These Three Things – A Long Story and Music by Carrie Clevenger

Carrie Clevenger knows music. Never professing to be an authority on the subject, she approaches it with humility and an enthusiasm that few can match. And yet, she knows more than most of my previous bosses do. She singlehandedly rekindled my own enthusiasm for music when I thought it to be dead. She is the voice behind wicked twitter/YouTube VJ Xan Marcelles @crookedfang and will have her first full length novel Crooked Fang released this August. Clevenger exposes herself in a beautiful and lyrical way with this post, by opening a vein and bleeding music for us. I for one am a fan! Enjoy! 


 

Music has always been a part of my life. My parents listened to 1970s-era pop, country, and oldies, meaning 1950s to 1960s decades’ music. But my first experience with music was a radio my grandfather bought me when I was about eight. It was the first I ever had to myself; one on which I could listen to any station I chose. Sure, I’d been given a tiny AM transistor radio years before, but all it received was baseball games and talk shows. This new radio got FM and that opened a whole new world of sound to my eager ears.

The year was 1985, and new wave was hot as the head of a comet in that time. The early forms of alternative were developing between the Casio-style basic beats. I fell in love with the new stations I discovered in the privacy of my room. I was raised in a religious household, and although my parents weren’t as strict as other kids’ parents in the same church, they still watched my choices as closely as they could. There were times when I’d be getting ready for school, and a song would come on that would make my mother say “What is this?” and demand I either change the channel or turn it off (one of those artists was Madonna).

 I soon settled in a long-term love affair with a band I still consider one of the most lucrative groups on earth, Depeche Mode.

“Blasphemous Rumours” was such an outlaw song for me at the time. A spit in the face of organized belief. A seed that made me realize I could think for my own self.

Depeche Mode had several albums to choose from at that time, but was still fighting the pretty-boy syndrome. As years passed, the boys gained more creative control over their works, and the albums kept getting better and better. Asking which one of their albums the most would be hard. Every CD is like visiting a new destination. Some of my favorites are Violator, Exciter, and Dave’s “Jesus” phase, Songs of Faith and Devotion.

Fast-forward to around 1994. Grunge was in, and I was head-over-heels in love with Guns N’ Roses, Danzig, Metallica, and of course, Nirvana. I subscribed to some sort of alternative video service. I think lots of us had BMG or Columbia House, unable to resist the 12 free CDs for 1 cent back then. Anyway, I got my VHS tape, popped it in the VCR and, in between, I believe it was Soundgarden and Dream Theatre, I caught and heard my first impression of Type O Negative.

Peter Steele and his dark methods in metal were like nothing I’d ever heard before. The song on the video was called “Christian Woman.”

Another poke at the idea of someone wanting a god so much, yes?

His looks, his demeanor, and definitely his voice caught my head and my heart instantly. I was hooked and immediately struck out to find Type O Negative’s album. Of course the stores in our tiny town didn’t have that sort of music, so I had to go to the mall in a neighboring town to finally possess the CD Bloody Kisses. Discovering this band for myself also lit the fuse for what I would consider my muse many years later. The music inspired me in ways I’d never been before. It spoke to my fears, my insecurities, my depression, everything. Peter let me know I wasn’t alone in his songs.

Moving forward to 2001, I was fully into multiple genres of music. Type O Negative was still my main vice of choice, and to be honest, this still hasn’t changed to this day. But in order for me to become what I was to become, I needed one final ingredient.

My spouse at the time and I visited a friend’s house together and fell into a discussion of different bands we liked. Music had gone digital by this point and ripping CDs commonplace. Our friend went to her computer after I brought up that sure, I kind of liked “Sober” by Tool but knew very little about them. This friend of ours was a massive Tool fan.

“You need to hear one song by them. Just one, and then you’ll know if you love them,” she said to me.

“Pushit” really spoke to me about someone dealing with a situation that is so overwhelming, they take a very desperate and violent way to get away from it.

The song was just a few seconds under 14 minutes long, but I sat perfectly still, mouth wide open as I heard the swell and burst of the guitar, the deep growl of the bass, and Maynard’s voice warbling clear and brilliant like the sun peeking out from behind a cloud on a rainy winter’s day.

My mind went utterly apeshit with interior images. I had nowhere to put it; I didn’t even know what it was. I’d always sketched my entire life, so I drew like a maniac. It wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t enough. It didn’t feel like it was the thing I should be doing.

