DJ Knix of WERU's The Knix Mix Q&A

I've done a few Q&A profiles of artists and other WERU programmers along the way, and I thought it would be a bit of fun to answer a few questions myself.  Of course, you know I spin electronic music on The Knix Mix every Friday night from 10 p.m. to midnight. If you don't, you can listen by going to weru.org and live stream or listen to a previously recorded show.  I'd always been aware of WERU being from this part of Maine. I graduated from Brewer High School in 1988, which happens to be the same year WERU was getting underway at the Hen House in Blue Hill. When I returned to Maine after a decade in Massachusetts I moved just down the road from the station. There's a great sense of community at the station, and it doesn't hurt that I get to play the kind of music I wanted to hear. I've been at the helm of The Knix Mix for over two years and counting.  Which is, come to think of it, one of the reasons I coined "Knix Picks." So I could keep track of all the new music in that span of time that I love, love, love!

1. Favorite genre of music? My heart belongs to electronic music, which encompasses a range of styles. Basically, I’m a total child of the 80s. British New Wave was the soundtrack of my youth, and I subsequently love anything that has synthpop origins. Ah, nostalgia!  Electropop, electro house, electro clash, French house, club/dance...Sensing a theme here? Really, I adore anything you can dance to.
2. Favorite band? It’s hard to name just one, but there is exceptional music to dance to coming out of Europe. Artists like Röyksopp, Etienne de Crécy, Autokratz, Vitalic, The Bloody Beetroots, Yuksek, Simian Mobile Disco and Soulwax. I also love music to brood to. Bands that have that angst-ridden post-punk influence like Motorama, The Juan MacLean and White Lies.
3. Favorite song? I’m really crushing on Etienne de Crécy generally, but “Someone Like You” on Essentials (Best of) is amazing. It also appears on Super Discount 2 as “Fast Track.” Other tracks that I adore are Vitalic’s “Poison Lips,” “On a Train” by Yuksek and Simian Mobile Disco’s “I Believe.”
4. What was the first LP or CD you bought? The first album that I picked out on my own was Shaun Cassidy’s second studio album Born Late. I was kind of obsessed with Shaun Cassidy in elementary school. I swooned over him as little brother Joe in The Hardy Boys. I remember bringing the album to my 3rd-grade class’s show and tell. I sat up front and held the album cover open while the teacher played the record for the class. I couldn’t have been prouder.
5. What hobbies and interests do you have outside of music? I love hiking and snowshoeing, which I get to do a lot of living in Orland. Besides conveniently living very close to the station, I also live very close to the Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust trail system and a short drive from Acadia National Park. I love nature photography, and I take a lot of photos on my hikes. I have two rescue dogs who are my hiking partners and frequent subjects of my photography. This doesn't mean I'm especially outdoorsy. I'm not the person you want with you on a mountaineering expedition.  I wouldn't last a hot minute. I have a romantic notion of nature and am fascinated with natural history and anthropology. I’m a voracious reader, and I love to browse the library or used bookstores on Saturdays. I love all things vintage, so flea markets and antiquing are fun for me too. I value learning new things. I’ve dabbled in acting and working with clay, and I’ve continued to take writing classes over the years.
6. If you could hang out with anyone, alive or dead, who would you pick and why? I would love to meet Gary Numan, who is one of the pioneers of electronic music. I’ve seen him in concert a couple of times, which was great fun. He smiled at me when I yelled for him to sing “Down in the Park.” I’d especially love it though if I could hang out with Josh Gates for an Expedition Unknown adventure or two. He’s kind of cute (and very married), true, but I’m also exceedingly envious of his job. Something that combines travel, adventure, history, archeology, and anthropology? Sign me up! Just don’t sign me up for a spelunking adventure because the movie The Descent scarred me for life.
7. If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why? I would want to be an owl. Owls symbolize intuition and have highly evolved senses - seeing what other can’t. They seem wise and cerebral, but they are also stealthy and can use those talons pretty effectively when they need to.
8. Favorite food? I could probably live a long, long time on pizza and cheesecake. I won’t. But I could.
9. Favorite book? Honestly, I could probably expound more on books than on music. Music I like specifically. Books I like generally. Though I’ve come to prefer reading nonfiction. I think everyone has a story to tell, and real life is often more interesting than fiction. Devil in the White City is a great example of compelling historical nonfiction. I read a lot of adventure books where people overcome – or don’t – seemingly insurmountable obstacles like Touching the Void, Into Thin Air and Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage. I love satirical memoirists like Augusten Burroughs and David Sedaris too. Laugh out loud hysterical!
10. Favorite movie? Henry and June, 1984, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Little Children, The Shining, and Out of the Blue.
11. If you could have any super power, what would it be? To know the unknowable and solve life’s mysteries. Like where did the settlers from the Roanoke Colony go? What happened to Amelia Earhart? What’s up with the Bermuda Triangle? That kind of omniscient knowing.
12. If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be? New Zealand is at the very top of my bucket list. Amazing flora and fauna sans large land predators or snakes. Perfect! Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to summit Everest, was a Kiwi!
13. What would people be surprised to know about you? I have two teenage sons who are amazing. They spend their school year in Massachusetts. They’ve co hosted The Knix Mix a few times. Keston, my youngest, has a boy band aesthetic, plays piano and prefers dance pop. Keegan, my oldest, looks like he could have been a Seattle rocker circa 1990, plays guitar and is into progressive rock.  They both love WERU but neither are into electronic music, and they are spectacularly unimpressed that their mom has a radio show.
14. What three words would best describe you? Complicated, introspective, sentimental.
15. What three words would your friends use to describe you? Honest, loyal, intelligent.

