Pheaturing Alumni Joy Ike

Hello, welcome to the Phile, where we had the most phantastic summer ever. August is nearing the end, and you know what that means. Summer is over and you're still the best phans I could ever have. This is also the last entry for Alumni Month but there's still two more Alumni's lined up for the next few weeks. More on that later. So, how are you? Most kids in Florida went back to school this week. Unless you are Logan and you just went to the living room. Home School is the way to be. I told my cousins that 70% of kids in America are home schooled. If that was the case real schools would be closing down. What I meant was 17%, but I still think that is way too much. Anyway, Logan has the coolest and prettiest teacher ever! It seems New York City has a problem with bedbugs. When I checked into a hotel there a few weeks ago, I wore a flea collar so I was okay. Miss Mexico is the new Miss Universe, and today begins a grueling year of waving. President Obama went on vacation. This was his sixth vacation. He’ll have plenty of time for vacation when his one term is up. Osama bin Laden’s personal chef was arrested. His famous dish is Linguini al-Qaida. Have you heard there’s already a movie in the works about the egg recall. It’s called Eat, Pray, Vomit. Lindsay Lohan will supposedly get a million dollars for her first interview after prison. I need to start driving drunk into houses. I tried to get her on the Phile by offering her Soarin' Fast Pass tickets. A new poll found that 1 in 5 Americans believe President Obama is a Muslim. Remember during the campaign, when he was criticized for belonging to Reverend Wright’s church? What happened to that? So, last week I saw The Expendables which had pretty every action hero you can think of old and new. Take a look at this one cameo that was very timely.

Crazy, eh? Check out his new inspirational poster that made me laugh so much I almost shit in my pants.





Rogue CIA agent Eric Roberts muscles his way into a South American dictatorship to control the drug trade, which makes Bruce Willis (one scene, three minutes max, with about 60 seconds of that cameo devoted to sharing the screen with the Governor of California) hire Sly and his crew of professional snarling people to go in and make things explosion-y. They do quite a bit of this. There's nothing meta going on here. It's not an homage. It's simply a generic '80s action movie featuring several '80s action heroes, one former wrestler, one Jet Li, one ultimate fighter and the guy from "Everybody Hates Chris". It's got plenty of the stuff you want from this kind of movie... lots of shooting and stabbing and kicking and punching and exploding. And that's fine. It's enough. I'll even say there are isolated moments of exuberantly satisfying nasty violence. It's just not making me want to run around and destroy stuff right now. Statham is the star of this thing. It's technically an ensemble but in reality it's his movie. He's the baddest if not the biggest (although, if you're watching closely, the knives he's so expertly throwing into necks and guts get larger and larger as the film rolls on, which of course equals penis, don't pretend it doesn't) and he's the only one who can act. Stallone, with his highly unusual current face, is so busy making googly eyes at Statham and nursing a man-crush that he forgets that the goal of this movie is MORE KILLING. The problem with Jet Li, also the problem with Mickey Rourke is that there isn't enough of either of them. Li is third billed and used about as much as Randy Couture, which is not too much at all. And when he gets all martial-artsy on bad guys the movie forgets to stop waving the camera around long enough for him to show off what he does best. Meanwhile all Mickey Rourke does is sit around a tattoo parlor/motorcycle garage ad-libbing and wearing a really weird cowboy hat you know he brought with him from his house. From 1 to 10 I give it a 7 and would only rent it if there's a commentary on it.

Okay, today's Alumni guest was last on the Phile September 14th last year. She recently has a new album called "Rumors" that is really, really good and is available to download on iTunes. Tomorrow she'll be playing at Eastern University in St. Davids, PA. Please welcome to the Phile, the lovely and talented... Joy Ike.

Me: Hello, Joy, welcome back to the Phile for Alumni Month. It's a JOY to have you here. How are you? I think I started off with a corny joke using your name last time you were here.

Joy: I’m just peachy, Jay.

Me: Did you get good feedback last time you were on the Phile?

Joy: Unfortunately its hard to tell how people are finding out about my music… but I’m sure people read the last interview on your site.

Me: A lot has happened since you were last here, right? Are you still based in PA?

Joy: Yep, still in Pittsburgh, PA but I’m traveling a lot these days. Mostly through PA, DC, Philly, NYC and the surrounding areas.

Me: You won the Pittsburgh City Paper's Best Solo Artist two years in a row, is that right? Do you get anything cool when you win?

Joy: No, you actually get a cheesy plaque and your name in the paper… but it’s a good resume booster which is primarily what I use it for.

Me: You play a lot of shows it seems, and you've opened for many national acts. Who have you opened for that you still can't believe you opened for that person?

Joy: Well, a few weeks ago I got to play Lilith Fair and share an event with Sara MacLachlan (did I spell that right), Sara Bareilles, Missy Higgins, Jill Hennesey, and Butterfly Boucher. But realistically, only Jill and Butterfly were directly on my stage. But it was cool to meet all the aforementioned ladies, and also be on a Q&A panel with them!

Me: I know you're a fan of Brooke Waggoner... she'll be on the Phile in September, Joy. That's cool, right?

Joy: Yes. Very!

Me: It's coo, you played Lilith Fair. You did mention to the other Fair performer's about being on the Phile, right?

Joy: Wink, wink. I sure did!

Me: Okay, let's talk about your new album. Well done on getting your fans to fund it. How did that happen?

Joy: Well, I knew I didn’t have a money and thought I’d take a chance in asking my fans. I was afraid it wouldn’t work out b/c the economy has sortagone to the crapper. But, people were really so excited to be a part of the project, get their names in the liner notes, and get wonderful incentives like advanced copies of the CD, “I Like Ike” t-shirts, a house show in their living room, a custom made song… etc. It was a really fun campaign that I hope to do again for my next album.

Me: If I tried to get my fans to fund anything I would maybe end up with just enough money to buy a cup of Starbuck's coffee. You must have a lot of cool and die-hard fans. That has to make you feel good, right, Joy?

Joy: It really does. I’ve come to realize that music doesn’t carry much weight if not for the fans who listen. This is why I’d rather do an intimate show with 10 solid listeners than a packed bar with 100 people. At small show I really have a chance to interact with people, spend quality time with folks and leave with solid fans who understand my songs (and the stories behind them) and will likely pass it on to their friends.

Me: The album is called "Rumors". How did that title come about, and are you a Fleetwood Mac fan?

Joy: No, the album actually doesn’t have anything to do with FM. I actually never listened to them growing up. The album is all about Rumors – like the ones school girls pass around even though they’re completely untrue. The CD is about fishing through rumors/myths/false information to discover truth. It’s a running theme through the album and its also the title of one of the song. I was fairly certain I had to name the album "Rumors".

Me: Did you write all the songs on it?

Joy: Yes, indeedy!

Me: By the way, I purchased the album off iTunes, Joy. It's your third album, right? How does "Rumors" compare with the other two?

Joy: The first one (the ep), we can’t speak of. Its from my beginner days and it will hopefully stay in the archives forever. *chuckle* "Good Morning", my first full-length album came out in 2008. This album is important because it marked the true starting point of my music career – an era where I quit my job, jumped fully into music, and started fresh (hence the title). At the same time, "Good Morning" is a young album. It is not well developed. "Rumors" is my baby. There are already things on it that I would change, but all in all, I am so very proud of it. It’s a heartfelt, honest, mature sound that reflects my live performance and I hope people like it more than "Good Morning".

Me: Any chance you'll be releasing a live album?

Joy: Probably one day.

Me: I saw a bunch of clip of you on YouTube, Joy. Is there any chance we'll be able to see you on "The View", or any other TV show performing soon?

Joy: God willing, Jay.

Me: By the way, you have so many websites, Joy. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and more. Does that help get your name out?

Joy: Yes, they all help immensely.

Me: Joy, thanks again for coming back on the Phile. Go ahead and plug whatever you want and I hope to see you on the Phile soon again, and hopefully on tour. All the best and continued success.

Joy: For all tour dates, visit joyike.com/shows. See below for my other sites: http://www.joyike.com, http://www.myspace.com/joyike, http://facebook.com/joyike, http://twitter.com/joyike,
http://youtube.com/joyikemusic.

That's about it for this entry and the most phantastic Summer ever. If I am still doing the Phile next Summer we'll have another most phantastic Summer ever. Also, that's about it for Alumni Month, but not for Alumni's. Next Thursday Alumni Gabrielle Louise will be here, then on the following Thursday it's Alumni Ernie Halter, both who have new albums out. And then in three weeks it's Brooke Waggoner! Thanks to Joy for doing a great interview again. I will have her back when her next album comes out and thanks to Logan for letting me use his computer again. He is busy downstairs right now doing math. Until next week, spread the word, not the turd, don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.

Pheaturing Alumni Tish Meeks From 3 Kisses

Hello, welcome back to Alumni Month on the Phile, kids. Thanks for stopping by. If you're taking notes, I am still doing the blog on Logan's computer. I will let you know when that changes. Like it really matters, right. Yesterday I went to see The Expendables, or tried to see it. I misread the time and was late. Anyway, In The Expendables, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger beat up Sylvester Stallone for convincing them to invest in Planet Hollywood. When Schwarzenegger heard the title The Expendables, he thought it was in reference to California’s teachers. President Obama had a 24-hour vacation on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Some Republicans are attacking him for not staying longer. They have a point. President Bush used to vacation for weeks at a time. The president was there to promote tourism in the Gulf. He even jumped into the Gulf to prove it was safe. Unfortunately, he did a cannonball right onto a pelican. Paris Hilton got paid $3.5 million to wear fake hair. That’s more than she gets paid to wear nothing. Hey, good news: Rod Blagojevich was convicted of only one of 24 counts against him: Transporting illegally silky hair across state lines. Snooki from “Jersey Shore” was in court after being arrested for public drunkenness. How can you arrest someone for doing their job? She was also charged with public annoyance. If that’s a crime, everyone on that show should get the death penalty. Steven Tyler of Aerosmith has signed on to become a judge on “American Idol.” Fox is taking a good lead singer away from singing to help them find a bad singer. Brett Favre announced that he will return for another season with the Minnesota Vikings. He said he won’t quit football until everyone can spell his name right. I did, right? Did you guys ever see that kid's TV show "Lazy Town"? Logan used to watch it, but I thought it was creepy. I was right. Take a look at this new promotional poster for it.

Speaking of kid's stuff, Logan showed me an inspirational poster about Sonic the Hedgehog that I didn't get. Take a look.

See what I mean?

Bobby Thomson
October 25, 1923 - August 17, 2010
The shot heard round the underworld.

