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May Issue

Polluteme / Polluted Ezine / Nashville Likes It Hard

Nashville Likes It Hard
written by: Jacob Robison

One of the premiere sources of news and information covering the local Nashville music scene online is the daily news site, www.nashvillehardmusic.com. Ran by local rock stud Matt and his coconspirator Susan, the site boasts daily news, interviews, CD and live show reviews, live pictures, contests, and a killer message board community. The crew at Nashvillehardmusic.com helped sponsor the hugely successful Stomp Club 2001, and if everything goes the way it’s planned they will be sponsoring more shows in the Nashville area in the near future. Susan, the beauty behind the beast that is Nashvillehardmusic.com, has been a good friend of mine for awhile now. After a few emails back and forth, I got her to answer some questions for me for an interview. Read on to find out more about the blonde-haired beauty.

How did you hook up with Matt (and how long have you been involved with the site)?
I met Matt on the message board for 102.9 The Buzz. He made some post about starting a local music website and said he needed help writing reviews and interviews. So, I emailed him and we've been together ever since. I guess that was about six, maybe seven months ago. The whole thing has gotten bigger than we ever expected. Matt and I just sort of clicked and became really good friends after chatting a few times. I love him to death.

What prompted you to get involved in the music scene? Honestly?
Charley Grubbs from Lowboy. We met through a mutual friend and I saw them play once and I was hooked. I started going to ALL the Lowboy shows. Then I saw other bands I liked and more and more and then I met Matt and it just kind of snowballed into whatever it is now. Despite popular belief and a few rumors I heard, Charley wasn't my boyfriend, just a very good friend.

How has the bands treated you since joining the website?
Its kinda weird, I have made friends with a lot of them and always wonder if they just like me for the site or the Rooster or if they're really my friends. I guess its that way for everyone in Nashville anyway because of all the bullshit politics in our scene. (Can I say bullshit?) (Editor’s note: of course you can say bullshit). That said, everyone has been very friendly toward me. Being on the site (especially writing reviews) has given me the opportunity to meet a lot of people I probably never would have otherwise. Its tough when I meet someone face to face and have to critique their music (something so personal to them). But so far, no one has beat me up or called me dirty names (to my face anyway). I can't think of anyone in any of the bands I've met so far that I just don't like...although some of them are a little creepy at times.

How did you come across the job at Rooster 106?
I went on the air with Mojo to do a fifteen-minute skit. Afterwards, he commented on my voice and asked if I'd ever done radio before. I told him I'd done the morning show with Scotty O'Brien on 102.5 The Party once and had recorded some promos for them. He told me I should've gotten paid and he'd be my agent. I told him that in order for him to be my agent he'd have to find me work, so he offered me a job. I also just got a job with them doing advertising sales full time during the week so if anybody wants to buy airtime for any upcoming shows or anything, get in touch. I'm still keeping my on-air shift though, they just may move me to Sunday afternoons.

Do you prefer doing interviews or show reviews?
I like them both. I love music, really. I mean if I could make music I would but since I don't, I love to be surrounded by it. Both give me the opportunity to do that. I actually prefer to watch and review a show and then interview the musicians afterwards. That way your questions are fresh and you can ask them about things you've just noticed.

Who are your favorite bands around the area?
Lowboy. They are the reason I'm here. Aside from being talented musicians, they are fantastic people and don't get involved in the petty drama that sucks up most of the scene. I could watch Lowboy shows every night and never get tired of hearing them. Shun is phenominal. That goes without saying. I love so many of the bands, Lower Unit, Point of You?, Malfunction Crew, FSN (just saw them for the first time a few weeks ago...really liked them), Abraid, 12v, Peel. Also, Davis and Silent Friction.

Have you ever thought about a career in Death Metal? (hehehe).
Hahaha, I guess we let the cat out of the bag on this one, huh? Jacob and I have big plans to form a death metal band. I don't really like death metal that much but I like Jacob. And I wanna be a rock star like everybody else, damnit!

What would you like to accomplish with nashvillehardmusic.com?
Ideally, I'd like to increase exposure for Nashville and all the talent that is trapped under this opaque curtain of country music. Bands here have a number of things working against them but two of the worst are the stigma that all local music sounds like a garage band and that the only marketable music that can come out of Nashville is country. If we don't get something going for these guys soon, we may lose more of them to the lure of stardom in L.A.. I would love to eventually have a hard music show on the air. Something people would actually listen to rather than turn off when they hear its local music. Just play the hard stuff radio can't play during the day and slip in a little local rock. REAL local rock, none of that "We're pop but we're local so we get airplay" bullshit. I have grown to absolutely adore the guys in most of these bands and I want to do all that I can to help them succeed.

Talk a little bit about the message board community one of my favorite parts about your site.
Hmmm...where to begin about the message board. Its gotta be one of my favorite parts of the site as well. Its gotten a little silly lately but for the most part its just a place to post your thoughts on just about anything. From shows to cds to Matt and his infatuation with midgets. I've gotten a lot of um wierd posts directed toward me lately. Its all in fun though. We don't intentionally mean to piss anyone off. A lot of band members come there to find out what people are saying or just to complain about something under a false identity because they know they can get away with it. I love the board, though. I check it everyday. Then again, I'm a computer junkie so I'm into that sort of stuff. I love hearing what people think. Especially when they think we don't know who they are...

If you can think of anything to add, feel free.
As I said before. I think the scene around here is bursting with talent. Some of it is a bit raw, but its there and it desperately needs to be heard. I also everyone would have a much better chance for success if they all stuck together rather than dividing up into little cliques like schoolgirls at lunch tables. Bands need to support each other, badly. Not to create drama and convert our scene into a musical soap opera. I was at a Lower Unit show and during the time when most bands promote their next show from the stage, Ryan instead urged the crowd to come out and support Malfunction Crew. Fans of one band shouldn't be ashamed to go see another because they heard the bands don't like each other. That's my little opinion anyway, if it matters.

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