The Lobes

This song don't need violin or back up.Some Friday funk from featuring SUPERSOUND by the Jimmy Castor Bunch.

2012-03-02T08:00:00.008-08:00

Another Chic Clone

2012-03-02T08:00:00.003-08:00

Norma Jean's "High Society " did well to the great production team of guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards.

Shane Eli – Them vs. Us (W.A.R.)

2012-02-29T03:18:00.000-08:00

You know, I never thought the revolution would be televised. But I do think the internet will give birth to it. Shane Eli reminds us that if we aren’t a part of the solution, we are a part of the problem. You wanna keep crying or make a change?

Let nobody tell you what to do!

2012-02-28T19:58:00.006-08:00

There is a lot of energy behind this funky bass filled disco classic.T-Connection and their "Do what you wanna do" maintain true musical potency still.

Put the bass on blast!

2012-02-28T19:02:00.006-08:00

Briniging credibility back to the bass.Ministry yields some" Cold Life" circa 1985,great stuff.

Happy Sappy Monday: Donovan - There is a Mountain

2012-02-27T03:46:00.000-08:00

“The catapillar sheds his skin to find the butterfly within.” Think about it. It’s awesome and breathtaking in nature and it’s awesome when it happens in human nature. If that’s not something to be happy about, I don’t know what is.

I guess it’s also awesome when it’s 1967, and you’re watching a catapillar while you’re tripping…

Black Science Orchestra - New Jersey Deep

2012-02-24T03:56:00.000-08:00

Dig if you will the picture: on the NJ Turnpike, light traffic, 85 mph. Black Science Orchestra, switching lanes. Need I say more? Except to say it is probably somebody else speeding on the turnpike, not me ;-)

You and Me by NEELY

2012-02-22T08:12:00.000-08:00

NEELY is a husband and wife rock duo who have been making music together since 2000. Their music collection, entitled, "Everything I Am" is a strong mix of ballads and rock songs with catchy melodies and memorable lyrics. Here is their latest single, "You and Me."

Leon Finney III Inspires Inner-City Youth Through Art

2012-02-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

On occasion, The Lobes will stumble upon someone who uses an art form other than music to make a difference in the world, and deserves to have their voice heard. Leon Finney III is an artist from Philadelphia, who inspires the lives of inner-city youth through art. I had the opportunity to speak with Leon about his inspiration, his art, and the work he does to keep art in public schools through his “1 Touch of Color” foundation.

Faith W: Thanks for taking the time to talk to me about your work. Let’s start with the piece that you have at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Leon Finney: That piece has been there since I was 17, since 1997. I won an art contest and the president of the museum pulled me aside and asked me if she could have the piece.

That piece is part of their private exhibit. It’s actually inside of one of their corporate offices, and every year, during the month that I originally entered that contest, they bring it out for public viewing and it sits on the wall that’s across from the cafeteria.

FW: This is not a painting, and most people who know your work think of you as a painter. Tell me how you created it.

LF: It’s a collage, and it was done with paper bags, newspaper, and trash that I found. It’s a self-portrait. I also used a lot of different types of glue so that I could get different textures, and tones.

FW: Are you still doing collages?

LF: I still experiment with collages, and I want to do some projects, but I haven’t had the time to actually sit down and get back into that zone. I’ve been doing a lot of portrait work, and that’s been taking up a lot of my time.

FW: You also do something in conjunction with Citibank for Black History Month, correct?

LF: Yes. Four years ago I started doing an annual art exhibit at Citibank for Black History Month. I’d go to different schools and teach the kids a few things about Black History, and then we’d express ourselves through artwork. After they learned some things, and created a painting, we would have an exhibit to show what we’d learned.

FW: How did you get started with that?

LF: I like to be involved with my kids, and since they started taking art out of schools, I wanted to do something that would allow me to bring it back. So, I donated myself and my time and the supplies; then it was just about finding a place that wanted to go in on it with me. Citibank was really good, and they said they wouldn’t mind helping me out, and they actually came up with a few dollars to give to the kids, so that all the kids were winners just for participating.

FW: Are your children artistically inclined?

LF: My daughter is. My son, he’s color-blind, so he gets a little jealous when he can’t figure out colors, but he can draw pretty well. My daughter, she’s an artist. She’s even better than me when I was her age. She’s really talented.

She sits down with me, and I really don’t want to teach her. I just want her to watch, and pick up her own stuff. She’ll just draw, and paint, and do her thing. The thing I tell all my students, and it’s kind of like what I live by is, “I can teach you how to draw and how to paint, but creativity comes from within.” So, looking at her work you can really see where the creativity comes from.

FW: What motivates you in terms of creativity?

LF: Prayer, and my dreams. I’ll dream about some crazy thing and I’ll wake up and say, “I have to paint it.”

Like the “Anticipation of War” piece; I had a dream about it, and I woke up and just painted it. Something just sparks while I’m asleep and I just go in on it.

FW: So, you just wake up and say, “That’s it. I have to get this out of me…”

LF: I don’t care what time of night it is. I started “Anticipation of War” at 2 o’clock in the morning, and it was finished a day and a half later.

FW: I don’t know how many people know this, but “Anticipation of War” has a companion piece, doesn’t it?

LF: Yeah, it does. And it’s a painting of the person that he’s looking at. So, unless you’re friends or family, that piece has not been shown to you.

FW: Will that piece ever go public?

LF: Yes. I’m going to bring that out when I come back to Philadelphia.

FW: Excellent. You also have a foundation called “1 Touch of Color”. Tell me about that.

LF: The 1 Touch of Color Foundation is based on what I told you that I was doing with Citibank. But in The 1 Touch of Color Foundation we were painting murals inside of inner city schools like Potter-Thomas, Fairhill and Houston. I believe that blank walls leave blank minds. Kids that see nothing around them all day, more than likely they are going to do nothing.

I wanted to take the effect that the outdoor murals have on people and bring it inside. When you see a mural, it brightens up the area, and it causes you to stop, and talk about it. That’s the feeling that I think should be going on inside of schools, so that the kids feel appreciated.

FW: What else inspires you?

LF: The thing that inspires me is God. I feel like what I do is a gift. I can be as creative as I want, but I am nothing without God. My second inspiration is my grandmother. When I was 3 I drew my first picture and she put it her wall, and she put the next picture on the refrigerator, and it made me feel so good. After that, I just wanted to draw anything to make her happy because she made me feel like I was the best artist in the world.

My favorite artist is Raphaelle Peale. I love his use of color and I really love his still life. I like another artist named Frederic Church. I started doing landscapes because of Frederic Church.

FW: Do you still have work at the Lucien Crump Gallery? Tell me about your connection to this gallery.

LF: I still have a few pieces there. Lucien was a really good friend of mine, and a great artist. After he passed away I kept in touch with his wife, and I ran a lot of the programs on his behalf. Lucien Crump was the first African American art gallery in Philadelphia. So it was pretty cool for her to choose me to continue his legacy.

The work of Leon Finney III can be seen at The Lucien Crump Art Gallery, 6378 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144

Cameo - Throwin' Down

2012-02-17T02:54:00.000-08:00

This remix of Throwin' Down by Cameo is just thick, nasty, chocolate-covered bass.

Aspektz Releases the First Interactive Music Video

2012-02-15T02:47:00.000-08:00

I like the idea of being able to watch a music video from the angle I choose, and so does Aspektz, because he has just released the first interactive music video.

"Swivel" is the first in a series of ineractive music videos by AP360, and is reportedly being financed by Virgin CEO Richard Branson, and uses the GoPano camera lens.

Two New Features Start This Week on The Lobes: Happy, Sappy Monday and Funky Friday

2012-02-13T00:18:00.000-08:00

Because The Lobes is in its early stages, it is admittedly content thin. Although I am sure this will change as time goes on, there has to be something to fill the gaps between artist interviews. Happy, Sappy Monday and Funky Friday will fill the gaps for the time being.

Happy, Sappy Monday will feature a song that has put me in a good mood in the past, or is just too sappy or pleasant to be ignored. Funky Friday will feature a song that is funky.

This Monday’s Happy Sappy song is "Throughout Your Years" by Kurtis Blow. Back in the day I used to do a really bad Kurtis Blow impersonation, and every now and again I will break into the end of Christmas Rappin’ just because it makes people laugh. But what it took me a while to notice about Kurtis Blow is that almost all of his lyrics were positive. It’s really no surprise that in 2009 he became an ordained minister.

Whitney Houston Dead at 48

2012-02-11T17:08:00.000-08:00

TMZ.com has just reported that R&B diva Whitney Houston has passed away at the Beverly Hills Hilton at the age of 48.

According to Ms. Houston's publicist, the singer passed away this afternoon. No cause of death has been released.

Adam Cross Talks About Sirens

2012-02-09T02:11:00.000-08:00

Interviewing AdamCross was like interviewing an old friend; he has an easy-going personality, and a great sense of humor. We often went off on tangents, and talked things that won’t make it to The Lobes. The subject matter jumped from relationships, to Meat Loaf (the singer, not the food) to the scary mental image of Adam with Tina Turner’s legs. At one point, Adam actually interviewed me, which totally caught me off guard.

In this interview, we discuss what made him drop out of law school to play music, and everything that went into the making of his new album, Sirens.

Faith W: Thanks for taking the time to talk to me today.

Adam: Thanks for taking the time to interview me.

FW: It’s my pleasure. So, like I was telling you on Twitter, I was checking out your music and it’s really good.

Adam: I’m glad you liked it.

FW: It’s better than me saying, “I was listening to your music, and it gave me a stomachache…” (laughing)

Adam: “…and I kind of wanted to kill myself.” (laughs)

FW: Seriously, I like your songwriting. Tell me about yourself, and how long you’ve been doing this.

Adam: I started performing live right out of college. I had originally planned to go to law school but, I’d gotten into a car wreck, and I got some insurance money from it. I was like, “I can either get another car, or I could buy a clunker and live out of my car and make music.” Oddly enough, I went with that.

In the beginning I was sleeping out of my car and on couches, but eventually, because I had that little bit of money I put it into a demo. Things picked up when I started making money in music, and I started training under the vocal coaching of JanSmith. She’s really great; she took my vocal dexterity to another level.

FW: Did you produce everything yourself?

Adam: The guy I worked with in engineering, Shaun Guess, runs a website called thedigitalgod.com and I just can’t say enough good things about him because he’s a hidden gem. His mind works on this weird grid of a matrix, so I don’t understand how he thinks, but he’s fantastic in getting the right sounds in what we’re going for. It’s one of those opportunities where I listen to the record now and I’m like, “Yeah, that’s exactly how I wanted it to sound.”

FW: I was impressed with the sound.

Adam: Thank you very much. Shaun additionally got me hooked up with Tom Baker, who does mastering in California; he took it to the next level where everything congealed together.

FW: Excellent. What musicians influence you?

Adam: Josh Ritter. I think he’s just a brilliant lyricist/songwriter. I really like Amos Lee. I like weird stuff like MGMT, Death Cab for Cutie.

But, on this record, the sound that I was going for was a more mainstream, kind of a One Republic kind of sound. I think that what probably influenced this record was that kind of pop sensibility, with upward arching kind of choruses. As an artist, to me these things seem fairly timeless instead of like a fad that comes and goes. There is a consistency in solid, big, strong choruses, a nice bridge, so I tried to write in that vein to have more of a mass appeal.

FW: When I was listening to your music, I was thinking, “This is something that I wouldn’t be surprised to hear on the radio.”

Adam: And that’s kind of the goal. I have a lot of indie artists who are my friends and they talk about people who sold out. When I really stop and think about it, I think, “Have you ever lived out of your car? Do you know what that’s like? Have you ever just wanted something so bad that it defines you as a human? It will literally crush any relationship that stands in its way.”

FW: I know the feeling.

Adam: And after you go through that, you learn what’s most important to you. Then, as a writer you say, “I’m going to express my emotions, but how do I present it in a way that makes me happy, and also appeals to a broader audience?”

FW: That’s very important.

Adam: Definitely. And it’s difficult to support yourself solely out of music, but it’s people like you that actually keep us going, who interview us and tell us, “That was good”. It’s like fuel. Whenever you applaud for us, it gives us an extra gas tank to keep going.

FW: I’m glad. In your bio, you said that when you write something you feel it’s true. Have you ever looked back and said, “Wow, I was way off the mark with this?”

Adam: That’s an interesting question. I was explaining to a friend of mine that songs are unique because they take on different meanings as you play them. If I’ve written a song three years ago and I really feel like it was about a relationship that had taken a bad turn, and I look back on it, it’s therapeutic to look at it through a different lens, to say, “Wow, I wrote this song when I was hurting. Now I kind of sing it with a happy, glass half-full mentality. This is where I’ve gone, and it’s because of those things that hurt me.”

And then a lot of times you write about something and it changes as you play it. You may have written it about a bad relationship, and then it turns into a bad feeling that you had about music, or kind of where you’re going, or a new outlook on life. I think songs evolve.

FW: Are you currently working on something?

Adam: I go in the studio and I record acoustic tracks just to give away to my fans for free. I go into the studio once every two weeks, and I sit down for around three hours, and we just run through something fast, so that people say, “He’s still giving us stuff. He’s not expecting us to live off these ten tracks.”

I have this version of “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” That’s the next one that we’re going to record and send out. It doesn’t sound much like the original, but it’s got the original hook in it.

FW: That sounds interesting…

Adam: Yeah, and the reaction we get whenever we play it live is the reason that I’m going to record it. When we first start playing, people are like, “Oh, this is Radiohead.” It’s kind of slow, and pushing along. Then you get to the chorus and everyone turns, and they’re looking at you and singing it with you. Like it or not, Tina Turner was a great artist…

FW: Yeah, she really was! Except I don’t think she’s dead, though…

Adam: (laughs) Okay, then she is a great artist. I’m really hoping to tease my hair and get it to look like that one day…and if I had those legs… (laughs)

FW: (laughs) …and that is a mental image that I know is going to pop into my head at the most inopportune time…

And once again, we digress.

Haikaa Talks About "A Work of Art"

2012-02-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

After interviewing singer/songwriter Haikaa, I was reminded of the opening lines of one of my favorite Walt Whitman poems, “A Song of Myself”:

I celebrate myself, and sing myself,

And what I assume you shall assume,

For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you

Haikaa’s song, “I am Work of Art” is a celebration of each of us, and a message that she aspires to spread to the world. We talked about her Work of Art Global Project, how she recorded “I Am a Work of Art” in 20 different languages, and what drives her to make music.

Faith: Thanks for taking time out to talk with me today.

Haikaa: Thank you.

FW: I just wanted to start by talking about some of your projects, which are quite impressive. Tell me about the Work of Art Global Project.

Haikaa: That project was based on a song that I wrote called, “ A Work of Art”, which is basically a song about self-acceptance, and celebrating the diversity in the world that results from the uniqueness of every individual. I’ve always been a believer in diversity just because I was raised surrounded by so much diversity, and that was something that I wanted to share musically.

Once the song was ready I decided to see how many versions and in how many languages I could record the, song because it did feel like a very universal message to me. So, based on the mathematical concept of six degrees of separation, I started to contact my first degree contacts, and say, “Hey do you know someone who would be willing to write a version of my song in Mandarin?” From there it branched out, and in a period of about a year and a half I had finished and recorded 19 versions of the song, and counting, because I have more people working on different versions.

FW: That’s tremendous. As each song is completed, do you market the song in each country through word of mouth?

Haikaa: Yeah, at this point I’m still sort of doing it word of mouth. I’m trying to contact other artists in every one of those countries to see if there are synergies between my work and their work, and try to spread the message from there. I just saw the other day there was a blog in Dutch about “Work of Art”, which was kind of nice. I didn’t understand it but…(laughs)

FW: It’s the intention that counts. Which came first, the Work of Art Global Project or the song, and if the song came first, what, within yourself, is the spirit behind the song?

Haikaa: The song came first, and it’s interesting that you’re asking me that, because when I came up with the lyrics, “I am a work of art,” even though the song is really light and optimistic, it was really just me trying to express my frustration with people labeling me things that I don’t agree with. When I was saying, “I am a work of art,” I was really coming from this place of knowing who I am, regardless of what people label me. It’s that feeling of being sick and tired of labels, and embracing who I am and not asking people for permission to be who I am.

FW: That’s cool, because basically I think there comes a time in everyone’s life where they feel labeled and they do need to say, “This is who I am.”

Haikaa: Exactly. We as human beings depend largely on our social interactions, and in every relationship you have to commit, but there are relationships that are just destructive and they are just trying to take away the essence of who you are. So, on a personal level, that song came from that need I had to be assertive, and say, “I am who I am. I am a work of art. And I am beautiful the way I am with my flaws and my qualities.”

From a broader perspective, the song is about this need that I have to spread the word about how great diversity is, and how dull the world would be if we all thought the same thing, and looked the same and dressed the same. It’s about embracing the differences.

FW: That’s something that we need to be reminded of, especially in recent times, where there seems to be more intolerance.

Haikaa: Yeah. I think largely intolerance is, in my view, a result of not knowing. You’re generally not tolerant towards things that you don’t really know. I think exposing ourselves to differences is really important, because once we know, it’s no longer this threatening, unknown thing. I think that the more we interact with people of different races, sexual orientations, religions; in essence we realize that we really are a lot more similar than we are different. And we don’t have to agree with each other, we just have to be like, “Okay, you’re doing your thing; I’m doing my thing. And that’s cool.”

FW: I think you’re right. I think a lot of intolerance is actually fear-based.

Haikaa: Exactly.

FW: Has anyone come to you yet and said, “Hey, I heard your song at a time that I really needed to hear it, and it had an impact on me”?

Haikaa: Yeah, and I think that’s really, really nice. I think that people have been responding very emotionally to this song. When I actually did the song, I did a video where I actually sing parts of the song in 19 different languages. It was just trying to communicate all that we are talking about in words, musically. When you hear a song in all these languages and really don’t know what it’s saying, it really takes you to a place where change and difference is kind of good.

I had one fan particularly write about how he wasn’t prejudiced against gay people but he was just so used to making fun of gay people. He said,” After I saw your video I’ve been paying more attention to it, because that sort of behavior can actually lead to prejudice, and some people can get pretty vicious when they get into that prejudiced mode.” So, I’ve had a lot of feedback in that sense.

FW: Is the rest of the album based on the same theme?

Haikaa: The album is really about a moment that I was going through in my life. There is a song called “Call Me by My Name”. I say, “Don’t label me, because no label will fit me. The only way you can call me is by my name, because that’s what carries my history.” There are other songs in the album that try to express the same idea; that you only have yourself as a platform to start working from. And that’s not to say that you should condone you’re your own flaws. I think you should always seek to improve yourself, but you have to know who you are first, and not try to be someone else.

FW: That’s true. Now, you’ve already finished your second album, and you’re working on your third. Is that correct?

Haikaa: I’m way ahead in terms of production on my second album and I already have written material for my third album.

FW: So, you’ve been busy!

Haikaa: I always say that when you’re a songwriter you really get to have the gift of alchemy, meaning you can transform any emotion into music. Everything is valid; everything can turn into a beautiful melody. In my case, for example, where I try to take a positive approach towards life, you can turn depression into a beautiful song. You can turn emptiness into a beautiful melody. Every emotion is wonderful raw material for the production of music. I think that’s a privilege because in most other areas of our lives, not every emotion is welcome, right? In songwriting everything is valid and can result in different musical nuances.

FW: Does your second album have a different perspective than this one?

Haikaa: On “Work of Art” I try to keep the arrangements a little bit more delicate because I was trying to showcase my voice. In the second album I’m going to go for arrangements that are a little bit heavier, a little bit more guitar and drums.

FW: Are you going to be dealing with the same subject matter?

Haikaa: You know Faith, I always say that there are two things that I am driven by. I am driven by freedom and I am driven by love. I’m 37 years old and I realize that when you make choices in your life based on these two concepts it sort of takes you in a similar direction of going towards the unknown. My life is very unpredictable, even though I’m a control freak, so you can imagine how hard that is (laughs). At the same time, I have this passion that is always putting me on the edge, so those emotions are very much a part of my life, and they inspire my music. So it’s definitely more of those experiences of being face-to-face with the unknown.

FW: You say you’re 37 years old and your first album was released last year. I want to say, “What took you so long, but that’s not what I mean.” You could have done an album before now; you could have not done it at all. Clearly there was something that made you decided to record at this point. What was it?

Haikaa: It’s interesting that you ask that. I started singing when I was 13. I was a Sony Japan artist so I had my first professional experience at 16 years old. And I had a traditional music industry experience; I was told what to wear, what to say in interviews, the kind of music that I was going to sing. And so, while it was an interesting experience because I realized that I did want to do music, I also realized that I wanted to do music from a different place. I didn’t want to express the manager, I wanted to express myself.

At that point I wasn’t a songwriter, so I had to learn how to write songs, and started playing the piano exclusively with that purpose. And I’d been writing songs ever since my early twenties. I recorded a lot of demos with different producers but none of those demos had a strong impact on me, so strong that I decided to transform that into a record. And then in 2006 I quit. I said, “You know what, I’ve been working, sending out demos and it’s so much work, it’s so much money.” It’s such an emotional trip that you take when you’re pursuing this career. I stopped singing for about a year. And in 2007 I was so sad, like a part of me had died.

Then all the songs from the “Work of Art” album just started coming. In the year 2007 we must have written about 25 songs. That’s when I realized that I don’t get to choose music. Music chooses me. It has a life of its own.

FW: So, it took as long as it took.

Haikaa: Yeah, and I think the interesting thing is that the things I talk about like,” I am a Work of Art”, I think it’s very hard for you to get to that conclusion when you’re too young, because you’re very focused on the outside. You’re very focused on society, your parents, your boss, your friends. I think that when you’ve lived a little bit longer, you’ve had time to filter what influences matter and what influences don’t. I think that the themes of my songs are a result of the full life that I have lived.

