Archive for the ‘Music’ Category

Posted on August 22, 2009 - by SenorMustard

Jonestown Tragedy – Interview & Free Downloads

First off introduce yourselves and tell us what you play.
joey-vocals
biz-guitar
zach-guitar
bones-bass
jason-drums

The vocals are different from your previous music, how did that come about…was it a difficult transition?
Well honestly everything is different about this recording we wanted too have an overly produced sound we added alot of effects too the guitars and vocals our previous recordings were really half assed this time around we really took our time on it.

You guys have a unique mixture of genres going on, what genre do you all identify most with?
Well I know for the most part we all really love punk rock from hardcore/melodic punk too pop punk we all grew up listening too bands like strung out nofx to descedents and screaching weasels but yeah we all enjoy different types of genres but for the most part we all for sure identify best with punk rock.

How do you go about writing your music?
Writing our music can be stressful sometimes but its pretty basic i(biz) write a riff or half a song then take it too the jam session where jason and i complete the song together.

How long did it take you to make your new E.P.?
The EP took about 3 weeks we recorded with Charlie Vela and it was a blast he really helped us capture the sound we were looking for. He’s an awesome dude really has a passion for music so he was awesome too work with.

Where can folks get the cd?
If your old fashion you can buy the cd on interpunk.com or download it at downloadpunk.com

Are you nervous about performing with Girl in a Coma… Any plans on trying to hit on any of them?
Nervous? Not at all. We’ve played with Girl In A Coma a few times already. Hitting on them, Im married as far as everyone else I don’t know, haha.

Any special plans as far as touring or promotion for the new cd?
Touring is something were all itching for and hopefully we’ll make it happen next year.

Any last thoughts or anything you’d like to tell our readers?
Dont do drugs, don’t follow trends and most importantly don’t wear girl jeans if your a guy. haha jk

Is there anything you’d like to say about the 2 tracks you sent us?
The 2 tracks are terrible. na jk they’re fast melodic punk rock songs. ENJOY!!!

Download 2 free tracks from Jonestown Tragedy HERE.

Posted on April 21, 2009 - by SenorMustard

11 Questions with Charlie Vela

How long have you been recording other people?
I started recording other bands when I was about 15. The first band I recorded was called The Retarded Flies. I had no idea what I was doing, but nobody seemed to notice so it worked out.

Have you had any formal training or did you learn as you went?
No formal schooling for me. Most of my knowledge comes from reading voraciously about recording and practicing constantly. There’s such an incredible wealth of information that’s available for free I’m sometimes a little puzzled by the whole formal recording school thing. Don’t get me wrong, I know a lot of great engineers who went to school, but I have a pretty strong feeling that they would’ve been great engineers anyway. It’s all about the passion you have for what you do.

Could you give us a run through of the gear you like to use?
I try to keep it relatively simple when it comes to gear. It’s very easy to go after every new thing that comes out thinking that it’ll give you “THAT SOUND”. But the truth is learning how to make the most with what you have is the key to great recordings. Take it from me, it is entirely possible to make a $10,000 microphone sound like crap if you don’t know what you’re doing. And sometimes a $12 Radio Shack mic is exactly what a song needs. That said, I use a mixture of high end and low end stuff. When possible I try to build things myself to save money. My mic preamps are all built from kits by Seventh Circle Audio, and are based on classic console designs. They sound GREAT and cost me about a fifth of the real deal. I record to ProTools on a computer that I put together. Buying parts and assembling myself gave me a machine that literally smokes some of the high-end computers you see in music catalogs. Plus I’m one of those people who HAS to know how things work, so it’s a lot of fun for me.

Who would you like to work with alive or dead?
Oh jeez, this is more like a “who are your favorite bands” question isn’t it? Let’s see, Fleetwood Mac, At the Drive-In, Credence Clearwater Revival, Jimmy Eat World, Cursive, Iron and Wine, The Little Willies. I’m just going to leave it there before my wrist gets tired. Rest assured, it’s a LONG list.

