animotion, The Flirts, Naked Eyes, and more. Tickets are still available.
Gag Me With A Tweet: Michael Sweet, Charlie Sheen, Corey Feldman, And More
Here's the latest Gag Me With A Tweet, our weekly look at some of the best tweets from some of our favorite '80s musicians, actors, and celebrities!
Funds are tight these days regarding touring. Here's the new @Stryper bus - it's cheap:-) pic.twitter.com/SyGyrAXeQX
— MichaelSweet Stryper (@michaelhsweet) August 11, 2013
all I want for my 48th on Sep 3, is five mins with James Franco (GENIUS!!) "guy was a lingerer" and more of this: c http://t.co/QFC4oNwGZE
— Charlie Sheen (@charliesheen) August 11, 2013
Just monkeying around @Playboy mansion today!! ;) pic.twitter.com/qZ6lsFA0qA
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) August 11, 2013
Man. When the desert gives the magic, there's no fucking around. Coco! Let's get tacos!
— johnette napolitano (@therealjohnette) August 10, 2013
I'm in New Orleans, people are rocking out to 'fight for your right to party' and its just lunch time...
— Bryan Adams (@bryanadams) August 10, 2013
Why are people sooooo ridiculous and unable to detect humour or sarcasm? Fuck em!
— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) August 9, 2013
So Jim Carrey takes the money for a a movie and then refuses to promote it? What about the people who put their balls on the line? #Douche
— Nikki Sixx (@NikkiSixx) August 9, 2013
To be honest, there's some great stuff going on, & some crap. So I'm balanced in a way that flicks from happy to fucked off once an hour. GN
— Gary Numan Official (@numanofficial) August 9, 2013
It was a Saturday night in 1988 and Danny DeVito was the host... #TBT pic.twitter.com/A5sEysicMy
— Susanna Hoffs (@SusannaHoffs) August 9, 2013
Today I start learning Spanish. I feel like I'm missing some amazing statements. Plus I don't want people talking shit about me I don't get.
— Richard Marx (@richardmarx) August 8, 2013
Song Of The Day: After The Fire, "Der Kommissar"
From 1982, here's After The Fire with "Der Kommissar."
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Song Of The Day: Rachel & The Kings, "Fall Down"
From 2013, here's Rachel & The Kings with "Fall Down."
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Song Of The Day: Edwyn Collins, "A Girl Like You"
From 1995, here's Edwyn Collins with "A Girl Like You."
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
First Look: Hair I Go Again
This documentary follows members of Tryxx, a hair band from the '80s who didn't make it the first time around so they're giving it another go:
Song Of The Day: Paul Young, "Come Back And Stay"
From 1983, here's Paul Young with "Come Back And Stay."
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Tom Keifer: The Culture Brats Interview
Owner of one of the most recognizable voices in rock 'n' roll, Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer released his first solo album, The Way Life Goes, in April. He's also travelling across the U.S. on his first solo tour to support the album. We caught up with Tom and spoke about the album, touring, his voice, streaming music, and chili dogs.
You just played Canton at the Hall Of Fame Festival. How did that go?
It was awesome. It was a lot of fun. We got to tour the Hall Of Fame in the afternoon, which I had never done before. I had my son Jaidan with me and Savannah who's on tour, so that was cool. That's how the day started. And then... great show! Great crowd and a really great time.
The Way Life Goes, your first solo album, was released back in April. It was ten years in the making. At any point were you concerned it wasn't going to see the light of day?
Probably the whole time we were making it! It was really a leap of faith. It was really about making the music. We produced it independently of a label, so right then and there we had no idea if anyone was going to pick it up. We took a long time to make it. There was also the concern that the whole time we were making it I was having a lot of voice struggles. I wasn't sure that what I was putting then on tape was even something that I'd be able to reproduce live ever, so there were a lot of aspects that made it a walk in the dark or a walk of faith.
So far, it turned out okay. My voice has gotten stronger over the years. I've been on tour and been able to sing the material fairly well and we also were fortunate enough to have the record picked up by a great label, Merovee Records, who is doing a great job of getting it out there.
Were these songs that you originally wrote for Cinderella but they didn't fit for one reason or another or were these always for your sole use only?
