10 Questions

Is today's bedroom yesterday's garage? I don't trouble myself much over the question and can't really be arsed to essay an answer either. I ask because -in case you haven't noticed, we're in an era where output of music and the ability to create it have grown exponentially. It's a full time avocation just keeping up with the psychedelic niche, let alone all of the other byways, eddies, and dead pools. Good luck with that.

If there's a point to this it may be: like the first garage explosion, it can and is happening anywhere and everywhere. Geography is rendered moot. If geography matters at all it's in the sheer size of the pool of likely like-minded. (And this may not matter too much longer with online collaborations gaining increasing ease and awareness.)

All this as preface to our guest today and the locale he inhabits. It's as likely as any. From Fayetteville, Arkansas, it's Brad, of Voyageurs! (a prior Pick of the Week.) Besides, Arkansas can hang with the best of 'em.

Freak Cave is still getting spins here and should be in your house, too. imho.



Let's see how sharp this razorback is, shall we?

1. In ten words-or less, define "psychedelic music."
desert party topless speedfreak babes skateboarding double live gonzo beer

2. What is the most psychedelic instrument, why?
No instrument is inherently more "psychedelic" than another, but you can never go wrong with a loud ass tube amp and an sg guitar.



3. Favorite psychedelic album of all time?
High Rise - Live or any Les Rallizes Denudes album



4. What song or album that wouldn't fall into the classic "psych" definition is, nevertheless, psychedelic to you?
The 'Keep on Chooglin' live cut from disc 6 of the CCR boxset. CCR live is punk as fuck.




5. What was the first song you remember listening to in an 'altered' state?
My buddy's older brother's band playing the rage against the machine cover of 'Maggie's Farm' in their living room. I was into it; that was probably one of the first times I actually watched dudes not in a praise band play music together. The guy playing lead could also play the 'thunderstruck' riff on an acoustic guitar, I was pretty impressed by that. I may have fallen asleep at some point. Later that day we gave the 'thunderstruck' guy all the cash we had between us to get some dirt weed. He never came back.



6. Is there an advantage in being the pioneers (60s psychedelic bands), or being the continuing explorers armed with the knowledge of those pioneers work (the modern psychedelic bands)? Why?
I don't really know if there's an 'advantage' to being a pioneer of any kind of music except that people worship you and you can always do reunion tours and sell tons of reissued albums and what not. I'm not really one to idealize past decades of music or anything like that. Plus, back in the day, i'm pretty sure lots of people wanted to kick your ass for being weird.

7. Name a movie you've always considered highly psychedelic:
2001, Stone, Mad Max, Altered States, Clockwork Orange, I Drink Your Blood, Heavy Metal, Wizards



8. Can you give us a few bands active right now who you consider psychedelic?
Cheater Slicks or Lil B

9. Top Ten Psychedelic Songs?
I'm terrible at making top 10 lists so I'll just say any 10 songs from 'The Stooges' or 'Funhouse'




10. Turn the tables, if you'd like, and ask me a question:
Brad: Wit whiz or witout?
-valis: Rather a wiz of wit. Otherwise, witout please.

Thanks Brad! And, as we like to say here, Hail Voyageurs!!!