Hard Announcements

SPOTLIGHT

August / September 2007

by Paul Autry

http://www.myspace.com/spotlight_music

I've been involved with Ballbuster for about thirteen years now. Yes, it's been that long. Since I've been doing this column, I've been gettin' a lot of feedback from people who have been checkin' out the site and I want you all to know that I really appreciate all the words of support that you've been sending me. To return the favor, I thought I'd start to add a little more to this column. To get this one started, I sought out a legend in the punk rock scene, Merle Allin of The Murder Junkies. Of course, it was Merle's brother, the late GG Allin, that most people remember.

GG Allin's stage shows were the stuff of legend. He would abuse his body in ways that would have killed a normal man. But, let's face it, GG was anything but normal. His performance was often violent and out of control. He would assault his audience...and anyone else who would get in his way...on a regular basis. There was no limit to his rage. For GG Allin, it was all or nothing...and that's what made him a legend.

It's been fourteen years since GG Allin left this world. He may be dead. But, the truth of the matter is...he's more popular now than he was in the past. I think part of the reason is the fact that he was such a real person, there was nothing fake about him. He made Charlie Manson look like a boy scout. He would live...and eventually die...for something he believed in and there's not a lot of people who would be willing to go to the extreme like GG Allin did. As a matter of fact, here we are, fourteen years later, and no one has even come close to doing what GG Allin did. When he passed away, he left a void that no one will be able to fill.

Another reason why the GG legend is alive and well is, of course, Merle Allin and The Murder Junkies. I had the pleasure of speaking with him before he went out on the road with The Murder Junkies. We talked for about 40 minutes and, by the tone of his voice, you could tell that he's happy that people are still interested in hearing what he has to offer. I mean, let's face it, here's a guy who could hang up his guitar and never play another note and it wouldn't matter because his place in the history of rock 'n' roll music is written in stone. But, there's a whole new audience out there who have an interest in hearing the music that made GG Allin the man he was and Merle is more than willing to get up on stage and play it for you.

Paul Autry: Your brother left an amazing legacy. Do you feel any pressure to live up to the force that he created?

Merle Allin: No, not really. Basically, GG was doing his thing with his performances and his lyrics and stuff and we were doing our thing with the music. Maybe in the begining when we first started touring, people expected us to be more like GG and they expected our singer to do the things that GG was doing. But, it's like, fourteen years later and people have finally realized that what made GG so amazing is that he was one of a kind and to try to imitate or to copy what he was doing without having the same...you know...nobody could do what GG would do. He was living what he was singing about and playing. People realize that we're playing the music that we always played. We have the same ideas and stuff. But, we're not the same as GG and nobody ever will be. To try to imitate that would be a bad idea all the way around.

Paul Autry: So, there's no blood, violence or poop?

Merle Allin: Well, there's no poop or anything like that. Our singer does bleed sometimes and there's always violence in the crowd because our music does stir things up. People are lookin' to have fun. But, they're also lookin' to get their aggressions out. So, we're like a vehicle for people to come out and just go crazy and do what they wanna do. We don't stop people from doing what they wanna do. If they wanna fight and get into it, that's cool. We're totally into that. But, we don't go out looking for it.

Paul Autry: Like GG did.

Merle Allin: Yeah. GG was one of a kind and we were his band. We agreed with a lot of the things he did. But, that doesn't mean that we're gonna go out and do them.

Paul Autry: The one thing that I really wanted to ask you, since you're going out on tour...with the lack of a stage show like your brother presented, wouldn't The Murder Junkies now be the kind of band that GG would hate?

Merle Allin: No, because we're still playing the same style of music that we did with GG. We're playing some of his songs, a lot of our own songs that we did with GG, we're playing new stuff, we're playing stuff that we've just written. So, we're still the same type of band and the type of bands that GG hated were the ones who sold out.

Paul Autry: And had the whole make believe violence.

Merle Allin: Yeah. Like I said, we're not the same as GG. But, we're not backing down from it if it comes our way.

Paul Autry: So, what's a current set list like?

Merle Allin: Well, we're doing some brand new songs that we've written that we haven't recorded yet. We do stuff from the "Feed My Sleeze" CD, we do stuff from "The Right To Remain Violent" single, we do stuff from "Brutality And Bloodshed For All," which is the last studio recording that we did with GG back in 1993, right before he died. We also do some of the classic tunes like "Bite It You Scum," "Drink And Fight And Fuck" and shit like that. We're always gonna have to play...well, we don't have to play...a lot of the time, we get a set up with the same songs. So, we pick up other old classics. There's so many GG classics that you could pick a new set list every night and play GG classics. But, we don't wanna do that.

Paul Autry: Back in the day, The Murder Junkies created quite a buzz. Now, when you go to book a tour today, do people remember The Murder Junkies and say, "Oh, we're not gonna book you, we remember what you did."

Merle Allin: Well, back in the day, I did a lot of the booking. So, I was pretty honest with club owners and I would say, okay, this is what's gonna happen with GG, you might wanna try to do this to prevent it, you know. Maybe in the begining, it was a little harder. But, now, hell, last year we did a seven week tour opening for Hank III. We were playing The Roxy, The House Of Blues and shit like that. We were playing these huge venues that we only dreamed about going into. So, people are a little bit more...they understand...it's easier to book shows now and if people don't know who we are then I don't even give a fuck. I don't even wanna talk to them.

Paul Autry: Fourteen years after GG's death, there's still a need for The Murder Junkies. What do you feel has made you last so long?

Merle Allin: Well, I could give you a little basic history. When GG died back in 1993, we went out on tour with Jeff Clayton from Anti-Seen. We did our tour, which was kind of difficult. Like I said, back then, people expected us to be full force, still like GG. Then we played through the mid 90's, the late 90's and, at the begining of 1999, we actually broke up because we couldn't really find a middle ground singer. We were finding singers who were like, I can shit on stage, I can do this, I could be just like GG, which is not what we wanted. We didn't want somebody...there was nobody like GG.

Paul Autry: Anybody, really, could do what GG did. But, he believed in what he was doing. That's the beauty of it.

Merle Allin: Yeah...and he was a great fuckin' talent too. He was a great songwriter, regardless of what he was doing. There was an art to what he was doing. Anybody could go on stage and shit and whatever. But, we were either finding people like that or we were finding these really lame singers. So, we basically broke up and the only reason we actually got back together was because, in 2003, it was GG's ten year anniversary and I had this idea to put the band back together, play a few shows, go up to New Hampshire, visit the grave, pay tribute. After we did that, The Jabbers came up and we had a big reunion show up in New Hampshire. After we did that, I started getting phone calls and e-mail's, everybody wanted us to come out and do a tour. It kind of snowballed out of control after that and that's when I realized...I mean, I guess I knew there was still a need for it...but...I realized that people really wanted to see us play. So, that's why we got back together and now, like I said, we did a tour with Hank III. We've done some shows with CKY.

Paul Autry: Speaking of CKY, a friend of mine wanted me to ask you this question. You got on stage with them to do a version of "Bite It You Scum" and he'd like to know why...because that was gay.

Merle Allin: Well, it was probably gay because CKY is like a little kiddie band that plays for twelve year old kids. But, you know, I'm friends with Chad and he's a huge GG fan and he's promoted GG where nobody else in their situation...a band like CKY wouldn't give GG the time of day or promote him or wear his t-shirts in magazines.

Paul Autry: That would've been the kind of band that he wouldn't have liked.

Merle Allin: Well, yeah. GG probably wouldn't have liked CKY. But, he would have liked Chad because Chad has a good attitude and stuff. I've gotta give Chad and those guys credit for having the fuckin' balls to at least promote GG, were as they're a major label band. Not too many major label bands would go out of their way to push GG on these little kids who don't know who he is. It's kind of cool that he has because now, a lot of these kids get to see what real rock 'n' roll is all about...and some of them have actually become fans.

Paul Autry: What The Murder Junkies audience like now as opposed to way back when?

Merle Allin: Well, let's see...back then, we used to get a mostly male audience. It was older, drunk, punk rock kids...which we still get, we still get that crowd. But, now, we get a lot of girls who come to our shows. It's kind of funny, you know, because we get these really hot chicks who come to our shows now instead of these big, bull-dyke girls who used to come. Everybody was afraid to come near the stage when GG was with us. Now, we get people who actually participate. It's kind of cool from our perspective because, back in those days with GG, we would get up there and play a show that could possibly only last for ten minutes. Now, we get to play a whole set. We get a mixture of the old school people who will come up and say, oh, I remember you guys, I remember seeing you guys when GG was alive, we get that crowd. We also get a younger crowd that probably wasn't even listening to music back when GG was playing. It's kind of cool to know that there's all these young kids who are finding out about GG and they're coming out to see us. It's like, the only way they can really pay tribute to GG is by coming out to see us. So, it's a combination of old school and new school. Hell, if it wasn't for new kids finding about GG, his legacy wouldn't be able to carry on.

Paul Autry: Speaking of his legacy, GG is remembered mostly as a violent monster. But, I've heard interviews where he comes off as really intelligent, kind of down to earth guy. Plus, he did write some brilliant music. So, why isn't that aspect of his career really promoted that much?

Merle Allin: Well, GG was a genius. He was a master songwriter. He could write a song in ten minutes. He's like the Hank Williams of punk rock. Maybe that's a little extreme. But, you know what I mean. Hank Williams could whip out a song in ten minutes and GG could do the same thing. I think a lot of people look at the shock value and, of course, the first thing they think about when they think about GG is, oh, he used to shit on stage, he used to beat up his audience, he would bleed, stuff like that. He obviously had enough talent...cause people would buy...the thing with GG fans...they could buy one record and if they didn't like it, they wouldn't be a fan. They'd be like, oh, that's just some guy who shits on stage. But, most GG fans will buy one record and the next thing you know, they buy another one and another one and then they have to have everything in the collection, which is really strange, the progression. The Jabbers, GG was more like a teen idol singing pop songs...to The Murder Junkies, where his voice was totally different and the lyrics were totally different. There's that whole time period from 1978 to 1993 and everything in between and all the styles are different. But, people love every single one of them.

