Gig review: Tech N9ne at Expo 5, Louisville

Tech N9ne says that 6's and 7's stands for disarray and confusion. After rolling through Louisville last night with a crew of fellow artists off his label, Strange Music, some [children] might have felt that way.

8.3.11

There was already juggalo drama afoot upon my arrival to Expo 5, a venue that strangely resembles a deserted carnival even when no ICP fans are around. Offhand comments from police proved this to be the norm- “This is like an ICP crowd…” while a group of well decked-out fans were escorted outside the gates before the show kicked off. I found comfort in seeing younger fans, hoping that this would entice rowdy adults to calm their shit. Unfortunately, the term All Ages is only meaningful to those who haven’t quite peaked enough to buy cigarettes yet.

Tech N9ne rolled through Louisville last night with a large crew of fellow rappers to support his headlining tour, but they reassured us this was a party and not merely a performance. Stevie Stone initiated the night’s baller vibe, layin’ out the crunk…and yelling. The following act Mayday! succeeded at appeasing both rock and hip-hop lovers with their Beastie Boys delivery and ska/punk style, though it did border dangerously along Limp Bizkit territory.

Jay Rock did a brief set with material from his latest Follow Me Home, but brought nothing memorable besides an intense flow spat on his closing song. Kutt Calhoun was able to raise several hands with his single “Buy the Bar” and eventually Stevie Stone got back onstage as well. It appeared as though everyone had each other’s backs within stage banter that occasionally felt like watching a conversation aimed directly at us. Upon opening or closing a set, each artist dedicated their performance to a deceased fellow with the mysterious initials M.J. The party was for him.

However grueling it may sound, the slew of opening acts didn’t faze the patience of Tech N9ne fans. He entered the stage through an automatic door built within the giant red 9 that stood behind him, wearing matching Strange Music jumpsuits with the 816 Boys who are known for accompanying him on the single “Areola.” I definitely had the female advantage as Tech gave my camera extreme eye contact and followed my movement in front of the stage. The set was a chopped mix of old and new material, busting out with the first verse of “Worldwide Choppers” as he warmed up the crowd. There was no avoiding that some incarnation of “Midwest Choppers” would make an appearance (which has become a Technition anthem), but they only went as far to throw down part II in its entirety. “Psycho Bitch” was interrupted with “Psycho Bitch II,” and “Red Nose” was performed humbly by Tech sitting down. “Come Gangsta” also brought forth the unifying pride that this fan base shares. Of course, any fan could tell you what Tech N9ne’s favorite drink is; so when it was time to sing the ingredients in “Caribou Lou,” nobody had to tell the bar twice. On perfect timing, a pale yellow mixed drink was passed up to the stage once the song had concluded. Eventually it broke down to a mad-lib test of who Tech N9ne’s real fans were as he recited random lyrics from older songs like “Dysfunctional” to “Low” and allowed the crowd to fill in the blanks.

Things started getting pretty sloppy in the crowd and Tech definitely had this in mind while determining his setlist. 1) Convince everyone it’s a party, 2) Bust out “Areola,” 3) Demand women to flash titties. One poor soul ended up on stage lugging a pair of size infinite DD’s on her chest and showing them to whomever didn’t already have their head turned away. Even with this vague excitement, the show remained pretty anti-climatic until the evening came rolling to an end and he sang an excerpt from an unreleased track called “F.A.N.S.”- You are my heart/you are my soul/Thank you for all you’ve done for me. The big finish: Tech passing out free cans of Monster and a recital of The Pledge.

But just look at these photos!

*This article also posted on Louisville.com

Photos: Lara Kinne

Interview: Matisyahu, reggae's most spiritual Jew

His name means "gift of God," his beard means business, and he's performing at Headliners Music Hall this Thursday, July 21st. Matisyahu speaks about Judaism and recording in Louisville.

Much like his Hasidic beliefs, Matisyahu communicates his message through telling stories, or adapting old ones. He cites the Torah as the influencer of his words while his music dwells primarily in reggae and hip-hop, but they have more in common than you think.

This Thursday Matisyahu will perform with electronic duo Sub Swara at Headliners Music Hall, however, he is no stranger to Louisville. Among his last few stops here included a recording session downtown that later became The Louisville Light Sessions EP, a collection of select tracks from the 2009 studio album Light.

While Light embraces the wonders of electronic manipulation and multi-track recording that creates a lush texture, it seems to have left part of the funk behind. That isn’t to say that the organic feel of his live performances don’t suffice enough funk to bring the house down. A live album recorded in Austin, Texas during 2005, Live at Stubb’s, peaked #1 on the Reggae Billboard charts before the young artist even released his second studio album. The impressive beat-boxing and intricate vocal patterns can easily entice a listener to check out a live show and witness these songs in action, many of which appear on his definitive record to follow, Youth. Of course homage to Bob Marley is paid in the couple acoustic ballads that are nestled into this empowering album, and only one song title with the word Zion. The rest is a funk-infused call to action, minus the love song “Unique is my Dove" which can be referenced back to his marriage nearly seven years ago. He now tours with his family of three and band to promote his latest, Live at Stubb’s Vol. II, a second take at the same Austin venue that helped launched his career, now six years later.

I spoke with Matisyahu over the phone while in Chicago and he was very patient with the brief connection issues we had to accommodate. Immediately I was at ease knowing that I’d be speaking to someone less concerned with how much time or money they don’t have. In fact, money wasn’t even brought up despite trying to get him to talk about file-sharing.

How has touring been this year? Does the experience improve over time or does it differentiate between cities?

It has improved tremendously, actually. I’ve always loved performing, but there was definitely a time when I knew less. It’s like anything; you grow with it. All the different elements behind it: going from being able to create the right space around you, adjust to being on the road, and having the right people around you- in terms of the band and people working for you, having more knowledge of my instrument, and being able to connect with the fans. I find that when time goes on, I really find myself enjoying it more and more every tour.

Do you ever feel like the fact you’re a Jew is abused subject matter in an interview?

