Thievery Corporation (Interview)

Thievery Corporation appears in Behind The Lyric Episode 16. I am inspired by the way they integrate their social consciousness into their music. Here are some highlights from my conversation with Thievery Corporation.



1) Background & Working Together:

"Once we started working together, it opened doors to really express ourselves musically....and try to forge our own sound".

Unlearning Your History....

"That's kind of where the real fun comes in....you can see things for what they really are".

Respecting Opinions....

"In the studio, it's good when you have two...if half the room doesn't like it, then maybe you're not really going down the right road. Especially if you respect the others opinion".



2) Connecting With The Lyrics...

"I might want to choose my words carefully and say something you yourself feel is important".

"A band like Rage Against The Machine makes more sense to me than kind of just listening to people who are just about like 'Dance your cares away and put your ostrich head in the sand....'"


3) Warning Shots & Radio Retaliation

"About the control of many by a few...and who are the few...."
"Keeping people in a prison of fear and ignorance"

4)Alternative Views:

"We found the alternative theories were often times the most plausible....the people in the mainstream are not really telling us anything worthwhile. It's kind of an upside down world"



5) Meaning of Amerimacka...Meaning of Truth & Rights:

"It is a paradox. The capital in our hometown is built by slaves. What is freedom?"

Music & Censorship:

"We did an anti-war concert in D.C., and a person who used to work at the IRS told us 'if you do that, you will be audited', and two weeks later we were audited."

"Music is potentially really powerful, and that's why MTV exists...to not have interesting Artists with any sort of impassioned message take the airwaves."

"In the hip hop world...lyrically what's happening is just so cut off from what it originated as."


6) Why have live vocals on stage?

"People kind of crave that human connection....We've seen enough DJ's...we've been part of that culture for a long time".




Find Thievery Corporation online at www.thieverycorporation.com.

Glow Stick Garden

Winter is in full force, and there's lots of snow everywhere. I love the fresh air, and crisp starry nights. Even when it's dark and cold, I try to find things to do outside! Here are pics from some of my recent winter activities:

Glow Stick Garden:

I received a gift of glowsticks from a friend. We decided to light them all up at once, and arrange them in the dark in freshly fallen snow. Thus, we made a 'Glow Stick Garden'!! Unfortunately, we forgot that cold air makes glow sticks stop glowing...so our lovely garden did not last long. This is a picture of it before it faded away.

Niagara Falls:

I took a snowy tour of Niagara Falls in late December. The Falls are on the border of the United States and Canada, and are made up three parts. On the American Side are 'American Falls'. The 'Horseshoe Falls' straddle the U.S./Canada border, and look like...well...a horseshoe. The Falls were formed by Glaciers, and in addition to being beautiful to look at, they provide hydroelectric power for the region.

Me and my new friend....

You can sort of hear the falls in the video below. They were very loud in person. 600,000 gallons of water rushing over per second!




I couldn't get to the Canadian side on this trip, but I found a picture online of Horseshoe Falls....does anyone remember the scene that took place here in Superman 1?















American Falls At Night:
















American Falls In Daylight: