Band of the Week

Remote Control Frequencies

"Sometimes I feel like I'm on the wrong planet..."

The journey through life or to the center of the universe, often takes many twists and turns. At times we feel like we are moving towards something, and then it can feel as though we are on the wrong planet. The second album from Chicago's Remote Control Frequencies is very much about a journey, but the destination is, at times, unknown. R-Rock and L. Grant "LG" Meadows have gone back into the studio, and with the help of bass player and studio head 'Player 1' created an album that is adventurous in both sound and story. Musically rhythmic and diverse, the loops are layered and build a perfect web of sound for the singing/rapping of R-Rock.

As the founder the music label The Secret Life of Sound, R-Rock is not only breaking new ground with his songs, but also with each new release. Featuring some of the best underground hip hop and electronic music in the city, the label prides itself as the champion of the invisible superstar. However, with the way Chicago hip hop is blowing up, artists like Sharkula, PJ Sumroc, and Radius will not stay hidden for long. With the accessibility in the sound of Tempus, I don't think RCF can stay hidden either. Even though they reveal in the mysterious, Tempus is a quality released recorded in a friendly local studio, and is one everyone should check out.

Recently, R-Rock was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): Tempus seems to have a bit of mystery surrounding it, what can you tell us about this album? Why was there no tracklisting provided with the album? Is there any truth to the alternate disc rumor?
R-Rock (RR): By my own estimation, the main mixes of Tempus, the versions that went out to college radio, are pretty 'busy' as music goes. They are almost perversely layered because it was a studio project like most RCF stuff has been to date.... this was the album where it became more like a band too, though.

We have some material, alternate takes, a remix, etc. that was going to be a kind of second disc of material from some of same sessions as Tempus. The idea was to create a 'black box' that would house the main Tempus CD, and the the alternate cover art (the flash version of which was in the e-card) as well as the second disc.

As we took RCF into more of a live phase recently with the addition of bass player Player 1 (who also recorded Tempus with us) we have stripped some of the songs down for the purpose of re-learning them and some of them actually sound better that way.... Negotiator dub-o-licious demo mix being one example of that. Maybe closer to the way a live version will sound.
Maybe we'll send out 'Black Boxes' for Christmas this year and just send them to random people who have mailordered stuff from TSLOS. It would be like a tax rebate check, only it doesn't come out of educational funding.

OA: The front page of your label's site says their is a sampling issue surrounding the official release of the album, but listening through the album I can't decipher to many samples. I'm sure you can't say what the sample was, but what are your thought's on sampling in general?
RR: That was a joke, sort of. Most of the album doesn't use any samples, except for samples/looping of our own instrumentation. There is at least one really obvious sample right at the beginning of the album, and it was brought up by at least one individual who thought we should remix the track and that created some problems in manufacturing. Its like people have never heard of Negativland or something?

Most of the samples are really sound effects, and are either distorted to the point where they don't sound anything like the source material.

There are also instrumentalists, like hip-hop producers/DJs, who use sampling as a true art form. I'm more likely to use sampling that way in some of my podcasts as sort of cinematic background chill out soundbeds for movie clips and crap like that. When I think of a producer that has made sampling a true art form, I think of Radius.

OA: The album was recorded at Chicago's Stray Dog Recording, and your relationship with them goes back a ways. How are they to work with, and how important is the recording environment to your overall sound?
RR: Player 1 and Dottie and the dogs are like family at this point. I think a good analogy would be that LG and I are like the foreign exchange students who never go back to their home country, but you kind of wish they would. RCf has recently sort of gone from being a studio project recording at SDRC to a band practicing there...Player is the bass player AND an engineer!

I think I was Stray Dog's first client ever. A lot of great Chicago artists have recorded there... Smallwire's bass player Tom has this awesome solo project he's been working on forever over there. Dave has his own project the Disappointments. Their CD was one of the main reasons I wanted to record there in the beginning, I think his newer songs were under the name the Way Downs. Maybe he'll let us put them up on the internet or something.

OA: You also run The Secret Life of Sounds label, one of the most eclectic labels in Chicago. What do you look for in a TSLOS release?
RR: Thanks! I think of TSLOS as sort of like a meeting place for artists more than a label. You can juxtapose a really dope beatmaker like Radius or a more electronic project like Zombie Mountain and match them up with a sick MC like K-the-i-??? or PJ Sumroc and it makes something really unique. We're still trying to sell the artists music for them, but we also give away a lot of stuff for free. Its kind of that era of people digging the music, but not always thinking about appreciating and supporting the artists.

I'd like to take the scientific approach of true school hip-hop and apply that kind of innovation to a noisier more experimental frame-of-reference. Punk and hardcore and even like chip music are these intensely individualistic styles, but they also seem to create a stylistic rut very quickly. A hip-hop record might sample Billy Joel right next to Cannoball Adderley. Like in remixes, the mashup things is still going strong. Controller 7 takes the Temptations and throws it in with the Young Folks beat and makes both sound Fresh. I think when you look at TSLOS's output as a whole its kind of like a mashup of artists and genres. Its like a cut and paste collage of artists who don't fit anywhere else. A mural of musical misfits and magicians marinating on the meticulous mysticism of a melodious mythopoetic montage.

OA: It's clear that Chicago hip hop is blowning up, but what are your thoughts on the Chicago electronic music scene?
RR: I just found out Miles Tillman is leaving town, Chicago electronic music is officially dead.
Chicago hip-hop is very strong and very diverse. My favorite producer in Chi City is probably PNS, and MC would be Juice or Sharkula. We had actually talked to Juice about doing a track, I'd like to make that happen. So many good artists here that really have built up their thing over the years like Molemen, Mass Hysteria, Matlock,Vakill, Thigahmahjiggee, Forest Face, etc. Too many dope MCs to put a lid on it, I feel like those who put in their time usually get better at their craft and what's happening in Chicago hip-hop right now is like the cream rising to the top.
TSLOS pretty much does their own thing, we don't get into beefing or any thug kind of action we're just the type of stay low-key do-your-own-thing artists.

The way Kanye, Kid Sister, Cool Kids and that whole scene blew up is kind of cool. They're kind of like the part of the city's music that is visible and then the rest is sort of subterranean by design.

PJ Sumroc is the next MC coming out on TSLOS, we're dropping a mixtape of his for free download before his 'PBR' album drops later this year.

OA: What's next for R-Rock and TSLOS?
RR: We're going to have to step up the podcasts and mixtapes because there is a glut of material in the can right now: my other projects Mormon Freegan, Remote Control Rockets, etc. and other people's music like Tenshun, PJ Sumroc....

TSLOS.com is setup mostly blogstyle so whenever anybody makes a new video or something we post it there. Its kind of like a digital art gallery where people can get music except we don't serve wine or cheese. Or like back in the day when mixes were made on cassettes and they sounded super grimy but that was the style, back when people had style.

Bonus Questions:
OA: Coffee? If yes, what type of coffee and where can you find the best cup?
RR: Yes. Intelligentsia or any independent coffee shop that isn't owned by Dr Evil.

OA: What was last great book you have read?
RR: Most recently Silent World by Jacques-Yves Cousteau. After I read all of Phillip K. Dick and Kurt Vonnegut's work I pretty much switched to non-fiction.

Listen to: The Negotiator (mp3) and Sanctuary (mp3)

For more infomation on Remote Control Frequencies or The Secret Sounds of Life check out their website.

Reader Meet Author

Stephanie Kuehnert

"The needle skipped and skittered for a few seconds until it found its groove, the first chord scratching its way through the speakers, a catchy chorus reverberating in my ears. Earthquakes. Rock gods."

Whenever two arts merge I get very excited. It could be a novel about about graffiti or a painting filled with letters and text, or it could be great cover art on a cd or book. However, two mediums that seem to be destined for each other are music and literature, and I am not just talking about song lyrics. Music seems to touch a writers soul a little deeper then others, and they are frequently compelled to write about this connection. They way they can honestly express the emotion and sound is magical, you can almost hear the tones as you read the page.


