When you walk into a bar in my town and you’re in the company of a young fellow with a silver tooth and a head full of tattoos people are gonna stare at you a little. When this young fellow turns out to be a very nice guy that likes to drink and get down low (you should all see Henry’s dance moves) people don’t mind anymore and you’re in for an evening of fun and shenanigans… Boy, did we have fun while Henry was on tour in Europe with Lou Shields and Hangdog Hearts in june… And remember folks, he’s coming back and he’s bringing his boys in S.S. Web! They will be touring in June and July.

1. Introduce yourself to our readers please.
My name is Henry Berger. I play acoustic guitar/banjo and sing in Steering Ships With Empty Bottles (S.S. WEB).

2. On what record would you have loved to play? (any style, artist, whatever)
I would have loved to be a part of any Johnny Cash album. There’s not much to most of them, so I wouldn’t have stuck out like a sore thumb, and yet they were so influential and filled with amazing songs.

3. What is the first concert that made a real impression on you and made you want to play music?
For me, it was a campfire jam that I was at when I was young and at summer camp. The counselor knew every song every kid requested. I asked him to play ‘today’ by the smashing pumpkins, and ‘possum kingdom’ by the toadies. He nailed both of them and seeing him play both lead and rhythm parts of ‘today’ at the same time, absolutely blew me away and want to play music.

4. Is there a musician/artist you really want to work with and why?
I’m really having fun working with the folks I am currently working with, both S.S. WEB and The Hangdog Hearts. I’ve also done some work with a Chicago band called the Blind Staggers, filled in a little bit with Ando Ehlers, Rickett Pass and St. Christopher. All of these folks are a blast to work with. I suppose I would be into working most anyone as long as it’s a good time!

5. How did you end up in this “roots” scene?
I’m not really sure how it happened. Started playing acoustic instruments and before I knew it we were playing show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where we are from. It was before I was legally allowed into bars so we just found one that let me in and started setting up shows. Soon enough we started touring and meeting folks in the same vain of music and found ourselves playing with a ton of roots bands.

6. Do you believe in aliens, and if so… What does their music sounds like?
I believed in aliens for a long time when I was growing up. Or I guess maybe I wanted to believe in them. I’d always be drawing pictures of aliens and had some shirts with aliens in human clothing and such. I guess I just a fell out of it when I started skateboarding. If they do exist though, in sure the jams they would put out would be super intense.

7. Who do you believe to be the most overrated band on the planet at this moment, and why?
Bob Dylan. I get what he has done for music, but I think he is the worst, ever. Just a personal vendetta, he is terrible.

8. Just like any “scene” this one will explode in time, how do you see the future of this new “roots” movement?
I certainly hope you are right, and I think it will as well. I don’t really know how it will pan out but I do see more people attending shows and showing support of all the rootsy bands. I guess that’s really all any of us could ask for.

9. What band or record do you really like, but you are a little a shamed about?
The Carter III by Lil Wayne. I’m not going to go into it but, true story.

10. Eating dog shit or record with Toby Keith?
Record with Toby Keith. I really love being in the studio and creating new songs that will be forever out there and available. So even though it would have to be with Toby Keith, I’m sure I’d still have a good time. It’s just a fun process, or at least it can and should be, so I don’t think I would mind it all that much.
TFKOGTFO

I did not really know who Lou Shields was until Austin from Hangdog Hearts told us he was bringing him for his European tour. I had heard his name and I had a quick listen to his music in the past, and I thought it was difficult music. Lou’s music is chaotic at first, but once you really listen to it, it all comes together, puts a smile on your face and makes you stomp your feet. The moment I met Lou in Kurt’s living room (Kurt being the one who booked the tour with a little help from yours truly…) I instantly liked him. He’s an honest and caring person with no attitude whatsoever, and he’s very funny once you get to know him! Check out his website at the end of this interview for more music and his artwork. Happy reading!

1. Introduce yourself to our readers please.
My name is Lou Shields. I grew up in the South Suburbs of Chicago and later in the country outside of a small town about an hour South of Chicago, Illinois. I am an artist, musician, skateboarder, rambler, adventurer and teacher… I live to do all of these things and do not make much of a living doing these things but the trade-off is a lifetime of great experiences and that is what is most important to me. Traveling, adventuring = inspiration, inspiration = art/music, then I can share this with folks and hopefully help them to feel, maybe feel better, maybe inspire them or give them a temporary escape and clarity. I ultimately hope to help them (audience, supporters, art lovers) feel good and feel better.