Scott Pilgrim is 22 and lives in Toronto with his gay best friend, plays in a band, is dating a 17-year-old girl named Knives and has now fallen for a girl named Ramona whose hair color changes weekly. Except all of that stuff is happening simultaneously in both real life and inside Scott's video game life. Not on parallel tracks or anything, it's all just the same thing at the same time. It's the fake, all-snow Toronto that exists inside a digital world where the scrawny boy-man and his supporting cast are both players and roles being played. The object: defeat Ramona's seven evil ex-romantic partners (as they die they rain down coins on Scott's head) and win her. Also, perhaps, maybe grow up a little. That last part proves to be mostly optional, a kind of "if you feel like it" thing. So, under the surface, this is a straightforward coming-of-age/get-the-girl movie with an old-fashioned set of conflicts and resolutions. But it's not overpraise to say that the surface is like nothing you've ever seen before. In fact, these are surfaces that actively upstage the plot, trying to become the entire movie. It takes a million moments from the visual culture of the past 30 years and compresses them into the kind of thing people who've made movies based on video games have tried to do this whole time and not quite achieved. It's aggressive and loud and, just like any nerdy kid playing a game where he slays dragons or ninjas or drug dealers, gets to have its cake and eat it, too, by reveling in Scott P's self-absorption and immaturity, then allowing him the option to cloak them all while he heroes it up in fantasy battle-land. Edgar Wright has already directed the extremely cool Shaun of The Dead and (the sort of less extremely cool but still really funny) Hot Fuzz. He's the kind of filmmaker who knows exactly what he wants to do and how he wants to come across. He's still in the earliest part of his movie-making career but he's already comfortable throwing genres together and remixing them, the kind of thing you can only accomplish by having a truckload of self-assurance. And seeing this film is witnessing him pushing everything forward a little bit. And it forces its own visual logic on the audience, jumping from location to location just like in a game or a comic book. The next place you land may simply be the predicate of the sentence being spoken by a character. That character might not even finish the sentence, you'll just wind up there anyway. And while it forces its main player into a junkyard of narcissism, projection, powerlessness, ego and wobbly manhood, its supporting characters are all headstrong examples of young women (and one gay guy) who just just as easily be the protagonists of their own stories. From 1 to 10, it gets a five so I won't be buying it when it comes out. Logan really liked it though, especially the fight scenes.

Okay, today's Alumni guest is the second to be pheatured on the Phile 3 times. 3 Kisses has a new new album called “Lethal Love Addiction” (Batteries not included)" and they'll be launching a U.S tour in early fall. Please welcome back to the Phile, lead singer from the band 3 Kisses... Tish Meeks.

Me: Hello, Tish, welcome back to the Phile. So, how are you?

Tish: Thanks for having me back, Jason. It has been a crazy year, but I am doing great!

Me: You are the second guest to be on the Phile three times. You were beat by Jeff Cameron. Have you heard of him?

Tish: No, I hadn’t heard of Jeff, but of course I looked him up. He’s done some cool stuff!

Me: Okay, first things first... have you gotten any new tats since we last spoke a year ago? You need a Peverett Phile tat.

Tish: LOL. Yes, I have a few new tats. I got the oldest known symbol for freedom/liberation incuneiform on my right arm following my divorce. Then, I got a punk rock skull with a band mate, a Cheshire cat with my brother and a Hopi wave pattern, symbolizing rebirth. I’m done for awhile. I don’t get tats during the summer because I like to be in the water too much. Don’t know about a Peverett Phile tat… I love ya and all, but that’s quite a commitment! lol

Me: I know you're a big Joan Jett fan, Tish. Did you get to see the movie Cherry Bomb? I didn't but will probably rent it from Netflix. By the way, I am still hoping to get Joan on the Phile.

Tish: No, I didn’t catch Cherry Bomb but I’m sure I will eventually. As I said, it’s been a crazy year and I haven’t had time for much fun. That’s all changing, though!

Me: You changed some band members recently, didn't you? What happened there?

Tish: Well, my ex-husband, Tony, was in the band for 5 years. When we divorced, he left the band, as well, which was a good thing – his heart was never in it. Then, I relocated my family and the band to San Antonio, TX, a couple of months ago. My drummer, Andrew Wood, has been with me for almost 2 years and he came along, but we recently got a new guitarist, Maestro Aurora, who I’ve been friends with for 5 years and a new bassist, Jeff Vandeventer, who I’ve been friends with for almost a year. They are doing great and it’s going to be the most solid 3 Kisses line-up ever. I’m very excited to get out and start playing CD release shows.

Me: Did you ever think about just going solo?

Tish: I did consider going solo after the break-up of my marriage, but since I am the primary songwriter in 3 Kisses and I have spent so much time marketing the band, I decided to stick with it. It is being marketed more around me, though, and I am going to do a solo album at some point, but that is more for me than anything. Not really sure what will happen with it.

Me: Let's talk about your new album "Lethal Love Addiction (Batteries not included)". It's unusual for an album title to have a name in brackets, as we say in the U.K.. How did the album title get to be that?

Tish: Haha… all the credit for the album title goes to Joe O’Brien at Rat Pak Records. I got to watch the debacle I call my life unfold over the past year, so he had a lot of input in the songs that were chosen for the album, the branding and obviously, the title.

Me: I have to be honest, the cover is so much better than the cover for the last album "American Breakdown" with that scary pig guy. Whose idea was to put a hot picture of you on the cover?

Tish: Haha… scary pig guy. Well, Joe gets credit for the ‘hot’ (thank you, btw) picture of me, as well. He hated the "American Breakdown" artwork, but I, as well as the rest of the band, insisted on using the ‘scary pig guy.’ I’ve since learned that part of being signed to a label is letting the label do their job. It’s very tough for me to relinquish control of my band to someone else because it’s my baby and I’ve done all the work for such a long time. I totally trust the crew at Rat Pak, though, and I’m learning to back off.

