LIKE MOTHS TO THE FLAME :: The Mothman Prophecies - RETROSPECTIVE

The Mothman Prophecies - RETROSPECTIVE

You might have heard about all the Mothman type sightings in Chicago lately, something like 30 in the last 3 years all over the city.

If you don't know what the Mothman is - to try to sum it up is hard, but witnesses describe a dark bat or moth type figure, with red eyes. The folklore started in West Virginia originally. There have been books and movies made on the subject.

I'm as skeptical as they get on some things, but this mystery is close to my heart, I guess. Is this a shared psychosis? Do we really know that there aren't entities just beyond what we perceive? I thought I might go back to the movie again today, and I was really astonished at how good it was. It stars Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Deborah Messing, and Will Patton. Gere has that acting style that only Richard Gere can do, but his portrayal as an obsessed person was better than usual for him. Laura Linney was great at playing the voice of reason - even when there was none to be made. Messing had a small roll as Gere's wife - who dies right in the beginning after seeing a Mothman.

I've got to say the best acting in the movie was Patton as Gordon - who was being constantly visited and tormented. Talk about a character of neurosis - he pulled that one off big time.

The story stayed pretty close to the original reportings though 40 years later ... which kept it interesting and the musical score was bordering on very tense yet experimental. Mark Pellington directed it. He also did Arlington Road - top notch movie, Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous - along with a Pearl Jam movie and U23D. It seems he likes to mix it up a little bit. Maybe I'll even watch Jerry Maguire next - I never saw that stinker of a movie.

Definitely check out the movie - the myth, the legend. Positivity and love to all my peeps in Chicago - Rahm is one disaster too many!

DESIGNER AT LARGE:: Interview with ELLY BLAISE designer Amanda Flagg

Amanda at Elly Blaise

Today, I had the fortunate opportunity to talk to Amanda Flagg, CEO / Director / Designer for Elly Blaise, a clothing outfit in Chicago. She is well known for her swanky, eclectic outfits custom designed for clients. Amanda is also Creative Director Vivid Variations Studio. She got her Master of Fine Arts from Fashion Institute of Technology in N.Y.C. and Bachelors from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.  Lately, she's been busy with new projects and fashion shows.

Hello Amanda. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me tonight! Can you start off by telling me a little about your favorite designs?

My favorite designs from famous designers or my own designs?

Your favorite from famous designers and how that has influenced your own designs -

Some of my favorite designers are Valentino and Chanel which inspired my romantic classic look, that I have. I love their classic styles and lines that make a woman look and feel beautiful

Is a large percentage of your clothing made for women then?

Most of my clients are women, however I do custom design which is called Couture, which can be anyone. I prefer to work one on one with someone to make them feel good.

What is the process there with Couture?

I generally get clients that come to me with ideas of their own and I explain whether the idea can be executed or not. Then we go from there. We choose the fabrics, and design elements; incorporate, and execute the design in a time frame.

That really sounds like the ideal way to work. I always wanted my own clothing designer ... I'm not sure if I still have a sense of style - unless comfortable is a style. I've noticed many combinations of fabrics and furs among, other textiles in your outfits. I really like it. Is that your own influence coming into play?

Yes, that is my style, which is an incorporation of different cultures and looks from different times in my life and different places I've lived, it's a collection of looks combined.
Everyone has a style they just have to know what to enhance in their wardrobe. Its about playing off of a theme.

Is there an music artist, genre or mix that gets you hyped when designing?                               

I love listening to love songs it's something about them pouring their heart out while I'm pouring mine out.

Now I assume most of your clients come from word of mouth and shows that you are in ... do you have an Etsy or any portfolio online?

I had an Etsy, but I couldn't keep it stocked. I sold out pretty quick. I'm about to launch an online site here in a month or so. Most of my clients are from different places and I have a lot of people who come back because they love who I am and what I am about. They believe in me so they know I love what I do and want to support that. Its beautiful, I'm truly blessed.

Yes, keeping up with demand is always a challenge. It's also a good challenge to have. I did look at the portfolio you sent me and noticed that you've done quite a bit of silk screen, including totes and hoodies as well as clutches hats and shoes. I can't even imagine what it entails to make a custom shoe. Are you still doing those types of accessories?

Yes I do accessories all the time. I just got a boot machine

Nice ... I've always wanted a pair of classic Air Nobles for my birthday. The cassette tape skulls tote is dope. I want to buy that design on a hoodie if possible. Now, am I tripping or did you just get married? 

I did just get married!! Thank you!! You could get a hoodie if you would like.

I do want one and congratulations, Mr. Craig is a great guy.  Is there anything else you want to add?