Tragedy struck in the fall of 2001. A friend as close to my heart as family committed suicide. The news of his death devastated me.

I listened to my three major influences: Depeche Mode, Type O Negative, and Tool constantly. And a few weeks after the dark day, I sat down at my dad’s new computer and started typing.

It had me. It possessed me, this story I was writing. It was shit; I hadn’t even graduated high school. I was just some dumb female, married with a new baby, that had a voice in her head that would not shut up. I was slow. I had to look at the keys to type. I lost endless hours of sleep, but about six weeks later, I had a short story, full of errors and plot holes, that amounted to about 90 pages, single-spaced.

That story was the tiny flame that eventually turned into a blazing inferno in my mind for my novel 11 years later:

Sometimes a vampire's past can bite him in the ass.

Xan Marcelles--bassist for Crooked Fang, vampire and full-time asshole, is content with his quiet existence in the backwoods of Pinecliffe, Colorado. But life at the Pale Rider tavern is set to become a little more complicated when he gets entangled with a feisty, blue-haired damsel and her abusive soon-to-be ex-boyfriend.

To add to his woes, he’s gone from hunter to hunted, and his past returns to haunt him when a phone call draws him back to New Mexico. With the help of friends from his living past, he must get to the bottom of a murder, and figure out where he stands with his lover and his band, all while keeping one step ahead of his enemies. Hiding won’t be easy for him, especially with a mysterious woman dogging him every step of the way.

WARNING: Cussing, smoking, drinking and hot sex.

ebook cover from Lyrical Press                  print cover

Get a preview now of Xan Marcelles in my collaborative work, Blood and Fire. For the month of May, both sites will carry Blood and Fire for the low price of 99 cents.

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-and-Fire-ebook/dp/B006SD3F2S/

On Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blood-and-fire-nerine-dorman/1109933142

Carrie Clevenger landed in the urban fantasy genre when she couldn't decide between horror and humor. When not writing she enjoys listening to music, hanging out with musicians, attending local venues, catching her favorite bands on tour, and obsessing over The Next Big Album release. Carrie resides in Austin, Texas with her family and two cats.




You can find Carrie Clevenger on twitter~
@CarrieClevenger

and Xan Marcelles on twitter ~
@Crookedfang

Carrie's website
Mindspeak

Crooked Fang's website
Crooked Fang

Method to my Madness Music Series #1 : Sonya Clark

Even before I started writing seriously, nearly every book I read had a soundtrack to me. My favorite example of this is James Ellroy. He started out a humble mystery/thriller writer, then became the legendary Demon Dog of American literature with some of the most searing, hard-boiled prose to ever earn the name noir. The LA Quarter - The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, LA Confidential, and White Jazz - are my favorite books by Ellroy. Spanning the late forties to the late fifties, these four books paint a masterpiece of Los Angeles always overheating with its own unique darkness and frequently bursting into flames. Full of bad guys, tough men, and even tougher women, they also feature some of the most romantic subplots I've ever read, an antidote to all the violence and despair. There's a feel to the books, a sound, a certain type of jazz I'd always hear in the back of my head while reading them. Cool West Coast jazz like Dave Brubek, Gerry Mulligan, one of my longtime favorites Chet Baker. The hard bop of Charlie Parker, a tight frenetic boil threatening to spill over at any time. That's what reading Ellroy sounded like to me - all the complicated mystery of the jazz of that era in which the books were set. When just hearing it in my head wasn't enough I'd play some of it on the stereo while reading.
At some point, I don't remember when, I came across a jazz album from Bob Belden called The Black Dahlia. The album was actually inspired by Ellroy's novel of the same name, which to this music lover is just about the highest honor an author and book could receive. The music fits the novel perfectly too, moody late forties jazz with a cinematic feel best played long after dark. I don't know what Ellroy thought of the tribute. I did eventually learn the author himself is more of a classical music fan, which didn't make a dent in my association of his work with jazz.
When I took my first stab at writing seriously, the book was soaked in music. Perhaps I should say attempted book, it was never finished. The plot was about music, the main character was inspired by a vague name out of one my history books on the blues, and I toyed with an outline that mimicked the verse-verse-chorus pattern of songs. The book went nowhere but I was beginning to find my way with using music as the method to the madness of my writing. Finding songs that suited them became an integral part of developing characters. It's a way of setting the tone for their personality, even if the lyrics aren't quite a perfect match. Sometimes a song will be perfect for a particular scene but I don't need a song for every scene. Mostly what I need is the sound of the book.
Just like with characters, finding the right sound for a book means discovering the tone and the mood of the story. With Mojo Queen that sound was blues, classic and alternative country, R&B and soul, early rock and roll - in short, Southern music. I eventually made a short playlist to encapsulate the book but while writing I listened to hours of RL Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, Johnny Cash, Al Green, and anything else that provided the right background mood. Music that felt like a particular sultry sort of darkness that called up the earthy kind of magic I was trying to evoke in the story. When it was time to write the follow-up, Red House, I went back to that music again.
My latest work in progress, a novel called FreakTown that is still in the revisions process, is very different. For one thing it's set about fifty years in the future, which led to a real dilemma in finding music to suit it. I wound up going back to the past. The first piece of music I found that sparked inspiration for this project was a track from Bob Belden's The Black Dahlia album. It fit the noir-ish mystery I wanted as a big part of the plot. It fit so well in fact that one of the main characters suddenly had a collection of hundred year old jazz. That happens a lot with my characters - I can't keep my own love of music out of them. The other main character has more of a Depeche Mode and Faithless feel, so I wound up with a pretty diverse playlist for this book too.
In fact "diverse" is a pretty good word to describe my taste in music. My next writing inspiration could just as easily come from Led Zeppelin as Florence + The Machine. A character whose favorite music is the Flying Burrito Brothers on vinyl is likely to be a different sort than one who has the entire catalog of Thelonious Monk on their mp3 player. I'm always on the lookout for music that's new to me too, and more ways to weave music into my stories. Music is the most powerful form of magic there is, so it makes perfect sense to me that someone who writes about magic would also be writing about music.
*

