Pheaturing Nick Beaudoing From The Doc Marshalls

Hello, welcome to the Phile, I am your host, Jason Peverett, star of the new movie... Oblivious. Well, before we start with the funny stuff, let me just say my heart goes out to everybody in Boston. It's been a crazy week, right? I have to say, Boston is probably the only major city that if you fuck with them, they will shut down the whole city... stop everything... and find you. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev must of known that America never loses at Hide and Seek. Just ask Bin Laden and Saddam. Wasn't it ironic how this guy bombs a marathon then his last days of his life are spent running? Today was the London Marathon. I thought this was cool, and I have to share it with you. Look at this banner...

On Monday when the bombings first happened, everybody was pointing figures at who could be responsible. I said let's not be hasty. The worldview of the guys who created this grisly spectacle of mass-murder could be any number of... aaaaaaannd it's Islam. Okay, let's move on.  Did you pay your taxes? Why does the government charge us postage to send in our tax returns? We have to pay them to pay them. It's like giving a slice back to the pizza delivery guy. How about you just deduct 75 cents from what I already paid?  There are rumors that NBC is planning to produce a new season of the sitcom "Friends." Experts say it's been nine years since the show went off the air so only a few people would watch, making it the highest rated show on NBC.  A brewery in Japan has introduced a beer made from elephant dung. How do you market something like that? “I don’t always drink beer, but when I do, I make sure it comes from an elephant's butt.”  A Chinese businessman just purchased a $15 million iPhone. And I would pay $1 million for someone to shove him into the pool with it. An easy way to tell if you're a terrible person is if you own a $15 million iPhone. This is the perfect phone for anyone who wants to get mugged immediately after buying it. You can get the phone for $14,999,950 if you sign a two-year contract.  With what happened in Boston, the media and everybody was on edge. Check out this actual news report...

 
The owner's of the boat that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev hid on are selling it. I'm not kidding...

I hope they give the money they get to the victims' families.  In lighter news, this week a brand new 3 and a half minute trailer came out for the new Superman movie Man of Steel. There was one scene in it that surprised me, but what a helluva cameo.

 
What a dick move, Batman. LOL. I can't believe Batman is gonna be in the movie.  So, do you ever see in magazine's and on shows when they show celebrities with their makeup and on and without their makeup? Like this one for example...

Well, I thought it'll be fun if I did the same thing on the Phile. So, here is Tori Spelling with makeup and without makeup.

 
LOL. That's so stupid. Alright, let's see went to the big square dance in the sky.

George Beverly Shea
Feb 1, 1909 - April 16, 2013
He sang to over 220 million people over his lifetime, worked with Billy Graham for over 50 years, and recorded over 500 vocal solos on more than 70 albums. And yet... I had no idea who the fuck he was until I looked him up. Go figure.

Pat Summerall
May 10, 1930 - April 16, 2013
Sudden death.

If you see it email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com. This should be an easy one. Okay, so, before we continue I need to talk about something. Last Monday on the Phile singer Alexis Babini's interview was supposed to be posted. Instead I ended up posted an interview with another singer, Justin Levinson which was cool. I had a few email's asking what happened to Alexis, as he was on the Phile twice before. Well, in disclosure, I received an email from Alaina Bendi, President of Promenade Music Entertainment, his publicists who said he was too busy doing interviews, and they don't except any offers with written questions. This was after Alexis agreed to be on the Phile, as he was a fan, and had been interviewed here twice before. Now, I could go on and say in five years of interviewing people for my blog and working with 5 PR firms no one ever said their client doesn't do written question interviews. Or that Alexis needs to grow a backbone and stick up for himself, and not let him be told what to do by some chick. LOL. But I'm not going to do that. Instead, and I emailed Alaina telling her this, I am gonna be the better man. I am gonna plug his album and his next appearance right here, as he was supposed to get that plug last Monday. I actually like his album, and am a fan of his music, so it's only fair. So, Alexis Babini's new album "Pioneer Spirit" is available on iTunes and he will be next appearing at Martin's Downtown in Roanoke, Virginia tomorrow night opening for Aaron Carter.

There, I think I did the right thing. I hope to have Alexis on the Phile sometime in the future. Okay, well, I live in Florida and there's so many crazy things that happen here. I used to have a pheature on the Phile called Florida: America's Wang, which was pretty popular. So, I thought I would bring it back. So, here is that said pheature, kids.

A 22-year-old Floridian was arrested yesterday for domestic battery after she grabbed and yanked on her former boyfriend’s penis during a dispute inside the victim’s Tampa residence. Wallace had gone to the home of Antonio Marquis Williams to pick up the ex-couple’s daughter, according to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office report. Williams told deputies that the pair argued because Wallace wanted to resume dating. However, “Antonio did not want another relationship at this time,” investigators noted. The argument then turned violent “when the offender grabbed Antonio’s penis with her right hand and began pulling on it which caused pain to Antonio.” Williams defended himself by grabbing Wallace’s forearms “to prevent further violence.” The sheriff’s report does not detail what, if any, clothing Williams was wearing when Wallace allegedly accessed his genitals. Though Williams refused to file charges, Wallace was nonetheless arrested for misdemeanor battery and booked into the Manatee County jail (where bail has yet to be set). She is scheduled for a May 21 court appearance. What a jerk.

The 29th artist to be pheatured in the Peverett Phile Art Gallery is Ellen Reid, who is also a member of the Canadian band Crash Test Dummies. Here is one of her pieces...

 
I don't get it. Tony didn't give his own ass... Confused. Anyway, Ellen will be a guest on the Phile tomorrow.

Today's guest is the lead singer in the band The Doc Marshalls, whose new CD "Look Out, Compradre" is one of my favorite albums I heard this year. They will be next appearing tonight at Evening Muse in Charlotte, North Carolina. Please welcome to the Phile... Nick Beaudoing!

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

Nick: Wonderful. After some Chipotle, everything is wonderful.

Me: I have to say I am a big fan of your band The Doc Marshalls. Usually I am not into the Cajun thing, but you guys are great. Anyway, would you consider your band to be Cajun?

Nick: Thanks for the kind words. The Doc Marshalls definitely play traditional Cajun music, which is to say old school two-steps and waltzes from Louisiana's Cajun canon (Balfa Brothers, Iry LeJeune, D.L. Menard). I've also gone out of my way to write original songs in the Cajun French tradition. But Cajun music is only a small part of what we do now. We also play Americana/indie-folk and hard core honky-tonk. Our latest album, "Look Out, Compadre", was our first ever release without any Cajun music. The evolution has been refreshing as it allows us to attract a different audience.

Me: I thought you were from Louisiana for some reason, but you're from New York, based in Nashville, right? 

Nick: I'm of Acadian and French-Canadian ancestry but Dallas, Texas is my hometown. People see the French last name and immediately associate me with Louisiana. I did go to college in New Orleans, where I irritated a lot of roommates while learning the accordion.

Me: So, you're not from New York?

