Sutherland Manifesto Daily Blog

He's Behind You, He's Got Swine Flu

2009-07-14T21:27:00.002-07:00

I spent the day at home, having swine flu. No, not really. Just a fever and the chills. This was very inconvenient on the day when Gieger the Ukrainian came to clean out our air ducts. How are you supposed to tell if your air conditioner is working better when you already feel like an icicle, or when you're literally sweating through a game of Dora Memory with your daughter (may be the sweating was actually due to the high stakes of winning the most matches)?

The Streets - He's Behind You, He's Got Swine Flu

Who You Gonna Believe? Traci or Snoop Dogg?

2009-07-14T21:13:00.003-07:00

Traci doesn't believe that my email from Snoop really came from Snoop. Sure, anyone in his entourage certainly could have typed the note as if they were the D-O-Double-G. But I have no reason to disbelieve Mr. Dogg. He's never let me down before. Plus, he called me "neffew." That's certainly not as close as "son" or "bro" but it's still pretty good.

Latest Rock Interviews

2009-07-14T20:36:00.003-07:00

I've been doing a bunch of phone interviews with bands lately, with mixed results.

Death Cab For Cutie

I was very excited for this interview, even though it was with the drummer (the lowest in the band interview hierarchy). I was so excited, in fact, that I was two hours early. I still struggle with time zone conversion. Jason McGerr was plenty affable, even though I'm pretty sure he thought I was a crazy fan when I told him I was two hours early for the interview.

Check out my article here.

I was surprised and disappointed when their press person didn't come through with tickets for the show. But apparently I didn't miss out on much. I guess I'm not the only one who thinks Death Cab kinda sucks live. (Or rather, they suck when they try to be too much of a rock band. They were great when I saw them back in 2004.)

Incubus

I've never listened to an Incubus album, so I was even more nervous for this one. I talked to DJ/keyboardist Chris Kilmore (DJs rank even lower than drummers). The fact that I didn't know anything about the band wasn't much of an issue, as we spent our time talking about DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Here's the article.

The Dear Hunter

Their press agent was begging the magazine for an interview. I said I'd do it because I vaguely recalled listening to one of their albums once. It turns out I had listened to the indie band Deerhunter, not prog-rock opera creator The Dear Hunter. Whoops. Fortunately, Mr. Dear Hunter was friendly enough.

Dear Hunter article

An Email From Calvin Broadus

2009-07-12T21:32:00.004-07:00

1, 2, 3-and-to-tha-4, I got just about as close as I ever will to Snoop Doggy Dogg (or Dr. Dre) knocking at my door. I still remember walking to the mall to buy “The Chronic” on cassette, listening to it over and over on my walkman, and hiding it under my mattress so my mom wouldn’t find it. So of course I jumped at the opportunity to do an interview with Tha Doggfather himself to promote his upcoming show in Salt Lake.

There were a million questions things I wanted to ask him about—his fallout with Death Row Records, his friendship with Tupac, his foray into the adult entertainment industry. But alas, I was thwarted. His press agent dropped the following knowledge:

Snoop is only doing email interviews
I was not to ask about his personal life
He may or may not actually respond to my questions

Though I was certainly a bit disappointed to not actually get to talk to him, I followed the rules and emailed him some generic, tour-related questions. To my delight, he did in fact response (and even ahead of schedule). Because the spelling looks like it came right out of his patented “Shizzolator,” I decided to leave it as-is.

ME: A lot of hip hop artists shy away from touring, but you're always on the road. What is it that keeps you touring?

SNOOP DOGG: Tha fans. Tha money. If u ain’t got a show, u ain’t an artist and if u ain’t got a tour, u ain’t makin’ money. If u ain’t makin’ money, u don't have a fan base. It’s a math equation and I'm solvin’ it.

ME: How was the Bonnaroo show?

SNOOP: I'm goin bacc next year. That's all I gotta say about that, ya dig?!? Chuuch!!!

ME: What's the Snoop Dogg festival experience like?

SNOOP: Party. Worth every dollar. Classic music. It’s tha present day hip hop Woodstock. It’s tha party of all parties and we do it tha best with tha help of Dogg Pound and Tha Snoopadelics. Shout out to Slightly Stoopid and Stephen Marley.

ME: Do you have any pre-show routines before you go on stage each night?

SNOOP: Listenin’ to timeless music and get my mind right. Maybe beatin’ one of tha homeys in Madden on Xbox or NBA 2K. Those are tha 2 favorite video games of tour. Fight Night, too!

ME: You're always multi-tasking—reality shows, movies, clothing. How do you find time to do all this stuff in addition to recording and touring?

SNOOP: I'm Snooperman—I go in tha booth and get it done. Clark Kent ain’t got nuthin’ on me.

ME: Next to music, which of your other endeavors brings the most satisfaction?

