Looking for a hot new joint? Well, JC Internet Radio has one that is the fire. Meet Jake Haze in this fun spotlight with our Webzine as Haze expounds on his passion for music, his overall goals, and where fans can access his music. Enjoy!
Isaac: I just listened to your song, "I Miss My Baby". What was the inspiration for making this song and your new album?
Jake Haze: The song reflects my mindstate at the time. Just two months ago, I was nobody. Now I am somebody everyone wants to know.
Isaac: Who were your influences?
Jake Haze: Any and all music. Musically, My father and Jay-Z, Nas, Kanye West, Eminem, Elton John, The Beatles, Hendriz, Korn. Spanish music. All music inspires me so it's so hard to pin point.
Isaac: What do you consider to have been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?
Jake Haze: I don't think I've reached a low point yet. I mean, I did take an extended break from music due to my insecurities and personal problems. I would have to say that is my low point. Not doing what I loved because of depression.
High Point? I guess time will tell.
Isaac: Brief history about your background plus the style of music you play.
Jake Haze: Born in Brooklyn, brought up in Allentown, PA. I lived in Honduras for 5 years in my youth. Music was always my thing. My dad and uncles used to play in a band when I was very young. I don't think he [my father] realized how big of an impact that had on me. Watching them play live was one of the coolest things I remember. I sing, and occasionally, rap...but I try to be true to myself and my vision. I do not talk about guns and crime. It's not me. My sound is eclectic. No two songs sound alike, but they still sound great.
Isaac: How easy is it to gets gigs for you as an artist? What is the live music scene like in your area?
Jake Haze: Not too easy at all, really. Out here [in Allentown] there are many places that discriminate urban music. Some places will charge you for performing. Open Mics are rare. But they're there.
Jake Haze
Isaac: What do you think of the state of Hip-Hop/R&B music at the moment? Do you listen to radio much at all? Has the Internet helped music grow or hindered it in your opinion?
Jake Haze: I think Hip-Hop/R&B is fine. Sales and interest are still high. Has it become vain? Yes. I mean, look back, though. Damn near 30 years ago we were an impoverished fledling genre. Now we are major record sellers. We've come a long way. Hip-Hop is no longer poor, so why depict that? It seems as if almost every other year a hip-hop album walks away as the best selling OR album of the year. Yea, I do listen to the radio. The Internet is a great outlet. I honestly can't imagine how hard it was for musicians before the Internet.
Isaac: If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why?
Jake Haze: Fred Durst as the front man. Travis Barker as drummer. Carlos Santana as the lead guitarist, Jimi Hendrix at the electric bass, and me doing background vocals. Why? In my opinion, each of the members I named were/are the best at what they do in their prime.
Isaac: What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?
Jake Haze: Not, a CD, but digital download which can be found at DaStashBox.com. It's free. It's called "Gettin Out There".
Isaac: Where can fans access your music, videos, blogs, and anything else about you online?
Music Interview with Death Valley Pornstar February 2010 Spotlight
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Our Webzine recently interviewed a kick ass band that really is going to take Indie/Alternative music to a whole new level. The female-fronted band has created an awesome sound that mixes different styles of music that fans will find enjoyable to listen to. We spoke to the members of the band about their music, their lowpoints and highpoints, and their musical influences. Here is what formulated.
Isaac: I just listened to your song, "It's Not Me, It's You". What was the inspiration for making this song and your new album?
*[Jezebel]** That's personally my favorite song we play; it's so much fun live. "It's Not Me, It's You" came from a dear friend of mine who discovered his evil (and now ex-) wife was a cheating whorebag. I tend to write songs about the things my friends are going through...apparently they have much more interesting lives than I -- "Butterfly" was written about another very close friend of mine who's been through a lot of **** over the years. I felt like there wasn't a song out there that described her mindset, so I wrote one for her. The new album felt like a theatrical piece on the whole. It was really cool to know that we had a string of songs that kind of told a story as you went, and we really set out to make an EP that wasn't just this or just that. It had to be a sampler platter for the band's sound.*
*[Jimi] The "Diabla" EP tells a story but we don't want to give it away to people.
