Featured Artists:
Johnny Delaware
Johnny Delaware is objectively one of the most charismatic music video personalities of all times, and will hopefully soon be as important to music and counter-cultural history as John Lennon, George Harrison, Gary Snyder, or Ken Kesey. He also walks a wild free spirit line at times that puts him center stage with larger-than-life classic mega pop icon originals such as Lady Gaga and David Bowie and might end up being not only one of the greatest of all times but actually Jesus Christ Superstar.
Johnny, a quintessential part of South Carolina folklore, and SUSTO band member (note: See light in the Dark I for more on the SUSTO legend, soon to be the next Duluoz Legend), and Artisanal’s frontman has been critically acclaimed by Rolling Stone, worked with Drew Vandenberg (Tori Y Moi, Kishi Bashi, Of Montreal), has opened for artists like Car Seat Headrest (sidenote: one of the only good bands with a high number of listeners)
They say show, don’t tell. So, let’s start with this Johnny Delaware picture show…
Johnny, a quintessential part of South Carolina folklore, and SUSTO band member (note: See light in the Dark I for more on the SUSTO legend, soon to be the next Duluoz Legend), and Artisanal’s frontman has been critically acclaimed by Rolling Stone, worked with Drew Vandenberg (Tori Y Moi, Kishi Bashi, Of Montreal), has opened for artists like Car Seat Headrest (sidenote: one of the only good bands with a high number of listeners)
They say show, don’t tell. So, let’s start with this Johnny Delaware picture show…
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But what we really want to know is more about him… who is this Mystery Man that everybody mistakes for Jesus Christ? This Johnny Angel? One of the original Acid boys? What we want to know is who is he? Who be there?!
Conversation with Johnny Delaware
Becca: Your new video Energy of Light shines light upon one of my favorite cinematic moments of all times, The horseback scene in Django Unchained plus meets a Cat Stevens oceanside camp retreat sing-a-long. It even seems like your line “I pay attention to the channel I choose” relates to Dass’ ideas of being tuned into the spiritual channel? I know you’re a big fan! On the note of Dass, what do you think of this quote: “The attainment of enlightenment from ego's point of view is extreme death, ... It is the ultimate and final disappointment." - Ram Dass How do you currently define enlightenment?
Johnny: Wow, this is great! RIP Ram Dass. It's a very delicate and complicated topic. I don't necessarily think I can give you anything of worth, since I've yet to understand enlightenment.
I can tell you that there are a lot of people who speak from their higher selves, but don't act with them. I can also say that by telling myself "I was a spiritual person," it put a dent into my own growth as a person. I love the subcultures involved with spirituality, the new age movement, all that stuff, but the Saint I love and adore, Neem Karoli Baba, who was actually enlightened and had the actual map of consciousness, he was very simple with his messages, and yet they broke everyone's hearts open. There are a lot of lost people who want to identify with spirituality to the point where things begin to seem contrived or forced. But it's not a race! I sometimes feel so high one day, then the next I'm ripping a bunch of cigs, went through an entire bottle of mezcal, and I slept with someone I probably shouldn't have. but you know what... we're here for a human experience.
Becca: As always, I appreciate the honesty and humility but, if this (below) doesn’t encompass being in an enlightened state I don’t know what does…
“It’s interesting when you’re up there playing. But when you can actually get lost and there’s no time anymore and you just get off and your like woa what happened? What was that? Is that what life is about? Cause then you’re through a mediation almost... that’s when you totally lose your identity, and maybe that’s where you’re actually existing”
- Johnny Delaware, No Secrets Podcast
In another one of your podcasts (don’t remember which one) you spoke of “the cult of new age” and it sounded like a pejorative. Could you tell me how you are defining new age and what you like or dislike of it?
Johnny: in regards to the new age conversation, I think having anything, literally anything - like rudraksha beads, or podcasts, or your own time devoted to meditation, yoga classes, prayers to the architect of whatever we're in; having a guru you can lean, youtube videos, if any one of those things help make you come alive and have a little more compassion and empathy around you, or make you take into account your own life's work, and show you your inner wounds to heal... than through that hard work, you will feel rewarded. It will literally feel good! You'll love yourself more.
