Todd and Jeff chatted with the Pint-Sized Story-Telling Powerhouse, SM Shrake right before he hosted the “Holiday Cheer” themed StorySlam event at L’Etage on December 28, 2010.

Winner of “Best in Philly,” First Person Arts StorySlams are monthly, real-life-storytelling competitions held at World Cafe Live and L’Etage in Philadelphia. Each month’s theme elicits stories that come from the life experiences of Philly’s storytellers. StorySlams take place on the second Monday of each month at World Cafe Live and the fourth Tuesday of each month at L’Etage.

More: firstpersonarts.org and usedwigsradio.com

Photo by Stephen Goldsmith

(Originally posted in 2010, the show date has been updated below for the 2011 broadcast.)

I’ve been driving back and forth between Philly and the Jersey Shore for over twenty years, many times on Christmas Eve. That’s how I discovered Jon Solomon way back in the early 90s. I flipped on WPRB-FM (Princeton University) and was immediately impressed with the wonderful assortment of rarely-heard holiday tunes being spun while I sat in traffic on the NJ Turnpike. It was a welcomed break from Bruce, Burl and that little creep who was watching his mom make out with Santa.

Back in the late 80s, a young Jon Solomon decided it was his calling to help spread holiday cheer. On that Christmas eve, he locked himself in a cramped radio studio and dispensed musical merriment to all the good little girls and boys throughout the land. Santa approved. The media embraced him. A sandwich was named after him. History was made and he’s still at!

So let’s give back and listen on Saturday, December 24th at 6:00 pm ET as Jon Solomon hosts his 24th annual 24-Hour Holiday Radio Show, which airs exclusively on 103.3 fm WPRB. RSVP for the show on Facebook, follow along on Twitter and watch on uStream.

Tune in when you can, it’s the perfect musical accompaniment to wrap gifts, open gifts, and re-gift gifts.

Until then, let’s learn a little more…

Jon, you do a lot chair swiveling, mike adjusting and CD pulling during the 24 hour period. How do prepare for these physical demands?

My biggest issues are (usually) not tweaking my back loading crates of records into the WPRB studios or having my handcart tip over sadly between my car’s trunk and the station elevator. From that point forward, things usually work out OK.

I give up most sugar for December and cut out my traditional morning iced coffee with soy milk for tea (hello, chai!). Trying to avoid getting sick and/or the caffeine highs/lows that can really wreck a marathon like this.

Last night I realized that I need to be doing more situps (be glad you can’t see the half of me positioned beneath the broadcast board) so perhaps I’ll add that to my regimen.

How old were you when you did your first 24-Hour Holiday Show and was your motivation strictly to impress the ladies?

It was 1988 and I was 15. Like all things I did then and all things I continue to do now, it was strictly to impress the ladies.

If present-day Jon Solomon could hop in a British police box and travel back in time to that first show, what advice would he give young Jon Solomon?

I would present younger me with a list of records I should buy in a format other than cassette.

There would also be a list attached of girls to make a point of kissing and a list of girls you really shouldn’t kiss.

We would then accidentally touch and melt into each other like a couple of Ron Silvers. Oof.

Technology-wise, how much easier is it to program and run a show now than back in the day. Is there any aspect of the old technology you miss?

It is and it isn’t. I still burn all of my digital files to CDR (will be doing that monster task tonight) and play everything from LP, CD, and 45 live. When WPRB had three CD players, that was a brief luxury!

Having access to all sorts of out-of-print titles that people have digitized and shared has improved the overall depth, sound, and uniqueness of the show several-fold. I really enjoy trading files/links with some other Xmas music friends I’ve met through this program. I’m glad people think of me with holiday songs if they find one in July.

What was the very first song you played on the first show?

I wish I knew! The oldest paper playlist I can find today is from 1991, and the oldest page from that marathon appears to kick off with Santa Claus by the Sonics.

Sean Murphy and Jon Solomon in the WPRB studios, some time last century.

Worst song you ever played and will not play again?

Hmmmm. There was some goth nonsense I played in the middle of the night last year that I thought was the only song I played on the 2009 show I wasn’t crazy about in some respect.

Never again.

When I first started the show I had to play everything the station had regardless of quality, because I didn’t have a library of my own and I wanted to fill the time with holiday cheer.

Now I have too much great music to hope to squeeze into the 24 hour window. It sounds like a long time, but it divides down to around 300 songs when all is said and done.

What song or comedy bit do you look toward to playing the most every year?

Jeez. I don’t have a specific favorite, but what I really look forward to are requests for songs I forgot were in the collection or didn’t recall off the top of my head as amazing. I like being surprised by listeners with things in my library that I know I’ve flagged as great but can’t completely remember why I like them.

Ever have a live musical guest play during the show?

Not yet (would be a bear to engineer while doing everything else) but people have certainly recorded songs live to be played on the show. I hope to get my 2.5-year-old daughter to sing a few holiday songs on-air towards the end of this year’s show. She’s currently obsessed with Jingle Bells and Frosty the Snowman.

When David Bowie pops in during the holidays, we all know yuletide magic happens. Please name three people/groups you’d love to have drop in and maybe belt out a tune.

The great 1960s garage rock band the Sonics are the first that come to mind. It would be very fun to have a bunch of musical friends on-call in the back of the studios to perform Hootenanny-style on-demand, but the time of year doesn’t lend itself to this grand idea.

I’ve notice a glaring lack of wacky sound effects played during your show. Will this be remedied any time soon?

What, jingle bells aren’t wacky enough for you?

Nope, wackier!

One of the first years I did the show I had a clock radio that “spoke” the time and weather in a robot voice. Oh, how I regret not having that trusty friend by my side anymore.

Better bad radio movie, FM or Pump Up the Volume?

Talk Radio.

I enjoy the video element of the show where we get to see you do your thing and also become tired. Will you be doing anything special for the camera this year?

Every year fellow WPRB DJ Julia Factorial says she’s going to set up a full manger backdrop behind where I sit in Studio A. Every year this does not happen.

Perhaps this will be the year? Cross your fingers.

During the show, what is your preferred method of receiving user feedback/requests, online chat or phone?

In the first third of the show, email/chat (if I was allowed to pick). Things are nuts then and I’m never completely ready for how overwhelming the start can be.

Overnight and if you can accept that I may say “I’m sorry I have to go” at any moment, by all means telephone. It will be nice to hear from you.

What are you looking for in the next person who will inevitably take over the role of “Jon Solomon, 24-Hour Holiday Radio Show Host”?

