Wednesday, October 7, 2009

about me [Darlington] and my blog

I got bored with having a regular music website, So I started a variety blog.
look to screen right to see the list of blog posts to read. Check the past month archives. check back to see what's new.
*CURRENT NEWS*
I'm performing a set of prepared material Friday November 27th at 7pm at Borders Books on the corner of Mckinney ave. & Lemmon ave. in west village in Dallas. It's free to get in, and I'll have some free CDs to give out to whoever shows up!



I have 2 new songs recorded with Jaret, Erik, and Gary of the band Bowling for Soup - "SUV" + "Girls + summer = Fun!" (along with 10 studio and 9 live tracks; the album is entitled "Rock-n-Roll") out now for digital download on iTunes, Amazon, Lala, Rhapsody, Napster, LastFM & Tradebit



I also have a new release out now for digital download on itunes, amazon and everywhere else. it's called "Pop singles" and has lots of great songs recorded with a full band.

"Rock-n-Roll" & "Pop singles" are digital-only. If you want the CD versions of my material you'll have to track down the original out of print CDs the tracks were released on through amazon and interpunk and thru record shoppes.
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Me: Mr. Christy Brigitte Darlington. Singer. Songwriter. Guitar nerd. Multi-instrumentalist. Solo artist. straight male. Rock-n-Roller. Endorsed by Daisy Rock guitars. Released 14 CDs, 10-7 inch vinyl EPs, 2-12 inch vinyl LPs also have songs on 28 compilation CDs. Toured all over the U.S. & Europe. I perform both with a full band and with only a guitar as accompaniment. all of the physical CD and vinyl releases of mine are out of print but you can still find some new and used copies floating around on Amazon, Ebay, interpunk and more. if you want t-shirts and buttons and patches, interpunk.com still has a limited quantity left you can buy.



That was the first Daisy Rock Rock Candy in atomic pink I had. I later sold it to my friend Mandy in California. I'm endorsed by Daisy Rock and I play an Atomic pink glitter Rock Candy currently.

















































































Q&A: Singer/Guitarist Brijitte West








I first saw Brijitte West when I got to open up for NY Loose on toour in 1997. She was beautiful, sexy, abrasive, dangerous- everything a female rock-n-roller should be. Her band NY Loose was signed to a big label, and had released a wonderful rock and roll album called "year of the rat" which I still listen to on a weekly basis to this day. I lost track of them and then maybe a year or so ago went looking for them online and discovered Brijitte had a nice solo career going. I got in touch with her and we mailed each other CDs, and I discovered she had relocated to London. We keep in touch regularly and hopefully one day we will be able to collaborate or tour together and just rock. She found time to do this Q&A and it's about time all of you learn just how Rad Brijitte West is.

Q: What was the New York music scene like that you came from, and is it overly romanticized, or was it really a cool scene?

BW: It was a really cool scene. There were so many bands. New York was relatively cheap so you could be a waiter and still have enough for rent and rehearsal. The club bookers were really supportive too and did not put too much pressure on the bands to bring people in. It was before myspace and all that so we really had to go out and be seen if we wanted to be in the scene. There was a lot of different sorts of music happening as well. Sure you had the likes of NY Loose but there were also some amazing 60’s sounding garage bands, stuff like the Chrome Cranks, Blues Explosion and also clubs like the Empire Soul Club where you could dance to obscure records by Irma Thomas. Tramps was also great and you could go see Wilson Picket or Charles Brown tinkling away on piano in the restaurant next door. New York City was full of music. Now it is full of bloody bankers!

Q: Your biggest album with NY loose was arguably "year of the rat", which I adore. Do you have any favourite songs off of it? How did it all work out with a big label at the time?

BW: My favourite song is Detonator not only is it such a cool word but i also wrote the song in five minutes. I have always been a bit tightly wound . Big label ruined us. We signed to the wrong label and had a s**t manager. Music biz worse case scenario number 100,000,000.

Q: What made you move to England, and how do you like it there compared to America and New York?

BW: I moved to London for a change and kind of got stuck here. Life sort of happened ya know? I never had a reason to move back. Now I regret ever coming to this place except of course that I have my gorgeous and amazing and fabulous two children.
I live in London which most people think would be really exciting. London is shit..It’s dirty crowded expensive, full of head scarves, no quality of life, and there is no rock scene. The biggest thing here is X Factor and that creep with the high waisted jeans and all the garbage he churns out for the brainless masses. I live in my own bubble here.

Q: What have you been up to all these years? Catch everyone up on your achievements, what takes up your time, both musically and non musical.

BW: Well I have a certificate to say that I can run a horse stable. I also have a certificate to say I can teach English as a foreign language...um..I have two kids...giving birth in the National Health Service is like giving birth during the Victorian era. I had no pain relief. I don’t think you want the details there. My life has been about my kids. I have become a kid again through them. I had to ditch their father unfortunately and now I am a single mom living in a foreign country. Life is tough so I made the toughest coolest and sexiest record you will ever hear!

Q: What are you currently working on and what's up next for you?

BW: I have just made the record that I have always wanted to make!

Q: What sort of gear do you play out of? I know you were fond of SGs.