FW: I think that it’s interesting that to arrive at this point in your story you had to give yourself a period of silence where you weren’t making music.

Haikaa: In my case quitting led to a greater wave of inspiration and faith in myself. But it could have led me in a completely different direction. I have a lot of young fans, like people who were born in 1997, and I always like to tell them that everything that you live becomes a part of who you are, and that I don’t necessarily think that quitting is wrong. I think not trying is wrong.

Daniel Levi Goans and The Creation of Brother Stranger

2012-01-03T04:33:00.000-08:00

Faith W: I really enjoyed listening to Brother Stranger. This is your second album?

Daniel Levi Goans: Yes, m’aam , this is my second folk album. I was in a band before this and we had a couple records out. We formed in 2003, and it was more like an indie, rock/pop sound, and I was not the lead singer. So this folk stuff is what I’ve been doing for the last three and a half years or so.

FW: What led to the transition to folk music?

DLG: In the old band, the other guys were older than me, and they were married with kids and they were like, “We want to take a break.” And was writing a bunch of songs on my own and I just wasn’t really using them. It was just like an expression to myself. A buddy of mine heard one of them, and said, “I think you’re a folk singer, and you need to start recording these songs.” He said he listened to that song 25 times in two weeks. This was about three and a half or four years ago, while everything with the band was winding down.

I’ve always liked folk music. It’s always been the music of story, and community. I’ve always been drawn to it. When I write, I like to tell stories. My father is a storyteller as well, so when I started writing it came out in that genre.

FW: There’s a lot of imagery and introspection in your lyrics. I listened to your songs on ReverbNation, which was cool because they have the lyrics to you songs as well. And I read the lyrics before listening to the songs, and they read more like poetry, and that’s because of your use of imagery.

DLG: Words are very important to me. I studied English Literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and I think that really informed my songwriting. I’ve written with pop artists who use less images and less poetic language, and it’s never quite as fulfilling to me because I think that many of the things I try to talk about are things that are beyond words, and so I find metaphors and images. The ties that connect us are deeper than words can ever express. We have to point to images and the beautiful things in this world, or the haunting things in the world that catch our eye and kind of stir us up.

FW: What authors influence your music?

DLG: Yeah, this last record was heavily influence by an author from North Carolina named Thomas Wolfe. He wrote a novel, “Look Homeward, Angel” when he was my age. He was 26 when he wrote it. John Steinbeck also influenced the themes more than the songwriting. “East of Eden” was a great influence for this album as well.

FW: You often use contrast in your music. Is that something that naturally comes to you?

DLG: I think when we’re younger we believe that darkness and despair is somehow deeper and more substantial than lightness. But, I think the reason for that is that lightness and hope is often portrayed in a “pie-in-the-sky” or a trite way. I believe that real hope exists, and I believe that people can change things. Civil rights is a big inspiration for me. I live in Greensboro, NC and that’s where the movement started. My father has worked in different capacities for racial reconciliation in the South. So I think about these kinds of themes quite a bit, and I hope that my music takes a honest look into the darkness and the hardship that does exist in this world and in our lives, but also affirms the hope and beauty that is deeper.

FW: So, you focus on the greater good of humanity.

DLG: I think that we’re going somewhere good. I’m sorting through this stuff in my own life, but I believe that in order to love other people, we weep with people who are weeping and we rejoice with people who are rejoicing. I think that it’s important to acknowledge the difficulty in life and in our experience. But I also think that to be fully alive means to address both sides, and not to diminish one to focus on the other. Much indie folk music focuses on melancholy introspection. I think it’s selfish to just write songs about only about how you feel and your experience and the darkness of that. It’s like giving yourself over to despair. I think it’s a greater thing to acknowledge the fullness of life. Not to be afraid to be sad, but not to privilege sadness over joy.

FW: It’s easy to fall into the trap as an artist to allow negative feelings to take on a life of its own in your work, when the truth is that there is a bigger world out there.

DLG: That’s right. And I’m still working on how to articulate the mixture of things. I’ve noticed in my own process that there’s two ways for me to create. One is that I can look down and into myself, and go deeply inside of myself. Or I can look up and out. It’s a lot harder to create “up and out” than it is to create “down and in”. If you have a wound, and you keep touching yourself and messing with it, you can get deeply involved in your own wound. But if you look up and out you’re not going to remove yourself from your own perspective, so you don’t have to focus on making sure you are included in your songs. It’s a natural thing.

FW: Is this how the message of hope gets into your songs?

DLG: I believe there is hope in the world and I believe it’s not in people, but I believe people are involved in it. I think it’s my job as a songwriter to point out the undervalued and the overlooked beauty in the world, and hopefully help people to connect with it.

Do You by Daniel Levi Goans

Do You by Daniel Levi Goans
Brother Stranger by Daniel Levi Goans

Buy Brother Stranger

Interview with Steafan Hanvey Part 2

2011-12-27T04:11:00.000-08:00

We continue with our interview of musician Steafan Hanvey. In this interview with The Lobes, he talks about the impact that location had on the making of his two albums, Steafan Hanvey and the Honeymoon Junkies, and Nuclear Family, due to be released in America in 2013.

Faith W: Let’s talk about your albums.

Steafan Hanvey: “Steafan Hanvey and the Honeymoon Junkies” is the album that has been released this fall in America. It was released here (in Ireland) back in 2006, and we’re getting the opportunity to release it in the U.S. I’ve been touring in the U.S. a few times in the last few years. Fuse on Demand has committed to airing two of my videos, one of which is from the Honeymoon Junkies. For all intents and purposes it’s a new album and video in America.