 ******************

Sonya Clark grew up an Army brat, living all across the United States as well as Japan and Germany by the time she graduated high school. Books were one of the few constants in her life. An eclectic reader, she always had a special love for the paranormal and is a lifelong fangirl of all things that go bump in the night.

A deep love of music is another constant thread in all of her fiction. She writes at a desk equipped with High John the Conqueror root and a mojo hand. She has worshipped at the mother church of country music, traveled the back roads of the blues highway, been to the crossroads at midnight, and though she’s never cooked up a mess of polk salad, she has been to Graceland four times.

She lives with her husband and Yorkie in Tennessee.

Learn more about Sonya Clark at her blog found at www.sonyaclark.net.

Girls,Guitars, and Fireworks? - Eric Anthony of Powderburn

Recently you may remember my review of Powderburn's EP One Fix. This band has some fantastic old-school metal elements without becoming cliché. They are on their way up that much is true.
On that note I am really pleased to welcome PB's lead guitarist Eric Anthony to the blog. He has graciously agreed to chat us up about what makes him tick.. you know beside the usual drink, women, and geetars. So let's just get with it shall we?

 Welcome Eric, glad to have you aboard!

 So tell me a little about Powderburn. How it came to be?

How did Powderburn form? I don’t really know since I was not a part of it then but some thing happened in an apartment in Jersey or here in Texas (as I have read on wiki) and then bam!!! Powderburn formed. There must of been some serious jamming or bro hugs cuz Powderburn has been going strong ever since.
 There are three original members right now: Ken Lockman (guitar/vocals), Greg Enkler(bass, vocals, pizza maker) & Joel Reyes(drummer, back up vocals) I joined in 2008 and it feels like its been 15 years of my life. There were a lot of member changes back in the day but this is now and who cares about then, right??

Who are the band's big influences? What is the writing process for the band like?

What is great about us is we have SO many influences. But we do agree one..Metallica. That has both pros and cons. Not every one of our songs sounds the same or has the same feel over and over. But writing sucks sometimes because there are four different ways we want the song to go and its hard compromising to just one. But we are good at letting the song take its own path and not shoe horning riffs just because..which I like to do,a lot. We all have a hand in writing but 95% of the time it's me or Greg with riff ideas or a whole song structure and then the others put in their two cents and then the song suffers because it's not the way I wrote it. So threaten to quit and then I get my way. I am the MVP! HA HA not really! I am a riff machine, some bad, but most good! ;) And Greg is a composing genius! He is real good at making the songs something that I would of never thought they could be and it usually sounds fukn kick ass! Joel just complains he doesn’t have a real drum set at practice and Ken writes music videos for the songs before he writes lyrics. Kind of backwards but I guess it works. Wait, we aren't famous yet, I guess it doesn’t. ;(

(greg enkler and eric anthony)

OK let's talk about you-What made you pick up the guitar?

