you can either see it here
http://braxcomics.com/interviews
or just read it below

Brax The Alien Rocker
Interview with Winston and the Telescreen.
Permalink 07/29/09 01:49 , Categories: Uncategorized
Winston and the Telescreen

This week I interviewed David Tetz from the band Winston and the Telescreen. Tetz and company perform a quirky brand of indie rock that would be worthy of note in and of itself. However, what really sets them apart is their pride in their lyrical expression. Whereas most similar indie bands obscure halfhearted lyrics behind mumbled vocal performances or layers of noise, Winston and the Telescreen proudly display theirs all over their websites, blogs, and anywhere else you might look. While at times harsh, these poetic expressions are lovingly crafted as the centerpiece of the performance, not just an afterthought. Enjoy the interview, and don't forget to visit Winston and the Telescreen at the links below.
___________________________________________________________________________

Brax: I'm sure you get asked this a lot, but can you please tell me about the name of your band?

Winston and the Telescreen: It's a reference from the Orwell book 1984. It's a way of us being able to be both the hero and the villain, the performer and the audience, the rhythm and the melody.

Brax: What music project are you currently working on?

Winston and the Telescreen: We're attempting to finish our second album 'Love Amongst Lepers' but our piano player needs to get on the ball and finish his tracks. Otherwise, we'll be in limbo indefinitely.

Brax: Your lyrics are proudly displayed on your site, and they're really good. Who writes the lyrics, and what would you say are your favorite themes to write about?

Winston and the Telescreen: I write the lyrics, and thank you for the compliment. There isn't really a theme to be hit on, life just happens and I attempt to capture it at least slightly. When I do a decent job of it, it mirrors a situation in your own life and you identify with it. I counter-intuitively generalize by being very specific. No matter how different we are as people, we tend to repeat similar situations somehow, so I just write whatever's there. Unless I don't feel like it, and then I don't write at all.

Brax: Star Wars or Star Trek?

Winston and the Telescreen: Star Wars without question. My oldest daughter and I even used to go around fighting with light sabers until they broke.

Brax: Tell me about your best and worst live shows ever.

Winston and the Telescreen: The best is usually the last one, if we do it right. It's very much a baptism for me. I go in grimy and come out shiny on the other side. It's my religion, my confession, so last Tuesday's is my new favorite, which we played at the Bordello in LA with the Ivy Walls. But wherever we play next will probably be my new favorite unless we manage to screw it up somehow.

Worst was perhaps at the Vault in Pomona. I was disease ridden and threw up twice just before we went on. I nearly threw up on the front row. When I warned them to stand back they thought I was just being really rock and roll, and they all started cheering and begging me to throw up on them. Also, one of the earlier bands almost got in a fight with us because they were terrible and the singer jumped off the stage and yelled at us to respect him because he was the singer of a rock band and he had tattoos. He even whipped off his shirt to show us, but even that wasn't so bad. A lot of people seemed to like the set and I felt like a champion for completing it, even though afterward I fell over and forced my 15 year old brother in law to drive me home.

Brax: If you could time travel to any era and play live, when would it be, and why?

Winston and the Telescreen: Anywhere with Bob Dylan, Radiohead, The Beatles... whatever time they were in, we'd step in and play with them.

Brax: iPod, CD, Vinyl, or other? Why?

Winston and the Telescreen: Vinyl, until my record player broke. It's more of a sit down and pay attention experience, and as convenient as iPods are, they sound kind of tinny.

Brax: On what TV show(s) would you like to have your music featured?

Winston and the Telescreen: the NBA playoffs, I don't watch much TV, so I'm not sure. ...I know! The Colbert Report, Conan O'Brian, SNL, the Rachel Maddow show, which I know makes no sense but let's make it happen anyway.

Brax: Wormholes or blackholes?

Winston and the Telescreen: Wormholes, because I like to travel.

Brax: Any advice for others trying to “make it” in music?

Winston and the Telescreen: Don't use us as an example, because I spend 90 percent of my life either in a cubicle or sitting in traffic on the 91 freeway to and from work. Remember to be good at what you do before you try to become recognized for it. For some reason a lot of bands skip that step. And remember that, just like in anything else, you really are only competing against yourself. Strive to be better always.

Brax: Anything else you’d like to add?

Winston and the Telescreen: Someone come and work out a record deal with us. We're now ready. Also, if there's any enterprising young managers out there, we are currently seeking a quality hard working go-getter.

Visit Winston and the Telescreen:
www.myspace.com/winstonandthetelescreen

I initially forgot to post this for everyone, but we just did another interview and I was was reminded

this come from Minka Gantenbein over at suite101.com and you can find the abridged published version over there



1)  What genre of music would you characterize the band as being? Alternative? Modern Rock? etc.?


