West Indian Girl

The night after seattle we played in portland at the doug fir lounge. this place is one of the cooler bars to play in on the west coast. It’s a bar/restaurant/hotel all in one. the decor and architecture is dialed in with a sort of upscale swanky lodge vibe. the food kicks ass and the stage set up is great. the promoter – i think his name was brent was really great – he was more than accommodating and brought us a deli tray from heaven . oh the people in the pic above are (from l-r) mariqueen, brent, randy, ryanne, robert, and s-man. our special guests backstage were randy and ryanne. it was really great that they came down to see us. randy works at Dakine and he brought us some more cool shit – check out their site Dakine.com they have a cool music section that i just checked out. nice review randy – how much do i owe ya…hahaha. randy, you now have guaranteed yourself back stage passes forever. that dude is dope. speaking of dope, note to self – don’t get high with the rest of the band – just stick to drinking miller “high” life (brent had 16oz cans in the dressing room believe it or not). as far as the show went i honestly don’t remember much. portland was the one show where i was a little too out of it. when we were playing i remember looking at mark lewis and laughing uncontrollably at how badly i was playing and then wondering why rob had stopped playing his guitar in northern sky. it was surreal. the portland crowd was tough too. so tough chris contemplated suicide. —F.TEN 2:27PM

I know these show reports are a bit late but hey, better late than never right? ok, a couple weeks ago in seattle we played a place called chop suey we opened for our label mates phoenix (in the pic above Branco is next to Chris and Deck is on the right) The show was unforgettable. one of the main reasons why it was so unforgettable was because it was one of the rare times we had the luxury of flying up to a show instead of driving. i understand from the s-man and chocolate (who drove our gear up 2 days earlier in the van) that driving a van pulling a uhaul trailer through a 2 day snow storm on I-5 wasn’t really relaxing or enjoyable. (by the way, that’s us in the airport on the left relaxing and having a great stress free time) anyway, not only was it our first show out of state it was our first show with mariqueen and our first show playing in front of a packed house. overall it went great. since the stage at chop suey was so tiny our actual stage set up ended up being pretty bizarre because we had to cram all of our shit in front of phoenix’s gear. it was tight and very awkward. even though we had no sound check i guess we sounded pretty good because the fans really got into it. we even did our first encore which was kind of unexpected…thank you seattle! as far as mariqueen’s performance went, well, talk about baptism by fire. given the fact that we had no sound check, it was her first show, and it was a packed house…she kicked ass. i think after the show when she was signing autographs it finally dawned on her how crazy this whole thing is going to be. in some sort of strange karmic twist however, she did end up breaking her purse, chipping her tooth outside on the side walk, and ripping the zipper off her jacket. hahahah the whole night was classic. we even sold our first men’s t shirt to Trent and the first female t to Misti (see below). it’s remarkable how happy they both look isn’t it? buy some west indian girl merch and it will make ya smile from ear to ear.

As far as phoenix goes, those guys were cool and yeah their show was basically awesome. That’s Deck, Thomas and Chassol with Mariqueen in the pic above. Seattle was seriously a ton of fun and i cant wait to go back. i also want to send a big thanx out to the opening band Mercir (above right). I had a chance to talk to them while we were selling merch. Those guys were nice and their cd is really good too…thanx Colin. Let’s do that show we were talking about!!!

We also got a chance to see dayna from astralwerks. now that was a surpirse cos i usually only see dayna at our shows in la. its’ always great to see dayna. dayna, we love you! the last 4 photos are (clockwise) dayna with mariqueen, rob with a fan (forgot his name, i’m sorry) mark-chocolate-rob- mariqueen, and chris with a fan, i mean groupie, i mean fan, i mean girl he just picked up, i mean nice girl he was just having a drink with.

—F. TEN 6:33PM

HA! I bet you almost forget..it’s been too long hasn’t it? Welcome back to the fourth installment of 10 with Ten with the one and only Mark Lewis of West Indian Girl. This interview (in classic Lewscious style) took way too long to finish – we started it back in October and finally finished last week. Conducted primarily at 2 locations – the texaco station on alameda in LA and back stage at our show in Portland, the “lewscious” 10 with Ten has been aged, pickled and served up to perfection so suck it up people.

1. Describe your role in the band? I play drums.

2. What special qualities do you bring to the band? I’ve played the drums a lot.

3. Have you ever been contacted by aliens? You mean besides the times when you call me up? And why did you want to meet me at this cafe in Roswell? All I can say without turning this answer into a novel is that I’ve seen things that I cannot explain any other way. Luckily, I was never alone. My friends and I share some crazy experiences.

