Feb 13, 2012

BROTHERS RAGE INTERVIEW

Allow me to introduce BROTHERS RAGE, the improvised jam band that is making noise all over the great state of Illinois. Lead guitarist Jeff Rainey is a third year Arts Technology major at ISU in Normal, Illinois. You can catch these guys playing live shows to hoards of fans nearly every weekend. (See their tour schedule at brothersrage.com) These guys are generous enough to have their music available for free down load at reverbnation.com/brothersrage. They were also generous enough to find time to answer a few questions for us.

-Jeff: guitar/vocals

-Dave: bass/vocals

-Howard: keys/vocals

-Jarett "Deeds": drums/vocals

How long have you been making music?

Jeff: BR actually started with no intentions of really "being in a band", but more as a duo project involving myself and the drummer (Deeds). I would come up with riffs and we would spend hours improvising and making music without really knowing what we were doing. Being that there were just two of us, (myself being the only instrument playing notes) we came up with a lot of crazy stuff. Before we knew it, we had a good handful of tunes written and wanted to play them for people. After previous speculation of playing a show as a duo (guitar/drums) we eventually said "fuck it" and booked a gig opening for a couple bands at Otto's. Before the day of the gig Dave (who I played guitar with in a previous band, Project: Threeville) got a hold of me and asked if I wanted him to join in on bass. We rehearsed for two weeks before the show and played our first show as a trio Feb 26, 2010. Since then we've done our best to maintain a weekly practice schedule and keep on keeping on. In 2011 Howard joined us on keyboards opening up many new capabilities and allowing us to cover Toto songs (hahahaha).

Deeds: I have had an ongoing passionate relationship with music for as long as I can remember. Rhythms and groove patterns have always really sparked my interest and are ultimately what led me to playing drums age of 10. But I never really started to “make” music until I picked up the guitar, about a year later.

Dave: Personally, I’ve been playing guitar since about 1995 jamming along to songs I recorded from 95.1 ZRock that my parents didn’t want me to hear. But I never actually played bass in a serious band until I joined Brothers Rage in Jan. 2010. We had our first show that month (I think), and there were definitely some mistakes on my part haha.

When did you (Jeff) first start playing the guitar?

Jeff: I started playing guitar when I was about 13.

When did you (Howie) first start playing the Piano?

Howard: 1st Grade!

How long has BR been together?

Jeff: As a trio since Feb 2010. As a quartet since Jan 2011.

Dave: Jeff and Deeds have been playing since before they were potty-trained, so a few years now. (They can tell you about their old band Tribute To Whigg if they want). From 2008-2009, Jeff joined a band I was in called Project: Threeville – he actually recorded an album with us that’s finished and will hopefully be released soon. Around the time Threeville went on a sort of hiatus from shows, Jeff called me and told me that he and Deeds had written some songs and they were booked at Otto’s in like a month. I was drunk when I received the phone call, so I brazenly asked if their guitar-and-drums duo needed me to add some bass to pump the band into a power trio. I didn’t even own a bass at the time. I soon jammed with them for the first time, and a couple weeks later Brothers Rage played our first show. Howie, who was my roommate, joined up on keys to make it a quartet in Jan. 2011. We originally asked him to sit in with us so we could play “Rosanna” by Toto at a show, and he ended up just jamming on most of our songs that night. He rejoined us for a show the next day and has played most shows with us since.

Do you think the digital revolution is helping or hurting the music industry?

Jeff: I think it may be putting a dent in sales for the big shots who already have lots of money, but I think it's a definite advantage to upcoming bands to get there music to a widespread audience. Then again there is the downside of competing with the plethora of music floating around in cyber space.

Howard: I think it’s changing the industry and making it harder to sell your work. It’s easier to get your music out there and for others to enjoy it, but harder to make money from it. Performing is the way to make money on your tunes.

