Diamond Rings

Interview with Diamond Rings - June 9, 2011 By Jennifer Knight Who’s That Guy? That guy is 25 year old synth-pop video sensation, Diamond Rings and we're nearing release of his new full-length album called Special Affections. This is why he was kind enough to let us ask a few probing questions. I don’t think he would mind if I compared him at this point to a pleasant mixture of Vanilla Ice and Madonna with a refreshing baby face canvass, perfect for rainbows of creative expression. I don’t think he would mind, but I’ve been wrong before. What Is That Guy Doing? JK: What’s happening in your life these days? What are you up to? DR: Just living in the weeks leading up to the re-release that I’m four weeks into now and I’m doing a remix of a different artist or a different group every week for the six weeks leading up to the record. The cover for each one is a different color of the rainbow which is kind of just like a prominent motif for the album so far. So I’ve been busy with those and you know, when I’m not working, I’m always kind of puttering around, just throwing ideas out and seeing what sticks. What Is That Guy Thinking? JK: Tell me about your writing process. What does it take for you? DR: Some time alone. For me, it’s a matter of coming up with the chord progression or some notes that I find go well together and then writing the lyrics with the melodies over the top of that. I get pretty fastidious when I’m writing lyrics. That’s kind of the fun part for me, fun in a sort of angst-ridden torturous kind of way. JK: I get it. Trust me. DR: When I wrote [Special Affections] I was in the hospital. I was by myself all day, more or less, with not much to do and not much room to move around. So it was kind of just myself and my guitar and I definitely don’t want to go back to that scenario, but at the same time it did offer a really peaceful and reflective kind of opportunity for me, so… JK: How long were you in the hospital? DR: It was most of a summer when the album was written. I had just moved to the city and got diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease and there I was. My parents were really supportive and wanted to make sure I would have something to do so they brought in all my instruments and a poster of Sting and did whatever else we could do to make my room livable. By the end of my time there [the nurses] had kind of caught on to what I was doing and they would come in on their breaks and get me to do little shows for them. It was quite fun. It was then that I started to realize there may be an audience for what I was working on. I was really only doing it to pass the time and give myself something to keep my brain working, but I found myself thinking “Well, if these guys like it...” What Is That Guy Wearing? JK: Tell me about the ‘Stay Fierce’ shirts for sale on your website. What’s the back story on the front of those fantastic and simple shirts? DR: It had been a slogan my makeup artist and I adopted. I think it was when we were shooting the video for ‘Show Me Your Stuff’ and the back-up dancers were wanting to know how they were supposed to look, what their expressions should be and we would always tell them to look fierce which turned into stay fierce until the shoot’s done and then turned into just Stay Fierce. It became like a mantra or something that we adopted and then it became the shirt. I designed them and it just seemed kind of natural to do them in rainbow colors. Is That Guy With Anybody? JK: You became Diamond Rings during a 2008 break from being John O of the D’Urbervilles. Which do you prefer, solo or band performances? DR: Being a performer (no matter what) is what’s important to me. The more I do of one, the more rewarding it is to switch over to the other because they’re both so incredibly different and compliment the other. Is That Guy For Real? JK: Yes, and he’s really something else… Theconcertscene.com

George Clinton Interview

Where the funk’s my money!?

In a world where digital downloading is on the rise taking money out of the pockets of the very people who make the music, you’d expect their record labels to protect them and have their backs. In all actuality, an insane amount of artists are suing the people they should have been able to trust. The long list of artists including, Eminem, Don Henley, and the legendary man I spoke with this past month, George Clinton, continues to grow, and its being made quite clear… These people are all getting royally screwed… no pun intended.

George Clinton, the influential ‘Funk Master’ and founder of Parliament and Funk, has been battling for over a decade to get what’s rightfully his: hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues, royalties, and payments from “sampling” all from his extensive catalogue.

