Interview with blogger Penelope Trunk

Hello all,

I was going to present a snippet of our interview with start-up founder and blogger Penelope Trunk, but I'm going to go ahead and share the entire interview now. Penelope Trunk is a career coach and co-founder of a few companies, including Brazen Careerist. You can also access her blog site by Clicking Here. M Pire Mag was able to do an exclusive interview with her regarding the life of business and some of her experiences in the business world (as I explained in the interview, M Pire Magazine does cover Money and Business as a section in some of our issues). I strongly encourage all of the readers and artists to comment on this post after listening to the interview below to share your experiences, insight, or whatever it may be! Enjoy.




Don't forget to check out our last two magazine issues below, featuring El DeBarge Jr (May 2013) and Jean Grae (February 2013).

Special Edition Issue for M Pire Mag

Hello,

I've been talking with my board about some additives that we want to execute for the magazine in August, and we've made the decision to introduce a digital Special Edition issue of M Pire Magazine, which will resemble the free digital issue that will still be available and have some interactive features, it will just have some really cool exclusive content, such as certain videos, interviews, photos, articles, etc. The specifics of what that content is will be revealed in the free August issue. The price for the Special Edition issue hasn't been determined yet, but we're looking at about $3-4 for one digital issue, and about $10-12 for the yearly subscription. Feel free to let us know your thoughts about the idea!

Also, if you are an artist, comedian, author, actor/actress, filmwriter, or in the arts, and would like to promote your material in our August issue, send an email to awebb@m-piremagazine.com to request info. We are running ads for free for August, and will be asking for some promotional assistance instead!

In the meantime, check out our last two issues below, featuring El DeBarge Jr and Jean Grae:

M Pire Magazine: Retweet Wednesdays

Hello,

Another short blog. I just wanted to inform you guys that M Pire Magazine has started a movement called Retweet Wednesdays, when we retweet artists' material and music on our twitter. All you have to do is mention us in your post so we can receive it. Our twitter is @M_Pire_Magazine. Our stream can also be found on the right of the page.

Also, if you're interested in being featured in our August issue, you can help our movement by retweeting our "Retweet Wednesdays" twitter announcements to your own twitter (which will occur every Wednesday), that way your artist followers can submit material to us as well! You would have to just retweet it until the last Wedneseday of July. Just send an email to awebb@m-piremagazine.com to let us know you're interested in participating.

Check out our latest issue of M Pire Magazine below:

Interview with Founders of Music Blog SYFFAL (Part 2)

Hello!

First off, I'm happy to announce that I've got a hold of yet another artist/music blog (name to be revealed soon so stay tuned). I'll be posting my interview with them once it's completed...

Anyways, if you haven't read our previous post with the first part of our interview with the founders of music blog SYFFAL, check that post out before reading this one by Clicking Here. It will give you all the 411 on who SYFFAL is, along with their link, then you can come back and read this continuation of that interview. Enjoy!

M Pire: How do each of you feel about what music has evolved into over the years?

Tim: "I think when you get old enough to have some distance you realize that it is all cycles. Sounds need to go from fresh and exciting, to the norm, to tired and sucked dry, to dormant, to rediscovered by a new generation of artists that add their unique spin. Music only tends to suck when it becomes a commodity. That is the death nell. So I think right now it is really exciting because most of the control is with music people. There isnt a shit-ton of money to be made off music. You can do well, but you aren't going to have board rooms full of share holders deciding what is fresh. It's organic. Well, as organic as it can be at least. I think it's an exciting time. I have never listened to more music, from more people, with more exciting points of view. It is truly a free form of expression."

Joel: "I'm impressed with how music went from relying someone else's opinion of tasty and turned into a movement of millions of people all creating and sharing from the one place that music didn't necessarily genuflect to: the basic desire to share what makes you happy to create. I love that I receive in upwards of three dozen albums a day from people all over the planet, and there are very few differences, as far as quality is concerned, between an everyday Joe and a band or artist with a record label doing their best to make them into heroes. The internet gave us a level playing field, we're just trying to sift between the shit bands in it for kitsch and the bands that are the shit because they shit on the kitsch."

M Pire: Do you cater to a particular genre of music or do you cover all genres?

Tim: "We will never tell one of our contributors they can't write about a genre or an artist, as long as they like it they can cover it. Music fandom is a journey, it is a path that you follow, you never know where it is going to take you, or what you might be craving hour to hour, week to week, year to year; so we cover it all. With the exception of pop punk, nobody should be subjected to that shit."

Joel: "Tim is a dick. I love me some pop punk. Check out the new wallet chain bro."

M Pire: Who are your favorite mainstream artists, and who are your favorite artists that you have featured in your blog?

