Interview: Marshall Keith (#2) | The Slickee Boys | Guitarist

I wrote the following interview that was published in Subversive Zine issue #5 (subversivefrederick.com). This was my second interview with Marshall Keith.

WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?

Marshall Keith. Moved to Rockville, MD when I was 7 from Louisville, KY. Lived up here ever since.

WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN MUSIC?

I was probably interested in it before I was even paying attention. The Twilight Zone was a big influence. My parents liked the “easy listening” genre and Broadway musicals like Carousel and My Fair Lady. I liked that stuff too. I would watch The Wizard of Oz and think “OMG” I WANT TO GO OVER THE RAINBOW WITH YOU, DOROTHY, I KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL!!! I would hear big band stuff like Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade” and “String of Pearls”. I hardly ever heard country music, or blues or anything like that. My siblings would make fun of those kinds of things. But some of the things that would pop up on the radio were irresistible: The song “Charlie Brown”- starts off with these lyrics: “walked in the classroom cool and slow, who calls the English teacher Daddy-o?” We started thinking beatniks were cool; my sister listened to modern jazz. When the Beatles and Bob Dylan came along, we jumped right in with everybody else. I was too young to be “cool.” Just the pesky little brother.

I always liked the outer fringes, but for instance playing clarinet in elementary school was cooler than you might think! Our band teacher wrote a couple of cool things- things that would "tug at your heart strings." When you're involved emotionally, mentally and physically with something, that can be profound.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST INSTRUMENT AND HOW DID YOU GET IT?

Clarinet – My parents bought it. But bass was my first “real” instrument. I left the clarinet at school and stopped practicing after I got the bass. I remember the band teacher whacking me on the head with his baton. (I probably deserved it).

WHO WERE YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS GROWING UP?

Besides the British invasion groups, the “jangly” stuff- The Byrds, The Mamas and Papas, more rocking things like “You Really Got Me” (Kinks), Mitch Ryder, Question Mark and the Mysterians, then the psychedelic stuff, Jefferson Airplane, Cream, The Doors, and especially Jimi Hendrix. I loved the years 1966 through 1970. I hated when everything went country and folk-y after that. I was playing a lot by myself in my room by the time I was 14.

DESCRIBE YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCES PLAYING LIVE/FIRST BANDS.

I played bass in a band with a few friends. We played at a party in the 7th grade. A lot of jamming/party situations up until college age. Slickee Boys was the first actual gig.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO SWITCH TO GUITAR?

Seeing the Beatles movie A Hard Day’s Night. But music seemed to be everywhere then, with not much else to do but watch black and white TV. Also I was very shy and awkward, so I guess I secretly hoped to meet girls and cool people.

HOW DID THE SLICKEE BOYS FORM AND WHAT WERE YOUR ORIGINAL ASPIRATIONS?

My friend Martin "Kim" Kane was a quirky artist friend of mine who wanted to make a record. He knew how to actually manufacture a record- where to send it to get it pressed, etc. Nobody had that information back then. He wanted to do the artwork himself for the cover and knew Martha Hull who sang in a band called Lone Oak, so he recruited me, her, and her band members. He wanted to make a "punk rock" record, but that was a big stretch for all of us. It was an EP called Hot and Cool.

THE SLICKEE BOYS SOUND IS VERY DISTINCT YET NO ONE GENRE COULD SPECIFICALLY DESCRIBE IT. EXPLAIN THE INFLUENCES/THE PROCESS THE BAND WENT THROUGH TO FIND THE SOUND AND THE SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL LYRICAL CONTENT.

The first song Kim wrote was a bunch of visual type lyrics. Pretty stream of consciousness- "Our star names are heard like blued steel. By pulsing stratos crackling Ruby Starr voices." Martha took his random words and rearranged them into sing-able phrases. The song was called “Manganese Android Puppies”. He just had chords, so I had to write a lead part and we put it together committee-style. Not really very punk aside from rock guitar bar-chords. We added a few punk-ish sounding songs to the EP including "Brand New Cadillac" which The Clash did later on. The most punk sounding was "Psycho Daisies" (a Yardbirds song).

When we decided to become an actual band, we played anything we could think of that WASN'T what was popular in the '70s- all that disco and smooth un-emotional un-creative slimey-ness. Luckily, there were a lot of audience members that thought like us. Surf music was NOT cool in those days, but we loved it so we played it. Rockabilly, goofy 60s songs, etc. We were way too eclectic for our own good, but we had fun. In the 80s when Mark Noone became singer, he had a lot of good songs written, more mainstream, but we all liked them. That sort of became the "center" of our sound. We still wrote quirky things like "The Brain that refused to Die." On my own, I usually wrote un-Slickee stuff. One of the few songs I wrote was"Escalator 66." It was originally a metal parody of "highway to hell" called "escalator to purgatory." But then I wrote an intro inspired by the TV show Route 66, so the working title was Escalator 66 when Mark got it and wrote the vocals.

YOU OPENED FOR SOME LEGENDARY BANDS. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE SHOW MEMORIES?

In Baltimore at The Marble Bar, this big guy named “Space” got so excited he jumped up on stage and tackled the drum kit. They all fell over like bowling pins. Dan Palenski managed to hold on to the snare drum and kept the backbeat going.

After a gig in Boston, we went to an after hours party at the top of an old abandoned building. We carried all our guitars, amps and drums up about 7 flights of steps. Took us awhile to set up. People were more uninhibited than in a normal venue, so there was some sketchy stuff going on. We started playing, and about 10 seconds into the first song a bunch of cops came running in blowing whistles and yelling at everybody. So we moved ALL THAT EQUIPMENT all the way back down 7 flights of steps. But it was actually pretty fun. We all have good senses of humor.

We toured France, Germany and Switzerland for a month. The audiences were crazy in love with American music, so the whole trip was fantastic. After I got back to the states, I wished I could have stayed over there.

Opening for the Cramps in New York was a great night for us. But New York was never a good town for us before that. NY bands were used to playing at 4am and doing a 20 minute set. By 4am the Slickee Boys had hangovers and were NOT in good shape. Besides DC, Boston and Baltimore were our favorite towns. Here are some acts we opened for back in the 80s The Ramones, The Pretenders, U2, The Kinks, The Replacements. There were a whole lot of punk bands we played with that I can’t remember. Kurt Cobain was in our dressing room once. I remember watching Dave Grohl drum for Scream.