[Gio] We want people to really listen to the music and figure it out for themselves.*
Isaac: Who were your influences?
*[Jimi]** We have a very eclectic group of influences. From Foo Fighters to Lady Gaga, Primus to The Beatles, Porcupine Tree to Pink, Kyuss to Queen and everything in between. I guess what you can hear most in our music would be maybe The Dead Weather, The Black Keys, Queens of the Stone Age, a little Eagles of Death Metal. Stuff like that.*
*[Jezebel]** Yeah, it's like Freddie Mercury up and joined The Rolling Stones, started smoking pot with John Lennon, ****ed Pat Benetar, Joan Jett and Pink at the same time, and then murdered Heidi Montag. And then baked some cupcakes and made sweet love to a golden jumpsuit.*
*[Gio] As an aside, the most immediate influences of mine are my instructors Gerson Reyes and Nick Amoroso. *
Isaac: What do you consider to have been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?
*[Jimi] **One highlight was playing the Whisky-a-Go-Go, definitely. To see your name up on that most famous of marquees and play on the same stage so many famous bands have played on before us was such a rush.** We had a great turn out and a great set. After words, we got a hotel room in downtown LA and partied with friends, family and fans until t
he Sun came up! I'm proud to say I was one of only two people left standing when that sun came up!
[Adrien] It was a very "Rock Star" night.
[Jimi] and we learned Adrien snores like a monster in a wind tunnel.
[Jezebel] **A low point was definitely playing at this place called Bernie's Sports Bar in Fullerton. I usually don't rag on hole-in-the-wall bars, because a lot of them end up being great little gems to play at... but man, that place was a shithole in every sense of the word. We pulled up and there was, I kid you not, a dead ****ing cat in front of the club. It had been out in the hot sun all day, decomposing. The smell was horrendous. And then we're walking in and I'm last in line and the bouncer says, "Whoa there,little lady" or some bullshit and tells me to pay the cover. I told him I was in the band and he didn't believe me; he was sure I was a groupie or whatever. He actually told me that he was going to watch us play and if he didn't see me singing he'd come collect the cover. Inside was just as bad as outside: the stage was a tiny triangle with some busted fluorescent lighting over it, and there was warm beer ONLY. No liquor -- ****, even the WATER didn't have ice in it. It tasted like they scooped it out of a toilet. **
[Jimi] Speaking of the toilet, the last two songs in our set were overshadowed by the smell of the bar's toilet backing up.
[Gio] **Imagine walking into the bathroom and knowing what the person that was in there before you had for lunch just by the smell. Now add some pee and vomit to that smell, and throw in the drunken homeless guy who hasn't bathed for months unless you call peeing or vomiting on ones' self bathing.It was worse than all that.**
[Adrien] The band, our fans...everyone ran out of the club the second our set was finished.
**[Jimi] I think we can all agree another High Point was recording the EP with Dan Kramer @ Citrus City Sound, Dan has a great ear.
[Jezebel] Tracking then hearing our songs refined and polished and going through that process was simply an amazing experience. Some of my harmonies were killer hard to do and Dan could be a task master but we ended up with a solid representation of who we are right now.*
Isaac: Brief history about your background plus the style of music you play.
*[Jimi]** We were raised by a pack of rabid wolverines early on then **once we hit puberty we were** left for dead on a desert island to fend for ourselves. The natives of the island mistook us for gods, and as a tribute, shared with us the musical instruments that had washed up on shore some years earlier. After learning the natives’ strange ways and sacrificing more then our fair share of virgins, we were rescued by a passing merchant marine ship. The mariners thought for sure Jezebel was a siren of the sea and we were her "sea imps" because of the strange music we were playing. Long story short we were dumped off at San Diego Harbor here in California and the rest is history.*
*[Jezebel] We hope that clears up any confusion about our background *
Isaac: How easy is it to gets gigs for you as an artist? What is the live music scene like in your area?