No, I think it’s fine. It depends on the interviewer and what their interest is. One of the best interviews I did was the other day for a daily newspaper in Pittsburgh, and the interviewer was Jewish, and I think he was pretty connected with his Judaism and therefore had a lot of in-depth questions about my Judaism. I don’t mind discussing it.

Well, I’m about to throw a few at you. What significant experiences led you from being raised a Reconstructionist to an Orthodox Jew?

There were a few that I could suggest, but all of them would require an interview for each experience. It’s something I don’t really like to over-simplify. Would you like me to pick out one of them?

Yeah, if you could.

Overall it was a very organic experience for me. It wasn’t an overnight thing; it was the type of thing that really grew over time. When I was a teenager I started listening to Bob Marley and reggae music, and I really felt all the references to Judaism in there to the Old Testament in the lyrics of those songs. And the spirituality there. A lot of it is influenced and borrowed from Judaism and the Torah. So that was one of the initial draws to me: to explore Judaism on a deeper level. That’s one thing.

Another was when I moved to the west coast to Oregon and found myself to be one of the few Jews in the town I lived in. So I felt all of a sudden, going back from New York, this sort of… I guess at that time in my life, being in my late teens, I was looking for my identity. I felt that being Jewish was a big part of that, even though this wasn’t exploring religiosity, but it made me feel a connection to Judaism. Now when I was 16 I also went to Israel to and experienced a lot of Judaism and young American Jews, too. Israel was very different from the Judaism that we’re exposed to in America. Somehow it feels much more authentic over there. And the variety of Judaism that’s available is appealing.

In college I took a class on race studies. All of us white kids, we were taking the class expecting the black kids and the black teacher to tell us what it’s like to be black in America and be in those situations where there’s racism. And on the contrary, the teacher wanted us to talk about what it was like to be white in America, what it meant to be white and to really explore our identity. It was around that time that I began to really feel a spiritual pull, and an emotional pull from a lot of different directions towards Judaism. I decided, partially because of influence from that teacher and class, that I wanted to wear a yamaka. And let the outside world know that I’m Jewish rather it be a secret and something I keep to myself.

Now, do you find yourself identifying with more than one type of Judaism or religion?

Yes, to a certain extent. Judaism isn’t just a religion, it’s a people. So in that sense I find myself relating to all Jews. Coming from a cultural perspective, as people, yes. Coming from a religious standpoint, I don’t really identify or connect with reformed Judaism or reconstructionist as much, or conservative Judaism. I believe that the Torah’s the real deal; it’s the real thing. Within Orthodox Judaism there’s different branches, so I do find myself sort gravitating towards Hasidic and Kabbalistic thought, employing from those places mainly.

There is a Jewish fusion band called the Shirim Klezmer Orchestra that take the plot-lines from Jewish folk tales and play out the stories in their music. Have you ever adapted a folk tale to write a song?

The last studio release I put out is based on a story called The Seven Beggars which was written by Rabbi Nachman who was a Hasidic rabbi. He was the grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, who was the founder of the Hasidic movement and that was in the late 1700s. He basically believed that people weren’t really connecting to the Torah. The learning wasn’t real to them. Therefore it started creating an impediment between them and God. And therefore he felt that there needed to be a new revolution in Torah learning and that it had to come through stories, and so he began to tell these stories. I studied his work for about three or four years and it culminated in my records, based on one of his stories called the Seven Beggars.

What are your feelings on the digital transition to music, i.e. file-sharing? Have you been effected by the fact that people can download your music without paying or do you believe this transition has enriched the music community?

I think it does both. It allows music to get out there easier and in some ways…well, you know the story; you know how it works. I’m sure you’ve read plenty of articles about it.

Well, what solution would you offer on behalf of your music?

I don’t have a solution because I don’t really see it as a problem. Things just are what they are. It’s just the reality of: why are leaves green?

Do you go back to the holy land very often?

Yeah, I’m usually there two to three times a year.

Anywhere particular that draws you there spiritually?

If I’m there during the high holidays I usually stay in Jerusalem.

Do you have any distinct memories of your time in Louisville?

Yeah, we had a recording there called Louisville Light. This band that I was playing with at the time, we decided we wanted to record the songs from [Light] live. So we took a little break on the tour and stopped at a studio in downtown Louisville and spent I think four or five days there. Or was it three?

Also while I was there I spent some time over Shabbat by the Chabad. You know, just a normal Chabad house…nothing special.

Matisyahu will be playing with Sub Swara at Headliners Music Hall, July 21st @ 8PM. Tickets are $25 available through Headliners, ear-X-tacy and etix.com. 18+ with I.D.

FREE Matisyahu in-store performance and meet&greet at ear-X-tacy Records prior to show starts at 6PM.

Photo: Courtesy of MatisyahuWorld

*This article also appears at Louisville.com

Al Lover- Distorted Reverberations (of Reverberating Distortion) (2011)

An essential part of keeping community alive in music is the remix: the act of artists reinventing another's work into their own. With Al Lover's new project in producing hip hop beats reworked from current psychedelic and garage bands, he helps to further bring a sense of connection within underground music. His last project was in the similar vein of remixing rock 'n roll as he produced Safe as Milk Replica last year, a tribute to the late Captain Beefheart. Adhering to his mission to extend the music community, all of these mixes are offered for free through Al Lover's website...and now on Huevos. Lay down a flow or let the beat ride, and enjoy the sound of legal- the way it should be.

1. Natural Child- "White Man's Burden"

2. Shapes Have Fangs- "Terlingua"

3. Oh-Thee-See- "If I Stay Too Long"

4. White Fence- "Sticky Fruitman Has Faith"

5. King Tuff- "Sun Medallion"

6. JEFF the Brotherhood- "Hey Friend"

7. Ty Segall- "Fist Heart Mighty Dawn Dart"

8. Davila 666- "Yo Seria Otro"

9. Night Beats- "H-Bomb"

10. Moonhearts- "I Can Go On"

Distorted Reverberations (of Reberberating Distortion)

Gig Review: Bright Eyes/Dawes at Iroquois Amphitheater, Louisville

6.7.11

It was a beautiful summer evening to hear great music at the Iroquois Amphitheater last night. Conor Oberst must have been feeling the buzz too, because I wasn't expecting a Bright Eyes show to be so heavy. Sharing the stage with them were Dawes who released their second album yesterday and performed at ear-X-tacy before last night's show. They come close to a modern Band with California style that pulses straight out of their bluesy, Malibu roots.

