Pheaturing Chris Youlden

 

Hello, kids, welcome to the Phile for a Monday, a very gloomy Monday. I don't know what the weather is where you live, but here in Central Florida there's been nothing but rain for three days now. So, do you guys play golf? President Obama recently played his 100th round of golf since taking office. You could tell it was Obama, because he finished about 14 trillion over par. That’s right, 100 rounds of golf since being elected. It was weird when Obama asked his caddie for a recommendation and he was like, “Uhh, don’t play so much golf?”  A new study found that Republicans are more likely to go to Dunkin’ Donuts, while Democrats are more likely to get their breakfast at Starbucks. While Governor Chris Christie takes the bipartisan route and gets a breakfast from each.  Next month two men in Oregon plan to travel 400 miles in two lawn chairs, connected to a bunch of balloons. Or as North Korea calls that, "the space program." The other day President Obama used his executive privileges to withhold documents about the weapons operation called Fast and Furious. I don't know what's scarier... that we can't see those documents or that the government is naming operations after Vin Diesel movies.  There is talk that a "Sesame Street" movie is in the works. It got weird when Cookie Monster was like, "Me willing to go nude if done tastefully."  There's a new website called Sexy Mandarin that uses half-naked models to help you learn Chinese. Or in other words, there's a new website where you won't learn Chinese. What is the name of this website?  A new report found that President Obama's campaign spent $6 million more than it raised last month. Which explains why his latest campaign ad ended with the phrase, "I'm Barack Obama and I'm selling some old CDs on Craigslist."  A new survey found that only 31 percent of Americans would want to sit next to Mitt Romney on a flight. Romney was so upset, he was like, "I don't understand. How would they get on my private jet?" Just 31 percent of Americans said they would sit next to Romney on an airplane and 57 percent would rather sit next to president Obama... while 100 percent would want to watch them have to sit next to each other, just have them go at it.  There was a big Twitter outage in the U.S. a few days ago. Or as people at work put it, "Well, I guess I better get back to Facebook."  Well, I mentioned the rain we are getting. It's all because of Tropical Storm Debby. Why won't she just go to Dallas? There's rain all over the East Coast, fires in Colorado and caterpillar's over some guy's car in the Midwest. Check this shit out.

Don't go to the beach in this weather, kids. The winds will knock your head off, and I have proof.

 

Well, there's one cool thing about the Summer, and that is you see a lot of bikinis. Man, what a great invention. So, for the next few weeks on the Phile I will show you some cool, different bikinis. Would you like to spend $30 million for a piece of bikini? It sounds crazy but it's true. The glittering $30 million bikini has been created by Susan Rosen with Steinmetz Diamonds. This is the world's most expensive bikini, it uses all diamonds and no fabric. The bikini features over 150 carats of D Flawless diamonds, including a 51 carat D Flawless Pear Shape, a 30 carat D Flawless Emerald Cut, a pair of 15 carat D Flawless Rounds and a pair of 8 carat D Flawless Pear Shapes all set in platinum. Model Molly Sims wore this diamond-studded bikini for the centerfold of the 2006 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. And yeah, fellas, I have a picture for you. Don't say I didn't give you anything.

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

 

Top Ten Things You Don't Want To Hear on Your Summer Vacation
10. "It's a staycation and they still lost our luggage."
9. "Since when was the Grand Canyon filled with empty beer cans?"
8. "I can steer the ship much closer to those girls on the rocks."
7. "We haven't seen sharks in these waters for well over a week."
6. "You can get out of jail by donating one of your kidneys."
5. "The pilot called in sick, but this plane practically flies itself."
4. "I realize I'm not a TSA worker, and I realize you're just in line to buy a soda, but I'd like to pat you down anyway."
3. "That's not sunscreen lotion."
2. "What do you mean the dog will be riding home with the Romneys?"
And the number one thing you don't want to hear on your Summer vacation...
1. "Yes, Governor Christie, swimsuits are optional."

 

You'd think being a princess would be a little easier by this point.  But then your most recent trip outside the castle gates only drums up about a hundred million dollars and everyone is expecting Avatar-level takes, or at least a solid 300, and that's when they change the game on you. Thanks to the alleged box-office poison that is overt female-ness, they have to go disguise the next princess movie as a non-princess movie to trick people into seeing it. Mere mega-success is no longer an option. They now require ass-kicking-mega-success, plus merchandising that somehow turns the princess into a car, or else they can never make any more movies about princesses. Also, princesses are the only women they know how to create. Yes, yes, there was Lilo, but she ran around hitting people, which is just not very princess-y. Anyway, they don't have time to think about this any harder than they already do. Sorry.  But now, in this corner, weighing an unknown quantity of scrappy pounds, is Disney-Pixar refusenik royalty Merida (Kelly Macdonald), a young woman whose uncontrollably curly red hair is almost its own character and whose archery skills make her something of a cartoon Katniss. Even better, she's not getting married today... or ever, probably... to the first-born son of a kindred clan in her medieval Scottish world, even if it means she could prevent the men from starting a giant war. They'd find a reason to start one all the same.  In fact, Merida is so rambunctiously rebellious in the face of expectations placed upon her by royal tradition that she fights ferociously with her mother the queen (Emma Thompson) over corsets, weaponry, that hair and, most importantly, her future role in the kingdom. She also enters a win-the-princess's-hand-in-marriage archery competition just so she can crush the boys and claim herself for herself, then embraces the black magic of a witch who claims to have just the thing to make mom come around. And when was the last time a princess encountered a witch in a forest and anything good came of it?  The witch's curse leads to a transformation I won't talk about here, but it's one that provides the movie with most of its second-half comedy and all of its drama, even as it threatens to become an occasional obstacle, both to the title's promise of epic courage and to the action's momentum. And at the same time, it's refreshing enough just to see this kind of protagonist in situations that demand acknowledging the complications that arise when traditionally masculine and traditionally feminine approaches to conflict butt heads. She's not a girl wanting to be a boy, she just wants not to be told how to be a girl. Sometimes the movie is on board for this, sometimes less so. Which means it's as messy in the narrative department as it is impeccably beautiful to look at and live in for two hours. And it still has everything the word "Pixar" has come to mean: intelligence, humor, beauty and a humane quality you only miss when you see other films that get so lost in cleverness and tech-y stunts that they forget to move you. So if it stumbles a little while trying to be an action movie with a mother/daughter love story at its center, if it tries a little too hard to loosen the corset of what stories can be told and to whom, then so be it. A stumble in the ri ght direction will still get you to your destination. Be that said, I have all the other Pixar movies on Blu-ray and/or DVD so I will be getting this one as well. Oh... I give it a 9.

