Our Staff
These are the fine people who make this musical mayhem all possible.
Christine Bowles – Station Manager – Artist/Media Relations
Q&A with Xtine
Top 5 female lead guitarist & lead vocalist in bands.
Well, first off, to say who is the lead guitarist and who is rhythm is not as easy to recognize or label as it was from those 70’s arena rock bands that created those labels. Also, this was harder than I thought, considering every person that came to mind didn’t actually play guitar… so that was kind of a problem. Then there’s the fact that most of female guitarists/vocals that I love aren’t in “bands” (a/k/a Lucinda Williams, Neko Case, etc.) That being said, the following is my list of Top Five Female Guitarists/Lead Vocals In A Band: (not in any order)
1. Carol Van Dyk from Bettie Serveert – Palomine obviously being one of the greatest albums to come out of the 90’s (and I’ll fight anyone who disagrees with me)
2. Joan Jett and The Blackhearts (well, duh. No explanation needed .)
3. Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein from Sleater-Kinney – Couldn’t pick one over the other because they are equally fabulous (and together even better!)
4. Elizabeth Elmore from Sarge and The Reputation (How can you wrong with lyrics like”I’m so sick of boys in bands with these all egos out of hand, sure as hell not gonna sit around and wait. If he wants some girl to understand him, admiration on demand, I think it’s time he starts looking some other place.”)
5. Mary Timony of Helium (she played electric guitar right? Hehe) CD or LP?
Well, I don’t have a record player (though if you want to buy me one you can, I’ll be more than grateful, hehe) and I hate having to put away CD’s. So, currently my answer is neither. If you buy me a record player, it will be LP.
What would you recommend to any artist trying to get their start in the music industry?
Want to hear me be an asshole? Here goes: Appearance matters. I’m not saying you have to look like an effin’ model or wear the latest trends or get skin cancer from fake tanning or anything like that. I’m saying, take a shower before your band photo shoot you fucking hippie!
What bands would you like to have on the soundtrack for the show “Home Movies” on the cartoon network?
Ooh!! I LOVE HOME MOVIES!!! If you’ve never seen that show, you MUST become acquainted with one of the funniest animated sitcoms on television. But I digress. For the Home Movies soundtrack I’d have to go with the following bands: Led Zeppelin (If you’ve seen the show and seen Duane, a musician, that Brendan works with, you know what I mean.) Le Tigre (a nod for Melissa off the show) Cracker (a little sarcasm for an extremely sarcastic show) The Flaming Lips (how can they not do this soundtrack?!?!) Mates of State
Over the years indie music radio has been almost eliminated due to the so called “Lack of Public Interest”. How do you feel about this statement?
I’d say that it isn’t necessarily “indie music radio” rather than radio stations all together. Who’d want to mess with a radio dial when you can easily access a music station of your exact likes online? Not to mention great online stations (like this one! Hehe) but you also have mp3 bloggers posting extra long mixes that are incredible. And you know you’ll like most of the mix if you love that persons blog. I don’t think anyone is interested in being forced fed crap that major labels are paying people to play. Even indie music radio on the dial was manipulated by labels. So I’d say, it’s radio stations on your FM dial that are fading away. And I’m pretty happy with that.
John Bowles – Web Radio Host – Jack of all trades
Q&A with John
Favorite 5 bands you’ve interviewed since you started OKR in 1997: 1 – Maggie Estep (More of an interview for her writing that music… but was a great interview.)
2 – Haymarket Riot – It allowed for me to meet the guys from all the bands I listened to growing up in one band. Much respect for this band.
3 – Steve Albini – My worst interview ever… one of my first at that since it was done in 1997 when OKR was just starting out…. but was worth the wait.
4 – David Yow (Jesus Lizard) – Name says it all.
5 – Henry Rollins – Cause he’s an asshole… yet very interesting as well. LP or CD?
If I’m at home I enjoy the sounds from my record player… and if I’m on the run… I listen to MP3s… do they still make CD’s?
One line marketing advice to give to a band:
DYI is not impossible to achieve much success… promote online (it’s cheaper and better for the environment), utilize services online that help you distribute and sell (cuts your costs on shipping and time consumption), and hire someone to handle all the online blogging and social community sites for you and have them keep in touch with the fans and other bands daily.
Esther C. – Staff Writer
Top Five with Esther C.
Top Five Local Businesses (Esther lives in NYC, Brooklyn)
Local Businesses:
1. Boat Bar, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn (Smith St. between Warren & Wyckoff) – Their only signage is a red storefront and a bench. Best
jukebox in the area.
2. Moonshine Bar, Red Hook, Brooklyn (Columbia St. between Woodhull & Hamilton) – A haven for cheap canned beer aficionados. $5 buckets of PBR!
3. Book Court, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn (Court St. between Amity & Pacific) – Especially satisfying, given the asshole Barnes & Noble down the street.
