Pheaturing Nick Carter Green

Hey, kids, welcome to an extra entry of the Phile on a Friday. How are you?  Mitt Romney is going back to work. Romney is joining the board of directors at Marriott hotels. See, who says President Obama can’t create jobs? There’s one right there. I think it’s great that Romney's getting back to the workforce and not becoming one of those 47 percent looking for a handout. When you're at the front desk arguing over your mini bar bill, Mitt will be the guy that comes from out back and says, "I understand there's some trouble?" Then Mitt will say, "Let's just take a look at that. I hope you enjoyed your stay with us." Speaking of going back to work, I have no idea when I'm going back to work.  Do you know who's engaged? Hugh Hefner. He said today about his fiancée, "I've fallen for her and I can't get up." Hefner's fiancée's name is Tiffany... no, sorry, Crystal. What's the difference? Anyway, she was saying she was really, really looking forward to the ceremony, and people are saying, "Are you talking about the wedding or the funeral?" I don’t want to say that Hefner is old, but the ring boy is Larry King. Hefner was engaged before and then she broke it off eight days before the wedding. Well now they have worked it out. I guess she has agreed to sign a pre-nup, but only if he agrees to sign the “do not resuscitate” order.  In Washington, President Obama met with leaders of the American Indian tribes and they honored the president by giving him his own Indian name: "Running Deficit." Native Americans are understandably very upset. This country used to belong to them. And, of course, now it belongs to the Chinese, so they are very furious about that. There was one really awkward moment with the American Indians. In the middle of the meeting, Joe Biden walked in wearing a Redskins jersey.  The CEO of The Cheesecake Factory is now warning that Obamacare will be very costly. Hey, The Cheesecake Factory is one of the reasons we need Obamacare in the first place.  Who likes video games, apart from my son? Did you see the new video game that just came out?

So, you know smoking pot is now legal in Seattle, right? Man, they wasted know time with the new tourist board poster to promote that.

Who saw the season finale of "The Walking Dead". I didn't, but I heard it was a Christmas special. If you like me didn't see it, here's a screen shot.

Alright, so Wednesday on the Phile I had Adam Bentley and Anna Jarvis from The Rest on. I mentioned to Anna that there was another Anna Jarvis who founded Mother's Day. Well, I got on Twitter that night, and did a search for Anna Jarvis to see if she Tweeted about the interview, and this is what I found. I have no idea how this happened, but I thought I'd share it.

Anybody reading that who wouldn't know about the Phile would think what the hell. They can't even spell featured right. And there's no mention of the Peverett Phile. I need to find it again and reply with #thepeverettphile. Crazy. Alright, now for some sad news...

Dave Brubeck
Dec 6, 1920 - Dec 5, 2012
Take 5. Hell, take 10.

Well, Christmas is just around the corner, and you might be having problems finding something for your loved ones, or friends, or family. So, here at the Phile I'm here to help you. So, once again, it's...

Snowball fights are so passé. That is, unless you use your very own launcher that can chuck balls of frozen water up to 50 feet. It even makes the snowballs so you'll no longer have to worry about getting your hands cold. Just load with snow and kick your enemies butts until their snow fort is completely ravaged. You can buy it here: hammacher.com/Product/Default.aspx?sku=83409&refsku=76244.

Alright, well, you know there's an organization called The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, right? Well, there's also a group called unHOF. Well, unHOF and the Phile have teamed up to form The Peverett Phile Rock and Roll Hall of Phame. So far we had inducted Savoy Brown, The J. Geils Band, Status Quo, Sparks and Mick Ronson. Today we are going to have our new induction. Please welcome to the Phile, unHof member, who describes himself as a bald, aging hipster doofus rocker (I think he's pretty cool)... John DeSilva.

