Ska Gig Alert: 3 Floors of Ska at the Knitting Factory

If you are anywhere in the NYC area this Saturday night (November 1st), you might want to head down to the Knitting Factory for the 3 Floors of Ska show, with The Toasters and Pietasters as headliners (haven't seen either band in, like, forever). It's an all ages show (!) and the doors open at 7:00 pm.

Gonna be there lurking in the back with my beer, pretending not to be an old man in the crowd. Between work and the family, I don't get out that much anymore (jeez, I've become a stupid cliche...). There also may be a few more ex-Moon Records folks in attendance, like my good friend Adam "Coozer Files" Coozer. We'll talk about our fears of a world-wide zombie takeover and reminisce about the good days of the third wave and the awesomeness of working at Moon.

I'm interested in seeing the Green Room Rockers and Void Union, as I've heard lots of good things about both bands through the grapevine. I'll try to write up a show review if I get my act together...

I have a whole bunch of new ska and reggae CDs to review, too, if I ever find the time. Last night, I was writing up a short review of Prince Fatty's "Survival of the Fattest" (I picked it up when it was released last spring, but it's still worth reviewing), while freezing my butt off during my son's (outdoor) hockey practice...I squeeze in The Duff Guide to Ska when I can...

I should get one of those signs that says "One of these days I'm gonna get organezized". - T. Bickle

Oh, and Happy Halloween.

Duff Interview: Kendo from RiceRokit

Just who the heck is this Kendo guy that keeps popping up on the Duff Guide, you may be asking yourself. Well, he is the mad brain genius behind RiceRokit, a Southern California ska act that has created what this blogger thinks may be one of the best ska albums of 2008 (read the official Duff Guide to Ska review of RiceRokit's "Hang Loose" here). The Duff Guide to Ska thanks him for taking a break in his intake of horror and sci-fi movies (and other pop culture vehicles) to spend a few moments replying to some random questions bouncing around our head.

The Duff Guide to Ska: Before I first listened to "Hang Loose," I expected a bunch of sunshiny ska songs all about finding the perfect wave and chasing beach bunnies in the surf. But what I discovered is a kind of a dark album with a depth that is unusual for the ska scene. What was going on in your life when you wrote these songs (or what inspired them)?

Kendo: Sincere thanks for the kind words.

While it's true I was very lucky to be able to grow up seeking that elusive Pipeline barrel, and making-out with some nubile, salty ladies--once seriously discovering music, I grew extremely restless in the Hawaiian 'paradise' (or "Krypton," as we call it--seems like there's actually more GRAVITY there, and somehow many physical tasks seem to require much more effort--it's probably the HEAT--you either resist it, or succumb to it. Sadly, none of us ever actually turn out to be Superman...).

So even then, I was writing songs (with my industrial/heavy metal/punk rock band, 'minor blow') about darker things like thwarted love, conspiracies, revolution, and nuclear apocalypse (it was the 80's after all), and after dropping out of high school and dabbling early in some studies at the UH, my band and I done 'runnoft' to Hollywood--still teenagers, and now amidst a new kind of darkness--the music-scene/'war-zone' of Los Angeles.

Years of battling in the underground, indie-music clubs of LA, as well as a lengthy stint (and some hair-raising adventures) performing around third-world Asia, definitely colored the sound and perspective a bit, beyond the reefs and sunshine of the early days.

And so when I finally stumbled into playing ska and reggae with Dubcat, I was coming to it from very much a ROCK point-of-view--something that blended fairly well with the punk-influenced sound of the LBDA guys, and a style that even seemed to lend a pretty nice garage-y touch to Half Pint's set, when we'd occasionally back him up as well.

Obviously, the Sublime fellas (some of whom of course formed Dubcat) were famous for their dark imagery and sort-of sinister Long Beach reputation--however, I do try to consciously make a point to purposely AVOID that specific brand of subject matter, not only to just keep it real and endeavor to be myself, but also with the sincere intention of approaching subjects as much as possible (though they themselves may be dark and sometimes disturbing) from a place of POSITIVITY.

Hence the lyrical focus on elements of social and political commentary, as well as the satirical nature of RiceRokit's imagery, marketing and promotion. Vive la REVOLUTION!!!