Me: Is it going to be on iTunes, Tish?

Tish: The new CD will be available on iTunes very soon. I know it’s already been submitted, so it’s just a matter of iTunes making it available.

Me: How is this album different then the prior one? Any ballads on the new album?

Tish: This is a very transitional album for me. It is compiled from 3 different recording sessions with Eric LaBrosse (Cherry Pit Studios, Milwaukee, WI) and another recording session with Dan Workman (SugarHill Studios, Houston, TX). It is a huge collaborative project featuring a ton of musicians and songwriters and goes from songs that were written by me and my ex-husband all the way to songs that were written with various players who’ve come in and out of the band over the past year. I also do quite a bit of writing with my current drummer (who conveniently also plays guitar) and some of the songs were written just by me. There’s some pretty stuff on the album, including the last track, “Work of Art” which is keyboard driven – not something 3 Kisses usually does.

Me: Did I read you're making a video? What is the concept and do you do some acting in it?

Tish: There are a couple of video projects in the works. Everything is in the early developmental stages, so I don’t have much to report, although we do plan to do a conceptual video for the song “Psycho Stalker.” I’m sure there will be updates at ratpakrecordsamerica.com/3kisses.cfm as we progress.

Me: So, you're planning a tour?

Tish: We are planning to tour sometime this fall, but that’s all kinda up in the air at this point, too. I’m trying to just take one thing at a time and not stress myself out too much. We just finished the CD pre-release and now the band is focused on learning songs from the new album, getting the new guys up to speed and getting out and playing shows regionally in Texas. But a tour will definitely come eventually. Our out-of-state fans are getting restless and I don’t want to disappoint them!

Me: How are the family and kids, Tish?

Tish: Benji and Hannah are doing great. I have full custody of them, so in addition to running the band, I’m also learning to be a full time single parent. They are making it easy on me, though. They are amazing kids! It’s been a helluva year for them, too.

Me: Tish, thanks again for coming back to the Phile. I hope all is well, and you are welcomed back when your next album comes out. Go ahead, plug your website and any causes you support... by the way, is Jager still the drink preferred by 3 Kisses?

Tish: We are still proudly sponsored by Jager and it will always be the 3 Kisses favorite! Our primary charity is Susan G. Komen for the Cure (we just played the San Antonio race in May) and we will continue to support Komen until there is a cure for breast cancer. People can check us out on Rat Pak Records at www.ratpakrecordsamerica.com/3kisses.cfm and get all the latest news on what’s going on with 3 Kisses there. I would love to come back when we release our next album!

Me: Take care and rock on, Tish.

Tish: Thanks so much for your support, Jason. I really appreciate you interviewing me for a 3rd time! I’m honored!

That was a good interview. Thanks to Tish for taking time out to be on the Phile again. Buy the album and check out the liner notes where I am mentioned. Okay, the Phile will be back next Thursday with Alumni Joy Ike. So, until then, spread the word, not the turd, don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye love you bye. Now, I have to let Logan get on the computer so he can play the Heroes Factory game or something.

Pheaturing Alumni Jeff Cameron

Hello, welcome back to the Alumni Month on the Phile. I am still using Logan's computer, so I thank him for stop playing Fusion Fall for a moment and let me do this little blog thing. The new Jackass movie will be in 3-D. That’s how you know Oscar season is here. Nothing says “Oscar season” like a midget getting blasted out of a Porta-Potty in 3-D. I don’t like the show “So You Think You Can Dance.” The title is kind of condescending. It’s like saying, “So that’s what you’re going to wear?” It was a big week for gays. There’s the gay conservatives thing happening, Prop 8 was overturned, and the movie Step Up 3-D came out. There’s a new iPhone app that lets you call your Facebook friends from your phone. Of course, I only got on Facebook so I wouldn’t have to call these people. Disney World is getting ready to open a resort for dogs and other pets. They’re already calling it the “Crappiest Place on Earth.” My cousins from England are in town and informed me a company in Britain has created a car that can be powered by human waste. It's cool, but it gets a little uncomfortable when your buddy asks you to "chip in" for gas. Speaking of human waste... Snooki from “Jersey Shore” was arrested and she apologized to her father for embarrassing him. This embarrasses him? Has he seen any of the show? Snooki says she learned her lesson and will no longer drink during the day. Unfortunately, that violates her contract with MTV. Naomi Campbell was forced to testify about blood diamonds given to her by former Liberian President Charles Taylor. She told reporters, “I didn’t want to be here. This is a big inconvenience for me.” Which is exactly what the slave that had to dig up the diamonds said. A new study found that Americans are becoming more honest about their weight. I guess people are starting to realize we can see them. Why couldn't this open while I was in new York a few weeks ago? A new Pop-Tarts café is opening in Times Square. Finally, a way to enjoy Pop-Tarts without the hassle of making them myself. A man from California was arrested for trying to smuggle piranhas into the country. And you thought it was scary hiding heroin in your rectum. Levi Johnston is planning to run for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. He really is trying as hard as he can to get shot by Sarah Palin, isn’t he?
Mel Gibson’s father is speaking out, claiming that the Pope is a homosexual. It might be a good time for the whole Gibson family to go to a monastery and take a vow of silence. My cousins also told me scientists in Britain unveiled the world’s first robot with emotions. That’s just what we need — a Rumba that’s too bummed out to vacuum. Justin Bieber has signed on to be the new spokesman for the acne brand ProActive. I guess we know what’s hiding behind those bangs. A man in West Virginia was arrested in a park with his pants down holding an armless mannequin. He told a cop, “This isn’t what it looks like.” And the cop said, “I have no idea what this looks like.” Supermodel Kate Moss is launching her own brand of homemade jams. The jars will come in two styles: low fat and empty. You know I like inspirational posters, right? Check out this one about video games.