Now a lot of that has part to do with the new age movement. But at the same time, I’ve realized some of the people going through transformative spiritual awakenings are in their heads more, are more susceptible to be judgmental of others who aren't really like them, and resemble a behavior kinda the opposite of what should really come from being in a new state of awakening. And I get it, we all have bad days.. so i'm not hating here.. But i've always picked up on energy from people really well. You hear it all the time, but energy is the one thing that doesn't lie. And when I’m in the presence of a lot of people who claim on Instagram to be something of a spiritually evolved person, or are putting on workshops, sound healing courses, all that stuff, when you meet them in person, that veil is totally lifted and you begin to pick up that there's something else going on. It's not because they're necessarily bad people. But that the intention is more based off monetary gains. And again, don't get me wrong, the majority of people running studios and courses are amazing and can be harmonious with the balance of integrity and money. But there's some snakes in the grass there.
And one more issue I have, is the slippery slope of spiritual bypassing. "Well that person had that happen to them and is in that situation because of their thoughts. They don't know what they're doing to their own reality and that they control it - it's really sad." Shit like that. I could've heard my dumbass saying that 9 years ago or something. Where there's truth in there. But to take it from zero to 100 is wrong. I don't think Jesus Christ would have said that. He didn't walk by poor people and say "what a fucking loser. Grow a pair and wake up out of your imprisoned intellectual mind!" He actually helped people. And that's a lot of the problem I have with the new age thing. It's a lot of that sorta thing. We seem to complicate this stuff more than necessary, while meanwhile, if you wanna raise your kundalini, just feeding people who are hungry will work far better than doing a meditation on your personal manifestation.
Becca: Yes, I love it! That fits perfectly with the Forgiveness video you just released, filmed in Mexico City, providing viewers with an awareness of the economic injustices of the world. On a completely different note, I’ve watched the Sarahlinah video a bunch and wondered how you currently define “cool” at this moment in time. What do you think it means to be cool?
Johnny: I will forever see "cool" as a person who puts you at ease with an open-hearted kindness, or a person really in the moment with you.. someone who actually listens to what you have to say. It's the type of person that when you come across their presence, they permeate through your skin and make you feel better. I think those people are the coolest on the planet. I actually met one today. She was my uber driver and had an amazing sense of humor, with a lot of life in her eyes. She was indigenous from outside Mexico City, and we talked about her brother's band and spanish slang. She corrected me on some pronunciation issues. Anyway, we had a really nice ride together.
sidenote: I used to think cool was hanging out in Brooklyn with hipsters, but that kind of scene just bored the living hell out of me. I've never really vibed hard with larger music cities. Could be my own insecurities talking though.
Becca: Well, as one of the greatest free spirits in our current culture, I define you as “cool.” Cool being, a true liberated free spirit not reserved or holding back, not influenced by passing trends or others’ opinions AKA a true mind of your own, a nuanced and critically thought out point of view, kind but complex with enough edge and grit to effectively still get through to hipsters and mainstreamers and the “man” to make this world a better place.
Spoiler alert: I have seen and heard unreleased footage of upcoming Johnny videos and songs and the best is yet to come. Johnny’s second solo release, Energy of Light will surely be a favorite of 2022, so stay tuned. But just wait for the third album and videos to hit, you will be knocked to the third or fourth dimension. Like a fine wine Johnny only gets better with time.
For now, dig his golden unreleased surprise single in the Light in the Dark Ep. 3.0 video (at the 6:48 min mark).
-Becca Joseph, Dec 2021
Johnny: Wow, this is great! RIP Ram Dass. It's a very delicate and complicated topic. I don't necessarily think I can give you anything of worth, since I've yet to understand enlightenment.
I can tell you that there are a lot of people who speak from their higher selves, but don't act with them. I can also say that by telling myself "I was a spiritual person," it put a dent into my own growth as a person. I love the subcultures involved with spirituality, the new age movement, all that stuff, but the Saint I love and adore, Neem Karoli Baba, who was actually enlightened and had the actual map of consciousness, he was very simple with his messages, and yet they broke everyone's hearts open. There are a lot of lost people who want to identify with spirituality to the point where things begin to seem contrived or forced. But it's not a race! I sometimes feel so high one day, then the next I'm ripping a bunch of cigs, went through an entire bottle of mezcal, and I slept with someone I probably shouldn't have. but you know what... we're here for a human experience.
Becca: As always, I appreciate the honesty and humility but, if this (below) doesn’t encompass being in an enlightened state I don’t know what does…
“It’s interesting when you’re up there playing. But when you can actually get lost and there’s no time anymore and you just get off and your like woa what happened? What was that? Is that what life is about? Cause then you’re through a mediation almost... that’s when you totally lose your identity, and maybe that’s where you’re actually existing”
- Johnny Delaware, No Secrets Podcast
In another one of your podcasts (don’t remember which one) you spoke of “the cult of new age” and it sounded like a pejorative. Could you tell me how you are defining new age and what you like or dislike of it?