“We come in early, work our asses off, and are in bed before midnight.”

If you could only choose one, would you choose recording bands or playing in a band and why?
That’s tough. Most of the time recording is all I think about, and I can usually get my music fix just fine that way. A lot of the time when you’re working with a band, you kind of get invited in as a temporary member. Probably because most of the groups I work with know that I’ve been there, and can relate to a lot of the questions and conflicts that can arise from being in a band. So that relationship can be incredibly rewarding. But on the other hand, nothing really compares to getting on stage in front of a crowd that is actually there to enjoy the music you’re making.

While you’re recording do you ever get the urge to jump in a jam too?
Not too often. In the studio, it’s the bands’ show and you have to always respect that. I’m there to get their ideas recorded, not to satisfy my own ego. Whenever I do get asked to play a part it’s a lot of fun though.

You’ve been recording for a while, any crazy stories you’d like to share?
You know, I really can’t think of any. Things can be pretty relaxed in the studio, and with the bands I’ve worked with anyway, it doesn’t really lend itself to wild debauchery. Maybe if I was recording in the 70’s or 80’s it would be a different story. But we come in early, work our asses off, and are in bed before midnight. If you ask me, that’s the best way to work. All that other craziness just gets in the way of what we’re there for: which is making music.

What projects are you working on next, any project you’re especially excited about?
I’m about to head in with Ideophonic for a new EP, and then after that Dignan and I are headed up to Austin to mix their new record. Madore should be in this May for a new EP as well. I’m really excited about all these projects, they’re all such good bands yet entirely different from one another.

Do work with all types of genres (record any tejano bands)?
I’m certainly interested in all types of music, and I take steps to make sure I’m up on the current trends in a lot of genres. But most of the people who contact me are in the rock arena, so that’s what I do mostly. If anyone reading this wants to make a completely out of this world country record, I am soooo down.

How should a band go about contacting you about recording/are their any requirements?
Getting in touch with me via myspace (myspace.com/charlievelarecording) or email (charlievelarecording@gmail.com) is the best way. I have some frequently asked questions on my blog to help bands get ready for their time in the studio. My main tip is to practice. I know that sounds so obvious a lot of people don’t even listen, but practice. It’s the difference between an ok record and a great record; a painfully slow and excruciating experience and a walk in the park. Plus wouldn’t you feel like a badass knowing that you can totally pull off your parts live?

In the end, what are your goals for the future in general?
I plan to keep making records for artists in the valley and Texas. I really think we have something special here, and things are getting to the point where the rest of the country will start to notice. I just want to do my part in raising the level of artistry and promoting good music by doing the best job recording it I can. Some friends and I are also working on a new business model for a record label something that can be competitive in the current market, and something that will also help showcase the talent we have down here.

Posted on April 18, 2009 - by SenorMustard

Oriin Interview

So can you state you names and what instrument you play?
Robert, guitar.
Daniel, drums.
Joseph, bass.
Art, guitar.

How did you guys meet?
Joseph and I (Robert) are brothers, and we both started playing these instruments around the same time. We are pretty much inseparable. Joseph and Daniel met at school. They were already good friends before Daniel joined the band. I (Robert) met Art through myspace. He had a profile of his solo project up on the net, and I enjoyed it and I thought he would be great for our band. Shortly afterwards, I messaged Daniel and Art asking if they would be interested in playing. They both agreed and Oriin was born.

Noticed you guys have had some line up changes; How is it working with the new members?
It is always scary getting new members. You never know what to expect. When Joseph and I (robert) first started playing with other musicians member turn over was high. Most of the time we were all on different pages. This is the first time where we have all connected. Daniel, Art, and Joseph are not only musicians to me, but they are my best friends now. We all enjoy each others company, and we’re in it for the long haul.

What’s the story behind the name change, what does Oriin Mean?
Oriin in essence means absolutely nothing but a boys name. We had no idea what it meant when we thought about it. It’s kinda weird we know but it just happened. It was originally suppose to be Orein, but there were dj’s and other bands with that name so we played around with the letters. Some of our friends have told us that according to mythology Oriin is suppose to be the god of shadows. To be honest, we all just loved the way it sounds.