I started writing for the solo record in the mid '90s when Cinderella parted ways with Mercury Records and we were drifting apart, purely because we didn't have an outlet for our music or support of a label at that point. So I started thinking about a solo record then and I just started writing. When I write songs, I don't think about what it's for. There's a lot of stuff that I write that's not appropriate for me or Cinderella and probably better for another artist but usually they just lay around because I'm not actively pitching songs. I just write to write and the idea of actually recording and producing a solo record just kept getting put on the back burner for years until 2003 which is when I decided to start production and recording. There was a lot of songs piled up by then and certainly some of them could've been on a Cinderella album.
You're also on your first solo tour. How's that been going?
It's been great. We've been out off and on since February. I think we've done about forty dates so far this year. It's been cool to play some new material and I'm also playing some of the old Cinderella stuff. It's been a lot of fun.
What's your favorite song to perform live from The Way Life Goes?
Hmm... Probably "Solid Ground."
You mentioned the problem with your voice. How are things nowadays?
It's pretty stable now. It's been an up-and-down battle since the early '90s when I was first diagnosed with the partially paralyzed vocal cord. I was told I would never sing again. There was no magical cure for that. Basically, it's been a struggle, bouncing from one coach and speech pathologist to another, trying to pick up whatever knowledge I could gather to try and teach my vocal cord to work right again. Over the years, it's gotten stronger and more stable but there were years of hell when I couldn't sing at all. I would try to and I'd injure myself. I've had six surgeries to repair those kind of injuries, what I refer to as the collateral damage from singing with the weakness.
I feel fortunate that it's pretty stable now and some nights it's stronger than it was before I had the problems. It's still a daily maintenance thing, a lot of therapy and exercises to keep it in shape.
What is your daily routine like for your voice? How many hours do you have to put in?
Usually about ninety minutes, rain or shine, year round. Sometimes I take days off to give it a little rest. Even on a show day, my warm-ups can be ninety minutes to even two hours sometimes before a show. One of the symptoms of the condition is extended warm-up. It just takes forever for your cords to get into that place where they can actually perform. It's part of the condition.
On Facebook the other day, you wrote about how companies with unfair royalty payments are hurting the development of new artists. Would you like to elaborate on that?
I think it just comes down to the thing about the lost revenues in the industry. There's a lot of emphasis placed on that lost revenue contributing to artists not being paid fairly for their creations, which is true. That's just one aspect of it because the lost revenue in the industry due to illegal downloading and some of these streaming networks, a lot of that revenue that's been lost would flow back through record companies and publishing companies to develop artists. I was lucky enough to come up in a time when a label would spend a lot of time and money to record a record. They would not only record the first one, but the second and a third, add develop an artist and bring the artist along. I think that that's an aspect of how the industry's been hit that a lot of people don't think about because the emphasis is put on unfair rates paid to artists, which doesn't resonate with a lot of fans. I think the broader picture of up-and-coming artists not getting the same opportunities afforded to them because of the lost revenues is a much broader issue and problem and I think the window is closing and getting smaller and smaller for those kind of opportunities for new artists. It's sad.
What advice would you give to a band starting out today?
It all starts with the music and that music should be you. It should be uniquely you and come from your soul. Don't chase trends, stick to what's true to you and what's in your heart. If you do that and you're fortunate enough, maybe the trend will become you. That's first and foremost, no matter what generation you're in. Secondly, every generation has its challenges to overcome. The more you can arm yourself with information and knowledge and try to figure out how to get around the challenge you face today, it's important. We had our set of challenges, there's nothing new, there's always challenges. So you stick to your dream and figure out how to make it happen.
This goes beyond music, too. The current challenges due to technology [are] really punching the creative industry hard due to lost revenues. It goes into literature, movies. It goes into software development because a lot of that is pirated. It's way beyond just music. It has a real domino effect, too. Look at all the bookstores closing, all the movie stores closing, all the record stores that are gone. Obviously, it's a far-reaching problem beyond people being paid fairly for their creations. Which I'm not saying isn't an issue, I think that is an issue. It comes down to the technical term which is intellectual property, which applies to software, literature, movies, music. And I'm sure there's a bunch that I'm not even thinking about.
Are there any plans for a Cinderella tour or album in the future?