Johnny: in regards to the new age conversation, I think having anything, literally anything - like rudraksha beads, or podcasts, or your own time devoted to meditation, yoga classes, prayers to the architect of whatever we're in; having a guru you can lean, youtube videos, if any one of those things help make you come alive and have a little more compassion and empathy around you, or make you take into account your own life's work, and show you your inner wounds to heal... than through that hard work, you will feel rewarded. It will literally feel good! You'll love yourself more.
Now a lot of that has part to do with the new age movement. But at the same time, I’ve realized some of the people going through transformative spiritual awakenings are in their heads more, are more susceptible to be judgmental of others who aren't really like them, and resemble a behavior kinda the opposite of what should really come from being in a new state of awakening. And I get it, we all have bad days.. so i'm not hating here.. But i've always picked up on energy from people really well. You hear it all the time, but energy is the one thing that doesn't lie. And when I’m in the presence of a lot of people who claim on Instagram to be something of a spiritually evolved person, or are putting on workshops, sound healing courses, all that stuff, when you meet them in person, that veil is totally lifted and you begin to pick up that there's something else going on. It's not because they're necessarily bad people. But that the intention is more based off monetary gains. And again, don't get me wrong, the majority of people running studios and courses are amazing and can be harmonious with the balance of integrity and money. But there's some snakes in the grass there.
And one more issue I have, is the slippery slope of spiritual bypassing. "Well that person had that happen to them and is in that situation because of their thoughts. They don't know what they're doing to their own reality and that they control it - it's really sad." Shit like that. I could've heard my dumbass saying that 9 years ago or something. Where there's truth in there. But to take it from zero to 100 is wrong. I don't think Jesus Christ would have said that. He didn't walk by poor people and say "what a fucking loser. Grow a pair and wake up out of your imprisoned intellectual mind!" He actually helped people. And that's a lot of the problem I have with the new age thing. It's a lot of that sorta thing. We seem to complicate this stuff more than necessary, while meanwhile, if you wanna raise your kundalini, just feeding people who are hungry will work far better than doing a meditation on your personal manifestation.
Becca: Yes, I love it! That fits perfectly with the Forgiveness video you just released, filmed in Mexico City, providing viewers with an awareness of the economic injustices of the world. On a completely different note, I’ve watched the Sarahlinah video a bunch and wondered how you currently define “cool” at this moment in time. What do you think it means to be cool?
Johnny: I will forever see "cool" as a person who puts you at ease with an open-hearted kindness, or a person really in the moment with you.. someone who actually listens to what you have to say. It's the type of person that when you come across their presence, they permeate through your skin and make you feel better. I think those people are the coolest on the planet. I actually met one today. She was my uber driver and had an amazing sense of humor, with a lot of life in her eyes. She was indigenous from outside Mexico City, and we talked about her brother's band and spanish slang. She corrected me on some pronunciation issues. Anyway, we had a really nice ride together.
sidenote: I used to think cool was hanging out in Brooklyn with hipsters, but that kind of scene just bored the living hell out of me. I've never really vibed hard with larger music cities. Could be my own insecurities talking though.
Becca: Well, as one of the greatest free spirits in our current culture, I define you as “cool.” Cool being, a true liberated free spirit not reserved or holding back, not influenced by passing trends or others’ opinions AKA a true mind of your own, a nuanced and critically thought out point of view, kind but complex with enough edge and grit to effectively still get through to hipsters and mainstreamers and the “man” to make this world a better place.
Spoiler alert: I have seen and heard unreleased footage of upcoming Johnny videos and songs and the best is yet to come. Johnny’s second solo release, Energy of Light will surely be a favorite of 2022, so stay tuned. But just wait for the third album and videos to hit, you will be knocked to the third or fourth dimension. Like a fine wine Johnny only gets better with time.
For now, dig his golden unreleased surprise single in the Light in the Dark Ep. 3.0 video (at the 6:48 min mark).
-Becca Joseph, Dec 2021
Other Featured 2021 Artists:
Tristen
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TRISTEN, a Nashvillian powerhouse has been critically acclaimed by Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, Slant, Spin, and endless others. She’s toured with artists ranging from Justin Townes Earle to Vanessa Carlton,and her music has been featured on television shows such as The Office and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll.