DGTS: I've read that you created "Hang Loose" as a concept album. Can you elaborate on this--why you chose to put together an album this way, and how the songs relate to each other--what's the overarching story?

Kendo: Rumors and hearsay!!! Although maybe we should market this like Crispin Glover's infamous "The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be," and have people leave phone messages regarding what they think it all means...?

Wait a minute--now you've got me thinking there's some sort of relation to the songs--after all, as our good Doc Jung alludes with his "acausal connecting principle": aren't many things incoincidentally connected? Sing it, Sting--SYNCHRONICITY!!!

Seriously though--if there's anything linking the tunes, it's probably in their tendency to try to paint very 'visual' pictures and imagery, lyrically and musically--from a blue-haired lady with "little frog tattoos" on her toes, to that creepy, "wicked" carnival scenery, to the nocturnal, lunar cycle of the Wolfman, to riding a Big Wheel down the carpeted corridors of the Overlook Hotel, ya know?

Of course there is something to be said for the ability of those farther removed, to observe more of the big picture than the creator of the piece, who may be too close to the work--"Pretty Things," "Dance with You," "Betrayal," and "Dinner," are each and all about different, specific, female friends of the past. So there very well may be a type of pattern emerging.

Either that, or I just have a soft spot for the ladies...who doesn't?

DGTS: I love all the pop culture references ("The Shining," "Something Wicked This Way Comes," "Saturday Night Fever," werewolves, etc.) in many of your songs. Growing up, did you spend all your free time devouring movies? And which ones became your all-time favorites?

Kendo: Thanks, braddah!!! Yeah as a kid, I was definitely a movie-nut--and running off to Hollywood didn't help to cure me of that addiction, either. Still spend all my time keeping up with flicks--foreign and domestic (huge into Hong Kong cinema, and Japanese chanbara and anime as well). There's truly an unhealthy amount of movie-related trivia crammed into my cranium--actors' and directors' names, production details, score composers--it's very, very sad.

I do derive a whole lot of influence and inspiration from film, though. I believe a good flick can really cause a tremendous amount of people to THINK...and most importantly, like all great art--make them FEEL. That's how it works for me, anyways...I do deeply enjoy the medium!!!

My top 3 all-time favorites: "Blade Runner" (Ridley Scott), "Seven Samurai" (Akira Kurosawa), and "Princess Mononoke" (Hayao Miyazaki).

DGTS: "Hang Loose" has been released in Japan. How did this come about, and is RiceRokit going to be able to tour there? (For that matter, will you ever play NYC?)

Kendo: MySpace, MySpace, MySpace. I cannot say enough GOOD THINGS about that fricken site, mang!!! Brilliant, that--no longer does one have to lug about promo kits, demos, etc...ET VOILA--it's all on that bloody page!!! A Godsend, really.

Not only did I come upon Megalith Records' wonderful "3 Floors of Ska" show on there (which eventually led to our signing with the fantastic label), but our good man Bruce Pavey of Global Cooling in Japan also initially contacted us on the site as well--he had been referred to us by the guys at Long Beach Records, which we really appreciate, too.

Yeah, MySpace--very grateful for it. Thanks, Tom!!!

As far as touring goes--there has definitely been talk of such stuff, since the very beginning (and more of it recently, in relation to our upcoming European distribution of 'Pidgin English'). However, both our record deals (and CD pressings) are practically BRAND NEW, and I do imagine there will be a need to recoup a bit of the costs before we head out--anyways, that's what the SUITS keep telling us (except in Bucket's case, it's a really dapper, fitted, 60's-cut suit with a cool, skinny tie). !D

Regarding playing in Gotham--the original '3 Floors' show is out of the Knitting Factory over there, and I could foresee us making it out for that, with all the stars aligning correctly...

Regardless, I've got the travel bug pretty bad, what with my history of Asian hijinks, and some of the fun Dubcat plane trips with Half Pint. Even went on a month-long journey throughout Europe last year to do some serious reconnaissance for upcoming touring in that vicinity.

I'm extremely intent on seeing more of this big, beautiful world (including those 7 Wonders you're familiar with), so I've definitely got the feeling we'll make it happen one way or another--with a QUICKNESS.

DGTS: What were you doing before you hooked up with Dubcat (and how did you come to be in that band)?