FW: There were quite a few years between the Honeymoon Junkies, which was released in 2006 and its debut in America.

SH: Yeah, 2006 was the release in Ireland and then I spent a few years touring, making friends and networking. And also, I started writing and recording material for Nuclear Family, which was three years in the making which I finished just about a year ago. I financed most of this myself. I wanted to take my time with it; I could have finished it in a couple of months. As I kind of went along the road of recording it, various opportunities presented themselves, like working with Tore Johansson (the producer of The Cardigans and Franz Ferdinand). We mixed the songs, basically, online. He would send an mp3 of a mix to me and the producer, who was in Paris and we’d have a listen and offer feedback, and we did that for six months before actually going over and meeting with Tore, and then we spent 5 days in Sweden, making some final tweaks & decisions.

I didn’t start recording the album in 2008, thinking I was going to get Tore Johansson to mix this album. I had the nucleus of the band pretty much picked. But as I went on, different opportunities arose. So with those opportunities came a different geographical location, like going to Paris or Brittany or Helsinki (that’s where the album started, because I used to live in Helsinki). I paid for all that myself, and that’s why it took three years to make. I was paying for it as I went along.

FW: The influence that you’ve had and the time you’ve taken to make this album is incredible. Do you think of yourself as a perfectionist? Or do you think it was just a matter of letting things happen in time they were meant to happen?

SH: A bit of both. I’m definitely a perfectionist. Nuclear Family’s got 10 tracks, and we got 10 recorded, nine mixed, and we were in Sweden, coming to the 10^th track and everyone was in agreement that it wasn’t the best representation of that particular track. So I went into the studio again with a different set of musicians just for that song and re-recorded it in a different studio, in a different country with different musicians. So that kind of put things back four or five months as well. But it was meant to be, and we weren’t dragging our feet.

FW: It was interesting that with the 10^th track you brought in different musicians. I understand that with different musicians you’re going to come up with a different feel and interpretation, but how did the location change affect the song?

SH: It’s amazing. When I’m recording somewhere, or playing live in a different county, it’s really a great way to travel, because you’re not just there to look around; you’re there for a purpose. You get to get on with what your calling is, in a way. You also get to have various environments affect you, and therefore your music. It’s no secret that songwriters, many of us, are quite sensitive to everything, really. Environment is no exception. It’s great to get out there and move around.

FW: Was there a place that brought out a profound state of growth within yourself and your music?

SH: You mean looking back on my life, or in the recording of the album?

FW: In the recording of the album, or just in your life as a songwriter?

SH: I got back into songwriting again after a bit of a hiatus in Helsinki. I was up there, doing a Masters in International Politics. But in Finland I kind of got back writing again, because I was involved in bands in my teens. A lot of the songs on The Honeymoon Junkies were written in Helsinki. I went to Spain from Helsinki for three weeks and got a lot of the album done in an apartment down there.

But more recently: Brittany and France. I spent a week down there recording Nuclear Family, and it was a very special place. There’s photographs on my Facebook if you want to check it out. It’s a big old house, very Bohemian and on the coast. It’s kind of a fishing village.

We were recording in a big old room, looking out the windows, into the sea. It’s just amazing. Everything about the recording of Nuclear Family was a jewel, just a treat. I loved every minute of it.

FW: What were the differences in the experiences of putting together the Honeymoon Junkies, and Nuclear Family?

SH: With the first record, I was in a hurry. The difference between the first record and the second record is day and night. I think the listener will be able to discern between the two.

The first album is like you’re learning the ropes. There’ was a lot of stress involved, trying to get that record made. I learned a lot of stuff, but it was very stressful. Hence, large chunks of it weren’t that enjoyable. But when I compare it to Nuclear Family, with the new album I constantly looked for fresh air. I took musicians from Ireland to Helsinki as I wanted to see what would happen with everyone out of their comfort zone. I think this resulted in an edgier result, kept them on their toes. The co-producer, Léo, is French and he moved back to Paris after years in Helsinki, so the recording continued there and I wasn’t exactly complaining.

FW: A while back I asked you, “If your life was a song, what would it be?” You picked two of them: “In My Life,” by The Beatles and “Old Friends,” by Simon and Garfunkel. I take it that the people in your life are a source of inspiration.

SH: Exactly. Friends and the journey. You’d like to think that when you’re kind of looking back at everything, you still might have a few of those friends with you, who’ve made it with you, you know. Friends are very important to me, and I have a lot of people who I work with who have helped me, who are helping me, lending themselves to what I do, and I’m very blessed and I’m very aware of the support that people give me. And, I don’t take it for granted. I try to make sure that everyone who helps me knows that.

Desperation by Steafan Hanvey

Hundred Days Of Snow by Steafan Hanvey

Steafan Hanvey Makes His U.S. Debut With "Desperation"

2011-10-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

When I interviewed Ireland’s Steafan Hanvey a few weeks ago, we came up with a short-lived plan to rob a bank to finance the promotion of his U.S. debut album, Steafan Hanvey and the Honeymoon Junkies. I was very excited, because I was going to be the getaway driver. Then I realized that if I drove the getaway car, we would probably only get a few blocks before I hit a fire hydrant and got both of us caught. It didn’t take long for us to scrap that idea.

Instead, I am going to just help Steafan the good old-fashioned way, and write about him. Here’s the first in a series of articles pieces about Steafan, and a preview of his video “Desperation (Failed in Loving You)”, which will be on Fuse on Demand starting October 24^th.
FW: What are your main musical influences?

