Interview with The English Beat's Dave Wakeling

05/07/12 • 26 min

The Culture Agent: Sander Roscoe Wolff, columnist for LBPost.com

The Beat arose in England in the late 70s and concocted a unique amalgam of punk, ska, and pop into an explosively popular style that, by the early 80s, swept the popular charts. With smart and sometimes caustic humor they catalyzed a generation of teenagers fed up with strident punk ire. 30 years later, Dave Wakeling lacks pretense, but knows that good music is timeless. In fact, in this interview he takes some pleasure in pointing out that several of his songs, now more than 30 years old, have significant relevance today. This 30 minute conversation is a great peak into the vast talent that Wakeland embodies. For fans, it will be a treat, and for those just discovering his music, it will serve as an excellent primer.

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Interview with Beach Boy Al Jardine

Spring is in the air, the Grand Prix is over, and the third Saturday in April is nearly upon us. One can almost feel a palpable sense of excitement as the anticipation of this year's Record Store Day grows. It isn't an old tradition. It started, more or less, with a performance by Metallica at Rasputin Music in San Franscico. Still, every year, independent record stores around the world pull out all the stops, with special sales, offerings of limited edition merchandise, and presenting in-store appearances and performances. Rand Foster, owner of our beloved Fingerprints Music, takes Record Store Day very seriously. "We will have nearly 300 exclusive releases," Rand said, "including releases from Flaming Lips, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, The Pharcyde, David Bowie, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Animal Collective, Miles Davis, and so many more." Not only does he open the store at 6 AM to allow rabid bargin hunters to scour the bins, he's also presenting three in-store performances. World Party is playing at 7, and access to that show is still available. The 5 PM performance of M. Ward is sold out. At 2 PM, the legendary and remarkable Beach Boy, Al Jardine, will perform songs from his new solo release, A Postcard from California, as well as songs from the Beach Boys. (He's an original member!) I had the good fortune to see Jardine when he joined Brian Wilson on stage at the Terrace Theater a few years back. Jardine is probably best known for singing the lead on 'Help Me, Rhonda,' but he also wrote and produced music for the Beach Boys. Yesterday, I had the good fortune to speak with him by phone about his album, the many celebrity collaborations it features, his love of the sea, and the new 50 city Beach Boys tour that's starting on the 24th. If you're interested in getting into Fingerprints to catch World Party or Al Jardine, call the store at (562) 433-4996 and RSVP. No purchase is required but, if your name is not on the list, rest assured that you're not getting in. If you do buy something by the in-store artists, Rand will give you a poster made especially for the event and, if you ask, the artist may sign it for you.

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Tricia Allen - A Tangible Reminder

Tricia Allen has been traveling the world for more than 20 years, studying and working to preserve Pacific Island tattoo traditions. With a background in Art History and Anthropology, and early encouragement by the famed tattoo artist Ed Hardy, Tricia has created unique works for nearly 11,000 people. Tricia, who lives in Hawaii, will be working with clients at the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum today, Wednesday May 9th, through Sunday. After that, she'll travel South to Oceanside. She's also scheduled to return to PieAM in September. In this interview, which is nearly an hour long, she talks about a wide range of subjects, from her early work on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), to helping Tahitian artists reconnect with their lost native forms. Tricia is a knowledgeable and passionate voice for this ancient and thriving art form. Whether you're an enthusiast, or just curious, I think you'll find this conversation to be both enjoyable and informative.