I just wanted to add how fun this was and how awesome you are!! Thank you for doing this!

You are very welcome ... oh one last question - Elly Blaise? Is it a double entendre?

It is my alter ego. It means little fire

Of course it does ... Thanks again Amanda!

Here are a few more designs from her portfolio. You can follow Amanda at https://www.facebook.com/ellyblaise30/

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ZZZZZzzzzzZZZZZ :: Hurt Everybody - Slept All Day (ft. Saba) [prod. Mulatto Beats]

Hurt Everybody - Slept All Day (ft. Saba) [prod. Mulatto Beats]

For those who don't know, I recently transplanted to Atlanta aka A-Town aka the ATL aka HOTlanta (possibly due to the summers or Freak-nik, or both). I love it here, all the conveniences and activities of a big city and yet in the bosom of the polite south. What Atlanta is mostly know for, other than great southern cooking is music ... hip-hop to be true and I've experienced it's influence so much since I moved in. It was after a week of working, that I decided to hit the Korean spa in the near suburbs and turned the dial to what is the NPR / Georgia Tech radio. Now late night is always chock full of great hip-hop and even instrumentals for your freestyle parties. On this night, they happened to play this tune, which for me set itself apart because of a) the melody and b) the honesty of the singer, who I found out later was Supa Bwe. A little more research, and I discovered that these guys were not from Brooklyn or Atlanta's little 5 points but from Chicago's Westside - Hurt Everybody. So there ya go, it always comes back full circle and for me it was clear that from my days in Chicago to now my future in Atlanta - there was a connection.




ciao Noble!

JAMMING XTRA LOUD :: JXL Spotlight

Julian Lozano aka JXL

Rebel, Enlightened, Master MC, Vegan, Passionate, Activist ... just a few words to describe my bro, Julian Xavier Lozano aka JXL, a Chicago rapper whose skill is right on point. He is already releasing singles from his new album, which is out soon - Document 35, and is poised to hit the big time with his style of "in your face", positive, conscious Hip Hop.

Check out the lyrics to "Live In The Moment"

"My past I forgave it and then advanced
pulling lyrics out of my ass like a center snap
want me to keep it short and sweet like an epitaph?
Never man! I gotta pully my weight like a petty cab with this pen and pad
child at heart reppin' neverland
I was on my last leg like Lieutenant Dan
now I F'in stand on the stage you can't reprimand
peace in my DNA it is in every strand"

JXL-Live In The Moment (Produced by Downtown Music)(Lava Lab)



JXL- "You Are Not A Slave" (ft. Rico Sisney & Carla Starla) (Produced By Tone Jones)






https://www.facebook.com/jxmusic23
https://soundcloud.com/jxmusic23

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X-MAN :: JULIAN XAVIER LOZANO AKA J-X album release DOCUMENT 33

 

My brother from another mother, J-X aka Julian Lozano has just dropped his first album Document 33. The album is pure inspirational, genius, passion and perspition. julian's is hip-hop's answer to the question ... can positive lyricism have the same power as other forms of hip-hop? The answer is a strong ...YES ... Check out Disillusioned -

and Live in the Moment shot and edited by Lava Lab Media -


and finally the art of freestyle at Chicago's Emerald PALACE -
freestyle at emerald palace


CHECK OUT MORE ON ITUNES -

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/document-33/id960131387

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EMOTION ON CANVAS :: Exclusive Interview With Artist Zac Franzoni

Artist Zac Franzoni

Chicago is a top notch city full of talented artists. One of those artists, Zac Franzoni uses his own technique and different mediums to create colorful explosions of passion. Zac took some time to talk to us today about his craft, technique and influences.

So, how did you get started making this incredible art?

Well, there are a few layers to this answer, actually. I've been making art since I was a kid. My uncle was an artist and I grew up living next to him, so I'd always go over and instantly be emerged in this surrealist world that was his basement studio. It started from there, it's in my genes.

And your family, they all support what you do?

Oh of course, my parents have always been amazingly supportive of my choices. Their house is full of my paintings.

The art I currently make is influenced by necessity, a few years ago I had to put down the paintbrush due to arthritis and tendonitis in my hands, I had to change my style. So the current incarnation of my art came about because i had to come up with a way to paint without manual manipulation.

So your current style - can you tell me a little bit about that - let's say if the canvas was blank, where do you start or is it different each time?

It's different each time. Sometimes I start with a dry, white canvas, sometimes I will paint a base coat to work with, and other times I'll cover it with water and go from there. It depends on my mood, or what effect I'm going for.

Would you call your style free-form or do you have a plan for each piece, or is it somewhere in between?