David Tetz(vocals)-  Usually I just end up calling it Indie Rock. It’s always a tough question to answer because we’re constantly pulling in different influences and each song seems to go in its own direction. We try not to get in the way of the songs too much and let them evolve on their own.  If there is a word for meshing 60’s, 80’s, and Millennial music then that’s what our genre is.

Brian Kaminskas(guitar)- I tell people it is indie/piano-rock with some hints of Cure/Coldplay.  I also tell people it is the attempts of Jazz and Classically trained musicians that play and write pop music.
Brian Kaminskas(guitar)- I love the name because 1984 was one of my favorite books.  It is one of the only books I have read twice. So this relationship begins at a precarious time in our lives and in a place that’s associated with death.  That’s the type of literary device that you just can’t make up without making the whole thing ring false. The song goes on and we decide that despite all the bullshit that’s thrown at us and all the difficulties that we ourselves are responsible for creating, we are here together.  We’ve made the choice to withstand all that.  At the end of the song when it’s this intense battle between our natures and ourselves, that last ringing phrase is ‘and I will never let go’.  I need to write honestly about the workings of relationships between people, the true romance is sitting down and saying, ‘We are diseased people and we are going to do a lot of things wrong but I love you and I will never let go’. Hence the title of the album, ‘Love Amongst Lepers’.Brian Kaminskas(guitar)- When adding lead guitar parts I just try to help the song sound good.  I never want to take away from the vocals or the piano.  If that means only playing one note, then I will only play one note.  As a jazz guitarist I am tempted to play a bunch of garbage, but minimalism is what makes things sound better.Brian Kaminskas(guitar)-Sometimes it feels like good songs write themselves.  When it comes together quickly, it ends up feeling natural and unforced.David Tetz(vocals)-Apparently it’s from a secret location and being done by a masked anonymous man. It has not required any financing.  Our masked benefactor is engineering and mixing down the album but we don't actually have a producer and did not have one for our last album either.  It’s very fortunate for us because we would be completely incapable of financing an album. If we ever become successful we will owe quite a lot to the anonymous man.

Brian Kaminskas(guitar)- I have been currently paying him with Breyers All Natural Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.David Tetz(vocals)-As of now the album will only be available on Itunes.  We are fairly good musicians but we are TERRIBLE businessmen.  When we finished 'Half of What We Say is Meaningless' we ended up spending a total of $1,000 for the entire process. Our anonymous man did all the recording, mixing, and mastering so really the cost was for replicating 1,000 discs.  $1,000 is virtually spending nothing at all, but we are such terrible businessmen that we have not yet even made that money back. (It doesn’t help that we have a terrible habit of giving albums away when people like us, that and we have no t-shirts).   In many ways we are a very ridiculous band.  We could easily be considered for 'The most widely respected while being least successful band in human history’ award.  One day we need to get a manager, agent, record label, some or all of those things.  On the day that we hook up with somebody that knows what they are doing on the business end, things should move pretty quickly for us.  Until that day comes we don’t have the resources to release albums anywhere but the digital world.  Which is unfortunate because now that we have Brian I’d love to re-record the first album and release both ‘Half of what we say is meaningless’, and ‘Love Amongst Lepers’ on vinyl.Paul Akers(piano)- We use a keyboard vibraphone sound for the opening of Salt Heart.  It always feels good to mix something delicate-sounding with a big beat and that was kind of the main idea.  I feel like those epic-sounding songs have to have some sort of smallness to them at the heart or they don't quite do it for me.David Tetz(vocals)- currently my strongest influences are- the Beatles, Queen, Bob Dylan, Ernest Hemingway, Herman Hesse, Milan Kundera, Alan Moore, and always Radiohead

Brian Kaminskas(guitar)- My biggest influences of course are jazz musicians and classical composers like Steve Reich.  Pop influences include The Strokes, Coldplay, Albert Hammond Jr, and Smashing Pumpkins.

Paul Akers(piano)- Personally, my biggest influences lately have been Calexico, Aphex Twin, Magnetic Fields, Menomena, and Radiohead's newest album.

Trevor Monks(drums)- Radiohead, Death Cab for Cutie, and Medeski, Martin and Wood

James Breker(bass)-YesDavid Tetz(vocals)- I just want to keep putting out songs that I’ll be proud of for the rest of my life, and that my children and grandchildren will be proud of when I’m old.  I would love for Winston to become successful enough that we could tour England and Japan and across the U.S., but I’ve learned to take it one step at a time.  For now I’m focused on finishing the album and once that’s done I’ll focus on finding some of those people on the business end to start a relationship with.  I’m also currently working on cutting down 30 pounds and physically becoming a stronger singer.  I’d like to be physically and mentally prepared to take on performing full time when it comes, so I’ve been training every day to get ready. I already have more sustained breath and I’ve cut 6 pounds this week so my regimen seems to be working.
 