Kendo: I had just moved back to LA in 2003, after a 9-month stint back in the motherland of Honolulu (spent surfing, contemplating my existence, and replenishing my power$, which had been sufficiently drained by a couple of years cruising for record deals around the Orient).

Upon returning to the city, I promptly grabbed a used board and paddled out at my favorite local spot called "Zero's," just north of Zuma Beach, and of course out in the water as usual was my oldest and best surfing buddy David Fuentes (bassist of LA ska veterans Hepcat--and who 'Hang Loose' is dedicated to). Lucky I ran into him there, as I had lost his number with all the traveling I'd been doing...

David had been trying to teach me the beauty of this "ska" music-thing for years (way back, he even got me out to the home of original Hepcat guitarist Lino Trujillo, to teach me how to REALLY play reggae--basically so David could have me try out for Hepcat--Lino was taking some time off for a bit, back then).

So while I was catching up with me ol' braddah, he told me that he was involved in a project with some of the guys from Sublime and Long Beach Dub Allstars, along with Hepcat founder Deston Berry on keys--they were calling this band, "Dubcat," and they needed a guitarist.

All my gear was still on a barge from Hawaii, so to go try out, I had to borrow an axe and amp from another one of our local Zero's surfer-bros, Corey Little--so I showed up to play reggae music with these guys, using a Gibson SG (Angus Young from AC/DC's signature axe) and a half Marshall stack. They thought I was showing up for the Iron Maiden audition--so rad!!!

DGTS: What can we expect on your next album, "Pidgin English?" Why did you choose this title? Is it another concept album?

Kendo: Since recording 'Hang Loose,' and playing those songs live for a while now, I'd definitely like to think that I've sort-of figured out much more of RiceRokit's sound, with the fun hybridization of the 2-tone elements, the 80's new-wave sensibilities, and of course that "Long Beach sound," still very much a part of it as well.

So on 'Pidgin,' I think you'll find a much more focused style--I feel like I really had my "formula" figured out for this one, and recording (while definitely intense and time-consuming) moved forward relatively confidently this time around.

The sound does branch-out a bit from the fairly straightforward 'Hang Loose' however, in the added elements of 80's vintage analog keyboard solos and tones. Also used a lot of delay on the drums, to give some of the tunes that Stewart Copeland 'Police' vibe, and even threw in a fun, Electro-Theremin solo in "Bela Lugosi."

Speaking of which--there are 2 cover songs on this one, and before the official pressing next Spring, I may even want to add another one. As strange as it might sound, I think I might be trying to mold RiceRokit into the modern-day UB40 of ska!!!

Regarding the title, 'Pidgin English'--for each CD, I try to come up with a phrase that is not only a Hawaiian reference, but is also made up of English words that will be understood by the majority of all the 'haoles' (mainlanders), hahaha--I'm "hapa-haole" (half-caucasian) myself, so I might understand the necessity to communicate in a language that can be easily understood by the masses.

"Hang Loose," obviously refers to the Hawaiian "shaka" hand sign (with the thumb and pinky extended), and the "Pidgin English" I'm referring to, is the slang-filled, heavily accented version of English that the indigenous people of Hawaii speak--just as Jamaican people have their "patois" language as well.

Uh-oh--the "concept album" suspicion again... Another reason these tracks may seem linked, is that (a lot of folks might not know), the original, underground versions of the RiceRokit CDs have various INTERLUDE tracks, consisting of movie samples, music, and other such nonsense. These tracks were not included on the official Megalith/Global Cooling pressings, as Hollywood's army of lawyers would surely have pounced upon us like the rabid vultures they are (of course NOT including our own entertainment attorney, and great friend!!!).

DGTS: Which ska/reggae bands on the Southern California scene do you think are worth checking out?

Kendo: Down here in San Diego, my favorite local band is SD vets, Skanic--just the most versatile, professional, slick group, with a deep understanding of a wide spectrum of reggae and ska music, I think.

Then a little while back, we had a memorial show for David down here, and this other surfer buddy that would come down from Santa Barbara and surf with us at Zero's--Oreo--played with his band The Upbeat. I had heard about them for years, but that was the first time I'd ever actually saw them, and they totally BLEW ME AWAY. Real pros, and nice aloha shirts, too.

Also Jesse Wagner (who filled in a few times on vocals in Dubcat) and his band The Aggrolites have been blowing up lately, and they most definitely deserve it. As far as I'm concerned, that band is the BAR of professionalism that's been raised--and that (and higher) is the level of performance that I endeavor to persevere to reach and maintain with RiceRokit.

I mean in my opinion, if you're not going to go FULL ON like those guys, then just go home. Otherwise, just try coming out half-assed directly following an Aggrolites set, and see what happens to the crowd. Ba-bye.

Lastly if they can be considered a So. Cal. band (since Mr. Wakeling lives near LA now), The English Beat (or 'The Beat,' in England) are one of my major 2-tone heroes that definitely continue to RAWK the Cali scene with those fantastic songs.

DGTS: Apart from the release of "Pidgin English," what plans do you have for RiceRokit for the next year or so?

Kendo: Since it seems in this era, some of the most efficient and successful methods of marketing and promotion are internet-based, we'll continue with more of the YouTube videos for sure. And now that the recording is complete, we've been fine-tuning the live show as well (concentrating fairly heavily on vocal harmonies), so making some important shows really COUNT is certainly part of the equation.

And touring? When the money starts looking right, and the powers-that-be give the thumbs up--our bags are already packed.

Kid British-Manchester's Best New Hope for UK Ska?

Kid British describe themselves as "a gooey mixture of The Specials, Outkast, Madness, De La Soul, Gorillaz, The Streets, and Blur." (Hey, I like all of these bands, tell me more!) Take a listen to three of their tunes, "Elizabeth," "Sunny Days," and "Rum Boy," on the Kid British MySpace page and see what you think.

Most obviously, there is a heavy Madness and Specials-as-channeled-through-Damon Albarn/Blur influence, which I personally dig. Ska on the pop tip (yes, "Sunny Days" does remind one of ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky," a song I'll be bold enough to admit liking)--it crawls into your head and lives there happily for a while. Kid British is definitely something worthwhile to listen to--in its own right and while you wait for Madness' new album, The Liberty of Norton Folgate, which is supposed to come out exactly when? (While we wait impatiently, Suggs has apparently been filming a travelogue about Italy for British TV: Suggs's Italian Job.)

I hate the whole "next big thing" crap hype (hey, it helped kill US ska and Moon Records at the end of the 90s..once bitten, right?), but these guys sound like they might be able to deliver on their promise. Their first single is going to be released on October 27th in the UK on Another Music=Another Kitchen Records (don't miss the Buzzcocks reference there, folks) and distributed by Mercury/Universal. I don't know if this will be available as an import in the US, but perhaps we can buy it on iTunes? Their album is slated for release in spring 2009.

Read a bit more about the band in these articles from the Guardian and the BBC.

The Specials' Neville Staple to Pen Autobiography

Not to be outdone by Sir Horace Gentleman, The Specials' Neville Staple recently sold the rights to his autobiography, titled "Original Rude Boy," to Aurum Press in England. His tome should hit the bookstore shelves in 2010. In the press release, his editor at Aurum, Sam Harrison, gushes:

'I'm absolutely delighted Aurum are publishing Nev's autobiography. He's a legend. Not just in the history of Ska, but in the history of Pop per se. With its insider's view of The Specials and the Transatlantic post-punk music scene; not to mention its often harrowing, frequently hilarious account of growing up the wrong side of the law in Seventies Britain, ORIGINAL RUDE BOY promises to be the must-read memoir of Summer 2010.'

The press release also hypes Neville as the "godfather of ska." I have a great deal of respect for Neville, but that's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? The spirit of Laurel Aitken might want to have a word with his publicist...

I hope this one's as enjoyable a read as Sir Horace Panter's "Ska'd for Life."

Shots in the Dark: The Potato 5 - "Floyd Lloyd and the Potato 5 Meet Laurel Aitken" and "True Fact"

Editor's note: Shots in the Dark spotlights third-wave ska releases that should have been massive hits on the scene but, due to bad timing, poor luck, or a fickle record-buying public, were lost in the fray.

The Band: The Potato 5, an extraordinary Skatalites-styled ska group from London that featured a rotating line-up of singers in its all too brief history (1983-1989), including Floyd Lloyd Seivright, Laurel "The Godfather of Ska" Aitken, and Spyder Johnson (who went on to drum for the Nutty Boys--an early '90s ska band formed by Madness' Lee Thompson and Chris Foreman).