Knix Picks for Best Albums of 2015

The albums that represent the top picks for The Knix Mix for 2015 are a mix of treasures that have been overlooked by most media outlets and some heavy hitters, like Arca and Jamie xx, who seem to have gotten nods on every list I've seen. Of course, I'm more electro pop than experimental electronic on The Knix Mix as a rule. I'm also ridiculously sentimental, so music that is evocative of the alternative music of the '80s and '90s gets my attention. If it's danceable, even better. It's curious to see Leftfield and The Chemical Brothers - both formed in 1989 and a big deal in the '90s - appearing on a 2015 list. Welcome back, guys! New Order is on the list as well, and I dare you to listen to Motorama and not be reminded of New Order's first incarnation before Ian Curtis's death - Joy Division. So check it out and let me know what you think!  

Arca Mutant
Mutant is Venezuelan Alejandro Ghersi's second studio album. The album is unsettling and corporeal in its experimentation with sound and subject matter.

Big Data 2.0

American producer Alan Wilkis's project, Big Data, offers danceable hooks for the Internet age. Dangerous features New York-based quintet Joywave.

Björk Vulnicura
Vulnicura is the 9th studio album of the accomplished Icelandic songstress Björk. The album follows the arc of a relationship through a breakup. 

Bob Moses Days Gone By
Deep house meets live instrumentation in this debut album from the New York-based duo.

The Chemical Brothers Born in the Echoes
The duo's 8th studio album features guest vocals by St.Vincent and Cate Le Bon, among others. The title track, Born in the Echoes, has been on repeat play on The Knix Mix since the disc arrived in the studio. These old pros still have it going on.

Empress Of Me
This is Lorely Rodriguez's debut album using her "Empress Of" alter ego. The album is full of introspection and melodic vocals. With Rodriguez handling everything from songwriting to production, it really is the expression of "Me."

Étienne de Crécy Super Discount 3
The third installation of the Super Discount series from the French producer and DJ arrived a good ten years after the second installment. Well worth the wait.

FKA Twigs M3LL155X EP
The "Melissa" EP builds on British FKA Twig's earlier work replete with haunting vocals and commentary about femininity.

Grimes Art Angels
Grimes is the alter ego of Vancouver native Claire Boucher, who defies female pop vocalist convention by doing it her way.

Holly Herndon Platform
American Herndon is not only accomplished musically - she also happens to be a doctoral student in composition at Stanford. Herndon uses technology as a means of self-expression without being cold or impersonal.

