How to Report the News

Wondering how to report the news? This dude will set you straight.

Flaming Red

Patty Griffin has been one of my favorite singers since I first came upon her amazing album Flaming Red back around 1999. The woman opens her mouth and beautiful voice just flows out. Griffin has just released a new CD, the gospel-tinged Downtown Church. Though I’ve enjoyed her CDs after Flaming Red, she has never again returned to that raw, rocking sound, live or on record.

Anyway, I was discussing this with my drummer friend Seth, and he was kind enough to send me a link to this awesome video of her performing the title track “Flaming Red” back in the good old days. It starts off slow, but things kick in with burning intensity at 1:32. That's some searing slide guitar work.

Ring of Fire

I was reading an article on Turkmenistan in my dad’s December 12-18 2009 issue of The Economist, and it mentioned something called the Darvaza Gas Crater, describing it as “a giant red pit belching gases and flames into the night sky, created 30-40 years ago when a drilling platform sank through the earth’s surface.” It sounded like an impressive site to behold, and I was surprised I had never heard of this before. Needless to say, I was immediately intrigued.

Interestingly enough, it’s difficult to locate a definitive history of this site, but most reports date the creation of the crater as 1971 (though some sources date it as far back as 1950). Allegedly, Soviet geologists were drilling for natural gas deposits in the Karakum Desert (in the Derweze area of Turkmenistan) when they hit an underground cavern filled with gas. The ground beneath their drilling rig gave way, collapsing and creating a huge crater 60 meters across and 20 meters deep. Gas was escaping, and the geologists’ solution was to burn the gas off; however, what they thought would be a quick burn has been ablaze ever since. It’s a beautiful sight that can be seen glowing from miles away, but it doesn’t smell quite as pretty as it looks. The crater reeks of burning sulfur; locals have deemed it “The Door to Hell,” and it’s impossible to stand close to the edge for too long due to the odor.



Still interested in visiting? The site is located in central Asia, about 260 kilometers north of Ashgabat – that’s the capital of Turkmenistan for trivia enthusiasts and potential tourists. It's about a 3-hour trek into an unforgiving desert landscape. Also, there isn’t much in the way of permanent structures at the crater. Tourists usually arrange for a local guide, a jeep and supplies to get out to the site and then camp near the crater, since it’s best viewed in the dark.

So are flaming gas pits the norm in Turkmenistan? Turkmenistan holds the fourth largest reserves of natural gas in the world, so hopefully drillers will be careful. And the country is strengthening its position and lines of distribution. According to energy analyst Peter Paraschos, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Turkmenistan was dependent on the Russian-controlled Soviet-era pipeline network to export its natural gas, an arrangement that left the country at Moscow's mercy. However, Turkmenistan has developed new gas pipelines to China and Iran that recently commenced operation, undermining Russia's monopoly on the export of Turkmen gas.

So does this sound like a place you’d like to visit? Check out some cool additional pics here.

Photo Credit: Antonxiii / Flickr

Matthew Ryan, Uncooked

Singer/songwriter Matthew Ryan has been doing a series of live, stripped-down, unplugged videos of his songs - "The Raw Versions." He let his Facebook fans vote for the third video in this series, and the people spoke, selecting the track "Guilty." Check it out.

The Sausage Factory

Acclaimed chef Jose Andres (and former Iron Chef contestant), the owner of local restaurants Oyamel and Jaleo, orders customized chorizo from Simply Sausage in Maryland. So I thought it was pretty cool that my friend Brendan over at Smithsonian put together an interesting video interviewing founder Stanley Feder and documenting how the high-quality artisisanal sausage is made.

A Case of the Fridays - Tuesday Edition

We kick things off this week with “Love Will Find You” by Findlay Brown (above). The Brits are liking things old school these days, and Brown obliges with his Stax-infused instrumentation and Roy Orbison-esque vocals. I wonder if he’ll be able to bring a full band around on tour, so I’m curious how he’ll sound if he has a stripped down accompaniment. If you like what you hear, Findlay Brown will be at The Red & The Black in DC this Friday, January 22nd.

And we close things out with “She Does,” by Locksley. They’re originally out of Madison, WI, but now they hail from Brooklyn, where all the cool kids are from these days. Clocking in under two minutes, this Jet-esque track is complete with Kinky, riffy guitars and fuzzed out solos – and best of all – it’s irresistibly-catchy. If you like what you hear, check them out at IOTA in Arlington, VA this Thursday, January 21st.

MP3: She Does - Locksley

Eight Questions To Dream

The 12-string acoustic guitar and cello give The Dreamscapes Project a distinctive sound to begin with. Though they’re acoustic-based, they still maintain a powerful and dramatic sound, especially when the churning, propelling percussion jumps in. Then throw in Keith Center’s brooding lyrics and delivery to give it a minor bent, and voila, they have their own brand of “Folk-Core.”

