#9
ZINE - MUSIC & ART
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CONTENTS:
Letter From the Editor by Bob Bucko Jr Music Reviews by Bob Bucko Jr Pat Stolley - Interview Adventuring by Mark Dierker Edward Bignar - Interview Scott Scholz - Interview Brooks Strause - Review Ruix Podcast by Jon Eagle
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CONTRIBUTORS:
Editor Layout Design Layout Design Cover Art Photography Other
Bob Bucko Jr Ivonne Simonds Fals Nick Brimeyer Matt Crowe Dean Wellman Rick Eagle Drew Bissell Matt Hohmann
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SUBMIT:
Includes, but is not limited to, reviews of exhibits, shows, and recordings; promotion of upcoming events; and essays and creative writing (short fiction, poetry)- 2000 word limit.
grainruix@gmail.com
EMAIL: RUIX ONLINE: RUIX BLOG: RUIX PODCAST: FACEBOOK:
issuu.com/grain-arts ruixzine.tumblr.com buzzsprout.com/46538/ facebook.com/ruixzine
www.DAartscollective.com
Under Construction: www.DubuqueAreaArts.org
Dubuque, IA
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR BY BOB BUCKO JR
Ruix Zine digs deep into the nooks and crannies of the underground, primarily in Dubuque, Iowa and the greater middle west. Issue #9 features conversations with everyday midwest folks, who just happen to make amazing music, operate great labels, and host incredible shows. There is no end to the humble talent in our region, and Ruix is our modest little attempt at drawing greater attention to it.
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I love the midwest. Flyover Country has a lot to offer. As I write this, I am on a farm south of Des Moines, halfway through a midwest tour with the band Sex Funeral. Open land, clean air - I always forget how invigorating the country can be. In every town, from Denver to Minneapolis to Lincoln to wherever, I meet exciting, creative people who are making art for its own sake, saddled with that intrinsic drive that forces our hand, insists we create something where nothing once was. Because that is what community is - building something where once there was nothing. The sodality I have experienced on the road - the hospitality, the camaraderie, the openness to strangers - gives me hope, reminds me that most people are inherently kind and want to help. But it takes risk. You have to put yourself out there. You have to believe in what you do, and you have to not be a dick. I’ve seen it work in dozens of places, and believe it can happen here in Dubuque too.
IMAGE: Dredge @ DAAC Music Series
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MUSIC REVIEWS BY BOB BUCKO JR YLANGYLANG
RIALA
This most recent YlangYlang release is at once a deviation from the rest of her catalog and a distillation of the elements at the core of her sonic cloth. Full Moon Solo Piano is a literal, as well as poetic, title - each tune features a single piano track, with a vocal overdub. According to the liner notes, it was recorded on holiday in Rome, direct to her computer mic, and the improvisational aspect of these performances is readily apparent, the songs languidly unfolding from loose sketches. There are echoes of minimalism and near-Windham Hill stillness in these four songs, accented by the external ambient sounds captured audio veritestyle via the meager recording setup. Full Moon Solo Piano possesses the voyeuristic qualities inherent in field recordings, but with a keen self-awareness that results in a focused final product. You can grab the tape, while copies remain, from Phinery, a Danish label I am just getting hepped to.
Kansas City’s Riala convincingly conjure the sounds of my ‘90s youth. Though there are touches of the shoegaze revival in their sound, particularly the delay on the guitars in places, the main vibe I’m getting here is of mid-’90s midwest emo. In particular, I hear echoes of Lync and various Kinsella-populated bands, most notably Owls. There are also nods to the rhythmic complexities of math-rock, though the melodies and vocals prevent that from being the dominant theme. In their heavier moments, I hear bits of Touch & Go bands like Arcwelder and Seam. Despite this litany of comparisons, Be Here | Be There is much more than the sum of its constituent parts, and at least as much 2015 as 1995. The songwriting is strong, with a discerning balance of catchy hooks and fevered squall. It’s an album perfect for dark, frigid midwest winters, the sound of youth in basements, bashing away at their collective ennui.
https://phinery.bandcamp.com/album/fullmoon-solo-piano
http://riala.bandcamp.com http://haymakerrecords.net
- Full Moon Solo Piano (Phinery)
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- Be Here | Be There (Haymaker Records)
TERESHKOVA
ALEX CUNNINGHAM
Nostalgia renders psychedelia as one big, bubbly sunshine day, all flowers and day-glo. The seedy undercurrent that pervaded the original wave has been erased from our collective memories. Thing is, with copious drug use and free love, fatigue and paranoia eventually set in, and things can get pretty dark.
Here we have some brain-bending solo violin improv from St. Louis musician/ artist Alex Cunningham. While it may sound daunting to some on paper, Kinesthetics is eminently listenable. Cunningham coaxes a diverse array of sounds from his instrument. There is an awareness of sound, of texture, that supersedes anything beholden to such niceties as "notes". Perhaps more importantly, he is acutely aware of the power that lies in the space between those sounds.