The Sound: Floyd Lloyd and the Potato 5 Meet Laurel Aitken is brilliant, vintage-style ska (in the vein of the Skatalites, Derrick Morgan, Prince Buster, and, not surprisingly, Laurel Aitken). True Fact tries to modernize their sound in an attempt to catch the attention of those beyond the ska crowd, with mixed results.

The Releases: Floyd Lloyd and the Potato Five Meet Laurel Aitken, produced by Gaz Mayall of The Trojans (and originally released on Gaz's Rockin' Records), is a classic album that should be in every ska fan's collection--it's that essential. Released in 1987, long after 2-Tone imploded, but during a rebirth of the UK ska scene that spawned such contemporaries as The Deltones (formed by ex-Bodysnatchers Sarah Jane Owen and Penny Layton), The Loafers, The Trojans, Maroon Town, The Riffs, as well as the latest incarnation of Bad Manners (the only 2-Tone-era group that never really disbanded), this album established the Potato 5 as the undisputed leaders of the UK ska scene (and introduced Laurel Aitken to a whole new generation of ska fans--which re-ignited his career and led to a string of new albums, re-issued collections of his singles from the 60s and 70s, and live appearances that continued unabated until his death in 2005). Floyd Lloyd and the Potato Five Meet Laurel Aitken is stunning from start to finish.

Side A features a mix of tunes written by Floyd Lloyd (who also sings) and the Potato 5's guitarist Martin Aberdeen, including the anti-aparthied/pro-peace and justice rave-up "Tear Up"; the infectiously danceable instrumentals "Jessie Jackson" and "Spin on Your Head"; the melancholy, but cooly encouraging "Big City" ("The city is a big, big, place/Don't let it get to you/Don't let it change your point of view...You've got to keep yourself together/Keep on truckin'..."); and the awesome spaghetti western-inspired instrumental "Western Special" that would make Don Drummond, Tommy McCook, Roland Alphonso, et al proud.

Laurel Aitken owns Side B, with a string of self-penned songs that instantly became some of his trademark Third Wave ska hits in the 1990s: "Sally Brown" (which Bad Manners subsequently covered on their Return of the Ugly album), "Mad About You," and "Sahara." "Sally Brown" in particular is incredibly catchy, with lyrics that will have you singing along everytime you hear it: "Make me tell you 'bout Sally Brown/Sally Brown is a girl in town/She don't mess around/Sally Brown is a slick chick/If you mess around with Sally/She hits you with a cookoomacka stick/Coo-coo-coo-coo-coo-koo-macka stick/She's gonna hit you with a cookoomacka stick!" Laurel is at the top of his game here (as he would be for the rest of his career); the songs are amazing and his performances (as well as the Potato 5's) are brilliantly honest and masterful. "Meet Laurel Aitken" and you'll see that his title as "The Godfather of Ska" is more than well deserved.

True Fact, produced by Specials, Madness, and Rico Rodriguez collaborator Dick Cuthell (and released on Rackit Records in 1988), is more problematic and something of a letdown. The songs--all still trad-leaning ska--are good (mostly the ones written by the Potato 5's Paul Hickson and Martin Aberdeen) to great (those composed by Laurel), but the disconcertingly robotic-sounding rhythm section (really the drums--and synthesized drums are sometimes used here to poor effect) really clashes with the organic sound of the horn section--marring many of the songs on this record. Having said that, sometimes the formula works well (mostly with Laurel's tracks, as his songwriting is vastly superior in several cases), as on tracks like the awesome Hitchcockian "Dial M for Murder" (I always thought the line "You picked me pocket/You know it was a rackit" was "You picked me pocket/You know it was erotic," but I guess that's just me being me), "Burning Fire" ("Burning flames of fire/To your musical desire/Ska Flames!"), "Got to Go," and "Heman vs Skeletor" (hey, it was still the '80s!). The Rocksteady Party repackaging of True Fact, which is widely available now (the True Fact LP I have is long out-of-print and my CD of this album was pressed in Japan) includes their great cover of "Do the Jerk" (with Spyder on vocals) and the "I swear the Skatalites wrote this" instrumental "Re-Burial" from their last 1989 single (both cuts bump up the overall quality of this record a couple of notches).

