William Schaff is, for lack of a better way of saying it, a damn good artist.  His cover art for bands may be what he’s best known for, but paintings, etchings, collages and embroidery are all part of his oevre (there’s that word again) and when he’s not creating visual art he’s creating aural art as the drummer in the Providence-based marching band What Cheer? Brigade.

When we asked William why he agreed to judge our Figment Album Cover Design Contest his answer was very telling, “I was flattered and honored you would think of me and my work for such a task. I hope to be able to put what eye I have towards the efforts of others. To share my joy and knowledge of art with those who are sharing the same. I am just a voice, not a judge. A fellow artist, being asked to give my thoughts on other artists’ efforts. I look forward to it.”

It’s his lack of pretense that makes William so special, and made our talk with him about his art so revealing.

Figment News:  You’re an artist and a musician. Do you think being a member of several bands has informed your art?

William Schaff:  Sure, because music influences my art. It’s an amazing thing, music. I have found that it has taken me to places, and kept me grounded in a way nothing else has. Therefore getting to be a part of creating and perpetuating such an amazing things as gathered sound….well that keeps me hopeful. When I am hopeful, I make art.

FN:  How did you get started in album cover design?

WS:  Someone asked me to make art for their record. I know it’s not exciting to say it like that, but that’s how it came about. I guess the first “job” you could say I had was when I was a little kid. My mom would ask me to make covers for the mix tapes she made. She would pay me a quarter for doing each cover. that said, I was often asking her if she needed a mix cover done. I started my own business and called it “cover up”. Witty, yes?

FN:  You’ve had a long and well publicized relationship designing album covers for the band Okkervil River. How did that relationship begin and is it hard being identified so closely with one band’s visual identity?

WS:  It started partly because of the similarity of our names. [editor's note:  Okkervil River's lead singer & songwriter is name Will Sheff]  Long story short, a mutual friend introduced us, we started talking music,. Will asked if I wanted to do the artwork for their upcoming release on Jagjaguwar. I guess the only thing that may be considered “hard” about it is folks thinking that because of all these years I’ve done work for Okkervil, I am out of their price range ( I do keep my prices competitive and on the cheaper side), or that I make a lot of money from it, thus I can do charity work for them. Both ends are troublesome for me. The former loses me work without folk even approaching me, the latter has people approaching me and getting upset when I say Ineed “x” amount to do the job. They seem to feel I must be living comfortably enough that I can help a new band out for free.

FN:  How do you work with Okkervil River? Is it a collaborative relationship or do they simply leave you to create a cover image?

WS:  It is more collaborative than most other peoples’ projects. I don’t know if this is because of how long we have worked together, or just because of the relationship Will and I have cultivated. Will is really good about providing alot of ideas, lyrics and thoughts to me when we’ve worked on new projects. Ultimately, the images are what come from my head, but to say Will’s influence is not in there would be incorrect. In some form or fashion, they are very much in there.

FN:  You’ve worked with other bands like Songs: Ohia and Godspeed You! Black Emperor.  How does working with them relate or differ to your work with a band like Okkervil River where you design all of their covers?

WS:  It varies. Godspeed asked me to use the images they used. I did not create those images for them. But bands like Songs:  Ohia, that’s the way I work with most bands. I asked for some things Jason was thinking of when he made the album, listen to tracks he provide me with, and go from there. In his case, all he said to me was that when he wrote the songs he was thinking a lot about owls, pyramids, and magnolias.

FN:  You’ve create pieces in a variety of mediums – paintings, drawings, collages, embroidery, mail art, scratchboards, movies and comics. Are you always looking for new ways to express yourself or simply don’t like to be restricted in how you express your ideas?

WS:  Certain pieces just feel as though they need to be created in certain medium. Granted, I have done some pieces repeatedly in a variety of mediums, but most pieces don’t speak to me that way. That sounds hokey, doesn’t it?

FN:  What inspires your art?

WS:  Watching everything going on around me.

FN:  How has the internet changed how you create? Is it harder to have an impact with an album cover in this day and age?

WS:  I am not sure. I would guess it is. I am sure it must be easier to not think of album art. I know many folks who when their iTunes is playing a track they have a big empty space with the musical note on their screen when the song is playing. I am baffled when I see this. I know for me, I go nuts searching for some of the album art. I cannot stand it if a track is playing and there is not the appropriate image up there on the screen. I imagine this is more a quirk of mine than the norm, though. Like folks who get pissed if the fork is on the wrong side of the place setting. Do people even think about that anymore? Is album art becoming the 21st century version of the place setting for silverware?

FN:  What is your work process like when designing an album cover?

WS:  I usually listen to the album over and over again, on repeat, as I create the work. This can often stand as a testament to the record if I don’t get bored of it while I making it. Think of it…listening to an full length l.p 30 to 40 times in a row. This isn’t always the case, though. For instance, I still haven’t heard the Mighty Mighty Bosstones album I did the artwork for, not one track off of it, but I did listen to a lot of their older tunes as I made it. But I will put the music on, sometimes sketch out very loose concept ideas, other times just stare at the blank surface I creating the piece on and dive right in. But it is safe to say that each album cover I have done (except for the Bosstones) shows a bit of where my head is at, at the time I creating it.

FN:  When you create a cover are you trying to capture the theme or sound of the recording or are you merely trying to grab a buyer’s attention with a striking image?

WS:  Not so much the second part you mentioned. I don’t think that comes into my mind as much as trying to capture what I hear in the album, and what’s going on in my own life at the same time. I guess I have (maybe an egotistical) faith that if Imake an image that I think is good, others will as well.

FN:  Who are some of the artists or designers who have inspired your work over the years?

WS:  Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, the dreaded “inspiration” question!  The list is too long, but this much I can say.  I have learned a lot…looked at as teachers, you might say, from Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Kathe Kollwitz, Norman Rockwell, Samuel Bak, Rene Magritte, Jungil Hong, Dan Blakeslee, Brian Chippendale, Cw Roelle.  This is the short list.

FN:  Are they any other current album cover designers who you think are doing innovative or particularly beautiful work?

WS:  The one that stands out in my head as I read this question is the is the artwork for Of Montreal’s “Skeletal Lamping”. I like that cover alot.  [designed by the band's lead singer & songwriter Kevin Barnes]  It’s exciting and fun. It captures the sound of their music very well. I am also a big fan of Brian Chippendale’s album covers for his band, Lightning Bolt. But I might be biased on that one, as I am a big fan of his work and his work ethic. I always thought the packing for that June of 44 album, the one that was basically a big matchbook, I always thought that was clever. I like it when a band gives me something to experience than is more than just the music. This is one of the reasons I love working for Graveface Records. Ryan Graveface always has such interesting ideas for how he wants people to experience the product that it becomes more than just music. For example, the recent record I did for his band, Dreamend, is an animated disc that you can watch as well as listen to at the same time.

FN:  You’ve recorded several YouTube videos and have been photographed wearing a variety of masks. Is that a way of maintaining anonymity, a signature look or simply an outgrowth of your playing drums in the “What Cheer? Brigade”.

WS:  I am not into people knowing what I look like unless I meet them face to face. I really believe that knowing what some artist you have never met looks like robs some folks of the ability to put themselves into the pieces they see. Instaead, the imagine this person they have seen an image of (and what that person must be like based on what they have seen) and view the art through that instead of vewing it through their own life. A good example would be Jandek. Think of how curious people were of who he is…they focused so much more on his music as a result. I would like to direct people to focus more on the visuals I create than the ugly mug I have, and what they might think the artist is like because they have seen it.

FN: In your bio you refer to punching people in the head as your regular pay work. Are you a boxer? Or simply fighting to make a living?

WS:  I was, until recently, the head of security (a bouncer) at a sizable nightclub. I had to stop. It was really starting to get to me that one can make much more money dealing with drunks than they can making art. As a result, I am now two months behind in my mortgage. I need an agent, or a manager. Dang.

