The Battered Suitcases Interview!

Cool is a word that in my opinion is thrown around far too much and has lost a lot of its meaning. Miles Davis, David Bowie, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen that’s what I think of when I hear the word “cool.” Battered Suitcases exhibit a similar saunter and confidence that is necessary to pull off a complete rock n’ roll package well. The music if power packed with brazen lyrics peppered with references to old Beatnik verse, brazen guitars, and drums that crash and explode like an avalanche falling on your face. While all of this is going on simultaneously, the band still manage to keep that particular “cool.”

This interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on December 11th, 2013

Interview by Jay Castro

Shock Treatment: Please introduce yourselves and how you contribute to the Battered Suitcases rock n roll machine?
Sharon Case – Songwriter, poet, singer, bass, keyboards
Jessica Case – Drums, backing vocals
Sue T. Case – Rhythm guitar, bass, backing vocals
Frank Case – Lead guitar


ST: The band is based out of Phoenix AZ, but where are you all from originally?
Sharon: Wilkes-Barre, PA
Jessica: Phoenix, AZ
Frank: Philadelphia, PA
Sue: Red Oak, Iowa


ST: I know you guys are from a few other bands (Labor Party, Venomous Pinks) but what is Battered Suitcases origin story? How did you all meet and start playing music together?
SHARON: I had everything written in my head, all the words and music for a few years now, just never seemed to be the right time to get things started. Then after a tragic personal loss I decided I was done waiting to have enough time. I began to think of who was out there that might be into playing this kind of stuff. My first thought, Jessica, I had long admired her style of drumming from her days with Sonic Thrills, Hell on Heels and her current band, Atomic Zombies. One night last fall our bands were playing together at the Icehouse Tavern and I told her about the project I had in mind; I was beyond delighted when she told me she’d be down to play. We decided to get together after the holidays. Then I went on a hunt for a rhythm guitarist, who could also handle some bass lines too. I remembered that Sue was available, I knew her mostly as a bassist then recalled that she played guitar with Breakfast of Champions, so I contacted her, she’s a perfect fit. As for my lead guitarist, I mulled over the decision, who could play what I hear in my head, who would really get it? Silly to think I had to even consider it, no one gets me more than Frank does and I seriously don’t know a better guitarist local or otherwise. I couldn’t have been more fortunate to land this brilliant line up. I’m very grateful and wholeheartedly satisfied.


ST:  I notice a lot of rock n roll poet types listed as some of your influences (Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Jim Carroll) and you quote old Beat writers like Jack Kerouac and Hunter S. Thompson on your Facebook page. What sound or concept did you have in mind when starting Battered Suitcases?
Sharon: All these people I mention as influences were/are Godlike to me. Even our name comes from the famous Jack Kerouac quote from “On The Road” When I came up with the idea for Battered Suitcases, I was mostly thinking of a rock n roll format to showcase my poetry and music, a way to bend the words, ringing them through the melodies, allowing myself bleed out somehow with it all; that desire became Battered Suitcases.


ST: In the band’s bio you also listed “experience” as an influence. Care to elaborate?
Sharon: What else is there, everything we do, think, say or feel comes from or leads to it?


ST:  The video for the song Normal features clips from the 1902 French film Voyage dans la Lune by Georges Melies. It looks great, was it fun to make?
Sharon: It was a scream! Frank came up with the idea, shot it and edited it, on an iPhone! He did a remarkable job and all for practically nothing. I think we may have started a fun new trend!

Jessica: Yes! "Normal" was such a fun experience. All shot with an iPhone! Amazing. And Frank did a great job putting it all together

Sue: The video was a blast. This is the first time I've ever been involved in making a video and we had such a fun time.

Frank: Yes we shot our parts on my iPhone. I printed out some stills of background shots from the movie. We taped them up on a wall on the back of our house and stood in front of it. Kinda silly but it worked out pretty good.

ST:  You recently played your first show at Tempe Tavern I believe, how did that go for you?
Sharon: It was smashing, a great line up, good sound and the staff there is always so cool to work with. I had so much fun!

Jessica: I thought the tavern was a great place for our debut gig, always a good crowd, and great sound. I feel very comfortable on that stage, and we were so excited about that show! It was a great lineup too, a lot of fun.

Sue: I thought the first show went great. I was super nervous since it's a new genre for me, but all of the friendly faces in the crowd put me at ease.

Frank: It went great! We did exactly what we want to do.


ST: With so many great local bands popping up everyday around the Phoenix/Tempe area these days, do you find things getting a bit more competitive out there among the bands now?
Sharon: There are always a ton of bands popping up, we’re one of them. If we wanted to compete we’d join the office softball team or something.


ST: I don’t like using the term “guilty pleasure” because I don’t think anyone should be made to feel ashamed of anything they like. However with that being said, what do you listen to that you think a lot of fans may be surprised by?
Sharon: Parliament Funkadelic, Hank Williams, Sr., BeBop, it really runs the gamut.

Jessica: If someone had only heard me playing with the Battered Suitcases, they may be surprised to hear that I’m a huge Guns N’ Roses fan. I don’t listen to them as much anymore, but I will always love that band. They were one of my high school faves. I’m sure I've got quite a collection of music that people may be surprised by.

Sue: My favorite music is punk (specifically the Ramones), but I secretly really love some musicals. My favorites are Grease 2 and The Birdcage.

