Pheaturing Scotty Dickert and R.E.L From Reasons Be

Hey, kids, welcome to a Wednesday entry of the Phile... where everybody knows your name. How are you?  It's not a great week for the ladies of "The View." Barbara Walters announced Monday morning they were snubbed by Mitt Romney. He was scheduled for an interview, but he canceled at the last minute. Barbara said, and I quote, "You do not cwoss me, Mitt Womney. I will have my wevenge." Apparently Mitt Romney wants to limit his appearances to places where no one will attack his positions. You know, like the debates. It's funny, I get both Michelle and Barack on this stupid blog for an interview and "The View" cannot even get Romney. HA!  It was a big weekend in L.A. The space shuttle Endeavor was pulled through L.A. traffic to its new home at the California Science Center on Sunday. It was supposed to arrive the day before, but it got rear ended by Amanda Bynes.  It was also a big weekend for Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian daredevil who broke the world record for sky diving. He jumped off a balloon 24 miles high. He fell to earth so fast he broke the sound barrier. He fell faster than President Obama's poll numbers after the debate.  Lindsay Lohan has at long last revealed the candidate she backs. She made the announcement at the Mr. Pink ginseng drink launch party where historically key political endorsements are handed out. She gave an endorsement while doing an endorsement. I don't know if that's ever been done before. As of Friday morning Lindsay Lohan was not registered to vote but incredibly, still registered to drive. Lindsay's publicist told "Today" she's in the process of registering to vote. She sent in the paperwork. I don't see that happening. Could you imagine Lindsay Lohan waking up early on November 6th and waiting in line at a high school to vote? Maybe if she was already passed out in the bushes at the high school, then maybe.  Man, it sucks to be Hulk Hogan. Sources now say he was involved in leaking his own sex tape. Faking the theft of a sex tape? This could give professional wrestling a bad name.  So, let's talk about this... who watched the second presidential debate last night? I liked the part when Mitt Romney said "Boooo, China." And Obama was like, "Yay, old people." Nobody in the debate talked about today's big story out of Europe... the big art heist at a museum in Rotterdam. You have to hand it to these thieves. It is not easy sneaking up in the Netherlands. Usually your wooden shoes give you away. Anyway, the debate was from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, moderated by Candy Crowley. Why should it be on all channels? The Super Bowl is on one channel and we find it. I don't know why they had a debate. This race was over last night when Honey Boo Boo made her official endorsement. She's pulling for Barack Obama. They say as goes Honey Boo Boo, so goes the election. They agreed the subjects for the debate were foreign and domestic issues. Which pretty much covers everything, doesn't it? Where else is there besides foreign and domestic issues? Space, I guess? The debate was what they call the town hall format, which is where real voters get to ask questions and the candidates ignore them and just talk about what they wanted to in the first place. One of the rules was that the moderator will not ask follow-up questions or comment on either the questions asked by the audience or the answers by the candidates. So basically one of the debate rules was that no one was allowed to debate. Today Romney's campaign people released a new ad poster.

So, I mentioned the shuttle went through LA over the weekend. Look what happened to it while it was there.

Anybody up North in the New England area felt that earthquake yesterday? They released a poster about it today.

LOL. That jokes never gets old.  Like I said earlier, a sex tape surfaced of the Hulkster that he supposedly leaked. In the last few entries I have shown you a few scenes of the sex tape you might not have seen. Like this one...

Well, here at the Peverett house we don't celebrate Halloween, but for service to you readers who do, I thought I would share with you some cool Halloween costumes, just in case you have a hard time deciding what to dress up as. Heidi Klum is not only beautiful but she can surely pull out a nice Halloween costume.

And now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is...

Top Phive Interesting Facts About Felix Baumgartner's Space Jump

5. Baumgartner also now holds the record for most times a grown man has wet himself in a four-minute period.

4. The 0.0008-inch-thick material used top make his balloon is thicker than the bathroom tissue at New York's Port Authority bus terminal.

3. His only regret was that he couldn't talk his girlfriend into joining him, so he could become a member of the "24 Mile-High Club".

2. Upon landing, he vomited profusely... though not nearly as much as Lady Gaga did onstage last week.

And the number one interesting fact about Baumgartner's space jump...

1. "Felix Baumgartner" isn't his real name... he was born "Dash Eagleheart" but he thought that sounded much too flashy. 

Kids, it's Wednesday, and you know what that means. I invite my good friend Jeff to the Phile to talk football.

Me: Hello, Jeff, welcome back. So, how are you?

Jeff: Hello, Phile. Good to be back for an old fashioned double header.

Me: Yes, this week we'll be picking six teams as I will be on vacation next Wednesday. Alright, so, what is the NFL news from this past weekend?

Jeff: I do believe that a few weeks ago I said Atlanta would be the last undefeated team and they are. Even Cleveland won a game this week do no one will go winless.

Me: Yes, you did say that. Well done. What other news is there?

Jeff: The biggest news is Ray Lewis, one of the meanest defensive players in the league was injured for the year. Baltimore will truly miss him!

Me: Jeff, last week you were winning by 1 point. How did we do this past weekend?

Jeff: I tanked the week, losing all 3 games plus a Steeler lose. You went 1-2 but Giants won so you are now up by 2 points. Congrats.

Me: Yes! Alright, as I said, this week we are picking six teams for weeks 7 and 8. Are you ready? This week I say Browns will win by three, Buffalo will lose by three as well and the Bears will lose by 5. Now for the next weeks games, it's hard to pick, but I say Dallas by 11, Tampa Bay by three... I am playing it safe, and San Francisco by 21. LOL. Yep. That's my picks. I hope none of these teams are in bye week. Jeff, what do you pick?

Jeff: Week 7 I pick Oakland over Jacksonville by 7, Minnesota over Arizona by 3 and San Fran by six over Seattle. For week 8 none of your picks have byes but there is this wonderful thing called the Internet so you look who is playing who. I have New England by 14, Green Bay by 10 and Jets by one.

Me: What is this Internet you speak of? LOL. I was too lazy to check and picked blindly, Jeff. Alright, I will see you in a few weeks... on Wednesday the 31st. Talk to you soon.

Jeff: Enjoy your vacation.


Okay, so we know Jann Wenner has his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but I also, here on the Phile have my own Rock and Roll Hall of Phame, thanks to my friends at unHOF. So far we had inducted into it Savoy Brown, J. Geils Band, Staus Quo, Sparks, and now a new inductee. So, please welcome to the Phile, raconteur, entreprenour, Jah Paul Jo in a past life and co-owner of Berdan Records... Joseph J. Ramsey.

Today's Induction: Mick Ronson.
Perhaps the most underrated of all major rock stars. As responsible as David Bowie for the SOUND of Bowie's early albums, including the classic "Ziggy Stardust" and the Lou Reed comeback album, "Transformer".  He was to Bowie what Keith Richard is to Mick Jagger... the classic lead guitar foil to the charismatic front man. Mick Ronson not only played guitar, he was also a multi-instrumentalist and arranger, contributing string and brass arrangements to "The Spiders From Mars'" recordings as well as Mott The Hoople ("Sea Diver") and the whole of Lou Reed's "Transformer" which he co-produced with Bowie.  Starting out with Bowie in a band called The Hype in 1970 that also featured producer Tony Visconti, Ronno went through several mutations of Bowie bands until it all ended with The Spiders From Mars farewell concert where he and Bowie parted ways. No real explanation was ever given for the split... it just ended. Ronno's last recorded work with Bowie was the covers album, "Pin-Ups".  Two solo albums were recorded post-Bowie and both have that Spiders feel to them. His solo debut, "Slaughter on 10th Avenue", featured a version of Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender", as well as Ronson's most famous solo track, "Only After Dark". The second, "Play Don't Worry" featured a song Ronno had given to The Pure Prairie League (!), "Angel #9" and an outtake from Bowie's "Pin-Ups" album, The Velvet Underground's "White Light/White Heat."  Other than Bowie, Ronson is best remembered for his collaborations with Mott The Hoople's Ian Hunter, playing, writing, arranging and co-producing many of Hunter's solo albums as well as being a latter-day member of Mott The Hoople. Ronson's later work is so diverse that it's impossible to list all here... he played/produced/arranged with everyone from Bob Dylan ("Rolling Thunder Review!") to The Pure Prairie League, Morrissey, Roger Daltrey, Roger McGuinn, Elton John, John Mellancamp. He also worked with many up and comers... helped them get their starts.  Shortly before his premature death from liver cancer in 1993, Ronson appeared at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. He played on "All the Young Dudes" with Bowie and Ian Hunter and "Heroes" with Bowie.  Like Rory Gallagher, Ronson is considered a hometown hero. In Hull, a memorial stage was named for him as well as a street bearing his name on Bilton Grange Estate, not far from where he lived.

With the debate last night that everybody watched, I thought I would invite a friend to the Phile to tell us what he thought about it. So, please welcome back to the Phile, singer, surfer, patriot, and renaissance man... Laird Jim.

I was going to watch the debate up close (had an all access pass) then I thought, if I wanted to watch two assholes argue and lie... I'd drag my ex to my next therapy session. Good night my freaky little darlings, see you in your dreams.

I guess he didn't watch the debate. Alright, and now for the 21st book to be pheatured in the Peverett Phile Book Club.

This book is by a musician who worked in every major recording and television studio in London during that wonderful musical period of the 1960s and 1970s. One of the first call session guitarists in the UK, Vic Flick has a bounty of true stories. Stories of the drama and humor, the tensions and the rewards of working with first class musicians and internationally known artists in the world of recording, television and radio. Vic Flick's connection with the James Bond films is legend. His guitar sound on the "James Bond Theme" stirred the hearts and imaginations of a generation. Here is a book that tells of the music business from the inside, about the music, the good and the bad business practices, the money, the agents and the managers. From the Beatles to Nancy Sinatra, from Tom Jones to Dusty Springfield, it's all within the pages of Vic's autobiography. Vic will be a guest on the Phile in a few weeks.

Today's pheatured guests are the two guys who make up the band Reasons Be. Their new EP "Hands Up" is available right now on iTunes. Please welcome to the Phile... Scotty Dickert and R.E.L from Reasons Be.

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

Scotty: Sublimely Sublime.

R.E.L.: Feeling good today, thanks.

Me: So, first of, is the band Reasons Be or Reasons BE?

Scotty: Ha! We were hoping you wouldn’t ask that. It was originally “Reasons BE,” but our publicist said it was too confusing so now we go with “Reasons Be.” It’s hard not to call everyone part of the band “Team BE,” though. I feel like the capital letter is just more… well… capital. But I can’t win ‘em all!

R.E.L: Actually it goes even further than that, you see, when we created our Facebook page it read “Reasons Be” and we couldn’t figure out how to change it to BE. I think that’s when our publicist stepped in and the whole mess started. I too was a fan of the “BE” but that said, the “Be” is now a part of “Me”!

Me: There are two of you of you in the band, right? You guys are a duo? Which one is Scotty and which one is R.E.L?

Scotty: Yes. We are the core of Reasons Be and we hire top professional musicians for rehearsals and performances. Scotty is the lead vocalist who focuses on lyrics and melodies in the writing process. R.E.L is the awesome guitarist who lays down magical harmonies on top of his creative musical blueprints.

Me: Scotty, has anybody ever told you you look like Jay from Jay and Silent Bob?

Scotty: Ha! Yes I’ve heard it a few times. I also get actor Cam Gigandet from Twilight, which I had never seen… so I found it weird when people started asking me for autographs! Ha... too damn funny. The other thing that will follow me until death is hearing the song “Scotty Doesn’t Know” sang drunkenly in my presence.

Me: R.E.L., do people call you R, or Rel, or REL? What should I call you?

R.E.L: I am glad you asked this! The reason behind R.E.L is it’s simply the correct pronunciation of my Israeli name “Ari’el”.When saying R.E.L, If you just voice out the letters without a pause you will get it. And this is something that started a LONG time ago... I can’t take the credit for thinking of it and I don’t even remember who brought it to my attention but I liked it from the start. You can call me any variety of the letters or the full thing just as long as I don’t hear “Ariel the little mermaid.”

Me: What does Scotty call you?

R.E.L: Ari, R dot E dot L, and his favorite...Merman.

Me: Okay, fellas, where did you two meet? Did you know each other for long?

Scotty: We met on Craigslist! Creepy, right? Ha... my manager and I posted an audition breakdown looking for a guitarist. Long story short, R.E.L was the first guy we auditioned and we cancelled all the others. Of course we made R.E.L leave without giving him much of a vibe on how we felt about his audition, but I think the fact that we wrote our first song, “Pictures,” in about twenty minutes that day gave him a pretty good inkling that it went well. So we made him wait for 16 years until we called him and told him he got it… oh I’m sorry, I meant 16 hours.