FN:  You post a lot of the pieces you create on your Flickr account, some of them while they are still in progress. Do you do that to gather feedback or simply as a way to keep fans of your work up-to-date on what you’re doing at all times?

WS:  Both. I would love constructive feedback, because there is still much for me to learn, and a lot of folks out there who could probably give me good advice. But also, I get antsy if I don’t show folk that I am always working. I start to feel like a bum, and I need to prove to folk even though I am not making much money, I am still working plenty. This way no one can point their finger at me and say, “get a job!”  I got one already, and I can point to a lot of work to prove it. Although I am not sure if a vocation can be held up as a verified job. Can it?

FN:  Any words of advice for anyone interested in becoming an album cover designer?

WS:  Have a good day job or at least a modest trust fund.

FN:  We ask it to everyone, if you had to create a fake band what would its name be? First album? Any ideas for an album cover image?

WS:  Some folks I know came up with a band they wanted to (but never did) start called, “The Gini Pigs”. It was this handful of women of Italian descent at this bar I used to go to. They wanted to do harcore versions of Sinatra and traditional Italian songs. I thought the would have been brilliant! For album covers…hmmm..it would be debaucherous, and fun. It would involve something that looked fueled by outside, booze fueled influences. Might involve the leaning tower of Pisa as well, or some very recognizable Italian reference.

I’ll say it again…William Schaff is a damn good artist.  So show him some love and buy his stuff here and here.  Oh, and if you have a question for him – ask away, something tells me he’ll answer.

Without a doubt one of the best jobs I ever had growing up was working at a record store.  It wasn’t an independent store, but a local chain called Kemp Mill Records that has since shrunk to only one store.  Whether it was helping customers find new music, debating the merits of the latest releases with my co-workers or simply feeding my own musical jones by spending everything I earned on the very music I sold, it was a great experience.  I loved that job and I still think fondly of it many moons later.

The problem is that my memory may well become a memory for every person who loves music, because record stores like Kemp Mill are slowly but surely being pushed to the brink of extinction by the internet and illegal downloads.  Even huge chains like Tower,  HMV, Sam Goody and Virgin have closed up shop.  Despite this trend, independent record stores continue to survive.  Whether it’s Stinkweeds in Phoenix, AZ or Bleeker Bob’s in New York City, all of us at Figment have a favorite record store.  The question is for how much longer?

That’s why we’re excited about a new book called “Record Store Days” by Gary Calamar and Phil Gallo.  The book, which will be released by Sterling Publishing on April 6, 2010, takes you behind the counter with fascinating first-person accounts from the store owners and clerks who have made browsing for records a national pastime for nearly 100 years. Out just in time for the 3^rd annual Record Store Day (April 17, 2010 www.recordstoreday.com), the book features more than 150 photographs and is filled with reminiscences from musicians, music industry executives, record store owners and music fans from all across America.

For Phil Gallo, a music journalist and entertainment writer for over 25 years, this book was a labor of love.  We had a chance to talk with Phil about “Record Store Days” and what he thinks the future holds for records stores.

Figment News (FN):  Growing up I worked in a record store and I think it still ranks as one of my favorite jobs.  How did you get involved in this project?  Did you ever work at a record store yourself?

Phil Gallo (PG):  My co-author Gary Calamar worked in record stores from the 1970s into the 1990s and came up with the idea for the book a few years ago. Once he got a publisher interested and the concept worked out, it was clear a writer was going to be needed, which is when I came in. While in college I worked in a  stereo store that had a record department.

FN:  What is the attraction of a record store versus buying music online?

PG:  A physical product resonates with the mind more than a digital file. Holding music in your hands, seeing the pictures, reading the liner notes and credits and allowing all of that to go into your decision to make a purchase while some other music that you have not selected is playing …. Whew! It’s wonderful sensory overload. There’s a reason you should always bring a list when you go to a well-stocked music store. It’s easy – and a load of fun – to be overwhelmed like that.

FN:  Do you have any idea how many independent record stores still exist?

PG:  That’s a very tough question. At the time of last year’s Record Store Day, it was estimated there are about 3,000 physical retail operations that sell recorded music. How that breaks down I am not sure. One thing is certain – a decade earlier it was 12,000.

FN:  How do small independent record stores regain the attention of kids weaned on illegal downloads and iTunes?

PG:  That’s where history repeats itself – service, selection and value, the elements that stores used to distinguished themselves when there were three outlets in one mall or three stores within a few blocks of each other. The Internet has convenience all to itself, but smart record store owners stay in business by filling customers’ needs first. It has become a largely hand-selling business. By that I mean, record stores are keeping the lights on by informing their customers about music, offering products that make sense to purchase in a physical format and by having in stock, music that gives a store an identity. In some cases that means having every Pink Floyd title; elsewhere, it means having all of Neutral Milk Hotel on vinyl.

FN:  We’re currently running an album cover design contest on Figment.  How important do you think album cover art is in selling a recording?

PG:  Massively important from the late 1960s up until the mid-1990s, which is covered in  the book. At the point vinyl completely went away, CDs became much simpler in the design department with an emphasis on typography. The reintroduction of vinyl has helped reinvigorate album cover design as artists have a nice 12 X 12 surface to convey a concept. Sonic Youth has always had great album covers and that must be rubbing off on acts that hold them in high regard for their music.  I’m guessing a lot of indie rock acts aspire to provide arresting visuals beyond concert posters.

FN:  Are we losing something by not being able to hold a record or CD in our hands before we buy it?

PG:  Yes.  Information.  Music becomes less visceral and more of a consumer good. The portability of music has diminished its value. That was true with cassettes, too.

FN:  What’s your involvement with Record Store Day and can you tell us a little about it?

PG:  Record Store Day was created by members of three organizations that support independent record stores and help enhance their buying power and access to releases. Our book is being released in April to coincide with Record Store Day and the organizers, especially Michal Kurtz of Music Monitor Network, were very helpful to us in getting the word out when we were writing and gathering photographs. This year RSD is expanding internationally but we have no actual connection to the event.

FN:  You chronicle some legendary in-store shows in the book can you tell us about one in particular that you think best sums up the record store experience?

PG:  We’re spoiled here in L.A. because Amoeba has brought in Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, etc. and the old Rhino had Nirvana and acts of that sort, not to mention Tower Records on Sunset. The McCartney show was the ultimate in-store event. Here you had one of the world’s biggest superstars performing amid the bins and he didn’t short-change it – he played 45 minutes or so in a set that went far beyond introducing the music on the new album.  In-store shows are the ultimate raw performances and you can honestly say the Paul McCartney Amoeba show is as rare an event as you can get.

FN:  You’ve covered the music industry for some time now.  What influence do you think record stores have had on music and the music industry over the years?

PG:  One of the subtexts of the book is the role stores had in shaping the business. There’s not a store that was not started by an enthusiast who saw records as a way to be surrounded by the music they loved. Get a clerk behind a release and a record label had a much-needed allay in the ’60s and ’70s when wall space was not sold. These clerks would create the displays themselves with materials supplied by the labels. When record stores were filed with knowledgeable clerks – and that goes back to the late 1930s – they shaped the popularity of music. Don’t forget, the charts were based on what a record store’s managers told a chart complier at a magazine and often they’d bump up numbers on their favorite bands. I always got a charge out of good albums that would do well in stores or have a prominent display position despite the fact that it was getting no airplay. It said, to me anyway, that the store has a believer looking to turn on people to music that he or she loves.  Apple’s iTunes has a considerable effect on what’s popular today; it’s a rare case when an album only does well in only CD or digital.

In a nutshell, records in the 1960s were sold in places that sold items besides just records. Instruments, electronics, drugstores. As the rock music developed in the album format in the late 1960s, it became a viable business model for guys who wanted to have stores with nothing but records. The more places to sell records, the more artists the labels would sign and the more albums they would release. Look at music today. Fewer physical outlets has meant much smaller rosters and far fewer releases than just five or six years ago.