4. Chipshop – Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn (Atlantic Ave, between Clinton & Henry) – One of the only places for fish and chips although I highly recommend the chicken curry and chips. They’ll also deep fry any candy bar you want. Crazy brits and their crazy deliciousness! 5. Argosy, East Village (9th st. between 1st ave. and Ave. A) – A tiny vintage shop on my old block. Mostly men’s stuff, but I happen to look good in clothes made for teenage boys. Top 5 Indie Bands That Make You Want To Tear Your Ears Off
Joanna Newsom
Sleater-Kinney
Sufjan Stevens
Cat Power (with the exception of “He War”)
Calexico/Iron & Wine (I should get both of these since they’re exactly the same) Top Five Drinking Songs
I’m not really sure what drinking songs are. Songs that make me feel like drinking? Songs you play drinking games to? I settled on songs I am always pleased to hear while drinking….
The Undertones – “Teenage Kicks”
The Jam – “Going Underground”
Yo La Tengo – “Decora”
Sam Cooke – “Chain Gang”
Built to Spill – “Center of the Universe” Top Five Lyrics
Menthol – “Stress Is Best”
Silver Jews – “Room Games & Diamond Rain”
Unbunny – “X”
The New Pornographers – “Challengers”
Stars – “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead” Write the Story of Your Life in Five Songs
Bishop Allen – “Penitentiary Bound”
Camera Obscura – “I Need All the Friends I Can Get”
Neko Case – “The Next Time You Say Forever”
Bright Eyes – “An Attempt To Tip The Scales”
The Thermals – “Returning To the Fold” (For when the time comes)
Eric M. – Staff Writer
Q&A with Eric LP or CD?
For me, vinyl serves two purposes. One is to listen to records I have heard a million times in a higher quality setting. Certain records have more going on in the analog form than digital. Neutral Milk Hotel, Sigur Ros and The Beach Boys are the best examples of that, personally. Its just a fact that more subtle elements can be detected playing the record on even a sub-par record player. Second, its the cheapest way to acquire music that I would normally not want to spend real dollars on. I have piles and piles of records in storage of random amusing crap I only pull out at parties or use to mix or sample but are in no way worth more than $.50 to me. CDs on the other hand have evolved into a complete waste of resources. Compact discs lack the artistic beauty and artifact status that records and even cassettes have. I guess because deep down I know that a cd is just a sample; a means of transporting a digital file. Unless you spend ten thousand dollars on a cd player you cannot hear the difference from one boom box to another car stereo. If I ever purchase a cd its from a local or touring band that impresses me. Recently I traded my entire cd collection (300+) for $100 worth of new cds. I ripped them onto my computer then gave the cds away. I would prefer to eliminate a step and download an album or bring my laptop to a store, pay $5 and upload an album right to my hard drive. I have and listen to so much music that there is no desire left to appreciate artwork, liner notes, lyrics and thank-yous. Top Five Albums You’d Recommend to Hemingway?
1. Boards of Canada- The Campfire Headphase. I think Hem would have appreciated some mellow background music while living in his tiny apartments in Chicago and writing for the Toronto Star.
2. Roger Miller- The Best of Roger Miller. Roger Miller shares Hemingway’s penchant for getting the point across with poignant minimalism. Not to mention their respective love for alcohol. Take “Cant Roller skate in a Buffalo Herd” for example.
3. Dirty Three- Ocean Songs. Just because I think everyone should love Dirty Three.
4. Metallica- For Whom the Bell Toll, is way too obvious a joke to make
5. Anything by Def Leopard- If anyone bothers to consider how bad that joke is feel free to slap me next time you see me. Favorite Cover Art? Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds-Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus. This was actually difficult for me as I have little access to the tangible elements of an album anymore. So I submit this because it was the last cd I held in my hand that made me appreciate the graphic design(pink with embossed lettering? hell yeah!) Top Five Favorite Musicians That Wear Glasses? 1.Matt Sharp and the Rentals- I went as Matt for Halloween one year
2.Elvis Costello/Buddy Holly/Roy Orbison-The Classics
3.Jarvis Cocker
4.You know, I started to notice how male-heavy this list was becoming so I went through my entire play list, some 500+ artists, looking up images of each one that had a female member and I found not one female with glasses. I am sure they are there but I cant think of one. Other than Lisa Loeb but as cute as she is she ain’t that cool. Which is better to do your graphic design on, Mac or PC?
I would love a mac but i cannot afford one right now so my Dells have served me just fine for graphic design for many years now.