“Stone Cold Metal” I was a HUGE Stone Cold Steve Austin fan back in the day. Anything he liked, I liked more. Kind of gay when you think about it now. haha. But he came out with a compilation CD of some of his favorite metal/rock songs. Scorpions, Kiss, Ted Nugent, Def Leppard, Accept, and one of my biggest influences, Dokken. But only because of George
Lynch. I hated Don’s voice. Like a camel making love to a terrorist or vice versa.

What kind of guitars do you use? 

 I play Jackson guitars through a Peavey 6505+ amp head. I love the look and feel of Jackson guitars. Very smooth and rugged at the same time. Does that make sense? fuk it, it does to me. I get certain tones and squeals out of my guitars that I can't seem to get with others. I want to eventually have my own line of Jackson guitars called “Jacksoff” HAHA get it??? I’m sorry if that was rude :(

 Who are your big personal influences?

I have four main influences: Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, & George Lynch. I broke my VCR from playing an instructional video of George Lynch from playing it EVERY single night so I could fall asleep. I also listen to a lot of pop stuff you might not expect. Lady gaga, Katy Perry, Rhianna, and even gangsta rap like Bone Thugz N harmony. I get a lot of arrangement and small riff ideas from listening to that stuff. And it's catchy as fuk, and there’s just no denying that.

 What do you do when not playing with Powderburn?

 I am a state licensed pyrotechnic! Fireworks, special FX, flame FX anything with fire or explosives, I am all about! I also off-road when I can in my jeep. Luxury to me, is dirt and mud. I used to race ATV’s but mine breaks all the time and I have no money to keep fixing it. I shoot guns with my family and LOVE LOVE LOVE Call of Duty! And I am a gym rat.

 Favorite fan moment? 
It's always an honor when there is a line at our merch booth to sign posters and stuff. Girls showing their boobs. Some good, some should never take their bra off ever again! EVER! But one of the most intense moments was in Laredo, TX. We played our first arena show with Korn and right after we got off stage we packed up and loaded in to Average Joe’s Sports bar. It was a pretty drastic change. Kind of, “back to reality” We were setting up for the official Korn after party. The show was absolutely nuts! There were about 250 people and it could barely hold 175. In the middle of the set I am playing a solo and all of a sudden my feet are not touching the stage. The crowd lifted me up and I was crowd surfing while playing my guitar solo. I felt like I was part of the crowd. They were so into it they decided to be part of the band themselves. BEST FEELING EVER! I am glad they didn’t flip me over, cuz I am sure I had a chub going. (Hope that’s not rude either) ;)  

Most embarrassing moment?

 I’m not typically embarrassed much. Falling down is usually what does it. I fell off stage completely one time. Thought the stage was a bit bigger, and I bit the dust. All you can do then is get back up, laugh, take a shot, and keep playing. But only in that order! Or the whole thing is ruined.

Whiskey or vodka?

JAGER!!!!!!!!

 If you could sit down to dinner with 5 historical figures who would they be and why?

 I don’t know if my list is technically “historical” but to be honest, eating with George Washington or some other dead boring dude just doesn’t seem like much of a party. And I love to party ;)
 1.Dimebag Darrell- No explanation needed for that one.
 2. Chuck Norris - was a big fan when I was a kid, and still am. And I want to pet his beard and shake his beard hand.
3. Leslie Neilson- one of my favorite actors of ALL TIME! Love every one of his movies and have always wanted to meet him.
4. Mikhail Kalashnikov - he invented the most famous gun of all time. And Russian accents are awesome.
5. (skinny)Anna Nicole Smith - She was my first love! And this dinner is starting to look like a sausage fest.

 Favorite books?

 What’s a book?

What's next for Powderburn? What can we look forward to?

We just released a brand new EP entitled “Come And Take It” It was produced by Aben Eubanks (guitar player for Kelly Clarkson). I know what you're thinking....WTF?!?! But the dude was pretty metal for being a vegan. Surprised all of us! And he knew what he was doing! We are about to hit the studio again with Sterling Winfield. He did the last two or three Pantera albums and the first 2 Hellyeah albums. We are giving up on doing a CD/album every year or every 2 years. It’s 2012 and the majority of people get their music online via iTunes, Google music, etc. So we will most likely be doing that from now on. Just keep an eye out on www.powderburn.net or on our facebook for updates and such. Hope I wasn’t too graphic in the interview and I thank you from the bottom of my little black heart for this interview!!! Thanks sooo much! -Ecrest out

Here's a bit of a teaser video for you all!

