LA band, California Hearse, is a relatively new pop-punk band that has formed due to the demise of another band, Gentlemen Prefer Blood. The latter band could still get back together. Who knows?!
California Hearse’s slogan is Pop punk. About depression and death. And surfing.
I hate to say it but I’m obsessed with like three out of four of those things.
Their EP reminds me of that song from Empire Records. “Ready, Steady, Go” by The Meices. Why didn’t the one guy in the movie, Coyote Shivers. . . the one who does “Sugar High” with Renee Zellweger, become a rock star? He was also Liv Tyler’s stepdad for awhile. I feel like California Hearse and Coyote Shivers should do a project together. It would be totally amazing.
Anyway, check out California Hearse wherever you can.
I’m so excited to introduce Atlantic Wasteland, which includes Sam Quatrini, Ausinette Rodriguez, Dan Downie, Tom Hopton, and Jerrod Borkey, to you guys. The band seems like they are so much fun plus their music is awesome. I’m 99% sure that you will also love them. I wish that I could’ve been there when they filmed the video for “It’s Mid-July, Take Off the Beanie.” However, Sam Quatrini of Atlantic Wasteland took the time out of his schedule to answer a few questions. Enjoy the interview!
Where was your first show?
Our first show as a full band was in Pittsburgh in 2017. We were opening for our friends in a band called A Summer High.
At this time we didn’t actually have a solidified lineup yet, Ausinette & I were the only real “members” so we had three of our friends fill in. The best part was that we couldn’t coordinate everyone’s schedules for a rehearsal so I had to practice independently with everyone and the day of the show was the first time everyone met face to face.
How much of the video, “It’s Mid-July, Take Off the Beanie,” was planned? The dinosaur was unexpected.
As for the involvement of all the people, 90% of it was planned. The only people who weren’t in the actual script were the bikers – they just drove past and saw what we were doing and so we asked if they wanted to do cool stuff in the background – they were happy to and it turned out really awesome.
Why do people dress for the opposite season? Like beanies in July and shorts in January.
That’s an age old question that will most likely go unanswered for centuries to come. Perhaps it is the need to let everyone else know how unwilling to conform to the expected seasonal attire you are, thus solidifying your identity as a “warrior of the weather. I hope to one day understand this and find the truth.
How many of you are hockey fans?
Hmm, I used to be a huge PENS fan. I kinda fell out of it after high school though I’m not super into sports anymore. Our guitar player Tom is really into Pittsburgh sports though, so I’m sure he’d love to shoot the breeze with other hockey fans.
Why do you think some people have a larger than life sense of entitlement and some people don’t feel like they deserve anything?
I certainly don’t want to assume I know what someone has gone through. Nor do I want to assume that there’s a single reason that people would act that way, but I can say that insecurity can certainly be a cause of this.
We’ve all been there, we all have certain insecurities that cause us to act in a way that isn’t the healthiest for us.
Whether we try to overcompensate or behave in a self-demeaning manner, You can never go wrong with the golden rule: treat others the way that you would want to be treated. People aren’t really all that hard to figure out. We’ve all had experiences out of our own control that affect us significantly, but it’s important to focus on the things that you can control: your attitude, your outlook on life, the way you treat others And last but certainly not least, how you love yourself.
What do you love about your hometown?
Pittsburgh has a lot of history and really cool cultural districts. I wouldn’t necessarily say that the music scene is thriving by any means, but it’s a very niche group of artists that respect and pay attention to each other. Everyone is somehow interconnected which I find pretty interesting. It’s kind of like one giant extended family. Everyone has mutual friends that are some kind of artist, musician, designer, etc.
What kind of goals do you have for the band this year?
We are working on a full length album which we hope to release sometime this summer. It will be our first LP and we are so proud of how it’s turning out. Expect more music in the near future!
What do you want people to know about Atlantic Wasteland?
I am describing the project as my “brain child.” I am so fortunate to be able to write and record music that I’m passionate about, and if people decide that they want to enjoy and support that, then that’s awesome. If not, then that’s still cool with me. It’s never been my goal for music to be a vehicle to fame, money or excessive praise. I love creating music because it’s simply an expression of my personality and of things that matter to me.
Honestly, the last two weeks have been crazy. The kids and the cats are all testing me. Let’s just say that the cookies and comic books are going to be hidden in new secret places.
So it’s time to kick back, have a drink and listen to some music. If you’re in the mood to dance, I recommend Farao’s album, Pure-O. It’s electronic pop but I swear it won’t get on your nerves. Trust me.
Everything else is getting on my nerves, except for this album. It makes me long for the days when I used to dance at clubs and not have a care in the world besides hoping that Duran Duran would make a comeback.
My favorite songs on the Pure-O are “Ghost Ship” and “Luster of the Eyes.” All of the songs are good though. You can listen to the album on Spotify or Soundcloud.
