Chris (Rational Anthem – bass/backing vocals)
SPB: How do you determine who sings in a given song?
Chris: These days Noelle sings all of the songs. Chris does harmonies and backups. We split writing duties but since Noelle has the stronger voice we let her sing all the songs these days. We used to toy with the idea of going back and forth but realized we should just be utilizing the strongest singer’s voice so the songs can shine.
Trash (Hot Pennies) SPB: What venue is your favorite to play (and why)? Trash: This is a challenging question. We have a lot of great venues in the Phoenix area. My personal favorite has gotta be Chopper John's for its wily crowd and good times. There's always a great mix … Read more
Fureigh (Middle-Aged Queers) SPB: What is a “greatest hit” that you wanted to include in the live set or album but the rest of the band shot down? Fureigh: We’ve received requests for “Pump Up the Jam” [by Technotronic], but the world’ll just have to wait. And “Keep On Livin”’ … Read more
Tell us about your bagpipes? Read more
The musical landscape is ever changing. New genres are popping up, new hypes burst out of nowhere and die out and new bands present themselves to the world. How on earth are you expected to keep up, right? Well, it never hurts to help! So here we are, your humble … Read more
A Conversation with Lisa Kekaula (Vocals) and Bob Vennum (Guitar) of The Bellrays For over three decades, The Bellrays -- Riverside, California’s powerhouse duo of Lisa Kekaula and Bob Vennum -- have blurred the lines between punk, soul, garage rock, and rock ’n’ roll fury. Their music has always been … Read more
It’s been a long time since the last Rational Anthem record, Emotionally Unavailable in 2014. The band is still similar but what jumps out the most to me with It’s Only Permanent is the clean, big pop hooks. The band has always been peppy and focused on those singalong moments, but this record is downright anthemic from start to finish. … Read more
I can’t figure out just who The Rational Anthem remind me of, but it’s poppy on the clean and crisp side, with a lot of backing harmonies and a fun sound that counters what is generally a lost at sea mindset. In other words, it’s Midwest-influenced pop-punk that would fit great on a comp with bands like Dear Landlord, The … Read more
Trash (Hot Pennies) SPB: What venue is your favorite to play (and why)? Trash: This is a challenging question. We have a lot of great venues in the Phoenix area. My personal favorite has gotta be Chopper John's for its wily crowd and good times. There's always a great mix … Read more
Fureigh (Middle-Aged Queers) SPB: What is a “greatest hit” that you wanted to include in the live set or album but the rest of the band shot down? Fureigh: We’ve received requests for “Pump Up the Jam” [by Technotronic], but the world’ll just have to wait. And “Keep On Livin”’ … Read more
Tell us about your bagpipes? Read more
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