I
recently interviewed Steve Woodier who runs the awesome blog – The
Shrieks From Below. That got me thinking into interviewing another
good friend of mine who runs another excellent blog that you should
all check out. Desert Psychlist.
The
main person behind this is Frazer Jones. Frazer has been running his
blog for the last couple of years now. Frazer focuses more on the
Desert, Stoner and Doom Metal side of the rock collective. His
reviews have won steady praise from bands and fans alike.
He's
also a member of The Doom Charts like myself and Frazer knows his
stuff. Frazer has kindly agreed to do this interview.
Hi
Frazer. Thanks for doing this interview. How are things with you
today.
Hi
Steve, things are good sun is shining and Greenbeard are playing in
the background so yeah feeling pretty happy.
How
did you get started with the entire blogging scene. Can you give a
brief overview how you started and where you're currently writing
today.
I
started writing mini-reviews on Bandcamp but like another of your
interviewees, Steve Woodier, I was also a member of a little music
forum called Hard Rock Revolution where members were encouraged to
write album reviews and band profiles, I discovered I wasn’t too
bad at it so when the site went tits up I decided I’d have a go at
the old blogging game.
You're
now running Desert Psychlist. How did the blog came about and why did
you choose that name for your blog.
Like
I said previously when HRR closed it left me wanting to carry on
writing so I took the step of starting my own thing. The name came
about due to my love of the Palm “Desert” scene and my love of
the lysergic music we now call “psych”. As the blog was basically
a “list” of albums I wanted others to hear I tagged that on the
end, hence.. Desert-Psych-List.
Why
did you decide to focus on the Desert/Doom/Psych/Stoner/Fuzz Rock
scenes.
That
happened because simply because those genres were and still are the
music that moves me the most, I listen to a wide spectrum of
different genres of music but the fuzz is part of my DNA I always
come back to it.
Do
you ever think about doing interviews on your site. Or would you
rather just focus on the music.
I
did think about it for about ten seconds but that old mantra of never
meeting your heroes kept coming back to me. To be honest it’s the
music that matters and Desert Psychlist is all about the grooves not
the views and anyway I’m the sort of person that if I had to
interview someone face to face and they were acting like a dick I’d
have to tell ‘em they were a dick, lol
What
has been the overall reaction to your reviews from fans, labels and
bands in general.
On
the whole the reaction from fans and bands alike has been pretty
positive, you do get the odd one now and then who doesn’t like what
you’ve written about them but my attitude to that is fuck you, they
are my words and I’m sticking by them. The best reactions are from
those who never asked for a review and you surprise them with one
anyway, they are over the moon that someone digs what they are doing
and is actually listening to them.
You
have a wide range of musical tastes across different genres. What are
your favourite genres of music and why do they appeal to you.
I’m
a big jazz fan as well as having a soft spot for British folk-rock, I
like the way those jazz musicians can go off on a tangent into the
unknown but manage to bring it all back to earth without missing a
beat and those folk-rock guys and girls can play a bit too. As for
favourite genre its about 60-40 between rock and the blues, you can’t
beat a fat distorted E-chord for giving you a boner.
Which
band, artist, album or genre did you first become a fan of. How did
your love-affair with music began.
Deep
Purple’s Fireball was the first album I bought with my own money so
I guess they were the first band I was truly a huge fan of. I
remember the older boys at school walking around with albums tucked
under their arms like they were in a secret club, I wanted in on this
club so pestered a boy who I vaguely knew to lend me one of his
albums, he lent me Hendrix’s Axis/Bold As Love and I was hooked. I
then saw Deep Purple on TV and talked my mum into buying me Fireball,
I walked everywhere with that album under my arm for about a month
We've
both had a frustrating time earlier this year with a YouTube channel
and a website copying our reviews and claiming as their own.
Especially with Sunday Sludge (Who is still copying Riff Relevant
Reviews). How did that make you feel and how did you get Sunday
Sludge to stop printing your reviews. My own frustrations was I
wasn't getting credit for my work and I want my work to stay on my
own page.
The
YouTube debacle was sorted out amicably and the person in question
apologised and now gives due credit to those whose reviews he uses.
The Sunday Sludge thing is a different animal however there is no one
person you can confront, bludgeon to death or converse with the
people at Sunday Sludge keep their cards close to their chests and
are a faceless bunch of pirates getting credit for others hard work,
they are still stealing my reviews!
Going
back to musical matters - Which physical media do you prefer –
Cassette, CD or Vinyl.
Got
to be vinyl it’s just so organic and sexy!
Do
you have particular favourite album you like to listen to all the
time and on any particular format. Mine is DOPESMOKER. Can't get
enough of that album on Vinyl.
Led
Zeppelin I, I’ve still got my original copy, its battered and a bit
dog-eared and I have to put a coin on the stylus to stop it skipping
but I love it to death, I know the remasters sound fantastic but this
is the ORIGINAL sound!
Like
myself, you're heavily involved with The Doom Charts. Do you like
doing the monthly doom charts or does it take it's toll on you.
It
does at times Steve, what with the compiling lists and the writing
the blurbs (reviews) but somehow it all seems worth it when they are
finally published and getting such good reactions
Has
is it surprised you how well liked the Doom Charts have become and
well respected by the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal community in general.
Not
really we are all suckers for lists, charts and leagues and the scene
had nothing to gauge its successes and disappointments on, Lucas
provided a medium for that.
You're
highly respected within the Doom/Stoner Metal community. What things
do you like being involved with the community. Are there certain
aspects you don't like when promoting bands across the entire scenes.
Despite
the dramas that have arisen of late I still get a feeling of “we
are all in this together,” I’ve met some truly great people
through my involvement in this scene, musicians, fans, bloggers,
podcasters, only rarely has a bad apple upset the cart. The
down-side? Sunday fucking Sludge!
What
have been your favourite albums of 2017 so far.
Three
stand out for me so far The Necromancers “Servants of the Salem
Girl”, Youngblood Supercult’s “The Great American Death Rattle”
and Fall of an Empire’s “Croweater 2: The Last Wishes of Kings”
Rock is most definitely not dead with bands making albums this damn
good.
How
do you relax away from the crazy world of blogging. As we all need
time away to chill out.
I’m
a wannabe guitarist and a wannabe gardener, I’m not much good at
either but I’m a trier.
Well
Frazer. Thanks for doing this interview. Do you have any final words
of wisdom you would like to share with us all.
Walk
away silently and quickly when your wife asks your opinion on what
she’s wearing.
Words
by Steve Howe and Frazer Jones
Desert
Psychlist Links:
