Caught On Tape? Schwarzenegger Helps Fainting Girl in Delano? - By N.L. Belardes

Arnie Save me!

After watching the video I'm speechless. Action hero Arnie took control and saved the day.

Seriously I loved when he told students to loosen up their knees and do some sit-ups and push-ups...

Zombies and farmworkers - By N.L. Belardes

While Hectic Films is looking for zombies and zombie make-up artists, Norma Takahashi tipped me off to a farmworker fundraiser:

This event is finally HERE! It's on Sunday. On Encina street in Visalia, next to the Fox Theater (off Main St) The street will be closed off from 2:00-10:00 for a great cause and fun FUN fun! So please put it on your calendars and plan on showing up. It’s a great cause and besides .. it will be tons of FUN. Did I mention FUN?

It's going to be an awesome event! Different style bands are playing from Reggae to Punk, to Latin Soul... The flyer attached was the original flyer sent out. More bands of different types of music have been added since. Plan on dancing the evening away from 6:00- 10:00 with Mezcal and Grupo Califas. Rock the day away with a bunch of other awesome local bands!

There will be art on display, donated art for sale, the raffle donations are turning out to be awesome AWESOME! ( I won't tell you what they are ... you just GO and find out for yourself)

Please forward this email to everyone in the Central Valley that is on your friends list. You may not be interested... and you might think your friends won't be either but if even just ONE of your friends shows up... that's one more person that would have known about it if you didn't repost! I’ve heard a few of these bands perform through their myspace profiles, and believe me… there is something for EVERYONE! You’ll feel like you’re at some cool trendy beach town’s farmers market…. With tons of food booths! ART! Raffles! FUN!

For details: wethepeoplevisalia@yahoo.com or go to myspace.com/visaliawethepeople

Delano area schools threatened with violence? - By N.L. Belardes

This wire just in...

*'Credible threat' closes Delano schools
*Posted 3/30/07
*BAKERSFIELD - *Hundreds of parents are removing their children from Delano schools at this hour as rumors sweep the city that Los Angeles area gangs are planning violence aimed at Delano.

There have been no reports of violence, but students are being released from school early -- except students who walk home and who are wearing red or blue clothing. They will not be allowed to walk home today because of the possibility that those colors might be mistaken for a gang statement.

''The Delano Police Department received what is believed to be a credible threat of violence directed toward our schools. Information was received by way of e-mail that southern gang members from Los Angeles were coming to Delano to shoot at schools,'' according to a report being released by Delano police.

''This is supposedly in retaliation regarding a MySpace Web page notice from Northern gang members to unite in certain areas of their cites to honor Cesar Chavez,'' the report said.

Channel 17 and TeleMundo Channel 11 have crews in Delano and will have a full report this afternoon.

Bakersfield loses a blogger: Heath Dobbler's Drunk Corner Passes Out - By N.L. Belardes

My first reaction? Was it something I said?

Did Heath Dobbler really pass out?

Now I know Jason Sperber is looking up Bakersfield blogs to write about. But now there's one less. Heath Dobbler of the band, The In-Denials has hung up his blogger belt.

Why? Is he dead? No, just his blog. Ahh farewell, farewell...

I have no idea why he truly ended Dobbler's Drunk Corner, and whatever he says he's full of shit. It was a great blog, one people loved to hate. We had great battles. I even had great battles with local punks on it...

Ahh farewell, farewell...

And then there was the political rants, the Steeler fan blogs, and all the punk talk.

And now it's gone.

OK, Heath did write:

Just wanted to let you know I pulled the plug on the O'l blog page today.
I'm trying to lighten some of this creative hobby load, so that I'm not so scatterbrained with countless projects all of the time. Not that I was ever truly guilty of spending too much time on the page, but my energy is better wasted on other things right now. Keep fighting the good fight with your own page, and I'm sorry for all of the unfair competition my page was causing yours (hahaha). Maybe I'll write some shit from time to time and use your portal as my bulletin board.

And just so you know. He's not dead. He wasn't even dying. Hell, we all spend too much time on the blogs...

Ah farewell, farewell...it's still a death of sorts. Although future historians won't be able to pull from his wittiness. Heath's reply?

...future historians can meet me at a bar somewhere.

My final eulogy? Ah farewell, farewell... I must ponder Heath's final words on his blog:

Aliens. If for one second any of us truly believe that were the only form of thinkable civilization in this universe, then we are pretty small minded as a whole. As fucked up as we are, there has to be an existence somewhere to compensate for balance... it's universal law.

I'm going to bed.

And Heath? I can hear him now. His words strong through his typing with those big stubby fingers of his:

I'm going out for ketchup, who's coming with me...

Sarah Thyre's Dark at the Roots memoir spawns first Noveltown comedy vid - By N.L. Belardes

Could this be Sarah Thyre without her dashing blonde wig?

Sarah Thyre is an actress/writer from the deep South, practically from the bayou itself. She's appeared on Conan O'Brien and has just released her first book, Dark at the Roots. It's the story of a kid you might not trust, living life to the fullest in the throngs of dysfunctionality. For some reason I gravitated more to Thyre's depiction of her own youthful years: unpredictable, hilarious, and sympathetic. I found myself reading portions out loud on a road trip to L.A., mesmerizing the driver and crew with a particularly crazy scene regarding a cat and an ice cooler. Thyre's teen years read a bit like other memoirs I've been tearing though: a bit predictable though still worthy of a good laugh.

I caught up with Sarah recently to ask her about her new memoir. Of course we'd done a little spying on her...

Interview:

Noveltown: Sarah, we’ve been spying on you. We’ve seen you on YouTube and on myspace where you’ve been doing a little bit of networking—all for the release of your hilarious just released memoir, Dark at the Roots. In a way, reading your book was like spying on your entire childhood. Or should I say, peeking in on the childhood of a bad kid. Were you a bad kid and how do you feel about Noveltown spying on you?

Sarah: No! I wasn't a bad kid! Manipulative, yes, but I had to do something to get ahead. I craved approval from people too much to be "bad." Also I knew I had to keep my permanent record clean if I was gonna get into college and escape.

Spy away!


Sarah Thyre seen with Bakersfield filmmaker, Rickey Bird of Hectic Films

Noveltown: Dark at the Roots gives insight into your literary interest as a youth. What made you write your memoir as opposed to a movie script, fiction novel, or Lemony Snicket-ish series of diatribes to your dark beginnings as a kid on the loose?

Sarah: I've always wanted to write a book. I love books. I'm too self-absorbed to write anything but a memoir.


Sarah Thyre with love interest, N.L. Belardes...

Noveltown: To help writers out who can’t get past page two in their own books, tell us what motivated you to follow through with your memoir. Did you have a book deal before you finished your manuscript?

Sarah: I sold the book based on a proposal and the first three chapters. For years, I'd been writing and performing stories for free, but it took getting an advance to make me sit down and put an actual book together. I could also justify getting a regular babysitter since I was making my own money and not just mooching off my husband.



Noveltown: What does your family think about the memoir? Are they gathering up copies for a Southern-style book burning? We want juicy details please.

Sarah: My siblings are all fine with it because they're fame whores who are looking forward to lower-mid-range wine and pre-cubed cheese parties. Little do they know the only thing they'll be eating is my dust!

Noveltown: Did you emulate any particular comedic writers/personalities in creating Dark at the Roots?

Sarah: David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs are of course inspirations for me, as someone who takes shit (sometimes literally) and makes it funny. I think I have a voice of my own though, which says: It's true people DO suck.

Noveltown: Sarah, I have to ask about when you literally caught us spying on you. What was going through your mind?