FN:  One of my favorite independent record stores is Flat, Black & Circular in East Lansing, MI.  I also love Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ.  What is your favorite record store and where is it located?

PG:  It’s so hard to narrow down. I shop regularly at Amoeba in L.A. and Freakbeat in Sherman Oaks, Calif., do mail order with Dusty Groove in Chicago and always visit Downtown Music Gallery when I’m in New York City. I really like specialty shops and that makes Downtown Music Gallery, which thrives on avant-garde everything – jazz, folk, rock, classical – my ultimate favorite.

Side note: In recent years, record stores have struggled the most in college towns such as East Lansing, because the students are the ones most likely to pilfer music from Internet sites. At the same time, it’s the record collections of professors that, when they decide to unload them, can make the inventory in college town stores  much more interesting than your standard used shop.

FN:  What do think the future holds for independent record stores?  Will they survive?

PG:  What will make it tough is coming to terms with how to stay stocked and how to spend money to have the right selections. Smaller stores that focus on fewer genres will need to be able to sell two of three copies of many albums rather than hundreds of 10 or 20 titles. The more the indies can keep their customers informed, usually via the Internet, the better; they need to be seen as one-stop shopping, no different than Amazon. Music has become too vast for the average consumer looking to buy an album that’s not played relentlessly on the radio. The store owner is in a position to tout their wares rather than wait for a review from Pitchfork or Rolling Stone that might move some units and they have to take advantage of that. General interest record stores will always have to have the DVDs, clothes, toys, comics and books to remain profitable. Vinyl, new and used, will help prop up some stores but who knows how long this “revival” will last.

FN:  As you may know, Figment is a site devoted to fake bands.  If you could open up a fake record store what would you name it?

PG:  As a nod to great stores of the past such as Oar Folkjokeopus and Licorice Pizza, I would tap my favorite musical artists for inspiration.  Subterranean Smokestack Records.

Record stores have a rich history, some of which is chronicled in Record Store Days, but they don’t have to become history if we continue to support our local record store.  So on April 17, 2010 take a moment to visit your local record store and pick up a record from your favorite artist or better yet let them help you discover someone new, but don’t let it end there, keep going, and we can all do our part to add more chapters to the story that is our local record store.

We’re in the final week of our Figment Concert Poster Contest, and with the deadline looming we thought it might be a good idea to introduce you to the guy who’s going to be picking the eventual winner and designing a poster for one of their Figment bands.

Lonny Unitus is a professional poster artist from Minneapolis, MN who has been creating posters for musical artists as diverse as AC Newman, The Melvins, Guttermouth and Mastodon since 1997.   He also designs merchandise for bands like Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss, Slipknot, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Rob Zombie.

We were interested in finding out more about Lonny’s creative process and how he actually works with bands to create such original concert posters, so here’s what he had to say…

Figment News:  How did you get started in the poster business?

Lonny Unitus:  I’ve been drawing/Xeroxing posters since high-school. I was in a band in college, so was very active in the music scene and created a lot of flyers for my band and friend’s bands. I got serious about posters after working a corporate job for a few years. I was looking for a creative outlet and saw what my friends from college were doing (Michael Byzewski from Aesthetic Apparatus and Miss Amy Jo) with screenprinting and rock posters. I was living in Mississippi at the time (for my job) but hooked up with two friends in Fargo (a promoter, and my old band-mate who is a screenprinter – Justin Seng). When I moved back to Minnesota, I joined a studio with Miss Amy Jo and Wes Winship from Burlesque of North America, and learned how to screenprint myself.

FN:  Did you study graphic design in school or did you just start creating posters for friend’s bands?

LU:  I majored in Art with a concentration in Illustration.

FN:  Is the concert poster business very DIY or do you think it’s becoming more professional?

LU:  Both. For every studio that grows and takes on big jobs for big clients, there are several artists just starting out and screenprinting in their apartments or dorm rooms.

FN:  How do you start working with a band?  Does the band approach you directly or are you hired by the promoter of a show?

LU:  While I used to chase after bands I wanted to work for, now the majority of my work comes directly from promoters and bands who find me.

FN:  Do you try to create posters that mirror the music of the band you are designing for or do you get inspiration from other sources?

LU:  It’s important for me to design a poster that is appropriate for the band, and that the fans connect with.

FN:  What’s involved (the steps) in producing a poster for a band?

LU:  It differs from job to job. Sometimes the band may have an idea, or would reference one of my other posters and say “something like this,” or the ball’s in my court to come up with something. I’ll usually send out a rough pencil sketch of the idea, and maybe block in some color. Once that is approved I’ll move right to the finished design.

FN:  You’ve worked with indie and well known major label artists.  Which do you prefer to work with?  Which allows you more creative freedom?

LU:  Oddly enough, I’ve had more freedom with bigger bands. I think smaller/indie  bands want to be more a part of the whole process, and I’m cool with that. Up and coming bands are often just establishing their visual identity, so they’re a bit more guarded. Not to say I haven’t worked with some big bands that were picky, but I often get more input/critiques with indie bands.

FN:  How did you start working with bands like Kiss and Slpknot to produce their merch?

LU:  I work with two major merchandising companies that are pretty much responsible for all the shirts you see at stores like Hot Topic and the like.  So, through those two companies I’ve done work for Kiss, Slipknot, HIM, Ozzy Osbourne, and Red Hot Chili Peppers to name a few.

FN:  I noticed you’re a member of the Minnesota chapter of the International Cartoon Conspiracy.  What’s that all about and how are you involved?

LU:  It’s a group of Minneapolis cartoonists that meet monthly and “jam,” produce mini-comics (usually Xeroxed DIY kind of things), and produce box-sets of comics called Lutefisk Sushi.  A poster maker friend of mine hooked me up with that group when I moved to town.

FN:  There seems to be a lot of very talented and well known poster artists in Minneapolis.  Aesthetic Apparatus, FLORAFAUNA, etc.  Why do you think that is?

LU:  Minneapolis has a great music scene, so that helps. The art/design/music scene in general here is awesome.

FN:  Who are your favorite poster artists?

LU:  Guy Burwell, Ivan Minsloff, Tooth , Little Friends of Printmaking, Drew Millward, Tyler Stout, Willem Kolvoort, Mark Pedini, Print Mafia, Budai, Methane Studios, Aesthetic Apparatus, and Miss Amy Jo to name a few.

FN:  Any advice for our budding poster designers on Figment?

LU:  Look at Gigposters.com, figure out what you like and why you like it. Then put your own spin on it. Steer clear of cheesy PhotoShop filters and lame fonts. Hand-drawn text almost always looks cool. Don’t steal other people’s work.

FN:  Where can people find out more about you and purchase your work?

LU:  My website is LonnyUnitus.com, or you can look me up at Gipgosters.com.

FN:  Have you ever created concert posters for fake bands before?

LU:  Not yet.

When I started putting together our Figment Concert Poster Contest I went on the web to do some research on who were some of the top new poster designers, and in doing so I stumbled across GigPosters.com.  The site is a virtual treasure trove of concert posters and is great way to bring yourself up-to-speed on designers across the country.

Clay Hayes is the mastermind behind the site, and since 2001 has built it into the world’s largest historical archive of posters with over 100,000 works from more than 1,000 designers.  With the release of his new book “Gig Posters Volume 1:  Rock Show Art of the 21st Century” he’s helping to bring more attention to this deserving group of artists.

Figment News: How did you first get interested in concert posters, and what led you to create GigPosters.com?

Clay Hayes: I used to play in a band, and collected the flyers from our shows. I was a computer programmer, and wanted to create a website, so it naturally came to me to create a site about gig posters.

FN: In this age of digital downloads and disposable culture many may see concert posters as a relic of the past. Why do you think they endure, and are they enjoying a renaissance of sorts?

CH: I think it is always interesting to look back historically and see where a band played, and who they played with. These days, with MP3s etc, posters are a great way to have a piece of art that relates to the bands you like, to hang on your wall.