Dave: I believe it is causing specifically the recording industry to lose profits, but I believe it is helping the music industry in general to broaden its horizons, push more boundaries, and often to weed out the untalented. Let me explain: Some people will never think of buying another album as long as they can download a copy of it for free, which is currently the case (with the right tools and knowledge). Assuming (not necessarily accurately) that without this opportunity they would have bought the album, these people have likely hindered the sales of these types of products that can be digitally reproduced at or near the same quality as the “original” (which is itself, in essence, a copy anyway). The downward trend in record sales forces artists to focus more on improving other important facets of their music like their live shows: experiences that still cannot be accurately counterfeited by any modern media. Innovative artists that continually use fresh multi-media aspects in their live shows to augment their talent rather than to mask their lack of it will continue to succeed whether people steal their records or not. As for the ethical implications of pirating intellectual property, that’s a horse of a different color…

(for this question Deeds thought you were talking about digital music rather than downloading music, so his answer may fit better to a reworded question)

Deeds: I have always been a firm believer that the more tools we are given to further an art form, the better, however people have been known to exploit certain aspects of digital music, ultimately raping it of its integrity. I think it is cool when you are able to perfectly mesh digital and non-digital music together. Ultimately, I would say it comes down to the good judgment and artistic taste of the performer.

How would you describe your musical style?

Jeff: The musical style of BR ranges from a lot of different influences. We have a heavier sounds overall, playing mostly in drop-D tuning with a lot of intense drumming, but we don't try to frighten our listeners with brutal screaming and speedy metal riffs. Instead, we try to balance the heavy aspect of the band with a solid groove element most notably found in smooth jazz and dance music. We have been called jam-metal before, if that paints a better pictures. But, most of all I would say we are a progressive. A lot of the songs are made up of numerous parts sometimes in different time-signatures and genre styles. Lastly, improvisation plays a key factor in our sound and especially live performance. We attempt to create musical compositions on the fly in both a structured and free-form manner. Meaning that a lot of times when we flow into a jam or improvised section of a live show, we start of with one simple idea and attempt to mold and shape it into a full band orchestration. Sometimes we also guide the ideas through use of hand signals and gestures much in the same way Umphrey's McGee does during an improvised section of a live performance.

Howard: I play in an eclectic piano-rock style, with hints of gospel and classical thrown in. When the Brothers Rage tunes get goin’ and the band gets rockin’, I bang on that piano -- the percussion aspect of the instrument ends up being a focus of many of the piano parts of our originals.

What is the inspiration behind your music?

Jeff: I just want to make music that I enjoy, or would want to hear from of a band, and that stands out amongst the rest. There is a lot of recycled musical styles, especially in the jam-band realm, but those bands who stand out are the ones doing something unique and different with the style. Sometimes by straying away from the norm and taking big risks musically, an audience doesn't quite get it at first, but at the same time a good handful of people may be really turned on by the unusualness. You may not be struck right away by a straight forward hit song, but overtime the subtleties may begin to reveal themselves and you hopefully acquire a taste for our brand of music.

Deeds: Frank Zappa, Phish, Rush, The Aristocrats, Umphrey's McGee—these are some of the bands that are almost always being played in my world.

Howard: I take my inspiration from the rest of the guys. I also look at our band as an outlet for some creative energy and angst.

Who are your major musical influences?

Jeff: growing up I was drawn to the heavy guitar sound of Black Sabbath and AC/DC, both which I blame for ever wanting to pick up a guitar. Over the years I grew interest in all different genres of music. Some of the artist who I think have had the biggest impact on me musically would have to be Frank Zappa, Little Feat, Pat Metheny, Phish, Tool, Pantera, The Beatles, King Crimson, and later it was all the jazz greats like Coltrane and Miles that really furthered my understanding of music. But, I can't talk about musical influences without mentioning pop-music. Weather or not it was a conscious effort or not, pop-music has definitely seeped into my musical psyche from my early days listening to the car radio while driving around with my mom. I am pretty open when it comes to music, and tend to listen to things even if I don't like what I'm hearing. There are a lot of "shitty" bands that I listen to, hahahaha. But, I've found that you can find something worthy in any type of music good or bad. There is always something that you can take from whatever it is you are listening to.

Deeds: Same as above and….Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, yano all the classics; TOOL

Howard: Elton John and Billy Joel, along with other rock pianists of today and yesteryear. I also take inspiration from the school of French organists who specialize in developed, theme-based improvisations. Other great classical composers are in there, too.

What is on your ipod?

