88.1 KDHX DJ Spotlight: Jason Robinson of the Mixtape

Sara Finke

“You shouldn’t do a job just to do it; you should do a job because you give a damn,” says Jason Robinson, host of the Mixtape on 88.1 KDHX.

Now that he’s settled into his new, earlier time slot (Monday evenings, 11 p.m.-1 a.m. Central), the father of two and member of St. Louis rock band the Orbz paused for a discussion about music, life, mixtapes and how it all comes together.

Matt Champion: Let’s start with an easy one.

Jason Robinson: Sure.

How did you get started with KDHX?

Well, I started volunteering after I met [KDHX Co-Executive Director] Bev Hacker. I was doing my undergrad program at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville majoring in communications, and one of my projects was to talk to someone who was a director at a station to get the feel for how it is day to day. I visited the offices over on Euclid and it was really interesting. I got to learn about how to volunteer and I picked up a packet that day and was like, “I’m going to take the first class, do orientation and become a member.” So that would have been about 10 years ago at the ripe old age of 20.

I had a nice interview with Bev and got interested right then. So I became a member, put in a demo and waited and waited until I heard from Andy [Coco, Production Manager] then cut another demo. At the time the name of the show was Ninja Rock Radio. I was working doing production and one of the things was to put together a package. What I did was a fake radio show that I recorded myself. It was interesting. I got to learn the board and the equipment there. That was my first demo. It was only about three or four years ago that I submitted it. I had to submit three shows worth of material. I was like “Okay!” Actually, I still have those mixes around somewhere.

Around three years ago I was working, well, volunteering I guess, for Riverfront Radio, one of the Internet radio stations. I had a show on there. That’s where I learned how to structure a show, and once I got that I was comfortable enough to approach KDHX. About two years ago I got a call in January that said, “Hey, we’ve got a slot open” and I was so jazzed that I didn’t even care that it was from 3 to 5 in the morning on a Monday. Well, Tuesday morning/Monday night. I made it in and started doing the show and found out that my wife was pregnant. 3 to 5 a.m. was not going to cut it since I needed to be up with those kids. It kind of snowballed from there.

I changed time slots about a year ago in January. I switched to 11 p.m.-1 a.m. to take over for Tim and Matt of Super Happy Fun Hour. I’ve been at that particular time slot since then.

What made you decide to choose the name “The Mixtape” and go with the random format?

It had a lot to do with the fact that when I was a kid that was how you expressed yourself to other people. You would put together a 90-minute tape of just stuff. That was when cassettes were the new thing. I’d go get some $5 compilations over at Streetside Records and mix the best tracks on those and give them to my friends and say, “Listen to this, you gotta hear this stuff, man.” I remember BMG mail order CD service. That was huge for me since I would send off for a bunch of stuff and then never pay for them. I’m sure that somewhere out there a BMG representative is still out there looking for me.

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Posted by | January 31, 2012 | Interviews, KDHX | 1 Comment 

‘Flights of fancy’ An interview with Tara Young, Artistic Director of Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour

cirquedusoleil.com

Michael Jackson the man may have left us, but his musical legacy lives on through his fans and his numerous hits, spanning across five decades.

Local MJ fans will have a chance to experience his music up-close and personal when the Estate of Michael Jackson and Cirque du Soleil present Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour at the Scottrade Center on February 7 and 8.

The show, written and directed by renowned pop concert director Jamie King, combines Michael Jackson’s music, moves and message with a sensory feast of more than 60 international Cirque du Soleil dancers, musicians and acrobats.

The show’s Artistic Director, Tara Young, took some time out for a quick interview about the production.

Amy Burger: What can Michael Jackson fans expect to get out of this show?

Tara Young: The true Michael fans will be touched to hear his voice and his words. Watching this performance, they will feel all sorts of emotions. They might feel like dancing, but may also shed a few tears. This show appeals to everybody, not only Michael Jackson fans. Our audiences have been simply amazing since we have started.

Is there live singing, or does it use Michael’s recorded music with live choreography?