We were in San Antonio for almost a week, eating, drinking, sweating, and sleeping music.

How was your experience recording your album?
Words could not describe how fascinating recording this album was. We were in San Antonio for almost a week, eating, drinking, sweating, and sleeping music. It was the best week ever. We not only recorded this album but we all bonded closer to one another. We are excited to go back, and maybe next time we’ll play some shows along the way.

As far as the album goes, what were you goals, what were you trying to capture, and how do you feel about the outcome?
As with all our songs, we put so much emotion into every part of every song. We feel that if a song lacks emotion it has no motive, or no where to go. Our main goal was to write what we felt at the current time. We never sat down and discussed how a song should feel or what we want to convey. We all pretty much just sat down and played.

So you guys are signed to 2 labels, and have a new album out, what’s next for Oriin?
Well, actually we are only signed to one, futurerecordings, which is based out of San Diego, California. The other label that we were licensed to did not work out the way we all had initally planned. Futurerecordings has been like a big brother to us. The owner, Adam, actually flew from California to Texas when we were recording. In the words of Nacho Libre, “He’s the best” lol. We do not quite know what is next for us. We want to get this album out to as many people as possible, and play for as many people as possible. I’m sure in the months to come we’ll have new songs and soon we’ll have another album, but right now we’re all just focused on spreading our name and music into peoples lives and ears.

Any final thoughts you’d like to add?
We would just like to say thank you to RGVJuice for this wonderful oppurtunity. We are grateful for your support. To our friends, family, and fans, we would like give a thanks, along with a big hug.

Posted on March 4, 2009 - by ChrisDub

White Zebra Release Debut Album For Free

Following in the noble foot steps of Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails,  the Brownsville based quartet, White Zebra, have released their debut album, “Empty Your Pockets/Give Us Your Souls” at absolutely no cost to you.

They only ask you tell everyone you know. Support these guys, they’re doing something very right.

White Zebra themselves, explain:

Putting our album out for free embraces the places we’d like to see the music industry head towards. Instead of focusing on the cost to hear music, we’d rather invite people to hear the music for free so that way they don’t feel like they have to take a chance.

They can own our album and from there make an unbiased decision as to whether they like us or would prefer something else. If they decide they like us, then they can go out and support us at shows and tell their friends who might like the same type of music.

In the end we really just decided that this band should mean more than money. We’d rather our band be seen as a prospective rather than a money seeker. That’s why it’s for free.

Download “Empty Your Pockets / Give Us Your Souls”

Posted on February 27, 2009 - by ChrisDub

Rainydayz Remixes

In case you haven’t heard by now, Radiohead released an album last year called “In Rainbows” that you got to pay whatever you deemed fit for it.

Fast forward a few months later, and after some negotiations with Radiohead; Amplive’s Rainydayz Remixes is now available as a free download. We love free.

Download Here

Posted on February 23, 2009 - by SenorMustard

Sarah and Octopus

Website:   myspace.com/sarahandoctopus

Sarah and Octopus is 3 piece band from San Antonio; with one member originating from Brownsville Texas. The band brings virtuous progressive rock mashed with an in your face punk feel to it.

The self-titled album starts off with a bang and can be challenging to hear at times with what appears to be pure chaos. If madness had a soundtrack this would be it. But by the 6^th track the album brings it down a notch with softer tracks that feel jazzier.

The songs are loaded with tempo changes, and ambitious musical endeavors that seem impossible to play. Guitarist Mark Anthony Esquivel looks robotic playing at the speed and precision he does. Ian Mcintosh locks in tight with rhythmically challenging bass riffs and drummer Mason Macias looks like the octopus with all 4 limbs creating maddening drums beats. The songs are injected with eccentricity fusing metal, jazz, and math rock.

Stand out tracks include “Ajsu” with both guitar and bass tapping away at a 1000 notes per second, it show cases the musicality in all members of the band. “Film School” is equipped with a mellower feel, sweet keys, choir sounding vocals and an easier to digest song structure but without losing what the band is about.

They put on a great live show that will amaze some, while possibly scaring away others. They play consistently throughout Texas and are venturing on a tour in July. Their album can be purchased through their myspace.

Posted on February 16, 2009 - by ChrisDub

Ruining the Sundays

Our buddy Lu Garza just dropped some new hotness to the internets. It’s his “experimental animation final project” he did for school. Lu is a graphic designer from the south Texas area going to school in San Francisco to make fricken video games! The song is called “Ruining Sundays” by James Figurine. Please silence all cell phones and enjoy the show.

Posted on February 6, 2009 - by ChrisDub

Ideophonic Interview

Website: myspace.com/ideophonicmusic

For the record can you please state your names and what you do in the band?

Mando-My name is Armando… and I play guitar and keys.
Milton-My name is Milton, and i play drums.
Alex-I’m Alex and I play guitar
Joey-I’m Joey and I play bass guitar and sing.

Tell us about the makings of “Ideophonic”.  How’d you guys meet?

Alex-Me and Mando met through a mutual friend.
Mando- We played in a couple of bands together and after a while we decided to start an indie band closer to our taste of music…I posted up some flyers at UTB and also posted bulletins on myspace.
Milton-Yeah, I saw the flyer at UTB saying “Drummer Wanted” so I tried out and after several weeks of jamming I was in.
Joey-I was originally recruited to just be the bass player. When the original singer quit the guys kinda tried me out, and I’m guessing I did alright since I’m still here!

You guys have played the SPI Music Fest two years in a row now, that’s a pretty big deal. How did that come about?

Mando-It was pretty random. Last year I saw that a local band was playing in the festival… I looked it up online and emailed Chris T. the guy booking the festival. Luckily he let us in. When the 2nd year came around we asked again and we didn’t hear from him till a few weeks before the festival, so it was awesome we got to play again.

Any “gettin’ high with Willie Nelson” stories to share?

Alex-We all said we would smoke with him, but it never happend.
Milton-It’s due to the fact that we played the day before Willie performed. It’s a big bummer though.
Mando-We practiced braiding hair and all but no luck.
Joey-I’ve never smoked pot in my life, I don’t think it would’ve been fair to all the “sticky icky” users if I got to smoke with Willie. There would’ve been a catastrophic shift in our universe if that had happend.

Whenever you have a band of their caliber performing on the same bill as you, it’s kind of intimidating. Kind of like “Well, why are you so special that you get to play with them?” It’s a challenge we welcome with open arms.

You guys posted a new song on the MySpace called “Ideophonic Is Dead”, with lyrics like “it might seem like it’s hopeless” and “it’s only a matter of time before it’s gone for good”. Those words might give someone the impression that you’re calling it quits. You kids getting out of the music game, or is there something deeper there?

Alex-According to Joey, it’s a song about when we were going through hard times.
Milton-”Ideo is Dead” for me is sort of like the end of an era and the beginning of something new. “It’s only a matter of time before its gone for good”, can also reflect on a difficult time when we were going through some rough patches.
Mando-Lyrics are Joey’s department. But for me… it means we gotta get moving before its all gone… before we get too old or something.
Joey-I’m a firm believer in a song taking various forms of meaning to different people. When I wrote it, we were seriously contemplating staying together. It was written out of anger at the time, but in the end we decided to stay the course. I brought a riff and lyrics in, the guys added all the missing pieces, and “Ideophonic is Dead” was born.

So, yall had a gig last month with “Girl In A Coma“. You dudes chat any of those gals up for some brunch?

Alex-I think we were all a little too shy, but it was good to talk with them.
Mando-My chatting skills are limited. I couldn’t even look in their direction without getting nervous.

But seriously, “Girl In A Coma” is an amazing band, it’s gotta be pretty exciting to share the stage with them.

Alex-It is, it’s an honor.
Milton-It’s always an honor to perform with such a great band that has such amazing talent.
Mando-It’s definitely a privilege being in the same room as them let alone sharing the stage with them.
Joey-Whenever you have a band of their caliber performing on the same bill as you, it’s kind of intimidating. Kind of like “Well, why are you so special that you get to play with them?” It’s a challenge we welcome with open arms.

What’s the story around the band’s name, “Ideophonic”?

Milton-Well, I had a sore throat and my mother told me I was “aphonico” (in spanish), so out of the blue phonics came to my head. I remember I rushed to my room and got a hold of a piece of paper and began to input words before phonic. In the end I had several ideas and ideophonic was the one these guys liked the most.

So, I know you guys did some recording with Charlie Vela (of The December Drive). I’ve heard he’s got a pretty swank setup. How was that experience?

Mando-The experience was great. Charlie is “the man”. He’s so knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with.
Alex-He is great at what he does and we felt really priviledged that he let us work with him.
Joey-Pretty swank setup indeed! The guy’s a genius and we had a blast recording with him. I have a feeling we’ll be recording some more tracks with him very soon, keep your fingers crossed.

So are there any big influences are common themes that your music fits around?

Milton-We try and add an ambient touch… and we keep re-working the songs till they feel right.
Joey-We all have such different influences it’s hard to really pinpoint a definitive one in our music. Our writing process involves all of us just throwing ideas into our practice sessions and seeing if they can all settle together to become a song. It’s very, very tedious work.

2 EPs out, around 2 years jammin’ together, when can we expect to see a full record?

Mando-We’ve been trying to write so I’m hoping we can record the rest of our tunes and put out a full length record soon.
Alex-Everyone in the band is up for making new music to release a full album. Hopefully sometime at the beginning of next year we’ll have something scheduled.
Joey-It’ll take a bit of time, but we’re working on it as fast and hard as we can. If you head to one of our shows, buy a shirt! All the proceeds are going towards that record.

Well, that’s all I have gentlemen. Any final thoughts?

Mando-Just come out and check us out for yourself and swing by our myspace!
Milton-If you like what you hear, please come to our shows and see us live. Visit our myspace page at myspace. com/ideophonicmusic or visit us on youtube as well.
Joey-What Milton and Mando said. We appreciate all the support and help we can get! Tell a friend about us, come to a show, give me a hug! And it doesn’t necessarily have to be in that order!

More photos from our shoot with Ideophonic on our MySpace page.

Posted on February 6, 2009 - by ChrisDub

White Zebra – Empty your Pockets/Give us your Souls

“Empty your Pockets/Give us your Souls” is not an album to listen too while trying to doze off at night… Its an album you listen too before getting in a fist fight… its an album you listen to when driving to work in the morning after 5 hours of hard drinking, that way you’ll stay awake.

2 years in the making, their album resonates with vibrant youth, funky beats, and loud angsty in your face vocals. The tunes are funky interlaced with hard loud indie rock. The vocals will slide over to the inaudible side but it compliments the chaos that also gets your pumped, and your head nodding.

Some key tracks include “Lionz Catz and Pussyz” with an explosion right from the beginning that leads to some sweet riffage. After a few tempo changes and through some trippy build ups in the music you land on a straight Jazz jam, and before you get accustomed they throw you back into to some crazy loud rock.

“Yellow Flies Choking on Red Cigarettes” has a somewhat mellower vibe with vibrant picked chords that’s draped with droning vocals that paint interesting portraits of conversations and what not. “Pollack and the Dinosaurs” is a key track that they tend to play live. They infuse funky flavored riffs with strong steady indie rock and rhythmic chaos.

White Zebra are a young 4 piece band from Brownsville Texas. None of the members are over 21. Adrian handles rhythmic duties with smooth bombastic drumming. Raul teams up with Adrian playing some sweet busy bass riffs. Oddly enough he’s a left handed player that plays a right handed bass upside down. Justin is a baby face kid that can play circles around allot of veteran guitar players in the area. Esteban plays guitar and sings, moans, groans and yells his way through songs.