SNOOP: Tha Snoop Youth Football League—over 3,000 kids and gettin’ bigger and better each year. I coach tha Pomona Steelers and we are bacc to bacc Snoop Bowl Champs, hosted at the Home Depot Center each year in December. It’s an event that's puttin’ alotta smiles on these kids faces and that's what's most rewarding and enjoyable. You can't beat that or outsell that.

ME: Luckily for us, Utah has been a frequent stop for you over the last few years. Have you had any memorable experiences here?

SNOOP: Every time I come here I have a blast and imma continue to come here and do tha same thang, ya dig?!? Make sure u there to see it, neffew.

Vic-tor-y.

2009-07-07T15:45:00.004-07:00

It was a miracle I was even able to snap this pic, what with the miraculous speed in which the subject flew by.

After a decade of saying it, Traci finally did it--running her first 5K at this year's Murray 4th of July Parade. With the help of my sister Sarah, Traci was able to take a respectable 488th place. You best watch your back, Usain Bolt.

The Evil One

2009-07-03T11:59:00.004-07:00

Over the last few weeks, Curtis has gone from being the quiet one, to the one who is constantly shrieking, biting, and being generally malcontent. He pulled a new, sneaky move at church on Sunday.

I was sitting between Traci and Paige, with Curtis on my lap. The second we all shut our eyes, Curtis reached over and pulled Paige's hair and then turned to the other side to smack Traci in the face.

He's been so ornery lately that we thought he may have yet another ear infection. I took him to the doctor yesterday. After checking him out, she said everything was fine and that "sometimes kids are just ornery." How's that for a prognosis/diagnosis?

Keep My Puffy Pants in Storage

2009-06-30T08:08:00.003-07:00

No need to worry about losing me to Hollywood...yet. Last week's episode of Hammertime on A&E was in fact about The MC Hammer/Vanilla Ice show in Provo. However, I was not featured on the show. (I watched it twice to make sure.)

It was weird, but cool to watch a filmed version of a show I saw in real life. (I don't remember it being as spectacular as the TV edits made it out to be.) Watch the full episode here. It's episode #3.

This Week's Music Reviews

2009-06-30T07:58:00.003-07:00

Albums

The Lemonheads - Varshons. Only interesting for established fans.
Iron & Wine - Around the Well. A b-sides record that's better than most A-sides.
So Many Dynamos - The Loud Wars. Emo boys meet prog.

Interviews

Laura Gibson - For those who love trees and girl music.
The Dear Hunter - For those who love dungeons and dragons.

Message to Tha Doggfather

2009-06-24T22:15:00.002-07:00

Um, I just sent an email to Snoop Dogg. He's coming to town on July 20 and IN was able to track down a press contact for me. Mr. Dogg is only doing email interviews. This is relieving because, though I'd love to have the experience of talking to him on the phone, I'm sure the anticipatin/stress of it would have killed me.

I had a bunch of things I wanted to ask him, however, I was instructed "please keep them related to the tour and avoid asking about his personal life (or they won’t get answered)." I was also told that, regardless of what I asked, he may not get back to me. So, we'll see, I guess.

New World View

2009-06-24T12:00:00.004-07:00

A few of Paige's truths were shaken during our weekend trip to the ranch.

1. To protect his sensitive paws from the rough terrain, Jenny's dog was wearing "doggy shoes." Paige's response: Dogs don't wear shoes!!!

2. A sheep herder was driving his fourwheeler around with his sheep dog standing on the back rack. Again Paige exclaimed: Dogs don't ride motorcycles!!!

3. She also learned that while keyboards are generally awesome, it's not cool when your little brother smacks you in the eye with one. In my mind I heard her say: Keyboards don't double as attack weapons!!!

Music Reviews Monday (on Wednesday)

2009-06-17T08:46:00.003-07:00

I reviewed new albums by Rancid and Bowerbirds this week. I'm posting my full Phoenix review here because I think this is an album you should really check out.

Phoenix
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

On the opening track of their fourth album, French quartet Phoenix name-drops 19th-century composers like it's hot. Hey, whatever gets the party started, right? The record begins like an open invitation to the indie dance floor. "1901" has all the jangly guitars and fuzzy synths and "Fences" has the requisite disco beats and falsetto vocals.

However, the album is not just about booty shakers. "Love Like a Sweet Sunset Part I" is a slow-building instrumental shoe gazer and its sequel, "Part II," adds soft, lyrical melody and Thomas Mars' hopeful tenor.

The rest of the tracks throw in a bit of everything -- swelling orchestral grandeur, driving bass lines, and bright vocals. Over the album's 10 tracks, the band never misses a beat. This is easily one of the most enjoyable releases of the first half of 2009.

Stream Most of the the Album Here

For fans of: Rooney, Air
Rating: 3.5 of 4

Summer School

2009-06-13T21:05:00.002-07:00

Prayers are answered. Paige loves preschool. (It's tough to say how much of that can be attributed to the chance to wear her Dora backpack.)