And now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is this week's...

Top Ten Lessons Lindsay Lohan Learned In Jail
10. Mean girls are much more mean in jail.
9. "Clubbing" has a different meaning in here.
8. How to make a nail file out of a shiv.
7. Real-life lesbians not as cute as movie lesbians.
6. Not all handcuffs have that furry padding.
5. Vertical bars make you look even thinner.
4. Wait until after release to disparage warden on "Entertainment Tonight".
3. Ninety days isn't nearly as long as it sounds.
2. They say that crime doesn't pay -- but it sure gets you a lot of free publicity.
And the number one lesson Lindsay Lohan learned in jail...
1. Like, whatever.

Dan Rostenkowski

January 2, 1928 - August 11, 2010

Holy shit. This guy is so boring even I can't find anything interesting to say about him. Mail fraud? Oh come ON.

Ted Stevens

November 18, 1923 - August 9, 2010
Gone down the tubes.
Patricia Neal
January 20, 1926 - August 8, 2010
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner now six feet under.

Today's Alumni guest is the first guest to be on the Phile three times. His new album "Bargofaxis: The Cosmic Love Story" will be available on iTunes in a few weeks as well as on Amazon.com and "Welcome to the Perfect World" an album from '89 will also be on iTunes soon. Please welcome to the Phile the always entertaining... Jeff Cameron!

Me: Jeff! Hello, welcome to the Phile once again. Do you realize you are the first guest to come
back three times? Are you proud?

Jeff: Hullo, Jason! Yes, I am proud and no I didn't realize I was the first three timer on the Phile. Let's celebrate with some cranberry juice and a ukelele jam!

Me: Last time you were here which was a year ago you mentioned you were thinking about moving to the pacific northwest did you do that?

Jeff: I have been looking around up there yes... seems likely.

Me: Do you miss California?

Jeff: Yes I do. I have been back for some extended and short visits... I go back periodically
to hang out or do music... but housing in LA is ridiculous I can't afford to live where I was born.
I am from a middle class neighborhood and houses now go for 800K more or less for an avaerage three bedroom house so I resent that, but yes, naturally I miss all those friends
and memories. But I can't see paying a million bucks for a house my father bought for
15 grand when I was young! How 'bout you, Jason, you got a couple extra rooms... do you have
a beach view?!

Me: No, I have a lake view. Okay, lets talk about the album which I plugged on the Phile for a few weeks. It has an interesting name, Jeff. Can you explain the meaning to the readers?

Jeff: Sure I can, Jason Do you have any more of that spinach dip and veggie chips? The album title... lemme see... uh, I was with me Dominatrix in the Argentine at the Dracula
festival and she was beating me on a rotating wheel with firecrackers going off and some
oom pa pa band playing "Rhinestone Cowboy" and I started blabbering Bargofaxis, Bargofaxis.
Ok, wait I lied... sorry....Um .....Bargofaxis is a character like Tommy or Jimmy from "Quadrophenia", or something like that... and uh... I sing the songs and its Bargofaxis singing. The album goes backwards and forwards in time like a Terry Gilliam movie like Brazil. Did you ever see that movie? Bargofaxis was this dude with a band from Haight Ashbury in the sixties
and he sang about peace and love and reefer and he was outlawed by the government and evil corporations as being bad for business with his peace and love message. The corporations and government didn't want any relics of the sixties singing about give peace a chance so decades and centuries later Bargofaxis comes back from outer space and sings love songs in the first sixties concept album of the 21st century!

Me: You've been working on the project for a long time. Are you glad its over?

Jeff: Yes. I had no record deal or money. It took several years to get it recorded. I finally
had to pay out of my own pocket it was a huge hassle and undertaking but I am proud of the
album and I truly hope people will be fond of it

Me: You wrote all the songs on it right? Do you play all the instruments as well?

Jeff: I wrote most of the songs. I co-wrote I think three with Gary Cambra.
I did not play most of the instruments.

Me: Who is on the album with you?

Jeff: Dave Sutton and Gary Cambra from the original Jeff Cameron group in the eighties!
A reunion album! Steve Klong our drummer had died of cancer so Gary played the drums
as well. Peter Kearns from New Zealand played keyboards and sang backgrounds on a few songs. Randy Gollard pitched in with additional guitar on "Gear", "Karma" and "Whatever Sunday" and Kim Foscatto sang additional harmonies and backgrounds on about half the album with Gary. And then just a few incidental things I or someone may have added like tamborine or handclaps. Chrissy Lomax, my old friend her, and her husband Joe Primeau... Chrissy sang a couple last minute harmonies on a couple songs. That's about it. Mike Finnigan the legend
sang harmonies on one song at the last minute just to help out. Just so I could have one legend
on the album! Took him about twelve minutes to lay three perfect tracks. I asked Chuck Negron
to sing on one but thats harder than catching a greased dolphin in the air at midnight with your feet on fire. Chuck gave me lots of help and reccomendations though. Kind of a secret friend offering a few suggestions, so did Mike. F. We were gonna have Shel Talmy the original WHO producer mix it but in the end even though he offered me a huge break I couldn't afford it. We did two complete mixes one by John Schell and one by Joe Primeau who mixed "Out of the Blue".

Me: Is this the last new album you are ever gonna put out ?