Brian Kaminskas(guitar)- I just want to play and write good music.  If I could make a living playing music, that would be the greatest achievement ever (original music that is).  We could all do Top 40 and pay the bills, but that drains ones creativity.

http://www.pe.com/video/localnews-index.html?nvid=351730&shu=1
Animal Rescue video featured in the Press Enterprise's local news website.  Background music is "Winston and the Telescreen"
Poor Kitty!
Thanks, John

we've made someones list of best alternative love songs
fantastical
article can be found here

http://popmusic.suite101.com/article.cfm/songs_to_motivate

CYNICISM

When your cynicism ends, where will you go? the bitter, the used, my bottomless shoes, where will you lay them? you walked a mile and thought that youd traveled the world, but youre not done and you think youre growing old, and you are, begin again in earths sour flow, come to my arms and kiss what you know, I've learned your name through faces youve worn, so you can spare me from pretending that we're done, then we both fall down, we're tumbling like dominos, caught by being contemplative, scared of being integrated-educated-over-rated, doctor come and operate! I cant have a happy time, can I not live a happy lie? Boy meets a girl, shes the world, and breathtaking in evenings, shes sent from above, hes in love, but only on the weekends, begin again in earths sour flow, come to my arms and kiss what you
know, I've learned your name through faces youve worn, so you can spare
me from pretending that we're done- I KNOW we're NEVER done! so whats it like to learn that you are everything you hate?! I bet its great, it frees you from moral constraints, there is truth in your lies, thats no surprise, its popping up everywhere, but theres lies in your truth, you are confused if you thought you had a purpose, dont be angry, youre so self righteous, you act as if I dont like Jesus! but hes a path not a place, a way not a face, and if you dont know that! well then we've got a PROBLEM see! because I HATE you! and you probably hate me too! I dont mind, no its fine, but you should give me some space (shake like a rattlesnake) hey YOU youre PATHETIC! I WANT YOU TO ADMIT IT!!!!!!! with your hip scarves and hip shoes I dont think I like you, its either that or I'm in LOVE with you its either that or I'm in love, its a fine line sometimes
BOYFRIEND

Hell-O Madame, nice to meet you
lets find out what I might teach you!
Powder your nose dear, paint your toes dear
I'll show you some things I know dear!
Oh wont you come with me
Lets see whats here to see
No my dear, not much to fear, here, you will get your way
Dont be lonely!
Who needs a Boyfriend!
I'll be there when you need care, just call me on my phone
But dont tell me all your secrets dear! no, knowing me I'd never keep
them dear, its safer still to keep them secret, make new ones up! and
I'll believe them
Wont you come with me again
and see whats here to see again
No my dear, not much to fear, here, you will get your way
cause its a cold cold night on the streets tonight, and its a cold cold
night to be home all alone, you know we should work something out,
could work something out, lets work something out
Dont be Lonely!
Who needs a boyfriend!
I'll be there when you need care, I'll be there when you need care
oh LOVE you LOVE you, girl I could love you
hold you, HOLD you, hold you throught the cold COLD night time
OUR time! the time that we lie to ourselves, time time has just slipped
through our fingers

BULL AND SCORPION

Save me, save me, love I'm feeling crazy
I've fallen for the emptiness inside myself
its danger, danger, dangerous to feel
so pour another glass and let the record play
shes lovely, lovely, pretty like her pictures
a shadow casting sunlight through her tear-stained eyes
we were drinking, laughing, oh we were such hip kids
she kissed me in a graveyard cause we had no homes to go to
the symbolisms understated, oh no
now the bull and the scorpion, theyve been dying since they first held
on
she stings me, stings me, destroys me as she feeds me
shes always clothed in red in times of love and war
I'm helpless, helpless, helpless to defend
my stubborn nature dictates I come back for more
oh no love, its written in the stars above
so the bull and the scorpion, theyve been dying since they first held
on
We must have lost our senses, look how the stars are aligned against us
you, you dont know how to love me, me I dont know how to love you girl
we must have lost our senses, look how the stars have aligned against
ut!
doomed to fall apart forever...
at least we'll fall together
And I cannot sleep! and I cannot breathe! this blood that we bleed the
fire it feeds, and the battle drums pound as the skies pull us down, we
refuse to concede this love, we need, though it tires us out and it
fills us with doubt, we will earn ever scar in our war with the stars,
you lift me up, you tear me down, this love that we makes the world
spin round, and I will never let go!