On the brink of a new tour and rumors of a new album, George was gracious enough to take the time to discuss all of this with me, and discuss more positive things as well. As a journalist I know I’m not supposed to take or express sides, but it’s pretty cut and dry here. George, like so many others, is getting the crappy end of the stick, and with that opinion, I began our talks.

I hate to start off negatively, but what you’re going through is a pretty big deal, and I think it’s something that needs to be talked about. From the knowledge I have, it seems as if, basically, you’re getting screwed.

GC: ::Laughs:: yeah, basically, that’s exactly what it is. I’m grateful to be getting to enjoy everything, and to talk about everything. Most people don’t get to talk about this. It’s so hard to get your point of view out and talked about. It took a lot of hard work to get to be able to talk about this. I’m so glad that you want to talk to me about it!

Members of the band and so many other artists don’t have a clue about the renewal procedures and what’s going on. This is so big, it’s a phenomenon. They’ll think I’m really crazy on drugs for talking about this, which is what they used to say, but for 300 or 400 million dollars, everybody would seem like they’re on drugs.

So where does it all begin? There was supposedly a document signed by you that relinquished all your rights to any profits from songs you wrote and performed, but you allege you did not sign this?

GC: Yes. That document was found out by the two people fighting amongst themselves. (Bridgeport music group and Armen Boladian) None of them can prove that the other cut and pasted that. (Cut and pasted, basically forged, George’s signature onto the document.) And the judge in NY (who this case was originally brought in front of) said they didn’t cut and paste. (This ruling solidified the document, thus making it impossible for George to Claim any right to the music.) Once they settled this in a closed agreement, (Boladian and Bridgeport settled in private talks, who would get the rights to the music George created) that’s how they were able to get it re-registered through the copyright office. They re-titled stuff, added new writers, and took off original writers’ names. It’s a whole, big, no-good deal. It was “convoluted as hell” the judge said. Sleezy lawyers and an uninformed judge. So with that being the case, there’s a long list of things wrong.

So how is it that they were able to actually get away with this?

GC: They over did a lot of it. All in hopes of confusing stuff. (Name changes, cutting and pasting, filing multiple suits, and private negotiations.) Never-the-less, they got the material that’s between Universal music, EMI, Capitol, Sony… it’s these same people working with different people. (Bridgeport and Boladian are selling Georges music anywhere they can. They continue to shop his catalogue all throughout the music industry.) So we found out they (Bridgeport) have been renewing songs of people that are dead. That’s where it becomes criminal. When that takes place, we’re talking about civil rights. (Songs are generally “renewed” to change name of ownership. This can be contested, and fought of course by an artist who doesn’t want their name taken off of a song, but when the artist is dead, obviously it won’t be contested.) They didn’t have to notify us that any of this was happening.

So, people understand at this point that this is basically a conspiracy to the highest extent of the word?

GC: Yes, to the highest extent. They know what they’re doing. We know what they’re doing. It is illegal to re-register music if that person is dead. That music belongs to the family. That music doesn’t belong to no one else.

So bottom line, you’re just seeking to obtain what is rightfully yours, you’re looking to get paid for the work that you did?

GC: Right, Right! We have over 20 people in our band, everybody that works for George Clinton, their family members; they want their names on songs that they’ve written. They’re all looking to get paid for the work they did.

Are there people within your camp that have any animosity towards you at all?

GC: What happened with me and Bootsy and Bernie, the two most important people in my camp, they (Bridgeport) successfully got them against me, to where I couldn’t even reach them to get together and talk. Same thing happened with Eminem and his producer. He asked me, “How do you stay friends with somebody?” Even if the person does something really messed up, you figure out how it got there. Basically, you got to be able to say I’m sorry, I did it, and I’m sorry.

What do you hope comes out of this? Do you see a solution anytime soon?

GC: Oh yeah, I see a solution. I’m too old to worry about getting that much money to do anything with, other than my family and their families, and the families of the band. I want to give something to my kids and grandkids, and the band members. Hopefully the ones who think I did this will see, that I didn’t sign what they say I did.