BW: Marshall tube amp, cab and SG with one p90 single coil pickup.

Q: Do you use any effects pedals and why?

BW: No too complicated

Q: what beauty products can you not live without?

BW: Kiehl’s Creme de Corps

Q: do you have any favourite spa treatments?

BW: If I could afford spa treatments I would have a favourite, it’s been a long time since I have been to a spa. Sorry to p*** on your glamour parade.

Q: Do you have any favourite songs you have written and why?

BW: My new favourite from the upcoming solo album is called “Hey Papito” It’s about my boyfriend. I had no idea he was famous until I went to Brazil where he lives. It’s about being on the beach in Rio and also about all our mutual friends in New York. It’s as if the Beach Boys and the Shangri Las and the Ramones all have a big happy clam bake!

Q: What inspires you to write songs?

BW: Literature, at the moment it would be Leo Tolstoy. Also, really interesting sentences or words I hear randomly, my new album is all mostly about being in my sexual prime and not being able to physically be with the one I want to be with. Sexual frustration can be very inspiring.

Q: What other bands and artists do you simply adore? what are your guilty pleasures?

BW: Rothko, Darlington and Green Day, and really goofy songs like “Mairzi Oats and Dozey Oats and Little Lambs Eat Ivy”. Fave new band is Brothers of Brazil.

Q: Where are some of your favourite places you've been to on tour, and why?

BW: I love Chicago and I saw a ghost dressed in 80’s clothes in the girls bathroom an the Metro just before the gig.

Q: are there any crazy or funny tour stories you can legally tell us about?

BW: Marilyn Manson made all their groupies drink Sea Monkies!!!!

Random topic round!

Topics: bacon butties. are you being served. fish n chips. bobbies. keeping up appearances.

BW: Ugghh all so bloody English...fattening and tasteless, and unappealing uniforms.. 75% of the English culture wear track suits on a daily basis though, that is the reality and they have never seen a track in their lives except of course the race track down at the betting shop!.

Topics: top of the pops. sloane square. piccadilly circus. the Queen.

BW: No thanks to all of the above, give me Prince Charles at least he does useful things with his power.

Topics: east village. CBGB. the continental. coney island high. the ramones.

BW: The breeding ground of sleazy rock and roll. No place in the world will ever be cooler when those places where at their heyday!

Topics: rockabilly music. lesley gore. elvis presley. little richard.

BW: All genius through and through. I bet they all had a fondness for oriental cats.

Topics: rubiks cube. rubiks snake. atari. miss pac man. galaga.

BW: No way never, nada. I am a surfer girl!!!!

Topics: british pound. US greenbacks. the concorde ssupersonic jet

BW: I am a huge aviation and airplane fanatic so I must tell you I saw the last flight of the concord standing in Kew Gardens here in England. I actually wept. Did I just admit that?

Topics: airports. airplanes. cross-atlantic flights. flight attendants.

BW: TAM the Brazilian airline gives you those buttery toffee sweets for some reason. They have the best flight attendants because they are Brazilian and they are always happy and the best bit is they play awesome classic Bossa Nova when you get
on and when you are leaving the plane. I fly to Brazil quite a lot. So much so that I have my bag checked every single time I get back to England. I guess they think I am a drug smuggler. They don’t believe me when I tell them I fly there so much because I am in love with Supla the Brazilian superstar.

Topics: handbags. purses. fanny packs. heels. shoes. makeup.

BW: Um women who spend their entire months wages on a handbag I cannot understand. The only way I would carry an “it” bag is if I had a boyfriend that was rich enough to buy me one and even then I would punk it by defacing it with black magic marker just to be really annoying. Fanny packs are one of the great American fashion faux pas, heels? yes ,whenever possible and black eyeliner and lots of mascara even if you are only going to the post office.

listen to Brijitte's fiery guitars and beautiful voice at www.myspace.com/brijittewest and www.myspace.com/nyloose

Q&A: New York City girl rocker Kitty Kowalski






I first got to meet Kitty as far as I can recall in 2005. She set up a show at CBGB, and not only was it a blast, her band rocked hard, and she played this crazy cool glitter green guitar. Me and my band stayed at her apartment and we had a lovely time. She set up another show at the Continental but was called away to Sweden on business and couldn't make it. We'd been in the same rock-and-roll orbit for years, and I believe we have a mutual respect for each other's music and opnions on so many things. She's been a New Yorker since the old days and has seen it all. She found time to do this Q&A, and I think all of you need to get to know miss Kitty K!

Q: what sort of guitar are you playing now? you still have that crazy cool green glitter one? why do you play the one you do?

KK: I've gotten into my semi-hollow body Mosrite lately. It's a 1962. I still have the sea foam green 1972 Gibson SG Special. I think it's my favorite for the way it plays and the way it sounds. Nasty!

Q: what sort of amplifier do you use and why?

KK: For small rooms I have a 1960s Silvertone combo 2 X 10. Then for the arenas, I have the 1977 Marshall 100W JMP.

Q: do you use any effects pedals and why?

KK: Nope. To much to mess with. I'm not that technical.

Q: what made you want to become a rock and roller to begin with?