Today's Induction: The Electric Light Orchestra (AKA ELO)
Meanwhile back at Licorice Pizza... my young adolescent mind was still reeling from hearing the Move's "Shazam" LP, and I went looking for everything I could find that was Move-related. One of the great memories of my youth was hearing the first Electric Light Orchestra album for the first time. I didn't know whether I loved it or hated it the first few times I heard it... luckily repeated listenings revealed more and more things to love about it. The hype in the British press was that Roy Wood and newly joined Jeff Lynne (from the Idle Race) were working on a a project that would render the Move obsolete, and, as BBC Radio One presenter Brian Matthews quoted them, wanting to "bring entertainment back into music". At first listen "First Movement (Jumping Biz)" sounded like a "Classical Gas" ripoff, but as I listened I found that it was more a pastiche of rock'n'roll being played as if it were invented in 1644. "The Battle of Marston Moor" was 17th century heavy metal music, and there were pop gems like "10538 Overture", "Look At Me Now", "Mr. Radio" and the exquisite "Whisper In The Night", all played with a true "vintage" sensibility. Once the first album was out and after touring in England with out of tune and hard to amplify violins and cellos, the strain of two musical geniuses in one band started to show during the recording of the second LP. Roy Wood deferred to Jeff Lynne, taking cellist Hugh McDowell and reuniting with Move bassist Rick Price to form Wizzard. The story from here on out focuses on the musical journey of Jeff Lynne (accompanied throughout by drummer extraordinaire Bev Bevan and keyboard wiz Richard Tandy). It can be neatly broken down into 3 categories: Early ELO (progressive rock and pop), Classic ELO (world-conquering pop rock and a "disco-very" left turn), and 80s ELO (a more than surprising return to form with "Time" and then the occasionally brilliant but inconsistent "Secret Messages" and "Balance of Power"). There could have been a 4th category that started with the great comeback album "Zoom" but it appears that was a one-off; in any event it was really a Jeff Lynne solo album with help from his friends George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and right-hand man Richard Tandy. At their most popular, ELO moved from over-the-top bombast (the unbelievably outrageous "Out of the Blue" tour, complete with spaceship and green lasers) to the dreaded Disco... their "shark jumping" moment was collaborating with Olivia Newton-John in the inexplicably now-fondly-remembered roller disco mess of a movie called Xanadu. That their next album, the future-looking-back electronic masterpiece "Time", got them back on the musical horse is a minor miracle given the two albums which preceded. At their best, ELO incorporated the best of rock'n'roll tradition with a orchestra-derived boost that made their sound larger than life for a brief but exciting time in the mid-seventies. The music lives on, Jeff's no dummy, in movie soundtracks and commercials, and on both corporate and the new underground (satellite) radio. For furthering the creative flow of Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, the drumming talents of Bev Bevan (on the early albums at least), and for succeeding in "putting entertainment back into music", I submit the Electric Light Orchestra for inclusion in the Peverett Phile Hall of Phame.

Good job, John. Great band, and I love their album "Balance of Power" that came out around '86.

Today's pheatured guest is an American hip-hop and R&B recording artist, and I guess a rapper as well. His new single "ADD" is now available on iTunes. Please welcome to the Phile... Nick Carter Green.

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

Nick: I'm great thanks, and you?

Me: In a lot of pain right now. You're from Illinois, am I right? What part?

Nick: Yes. Roseland, on the far south side of Chicago near the historic Pullman district.

Me: How is the rap scene there?

Nick: Rap is booming here right now, all eyes are on Chicago.

Me: So, I have to ask first, do you consider yourself a rapper or hip hop artist? Is there a difference? 

Nick: Neiter. I'm a musician; I rap, sing, compose, and engineer. And yes, the difference is hip hop is more pure.

Me: Did you grow up listening to rap or hip hop?

Nick: Very little.

Me: I like the beastie Boys and a little of Jurassic 5 myself, Nick, who are your favorite rappers?

Nick: Right now Kendricl Lamar, J. Cole, and Kanye.

Me: Do you throw a lot of swear words in your lyrics?

Nick: Yes.

Me: How old were you when you started writing lyrics? I am guessing you wrote a shit load, am I right?

Nick: At age 7. And I haven’t been able to stop since.

Me: Are you good at free styling?

Nick: Yes, but I prefer to take my time.

Me: How many mixtapes have you made, Nick?

Nick: Two officially.

Me: For the unhip readers who don't know what a mixtape is, in rapper terms, can you explain it?

Nick: A mixtape is a body of work simply for an artists fanbase, usually put out for free.

Me: Now, I have to be honest, man... Nick Cater Green does not sound like a rappers name. It sounds more like the name of a country singer. Did you ever have a rap name?

Nick: Carter… Yeah, I didn’t want to limit myself to just being a rapper. And besides, I love country music.

Me: NCG would be a good name. G could be for Gangsta... what do you think? If I had a rap name myself it would be the Plain White Rapper.

Nick: That’s funny… I have to pass though.

Me: You did have one nickname... The No Sleeping Boy. Where did that name come from?

Nick: Before signing, I had an unofficial mixtape called "No Sleeping". So I was called the No Sleepin Boy.

Me: A lot of rappers team up with other rappers, Nick, have you teamed up and recorded with any other rapper?

Nick: Just a couple of people on my team.

Me: Okay, let's talk about your new album, Nick. Is it called "ADD" or is that a single?

Nick: It’s a single.

Me: I like your song "Ghost". Is that gonna be on the new album?

Nick: No. It's on a previous mixtape.

Me: Are you currently working on an album, Nick?

Nick: Yes, always.

Me: Nick, is that the album "X: The Breaking"?

Nick: No. I have no name for the upcoming project yet.

Me: When is that album coming out?

Nick: I'm hoping for early next year.

Me: Nick, thanks so much for being on the Phile. I hope it was fun and please come back when the album comes out. Go ahead and plug your website, man.

Nick: Nickcartergreen.com, and stay updated at xciempire.com, and thank you so very much for this opportunity, and your time. Have a wonderful day.

Me: You too.

Well, I am so unhip. Do you think he enjoyed my lame questions? LOL. That's about it for this entry. Thanks to my guests John DeSilva and of course Nick Cater Green. The Phile will be back on Sunday with Kevin Graham, lead singer for the band Dress Rehearsal. So, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love, you, bye.