Featured Artists

Jenn Johnson of Billtown Burlesque recently gave me an insiders look at their troupe and what brought them to where they are today and where they hope to be in the future. Burlesque is making a comeback across the nation, and Billtown Burlesque Troupe is providing a wonderful forum for entertainment, community, and creative expression for Williamsport, PA and surrounding areas.

One of my favorite aspects of life is finding those little nuggets of surprise in the least expected places. A recent nugget of surprise came in the form of Those Alone after developing a friendship with lead singer, Michael Giammarco. After listening to all available music and liking what I was hearing, I knew Those Alone should be featured on AUM and exposed to a broader audience. Interviewing the guys was quite interesting as you will see, and I'm truly glad I had the chance.

I've had the pleasure to share friendship with bluessmyth's very own Celene for almost two years now, so it only followed suit that I would also check out her music. Once I did that, I discovered a band full of the basic qualities I look for in music as well as a fresh take on the scene. A collaboration that seems to flow as seamlessly as their music, it was an honor to interview the band.

AUM: What are the origins of the name 'bluessmyth'?

bluessmyth: A smyth or smith forges materials into new forms. Blues music is the foundation of all soulful music. So we are musical smiths, forging together different styles to create music for thought.

Rick Manwiller is a lifelong musician working all sides of the music business. In addition to being an accomplished songwriter and musician, Rick owns his own studio and has worked the technical aspect of the business with many big name artists over the years. Due to all of his experiences and career choices, he has an encompassing view of the music industry. After a little persuasion, the ever humble Mr. Manwiller agreed to be interviewed by fan and longtime friend, LeeAnn Hively-Insalaco. It was, as always, a pleasure to gain more insight into the wonderfully creative mind of the fabulous Rick Manwiller.

At what age did you pick up your first instrument, and what was it?

I couldn't, it was a piano. But I tried, which may explain the childhood hernia I suffered. : ) I took lessons at 8, for 3-4 years. It was "play out of this book" and boring as hell, but I did learn the fundamentals. What was more momentous though, in terms of my musical creativity, was when my Air Force brothers left their drums and guitars at home when they went back to active duty. I was forbidden to touch them, and of course that meant I just had to make sure they didn't find out I had touched them. I touched them almost as much as a 14 year old touches himself, actually. That gave me a real rootsy appreciation of those instruments, and a feel for what "garage rock" really stood for - the thrill you get the first time it feels like you're playing something worthwhile, and you can't wait to jam with other guys.

An Underground Mainstream contributor and Wiliamsport, PA singer/songwriter/burlesque performer Antares J. Barr recently interviewed fellow AUM contributor and Williamsport, PA musician and friend Caleb Banas.

I've known Caleb for about four years, I believe. We met through mutual friends and mutual music interests, became friends and have worked on a couple music bits together. I'm hoping to get him to produce and play on my theoretical first real album and consider him a great friend, great musician, and a great inspiration.

Alright, dollface, here's some questions, let's see if we can pull this together into something coherent. :)
Let's start with the usual - give me a little overview of your musical background. How long have you been playing, writing, singing, performing, projects you've done in the past?

I've been playing guitar for approximately 15 years; the other instruments I have developed over time. I also play the bass, keys, banjo, lap steel, percussion and mandolin in addition to the guitar. I am acquiring talent with them slowly but that comes with time. Because of shyness I only began to sing a few years ago. I have played in an acoustic act Pillbelly, a prog metal band Shattered Beneath the Shade, a Celtic band Lux Bridge, punk/garage rock band The Twindows and various songs with Erin and Val LaCerra of Key of V, Hugh Ross and the great Antares J. Barr ;)

Joshua Boylan, An Underground Mainstream Co-founder and featured poet in Out of Our Magazine, recently had the privilege of speaking with fellow poet and Sausalito, CA resident Dee Allen.

I first met Dee Allen at a poetry reading in Sausalito at The Taste of Rome (formerly Café Trieste). I became an instant admirer of his work when I heard him recite one of his most requested pieces entitled “Brick by Brick,” which is a poem regarding the oppressive state which led to the wrongful imprisonment of Mumia Abu Jamal and is also a cry for his release.

Fletcher Kaufman; AUM contributor, WXPI FM member, avid hiker and musician took some time out of his busy schedule recently to interview longtime friends, Val and Erin LaCerra of the band Key of V. Also creative people juggling many passions, they are not only playing dates in support of their new album Things We Drew From the Treacle Well, but Erin is a student and Val is relocating from her hometown of Williamsport, PA to Harrisburg, PA to further her schooling while taking on an internship.

Is there a correlation between color and sound in your mind?
V: My relationship to music has changed. There was a time when I thought it was a lot more visual. You know what? I think it was more visual for more me when I wasn't using a computer, when I couldn't see the tracks. I never really thought about it before. I guess if you're a visual person you just make up what the song looks like, even if it's not an actual object or thing that you see but vaguely what it looks like. If it looks smooth or static-y or if it has a color or not. But once you move to a computer it's kind of different because you see the tracks, like how dynamic the waveform is, whether there are more or less parts. That's really interesting!

E: Yea I think so. I was just talking with Alex Callenberger the other day and discussing the fact that the blues wouldn't be called the blues, you know, if it didn't incite some kind of color to go with the emotion of the music.

Isaac Conner, co-founder and director of An Underground Mainstream was recently given the honor of interviewing Sarah Page, creator of Out of Our Poetry Magazine.

I first met Sarah at a small strip of cafés and bars in Fairfax, CA in 2009. Co-founder and friend, Joshua Boylan and I were exploring the 19 Broadway area for the open mics and foosball for a few weeks when he told me that we would be meeting up with his new poet friend. Her words moved me and Joshua later shared a copy of her magazine with me. It included his first published work and he couldn't have been more excited to share it, nor I to read it; proud of my friend for finding a new voice for himself amid a long transition in life that brought him to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Sarah and I were perhaps both a bit reserved with one another at first, and I'm not sure if we ever really had the chance to grow passed that stage in person, as friends. But we did share some intensely emotional times in dealing with the struggles of our mutual friend. And she is still there, promoting his works and the works of the rest of the wordsmiths in the Bay Area. Out of Our is a home for those souls with a knack for eloquently sharing stories and for those of us that need to hear them.