The 20th artist to be pheatured in the Peverett Phile Art Gallery is acclaimed comic book artist Bob Budiansky, and this is one of his pieces.

You see that? Captain Britain is the greatest superhero of them all. Anyway, Bob will be a guest on the Phile next Sunday.

Okay, today's guest is an English blues singer who from from 1967 until 1970 was the the singer with the British blues band, Savoy Brown. Since those days he has released several solo albums, and his latest album "Greek Street" is with the band Waydown. It is a huge honor to have him here on the Phile. Please welcome... Chris Youlden!

Me: Hello, Chris, welcome to the Phile, or can I call you Crisps? Do you remember when I called you Crisps when I was little?

Chris: Nice to communicate.  Yes, I think I have a memory of it.

Jason: How are you, sir?

Chris: I'm okay.

Me: Recently I interviewed Kim Simmonds and Shakey Vick, sir, so I have to say it's a huge honor to be interviewing you. The last time I probably saw you was at the Highlands Heath flat in Putney when I was four or five years old. Am I right?

Chris: Yes, you’re probably right.

Me: I remember you used to wear this big fur jacket and have this big tall hat. Do you still have them both?

Chris: They’re probably in the loft somewhere.

Me: My dad said before in interviews and to me that he suggested once to you you should change your name to Luther Foghat. What did you think when he suggested that? It's a good job you didn't, because who knows what Foghat would of been named.

Chris: On the way back from a gig, to amuse ourselves, we invented the name of a fictional blues character. I came up with Luther, your dad came up with Foghat.

Me: Did you think for a second to change your name?

Chris: I don’t think so. I never thought I could get away with it.

Me: Where was the first place you met my dad, Chris? You both joined Savoy Brown about the same time, right?

Chris: I first met your dad circa 1966. He, brother John and Jim Baikie advertised for people to complete a blues band they were forming. Graham and I went along and joined. Your dad joined Savoy something like two to three months after I did.

Me: Jim Baikie, comic book artist. I hope to have him on the Phile as well soon. I have a great picture of you and my dad in Savoy brown. And in the picture you are wearing that hat and fur coat.

Me: That's you, Roger Earl, Kim Simmonds, my dad, and Tony Stevens. So, when was the last time you spoke or saw my dad? You guys all jammed when we moved back in England, am I right? Sometime in the 80's?

Chris: Yes, it was in the 80’s. Bob Brunning got a gig at the 100 Club. Your dad, Bob Hall, Micky Waller and I were the rest of the band.

Me: You left Savoy Brown before my dad, Roger and Tony left and formed Foghat. I know why my dad left the band, Chris, did you leave Savoy Brown for the same reason?

Chris: I felt it was the right time to move on.

Me: Whose idea was it for my dad to take singing duties on side two of the "Blue Matter" album?

Chris: It came about because by the time the recording date came around, I had developed a bad case of tonsillitis and had lost my voice... the equivalent of a guitarist breaking his fingers.

Me: When was the first time you came to the States? I am guessing that was with the "Getting to the Point" album. What was the first state you visited and what was your first thought when you arrived in the U.S.?

Chris: That first time was in January 1969. The first state I visited was New York. Our first gigs were at a place called The Scene in Manhattan. I felt a mix of wonder and disbelief. My generation grew up at a time when American popular culture in all it’s forms was probably at it’s most influential in the UK. I never dreamed I would ever get to the USA.

Me: "Getting to the Point" was the second Savoy Brown album. The first one "Street Corner Talking" had a lot of covers, but with "Getting to the Point", you wrote a fair share of tracks. Were you song writing before or started writing when you joined Savoy?

Chris: I started writing songs when I was 18.

Me: How did you get to be the lead singer in Savoy Brown anyway? Did Kim approach you?

Chris: Harry Simmonds, Kim's Brother who was the manager approached me about taking on the job.

Me: The first song on "Getting to the Point" is "Flood in Houston". Did you and Kim write that song after hearing about a real flood in Houston on the news?

Chris: Not personally but I don’t know whether Kim had heard of an actual flood in Houston... he came up with the title.

Me: Hey, did you see or hear the in the TV show "CSI: NY" they used the song "Train to Nowhere" as a clue in one of the episodes?

Chris: Yes I did... it was quite a surreal experience.

Me: I have to ask you about another song while we're at it... "Savoy Brown Boogie" which is like 20 minutes and fills up the B-side to "A Step Further". In this song you guys play "Hernando's Hideaway", "Purple Haze" and "Little Queenie". Was this all spontaneous and was this typical of a Savoy Brown show?

Chris: It began life as a much shorter boogie song. In the USA we lengthened it and put in various extracts from other songs. We’d get ideas for these in the dressing room prior to going on stage. The performance of the song as a whole was largely spontaneous within it’s basic framework. It was the only song of that type that we did. We performed it nightly for possibly 18 months.

Me: This was all recorded at The Cooks Ferry Inn in London. Is that place still there?

Chris: The building may still be there but the club hasn’t existed for a long time.

Me: When you left Savoy Brown you started your own solo career, Chris. Your first solo album "Nowhere Road" was filled with a very impressive band, sir. Danny Kirwin, who played with Fleetwood Mac, Chris Spedding and Pete Wingfield who both worked with Sir Paul McCartney. And Roy Babbington who worked since with Elvis Costello. Did you hand pick these gentlemen, or were they session musicians at the time?

Chris: I was familiar with the names of the musicians you mention but had never worked with them. They were probably selected by the arranger of the orchestral tracks which were recorded first. I think it was Pete Wingfield who brought in Danny Kirwan for the band tracks.. They were all doing sessions in that period.

Me: By the way, Chris Spedding had a bit part in McCartney's "Give My Regards to Broad Street" film. Did you know that?

Chris: No, I didn’t know about that.

Me: That movie needs to be released on Blu-ray. By the way, my dad used to say there's the Stones fans and there's The Beatles fans. What was he back then, do you know? And what were you?

Chris: I can’t remember discussing it with him but I don’t think either of us as fans of the Stones or The Beatles. Our heroes would have been American Rock n’ Roll and blues singers/musicians. In the early sixties The Beatles were promoted as a beat group whereas the Stones were part of the Rhythm n’ Blues scene. So we would have preferred the Stones.

Me: You're right, he was more of a Stones fan. Chris, you had a big gap music wise between the album "Legend" that came out in 1979 and "Second Sight" which came out in 1991. Did you give up playing music? What did you in between time?

Chris: Mostly gigging and song writing. I guested on a couple of tracks on an album the guitarist Mick Pini made for Ace UK/Line in Germany in 1989.

