Band: Mild Davis

I'm rather stoked to introduce to you an act that many of you may never heard of, but probably will in the future. Mild Davis.

Don't copy+paste this feature! Direct link to it! Give us credit for our work!

:INTERVIEW:

Did you grow up in Hampton Roads? If so, what cities?

1. yup. i grew up in Newport News . When I graduated from Warwick in 98, I moved to Chapel Hill to go to school at UNC and have been down here for ten years, working for an indie record label for past five years. I loved it there and I've still got lots of friends and family in the area. I still get back up that way a few times a year to get my fix of VA.

Describe your music to someone who has never heard it.

2. my music is meant to be fun and to mesh together bits and pieces of all the different kinds of music i love. I listen to lots of indie rock, dance musc, downtempo and hip hop and i like to include elements from all of those into my songs. i think the mixing of textures gives my music a unique feel. putting together elements of live production andsequenced tracks is my attempt to push the boundaries of what can be called hip hop. i'm also lucky enough to have a wealth of talented musicians as friends and working with them offers me a chance to dabble in new genres and new soundscapes.

But there is always that undercurrent of Mild Davis in all the tracks. I like my drums crisp, my samples well chopped, my bass slow and low and my keys light and fluffy.

What's the writing process for your music? Do the lyrics come first? Does the music come first? Who does what?

3.the writing process differs with every track. I do lots of remixes for bands and mc's and i always try to strip out what i think are the best parts of the song and build the rest from scratch. When it comes to original songs, i tend to find a sample or a melody that works as a foundation and then i build the drums to suit the feel of the track. In collaborations with other artists, I like to work in tandum to build a song that reflects both of our personalities. i think you can tell when artists are into each other's music and are able to come together to build something new and vibrant.

Do you have an albums / demos / merch / releases available to purchase? Where can you buy them?

4. i'm in the finishing stages of wrapping up my first proper LP that will be titled, COTTON CANDY CLOUDS AND LEMONDROP LIGHTNING. it will be 12 original tracks and will feature guest appearances from Astronautalis, Josh Nowlan of the band Cities, Juan Huevos, Gut Lightning, MC Gouki from Tokyo and a handful of other guest musicians. the record will be a co-release between my crew, Extensive Enterprise , and Brooklyn-based label, Black Box Mixtapes. There are a handful of Mild Davis remixes on iTunes, including tracks i've done for The Aples in Stereo, North Elementary, The Holy Sons and Cities. Also i have one release available on iTunes called SQUARE WON. it's a mixtape that i made in 2005 and features original remixes of tracks by pharoah monche, little brother, the pharcyde, aesop rock and several others.

What is your most crazy show story? (Any naked women running around? Drunk bar fights?)

5. as a studio producer, i've just recently decided to take the mild davis show on the road. i'm in the works of putting together a live set of all new, original material. it will feature me doing my thing with an akai mpd32, a keyboard, at technic 1200 and a mixer, a few loop pedals and a laptop. if all goes well, it should end up being an experience like seeing a bastard mix of dj shadow and girl talk. i'll be banging out drums and stabs on the mpd, scratching on the 1200 and looping sounds to build tracks. you can expect lots of layers, dope beats and samples that will get the crowd shaking their ass.

How much do you think hype affects the public perception of what good music is?

6. lets face it, hype is the name of the game. people look to blogs, radio stations and magazines as trendsetters. the right image and degree of hype can be the difference in a project that goes national or never leaves home. honestly, i think the artists that achieve that degree of fame so quickly miss out on the experience of building their name in an organic way through hard work and making contacts. it's been my experience that artists who are conscious of their image and work to craft it in a specific way are the ones who tend to last the longest and have the most promising careers. we would all love to have a great review in pitchfork or get spun on KEXP, but i don't think that is the key to success.

getting caught up in the hype machine may help you get noticed, but if you don't have an original sound and a style that fans can relate to, it won't matter a bit. music fans are smart and they can smell a phony a mile away. i can name a thousand bands and artists that have enjoyed the full glow of indie hype but ended up as flashes in the pan. your 15 minutes don't last as long as they used to. i think that the rise of mixtapes and eps have helped artists bridge the gap between albums and, in some cases, even boosted their profile in the interim. think lil wayne or clipse. those cats are masters of hype.

How would you like to see the local music scene change? (venues, fans, other bands)

7. i'm pretty spoiled to live in Chapel Hill which has a long thriving music scene. we're lucky enought to have a handful of great venues that cater to all levels of artists. the cat's cradle is about an 800 cap and brings big name acts to town. in addition, we have the Local 506, which brings in great mid-level bands and the nightlight which showcases small, but great shows in a used book/record store. so, despite if you are into popular artists or obscure bands, you can always find a show to suit your fancy. we also have a great local music scene. you can't throw a rock in chapel hill and not hit someone who is in a band. we have everything from indie rock to hip hop and all stops in between. what makes it even better is that the bands mix and match for live shows.

it's not uncommon to see an mc opening for a metal band or some other quirky mix of sounds. the local scene is a big part of why i live here. i'm lucky, and i know it.

What's up for the band in 2008? ( a tour, album?)