KK: David Bowie. Ha ha. No seriously, I used to play "Beatles" with my sisters when I was like 5. I watched The Monkees and Josie & The Pussycats n TV, and said, that's the life for me. But seriously, David Bowie.

Q: what are 5 landmark rock albums for you and why?

KK: Never Mind The Bollocks - it was like the album I had waited my whole life to hear. Can't Stand The Rezillos - it has great timing song to song to song, and no album filler. X's Under The Big Black Sun - perfect mix of the uniquely American music I love - Country, Rockabilly and punk - a great collection of Americana. Dawn of The Dickies - some of the tightest, catchiest and clever songwriting known to man. Leonard Phillips is the John Phillips of my generation. Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - a concept, a man, a band. Mythological in its undertaking.

Q: what bands/artists do you listen to on a regular basis lately?

KK: The Wildhearts - I discovered them kinda late so I'm catching up. Electric Six - it's like a party on a disc. Hedwig & The Angry Inch soundtrack - see David Bowie above. Mostly, I kinda hate bands. I like songs. I can hate a band and like one of their songs.

Q: do you still drive that sexy schweet classic convertible?

KK: Sure do. 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme convertible. Some guy on a bike self-righteously asked me at a stoplight, "What kinda mileage you get on that?", with a sneer, to which I replied, "With a car like this, you think I give a f***?".

Q: do you still live in manhattan?

KK: I'm one of the last holdouts. It's sad that the artists and cultural contributors that made Manhattan interesting are now forced out. I've been in my place for 12 years, so I'm hangin' in there, by my fingernails, which are really short because I bite them.

Q: what's the NYC music scene like nowadays? what has changed and do you like it now or not?

KK: Everything changes over time. "The Scene" moved out to Brooklyn and beyond, and a bunch of new little joints cropped up. Some of them are quite DiY. In Manhattan, there are no good small rock venues. Mercury Lounge is about the best there is for about 250 people, but there's no good say 100 - 150 people place. I think there is a lot of interesting stuff going on right now because people are experimenting more. A few years back it was kinda annoying because it seemed a lot of bands were just making music "to get signed" or to be popular, so it had no soul and it was very watered down. Because that doesn't happen like that anymore, and bands break in unusual ways, and sometimes the quirkier the better, bands are kind of chucking out the formula and experimenting with different sounds. It's cool. There's good stuff in every era and in every seen - sometimes you just have to work harder to find it.

Q: do you have any crazy, funny New York stories you can legally tell us?

KK: There are so many. One of my faves, is a crazy guy who rides the Broadway line who calls himself Broadway Bob. He rants on the train, but it's like a standup act. I know several people who have Broadway Bob stories. He called a very fair friend of mine "a delicious, cream-filled, golden Twinkie". I hear him rant on the train, "They say that AIDS come from the MONKEY! They SAY that AIDS come from the monkey! How did the AIDS get from the Monkey to the man? (maniacal laugh a la Live & Let Die voodoo man) The wimmins! The wimmins LOVE the monkeys!" I was trying not to crack up or draw attention to myself. The seats next to him cleared out at the next top of course, and some poor unsuspecting hippie girl sits next to him and the doors shut. He looks at her and there is more maniacal laughter. "Your hair...looks like a PONY!", he shouts. I was about to pee in my pants, when he said, "How 'come your hair looks like a pony? (pause - wait for it) The wimmins! The wimmins LOVE the ponies!" I could not contain myself and had to get off at the next stop. Also, there used to be a lot of hookers in my neighborhood and I got into a fight with a pimp once. It was scary at the time, but I can laugh about it now.

Q: what's parking like in New York if you own a car?

KK: You have to be like a fisherman or farmer and study the almanac. Traffic is like the tides - there is an ebb and flow. You also need common sense. It's hard to find a spot between 7 - 9 PM, because everyone is eating dinner. Things free up after 9:30 or so, but on a weeknight, if you don't find a spot for the next day by midnight, you are kinda f***ed. You have to do it at night, and not in the morning when the commuters come in. If you are unemployed, you can do the alternate side of the street parking for street cleaning thing and follow the sweeper, but you have to babysit your car for an hour and a half.

Q: tell us a little about the Kowalskis. how you started it, what you've done so far and what the future holds.

KK: Sheesh - it started a long time ago and morphed from my first NY band, the all-girl Starkist. When that fell apart, me and the guitar player formed a band called The Drags, until we found out there was another one - this was in the days before google, where you actually had to read fanzines to find this shit out. We became Killer Kowalski. As the other girl members fell away, I got Greg whom I played with forever and Paul from AOD, who brought Jack in and that was the Goofballs line up that was probably together for 3-4 years where we had an awesome run as The Kowalskis. When the record came out and we needed to tour, Jack & Paul dropped out, and we had a touring line-up for a while. I kept losing people touring. It came time to make another record, and that was such a long process. I picked up Mike when I was working on The Manges recordings and they wanted a guy to play guitar. I always wanted to steal him from The Vacant Lot, but didn't, so when they stopped playing I stole him. We first recorded with session guys and then I put the band back together, so the other half was the original Kowalskis drummer Greg and another guy he played with, another Mike. I kind of added in some parts, and now The Kowalskis is like Chuck Berry's band with me and Mike. I married a drummer, so he's stuck as a Kowalski for life, and he can't quit. We're working on a top secret, Internet only project that I can't discuss due to legal issues, but we're kinda doing to entertain ourselves. I have to have something subversive going on or I'm not happy. I have other conceptual projetcs - the experimental band, that all-girl country band, the supergroup. I need about 3 more brains for all the stuff I have in my head. Right now, I'm playing guitar in Bebe Buell's band, so that's been fun, and that does not take the brain power that writing your own songs, booking your own shows and chasing band members around does. I always say the worst thing about having a band is dealing with musicians.