Frank: 60’s psychedelic garage rock, British invasion, STAX.


ST: What music have you unleashed on the world and where can people go to hear it or buy it?
Sharon: Currently we have a 4 song EP out entitled “Vainglorious” you can buy it on Bandcamp or at any of our shows. You can also check out a couple videos on You Tube.


ST: What does the band have in store for us in the near, or not so near, future?
Sharon: Our up coming dates are Jan 7th erratic radio, Jan. 18th at The Lost Leaf w/ Andalusia Rose (Wendy Gadzuk formerly of Tuscons 440's and Whiskey Bitch, now hailing from Oakland, CA, Jan 25th with The Father Fugures at Rips.

Presenting: The Recordettes!

Brooklyn, New York’s The Recordettes play a unique brand of loud, campy, blown out, fuzzed up bubblegum rock. The music is played with such fun and fury; I can only imagine how amusing seeing them live would be. Their debut 7” just came out earlier this year on the No Front Teeth recording label out of the U.K. This label, in case you are unaware, is usually reserved for acid spewing 77-style punk rock like The Gaggers or Ricky C. Quartet. So the fact that someone at NFT recognizes the inimitable talents of the Recordettes makes their debut record that much more fascinating. Why do those Brits always seem to recognize good American music before America does!

This interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on December 11th, 2013

Interviewed by Jay Castro

Shock Treatment: Please introduce yourselves and how do you contribute to The Recordettes Rock ‘N’ Roll machine?
TONY: I am Tony Lofi, amazing singer and guitar player for The Recordettes. Also, a huge liar.

ANNA: Anna Anabolic, “bass” and “backup vocals”.

DAVE: My name is Dave and I play drums. I also make balloon animals at Bar and Bat Mitzvahs.

SACHA: Hi I’m Sacha. I keep the fancy beat on the organ.


ST: Where are you all from originally?
TONY: I am the prouder owner of a French Canadian accent.

ANNA: Native New Yorker!

DAVE: Strong Island, son

SACHA: I was born in Vancouver, BC Canada and grew up in San Diego, California.


ST: What is the bands origin story? How did you all meet up and start playing music together?
TONY: The bass player is my wife, I was in another band that broke up with the drummer, and I ask the keyboard player to play with us when I was drunk on my first 4th of July. I know, super glamour.

ANNA: Tony and I are married. That’s a NSFW kinda story but I’ll just leave it at that for now. Tony met Dave when he joined Big Riff; on bass. It’s now a defunct band where Dave was a drummer. Tony and I always said we would never start a band together because we didn’t want to start hating each other. But then lo and behold, we were powerless when it came to a shared love of playing Cramps-inspired Rock ‘N’ Roll. So far, we don’t hate each other. Sacha and I know each other from way back, from various bands, and when Tony and I ran into her at a July 4th party last year we asked her to join us at our first show (later that month, opening for Shonen Knife at Asbury Lanes in NJ) to take over guitar duties on “John Waters, Can You Please Be My Father?” when singing those sad, heartfelt words rendered Tony too sad to continue playing guitar. After that, despite her best efforts we never let her go. She had to go get pregnant and have a baby before we’d let her miss any shows.

DAVE: I attended a seminar on better living through positive thinking. Tony was there. Also we played together in a band called Big Riff when he first moved to US of A...and so the judge decided that the most fitting punishment was playing drums for The Recordettes.

SACHA: I was a plant in the crowd who they would “randomly” select to play on John Water’s when Tony spontaneously got so depressed by his memory of rejection that he had to stop playing


ST: So you list The Archies, and The Ronettes as influences. What connection, if any, do you think these bands and punk rock have?
TONY: Those are all bands that real punk rockers listen to. (Please, do forward all the hate mail to me)

ANNA: Maybe the right answer is “I think punk is more about an attitude than a style of music” but honestly, I don’t think either of them were all that punk. Just awesome. I don’t think we’re that punk either. I mean, we’re pretty nice and don’t trash hotel rooms or anything. Maybe that’s just cause we’re too broke to get hotel rooms. I guess if we had one we might trash it. We won’t mess up people’s houses who put us up. We have some songs that are kinda punk, but they’re really equal parts punk, poppy, garage, girl group…we’re maybe a little more punk, musically, than The Ronettes and The Archies and we can get away on a ‘punk’ bill but we’re actually pretty poppy and generally happy. What an uncool answer that was.

DAVE: Both Veronica and Ronnie Spector have restraining orders against me. Punk is a succinct statement. Pop is a succinct statement.

SACHA: Well one obvious evolutionary link is The Ramones.

ST: Listening to your music, it seems a lot of it has to do with relationships and subjects along those lines. I was reminded of this story I read about John Lennon asking Bob Dylan what he thought about The Beatles early on and Bob Dylan said you’re great but your lyrics aren’t saying much. Of course Lennon was devastated and began writing more ‘serious and meaningful’ lyrics. Do you think the Beatles would have been better off telling old Bobby Dylan to stuff it and keep writing about girls and love?
TONY: I only liked the Beatles when they were a cover band and I hate Bob Dylan only as much as I hate John Lennon. My lyric hero is Paul Caporino of M.O.T.O. I am also too dumb to remember any songs if there are more than 10 words in it.

ANNA: What’s more serious and meaningful than love? Dylan had great political songs but I’d never say when you sing about girls/boys and love you aren’t saying much. Although Lennon telling Dylan to “stuff it” would be funny.