8. like i said, i have COTTON CANDY CLOUDS & LEMONDROP LIGHTNING coming out early next year and i'm getting ready to start playing live. other than that, i'm really excited to be in the opening phases of getting our crew up and running. we're called extensive enterprises (www.extensiveent.net) and the group consists of juan huevos (www.myspace.com/juanhuevos) and production duo gut lightning (www.myspace.com/gutlightning). we're almost done with the website and we'll be providing the fans with tons of free music and mixtapes. the idea is to help each other get the word out about our music and help build the local hip hop scene in chapel hill.

What local bands and artists do you recommend?

9. local music! we are super lucky to have a wealth of great bands in the area. right now, here are my current faves.

JUAN HUEVOS - this guys is a fucking rock star. he's an mc whose has been at it for over a decade and just keeps getting better. he rides that line between the worlds of indie hip hop and indie rock. his shows are a who's who of the local music scene and he always packs it out. he's got the flow and the swagger of a big name rapper, but balances that with songs that everyone can relate to about girl problems, hangovers, mondays and all the trappings of daily life. but he makes it sound fresh.

COLOSSUS - if you're a fan of having your face melted, check these dudes out. they play metal, remniscent of iron maiden, and come correct with three guitars up front. most bands are lucky to have one guitar player that can shred. these guys have three. plus, they couldn't be nicer guys. in a perfect world, these guys would play every night. thankfully for my hearing, they don't.

KERBLOKI - these guys are a staple of the chapel hill music scene, and for good reason. they feature two mc's, mike and jb, and live bass and guitar. it's like these guys invented the party. every show is a damn barnstormer. i dare you not to have a good time when these guys play live. i've known them for years and the first remix i ever did was for their song, "paradise." on top of that, they just finished their new lp which was produced by local legend brian paulson who has done records with beck and slint. i can't name another band that sounds like these guys, and that is hard to say these days. so fresh!

GUT LIGHTNING - ok, i know two of these are part of the EE crew, but there is a reason i work with these guys. because they're dope. gut lightning is a duo of t.jerk and fader. they mix vintage samples and scratching and make instrumental hip hop that makes me so jealous i can't stand it. every time these guys do a new track, it stays in my cd player for at least a week. as solo artists, they both could stand strong on their own, but when the get together and activate like the wonder twins, you better watch out because they're about as good as it gets. plus, fader may be the only person i've ever met that has as much affinity for the movie 'the goonies' as i do. classic shit!

What are your favorite venues to play at? How would you like to see the available venues to change when booking shows? (better sound / lights/ pay/ promotions)

10. i hate to pick favorites, but the local 506 would have to be my choice. thank god for that place. so many bands i love would pass right by chapel hill if it weren't for the 506. glenn that runs the place is an amazing wealth of music knowledge and does a great job of booking all kinds of acts to come play. plus shows are relatively cheap there and they always have ice cold pbr! they just revamped the soundsystem and it sounds great. overall, it's just a classic rock club. unfortunately, those are getting harder and harder to come by lately. like i said earlier, we really do have a venue for everyone in this town. they all have their pros and cons, but i'd be proud to frequent any of them.

How do you market your music to the public? What seems to work best for you for letting people know about your shows? (Myspace/ the paper / word of mouth)

11. marketing in the digital age is a whole new ballgame. the internet has opened a whole new realm of ways for bands to spread their music and reach fans all around the world.

i know people shit on myspace, but it's been an amazingly useful resource and it's free. building email lists, via fanbase.com, is also a great way to keep your fans in the loop with live show updates, new music and news. radio and local press are also a great, if traditional, ways to spread the word too. instead of focusing on the stuffy daily paper, it's a great idea to seek out smaller zines, college papers and other media outlets. also, even most big radio stations will have an hour a week dedicated to live music. people do tune in there to check out what's going on around town and to find out about new artists. plus, getting in good with a handful of dedicated and motivated bloggers is a great way to get out there too. offer them exclusive tracks for download or tour announcements and it becomes a win/win situation. i just always aim to be creative and try to remember that it's all about the fans. treat them right and they do the same for you.

What is your current favorite song?

12. 'these are the best days of your life' by astronautalis. if you don't know this dude, crawl out of the cave, shave your beard, and buy his new record. it may change your life. this song is off an ep that he put out a couple of years back and i just rediscovered this track and can't stop listening. and, he'll be at the local 506 on 10/29 with kerbloki and juan huevos. i told you that place is awesome. but, seriously, go make astrounautalis your friend (www.myspace.com/astronautalis). you can thank me later.

Last CD bought, downloaded or stole?

13. i'm not going to lie. i download like blackbeard. but, if i give it more than a few spins, i'll pony up the cash and go buy it. i actually just picked up 'tha carter iii' from weezy. i figure i'm helping him buy another bentley or just contributing to the 'make it rain' fund.

Quote us your favorite song lyrics. (please include who it is by)

14. 'spit yo game, talk yo shit, grab yo gat, call yo clique' by biggie. need i say more? i didn't think so.

What came first, the music or the misery? Explain

15. misery? no way. i love music. always have. i don't create from a sad place. the last thing i want to do when i'm in a bad mood is make music. i go in the studio to make songs that i like and hope other people would like. i take pride in how far i've come from my early work and hearing that progression just makes me want to make more music.

music makes me happy, makes me think about the world and makes me excited to hear what's next. it's almost an addiciton. add to that the fact that some of my favorite musicians are my best friends and that makes my attachment to music that much stronger. misery? nah. i'll leave that for the mopey folk singers. it's kind of their thing any way, right?

What do you think of what MC7C does? How would you make it better? Have you been to any of our events?