Sarah: As long as I wasn't plucking nipple hairs when you were watching, I don't mind. Not that I have any nipple hairs to pluck, mind you. What do you think, I'm some sort of hairy monster?

What's this? Sarah Thyre caught on video??


Dark At The Roots - The best video clips are right here

Noveltown: Aside from all the comedy in your book, there’s a tone of seriousness about dysfunctional families being normal. Care to comment?

Sarah: The title Dark at the Roots is tongue-in-cheek and what I call a lie that happens to be true. There was some bad stuff in my past, but it could've been a lot worse. I think when you're a kid in a dysfunctional family, you find out about it in bits and pieces, like if you see your friend's mom and dad kiss each other and smile like they enjoy each other's company, you realize there's something wrong in your house because your parents NEVER do that, unless they've drunk several highballs. Lucky for me, no matter how dysfunctional we were, my family prized having a sense of humor, which is probably the ultimate survival mechanism.

Noveltown: We think your memoir should be a bible for kids with your personality type. Describe your personality type.

Sarah: My personality type? I hate labels!

Noveltown: Thanks for hanging out with us.

Sarah: I think I'm lost. Do you know the way to Memoirtown?


The real Sarah Thyre's promo pic after make-up and airbrushing

Is the National Press Club saying bloggers are not journalists? - By N.L. Belardes

Do bloggers fit in with the elite D.C. media circle?

On a day when Lithuania bloggers made news in America, I can’t help but think fellow bloggers might be interested in an overlapping tale.

I’ve never considered myself a journalist, though I did recently try to join the highly touted National Press Club in Washington D.C.

Seems the Lithuanian parliament isn’t the only entity saying bloggers aren’t journalists by refusing accreditation to applicants. Last November I applied to the National Press Club on a tip from a friend of a National Press Club VIP who thought bloggers might be allowed into the fold. I would have never tried on my own. But I figured, why not? It was a friend who brought up the idea anyway.

I’d already been beating the local paper to minor news stories, even provided fodder for news junkies interested in stories that made national headlines out of Bakersfield: creationism courses making headlines in nearby Frazier Park, immigration marches on the streets of Bakersfield, political prop 85 protests, and the bombing of children on Maple Street just one street away from where I live in Bakersfield’s Oleander area.



So I spent a hefty $100 and went through the National Press Club’s application process. Easy enough. It was a simple online procedure that took just a few minutes. I was asked to follow up. I did that in a lengthy email.

I didn’t hear anything back.

Four months went by and I had pretty much forgotten about having applied. Out of sight, out of mind I guess. Besides, I was still going to do what I was going to do—be a feisty blogger—with or without the consent of the National Press Club.

About week ago I inquired again. This was a non-refundable hundred-dollar investment on whether I could label myself a journalist by National Press Club standards—literally a hundred-dollar question. I thought those were only in the movies.

So the National Press Club lost my follow-up email. No big deal. Could happen to anyone. I found the message and resent. I linked up to my Emilio Estevez article on the film premiere of Bobby. There I had been standing with the press, a holy monk, a seer along with the rest of the mystic gathering in the press room. I not only asked Estevez a poignant question, I even took video. I thought it was journalistic; blogger meets journalism meets novelist. Maybe I should have sent them the Modesto Famous piece. Talk about some digging for that work of blogospheric art!

Maybe that article would have failed me too. Am I really just a citizen with a blog? Just… a… citizen?

OK, I’m joking. I know I’m sort of a soloist in a sea of media.

Hey, there are a lot of people who fly solo. The media farms stories off non-accredited sites, buys film footage from others. Yet these people aren’t considered journalists. What are they, we, me? Hackers? Who is this journalist locked up for his San Francisco protest video? Did he even have a blog? Is he a journalist?

I’ve never called myself a journalist, so I’m not worried. I have used the term ‘citizen journalist’. And I have had articles in trade journals, and magazines.

Doesn’t matter. The Paperback Writer blog eventually got rejected. Case closed for now as they say in the Anna Nicole diaries…

I did receive a nice rejection:

The Membership Committee reviewed your application again after receiving the additional information you submitted and unfortunately they concluded that you do not currently qualify in any of the membership categories. We thank you for applying to the National Press Club and hope that you will continue to utilize our services as a guest.

Once again, since my blog isn’t newsworthy to the National Press Club in Washington D.C., it shouldn’t matter that I reprint a simple rejection, right?

Yet I can’t help to wonder how many already in the National Press Club write blogs or are affiliated with them… And what was it about Paperback Writer that made them toss me in the bin of rejection?

Is it because I’m in Bakersfield, or maybe it’s too much Op. Ed., or the big baby blue background? I wrote the National Press Club to find out what they thought.

No response yet.

So I went to some people who I thought might give me some opinion…

I asked Howard Owens, Director of Digital Publishing at Gatehouse Media, Inc. if he considered bloggers as journalists. He gives a lot of credit to self-made bloggers out pounding the streets with narratives and digital media blogs:

Bloggers can commit acts of journalism. Anybody who finds something out and reports it is being a journalist. You don't need credentials or a paycheck to do journalism.

If a blogger does journalism and calls himself a journalist, I would consider him a journalist.

Yet Howard recognizes that some bloggers don’t want to be held accountable in the crossover to what some like the National Press Club might consider as legit media. According to Owens, “Not all bloggers want to be journalists. Some are just journalers and happy to be so.”

Owens goes on to say:

All people, whether you call them journalists or not, who self publish, have the same and equal right to free speech and all government protections for protecting sources, gathering data and asking questions.

You don't need a license to be a journalist. You only need the first amendment (and outside the US, as a matter of morals and ethics, you only need its spirit).

I asked Matt Munoz, fun-loving Product Manager of the big Bakersfield blog community, Bakotopia, if he considers bloggers journalists. He says, “Sometimes, but then again it all depends on their mood.”

But what does Owens considers N.L. Belardes and the Paperback Writer blog? Citizen journalist/blogger/novelist? Or... Owens says, “Mostly what you do on your blog I would consider journalism.”

And King Bakotopian, Munoz? His answer reverses that of Owens, “Blogger, but then again it all depends on your mood.”

So really it’s just a matter of opinion even between journalists and journalist organizations. The National Press Club didn’t actually say, “No, Belardes, you’re not a journalist.” Yet I failed in qualifying. So I suppose take that how you want. All that can be said in the end is the National Press Club has a particular exclusivity regarding joining and taking part in their club and club benefits.

And bloggers from Bakersfield might just have a tough time getting in…

*This article may be updated

Joining TheNervousBreakdown.com to talk Hollywood noir rivers and cancer clusters - By N.L. Belardes

I was honored when LA Times Bestselling author Brad Listi asked me to join his growing community over on www.thenervousbreakdown.com. The subject is creative non-fiction. So I kicked it off with a little talk about cancer clusters, a strange river and Hollywood's Backyard. I even included a series of photos taken just for my kick-off piece titled, "Hollywood's Backyard, the Mighty Kern, chingpea and Deconstructing the Mamao".

Here's an excerpt:

As river systems flow, the Kern River is one of the mightiest in California. A star of films in the early 1900s, John Wayne stepped into its waters to shoot Injuns and fist-fight villains. The river lapped at his feet, sparkled, smiled, shone its teeth, and wore its own watery cloak like a glittery dress. If it could have walked the red carpet in hundreds of premieres starring itself, it surely would have. Fatty Arbuckle, Gene Autry, William Fairbanks, Rin-Tin-Tin, Gabby Hayes, Rex the Wonder Horse—they were all in the Bakersfield area, Hollywood’s backyard, just 150 miles northwest of a big fat Chinese theatre, and digging their claws and hooves into the succulent waters of the Kern. That’s just before it flows into the lands of the Great Central Valley.

