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THE RUNDOWN (Surf Guitar Villains)
THE RUNDOWN
"CADILLAC SMILE"
SURF GUITAR VILLAINS
by: Frank Kelly
In our final installment with our featured artist for June we have our favorite segment...THE RUNDOWN. Where we go down the track list of your soon to be favorite bands! This month is the Surf Guitar Villains sophmore album "CADILLAC SMILE". In this article we asked Billiam Villain (Big Kahuna/Head Axe Slinger) of the Villains to explain the inspiration of each and every song on this album. Check it out:
Billiam Villain sez: The second album, Cadillac Smile, is currently the biggest seller for MP3 downloads. This was done between Portland Or. and Austin, Tx.. I was working quite a bit, and needed something to make life make sense,-- this was the result.
1. The Road Back – I did not know if there was even going to be a second Villains CD. This was the first real new content I did, with the Telecasters and a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe – sexy tube amp. I had an odd drum machine that I could switch on and off the changes and sections that played, and did that real time while playing one guitar part. It sounded cool, so I just kept layering parts and tried to keep a start-stop sense to the recording. The bass was done on a classic Fender 72 P Bass through a J-Station. This was purposely percussive and driven – it tends to be how I like to play bass.
2. Life on a Napkin - This just started as a groove on guitar and grew to the question "what's fair to begin with" -- I did this as couplets on the Tele, then added in the groveling bass end over a DR 660 Drum loop. Ken added in the high strat guitar groove that is just under the surface, The vocals I wanted to have an early King Crimson touch, so I overdrove the chorus with a SansAmp GT2. Life may not be fair, but it is what it is.
3. Laura's Song - This was Spontaneous recording on a Gibson WM45, with harmonica on a head cold. You can hear me sniff. I did the bass part here as well. This sounded so warm and homey that I just left it as it was. Done in Portland.
4. Sultans of Surf - I wrote and recorded this in the space of a day in Austin Texas on a weekend. I did all the parts. The song is about an old room-mate who was a hardware engineer in Corvallis Oregon that was also a short board junkie, and would drive an hour and a half each way to go surf after work. The core of the song was done on a Dan Electro 12 string, which had telecaster complements, and a cheesy Eclipse guitar solo. The vocals are my standard almost Tom Petty/Lou Reed 'offend the American Idol' type vocals. It was fun and tongue in cheek. I describe this as: Take Thomas Dolby, add in the Beach Boys, and a surf addicted room-mate trying to get the babes, and this is what
you have - a Sultan of Surf.
5. Barcelona – this song was half written by my neighbor -- it really is his song. He was stuck on a few parts, and I filled in - ended up recording it and doing all but the lead guitar – which was Ken, again.
6. Is it Really Us? – This was the groove that could not find a working vocal track. This had three different vocal layers – the groove was pure Everly's. I again do the vocal through a sans amp, plus, harmonica is put at the bleeding edge of what you can do with a SanAmp. I liked the guitar grove, but not the vocals—still..
7. 200 Miles From Nowhere – I did a long jam with the Hamer Eclipse on a Crown 10 ½ reel to reel. Part of that session ended up in Return of Revenge. This part was still in the can, and I wanted to use it for another Ken exercise – but Ken found it too dark. I pulled out my Strat and the J-Station, and with the tremolo came up with the lead guitar parts on my own. This has a great drifty float in bathtub kind of dream world feel.
8. Cadillac Smile – How many spanking teles can you put into a blues grovel? This was 100% me here. The vocal kinda drops on the floor, but the guitar parts just jump over each other. And the Fender reverb drip is just a thing of wonder.
9. Garage Jam #22 – Literally a garage jam. I came up with this piece, drug Ken's bones over, and we played the lead guitar parts live over the base track. Ken flamed away on this VERY loose garage jam session. I wrote and added the vocal parts about a week later, I wanted it to be as unrefined as the original
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Frank Kelly: Well that's it for June's Featured Artist! I absolutely enjoyed every moment doing these articles and will bring you more very soon! Next up LOS DEAD RIDERS handled by our very own rocker guy GREG SANCHEZ! So we here at The Electric Mile would like to thank the Surf Guitar Villains for their full on participation. THANKS!
-Frank Kelly
The Electric Mile
DID YOU ENJOY THIS EDITION OF THE RUNDOWN? LET US KNOW! WE LOVE FEEDBACK!
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Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Surf Guitar Villains Guitar Tones
"The Tones Of Villains"
by: Frank Kelly
So we recently asked the Surf Guitar Villains what kind of tones they use for recording and live performances as well as the choice of weaponary. Well we got a very in depth answer so for all you axe slingers this is for you. And anyone else looking to find how the hell they get those retro sounds then this for you too. Check it out this is an in depth look at the Tone Of Villains.
TEM: Each one of you explain your guitars and your favorite guitar
---Billiam Villain---
BV: I am a recovering guitar junkie. I have been thinning the herd recently – I have three electrics, one 12 and one acoustic used for Retro Americana. My main electric is a Fender Telecaster that I had a SD little 59, with a series parallel switch installed. It is a Mexican made version with a maple neck and thin frets. This the electric most prominent on Retro Americana. For tremolo work I use an American Strat I modified slightly with an SD 59. This is used for over-dub leads. Lastly I use a Hamer Eclipse with a Firebird mini humbucker in the bridge. Radio Wasteland was done with this bad boy, as was a majority of Return of Revenge. For Retro Americana I used the Eclipse for 'Rodeo Never Ends' on the chorus. The 12 string work for the last two albums is a Dan Electro Innuendo, which is a sick orange plywood wonder. Something about the cheese factor with this guitar cannot be duplicated. Used this in Sultans of Surf, and Rodeo.
My acoustic is a Taylor 314. I had a fine Gibson Working Man's 45, but it had no electronics, and the Taylor fits the bill quite well. This is heavily used on Retro.
The Bass used is a Steinberger Spirit – a Korean made wonder that has the right amount of punch. It is backed up with a Washburn cheapie P-Bass copy. Not fancy, but useful.
TEM: Talk about your about your effects set up for Live Performances
BV: For live work I try to keep it simple. My mainstay device is a BOSS GT-6, which does a fine job of getting all the sounds I am looking to create. The amps I use tend to serve as monitors, mostly, so I tend to use small Fender solid state amps these days, and use the GT-6 to provide the tone and color, and feed that signal to the board direct.
TEM: Talk about your effects set up for Recording
BV: For recording on Retro I have done a number of things – Employed a Fender CyberChamp for Jenny's Gotta Go ; for the title track I used the AC30 emulation from a POD XT Live.
The snotty guitar for Rodeo Never Ends is the Eclipse with the XT Live Eruption Setting. The Taylor was originally put through a Yamaha Acoustic processor; I later stopped doing this, as the Taylor direct seemed to work just fine.
TEM: Finally talk collectively about your set up and what you'll have in your arsenal for your upcoming album.
BV: For the album work itself it is more of recording technology than guitar set-up. As Jeff Beck has gone heavily into using the POD for his recorded sound, I am doing the same for myself in the studio. I am pretty impatient, so messing around with a pile of stomp boxes is less on my agenda these days.
The recording itself has been a mix of using an old Tascam Porta One for sketches, Adobe Audition and Logic Express 7.2, and various percussion tools to get the tracks together. I have been heavily leveraging a Focusrite Saffire digital mixer to a dual core IMac to get the live miked recordings in the mix, and for A/D conversions. Single Fin shipped some parts via MP3 from Austin, as have the others – Ken, Glenn and Steve do similar things in terms of audio capture.
What we will have when we release the album is still to be determined. We will likely use the guitars of choice, some small amps, and rely on sound reinforcement to do the rest.