Humans Noontide
Humans is the Vancouver duo of Peter Ricq and Bobbie Slade. The album is full of auditory twists and turns. Peter, who I had the pleasure of interview on The Knix Mix, brings a gift for the visual arts to Humans, which makes their videos well worth checking out.

Jamie xx In Colour
In Colour is English producer Jamie Smith first full-length album. Influenced by vintage club culture, it has elements of everything that has shaped Smith's sound.

Kate Tempest Everybody Down
The debut album from the English poet and spoken word artist. Tempest weaves a gritty narrative with hip hop influenced beats and a South East London accent honed by battle-rap practice.

Leftfield Alternative Light Source
I couldn't be more excited about the first Leftfield album released since 1999's Rhythm and Stealth. As innovative and relevant as ever.

Le Galaxie Le Club
This '80s influenced Irish electro-pop band's sophomore album features upbeat tracks that make you want to move your body and an album cover that screams Miami Vice. I kind of love it.

Motorama Poverty

This Russian band is a throwback to the post-punk era. Their cold wave sound is evocative of Joy Division. Motorama is a well kept secret worth a listen.

New Order Music Complete
Music Complete is New Order's 10th studio album. Despite the departure of Peter Hook and the ensuing drama, this album is a return to form for the reconfigured New Order.

Panda Bear Panda Meets the Grim Reaper
The fifth studio album for American producer Panda Bear. A contemplative and somewhat doom-laden album where electronic meets psychedelia.

Purity Ring Another Eternity

This is the sophomore album for the Canadian duo. Sweeping pop sound with emotive lyrics.  

Superhumanoids Do You Feel Okay?
This LA trio's sophomore album is '80s synthpop inspired electro-dance. Do YOU feel okay?

 

Best wishes for an amazing and music-filled New Year! DJ Knix

Q&A with WERU's Sarah O'Malley

Sarah O'Malley is the longtime host of WERU's World Around Us, a weekly (Saturdays at 8:30AM) science and nature short feature show.  Sarah is a Maine native, having grown up in quiet North Castine where she fondly remembers summers spent running around in the woods and biking the four miles into town.  Sarah attended George Stevens Academy in nearby Blue Hill.  Sarah currently resides in Sedgwick with her two dogs, two cats, chickens, and her mountain guide husband, Dick Chasse.  Sarah’s extended family still live in the Castine area, and she has the good fortune of enjoying being an aunt to niece, Caitlin and nephew, Will.  Regular listeners might recognize Caitlin from her guest stints on World Around Us.

Sarah teaches Ocean Science at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine.  Her interest in the natural sciences grew from a love of the outdoors.  Not particularly interested in sports growing up, Sarah’s primary focus was on the arts (see Sarah's blog post http://treeswiththefuron.bangordailynews.com/2014/04/05/home/finding-identity-how-i-became-a-runner-part-1/).  She dabbled with outdoor recreation in high school, where she was active in the Outing Club, and participated in Summer Adventure hiking trips.  In college, Sarah studied Natural History and became more involved with outdoor leadership.  Sarah pursued a master’s in Science Education as she grew to enjoy the subject matter enough to foresee making a career of it.  Besides teaching at the Academy, Sarah also works with the Maine Master Naturalist Program, which develops a corps of naturalists across the state.  Sarah describes the corps as people qualified to lead nature walks and help connect the people of Maine with “the amazing natural environment we have.”  "Why," says Sarah, "so many of us live here!"

Sarah says that she develops ideas for features on World Around Us by letting her mind wander or by researching interesting topics in the science news.  She explains, “I finally figured out that if you develop a series of shows on the same topic you can get a lot more bang for your research buck, so I've done several series.”  A couple of her personal favorite features were “A Robin’s Life Work” and “Gender in Nature.”  Sarah says the best compliment she got about World Around Us was at a party when a friend described the concept of the show to another friend as “always being about sex.”  Sarah says, “At the time that was true.  I was always talking about sperm and eggs and sex in nature and how different organisms reproduce.  Recently the show has been a lot less about sex (Sarah just completed a twenty-one episode series on climate change), but now that spring is here I'm going to try
to get back to the birds and the bees!"