Evil Genius

2009-06-13T20:56:00.002-07:00

The deceptively sneaky one is now walking. Every day he goes a few steps further, almost always with his hands straight up in the air.

Product of Her Parents

2009-06-13T20:19:00.003-07:00

It's my fault that Paige walks around singing "Around the world, around the wor-uld, around the world, around the..."

I'm guessing Traci is the reason Paige rides her trike down the street, and--before she turns back around--pulls her books out of the little basket on the handlebars and reads for a while.

Lesson Learned & Naked in New York

2009-06-12T10:26:00.002-07:00

Speaking of censorship, Paige would probably be upset if she knew I wasn't sharing the new Matt & Kim video with her. I'm withholding it for two reasons:

1. The fact that the whole video is Matt & Kim walking naked through Manhattan.

2. Kim is so dang muscle-y.

I can barely handle watching the video myself due to reason #2. But if you decide to check it out, stick around for the ending.

I did put "Lessons Learned" on Paige's last mixtape, so she's happy enough.

No More Gwen Stefani

2009-06-12T10:08:00.003-07:00

I'm now in the business of making mixtapes for Paige. One of them features an edited version of "Hollaback Girl." I've noticed Paige was getting better and repeating lyrics when I heard her singing "The shhh is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S." No more "Hollaback" for three-year-olds.

Day Two

2009-06-11T07:50:00.002-07:00

Today is the real test. Any kid can survive her first day of preschool. But will she go back for a second? We'll find out shortly...

Welcome Back, Zack Morris

2009-06-10T20:42:00.002-07:00

Traci's least funny friend hit a homerun by sending her this link (I'm just kidding, Katie Hutchison Irion, you're plenty funny) of Mark-Paul Gosselaar on Jimmy Fallon. He does the entire interview as if he were still his character from Saved By The Bell. Welcome back, Preppy.

Review-a-Rama

2009-06-10T20:20:00.003-07:00

Since I know that 95 percent of you skip right over anything I post about music, I'll keep this short. I review at least three new albums every week for IN. If you're keeping track, that equals a buttload of music. Here are some links to the last few weeks of reviews:

311 - Uplifter
Eels - Hombre Lobo
Taking Back Sunday - New Again
Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
The War on Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues
Jimmy Eat World - Clarity Live
Telekinesis - Telekinesis!
Ben Harper & Relentless7 - White Lies for Dark Times
The Aggrolites - IV
The Rentals - Chapter 1: The Story of a Thousand Seasons Past

311 Fans Don't Hate Me

2009-06-09T15:35:00.002-07:00

My 311 review is once again atop the Google search. However, no one seems to care. Just over 200 views in two days (which is still pretty good) and no hate mail. What's up with that, 311 fans?

Success!

2009-06-09T11:50:00.002-07:00

Paige completed day one! Right now she's at Arctic Circle celebrating the big accomplishment. After she gets done climbing up and down the french fry-encrusted playground I expect to hear a first-hand report.

This Kid

2009-06-09T07:51:00.002-07:00

Is going to her first day of preschool this morning. Please cross your fingers that it goes well.

(Picture courtesy of Tim's fancy new camera)

Music For A Monday Morning

2009-06-08T10:03:00.002-07:00

It already been a rough start to the new workweek. Here's what I've been listening to to get me through it.

Mixtape - Music for a Monday Morning

Buy Me on Amazon for $5.95

2009-06-04T10:28:00.002-07:00

Like any good American, I spend my free time Googling myself. Today I found that you can buy an article I wrote four years ago for Utah Business Magazine. Weird. It costs six bucks, but here's the deal, I can give it to your for free.

CD Review: Strung Out Prototypes & Painkillers

2009-06-01T22:31:00.001-07:00

Strung Out
Prototypes and Painkillers

So Cal punks Strung Out give fans much more than just the odds-and-ends on this compilation disc. In addition to old demos and cover songs, “Prototypes and Painkillers” makes a home for 17 year’s worth of material that has ended up on various split 7 inches, Fat Wreck Chords samplers, and limited edition CDs.

Had the band been a bit more discriminate in their 25 song track listing, they easily could have put out a 12-song album to rival any of their studio releases. As it stands, the record has plenty of polished moments, while still showing just how far the band has come since their early days.

“Protypes” also shows how many great songs the band wrote in the early 2000’s. Standout tracks “Don’t Look Back,” “Your Worst Mistake,”and “Lost Motel” all came from the “An American Paradox” sessions. The album also features a very impressive acoustic reworking of “Velvet Alley” from “Paradox.”

Though is album is intended for long-time fans, there’s plenty for those Strung Out newcomers to get excited about.

Strung Out - Lost Motel

For fans of: 10 Foot Pole, Guttermouth
Rating: 3.5 of 4