Thanks for dropping by, pleasure to chat with you.. come back anytime!

you can find the band here:

 www.powderburn.net
on twitter -@powderburn
 on facebook-
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Powderburn

you can get their music here!!

on bandcamp~
  http://powderburn.bandcamp.com/album/come-and-take-it
http://powderburn.bandcamp.com/album/one-fix

on iTunes~
 http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/one-fix/id336816634

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/come-and-take-it-ep/id520561880

Once in a Lifetime

I am not a writer, or a musician of any accomplishment but music is still my life's blood. Nothing can fill my life with the kind of excitement a great CD, new band, or live performance can. It's better than coffee!

  When I got the idea to do a series of posts about music and how it inspires writers, I emailed some of my favorite authors asking them to be a part of things. To my delight and shock all were on board. Get ready folks this “chain gang” is about to get busy!, 

So you may ask yourself( apologies Mr. Byrne) what makes Synde so qualified to do something like this? Perhaps a little about myself will help:

  I can't remember a time when music wasn't a factor in my childhood. My mother has “loungeish” taste, and played the likes of Tom Jones, Engleburt Humperdink and Dusty Springfield. We watched Ed Sullivan as a family and I hid away alone to watch Soul Train, American Bandstand, and the Reele Don Steele show. My older brother and sister taught me about the British Invasion, Glam, and early Metal. By the age of twelve I was cutting my teeth on the likes of The Doors, Alice Cooper, David Bowie and Deep Purple. In high school I wrote record reviews for both Creem and Hit Parader magazines, as well as my high school newspaper. I was Carlsbad High's answer to Robert Hilburn or Jann Wenner.

 After that I went on to work for a small number of bands... The Cure, The Cult, Adam Ant, Lords of the New Church, The Ramones, Patti Smith, The Smiths, The Police, King, and U2 and more

 Even after all these years away from the business( I officially left in 1999) music still runs through these ol' veins.

 I would never call myself an authority on music, because hell, my younger friends bring me new shit daily! But I am a fan! And that my friends is what qualifies me to do this: the love of music pure and simple. I hope you enjoy the series, please comment and share your own favorites!

 Stay tuned!

Summoning the Music

 

Jenn Bennett is one of my favorite writers, her books are smart,exciting, gritty and often hilariously funny. She incorporates magic and demons into her world in a way, new to the Urban Fantasy genre. Her first book in the Arcadia Bell series is out, it's called Kindling the Moon and you can find a post about it here.
 Her second book in the series Summoning the Night, just came out . Here is a little bit about it...

 After narrowly escaping her fate as a sacrificial scapegoat, Arcadia Bell is back to normal. Or at least as ordinary as life can be for a renegade magician and owner of a tiki bar that caters to Earthbound demons. She’s gearing up for the busiest day of the year—Halloween—when a vengeful kidnapper paralyzes the community. The influential head of the local Hellfire Club taps Cady to track down the fiendish bogeyman, and now that she’s dating red-hot Lon Butler, the club’s wayward son, she can hardly say no. Cady and Lon untangle a gruesome thirty-year trail of clues that points to danger for the club members’ children. But locating the person behind the terror will require some metaphysical help from Cady’s loyal bar patrons as well as her potent new Moonchild powers—and she’d better figure it out before the final victim disappears and her own darkest secret becomes her biggest enemy. 

 I asked Jenn to come over and talk to us about how music inspires her writing, so with further ado.. Here's Jenn..........................


 I'm one of those writers who needs complete silence to write. I can't even stand to hear the dull murmur of the television in another room. I have, on occasion, put on a set of ear buds connected to absolutely nothing, just to block out noise. Yes, I'm crazy.

 But music is still a vital part of my creative process. I listen to it when I'm daydreaming book ideas, plotting my scenes, and getting revved up to write. Different projects require different vibes. If you're interested in what inspired to me when I was working on the latest Arcadia Bell book, SUMMONING THE NIGHT, look no further. Here's a peek into the tunes that helped me dream up the events, people, and places in Cady's world:

1. "The Next Movement" by The Roots. I've got a major crush on Questlove, the brilliant drummer for the Roots. (Who, by the way, has some of the best hair in hip hop, hands down. Very Jupe-y, don't you think?) The Next Movement is one my favorite Roots songs. They've got the hot-hot music, the hot-music.

