Cowboy Mouth Interview

Cowboy Mouth is an energetic, fun-loving, pure-hearted New Orleans rock band with a twist of cajun and blues influence. Since the release of their first album, Word of Mouth, in 1992, the band has gained notoriety nationwide. With a current string of shows and a new album, Go, the time was perfect for us at Murfie to get in touch.

Below is a transcript of a phone call between Cowboy Mouth frontman Fred LeBlanc and myself (Kayla), from a few weeks ago in January. Fred is an entertaining fellow with a lot to say about the 90s music era, the changing music scene, the influence of big labels, and the vibrant energy in the southern United States. Read on and enjoy!

K: Right now I have Fred Leblanc on the phone from Cowboy Mouth.

F: Woo-hoo!

K: Welcome! Where are you calling from today?

F: I’m calling from my house in Mississippi.

K: How’s the typical winter in Mississippi?

F: Well, seeing that you’re calling me from Wisconsin, I really have no reason to complain about anything as far as winter goes, ‘cause I could sit here and whine about the temperatures in the 40s, and you guys would probably think, “Oh, what a puss”—and you’d be right about that! But I get to do the same thing during the summer. As you sit there and complain about temperatures in the 70s and 80s, I’m sitting here, you know high 90s early 100s, or something like that, and I could call you a puss back. So I’m not gonna complain, it’s beautiful, every day above ground. Right?

K: Absolutely. You guys are doing your thing down south, and Cowboy Mouth has been in action for two decades at least, so it’s cool to talk to you because you have all this perspective on rock music and the industry—

F: Haha! That’s a nice way of saying, “Gimme what you’ve got, Grandpa!”

K: Haha! So it’s really valuable, and I’m sure you’ve seen a lot, which leads me to something I was wondering about—the rock scene, and how it’s changed over the years. I know it was kinda grunge-y when you got started. So how have you seen things change?

F: Well we were kind of like, not the antithesis to the grunge thing—it’s more of a matter of timing. In fact, we were around a couple years before that burst forth on the national zeitgeist. In fact, we would see a lof of those bands in the same clubs that we played. I played at a club called Raji’s in L.A. a bunch of times, and then I saw that club on the back of Nirvana’s first album Bleach. There’s a picture of them performing at Raji’s. So it was all kind of bubbling under, and then it just kind of took over for a while. You had big bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, other bands who got notoriety like Mudhoney. They had all been around a while. Then a few years later, we were kind of lumped in with some of the other 90s bands who weren’t quite as angst-ridden, bands like Better than Ezra, Hootie & the Blowfish, Matchbox Twenty, all these bands who had just been touring around the same time. So for me, in terms of changes, a lot of the big changes came close to later in the 90s, when everything changed and went either hard-hard-hard rock, or obscene hard-hard-hard pop. And for me, I was kind of glad to see the whole major label game disappear because, as their influence became a lot more…unable to shake off—the music got kind of worse. You had the emergence of things like Britney Spears and Fred Durst [Limp Bizkit] at the same time. You know, it’s just not my cup of tea because musically they were both so extreme. This music fits comfortably into this box. I call it “McDonald’s Music”, in that it’s designed to be eaten, and crapped out, making room for the next musical Big Mac. And there’s a place for that—that’s fine, but that’s not why I wanted to play music. I always wanted to be a more creative person, take a chance with styles, learn new ways to perform, and ingratiate those. I didn’t want it to be just one thing continuously over and over and over again. But that’s me.

K: Sure, that’s some truth about the industry. And yes, there’s a consumption element to it all, that maybe wasn’t there when music was more pure…

Interview with Amy Ray

One of my favorite Murfie podcasts is the Amy Ray podcast. Not only did I have a great chat with her in the basement of The Frequency, surrounded by walls that are covered in thousands of band stickers, paintings, and initials, but I stuck around for her show—and it was rockin’! We even got her song “Glow” on video!

Here’s a transcript of that podcast from May 2012. Read on!

INTRO: This is Kayla here, with your Murfie podcast. I’m pleased to say that I got to meet Amy Ray when she came to town. You probably know her as part of the Indigo Girls, the award-winning folk-rock duo from Georgia. Now, she has a solo career to go alongside that, and a rockin’ new album called Lung of Love. Here’s a clip from the chat that we had before her show at The Frequency.

[MUSIC: “Glow” by Amy Ray]

Kayla: So I’m talking to Amy Ray right now, at The Frequency in downtown Madison. Welcome to Madison, first of all.

Amy: Thanks, I always love bein’ in Madison—always, always.

Kayla: Awesome. So you’re here debuting your new CD—you’re on tour for that. And for the past ten years, about, you’ve been going solo; so what’s that like after two decades with the Indigo Girls?

Amy: Well actually, I still do both, so it’s like, I started going solo around 2000 and just interspersing it with Indigo Girls stuff. And so, I mean, at first, it was kind of crazy because we Indigos were playing kind of big places and then when I started doing solo, I started just doing small clubs like The Frequency—which I’m still doing. So, it was kind of at first like I adjusted, and just learned how to— We drive ourselves, you know, fix my own amp, fix my guitars, you know, whatever needs to be done. And so, for me it’s like kind of, extremely DIY [laughs], is what it is, and Indigo Girls are extremely the other way. So, it’s like this great sort of thing that I just go back and forth between, and it gives me perspective on both things.