Jeff: All the above mentioned artist in addition to… Jeff Beck, Guns N' Roses, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Michael Jackson, The Mars Volta, Charles Mingus, Eric Johnson, The Misfits, Return To Forever, Beethoven, The Books, STS9, Iron Maiden, Gorillaz, Duke Ellington, ZZ Top, Gui Boratto, Ella Fitzgerald, Brian Eno, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Stanley Jordan, Lady Gaga, Bob Marley, Opeth, New Edition, Les Paul, Nirvana, Prince, SBTRKT, Rush, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, BADBADNOTGOOD, Depeche Mode, Snoop Dogg, Buckethead, and of course… the soundtrack to Willy Wonka. (To name a few)

Deeds: All listed above

Howard: Classical, covers we need to learn, and improvisations from past rehearsals.

What makes your music unique?

Jeff: I think what makes our music unique is the combination of heavy metal elements fused with improvisation and "jam-band" elements. Some bands dabble in this area, but few take it on as part of their sound. What I find to be unique is the overall groove aspect of the music even when coupled with odd time signatures. I noticed that most of the time when I come up with an idea on the guitar, I naturally lean towards playing against a straight pulse no matter how odd the meter is. This works great for creating a unique musical idea in an odd timing while maintaining a danceable feel where you can still bob your head along with the beat. For example the end section of Incidental Buttscratcher, when counted out, is something like 17/8, which is a very unusual timing to count out, and I never think of it that way when playing it. Instead, the feel of the entire section is a constant pulse (much like you would hear in a typical 4/4 pattern), while the actual strummed chords shift between the down beat and the up beat. It's a little hard to explain clearly, but that is kind of a little trick we do a lot in our music. Another example of this happens in "Point Of Connection". In the middle of the song (around 3:47 on the recording featured on brothersrage.com) before the big shift in dynamics, there is a riff counted out in nine but played with a straight forward drum beat. This creates a push/pull tension where the riff doesn't immediately resolve on the next down beat as you might typically find. Even though these musical sections sound complex when I describe them, the resulting music does not sound like it's in an odd timing. By playing against an implied constant pulse, the odd timing becomes masked and you are still able to bob your head along to the music. That's sort of one of the trademark styles in BRage's music. It is much the same concept as Rush employed in a lot of their song writing like in "Limelight" and "Passage To Bangkok".

Deeds: We are a “jam band” that plays our songs in drop D tuning. “Meaning the low E sting on the guitar is tuned down to D. This gives us a much heavier edge to our music, especially in the jam-band scene.

In your opinion, who is the greatest rock band of all time?

Jeff: Too hard to say my friend.

Deeds: This is tough,, but I would have to say most definitely Rush

Howard: The Beatles

In your opinion, what music out there is garbage?

Jeff: Like I said before, you can pull something worth while out of any kind of music no matter how shitty, in my opinion.

Deeds: This question would be so easy to answer “Country”, but at least pop country singers hire all-star bands to back them up, and for the most part can actually sing/play their songs, however terrible they may be. Complete trash--- Brittany Spears, Miley Cirus, Madonna, all other people that don’t really sing.

Howard: There’s some really bad pop. That doesn’t mean I don’t listen to it, though!

Does the band have any future plans, what’s on BR’s agenda?

Jeff: keep making music and evolving. I would enjoy adding a percussionist. I feel that element would be a nice balance/addition to what we have going.

Deeds: Our main goal right now is to play as many shows as possible and spread the word. We feel we really have something to offer to people who are fed up with fake commercialized music and are just craving to hear some honest, heavy hitting jamming music.

Howard: Have a good time making music, and develop our skills as a band.

Whats your MO? Whats your motive?

Jeff: to share what's in my head with people.

Deeds: To make people rediscover he greatness of music.

Howard: Our Modus Operandi is to melt your face and show you a good time.

Oct 12, 2011

YouTUBE EXPERIMENT


CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO SEE A LARGER VERSION AND READ THE DETAILS...
and go to my YOUTUBE channel, to see my work and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/DVISIONstudios312

Sep 29, 2011

Sep 12, 2011

Chicago Skyline with Cloudskape


Time lapse of Chicago Skyline with Cloudskape
1280x720p HD
Just adding to my stock footage and sharing it with yall...
special thanks BROTHERS RAGE for supplying the track..
check them out at....
http://www.reverbnation.com/brothersrage

Jun 22, 2011

DVISION STUDIOS


imagination in motion D VISION studios does it all... still working out that logo...