Paul Autry: How do you think GG would have felt about websites like YouTube and file sharing programs, where you can find a lot of his material floating around?

Merle Allin: I think he would think it's fuckin' hilarious. It's still the same GG, you know. He was just so far ahead of his time and, these days, you can find his stuff everywhere. I think it's great that he's on websites and he's on this and he's on that, he's everywhere. The great thing about GG is he never changed and everyone else has changed and now, he's so accessible and so easy to find, he would've found that fuckin' hilarious or whatever. It doesn't mean that GG sold out. A lot of people think GG sold out...look at all the websites. Well, isn't selling out changing who you are and what you are to achieve success. GG didn't have to change anything...and he wouldn't have changed. His death made it impossible for him to change. But, there's no way in hell he would've changed to become successful. It's just that now, with all this Jackass stuff and this, that and the other.

Paul Autry: Even the Jackass stuff doesn't touch what GG did on stage.

Merle Allin: Exactly. But, that's acceptable now. So, I guess with that being acceptable, the GG stuff is a little more...come of age or whatever. I don't really know how to explain it.

Paul Autry: He seems to be more popular now than he was fourteen years ago.

Merle Allin: Oh, good Lord, yes.

Paul Autry: Do you feel that...the more popular he becomes, will that dillute his legacy?

Merle Allin: I don't think so because you're gonna look at those videos and you're gonna be like...fourteen years ago, this is what this guy was doing? There's nobody today that's even close to doing anything near what he did that far back. It's not like there's other people who have come up and taken over. That's the thing, it's like, Kurt Cobain died. Okay, well, there were a thousand other bands who sounded like Nirvana. It sucked for a lot of people when he died. But, that void could be filled with a thousand other bands. GG died...there's been nobody that's come close to filling what he's done. I think that's another reason why he's more popular than ever.

Paul Autry: Obviously, the world has changed. If GG was alive today, do you think he would have been forced to change. I mean, after 9-11, America became a different place...and GG wasn't that accepted to begin with and after that happened, it probably would've been worse for him. So, do you think there would've been a lot of pressure on him to change his ways?

Merle Allin: Well, no. I think if GG hadn't died back in 1993, he probably would have died a few more times since then...or he would have been back in prison because there's no way he would have changed. I don't believe GG would've made 50 years old. I can't imagine GG being a 50 year old man, you know. He lived too fast, he lived too hard. People always ask me where I think GG would be now. I think he would still be dead or he'd be back in prison for something that he did or said. For GG, there wasn't any backing down, he couldn't go backwards. He had to keep going to a next level and it was really hard for him to keep doing that without dying or ending up back in prison. I mean, how much further could he have really gone?

Paul Autry: As his brother, it's obvious that you enjoy talking about him and keeping his memory alive. But, when you were on stage with him and you saw the stuff that he was doing, did you ever have that thought like, dude, you've gotta stop this because I want you around. I mean, it's one thing to accept the path that he chose to go. But, you really don't want it to go that way.

Merle Allin: Right. No, I never wanted him to do the things that he did to himself. Even back in the late 80's when he started doing that stuff, I was like, GG, what are you doing, you can't do that, why do you wanna abuse yourself. I didn't wanna see him kill himself on stage. I even told him once, I said, if you're gonna kill yourself on stage, man, at least do it when I'm not on stage with you. I don't wanna watch you kill yourself. But, if you knew GG well enough, you knew you couldn't talk any sense into him if he got something in his head. He was stubborn, he would patronize you, he'd be like, yeah, yeah, it's gonna be okay.

Paul Autry: There's a spoken word performance on YouTube...I guess it was after he said he was gonna kill himself on stage. Of course, he never did and someone in the audience kept eggin' him on about doing it and he got really pissed off because they were like, doubting that he would do something like that.

Merle Allin: Well, the thing with that...when he made that claim back in 1989, I think he thought that he had reached his peak. Then, when he got arrested, he said he was gonna kill himself on October 31st, 1990, well, he was already in prison at that point and he wasn't gonna kill himself in prison because he wanted to do it on stage. Once he got out of prison in 1991, I think he realized that...he was still gonna kill himself...but...he hadn't reached his peak at that point. Back in 1989, he thought he had reached his peak. Once he went to prison, he realized that he had more to do before he was ready to kill himself. When he got out, all the naysayers were like, oh, you're not gonna do it and I think he got angry with people doubting that he would do it. I don't doubt for a minute that he would've done it. I think he had a little more time to think and he had a lot more things he wanted to say before he was ready to do it. That's why he never did it in 1991 or 1992 or even...well...in 1993, he never got the chance to. But, I do believe he would have done it. He was just waiting for the right time.