While I am not currently looking to recast this part, hopefully someone who will keep seeking things out and adding to the library I’ve already collected.

As you may or may not know, I have optioned the rights to your story and I need to change a couple teensy weensy things. First off, which setting would you prefer and why: You’re an intergalactic DJ alone in a spaceship who must play holiday music non-stop to keep nefarious holiday-hating aliens away from your home planet … OR you are the last human DJ on earth stuck in a studio while non-threatening, vegetarian Zombies pester you with Phish and RatDog requests.

I would choose the latter. I think you have a better chance of getting that one in under budget.

Greenlit!

Let’s say listeners wanted to send you nourishment during the show, what is your favorite type of pizza and from what local Princeton area establishment should he or she order?

While I always appreciate the sentiment of people I don’t know wanting to stop by, please don’t. I hope you take this the right way, listeners. It is far less glamorous and far more chaotic at WPRB than you might imagine. I always feel bad when folks come to the studios unannounced and:

- Have coffee to offer I can’t drink.

- Have cookies to share I can’t eat.

That being said, on any regularly-scheduled Wednesday night radio show between 7-10 pm ET, I would not turn down a large pie with peppers from Conte’s on Witherspoon Street.

Lastly, what is your favorite album of this past year?

Right now I’m saying Majesty Shredding, but that’s subject to a full review of records I’ve played in 2010 come January.

More:

• Keeping Score At Home
• UsedWigs Radio Podcast 89: Guest Jon Solomon
• UsedWigs Radio Podcast 69: Talking Music, Radio, Comedy and Wrestling with Guest Jon Solomon of WPRB

Photo by Seth Olenick

Simply put, Dave Hill rules. He’s like a quadruple threat — comedian, musician, writer and name-dropper — he does it all. You’ve seen him on MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, Cartoon Network,  TLC,  Current TV and of course, on the world wide web (video below).

Hi Dave, first off, what makes you so explosive?

At the moment, I would have to say the jalapeno poppers and spicy beef chili nachos I ate for dinner last night. I don’t eat food like that too often, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Wait, no, that is a dumb and predictable answer. I guess I would have to say the thing that makes me so explosive is the overall joie de vivre that I exhibit on an almost daily basis without even trying. The first answer is more accurate though, the more that I think about it.

Your show — billed as a “variety show” with music, comedy and chat — is very popular in New York City. Why are you so successful in a format where the mighty Rosie O’Donnell failed so miserably?

I am an incredible dresser. That’s really half the battle. The other half is the hair. If you’ve got those two things covered, you’re in pretty good shape. James Brown once said “If a man has his hair and his teeth, he has everything,” which was just one more example of his genius, but I imagine a guy like that takes incredible outfits for granted, which is probably why he didn’t even bring it up.

As far as Rosie goes though, I didn’t realize her variety show came out already. I guess if it came and went already without me even knowing about it, I am in real trouble as far as getting my own variety show on television goes. Then again- as mentioned earlier- I am an incredible dresser and I really swing for the fences when it comes to my hair, so I should be all set. Did Rosie offer snacks to the audience on her variety show? I always thought this is what made her daytime show so classy. I also thought she was great on “Little Britain USA,” for real.

On a not-so-related note, when Caroline Rhea took over Rosie’s daytime slot five or six years ago, my friend Zach was the drummer in her house band for a while. I didn’t have much going on at the time, so at one point I decided to see how many days in a row I could handle sitting in the studio audience. I made it almost two weeks straight and I still have the signed Steven Cojocaro (“Cojo” to his friends) book to prove it. I was the only person in the audience each day that wasn’t wearing pleated jeans. Also, Caroline Rhea never once acknowledged the fact that I came to see her show every day even though she stood right in front of me every time she came out to great the audience before taping. Shortly afterwards, her show was cancelled. You tell me.

Do you produce these shows yourself? What’s the hardest part about pulling one of these extravaganzas together?

I do a lot of it myself, but I collaborate on the videos that I screen in the shows with friends. And lots of people have been super helpful in tracking down guests to be on the show. Also, I usually have my sidebitch Phil with me at the Explosions, but he is in England touring with his heavy metal tribute to the Bee Gees, Tragedy, right now. At the Philly shows this weekend, I will have guest sidebitches in the form of the lovely and talented Kent Haines and Gregg Gethard.

The hardest part about pulling one of these extravaganzas together is booking the guests. It’s a bit of a scramble every time, but it usually works out somehow. When I had Dick Cavett and Rufus Wainwright on the show on the same night, I got an e-mail from one of Conan O’Brien’s peeps telling me that Conan was jealous of my lineup for the night. I don’t know if Conan really even knew about my lineup, but I was flattered by the e-mail anyway. Since I don’t know many folks in Philly though, I’ve been getting a lot of lovely help from the PHIT folks and also my sister, who lives in Philly. They are doing the arm-twisting for me this time around.

Who will be joining you for the Philly Shows? Why did you choose them?

On Friday I’ll have Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Karen Heller and Bret Tobias from the Bigger Lovers. On Saturday, I’ll have Bob Levis, the director and producer of the soon-to-be hit movie “GOLD.” There will also be a musical guest on Saturday, but I’m not sure who that will be just yet. I promise it will be someone incredible though. Quality is job one.

I chose them because I think they will be fun and interesting guests and also because alleged Philadelphia residents Richie Sambora and Chubby Checker both said no. The balls on these guys!

What scares you most about The City of Brotherly Love?

Knife-wielding street gangs and time-travelling street urchins with soot-covered faces. I am tired of being targeted by these two groups every time I come to your town. Seriously- what the F?

Another thing that scares me is the possibility that no one will come see my shows this weekend. My last Philly Explosion took place on the first night of the Phillies being in the World Series and also it was Yom Kippur. It’s tough to compete with that sort of thing, but still some gentile non-baseball fans managed to show up and help make it a fun night.

You’re an accomplished musician (Valley Lodge) as well as comedian. Which area do you consider your self more kick-ass?

To be fair, I am incredible at both, but- in the shallowest of terms- I make a lot more money through comedy. Don’t worry though- I just punched myself in the face for typing that last sentence. I don’t know which I’m more kick-ass at though. I leave that to the people to decide, some of whom might think I suck at both. That’s okay though- I respect their right to be entirely wrong. Wait, I just reread my answer to this question and think I must sound like a major a-hole. I don’t know which I’m better at. I guess I just like doing both and I’m happy that anyone would pay attention to me doing either.