DAVE: Short answer: yes. Long answer: "I want to hold your hand" is really about an existential crisis of faith.


SACHA: Dylan was talented but kind of a narcissistic jerk…just sayin’…


ST: So The Recordettes are from NY and you’re new 7” ends up on the No Front Teeth recording label that’s out of the UK. How did that end up happening?
TONY: Europe created the US of A so it's only normal that we try to make them lose some money by putting out our records. Also, London punks have better taste in music.

ANNA: After we recorded a couple songs, we emailed every label in the known universe and No Front Teeth was the only with the ‘foresight’ to put it out.

DAVE: We were told there would be fish and chips

SACHA: Lot’s of hard work by some industrious Order Muppets

ST: Can you expand on the John Waters song a bit and tell us why exactly you think he’d make a good father?
TONY: He has a mustache, which is the most important thing I look in a dad. I have a dad, but not an American one and since I live here now, I feel it is my duty to find an American daddy. John Waters were my first and only idea because anyone who directed Pink Flamingo will be allowed to babysit my kids.

ANNA: Because his last name kinda rhymes with father, if you have a French Canadian accent.

DAVE: I don't have an elektra complex, but if I did. I think we know who it would be wink wink.

SACHA: He’s a true inspiration- Imagine having a father with such artistic vision and achievement.


ST: I don’t like using the term “guilty pleasure” because I don’t think anyone should be made to feel ashamed of anything they like. However with that being said, what to you listen to that you think a lot of fans may be surprised by?
TONY: I love all the music I listen to. From ''Danse Le Mia'' from France best rap group IAM to Quebec legend Mitsou with her song ''Bye Bye Mon Cowboy''

ANNA: I am obsessed with Paul Simon and Jim Croce. I could listen to “American Song” and “One Less Set Of Footsteps” all day and never get sick of them.

DAVE: I love to dance to top 40. I love the throbbing rhythm of the club. The erotic beat of reggaeton gives me a chubby.

SACHA: Sometimes I listen to ARE Weapons song “Don’t be scared- be cool” while jogging when I’m stressed out.


ST: What music have you unleashed on the world and where can people go to hear it or buy it?
ANNA: Right now we just have our first 7” on No Front Teeth records, which is available through their website, our Bandcamp (www.therecordettes.bandcamp.com), this great site undergroundmedicine.com, and some awesome record stores like Black Gold, Academy Records and Co-op 87 in Brooklyn and 33 Tours in Montreal.

What does the band have in store for us in the near, or not so near, future?
TONY: World domination, obviously, a duet with John Waters, an Australian tour and hopefully, no more baby, because the official Recordettes baby is the cutest of them all.

ANNA: We’re playing Saturday Sept 28 at the Elm Bar in New Haven, CT, Thursday October 17 at the Paper Box in Brooklyn for CMJ, Saturday October 26 back in CT, at 33 Golden St in New Haven, and then, Saturday November 16 at Matchless in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It’s a daytime show (2pm). Tonight at Bowery Electric in Manhattan and Sat Jan. 11 at Don Pedro in Brooklyn. We’ll record our album early ’14.

DAVE: I hope to continue drumming until carpal tunnel sets in. The Recordettes is the most fun band ever, and I love my bandmates - no joke. I would love to continue playing to audiences to 2 or 20 or 200. Also making a double album of Yes covers.

Follow the fabulous Recordettes on all their adventures on Facebook!
www.facebook.com/therecordettes

Listen to their fabled No Front Teeth EP right here on their Bandcamp page!www.therecordettes.bandcamp.com

It's The Ramma Lamma Gang!

Ramma Lamma are a melodic hard drivin’ Rock ‘N’ Roll band who’s music is rooted in 70’s rock. More specifically somewhere in the lands of Detroit glam rock queen Suzi Quatro and Boston’s searing DMZ. It’s heart bursting Rock ‘N’ Roll played fun, fast, and mean by boys and girls that know their craft. After all, co lead singers Ryan King laid waste to many a soul with Rip-Off Record’s Kill-A-Watts and later he and Wendy Norton in the punk-y power pop trio Plexi 3. Ramma Lamma has a hand full of 7”’s for your listening pleasure on various labels (see below). So relax boys and girls, you’re sanity lies in qualified hands!

This interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on December 9th, 2013

Interview by Jay Castro

Shock Treatment: Who’s answering the questions here?
Wendy!
Daniel!
Ryan!


ST: Who is in the band and how do they earn their keep?
WENDY: Wendy Norton and Ryan King play guitar and sing. Daniel James plays bass, and we have two drummers - Bart Farrara (Milwaukee shows) and Sam Reitman (road bork).

Ryan: Guitar/Sings


ST: Where are you all from originally?
WENDY: I was a country kid raised in the woods outside of Sugar Camp, Wisconsin. My mom got me into Elvis when I was six. I pretended not to like it at first because I had just gotten off of a big “time out” but she caught me dancing so I had to admit to loving it. She let me stay up late to watch the 5 part, made for TV movie about Elvis that week and it was all over from there.

DAN: I grew up in a trailer court in a college town in Central Wisconsin. All the locals were total hicks and the college kids were all hippies. Two totally different worlds and they were both kinda lame from a Rock ‘N’ Roll dude's perspective. I was a total hesher.

RYAN: Wauwatosa, WI (a suburb of Milwaukee).