Somewhere between Tom Petty, Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein, Kate Bush, The Shangri-Las, and Joni Mitchell, she is a woman of substance, talent, and immense beauty. Reaching diverse audiences ranging from fans of Nashville classic country, to edgy indie rockers, electropop club kids, to early 60’s girl groups, those who want to get dazzled by 1930’s Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, and the folkrock peace lovin’ cast of the next Woodstock. You simply can’t put her into a box or a glass jar, so don’t even try. Tristen Gaspadarek marches to the beat of her own drum.
Her 2021 release, Aquatic Flowers features some of her best work to date. Be sure to tune in tonight (12/16) at 8:00 PM EST for Episode 3.0 for a killer hybrid lyric video/ previously unreleased performance of Die 4 Love by Tristen and the OMGs. For those who tune in to 3.0 live there will be many chances to win free merch from Tristen’s amazing collection. We can’t wait to see what’s next for her and for Tristen we are forever grateful.
10 Reasons Why You Should Trust in Tristen:
- Tristen is a voice of both strength and love, such a rare combination
- She has a complex sound, vibe, and lyrics that challenge the listener
- She is hipster friendly (AKA cool as hell edgy) but also with a hippy heart of gold
- She should have played Woodstock ’69 and is ready to play a Woodstock reboot
- She’s got amazing sociopolitical critiques and protest songs that everybody needs to get behind, with lyrics that challenge the status quo and power hierarchies (e.g. Inaction, Clandestine)
- Her killer Joni Mitchell cover of A Case of You is as good, if not better than the original
- Tough & Bold meets Beauty and Glamour: she is a hybrid badass rocker and femme fatale southern beauty pageant queen
- She is also smart as hell and graduated from De Paul University, where she studied relational group and organizational theories of communication. #Trust in Tristen
- Like Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells, or Elisabeth Shue in the 1987 classic Adventures in Babysitting she is so trustworthy but also the bad-ass babysitter that all the kids beg for and everybody wants to emulate. [listen to: Dark Matter]
- She inspires listeners to try to make the world a better place and dedicate themselves to what they believe in, regardless of what others think. She is a leader, not a follower.
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If you just #Trust in Tristen she will help lead America onboard the next peace train. Take the last train to Nashville right now. I know I’m on it!
-Becca Joseph, Dec 2021
Tristen portrait at top of page by Morey Kammerman
visit: https://moreyartist.tumblr.com
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“Business rules where human tools reside
chase the piece of dangling dream provided work to death to lose your sense of direction while the men the rest on top use us as a prop for as long as we will let them set the course what we gonna do about all of this inaction? how we gonna save ourselves if we don't change our minds? tired bones watch electable clones chase celebrity with stacks of cash that bought their shot at fame human doom is looming and it's impending we don't feel for you we can't afford to we're waging war spend my life just watching time and chasing cattle time has come to rise hum rise for this battle truth is hard to find inside of the land of bullshit propaganda.” -Tristen, Inaction |
“Clandestine
Distracted by design The signs're ignored again The kids are bored again And everybody knows Only a fool plays by the rules Can you be a smooth operator? In a covert overture On a seesaw of distracted watchmen Where peace is only A temporary re-retraction Of one of the heads Of a two-headed dog Which side are you on Consigliere to the boss? You adapt so easily You are taking your time To follow the feelings of your melancholy mind How soon we forget the world they gave us? We are the new wavers Ravers of the surveillance era On a lazy river.”- Tristen, Clandestine |
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Bear Hare |
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BEAR HARE is comprised of two viral video stars, Tim Perry (Ages and Ages) and Kyle Andrews, who have never met each other in real life. This brand new postal service-style collaborative endeavor, offers exciting promises and a Bright Love that feels as pure and on par as a lost Beatles track. After being a fan for so long, finding their new project is like when the Beatles’ Real Love was released in the 90’s.
Perry (Ages and Ages) was cited by Rolling Stone as having created one of Obama’s favorite Spotify songs. They’re an alumni of Partisan Records, and have been featured on NPR. But most importantly Tim Perry serves as a personal moral guide for humanity. And in the words of Cat Stevens, “We got to have a guide.” His song “Divisionary (Do the Right Thing)” has been a sounding block for some of the hardest times in my human existence ranging from stones of animosity from strangers, roses and thorns from my friends, to a global pandemic. In league with other enlightened classics like the Rolling Stones “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”, Perry advises, “Make yourself right, never mind them, don’t you know you’re not the only one suffering.” He encourages us to care about people not their opinions of us, to try to be the Sheppard, to not worry because others will “come around eventually.”