The Dreamscapes Project have a new, as yet untitled, album dropping later this year. And what fun would a new album be without an unconventional method of release? They’ve got a cool one with their Twelve Days Project that involves artists all over the DC area. Each month they’ll be releasing one new track via a different DC music source; this month MetroMusicScene.com is hosting an exclusive download of their new track "Fragile" here. And The Dreamscapes Project will be featuring “re-imaginations” of that track by emerging DC-area filmmakers, creative writers, visual artists and DJs. This whole project will be supported by a series of month concerts in the DC area, with proceeds donated to a different charity each month.

I interviewed lead singer Keith Center and bassist Jeremy Rodgers via email about their CD release project, the origins of their name, how to score the best spot on King Street for their upcoming show at the Light Horse Tavern this Wednesday, January 20th.

You’ve got a new CD dropping in its entirety later this year – what about the album excites you the most?
Keith Center: Although it is always exciting to get new music into peoples hands, I think what excites me most with this release is how we are doing it. Our music has always been different, but we have always release our music in the typical way. This time I feel like the way its being released is fitting of the music that is being released. We have always included a lot of different styles of music into our songs, now we are incorporating many styles of art into our album, to me that is really exciting.

So how did the Twelve Days Project come about? It’s almost like a multi-media music video run wild…
KC: It started as a question. We sat in our rehearsal space and started talking about the next release. We had started recording three songs with Ted Comerford, our producer from our last album, last February. Those were supposed to be released last summer; however scheduling conflicts kept preventing us from finishing them. In the meantime. a couple of other recording opportunities fell in our laps. Here we were with two finished songs, three half-finished songs, and another half dozen or so unrecorded/unreleased tracks. We started asking ourselves what we could do with all this material. A traditional album would require us to get the other tracks all done before we could even think about releasing anything. We had all been talking about how much the industry was changing, then it hit us, this was our opportunity to stretch and try something different.

It started with releasing a different track on a different DC area blog every month. Then the idea of adding artists in was hatched and the floodgates opened. Film makers, writers, musicians/DJs/producers - we realized we could get everyone involved and really shine a spotlight on some of the incredible talent that people over look in this area. It has been a little overwhelming but it has also been incredible how warm and welcoming everyone we have contacted has been to the idea. I just feel lucky to have the opportunity to be a part of it all.

A lot of bands fizzle out pretty quickly, but you’ve been around in some form or another since the late 90s. What’s your secret to longevity?
KC: I think the secrets are managing your expectations, making sure you are having fun, and not taking yourself too seriously. So many people get caught up in what they could be, they disappointed by who they are. For us, however, the biggest driving force has been our fans. Getting to play for the incredible people who come out and support us every concert... seriously, how can you even think of quitting that?

Are there any secret origins of your name?
KC: Yes, it is actually derived from ancient Mayan practice. Dreams of the Kuhul Ajew (the name for the Mayan king and religious leader) were often interpreted by his scribes the following morning, with the belief that in them the gods may have hidden important messages for his followers. Since their language was logographic, using symbols and pictures, the message would end up as a finished scene or scape. If deemed valuable by the Kuhul Ajew, this final product would be displayed for the entire village, and, loosely translated, was called a "dreamscape."

What draws you to keeping things acoustic, versus going electric?
KC: Lack of equipment? I think at this point we are just convinced that if we switched to all electric instruments, some hole would open up in the space time continuum and everything would cease to exist. Or laziness. Honestly though, I think it’s the challenge of it. It’s the mother of invention, you know? Don't get me wrong, I simply adore sound of the 12-string acoustic and cello, but there is definitely this smile that comes across our faces when we create something that we are pretty sure you aren't supposed to do in an acoustic band.
Jeremy Rodgers: There is usually a smile on our face whenever we do anything we aren't supposed to be doing.

You don’t see bands performing live with cello very often. What do you think it adds to your sound?
KC: I believe Beethoven coined the term for that: "Badassitude".
JR: I was going to say "Balls' but if you want go all classical....

What are a few CDs the whole band can agree on when heading out to a gig?
KC: I can't speak for everyone, but I would fathom a guess that at least one of them would be a Tool album.
JR: I think we can all pretty much agree on Soul Coughing. And maybe WTOP on the radio.

What do you want to leave the audience thinking after Wednesday night’s (1/20) show at the Light Horse Tavern?
KC: "1 AM! Son of a bitch, I have to work in the morning! I swore I was going to leave at 11:30, but that was so worth it!"
JR: "That was definitely worth the street parking!"

Friday Morning With The Dictators

The other day my friend Bret was playing me a recording from one his many cover band gigs, and a song came on that just leapt out at me. It was a nice gritty, punky rocker that sprouted hooks immediately, and I had to know whose song it was. “It’s The Dictators,” he answered. I had never heard of them, but I went home that evening and did a little digging.

