Pheaturing Mosey West

Hey, kids, welcome to another entry of the Phile and it's September. I am so glad, now the weather will get cooler.  Well, according to The New York Times, Iraq now loves American fast food. They hate us but they love our fast food. This is how we work. We force democracy on them and then we sneak in morbid obesity.  Lindsay Lohan has been in and out of the slammer more times than you would care to count. Now she is a person of interest in a jewel heist. She's already picking out her inappropriate outfit for her next court date. And I can't wait to see it. Lindsay's been to court so often that's where she picks up her mail.  Did you folks enjoy the Republican convention? Ann Romney was great. She said it's all about love. Then Chris Christie followed up by saying, "It's not about love, it's about respect." Will you people get on the same page? Which is it? Is it love or respect? John McCain was at the convention. He just wandered out on stage in his bathrobe. Here's what's great about America. You can now buy waffle-flavored vodka. See, good things are happening under Obama.  Dr. Phil had his car stolen. He bought the car with the money he earned exploiting kooks and crackpots on TV.   A few weeks ago now I guess it was, Prince Harry was photographed naked while he was playing billiards. Last week I showed you that that's a common thing for Royals to play games naked. And I have one last bit of proof.

That picture almost turned me on. Look how happy the Queen looks there. I'd be happy to if that's who I was playing, and she was naked.  Last night on TV, one of my favorite shows started again for it's 7th season. I am talking of course, about "Doctor Who". I was surprised though that he regenerated again.

It's kinda odd. Speaking of time travel, I was watching the news and I think time travel is possible.

Man, we're gonna have a lot of wars in the future. Well, Isaac is a thing in the past. There was a lot of flooding in parts of Louisiana, but apart from that things are good. Some people got off so lucky.

Did you see Clint Eastwood at the RNC? His new movie should be called Every Which Way But Coherent. So what's it gonna be, punk? Do you feel lucid? It would have been more entertaining to have Clint and Sarah Palin sitting in chairs facing each other and engaging in oral intercourse. Of course, I would be jealous. That Palin is nuts, but hot. Anyway, for those of you that don't know what I'm talking about Clint ripped Obama a new asshole. Using his obvious street-vigilante cred, he let the world know that Barack Hussein is a communist, socialist, and a pussy faggot. Now you know how to vote. You're welcome. Anyway, Obama met with Clint Eastwood yesterday on the patio outside the Oval Office.

And now for some sad news...

Hal David
May 25, 1921 - Sep 1, 2012
This should keep those raindrops off his head.

Alright, so football season is about to kick off on Wednesday when the Cowboys play the greatest team ever... the Giants. Last season my good friend and friend of the Phile Jeff and I did our football picks to see who would win, and I did. So, I thought I would invite him back to do the whole thing over again. So, here's a new pheature I call...

Me: Hey, Jeff, welcome back to the Phile with Phootball Talk: Season 2. How are you?

Jeff: It's good to be back on the Phile.

Me: Before we start, I have to ask you if you think the Jags will be moving to London?

Jeff: As far as Jacksonville I just don't see a team playing all their home games overseas. I don't think anyone in Jacksonville would notice if they were gone, even to London.

Me: Okay. Last season you and I did football picks and I won. I'm a lazy ass, so go ahead and explain the rules, Jeff. It was a cool last season, right?

Jeff: It was an exciting season last week and you won only by a few points. This season I will show no mercy and make you cry like... like... like I don't know! But you will cry! Last season we earned 2 points for a win on our picks and a point on a tie. We also earned a point for every game our team won. For me it's the Steelers, for you it's the Giants.

Me: The Giants play the Cowboys on Wednesday If the Giants win I get 1 point right away. Okay, here are my two picks... Houston will beat Miami by 9 points. The Philly's will beat Cleveland by a touchdown. Both games are on Sunday. Oh, how about for bonus points we can decide Mondays games? San Diego will beat Oakland by five points. What do you pick?

Jeff: My picks are Ravens by 4 over the Bengals and New England by 7 over the Titans. The Saints over the Redskins by 3.  It's too complicated keeping track of bonus points for Monday Night football. Since you left tracking scores to me I say we just pick 3 games a week, regardless of when they are played.

