Orion On Your Shoulder

you
you've got orion
on your
shoulder

he was the hunter
like you in your dreams
he walked on waves
like you in your dreams

and now he's in the stars
among the others like him
and maybe one day you'll be
spread among the stars in the galaxy

for all to see
your radiating glory
for all to see
your eminating glory

you
you've got orion
on your
shoulder
you do
you do
you do.

b zwaulmywbx!

s msvv amf. s msvv amfw zmxubea. s vlstt ibel lm osnp islo. s vlstt ibel lm optu islo amfw bwl. bec s vlstt ibel lm lwbkpt lop imwtc islo amf.

Lines Like A Map



lines on your hand

lines like a map

where will they lead

to your secret world quite possibly

where colors so vibrant

outshine the white

of your eyes

and the static in your mind

where noises so serene

like birds, constantly sing

like ringing in your ears

but the kind you want to hear



lines on your hand

lines like a map

where do they lead

to your secret world quite possibly

where a language only you know

exists and ebbs and flows

where the most sacred willow tree

grows and speaks so softly

in whispers like a breeze

where the soil is so rich and divine

it raises beautiful flowers sweet & bitter as wine

where time stands still and ceases to exist

where love reigns mighty, where love is limitless



lines on your hand

lines like a map

leading somewhere i'd like to go

leading somewhere i'd like to know

leading somewhere that is true

leading somewhere to all that is you

------------------------------------------------------

by: chrissie e. pietrowski (C) 2010

12.09.2010

Graves Of The Pianos

once upon a time, in a far away place
there was a city built by God's grace
it was a place with ivory flats all around
and where black sharps could be found

where the air was laced
with melodies
and where fingers are placed
upon ivory keys

an ocean of endless symphonies
a garden of God's music so heavenly
a place where sound was the only way
beautiful notes played every day

one day, unfortunately, this all had ceased
by a storm with a destructible misery
a jealous storm destroyed this blessed town
a jealous storm took it all down

a demon they say
was the storm that day
a jealous, devious little devil
filled with rage ,hatred and evil.

and so they say
that this very day
was the day
that the music stopped.
the day that the demon
took out his feelings
and destroyed
what was once an Eden.


to this very day
uponeth this hill lay
the very shallow graves
of God's musical graces

the air is silent;
the air is still
the breeze is quiet
and calm and chilled

and some say
that their ghosts remain
with drifting melodies,
chorus and refrain

the ivory keys
the black sharps
the wooden bodies
and the empty wooden hearts.
-----------------------------------
by: chrissie e. pietrowski (C) 2005-2010

I Dreamt Your Name (A dream I had...)

I dreamt Your Name


I dreamt your name
and you were my boyfriend
but you'd turn into a dead-faced mini baby with half-opened glazed over eyes and fully-grown yellow skeleton's teeth
in a brown blanket
in my arms
though you were still alive
and then you turned into a 5-year old version of yourself
and you were still my boyfriend
and then you turned back into your normal adult version
and we were in a weird barn-house
with people we don't know
playing silly games and laughing
and before it ended
you were the dead-faced mini baby with half-opened glazed over eyes and fully-grown yellow skeleton's teeth
in a brown blanket
in my arms
though you were still alive
and you were still my boyfriend
and then I woke up.
--------------------------------

Dreamt this last night, 12/02/2010

midnight lullabye

hush, my dear
retire your eyes
for the moon's risen
unto the sky

lay here gently
escape your reality
dream of love
dream of you & me

underneath the blanket of lights
underneath the harvest moon
a night like tonight's
will begin again soon.

==================================
- poem (it's actually a song) that has been published in a book
- made me as one of the country's Top 200 Poets of the year 2005.
==================================
by: chrissie e. pietrowski
(C) 2005

negative

negative

i used to think that i'm intangible
gonna slip right through my fingers, boy
those curiosities you can't control
gonna keep me on defense

i'm like a phantom you can try to touch
i'm a sweet thing that you want so much
bet you can't keep the pace
i'm opposed to you in every way

i want to be
your opposite
so beautiful
and sensitive
your counterpart
your compliment
i want to be
your negative

but you don't know me
not like you should at least
i'll bet you're thinking
that my mind is solvable.

================================

co-written by: chrissie e. pietrowski & gabriel isaac duran
(C) 2010

Like A Book

like a book

worn leather

that's binding your words

like skin

holding in

your heart

your thoughts laid out

i can see what you're about

i can read you

like a book

one that's been forgotten

on a tall, tall shelf

so dusty, but i love that smell

don't worry

i won't fold your pages

or tear them out

i won't write on your precious parchment

i won't forget about you

i'll dust you off

and keep you safe

so your heart

doesn't wear out

like a book

one that's been forgotten

on a tall, tall shelf

so dusty, but i love that smell

worn leather

that's binding your words

like skin

holding in

your heart

your thoughts laid out

i can see what you're about

=========================

by: chrissie e. pietrowski (C) 2010

11.23.2010

=========================

Editor's note: I'm thinking about using these lyrics and arranging a vocal melody for this song that I wrote: http://soundcloud.com/embers-in-pompeii/a-freak-maybe-and-so-on-and-so-forth

i lie awake

i lie awake

i lie awake

on this air

filled bed

staring at your

dark brown

haired head

and i think to myself

how sweet it is

to be right here

escaping reality

abandoning all fear

i lie awake

in this air

filled bed

dreaming about

silly things

laughing upon awakening

and i think to myself

how sweet it is

to be right here

escaping reality

abandoning all fear

i lie awake

on this air

filled bed

staring at your

dark brown

haired head

and i think to myself

how sweet it is

to be right here

escaping reality

abandoning all fear

==========================

by: chrissie e. pietrowski (C) 2010

11. 20. 2010

Oreo Ball

11.14.2010

It's been years since I've woken myself up from a dream by laughing. This was a lucid-ish dream. It was the most bizarre thing. I was at a bowling alley. And I was bowling by myself. The holes in the ball were not in regular formation where you put your middle and ring finger and thumb in the holes. Instead, you put your index finger, middle finger and thumb. And the holes weren't circular, they were square, but the ball was round and black. I realized that I was dreaming, so I grabbed the bowling ball. I thought to myself, "This bowling ball is really weird. But I want to try it out. So, I'm going to pick it up." As soon as I did pick it up, I was seeing things in 1st person view. All of a sudden, to my right, a holographic face showed up. It was someone special's face. Just their face, like a floating head. And this person was speaking in a monotone voice as I bowled. The person was telling me weird phrases that made no sense. I remembered the last phrase that he uttered was, "Oreo Ball", which lead me to laugh and then I laughed myself awake. This dream felt so real. And I knew I was dreaming, so I picked up the ball and that's where things went wacky!

Now, I'm inspired to write a song called Oreo Ball.

Just A Thought...

i think this is why we have children?

it was like yesterday that we were in our playpens, playing with our 1980s toys. now, we're running the world. carrying responsible jobs and children on our backs. don't you remember being a child in the 80s? my, how fast time flies. soon, we'll be wrinkly and silver-haired, watching our grandchildren go through the same cycle. although we keep aging and dying, we can watch as our legacies grow. we must tell them all our collected wisdom. for they will keep us alive long after we're gone.

Interview With Justin Pearson (The Locust, ALL LEATHER, Three One G Records and author...)

If His Mom Traded Babies With The Random Lady, Would He Still Be A Lovely Lunatic?

An In-Depth Interview with Justin Pearson by: Chrissie E. Pietrowski

As a kid he used to sing to his dog, pretending to be in a band. Nowadays, Justin Pearson doesn't have to pretend anymore. Currently, he is the vocalist for ALL LEATHER, a noise-core band, featured on DimMak Records as well as his own label, Three One G. This label is based out of his hometown of San Diego. Three One G has quite an impressive roster, featuring bands such as Arab On Radar, The Black Dice, The Blood Brothers, Camera Obscura and Das Oath to name a few. A real-life Jack-Of-All-Trades, he's also been the bassist for The Locust and bassist and/or vocalist for other bands including: Holy Molar, Head Wound City, Swing Kids,The Crimson Curse, Some Girls, The Bloody Beetroots and Struggle. He's also collaborated with several artists including Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Jimmy LaValle (The Album Leaf).

