Living Surf Guitar Guru: Jason Lee

I have always had a love of surf rock music; as long as I can remember at least.  The person responsible for giving me my very first introduction to this music genre would have to be my Uncle Mark.  I have a few memories of visiting him and my aunt when they were living in Huntington Beach, California in the early 1980's.  My memories are a bit hazy, as I was very young, and the memories are melded into two scenarios of how I came to know and love this style of instrumental guitar styling.  The first is hearing this music being played in the background (most likely on a cassette tape player), and the second is memory is of my Uncle showing my Dad a video of various surfers ridding waves with this music as a soundtrack backing.

Then there is my Disneyland experience.  Believe it or not Dick Dale, the king of the surf guitar, actually provided a track to be played in perfect symmetry with the dips, swoops and turns that make up the Space Mountain attraction at Disneyland. This sci-fi/surf rock version of "Le Carnival Des Animaux: Aquarium", written by Camille Saint-Saenes ran in the ride from 1996 to 2003.  I bring along my MP3 player and headphones and play the original track when I ride Space Mountain to this day.  I'm definitely not a fan of the "Incredibles" theme which now currently plays on the ride.

This leads me into my interview with someone I consider to be one of the greatest modern day surf guitarists alive.  Jason Lee!!  

(Photo by Tom Stratton)

I'm so lucky to have had several opportunities to see him preform live with his band Jason Lee and the R.I.P  as well as his other band The Black Tides while I was living in San Diego.  His musical talents are also paired up with an always very pleasant, friendly, and very easy going demeanor.  He has in the past offered classes on how to play surf rock which were an offered symposium at Tiki Oasis as well as created various tutorials online for fellow guitar enthusiasts (check one of his videos here). He also currently provides backing music to various television shows that air on A&E, Spike and the Discovery Channel. It's no wonder he has become such a staple and local celebrity to the Tiki subculture.  

Suz - When did you first start playing the guitar?

Jason - I must've been around seven years or so, and then really started taking it seriously when one uncle in specific was teaching me bi-weekly lessons and I never stopped after that.

Suz - Could you share your first encounter or first time ever hearing surf guitar music? 

Jason - That would be hints of solo's from The Beach Boys records being played....My mind lit up as a child when I heard a heavy reverb guitar lead.  I thought....."Man that is something different" 

Suz - When did you decide that you wanted to play this genre? 

Jason - Contrary to what fans might think..... I didn't play Surf music when I was young....I wrote it, but didn't perform it.  I played in numerous bands that were amazing to play with.  But, when I got home I was always writing Surf music and that kind of took over.  It wasn't until I recorded my first all surf EP that I completely switched over.

Suz - Who were your idols or icons that you looked to for inspiration when you first started playing and or still do currently?

Jason - Early on, flat out - Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits.  I had a VHS I taped of them off of KPBS when they played Brothers in Arms and at eleven years old I understood everything he was about.  I would go to school the next day and obviously no kid knew who I was talking about.  You can hear his style come out of me sometimes.....he's the reason I hold back on how many notes I play in a measure on songs.  Most surf guitarists can't wait to fit as many notes as possible, like an antsy thirteen year old on his first date. 

Suz - Do you have any favorite live shows or events you have played in the past and any future shows you are looking forward to?

Jason - We owe a lot to Tiki Oasis so there are many fond memories over the years, but opening for Davie Allen, special guesting with so many other acts and teaching my Symposium each year has been such a ride already.  I think all of it is just great.  We have a lot on our plate right now so we shall see where life takes us.

Suz - Do you have a favorite song that you perform and what makes it your favorite?

Jason - I love the song "Snake Eyes" that we play live.  It has such a fast energy and I get to solo in the live version.  The ending hits you like a ton of bricks if you see us live.

Suz - Let's talk about your trademark look.  How did your amazing trademark hairstyle come about? I must state too that you have an impressive collection of vintage western men's shirts! When did you being your collection?