Me: I never knew you played guitar to just recently, Crisps. When did you start to play?

Chris: Probably when I was 18 in 1962 and for that I have to thank my old buddy John White. We were getting into Chicago and downhome blues at the time. He had an acoustic guitar which he donated to me when he made his own solid-bodied model. He was the impetus behind the formation of my first band... the Downhome Blues Band. We advertised for like-minded musicians which is how I came to meet Shakey.

Me: What was the first song you learnt to play? Who is your favorite guitarist of all time and who were your influences growing up?

Chris: The first song I ever learned at the age of 4 was a Mills Brothers track called "Java Jive", part of my dad’s extensive record collection. In vocal terms I’ve always sung along to records so I learned a great many rock ‘n roll and early rhythm ‘n blues songs. Guitar wise the first was probably "Honey Bee". As far as the greatest guitarist of all time goes, there are very many of them; to pluck a name at random as one contender I’d say Wayne Bennet. As far as influences are concerned. My dad had a great record collection containing a large amount of jazz and jazz-related records. In my early teens I went through 50’s rock ‘n roll helped by my cousin Tony Yeomans’ large record collection and then I started collecting myself... rock ‘n roll, rhythm ‘n blues, blues, soul and jazz. I reckon I’ve been influenced by it all.

Me: Chris, I am so glad you are back making music and working with Shakey Vick. How did he approach you to be back in his band Waydown?

Chris: He told me was going to make what became the Waydown album and asked me whether I wanted to play a part in it.

Me: Crisps, thanks so much for spending time here and being on the Phile. I have a milion more questions to ask you, so I hope you'll come back on the Phile again soon. Tell Shakey I said hello.

Chris: Good to hear from you, Jason. I’m seeing Shakey soon so I’ll give him your regards.

Me: All the best, and take care, sir.

Chris: Cheers.

Man, that was one of the best interviews I have ever done. I have waited so long to have Chris here on the Phile. Thanks to Shakey Vick for hooking it up, and of course thanks to Chris. The Phile will be back next Sunday with artist Bob Budiansky. Then on Monday it's singer Jenn Summers. The following weekend it'll be singer Kim Edwards and British blues musician Mick Clarke. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Oh, and be safe out there. The weather sucks.

Pheaturing Bill Rozar From Witches In Bikinis

Hey, kids, welcome to the Peverett Phile, and... it's offically Summer! Here's an interesting fact. A hundred percent of people who use the word "summer" as a verb are awful people. Did you know that?  Pixar's new movie Brave came out this past Friday, and we are gonna go see it today. If they made as film based on me, it'll be called Wuss. That Abraham Lincoln vampire movie also came out. Tip of the hat to Abe Lincoln. Here's a guy who had his hands full and still found time to hunt vampires. By the way, when you buy the ticket for the new Abe Lincoln vampire movie, all of the facts and activities in the movie have been authenticated by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.  This past week President Obama down in Mexico for the G-20 Summit, and he met with Russia's Vladimir Putin. He said "I think your communist policies are a danger to the world." There's no word on how Obama responded. Obama is going to let certain illegal immigrants stay in this country. But there is an age requirement. You have to be old enough to vote by November.  Lindsay Lohan was treated for exhaustion. Here's my question: How many of you are exhausted just hearing about Lindsay Lohan?  Twilight star Kristen Stewart is now Hollywood's highest-paid actress. Last year she made $35 million. So if you break that down, it works out to $35 million for every emotion she can play.  New York City reached 102 degrees. That's the first time all year the temperature in Manhattan was higher than the age of Barbara Walters. It was so hot that New Yorkers fired Mayor Bloomberg and hired Mayor Iceberg. It was so hot Lance Armstrong injected himself with cold lemonade.  For the first time in history, the number of Asian immigrants coming into America is larger than the number of Hispanic immigrants. Now even our immigrants are being made in China.  Bristol Palin's new show premiered on the Lifetime network. It's funny how many of Lifetime's shows are targeted to people who have no lives at all.  There's a new study done in Denmark that says moderate amounts of alcohol during pregnancy does not affect the baby's mental ability. It seems like they could have waited a couple of more months until Snooki had her baby to release this information. Danish scientists tested these women while they were pregnant and the risk of negative mental affects was the same for children of mothers who don't drink at all. Up to eight drinks gives them a nice buzz and leaves their IQ unchanged. Good work on that, scientists.  The Euro Cup is going on in the Ukraine. Portugal beat the Czech Republic. It was the highest scoring match in soccer history, 1-0.  Well, like I said, it's Summer, and I saw a Summer themed ad for something that looked kinda odd to me. Take a look.

I bet you had to look at that twice like I did, right?  Microsoft has come out with a new tablet called Surface, and I think their promo for it is gonna piss of some Apple fans.

 

Well, it's Summer as you know, and as it's Summer and today's guest is from the band Witches In Bikinis, I thought for the next few weeks I would show you some of the wackiest bikinis out there. The bikini... what a great invention, right? Anyway, here is the first one. A burqini (or burkini) swimsuit designed by Australian company Ahiida. Their goal is to design swimsuits “with the respect of Islamic values and aimed to enhance the lifestyle of the active Muslim female”. Well, at least these cute chicks save money on sunscreen.

That's terrible. It looks like the same outfit Wonder Woman wore when she went swimming on the old TV show. Remember that? When I was a kid I was so disappointed that her bathing suit showed less skin then her regular outfit. I think I have as picture of it.

 

There. See what I mean? Oh, well. Hey, let's see who got a job in the fertilizer business, shall we?

 

LeRoy Neiman
June 8, 1921 - June 20, 2012
Painted himself into a coroner.


Alright, well, we all know the world is supposed to end in December thanks to the Mayans for being so darn smart. I thought I would invite a good friend to the Phile who hasn't been here in awhile to give us some more Mayan advice and such to help you during the week. So, please welcome back to the Phile...

Me: Hello, Marvin, welcome back. So, what advice do you have for us?

Marvin: Nya b’a’n tu’n twa’n toj chuj, ku’n b’e’x cy-elil chuj tc’u’ja.

Me: Marvin, we don't speak Mayanese. What is that in English?

Marvin: It is not good to eat in the bath or your stomach will grow that size.

Me: Ummm... thanks, Marvin. Marvin the Modern Day Mayan, everybody!

Over the year or so I had quite a few politicians on the Phile, and I feel so lucky to have them. But today's politician is really cool, and the best looking one ever. No, not Sarah Palin, but I am still hoping to get her. This one is a Democrat, duh. That's why the heading said Democrat. Please welcome to the Phile for the first time Financial Director for the Democratic National Committee... Hildy Kuryk.