The Kern River moves from high in the Sierras, performs a glacial dance that wiggles into a Tina Turner shivering storm of water that flows from mountain valleys, through a man-made lake that once drowned the tiny town of Kernville, and bursts from a deadly canyon into the valley hinterland. Sonnenreise. What’s that fragrance in the valley, the smoggiest place in the nation?

(Read the full article and see exclusive photos)

I'm in great company. I'll let you know each time I post. It's a bit different style than you would see on the Paperback Writer blog. Much more of a fusion with the literary/historical/commentary...

Focusing on writing, an evening on the outskirts of Bakersfield - By N.L. Belardes

It seems like I'm gone, but I'm not. I've been drafting a letter for days. I'll post it later.

In the meantime I've also been on a voyage of discovery. Myspace has truly been working wonders, connecting Noveltown in new directions, both geographic and otherwise. I'll be posting so much in the coming days, this is just the calm before the storm. I'll introduce you to some cool people; people who want to make a difference in the literary world. Those are the people Noveltown has to connect to: readers, publishers, writers, do-ers.

To prepare for one of my new personal ventures. OK, well this is good for Noveltown too, I was asked to do some writing for another blog. I'll announce that on Monday or Tuesday.

In the meantime, I took some photos for that write-up yesterday evening. Here's a few extra I thought you might enjoy:


This beaver was spotted on the grass near the Kern River


He wandered away when I stepped into his comfort zone


He took a fat leaf and dove into the river and munched on his prize


I thought the worms was funny


Late in the evening on the bluffs


Earlier along Edison Highway...


Once again by the river


This cat looks fed up with the primadonna peacock

The Tonight Show, AntiProduct and the DIY vibrator movement - By N.L. Belardes

When publicist Karin Tobiason sent me a press release about the U.K. band AntiProduct passing out 5000 vibrators, and lead man A. Product nearly getting arrested in Austin’s SxSW festival, AND their strange on-the-streets interview with The Tonight Show, I instantly had to see who this band was, and what the story was all about.

In this case I’ve narrowed it down to punk make-up karma and the idea of DIY on the rampage. Let’s get straight to the punk make-up. I’m talking about a lead singer who claims shades of Kermit the Frog with a dastardly smile. And you know this just means more ties to Bakersfield with the idea of make-up. That’s karma. There was the recent Marilyn Manson make-up artist in town for Halloween, the hairdressor of Anna Nicole Smith who told all to Matt Munoz of Bakotopia, and Matildakay’s punk make-up envy article that still gets traffic.

AntiProduct is a fun-loving multicultural U.K. band of misfits who are into DIY, into causing a ruckus, and into reaching out to share their behavior for those like me who are willing to tell their tales of on-the-streets debauchery.

I listened to some of their tunes. It’s not metal. It’s not punk. Or is it? It’s not Spinal Tap, though this band mocks the very fabric of rock and roll through leather, face paint and self-declared demi-god status. Wait, Spinal Tap didn’t do that. They say they are “Kiss meets Abba”, but I think they’re just crazy rockers wanting to achieve every form of Rock God status they can get their hands on. Not a bad thing to wish for when you have two hot babes in your band.


AntiProduct and their legion of followers on the streets of Austin, TX

Did I mention the two very HOT babes? They’re untouchable though. Only look from afar or the lead singer will threaten you for your thought-crimes.

And A. Product. He seems to be the glam king, and sings a little Bowie-ish if you ask me. Their last album came out in 2003. But they’ve been in the States for two months stirring the pot of American culture as they go. They’re sponsored by Dunkin’ Donuts and an adult toy company. It’s dildos and donuts, people. They’ve had their music in film, on the radio, but now they’ve been in Bakersfield via Paperback Writer. Will Buck Owens turn in his grave? We can only hope.

I wonder if Borat is an inspiration?

Either way, giving away vibrators is a definite trademark of this band. They want their lady fans pleased. Either that or they don’t trust the libido of their male fans. They’ve given away carloads over the radio and on the streets.

If I were a lady fan I would write the band and demand one. Hell, do it anyway even if you’re not a fan.

So here’s the email I got from Karin (By the way, I hear Karin is a budding author?):

I thought you may be interested in this SxSW story. British Indie exports AntiProduct, and their US Street Team, took to the streets for Austin's annual SxSW music festival, giving away over $5,000 worth of vibrators in 15 minutes and barely avoiding jail. (Having more than 4 vibrators in your possession is a felony in Texas) After their close call, they found themselves interviewed by Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as part the legendary program's coverage of the music event. Get more info about the band and their exploits at www.myspace.com/antiproduct

So I called their lead man. I pictured him in a bathtub, only his face paint on, trapped in an L.A. hotel, and ignoring the screaming hordes of young ladies demanding batteries for all the vibrators the band has been handing out.

AntiProduct did something right, because their gimmicks got them an on-the-streets interview with The Tonight Show that airs this Thursday night. Here’s some of what A. had to say as I heard water splash from his hotel penthouse. He spoke about commercial labels, DIY, and all the attention seeking mayhem at SxSW.

Keep reading because it gets funny:


Don't mess with Texas unless you're wearin' green

We went down there as a DIY Indie band in the truest sense of the word. I saw friends with record deals. But we were the ones cleaning up on the press in the street. We made the cover of the Austin Statesman. That’s the equivalent of the L.A. Times for the area…

So we get invited to SxSW and everyone is telling me it’s such a zoo… Most were scrambling to get press and using that event to generate PR, trying to get people to know they’re out there. ‘Just do what we do,’ I say. Walk down the middle of the street. ‘Here comes the green guy Gene Simmons with jaundice!’ Clare was there like a 6’5’’ lightning rod for attention…

If you follow the pack you’re just going to be your relative position in the pack. By pack I mean there were 1700 bands there doing it the way the labels say…We’re not keen to do what others do. We literally had a pack of 20 kids… 13, 14, 15, 16 age group, got them all painted up.

I have a lot of faith in the kids… kids need to hear they’re not alone… anyone can be Lincoln Park… it’s that market of kids… they’re extraordinary and so smart… and a sense of wonder in their eyes…

We gave them our song “bungee jumping people die”…



So we’re marching down the street. The kids have these 99-cent tambourines… Some dude comes up…‘Mind if we videotape you?’ I look at the name tag and it says, ‘Tonight Show with Jay Leno’… and I’m quickly thinking, I’m your bitch what do you want…So we re-enacted with an army of kids, and Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips interviewed… as good as anything, right? We talk, do our thing… don’t want to ruin it…you’ll have to see the show this Thursday night. Didn’t cost a penny, just add the power of the kids…

All these bands and here’s a spectacle of a green man and his giant henchman and chanting kids… this is the new business model!

I was getting recognized by the third day there…



We don’t mind working super hard and enjoy talking to people…Go betweens and middle men feel the heat. It’s the ambitious artists who make a difference…If you have myspace and you can type, you can book a tour…

On Indie 103.1 we were on the show and announced that the first ten people to myspace would get a free vibrator. We had our guy moderating… you gotta work harder if you’re Indie… So we sent everyone their vibrators… I never thought being this militantly Indie taught me so much about social dynamics… Now if you’re in England… the women have no compunction about robbing you to get one. It actually does say many negative things about the prowess of English men… Moms and 18 year olds and emails in droves… the dudes want nothing to do with it… this attitude is why your British girlfriend wants to be my friend to get my American made vibrator!

Now in Austin I had my requisite megaphone. I got a tub 3ft by 2 ft… There were 20 kids running up the street. The adult toys: You can’t call them dildos or vibrators in Austin…they were ‘personal massagers’.

So I have this huge ass trunk…

I was screaming my ass off let alone the make-up and costume… it’s getting more comfortable than normal clothes…

‘Free personal massagers!’

…not vibrators or dildos. I’m not holding them, or possessing them. Flipped them open like Zombies, dawn of the dead. I thought would be a little polarizing… a lot of visual information to take in…And then there they were: homeless guys, old ladies, hip trendy guys, big fat Mexican mamas, and lifted the lid off, got 3 feet away and all was gone…Only in America! ‘I want you to think of my face!’ I screamed…

It’s good fun… but also can’t take too seriously… the business end is a big circle jerk… trendy is uptight… make a fool of yourself because you don’t know when you’re going to die…


Antiproduct jams at SxSW

Now about the policeman. It wasn’t contributing to delinquency of a minor or public inciting a riot or dressing goofy… It was having a megaphone without a permit… It was going to be a night in jail. He didn’t see the humor in the presentation. I gave zero attitude… he had a choice… he used an existent law to take away my right of free speech…So it was squeaking past a near fucking catastrophe…

It’s not kids we have to watch out for. It’s their grandparents. The bankers and politicians… The most exciting revelation? If you’re not afraid of doing things to make your ambitions known to many… Everyone else is towing a company line. You have to get out and meet the people… We literally got over here in America in beginning of the year… It’s two months later… and on commercial and on Leno… It’s because we’re not afraid to make stuff happen.

The Silence Club and N.L. meet the same Bakersfield bum - By N.L. Belardes

The new Silence Club video is definitely worth a look. I get a cameo and so does Black Dog. The funniest part is not that The Silence Club invites a bum to the show. What cracks me up is that very morning (Saturday) I was out on a bike ride and the pedal snapped off my bike as I was going downhill on Chester Avenue near 34th Street. I was headed to the Kern River Recreational Path. Well, OK, that part was funny, but that's not what I meant...



I ended up in the parking lot of the burger joint on the corner of 34th and Chester. After a little while the very same bum in The Silence Club video walked up to me and said, "You found it!"

"Oh yeah?" I had attached the pedal and pedal arm back on the bike but couldn't tighten the bolt even though I tried with a rock, caveman style.

"You found your pedal. Oh man I saw you. I used to have a bike. But they stole it."

"Oh man. Sucks."



"You should go across the street and have them fix it," he pointed to a car body paint garage.

"Nah. I'll just take it to the bike shop."

"OK, well I'll see ya," he said, staring at my bike.

"Later, man..."

Who would have thought the same bum would be less kind to Aaron on the same day?

watch:



Read more...

L.A.'s Media Cake serves up more than literary dessert - By N.L. Belardes

Lit Chicks: Tess. and poets Andrea Quaid and Teka Lark

I love discovering literary communities and creative media entities, especially online. Whether large or small, sub-alt genres or commercial reader groups, I admire what such groups are trying to do: gain readers, build community, and provide new views and outlets for writers to connect.

Enter Media Cake, brand new on the L.A. scene. Spit Poetics reviews, angry rants, discussions of adolescent and political bullies. And more, there’s film criticism, columns and even a travel narrative.

My favorite piece is a complete twist, an academic look at the Great Gatsby from an alternative perspective. Contributor Mandy Kronbeck writes in her Media Cake slice, “Why Won’t Nick and Jay Just Get Together? A Queer look at The Great Gatsby”:

Sexual subversion, or queerness, in canonized literature may not be easily detectable to the modern reader, but it certainly abounds in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. It is possible to unearth some of this queerness by examining the individual lives of, and the homosocial relationship between, the two main male characters in the novel, Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby. Moreover, the queerness, or sexual and gender fluidity, that is demonstrated through various signs in these two characters helps to undermine the heterosexual relationships in the story; Nick’s queerness undermines his relationship with Jordan and Gatsby’s queerness ultimately undermines his relationship with Daisy.

(Read Mandy’s full triple layered cherry Media Cake)

I recently got together with Tess. Lotta and ask her a few questions about Media Cake.


Tess. with Gretta Harley and DJ Kat Corbet

Check it out:

Noveltown: Media Cake. You have your cake and eat it too? A mixture of raw materials all built into one finished product? Just what does Media Cake mean to you?

Tess.: Totally built on raw materials, but this is just a start.

What does it mean to me…well, for me, media is an exchange of ideas; I love examining ideas, especially stuck ideas, and I value the investment that it takes to really understand what you are reading, hearing, or seeing. And, as the assault increases, I am equally blown away by the potential of media to fuck with its own destination. I very often find myself shaking my head with a mixture of horror and hilarity at TV commercials, for example. The really telling ones lately have come from the fast food giants that are targeting hetero-identified men. The message is that only manly men can handle the power of a gianormous hamburger. Big meat equals man (let us just ruminate on how many levels that plays on). These marketers are trying so hard to pimp phallic-centered machismo as a selling point that the ad actually parodies the very customer it wants to attract! Not only is it insanely hilarious and pathetic that a burger signifies manliness, but scary that the idea is bought into on so many levels. Media Cake is a way for media makers to either examine stuff like this or start a discussion with their contribution: it is about ideas, discourses, images, notions, and cultural mandates and how these produce or identify stagnancy, disruption, or (re)creation.

Self-portrait with hubby Dave

Noveltown: Who started Media Cake and where do you see it headed a year from now?

Tess.: It is really a community effort—meaning, I conceived of and started Media Cake, but it would not exist without the contributors. It is as much about their voices, brains, and time as it is mine. It is also about generosity because it is a labor of love for anyone involved. In a year? Well, still out there and more involved by incorporating more tech-geekdom, so to speak. I have visions for it as a multimedia site and look forward to that day. I hope to take it to print, too, with at least one annual print issue. And, at some point, if the Universe is smiling, I hope to be able to offer stipends to the contributors (cross fingers here).

Noveltown: You're working on an MA in English, you teach high school creative writing, edit a poetry site, and now Media Cake? What are you, a workaholic or a write-a-holic? And tell us more about your poetry editing and high school gigs...

Tess.: I’m something…a total spaz, probably. My brain is always going, and I need the space to spill or insomnia sets in, and that sucks. So, writing and music have always been there; poetry as more of an ongoing discussion with myself (and writing groups); music and freelance journalism as the main outlet. I was a working musician (meaning, I was working hater jobs while pursuing the indy rock dream job) until I started grad school, which I just always wanted to do. Poetry began taking over as the main creative outlet soon after that. Editing has been there all along and is just fun as hell. I’ve edited creative writing, zines, journalism, music and culture sections, academic stuff…just fun. Right now, it is limited to poeticdiversity.org, Media Cake, and friends' work when they ask. The high school gig is through an amazing program called Spoken Interludes, which puts creative writers in small group mentoring settings with at-risk youth. We work on fiction writing basics, and, at the end of the 8-10 weeks, they read their finished story to parents, teachers, and friends. Totally amazing experience—such great people and the kids have taught me so much about life and being a stand up person.

Noveltown: Tell us something about the people you're working with at Media Cake. Can I trust these writers and photographers in a dark alley?

Tess.: Yeah, if you met John Gerlach, Gretta Harley, Dan Krejci, or Tonja Renee in an alley each of them would probably invite you to the local pub for a round of Guinness and a good argument. These four are politicized artists I’ve worked with in some form, and all of them are wonderfully talented, hopeful, and kick ass people. Gretta is an activist, musician, and composer; John is a musician, father, and screenprint artist; and Dan is a musician, writer, academic, and audiophile. Tonja Renee Hall is a yogini-traveler, multimedia artist, and singer. The folks that submit their work open up and expand the dialogue, like photographer Giuliana Maresca and Mandy Kronbeck.

Noveltown: You're really looking for a wide range of submissions, both academic and creative. Why such a broad range?