What would you tell today’s artists, these young kids that are coming into this industry, to avoid this situation?

GC: Study the whole copyright.  Read all the different documentations about renewing anybodies music. Look up anybody that’s dead, see who owns the music, see who renewed it. Check on it now, don’t wait till 15 years later. It doesn’t matter if you died. Your family owns that stuff. I don’t care what you signed. The minute you die, it becomes your family’s music. The law is, as soon as the artist dies, it belongs to the family. It’s as simple as that.

Let’s move on to more positive things, you’re such an inspiration for so many different artists, in so many different genres, which is pretty rare, but who are you inspired and influenced by?

GC: Everybody! A bunch of R&B groups, Motown, Do-wop, The Beatles. Any time you hear parents, or older musicians say, “That aint music,” I hate that. That’s gonna be the next big music. When I hear that, I know that’s the signal, okay, this is the next big thing. It’s like, ‘I got that doo-doo’ you know? I can smell with my ears.

You’re on tour now right?

GC: Yeah, we just got back from Australia, and then we’re going to London. It’s just great to be playing music.

I heard a rumor that you’ll be putting out a new album soon?

GC: There’s gonna be a few new albums. We’re doing the internet thing, a whole album of Motown music. We did all these Motown songs kind of like a “funkadelic” style. We’re trying to work out the logistics, that’ll be on the proboscis. (George’s Website/blog, FunkProbosci.com, check it out!). We’ve got Funkadelic stuff that we’ve been working on. We got all sorts of new records coming out. Got a movie that’ll be coming out, I can’t even begin to tell you what that entails! ::Laughs::

You’ve pretty much done it all, producing, writing, TV, movies, so many awards… what else is left for you to accomplish? What else do you want to do?

GC: We’re planning on putting a movie out about all this stuff I’ve been talking about. On  the experience of finding out about all the copyrighting stuff.

So, is there anything you’d like to say to the people that have stood by your side, maybe your fans in particular?

GC: I promise to keep the funk.

 

~Kacy Norman

***To find out more about George's mission and progress goto Funkprobosci.com



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Mark Chesnutt Concert Review

On Friday June 10, country music veteran Mark Chesnutt played at the Grizzly Rose in Denver.  Before I say anything about the actual music, though, I should mention that the Grizzly Rose is a wonderful venue.  It’s a country bar at the very best a country bar can be.   The space itself is huge and open with rustic wooden furniture and dim, smoky lights.  Best of all there is a dance floor, which saw constant use on the night I was there. 

            Local country singer Walker Williams opened for Mark Chesnutt playing a mix of covers and original songs, including his well known song, “I Can’t Get Arrested in this Town.”   It was good music to listen to, the sort that makes you tap your feet despite yourself and Williams and his band were enthusiastic and cheerful despite the fact that the crowd really wasn’t paying too much attention to them.  A few couples wandered onto the dance floor but for the most part people were talking and drinking together, waiting for Mark Chesnutt to play.  It was really a shame because Williams worked really hard and clearly enjoyed the space.  He paused between songs to give a shout-out to the bartender and pump up the crowd for Mark Chesnutt.  He took care to spotlight his band.  Both of his lead guitarists, Tim Buckman and Matt McClintock, did songs that had them in lead and Williams often stood back to give the drummer, Eric Garcia a bow.   It was a fun performance and Wallker Williams and his band were good sports, but it was a pity the crowd didn’t pay more attention.

            By the time Walker Williams had wound his performance down, a significant crowd did gather in front of the stage and it got denser during the space of time that it took Marck Chesnutt to walk on stage.  It was actually Delaney Jackson, the electric guitarist of Chesnutt’s backup band, The New South Band, who showed up on stage first. Jackson has a sparkly gold guitar and he’s a hilarious performer.  He spent most of the show flirting with a couple of women in standing in against the stage near him, never once missing a chord on the guitar.