   

Me: Hello, Hildy, welcome to the Phile. So, what did you want to talk about?

Hildy: Hello, Jason. So, do you know who Sheldon Adelson is?

Me: I think I heard the name before but not sure. Who he is?

Hildy: Sheldon Adelson is the man who recently donated $10 million of his personal fortune to a super PAC supporting Mitt Romney's campaign, making him the biggest single donor to a candidate-specific super PAC and biggest donor to outside spending groups in the history of the United States.

Me: Wow. So, I am guessing you and the other Democrats must be upset.

Hildy: Actually, there's something I want to say about this before I tell you that we should get upset.

Me: Okay. 

Hildy: He's said that he's willing to go as high as $100 million to defeat Barack Obama.

Me: This kind of money could change the outcome of an election I am guessing.

Hildy: For Sheldon Adelson, who's worth more than $20 billion, this donation is about the equivalent of $40 to a middle-class family.

Me: And what do you think of this billionaire doing this?

Hildy: This isn't the way our country should work. Electing someone president of the United States should be a decision that we make as a nation. The outcome shouldn't be affected by one, or even several, extraordinarily wealthy men.

Me: Do you think Sheldon knows this is wrong, too?

Hildy: "I'm against very wealthy people attempting to or influencing elections," he said. "But as long as it's doable I'm going to do it."

Me: Unless we stop him, right? Do you think he can be stopped?

Hildy: We absolutely can stop him.

Me: How, Hildy?

Hildy: We have more supporters on the ground, more energy and more voices. We just need to make sure that everyone gets involved, no one's left behind, and we don't let this election... or any election across the country... come down to just a few wealthy guys.

Me: For you guys about the amount of regular people's donations, right?

Hildy: No, and that's how we'll win. And Sheldon Adelson will still be able to buy us all a drink.

Me: LOL. Thanks, Hildy. Please come back again soon.

Hildy: Thanks, Jason, and for your help.

The 20th artist to be pheatured in the P.P.A.G. is the biggest yet. It's comic book artist Bob Budiansky, and this is one of his pieces...

 

I wanted to blow it up big so you can really see the artwork. Bob will be a guest on the Phile next Sunday.

Why the hell does she have ear muffs on? Oh, well. Today's guest is the composer, lyricist and creative director for the New York based band Witches in Bikinis. Their latest album "Scary Kind of Love" is available on iTunes and they'll be next appearing at Coney Island boardwalk, in front of Deno's at the Wonder Wheel Music Marathon in Brooklyn, New York on August 18th. Please welcome to the Phile... Bill Rozar.

 

Me: Hello, Bill, welcome to the Phile. How are you?

Bill: I'm great. It's wonderful to be here!

Me: I have to say, I was never into the witch thing, but the bikini thing, well, that's another story. How on Earth did you come up with this act, Bill?

Bill: One day the words "witches in bikinis" popped in my head. I liked the sound of it and the look of it. I just thought it was a really cool image. So I got to thinking about what witches in bikinis might be, then wrote a song about them, and then formed a group.

Me: You guys are based in New York, right?

Bill: Yes, Brooklyn.

Me: I am guessing throughout October you play a lotta shows, am I right?

Bill: You are right! In past years we've done the Witches Ball, performed in the Village Halloween Parade, and played at various clubs and parties.

Me: How long has the act Witches in Bikini's been playing?

Bill: About seven years.

Me: I take it you're a big fan of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Am I right?

Bill: I liked the movie. I was never one of those people who went to the theater with rice and water pistols, shouting at the screen though. We often perform "Time Warp" as an encore.

Me: Me, myself, I have never seen the movie or play. A friend of mine at work wants me to see it but I didn't see it when I was 20, I am not gonna see it now when I'm in the 40's. I thought it was gay back then.

Bill: It still is, in the best sense of the word.

Me: So, was it hard to find girls willing to be in the show, Bill?

Bill: It's not easy finding women who are talented and beautiful enough to be a Witches In Bikinis.

Me: How did you first express your idea and who was the first person you told about it?

Bill: The whole thing kind of evolved with a group of artist and performer friends. My main partner in getting the group started was Janelle Lannan, who is a fabulously talented singer and performer and sang all the songs on the first album. She was a friend of mine before I even knew she could sing. One night my wife and I saw her perform and we were blown away by how good she was. My wife suggested I ask Janelle to record my "Halloween" songs that were sitting on a shelf collecting dust. So we started recording the first song "Hold Me My Little Ghostie" on Halloween day 2004 and had our CD release party exactly one year later.

Me: How many Witches are in the band?

Bill: It varies show to show, depending on the venue, event, who's available, etc. Usually three to five. Occasionally more.

Me: What are the auditions like?

Bill: I generally schedule private auditions for people that already look promising based on their cover letter, resume, pictures, videos, and conversations. I give them a song to learn, maybe a dance routine; I record them, videotape them, and pick the ones that can sing and give off a good vibe. Even then there's kind of a trial period to see how they fit in.

Me: You also have a band as well, right? Are you in the band?

Bill: When the group first started performing it was all to tracks, then after about a year I formed a band in which I alternated between keyboards and guitar. This year we are doing a hybrid kind of thing using tracks and live instruments. So I am more like a DJ now but also playing instrumental parts here and there.

Me: How do you come up with the songs, Bill? Who are your influences?

Bill: Every song is different; sometimes I start with the lyrics, sometimes the melody or a beat, sometimes I work it out on guitar, sometimes on the piano, sometimes on the computer. I vary the process to keep it fresh and interesting. My musical influences run the gamut, but if I had to point to a single influence in creating Witches In Bikinis I would have to say Jonathan Richman back in 1980.

Me: If you could have any famous female singer in a colored wig and bikini in the band who would you choose?

Bill: Debbie Harry.

Me: I would've chose Kelly Clarkson to be in your band. What do you think?

Bill: Well, Witches in Bikinis is very much an ensemble... everybody is featured equally, so bringing in a star like that could upset the balance I imagine. But talent-wise and looks-wise she'd make a great WIB I'm sure!

Me: You have two albums which I downloaded from iTunes... the self-titled one and "A Scary Kind of Love". The latter came out a few years ago, are you working on a third album?

Bill: We do have enough songs for a couple more albums but I have not been focusing on it lately. About two years ago I formed another group... kind of a sister group to Witches In Bikinis... called Alien Surfer Babes, which does sci-fi and surf-themed music. So that kind of pulled me away from the next Witches album. But it is in the works!

Me: How would you compare both albums, Bill?

Bill: The first album was very Halloween and horror-oriented, heavy on organ and other keyboards, while the second album is more broadly-themed and more guitar-based rock.