1. Favorite genre of music? I love electronica and hip-hop, though I know very little about it. Da Vibez (Fridays 8-10PM with Sam West & DJ Marquard) is probably my favorite show on WERU, as surprising as that might be for people to believe!
2. What is your earliest music memory? Giggling over the real zipper in the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers LP album cover. When you unzipped it, you could see the tighty whiteys underneath! Also listening to The Grateful Dead's American Beauty, The Beatles' Revolver, and endlessly lip synching to the entire Michael Jackson's Thriller album in front of the mirror with my sister.
3. What was the first LP or CD you bought? Men at Work's Business as Usual on vinyl.
4. What was the first band you saw in concert? Taj Mahal at the Stone Church in Bar Harbor closely followed up the next year by an Amnesty International concert in Philadelphia with Bruce Springsteen as the headliner. 
5. What hobbies and interests do you have outside of music? Trail running, reading, farming and growing food, writing, and photography. 
6. Where have you traveled? Europe, Ireland, Ecuador, Spain, Lesotho, Alaska, and throughout the United States. One place I keep going back to is Utah, particularly the Canyonlands National Park area. My next trip will be to Iceland! 
7. Favorite book(s)? The Urban Bestiary by Lyanda Lynn Haupt, The View from Lazy Point by Carl Safina, and Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux 
8. Favorite movie? Pride and Prejudice 
9. Favorite holiday and why? Winter solstice because I love the slowing down and drawing in of that time of year 
10. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? To be able to fly! 
11. If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be? I'd go back to South Africa, specifically Namibia in southwest Africa and Botswana in southern Africa, Japan, New Zealand, India, and Argentina. 
12. What would people be surprised to know about you? I hate swimming! I'm a sinker. I have no interest whatsoever in scuba diving, and I am basically afraid of the water. And, yes, I teach ocean science. 
13. What three words would best describe you? How about one? Overextended! 
14. Any special talents? I can tie a cherry stem into a knot in my mouth without using my fingers. 
15. Who has inspired you? Anyone out there doing selfless work to alleviate suffering and help the truly needy. People like Paul Farmer, who is an American anthropologist and doctor who works to provide healthcare in developing countries. 
16. What makes you laugh? Just about everything! 
17. Biggest misconception about you? That I am a crunchy granola vegetarian and must drink a lot of coffee. I guess because I am so lively in the morning. In fact, I raise my own meat and do not drink anything caffeinated. 
18. Are there any issues you feel passionate about? That the rules of nature apply to us humans too. Our bodies are evolved to move and not be sedentary. 
19. Do you have pets? Two dogs and two cats. My house is ground zero for dander. 
20. Is there anything else you would like readers to know about you? My dream job is one where I can bring my dog to work and wear flip flops every day!

Q&A with Johnny Reed

Johnny Reed describes his music as "pop rock alternative" with a nod to the classic harmonies of artists like The Beatles and Crosby, Stills & Nash.  Reed says he's been told that his drumming is reminiscent of Ginger Baker of Cream and his guitar playing of Keith Richards or Eric Clapton.  Reed says that his creative process is free flowing.  "When I play, I jam," says Reed.  "Whatever goes is okay.  I might start with piano, guitar or drums. I might start with a chorus or a bridge or verse and then not use that original idea or phrase at all.  I just use the thing I came up with along the way." Reed is a longtime resident of Redondo Beach, one of the three Beach Cities located in Los Angeles County, California.  Reed says he has a great connection with the ocean.  "There's no other place I want to live."