Jason - My hair is thick and dry.  And it grows UP.  Its always been that way.  So in my late teens I just started adding product.  I have a fascination with second generation western show wear.  Colors that are way to bright and too many patterns to count are interesting to me.  I have a huge collection so they tend to make their way into all of my YouTube videos.  As the videos blew up in the early days of YouTube the shirts just kind of became synonymous with me.  A happy curse maybe?...

Suz - If you could come up with a beginners list for equipment needed to start jamming some surf tunes what would you suggest they acquire to do so? 

Jason - Any basic clean tube amp with a separate reverb unit will do the trick.  A Jazzmaster, Jaguar or Strat will do just fine for guitar.  Work on your right hand speed and don't over think what you are doing.  Start slow.

Suz - Having Dinoysus Records distribute and release your music this last April on LP and digital I know was a huge milestone; not to mention having a ceramic mug made in your honor to your likeness!  What are some other goals or hope you have for your music and the band?

Jason - I can honestly say the band is a well oiled machine right now.  Dionysus records has been great to us.  Lee pushes very hard for his artists.  We can't believe how many records sold last year worldwide and we can't thank the fans enough.  As far as the future, we basically wanna keep pushing the surf music genre to be bigger.  I feel that I am one of the ones that push the hardest to get bands respect in our sub-culture.  I want bands and players to work hard and make this a viable market.  We have a new album in the works on Dionysus with an added direction, and our side group,  The Black Ties, will always have an influence on the upcoming records.  We look forward to what the future brings us and remember, it's our fans that dictate our musical direction.  We listen every time someone speaks.  So speak up if you like something.  It will more than likely make the record.

If you would like to know more about Jason Lee and his band Jason Lee and the R.I.P. Tides please be sure to check out his website here.  If you live in San Diego, or nearby, don't miss out on their next show on February 20th at 9pm at the Cat Eye Club located in the Gaslamp District of downtown San Diego, California.

Till' Next Time,

Suz

Cherry Dollface: Vintage Vlogger Extraordinaire

I had a late start in learning how to do my make up and hair and am still working on perfecting my art.  Starting in junior high, I would ask friends and family for help in showing me how to do vintage and classic styles and to no avail I wouldn't get the look I had hoped for.  My mom was no help to me in this department as she, and many others like her in her generation, was raised on a beauty regimen of little to no make up and straight or "natural" looking hairstyles. This of course was not my mother's fault but rather the social climate of her time.

Luckily for me, something huge was developed in my lifetime.  The Internet! Along came many social sites set up for easy access to communication all at your fingertips. Granted the road to the Internet started as a slow process.  Remember how long it could take to be connected via an analog or telephone connection.  I can still remember how excited we would get when the computer finally connected and made that ever recognizable connected noise.  And don't even get me started on how long websites used to take to load pictures!

YouTube has become one of my favorite mediums to have come out of the development of the Internet.  There has been a surge of "vloggers" in the last eight years that have used YouTube to their advantage even making some people household names or national celebrities.  My favorite videos to watch however are online are tutorials.  There are so many available now on YouTube that it's almost impossible not to find something you are looking for to help.  This is where Cherry Dollface, as she is known to her YouTube viewers, comes into play for me.

I was ready to finally put my hot curler set to use (which I think was given to me in junior high, used once, and disregarded as I didn't know how to use them correctly).  This is when I came across Cherry's video tutorials on YouTube which offered an easy take on how to achieve the vintage and classic look I had yearned for all those years previously.  She also offers other videos on not just beauty advice, but recipes, DIY projects, self-esteem awareness, and mini videos on her traveling adventures and a glimpse into her family life. She also wears many other hats as a model, designer and spokesperson for Bomber Betty Custom Cosmetics, (check out her lipstick/lip gloss line here) and hosts many classes worldwide to help other gals learn her trademark beauty secrets to achieve the vintage/classic look. I had the honor of having Cherry style mine and my bridesmaid's hair and it certainly added to the magic that was my wedding day.  With all that said, I thought that it would be interesting to learn more about her so here is my interview with Cherry.

Suz - When did your love for vintage all begin?