Q: Do you listen patiently or wait to talk?

KK: Both. Depends on if the person is actually communicating information I want to listen to. It happens so rarely.

Q: Are you an obnoxious person?

KK: I'm sure lots of people may think I am.

Q: Do you enjoy causing a ruckus?

KK: I'm not a drama queen. In fact I despise people who manufacture problems and run around acting as if the most trivial thing actually matters. Very little matters. I do like to challenge people and ideas in my own way. I like railing on people, places and things that deserve it. I like to expose hypocrisy. I like to f*** with the system. I commit little acts of cultural terrorism every once in a while. I think it was Elvis Costello who said you should aspire to be an irritant, or something to that effect.

Q: What is your adult beverage of choice?

KK: Beer. Boring.

Q: do you have any favourite songs of yours and why do you like that song or songs best?

KK: I have different ones at different times. I loved "10 Things" when I wrote is as it was my first big girl song - a real song about something real in my life. I liked "Matter of Time" to explore my Country side and got some pedal steel on that, which I love. Some songs are fun to play, like "Mr. Wrong". Right now, "Oh Dee Dee" has been my fave for a while because it's a super short and simple pop song. Very concise.

Q: any last words for readers?

KK: Live every day as if it were your last because one day, you'll be right.

Find and Stalk miss Kitty Kowalski online at www.thekowalskis.com and www.myspace.com/thekowalskis

Q&A: DJ Sista Whitenoise


I first met DeeJay Sista Whitenoise at a rollerderby event. We'd threatened to work with each other on a musical collaboration for years, but it had never happened. However, she DID find time in her busy schedule to do this fun Q&A. I dig her DJ style as she mixes a wide variety of music so it's never boring, and the beats change all the time as do musical genres yet all flow together to make it more fun than other so-called "deejays". She's the real deal, so read on!

Q: You've been around a long time. What made you want to "deejay" to begin with? Do you classify what you even do as "deejaying"? what the hell does being a deejay mean nowadays anyways?

DSW: I inherited the music junkie gene from my father who was a big band\jazz radio dj in the 40s and 50s. Becoming a DJ just seemed like the natural progression in feeding my musical habit.

Q: I like how you spin a wide variety of diverse music from rock to hip hop and everything in between. What makes you pick certain things and what's your creative process?

DSW: I like so many different genres and eras of music it's hard to choose just one. I don't really ever plan my sets out or have a "process". That would feel stiff I think.I tend to bounce all over the place. On paper it would look as though I'm a little confused I'm sure but in reality it tends to work.

Q: you''ve been deejaying the assassination city roller derby bouts since it's inception. How'd you get started and what keeps you there?

DSW: My friend Robin Marco a.k.a Marco the Beast skated the first season and asked if I would come and DJ a bout. It was a blast. They called again the next month and now here we are going into (I believe) the 6th season. I love the girls and the sport.

Q: You now have your own radio show on KNON! tell us how this happened, what you like about it, what's different about it, and what you plan to do with it.

DSW: I co-host "The Sonic Assembly Power Hour" Tuesdays 10p-12a with my brutha from anotha mutha Reid Robinson (DJ Woodtronic). Reid and I had discussed wanting to do a show for a few years so when Dave Chaos approached me Reid was my next call. Over the years I volunteered my time doing voiceover work and other odd jobs for the station and I am up there a lot anyway due to fact that my boyfriend EZ Eddie D has had a show there for 20 + years. I think I got lucky with the "right place, right time" kind of situation. We have an open format much like my club DJ sets. The program is geared towards audiophiles and music devotees. We invite guests a couple a month to come and let us peruse their mental Ipods,so to speak, giving them
roughly 45 minutes to play whatever they want.Guests so far have included music critics Hunter Hauk and Pete Freedman, city
council[wo]manAngela Hunt, The Lollybomb Burlesque ladies, DJ Ewi and members of Assassination City Roller Derby. Only requirement to be a guest is a love of music.

Q: what other creative projects, both musical and non-musical have you been involved with, and do you have a favourite?

DSW: Other than music I have been a haircolorist for over 20 years. I used to do hair and makeup for film and loved that very much. The weirder the better. I did makeup for a film short called D.O.A. a few years back. It was about a coroner who is called in to perform an autopsy on the victim of a fatal car crash which upon arrival he learns that it is his fiance.I got to make crazy bloody,glass filled wounds and post-mortem makeup for the first time. It was very challenging and definitely one of my favorite jobs ever.

Q: what sort of bands and artists do you just love when you're alone with the headphones on (or off) . and don't give me the cool indie rock answer. give me some embarrassing guilty pleasures.