I'd say 3/4 free-form, I have actually coined the term "Abstract-Feelism". I do whatever I feel like doing at the time. It's all about the flow.

and speaking of the flow ... I once read somewhere that you often listen to The Rolling Stones, get into a trance and let the art practically make itself ... is that accurate?

Ha, yes! I'm all about the tunes, man. Music is a big part of my life, I'll throw on some Kid Cudi, some Stones and go to town. It is like a trance, an hour will go by and feel like 2 minutes. I'll come to, covered in paint with an empty beer and wonder where my mind just went. Sometimes I believe the paintings want to make themselves. That's another reason I love this organic style I have recently adopted so much, the paintings have a life of their own, I just provide the environment. The Renaissance sculptors believed the subject of their sculptures lived within the marble and their job was just to set them free, I believe that is true with a lot of art.

That's a great philosophy - it sounds like an awesome way to live. Have you ever gotten attached to a piece and had a hard time selling it?

Now Children, Let's Share

There are only 2 pieces I have ever been attached to and kept. One is from high school, the first time I really felt something click in my mind while making a piece of art. That piece won me 'Artist of the Month', and the prize was having it professionally framed for free. The second is a piece called "Now Children, Let's Share", it was made while I was in a community college art class. It's hanging in my hallway in my house right now. It embodied all the turmoil of first love, a shitty time in high school, and attempting to find myself artistically. It made me cry when I finished it, no shame in that, the only thing better than crying after making a great piece of art is burning it.

OK, so how do you go about selling your pieces in or around Chicago?

I go about selling my art by hustling, by not only selling my art but selling myself as a product. I'm not just selling a pretty painting to you that matches a couch ... I'm selling you a pretty painting that matches your couch painted by THIS guy right here, by a sometimes overly honest and open struggling artist, by a real person with fears and rent to pay, and mostly likely I've had a beer before talking to you because this type of shit makes me nervous.
But, to be more practical about that answer, I sell wherever I can! I display in coffee shops and galleries, I have been doing street and art festivals for 3 years now, and I have a manager who helps hook me up with shows and leasing out my art. It's a combined effort, it's not easy.

I've also seen you create art live, it's amazing to watch ... how often do you do live art?



I don't do live art as much as I used to. It began about 8 years ago when I started painting live at a weekly event at a gallery called Dulcenea in Wicker Park. Then on to painting monthly at local Burning Man parties. I had to slow down because of my previously mentioned struggled with my hands. I do however had a huge, huge project in the works at the moment. I am painting an 8 foot wide painting on stage, live, at the Joffrey Ballet with 8 dancers for a 12 minute piece. November 8th. It's for a charity called EMBARC, they help underprivileged youth on the southside of Chicago. It's definitely the biggest moment of my artistic career. I am also showing a new series of 9 pieces in their event space for the cocktail party after the performance.

Now you have many fans out there and they had some questions to ask as well, do you mind?

Woah ... fans? That's an odd sensation. Yes, bring it on!

What is hard that people don't understand about making art for a living?

People have this misconception that painting and making art isn't actual work. Well, I go to the lumber store, I buy wood and build canvases. I work late nights, I spend hours upon hours online filling out applications and updating the dozen websites I use to try to build my online presence. I wake up at 3 am with designs and ideas in my head and can't sleep. I spend way more than an average work week actually working, it's more than just physically draining, it's an emotional process as well. Also, you gotta learn to life like a poor college student again.

Do you sell a lot of reproductions? Where do you get those printed?

I only recently had prints done, and I've only sold a handful. I'm definitely more into selling originals. Texture is a big part of a painting. But my buddy Franklin has a print shop and does a bang-up job.

Dead In The Water

If you were a cartoon character, who would you be?

Wile E Coyote. I'm a hopeless romantic and love dynamite.

Hahaha ... well I hope you catch that pesky roadrunner!

If i did catch him, I'd just want to have a cocktail and play a game of chess.



Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I aim high, so I'd say either hiking on top of a mountain or a rich, wildly successful artist with a warehouse sized studio and a Warhol-like following.

Well, Id say that you are definitely on your way. Is there anything else you want to add?

I'd just like to say to all the youngins out there, if you're in art school or otherwise - never, ever titled your art "Untitled". It drives me insane, I will find you, I will hunt you down. I will make you take a shot of whiskey with me and title your art. That drives me nuts.

Also, thank you Noble, this has been fun.

Thank you so much Zac for your time!

