Saturday, February 29, 2020

DJ Interviews: Novus Cantus

Hey there folks DJ Dizzy here & I had the pleasure of interviewing a band who answer to the name of Novus Cantus as we sat down & spoke on their musical beginnings.





How'd you get started in music?


Christian: First of all, thank you so much Dizzy for offering to do this interview. We are unsigned and completely independent from the industry, so don't get many opportunities like this.

I got started early on by joining our school's band as a drum student. I'm not going to lie, I was a pretty terrible student. It wasn't until I got my first drum set that I really started "trying" and watching instructional videos (which were almost solely VHS!). At that point Alex and I really had not been doing too much collaborating; that wouldn't happen until our mid-teenage years when Alex got his first nice steel-string acoustic guitar and began taking flamenco guitar lessons. Given the Spanish-inspired direction my brother's writing style was going, I put together a strange concoction we called the "ethnic set" made up of a small djembe, and a conga that my uncle found in a dumpster. And voila! Novus Cantus was born.  I'll let Alex add something if he wants...

Alex: The only thing I would add is that music really was something that Christian and I almost immediately bonded over, and felt a real passion for.  We seemed to 'get' each other, even way back then, so I'd say that's a pretty key piece of how we got involved in music. 


Who are your inspirations or influences?


Alex: Growing up in the 90s we experienced a really great, revolutionary time in music. There was an upheaval in traditional rock that led to a darker more "grungy" sound, and the introduction of world music into almost every genre. So given the NUMEROUS potential influences, it’s safe to say that some of the most influential were: The Crash Test Dummies, Rusted Root, Metallica, Muzsikas (Hungarian folk), Jethro Tull, Deep Forest and Enigma. 

We also always had an affinity for Classical and Baroque music, and super awesome ancient-inspired music (think the Conan the Barbarian 1979 soundtrack). 




What advice would offer aspiring performers?

Christian: Firstly, manage your time wisely.  We know it sounds very business-like, but the reality is you can’t spend all of your time on just one aspect of performing/creating. Some bands perform constantly at local venues. Maybe that is getting them really far, but for us it didn’t. It was exhausting and yielded little reach to new audiences, especially compared to advertising to mass numbers of listeners on Twitter or YouTube.  The time we spent rehearsing we could have spent on adding to our Press Kit, getting photos done, or setting up promo campaigns. Those kinds of things don't have that immediate emotional payoff like performing, but when things start coming together it creates a larger sense of movement.

Second of all, change it up when it comes to promotion, and make sure you keep using what works! In this era of music, there are a LOT of people trying to make money off of musicians, even when you are just starting out. And because musicians are more accessible on social media, there is a LOT of pressure and temptation to use all kinds of promo services.  There is nothing wrong with experimenting, but be smart and don’t drop a bundle on an “expert” who has worked with no bands you’ve hard of.


How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?


Alex: You know what, I don’t think that we really do too much deliberately to set our selves apart per se. We really try to stick to what we like and are a bit on the unapologetic side when it comes to our sound. Having said that, our song structures definitely are different. A good example would be our instrumental “Moon” that was really heavily inspired by the classical composer Camille Saint-Saenz and... wait for it... Metallica! "Moon" has several "mini movements" that lend themselves more to something heard from "Ride the Lightning". It was honestly a ton of work trying to put that one together, but are proud of how it turned out! Overall our songs sound different, which is partly why we also have some trouble fitting into any one genre.

Also, we spend a lot of time on lyrics; specifically their subject.  Again, having been exposed to such a wide array of music growing up, much of it with profound subject-matter, we try to make sure that the lyrics not only match the music, but probe topics that are a little deeper/more spiritual or philosophical. I think a good example of this would be "In the City" (give it a listen!). That approach seems to fit well with our musical style as well.  


Any new gigs or albums in the future


Christian: YES! So we have currently an arts grant application in the works for a secret project we have been working on (sorry, we can't talk about it yet), while simultaneously working on a new EP for the Winter. The new EP will be a little more rock focused, with a sound more reminiscent of our song “Despair”. There might even be a remix or two thrown in of some of our older tracks.

And if folks want to help us make the album, they can just go over to Patreon.com/NovusCantus where for as little as $1 per month, they can join our exclusive community of fans and supporters.


Special thanks to them for doing this interview so until then I'll catch you on the flipside! Stay aweseome & rock n roll!

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show �� "Sweet Victory" | Alternate Timeline Edit





I uploaded this video as a follow up to the article I wrote regarding the half time show

But here's hoping you like it

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Tina Turner Hosts Friday Night Videos - 1989

DJ Interviews: Steve Mac

Hey there guys DJ Dizzy here, I sat down with a singer named Steve Mac who had so much to say on his success


How'd you get started in music?

In my school you were allowed to stay indoors during recess if you played an instrument so I picked up a guitar and my classmate (we were 13 at the time taught me a few chords. He subsequently went on to write songs for Nancy Sinatra amongst others.When I left school I got a college grant which covered my tutorial expenses but not my living or social ones, so I busted the streets of Liverpool every free minute I had in
order to live.