When I first found out about the debut novel of Chicago writer Stephanie Kuehnert from fellow writer Robert Duffer, I knew I had to have her on Orange Alert. Not only is she telling compelling tales of growing up in Chicago, but she is writing about music. No, she is not writing about classical music and chamber orchestras, she is writing about Punk Rock! Raw and in your face, she is utilize a sound and attitude and style that was and continues to be the backbone of a culture of rebellion. I say rebellion, but in their rebellion from authority a tight community was born.


I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone comes out on MTV Books this Tuesday (July 8th), and I could not be happier to have the chance to talk with Stephanie about the book, YA fiction in general, and what lies ahead for this Chicago writer.

Orange Alert (OA): Your debut novel, I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, comes out this month, what can you tell about this novel?
Stephanie Kuehnert (SK): It’s a book about punk rock. It’s about the Midwest and mothers and daughters and the deepest kind of friendship. It’s about following your dreams and running from your nightmares. The more specific, back jacket copy description is:
A raw, edgy, emotional novel about growing up punk and living to tell.
The Clash. Social Distortion. Dead Kennedys. Patti Smith. The Ramones.

Punk rock is in Emily Black’s blood. Her mother, Louisa, hit the road to follow the incendiary music scene when Emily was four months old and never came back.
Now Emily’s all grown up with a punk band of her own, determined to find the tune that will bring her mother home. Because if Louisa really is following the music, shouldn’t it lead her right back to Emily?

OA: This novel is being classified as YA (Young Adult), did you set out to write a YA novel? This is a growing genre do you intend to continue writing for that audience?
SK: I didn’t set out to write a YA. I set out to write the kind of book that I would have loved at sixteen and now at 28 and later in life, too. My agent shopped this book as an adult book for a year. When it didn’t sell, she told me that she was gonna shop it as a YA. I said, “That’s fine, but what about the sex, the drugs, the swearing, and the darker aspects of the book? I won’t censor that stuff to sell it.” She promised I wouldn’t have to and I didn’t. It’s still basically the same book, except there used to be other adult perspectives in there besides Louisa’s, which I would have needed to take out anyway to focus the story. And some people are classifying it as an adult book, some as a YA. The MTV Books line is kinda weird like that, some of their books are definitely YA, some like Laura Wiess’s books and my book, they shelve in the adult section.

But I love YA right now. It’s basically all I’ve been reading for the past year. When she set out to pitch IWBYJR as a YA, my agent told me that YA was edgier now and she’s definitely right. When I was a teen, the only YA I read was Francesca Lia Block because, though she did it through fantasy/magical realism, she wrote about the gritty, real stuff that me and my friends were facing: eating disorders, sexual abuse, homophobia, etc. You didn’t see much of that in YA then, but now you do. Now it feels like some of the most honest books out there are YA. So yeah, I intend to continue to write for both mature teens and adults like I have been because those are the kind of stories I have to tell.

OA: Your next novel, Ballads of Suburbia, does not appear to be a YA novel. I think there is large group of readers out there in their late twenties who at one time (or still to this day) relate their experience to the movie Suburbia. Was that movie as much of an inspiration for this novel as your own experience in the Chicago Suburbs?
SK: I think Ballads is going to have a similar audience as IWBYJR, older teens and adults. The characters in Ballads are actually younger than in IWBYJR, which follows both an adult character, Louisa, and Emily from age 14 through 23. The Ballads characters range from 13 to 17, but the subject matter is definitely heavier than IWBYJR. So I’m actually going to be really interested to see who relates to which book the most.

And yes, yes, yes, the movie Suburbia is as much an inspiration for this novel as my own experiences, maybe even more so. Because that movie was about kids with difficult home lives who found a family among their friends and that is at the core of Ballads. And the kids in Ballads do the best they can to help each other out, just like in Suburbia, but in some cases they fail because they’re not adults and they really do need parents. I’m pretty nervous about how Ballads is going to be received. I’m afraid people are just gonna think I’m badmouthing my hometown (Oak Park) and that the book is autobiographical, which it is not. There are maybe two or three things in there that are true, like that I met my best friend while shoplifting at North Riverside Mall, but really I just chose Oak Park because I know the landscape and it’s a quintessential suburb in a lot of ways. The reason I wrote the book was to tell a story about kids raising themselves and to capture certain aspects about the teenage experience that I felt needed attention. Again, like with IWBYJR, I was writing the kind of book that I needed/wanted to read at 16, and yeah, I wanted to read a book like the movie Suburbia.

OA: You have a lot of experience writing DIY zines, do you feel that blogs are in anyway reducing the need or novelty of the underground culture? Have you seen a reduction in the amount of zines produced in the last ten years?
SK: Over the last ten years my zine experience has changed. Ten years ago (or maybe more like twelve) I was writing and reading riot grrrl zines and intensely personal zines, now I’m reading and submitting to lit zines and there are still plenty of those around even though there are many online, too. I know there are still riot grrrl zines and punk fanzines out there. I don’t see them as much, but that may be because I am out of the loop. However I wouldn’t doubt that there are less zines being produced physically rather than online. I hope some people still do it though because it’s fun. I used to love sitting around with three of my friends in high school cutting pictures out of magazines to use to make statements with in our zines. And figuring out ways to scam photocopies, that was cool, too. Of course the environmentalist in me says less paper usage is good…

But blogs and the internet have definitely changed our culture. They’ve made the underground a lot more visible, which I don’t have a problem with at all. I’m not one of those people who wants to keep the underground a big secret. I want whoever wants access to that to have access to it. I really enjoyed the kind of discovery process I had as a teenager, which was using the mainstream to discover the underground. Kurt Cobain would mention the Wipers and Bikini Kill in an interview and I admired him, so I’d go check out those bands, then I’d read their liner notes to discover more bands and so on. Now I guess that sort of search can be done through Google and Amazon recommendations, but it’s still a discovery process so that’s all that matters. And I was lucky because I lived near Chicago so I had access to underground stuff. What if we’d moved to South Dakota like my dad had wanted to at one point? If I felt out of place in Oak Park as a teen, how alone would I have felt there? That’s why I try to be really accessible online, especially for the kids in small towns who are looking for things they can’t find in their town.

OA: What is your impression of the Chicago literary scene? Is there one? Do you feel there is a growing community of quality writers in the area?
SK: I love the Chicago literary scene as much as I loved the Chicago punk scene in the early to mid-nineties. I see a lot of similarities between the two, like the energy, the sense of community, and the independent/D.I.Y. spirit. If people see something missing from literature, they don’t just complain about it, like “Oh mainstream publishing or literary journals don’t appreciate this,” they take the initiative and fill the void themselves by creating something. Like Featherproof Books. They are definitely my favorite indie press. I can’t even tell you how impressed by them I am, everything from their books to their approach for promotion. Genius. And we have amazing independent bookstores like Women and Children First and Quimby’s. We have a ton of great monthly reading events. In planning my book tour, I looked for reading series in other cities and except for San Francisco, no other city came close to the quality and quantity we have here. And they keep popping up in the most unique place. A friend of mine was sick of having to go to the North Side for everything, so she approached the owner of a café in North Riverside, the Tamale Hut Café. Tamales, BYOB, and readings, can you beat it?

And the reason why there’s room for all these reading series is because there is so much local talent. What’s also cool is we have such historically vibrant theater and music scenes as well and I think those scenes crossover with the literary scene. We’re a damn talented city, Chicago.

OA: What was your experience at Columbia like? Is Columbia playing a role in the scene as you see it?
SK: Columbia was amazing. That’s why I stayed on to get my MFA there when I finished my BA. It was such a supportive environment that allowed me the space to generate so much material. I really came into my own as a writer there. As a teenager, I thought writing was a really solitary thing, but you cannot get good at it without feedback from other writers and without listening to other people’s stories. Columbia is one of my biggest inspirations.

