Pheaturing Kevin Hearn

Hello, kids, and welcome top another entry of the Phile on a miserable wet Sunday morning here in Florida. How are you?  Did you have a nice Labor Day? For those that don't know, it's the day we honor the American worker. When I say an American worker, I mean an 8-year-old kid in China.
I no longer recognize Labor Day as a holiday now that Jerry Lewis is not hosting anymore.  President Obama spent his free time in the White House making beer, and apparently the beer is so good that the White House is now releasing the recipe. Not to be outdone, Mitt Romney will be releasing his own recipe for root beer. I wish somebody would release the recipe for fixing the economy. That's how bad the economy is. Not only is our president drinking, he's drinking beer he made in his bathtub.  A new study has found that men and women see colors differently. And we also see everything else differently. Women can perceive more than 50 shades of gray, whereas men see a poorly written book.   The NFL opener was on Wednesday and the Giants lost. I thought London did a tremendous job with the opening ceremonies. Speaking of football and the Giants, do you know who they hired to take Regis Philbin's place? Michael Strahan, former New York Giants all-star. Regis has hip replacements older than this guy. Mark my words... Regis will be the next crazy old guy who talks to an empty chair.     There was a lot going on Wednesday night. The first NFL game tonight, the Democratic National Convention, a new episode of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo." Everything that we are as a nation is all rolled up into one night.  Next year McDonald's is opening two restaurants in India that don't serve meat. They're doing it because cows are sacred in India. Whereas here, they're lunch. They'll still have the Happy Meal in India. To be honest, for most people in India, any meal is a happy meal.  Well, as I said the Giants lost to the Cowboys on Wednesday. I am sure Jeff who does the Phootball Talk With Jeff pheature on the Phile is laughing I didn't get that point for our picks. Anyway, you all know I am a big Kelly Clarkson fan, so you can imagine how heart broken I was when I saw this picture.

Yeah, I know, before any of you e-mail me, I know she is from Texas. Maybe I will become a Cowboys fan this year instead. Ahhhh, no.  So, I was watching "Big Brother" the other day and during that show I found out I won a lot of money.

I don't play the lottery, so if no numbers were picked that does that mean I won, right?  Did you see the second episode of "Doctor Who" last night? The episode was called "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" and I was not at all impressed on how the dinosaurs looked.

So, the DNC is over. Did you see all the posters they had all over the place at the convention? I think they were aiming for the younger, maybe black voters.

And now, lets see went to the big square dance in the sky!

Art Modell
June 23, 1925 - Sept 6, 2012
Art should be buried in Cleveland, and then 35 years from now he should be dug up, dragged and dumped in Baltimore.

Michael Duncan
Dec 10, 1957 - Sept 3, 2012
Corpse, like the Marines, 'cept spelt different...

Well, like I said the DNC is over, and they are all so tired none of them could make it here on the Phile today. LOL. But, we don't hear from the other side to often, so I was surprised when a friend of the Phile wanted to come back on. So, please welcome back to the Phile...

Mike: Here's is a top ten list for the Phile.
FIVE WORDS YOU WANT TO HEAR IN OBAMA'S SPEECH 
10. All my records released henceforth.
9. I won't accept the nomination.
8. I have decided to resign.
7. I am a Chicago Thug.
6. College records for tax returns.
5. I am out of here.
4. I have submitted my resignation.
3. I'm not a American citizen.
2. Jobs, jobs, jobs and jobs!
And the number one five words you want to hear in Obama's speech...
1. Dead people vote for me.

Me: That's great, Mike, but I don't think we all want to hear those words. So, tell me, while you're here, I have to ask, what did you think of Bill Clinton's speech the other day at the DNC?

Mike: You mean former Molester-in-Chief Bill Clinton?

Me: Ummmm... I guess so.

Mike: Well, while the Obama-bots claim Republicans are engaged in a "war on women" they invite the only President ever to be accused of rape (remember Juanita Broaddrick?) as their "Honored Guest" Speaker! It doesn't get any better than this!

Me: Mike Rotch, everybody, Republican extraordinaire.

Okay, let's talk about something more jolly. Over in Ohio they have this Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but it seems the bands we want to see get inducteed never do. Is inducteed a real word? Anyway, I thought I would invite a music expert to the Phile who will be our own Jann Wenner. So, please welcome to the Phile, Vinyl Barista at Berdan Records and a member of unHOF... Joseph J. Ramsey in a pheature called...

Today's Induction: Savoy Brown.