DID YOU EVER CONSIDER AT THE TIME THAT THE D.C PUNK SCENE YOU WERE A PART OF WOULD BECOME LEGENDARY?

No, I had no idea. I assumed after 20 years people would be listening to robot music or something. At that time nobody listened to my parents’ music anymore. I figured that would keep happening. Music changes, and nobody likes the old stuff (or so I thought).

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SLICKEE BOYS SONG?

Probably “Here to Stay.” It had all the elements that the Slickees did best – the chugging guitars, the psychedelic fuzz lead breaks, and I really like the vocal phrasing and lyrics Mark Noone wrote.

THE SLICKEE BOYS FORMED IN 1975 AND LASTED FOR AROUND 16 YEARS TO 1991. WHEN DID THE FIRST SIGNS OF A POSSIBLE BREAKUP OCCUR? WHAT STRUGGLES/PROBLEMS LED TO IT FINALLY HAPPENING?

It was pretty hard getting gigs until punk/New wave got trendy. At our peak, we could pack clubs, but in later years only a few venues were dependable. Even the 9:30 club (probably our most dependable spot) was focusing exclusively on non-local bands. We had a lot of core fans, but outside the urban/suburban areas, nothing happening. Clubs wanted dependability like Blues, Country, Metal etc. We were in our mid thirties, so had to make a hard decision. Personally, I was sick of "starving" and mooching off of people. Our best songs were behind us. Kim Kane was the first to quit. I started training to be a piano tuner.

A SLICKEE BOYS PHOTO MADE A SMALL APPEARANCE ON FOO FIGHTERS’ SONIC HIGHWAYS SERIES ON HBO. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO STILL HAVE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THE EFFECT THAT YOUR MUSIC AND OTHER BANDS HAD ON D.C.?

When DC hardcore acts started to get going, that was exciting to see. They started a whole new scene, but we stayed mainly in the old familiar bar scene. It’s very cool to be remembered as a part of that. Mainly, I just like having been a part of something that gave people some happiness, and for being a jumping off point for other bands to do their own thing. When we first started the tiny little scene seemed to be much more diverse. Bands like The Insect Surfers (New wave quirky surf band), The Urban Verbs (synth pop angst band), Overkill (prep school outcasts telling long-haired people to “get a haircut”), Razz (the greatest most underrated live rock band I ever saw). Razz helped break us into the club scene. All of us were having a hard time getting gigs. The DC area was a very Country, Blues type of place (I knew next to nothing about what was going on in the go-go scene). But once we were in the clubs, we had steady gigs for around 8 years. We did reunion shows once a year after we broke up (1991-2011). Those were always great – hanging out with all the scenesters from a long time ago.

YOU HAVE RELEASED SOLO MUSIC AND CONTINUED TO PLAY GIGS. WHAT KEEPS YOUR MUSICAL DRIVE GOING?

I'm mainly motivated to write and record. It seems like a basic need. I always want to come up with new things. Sometimes conventional musical structures weigh me down. It's like I'm fighting against them, but at the same time, within those structures, there's so much cool stuff that can be done. I'll write stuff and think "Okay, this is pretty cool, but WHAT IS IT? Could be a movie sound track. Could be a commercial jingle. Should this have vocals? Should I be spending my time doing this?" Sometimes it's better not to think, and just do it because it feels good.

SOLO MUSIC CAN BE A CHANCE TO STEP AWAY FROM WHAT AN ARTIST IS TYPICALLY KNOWN FOR. DO YOU THINK YOU GO FOR A CERTAIN SOUND SOLO AND IF SO HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT?

The stuff I most easily write is depressing ballady stuff. That's why I didn't write many Slickee songs. I like a mysterious atmosphere. Maybe I'm writing in a therapeutic way. Although sometimes it feels more like wallowing. It's fun to rock. I'd like to be more "uplifting" (not sure if that's the right word). But lately I find myself concentrating on livelier material.

ANY NEWS OR MUSICAL UPDATES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?/WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND YOUR MUSIC?

Right now I'm just exploring. I never like to repeat myself and do anything too similar to what I've already done.

(The "Roadside Shrine" and "ON" CDs are generally available on most places like ITunes)

https://marshallkeith.bandcamp.com/
https://store.cdbaby.com/m/Artist/MarshallKeith

WHAT ARE 5 RECORDS YOU RECOMMEND THAT EVERYONE SHOULD LISTEN TO?

I don't expect a lot of people to necessarily LIKE these albums, but here are 5 I grew up with:

Ogdens Nutgone Flake by the Small Faces (pre- Rod Stewart)
Kiln House by Fleetwood Mac (pre- Stevie Nicks)
Foxtrot by Genesis (pre- Phil Collins as vocalist -BUT- he kicks ass on drums)
Love it to Death by Alice Cooper (pre-Alice Cooper solo)
The Doors - The Doors

ANY LIFE ADVICE OR FINAL THOUGHTS?

Life is hard sometimes. We all interpret things differently. We all have biases and blind spots. Music can help us rise above bitterness. It takes time to become a musician, but music makes life more enjoyable, so spread music around if you can.

The Meer | MD/DC Alternative Rock/Post Punk Band | Interview

The Meer are an Alternative Rock/Post Punk band based in MD/DC. The band has released two albums: “Seven” (2015) and “Branches” (2016) that are available on (themeermusic.bandcamp.com). Below is my interview with band members Wanda Perkins and Jeff Orrence on the beginning of The Meer, their process of writing and recording, and the future of the band.

Q: How/when did the band meet and begin?

J:  We met at an open mic at Cafe Nola. We were both performing solo material and enjoyed each other’s style. We had a few jam sessions and that led to the initial form of The Meer as a duo.

Q: You started out with the name The Lost Code, what prompted you to change names and why did you choose The Meer?

W: We came up with a lot of names trying to find the right one. We sort of settled on The Lost Code, but then I decided I didn't like the idea of being anything "lost." The Meer came to me as the name of a ghost pet I met in a house in Mount Pleasant where I worked as caregiver. I got really excited about calling the band that and told Jeff. He wasn't sure at first, but it grew on him.