Check out more of Zac's work at www.zacfranzoni.com/

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW :: Ori Kawa / The Entals

Ori Kawa

Ori Kawa is a DJ / Producer based in Chicago by way of California. He's been involved in the music scene as an artist for a few years and is now putting a group together to record and tour. The Entals are a group of rotating musicians under his artistic direction. They are crowd funding their costs on the IndieGoGo platform, with just 9 days left to reach their goal.

I had a chance to interview Ori, available here after the jump -



Let's go way back ... what are some songs or artists that drew you into the scene?

My older brother was a big influence in my early days in the bay area underground scene. He followed a lot of trance DJs. Mars & Mystre were favorites ... Dyloot, DJ Denise.

That was in San Jose, CA?

Yes, we had a really good local record store, Solid Grooves, that imported a lot of high quality techno/house that I didn't know at the time was from Chicago. When I branched out from my brother's tastes, I was listening to Donald Glaude and DJ Dan a lot, funky west coast house DJs.

Derrick Carter was the first Chicago DJ that I got really into. From there, I started to get into the roots of the culture and wanted to come here and study! Guys that got me into the scene here were Rees Urban, The Sound Republic, Bryan Jones. We could go further...one year for xmas, my little brother got a Talkboy. It had pitch adjustment...

So, you get to Chicago and start hitting Smartbar and eventually started working there ... yet, you were also booking for a club in San Jose from Chicago?

Yes, for a little while before I moved..maybe a few years..I was running the lounge for this place in SJ called Blowfish. Sushi joint, but was very clubby. I would book DJs, handle the equipment, etc.

Free sushi?

Yes. They treated me and the DJs well. For us local DJs, it was a solid paying gig, with a bar/food tab. Moving to Chicago gave me the connection to bring DJs from here over there.

I would work for sushi! 

So what are some of the highlights from your time at Smartbar?

Definitely working with Mr. Scruff and the Switch NYE stand out. Mr. Scruff is a vinyl junkie and brings all kinds of stuff, even 45s. He only plays the whole night, no time slots. He brings dance music from all eras and will start off the night with old jazz, authentic dub...all kinds of stuff. He makes it a journey from the beginning of the set to the end. My Blowfish days gave me a big appreciation for this, because there, we would play 3-4 hours. But during the beginning of our sets, people would still be eating dinner. So, you can't play bangers, you had to sculpt a mood to have the people dancing by the end of the night.

Mr. Scruff does all that and more. My experience was not just showtime...He brings his engineer, Ben, on all his gigs, and they do a proper sound check way before the show starts. During one of his sound checks, Ben was walking around SmartBar's dance floor. He went back and forth between all four of the Funktion One stacks and finally stopped at one, signaling Scruff to stop the music.

He said the phase was reversed. We had to open up the speaker, and sure enough, it was flipped. (The speaker had just come back from the shop)

A perfectionist?

You could say that. Just wants to set the scene right. As a DJ, you of course have to be able to go with the flow. But prepping goes a long way.

I've got to say Smartbar is my favorite club in Chicago, if not the world. They always bring the best artists, the dress code is casual, the staff is friendly. If you were the the owner and if you could change one thing about Smartbar, what would it be?

It's hard to say what could change with SmartBar...I guess if I was to change one thing about SmartBar, it would be the location! It's right by Wrigleyville and a bunch of sports bars.. but then again, I guess that's what gives it a "diamond in the rough" quality.

True

You've frequented there...I think I met you there actually! Would you change anything?

Maybe just the location, as you said but I'm not sure there's a better neighborhood.

So tell me about The Entals ... who are some of the musicians you are working with?

So I've got a bunch of music that I've written over the past five years or so. The Entals is the way to deliver this music. The only musician so far that I've worked with a lot before is my big brother Monte. He plays guitar. The others are friends that I've met working at restaurants here in Chicago, or other various industry connections. What I love about Chicago is that there is a lot of talent here, but it does not feel over-saturated. Most people that work at restaurants, or maybe just people in general, have some kind of creative outlet.

I agree.

To make a variety of tracks, sometimes it takes a variety of contributors.

So "The Cosmosis" is your first attempt at releasing music? And you are crowd-funding it?

I've released some music before, solo stuff. Nothing really sprouted though. So I decided I needed to improve my songwriting and performance skills. After a bit of musical solitude, I am ready to go at it again. But this time, I'd like to make it a group effort!

You also worked at Cajual Records. Are you looking for distribution through a label like that?

Yes, that was a great experience. Distribution has changed quite a bit, and it has become easier to release things independently with success. One of the great things about running the crowd-funding campaign is that I was able to get in contact with people who can help with that side of the business.

By the way, it's good talking to a fellow Mighty Boosh fan haha...

Haha yes

They're a bit too out there for some people, but that's what I like. They take risks.