16. i think you guys do a great job of helping to expose new music to fans. we all love a site where you can go and find out about some new sounds that you would otherwise never have heard about. i just wish there were more sites like this, honestly. thanks for taking your time to help musicians like myself get a little shine.

:WEBLINKS:

Mild Davis @ myspace

Extensive Enterprises

Band: Stairwell Collapse

The following interview was conducted by the MC7C duo and posted for this page. Do not copy+paste this; direct link to it, instead!





INTERVIEW


Did you grow up in Hampton Roads? If so, what cities? ah yes, the days of little us running the streets of hampton roads haha. I (Rick) grew up in virginia beach and Mike in chesapeake. We have spent a lot of time in Richmond VA which is considered a second home to us.

Describe your music to someone who has never heard it. imagine the sounds of water buffalo in mating season ;) honestly its just rock music, there are a ton of different labels out there for genres these days, some would say we are indie because we do have a more melodic sound. If you havn't heard us, you should check it out and let us know how you would describe it! We do have parts that feel intense but we bring it back with familiar hooks and layered vocals that sound like "the voice of a thousand angels" or so we have been told haha.

What's the writing process for your music? Do the lyrics come first? Does the music come first? Who does what? Well, we usually write a guitar riff and record it, not sure what part it is going to be in a song yet. Since we have previously written all of our songs with just the two of us, we don't have access to live drums so we use a drum sequencer on the computer to write a beat to said guitar riff. We usually play with a few ideas musically, mike will come up with a melody for the part and hums it out over the recording, lyrics usually come later. That is when we decide where the part will go in a song, because we get a good idea of the feel it has. From there we start building around it and months later, a song is born! haha.



Do you have an albums / demos / merch / releases available to purchase? Where can you buy them? Shirts! We do have shirts.. but our self-titled E.P will be added to that list of merch very soon! We have spent the last few months recording our debut E.P and cannot wait to share it with the world :) There isn't a confirmed release date but, we are hoping for the end of this month or the beginning of september. Our merch site is http://www.scmerch.bigcartel.com/ and a little known fact about the elephant shirt..there is a hidden animal on it!

What is your most crazy show story? (Any naked women running around? Drunk bar fights?)

Hmm.. we have yet to see any show nudity or UFC re-enactments but we did have a pretty funny encounter with a drunk guy. Back before we had live members to play full band shows, we used to tour playing an acoustic set of our music. On with the story, we were playing a show at the Norva in Norfolk, VA. Our friend/photographer for the night (who we will refer to as The Dark Knight) had a few too many drinks. So we were playing the last song in our set, and i started to hear an off time tambourine coming from behind us. Then out of the corner of my eye i see The Dark Knight on stage with us wielding a tambourine (we have no idea where he got it from). It was a great moment in our band history, i think the crowd was actually cheering for him at the end of our set haha. He actually hung out with us at the merch table that night and probably signed more shirts than we did ;)



How much do you think hype affects the public perception of what good music is?

I think hype affects people in different ways. Some people blindly follow the trends of popular music while others dislike something just because it is hyped up and there are the people who are indifferent. I think the words hype, mainstream, etc. are bad for the industry because they have an auto-shut off effect on some people. Instead, i suggest we use the word Disney. Example: "Hey that song is Disney!". meaning, the kids will like it. Have I lost you yet? haha, it was a studio thing, a whole different story :)

How would you like to see the local music scene change? (venues, fans, other bands)

Locally the music scene has been ruled by metal/hardcore shows for the past few years, but we have been seeing more and more non-metal bands forming in the area which could lead to less fights and more hugs ;) I guess something we would like to see is more people going to shows, we love meeting new friends!

What's up for the band in 2008? ( a tour, album?) First priority is to release our cd that we have been working on, it is in it's final stages so it shouldn't be long! Then we plan on getting a live band together again so we can tour extensively to promote the new cd :) But we will be writing new material this year as well, so who knows!



What local bands and artists do you recommend? We would have to recommend our friends in Conditions, they put on an amazing show, plus they are super cool dudes. Definitely have to recommend Yearling as well, we recorded our cd with Sid (the singer), and Mike (the drummer) played the live drums on our recordings.

What are your favorite venues to play at? How would you like to see the available venues to change when booking shows? (better sound / lights/ pay/ promotions) The Norva definitely holds a special place in our hearts, the atmosphere is amazing and it even has a hot tub backstage! I feel that the local venues are doing a good job, tons of promotion is definitely key to making a sucessful venue.

How do you market your music to the public? What seems to work best for you for letting people know about your shows? (Myspace/ the paper / word of mouth) As of now we just promote via myspace and word of mouth. Myspace has been a huge help to our band by enabling us to share our music with people around the world. It is also a great tool for booking out of town shows on your own, before it was very difficult unless you had a manager.

What is your current favorite song? I guess i would have to say Oubiette by The Receiving End of Sirens, and i'm going to say the entire Death Cab for Cutie discography for Mike haha.



Last CD bought, downloaded or stole? It's been a while but the last one was Number One Gun, the north pole project. And that was bought... with stolen money! (only kidding)

Quote us your favorite song lyrics. (please include who it is by) "p-p-p-pull up to the bumper babayyy" by Grace Jones vs. Funkstar Deluxe

What came first, the music or the misery? Explain. I actually thought about this for a second and had an answer. Then I decided to google the phrase, so i'll go with "what is We're high fashion, we're last chances" for 500.