Nick: I lived in New York City for 11 years. I spent most of my time in Manhattan, with the occasional detour in Brooklyn.

Me: When did you move to Nashville? We live by Orlando in Florida but about 6 years ago we were gonna move to Nashville. Do you like living there? 

Nick: I moved to Nashville a little over two years ago. For this stage of my life, Nashville is the absolute best city. The cost of living is sane, the size is manageable, and the ample access to the great outdoors is second to none. I'm a fishing fanatic and countless rivers and lakes are a short drive away. I only regret not coming down sooner.

Me: Where are the rest of the boys from, Nick?

Nick: Above the Mason-Dixon line (aka the Waffle House/IHOP line). Our drummer, Doug Clark, is from Kansas City, MO. Pedal steel player, Jonathan Gregg, is from NYC and bassist Terence Murren is from Connecticut.

Me: Have you guys been together for long?

Nick: Yes. I look at early photos of the band can't believe our beaming youth. We had so many complimentary BBQ dinners to look forward to.

Me: Before we talk about your music, I have to ask where the name The Doc Marshalls come from? Is he your favorite cowboy?

Nick: The name has nothing to do with cowboys. All four band members have Phd's. Since you asked, my favorite cowboy is Stompin' Tom Connors.

Me: Phd's? Wow. Nick, who are your influences and who did you listen to growing up?

Nick: I love traditional music. The first album by the Cajun band Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys made a big impression on me. For my money, it’s the best modern Cajun record. Richard Thompson, a British guitarist who incorporated a lot of traditional music into his songwriting, was also a big influence. Early on, I listened to a lot of Richard Buckner.

Me: Okay, I downloaded the new album "Look Out, Compadre" from iTunes and really enjoyed it. This is your third album, am I right?

Nick: First, let me thank you for legally downloading our music. At the risk of overstating things, to me you're the greatest American hero of all time. And yes, this is our third record. We felt a need to move away from our Cajun repertoire in favor of a more crooked indie folk sound. My songwriting had been veering away from straight up country music for quite some time. I really wanted to avoid a repetition of the previous release, "Honest for Once".

Me: Well, I'm not American, but thanks. On the other albums you have songs with French titles, which goes with the whole Cajun theme. I have no idea what these titles mean, Nick. "Deux Bouteilles", "Je Suis Gine", "Bon a Rien", "N'Oubile-Moi Pas". I took French in school for 6 years and suck at it. Do you speak French? I'm gonna take a wild guess at translating these songs... Deux is two I think, so "Two Bouteilles". Is bouteilles a fight? Two fights? Je Suis Guin I think is "Jesus Gone", Bon a Rien is "Good River", and the last one is I am guessing "My Mobile Phone". I don't know.

Nick:  "Jesus Gone". I like that title much, much better. "Deux Bouteilles"... Two fisting (a beer in each hand); "Je Suis Gone"... I'm gone/I'm out of sorts; "N'Oublie-Moi Pas"... Don't forget me. Yes, I grew up speaking French as a first language. I’m trying to pass it on to my son.

Me: I was way off. You didn't come here to teach me French. So, how do you compare this new album to the previous ones?

Nick: For this album, I wanted to record in a studio where country pickers would feel out of place. The more indie rock, the better. We did it at Headgear Studios in Brooklyn, which was the perfect atmosphere. I'd recently heard records by bands like Phosphorescent and A.A. Bondy which had an enormous effect on me. I loved the idea of breaking free of standard country arrangements and going for a darker sound. Sometimes all-out country sounds are a distraction.

Me: You have a song called "Abilene", Nick. Is she anyone in particular?

Nick: No. Her best attributes are providing easy rhymes.

Me: Where was the album recorded?

Nick: Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I would leave the office and head straight to studio, recording until 2 or 3 a.m. I'd emerge exhausted, still in my suit and tie.

Me: I love the album cover. Where was that taken, and did you get permission to shoot that cannon? 

Nick: The photo was taken by Jürg Zimmermann of CAOSA, the Cannon Association of South Africa. I contacted them out of the blue and was rewarded with a beautiful shot of an historic cannon in action. That particular one was used during the Napoleonic Wars.

Me: I have to ask you about Runner of the Woods, is that another band of yours? What is their music like?

Nick: Runner of the Woods is my new project with guitarist Hans Holzen. I've been writing hazier folk tunes that are better suited to a 3 piece band. I've kept the pedal steel and telecaster but we use them in a different way... think coloring and mood instead of country licks. We'll be releasing a debut album this year. There's no Cajun or hard and fast country, so I think fans of "Look Out, Compadre" will appreciate it the most.

Me: You also do a lot of solo shows it looks like. Do you do The Doc Marshalls songs in those shows, or other songs?

Nick: I always mix it up. Playing Doc Marshalls tunes without the band is a great opportunity to hear a song in a new way. I also test drive new material.

Me: Do you play any covers? 

Nick: Country musicians have the luxury of playing all the covers they want. No stigma at all. These days I love doing covers of lesser known artists, such as Gary Stewart.

Me: By the way, I was just told that Doc Marshall a baseball player. That's not right, is it?

Nick: That's correct. There was also a snuff company called Doc Marshall. I imagine it's tough times for the snuff industry.

Me: I think I have a picture of Doc Marshall...

Me: Nick, thanks for being on the Phile. Please come back again when your next project comes out. Before you go though, on the Phile I ask random questions and here is yours, thanks to Tabletopics. What do you complain about more than anything else?

Nick: Indigestion.

Me: Good one. Nick, thanks again. Go ahead and mention your website and come down to Florida to play. All the best.

Nick: Docmarshalls.com. We’re on Facebook and Twitter too, for some reason. And Florida is closer than ever!

Me: Good, I'll definitely see you guys in concert. Thanks, Nick.

Well, that does it for this entry of the Phile. Thanks to Nick Beaudoing. The Phile will be back tomorrow with Ellen Reid from Crash Test Dummies, then next Sunday with singer Sasha Papernik. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Strawberry Blondes Forever!

Pheaturing Phile Alum Justin Levinson

Hello, and welcome to the Phile, it's tax day, kids. So, how was your morning? I had a doctor's appointment this morning for a full physical. Not a half a physical, or a third of a physical, a whole physical. Everything is good, except for a dodgy arm, a kidney stone and screwed up cholesterol. Alright, enough about me.  The other night President Obama hosted Republican senators for dinner at the White House. The president said he had to do without salt, pepper, and butter... because as you know, the Republicans refuse to pass anything.  North Korean officials reportedly are planning a cyber attack on the U.S. in an effort to bring our economy to a halt. Nice try guys. You’re five years too late. Wait,a  cyber attack. Do you think they'll take out the Phile? Shit. I haven't been saying nice things about North Korea. I heard it's a great place to visit. Check out this advertising poster.

According to a new poll, 50 percent of Americans would vote for Ronald Reagan for president right now over Barack Obama. In fact, in the last election 58 percent of the people in Florida DID vote for Ronald Reagan.  A long list of celebrities and musicians have signed a letter to President Obama asking him to ease the nation's drug enforcement policy. Hollywood celebrities and musicians want the president to ease our drug laws... it's always the people you least expect.  Here's some good news...  Donald Trump is going to be a grandfather. It’s true. That thing on his head is pregnant. Trump’s daughter is pregnant. The thing on his head just lays eggs.  There are rumors that Fox may cancel "Glee" even though it still consistently does well in its time slot. This can mean only one thing: Fox is now run by NBC.  The Iranian government is claiming their scientists have developed a time machine. Maybe they're saying they figured out how to make a clock.  Teachers at nine universities are using a new technology that can tell if students are actually reading their textbooks. Let me save you some time. They're not. The digital books create something called an engagement index that shows how often they open their book, which pages they read, and whether or not they skipped pages. That’s a great way to get kids to like books. Program the books to tattle on them. We had a pretty effective way of getting kids to read books when I was a kid. It's called a quiz.  The South Korean pop star Psy of "Gangnam Style” fame just released a new song. As soon as they heard, North Korea said, “Now they’re really asking for it.”  Who watched The MTV Movie Awards last night? Not me. Brad Pitt was there to present the award for movie of the year. Brad says he couldn't wait to look into a sea of young people and ask them to wish daddy good luck at the show.  I just saw that the Playboy Bunny house, which is across the street from Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion, is on the market for $11 million. You can tell it’s the Playboy Bunny house because it looks nice but there's nothing going on upstairs.  New York City is considering a law to ban people from wearing costumes in Times Square after a man dressed as the Cookie Monster shoved a little boy. In his defense, Cookie Monster said, “Boy not give up cookie.”  Man, North Korea is getting some bad press... but not from the Phile or from me, as long as they are threatening a cyber attack. I am so glad that they released an inspirational poster. Check it out.

Hey, they released it, not me.  Did you hear this? Tami Erin, the former Pippi Longstocking star was busted for alleged assault. I have never seen any Pippi Longstocking films, but when I saw this screen shot, I thought to myself, it might not be a bad movie, and I think her troubles started when she was young.

Which one is Pippi? LOL. Just kidding, I know. I have top show you this, a Phile reader sent me this photo...

 
They asked me if they thought the owner's of this car were Foghat fans. I don't know, but they are Steelers fans. I am sure they are Foghat fans.  So, last week Disney's Hollywood Studios... God, this is so stupid. I don't really want to go on with this running joke. I will, but this is the last one, I promise. Disney's Hollywood Studios ended their Countdown to Fun parade. Yep, no more parade in that park. I was thinking though, maybe there is a parade that could replace it. Oh, screw it. I'm not doing it. I don't have the patience. Moving on, here is another...

You need to look closely. If you find it, email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com. Alright, so, tomorrow the Democrats want you to make a pledge and call your Senator. I don't really know why, or what, but they do. So, they sent Lindsay Siler, the National Director of Issue Campaigns to the Phile to explain to you what's going on. Lindsay is cute, so I said whatever. So, please welcome to the Phile... Lindsay Siler.

 
Me: Hello, Lindsay, welcome to the Phile. So, you want my readers to make a pledge? A pledge about what?

Lindsay: Well, did you hear about last week?

Me: Um... I heard a lot of things last week. What are you referring to?

Lindsay: Last week, we celebrated major progress.

Me: With what?

Lindsay: With bipartisan support, the Senate defeated a filibuster and moved forward on gun violence prevention legislation.

Me: That's cool I guess. Did a lot of people speak out?

Lindsay: More than a quarter-million OFA supporters across the country have made their voices heard in this fight, and now, it's time we ramp things up a notch.

Me: Okay, so, how?

Lindsay: The Senate is getting ready to vote on this bill... they could act as early as this week.

Me: That's why something is happening tomorrow, right, Lindsay?

Lindsay: Yes. That's why tomorrow we're organizing a National Call Day, asking anyone who cares about reducing gun violence to call their senators and say, "Pass this bill now."

Me: Okay, so, what do you want my readers to do? How can we help?

Lindsay: Right now, pledge to call your senators anytime during the day on Tuesday. Then, we'll follow up with their contact info and everything you need to make the call.

Me: Can you tell us what is your goal tomorrow?

Lindsay: Our goal on Tuesday is to flood our senators' phone lines in support of this bipartisan legislation, which will require background checks for all commercial gun sales, make our schools safer, and tamp down on illegal gun trafficking.

Me: Man, that's cruel to the Senators.

Lindsay: Jason, wouldn't it be amazing if a senator was told, while on the Senate floor, that their phone is ringing off the hook with support for this bill?!

Me: Do you think enough people will do it?

Lindsay: What makes us powerful is that with 250,000 people already in this fight, and with millions more OFA supporters out there, we can do it.

Me: So, you want my readers to pledge to call, am I right?

Lindsay: All you have to do is pledge to take a few minutes on Tuesday to call... and we'll send you all the info you need. We're on the cusp of a vote that could move forward the broadest legislation to reduce gun violence in decades, Jason. Pledge today to call your senator on Tuesday.

Me: Where can people go to pledge? Is there a website?

Lindsay: Yes, my.barackobama.com/National-Call-Day-Pledge.

Me: Alright, people, Lindsay told you. Thanks, Lindsay.

Lindsay: Thanks, and get ready.

Me: Lindsay Siler, National Director of Issue Campaigns Organizing for Action, people. Anything else?

Lindsay: A movement of millions elected President Obama. Let's keep fighting for change.

Me: Good job. Thanks for being here.

Okay, the 29th artist to be pheatured in the Phile's Art Gallery is Ellen Reid, who also happens to be a member of the Canadian band Crash Test Dummies. Here's one of her pieces...

 
Yes, that is a Leif Garrett tea cozy. Anyway, Ellen will be a guest on the Phile a week from today. It should be good.

Okay, today's pheatured guest was supposed to be Phile Alum Alexis Babini but he couldn't make it, so I have another Phile Alum on the Phile today. He has a new EP out called "Take My Time" and he'll be appearing next at Pianos in New York City on April 20th. Please welcome to the Phile... Justin Levinson.

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

Justin: I've been terrific. Keeping busy.

Me: It's a small world, I have to tell you. A friend, or someone I think you know, was supposed to be on the Phile today. I am talking about Alexis Babini. You know him, right?

Justin: Oh yeah. Alexis is a good guy. We went to college together and have kept in touch on in off throughout the years. Currently we share the same representation. Actually met up with him at my NYC show at Gramercy theatre two weeks ago.

Me: He did a few shows with Aaron Carter and you also opened and played with Aaron, am I right? 

Justin: Yeah, shows were a lot of fun. I think the thing Alexis, Aaron and I all have in common is good hook and melody writing. In the end we are all very different, but that's what makes us cohesive on The After Party tour.

Me: How was Aaron, Justin? You play your own instruments and have a lot more talent. Was he cool to be around with though?