- Bouquet Slush (Already Dead)
Tershkova inhabits that swath of spooky psychedelia. There's a funereal undercurrent to the watery keyboards and warbly tape manipulations, and the dark jangle lopes laconically toward some menace off in the distance. Listening to this tape reminds me of hearing "Time of the Season" on a transistor radio when I was a kid similarly mysterious and foreboding sounds are sprinkled throughout Bouquet Slush. For all its antecedents, Tereshkova is a decidedly modern psychedelic rock band, not a throwback. The production is blown-out, in the traditional analog in-the-red sense, but the feel is modern. There are cool synth flourishes throughout, and the lazy falsetto vocals nestle nicely in the mix. Song titles such as "I Never Sleep Well" and "Coffee On the Floor" describe the haziness that hangs over Bouquet Slush. Beneath all that delay and reverb, there is also solid songwriting. These tunes are downright catchy, even at their most dour, and a lot of the keyboard melodies have a hard-to-place familiarity that is inviting, not derivative. Bouquet Slush is available on cassette from the always solid Already Dead label. You can give it a listen and order the tape here: https://alreadydeadtapes.bandcamp.com/ album/ad187-tereshkova-bouquet-slush
- Kinesthetics (Close/Far)
Cunningham assaults his instrument, eliciting sounds from every inch of the violin and bow. This is visceral music, in places frenetic in its bursts of rhythm, while in others nearly elegiac, pensive near-melodies carrying emotional heft. For all the ferocity and physicality of his playing, there is ample use of dynamics. That said, the main vibe I'm catching here is all tension, no release. Kinesthetics builds toward something we never see. It's a Sisyphean ascent, but the power lies in the struggle, the effort to communicate the wordless. Kinesthetics is available on cassette through Close/Far, a fantastic label focusing on sounds from the St. Louis avant-garde. I also recommend picking up their Rhizomatics Vol. 3 compilation to get a broad overview of the happenings in that scene. Some other Alex Cunningham projects worth checking out are the Cunningham/Hess duo, Hardbody, and the Vernacular String Trio, who I had the great fortune to see while on tour in January. Also, train your 3rd eye on Cunningham's collage art here: http://alexcunninghamstl.tumblr.com http://www.close-far.com
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STRAIGHT PANIC
- Life During Wartime (Fuck Mtn. Ltd. Release)
I initially considered avoiding addressing Straight Panic's queer politics, thinking 'well, this review is about the music.' Thing is, Straight Panic wants to talk about it. They want to do more than talk. This is time for action, and Life During Wartime is the aural manifestation of that call to action. In a noise scene with more than its fair share of conventionally conservative homophobia, misogyny, and other meat-headed tropes, Straight Panic's very existence challenges the status quo, attacking both dominant social paradigms and stale subcultures. Straight Panic's righteous aggression manifests in an affecting combination of harsh cut-up noise and power electronics. “Intention is 9/10s of the Law” opens with insect buzzes and machine hums. A voice laden with delay and distortion intones against the glitchy backdrop. It serves as a nearly relaxed, or even dispassionate, introduction to what is to come. After a classic sample from the cult film
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Deadbeat at Dawn, shit gets harsh. “Fuck You” sounds like just that, a monotone fuzzed bass note repeating beneath some seriously pissed yelling. As the track progresses, high end noises fluctuate and punctuate the oppressive repetition of the low end. “B.F.” explores more traditional harsh noise territory, but with the scope and claustrophobia of power electronics, voices cut-up to the point of severance from their source. The low end martial rhythms reappear in “Peacetime Bachelor”, anchoring minimalist tinny squeaks that give way to spiking squalls. As with most of this tape, there is an attention to dynamics that gives strength to the sounds and allows for the harshest bits to attain even more potency. For further proof of Straight Panic’s intensity, there is a side-long live performance on Side B. This is one of my favorite recent noise releases, one that fucks with convention and gets results. https://straightpanic.bandcamp.com/album/ life-during-wartime https://www.discogs.com/label/649643-FuckMtn-Label-Records
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IMAGE: The Glimmer Blinkken @ DAAC Music Series
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Pat Stolley
BY BOB BUCKO JR
- INTERVIEW
Pat Stolley is a Davenport- of our keyboardist Eric Stone moving to Ohio, and not having the ambition to train based recording artist, a new guy. It's been fun trying to fill the space with pedals and new parts - I hear best known for his longwe sound pretty big for a trio. running band, The Multiple Cat. An integral part of the Ruix When working college radio, I was turned onto to your first Quad Cities’ music scene, album, "Territory" Shall Mean the Universe. Pat is also a well-regarded Although ostensibly indie rock, the album is very sophisticated for an early effort. What recording and mixing inspired your sound at the time, and what engineer, having recorded other influences have crept in over time? his own albums and many I really don't know. I'm glad to recordings by other Quad hear it sounded sophisticated… I think it's pretty cool too, and Cities musicians at his it's so long ago it feels like someone else studio, as well as manning wrote it. I was doing Superchunk-y indie in my old band Otis, and that kind of the boards for hundreds of rock fell apart, and I just was jamming lighter, quirkier stuff. I got really into keyboards Daytrotter sessions.