FN: Are concert posters more than just ads?

CH: They can be more than just ads to those who collect posters, and fans who want memorabilia to hang on their walls.

FN: Many concert poster designers seem to be musicians themselves. Do you think that’s a prerequisite or just a function of them being artistic, creative people?

CH: I think it is just part of being involved in the scene. I’m sure being musicians, like I was, sparked their interest in posters.

FN: So how does the site work? Does it cost the designers to submit and display their work? Can anyone submit their poster designs?

CH: The site is free for everyone. Anyone can submit posters and interact.

(Editor’s Note: Only posters for real gigs can be submitted. Please do not submit any fake band concert posters to GigPosters.com)

FN: I noticed that a lot of designers use your site as their online portfolio. That clearly speaks to your relationship with the designers who use it. Are you friends with a lot of the designers on the site?

CH: I have become friends with many of the designers over the years. 4 times a year, many of us meet in person at the Flatstock poster conventions.

FN: You’ve published a book, “Gig Posters: Rock Show Art of the 21st Century”, that catalogs a number of the designers whose work appears on GigPosters.com. How did you select the designers who are featured in the book?

CH: I narrowed it down to approx 500 of the best designers from the site, then worked with the publisher to find the top 101 that we wanted to showcase in the book.

FN:  Was it hard narrowing down the list of designers to create Volume 1?

CH:  It was very difficult, and tons of amazing poster designers were left out.  Hopefully, I can showcase many more with other volumes of the book.

FN:  Who would you put in your Top 5 designers or is that simply too hard to do?

CH:  I would prefer not to say, as that would just be my personal opinion. Everyone has their own tastes, and discovering favorites is part of the fun of exploring the site, and book.

FN:  I love how you not only provide information about the designers themselves, but also their influences and preferred mediums/methods as well as some background on them. Are you hoping to elevate the design, typography and printing aspects of this art form as well as the profile of the designers themselves?

CH:  I think it just helps people understand where the designers are coming from, and what influences their designs.

FN:  I noticed the book has 101 perforated posters that you can actually take out of the book. Was that a conscious decision to allow people the opportunity to present the art in its original poster form?

CH:   It gives people the opportunity to hang some of the “book versions” of the posters on their wall, and hopefully spark some interest in collecting the real posters.

FN: Where can people pick up Gig Posters Vol. 1?

CH:  http://www.gigposters.com/book

FN: Is Volume 2 already in the works?

CH: Not yet .. but hopefully soon. That is all up to the publisher… and I’m just waiting to find out when it will happen.

Well, all of us at Figment hope it’s soon, because we love Volume 1!  To find out more and stay on top of the newest poster designs, etc. you can follow Clay and GigPosters.com on Twitter and Facebook.

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Died Young Stayed Pretty is the first full length documentary feature from filmmaker Eileen Yaghoobian.  The movie delves into the world of concert poster artists, and was a project that occupied almost 5 years of her life, most of it on the road.   Eileen self-financed the bulk of the project, which led to her actually staying with the artists she profiled.  Although born of financial necessity this close proximity to her subjects allowed her to capture on film not only the artists at work, but also a level of intimacy that provides a real insight into their creative process.   Edited together from over 250 hours of footage, Died Young Stayed Pretty is a 94-minute journey through the North American concert poster scene, narrated entirely by the artists themselves.

Watch the Trailer:

Find Out More:

Find out about screenings, buy the DVD or shop for movie posters at http://www.diedyoungstaypretty.com

Buy a Died Young Stayed Pretty t-shirt!

Follow Eileen and Died Young Stay Pretty on Facebook.

Check em’ all out and help a fellow artist by picking one up today!

A few months ago I was talking to a friend about the interview we did recently with Kieron Gillen of Phonogram fame, and how interesting it was to learn more about the connection between music and comic books.  During the conversation he mentioned a comic book company, Terminal Press, that he said was just starting to create a whole line of comics based on metal bands and urged me to check them out.  Based in Long Beach, NY, Terminal Press is run by Brian Ferrara who publishes a variety of comics including ones based on the music and image of the legendary black metal band Dimmu Borgir.  Needless to say I was fascinated, and with my friend’s help I got a hold of Brian to get his thoughts on how and where he sees comics and music merging.

Figment News:  Can you tell us a little about Terminal Press and how you got started in the comic business?

Brian Ferrara:  I got started making comics when I realized I was incapable of sustaining my sanity in a normal office environment and my hands were too delicate for manual labor. Terminal Press is the vessel through which the dark juvenile fantasies in our artist’s minds flow.

FN:  You’ve just started creating a series of comic books based on bands signed to Nuclear Blast Records.  How did that relationship get started?

BF:  I first met the label manager for Nuclear Blast through a friend who was working our booth at the San Diego Comic Con in 08. He came by, heard us blasting Meshuggah and saw our line-up of badass books and the wheels started turning. Nuclear Blast displays at the con every year, so they are no strangers to comics. We’re all just a bunch of metal heads and fanboys, so it just made sense.

FN:  Do you think comics and music are interconnected?  Does music provide you with inspiration when you’re writing your comics?

BF:  100% yes to both. Art and music are like the two halves of a He-Man toy’s sword. They can both cut shit up alone, but when combined, you can turn Cringer into Battlecat. Take your classic Maiden and Megadeth albums and remove Eddie and Vic. Better yet, don’t do that, because that would suck.

I listen to music all day long. Seriously, all day. When I’m working I just rip through my whole library. When I’m writing, I usually go instrumental so I don’t get distracted by lyrics. Lastly, I like to get in a run every other day and that’s when I go with the heaviest of the heavy stuff to get all pumped and jacked and whatnot.

FN:  You’ve created a comic for legendary Norwegian Black Metal band Dimmu Borgir.  What was it like creating a comic for such a well known band?

BF:  It was an honor and something we were all very proud to do. I was very excited because it was something I always wanted to do and I just wanted to give it my all and put together something that would respect the band and their fans.

FN:  Do you think their music and image are good fodder for a comic book?

BF:  Dimmu screams for a comic book. I can barely think of a band that would work better in a comic than them. They aren’t a bunch of guys with instruments- they’re fucking demons from hell wielding fire and steel!

FN:  Did you actually meet with the members of Dimmu Borgir or was their music and cover art the inspiration?

BF:  I haven’t met the guys personally, but I’ve been to the shows, have all of the albums and send all the content for their approval before it is released. I’ll hopefully get to meet up with them next time they’re somewhere closer than Norway.

FN:  Narek Gevorgian did all of the artwork for the “Dark Fortress” correct?  How do you two work together when creating a comic book?

BF:  I usually come up with the basis for the story and then try to brainstorm with him. Then Narek tells me it’s a good idea and then I’m like, “is it just good?” and then Narek will be like, “it’s good.” and then I’ll be like, “is it good or is it great? I want it to be great!” and then he’ll be like, “it’s great.” but he’ll say it all passive aggressive so I’m not sure if it is or not, at which point we start yelling at each other. That’s pretty much when the magic happens.

FN:  What does the band think of the “Dark Fortress”?

BF:  I think it’s exactly what they were looking for as far as Fortress’ go. They can’t wait to move in.

FN:  Are their plans to do additional books on Dimmu Borgir?

BF:  We haven’t gotten that far yet, but I definitely wouldn’t rule it out. I’m focused on making sure this one kicks ass.

FN:  I know you’re also working on a comic book involving Nuclear Blast artist Exodus.  What other bands are you working with?

BF:  That’s all we have announced for now, but I definitely have my eye on other Nuclear Blast artists. If I had my way, Meshuggah would be on the list for sure.

FN:  What piece of advice can you pass on to our Figment users regarding the best way to create the image of a black metal band or any band for that matter?