I actually discovered the Boosh through a sample in a DJ mix.

That's dope! what sample was it?

I'm old GREG!!! I've got a MANGINA!

oh it was that one!! hahah yeah my favorite ... mmm Baileys!



So, I got a few questions from mutual friends - Do you have any secret awesome skills that nobody knows about? What are some of the craziest events you have ever performed at? In today's times, is it more about talent or followers?

Hahaha ok first one, skills ... i can gun sling like a western cowboy. I tried to make a music video one time, and the theme was cowboy mixed with postal worker. Don't quite know what I was thinking there, but I got a hold of a couple of authentic replica pistols and a holster belt from this cowboy shop on Chicago Ave.

That's awesome!

It's actually a good workout, the guns like those little 5 lb. dumbbells. Good aerobics.

Craziest event? DJing: probably closing for Mark Farina at Evil Olive. The crowd was already putty by the time I went on, I just rode the wave!

Non DJing: I played taiko drums in this group Ho Etsu taiko a while, and couple years back we drove to Lexington to play 6 shows in 2 days at a summer festival. The heat was intense and the stage was burning our feet through our footwear! It was an exhausting gig but rewarded with authentic bourbon in the heartland of it.

And third question, more about the talent or the followers? ... that's an interesting question. you won't get completely decisive answer from me on that! As I can only answer for myself, it changes at times. At times I have wondered why I have a small following, and it has pushed me to try and polish artistic abilities. A desire for that following can be very motivating. It has also pushed me to change hats in the industry, and figure out some of the logistical stuff that goes into building that following.

In the end, I know I must have a quality product that showcases the talent of my cohorts in The Entals. This is not the case with every act.

Our goal is to take this show on the road, so we can play music for the people and have fun and confidence doing it. So it's circular. And in the music business, sometimes you can get eaten up by the madness. Demands of fans can be harsh and lead artists to lose their own self. In this case, they must take sometime and focus on themselves. Use their talents to do what they and only they want to do. At other times in this business, we become a little TOO much about ourselves, and we have to remember to do it for the fans, for the followers.

All this is why it is important to us to have friends in the crowd. It is OUR crowd, we are YOUR band.

Without them, there would be no business.

Yup! no business, no energy, no participation

Anything else you want to add?

I had 2 rules for myself when I started DJing... 1. Have fun--if you don't enjoy it, how can you expect a room full of people to? 2. Make the people dance. That's it, only 2 rules. I still apply them to my performance, although rule 2 has become Move the people. Gotta plug my campaign of course.

Yes ... Please go and support these guys through this link and share with your friends - http://igg.me/at/orikawa



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GHETTO DIVISION'S OWN :: Charlie Glitch - LXXXVII (1987) E.P

Charlie Glitch - LXXXVII (1987) E.P

Charlie Glitch a.k.a. Carlos Rodriguez is the godfather of Chicago ghetto house music (above he's posing with the mayor) or maybe I should say house music from the ghetto a.k.a. South Side ... at least for the new generation. I know many will say, what about DJ Funk, Houz'Mon, DJ Slugo ... but you have to remember that house music in Chicago evolves faster than a cane toad in heat. Anyway, Charlie has a new E.P. - LXXXVII (1987), which I just recently realized was that was Charlie's birth year ... damn I'm old!

So to the E.P. - it starts of with Alien Sex ... which is pretty sexy, if you are into aliens but definitely upbeat and sexy and puts you on edge at the same time. Next is Drop It - which starts of chill and un-expecting and then builds, going through some nice piano along the way to a build upon another build until the drop where you get to an amalgamation of synths, kick drums and rhythm. El Beeper is the next selection - immediately you are in slowed up merengue sounds of Oro Solido's Huye, Se Encenio El Beeper with some samples and rework. Jazzy Rave Days is an excellent rework of Stacy Kidd & Mike Dixon's Downtown Mix - and easily my favorite on the E.P. Finally, Kicks and Stix is a percussion based tribute to the early rave days of strictly percussion based rhythm.



Here's some footage from Charlie's release party at Chicago's famous Dolphin club:


Check out more at Ghetto Division and Charlie Glitch.