ST: What is the band’s origin story? When and how did you all meet and come together?
Wendy: Ryan and I’s previous band, Plexi 3, had come to an end due to our irreplaceable bassist, Adam Widener, moving to SF, so we were settin’ our sights on our next project.

At the time we were getting back into the classics, hard, stuff like Flamin’ Groovies, Slade, Wizzard, Suzy Quatro, etc. and diggin’ on all the Glam comps that had been coming out over the past decade or so. We wanted to get back to that sort of primitive/fun style of playing so that’s the kind of songs Ryan and I started writing.

We started under the name Roman Fingers (named after the horrible Suzi Quatro tune), played one show, and decided to make some adjustments, and over the course of a year or so we finally found the right formula, which is the Ramma Lamma you know today.

DAN: Ramma Lamma was going for at least a year before they asked me to join. They were doing this thing at first where Wendy or Ryan would play guitar and sing for half the set, and then they'd switch instruments for the second half of the set. I remember being kinda bummed when they started, because people in Milwaukee were starting this kickass rockin' glam punk band and I didn't get asked to be in it. Then after they had a couple singles out Wendy asked if I wanted to play bass and I was like "finally."

RYAN: Wendy and I were in Plexi 3 and the Monitors together (both writing) and wanted to do something more Rock n’ Roll. Both of us started out more or less playing basic garage punk type stuff. So in a way it’s a return to what has always been the most fun kind of music for us.


ST: Razorcake described your music as “70’s arena teen pop.” However I also detect bands like Radio Birdman and DMZ in the Ramma Lamma arsenal, 70’s rock that’s catchy but with a harder edge. Are you guy’s fans of either of the above-mentioned bands or am I totally off the mark?
Wendy: Yeah man, that 70’s arena teen pop is a more fitting description of our dear friends in COZY than Ramma Lamma. I try hard not to paint myself into a corner writing songs for Ramma Lamma, though, because it can be easy to get genre tunnel vision, then I get bored and uninspired to write. Our stuff varies from sleazy/bluesy Trex-esque mellow jams, to proto-metal 60’s stoner rock, garage, punk, pop, pub rock like Dr. Feelgood. When its time to self edit I just sit back and think, “Would Roy Loney approve?” If so, the song stays.

DAN: Radio Birdman is one of my faves. I think there was talk of Ramma Lamma doing a DMZ cover set for Halloween this year too. We definitely never practiced for it or anything.

RYAN: Yeah, actually DMZ “Relics” on Voxx records is one of my all time favorites. The lead guitar on that record rivals James Williamson on Raw Power in my book. As far as the teen thing goes, there are touches of that. We listen to a lot of 70’s rock, but it’s all over the map. I like a band like Flamin’ Groovies, who basically did whatever they felt like within the Rock ‘N’ Roll umbrella.


ST: Speaking of your music, you released a Christmas EP a couple years ago. It included a song called “Merry Christmas to a Rock N’ Roll Lady”. Who is that song about?
RYAN: All of the lonely rock and roll babes across the world. I had the idea to do an Xmas single with Steve from CPR Records. That song was a joke, I came up with it in about 2 minutes on an acoustic guitar in my kitchen.


ST: Listening to your records, it is tough to pinpoint influences to any one era of Rock N’ Roll. I hear most of them in your music. Is there anything other than music that inspires your songs? Things like films, books etc… What kinds of things do you all like doing when taking a break from Rockin’ and Rollin’?
Wendy: Ramma Lamma definitely likes to sing about sex and partying, which is a big time hobby for all of us. When I am not rockin’ and rollin’ in Ramma Lamma, I have another band I play drums in called Rat Lips, all girl and PUNK AS FUCK! I also enjoy drawing, painting, sewing, plants, giving music lessons, and cooking food for my friends and band mates.

DAN: This is pretty much all I do. Rock ‘N’ Roll all-night and party every day. I got a pretty square job, but who wants to talk about that? I play in a bunch of bands. I play lead guitar in Chinese Telephones, but we're not that active anymore. I just started playing drums backing up my buddy Kurt Baker. I'm working on a solo album too. I just counted the other day and realized I'd played in nine different bands in the last year. I like chicks and drinking beer and comic books and whippets.

RYAN: I read a lot of comics, watch a lot of old horror and B movies. I have written a song about the 1974 Australian biker film “Stone” as well as the 1987 film “Street Trash,” highly recommended for fans of Repo Man/Troma studios. Both of those should hopefully be on our upcoming LP.


ST: I read that out of all the different art forms, music has the power to alter a person’s disposition the fastest. Do you agree with this? Do you have any favorite music that you can put on that will always lift you up from a slump?
Wendy: Because music is more aggressive than say, a painting, I certainly agree with that statement. However, if you choose music as your medium you are choosing the harder path because you have to rely on other people to get your art out there. Unlike a painter, which involves a whole lot of organizing, communication, and you kinda end up being the leader of a small gang of miscreants. Which is rad, but more work.

I like to listen to spazzy beat music or girl groups when I have a bunch of chores or tedious tasks to do, and also when I am at work, because it’s the “safest” weird music you can play in public without people bitching.

Serious slumps, or a case of the “thinkies,” require good food and exercise, not music. Temporary relief can be sought out from a 3-minute pop song, but I tend to simplify or trivialize my situation if I turn to records for relief, which makes things worse in the long run.

