An Apologie:

Unfortunately this week i have had to break my promise to you guy?s and instead of writing about rising youtube cover artists i am going to be telling you about how cover artist?s have developed over the last few year?s due to the expansion of technology and social media. Firstly as it is an introduction to the “Youtube” cover artist topic and secondly as i have not had time to research the up and coming artists as much as i would have liked as i have just spent a week in Rome.

Tech Has Been Moving On:

In the last few year?s technology as increased ten fold, every few months see the new released of a far more advanced piece of technology weather it be a computer or phone. This of course meant that computers have gone from the size of a room to the size of a shoe box in a short space of time.

With this rapid advancement of computers also came the progression of software, witch meant that instead of having to go to a recording studio and paying for often lengthy and expensive recording sessions. People had software such as adobe and garageband openly available to them on their computers.

Music production equipment such as microphones, speakers and instrument’s have become cheaper and cheaper, meaning that any average joe could pick it up and use it within seconds of installation.

All of this meant that the people who wanted to make music could do so easily in the comfort of their own homes and soon many new cover artists came onto the scene. Without a platform however it was hard for them to gain exposure for their music.

The Social Networking BOOM:

At this time the internet had started to boom, new ideas for sites were flowing and in the coming years sites such as Myspace, Facebook and Twitter helped people to socially network and share their creativity.

This has allowed many people to gain huge fan basses in a short period of time and make money for advertising, selling their work or even branded merchandise. Thus the cover artist of the modern day was born every Tom, Dick and Harry was able to get their music out their, and this will bring us into next weeks topic witch is the Youtube cover artist.

What do you guy?s think of social media, is it a good thing or bad? Let me know in the comments below! Seeya guy?s next week.

Hey, it’s Jeremy from the Fingertips web site and I’m back this time with a two-month digest of the best songs featured on Fingertips since the summer started. This time I’ll pick out three songs from each month, to give you a taste of what I’ve been charged up about. If you want some background on what I’m doing here, check out the May edition, in which I more fully introduced myself.

From June:

“Dear God 2.0″ – the Roots
You don’t have to be a hip-hop fan to sense the glory in this performance, which is a reworking of a song originally recorded by the Monsters of Folk. Jim James can still be heard, but the song centers on Black Thought’s weary, rumbling, tumbling rap. (Read the entire review.)

“Here Sometimes” – Blonde Redhead
Elusively appealing song from the veteran NYC trio, with a characteristic mix of dreaminess and electronics. (Read the entire review.)

Orange Yellow – the Spires
Jangly guitar rock, with a nod to the Velvet Underground. The band is from Ventura, however, so it bounces with more of a SoCal than a downtown groove. (Read the entire review.)

(Other artists featured in June included Simian Ghost, Sea of Bees, and Sambassadeur.)

From July:

“Zorbing” – Stornoway
Bursting with melody and innocence, as invigorating as a bright blue puffy-clouded day. In a better world than this one, this is the song of the summer of 2010. (Read the entire review.)

“Alouette!” – Tallest Trees
Gleeful, skewed, clattery pop from a Nashville duo. Electronics are used with good humor, and the entire arrangement is great fun. (Read the entire review.)

“Noisemaker” – Two Hours Traffic
Nothing more or less complicated than brisk, sharp power pop. No summer should be without this one either. (Read the entire review.)

Other artists featured in July included Lost in the Trees, Like Bells, and Saadi.)

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It is not often that I comment on anything but Indie music here on the Goat, but, this 80’s metal rube couldn’t help himself. I originally planned on just Tweeting about it and sending out a Facebook update but I couldn’t say everything in 140 characters or less, so I figured I’d start the conversation here.

I was listening to The Rock And Roll Geek Show (highly recommended) where the host Micheal Butler was doing a track by track review of the new Vince Neil CD “Tattoos And Tequila”. I was readying myself for another throw away release from an aging rockstar from my youth – and the always honest Butler to call him on it – but I came away impressed.