JOAN OF ARC

Your painted skin tells its stories of past pain and glory
I'd like to read every line with my fingertips tracing each intricate storyline
I've tried, my love to deny all the pain that I cause just by standing here
and I'd leave but love I'm deceived by the tears in your eyes that you need me here
oh my tear stained lady, please dont cry
we can RIGHT our wrongs dear as we LAY among thorn covered sheets, where our bodies meet again
my bearded face holds its place so it says to your eyes that theres nothing wrong
but look beyond, love I'm not so strong that world could fall down and I'd still stand tall
no I've died
love something inside....
but the tears poured out backwards, fell down my throat
now my voice is drowning within or I'd reach out and tell you that you are loved
oh my tear stained lady, DONT YOU CRY
we will WRITE our wrongs HERE
as we lie among thorn covered sheets where our bodies meet again
So THIS is how it feels to be a martyr
this is how it feels to be convicted for your principals, principals?
the cost is MUCH too terrible.... UNbearable, UNBEARABLE
Penance is Eternal HERE!!!!
THIS is how it feels to be a MADMAN!
this is how it feels to be mistaken for a Gentleman, Gentle Man?
OH NO I AM A FEARSOME MAN
Tinder man, Wicker man so Strike a spark I'LL BURN US DOWN!!
DOWN DOWN DOWN DOWN, down

all the sweaty action found here, including the seldom played SAMO and Milan Kundera

Joan of Arc

The Crowned Prince SAMO

Kundera




I was there when Agnes turned, tilted her head, and gave a graceful wave to a much younger world, she was a lovely girl, playfully elegant in a touching comic manner, Bettinas sitting on the floor, she stands up removes her shirt she takes my hand and places it upon her heart, it gave me quite a start, it feels so strange feeling your hands upon my naked body, we're still pretending at defending the bending in our blending first the rending and then mending while descending to our ending, disenchanted as we ranted at the chance in circumstances so we gave up all our stances on our views of what romance is, I'll be jogging down the street, knife in hand and seeking retribution, I am still waging war, my private revolution, we have got one final date, we're fifteen minutes too late, we're still pretending at defending the bending in our blending first the rending and then mending while descending to our ending, disenchanted as we ranted at the chance in circumstances so we gave up all our stances on our views of what romance is, will you remember me even though I'm still here, you'll look around but you wont see me out there anywhere, because self destruction is quite hip but happiness feels better

so we played at La Sierra last Tuesday and it was rather fun but I discovered disturbing things about myself, for instance, I'm not mentally prepared to do a show without my beard, so I am growing it back as quickly as possible
i have a sampson like complex I suppose, so my head was in strange places this whole time, still it didnt turn out terribly, everyone else played just swell, so enjoy comrades, but know that I am furiously preparing for our show on the 14th, treadmill, heavy bag, rock band and guitar hero, and stubble growing, I'll be ready

Says Shes Sorry

Lets Pretend We're Lovers

The Lepers

Bull and Scorpion

yes its very dark here
so I figure i'll throw down the lyrics so that your eyes have something to do while you listen
BULL AND SCORPION

Save me, save me, love I'm feeling crazy
I've fallen for the emptiness inside myself
its danger, danger, dangerous to feel
so pour another glass and let the record play
shes lovely, lovely, pretty like her pictures
a shadow casting sunlight through her tear-stained eyes
we were drinking, laughing, oh we were such hip kids
she kissed me in a graveyard cause we had no homes to go to
the symbolisms understated, oh no
now the bull and the scorpion, theyve been dying since they first held on

she stings me, stings me, destroys me as she feeds me
shes always clothed in red in times of love and war
I'm helpless, helpless, helpless to defend
my stubborn nature dictates I come back for more
oh no love, its written in the stars above
so the bull and the scorpion, theyve been dying since they first held on

We must have lost our senses, look how the stars are aligned against us
you, you dont know how to love me, me I dont know how to love you girl
we must have lost our senses, look how the stars have aligned against ut!
doomed to fall apart forever...
at least we'll fall together

And I cannot sleep! and I cannot breathe! this blood that we bleed the fire it feeds, and the battle drums pound as the skies pull us down, we refuse to concede this love, we need, though it tires us out and it fills us with doubt, we will earn ever scar in our war with the stars, you lift me up, you tear me down, this love that we makes the world spin round, and I will never let go!


