WAKING UP DEAD ON TOUR
THE ‘PETE ROSE’ IS THE NEW MULLET, BUT DON’T TELL IINDIE ROCK

A X3 INTERVIEW
BY JON WILKINS

TROUBLED HUBBLE
With their current record “Penturbia” getting rave reviews and another on the way, the Midwest quartet of Chris, Andrew, Josh, and Nate Hubble cut a swaggering path through the diabolic jungle of indie rock, citing influences like Dismemberment Plan, Built To Spill and Ben Folds Five. The boys from the windy city had something to say Martha Stewart, deep house and going toward the light.

Spice Girl Names: Teeth Spice, Beardy Spice, Cranky-In-The-Morning Spice, Doing-What-I'm-Doing Spice
Turn Ons: Patriotism, uncooked meat
Pet Peeve: Arena churches
Band Slogan: "The Great Yogi Lanthrum Says, You Are Doing What You Are Doing"
Sounds Like: Hardcore dork pop, honest music for death lovers
Touch Them: www.troubledhubble.com

CLOSER Spock was reborn through the Genesis Device. What is your band’s origin?
TROUBLED HUBBLE The band started in December of 1999. Chris was doing solo shows in Chicago while at college and got the rest of us to join him when he wanted to rock out a little harder. We haven't stopped since. The band name came from the headlines of the newspaper the week we got together. "Is there any hope for the Troubled Hubble?"

CLOSER Any strange experiences on the road, besides the usual fireworks/condom machine/beef jerky story?
TROUBLED HUBBLE Chris was found dead in Bridgeport, CT. Some kids put us up after a show and they had cats so he slept in the van. He woke up at 9am to a loud knocking on the van door, and opened it to find three cops in uniform, a team of six paramedics, the city coroner, an ambulance, fire truck and two squad cars that had the parking lot blocked off. The cops said they got a call about a dead body in a suspicious van parked in the area. Chris assured them he was sleeping, and they were on their way.

CLOSER Every band has at least one member with questionable musical taste.
TROUBLED HUBBLE Nate is a huge Phil Collins fan, and we can only take so much of it. Josh likes a lot of deep house music and techno, and it only works when we're tired and need anger to keep us awake. Josh's damn glowsticks and pacifiers almost made him crash the van once.

CLOSER Are Good Charlotte considered rock-n-role models?
TROUBLED HUBBLE Well, Nate is actually good friends with the guys in Good Charlotte and they're the very reason we're still a band. They tell us to stay true and honest to how we feel and don't sell out. They make us aware of the dangers of the music industry and give us great cosmetics advice. Yeah, and we all had rough high school experiences. Sometimes it feels like we were all beat up by the same jocks. And we hate our parents, and we're so mad we never get chicks or have money.

CLOSER Preferred cellmate for life imprisonment: a) Martha Stewart, b) Mike Tyson, c) Carrot Top, d) Richard Simmons or e) Glen Danzig?
TROUBLED HUBBLE Martha Stewart, as she is a former model and the only female option. We could procreate in prison and eventually outnumber the guards and revolt as a small army of Martha-Hubble people.

CLOSER Do/Did you own an Ibanez Steve Vai model guitar with cutout handle?
TROUBLED HUBBLE Dave Uhrich* recorded our last album. That should answer your question.

CLOSER If you were NBA star Yao Ming, would you use your powers for good, or evil?
TROUBLED HUBBLE We would use our powers for good and steal money from John Kerry. He wouldn't even know it was missing, and then we’d buy sandwiches for people telling them to 'Vote Kerry,' all while enjoying sandwiches from a man who could spend a thousand dollars a day for the rest of his life and never put a dent in his bank account. We’re sure he'll relate with the average American worker just wonderfully.

SYBRIS
Another fearsome foursome of indie rock that liken their sound to Cat Power, My Bloody Valentine, and ‘90s alternative compilation wunderkind Belly. Phil Naumann, Shawn Podgurski and Bill Bumgardner were originally in the atmospheric rock group Combo 3 before adding Angela Mullenhour on vocals and guitar to form Sybris. The popular Chicago band weaves a majestic shoegaze tapestry wrapped in a riot grrrl ribbon.

Spice Girl Names: Blackout Spice, Floozy Spice, Fingerbang Spice, All Spice
Turn Ons: Snuggling
Pet Peeve: Scabies, ring worm and other forms of rabies
Band Slogan: "Give us our $40, a case of PBR, 12 Heineken and maybe we won't need to use this shotgun"
Sounds Like: Loud and pretty
Touch Them: www.sybrismusic.com

CLOSER When did the band come screaming into this world?
SYBRIS We started a little over a year ago. The name means a lot of different things. A ruined greek city, a goddess, a sleazy hotel to fuck in. Friendship was the closest runner up.

CLOSER Lay a road story on me!
SYBRIS In the spring we were walking around NYC baked out of our gourds trying to walk off the buzz so we could drive to Philly. We were laughing hysterically as we turned the corner onto 2nd Avenue only to be stopped dead in our tracks by a coffin being loaded into a hearse.