And yeah, maybe I’m biased, but I think they play a huge role in the scene. It’s a place where thousands of artists meet up. It’s like a big creative brain trust. So many cool collaborations come out of there and so much quality work.

OA: What's next for Stephanie Kuehnert?
SK: Well my best friend says she’s gonna learn to captain a ship so our dreams of piracy can be realized, but that might take awhile… In the meantime, lots of readings around Chicago and a jaunt to the West Coast to teach them about how great Chicago is. You can see all those events at www.stephaniekuehnert.com/gigs.html. I’m also trying out this event called Rock ‘n’ Read in L.A., which I hope to bring to Chicago this fall and you can find out about that at www.rocknread.net. Then I have to revise Ballads and then hopefully I’ll have more time to focus on new stuff because I have two great story ideas battling for my attention right now.

Bonus Questions:
OA: As a fellow Vegetarian (I know you are a Vegan), do you ever feel a need to express your beliefs in your writing? Where can we find the best Vegan food in Chicago?
SK: I only express my beliefs when it comes organically. I don’t set out to create characters with my belief system. Emily’s a meat eater, that’s what’s true to her character, so she is. But my feminist beliefs come out in IWBYJR because that’s organic to the story. However, in one of the new books I’m working on, one of the main characters will definitely be vegan because it suits her. She’s a teenage anarchist kind of character. So my vegan beliefs will probably come out there.

Chicago has lots of great vegan food, except someone needs to bring a vegan restaurant to Forest Park and the near western ‘burbs ASAP because we’re sorely lacking over here and instead I’m trekking into the Loop to go to Karyn’s or up North to go to the Chicago Diner or Pick Me Up or South to Soul Vegetarian.

OA: Music is clearly a major influence in your writing, and I love the streaming mix on your site for "Suburbia". Have you ever thought of including a physical mixtape in the with your novels? What would the mix for I Wanna Be You Joey Ramone sound like?
SK: Hell yeah that would be awesome to include a mixtape (or maybe CD because I might be one of the last people on earth who still has a working cassette player) with my novels. Now I just need to get enough clout with my publisher to suggest that…. But in the meantime, I do make mix CDs and I run contests on my website and have a street team who I reward with stuff like mix CDs. The mix CD I created for IWBYJR (you can stream this mix at her website) was this:

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Sleater-Kinney
Don't Take Me For Granted by Social Distortion
Mono by Courtney Love
Gimme Danger by Iggy & The Stooges
She's Lost Control by Joy Division
40 Boys In 40 Nights by The Donnas
Chemical Warfare by Dead Kennedys
Fuck And Run by Liz Phair
Wander Alone by Tiger Army
Death or Glory by The Clash
Ask The Angels by The Distillers
Mother by Babes In Toyland
I'm Not Dead by Pink
I Wanna Live by The Ramones
Rock & Roll Girl by The Muffs
New Wave by Against Me!
Kool Thing by Sonic Youth
Suddenly Cool by The Methadones
Another Shot Of Whisky by The Gits
Ragged Company by Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
Don't Turn Away by Face To Face
Land by Patti Smith

Some of these songs are mentioned in the book and the rest just suit the mood or the characters. What I wanna see though is other people’s soundtrack for the book. That might have to be an upcoming contest….

For more information on Stephanie Kuehnert please visit her website.

Artist of the Week

Brian Chasteen

At times I like to look back through the pages and posts of Orange Alert and marvel at the amount of chance connections and random sightings have turned into new discoveries and eventually good friendships. The greatest reward I can ever receive from putting all of this together each week is having an opportunity to meet and help someone who is as passionate about what they do as I am about what I am doing. Many of the people I feature here have been recommended to me or contact me or I have found through digging and searching through the farthest corners of the internet. However, I first saw the work of Brian Chasteen a few weeks ago while I was at The House Cafe to watch Yea Big & Kid Static. Rare and random, I grabbed a card and sent an e-mail.

Brian is from Genoa, and like many artists in the area is trying to use every angle available to find places to display his incredible work. I have yet to find that fresh new gallery in downtown St. Charles or Batavia or Elburn, seeking innovation and creativity. What I do find a lot of are antique shops and faux galleries selling prints of flowers and landscapes that were painted by no one at all. So until The Orange Alert Galleries are built artist like Brian will just have to continue asking coffee shops, concert venues, banks, doctors, or who ever will listen if they will display a piece or two.

Recently, Brian was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): How would you describe your work?

Brian Chasteen (BC): Abstract expression with out form or as some call it action painting. I paint from with in my soul. Strict emotions.

OA: Do you have a set color palette that you work with? Do you use color to evoke a particular emotion in the viewer?

BC: Sometimes, basically I use the primary colors. I use house hold paints. The colors mix them selves through the process in which I paint. Yes I do, but I leave my work to the viewer to arouse their own feelings that's why I don't name my work.

OA: How did you get involved with The House Cafe? Have you received any feedback about your work through them?

BC: I was getting a cup of coffee with a friend at The House Cafe, I just asked if I could show my work and the journey began there. The people of the House Cafe have been great, lots of feed back.

OA: Do you feel their are an adequate amount of outlets for Midwestern Artist? Does environment affect art?

BC: That all depends on your style of art. For the abstractest the answer is no. The environment does affect art. I paint from with in my self, from emotions. My surroundings are my source.

OA: There is talk about building an Artspace facility in Elgin. What your thoughts, as an artist in the Western Suburbs about this project. Does the area need a space like this for artists?

BC: I think it would be great, any type of facility to bring art and culture together is great.

OA: What's next for Brian Chasteen?

BC: I'm trying to get pick up by some gallery in the world. I have some other series I'm working on, bringing all the styles together in one.

Bonus Questions:
OA: Coffee? If yes, where can you find the best cup?

BC: Yes coffee ummmm so good. The House Cafe in Dekalb IL.

OA: Do you listen to music while you paint? Who are a few of your favorites?

BC: Yes, Classical and blues. Jakson Pollock and Cloo Potloot from Londerzeel, Belguim Her work so amazing full of emotion.

For information on Brian's work you can send him an e-mail.

New Release Tuesday

Music:

Alltruisms - Clusterbombs

Alkaline Trio - Agony & Irony

The Mood - Synaesthesia

DVD:

Drillbit Taylor

Vantage Point

The Orange Spotlight

Zygote '69' Flipbook Chap #1: Through These Eyes by C. Allen Rearick & The F**ker Inside by S.A. Griffin

"I ponder the scent of old, used books, pages tilled worn and sallow by dead fingerprints of former thought." - C. Allen Rearick

"Like drinking light beer or decaf/they often have little ability to stimulate inebriate of liberate the senses." - S.A. Griffin

Why read a poem? Of all of the things are to read, from newspapers to novels to magazines to blogs, what makes a poem worth reading? I have always been found of poems that have the ability to evoke emotions and in some way stimulate the senses or bring forth a distant memory or thought. What makes poetry special is that each word is carefully selected, and the language is so exact. The purpose is to capture a feeling, an image, an idea and allow the reader to quickly understand the essence of it all.

The idea of bring together two poets, two chapbooks and putting them back to back is very cool, and making it a flipbook is even cooler. The poems in this collection range from the simple observation to the honesty of love to raw and vulgar nature of man. Taken as a whole these two collections are very much night and day, and clash with every word. Yet, if you were to start with C. Allen's observations on life and love, with his vivid images of pets and bars, Woolworth's and bedroom, and then move slowly into the dark and seedy sub-conscious world Griffin's work you may be able to make a connection. C. Allen speaks in surface glances and looks to the world, the word, and the drink to relate to the reader. Griffin takes those readers locks into dirty motel room with stack of hardcore porn. It's a match made not in Heaven, but in a back alley behind a dumpster. This is collection liberates the senses and then moves onto to liberate so much more!