Tim: "Mainstream...I really like FUN, like seriously love them. They are the new Queen. Gigantic anthems, the dude's guitar even sounds like Brian May. Thanks to my daughter I have grown to appreciate the shit out of Taylor Swift, that girl is mega, she can write the shit out of a song. I also love that song "I crashed my car into a bridge just to watch it burn...I DONT CARE, I LOVE IT" I have no idea who sings it but whenever it comes on the radio I drop all the windows and take my shirt off bro. 

With regards to artists we have featured, I love the ones that get it, that play along and understand our approach. Artists like Toby Goodshank, The Doppelgangaz, Rare Monk, Higgins, Lightouts, etc. I also get a hard rubbery one when we get to cover an artist that is amazing but doesnt really get coverage because they don't have the money for a publicist or experience promoting their music. They are always so appreciative, it reminds me of the whole reason we got involved."

Joel: "Mainstream style, I love me some Fun too. There's nothing like looking in the rearview mirror and seeing your kids jam the fuck out. My kids love some Fun, so I'm all over it. I'm also a huge 30 Seconds to Mars fan, and make no qualms about screaming like a fangirl when my preorder of their latest album landed on my phone unannounced. I also experience lower back moisture for Ray Lamontagne, Andrew Bird, (his drummer DOSH is my soulmate), Tool, Radiohead, Atmosphere, Sigur Ros, the Allman Brothers and Etta James.

As far as on the indie tip regarding bands I've covered, lately I'm all about P.O.S., Ballerina Black, The Neighbourhood, A Silent Film, The 1975, Gold Fields, Time Travels, Broken Anchor, Ancient Mariner, brotherun, Balthazar and this band from Wisconsin called PHOX. I seriously want to abduct the entire band and legally change their names to my own so I can tout them around in matching outfits and wipe tears from my eyes as a proud parent (of thievery bro)."

M Pire: As far as expanding your blog, do you guys have any plans in the future?

Tim: "Pretty much the same shit that we have been doing, trying to raise awareness of music we love, speaking about it the way we would actually speak about it with our friends and maybe bringing in some ads....other than that no plans, plus I found the most sure fire way to guarantee that something doesn't happen is to talk about it in interviews. So many interviews from my rap days about projects that never even got started.  Embarrassing bro bro."

Joel: "My only plan is to start deleting emails from PR companies where you can tell they haven't listened to the shit, or they're pulling these bland generic claims of awesomeness out of their ass as what they're usually trying to sell me is the opposite of awesomeness. I am also going to avoid interviews as long as possible because no one can give an interview like Slug from Atmosphere, so what's the point in trying to chase that grey haired dragon of adorability? 

Oh, but we ARE getting into the reusable grocery bag game in 2013. Mark my twerks."

Again, SYFFAL will be featured in the August issue of M Pire Magazine. Check out the free digital version of the May issue below for some really good information!

Interview With the Founders of the Music Blog SYFFAL

Hey Guys!

So I got something exciting for you all, especially for the music artists. I did some research, and among many of the blogs that cater to exposing all types of music, I came across (and got a hold of the founders of) a very interesting blog called SYFFAL - "Shut Your Fucking Face And Listen"- where you can submit your music to be reviewed and posted on their site. We have founders Tim Baker and Joel Frieders, and these guys are about focusing on good music and leaving less time for negative reviews. We were able to interview them, which I have posted a portion of below (I'll be posting the rest in another blog). Feel free to read the interview below the following link:

www.syffal.com

Just to forewarn you, there's a lot of adult language in the following interview, but other than that it's a really good read. Enjoy!

1. When exactly did SYFFAL start?

Tim: It started back in 2009 I think, I don't have an anniversary date or anything, but we have been going for a little over 3 years. 

Joel: Mmmhmm. 

2. How did the name come about?

Tim: It was out of frustration over the way I saw music being covered, it seemed to be more about the critics and how creatively they could shit on an album or genre. There was such a sense of seriousness and self importance about it. The social status that came with listening to a certain 'it' band, or getting in on the ground floor with a band that you would eventually go on to hate because too many other people found out about them. The whole thing just pissed me off. It's music for fuck's sake, it's entertainment, a distraction, something to make your day a little better. If that happens to be Taylor Swift for one person, or Norwegian Death Metal for another person, who gives a shit, just be happy that they found something that makes their lives a little better. Save the serious discussion and judgement for things that matter. If we were half as serious about politics, finance, education, the environment, our health, etc as we are about things like music and tv we would be a shit-ton better off. So the idea was, unless you are actually making music, chill the fuck out with all the judgement and self importance about the music you listen to and shut your fucking face and listen. 