Me: Jeff, come back next week for week 2. It's on like Donkey Kong.

Jeff: See you next week. Get your Kleenex ready! You will need it. I'm out!

Me: He thinks I am gonna cry... I might. Thank you, Jeff Trelewicz.

Well, as I said the RNC earlier is over and of course the Democratic party all have opinions about this. One friend of the Phile and Democrat is really upset on what Paul Ryan had to say. So, please welcome back to the Phile Campaign Manager for Obama For America... Jim Messina.

Me: Hello, Jim, I know you're busy, but what did Ryan say that you want to talk about?

Jim: Jason, if you've seen any coverage of Paul Ryan's speech in Tampa, you know that the consensus among journalists and independent observers is that it was... factually challenged.

Me: Meaning he lied? What did he lie about?

Jim: He lied about Medicare. He lied about the Recovery Act. He lied about the deficit and debt.

Me: Anything else?

Jim: Yes. He even dishonestly attacked Barack Obama for the closing of a GM plant in his hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin.

Me: So, he didn't close down that GM plant?

Jim: That plant that closed in December 2008 under George W. Bush. He also failed to offer one constructive idea about what he would do to move the country forward.

Me: Hmmmm. Most readers or friends who support him would say this is ridiculous, Jim. You're picking on the small stuff.

Jim: Don't roll your eyes. We can't just groan and shrug and remark to our like-minded friends that this is ridiculous, because this is a significant moment in this campaign. The fact that this speech, on this huge stage, is this blatantly false represents a huge bet by the Romney campaign...

Me: So, why do you think they lied, if they did lie?

Jim: They've decided that facts, truth and reality will not be a brake on their campaign message. And they just signaled to the extremist billionaires and corporate interests that support them that they should go ahead and spend their hundreds of millions of dollars attacking Barack Obama with whatever lies can work.

Me: That makes sense. Thanks, Jim, I know you're busy getting the Democratic Convention ready. Talk to you soon. Jim Messina, everybody.

The 23rd artist to be pheatured in the P.P.A.G. is also a member of one of my favorite bands, and I can't believe he will be here on the Phile next Sunday. He's Kevin Hearn from Barenaked Ladies, and this is one of his pieces...

Like I said, Kevin will be a guest on the Phile a week from today.

Today's guests are thres guys that make up the band Mosey West whose new EP's "Vaca Money" and "Merica" is available on iTunes. They'll be appearing next at Hodi's Halfnote on September 8th in Fort Collins, CO. Please welcome to the Phile Mike McGraw, Adam Brown and Matt Weitz from... Mosey West.

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

Adam: I’m great. Thanks for having us on the Phile.

Me: I have to ask you about the band name, guys. There's no one in the band named Mosey West. Where did that name come from?

Adam: When we first started gigging we called ourselves the Living Rooms. We entered a contest presented by the Marquee Magazine and UI Sound Studios in Boulder, Colorado in February. Our demo of the song “Cold Prediction” was chosen as one of three finalists out of over 100 bands. We recorded “Cold Prediction” as our first single. The song won the Fresh Cuts Challenge in a month long online vote. The song was co-produced by Evan Reeves and mixed and engineered by Ben Romsdahl. We also won more studio time at UI Sound Studios and press coverage thanks to the Marquee Magazine. We recorded the album over the summer and finished tracking last July. The next month, we were mastering the album at Colorado Sound Studios and found another band online calling themselves the Living Rooms. Evan’s son suggested we call our band “Mosey”. That name was taken and over the phone I suggested Mosey West. We feel the name gives us a good identity and it’s kinda the story of civilization and Americans and that’s pretty much who we are.

Me: You guys are from Colorado, right? What part?

Adam: I’m was born and raised in Tyler, TX. I’ve lived in Fort Collins for the past decade.

Mike: Cleveland, OH, but I’ve lived here for 7 years or so.

Matt: I was born in California, but I was moved here when I was about 7.

Me: I interviewed two ladies that stick out in my mind from Colorado... Megan Burtt and Gabrielle Louise. Both are musicians and both have been on the Phile. Do you know them?

Adam: I’ve heard of Megan Burtt, but no I don’t know those gals.