2. On what record would you have loved to play? (any style, artist, whatever)
I am not really into jamming or being in bands. I am a big fan of the early blues/country musicians that played solo – one microphone, one guitar, one guy and that is all. I think I would have loved to be in the room when Charlie Patton was recording. Just to have witnessed that man’s presence, his voice, his foot stomp, and of course, his guitar mastery. But I really do not dream about playing with someone I look up to because I just respect what they did so much. I think I would probably mess it all up and get smacked in the head by Howlin’ Wolf or something…

3. What is the first concert that made a real impression on you and made you want to play music?
My first experience seeing real music performed; I was a little kid and barely remember where this happened. It was either the old Maxwell Street in Chicago or the Taste of Chicago. There was a blues band playing. I remember being that little kid that stopped and was mesmerized. My parents probably lost me for a second as they were passing by. I vividly remember staring at what was happening and was completely hooked. I had no idea what was going on but I knew that I liked it. Then I could feel my arm getting dragged along with the rest of my body as my parents were probably moving along… But my eyes, ears and mind were forever locked into that sound, what I saw and what I immediately felt when hit with that amazing early experience.

4. Is there a musician/artist you really want to work with and why?
They are all dead. But I love and respect the work of my friends and always feel really honored to play a show/share a bill with them.

5. How did you end up in this “roots” scene?
I had been playing this stuff (what I play) in my living room for 15 years before I first started hearing about some of these bands. During the early 1990s I totally hated the post Nirvana influx of bands that were flowing in every direction. I reverted to pre-war blues, roots and early country music. I also kept my kinship with 80s punk alive that I loved growing up as a skateboarder. I felt a deep connection with the musicians of that time. That music was recorded in such an honest and simple way. I also identify with the subject matter of the songs. You can learn so much about life from these old blues tunes. I did not want to hear about how “he did it all for the nookie”… That stuff just completely turned me off.
I also had the worst stage fright. So I was too scared to even get into a performance space. I was perfectly happy learning how to play the many styles of old music from the old country that I loved so much. And I started writing my own tunes. Hundreds of them… But I put it all under the bed, kept it all away from anyone. I enjoyed playing by my self in front of no one…
I got to a point later in life that I absolutely couldn’t do that any more. I felt it was time to get out there, do what I truly loved and share this stuff. I was already traveling the United States, adventuring, skateboarding and experiencing as much as possible. I started to see bands like Devil in a Woodpile with a huge following in Chicago and beyond, then .357 String Band doing what they were up to.
And I was like, ok… let’s get it going. Maybe people would actually come out and have a listen. Maybe I could actually do something with this stuff, get out and play, have fun. I was playing a lot of open mics, parties, etc… Trying to get over the stage fright thing. I started to meet music lovers around my area like Jody Robbins. I got turned on to more and more bands that were doing great stuff like the Gallows, The Cubes and all these folks I was beginning to meet from all around the US that were up to the same musical mischief that I truly love. I met guys like LoneWolf OMB and Austin from The Hangdog Hearts who I hold in such high regard as brothers.
I have found in this community of musicians, music lovers and supporters to be so much my of my own blood… We somehow have all magnetically come together. It just all happened. It had to. I am so lucky to have this in my life.

6. Do you believe in aliens, and if so… What does their music sounds like?
Yep listen to “1983 (A I Merman Should Turn To Be…)” by Jimi Hendrix.
I have seen a lot of things on the road; late at night, in the middle of the day, you name it. There are lots of unexplained phenomena out there and magic, religion nor science do it justice… Might be aliens. Might not.

7. Who do you believe to be the most overrated band on the planet at this moment, and why?
I don’t really pay attention anymore. Right now? Taylor Swift? Only because I keep seeing her fake selfie self in the grocery store, at Starbucks, on the bus… blah and I mean not the real human being but the product that is Taylor Swift which really bugs me.
I am not one to rip on other musicians, artists as long as what they are doing is real (to them). As long as they are writing the music and recording/performing the songs with integrity I have nothing to say. But if they are in it for the wrong reasons or are causing other people harm then I am not down with that. You see a lot of celebrities in this music/art world, and people become intrigued by the celebrity. It doesn’t matter if their music is any good at that point. They could be singing completely off-key, forgetting their own lyrics (or the producer’s lyrics) and these “fans” will be screaming for them. They may not even be singing or playing the instrument they are holding.
At that point it is not about the music or the art for the audience, it is about celebrity. For me I like to think of folks who like what I do as supporters, not fans. They took time to come out and hear my tunes for the first time, they are there because they happen to be in the bar and like what is going on up on the stage or they are truly into my music. For that I am truly grateful.
But you’ll always have situations like that. For me personally, it is about getting out there, having experiences and then sharing those experiences with folks via my music and art. I hope I never become overrated. I feel sorry for those empty boxes that are overrated and for the “fans” that support them.