Andrews, the other half of Bear Hare, also no stranger to NPR, has been featured in a multitude of national and international commercials, and released records on Badman Recording Co. His dreamy electronic soundscapes, some seem to sometimes derive from Bowiesque inspiration to Of Montreal contemporary clusters. Yet he doesn’t need fancy production to stand out in a crowd, as his minimalist raw “Your Tester Bunny” should be one of everybody’s favorite songs of the mid 2000’s. Also, be sure to listen to the acoustic version, and spread the word. I am waiting for the endless covers of this cult classic.
This dynamic duo offers many exciting new possibilities and is some of Tim Perry and Kyle Andrew’s best work. Hopefully you’ll be inspired to altruistically share the album with others.
“Bright Love, shining through the cracks, I want to pass it around even if it don’t come back.”
– Bright Love, Bear Hare
-Becca Joseph
Perry (Ages and Ages) was cited by Rolling Stone as having created one of Obama’s favorite Spotify songs. They’re an alumni of Partisan Records, and have been featured on NPR. But most importantly Tim Perry serves as a personal moral guide for humanity. And in the words of Cat Stevens, “We got to have a guide.” His song “Divisionary (Do the Right Thing)” has been a sounding block for some of the hardest times in my human existence ranging from stones of animosity from strangers, roses and thorns from my friends, to a global pandemic. In league with other enlightened classics like the Rolling Stones “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”, Perry advises, “Make yourself right, never mind them, don’t you know you’re not the only one suffering.” He encourages us to care about people not their opinions of us, to try to be the Sheppard, to not worry because others will “come around eventually.”
Andrews, the other half of Bear Hare, also no stranger to NPR, has been featured in a multitude of national and international commercials, and released records on Badman Recording Co. His dreamy electronic soundscapes, some seem to sometimes derive from Bowiesque inspiration to Of Montreal contemporary clusters. Yet he doesn’t need fancy production to stand out in a crowd, as his minimalist raw “Your Tester Bunny” should be one of everybody’s favorite songs of the mid 2000’s. Also, be sure to listen to the acoustic version, and spread the word. I am waiting for the endless covers of this cult classic.
This dynamic duo offers many exciting new possibilities and is some of Tim Perry and Kyle Andrew’s best work. Hopefully you’ll be inspired to altruistically share the album with others.
“Bright Love, shining through the cracks, I want to pass it around even if it don’t come back.”
– Bright Love, Bear Hare
-Becca Joseph
Mirror Gazer
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"Don’t let automation take over your soul." - Mirror Gazer |
Who: Mirror Gazer, is the moniker of Dorian Duvall
# Soon to be one of Pitchfork's top artists. What: What Black Mirror is to Television, Mirror Gazer is to music. Inhale the Sky (King's Most Dance Mix) is one of my top tracks of the year and one of the most effective and perfectly understated technological critiques of the century. (See also: On My Way (Figgy Remix) for one of the best dance bangers of 2021). Merging psych rock, electronic ambient, pop, hip-hop grooves, Mirror Gazer draws inspiration from artists from Jimi Hendrix to Miles Davis. While providing us with far out existential and introspective lyrics that simultaneously embrace cutting edge production and A+ remixes. Where: From Portland, currently resides in NYC. |
Mirror Gazer Interview
Becca: So, one of my new favorite songs is Inhale the Sky. Can you tell me what the lyrics, "Don’t let automation take over your soul?”mean to you and the inspiration behind it?
Dorian: I was thinking in terms of how humanity is so reliant on technology and how it can sometimes take away from the natural essence of life. Things can sometimes feel sterile, with the emergence of artificial intelligence, it feels like the further we go along our thoughts and methodology can be determined through predictive technology. I was expressing to not let technology take over your natural essence and script your thoughts and connect with yourself and intuition.
Becca: Ah, I love it! So right on point! As of late I been deeply disillusioned about the Metaverse and the next level of dystopia coming sooner than we thought! On that note, are you a fan of Black Mirror?
Dorian: I am, I love that show, I think it’s one of the better shows on Television. I always believed that we can see what’s in store for the future through television, movies and books. It’s kind of scary to think how invasive technology has become, but at the same time how it’s so helpful to humanity. I remember when you could only read websites and send emails and now you can essentially have your own network, create content, gain subscribers and have a steady stream of income. It’s going to be pretty interesting to see the next phase of the internet and how decentralized things become.