CLOSER Hotter rocker: a) Liz Phair, b) Melissa Auf der Maur, c) Suzie Quatro, d) Carrie Brownstein, or e) Julianna Hatfield?
SYBRIS Liz Phair's pinky is hotter than the rest combined, plus she looks like Inari Vachs**.

CLOSER Lamer merch item: a) trucker hat, b) bumper sticker, c) belt buckle, d) drink cozy, or e) 1-song CD-R for $5?
SYBRIS Trucker hat's are not ironic, just lame. Especially if they say Von Dutch.

CLOSER Finish this analogy... Pyrotechnics were to '80s metal bands, what a vibraphone is to: a) indie rock bands, b) libraries, c) new york-style delis or d) bored drummers?
SYBRIS Gotta be A and D!

CLOSER Better ‘The’ band: a) The Decemberists, b) The Dears, c) The Thrills, d) The Knack or e) The Casual Dots?
SYBRIS We played with The Thrills and they stuck us with a 20-minute set right when the doors opened. They then thrilled the crowd by waiting in their dressing room for two hours before they went on. They can suck the big one.

THE SHOW IS THE RAINBOW
Rounding out this trinity of beauty rock is Darren Keen, the one-man leviathan of electronic love known as The Show Is The Rainbow; an ex-televangelist who, according to his website, “brings the pain.” What that involves, I’m not quite sure, but he does write very naughty lyrics (sure to please even the most jaded gothgirl poet) and one song in particular gives our world the following sentiment: “Alcohol on his breath, he hit some little girl named Beth/Last night, when he got drunk and drove.” Has Peter Criss heard this? His laptop tinkering remind one of Matt Mahaffey’s Self, as well as Spookey Ruben, but the man from Nebraska assures everyone that the power of hip hop flows through his blue blooded veins.

Spice Girl Name: Hermy Spice
Turn Ons: Sand, dictionaries, pralines, the color red
Pet Peeves: Witchcraft, spoiled milk, rust
Band Slogan: “I Believe In Women”
Sounds Like: White boy theatrical rap
Touch Him: www.theshowistherainbow.com

CLOSER How did it all start?
TSITR I’ve been doing this since April of 2003. Originally it was called Oh Yes I Can, and was a performance art thing. I had an idea to play my music while I ate some cheese on stage. I would ask the audience, “Can I eat all this cheese?” When I was done and the music ended, I would say “Oh yes I can!” It was a one-trick pony and I scrapped the idea when the songs I wrote came out great. From then on I took it more seriously.

CLOSER How do your songs get that ‘more than a’ feeling?
TSITR I usually start with a beat for the chorus, then come up with a vocal hook. Build layers on top. Otherwise, it’s pretty random.

CLOSER You must have a strange road tale.
TSITR One time I was on tour with a rap group and was solicited to smoke weed with MC POSEM. They went out to a field and reenacted scenes from Deliverance. I stayed in the van. I’ve also had bottles smashed over my head.

CLOSER On a world tour, what city would you most like to play and why?
TSITR Tokyo, cause I have a song called Japanese Girls, and I want Japan to hear it, it’s crucial. It will be their version of [Don McLean’s] American Pie.

CLOSER Favorite metal band from the '80s: a) Stryper, b) Krokus, c) Loudness, d) W.A.S.P., or e) Helloween?
TSITR Definitely W.A.S.P. They were super theatrical, can’t go wrong.

CLOSER What do yo listen to while on tour?
TSITR I listen to a lot of Ace of Base. Deee-Lite has been in rotation recently as has Hulk Hogan from the ‘80s Hulkamaniacs record. “Work hard in school, always study, never go swimming without a buddy!”

Troubled Hubble, Sybris and The Show is the Rainbow play live at The Wormhole, Wednesday September 22, 10pm. The Lounge, 517 Clematis Street, WPB, 561-655-9747

*Guitar wizard Dave Uhrich was scheduled to perform the National Anthem at the 7th game of the 1996 NBA playoffs in front of a national TV audience. The Bulls took the series in six. D’oh!

**Inari Vachs is a statuesque, California blonde and former Fortune 500 executive. This bisexual beauty has received AVN award nominations for her diligent work in the adult film industry. As of this date, she has not been asked to sing the National Anthem at a major sporting event, but it’s only a matter of time.

South Africa Meets South Florida in a Splash of Crisp, Melodious Rock

“We don’t drink… We work really hard to deliver the best to the audience. Also, we all become assholes when we drink.”