DAN: My favorite record when I'm feeling down is the second Dictators LP, Manifest Destiny. I just read some dumb review from some blowhard rock journalist that totally slagged it as sellout crap and the worst album in their catalog. I wanna punch that guy. I got my DFFD tattoo ‘cause of that album. It's healed many a broken heart. Thin Lizzy's Bad Reputation kinda has a similar effect on me.

RYAN: Great party records, I guess. Anything you put on right away after you’ve drank a few. Like if you could only keep 25 records or something what would they be. For me: Supercharger “Goes Way Out,” MC5 “Back in USA,” and The Who “Sings My Generation.” Lately I’ve really been digging the Lew Lewis Reformer LP, on Stiff Records.


ST: If you could tour with any band/musician from times gone by, who would it be and why?
Wendy: Slade. I imagine life would be perfect in every way, but if we were to get real here for a second I think the best possible combination would be us and Guida!! And COZY, LOLA COLA and MICKEY!

DAN: Thin Lizzy or the original lineup of Alice Cooper. I wouldn't even really need to tour with them as much as just get a chance to see them live when they were around. I mean, both groups kinda exist in bastardized forms now, but fuck that shit.

RYAN: Probably The Damned, Brian James Era. They just seemed like the most fun and outrageous band in their early years.


ST: You guys seem to play out quite a bit. What has been the most memorable show you’ve played so far, good or bad? Where was it and what made it so unforgettable?
Wendy: We have played some local street festivals and it always gets me going when I see some random, older locals going crazy because they haven’t heard what a loud, rock and roll guitar sounds like in the sunshine, with an open beer in their hand for a really LONG TIME. Sometimes they will come up to me after the show and talk to me about Lita Ford and the usual suspects, it’s pretty rad. Closest thing to a time machine.

Dan: My favorite mighta been with Cozy, Hot Rash, and Rabbit Holes in St. Paul, MN. Much like the Point show it was in a basement, basement shows are always fun, and all the bands fucking ruled. I got to play an Ace Frehley cover with Hot Rash. Wait, how many bands did I say I played shows with in the last year? Add one more to that.

RYAN: We played a show in Stevens Point, WI that was a lot of fun. It was a packed basement show with all these kids going totally mental. We were also properly drunk at that perfect level of playing just good enough, but having a really great time.


ST: I read an interview with Keith Richards where he said that anyone buying digital music is getting short changed. Do you agree with this and if so, why?
Wendy: I have never bought digital music because I am a firm believer in the exchange of money for a tangible object. I also put all my stupid music up on the Internet for free. I will probably change my tune once our LP is finished.

Dan: Whatever. You lose sound quality with digital, but you make up for it in convenience. I buy everything on vinyl, and when I'm home that's what I listen to. I'm a busy guy though and I got no problem paying ten bucks a month to have Spotify on my phone. That shit's awesome. If I could take my record collection on tour with me for three months I would, but I can't. I love mp3s!
People from our generation might have this nostalgia for a physical product, but kids growing up today don't give a shit. They've never even seen a fucking CD. Vinyl's always gonna be number one for me, but whatever means you chose to enjoy your music in is alright by me. I'm more interested in trying whatever kinda magic cocaine's been keeping Keef alive this long.

RYAN: I guess you don’t get the album sleeve. What are you supposed to clean your schwag on now?


ST: I don’t like using the term “guilty pleasure” because I don’t think anyone should be made to feel ashamed of anything they like. However with that being said, what to you listen to that you think a lot of fans may be surprised by?
Wendy: Let me break down my thoughts on “Guilty Pleasures” here for a moment. Since the entire catalog of everything EVER is available to download for free I don’t think that people are so dedicated to their niche as much as they used to be. Also, the lines between ironic and actual good taste have been blurred so much by the Millennials that it’s hard to say that anything could possibly be shocking at this point in time. I feel that all genres truly have their diamonds in the rough, even prog rock, but never RUSH because they are the worst band in the world!!!!

DAN: I used to hate the term "Guilty Pleasure" 'cause I was like "Why should I be ashamed of what kinda tunes I wanna listen to?" Then one day I realized I liked the song "She Don't Know Me" off the first Bon Jovi album. That shit's just embarrassing. I can't believe I'm admitting it here. I mean, I'll admit that I like "Runaway" but "She Don't Know Me" just kinda crosses a new line. Yet I still like it for some sick reason.

I like a lotta shitty pop music though. I'm a sucker for a good hook. I own a Kelly Clarkson 45. That one Bruno Mars song "Kicked Out of Heaven" is kinda sick. Sometimes I'll even get down with some nu Country. Even though they're singing about the corniest shit, like Jesus and watching your kids grow up and joining the army, and the production is horrendous, I can't deny I good three chord hook with a strong melody.

RYAN: I like a lot of sentimental wimpy stuff like Micheal Nesmith, solo country records, Sam Cooke, Donovan, oh and I’m a huge Rod Stewart fan.


ST: What does the Ramma Lamma Rock ‘N’ Roll machine have in store for us in the near, or not so near future?
Wendy: We just recorded a demo of our first LP to take into the studio. After we finish our bout of summertime gigs we are gonna hit the studio. We generally record ourselves because we have been really unsatisfied, but we want to give the studio another try.

DAN: I don't know about any of that stuff. I'm just gonna drink some more of these beers and keep listening to this Giuda record.