The show is driven by Michael Jackson’s voice. Musical Designer Kevin Antunes had access to original recordings of Michael’s music. He isolated his voices and rearranged the music with Musical Director, and longtime Michael Jackson musician, Greg Phillinganes. During the show, it is Michael’s voice leading the way, but the rest is live. We have an incredible 12-piece band onstage — nine musicians and three singers. It is a very experienced band; five of them have performed with Michael Jackson himself.

How is this show unlike other Cirque du Soleil shows?

Unlike any other Cirque show is the right way to describe it. This show is probably closer to a pop rock concert, nothing like previous Cirque creations you may have seen. You will get Jackson’s signature moves and Cirque’s reputation for flights of fancy and astounding acrobatics. We have an incredible group of talented artists, some of the best dancers, the best acrobats and the best musicians all coming together to pay tribute to Michael’s legacy.

What role did the Jackson family have in the development of this tribute?

This production is the first ever tribute to Michael Jackson being authorized by The Jackson Estate. The Jackson family was consulted during the creation, but they weren’t directly involved. They have been extremely supportive since it started in Montreal this past October. Michael’s mother, Katherine, his three kids and some of his brothers attended the Montreal premiere, as well as our Las Vegas premiere. They have had only kind comments about the production.

What message do you hope the show conveys to the audience about Michael and his legacy?

There was a lot of pressure creating a production paying tribute to Michael’s music, legacy and his messages of peace and unity. We hope that our audience will leave the show having a better understanding of who Michael Jackson really was as a human being. Michael’s music has touched, and continues to touch, audiences of all colors, ages and genders. We are always amazed to see such diverse crowds every night.

Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour will be at the Scottrade Center, February 7-8.

Posted by | January 30, 2012 | Interviews, Music | Comment 

’35 songs and a van’ An interview with multi-instrumentalist Andy Goessling of Railroad Earth

railroadearth.com

Railroad Earth is perhaps best known for its vast array of influences which include bluegrass, jazz, classic rock and traditional Irish, just for starters.

From its auspicious appearance at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2001, Railroad Earth has grown to become an institution in America’s jam band festival scene.

Ever since, the six-piece, mostly acoustic outfit has wooed audiences with their playful, aesthetically diverse and often literary-tinged tunes (the band’s name was mined from Jack Kerouac’s story, “October in the Railroad Earth”).

I recently interviewed Railroad Earth’s multi-instrumentalist Andy Goessling by phone about how the band developed its propensity for jamming and the current state of the festival scene. As we talked, we also touched on how Railroad Earth folds influence into its music, how the group first began playing together and the all-consuming power of the Internet.

Will Kyle: Can you talk about how Railroad Earth began?

Andy Goessling: Well, everybody was playing in different bands in the New Jersey/New York area and we reached this point where everyone’s band was taking a break. During that time, I decided to host a bunch of picking parties at my house, thinking: “Why don’t we play music for fun?” Everyone had been involved in these serious recording projects and was looking for a change. About five picking parties later, Railroad Earth became the people that were left still playing. I guess we inadvertently started a band by trying not to start a band.

Soon after came the now famous, Telluride-landing demo?

We realized there were four of us and we had a bunch of songs, so we decided to go actively find a bass player and a drummer. We were in the middle of working up the songs, when the guy that eventually became our manager asked for a demo. So we recorded five songs, gave them to him and he sent them to Telluride to try out for their bluegrass festival. Our manager called back two weeks later and told us we had landed the gig. That never happens. At first we were like, “Let’s give this guy a tape so he’ll go away.” Then we got the gig in Telluride and realized we had to go write 35 more songs and buy a van.

Did Railroad Earth employ jamming much before Telluride? If not, how did such a thing stylistically come into the band’s sound?

We had to actively put jamming into the music. I mean, any band is going to have to learn how to jam, because you are learning how to have a conversation with five other people, regardless of whether each person independently knows the ins and outs of jamming. All the other projects we’d been in before had been intense songwriting projects, projects where we just didn’t do four-minute solos. The New York scene we were playing back then was all about arranged songs, but when we hit the Colorado and California scene we went, “Wow these people are open to this and other bands are doing it,” so we added it.