Paul Autry: I'm not one for suicide. But, in a small way, I do admire his theory on why he wanted to do that. He mentioned that he wanted to do it because he wanted to meet death at his strongest moment and, personally, I think that's a brilliant statement...and while we're on the subject...what we're GG's beliefs on the after life?

Merle Allin: I think he believe that if he died at his peak, he would continue on in the after life and be even stronger. That was his plan. That's why he wanted to be able to kill himself and go out his own way, while he was at his peak. I think he felt that he would live forever that way. I feel bad that he had to OD and go out that way.

Paul Autry: How do you think he would have felt about that?

Merle Allin: I think he would have been totally pissed off with himself because he didn't get to fufill his dream. Also, I think he felt that if he killed himself on stage, that would get him more publicity than anything he's ever done. How could anybody ever forget that?

Paul Autry: Yeah. Now, in one of the videos I have, there's this one show where there's like, thirty people who just rush the stage and, you know, fists are flying...and you can kind of see you in the corner, you look a little pissed off, you're pushing people out of the way and I got the impression that you just wanted to get up on stage and rock out and that whole violent opera thing that was going on really yanked your chain.

Merle Allin: That was a show in San Antonio, Texas from 1992 and, the thing that sucked was, a bunch of Mexican gang members basically came to the show to try to get into a fight. They really did come to see him play, they came to beat up on him. That's what sucked about that show. It wasn't fans that were having a good time. It was just a bunch of fuckin' assholes. They didn't understand anything about his music or his message. That's what really pissed me off.

Paul Autry: The beauty of that show is the fact that GG rises above all those people and he was ready to go at it again.

Merle Allin: Exactly, yeah.

Paul Autry: What was your best show? I mean, there had to be one where everything was right on...and was that show documented?

Merle Allin: One of my favorite shows to watch is the show from The Fast Lane from 1993, it's on the "Terror In America" DVD. I think the "Terror In America" tour itself was one of my favorite tours. It was the second time that GG had gotten out of prison, we had just recorded the "Brutality & Bloodshed For All" record, which didn't come out until September of that year. But, The Fast Lane show from that tour, we did a full set, we were on musically. GG was like, going off on people and having a good time and it wasn't so violent that the show got shut down or anything. We were rocking out. I look at that show and I think, wow, we were at our peak at that fuckin' moment. That whole tour was kind of like that. We did a lot of shows where we did a full show and GG still got to do his thing. That was my favorite.

Paul Autry: What are your thoughts about the final show at The Gas Station? If I remember correctly, that one only lasted for two songs.

Merle Allin: Yeah...that show was just crazy. I guess GG had done too much coke before the show and the fact that we got shut down after two songs. GG had all this pent up aggression and all this pent up energy from the coke and, from the excitement of being up on stage and not being able to get everything out.

Paul Autry: He was runnin' around New York naked.

Merle Allin: Oh, my God. The lower east side of Manhattan was like a battlefield. We were out in the middle of the street, there was glass breaking all around, people were throwing bottles. If you look at the video and you see how poorly it was shot. If you weren't there...I've had so many people say, ah, who was the camera man, that guy sucked and blah, blah, blah...and I just think to myself, you know, if you were there, you wouldn't even have the camera on.

Paul Autry: A lot of the video that was out there...the camera man was with you guys, right?

Merle Allin: Yeah. That's the one thing I have to pat myself on the back about, that I had the foresight to hire somebody to film all of those tours. Without those tours, a lot of people would have seen a few, really bad quality shows from the late 80's and they wouldn't have gotten the whole idea of what it was really like. A lot of those shows were shot with our own camera man. So, GG was careful enough...well...as careful as he could be...not to punch his lights out. If we wouldn't have had those tours documented, there really wouldn't have been that many shows for people to see. What people heard about, it would have been hard to believe without all that footage to back it up.

Paul Autry: I have the "Raw, Brutal, Rough & Bloody" and "Savage South" DVD's. How well have those releases done?

Merle Allin: They've done pretty well. We put the first one out and it did rather well. So, we put the second one out and that one's done well enough. The "Terror In America" one is out now. We're gonna do a best of release and "Hated" is being re-released.

Paul Autry: Yeah, I heard about that. What's the reason behind the re-release and what do you hope it does this time around?

Merle Allin: Well, I think the "Hated" documentary is one of the things that has made GG's legacy what it is, along with all the other things we've already talked about. That documentary was really well recieved and it got really good reviews. Basically, what's happening now is it's being re-released with some new footage, some new video. Also, Todd Phillips is doing commentary and Dino and myself are doing another commentary. I think it's just to give people more of an insight into it, maybe. For people who haven't seen it or heard about it, it's a good way to get them exposed to it.

Paul Autry: What was it like in the studio with GG?