What do you think of what MC7C does? How would you make it better? Have you been to any of our events? We have not been to any of your events yet, but maybe this interview will bring us together :D Great job guys, helping keep the music scene alive! We love you all


Links


Stairwell Collapse @ myspace

Band: The Tripps

Featured Local Rockstars of The Week:

The Tripps formed in 2005 and infused a New Orlean's inspired Blues sound into the Hampton Road's music scene. A versatile blend of dixieland music and rhythms derived from Caribbean music, it's an upbeat evolution of traditional Blues. The Tripps recently entered the studio to record their first full length album, tentatively titled "A Sidereal Day," to be released in the near future. The current line-up includes David Cuffee III, Greg Meekins, Sam Barrett, and Cameron King.

Interview:

What is your music background? Did you play instruments growing up?

Greg: We all began playing back in grade school, and our parents were always supportive of our musical pursuits, as well as big music fans themselves: funk, blues, gospel, bluegrass, rock 'n' roll, etc. We all were given a good foundation to build upon creatively, and are very grateful for that.



Where did the name of the band come from? How did the band get together?

Greg: I would like to say the band formed by accident, but we've all known each other for years, and just happened to get together a few times to jam, and we started to mold those improv sessions into more structured compositions that we were pleased with, so we pursued it. This started in January of 2005. The name "The Tripps" comes from Tripp McNeeley from the film "Can't Hardly Wait", the gentlemen with only wisdom to pass along to his fellow man.

What other activities / things do you enjoy doing when not playing music?

Cameron: pilliaging villages, knitting, video games, wax sculpting.



Who are your favorite musicians?

Cameron: I really just respect talent. It doesn't matter all too much what type of music it is.

How did the band start? Who had the idea and why?

Cameron & Greg: We honestly came from the future to protect John Connor, and to get sun tans on our days off. We failed at both.



How would you describe your music to people?

Greg: One of those Moonwalk carnival inflatable jammies.



Please finish the following statements...

"You know you've made it when..." You have others to carry your equipment.

"It'll be time to pack up the gear for good when..." Catering forgets to de-shell the M&M's before our performance

"I'll never forget the first time I..." Had to wear headgear.

Let's have some fun with word association. Give me your immediate feelings on the following (if you've got no discernable feelings, make something up that won't embarrass you in the morning)

Military Ships: AMERICA! FREEDOM! George Bush! MISSILES!

Constant Road Construction: The view from my apartment.

Virginia Beach Oceanfront: crack heads and taxes, and my home

Blogs: day-time waster

The Norva: wooden

The Boathouse: ahh man!

Ghent: rich, white people

Festivals: What kind of festivals?

The Block: money and hookers

Granby Street: No Parking, fun weekends

What's the most played song on your iPod (or an equivalent music playing device) in the past week?

"Blue Hotel" Ryan Adams and the Cardinals

Who would be in your ultimate music supergroup, your all-star Olympic team of rock?

Cameron: Hendrix, Flea, John Theodore.



What was the first/last album you bought on the day it was released? (What did you think of it?)

Greg: Ryan Adams and the Cardinals : "Follow The Lights E.P." and it's sonically and lyrically perfect.

And finally...What came first, the music or the misery?(explain)

Cameron: Watch High Fidelity and John Cusack will divulge the answer.

Are you happy with the direction the band is going right now? What is the current goal of the band?

Greg: I couldn't be happier. The current "goal" if you will, would be to play music that makes us sincerely happy, thus making the audience happy, and having the opportunity to perform at a variety of different places around the world; to meet people from different walks of life, religions, and planets.


How do you balance your music with your other parts of life (job, family)?

Cameron: I'm a loner Dottie: a rebel. - Pee Wee Herman.
(sidenote: ha! I love Pee Wee's Big Adventure.-k@t)



What causes artistic blocks? What do you do to solve them?

Greg: Everyday life causes mental blocks, but that same life is also the solution to the block. That is why life will always be a vicious circle that, if you live it right, you will be able to provide immediate solutions to those occasional mental blocks, if there are any significant ones at all.

Where do you see the band in the next few years?

Cameron: NOT dead from cocaine overdoses.



How would you like to see the local music scene change? Do we need to have better venues? Better ways of booking shows? Which way do you find best to get fans to come out to shows?

Greg: I would like to see the entire thing change. Actually, to be perfectly honest, if you want the whole scoop on how to book, promote, and set-up a concert right, see Granby North. And use word of mouth to promote shows. The internet is the devil.

Links to These FOOLS:

www.myspace.com/thetripps

Band: Still Pink

The following feature was conducted by the MC7C duo and is here for your viewing pleasure. Please do not copy+paste this feature...direct link to it! Give us credit for our hard work!

And now, the pop/rock genious of STILL PINK...



INTERVIEW

What is your music background? Did you play instruments growing up?

Mike and Eric have been performing together for the past 10 years, and Chris started playing 7 years ago. Mike and Eric took up their instruments together, and Mike and Chris played in school for a number of different school ensembles.

Where did the name Still Pink come from? How did the band get together?

Eric and Mike grew up together starting in kindergarten, and Chris moved here from Seattle and attended high school with Eric. The rest is history in that department. Still Pink was officially a band on September 27th, 2005 (our first radio interview, on the local rock station 96X), and the name Still Pink was generated to hint at our youth - this band started young, and the objective is to keep it that way.



Growing up, how did music play a role in your childhood/adolescence?