One of the main criteria I try to use when choosing inductees is, could any of these bands or musicians be someone's absolute favorite? Even for a short while (as I had many favorites over the years!). Savoy Brown were that for me. Their string of albums from "Getting to The Point" (released 1968) to "Looking In" (1970) were as good as the British blues got. I stack these against anything John Mayall or Fleetwood Mac were doing at the same time!  The comparison to Fleetwood Mac is apt as Savoy Brown's combustibility rivaled even that group. By the time of 5th album, "Raw Sienna", it marked the first time that a single lineup of the band had recorded successive albums without any changes in personnel. That classic version of the band were Chris Youlden, Lonesome Dave Peverett, Roger Earl, drums. Tone Stevens, and Kim Simmonds.  Sadly, Chris Youlden left after "Raw Sienna" to embark on a lackluster solo career. He was great and his version of Savoy Brown had real chemistry in the studio. I often wondered what the band would have accomplished had they been able to keep this lineup intact. Upon his departure, the singing job fell to Lonesome Dave. Ordinarily, the loss of a lead singer would signal big trouble for most bands... Despite my love for Youlden's voice, in this case, Savoy Brown turned in their masterpiece, 1970's "Looking In".  I can honestly say that "Looking In" changed the way I thought about music and influenced my playing as a guitarist and as a songwriter. Like The Groundhogs Savoy Brown was steeped in the blues yet stepping outside the box to create something... well, brand new. The Groundhogs rocked a bit harder and had flirtations with psychedelia, Savoy Brown rocked, too, but in a much more grounded way... there were elements of jazz and Latin percussion which gave the music a kind of exotic feel... along the lines of early Santana. Both Simmonds and Peverett were at the top of their games as far as guitar playing goes... Peverett far more the rock and roller and Simmonds throwing in the odd Wes Montgomery or Kenny Burrell lick... the music IS multi-layered. "Looking In" is the ONLY Savoy Brown album to completely feature the vocals of Lonesome Dave... and what a singer he turned out to be. I loved his voice.  Savoy Brown were still my favorite band when I bought tickets to see them open for Rod Stewart & The Faces in 1971. I was never a big Rod Stewart fan but I often went to concerts to see the openers. I was shocked and disappointed when Savoy Brown hit the stage with ALL new members save for guitarist, Kim Simmonds. What??? Didn't play a single song I recognized... all were probably from their upcoming album, "Streetcorner Talkin'", which turned out to be their biggest selling album ever. The new members were most of Stan Webb's Chicken Shack along with new singer, Dave Walker, who earlier had infamously taken Jeff Lynne's spot in the ill-conceived Mach II of the Idle Race. After the initial shock wore off, I grew to really like "Streetcorner Talkin'" but it just wasn't the same.  Turns out, three quarters of the band I liked had bolted the group en masse to form their own rock and boogie band, Foghat. I saw Foghat several times including their first few trips to Hollywood at The Whisky Au Go Go (before, I think, they were even calling themselves Foghat!), and I loved their first three albums... but they NEVER (my opinion, of course) rose to the greatness of that final Savoy Brown album. That one is really special.  On a side note, there probably isn't a string of rock albums with better sleeves than Savoy Brown. Most are gatefold and artist drawings except for the UK version of "Getting To The Point" which has a very odd photo of Simmonds on the cover and "A Step Further" which has kind of a psych photo of the band lurking in foliage. Youlden is wearing a stove pipe hat a la Abe Lincoln (I told you it was psyche... ha ha!). Again, "Looking In" is the big winner as it features a drawing resembling something that would appear in a horror comic like Warren Publication's Creepy or Eerie. Indeed, the photo inside the gatefold shows Lonesome Dave surrounded by his favorite records and books and, sitting on top of the pile is issue number three of Creepy Magazine complete with artist Frank Frazetta cover. No wonder I liked him so much!

Okay, this is so fucking cool, and I cannot believe I have him on the Phile. Today's pheatured guest is a Canadian musician who is currently the keyboardist of one of my favorite bands ever... Barenaked Ladies and his own group, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. He is also the 23rd artist to be pheatured in the Peverett Phile Art Gallery. He has a new solo album out called "Cloud Maintenance" which is a brilliant album and available on iTunes. Please welcome to the Phile, one of my favorite musicians ever... Kevin Hearn!

Me: Hello, Kevin, it's an honor to have you here, I am a big fan. How are you?

Kevin: I am fine thanks.. I have been on the road for three months straight. Now a little break.

Me: Regular readers of the Phile know I am a HUGE Barenaked Ladies fan, in fact you guys are my favorite band. I won't tire you out asking too many BNL questions, Kevin. Anyway, I always ask guests I have on the Phile from Canada if they like Barenaked Ladies. And as you are from Canada, I will ask you the same thing. LOL. What do you think of the Barenaked Ladies?

Kevin: I like them.

Me: Speaking of fantastic bands, I love the work you did with Thin Buckle. Do you still play with that band, Kevin?

Kevin: Thank you. Yes. Whenever I have the time or the opportunity. I love playing with Bob Scott and Chris Gartner and we have been playing music together for over twenty years.

Me: Let's talk about your new solo album which I downloaded from iTunes... "Cloud Maintenance." That's a very sweet album. Where did the title of the album come from?

Kevin: The album cover is a painting by Brooklyn artist Don Porcella . It is called "routine cloud maintenance". The painting had an influence on the over all feel of the record, so I thought it was a fitting title.

Me: You wrote all the songs on it, right, Kevin?

Kevin: Yes. I had a little help with the words on "Monsters Anonymous "from my good friend Boothby Graphoe.

Me: Who plays on the album with you, Kevin?

Kevin: It's all in the credits or on my website kevinhearn.com.

Me: How long have you been writing lyrics and music and what comes first?

Kevin: Since I was about eleven... there is no set pattern as to which comes first.

Me: One of my favorite BNL songs is "Sound of Your Voice". Did it take awhile for you to write songs for that band when Steven and Ed were doing most of the songwriting?

Kevin: I have always written songs, but I was asked to join BNL as a keyboardist, not as a songwriter.

Me: You play guitar, accordian, keyboards and other various instruments, Kev. Which instrument did you learn first?

Kevin: Piano.

Me: How old were you when you started to play an instrument?

Kevin: Five.

Me: Does learning an instrument come easy for you? If you ever need a kazoo player... what I am talking about, you probably play a mean kazoo.

Kevin: I can often make something work with instruments which have keys or strings as I am familiar with piano and guitar. Not so much with wind instruments. Thanks for the kazoo offer.