DSW: I am never embarrased by my guilty pleasures which include John Denver, Air Supply, Tom T. Hall's childrens album and 80s metal (i.e. Ozzy, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden). I had the lethal combination of being a metal head in hair school in the mid 80s and I am so fortunate that not many pictures exist from that era of my life.

Q: what does the future hold for you, and what are some goals and dreams you want to accomplish?

DSW: I have been lax in learning to create my own beats and music. I need to figure out exactly what direction I want to take that and get a grasp on the technology that will involve so I can take my career to the next level. I played violin for 6 years as a child and have tossed around the idea of taking lessons again for the discipline aspect if nothing else

Random topic round.
Topic: atari.

DSW: I still own an original Atari 2600 and my favorite of all the games is the Journey game where the band runs from shady promoters and dodges groupies and bad record contracts!

Topic: the old electronic game simon.

DSW: I have my Simon game in working condition that I got for xmas in 1981.

Topics: crocs & converse.

DSW: Crocs are so very unnecessary. I have an interesting collection of hightop converse tennis shoes that includes a pair in black leather, a pair in cornflower blue and a pair from the Rolling Stone's "Steel Wheels" tour.

Topics: mix tapes. vhs. dvd. cd. mp3s.

DSW: I have 3 working 8-track players. One is the always classic 1970s bomb detonator. I have one celebrating the bi-centennial that you can load 8 D batteries in and take on the go actually named the "Port-a-Player". Last but not least I have a quadraphonic stereo system that has a working 8-track player which I regularly use to listen to The Grease Soundtrack, T.Rex and Kiss Destroyer 8-track tapes I've had since I was a kid.

Topics: dance clubs. discotecques. dive bars. .

DSW: People tease me about being a DJ that hates dance clubs. I prefer to work in a bar where people go with the expectation of enjoying a cocktail and pleasent conversation but feel moved to kick tables out of the way creating an impromptu dancefloor.

Topic: fort worth.

DSW: Fort Worth is underrated I love to go get a hotel in downtown from time to time and pretend I'm really out of town maybe attending a show at The Bass or going to the excellent art museums.

Topic: soda pop.

DSW: My favorite memory of my grandparents house in E.Texas when I was a kid was them (foolishly) giving us sodas in glass bottles, leaving the metal cap intact they would use an icepick to punch a hole in the it to drink from with the idea that we wouldn't spill as much in the house. We quickly found and exploited the flaw in this design . Shaking the bottles wildly with thumbs over the hole in cap we created a sort of soda-water gun that we would proceed to chase and spray each other down with. It's the little things in life you know?

Find her and stalk her online at www.djsistawhitenoise.com

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Q&A: Phanie D, drummer for Girl in a Coma!





I've gotten to see Girl in a Coma twice, at Poor David's pub and House of Blues here in Dallas. Not only did they put on a very entertaining live show, the drummer Phanie was very personable and down to earth. They got the opportunity to open up for my idol Morrissey on tour as well, and after the HOB show Phanie took time out of their busy touring schedule for a lil' Q&A action! read and enjoy!

Q: ya'll are getting more and more famous recently. your touring hasn't seemed to even stop. how do you feel about your growing fame and how has it affected things touring-wise insofar as dealing with "fans" and such?

P: We dont really see ourselves as famous. We notice the crowd getting bigger.. but to us.. the more the merrier. Nothings really changed so far... we try to hang as much as possible.

Q: do you have any funny or crazy tour stories ya'll can legally share with us?

P: legally there are tons. but so far on this tour we had our number one austin fan come up on stage and do a crazy pelvic thrust dance.. then try to sing some songs with Nina with interesting lyrics.

Q: how did the onstage dancing originate and do your fans go crazy over it? i personally find it endearing.

P: Jenn likes inviting people onstage... we encourage it. i dont think sound guys like it so much.

Q: What sort of gear do you use and why? Especially tell me about those crazy cool custom telecaster guitars and your pedal boards.

P: Gretsch for Phanie because the 22'kick is fun. Jenn loves fender P basses and Nina plays on a Valley Arts telecaster. Gibson offered them to Nina.. and she loves the feel and pickups on em.

Q: what's the songwriting process like? do each of you bring finished pieces to the band or do you all collectively write?

P: the music starts with nina... she writes all guitar melodies and lyrics. once in a while i will dabble in the writing.. ive written The Photographer on Both Before Im Gone. She shows us the music and jenn and I will take it from there and compose and arrange the song with her.

Q: what's your favourite song of the bands and why?

P: Probably Vino we love the change ups in it.

Q what's your favourite place you've toured to and why?

P: Besides playing to our hometown.. LA has become a 2nd home. We recently sold out the Knitting Factory and the fans out there are really supportive.

Q: what other bands and artists do ya'll listen to? and don't be cool here- let us know what your guilty pleasures are too!

P: Magneta Lane, Blue Means Go, Bowie, Elvis is always in rotation, Velvet Underground... guilty pleasure... Revenge Of the Nerds soundtrack.

Q: do ya'll like to read? especially on the road, you got lots of downtime to read books, so if you do, please share with us what you like to read.

P: Nina does the most reading..all kinds of novels.. I like to read books about ghosts...im a nerd like that.