Impressed enough that not only did I take time to write this review but I bought the CD. Proving once again, as they said on the show and on many others, podcasting does indeed sell.

A Few Thoughts…

…Not crazy about the title track so you’ll have to make up your own mind.

… “Another Bad Day” is the better of the only two originals on the release. It has positive vibe and could

…He covers “Who’ll Stop the Rain” by CCR and pulls it off nicely.  I’ve been a Motley Crue fan since “Too Fast For Love” and he sounds just as at home on this classic as he does on “Ten Seconds To Love” (I  can’t believe I used those two songs in the same sentence). There is a lot of sincerity in his performance that I didn’t expect. Great song, classic songwriting!

…I always liked the clean chunky riffs of The Hollies “Long Cool Women” and Vince and the band do a solid job. The big eighties distortion lends itself nicely.

… Elvis anyone? Viva Las Vegas gets a solid update.

There are more very solid covers to mention – like stuff by the  Scorpions, Sex Pistols, Elton John (seriously) and more – but I’ll let you figure out what you think on your own (Then share in the comments below).

Oh and I didn’t get the bonus track “Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers”(ZZ Top) that I heard on the RNR Geek which kind of sucked but I’ll just have to wait for the CD.

Anyway, I guess what I am saying is you should go check it out. You can listen before you buy over at Amazon or check out Micheal Butler’s review. But if you want to dive right in, you can pick up the CD and download OR his $99 merch lovers dream package over at VinceNeil.net.

Your thoughts below.

Musicians And Promoters…

I, as a musician always looking out for good marketing and sales tips, thought it was interesting to see how the smooth the site sales process went. From what I can tell Topspin is doing everything- kudo to them.

Although I am not a big enough fan to lay down $99 bucks for the big merch package he is pimping, I bet there are plenty of people who are. Another example of how some of the more traditional artists are picking up on some marketing ideas forged in the indie realm and a sign that it works.

I signed up for the mailing list.  it will be interesting to see what kind of stuff Vince will be sending out – that is if he is gonna be the one doing it (somehow I doubt it but we’ll see).

Only thing I might have done differently was get more samples of the new tunes on his site. Had to go to Amazon to find those. Why make it hard for potential customers to hear everything the CD has to offer?

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From the city who has brought us a cornucopia of diverse acts such as Steve Miller, Al Jarreau, and The Violent Femmes comes Milwaukee’s next greatest export: Disaster March. Compared to bands like Weezer, Alkaline Trio, and Brand New, these midwestern guys provide fans with highly entertaining, energetic shows. I caught up with keyboardist Brian Farvour just a few hours before he and the guys took the stage at their hometown SummerFest to discuss everything from their evolution as a band to working with Kristian Riley to their K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) model.

Hey Brian, thanks for taking the time to chat with me today. So I know you guys are getting pretty excited to play tonight at SummerFest in just a few hours; is this your first time playing?

You know actually, we have never done SummerFest as a band. We’ve all played with different bands, and actually this is the third time this year I’ll be playing. Never with the same band twice, but playing SummerFest is something I really enjoy doing, especially being from Milwaukee. The other guys love it as well, Marc for instance opened up for Fountains of Wayne one year. We really love getting up there and having a good time, and look forward to getting a few new fans tonight.

So you guys mention in your biography that you’ve had several name changes. Where does Disaster March come from – what about that name stuck?

We’ve gone through a lot of different lineup changes the past few years, but we’ve had this solid lineup for the past two years. We were initially called “My Disaster March,” but ended up dropping the “My” because there seems to be a lot of other bands out there with that as the beginning of their name…My Chemical Romance, My Morning Jacket…we really wanted to stand on our own. So we changed to Disaster March. And the term Disaster March is the name of the musical theme they’d play at a circus during an emergency to calm people down.

So now you’ve been set as Disaster March for the past couple of years. When you play do you have a standard setlist?

Yah, I’d say we have a pretty standard set list. Sometimes we play off of the crowd to see if we should go in a different direction. For instance, we’ve cut out “Slow Motion (it’s one of our slower songs)” before when the crowd is really rowdy. For the most part it’s pretty standard. We do have a couple of cover songs we like to play…

Which ones?

“Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga and “Like a Prayer” by Madonna: definitely crowd favorites.

The most recent album you have is your Dire Days EP, tell me a little bit about the how you guys came up with that.

Some of the songs go several years back, like “Save Me Jaime” and “Slow Motion.” A few years ago, we actually paired up with Kristian Riley (Citizen King, Truth In Fiction, Paris, Texas) who helped us really flush some of our old stuff out to produce better versions of those tracks. We wrote a few new songs to combine with our “new old” tracks for the EP, which we recorded with Kristian in January 2009.

I actually wanted to get the stories behind a few of your tracks. I’ve got to ask about my favorite, “Save Me, Jaime.” Who is Jaime?

(laughs). Nick, a former member and still great friend of the band knew her. That is about all I know about “Jaime.”

And “These Blue Eyes,” is another one of my favorites. I was going to guess that this track was about Jaime, but I guess you don’t have the answer to that one…

“These Blue Eyes” is one of the old tracks that I told you about that was a really rough demo form, but we were able to flush it out with Kristian. We’re really happy with the way it turned out.

And “Slow Motion,” the last one I wanted to ask you about. Kind of a double entendre there.

Exactly. The title relates to both the lyrics of the song and the tempo/feel of the song itself. I really like this track a lot. I get chills every time I hear the swell of the guitar toward the middle of the track.

I want to ask you about your K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) motto. I’ve played in a couple of bands where everything just seems so cluttered. You know, five or six people sitting around making music together but there are so many melodies and submelodies and….

Exactly! That’s where it really comes from. You know, it’s a really natural hting. We’ve all been in bands before this with larger lineups and we just like to keep it simple. We’ve got guitar, bass, drums, keys. One on each. It doesn’t over-complicate things and we can enjoy the music more.

Lastly, before you get ready for tonight, what is next for Disaster March?

We’ve got a few more songs in the works right now, but really we are just focusing on playing some quality shows to hone our craft. It’s really up to Fr. Time what will happen next, but we’re having a great time playing shows and getting new fans!

As a Manhattan native, Trevor Potts of NYC-based pop/indie rock band, Red Directors, certainly knows how to succeed in such a fast-paced, demanding society. The notion of “fighting for your piece of the pie” is an ongoing saying Trevor expresses in regards to his stomping grounds, which is clearly demonstrated in the upbeat, catchy, and clever music coming out of Potts and his band members. In an industry where bands race to top the charts of independent and college listeners, it is certain that Red Directors will be one of the few that achieve the task at hand.

What are your musical influences? Any bands to reference in relation to your music?

Personally, as the singer and songwriter of the band, I can only speak for myself as far as the musicians that have influenced me with my lyrics, melodies, etc. If I could pick, I’d choose Neil Young, Kurt Cobain, John Lennon (solo years), and Thom Yorke as many of my core influences.

Do you believe New York and the city itself has influenced your music? Why?

Yes, New York City has definitely influenced my music, especially with the writing process. NYC makes you fight back, and is a city surrounded by people fighting for their piece of the pie. There is definitely a motivated, aggressive part about New Yorkers where they want to just go out, have fun….but are still fighting for their slice of the pie with every move they make. You must earn your living, and everything that’s involved. So yes, the demanding aspect and fast-paced nature of the city has surely influenced our music.

Dead or Alive: What musician would you dream to play with?

Tough question…but I’d have to say Neil Young. The guy has literally seen everything – and he’s made a record in all genres. So it’d be great to jam with him in different areas of music. I’d love to pick his brain. But, if I wanted to step out of the edge a bit – I would love to follow Thom Yorke around for a day.

What’s the one thing you think everyone should do before they die?