Filmspeed has just about everything that you could want in a rock band. Their motto is “Unapologetic, loud, and soulful.” I think it’s the Detroit and LA combination that they have. You can’t be fake or subpar if you want to perform in Detroit. Don’t expect to get away with not having talent. Detroit fans will let you know if you pass. If they love you, they will love you for life. Or until your career crashes and burns and cannot be recovered.
So obviously Filmspeed has passed the test. They are a long way from the crash and burn stage. You can check out all of their websites and videos to see for yourself. In the meantime, get to know a little bit about Filmspeed in the following interview.
Where was your first show as a fan? as a band?
So let’s go one at a time. Craig’s first show as a fan was Garth Brooks at Joe Louis arena in 1996. Nick’s first concert was the Presidents of the United States of America. Oliver’s first concert was the Projekt Revolution tour with Linkin Park, Korn, Snoop Dogg, The Used and Less Than Jake. We played together as a band for the first time at a little place in Los Angeles called the Virgil almost 2 years ago.
Do you get back to Detroit very often?
About twice a year actually. Just about all of Nick and Craig’s family still live there.
What do you like about your hometowns?
Oliver is a born and raised OC boy so his stomping grounds are the campus of UCI. His parents have both been professors at the university. As far as Detroit MI is concerned, it always comes back to the people and energy of that town. You won’t find a more genuine, honest and passionate section of people.
What do you guys do when not making music?
Both Nick and Oliver are avid gamers. They’ll often meet up online for DOTA and other campaign type games.
Who would you like to work with in the future – producers, musicians, etc?
Rick Rubin, Butch Walker, Max Martin, Jeff Bhasker, Shellback, Feldy… you know, the little guys.
Where would you like to go on tour next?
Anywhere overseas is super appealing. To play a 5 night stand on a strip of pubs in Manchester sounds like a dream.
Do you have fans in unexpected places?
According to Spotify? Singapore. According to attendees at the Viper Room? Ireland. According to press coverage? Argentina and the Czech Republic.
What kind of beer do you like?
Ooo… now we’re talking religion and politics level. It all depends on the mood really. Craft brews over mass factory without a doubt. Once you get to that level though, it’s all about the food you’re eating it with or even the weather can play a factor.
What do you want people to know about Filmspeed?
We want them to know what a Rocknroll show looks like. So they ought to get themselves out TO one. Music is not a half-hearted affair for us, and we like to infect as many folks as we can.
Do you think that you have what it takes to be a crisis negotiator? You would have to keep your cool when the stuff is about to hit the fan. Whatever you do or say, can be the difference in saving the lives of the hostages or not.
In Cold & Deadly by Toni Anderson, Dominic Sheridan is a crisis negotiator for the FBI. Sheridan and FBI agent Ava Kanas have a mutual friend who has recently passed away. Everyone believes that the friend committed suicide, except Ava.
Her theory is that someone is targeting FBI agents. Of course, no one believes her. She only has her theory but her boss isn’t supportive of investigating the case much further. The only person that listens to her is Dominic Sheridan.
Of course, they are probably going to fall in love even though they don’t want to because falling in love is ridiculous. They are probably going to come too close to the person who is murdering their fellow FBI agents. They are each going to risk their life and career to save the other one.
I did like reading this book. The romance part was predictable but I think that is what people like about romance novels. We know that the couple is going to fight and seem mismatched but still profess their love at the end.
The part that I did really enjoy was the mystery. I did figure out who one of the accomplices was before he revealed himself. However, the main antagonist was a little more difficult to spot. When they revealed themselves, I was like, “How did I not see that coming?” I was just trying to enjoy the surprise.
So if you’re looking for a good mystery/romance, check out “Cold & Deadly.”
I received an ebook from Inkslinger PR in exchange for doing a review. All opinions are my own. Obviously.
How many of us have thought our parents were too strict? In Ghost Wall, Silvie’s dad might take it to a new level.
At the beginning of the book, the reader might think he’s a bit of a jerk and a little strict. By the end, he has lost his freaking mind. No one wants to help Silvie, except her new friend Molly.
Silvie and her parents are using their vacation time to take part in an anthropology course which is learning about the ancient Britons and life during the Iron Age. For two weeks, everyone is living off of the grid. They learn about foraging, hunting and basket making. They also discuss how the ancient Britons made sacrifices and constructed ghost walls to keep out the evil spirits.
Towards the end of the trip, Sylvie’s dad and the professor build a ghost wall. They think it would be a great idea to re-enact sacrificing someone. Of course, they choose Sylvie because she does what her father tells her to do. Why didn’t anyone stop them? It’s easier to look away than stand up to someone.
I can’t say that I loved this book. It’s not easy to read about a person who abuses their family and gets away with it for so long. However, Ghost Wall is a good book and worth reading.
*I received this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are mine. Obviously.