By sunset, it was time for Bright Eyes to take the stage. Having never attended one of their shows before, I was expecting a mostly Conor-centered experience. But the addition of a larger band aided songs dating back to I'm Wide Awake and Lifted to sound more fleshy and vibrant than their studio counterparts. He often played around the wording of these older tunes and didn't appear bored from playing them over the years. Moreover the defiant nature in his earlier music wasn't lost, but became more refined and powerful.

Even though there was only one "MARRY ME CONOR" sign, it was clear that his fanship runs deep in Louisville. To many, he is presented as a prophet. It's a unique trait he has always been able to maintain as a songwriter; people tend to hang on extra hard to his words. In the instances where Conor performed without the band ("Poison Oak," "Lua") to a quieted amphitheater, you could hear shouts of approval and agreement amongst the crowd as if he was preaching to us some kind of truth. The raw subject matter in his songs definitely make it seem that way and one could easily get lost in the emotions they may evoke. This only goes to show what a great songwriter he truly is, unknowingly touching the hearts of many people young and confused.

Conor has had past connections to Louisville as he collaborated with MMJ's Jim James in Monsters of Folk and played at Headliners last year. He explained that "A Machine Spiritual" from the new Bright Eyes record was inspired by Jim and dedicated its performance even though MMJ is currently off touring. The set ended with a cheers to the audience in "One for You, One for Me," the closing song on The People's Key and an inspiring wrap-up for the encore.

Bright Eyes- "Four Winds"

*This article also appears at Louisville.com
Photos/Video: Lara Kinne

INTERVIEW: Afternoon in ear-X-tacy with Lucky Pineapple

This Friday marks the final performance of Louisville’s beloved funky collective, Lucky Pineapple, who have graced the local scene for nearly seven years. Reasoning for the breakup remains slightly unclear, but during an interview Monday afternoon, it was apparent that these four members have their sights on endeavors set beyond just playing in a band. Although it was a fun ride, Lucky Pineapple have called it quits for good. However, the things that lie ahead for them could assimilate to be just as fruitful.

Starting out in 2004, the Pineapple began as a concentrated mix of musicians either classically trained or pulled from the Louisville punk scene, theater performers, and improv noise artists. The outcome made for a cultured take on fusing worldly music with the styles of anything it may have dragged along while returning to Louisville. Straight from the opposite hemisphere and into your backyard, Lucky Pineapple’s tunes sound like the well-seasoned, juicy piece of refreshing music that you’re probably looking for. But don’t ask any of them to describe it for you.

They enjoyed modest success during their run, landing a spot at SXSW last year and even getting a song featured on Jersey Shore. Their music video for “Moment in an Empty Street” was met with rave reviews after premiering at Louisville Film Society’s 2nd Annual Showcase of Short Film and Video, and they have shared the stage among bigger names like Meat Puppets and Man Man. A split 7’’ with Prizzy Prizzy Please called The Yellow Belt was their final release before finally announcing their disbandment in February.

For Lucky Pineapple’s last interview, I brought the band into ear-X-tacy as an inspiration to talk about their musical influences. The only rule is that whoever catches the beach eyeball must extend upon the artist and album they choose to discuss. Although trombone man Dan couldn’t find what he was looking for, an on-the-spot review of Tyler, the Creator’s "Yonkers" did suffice.

Joining us to sendoff the band on Friday are locals Ultra Pulverize who have performed with Lucky Pineapple several times in the past. As we celebrate their existence and impact on Louisville’s music scene, let us not forget what will become of its fragments later on. Hold on a little tighter to your yellow wax copy of The Yellow Belt and recall the good memories you’ve undoubtedly experienced from past Pineapple shows. Now savor it.

Lucky Pineapple will perform their farewell show with Ultra Pulverize on Friday, May 20th at Headliners Music Hall. Tickets on sale now through ear-X-tacy, Headliners box office, and Etix.com. $8 adv./$10 day of show. 18+ with I.D. Doors @ 9 PM.

Inside the Spacedome: An interview with Disco Aliens

At the very peak of Thunder anticipation, DJ supergroup Disco Aliens plan to invade the Glassworks building at Landing on the Roof this Friday. Hailing from the Midwest, these DJs, Tyrohn Brooks (obitykenobi), Sean Collins (Plexxx), Daniel Batson (Archeon) and Chris Mindel (Elektrolyte) bring you a multi-demensioned experience. Through several mixed tracks and elaborate visual appeals, the Aliens are able to powerfully stimulate their audiences without spiking them with drugs beforehand. Their passion for sound and its potential is apparent through the music selection of their mixes. Many of these can be found and downloaded for free via their website or can be streamed through DJ G.F.G.'s podcast series Sunday Slackin', a soundtrack to your Sundays.

Although they are currently based out of Louisville, the group admits to not often playing local gigs. Many of their events are spread across the Midwest which included appearances at the Land of Nod Experiement, Underground Sound, Forecastle Festival and Halfway to Forecastle. They are preparing to fill a roster of shows for 2011 and intend to transpire new ideas within the studio.

Chris Mindel's basement, known formally as the Spacedome, is where the magic takes place. It's hard not to get engergetic and inspired looking around this home setup. From layered, technicolor banners to the flourescent paint, everything glow-in-the-dark, and two really cute cats, it immersed me in nothing but good vibes. To a group of producers experienced in crowd stimulation, the vibe of a setting is an important factor of ones reaction to the music and overall experience. They hope to bring this good spirit back to Louisville this Friday. Due to travel complications, Sean Collins (Plexxx) was unable to attend this interview.

Disco Aliens will be bringing the house down with Secret Beats, Moogonaughts (G.F.G & John Napier) and Double Stuff (DJ Lady Carol vs Duffy) this Friday, April 15th. 5PM-Midnite, 21+, with a $10 cover charge.