Turns out they were one of the proto-punk bands in NYC back in the early 1970s, led by frontman Handsome Dick Manitoba. Though they were probably more skilled technically than other bands out there, The Dictators never hit it big, recording a few albums, and even losing a bassist to Twisted Sister. There have been reunions over the years, including one in 2008 (above).

Anyway, here’s that track - The Dictators' recording, of course - in its punky, Ramones-ey, power chordy glory. Just try not to sing along on that chorus.

MP3: Stay With Me – The Dictators

Photo Credit: Sarean.com / Flickr

A Second Look - Jamie Walters

I admit it. Most Saturday mornings, chances are you’ll find me chilling out on my couch, watching the mini-marathons of Beverly Hills 90210 they show on SOAP.net.

Anyway, recent episodes have featured singer/songwriter Jamie Walters doing his wrong-side-of-the-tracks rocker turn as Donna Martin’s flavor-of-the-month. It was primetime exposure of the good kind, especially at first, but it didn’t help out Walters’ career quite as much as he had hoped. His character, Ray Pruit, would go on to develop into a cheating girlfriend-abuser, tossing Donna down a flight of stairs. And eventually people began having some difficulty separating Jamie Walters from the character he played on TV.

Watching the episodes, I was impressed enough by his breathy, soulful style of rock to check out his stuff on Amazon. Even though “Hold On” and “How Do You Talk To An Angel” (from Walters’ short-lived pre-90210 series, The Heights) are his big hits, I’m really digging “The Comfort of Strangers,” a moody burner of a track with some nice searing guitar.

MP3: The Comfort of Strangers – Jamie Walters

Rock On

The Sundance Channel has been showing some cool live sessions from Abbey Road (Live From Abbey Road), and they've had good number of bands on. Here's a clip of Def Leppard doing a nice stripped-down and bluesy version of "Rock On."

Butch Liked You Better When

Butch Walker has got a new album dropping on 2/23 (I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart), as well as a new name for his backing band (The Black Widows), as usual. And he's even covered Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me," making a swell video of it over on YouTube here. Anyway, you can check out "Trash Day" from his new album streaming over at EW.com here to hold you for now.

Jeff Campagna Interviews Jeff Campagna

Google yourself and it’s likely you’ll find a few others who share your name. Of course, individual results may vary. Anyway, my name, Jeffrey Michael Campagna, is a bit more uncommon than most, so it was especially cool to find someone who not only shares my entire moniker, but who also does some very interesting things for a living.

The “other” Jeffrey Michael Campagna (above) is a Canadian filmmaker, screenwriter, blogger, author and music video director. I’ve been aware of “my brother from another mother” for several years now, keeping track of what he’s been up to via the Internet.

Since we’ve been friends on MySpace and Facebook awhile, we figured it was high time I interviewed my Canadian namesake via email about making Westerns, kidnapping actors, and his fondness for the Spice Girls. He’s pretty cool, so I suppose I can even overlook his hating on Jersey Shore. Check it all out below:

So you started off in the entertainment industry back in 2003 with the Canadian Food Network working on Look Who’s Cooking Now – what are you making for dinner these days?
Great question, but one I can’t answer truthfully without suffering some personal embarrassment, unfortunately. On a good day my dinner is a bag of popcorn and a few beers. When I have company or am with loved ones, I will unleash my culinary wizardry, but with the unholy mess it produces it’s simply not worth the labour just to cook for myself. I usually try to meet my agent for meals because he picks up the cheque (but it just comes out of his expenses so I end of paying for it anyway).

And then in 2005 you poured your life savings into Six Reasons Why, the Dead Man meets The Good, the Bad and the Ugly sci-fi Western with your brother Matt. How nerve-wracking was that?
Interestingly enough it didn’t bother me all that much at the time. I think any artist that has any level of faith in their work views the real world through a lens of indifference - though my creditors didn’t share the same liberties. They have all been paid off now, thanks to the surprising and lucrative sale of Six Reasons Why, but I screwed my credit up enough in the process that I still can’t get a credit card. A collection agency called me during post-production and asked when I would start to pay my monthly minimums and I told her ‘when I sell my movie to Paramount for a million dollars.' She thought I was kidding…

And how do you and Matt generally split up responsibilities on a Campagna Brothers film?
I am no stranger to this question, nor am I a stranger to the tension that the subject matter produces. Unlike a lot of other filmmaking brothers who take on different aspects of production, Matt and I split the entire process right down the middle. We work as a team all the way from writing the screenplay to storyboarding it to directing it, right through the editing process and final marketing stages. It may sound like sunshine and lollipops, but if I said we didn’t lock horns on a regular basis because of this joint-creative-custody; I’d be lying. So far however, the battle has always resulted in an interesting blend of my style and his style that we are consistently happy with. Unfortunately, that battle sometimes takes place around the family dinner table, which our mother doesn’t appreciate.