PS
The Multiple Cat has been in
Ruix existence for a while now. Is it
safe to say that historically the band has essentially been you in the studio, with contributions from various friends? If this is the case, has that changed at all in recent years, with the emergence of a live trio? It is a safe assessment. It's my studio thing, and occasionally dudes will hang around long enough to make it a "band" for a while. Not being a real band though makes it hard to keep together, and for others to be dedicated to it… skin in the game and all that. There have been a few core MCAT lineups. The current trio is the result
PS
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and Rhodes piano. I think I was probably trying to imitate Wire and Brian Eno, at least in spirit. Later, I went through a big Steely Dan phase, and I was really into The Sea and Cake. I think the Chicago scene influenced what I was writing, at least for "Elements Of". I was getting proggy there for a bit. Right then, '95 or so, I was into Stereolab, TSAC, Tortoise...
I first saw the Multiple Cat when
Ruix you opened an Archers of Loaf
show in 1996. Even at this early point in your existence, the show was already touted as a 'rare live appearance'. Did you see the band as more of a studio project at the time, or were there other reasons why live performances were far and few between?
It's always been a studio project at heart, and lacking a dedicated core. Really it's a time/energy thing. My oldest son was born in 1996, and that took a lot of time off my hands. I never was really into playing live, and still am not to this day. I like it on some levels, but I don't consider myself much of a performer and I don't feel like I can present the material live that way I'd like to. To be honest, I'd like to be a bassist in someone else's band - just chillin' and standing by the drummer. I don't feel super comfortable up front and singing. Not nervous, just not like it's "where I belong".
PS
Your albums have always sounded
Ruix great, maximizing the potential of fairly modest analog gear. How did you learn to record and engineer? Do you see a difference or have a preference between analog and digital recording?
Thanks! I personally like analog stuff, but it's more about the process and the limitations of the process than the sound, although I like the sound too. A lot of MCAT in the 90's was ADAT digital, which I think is pretty cool sounding. I like those machines. I don't mind digital, but it REALLY falls down when it stays in the computer. Buss it out to a good mixer‌ sounds like a million bucks. Keep it in the comp and you get dull, lifeless, boring, one dimensional (with a few exceptions - Chris Cohen has made great records in the box). It's funny, I like a lot of my sounds from back then, but I don't know how I did what I was doing. I don't document stuff, and I don't want to. I don't want to get into too many routines and habits. I learned to record and engineer just by doing it, reading about it, making mistakes, and asking questions. I'm still learning. It's really an interesting art.
PS
Only recently was I hepped to
Ruix the Marlboro Chorus, your band in
the mid-2000s. How was this group different from the Multiple Cat? Well, It was a core band of me, Marty Reyhons (drums), and Gary Heitman (bass). All of us had been MCATs. The first record "Good Luck" was me in my basement on a Roland VS-880. I had Marty or my friend Justen Parris play drums, or I did. Later, it was the trio for the other 3 records. It was more acoustic, more straight-forward, and really just didn't feel like MCAT to me. That was the reason for the name change. I was really into english blues folk rock like 70s kinks, Faces, etc. etc. That was creeping into the music.
PS
Why did you cease recording as
Ruix the Multiple Cat for a decade or so, and what caused you to resurrect the band?
I ceased before "Golden Apple Hits" actually. That record came out because a friend wanted me to scrape together a record, and it was bits I had lying around. I was getting divorced, kind of over the whole music thing‌ I put it to bed after that came out in 2000. A few years later the dust had settled and I was writing, and it just didn't feel like MCAT, so I did Mchorus. Same kind of thing happened in 2007 when Mchorus' "American Dreamers" came out - I was just over it, and Daytrotter was ruling my mind and world. I burnt out on music and just didn't write until late 2009. In 2010 my mom died, then my dad died a year later‌ it was weird. When the dust settled yet again, I took the few songs I'd done in late 2009 and started recording in 2011 or so. By 2012, I had a record and I was talking to my old label guy in Minneapolis at Guilt Ridden Pop. He said he wanted to put out the record after he'd heard it. It just felt like MCAT again. It feels even more like it now.
PS
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Along with running your own
Ruix studio [Futureappletree Studio
Too], you were also an original engineer for Daytrotter. Are you presently recording bands in either capacity? What are the pros and cons of engineering and mixing other artists? Futureappletree Studio Too. Yes, I was there when Sean wanted to start Daytrotter. It was fun, but it got to be too much and I more or less quit in 2008. Total burn out. Soon after, I was freelancing for them and I still am. Really, my studio is, and Ian Harris does the recordings there. He's been bringing in lots of projects. I'd say I'm more of a studio owner and maintenance guy than an engineer, although I do the occasional session, and I mix things Ian tracks. I really don't enjoy tracking any more. It's just tedious and boring to me. I really like to mix. The pros are you get to hear new sounds, new techniques‌ pedals, amps, harmonies, beats. It's cool. The cons are the hours and the pay. Bands are broke - it's hard to get any money! Bands always want to record on nights, weekends, and holidays. All the times I'm not available.