Steafan: Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy, Bob Dylan, Elvis, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, Wings, Simon & Garfunkel, Paul Brady, Nina Simone, Soundgarden, Kings X, Stevie Wonder.
FW: Whom do people say you sound like?

Steafan: Paul Simon, Wings, Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, Richard Thompson, Dylan.
Some people have said I write songs in a similar way to Roger Waters. Lyrically perhaps.

FW: Do you think that you sound like whoever people say you sound like?

Steafan: I never thought about it until they said it. I find that really interesting, that we are the sum of our experiences and what we've been exposed to. Makes sense. Something touches you, it enters your bloodstream. Though, sometimes, people will hit you with something you've never heard before. That's kind of strange.

FW: What's the most personal song you've ever written and what was it based on?

Steafan: All my songs are personal. I can’t write about what I don't know, or rather, doesn’t inspire me. But the song that first came to mind was a song from my new album, Nuclear Family, entitled 'Secrets & Lies', inspired partly by a family member & an ex-lover.
FW: If your life were a song, what song would it be?
Steafan: In my Life by The Beatles, or Old Friends by Simon & Garfunkel.
FW: Have you ever been inspired by an author or a book to write a song, if so, which one?

Steafan: 'The Road Less Traveled' by Scott Peck inspired me to write 'Love's a Decision' from my debut album.
I was down in Malaga several years ago, and my then girlfriend was sunbathing a lot. I was stuck inside (sensitive Irish skin) with the air conditioner, writing songs and reading. 'Love's a Decision' was written during that time.
Books are always inspiring me; a word here, a line there. I usually have about 10 books on the go at any one time. A bad habit, perhaps…Books, I love.
FW: If the color gray were a food, what would it be?
Steafan: Meat & two veg! The Irish/English dinner, which was, thanks to my mum, interspersed with curries, pasta dishes and various other world cuisines.

The Story Behind MonAnnLisa Wilde's Music

2011-10-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

They say that every song tells a story and the first track released from MonAnnLisa Wilde’s new EP, “The Last Time I Saw You on Facebook,” is no different.

“I made friends with a guy who was to make the video clip. The very evening he had invited me for drinks with his mate, his mate got hit by a car just as he stepped his foot on the road. I went on Facebook to see what happens to a profile when someone moves on to the next life. What I found was they are not gone, they're still alive as the profiles are still alive as today, so I did edit the lyrics to include the situation.”

MonAnnLisa, who was born on the Ivory Coast, is greatly influenced by the music of many diverse artists, ranging from Nina Simone to Marilyn Manson, and her EP shows that influence, in a style that is a combination of hard-rock and dance.

Check out the video, “Lsst Time I Saw U on Facebook,” then check her out on Facebook.

An Interview With Musician Sheri Miller

2011-09-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

Few people can say that they could set their lives to music, but it's a safe bet that New York musician Sheri Miller can.

The critically acclaimed singer/songwriter has written hundred of lyrics and dozens of songs, both as a solo artist, and in collaboration with musicians such as J.D. Souther, Jill Sobule, and Shawn Mullins.

Her sophomore album, "Winning Hand" is an extension of the music that is her life, produced by the renown Kevin Killen. Recently, The Lobes asked Sheri about the things that influence her songwriting:

The Lobes: How much has heartbreak contributed to your songwriting?

SM: A lot a lot a lot. I had a long, painful break-up about a year ago, and I infuse much of my emotional torrential heart energy into my songs. With this heartbreak, I had been writing, grieving, wondering, creating songs about being in and out love; well before the break-up. I wonder about the nature of love. How it connects us all. How animals feel in love. I think love is the seed of universe.

The Lobes: What are your main musical influences?

SM: You. Me. The conversation I overhear while ordering a coffee. The Beatles. John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Bach. The Beach Boys. Etta James. Ella Fitzgerald and Rogers and Hart. The Gershwins. Otis Redding. Joni Mitchell. Nina Simone. Bruce Springsteen. My mother.

The Lobes: What's your favorite iPod track this week?

SM: “I”ve Been Loving You Too Long.” Otis Redding.

The Lobes: Are you working on any music right now?

SM: Yes. I’m very lucky to be recording a new song, with some incredible musicians now. The incredible Will Lee, Paul Shaffer, Steve Cropper and Shawn Pelton. Keep an eye out for it on my website, sherimiller.com

The Lobes: If you could craft an all-star band, who would play in it?

SM: See question above.

The Lobes: Have you ever been inspired by an author or a book to write a song, and if so, which one?

SM: Absolutely. Every song in a way is inspired by authors and books. The God Of Small Things by Arundhati Roy inspired me. Barbara Kingsolver inspires me. Charles Bukowski I love too.

The Lobes: What keeps you awake at night?

SM: Mosquitoes. I’ve been getting eaten up alive lately. I think it’s that fragrance gardenia hand lotion I used one night. I was almost suffocating, covering my face with a sheet as a faux net. So I decided to spray an outdoor Deet spray over my bed. And oh boy. I better air out my room.

Also worry keeps me up at night. But there are good drugs for that. Just kidding.

I do love to sleep. Dreams are where the songs are.