So, is your East Coast audience now more open to jamming than when you first started?

Looking at it 10 years ago, (pre-Facebook, pre-Napster) you basically had to go to California in order to play for people in California. Bands were still giving out CDs at shows. Now, you do a show in Portland, Maine and people in California are emailing you the next day and posting videos of the show on Facebook. Listeners know everything that’s going on all the time. It’s a more unified audience now, so there really isn’t that geographical difference anymore.

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Posted by | January 26, 2012 | Interviews, Music | Comment 

‘I feel sort of different everywhere I go’ An interview with Samantha Crain

Samantha Crain at Off Broadway

Kate McDaniel

Samantha Crain is a traveling soul. Whether touring with her band the Midnight Shivers or lending her voice to another band’s recording (Small Houses, Night Reports), Crain will most likely be passing through your town.

Blending folk and indie rock, Crain’s music is made for taking on the road. I caught up with her as she was preparing for a state-side and international tour. We talked about her new John Vanderslice-produced release “A Simple Jungle,” vinyl records, her penchant for name dropping towns and other topics.

Matt Stuttler: What are you looking forward to on your upcoming international tour?

Samantha Crain: I’m only going to be over [in Europe] for about a week. I’m revisiting a lot of cities I went to back in November, but I am looking forward to playing in Paris. I’ve never played in Paris before. Also, I’m opening for a band that I’ve toured with before called First Aid Kit. They’re good friends of mine, so it’ll be priceless to spend some time with them, kind of hang out with them.

You’re playing at Off Broadway next week. Have you played there in the past?

Yeah, probably five or six times I think. We usually play at Off Broadway when we come through St. Louis. It’s a great venue. We’ve always been treated really well. It’s a nice size and a good sound. I like playing there.

What’s been your favorite St. Louis show you’ve played?

One of the most unique ones I can think of is last winter. We opened for Langhorne Slim and Bobby Bare Jr. It was such a cloudy night because our car had broken down on the way in, actually. We were trying to get towed into St. Louis. We had someone come pick us up, and we literally rushed into the venue and straight on to the stage and started playing. The night was really crazy, but it ended up being a really fun show. We couldn’t even get the whole band up on stage because we got there so late, but it was me and this guy that plays fiddle with me. Everyone seemed to like it and was really generous that we were kind of doing things different because of the circumstances.

You just released a 7 inch called “A Simple Jungle” a little over a week ago produced by John Vanderslice. What was it like working with him?

It was really great. He’s actually probably the nicest person on the planet. (Laughs) If you can’t get along with John, something’s probably wrong with you. I can’t imagine anyone not being able to get along with him. He really is kind of a genius as far as like analogue recording goes. There’s not a computer [for recording] in his studio. Everything is done analogue tape and he really knows what he’s doing with that. He’s got a studio out in San Francisco called Tiny Telephone. A lot of really great bands have recorded there. He’s like a complete joy to work with. We’re actually going to do the next full length with him producing. We’re kind of in talks about when we’re going to do that so it’ll probably be recorded this summer. We liked the project so much we just wanted to work with him again so he’ll be producing the full length too.

So you released “A Simple Jungle” online and as a 7″. Why did you decide to release it on vinyl?

I really wanted to do a 7″. That was the whole point of doing it. That was the point of the two songs, I wanted them to be released on a 7″ vinyl.

On the topic of vinyl, what’s your own personal favorite record?

I probably have kind of a tie. The two that get played the most at my house are “Déjà Vu” by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and the Paul Simon self-titled record.

Why did you name the release “A Simple Jungle”?

It’s a combination of the two names of the songs that are on the 7″. A lot of times when a single comes out, the name of the single is just the name of the side-A song. When I was doing the 7″, I didn’t necessarily think one song was more important than the other. We liked both of them a lot so instead of naming it the song that was side-A we just named it a combination of the two songs. Side A is a song called “It’s Simple” and then side-B is a song called “Cadwell Jungle.”