BF:  I think any great metal band needs some kind of mascot at the core of their imagery. Once you have a cool mascot, you can just stick it in different scenarios to create album covers and merch. Say you have some sort of demonic monkey with a switchblade and bee wings as your mascot- put him front of some pyramids- boom- instant concept album.

FN:  I see you’ve got an entire line of “Hard/Core” comics based on iconic adult films like Debbie Does Dallas and “The Devil in Miss Jones”.  What other comic books does Terminal Press publish?

BF:  That’s pretty much it. Metal and porno. We do have some based on killer teddy bears, graffiti, circus animals, zombies, assassins, one with a guy with a crow jammed in his eye socket and another about an alcoholic lemur and a baby eating rhinoceros, but mostly metal and porno.

FN:  Where can someone pick up “Dimmu Borgir:  Dark Fortress” and your other comic books?

BF:  For everything Terminal Press, go to terminalpress.com. We bake them fresh and mail them directly to your house.

FN:  Any plans to branch out and do comics with other labels or other types of bands?

BF:  For metal, we have yet to exhaust the awesome roster of Nuclear Blast bands. I never know what is around the corner though. Maybe I’ll finally get the chance to do that Miley Cyrus book I’ve always dreamed of. That’s only if her label goes for my tentacle porn for tweens pitch.

FN:  If you could pick one band on Figment to create a comic book around, which one would it be?

BF:  It would be for whichever band was able to pull off getting banged by groupies in the back of a creepy van on their imaginary tour.

FN:  Have you ever created a fake band and if so, what was its name?

BF:  I’ve created real bands that never went anywhere, so does that count? Here are some of the names I can remember – Black Magic, Moribund, Ultimate Paradox, F.O.C. (Forecast of Calamity) and 1000 Years of Winter. I’m definitely forgetting a few along the way, but these are the ones that stand out in my mind. That list is in chronological order starting in 6^th grade, so keep that in mind too.

I’ve always been a big fan of AC/DC, but then a lot of us are.  AC/DC is the second-best-selling popular music act of all time, behind only The Beatles, with over 200 million albums sold worldwide.  Their album “Back in Black” is the second best-selling album of all time behind only Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” with over 49 million copies sold, and their latest album “Black Ice” debuted at #1 in 29 countries despite the fact that it was only available in Walmart, Sam’s Club, and via the band’s website.

The second-best tag however, also seems to apply to how critics have treated the band over the years, slagging them off as second-rate and boorish.  So why does AC/DC matter?  Well, we sat down to talk with former Rolling Stone writer and NY Times bestselling author Anthony Bozza to set the record straight and get the inside scoop on his new book “Why AC/DC Matters.”

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Wanna win a copy of “Why AC/DC Matters”?  Well here’s how you can.  Answer the two trivia questions below (hint: you gotta listen to the interview above) and email the answers to customerservice at figment.cc and then leave why YOU think AC/DC matters below as a comment.  The person with the right answers to the trivia questions and the best reason will win a copy of Anthony’s new book (courtesy of William Morrow), a Figment t-shirt and 250 pieces of lucre!  Please note that you must be a registered Figment member to enter! If you’re not a registered Figment member please create an account by clicking here.  There is no cost involved with this contest and the winner will be chosen at the discretion of the Figment News editorial staff on October 30, 2009.

Question #1:  What was the first rock band that Bonn Scott was ever in?

Question #2:  What genre did Anthony Bozza invent with his friend?

Anthony Bozza helmed Rolling Stone’s Random Notes column for two years, and penned cover stories and features on artists ranging from Trent Reznor to Jennifer Lopez to Ozzy Osbourne and Bo Diddley.  In addition, Anthony co-authored the NY Times #1 Bestseller “Too Fat to Fish” with comedian Artie Lange as well as bestsellers “Whatever You Say I Am:  The Life and Times of Eminem”, “Tommyland”, the autobiography of Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, and “Slash”, the autobiography of Guns N’ Roses’ and Velvet Revolver’s legendary guitarist.  If you’d like to find out more about Anthony and tell him why you think AC/DC matters – check out his website.

Spärhusen, the so-called “almost greatest band from Sweden” were almost at the top of their game when their plane the “Swedish Fish” crashed on July 25, 1974.  For 35 years fans have wondered what might have been.

Well, wait no longer, because Spärhusen is back and in a far-reaching conversation with Figment News, keyboardist Olf Nystrom brought us up to date on band’s past, present and future.

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Spärhusen is a mock-u-mentary web series from actress-writer-producer Ileana Douglas, and co-creators/co-stars Rob Mailhouse and Todd Spahr airing on My Damn Channel.   The program also co-stars Keanu Reeves and Wallace Langham.

In addition to the web series, Spärhusen’s long-awaited album, “The Best of Spärhusen”, will be available on iTunes and MyDamnChannel this fall.  You can also follow Spärhusen on Twitter and Facebook.

So if you’re looking for more fake band inspiration make sure you watch Spärhusen!

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said

“Music is the universal language of mankind.”

He also said,

“It is foolish to pretend that one is fully recovered from a disappointed passion.  Such wounds always leave a scar.”

Only one of these quotes from Longfellow was directly referencing music, but you could easily see where both could apply.   While it is true, music is the universal language of mankind, only some of us speak it eloquently and the rest are left only to appreciate those who can.

I was struck by this very fact, when I read a quote by Kieron Gillen in regard to his Image comic “Phonogram”,

“It’s my love letter to music. It’s an honest letter – I’ve been shacked up with her for long enough to know that she’s a bitch with a cruel tongue and will happily destroy people on a whim – but it’s still hopelessly in love with her.”

Hmm…sure sounds like Longfellow and Gillen are talking about the same thing…right?  Music can be a bitch, but an intoxicating one that many of us will never master.  So how do we express our love for it?  Well, it depends.  Some of us become avid fans, others write about it, and still others use it as a form of inspiration to create other forms of expression.  Phonogram is all of those things put together.

So what is Phonogram and who is Kieron Gillen?  Phonogram is a comic book created by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie and published by Image Comics.  Gillen and McKelvie have described it as “Hellblazer meets High Fidelity“, and it’s deeply inspired by music in much the same way the fake bands you create on Figment are.  What’s really interesting about it though is that it manages to express through words and pictures what makes us all so passionate about music – its’ magic.  Gillen and McKelvie describe it in this way,

“Music is magic.  You know this already.  You’ve known this from the first time a record sent a divine shiver down your spine or when a band changed the way you dressed forever.  How does something that’s just noises arranged in sequence do that?  No-one knows.  It’s just…magic.  Everyone knows that.  It’s just that some realise that it’s more than metaphor.”

Clearly these guys have a passion for music, but yet they aren’t musicians.  Instead, they are writers and artists who convey their passion for music in a medium best known for superhero’s and villains.  Hey, maybe we are talking about the music industry after all?  But seriously, Phonogram may not be music, but it is without a doubt inspired by it, and in its own way creates a little of its’ own magic.  With that in mind we thought it might be interesting to find out more about what goes into creating Phonogram and how it applies to what we’re doing on Figment, so we tracked down Kieron Gillen to ask him a few questions.

Figment News:   Tell us little bit about Phonogram and how you got involved with the project.

Kieron Gillen:  Phonogram is pretty much the story of me deciding not to become a music writer.  So instead of actually letting all this stuff off a tiny drop of mental-fluid at a time, I built up into an enormous septic sore which I lanced in one go. It’s distilled putrefied thoughts on music.  And jokes.  Always jokes.

I had the idea as something I’d like to do in comics, met Jamie and somehow talked him into it. I was very lucky.

FN:  What are Phonomancers and Retromancers, and how does magic play into the Phonogram storyline?

KG:  We use magic as a metaphor for whatever music does to people – it’s a device to highlight the effects. So rather than Dungeons & Dragons Harry-Potterisms, we have these low-level, often very subjective effects.

The example I normally use is the second issue in series 2. The basic plot involves a guy walking into a club and a record plays. Suddenly, time freezes and he’s suddenly confronted by an Ex who forces him to relieve a painful memory involving her and the record. Effectively, he’s been cursed by the record. Of course, we’re using it to highlight that gut-crunching moment we’ve all experienced.