Me: So, what is a typical Witches in Bikinis show like?

Bill: It's a spectacle. Beautiful women with great voices, tight harmonies, singing and dancing in sexy, colorful witch-wear. Lots of fun!

Me: I have a picture from your website of Witches performing at Coney Island last year.

Me: There's cherog... chrorog... dancing in the shows. Who comes up with all that?

Bill: Mostly the girls themselves. In the past we've had outside choreographers, but all the girls in the group are trained dancers and generally creative people. Usually someone will come up with some basic ideas and then work it out with the group. I don't get involved with the choreography at all other than to say if I like it or not.

Me: So, where did the inspiration for "Party Like A Chimpanzee" come from?

Bill: I don't know... just in a goofy mood that day I guess. I do like monkeys in general and chimpanzees in particular.

Me: Bill, do you guys perform at comic book conventions? I bet you could. There's Spookie Empire here two times a year where you probably could play.

Bill: I'll have to check that out. We did perform at the Fangoria Convention in New Jersey which was very cool. And Alien Surfer Babes made an appearance at Comicon in New York which was a lot of fun... so many people wanted pictures with the girls even though they had no idea who they were.

Me: So, what's next for the Witches, Bill?

Bill: Well, the plan now is to combine Witches in Bikinis, Alien Surfer Babes, and a couple of other shows into a single group called Madwoman Collective. It will be Madwoman Collective featuring Witches In Bikinis, Alien Surfer Babes, etc. We want to have a vehicle that does not restrict us to a single narrow theme and allows us to reach a broader audience with many narrow themes as well as more universal "mainstream" kinds of music. I never planned to spend the rest of my life writing only Witches in Bikinis music.

Me: Thanks so much for being here. Please come back again. Go ahead and plug your website and anything else you want.

Bill: Actually, our website, witchesinbikinis.com, is being re-vamped so it's not very current. Best thing is just to Google Witches In Bikinis for articles, videos, etc. and get the music from iTunes, Amazon, or CDBaby.

Me: All the best, and I hope this was fun.

Bill: It was! Thank you so much!

Well, that about does it for another entry. Thanks to my guests Hildy Kuryk and of course Bill Rozar. The Phile will be back with legendary British Blues singer Chris Youlden and then next Sunday it's artist Bob Budiansky and on Monday singer Jenn Summers. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.

Pheaturing Alumni Lee Negin

 

Hello, kids, welcome to the Phile, how are you? Did you guys have a good Father's Day yesterday? My son and wife surprised me by taking me to a restaurant called The Tilted Kilt, where waitresses looked like this. 

 

I have the best wife and son ever. And I ate a sandwich called The Fat Bastard. I had to eat something named after me.  A new report found that Mitt Romney’s economic plan would not have any effect on unemployment. When he heard that Romney’s plan wouldn’t make any difference, Obama was like, “Hey, that’s MY thing!”  At a recent speech Obama said he wants to build an economy where hard work pays off. Which explains why Obama’s approval rating just went down by three Kardashians. Mitt Romney just released a new campaign ad about the economy featuring out-of-work Americans. It gets weird at the end when he says, “I’m Mitt Romney, and I fired all these people.”  Romney visited a restaurant in Iowa, and had trouble thinking of the word for donut. Newt Gingrich merely responded, "That never would have happened if I were the nominee."  Police in Georgia are looking for people who stole 400,000 toothpicks from a warehouse. Fortunately, one of the suspects has a clear alibi... a tiny piece of spinach in his teeth.  Are you guys watching the NBA playoffs? I haven't been. LeBron James revealed that he just finished reading all three books in "The Hunger Games" trilogy. The bad news is he did it last night during the fourth quarter.  I heard that Snooki, Pauly D, and The Situation will each make $5 million for this season's "Jersey Shore." It just goes to show that if you put your mind to something and work hard, you're wasting your time.  The other night Giants pitcher Matt Cain threw his team's first-ever perfect game against the Astros. The Astros went three hours without making it to first base, or as I used to call that... a date.  Tim Tebow said he's gained nine pounds since joining the Jets and plans to gain even more weight. You can tell his eating habits have changed. Now, he spends most of his time praying for the return of the McRib. Happy birthday to Paul McCartney. He’s 70 years old, so now when he says he wants to hold your hand, it’s so that he can cross the street. He’s changing some of the lyrics to his songs, such as, “I wanna hold your cane.” Talking about walking across the street, one of my favorite Beatles albums is "Abbey Road", and I love that album cover. But did you ever see the original version they were gonna use? No. I have it right here, kids.

I am glad they went to the one they used, aren't you? I am so happy they released a Paul McCartney inspirational poster.

You know, that Snow White and the Huntsman movie is still doing good in the box office. Did you see the new poster for it?

 

Okay, and now for some sad news...

Rodney King
April 2, 1965 - June 17, 2012
Can't we all just learn how to swim?


Alright, well, a past character on the Phile wanted to come on and give an exclusive on something he just got his hands on. I have no idea what it is myself, so please welcome to the Phile once again...

 

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye! The schedule for the FINAL day of the 46th Democrat National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. on September 6, 2012 has been released. Sounds like a fun time for all delegates and will no doubt resemble the Star Wars Bar Scene! 

 4:00 PM Opening Flag Burning Ceremony.

 4:05 PM Singing of "God Damn America" led by Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

 4:10 PM Pledge of Allegiance to Obama.

 4:15 PM Ceremonial 'I Hate America' led by Michelle Obama.

 4:30 PM Tips on Dodging Sniper Fire, Hillary Clinton.

 4:45 PM Al Sharpton Leads Castrati Choir in Singing, "Great Balls of Fire".

 5:00 PM UFO Abduction Survival, Joe Biden.

 5:30 PM Eliot Spitzer Speaks on "Family Values" via Satellite.

 5:45 PM Tribute to All 57 States.

 6:00 PM Joe Biden Delivers 100,000-Word Speech Featuring 23-Minute Question and 2-Hour Answer.

 8:30 PM Airing of Grievances by the Clintons.

 9:00 PM Bill Clinton Delivers Rousing Endorsement of Obama Girl.

 9:15 PM Tribute Film to Freedom Fighters at Gitmo by Michael Moore.

 9:45 PM Personal Finance Seminar - Charlie Rangel.

10:00 PM Denunciation of Bitter Gun Owners, Rosie O'Donnell.

10:30 PM Ceremonial Waving of White Flag for Iraq & Afghanistan.

11:00 PM Obama Energy Plan Symposium/Tire Gauge Demonstration.

11:15 PM Free Gov. Blagojevich Rally.