Certainly touring. We're on a hiatus this year because we toured three years in a row and burned the candle at both ends. As far as a record goes, it would need to be the right situation and obviously that situation is affected greatly by the current state of the industry. It's why I chose to produce my record independently of a label. I didn't want my music to be subject to the attitude about the artist development or recording funds or budgets of today. Once you sign with a label, they give you x amount to make a record. When you come to the end of that x amount, they tell you you're done. If artistically you don't feel your music's done, you're faced with a compromise. I felt I didn't want to do that to my music.
This was thirty years ago, but how did the Pat's Chili Dogs commercial come about?
I don't know exactly how it came about. We were a local band. Cinderella was all original from the beginning. We had all played in cover bands prior to that but once Cinderella was formed, it was all original music. There was only a couple of clubs locally that would allow that to happen. If I remember correctly, the owner of that hot dog establishment saw us at one of these shows and approached us to do a jingle for him. I was faced with the challenge of... He told me all the information, the locations, and everything that had to be in the jingle. I never wrote a jingle before. Wrote it, went in and recorded it, and then he shot the commercial for it.
MTV was really big then. We weren't signed and didn't have a video. He was smart and I think his business probably went through the roof. He wanted to take a young rock band, create the jingle, create the commercial, and then he went and bought all this advertising time for the commercial on MTV locally. We felt like we were on MTV. It was a good trade-off. I think he sold a lot of hot dogs and we got a little recognition.
So do you get free chili dogs for life?
I think if we pulled through there, he'd hook us up.
A lot of artists write books, giving all the details from back in the day. Any chance we'll get one from you?
A book? I've been approached. I just don't feel the story's over yet. I don't know if I'll ever write one. I'm a pretty private person. But the offers and approaches I've had so far didn't feel like anything I wanted to do. But that's not to say there won't be a day.
One day they decide to make a movie about Cinderella. Who plays Tom Keifer?
That's a loaded question, my friend. I'm not much of an actor, but maybe I should just go with playing the role myself. At least that way I would know it was accurate.
More Tom Keifer: Official | Facebook | Twitter
First Look/Listen: Mumford & Sons, "Hopeless Wanderer"
No, this isn't a Funny Or Die sketch. It's the official video for "Hopeless Wanderer:"
Song Of The Day: The Undertones, "Teenage Kicks"
From 1978, here's The Undertones with "Teenage Kicks."
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Adam Ant, David Lee Roth, Martha Quinn, And More: Gag Me With A Tweet
Here's the latest Gag Me With A Tweet, our weekly look at some of the best tweets from some of our favorite '80s musicians, actors, and celebrities!
Believe it or not I was asked for proof of age today in Kentucky when buying an alcoholic lolly. No Joke, astonished lol - AA
— Adam Ant (@AdamAOfficial) August 4, 2013
Guaranteed, honey, more vampire roles than we're gonna know what to do with ... pic.twitter.com/awfKZrk1Is
— David Lee Roth (@DavidLeeRoth) August 3, 2013
Early MTV was "share one sandwich n drag own equipment to Gazzarri's" era. 32 yrs ago 2day MTVers on SCHOOL BUS to NJ bar for launch #heaven
— Martha Quinn (@MarthaQuinn) July 31, 2013
Amazing how a dab of makeup & micro hot pants transform innocent Miley. & that must have collectible doll! pic.twitter.com/E6zmFS9YvI
— Fred Schneider (@FredSchneider3) July 31, 2013
What IS it about Superglue that it never goes on exactly where u want & fingers always get stuck 2gether?
— johnette napolitano (@therealjohnette) July 31, 2013
300,000 followers!! Thank you Twitter!! Now go buy my album!! Ok!? No seriously, thank you all! Now, go buy my album.
— Sebastian Bach (@sebastianbach) July 30, 2013
Raven, my 9 year old, just said "Dad, you smell nice, like the toilet on the Air New Zealand plane." Compliment or insult? I can't tell. GN
— Gary Numan Official (@numanofficial) July 30, 2013
Shorts & dWogs. pic.twitter.com/Oeaf1X0Fcu
— Simon Le Bon (@SimonJCLeBON) July 30, 2013
Song Of The Day: New Order, "Love Vigilantes"
From 1985, here's New Order with "Love Vigilantes."
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
First Look: Bad Grandpa
When I first heard they were making a movie starring Johnny Knoxville's Grandpa character from the Jackass films, I thought it was a dumb idea. But after seeing the trailer, I'm in.
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