Joel: One of the many reasons I hate Tim is that he's so eloquent at describing SYFFAL. That's exactly it. One thing I do want to add is that we started out with the two of us being jaded former musicians. Where Tim went a bit farther and had to deal with the media in respect to what he described above, I was adamant in that I didn't want to play the game of touching media penis to achieve something. Media penis is the worst kind of penis.

3. We understand you started out reviewing other people's work. Do any of you do music as well?

Tim: Some of us do and some of us don't, I used to be signed to Def Jux, and still make some rap musics here and there, Joel is involved with a lot of Chicago acts playing his geetar. Brando is a rapper out in LA, and we have some occasional contributors who make the music as well. 

Joel: I'd like to think of myself as a recovering musician. I still play when the schedule works out, but I'm no longer obsessed with chasing a dream no movie can accurately portray in today's music business. I know exactly what playing an amazing show feels like, and I know what playing a shitty show feels like, but more importantly I know what it feels like to have someone tell you they love your music. That's the thrust behind SYFFAL. I want what I write to feel like, to bands, like some random guy came up to you after a performance and tells you you're amazing.

4. Tell us a little about each of the founders, if possible.

Tim: I am Tim Baker, as I mentioned I used to be a professional rapper. I am from New York, started rapping in 1990, was part of the NYC collective the Atoms Family, my group Hangar 18 released two albums on Def Jux before breaking up, I have recorded a bunch of other material post and prior. Currently I run SYFFAL.com and have a real job as well. I have a family (wife and daughter), listen to a lot of music, wear baseball hats and buy expensive clothes when they are on sale. 

Joel: I am Joel Frieders. I am from the suburbs of Chicago. I have played in or with The Cankles, GLUE, Maker, The OPUS, Rubberoom, Adeem, Ryan Craig, and Painkiller Hotel, and probably others that I've managed to forget at the moment. I've enjoyed performing around the country, and the likes of Lollapalooza, SXSW and this awesome dive bar on the north side called Kitty Moon (RIP). I have a wife, three kids, I run a compounding pharmacy as a real job, and I was just elected alderman in the tiny, yet adorable city of Yorkville, Illinois. 

5. What properties do you use to decide which artists you put in the blog and which ones you don't?

Tim: The only rule we have is that we don't write negative shit about artists. The reasoning is two fold, one who the fuck are we to tell someone else that something they created sucks? And two why would I want to spend more than a few minutes listening to something I think is awful? I have my opinion on it, I dont have the kind of time to waste listening to something to find out just why it sucks, and then the energy to write about why it sucks. Our approach is to be fans of music. I know I have personally spent a lot of time worrying about what I don't like, or what act is killing whichever scene, but really that's all bullshit. There are always dope acts in all genres, the particular highs and lows of each genre rise and fall, but there is always good shit, so why not focus on the stuff that really makes us feel something exciting verses contributing to the bullshit complaining and bitching?

Joel: "Yeah, what he said. We started out going back and forth in emails between our intermingled group of friends trying to impress the others with write ups about the music we were feeling at the moment. When those little write ups started getting more attention than the music, we realized we were doing what we wanted to do without even knowing it was what we wanted to do. SYFFAL allows us the platform to shout from the hills how awesome something is in as descriptive and expletive filled a way possible. It doesn't matter if it's rap, trap or some country crooner shit, if it moves us downstairs, we're telling people about it."

We will be featuring them in our August issue so you can get to know all about them. In the meantime, feel free to check out our digital version of the May issue below:

Upcoming Open Mics and Showcases in the NYC Area

Hey!

This will be another short blog. I mentioned in one of my previous blogs that I would be keeping you guys updated on information we gather on upcoming open mics and showcases in the NYC area... Well that process has already started! As we continue to hunt down some more flyers and events for you, I want to go ahead and give you guys what we already have. Check out our "events" page below to see what events you can attend and help promote your music and poetry:

http://www.m-piremagazine.com/Pages/Events.html

I will also be posting blogs that will expose a little of our interviews with the promoters hosting these events, all of which you can access in the upcoming August issue. Check out the May issue below if you have not already:

An Article on How to Start Your Day Better

Hello again.

I hope you guys enjoyed our interview with El DeBarge Jr! It's been recorded so feel free to check out our last blog to listen to it!

Anyway, I know that our magazine is mainly about the arts, but we also have some sections in there that talk about other important aspects of our daily lives, such as money, love, and health. So why not bring those topics to my blogs as well? With that said, I ran across this article that I just might print out and read on a regular basis because it's that informative. It's called...

"3 Ways to Start Your Day Better"

Click the title above to access article. I really like it because it brings things into perspective about why exercising, eating healthy, and thinking healthy all contribute to a good mood within yourself, and spread that energy to others. I have an article in M Pire Magazine about my favorite herbs and why they're on my staple list. Check it out in the issue below: