The Peverett Phile Interviews: Karen Cuda From Nashville Pussy

Hey, kids, how are you? Welcome to another entry of the Peverett Phile Interviews. Today's interview on Valentine's Day is the bass player from the band Nashville Pussy... which is not to be confused with my band Groveland Pussy-Whipped. Nashville Pussy is an American hard rock band from Atlanta, Georgia. Many of their songs are about sex, drugs, drinking, fighting, and rock & roll. Their musical style mixes hard rock, punk rock, Southern metal and psychobilly. Much of their music is not what would be considered traditionally "radio friendly", due to their frequent use of expletives and vulgar terminology, which is why I love them. Anyway, the Peverett Phile welcomes Karen Cuda.

Me: Hello, Karen, welcome to the Phile. I'd like to thank you for taking part and being another bass player I am interviewing. You are part of a tradition. How are you?

Karen: Hungry.

Me: When did you start playing bass, and who is your favorite bass player of all time?

Karen: I started playing almost 16 years ago. 1993-ish. Hard to say fave of all time - I like many. Cliff Burton, Bob from the BellRays, and, although I don't listen to the Chili Peppers, Flea is a bad ass!

Me: Where are you from, Karen? And where do you live now?

Karen: Born in Louisiana. I live in a tour van.

Me: Nashville Pussy is not actually from Nashville, are they? Where does the band originate?

Karen: Nashville Pussy originated in Nashville but currently reside in Atlanta, GA.

Me: For those Phile readers that have not idea what kind of band and Nashville Pussy is, go ahead and tell them, Karen.

Karen: Nashville Pussy is straight up rock n roll. It's like AC/DC and Lynyrd Skynrd doing speed in a sen motel while Motorhead watches.

Me: You are ready to go on a European tour, right? Do you like playing Europe? How are the fans over there? I am from England, so I know the British fans are pretty crazy. Do you prefer to play in America? What about Canada?

Karen: I love playing in Europe. The fans always go nuts and are noticeably more appreciative of the American Rock n Roll than many American rock fans are. I am excited to visit many places I have not been yet on this upcoming tour; Norway, Finland, and more pockets of Sweden. It will be COLD though! Winter in Scandinavia is about as brutal as it gets!
It's fun playing everywhere. Canada is alao a blast, not to mention home turf for our own Miss Ruyter Suys.

Me: Okay, I have to ask you about your tattoos. I have only four myself, but it seems you have a shit load more. How many do you have, what was your first and last tat you had done?

Karen: It's hard to keep track anymore!

Me: Karen, you are not an original N.P. band member, right? When did you join the band, and how were you asked? Were you a fan of the band before you joined?

Karen: I joined The Puss nearly 5 years ago, just prior to the recording of our last album, "Get Some". I was familiar with the band and dug it beforehand but wasn't a die hard. Being in a band myself at the time kept me pretty distracted from what else was going on with other bands (as it always tends to).

Me: Let's talk about the new CD, "From Hell To Texas". Is it a studio or live album? Does N.P. have a live album out? What can you tell the readers about that CD? And I will buy it on iTunes when it comes out.

Karen: Our latest album, "From Hell To Texas", was recorded at Willie Nelson's studio just outside of Austin, Texas. It was produced by Daniel Rey, who also prodiced out last album and is most famous for his work with the Ramones. It sounds fucking killer!!! It's due to be released on February 3rd in Europe and February 10th in the USA on SPV Records. Buy on iTunes all you want but the hard copy will be so much cooler. Nothing like liner notes and cool packaging to seperate the collectors version from the digital version!

Me: Do you write songs as well and play?

Karen: Yes. I wrote all of my bass lines and contributed greatly to the arrangements, melodies and backing vocals on "From Hell To Texas" (as well as on our last album "Get Some"). I also write songs with my other band, HEMI CUDA.

Me: There's a DVD available, right? "Live From Hollywood". When was that filmed and what can you tell me about it? I bet there's a lot of swearing on it. LOL. Any nudity?

Karen: The DVD was filmed a couple years ago at a live show in Hollywood - go figure. It's awesome and contains a lot of behind the scenes material, including an interview with Lemmy (he interviews us), and many goofy backstage antics. Guess you'll just have to see for yourself if it contains nudity. I can't recall.

Me: You are friends with Reverend Horton Heat I believe, playing a tour with him. How is he? I put in a request to interview him as well.

Karen: We just wrapped up a year and 2 month tour with The Reverend Horton Heat. Those guys are awesome!

Me: So, what is the beer of choice for you and the other members of N.P.? Also, you guys don't smoke, right? Cigarettes that is.

Karen: We prefer the kind of beer with beer in it. And Jack Daniels.

Me: How often do you say "fuck" in a day? I say it way to much.

Karen: Fuck, I lost count!

Me: Ever been to Epcot? I work there and can get you guys in the park if you'd like when you're in Orlando.

Karen: I haven't been, personally. I hear it's cool. I'm sure we'd all love to go sometime.

Me: Speaking of Orlando, when was the last time you played here? I would go, but I am afraid of mosh pits.

Karen: We played a bunch of cities in Florida a couple months ago. We skipped the Orlando show cuz it was at House Of Blues, who is owned by Disney out there, and despite their peddling of children like Miley Cyrus as sex symbols, our name was a bit too risque for them to promote. We said "fuck it" and took the night off to party!

Me: Tell me about Hemi Cuda, Karen. That's another band you were in, right? What does the name mean? How different are the two bands?

Karen: I am still in HEMI CUDA. In fact, we just recently recruited a new lead guitar player (Mike Hodgkiss, formerly of Gaza Strippers and currently also playing bass with Urge Overkill). HEMI CUDA is pretty different from Nashville Pussy but still very much Rock N Roll. We've been compared to L7 meeting the Go Go's. Same configuration gender wise as the Puss; 2 chicks on guitar and bass and 2 dudes on guitar and drums. HEMI CUDA Rocks!

Me: So, with all your busy rock and roll life style, do you find time to date?

Karen: It takes a big man to handle a girl like me!

Me: Nashville Pussy is on the soundtrack to the "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" movie, right? Are you fans of ATHF? I only saw it a few times, and I don't get the humor. What am I missing?

Karen: We love ATHF. It's totally goofy! You must just be missing the weed!

Me: I saw many pictures of you performing wearing a bra, and no shirt. Thank you for that. LOL. Do you or have you ever performed topless?

Karen: Save the topless "performing" to the strippers. I am a musician.

Me: Finally, is there anything you would like to tell the readers of the Phile? Do you know any dirty jokes, or can you give any advice?

Karen: Every morning, before washing your colon, massage it gently w ith a spork that has been soaked overnight in a beaker of warm jizz... Do this endearingly every day, and you will soon be as greasy as me.

Me: What is the Pussy's website, Karen?

Karen: www.nashvillepussy.com, www.myspace.com/nashvillepussy. For more about me visit www.myspace.com/karencuda and for those interested in checking out HEMI CUDA go to www.myspace.com/hemicuda.

Me: Was this fun? I hope so. Good luck with the new CD and I wish you continued success. Tell the others I said hello.

Man, she could seriously kick my ass. It would be fun to do a follow up with Miss Cuda... I wonder if she'll go for that. Tomorrow the Phile will be back with Marc Savoie from Infinite-Lane Highway, a French Canadian band. Then the Phile will be back next Phriday and again with two more interviews on Saturday and Sunday. Until then, spread the word, not the turd. 