Q: do ya'll have handbag collections and if so, do you have a favourite handbag and why?...

P: no handbags here.

Q: will ya'll be moving as a band to LA or NYC or somewhere else or stay in your hometown?

P: Nope.. we love Sa and plan on stayin forever.

Q: what does the future hold for Girl in a coma?

P: More records and touring

Random topic round.

Topics: heels, sneakers, boots, cowboy boots, foot odor, pedicures, socks

P: heels are nina,sneakers are phanie,cowboy boots are jenn, foot order are all three of us..pedicures are none of us and socks are stolen between us.

Topics: rubiks cube, rubiks snake, hungry hungry hippos, candyland, monopoly

P: Hungry Hippos is my fav,Candyland,,nina will still play, monopoly is to long.

Topics: galaga, galaxian, space invaders, pac man, miss pac man, atari

P: all these games are frustrating and fun

Topics: whiskey, vodka, beer, wine, marijuana, cocaine, heroin

P: whiskey =yum,vodka=not so yum,beer= good time yum,marijuana=not anymore ,cocaine=stupid,heroin=even stupider

Topics: coca cola, sprite, 7 up, root beer, big red, big peach, orange crush

P: whatever happened to orange crush? kids who wore the shirt annoyed me. plus i had one.

Topics: tanning salons, hair salons, fake tanning spray, fake grills,overblinging

P: sounds like a day in the life of the toddlers in pageants.

Topics: rims that cost more than the hooptie they are on, blasting bass rap with the windows down when its over 100 degrees out, tshirts so long and big they look like a mumu, jorts so long they could be slacks.

P: entertaining.

Topics: don cheto, sabado gigante, the price is right, deal or no deal, wheel of fortune

P: always sabado gigante

Topics: bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, kiwi, figs, peaches, pears, tomatos, yams

P: sounds like a party

Topics: sour gummy worms, twix, reeses cups, M&Ms, milky way, altoids

P: sounds like a naughty party

Topics: cadillacs, deloreans, porsches, ferraris, lamborghinis, mini coopers

P: if jenn ever has the money.. she would probably have one of each.

Topics: sherlock holmes, casinos, kayaking, volcanoes, barracudas

P: sounds like a board game.

Cattch Girl in a Coma and their wonderfully fun live show at a concert hall near you!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Q&A: Model Layne D'Angelo





When I chanced to walk into the salon she works at, I got to meet Layne D'Angelo and I was impressed with her personality, creative style, and also her cool website. She also does hair and her resume listed on her website of her accomplishments is long and impressive. She's interesting and fun and took some time out of her busy schedule to do a quick Q&A!

Q: You've got quite a resume of accomplishments on your website. What have you done that you enjoyed the most and why?

Layne: I've been able to work with such a wide assortment of of talented individuals in the industry. I love collaborating with other creative minds to make an idea come to life through a photograph. My favorite and most personal shoots are by far my body suspension shots. Eventually I want to complete a series of highly stylized suspension photos, depicting each of the different syles of suspension.

Q: How much creative input do you have in your shoots, and when you do have ideas for things, what's your creative process?

Layne: I only shoot with a team who will allow me all the creative input that I want. That's just how I roll. I'm very picky about who I work with, and choose to only create with those who respect my creative opinion. Not really sure exactly how my creative process works but if I am excited enough to put the effort forth to do it, I do whatever it takes to make it happen. When I decide I want to pursue what I want,I am incredibly determined and will make it manifest no matter what! Once I know what I want to create, I assemble a team consisting of a photographer, hair and makeup artists, wardrobe stylist (or I choose something I have to shoot for a particular company), as well as securing a location or studio, and if need be, get to work on putting a set together.

Q: do you play any instruments? and if so, what?

Layne: Unfortunately not. I tried playing guitar for awhile, but it hurt and I decided I really didn't want to learn it enough to get my fingers all calloused up. I have had several photographers insist on having me pose with instruments I had no idea how to play though.

Q: What about dancing? Do you like to dance? What sort of dancing is your favourite type and why?

Layne: I love dancing! If I'm on the dance floor I prefer to dance alone with plenty of room to move around. Much of my stage shows include quite a bit of dancing as well.

Q: What sort of haircare and beauty products can you not live without?

Layne: My skin is super sensitive and the only product line that really works well for my skin type is Dermalogica. I also love Prescriptives makeup. I have an extremely rare skin tone, I actually have no yellow tones in my skin, while 75% of the population has at least some yellow. Presciptives is the first brand that can match the color of my skin perfectly.

Q: do you have a handbag collection and if you do, do you have any favourites and why?

Layne: No. I'm not really that kind of girl. I do have some bags from Lux de Ville that I like quite a bit though. I'm not one to have a handbag to match my shoes or anything though. Never really saw the point.

Q: what about heels? do you wear them alot and do you have any favourites and why?

Layne: LOVE heels. They create quite a dramatic effect when I wear them. Considering I'm just under 6" as it is, when I strut around in 9 inch heels, I'm very hard to miss.

Q: what are some of your favourite music/bands/singers?