Kayla: Awesome. So, is it different putting out music nowadays, compared to the earlier days when you got started?

Amy: Yeah, ‘cause when we started, it was still, like, ’85. I mean, we started in ’80, but we were putting out music starting in ’85, and we were just out of high school. And we were doing cassettes—like how you made your friend mix tapes, we would make our little cassettes of our songs, and we did like a little vinyl single, and a little vinyl EP, and LP. Yeah, and college radio was a really big deal then, so that’s what you wanted: you wanted to get on college radio—and you still do, but now it’s harder. And um, you just had like a network—like in each city, you sort of had this network: you had the record store, the indie art paper, the college radio station, and the venue, and you tried to get all those things to kind of stick together. And that’s still what you should do, but like the difference now is that we have so many great tools—Facebook and Twitter and all these things—and ways to record music, and ways to get music out there, and everything’s cheaper. It’s either like, a really great thing, or it can be a really bad thing, but I think personally I like to look at it as a really great thing, cause I think it’s like tools that we can use to sort of get music out there, and cross-pollinate more, and share with our friends, and have music take its place as more of a community thing.

This Week in Music History (June 26th-July 2nd)

What’s music history got for us this week? Learn up and boogie down!

6/26- On this day in 1963, John Lennon and Paul McCartney began writing the hit song “She Loves You” after a concert at the Majestic Ballroom in Newcastle upon Tyne. The popular Beatles song is sung from a third party point of view, something has been attributed to Lennon’s songwriting style.

6/27- Leigh Nash was born on this day in 1976. Nash is founding member of the American pop band Sixpence None the Richer. (Sound familiar? Think  of the song “Kiss Me” back in 1997. Yeah, that band.)

6/28- On this day in 1968, singer Aretha Franklin was featured on the cover on Time magazine. The issue’s fitting title was “The Sound of Soul“.

6/29- On this day in 1975, Elton John made surprise appearances at the Days on the Green concert series in Oakland, California, during the encores of both the Doobie Brothers and the Eagles shows.

6/30- Cher married Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers Band on this day in 1975, just a few days after her divorce from Sonny Bono was finalized. She filed divorce from Allman only nine days later, but the couple stayed together for a rocky few years.

7/1- Dennis Brown, “The Crown Prince of Reggae”, passed away on this day in 1999. Brown was incredibly influential in the reggae and lovers rock scenes, having recorded dozens of albums with Jamaica’s best labels and producers including Studio One, Joe Gibbs, Trojan, and Greensleeves to name a few.

7/2- And estimated 3 billion people watched the Live 8 concerts that were televised from around the world on this day in 2005. Performers included R.E.M., Jay-Z, Toby Keith, and more, who came together with the goal to make poverty history.

Dig any of these albums? Wanna hear ’em in losssless? Well they’re right here on Murfie! Find them for as little as $1 in the marketplace!

Shopkeep of the Week

What were you up to on April 15th, 2011? Micah was joining Murfie on that day! (Woot!)

Shortly after that, he sent a kit of about 500 discs all the way from Mequon, WI…to Madison, WI! And he’s sold a bunch of them so far. We asked this hardcore Murfie guy a few questions about him and his collection.

Murfie: How did you originally learn about Murfie?
Micah: My first exposure to Murfie was completely random. I was waiting in reception, a bit early for a meeting with a client (I’m in marketing), and was paging through their Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Or perhaps it was their WSJ. Regardless, it was an interview with the founders during the first year of business I believe…pretty early on. It really caught my attention because I am a total tech nerd, always looking for ways to digitize my life. I’ve been into digital (web, mobile, etc.) visual design and interaction design for years, and their concept seemed really intriguing to me. It reminded me of my pre-marketing days when I worked at a music shop in CA, turning people on to rare finds and great deals in the used department. And hey, they were right in my backyard…Madison! I got home, went online, and requested a couple 500 count boxes, filling them up and shipping them out immediately. My shop was up and running in no time.

Murfie: When did you purchase your first CD? What was it?
Micah: My first CD ever, or Murfie? Can’t remember on Murfie, but I actually bought two CD’s as my first purchase. Jellyfish‘s Bellybutton album and Presto by Rush.

Murfie: How many CDs do you own (or did you own at peak)?
Micah: Probably over 1200 for a while.

Murfie: How tall are you?
Micah: 6 feet tall.

Murfie: Tell us about your musical tastes.
Micah: My tastes are pretty varied as I have musical loves from jazz to musicals, from classical to some classic rock gems, but what I mainly listen to falls into indie rock, 80’s wave, smart pop, and intelligent heavy rock.

