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MILDRED PIERCE OF 76

We here at Lokal Loudness continually strive to stretch out our boundaries and delve into as many forms, genres, classifications, etc of music as we can find in the lokal CSRA area. With the current uprising of technology via online exploration as well as desktop digital exploration, we knew it was only a matter of time before electronic music would make some sort of impact on our lokal scene. With that in mind, we jump into our first feature on this musical style, please let us introduce you to electronica musician Mildred Pierce.

LL-So how and when did you get started in elecronica?
MP-A few years ago downloading programs off the internet and playing around with them. The computer is my main medium for every kind of art I do, be it my website or my music. I am a better website designer than painter. I am a better typist than writer. I do music for the internet, the cd is secondary. I don't consider my music to be electronica per se. It is more pop art. It is breakbeat heavy with strong cultural influences.

LL-Lokally, is this type of music mainly underground?
MP-I think musicians who work in a similar medium have found that they are neither known nor underground. There is a natural tendency for those who work heavily in music production on computer to find themselves releasing music on the internet. This releases the pressure of having to get known in Augusta. Some artists like PURITY, Hellblinki Sextet among others.

LL-How do you feel about the fact that you do not have that personal contact within your hometown?
MP-I'm not worried that much about it. I am finding my music is existing in two whole different commodities altogether, the internet and Augusta. I am finding many of the connections that exist in the traditional music community are developing online. I have collaborated with a guy in Nove Scotia on some songs, with a girl in Amsterdam on some remixes. As far as Augusta is concerned, I suspect that my connections to other artists will grow as my music grows. Interestingly enough, I have collaborated with PURITY & others in Augusta, but have never met her.

LL-What do you think of those who make accusations that what you do isn't really music?
MP-I'm not really worried about those opinions. It is a new form of music and people are always afraid of the new. Aside from that I think people like that are missing a great opportunity to explore music in a totally different way.

LL-Do you consider yourself to be more musician or artist?
MP-I don't know really. Some of what I do is music, some of it isn't. Everything I do is art, on some level or another. For sure I am an artist, only occassionally am I a musician.

LL-What about influences? More musical or artistic?
MP-Most of my influences are musical. I grew up with the Beatles, U2 and Queen among others. Some direct influences include Stereolab, Cibo Matto, Beck, Bjork, Pizzacato Five, Sean Lennon, Windom Earle, Mr. Scruff etc. I think that I have been influenced by many non-musical people. Pop artists like Andy Warhol, Lichtenstein and Rauschenberg have influenced me with their general concepts on art. I can not deny that my love for math has not influenced the way I think about music also.

LL-What is your opinion of the state of popular music as well as local music?
MP-Popular music is a sham in general. Record Companies are good at selling a product. This process has very little to do with the music itself. The music can be genuinely good or it can be blatantly bad, people will still buy it because their main step in the process is popularising the music via MTV and mainstream radio. The intenet will change this. Because the intenet usurps the Record Companies' power to sell a product. Artists are no longer constrained by the demands of anyone or anything but their own tastes and talents. Needless to say the recording industry is running scared. This will only help local musicians who are traditionaly poor as dirt. They will no longer have to shell out thousands of dollars to produce and manufacture and distribute a CD, this can all be done on an average home computer now.

You can download the new album by 76 @ Popamericana

BITING MIDGE
BITING MIDGE is a young trio with some history on the lokal scene. The band which consists of guitarist/vocalist Kris Anderson, and siblings April & Josh Brown on drums and bass, have within the past year begun to make waves here in Augusta but in all actuality have been around since Christmas of 1995 when they had their first practice with their catalog equipment. For about a year and a half the band was a quartet but eventually decided that thrice was nice! Within the past year or so BITING MIDGE have received radio airtime lokally and have appeared at such lokal venues as MULLIGAN'S, PLAYER'S, RED LION PUB, KOKOPELLI'S & THE MARTINEZ COMMUNITY CENTER. These 3 jokesters answered questions between musical interludes at Kokopelli's!

LL-How did you come up with the name "Biting Midge"?
KA-AN ex-girlfriend discovered the name in a dictionary.
AB-We put our finger in the book and there it was and we stuck with it.

LL-WHat artist have influenced you musically?
KA-Nirvana, Bush, Everclear, Green Day, Blink 182 & Weezer.
AB-The Offspring & Ani DiFranco.
JB-Blink 182 & the Offspring.

LL-Do you like any lokal bands?
KA-Gearbox
JB-Riff Raff Kings

LL-What cd's are currently in your cd player?
KA-Tori Amos
AB-The Offspring
JB-Blink 182

LL-What are your most memorable band moments?
KA-When we played at the 95 Battle of the Bands. AB-Our first concert at the Fermada Club in Aiken. We were the second band to play and we got on stage a crowd of 300 people came inside during our first song and seemed to enjoy our music. They kept jumping on the stage telling us to play more & more and it gave us a little ego boost.
JB-John leaving the band

LL-Any New Year's Resolution's?
KA-To be more social
AB-To quit smoking and maybe be famous.
JB-To have sex, alot!

LL-And finally, if you were a Biting Midge, what famous person would you like to draw blood from?
KA-Kurt Cobain
AB-Dexter Holland
JB-Shitoshi Yamaguchi

JUST FOR THE GIGGLES WE MADE THE BAND FINISH THESE STATEMENTS-
"Toilet paper makes good...
KA-...tinsel on a tree"
AB-...earplugs"
JB-...stuff to wipe the toilet seat off"

"I'd eat more pizza but...
KA-...I'm in love with peanut butter"
AB-...I don't like anchovies"
JB-...it gives me gas"

"I would load a slingshot with...
KA-...kaka"
AB-...whip cream"
JB-...an egg"

"Bass strings make nice...
KA-...dental floss"
AB & JB-...jewelry"

a few words with APEX ZERO

I had the honor of speaking to APEX ZERO just moments after completing recording on their upcoming disc to be entitled "Count the Stars". Now with just mastering & duplication to go, this 1 year project in the making is set to turn Augusta on it's collective ear with one of the most intensly diverse and intelligent releases ever to be bestowed upon this great music scene. Having just finished mixing down the "Outro" to this unique release, members VOID (lead & backing vocals, synth, drum programming, guitar synth, guitar & bass) and E_B_A (sampling, scratching, turntabling, production & keyboards) sat down in my humble abode to discuss the events leading up to this 26th of January, 2000.

LL-How did this working releationship come to pass?
VOID-We met at Evans Middle School during Georgia History class. E_B_A was always getting into trouble and there was this girl who always picked on him.
E_B_A-It was an early class so I just showered and came to school with wet hair & got crap for it looking greasy. This coming from a girl with mile high hair.
VOID-We were learning about Oglethorpe via a slide presentation.
E_B_A-I leaned over and said "Sky Diving".
VOID-It was during my first experiences in music.
E_B_A-His band went through a name a week.
VOID-There was this guitar player Rob jernaghan who exposed me to so much music that influenced me. A year later we started working in a parody kind of band.
E_B_A-To tell my side of the story, I came out of a very musical, Christian, sheltered family. Then a friend at church played 2 albums that changed my life, the Beatie Boys "License to Ill" and Run DMC's "Raising Hell". The interesting thing is, I was into Christian rock & metal. As I got older I became mainly focused on hip hop. I began writing my own lyrics about the time I met VOID. I've been an MC for about 13 years.
VOID-About that time I was writing Death metal!