FN:  The artwork is terrific.  Is that all the work of Jamie McKelvie?

KG:  In the first series, yes. In the second, he was joined by Matt Wilson – who Jamie worked on his own Suburban Glamour with – as colourist. Colour adds so much to it, y’know? As well as the main story, we also have back up strips in each single issue, where we’ve bullied as many of our friends and peers as we can to provide. It’s just a big cross-section of everything we love in comics.

FN:  In keeping with the theme, the cover art for Phonogram’s first series “Rue Britannia” is all based on real album artwork from Brit-pop bands of the 90’s.  For the second series, “The Singles Club”, each issue was influence by a single from more current bands like The Pipettes, TV on the Radio and The Long Blondes.  Was that part of the plan right from the beginning and were the bands involved at all?

KG:  The plan we have is cheerfully rough, and normally conceptually re-jigged from series to series. For the first, we wanted to have a deconstruction of all these album covers, which tied into the whole story being a deconstruction of Britpop. For the second, set in a single club night, we were inspired by club-flyers for each, highlighting each member – and the story itself was normally inspired of one single by a band in the year the story’s set (2006). Sometimes it’s a very tangential inspiration, admittedly.

FN:  Your second Phonogram mini-series “The Singles Club” is seven single-issue stories, each following a single Phonomancers experiences in the same club on the same night.  What was it like combining all of these interlocking stories?

KG:  Hard work, in short. Bloody hard work, in less short, but more rude.  Basically, it involved a lot of flow-charts. Who’s in the toilet right now? Who’s on the dance floor? What’s playing? Since it’s quite intricate, what I actually did was hold most of it in my head – like a hologram of a story – and write it all as quickly as I could. And then when it was all done, I hammered it until it actually stuck to a time-line. There’s some subtle subjective cheats in there to help it too.

Jamie does a lot of work too – as he’s got the pages done, he’s forming an enormous chart of each scene in time order:

So yeah: bloody hard work.

FN:  You have a background as a music journalist.  How useful was that past experience when creating Phonogram?

KG:  It provided the thinking. When I said I didn’t become a music journalist earlier, what I meant was a full-time day job. As it was, I stayed in the zines and underground mags like Plan B, so it was just practicing analysing and thinking and obsession: all the things which power Phonogram.

I really consider Phonogram as music journalism in narrative form. The inspiration coming from a set band or song is at the key part of it. I mean, the last short story I wrote is just inspired by a conversation with a mate when dancing to Once In A Lifetime. Music is easy inspiration for me.

FN:  You also work as a gaming journalist.  Was working as a comic book writer something you always wanted to do, but journalism paid the bills?  Or was it just a natural extension of your work as a journalist.

KG:  I’m a bit mental. All the writing sort of forms a whole in my head. It’s all about processing reality. If you’re looking for a theme across my work, the obvious one is about humans’ subjective relationship with art. That’s always been there.

FN:  You’ve now bridged out to work-for-hire for Marvel.  How does that differ from creating a book on your own?  And is working with some of the classic characters of comic books harder than creating your own?

KG:  Phonogram’s ludicrously hard, so almost anything is actually easier than doing it. It’s a great thing to have done first, because it steels me for even the most strenuous of tasks. Getting to play with all these splendid Marvel characters is a joy.

FN:  On Figment, our users are required to rely on their imagination to create every aspect of their fake bands, from back-story to album description and song titles. Any advice for our budding imaginary rock impresarios on how best to create an imaginary musical character?

KG:  I used to play fantasy bands a lot. You can see a bit of that in Lloyd, in the second series, who spends most of the time trying to recruit people for his post-Pipettes/Spankrock concept piece.

I’d always looked at the world of music, and see what’s missing. What combinations make sense, but don’t exist. The final time I played bands, our concept was the – still awesome, sez I – Mogwai/Wu-Tang cross. That still sounds fun. Someone do it.

FN:  Clearly music influences your work on Phonogram, but is it also an inspiration for your work for Marvel?  And if so, what bands are currently influencing you?

KG:  I tend to root around for an album to fit the mood of the piece. The Thor stuff has a certain epic melodrama heart-on-sleeve-ism to it, so I’ve dug back to the Arcade Fire’s Funeral.

Ares is this snarly, acerbic brutally smart aggression, so I dug out the Sisters of Mercy Vision Thing.

S.W.O.R.D. Is a lot of The Go! Team’s first album.

FN:  You’ve also created comics purely for the web.  How does that differ from creating a book and do you think that’s where everything is moving?

KG:  Interesting and huge question. I think it’s certainly part of the future. I also think with the web, the fetishistic power of objects become more important. People are less interested in just the thing, and more the totemic object. You start creating physical comics as art objects. Stuff like the Asterios Polyp which came out is a fantastic thing. The physicality counts. Writing for the web, you start thinking about the lack of physicality, and what that means. And I’m not giving an answer to that, because there’s so many.

FN:  Graphic design plays a big part on Figment, because it’s often the fake band’s album cover that grabs someone’s attention first.  How big a part do you play in working with Jamie on the artwork that goes into Phonogram?

KG:  We love the covers. They’re probably the single element of Phonogram which we’re most satisfied with.  We’re proud of huge chunks of it but the covers are…well, they’re the closest to actually what we want things to be.  The britpop deconstructions of the first series set the fairly dark, critical tone of the first series.  The Club-Flyer/portrait approach of the second focuses in on the importance of each lead.  And by having two totally different approaches, we’re trying to show that we’re about trying new stuff and pushing.  There’s been an increase in record-derived covers since the first Phonogram series – which some people, complimentarily, have said was due to us.  For the second, there was no way we were going to do that again.  Culture has to move forward, and covers are the first attempt to contextualise the art it contains.

FN:  Have you ever created a fake band?  If so, tell us a little about it.

KG:  All the bands I’ve been in have been pretty fake bands. I mentioned the Mogwai/Wu cross – which also did a lot of things with suits and fake-on-stage-arguments, which was meant as a critique of the lad-stuff kicking around in the 97-98 period this was happening. We were cheery wankers like that.

But I schemed up a few. That band originally started as a one-off punk band, aiming to make a 20 minute set of Nation-of-Ulysses-esque stuff, somehow blagging onto the best support I could find, doing that one gig and never doing anything ever again. Just to get it out of my system.

Actually, it was always a bit of a kick when I saw a band who broke through who seemed to basically be what I was dreaming up. It was cheery justification – and also, a quiet pleasure in knowing there’s people out there who love pop music in the same way.

FN:  What advice would you give someone who has an interest in creating comics but has never done it before?

KG:  Do it. It’s the cheapest visual medium on the planet. You go from where you’re sitting now and publishing your first web-comic in a handful of clicks. And it’s best to start as soon as possible, because the sooner you do, the sooner you’ll get good.

FN:  See any bands on Figment that would be good fodder for a comic?

KG:  Actually, Phallic Acid reminds me of the first band I was ever in. Mid-teenage punky-metal thing called Phallusy.  Yes, we were very mid-teenage.

——————————————————-

If you’d like to find out more about what Kieron and Jamie have planned for Phonogram check out their blog by clicking here.

Here at Figment we have strong feelings about what exactly constitutes a fake band.  In our opinion a fake band is a band that exists merely as an idea and doesn’t actually record any music, because the minute you record music the band ceases to be fake.  Our opinion is not necessarily the consensus however, as many people classify bands like Spinal Tap, The Rutles and even Josie and The Pussycats as fake bands.

Regardless of what you think constitutes a fake band though, one thing is for sure, a lot of people create fake bands.  They may do it with friends, purely for their own enjoyment or in the case of Mingering Mike privately, only to have it come to everyone’s attention by accident.  More importantly, for many people fake bands are a creative outlet, and in some cases, maybe the only music-related one they’ll ever have.

