EXPOSING YOU TO MORE NEW MUSIC

THE DIRT ON THE MERCHANTS

Stubble Interview by Ken Zebbyn

I caught the record release party at TT The Bears in Cambridge of this Beantown quartet. The performance was loud and almost like at a party of friends as guest appearances were the norm for all bands on the bill. I didn't realize Mike Malone was an Elvis wannabe, maybe he isn't. Alex and John kept thing moving and Maria Christopher whose vocals peaked early and kinda leveled into the rest of the sound, delivered an, albeit brief, overall solid performance.

KEN: So is this the beginning of a tour as well as the record release party ?

Maria: In about a month.

Mike: We will be on tour in 3 weeks. It's our first big one.

Alex: We had kinda small tours like a 10 day thing down to New Orleans and South by Southwest. This one will be here to the south Atlantic states then Midwest. (Alex makes a hand and body gesture)

Mike: Can you get that on tape.

Alex: California, everything.

Mike: We played Canada last weekend but we are waiting for distribution before we really tour there.

KEN: Is V-Hold your record company?

Alex: That is our label and its still in existence.

Mike: It keeps hobbling along, we don't put a lot of effort into it. A few of our friends put stuff out on it.

Maria: Distribution is so limited.

Mike: Its whether we take it to Newbury Comics or what.

KEN: What year did you win the WBCN Rumble?

Mike: Last year.

KEN: How many rounds?

Alex: 3 rounds.

KEN: When you won did you get accused of it being fixed ?

Mike: No, but I thing everyone was shocked though.

Maria: They know we are not connected.

Mike: We didn't know anybody, the odds were against us.

Maria: We were the underdog.

Mike: If it was fixed we would have been out of there fast. There was no politicking going on our side. There was nobody rooting for us. If there was money involved we know we would have been out fast.

KEN: Did that help out meeting Zero Hour ?

Mike: Zero Hour was kinda before that. It was a combination of the guy that owned the label bought our single and, a friend of ours went to New York and tried to get work in the clubs ended up working for Zero Hour. In his interview for Zero Hour he got asked what bands he knew. He said The Dirt Merchants and since he had our record said "can you call them". He called me during his job interview and that got it started.

KEN: If you were not doing this what would be your chosen profession ?

Alex: That is a tough one.

Maria: Sleep.

Alex: Professional sleeper, that is good. dog catcher, I don't know.

Mike: I'd be doing what you're doing probably. I'd be in A&R. I'd be an A&R king.

Maria: Be fashion designers, models.

KEN: Who do you most admire in you profession ?

Maria: Elvis.

Mike: The King. He is the king after all.

KEN: If I was to enter your abode what would I find on the turntable ?

Mike: Disco Berto

Alex: Lot of stuff, right now Wilko,.....Yo La Tengo

Maria: Jon Spencer, Dee Lite, Adams Brothers.

KEN: What besides your friend in Zero Hour made them go for you guys ?

Maria: John did the artwork on our single.

Alex: Ray bought our single based on the artwork. John does all of our graphics.

KEN: What's with the 5" record ? A lot of people cant play it as it ejects on automatic turntables ?

Maria: It was for professional use only.

Alex: It should have had as is stickers on it .

Mike: We planned it, it was a promotional item it was supposed to go to radio stations and get talked around.

Maria: We have been told it makes people want to hear it more and more.

KEN: Of all the reviews you have read about yourselves what one or ones did you like best ?

Mike: One guy said recently that we produced one of the best stoner albums, a totally classic stoner album. Pack up the bong and turn it up loud. We don't want to promote any drug use. We do it but we don't promote it.

KEN: Is there a significance to the band name ?

Alex: There is not much significance, it was a nasty thing to call someone when I was growing up. I'm working through some problems I had in my childhood and this is a good way to do this.

KEN: If you could be in any time in history when would it be ?

Alex: Nineteenth century Europe, pretty much.

Mike: A Roman around 100 AD,..A rich Roman, not a slave.

Maria: I guess I'm a futurist.

KEN; Are you vegetarians, a lot of bands these days are ?

Maria: I am.

Mike: I always felt that we would suck if we all ate meat.

Maria: You should have heard them before I joined.

KEN: Final comments ?

Maria: Elvis is King.

Mike: Elvis is the king, he always was.

Maria: Buy our CD !