Q: How would you describe your sound in your own words?

J: It's hard to say. Our sound has a wide range. We try not to write in a specific way. It's easier to be creative when there isn't a specific genre or style holding back the writing process.

W: Well we are definitely a rock band, which is an easy vague answer. Our sound is minimalist, rhythmic, and emotionally driven. Ranging from abrasive, fast and cutting, and quiet and haunted.

Q: I saw you guys (Wanda and Jeff) dressed as The Cramps for Halloween, do you have a favorite Cramps song or Cramps story?

W: I have always been impressed by The Cramps' realness. Their work was their entire lives, and you can hear that in the music. They are/were the epitome of rock and roll. Poison Ivy is also a guitar idol of mine, even though we have very different styles of playing. I've wanted to do a Cramps Halloween cover show since before we even met, but didn't know anyone who could pull off Lux Interior.

J: My favorite cramps song is definitley “I Was A Teenage Werewolf.” I like their dark aesthetic and everyone knows Poison Ivy is the queen of rock and roll.

Q: Who would you say are your biggest influences?

W: It's hard to narrow it down! Modest Mouse and Nirvana are big influences for both of us, and in The Meer I sort of channel Kat Bjelland, Kim Deal, and PJ Harvey.  

J: Tiger Army, Social Distortion, and Bad Religion shaped my writing style in a big way.

Q: What made you want to write original songs? What is your process of writing?

W: I have been writing songs since before I could talk. I used to try to make my sisters sing harmonies I wrote as a child. They were just always there in the ether and I wanted to pin them down. We each bring original songs into the mix, and some we actually write together on the spot.

J: I think we've both always written our own songs. I was never really that into covers. I played in some cover bands when I was a teenager, doing some classic rock that ranged from Sabbath to Led Zeppelin. It just never really felt as meaningful.

Q: Playing live can be intimidating for some, did you feel that way at all when you first started playing?

J: No. Playing live was the goal; it's catharsis. Playing live is the best thing about being a musician.

Wanda: I do get shaken sometimes, but I actually think it's easier performing on stage than knowing what to say or how to act in real life situations. What I do on stage is rehearsed. It's planned.

Q: How did you go about recording your first album, "Seven"? Where did you record it and what were your initial feelings towards it/Did you achieve the sound you were going for?

W: We recorded at the home studio of a friend of my old band mates’. We did everything live and got everything done in two 4 hour sessions. The first day was instrumentals and the second was vocals. We really just wanted to get something out there because we wanted to play out as much as possible, and no one would book us without hearing a recording.

J: We definitely achieved the sound we were going for.

Q: I love the lo-fi feel and I hear a combination of Pavement, The Cranberries, Breeders and Lush-esque vocals... The best that Indie has to offer. It's an extremely solid album.

A: Thanks!

Q: Do you have a specific song you would want people to check out from “Seven”?

J: I think the title Track, "Seven," is the one I'd want people to check out the most. Lyrically, it has the most weight to me.

W: People seem to be into "Sand Machine" but my favorite changes every time I listen to it. My favorite lyrics are probably the ones I wrote for "Storm," but "Seven" and "Fast Train" are the most telling and personal.

Q: You have played many gigs up to this point. Do you have a favorite gig memory? What are some of your favorite venues?

W: In Baltimore it's probably Joe Squared. I like house shows the best, though the venues sometimes need to be on the on the DL. The Commune has been a recent favorite, and Comet Ping Pong is cool! Basically anywhere that gives us free vegan pizza, or someone looks out for us, is the best. We also really like touring and plan to do a lot more in the future.

J: Rock and Roll hotel in D.C. is definitely up there, Joe Squared in Baltimore has an amazing space and they treat all the performers very well. The Commune is one of the best places to play in D.C. and always has something exciting going on. It's a great place to network and meet other performers.

Q: Who are some of your favorite local bands and bands you have shared the stage with?

A: More Am Than Fm is our band crush, we've played more shows with them than anyone else.

A: There are so many good local bands, and every time we play a show we discover more. We started a blog actually, to support and help keep track of all of them (Glory in Sound).

Q: You signed to Future Dog Records late last year, it later changed names to Dead Industry Records and then went defunct in September of this year. Do you think independent record labels can stay alive in this digitally dominated music world? It’s very easy to digitally distribute your own album on ITunes and other retailers on sites like Distrokid and CD Baby these days. What can indie record labels offer aside from what you can already do on your own and would you ever sign to another one?

J: It's always a risk signing to an indie label, but I wouldn't discourage anyone from giving it a shot. If nothing else, it works as excellent promotion for a band's music. Just don't expect a 50k grant from your local indie label. They can help a lot with planning tours, show promotion, merch distribution, and more. We aren't against signing to a new label should the opportunity present itself, but we will move forward more cautiously in the future.

Q: What made you decide to start doing acoustic gigs?

J: We do a lot of our songwriting with acoustic instruments and we starting coming up with a lot of material that didn't really fit with our heavier sound. It was the natural avenue to present those songs to people. Lately we have been experimenting with adding drums to these songs though, and it's been going well.

Q: When did you begin writing your second album, "Branches"?

J: We started writing branches in 2015 and some of those songs are older.

W: I had written "When We Were Birds" and "The Well" for my previous acoustic string trio, Wind Divine. We broke up and didn't end up using them, so Jeff wrote bass parts for them and they were adopted by The Meer. The others were new.

Q: You released “Branches” a year after the first album, are you planning around an album a year?

J: At this point, that's about our going rate. We are currently recording our first full length electric album that will be released in 2017. There is another album planned and set to record after that one is finished. Four total planned now, likely a lot more than that in the future.

Q: “Branches” is a slight departure from your first album in that it has an acoustic vibe, only one drum track with Paris Boyd, and you have the addition of a guest member, Chris Wallace. What made the band add a guest member and what did he bring to the group?

A: We recorded it at the retreat, Chris is a good friend and guest musician on “Time Machine”. He brought beer.

J: We first got into contact with Chris through his solo project, Owl Like Creature. Wanda did a review and interview of him for Glory in Sound. He plays the lead guitar on the track, "Time Machine". We recorded this album at The Retreat.

W: The Retreat is where I live. I had my husband Trevor Higgins teach me a bit about recording and then did most of it myself. He did the mixing for "Branches." I mixed "Seven," myself, and was pretty happy with it, but he is an actual pro so "Branches" came out with a much more polished sound.

Q: This album also features male lead vocals on some songs. Who sings lead, Jeff, Chris, or both?

A: Wanda and Jeff are the only vocalists on "Branches.

Q: Who plays Cello on this album, as featured on the track, “The Well”?

W: Ethan Foote, of Wind Divine, played cello.

Q: Was there anything you learned from recording the first album that helped you better the second album?

J: I think the most important thing we learned was to take our time. If there was anything we thought could be done better, or needed to be polished or edited, we made the time to fix it.

Q: “Branches” reminded me of Thurston Moore’s “Demolished Thoughts” where he steps away from his blazing Sonic Youth guitar driven rock and embraces his softer melodic side. Wanda’s voice gave me a vibe of Tanya Donnelly’s Throwing Muses vocals and the male vocals were reminiscent of the straight-forward lo-fi garage rock of Spare Snare. “Branches: is an ambitious follow up and a great way to show the band’s diverse talent.

Q: Do you have a specific song you would want people to check out from “Branches”?

J: I would have to say "Moonrise," but I'm a little biased toward that song. Wanda did some amazing work with bells on that song.

Q: What were your goals and aspirations when you started this band? Have you achieved them/have they changed? Do you have any new goals?

J: Our goals and aspirations have mainly been to express ourselves, have fun, connect with people, and travel. I would say we have accomplished that, but there's always more travelling, more shows, and more recording to be done.

W: I wanted to find band mates who were as crazy into this music thing as I am; to see my passion and match that, to practice 3 days a week, gig constantly, and put the band before everything. I found that with Jeff. Paris is the best, most tasteful drummer, and she actually understands dynamics and subtlety. But she has a family she loves more than us!

Q: What can we expect for the future of The Meer?

J: Upcoming Vinyl release of "Branches", our first full length electric album, Shed, in 2017!

Q: Anything else you would like to let people know about?

W: People who come out to shows are our favorite people! You can always find our upcoming shows on the Facebook page, and I am just getting into updating reverb nation as well. We also have music available at themeermusic.bandcamp.com, and DIY hand made merchandise (CDs and Shirts) up here: etsy.com/shop/SunEarthCharm

Interview: Marshall Keith | The Slickee Boys | Guitarist

Marshall Keith is a legendary musician who was the guitarist in the D.C. band The Slickee Boys. The band opened for groups such as The Cramps and The Ramones, to name a few. I interviewed Keith on his musical history and his favorite memories.

Q: What is your earliest memory of music?

A: I was the youngest of 6 kids in Louisville, KY. My parents liked Broadway musicals like Carousel and My Fair Lady. I liked that stuff too. I would watch The Wizard of Oz and think, “OMG” I WANT TO GO OVER THE RAINBOW WITH YOU, DOROTHY, I KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL!!! I would hear big band stuff like Glenn Miller’s "Moonlight Serenade", "String of Pearls". I hardly ever heard country music, or blues or anything like that. My siblings would make fun of those kinds of things. But some of the things that would pop up on the radio were irresistible: The song Charlie Brown- starts off with these lyrics: “walked in the classroom cool and slow, who calls the English teacher Daddy-o?” We started thinking beatniks were cool; my sister listened to modern jazz. When the Beatles and Bob Dylan came along, we jumped right in with everybody else. I was too young to be, “cool.”, just the pesky little brother.

Q: Who were your favorite artists growing up?

A: Besides the British invasion groups, the “jangly” stuff - The Byrds, The Mamas and Papas, more rocking things like “You Really Got Me” (Kinks), Mitch Ryder, Question Mark and the Mysterians. Then the psychedelic stuff: Jefferson Airplane, Cream, The Doors, and especially Jimi Hendrix. I loved the years 1966 through 1970. I hated when everything went country and folk-y after that. I was playing a lot by myself in my room by the time I was 14.

Q: What was your first instrument and how did you get it?

A: Clarinet – My parents bought it. I was in band at school. But bass guitar was my first “real” instrument. I left the clarinet at school and stopped practicing after I got the bass. I remember the band teacher whacking me on the head with his baton. (I probably deserved it).

Q: What made you want to play guitar?

A: Seeing the Beatles movie "A Hard Day’s Night". But music seemed to be everywhere then, with not much else to do but watch black and white TV. Also I was very shy and awkward, so I guess I secretly hoped to meet girls and cool people.

Q: How were The Slickee Boys formed? Did you have any previous bands?

A: Kim Kane was a quirky artist friend of mine who collected odd records and odd things in general. He knew how to actually manufacture a record - where to send it to get it pressed, etc. Nobody had that information back then. He wanted to do the artwork himself for the cover. He knew some musicians. He played rhythm guitar. He wanted me to play lead. I had only ever jammed with people before. I loved to play guitar and piano and experiment with tape recorders. You could slow the speed down so it sounded like a horror movie, speed it up, reverse the recording. I used two tape recorders to build up sounds into bigger ensemble type things. I also made a 20 foot loop of tape and bypassed the erase head of the tape recorder. Whatever I played played itself again after a minute and I’d layer things on top of themselves. Those things were major projects back then. I am loving modern technology these days! You can do all that on ONE device now. That was my main thing: making recordings. But anyway Kim’s plan was only to make a record, and he was going to call it The Slickee Boys. Once we made the record, we liked what we were doing so decided to continue the band.

Q: You opened for some legendary bands including The Cramps. What are your favorite show memories?

A:In Baltimore at The Marble Bar, this big guy named “Space” got so excited he jumped up on stage and tackled the drum kit. They all fell over like bowling pins. Dan Palenski managed to hold on to the snare drum and kept the backbeat going.

After a gig in Boston, we went to an after hours party at the top of an old abandoned building. We carried all our guitars, amps and drums up about 7 flights of steps. Took us awhile to set up. People were more uninhibited than in a normal venue, so there was some sketchy stuff going on. We started playing, and about 10 seconds into the first song a bunch of cops came running in blowing whistles and yelling at everybody. So we moved ALL THAT EQUIPMENT all the way back down 7 flights of steps. But it was actually pretty fun. We all have good senses of humor.

We toured France, Germany and Switzerland for a month. The audiences were crazy in love with American music, so the whole trip was fantastic. After I got back to the states, I wished I could have stayed over there.

Opening for the Cramps in New York was a great night for us. But New York was never a good town for us before that. NY bands were used to playing at 4am and doing a 20 minute set. By 4am the Slickee Boys had hangovers and were NOT in good shape. Besides DC, Boston and Baltimore were our favorite towns. Here are some acts we opened for back in the 80s The Ramones, The Pretenders, U2, The Kinks, The Replacements. There were a whole lot of punk bands we played with that I can’t remember. Kurt Cobain was in our dressing room once. I remember watching Dave Grohl drum for Scream.

Q: A Slickee Boys photo made a small appearance on Foo Fighters’ “Sonic Highways” series on HBO. How does it feel to have people still talking about the effect that your music and other people’s music had on D.C.?

A: When DC hardcore acts started to get going , that was exciting to see. They started a whole new scene, but we stayed mainly in the old familiar bar scene. It’s very cool to be remembered as a part of that. Mainly, I just like having been a part of something that gave people some happiness, and for being a jumping off point for other bands to do their own thing. When we first started the tiny little scene seemed to be much more diverse. Bands like The Insect Surfers (New wave quirky surf band), The Urban Verbs (synth pop angst band), Overkill (prep school outcasts telling long-haired people to “get a haircut”), Razz (the greatest most underrated live rock band I ever saw). Razz helped break us into the club scene. All of us were having a hard time getting gigs. The DC area was a very Country, Blues type of place (I knew next to nothing about what was going on in the go-go scene). But once we were in the clubs, we had steady gigs for around 8 years. We did reunion shows once a year after we broke up (1991-2011). Those were always great – hanging out with all the scenesters from a long time ago.

Q: Did you know at the time that you would be a part of what would become a legendary D.C. punk scene?

A: No, I had no idea. I assumed after 20 years people would be listening to robot music or something. At that time nobody listened to my parents music anymore. I figured that would keep happening. Music changes, and nobody likes the old stuff (or so I thought).

Q: What is your favorite Slickee Boys song?

A: Probably “Here to Stay.” It had all the elements that the Slickees did best – the chugging guitars, the psychedelic fuzz lead breaks, and I really like the vocal phrasing and lyrics Mark Noone wrote.

Q: I know you play out every once in a while. Do you have any current music plans yourself?

A: I fell in love with baritone guitar. I’ve been working with that for about 10 years. I run it in stereo to a guitar amp and a bass amp simultaneously. I do occasional solo gigs. In the Slickee Boys I never wrote vocal parts, but now I write vocal parts for myself. I put up a few YouTube videos – “Reckoning” and “Burnt Plane” are the two I like best. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P4rwiVJI9Ik . I sell some CDs at gigs and online.

Q: What advice would you give to a young musician?

A: Try to record every single idea you come up with and give it a working title that describes it, so later on you have a clue as to what it is. Maybe later some of those ideas can be used for something unforeseen. Frustration can be motivation to try different things. If no one ever hears a single thing you do, to me it’s still worth doing. Fill up the world with music (and art and other things that aren’t easily described). Everyone is enriched when that happens – in small ways sometimes, but sometimes in big life-changing ways.

Photo from: https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1327/1101844843_e0f4f3e534.jpg

Interview: Seaknuckle | Band | Frederick, MD

Seaknuckle is perhaps one of the most intriguing bands in the Frederick music scene, listing themselves under the thrash-pop genre on bandcamp. The band consists of Jon Phelps (Guitar and Vocals), Joe Jalette (Guitar and Vocals), Matt Dabson (Bass and Vocals), and Colin Shultzaberger (Drums and Vocals).

I interviewed guitarist and vocalist Jon Phelps on the band’s history, the story behind the name, and the future plans for the band.

Q: How did Seaknuckle form and how long have you been together now?

A: Seaknuckle, the entity, has existed for a meager 18 months. But what’s time really, man?

Q: What’s the story behind the name Seaknuckle?

A: Colin, our drummer, had a dream that the supernatural tool used to build the great pyramids using sound technology was called “a seaknuckle”. I’m not kidding. I don’t understand him sometimes either. Great name though.

Q: If you had to describe your sound in one word what would it be?

A: Majick

Q: What makes Seaknuckle different from other bands?

A: Majick,

Q: Who are some of your big musical influences?

A: I’m going to answer for my bandmates without asking them and see how mad they get at me. COLIN- Frank Zappa, some tribe with log xylophones in the Amazon somewhere. MATT- Notorious B.I.G., James Jamerson of Motown. JOE- Anton Newcombe, Wes Anderson soundtracks. Me- Nina Simone and every British band ever.

Q: What music do you currently have released? When do you plan to have your next release done?

A: We have a 4 song E.P. called Nailed It available on itunes, spotify, and bandcamp.  Right now we are in the mixing process for our debut full length album. We’re going to release our first single called “Shake Shake Shake” early this summer.

Q: What inspires your songs?

A: Lyrically, destroying capitalism, babes, hunks and love.

Q: Who goes about making the artwork and logos for the band? How would you explain the image you’re trying to portray?

A: Matt’s lady, Kristi, designed our monster and EP artwork. She also crocheted a 10 foot tall anatomically accurate bear, so the sky’s the limit.

Q: What are you trying to accomplish as a band?

A: I’m completely confident, Myles, our eccentric producer and manager would say, “TAKE OVER THE WORLD” without a single sense of irony. I want to not ever have to have a stupid job again. Oh yeah, end game: PLAY GLASTONBURY.

Q: What has been your favorite experience as a band so far?

A: This one time we invented a game where you had to catch leaves as they were falling from the trees and then eat them, thus taking on the leaves’ power. No one ever successfully ate them because it’s disgusting but we kept trying. That was violently hilarious. Since we haven’t toured the country yet I’d say playing our hometown to a packed house and everybody dancing and fighting is always good fun.

Q: Has Seaknuckle accomplished what you wanted to accomplish in the beginning?

A: We straight never satisfied. Know what I mean?

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

A: Get our EP online, go to www.seaknuckle.com, like our dumbdumb facebook page, and get pumped up for our upcoming album and single coming soon.

Interview: Old Indian | Band | Frederick, MD

Old Indian is an underground Frederick band consisting of Cory Springirth (Vocals & Guitar), Mark Weeks (Bass Guitar). and Evan Owens (Drums). They released their first album Mumble digitally on January 31 and it is currently available to pre-order on vinyl on their bandcamp page (oldindian.bandcamp.com).

Q: How did the band come together?

Cory-  I was going under the name Old Indian as a two piece for a short period of time at the very start. Somewhere in 2008-2009? my good friend Mark joined as bass player which ruled. We had some songs together and played some shows but didn’t have a steady drummer for about a year. So a friend recommended we contact Evan. We did and he was a solid fit. So around 2010 is when the band as a whole really came together.

Q: Who were some of your biggest influences from the start?

Cory- Growing up skating I’d watch skate videos and if there was a song I liked in the video I would look the band up. So that was the way I found a lot of music at the time, which in turn has bled into our sound.  At the start I was just trying to play gritty blues rock n’roll. Just simple fuzzy blues songs. Once we started developing as a band… The Stooges, Black Sabbath, and Neil Young were pretty big influences on us.

Evan- The power of Detroit rock and roll and Jimi Hendrix with the swing of Black Sabbath had a serious impact on me as a drummer.

Mark-  When the band started I was listening to Jethro Tull, Sabbath, Sleep, Vader, Grand Funk, Earthless, Blood Ceremony, Om, Groundhogs, Canned Heat, Dust, DRI, Ramones, Bad Brains, Minor Threat….Tom Waits!

Q: You’ve finally released your first full length album this month after a few years as a band. Why did the album take as long as it did?

Cory – We tried to record sooner and we did some rough demos but I’m pretty hard on myself and never felt it was good enough or sounded right. Waiting a little while to do a official album let us develop our style more. I’m glad we waited but I’d like to get something else out by the end of this year. Also waiting on vinyl to get pressed takes a while. Mumble could have been out last summer if we didn’t do vinyl.

Q: Why did you decide to release the album only on vinyl?

Cory – All around I think it’s a better experience. From the looks of it to the sound of it, we just like it.  People take better care of vinyl, maybe even appreciate it more. It’s the least disposable format. Even if that means melting it and forming into some type of bowl to put on your coffee table. Haha. CDs just tend to get misplaced somehow in a tiny car. Plus a lot  of people just listen through their “i”devices in the car. Tapes are cool and nice and cheap to make. They have been making a comeback recently but we haven’t got hip to that yet. Almost.

Q: How would you describe your sound?

Cory- Rock ‘n roll that is fond of ‘60s and ‘70s tones. Is that too vague?

Evan – We have gotten a couple descriptive genres made up by people writing about us that deserve a mention – “Doom Garage” “Surfy Doom” “College Garage”. But the general rock ‘n roll mixed with denim still holds true.

Q: You recently played the Frederick Music Showcase. How did you feel about the experience of the new event?

Cory- It was awesome. Big thanks to Frederick playlist for making it happen. Hopefully more to come.

Evan- It was a great feeling to play in a building designed for looking at the stage. The people that came were intent on watching all of the bands. In clubs it’s easy to hang at the bar, or do something else. In the theatre setting, there was no where to run from the tunes.

Mark- It was a blast, then it was over. Hope to do it again soon someday.
 
Q: What do you think makes the Frederick music scene unique?

Cory – It’s a small scene but lately it has been growing and progressing. There are a lot of good people trying to help each other out.
Evan – The interesting thing is how many styles of music are involved. All of the original music is totally distinct. For such a small town, each band has a specific sound. There is no definitive Frederick sound.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge for the band?

Cory – Communication skills.

Evan- Cory, you never told me that! What are you talking about? Ha. I would say visibility on the independent level. We have kind of taken the old school approach of going and gigging to build a following. Sometimes its the luck of the draw, but it does seem that more people have been hearing us.

Mark- Fitting the bill, or finding bands that we pair well with musically.

Q: What are the future plans for the band?

Cory – Keep playing shows, write another album soon. To not get lame.

Evan- Continue rocking, more denim, bigger shows.

Mark- More guitar solos, drum solos, bass solos and open mic nights

Q: What advice would you give to young aspiring musicians?

Cory- I don’t know if I have the right to give anyone music advice, but if I did …. Practice often. Focus on tone more. Try and be creative and have a good time.  Skateboard.

Evan- I would say, play what you feel, play what is fulfilling. Music is all about the feel, and shouldn’t be held back by imaginary boundaries. And practice as often as possible.

Mark- Don’t think, feel.

Interview Steve Whiteman | Kix | Vocalist

Kix is a legendary band from Hagerstown that has one of the biggest followings in the Baltimore area.  In August they released Rock Your Face Off, their first album in nineteen years. I spoke to lead singer Steve Whiteman about the new album and his life in music.

Q: First off I would just like to compliment you on how great the new album sounds.

A: Well, thank you very much!

Q: Did you feel like after all this time away it would be hard to not only write a new album, but write one that fans would be satisfied with?

A:  We were worried about not having Donnie Purnell in the band to write, but we wrote songs in our other bands away from Kix that justified our potential. We wanted the album to sound like a Kix album, which meant sticking to our humorous, fun and clever direction.

Q: Did you expect the album to be as successful as it has been?

A: I hear it has good reviews, but music doesn’t really have a defined success to me like it did when we first started. Now music has broadened into multiple mediums.

Q: Performances can be very physically demanding. How do you manage to keep up your energy every show?

A: I’ve just never stopped performing. I work out every day and make it a goal to take care of myself.

Q: I’ve noticed that bands out of the Baltimore area such as Kix and Crack the Sky have a very devoted hometown following. What do you think it is about the area that causes this?

A: It’s a very loyal area. Once you latch in, you’re in for life. Ravens and Orioles fans are the same way. Music venues like Hammerjack’s were the places to be when we started and they connected everyone.

Q: How did you first get into singing?

A: The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show really started it all for me. I would sing along with my favorite artists and just loved to do it.