Murfie: What can folks expect to find in your store (if different than the above)?
Micah:

• A ton of wave / brit-pop / shoegazer for sure. My favorite band ever is The Cure, with a great love for The Smiths / Morrissey, Siouxsie, Joy Division, Lush, My Bloody Valentine (the new one is excellent), Depeche Mode…and bands that they influenced like The Joy Formidable, Interpol, and Editors.
• Beautiful, emotive, smart pop like Jeff Buckley, Jonah Matranga, Aimee Mann, Duncan Sheik, Rufus Wainwright, Elbow, Doves, The Dears, Remy Zero, R.E.M., Bon Iver.
• Intelligent heavy music that packs a big punch like A Perfect Circle, Deftones, The Big Sleep, and Nine Inch Nails.
• A truckload of beloved “grunge” like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Jane’s Addiction, etc. Look for the hidden treasure I Mother Earth.
• Highly emotive music with explosive hooks like The Life and Times, Shiner, Death Cab for Cutie, Sunny Day Real Estate, Lift To Experience, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Shudder To Think, and Silversun Pickups, Band of Horses, Far.
• A bunch of my wife’s CD’s…so if it doesn’t fit in and is embarrassing, it’s hers!!!
• And, of course, the best bands ever…The Beatles and Radiohead.

Murfie: If you could meet any musician or band in person, who would it be and why?
Micah: It would have to be Robert Smith of The Cure. He and the band have meant so much to me over the years. I’d love to hear stories from the 34 years of history, find out what he’s listening to nowadays…heck, if I’m dreamin’ here I’d throw in a jam session and see if I can get in the band.

Murfie: What is your favorite album at the moment?
Micah: A few, actually. The Joy Formidable‘s Wolf’s Law, No One Loves You Like I Do by The Life and Times, The Goldberg Sisters (eponymous), and The National‘s Boxer, Alligator, and High Violet.

Murfie: What do you plan to do with the millions of dollars you’re making from your Murfie shop?
Micah: Fill out my music collection, buy music gear, record my next album, sell it on Murfie!

Murfie: Which Beatle was your favorite?
Micah: Gotta go with John. He came up with the amazing “bits” and Paul would make them cohesive and string them together, but man…John had the goods.

Check out Micah’s shop on Murfie!

Shopkeep of the Week is a weekly feature that focuses on our most interesting Murfie shopkeepers. These are music lovers like you who have sold hundreds of pre-loved CDs on Murfie and have hundreds more at the ready to please your ears! If you’d like your Murfie Shop to be featured, or if you’d like to nominate a shop to be featured, please e-mail us at info@murfie.com and let us know.

Happy Earth Day 2013!

Happy Earth day to all our fellow Earth citizens! Today is the perfect day to pick out some tunes that deepen our appreciation for this great blue/green planet.

What music inspires you to think about nature? What music ignites your environmental activist flame? What music makes you think of flowing waters, fields of flowers, and happy squirrels?

Here’s what our Murfie staffers have to say!

Steel Pulse – African Holocaust
Kayla: The song “Global Warning” is a smash hit. It points out the harsh reality that a lot of environmental problems are created by humans. But it is hopeful, calling us towards a common goal to re-arrange.

Earth – Pentastar: In the Style of Demons
Jeff: A wall of slow, crushing sludge-rock from the forefathers of doom. How could this album not make you think about the Earth, especially its immense size, and how it would feel if it rolled over you?

Ani DiFranco – Red Letter Year
Noah: The song “The Atom” is almost a hymn, calling for taking care of the Earth and disparaging the use of nature to destroy.

R.E.M. – Green
Matt: Look at the title and cover. Need I say more?

Pirates of the Caribbean Soundtrack
Matt: Best experienced while sailing on a windy night, listening to this soundtrack really puts me in the groove of the ocean.

Yo La Tengo – I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One
Glynnis: “Green Arrow” has always perfectly encapsulated a lazy, aimless summer evening for me. Follow it up with “Autumn Sweater”, and you’ve got me longing for all my favorite kinds of weather, ready to go outside and enjoy a nice evening breeze.

Ben Sollee 
RJ: My pick for Earth Day is any album by Ben Sollee. The reason I picked this wonderful musician is because he travels by bicycle when he tours. You can’t get any more earthy then Ben!

Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan
Tiffany: Bob Dylan hails from Minnesota and his music always seems to come straight from the agricultural heart of the Midwest. This album was the one that put Dylan on the map as a folk protest singer.

Nick Drake – Fruit Tree
Pete: Fruit Tree by Nick Drake is my choice. As well as being a great song in itself, it’s also the title of a four-disc box set featuring all three of Nick Drake’s studio albums. His music always reminds me of the English countryside. 

 

Midnight Oil – Diesel and Dust
Preston: The track “Dreamworld” in particular makes me feel all warm and full of hope.

Gojira – From Mars to Sirius
Keith: Not many people know this, but a lot of metal can be spiritual. Many of Gojira’s songs are about getting energy from the Earth and from nature. This is a great album, although it’s not for those who are new to the traditional death-metal sound.

Radiohead – Hail to the Thief
Henry: Stick it to the man.

We’re hoping that everyone gets a bit of sunshine today, and a chance to think about the great planet that we call home! Maybe one of these albums will become your top Earth Day pick too!