Tag: Texas

WATCH: Julie Mintz, ‘The Reason’

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Julie Mintz
Hometown: Corpus Christi, TX
Song: "The Reason"
Album: The Thin Veil
Label: Manimal

In Their Words: "Love is so unreasonable that one person can be both our reason to have hope and, almost simultaneously, our reason to despair. So the song is an expression of the extremes to which love takes us. At least that’s how I’ve experienced love … maybe i’m doing it wrong!

Speaking of love (or lack thereof), I met the director/cinematographer of this music video under romantic pretenses. Although we never made it past our first date, a friendship and working relationship endured, and he shot this magical video for me on a horse ranch in Acton, California. The rider in the video is a seasoned rodeo cowboy who insisted on addressing me as 'ma’am' during the entire shoot (no matter how many times I asked him to call me Julie) which sort of made me feel old, but mostly made me long to move home to Texas and fall in love with a real-life cowboy." — Julie Mintz

Photo credit: Oden Roberts

3×3: El Campo on Sam Cooke, Shiny Food, and South Alabama

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

Artist: Jerid Morris (of El Campo)
Hometown: San Antonio, TX 
Latest Album: "Skinny Kids" / "Sloe-Eyed" 7" double-single
Personal Nicknames: We call Rudy "Ol' Hungry Eyes," because we all sat watching him one night at a tour stop in New Mexico as he went from lady to lady, eyes so hungry, heart so empty, trying to create a spark. The other four of us bonded heavily over that moment watching Ol' Hungry Eyes. 

 

A photo posted by El Campo (@somoselcampo) on

Which decade do you think of as the "golden age" of music?
The 1960s. It doesn't get any better than the Dillards covering the Beatles (the former's version of "I've Just Seen a Face" is, dare we say, better than the original), or the Statler Brothers' debut record, or the last few records Sam Cooke cut before he died. Lots of good country & western music from that decade, lots of great standards, and probably the best rock records ever recorded. 

If you could have a superpower, what would you choose?
The power to make Rudy go to sleep when he's had too much to drink and it's fucking late and we have to get up early and drive 13 hours to Chicago. It is an impossible, perhaps superhuman, task. 

If you were in a high school marching band, which instrument would you want to play?
Tuba

 

A photo posted by El Campo (@somoselcampo) on

What's your go-to road food?
John K. Samson calls it "shiny food you find with gasoline." That's about the size of it. The type of restaurants that populate the interstate highway system in America is not of the very best quality. I'm a vegetarian, so that complicates things even further. Usually, I end up eating mixed nuts and V8 when we're on the road. Once, we tried to eat Mexican food in Nashville — big mistake. We miss tacos awfully when we're away from Texas. 

Who was the best teacher you ever had — and why?
My freshman copywriting teacher was Mr. Pribble. He was a really sweet guy who didn't have any of the typical professorial hubris about who he was. He was genuinely a teacher. He showed up every day to teach you something. He was a pretty sweet, very sincere guy.

What's your favorite fruit?
Mango. You can make a pretty mean vegan barbacoa substitute out of jackfruit. 

 

A photo posted by El Campo (@somoselcampo) on

Boots or sneakers?
If we answer sneakers, they don't let us back in to Texas.

Noodles or rice?
Gotta go rice here. It's enough with the noodles. Get real.

Pacific or Atlantic?
Atlantic. I was born in Florida, though we like to call it "South Alabama."

Photo Credit: Kaitlyn Grimsland

3×3: The Oh Hellos on Colgate, Cold Brew, and What Rhymes with Maggie

Posted on by Editor

Artist: The Oh Hellos (Tyler and Maggie Heath)
Hometown: San Marcos, TX
Latest Project: Dear Wormwood
Personal Nicknames:
Maggie: Unfortunately, not many nice words rhyme with Maggie, so not many nicknames have stuck around.
Tyler: I frequently have friends threaten me with nicknames like T-bone, Big T, Billy T Williams, Old Bill, etc., but they're all quitters and give up after about an hour.

Who is the most surprising artist in current rotation in your iTunes/Spotify?
T: Neil Cicierega's music is the definition of surprising, and it's been in my rotation more than just about anything lately.
M: '68 is currently probably the most surprising, but mostly because it sheds light on my the Chariot days (long live, never forget). Honestly, I listen to more podcasts than music right now though, what with all the driving! My current favorite is Lore.

Who would play you in the Lifetime movie of your life?
T: Paul F. Tompkins, no question.
M: I will forever be crossing my fingers that my lady-crush Emma Stone would play my role, should Wes Anderson ever be interested in directing a biopic.

If the After-Life exists, what song will be playing when you arrive?
M: I really, really hope it's this.
T: Or this.

What brand of toothpaste do you use?
M: Currently, Colgate sample-size packets, because I left my Arm & Hammer at a hotel last week.
T: I use regular-sized Colgate!

What's your beverage of choice?
T: Cold brew coffee!
M: There is a coffee shop in San Marcos, TX, that makes the very best cold brew in the continental United States. It is called Wake the Dead, and you should go to there to fully know our beverage of choice.
T: "Very best" isn't an exaggeration. We've been all over the country and haven't ever found another shop that can beat it. We welcome all challengers, because good coffee should be shared (and because, if there's better coffee somewhere out there, I want to drink it).

What's your favorite TV show?
T: I've watched Parks and Recreation all the way through at least four times.
M: All of my favorite shows are finished! I think my absolute favorite show was Over the Garden Wall. If you want to be whisked away by whimsy, please go watch it!

Star Wars or Star Trek?
M: I respect both for their own unique qualities!
T: I love them both. Sorry to cop out!

Taylor Swift or Ryan Adams?
M: Taylorallthewaylor
T: I'll say Ryan Adams just to be contrary!

Coffee or tea?
M: There is room in my belly for both.
T: Tea wronged me once as a child and I've never found it in myself to forgive it. Coffee's the only one for me.