Tess.: All media—art, academic, advertising—reveals a critical frame, an idea available for examination. Corporate advertising, poetry, an academic paper, and a rock record are all saying something, adding to the broader discourse with an agenda colored by certain influences. It is important that we get familiar with as many of these discussions as possible not just as consumers of media, but as discerners of the messages. So, I not only want to attract poetry fans with poetry that pushes on established thematic and poetic borders, but tempt them to read a review about the agenda of feminist sex workers. Gretta Harley’s column pushes on conservative politics by exposing the pathology of bullying. In his piece, John Gerlach uses a book review as way to historicize current US imperialism. Mandy Kronbeck’s research essay on The Great Gatsby is doing something similar. She took a canonical piece of American literature, which is a tell in itself about what voices get heard over and over (being that Gatsby is written from the point of view of a white privileged racist and misogynist narrator), and she used the discourse of Queer criticism to open up another discussion. Good stuff—it shouldn’t be hidden away in an academic journal where the only people who get to read it are those in the tower. So, I hope this inspires other media makers to get in the discussion.

Noveltown: Can writers submit articles that they've written for other sites or that they have posted on MySpace? I guess what I'm getting at is, do your writers need to submit articles exclusive to Media Cake?

Tess.: If it has been published in print only, send it and include the previous publication info. We prefer stuff not previously published online, generally, but I’d say send it and we’ll see. Also, if we like the piece and where it is going, we may suggest edits to get it there. We also welcome comments / letters to the editor. And, as an artist who pimps her work out there, I know the game of the submission process and rejection is part of it. Not everything will get in, but it does not mean it is not good or worthy. I know many editors, and I include myself here, that have gotten hate mail from people whose submissions we’ve rejected. I’ve seen some really ugly shit come back to editors that are doing what they do for the love of indy media, small press, and art. I say on behalf of all of us that it is nothing personal and keep submitting elsewhere. It is part of the game, and online journals, mags, and zines are a great vehicle for getting your work out there to lots and lots of folks.

My bird, Angus Bird Young at bath time

Noveltown: Is Media Cake anti-blog? I mean, I wanted to post a comment on an article or two but couldn't. It would also be cool if I could subscribe to regular contributors. Do you see Media Cake ever transitioning to a blog format?

Tess.: I’m totally into the blog—what an amazing medium for real time exchange. I’m not sure yet how it will all play out in terms of the site, but I want there to be an interactive element, yes. Part of it is that I am learning the tech piece as I go.

Noveltown: What can people do as readers to be a part of Media Cake? And are you on MySpace.com? Oh, and thanks for doing this interview!

Tess.: Thank you very much. I really appreciate the support.

MySpace is coming. For now, I am hoping readers get fired up and submit, submit, submit.

Futureproof Author N. Frank Daniels talks about his novel, his DIY journey and more – By Melinda Carroll

In a revealing blog, N. Frank Daniels reflects on his novel Futureproof, which garnered some recognition in 2006 from Entertainment Weekly, New York Press and as being one of the top five finalists for the coveted Needle award on the PODdy Mouth blog (a blog that reviews self published books).

Noveltown reviewed Futureproof last year declaring it: “… a book I consider the most important of 2006. What does his book mean to the average American? Perhaps what Jessica Cutler’s trashy novel Washingtonienne says about the state of America’s post-Millennial sex-warped political machine, N. Frank Daniels society numbing book Futureproof says for an entire generation with slacker origins: there’s a slow numb, what should we do?”

(Read Noveltown’s review of Futureproof and interview with N. Frank Daniels)

Even though Futureproof didn’t win the coveted Needle award Daniels states: “Hope of the American Idol flavor still reigns in my bloodstream. As in, many of the AI runners-up have found record deals despite not having won the title, most notably Jennifer Hudson, who just won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in the movie Dream Girls. Not bad for having lost what was surely in her mind her one shot at a career in entertainment. So here's to perpetually crossed fingers.”

Daniels also talks about his DIY journey as a self-published author.

“I had more than five opportunities to sign with top-tier agents in 2006 but in the end chose not to because I was too stubborn and "married" to the book as it is. My rationale was that it wouldn't have been able to gather as much support from readers as it already had if it wasn't good enough to be published as is--with possibly a few minor changes. But when I was asked to change entire story lines and themes, on down to the point of the book in the first place, I respectfully declined. Now I'm not so sure that was the best choice. As a first novel, and as a first time novelist, I should have realized that when one is trying to break into such an exclusive club, one almost always has to compromise.”

The DIY journey involves a labyrinth of decisions that every author has to make. Without a guidebook or the advice of literary agents, DIY authors make these decisions the best they can. They don’t always make the right decisions, but they follow their hearts and their dreams and what they feel best represents their work.

The same can be said of DIY Indie publishers like Noveltown. While there may be more of a guidebook or direction an Indie publisher follows as we learn from the commercial publishing industry and other Indie publishers; the whole idea of DIY or Indie is to carve your own niche and follow your own dream. Noveltown is doing just that.

Daniels garnered advice from established writers along the way including: LA Times Best Seller Brad Listi, Susan Henderson of LitPark and N.L. Belardes of Noveltown among others. In a similar effort, Noveltown is building a literary community befriending the commercial publishing world, Indie publishers and writers. Noveltown wants to be your friend, join us on myspace and on Paperback Writer. We have a lot to discuss.

Daniels DIY journey, which he shared in part on the Nervous Breakdown site, is an important one and one that he’s decided to turn into a memoir. He’s also currently working on a memoir with Deena Neville and a sequel to his novel Futureproof, as well as a complete revamping of his writers collective site RiotLit, which he hopes will be online again soon.

Daniels also recommends a fabulous reading list.

(Read Daniels full blog)

Noveltown is a big supporter of N. Frank Daniels. His work is being featured in our upcoming inaugural edition of The Noveltown Review. He’s a fabulous writer with a DIY riotous attitude that Noveltown loves. If you haven’t read his novel Futureproof yet, you need to buy it.

California Latino music mentioned on LA Times Buzz Bands blog. Support Mento Buru! - By N.L. Belardes

Kevin Bronson of the Buzz Bands blog on the LA Times is talking Ozomatli. I think it's a great opportunity to go and comment and talk about your favorite Latino band from California. I mentioned Mento Buru. Maybe you can mention the Bakotopia CD and their new song, or talk about another band you like, or just talk Latino cultural music...

Now's your chance while the blog is hot and featured on their homepage!

Go here and be a part of the conversation.

Weekend O' Fun: Bakotopia 3 at Fishlips, The Filthies and new band, The Belardes Boys, featuring Kenny Mount at B Ryders - By N.L. Belardes

It's Saint Patrick's Day in Bakersfield and that means two big music shows. Show #1 is actually part three of the Bakotopia CD Release Show, and features Fatt Katt, The Silence Club, Black Dog, Safe Sounds Crew, Seed, Jane Friday, Mento Buru and more!

Read more...

Now, I will be at the Bakotopia party most of the day, but in the evening I will be at the only Irish music gig in Bakersfield. The Belardes Boys, featuring Kenny Mount will be performing tunes from The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys, and more!




Kenny Mount plays a violin?


Oh yes!

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Bakotopia CD Party 1 exclusive mosh pics:




You can see Jordo from Black Dog's hand wrapping Kenny Mount

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE SILENCE CLUB:



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EXCLUSIVE VIDEO OF BAKOTOPIA SUPREME SKA-LEADER!



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EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS OF BAKOTOPIA CD RELEASE PARTY 2!


T-Sack from Krotch prepares for a dirty night


Matt Munoz of Bakotopia pauses for a breath of bakotronica


Matt from newly formed band, The Dewskies


Dillon chokes Jorge! Film at 11!


