Inquiring Minds Want To Know

Always making you think, The Virgo 9’s new “Snake In The Studio EP” has raised some questions. So, I thought I would find out what is really going on and set the record straight.

The Misbehaver: What’s behind the name of the Snake In The Studio EP?

The Virgo 9: We had tracked out a full length. Somewhere between overdubs and mixing, the engineer called me to let me know there was a snake taking up residence in the studio. As a self-proclaimed ophidiophobe, I was mortified and I could not get myself to go back! The snake eventually met with a sword. But, not before we had moved. Despite my fear of snakes, I felt bad for the little guy losing his life that way. It’s just a little homage to the slithering asshole that turned my full length into an EP.

The Misbehaver: So, on the “End of the Road”, was the song inspired by a particular “rock star”?

The Virgo 9: I could get into a world of trouble answering this question. In my mind, it’s about several people. But mostly, a couple of more successful poor, poor, poor Mr. Misunderstoods I met while living in Rugby, England. Though later on while living in NC, it began to suit a few local musicans………….you can really only stretch the gene pool so far! Especially in this incestuous world of music.

The Misbehaver: Based on the CD artwork, someone recently described you as looking like a phoenix coming out of the ashes. To me it looks like you are perched on the ruins of a post-apocalyptic wasteland. What are you sitting on?

The Virgo 9: Ironically, I’m sitting the ruins of an old snake handling church a few hundred feet from my house. There’s a great documentary from the 60’s called “Holy Ghost People” about that very House of Prayer. It had been abandoned and left to rot long ago. When we first moved here, Gavin was fascinated with photographing the garbage inside and what remained of the building. Unfortunately, we stood and watched it burn to the ground last fall.

The Misbehaver: What do you have to say to people who are shocked by the “explicit lyrics” label on iTunes?

The Virgo 9: People are shocked by such things?!? If they find that shocking, I would suggest they leave the house more often or maybe just turn on the news.

The Fuzz and The Fury

I tried to take a break from everything and chill out.  But it is a hot, hot summer, and the call of the feedback and fuzz called me back.  All kinds of stuff going on in Misbehaved land.

The Virgo 9

First, we already ran out of hard copies of The Virgo 9’s “Snake In The Studio EP”.   Gonna be ordering more soon.  If you need it now, then you can download if off of iTunes and Amazon Music. The EP has been described in a recent review as-  “Garage rock meets soul.  If you are going to purchase any song on this EP, then I recommend “Baby Please”.  Vocally, she gives Beth Ditto a run for her money on this one. Soulful vocals meet up with chainsaws that will really put a buzz in your ear.”

Blood Red River

Secondly,  Blood Red River is ready to rumble this summer.  They are playing The Smoking Gun Run, Jaws Fest, Bull City Rumble and The All Day Punk Fest at Volume 11.   They are unstoppable.

Thirdly, I wanna introduce The  Hell No.  A new band comprised of Allen from Blood Red River, Brenna from Brenna and The Blacktones, and Kim T. of PATC and The Mighty Good Ship.  They are playing their first show ever at Local 506 with the samurai-rock band, Fujiyama Roll, and the freak-folk punk Barron.

Holy Rock n’ Roll

A recent discovery in The Virgo 9 camp of a documentary entitled “Holy Ghost People” by Peter Adair has shed an interesting light on the cover art for The Virgo 9’s, “Snake In The Studio EP”. Those cinder blocks are the remains of the snake handlin’, holy rollin’ church featured in the film.  The film is up on youtube in six parts and is definitely worth viewing.

Snake In The Studio

Snake In The Studio E.P.

June 5th you can pick up a copy of The Virgo 9’s new E.P., “Snake In The Studio”.  Recorded here in Durham, NC by Allen Norris of Blood Red River.  Proceeds from the sale of E.P. will go to benefit Chris Pope and help him in the battle against cancer.  Soon it will also be available for download digitally.  We will keep you posted when it hits all those digital outlets.

Cheers,

The Misbehaver

6 Questions for The Virgo 9

The Virgo 9 is in the process of finishing up their album, “Outta My Way”. This album has slightly diverged from the noise-garage with a more soulful-juke jointy sound that reaches back to another era of music. I thought I would check in and see what’s going on with them.

1. Last year on WXDU, there was the joke that the world was going to end on 9/09/09. So we are all still here, what’s your prediction for the date when the world could potentially end?

Teresa: Really, I have no idea. I am always slightly morbid about my birthday. This year, I celebrated with Shingles and sugar cookies, so I was kind of hoping for a giant comet. But, with the current state of the world, I am in a a Cold War state of mind. Doom, at any moment, wouldn’t surprise me at all!

2. The name of your upcoming album is called “Outta My Way.” Would you like to elaborate on the where the title comes from?

Teresa: It’s a lyric from one of the songs on the album. It’s open for interpretation. For me, one of the meanings applies to the Burger King way music works these days. You can have it your way, but you have go out of your way to reach your own goals. On the flip side of that, I get sick of all the bitching and cut throat behavior everyone reaching for a musical bread crumb creates. So, it’s a bit of a personal statement. Get the hell outta my way. Shut up and play.

3. The new album has a much more soulful sound. What was the inspiration for going in that direction?

Teresa: Gavin’s massive record 60’s record collection and my growing up in a gospel church. Both have similarities in that it’s simply about emotion and unloading it into tune. The singers on these albums and in these churches sound like they are singing from the pit of their souls. I’m a huge fan of that soft spoken, druggy 90’s sound. But, after years of emulating it in previous projects, I wanted to explore my voice more. To really dig deep and to let it all out….

4. At the moment, who are you listening to on the ole turntable and iPod? What it is about that music that you are really drawn to right now?

Teresa: I’m really into Otis Redding. To be more specific, Otis Blue. The orchestration and his voice are just wonderous to me right now.

Gavin: Whatever scratchy vinyl falls out of the junk store.

5. If you could be a character in a John Hughes film, which one would you choose to be? Why?

Teresa: Ha. I’ve always thought of myself as the Ally Sheedy character in The Breakfast Club. Dark, artsy, slightly anti-social.

6. Most bands have a distinct sound where they use a plethora of effects pedals and some use just one. Which category would you fall into?

Teresa: With this album, clean, fuzz, the resulting feedback and the tremolo arm. No need to complicate things. But, I see the new songs reaching back to my effect laden roots a bit more and maybe, just maybe a return to the keys.

Bonus question: Which Misbehaved band do you think is most likely to get arrested for disorderly behaviour?

Teresa: I refuse to answer this question on the grounds that I may incriminate myself.

Correction:  the new recording is entitled “Snake In the Studio”.