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TEM: Each one of you explain your guitars and your favorite guitar
---Ken Villain----
KV: There is only one guitar, the Fender Stratocaster. I do also favor a Tyler Psychedelic Vomit, should I desire a little more midrange or to use the tremolo bar and actually remain in tune.
TEM: Talk your about your effects set up for Live Performances
KV: I have a custom NGM pedalboard system with a Fulltone Clyde wah, a series of old Boss effects, RV-2 reverb, TU-2 tuner, DM-2 delay and OC-2 Octaver, a Cornish G2 fuzz and a TCE SCR flange. This feeds a Matchless SC-30 or Komet 60 amplifier depending on the size of the performance venue. I like the amp set right at the edge of clean breakup, where I can vary the amount of headroom with touch and pick attack.
TEM: Talk about your effects set up for Recording
KV: There is inevitably a bunch of studio post processing that goes on, Billiam may remember who added what where. I recall a Boss PS-5 pitch shifter, a SansAmp, maybe some Line6 and some Alesis stuff added to my live performance rig. The last album I recorded with the Villains was pretty much guitar+effects direct to board - no amplifier at all.
BV: We did throw in a Boss Analog Delay in return of revenge and a pitch shifter.
Finally talk collectively about your set up and what you'll have in your arsenal for your upcoming album.
KV: More of the same, only different!
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TEM: Each one of you explain your guitars and your favorite guitar
---Glenn Villain----
GV: I currently have two electrics and one acoustic in my collection nowadays. I have a 2001 Fender USA Fat Strat (formerly called the Lonestar Strat) with two Texas Special single coils in the neck and middle; a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates humbucker occupies the bridge. The other electric (which I have been favoring lately) is a Japanese-made Epiphone Les Paul. Not sure what year though. Billiam actually has more historical knowledge of this guitar than me. I did own a '99 Gibson Les Paul Standard but this Epiphone can keep up with the Gibson just fine. Plus it stays in tune much better and weighs a little less too, which helps in longer gigs. I used this guitar to record the lead to the working rough demo to "Retro-Southwest". My acoustic is a Carvin Cobalt C850. I may add a couple more guitars in the future but for now this is all I need. Each of my guitars has their role depending on my mood and the style of music being played at the time.
TEM: Talk about your effects set up for Live Performances
GV: I have used both multi-effects processors and stomp boxes on stage. Lately I've been reverting back to a simple set up of stomp boxes made up of the following: a Boss TU-2 Tuner, an Ibanez TS-9 Tubescreamer, a Boss CH-1 Super Chorus, a Boss PS-3 Pitch Shifter/Delay (I mainly use the delay part of this pedal though), and a passive Vox volume pedal. I'll add a compression/sustainer and a tremolo pedal later but that is ALL I am using right now and I can do plenty with it. I had two amps but sold one of them recently (to help pay some old bills – I know no other musicians have ever done that). I had a 40 watt Fender FAT Hot Rod Deluxe tube amp. Very cool amp but too loud for a lot of the venues I was playing in. My other amp which is the one I am primarily using now (based on the process of elimination) is a Carvin SX-100 solid state. I am a tube-amp snob but this little 100 watt, 12" Celestion speaker loaded amp is very nice sounding for a solid state. It still lacks a little of the warmth from a tube amp but I am very impressed and happy with it. I use a Shure SM-57 to mic my amp.
TEM: Talk about your effects set up for Recording
GV: Ahh, this is an area where I am a little more finicky. I use a combination of both stomp boxes and multi-effects processors. I have an older Digitech GNX-1 multi effects processor I use when recording. Lots of nice chorus, flange, phase, tremolo, delay effects but as with a lot of ME processors (for me), the distortion sounds are lacking. I'll spend hours just trying to dial in the sound I want. I really like the Tubescreamer coming out of my amp so I will at times mic the amp which I will record in my bathroom. Nothing too high-tech and advanced. I did use Billiam's POD XT Live to record the lead to Retro Southwest rough demo over at Spudley Studios. It was my first time using that and I just picked one of it's many presets – "The Brown Sound". I would like to spend an entire tweaking with it to see what I can come up with but I just don't have the time right now.