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Jeekoos - The Wreck EP

Jeekoos - The Wreck EP

Producer and DJ, Jeekoos a.k.a. Bartek Jeekoos has been peddling his own take on bass music for well over a decade now. He's been influencing kids and getting many hooked on that addictive bass line from his headquarters in Chicago. Now, he's dropped a new product - The Wreck EP, which features The Wreck, which will have you waylaid for hours and Gettin' - whose chronic influence will get you lifted and well retarded. Enjoy responsibly!



https://jeekoos.bandcamp.com/album/the-wreck

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DJ Form - Live @ Resonate v.5, Chicago, IL. 4/24/2010

DJ Form - Live @ Resonate v.5, Chicago, IL. 4/24/2010

Boy, do I miss my Chicago friends ... especially this guy - DJ Form a.k.a. Oren Form Kopperl - incredible turntablist and DJ/MC for Pseudo Slang. Oren's been rockin the ones and twos for a great many years and you can hear it. I present DJ Form's set at Resonate v.5 from April 2010 - when I first met this guy. Let the music speak for itself.

Live @ Resonate v.5, Chicago, IL. 4/24/2010 by Djform on Mixcloud

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Burning Man: The Documentary

Russia Today has put together this incredible documentary on Burning Man - the annual festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. I've yet to go myself, but I know many who have gone and I've attended regional Burns in and around Chicago. The experience is like nothing anywhere else. Burners come from many walks of life, but they can be hedonistic, creative, passionate, caring and responsible - as you see here.



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Julian Lozano - Water and Weed

Julian Lozano a.k.a. J-X is blowing up like Hubba-Bubba playing shows all over the midwest. He's just dropped a video for his single Water and Weed that includes lyrics and clips from a live show. Don't sleep on Julian, expect him to be a household name one day.

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81 AND BEYOND :: Connexional - Visione (Original Mix)

Visione
Connexional

Preview of Visione's upcoming E.P. "81 AND BEYOND" out on Beatport July released by Weather Beats

Best known for his remix of THE CHROMATICS "Tick of the Clock" on ITALIANS DO IT BETTER Records, VISIONE is a producer from Chicago who delves in many different styles ranging from hypnotic downtempo electro, 80's synthwave, Chillout and much more.

Follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/visione81 https://soundcloud.com/visione_official

ROCK-A-BILLY :: Pearls Mahone Interview

A little bit of country, a little bit of rock n' roll - put 'em together and you have Pearls Mahone. This vivacious red-head has been crooning at gigs and festivals around the mid-west for some time now. She recently played at the Muddy Roots festival in Cookville, Tennessee along with other legends of roots, rockabilly, blues, country and folk. 

Whether touring solo or with the OneEyed Jacks, Miss Mahone always has a knack for taking us back to the days of yesteryear, when life was a little simpler. I recently had a chance to catch up with her for an exclusive interview -

From what I've read, singing and performing have been a major part of your life ... how did you know that you first wanted to be a performer?

I just loved to sing. It was something that came naturally to me, and I loved to perform. I'm a first born so attention is "my thing" I think.
I started in middle school through school and church choirs and it just grew from there....Something I've always wanted to do. 

Who were some of your influences when you were younger?

I always listened to "Breakfast with the Beatles" on WCKG 105.9 after church. My dad LOVES the Beatles, so I grew up listening to them. The Mamas & Papas ... lots of 50's and 60's era stuff alongside the rap/hiphop/r&b/rock/ and punk of the early 90's. 

And what about recent bands? Is there any good music coming out these days?

Oh man, I listen to a lot of people. Hangdog Hearts, Hot Club of Cowtown, Billy Cook Band, Rachel Brooke, Hooten Hallers, Pistol Annies, Restvrant, Anything with Joel Paterson on it, JD McPherson, Nikki Hill, Jayke Orvis & The Broken Band, really the list goes on and on. I should start listening to older stuff.

 

Well it seems like your sound is very influenced by the sounds of the 50's and 60's. I always believe music comes and goes in cycles and while there is always a core following, older music does become popular again with the mainstream. Do you agree or does it even matter?

Yes, I'm moving even further back - 40's/50's Western Swing is something I'm really getting into. Music, Art, lots of things are cyclical. People also borrow from the past and put their new spin on old ideas.

You perform some of what I would call classic country. What is your opinion on the recent stuff coming out of Nashville?

In my list I threw in Pistol Annies, love them! Lindi Ortega is also really different....there are people that are doing some good stuff, but they don't get the credit or the air time they deserve unfortunately. I wish more of us could break into the Nashville system and bring back country to its glory days.

You currently play with the OneEyed Jacks ... can you tell us how you found these guys and what performing has been like with them?

Actually The OneEyed Jacks have been a revolving door roster of players that are available to me a the time. Currently my lineup includes 2-3 other females besides myself! So I'm moving away from using The OneEyed Jacks in billing my band. I have a brand new guitar player, Dennis Leise. Buster--my original lap steel/lead guitarist, and I split in January after 6 years together. Dennis is very knowledgeable in old timey music, western swing, and country which is awesome and where I want to take the music!