GREENS AND BLUES



Youve got such a pretty face, and I hate to see you sad this way
lets just drive away, we can start again in a brand new place
but down the road the devil knows
we cant make it far, no we'll always fail in who we are
down the road suspicion grows and it takes away from everything we've made

So tell me whats a boy to do?!
in a world where it doesnt make sense to be with you
I'm confused
When nothing but a melody remains
theres still words to say
and I miss you
head to shoes
greens and blues, I had to choose
I choose you, blue, you

cause youve got such a pretty voice
that it hurts to hear you say my name
and I'm so sick of choice
so please tell me that you feel the same way
cause down the road the devil knows we cant make it far
and we'll always fail in who we are
down the road suspicion grows and it takes away from everything we've made
so somebody tell me what to do!
in a world where 1 +1 doesnt equal 2, what is true?
when all your dreams colors fade away
theres a shade that remains
and I miss you

head to shoes

greens and blues, I had to choose

I choose you, blue, you


CYNICISM



My hands hurt too much to fucking write down this long ass song, maybe I'll type it out later

SALTHEART



come closer, come closer
I wish to be among you
I am not seperate from you
come closer, come closer
I'll share my microphone
theres no need to sing alone


come closer, come closer
their eyes now fill the sky
we cant just sneak on by
so sing louder, sing louder
please dont misunderstand
the world is in your hands

SING LOUDER! SING LOUDER!
dont hate the quiet man!
cant you see I'm holding back the dam!
The LOVE the PAIN the FAITH the HATE
the HOPES the DREAMS the SILENT SCREAM
so come closer... please love come closer....come close

please closer, please closer
I need your hands to hold me..
to touch and heal and warm me


JOAN OF ARC



Your painted skin tells its stories of past pain and glory
I'd like to read every line with my fingertips tracing each intricate storyline
I've tried, my love to deny all the pain that I cause just by standing here
and I'd leave but love I'm deceived by the tears in your eyes that you need me here

oh my tear stained lady, please dont cry
we can RIGHT our wrongs dear as we LAY among thorn covered sheets, where our bodies meet again

my bearded face holds its place so it says to your eyes that theres nothing wrong
but look beyond, love I'm not so strong that world could fall down and I'd still stand tall
no I've died
love something inside....
but the tears poured out backwards, fell down my throat
now my voice is drowning within or I'd reach out and tell you that you are loved

oh my tear stained lady, DONT YOU CRY
we will WRITE our wrongs HERE
as we lie among thorn covered sheets where our bodies meet again


So THIS is how it feels to be a martyr
this is how it feels to be convicted for your principals, principals?
the cost is MUCH too terrible.... UNbearable, UNBEARABLE
Penance is Eternal HERE!!!!
THIS is how it feels to be a MADMAN!
this is how it feels to be mistaken for a Gentleman, Gentle Man?
OH NO I AM A FEARSOME MAN
Tinder man, Wicker man so Strike a spark I'LL BURN US DOWN!!
DOWN DOWN DOWN DOWN,   down

THE LEPERS



Girl put on your face, you know you always look so pretty!
Take my hand lets go explore the nightlife of the city!
Both of us are so much nicer once we've had a few drinks...
Then I'll spill out my secrets and you'll let down your guards
We dont know how to say 'I Love You' unless we're sitting at the bar!
Thats just the way that we are..
Though this might seem a game of inches luv I feel we've come so far
and girl I'd love to see you naked but theres car seats in the car
lets go out back, back to the alleyway, I'll lift up your skirt
Love to, Love to, Love you
I'll be Thomas Covenant, you'll be Linden Avery
you will see ALL the sickness inside me!
We'll go run around downtown yelling UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!
And all our sins that came before, they each come knocking at our door
They dont know how to let things go, theyre hungry and they want some more! they invite themselves right in, theyve come to spend the night with us
Oh girl I know that you cant fix me any more than I can fix you, but I still know how to grab you and to hold you and to kiss you!
That will have to be enough luv!
Love to, Love to, Love you


BOYFRIEND




Hell-O Madame, nice to meet you
lets find out what I might teach you!
Powder your nose dear, paint your toes dear
I'll show you some things I know dear!
Oh wont you come with me
Lets see whats here to see
No my dear, not much to fear, here, you will get your way
Dont be lonely!
Who needs a Boyfriend!
I'll be there when you need care, just call me on my phone
But dont tell me all your secrets dear! no, knowing me I'd never keep them dear, its safer still to keep them secret, make new ones up! and I'll believe them
Wont you come with me again
and see whats here to see again
No my dear, not much to fear, here, you will get your way
cause its a cold cold night on the streets tonight, and its a cold cold night to be home all alone, you know we should work something out, could work something out, lets work something out
Dont be Lonely!
Who needs a boyfriend!
I'll be there when you need care, I'll be there when you need care
oh LOVE you LOVE you, girl I could love you
hold you, HOLD you, hold you throught the cold COLD night time
OUR time! the time that we lie to ourselves, time time has just slipped through our fingers