TEM: Finally talk collectively about your set up and what you'll have in your arsenal for your upcoming album.
Because we're "virtually" putting together this particular project I'll be using a combination of both stomp boxes and ME processors. This will be my first album playing with the gang and I am excited about what I can contribute . . .
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TEM: Each one of you explain your guitars and your favorite guitar
----Esteban Villain---
a] Telecaster with a single DiMarzio Super Distortion pickup
b] Kramer Stratocaster copy, stock
c] 1976 'Pan' Martin D-18 copy, stock
Don't know that I have a favorite; they all do what they do very well.
TEM: Talk about your effects set up for Live Performances
EV: LIVE performances? My last live performance was sometime in the early 1990s. It was all acoustic.
TEM: Talk about your effects set up for Recording
EV: [a] Electric: Guitar(s) to Behringer UB1002, to dual-processor Macintosh G4. Recordings are done dry, with post-processing done in Apple Logic Express and Apple Garage Band. I don't use pedals very often; the Mac is a lot cleaner/versatile, particularly since it allows for post-processing with nearly infinite variations.
[b] Acoustic: Mics: Nady SCM-900 and/or Nady SP-1 to Behringer UB1002, to dual-processor Macintosh G4. Recordings are done dry, with post-processing done in Apple Logic Express and Apple Garage Band.
TEM: Finally talk collectively about your set up and what you'll have in your arsenal for your upcoming album.
EV: Same as above, plus Edirol PCR-A30 keyboard; Rockman Soloist, Danelectro Tuna Melt, Korg Ampworks pedals; and a '70s vintage Lawrence pickup for occasional electric/acoustic recording.
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Well we hoped you enjoyed our in depth look at the Tones Of Villains. We at The Electric Mile would like to send our thanks and respectful gratitudes to SGV for taking the time to be our Featured Artist for June!
THANKS! from The Electric Mile
-Frank Kelly
The Electric Mile
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Saturday, June 02, 2007
INTERVIEW SURF GUITAR VILLAINS FEATURED ARTIST FOR JUNE!
Questionnaire for the Surf Guitar Villains:
by: Frank Kelly
Introduce yourself: (Each band member where their from and their role)
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[KV] Ken Villain - Pacific Northwest - Fender Stratocaster
[BV] billiam villain - I am the music project ccoordinator, recording
guy and bottle washer.I create the sound outline, and get the basic
tracks together, then see what others have to add, or prod them to add
:) I also get the CD's out the door, etc.
[LV] Larry "ElJay" Villain; San Diego, CA (originally), Portland OR
(currently); bass, keyboards, blank stares
[GV] Glenn, 35, a born-and-raised California Native now residing in the
Valley of the Sun. I'm the newbie of the group.
[BV] Don't let the youth fool you, Glenn flames. Stevie is hunting big
game in Zambizia... I think.
How did each of you meet?
-------------------------
[KV] I met Bill and many other villains attending a lecture on the
transubstantiation of silicon into gold.
[BV] Met Steve in Corvallis, Oregon. Steve is a much more disiplined
player than me, so I picked up what I could from Steve. Steve did the
real burning guitar work on Arizona Indigenous Surf Shop via the
internet.
Ken Villain I met at work -- he is an electrical engineer that builds
class A amplifiers and has some fab Strats. He put down most of the
flaming guitar work on Return of Revenge and Cadillac Smile.
Larry is the keyboard player for the ever changing band of Ken's. Larry
brings in a very bent level of humor and cool keys.
Glenn I met in Queen Creek -- you have not heard his work just yet.
Trust me -- the boy can play.
[LV] Via an unfortunate set of circumstances that included a day job.
[GV] Met Billiam at church and we've been talking about music, guitars,
family and life ever since.