8. Just like any “scene” this one will explode in time, how do you see the future of this new “roots” movement?
I just hope that as more and more artists, promoters, booking agents, labels, etc. get involved that those who operate with integrity outweigh the others. I hope that the support continues to grow and venues become more involved in creating “concerts” more than “gigs”. Meaning that people are there to hear/listen to the music “concert” rather than the traveling band is there doing a “gig” so that they can hopefully get enough gas money to get to the next town. Meanwhile they are competing with 10 flat screen TVs and a bar full of sports fans that are screaming over the band and while they are playing, their van gets broken into or wrecked out on the street.

9. What band or record do you really like, but you are a little a shamed about?
I always liked the movie Xanadu and had the soundtrack record when I was a kid. I had no idea it was Disco and If I heard it now I would probably cringe lol… But Olivia Newton John, well she was a first love for me.

10.Eating dog shit or record with Toby Keith?
Who is Toby Keith?

http://www.loushieldsart.com

10 bands you may not know, but you sure as hell would want to know! (worldwide) I’m damn sure that when you’re reading this, you are a music freak, I see no other reason to checkout this blog… Oh wait, Inny is gonna kill me! CHECK OUT THE STUNNING PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE ART SECTION. Back to business it is…

I was thinking it would be a cool idea to introduce our readers to some bands I really like and they maybe don’t know about. I for one love it when someone tells me about a band I don’t know, but they are pretty sure of I will go apeshit for. I understand that not all these bands will appeal to you, we all like different stuff even in a same ‘genre’. In this list are just bands that came to mind on the spot. Some of them are in my favorite bands list, others are good friends that I like you, our reader, to take some time for to check out. And then others are just, well how to say this? KICK ASS?!?! I hope you will enjoy this list and feel free to send us some of the bands you really like or think we should check out. Yes I’m open to review band albums, demo’s or just talk about your band here if I like it. I’m also open to bribes…

1. Everymen (Lake Worth, FL, USA)
I think I first heard these guys on a compilation being it by Farmageddon Records or on a Muddy Roots sampler for the festival. I honestly have no clue. But I do know that every time I hear them, I smash my head against a wall because I did not went to see their show at this year’s Muddy Roots festival. They played 50 meters away from where we where sitting (Hangdog Hearts/Farmageddon merch tent). I was just too engaged in doing nothing, drinking beer and talking to people. I could hear them play, and was thinking “damn those guys are killing it, go and see them”. I guess Wal-Mart camping chairs are just to comfy… Anyway, enjoy this track of their brand new album.

2. Black Cat Bone Squad (Halen, Belgium)
I know it’s a bit biased to put this band in this list, but hey what are you going to do about it? Indeed, these boys are some of my best friends in the world. One of them is real family, but I consider them all as my brothers, I’m very serious about this. I would run into a burning house wearing a rubber chicken suit to rescue them from a certain death, or if they left some beer in that house…
I was there from the early beginning, when they where playing under the moniker Bandits ’49. Don’t look for it, looking back at it, it wasn’t that great… I mean they could play, but it was a cover band… Fact is that the first song in the video is a cover, but damn, they kill it! They released two full albums and a split cd. In 2015 they will release a split album with S.S. Web from the USA. More about S.S. Web later. I sure hope you like their blend of Roots Rock/Psychobilly. If you do, send me a message and I’ll hook you up with a cd or shirt.