Your Kisses Are Like Candy - Make Me A Diabetic

PHIRST OF

Hello, welcome to the Phile, on a Phriday. But not just any Phriday, kids. It's Phriday the 13th. Today's Phile is brought to you by Greyhound. Beat high gas prices. Go doggy style. Go Greyhound. The “Today” show scored an interview with the woman who had octuplets. She had 17 babies during the interview alone. The word out of the Senate is that a deal has been reached on the $780 billion stimulus package. It includes a mixture of tax cuts, infrastructure spending, and a pony for everyone in America. President Barack Obama took his first trip on Air Force One the other day. The National Geographic Channel did a documentary on Air Force One... they showed how it’s been updated for the new president: “Air Force One has 4,000 square feet and high-tech communications, sound-proof conferencing, and a newly installed Jacuzzi for Oprah.” Well, you know what? She paid for it, so why not? Ann Coulter is in trouble again. She’s being investigated for voter fraud. Apparently she’s registered to vote in New York, and she actually voted in Connecticut. Why would you live in one place and vote in another? It kind of makes sense when you think about it, though. Her mouth is on her face, but she talks out of her ass. Alex Rodriguez has admitted he used steroids. He said the worst side effect was having smaller testicles than Madonna. The pilot of that airplane that hit those geese and then went down in the Hudson River was on “60 Minutes.” The geese were on the Food Network. The president has been busy selling his stimulus plan. He was in Florida at a town hall event taking questions. One guy who was a working student, asked if Obama had any plans for extending benefits at McDonalds... Security! Somebody had too many McFlurrys for breakfast. You gotta hand it to the president; he stayed with the topic and actually had follow-up questions: “You say you are in school... what are you studying?” The guy answered, “Communications.” Obama then said, “You sound like you’ve got good communication skills.” Isn’t that cute? Obama’s first public lie. 

THE PEVERETT PHILE TOP TEN LIST

From the home office in Groveland, Florida, here is this week's top ten list...

Top Ten Signs Why You Didn't Win A Grammy Award

10. Your latest recordings were just featured in your impeachment trial.
9. George W. endorsed you as his favorite recording artist.
8. Your CD was unanimously voted "Most effective torture device" by Gitmo guards.
7. People compare you to Aretha, but only her twisted big hat.
6. Your invitation says it's "Bring Your Own Statue".
5. You wrote the soundtrack for Paul Blart, Mall Cop.
4. Your singing experience consists of being escorted off the "American Idol" set.
3. You're seated in the balcony at the awards ceremony.
2. Last name: Timberlake. First name: Larry.
And the number one reason you didn't win a Grammy...
1. Your last record went aluminum

DISNEY'S AMERICA

Last night, for the first time ever, all seven "American Idol" winners appeared on stage together, and although that stage looked identical to the show’s set, it was actually the reproduction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park in Orlando, Fla., at the new American Idol Experience attraction. The seven winners were introduced after David Cook and Carrie Underwood sang individually and then performed a duet. Six of the finalists—Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, and David, along with plenty of non-finalists, from Sanjaya Malakar to Ace Young, Mandisa to Diana DeGarmo—worked a red (well, blue) carpet at the theme park before the premiere, but Kelly Clarkson was notably absent. She showed up on stage, though, and apparently left immediately following her appearance. Although it’s been in a soft-launch preview for a while now, the attraction officially opens Feb. 14, and allows park guests to attempt a two-stage audition process. Those who make it through get to perform on the faux set with faux judges, and the audience votes. Daily winners receive a pass that lets them skip actual "American Idol" audition lines, although it’s not clear at what point they’ll enter the real audition process. The reproduction of the set is so real that David Cook mentioned beforehand that he almost fell off the stage, expecting there to be stairs where there were none. During the actual performances by theme park guests last night, the American Idol Experience felt incredibly authentic, like being in the show’s L.A. studio. Everything from the lighting to the camera work on the video monitors has been faithfully reproduced with Disney’s legendary attention to detail. There are even montages (including of the winning seven winning moments from the finales), bio segments on some of the performers, and even Coca-Cola cups on the judges’ table. “Anybody who gets a chance, absolutely do it. This is, bar none, one of the closest experiences you’re going to get to being on Idol,” David Cook said on the red carpet, as fans behind him screamed for him—and for David Archuleta, whose creepy dad was in the audience sitting next to him, although not on the red carpet. While watching mediocre to great singers perform well-known songs is more than reminiscent of the actual televised competition, there is one major difference: lyrics appeared on a massive teleprompter in the back of the room, although it’s probably just as a back-up, since none of the five who performed during the premiere last night appeared to use it. The attraction’s real problem is the judges, who are pseudo-stand-ins for the show’s actual judges, complete with an acerbic British man. However, they all regurgitate obviously scripted lines that correlate with whatever song was just performed—contestants have a list of Disney and popular songs to choose from—and thus their time is limp. That’s kind of a structural problem: Disney won’t ridicule or mock its own paying guests. Also, the judge in the Randy Jackson chair (there are three judges, no Kara facsimile) kept calling the contestants “boo boo,” which was odd. Somehow, I think audio-animatronic versions of the judges repeating their catchphrases would have been better. The host does an acceptable job, although the warm-up act was funnier, and the host was only notably entertaining last night when actual Ryan Seacrest came out and mocked himself by mocking that guy, at one point running his fingers through the attraction’s host’s hair and saying, “product, please.” When Seacrest first came out, he said, “Couldn’t they have gotten a bigger guy?” Paula Abdul attended, too, to give some teleprompter-fed advice to the performers, and to joke with Seacrest that the set seemed friendlier (because Simon Cowell wasn’t there). Season one runner-up Justin Guarini appears in the pre-show video for the new attraction, and is also co-hosting American Idol Extra on Fox Reality this season, never mind video blogging about it. I asked him if he had any hesitation about continuing his association with the series or wanted to get away from it, and he said, “It’s kind of a double-edged sword, really, "American Idol". At first, I think, everybody when they get off the show feels like, I need to get away from "American Idol",’ but those of us who like to work, make sure that we always keep it as a facet of our career. It’s not something to run from; it’s an amazing brand. And I’m proud to be part of it; always be proud to be part of it. And now I get to be a permanent fixture here in Disney, so it’s an honor.” As to being in the pre-show, he said that “was awesome. … I’m virtually hosting the pre-show and joining the ranks of people like Gary Sinese and other people who get to do that here in the parks, so the exposure alone is worth it, not to mention to supporting a brand that has given me my career.” Searching for exposure and work: That may be the true "American Idol" experience. [realityblurred]

FEBRUARY 13TH IN HISTORY

1917

Mata Hari is arrested for spying.
1945
An estimated 135,000 people, mostly women and children, die in the firebombing of the 13th-century city of Dresden, a revenge bombing that had no real military justification.
1953
Transsexual Christine (formerly George) Jorgenson arrives in New York with much fanfare. She had had sex change operations performed in Denmark by Dr. Christian Hamburger, becoming the first successful surgical transgender. Upon return, she becomes a cabaret actress.
1959
The first Barbie Doll is introduced by Mattel in California.
1985
Japan's New Amusement Business Control and Improvement Act comes into effect. The law brings an end to Japan's innovative sex businesses (i.e., glory holes, strip bars, and public bondage), while protecting the traditional brothel industry. That's an improvement?
1990
Male prostitute Kevin Lee Kite accuses Rev. Bruce Ritter, founder of Covenant House (a place for wayward boys) and a respected member of the Meese commission on Pornography, of paying for homosexual sex. An internal investigation by Covenant House reveals a pattern of sexual misconduct with underage boys going back 20 years, and revealed a relationship with a 15 year old boy going back 14 months. Superiors at the Franciscan Order had been aware of Ritter's behavior patterns for some years, but did nothing.

VALENTINE'S DAY

So, on the way home from work tonight I stopped by CVS to buy my wife a box of chocolates and a card for Valentine's Day tomorrow and I thought as I looked through the cards, man, there's some weird cards this year. So, as a service, I thought I would share with you what some said. 

1. Beggers Can't Be Choo-Choo Choosers. Happy Valentine's Day.

2. I love you because you are kind, loving and smart. Because you are beautiful and funny. Because we can talk about anything, and laugh together. Because I can see us growing old together. But mostly because you have a vagina.

3. Hey, Hand, Thanks For Everything. Happy Valentine's Day OXOX.

4. I Brought These Roses With The Money That I Received From Selling Those Videos We Made. Happy Valentine's Day!

5. Let's Stay Together As I've Outgrown All My Dating Clothes. 

6. Bee Mine Or You'll Never Find Your Body. 

7. Happy Valentine's Day. You Have Herpes.

8. Roses Are Red. Violets Are Purple. See?

9. I LUV You. Is It True Your Brother Has An X-Box?

10. I Love You, Sarah Palin... I Mean My Wife.

CANNED LAUGHTER

Q: How does a man know when his wife is losing interest? 

A: When her favorite sexual position is next door.

Q: How do you turn a fox into and elephant?

A: Marry it.

HEROES

The second chapter of the newest volume of "Heroes" wasn't quite as strong as the first one, but it kept things moving in a positive direction. I guess the writers were wanting to keep the fugitive heroes as weak in power base as possible, based on the casualty we experienced in this episode. In a way, I can say I knew it was coming, but was hopeful that it wouldn't. While I agree that the cast had gotten a little sprawling and out of control at times thorughout the series progression, I never thought this character was a problem. And at the same time, we're working with a pretty small cast at this time anyway. We've got the band of fugitives, Nathan and his cronies, and Sylar's quest for fatherly love. I wanted the initial chase to last a little longer than it did. The idea of our heroes running through the woods trying to figure out how to get away from hunters hot on their tails was too good to wrap up so quickly and easily. And how good were those hunters anyway? They let everyone come back together at the crash site.

I guess I'm not as enamored with this chapter as I was with the first. As much as I got annoyed at the way Daphne pursed her lips, I liked her as a character, and she would have been handy to have around in their new lives. Not to mention adding some much needed estrogen to the fugitive band. The writers got Tracy captured, Claire sent home and Daphne dead. Don't think the ladies can handle life on the run? You don't have that many women on the cast to begin with. We got some explanation of Peter's power, which makes it a lot more volatile and unpredictable than before. Not to mention a lot less powerful. Not only can he only have one power at a time, it looks like he has no control of the switch. Last week, when he touched Tracy he accidentally picked up her freezing power, subsequently losing Mohinder's super-strength.
So now we have a new game we can play. Right now Peter has Nathan's flight ability. But as soon as he touches anyone else, he'll lose that. Flight is a pretty handy ability when you're a fugitive. Certainly more effective than super-strength, power enhancement or even Matt's mental abilities. Yes, Matt was able to take over that hunter and mow down the competition, but he can still easily be overwhelmed whereas Peter can just disappear. I would be interested to see what Matt is capable of when Ando-boosted, though. Assuming, that is, that he can learn to control the cacophony of voices he's overwhelmed by. Hiro has switched places with Mohinder as the non-powered "hero" on the team. Now, when Peter got dosed with the serum, it brought back his powers, albeit in a reduced capacity. When Mohinder got doused with the serum, his power set was also reduced. So the door is open for Hiro to get a modified version of his powers back. I'm thinking, since they don't want the time travel he can settle for stopping time or teleportation. Since they got rid of Daphne I don't think they want the fugitives to be able to move to new locations very quickly, so let's go with stopping time. Still very effective and potentially powerful, and it creates those cool visuals that made the show special in the beginning. Now we just get Nathan glowering at the screen all the time. At least it cuts away from Claire's whining scenes.

GEEK TALK

Rick Marshall was right -- thanks to the major studios toning it down for NYCC, we're getting a lot of nice updates on the "smaller" comic book films from the con. Remember X-Men: First Class? Josh Schwartz confirmed to MTV Splash Page that he is writing the film, but not directing it. They're only just getting started with the script, so he was tight-lipped on who the First Class will be. He did say they won't be tackling Dark Phoenix, but the fact that he even mentions the story-of-all-stories makes me wonder if First Class will be a young Cyclops, Jean Gray, Beast, etc. Especially when you consider who all is (and isn't) getting a cameo in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Widescreen Vision caught up with Lauren Shuler Donner, who revealed that a Storm cameo had been filmed, but was going to be cut. Which means there's probably a little Scott Summers in this film, as hinted by a character list in France's Climax Magazine -- and that itself confirms rumors we had last year. Despite that everyone you ever met in X-Men is going to be in it, Shuler Donner also revealed the film will be "well under" 2 hours. Uh oh.

Paramount announced that a third Star Trek trailer will be attached to Watchmen on March 6. Considering the Super Bowl TV spot excited no one (and marketing wise, that was really a time to win over the "new audience" this reboot is aiming for) this might be their final chance to kick ass. TFW2005 has posted more toy images of what is believed to be The Fallen and Devastator from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The Fallen kinda looks like an Alien/Predator baby (in metallic form), and hopefully that's a good thing. Devastator, meanwhile, just looks big and bad and powerful. 

PHINALLY

There you have it, kids, another weekly entry of the Phile. Tomorrow the Phile will be back with a interview with Karen Cuda from the crazy rock band Nashville Pussy. Yep, you read that right. And on Sunday it's Marc Savoie from the band Infinite-Lane Highway. Then next Phriday the Phile will be back with another usual entry. So, until then, spread the word, not the turd.

The Peverett Phile Interviews: Brian Ruhe From daemon familiar

Hey, there, rock and roll phans, welcome to another entry of the phile. Today's interview is with a member of a band who has a CD out that I really like. The CD is called "Dawn of the Albatros" and it's one of my favorite CD's at the moment. It just came out in January so go and buy it, or download it. "I Hate To See You Go, But." is my favorite song on it. Okay, with that said, I bring to the Phile, Brian Ruhe from daemon familiar.

Me: Hey, Brian, how are you? Thanks for agreeing to this interview.

Brian: Hi, Jason. I am doing well after the long Holiday. Thanks for asking!!

Me: Brian, I must say, I just played the whole of your new CD "Dawn of the Albatross" and really enjoyed it. How long did it take to write and record that CD?

Brian: Jason. First off, let me say thanks for finding us out in cyberland... and giving our music a listen. As musicians we hope people get a chance to hear our music and hope that they like it, so thanks!! As for "Dawn of the Albatross", the majority of the writing was completed in about a year, but it took about two years to get it all recorded and mixed. That’s how it goes when you have day jobs, haha!

Me: The band is based in Chicago, right? When I first heard daemon familiar I thought of another band from the Chicago area... Cheap Trick. Are they influences or friends of yours?

Brian: daemon familiar is a 3 piece and all of us live in Chicago. Pablo grew up in the ‘burbs, Wendi and I are chi-town transplants. And yes, our music is influenced by Cheap Trick!! Unfortunately, we do not know them, but we are big fans of their music.

Me: Okay, now here's a question you probably get asked a hundred times... where did the name daemon familiar come from? Of course if it was my band it would be called daemon phamiliar.

Brian: Ah, that question does come up a lot! Our band name, daemon familiar, comes from a literary series by Philip Pullman. We appreciate the stories and his metaphorical writings.

Me: As I said, I loved the CD, "Dawn of the Albatross". Where did that title come from?

Brian: The three of us thought long and hard about the title of our debut CD. After 2 years of working on the project, we felt like we had an albatross hanging around our necks. When we were closing in on a finished product, we began to feel like a new band, we were having a new beginning, like the dawn. We put them together and came up with a title all of us were happy with.

Me: The first song on the CD is called "Oprah", which is one of my favorite songs on the CD, but won't get you on her show. Who wrote it, and what's the story behind it?

Brian: Pablo wrote Oprah, and let’s just say it’s about how some people don’t exactly give up their jets and mansions when they set out to help us all live better lives.

Me: So, Brian, is it true that you sit when you're playing bass on stage?

Brian: Yes, I do play sitting down. A while back I was injured and blew out both of my kn ees. It is difficult for me to play standing up, so now I sit, and leave the entire stage to Pablo!

Me: You are the third bass player I interviewed by the way. Every time I go to interview a band, I always get the bass player. Did you pick the short straw?

Brian: Haha. No, just happened that way. Each of us in the band has different responsibilities: I manage the MySpace Page... do the recording and mixing. Pablo manages the website... and is the creative one of the group. He writes the words and melodies to a majority of the songs, and then lets Wendi and I add our own flavor with our instruments.

Me: Tell me something about Pablo and Wendi, the other two members of the band. Pablo put down Reed Richards as an influence which I thought was weird, and as far as Wendi goes... if I only knew Matthew Sweet for her. How did you get such a cute drummer, anyway?

Brian: Pablo is a big comic book fan, and is starting to go a little grey around the temples, hence the Reed Richards reference. As for Wendi, well she is also a big comic book fan; actually she is a huge pop culture fanatic!! She also told me to say that she became cute from all of the hugging she has done over the years!

Me: I was looking at the posters you have advertising the band, and I'll post on this interview to show the Phile readers what I'm talking about, and I think your art work is cool. Who do you get to make up your posters? The one with the rabbit on the seahorse is very cool, and I like the Donkey Kong one.

Brian: The majority of our posters and the CD Artwork is done by the amazing artist Tom Kelly... and...

Me: Speaking of posters, I LOVE the one of the band and each member having an animal as a shadow. A rooster, squirrel and dog. Which one are you, and what is the meaning behind it? If I had a shadow of an animal mine would be either a skunk or a toad. No, a jackass. ; )

Brian: Funny thing - that poster’s by two of our other friends, Monica and Brooke! The meaning behind the animals goes back to the origin of our band name. A daemon familiar is an animal representation of you. I am the rooster, Pablo is the dog and Wendi is the squirrel.

Me: Let's go over some of DF's influences... you named some of my favorite bands, Squeeze, Crowded House, Fountains of Wayne and of course Elvis. The cool Elvis, not the dead one. Has the band opened for any of the band's you guys listed, and if so, how was that? I got to interview Chris Difford from Squeeze, which was a really big deal for me. At this time I haven't got the answers back yet though.

Brian: We love the music by those bands and many more. Since we are still trying to find our way as a performing band, i.e. we’re small potatoes right now, we haven’t been lucky enough to have opened for any of our influences. We do hope this album lets people get a glimpse into our musical world and become interested in sharing a stage together. We’ll see...

Me: The band plays a lot of shows in the Chicago, but now you have the CD coming out, are you planning on doing a tour? If you hit Central Florida, I'll be there. Of course I want a backstage pass. LOL.

Brian: We are planning to tour to promote the album. We are thinking regional for now, but who knows?? But for our fans in the Midwest, keep an eye on our website/MySpace page because we will be coming to a venue near you!!

Me: And finally, is there anything you would like to tell the Phile phans about DF, and what websites do you want to plug?

Brian: I would like to tell all of the Phile fans to check our website... and listen to a song or two. If you like it, download the album (it is available for free until January 10th). Then if you really like it, purchase the album when it officially goes on sale!! All of the details will be on our site!! Thanks Jason for taking the time to interview us!! We appreciate it!!

Me: Brian, I appreciate you doing this interview, and I wish you all the best with the CD.

Very cool. Well, the website is daemonfamiliar.com so go check it out. Now, obviously the interview was done before the CD came out. Almost a month ago in fact. Oh, well. And by the way, I am still waiting to hear back from Chris Difford. In the meantime the Phile will be back on Phriday with its regular entry and then on Saturday with another bass player, Ms. Karen Cuda from the crazy band Nashville Pussy. And then on Sunday it's French Canadian singer Marc Savoie. So, as always, spread the word, not the turd.

The Peverett Phile Interviews: Sabrina Korva

Hey, kids, do you like hot Canadian singers? Well, then this blog is for you. Today's guest is a young lady who has an amazing voice, a a few good songs you can download on iTunes and is easy on the eyes. I bring you to the Phile, Sabrina Korva.

Me: Okay, I have to ask this first, your music career started when you were 13 years old by recording a duet with Bryan Adams. How did that come about and what was he like? You are now 21, has he called you lately?

Sabrina: I’m actually 22 now... and we didn’t record the duet, we just performed it live. It was a matter of being in the right place at the right time... he called me up on stage to join him for the duet and the rest is history! I was 13 at the time... and the press I got from that night opened up a lot of doors for me.

Me: Sabrina, I first heard about you through iTunes and downloaded your EP. You have a unique sound, and a really good voice. Is there any more music of yours going to be put on iTunes soon?

Sabrina: Thank you! Yes, I’m releasing a new single early in the new year and it will be hitting iTunes in a matter of weeks! It’s on my myspace page for now though; it’s called “When I Fall Down”. www.myspace.com/sabrinakorva

Me: If you had a chance to record a duet with anybody you choose, who would it be? And don't say Bryan Adams again. ; )

Sabrina: Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.

Me: You're from Canada, right? One of my favorite band's is from Canada... Barenaked Ladies. What do you think of them?

Sabrina: The have an amazing live show. If you ever get the chance to see them live... GO! They are highly entertaining. Good songs, too.

Me: Alanis Morissette is also from Canada and I hear a slight resemblance to her music and yours. Is that just because you both have the same influences or are you a fan of hers? Your music could easily be as popular as hers.

Sabrina: That’s a compliment! Her songs are great. Of course, her co-writers are amazing too. I’m not sure who her influences are though, so I really can’t say whether we have the same influences. I have never been to India, though.

Me: You have played all over Canada, L.A., Nashville and more. What was your favorite show you played and where haven't you played and where would you want to play?

Sabrina: That is a tough question!! We’ve had some really great shows in Toronto.... for instance we played at a bar called Crowbar a few years ago in Toronto... that was a WICKED show- we were right on. So much fun at the afterparty, too! More recently, we played the Hard Rock Café in Toronto... that was killer. CrueFest at the Whisky in Hollywood has always been a blast... we’ve been a part of that festival since 2005... and it’s always one hell of a weekend! Where do I want to play? Everywhere that I haven’t!!! Ok... except I think I’ll stay out of the countries in which women are equal to dirt. Yeah... I’d be stoned within minutes.

Me: Any chance of you playing in Orlando sometime?

Sabrina: Oh I remember a showcase I played there when I was 16 years old!! Those were the days... I hope to play there again one day soon. I spent a lot of time in Orlando in my teens while I was working with a producer out there... would be nice to get back.

Me: You play at CrueFest pretty much every year at the famed Whisky A Go-Go on Sunset. Is CrueFest anything to do with Motley Crue?

Sabrina: Yes, CrueFest is a fundraising event for the Skylar Neil Memorial Foundation- named after Vince Neil’s daughter who died of cancer at the age of four. The money then goes toward cancer research. Motley Crue sign a number of the raffle prizes at the event, so you can enter to win signed guitars, etc.

Me: I am glad you liked the Phile, and the jokes. You must have a sick sense of humor like me. I cannot imagine you swearing judging by your pictures, you just seem to cute for that, but do you have any good dirty jokes the Phile readers would like to hear?

Sabrina: Never judge a book by its cover. :-D ...ok I have two. They aren’t too dirty but they are funny! A college teacher reminds her class of tomorrow's final exam. "Now class, I won't tolerate any excuses for you not being here tomorrow. I might consider a nuclear attack or a serious personal injury, illness, or a death in your immediate family, but that's it, no other excuses whatsoever!"A smart-ass guy in the back of the room raised his hand and asked, "What would you say if tomorrow I said I was suffering from complete and utter sexual exhaustion?"
The entire class is reduced to laughter and snickering. When silence is restored, the teacher smiles knowingly at the student, shakes her head and sweetly says, "Well, I guess you'd have to write the exam with your other hand." 