Justin: Yeah, Aaron was really good to me. A few times on tour during soundcheck he'd ask me if he could play my keys and guitar. Gotta be honest, the guy can crush it on both instruments. Also have to tip my hat to a celebrity who actually asks before playing your instruments. It might be a little thing, but I found that impressive. Can't tell you how many times people just pick things up without asking. I'd say it's one of my biggest peeves.

Me: I have a picture of the both of you here.

Me: I met him once briefly when I was working at a press event at Disney and he said to me, "I love doing cartwheels." I told him, "That's great." And he did one. Crazy. Anyway, of there is one person you could open for, Justin, who would that be?

Justin: That's funny. He's also a phenomenal athlete to perform all of those dance moves flawlessly every night. I honestly didn't grow up with Aaron's style of music but I walked away with a tremendousrespect for his talent. I would say right now if I could open for anyone if would be the band called FUN. Really love the unique quality of Nate Ruess's voice. I think they are doing the top 40 thing with a lot of integrity. Hope the trend sticks.

Me: You're from Vermont, am I right, but live in Boston now, or the other way around. Do you like living there?

Justin: I lived in Boston for a long time, but I'm currently located in Vergennes, Vermont. I truly love it here. Though it may not be the best suited home for an indie/pop songwriter it has some of the most authentic/real/progressive people in country. I'm blessed that I have made contacts in major cities so I can live in paradise until my phone rings with a tour opportunity.

Me: Last time you were here it was to promote your great CD "This Side Of Me, This Side Of You". Since then you released a three song EP called "Take My Time". Were these songs originally recorded for your last CD?

Justin: No, they were tracked pretty much as a wrote them a few months after "This Side Of Me, This Side Of You."

Me: Your band is The Valcours, do they play on the new release?

Justin: Just my drummer Simon Plumpton and Producer Colin McCaffrey play all the instruments.

Me: What made you decide to release an EP? It's cool you did, there's three great songs on it.

Justin: I made the EP because I really needed an outlet for the songs I wrote on guitar. I also have had a lot of play on The Coffeehouse Station on Sirius in the past and I wanted to get them some fresh stuff.

Me: Are you always writing, Justin?

Justin: I've only been writing off and on. I'm actually really focused on making a polished show and improving my stage performance skills. Going on these bigger tours I'm learning a lot and getting more comfortable with talking to large crowds. I want to take a few years away from recording and do something really larger than life.

Me: You play piano and guitar, right? Which one came first and which one do you like better?

Justin: I started with piano when I was six. It will always be my favorite instrument. I just pick a little on the side but it's great to have the diversity with my writing.

Me: Your music is on the verge of country. Do you think that's true?

Justin: Eh... I'm honestly not a big country fan. Some alt-country like Wilco, Ryan Adams, Conor Oberst and Josh Ritter can grab me, other than that It's not my thing. Maybe my music says otherwise though. I just like fusing lots of different styles together. I get really bored if I'm not reinventing the wheel. I think that's the reason why I'm such Beatle freak. Those guys evolved in each an every album. By no means would I compare myself to The Beatles, but the concept of not making the same album twice is quite intriguing to me this day an age.

Me: I know you are a Ben Folds fan, and have been compared to him, but who else do you listen to? 

Justin: Death Cab For Cutie, Bright Eyes, Ben Kweller, The Kinks, Elton John, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, The Shins, Bon Iver, Sean Lennon, Phoenix, Queen, XTC, Badfinger and FUN have been getting a lot of spins as of late.

Me: I see you opening and playing with Brad Paisley or Keith Urban, Justin... but, you don't like country music. Oh, well.

Justin: Not a fan but tremendous respect for those guys. Would I turn down the tour support slot? No way in hell!

Me: I have to mention something that we didn't get into the last time you were here. And correct me if I screw this up, but you run an advocacy television show? Advocacy for what?

Justin: I run an advocacy television show in Vermont where folks with developmental disabilities interview local celebrities. It's a great thing for our community and sends a strong message to our law makers in Montpelier that making cuts to our most vulnerable Vermonters is the wrong thing to do. It wasn't long ago when these folks were thrown into institutions and never able to reach their potential. I believe that the right to community is a human right. I'm sure we can find ways to close tax loop holes, make intelligent cuts and raise revenues without sending these folks back into isolation. There... my political speech is over... ha.

Me: What's the name of the show and where can a Phile reader see it?

Justin: Sadly it's only on in Vermont but if you happen to be here it's on Thursdays 10pm on VCAM channel 15. It's called "The Advocacy Show".

Me: I am guessing this is a big passion for you. What do you prefer, your music or the TV show?

Justin: I would say it's a tie.

Me: How long have you been working on the show?

Justin: It's been about four years now.

Me: You're very talented so I can see you definitely spreading your wings doing a lot of different things, Justin. Is there something you really want to do? Any goals?

Justin: I'd like to really push the touring the next five years or so. In the end I'm going to get into writing musicals and get out of the public eye. Maybe I'll find a pretty girl and settle down, coach little league and softball... who knows. I reckon I gotta couple good years left in the tank.

Me: Are you going to be releasing any new music again soon?

Justin: In a 2 to 3 years I'll put out something. It's gonna be huge when I'm ready. The musical inspired themes will definitely be prevalent. Looking to collaborate with some arrangers/producers and get into a big time studio.

Me: So, this year on the Phile I am asking random questions from a box of cards called Tabletopics. Here we go... would you like to be proudest of your accomplishments or your character? Man, that question is deep. I wouldn't know how to answer it.

Justin: Oh, hands down character. You can have a plethora of accomplishments and really suck as a person. I'm trying to not suck as a person... haha. Someone who has all kinds of accolades doesn't necessarily have happiness either. I think everyone needs to be validated from time to time but I don't need it to keep making music or doing what I love. It's what I think of me, not what others think of me right? Well... at least that's how I define myself.

Me: Justin, thanks for being back on the Phile. Go ahead and mention your website and stuff, and please come back again soon. Take care.

Justin: Thanks again! Justinlevinson.com is the place to go! Back on The After Party Tour with Aaron Carter in June.

Me: Thanks, Justin. Tell Aaron hello, and if you see Alexis, tell him he's in trouble. LOL.

There you go, another entry of the Phile done. Thanks to my guests Lindsay Siler and Justin Levinson. The Phile will be back next Sunday with Nick Beaudoing from The Doc Marshalls, and on Monday Ellen Reid from Crash Test Dummies. Next Saturday is Record Store Day, so please go to your local independent record store and support them. I will be doing that. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Strawberry Blondes Forever!