Mike and Eric were out on school nights playing gigs in Norfolk's dark little watering holes dating back as far as middle school, playing standard rock & roll tunes. It really is the foundation of our playing today. Chris has a slightly less colorful adolescence as far as the music goes, but he spent a lot of time at shows on 2nd Avenue in Seattle ranging from punk to jazz during those crucial formative years.

What other activities / things do you enjoy doing when not playing music?(hobbies, crafts, events, eating, family)

Like all American people we love cooking out and carrying on. We spend a lot of time playing music, and we spend a lot of time out on the road. We're all fans of touring and life on the road, and really enjoy travel in general. New places and people make all of it really worthwhile. A good drink with friends is always enjoyable. We're all fans of walking, and spend a lot of time out and about listening to music and taking a break from the crazy schedules. Whenever possible, we head out to watch our friends play shows, and try and check out a lot of the other art happenings in the area. Don't miss Mookapalooza if you know what's up.



Who are your favorite musicians?

Bono and The Edge.

How did the band start? Who had the idea and why?

This band started as a reaction to all of us sitting down and looking at our influences, and what really got us motivated to play music. When we all realized the rock & roll was the common thread, we decided to take that and run with it. Eric came up with the name, and really the foundation for what we're trying to accomplish. Applying pop influence as of late is really just a continuation of our trying to stay dedicated to our influences. It's got to be from the heart, and that's really why we started this band.

How would you describe your music to people?

Pop music that rocks…sometimes.

Are you happy with the direction the band is going right now? What is the current goal of the band?

Absolutely. We have a lot of things in the works right not, including a new single release for our song "Crushed", a new clothing/apparel collection we're working on with Dumskeme (some of the hottest designers on the planet), and a lot of touring opportunities for 2008. Our goal is essentially to make this our life. We're working hard to earn support and make this a full time thing, and be able to tour and keep making music for a long time. We'd love to work with a driven label who wants to work us as hard as we want to work at this. As long as people take time out of their day to come see our shows, or money out of their paycheck to buy our music, we want to keep up our end.



How do you balance your music with your other parts of life (job, family)?

We don't. Fortunately our loved ones understand that this is what we do and we do our best to balance everything. Things tend to get a bit crazy with us.

What is the greatest compliment anyone has ever paid to you regarding your art work? What about the greatest insult? How should an artist respond to such compliments and insults? Is it easier to talk about the compliment or the insult?

A fan of ours who just stumbled across us on Myspace recently used our song "Airing" as her wedding song – that's a pretty big complement. And a newspaper in Georgia compared us to Queen in a CD review. As for insults, there really haven't been many to our face. I'm sure we get railed behind our back, but who doesn't. You have to take things like that in stride – art isn't really art until you offend somebody (I think Picasso said that, right?). It's obviously easier to talk about the compliments, but I'm sure we'll be pretty enthusiastic to talk about a really original or particularly vicious insult when we get one.

What causes artistic blocks? What do you do to solve them?

Johnny Rheznik. Turning on the radio tends to help straighten out artistic blocks.

If you could play a show with any band, past or present, who would it be? What music would you want them to perform?

Our friends from Invo. We miss playing with those guys, and when the finish up recording and get back on the horse, we're first in line to play with them. We would want them to perform stuff from their new album because we haven't seen it live yet.

What are trying to do to people with your art? Inspire them? Move them? Educate them?

We are just trying to be an excuse for people to let their guard down and have some fun.

Where do you see the band in the next few years?

Having just as much fun with a lot more friends.



How would you like to see the local music scene change? (venues, fans, other bands) Do we need to have better venues? Better ways of booking shows? Which way do you find best to get fans to come out to shows? (word of mouth / internet / flyers)

This scene is a bit lacking in the venue department. It'd be great to see a mid-size music venue pop up around here to bridge the gap for the local music scene between the NorVA and the smaller bars/clubs that sometimes feature live music. This scene can support a seven-day-a-week music venue, and we certainly have the bands to get the ball rolling. To take words out of Dennis Spence's (of Jackmove) mouth, "Someone bring back the fucking Boathouse". Our fans are fantastic, but it will always be great to have more of them come say hello out at our shows. It's a privilege to do this, and we love to meet the people who help make it possible. Word of mouth definitely gets the most people out, but you can't discount the affect of the Internet on that note. That's a huge reason why we try to make our shows events, and leave people talking about them the next day.

LINKS
Still Pink @ myspace
Still Pink's official webpage

Band: Bully

Continuing our ALL female artist month, we interviewed ALL female band Bully!
Hope you enjoy it!
(please give us the credit we deserve and do not copy+paste this article, instead direct link to it!)

Who is Bully?

Anita Ibanez - Vocals
Teresa Huffman - Guitar/Vocals
Marty Randall - Bass/Vocals
Beverly Elliot - Drums

Interview:

What is your music background? Did you play instruments growing up?

Anita- I grew up in a musical family, my father was in the Air Force band, my mother was a singer and my brother is a musician, and my sis is just a great artist.
Marty-In high school, I took classical music, can play the violin, and bass. Bev-I grew up in a musical family, father plays in a band and has played ever since I was a baby
Teresa-I was a band geek from middle school through high school.

Growing up, how did music play a role in your childhood/adolescence?

When music is a part of your life growing up, it becomes second nature almost an instinct of destiny so to speak, it was a different experience for all of us, but the desire was the same.