RYAN: Recording an LP and touring somewhere outside the USA, hopefully Japan or Puerto Rico.


ST: Where can people go to buy or listen to your great records?
RYAN: Check the Internet should be easy. Maybe Amoeba has some used copies of our 45’s, hey not everyone has good taste.

Stay tuned for gigs/tours/upcoming releases on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ramma-Lamma/123076214380043‎

Listen to songs here:
http://rammalammamilwaukee.bandcamp.com

We still have a few records for sale from these fine record labels: www.certifiedprrecords.com/‎
www.dustymedical.com/

The Men of Maniac!

The men in Maniac supply us with a brand of catchy punk rock with abundant retro influences. There are elements of old punk rock, power pop, mod and even some new wave sprinkled in here and there. However, the band doesn’t hide behind all of this like some second rate nostalgic cover band. They’ve got the control and persona to use their influences as a tool rather than a crutch. After all with these guys; former and current members of Cute Lepers, Clorox Girls, Rough Kids, The Girls, Images, and L.A. Drugz it’s a mathematical impossibility for this band to suck!

This interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on December 9th, 2013

Interview by Jay Castro


Shock Treatment: Please introduce yourselves and how you contribute to Maniac?
ZACHE: Zache Davis, bassist and lead vocals
ANDREW: Andrew Zappin. Lead Guitar.
JUSTIN: I'm Justin Maurer, I play guitar, sing backing vocals and lead vocals on a couple of songs.
JAMES: Young James Carman- the maniacal drumming back bone to this group of wild horses.


ST: You guys are based out of L.A. but where are you all from originally?
ZACHE: I'm originally from the East Bay but grew up in Seattle
ANDREW: I'm originally from Dayton, Ohio, but I've lived in LA for almost half my life.
JUSTIN: I was born in LA, but went to high school and started playing music in the Pacific Northwest.
JAMES: I was born and raised in LA, in a suburb called Carson in the South Bay. It's definitely a part of LA, the city is so huge it literally takes nearly two hours to reach top to bottom.


ST: Is it tough being in a band in L.A.? I would imagine it gets pretty competitive with so much music out there.
ANDREW: I'm new to this scene. My initial assumption is that it would be full of pretentious punk pricks, but it's been the complete opposite. People are open and excited about music. I've met some fascinating people and made some great friends. I just wish there were more places to play.

JAMES: Oh fuck yes, the trouble is that there are so many bands out here, and the worst part is that 85% of them are shit. The face of LA music has changed completely in the last 10 years or so. It's even tougher to get paid. Most places don't even realize the fact of covering gas money to get to the venue. I love this city, but start treating the bands fairly!

ZACHE: I think there's a lot of talented bands in LA and not enough solid venues. The venues we do have are rad, but bands don't want to play the same place over and over. I don't feel like we compete much with other bands. We do this for the love of making music.

JUSTIN: The tough part about being in a band in LA is that old cliché, "It's so spread out…" It's true though. There's a lot of towns to play within LA County and Orange County, but you can be driving an hour or so and still be within LA City Limits or in LA County. It's pretty hard to get folks to come out to see you play unless it's near where they live or in a central location. I guess that's why Downtown LA has been a spot to play recently because it's kind of a middle ground for everyone living in surrounding areas. It is extremely competitive but the "punk" scene is still pretty small, everyone knows everyone else and the bands tend to recycle members. Just in this band alone we have The Girls, Clorox Girls, Images, LA Drugz - that's 4 more bands that members from this band play in! So imagine all of LA, it's just the same people recycled over and over again just like an incestuous music scene in any other town.

ST: You guys are in and or were in several other well known bands (Clorox Girls, Cute Lepers, Rough Kids) but what is Maniac’s origin story? How did you all meet and start playing music together?
ANDREW: Prior to Maniac, I played guitar in my bedroom. In front of a mirror, sometimes wearing pants.

ZACHE: Maniac started as a two-day challenge in December of 2011. Andrew and I were sitting around with our original guitarist and came up with the idea to write and record an EP in two days. Andrew had never played in a band and we had been loosely tossing the idea of playing music together for a while. We had been casually jamming together already so it kind of just worked out. Ardy (original guitarist) informed us that he would be leaving town for work two days before our 1st show which would have forced us to cancel. I wasn't interested in waiting around any longer so we parted ways mutually and asked Justin to fill in for our first show. After one practice Justin said, "So you guys only practice once a week? I'll do it. I'll be in the band!"

JAMES: I met Justin a while back when my other band IMAGES played with Clorox Girls in San Pedro I remember him coming up to me after we played with wide eyes saying, "We need to collaborate together." So we started a project called LA Drugz. Zache was a mutual acquaintance. I met Andrew one night when he tagged along with the crew and came to my house and partied all night. They had a previous drummer, Richie from Clorox Girls/Rough Kids, who left and shortly after they asked me to do it. At first I was pissed that they asked me because they were one of the only local bands I enjoyed watching live and now I'm playing with them; pretty awesome. We all play tough and hard. I'm the young gun of this pack of Maniacs, but I still consider them my brothers and love 'em to death.


ST:  Did you have a particular sound or concept in mind when starting out Maniac? What did you want to do differently with this band than with the others you guys have been in or are still in?
JAMES: I'm the drummer, so my job is to play tough and keep it together, which I'm a champ at. Be careful when you're at our shows because a cymbal might fly by and slice your head into two. Just sayin'.