Photos/Video: Lara Kinne; main image taken in Detroit by PictureThisDetroit

Interview: America's Funnyman Neil Hamburger talks rave music, Carl's Jr., and magical battered mushrooms

Neil Hamburger says that he's been a comedian for over 92 years. Gregg Turkington is 43. Yet, both men have accomplished a plethora of work done in music, comedy and television. This is a known fact. It's also known that Neil and Gregg are actually the same person. Turkington, who is a musician credited for founding the now defunct Amarillo Records, plays as Neil Hamburger only to the public eye. This persona, comparable to Andy Kaufman's side stint as Tony Clifton, presents to the audience crude and often offensive humor that's incredibly difficult not to laugh at. Many interviewers in the past have found that inquiring about his endeavors as a musician seems to draw out more bitter responses than informational ones. Even the story of his upbringing changes periodically, but one thing that he stresses most is that it was a very disturbed one. Since changing his act from comedian to musician, Neil's roster of projects continues to grow. He's gone from hosting his own series on tomgreen.com (Poolside Conversations with Neil Hamburger) to recording his own country western album through Drag City. On Twitter, he recently admitted to wrapping up for a future Fantomas film, but refused any forthcoming information.

Neil’s last stop in Louisville with fellow funnymen, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, brought him as a opening act for the finale show of their Chrimbus Spectacular, referred to that evening as Chrimbus Eve. Neil is no stranger to opening for amazing acts, as he has also been seen commencing shows for names like Guided by Voices, Melvins, Iron and Wine, Pinback, and Louisville’s own Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy. This spring, Mr. Hamburger returns to Louisville for his own headlining tour at Headliners Music Hall. According to Neil, the Spring Value Tour is meant to pack as much entertainment and laughs into one night as humanly possible. Joining him are comedians Todd Barry and Brendon Walsh. Barry's comedic roots date as far back as Neil's, lending his talents as a voice actor for old-school shows like Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist and Home Movies. His current endeavors include a recurring role on the Adult Swim series Delocated and playing as himself on Louis C.K.'s television show Louie. Brendon Walsh has toured extensively for two years with Doug Stanhope and his appearances have varied from Premium Blend to The Bob & Tom Show.

I chatted with Neil in the afternoon while he was three hours behind me in California. During our conversation, I found him to be a very sincere man who has a serious commitment to his profession in making people laugh. Here's what Mr. Hamburger had to say about everything else...

Do you feel like there's any competition between you and other comedians?

Well there's always competition because the problem is, most of the folks these days, most of the night clubs and things, you know they have this techno music- have you heard this?

Yeah, I don’t really like it.

It's horrible. No one likes it, yet the clubs are packed. Now, they've taken bulldozers to some of the great comedy clubs, pizza parlors, and rock n’ roll night clubs, to put in these new techno buildings. They're very ice cold inside and they have vending machines at the bars that dispense drugs to these drug filled assholes to listen to that monotonous music. As a result of this, there's only so much comedy work to go around. But you’ve got 500,000 comedians and only 1,000 shows a night to pay, you can see where this competition creates, unfortunately, a very unpleasant environment when you when spend time with these other comedians, because everyone’s scrambling to get the same ten cents. Know what I’m saying?

Now in the case of the Spring Value Tour, we, some of the quality comedians, some of the real deal comedians, decided to join forces and bring a bill that packs so much entertainment into one evening, it's a surprise that it's not a $500,000 ticket. We're only trying to give the people their money's worth just by packing an insane number of laughs into a small amount of time; that's what we’re trying to do. Whether or not it works, well, we just don't know.

Yeah, but everybody gets their time, too.

Which is very important.

Twitter question from @KentuckyProphet: How do you determine your opening acts?

Well you know, that's an interesting interview question, it seems a little bit like trick, you know? A lot of interview questions would be things like "Neil! What's your favorite color?" "Neil! What’s your favorite Elvis Costello movie?" "Neil! What's your favorite Nancy Sinatra song?" Those are the sorts of questions you usually get. This question is more along the lines of probably your next question. I bet your next question is from the Super 8 Motel saying, "Neil, have you already reserved a room? We got great deals going right now." Now I don't want to speak badly of the Kentucky Prophet, I've heard that his music is in fact quite good. The sad truth is that we put together a full bill, a full night of entertainment, so there's really no more room for other acts. When we go out there, it's myself and Todd Barry, who everyone knows from movies, from all the late-night talk shows, from his really award winning career. Brendon Walsh who's been seen on all the late-night shows, you know, has also had a wonderful career; we already have three folks on one bill. There really isn’t room for anything more, so I must respectfully tip my hat to the Kentucky Prophet, but really this bill full. And if anything, it's over-filled.

I heard in another interview that you thought K-Fed's album was really killer, so I was wondering if there were any other records you would consider the best of all time?

Boy, that's a good question. That's not one you get very often, and normally it’s these motels trying to get you get to book them. Well there's an album by Frank Sinatra Jr., the son of Frank Sinatra, and the album is called Spice. And I think you'll find that it's one of the top albums that are out there for listening. We really have enjoyed it through the years and I would give my vote to that. I try not to listen to a lot of music because it distracts the mind from you really need to be doing, which is paying attention to the road.

Is that the only album?

Well, there are a few albums we have listened to. Do you know who I really like? Bow Wow Wow, did you ever hear these guys?

Yes.

That's really a good sound. I mean it really was a happy sound, Bow Wow Wow. They had songs that were very popular in the 1980's when I was getting my start. And they’re one of those [bands] I think really hold up today under the light, so I really recommend them. I'm also a really big fan of any of the old orchestras, you know the Tommy Dorsey orchestra, the Jimmy Dorsey orchestra, the Glenn Miller orchestra, any of the old singers like Rudy Valley, these guys who could really put a show out there for ya. Nowadays, I don't know if you've noticed this, but probably as a journalist you would, as journalists have an attention for detail but of lot of the performers are slobs, you know? You don't come out on the stage wearing a dirty t-shirt that's incrusted with all the garbage that's soaking out of their armpits. And sometimes if you go to...do you have Carl's Jr. in Kentucky?

Carl’s Jr.?