4. You and your brothers own an ice cream shop in Cape Cod – tell me about it? Any chilling stories? It’s true, Lewis Brothers Homemade Ice Cream in Provincetown at the very end of Cape Cod. We make our ice cream right in the store, so it’s fresh. Most people probably haven’t tasted fresh homemade ice cream because they basically freak out when they taste ours. Most of the chilling happens before and after work. Well, that’s not totally true, I mean, we listen to reggae music all day long and make up flavors on a whim. We also work with local restaurants to create one of-a-kind flavors that can only be tasted at the particular restaurant. Rare flavor.

5. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate AND vanilla and many other flavors as well…a flavor for every mood, but you can’t go on the road without chocolate.

6. Are you looking forward to all of the groupies that are gonna be jocking you on tour? Yes, but don’t tell them that I’m a jockey.

7. Where did you have your first beer? The first time that having a beer was a memorable experience was when I was 11 or 12 and my friends and I would hike up the wash that leads into Sierra Madre Canyon. We use to get a six-pack of Miller High Life and hike up through the dam to a water hole that was usually without water. Back then a six-pack could get four of us pretty drunk. I don’t even know how we got the beer, but I think we got help from our older brothers. I had my first “legal” beer at the T-Bowl in Highland Park.

8. Since your job depends on you keeping a beat do you practice the rhythm method with your girlfriend? Practice makes perfect, right? I think perfection is a humorous goal at best. Fortunately, we have a good sense of humor.

9. What are you listening to lately- who are you favorite bands right now? Well, My friend Jerry DiRienzo and I have spent the better part of the last two years at Hot Pie music recording bands like Mere Mortals, They Walk In Line, Monster, Duchess, Languis, Whysall Lane, Ken Layne & The Corvids, etc. so usually I’m most familiar with the music I’m working on, but I ran into a friend recently and he gave me a c.d. of his band The Shakes. The record is called Gigantes Del Pop. The music reminds me of the garage pop/punk bands of the sixties, raw, energetic, and catchy. I get happy and sing along whenever I hear it, so that’s what I would play if I was half asleep and driving to work and had to wake up fast but didn’t want to feel bad doing it. Also, I got an advance copy of a new record from a band called Fairechild. This record is made of the stuff that puts the “classic” in classic rock; great songs, great musicians, unforgettable voices singing beautiful melodies and harmonies, and a sound so craftily produced that when I listen to it, I forget that this record wasn’t made 28 years ago. I listen to this one rolling on the open highway, unfortunately, open highways are hard to find in Los Angeles, this record can also take the edge off of being stuck in a traffic jam. I’m sure I’ll be hearing this on the radio in the near future.

10. Describe the last show you went to – did it suck? The last show I went to was the Air/Stereolab show at the Hollywood bowl and it did not suck at all. In fact, it was a great time. Before that, Coachella was a lot of fun. The Pixies ruled. Le Tigre was really fun to see live. I was pretty much right in front of the speakers for the Kraftwerk set and although they aren’t a very physical act, the music was great. I recommend seeing Space Pussy in Provincetown. They ARE rock and roll. If you want to touch the essence of rock and roll, you have to touch Space Pussy. And if you are lucky enough to see them play, make sure to stop by and say hello to my brothers and taste the best ice cream you will ever have.

Bonus Question. Who is your favorite bass player? Well, I was going to say Mike Watt or Robbie Shakespeare or Noel Redding or Paul McCartney or John Paul Jones or Bootsy Collins or Dave Allen or Colin Moulding or Tina Weymouth or Bruce Thomas or Charles Mingus or Carol Kay or Paul Simonon or Gene Simmons or Jean Jacques Burnell, or this guy with a bass in a gig bag that I met outside a studio in Atwater who asserted that he was a Motown studio musician/arranger and that he had arranged “Tears Of A Clown” By Smokey and The Miracles. He put the calliope in that song and it sucks that I can’t remember his name, but I would definitely say him or Gail Greenwood or Kim Deal or gosh, so many… but since you have a gun to my head, I think I’d have to say Geddy Lee.

um, not really the answer i was looking for ….anyway, Mark, this has been a surreal experience i’m relieved we finally finished this up. i’m glad we’re both gemini too.

photo credit for the live shots, the one and only marc goldstein—F.Ten 2:54am

how weird, my bad, but i just noticed our site doesn’t have an easy way (or any way for that matter) to get in touch with us. that has now changed…just email robert, chris, mark, mariqueen or myself at info@westindiangirl.com and i will make sure your letter gets to the right person. we love getting mail and we answer it all so come on… i know you want to…just do it! thanx, we look forward to getting close and nurturing potential stalkers. by the way – the comments that people have been leaving on the journal have been great – keep it up, i appreciate the fact that you read this stuff.