1. Favorite band?  The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Eric Clapton…
2. Favorite genre of music?  Rock!
3. Favorite song?  “Such a Beautiful Bird” by Johnny Reed and “Good Day Sunshine” by The Beatles.
4. What is your earliest music memory?  Seeing a surf band playing in a garage and thinking it was so cool.  Not really the music, but the idea of doing of it!
5. What was the first LP or CD you bought?  Cream's Disraeli Gears and Jimi Hendrix's Experience
6. What was the first band you saw in concert?  Black Sabbath
7. What hobbies and interests do you have?  I love snorkeling.  I love wandering through tide pools, deserts and rivers, and collecting natural treasures in nature.  I also like creating art with wood, paint and other natural objects.  I enjoy making something great out of something that most people wouldn’t bother with.  Not just throwing away things that still have another life just ahead.
8. Do you have a nickname?  Sometimes “Rawk Dawg” from my previous hard rock band, Rawk Dawg.
9. Favorite destination?  Paradise Island, The Bahamas
10. If you could hang out with anyone who would you pick and why?  Jimi Hendrix.  His music was so emotional and shocking for the time.  So interesting, loose, spiritual, guttural and emotional sounding that it’s still revered today.
11. If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?  I’d like to fly like an eagle.
12. Favorite food?  BBQ.  And please cook it with the sauce on it.  Don’t paint it on later!
13. Favorite book?  Any science fiction by Carlos Castaneda.
14. Favorite movie?  Raiders of the Lost Ark
15. Favorite holiday and why?  Christmas!  Just to see children have the dreamy thoughts of the season, Not getting presents, but the imagination process of there being a whimsical guy named Santa Claus; where might he be, and what's it all about!
16. If you could have any super power, what would it be?  Seeing the future.  It could sure help the present!
17. If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be?  The Pyramids
18. What three words would best describe you? DO IT YOURSELF!
19. What three words would your friends use to describe you?  Johnny’s a dreamer.
20. Any special talents?  I can juggle.
21. Who has inspired you?  Albert Einstein, Paul McCartney, George Lucas & Steven Spielberg
22. What makes you laugh?  Austin Powers
23. What did you plan to be when you grew up?  I went to Junior College and only took music & electronics.  I never planned on graduating,  I just wanted the knowledge.
24. Are there any issues you feel passionate about?  The Native Americans.  Having the treaties they signed giving their lands away.  Now the only part of the treaties that is respected is that they gave their land away.  The rest of the promises and rights in the treaties to the Native Americans are passed over, forgotten.
25. Do you have pets?  Yes, Paul the Bird is a cockatiel shared with my daughter, Kelly and son, Johnny.
26. Is there anything else you would like listeners/readers to know?  I always try to express in my songs the power of YOU.  That you can do so many things if you open yourself to it and work for it. Don’t wait for some magical person to come along and make you life better,  DIY,  Do It Yourself.  I also stress live in the moment in my songs because life spins by so quickly, and everything can change in an instant.  I know this well because my daughter was in a car accident.  She was in a coma for four months, a hospital for a year and can’t walk to this day.  So enjoy life and get the most out of it every day because you never know what's next,  That’s my message to the world!

Check out Johnny's website.
Check out Johnny on Facebook.

Check out his music on itunes.

The Knix Mix Top 20 Electronic Albums of 2014

In the world of electronic music, 2014 was a banner year for the ladies.  Kitten, Kimbra, Kiesza, Lindsey Stirling, Dev, Lana Del Rey and La Roux all released new music.  There were new releases by electronica/EDM staples like Tycho, David Guetta, Tiësto, Example, Skrillex and Deadmau5. House fans saw new releases by Simian Mobile Disco and Booka Shade.  Pioneers of the genre came out in force with Brian Eno & Karl Hyde, Bryan Ferry, Morrissey, Echo & the Bunnymen and Midge Ure releasing albums.  The LCD Soundsystem and Röyksopp said their goodbyes - at least in their current incarnations - in the form of farewell albums.  And I've discovered a few unsung treasures like Voxmirage, Faded Paper Figures, Flight Facilities and White Hex.
My Top 20 list includes a few albums that have achieved critical success.  You will surely recognize those picks if you're keeping up with these kinds of things.  Quite a few of the albums speak to my personal fondness for post punk, electro pop and disembodied robotic voices without consideration for acclaim.  Check it out!

Aphex Twin Syro
This album can be found on many a "Best of 2014" chart and with good reason.  This is UK based Richard D James' 6th studio album under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, and the first in 13 years.  It's contemporary and on point.

Arca Xen
Xen is the debut album of Venezuelan born producer Alejandro Ghersi who is best known for working with Björk and FKA Twigs.  All futuristic and stylistically interesting, this album is a critical darling.

Audit Division Audit Division EP
Maybe it's because they vaguely remind me of The Juan MacLean by featuring a male and a female vocalist with a retro synthpop sound that I like this little sleeper EP no one has heard of.