Merle Allin: In the recording studio, GG was all business. In the recording studio, it was, here we are, we're gonna do some work now, no fuckin' around, we're gonna get this shit done, this is some serious shit. GG was very, very serious about his music, his songs and his lyrics. So, when you're in the studio, it was total fuckin' I wanna make the best record I could possibly make.

Paul Autry: Was any of that documented on video?

Merle Allin: There's a few clips from the song "Shoot, Knife, Strangle, Beat & Crucify." But, for the most part, GG didn't want to set up a video camera. I wanted to do more of us in the studio. But, I think GG just didn't want to be distracted. He was there to basically do business and I don't think he wanted to have a camera in there that would see that side of him. The cameras were for...okay...I'm gonna get crazy and I'm gonna put on a show for you now. But, you know, I don't think he wanted that other side to be seen.

Paul Autry: But, that side did exist.

Merle Allin: Oh, yeah. He was totally...that is what he lived for, recording his music and getting it out there for people to hear.

Paul Autry: There's a wide variety of recordings out there and you don't own all of 'em, right?

Merle Allin: No.

Paul Autry: Are you trying to get the rights to everything?

Merle Allin: I don't try to get rights to everything. I got enough fuckin' headaches.

Paul Autry: How hard would it be to put his career in some kind of an order to put out a box set or something like that?

Merle Allin: I would love to do a box set. That would be...getting everybody on the same page. There's so many different people, so many different record labels who own this and that and the other. We've talked about doing it and I'm sure that it will happen at some point. But, right now, I'm too busy trying to tour with The Murder Junkies and I'm trying to put my energy into that. We're trying to record some new music and stuff. I'm trying to juggle a lot of different things. Eventually, I wanna write a book. I'm also waiting for someone to approach me about doing a movie. There's a lot of things to be done down the road. Right now, I'm concentrating on a little bit of everything. But, I'm trying to do The Murder Junkies at this point.

Paul Autry: Does it piss you off that other record companies put stuff out and make money off of GG's name and music?

Merle Allin: Well, it does to a point. But, you know, GG made some bad business decisions. At this point, I'm just happy that the stuff is getting out there. As long as the music is being heard and there's more fans coming around...it all comes around eventually. I'm not worried about the money.

Paul Autry: GG never did.

Merle Allin: Yeah...GG could have cared less about the money. At this point, I'm just happy to still be playing myself and to know that GG has become an underground cult legend. It's all good as long as the music is still being heard. It keeps us going as well.

Paul Autry: Is there anything you have that you've yet to release...anything that's not in circulation?

Merle Allin: No. GG never kept anything. He could write music so quickly, so, he never saved anything. He always figured he could write another album next week if he had to.

Paul Autry: What was the extent of his musical talent...I know he played drums.

Merle Allin: He played drums pretty well and he played the guitar pretty well. He could play bass.

Paul Autry: When you talk about The Murder Junkies, even in death, GG's still the central figure. But, what about you...what influenced you?

Merle Allin: I was influenced by the old school punk stuff. That's basically what we still sound like. We still write the same type of material from the bands that we were influenced by, like The Dead Boys, Johnny Thunders, The Ramones...old school New York punk.

Paul Autry: As a musician, what do you feel you have left to prove?

Merle Allin: I don't really have anything to prove. I'm not trying to prove anything. I'm just going out and having fun, playing music. I enjoy what I'm doing and, as long as we can still play the still style and people wanna see us play...yeah...I'm not out to prove anything, man. I'm just out to rock 'n' roll and have a good time...and still make a difference in the scene. I guess that's what we're trying to do. It comes natural.

Paul Autry: I listen to some of the stuff and it's like...hell...the music behind "Expose Yourself To Kids" is just great. To me, it's like a punked up Beach Boys. There's some great music behind the song...as there is with some of the other songs and, it's like, not a lot of people actually listen to the music, they pay attention to GG.

Merle Allin: That's the only reason why we continued to play. A lot of GG's bands in the 80's were just throw together bands. We put together The Murder Junkies while GG was in prison. After we had played with him from 1991 to 1993 and we had recorded "Brutality & Bloodshed For All," once that came out, people were like, you're a really good band...we heard it a lot more...people would say how great it was to hear GG with a really good band. So, that's basically why we had stayed together. If nobody had cared about our music or whatever, we probably would have said, well, that's the end of that. Once GG died, I had no intention of staying together until that record came out. People really liked us and they said we should stay together. So, what the fuck, we might as well try it.

Paul Autry: Is it still the same line up?

Merle Allin: Well, it's me and Dino. We have Bill Webber off and on. But, we have a new guitar player now and, obviously, a new singer.

Paul Autry: How did you hook up with PP Devuee, who is now you're new vocalist?

Merle Allin: He's in a band called They Hate Us. They're from upstate New York. We've done some shows with them in the past and he's a big fan. We were looking for someone permanent and he decided that he wanted to be our full time singer. So, it just kind of worked out that way. We're friends anyway.