Pearson playing bass in The Locust

Pearson on Jerry Springer

On top of all this, he was featured on an episode of Jerry Springer. “I'm into rock n' roll and I love the rock n' roll lifestyle. Stuff happens, ya know?”, he said on the show. He was on the “Secrets Come Out!” episode about people who, what else, have been cheating on their significant others. In this episode, he's there to tell his girlfriend Alisia that he's been sleeping with her roommate, “one of the people I'm sleeping with” he clarifies. He goes on to say, “You understand, I go away on tour a lot and you're always pissed at me and thinking that I'm sleeping with everyone or whatever. And when we go on tour, stuff happens.” Typical Springer shenanigans ensue. He even blows a snot rocket and puts it in his pocket and flips off the audience in response to their disgust. The other person he's cheating with? A guy, of course! The guy (Scott Beibi) and Justin kiss and then Scott says, “I have some surprises for everybody. Justin, I've been sleeping with Alisia (Justin's girlfriend)”. Everybody is beating everyone up, in typical Springer fashion. I remember watching this episode when it came out thinking, “God, this guy is an asshole!” When asked if he's going to be monogamous after this fiasco he simply replies, “I live to rock and I rock to live.” Not only does he do all the things that I previously mentioned, he apparently can also juggle boning three people at the same time. Of course, we all know that it's fixed. When I asked him about this, he said, “It was a joke that was properly executed.” Classic!

So, it's only fitting that this very crafty punk adds another one to his gigantic list - author. His autobiography, From The Graveyard Of The Arousal Industry was published by Soft Skull Press in May of this year. His autobiography has gotten tons of praise from music industry big shots like Steve Aoki who said, “Justin Pearson is a phenomenal artist, songwriter and now author. Stories from his childhood, to touring in his bands, and running his label Three One G, this book is filled with experiences that we can all relate to at different times in our life,” to filmmaker John Waters who said, “Showbiz never looked so violent yet cheery, chaotic yet level-headed. Justin Pearson is a lovely lunatic who writes with kindness even if he’s describing being in the middle of an on-stage brawl. He may pick the wrong girl and never be able to escape the mayhem in his personal life but he still seems kind of perfect . . . in a twisted way,” according to Amazon.com.

Pearson, who just celebrated his birthday today (August 20), had some time to spare and gave a very in-depth (stories about his childhood to what he's doing at the moment) interview with me. I've always been a fan of his work and am honored to call this lovely lunatic who I once thought was an asshole, a friend!

Chrissie: Favorite subject in school as a kid? Why?

Justin: As a kid, I favored ditching. I was a huge fan of splitting and going to Zia and looking through records and going to the local metal t-shirt shop and trying to rip off Samhain and Septic Death shirts. However, I was a fan of art class and history based on the heated arguments I got myself in. My scholastic interest picked up once I got to community college, where some of the social bullshit that kids tend to be submerged in lightened up. And then, I was drawn to political science, speech and humanities.

The first instrument you ever picked up – what was it?

I got this piece of crap black acoustic guitar when I was maybe 6 years old. It was huge.

Out of all the music projects you've been in, what would be your top 3 favorites and why? Which ones were your least favorites and why?

Awe, I can’t answer this. There are elements of each thing I have been part of that means something to me. Some of the players in some of the bands are closer to me, or I’d even consider family. But, there is also the fact that some of the things I have been part of in the past don’t really hold up musically. So, it’s all over the place as far as the pros and cons of each project. Obviously The Locust is on its own level in my book as it’s been something that I have been part of for over a decade.

The Locust - Favorite moments, favorite song(s), favorite concert(s)... least favorites & why?

There are so many favorite moments and concerts, over the years. I can’t really pick one, or even a few. As for favorite songs, I'd say the newer material gets better and better to me. Not that I don’t like the older stuff, but I guess the band grows as we grow. I'd rather progress, or mutate than be stagnant like bands that just continue to write the same thing over and over.

Typical questions – Influences? What are you listening to lately? What inspires you to create your various artistic projects?

Questions like this are so vague and well, a bit hard to answer. I'll try my best here. I’m influenced by everything from music of the past to food, to street art, to current politics, to class issues, to my mother. As for what I have been listening to lately, honestly I typically listen to NPR. But, I stumble upon great stuff here and there… Paper Mice, Illstm, Rats Eyes, Kill The Capulets. As for the inspiration question, it coincides with the influences question. Same exact answer. Social politics are probably the most relevant thing that would inspire me, personally.

Favorite artists that you've collaborated with?

Gabe Serbian, Eric Allen, Nathan Joyner, Bobby Bray, Sal Gallegos, Joseph Karam, Jung Sing, Christopher Sprague, Mark McCoy, Rockey Crane, Jose Palafox, Dylan Scharf, Eric Wood, Nick Zinner, Jordan Blilie, Chris Hathwell.

Anyone you'd like to collaborate with that you haven't yet?

Off the top of my head, I’d love to do something with Zach Hill, Mike Patton, Ichirou Agata, Travis Ryan, Jeff Schneider, Shahin Motia, WT Nelson, Marnie Stern, Maria Daniela Azpiazu, Mathangi Arulpragasam.

What inspired you to write a book?

Initially, it was a mix of long drives in the van during tours, encouragement from John Waters and a memory like an elephant.

Can you tell us what this book is about in somewhat detailed form?

It’s a collection of short stories that pertain to my life, in linear order. Anything from when I was born and some lady tried to get my mom to trade babies with her in the hospital, to starting a riot in Australia, to getting married and divorced all at once.

According to your blog about the book, your father was murdered on Halloween. I'm so sorry to hear that. My dad died (he may have killed himself, it's a mystery and his mom killed herself) so I'm kind of familiar with this sort of thing. He had a messed up life. But, did this effect you in anyway? I mean, obviously, right? But can you tell me more about this? It's okay if you don't want to. How did your family cope with this? Has this effected your music? If so, in what sense?

I think there was no coping really. My mom turned to alcohol abuse. I was twelve and had to grow up way too fast. So while I was avoiding getting beat up by skinheads, jocks and my mom's boyfriend after my dad’s death, I decided to start a band based on the real ethics that raised me were rooted in punk culture.

Your book has gotten a lot of praise! Congrats! Knowing that you're getting so much praise, does this make you want to write another? And if so, what would it be about?

I’m not a writer, per se. So I’m a bit skeptical to write. However, after the, “Burning Fight” book came out, I'd like to instigate something from a perspective of people who were actually part of the musical community. With books surfacing based on the musical community that I am from, be it bands, or even album design like we have been seeing, I think that I could orchestrate something a bit more relevant and with more substance, not to mention historically correct.

A little off subject here, but sex/relationship advice – Best advice you can give to all the single ladies out there that are lookin' for love in all the wrong places? Best advice to give for the boys (same thing)? What's the worst thing a girl/guy can do to get the opposite/same sex's attention? What's the most successful thing to do?

I’m probably not the best person to ask. One, I work at a gay club and trip out of promiscuity, self-destruction, and gender identity. Socially, I think humans are doomed. At least in Western culture. For me, I have a horrible track record, dealing with fuck heads and even getting married and divorced. But at the end of the day, I somehow lucked out. I have an amazing girlfriend that is perfect for me. The interesting part is, I was not looking for a relationship nor was she. But it found us, at the exact right time and it worked. So my “advice” would be wait for luck, or chance, or circumstance. But don’t hold your breath.

What do you think of music today? Pop music? Hip hop? Rap? Any favorites? Any ones that you really despise? Why?

Again, questions like this are way too vague. Asking something non-specific about something as massive as “music today” leaves me scratching my head wondering where to start. So I'll bow out here and if you want to be a bit more specific, I'll then answer. As for music to despise, well, there is a sea of that crap. Where do I start?

In the vein of music that you perform, what other contemporaries are you into?

My friend’s music, generally speaking, is what I’m into. However, I enjoy a lot of contemporary stuff, across the board. I think that my taste varies and well, that might be why I do stuff that is not so easily classifiable at times. I would rather not submerge myself in a genre or type of art and then produce something directly related to that. For me, I can’t stand when a new band is like, say a rip off of Joy Division, or Infest, or what have you.

When you are performing live, what song(s) gets you emotional? What song makes you laugh? What songs make you feel connected to your audience the most?

It sort of depends. For instance when Swing Kids played two shows about a year ago, I had never felt the emotions that I had during those sets. It was a weird mix of sadness, pertaining to the loss of one of my best friends, Eric Allen, as well as a emotional sense of insecurity since it was very odd to perform as that band again. Not only do I think the music has not held up over time, I feel that my contribution was poor, if that. But that was a rare occasion. I think generally I’m concerned with myself as well as the band as a whole, be it The Locust, All Leather, etc. I aim for a perfect set, as best as we can do it. I think that goes for the others that I work with in all musical projects that I’m part of. For the most part, the audience is not a consideration really. I find myself concerned with the actual performance and the audience perception, or reaction is second to that of the actual performance. However, I’m well aware of the band/ audience interaction that at times makes for a special moment, be it positive or negative. So if there is some sort of connection, it will factor into the million other tiny aspects that are all in play at the moment of the performance.

What's the weirdest dream you've ever had? The worst nightmare you've ever had? Have these influenced your writing at all?

I rarely remember my dreams. But on an occasion ill dream of my father, who has passed away. That is a bit odd for me, to have the interactions that I have had in dreams about him. However, as a child I had reoccurring abductions dreams over and over for many years. There were two of them that would repeat night after night, and would be exactly the same. As for influence of writing, dreams will not influence my writing. But at times I would wake up and have a beat, or riff, or lyric that I would have to make note of so I could remember at a later time.

Three One G Records. Amazing label. Tell me about some of the artists on your roster. Why did you choose them? (I'm familiar with and love all of them, but you know, I gotta know the deets!)

For the most part, Three One G is a family or community. It started from me realizing that labels were dicking me around with things that bands I was part of had released. Anything from getting ripped off, to art changing, to merch being made without any approval, and so on. So, I released an Unbroken 7” and repressed the Swing Kids 7”, both had Eric Allen on them, so show the start of a sense of “family”. Shortly after I found myself touring with The Locust and meeting all sort of like minded, and very inspiring artists and well, it all sort of came together over time and has continued for over a decade now.

What made you decide to start your own label?

A mix of labels like Bloodlink and Kidney Room in contrast to labels like Ebullition and Gravity.

What is new with you as far as your musical projects? What is new with All Leather? What have ya got coming up for it? Anything going on at all with The Locust? What's new with anything you've got going on? ((Doing my best to plug everything you're doing in!))

As of now, All Leather is working on new material, a new album I suppose. We are starting to work with a new member as well, so we will soon be a four piece. And all of us are learning and moving into uncharted territory. With The Locust, the band has taken a back seat as all four of us have taking on other projects, be it music, school, work, etc. but the band has continued to work on a new LP, which is moving along and has quite a lot of material demoed for it. That is if for the music stuff. Other than that, I have been talking with Jose Palafox about doing a speaking tour and I’m trying to wrap my head around the possibility of writing a book with him.

Typical question – Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What do you think you'll be doing? What would you like to be doing?

Honestly, I have no idea. I just hope that we will still be around then.

I hope you'll be around then, too. There are links below to most of Justin's work.

http://www.myspace.com/mrjustinpearson
http://www.threeoneg.com
http://www.thelocust.com
http://www.allleather.org
http://www.myspace.com/leglifterss
http://www.youtube.com/threeonegrecords
http://eviltwinbooking.org/events.cfm

---- EDITOR'S NOTE ----

This was originally written on August 20th. Sorry for the delay!

Interview With Brian Bell (Weezer) & Robert Schwartzman (Rooney)

The Servant of Music – Brian Bell Speaks With Buddy Robert Schwartzman

By: Christina Pietrowski

Dire Straits, the Pinkerton album and an intervention – what more could a girl like me ask for in an accidental impromptu interview with Brian Bell, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for Weezer and vocalist, guitarist for The Relationship, and Robert Schwartzman, lead guitarist and vocalist for Rooney? To top it off, they were together, under the same roof! Schwartzman, yes, he is the brother of actor Jason Schwartzman and yes, he is a cousin of the Coppola’s, (but don’t ask him questions about them, he doesn’t like to answer them so much) is known to hold live happenings on the website Ustream.tv. From Joe Jonas from The Jonas Brothers to Bell, he has brought over several musician friends to his home in L.A. (where he has his own recording studio and label, California Dreamin’ in conjunction with ILG) for some good, clean fun, allowing his fans on Twitter to go along for the ride and even submit questions to be answered.

I happened to be on his Ustream.tv channel last night (Wednesday, May 26^th) and left my computer to go and make a late night dinner. My mother yelled, “Christina, your computer is talking!” to which I replied, “What?!” (she's not very technologically advanced) and came to see what the commotion was. I was logged in to Schwartzman’s Ustream channel and was watching Bell and Schwartzman live. ((How do I know him, you may be wondering? Schwartzman started following my Twitter account over this past summer and so I started following his, not really knowing who he was but recognizing the last name. After a successful Google search, I knew who he was. I was never a huge fan of his music, but I admire the fact that he takes the time out to answer his fans' questions on a regular basis and works very hard for his band. Not many musicians like that out there anymore. Every now and then he and I have Tweeted to each other. And so, as I was saying...)) Schwartzman said, “I’m here with Brian Bell…” and I thought to myself, “Why does that name sound so familiar?” As I finally remembered who he was, Schwartzman confirmed my thought and said, “He’s in Weezer and has his own side projects going on”.

Schwartzman’s band, Rooney, has been in the music circuit for a few years now. The power pop group from California has appeared live on the now-defunct popular teen soap The O.C. along with topping the Billboard’s New Artist charts for many months. Rooney’s upcoming album, Eureka will be released June 8^th and they will be headlining a two-month North American tour starting mid June.

Similarly, Weezer, Bell’s band, has been around for quite some time (I was about 13 when their first and most popular album, The Blue Album, came out) and are also from California. Weezer’s hit singles, “Buddy Holly” and “The Sweater Song” from The Blue Album put them on the forefront of stardom in the mid '90s. Not to mention their video for, “Buddy Holly” being directed by famous film director Spike Jonze. Bell is now working on a side project called The Relationship and has just finished mastering their first record. He’s going to do an internet initial release (recommended by Schwartzman).

The Relationship, a four-piece band, has played a total of four shows so far. “The main concern is getting the record out, do some shows for it. I love how it sounds. Once I had all the elements in place, picking the songs weren’t as hard as picking the sequencing. I wrote segways to make it flow better,” said Bell of the debut album.

“It doesn’t take much time. It’s a matter of artwork, now. That could take a while,” he said. He initially wanted a photo as the artwork – “depicting the band in sort of a backstage situation. Like a Rolling Stones behind-the-scenes kind of shot. But it could also look kind of contrived if it’s not actually that. So, I’m open to some suggestions,” he said.

They’ve both know each other for quite some time because they toured together. They rekindled their friendship when they saw each other walking down Beverly Drive in California, “I was walking this way and he was walking that way, and we said ‘Hey man, what’s up?’”, Bell said.

Below are the questions that I asked both gentlemen. All of my questions (and comments) to both he and Schwartzman were answered and I loved it when they both agreed that, “Christinapie (my Twitter username) – You know your music stuff”. If you’d like to see the entire Ustream episode (it is in two parts), here is the link:http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/7238879

What’s new with Weezer? Tell us more about your new project.....

Robert: You’re going on tour next week.

Brian: Yeah, we’re going to play in Kansas City. All festivals this summer. We’re going to do one in Milwaukee called Summerfest. And play at Bonaroo in Tennessee, which is my home state. It’s in June, two weeks from now. I’m not exactly sure where in Tennessee it is. We’re going to play the Reading Festival. The first time we played it [the Reading Festival, in 1996] we had mud thrown at us. They’re barbaric over there [in the United Kingdom]. We probably weren’t that good, for one. Gibby Hanes [the lead singer of the Butthole Surfers] (who played right before us) said to the crowd ‘Whatever you do, don’t throw mud at Weezer!’ It was awful. As far as Weezer touring, please check www.weezer.combecause I can’t remember the tour dates!

What are you listening to lately?....

Robert: “Money for Nothing”

Brian: Dire Straits.

Robert: We just listened to Dire Straits, “Money for Nothing”.

What inspires you?

Brian: What inspires me…? I think people inspire me. I think people around me; being around creative people is inspiring and positive energy. And I’m really fortunate to live in Los Angeles. There’s so many creative and good people here that it motivates me to be my best.