Are you hoping to have a more permanent fixture of musicians on stage or do you prefer the flexibility of having different musicians and backup singers for different shows?

I would like more permanent lineup, but with more talented musicians comes more performing opportunities for them besides my band. It's very hard to land a knowledgeable stand up bass player. I'm struggling to find one locally or in the region to tour with me out to Montana and back this fall. I might have to fly one in from the East Coast! In a way, its the Nashville way, but I have a pretty solid lineup besides the bassist predicament! 

It is the Nashville way. I might know a few people who know a few people who play stand up bass. I'd be glad to put you in contact if it helps you find someone talented. You also run PearlyQ Productions. I'm guessing that helps increase your network of finding talented people?

That was created to help bring my friends who constantly tour a place to come in Chicago.

Do you play any instruments yourself?

I play minimal piano and am learning the harmonica. Kids, learn to play instruments!!! Also i know the Recorder :)

Well, you are never too old to learn. If you could travel to any time period to perform, what era would that be and why?

I think the 1940's be a cowgirl crooner in a touring band would be great ... get big like Patsy Cline. 

Any last words?

Just that everyone should stay tuned for my LIVE @ Moonrunners CD and some new studio stuff in the near future! We just hit 3,000 LIKES and have a merch liquidation sale going on now. Just keep listening and sharing the music---hope to be touring more in the coming year. looking forward to getting south, east, and west! sorry midwest you've had us too long! Major tour this summer to Farmagedon Music Festival July 25th - 28th in Missoula Montana. Fans: Ask for us on your internet radio stations, favorite car shows, and music festivals!
Check out my FB page: facebook.com/pearlsmahone
follow me on twitter: @PearlsMahone
Instagram: PearlyQ

www.pearlsmahone.com
www.soundcloud.com/pearls-mahone

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GOOD VIBES :: Serfcity - Good Times (Toymaker Remix)

Serfcity / Toymaker
Good Times (Toymaker Remix)

Check out my boy Serfcity's newest release remixed by Toymaker.. Guaranteed to make you nod your head. Beatport Link below

https://soundcloud.com/serfcity
http://www.beatport.com/track/the-good-times-toymaker-remix/4373719

ART IS LIFE :: Anna Todaro Interview

I really enjoy good art and one of my favorite visual artists is Chicago's Anna Todaro. Her style is colorful, animalistic and very distinctive. In her own words it's Utopian Folk Art. Utopian, because she seeks to make the world a better place though her medium and that comes from a genuine place of unconditional love. 

Anna's been supporting herself from her southside studio where she creates works to sell in shops, at art festivals, and online. She decided to reveal a bit about herself with us in an interview.

Thanks for doing this Anna. I've always enjoyed your art and I'm happy to share it with our readers.
Thank you. I really love what I do and am soooo happy there are other people out there who enjoy my work so I can keep on doing this.

So how long have you been painting professionally?
I've been doing markets mainly on the west coast since 2009. I started doing street fairs in Portland, Oregon in 2004 and I have been painting full time since 2011.

Do you have any formal training or is this something that you learned how to do on your own?
I went to Northern Illinois University where I got my BFA in Painting in 2004. I was given a scholarship to study abroad in Florence, Italy for one of the semesters at NIU. Most of what I do now I taught myself over the years after graduating college and actually participating in the "real" art world.

Are you influenced by any other artists, either in paint, prose or music?
Oh man, soooooooo many. I guess right now I will tell you who is currently influencing me, but in reality, there are tons more. I learn a lot simply by looking at other work and currently have been learning a lot looking at traditional Japanese paintings as well as cave paintings. I am super into their use of line. Business wise, I am looking at a lot of what a lot of local artists from Portland Oregon and San Francisco are doing ... ladies like Jill Bliss, Amy Ruppel, Chicago artists like Nerfect; Some more famous contemporaries would be like Mark Ryden, John Currin and Amy Sol to name a few.

I'm into music with good vibes. I really am into Brian Eno while I work because it's not super distracting, I like positive noise like Brainstorm, and I also like string instruments and live instruments.

We share a mutual fondness for Brian Eno. I always listen to "Music for Airports" when I've having a bad day or trouble sleeping. I've noticed a theme in your work for using pastel colors, is that something that is intentional or did it develop over time?

I've always loved color. I remember being in preschool, not even three years old, and looking up at this hanging stuffed rainbow and memorizing the order of colors. I can look at any color and see it's opposite. My color system has evolved over time. My "mother" color is the exact middle of the color spectrum, yellow green. I love this color because it contains both the bright happiness of yellow and the calming coolness of blue. I like to use bright colors that are also not dominating. They are intended to lighten a space and a spaces mood, not to control it.