R.E.L: No, it was 16 years… I have since traveled the world, had 27 children, lived and died… and now have come back to co-lead Reasons Be.

Me: Who came up with the band name and what is the story behind it?

Scotty: We all decided we’d come up with about a million names and pool them together to make the longest band name in history. Once again, our publicist said it wasn’t gonna work… so we decided to roll with Scotty’s idea, “Reasons Be.” It means, and our slogan says it best, “Live Life and Let the Reasons Be.” We believe that everything happens for a reason. This band came together for a reason. All we can do is work our asses off and put ourselves in the best position we can get to. Beyond that, life’s determined by something… whatever you believe in… a lot bigger than us.

R.E.L: Let me add that there were a lot of names on the plate. I think we all brought options to the table and then weeded them out slowly but surely. Reasons Be just stood out and won a landslide vote every time it moved on to it’s next opponent. And interestingly enough I think one of the other finalists is even referenced in the song “Love the Way”. This has been another episode of: a little tidbit of information I bet you didn’t know about Reasons Be.

Me: Scotty, you had music in films and TV, right? Any films I might've seen?

Scotty: I’ve had music on MTV and we’ve been placed on CMT. Most films that I’ve gotten my music into are independent. Reasons Be is starting to get a good amount of radio play, even getting placed on the new FM Discovery and getting named “Artist to Watch” on iHeart Radio. But I’ve never pushed for placements until now. Things are a lot different in L.A. than any other music market, and I’m learning a lot very quickly and finding out how important it is to build a team around you to help reach heights you don’t know how to get to by yourself.

Me: You are also an actor, right? What have you been in? What do you prefer?

Scotty: I’ve been on television shows such as the HBO pilot, “All Signs of Death” and Comedy Central’s “John Benjamin Has a Van.” I have an upcoming film that I just finished working on called Odd Brodsky, and I’ve been in several commercials such as Dr. Pepper (Thor in the Avenger’s commercial), Subway (currently airing), FedEx, and Prego. I love music and I love acting. I feel like in a lot of ways they go hand in hand. I believe in using all your talents to give yourself the best opportunity to succeed and if you get too busy, just don’t sleep! I will say that music has always been my passion and my dream. I just appreciate that I’m able to do both.

Me: And you were in another before Reasons Be? What was the name of the band?

Scotty: I bounced around in a couple of bands and wrote for other artists, but my main musical focus before I moved from L.A. was a band called Uakari. We started in my college town of Green Bay, WI, and stuck to playing in the Midwest.

Me: R, what about you? Have you done any acting or been in another band?

R.E.L: So we decided on R?

Me: Yeah, it sounds cool.

R.E.L: That’s one ofthe less common choices I think. But anyway, yes, my music career started back in Israel. I picked up a guitar really late (junior in high school) but still managed to have a little solo project and another duo there. Then when I moved here to enroll at Musician’s Institute I got exposed to a ton of gigging, musicians, bands etc. My most prominent project was my own band called Belkins. We were around for a few years and had a couple of CDs. But it’s Reasons Be time now. I have only recently got into some acting with Scotty’s blessing but I haven’t done anything more then some small extra or supporting rolls.

Me: So, when you met in Craigslist, did you hit it off right away?

Scotty: Yeah we hit it off from the start. And we spend so much time together that we’ve become like brothers… the good and the bad! One time we were at a party and we got so pissed at each other over a beer pong game that we had to arm wrestle to settle things. When R.E.L beat me (because I had pumped so much iron that day my muscles were weak) I needed revenge so we legitimately wrestled Greco Roman style. R.E.L was not happy with me. I had to chase him down to get him to come back to the party. He said I could have permanently injured his arm and I am too aggressive. I disagreed and said he could have permanently damaged my confidence. We hugged, we wept, weprevailed. Brothers.

R.E.L: Pumped too much iron? Scotty had forgotten all the massive P90x I was doing and he got blindsided by my bicep. Sean, our manager, was the referee and he confirmed. The call stands!

Me: You both sing and play guitar, am I right?

Scotty: I wouldn’t trust my guitar skills on stage.

R.E.L: We keep our roles very clear. There is no ego in Reasons Be and we each work towards our strengths. And the same goes for the writing process as well.

Me: Who does most of the songwriting?

Scotty: We are co-writers. I focus on the lyrics and melodies and R.E.L focuses on the musical blueprints. We’re both extremely open to constructive criticism and changing things until we’re completely satisfied. We put ego’s aside and strive for the very best product, which we know will best be discovered together rather than individually.

R.E.L: Yeah, like I mentioned in the previous question we work towards our strengths. Scotty is blazing fast with lyrics and ideas. Everyday at 3:12 p.m. he gets another melody stuck in his head and calls me to let me know something new is coming. We listen, stick with the good and dump the bad. Sometimes I’ll start playing something and that will lead to a song idea. Other times Scotty will sing a verse that will trigger a chorus in my head… or vice-versa.

Me: How long have you two been performing and in a band together?

Scotty: It’s only been about a year. Crazy!!

Me: Have you had any arguments yet over anything to do with the band?

Scotty: R.E.L wanted our manager, Sean, to play the triangle but I said the triangle is getting a bit dated.

R.E.L: WE NEED MORE COWBELL!

Me: Where are you both from? Where is the band based now?

Scotty: I’m a beer-slingin’ Cheese Head born and raised in Wisconsin. R.E.L’s from Israel. Reasons Be is based in Los Angeles.

R.E.L: Scotty! If you are gonna answer for me could you give my dear country a little more of an intro rather then just plain Israel?

Me: He told you, Scotty. Okay, lets talk about your new EP "Hands Up", which I just downloaded from iTunes… how did that song get to be the EP title?

Scotty: “Hands Up” is our single. We figured that if that’s the main song we’re gonna push, we might as well make it easy for people to remember. Thus making “Hands Up” the name of the EP as well. I’m guessing there might have been some legality issues if we named it “Craigslist!”…

R.E.L: At the time, we were thinking of all kinds of creative things... my personal favorite, which no one else liked (but still was an awesome idea!) was “Four Reasons” and you can spell it “For” or “4” too, but our publicist stepped in said the name is “Hands Up” and that was that.

Me: Who produced it and where was it recorded, guys?

Scotty: The incredible Lee Miles (Shinedown, Puddle of Mudd, Rise Against) produced our EP. He’s also become a vital member of the Reasons Be family and hey, fate just has a way of working things out… Lettin’ the Reasons Be! We recorded at TheAudiolounge in North Hollywood. The whole experience was awesome and the people we worked with were great.

Me: This is a four song EP, which is a great start. Are you guys planning on recording another EP or a full-length album?

Scotty: Absolutely! We’ll be back in the studio within the next month recording a song called “Breathe Through You.” Beyond that, we’re currently focusing on a tour as well as music videos. But we will be back in the studio creating a full-length album when time allows for it to happen.

R.E.L: Worry not Reasons Be fans! There is PLENTY of material and we promise to stick with our perfectionist, no compromise attitude and give you more brand new tracks! (Which we do perform live of course).

Me: Are you gonna be making any videos for the songs?

Scotty: We just finished shooting a stop-motion music video for “Love the Way” with Director Vincent Buckley based out of Milwaukee, WI. We have plans to shoot three more videos, mainly here in L.A., for “Hands Up,” “Carry Me Home,” and “Voice of Mount Mary.”

Me: Well, I wish you guys continued success. Please come back on the Phile when the next release comes out. Go ahead and plug your website and everything. All the best, and take care.

Scotty: Thanks so much for having us! You guys can check us out on Facebook and Twitter. The easiest way to find us is at ReasonsBe.com.

R.E.L: Feel free to leave us comments, msgs. We reply to EVERYBODY and don’t want anyone feeling left out. Live Life and let the Reasons Be! Thanks again.

I have to admit, when I think of the words "hands up", I hear that Luke Bryan song in my mind. You got your hands up, you're rocking in my truck. You got the radio on, you're singing every song. I'm set on cruise control... blah, blah, blah. What is that song called? Anyway, that about does it for this entry. Thanks to my guests Jeff Trelewicz, Joseph J. Ramsey, Laird Jim and of course the boys from Reasons Be. Well, I'm on vacation, so the next entry will be on Oct. 28th with Becky Stark from Lavender Diamond. Then on the 29th it is Josh Mintz from Friend Slash Lover. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Oh, and don't let breast cancer steal second base.