Q: Did you always want to be a singer?

A: I started as a drummer at age eight and would sing backing vocals but never wanted to be the leader. Music was my first love, so I always knew that was what I was going to do.

Q: What is the biggest advice you would give to a young aspiring musician?

A: If you really love music, worry about being passionate and driven and you can achieve anything you want to.

Q: How does it feel to hear your music on the radio and be interviewed on shows by music stars like Alice Cooper?

A: It’s still amazing to me. I was humbled to be interviewed by Alice Cooper as I have always been a fan of his.

Q: Which means more to you – the success of Blow My Fuse or the response you are getting almost 20 years later with Rock Your Face Off?

A: I thought were done in 1995. The new album was more surprising. We had high hopes after getting back together and it used to be a grueling process and not as much fun. It has become much more enjoyable now, and the fan response has been ecstatic.

Photo from: http://metalodyssey.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/kix-steve-whiteman-publicity-pic-01.jpg

Interview: Jordan Sonnenblick | Author | "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie"

Q: When did you first get interested in writing?

A: I've known since I was a little kid that I wanted to write books. My maternal grandfather, Solomon Feldman, was a high-school biology teacher who wrote biology textbooks on the side. I wanted to be just like him when I grew up.

Q: What books or authors inspired you, and what did you take away from them?

A: My two biggest inspirations were Kurt Vonnegut and Frank McCourt. Both wrote very funny books about searingly sad topics, which is what I try to do, as well.
Q: Writing a book, especially your first, must be intimidating. How do you begin writing?

A: I always do a ton of research before I even think about starting to write. I also make sure I have a general outline. Finally, I have to be able to see the final scene in the novel very clearly, almost as though it were a little movie in my head, before I start writing the first scene. It's much less daunting to write the book if you have lots of background info, and if you know where the plot is going.
Q: Many people have things they do when they get writer's block. Do you ever find yourself in a writer's block? If so, what do you do to get yourself out?

A: I don't have any foolproof strategies. I tend to walk away from the computer and go exercise when I am stuck. If that doesn't work, at least I've gotten some exercise out of the deal.
Q: What is your personal favorite book you have written? Why is it your favorite?

A: I like Notes from the Midnight Driver and Curveball, because each of them features a character based on my Grampa Sol. I like feeling that I have immortalized him in some way, because he was very, very important to me.
Q: I noticed that your books usually have some references to music. What do you believe is the correlation between music and writing?

A: Well, I don't have any kind of grand theory about the relationship between music and writing. However, music is like oxygen to me: I can't live without it, and it flows in and out of me all the time without any conscious volition on my part. I can't help but write about it!
Q: I know that you're a musician as well as an author. Do you feel like there are maybe certain things that can be expressed better through music rather than literature?

A: Hmm … great question. But I don't have an answer. I will say that playing music provides a physical release for me that writing doesn't. So the two serve different emotional needs for me, as a practitioner.

Q: What are some of your favorite bands and musicians? Why are they your favorite?

A: The Beatles are my all-time fave. Because, um, they're the Beatles. Speaking of music, your latest book, Are You Experienced, takes place at Woodstock. What is needed to write a fictional book in a real place and time while making it as accurate as possible?

A: It takes an extraordinary amount of research. I read biographies of various Woodstock figures, as well as numerous books about the event itself. I also watched the documentary film repeatedly, went to the concert site and museum, interviewed several people who had attended the festival, listened to countless hours of music, and viewed tons of footage of Jimi Hendrix. Because Hendrix is a fairly major character in my book, I wanted to be sure I had a handle on his speech patterns.

Finally, I made a big chart of every hour of the festival weekend, which included information like which band was playing, the weather, and other stuff that was happening at that time such as food shortages or famous stage announcements. I referred to my chart constantly while writing the book.
Q: I felt a need to mention Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie because it was a book that really changed my opinion on a lot of things. It was the first book I couldn't put down, and it inspired me to get into reading for fun. When I met you in middle school, I remember being so nervous to talk to you because you were really my first idol. Have there been any stories from your fans that you were truly amazed by? Did you ever think your writing could impact someone's life?

A: First of all, wow -- thank you, Declan! Second, to answer your question: I have been blown away by the responses people have had to my work. When I was a kid, my favorite novel was The Dark is Rising, by Susan Cooper, which I first read right around the time I was entering middle school. I got to meet Susan Cooper when I was 34, after my first book had come out, because we were both signing books at the same convention in Texas. My hands were literally shaking when I was face-to-face with her, because even as an adult and a fellow author, I was overwhelmed by how much her work had meant to me. I was a miserable kid during those preteen years, and her books were a lifeline for me. To think that my work could serve that function, or even anything remotely close to it, for anyone else, is kind of ridiculous to me.

My favorite reader stories are the ones that are closest to my original purpose in writing Drums. When a family member of a cancer patient says that Drums or its sequel, After Ever After, helped him or her to get through the cancer experience, I feel incredibly lucky that my work somehow got out there into the world and found its way into that person's hands.

Interview: Stephen Blickenstaff | Art On "The Cover of Rolling Stone"

Stephen Blickenstaff's art was recently featured on the cover of Rolling Stone when Lorde was wearing a Cramps t-shirt on the cover. I asked Stephen how he felt about it.

Q: How did you find out about your work being on the cover of Rolling Stone?

A: One of my friends brought it to my attention on Facebook.

Q: What was your reaction to finding out?

A: At first I thought it was a joke. I thought it was a fake magazine cover that someone had Photoshopped. After I realized it was real I thought it was pretty crazy. I'm used to seeing the image around in lots of places since it's been bootlegged so much, but to see it on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine was a real surprise.

Q: I understand that you didn't know Lorde before seeing the cover with her wearing the shirt of your design. Did you listen to her music after seeing it?

A: I've still heard very little of her music. I plan to find out more about her. I know a lot of people are really coming down on her for wearing the Cramps T-shirt in the Rolling Stone cover photo, saying she probably doesn't even know who they are, but from a few short articles I've read she seems quite aware of, and also a fan of a lot of the old school stuff that I like. And I think it's fantastic that she's thrown a spotlight on The Cramps. Hopefully a lot of young people will discover their music now.