Becca: Can you tell me more about the Mirror Gazer vision. The artwork, the concepts, and themes?
Dorian: There’s really no singular vision for Mirror Gazer, I would say my songs are pretty insular, me trying to work out my feelings about a particular situation I’ve been dwelling on. The artwork put the music in a somewhat surreal and psychedelic space, I wouldn’t consider the artwork to take on any deep existential meaning in connection to the music other than to enhance the experience of the music with an interesting and alluring visual component. Although, the album cover in my mind symbolizes the notion of birth and death and the in the between and how vast and layered life can be.
Becca: That’s so important. I really only turn to artists who cover the whole gamut of the human experience. I get so bored when it’s all just love songs. I need depth, it can’t be one dimensional or I find it unrelatable and fake. One last question! Who are some of your other influences?
Dorian: I have countless influences, they change pretty rapidly, I’m inspired by so many things and people that it can sometimes feel overwhelming haha. I’m a BIG fan of Stones Throw Records, XL Recordings, Warp Records, Mute, Rough Trade, Young Turks, Fat Possum, etc.
Becca: I totally hear the Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada (Warp Records) and New Order (Mute). Fun Fact- When I take an airplane I frequently listen to Cornish Acid on repeat and try to sink into a deep mediation. I’m thinking maybe I’ll switch to We Can Make it (Outside of this) AKA Hidden Gem on the new release! Not to mention, you're one of the best new finds of 2021, found you randomly on bandcamp when the cover art caught my eye. So glad it did & excited to see what comes next. Can’t wait for Tame Impala to be opening up for you!
Stay tuned for Mirror Gazer + Black Mirror shirts in Episode 3.0!
-Becca Joseph
Maybird
The 411
Consists of: Brothers Josh and Adam Netsky and Guitar player Overhand Sam (AKA Sam Synder) Claim to Fame: They were approached by Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, Broken Bells) who signed them to his Columbia Records imprint, 30th Century Records. Feels like: the original good vibe band Sounds like: If Alex Chilton, Wayne Coyne, and The Everly Brothers had a baby Looks like: (also see: Alex Chillton), The long lost Monkees, The Who (See also: Roger Daltrey/ Josh Netsky) & Pete Townsend/ Overhand Sam); Societal impact: the reason why “good vibes” has made a comeback in America |
How I found them down the rabbit hole…
[X] Authenticity factor [X] Free spirit [ X] Flowerchild AKA Star Child; Could have played Woodstock ’69 [X] A “One Love” Platform [See also: One Love] [X] Smart Bob Dylan type intellectuals who read classic literature like Aldous Huxley on the NY subway. [X] Seem to be genuinely nice people …. Needless to say most musicians don’t even get one check mark. While it's true most of the best things get lost on social media and the net, but if you can find your way down the rabbit hole, dig their music videos. Below is one of my favorite finds. |
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If you've made it this far down the rabbit hole- congrats you can be one of the first to uncover the magic tea!
DIRECTIONS:
-Watch the above music video (The self-titled video)
-Locate the correct time stamps that The Grateful Dead logo and The Neil Young Harvest poster appear in the video
-DM me your answer to win a free $10 giftcard to @auntjenns tea & spice (first 2 people to DM win!)
Stay tuned for their contribution Alice, Listen to The Birds Sing in Episode 3.0 Airing in December
-Becca Joseph
Photo Credits: Top Left photo by Madelyn Bradt top right photo by Teagan West.
DIRECTIONS:
-Watch the above music video (The self-titled video)
-Locate the correct time stamps that The Grateful Dead logo and The Neil Young Harvest poster appear in the video
-DM me your answer to win a free $10 giftcard to @auntjenns tea & spice (first 2 people to DM win!)
Stay tuned for their contribution Alice, Listen to The Birds Sing in Episode 3.0 Airing in December
-Becca Joseph
Photo Credits: Top Left photo by Madelyn Bradt top right photo by Teagan West.