Me: Mosey West has only been around for a year or so, am I right? Were you guys in other bands before Mosey West?

Mike: Yea, we’ve all been playing in bands since we were young.

Me: How did you all meet?

Mike: We’ve been around for just over a year. We have all played in various project over the years and met each other through jamming with other musicians in town.

Me: Growing up, what bands were you into? I am guessing Wilco... one of you guys must be a Wilco fan. The Jayhawks?

Adam: Actually we’re going to the Jayhawks and Justin Townes Earle show this month in Fort Collins. We all like Wilco and we’ve been compared to Uncle Tupelo quite a bit. I think "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" is one of the greatest albums ever.

Me: As you said Marquee Magazine awarded you one of the 10 best local albums of 2011. That's pretty cool. How did you find out you were nominated, and did you get anything cool over this?

Adam: We were really honored to be included on that list. There are a ton of great bands in Colorado and we were just stoked to be included with some of those great bands that released records this past year.

Me: I take it that album was your debut EP "Vaca Money". Is that short for vacation money?

Adam: No.

Me: Who came up with the EP title and what does it mean?

Adam: Matt names the albums. I’ll let him explain.

Matt: “Vaca” means “Cow” in espanol. The words “vaca” and “money” represent the two sides of the sound on this album. The dusty rural sun-beaten cow with flies buzzing takes a limousine to the air conditioned 100th floor executive boardroom and makes... "money”. "Vaca Money".

Me: I downloaded it from iTunes and really liked it. When was it recorded?

Adam: We began recording in March, but didn’t finish the album until July. We self-released the album September 30, 2011.

Me: And what's with the jar of milk on the cover? That has to represent something, am I right?

Matt: The milk jar is a visual metaphor for the same concept.

Adam: I shot the photo on a night out at the bars. I remember Matt kept drinking it so we had to add vodka to it. The actual album cover was shot at the bar of an Italian restaurant.

Me: I have a picture of that album cover here. It makes me thirsty but I am not a milk drinker.

Me: Adam, you kids describe your music as sonic rock. What is sonic rock? You guys are more like alt country.

Adam: No, it’s Sonic Folk. We were called that by a guy up in Estes Park, CO. Alt country, Americana and folk rock are other more popular ways to describe our music.

Me: Oh, Sonic Folk... Let's talk about the songs, Adam. Did you guys all write them?

Adam: Yea, we have about 35-40 original tunes. We don’t really play cover songs. We’re really trying to identify our sound together and focus on the songs that fit in that space and vibe. Mike writes half of the songs and I write half. We work on the melodies, harmonies and forms as a band. We are constantly writing and coming up with new songs and material.

Me: I like all the songs on the first EP, especially "Lonesome River". Is that a real place? My dad was Lonesome Dave, so that song is extra cool. I have no idea what that means.

Adam: Thanks man. Was he a musician? I think I’ve heard that name before.

Me: Yeah, he was a musician.

Adam: I began writing the song about the river in town, the Poudre River. After awhile the lyrics kinda meandered into a different meaning, but I like the songs feeling and that is why we put it on the album. We recorded it live in 3 takes and overdubbed the vocals and harmonica at about 4:30 in the morning. 

Me: And will you be touring? Is there a chance you'll be hitting Florida?

Adam: We’re looking to tour in Colorado as much as possible in 2012. A Southern tour is also in the works and we got some friends in good bands out in Texas and Georgia, so we might make it out to Florida and if we do we’ll let you know.

Me: Guys, thanks so much for being on the Phile. Come back later in the year when your next album is out. Why don't you go ahead and plug your website?

Adam: Thanks, man. You can stream our EP's, "Vaca Money" and "Merica" on our website, moseywest.com or stay updated on Facebook at: Facebook.com/moseywest.

Me: Best of luck, and keep in touch.

Adam: Thank you, sir.

Well, that does it for another entry of the Phile. Thanks to Jeff Trelewicz, Jim Messina and of course the boys in Mosey West. The Phile will be back tomorrow with Martin Belmont from Ducks Deluxe and next Sunday... Kevin Hearn! Then on Monday it's singer Anna Coogan. So, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.