Pheaturing Spark & Echo

Hello, welcome to the Phile, I am your host Jason, The Accidental Bloggist. Bloggist? Is that even a word? I am your Accidental Blogger. The first line of Brad Paisley’s “Accidental Racist” is “To the man that waited on me at the Starbucks down on Main”. That old country cliché?  It’s starting to get serious, kids. No, I'm not talking about Paisley's song... China has warned North Korea about starting a war. China told them flat out, "Do not fire any missiles at the United States at least until after we get our money. They owe us $16 trillion. Wait until then.” Some experts believe North Korea has a missile that could reach Los Angeles. And of course, if North Korea did attack Los Angeles, that would start a war with Mexico. The whole thing would escalate. Insiders say North Korea’s Kim Jong Un had plastic surgery to look more like his father Kim Jong Il. I found out today my son is doing just the opposite. There's some good news for North Korea and Kim Jong Un. Today NBC announced they are bringing “The Tonight Show" back to Pyongyang.  South Korean officials today say they're highly confident that North Korea will launch a medium-range missile any time now. Which I guess means Dennis Rodman failed. Why do I feel like this whole thing could be solved by sending Kim Jong Un a Disneyland pass?  I know you want to know what is going on with Justin Bieber and his monkey crisis. He brought a monkey into Germany. But the monkey was confiscated and quarantined because Justin didn't have the proper paperwork. I have given Germany an ultimatum. If they do not release the monkey by Thursday at midnight, we are going to kill David Hasselhoff. So there you go, Germans. Set that monkey free or we off the Hoff.  The Cookie Monster was arrested last weekend. Not the real Cookie Monster... the one that dresses up like him in Times Square. A woman claimed he shoved her 2-year-old and cursed her out because she didn’t give him a tip. There's a reason he's called the Cookie Monster and not the Cookie Gentleman.  I mentioned this yesterday, according to The Wall Street Journal’s website, Anthony Weiner may run for mayor of New York City. Their website said that Mr. Weiner didn't respond to an email seeking comment. Hey, Anthony Weiner didn't email or text you back? Consider yourself lucky!  Are you guys watching baseball? Not me. To go to a game at Yankee Stadium now costs $365 for a family of four. It's getting so that an American family of four no longer can afford to scream obscenities at the Red Sox.  Finally, after months of wrangling, President Obama has unveiled his highly anticipated 2014 budget. And apparently neither Democrats nor Republicans are happy with it. Then Obama said, “Yeah, that's how you know it's good.”  Just a week after naming the color of a plus-size dress “Manatee Gray,” now Target is having to rename a pair of sandals called “Orina” because “orina” means “urine” in Spanish... while the name "Target" is just Spanish for "Fancy Wal-Mart."  Dick Cheney told House Republicans that the U.S. is in “deep doo doo” with North Korea. Incidentally, “deep doo do” is the color of the suit I just got at Target.  A new study found evidence that humans may have a so-called “lazy” gene. Scientists would know more, but why bother? I think I might have that gene. Holy shit, this just in... North Korea has deployed naval ships!

Reports are saying that Kim Kardashian is getting fat. I didn't think she was, until I saw this recent picture of her.

That's horrible.  The makers of "Angry Birds", one of my favorite game, have just come out with a new version. Check it out.

Last Saturday, at Disney's Hollywood Studios, they cancelled the Countdown to Fun parade. Well, I have been thinking what other parade could take it's place. Then I thought of the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Parade. This international event hopes to increase awareness about rape, sexual assault, and gender violence in an unusual way: by asking men to wear women's high-heeled shoes and walk for a mile. Based upon the old adage “you can't really understand another person's experience until you've walked a mile in their shoes,” this event gives men and the community-at-large a platform (pun intended) to talk about these serious issues. Check out this picture from the actual parade in New York.

That's so stupid. Alright, from the home office in Port Jefferson, here is this week's...

 
Top Phive Answers On Why Kim Kardashian Is Getting Fat
5. She's eating for two... and those two are Mike and Molly.
4. Even Adele is begging her to lay off the mac and cheese.
3. Now to "keep up with the Kardashians", all you have to do is follow the trail of empty Papa John's boxes.
2. She's wearing hand-me-downs from Honey Boo Boo's mom.
and the number one answer on why Kim Kardashian is getting fat is...
1. She's putting a lot of pressure on Kayne to get married... just for the wedding cake.

Okay, so, you know there's The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, right? Well, the Phile has a Rock and Roll Hall of Phame that's even better. We actually induct rock and roll bands. So far we have inducted Savoy Brown, The J. Geils Band, Status Quo, Sparks, Mick Ronson, ELO, Rockpile, Dr. Feelgood and The Stranglers. Please welcome to the Phile once again, raconteur, entreprenour, Jah Paul Jo in a past life and co-owner of Berdan Records, and member of unHOF... Joseph J. Ramsey with today's induction... The Jam!

Black suits, white shirts, black ties, black and white shoes, all white lights, Rickenbacker guitars and Vox amps. They emerged from the primordial ooze of 1977 punk... but were more a throwback... or a more finely focused return to the early Who (especially), The Kinks, Small Faces and the 60s UK Mods.  Adopting enough of the gruff and clang of punk, Paul Weller wrote great pop songs that bristled with rough edges. Bassist Bruce Foxton sang harmonies, sometimes leads and laid down some prominent basslines, which were the foundation of many of the band’s songs. Drummer Rick Buckler rounded out the trio. From their beginnings as punk rock's answer to Mod London and banging out classics like "Midnight Hour" and "The Batman Theme," who knew The Jam would someday be one of the UKs biggest hitmakers... (?) But that is exactly what they became.  The very best of the Class Of 77 evolved quickly and The Jam were a fine example of this. Using mainly The Who as their template, they grew from singles bands to making two of the finest albums (and they were albums in every sense ... not just a collection of songs or singles!) of the late '70s, "This Is The Modern World" (1977) and "All Mod Cons" (1978).   Like all flames that burn too brightly, The Jam didn't last long but left behind a fantastic legacy of singles and LPs. One of my very favorite came at the penultimate of their career, an uncharacteristic ballad called "The Bitterest Pill." It's soulful sound would serve as a template for Weller's later project, the Style Council.  The Jam had 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the UK, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 1982, including four number one hits. To understand their popularity in the UK, When their single "Town Called Malice" reached number one the group had the honor of performing both it and its double A-side, "Precious" on "Top Of The Pops"... the only other band ever to be accorded this honor was The Beatles.

Great job, Joseph, as always.

The 29th artist to be pheatured in the Peverett Phile Art Gallery is not only excellent in needlepoint, she is also a member of the Canadian band Crash Test Dummies. Her name is Ellen Reid, and this is a piece of hers...

 I know some people that would love that pillow. Ellen will be a guest on the Phile next Monday.

Okay, today's pheatured guests are the husband and wife couple that make up the band Spark & Echo. Their new album "Inheritance" is available on iTunes and they'll next be appearing at Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw, Michigan tomorrow. Please welcome to the Phile... Jonathon Roberts and Emily Clare Zempel from Spark & Echo.

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

Emily: Great, just finished the dishes BEFORE we went to bed. That's a victory.

Me: So, I have to ask, which of you is Spark and which are you is Echo?

Emily: Depends on the day.

Jonathon: Emily is definitely more spark-like today.