Watching them play live, they demand your attention and repay you with a hell of a show. They have quickly gotten the attention of big local bands and at such a young age… the sky is the limit for these dudes. Their album is currently only available through online purchase on their MySpace.

Posted on February 6, 2009 - by ChrisDub

The December Drive Interview

Website: myspace.com/thedecemberdrive

If you haven’t heard by now The December Drive is hanging up the ol’ hat. These guys have been around for close to 10 years and are one of the most influential bands to come out of the Valley, and have impacted our scene here in a huge way. Through the powers of the internets, I had the opportunity to have a conversation with Simon and Rob from TDD. Here’s the interview.

Well guys, I guess we’ll start with the big question. Why? You guys are sounding better than ever, releasing a new album, and have a huge fan base. Why are you calling it quits?

Rob: Well, we’ve been talking about it and we’re not really breaking the band up so much as quitting playing live shows. There will probably be more December Drive albums; as far as playing shows, touring, and that whole aspect is something we don’t want to deal with anymore. We’re all a little bit older and would rather focus on making good music without having to replicate it live.

You guys have been around for close to a decade, there’s got to be some great memories there. Care to share any?

Simon: Well, I’ve been in the band since ‘04, and there are a billion memories. From tons of shows with great people and bands, to Dave being kidnapped, to almost freezing to death a number of times. Before I was in the band there was even an accident that could have killed a few people, but didn’t, very luckily. We met Frisbee Dan in San Marcos. He is a mountain of a man. He’s some guy that lives in San Marcos. He plays frisbee with anybody that’s willing on the university. He doesn’t wear a shirt, has a big hat, and created his own “tippers” to bump the frisbee high into the air before catching it behind his back while spinning.

Did you play frisbee with him?

Simon: Hell yes I did!

There must have been some low points for the band as well, any crappy stories?

Simon: It’s a tough one, because in hindsight nothing was bad. It was all a big experience. We were stuck in Ardmore, Ok. for 8 days the first time we tried to drive up to record the album. We had a lot of trouble getting things figured out with that, financially, physically, emotionally. We had just enough money to get what we needed done, then we hit a big wall of bad luck. But we went back up to do the album, and we were really tight in the studio. We got a lot done, and the songs might not have come out the way they did if we hadn’t been stuck in Ardmore the first trip up.

Rob: I still have nightmares about the carpets of that hotel. They will forever be burned into my memory.

So you feel like the experience in Ardmore effected the music in a positive way?

Simon: For sure. We had a sort of “little engine that could” mentality going.

Rob: Definitely. We were determined to do it or die trying.

You guys have a pretty wild on-stage presence, with lots of flailing limbs and gear. Y’all really get into your music. But, the whole time you guys are going nuts, the audience just seems to stare, with nodding heads and tapping toes. What do you guys think of that?

Simon: It always depends on the venue and the crowd. I don’t mind if people don’t want to move while watching a band play, but they should also know that it’s nice to see it while on stage. It seems people have forgotten that music really is an art form. It’s possible (and even ok) to suspend reality while you’re watching a band you like, and really experience the art. Looking cool at shows has taken precedence to actually enjoying and experiencing the music. But it doesn’t take a dancing body to thoroughly enjoy a set either. Whatever you want to do to experience and enjoy it, go for it man.

Rob: I don’t think I’ll ever really be one of those performers that just stands there. Whether I’m playing guitar or bass, I really like to put it all out there, whether people want to react or not is fine; I don’t ever look at the crowd anyway for some reason. I just assume they like it or else they’d be walking out. Right?

I think it speaks volumes about the caliber of music you guys play, people really seem to get sucked right into it.

I remember a friend of mine; Fred, actually got into a fight at one of your shows because some punk rockers were moshing into everyone and being real jackasses while you guys were playing a pretty mellow song.

Simon: Must have been at Trenton Point. I might have been in that audience, I think I remember the night.