Banks Goddess
American Jillian Banks has pop appeal, but the soul laid bare lyrics and synthpop sound on her debut album garnered some positive attention among electronic music fans.

Broods Evergreen
This is New Zealand brother and sister duo Broods debut album, which is a follow up to their self titled EP.  They have a broader pop appeal that will eventually get them some Top 40 airplay.

Caribou Our Love
Another album that has made it's way onto many "Best of 2014" charts, Our Love by Canadian musician Caribou is a feelings album. There are moments of real loveliness on this album.

Diamond Version CI
Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys makes a vocal appearance on this album, but I am most taken with the deconstructed Orwellian vocal samples like on "Science for a Better Life."

Röyksopp & Robyn Do It Again EP
Norwegian duo Röyksopp and Swedish songstress Robyn can do no wrong in my eyes.  I especially like the cheeky "Sayit."

Gazelle Twin Unflesh
British producer Elizabeth Bernholz brings us her dark and chilling second album.  She was influenced by heavy subject matter like feral children and euthanasia, and the results sound a bit like the soundtrack to a nightmare.

Hundred Waters The Moon Rang Like a Bell
Hundred Waters hails from Florida and some of the members have been making music since middle school.  This album has an emotive electro folk sound,  Check out the single "Cavity."

The Juan MacLean In a Dream
There is a certain something that just works in the collaborative efforts of American house master Juan MacLean and former LCD Soundsystem member Nancy Whang. This album has been on repeat play for me since its release.

Liars Mess
Known for being experimental, Mess is the seventh studio album for the US band.  It's quirky and provocative and a bit of a style change from their previous albums.

Mr Little Jeans Pocketknife
Norwegian Monica Birkenes is Mr Little Jeans.  "Mercy" is the essential song on the album, although she does a cover of Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs."

Museum of Love Museum of Love
Like The Juan MacLean, this is another offering from the DFA label. Pat Mahoney of LCD Soundsystem pairs Dennis McNany for a retro synthpop sound.

Phantogram Voices
In another male and female pairing with some shared vocal duties, American duo Phantogram has pop appeal.

Starwalker Losers Can Win EP
French Jean-Benoit Dunckel and Icelandic Bardi Johannsson collaborate on this stylistically spare but intriguing EP.

St. Vincent St. Vincent
The eponymous 4th album by American St. Vincent has that irreverent and wry art rock style that she does so well.

Trust Joyland
Toronto based Robert Alfons was on his own for the second Trust album with Maya Postepski having returned to her duties with Austra. Alfons vocals are incredible and throwback influences like Kate Bush, Cocteau Twins and bygone video game soundtracks give it that synthpop flavor that I love.

Tying Tiffany Drop
Italian Tying Tiffany seems to fly under the radar in the US, but she has that art school dropout DIY style that deserves a listen.

Wild Beasts Present Tense
This is the 4th studio album for Wild Beasts.  Honestly, there is no other band who sounds quite like them, so it's best to just listen for yourself.

Uncle Tan

The Knix Mix is privileged to be the first English interview ever for Finnish electronic pop artist Uncle Tan.  Uncle Tan hails from Tampere, Finland, a large inland city located in Southern Finland. Uncle Tan describes Finland as a "beautiful and inspiring" country.  I know I'd love to visit! Musically, Uncle Tan draws inspiration from artists like Moby, M83, Röyksopp and "countless" others.  "Positivity, good hooks and innovativeness are my trademarks," says Uncle Tan.  He has been working as a solo artist since 2011 and previously worked as an composer for dancehall reggae artist Lord Est.  Uncle Tan says he's working on a full album with the working title Honest and Real. He has had airplay on the Kellari Demo Show on Finnish national radio YleX and on the DLX Demo Show on Radio Helsinki.  Recently, Australian music blogger Yes Ma'Am described Uncle Tan's single "It's Too Late For Us" as a "feel good foray into retro land."  Agreed!

1. Favorite band?  Hot Chip. They are innovative, catchy and influential.
2. Favorite genre of music?  I listen to almost any kind of music.  The main genres I enjoy are synth pop, electro pop, classic rock, reggae and soul.
3. Favorite song?  At the moment it would have to be Fleetwood Mac's "Everywhere."  It has everything - nice 80s synths, groovy guitar and a catchy hook!
4. First music memory?  When I was 2 days old at the hospital my mother gave me a pillow radio because I was crying.  When I got the radio next to my ear, I stopped crying immediately and just listened the music silently.  I can’t remember it, of course, but it just shows how deeply music has always affected me.  Now and still today.
5. First CD or LP you bought?  I was kid of the 90's, so my first albums were cassettes.  I can’t really remember the first cassette, but it was probably some cheesy dance compilation of the time.  I still have my old Walkman, and it works!
6. First band you saw in concert?  When I was around 16 years old I saw Finnish metal band Stratovarius.  As many of you might know, Finland has the reputation of being the #1 metal country in the world, so I heard my fair share of metal as a teenager. Fortunately, I've been over it for quite some time.
7. What hobbies and interests do you have?   I like soccer and played for many years.  I still follow English Premier League and Champions League.  I also love to read artist biographies, science magazines and fiction books.  And I love new technology. 
8. Do you have a nickname?  The nickname "Uncle Tan" is just an abbreviation of my first name - Taneli.  My niece gave the nickname to me about 10 years ago. 
9. Where have you traveled?  I love to travel a lot when ever I have a chance.  I’ve been to Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, Norway, Morocco, San Marino, Monaco, Greece, Yugoslavia...My favourite places are Lapland, Garda Lake in Italy and Nice in France.  Extra mention goes to Nerja Neanderthal caves in Spain.  Amazing place!
10. If I could hang out with anyone who would it be?  I would be interested to have a word with Salvador Dali, Kate Bush and John Lennon.  They are people I respect and have all created wonderful art that stands the test of time.
11. What animal would you be?  I love sea turtles.  They have been for 100 million years and it shows.  They aren't rushing to anywhere.  I think they have a quiet wisdom. 
12. Favorite food?  Indian food.  The whole process of making it from the scratch and adding loads of different spices and then cooking it for hours.  It’s heavenly food at its absolute best! 
13. Favorite book?  Hermann Hesse's Knulp.
14. Favorite movie?  The Back To The Future trilogy.  I can’t get enough of this movie trilogy.  I could watch it again and again and again!
15. Favorite holiday and why?  Summer holiday!  It’s the only time of the year in Finland when you don’t have to wear jacket.
16. If you could have any super power, what would it be?  Invisibility or flying skills.  I can’t decide.  Maybe combination of the two? 
17. If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be?  I would love to go to Uncle Tan Wildlife Camp in Malaysia.  I heard about it couple years ago and have wanted to go there ever since.  I would also love to go to New York, San Francisco and Tokyo.
18. What would people be surprised to know about you?  I think people would be surprised to know that I burn before I get tan. I’m that pale.
19. What three words best describe you?  Self-driven, modest and kind.
20. What three words would your friends use to describe you?  Honest, trustworthy and funny.
21. Any special talents?  I can make tunes that stick in your head.
22. Best compliment ever received?  That’s a hard one.  I guess when people send me a message that they liked my tune.  It’s always a good feeling.
23. Who has inspired you?  A lot of people!  Musically speaking, John Lennon, Simon & Garfunkel, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Arcade Fire, Kate Bush, Morrissey, The Doors, Hot Chip, Air, OTT and Rauli Somerjoki (a Finnish artist).
24. What makes you laugh?  The British comedies The Office and Fast Show are always funny. And TV series like Flight of The Concords.  I like stand up comedy shows as well.  And comic books like Dilbert.  He’s really funny.  Hugleikur Dagsson is really funny comic writer as well.  
25. Favorite funny story about you?  Once I tried to Google pictures of Uncle Tan and there were just plenty of lizards, ants, apes, frogs and then my photo in the middle of the screen.  At that moment I felt I’m in excellent company.
26. What did you want to be when you grew up?  A soccer player or musician.
27. Are there any issues you feel passionate about?  Human rights are close to my heart, and I support vegetarianism.  I’m also supporting World Wildlife Fund (WWF).  I love animals!
28. Do you have pets?  Unfortunately not at the moment.  I would like to have a cat in the future.  I also thought about getting a turtle, but I don’t know if the city is good habitat for turtles.  Maybe I'll just go to see them in Australia!