Simple: climb Machu Picchu

If you could listen to 1 album for the rest of your life – what would it be?

Honestly, the new XX record. It’s incredible.

Favorite hot spots in NYC?

The thing about NYC is that it is an ever-changing battle there. As soon as someone finds out about something, it’s no longer a hot spot! Then….the crowd is off to the next place. However, I do love the East Village and Lower East Side of the city. The Thai places, nitty gritty rock and roll bars, and the fancy rooftop hotels are great. They incorporate such an attitude about them, with a new fusion, and a “balls to the wall” attitude.

The inevitable question: why Red Directors? How did you get the name?

I’m fascinated with Russian history, and when the Soviet Union fell, the guys that held the Soviet muscle had to go through a group of men called the Red Directors. Hence, the name.

If you could have any actor star in your next music video, who would it be?

Charlize Theron. She’s not your normal Hollywood star. She’s gone through such an incredible life, is a serial monogamist, and is incredibly sexy.

Any guilty music pleasures? Do you have the Bieber fever?

(Laughs) No. Fortunately, I do not have the Bieber fever. Guilty pleasures though… I actually have a name for mine. I have a radio station that is constantly in my head, called “shit rock radio.” The songs range from Air Supply, to Aaron Neville, to any other cheesy artist you can think of. I can’t get the station out of my head!

Best concert you’ve ever been to?

During summer 2001, I saw the Radiohead “Kid A/Amnesiac Tour” overlooking the twin towers, and the Statue of Liberty. Most amazing show I’ve seen.

Find Red Directors at www.myspace.com/reddirectors or www.reddirectors.com

Ever been out somewhere and find an intriguing melody floating around that you follow until you find some street performer? No doubt, there is probably a small crowd gathered with some people nodding their heads and a few others with a subtle smile. Yes, one individual has the power to infiltrate souls and fight boredom, if only for a moment, without even being asked. Way to go. Public art is the best kind of art isn’t it? It not only belongs to the artist, but also to the people.  So let’s put a story behind the face of the countless sidewalk performers that shine out there. Here is some of the story behind John Clinebell.

What inspires your lyrics?

So many things inspire me these days. When I wrote the lyrics for “Make It Land,” I was in a committed relationship that I was trying to express my gratitude for, and also seeing a previous failed relationship for what it was. Just kind of exploring the emotions that came out of that breakup and the emotional withdrawal I experienced from being with her. The songs were written over the course of a couple of years, so there were those different themes to the lyrics.

We hear you are quite the dodge ball player, how, if at all, does that influence your music?

On the dodge ball court I get to be a totally different guy. Like a comic book character. It doesn’t really influence my music, but I like to think that what makes me a good dodge ball player (communication, being present, and being a good sport in the end) also help me as a songwriter and performer.

Are there any epic dodge ball stories we should know about?

I’ve experienced both extremes of tragedy and triumph on the dodge ball courts. Recently my team, Winner Winner Chicken Dinner, played on the Staples Center court for the West LA league championship and won. I’ve definitely had some great individual moments out there as a player as well. Like times at open gym where I’m the last person in on my side and I end up taking out the 8 players on the other side to win the game myself. Stuff like that. It’s so much fun!

What is it like being a street performer on the Santa Monica Promenade, knowing that most people are there to shop instead of listening to music like they would at a typical venue?

The first year I went out there, it was kinda rough. I had this expectation that a huge crowd was gonna form around me, that I’d sell thousands of albums, etc. I slowly came to realize that I wasn’t a show-stopping attractive girl, wasn’t singing covers, and wasn’t exactly doing a lot to make my performance a “street show.” Then it dawned on me that I didn’t have anything to prove to anyone out there, that I could just have fun. And the crowd that goes out there… they show their respect for you in more ways than giving you their undivided attention or tips. I get a big kick out of seeing the small signs of appreciation. The smiles, the bobbing heads, the peace signs, the toddlers dancing. The things I enjoy most about street performing are being outside, connecting with people, and being able to test out new songs.

You have a paper crane on your album cover, what is the craziest piece of origami you can make?

There’s a frog I know how to fold that takes about 10 minutes. You have to make the piece of paper more or less like a chessboard with all the fold lines. So many folds!

Currently, you are being played on over 65 college radio stations, have you heard yourself on the radio yet? What station do you want to hear yourself on?

I haven’t heard myself on anything but internet radio from that, but I’m sure it’ll happen when it’s supposed to. I’d love to hear myself on KCRW (in Santa Monica). They are really selective and didn’t add me to rotation. Maybe they’ll dig my next album!

If another musician covered one of your songs, who would you want it to be and which song?

I think Jack Johnson should cover “Sunday Afternoon” because it’s totally his kind of chill, peaceful song. Finger picked rhythm and laid back vocal delivery, all that jazz.

Since you live near the beach, if you knew a tsunami was coming which one of your original songs would you perform and why, “Lay Back and Die” or “Hold On”?

I’m sure I could think of other things to do in those conditions, but if I were to pick between performing those songs, I’d pick “Lay Back and Die” because I think that song is more about acceptance of what is—about realizing that we don’t have to struggle or strive to be satisfied with life. We could just lay back and die because we are so content. That’s definitely the emotional space I’d want to be in if I knew something catastrophic was about to happen.

To listen to John Clinebell visit him on Facebook or at JohnClinebell.com

Hey everyone, my name’s Jeremy and I’ve been running the Fingertips music site since way back in 2003. Every week I sort through a mountain of free and legal MP3s that I find online and pick out three really good ones. While I don’t range too widely across genres (there’s no jazz, no hip-hop, no blues, no genres ending with the word “core”), I try to keep the sounds varied each week so that the three songs together take you an interesting place.

What I’m going to start doing here on Musicgoat is write up a quick monthly summary of the songs Fingertips has featured by pointing you to one song out of three each week–I’ll give you the link and a very brief description. This is the digest version to be sure. On the site itself, the reviews are longer and more descriptive; my aim is to give the reader a strong sense of what each song sounds like and I why I think it’s particularly good. And remember, because I’m picking just three songs every week, all three of them are really quite excellent, so it would be a great idea for you to go visit the site to hear all three songs each week.

Thanks to Corey for the invite, and let’s get right into it with an abridged look at what I picked out for May. Remember, these songs are all available as free and legal MP3s that you can download to your heart’s content.

Week 1:
“Let the Record Go” – The Mynabirds
A slice of stompy, retro perfection from Laura Burhenn, who used to be half of the duo Georgie James. The entire album is highly recommended. (Read the entire review.)

(Other artists featured week 1: The National, Hey Marseilles)

Week 2:
The Mermaid Parade – Phosphorescent
Both laid back and expansive, this one brings a slow-burning quality to its sauntering vibe. Phosphorescent is a Brooklyn-based band featuring Matthew Houck and whomever else he can get to play with him at the time. (Read the entire review.)

(Other artists featured week 2: Villagers, Beach House)

Week 3:
“The Kiss” – Pallers
A graceful, beautifully unfolding electronic dance-ballad, from Sweden. Builds without hurrying to a moving climax. (Read the entire review.)

(Other artists featured week 3: Sarah Blasko, The King Left)

Week 4:
“Captive” – Sarah Harmer
This super-talented Canadian returns after a bluegrass project to some straight-ahead pop. Very appealing. (Read the entire review.)

(Other artists featured week 4: Light Pollution, Sarah Jaffe)

You can read the reviews and listen to the free and legal MP3s on Fingertips every week. Better yet, subscribe to the RSS feed and you’ll never miss any of the songs.

Thanks for looking the picks over and maybe giving a listen. Keep reading Musicgoat and I’ll be back in early July with the June highlights from Fingertips.

Usually when I interview a band, chaos ensues. With so many different voices, there end up being so many different answers that interview extends way longer than I want it to. I braced myself when I interviewed Rhyme and Rhythm, a massive hip hop group from Las Vegas with 8 members! Surprisingly, the interview was direct, well organized and pleasant. The band obviously works well together and cooperate effectively, not only for interviews but on stage, making for a great musical experience. So many different voices blending cohesively, each contributing what they need to stay, but willing to let others share the limelight as well. We should all try that sometime, don’t you think?

RnR has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with some big named artists, such as Snopp Dogg, Ice Cube, Bone Thugs n Harmony and many more, who has been the most fun?

T.I. at Thomas and Mack.  The vibe was different because it was his last west coast performance before incarceration

In every band there is always the shy guy, the crazy guy, the heartthrob, etc, what role does each person play in RnR?

K-NYCE (keys): The Shy Guy – Baby Face
Bane (emcee): The Crazy Guy
A-1ne (emcee): The Spiritual One
Tadow (drums): The Great Debater
CoCojenkins  (bass): The Heartthrob and The Low Key One
Freddy Tiff (emcee): “Underwater Cadillac Pimpin’”
The Illipino (guitar): “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”
Jerry Wayne (emcee): The Banker/Businessman

What song do you get the most excited to play live?

“Natural Disasters”

Have any of you ever had a personal experience with a real natural disaster?

We all have to say the recession.  Also, CoCojenkins was hit by a car right before a show not too long ago.

Why did RnR decide to have 4 emcees sharing vocal duties, instead of just one guy?

We didn’t have the heart to cut anyone! We all got dirt on each other! haha. No, seriously. The emcees started the group. The band came afterward.  They all bring something different.

What is the music scene like in Las Vegas?

Better now that we’re in it!  It’s growing.  More venues are opening up to live music.  There’s more talent thanks to Bush for f*cking up the economy.

If you were short on cash and had to become a Las Vegas streetwalker, what would your alias be?

Bane: Luke Thighwalker
The Illipino: Pimpapino
Freddy Tiff: Freddy Make Ya Feel Good
K-NYCE: Steve Urkel
Tadow: Dark Chocolate mixed with Black Velvet
A-1ne: Dolla Bill
CoCojenkins: G-string
Jerry Wayne: Wayne Glade

Don’t you love it when things just work out the way they should? When everything falls into place and every problem that arises solves itself, magic happens. Well in this story about a little band called Applepolish (as in shoe polish not polish hot dog), two brothers decided that they wanted to try their hand at music and learned that they didn’t need to hire a producer or someone to design the album art or someone to create a music video, they could do it all themselves. Let me just say, they’ve done a superb job. They put a lot of the D.I.Y. bands out there to shame.

How did you guys come up with your name?

It was some years ago my brother and I needed a name for our musical group. We couldn’t come up with a name. Then we picked up a dictionary and decided to go with the first word we came across. I came across the word Applepolish. I liked the sound of that word and felt that it went well with the music we were making.

Do you find it difficult to be in a band with a sibling or is it a bonus?

We get along very well and are used to working together. We have worked together consistently and successfully for a while now.

If you were put in a dance-off contest with fellow Colombian, Shakira what song would you dance to in order to show her up?

If it’s a Latin song, then En Barranquilla Me Quedo by Joe Arroyo, another fellow Colombian, because we’re both from the city of Barranquilla and we can have a Salsa dance off.

If it’s one of her songs, I’d dance to Hips Don’t Lie and we can see who moves their hips the best.

If it’s one of our songs, I’d have her dance to Bandwagon and see if she can help us create a special dance for that song.

You guys write, produce, record and engineer your own music as well as videos, is this something you guys went to school for?

We have been self-developing these skills on our own for years. First we started with keyboards, then to bass, and eventually to guitar. The recording process also developed over time with each demo and song that we recorded. Eventually we felt ready to record Spirit Threads and are currently working on a new EP for the fall and a new CD for early 2011.

What are your individual strengths when it comes to making music?