Me: Over the years I have interviewed a lot of musicians who are in band or work with their spouse. That would never work with my wife and I. You two, though, were a couple before you were in a band together, am I right?

Emily: That's right, Jason. In fact we didn't start playing together until after we were married.

Jonathon: That was a nice bonus, that we could sing together and our voices blended.

Me: Where did you two meet?

Jonathon: In jazz choir at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Emily: But we didn't date until two years after we met.

Jonathon: We dated for three years.

 Emily: And then broke up for three.

Jonathon: We call those the "dark years."

Me: My wife would the 15 years we were married the dark years. LOL. Okay, you're based in New York City, am I right? Are you both from New York?

Jonathon: We love New York and we've been here for seven years.

Emily: So that makes us real New Yorkers.

Jonathon: But we were both born and raised in Wisconsin and we are Midwesterners at heart. We eat a lot of cheese just like the rumors say.

Emily: We eat a normal amount of cheese.

Me: Was it a coincidence you were both musicians or did you know that before hand?

Emily: It's a coincidence, we both grew up in musical families. We were music majors before we met. 

Jonathon: And we both have theatre degrees, but Emily is the pro at that.

Me: Between the two of you you kids play a dozen instruments or so. Tell the readers what you both play, and what came first for you both?

Jonathon: My list is short: I've been playing the piano since I was five. My mom said it was always my best friend growing up... which I find both sweet and sad. Our family friend Carl owned an antique store and gave me an accordion which I kept wanting Emily to play in the band... turns out I really wanted to play it.

Emily: And I just couldn't. It was completely unrelated to any of the other instruments I play. He always thinks of new instruments and then says I should play them. My first instrument was the bassoon in band. I started in 5th grade. I had to learn clarinet in high school for marching band. It's not easy to march with a double reed. The others are more recent. My mom gave me her old baritone ukulele about two years ago, and I picked that up quickly. I purchased a guitar in high school when the music store nearby went out of business, but I didn't really learn to play it until about a year ago. All the other instruments are just toys.

Me: Do any of you play the kazoo? That's the hardest instrument to play. LOL.

Jonathon: No but Emily plays the cheese box in one song. We eat a lot of cheese.

Emily: We eat a normal amount of cheese!

Me: Emily, you play something called Boris the Bassoon. I think I have an instrument of you playing Boris.

Me: Did that instrument always have a name?

Emily: Oh yes, to be honest, he's not the first Boris. The first one was a rental from my middle school.

Me: How long have you had this Boris?

Emily: This Boris? I've had him since I was 16... except for a brief period two years ago when I left him on a NYC subway platform. That's a long story, but he was picked up by a fellow music and we were reunited after one very long and sad month.

Me: Jonathon, have you named any of your instruments?

Jonathon: No I haven't, but my uncle John named my accordion A.C. Dean.

Me: Emily, for those that don't know, explain what a bassoon is. I think you are the first bassoon player I ever had as a guest on the Phile.

Emily: It's like a fog horn attached to a bed post.

Jonathon: The German word for bassoon means "bundle of sticks."

Emily: It's a large low tone double reed instrument with about a million thumb keys.

Jonathon: It's like a giant oboe, and an oboe is like a giant kazoo really.

Me: Alright, let's talk about your new release "Inheritance" which I downloaded from iTunes. What does that name mean? I know what inheritance means, but how did that get to be the name of the album?

Jonathon: Thanks for downloading!

Emily: It's dedicated to our grandparents and several of the songs were written for them or other special people in our lives.

Jonathon: A lot of the songs deal with memories or nostalgia, and the piano is my childhood baby grand, you know my old best friend. Emily's my new best friend.

Emily: Our co-producers even played their grandma's organ on one track.

Me: Did both of you write the songs on it?

Jonathon: I wrote all of them except "Battles" is Emily's song. That's the epic cowboy sounding one. 

Emily: I only started writing songs a year ago.

Jonathon: We developed the harmonies and arrangements for all the songs together, though.

Me: This is the second Spark & Echo release, right? How would the two compare?

Jonathon: The first one was a lot of fun because we got to collaborate with a bunch of other fabulous musicians through our producers Jay and Alexander Foote. Mike Block was on there, he's an accomplished cellist who has played with Yo-Yo Ma. Our flautist for that album, Alex Sopp, plays with the New York Philharmonic. It was all very new and exciting for us to here these songs come to life with so many new friends.

Emily: On the second album we collaborated with Jay and Alexander again but this time the four of us played everything. We recorded most of it in our apartment in the South Bronx.

Jonathon: The new album is more about the sounds and music we can make ourselves and how we sound when we tour and play together. A little more of the flavor of our lives together.

Me: Correct me if I am wrong, but your songs are about stories in the Bible, am I right?

Emily: That's true, Jason. Some of the songs use text straight out of the Bible, and others are more of an emotional response to the stories.

Me: How did you decide to write songs based on those ideas?

Jonathon: I've been writing music on the Bible since I was a kid, the Bible has always influenced my life and writing about it is natural and something I love.

Me: There's a lot of stories in the Bible, so it'll give you plenty to sing and write about. What are some of the stories you chose?

Emily: I find myself most drawn to the psalms and the prophecies. The psalms are amazing because they take you through the whole range of human emotion--it's just natural to turn them into songs. Both "Deep Calls to Deep" and "How to Be Free" are based on psalms. The prophecies are wonderful because of the rich imagery they use. They're steeped in metaphor. "Inheritance" and "Yo Sé" are based on prophecies from Jeremiah.

Me: Would it be fair to label you a Christian band? I wouldn't, as I don't like labels that much, but I am sure someone did.

Jonathon: Good question. Our songs are from the Bible so yes, but the music isn't necessarily worship music.

Emily: I think "Christian band" has a lot of connotations related to what has become the genre of Christian music, and I don't believe our sound fits into that category. We play in secular venues in the city, and there our lyrics come across as these wild, epic stories.

Me: I have to ask you about Spark and Echo Arts... that came before the band, am I right?

Jonathon: Yes, we started Spark and Echo about a year before the band, in April 2010.

Me: It's a very cool idea, and I won't even begin to explain it. Can you guys?

Emily: Thanks! Spark and Echo Arts is an arts non-profit that is creating or commissioning a piece of art, music, theatre, dance, poetry or film in response to every passage of the Bible. We commission a work every week from artists in NYC or around the country and feature their work in our online gallery at SparkandEcho.org or at live events. So far we've featured about a hundred works covering 1,500 passages of the Bible.

Jonathon: We only have 30,000 or so to go. Plenty of time to get involved.

Me: So, I am guessing that is Emily's idea. Girls are always smart when it comes to that kinda thing. Am I right?

Jonathon: Emily is smarter, but this was my idea. It evolved out of the music and theatre I had been making on the Bible, but now we run the project together.

Me: How do you get people involved in the program?

Emily: We find artists at concerts and events. We also have an online form at SparkandEcho.org that artists can fill out. We're always looking for more talented people.