Robert: I’m inspired by music. Creating things that were once not there and then all of a sudden are. I think songs – it’s almost like inventing. I always wanted to be an inventor and I invented some weird contraptions. I invented this thing in my bedroom where I tied a rope from my bed to the closet pole and I have this shirt on a hanger rigged that when I woke up in the morning I’d pull the string and it’d just slide down my bed. Maybe I was too lazy to go to the closet. I’m inspired by making music and doing what makes me feel good and for people to respond and say that you’re enjoying it. And when you say you don’t I get bummed out and sad.

Brian: I understand. There’s so much music out there. I have to please myself first and foremost. I’m not sure fans of Weezer’s music are going to love my music. I’m sure some might and some don’t. Some fans don’t and do like Weezer’s music.

Robert: Does it piss you off?

Brian: A little but then again it doesn’t. I have my own set of criteria. If I create something from nothing that’s a success to me and if it’s out of line who cares if someone doesn’t like my music. I try to make universal music that is uplifting. I don’t make music that is vague and cryptic. I’m not into that.

Does Rivers really hate the Pinkerton album? Do you?....

Brian: I love the Pinkerton album. It’s one of my favorites that we did. I don’t think he… I don’t ever want to say what Rivers does or doesn’t like or what he thinks ‘cause I’m not sure. I can’t answer that.

Robert: But, do you like it?

Brian: I love it, yeah. I really think it holds up. I like the sound of it. I think the songs -

Robert: Where was it made?

Brian: We started to do it at the same place where we did The Blue Album which was NYC. We ended up recording the drums at Sound City in California. Rivers was going to Harvard during this time. And we’d do the vocals in a studio in Massachusetts. It was our first self-produced record. I thought it was pretty cool at the time after a successful first album to …. “Let’s make a bad-ass rock record…” It was a concept. It was set to be a musical.

What other instrument would you like to learn to play?....

Brian: There’s so many. Violin or cello. I love the sound of cello. To be able to manipulate the bow and make it sound beautiful which takes lots of years of practice. I can imagine like a beautiful sound of the cello. And actually the harp.

Robert: I’d like to learn how to play the drums really well. I’m an okay drummer. Four/four - no problem. But I can’t groove it really well. I wish I could kill it on the drums.

Brian: I like learn the drums too, but the sound of the high-hat against my ear is just too abrasive.

Any crazy tour stories?....

Brian: Nope. Everything is like so squeaky clean fun! [Laughs]

Robert: I have a crazy tour story. We were in Colorado. We were going to go through the Rockies. And we had this bus driver that wasn’t too smart. We were at a truck stop and we all woke up and we were stuck there because our brakes were frozen and because he poured hot water and tried to free the brakes and only made it worse and we were at the struck stop all night long and we were trapped and snowed in. It was a crazy time.

Which one is the smelliest, messiest, etc. on the tour bus?....

Brian: The smelly one definitely used to be Scott. We had to have an intervention with him to get him to use deodorant. That was a while ago. The messy one is our drummer. Absolutely. And I’m not the cleanest person in the world.

For more information:

The Relationship has a MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/therelationship

Rooney's website is: http://www.rooney-band.com

My first blog...

Hello, world! How are you today? It is 405 in the morning - do you know where your children are?! Haha! This is my first blog! I used to have a blog years ago, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember my username or password - it's just been too long.

I had a LiveJournal from 2003 - 2007 actively. It's very detailed. If you'd like to see what I was like during those years (full of pictures, poems, etc.) please go to: www.livejournal.com/~tuesdayslament

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do when I'm feeling nostalgic and when I'm wanting to find a poem I wrote!

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This blog is going to contain interviews that I'll do with musician friends (the first one that I'll put up is an interview I conducted with Brian Bell ofWeezer / The Relationship and Robert Schwartzman of Rooney), photos that I'll take, things I like, things I don't like, things I'm thinking about, what I'm listening to, things I find beautiful, memories, dreams, poems, stories, advice, rants -- pretty much all things that are near and dear to me; the finer things in life: music, art, writing and more. The title to my blog is French and translates to, "This Is My Heart".

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I hope you'll take the time to read this piece of my heart. I wouldn't be writing this if it weren't for my faithful readers from back in the day, urging me to start writing again. So, here I am. Hello world. Hello readers. Hello you.

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love always,

Chrissie Pie.

xoxox.