Ed Harcourt The Beautiful Lie (Dovecote Records, June 2008)

There are certain periods in your life when you are at you most productive. High school seems to be a prime time for sappy drama filled poetry and prose, the age of 23 seems to be a peak year for fresh creativity, and at 30 the artist seems to be focused, experienced and ready for his/her defining moment. At 30, musician Ed Harcourt has released his 5th studio album in six years. The Beautiful Lie finds Ed, the storyteller, spinning tales of experience, love, addiction, life, and politics. It finds him confident in his writing and music, and sharing his most mature effort with the world.

Recorded on an 8-track in his Grandmother's house using a piano made especially for her in 1917, the sound of this album echos with a genuine and classic sound. The sound was then moved to the studio for the addition of incredible effects. Switching frequently between ballads and stomping Cold War Kids-esque stompers, Beautiful Lie is a true and complete effort.

Whirlwind in D Minor/Visit From the Dead Dog/You Only Call Me When You're Drunk/The Last Cigarette/Shadowboxing/Late Night Partner/Revolution in the Heart (mp3)/Until Tomorrow Then/Scatterbraine/Rain on the Pretty Ones/The Pristine Claw/I Am The Drug/Braille/Good Friends are Hard to Find

Orange Alert Music Minute

The backbone of hip hop is the DJ, and one of the best DJ's of the late nineties was a man out of Boston named Fakts One. His beats and scratches played a big role in the early albums by Mr. Lif among other Boston emcees, and he was a member of The Perceptionist. His solo debut album, Long Range, was scheduled to be released just after the first Perceptionist album back in 2005. However, the label stalled and finally folded before the album could reach the shelves. A devastated Fakts completely abandoned his career, his music, and his friends. Finally, five years after its completion, Long Range will be released (July 22nd on Greenstreets Entertainment) EXACTLY how he had intended before quitting the business. The album has some of the best MC's around (Little Brother, Planet Asia, Boot Camp Clik as well as his brothers in The Perceptionists; Mr. Lif and Akrobatik) and as one would expect, the beats are that classic boombap sound, drenched with his own blood, sweat and tears. It's a shame it took so long for this to happen but as they say good things come to those who wait. Hopefully when Fakts hears all his years of hard work finally coming to light, he can sit back (wherever he is), smile and realize it was well worth the journey.

Listen to: "Grown Folks" f/Little Brother (mp3)

The first musician that I ever interviewed for Orange Alert was a young woman from the UK named Kathryn Bint. Better known as One Little Plane, at the time she only had a few songs recorded and more focused on performing and learning before officially stepping into the studio. That was in May of 2007, and now One Little Plane is ready soar with her debut album Until (out June 30th on Text Records).

Check out her appearance with Ed Harcourt (more on him tomorrow) on Welcome to our TV Show.

Listen to: The Sunshine Kid (mp3)

What is it that clicks inside a band that completely stops the rollercoaster that is their career. Through out their choppy past, Readymade Breakup has always seemed to be trying to hard to sound a certain way or present a certain style. They never quite made it to the level they wanted. However, on the latest effort which is due in July, Alice on the Vine, they employed a whole new philosophy, Less Thinking, More Feeling. The result is a collection of tracks full of life and emotion.

Here is the story... The start of 2007 saw the release of the band's debut, Isn't That What It's For?, which received critical praise for its lush pop textures and sweeping melancholy. Singer/songwriter Paul Rosevear, bassist G.E., and keyboardist Matt Jaworski recorded the album bit by bit throughout 2006 with friend and producer Arun Venkatesh. The music was quickly featured by big names like Dunkin Donuts and Turner Broadcasting, received constant radio spins on NY/NJ rock and college radio markets, as well as maintained steady internet presence on blogs and playlists throughout the year. However after touring in support of the album throughout the year - with new guitarist Jim Fitzgerald added to the line-up and the return of drummer Spicy O'Neil - the band knew it was time to make a record that captured the soul and spirit they felt making music together live. Armed with a laptop, a handful of microphones, and any instrument they could possibly get their hands on, the group said goodbye to their day jobs, friends, and social lives and rented a small house at the Jersey Shore. "We basically moved in together and wrote and recorded every day, 10 hours a day, for about 3 months, just spilling out whatever ideas came naturally," says Rosevear. "We're not engineers and none of us had ever done anything like this before. But we knew what felt great and that's what this whole thing was about. Forgetting everything except what feels right."

Listen to: Honey, You Might Be Right (mp3)

MP3 Round-Up! The inbox was flooded this week, so here is the run down...

Kid Dakota - Chutes + Ladders (mp3) from A Winner's Shadow (3/08)
C. Robin Madigan - To The Horizon (mp3)
These Modern Socks - Worry Free Lifestyle (mp3)
Murdocks - Spirit of '95 (mp3)
Computer vs Banjo - Magazine Queen (Ninja Simone Remix) (mp3)
Ivan Colon - Gabriel (mp3)
Duchess - Ccut Up (mp3)



Brian Coates moves to New York in 2004 where the music/art project that is to become The Great Northwest commences. It grows to involve over 20 people including Portland ex-pats Noah and Nathan Rice (the Christopher Twins), Josh Kalberg, and Dale Winston. After a year+ in NYC, Brian's wanderlust leads him west to California. At his friend Armando's house in Fresno, a musical beacon was sounded. Joe Kaczmarerk, Brent Fellows, Courtney Taylor Taylor, Brent DeBoer, Ray Gordon, Sean "Gothman" Addams, Poopy Simons, Louise Fenton, and a load of new friends converge for a blowout of a party. Brian Richburg, owner of Studio 9 in Fresno makes them a deal for studio time and recording begins. More than an album's worth of music is made. Brian, working with Dead Meadow, ends up in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of our nation's capital in 2006. Douglas and Mike from Kora meet up with him at a bar in their mutual 'hood to hear some unmixed MP3s on his laptop, leave awe-struck and sign him straight away to put out an LP. During a summer pitstop in Portland, with longtime bandmate Randall Crush, the songs receive mixing treatment at The Dandy Warhols' Odditorium with mastering back east by TJ Lipple (Aloha) at Silver Sonya in Arlington, VA.

The 13 track album brims over with lush soundscapes and ambient modulations. Pop melodies and slowcore pacing coalesce seamlessly throughout the record. Lavish and haunting vocals woven with Brian's savvy wordplay complete the sonically induced mind altering experience. After the mixing session, Coates said tenderly, "there's guitar, there's bass, there's drums, there's trombone, there's Leslie speakers, practice amps, Jew's Harps, drum loops, tambourines, ebows, harmonicas and pie tins. There's thought... there's love."

Listen to: Chief John (mp3)

The Peel Back: DJ Spooky vs Scanner The Quick and The Dead (Sulfur Records Feb. 2000)

The first installment of the Meld Series, this album has always fascinated me. Bringing together two of the most innovative and intelligent producers in electronic music can only result in a hauntingly beautiful album. Dj Spooky brings the off-beat and distorted hip hop, illbient groove, and Scanner twists the most obscure knobs available. Together the advance all forms of music into onto a completely new planet. From the raw scratches and samples of "Uncanny" to grace and electro-beauty of "Guanxi" these two fit together perfectly.

Journey/Edison/Uncanny (mp3)/Ngugi/Dialogic/Channel Float/Kybernetes/Guanxi (mp3) /Synchronism 2/Heterotopian/Snowshore/Synchronism/Creaking Door

The Watch List

Listening:
1. The Death Set: Electro-punk in all of its glory! These guys are playing a free show @ The Hideout with Matt & Kim on July 3rd. Listen to: Negative Thinking (mp3)
2. The Dutchess & The Duke: She's the Dutchess (Kimberly Morrison) and he is the Duke (Jesse Lortz) and together they make off-kilter lo-fi folk. Listen to: Reservior Park (mp3)
3. Andy Dale Petty: Only 21 years-old, the trainer (he rides the rails and sings his songs) just released his debut album on Voodoo Rythm Records. King Kahn has this to say about his music, "People like Andy Dale make America the beautiful nightmare that it is." Listen to: The Coo Coo Bird (mp3)

Reading:
1. Gel by Zosimo Quibilan, Jr.: Just your average story about hair gel. Appearance is everything you know.
2. Truimph Outright by Kyle Beachy: A story about writing a letter.
3. For Me by Errid Farland: A little naughty, but well written and enjoyable.
4. A nice review of Jeremy Shipp's Vacation by Caleb Ross: This review is good, but I don't know if any review can do this book justice. You really have to read it.
5. Simulacrum by Adam Moorad: The main character is name "The White Man" and that makes me smile.
6. Out of the Cupboard # 10 with Ben Barton: I will like this new segment over at Gloom Cupboard. Richard is running a series of poems the the poet and then a small interview. It is really a quality idea.
7. On the floor the women by L. Ward Abel: The latest installment from the most wonderful zine on the planet!