Jeff: Maybe. Something different, perhaps a folk album or blues or something. As far as another album of new songs if "Bargofaxis" meets with a positive response and sales
I may do another one but only if the people ask for it.

Me: You're going to re-release some of your past albums I hope.

Jeff: Yes, two are slated right now. "Out of the Blue" and "Welcome to the Perfect World", and possibly one called "Early Cameron". There is a fourth album called "Wonderland Road" in dispute because someone is holding the tapes hostage and I don't know that I care to litigate all that, have to wait and see on that one. I do have the demos however, I could release those I suppose.

Me: What about a live album? Or some live tracks?

Jeff: We'll just have to wait and see on that.

Me: I know you haven't toured in a long time, but with "Bargo" are you gonna be doing any shows?

Jeff: The original plan was to film one set at the Belly Up in San Diego and cull a couple live tracks from "Bargo" as a promotion but squabbling between me and one band member
effectively killed that. I may... I stress may do one show at the Belly Up with Dave Sutton and a pick up band to promote "Bargo"... possibly... is that a fly in the spinach dip ? Do you mind if I shave while you ask questions?

Me: Jeff, I have to ask you what you think about the gulf oil spill ? I know the enviornment is close to your heart. Are you boycotting BP?

Jeff: I think America should lead the planet in safe alternative energy like Solar, Wind, Wave and Geothermal. I think we should take the money we are currently spending to field armies in the Middle East on infrastructure for alternate energy. We are going broke buying petroleum for energy from people and countries who hate us when that money fielding armies in that part of the world would be better spent on alternate energy infrastructure. This would lower unemployment, protect the enviornment and deny funds to unfriendly countries who wish us harm and make us less dependent on them. I support the moratorium on offshore drilling and believe it would be better to give those unemployed workers benefits and retrain them to install windfarms and solar fields and that kind of thing. In Theory this BP oil spill may deaden an entire region of the planet/biosphere for decades even centuries... no excuse no excuse and its bad business and endagers America and the entire planet.

Me: What makes you madder? Lebron James going to the Heat or the oil spill? LOL.

Jeff: I'm not mad about Lebron James going to the Miami Heat at all. Cleveland had seven years to build a good team around him and they didn't do it. By comparison when Kareem Jabbar started with the Milwaukee Bucks (another midwest team) he won a championship and only stayed five years before jumping to the Lakers.

Me: Jeff, ever think of writing our memoirs? I could help, you know.

Jeff: Did I swallow that fly with the spinach dip something crunched? Memoirs? What? Walking down the beach with Brian Wilson? Me and him? Two stoned zombies in therapy Hanging out with seventies tv idols! Mannix Little Joe and Leif Garrett! The time Fred Astaire cornered me and started talking to me about impressionist painting! My experience with one of Charlies Angels? Gigging at the Roxy to a sold out crowd, playing the Whiskey standing where The Doors used to gig every night as the house band, my eccentric employment with MCA / Curb. Mike Curb might be a second Howard Hughes! Working for Three Dog Night as a thirteen year old kid with girls climbing through the windows and hanging off the walls, writing songs for an ex Beatle, the time Steve Stills pilfered one of my songs, talking with Yoko Ono? Gunfire in Mexico City after a stunning faux pas, recording with members of the Nazz, the Animals, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Steppenwolf, living with Iron Butterfly in a Northridge Warehouse! Hoyt Axtons cherry red Mustang... why didn't I buy it? On the road with Hoyt and his mother Mae who wrote get this... "Heartbreak Hotel"! Nah, Jason, I don't have any interesting stories to tell! LOL. Unless of course you could get me an advance? Jason?

Me: We once spoke about how you saw Foghat play with Black Oak Arkansas. Was that the only time you saw Foghat in concert ?

Me: Yes, that was the only time I was at the show I saw them. In LA at the Shrine Auditorium which is a good venue maybe 6-7,000 seats great show, and on TV. I was a big fan of the albums particularly the fourth and fifth & sixth albums as I recall. They are "Rock n Roll Outlaws", thats the one with the lear jet on the cover, and "Fool For the City" and "Night Shift" In 74-76
I got to see your dad and the original lineup in I think 75 when I was a young teenager. Black Oak came out with long underwear and Jim Dandy would pull his teeth out wearing long underwear and they had three lead guitar players and they had that one hit. Jim Dandy to the rescue, just bizarre southern proto punk! And Foghat was just aces and they were great. I still listen to some of their classic albums to this day. I liked the addition of keyboards on the fifth album when that new bass player joined for awhile. Yeah, no brown nosing but I was and am a big Foghat fan especially Lonesome Dave, your poppa.

Me: Okay, Jeff, do you have anything to plug while you are here ? And if you re-release your other past albums or anything else would you come back to the Phile ?

Jeff: I want to plug "BARGOFAXIS", The first 1960's concept album of the 21st century available on Amazon and iTunes in the next few weeks. I sweated blood for that album. Some good tunes with vinyettes between songs telling the story of Bargo. And yes I would be happy to come back. Call me about the book of memoirs if you think its worth pursuing, Jason, and love to all call your local political representitive and tell them you want more electric cars on the road! Best wishes... peace!

Me: I wish you a lot of success. Take care and keep in touch. Bargo Forever!

Jeff: Thanks for having me, Jason, always my pleasure. Say, could I borrow your car? There's a
swift game of Three Card Monty behind the bus station and my fingers are itching. I can feel a winner! Oh, and some more dip. I love that dip... are these your keys?