 2. "Jailbreak" by Thin Lizzy. I think this would probably be one of Lon's favorite songs. It's definitely one of mine. Perfect old-school, asskicking rock. I listened to Thin Lizzy a lot when I was writing SUMMONING. More Jupe hair. Maybe there's a trend here.

 3. "Help Me Rhonda" by the Beach Boys. Hey, this is one of the best songs of ALL TIME. It's pretty cheeky. The guy's basically begging this cute girl to help him get over his breakup by sleeping with him. I picture Lon being miserable before Cady showed up—still not quite over his ex, Yvonne—and maybe this went through his head when he was getting to know her. I think he still hums it to himself when Cady's around, but he'd never, NEVER admit it. Don't think of the Beach Boys after they got fat and started whoring themselves out on film soundtracks and playing state fairs. Remember them as they were: one of the bands that shaped the entire world's vision of California and an iconic American band.

 4. "Red Right Ankle" by The Decemberists. When the Decemberists are on, they are ON, buddy. And this song tears out my heart. I listened to it when I needed to dig deep for Cady and Jupe's tear-jerky scene, when Cady is realizing that Jupe and Lon are a package deal. (If you haven't read the book yet, you'll know the scene when you get to it.)

 5. "Oblivion" by Mastodon. I love metal. Mastodon is one of my favorite bands. They're from Atlanta, where I live, so occasionally my husband and I see band members around town, which is kind of cool.

 6. "Porcelain Heart" by Opeth. Did I mention I love metal? This is a Swedish band. I come from hearty Swedish stock, which is probably why I like both Opeth and ABBA. The video for this song is pretty delicious and creepy. And the lead singer has a mustache. Mmm.




 Nice! Thanks Jenn for coming by, as always a pleasure to have you here.

~ you can find Jenn at the following places


her website~

 Jenn Bennett

on twitter~
@jenn_benn

on facebook
http://www.facebook.com/JennBennettauthor

you can find her books here~
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million

The original She-Devil, Betty X comes to visit

I am very very pleased to have scored a interview with the elusive Betty X, amazing singer, performance artist and all around activist. I have nothing but awe for this woman. She does it all, quite well.
Here is a bit about her~

Considering herself first and foremost a conceptual artist and performer rather than a singer, Betty X’s sardonic wit and unapologetic temperament is mirrored in both her music and her powerful stage performances. Her music has been described as everything from enigmatic and surreal to aggressive and hostile, with lyrics that are often cleverly disguised social commentary.
With a background in fine art, Betty got her start in music back in the 90's when she formed the sleazy and provocative art rock band, Salon Betty. As the years progressed, her music steadily grew darker, heavier and more politically-charged. In 1999, she formed her current self-titled solo project.
In recent years, Betty X has quickly become one of the most recognized names in conceptual art metal.


Welcome Betty,or do I call you Betty X? Thanks for coming over to the blog..
I love to showcase underground music.

You can call me Betty.

Is performance art really your calling? How did music come into the mix?

I've always sang and wrote my own quirky songs on piano and keyboards since
I was very young.

I started experimenting in performance art in college. I was taking video art, theatre, music and painting. I started off with painting but felt it lacked something.
I wanted the paintings to come alive instead of being a static moment or a
single frame of film caught in time.

This is where video and film experimentation came into play.
I was inspired by David Lynch and the No Wave art movement.
One of my favorite poets and performance artist is Hugo Ball
of the Dadaist movement in the early turn of the century.
I identified with the Dadaist concept of "anti-art."
I was also inspired by the Meat Joy performance piece in
the 60's by Carolee Schneemann, as well as the Neo-Dada
movement and the Beat Movement. Way too many performance
artists that I admire to mention without writing an entire book on the subject.

As for how the music and performance art came together,
it seemed like the logical conclusion. I wanted to reflect society,
point out its insanity and diseases by creating anti-music,
or what I like to call 'ugly music for ugly times'. I lost interest
in creating beautiful replicators of landscapes, still-lifes and portraits.
A camera would suffice for that; no point of beating a dead horse.

Did you know Ivan (ex-White Zombie, Scum of the Earth) raves about you..