Layne: Very hard to narrow down, but here is a short list. Snog, Coil, Skinny Puppy, Diamanda Galas, Faith no More, Depeche Mode, Rasputina, the Smiths, the Cure, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Lenord Cohen, Wumpscutt, Current 93, Switchblade Symphony, Combichrist, etc, etc, etc....

Q: what are some movies that you love?

Layne: The Evil Dead Trilogy, The Doom Generation, Nightmare before Christmas, Fifth Element, Beetlejuice, City of God, Lots of Troma flims, Necromantic, Delicatessin, City of the Lost Children, Vistor Q, Half Baked, Legends of the Fall, Dead Alive, all the Rob Zombie films, The Brain that Wouldn't Die, Re Animator, etc,etc,etc....

Q: Your website was pretty cool. Long URL. Tell us about how your website came to exist.

Layne: Yep, the URL is pretty long, but I've already used up so many other domain names with other sites I've had, but chose not to keep up with. I've had a hard time with webmasters not doing what I want or not giving me control of the admistrative end or even one that looked like a 3 year old threw it together. Thankfully all of those sites were built for me for free. I figured out that I'd rather pay good money for a site I could be proud of and get exactly what I want.

Q: What are some of your future goals and dreams and what we can expect from you in the future.

Layne: I want to work for myself doing hair, not slave away at someone elses salon. I need to travel the world. I'd like to have my own animal rescue. I've always wanted to help children in 3rd world countries. I'd like to eventually complete my tattoo plan for my body. I want to eventually transition from model to photographer.As far as modeling goes, I've already exceeded all of my expectaions, so anything else is just a bonus.

stalk Layne online at www.laynesdomainofpleasurenpain.com

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Q&A: Poppy Robbie. The Dictator of Pop!





Poppy Robbie is just plain cool. And it's about time all you grubby little worms get turned on to the great tunes he makes. And believe the propaganda, folks, this is one Dictator that's all about fun. And great music. And more. That is, unless you're an insurgent- then look out! All hail the Dictator of Pop!

Q: Let's catch everyone up with you. Describe in your own words who you are, what you do, and what makes you want to wake up in the morning.

PR: Well, first off thanks for inviting me to do this! Your Q&A's are so much more entertaining and thought-provoking than those silly ones everyone passes along to each other over the internet. How many times are we required to answer the same old questions about our tah-tah's and nyeah-nyeah's anyway? I mean, I don't even have tah-tah's or nyeah-nyeah's, but that's sort of the point, you know? Nevertheless, my name is Poppy Robbie, I'm a proud resident of Earth (Southeast Texas, to be exact), I write music and ever so often record or perform it, make questionable art, and the hope of one day owning a fully-functional jetpack makes me wake up in the morning.

Q: What sort of guitar gear do you use and why?

PR: I've got a couple guitars, but mainly I use my Gretsch Streamliner hollowbody and electrify it into loudness with a small tweed Fender Blues Jr. The reason I use those is because that's what the snake in my dream told me to do.

Q: what inspires you to write songs?

PR: I've always loved the idea that no matter how many songs have been written, most of them the exact same or in a similar way, people still do it all in hopes of perfecting the art a bit more. The idea of attempting to come up with new and clever lyrics when there have been an infinate number of songs in existance saying the same basic thing is endearing to me. Everyone who writes is wanting to just get their own unique perspective heard. Until the end of time, people will be out there continuing to write songs that have already been written a million times fold, either intentionally or not - most of the time completely nieve to the fact that those songs exist and may have already relayed the exact same feeling and emotion. That's beautiful. All sorts of things inspire me to write, though. Everything from relationships to picking up the mail to seeing a band play can get the wheels rolling upstairs...

Q: What made you want to play music and sing to begin with?

PR: Listening to 45's on my mom's stereo as a child and digging through boxes of them on the floor was one of the earliest memories I have of being actively interested in music. Around that time I began recording myself singing on a small cassette stereo for fun. By the time I had reached Jr. High, like so many others, my love for music evolved into an active interest and hobby to write songs and play guitar myself.

Q: What are you currently working on creatively, both musical and non-musical?

PR: I'm continuously writing, but those folks out there closest to me all know that I've been threatening to release new stuff since I starting playing solo shows way back in 2003. The truth of the matter is I'm very lax about it and figure in the current climate of the music-releasing world, with the internet and strange shifting of the role and lack of importance of record companies, that I'm in no hurry to rush anything in particular out to be swallowed up into the vast void of the digital abyss. That's a sort of defeatist attitude, I guess, but I know my music-listening audience is a small handful of close friends and folks who either know me from my past efforts or have been following me through recent years via online and those folks should all be used to my indecisiveness by now and understand that I've got my head up my ass when it comes to that stuff haha. NON-musically though, I've been doing paintings continuously for the last few years, mostly small pieces I've been flogging-off here and there via eBay. Back in February I did a project I called "28 in Paint" where I decided that I was going to paint one painting a day for the entire month of February (of course I pick the shortest month out of the year to do this). It was fun to try and I was happy with the results. Right now I usually do three or so paintings a month, as I find time. This all started out as a random whim but has now turned into an active enjoyable interest of mine. I'm about to begin work with a couple new projects to get my art out and about and spread the word. I've been happy and thankful for the response I've been getting from it all.

