Pheaturing Rachel Brooke

Hello, welcome to the Phile, and Happy Father's Day to all the father's out there. I have been a father for eleven years, and it's the coolest thing ever. My dad was a famous rock star who wrote kick ass songs, and my son has a dad who works at a theme park who writes a lame blog. This is my dad when he was working...

And this is me at work...

So, who is cooler? Father’s Day this year is a bonus year for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Alright, let's talk about what else is going on. I saw the movie Super 8 last week and the whole time I thought it was about a hotel. Boy, was I wrong. The state of Alaska released more than 24,000 emails written by Sarah Palin when she was governor. How does someone that doesn’t read write that much? Apparently, Palin relied on her husband, Todd, for policy advice. You know what they say: Behind every great woman, there’s a snowmobile racer. Derek Jeter is only six hits away from 3,000 base hits. What a coincidence — Anthony Weiner is only six nude photos away from 3,000. Happy belated birthday to Donald Trump. For his birthday party, they played “Pin everything on Obama.” So, did you watch the Republican debate? Newt Gingrich was so impressed with Michele Bachmann at the Republican debate that he gave her a $200,000 gift certificate for Tiffany’s. At the first Republican presidential debate, seven candidates got together to agree on how much they dislike the government they would like to run. Mitt Romney is the front runner at this point, mostly because he looks like the guy they would cast as the president in a disaster movie. Hugh Hefner’s wedding has been called off. I guess he didn’t want to be tied down with one woman for the rest of his weeks. Kim Kardashian and her fiancé’s wedding registry leaked online. Since they’re millionaires, they’ve asked that instead of gifts, the guests donate to local charities. Just kidding, they want a $1,600 silver-plated coffee pot. Kim Kardashian’s wedding might single-handedly bring us out of this recession. A recent study found that today’s fathers spend twice as much time with their kids as fathers in 1960. Meanwhile, the study found that Arnold Schwarzenegger spends time with twice as many kids as he did three weeks ago. The Green Lantern movie called Green Lantern came out Friday and there's already an inspirational poster tie in. And here it is.

So, there's a new Winnie the Pooh movie coming out, and I love the new premise. If you don't know what it is, I have it right here. This is so cool.

It's Sunday, so you know what that means. It's time for another...

And now for some sad news...

Clarence Clemons
January 11, 1942 - June 18, 2011
That blows.

In small-town Ohio, 1979, six kids witness a horrific train accident while shooting a homemade zombie movie. Turns out the train is military and carrying something classified, angry and determined to escape. As the town turns upside-down and the kids confront the scary secret, they... nope, that's all you get. The trailers have done an admirable job of keeping this movie's mysteries to itself instead of bonking you over the head with them just to lure you into the theater. I'm not going to wreck it. It's the most satisfying summer movie so far this year. But go see it now before someone else ruins it for you. This is not a Steven Spielberg film but you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd been actually transported back to 1979 when he was at the height of his coolness powers. So yeah, complain about that if you want, that writer-director J.J. Abrams is simply ripping off the master of kids-plus-aliens-plus-adventure-plus-awe. Or you could think of it in musical terms. Great new pop songs are never truly "original." They tie together strands of existing material, figure out a way to recycle a classic sound, beloved hook or chord progression, remix it into a new shape and thrill you all over again. And that's this movie. Unlike other old ideas in new packages, it flying-bikes its way over the stunted-growth trap that too often leaves you stuck in the guilty zone of the "guilty pleasure" summer movie. Instead it takes you on a trip to childhood excitement and, when it's time to leave, is mature enough to know it. And yes, I will be buying it when it comes out on Blu-ray. From 1 to 10, it gets a 10.

The first artist to be pheatured in the P.P.A.G. is Dax Norman. Here is another one of his pieces, and Dax will be a guest on the Phile in a few weeks.

Today's guest is a singer, songwriter from Michigan who has been described as a badass... with a heart made of whiskey. Her new album "Down In the Barnyard" is now available on iTunes and she'll be appearing next at the Muddy Roots Music Festival in Cookeville, Tennessee on September 2nd. Please welcome to the Phile... Rachel Brooke.

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

Rachel: I am doing fine.

Me: So, who is this Lonesome Wyatt character you record with? Have you heard of Lonesome Dave?

Rachel: Lonesome Wyatt is also in a band called Those Poor Bastards. I dont know a Lonesome Dave. ; )

Me: Lonesome Dave was my dad. Anyway, I downloaded your new album "Down In the Barnyard" off from iTunes. And I also downloaded "Bitter Harvest"the album you did with Lonesome Wyatt. Do you like working with someone else better then doing your own thing?

Rachel: I like collaborating with other people because it's fun.

Me: Have you and Wyatt been friends for long?

Rachel: Wyatt and I have been friends for about a year.

Me: Do you both sit down and write together?

Rachel: We each wrote our own songs and then sang/played on each others. But we wrote the songs initially by ourselves.

Me: Rachel, I like all your albums. On your first one did you play with anybody or do everything yourself?

Rachel: On my first album I kept it simple. I did have a few people play on a few different songs. my father played banjo, my brother played a little guitar and a friend of mine, Wayne Sands, also played a little on it.

Me: Is your next project gonna be with Wyatt again?

Rachel: My next project will most likely be my next CD. I'm not sure what I'm calling it yet, but I have a few ideas.

Me: Let's talk about Michigan where you are from. Where on the hand?

Rachel: I'm from Northern Michigan. The middle of the middle finger. :)

Me: Do you have a big following there?

Rachel: I don't have a big following, no. I have a few fans, but mostly it's just my friends who like me. I don't know why. There are a lot of people in Northern Michigan who play music, so I don't stand out too much up here.

Me: I like your retro feel, Rachel. Who are your influences?

Rachel: My influences are Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Brian Wilson, and a bunch more.

Me: Okay, I have to say this... you are very attractive, but you gotta quit smoking.

Rachel: I don't really smoke. I don;t consider myself a real smoker. I smoke when I drive, and I smoke when I drink. But it's not a good habit, I know.

Me: Rachel, thanks for doing this interview. Anything you wanna tell the Phile readers before you go? Come back on the Phile soon when your next CD comes out. Take care, Rachel.

Rachel: Thanks for the interview!!! Thanks for listening! Come out to a show. See you there. Look at my website at rachelbrookemusic.com.

Well, that wasn't the deepest interview ever, but thanks to Rachel for being on the Phile. I have to get this Lonesome Wyatt guy here sometime. The Phile will be back next Sunday with Michael Lee, from the Michael Lee Band. Now we are going to church, then Tijuana Flats as dad's eat free there today. Yippee! So, until next week, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.