Emily and her friend talk feet and 80s bowling


Uriah (Upper left), Kris from Dirty Spanglish (Upper Right). Bottom Row: Lando and Shaun from Dirty Spanglish and Austin from The Dewskies...


The Silence Club ROCKED! Aaron has a great voice and fun melodies to his songs


This is Aaron. He's cool


And he has cool hair


Noveltown was on hand to sell Hockey CDs and a few books


Tekwiz tests the sounds!


Jordo and his uncle Kevin. They arm wrestled. Jordo barely lost


Dirty Spanglish!


Whoah!


Ya ya!


Seed performed. So did From Ritual to Romance. I was sad I missed Big Daddy Ruben Val Verde and company... I also missed Krotch. Lando and the rest of Dirty Spanglish stayed. He says about Krotch, "It sunk deep into my memory..." Lando also said about From Ritual to Romance, "They're one of the only Screamo bands I like."

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Now get a load of Hectic Films interviews:

Robin Slick talks to Noveltown about Big Apple Books and Erotica - By N.L. Belardes

Robin Slick... Erotica or Chick Lit writer?

If I were to crown the most wickedly delicious queen in all of Philly, I would have to give the crown to Robin Slick. Why? Simple reason. Robin Slick has one of the most fabulous names ever for a writer. It’s not long, or drawn out, or overly flamboyant. It’s hip, urban, and has, dare I say it, sex appeal, in a nicely naughty way of course. You have to love the way the name rolls off the tongue.

Robin Slick’s real name? It’s probably something long like Yaminslickovich. Only Robin can tell. But would she? Though Slick writes on-the-edge fiction teetering, and often full on diving into erotica, she is as mysterious as her fiction. She spends time writing books, writing blogs, hovering around LitPark.com—not in a bad way of course—though I would say she lives up to her stylish name—a devilish comment here and there. She’s clearly a blog addict, as even admitted as much in an interview on Susan DiPlacido’s blog, “Sometimes I wonder if I wouldn't be happier as a non fiction columnist. All the energy I used to pour into my writing at 5:00 a.m. every morning I now spend blogging.”

I know the feeling.


Get her book...

Slick self-labels her fiction as “Wickedly Delicious”. Oh it is. Her characters are both sexually conniving and humanly complex. She’s written several published books, including Three Days in New York City and Another Bite of the Big Apple.

How can Robin Slick and her erotic fiction be so mysterious? Believe me, there are mysteries surrounding Slick, her real life and her prose. Let’s dig right in…

Interview:

Noveltown: Robin, I read Three Days in New York City. It’s a story of a woman discovering more than she’s just unhappy with her TV twisted jock husband. She discovers her sexual hunger and her artistic self-center. I’ve read that you don’t really like the erotica label. Is this true? Because, if that book isn’t erotica, I don’t know what is. Straighten me out here.

Slick: Oh, okay, okay. If I’m forced to label the book, and I totally despise labeling, it’s erotica because of all the graphic sex contained therein, but since you’ve read the book, you know that said graphic sex was an integral part of the story and there was no way I could whitewash it. But because I also edit for my publisher and erotica is what they primarily publish, I know it’s not formula erotica because that stuff makes me cringe. I’m serious. When I sit down to edit for my publisher, I don’t get turned on, I get nuts. Where is the sparkling dialogue? The humor? The unique, interesting characters? Oh, right. This is supposed to be about sparkling, unique sex. Okay, yeah, I guess this novel I’m editing contains all that. Interesting. The ones that make me cringe the most are usually the best sellers because they are all sex and that’s what the readers who make up a good portion of my publisher’s fan base are looking for. But seriously, don’t you think Three Days in New York City is really is a chick lit comedy with a sort of warped baby boomer coming of age back story? When I was sending the book out to agents four years ago, I was told the same thing over and over again. We love this but it’s not marketable as is—either take out the sex and make it mainstream or market it as erotica. I was like, Huh? Why can’t it be both? But damn it, my timing was off. A year or two later, erotica suddenly became big business and if I were to sub that book now, I’d probably get a totally different reaction. Anyway, there was no way I could take the sex out of that book—besides, I think the some of the sexual scenes are laugh out loud funny and totally in line with the character/plot, etc. —so I was a rebel and decided to start subbing it myself to small, independent publishers. And that worked. Mundania/Phaze grabbed it, and it was a best seller for them. They came to me and asked me to write a sequel, which I totally never intended to do, and that book (Another Bite of the Apple) been in the top five rated erotic books over at Fictionwise for the past six months. And that’s got way less sex in it than Three Days, trust me.


I stole pics from Robin's Photobucket. Is this Monty the wonderdog?

Noveltown: I was poking around at past interviews you’ve done and I read that you once received 500 emails for threatening to quit your blog, www.inherownwrite.blogspot.com. What particular book or event has caused such popularity? Or should I just start writing about sex to build my audience. Feel free to call me a shallow male.

Slick: Well, I’m pretty lucky because I can draw on my audience from many different places. When I first started the blog in 2004, my readers were about a hundred or so parents and kids from the Paul Green School of Rock Music because I spent the first few months blogging a novel I was writing about them following a two week west coast tour in which I participated as a chaperone for my own two kids, who were just graduating the program at the time. (I’ve since deleted those posts…see answer below).


School of Rock! School of Rock! One of these beautiful people is really Jack Black.

At that time, there was only one Rock School and it was in Philadelphia. Then they went corporate (argh) and they opened up something like thirty branches nationwide and I inherited all of those students and parents from all over the country who would google “Rock School” and find my blog. My big break came when the Picturehouse documentary “Rock School” featuring my kids was released internationally in theaters during the summer of 2005. I landed a bunch of readers who were not only movie fans but diehard Eddie Vedder/Pearl Jam, Jon Anderson of Yes, and Heart fans because my kids played with them at the movie’s premier parties – everyone who googled Pearl Jam or Yes, etc. found my blog because naturally I told little stories about having pizza with Eddie Vedder and posted accompanying photographs I’d taken. In 2006, when Adrian Belew hired my son and daughter to be his new power trio, I got a gazillion more readers from prog rock forum boards all over the world. My son, Eric, is also drummer for Project Object, a Frank Zappa tribute band featuring the original members of Frank Zappa’s band so then I got a strong Zappa fanbase visiting me daily and let me tell you, there are millions of them – who’d have thunk it? So combine this with all of my connections in erotica land – my readers, other writers, as well as all of my friends/editors from Zoetrope, which is a mainstream on line writing workshop sixty thousand strong…and well, it all just multiplied. And for the piece de resistance, when I thought I “discovered” Neil Gaiman and started writing about him…well…next thing I knew I was up to 10,000 hits a week. And then last month, I won fifth place in the Best of Blogs 2006 Award (www.inherownwrite.blogspot.com), diarist, and my numbers skyrocketed. But the million-dollar question is: Are any of these blog readers buying my books? God I hope so. My royalty checks have been decent at times so I’m hoping that’s the case. But it’s a struggle for me because I really do find I prefer writing about music and my kids’ careers a lot more than hawking my books. God I hate that part of the process—being a saleswoman, that is. I’m more of an oral person…err…I mean, word of mouth via people who have read my book is the sales method I prefer but then again, that’s me living in fantasy world, huh.

But yeah, last month was my biggest month on the blog ever—I had 125,00 hits between December 15-January 15. That’s Neil Gaiman territory, baby. Oh god, now I feel guilty. I really should be talking up my books more, as well as those of my friends. Note to self: At least do it weekly for Christ sake, you slacker you.


Does Robin kiss and tell? Does Monty?