[BV] Yep, I play bass there, and have not been excommunicated yet.
How long have you been performing?
---------------------------------
[KV] I began playing at 14. Took a break at 30. I'm back, baby.
[BV] Together ? Just when we can. Ken and Larry seem to have been
playing forever, as has Steve. I have played on and off since I was 17.
Glenn was born with a guitar.
[LV] First joined a band at 15; actually learned to play a year or two
later.
[GV] I've only played a handful of gigs within a span of 15+ years
playing stuff from Classic Rock to Pop to Christian Contemporary to Emo
with a few different bands.
[BV] Glenn was born to front a surf band -- he just dosen't know it
yet:) Myself, Ken and Larry just provide stark contrast.
Where are you mostly based out of?
----------------------------------
[KV] Tin and lead with a little silver.
[BV] I am currently in Queen Creek, AZ. I was in Portland until about
March, and we were plotting the new album and ( ahem! ) world tour --
then the company I was working for kinda collapsed. We are more of a
virtual band at the moment -- I send tracks to Larry, Ken, Steve and
Glenn, and hope something comes back.(laughs..)
[LV] The Basement.
[GV] I guess we're sprinkled along the Pacific Northwest down to the
Southwest
How many albums do you have under your belts?
---------------------------------------------
[GV] Billiam would be better at answering that.
[KV] Quite frankly, I'm more concerned about the pizzas under my belt.
[BV] Not counting the cassette EP, 3. Soon to be 4. And who is hiding
the pizza?
What is each member's favorite album?
------------------------------------
[BV] of our own? The next one. The second most is the last one. The next
one is an evolutionary step from the former album. That being the case,
the next one is always major coolness. Other people's album? Love over
Gold comes to mind... yeah, Industrial Disease ....
[KV] Hendrix - Axis:Bold as Love, SGV - Return of Revenge
[GV] It changes with my mood. Right now I would say Stevie Ray Vaughan's
Greatest Hits
[LV] Little Feat, "Waiting For Columbus".
What is each member's favorite SGV song?
---------------------------------------
[GV] Black Surf - instant retro classic
[BV] The Human Torch. The recording was wonderfully grainy, the vocals
so ad-hoc, and the lead guitar work was ham fisted and violent.Larry's
organ was coolness. Perfect SGV. Right after that is "Surfing The
'Cane". Ken's guitar gymnastics there are a thing to behold.
[LV] The one that mentions "Underoos".
[KV] Return of Revenge/Revenge(a slight return)
Who are you're influences (each individually)?
----------------------------------------------
[KV] Jimi Hendrix is god.
[BV] I have listened to a LOT of musicians - but the influences to get
off my butt and do something were really Ken and Steve. Ken heard the
SGV EP, and said to keep it going, and Steve gave me some solid insights
on playing well. On the musician side -- Knopfler, Thompson, Runson,
Dylan, Jeff Beck, Page, White, James Brown -- too many.
[LV] Leland Sklar, Nathan East, Bill Payne, Jimmy Smith, James Brown
[GV] I'm pretty much influenced by everyone I listen to but the bigger
names would include SRV, Hendrix, Santana, The Edge, Andy Summers, Neil
Schon, John Mayer, Keith Richards, Dave Matthews, Larry Carlton, David
Gilmour
What goes into SGV's songwriting process?
----------------------------------------
[KV] It's what's left out that's important.
[BV] It is kinda like watching sausage being made :) -- No, really. It
is kinda stream of consciousness --I am stuck on an airplane or in a
hotel, and I write down a set of lyrics; or I pop on a recorder and see
what comes out. When I think I have something, I ship MP3s to the boys.
If they think it works, they send me back extra tracks; and if they
think it does not work for them, I get dead air (smile). I then just
call pencils up when we are starting to over-polish and not create.
[LV] I don't want to know; it's too horrible to watch.
