News / Bands

Andrew Schubert (Ghostbot Records, recording engineer)

SPB: Besides music, what other arts are you into?

Andrew: Music is what I'm most passionate about. It's how I mark time and set placemarks in my life. I can remember events by what song was playing on the car stereo. But I love visual art as well. I'm not as good at remembering names or why a piece is culturally important. To me, it makes the most sense to explain it in regards to music. I love album covers, the sense that it can enhance or destroy a set of songs. That artwork can influence the listener. Or that it can enhance the meaning of an album or single, can add to the depth of the music.

I love physical media. Not clutter, but I really love the idea of owning physical copies of things that are important to you. I love that art takes on a new meaning with each owner. A painting means something entirely different to the artist than it does to the collector that purchase and frames a print of the same piece. Same with literature. There have been books that have shaped my life, have helped me to change my perspective on the world. 

I think that trying to comprehend art helps to understand other people, and that being part of an artistic community is about being with other people and challenging your own ideas. To help society grow.....oh fuck, this sounds like hippie shit.

Basically it's important to create content or create things that you love.

Bianca Barragan (LA Zinefest organizer)

SPB: If forced to choose, what is your favorite LA-based zine (currently active)?

Bianca: After thinking about all the LA-based zines that are awesome, I'm going to have to say that my favorite right now is Razorcake because their latest issue was awesome and I am just now reading through it. Other favorites are DUM DUM Zine, Fair Dig, any zine by illustrator Helen Jo, and Gag Me With A....!

Ben Greenberg (The Men)

SPB: What’s a record you love that would surprise people?

Bill Frisell - Have A Little Faith

Bill Frisell is an amazing guitar player who has released many, many, many records that I never listen to. Have A Little Faith was the first one I heard, and continues to be my favorite. His band on the record is a quintet that includes an accordion and a clarinet, and the material ranges from 20th century American composers like Aaron Copeland (they play through all of "Billy The Kid" which is amaaaaazing if you've never heard it) and Charles Ives, to great overlooked jazz tunes like "No Moe" by Sonny Rollins, to really gorgeous renditions of pop songs by Bob Dylan and Madonna. Overall, the record has a great balance of tight arrangements and loose playing between the band members that has kept it fresh for me for years and years. Yeah, that's right, I like jazz, so what?

Aaron Carnes (Gnarboots) 

SPB: What is the ideal format to a show line-up? (How many bands, genres, etc.?)

Aaron: I always liked lineups that were diverse. Shows with only one style of band is so boring. Back in the day when G.N.A.R.B.O.O.T. Adam and I were in ska bands, every other fucking band we played with was ska. We love ska more than Jesus, but really? Five ska bands in a row. Boooorrrrrring! Ideally, a good bill would have one band from every possible genre that exists, with no overlap. In most circumstances that would entail having there be 250 bands on funk to rasta to punk to the other 246 genres. We do them all. Book us to be on your next bill and you can go ahead and let the other 4 bands all be '90s skacore Reel Big Fish Less Than Jaake bands you like. The show won't be boring at all. G.N.A.R.B.O.O.T.S will more than make up for all your stupid music clichés that you are too scared to change. You are pathetic. You are losers. No one loves you. Join us. Join G.N.A.R.B.O.O.T.S. Join our cause. G.N.A.R.B.O.O.T.S. loves you. G.N.A.R.B.O.O.T.S will take care of you. Take all thoughts captive to the obedience of G.N.A.R.B.O.O.T.S. The body is not meant for sexual immorality but for G.N.A.R.B.O.O.T.S. Your body's for G.N.A.R.B.O.O.T.S. Act like G.N.A.R.B.O.O.T.S. is with you all the time, because we are. We see everything you do, so walk humbly before us and with him over sing and over temptation, in obedience. 

I also think it's cool when shows start early, like 7pm or 8pm. Nothing worse than a show than doesn't start till 11pm and you're not home till 2:30pm and you still have to watch a couple episodes of Prison Break and eat Cheetos to unwind and you're not in bed till almost 5 in the morning. Personally I liked the first two seasons ofPrison Break, and didn't care for Seasons 3 & 4. I watched them all, of course. You just keep hoping that it'll get better, but it never does. Well, technically season 4 was better than Season 3, but that's not saying much. Season 3 made NO sense. They were supposed to be in some crazy Panamanian jail (Spoiler Alert) and there is the guards don't do anything. And then at the end they just walk out (Spoiler Alert)! I mean come on! I know that from the beginning we had to suspend a whole lot of belief to belief than this dude would go into a prison all tatted up with escape plans--and that they would work! (Spoiler Alert) But at least it was fun and had a plot and we were willing to go along with the writers. But what was the breakout moment in Season 3? When they sort of escaped again (Spoiler Alert). UGH! 

My favorite thing a show needs, at least one that G.N.A.R.B.O.O.T.S. plays, is other bands willing to let us use their gear because we don't own gear. We don't practice. 95% of what G.N.A.R.B.O.O.T. Adam and I do for the band is text ridiculous ideas back and forth. The other 5% is we hop on stage and scream in people's faces. ‘Cause fuck bands. ‘Cause fuck music. ‘Cause fuck every other band that isn't G.N.A.R.B.O.O.T.S.