Yeah, you have Hardy's. Alright, Hardy's, on the west coast is called Carl’s Jr. and the further east you go they call it Hardy's. If you eat the food from Hardy's, you will sweat out a little stone. They’re the size of grains of salt, they're black, and they'll come out of your pores. It comes from the garbage that they're serving at that Hardy's. Some of the oils are straight out of hell itself. So, these bands they go to Hardy's and they'll have some kind of sandwich and the next day if you raise their arms and I don't recommend you do, because most of these musicians smell horrible. But if you raise their arms you'll see the oily black clumps that look like tar coming out of the pores under their arms. Now, it's disgusting. What they need to do is wash this off, but instead, these bands will get on stage wearing a dirty t-shirt and if you look under the shirt, it's filthy dirty from these globs of the Hardy's tar. They'll have dirt under their nails, halitosis, and a lot of them have hepatitis, or BD, and they get up on stage wearing sweat pants and that's not really the kind of music anyone wants to look at or hear. Compared to these great orchestras, to answer your question, if you were to ever go see the Tommy Dorsey orchestra, you would see guys wearing suits and ties, you know what I'm saying? Impeccably groomed and always smelling fresh and not eating at Hardy's… and that's really what makes the difference.

Do you have any distinct memories of your visits to Louisville?

Yeah I sure do. We had some real good mushrooms. They cooked these mushrooms up, oh boy...I don't know the place, it was downtown, but I'll never forget these mushrooms. They battered them in something, or maybe it was the Colonel’s 11 herbs and spices. It certainly was better than that. This place was just a little place downtown with these magical battered mushrooms. Do you know what place I’m talking about? I’d love to get some of those again.

I’m not sure, but I’m sure someone who reads this interview would.

[Note: If anyone knows the name of the restaurant where Neil got these mushrooms, please let me know! I would like to relay the answer to him and perhaps try them myself.]

Well they’ll have to get in touch. I also really had a wonderful show there some years ago with a wonderful, wonderful two-piece act called Elvis and Meatloaf dot com. They're two brothers. One of them was truly an amazing Meatloaf impersonator. He has the sound, he has the look, I mean he was Meatloaf. He would do a couple songs and then leave the stage, and then his brother would come out and did a fairly incredible Elvis impersonation. And then Elvis would leave and Meatloaf would come back out. It went like this all night long; it was really something. I was honored to share a building with this group. And I understand that they play some of the casinos in the area...I don’t know if the casinos are there in town or if they’re across the river or what but these guys were real great and it was real fun seeing them. Then afterwards as I said, eating these battered mushrooms...I think it was a cornmeal that was on the outside of the mushrooms. It was quite good.

Sounds really good.

Also, I went on tour there and went to the Old Spaghetti Factory; I remember that place. Now, I’m sure that’s not the finest place you’ve got in town there in Kentucky. I went in there and walked around and it seemed like there was a lot of bankers and financial guys in the area and I don’t tend to get along with those people.

Yeah, it’s definitely not the fanciest place here.

We also went to the Kentucky Fried Chicken headquarters and the beautiful mansion they have there. We tried to see Colonel Sanders’s grave and they wouldn’t let us because this was right after 9/11. We were told they were not letting visitors see the grave because of 9/11…I don’t see the connection, personally. They also had Colonel Sanders’s desk. You could sit behind it and have a photo taken. Another time we stopped in Corbin, Kentucky at the original location of Kentucky Fried Chicken at Sanders Court, and they were selling old photograph records of Colonel Sanders’s mandolin band. He had a whole band of mandolin players that played spiritual songs, and they were selling these albums right there at KFC over the counter for a mere five dollars. So you will want to stop in there if you get the chance, if you like mandolin music. I mean, who doesn’t like mandolin music? These are records from 1959 and they’re selling them there in Corbin, so do stop by.

Also, I was [in Louisville] with Tim and Eric and John C. Reilly. We travelled in a bus and had some wonderful fans that travelled all the way to Columbus, and they were there again in Kentucky. They were just the sweetest kids and we loved them. They were really nice people; nice folks.

What crimes have you committed spiritually?

Well, I don’t know if this is spiritual or not, but when I’m in the hallways out of my hotel room, and [on those carts] the maids sometimes have a little box of pens, a little box of shampoo bottles, and usually I try to scoop my hand in there and try to take as much of that as I can. I wouldn’t say it’s a spiritual crime, if anything it’s a very un-spiritual crime, but it is a crime. It is something I feel bad about.

Is that the only crime?

There are a couple shows where I didn’t give it my all, and for that I’m very sorry. I’m not going to name the cities because I don’t want to disgrace myself, and anyone who paid money to see the show. Generally I will give it my all every single night and that’s what you have to do, but when you do an average of 400 shows a year, which I’ve been known to do. You get the occasional night where you feel sick or maybe you ate some bad canned food and you don’t give it your all. That really is a crime against God, who created the some of the canned food that got me sick. But you really need to give it your all, or it’s a crime against the readers, you know?

How do you feel about kids these days?

Well you know I think a lot of them are souped up on God-knows-what. They need to clean up their act and quit listening to that techno music that I’m talking about, which is real garbage. They play a lot of televised shows with remotes and everything, but I think what the kids need to do is come see the show. Can they even get into the venue? I have no idea, but I do think kids need to laugh more these days. There’s a lot of stress going around and this is a difficult time to be a young person today. So I do salute them. Any time there are kids at the show, we always try to shake their hand, give them discounts on our merchandise. Neil Hamburger dolls… a lot of the kids really like dolls, you know, it’s sort of a security blanket sort of thing. I do wish they would educate themselves some more about good comedy because some of this junk you see in the theaters... I don’t know if you’ve seen Marmaduke, but that was garbage. It was rubbish. I think you’d be much better off watching Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy or Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man. I mean, those are quality movies. But this Marmaduke dog, is clearly on drugs or something. And to promote drug use amongst animals is the lowest of the low.

Favorite pizza.

Well you know, I prefer something that doesn’t have a lot of oil on it. Have you seen the Nile in Egypt? If you can imagine transplanting the river Nile on top of pizza, except imagine that the river Nile was all oil. That’s what all the Pizza Hut pizzas look like. It’s really quite disgusting. I think that’s pretty shameful; I would stay away from that.