Me: What is your favorite instrument to play?

Kevin: Piano.

Me: Recently when I saw BNL play in Tampa I noticed you played more guitar then I am used to seeing you play. Is that a nice change for you, Kevin?

Kevin: I am enjoying it... I think I have played more guitar on the BNL records than people may realize, but my parts were often covered live by Steve or Ed.

Me: I have to ask you about this, before we get into your artwork. You played with Lou Reed for a few years. How did that come about, is he a BNL fan?

Kevin: I still play with Lou. I love him. He is someone who I look up to as an artist. We just toured Europe together. He really liked my "H-Wing" record, and it is through that record that we met.

Me: When did you first meet Lou and did you have to audition to be in his band?

Kevin: I did have to audition, and it was one of the most nerve wracking and thrilling times for me. I first met him after a show in New York. He invited me for pizza.

Me: Speaking of auditioning, is there any band you were in that you had to audition for? If I had a band you'd be a shoe in.

Kevin: Well, I think the first two month tour I did with BNL was a bit of an audition. They did not ask me to join until after that. There is alot more to getting hired to join a band than your ability to play. Your ability to be a good, reasonable human being is just as important. For instance, can we eat a meal together, can we work together, be open and have a comfortable rapport? Can we coexist on a tour bus? Etc, etc.

Me: Did you play piano or guitar for Lou or both?

Kevin: Both.. and I often act as MD... running rehearsals, etc.

Me: Alright, let's talk about your art. Congrats by the way, you are the 23rd artist to be pheatured in the Peverett Phile Art Gallery. How long have you been drawing, Kevin? Probably since you were a little kid.

Kevin: For as long as I can remember.

Me: When did you first start doing art professionally?

Kevin: I don't know that I ever have.

Me: Good point. Anyway, I love your style, it's very child like, in a good way, and very John Lennonish. Who are your favorite artists and influences?

Kevin: Thank you. Pudlo Pudlat, Dr. Seuss, Marcel Dzama, David Lynch, Norval Morisseau, Jean Dubufett, Wassily Kandinsky. Team Macho, Maurice Sendack, and I always enjoyed John's drawings . Bob Dylan does some fantastic drawings as well.

Me: What tools do you use, Kevin?

Kevin: Pencil crayons, water colour pencils, acrylic ink, various pens.

Me: I like to doodle when I am sitting around and daydreaming. When do you do most of your art work?

Kevin: When I am on the phone, or in a band meeting, in a hotel room on a day off, or somewhere relaxing while listening to music.

Me: You have done the artwork for a number of Thin Buckle albums. Were you hesitant in showing off your art? I am most of the time.

Kevin: Yes, I was at first, but people seemed to like my drawings so I became less shy about it.

Me: You also did the art work for a few BNL releases, and one album "Snacktime" had a book filled with your art. When did that idea come along? That must've been fun to do.

Kevin: Oh yeah.. I love that record... I was happy my drawings were used. I have books and books full of drawings.

Me: Kevin, you must of done a hundred drawings, do you ever show them in an art gallery?

Kevin: I did do a show at the AGO in Toronto and I showed a few of my drawings. I also did a fun little show on one of the cruises.

Me: The Ships and Dip BNL cruises... I always wanted to go on one. If you could only do one thing, play music or paint, what would you choose?

Kevin: I can't choose. If I had to rely on one for a living, I would choose music.

Me: Kevin, thanks a million for being on the Phile. It is a huge honor and I hope it was fun. Go ahead and plug your websites and everything, Kevin.

Kevin: Cheese-tacular grilled smokies... now only seven hundred and ninety-nine dollars!

Me: So, what's next for you? Barenaked Ladies are working on a new album, right?

Kevin: Who are you?

Me: I don't really know. LOL. Anyway, would you please come back when it comes out? You can invite any of the other Ladies to.

Kevin: Yes... thank you... take care.

Me: All the best, Kevin, and take care yourself.

Holy fuck. Sorry, but I just interviewed Kevin Hearn from Barenaked Ladies. Imagine how I feel if I interviewed Kelly Clarkson. Anything is possible. Anyway, that about wraps it up for this entry. Thanks to Steven Folks, Joseph J. Ramsey and of course Kevin Hearn. Also special thanks to Christine Leakey, Phile Alumni for hooking the interview up. The Phile will be back tomorrow with singer Anna Coogan, and Michelle Obama. Yep, for real... I think. Then there's gonna be an extra entry on Wednesday with Morgan Geer from Drunken Prayer. And next Sunday Kate Taylor from the band Dead Fingers. So, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.

Pheaturing Martin Belmont From Ducks Deluxe

Hello, kids, and welcome to another entry of the Phile. Thanks for stopping by. Happy Labor Day, or as they say in England... Labour Day.  An all-female rock band from Russia, in a Moscow cathedral, played a protest song about Vladimir Putin's ties to the church. Putin's henchmen tracked them down and threw them in prison. They were charged with hooliganism. Is that a crime? That's like being charged with tomfoolery. Or shenanigans. If you don't agree with Putin, you get sent to a gulag. Maybe they should've sung it ironically, sung about the fact that Putin got elected with 140 percent of the vote. Some Russians are claiming that Putin's election was rigged and that he has no legitimate claim to power. You know what these Russians are called? Missing. When the band's members were sentenced, there was a huge protest in Moscow. One of the protesters was Garry Kasparov, the chess champion. He got roughed up by police. I don't know why. He's just a pawn in their game.  According to The New York Times, more than half of President Obama's Twitter followers are fake. They don't even exist. Which is actually a good thing because if they did exist there wouldn't be any jobs for them.  The White House is now brewing its own beer. Republicans say the White House beer is actually pretty good. Just don't drink the Kool-Aid.  Working out has given Paul Ryan phenomenal abs. His abs are so in demand that TMZ is offering a bounty for anyone who can get an in-focus shot.  I can't wait to see the debate between Ryan and Joe Biden. Biden is said to be already trying out different strategies. So far the one that Obama likes is where Biden pretends to have food poisoning and they cancel the debate.  A man here in Florida has been arrested for wearing a President Obama mask while robbing a McDonald's. To show you how good this guy's disguise was, instead of a holdup note he was reading from a teleprompter. This Obama robber made some pretty scary threats to the McDonald's employees. He said, "Give me your money, or else my economic plan will have you working here for the rest of your life."  A company announced they are now selling waffle-flavored vodka. Who is this for, the drunks that still think breakfast is the most important meal of the day?  Forbes magazine released the highest paid celebrities list. Right now in Hollywood, self-centered jerks are flipping through Forbes, seeing who's on the list so they know who to suck up to. Forbes is run by billionaire Steve Forbes. Who names a magazine after himself? Who would do that? Oprah. Forbes once ran for president. It lasted about a week. So who better to judge the others' success?  Well, like I said it's Labor Day, and I am so glad there's a Labor Day inspirational poster.

Alright, well, the RNC is over and no matter what you say about the Republican party, they are honest... or not so smart how they set up their signs and stuff. Check this out.

Pixar's Finding Nemo is about to be released in theatres again in 3D. I wasn't a huge fan of that movie but will go and see it again. They should of called the movie Find the Freakin' Fish Already. Anyway, there's gonna be a Finding Nemo 2 and I have the poster for it. Wanna see it?

That's dumb. It wouldn't been funnier back when the oil spill happened 2 years ago. I never said the Phile was timely.  Did you see the season premier of "Doctor Who" on Saturday? I am so glad there's a new "Doctor Who" inspirational poster.

Okay, let's see who went Tango Uniform.

Sun Myoung Moon
Feb 25, 1920 - Sep 2, 2012
Proof that dedicating your life to the church doesn't mean you can't be a greedy billionaire asshole too.


A few weeks ago when the Colorado shootings took place a friend and Phile reader named Art Lew thought he'd do something cool, and built a guitar to hopefully donate it to a charity to raise money for the victims. Here  is what the guitar looks like.

I thought I'd invite Art back to the Phile to see what the update is. So, please welcome back to the Phile...

Me: Hey, Art, welcome back to the Phile. So, a few readers are asking on the update of the Bat-A-Twang guitar. Have you donated it yet?

Art: I haven't done anything with the guitar yet. I've been busy and most of the charities only do money. Heck, donate $100 to the givingfirst.org people who were helping the folks in Colorado, and I'll give the guitar.

Me: So, you haven't had any takers?

Art: No takers so far, but I've been busy and haven't tried other "venues". I'm half way considering House of Blues to donate it to help their charity programs.

Me: Well, maybe one of my readers would want it. Donate a hundred dollars to givingfirst.org and this one of a kind Bat-A-Twang is yours, people. You can contact the Phile at thepeverettphile@gmail.com if you want to donate and Art and I will get the guitar to you. In the meantime, Art, good luck. I am sure it's gonna end up in somebody's home. Art Lew, everybody. And I love that TARDIS guitar.

Well, the Democratic Convention is about to kick off this week and I want to know what they they have been doing while the RNC was on So, the Democratic Party sent someone very special to the Phile to talk about it. Please welcome to the Phile... Gov. Howard Dean!

Howard: Groveland! Yeah! Minneola! Yeah! Kissimmee! Yeah! Hello, Jason, anywhere else?

Me: Ummm... Four Corners...

Howard: Four Corners! Yeah! The Phile! Yeah!

Me: Howard, thanks for being on the Phile. So, what did you think of the Republicans convention in Tampa?

Howard: They posed for the cameras, fell over each other to prove who's the most severe conservative of them all. There was plenty of angry, misleading rhetoric, but not much in the way of real action or results.

Me: So, why this was going on, what did the Democratic party do?

Howard: Welcomed volunteers to hundreds of field offices in all 50 states. Logged hundreds of thousands of volunteer-hours of one-on-one voter outreach, over the phone and at the door. Organized thousands of watch parties for our convention this coming week.

Me: Wow, that just one week for the party.

Howard: For our organization, and it's only going to get more intense from here.

Me: Why is that, sir?

Howard: Because that's the only way we'll win.

Me: You said there wasn't any real action or results at the RNC, sir, they must've did more in the four days.

Howard: Four days of Obama-bashing and truth-distorting attacks.

Me: Why do you think they did that? That's they're job, right?

Howard: They hoped it will give them a badly needed bump in the polls.

Me: Do you think it'll happen?

Howard: The reality is, we're probably going to see it come true over the next couple days. When the Republicans left Tampa, it's pretty likely they're ahead in the horse race. That's why Democrats aren't wasting any time.

Me: Your organizers and volunteers are working nationwide and around the clock to get our message out, right?

Howard: Yep, while Republicans are ramping up the attacks and extremism, we're doubling down on our grassroots strategy.

Me: And how do you think your convention will go?

Howard: For us, the convention is an opportunity to share our message face to face with as many Americans as possible, culminating in a week of grassroots action immediately after the President officially accepts the nomination. We're building our organization for the only polls that matter: the ones on November 6th.