LL-So expand more on the actual musical beginnings.
E_B_A-We got together and recorded some covers. My first real original was a diss song about my sisters friends. A member of the band moved away, then I started writing for VOID's band and he rewrote the song.
VOID-It was a great song.
E_B_A-After a couple of months we discussed doing a side recording project. Pure cheese, I cringe when I think about it. The groups name was ATTITUDE. It was a 5 member group. One by one, everyone went from ATTITUDE into an early version of YOUTH@RISK. We then recorded a ton of 4-track demos.
VOID-Before we had real equipment. Really crappy stuff.
E_B_A-Musically and talent wise we sucked but we ruled at ingenuity. After semi-completing the last lp worth of ATTITUDE material, YOUTH@RISK went into the studio. I made contributions but only a couple of things made it to the cd.
VOID-That was about 1996 with David Bradberry. ATTITUDE & YOUTH@RISK practically coexisted side by side, sharing practice & recording space & members.
E_B_A-We would go to the convenience store and buy 2 liters of Dr. Pepper and Coke and by morning they were empty. But we never got hooked on crack.
VOID-And nobody got pregnant.
There was a point in time when I was a member of YOUTH@RISK for about a year. Then about the time they went to Adam Street to record, I started to record solo. A lot of what we wrote seperately and with ATTITUDE plus some YOUTH@RISK rejects have become the APEX ZERO project. VOID's main focus then became YOUTH@RISK. It was only about a year ago that he approached me about working together on a studio project.
VOID-I had a sweet deal on some studio time. We went in and gave it a try and it was phat!

LL-So tell, why the name APEX ZERO?
E_B_A-We talked for months, going through lists of songs, list orders, concepts and band names. The original name I wanted was "Lackluster"
VOID-I feel, for instance, when you play Dungeons & Dragons, alot of what makes the charcter is the name of the character. I wanted a name that suited OUR character and I just didn't think "Lackluster" fit the concept.
E_B_A-I don't remember how it happened, but I came up with the name APEX ZERO and VOID loved it. The album BECAME APEX ZERO concept and all. I really don't think a project like this has ever been done lokally.
VOID-None that I've ever seen.

LL-Do you think you may be accused of jumping on the rock-rap bandwagon?
E_B_A-Well no disrespect at all to JEMANI, but we do not want to be compared to them. "Cyborg Jesus" is an incredible release but what we do is completely different. Neither one is better than the other. I have alot of respect for Ike. he is really talented but we've been combining rock and hip hop since we first heard "License to Ill", not because of someone lokally. That's not meant to be negative. Those guys are great.
VOID-It was through alot of the old stuff that APEX ZERO came about.
E_B_A-The new songs were made to bridge the gap between the old songs. To make them congruent.
VOID-Cohesive.

LL-So you took a year to record this cd. That's quite a time gap.
E_B_A-Some interesting things about the album. We recorded the album in the order we were planning the songs to be on the final release. This way you get a very fluid progression. I can tell the difference from the begining to the end.
VOID-Our hearts have changed within a year.
E_B_A-A lot can happen. I broke my leg and something came out of frustration of that and all other kinds of emotions. We set out to make sure no one song sounds like the other but yet it sounds like the same band.

LL-Was it just you two in the studio?
VOID-We had a lot of help on this recording and now we're ready to celebrate!
E_B_A-We still have to go through mastering and duplication but getting back to the question, we had contributions from Goo of FINAL DARKNESS, Gail, DJ Nuetron, John & Larry from YOUTH@RISK, my nephew Tyler, Phil Jones...
VOID-My sister Erin
E_B_A-The unoffical third member of APEX ZERO, who this album could NOT have been made without, is Andy McCraw.
VOID-When we're rich and famous, we'll fly by his house every day!

LL-So tell me about about this concept.
E_B_A-The concept works on open levels.
VOID-Definitely open to interpretation.
E_B_A-Mortality, life, also about about introducing us. It contains many multi-meanings but generally has to do with being at the top and having nothing. Like the person climbing the corporate ladder. He has all the money and success but loses out in the love and family department due to time constaints. The other can be like us who do music just to have it when the norm may be to make money. So we could be seen as being at the top but having nothing material to show for it. Sometimes what is really important is what is seen as beneath you.
VOID-My interpretation is not much different. To me APEX ZERO does have a lot to do with those who work hard to achieve temporary material things like cash and belongings, or even power. Putting life's emotions in other people's hands.
E_B_A-True unconditional love. You give everything and expect nothing. If the world is missing something right now then that's it. We also discuss mortality and violence in the schoolyard. One thing that is inevitable and the other which we should be concerned heavily with right now. We make points but you have to find them yourself. The album is part prophecy, warning & mirror.

LL-Sounds kind of spiritual, almost religious.
VOID-It's definitely the moral high ground when you put no profit on your mortal being.
E_B_A-We're not a Christian band nor am I trying to be a role model.
VOID-I don't feel confident enough to be a role model for other people's standards. I am not an icon, just a messenger.

LL-I see that their are some covers on this album.
VOID-There are two covers on this album, "Nights in White Satin" (Moody Blues) and you guess the other!
E_B_A-Stop teasing! It's "The Grandfather Clock" by Acey Alone. This was a big inspirational concept album for me. The great travesty is that it was virtually ignored. The lp is called "Human Language".
VOID-Not heard by many.
E_B_A-I think maybe two copies ever existed in Augusta. It's really a shame.

LL-So I get the feeling that time and space also fit into this concept.
VOID-Lost in Space.
E_B_A-When we listen to music seperatly it's usually in the dark, alienated from the world. This works on many different levels. It's really a nice atmostphere.
VOID-We wanted that feeling of lloking at a sky full of stars on a chilly night to be a part of it. Like the track "Count the Stars".
E_B_A-Like we mentioned earlier, the songs mostly have dual meanings. "Count the Stars", which is the title track of the lp, is like actaully counting the stars and on the other hand looking to those "famous" stars and seeing where they really are.
VOID-This has a lot of value. Something people need to hear. Not just meaningless Backstreet Boys crap.
E_B_A-Bottom line-Expect the Unexpected. You'll never hear anything else like this.
VOID-You'll just have to listen to the cd.

Q&A WITH THE DALTON'S

For the past few years, Josh Boardman has presented the lokal scene with some lineup form of the band THE DALTON'S. I had a change to talk to this multi instrumentalist at what may be, the Dalton's last stand.

LL-Why "The Dalton's"? Your last name is Boardman.
JB-From the father of atomic weight, John Dalton. I picked it up in chemistry class.

LL-Are your musical influences just as chemically unbalanced? WHat are they?
JB-Hum, Self, Failure, Foo Fighters, & Depeche Mode.

LL-I just have to imagine what your first concert was.
JB-Depeche Mode.

LL-Do any of the lokal bands fit your unusual fancy?
JB-The Riff Raff Kings, Kingthursday & Biting Midge.

LL-What is the band into when it's not "being the band"?
JB-Nothing
Mike Stokes (guitar/vocals)-golf.
Dan Moxley (bass/vocals)-smokin dope.
Jason Scarborough (drums)-work.

LL-What type of digitalia do you have in you cd player?
JB-Blinker the Star

LL-What been the weirdest thing about being in The Dalton's?
JB-Mike puking and playing the best set of his life.

LL-Just to swerve a little, if you were a can of spam, what instrument would you play?
JB-Spatula and maybe a little eggbeater on the side.

LL-Any final comments for our readers as we head into 2000?
JB-Life, elecric word life. It means forever and that's a mighty long time. THE SCOOP ON SOLEMN

Yet another busy musician to take the time to visit the Lokal Homestead was SOLEMN's Philip Pye. I made sure to subject him to the horrors of intense questioning and writer's cramp. What else could I do with a member of one of the areas most followed bands?

LL-When and how did SOLEMN originally come together?
PP-The other guys were together about seven years ago with a few other singers. TRIBE was an earlier band the guys initiated. About two weeks after the breakup of TRIBE, I was asked to join. (summer of 1997)

LL-What were some of the influential bands that originally the band had in common?
PP-Primus, Helmet, Tool. We all really liked STOMP also.

LL- And who came up with the name SOLEMN? Why SOLEMN?
PP-Actually we were poking fun at Matt Seader and came up with that name. It really came out of nowhere.