fyi – my tour updates and show reports are on the way. talk to you soon — F. Ten 5:17pm

mariqueen and i went to the employee party for the EMI people at the sunset room on thurs night. I gotta say, in comparison to the artists only party this was way better. A long time ago i vowed never again to go to the Sunset Room again but i’m glad i broke down and got over myself. They did it right — open bar from 7 til 11 and great great food! i was starving when i got there and had 5 glasses of champagne along with roast beef, sauteed spinach and some caprese salad. mariqueen, my official west indian girl rep/dbd(date-by-default)is always good to go. big thanx to brien terranova who helped get us in along with ray gmeiner for the inside scoop. it was a real chill time – i would also like to tell phil q, rebecca barkin, casey portland (i dont know your real last name) and kevin flaherty that we love them. seriosly, these people are genuinely great. so far everyone at the EMI/Virgin family that i have met have been really fucking cool – i expect to see all of you guys backstage at our next show….no excuses—F.Ten 12:15pm

hey, i’ve been getting a ton of phone calls and emails asking to get put on the guest list for the troubadour show in LA. just so you know, our list was filled up a while ago. i’m sorry if i can’t get all of my “friends” in – i hope u understand. if you really really want to be on the list and cant afford to pay then drive down to san diego and i will get u in to that show cos i have no friends there. in summation, i can’t get any more peple in to the la show so just pony up and pay the 10 bucks to see west indian girl…we’re worth it. and if u really really really want to go and have no cash then just find me and i will give u 10 bucks to get in.

this leads me to the topic of blocked numbers. who ever the fuck keeps calling my cell with a blocked number please stop. seriously, stop stalking me. please listen to me — i’m not going to answer the call – just unblock your number and i will answer. it’s really simple- don’t be afraid of unblocking your number…what are you afraid of?

i would also like to say hi to adam yoser who just cracked my back and adjusted my spine. thanx adam i put u plus one on the list for the la show;) …F TEN 1:50pm

For all of u fans out there getting ready to bootleg the shows up north grab your pens cos i’m gonna give you our set list. The core set revolves around 6 songs (if we are opening) and 9 (if we are headlining). The main set is still lost, trip, miles from monterey, hollywood, northern sky and what are you afraid of. the other 3 songs that we will work in if we have time are green and 2 new ones called indian ocean and i hope. we’re all really psyched about how the band has been sounding. our new singer mariqueen maandig is really a perfect fit for the band – as far as vocal style and personality goes she’s working out like a dream. we’re flying to seattle on the 7th and playing that night. what a riot this is going to be. chocolate and s-man are driving our gear up in the van on sun and monday. oh yeah, we finally have t-shirts for sale at the shows. i have to go pick them up today. thanx hadi and thanx marcee too!

so what else? well, we have been rehearsing every night from 9pm until 4am. i have been running around in the day time trying to sort out my rig – which is almost complete. all you bass heads look forward to a journal entry on that topic soon. i’ve been getting amps fixed, basses tweaked and trying to find some cases for all the shit. it’s finally coming together. perfection is within reach. tone tone tone.

oh yeah, shit – gotta give a shout out to chris carter’s bro mike. Mike Carter hooked us all up with sunglasses the other night. his company is called Electric and i’m pretty fired up about the pair i got… tight. everyone got something different. check it out….hmm i actually just went to the web page and it’s still under construction. i guess you will have to take my word for it. i will post some pics of us in them when we get back from tour—F.TEN 11:20am

the one night we had off from rehearsal this week was yesterday. it also happened to be the night that vigrin throws its los angeles xmas party. this year it was at a place called “guys” in west hollywood. (go figure, a bar named guys in west hollywood…gee, that’s a creative stretch) anyway, compared to last years grip and grin fest this one fell short. i think the food was better but last year’s vibe was better, maybe cos it was at the chateau marmont which is always a cool place to throw a party. no one in the band showed up except for mariqueen who served as my DBD (date-by-default). you couldn’t ask for better company. if i had a dime for all the times i caught some guy checking out her ass…

i think the best part about the party was rebecca from virgin catalog who greeted us at the door and told us she loved the record. she was so nice and made our night that much more enjoyable. overall the party was was ok for what it was … mostly a sausage fest but free food and drinks. i think liz phair’s boobs walked by me, i saw bonnie raitt and met melissa auf der maur. we were out of there by 11:30. after the party we went to see sondre lerche and the golden republic at the troubadour. these guys are also label mates. i missed the golden republic but did see the end of sondre’s set. very very good – is it me or is 90% of sondre’s fan base comprised of sweet little innocent indie girls. thanx for putting me on the list dayna!