Dave came home from the pub late one Friday evening stinking drunk, as he often did, and crept into bed beside his wife who was already asleep. He gave her a peck on the cheek and fell asleep. When he awoke he found a strange man standing at the end of his bed wearing a long flowing white Robe. "Who the hell are you?" demanded Dave, "and what are you doing in my bedroom?" The mysterious man answered "This isn't your bedroom and I'm St Peter." Dave was stunned "You mean I'm dead!?!! That can't be, I have so much to live for, I haven't said goodbye to my family... you've got to send me back straight away." St Peter replied "Yes, you can be reincarnated but there is a catch. We can only send you back as a dog or a hen." Dave was devastated, but knowing there was a farm not far from his ho use, he asked to be sent back as a hen. A flash of light later he was covered in feathers and clucking around pecking the ground. "This ain't so bad" he thought until he felt this strange feeling welling up inside him.
The farmyard rooster strolled over and said "So you're the new hen, how are you enjoying your first day here?" "It's not so bad", replies Dave, "but I have this strange feeling inside like I'm about to explode." "You're ovulating" explained the rooster, "don't tell me you've never laid an egg before?" "Never!" replies Dave. "Well just relax and let it happen." So he did and after a few uncomfortable seconds later, an egg pops out from under his tail. An immense feeling of relief swept over him and his emotions got the better of him as he experienced motherhood for the first time. When he laid his second egg, the feeling of happiness was overwhelming and he knew that being reincarnated as a hen was the best thing that ever happened to him . . . Ever!!! The joy kept coming and as he was just about to lay his third egg he felt an enormous smack on the back of his head and heard his wife shouting... "Dave, wake up you drunken bastard, you've shit the bed!"

Me: Here's a serious question: if someone wants to get into the business of music, do you have any advice for them?

Sabrina: Pick one thing you do very well, and excel at it. Don’t try to do a bunch of things, and don’t try to be versatile. Unless you want to be a session musician or session vocalist... it will work against you. Also, for young girls/women... BE CAREFUL. Check people out before you head to a studio to work with someone. Just because someone has a track record (great songs on great albums etc.)... doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to be alone with them. That’s all I’m saying.

Me: You just turned 22. Congrats. Anything crazy happened on your birthday?

Sabrina: Thanks! It was last May... It wasn’t crazy at all actually... just went for dinner with my family at an amazing French restaurant in Vancouver... (Le Crocodile) ...and then the next day did a dinner thing with all my friends. Craziest birthday I ever had was spent at the Rainbow in Hollywood, California. I’ll leave the details up to your imagination...

Me: For ten years you went to the Royal Conservatory of Music? What was that like, and was that in Canada or England?

Sabrina: That was in Canada.... I studied piano with RCM all throughout my childhood and my teens. I started when I was five. What was it like? Not easy. But it’s good, it teaches one discipline. There are practical exams every year, as well as written theory exams. For me it was never ‘home from school, watch TV, eat dinner, do homework, go to bed’. After school for me was piano lesson / ballet lesson / figure skating practice / guitar lesson / voice lesson / swimming lesson / choir practice / musical theatre rehearsal / songwriting session... and then after whatever that day’s schedule was, it was time to go home and do homework and practice piano and finish my theory homework and... the list goes on. The RCM served me well in that I know music theory. I understand my songs when I write them... and I understand the songs I hear in my CD player. The program doesn’t really encourage creativity though. So after I was done with RCM, I went on to study jazz piano. It was very different, and also very valuable.

Me: When you were in high school you studied figure skating, ballet, voice lessons, flute, bass and guitar. What, no swimming or piano lessons? Lazy ass. Seriously, why three instruments when most kids focus on one and why bass?

Sabrina: HAHA... actually I did swimming lessons... for like... 8 years or so. Hated every minute of it. Chlorine grosses me out. Well... I started in piano, then took up flute because it was the least painful option when we had to start band class in grade 7. I didn’t want to learn the trombone, obo, clarinet or trumpet. So I learned to play the flute... but then when I got braces it all went downhill. Haha... then I took up guitar when I was around 15 because I was getting tired of only being able to write on the piano. (I started writing music when I was 13.) The bass story is kind of funny... I was in grade 10 and I really wanted to keep a band class in my schedule. So, with all the other classes I wanted, the only block I had free was during the orchestra class. So, I spoke to the band instructor at my highschool and we made a deal that I’d join the orchestra if I could learn electric bass... playing the cello parts. Definitely a challenge... but I’m glad I did it... because now I can pick up the bass if I want!

Me: Is there any websites or anything you would like to tell the readers of the Phile about?

Sabrina: My official website: sabrinakorva.com –always being updated! My myspace: myspace.com/sabrinakorva -come say hi! All my songs are available on iTunes!

Me: Thank you for reading and hope to see you at a show someday soon!

That was a good interview, wasn't it? She seems so cool. Please go and download her music and check out her websites. The Phile will be back tomorrow with Brian Ruhe from the band Daemon Familiar. So, until then, spread the word, not the turd.

I'm Outdoorsy In That I Like Drinking Outside

PHIRST OF

Hi there, welcome to another Phriday entry of the Phile. So, how is everybody? So, what do you think of Phelps now, kids? That lucky photographer gets a picture of him with a bong and all I get is a pictue of him on a Segway! You know, if I had the lung capacity of a dolphin I would be sucking from a bong as well. The federal government is launching an investigation into how the Super Bowl was interrupted by porn. It’s going to be led by Bill Clinton. Eyewitnesses say Lindsay Lohan threw a tantrum at an airport. It seems she was upset because they didn’t have a separate bathroom for fake lesbians. Obama has set a salary cap for Wall Street fat cats. He’s going to put a cap on salaries of executives whose companies were part of the bailout. The limit the can make in a year is $500,000. Experts say the cap doesn’t just affect the CEOs, it affects their chauffeurs, their cocaine dealers... their hookers... It’s freezing everywhere — it even froze here in Florida. It’s so cold, people can’t even go to the jobs they don’t have anymore. Thank God for the Snuggie. Hot MILF Sarah Palin is back in the news. She’s been criticizing anonymous bloggers. She calls them pathetic. Apparently, she feels that unknown people should not be criticizing politicians. Unless the unknown person is running for vice president. I am not anonymous, Sarah, and if you're reading this... I LOVE YOU! Unemployment is the worse it’s been in 25 years. Here’s how bad it is: Right now, people are begging to work with Christian Bale. President Barack Obama is busy trying to get his stimulus package passed. Today it moved to the Senate for debate, where people like Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley gave expert analysis of it with posters he made: “Groundhog Day is a recurring event. It is also the title of a famous film starring Bill Murray.” “The message was, Bill, guided by Phil the groundhog, had to figure out what he was doing wrong. Once he figured it out, he escaped the infinite loop. On this bill before us, we need to learn from Bill.” Wow. That was worth the trip to Kinkos, wasn’t it? That was the stupidest analogy I ever saw. I’m not even sure he saw the movie, to be honest. And finally, this just in: Things are tough right now. Companies are making major cuts. Even Ryan Seacrest is down to eight jobs. 

THE PEVERETT PHILE TOP TEN LIST

From the home office in Groveland, Florida, here is this week's top ten list...

Top Ten Ways the Bad Economy Affected the Super Bowl 

10. The 50-yard line has been replaced with a bread line
9. A lot less super-y, a whole lot more bowl-y
8. Instead of Disneyland, the MVP will be going to Oakland
7. The Goodyear Blimp is now a fat guy painted blue and gold
6. Field goals are worth only 2 points
5. Halftime show: Marvin Springsteen
4. Referee demanding cash upfront to fix game
3. Stadium security provided by Paul Blart, Mall Cop
2. No pre-game coin toss -- coin stolen by Bernie Madoff
And the number way the bad economy is affected by the Super Bowl...
1. The players have to share their guns

SOMEONE PHAMOUS HAS DIED

Lux Interior: Design flaw.