ZACHE: The original concept I had in mind for Maniac was to not think too much about how we want a song to be written but more to just let it happen. In the past, I've over thought song structure and sometimes the result can be dropping an otherwise radical riff. It's also new for me to write songs from the bass instead of the guitar.

JUSTIN: Zache has said he wants it to sound "minimal," I don't really know what he means by that. Ha! Andrew wants it to sound like Cheap Trick and James wants it to sound punk. Since we all come from different places musically, we end up having a pretty unique sound. We don't have 2 songs that sound alike which is quite the contrast to most bands where every song sounds the same and follows a similar structure and formula. Maniac doesn't have a formula set in stone yet which is pretty refreshing.

ANDREW: Maniac is my first band. When we started, I was a bit intimidated. Everyone else had been touring and playing for years. They knew the scene and had very particular musical reference points that sometimes I couldn't relate to. All I knew was I had certain stylistic tendencies as a player and that I should not shy away from those. So, I didn't. But, I also kept my ears open and began to incorporate new things into my playing and writing. In the end, I think what makes Maniac a unique band -- if we are in some way unique -- is that we've found a way to stew our various styles into a cohesive -- and still evolving -- whole.


ST: What other than music has inspired a Maniac song? Think like books or film, I mean living in L.A. with so many cultures running together there must be a lot of stuff to draw motivation from.
JUSTIN: You're right about LA having a ton of cultures and influences that undoubtedly spill into any kind of creative energy. I'd say the Nathanael West book, "Day of the Locust," the film "Chinatown," Dan Fante's, "Chump Change," Jerry Stahl's "Permanent Midnight," Bukowski's "Last Night of the Earth" poems, taco trucks and Thai food. I'm also pretty certain that drugs and alcohol have inspired some of the lyrics and music although we've been good boys recently. Zache sings though and I have no idea what he's saying most of the time, but I assume he's singing about sexual frustration and/or drug use.

ZACHE: I'm inspired by real life happenings personal to me and authors like Camus, Steinbeck, Saint-Exupéry and Nabokov.

JAMES: That's more for the front court of this band. But honestly, just the city of LA is inspiring enough in many doses. If John Fante ("Ask The Dust") were in a band, he'd probably be rocking out with us.

ANDREW: I write for a living. It's obsessive and totally self-conscious, so for me playing music is about catharsis. I don't intellectualize it. I play things that make me feel good.

ST: You have a brand new 7” out now on La Ti Da Records, Dim Sum b/w Pepe. I am curious as to what inspired the cover art of the man holding the balloons?
ZACHE: The cover art was the idea of our original drummer, Richie. We played a show with F.Y.P. once and set up a back drop of 6 balloons, each with a letter on them, that spelled MANIAC. The balloon dude was a continuation of that. Kind of makes you uncomfortable, doesn't it?

ANDREW: As Zache mentioned, we played a show at the Blue Star and dressed the stage with 'Maniac' spelled out in balloons. My favorite part of the story is that we were the opening act that night and every band that played after us had to do so with our giant silver Mylar balloons hanging over them. That pretty much says it all.


ST: Maniac has been around a little over a year now and already you have played with some pretty great bands. What has been the most memorable show the band has played good or bad? Where was it and what made it so unforgettable?
ANDREW: Our second show was terrible. We opened up at the American Legion Hall in Highland Park. The house lights were on. Bright. And the crowd was standing 20 feet away from us. Highly uncomfortable. I wanted out from the first chord. Our third show sticks out as a great one. We were playing The Redwood with The Ballantynes from Canada. It was packed and it was the first time I saw people I didn't know gettin' down to our songs. It was also the first time I really felt present onstage. What's more, I broke a string on our second to last song. I figured that was it for the set. Then Jared, lead singer of the Ballantynes, handed me his guitar. They wanted us to keep playing. I felt validated. Also, it was sort of funny in that Jared's taller than I am and his guitar was slung so low I was playing it around my knees. Our most recent show with Brent Amaker and the Rodeo was pretty terrific, too. Amazing band. Their lead guitarist is so good I've considered switching to kazoo.

JUSTIN: Yeah, I agree with Andrew, the only great show I can think of recently was a random Monday night at the Redwood in downtown LA. Brent Amaker and the Rodeo were the headliners, they're from Seattle. I didn't really know what to expect, they were described to me as Johnny Cash meets Devo. It was a pretty accurate way of describing them actually. They had this outlaw, Cash vibe but with this amazing guitarist who played these Ennio Morricone type straight desert riffs. They put on a real show, man, like Elvis in a Vegas casino in the 70’s. They are dressed identically in white cowboy suits complete with boots and hats. The dude walks out with a gong, later in the set he busts out a bullwhip and they ended the set with the roadie placing a black cape on the singer, he walks off and the bassist does a fully nude male strip tease. It was fucking brilliant, one of the best shows I saw all year. I heard their recordings but it doesn't really do their live show justice, so I guess you just have to see 'em live.

JAMES: I agree. Brent Amaker and the Rodeo at The Redwood Bar. The show was just awesome and packed and those guys have the coolest get up I've ever seen in a band. Rock and Roll was in the air. Did I mention it was a Monday?