 Who are your inspirations or influences?

Coming from Liverpool it's hard to ignore the Beatles and another is Elvis Costello who also has a Liverpool
connection. Now I am more influenced by YouTube and Facebook live performers, some of whom I have gotten to know personally. Check out John Monnecka to see what I mean

 What advice would offer aspiring performers?

Choose your set list with care and know it inside out as this will allow you to really shine when you perform.
Don't however wait until you are perfect, good enough is good enough so perform when ever and where evepossible to gain experience. Also follow me on twitter for daily tips @The_WaveWatcher How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers? Interaction with the audience is key for me, this combinedwith using a hybrid guitar and looper which are still relatively unusual makes me stand out.

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

I have given up recording for the time being but gig constantly 

Special thanks to him for doing this interview & I wish him nothing but luck in things so until then I'll catch you on the flipside! stay awesome & rock n roll!

Sunday, February 9, 2020

DJ Interviews: The Sap Band

Hello everyone, DJ Dizzy here & I had the esteemed pleasure of interviewing a band who call themselves The Sap Band as they had a lot to say about their humble musical beginnings.



How'd you get started in music?


Listened to a heap of music when I was a kid, always really loved the idea of being in a band. Like I used to watch Green Day concerts and all there music videos on repeat. Watching these over and over are what inspired me to learn guitar and eventually form this band.


Who are your inspirations or influences?


My biggest influences would have to be bands like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Mad Season and Temple of the dog. So basically that whole 90s Seattle scene, obviously there’s other types and music and other bands I enjoy but I find that these bands have had the biggest effect on my songwriting and lyricism


What advice would offer aspiring performers?


Being an aspiring performer I don’t know how confident I feel in my ability to give advise haha, but if I had one piece of advice it’d be grind. Just grind until you’re happy with your songs, grind until you find your sound, grind until your band is tight and grind until your confident in the songs live. Once you’ve done that you can reap the rewards of the work you’ve put in


How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?


I don’t know that we do haha, I think we’re just another band that’s out there. But I love our music and I enjoy playing with the band so much. I feel we’ve found our sound and if anything I feel like that’s what sets us apart 



Any new gigs or albums in the future


We have a bunch of songs just waiting to be recorded ( a whole albums worth infact) and we’re just waiting for the right time to record them. Show wise you can catch us around Sydney’s city, the northern beaches and the hills. Lots of shows coming up this year so if you’re in the area and we’re playing come down and have a chat.


Special thanks to them for doing this interview & I wish them luck in their music. So until then I'll catch you on the flipside. Stay awesome & rock n roll!

Friday, February 7, 2020

A Poem for Aretha Franklin

This is a special Poem for Aretha Franklin

A poem for Aretha Franklin

All hail to the queen of soul
your musical style is versatile
be it gospel, blues with a splash of rock n roll

You were a person  that projected class & grace
Your down to earth personality & influence
presented a sweet & sincere embrace


Though you're gone your music
& words are in our hearts & memories
remembered forever & you'll have our
undying love & R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Sound Off Super bowl Halftime show

Hey there everyone its your old pal DJ Dizzy here & I had the pleasure of checking out the Super bowl half time show which featured Jennifer Lopez & Shakira who were the first ever female Latino performers to ever perform together in the Super bowl's history.


This was a real treat seeing them both together & starting things off was Shakira who lead things off with a medley of some of her hit songs along with rapper Bad Bunny as J. Lo would then later come in doing a medley of her songs with J Baldwin they then would both come together on the song "Lets Get Loud." But I really enjoyed the classic dance mix of "Waiting for tonight"

Both of them really did a decent job in their performances & as for their guests they did a great job on their rapping as well. This was perhaps the biggest land mark to feature performers of Latina descent performing on the same stage together for the first time in the half time show's history.

I have to say that the Super bowl half time show has had their share of performers over the years who each gave their share of memorable performances (Except the one last year but I'll cover that one in a minute.) But overall I have to give it to the both of them for doing an awesome job on both their parts.

Now as for the half time show last year okay first off when you have Maroon 5 involved the thing to do is to actually have a full performance of Sweet Victory instead of cutting it off that really would've been worth watching & turning up the volume for. I had to change the channel the moment I saw that & I wasn't the only one disappointed by this but here's a little tip never ask Maroon 5 to do a half time show.


But those are my thoughts regarding this year's half time show & last years at that & in spirit of what should've been last year so until then I'll catch you on the flipside! Stay awesome & rock n roll!













The Good Girls on Friday Night Videos (1990)

Saturday, February 1, 2020

DJ Interviews: Kalmo

Hey there everyone its your old friend DJ Dizzy here & I had the honor of interviewing a band who call themselves Kalmo & they're a death metal band who had so much to share regarding their musical beginnings.