So that brings us back to the question of what constitutes a fake band.  If creating fake bands were a way for someone to unleash their creativity and it ultimately led to the creation of a real band, would that band still be considered a fake band?  If you had asked me that question a few weeks ago I would have said no, but that was before I stumbled upon an article in the Washington City Paper about a band called The Art Department, and was immediately struck by the fact that this very “real” band had indeed started as a fake band.  The Art Department is the creation of Jonathan Ehrens a Baltimore based musician.  Although started as a fake band (by our definition that is…without music but with a back story), Jonathan used the characters he created as inspiration and wrote and recorded music he thought they might play if they were real.  In the end, the music he created for that fake band led to him to start a real version of the band that tours, records and even has living, breathing band members.

So is a fake band that makes music really a fake band?  We still say no, but we thought we’d put the question to Jonathan Ehrens to see what he had to say on the subject.

(Editor’s Note:  You can either read the conversation or click on the player to listen to it.  You can also listen to some of Jonathan’s other bands at the bottom of this post.)

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Figment News:  First of all, I kind of stumbled across your band in an article in the Washington City Paper and was absolutely fascinated.  I’ve given you a background on what Figment’s all about, and I think what I was really interested in was we’re a website about fake bands, and when we say fake there’s no music whatsoever.  It’s more the idea of a band more than anything else.

Jonathan Ehrens:  Oh okay.

FN:  But I’ve noticed you’re a fan and avid creator of fake bands, but instead of just creating the idea, you actually go to the next step and actually write and record music for them.  How and why did you decide to do this?

JE:  I guess, let’s see, I think originally it was just, I would record music by myself just because I had the ability to, I had, as a teenager, I had a 6-track recorder and this was sort of the easiest way for me to write songs or come up with ideas because I feel like, I had a high school band at the time and we would play guitar and bass and drums and like whatever came out was what we did, but by myself I had the ability to sort of conceptualize.  So it was mainly on a song-by-song basis.  So you know, like this is gonna be a stoner rock song with country vocals or that kind of thing.  Then I kind of took it further.  I wanted to do a surf album, so I kind of invented some personas for that.  Mainly afterwards for that, but yeah, just different ways of coming up with different sounds.  Like, The Art Department was one where I just felt it warranted more than just one song or two songs.  I wanted to do a whole album, so it was really easy way to come up with songs and just kind of let your self-critic go and just pretend you’re not yourself.  So I kind of just adopted some personalities for each member of the band, like I created a back story sort of just so I could get it so I could focus more on playing the music as somebody else from a different time and place then who I was.

FN:  So did it kind of help you in essence kind of flesh out what you wanted ultimately to do musically, creating that back story first?

JE:  Uh, yeah, I think especially in the instance of The Art Department, and another one that I did, Factoid of the Dustbowl, that only has like four of five songs.  But uh, it definitely helped me like just imagine the type of music, these people, and where they are, and at what time and the type of music that they would come up with.  Rather than, rather than feeling the pressure of needing to come up with something new and exciting right now, it was easy, easier to kind of come up with something that maybe was new and exciting in the past.

FN:   Okay, so I mean with The Art Department why did you decide then to make it real band by playing live?

JE:  My friends, who I had played with in another band, they really like it and wanted to play it out.  And I wanted to be in a sort of a real band I guess.  I just felt like it was really hard going around town and talking to people and they’d be like “are you in a band?”  And I’d be like “oh kind of”.  I record by myself and I have all these CDs I can give you, and it’s very vague.  People don’t really listen to CDs if you just give them to them a lot of the times, I find, they just sort of let them sit there and forget about it or they’re like reluctant.  I mean that happens to me too, and a lot of times I’m in the wrong, but when people hand me CDs my natural inclination is to think it’s not very good [laughs], but then a lot of times I’m proven wrong, but it’s sort of an instinctual thing I guess.  So I wanted to do something like, I thought it was the most different and the most accessible in a way.  So, I wanted, it’s still sort of a vehicle on the forefront of the broader, my broader musical ambitions.  It’s definitely an ear-catching kind of thing.  It’s poppy, but it’s technical, so it’s difficult to play, the songs, so it has both of those elements to it.

FN:  So when you were creating, originally when you were creating The Art Department as kind of an idea, and you were creating this kind of back story for the band, did you actually create other band members as well?

JE:  Yeah, in the original band, there were, how many were there?  I think there were 4 people in the band.  There was a girl who played drums, whose brother was the guy who played tambourine and sang in the high-pitched voice.  They were like blond in my head [FN laughs] and like younger than the other two people.  And the main guy, the main singer-songwriter guy was a quiet olive-skinned guy, with, who always wore a baseball cap when he sang and he played music on the side.  And then the bass player was a local Native American, like sort of a fat drunk guy [JE laughs], Native American guy, who just liked to have fun and just sort of stumble upon these sort of alternative music kids or whatever. Cuz I feel like, I don’t know, I mean a big part of the sound came from the Meat Puppets and they were from Arizona, and so I chose Carson City, just because I figured something similar could be going on there and maybe they like caught the Meat Puppets one time or something.

FN:  So now, I mean like when you guys now play live, do you actually kind of don those personalities or has it become something different?

JE:  No, originally it was going to be, we were going to kind of continue the lie, and pretend that we were a tribute band and that we were like these guys who found this CD, through some miracle, of a band that no one had ever heard of and we thought they were so good that we were going to imitate their sound to just like spread the gospel of how good they were [laughs].  And then eventually we just decided to drop that and just be a regular band, which is cool, I mean like it definitely opened up the sound, it wasn’t as constricted.  I don’t really think in those terms.  When I was recording the first album, I was like I was kind of like doing character, like method acting, like when I would play I would think about what would this guy play here, what kind of thing would he do, not clearly what I would do.   I like characters in terms of movies and TVs, but I can’t act and obviously making a movie is really hard, so I figured it was a good way to like get in character and play with the idea of a character.

FN:  So how would you describe The Art Department’s sound?

JE:  I always have a hard time with this.  It depends on who I’m talking to, but it’s…it’s uh…fast.  [Laughs].  I usually just kind of break it down and say I mean its really fast, and I finger pick really fast and there are really high-pitched active bass lines and punch drums.  I usually just break it down that way.  I don’t know it’s hard to fit it into a genre.  People that we play with a lot say it just sounds really like 80’s college rock.  So I guess I would say it’s that sort of thing.

FN:  On our site, basically people create fake bands, and they’re allowed to, if we don’t have a genre they would like, we allow them to create genres, so…

JE:  Yeah I did create one.  Neofolkapsychapopadelica.

FN:  There ya go!  [Laughs]  Can you say that one more time please?

JE:  Neo-folka-psycha-popadelica

FN:  Very nice, very nice.  We have Wimpadelic, we have Dorkadelic, we have Dad Metal, we have Amalgum, we have all kinds of crazy things.

JE:  There’s this one guy in Baltimore who has this guitar that he makes that is mainly springs that he hits and he calls his music Boingcore.

FN:  [laughs] I think at this point it’s kind of fun to create genres, because it’s kind of gotten, the whole genre thing has gotten so out of hand that you might as well.

JE:  Someone else will do it anyways…if you don’t do it yourself.

FN:  That is correct.  Why let the press do it for you right?

JE:  Yeah. Yeah.

FN:  So have you created other fake bands?