Wishing:
1. Stok : There is nothing worse for an addict then to open the cabinet and find the can of coffee bare. Yet, last week that is what occurred. Frantic, I ran out the house and stopped, in a hurry, and 7-11 (oh, thank Heaven!). I drink my coffee black and from where I can find it hot and cheap. However, I glance down at the colorful creamers, and there is a name I do not recognize. STOK... "Black Coffee Shot". What? "40mg caffeine" Yeah! "Limit 2 per day". I pour two in my coffee and grab a handful for the road. Oh, I was flying!
2. Fifty Designers' Current Favourite Typefaces: Not only is this a cool looking book, but 100% of the proceeds go to UNICEF's Myanmar (Burma) Cyclone Children's Appeal in the wake of Cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar on 2nd May 2008.
3. Soul Vegetarian: I spent the day among the crowds at "The Taste" yesterday and sampled many great Vegetarian dishes, but my favorite (aside from the Tiramisu Gelato) was the BBQ at Soul Vegetarian.

Getting:
1. 'Billy Mays Full-Color Art Mask': If you are into infomercials then you may recognize Billy Mays. He has sold everything from Oxiclean to Mighty Putty. Now you can look just like him!
2. Free Barack Obama Campaign Poster : One thing was clear to me at "The Taste" this year... Chicago support Obama. I am not really surprised, but if you are one of those supporters here is a free poster to give you "Hope".
3. Popdeck Comp: Speaking of voting, its your right to vote for William Bryant's board design in this new competition.

Watching:
1. The Dreadful Yawns "Catskill": This is one of favorite albums right now, Take Shape, will be released on August 26th via Exit Stencil Records.

2. Sunny Day Sets Fire Video Series: With one video to be released every week for the next seven weeks, each video showcases the director's interpretation of a different song off of Summer Palace, SDSF is preparing for a major launch!
3. Virtual Ball Pit by Kevin Atkinson
4. Hamster Reads Tao Lin's Eeeee Eee Eeee

Band of the Week

Alltruisms

"What I say don't mean as much as what I do..."

In order to speak on the issues of the world and our government you must first see and experience the alternative. There is no way to comprehend freedom and all of its responsibilities without first traveling to other countries. After you have experienced life in Southeast Asia or Ecuador then you can write about solution, adventure, justice, and unknown sexually transmitted diseases. You can write your hidden gem, a clusterbomb, brightly colored and waiting to explode.

Chicago emcee Alltruisms, member of the Giraffe Nuts crew, has traveled world and written his debut album in various countries and in various states of mind. On Clusterbombs (Gravel Records, July 1st), he has reached out to the Chicago hip hop community found some of the top producers in the business. With tracks produced by Chicago's Earmint, Maker, K-Kruz, 5th Element, and Kaz1 as well as New York's J-Zone and Ohio's Dj PRZM (who passed away just over a year ago from a heart condition), Alltru's debut is not short on beats. With such a wide range of producers you might expect to hear a lack of connection between tracks, but he pulls it a together with his tight rhymes. Their is also an overwhelming sense of jazz on this album, especially in Maker's "Rocket's Red Glare". Horns and beats, guitar and scratches, Clusterbombs is a Chicago classic in waiting.

Recently, Alltruisms was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): Clusterbombs is your debut album, but you are not a newcomer. How long have you been working on Clusterbombs? Is there an overall theme to the album?
Alltruisms (AT): I was traveling in Southeast Asia and New Zealand from Feb. 2005 through May 2006. 5 of the songs existed before that trip, but they were rewritten and rerecorded after I came back. All the other songs were written between May 06 and December 07, when I finished the album and left to travel in Ecuador. As far as theme, the title theme is the similarity between Cluster bombs and rappers. Think of the slang, they "drop", many at once, and need "spins" to be able to "blow up" upon release. Some do, but many don't, and sit there, waiting to be "picked up" by an unsuspecting child in a field in Laos, or a music fan in a record store in Chicago. I wrote 2 title tracks, one is specifically about the munitions, Laos, and the places I visited, and the other expands on this comparison. As for a theme of the album, it follows my back and forth of traveling and returning, juxtaposing the stories and concerns I have in those 2 different situations.

OA: Gary G. of Fourty/4/Media has made another incredible cover. How did choose 44 and were you happy with the results and 44 in general?
AT: Verbal Kent put me into contact with Gary. Gary also did the artwork for VK's new album "Fist Shaking". I'm extremely happy with how the art came out. I had the idea in my head to show a person standing in a deserted field with bombs and records. And I had the bombshell logo in mind. But I'm not a visual artist, so Gary brought it all to life far beyond what I imagined.

OA: You have enlisted some of the top production talent in the city with Maker, Kaz1, K-Kruz, Earmint, 5th Element, J-Zone (New York), and Overflo, and it gives the album a very eclectic feel. Why did you decide to have different tracks produced by different people as opposed to just one one beat creator?
AT: It's just really difficult to find an album's worth of beats that I like from any one producer. Also, having one producer do an entire album risks monotony. At the same time, having many producers risks an album that doesn't sound cohesive, but I trust my skills as an arranger...The process is an assembly line, I want to get as many beats as I like ASAP so I can immediately make songs out of those beats. And it's unlikely that one producer will have 6 available beats that I like right now, but more likely that 4 producers will each have a beat or 2.




OA: Speaking of Chicago Hip Hop, it seems like a clusterbomb itself, all of this quality music dropping all at once. What are your thoughts on the Chicago scene? Do you think this success of Lupe Fiasco, Cool Kids, Kid Sister, Kayne, etc will help you in anyway (even though they are making hipster rap)?
AT: It's interesting that you describe those artists as hipster rap. I think that a lot of music fans who would be demographed as hipsters, people who pride themselves on exotic and eclectic music tastes, are really pretty conservative in the type of hip hop they're willing to listen to. It's either the type of people you listed, or it's Clipse and coke rap, or it's stuff from '95 or earlier. Hopefully that will expand with time... I would describe the people you listed as pop music first and foremost. There is rapping on it, but we've long passed the point where there can't be rapping on a pop song. And I think pop music is, by definition, something for a lower common denominator of people, where more people may like it, but the people in that mass don't have as intense of a connection with the music, except maybe the 12-year olds. I see how people are excited by something that image-wise, and sonically, seems different than boring mainstream rap. But to me, content-wise, I don't see how Kid Sister and the Cool Kids talking about nails and low rider bikes is very different from mainstream rap or R&B songs about clothes and cars. Kanye is still saying "wait till I get my money right," and even Lupe's old music was about guns, drugs and hos... Will these groups' success help me? It will if lots of people read and hear my name next to theirs. You're doing your part, thanks for that.

OA: How did you first get involved with Giraffe Nuts? What's next for the group?
AT: I can't really talk about how I got involved with GN, as the statute of limitations hasn't run out yet. I've been continuing to break in to the Adler Sanitarium to meet with "Dr." Murphy and the group, and work on the GN sequel. It's called "Debbie Travis: she's dead", although you wouldn't know it by the ongoing conversations Robert Travis continues to have with her.

OA: After you finished the album you traveled to Colombia. What was that like, and has that experience affected your music in anyway?
AT: It's affected my music because it's reinforced the view I have on my album, that hip hop, and American popular culture in general, are artforms that the whole world wants to take part in. I also love Cumbia music now.