11:30 PM Obama Accepts Tony and Latin Grammy Awards.

11:45 PM Feeding of the Delegates with 5 Loaves and 2 Fish, Obama Presiding.

12:00 AM Official Nomination of Obama by Bill Maher.

12:01 AM Obama Accepts Nomination as Lord and Savior.

12:05 AM Celestial Choirs Sing 3:00 AM Biden Delivers Acceptance Speech Note: There is one omission in the list above: Memorial recognition of Obama's surrogate son, Trayvon, will be in conjunction with the 12:05 AM event. 

OPTION: Closing with a "Declaration of War" on the rich; to be decided just before the Convention. Mitt Romney will be declared "Public Enemy Number One".

Thank you, Jason.

Hmmmm. Oh, well. The 20th artist to be pheratured in the P.P.A.G. is legendary comic artist Bob Budiansky, and this is one of his pieces.

Bob will be a guest on the Phile next week. Look forward to it, kids.

Alright, today's Alumni guest was last on the Phile on November 9th, last year. Sincee then he has a new album out called "Technodelic Transmissions". Please welcome to the Phile one of the deepest guests I ever had... Lee Negin.

Me: Hello, Lee, welcome back to the Phile. How have you been?

Lee: Quite well, thank you. I hope all is well with you.

Me: Yeah, not bad. Okay, first of, let's get to the chase... last time you were here you mentioned a 2-CD opera you were working on based on your character Cheeze. Are you still coming out with that? 

Lee: Since I was last ‘here,’ I completed writing and recording a double album “Technopera” I lined up a very cool German artist to do the cover, and some other artists (Japanese, Korean) to do a booklet. I was hoping to release it in several formats (vinyl, CD, digital download)…. However, I gave up on the idea (money issues) and released my new album “Technodelic Transmissions” instead, which has a track or two from the “opera.” So, my mythic “Technopera” will go down in the anals (sic) of rock lore and perhaps be released posthumously.

Me: For those that don't know, tell them who Cheeze is, Lee.

Lee: A cool, swinging cat I hang out with. Since writing the “opera” he now has a vivid back-story, involving a wonderbread-velveeta-mayonaise mid-waste upbringing, a moment of epiphany involving THC (marijuana)-alien abduction-anal probes-Chinese fornication and his subsequent use as a host-body avatar for reptilian alien dudes who observe us for their vicarious amusement. Can you dig that? The ‘technopera’ is epic, along the lines of the Babylonian epic of Gilgamesh, only Cheeze was a jazz trumpet player in a bebop combo, gigging in Shanghai before he became a Taoist immortal.

Me: I am glad he is pheatured on the new album "Technodelic Transmissions". Lee, you are always so deep, my friend. What is a technodelic?

Lee: Is ‘deep’ a synonym for thick?

Me: I hope not.

Lee: Technodelic is a little word I thought I coined combining 2 genres of music I adore and dabble in: techno and psychedelic. The new album combines those influences.

Me: This is your fourth album in little over a year, Lee. You must spend a lot of your time in the studio. Are you already working on your next project?

Lee: Indeed. When I’m not at my university gig, I am in the recording studio. The absence of a social life makes one quite productive! Yes, I am working on a few projects. A follow-up to “Wu Wei” (electronica-ambient-experimental) which might be released on a Russian label; a possible collaboration with a Korean Pansori singer (note: Pansori is a genre of Korean traditional music); some videos, etc. 

Me: Do you do everything on the album, Lee? Wait, you have girls singing on it, right?

Lee: On the first track, “Cheeze Goes E-MmENTAL,” my backing singers, The Chinese Chicks are lending their support. They are some of my Chinese female students... my university has many exchange students, and I formed a backing choir with them. Elvis had his background chicks, Ray Charles had his... a long tradition, so of course it’s de rigueur for Cheeze and I. Besides that, I do everything else.

Me: So, no one else plays on the album with you?

Lee: Me, Myself and I. The Three Stooges.

Me: Did you produce this one yourself?

Lee: Guilty.

Me: Lee, ever think about doing acoustic or rock album?

Lee: Rock is dead. Acoustic in the sense of ‘ethnic’ and/or western classical instrument... yes. I incorporate them in most of my music, but they are usually sampled and I am playing them by keyboard. On one track from “Technodelic Transmissions” called, “The Shattered Moon, The Dancing Stars” I am playing a middle-eastern stringed instrument, but it’s my Fender Strat (electric guitar) through my Roland guitar synthesizer. On the album “Hungry Ghosts,” I played acoustic drums, piano and trumpet and on some of my current (unreleased) material I am playing flugelhorn. If I had the wherewithal, I’d love to write/record with a western classical orchestra and ‘ethnic’ singers and musicians. Again, I am doing that now with samples but it would be way cool to set up an orchestra in Abbey Road studios… I am drooling (listen to my track, “Just So” on my new album… shades of George Martin and Jack Nitzsche, two of my many ‘mentors’).

Me: You started out as a rock singer, am I right?

Lee: Hmmm… Actually, I ‘started’ as a trumpet player when I was about 7 years old. In my first pop music group, I started singing (I was 12). From then on, through high school (I played in bars and clubs on weekends as a drummer) I was also a vocalist. This continued (my singing) until a few years back, when I ‘lost’ my voice... excessive substance abuse and singing like Johnny Winter! I sang on “Hungry Ghosts” with mixed results. I do sing on “Cheeze Goes E-MmENTAL” but it’s a character, if that makes sense.

Me: What music do you listen to now, and what were your favorite bands growing up?

Lee: My list of favorite bands would be too long. As far as listening to music now: I don’t. I stopped years ago. I am in the studio a lot, so when I’m not I give my ears a break. Besides that, I haven’t heard anything interesting (I check online occasionally) in years.

Me: Apart from being a workaholic musician, Lee, you are also a professor. Tell the readers where you teach again. You live in South Korea, right?

Lee: Yes. I teach at a university in Seoul.

Me: You teach something called cross-cultural communication. What on Earth is that?

Lee: It’s not on Earth. It’s teaching my students how to communicate with aliens (actually, that’s not far from the truth). Briefly, communication involves much more than language. If you only study a language, but are ignorant of its cultural context (values, beliefs, social practices, norms) than there are always communication problems. I’ll spare the reader and stop here.

Me: Did you make up the course yourself?

Lee: Yes and no.

Me: Ever think of writing a book on that subject?

Lee: There are already several.

Me: So, how far away are you from North Korea?

Lee: Too close for comfort. Literally.

Me: Do you hear a lot about North Korea where you live?