NATION OF SHOPKEEPER'S

When ordering things by telephone, Stewart Pearce tends to take a proactive approach to the inevitable question “What is your address?” If you’re smirking at this sign, you’re mispronouncing the town’s name. It’s PENNIS-tun. He lays it out straight, so there is no room for unpleasant confusion. “I say, ‘It’s spelled “crap,” as in crap,’ ” said Mr. Pearce, 61, who has lived in Crapstone, a one-shop country village in Devon, for decades. Disappointingly, Mr. Pearce has so far been unable to parlay such delicate encounters into material gain, as a neighbor once did. “Crapstone,” the neighbor said forthrightly, Mr. Pearce related, whereupon the person on the other end of the telephone repeated it to his co-workers and burst out laughing. “They said, ‘Oh, we thought it didn’t really exist,’ ” Mr. Pearce said, “and then they gave him a free something.” In the scale of embarrassing place names, Crapstone ranks pretty high. But Britain is full of them. Some are mostly amusing, like Ugley, Essex; East Breast, in western Scotland; North Piddle, in Worcestershire; and Spanker Lane, in Derbyshire. Others evoke images that may conflict with residents’ efforts to appear dignified when, for example, applying for jobs. These include Crotch Crescent, Oxford; Titty Ho, Northamptonshire; Wetwang, East Yorkshire; Slutshole Lane, Norfolk; and Thong, Kent. And, in a country that delights in lavatory humor, particularly if the word “bottom” is involved, there is Pratts Bottom, in Kent, doubly cursed because “prat” is slang for buffoon. As for Penistone, a thriving South Yorkshire town, just stop that sophomoric snickering. “It’s pronounced ‘PENNIS-tun,’ ” Fiona Moran, manager of the Old Vicarage Hotel in Penistone, said over the telephone, rather sharply. When forced to spell her address for outsiders, she uses misdirection, separating the tricky section into two blameless parts: “p-e-n” — pause — “i-s-t-o-n-e.” Several months ago, Lewes District Council in East Sussex tried to address the problem of inadvertent place-name titillation by saying that “street names which could give offense” would no longer be allowed on new roads. “Avoid aesthetically unsuitable names,” like Gaswork Road, the council decreed. Also, avoid “names capable of deliberate misinterpretation,” like Hoare Road, Typple Avenue, Quare Street and Corfe Close. (What is wrong with Corfe Close, you might ask? The guidelines mention the hypothetical residents of No. 4, with their unfortunate hypothetical address, “4 Corfe Close.” To find the naughty meaning, you have to repeat the first two words rapidly many times, preferably in the presence of your fifth-grade classmates.) The council explained that it was only following national guidelines and that it did not intend to change any existing lewd names. Still, news of the revised policy raised an outcry. “Sniggering at double entendres is a loved and time-honored tradition in this country,” Carol Midgley wrote in The Times of London. Ed Hurst, a co-author, with Rob Bailey, of “Rude Britain” and “Rude UK,” which list arguably offensive place names — some so arguably offensive that, unfortunately, they cannot be printed here — said that many such communities were established hundreds of years ago and that their names were not rude at the time. “Place names and street names are full of history and culture, and it’s only because language has evolved over the centuries that they’ve wound up sounding rude,” Mr. Hurst said in an interview. Mr. Bailey, who grew up on Tumbledown Dick Road in Oxfordshire, and Mr. Hurst got the idea for the books when they read about a couple who bought a house on Butt Hole Road, in South Yorkshire. The name most likely has to do with the spot’s historic function as a source of water, a water butt being a container for collecting water. But it proved to be prohibitively hilarious. “If they ordered a pizza, the pizza company wouldn’t deliver it, because they thought it was a made-up name,” Mr. Hurst said. “People would stand in front of the sign, pull down their trousers and take pictures of each other’s naked buttocks.” The couple moved away. The people in Crapstone have not had similar problems, although their sign is periodically stolen by word-loving merrymakers. And their village became a stock joke a few years ago, when a television ad featuring a prone-to-swearing soccer player named Vinnie Jones showed Mr. Jones’s car breaking down just under the Crapstone sign. In the commercial, Mr. Jones tries to alert the towing company to his location while covering the sign and trying not to say “crap” in front of his young daughter. The consensus in the village is that there is a perfectly innocent reason for the name “Crapstone,” though it is unclear what that is. Theories put forth by various residents the other day included “place of the rocks,” “a kind of twisting of the original word,” “something to do with the soil” and “something to do with Sir Francis Drake,” who lived nearby. Jacqui Anderson, a doctor in Crapstone who used to live in a village called Horrabridge, which has its own issues, said that she no longer thought about the “crap” in “Crapstone.” Still, when strangers ask where she’s from, she admitted, “I just say I live near Plymouth.”

FEBRUARY 6TH IN HISTORY

1911

Ronald Reagan, who appeared in such films as Jap Zero, Girls on Probation, and Bedtime for Bonzo, born in Tampico IL.
1943
Actor Errol Flynn acquitted of raping an adolescent. The woman had actually tried this shakedown with other celebrities and wasn't quite an adolescent despite her testifying with pigtails and a lollipop. Flynn had just finished a film called "Gentleman Jim" and at the end of the film when he says to Maureen O'Hara: "I never said I was a Gentleman." Peals of knowing laughter rang out from audiences.
1951
Radio personality Paul Harvey is arrested for trying to break into Argonne Atomic Lab.
1983
Klaus Barbie, the "Butcher of Lyon" who had been living as a mild-mannered Bolivian businessman, charged with Nazi war crimes. He is later sentenced to life imprisonment and dies in 1991.

CANNED LAUGHTER

Q: Why are redneck murders so hard to solve? A: There are no dental records and all the DNA's the same!

SHARPENING AXES

Everyday Words With Disturbing Alternate Meanings

So the whole news world was up in arms recently because of this newscast referring to Barack and Michelle Obama "fisting" each other in the White House, the speaker blissfully unaware of the unsettling slang definition of the term. And while we can all laugh at that lady and her obliviousness, the truth is there are all sorts of everyday words that, in the right crowd, will draw the same muffled laughter as the fisting gaffe up there. Such as...

Cottage 

You Know It As: A small, quaint house favored by the idle, rich, hobbits and humans in Warcraft. But It Can Also Be:A public urinal that is used for homosexual intercourse, as well as the arrangement of some.
Russian and Italian
You Know Them As: Languages favored by Communist dictators and wacky pasta chefs, respectively. But They Can Also Be: The acts of rubbing your penis between breasts and ass-cheeks, respectively.
Oats
You Know It As: A staple animal feed, a visually unappealing breakfast dish and the first thing you think of when Quakers are mentioned. But It Can Also Be: A merciless, retributive beating.
Iron
You Know It As: A plentiful ore, a handy device for smoothing out creases and the second album from Finnish heavy metal gods Ensiferum. But It Can Also Be: A male homosexual, usually a prostitute.
Explosion
You Know It As: The best part of any Die Hard movie, and the second largest export from the Middle East. But It Can Also Be: The act of childbirth.
Attic, Bunny, Fiddle, Leather, Magnet, Money, Mushroom, Pancake, Purse, Quarry, Shell and Valve
You Know Them As: A dozen unrelated items, completely lacking in any significant likeness or common linking thread. But They Can Also Be: Vagina, vagina, vagina, vagina, vagina, vagina, vagina, vagina, vagina, vagina, vagina and vagina. [Malcolm Christiansen]