May 16, 2011

Crimson Photography

Rain Shoot #2

Check out my man Jacob Gaylord and his sick ass photography @


http://crimsonxphotography.tumblr.com/

Alice in Wonderland Mural


Alice in Wonderland Mural. 93" X 93" Acrylic on drywall.

this is a detail from the mural on my wall in my kitchen.
Make any space in your home or office "fun" as well as functional.
call write or text today for your free consultation!

May 10, 2011

BROTHERS WALLACE

The header and logo of this site was inspired and rendered from my art work. Check out Brothers Wallace @ http://www.brotherswallace.com/

"We are the Brothers Wallace

Working together to provide new and creative ideas. For any problem or situation you might encounter From Logistics to installation, we Are your one stop shop. Need management and sourcing help? With a list of contacts reaching from around the globe
We are here to help." (quote from the site)

Imagination Asylum opening sequence


Short animation/production company style opening sequence. A little bit too dark and 'cartoony' for my needs, but i learned alot making this. first ever animation in Maya 3D.

Apr 3, 2011

F You Twice



F You Twice
(8X10) Acrylic on canvas board
2011
Just a study for a possible future project, or series about censorship.

Mar 20, 2011

PADLOC promo flier

PADLOC is the student group organization I co-founded at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in March of 2011. This was the first promotional flier I designed.





Professional Artistic Development Located on Campus is a student lead group who’s focus is the sharing of knowledge, resources, and information amongst peers and professionals, providing professional development to all who may attend. At PADLOC, you are the key!!!


Mar 19, 2011

Angel

"Angel"
graphite on paper (8x10)
2006
i drew this when i was in Iraq. i just found it in an old folder and thought id scan it in and share it with the world.

Mar 9, 2011

PADLOC presents: Tru Asberry

PADLOC presents: TRU ASBERRY


VISIT THE LINKS PROVIDED BELOW TO SEE TRU'S WORK!!!

ANAMOR "MEMELO" official music video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z21aTJODhJA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Star Beer Commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nleADF5c08I&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Freddie Jackson - Natural Thing - Official music video featuring Tru Asberry & Evelyn Jimenez
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7XO0hevvGc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

IMDB.com - Internet Movie Data Bank (Link)
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3230794/

Model Mayhem Portfolio
http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/724503/viewall

Feb 26, 2011

Still Motion Experiement 2011


a play of 3D objects on a 2D surface plane, using iconic pop culture characters and subject matter, we get an almost spoofed version of a video game adaptation. see more at http://dezinestudios.blogspot.com/ in association with http://shelbyshaw.com/
first half courtesy of shelby shaw productions
2nd half courtesy of dezine studios
score ...by BROTHERS RAGE
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brothers-Rage/113317585363448

Jan 27, 2011

runner up selection from "ESQUIRE" magazine


ESQUIRE magazine, held a contest to redesign their logo on www.99designs.com - of 627 entries, they picked one winner, and 27 runners up. Here is my design that was selected as 1 of 27 runners up. thanks esquire. To see the rest of the entries check out this link.. http://www.esquire.com/features/crowdsource-logo-0211#fbIndex9

Jan 6, 2011

ESP

"If you can create what you can imagine, it's like being able to see into the future."
-Dillon Elliott

contest entry


recent logo design contest entry from http://99designs.com/ im sharpening up my graphic design skills a bit. There are alot of really good artist out there.. im just trying to be one of them!!!

Nov 25, 2010

BLITZKRIEG feat. YUNG BUDDY - MAINTAININ'

The first video and hit single from BLITZKRIEG's new album "GET BLITZED". Directed & Produced by Dillon Elliott for d.e.zine STUDIOS (imagination in motion) © 2010, Blitzkrieg & d.e.zine STUDIOS all rights reserved. Catch my latest updates @ http://dezinestudios.blogspot.com/ .......... BLITZKRIEG "GET BLITZED" NOW AVAILABLE ON iTUNES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nov 4, 2010

a soldiers sad statement

"I would leave but there is no America to go to anymore so I dont know what to do..."
Tanner Lovett (SSG) United States Army

