Pheaturing Phile Alum JoDee Purkeypile

Hello, and welcome to the Phile. I'm your host, Jason Peverett, star of the new movie Man of Shit. The new Superman movie opened yesterday. It's a great story: When Superman’s dad realizes his son is gifted with x-ray vision and super hearing, he puts him in a rocket and sends him toward earth, because he knows with those powers he can get a job in the Obama administration.  This is the big news of the week... a former technical assistant for the CIA named Edward Snowden leaked the story that the federal government was collecting phone records from Verizon customers. Snowden said, “You’re being watched.” To which NBC executives said, “Finally! We would love to be watched." People are asking how this Snowden guy could download all this classified information and give it to a British newspaper without the NSA knowing about it. I think I know the answer. If you don't want the NSA spying on you, get a job working at the NSA. That's how it works. Snowden said he was going to disclose all this information earlier, but he wanted to wait until after the election. To which Mitt Romney said, "Hey, thanks a lot. Appreciate it." The NSA has been listening in on phone calls. It's people with cellphones... you hear these people walking down the street screaming into their cellphones. They're the ones who are upset about people listening to their phone calls. You know your phone is being tapped when you're having a conversation and you hear the attorney general breathing. Edward Snowden is very pleased with himself. He says he doesn't want to live in a society where the society monitors its people. And then he fled to China. He went to China to avoid government persecution. That’s like going to Ireland to avoid getting drunk.  Last weekend, President Obama held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It went well, although it got awkward when Obama asked China to stop spying on America and Jinping said, “You first.”  A woman interrupted the finale of “Britain's Got Talent” and actually started throwing eggs at Simon Cowell... at which point she won “Britain's Got Talent.”  This is sad news, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife announced that they are getting a divorce after almost 30 years of marriage. When asked why, Putin said, “We tried to make it work, but you know what they say: Men are from Malgobek, women are from Kadnikov.” Actually, Putin and his wife made their announcement after they attended the ballet. That's weird because most guys would want to break up with you before they had to go to a ballet.  As part of a senior prank, students at a high school in Washington spray-painted all over their school, but they actually misspelled the word “senior” twice. That probably explains why they didn't get into “collage.”   Speaking of school, did you know there's a new map of Africa they are using? It's a little different then the maps I remember. Take a look...

Fucking desert, dude. I wanna go to Land of Bling.  So, who got the new Xbox? Or the new Playstation 4? There's a new ad that Sony released that might help you choose which one to get.

I work for Disney, which is the greatest company to work for, and I have an exclusive. They are gonna release some of the classic films, but with their original titles. Check it out.

Why the hell was it gonna be called Stockholm Syndrome? I don't get it. Can someone explain it to me?   Everybody tells me I should get some Yankee Candles for my wife. I have no idea why, but I thought I would go to the Yankee Candle store to check it out, and they sure have some odd candle names.

I didn't buy any of them. Lawd Jesus It's A Fire is a good name though. LOL.  Alright, on June 3rd it was Bad Wolf Day. If you don't know what Bad Wolf is you need to watch "Doctor Who".  Anyway, I told you readers to write Bad Wolf somewhere and send it in, and some of you took it a step further. Check out the latest Bad Wolf picture.

If I see those tissue boxes next time I'm in the store I'm gonna make the boxes say something else. Like Phile, or Peverett, or Foghat.  Alright, I mentioned Edward Snowden just now... and I have to say something serious about him. He gave up a $200,000 year salary and his freedom so you could know that the NSA is spying on you. He fought for your privacy rights and didn't ask for anything in return. He's a better man that I am. I say thank you, Edward. You rock. Moving on... So, if you didn't know, I live in Florida, and in Florida some of the weirdest stuff happens, stuff that wouldn't happen in any other state. That's why I started a new pheature on the Phile called...