Death Ray Robin
Interview with Death Ray Robin
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Desirée Richardson AKA Death Ray Robin's first band, Pandercakes was posted by Chaz Bundick of Toro y Moi back in 2012, when they were also labelmates on Fork & Spoon Records. Since then, she has played in multiple outfits including FatRat Da Czar (with whom she has opened up for Nappy Roots, Elle King, and Slick Rick), sandcastles., flower shopping, and Say Femme. Other musical projects by her include falling off a building, Live Singles, a B-52's cover band called Deadbeat Club, and two volunteer fundraiser bands for Girls Rock Columbia: New Girlfriend, and Finger Cleavage. Boss Babe (You Can Have It) is Desirée's debut single for her solo moniker, Death Ray Robin and the crowds are eagerly awaiting Death Ray's first ever original music video that will premiere via Light in the Dark Ep. 3.0 in a little over a week. To watch her two killer live performance videos with Say Femme see the 26:08 min mark from the second Light in the Dark and the 4:55 min mark in Light in the Dark I.
Becca: I know you have been playing for awhile and were a fixture in the South Carolina music scene. Can you tell us how you got your start?
Desirée: I joined my first band Pandercakes back in 2010. I had found them via a Craigslist ad for a female vocalist. I was the only person who answered the ad, and it was a match made in heaven. I loved making music with those guys!! We had a beautiful collection of songs called the Paint By Numbers EP and a split single with Jordan Blackmon who at the time was making music under the name Pussy Wizard. We got kind of buzzy for a little while, largely thanks to Chaz from Toro y Moi who posted our song "Paint By Numbers" to his Tumblr. I had (read: have) a huge crush on him, so it made me feel like Senpai had finally noticed me! (He didn't!) As Pandercakes was gaining a little momentum, I kind of threw a wrench in our plans because I wanted to study abroad. I spent a year in Seoul studying Korean language and vocal literature and writing and recording songs, many of which were lost because I didn't backup my computer!
Becca: I know everybody is really excited for your first ever solo music video that you are debuting for Light in the Dark Ep. 3.0. Please share some of the juicy details.
Desirée: I recorded two versions of "Boss Babe (You Can Have It)". This iteration is actually what I consider the demo. I know it's not customary to create a video for a demo, but when Light in the Dark called, I had to answer! The video follows a 9 to 5er and a can-do "Superwoman" Girl Boss who are at odds with one another. Lots of things went wrong with the making of this video: we lost two outfits, we ordered the wrong props, we had scheduling conflicts with two young volunteers (both of whom ended up not being able to help us), but Nicola Roberts, a filmmaker from Augusta/Atlanta/Brooklyn made it work. We're very proud of what we were able to accomplish, even if it wasn't exactly what we had originally envisioned. We can always try again for the studio recording!
Becca: So excited! What else is in store for Death Ray?
Desirée: I'm hoping to get a full band going sometime in 2022. I've had a few interested parties approach me about joining on, but I've been so afraid of the prospect that I haven't thought farther than, "Oh, yeah, that would be cool!" I guess I should be more open to personal growth, but it truly scares me!
Becca: I love that Boss Babe is such an honest depiction of office life, as I often call it a 9-5 coma or office grave. I love the line “I can’t wait to ditch my job for my career.” Can you tell us more about the drudgery of the 9-5 grind and what a better reality might look like?
Desirée: Yes! When I was working in a 9-5, I would tell myself, "Just one more year. I'll save up, then I can quit and do whatever I want." One day, I guess I had finally reached my wit’s end and told myself, "No. I won't wait another year. I can't survive like this." I found office work soul-crushing, and I would often have difficulty getting out of bed before working. I once had a boss email me asking, "Why were you late for work today?" and instead of telling the truth: "I'm depressed, I feel like working here won't do much for me in the long run, and I'm late because I didn't want to come," I just said I was late because it was who I was as a person. (It's not.)
We need to stop acting like 9-5's are the only types of "real" acceptable jobs in the world. (I would also like to take the time to say, "While I, too, abhor the mundanity of 9-5 life, I'm not interested in joining your MLM."). Perhaps a better society is created when people spend their time the way they'd like, with no one having to compete for resources. If all jobs paid a livable wage, hustle culture and the rat race wouldn't be a thing. Who wants to be grinding every day with #nodaysoff? Not I. I have a theory that keeping folks underpaid and overworked is an efficient way to keep them complacent, stuck in a cycle of the daily grind, and participating in consumption for consumption's sake. Most people can't quit their jobs because they need the money; we try to make ourselves feel better by buying things we don't need as a"treat". People need to keep making money in order to keep buying stuff, so we continue hustling. I feel like I'm on the verge of making some sort of socioeconomic realization???
Becca: Awesome! Kind of like “We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like."- Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club
...Oh, also, one more thing, I adore this photo shoot!