Lee: Of course. This is a very painful, divisive topic for the Korean people. However, unlike “foreigners,” people here don’t worry about an imminent attack. Most living South Koreans have spent their entire lives in a divided Korea, so for them it’s just a part of life, and life goes on.

Me: What did South Koreans think of Kim-il?

Lee: Probably what most Libyans thought of Moammar Khadafi. Let’s just say he and his dad were not very popular here.

 Me: Okay, let's get back to your music, Lee. Are your students aware of your music?

 Lee: Yes, many have heard tracks online and/or seen a video or two. Let’s just say Korea is not a mecca for non-mainstream types of music (mainstream being western pop stars or their own version, the ubiquitous K-Pop).

Me: I have to ask you about two songs on the latest album... one is called "Yubune De Onara". What does that mean?

Lee: It’s Japanese. Literal translation: Fart in the bathtub.

Me: Nice! You also have a song called "Jimi Plays Lhasa". Is that Jimi Hendrix? What is Lhasa?

Lee: “Jimi” is indeed Mr. Hendrix. Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet. There was a concert video/album called “Jimi Plays Berkeley.” My little homage.

Me: You mentioned last time you were here you are going to tour Europe and Asia I think it was. Are you still planning that tour?

Lee: It’s on the back burner for now, but I have the gear in place…perhaps later this year.


Me: Do you have a band set up?

Lee: Once again, the 3 stooges! It will be me, my laptop and some instruments (perhaps guitar controlling synths and a keyboard).

Me: How many people would you need, Lee?

Lee: To recreate my studio recordings…a cast of thousands. For the live gigs, I will compose material suited... meaning, I can do it alone with my laptop.

Me: Lee, thanks for being back on the Phile. Go ahead and plug your website and tell the Phile readers something deep they should think about. All the best, and come back again.

Lee: Cheers, Jason. Much appreciated. Some sites: passingphasemusic.com, facebook.com/LeeNegin1, youtube.com/user/passingphasemusic, cdbaby.com/Artist/LeeNegin.  Words of wisdom: “Don’t eat that yellow snow.” – Frank Zappa.

There you go, kids, the last of three entries in a row. Thanks to Lee for another great interview. The Phile will back on Sunday with Bill Rozar from the band Witches In Bikinis. Then on Monday it's British Blues legend Chris Youlden and the Sunday after that is Marvel comics legend artist Bob Budiansky. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.

Pheaturing Chris Levy From Son Of Levi

 

 Hello, kids, and happy Father's Day to all dads out there. How are you? If it’s done right, Mother’s Day is just a rehearsal for Father’s Day. Do you get dad a tie, slippers, or what? I hope I get a Blu-ray for today. Father’s Day has got to be the No. 1 day of the whole year for selling barbecue aprons. I don't cook so I don't wanna apron, but there is this really cool Darth Vader apron I saw once. 

Father's Day is the day we congratulate dad by getting mom drunk on wine coolers and getting him a bottle of cologne he doesn't wear. A lot of sons struggle with what to get their dad's for Father's Day. The dads don't want anything, and if you do buy them something, it's with their money.  The World Open Golf Championship teed off a few days ago in San Francisco. Tiger Woods is currently tied for second place. Someone who didn't have sex with everyone is in first. I don't know what his name is. Lance Armstrong may be in trouble again. An anti-doping agency accused him of using performance-enhancing drugs. Federal authorities got suspicious when they noticed an American was exercising.  I think I said this yesterday, congratulations to the Los Angeles Kings for winning the Stanley Cup. I don't know much about hockey, but I do know there's a great tradition in hockey. Each player on the winning team gets the Stanley Cup for a night. It's similar to what happens in the NBA, but instead of a trophy, they get a Kardashian sister. The good thing about being knocked face down during a hockey game is that you're immediately putting ice on it.  As I have been saying on the Phile as I like dragging things for awhile, it was recently announced that in the next James Bond movie, Skyfall, he will not be drinking his trademark martinis, but drinking Heinekens. Heineken is not the only product placement in Skyfall. Take a look at this screen shot.

Did you see the Justin Bieber concert on the "Today" show the other day? The audience were yelling someone odd things. A teamster was heard saying, "I know I'm just a teamster here to set up the lighting, but I'm feeling weird tinglings inside." And someone said, "First 9/11 and now this." I think that's uncalled for. You know, I am a big fan of comics, but there's something I didn't know... Jimmy Olsen is Superman's son. Look at this cover from an old comic book. This is real.

 

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

 

Top Ten Things You Don't Want To Hear From Your Kids On Father's Day
10. "And you are?"
9. "Father? We always kind of assumed you were our mother."
8. "I'm supposed to give you a gift to thank you for ruining my life?!"
7. "Hey Dad, on your special day, how 'bout updating your will?"
6. "It's not just a nose hair trimmer, it's a nose and ear hair trimmer"
5. "All eight of us got you a subscription to US Weekly, so you can read about how you're cheating on Mom"
4. "It's a restaurant, Dad; they require a shirt"
3. "I know you don't play golf, but golfballs were easiest to shoplift"
2. "It's nice to go through the motions like this every year"
And the number one thing you don't want to hear from your kids on Father's Day...
1. "Here's a couple bucks. Get yourself a McDLT."

Okay, now for a special treat. There's a character that hasn't been on the Phile in a while who would love to come on and talk about Father's Day. So, please welcome back to the Phile, our good friend...

Ah for hippity hoppity sakes I love Fadder's Day. Jeez, when I was a kid I used go "happy father's day dad". Hey dad can I borrow $25 bucks? Heh hehe... and dats exactly what my kid's do 'cept they leave out the happy father's day, dad! I got one kid refuses to address me by name, he only says, "Hello, how are you?" He is so terrified of having my DNA to identify me as "dad" is a souless abyss into which he cannot brave. My favorite part is when we go to a restaurant with people we cannot stand, order tasteless food, and all sneak furtive glances at each other while we push a single misshapen pea into a glob of unknown gravy, after small talk, we push ourselves away from the table and say, "Oh My God that was good! Thank you so very, very much!" Then we scatter in the parking lot into seven different directions spewing pollution into the LA skyline as we disperse like humans in a rayon gas protected by our individual thoughts and shiny little cars. Los Angeles has three million stories and that is one of them.   When I get home I cry, secretly behind the false wall in my secret room, where I keep the secret papers then the phone rings, I smile faintly and lift the receiver from the cradle... it's a telemarketer from India... huh. Some days are just too special to put into words, thats why I rely on Hallmark to do it for me. Now how about this, FAGGETABOUTIT.