Me: Thanks, Gov. Please come back and good luck to you.

Howard: Thanks, Jason.


That was pretty cool. And now, please welcome back to the Phile singer, surfer, patriot, renaissance man, phriend of the Phile Laird Jim in a pheature I call...

I love shutting stupid people up. Raining too hard to surf, so I go to the deli for breakfast. A woman in her 40s on line decides to take issue with what I ordered... what the fuck? She reads me the riot act in a rude manner... tells me I'm going to die soon. I asked her what her children did for a living... she tells me that her son is a law student and her daughter works as a nurse. Wait for it... I replied... "Perhaps when the EMTs bring me in for a heart attack... your daughter would be kind enough to give me a handjob before I die." I believe I made my point.

The 23rd artist to be pheatured in the P.P.A.G. is also a member of one of my favorite bands... Barenaked Ladies. This is one of Kevin Hearns pieces, kids.

I am so bloody excited... Kevin will be a guest on the Phile next Sunday!

Today's guest is one of my favorite rock 'n' roll and country-blues guitarists. He formed Ducks Deluxe and was a founding member of Graham Parker and the Rumour. Ducks Deluxe latest album "Side Tracks & Smokers" is available on iTunes and they will be appearing next tomorrow at
Hemvändardagen, Marma, Sweden. Please welcome to the Phile the one and only... Martin Belmont!

Me: Hello, Martin. welcome to the Phile. It is a huge honor to be interviewing you here, sir. I interviewed Graham Parker twice and always wanted to interview you. How are you?

Martin: I'm good thanks.

Me: Okay, let's talk about GP first. When did you first meet him, Martin? You must've been in Ducks Deluxe at the time. Did he ask you to join his band the Rumour, or were you already in it being friends and former band mate with Brinsley Schwarz?

Martin: Ducks Deluxe broke up around July 1975. Brinsley had been playing with us for the last three months and we decided we wanted to be in a new band together with Bob Andrews. We had heard about this shit hot rhythm section from a band called Bonton Roulez and we started rehearsing with them. Bob had some songs, I had one or two and we did lots of covers... anything we fancied. Dave Robinson had an 8 track studio and Graham was one of several people who turned up to make some demos. When Dave heard GP's songs he thought 'this guy is really good what he needs is a band' and he thought of us... a really good bunch of players in need of a direction. He played me GP's demo's of "Between You and Me" and "Dont Ask Me Questions" and I was blown away. Later we met and started rehearsing together.

Me: There's a new film featuring GP and the Rumour coming out. Are you involved with that? When you found about about it, what was the first thing you thought of?

Martin: Last year Graham got in touch with all of the Rumour and said he wanted to do an album with us. We all said great so we met up in Woodstock where GP lives and recorded the album in just over a week. At around the same time Judd Apatow the highly successfull film director got in touch with Graham about playing himself in a movie he was about to shoot. GP told him about the recording reunion with The Rumour and Judd said that was fantastic they can be in it too so the following August we are all flown first class to Hollywood for a week and treated like movie stars, pampered and played a whole lot of songs (some from the new album and some from the 70's) live on a stage set in a nightclub. Brilliant!

Me: You guys recorded a new GP and the Rumour album. I am so exited. What is it called and when will it be out. And what will the movie be called? Do you know when it'll be out?

Martin: The album is being released in October and is called "Three Chords Good". The film is being premiered on Dec 21st and is called This is 40.

Me: I have to ask you about the impromptu gig you did with Graham and Bob Andrews. Who else was that and how did that come about? I have a picture from that gig, Martin.

Martin: The one off gig we did in NYC back in Oct 2010 was because we were there to see the first screening of a documentary called Don't Ask Me Questions. The band was me, Steve Goulding, Bob Andrews and Jeremy Chatsky on bass plus Graham. Just a bit of fun that was a whole lot of fun.

Me: Was that the start for the whole GP and the Rumour deal getting back together?

Martin: I thought no more about working with GP or the others until the email from Graham arrived the following April. The documentary will be released at the end of this year.

Me: When I interviewed Graham he said someone is putting together a Graham Parker documentary. Are you taking part?

Martin: I am interviewed in it along with the rest of the Rumour and many others.

Me: As well as the Rumour you have two or three or more other projects going on... Los Pistoleros and the Johnny Nicky Band. Who is Johnny Nicky and who is in Los Pistoleros?

Martin: Johnny Nicky is this really great singer who nobody outside of NW London will have heard of. I play in his band with other guys who are in other bands with me. Los Pistoleros is a country swing jazz boogie band that has more or less ceased gigging.

Me: I downloaded your solo album "The Guest List" and really like it. Was it was it easy getting all your mates like Graham, Paul Carrack, Johnny Nicky and others to be part of?

Martin: "The Guest List" was recorded by Neil Brockbank who is a great engineer and producer and has his own studio. Every one of the singers I asked agreed to sing on it except Elvis Costello who I could never catch at the right time which is why I did the little instrumental version of "Alison".

Me: How did you choose the songs for the album? Your version of Costello's "Alison" is really great by the way. 

Martin: The only criteria I wanted for the songs was that they should all be covers. Some I chose, some the singers, some were joint choices. I love it.

Me: You worked with so many people, a Phile wish list, sir. Is there anybody alive you wish could play or record with?

Martin: If I could play with anyone still alive it would have to be Bob Dylan or Paul McCartney.

Me: And what do you prefer, doing your own thing or working with other people's projects?