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Posted by | January 23, 2012 | Interviews, Music | Comment 

‘Might as well get to play music at the end of the day’ An interview with Elizabeth McQueen of Asleep at the Wheel

elizabeth-mcqueen.com

Just because Austin vocalist Elizabeth McQueen has been a part of Texas swing institution Asleep at the Wheel since 2005 doesn’t mean she’s just just a singing cowgirl.

The Arkansas-born, Maryland-raised singer has done everything from singing in the choir, recording covers of Graham Parker and Chuck Berry classics and venturing into chanteuse territory with her 2010 album “The Laziest Girl in Town.”

In the decade since she relocated to Austin she’s built a catalogue steeped in so many facets of American musical styles, all while starting a family with husband/Wheel drummer Dave Sanger. With their two young children in tow, McQueen continues the troubadour’s life, which she documents at Miles and Miles of Diapers.

Next stop on the journey is a brunch show at Lola with St. Louis’ Brothers Lazaroff on Sunday, January 15 at 11 a.m.

McQueen took a moment on Monday to exchange emails about her relationship with Brothers Lazaroff and life on the road with her two children.

Robin Wheeler: What led to you pairing with Brothers Lazaroff?

Elizabeth McQueen: David Lazaroff is one of my best friends in the world. He was one of the first people I met when I moved to Austin and we started playing music immediately. We’ve toured together, recorded together and played countless shows. When he moved back to St. Louis, I was happy for him, but heartbroken for me.

Through him I know his brother Jeff, who I’ve also played a ton of music with, and by extension, Grover, Teddy and Mo [of Brothers Lazaroff]. I’ve hung with those guys when they’ve come to Austin to play shows, and sat in some. They are all insanely good.

A couple of months ago [David] called me up and asked me if I wanted to play Wood House Concerts. It was good timing. Rick Wood had an opening on Saturday, January 14 and I had some time off from Asleep at the Wheel. Since I would be up in the area we decided to play a show together with the full band. David came up with the idea of having me guest at Lola for their brunch set. I immediately said yes. Playing with all these guys is always a good idea.

What can we expect to see at Sunday’s performance?

You’ll see a nice mix of their material and mine, as well as some surprises. We’ve been brainstorming about ways to infuse the Brothers Lazaroff groove into my music. It should be very cool.

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Posted by | January 13, 2012 | Interviews, Local, Music | Comment 

‘We don’t feel stupid for having that dream’ An interview with Todd Snider

facebook.com/toddsnider

Possessing a humor that draws fans in, singer-songwriter Todd Snider often covers topics that run much deeper. 

In a well-honed storyteller fashion, Snider uses his witty insights to shed light on situations he draws from real-life events. But, like any good folk singer, he’s not afraid to address difficult subjects to give his take. 

I had the chance to chat with Snider while he was out on a hike with a friend. As he enjoyed the recent unseasonably warm winter weather we’ve had in the Midwest (that party seems to be over), we discussed his influences, songwriting and his new record — the first to contain original material in three years.

Snider appears as part of the Sheldon Sessions (sponsored by PNC Arts Alive) this Friday, January 13 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.
 
Scott Allen: You’re on record as saying that seeing Jerry Jeff Walker made you want to be a songwriter. Which songwriters do you most admire?
 
Todd Snider: Well, Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, Billy Joe Shaver, John Prine and Jerry Jeff Walker are the people I’ve studied the most. (pauses) … and Bobby Bare. Then, of course, Dylan and the Rolling Stones.
 
That sounds like a Mount Rushmore of artists for you. That’s a nice list.
 
Yeah, that’s my main group.
 
Is there a musician you’d like to work with that you haven’t had the opportunity?
 
My fancy is to make up a song with Chuck Berry. He’s probably my favorite all-time living songwriter. Then, I also have these other things. I’m a folk singer, but I’d love to try to help Marilyn Manson make up a song or somebody like that. Last summer I got to make some songs for a punk-rock band and I thought that was fun. So, somebody weird or a rapper or somebody that does something very different would be fun to me. Like … Korn if they called or what’s some band like that? Limp Bizkit. Some real heavy rock. (Pause) Metallica! That’d be a mother load.
 