Our best strengths are in the production and artistic qualities of the music and songwriting.

If someone were to make a movie about Applepolish, whom would you want to play both of you?

David Blaine would play Johan Palacio and Marc Antony would play Richard Palacio, hehe.

Good choices!

Find them on MySpace and Facebook-go on, support the D.I.Y. goodness

You know those nights that feel like they last a week? Where you’re making memory after memory and going for broke, spending like a sailor on leave. Aren’t those the best nights? When the sun comes up and you feel like…yea, sigh that was fun. Jess McGuire wrote a song about one of those nights. He writes a lot of other great songs as well, all with a modern country feel. His newest release is a three song EP entitled Golden State of Mind and I hear there will be a whole album by the end of the year. I can’t wait. Now without further ado…Jess McGuire.

Your new EP Golden State of Mind was just finished, which track was the toughest to record?

I think “Pictures” was the most difficult to record just because it was so subtle in terms of the timing of the different parts. You might not notice, but there are no drums or percussion of any kind on that track.  We really had to have a really good feel for it. We experimented with a lot of stuff in the studio, including some percussion instruments I had never seen before. In the end, it turned out best without percussion. It worked out well. I think we ended up with what we were looking for.

What kind of music did you listen to growing up?

I was exposed to a lot of different stuff. My father was a DJ on local classic rock radio station so he was always playing southern rock like Skynrd, Boston, The Eagles and The Allman Brothers. I found my way into a lot of other genres as I grew up. Linkin Park has influenced me, Jay-Z influenced me in a way, Tupac, Metallica has as well. The older I got the more I began to explore older traditional country also. Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings. I’m influenced by some more current artists also. Jason Aldean is the main one. His sound really showed me that I could make music that moved me and it would still be accepted. Gary Allan is a huge musical influence on me also. Bluegrass artists like Allison Krauss and Ricky Skaggs help me a lot as well. I come from a very wide background musically.

If you could collaborate with any other artist who would it be?

I’ll have to answer this question twice, once as a songwriter and once as a singer. As a songwriter, I would absolutely love to collaborate with Jamey Johnson. In my opinion he is the best writer going right now, his catalogue for himself and for other artists is off the charts good. As a singer, I think I could die a happy man if I could sing a duet with Allison Krauss. That voice is unlike any other, now or ever.

You recently recorded a music video for “Friday Night on Fire,” did you guys play any pranks on each other behind the scenes?

We didn’t play any pranks per se, but there was a lot of joking around and ribbing going on between takes. We tease each other a lot in general, so there was a lot of “Dude, you broke the lens, try being less ugly next time!” Stuff like that, that’s all in good fun just to keep everyone loose and keep craniums from expanding, you know?

What is the best Friday night you’ve ever had and did it inspire the song?

It’s tough to choose just one. I suppose the one that leaps to mind is Garth Brooks’ “Ain’t Goin Down till the Sun Comes Up”. That song just has that Friday night feel to it all the way through. You just blast along through the song and enjoy the ride he takes you on. There were other songs though that had a similar effect in influencing that song. Hillbilly Deluxe by Brooks & Dunn, What Was I Thinkin by Dierks Bentley, All My Rowdy Friends by Hank Williams, Jr. All those songs were sort of the road map for creating “Friday Night on Fire.”

How long have you and your band, Cherokee Street been together?

Well, we’ve gone through a lot of flux with Cherokee Street, but my brother Sean has been the one constant and he’s been with me for about a year and a half since he got out here (the West Coast) after his military stint. The current lineup is about six months old right now, but I guess it’s a bit of a sliding scale.

If you had to choose, would you rather be stuck in the room with a seasick crocodile or a cougar?

Depends on which kind of cougar we’re talking about, the wild cat? Or like Morgan Fairchild? Either way, a seasick crocodile doesn’t sound like much fun, pretty gross.  I’ll take Morgan!

Visit Jess Mcguire on MySpace and Facebook.

-Sheena