I first encountered you back in early 2000s at The Fire in Philly with your then band Uptown Sinclair. I was very impressed. I still tell people you are one of the best front men ever, who else compares to you?

It’s pretty much down to me and David Lee Roth circa-1980. Pre-Damn Yankees Ted Nugent was no slouch either. Not to sound all punk rock or anything, but I’ve seen Bad Brains a bunch of times and H.R. is pretty unstoppable too. The guy can do back flips likes it’s an afterthought. Also, he is completely crazy, which is a bonus. Oh, and say what you want but Morrissey rules too.

I know you’re a fan of Walter Schreifels, me too, did you catch one of the Rival Schools reunion shows?

Walter is the king. I am not just a fan, I am friends with him too, something I point out to make myself seem cool. I missed the Rival Schools shows in New York last month because I was in London doing shows then. I mention this to seem cool too. I saw Walter play solo a couple weeks ago though when he opened up for (International) Noise Conspiracy and he was awesome. He played songs from almost every band he’s been in plus his solo stuff and even a couple covers. The man is a great songwriter and entertainer. I will revise my answer to the previous question to include him. Hill, Roth, Nugent, H.R., Morrissey, Schreifels- the Mount Rushmore of rock.

You still into Norwegian Black Metal?

Yes. Duh. Why would I stop? Speaking of which, this past weekend I watched a new movie called “Until the Light Takes Us.” It’s a documentary about Norwegian Black Metal. I don’t know if it’s coming out in theatres or what, but you should totally see it however you can. I got an advance DVD of it because I am in league with Satan and also because I have been on basic cable television. The Norwegian Black Metal book by photographer Peter Beste is also maybe the greatest coffee table book ever. I got the deluxe edition for my birthday.

Who is the coolest celebrity/musician you’ve met? Why?

That’s a tough one. It might be a tie between Dick Cavett and Joe Franklin. They are both legends and I’m honored that they’ve ever even been willing to let me in the same room with them. They’ve both done my show.

I guess it’s too late to apologize for being all namedroppy at this point, but I had dinner at Joan Rivers’ house a couple times (I’m friends with her niece) and she was insanely sweet, cool, and nice. I once baked her a bread pudding with her initials in raisins on top. True story.

Ronnie James Dio did my show in L.A. the first time I did it out there and I was completely terrified because he’s Ronnie James Dio. He was such an awesome guy though and made me feel instantly comfortable. He signed my guitar “Dave Hill rocks magic- Ronnie James Dio.” I’m not entirely sure what that means, but every time I look at my guitar I am reminded that I am a pretty lucky guy.

Another time, Robin Williams made a surprise appearance on my show in L.A. and was super nice. Shortly afterwards, he paid me some nice compliments in an interview. My parents read it and were nice to me for like six months after that.

What’s the best band you ever shared a bill with?

One of my previous bands, Uptown Sinclair (mentioned earlier) opened for Blondie once. That was pretty great. They played all the hits and all these years later Debbie Harry can still sing her balls off. I met Clem Burke before the show and he was dressed in a killer suit. When they took the stage though he was wearing jeans and an Adidas track jacket. I asked him what happened to his awesome suit from earlier and he explained that that was his everyday attire. He brings it down for the stage, a total power move. The man is a badass.

When I was in Cobra Verde, we toured with Mike Watt a couple times, which was highly entertaining both onstage and off. We toured with J Mascis and the Fog once too, which Watt was in as well. It was great to see them tear it up every night as those guys pretty much wrote the book on tearing it up. I used to read Watt’s tour blog and based on that and whatever other information I could gather from him directly, I counted that he shit his pants at least four times on tour. The man is a legend for many reasons. Cobra Verde shared a bill with Bob Mould once too. He’s one of my all-time faves, so I was pretty psyched about that. For the record, he’s been on the Explosion before too. Speaking of pants shitting, I almost shit my pants when he was on my show.

My first band Sons of Elvis opened for Slash’s Snakepit once, which was pretty awesome. When I introduced myself to Slash at soundcheck he said, “Hi, Dave, I’m Slash.” I remember thinking it was classy that he introduced himself and didn’t take for granted that I would know who he was even though he was still in one of the biggest bands in the world at the time. After the show, Gilby Clarke let me have a turkey sandwich from their backstage catering. I thought that was really classy too.

What’s a great affordable holiday gift for the ladies?

I think any lady would be impressed if you made her tiramisu, the popular Italian dessert cake item, and then wrapped it up really nice. As I understand it, tiramisu is mostly lady fingers, some espresso, and then some other stuff too. I’ve never made it myself, but I imagine if I were a lady and someone gave me tiramisu that they had made with their own two hands, I’d be pretty fired up about it. It’s my favorite dessert item. Don’t buy the ladies lingerie. What are you, some kind of creep?

Dave, at last count, you have 37 websites promoting your various activities? What’s the best one a new fan should visit to find about more about you and your explosions?

I would start with my popular Internet website located at www.davehillonline.com and then go from there. If at some point you end up on a website dedicated to Dave Hill, the guitar player from the British glam rock band Slade though, you should know that that is not me. I encourage you to spend time on that Dave Hill’s site though too as Slade is awesome.

Thanks Dave, see ya this weekend!

Video: Dave Hill Returns to New York Fashion Week for Spring ’09:

Free MP3: Download “All of My Loving” by Valley Lodge

One of the other bands that I had the pleasure of sitting down to talk with at CMJ, is the New York City based band The Mood. The Mood consists of Marco Argino on lead vocals and guitar, his cousin Corinne Callen on vocals and keys, Kenton Langsthroth on guitar, Chris Bunatta on drums and Brian Karp on bass.

The Mood’s sound is sunny straight ahead rock with elements of 80’s new wave and 60’s Brit pop mixed in. I chatted with the band over sushi at a sushi joint near Kenny’s Castaways in Manhattan, where The Mood played their set for the CMJ Music Marathon. We chatted about many things including what brought Marco Argino, guitarist Kenton Langsthroth and keyboard player Corinne Callen to New York City from Ft. Lauderdale Florida to how the band came together.

You guys are originally from Florida.

MA: Three of us are from Florida

What is the music scene like in Florida?

MA: When I was originally in it…. it was more like a real punk rock scene in South Florida.

CC: It was metal and punk.