By Natalia Real

When you hear a haunting, gorgeous, overpowering voice, you may not envision it originating from a waif-like 29-year-old from South Africa with a Marlboro Lights addiction. Well, prepare to shake off the stereotype of the curvaceous female in long, flowing tresses and a flowery dress—Karma-Ann Swanepoel has short blonde hair, wears black All-Stars, blue jeans, a t-shirt and a guitar when gracing the stage. Twenty-four-year-old Cape Town native lead guitarist Christiaan Wood, 21-year-old bassist Stephen Calderalo and 20-year-old drummer Jay Lang from Miami complete the alt-folk-rock ensemble Karma (all of whom tend to follow the same unspoken dress code). Since March 2004, they’ve grown in popularity among locals all over South Florida. In their brief career they’ve played in South Africa, the 2004 Seattle Music Fest in August, California and Georgia.
Karma presents a kind, genuine demeanor, conveying it both in conversation and onstage with sincere tones of voice, a modest stage presence and monolithic talent. At their shows, the ambience is relaxed, the crowd attentive to the band and generous with their lauding.
“The reason I sound funny is that I’m not from America. I’m from a whole different country,” Karma-Ann always makes sure to mention to her audience in her alluring accent and a smile.
“Karma-Ann is not only adorable and enthusiastic regarding her material, she is also an incredible songwriter and guitar player,” opined 25-year-old Daniel Gallagher of Seven Severed.
Karma-Ann took the 25-hour flight from South Africa in November 2003, moved to Fort Lauderdale and recruited Stephen in February. Christiaan was asked to join Karma in March after auditions failed to yield any suitable lead guitarists, and Jay joined as a replacement for Nabedi Ofario in May.

In his full drum set, Jay doesn’t get lost going over the top but is meticulous with his beats; the beautiful intensity of Karma-Ann’s slightly raspy voice is never drowned out. Stephen keeps a meek stage persona, displaying his dimples as he shares frequent smiles and nods with Jay. Ash-blond Christiaan is, as Karma-Ann describes him, simply, “a brilliant guitarist.” Karma-Ann strums her guitar and bewitches crowds with her voice seamlessly.
When he saw them setting up at Churchill’s Pub in Miami, 23-year-old fan Mike McCord thought, “Oh, another chick band,” he recounts. But after their set he admitted, “I’m very impressed!” with an awe-stricken face.
Karma takes their performing seriously.
“We don’t drink. It’s a job. We work really hard to deliver the best to the audience. Also, we all become assholes when we drink,” Karma-Ann laughs with Stephen and Jay. Karma-Ann, Stephen and Christiaan take Cokes and Jay drinks Shirley Temples (“I get made fun of all the time!” Jay smiles). The singer adds cigarettes to her repertoire of indulgence: “I never finish a cigarette. But if that cig wasn’t there I’d climb the walls. I think my mommy took my pacifier away when I was too young.”
Karma’s lyrics encompass themes like struggle, love gone wrong and going to and fro between weakness and strength. Cathartic Just, exuding an air of The Sundays in melody, claims, And in time, you’ll realize / I’m not what I seem inside / I go wild, I go wild, I go wild. In And And And, which slightly recalls The Cranberries, Karma-Ann says goodbye to some people she chose to exile from her life: And and and another thing before I leave / May guidance find you in your sleep / And shatter all your memories of me. Of 27 Years she says, “Sometimes being brave is bring able to accept what’s going on.” The songs possess maturity and wisdom seldom found in songs authored by 20-somethings.
“They’re not specifically about me. Most are about how I relate to the world and how I see the world. I’ll tell [a] story as if it’d happened to me…it gives me enough objectivity. It gives the subject matter some hope,” tells Karma-Ann, who carries a Dictaphone at all times in case inspiration strikes.
In its past life, Karma was born in South Africa in 1996 under the name Henry Ate. Karma-Ann was only 21 when achieving national success with her band mates, and a year later toured the continent with Skunk Anansie. In 1998, already Karma, they won the Pop Album of the Year Award at South Africa’s SAMA Awards (the South African equivalent of the Grammy) and toured with Garbage the following year and with Melanie C. in 2001. That same year, Henry Ate’s Just was voted South Africa’s number one song of all time by the listening audience of its Radio 5FM station. But after releasing four albums with the label EMI, in 2003 she went to them with her fifth and they decided that it wasn’t her “sound.” Karma-Ann retaliated by releasing it under her own indie label, AMP, and, “it was a success beyond my wildest dreams,” she said.
Stephen and Jay, prior to playing together in Karma, were each in a few bands before becoming band mates in the local group Screw Teresa and playing Club M and Churchill’s Pub, among other venues.
“He and I are like spaghetti and meatballs,” Jay reveals of his bond with Stephen. “Christiaan and I have this…physics-related bond, because we are both studying engineering and physics. We can both get lost in our own little world discussing equations or other things which are ‘fucking nonlinear,’ much to the chagrin of the rest of the band.” As far as Karma-Ann, “I still haven’t fully shaken the whole almost—teacher/student relationship.”
“It’s a pleasure to be friends first and band members second,” says Stephen.
As for the future, Karma are ascertaining fame via relentless practice, prolifically writing songs and tirelessly playing shows.

Catch them doing an acoustic set on Sept. 17 at Luna Star, 775 NE 125th St., in Miami. Call for reservations at 305/799.7123. For further show dates, to listen to songs and buy their CDs, go to www.karma.za.net and www.amp.co.za.