Martin: I have done two albums under my own name which is great but my living is as a sideman. I like both equally.

Me: Alright, let's talk about Ducks Deluxe who have a pretty recent album out called "Side Tracks and Smokers". This album has mostly live stuff, but are there any new songs recorded for it?

Martin: The "Side Tracks and Smokers" album is a mixture of rough mixes of tracks from the first album ('74), live stuff recorded lo-fi in Monte Carlo during a residency we did there in 2009 and one new studio recording of a reggae version of Dylans "Simple Twist of Fate" which is rather good if I do say so myself. We also released a six song studio CD called "Box of Shorts" which has five new Sean Tyla songs and another Dylan cover... "Absolutely Sweet Marie".

Me: Who is in the current Ducks Deluxe band, Martin? Tim Roper who was one of the original members passed away about 10 years ago, right?

Martin: The current DD line up is me, Sean Tyla, Brinsley Schwarz, Kevin Foster and Jim Russell. Yes, Tim died.

Me: Where did the name Ducks Deluxe come from?

Martin: I don't remember where the name came from.

Me: The band is celebrating it's 40th anniversary, Martin. How did the band get back together after all these years?

Martin: The band got back together in 2007 because an American fan financed it and hired the 100 Club in London for us to play. Everything that has happened since (tours to places in Europe etc) followed that initial reunion so we have a lot to thank Mike Halpern for. He was that superfan!

Me: I am glad Mike did it. What has been the fans reaction?

Martin: People love seeing the Ducks 40 years later or for the 1st time... it's rock and roll!!!

Me: Maybe the band Brinsley Schwarz get back together with Nick Lowe... have you heard from Nick recently? I am trying to get him on the Phile.

Martin: I would say there is zero chance of a Brinsley Schwarz reunion. I speak to Nick every now and then.

Me: One person who I also want to interview who was supposed to record an album with my dad is Dave Edmunds, but nobody I talk to or interview have seen him recently. And he doesn't have a website, Facebook, Myspace, nothing. You worked with Dave, has he always been like this, hard to get in touch with?

Martin: Dave Edmunds is a great great guitar player and singer and I have no idea how to get in touch with him but there is a Facebook page.

Me: I think it's a fan page. Anyway, Martin, I love your guitar playing. Who did you listen to growing up, and who are you idols and influences?

Martin: My fave guitar players and inspirations are in no particular order... Scotty Moore, Hank Marvin, James Burton, Hubert Sumlin, George Harrison, Keith Richards, Robbie Robertson, Lowell George, Ry Cooder.

Me: How old were you when you started to learn to play guitar? Do you remember what the first song you learned was?

Martin: I learned the guitar around the age of 11 and the 1st thing I learned was probably a Shadows tune.

Me: I have a lot of guitar techy like people who read the Phile so I have to ask, what make of guitar do you play and what is your favorite guitar you own?

Martin: My fave guitar that I have had since '74 is a Fender Stratocaster (Daphne Blue 1963). I also own a Fender VI which is a baritone guitar... it's the one I play on "Alison" on "The Guest List".

Me: Martin, apart from the new GP album, do you have any new releases coming out?

Martin: I have no new stuff of my own coming out but I am on a new album called "How Do You Plead" by My Darling Clementine who are a husband and wife singer/writer partnership and the album is all original songs in the manner of classic country duets a la George and Tammy, Johnny and June, Loretta and Conway... etc. I am doing quite a lot of live stuff with them too. The album has had nothing but 5 star reviews and has been voted best British Country album ever! Check it out!

Me: I will, and I will try and get them on the Phile. Martin, thanks so much for being on the Phile. I hope this was fun and I hope you'll come back again soon. Go ahead and plug all your websites and take care, sir. All the best.

Martin: All my live dates and other info can be found at martinbelmont.com. Cheers.

There you go, another entry of the Phile done. That was one of my best entries ever. Thanks to my guests Art Lew, Howard Dean, Laird Jim and of course Martin Belmont. The Phile will be back next Sunday with Kevin Hearn. Then on Monday it's singer songwriter Anna Coogan and then there's gonna be an extra entry that Wednesday with Morgan Geer, lead singer for the band Drunken Prayer. So, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.

Pheaturing Mosey West

Hey, kids, welcome to another entry of the Phile and it's September. I am so glad, now the weather will get cooler.  Well, according to The New York Times, Iraq now loves American fast food. They hate us but they love our fast food. This is how we work. We force democracy on them and then we sneak in morbid obesity.  Lindsay Lohan has been in and out of the slammer more times than you would care to count. Now she is a person of interest in a jewel heist. She's already picking out her inappropriate outfit for her next court date. And I can't wait to see it. Lindsay's been to court so often that's where she picks up her mail.  Did you folks enjoy the Republican convention? Ann Romney was great. She said it's all about love. Then Chris Christie followed up by saying, "It's not about love, it's about respect." Will you people get on the same page? Which is it? Is it love or respect? John McCain was at the convention. He just wandered out on stage in his bathrobe. Here's what's great about America. You can now buy waffle-flavored vodka. See, good things are happening under Obama.  Dr. Phil had his car stolen. He bought the car with the money he earned exploiting kooks and crackpots on TV.   A few weeks ago now I guess it was, Prince Harry was photographed naked while he was playing billiards. Last week I showed you that that's a common thing for Royals to play games naked. And I have one last bit of proof.

That picture almost turned me on. Look how happy the Queen looks there. I'd be happy to if that's who I was playing, and she was naked.  Last night on TV, one of my favorite shows started again for it's 7th season. I am talking of course, about "Doctor Who". I was surprised though that he regenerated again.