Carly P. – Staff Writer
Q&A with Carly LP or CD? CD…although I grew up on my Dad’s old LP’s and have fond memories of playing Fleetwood Mac “Rumors” in my parents basement. Top Five Favorite Female Musicians? This is hard so I went with the rule that I must own at least 3 albums of theirs to make the list. 1. Neko Case 2. Emily Haines of Metric 3. Cat Power, although I can’t listen to her all the time. 4. Madonna – She shaped my childhood 5. I only have a top 4 right now; everyone else comes in at a tie or I don’t feel strongly about. Top Five Favorite Architectural Structures? This is a really hard question/slightly unfair. I’m only putting buildings I’ve actually been to.This is not just based on aesthetics or appearance, but also the emotional experience.I have to break it into 2 categories! And these answers are ever-evolving. IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER! Foreign: Centre Pompidou, Paris – Renzo Piano ties with Tate Modern, London, England – Herzog DeMeuron (I love Herzog DeMeuron)The whole town of Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre, Italy La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain – Antonio Gaudi St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, England – Sir Christopher Wren Milan Cathedral, Milan, Italy – Mulitple architects as it was built over 6 centuriesDomestic:Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI – Santiago Calatrava John Hancock, Chicago – Bruce Graham/SOM The Utah Public Library, Salt Lake City – Moshe Safdie The Reliance Building, Chicago – Burnham and RootSeattle Public Library, Seattle, WA – Rem Koolhaas ties with Disney Concert Hall, L.A., CA – Frank Ghery. I didn’t want to like either of these buildings, but I did dammit. Stout or Ale? Stout! Top Five Favorite Movie Soundtracks? Donnie Darko High Fidelity Labyrinth – David Bowie in tights singing “Dance Magic Dance” is pretty much timeless DIG! – i’m not even sure they have a soundtrack, and i’m not in love with either band, but i f-ing loved this film. Lost In Translation
Sarah A. – Staff Writer
Q&A with Sarah LP or CD?
CD – I don’t own a record player…and I’m a creature of convenience. Top Five Kid Friendly Albums?
Well, I can tell you what my daughter Hannah likes…. 1. The Bottle Let Me Down – Bloodshot Records Compilation
2. If You Ever See An Owl – The Terrible Twos
3. Coldplay Lullaby Renditions – Rockabye Baby
4. Shake Your Booty – K.C. and the Sunshine Band (ok, so that’s a song and not an album, but man does she love it!)
5. Origin of Symmetry – Muse (I think she just likes the way mom lip syncs and dances like a fool to their cover of “Feeling Good”) Five Bands You Wish You Could See At One Show? (dead or alive)
1. The Get Up Kids
2. Sloan
3. The Libertines
4. Nada Surf
5. Travis Favorite Coen Brothers Movie?
All of them!!! I do have a particular affinity for Raising Arizona…
Karen K. – Staff Writer
Q&A with Karen Top Five Favorite Bands To Paint To? When I paint what I listen to is really determined by my mood, so it changes all the time. Generally if I’m feeling pretty mellow I’ll listen to along these lines: 1. Explosions in the sky 2. Andrew Bird 3. Autolux 4. Leonard Cohen 5.My Bloody Valentine If I’m in a pretty energetic mood something along these lines: 1. Dressy Bessy 2. Weakerthans (although some songs make me kinda want to commit suicide, but many i like dancing around to) 3. The Clash 4. The Raveonettes 5. The Flaming Lips Although generally I put Napster on shuffle and paint. Top Five Favorite Muppets? 1. Animal 2. Kermit T. Frog 3. Rowlf the Dog 4. Dr. Teeth 5. Tied for 5th Beaker & the comic duo Statler & Waldorf LP or CD? I like the portability of a CD, and of course, the ability to download a CD into an MP3 player, but my love affair with the CD ends there. There’s nothing in the world better than finding a great LP and listening to it. The spin of the turntable, drop of the needle, the crackle, become a ceremony of sorts. The first note of the music feels like I’m actually in the room while it was being recorded. I still purchase Cd’s but it’s usually because I really like what I’ve heard online. When I want a record it’s more of a digging process, the luck of the draw, pouring through stacks at a thift store, record store, or garage sale. There’s a thrill to it, sometimes you find exactly what you were looking for,other times something thats a complete suprise, but almost always you come home with something unique and fun. Favorite Cary Grant Film? It’s to hard to choose just one. My top 3 are; Arsenic and Old Lace, North by Northwest, and Charade. Recommend a Travel Show To Someone Planning a European Vacation If you are going to Paris, you have to watch The Beauty of Paris. This video does not have one worth while piece of advice however it is freakin hilarious. It looks like someone made a travel video with a camcorder and it is just ridiculous, it has to be the worst travel doc ever made. More seriously, Rick Steves probably has the most practical advice and tips, his website has lots of good information as well. Globetrekker shows are definitely fun but just not as useful, don’t get me wrong certain episodes have some great tips specially episodes with traveler Ian, but some of the shows like the paris one just kinda sucks. I would really recommend reading some travel books especially anything by Lonely Planet, Frodor’s, and Rick Steves. Guidebooks give you so much more information than a 60 min show can. Go online there are so many cool websites about travel, one friend spent 3 weeks traveling all over Europe and sleeping on different peoples couches because of a couch surfing site.