One story that sticks with me...I have a Colombian friend here, and he put me in contact with his friend, who teaches 9th graders English in a public school in Medellin (ex Pablo Escobar). So I go to this 9th grade English class so the kids can have someone to practice English with. Of course they had no interest in that, but I speak some Spanish so I told them to ask me any questions they might have about anything. Their first 3 questions were "what's the image of Colombia in the U.S.?" "What do People in the U.S. Think about the potential free trade agreement with Colombia?" and after the teacher told them to ask a less political question, "how has racism affected you?" And then they said they liked the Wu Tang hat I was wearing

I was actually in Ecuador for 3 and a half months, and in Colombia for only 17 days. I crossed from Ecuador to Colombia soon after the incident where the Colombian army killed the #2 of the FARC (the main left-wing Guerrilla army in Colombia), at his hideout which was in Ecuadorian territory. So there was a whole brouhaha, diplomatic relations temporarily suspended. But as a tourist there it's very normal, although some places are off-limits. I spoke enough Spanish to be able to shrug off the policemen who wanted a bribe from me for not carrying my passport .

OA: What's next for Alltruisms?
AT: I'm currently working on my next album, which will be called "Travel VS. Rap", and I intend to have it finished before leaving again. Also in the works are the GN sequel, and a project by The Unhappyest, which includes myself, Verbal Kent, Rusty Chains and Lance Ambu. I plan to travel abroad again in October when my job ends, possibly through Mexico and Central America, keep improving my Spanish. But those plans might change if I have a lot going on musically, we'll see.

Bonus Questions:
OA: If you drink coffee, what was the coffee like in Colombia?
AT: It's spectacular. Juan Valdez (the man from the commercials) is the Colombian version of starbucks, good coffee there. And in Colombia, anywhere there's people there's micro-capitalism, and there are many people on the street selling tinto (coffee) out of thermoses. it's poured into 4 ounce plastic cups, costs about 15 cents, and always has a lot of sugar, no milk.

OA: Top 5 emcee's of all-time? (I know it's a tough one!)
AT: Funny you should ask, I've actually had this in my head for a long time
5: Rakim – He single-handily advanced the art of rapping more than anyone else
4: Nas - the ultimate street poet, he blows my mind to this day
3: Biggie - the most charismatic emcee ever, it's not even close
2: Ghostface - he made it allowable for rappers to force listeners to work a little to get it
1: Ice Cube ('93 and earlier) – A true SONGWRITER who described his life and environment in its full range of emotions

Listen to: Nine-Digit # (mp3) and Blindfolded (mp3) and The Bird's and The Bees (mp3)

For more information on Alltruisms please visit his website. If you pre-order Clusterbombs here before July 1st you will receive an instrumental version of the album for free (it's only $8.99!!). Also, you can stream the album here.

Reader Meet Author

Stephen Morse

The image of the cowboy, rough and rugged, roaming through prairies, and riding down dusty mountains with guns blazing, is a long standing image in American history. Terms like renegade and rebel swirl as the average American's perception of freedom is born. So how does the image of the cowboy translate to the poet? On so many levels, the poet is the outlaw, the rebel voice refusing to sit silent and watch the world go by. The poet captures words and thoughts and corals them onto a single white page. They roam the fringe and rarely find the acceptance they deserve.

Minnesota poet Stephen Morse has long been a pivotal voice in the small press and an outlaw poet. Not only has he created a lifetime's worth of words, but he has also given a home and a voice to many aspiring poets. As the founder of Juice Magazine back in the '70's he has published some of the best underground poets over the years, and continues to seek out the voices hiding just below the surface. He has embraced the image and temperment of the cowboy, and to this day he continues to explore the unknown lands and unexplored boundaries of the written word.


Recently, Stephen was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): Having been a viable force in the small press for the last forty years, what is the biggest difference in the small press today, as compared to when you published your first piece?
Stephen Morse (SM): The biggest difference I notice today is in the ability of the small press to distribute their publications.

When we started Juice we were taking advantage of a technology ---The AB Dick and Paper Plates--- that made printing cheap and gave us a chance to publish (in black and white) a decent looking product; saddle stitched with good cover stock and the ability to use camera ready graphics at no extra cost. Graphics yea!

And we thrived with talented poets because we were plugged in to other publishers like Hitchcock at Kayak who was more than happy to put a little notice about Juice in his outgoing mail, which included their acceptance and rejection mail. It was all postal of course. We exchanged the favor. So, there was no problem right from the beginning getting quality work.

Hitchcock was probably the best known independent publish for poetry at the time. There weren't any lists of small publishers at the time. It all grew out of networking. Later Dustbooks put together some helpful directories, but poets were desperately seeking publishers willing to take a risk, so any new magazine was immediately inundated by the power of word of mouth sharing. I sold a list of magazines and editors that I knew were willing and able to publish poetry that they liked for a buck. I think there were 50 that I recommended. Amazing how many takers there were. It helped pay for some of the costs.

But distribution was the stumbling block. There were a few stores that would take them on consignment, a number of libraries that would subscribe, and a few individual subscribers. But mostly we gave them away to get them out there..The web has changed all that. The word of mouth is now multiplied by any mouth that wants to speak. There are networking organizations like my space, I have a website, a couple of blogs and a discussion forum and easily reach thousands of people a day, and there are people who care enough to contribute financially to help cover our costs.

Many of the publications are online only, and the quality is erratic, but democratic. There's poetry out there for every taste...some of it seems good. Some of it is weird. But that is what the small press is all about. There are people who care enough to do something. They do the best they can, and they are independent as hell. That part hasn't changed at all.

OA: As a poet who has been published both in print and on-line, and as the editor of Juice On-line, do you feel being published on-line has the same legitimacy as print journals?
SM: That's a good question. Or at least a good question to get out of the way. The purpose for publishing a poem for me was that it preserved a poem or a poet's work by publishing it and getting it out to the public. I like print. I like to look at poems in a book. It's portable, I can pass it around. I can sell my books when I read my poetry. The printed product can be signed and become a collectors item.

But I've never received much feedback from printed work. People tend to set it on a shelf and forget about it. They may have some thoughts about a poem, but there's no easy way to hunt the poet down and give them to him or her. After awhile I became tired of the ego game of having a book. I'm guessing that maybe three or four hundred people read the poems in the print versions. I know none of them ever reacted or responded.

Compare that to online and you get a different picture. I know that about 50 people a day read the work on Juice online, most of them are new people, that's about 36,000 readers a year or about 900 times more readers for the poems. Now, since my objective is to preserve and promote poets and their poetry, I'd have to say that online poetry is a much more effective tool, and I can do a lot more with it. Straight online bothered me though because it lacked the tangible, hold it in the hand quality which is very satisfying. So we do something a little different. We put the online on CD at the end of every year, and all contributors receive a copy. This they can pass around and share with their friends and family.

Back to the legitimacy issue which has to to do with reputations, status, and ranks in the world of literature. Given the current state of affairs where anyone can publish a book, mag, or whatever on LuLu for no cost, I'd have to say that print has lost a lot of the built in legitimacy that it had. It really matters more who the editor and publishers are...if you want to play that game. I'd say that the same is true of online publications, but I feel they must create a CD or other storage device to really be in the same league. There are some very strong online mags who are very worthwhile being published in because the right people read them.

So online, print, in terms of legitimacy, are about the same for me as media. But it's the content that makes or breaks them.

OA: In your opinion, is poetry a product? If so, how can we make it more marketable? Is the ultimate role of a poem to be bought and sold?
SM: Poetry is a process, a way of seeing and way of being that produces a product. Just as a piece of Art is a product.

I see a couple of good marketing approaches going on right now. The most common method of marketing is to market the poet, not the poetry. Ginsberg, Kerouac, Snyder, Bukowski, S. Plath, Raindog, and even I to a certain extent are known as much by our created identities as we are by our poetry. I know a lot Kerouac fans that haven't even read Kerouac. But they like who he was. Create an artistic persona and promote him/her. Sells a lot of books.