It's kinda odd. Speaking of time travel, I was watching the news and I think time travel is possible.

Man, we're gonna have a lot of wars in the future. Well, Isaac is a thing in the past. There was a lot of flooding in parts of Louisiana, but apart from that things are good. Some people got off so lucky.

Did you see Clint Eastwood at the RNC? His new movie should be called Every Which Way But Coherent. So what's it gonna be, punk? Do you feel lucid? It would have been more entertaining to have Clint and Sarah Palin sitting in chairs facing each other and engaging in oral intercourse. Of course, I would be jealous. That Palin is nuts, but hot. Anyway, for those of you that don't know what I'm talking about Clint ripped Obama a new asshole. Using his obvious street-vigilante cred, he let the world know that Barack Hussein is a communist, socialist, and a pussy faggot. Now you know how to vote. You're welcome. Anyway, Obama met with Clint Eastwood yesterday on the patio outside the Oval Office.

And now for some sad news...

Hal David
May 25, 1921 - Sep 1, 2012
This should keep those raindrops off his head.

Alright, so football season is about to kick off on Wednesday when the Cowboys play the greatest team ever... the Giants. Last season my good friend and friend of the Phile Jeff and I did our football picks to see who would win, and I did. So, I thought I would invite him back to do the whole thing over again. So, here's a new pheature I call...

Me: Hey, Jeff, welcome back to the Phile with Phootball Talk: Season 2. How are you?

Jeff: It's good to be back on the Phile.

Me: Before we start, I have to ask you if you think the Jags will be moving to London?

Jeff: As far as Jacksonville I just don't see a team playing all their home games overseas. I don't think anyone in Jacksonville would notice if they were gone, even to London.

Me: Okay. Last season you and I did football picks and I won. I'm a lazy ass, so go ahead and explain the rules, Jeff. It was a cool last season, right?

Jeff: It was an exciting season last week and you won only by a few points. This season I will show no mercy and make you cry like... like... like I don't know! But you will cry! Last season we earned 2 points for a win on our picks and a point on a tie. We also earned a point for every game our team won. For me it's the Steelers, for you it's the Giants.

Me: The Giants play the Cowboys on Wednesday If the Giants win I get 1 point right away. Okay, here are my two picks... Houston will beat Miami by 9 points. The Philly's will beat Cleveland by a touchdown. Both games are on Sunday. Oh, how about for bonus points we can decide Mondays games? San Diego will beat Oakland by five points. What do you pick?

Jeff: My picks are Ravens by 4 over the Bengals and New England by 7 over the Titans. The Saints over the Redskins by 3.  It's too complicated keeping track of bonus points for Monday Night football. Since you left tracking scores to me I say we just pick 3 games a week, regardless of when they are played.

Me: Jeff, come back next week for week 2. It's on like Donkey Kong.

Jeff: See you next week. Get your Kleenex ready! You will need it. I'm out!

Me: He thinks I am gonna cry... I might. Thank you, Jeff Trelewicz.

Well, as I said the RNC earlier is over and of course the Democratic party all have opinions about this. One friend of the Phile and Democrat is really upset on what Paul Ryan had to say. So, please welcome back to the Phile Campaign Manager for Obama For America... Jim Messina.

Me: Hello, Jim, I know you're busy, but what did Ryan say that you want to talk about?

Jim: Jason, if you've seen any coverage of Paul Ryan's speech in Tampa, you know that the consensus among journalists and independent observers is that it was... factually challenged.

Me: Meaning he lied? What did he lie about?

Jim: He lied about Medicare. He lied about the Recovery Act. He lied about the deficit and debt.

Me: Anything else?

Jim: Yes. He even dishonestly attacked Barack Obama for the closing of a GM plant in his hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin.

Me: So, he didn't close down that GM plant?

Jim: That plant that closed in December 2008 under George W. Bush. He also failed to offer one constructive idea about what he would do to move the country forward.

Me: Hmmmm. Most readers or friends who support him would say this is ridiculous, Jim. You're picking on the small stuff.

Jim: Don't roll your eyes. We can't just groan and shrug and remark to our like-minded friends that this is ridiculous, because this is a significant moment in this campaign. The fact that this speech, on this huge stage, is this blatantly false represents a huge bet by the Romney campaign...

Me: So, why do you think they lied, if they did lie?

Jim: They've decided that facts, truth and reality will not be a brake on their campaign message. And they just signaled to the extremist billionaires and corporate interests that support them that they should go ahead and spend their hundreds of millions of dollars attacking Barack Obama with whatever lies can work.

Me: That makes sense. Thanks, Jim, I know you're busy getting the Democratic Convention ready. Talk to you soon. Jim Messina, everybody.

The 23rd artist to be pheatured in the P.P.A.G. is also a member of one of my favorite bands, and I can't believe he will be here on the Phile next Sunday. He's Kevin Hearn from Barenaked Ladies, and this is one of his pieces...

Like I said, Kevin will be a guest on the Phile a week from today.

Today's guests are thres guys that make up the band Mosey West whose new EP's "Vaca Money" and "Merica" is available on iTunes. They'll be appearing next at Hodi's Halfnote on September 8th in Fort Collins, CO. Please welcome to the Phile Mike McGraw, Adam Brown and Matt Weitz from... Mosey West.

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

Adam: I’m great. Thanks for having us on the Phile.

Me: I have to ask you about the band name, guys. There's no one in the band named Mosey West. Where did that name come from?