LETS PRETEND WE'RE LOVERS



Today is a day, in which me I've got some things to say to you
about things I've been thinking
I think we should be 'Us' you know all we needs a little trust
I swear our lives could be fun girl
But if you let me go, I dont know if I'll be back again
Girl you best be sure, that you only want me as a friend
Cause I'm pretending this worlds ending, and I dont like that youre not here with me, noon to evening, night to morning, I dont like that youre not here with me, no I dont like that
I need some time to think, lets sit and have a drink, I'm not picky no I'm not picky, either coffee or alcohol is fine, theres a rumor going around that I'm much too intense, its not me! its just the nature of events, you know that all too often I'm taken out of context, and taken out of context I can seem so out of place! with the human race
But if you let me go, I dont know if I'll be back again

Girl you best be sure, that you only want me as a friend

Cause I'm pretending this worlds ending, and I dont like that youre not
here with me, noon to evening, night to morning, I dont like that youre
not here with me, no I dont like that
Watching, Waiting, Seeing, Wanting
ask, she says no
We're too late now
Watching, WAITING, Seeing, WANTING
ask she says no
We're TOO LATE NOW!!
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(oh oh)

ERNEST HEMINGWAY



It was back in 37 when I joined the war
I'd finally found a fight that was worth dying for
and when I held my first gun I was filled with such pride
and pride stayed with me until the moment that my first friend died
But if the devil dont cry, then why should I cry!
If he can accept losses well then so can I!
but when my people arent free than I cannot be free to enjoy life
I dont enjoy life
Cause when theyre planes fly by, they darken the sky
and they drop down despair till it spreads everywhere
but if the sun peaks out and we're still here
stand up and shout WE ARE STILL HERE! we are still here
cause if the devil wont die, then why should I die!
after all hes made of WILL and surely so am I!
But when my people arent free then I cannot be free to let things go
I dont let things go, no
When the planes fly by they darken the sky
and they drop down despair till it spreads everywhere
but if the sun peaks out and we're still here
stand up and shout, We are still here! We are STILL here!
This is how you live a life in two days
Here among your friends, Here in this land you love
Here with the one you need, oh rabbit come with me
lets live our life in two days! live a life in two days
But if the devil dont die then why should we die!
if he can rewrite HIStory then so can I!!!!
till all my people are free, yes we will all be free to enjoy life!
We can start again! We can shout out loud! We are still here, We are still here, We are still here

and it will be with the Ivy Walls
and it will be here

L’KEG GALLERY
311 glendale blvd.
echo park, ca 90026
thursday january 29th

We start a bit after 10
not sure when the Ivy Walls start but you should find out and be sure to be there because we like them quite a bit
we are sure you will like them too
in the meantime I'm going to sit around and grow out my beard, watch the lakers destroy the spurs, perhaps go pick up the toxic airborne event cd, indeed

When I drove up and saw that Great White was playing there on 10/25...I knew it was going to be a night to remember...

The sound system was stadium-tastic...the locals were skeptical of us, but a handful of them were extremely nice...and Trevor got to taste some guy's homemade wine...everybody wins...

Thanks to Soul of the River for having us out...

WATT

So on Wednesday night we will be showing our faces once again on the streets of downtown Riverside
We have Lake Alice all night right there on University, our dear friends The Ivy Walls will be joining us all the way in from Hollywood
I drew up a flyer that had mentally deranged angels flying banners through a nuclear holocaust while ivy grew on walls and a rainbow burst overhead, but in typical Me fashion I never turned it into a flyer- i kept forgetting

Maybe you noticed or maybe you did not that we had cancelled our previous months shows
Most of you will never know how close this came to being the end
The only reason I even kept this show on the schedule was out of respect for the Ivy Walls

Being a singer and songwriter is a strange thing, its difficult to explain
I never liked the idea of being called a performer because on stage I never performed, I sang the songs but it wasnt a performance, it was a singing of the songs
But I never liked the idea of being called a singer, because a singer sings and the only time I ever sang was while singing with Winston and the Telescreen
I certainly could never be called a musician, it would be an insult to musicians the world over
And I never felt comfortable with the idea of being called an artist
an artist paints or draws, or creates installations, and I always felt that I'd sound pretentious if I called myself an artist

I'm a father, I'm a husband, I read books, I write lyrics, I sing songs
But writing lyrics is tough

The first time I really listened to Bob Dylan was when Paul brought me a copy of 'Bringing It All Back Home'
HERE was a songwriter
Every song on there made me feel completely useless as a lyric writer
which was good, because I was exhausted at the strain of trying to be excellent
here was proof that I'd never even grasp at the pinnacle of lyric writing
so I was happy
instead of trying to be excellent I could focus more on simply being honest, try to lean over a bit and let some of myself splash out at the edges
hopefully some would soak into the sheet music

But what happens when a songwriter becomes content?
are they then irrelevant?
Did things in my world need to be fucked up for anything I wrote to even be interesting?
Who wants to live an entire life filled with songs worth writing, exactly how much emotion could a man take?