Here is a song from Sheri Miller's "Winning Hand" album, entitled, "Spoons":

Purchase Winning Hand:

iTunes: http://bit.ly/iqqicN

Amazon: http://amzn.to/kljGLp

CD BABY: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sherimiller2

www.sherimiller.com

MC Lyte: The Lost Interview

2011-08-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I had the privilege of interviewing rap icon MC Lyte soon after she became the Vice President of The DuBose Music Group. She was also working on a reality show for BET called "Hollywood Treatment" with singer Mary J. Blige. At the time I was having a lot of trouble with my recording equipment, causing me to have to end the call prematurely several times to make sure I didn't lose the recording. MC Lyte was gracious enough to allow me to call her back on three separate occasions and after 30 minutes of talk time I was able to get what I needed for the story. We talked about her show, the changes being made in BET’s programming, and the state of rap music. While I wasn't able to save all of my recordings, this is what I was able to save:

Faith W: Thanks for giving me the opportunity to call you back.

MC Lyte: I’m appreciative to do the interview.

FW: I’m glad to do it. I’ve been following your work since the late ‘80’s, early ‘90’s. I’m kind of dating myself –

Lyte: You and me both, it’s all good (laughs).

FW: You’ve got a lot of positive things in the works now. I wanted to talk to you about your reality show, “Hollywood Treatment”, right?

Lyte: Yeah. Well, that’s a tentative name. I’m not sure if that will change.

FW: Okay, but that’s the working title. Can you tell me about that?

Lyte: The show itself is wrapped around the concept of being able to give back. What happens is that young adults write in and say, “This is what I’m facing right now. This is where I am; this is where I’m trying to get to, and I don’t really know how to get from that space to the next space.” And then, at that point we search out a foundation that has been formed by a celebrity that best suits the needs of that particular person. I think with the show we’ll just be able to get into the community, and change lives, one by one.

FW: It sounds like a big turnaround for BET. There are people who have felt like BET’s programming has fallen short of it’s responsibility to represent African-Americans in a positive light. Do you feel that this show will change people’s opinions?

Lyte: There’s a huge change that has to take place within the infrastructure of any business for it to catch up; for people to notice that things have changed. Things have been changing at BET for a long time.

FW: Really?

Lyte: Yeah. In order for you to even see something like an “Uncut” missing (from programming), there had to be a whole lot happening on the back-end to make it to go away. I think you’re going to see a lot more changes that I’m already aware of that the public will be aware of, once those shows hit.

I’m happy for BET; I’m happy to be a part of BET and quite frankly, back in the day I was disgruntled with BET. But, I think here and there they’ve implimented changes at a slow pace. Their market is the 18 to 20-something age. You and I've become older, and we’re not as satiated by what teenagers are satisfied with, and we’ve expected them to grow with us, because we started with BET.

FW: Right.

Lyte: In fact, it’s kind of hard to split that demographic ; to say, “How can we satisfy both demos?” And I think with Centric, it makes them able to satisfy both demands.

FW: I’m glad to see that there are changes coming.

Lyte: Me too. It’s just a matter of them trying it to see that it works, and see that people are watching. Because the bottom line is that it’s all about ratings. If they can’t get people to watch a particular show, then they can’t pay for it. They have to get money from sponsors, and sponsors want shows that bring it a certain amount of viewership. It’s not about BET, or any network saying we don’t want to give (the viewer) positive stuff. We want to give them stuff that people are gonna watch, that are gonna bring the dollars in here, that will have this business stay up.

FW: It sounds like there are good things on the horizon.

Lyte: I think Deborah Lee is really prepared to make the changes. She inherited a beautiful job, but at the time it was hard to implement changes because there was an infrastructure there that she inherited. Now that she’s brought Loretha Jones on, and I ‘ve known her for a very long time. You'll see a change over time.

FW: Let's talk about music.There’s some talk about the direction that hip-hop is headed lyrically with regard to the dumbing down of the lyrics. There are artists who say that they don’t want to put out this kind of work, but their record label insists. How do you feel about that statement, as an artist and executive?

Lyte: As an artist, I think it’s meant for all types of hip hop to exist to make everyone happy. I think the need for balance is what throws everything off; when we’re just seeing one type of music being played on the radio, when we see one type of video getting all the airtime. I think more of a balance needs to be created.

Many people find themselves in a position where major labels are actually picking the music that they want to come out. You can create all of these great works, but labels do have a motive, and that motive is to sell records. If they feel like something is going to sell more than something else, then they are certainly going to go that route. I mean you’re on a major label, so you’ve been hired to sell records for a major company. You’re making music, which is something that you love to do, but you’re also in the business of selling music, and when you can’t, and don’t, you’ll be dropped. Then you won’t have a major record deal.

FW: Okay.

Lyte: It’s a really interesting game, but in the end it’s about making the music that you can feel proud of, whether you’re signed to a major company, or not. I happen to think it’s not one, or the other. There is a merger of the two that can happen where you can make smart music with lyrics that hide a message.

FW: I think that often when you’re a young artist it takes time to resign yourself to the business aspect of your work.

Lyte: I think that they can do both. It seems like a complicated task, but I don’t really think it is. It’s actually playing the game.

The Roy Ayers Project: Who Is Roy Ayers?

2011-08-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

The Roy Ayers Project is a documentary focusing on the life and music of Roy Ayers. In the trailer for the Haylow Overby, Ariel Nuñez film, artists answer the question: Who is Roy Ayers?

The <a title="The Roy Ayers Project" href="http://royayersproject.com/" target="_blank">Roy Ayers Project online</a> is a creative mosaic, produced by individuals to express the influence of the music and philosophy of Roy Ayers in their work. From RoyAyersProject.com:
<blockquote> It is driven by the his music of Roy Ayers, as well as his message, essence, and influences, while recognizing people of his ilk and the people who continue to innovate and create, just like Roy Ayers. The blog will expose you to many different forms of music, as well as keeping you up to date with all things involving the Roy Ayers Project.</blockquote>