PS
The newest Multiple Cat album,
Ruix Intricate Maps, just came out in
February. To my ears it sounds a little leaner, more pared down than the previous album. Though the requisite layers of keyboards and harmonies remain, there is an emphasis on the core guitar/bass/drums trio. Was this an outgrowth of settling into the live trio version of the group? How have the other members of the group influenced the writing and recording process? Well, The entire record was recorded to 8 track, either an Ampex ag440c 1" or an Otari MX5050 1/2" or Tascam 80-8 1/2". 8 tracks limits things, and that was by design to a certain extent. The last record was 24
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track. We did write and work out 90% of the material as a band - a total first for MCAT. Ben Crabb wrote the bass lines; he's great. He's a better version of me on bass, similar style. Phil Pracht is a great drummer and all around fantastic musician. He's not really in the band anymore due to time constraints, but it was fun having him for the year he was. He played on 1/2 of the last record too. Most of the songs have acoustic piano parts played by me. That's funny because I really am not a piano player. I had to work and work to get the parts down. Most times it was: 2 tracks drums, 1 guitar, 1 bass, 2 vocal, a piano or key, and maybe an extra guitar. Not a lot. Ian engineered most of it. One track was live to 2 track, one was 4 track, all reel to reel 1/4".
Now that you've been playing
Ruix shows more frequently are there
plans for any touring in support of the new LP? We did a tour in November that was supposed to be the release, but the vinyl got held up. That was 8 dates. It's hard, cuz now I have 3 kids, 2 are young and at home. We've done a few in 2016 and have 10 or so left to play out, but sadly we're not going to do much past our Dubuque show at the Town Clock on May 21. Our current drummer Andrew Barkau got a job running the Daytrotter music venue and he really can't commit to anything anymore, and Phil can't get out much at all‌ he left the band for that very reason last fall. See us while ya can, it's not happening much longer! Ben has a fantastic band called US MODE that he wants to concentrate on, and I can't bear the idea of training another drummer. We'll just pull together a set if something comes up. I can't rule out doing some solo guitar stuff - I think that might be fun.
PS
Now that you've been playing
Ruix shows more frequently are there
plans for any touring in support of the new LP?
WWe did a tour in November that was supposed to be the release, but the vinyl got held up. That was 8 dates. It's hard, cuz now I have 3 kids, 2 are young and at home. We've done a few in 2016 and have 10 or so left to play out, but sadly we're not going to do much past our Dubuque show at the Town Clock on May 21. Our current drummer Andrew Barkau got a job running the Daytrotter music venue and he really can't commit to anything anymore, and Phil can't get out much at all‌ he left the band for that very reason last fall. See us while ya can, it's not happening much longer! Ben has a fantastic band called US MODE that he wants to concentrate on, and I can't bear the idea of training another drummer. We'll just pull together a set if something comes up. I can't rule out doing some solo guitar stuff - I think that might be fun.
PS
Any other happenings coming up
Ruix for the band or yourself in 2016?
Yeah, I got some record lathes in December - old Prestos. I'm working on getting them going and doing some lathe cut mono records. I plan to do singles and get the covers screened locally and offer them to order with a stereo digital version. I also plan to do it for others. I'm planning to record a record with my friend Jeff Konrad under the name Struggle in the Hive. We did a record in 2005 or so. It mellow, acoustic. Kind of a Simon and Garfunkel indie rock thing. I'm looking forward to it. We're going to record with Mike Gentry from Daytrotter. I'm also going to be finishing a record with Jim Vallet of Track a Tiger. It's called "Silver/Paint". Kind of a dramatic pop project. I plan to work on my studio building in Rock Island, it's called Laborspace. We have a bunch of studios and practice spaces as well as a maker space. I might try and play bass in a band, maybe guitar. I plan to keep recording MCAT, but I'm not sure how much live stuff I'll do. Like I said, I might play alone.
PS
You can catch the Multiple Cat in Dubuque on May 21, as part of Dubuquefest. http://fs2.futureappletree.com
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ADVENTURING I come by my sense of adventure honestly. I’m a military brat and, until my teens, my family moved all over the country every two to three years. From central Illinois to Los Angeles (more than once) to Memphis to the coast of North Carolina and, finally, to Northern Virginia, just outside Washington D.C., where I went to high school.
bored of one place, I’d just up and move to another. Gainful employment put a serious crimp in that lifestyle, so anymore my adventures come in the form of road trips on weekends or when I can afford to take vacation days. Everything gets documented with my cameras. I drive on average about 30,000 miles a year on my adventures.
People react in one of two ways to that experience. They either find a place they like and settle down for the rest of their lives or they become wanderers like me. When I was younger, I quenched my thirst for wandering by moving all over the country myself, back and forth between the East Coast and desert Southwest. When I’d get
People often tell me they live vicariously through my adventures and the photos I post on social media. While I appreciate that someone is enjoying my art, I find it kind of sad as well. People should be out there having their own adventures! No one really wants to get to the end of their life wishing they had gone on at least one big adventure.