Be sure to check out Uncle Tan on the following links:
Contact Uncle Tan,  find him on Facebook or Twitter and listen to him on Soundcloud!

Volunteer Profile Kristie Billings

Kristie Billings could be the girl the Heads were singing about in "Punk Lolita."  She is free spirited, unedited and unapologetically herself.  Not to mention her distinctly punk aesthetic.  As Kristie tells it, she marched to a different beat early on.  On Saturdays at 6PM, you can hear her on WERU as one of the hosts of Daydream Nation.  Kristie plays an eclectic mix of everything:  punk, blues, rock 'n' roll, reggae, Motown, 1980's.  "Whatever," she says, "I feel like busting out that night!"
You might not guess it when meeting her, but Kristie grew up in a fishing family in the small coastal village of Deer Isle.  She describes a time when there weren't many kids who had dyed hair or shaved heads or rocked the goth look.  She says people could be judgemental about the way she looked.  "Why?  Who knows?  I didn't look like anyone else.  That scared some people."  Kristie says that her early love for music, especially punk rock, gave her an important outlet to express herself and shaped her into the person she is today.
Kristie asserts that she is a Mainer through and through.  Her childhood in coastal Maine gave her a deep love for the ocean.  She affectionately describes lobstering with her dad, who sadly passed away last year, and her frequent swims in the crisp coastal waters of the Atlantic.  "I like to make things interesting," says Kristie. "Still do."

1. Favorite genre of music?  I would have to say punk/rock/post punk.  The first LP I ever purchased was a Beach Boys' record.  They were my first favorite band.
2. First music memory?  I was a little girl.  Maybe 3?  For some reason, I believe that Donnie Osmond was coming to Stonington to play at the Legion Hall.  Who knows how I came up with this?  I went and got myself all dressed up and waited and waited for one of my parents to take me to see "Donnie Marie."  My mother did not know what to make of it.  She told me to wait until my father came home from lobstering.  Typically, when my father returned home from after a long day of fishing, the last thing he wanted to do was go see a concert.  But he was a good sport.  He played along with his youngest daughter's funny ideas.  He told me to go ahead and get in the truck, and we'd find Donnie Marie.  We drove to the Legion Hall, and he proceeded to drive me all over Deer Isle looking for the elusive Donnie Osmond.  I was a bit disappointed to have missed him, but I was happy to have had a reason to get dressed up and cruise around the island, listening to the radio, with my dad.
3. If I could hang out with anyone who would it be?  Oh boy.  Jeez.  This is a tough question.  I am such a geek.  I would have to say Henry Rollins.  I have been a huge fan of his and his music since high school.  I would love to spend a day with him; record shopping, book shopping, drinking coffee, anything.  I have great respect for him.
4. What animal would you be?  If I could be any animal I would be a seal.  I used to think I would want to be a cat.  I am a crazy cat lady.  However, I love to swim.  I think seals are gorgeous, graceful, and playful.  Just amazing.  I would like to spend my days sunning myself on the rocks, slipping gracefully into the ocean and being a seal.  Sounds perfect!
5. What would people be surprised to know about you?  I think people would be surprised to learn that I am shy.  
6. What three words best describe you?  Goofy, loving and funny.
7. Who has inspired you?  My family, Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye, Nick Cave, Sylvia Plath, Michael Gira, Boy George and many others!
8. What is your favorite color?  It's a tie:  black and purple.
9. What makes you laugh?  Nearly everything!  I laugh every day.  I laugh all the time.  I can't pinpoint what I find funny.  Silly, nonsensical, the everyday blah...all of it!
10. What did you want to be when you grew up?  Here's a list of things I have wanted to be since I was a child:  A nun, a race car driver, a fashion designer, a fashion merchandiser, a writer.  Now I believe I would be a great cat sitter.  Or a vinyl sitter.  Let me come and sit with your vinyl records!