Rob: I think people may have cried at those early December Drive shows, too. Oh, emo…

For the final show, you’re bringing back the original members of TDD (Jason & Toby). How are you guys mixing everyone in?

Simon: Definitely expect the new line up to play a lot. It is a CD release as well, don’t forget. But there are a lot of people who want to see the old band play (myself included) and it’s going to be a great event.

Rob: We’re going to mix it up with the original members playing while me Simon and Phil go backstage to get massages. It works for everyone.

Can we get a sneak peak of the set list for the final show?

Simon: Ok, I’m holding it up to the screen now. You’ve got 10 seconds to look at it.

You’re also releasing your 2nd LP, “Games” on the 20th. How long has that been in the works?

Simon: We’ve been working on the material for “Games” for a couple of years now. There are a lot of songs that we’ve created, played, recorded, and enjoyed but they didn’t make it onto “Games”.

Rob: If you count from the time we physically stepped into the studio, which was March of 2006, it’s been a little over two years in the making.

After listening to the two new songs you guys posted up on your MySpace, looks like you guys have definitely got a new sound for “Games”. Something that’s much more mature and raw. What’s behind that?

Simon: Man, there is a lot that went into it. Mostly anger and frustration from the music business/personal lives/experiences within the band. Anything and everything. It was very natural to move in this direction though.

Rob: Yeah, I definitely see this version of the December Drive as the jaded older brother of the band that grew out of the original lineup’s raw energy and hope. The influences have changed; it would be ridiculous to keep trying to replicate that early emo sound of the late 90s/2000s. Hopefully this record won’t sound dated ten years from now.

You mentioned “frustration from the music business”. Whatever happened with American Jealousy? Leave a bad taste?

Simon: The band was on it when they released “handslikeguns” before I was in the band. I know it wasn’t a bad experience for them, but it also wasn’t a big time multi record contract.

Rob: American Jealousy was great; the guy who runs it, Mike Kaminsky, moved on to do a lot of things in the music industry and manages some big bands now. Basically, they paid for the cost of putting the record out, and the band payed them back for it, as all bands essentially do under a label. There’s this misconception that a label just gives you money; it’s actually a loan and you become their employees.

Who did you record “Games’ with?

Rob: We recorded all the live tracking at the Black Lodge in Eudora, Kansas. Our good friend Nick Day was at the console whipping us into shape and getting good live performances out of us. You can really hear it come across in this album; I’m glad we didn’t do the thing where everyone plays their part sitting in a chair waiting to play.

You will also be filming the final show and releasing a DVD of it. Can we get some un-released video on that. Maybe some baby videos, behind the scenes, some uncensored material?

Simon: I think if you rearrange the letters in the december drive you spell out uncensored. Maybe we’ll be able to throw some uncensored baby videos on there. We’re planning on making it a bit more than just the concert on the dvd. It should be a nice memento to have if you’ve enjoyed the band ever. I know I’m looking forward to owning a copy.

Rob: I’m sure some footage of me throwing up in spots across America will be included.

That’s actually a really cool thing to do for your fans. I know I really enjoyed your Black Lodge video, and all the behind the scenes type stuff you guys do.

Simon: It makes the whole experience more personal. We get to show different sides of ourselves with videos like that. The music is the art. Everything else is the people who made that art.

Rob: All I will say is that there are cool, sensible people, and then there are people who will try to act mysterious and pretentious whether they’re playing music or working at the mall. That’s just boring to me. We are the cool, sensible ones.

You guys are (arguably) one of the best bands that have come out of the Valley, and have had a huge influence on the music scene here. How does it feel to be a part of that?