There you go. You could follow up on that Lou Reed release they did last year.
 
I was excited to hear they were doing something together.
 
You started your career in Memphis, but these days you set up shop in Nashville.
 
Yeah, I always make sure to point out it’s the east side of town. Because if somebody came to visit Nashville, I’d really encourage them to come to Little Five Points on the east side of town and just bang around those bars down there. There’s about six of them. It’s a really fun little community.
 
What is it about the Music City that keeps you there?
 
In other cities you really have to plan your sessions. When I first moved there I found it was really comforting to me instead of saying to everybody “I’m going to record on this day or that day” and we have to plan it and hire all these people. Really, in Nashville, you can walk to the studio, see if they’re open and start calling. If you need to put a band together for a session today there’s a bar called the 3 Crow. I guarantee I could go there right now and put together a pretty good band.
 
That does have its advantages.
 
You go to the 3 Crow and say, “Has anybody seen a fiddler today?” and they say, “There’s one down at the Red Door,” and you go down. And it’s like the guy who plays for Dylan it’s not [just some guy.] You look for a harmony singer and you might run into Gillian Welch or something.
 
Does that make it more advantageous than say the scene in Memphis?
 
Yeah, in Memphis, just by numbers, I’d say there’s about 100 people who make a living making music. I still stay in touch with most of those people and love them. Yet, in Nashville there’s thousands I bet. I like that on my street there’s about four singer-songwriters. When I go for my walk to the bar I almost always hear a band rehearsing.
 
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Posted by | January 12, 2012 | Interviews, Music | Comment 

88.1 KDHX DJ Spotlight: D-Ex and Iceman of Deep Krate Radio

Dannie Boyd

St. Louisians D-Ex and Furius “Iceman” Stylz, the award-winning DJs and hip-hop diehards behind Deep Krate Radio, have a combined 50-plus years of experience as DJs.

That isn’t including the other members of their respected collective of veteran DJs and producers in the Wax Murdaraz crew. Individually, D-Ex and Iceman have made their names primarily as battle DJs, showcasing their innovative turntable talents on regional and national stages. Despite their experience and accomplishments, the two remain humble devotees to the art form of DJing, both on-air at 88.1 KDHX, and all over St. Louis.

I had the pleasure of conducting the interview at the Wax Murdaraz HQ where the crew rehearses and runs a DJ school. The basement-turned-bat-cave is decorated as an encyclopedic shrine of action figures, posters, comic books and of course plenty of vinyl. The HQ even has a pinball machine.

Amidst the mass quantity of cultural relics, D-Ex and Iceman shared their thoughts on the “vinyl versus digital” DJ debate, the process of putting together a Deep Krate Radio show and their contentment with where they are professionally.

Kenji Yoshinobu: How did you guys hook up with KDHX?

D-Ex: Before we had Deep Krate Radio the first show I was hosting was a show called “Street Vibes.” That was G. Wizard’s show. He was going through some transitions with hosts on the show. At the time I was hosting a hip-hop video show backed by Double Helix, called “Fat Clips.” G-Wiz wanted me to host “Street Vibes,” but I turned him down. Not that I had a problem with his show — I loved his show! But it came on Friday nights, and for me it was more comfortable to sit back at the crib on a Friday. At the time I had to work early Saturday morning, at like 4 a.m., so I just wanted to kick back and enjoy the show. But push came to shove and I took him up on his offer.

So from ’95 to ’98 I did “Street Vibes.” G-Wiz semi-retired from radio DJing at that time, and DJ Alejan and myself started DJing on Street Vibes around ’97. Then we started “Da Science,” a radio show on 88.1, but then six months later we took it out of the studio and to Blueberry Hill and did that for maybe eight years. Then we came back to the station and continued “Da Science” for a while, then I brought in Iceman and we changed the name to “Deep Krate Radio.” That was 2007 and we’re still at it now.

How long have you guys been DJing?

Iceman: I’ve been DJing since like ’88.

D-Ex: I first started to teach myself to DJ in ’84. From that point on I was pretty much just in the crib getting my skills together recording. First time I DJed publicly was like ’89.

Dannie Boyd

You guys have pretty much seen hip-hop since its beginning. How has DJing changed since then?

Iceman: For the most part, I really don’t like the new DJ because the DJ used to mix. Nowadays the DJ just puts on a record and doesn’t mix it into another record. I used to go to the club and watch a DJ cut and mix and it created a certain vibe. These days DJs have got all the technology and they are just pressing buttons. You don’t even know what they are doing. It is just changing.

D-Ex: Part of the excitement was looking at the DJ and seeing what they were doing. It was cool to see how they would bring in a record and overlap it over another. They’d do little tricks with the crossfader. Just watching them made me want to learn how to do it. It is different now. You definitely have DJs, like Iceman said, that don’t do much. They bring their computer in and they might not even have turntables. They just are pressing buttons, looking like a mad scientist behind the computer, and music is just coming out.

It is probably harder for people to follow someone who might want to become a DJ and get a grasp on what is going on. We were always looking at hand movement, style, all of that. There are still a lot of DJs who use the new technology, but still get busy with the mixing. But Iceman and I use the technology on the radio too. All the digital formats. But we are also using our analog skills.

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Posted by | January 11, 2012 | Interviews, KDHX | Comment 

‘The only way to do it’ An interview with Brendan Kelly of the Lawrence Arms

flickr.com/photos/chigirl218/3452378131

Brendan Kelly of Chicago punk group the Lawrence Arms took some time out from his kids and music to give KDHX the rundown on the current state of his bands, his family and the music industry itself.

In this phone interview, Kelly touched a wide variety of topics, from Mick Jagger to Anna Nicole Smith, but thankfully not both at the same time.

Joe Duepner: How you doing today?

Brendan Kelly: I’m all right, man. Took my kids to the zoo, so you know…

Is the Chicago zoo free?

Oh, it’s free. We head down there all the time just to dick around in the lion house or whatever when it’s shitty out. It’s shitty out today.

So you’re playing in St. Louis, Thursday, January 12 at the Firebird, one of a few shows you have on this mini tour coming up. Is that a precursor to doing some recording or anything?

I don’t know. I mean we haven’t really talked about it too much; it’s just that we’ve sort of been stopped for a while and everyone’s been busy doing other stuff. So it occurred to me, not that long ago, that it’s been a long time since we’d played these towns, and also it’s been a long time since we’d played, so I threw it out there to sort of be like, “Hey you guys want to play a few shows in the Midwest?” That was met with enthusiasm so we’ll see. Obviously the first step to doing anything is doing something.

How do you handle touring with the kids?

It’s harder, you know. I’ve got to go in concentrated spurts of time. I’ve got to make sure that it’s financially feasible. And that, that’s something that we never considered before. You know, we just toured all the time, and we never really made any money. And that was fine because it was just, we didn’t need money. We just needed to play shows. But now, when we go out and play shows I have to come home with some money. You know it costs me money to go on tour now.

But you don’t take the kids with you on tour. You leave them at home, right?

They’re still pretty small. My oldest kid is three. He’s still too small to even been in a rock ‘n’ roll club. When I go on tour I want to drink beer and dick around. I have plenty of time with my kids at home with them every day. I mean it’s sweet to take kids on tour I guess, but we need a little separation of church and state, you know what I mean?

How do bands make money these days?

You gotta play shows and stand in front of people, and that’s the only way to do it. Record sales aren’t what they used to be. It’s just much harder. You know though, that being said, you get out and play a bunch of shows, which is sort of what it’s all about anyway. Dude, I read an interview with Mick Jagger and he said, “It used to be that we’d put out a record and we would tour to support our record. Now we put out a record to get people stoked about a tour.” And that’s the fucking Rolling Stones, so I think it’s operating on all levels at this point.

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Posted by | January 10, 2012 | Interviews, Music | Comment 

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