Twitter question from @Thaxter: Why is the guy who plays Neil Hamburger on TV not the guy I hear on my vinyl records?

Well, it is the same guy. The problem is, Thaxter, smart aleck, is that if you’ve been buying the records, look at the year on the record. I’ve been doing this for so many years, and honestly my act has changed over the years. I’ve gotten older and as you get older your voice deepens, sort of mellows with age and that sort of thing. I could say to Thaxter: why is a 3-year-old baby that I have photographs of with a diaper full of feces not the same strapping young man that’s on Twitter asking questions? And the reason is, Thaxter, is that you’ve grown and changed with time. Now, I don’t know what records I’ve mine he has. But I can guarantee it’s the same person, but I have aged considerably. Now, Thaxter, you’ve aged, we’re all heading towards the grave. I haven’t had a day off in 12 years; if you work this hard doing this many shows it ages you prematurely. Every one year that you age, Thaxter, I age two, because unfortunately show business is the hardest type of business to be involved in. So if you have a record, say he has my first album America’s Funnyman, from 1996, well that’s 15 years ago. In show business years, that’s 30 years ago. If you listen to Frank Sinatra’s vocals from 1948 and listen to his vocals from 1978, you could easily say that this is not the same man because Frank Sinatra used to have the voice of an angel. He used to have a very sweet, tenor voice and with time it became raspy, old and crotchety. Now I happen to like that very much and any fan would, but I don’t believe conspiracy theorists like this Thaxter guy accusing them of having switched out one Frank Sinatra for the other. Frank Sinatra from 1948 was as thin as a rail, the man probably weighed 110 pounds soaking wet. And Frank Sinatra from19 78 was quite a bit more hefty. I don’t understand how Thaxter got through life not noticing this. Did he not notice at one point that he started growing hair above his lip? I mean come on, Thaxter.

You’re 43, aren’t you?

Well, there’s a lot of misconception about that. There’s a lot of information out there on the internet and there’s no way to control it.

So how old are you?

Well we can’t answer that because we don’t want to feed the misconception on the internet. We have a policy of not answering questions like that, because if you do, it causes more inaccuracy.

I guess it’s better to remain inaccurate..?

Well it’s better if people try to get their facts straight, but we can’t contribute to the mass by giving answers like that.

And you’ve been doing comedy for 92 years?

Well, I wouldn’t say that many, but that’s closer to the truth than some of the other things I’ve read. Definitely there has been a lot of comedy, and it has gone on far too long, but a lot of the audiences have moved onto other things. A lot of folks that used to come to the shows are in nursing homes, or some of them are working as strippers. I mean, anything can happen; the next great thing might change. I’ll tell you, my interest in putting on the best show that I can, that never changes.

Do you have a message for Louisville?

Yes. We are bringing what I think will be the show of the year, 2011. I think it will be the most talked about show of 2011 and I dare say it will be the best value show of 2011. What else is coming to town this year? Do you know of anything that could rival this? I don’t think Limp Bizkit could compete. I don’t think Eric Clapton could.

Robert Plant, Wanda Jackson…

Well, those are great legends in their own right. How much are the tickets, though? The thing is, we have a good price. If you were to see these acts separately, you would be paying three times as much at least. Todd Barry, you might have seen in the Oscar-award winning motion picture, The Wrestler, and on every late-night comedy show there ever was. If you were to ever see him in concert, you would have to go to the emergency room from an aching gut, a bleeding throat, and tears at the side of your mouth because you smiling and laughing so damn hard. Put him on a bill with somebody like myself and Brendon Walsh, it really speaks very well of what kind of year 2011 will be, because you will be kicking it off with laughter, joy, happiness, a little bit of disdain, disappointment, maybe some anger. But mainly, the other things I was mentioning. It’s really going to be a fantastic show and I really hope the town comes out and gets behind it. The last time I was up there it was snowing. I don’t know if we’ll have snow; I could be wrong.

It’s possible.

Well, wear something like boots to protect your feet in the snow when it’s snowing, and look fashionable if it’s not. That would be my recommendation.

Neil Hamburger will be performing with Todd Barry and Brendon Walsh at Headliners, 1386 Lexington Rd., April 14th. Tickets are $17 advance and $20 day of show available through Headliners, Ear-X-Tacy, and E-tix. Ages 18 & up. Doors open at 8 PM. Show at 9 PM.

Photo: Flickr/ Rick Hall

Al Lover- Safe as Milk Replica (2010)

I picked up Safe as Milk Replica from fellow Louisville blogger, Micheal Powell, who shared this album on his site The Decibol Tolls days after the death of Captain Beefheart. Hip Hop beat-maker Al Lover crafted this tribute album to the late music legend by remixing his first LP with the Magic Band. The outcome is a cool, loose-threads take on the original psychedelic tunes. The best part is that he has released this as a free album through bandcamp.

Here's the official message from Al Lover regarding the album:

"In Honor of the late great Captain Beefheart, Al Lover presents his latest work 'Safe as Milk Replica', a distorted reworking on the amazing first LP by Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band. With each track sampled from a different song from the original record, Al Lover has created something all his own, a dusty, psychedelic, boom-bap journey into the past.

From the chunky, off kilter head nodding revision of "Zig Zag Wanderer", a fuzzed out drunken echo chamber of a track, to the driving exotic rhythms and erie 78 era phonographic tones of "Grown so Ugly", which sounds like an acid trip to the Middle East, 'Replica' throws Instrumental Hip Hop, Psych, Electric Blues & S.F. Garage, into a blender and force feeds you the Slop produced.

Created in one week of all nighters, heavy alcohol consumption, and paranoid reclusiveness the results are both gruesome and beautiful - drowned with delay, beat to death by distortion, and hung out to dry on a tambourine. A heavy cloud cover of sonic bombardment cut by thunderous crushing drums, the album is a hologram of the original seen through a shattered mirror reflecting into eternity.

Play it loud, and raise a toast to Don Van Vliet!"

1. Sure 'Nuff 'N Yes I Do

2. Zig Zag Wanderer

3. Call on Me

4. Drop Out Boogie

5. I'm Glad

6. Electricity

7. Yellow Brick Road

8. Abba Zabba

9. Plastic Factory

10. Where's There's Woman

11. Grown so Ugly

12. Autumn's Child

Safe as Milk Replica (2010)

Best Albums of My Year

Everyone is making lists this time of year, so I wanted to craft one of my own. Usually this would be when I make a Best Albums of 2010 type of deal, but for the past year I've been really caught up in other things. It almost feels like I've been in a hole, listening to only a small fraction of good records that have come out in the past decade. This, among other things, also leads into why Huevos isn't as active as it used to be.

In October I got hired as a music writer to Louisville.com, my first real job in the journalism field. It was hard getting accustomed to writing articles so frequently, but I also feel that it has definitely improved my abilities, especially when it comes to being punctual. Therefore, most of my literary energy is taken up writing for their site rather than my own. I hope to avoid this becoming a problem in the approaching year, though it's hard to say how I'll feel about things by then. But despite being completely out of the musical loop, I still found a few records that really meant something to me during this stressful time of my life. So instead of trying to keep up with the usual line of 2010's most anticipated albums, I sought out records that were released relatively closer to the year I was born, in an attempt to re-connect with what came along in the decade I hardly remember. Obviously a majority of these turned out to be from the 90's, but I did find a few modern gems that I could probably see myself listening to years from now. They accompanied me through a difficult year, and I expect them to help me through the next. Below is a list of those records.

Boston Spaceships- Planets Are Blasted (2009)

If I haven't made it obvious enough yet, I'm a huge Robert Pollard fan. That isn't to say I suck dick on everything he releases, but I find myself continually influenced by his songwriting and musical style. Although I've liked Guided by Voices for a while, 2010 is when I really got into his other band Boston Spaceships. Along with the GBV classic lineup reunion, Pollard and the gang also managed to squeeze out a new Spaceships album this year titled Our Cubehouse Still Rocks, which I really liked too. Planets Are Blasted is a pretty straight-forward rock album, like a refined GBV with more cohesive songs and structure. What makes it really golden is how fresh Pollard can still make his songs sound, even if he may rehash a few melodies here and there. Fortunately, there's no re-hashing here.

Camper Van Beethoven- Telephone Free Landslide Victory (1985)

I remember doubting that Telephone dated back to 1985 the first time I heard it. Coincidentally, the same thought immediately came to mind when I heard 89's Key Lime Pie. It's clear that Camper Van Beethoven were ahead of the alternative curve that was to hit mainstream in the 90's. By that time, frontman David Lowery had already left Camper and went on to be co-founder of the more traditional rock band Cracker. I came across a vinyl copy of Telephone a few months ago and it's been one of my favorite music purchases this year (right behind the German pressing of Pink Floyd's Animals on pink vinyl, obviously.)

Porno for Pyros- God's Good Urge (1996) and Porno for Pyros (1993)

I lump these two albums together because that's usually how I would listen to them: one right after the other. After being unfairly hesitant about liking Jane's Addiction, a friend of mine suggested I listen to Perry Farrell's other stint in Porno for Pyros. The first time I heard "Pets," I knew there was already an emotional connection I felt with this music. This somewhat instigated a search for more early 90's/late 80's music that could make me feel this way. I was looking for music that was released during the time period of my childhood because recalling those years has always felt sort of dreamlike to me. These albums were like flipping through a photo book that I don't remember, but I learned something about myself anyway.

Silver Jews- American Water (1998)

I guess you could say 2010 is when I started appreciating more boring 90's indie rock. Silver Jews aren’t boring to a bad extent, but David Berman’s singing voice always makes me want to fall asleep; perhaps it's the monotone, or too laid back. I do appreciate the occasional Stephen Malkmus vocals that pop up around their albums, though. Maybe that’s what keeps me awake? In any sense, I love American Water and Starlite Walker. Silver Jews are clearly still engaging enough.

Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse- Dark Night of the Soul (2010)

There really couldn't have been a more exciting collaboration of effort than on Dark Night of the Soul. A cascade of music heroes including Wayne Coyne, Iggy Pop, Frank Black, Jason Lytle, James Mercer and several others each contributed their talents as tribute to the late Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse. All visual artwork for the album was done by David Lynch, who even himself provided vocals for two eerie songs on the record. What also made this special was the boxset (limited to only 5,000 copies) that included a hand-numbered book of photographs taken by Lynch; he referred to this as a visual narrative for the music. It makes me happy to listen through this record and know that it was done in spirit of Mark. I believe he would have loved its outcome, too.

Technology vs. Horse- Four Against the Minotaur (2007)

Technology vs. Horse were the first band I interviewed for Louisville.com and one of the first band's that I've gotten to know personally. The band began to get a lot of press after winning a local Battle of the Bands competition, so I decided to take advantage of my connections and do a more in-depth perspective. Though, I must admit that I didn't really appreciate them until I witnessed their performance at Derby City Espresso back in July. They play a killer show and I don't think anyone can really get them unless they experience it too. They've got a really special thing going. I hold a lot of high hopes for this band and I will continue to log their success along the way. Four Against the Minotaur is my favorite of their three official releases, but I do have a weak spot for their debut Teddy Jam, silly as it may be. Louisville people take note: get to know this band! Then book them.

Sun Kil Moon- Admiral Fell Promises (2010)

Mark Kozelek's brand of folk music is often easily overlooked for its length. Most don't expect an extended folk tune to be exciting, and it's not, but there is a beauty within the subtlety of his songs. He represents complete respect towards the ways of finger-picking and clearly shows that he has already mastered this liberating technique. The only thing that may unsettle you is the heavy weight of emotion that he exerts into his music. Sometimes the downer is too down, and I often find myself becoming more depressed as the album goes on. Admiral Fell Promises has been a comforting companion to me this year as I've had more sleeping problems than usual. It has also been an emotional comfort when needed. It's simply too easy to keep yourself from connecting to these melodies, but Kozelek comforts you all the way through.

