Pheaturing Chad Valley

Good evening, and welcome to Late Night. Haha. Yeah, this is a late entry of the Phile. Who has been waiting all day, eh? Alright, let's get down to it...  Target may have come up with the perfect excuse for why you always leave with tons of random stuff. Prepare to buy all the things. Target has a new location opening in Chicago this fall that has applied for a liquor license allowing customers to purchase and consume wine and beer in the store. So if all the red shopping carts start to swerve suddenly, its not just a wobbly wheel. The plan is likely part of a larger move to provide upscale offerings in its stores that can compete more directly with Whole Foods. That's all well and good, but I bet everyone could use a drink to ease the pain of navigating a busy Target on the weekend. Maneuvering through a labyrinth of screaming kids and people who block an entire aisle would be much more tolerable with a responsible amount of libations in your system.  Did you know "Sesame Street" made fun of Trump 10 years ago as a trash-hoarding puppet? I didn't until yesterday. I have a pic of him here...

Ten years ago, Donald Trump was in the media for his television show "The Apprentice," and the children's show "Sesame Street" did a great job of making fun of him. Today, the video draws many parallels to the Donald we know today. In the clip, Oscar the Grouch and his friends are loyal supporters of Donald Grump, saying "He's got the most trash of any grouch in the world," and "He's loaded with trash, his name in on every piece of trash in town." The puppet Grump/Trump even says, "I'm the trashiest, I'm the grouchiest" Agreed! Although it's supposed to be a parody of "The Apprentice," when Donald Grump fires two people and immediate has them removed by hailing them a taxi, it eerily echoes his anti-immigration policies. Both Trump and Grump are two fluffy-haired, cranky dudes, but I'd rather have the puppet version be the one running for president.  A New Jersey man was arrested after he accidentally butt dialed 911 while describing plans for an upcoming robbery. Police said they overheard Scott Robert Esser and a partner in crime discussing break-ins and items they planned to steal. When he was arrested, they found jewelry, electronics, $11,300 in bonds and a handgun in his car. Everyone knows you don't just leave your bonds lying around the house. You put them with your jewels in a giant glass case protected by an intricate pattern of lasers. I bet his buddy was really happy with him for being brought down in the lamest possible way. He'll have plenty of time to be mad at him behind bars.  Humans of New York is a massively popular photo blog that headed to Iran this summer, and a recent post caught the eye of President Obama. The picture featured a young Iranian boy and his father, along with a story from the proud parent telling how he knew his son would be a humanitarian when the boy gave away a bag of fruit he was asked to hold. It was so touching that it compelled a fellow proud parent who happens to be the President of the United States to leave a comment. "One of the most fulfilling things that can happen to you as a parent is see the values you've worked to instill in your kids start to manifest themselves in their actions... and this one really resonated with me." Whenever the President himself is signing a social media post, he always includes his initials, "bo." Brandon Stanton, the photographer behind Humans of New York, is having very good luck with the side project he started after he lost his finance job back in 2010.  A federal judge held county clerk Kim Davis in contempt of court and ordered her jailed for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses. Federal District Court Judge David L. Bunning issued a straightforward ruling on the matter, stating simply that Davis cannot break the law or selectively choose not to do her job as an elected public official. “Every public official is subject to the rule of law. No one is above the law. That applies to the president of the United States and it applies to the clerk of Rowan County, Kentucky, as well.” The judge also declined to fine Davis, noting that outside sources could easily fund and pay those penalties for her. Following the judge's ruling, Davis was immediately handed over to custody of U.S. Marshals. For those keeping score at home, that makes four marriages, three divorces, and one arrest for this holy warrior of purely secular paperwork.  So, Federal judge gives Tom Brady his balls back. The Patriots always find a way to win. A federal judge lifted the four-game suspension the NFL had imposed on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for the Deflategate controversy. That's right, a federal judge was involved in the critical issue of whether Tom Brady used footballs that were deflated below acceptable league levels. Despite issues plaguing the NFL like concussions and domestic violence towards women, they focused all their energy on the amount of air in their footballs. Now Tom can focus on the important task of the season, and hopefully his marriage to Giselle.  Hey, did you see Bernie Sanders' new campaign poster?

Pretty damn clever.   A lot of the merch for the new Star Wars movie came out last Friday and one of the hottest items is the droid BB-8. I saw it and it doesn't look that impressive.

See what I mean?  By the way, just for the record, this wasn't me...

I don't know how to ride a bike.

Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is an electric guitar owned by a youth pastor.

If you spot the Mindphuck let me know.

The 39th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club is...

Suzi will be the guest on the Phile next Sunday.

Okay, today's guest is a talented musician from Oxford, England whose new album "Entirely New Blue" comes out Oct, 2nd. Please welcome to the Phile... Chad Valley.

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

Chad: I'm very well, thank you.

Me: Okay, I have to admit, I am confused, is your name Chad Valley, or is that a stage or band name? I billed you as Chad Valley... I hope that's okay.

Chad: It's a stage name. My real name is Hugo Manuel. I like people thinking that I'm actually called Chad though.

Me: Where did the name Chad Valley come from? Did you know there is a toy company in England named Chad Valley?

Chad: Yeah, but that's not where the name comes from. The area where the toy company come from is called Chad Valley, and it's somewhere I used to go as a kid a lot.

Me: I downloaded your music from iTunes and really like it, Chad... or Hugo. It's really good, and sounds like it came straight out of the 80s. Are you a fan of 80s music?

Chad: Of course. Who isn't? I'm kind of more inspired by presets on 80s synths, rather than 80s music itself.

Me: Was that the sound you were going for?

Chad: I don't think to myself... right, how do I make this sound more 80s, it just happens.

Me: I was first excited to interview you when I found out you are from Oxford, England. I was born in London, but lived in Oxford from '84 to '87, and my grandparents lived in Abingdon for years. I actually lived in Fulbrook by Burford. What part of Oxford are you from?

Chad: I'm from East Oxford. Iffley Road, to be exact. It's nice coming from a city which literally everyone all over the world knows about.

Me: Do you still live there, Chad? Last time I was there in 2002, but I didn't go to the city. I heard it changed quite a bit. Is the Oxford Apollo still there?

Chad: Yeah, I'm living back with my parents here in East Oxford for the time being so that I could quit my job and do music full-time. I don't know how much it might have changed really as I was born in 1986. But yes, the Apollo is still there, although its changed its name to the New Theatre (which I think it was called back when it was first built).

Me: Where did you go to school there?

Chad: Magdalen College School. I live opposite it. It still haunts me.

Me: Let's get back to your music. How long have you been writing and playing?

Chad: I first wrote music on my piano when I was probably 9 or 10 years old. Started on Fruity Loops on a PC when I was 15 making really camp synth-pop.

Me: I am guessing you play keyboards, but what other instruments do you play?

Chad: Just keyboards! Although there is a tiny guitar loop on a song on my new album. I've been trying to learn guitar all my life, but its never really happened. I'm a classically trained pianist though.

Me: You are also in a band called Jonquil, right? Who is in the band with you?

Chad: Three of my bestest buddies. Sam, our bassist, has his own solo project called Solid Gold Dragons and our drummer Dom, has another band called Pocket House.

Me: How would you compare Jonquil's music to Chad Valley's?

Chad: Jonquil is a collaborative effort between the four of us, and Chad Valley is purely my vision. Other than that, just listen and decide for yourself.

Me: What do you like better, being in your own band or being in a group?

Chad: I couldn't say either. That's like asking a mother which of their two children they prefer!!

Me: Thanks so much for being on the Phile, sir. It's late and I know you have to go. I hope you come back again when your next project comes out. Go ahead and plug your website if you have one. Take care, and keep doing what you're doing.

Chad: Chadvalley.tumblr.com.

That about does it for this entry. Thanks to Chad for a great interview. The Phile will be back tomorrow with Phile Alum Kevin Hearn from Barenaked Ladies! Yes! How fucking cool, right? Spread the word, not the turd, don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.

Not if it pleases me. No, you can't stop me, not if it pleases me. - Graham Parker