Desirée: Thank you! The photos were done with Lola Scott in Atlanta, GA. I met Lola when I was playing in Live Singles and opening up for Kid Trails. She had come to see the Kid Trails show because she was a Toro y Moi fan. We hit it off because we're the same age, we had a bunch of stuff in common, and we have dreams we hope to fulfill someday. The featured photos (above) aren't all the final, retouched products, but I hope you all like what we have so far!
-Becca Joseph
Desirée: I joined my first band Pandercakes back in 2010. I had found them via a Craigslist ad for a female vocalist. I was the only person who answered the ad, and it was a match made in heaven. I loved making music with those guys!! We had a beautiful collection of songs called the Paint By Numbers EP and a split single with Jordan Blackmon who at the time was making music under the name Pussy Wizard. We got kind of buzzy for a little while, largely thanks to Chaz from Toro y Moi who posted our song "Paint By Numbers" to his Tumblr. I had (read: have) a huge crush on him, so it made me feel like Senpai had finally noticed me! (He didn't!) As Pandercakes was gaining a little momentum, I kind of threw a wrench in our plans because I wanted to study abroad. I spent a year in Seoul studying Korean language and vocal literature and writing and recording songs, many of which were lost because I didn't backup my computer!
Becca: I know everybody is really excited for your first ever solo music video that you are debuting for Light in the Dark Ep. 3.0. Please share some of the juicy details.
Desirée: I recorded two versions of "Boss Babe (You Can Have It)". This iteration is actually what I consider the demo. I know it's not customary to create a video for a demo, but when Light in the Dark called, I had to answer! The video follows a 9 to 5er and a can-do "Superwoman" Girl Boss who are at odds with one another. Lots of things went wrong with the making of this video: we lost two outfits, we ordered the wrong props, we had scheduling conflicts with two young volunteers (both of whom ended up not being able to help us), but Nicola Roberts, a filmmaker from Augusta/Atlanta/Brooklyn made it work. We're very proud of what we were able to accomplish, even if it wasn't exactly what we had originally envisioned. We can always try again for the studio recording!
Becca: So excited! What else is in store for Death Ray?
Desirée: I'm hoping to get a full band going sometime in 2022. I've had a few interested parties approach me about joining on, but I've been so afraid of the prospect that I haven't thought farther than, "Oh, yeah, that would be cool!" I guess I should be more open to personal growth, but it truly scares me!
Becca: I love that Boss Babe is such an honest depiction of office life, as I often call it a 9-5 coma or office grave. I love the line “I can’t wait to ditch my job for my career.” Can you tell us more about the drudgery of the 9-5 grind and what a better reality might look like?
Desirée: Yes! When I was working in a 9-5, I would tell myself, "Just one more year. I'll save up, then I can quit and do whatever I want." One day, I guess I had finally reached my wit’s end and told myself, "No. I won't wait another year. I can't survive like this." I found office work soul-crushing, and I would often have difficulty getting out of bed before working. I once had a boss email me asking, "Why were you late for work today?" and instead of telling the truth: "I'm depressed, I feel like working here won't do much for me in the long run, and I'm late because I didn't want to come," I just said I was late because it was who I was as a person. (It's not.)
We need to stop acting like 9-5's are the only types of "real" acceptable jobs in the world. (I would also like to take the time to say, "While I, too, abhor the mundanity of 9-5 life, I'm not interested in joining your MLM."). Perhaps a better society is created when people spend their time the way they'd like, with no one having to compete for resources. If all jobs paid a livable wage, hustle culture and the rat race wouldn't be a thing. Who wants to be grinding every day with #nodaysoff? Not I. I have a theory that keeping folks underpaid and overworked is an efficient way to keep them complacent, stuck in a cycle of the daily grind, and participating in consumption for consumption's sake. Most people can't quit their jobs because they need the money; we try to make ourselves feel better by buying things we don't need as a"treat". People need to keep making money in order to keep buying stuff, so we continue hustling. I feel like I'm on the verge of making some sort of socioeconomic realization???
Becca: Awesome! Kind of like “We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like."- Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club
...Oh, also, one more thing, I adore this photo shoot!
Desirée: Thank you! The photos were done with Lola Scott in Atlanta, GA. I met Lola when I was playing in Live Singles and opening up for Kid Trails. She had come to see the Kid Trails show because she was a Toro y Moi fan. We hit it off because we're the same age, we had a bunch of stuff in common, and we have dreams we hope to fulfill someday. The featured photos (above) aren't all the final, retouched products, but I hope you all like what we have so far!
-Becca Joseph