            In contrast to Jackson, Chesnutt himself is a pretty low key performer. He doesn’t move around a whole lot, he doesn’t make faces and wave his guitar around. He doesn’t need to.  Chesnutt has a wonderful, velvety voice and a really confident stage presence.  He has a country rock style similar to that of Garth Brooks, which combines the heavily instrumental style of pop country with more old fashioned, almost twangy, vocals.  His songs mostly range from bittersweet love songs like, “Almost Goodbye” to the classic honky-tonk drinking songs like “It Sure is Monday” and he played some covers as well as songs from his new album, “Outlaw.”  Chesnutt’s love songs are beautiful.  They’re country ballads at their best, with steady, gentle rhythms and soaring vocal chorus.  However, it was the drinking songs that really got the crowd going.  Chesnutt would introduce a song, make an oblique reference to hot days and cold beer, and the crowd would holler rowdily and salute him with their beer bottles.

            Perhaps my favorite performance of the night goes to the man on steel guitar, Slim Yamaguchi.  His solo at the beginning of Chesnutt’s classic hit “Too Cold at Home,” has that wistful edge of classic country.   “Too Cold at Home” tricks you into thinking it's a drnking song, but it has an almost bitter nostalgia that makes it feel far more serious.  Though it should be said that, however solemn the song, the chorus inspired several rounds of beer bottle salutes.  Whatever the content, “Too Cold at Home” beautifully showcased Yamaguchi’s prowess on the steel guitar. Yamaguchi, like Chesnutt, manages to be incredibly charismatic without doing anything spectacularly crazy.  The feeling you get from watching Chesnutt and the New South Band is that these guys seriously know how to play.  They have the sort of stage presence that only comes from years and years of playing to sweaty crowds in smoky bars and even though there wasn’t smoke in the Grizzly Rose the night they played, the concert still had that feel.  It was good Friday night to put on your ten gallon hat and boots and go out for a some fantastic live music, some dancing and a beer.  Well, maybe two beers.

~Penelope Morgan

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The Maine Review & Interview

The Maine at Summit Music Hall

June 7, 2011 – Denver, Colorado

By Benn Farrell

In the right venue and with a properly warmed-up crowd, the response to The Maine’s live show can sound like The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Still supporting their second full album, first with Warner Brothers Records, titled “Black and White,” The Maine dropped their pop rock tones onto their massive teenage fan base June 7 at Summit Music Hall in Denver.

From the first chord, a small sea of screaming teen girls defined the band’s popularity, while a handful of parents were in tow for it’s first visit to Denver in almost a year.

The Maine had a soft introduction which quickly gave away to an animated splash of energy and an unveiled backdrop as the band opened with Good Love, one of its brand new tracks.

They followed up with Listen to Your Heart and Right Girl, one the newer singles. By the time they were three songs in, it was obvious the crowd came prepared. Not a single girl from stage to sound booth was silent, and each of them knew every word.

Frontman John O’Callaghan, bassist Garrett Nickelsen and drummer Pat Kirch had the most stage presence from the start of the show. The others slipped into their own shortly after.

O’Callaghan immediately went for a connection with the crowd, asking his fans questions and being extremely gracious; however, it was one of those shows where the lead singer could have said literally anything and gotten a huge response. Even saying, “Monkeys just fell out of my butt and are taking over the world,” would have filled Summit’s meager venue with screams of adolescence. It was obvious the five members of The Maine were eating it up too.

The band ripped through I Must Be Dreaming, Into Your Arms, a single from their first album “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop,” Don’t Stop Now, Color and Saving Grace next, keeping the momentum rolling like a train before slowing things down for another brand new one titled Ice Cave.

O’Callaghan called for a stage of blue-lighting as he asked for his audience to close their eyes and imagine being in this cave made of ice and following with the tune. The frontman was very good at making sure The Maine’s crowd participate and were a part of the show.

After performing “Everything I Ask For”, another single from the first album, the crowd was as much the show as the band. The crowd’s knowledge of the lyrics, at times, almost drowned out O’Callaghan’s vocals. It was definitely one of the biggest responses of the night, despite The Maine’s new arrangement of the tune for this tour, and a highlight of the show.

O’Callaghan later revealed the band’s third full album is nine songs in the bag and will wrap after the present tour. Of course, the place went nuts and was appreciative to hear Don’t Give Up, from that upcoming release.

At times, late in the show, the mix started to get fuzzy. Bass and percussion stood out more than anything else. It was frustrating to see three guitars being played by then and barely cracking through the system.

Inside of You, another jaunt from B&W, and Girls Do What They Want, from their debut, start to bring the band’s evening to a close.

Between songs, O’Callaghan’s foul language started to creep through. He apologized for it, but he didn’t have to. It’s a rock n’ roll show after all. Nickelson and the frontman had traffic problems on the mic’s late in the set, but it didn’t bring the energy down one notch. Nor did their young fans seem to mind.

The Maine gave a solid finish with another single from the second album, Growing Up, one of their G-to-C-to-G anthems.

Between crowd responses, stage presence, tight performances and the overall high energy, it’s easy to understand how The Maine has created such a following in the last four years. If their show isn’t the best to blow through Denver this summer, it has to be at least in the top three.

Frontman John O’Callaghan and bassist Garrett Nickelsen interview

You’re still supporting you’re second full album. What do you think the material on the new album says compared to the first one?

John O’Callaghan: I think it says we’ve grown up a little bit. It says something about preparation and not necessarily better preparation. We were just prepared in a different way than the second one. I think we were a little more conscientious of what we wanted to sound like. So, hopefully that bled through.

How do you think you stand out in your genre of music?

JO: I think we’re just individuals. People can categorize it however they want to categorize it. What we try to do is be as much of ourselves as we think we are. I don’t know.

What do you think your fans come to expect from you?

JO: We try to be real and not stand on a façade. We are very appreciative to our fans and want make sure they know that, so we’re always constantly putting out new material for them to be into.

At this point in the band’s lifespan, what keeps it motivated? What do you look forward to doing every time you get up in the morning?

Garrett Nickelsen: Being able to write music. I think we see that as—if you can call this a job—our job, to write music that we enjoy as well as the fans.

JO: I think that’s what motivates us, seeing people come to the shows and being excited about things that we’re excited about. I think that’s very harmonious, and I think that’s what keeps me excited, or something I try to think about.

Alternative Press Magazine readers voted you guys Best Live Performance last year. What makes you guys so memorable on stage?

GN: On that more so, kids are just excited. We did a headliner last summer, and we try to do something a little different. Maybe it seemed a little different because of the shows they are used to going to, our fans at least.

JO: A lot of what life is is perception, and I think if people see things in a different light then you’re standard in that category we were talking about, which we’re already clumped in, we make it seem like something different is offered. Which there was, because we would play the full hour-and-a-half set…

GN: …Yeah, it was like the first tour we played more than like 12 songs.

JO: We told everybody that we were going to meet them afterwards. Anybody that wanted to stick around could get a picture if they wanted or just say Hi. I think that added to the tour.

GN: We brought out bands that maybe not many people had heard of. Where it’s like now you have to throw in a bunch of bands that are doing well and like put this huge show on. We wanted to bring out our friends from home and do something like that.

How do you think this band differs from the studio to the stage?

JO: I think that’s part of the learning experience, and I don’t think we’ve found that balance yet.

GN: We change things a lot playing live; different ways of playing the song to making it sound a completely different way. I feel like, in the studio, once you finish that, maybe that version of the song is done. But that song could still go a million different ways.

JO: It’s all right to kind of experiment and branch out, because at the same token, everybody needs to be excited that comes to see the show, but if we’re not excited playing the songs, that’s not going to translate. They’re not going to be excited watching them. So, we try to put on a new twist, at least with this set that we have running right now. But also, that’s what’s drilled into our heads when we go back into the studio.

We have nine songs recorded thus far for our new album, which we produced ourselves. And we’re going to go finish it up, but even just from recording those nine songs, there’s a ton that we’ve learned about the recording process and at least dynamically how we want to sound, how it’s going to translate live. And there’s a bunch of questions we’re going to have to ask ourselves. It’s just that kind of balancing that you have to have in place.

From the time that you guys were putting the band together, is The Maine still something you saw it being or has it evolved into something else?

GN: We’ve definitely evolved. When we first started, we were so young. I think our views were completely different than they are now. There’s some people out there who care about this band. It’s not just us anymore. It’s pretty cool.

JO: I think expectations are kind of weird, just because there are so many variables. Not only like within each goal, but within life. I think you can’t just say, “I expect X,” and if “X” doesn’t come out then are you supposed to be put down by the fact that you didn’t exceed what you expected? There is no expectation. I think it’s just a long journey, and it has been thus far. And I hope it’s even longer. I hope it goes for as long as we live, seriously.

What do you hope people actually say about The Maine after walking away from your shows? What would they talk about the next day?

JO: I hope the small amount of time that we’re on stage, or even just a show we’re a part of, if you’re having a terrible week or whatever the circumstance, that you can go and stay maybe at least two hours, three hours, I think that would be awesome to hear.

Do any of you guys have any rituals you have to do before you hit the stage?

GN: We do this clap thing, ya’ know, that we do together. It’s nothing really. We’ve been doing it for years now.

JO: Actually, I mean, there’s been maybe one show where we didn’t, I think. And I think everybody was let down by it. Everyone had a really terrible show.

Is there one moment on stage that sticks out in your mind that makes you say, “Yeah, that’s why I wanted to do this?”

JO: That’s really tough. We’ve had so many wild things that we’ve been a part of, so many surreal experiences. We’ve had people propose to each other on stage.

GN: We played a show in the Philippines where I never thought I would go. There was like four stories of people at the mall like singing along. There are so many points.

JO: When we played in Jakarta [Indonesia], people were waiting. I never even heard of Jakarta before. But we fuckin’ showed up and there were people with signs. It was very Justin Bieber. But there’s not one single moment where I was like, “Well, that encompasses everything.” That’s the beauty of what we do too; there’s something new everyday. It’s all dependent on your attitude too. I can just see somebody in here tonight who’s just singing every word with their eyes closed, and that could mean more to me than any of those things combined. I think we’re just so fortunate that people still care, and are giving us the opportunity to go back into the studio and write more music.

GN: That’s one thing I’ve noticed, more now than in a while, just like how kids are coming up after the show who were 15 when they first started coming. And they’re like 19 now, and I can have a normal conversation with them. Like two people, not with the band in the middle. It’s not the 14-year-old girl or 14-year-old dude who’s just freaking out. It’s awesome to see everything grow and grow up.

Now that the new album is well on its way, what is going to give this band its legs in the long run?

GN: To be honest, we just really want to make a great record.

JO: More so, it’s just going to be the music. Let everybody else weed themselves out by buying into everything else around them. In a world where there is so much music out there, so little attention is paid to the actual music. I think that’s where everyone really is messing up right now. I think that hopefully, that levelheadedness—is that a word?—hopefully that’s what’s going to give us our legs. Hopefully, we never buy into the BS around us.

How much does recording the albums yourself contribute to that level-headedness?

JO: I just think that’s the truest form of who we are at this point in time; the five of us collectively writing and recording a song and whatever it sounds like, that’s our band at that point in time.

GN: It’s not about it being produced or some A-and-R dude coming in the room saying, “That guitar part doesn’t work.” It’s like, “Fuck you, man. You can’t tell me what I need to play.” You know what I mean?

JO: I have a good feeling that our fans and people who listen to us will kind of be able to get that sense and that feel.

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