ZACHE: Sounds like we actually might do a west coast tour next year with Brent Amaker and the Rodeo. Personally, I feel like we'd be a great fit together. Maniac is simply put, punk rock but I'd like to think we have the potential of reaching a broader audience. Brent Amaker is like country meets the Stranglers. Their fans are a versatile mix of folks like ours. I've seen fans our Maniac become fans of The Rodeo and vice versa. They're fun to watch and extremely talented. I feel like they would challenge us night after night and they're also good dudes to have a drink with. With a combination like that, everybody wins.

ST: If you guys could tour with any band/musician from times gone by, who would it be and why?
ANDREW: The Who. You know why. Van Halen under Roth. Cheap Trick. Guns N' Roses. Motley Crue. All bands who participated in the sort of storied excess and buffoonery that is at the heart of every genre of rock and roll except prog rock.

JAMES: Oooooooh. So many to name, so much pressure. Man this is tough. I mean who wouldn't have wanted to tour with The Stones, The Clash, etc. But I'm gonna be relevant. One modern band that always blew me away was The Hives. No one has sounded tougher than that band since they came out except us. POW!

JUSTIN: Too many to name. I would have loved to play with Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Ritchie Valens, Little Richard, Screamin' Jay Hawkin. If I were around in LA in the 60’s, I would have loved to play with Love, The Seeds, The Standells, The Doors, Neil Young. In the 70’s, Van Halen, The Runaways, The Weirdos, The Germs, Black Flag, Black Randy, VOM, Controllers, Flesh Eaters, Gun Club too many to name. Touring-wise, I'd like to tour with somebody professional and low key. I'd be down to play a few shows with Motley Crue or Guns 'N Roses in the 80’s, but don't think I'd like to do a whole tour with 'em, my liver might explode.

ST: I don’t like using the term “guilty pleasure” because I don’t think anyone should be made to feel ashamed of anything they like. However with that being said, what to you listen to that you think a lot of fans may be surprised by?
ANDREW: I have eclectic taste in music and, like everyone; I listen to different bands for different reasons. That said, sometimes I like to put my iPod on shuffle and hope it takes me from Don Henley to Peter Gabriel to Tears for Fears to Simple Minds to Bruce Springsteen to Tom Petty to Cheap Trick to Dead Boys to 70's Van Halen to Guns n' Roses to Ratt to Motley Crue to Dio to Iron Maiden and then somehow makes it from there to Tangerine Dream to M83 to Boards of Canada. If you wanna get real specific, Phil Collins hit singles, "Billy Don't Lose My Number" and "Easy Lover" are in heavy rotation in my car right now especially 'Easy Lover'. Philip Bailey's vocals really sell the shit out of that track and Nathan East is a beastly groove-master on bass.

ZACHE: No guilt here! I listen to and am inspired by many genres of music. I usually listen to KUSC when I'm driving which is LA's classical station. I guess you could call that the most opposite genre of music from us. I to a lot of jazz, classical, and I get down with some Ranchero as well. I'm currently listening to this Latin psychedelic-esque group from Columbia called The Meridian Brothers. I generally stay away from top 40 and new hip-hop made after 1997.

JAMES: HA! Whoever knows me knows mine for sure. STYX. I love that band, ever since I was a kid. I don't care what anyone says. STYX rules hard.

JUSTIN: I love a lot of 60’s French pop, I like Ranchero music and Trio too like Los Panchos, I like some 70’s Spanish gypsy music like Los Amaya. I think "Hey Ya" was one of the best pop songs ever written. The Venga Boys first album was pretty unstoppable. I like pretty much everything by Oasis. I love the Doors and believe they captured the sound and the vibe of L.A. perfectly. If Van Halen or the Doors come on the radio I will turn it up. I'm surprised by the amount of "Dad Rock" that I like. Generally in the car, and I spend a lot of time in the car, I'll listen to the 2 classic rock stations, an old school rap station (KDAY), the USC classical music station or NPR. If "Cocaine" by Clapton comes on, I will also turn it up just like I would turn up "Low Rider." Shit, Jackson Browne, "Runnin' On Empty." How many guilty pleasures can one man have? Ha Ha.


ST: What music have you unleashed on the world and where can people go to hear it or buy it?
JUSTIN: Maniac have one 7" out on Canadian label La Ti Da, you can get it off their website, you can also hear the tracks there. We just recorded a full-length LP and so that should be out in the near future. In the past, I played in a ton of bands that released records, Deadly Weapons, Clorox Girls, Red Dons, La Mano De Mono, Suspect Parts, Role Models, LA Drugz. You can find links to listen to those songs on my website www.justin-maurer.com/music/. Most of it's also on Spotify, Pandora, iTunes and all those other digital mediums that pay bands a fraction of a cent per play. A FRACTION of a cent. I kid you not. I should have a check for 6 dollars coming to me pretty soon.

JAMES: A few. My resume isn't as nearly as impressive as Justin's! IMAGES - Thought Patterns 7", LA Drugz - Outside Place 12" EP.

ZACHE: I've put out three LP’s and two singles with The Girls. You can find those at dirtnaprecs.com and on iTunes and Spotify.


ST: What does the band have in store for us in the near, or not so near, future?
JAMES: Just recorded a full length, like a few days ago. Ear bleeding orgasms cumming your way. Splooge.

ANDREW: It's going to be an incendiary record.

ZACHE: We just finished recording our LP last weekend and we're very excited about it. We're hoping to have that out sometime next year. We're fortunate to be surrounded by many talented friends in Los Angeles who also like Maniac and want to work with us. Expect a video or three very soon.