Slint- Spiderland (1991)

Time and time again, Spiderland keeps popping up into my life significantly. Earlier this year I wrote an extended article about this legendary album for A Future in Noise, and it's the first record I've owned on vinyl, CD and digitally all at once. You know how people have musical identities? Maybe not, but I feel like Slint could very well be part of mine. I've delved a lot deeper into writing music this year than I ever have. It's actually gotten to the point where I'm fooling around on guitar more than I'm on the internet. Slint has been a big part of my year in that respect, because they're such a big influence on what I create. Discovering them has been one of the best things I've picked up from living in Louisville. So in a weird sense, I feel extremely connected to them. I've listened to Spiderland many, many times and the music still sounds fresh to me. It takes a really great piece of art to still have such an impact to come back to.

The Smashing Pumpkins- Adore (1998)

Nathan Rich at Sexy Kangaroo sent me a copy of Adore on cassette tape over the summer. I figured I would give it a listen through because I realized that I haven’t actually listened to an entire album on tape before. (I don’t really consider the audio spanish lessons and sing-a-longs of my childhood to suffice as actual albums.) Because of this, Adore has become my favorite Pumpkins records thus far. When I caught them playing at the annual Forecastle Music Festival, it was more like Billy and the Corgans if ya feel me. And as expected, the only song they played from this album was "Ava Adore." I do give Billy points for letting the audience pummel him with hundreds of glow sticks; it's become a fond image in my mind.

Pavement- Wowee Zowee (1995)

2010 was definitely a Pavement year for me, and it was definitely a Pavement year for them too. My favorite collection of their songs comes from side two of the Crooked Rain reissue L.A.'s Desert Origins. I didn't realize until later that a lot of those songs were also on Wowee Zowee, one of Pavement’s more bizarre efforts. I was fortunate enough to catch the band on their reunion tour when they played the Pitchfork festival, suitably synched up with the time I really started getting into them. The show was great from my perspective, but not great enough for me to keep Stephen Malkmus in my sight the entire time. Although I had only gotten familiar with Pavement at the beginning of the year, at that moment I felt like I was reliving something too. Like so many who spoke of their 90's shows, there was this uncontrollable giddiness that I felt before, during, and after the performance was over. I walked away feeling both incredibly sad and satisfied, along with another checked box on my list of life goals.

Deerhunter- Halcyon Digest (2010)

Bradford Cox has had some bad luck with web sheriffing assholes in the past, but luckily they will be distracted enough with the release of Deerhunter's Halcyon Digest to not fool around with free Atlas Sound. Ever since the single "Helicopter" was released prior to the album, the anticipation was still almost impossible to withhold, and you could feel it around you. Halcyon was everything I hoped it would be, even far outshining 2008's Microcastle. Deerhunter seem to be the kind of band that continue to improve over time, and who can enrapture you in new experiences with every record they release. There's a reason why Halcyon Digest persists to pop up in everyone's lists this year.

Cass McCombs- Dropping the Writ (2007)

Cass McCombs was one of the first acts to play at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival, and my first one attended. After a rainy stint, the weather finally cheered up enough to provide a tolerable climate the remainder of the entire day. It was the first time I ever heard the word “Chicagwa.” Dropping the Writ has become a favorite of mine over the summer, and it really exhibits McCombs's ability to belt it out beautifully. I'm still working on hitting the high notes in "Windfall."

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band- Trout Mask Replica (1969)

It was only a little over a week ago that Mr. Don Van Vliet (a.k.a Captain Beefheart) passed away. After his death went public, I spent the day listening to Trout Mask Replica for the first time and felt foolish for not checking out these things sooner. I was familiar with "Willie the Pimp" and Bongo Fury, but nothing that wasn't Zappa related. I believe I am probably one of many who will hear about his death and discover these musical gems. Like several before him, the captain will finally get the recognition he deserves.

Honorable Mentions:
Freddy K- Stand by the Sea for Good Luck (2004)
Chavez- Gone Glimmering (1996)
Boston Spaceships- Our Cubehouse Still Rocks (2010)
Guided by Voices- Universal Truths and Cycles (2006)
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks- Real Emotional Trash (2008)

The Black Keys- Brothers (2010)
The Cranberries- To the Faithful Departed (1996)
Swans- Cop/Young God (1984)

Jane's Addiction- Nothing Shocking (1988)

Vladee Divacc- Hoop Dreamz EP (2010)

Pitchfork has claimed new genres in waves. They have their darkwave, chillwave and Wavves, but what Pitchfork is currently (and unknowingly) let slip under their radar is a new brand of music. The style is set upon a balance of dark ambiance, howling, siren-like clamor and a love for the sport. This style of music is known as dunkwave, and let it be known that Huevos will be the first ever publication to endorse it.

Crafted by former Panda Steps in Chocolate boss, Christian Filardo, the contents of this EP fall into a much deeper and darker category than what has been heard on his work shared here in the past. I have known this musician long enough to trust nothing but quality music from his name, even if the artistic integrity of his sound may change dramatically. Versatility and a will for constant progression are what I believe to be incredibly important qualities to possess a musician. After knowing and listening to Christian's work over time- from all the way back to his first full length as Panda- I can confidently say that he carries these traits.

If you can imagine David Lynch filming and producing an NBA game, this EP would probably come close to how it would sound. There's a hint of unnerving nature (one that comes with most sports), but there is also something intriguing about its purpose. Most see basketball as a game of precision and really tall black dudes that can jump like Super Mario. Through an exploration of this highly regarded sport, the spirit of dunkwave emerges with its darker side. It's the side where everyone on the bench is brutally murdered, where everyone is guilty, and the court is left empty. It's when everyone has gone home and the jingling of the janitor's keys have already faded away, and the stirring turmoil of dunkwave begins. Hoop Dreamz contains no catchy anthems and hardly anything that I could legitimately label as a song. This EP is merely part of the birth. I want Huevos and all of its readers to serve as a loving, nurturing family for this delicate and fresh concept. Spread the word, and keep close for more material to come from dunkwave's very first proprietors, Vladee Divacc.

1. Chris Mullin

2. Expansion Teams

3. Phoenix Suns

4. Hoop Dreamz

5. John Stockton

Hoop Dreamz (2010)