Paul Autry: So, he'll be on the new material that you record?

Merle Allin: Yes, he will be. That's why we haven't recorded anything in awhile, because we've been waiting for a permanent singer. Now that we have one, we're hoping to record some material, maybe after the tour.

Paul Autry: What do you do when you're not making music? What's a normal day for Merle Allin like?

Merle Allin: (laughs) Wow. Well, let's see...I get up...I ride my bike around town. I'm like the crazy old guy with the long beard who rides his bike all over town. You know, there's a guy like that in every town...and I'm that guy in my town. I work on new designs for merchandise. I'm always trying to find a new way to promote the band. I'm dubbin' DVD's, I'm booking tours. We do everything ourselves, we don't have a booking agent. So, I've been booking our summer tour for the last month.

Paul Autry: Well, I think I pretty much covered everything. Have any final comments for the Ballbuster/Spotlight readers?

Merle Allin: Well, The Murderjunkies are still around. We're still trying to make a difference and play real punk rock music, trying to keep it old school. Fuck all this lame, new bullshit that's out there. There's still good bands out there to be found. You just have to look for them. We're still out there and, as long as people wanna see us or hear us, we're gonna continue to play.

Paul Autry: So, see you out on the road, right?

Merle Allin: Yes, indeed!

NOTE: Be sure to check out these websites for information and current Murder Junkies tour dates.

http://www.ggallin.com http://www.myspace.com/murderjunkies

Ah, man...let me tell you...the kind of music that I live for is straight up, feel good rock 'n' roll. I could listen to music like that all day long. I'm talkin' about stuff like old school Motley Crue, Kiss, Dokken, Ratt, Poison, Twisted Sister, Ozzy Osbourne and Tigertailz. As a matter of fact, I'm listening to the Tigertailz album "Bezerk 2.0" right now and, the reason I'm telling you about this is because I never got around to writing about this album when I first got it because I'm really bad at keeping my desk in order and this disc got buried under a pile of other releases that I just started to sort through. Better late than never though, right? Anyway, if you missed this one, there's no better time than right now to check it out. It's got a top notch production and a big, full, loud sound. I've seen some of the reviews that were written about this album and I've seen it called glam, pop metal...call it what you want...it rocks. Tigertailz have never sounded better. Music has gone through so many changes over the past few years and it's good to hear a band that doesn't follow the current trends. I've gotta give Tigertailz credit for stickin' to their guns and doing what they do best. According to their MySpace page, they've got another album comin' out soon, "Thrill Pistol," and, if it's anything like "Bezerk 2.0," people should stand up and take notice. Anyway...if you wanna hear a band that will "rip your face off," be sure to check out Tigertailz. They'll do the trick.

http://www.tigertailz.co.uk
http://myspace.com/tigertailzcouk

Since I only heard three tunes from Michael Abdow, which you can hear on his MySpace, I thought I would include his bio here in order to introduce him to all of you Ballbuster/Spotlight readers out there. I'll include my opinion at the end.

Hailing from western Massachusetts, Mike is the product of both a rapidly growing metal scene and local virtuoso musicianship. He began playing guitar in 1997 at the age of thirteen and has since formally studied jazz and classical music, holding an Associates degree in music. He has also studied with former M.A.C.E. Music recording artist Tom Kopyto. Mike is the main writer in Tempus Mori and has self-released two EP's and one full length with the band. They have played with bands such as All That Remains, Diecast, Sonata Arctica and Burn In Silence. Mike's goals are to establish himself as both an instrumentalist and a performing/recording artist with Tempus Mori, release his music on an international record label and tour the world. Mike's main influences include Michael Romeo, Tony MacAlpine, Vinnie Moore and Rob Johnson. He describes his music as melodic metal with shredding leads and seven string "riffage," which is heavily focused on groove and phrasing.

Most people who know me know that I'm not a huge fan of instrumental music. Instrumental music, to me, is like an incomplete song. What can I say, I like lyrics. But, seriously, this guy can play. I threw this disc into my player and I heard a lot of power in those first few seconds. It was enough to make me pay attention, that's for sure. Epic power metal is the first thought that came to my mind and that's a style of music that I happen to enjoy. I love music that has that huge, larger than life sound...and, let's be honest, not everybody can pull that kind of material off...and pull it off well. As much as I'm into the various bands that I mentioned above (Motley Crue, Kiss, Dokken, Ratt and so on and so forth) and as much talent as I think they have...they couldn't play this kind of music.