for all of you wondering what mariqueen looks like, well that’s her on the right with her best friend vivi.

i ate a western bacon double cheese burger from carls jr at 4:30 in the morning – oh man – i couldnt resist but was payin for it in the morning…F.TEN 5:46am

i finally got around to watching the movie “eternal sunshine for the spotless mind” tonight. why i waited so long to see this movie is anyone’s guess – it was great. the thing i liked best about it was the fact that it triggered a host of personal memories — mostly bad, but some good. i thought about a few moments in my life that i would never want to erase from my memory just for the sake of easing the pain associated with getting over a relationship. those few moments are sometimes the peak experiences of life – the moments u only dream of happening. they’re moments that you know when u r having them that they are indeed special and deserve to be savored because of their fleeting nature. these moments (good and bad) are the moments and memories which can make you’re life feel like a movie. y would you want to loose the memories that transport you back to a time and place where you can see, smell, and feel so vividly. these kinds of memories are hypnotic when u think about them. these are the moments that should never be lost. memory pain removal would basically destroy my soul. it’s this type of memory that fuels life and pushes the creation of new thoughts and new ways of coping, dealing, feeling and creating. anyway, if i could relive the 3 days i had in st barths this year i would be one pretty happy man but i actually cant even think about those moments cos it will make me extremely sad – but i want to think about those moments cos it was one of the best times of my life hmmm… conflict. bittersweet — the theme of west indian girl.

so, how does one deal with this problem of thinking or not thinking about a past lover – there is no answer – maybe the moral of the story is just that there is a time and place for all your memories (good and bad) to be experienced — anyway check out this link to Lacuna Inc i thought it was pretty funny. the movie also made me think about vanilla sky which has a great soundtrack. the original version was cool too – abre los ojos. this whole topic has now reminded me (for some random reason) of a great line at the end of bladerunner when rutger hauer says while he’s dying.

[Roy:] “I’ve seen things, you people wouldn’t believe, hmmm…. attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.I’ve watched C Beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate.All those moments, will be lost in time like tears in rain…”[“… time to die …”]

classic — go rent bladerunner now — 2:40 am F. TEN

i just watched the movie “midnight express” – boy that will teach you a lesson about trying to smuggle hash out of turky. damn! that was a true story too.

shit, it’s been a few days since i posted. and plenty has been happening. we have been rehearsing almost every day trying to get ready for the upcoming shows in seattle (chop suey) – portland (doug fir lounge) – and san fran (popscene). check out the club pics in chop suey and portland!!! cool shit. this tour is going to be fun. check out the tour section of our site for more info. after san fran we go to san diego (canes) – anaheim (chain reaction) and back to los angeles (troubadour) the shows up north look really cool though. i have played canes before when i was in another band and it’s cool cos you can walk right out on the beach. that’s always a winner. the anaheim show is going to be funny cos i guess we are opening for a beatles tribute band. haha that should be a riot. i love cover bands more than anything. seriously i do. in seattle, sf, and sd we are playing with a great band from france called phoenix – it’s an honor to be opening for them since it’s their first time in america and they are only playing 10 shows here.

on a sad note it also looks like we will be playing these shows without angela who has since moved on. i wish her well cos she was a really cool person to be around and i am going to miss her. as far as the new back up singer goes, well that will be another journal entry.

speaking of another journal entry, i cant wait to show you all pictures of my new bass set up. i bought a new amp and i’m getting some kick ass road cases made. this guy i met at the anaheim show owns his own road case company and well, one thing led to another and yesterday he was at our studio taking notes and getting quotes. this rig is gonna be so kick ass i cant wait to write about it. i’m gonna have pics for this one too. oh yeah, to top that off i bought some emg pickups for my jazz bazz and took it over to my guitar repair guy john wescott to install. seriously my sound is close to perfect. i think only other bass players can understand what i’m talking about now.

well, it’s thanxgiving now. hmmm i’m hungry and have no friends that invited me over for dinner. well i did actually but these friends live either out of state or like 4 hours away by car. so that sucks cos i’m hungry already. hmmm holidays alone, no girl, no food, no nothing…just tony and this journal. hmmm at least i’m not dying – i guess i am though – every second you live you die. i’m really hungry now. someone please call me and say ” come over, i’ve got something tasty for you to eat” that sounds nasty but seriously – someone call me.