Me: If a Phile reader wants to contribute a drawing or a painting, or anything, what would they have to do?

Jonathon: That'd be great. Here's a link to the submission form: sparkandecho.org/suggest-artist/. With this form your readers can submit work samples. Then our team of curators will look at the artist's work and decide if it is a good fit for the project. If it is we will be in touch to commission a new work from you. We're looking for all kinds of artists. You don't have to have experience with the Bible to participate.

Me: So, what's next for you two?

Emily: We're heading out on tour! We'll be going to Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin (back to our roots), and then we'll head over to DC, Virginia and Tennessee. All of our touring dates are on the band's website.

Jonathon: We also just finished the whole "Alias" series, so we'll be putting in some serious time finding a new show to watch on Netflix. Let us know if you have recommendations.

Me: Alright, so, on the Phile I ask random questions thanks to Tabletopics and this is for the both of you... Is the male or female body more beautiful? What a stupid question.

Jonathon: I'm glad you brought this up, Jason. I've been looking for an opportunity to address this topic for a long time. Emily?

Emily: The female. No question. All you have to do is look in an art museum to see that. Form over function. Men are more function over form.

Jonathon: I agree. Dudes are ugly.

Me: I'll say women as well. Thanks for being here, you kids, I hope it was fun. Go ahead and mention your websites.

Emily: Here we go! Our band website is SparkandEchoBand.com and the website for the non-profit is SparkandEcho.org. We also exist on Facebook and Twitter and YouTube.

Jonathon: And we exist in real life.

Me: You also have your own blogspot, right? What do you write about on it? Maybe I can be a guest on your blog sometime.

Jonathon: We do have one. It's SparkandEchoBand.blogspot.com. We mostly write on it when we go on tour, so look for updates soon! Perhaps you'd like to take over the rest of the year?

Me: What? I am too busy with my little blog. LOL. Thanks again, and please come back soon. Take care.

Emily: Anytime. Thanks, Jason!

Jonathon: It's been a treat. See you next time. Don't go changing.

What a nice couple. Well, that about does it for this entry of the Phile. Thanks to Joseph J. Ramsey from unHOF and of course Emily and Jonathon. The Phile will be back tomorrow with Phile Alum Alexis Babini, then next Sunday with Nick Beaudoing, the lead singer for the cool band The Doc Marshalls. So, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Strawberry Blondes Forever!

 

Pheaturing Matt Henderson From Old English

Hello, and welcome to the Phile, kids. How are you? I am sore, very sore. I had my surgery on my shoulder to manipulate the scar tissue last Tuesday and have to move my arm quite a bit. I also have to go to physical therapy again for the next six weeks. Gentlemen, we have the technology, we can rebuild him. LOL. I do have good news... guess who is gonna go see Paul McCartney in concert in May? This guy. Alright, enough about me... for now. What is going on in the world?  Here’s something I didn’t know. When Vice President Biden and President Obama meet for lunch at the White House, the chef goes out of his way to personalize their meals. For example, Biden’s lunch always comes with a toy.  Little is known about North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un other than the fact that he is ruthless, he supports torture, and he is a huge basketball fan. I’m sorry, that's not Kim Jong Un. That's Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice. I had them confused.  Stockton, California has become the most populous city in the nation to go to bankruptcy. Stockton is so broke, the 99 Cent Store has been accused of price gouging. You know what they call "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo," in Stockton? "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous".  I mentioned this last entry, and received some email's expecting me to say more... Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher passed away. It was all over social media. But the Twitter hashtag confused some people into thinking that Cher died. There was panic in the gay community. Don't worry. Cher did not die.  An update on Justin Bieber's monkey. When Bieber got to Munich he didn't have the proper paperwork so it was quarantined in an animal shelter. The director of the shelter said a monkey is not suitable to be on a world tour. He should be out in the wild so he doesn't have serious psychological problems later in life. It is kind of hard to tell if the director was talking about the monkey or Justin Bieber. To make sure the monkey gets released, I issued an ultimatum. If they do not return the monkey to Justin Bieber by Thursday at midnight, we are going to kill David Hasselhoff. Germany takes something we love. We take something they love. It is as simple as that.  There's this trend now of politicians cutting their salaries by 5 percent because of budget cuts... except for Vice President Joe Biden. He won't do it. Though in fairness, it’ll take Biden at least a month to figure out what 5 percent of his salary is.  This is scary. Scientists have discovered a new type of tarantula that is eight inches wide. Even environmentalists were like, “You killed that thing, right?”  Over the weekend, a rare baseball card was sold at an auction for $2 million. It turns out that it’s an A-Rod card that actually shows him playing.  I just mentioned Bieber and his monkey... well, it seems Bieber is loosing it, and I am not talking about his monkey. Take a look at this recent photo of JB.

There's a lot of concert festivals taking place, I think one is going on right now in California. I saw a poster for one I might be interested in going to though.

 

It looks cool.  So, my right arm is hurting really bad. If you feel sorry for me, can you get me this?

It's a TARDIS trash can and would really cool in the office here.  Did you hear this? Disgraced and embarrassed ex-Congressman Anthony Weiner is hinting he’ll run for Mayor of New York City. He even has a new campaign poster out.

 
I have to mention this as well, everybody seems on edge about North Korea attacking America. I saw a rare photo of the North Korean Air Force and I think we have nothing to worry about.

A week ago today at Disney's Hollywood Studios, where I work, they took out the parade. Well, I was thinking, what kinda parade can go in it's place. I thought of the World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade. But then I found out, that has been done. New York City may have the first and most famous St. Patty's Day Parade (it began there in 1762) but Hot Springs Arkansas has the… shortest? That's right, this St. Patrick's Day Parade is only 98 ft. long, across what Ripley's Believe-It-Or-Not once dubbed the shortest street in everyday use. The idea for the parade started in a bar (surprise, surprise) in 2003 and the first official parade was 2004. Here's a photo of that parade.

 
This is the dumbest thing ever on the Phile. Coming up with a new parade for Disney. Oh, well... Alright, now let's see... shit, I just lost power. Hang on, don't worry, everybody. There's not even a storm. Okay, we're back on. Where were we? Oh, let's see who bought a condo in the sky...

Jonathan Winters
Nov 11, 1925 - April 11, 2013
In the dead of Winters.

Annette Funicello
Oct 22, 1942 - April 8, 2013
M-I-C... see you in the afterlife! K-E-Y... Why? Because you had MS!

Look out the window of the office... no storm. It's not even raining. Weird. At least we have power now. Alright, moving on...

The 29th artist to be pheatured in The Peverett Phile Art Gallery is a different kinda artist. She's a Needlepoint artist, and this is one of her pieces... or four of her pieces.

Not only does she do Needlepoint, she provides backing vocals and keyboards for the Canadian group Crash Test Dummies. Ellen Reid will be on the Phile next Monday I think.

Alright, today's guest is the lead singer for the Canadian band, not English band, Old English, whose new album "Prose & Kahns" is available on iTunes. Please welcome to the Phile... Matt Henderson.

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

Matt: I am quite all right, thanks!

Me: You're the lead singer in Old English, right? Are you the founder of the band?

Matt: Yep to both. The band actually grew out of my solo project as I got tired of playing alone and started adding people to the live show and to the record.

Me: How many people in the band? There's quite a few of you guys, right, judging from the publicity photo?

Matt: Yeah there's a lot, we kind of have a set group of 6 or 7 people for live shows that we often augment with other people when they're available. I think between the album and our live shows there's between 25 and 30 people who have been a part of this band or contributed musically.

Me: I thought you were from England like me, with the band name being Old English. But you're from Canada, right?

Matt: Haha... yeah sorry to be misleading. We are Canadian although our producer who played a massive part in shaping the album is British.

Me: So, no one in the band from England or old?

Matt: No, I'm afraid not! Sorry for the confusion. We probably should have called ourselves The Ontario 20-Somethings.

Me: Yes, you should have. LOL. Anyway, I always ask my guests from Canada if they are fans of one of my favorite bands Barenaked Ladies. Are you fans of theirs?

Matt: Can't say I am to be honest, there have been a few songs I've liked but I never really got into them. Although I did grow up at a church that used to sing "If I Had a Million Dollars" during the offering, for what it's worth.

Me: That's a great song for church. What about the great Canadian band The Rest? Wildlife? I am trying to think of other Canadian bands I pheatured on the Phile. Crash Test Dummies?

Matt: LOVE The Rest! The played with us for our single release party last fall, and Adam has been a massive resource and helped us out a lot. He's kind of our guru at this point, he certainly has the hair for it.

Me: Matt, what part of Canada are you from?

Matt: I'm from Toronto. The majority of the band is from the Toronto area.

Me: Alright, let's talk about your new album "Prose & Kahns". That's a clever name, Matt. Did you come up with it?

Matt: Thanks! I did come up with it.

Me: Where did that name come from?

Matt: I'm not sure exactly. I think they idea of pros and cons and weighing things out when it comes to relationships really ties up the predominant themes of the album so that's where the idea started at least. It's all very rock and roll, I know.

Me: It sounds like the name of a Dwayne Johnson movie, or a TV show from the 80s. Were there a lot of pros and cons in making the album?

Matt: Certainly more pros than cons! I recorded a solo album about four years ago and spent most of that process stressing and losing sleep over it, and wondering whether it was any good, whether it was worthwhile, what people would think and so on. The experience of making this album was almost the exact opposite and I personally really enjoyed it from start to finish. I think that's mostly because personally I was feeling more confident and always really felt that the songs and arrangements were strong, even from the start, but it also has a lot to do with how many incredible people worked on it and contributed. In a way it always felt like there was a safety net in case I had terrible ideas and also just having different people give different input always kept it exciting for me.

Me: How long did it take to record?

Matt: A long, long time. Part of that is because for me writing and recording happen more or less simultaneously, so it wasn't like we had 11 songs ready from the get-go. But it was three years between the time I first started working on it and the time it was released. Part of that was to accommodate schedules for myself, the band and the people we were working with, but part of it is because we really just wanted to make this as good an album as possible so things were constantly being added, edited, changed, etc.

Me: The album was recorded in six cities, and three countries. Maybe that's why it took so long to make, with all that traveling. Why did you move around so much?

Matt: Haha, yeah, that probably contributed to it. I didn't move around much at all to be honest but we sort of recorded just whenever and wherever we could. We didn't have much of a budget at all for this so it's not like we hopped from one studio to the next, we really recorded it all in bedrooms and basements and didn't get to a proper studio until the mastering phase. So some was done in my apartment in Toronto, some in my friend's basement, some in my family's cabin in Moffat and so on. Our producer/mixer Mark Underdown was living in Bristol until about a year and a half ago so he did some work on it while he was there.

Me: What cities and what countries was the album recorded in?

Matt: Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville and Moffat, Ontario, all in Canada. Some of "Lotteries and Tents" was done in Bristol, England, and then the mastering was done in Brooklyn, New York.

Me: Matt, did you do all the song writing for the band?

Matt: Yep!

Me: Who are your influences, Matt? Who did you listen to growing up?

Matt: Gosh, so many really. Since the album took so long my influences really changed a lot over the course of the recording. At the beginning I was obsessed with the Bowerbirds, which I think really comes across in "Anchors" and "Older Things." I was really influenced by the Animal Collective for this album and we actually got to work with their mastering engineer, which was a real treat for me. When we got to the mixing stage I was really only listening to M83 and Blur so I think that comes through a lot. I think the first album I bought was "What's the Story Morning Glory" and then all through high school I loved Brit Rock, like Radiohead, Blur and the Super Furry Animals especially. 

Me: Your single is "We've Been Here Before". How did you guys choose that song to be the single?

Matt: I think it just made the most sense. I think we've made an album where the songs all fit together well and are made better by the context they're in, if that makes sense. It's something we're really proud of and something we worked hard to achieve. The downside of that is that not many of the songs are obvious singles, I don't think. "We've Been Here Before" though is pretty peppy and catchy in a way that I think made it an obvious choice for a lead single.

Me: And you've been where before?

Matt: Oh, you know. Here and there...

Me: Alright, if you go to iTunes there's three albums listed under Old English on the same page. The other two are rap albums with songs like "Fuck the Radio" and "Where'd the Dildo" or whatever it is. iTunes has it censored. Anyway, that's not you, right?

Matt: Haha, yeah, that's not us. It's one of those things I guess. I haven't heard their music but I'm sure they're great.

Me: If it was you, it's a lot different then your new album. Are you into rap?

Matt: Haha, yeah, can you imagine? That would have been a pretty dramatic transformation! I am into rap though for sure. I've always loved the Roots and Kanye West is one of my favourite artists. I also finally just got into the Kendrick Lamar album and I think it's fantastic.

Me: Okay, Matt, on the Phile I like to ask random questions thanks to the game Tabletopics. So, here's yours... What has been the most spiritual experience of your life?

Matt: Oh, wow... that's a tough one... well I've really enjoyed this interview... does that count?

Me: Yeah, I guess so, but if this interview is the most spiritual experience of your life, you need serious help. LOL. Anyway, thanks for being here on the Phile. Go ahead and plug your website and I wish you lots of luck. Take care and continued success.

Matt: Thanks so much! Really appreciate it! Our website is oldenglishtheband.com and you can get our music on Bandcamp or on iTunes (just don't get us confused with that rap group). You can connect with us on Twitter (twitter.com/oldenglishband) and Facebook (facebook.com/oldenglishtheband) as well.

Me: Good job, Matt. Take care.

That's about it for this entry. Thanks to Matt for a great interview. The Phile will be back tomorrow with the husband and wife team who make up the band Spark & Echo, then on Monday it's Phile Alum Alexis Babini. So, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Strawberry Blondes Forever!