That's cool. I love his work. I love both bands.

What instruments do you play...

Besides singing...piano, keys, guitar (very badly). I'll play anything poorly,
that's the goal.
Anything worth doing, is worth doing very badly, right? Maybe, one day
I'll get the hang of it.

Yes absolutely.. I also subscribe to that way of thinking.
lets talk influences...
What music really has shaped you into the artist you are now? why?
Any books?

Personal influences? Suzi Quatro and The Quatro sisters.
Before there was Joan Jett there was Suzi. The Quatro's
were real trail blazers...the original "bad girls" in rock in the 60's.
I was always drawn to the tough chicks that didn't take anyone's shit..
.I identify with that. I am not a girly prima donna diva that wants to put
on "pretty princess" dresses or fawn over shoes all day long. I'm much
more comfortable swilling beer with the guys.

As for musical influences, I have eclectic tastes that run the gambit from
classic jazz to metal. I love the old 40's and 50's crooners, as well as the
sultry jazz singers from the 20's and 30's. I'm also into old school heavy
metal and punk/new wave. Patti Smith and Nina Hagen were huge
influences. Ministry is still my favorite aggro band. Al is well-versed
in conspiracy theories and political history...he has something to say
and I tend to agree with his world beliefs. I am a hopeless conspiracy
nut and cannot resist a good theory.

Books? You said one of my favorite words. Orwell, Huxley, H.G.Wells,
Thomas More, The Communist Manifesto; I've read all those authors'
works at the early age of 13 and have been obsessed with dystopian
society ever since. More recently, The End of America by Naomi Wolf...it's a must read.

Whiskey or Vodka?

Yes, please.

If you could have dinner with 5 historical figures(whoever) living or
dead who would they be?

That depends on who tastes best with a nice Chianti...

So what's up next for Betty X?

I'm finishing up a new studio album as well as putting together a tight group of backing musicians for the live shows. I can't say much, but I will say this; I think fans have no idea what they're in for.
Thanks again for coming by...

you can find Betty's music here

http://www.reverbnation.com/bettyx
and here
http://bettyx.bandcamp.com



you can find Betty X and her band at the following places...
her official website~
http://www.bettyx.com

on twitter~
@bettyxofficial

and facebook~
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Betty-X-Official

Light the Keg, Powderburn has arrived

As some of you know I am not known for being a new-school metal fan, but recently a couple of close friends made me aware of a metal band out of Austin, Texas called Powderburn. Since my middle name is skeptical, I didn't hold out for too much, but boy was I wrong! Without trying to be too cliché here, Powderburn is essentially a breath of fresh air in a stagnant genre.

I acquired their last EP One Fix and while not every song is perfect, the ratio of good to bad is heavy on the good. They posses real music competency, something I look for in a band regardless of genre. Not just a hook and three chords in a revolving cycle. This band veers away from the metal formulaic screaming and gives the listener some real depth. Pertinent lyrics and honest musicality give them a healthy mainstream appeal.

Vocalist Ken Lockman isn't a one trick pony at all, he carries melodies well and along with guitarist Eric Anthony and bassist Greg Enkler real harmonies are up and carried through. Drummer Pat Swift is the heartbeat of the band.( Swift has since left the band)

Slowly Divide is a song that has Santana flavored influences, and is methodical in its relentless force. It's like driving on a dark road in the rain; you can't help but watch for the curves thrown at you. This is shot of Bushmills in the album, smoky and sweet, it goes down hot.

The Lights Go Down is clearly the most accessible song on the album. It worms its way into your brain, and you find yourself singing it at the oddest times. Emotional lyrics and headbanging music (omg did I just say headbanging... gasp...) make this song a winner.

The Descending is anthemic in its stompy-ness... Anthony's relentless guitar coupled with Enkler's torturous bass put together the stuff horror soundtracks are made of. Sneaking up on you, and grabbing you by the neck, this song demands your attention. Lockmans vocals are spot on too. This is my favorite song on the album. Beautiful and creepy. Love it.

Rumors in my neck of the woods ( you know those creepy ones where “things” sneak up on you) say they are releasing a new EP quite soon. But in the meantime, pick up One Fix to tide you over.

You can find it here.

http://powderburn.bandcamp.com/album/one-fix

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/one-fix/id336816634

OR~

you can find and follow the band here

twitter ~@Powderburn

on facebook~ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Powderburn

or their website http://www.powderburn.net