by the way, i would like to thank all the people that have left comments on my posts. i’m glad you write – it makes me feel loved and after reading the paragraph above cant ya tell i need it. 3:29 am — F. TEN

so we played at this place called the hotel utah saloon in san fran last night. the club was tiny and had an upstairs that over looked the stage. (check out the gallery and u will see). anyway, let me start off by thanking the band minipop who we played with. the girls in this band were really cool – they even asked us if they could help move our gear. these chicks were rad. yeah there was a problem settling the cash after the show which i think contributed to one of the guys in their band copping an attitude. i’m not sure he was aware he was being an ass but he was. take it for what it’s worth – was the crap we both got paid worth the attitude you gave me. nope.

anyway, where’s my tampon? let’s talk about some of the hi-lites of the evening. the first had to be when i walked in the club only to discover they served miller high life on tap. how fucking cool is that. there’s only ONE bar in la that serves high life and its really not that cool of a place so i dont hang there. so the girl serving me drinks was named KT and she was not only cute but really really sweet. she made chocolate, sman and myself margarita shots at the very end of the night. very good stuff and thanx for that second hug.

the second but very best part of the night was when max showed up. max does pr for sports and movie people and she kicks ass. i love her. she and chocolate got along so well. they have similar minds and i’m glad they met cos it was all a good time. those two were sitting there laughing the whole night. thanx for going max you’re the best, woman!

the last picture is of this dude i met outside the van when we were loading up. his name is art and i promised him i would put him in my journal. art is kind of like rambo- he’s a marine amphibious warrior who got honorably discharged from the war in iraq. i think his whole jeep thing was blown up. anyway, this guy was cool and was preaching peace. i might not agree with the war but i’m never going to not say thanx to a veteran or soldier that goes off and fights for the country. (I KNOW, I KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THIS WAR IS REALLY NOT ABOUT PROTECTING OUR COUNTRY AND WAY OF LIFE – YOU STILL GET WHAT I’M SAYING) veterans are veterans and should be given the respect they deserve for putting their lives on the line so we can go fuck off around the world playing music and not getting all freaked out thinking someone is going to run out of the next bar we go into and try shooting us. ok san fran – see you in a month. —F. TEN 5:45am

the show in los angeles was at the troubadour on monday — it really was the best show we’ve played to date. funny thing is i dont have that many pics from the show. probably because i was so busy running around. you see, we had to leave the next morning for san fran and it was a pretty hectic day. i think 20 people called me to get put on the list. too bad i couldnt get you all in, actually too bad i couldnt get any of you in. anyway, to see the real good pics of the show check out the gallery of shots taken by our one and only favorite french bastard marc goldstein. he was there snappin away and took some kick ass shots. hmmm, i should do a 10 with Ten with marc. good idea, look for that in the future. this picture on the top left was in the dressing room at the club before we played. all the usual suspects are in this. my friend mr google took the band the other picture- we’re behind the club after we loaded up (were actaully loaded up ourselves). from left to right is carter(i got him those sunglasses somewhere i cant remember for 5 bucks – they look so dumb they work on him), mark, rob, kurt (cool director that wants to do a video for “what are u afraid of”) gilles (my best and coolest friend from rome!!! ciao froccio) and s-man. just the laughs we had while we were kickin it in this alley were worth a million bucks. i was so happy to have my freind gilles in town. he is one great guy – and a pure gentleman. he taught me more italian while he was in town – seeing gilles brings back some terrific memories of my vacation there a year and a half ago. we had some great times partying in rome together. i mean, u just cant imagine the trouble we got into while at his hotel. the aleph – check out this link right now. i drank mojitos and listened to moon safari on the roof top terrace every night of my trip. sono strafatto. ok, back to la – so the la show was great we sold some cds and made some fans. all good stuff but it’s la and you can never be sure if your freinds clap just cos they’re your friends, but shit, what r friends for anyway. oh yeah – i met my election day backlash emailer face to face. this guy, let’s call him D for short is one really nice guy. I signed 3 cds for him — he made the trek all the way up from OC. keep sending me cool links to read D i look forward to them!—F.Ten 4:18am

hey, ever wonder what a rider for a band like us looks like? it’s not really that interesting at this stage of the game. i’m really trying to get some champagne added on to the rider…..as you know “when u say no to champagne you say no to life” (anyone figure out what movie that’s from yet?) in the end our rider doesn’t really mean shit cos most clubs just give you what they have. this means never getting fiji water, drinking what ever beer they have behind the bar, and eating what ever food they have in the kitchen. i think we get the most use ouf of our rider when we use it to wipe our asses.