good samaritan

A few days ago my brother and I decided to go out for lunch with his youngest son, my nephew Ryder, a.k.a. NY NY, (NY would rhyme with guy) anyways.. we go to "labamba" a local mexican joint that claims to have burritos as big as ur head. Now, my only previous experience with this establishment was the evening my girl and I stumbled in out of curiosity, only to turn right around and leave as I am taken back by the rather high prices. EXTORTIONIST! damn that. when TACOBELL has an 89cent menu, I don’t find it plausible to pay 3 or 4 dollars for a taco or burrito. But im historically a cheap bastard anyways. So on this day, I allow my brother to convince me otherwise, after all, on this day of all days, labamba boasts 99cent taco day.. so the historically cheap bastard went along with it, and to top it off mi hermano offered to pay for my snack.
win win right..
so my brother orders 5 tacos, 3 for himself and 1 for me and my nephew. As he pays the cashier and gets situated, I notice a young lady standing in line behind us, and I casually check her out like the historical pig of a man we all are (at least those of us who aren’t lying to themselves) for a brief second, only to determine she isnt particularly notable. to me an attractive woman in line is like one of them works of art placed above u at the dentist office. While ur forced to be in a situation that requires u to wait and exercise patience, its nice to have an attractive visual stimulant to accompany your thoughts while u wait. But this young lady didnt particularly fit that role, and I didnt pay her a second notice of mind as I place my order for a cherry Pepsi. Nice cheap lunch, for only the cost of a pop.. which was 137 before tax.. extortionist... the price of pop at dinning establishments is absurd.. I can get a 44 oz big gulp at the circle k for 69 cents.. and these assholes are gonna tax me a dollar fifty for like 20 oz of pop.. but again.. big brother is paying for my 99cent taco.. so I can splurge on the dom p of pop.. so as the gentlemen fills my cup and it runs over the side, I think don’t u (guy making my drink) hate it when u go out to eat and ur drink is served to u and the douche who made it let pop run all down the side?? what if I was in my car. u think I want my change in the bottom of my drink holder to get all sticky and nasty.. thanks Holmes... but thats besides the point.
While hector is making my soda for me, I pull out my ever handy debt card, and as he snaps the lid on the drink his face turns as he informs me there is a 5 dollar limit for debt.. psshhhhh... so.. I double check my wallet which is loaded with biz cards and nearly the size of a softball, (military friends used to call it a crew served wallet, like a crew served weapon which requires more than 1 man to operate :) and of course I have no cash on me. so I desperately turn to my brother, who was recently laid off, might I add, to ask for another 1.50 to pay for my drink.. he pulls out his last remaining dollar bill and says that all he’s got.. I turn to gesture to the gentlemen that I cant pay for it but he isnt paying attention and I don’t want to announce to the whole joint that the two hooligans who walked in with a child, cant even afford a 2dollar pop, so I walk back up to the counter to inform the gentlemen that I have no cash, and sorry for his troubles. I sat back down and scarfed my taco down like it was going out of style, and I settled for taking my brother up on his offer, to wash it down with his drink. which was NY NYs drink, and I think I failed to mention that NY NY is 2. and as I joke, I mean it, yes,, he is 2 and he is terrible.. cutest kid u ever seen, but he’s got a stroke of evil in him.. cant wait to see what the world does to him.. anyways.. I gave in... and drank after dad, and terrible 2 year old who I inherently dubbed booger face. Who appeared to be recovering from a cold.. children seem to be snot and drool factories for the first 2-3 years of there existence, and I ate my taco and drank after a prime example. my nephews are awesome. don’t get me wrong.. :D so after consuming my snack the gentlemen approaches our table and places the drink down besides me, and instantly my pride over comes me and I don’t want this mans' charity, but its too late. he stealthily snuck up and placed the drink before I knew what had happened.. and the moment I realized what had occurred, and as my pride was forced into grace, the man mumble something about the girl in line, and somehow I gathered the young lady had bought the cherry Pepsi for me. I glanced about to maybe acknowledge the young woman or at least appear gracious, but she was gone.. it was a very small gesture, and it ended up being a needless one, after I had already finished my snack. and as proud as I am, and as much as im still learning to get over letting people do nice things for me, I let all of that go, and I sincerely did think it was a nice thing that that girl did. this was a small tale to tell yall, there’s still good people out there doing good things, and who ever u are where ever u are.. miss lady thang.. thank you for the pop... good lookin out ;)

Nov 1, 2010

tomorrows dream

if u never fall asleep, tomorrow stays imagined...
if u never woke up, u wouldn't have to face the madness...
its like im livin in a dream, while ur just layin on the mattress...
its what ever u want it to be, its up to U 2 show the masses....