Thanks, Pat. Man, I think he was drunk. LOL. What was he talking about? Gotta love him. Alright, now for the announcement of the 20th artist to be pheatured in the P.P.A.G. He is a legendary Marvel comic boom artist and this is one of his pieces of work.

This is so cool. Bob Budiansky is the artist and he will be on the Phile in a few weeks. I cannot wait.

 

Okay, today's guest is the singer who records under the name Son of Levi. He has a new album "Always" which is available now on iTunes. Please welcome to the Phile on this Father's Day, from Son of Levi... Chris Levy.

Me: Hello, Chris, welcome to the Phile. How are you?

Chris: Doing well, and thanks for including me, Jason.

Me: So, over the years I have interviewed many musicians who don't record under their name but under a band name, which I never really understood, but with you, there's a big reason behind it. Tell the readers why and how you decided to call yourself Son of Levi.

Chris: Well, after my father passed away a few years back, I really felt the need to distance myself from what was. He was my manager and was really involved with what I was doing, and as I began to reinvent myself, the music and the way I told my stories began to change with me. Son of Levi is a nod to what was as well as an acknowledgement that in order to stay healthy you have to move on from painful things and rebuild. It’s also apart of my heritage because my father was Jewish and the name Levi is definitely a part of our ancestry. The Levites were a sort of a musical clan in their day.

Me: So, your dad's name was Levi Levy? Or is Levi a different way to spell Levy? I am confused.

Chris: Our family name was Levy, however if you look back in our ancestry you see that it was Levi, which means that they changed it at some point, probably because of the war and racial tensions in Eastern Europe where my family originates.

Me: Anyway, I know how you feel about losing your dad, Chris. I lost my dad from cancer as well as my mom from cancer in 2000. When did you lose your dad?

Chris: Sorry to hear about your parents. Yeah, I lost my Dad September 16, 2008.

Me: My dad was a musician. Your dad was also a musician, am I right?

Chris: Yes, we both became interested in music at similar points in our lives, which is really cool.

Me: Was he in a band, Chris?

Chris: No, my father was a solo act; when he was 17 he was signed to Apple Records to work with Sir George Martin right after the Beatles had garnered their fame. He was a big inspiration in my life.

Me: Wow, that's freaking cool. When you became a musician your dad was your manager, so that's cool he was a big part of your career. Did he give you a lot of advice?

Chris: My father always wanted to give me advice whether or not I wanted it. Although I didn’t always let on, I really did appreciate his input in my life, especially now that he is gone.

Me: What type of advice did he give you?

Chris: He had advice about life, about how it takes time and how you need to be patient, and also about pressing on even when you face adversity. Some of his most valuable advice had to do with songwriting. He was a masterful songwriter, and was really intent on seeing I became one as well.

Me: I don't have any musical talent, Chris, so you are very lucky. How long have you been a musician?

Chris: I would say that I have been one my whole life, but I didn’t come to terms with it until I was about twelve years old. It was summer of 2000, and two things kick-started my obsession with music, the electric guitar, and the Eagles.

Me: You play piano mostly, right? And you also play guitar?

Chris: Yes, I actually started writing on guitar and then taught myself how to play piano. Now I go between the two of them pretty regularly.

Me: When you first decided that you wanted to be a professional musician what did your parents think?

Chris: They were cool with it, they would have supported any career decision I made, but I am sure they were happy I was following in their footsteps.

Me: And did you ask your dad to manage you or did he volunteer?

Chris: I don’t remember having a conversation with him about it, I just remember knowing it was the right thing. I really looked up to him so it was a natural progression.

Me: Alright, let's talk about your music. I downloaded your latest album "Always" from iTunes and really enjoyed it. This is your second album, right?

Chris: Yes, my first album was released back in 2009.

Me: Were you thinking about your dad a lot when you were writing this album?

Chris: Yeah, I was definitely thinking about him; I thought about what he said, what he would have said and what he never got to say to me. I think that last one was the struggle that really affected me and brought about a lot of the music on the album.

Me: I also downloaded your first album "Never Fear". There's a song on it called "Abba". Is that your favorite band, Chris?

Chris: Jason, no, although they have catchy tunes. Actually Abba is Hebrew for father and was a song written from the perspective of my heritage on my father side.

Me: Both albums are similar sounding, but the lyrical content is different. What did your dad think of "Never Fear"?

Chris: Oh, he really loved it. We finished mixing back in the winter of 2007 so when he went into the hospital for cancer we brought in a CD player and he would constantly listen to the album. It really brought a smile to his face. I believe it was his closure on life, knowing that he had one last chance to be a part of something with me that would have a lasting impact on my life and others. Anyone who came to visit him in his room would hear the music playing and he would tell them about me and how proud he was…

Me: I have to ask, with a name like Son of Levi, do you ever get mistaken for a Christian act?

Chris: I’m sure I do.

Me: Chris, where are you from? I’m a California kid, born and raised. I was born in Hollywood and have lived in L.A. ever since.

Me: You have been compared to two America Idol's, Chris... David Archuleta and David Cook. Who came up with that and do you watch "American Idol"?

Chris: I actually don’t know where that started. I have been watching the past couple seasons. My dad used to watch it and he got super into it, I would tease him a little about it, Jason.

Me: My dad would of hated "American Idol", except when they played "Slow Ride" a few years ago. I, on the other hand, love it. Who would you compare yourself to and who do you listen to?

Chris: I’m probably somewhere in the vein of Coldplay, Muse, Keane, John Mayer. I listen to a lot of music, new and old. Classic and modern rock, classical, opera, and jazz; I’m game for it all.

Me: One of your songs from "Never Fear" was on the show "Smallville". That really must've helped the sales of the album, right?

Chris: Yeah, it definitely got us some exposure and was a great opportunity to get us started.

Me: Are most of your fans girls, Chris?

Chris: No, actually I would say it’s mixed. I think my music has a really broad appeal. It has something that you can’t quite put your finger on and I think that’s what draws people to it.

Me: Hey, Chris, thanks so much for being on the Phile. Go ahead and plug your website and please come back in the future. Take care, Chris. Have a good Father's Day.

Chris: Thank you, Jason, it was a pleasure talking with you. Please let your readers know that they can download “Frozen Door” for free on our Facebook page at facebook.com/sonoflevi.music. Our official website: sonoflevi.com. Thanks, Jason.

Well, that about does it for today's entry. Thanks to Jeff Cameron and of course, Chris Levy. The Phile will be back tomorrow with Alumni Lee Negin and then Summer on the Phile kicks off next Sunday with Bill Rozar from Witches In Bikinis and on Monday it's British blues legend Chris Youlden. So, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Happy Father's Day. I will leave you with a picture of my dad. Miss you, dad.