IMAGE: Mark Dierker | Bear Dancer Studios
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BY MARK DIERKER
I talked to someone half my age today. I’ve known him for a couple years but he has been absent from the local scene for awhile. He told me he’d been out in California exploring and generally finding himself. It warms my heart to hear of people doing that. It’s much easier when you are young of course, before responsibilities tie you down. But I think one reason people don’t go on grand adventures is they get bogged down worrying about details and being in control of the situation or worrying about money. Adventures do not need cost a lot of money. They can even be had for free and they’re often better if you don’t try and plan every aspect. Adventures are the things that teach you who you are inside. The one key element is that you experience something where the outcome is uncertain and you have to work your way through it. Driving 6,000 miles through 13 states in 9 days is my kind of adventure. It need not be
everyone else’s. Do something new for the first time. Get out a state map, close your eyes and let your finger land somewhere you’ve never been. Then pack up the family (or just yourself) and go there on the weekend to see what’s there. Take a free class from your local library, museum, or art gallery. Volunteer your spare time for an organization you know little about. Hike, bike, or walk a new route. Kayak, canoe, or float a new stream. Drive a different way to work. Take up a new art form or learn to play an instrument. Go to an open mic and try your hand at singing in front of an audience. Send a piece of your artwork to a juried exhibition. Just do something where the outcome is uncertain. I can’t guarantee that it will be a totally positive experience. But I can guarantee it will teach you something about yourself that you didn’t know before. And to me that’s kind of the point of life.
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EDWARD BIGNAR
BY BOB BUCKO JR
- INTERVIEW
Edward Bignar is a musician and graphic designer from Ames, Iowa. He operates Workerbee Records and the Drug Arts label, and is one-half of Neon Lushell and the sole member of the Cryogenic Strawberries.
been craving for years, and they would be in the same state, is amazing. (Of course along with Vahnevants.)
You appear quite busy creating and promoting music and art. What are some of the main projects you are presently working on, and what is the common thread?
We’re also going to start publishing weirdo comics and chapbooks of nonsense. Should be great!
Ruix
EB
The common thread is not wanting to be on my deathbed asking if I should have tried to put that band out. When I hear something that hooks me, I go out of my way to figure out how to work with them. Right now the big project is Ugly Singles Club, which are limited edition 2.25” buttons with download codes for Garage Rock / Punk and Fuzz singles and EPs. The first three are the French garage rock bands Double Cheese and The Skeptics. In-between those will be a single by Des Moines’ Vahnevants. We’re open for submissions too! (shameless plug) We’re also putting out an EP by Goldblums called HEELS. I can’t say how much this band restored my faith in music - that people could be making this music I’ve
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We just put out the first LP by Thunder Bunny, the sorry tale, which is amazing and everyone should hear. We also have Fuzz Queen’s Wizard Love coming out. They’re a glam rock 2 pieces from New Zealand. I’m also super excited to be putting out Switchblade Cheetah’s first album of new material in probably 10 years. It’s called Chapel of the Bitch.
The Cryogenic Strawberries are the epitome of a cult band, a dark secret between freaks deep in the underground. Do you find this amusing?
Ruix
EB
I, honestly, have no gauge of any of that. I know we’ve sold some copies of our albums, and that we’ve had releases on half a dozen or so labels, but I’d honestly be shocked if 3 people knew who The Cryogenic Strawberries are. `
I know you've been focusing heavily on a new Neon Lushell album or two. What can we expect in the near future?
Ruix
EB
I don’t advertise that fact that I’m Ira Rat much, but we’ve been working on
Spektorvisions for two years or so. The album will feature Curt Oren, members of Velma & the Happy Campers, Switchblade Cheetah, Thunder Bunny and The Hare and the Moon, and Dresden Style. It’s done, but releasing it actually kind of frightens me at this point.
________ I’ve lost people I’ve been “friends” with to failure, I’ve lost people I’ve been “friends” with to apathy.
________
We’ve always worked like E from Eels does, as we’re working on the next 3 albums, and a bunch of side material, at the same time. We’re not a noise project that can churn out material once a month - I tend to dwell on every aspect of the album, and so it takes us a while.
The Cryogenic Strawberries and Neon Lushell are both far from commercial enterprises. As someone who runs a record label, how do you approach trying to get people to listen to something that falls outside of many folks' definition of 'listenable'?
Ruix
EB
I’ve honestly never felt like I am equipped to promote myself. Call it “punk rock guilt” or whatever, but other than approaching a half-dozen labels and playing roughly 6 shows in my 15-year “career”, I’ve really left it up to chance and the determination of the label owners to get their money back.
How did Workerbee Records come about? When did it start, and how many recordings have you released? Do you have a preferred format?
Ruix
EB
Inspired by the tape trading communities from the 80’s, the original label started in 1999/2000 putting out Low Fidelity Living, a CD-r compilation where people were encouraged to burn off copies for their friends and family. A mildly novel idea back then. Since then we’ve been bouncing around for years, some years obviously more productive than others. We’ve done roughly 100 releases including digital compilations and the sub-label Drug Arts. My first love has always been vinyl, but we’re only just now doing our first nonlathe 7” for a split between the Goldblums and Switchblade Cheetah.
In a world where physical media is not necessary to enjoy music, what is the role of a record label?
Ruix
EB
I’m a combination moneyman & publicist.
A lot of labels out there will do shitty things to bands for their own growth. Whether it’s pay to play—or putting dozens of bands up on your Bandcamp page to increase their own profile. These labels skim off the top or not paying the bands at. All despite the fact that they don’t have any time, money or energy invested in the band, other than uploading them. Every band I’ve worked with has gotten free artist copies to sell at their shows. If they need more, I sell it to them at cost. Getting bands heard, getting them a little cash they can re-invest in themselves, and then breaking even are my only goals.
How do you choose the bands you want to work with? Is there any overarching theme, say in terms of genre or geographic area or anything else?
Ruix
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EB
Right now we’re putting out a lot of garage rock, because it’s what’s in my head at the moment. It’s also what I’ve been blogging about on my page Pop Occulture. However, classically, I don’t care about anything other than it’s good music. I’ve put out an ambient music from Australia (Hollow Press) and bubblegum rock from England (Love L.U.V.). The only thing that they have in common is I’m still listening to them nearly every day.
________ The truth is that I’ve always identified as the alien and I’m attracted to alien things. Fitting in isn’t a choice; it’s not even an option. Honestly if we started succeeding tomorrow, I’d feel like I was doing something wrong.
________
Ruix
What are the best and worst aspects of running a label?
EB
I’ve had bands order copies of their record and other assorted merchandise on the road and then never paid me. They used that money to start their own label that’s still kind of popular in the midwest. I was told by a record plant to hit bricks when they mislabeled all my records. I’ve lost people I was “friends” with to success, I’ve lost people I’ve been “friends” with to failure, I’ve lost people I’ve been “friends” with to apathy. I actually wrote an essay in a benefit book for children with cystic fibrosis called Children of Mercy, stating why you should never run a record label. I’m too stupid to take my own advice. 15
Ruix
What are some of your favorite Workerbee releases? What do you having coming up this year?
EB
Anything by Thunder Bunny, Switchblade Cheetah, or Velma and the Happy Campers - we’ve never met in person but I could consider Christopher, Brian and A.J. family at this point. So sentimentally, they’ll always be hard to beat. In the past year I’ve put out 3 Goldlbums EPs, each equally great in different ways. Coming up are the Ugly Singles, Goldblums, Fuzz Queen, Switchblade Cheetah, and other ones I can’t talk about yet. I once told a friend about how _______ was going to be on a compilation, the next day they said they couldn’t anymore. I’ve been superstitious ever since.
Iowa has come a long way in the
Ruix past decade. What's your take
on the array of scenes in the state, and how do you/Workerbee/your bands fit or not fit into any of it?
EB
I love Iowa music. When I write my Spinal Tap-esque autobiography about running a label when even the concept of what music is is in flux, I will have little bad to say about most of it. Most of my favorite albums have been made within a 100mile radius of where I live, and I think that’s awesome. The truth is that I’ve always identified as the alien and I’m attracted to alien things. Fitting in isn’t a choice; it’s not even an option. Honestly if we started succeeding tomorrow, I’d feel like I was doing something wrong.
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IMAGE: Mississippi String Band @ DAAC Music Series
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SCOTT SCHOLZ
BY BOB BUCKO JR
- INTERVIEW
From his home in Lincoln, Nebraska, Scott champions underground music, writing blogs and reviews, hosting podcasts, and running his cassette label, Tymbal Tapes. Presently, he is literally doing the work of two men, as well as tending to the chickens in his backyard, one of whom is named Notorious E.G.G.
You wear a lot of different hats, hosting the Words On Sounds podcast, writing for several online publications, and operating the Tymbal Tapes label. What is the common bond between these interests?
Ruix
Y'know, just a total love of creative, adventurous music. I think we're living in a total golden age for amazing music right now. In many ways, it's the spirit of ‘80s cassette culture all over again, but even more potent and interconnected. Young musicians have been exposed to way more music, covering all eras and cultures, than previous generations were, and I think it really shows in the music. And I just want to help nurture that broader conversation happen however I can.
SS
I really appreciate your efforts to promote others' music to a larger potential audience. You also make a concerted effort to connect musicians with common interests to each other. What are your reflections on the importance of community in the underground?
Ruix
The community aspect is absolutely essential. When I was a music school cat in the late ‘90s, I felt like we Gen Xers were in a period of relative isolation, with a certain postmodern detachment in the air, and the cool stuff happening was harder to find and more insular. And it showed in a lot of the music on a conceptual level, too. Now it feels like a period of cynicism has been largely turned into a wave of
SS
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community, participation, involvement, mutual concern - all of those good things that will keep us together at the neighborhood level where it counts. In that sense, I think of the "underground" as a grassroots network of neighborhoods with common interests. And locally, it’s just wonderful to see a new generation take up the cause. Here in Lincoln, we have folks putting together amazing house shows, a great new venue starting up called Church, great new bands and solo projects, and all of this work feels incredibly inclusive and beautiful.
"you can archive the music, and there's a lot of validity to that, but you can't archive relationships or other core aspects of life well-lived." How do you approach writing
Ruix about music? Your reviews are
much more in-depth than the stuff featured in most review blogs. Is your attention to detail informed by your interest in Deep Listening, and how would you explain that concept to a novice?
It's weird, man - you would think after doing this stuff for a while, it would get easier, but I just can't bring myself to write little short "hype" pieces. The Oliveros "Deep Listening" concept is relatively new to me by name, but yes, that's absolutely the kind of listening I do by instinct. I listen with intense focus, and I won't write about something
SS
until I feel like I'm somewhere near its essence, and then I try to articulate that the best that I can. It can be problematic, as I get frustrated that I don't have time to cover nearly as much stellar work as I would like to, but the podcast can help out from that perspective. How to explain it: I guess it’s a matter of rigorous, active listening, and it applies to everything in life, not just music. You bring your full attention to sound, and listen with every tool at your disposal, letting your emotions fully intertwine with the music as well as considering all kinds of technical details and broader social contexts. I can’t listen any other way.
To which websites are you
Ruix currently contributing articles and reviews?
Mostly Tabs Out and a few pieces in recent months for Words on Sounds. I did put out a big piece with Tiny Mix Tapes recently, and I did a few shorter things for Record Collector News as well.
SS
Words On Sounds started
Ruix as a blog. What inspired you to start the podcast?
The podcast mostly came from a different direction: I was part of the Other Music radio show on KZUM here in Lincoln for about five years, and I left that last year to do something that would be conceptually similar but
SS
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accessible to people asynchronously. I hope to have Words on Sounds as a website head back toward written reviews as time permits, and eventually host the podcast on its own site.
excellent musician Joseph Jaros and I worked on getting it going for a while, and then once Iowa's own Tiny Little Hammers got involved with the art/ design, it kind of reached escape velocity and took on a life of its own.
What are your criteria for which
Ruix sounds make the podcast? Can
"this is the stuff you get
you name some artists who have been commanding your attention as of late?
No specific stylistic guidelines, though most of the material tends to be instrumental. Compositional or improvisational adventures that are resonating with me are all most welcome. And I’m always hearing new things. Recent excitements include the new Guerilla Toss LP, the new Charles Barabe tape, Colin McKelvey’s newest tape, a bunch of Amulets and Bureau of Atomic Tourism, and I’ve been digging into Noah Creshevsky’s back catalog with fervor. And some killer work from Iowa as always, including that great new Leaaves tape on Centipede Farm, and a bunch of wild work from Sassbologna.
involved in because some part of you feels like you HAVE to, like it's an innate part of yourself."
SS
What was the impetus for starting
Ruix Tymbal Tapes? Is this your first foray into running a label?
Yeah, it's basically my first such endeavor, outside of dubbing some tapes of my own in the late ‘90s with no particular motivation to actually sell those, ha ha. Initially Tymbal was launched to put out an amazing tape by David Moscovich. My friend and
SS
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There is a consistent aesthetic
Ruix approach to Tymbal releases,
visually and aurally? How would you describe it, and how intentional is this curation?
Visually, Tiny Little Hammers has done all of the art and layout stuff, and he helped me coordinate a look/feel for all of the tapes with intentional continuity for sure. Aurally, there's a lot of curatorial consideration, but hopefully not in a way that limits things stylistically. It's about helping to get some really stellar art into the world. On some subtle level, it's an extension of my own listening practices, in that I'm suggesting certain elements that I really like in artists' previous recordings in hopes to emphasize those strengths even more through Tymbal.
SS
2015 was a busy inaugural year
Ruix for the label. What is 2016 shaping up to look like?
2016 is shaping up to be the least music-involved year of my life, unfortunately. Long story short, my professional life is temporarily INSANE through December, and I'm going to have very little time to devote to Tymbal this year. I'm hoping to knock out a couple of tapes in the summer, and then get back to a regular schedule in 2017. Lousy timing, but that's how things go sometimes. I’d rather return to it with full attention than half-ass things in the meantime.
SS
Underground cultures like the ones
Ruix you are documenting and
celebrating are rarely celebrated in their time, and run the risk of disappearing before the future catches up to them. In your endeavors, do you find yourself to be a curator of sorts, preserving culture?
Perhaps there's an element of preservation, sure. But the notion of underground culture as a sort of living conversation or catalyst for "being together" appeals to me more than preservation. On that level, I think anybody who finds themselves moved or otherwise inspired by creative work happening in the underground can hopefully feel a palpable sense of invitation in the air and join that conversation themselves. I think that's more important than history - you can archive the music, and there's a lot of validity to that, but you can't archive relationships or other core aspects of life well-lived.
SS
SS
relatively unmediated kind of honest experience that lends itself to becoming more than just the tunes you crank in your car or whatever. I think the music should be considered as part of a long tradition of uncompromising creative work, but it’s even more critical to connect in the here and now.
Is there a common thread
Ruix between all your
music-related undertakings?
I dunno, ha. I care deeply about music and books and culture and community. I haven't like, "graded" myself on how well that comes through, but you know how it is: this is the stuff you get involved in because some part of you feels like you HAVE to, like it's an innate part of yourself.