Q: When you first made the artwork, did you ever think it would become as popular as it did?

A: I would have never guessed.

Q: After making it on the cover of Rolling Stone, is there anything else you would like to accomplish?

A: I was joking with a friend that I'd like to see the Cramps art worn by an astronaut in space. But yeah, there are lots of other things I'd like to accomplish. There are plenty of things rattling around in my head trying to get out.

Interview: Doug Benson | Commodore Studio

Commodore Studio is the latest recording studio addition to the Frederick, MD area. The studio may be new, but the staff is far from inexperienced. I talked to the owner, Doug Benson, about his new location and his involvement in music through the years.

Q: Why did you decide to open the studio?

A: Audio is “what I do.” It’s always best when someone chooses a career in a field that interests them. It’s also good to be able to offer a service that people need.

Q: Why did you choose the location you did?

A: Thurmont is a nice mid-point between Northern Maryland and Southern Pennsylvania. It’s also where I live, so it’s easy for me to get to the studio on short notice if I need to.

Q: What would you say makes you different from other studios?

A: Experience. I’ve been involved in audio production since the late 1970s, so I’ve lived through the advances in recording technology that have occurred in that time. Digital recording did not even exist when I first started out!

Q: What work are you most proud of being involved in?

A: The Grammy-nominated historical release of King Oliver’s 1923 jazz band, in which I did all the audio restoration and contributed to the album notes.

Q: What made you want to get involved in studio work?

A: What makes someone interested in science or sports or cooking or art? Sometimes it’s just in our DNA!

Q: What do you hope for the studio to accomplish in the upcoming years?

A: Of course I would like Commodore to become a successful growing business, but I also want to help attract business to other Thurmont businesses. On my website I have a long list of other local merchants, restaurants and attractions. We can all work together to aid in each other’s success.

Q: What is the most important thing that an artist should know before recording at a studio?

A: When clients ask me how long it will take, I have to tell them it depends completely on how prepared THEY are when they come in. In the studio, time is money, so don’t book a session unless you know exactly what you want to accomplish and how you intend to accomplish it. A self-described “rap producer” once showed up to a session with nothing but some unfinished lyrics scribbled on a page. He asked me: “so where are all your beats and stuff?” and expected his song to be finished for him with a few mouse clicks. Needless to say, the session didn’t go as quickly as he had planned!

Q: Many people these days think they can record their music at home. What are the differences recording in an actual studio?

A: Some types of music can be recorded successfully at home. For example, rap and hip-hop are primarily computer-based styles, where artists work with pre-recorded “loops” that were played in real studios by other musicians. Personally I think it’s a bit odd to drag-and-drop pieces of other people’s performances and then say “listen to the song I wrote,” but it’s become an accepted practice. Often, a single microphone for the lead vocal is all that is needed for that type of recording.

On the other hand, a rock band or a classical group needs more space than can be found in a typical bedroom studio. The acoustics of a recording room are important to performers, so they will play better wherever they feel more comfortable. Also, some types of microphones are more suitable than others for different sources. For example, the ribbon microphone we use for a guitar cabinet would not pick up the subtle nuances of a violin successfully. A condenser would be a better choice. An “actual” studio (as you put it) will usually have a nice array of different microphones as well as a grand piano, isolation booths for vocalists and drummers, higher-end tube preamps and compressors, digital plug-ins and all the gear that makes recordings sound like contemporary CD releases. (All the same gear that was used to create the “loops” that bedroom studios take for granted.)

Q: I think it’s awesome that you do audio restoration. I personally believe in listening to a lot of rare music that can only be found in certain formats. Why is audio restoration so important to the world of music?

A: I think of it as history. If we had to opportunity to actually go back and watch the signing of the Declaration of Independence rather than just read about it, wouldn’t that be more exciting? With early sound recordings we have an actual audio document of something that happened decades (or centuries) ago. The earliest existing recordings go back to the first half of the 19th century, and as technology improves we can restore them more clearly every few years. Just twenty years ago, the brown wax cylinders recorded (without electricity) by the Edison company in the 1880s and 1890s were almost inaudible. Now we can remove surface noise and enhance the recorded signal with almost shocking clarity. This allows us to hear the performance in greater detail. It’s like finding a missing piece of a famous document that enhances our understanding of an event.

Interview: Max Collins | Eve 6 | Bassist/Vocalist

Max Collins is best known for being the bassist and lead vocalist of Eve 6. This year he released his first solo album hoping to start a new chapter in his music career.

“I figured that now was the time to open myself up to solo career,” Collins said. “Whether you feel it or not you just have to open yourself up to it. You have to learn to be inspired by your inner creativity.”

Collins was able to make this album through the support of his fans on Pledgemusic. “It is nice with today’s technology to have direct access to my fans,” Collins said. “Social media keeps everyone in the loop of what I am doing at any given time.”

When asked how Collins first got into music, he said, “I was thirteen when I got my first bass guitar. A friend of my mom was just throwing it out. I was already obsessed with rock n’ roll as a kid, so I decided to give bass a try.”

Collins’ rock n’ roll obsession all started with one song. “’Running Down a Dream’ by Tom Petty really moved me,” Collins said. “It was like magic. After that, I knew what I wanted to do with my life.”

Early influences for Collins came mostly through the radio. “I listened to a lot of classic rock stations growing up,” Collins said. “Later on I discovered punk rock and it was as if I found a new identity. Punk opened a whole new world and subculture to me.”

Singing came to Collins later on. “I didn’t realize I could sing,” Collins said. “One day I suggested a vocal idea to the band and really heard myself sing for the first time. It was instantly suggested that I should take over on vocals.”

Collins followed a simple pattern that he encourages other young bands to follow as well. “Just do your own thing,” Collins said. “Fame is a series of happy accidents, and all you can do is keep going deeper and working harder.”

Aside from music Collins likes to indulge in yoga. “It seems to really help the music,” Collins said. “Yoga opens you up in a lot of ways, and your creativity definitely benefits.”

When asked how Collins continues to find his job as a musician exciting, he said, “It’s tedious at some points, but the overall feelings and experiences it creates are well worth it.”
Collins encourages any music lovers to purchase his new album at the link below.
http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/maxcollins