LL-So how were the early SOLEMN shows compared to SOLEMN live in 2000?
PP-We were pure death metal. Well we got bored with it and decided to mix in some other styles. I think the shows now are much more colorful and intense.

LL-So when did you first decide to record the new release?
PP-We paced ourselves. We decided to not record at all until our music was tight and presentable. We did a little demo at Studio South to get our feet wet. The track ended up on the Grand Slam Jam for those who may be interested.

LL-It was just October when you put out your debut release. I've heard a lot of time and money went into the project. Where and when did you guys record?
PP-We traveled to Columbia, South Carolina and recorded at Soundlab. We spent a week in a flooded Super 8.

LL-What was the hardest track to record?
PP-The most difficult was track number 11. It took a lot of computer stuff. Computers test my patience.

LL-Were you happy with the final results of the cd?
PP-yes, very, but we also learned from this experience and the next cd will be twice as good.

LL-I think a lot of people have always associated SOLEMN with lokal bands DIEAGNOSTIC and REPRISAL. Did you know each other awhile or meet through music?
PP-Well, we hooked up with REPRISAL through school and then did shows, but our relationship with DIEAGNOSTIC evolved completely from music. We're all pretty good friends.

LL-Was it one band, person or group of bands/people that created BLOODFEST?
PP-BLOODFEST is a project originated from the boys in DIEAGNOSTIC. Thank God they did it.

LL-It's become one of the biggest annual lokal events each year. Did you expect it to be so popular and last so long?
PP-NO! I really never expected 800 people to ever show up at a BLOODFEST.

LL-Well other than the upcoming show (March 3rd-Martinez Community Center) what's next for SOLEMN?
PP-We are totally focused on traveling and spreading our wings. We are lined up for the next two months to travel. It's fun but very...um interesting.

LL-What are your feelings on the current state of the lokal music scene?
PP-Even though we haven't played in a while, I still go to shows when i can. I don't understand why people stay outside the WHOLE time. Other than that, Augusta has one of the best scenes I've ever seen.

LL-I guess some people want to be seen but not make the scene, or they're just cheap! Whatcha wanna say to our readers?
PP-Hey mom. I love to eat grilled chicken. It keeps my heart pumping but I never reach my satisfaction until drinking water lemon. Oh yeah...buy our cd.

LL-Bye!
PP-ADIOS

Q&A WITH LUCID GROOVE

Having found their destined band name on a website of untaken band names, LUCID GROOVE just proved that they are a band who chooses to stick to unconventional methods of music and performance. Ever since drummer Chris joined bassist Cliff, vocalist Russ and guitarists Bill & Rob, this five piece have gone out of their way to steer clear of the norm and forge what they hope will become a musical identity all their own. One cold evening on the side deck of Kokoelli's, I forced these "GROOVERS" to fill out a questionairre so I can bring you some insight into the madness of...
LUCID GROOVE.

LL-What's the craziest thing that has happened since you been together?
Bill-Some of the shows at the NCO Club.
Rob-Just read the lyrics to the songs.
Russ-Russ Fest Shows at Kokopelli's.

LL-Tell me about Kokopelli's, and the controversy.
Russ-I spoke my mind and got shafted.
Bill-We're to metal for this club.

LL-TOO HEAVY, what are your influences?
LG-Tool, Euro Death Metal, Elvis, (then turning sarcastic)Arrowood, Brother Redd & Wire.

LL-What's in your cd player RIGHT NOW?
LG-New Primus, Solemn, Staind, Soul Coughing, Nothingface & Bela Fleck.

LL-Before we go, any resolutions for the new year?
Rob-Get a job.
Russ-Quit smoking.
Cliff-Finish cd.
Bill-Party more.

NUTTY FINALES & ANSWERS
What food should McDonald's add to their menu?
Bill-McChimchi
Russ-Anything spicy
Cliff-McPasta

"Napkins are best used for...
LG-...wiping up spunk"

"If I was a superhero my name would be...
Bill-...Scourge with Buttladle"
Russ-...Superpenis"
Cliff-...Captain What the Fuck"
Rob-...Superman"