What other activities / things do you enjoy doing when not playing music?

Anita-I like to draw, write, and hang out with my friends and family.
Marty-I run my own screen printing business so I am very busy with that, but when I do have time, I like to draw, write music and spend time with my family.
Bev-I spend time with my family and hang with my friends.
Teresa-I like to write music, spend time with my family and friends

Who are your favorite musicians?

Anita- there are so many for me, I love Mikael Akerfeld from Opeth, female vocalists of metal, nevermore, nightwish, leaves eyes, kataklysm, scar symmetry, I could really go on forever....
Marty-I love so many as well, just to name a few...Hell Yeah, Bloodsimple, Shadows Fall, Chimaira, Megadeth, Alice in Chains, and etc.
Bev-I have a wide range of favorites: Johnny Cash, Fall Out Boy, White Stripes, and the list does go on!
Teresa- Veruca Salt, The Ramones, Chevelle, Corrosion of Conformity, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Motograter, 10 Years, Ra, and Garbage.



How did the band start? Who had the idea and why?

Bev and Teresa, who both played in a band together previously, started BULLY with Jason Campen in 2003. They went looking for a bass player and vocalist. Teresa's husband worked with Marty at the time and kept asking her to try out for the band. But at the time, Marty was playing in another band. I had been in a band with Jason and Bev before and it just so happened they found me at the David Lee Roth/Sammy Hagar concert and asked me if I was interested. Marty and I went in to try out at the same time and joined. Jason soon left the band and we decided to remain 4 girls and go on from there. We started out kind of slow, but we got some songs together and had our first show three months later…history from there.



How would you describe your music to people?

Hard Rock/Metal, our music is a mixture of both. We have melodic vocals and at times very doomish guitar riffs. We write in our own style and try not to be so cookie cutter. Sometimes, people do not know what genre to put us in and that is awesome.



Bully is an all female band. What kind of reaction have you received from the local art community because you are a female band? Has there been any glass ceiling for you? Have you ever been treated differently because you are all women?

The first reaction we receive is always, "They are pop girly girls who don't know how to play hard". But every time we are done with our set, we get the same response, "You guys are so hard, and not what we expected at all". So we are usually greeted with reservation, especially from guys. We get the 'they are just groupies' and are trying to get a date and not serious musicians. Sometimes it pisses us off, but we know that it is just because we are women.

Have you lived in Virginia originally or did you move here? Why Virginia?

Anita-I moved here in 1994 after getting out of the Marines.
Marty-I moved here from Fairfax Virginia and after getting out of the Navy
Bev and Teresa- both grew up here in Hampton roads

Are you happy with the direction the band is going right now? What is the current goal of the band?

BULLY is constantly evolving and we like the direction we are going toward; which is more of a heavier style. We do quite a bit of traveling out of town to get more exposure and try to network with different bands.



How do you balance your music with your other parts of life (job, family)?

We know we have to maintain the family life and our day jobs, and we just work hard to make time for us.

If you could play a show with any band, past or present, who would it be? What music would you want them to perform?

It is different for all of us, but we would be honored to share the stage with any "National Recording Artist" who earned their place on the stage.

Where do you see the band in the next few years?

Hopefully, on a world tour and enjoying playing and writing music for the world.



How would you like to see the local music scene change?

Better treatment toward the bands. Just because we are local, does not mean we don't deserve some respect, all national acts were at one time local.

Do we need to have better venues? Better ways of booking shows?

YES, especially at the bigger venues, we should not have to sell tickets to play.

Which way do you find best to get fans to come out to shows? (word of mouth / internet / flyers)

These days it is the internet and Myspace, but we do flyers, emails and word of mouth.

Links:

Bully dot com

Bully Myspace

for all booking go to:
Angry Joe

Band: Celebrity Gun Fight

About:

-went through 25 guitarists
-30 drummers
-the bassist and vocalist are the founding members since they've been friends for five years
-fun band from Virginia Beach that likes to party and hang out with their fans; whoever they are
- dedicated to friends and family
-influences are a wide variety of shit from Seal to piq squeels
- Their favorite thing to do is go over Jason's house all at once and hang out everyday-all day, making him hit microwave buttons really hard
-Their favorite foods are the ones you can fit down your pants at Farm-Fresh, Harris-teeter, and the occasional Piggly-Wiggly

Interview:

How long have you been together? Where did the name Celebrity Gunfight come from?

We've been together for nearly a year now. The name Celebrity Gunfight cannot be disclosed as to how we got it, we can just tell you that we're big fans of Bruce Willis and Tom Cruise(no matter how crazy he is).

How would you describe your music?

Rock and roll.

Tell us about your experience making a music video. We heard from Scott Hansen that it was filmed at a haunted house. Did you experience any ghosts or feel anything strange?

Scott Hansen was a dream dude. He came out of nowhere when we were recording at Red Cell studios (757-717-2999) and was talking about how he'd worked for Universal, Twista, and Obi trice just to name a few that got our attention. The video was filmed at a supposed haunted house but the only feeling a lot of us got was that we weren't welcome. There weren't any uneccesary scary moments unless we start talking about how Ginetti and I (Christian) were mysteriously locked in a room designated to beat small children in.

What do you find visually stimulating right now? Any local artists that we need to keep an eye on?