Simon: There is no good way of answering this without sounding very cocky, hahaha. All I can really tell you is that we’ve always been very honest with our music, and honesty in any art form will find a solid place in an audience. We have all worked very hard to be able to do what we do and how we do it. There is a lot of luck involved with having a great group of people who go to your shows, help out with booking, talk to friends about the band, buy the music / merch, give moral support, etc. We are lucky that the people down here have opened themselves up to us, and we realize it and are warmed by it. If we didn’t have the great people in the Valley by our side we wouldn’t have toured the country. We wouldn’t have made the music that we have, and we wouldn’t have been able to share the experience of shows that we have. As for the influence thing, I don’t know how to answer it. I hear it from time to time from some people in bands down here and from around the country, and it’s a strange feeling. I don’t doubt that it has happened or that it could be true. Art can influence people in very different ways. You never know who you are going to touch, but like I said before, if you are honest with yourself and your music, it will find a home.

Rob: It feels good to be recognized for all the hard work we put in.

Any regrets?

Simon: Not walking with Dave to the convenient store the night he got kidnapped, but everything turned out fine. But you have to learn these things first hand I guess.

Future plans / projects / bands?

Simon: Right now I want to finish up with my degree at UTPA. I’m always working on something with music but I keep it all to myself. I may end up doing something in the future with that. My life will not be without music. I’ve spent so much of it inside that realm, and enjoyed it so much that I wouldn’t want to remove myself from it. It would be a waste of hard work and talent.

Rob: I’ve still got the Young Maths album to finish, and I’m always writing new stuff in various genres.
My brain won’t ever stop writing songs, which I have no problem with. I will eventually finish my History degree at UTPA, but I can’t imagine a life without music.

Here’s a few fan questions:

Is this some sort of marketing scam? You guys really breaking up or are you gonna pull a Brett Favre on us? (Steven H., Marble Falls, Texas)

Simon: It would have to be the most backwards marketing scam ever. We really wanted to get this album out to people and done right. Isn’t it better to have a great experience with a last show than a “I wonder whatever happened to them” kind of thing?

Rob: Brett Favre should have stayed retired; I hope the Jets win the Super Bowl the year after he retires again.

How was the scene when you started compared to today? (Fred B., Denton, Texas)

Simon: Totally different. The clothes were way different, lol. When we started out there weren’t a lot of bands of the same sort of style to play with, but there was an odd acceptance of the mixed styles inside of shows. It was less of a “cool” thing to go to shows back then, and more of a different crowd. It’s opened up a lot since then, and that’s good news for bands these days.

Rob: The scene was amazing back then compared to now. Maybe that’s just me being old. But at least back then there weren’t 20 hardcore clone bands that all sounded exactly as bad as the rest. Is that mean? I don’t care; that’s really how I feel. Bands had more balls back then. If everyone had just been doing bad pop-punk, there wouldn’t be Charlie Daniels Death Wish or December Drive and we wouldnt be talking about this. I’m waiting for one of these young bands to wake up and be a little bit braver with their sound.

Most memorable gig? (Fred B., Denton, Texas)

Simon: Playing Rocketown 3 times in one night was pretty intense. We just got some really good responses and then, “Hey, we have a space available if you wanna play?”. I think the 20th will end up being the most memorable though, to be completely honest.

Will you play old songs (at your final show)? (Carlos B., Harlingen, Texas)

Simon: We’ll be playing some songs we haven’t played in a while, so don’t expect just the new album’s songs. It’s a last show, and the life of this band has been through a lot of music.

Rob: I am not remembering if we’re playing old songs or not. Ha.

Where has been your favorite place to play (besides the Valley)? (Sara G., McAllen, Texas)

Simon: If we aren’t talking venue here, then I’d have to say New Jersey. We have some great friends up there who treat us great whenever we see them. They make our stays feel like a second home.

Favorite venue?

Simon: I’ve played in some nice places but if we had to talk favorites I’d go with Trenton Point and Simon Sez. Simon Sez can be difficult because it’s 21 + but there is something about playing there that feels great. Little stage, loud loud loud, and the people are right there. And Trenton Point RIP.

So does this mean we get Trent Steel back? (Unknown)

Simon: Lol, who is “we” and no.

Rob: You may get Jazzz Oddisey back, for better or worse.

Alright gentlemen. That’s all I have Thanks so much for your time, and thank you for all the great music. Good luck guys.