*[Jimi] The music scene is kind of disjointed here in Southern California, at least so far in our experience. It's hard to find one place here with a great community of musicians who support each other. Not to say there are no great bands here because there are (Hydrovibe comes to mind). We're just all spread out and don't really network with one another like we should. I hope to see that change or find a "music scene" but right now we're looking for one, lol.*
*[Adrien] **Bookies, clubs and bars seem to be more interested in how many customers you can bring than them putting quality "of the like" bands together in one showcasing. Truth is, they make all the profits and many establishments don't do their own advertising. With that said, the music scene is very mixed. It's quite common that you have one or two bands that aren't pleasing to ones musical pallet and people actually leave. Only to miss out on a really good band that you would really enjoy. Not always thecase but, more often than not.*
Isaac: What do you think of the state of Indie music at the moment? Do you listen to radio much at all? Has the Internet helped music grow or hindered it in your opinion?
*[Adrien] I pretty much listen to Internet radio exclusively. It's more fine tuned for the individual and a lot less commercials.** I also definitely think the Internet helps music more than it hinders it. If we relied solely on the music industry to provide us with music that they think we should like, I don't think many of us would like music very much. In-fact I think the Internet is the stand alone platform for any new music. It's open source, the people decide what they like and the numbers prove what'spopular.**
[Jimi] Yeah, I totally agree with Adrien. Between social networking sites, podcasts, blogs and Internet radio, bands like us have an unprecedented platform for been seen and heard. For the first time in the music industry, an artist actually has the ability to get heard by thousands, even millions of people with out the help of a major label. If your music is good enough, you might even make a living from it on your own!*
Isaac: If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why?
*[Jezebel] **A fantasy band? Jeez. Probably Dave Grohl drumming (the man is a God), Les Claypool on bass, Josh Homme on guitar/producing and Lady Gaga on songwriting/vocals (not to mention myself singing backup vocals as needed!) *
***[Gio] **Guitar would be Steve Vai, to me he is the biggest baddest guitar player in the world. On Bass, it would have to be Victor Wooten he is just the best. Vocals would be David Townsend, I love his vocals on Steve Vai's Sex and Religion album. I also would love to have Keys and the only choice there is Jordan Rudess, a God on Keys. As for Drums, that's easy, ME! But because I would freeze in a room with those guys, I would quickly be replaced by Gavin Harrison from Porcupine Tree, this guys has chops, style,and his drumming is rock solid!*
*[Adrien] Les Claypool on bass, Tom Morelo on guitar, Dave Grohl on drums & Roger Waters on Vocals.
[Jimi] It's already happened, Them Crooked Vultures has Josh Homme on Guitar and Vocals, Dave Grohl on Drums and John Paul Jones on Bass, all Rock Gods! What more could I ask for? Their album is amazing and I can honestly say they were the best band I've ever seen live and I've seen a lot of bands.
[Jimi] Oh wait I can be in the band?...
[Adrien] No!!
[Jimi] But Gio and Jezebel said...fine, never mind.
*Isaac: What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?
*[Jezebel] Our EP "Burn, Diabla, Burn!" is out right now, hard copies of the EP are available at our shows -- you get it signed by us if you come out and support the band (and our cover art is sooooo sick).
[Gio] Our CD is also available for download @ itunes and cdbady*.
Isaac: Where can fans access your music, videos, blogs, and anything else about you online?
*[Jimi] www.deathvalleypornstar.com is the place to go. We have links to everything from Twitter and Facebook to our merchandise and music as well has a media page with pictures, music & videos.
[Jezebel] **You can also preview our entire EP there, and if you join our site (it's free) you have access to a butt load free downloads!*
Isaac: Message to your fans?
*[Jezebel]** Be good people, give our music to everyone you know, and don't stop sexing each other. Our fans are dirty and delicious like that.*
Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Music Artist/Band of The Week:
January 24, 2010 - January 30, 2010
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Our Webzine is enjoying the spiritual message that Shaken is giving to their fan especially showing others that the band has a strong faith, love, and devotion to our Lord. This is the driving force behind the band’s passion to minister to others through their music. One of the biggest appeals to the band's music is that Shaken takes Heavy Metal/Hard Rock to a new spiritual level without losing the hard edge of Heavy Metal that music fans will find refreshing. Here is what formulated from our online conversation with Shaken.