Everyone in the band is a huge fan of Marc Webb (most of the MCR videos off the album "Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge") ,as is, Scott Hansen. There are a couple of bands in the 757 area that need to be given a second look by kids in the scene. The first two of which blew me away when i was introduced to their music; Counterfiet Molly and Mike Federalli. Without going too deep into what they're all about....they're good. Other bands? Ascender. Those kids are like 16 collectively (bewtween the three of them) and rock the shit out of a stage. There's one last band that deserves a Gold medal for sticktuitivness, and all around amazing sound....Jackmove. Those guys have been giving us shows ever since we were in like 10th grade. Dennis's voice is the best in the area hands down.

What other artists or movements inform your work/ aesthetics/ sensibilities?

We divide our categories of influence into two groups; Musical inspiration and stage presence. We're a combination of Letterkills, the Used, and Story of the Year with a really small dose of MCR.....without being too fucking queer.

Do you think that the notion of an artist's "style" is fabricated to boost sales and marketability? Are artists then forced to limit their body of work to specific content or media in an effort to facilitate easy recognization?

Of course. But without "matching red pants" or whatever the fuck any given artist's gimic is for that week, the culutural gate keepers of the industry would never let you into their wider audience domain. You could come back and say something like, "Nirvana never did that!"...but they did. They're marketability appeal was to get more down to earth than the hair metal bands of their yester-year. Everyone does it in some way or another... and it only helps. The difference between us and most other bands is that what you see wear or how we act before a show, is the same shit we wear and the same things we say and do, day in and day out.

What were your favorite cartoons as a kid?

Chilly Willy from Woody the Wood Pecker.

What do you imagine is the role of your work in the lives of those who see it? What evidence do you see of your work achieving the goals you have for it?

Our role in the lives of our fans is simply to be there for them at all times as someone to talk to and to give them a soudtrack to the rough spots in their lives. The evidence is scattered thoughout the journey of Celebrity Gunfight. From amount of people who believe in us... to the good reactions we had from two different major labels by us just putting out one song (our first ever) on myspace last september. As of right now the best way to see our hardwork come to life is by checking out our myspace default in about 29 days when IQ journal hits 4,000 label's desks. We just made the cover of that magazine out of 1,000+ bands that had applied jsut to be inside of it. We're extremely happy.

Did you grow up in Virginia? (If not, when / why did you move here?)

All of us grew up here. Some of us came from the Philipines, California, and North Carolina but we all grew up here.

How and where can fans get ahold of your music?

Celebrity Gunfight.com

What other activities / things do you enjoy doing when not playing music?

Everyone-shows.
Jason and Dan and Christian-working out.
The kid and Christian-nhl 2005
Ginetti-girlfriend.
Dan-Metal Gear Solid.


Who are your favorite musicians?

Jason-NOFX
Dan-Avenged Sevenfold
Ginetti-Dashboard Confessional
Christian-Bon Jovi
the Kid-Moaning Regina and the Wildabeast

How would you like to see the local music scene change? Do we need to have better venues? Better ways of booking shows? Which way do you find best to get fans to come out to shows?

I want to see the scene change big time. Most of the bands here are just fuckin horrible, that gives the illusion to most show goers that if you're playing in a local show: you're no good. There are exceptions, but for the most part the scene died many years ago with the extermination of punk and a few great venues like Cogan's in Norfolk. The best to get fans to come out to a show is to just be yourself when inviting them, and make sure you put on a hell of a show the first few times you get in front of a big crowd guaranteeing a return percentage. We recorded a lot, then started playing so we had an actual product to sell and to call our own that no one could ever take away from us! Now we do interviews! Awesome! Thanks for caring.

Where do you see the band in the next few years?

On the road promoting our nationally debuted album produced and recorded by John Feldmann or Jerry Finn.

LINKS:
Celebrity Gunfight Myspace

Artist: DJ Audiorapture

The following interview was conducted by k@t and compiled by Gabe. Please direct link to this feature rather than copy+pasting. Give us credit for our work!

And now, Dj Audiorapture.



[sidenote - Dj Audiorapture is rarely photographed. Unfortunately, we couldn't include any photos with this feature. Sorry, everyone!]


Bio

Born and raised in Germany, AR started his DJ career in Frankfurt/Main, Germany - arguably the birthplace of techno and a capitol of EBM. He has been spinning for more than half his life, going full-circle: Starting out with EBM in small clubs; moving on to tech-house, hard-house, and trance in small and mid-sized raves; back to EBM in clubs all over Virginia.

AR has a weekly radio show on WNRN-FM in Charlottesville, VA, spinning a wide variety of electronic music, with a current emphasis on Noise, Breaks, IDM, and "mainstream" electronica.

His live sets are a genre-blending, seamlessly beat-matched mix of hard-pounding electronic tracks designed to make you dance.


Interview


What made you start DJing?

That's hard to remember after almost 20 years… (yes, I am old)
I guess it was just like a lot of things happen – you watch someone else do, want to try it yourself, and become hooked. In my case, I watched Sven Vaeth and Talla 2XLC during the beginning or their TechnoClub (that night is still running, by the way). What did me in was the revelation that you could do "this thing" with the music I liked (Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, Front 242, etc.), as opposed to just rap and hip-hop.

How was your DJ night created? How did you start it? How did you mold it into what it is today?

Curiously enough, I haven't technically created any DJ night I have…
Umlaut was more or less thrown in my lap because at the time I was the only beat-matching DJ in the goth/industrial scene in town. As far as I know I still am. It's a small town, though.
Space Program is a different story, the aBetterEarth team had already had a few successful one-offs, but where looking for a permanent home. I simply pitched the idea to the right person at the right time, we will see how it goes.