MA: In Corinne’s area it was more metal and in my area it was punk. I was in punk and pop punk bands. When I knew the band that I was in was at its end, I knew I wanted to put together a project that’s like what we’re doing now with the two guitars and all that. And I was trying to get the guys that I knew from down there to move up here to New York and they ended up fizzling out, so I moved to New York on my own booking some acoustic gigs and meeting the promoters and getting my foot in the door. That was in 2004 and I just played everywhere you can play and then it was like okay I can’t do this anymore I need a real band! The first person that I contacted to be an official Mood member was my cousin Corinne; we did acoustic gigs together….

CC: We did sing songwriter shows.

MA: We played all with all these different artists in the Columbia University area.

CC: We both went to college in the same town as well and Marco had his fans in Tallahassee and I had mine there too, but we didn’t meet up till we both got to New York.

MA: I was always looking for a singer, a good harmony voice and I was always looking for this guy who can sing harmonies. Then I realized it was right under my nose the entire time…Corinne! My cousin has this amazing voice and she can play all of these instruments. And working with family is really easy and it works out. So we started playing together and we had these various drummers and bass players and I was like humm…second guitar who are we gonna get now? And I ran into Kenton at a birthday party and I spoke to him joining the band but he didn’t remember us talking about it because he was so drunk. I had to remind him the next day, we had that connection of being friends and recording buddies back in Florida and I knew what he could do and he, Corinne and I started playing together.

We went through some various line up changes with the rhythm section, our old drummer introduced us to Brian Karp our current bass player and he was the best bass player hands down so it was a no brainer for us to choose Brian as our bass player. The next person to join our band was our current drummer Chris who got in right before we made our record at Electric Ladyland studios. After that the band was solidified and we had done a bunch of gigs.

In your own words can you describe the sound of The Mood?

KL: I don’t want to say that it’s pop or it’s this or that, for me it’s either music that makes you think or it’s music that uplifts and makes you dance. I don’t want to say that it’s two parts that, two parts this with a little splash of this on top….

BK: It defiantly has its influences 50’s, 60’s….

MA: 60’s British invasion bands, some 80’s..

BK: Yeah 80’s post punk electro pop.

MA: Overall I would say it’s a rock and roll sound and that kind of covers it all. Some people will tell us we’re power pop that keeps coming up a lot. It’s melodic, it’s rock and roll!

I just read that you guys did some shows in England, did you play any special shows while you were over there?

MA: We got asked to play the In The City music festival, which is Manchester’s version of CMJ. I thought to myself if I’m gonna get the band to go over there I should make it worth the band’s while and so besides doing the In The City we played some other non festival shows in the UK. We did a show at the legendary 100 Club, where everyone from The Who to Metallica to the Sex Pistols and Zeppelin played….

CC: Famous people still show up there!

MA: When I went to the 100 Club for the first time I saw the Hives play there. And the next time I was there we were fucking rocking the place! So it was a really amazing experience to play there! We started in London, then we went to Stockwell, then we went down to Brighton and we played an amazing
room were everyone was up dancing. There was all the crazy energy in Brighton…

CC: The people in Brighton show their love of music a lot more.

BK: They come out to have a good time and hear bands..

KL: We had a really great time in Brighton!

MA: We ended the regular bit of the tour in Brighton. Our final show was at the In The City Festival in Manchester and it was a really nice show! It was an intense experience but it was a great experience!

You guys were talking about the differences in the crowds…you were saying the crowds in London are a lot like the crowds in New York, a little more reserved a little more cynical….

BK: It’s not so much being cynical, when you live in a big city like New York or London you get to see the best of everything. You can go out any night and see a famous band that you’ve heard of, so naturally when you go out and see a young band that no has heard of you want them to show you the goods. So it’s not so much about being cynical as it is, I live in a big city where I can see world class music any night…so be good!

CC: I say it’s a little bit more challenging as an artist or a performer to give them a good show, which keeps everyone on their toes. So in another words I wouldn’t trade living in New York City for anything in the world right now!

MA: We all worked really hard to get to this point!

CC: I’m not saying anything negative about London but in the same way it probably feels like that too…it keeps you on your toes and makes you a good performer!

MA: Honestly all five of us earn it on stage every night! We go out there and we put on a show, we’re not sitting there making faces. Our songs are catchy and we put on a rock and roll show! We go out there and engage with the crowd…

BK: It’s a high energy show!

What’s the songwriting process that goes into each song by the Mood?

BK: Marco stairs at the sky till it hits him..(everyone laughs)

MA: (laughing) Exactly!

KL: I feel like the songs on our EP “Get In” are songs that Marco had crafted over a long period of time. It’s a singular process but we all leave our mark on the songs.

MA: With those songs it was a bit of a darker time then. Cause, everyone had just moved to New York and gone through break ups and struggles to get to New York. Even going through the weather change, going from that sunny Florida weather to the New York weather affected the songwriting process! Then we started thinking outside the box, wither it’s physcadelic with the lyrics or it’s a little more story telling, everyone grew on “Synaesthesia” our latest album and left their own mark on each of the songs.

CC: We produced “Synaesthesia” and in that respect it made everyone’s participation that much more prevalent.

What does the future hold for the Mood?

MA: We’re already talking about doing another record. We own our own record label called Out Right Rock and we put out our own records. And so we’re looking for a nice independent record label that sees our vision, basically we’re looking for a home.

To hear the Mood’s music, get tour dates, other news and to order your copy of “Synaesthesia” you can go to the Mood’s myspace site:

www.myspace.com/marcoargiro

- Amy Grimm

One of the many bands whose set I had the pleasure of watching at CMJ in NYC, is a band based out of Brooklyn by way of Philly called The Canon Logic. The band consists of Tim Kiely on lead vocals and guitar, Mark Alu on keys, guitar and vocals, Sean Enright on bass, Josh Greenfield on guitar and vocals and Michael Mignano on drums.

The sound of the Canon Logic can best be described as the Beach Boys meet the Strokes and their live shows are a very fun high energy 60’s mod dance party. I was able to speak briefly to the boys of The Canon Logic after their CMJ set at Arlene’s Grocery in Manhattan. And this is what they had to say, enjoy!

In your own words can you describe the sound of The Canon Logic?

MA: We like to describe the sound of The Canon Logic as a mint scented breath of fresh air! We think cinnamon is for chumps! (Everyone laughs) We do a lot of vocal harmony which is something not a lot of bands are doing right now.

TK: We mix harmony with rock, simply put.

There’s a song you guys played tonight with a rather interesting title called “I Slept With Your Best Friend.” Is there a story behind that song?

TK: There is a story! One of my best friends was in love with his girlfriend’s best friends. And he always talked to me about it and he always tried to make moves on the girl. So I ended up writing this song from his perspective talking to his girlfriend’s best friend, telling her that he was in love with her. But in real life… it didn’t work out!!

Besides love gone wrong, what else inspires the Canon Logic to write songs?

TK: There is a lot of real life brought into Canon Logic songs. Songwriting starts when one of us will bring a song to the group about what ever that person wants that song to be about. And usually we put the song together by adding our own distinctive pieces to that song.

I read that you guys are working on your first full-length album, when can fans expect this album?

JG: Early ’09 we’re shooting for an early February release date.

TK: We finished our first four tracks, so we’re making great progress!

SE: In the meantime we kinda wanna hold everyone over till the release of the album and so we have an EP out now called “The White Balloon”. People can order that through our website.

After CMJ what does the future hold for The Canon Logic?

MA: We have a show at Maxwell’s in Hoboken on November 8th with some other really good bands. We’re trying to buckle down and do some recording but that will never get done if we keep playing shows!

SE: We keep saying, that we’re gonna buckle down and do some recording but we keep taking more shows. Now we’re really gonna put the shows on lock down.

MA:  We love playing live… so it’s hard!

How did it feel to be asked to play CMJ?

MA: It felt GREAT!  It’s was so validating to see our name listed with bands that we really respect and admire, it means our hard work is starting to pay off!

The Canon Logic plays Maxwell’s in Hoboken, New Jersey on November 8th.

To find out the release date of the Canon Logic’s debut album, get more tour dates and order your copy of “The White Balloon” you can check out their website: www.thecanonlogic.com

To hear their music and be the Cannon Logic’s myspace friend  you can click here: www.myspace.com/thecanonlogic

- Amy Grimm

Comedian Mike Birbiglia brings his new show “Sleepwalk with Me” to Philadelphia’s Zellerbach Theatre this Friday, October 10th. This is a sneak peak performance before his big off-Broadway debut at the Bleecker Street Theatre in NYC starting October 17th. Mike is hysterical, so see him now before Big Time Fame snatches him up and forces him to make a bad movie with Jessica Alba.

Jeff chatted with Mike via cell phone as he trekked through the busy streets of Manhattan, dodging cars, taking taxis and dropping impressive names in his wake.

Play Now: http://www.usedwigs.com/pod/Birbiglia_Interview.mp3

Subscribe: iTunes

Tickets: Some tickets still available for Philly, get them here. New York shows, get tickets here.

More Mike:

• www.birbigs.com
• sleepwalkwithmike.com
• www.myspace.com/birbigs
• My Secret Public Journal

Podcast Website: www.usedwigsradio.com

The 88 are an indie pop band based out of Los Angeles California. Their sound is 60′s pop mixed in with some good old basic garage rock. You may have heard their songs being played in such TV shows as “How I Met Your Mother” and films such as “You, Me and Dupree”.

The 88 have a new album coming out called “Not Only… But Also” on October 28th. The record was produced by R&B legend Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, who in the past has worked with everyone from Whitney Houston to Eric Clapton. I had the pleasure of speaking with The 88 keyboard player Adam Merrin via the telephone and here is what Adam had to say.

Your new album was produced by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. He really isn’t known for working with indie rock bands, he’s more known for working with people such as Madonna and Boys 2 Men. How did “Babyface” come to produce this new album?

Well basically the way the “Babyface” thing came about is that he is managed by the same management company that manages The 88. And he has been trying to do other rock projects in addition to the R&B producing that he has done in the past and he came to see us perform at a show in LA. And he liked what he heard and so we met with him in the studio the next day and we just really hit it off! He was talking about his love for the Beatles, which is one of our favorite bands and we just clicked right away. It was unanimous at the end of the meeting we were all like let’s do this! It does sound a little but funny for us to be working with him but we just really loved his ideas. He basically told us that he wanted us to sound like The 88 but a lot bigger and that really appealed to us. He didn’t talk about changing anything or doing anything terribly different, we all really liked that!

Did you find that “Babyface” brought a soulful popish element to your sound?

Well he played guitar on one of our songs and he is a great guitar player! As I said he really kept the sound of The 88…he just made it really big.

In your own words how would you describe the sound of the new album?

It sounds a lot like the stuff that we’ve always done….it just sounds bigger. And I think the songs are a little bit more thought out as far as the arrangements go. And the songs are a little more layered with all the sounds we tried on this album like new keyboard sounds and it definitely sounds like The 88. It’s just a really good rock record!

I was able to hear one of the new songs off the album “Go Go Go”! and it’s very cool! What’s the story behind that song?

That song came about when we rented a house up in Lake Arrowhead which is in the mountains two hours away from LA. We did a bunch of writing there and brought up a bunch of recording equipment and recorded a bunch of demos and that one came about up there. We were setting up to record another song , while everything was being set up we were toying around with the idea and we listened back to it and all the parts were all there and we worked it out and recorded it pretty much immediately after.

What inspires you musically, Adam Merrin?

Well the other guys in the band really inspire me! We just play off of each other really well and listen to each other. Keith Slettedahl (the lead vocalist and guitar player for The 88) have been playing together for years, we know each other so well! I know what cord changes Keith is going to be going to next and he knows what I’m going to be doing. It’s the years of playing together that makes it what it is. And Anthony Zimmitti our drummer, even though he’s been playing with us for four years now it feels like he’s been playing with us since the being of time! We just really click well together!

Chemistry is important in any band…

It really is! That’s where a lot of the inspiration comes from.

One of the things that fascinates me about The 88, is that you guys have gained most of your popularity through placing your songs in films and TV shows.

It has defiantly helped. Just recently, we had a song in a show called “Gossip Girl” that’s very popular and the night that the song aired on the show the myspace page went through the roof! So many people looked us up afterward which is awesome! At the end of the show they plugged our new album “Not Only But Also” . I just can’t tell you what a great affect that has on this band. We just played in Chicago a few weeks ago and there were all these people coming up to us afterward saying “We heard you in a Sears commercial” or “We know you from “The OC”, it just really helps when we are touring in markets that we’ve never played before! People are coming up to us afterwards saying they knew us or I see them singing along in the crowd… it’s been awesome! Not to mention licensing our music has helped us do music as a living, we don’t have to work day jobs!

It’s interesting to me that licensing is the way that you guys have gotten known amongst the public.

What’s even more interesting is that we never had licensing in the plan at the start. We always had the goal and the big dreams of where we wanted to be and how to get there. But licensing our music at the start was never part of it… it just happened! It’s a good sign for people to know, if you work really hard at something and really believe in it then things will come to you if your planning it or not! You just gotta put yourself out there.

Are there any plans to tour in support of this new album? And are you coming to New York real soon?

Well we’re starting off with a little West Coast run after the record release. We don’t have an exact date but we’ll be coming to New York for sure very soon!

To hear The 88′s music and get news and tour dates check out:

• Website: www.the88.net
• myspace: www.myspace.com/the88

- Amy Grimm

Just like the constellation that bears his name, Orion Simprini is a shining star on the New York music scene. The charismatic Simprini is the front man for the new wave band that shares his unique name: The Orion Experience. I had the pleasure of sitting down to talk to Orion at the White Rabbit, a funky and laid-back lounge on Houston Street right in the heart of the good old Lower East Side. While film clips of people like Madonna and Bill Clinton played on the clean white walls, we talked about where the Orion Experience fits into the NY music scene, the meaning of “indie cred”, and how playing on stage can be orgasmic.

How would you describe the sound of The Orion Experience?

High energy, dancey pop rock. It incorporates a lot of influences from stuff that you may have heard before – people have compared us to the B-52′s and also the New Pornographers. I also feel like there is a little ABBA in there, but I think there is something completely new about it as well. So, there are a lot of retro elements but overall it is a fresh and modern sound that has been unexplored as of late.

What you mean when you say “unexplored”?

I think that we’re very different from a lot of other New York bands. When you come and see The Orion Experience it’s a high energy party atmosphere that just doesn’t seem to be in vogue right now in New York or in indie music so much.

Yeah, right now it seems to be about being depressed and jaded and looking down at your shoes.

(laughs) We don’t play mandolin…..

How do you see the Orion Experience fitting into the New York music scene?

To me New York is like a big black landscape and the Orion Experience is this rainbow in the corner. I think we fit in quite nicely. This city is so drawn to night life and people really like to party here, and the Orion Experience offers a soundtrack to a Saturday night in New York.

I was lucky enough to see one of the Orion Experience shows at the Annex on the Lower East Side, and I have to say it was a really good time. It was a nice change of pace from that “trust fund, ivy league graduate, jaded and depressed indie rock”, that seems to be coming out of Brooklyn and the Lower East Side in abundance these days.

Yeah, we totally try to put out as much energy as we can…but it’s hard for me to say what it looks like from the other side. But I know when I see an audience’s reaction, I feel like they are giving back that same positive energy.

I felt like I was back in the 80′s, but it was very smart.

Back in the 80′s – that’s a great thing! It’s like if you saw a Culture Club show back in the day. While it’s not the exact same thing as an Orion Experience show, it has those elements and it knows what it is and it’s there to make you smile and have a good time. I feel like the perfect Orion Experience show would be when you go there, you dance your ass off, you see a really cute person and you go make out in the bathroom somewhere. Then you laugh the whole way home.

I got that vibe that I was at the Pyramid circa 1985 watching a really cool band…but yet it was very now and modern.

Right! When I sit down to write a song, I’m always trying to write something that I would want to hear at a rock show. And just from my earliest days, stuff like Culture Club, Duran Duran and Michael Jackson – those are the kinds of things that really started me down the musical path and I try to emulate that.

Besides being smart and fun, the Orion Experience seems to have a sexual element as well.

Well for me there is a feeling of excitement and energy in my brain when I’m on stage that is closely related to sexual energy.

Would you call is orgasmic, then?

Definitely, it really is! It’s funny because the French have a saying, “la petite morte”, for an orgasm, which means “the little death”. For me it’s strange, it’s like I blackout when I get on stage. I remember getting up there, and I remember a few things on stage. But when I get off, I don’t remember much about the show because I’m in such a heightened sense of awareness that I don’t really remember that much and it’s sort of like that “little death.”

How much of your songwriting is influenced by sex?

Eighty percent of my songs are about frustration or longing for someone. Those are the kind of things that I really need to express. When I really love someone or am obsessed with someone and they aren’t giving me what I need back…I have to write about it.

Isn’t that what half of rock and roll is? Many of the greatest rock love songs of all time were created in that vein.

Absolutely – and it’s also really great to write songs about someone who has a cool name…

Like Orion?

Right (laughs). I love songs that have people’s names in them.

I’ve noticed that you guys play a lot not only in NYC but also LA. We’ve talked before about the differences between the NYC and the LA scenes, and the differences between the audiences. You’ve said you find NY audiences to be a little smarter and LA audiences to be a little more outrageous.

I would say that in LA they are much more prone to really like you right off the bat, whereas with NY audiences you really have to win them over. They aren’t so quick to be like “oh that was great”! In New York you get some real genuine feed back. The LA audiences that we’ve had have been really great though, and they are very receptive to New York bands.

How would you see the Orion Experience fitting in outside of LA and New York? In other words, fitting into the mainstream?

I don’t think there has ever been a more mainstream band then the Orion Experience. With the right kind of exposure we’d be Z-100′s (well known NY top 40 radio station) biggest band. I think it is smarter than stuff like Fall Out Boy, but it’s just stupid enough for everyone to get it. I feel like if the stars align we’d be as mainstream as they come!

But still retain that indie cred?

I really don’t care about indie cred. I’ve been playing in rock bands since before I could get into bars, so I’ve paid my dues and then some. It doesn’t matter to me if people think I don’t have it, I would rather reach as many people as I can than have only ten people who know us but have “indie cred” (laughs). Take a guy like Jack White from the White Stripes. He is a great example of someone who took indie music and brought it into the mainstream. Everyone likes the White Stripes – and I’ve heard him say in interviews, “I want to make a career out of music and I don’t want stay obscure forever.”

I heard that you are you guys are going into the studio soon.

Yes we are recording four new songs which could become our second album. I’m very excited!

Besides going into the studio soon, what else is on the horizon for the Orion Experience?

I hope this is the year that we reach the masses. One of the things we’re trying to do is some touring on a larger scale. We are going to go to the UK, which is going to be great. We’re going to try and get a much bigger online presence and in blogs such as yours. This is the year that we really need to find our audience, and I think this is the year that it’s going to happen. We’re always looking for ways to circumnavigate the music industry, and besides press and concerts we’re trying to get our music on television shows. I think this is the year we’re going to hit that next level of exposure, although I’m not sure how that is going to happen. Right now what we’re focused on is continuing to put out music and becoming the biggest band that we can be in New York City. Beyond that, making a name and reputation that people such as yourself are picking up on is an encouraging sign.