The second method I see involves more around product. Michele McDannold is the most innovative I've seen of this school. She creates products to contain the poetry, reminiscent really of Emily Dickinson's packets of poems that she tied together with ribbons and threw out the window for passersby. Michelle takes the packet concept even farther. Her most recent project involves a cigar box, a match book, and well we'll have to wait and see what she does with my dozen crow poem chapbook. This method of marketing puts the emphasis back on the poem as a product or a production. I really like it.

No, the selling of a poem is not a role of poetry, at least not for money. Most poets would not mind the money, but few write for it. The ones who make the most money are sadly not the ones who write the best poetry.

OA: Growing up with and running in the same circles as the West Coast beat poets, was there a feeling at the time that something significant was taking place? Was there anyway to know the legacy or legend would be what it is today?
SM: Yeah, we knew we were doing something. Something with energy and a worldwide synchronicity. It felt like the American Revolution must have to us and the world. It just seemed to be a massing of the collective consciousness. The time was right for something new. We saw ourselves as revolutionaries of sorts. Poetry, the Arts and Music, and all the other arts and crafts were all magic and the groundwork for a new way of being.

An alternative life style was possible, based on art and love. We competed like crazy in ways that weren't destructive and there weren't really winners, just some people that didn't get it. See if you're doing something that isn't practical, I.e.; making lots of money or providing for the material world in the world in some way that accumulates the respect of gaining things that your neighbor has, then what use is it? The straights and hips were in an unprecedented conflict and we loved it. We could do our thing as long as we didn't hurt anyone directly and it probably looked like fun.

This freedom and the new cheap technologies for printing created a creative fire storm of possibilities.

Every poet had a press, or access to one. Many of us; many of the best poets, created their own magazine or publishing houses. It wasn't about ego. It was about poetry. Though there was plenty of ego swaggering about. Very human, we were all very human coyotes, with all the good and bad stuff that implies. We took our poetry and other poets very seriously and tried to do the best writing and editing that we could as creatively as we could and we weren't always gentle.

We had no doubt that many involved would be considered ground breakers and influences. Even then some were rising to the top level of public consciousness. Many are just now beginning now to be recognized as important poets. I think the poets that are still involved, the true independent writing and publishing poets are blossoming and will ultimately be seen as more significant than the branch of poetry that now is seen as mainstream and important. These coyotes are independent but they still sing and chase through the moonlit nights howling and singing. The American poets.

Don't be surprised if they sometimes stampede the herds.

OA: I have heard you describe Bukowski as an onion, layered but lacking in substance. Why do you think so many young writers today credit him as a major influence?
SM: Bukowski was one of the early poets to recognize that in order to succeed he had to create a persona and make himself a hero that the young rebels could relate to. He was an alcoholic, a very articulate alcoholic with a kind of hermit streak. The classic ingredients for a dirty old man; throw in his muse, the race track and its colorful characters and you have a very attractive image as this old outlaw telling it like it is. Bukowski always made himself the hero in all of his writing.

He worked hard and his craft was good. He could write a straightforward sentence. He could capture a good tone and a knack for a nice turn of phrase. His tone is easy to capture and seems easy, so I guess the combination of rebel and plain speaking (seemingly uneducated, but that's a bit of a myth) make him a great pied piper for the young. They'd rather be poets than people who write poetry. He makes it a life role.

OA: Has teaching poetry changed the way you look at your own writing and writing in general? What is one thing you have learned from your students?
SM: Teaching in general has changed the way I look at a lot of things. For one thing I've been obligated to really read some of the people that I was exposed to as a student and make an effort to explain to students who these people and what they were doing.

I think T.S. Eliot was the biggest revelation to me in my teaching. I used to have problems with Eliot, thought he was too intellectual in an academic way. I learned what I had to learn to pass tests, but had never really given his poetry a chance. Didn't want to like him, because that's not the way I wanted to write, I don't want to learn all that mythology. Why would anyone read someone who footnoted his own poetry because he was afraid that people wouldn't get it otherwise?

I still think the footnotes are distracting, but I fell in love the Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. I think it is one of the greatest poems I have ever read about what it feels like to be an older poet/artist with enough success to be studied, analyzed and pinned against the academic walls of dissection. Already I have had intelligent and attractive people talk about what a poem means, and I think of Prufrock “that is not it, that is not it all.” It makes me smile that kind of sardonic smile of I get it.

Students also make me aware that poetry has little general relevance for the general population. They don't get it. They don't get why we read it or write it. They can't get past Whitman's homoerotic poetry. They find him dull. Sylvia Plath's suicide does touch them. But aside from Daddy, most or her poems leave them blank.

I also discovered that if I made them write some exercise poems, that they often produced some fun stuff, and enjoyed the process. So the process of poetry is more appealing than the products of other poets. I found that after they wrote a couple of their own that I was more able to interest them in reading the works of others, and by the time they get to Bukowski, they are ready to become rebels.

Still not ready to read much beyond that.

What I know is that the way literature is traditionally taught by academia destroys poetry for most students because it doesn't do much with process and how it feels to write a poem.

OA: I know you are a fan of folk music, do you believe there is a connection between music and poetry?
SM: In the sense that sound is an important part of both and they're always borrowing from each other, yes there is a connection that goes back to the beginning of poetry the rhythms and melodies of song that allowed the bard to remember the details and words of their songs.

This sense of story and tone is strongest in the type of music that I like. Like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and countless blues men, the real country singers Hank Williams...and too many to mention. I guess it could be called folk music because it isn't the high art of classical music or the gimmicky highly stylized versions of what passes for music in the pop world. Even there, the story, the narrative is what drives a good song. And rhythm and rime still drive many a song and its lyrics.

Many of the free verse poets of today are so afraid of seeming old fashioned that they shun rhyme, don't get rhythm, meter, form, style or sound of words at all. It's chopped up prose with fancy smilies and stretched metaphors. Or often its just beautiful words dancing like pigs in skirts of traditional gowns. My how lovely the air burns in thine nostrils, fair maiden of curly tail. I imagine the ecstasy of knowing your secret parts in some darkened corner of the mystical night.

I think all the Arts are related and share some of the processes and tones that make magic.

OA: What's next for Stephen Morse?
SM: God, I wish I knew. I intend to continue doing what I have always enjoyed, writing reading, talking about and sharing poetry. One project that I would love to see finished in the near future involves a book of poetry that Judy L. Brekke and I have been working on since we met back in 1975; It's called places that linger. It's a collection of work that reflects our life together and the parts and paths that lead to there. It's a type of autobiography of what it's like to be alive together. We've never done things the easy way and I think we'd both like it if a good editor magically appeared, gathered up all our work and put it together with a sense of narrative and how the parts fit together and how sometimes they don't, then published it. I don't mind publishing Judy or Myself, but somehow it would be more of an affirmation of being worthwhile if someone else did it.

I guess we'll just continue our way through life singing and howling with those who care.

For more information on Stephen Morse visit his blog or check out his myspace page. Also be sure to check out Juice Online.

Artist of the Week

Constance K.

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." - Ansel Adams

I imagine this could be said about any art form, but with a photograph perception plays a major role. The viewer is asked to look deep into the eyes of the subject and in a way put themselves into the image. The viewer can repeatedly search the image and find their own meaning and thought. The photographer is charged with the mission of controlling nature, and roping in images that show emotion and energy. It is the eye of the photographer that can trigger the connection between the viewer and subject and themselves all at once.

Chicago's Constance K. may claim that it is a case of right place at the right time, but it is clear when you look at her photos that she has that eye. She has the ability to capture a moment, a look, a sense of joy or style, or whatever she sees. Gaining some recent notoriety through her relationship with the hip hop duo The Cool Kids, she has build upon this success and found a home in Chicago's hip hop underground. Yet her every growing portfolio spans the spectrum from innocence to humorous to the structure and glamor of fashion. She is sharing her unique vision of Chicago with the world, and having a great time in the process.

Recently, Constance was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): Let start with the hardest question first, what do you look for in a shot (i.e. lighting, setting, natural or prosed, etc)?
Constance K. (CK): I look for character in my surroundings and depending on the individual I will choreograph them to be as natural as can be however some staged expressions work...I feel when you are in natural light you are at your most natural state.. the sun is shining on you, and your soul shines through!

OA: What is the best location in the city to take pictures?
CK: Hmmm if I disclose that it won't be the best...those places where you find yourself alone give me the most inspiration...but if I must say it has to be anywhere on the shore...Almost every person I have photographed there felt something and was able to convey that through they're eyes. If your eyes don't look interested then it must not be an interesting place.




OA: Do you prefer black & white vs. color? Do you feel black & white offers a more artistic feel? CK: I love both...it just depends on the subject and how it makes you feel...a colleague of mine suggested that all photos of children be in color...and I asked why..he told me that they are true and honest in color...and I realized he knows what he's talking about...because he is also my web designer...so I trust his opinion. You know if you feel that your composition will be more flattering in a certain color or tone..you have to trust your instinct.




OA: How did you get involved with Chicago's hip hop scene? Are you surprised at all by the success of The Cool Kids? Has there success helped you in anyway?
CK: There is this saying...the right place the right time...that's me and The Cool Kids...when they started I was there...we grew together and I most certainly believe they are successful because they are talented charming young men that had hope and with that hope comes success. So I am not surprised but proud and happy that my friends are creative individuals that make kids all over the world happy...and I think that's all they wanted to do. I wouldn't be exactly where I am without them and vice a versa... My affiliation with them has definitely opened the doors for me to meet and work with other wonderful talent here in Chicago that I may not have had the opportunity to.

OA: Do you feel Chicago offers enough gallery space to photographers? Do you look to show you work in galleries or are you more focused in other areas?

CK: I honestly do not know because I am not looking for a space to show...someday I would like to...but in order for me to do that I must feel I have a complete story to show and I am in the process of doing that.

OA: What's next for Constance K.?

CK: Good question...let me know when you find out!

Bonus Questions:
OA: Coffee? If yes, where can you find the best cup in Chicago?

CK: Coffee...YES and you don't know anything until you have had a Frappe...which is Greek iced coffee. go to Cafe Iguana-Grand and Halsted....order one sweet with milk!

OA: We know you photograph hip hop artists, but what type of music do you enjoy personally? CK: The kids on the streets call me dancing machine or dancing queen...so my music of choice is disco and funk!

For more information on Constance K. please visit her website.

New Release Tuesday

Music:

Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum End Listen to: Gobbledigook (mp3) (stream)
Less Than Jake - GNV FLA Listen to: Does the Lion City Still Roar? (mp3)

Babyshambles - Oh What a Lovely Tour
Be Your Own Pet - Get Damaged Ep
J-Live - The Upgrade/The Understanding
Shining - IV : The Eerie Cold
Vast Aire - Dueces Wild

DVD:

10,000 B.C.

Charlie Bartlett

Definitely, Maybe

The Spiderwick Chronicles

Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten

Paint the Town Orange

June 21st, 2008 - DeKalb, IL - The House Cafe - Cotton Jones Basket Ride w/ Venna, Boreu, Boreu, and Sleepy Sleepy Octopus

I have had this one on my calander for a long time, and finally I had the opportunity to traval to DeKalb and catch two of my favorite bands Venna and Cotton Jones Basket Ride. Having formed an e-mail relationship with both bands it was fun to actually meet Heather and Marky Hladish, and Michael Nau. We arrived with plenty of time to set out a few copies of Orange Pulp, meet Venna, and have a delicious 3 cheese pizza.

The first band went on 40 minutes late, but they were rather impressive. Boreu, Boreu are from Batavia, and they consist of two girls and two boys and both Bobby Lowe and Taylor Ochoa sang. It was a fun set that included a Wilco cover. They said they had a free four song demo, but forgot to bring them along. However, you can listen to their stuff here.

Seated in chairs across the stage, Venna eased into their set with the hushed and familiar sounds of "Eulogy". Next they picked up the pace a bit with Common Knowledge, one of my favorite tracks from their debut ep (Common Cloud Records)

The stage was filled with instruments including a mandolin, bongos, xylophone, and acordian. This was truly the full Venna experience. They continued to play other amazing tracks from the ep, and then announced a 'fairly new' song. Marky grabbed Heather's mic and proceeded to sing. Heather joined in later, and the contrast of Marky's voice was a great addition. Closing with 'Papers' the set was brief, but beautiful and warm. Heather was feeling a little under the weather and returned to the merch table to sell her handmade goods.

It was nearly a year ago that I first saw Venna open for Page France. Tonight Cotton Jones Basket Ride takes the stage. Mantaining an insane tour schedule the band seems a little sleepy at first, but becomes completely taken over by the music.

Opening their set with the ominous "Gone The Bells" and moving forward through "Chewing Gum" and "Midnight Monday". I love their bluesy sound, but an observation is quickly made.

There is clearly a progression in the writing and sound of lead singer Michael Nau. His work with Cotton Jones is much darker in both lyric and melody. The set included many of the songs included on The Cotton Jones new ep The Archery. It was a great distraction from the extremely loud talking girl at the table next to mine.

The Orange Spotlight

Chris Killen Paul Simon (Self-Released, April 2008)

"Paul Simon feels sick with worry. He tries to listen to the son 'Our Way to Fall' by Yo La Tengo, but whereas before it suited his feelings (nostalgia, failed love affair, small quite feeling, sadness, longing), now it feels kind of mocking."

How freeing is it to write a story, post a message on your blog, print 50 copies and mail them around the world. The benefit and feedback are almost immediate, and the ability to print more is always available. So the question that will ultimately be raised is, is this a legitimate chapbook?
The answer is up to you, but in my opinion I believe it is. The focus is on the writing and not the presentation or the publisher or anything but the story.




The of story Paul Simon is both hilarious and sad at the same times. You find yourself laughing at the man's depression and childish desires to be a member of Yo La Tengo. His relationship has dissolved, his career has dissolved, and his friendship with Chevy Chase is extremely volatile. Through ten small scenes you take look inside the life and mind of the music legend, as he makes pancakes, checks his facebook, takes a shower, and emulates his favorite Raymond Carver story. Paul Simon is clever, funny, and completely insane. Did I mention it was written by Chris Killen? Chris Killen!

There were 50 copies of Paul Simon sent around the world, and I am holding copy #53. That's right, 53. Visit Chris Killen at his blog Day of Moustaches.

Computer vs Banjo Computer vs. Banjo (Diagram Records, June 17th, 2008)

The name of this band alone was intriguing to me. I pictured sweeping, jittery electronics, spanning from drone to drum n' bass running wild as the banjo plucking and rambled through the soundscape. It would be a match so different in style and appealing that it would work so well. In reality the debut effort from these two accomplished musicians (Johnny Mann and Beau Stapleton) is much more controlled and subtle. The programming lingers, always visible but never flashy, while the pair trade off vocals and various organic instruments. The album is beautiful, but I ultimately I feel the banjo wins this battle.

With a detailed cover art by the talent Matt Cipov, this is a well-designed debut from these two veterans. Johnny Mann was the lead guitarist of Gran Torino, and Beau Stapleton played tenor guitar and mandolin for Blue Merle. The lead single "Give Up On Ghost" is a perfect example of their sound. It starts out as an almost traditional country song, and suddenly jump and breaks with the wonders of technology. It also reminds us all that there are moments and memories in life that linger until we give them up.

Jubilee/Guitars Need a Sinner's Touch (video)/ Give Up On Ghosts (mp3)/Outerspace/Low/San Jonquin/Magazine Queen/Stone/2heavy2hold/Concealed/Lost/Signs of Passing Time

For a little trip down memory lane and to see for yourself you would win the battle of Computer vs. Banjo visit their website and play a game of PONG!