HEROES

Now that's more like it! Yes, we're only one hour into this fourth volume ("Fugitives") of "Heroes", but already we're looking at a vastly improved product. We're no longer fragmented trying to keep track of a million different seemingly unrelated storylines. Everything's connected, there's a very common and familiar enemy that needs to be dealt with, and it's a natural progression from where we've come. Nathan's progression to the point we see him Monday has been handled pretty well. From the beginning, he was always portrayed as kind of a dick who felt pretty differently than Peter about abilities and those with them. Now we see just how strongly he feels. The addition of Zejlko Ivanek ("Damages") as the man in charge of the hunter squads is a great casting choice. Already he brings an intensity to the role that's much appreciated. It's early to say, but this reminded me so much of the tone and atmosphere of the first season that I think we can declare "Heroes" back. Yes, it still has its logic flaws, such as the apparent change to how Peter's powers work, but as all comic book fans know, you can ultimately explain away any inconsistency. It's comic book logic, so it's illogical by nature. You can even get a "No Prize" for coming up with an explanation for a writer's screw up. With Peter, it's easy enough to say that since he lost and regained his power through an artificial stimulant, that they've come back in a modified way. What this might mean is that he very well could have a very limited power set now. No longer does he absorb powers just from proximity. Apparently, he has to touch someone to get their ability now, which means he may only have Nathan's powers, and now Tracy's and Mohinder's. But then again, we don't know what he's been up to the past several months, and as we saw when he got Jessica's power, it may happen whether he wants it to or not upon physical contact. It's good to have Mohinder back on the side of "good," such as it is. We can explain away his behavior by saying he was driven insane by his power. Still, he did some pretty dastardly things. I wonder if super-strength is the limit of his abilities now? I'm also very pleased that Hiro seems to be remaining powerless for now, and word is he will stay that way for awhile. The time travel element was making things too complex and ridiculous after the first season. Now we can have a straightforward linear plot happening in one era. It's also good that we seem to have streamlined the cast a bit. Matt now has the artist's precognitive abilities (I hope he keeps Usutu as a guide in his head), and we're keeping things tight to our core cast. That's not to say that there may not be a few new faces underneath those hoods on the plane. In fact, I hope that there are, because this is a good and natural way to introduce them to the cast and the show. I bet the guy that flew out the hole Peter accidentally made was someone new... and now dead. Damn, it was just so good to see "Heroes" this good again. NBC did right by promoting this as the new season of "Heroes", even though it's just the continuation of the third. Better for people to think this is all new. Maybe they should have put it on after the Super Bowl instead of "The Office". It was tailored perfectly as a new introductory episode to the series. I guess, though, they did the next best thing: promoted the hell out of it during the big game. 

GEEK TALK

The main item on my agenda today is a bite-sized Thor update. Marvel's editor Joe Quesada and "Avengers" writer Brian Michael Bendis held a very public conversation via Twitter yesterday which revealed they had been chatting with Kenneth Branagh about Thor. Twittered Quesada: "Okay, three words describe my day today: 'Branagh gets it!' ... Sweet is when [Branagh] starts quoting continuity and past storylines. The man has immersed himself in Marvel." Bendis remained pretty silent on the topic, but the idea that he's involved with Thor's movie is really promising. The excited-to-be-cast Brandon Routh told Collider that Edgar Wright will be making Scott Pilgrim Vs the World a mix of animation and live action. "It's a really interesting movie, people are gonna be shocked by this. It's a great mix of real time, real people and some drawn animation. [There are] some really cool things that [Wright] is doing with it. It's going to look awesome." To celebrate the Ghostbusters 25th anniversary, Mattel is releasing a full line of 12-inch Ghostbuster figures, complete with equipment -- and this time around, you'll actually get a Peter Venkman that looks like Bill Murray! Prototypes will be at the New York ComicCon, so if you're going, keep your eyes peeled for them. There will also be a set of 6-inch figures that will debut at San Diego ComicCon -- and this set is supposed to come with ghosts to actually bust. David Nutter is set to direct a big-screen adaptation of Freemind, the Future Comics series by Bob Layton, David Michelinie, and Dick Giordano. The series followed McKinsey Flint, a man who suffers from a degenerative disease that confines him to a wheelchair. He decides to build himself a new android body, only to discover that it gives him superpowers -- powers which he doesn't want. If this sounds a little reminiscent of Tony Stark, that's probably because both Layton and Michelinie were responsible for his famous "Demon in a Bottle" story arc. Unfortunately, Future Comics is now defunct, so I can't dig up a preview for you -- but clearly, superheroes tormented by inner demons are the new trend. [MTV Splash Page]

CHECK OUT MY PHRIENDS

Last weekend I posted an interview with director Ari Gold and he asked if I mentioned his websites this week so here they are. Check them out, he is a very talented director, kids.

www.adventuresofpower.com/AdventuresOfPower.html

www.facebook.com/pages/Adventures-of-Power/
www.myspace.com/adventuresofpowermovie

PHINALLY

Well, that;s it for another Phriday entry of the Peverett Phile. Tomorrow I will be posting an interview with Canadian singer sensation Sabrina Korva and then on Sunday it's Brian Ruhe from the band Daemon Familiar. Then the Phile will be back next Phriday for another entry, so until then, spread the word, not the turd. 

Phelps had his bong, I have my Starbucks Coffee Frappuccino.

The Peverett Phile Interviews: Ari Gold

Hi there, so, are you watching the Super Bowl? I have no intention of watching it as the Giants are not in it this year. Anyway, welcome to another Peverett Phile Interview. Today we have an American filmmaker, actor, and musician. His short film Helicopter about the aftermath of his mother's death won him a Student Oscar. His feature debut Adventures of Power premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and made its European debut at the 2008 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. He is also a member of the band The Honey Brothers along with his brother Ethan Gold, Andrew Vladeck, and Adrian Grenier. Please give a welcome to Ari Gold.

Me: Hello, Ari, how are you, sir? Welcome to the Phile. Did you have a good Christmas?

Ari: Yes, I got to open presents with my brother, father, sister, brother-in-law, and my niece Ella, who is trying to teach me to chew more slowly.

Me: Okay, is this a coincidence, but there's Jeremy Piven's character in "Entourage" is named Ari Gold. Was he named after you?

Ari: There are a lot of lawyers who have told me it's obvious that he was and encouraged me to sue the show. I didn't want to create any bad blood so that wasn't really an interest of mine. The producers of the show deny it, of course. I don't know the real answer, but I played in a band with Adrian for years before the show was created, and met the people involved in creating the show, before it was written. The character was inspired by Ari Emmanuel and somehow they seem to have decided they liked the name Ari Gold, due to an unknown joke that was cut from the first episode. Adrian says I should see it as an homage, which is a good attitude. When I'm denied medical care because a doctor thinks I'm a prank caller (this happened when I broke my arm shooting Adventures of Power) the fate of my name becomes less funny, though, and I have to answer the question so often I've considered printing cards with an answer.

Me: What can you tell me about Adventures of Power? It seems like it has a big cast. Are they all friends of yours?

Ari: It's got a cast of thousands (almost). Well, all the actors become my friends, at least during the shoot, because when you're making something for no money, everyone cool enough to be involved is a friend. But I didn't know my cast before making the movie, other than Adrian. Michael McKean was a hero since This is Spinal Tap was one of my favorite movies; I loved Jane Lynch in several of her movies, I loved Chiu Chi Ling from Kung Fu Hustle, and two actors I found during the search process, Shoshannah Stern (from "Jericho") and Steven Williams, were miracles to discover. Adventures of Power is an epic rock'n'roll comedy about finding your own heartbeat. The story is about the toughest of times, and a small-town mine worker named Power who only wishes he played drums. After his father calls for a strike at the mine, Power heads out across America, discovering an underground subculture of “air-drummers” who just might hold the key to changing the world. People ask me why I spent 3 years making a movie about air-drumming. There are two answers: one, I think it looks funny; and two, I think air-drumming is a great metaphor for the human spirit trying to communicate. The story for me is spiritual and political, and it's all told through this ridiculous adventure, like a fable.

Me: Who wrote and directed and star in it I believe. Is this your first full length film? When can we see it out?

Ari: Yes, I wrote it and I act in it too, which is a crazy endeavor. It's my first full-length film. We plan to have it out in 2009. I encourage people to become a fan on my Facebook and Myspace sites, or email my list, all through my website, adventuresofpower.com, so they can get news. We may not have the $40 million marketing campaigns of a Hollywood movie, so stuff has to be built by willing fans, and word-of-mouth. Fortunately there's a nice buzz developing after a slow start--our fans quadrupled in the past three weeks alone. The film won a bunch of prizes and audiences (choosing it as their favorite film a few times) seem to really understand both the humor and the underlying heart of the movie--which I can't say has been true of many of the blog "critics" who saw the movie at Sundance and wanted it to be Napoleon Dynamite.

Me: Congratulations on being a 3-time Sundance filmmaker. What did you win the rewards for?

Ari: Sundance has never given me a prize, but they keep showing my movies (4 times). I won a Student Oscar and many other prizes internationally for my short film Helicopter, and other prizes for my short Culture. Prizes are good for the ego, and bad for the creative process.

Me: Tell me about Helicopter. It's about the death of your mom, right? How did she die?

Ari: Well, you should watch the movie, my friend! But: she died in a helicopter crash with her boyfriend, the rock music promoter Bill Graham. It was a terrible, life-changing event, but also a strange story, and the movie distills the emotions of going through a shock like that. I'm really proud of the movie--so many people have told me that it's changed their relationships with their own families. That's more powerful than the awards, to hear that someone (for example) called his sister for the first time in 10 years because of my 20 minute movie. It seems to really affect people. My twin brother Ethan Gold (who also wrote all the score and a bunch of songs in Adventures of Power) did an amazing job with the score of the film, and I used re-enactments, animation, models, and a little bit of documentary footage, so the movie has a tone that's pretty unusual.

Me: You made a really cool short called Culture. It follows the Dogma Rules, I think. For those that don't know what that is, wanna tell the Phile readers? Who made that rule up?

Ari: The rules were influenced by the Danish filmmakers' Dogme 95. My ten rules were a play on their code. My rules were:
1. THE FILM MUST BE EXACTLY ONE MINUTE IN LENGTH
2. THE FILM MUST HAVE NO CUTS
3. THE NUMBER 3 MUST NOT BE MENTIONED
4. THE FILM MUST HAVE LIVE SOUND ONLY (NO POST)
5. THE FILM MUST HAVE NO DIALOGUE
6. ONLY BLACK, WHITE, & PRIMARY COLORS MAY BE USED
7. THE FILM MUST BE SHOT IN ONE TAKE, WITH NO REHEARSALS
8. THE FILM MUST BE PROJECTED IN 35 MM
9. THE CAMERA MUST NOT MOVE
10. ARI VON GOLD MUST PERFORM IN THE FILM
I actually wrote the rules after making the movie, as a joke, and also to make myself feel better for the conditions I'd had to deal with (particularly rule #7). But some other filmmakers around the world decided to try to use the rules to make their own movies, including some people in Serbia who were in the process of getting bombed.

Me: Are there any other movie making rules? The Peverett Rules for making movies by the way is there has to be gratuitous nudity and a really cool shower scene.

Ari: I approve of those rules.

Me: Ari, is there a DVD available of all your past work? I would love to get a copy if there is.

Ari: Yes, "Collected Shorts by Ari Gold" is available on Filmbaby.com and CDBaby.com, or on my website, arigoldfilms.com. I'd mail you one but I'm touring with my band in Australia for a bit. But I think it sells for 8 or 10 bucks, comes with a CD by my brother, and all in all people say it's worth it!

Me: Ari, what made you want to be a director? And what did you think of that TV show last year, "On The Lot"?

Ari: I grew up writing stories but never thought an outsider could become a director. I loved movies though--Nashville, Repo Man, Babe, The Year of Living Dangerously, Airplane!, Sleeper, The Terminator, Taxi Driver, This is Spinal Tap... these were some of the disparate movies that had big influences on me. I didn't see "On the Lot". Maybe I should have, because I know fuck-all about the studio system.

Me: Who is your favorite director?

Ari: That's hard to answer. I love different things about different directors. If you look at the list above, you'll see Robert Altman, Alex Cox, Woody Allen, Peter Weir... hard to say there's one director I love best.

Me: Did you study film at UCLA? Are you from California?

Ari: I'm from San Francisco, but no, I didn't study at UCLA. I've taken classes at various places, and got a degree at NYU.

Me: I heard you received a Stoner of the Year award. What the hell is that, and what did you get it for? Was Snoop Dogg in the running?

Ari: I won "Stoner of the Year" from High Times Magazine, which appreciated my performance as an ecstasy dealer in the movie Groove. The prize was a trophy bong and is awarded by the magazine to actors they like in movies about drugs. The bong was operational. I'm very proud to have it on my mantle. I apparently beat out Marlon Wayans but Snoop Dogg was not nominated that year. If he had been, it would have been a tough fight.

Me: One of your short films is about your trip to Serbia. Where is Serbia, and what was that like?

Ari: I never made a movie about Serbia (yet), but I've written a feature about it. Serbia was part of Yugoslavia. It's a beautiful country that's had a lot of problems--wars and bad leadership. (Sound familiar?) It was a fantastic experience to be invited there by some underground filmmakers and participate in their festival at a time when I was one of the only Americans in the country. Our embassy had been burned down by a mob. So I felt the pressure of being an envoy to the film-punk underground. A fascinating time in history, and a funny, idealistic, crazy group of people were running a film festival in the middle of all this, and they were making movies. I wrote about my experience, which you can read in the "writing" section of my website, arigoldfilms.com. It was one of the best times of my life.

Me: How do you choose the topics for your films?

Ari: Whatever has to come out, comes out. It erupts from me and I become obsessed. If I'm not obsessed, the idea usually dies out as soon as obstacles get in the way; if I'm obsessed, then I ignore the obstacles.

Me: I have to ask you about your band The Honey Brothers. What instrument do you play, and what kind of music is it? Do you do shows, or record?

Ari: Yeah, I'm on a plane to Australia right now for a tour, and we're playing a few shows in the states in late January. I play ukulele and keyboards, and I sing. The music is what we call "new wave folk", because it's upbeat, danceable rock that mixes in old-time instruments like banjo and ukulele. Our first album "Songs for Your Sister" is on iTunes, and that one was more folk-indie-rock, but we are getting more and more into our new wave side and planning to record a new album in the coming year.

Me: Wanna play Six Degrees of the Peverett Phile? You are in a band and movie with Adrian Grenier who was in a movie with Melissa Joan Hart who I interviewed. Crazy, eh? I sent a request to Adrian to interview him as I am a big "Entourage" fan but he never replied. Put a bug in his ear, will you, and tell him I want to interview him. ; )

Ari: He's got people.

Me: My friend Ron wants to make movies, Ari. What kind of advice can you give him?

Ari: Only do it if you absolutely have to, because it's a very hard life. The business is tough and being broke isn't that fun. So if you want to be broke but travel the world; if you want to work 3 years to make something that lasts for a few minutes, if all that makes sense... then just start doing it. These days you can get a ton of practice making movies using cheap equipment and a laptop. Make movies and write stories and take pictures and see where the day takes you.

Me: Finally, Ari, is there anything you would like to plug, or say? I cannot wait so see Adventures of Power, and I wish you luck with it.

Ari: Come watch clips from my movie and you air-drummers, upload your videos to my movie's Facebook page. We have entries from China, Japan, France, Canada, and the USA. We need you too! And thanks for getting the word out. Independent film doesn't have the money to buy ads, so it's all about people getting involved with movies they like. All the best to you too.

Man, that was great. I wish I could interview more filmmakers. And I still want to interview Adrian. The next interview will be posted next Saturday and it's with singer Sabrina Korva, then on Sunday it's Brian Ruhe from the band Daemon Familiar. And of course the regular weekly update will be on Phriday. So, spread the word, not the turd, and remember to e-mail the Phile at Thepeverettphile@gmail.com.