What do you find so compelling about the Western genre? (the Campagna Brothers’ new film, Roll the Hard Six, is also a Western)
It’s a brilliant genre and always has been. The first Western I watched with any sort of cinematic and cultural awareness was Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West, and at that point, when the credits started to roll, a glaring distinction formed in my gut that there were now two kinds of films in the world; the one I just finished watching and all the rest. Now, I am not intimating that my goal is to create something of equal magnificence or perfection – as an artist, to require perfection is to invite paralysis – I simply now have a connection to the genre that I can’t ignore. Not to mention that if you put a beard and a cowboy hat on most actors and shoot them on an extreme close up so that every facial wrinkle appears like a canyon and every spot of dirt like an oil spill and you’ve got yourself a pretty engaging image.

I see actor Colm Feore (24, Pearl Harbor) is returning for Roll the Hard Six. Very cool. How did you get him to appear in Six Reasons Why?
We star-napped him, tied him up with gaffer tape and forced him to watch reruns of Roseanne until he agreed to act in our movie. No, all kidding aside, he stayed strong until the third season when Roseanne Barr takes a preggers test before he consented to play ‘The Preacher.’ It’s a testament to his will.

Colm is a great actor and extremely down to earth. I met him in an airport one night before we even shot the film. Then we shot the film and cut it together with a stand-in for Colm’s scenes. Then Matt and I went to Stratford Theatre where Colm performs and gave him a copy of the film and told him we want him in it. He liked the idea, thought we were crazy, and almost a year later I was driving to set with him in a bartered limo sipping $6.00 bottles of Spumonte Bambino.

You’ve been experiencing some success directing music videos (check out his video for “Beautiful” by Klooch) – would you consider yourself a big music fan?
Without a shred of doubt. My father raised me on a healthy diet of B.B. King, Robert Cray and Eric Clapton. My mother raised me on Michael Bolton, Mike and the Mechanics and Huey Lewis and the News – so I now have a very diverse and broad taste in music. Unlike many of my peers I can listen to a Nickelback album for just as long as I can Radiohead.

You’ve really embraced blogging – and maybe drinking a bit while blogging?
Yes and yes.

What are your guilty pleasures these days?
I gave up feeling guilty about pleasures when I got into a fist-fight for liking the Spice Girls. People like what they like. I don’t deem it a crime to enjoy the tackier things that our watered-down kitschy media furnishes us with. Except Jersey Shore. People who like that show should be jailed.

You have a book coming out in January, titled after your blog, A Writer Under the Influence. I know you’ve been doing a lot of world traveling lately – are any of the short stories based on your adventures?
Not in the least. A lot of writers create from life experiences and are inspired by the direct interaction with the world around them – I am not one of them. My stories come from some ubiquitous province that I know nothing of. It is a mystery to me as it is to the reader. Though, when I am writing, it feels as if I am writing from experience, that is to say, whatever story I am trying to tell seems nothing short of completely and unequivocally real, no matter how chimeric it is.

I’ve heard it can be a grind cranking out a book. You’ve got a pretty busy schedule with other projects – what was your secret to keeping focused?
Patience. The secret to patience is doing something else in the meantime. So when I need a break from writing a book I work on a screenplay or edit a music video – maximum productivity. For me, the battle is not trying to stay focused, it’s trying not to quit.

The Oscar race is heating up. How about some of your favorite films/performances of this year, or are you too busy to see many movies these days?
I am not too busy to see movies; however, I am too busy to separate them based on Oscar potential. In my opinion the Oscars are just a glorified high school prom where they hand out ‘Most Likely to Succeed’ awards. It’s a fun night and may get you laid. In Hollywood, quality and success have little to do with one another.

Say you and Matt are thrown into a wrestling royal rumble of brotherly directors – the Cohens, the Farrellys, the Wachowskis, and the Hughes – what’s the result?
If it was a hardcore match Joel and Ethan would bludgeon us all with the bald heads of their Oscars (see, they are good for something). But if no such weapons were sanctioned in the ring I’d have to say that The Campagna Brothers would be the last men standing simply because they are younger, more nimble and have absolutely nothing to lose.

www.JeffCampagna.com ~ Official Site
www.aWriterUnderTheInfluence.blogspot.com ~ Blog

Photo by Maciek Drozdzik

DJ, Blow My Speakers Up!

Alright, I admit it. I just can't get enough of Ke$sha's track, "TiK ToK." With that giddily catchy chorus, it's one insanely guilty pleasure, and it makes me want to dance in my chair.