1- Case of bottled water (Fiji is preferred)

Ample and continuous supply ice, cups and napkins

that’s great- the loaf of bread part and the use of the word “ample” —F.TEN 7:15pm

Yup, I’m back! The 3rd installment of 10 with Ten with the coolest men’s clothing designer around. Jade is one bad ass mother fucker. This interview took place at Howe Homme – his new retail store and lifestyle space in Santa Ana, Ca. Check it out and learn how style is born.

First off let me say we all totally love your stuff – on any given day one of us, if not a few of us, are always rockin a piece of Howe clothing. Rob is always wearing one of your dress shirts, Carter is always wearing your jeans and t’s and I love playing shows in those black low rise pins. It’s all sick stuff. Jade, your line is effortless, cool and distinctive. Ok on to the questions.

1. I know people can read your bio on the site (howedenim.com) but in your own words tell me a little bit about your vision or what you are trying to do with your clothing line? I want to level the playing field for guys. Fashion isn’t just for women. In fact not only are we creating fitted tailored clothing for men, were doing it in a way that appeals to women. That’s the goal, to get the compliment, that nod of approval, the hand on your shoulder for an extra second adoring the soft tactile feel of Italian yarn. That’s my job. To bring them in close. It’s up to you to close the deal.

2. What are some of the craziest techniques you have used to distress denim ? Taking my 66 dodge charger with a 427 hemi to Erwindale speedway and dragging the jeans around the track at a hundred a twenty mph, then finishing them off in the winners circle with a burnout!!! see below.

3. In your opinion what is the current state of affairs in music today – What are you listening to lately – and who do you hate listening to? Not to sound like my father, but turn that shit down! There’s a lot of non inspired filler out there right now. To much me too. Record companies have lost it. They only pursue profit. Talent is secondary to the made for TV pop star! Of course that just makes finding the good stuff more rewarding. My life revolves around music, it’s a huge part of my inspiration. What am I listening to? Beside West Indian Girl, I’m in a retro faze right now. Nina Hagen, Bauhaus, Murder City Devils, Circle Jerks, and Adolescents, Balanced with some Johnny Cash, Mars Volta, Interpol, Peaches, and Kinky. I don’t listen to anything I hate. I’m not a big fan of Hip Hop

4. How do you manage to have so many hot chicks working for you? Talent isn’t just limited to designing my friend. I love my job……..

5. Howe many times a day do people try to make dumb jokes out of your last name? what’s the best one you have heard? You have know idea Howe many times a day people get clever with my name. It’s an endless flow of, Howe would I say, randomness. I mean Howe can I put it into words. The best one I’ve heard lately…… My panties; Howe did they get over there?

6. If you could compare your clothing line to any band past or present who would it be? The Felonious Priests. Better know as a morph of early Stones, Bauhaus (peter Murphy) and Interpol set in a theatrical rock opera!

7. Are there any designers that inspire you? Where do you get your design inspirations from – do they ever come to you in dreams? I admire a lot of designers. Heidi Slimane, John Galliano, Andrew McKenzie to name a few. My inspiration comes mostly from interaction with people and nature. Sometimes just the way a girl or guy is rocking an outfit can spark a creative revolution. Mostly I look to women for inspiration. When I need all the madness to gel, I go for a surf, that’s when the true clarity comes. Some of my biggest sellers have come in a dream. I’ve actually learned to dream with my eyes open! That’s Howe dreams come true…..

8. Are you offended that I take the expensive t shirts u give me and cut them up? Fran you can cut as many of my 40 singles Peruvian cotton, massaged with virgin olive oil imported from Italy and rolled in goose down till there butter soft, hand grinded by spiritually enlightened Buddhist monks, and finally flown first class round the globe for that worn just to perfection fit, as you want.

9. Describe the last show you went to – did it suck? West Indian Girl acoustic set in my living room. Needless to say I new someone who hooked me up with front row tickets. It was fucking smooth!

10. What other bands have you rolled out the red carpet to besides us and can west indian girl pose in your next catalog? Some of the musicians we’ve dressed are Steven Tyler, Mars Volta, Franz Ferdinand, Flaming Lips, Orgy, Hot Hot Heat, Hooba Stank, Radio Head, 18 visions, Likin Park, Farell Williams, Usher, Queens of Stone age, Cold Play to name a few, but you guys are the only ones I have rolled out the red carpet for. Your special……….. Yes you can!!