Q: are you into books? If so, what are some of your personal favourites?

PR: Comics count too, right? If so, I'm a monthly avid reader of anything Ninja Turtles or Green Lantern and I've been enjoying Kick-Ass and the comic adaptations of The Stand as well. My two favorite graphic novels are probably Kingdom Come and Watchmen. As far as standard novels and the like, lately I've been enjoying the work of David Sedaris, having just recently finished his 'When You Are Engulfed in Flames'. One of my all-time favorites books is 'Walden' by Henry Thoreau.

Q: What are some other bands and artists you enjoy listening to? Including those embarrassing guilty pleasures?

PR: My top five are probably The Beatles, Tom Petty, Wreckless Eric, Elvis Costello and Paul Westerberg. Lately I've been listening to a lot of George Harrison, Violent Femmes, and enjoying Regina Spektor's new album. Guilty pleasures? Haha, most of those around me would probably argue that pretty much everything I listen to should be an embarrassing guilty pleasure. That list is too long...

Q: do you enjoy any sports? Watching or participating?

PR: I've always been into skateboarding and love the 80's skateboard culture centered around The Bones Brigade and Powell Peralta. I hear Stacy Peralta is supposed to be producing a Dogtown-style documentary about the Bones Brigade, hopefully that's true. Recently I got one of those Powell reissue decks, the Mike Vallely elephant one, and fixed it up as ugly and bright as I would have had I bought it in the 80's. I still have my old Mcgill skull and snake deck from when I was a kid. I'm pretty sure I wanted that one only because it's the model Christian Slater had in Gleaming the Cube. But yeah, I don't get to ride much anymore but when I find time it's always fun.

Q: What's the music scene like in your area?

PR: Southeast Texas has always had a very independent and varied music scene. Almost every band that springs up seems to truely have their own sound and there's a good spirit of bands wanting to help each other and the local scene itself out, it seems. A lot of people tend to move out of the area after finishing school in favor of Austin, Denton or elsewhere, but there's always new groups popping-up that are interesting and bring new life to the scene, along with new sets of music fans eager to take the keys to the car, so to speak. The only downfall I think this area has is its inability to maintain venues for long periods of time. Each time a good venue has sprung up it's always shortlived.

Q: What's next for you and what can the world expect from the Dictator of Pop?

PR: Capitol Records is going to call any minute now and you can expect a box set of all these ridiculous songs I've been hording inside my head.

Random topic round.

Topics: jeans. tshirts. jorts. swim trunks. bikinis. speedos.

PR: Jeans and tshirts are a-ok! I'm not sure what a jort is, but it sounds like an energy drink. Bikinis are a go, speedos are a no!

Topics: adult beverages. soda pop. juice boxes. hot cocoa. coffee.

PR: adult beverages < soda pop. juice boxes < juice pouches. Cold weather is my favorite time to drink hot cocoa and coffee.

Topics: cereal. grits. toaster strudel. pop tarts. protein shakes.

PR: Cereal > grits, toaster strudels or pop tarts. Protein shakes are ridiculous.

Topics: texas. cowboys. country music. rockabilly music. honky tonks.

PR: Texas is grand. Cowboys are terrible drivers. Country music is okay before the mid-ninties. Rockabilly music isn't as cool as it's fashion. Honky tonks are where you can boot, scoot and boogie.

Topics: electric bulls. oil and gasoline. james dean. michael jackson.

PR: electric bulls are just as bad as electric bills. oil and gasoline are overrated. james dean and michael jackson are no longer with us.

Topics: elvis presley. buddy holly, britney spears. warped tour.

PR: I've honestly never "gotten" Aaron Presley. My opinion is that there's only one Elvis that matters and one King of Rock n' Roll and he's neither one of those. I'm a big Buddy Holly fan (the real King of Rock n' Roll?), as well as Ritchie Valens. I would've been very interested in hearing what sort of music those two guys would have been making during the 60's had their death not occured. Britney Spears is about due for a comeback. I've only been to one Warped Tour, it was in Houston, 1998 and I got to see The Specials and Swingin' Utters. It was pretty fun aside from the extremely long hot dog line...

Topics: fast food. sit down restaurants. whataburger. tex mex.

PR: I eat way too much fast food. I like to stand up in sit down restaurants. Whataburger are Wal-Mart are the only things open in my town past 9pm. Tex mex is great!

Topics: PCs. macs. ipods. zunes. cds. dvds. vhs. mp3s. cassettes.

PR: PCs and Macs just need to have sex and get it over with. I used to be against Ipods, zunes and all those things but then finally got one as a gift and absolutely love it. Cds and dvds look identical. I was okay with VHS. MP3s are better than M16s. Ahh, cassettes - You can't make a mix-tape on a cdr, kids.

Topics: rubiks snake. rubiks cube. nerf guns. atari. pac man. galaga.

PR: What the hell is a rubiks snake?! That's terrible, take something I love (Rubiks Cube) and something I hate (snakes) and put them together. What's the world coming to. I want an arsenal of nerf guns so bad it's killing me. Atari < NES. Pac Man > Galaga.

Thanks again, Christy! Anyone interested in following my silliness can find me over at: http://www.myspace.com/poppyrobbie