SS
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I think underground contemporary music, whether through recordings or at shows, is a 20
BROOKS STRAUSE
BY JON EAGLE
- REVIEW
One thing I love about Iowa City’s Brooks Strause is that he is a man of so few words when speaking, but he has so much to say with his songs. Really… I’ve spoken to him on several occasions and I swear it seems like I somehow know less about him when we’re through talking. But listen to one of his records and you will find there are not many Iowa songwriters that are as articulate and as intense as Strause, not to mention prolific (the man has, like, eight records to choose from). On his latest offering, The Chymical Wedding of Brooks Strause, his first for Iowa-based label Cartouche Records, Brooks takes us through 13 tracks of bluesy and introspective American roots music. There are some upbeat pop songs and some heartfelt ballads, sure. But everything on Chymical Wedding is mired in this 21
unmistakable Midwest darkness that lurks just below the surface. Even on particularly optimistic songs like the record’s opener “Good World”, Brooks sings with such an ominous tone that it feels like a kind of dirge or kiss-off to the world as he knows it. This is in no small part due to the production style of one Mr. Pat Stolley (of the Multiple Cat fame). Stolley has become a go-to guy around these here Iowa parts over the years in terms of engineering because of his incredible abilities behind the board. This record is no exception, as Stolley captures the energy of Brooks’ electrifying live show damn-near flawlessly. And what a live show it is, too. I’ve had the good fortune of seeing Brooks perform live several times over the years, the most recent of which was in the Ruix Space when we invited him to be a guest on InHarmony last year. He performed several of these songs in addition to many older favorites. Since that performance, this record has been on constant rotation for me, rounding out my favorite records of 2015. I guess what I’m saying is that I can’t recommend this album enough. You can pick it up on vinyl or CD by visiting Cartouche Records’ website or you can stream the album at Brooks’ Soundcloud page, links to which I have provided below. And go see the shit out of one of Brooks Strause’s shows as soon as possible. You’ll be glad you did. cartoucherecords.com/brooks-strause soundcloud.com/cartoucherecords/sets/ brooks-strause-the-chymical-wedding-ofbrooks-strause
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IMAGE: Brooks Strause @ DAAC Music Series
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RUIX PODCAST BY JON EAGLE Many of you readers may not know this, but Ruix has been around since the summer of 2011. In that time, we have dabbled in making the ‘zine a monthly endeavor, a bi-monthly endeavor and even an online-only endeavor. Our most recent re-imagining came this past summer when we decided on our current issue frequency of four times a year. Not only does this structure give all of our contributors ample time to prepare their pieces but it also leaves a lot of extra time for complementary pursuits. In this case, I am talking about the Ruix Podcast.
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For years, the podcast idea was one that was kicked around by myself and other friends quite a bit. As a fan of the medium, I had always wanted to do one of my own and have had countless ideas for what they could possibly be about. However, be it due to a lack of resources or a condition that I’ve had since birth (laziness), none of those ideas ever came to fruition. Little did I know that I needed to look no further than our very own community for material to make an interesting show. Dubuque has a rich history of music and art, so we here at Ruix decided that a long-form interview show featuring local people doing cool shit would help unfold that story over time. At least, that’s what it was going to be at first. But now that I’ve hosted over 20 episodes of the show, it’s sort of evolved into more of an intimate discussion show with anyone that we think could make for an interesting episode. Doing this show forces me out of my comfort zone and puts me in a position where I get to talk to some of the most creative and talented people I know (and some that I don’t know) in an intimate setting. We do the show from the Ruix Space in the basement of the DAAC Gallery. It’s cozy and it’s dark and it lends itself nicely to having intense and detailed conversations… over drinks. Oh yeah, did I mention the drinks? The one theme that has remained relatively constant over the course of the show is that my guest and I usually share this
experience with each other over drinks. Not everyone has had experience talking with a microphone shoved in their face. This has made for some frayed nerves in some of our guests. I think that adding the “cocktails” element to the show has helped a lot of people (myself included) loosen up a bit throughout the course of an hour-long conversation. It also encourages at least a little bit of shittalking, which I am always in favor of. Honestly, I think the podcast might be the best thing I’ve ever done. I’ve discovered a love for talking to people that I never really knew I had. I’m proud of the show and I hope those who are familiar with it are enjoying it too. And we’ve already made more episodes than Police Squad! and That 80’s Show combined, so there’s that.
FIND RUIX PODCAST: Ruix Podcast can be found on iTunes or directly through our hosting site at:
www.buzzsprout.com/46538.
Check it out, subscribe to the show, let me know what you think. My email address is jonathan.eagle@ gmail.com. I’m always eager to listen to suggestions as to how the show could improve. And by the way, to those who listen to the show, I really can’t thank you enough for supporting us.
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______________________ www.DAartscollective.com Under Construction:
www.DubuqueAreaArts.org
RUIX ONLINE: issuu.com/grain-arts RUIX BLOG: ruixzine.tumblr.com RUIX PODCAST: buzzsprout.com/46538/ FACEBOOK: facebook.com/ruixzine
Dubuque, IA