I'm not really sure what you, as a fan, would look for in an instrumental release. But, if you're lookin' for a high quality performance, you should give Michael Abdow a listen. I'm sure you'll like what you hear.

http://www.myspace.com/mikeabdowmusic

Pink Yard Flamingos are a young band...the members are all under 20...which means they have a lot of time to grow, which is a good thing for any band. But, they're already crankin' out some seriously cool music. So, one can only imagine where they're gonna be in a few years...if they stick together that is. I've seen them play and they're pretty well together on stage and they do seem serious about their music. So, I think you're gonna be hearing about them a lot more in the future. This is a band that you should keep your eye on.

http://www.pinkyardflamingos.com
http://www.myspace.com/pinkyardflamingos

I've had the "Maximum Ride - School's Out - Forever" soundtrack sitting on my desk for quite some time now. Didn't get any press material with it. So, I'm not exactly sure what it is. If I'm not mistaken, this soundtrack goes with a book, which is being made into a movie...and I say that because it's listed on IMDB.com and there's a cool video on the Maximum Ride website. Anyway, I've never been one for soundtracks and/or compilation CD's because they're pretty much all a hit or miss deal. With this disc, there's some good stuff on here. The two songs by Holly Brook, "What I Wouldn't Give" and "Wanted" were the best. She has a great voice...and a MySpace page, which you can check out at http://www.myspace.com/hollybrook.

We get off to a good start with "Death Said" by The Summer Obsession, which was a cool pop rock song. Other artists include Cipes & The People, Brian Steen, Marcos Hernandez, Cooper, Kelly Dalton and The Weepies. There's some good stuff on here and some stuff I could've done without. Like I said, an album like this is gonna be hit and miss. We end with two audio book excerpts, which is something I'm not into. I'd much rather read a book instead of listening to it.

http://www.maximumride.com

I wanted to tell you about (S)he in my last column. But, in my rush to finish it up, I forgot to mention them. But, I'm gonna tell you about them now because they're a band that you should really check out. I get tired of listening to the same thing over and over again. So, when I heard their debut release, "Animal," I was quickly blown away by what they had to offer and I couldn't seem to get enough of this disc. The band features three female singers, who all have a strong voice...and the music they make is a smooth/refreshing blend of R&B, rap, funk and rock 'n' roll. I'm really big on people who are out there doing something that no one else is doing and (S)he would currently be at the top of my list for being original because I honestly can't think of one band that they sound like. They have a sound that should appeal to a wide audience. So, if you're reading this little write up...and I know you are...be sure to check 'em out and pick up a disc. Once you hear it, you won't wanna listen to anything else.

http://www.sheurbanrock.com
http://www.myspace.com/shemusik

Catfish, who hail from Paris, France, call their style of music "expressionist rock" and their seven song demo, "The Teaser," is somewhat of a concept album...it tells the story of an ordinary police investigation, the Detective Catfish inquiring on a murder of his old mistress. But, in the course of the story, he will discover a plot which will cause its ruin. Well, that's what they say in the press material. Personally, I just didn't get where this band was coming from. Sounds to me like music you would hear in the backround of a movie, which is something the band seems to have a passion for...the soundtracks of old movies. Although, they don't mention any movie that might give you some idea as to where they draw their inspiration from. I'm not sure what kind of audience they would draw. From what I heard, my guess would be people who have an open mind when it comes to music. One thing's for sure...they're different. So, if you're into music that's a bit off the beaten path, you might wanna check 'em out.

http://www.myspace.com/catfishonmyspace

Bob Pyle's "Apples & Oranges" mixes old time string band music, humorous lyrics and exquisite production to create an album with a message of social relevance concerning the foods we choose to eat. Vegan and vegetarian music. If you go to CD Baby, that's the description of this album that you'll find at the top of the page. As soon as I read that, I didn't think I was gonna like this album because, personally, I happen to enjoy meat. I don't get into conversations about the kind of food I like because I'm gonna eat what I wanna eat and nothing's gonna change my mind about it. Seriously, if you're a vegetarian, that's fine with me. I won't knock you for it. Just don't try to push your views on me. That's what I thought this album would do and, maybe, to a certain degree, that's what is done. Since I listen to music for the music and not the message, I actually enjoyed this album. There was some good stuff on here, tunes like "A World Made Out Of Spam," "When The Close The Golden Arches" and "Frank Perdue" are some of the ones I really liked. The musicianship was really good, can't complain about that. Musical style, ah, I'd say singer/songwriter, bluegrass...and I would say bluegrass because of the banjo...if you use a banjo, that's bluegrass to me. Anyway, this isn't the kind of album that I would listen to on a regular basis. I'd really have to be in the mood for it and, to be honest with you, while I like a wide variety of musical styles, it's not too often that I'll listen to something where the banjo is pretty much the main instrument.

http://www.bobpyle.com http://www.myspace.com/bobpyle

Temple Of Brutality's "Lethal Agenda" is a ten track album that has a running time of a little over half an hour. When you think about it, it's not really a lot of music to sink your teeth into. Then again, by the time you get to the last song on the album, you might not have any teeth left because Temple Of Brutality will knock 'em all out. Yes...it's that good...and it's also a rather easy release to describe. I'm sure you'll see reviews where they toss around words like hard, heavy, brutal, intense, aggressive, crushing and all those other metal terms that we tend to spit out all the time. Of course, all those words would sum up "Lethal Agenda" rather nicely...and I would use those words myself if I didn't come up with my own little way to get my point across. It's a runaway train, man. Could you imagine what it would feel like if you were standing on the tracks and a train came rollin' down the line, out of control at top speed and hit you head on? Listen to this release one time...from begining to end...and you'll know exactly what it would feel like. This is the best metal album I've heard so far this year and I seriously doubt anybody will be able to top it.

http://www.templeofbrutality.com http://www.myspace.com/templeofbrutality

As if I didn't give you enough to read...here's a ten question interview with an amazing band called Showin' Tell that you all need to introduce yourself to.