Writing songs is hard

Its part sitting with a cup of tea staring at blank notebook and part dancing in front of a crowd gyrating on a stripper pole with nothing but your shoes on and some pasties
A real songwriter leaves very little to the imagination while simultaneously leaving everything open to interpretation
When I use Hemingway or Hesse or Kundera or Orwell or Salinger or Stephen Donaldson or any of them, how much am I attempting to illuminate and how much am I attempting to hide?
all lights cast shadows

There are downsides to breaking personal photographs into jigsaws
sometimes your forget who you are and sometimes you remember,
both directions are dangerous

This is obvioulsy going to ramble

I started it because I feel the need to express something to you
which is how all songs first start to 'become'

I was ready to shut my mouth up tight, I wasnt going to be a singer anymore
I thought it would be a natural change
people that interact with me outside the world of Winston and the Telescreen would never guess that I sing in front of people
I'm just not that type
I thought it could be a smooth transition
but a funny thing happened on the way to the mute button
I started to feel like a conduit with no place to send the energy
my head would be buzzing constantly
i'd sing little verses in my head

'theres honey dripping from her lips, as verse bleeds out his fingertips, but what are words bereft of inspiration'

I like words, I like to read them, I like to look them up in the dictionary and understand their trajectories when they come out of your mouth
but my words have no understandable context without melody and rhythm,
unless you provide a thousand other words and its not all that efficient and I dont have the skill or patience for it

I've been rereading Steppenwolf
Strange how much I used to identify with Harry Haller though now some of his disgust seems childish, but I still identify with a lot of it
and then there are some thoughts that are right on the edge of where I've been attempting to balance

' so it is with the majority of men day by day and hour by hour in their daily lives. Without really wanting to at all, they pay calls and carry on conversations, sit out their hours at desks and on office chairs; and it is all so compulsory, mechanical and against the grain, and it could all be done or left undone just as well by machines; and indeed it is thie never ceasing machinery that prevents their being, like me, the critics of their own lives and recognizing the stupidity and shallowness, the hopeless tragedy and waste of the lives they lead, and the awful ambiguity grinning over it all'

I think more than anything else intelligent men need to dance,
dancing would be enough to save many of them and it would almost be enough to save me
but the dishonesty of existence would still weigh heavy on me,
I know of only one functional way for me to exist truthfully,
I have to sing songs, I simply HAVE to, or I would not be myself
I'd be that mask I put on at daybreak-
is it odd that I identify with Rorschach from the Watchmen?

I now understand that without singing I will devolve into rage and despair
I'd do a good job of hiding it, possibly for a long time even
but without singing I'd become a shell of myself
less than a Man

I read once that Salvador Dali explained the way that he painted as
'I just splatter myself onto the canvas'
I feel the same way about singing and writing
its not a matter of anything other than every once in a while I need to tip over and splatter some song out into existence
if I didnt
I'd get too heavy
I'd overflow
I'd maybe even crack from the pressure and be broken

'sing louder, sing louder, dont hate the quiet man-cant you see? I'm holding back the dam, the love the pain the faith the hate the hopes the dreams the silent screams'

As long as Winston and the Telescreen is there to play the music I will sing the words

'I'm both the Storm and I'm the Levee, Abraxas would be proud of me, its just a matter of Capacity'

Damnation and Salvation- if there is a difference I'm not yet capable of understanding it
In the meantime I'll have to walk the white path
I will sing while I walk it

you are more than welcome to listen

-david tetz

Search and add our group on facebook...thanks, Winston and the Telescreen 

(let me warn you ahead of time that this post is LONG and meanders around, you have been warned)

The first clue should have been the demise of my belt two days previous
Obviously one cannot go through the workday with a pair of unbelted trousers so it was off to the local Target (which is within walking distance of my daytime cubicle)
There was a decent selection to choose from and I decided on a $20 reversible belt which was quite similar to the one I've had the past few years
For some reason I've always owned a reversible belt although in 26 years I don't recall ever actually reversing it and wearing the brown side….
I left the store newly belted and now prepared for the Detroit bar show

Or so I thought

(I should also inform you that I bought a new pair of pants last weekend
This is a rare event in my life
So rare that I've spent the entire year owning only one pair of pants, also from Target, those black jeans in their David Bowie line which they spent millions advertising but apparently only had on a single rack for about 4 days