Thanks Jade, this was by far the most intelligent 10 with Ten to date.

Maybe i should stop interviewing musicians like chris carter – only kidding fool…F. Ten 11/9 2:30 am

so i caught some flack (in the form of email) for my election day post. at first i was like “who the fuck is giving me shit” but then after hearing his well thought out and well written email i can, believe it or not, understand why this person said it was an example of “religious intolerance — bigotry”. for the record, my “venting” definitely could have offended some people…especially if these people were evangelicals. for example (this was in the email) “imagine a conservative using (exchange the terms) liberal black Baptists or Jews in place of evangelicals.” that’s actually a good point because if they did i would be calling them bigots. I have since become friends with the guy that sent me the email. we have emailed back and forth a few times and i must say the dude knows his shit –i would never want to meet him in a dark alley for a debate….that’s for sure. anyway his email continues “Who’s out of touch? Post 11-2, Wash Post, NBC & Newsweek (Howard Fineman) noted Bush isn’t a lefty/lib, but he understands them. I don’t think Kerry or many liberals can say they understand conservatives (I saw on TV an ABC reporter Carole Simpson was incredulous people voted for Bush… it was rather telling… and ditto for the Maureen Dowds (NYT)…. they are pretty insulated from much of America. Ditto Hollywood.” again, these are pretty good points. it’s true that democrats dont understand mass america and in a strange way not only can i say the republicans are out of touch but the republicans can also fire back at me with the same exact comment about the dems. he also sent me link to an article about how free speech costs. i found it a good read and you should check it out. As far as my comments about bush being an idiot he told me to “grow up” – on that point we have to agree to disagree cos i still think the guy’s a dope (kerry’s just as much of an idiot as well — just a different shade of idiot. anyway, lessons learned francis ten – probably should have given it a bit more thought before i spouted off like i do when my football team screws up and looses. in the end it’s not worth venting my political views on my band’s site cos it might hurt my sales with the evangelicals and most of mass/middle america. west indian girl does indeed love you all and is definitely looking forward to playing shows in the south – remember that! ok i’m gonna go drink a high life and make my picks for tomorrow’s football pool. go vikes! — (spoken like a true liberal politician)F. Ten 2:34am

great time in costa mesa last night. we played a bar called detroit. i have heard about this club for a while and it did indeed live up to my expectations. i really didnt have that many expectations though but the guys that own the bar couldnt have been nicer to us. i want to thank them for feeding us and making us feel at home. we will come back and play any time you want! plus the stage sound was great. oh yeah this club gets even more props for letting me bring tony in for a while. anyway, this was definitely our best show to date. felt real, felt good. i drove down with chocolate, s-man and rob. i don’t like ridin shotgun. i like either driving or sleeping in the back. i actually did take a nap before the show. i brought a sleeping bag and a bunch of pillows from our studio so the back of the van was pretty plush. tony and i took a nice after dinner nap there. when i woke up the bar was pretty crowded. when i walked in i was still a bit grogy. i hit the bathroom first and when i was taking a piss some guy was staring at my dick. weird, i was so tired i didnt care, but that sort of stuff would get his ass beat in some states…then again it might also get him laid at some rest stops. he kept telling me he wanted to show me his genital warts. that’s fucking gross isnt it. ok, after that bathroom incident i saw the crew and grabbed a beer and went back to our little reserved seating area. starting to see some of the same faces at our shows which is always a good sign. jade howe and esmerelda were in the house. i also met a really nice woman who bought me drinks. she claims to be an heiress that owns an island. hmmm (scratches head)….can u say island bitch boy. i’m calling her – i could go for a little vacation – what’s the worse that can happen — i get laid and get a tan? sounds horrible. anyway here is the pic low down 1. rob and jade after the show 2. chocolate thunder and rob in the living room of the cargo van 3. tony waiting for us after the show (listen, i talk about tony alot – get used to it cos he is my best friend) 4. who’s the real dog in that picture? hi esmerelda! —F. Ten 11/12 3:33pm

well right now i need to introduce you to some peripheral members of the west indian girl team so that when you hear me refer to them you will have a clue as to why i’m even talking about them or why they are even around. the first is chocolate thunder – he happens to be acting as our spiritual advisor/motivator. chocolate is a great guy and is destined to become suge knight without all the crime and prison stuff. he’s the man and is doing a great job helping us all out thus far. the s-man and marcos are also great guys. they are both techs with the s-man more of production coordinator and marcos more of a drum/percussion guy. they also help move and set stuff up not to mention drive. i slept on the way down to this show but drove on the way back. night driving is my thing. in case you havent guessed, the first picture is chocolate and pic 2 is the s-man. you can see a pic of marcos in the journal entry called “unannounced party that you missed” — F. Ten 11/8 2:30pm

yesterday we played in santa ana at jade howe’s store. jade is a great clothing designer. check out his line howedenim.com. anyway, jade’s store, called howe homme is not only a store but also his home (funny how adding an “m” changes that word). so the place he has is basically a fantastic loft. check out the pics below and keep your eye out for the next “10 with Ten” cos i did one with Jade last night. ok, on to the show – this was officially our first acoustic show! we set up on the top floor of his space and played 6 songs with a real stripped down sound. rob was playing electric/acoustic, chris was playing a moog, i played an old vox bass that sounds like an acoustic, mark played a snare and some percussion, and angela played a harmonica and sang. by the way – if you have been reading my journal you know you can see pics from the show in the photo gallery. i’m not really posting pics from the show in here so just go to the gallery. anyway, it was a cool vibe – i think the ability to play our songs in this way will be a nice thing for fans to check out because even though the songs remain the same (ahh zep) the vibe and interpretation is totally different. watch for us at in-stores and radio stations cos this is the way we’re gonna be playing the songs in those situations. let’s see, random other notes about the show, well, i drove my landcruiser down and served as the cargo van for this trip. i brought tony so he got to go on a few walks. it’s great bringing tone along to the gigs. he’s dope. that first picture was taken right outside the store. the second pic is of angela and chocolate – i really like this pic of us 3. as usual, lot’s of women at the show which is always a plus. i dont think there can ever be too many women at a show. that’s patty in the pic to the left, she works for jade and she is awesome! hey patty i’m sorry i haven’t emailed u yet but i’m gonna and i can’t wait for you to take measurements of my favorite t-shirt. jade had the gig catered so there was also great food. all in all u really couldnt ask for a better place to kick back and play your acoustic set for the first time. it was a comfy gig…F. Ten 11/7 5:30pm

who can tell me how the movie “Fallen” ended? – denzel washington was in it. james “tony soprano” gandolfini was also in it (with a handle-bar moustache no less). anyway i started watching it at 4 in the morning and i fell asleep with a half hour left. before the movie i was watching the discovery health channel. ever see a show called “life’s little miracles” if you havent you should. that shit will make you start crying like a baby. call me a little girl but something about that show really gets to me. i think it’s the simple way of how they present pain and grief that makes it so gut wrenching. i’m telling u – watch this show by yourself and if u dont start to cry then you might as well go apply for a job with the grinch next month. i dont really cry much – it’s not something u can control but i think every now and then it’s good to let it out. anyway, i’m at my friends todd’s house now – eating some kick ass food he just made. todd rocks the kitchen. today’s menu: red trout and red snapper broiled with a lime and ginger marinade on a bed of fluffy white rice with sliced cherry tomatoes on the side. fucking tasty damnit.  tony and kai were together again. — F. Ten 11/7 4:14pm

we played at the house of blues in anaheim yesterday. REMEMBER you can check out all the pics from us playing live on the photo page – if it’s not up soon it will be. i just dont want to post them here cos its kinda like posting the same pic over and over again right? anyway, strange times at disneyland. it’s weird down there. i felt like i was in another state. this was actually our first “real” show at a proper club on a proper stage. at we had no monitor mix or sound check so in some regards it sucked ass cos when you have shitty sound on stage you can’t really get into it that much. and when u cant get into it u not only feel lame but u look lame. it sux not getting a sound check but sometimes that shit happens and you have to make do. all in all it went well and chocolate thunder made sure we got treated right. since the house of blues is right next to disneyland it draws somewhat of an odd crowd. one moment when i looked out into the crowd i felt like i was playing at a huge applebee’s restaurant. before the show all of us (except rob who was sleeping in the van) went walking around handing out free tickets to the show. i gave these 2 kids free tickets and they were pretty stoked to get them. they stood in front for the whole show and really seemed to like what they were hearing for the first time.

if u guys ever read this come out to our next show and say hi – i wanted to thank u for watching the whole set. you guys rock. on a side note i literally bounced off of a girl with huge tits when she gave me a hug. seriously i bounced off of her. um, if you’re reading this and still have my number give me a call. thanx.

here are some pics of the kids i was talking about above. check it out. it was really funny that someone actually took those 2 other pictures of them watching the show. strange coincidence. when i saw the pics i was laughin, like “holy shit, there are those 2 kids! —F. Ten 11/5 5:45 am