Well, it definitely works ... and it suits the subjects of your work, which is another theme I've noticed - birds. Why such a fondness for painting birds?

I love that birds can fly. I love their songs and their mysterious ways and I Love Love Love their bright and exotic feathers. I love how well they go with atmosphere and air as well, kind of like fusing together the tangible, and the intangible.

Yes, I must say that I'm a little jealous of the birds. My best dreams are the one's where I'm flying. Your art captures that feeling very well. I understand that you've recently started creating children's books. Can you tell us a little about how that came about?
Well, I've always been into the theater and have always been a pretty ok writer, especially of simple works, I used to do a lot of work with the Portland Poetry scene in Oregon and would go to all of the open mics. When I really started bringing all of the work together was after I had gone to this meditation circle for my friend Tazdeen. I met a woman there who, when she saw my business card got really mad and said I needed to write children's stories. For some reason, her words seems to echo in my head and when I got home, I realized that I'd actually been at the wrong party. It was at the same address, but actually a block away from the place I'd meant to be, I tend to look at scenarios like this as real everyday magic and used this message from this woman as a warning that I really need to get all of my work together into one format to really put it out there for people to enjoy.

Your first is a children's story under the name Mother Heron, about learning to hula hoop. I know that you are currently raising money on Kickstarter.com to publish this. Can you tell us more about that story?

It's called "Everybody Hoops, but me" It's about a little girl who really wants to hula hoop, and everyone else in the whole world can hula hoop but her and it's about her struggle. I have audio of myself reading the story up on soundcloud.

Is there a bit of Anna in this story?
Well, I am definitely one to never give up (three fixed signs) and this is the really meaning of this story. I also found it really difficult to hula hoop, and needed to practice a ton even to get the thing to go around more than twice.

So I'm guessing that you look like a natural when doing it now?
I'm ok ... I have fun and I think that's the most important part about hula hooping. I have a bunch of stories in the works for Mother Heron and I thought that the idea of never giving up was a great theme to be the first story by a lady who has been working so hard, and never giving up for so long, doing most of the work myself. It feels like so many people come up to congratulate me on all of my success and the truth is, it's all been hard work, lots and lots of work, 99% perspiration you know.

Well, you certainly are an inspiration to perserverance. How close are you to your Kickstarter goal?
With 15 days left, I am currently at $1,111 out of $6,000 for the goal. My goal is to be able to buy enough copies of the book to have the price per book low enough to sell them in independent bookstores.

Well, maybe 11 is your lucky number. I wish you all the best in this and all your future endeavors. Is there any thing else you'd like to share?
Oh, thank you sooo much Noble. I really think the most important part about crowd funding is getting the word out. Thank you so much for this interview.


I'm glad to help. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us today.

Anna's Kickstarter

http://annatodaro.com/

http://www.motherheron.com/

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Classixx - Holdin on

Classixx
Holding on

WEBSITE: Classixx.LA
TWITTER: Twitter.com/Classixx
MYSPACE: Myspace.com/ClassixxMusic
FACEBOOK: Facebook.com/CLASSIXXOfficial
YOUTUBE: YouTube.com/CLASSIXXOfficial

1981 - Visione (Original Mix) - DOWNLOAD

Visione
1981

VISIONE is a producer from Chicago who delves in many different styles ranging from dark hypnotic hard hitting electro vibes to cinematic grooves all the way to chillout and indie dance... It is hard to pin down a genre to fit him into.

https://soundcloud.com/visione_official

CLASSIC!! :: Glass Candy - 'Computer Love'

GLASS CANDY Computer Love

Footage of Glass Candy at Cargo, London on 8th May 2008 with their cover of Kraftwerk's 'Computer Love'
https://soundcloud.com/johnnyjewel
https://soundcloud.com/johnnyjewel/after-dark-remastered

ON THE LOCAL :: Jay Oskulata - Miss me (Original mix)

An up an coming Chicago Producer/DJ... Jay Oskulata brings his own unique recipe of production and turntablism to the masses of Chicagoland.

He is known for sharing the stage with such acts as : Dieselboy, stereoheroes, SPL, OPTIV(cause4concern), SHIFTEE,KREWELLA, J.Rabbit, BIg Chocolate, D.J. Muggs, Da Lollipop , Kids,Bizerk, Caffiene, Xposure, Michael Wenz, Stunna,Paul Johnson,D.J. Deeon, John Johr, Mr.Skeleton, and much more...

https://soundcloud.com/jayoskulataofficial23