Isaac: What are you currently up to?
Shaken: We are currently playing as many spot shows as possible to support our new album "You and Yours," as well as writing new music, and general promo to get ourselves out there.
Isaac: When you compose a song where do you get your ideas from and how does a song evolve?
Shaken: Generally, our songs start out with a single riff that may have been influenced by something we heard or saw. We all listen to a very broad range of bands, so we have a wide variety of influences. The influence from a riff could come from anything from a pop song, to a heavy metal song, and when something catches our attention, the gears of our mind instantly begin working on writing a riff "Shaken Style." With that one riff written, we will sit down and tweak it, and begin adding on to it with a chorus, bridge etc, eventually structuring and producing it into a new song.
Isaac: What are the rewards and challenges about being in a band?
Shaken: One of the biggest challenges of being a band is the fact that you have to have five people from completely different backgrounds that live completely different lifestyles all on the same page with each other. This means that all of your schedules, goals, and commitment levels pretty much have to match up if it is going to work out. We are very fortunate in this area due to the fact that Shaken was our first band for the most part, and we have been in this band for nearly seven years now, so we are very comfortable with our roles in the band.
The Rewards of being a band are endless. Sure, it is a lot of hard work, but the fact that we are able to do something that we are all very passionate about together is rewarding enough. This is compounded when other people actually enjoy what we do, and also when something that we can say or do helps someone out. God has changed our lives through this band, and we pray that He can use it to change others lives just as it did ours.
Isaac: What tracks does the band most enjoy performing live and why?
Shaken: We enjoy playing our entire set live, but I think general consensus on favorite live songs would be Mirror Mirror and Ventrilofriend. These songs are very passionate and higher energy so it is easier to move around to them on stage.
Isaac: What do you think SHAKEN need to do to gain more exposure and fans? Has the Internet helped spread the word about the band and its music?
Shaken: As far as exposure, we should be taking any means necessary to put ourselves in front of people, and allow our music and live show to speak for itself. In order to do this, we must use all of the resources available for promo, both online, and face-to-face, which means having a strong Internet presence as well as playing live as often as possible.
Isaac: Could you take us through some highlights of the first studio EP, 'You and Yours'?
Shaken: You and Yours was a big transition for us. The first six years or so of our music career were spent touring and playing the underground metal/hardcore scene, which was a great learning experience, but now that we’ve grown older and more mature, we made the decision to go back to our roots and try something a little different. We wanted to write music influenced by the bands that made us want to be musicians in the first place, so that is what we did. Much of this record is very trial and error, but we are proud of the outcome. Some of our favorite tracks include Mirror Mirror, The Feeling, and Ventrilofriend, which are songs that were written toward the end of the process, and ones we feel best represent our new direction as a band. If you like what you hear on “You and Yours,” be sure to keep up with us, as we are currently working on tracking brand new material that you will surely enjoy as well!
Isaac: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Shaken: We are all pretty much best friends, so we enjoy much of the same interests. Some of these include video games, firearms, and movies. We just like to hang out and have some fun. Shaken is something that consumes much of our time, yet we all thoroughly enjoy the tasks that come along with it.
Isaac: Message to your fans?
Shaken: Thank all of you for sticking with us, and supporting us for however long you have known of us. We hope to continue giving you guys our best for years to come, and we hope to see you soon!
Isaac: Final Thoughts...
Shaken: Thank you Isaac for the interview, and we’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and be looking out for Shaken in 2010!
JC Internet Indie Radio presents to our members a new interview that features a new and hot artist that will set the Hip-Hop/R&B scene on fire. His music comes out sounding sexy and smooth especially geared towards the ladies. Check out what Pmartt has to say about his willingness to give his sweat and blood to make it in the music industry. Enjoy!
Isaac: I just listened to one of your songs titled, "She Cold". What was the inspiration for making this song and your new album?
Pmartt: The women, basically. This whole mixtape is dedicated to all the independent, whether married or single, women.
Isaac: Who were your influences?
Pmartt: My biggest influence is my African culture and the traditions within it. My culture influences me to be different and distinctive from other artists. It also blesses me with the ability to create my own sound and kind of music that reflects my persona, unique.