You see mind control does in fact work
I opened up my Spin magazine and saw an advertisement for 'Bowie jeans from Target'
'wear these and you will undeniably be as awesome as David Bowie!'
or something like that in the tag line
of course I wrote it off as lame
and then I opened up my Blender magazine and there it was again
I still didn't fall for it
but then I opened up my Rolling Stone and that was it for me
I was off to Target to track down my David Bowie jeans

I thought with all those advertising dollars they must take up half the store
But I had to go to 3 different Targets just to find them
And they were buried in the back on one single rack

You see up till that point I had been wearing all girl jeans from the thrift stores size 12
Which was an affordable way to find pants that fit
But then I'd rip my pants within a couple months without fail
It was an unfortunate cycle of pants destruction
But there has been a common theme in all the pants I've ever worn
They've all had zippers

Until my new pair that is
Asian John informed me that my days of girl pants were over if I'd just shop at Active, land of pants that fit boys
Which is true, I obtained perfect fitting pants but I now must struggle with the dreaded Button Fly)

So

There I am at Detroit bar about to use the urinal
But as I take off my belt I accidentally use superhuman strength and rip my brand new $20 belt into two pieces
This angers me
I cant wear my tie and sweater vest and newspaper hat and new gray jeans without a belt to pull it all together, and I just bought that *&$%** belt
I'm angry and I'm standing at the urinal and I realize that instead of hanging out with two broken pieces of belt in my hands I should just go sing
That's when some guy comes in and stands at the urinal next to me
I'm struggling to do up this alien button fly thing and to pull the broken belt out of the loops
The young man standing next to me begins to sweat and twitch and he keeps looking over his shoulder at me struggling with my button fly
The scene is slightly awkward
All the sudden he starts backing up with his hands extended into 'Jazz hands' position
He stammers out, 'I just cant do it man, I cant do it, I'm sorry I've got to get out of here, I cant go like this'
And then he flees
He literally runs out of the bathroom as if I'm threatening him with a revolver
Jesus man, it's a button fly
Relax…..

I should have gone home at that point
Things were obviously not going to work out well
But instead I walked up to the bar beltless and with my complimentary drink ticket in hand
It is time for my pre-show Bloody Mary with extra Tabasco
An absolute necessity for a Winston and the Telescreen show
'We don't have Bloody Mary's'
How in the hell does a fully stocked bar not have a bloody mary?
'ok, then I will take anything you have that you could throw some hot sauce into'
'We don't carry any hot sauce'
what in the hell?.....
'then I will take a long island'
'that will cost you $5'
So now I'm beltless, I've scared some poor young lad out of the building with my button fly, I cant complete my bloody mary ritual, and my complimentary drink ticket is apparently worth about 35 cents

that's when I should have gone home

instead I place my billion dollar drink onto the counter to start tuning my guitar
and it is promptly knocked over by Pauls flying elbow of destruction
that's ok, by now I'm expecting all sorts of terrible things to happen

we set up on stage, for some reason they've switched out sound guys in between sets
'I'll just adjust things while you guys are playing instead of doing a line check'
sure, why not, we've done that before
so the notes begin to play and I begin to sing

'When your cynicism ends….where will you go?'

Except of course the microphone isn't turned on for anyone in the room

If you happen to be playing pool in the back lounge you can hear crystal clear through those speakers, but out in the front where we are playing
not so much
And all of our monitors are turned off for some reason
I stop the song halfway through to address the sound guy

'you do realize that half our stuff isn't actually turned on'

perhaps the people in the room yelling 'WE CANT HEAR YOU'
wasn't enough of a clue

so the sound guy comes up to the stage and starts messing around with everything intermittently exploding our eardrums with screeching decibals of wrongness eminating from various speakers he's destroying
this goes on for about 7 minutes or so
that's two songs down in our set

so sorry fans of 'Bull and Scorpion' and 'Newlyweds' this just isn't your night
I'm angry enough to rip off my sweater vest and tie and untuck my shirt
But I leave my 'Vote for Change' pin on and my hat
I wont let the night be a total loss

So eventually we get to playing
I stand in the middle of the stage and sing but instead of dancing around I just stare evil daggers into the sound man in his booth
I fill each note with despite as they fall down the microphone and drip down to the floor
My rendition of Joan of Arc would have made Lord Foul the Despiser proud
At the part near the end of the song when the time signature changes and I started singing/yelling/preaching about how I'm a Wicked man and I'll burn YOU down,
he actually peed his pants

But I forgave him after I was done singing
It must have been terribly nerve-wracking to have things go wrong and then have everyone stare at you while your trying to fix things but things just keep getting worse
So wherever you are soundman, its ok, these things happen sometimes

But as for YOU 'Merona' beltmakers of Target
You will rue the day……………………………….
This I swear