3. Crazy Arm (United Kingdom)
I did not know about this band before a couple of months ago. I think it was in may 2014 that a friend told me to check them out. I was a little confused, if you check their YouTube video’s you would think that there are 3 or 4 bands playing under this name. But as I found out, they just do what they like and that’s okay in my book. This is how they describe it themselves: “Formed in 2006, Plymouth roots-punk ensemble, Crazy Arm’s sound is an accumulation of decades of influence and inspiration: rooted in hardcore/punk, ‘60s protest folk/country and Springsteen-esque classic rock’n’roll. They combine this with a grass-roots political overview that embraces anti-war, anti-fascist and pro-community activism”.
As you may expect from this description, they are indeed a very political band, and I’m okay with that. For me a punk band without something to say is not a punk band. It doesn’t have to be negative or violent, sing about hope, sing about making this world a better place in dark times, sing about how multicultural society is bringing us fear, but make sure you sing about how we can overcome this fear and kick down those who oppose our way of living.

4. Coma Commander (Diest, Belgium)
Oh my … (insert your deity of choice) Coma Commander… First things first, check this video and then read on………………………………………………….. Have you seen it? Did you love it? Did you laugh? Did it make you want to go out with your friends and have a crazy day? These boys are from my hometown and I love all of them even if one of them is a damn hippie!
If they are in need of a driver, they give me a call and I sure had some fun nights with the boys in this band. They are young, crazy and can be a pain in the ass but fucking hell there is some talent in this band, being it as musicians or in their private life. Bram, their singer is an out of this world graphic artist. Check his stuff here.

5. Blackbird Raum (Santa Cruz, California, USA)
As a folk punk band they reminded me of Petrograd, the band from Luxembourg, not the city in Russia. I think it was the female vocals, not that Petrograd has that many female vocals, but it just triggered the need to listen to my old Petrograd records. (I just mindfucked all of you and by know you are all listening to Petrograd on YouTube or Spotify. With a little luck you pulled out that old Petrograd record) Blackbird Raum is an anarcho folk band and they are alive with activism. Their extreme left-wing message will not work for all, but their music is of an unheard beauty to me. They toured europe some years ago and I’m really sad I missed them. I also missed them at Muddy Roots this year, Inny told me they where something she hadn’t ever seen before, in a good way. Don’t mind the helmets… That’s all I can say about this video.

6. El Guapo Stuntteam (Hasselt, Belgium)

Best rock ‘n’ roll band Belgium ever had! That’s all I will say about them. From their early days untill their last and final album…

7. The Shrine (Venice, LA, USA)
“Dude, come over, we’re at a skate contest/festival thing in Hasselt (Belgium) and it’s free.” That’s all I need to read in a text message to get me going. I rolled into the festival on my board and was blown away by the sonic assault that is The Shrine. A mix between hardcore punk, 70’s rock and metal? I have no idea how to describe them better. It’s loud, fast and kicks you in nuts! BLESS OFF!

8. Call me Bronco (Louisville, Kentucky, USA)
This wild bunch of hellraisers I got to know at the 2013 Muddy Roots festival in Cookeville. They played the open mic stage and they sure left a big impression. They sound like a metal band playing country music and there is nothing wrong with that! I don’t think they have a song that does not involve alcohol, a bad girlfriend or someone dying. But hey, those are perfect themes to sing about, if you ask me. No one ever does… This year they played the big wood stage at the festival and boy did I have fun, not as much as the band on stage, even with all those broken snares. They just didn’t care and went on!
http://youtu.be/0YmmlQG6tKo

9. S.S. Web (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA)
First things first! S.S. Web will be playing Muddy Roots Europe 2015!!! Hooray! S.S. Web will release a split album with Black Cat Bone Squad in 2015! Hooray! S.S. Web will be touring the whole of Europe in 2015! Hooray!
Why am I so excited about this? Because they are an amazing band, that’s why!!! This year we had the honour to book shows for their singer Henry Berger when he was on tour with The Hangdog Hearts and Lou Shields. We spent a lot of time together drinking, talking and doing silly stuff, he crashed in our guest room a couple of times and we just had a good time. S.S. Web is not really known in Europe, but we want to change that. The upcoming tour is something I’m really looking forward to, and that split with my boys in Black Cat Bone Squad is something I’m very of proud as I’m the fire starter for this project.

10. Hangdog Hearts (Indianapolis, Indiana, USA)
This is by far one of my favorite bands. And they have some of my favorite people in this band. They will be back in Europe in 2015, look out for that. I have nothing more to say about them. I love their music, I love them as people. Fuck it, that’s all…

This post was written while listening to Venom, Dead Kennedys, Towns Van Zandt and Those Poor Bastards.
Drinking tip while reading and viewing the video’s: A strong dark Belgian beer!