The Ugly Reality:While the Potato 5 were enormously popular on the UK and European ska scenes, they made only minor inroads in the US, particularly because the late '80s ska scene was small, regionalized, disorganized, and very much underground (and to top it off, no internet to connect us all yet, man!). After a brutal tour of the US in late 1989 (I think I saw a CBGB's ad in the Village Voice that had them on the bill, but by then I had already missed the gig!), the band called it quits. Our big loss...

The Grades: Meet Laurel Aitken:A+; True Fact:B; Rocksteady Party:B+

The Floyd Lloyd and the Potato 5 Meet Laurel Aitken CD is available from Grover Records in Germany (you can also sample tracks and buy it from iTunes), while True Fact has been repackaged as Rocksteady Party on Magnum Music and can be listened to and purchased from iTunes (and is available on CD as well).

Mojo Does The Ska: Johnny Moore and the almost there Specials

The November 2008 issue of Mojo Magazine (with the Combat Rock- era Clash on the cover) features two ska articles of note: a decent obit for Skatalites' trumpeter Johnny Moore by Lee Perry/reggae expert David Katz, and a piece on The Specials minus Jerry Dammers' (aka "Terry Hall and Friends") performance at Bestival on the Isle of Wight, in early September. (Terry Hall and Friends played "Gangsters" and then the whole debut album, but swapped "Stupid Marriage" for "Rat Race")

Mojo dubs the band "The Partial AKA" and prints Dammers' reaction to the whole deal, which wasn't exactly glowing:

They did a fantastic job, but I think one of the reasons that I was excluded and didn't want to take part was because I had expressed the opinion that the real Specials would never do a gig where the real Specials fans couldn't even get in--Bestival was already sold out. I went, and it was very weird for me. Without my influence it felt like they were playing themselves a bit, it was too much of a 'fun' thing, a bit of a 'stars of the '80s' nostalgia vibe, not what a real reunion would have been at all. There was something missing, but unfortunately I'm the only person who really knows what that is. The subtleties in the music were a bit lost on them. "Doesn't Make It Alright" should have had the hairs on the back of your neck standing up, but compare it to the record and the heart and soul was a bit lacking. The best excuse for a reunion is if you can do some really good new music. The guy playing keyboards pulled his cap over his face so you couldn't see it wasn't me, which says it all.

Ouch.

Megalith Records to Release RiceRokit's Pidgin English in Spring 2009

I received an e-mail from Kendo and TeamRokit a few days ago that passed along the news that Pidgin English, RiceRokit's follow-up to their outstanding Hang Loose CD, is slated to be released on Megalith Records in spring 2009.

Apparently Kendo's fanboy obsession with horror movies continues to find a healthy outlet in his music--he included a cut from Pidgin English to preview: RiceRokit's terrific cover of Bauhaus' classic goth track "Bela Lugosi's Dead" (definitely one song I never expected to receive a ska makeover). For anyone who isn't familiar with Bela Lugosi, he was an actor best known for his seminal portrayal of Dracula in the 1932 version of this film (a role he reprised for the equally great Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein in 1948) and for subsequent B horror films for Universal Pictures and others (Murders in the Rue Morgue, Island of Lost Souls, The Raven, Son of Frankenstein). Late in his life, he worked with bizarro filmmaker Ed Wood (Martin Landau portrayed Lugosi in Tim Burton's film of the same name), appearing in Glen or Glenda and the truly awful and almost unwatchable Plan 9 from Outer Space.

While I'm biding my time until Pidgin English sees the light of day, perhaps Megalith will release Hang Loose on vinyl? It deserves this kind of treatment. Jeremy? Buck?

Are You There Jah? It's Me, Rudy!

This bizarre, yet strangely endearing video by the long-defunct Christian rock band Sonseed (they, we, all of us are the, um, 'seed' of Jesus?) has been making the rounds and many of you, no doubt, have seen it. But just in case you haven't...

There is just so much awesomeness here ("He [Jesus] is like a mountie/He always gets his man/and he'll zap you anyway he can...Zap!") that I don't know where to begin.



Sonseed: "Jesus is a Friend of Mine"

Apparently, this is a real video from the early 80s of Sonseed's performance on a religious talk show titled "The First Estate" that aired on WNBC in NYC on Sunday mornings.

For some much needed context, Dougsploitation has a recent interview with Sonseed singer, Sal Polichetti, here.