Well, that's about it for another entry. The Phile will be back next Thursday with the second guest to be pheatured on the Phile three times... Tish Meeks from 3 Kisses. Thanks to Jeff for another entertaining interview. Please, please check out his album when it comes out. I heard it and it is one of my favorite albums of the year. Also thanks to you readers for taking time to read the Phile. Until next week, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye love you, bye. Bargo Forever!

Pheaturing Alumni Graham Parker

Hello, welcome to Alumni Month on the Phile. For the next few weeks all the guests on the Phile have been here before. hence, all are Phile Alumni's. I did this last August and it was so popular I decided to do it again. Well, once again the Phile is being done on my son Logan's computer. It seems the hard drive has crashed on my computer. So, thanks to Logan for stopping looking at YouTube to see how to customize action figures so I can do this blog thing. Continental Airlines is testing a new self-boarding program that lets passengers swipe their boarding passes at the gate. It’s all part of Continental’s plan to fix the one thing that’s not a problem at the airport. A teenager in Nebraska was arrested last week for stealing an ice cream truck. He said he didn’t do it for the ice cream, he just really likes that song. A woman in Colorado gave birth in the bathroom of a Starbucks. The baby was huge — I’m sorry, venti. The man who invented the cheese doodle has died. To celebrate his life, everyone at the funeral left an orange fingerprint on his coffin. It just goes to show, there’s only so long that you can Cheeto death. Snooki from “Jersey Shore” was arrested for disorderly conduct in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. That’s like arresting the sun for rising. Speaking of New Jersey, a shark washed up on a beach there. I guess they’re coming out to promote “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel. Towns in New Jersey have started using a device to give people advanced warning of lightning. It’s called “thunder.” England’s Prince William and his girlfriend are 12th cousins, which means they might not be able to get married. We don’t want any of these royals to look like Prince Charles. There’s very big news from the world of dinosaurs. Brett Favre is retiring from football. Mo, seriously, scientists are saying that the triceratops may never have existed. Next will be the brontosaurus and the stegosaurus and the next thing you know, my pajamas are covered in lies. Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston have apparently broken up again. Less than a month after announcing their engagement, Bristol called it off faster than you can say, “Mom, put the gun down.” I think that, with the right amount of love, patience, and a 12-episode guarantee from a reality show on VH1, those two can end up engaged again one day. A federal judge struck down California’s gay marriage ban. In West Hollywood, gay men were dancing in the streets with rainbow flags and playing techno music, and then they heard about the ruling and they went crazy. Forty of the world’s richest men have agreed to give away half of their wealth. Newspapers are calling it an unprecedented gesture of goodwill. But it’s not unprecedented, because I’ve given away half of my stuff twice. It’s called divorce. Anyone who says they gave away half their stuff never got divorced. It’s not half your stuff, it’s all your stuff. So, you know I love inspirational posters, right? I saw this one about parenting which I thought was kinda odd.

So, I was looking at coloring books at Target the other day and I noticed they have kinda changed since I was a kid. Take a look at this one.

I should go back and buy it.

Mitch Miller

July 4, 1911 - July 31, 2010
He said, "Rock and roll is musical baby food," and then went on to create Karaoke. An asshole all the way around.
Jack Tatum
November 18, 1948 - July 27, 2010
We'll see how immaculate that reception was now.
Daniel Schorr
August 31, 1916 - July 23, 2010
All things considered, he's not much of a journalist anymore.

Okay, I am so thrilled. Today's Alumni guest first was on the Phile July 13th last year. I was amazed to get my idol on the Phile once, let alone twice. His last CD "Imaginary Television" just came out this year and is available on iTunes and in stores. Please welcome back to the Phile, the one and only Graham Parker.


Me: Hello, Graham, welcome back to the Phile. So, how have you been?

Graham: Hanging in. Same ol' same ol' I guess.

Me: How was your last tour, sir? You were playing with the Figgs again, right?

Graham: Very well attended. Quite a few sell-outs and enthusiast responses. One of the shows, at FTC Stage One, a lovely little theater in Connecticut, was filmed by a professional crew and a DVD will be released, probably this Autumn. This will be the first real concert
film since the 1980 "Another Grey Area" tour show from the dark days of Betamax. The rough cut I've seen of it is very good. The Figgs were rockin'.

Me: Did they play on your last album "Imaginary Television"?

Graham: Mike Gent, the Figgs guitarist played drums, as he did on "Don't Tell Columbus." I played everything else except keyboards which were handled by Professor "Louie" who also engineered and co-produced with me.

Me: I am sorry you didn't get to play in Florida. What is with this stupid state? I nicknamed America's Wang by the way.

Graham: My agent keeps threatening me with solo gigs in Florida but they just don't seem to come together. Not enough interest I guess.

Me: Did you record any of the shows on the tour to be purchased?

Graham: As stated above... (I believe the DVD will also be accompanied by a CD of the show.)

Me: Okay, let's talk about the new record, sir. It is a great album with a great premise. For the Phile readers that don't know, can you tell them what the premise is?

Graham: All the songs are based on TV shows that don't exist. I'd come up with a vague idea for characters and plots, then quickly plunge into writing songs to go with the shows. After I'd written the songs, I fleshed out the show ideas so that I could use them as the liner notes, as it were, instead of actual liner notes or lyrics. I also wrote fake reviews and, apart from the acoustic, used a fake guitar called a Line Six Variax Modeling Guitar on all songs but one. You
turn a knob and get different vintage guitars: various Rickenbacker's like John Lennon might have used, the Gibson Bob Marley preferred, assorted vintage Les Paul's and Fenders, banjo, electric sitar etc. So the entire thing is imaginary. Even the guitars!

Me: I downloaded the CD but wish I would of gotten the actual CD version with the liner notes.

Graham: They may be on grahamparker.net or www.bloodshotrecords.com, I'm not sure. But here's one of the plots below, just to give you an idea. SEE THINGS MY WAY.
Taiwanese conjoined twins Mickey and Mikey are 16 years old and have just moved from their homeland to a comfortable suburb in Washington, DC after their American diplomat father gets posted there. They have shown prodigious musical talent since they were babies. By the time they get to the States they have begun to concentrate on bass guitar (Mickey) and rhythm and lead guitar (Mikey) and have decided to form a duo named "Double Trouble." Luckily, Mickey is left-handed. They are also both great singers and writers. Within a very short time of their arrival in America and with only a handful of club gigs and a demo under their belts, they attract major label interest and secure a place on tour opening for Graham Parker and the Figgs, who they manage to blow off stage every night with both their brilliant musicianship and extraordinary image. Life becomes increasingly complicated as their careers take off and
lots of really hot chicks pursue them up the ladder of success. It does not help that their fireplug Taiwanese mother insists on managing them and that they both begin to develop symptoms of multiple-personality syndrome. The ever-present thoughts of surgical separation loom throughout each show, and many flashbacks to their weird Taiwanese childhood instill a
surreal and often humorous context to each episode. "Sick" notes the Taipei Times. "Are you kidding me?" begs the Christian News Of Idaho. "Riveting!" insists USA Today. "Let's hope they split up soon" begs the Camberley News.

Me: You also released it on vinyl... was that your idea?

Graham: No, but I did suggest it to Bloodshot for "Columbus" after reading about its imminent come back. They caught up me in time for "Imaginary Television" and the limited edition sold like hotcakes.

Me: Do you watch a lot of TV yourself? If so, what shows do you watch? I imagine you're a big fan of "Doctor Who" for some reason. That's my second favorite show after "Lost" by the way.

Graham: I loved the original "Doctor Who" of course, cos I was a little kid and it was gripping in it's day. I've watched a couple of episodes of the new version but don't really care about it. Have missed "Lost" entirely. At that time of night I'm watching Chris Matthews, Keith
Olbermann and the great Rachel Maddow. I watch mostly news shows (or opinion shows perhaps, in the case of MSNBC), especially BBC News America; cooking shows and nature shows, too, plus the tennis Grand Slam events and a bit of football. Have recently been crushed yet again by the lameness of the English team and annoyed that the yanks didn't go
further in the World Cup. Both teams need new management. The Americans should invest in a foreign coach and the English should enlist Harry Redknapp.

Me: Has Primary Wave been successful putting any of your songs in TV shows? We have been lucky with getting "Slow Ride" out there from a similar company.

Graham: They have indeed. Luckily, the songs have been way in the background and no one has noticed apart from my accountant, which is all that matters. I have been hearing "Slow Ride" lately!

Me: Last time I interviewed you I wanted to ask you about the album "From A Window: Lost Songs of Lennon and McCartney". How did that project come about and how were you approached for it?

Graham: A fellow named Jim Sampas who ran the little record label that put it out has had some connections with me in the past, getting me to perform at various Jack Kerouac readings (he is connected to the Kerouac estate) including a double cassette reading of "Visions Of Cody" that came out in the '90's on Viking/Penguin, with the great David Amram doing the music.
It was Jim's idea and he put the artists together. He thought of me, for some reason.

Me: Okay, Graham, do you have any new projects planned, sir?

Graham: Nothing planned, as usual. Just solo gigging for the most part and I'm working on "Sunglass(es) The Graham Parker Show Ep#2" for Youtube. If you have not seen Episode #1 you should. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru60Cu41F_U.

Me: Did you hear Squeeze has a new album coming out? You are mates with them, I am sure, right?

Graham: Have met a few of them in passing only, like most of the acts I'm supposed to be linked with (!), but Gilson the drummer worked on my "Real Macaw" album. I did read they were doing a gig somewhere.

Me: I sometimes look back at past entries of this blog I write and past interviews and wonder sometimes why did I write that, or ask that? Do you ever do that with your songs or albums?

Graham: In retrospect, all interviews I do look foolish. With songs, I don't have much trouble with the lyrics of melodic structures. They hold up for me. The production values of some are often painful to think about, though. And my singing on my first 4 albums is atrocious in my
view. Really makes me wince.

Me: Graham, I want to thank you for doing this and the last interview. I am a huge fan, and people like you make doing this Phile thing worth the time. It was a dream come true to interview you once, let alone twice. You are welcomed back any time you want, sir.

Graham: Thanks much for your time and thanks to your viewers.

Me: You have a great web site, but you're not on Facebook, right? Take care and keep in touch.

Graham: There may be a Facebook page or two dedicated to me, but I don't personally have one and have nothing to do with it, despite many requests to join other pages (with at least one from a musician far more famous than I) and despite being told by a few people that Facebook
does more to promote an artist than their website these days and I'm daft not to have one.
But I find the idea of having "friends" creepy. I've already got friends, and friendship is something that is earned, not signed on to. It just weirds me out. Do I really need "friends"?

That's it for another entry of the Phile. The Phile will be back next Thursday with returning Alumni Jeff Cameron. Jeff will be the first guest to be on the Phile three times. So, Alumni Month and the most phantastic summer continues. Don't know what I am gonna do about my computer situation but I will keep you updated. Until next week, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye love you, bye.