A 37-year-old Florida woman allegedly stabbed her boyfriend with an 8-inch-long kitchen knife after he farted in her face during an argument. Deborah Ann Burns, 37, was arrested last week for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. And perhaps not surprisingly, deputies say alcohol helped fuel the argument. The Immokalee woman told Collier County detectives that she stabbed her boyfriend of six years after an argument broke out while the two were watching a nightly television program. Burns' boyfriend told deputies that they began arguing over money. They both got up and went into the kitchen. That was when Burns said her boyfriend walked by and farted in her face, according to an arrest report. According to the report, Burns confronted him about the fart and he became agitated, ordering her to shut up. That's when deputies say the argument escalated and became physical between Burns and the 53-year-old boyfriend, Willie Butler. He allegedly chased her through the kitchen and threw a knife at her, which missed, according to the arrest report. When authorities responded to a report of a possible stabbing, deputies found Burns' boyfriend standing front of his mailbox. He had cuts to his abdomen and left forearm. While deputies were talking to him, they could smell a strong odor of alcohol from him. He told authorities that Burns threw a kitchen knife at him, striking him in the abdomen. He then said she ran out of the house and returned shortly where another argument took place. This time, Burns struck him with a stick in the left arm, causing another cut, according to court documents. Burns' boyfriend made no mention of the alleged fart, but did tell deputies that if Burns returned, "he would kick her (butt) and take care of her." Burns denied cutting Butler, according to the arrest report. Butler was so intoxicated and combative that deputies said they could not obtain a sworn statement from him. Burns remains in custody on a $50,000 bond.

Is that male or female? The farter or the fartee? I don't know.  Okay, a phriend of the Phile wanted to come on and say something about Edward Snowden as well as I did. He's a singer, patriot and renaissance man. You know what time it is...

My money is on them finding Edward Snowdon sometime soon... dead of suicide... or heart attack... or mugging in a dark alleyway... or single vehicle accident. They hire a special type of person to facilitate these things happening. Expose The NSA? Good thinking, chucklehead...

If you see it email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com. Oh, and Laird has a point. Okay, now to be serious... yesterday was the 6th month anniversary of something terrible that happened. I barely remember it happening as I was on Oxy at the time. Anyway, I have a very special guest here who wanted to come on the Phile and talk about it. Please welcome to the Phile... Erica Lafferty.

Me: Hello, Erica, welcome to the Phile. I am sure some of my readers know who you are, but if not, do you want to tell them, and tell them who your mum was?

Erica: My mom, Dawn Hochsprung, was the principal at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Me: I cannot believe it was six months, Erica, since that happened. Tell the readers that don't know what happened to your mum.

Erica: She was shot and killed in her school, along with five of her coworkers and 20 of her students. 

Me: I am so sorry, and I am sure all my readers are sorry as well. You wanted to come on this blog and others to give your opinion on what the government is doing since this happened, am I right?

Erica: Yes. In the weeks and months after that horrible day, lawmakers from across the country told us, the families of the victims, that they'd take action to make our communities safer.

Me: And do you think they are making communities safer?

Erica: What we found out is that, for some of our members of Congress, those were empty promises. 

Me: And in those six months, thousands more people have been killed by guns, Erica, as you know. You've been pretty busy in the last few months. What have you been doing?

Erica: I've been doing everything I can to reach out to members of Congress. But my voice isn't enough. On the six-month anniversary of Newtown, every single person who cares about reducing gun violence in America needs to recommit to this fight.

Me: Are a lot of Americans with you on the fifht to reduce gun violence?

Erica: More than 1.4 million Americans have said they're with us.

Me: Your mum was very brave, Erica, I have to mention that.

Erica: In her last minutes, mom was just as brave and caring as I knew her to be.

Me: Remind the readers how brave she was and what she did.

Erica: After telling everyone to hide, she went running into the hallway, saw the gunman, yelled and lunged at him in an effort to protect the school she loved.

Me: I am sure you think about her a lot, Erica...

Erica: I miss her every second of every day.

Me: I have to say, I thought you were gonna be young, but you're getting married in just a few weeks, right? Congrats.

Erica: I am getting married, to a guy she was rooting for, in a dress we picked out together...

Me: Wow.

Erica: But because a dangerous man got his hands on a gun, my mom won't be there to see it. I'm still grieving... and I'm not alone.

Me: Erica, do you know how many Americans are killed by a gun every day?

Erica: On average, 33 Americans. That's 33 new families a day who mourn like I do.

Me: Do you think background checks are important?

Erica: If a background check saves even one life, and keeps even one family from hurting like this, then this fight will all be worth it.

Me: If your mum was alive today, what would she think of all this, Erica?

Erica: I think my mom would like to know that the tragedy that fell on Newtown meant that another tragedy could be stopped before it even started.

Me: Well, thank you, Erica, for spreading the word. Keep the fight going.

Erica: Thank you, Jason.

Me: Is there anything else you wanna say to my readers?

Erica: Yes, take action for my mom, Dawn, and the 25 other people who we lost in December. Say you're with us today: my.barackobama.com/Six-Months-Since-Newtown.

Me: Erica, thank you, and good luck on your wedding day.

Erica: Thanks, Jason.

Me: Erica Lafferty, everybody.

Before I continue I have to say wow, that was hard to talk about. I can't imagine... Alright, back to the stupid stuff. The 26th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club is...

The author and artist, who are Phile Alumni... Ben Filipiak and Rob Rhine will be the pheatured guests on the Phile tomorrow.

Today's pheatured guest is a Phile Alum whose latest CD "Messenger" is now available on iTunes and he has a day named after him. Please welcome back to the Phile, the guy with one of the coolest names ever... JoDee Purkeypile.

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

JoDee: I've been alright, friend. The year started off rough, but I'm doing better. Been busy playing live and planning some touring, and writing for the next album, as usual.

Me: Okay, I have to ask you about something before we get started... what the hell is JoDee Purkeypile Day?

JoDee: Well, you see, in Austin they give certain musicians a day, where you go play at the City Hall and the Mayor introduces you and reads a thing about how wonderful it is to meet you and what a big fan he's always been, ever since he was a kid, before you were even born, and then you play a song, and then you go get drunk somewhere. Sometimes, friends will bake a cake effigy of you, a body cake, which they all eat sitting indian style in a circle at your feet. It's often quite interesting and a real hoot. 

Me: I would of used that to my advantage, if you know what I mean. LOL. Did you get anything out of this?

JoDee: I was really hoping I would get a big key or a plaque with my name on it, but I think they gave me a computer print out certificate and a gift card to Souper Salad. It was a strange thing. It was good, just bizarre. It's nice to know a middle school dropout can have a day proclaimed for him by the Mayor. I haven't tried using it to my advantage for sexual conquest yet, but I shall do so this year.

Me: Well, you should. Where is JoDee Purkeypile Day celebrated and what is the date for this day? 

JoDee: July, 28. The City of Austin doesn't technically celebrate it every year, but I do. I put on a vampire cape and a crown of thorns and walk around drunk demanding gifts of exotic jewels, fruit, nuts, and linens from the good people of Austin.

Me: Did you know about it in advance? This is a big deal, JoDee, and a great honor. No one would ever declare a day as Jason Peverett Day.

JoDee: Yes, I was contacted because of an article about me in Austin Monthly magazine in 2011. I should like to proclaim today as Jason Peverett Day, and why not? I think that sounds fantastic.

Me: Um... nah. LOL. Alright, let's talk about your great new album which I downloaded from iTunes called "Messenger". Are you the Messenger?

JoDee: Thank you. Yes, I suppose that I am the messenger to you to see how the sunk emerge anew. 

Me: Is there a certain message you are trying to get across?

JoDee: No, not really. I wrote that song a few years back. I was reading a lot of Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, sort of dark things like that, and so the lyrics came from that kind of imagery. There's no real story in the words, they just sounded nice. I've had people tell me they think it's a love song to a girl incapable of feelings. The other story is that it's about a deaf girl. Not so much. Like I said, it just sounded good and I figured it was a nice album title, too.

Me: How does this album compare with your last album "October House", JoDee?

JoDee: "October House" I recorded by myself at home on funky old equipment. "Messenger" I recorded with an engineer, Matt Smith, at his studio on funky old equipment. The songs for "October House" were very much about my life at that time, dealing with an insane long distance relationship, and all the fears and longing that went through my head. Anyway, that ended, and now these songs tend to deal more with rediscovering myself. That's a generic way of putting it, I guess, but that's where I'm at. Figuring out where to go, what to do. I suppose the first album is the love album, this one is the purgatory album, and the next will be the bitter break-up album. I don't know, time will tell.

Me: "October House" was recorded in England, right? Where was this one recorded?

JoDee: No, I wrote half of the songs there, but I recorded it all at home in Austin, Texas. I recorded this album in Bastrop, Texas, out in the woods. It was the greatest way to work. We booked two weeks and would finish a song a day. It's about an hour drive out from Austin, but going home every night with a finished track is a nice thing.

Me: You live in Austin, right? Were you born there?

JoDee: I was born in Lubbock, Texas. I moved to Austin when I was 4 or 5.

Me: You mentioned you were inspired by H.P. Lovecraft. Are you a fan of his books?

JoDee: Yes, I am. I've read them all. I read them again, from time to time, if I'm feeling sinister.

Me: You are a book collector, am I right? I am to, but comic books in trade paperback form. Do you read comics?

JoDee: I do collect books. My dad collected comics for a long time, but not anymore. I never really got into them.

Me: Did you ever think about writing a novel or anything, JoDee?

JoDee: Well, I don't know. Maybe, perhaps. I've tried my hand at short stories and things, but I'm more interested in songwriting. You never know, maybe one day.

Me: Okay, back to your music, JoDee. Did you write all the songs on the album? 

JoDee: Yes, I wrote them.

Me: Who plays on the album with you?

JoDee: I play the most of the guitar, bass, and drums on the record. Brendan Rogers played piano and organ on all but two songs, Sean Crooks played bass on three, Jason Borkowski played drums on one, and Esther Garcia played strings on "Messenger".

Me: When I first interviewed you back in '09, you were in a band called Alice Rose. Is that band broken up completely?

JoDee: Yes, this is what I'm doing now. We are all great friends still, of course, and Brendan and Sean, who played on the album, were bandmates with me.

Me: Do you prefer being a solo act?

JoDee: I must say that I do. I prefer not having to decide within a band structure on what to play, what to release, all that stuff. It's definitely more pressure being a solo artist, but it's where I needed to go. I was tired of being hidden in the shadow and behind the name of Alice Rose. That time was important, but it passed and it was time to let people know who I am, rather than the guy who sings lead vocals in that band with a girl's name.

Me: Did you think of changing your name or coming up with another band name?

JoDee: No. I do call my live band the Messengers, though. So, it's kind of an old school band name, JoDee Purkeypile and the Messengers.

Me: I have to ask you about something that I don't think we ever talked about... your dad was a musician and played with Joe Ely and Jimmie Dale Gilmore just to name a few. Does he still play?

JoDee: He doesn't play out a lot anymore, but he has a nice old Hammond C-3 he plays at his house. He's great.

Me: So, he didn't play guitar?

JoDee: Not really. He taught me a Bo Diddley riff once when I was very small. He bought me a vintage 60's blue Fender Mustang when I was like 8 or 9, but I never played it. I was all about the drums 'til I was 12. I didn't play guitar until I was 12. I wish I had, though. I still remember the smell from when he opened the case. It smelled like cigarettes. Just like all my stuff does, now.

Me: What about you, did you ever play organ?

JoDee: Yeah, I picked up keyboards just from having a couple of things he'd given me. He gave me one of his chopped Hammond B-3s, and a piano. I taught myself, just from fucking around on them and recording demos and things. I played piano on "She Can Ride A Bike", and all the Mellotron on "Strange Things" on this new album.

Me: It's cool you followed in your dad's musical footsteps. My dad was a musician as well but I don't have any musical abilities... except a little kazoo playing. Do you think if your dad wasn't a musician you wouldn't be?

JoDee: I don't know. The reason I started playing drums was because he had traded an amp or something for an old Ludwig drum kit, which he set up for me. I started banging around on it when I was around 5, and up until I was 12 that's all I wanted to do was be a drummer. He wasn't a songwriter, though, so I'm not sure where I got that from. Probably from growing listening to the Beatles and Dylan and things. So, I'm not sure. I wanted to be an artist, an actor, several different things when I was young, but music was what I eventually sold my soul for.

Me: Alright, so this year on the Phile I am asking random questions thanks to the game Tabletopics. Here's yours, JoDee... Do you possess any of the qualities of your astrological sign? I have no idea what that means.

JoDee: Actually, I don't think I do. I'm an aquarius, but I can't swim. I write a lot about water, for some reason, but it kind of terrifies me, in a way.

Me: Thanks so much for being back on the Phile. Please come back again soon. Go ahead and mention your website and continued success.

JoDee: Thank you, Jason. You can find me at facebook.com/JoDeePurkeypileMusic, jodeepurkeypile.bandcamp.com, reverbnation.com/jodeepurkeypile, and twitter.com/JoDeePurkeypile. Thanks again.

Me: Thanks, JoDee. "Messenger" is available now. Get it, people.

That about does it for this entry. Thanks to Laird Jim, Erica Lafferty and of course JoDee Purkeypile. The Phile will be back tomorrow on Father's Day with Phile Alumni Ben Filipiak and Rob Rhine, then on Monday with Melissa Marchese the hot singer for the rock band Weekend Riot Club. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Strawberry Blondes Forever!