Paul Autry: Please introduce the band and give us a little backround history.

Showin' Tell: Showin' Tell was formed in 2003. Prior to starting this band, Jeska fronted a cover band. But, she got frustrated and tired of only performing other people's music. Thru a friend, Nicolino and Jeska were introduced. The two of them have been thru thick and thin. In the past 4 years, musicians have come and gone. But, they have always pushed ahead to reach their goals. It's difficult to carry on when things go wrong and the band is faced with difficulties....but...we are commited and very stubborn. We refuse to give up on our dreams and everything we have worked so hard for.

Paul Autry: Plug your current project.

Showin' Tell: In March of this year, we released an EP with a few of our latest songs, titled "SnT." Although we would have loved to record a full length album, financially, it wasn't possible. That's definately a fall back to being truly independent musicians...a lack of funding. On April 7th, we were honored to open for Stone Sour, Lucuna Coil and Shadows Fall at The Electric Factory for tthe Jagermeister Music Tour.

Paul Autry: How would you describe your musical style?

Showin' Tell: When we are asked this question, we generally tell people that we are like a modern day Joan Jett. Female vocals that are strong, angry and from the heart. That also goes the same for the anthem rock style that made her one of the hottest women of rock.

Paul Autry: Name your musical influences and why they influenced you.

Showin' Tell: Obviously Joan Jett is one of our influences. No need to explain why. One of Nicolino's main influences is Kiss, which is apparent to everyone who meets him. He has a remarkable tattoo of all four members on his arm. Gene and Paul (of Kiss) are marketing geniuses. They have reinvented the band again and again and have kept up the stamina. Although it isn't apparent through our style of music, one of Jeska's influences is the late great Janis Joplin. When you listen to her music, you can feel her pain. Her vocals reach thru your stereo and rip your heart out. Her passion is captivated on her recordings.

Paul Autry: Name your poison.

Showin' Tell: Hmmmm...you can't go wrong with an ice cold shot of Jagermeister. Jeska is a walking billboard. She tattooed her love for Jager on her forearm.

Paul Autry: What are your thoughts on file sharing?

Showin' Tell: There are three different ways to look at the topic of file sharing. As an artist, burning CD's burns the artist. You can't go into a resturant, sneek into the buffet line and leave without paying. So, why should one be allowed to have music that they did not pay for. As a consumer, one should be able to "test drive" an album before purchasing. There's nothing worse than spending $15 for a CD that you only like one or two songs on. That's what is great about iTunes. You can preview songs before you buy them and can pick and choose what songs you want. You don't have to buy the CD for that ONE song you heard on the radio that you liked. As an unsigned band, we want our music to be heard by as many people as possible and we are okay with the scenerio of someone buying our CD and liking it so much that he/she wants to share it with their friends and burns copies of the CD for them. File sharing/stealing of music will never be totally controlled. We don't encourage or condon it. But since its impossible to stop we may as well try to look at it on the bright side and find the silver lining in this cloud.

Paul Autry: What are some of your interests outside of music?

Showin' Tell: Here’s a day the life of a member of SNT. Wake up, go to work, and then go to practice (or a gig) then sleep and repeat. If we aren’t sleeping or working we are doing something involving our band or music in general. We are always going out to see other bands and support original music. A lot of our free time is spent on writing new songs, booking shows and staying in with our fans (via my space and email).

Paul Autry: Plug someone else you think we should check out and explain why we might like them.

Showin' Tell: Since we play and swap gigs with so many bands it would be difficult to name just one band to recommend. Just look at the bands we play with on a regular basis and you'll find good bands to check out.

Paul Autry: What has the band done that you're most proud of and what do you hope to accomplish in the future?

Showin' Tell: We are sponsored by Jagermeister, Sam Ash, Daisy Rock guitars,and TRX Cymbals. This year we were choosen from 1000's of bands to be listed in the Music Phone book. We have played over 400 shows, and we hope our perseverance will pay off and we continue to grow (writing hit songs, increasing our fan base and playing great venues) We’d like to be an opening band on a national tour. (the exposure would be amazing!) we all agree that we would love to make a career out of doing what we love. Music is an essential part of our lives.

Paul Autry: Final comments?

Showin' Tell: Our website is http://www.showintellband.com (contact booking@showintellband.com for info).

http://www.myspace.com/showintellband

« June / July 2007