To find out when the Orion Experience will be in your town or to hear their music check out their myspace page;

www.myspace.com/theorionexperience

Or you can go to their website at: www.theorionexperience.com

- Amy Grimm

Her tale is a fascinating one complete with surviving a major hurricane and moving to New York, Montreal and Providence in the aftermath of the storm.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Alexandra via email and our girl talk included a chat about guitars and changing the world with more fucking and less fighting among other things.

You have an interesting story to tell. You lived in New Orleans and were evacuated when Katrina hit, you then came to New York then you lived in Canada and now your in Providence RI. How has this experience of influenced your songwriting process?

How hasn’t it, is the real answer. I think everything about my life is different since Katrina, and some of those differences are great improvements, I must say. I write about New Orleans a lot because in every place I’ve lived since then, I’m always homesick for it. Moving all the time – I think I’ve moved fourteen times in the last three years – plus touring means that I haven’t ever really been anyplace long enough to make deep connections, which is not to dismiss the amazing people I’ve met along the way. But nowadays I spend most of my time with my guitar and my dog and books, and the more I practice, the deeper I can fall into songs when I sing them. The more I play, the more I experiment – and the happier I get while playing.

Besides the whole experience with Katrina, what other factors play a part in your songwriting process?

If I’m not around big trees, I don’t write as many songs. For me songs come in stillness. If there’s too much commotion around me, I can’t focus in and hear them. I’m still always amazed that a songs come through me. I go through mega-productive periods and long fallow periods, and during the dry spells, I always panic and think “they’re never coming back, I’m never going to have another song come out of me.” And then, so far, touch wood, they come back, and I’m ecstatic and nothing can ever bother me again because I have just written this glorious song that I love! And so on, and so on.

With your experience with Katrina and being evacuated is songwriting and playing live a cathartic thing for you?

Oh yes yes yes yes yes. It was rough to come to New York two weeks after Katrina, cause New York’s great but it’s not the ideal place to come for healing, but it saved my life to do it, because I started right away playing a lot, all the time, and I could just….go. Let go. Start letting go and keep on doing it, because there’s much much more to let go of; I can feel it. And someday I will let go of it all.

In your own words can you describe your sound?

No. I really can’t. I am ashamed that I can’t, but I can’t. I always try to do this, and fail, and die inside a little. Um. I write about the world as seen by a girl who grew up on three thousand acres, with ponies and cattle and green things everywhere; and who is hopelessly romantic; and who has lived in cities for a long time now but is always dreaming of open space and open sky. And that’s all very pretty but it doesn’t describe the music. I just don’t know. I grew up loving Loretta Lynn and Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris. My music doesn’t sound like them but they’re in it, somewhere. I can’t go on – I am hopeless at this, Amy!

Total gear head question… what type of guitar do you play?

I have two – a blond Guild acoustic that I got just before Katrina. It was the only guitar I evacuated with, and I played it full-time and fell in love with it like I’ve never loved a guitar. I’m only its third owner and the previous two were women also, which is unusual.

I also have a green Gretsch anniversary edition that was picked out for me by a semi-romance that went down in flames but not before he took me to a guitar store in the Village, pointed at the guitar and said “That’s your guitar.” I plugged it in and tried it and I knew he was right, so I owe him forever, really.

Last question, how is Miss Alexandra Scott going to change the world with her music?

By promoting the slogan “More Fucking, Less Fighting.”

And by casting a spell and making the musical equivalent of a Victorian opium den: a place where people can just dream off into their own spaces, together and separately all at once.

Alexandra will be playing the Rockwood Music Hall in New York City on Wednesday September 24th at 7pm. The Rockwood Music Hall is located at 184 Allen Street off of Houston Street in the heart of the good old LES of New York, there is no cover and it’s 21 and over to get in.

To hear Alexandra’s music and to get future tour dates and other news check out her myspace page:

www.myspace.com/hearalex

- Amy Grimm

Jesse Malin has been a part of the New York alt-rock music scene for just about twenty years, beginning as a teenager with the hardcore band Heart Attack. In the 90′s, he gained widespread notoriety as front man for the glam-punk band D Generation. These days he has a fresh new sound and has just released his third solo album “Glitter in the Gutter” with contributions from Bruce Springsteen, Jakob Dylan, Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), and of course his good friend Ryan Adams.

While supporting the new album, I had the pleasure of chatting with Jesse at Niagara, the East Village bar where he is a part owner. We sat in a cozy corner of the bar and spent an hour and a half discussing everything from the new album to New York City, including what his hopes are for the future and why he was wearing a back and neck brace.

The first question I’m going to ask, and I’m sure you’re sick of answering this question, relates to your collaboration with Bruce Springsteen on your new song “Broken Radio.” How did that come about, and what was it like to work with Bruce?

Well, when I made “The Fine Art of Self Destruction” I met Bruce at the Stone Pony, of all places, and he told me he really liked the cover that I had done of “Hungry Heart”. He hadn’t heard my solo record, but had read good things about it. Then I got a phone call from my manager saying “Bruce is gonna call you up at home, and he loves your record and he wants to talk to you about it”, and I was like “you’re joking!”

So he called, and we talked about the record for about an hour. He asked me to do some shows with him down in Asbury, which was holiday benefit shows for the local children’s community. I asked “what Christmas songs are we gonna play?” and he said “we’re gonna play your songs with my band, and I’m gonna play my songs”, and I was like “WHAT!?”

That went on for about three or four days, and it was just an amazing experience. The guy is so passionate; he learned all these songs of mine. It was pretty wild having him as my sideman…as my Keith Richards! So, we stayed in touch over the years as I made the second record…and I would see him if he played or had rehearsals, and he’d call once in a while or I’d bump into him at his gigs and he always asked “what are you listening to lately?”

Then I went to see him on the Pete Seeger Sessions tour in Massachusetts and he invited me to his rehearsals. I told him that the show was amazing, and that I was finally starting my next record, and he said “if something comes up, I would love to be part of it.” I went out to LA and did the record and I kept thinking about the right song…there was a song that I had written about my mom who had passed away when I was in my teens. She was one of those people who wanted to be a singer, but ended up becoming a waitress and a divorced parent. But if a song came on the radio, she was a hairbrush singer…singing in the house and in her car. I started to think about people, and about how music and radio could provide three or four minutes of liberation. And now it has changed and become this corporate-fucking-robot-jack-me-off kind of…un-radical thing.