What would your ideal night be like?

The setting would probably be an empty warehouse, with an event going from dusk till dawn. Music-wise, electronic dance music, of course, without many restrictions on genres. I easily get bored when I hear the same genre for an extended period of time, especially when it's a very specific genre. Very few people outside of DJs can pin-point a specific genre anyway, and even then they might be "wrong" in terms of what the artists intended. Trance and FuturePop are cousins. As are Power/Rhythmic Noise and Techno. It's more fun to mix it up than staying in your little corner.
The fundamental element is the ability to dance to something you like, even though you never heard it before. I want to see masses of people dancing. For a club DJ, that is the easiest way to tell that people enjoy themselves.

When you're spinning and you look out into the crowd, what do you see? Feel?

Fundamentally, I see people who want to be entertained. That's why they are in a club, right? It is my responsibility to entertain them with music, some times that does mean whipping out the old familiar over-played favorites, some times that means pushing the envelope with things out of the left field. Going into the night you never really know which way it is going to be.
Having a full floor to a song the crowd has never heard before makes me very euphoric. Those moments are rare, but when they do happen they keep you going for a looong time. But even if I "had" to spin nothing but club hits and requests, as long as people enjoy themselves it is all good.

What kind of gear do you use?

A laptop, an external sound card, and DJ software. Yes, I do know how to use turntables and CD players. I simply chose not to bother anymore about 2 years ago. And my back is thankful for it.

What is your mantra for your event night?

I really have no idea what you mean with this question. I probably don't understand something here, I really don't chant the same thing repeatedly to myself to find my inner peace during an event…?

How do you feel about filesharing on the internet?

It's the proverbial genie in the bottle. It showed music consumers that there is a more convenient and easier way to get the music they like. Does sharing copy-righted material hurt the artists? Absolutely. Are record labels obsolete? In their current form, definitely. Is DRM working? Not at all.
Have I downloaded copy-righted material? Yes I have. But I also buy music from online retailers who don't wrap their files in a layer of DRM. I also still buy CDs.
Personally, I don't need artwork, fancy booklets, and what have you. There are exceptions for artists I am really fond of. Otherwise, just give me a way to pay for a single song, no matter who made it or when it was made, and I am happy.
There is a giant music catalog out there, and – unfortunately for a lot of artists – file-sharing is the easiest way to get to it. Make the "proper" way the easiest way and most people will pay (iTunes has potential). Some never will, and that is not news.

If you could spin anywhere, where would you go? Why?

Fabric in London. U60311 in Frankfurt. Fabric is a DJ's dream. I'd love to throw a set down there – unfortunately, it would probably only appeal to a crowd to small to fill that place. Similar things go for the U60311 – but its underground location and the fact that it is in Frankfurt has me itching to go.

What is your favorite song to spin at this moment?

There are so many great songs to choose from… Right now it's probably Virtual Embrace's "Hate me". Just because it "stole" a trance synth line from years past. ;-)

What do you think of the current club nights in your area? How would you approve them?

Another curious thing is that none of the ones outside of Charlottesville I have been to still exist at the same location if at all. So it's hard to judge simply by hear-say. I think it's great that there are so many to choose from.

What problems/concerns do you come across in the scene in your area? How do you think they should be remedied?

Underage drinking is probably the biggest – at least perceived – problem. It the number 1 reason when we are being booted out of a venue.
Inside the scene it's the age-old question of music. Some like the classics, some like the new stuff, some like the industrial stuff (but not that genre!), some like "pure" goth,… The usual. It might be more pronounced in the goth/industrial scene than elsewhere, since goth-rock and electro-industrial are almost as far apart as you can get inside a single scene. You'll never make it right for all, and the only thing a DJ can do is keep things moving along, for the simple reason that stagnation is your enemy in the long run.

How do you promote your event? What is the most effective?

Luckily, I can rely on other people to do promotion, but I typically do some of the dreaded online-crossposting. Nothing beats word of mouth, though. Takes the longest, but yields the best results. Other than that – never concentrate on just a single avenue of promotion.

Other than DJing, what other hobbies do you do? (playing in band, art, sports)

Movies. I don't watch as many as I used to before I had a family of my own, but I still manage to watch 4-5 movies in a week. Luckily my wife and I have compatible tolerances.

How do you balance your job / personal life with your DJ night?

Badly. Very badly. Just ask my wife. It would be even worse if I still did out-of-town events on a more frequent basis. I'm basically limiting myself to in-town events. It has to be something really special for me to pursue an out-of-town gig.

What is your guilty pleasure? (internet site, music, food, or tv show)

Wrestling. There, I said it. I typically fast-forward through the matches, I only watch it for the hilariously bad soap-opera. Most of the time you can't say with 100% certainty whether it was meant to be that bad. Some of the bunch are wonderful entertainers, though.

Websites


http://www.audiorapture.com
http://myspace.com/audiorapture
http://audiorapture.livejournal.com

Related Links

http://www.wnrn.org
http://www.clubumlaut.org
http://myspace.com/cvilledawning
http://myspace.com/abetterearthrecords
http://www.beatport.com
http://www.native-instruments.com/traktor3
http://www.technoclub.tc
http://www.di.fm/edmguide/
http://www.ishkur.com