During Austin PRIDE on Saturday, September 10, 2011, I interviewed some of the featured artists of the inaugural OUTlander Fall Festival. In addition to this post, I created my own YouTube Page to feature them.
Here’s the fourth of the series with ATX hip hop soul duo, God-Des & She, who were the Austin PRIDE 2011 HEADLINER at the OUTlander Fall Festival. Unlike the other interviews in this series, I spoke to God-Des & She BEFORE their house-bringing-down festival closing set on the Empire Stage at Lipstick 24.
Thanks to Melissa Martin, Director of Operations for bMUSEd Entertainment, for the opportunity & God-Des & She for being regular peeps, so funny they had me rollin’, and for being so generous with their time as I know they are busy, busy ladies.
What you see is not actually the entire interview, I spoke to them right up until they had to go on stage (unbeknownst to me), so we were suddenly surprised so they could hurry up and go tear the roof off. It was all pretty exciting.
As stated in the interview, God-Des & She will be honored with their own official day in Austin, as proclaimed by Austin City Mayor, Lee Leffingwell, on Thursday, November 3, 2011. Festivities and a performance are scheduled to take place at City Hall. Go to the Facebook Event Page for details.
During Austin PRIDE on Saturday, September 10, 2011, I interviewed some of the featured artists of the inaugural OUTlander Fall Festival. In addition to this post, I created my own YouTube Page to feature them.
Here’s the third of the series with acoustic rock duo, Lipstick Letters (who have since decided to pursue individual interests). I spoke with Lipsticke Letters after their set on the patio at Rusty’s.
Thanks to Melissa Martin, Director of Operations for bMUSEd Entertainment, for the opportunity & Lipstick Letters for always being game.
As an aside, not that anyone asked for my two cents, but I only hope they work together again sooner rather than later because I feel like they just scraped the tip of the iceberg. That’s all I’m saying.
During Austin PRIDE on Saturday, September 10, 2011, I interviewed some of the featured artists of the inaugural OUTlander Fall Festival. In addition to this post, I created my own YouTube Page to feature them.
Here’s the second of the series with the Chieftess of Krunk (or Crunk, but I want to make it an extra special title) Pop, Esther LaVonne. I spoke with Esther after her set on the Club 606 Stage at Lipstick 24.
Thanks to Melissa Martin, Director of Operations for bMUSEd Entertainment, for the opportunity & Esther LaVonne for busting my chops.
During Austin PRIDE on Saturday, September 10, 2011, I interviewed some of the featured artists of the inaugural OUTlander Fall Festival. In addition to this post, I created my own YouTube Page to feature them.
Here’s the first of the series with ATX pop/rock band, PETALS. This was PETALS’ FIRST EVER video interview after their set kicking off the Empire Stage at Lipstick 24.
Thanks to Melissa Martin, Director of Operations for bMUSEd Entertainment, for the opportunity & PETALS for being open to the experience and letting me be the first.
Editor’s Note:Zonisphere Media Group, home of the e-zine, Zubterrain, where my weekly music column, Urb’l (Urban Cool) Remedy, lived, continues to undergo a site overhaul, indefinitely. So, my column is currently halted. I finished out my June posts here at THE REAL popolio.
My articles normally went live on Tuesdays. I thought I was done for the meantime, but I have a few outstanding. Since this was in flux and already scheduled with the artists, I think it deserves to see the light of day. At Urb’l Remedy, I would have called this a BONUS Photo Pictorial (only to post on the last week of 5-week months like August). THE REAL popolio version is a pic-olio, that could post any time.
That said, I normally had a Cause of the Month interview that kicked things off the first week of each month. I had reached out to local R&B songbird, Lisa Marshall, to be my interviewee for August, but then I learned about the hiatus at Zubterrain. I do know her COM would have been Out Youth Austin. So, for these two August posts (one posted at the beginning of the month), that’s what it will be. Click on the link to find out more about the organization and enjoy the pic-olio. +++
Thank you to Jenni Lord and Tina Turner (yes, that’s her name!), collectively Lipstick Letters, for their openness to the process and patience on waiting for these to post. We did the photo shoot way back at the beginning of July. On Ms. Lord’s birthday weekend, no less. I got the chance to interview Jenni Lord for SXSW earlier this year. Please check out that interview over at therepubliq.com.
I’m not going to give away the concepts this time around. I’ll just leave that to your imagination and interpretation. It will be Lipstick Letters and my little secret only visible in the traces of their lipstick. Corny, I know. Couldn’t resist. I will say, we had a quite a few set-ups, so I went with 10 final photos.
Shout out to Corey Hurt and Eric Garcia for hosting us and providing thelocation for the shoot.
Joey Salinas is a pop singer who has a history with THE REAL popolio. We have featured him many a time in our various incarnations. Speaking of incarnations, his third and latest project is entitled Identity, is actually a series of 3 EPs, and is his most ambitious and conceptual release to-date. Chapter I was just released on Tuesday. And, it is just that, an exploration of the different layers of identity as applied to musicality through the lens of the concept of human variability and sameness.
It’s like the proverbial onion. Layers can be peeled away to reveal different angles and appearances, but at the core you still have an onion. Guess I’m fascinated by the concept of identity. See what Joey Salinas had to say about it all in this EXCLUSIVE 10Q interview!
Listen to the title track from the first part of Joey Salinas’ Identity project!
Click the cover of Identity: Chapter I to go to Joey Salinas’ official site and second pic, at the end of the interview, to get to his Facebook Page.
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1. Tell us the concept behind Identity, both creatively and musically. The Identity project is basically a trek through the evolution of the music that has created what people now know as my sound, beginning with Identity: Chapter I. This first chapter is an exploration of the many facets of pop music, from the gritty, dark, and heavy synth bass in the title track to the light, electric, and effervescent melody in a song called “Stomp.” Creatively, I wanted to break apart my initial concept to be able to provide something new and fresh for my fans to look forward to throughout the year.
2. So, it’s a series. How many parts? How will each be different from one another and how will they be connected? When will each be released? Yes, Identity is a series of three (3) chapters that fans can look forward to through this year beginning with Chapter I released earlier this week on Tuesday [August 16th]. Musically, they will each have their own theme that will wrap them into their individual chapters, but each will maintain the overall Identity concept. Fans can also expect a few nice surprises as each chapter is released. Fans can expect Chapters II and III toward the end of 2011/early 2012. 3.How is Identity different than your previous works? Identity: Chapter I is a fusion of all the genres that inspire me. I decided to mix my Pop roots with R&B and Dance, just to name a few, so there is always something for everyone to enjoy! With my last two albums, the concepts weren’t as elaborate as this latest project has become. With In The Beginning… it became a compilation of all the songs I had been working on at that time. They ended up piecing together nicely and I liked how they collectively sounded as an album With the … [And Then There Was] Alexander album, my focus was more on the songwriting and vocals.
But, the Identity project will encompass everything about me as a performer and an artist. This project was put together by a concept based on the idea that in life, we’re all chameleons; we can be something different and take on many facets while still holding true to who we are – just showing different sides to ourselves.
4. You’ve released two singles since the beginning of the year, “My Time/Too Much Going On” and the title track, “Identity.” As you stated, the first set was released on Tuesday, August 16th. Other than that, what’s next for the project? Well, I’ll be looking forward to promoting the first EP with a few performances and just having fun with this project. I’ll also be working on the upcoming chapters of the Identity project so fans can look forward to those. Expect some singles off the upcoming chapters as well and, who knows, maybe even a few remixes.
5. Can we expect any music videos? That is definitely in the realm of possibilities this time around. This project is going to keep me busy for a while.
6. If you could take on any type of identity, who or what would it be and why? Well, I kinda’ like being an entertainer because that way I don’t have to choose. Do I? I love music, I love to sing. I love to dance. I love to act. I love to perform. I love being able to switch it up whenever I want. And, with each of those endeavors, there’s an infinite list of options to choose from. But, in the spirit of the question, if being an entertainer, which gives me that flexibility, wasn’t an option, I’d love to be some type of archeologist or explorer of some kind; searching the world for undiscovered wonders. I think that would be awesome. I clearly watch too much Discovery Channel and Nat [ional] Geo [graphic]!!
7. Share one thing about Joey Salinas that you wish people would get that they don’t. That’s a good one. I’m pretty much an open book, so I guess I’d say that. If people don’t understand that I’m as upfront as can be, then that’s what I’d want them to know. Creatively, I write from past and present experiences and the experiences of those around me as I see them through my eyes. And, personally, I like to put all the cards out on the table. I don’t like surprises. I like knowing what’s going on and I like for others to know where I’m coming from and what my direction is. There’s nothing more frustrating than not knowing what’s going on with a situation and feeling lost.
8. Seems to me that people have trouble accepting that we are multi-dimensional and can be more than one thing. It’s like you can only choose one identifier and that’s it. Along the lines of identity, why do you think we are like this as a society even though we must realize as individuals that we are more than one thing (gender, sexuality, nationality, citizenship, right-handedness vs. left-handedness, passion, history, background, etc.)? I’ll try to answer this in the best way possible, because that was quite wordy. LOL. I think people function fine as the multi-faceted beings that we are. I think the problem lies when someone starts to pluck out individual characteristics and puts them under a microscope. It’s when someone makes it an issue that another is mixed or gay or legal or religious or handicapped that we have to educate and help for there to be an understanding and knowledge of each other’s differences; show the beauties of it and share commonalities. It’s about educating the ignorant. That’s all.
9. You’re working with singer-songwriter, Tom Goss, who I have interviewed for another site. Didn’t think he’d be one to use choreography and dancers. Tell me about that. How did that come together? Yes, he’s a dear friend of mine. I met him at a show another friend of mine was performing at. He was in the basement office getting ready for his set, tuning his guitar. I’m drawn to other singers (when I find them). So, we got to talking and kept in touch and have been friends ever since.
He’s currently promoting his latest album [Turn It Around] and is going to shoot a video for a song off the album. He had some ideas for it and knew he’d be able to reach out to me. So, he did and I said, “Of course,” and that was that. We begin shooting later this month. It’s going to be fun. I know I’ve got tons I’m working on with my own projects, but it’s refreshing and healthy at times to get out of your own little bubble and help enhance someone else’s world.
10. Give me one scoop for THE REAL popolio of something upcoming and exciting that your fans will be reading hear for the first time. Expect [the first] video for the Identity project really soon.