Noveltown: OK, so I read more of your interviews than I probably should have. But you called your works in progress, Chick Lit. And then you went on to talk about how you pop open some wine and then add all the gooey sex to your stories when you write them. So really, you don’t write erotica, you write sex-revved chick lit? Either way, I read your work fairly quick. I had to know what happened. Call me shallow, again, please.

Slick: Okay, Shallow be thy name. Yeah, it’s true. I can’t just sit here at the computer stone cold sober and write about down and dirty, nasty sex. Masturbation, yes, sex no. (Why is that, she asked, holding her wrist in agony and wondering if she has carpal tunnel syndrome) So, like I said above, I really don’t consider myself an erotica writer at all. I like writing about twisted/contemporary relationships but since I’ve been successful writing about sex, I drink the wine, close my eyes, and go for it. But I think those days may be over—I’m currently writing a mainstream novel.



Noveltown: As I bestow you with a crown for being the most wickedly delicious queen in all of Philly, I have to ask, is Slick your real name?

Slick: Yeah. Well, it’s not my maiden name, it’s my married name. My husband is a cousin to Jerry Slick, Grace Slick’s ex-husband. It’s been funny to see how this has been whispered down the lane when I google my kids. I find everything from “Hey, Eric and Julie Slick are Grace’s grandchildren” to “their mother is Grace’s sister”. Pretty bizarre. And of course, oddly enough, David Bowie had a guitarist named Earl Slick… I’m not sure about this, I should probably hit Google, but I believe Earl came on board with David after Adrian Belew left. So poor Eric always gets confused with Earl. “Eric Slick plays drums for Adrian Belew? I thought he was David Bowie’s guitarist? When did he change instruments?” It’s all kind of weirdly incestual.

Noveltown: On to the subject of character development. How do you explore? You seem like a wanderer, like your main characters. I mean, you may sit still when you write your blog, but in reality it’s an exploration of your life and rock and roll, and of your mini-travels.

Slick: Oh, without a doubt my mini-travels and tours are the total basis for most if not all of my work. In my current still not quite finished novel—which is about a former groupie/hipster who struggles to come to terms with middle age and a faltering marriage when she reconnects a legendary guitar God from her wild past while accompanying and allegedly chaperoning her young rock star offspring on a tour across America—I directly drew from my experience from the west coast Rock School tour of 2004. Hence why I deleted the aforesaid posts in my blog—I did need to use some of that stuff in my current novel though I trashed most of it.


Monty, what are you doing?

Noveltown: And settings? How does you chose a setting like New York for your stories? Do you just say, “I want to write about New York?” Or what…

Slick: Err…I spend a lot of time in New York. And even living in Philadelphia, I’m a city girl (I live downtown), so I write about what I know. And frankly, I write what I personally would want to read. I know this is going to make me sound shallow (hey, we can be Mr. and Mrs. Shallow), but I could care less.

Noveltown: Last question: Are obsessions a part of your life and part of your stories? I mean, maybe stories are your obsession, but I think you’re a lot more complex than that.

Slick: Well, I’d be lying if I said I don’t get obsessions. And I’m an equal opportunity obsessor—I get fixated over everything from food to sex to music to certain authors living in Bakersfield, California. I mean, I’m not a stalker or anything, but once something or someone interests me, they kind of take over my brain and yeah, I need to write about it. Or them. Or him. Whatever. But do I need to be obsessed over something to write? Nah. Though…hmm…on second thought…my best writing comes from my various compulsions and at the moment, the well is dry. Maybe that’s why I’m currently in limbo.

Okay, that does it. Obviously I need a new obsession so I can finally finish my novel. Any takers?
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You can add Noveltown on myspace at www.myspace.com/noveltown

World Wide Spies have a more than memorable performance at Hollywood's Viper Room - By N.L. Belardes

World Wide Spies appeared at Hollywood's Viper Room...

The road to Hollywood from Bakersfield isn’t short. But it isn’t terribly long, either. It’s possible to make the trip in one evening and back—as long as you’re willing to lose a little sleep.


World Wide Spies at the Viper Room, Hollywood

The CD release party of Los Angeles band World Wide Spies was well worth the trip and any loss of sleep. Their new album, Images of Black & White admirably tears from the same vein as the Killers. No they’re not a Day-Glo throwback band. They’re rock, Killers meets U2 actually, with a lead singer named JFK whose British origins still leave him with a heavy accent and a heavy dose of pride.

I showed up with Matildakay and chingpea, a little trouble brewing from me by wearing a French military jacket. I wanted to see how lead man JFK would react. He showed up wearing a big Brit flag belt buckle—a proud man of his own East Anglian culture. He gave hugs, quite a chuckle and mustered a jester-like bow after seeing the jacket.

After all, the French and the English do have to share a continent.


JFK and his belt buckle

The Viper Room itself? Tough rocker at the front door, rules and regulations, especially regarding photography. I followed some of the rules. Hey that’s pretty good for me.


chingpea is a blur outside the Viper Room front door

The upstairs room is small, unattractive, with a high-set stage and a killer sound system. There is a bar along the back wall and two short rows of red booths along the side walls. Little “Reserved” signs adorned the tables.

Right before the show I did take a call from a reader of the Paperback Writer blog who admitted leaving the “Norma is a kiss ass” comment recently. We had a good laugh, but I was told to go outside to talk on the phone by Viper Room staff. No biggie. I met up with the band and their manager, Steve who had himself quite the British style of beard.


Band manager, Steve and his dashing beard.

The show itself?

Memorable. Triumphant. Booming and fast rock and roll from a group who knows how to put on a big entertaining show. How can you describe a show as awesome as their CD, and all Indie, DIY? It’s masterful. JFK took charge. JAX has great back-up vocals as does guitarist, IZIK who can shred ala The Edge. And don't forget Steve-O, in the back, pounding out the rhythms... Now read the interview.

Here’s a photo essay of the rest:

World Wide Spies Images of Black & White stirs up a Chinatown meeting - By N.L. Belardes

World Wide Spies

I was on a mission. World Wide Spies were on the loose not only in L.A., but in Chinatown on the day of the Chinese New Year parade. We were to meet incognito during the parade. And we did.

What you’re going to read is an interview with three out of four members of World Wide Spies. Interspersed in the interview will be videos and photos that tell the story of our meeting in Chinatown that had us dodging firecrackers, the mayor of L.A., a strange house, and settling in a bar at Hop Louie’s Restaurant.

It’s all in the name of World Wide Spies brand new album, Images of Black & White. Just released this week! Oh and let me just say, I can’t get their new CD out of my head. Images of Black & White is a heady album, far better than their last, with an atmosphere of triumphant cheer! Every song is lasting with “Three Cheers” a New New Wave masterpiece.

They perform at the Viper Room in Hollywood tonight.



Here's the interview:

Noveltown: Let's get right to the beefy part of this interview. I've been listening to your forthcoming album, Images Of Black & White non-stop. It's my new favorite. (I'm not lying. I'm addicted). I feel like I'm being taken back to the 1980s where songs were like seductive anthems performed at big venues. Just look at how your album starts off, it's grand, it's huge... Maybe that sounds weird, but I know U2 has a big influence on World Wide Spies. What's the feel you're going for on the new recording?


Our trip to Chinatown was filled with open doors

Steve-O: I don’t know if we were intentionally going for a certain feel for this album. We knew we wanted to do it better this time around than before. We are always trying to be better, be it, playing, writing, performing, and recording. We like to convey triumph in our music. Hopefully we do. It wasn’t really until the end of the recording process that we realized there was a feel to it. Triumph, love, lost, mystery, optimism, sadness, frustration. I guess all 4 of us were feeling all those things throughout the year.