Adam: When we first started gigging we called ourselves the Living Rooms. We entered a contest presented by the Marquee Magazine and UI Sound Studios in Boulder, Colorado in February. Our demo of the song “Cold Prediction” was chosen as one of three finalists out of over 100 bands. We recorded “Cold Prediction” as our first single. The song won the Fresh Cuts Challenge in a month long online vote. The song was co-produced by Evan Reeves and mixed and engineered by Ben Romsdahl. We also won more studio time at UI Sound Studios and press coverage thanks to the Marquee Magazine. We recorded the album over the summer and finished tracking last July. The next month, we were mastering the album at Colorado Sound Studios and found another band online calling themselves the Living Rooms. Evan’s son suggested we call our band “Mosey”. That name was taken and over the phone I suggested Mosey West. We feel the name gives us a good identity and it’s kinda the story of civilization and Americans and that’s pretty much who we are.

Me: You guys are from Colorado, right? What part?

Adam: I’m was born and raised in Tyler, TX. I’ve lived in Fort Collins for the past decade.

Mike: Cleveland, OH, but I’ve lived here for 7 years or so.

Matt: I was born in California, but I was moved here when I was about 7.

Me: I interviewed two ladies that stick out in my mind from Colorado... Megan Burtt and Gabrielle Louise. Both are musicians and both have been on the Phile. Do you know them?

Adam: I’ve heard of Megan Burtt, but no I don’t know those gals.

Me: Mosey West has only been around for a year or so, am I right? Were you guys in other bands before Mosey West?

Mike: Yea, we’ve all been playing in bands since we were young.

Me: How did you all meet?

Mike: We’ve been around for just over a year. We have all played in various project over the years and met each other through jamming with other musicians in town.

Me: Growing up, what bands were you into? I am guessing Wilco... one of you guys must be a Wilco fan. The Jayhawks?

Adam: Actually we’re going to the Jayhawks and Justin Townes Earle show this month in Fort Collins. We all like Wilco and we’ve been compared to Uncle Tupelo quite a bit. I think "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" is one of the greatest albums ever.

Me: As you said Marquee Magazine awarded you one of the 10 best local albums of 2011. That's pretty cool. How did you find out you were nominated, and did you get anything cool over this?

Adam: We were really honored to be included on that list. There are a ton of great bands in Colorado and we were just stoked to be included with some of those great bands that released records this past year.

Me: I take it that album was your debut EP "Vaca Money". Is that short for vacation money?

Adam: No.

Me: Who came up with the EP title and what does it mean?

Adam: Matt names the albums. I’ll let him explain.

Matt: “Vaca” means “Cow” in espanol. The words “vaca” and “money” represent the two sides of the sound on this album. The dusty rural sun-beaten cow with flies buzzing takes a limousine to the air conditioned 100th floor executive boardroom and makes... "money”. "Vaca Money".

Me: I downloaded it from iTunes and really liked it. When was it recorded?

Adam: We began recording in March, but didn’t finish the album until July. We self-released the album September 30, 2011.

Me: And what's with the jar of milk on the cover? That has to represent something, am I right?

Matt: The milk jar is a visual metaphor for the same concept.

Adam: I shot the photo on a night out at the bars. I remember Matt kept drinking it so we had to add vodka to it. The actual album cover was shot at the bar of an Italian restaurant.

Me: I have a picture of that album cover here. It makes me thirsty but I am not a milk drinker.

Me: Adam, you kids describe your music as sonic rock. What is sonic rock? You guys are more like alt country.

Adam: No, it’s Sonic Folk. We were called that by a guy up in Estes Park, CO. Alt country, Americana and folk rock are other more popular ways to describe our music.

Me: Oh, Sonic Folk... Let's talk about the songs, Adam. Did you guys all write them?

Adam: Yea, we have about 35-40 original tunes. We don’t really play cover songs. We’re really trying to identify our sound together and focus on the songs that fit in that space and vibe. Mike writes half of the songs and I write half. We work on the melodies, harmonies and forms as a band. We are constantly writing and coming up with new songs and material.

Me: I like all the songs on the first EP, especially "Lonesome River". Is that a real place? My dad was Lonesome Dave, so that song is extra cool. I have no idea what that means.

Adam: Thanks man. Was he a musician? I think I’ve heard that name before.

Me: Yeah, he was a musician.

Adam: I began writing the song about the river in town, the Poudre River. After awhile the lyrics kinda meandered into a different meaning, but I like the songs feeling and that is why we put it on the album. We recorded it live in 3 takes and overdubbed the vocals and harmonica at about 4:30 in the morning. 

Me: And will you be touring? Is there a chance you'll be hitting Florida?

Adam: We’re looking to tour in Colorado as much as possible in 2012. A Southern tour is also in the works and we got some friends in good bands out in Texas and Georgia, so we might make it out to Florida and if we do we’ll let you know.

Me: Guys, thanks so much for being on the Phile. Come back later in the year when your next album is out. Why don't you go ahead and plug your website?

Adam: Thanks, man. You can stream our EP's, "Vaca Money" and "Merica" on our website, moseywest.com or stay updated on Facebook at: Facebook.com/moseywest.

Me: Best of luck, and keep in touch.

Adam: Thank you, sir.

Well, that does it for another entry of the Phile. Thanks to Jeff Trelewicz, Jim Messina and of course the boys in Mosey West. The Phile will be back tomorrow with Martin Belmont from Ducks Deluxe and next Sunday... Kevin Hearn! Then on Monday it's singer Anna Coogan. So, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.