JE:  Yeah, I the first one I think that was ever a deliberate attempt to create a fake band was a surf band called The Hypnic Jerks.  And that was just because I wanted to make a surf album, and that I did when I was like 17.  After that, other ones were Factoid of the Dustbowl, which kinds of sounds like, I was sort of imagining people, these sort of weirdo’s in the dustbowl who like read to much and were like drinking all the time.  Kind of like sickly weirdo’s [laughs].  Playing like, I don’t know you’ll hear it; it’s kind of strange acoustic kind of stuff.  Then there’s Art Department.  The Revoltn Developments is a garage rock band.  And that one was also kind of, I really didn’t come up with up with like, I guess the bass player I kind of had a character in mind, but the rest of it, it was mainly it was just a sound.  I mean I just wanted some really loud garagey stuff.  And let’s see…there’s…give me a second, I have to remember.  [Laughs]  Sword Swallow is a noise, sort of noise, like pop-noise kind of thing, that was the only one I ever thought of as being right now or taking place at the time it was created and just sort of like somebody like me, but not me, sort of, I was in college at the time, so sort of the white college kid, but he wasn’t me.  [Laughs]  So that was Sword Swallow.    I guess I play under the name of Jonathonian W. Ehrenkranz, which is kind of my name in a weird way.  That’s like a sensitive acoustic rock kind of thing that I would never do under my own name, because it’s a lot of breakup songs and that kind of thing.  [FN Laughs]  Let’s see, I think there’s, there’s other ones…

FN:  So it sounds like you’ve created quite a few then.

JE:  Yeah, most of them I haven’t done entire albums for.

FN:  Just songs?

JE:  Yeah, I did, cuz I guess there’s almost, there’s two albums for The Art Department, so that’s obviously the most.  Then there’s like 9 songs for The Revolting Development, six or seven for The Hypnic Jerks, four or five for Factoid of the Dustbowl.  There is one that I had called The Anywhere, and that ended up, I just kind of used it under my own.  My main like solo recording thing is called Repelican, and that will be just a lot of kind of like recycled songs, like if I only had just like 2 songs by a fake band then I’ll put it under my own name or the Repelican name.  There was one band called The Anywhere that was like an 80’s power pop band but I ended up just using my own name for that one.

FN:  Okay.

JE:  Then there’s October Railroad, which is that idea I was kind of describing earlier, which was basically just, stoner, slow sludgy stoner rock, but with sweet country harmonies.

[Both laugh]

FN:  Well it certainly allows you to kind of expand your palette doesn’t it?

JE:  Yeah, I mean people always, yeah.  I mean, no one really heard a lot of this stuff until recently, because The Art Department is getting some local attention, so then some people asked me to hear more.  And they’re like “man, you sing in a lot of weird different ways, and you do a lot of different bands.”  And I don’t know I like lots of different types of music so it’s hard for me to use one.

FN:  No, that’s great.  I mean I’m kind of the same way.  I listen to a little bit of everything.  So I know how that feels.  People ask me who is your favorite band and I really can’t answer that question, because I have so many that you know

JE:  Yeah, what time of day is it?

FN:  Yeah, Exactly.  What kind of mood am I in?  Etc.

JE:  What did I just eat?

FN:  [Laughs] So now tell us about Mobile Lounge Records.  Is that…

JE:  It’s kind of defunct at this point I would say.

FN:  Oh, really?

JE:  Yeah, that was me and my friends in high school.  And at this point, I don’t really, my ex-girlfriend updated it and she hasn’t lived around here for 2 years so.

FN:  Okay.

JE:  I don’t know HTML or anything [both laugh].  So that kind of killed it.  And then the other guy, one of the other guys that I started that label with when we were I don’t know like 15 or something, he pronounced it dead online one day without asking me, like there was a MySpace page for it, and he was like “this is the end of Mobile Lounge Records” and he didn’t even ask me.  [both laugh]

FN:  Oh nice.

JE:  And he was kinda right. [both laugh]  I am thinking about starting another label, but like trying to make it like one that I can live, or try to make it like a job, it’s kind of a dream at this point, but I’m trying to do that now, but it won’t be under the Mobile Lounge name, it’ll be a clean slate, and I think the first thing we’ll release will be the new Art Department.

FN:  Okay.  And what do you do when you’re not playing in The Art Department.

JE:  I work at a radio station, that’s where I am right now.  Yeah, I’m an engineer of a talk show and I edit news pieces for Public Radio.

FN:  Very interesting.  Well tell us where can people check out more about The Art Department or some of the other artists you’ve mentioned or bands that you’ve created.

JE:  Where can they find it?

FN:  Yeah.

JE:  Well, let’s see, the new record, the master tapes have yet to be mixed, and they are being held hostage in Athens, GA, where we recorded it, by the guy who recorded it, he’s just sitting on them right now, and we want him to mix it as soon as he is willing to.  We recorded that in April and we’re still sitting around waiting on that.  So hopefully that will be, I don’t know, something people can get their hands on at least online.  The first album is pretty much out of print, but I mean if anyone wanted to send me a message on MySpace I would send them a copy.

FN:  And can people listen to some of the songs on MySpace?

JE:  Yeah, we’ve got a bunch of songs there – live songs, first album songs, and some of the newer songs.  And then, I don’t know if you look at the, on MySpace, the top friends there’s Repelican and The Revoltn Developments, those are just two of the fake bands and if you click on those then you’ll see other top friends.  It’s sort of, it’s intentionally elusive I guess.

FN:  Sure.

JE:  I don’t want to throw out, I also do this and I also do this and I don’t want to be a dick about it.

FN:  Gotcha.

JE:  So I let people discover it if they feel like it.  I’ll hand CDS to my friends, just CDRs and stuff.  I guess the main one, I mean I’m focusing on Art Department right now because they’re a real band and people seem to enjoy it.  I mean I feel like, I don’t know if I went out and played straight garage rock people wouldn’t really care, you know, as much if there was something different.

FN:  It’s certainly, I mean, one of the things that struck me immediately is that obviously we have an interest in all things fake when it comes to bands, being a site that is kind of devoted to that idea.  This is the way I’ve always thought of it also, I create fake bands myself and my friends have done it for years, and I think one of the reasons we do it is because it is a creative outlet, but you’ve in essence taken that one step further even, and that is to then apply music to it as well.  We always have a question back and forth with our users and with other people who we talk to about this about is it a fake band if you are recording music?  But I think in your case, it really is because that’s where it was born.

But getting back to The Art Department, are you planning on touring at all?

JE:  Yeah, I think we are going to tour at the end of September, just as west as Chicago or St. Louis and maybe Tennessee and North Carolina, just like west from Baltimore, down and back up.  We like to go west and south.

FN:  Are there any new fake bands that you’ve created that you’ve yet to unleash on the public?

JE:  Yeah, but this time I’m getting a little more collaborative with my fake bands.

FN:  Okay.

JE:  [laughs] So I don’t know, there’s one called Aftershave Everywhere, it’s a good band.  It’s like a blues band, its sort of Captain Beefheart sort of, but no drums, because drums are too easy.

[both laugh]

I have to keep fighting with them on that, like no man, you put drums in there it’s too easy, everyone’s already going to like it because there’s drums.  You can make it good without drums.

FN: [laughs] That’s great.  Now who makes up The Art Department?

JE:  It’s me and Mike Meno plays drums, and Jason Howe plays bass.

FN:  Okay.

JE:  That’s it.  We don’t have a tambourine really anymore.  On the record we put it still, but live it’s…we had a tambourine player, but it felt really weird having a fourth member who just shook the tambourine and also it’s really hard to do, people don’t realize it, playing a tambourine at that rate for twenty-five minutes straight or whatever.  We definitely have a live thing that we do to, that someone who likes fake bands might appreciate, cuz we don’t, like we’re deliberately anti-stage banter, we don’t pause in between songs, we don’t play longer than 20 minutes, we don’t tune even if we’re out of tune.  We just go, we get up on stage and go ch, ch, ch…and we just start playing and it’s over 20 minutes later.

FN:  So I have one last question for you and that’s, what’s better a fake band or a fake band come alive?

JE:  A fake band come alive!

[both laugh]

FN:  Well in your case I can’t agree more!

So what do you think?  Let us know by posting a comment!

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– Cell Abrasion “Cell Abrasion”:  A Baltimore duo, reluctant to play and perform, only recorded one song and got so depressed that they never played again.

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– The Anywhere “Diana”

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– The Anywhere “MFT”