JFK: We defiantly went for something a little more introspective this time a little darker, but we all basically made the decision to take the time in the studio and make a grand record, I think this album is really the culmination of almost 4 years of developing our style and creating something that is ours.

IZIK: We definitely made some breakthroughs on this record. The songwriting has intensified and the production quality is finally giving the music the sound it deserves. In the studio we gave ourselves enough time to lay down the songs as written and then experiment with them over the following months. That's something we never had the luxury of doing before, so the songs on this record have much more weight, much more ass, if you will. I think we're just now discovering how big the band's sound can actually be.


The day was filled with mystical creatures





Noveltown: How long has this album been in the works? The recording quality is great too... talk to me about the recording process and who was involved in the mixing and mastering?

Steve-O: A long time. We started recording the foundation tracks in December of 2005, and at first, we only thought we would be doing another 5 song EP. It wasn’t til March of 2006 that we decided to go for it, and record 5 more songs. The 10th track, however, got cut. It was a bright, upbeat pop kind of song, and we felt that it didn’t fit with the other 9 all that well. The process was great. Our engineer/producer is Mikael Karlsson, and he is from Sweden. (By the way, Swedes are just the best engineers, mixers, producers in the world, think Abba, Roxette, Ace of Base—Brilliant Pop, that stuff). He helped us so much, and it was great to work with someone that really was into our sound, and knew and understood where we were coming from. He is a pro. During the process, he became more and more of a producer as well. His ideas helped us stay on the path, and kept us focused. There was a point at which we were doing all kinds of experiments with additional tracks and ideas were being thrown around a lot. He had to go to Sweden a couple of times for mixing with his engineer friend. I think it’s by far the best recording we have ever done, and its exactly where we wanted it to be and sound like. So the flurry of activity picked up and we finished it.

JFK: Well it was supposed to take 5 weeks LOL but took almost 9 months, we didn't want to stop until it was perfect... and I am personally very very happy we took the time to make it exactly what we wanted. We all were involved throughout the whole process in all aspects of the production, sometimes causing some havoc but for the most part it was a peaceful process.

IZIK: It's hard to say how long we've been working on this record. Our process is to write the songs before we even enter the studio, flesh them out until we're satisfied and then let them loose in the studio like fireworks. It's been well over a year since we started laying the songs down in our friend's studio, and we've encountered various delays along the way (which were probably actually helpful in the creative process). We had two very different mixes to choose from in the end. One was very AM-radio sounding, similar to the "thin" sound a lot of the minimalist post-punkers coming out on the radio today are using. Even though this sounded trendy and would've probably lumped us in with the radio-friendly bands coming out these days, it just lacked the power and the triumph the music was begging for. Instead we decided to mix with our friends from Sweden. They knew what we wanted and took on a key role in the album's development. We were blown away with how perfectly they were able to implement our creative vision. As we got the initial mixes from Sweden we knew this was how the record should sound. After another few months of tweaking the mixes we called on an old friend at Capitol Mastering to bring the sound to life, and he really gave the album the finishing boost it needed to jump out of the speakers.






I decided to have my fortune read.


Spies... spies...

Noveltown: There are some guest singers on the album. Does JFK have a story to share there? Does JFK have any drunken tales of late??

Steve-O: We were inspired by Simple Minds, especially from their album Once Upon A Time, and they used a lot of background vocal inflections. We tried it, I think we could have used more. Anyway, JFK’s friend, Angel, who is a brilliant vocalist, is on our song, What Are We Fighting For?, and she just nailed it. They have a vibe together for sure. They sang that part together on one mic. It was almost a Jim Morrison in the studio moment with his wife. You know from the movie.

JFK: Well now what a question... HMMM which story to talk about first !! The wonderfully talented Angel Travis is the female vocalist featured on What Are We Fighting For and now you have all the dirt on your vid about that ONE!!!! But she has been a wonderfully creative sexy force in my life for more than five years you can visit her at www.Angeltravis.com for more on her own music... it is well worth the visit!!

As for drunken escapades we have been somewhat quiet as of late… but the upcoming trip to SXSW should bring some more tales of drunken debauchery...


JFK's drunken tales?

Noveltown: When is Images Of Black & White coming out? And who designed the cover art?

IZIK: It's officially being released in March. We did a cover photo shoot with our friend Toky who is an ace photographer. He designed and conceptualized the cover art. We love his work.


What would my fortune end up becoming?


A smoky future...


A fiery dragon...


And spies hiding in the background

Noveltown: Images Of Black & White sounds like the album needed to help define the New New Wave. Maybe that's bold of me to suggest, but I like you guys as much as I like The Killers. What do you think about the New New Wave and bands like the Killers?

Steve-O: I love the Killers, Interpol, She Wants Revenge, Shinty Toy Guns, Bravery, Rock Kills Kid, etc. These bands are my favorite. Everyone has there own unique sound & style, but all fit together in a way. The bands from the “post-punk” “new wave” sound are my influences. What I play just comes out, for all of us really. In Rock N Roll there is always change, and it seems to be a new revolution against Pop, and hardcore/metal. Just like in the late 70’s. But, those things are great too. We are just on the opposite side of the Rock N Roll tree. We are on the branch that’s continuing the rock n roll, post-punk, new wave sound.

JFK: I think great that Bands like the Killers are doing so well worldwide and are being accepted into the mainstream it just paves the way for a band like ourselves to come along. I think new wave has been circa 1981-84 so far and we are more 87-89 so I think it just about the right time to be bringing out a sound like ours.

IZIK: I like the updated New Wave sound that's forming in the rock scene today. I think it still has a lot of evolution to undergo, but it's definitely getting defined as these bands break through to radio and start getting noticed internationally. What I'm not crazy about so far is the apparent lack of innovation out there. It seems these days that if you dress up a band from 1999 in suits and ties and dye their hair, all the sudden they're New Wave. So many I've seen are all look and no substance - as if adding a Cure-ish keyboard line over a pop-punk song makes it hip and New Wave. But what seems to really distinguish the good from the bad new bands is a frontman who can actually sing. I see lots of guys in eyeliner thinking they're channeling Morrissey, when all the while it sounds like Pee Wee Herman with a chest cold. That being said, there are a lot of bands out right now that really are taking the New Wave influence and forging new and exciting ideas and sounds. Every good band is an obvious combination of good influences, and the bands that are combining the best from yesterday and today are the ones that will last. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in this new digital age of music.


The spies had a moment of fortune as well...


And contemplated life in a new culture...


...filled with child-like thoughts... and triumphant music.

Noveltown: I think the last I saw you guys you performed at a strange little Bakersfield club called Azuls. You guys were on the patio blasting your tunes. I rocked out. You rocked out, JFK wooed everyone insight. Looks like you're playing bigger and better venues all the time in LA these days... What's your favorite LA venue?

Steve-O: Well, I hope we are playing better venues! It’s always nice to move up the club ladder. I really like The Viper Room. Its small, and comfy. Very inviting. Plus, I don’t have to load in my drum set! No just kidding. They do have a house kit there, which is cool.

JFK: Hmm .. my favorite venue is actually the Viper room.. its not as big as the other venues but it is very intimate and the sound is always amazing, I think as a starting band if we are to rate venues the sound has to be almost the #1 priority because it doesn't matter how much you rehearse if on show night the sound guy blows or the PA sucks .. well unfortunately that's what the audience hears, we don't have the luxury
of a dedicated sound guy so we have to take what we can get (The sound guy position is open by the way so if you are a kick arse techi the Spies need YOU!!!)
IZIK: The Derby in Los Feliz has probably been my favorite room in LA. We promoted our own night there for about a year that featured up and coming New Wave revivalist bands. It has a lot of history and the sound is top-notch for a club that size. For us, playing there is like a sports team playing a home game.