I sent Bruce the lyrics in a letter and said “see what you think”…and then I’m in LA having a very LA moment, with the cell phone and the rental car, and he called and said he dug it. I went out to Jersey when I got my first chance to go back to the “right coast”, the east, and I went to the studio at his house. We had a great afternoon, and he’s just very giving and passionate. He’s a real team player and very humble. Suddenly, here is a song I wrote in my little crappy Lower East Side apartment, with the guy who sang “Thunder Road” that my dad used to listen to! Then we made a video…and it’s another song on the record but a very special moment.

You also collaborate with a lot of people on the album besides Bruce, Jakob Dylan being one and Ryan Adams being another. I know you and Ryan Adams are good friends — is this the first time you’ve ever collaborated with him on anything?

Ryan produced the first record, and he’s kinda done something on every record of mine since. You never know what he’s going to show up with. He always brings something different, and it’s always radically different…but it’s always super creative and wonderful. He’s a great guy. He’s a super force and I’m lucky to have that.

With Jakob, I was living in LA and was very lonely there, and I had just recently met him. I was living in a motel, and he invited me over to his house for a cookout on the fourth of July. I always liked his voice and it just kinda came naturally. That’s the freedom of being a solo artist, is that you can have different people show up and not offend the band.

You talk about being out in LA and getting back to the “right coast”. You’re so associated with the New York music scene, how does New York City inspire you?

I think you walk out your door and you get inspiration, because of one, walking places, and two, the mix of different cultures and the energy of all the different kinds of people. Now it has kind of become a city for the rich, and maybe there are less New Yorkers and less neighborhoods…but we’ve still got that thing.

There is an energy and a force of creativity. The sound, the light changing, the smell of the garbage, the look of the women, the people, the book stores, Central Park, Chinatown, the trains rattling along, the bike messengers… there is a pulse and a rhythm. To me, music in general is very cosmopolitan – and New York just has it. I like urban stuff. I’m going away and getting breaks from it more often, but it’s a great place to leave and come back to. I love people’s interpretations of New York on film, like the way Woody Allen does it in his films or in the way that people like the Rolling Stones and the Clash lamented it. Or the Pogues in “Fairy Tale of New York”, or Sinatra… there is so much of it in different time periods. You can watch channel thirteen (NY’s public television channel- ag) and see that, as it goes under the gentrification of it, it’s still New York!

What was your inspiration for this new album?

I had made a lot of records that were “break up” records. My first record was my first solo record, so I was my own shrink and exploring my demons and my childhood and this and that. The second record was written on the road, and it was made at the time when we were going to war with Iraq. I was learning more about being international and seeing how people viewed my country. Feeling like a New Yorker my whole life, I never fully thought I was an American. Then I realized how New York had become like the rest of America. But around the world, people really had this weird heavy attitude towards us because of the war and because of our imperialistic superpower piggish-ness.

I thought of a different look…also, being at an age where you’re away from home and living out of a suitcase and your friends your age are having kids and settling down…I was still feeling like a boy and a man.

I think rock and roll does that to you.

Yeah, well it keeps the youth in you in a lot of ways. So, by the third record I wanted to write something that wasn’t a “crying in your beer, heart on your sleeve” record, though that is always going to be an element of what I do. I wanted a record that was a record of hope and defiance and about surviving – a positive record. I started to think about a lot of the music I listened to growing up like Bob Marley. The Clash, The Ramones and even John Lennon were like “it’s gonna be alright”.

But also after five or six years of the orange alert and global warming, Katrina, gas prices, record stores closing, Iraq and Bush, and I felt that people shouldn’t have mindless disco fun and forget about the world, but try to be present and not fearing. To be able to go out in the present. To me, that is the good thing about rock and roll and going to shows. You can rent it, or you can watch it on YouTube, but to be in there…there is a ritual with strangers, to be in a pit with a lot of people sharing this. I’m not a religious person, but going to shows and sharing that feeling with people – that is my church. And I wanted to make a record that was representative of being in the moment and finding the things you need to get by, and enjoying life like it’s your last moment. Whatever you are, if you’re a carpenter, rock and roller, school teacher, or fucking drug dealer…whatever your passion is, to really be passionate about it and feel that.

I noticed you’re wearing a back and neck brace… please explain that!?

It’s my first interview with this question! (laughs) Ummm…you know, we toured a lot this year, we did…I don’t know, a bazillion gigs. We were just in the UK and Europe in May and when I got home I noticed that I had a little bite mark on the back of my neck. I didn’t know what it was when I scratched it. I take vitamins, I do pushups, I wasn’t worried about it. It wasn’t like I was in Africa, I was in Paris and Germany. I didn’t think much of it, and went out on the road about a week later and I started to have shoulder blade and neck pain. I thought I did something like talked on the cell phone the wrong way. Things went on, and before I knew it after doing TV appearances in California and in the South I started to get bad neck pains, bad shoulder pains, and I took some Advil thinking it was the tour bus. Then it got worse and I went to the emergency room and kept getting misdiagnosed. For about three or four weeks it got worse and worse and I wasn’t sleeping, and the pills they gave me weren’t working. I’ve never taken anything but vitamin C and suddenly I’m on vicodin and percocet and I’m not even sleeping. I had to cancel after Minneapolis. I was doing three weeks on fire because it was nerve endings, and it felt like someone was holding a big lighter to me.

I finally got back to New York and had an MRI and this doctor said “he’s got an abscess on the upper spine and shoulders, and an infection – get him to the emergency room!”

I think I’ve got a lot of malpractice suits to take care of (laughs). I ended up spending eight days in St. Vincent’s Hospital. They found out the name of the infection and I’m on antibiotics to kick it out. Because I was out there so long playing it kinda messed up my neck a bit and I have to lay off playing for a while. I had to cancel a slew of shows that I was excited about, but everything is going to be rescheduled and I’ll be back out in October. I miss it but I’m trying to make lemonade out of this time – I’m writing for another record. But we’re gonna work “Glitter in the Gutter” for a while. I feel like we’re just ramping up with it.

Last question! What is your hope for the future?

Ummm…that we can save the planet before it’s too late, so my grandkids and great grandkids and all of ours can get to enjoy Earth. Continue to make lots of records and be healthy and tour all over the world and make lots of money so I can have the freedom to buy good food and find alternative ways to do stuff. And to live outside of society and still be able to come in to try and subvert things when I can.

For more info such as tour dates and tv appearances and to hear some tracks off of “Glitter in the Gutter” check out:

www.jessemalin.com

And here is the official website of Niagara:

www.niagarabar.com

- Amy Grimm