[GV] Being the newbie I can only tell you from an observation view
point. It's kinda like throwing random colors of paint onto a large
wall. Some are bold, some are soft, some are earth toned, some are
just-because-you-felt-like-it. Then you start throwing stuff like tar,
paprika, and ketchup onto it. Not quite sure how everything will turn
out but it usually turns out cool . . . in a Dr. Demento kinda way.
[BV] We have a pretty eclectic group here, I make the soup base and try
to get out of the way of the others working their magic.
Who is your favorite band of the moment? (each member)
-----------------------------------------------------
[KV] I like John Mayer's guitar, I love Carrie Underwood's... voice.
[BV] I am torn between Peter Adams and the White Stripes. Then I drift
to James Brown...
[LV] Dave Alvin and The Guilty Men.
[GV] Of the moment . . . ? I would probably go with Maroon 5 - they've
got that soul, funky, sexy vibe to their sound . . . it's delicious.
Do you see more albums in the future?
--------------------------------------
[KV] Oh, yes...
[BV] Oh yeah.
[LV] I do if Bill does.
[GV] Sure
If so what do you have planned next?
------------------------------------
[BV] The working title is Retro Americana.
[KV] I am currently ducking and covering until my wife finishes
divorcing me (sorry, Carrie).
[GV] Something groovy for sure
Tell us more about the new album..(if there is a new one on the way)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
[KV] Bill has already laid out the basic tracks for the magnum opus.
[BV] There is a new one on the way. I want it to be Northwest/Southwest
-- so I have a repeating groove which is the title track. I am hoping
to get some cycles from both Ken and Glenn to get two guitar
improvisations on Retro, and put them of polar opposites of the track
list. I do sonic canvases. The other guys paint the masterpieces. I
want a 60's long groove kind of record. I also am looking at what can be
done to blend the tracks
in a Abby Road style But that is not the plan, just a thought.
[GV] Whatever it is, it will definitely be original
[BV] I love records that are all over the map - there is no single
distinct style. I want this one to showcase the AZ and Portland guys so
the record sonically travels.
Do you have a favorite track on the new album?
---------------------------------------------
[KV] I like them all.
[BV] Not yet. This one is still in the womb. I have an idea or two still
bouncing around in my head, I just need to get it recorded.
What does SGV do when they're not rocking the retro?
---------------------------------------------------
[BV] Ken said it best - "we make all the music we can afford to". We are
all really working stiffs -- I am doing consulting work in AZ at the
moment. Better than driving a bus.
[KV] I'm an unrepentant Second Life addict. Since we are scattered
across the USA right now, maybe someday SGV should do a virtual tour.
[LV] Hang out in the Basement, honing the Tom Joes tunes and working on
Roy Head dance moves.
[GV] I tend to be the mainstream, homogenous type who just blends in
with everyone else. I could be right next to you and you wouldn't even
know . . .
What about touring?
-------------------
[BV] Good question. If you asked me in mid-March, it would be that we
were on the pub circuit in Portland. Right now the priority is to get
the things local in Queen Creek settled, and then look at possibly
having a Northwest and a Southwest SGV incarnation that plays to those
locales. Think of it like Dylan with Petty or Dylan with the Dead --
it's still Dylan. The spice mixture is different. For that matter, we
could do Austin or Atlanta or anywhere else. SGV albums are done in
motion. So who knows what's next.
[KV] Have Harley, will travel.
[LV] I have my limits.
[GV] Just let me know when and where. Will play for food!
[BV] ... Steve-o would settle for a few bucks....
-----------------------------------------------------------The Electric Mile
-Frank Kelly
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ALSO IF YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE VILLAINS SEND US A MESSAGE AND WE'LL TRY OUR BEST TO SNEAK IT IN OUR NEXT INTERVIEW!
-THANKS FOR THE INTERVIEWS GUYS AND BEING OUR FEATURED ARTIST FOR JUNE!
DON'T BE A STRANGER!