Kalmo (cadaver in English) is a Finnish one-man doom metal project. Kalmo’s doom metal is distinguished by its simplicity, brutality and harsh sound. The debut EP Demoni was released May 2019. In addition to the EP, Kalmo has released a couple of music videos. Songs for the next EP are work in progress and hopefully it will be released during the year 2020.



How'd you get started in music?


Music has been my hobby almost all my life. I also listen to different music styles: blues, different genres of metal, classical, rock’n’roll, psychobilly and also some punk, to mention a few. After graduating mid-90s I decided to join a blues band as a bassist.The band played covers and also our own songs. I wrote lyrics in English and our guitarists composed the music. There were also some events where we played live over those years. After moving to another town, I decided to leave the band due to long travels for rehearsals. In the new place, I joined a local blues association (BluesLovers.org) and its board. We organized about 20 blues gigs for national and international blues bands and artists per year. Then I moved again and left BluesLovers. After pondering a moment what to do with music, I decided to boost up the doom metal project I have had in the drawer for some years.

Kalmo’s origins are in a project started around 2008. The first song I wrote for this project was Mustaa. From there on I have written about a dozen songs, for which I have a demo version. Late last year I decided to record my debut EP with 6 of these songs. The song Mustaa was one of them.



Who are your inspirations or influences?


Kalmo’s song lyrics are written in Finnish. They get their inspiration from the world around us, the seen and the unseen world. Kalmo sees the future being pure darkness. Everything will be sucked into the evil vortex of a dark void. Despair will conquer humanity. Songs of Kalmo are about that last path for us to take and the end that awaits.

Kalmo rises skulls to all metal metal bands, no matter the ganre. There are many bands that influence Kalmo and its sound. To give you a complete list would be impossible task. However, I can mention a few. I think the origins are Celtic Frost and Black Sabbath. My interest in doom metal started from Celtic Frost’s music video I saw on Music Television. That moment brought a change to my life. I fell in love immediately. I knew this was my kind of music. In the simplicity of the songs and how they twist and transform the classical blues and rock’n’roll songs, The Cramps has always interested me. I want to bring a similar kind of simplicity and ability to mutate the traditional style like they did.

There are also some other bands I want to mention. From Finland Galvanizer and Vorum I listen to a lot. Then definitely Slayer, Death Breath, Candlemass and Tom G. Warrior’s other bands Hellhammer and Triptykon, Gallhammer and King Diamond. Like mentioned there are many, many more bands I like to listen to  but are not mentioned here now.




What advice would offer aspiring performers?


No matter your goals I think it is important to make your vision clear. Draw it. Put it in to words. Tell a story about it.  It does not matter how but express it somehow to get it out from your head to some form you are able to communicate it to someone else. Once you are able to do this, you are better able to work for it.
Another thing, keep on pushing no matter what. There will be days when everything seems to be going wrong and nobody cares. Push through those days and keep your vision clear. There will always be people criticizing what you do. They have a right not to like what you do, but you do not need to define yourself or what you do based on what they say. Your ambition, your vision and your art are the only thing that matters.



How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?


That is a big question. Over the past two years I have learned a lot and I amstill working on Kalmo’s sound and style. Kalmo wants to find a path to something a bit different. The path invites further into the darkness, which is more raw and more inimitable. Kalmo wants to push the boundaries and experiment to see what is behind the next gate on the way to damnation and the ultimate end of this all.



Any new gigs or albums in the future


As Kalmo is one-man project, there will most likely be no gigs in the near or far future. However, I will focus on producing music and music videos. The plan is to work on the next EP and get 5 songs ready for that. The goal is to get it ready and released during the year 2020.

Now to celebrate Khreestmas Kalmo style I have just released a Khreestmas song single. The song is a cover song based on old traditional Khreestmas carol, which Kalmo has deformed into a Kalmo style kind of song.

You can listen the song and watch the video from here:
Music video at Kalmo’s YouTube: https://youtu.be/p8EM1XT2ufI


You can find more about Kalmo from these links:
CD, digital edition of EP Demoni and t-shirts available at Bandcamp - https://doom.kalmo.fi
Homepage: https://kalmo.fi

Special thanks to them for doing this interview & I wish them nothing but luck in their careers so until then I'll catch you on the flipside! Stay awesome & rock n roll!

DJ Interviews: Man eat Grass

Hey there everyone DJ Dizzy here & I had the pleasure of meeting up with a band who call themselves Man Eat Grass who had so much to share on their success.


How'd you get started in music?

Got a Guitar for Christmas



Who are your inspirations or influences?
Vodka, rock n roll, punk, buskers , real music played by musicians



What advice would offer aspiring performers?
Keep it real, be yourself. Feel music from inside, your soul , Don't try and make music to fit in with others.



How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?
We make music for real people, we don't give a stuff about making money, fame or being the next wonder band.



Any new gigs or albums in the future?
New album December 13th .... 

"Toucans Aint never Enough"...

Special thanks to them for doing this interview & I wish them luck in their career so until then I'll catch you on the flipside. Stay awesome & rock n roll!