Isaac: What do you consider to have been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?
Pmartt: Well, I remember the day I performed at Chicago’s Soldier Field. I consider this day to have been the highlight of my career been cause I felt like I was already a “mainstream” artist looking at the population of people that were there that day.
The low point of my career would have to be when my parents criticize and doubt my career choice. For example, they would ask me “how long are you going to keep wasting your time with this music crap. Don’t you see that it’s not going to work?” I wasn’t blessed with a fortunate or a supportive family. So it is very hard for me to live with them and hear them criticize what I love to do, music.
Isaac: Brief history about your background plus the style of music you play.
Pmartt: I came to the United States at the age of 10 years old. I spoke French and Bamoon, an African native language when I arrived here. Learning English paved the road to my communication skills allowing my talent of Hip/Pop (the mixture of hip hop and Pop to create a unique sound) to shine through. As the years passed, I got better at my rapping technique, and at my ability to express my own life through my words…my own words.
Poverty and financial suffering is what I came from and it’s still a part of me. There’s only one thing that can rescue me – my love of music, my sound and my message.
Isaac: How easy is it to get gigs for you as an artist? What is the live music scene like in your area?
Pmartt: It is kinda hard, especially with me being an unsigned artist under no management. But with the help of my sources, I manage to do a few shows. The live music scene in Chicago is sort of competitive because it’s A LOT of talent here, but with me being a unique artist, I tend to shine through a lot. The industry needs new sounds and new music, with unique styles, and that is what I attempt to give them.
Isaac: What do you think of the state of R&B music at the moment? Do you listen to radio much at all? Has the Internet helped music grow or hindered it in your opinion?
Pmartt: The state of R&B music at the moment is not bad at all. We have a lot of talented artists like Lloyd, Trey Songz, Usher, and Chris Brown who are all keeping R&B alive. I listen to the radio sometimes and but I think that the Internet has helped music grow a lot more. The Internet is a perfect promotional tool for all artists. It is because of the Internet that I am doing this interview with you! So it’s a great tool and I am thankful for it.
Isaac: If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why? Pmartt: Lol. Well, I would definitely say my best friend, D.E.E. He is also an artist here in Chicago. We make hits every time we collaborate! Lil Wayne, Akon, T-pain, Pmartt (lol), and Drake. I believe that all these artists are so talented and unique that if you put them together as a band, they will every number one singles and number one albums!
Isaac: What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?
Pmartt: Currently, I am working on my mixtape called “Da Love Book: Chick’s Tape” It will be available on iTunes and everywhere else online Jan. 2010. I am also available on your favorite search engine, Google! Type in Pmartt and you will see all the links to all my sites.
Isaac: Where can fans access your music, videos, blogs, and anything else about you online?
Pmartt: I love all my fans. I want them to continue supporting me until the end. I will make a commitment to provide them with good quality music, and always be a positive figure for those who look up to what I do for inspiration and motivation.
Music Interview with Shaun Dilloni (Vocals) of Idols are Higher
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Shaun Dilloni (Vocals) of Idols are Higher recently spoke to our online community about the band’s amazing sound that music fans are going to easily gravitate to when they hear the band for the first time. If you want to listen to hard-kicking Indie Rock music, then this United Kingdom band is the perfect group to deliver. Want to learn more? Read on as our online community gets the 411 from Shaun. Enjoy!
Isaac: We'd love to know about your inspirations growing up. I hear so many influences in your music. How old were you when you first discovered music?
Idols are Higher: The first thing I remember hearing was Queen's Headlong. My Dad always played Queen and REM in the car when I was a little nipper. I used to pretend I was Freddie Mercury in the back of the car, minus the moustache of course. Then from there myself and lads just bounced any new albums we had off each other; anything from Led Zeppelin to Jeff Buckley, Bon Jovi to Elton John.
Isaac: Is there any kind of musical history in your family?
Idols are Higher: Well my Mam and Dad are not musical at all, but when I started to develop an interest in music my Uncle Phil used to come round with his Yamaha acoustic guitar and teach me all sorts of folk and blues songs. After a few years, he bought me an exact replica of his guitar, and I have been playing ever since. I think it has developed me as a singer too, he taught me to listen to songs as a singer rather than a guitarist, so that I could pitch to each note as I played. He has always been my inspiration when it came to music.
Isaac: What drew you to pick up an instrument in the first place?
Idols are Higher: As above.
Isaac: As you hit your teenage years, did you know that this was what you would be doing for the rest of your life?
Idols are Higher: Definitely, myself and the lads used to play nearly every night in Ozzy's Grandma's (Glo) garage. The whole street used to hate it and come knocking to shut us up, but we didn¹t care because we couldn¹t hear them! And ever since then we always knew it was what we wanted to do, it was just so much fun, playing great songs with your best mates!
Isaac: Is there a performer in any genre of pop culture that you would like to work with?
Idols are Higher: Well, for myself and Phil, it would have to be Robert Plant and/or Jimmy Page; We love Led Zeppelin. The way they perform and the variety of songs they produced; they can do no wrong in our eyes. Ozzy would say John Deacon. He has always loved a solid bass player. Plus, I'm sure he admires his dress sense too. Marty would say Slash, considering he dresses up as him every Halloween party!! And Pete would pick Paula Abdul, he never stops playing her music, some might say he is a bit strange!
Isaac: Who are some musicians that you really like, present or past?
Idols are Higher: We all really admire the likes of Guns and Roses, AC/DC, and The Doors. Anything that makes you feel glad, sad, mad or bad really. Our most recent influence whom we all love is a Scottish band called Biffy Clyro. The way they write their songs is incredible.
Isaac: What is your ultimate goal with your music career?
Idols are Higher: World Domination. Ha ha, as long as people keep enjoying our music and we are still enjoying making it then it doesn¹t really matter what happens.
Isaac: What has been some of the obstacles it has taken to get this far in your career?
Idols are Higher: Getting noticed is the hardest thing for any band to achieve. You have to push and promote yourselves non stop to achieve anything. We have constantly gigged all over the UK, and pushed our music to all corners of the planet via Mowbray Publishing. But all you can do is keep on going and eventually with hard work and some luck it all comes good in the end. Did that sound like Jerry Springer? Never mind.
Isaac: Would you recommend this "field" to others who are aspiring to be musicians like you?
Idols are Higher: It depends. I would certainly recommend any musician to follow their dream, and there are so many great musicians that don¹t and end up regretting it when they see a star on TV and they are sitting at home thinking “I was better than that”. So yeah, I would tell anyone interested to go for it!!
Isaac: Describe one piece of advice you've have been given to by others in the music industry.
Idols are Higher: “You¹re the singer!! You should take your bloody top off!!” Ha ha that was given by Ginger from the Wildhearts. He came to see us and having a beer after the show he was telling me I should be half naked on stage!! The main advice we have had is that it takes time, patience and practice to make it big. This has stuck with us and we have not looked back, practicing as much as possible and getting our name passed around to any and everyone.
Isaac: What genre of music do you consider most of your music?
Idols are Higher: Rock!! Which is how we like it. Nearly every kid in the world picks up their instrument and wants to be in a rock band. And the fact that we are actually in one is great!
Isaac: What has been your favorite piece of work? Idols are Higher: Song wise it has to be a split between Fear the Strange and Hells Child. They always get the best reception live and sound great on Saturnalia!!
Isaac: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
Idols are Higher: We have a few of the songs off the album on our MySpace site and the album is available on iTunes, Amazon MP3 and old fashioned CD¹s (with great booklet) / T-shirts (and badges!) from www.mowbraypublishing.co.uk. We also have a website to keep everyone up to date with our goings on www.idolsarehigher.com.
Isaac: Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
Idols are Higher: There are probably loads from over the years. Obviously all our friends and family have played a massive part in getting where we are. Our main man “Paul”, he is the head honcho at Mowbray Publishing and has been brilliant to us. (Paul Blushes)
Isaac: Any last words?
Idols are Higher: This is it, the final thought, it is like Jerry Springer. I hope all you like the tunes and thank you for all you support!!
* 