Cherry - I learned how to swing dance when I was 14 and I went from being a card carrying punk rocker, to being a swing dancer. It wasn't really practical to wear bondage belts and doc martins when I was dancing, so I started researching vintage styles. It was all over from there!

Suz - Can you recall what may have been your early inspiration to achieve the vintage/classic look?

Cherry - I always loved Marilyn Monroe growing up (what little girl didn't?) and I always kind of wanted to be that sexpot-- but I am just a super goofy gal. So I tried to find my own style using the sexpot looks but the goofy personality.

Suz - Do you remember what your first hairstyle or "go to" look was when you started experimenting with the vintage style?

Cherry - A pompadour! I used to just wear a pomp with my hair down and curly. Or a bandanna.

Suz - When did you begin your modeling career and do you have any advice for beginners?

Cherry - It began on accident when I was at the Viva Las Vegas car show in 2005 and a photographer snapped a photo of me sitting in my truck. Had no idea he was even taking it! And then a few months later Ol' Skool Rodz emailed me and wanted to put it on their cover. It just kind of happened organically from there. My best advice is not to sacrifice your integrity. Especially if you are looking to be a pinup model-- there is no real long term career in such an underground style. There is no need to be cut throat or to sacrifice your morals for a fun hobby!

Suz - When did you decide to begin a YouTube channel?

Cherry - In 2012 a friend suggested I start a channel and I had no idea what I would even put up! But I always had girls asking me how I had styled my hair and makeup when I was modeling, so I just thought tutorials might be the most useful.

Suz - When did you decide to take the show on the road, so to speak, and begin live classes?

Cherry - In 2013 I did a local class in the summer with my friend Nikki and it was a super big success. At the end of that year I was asked to go to Australia with a company called Catfight Collections that sponsored my trip and classes. After that I just started putting the feelers out to see which cities would have me and it took off from there!

Suz - What has been your favorite places to travel to on your class tours so far?  Any places or destinations you are looking forward to going to in the future?

Cherry - Australia so far was my favorite just because it was so different and beautiful. And Australians are SO nice!! I also loved Portland (my home town), Chicago (which is where Bomber Betty is), and the New England Shakeup in Mass. was super fun! I am going back to that again this fall. I am actually doing the UK in June and I am insanely excited for that. The history nerd in me freaks out daily.

Suz - What has been the most beneficial thing to have come out of having your YouTube channel? If you had to put it into one sentence what would your overall message to your viewers be?

Cherry - Being able to reach girls and women all over the world. My main goal with all of this is to help girls be more positive, more accepting of themselves, and also kinder to each other. I want girls to know that it is isn't cool to be an asshole-- there are so many girls that do what I do that have a sort of elitist attitude and I am trying to reel that back. It is amazing that my channel has allowed me to travel and hug girls all over the world. It still blows my mind. In a sentence it would be "Don't be an asshole". Haha. And I mean that both to others and also to yourselves!

Suz - What are your goals for your channel and or career and what do you hope to see happen with it all in the next couple of years?

Cherry - I just hope that I keep getting to travel and meet all of the beautiful babes that follow me and hear their stories. If I can keep doing that, I will be a happy little clam.

If you would like to know more about Cherry please visit her website here. Watch and subscribe to her YouTube channel here.

All of the photos provided are property of Cherry Dollface and were used with permission.

Till' Next Time,

Suz

Salvatore "Tutti" Camarata

A few months back I was cleaning my house and caught myself humming the love theme, "For Now For Always" from one of my favorite movies "The Parent Trap",  music written by The Sherman Brothers.  I have a love for orchestrated music, especially soundtracks, and thought I should learn more about its' history and I stumbled upon Salvatore "Tutti" Camarata. Between the 1950's and 1970's he established, produced, conducted, and was head of Disneyland Records.

Tutti, as he was nicknamed by Jimmy Dorsey, began the roots of his music career during the big band era of the 1930's and 1940's playing the trumpet for Jimmy Dorsey.  He also had the opportunity to work on the Bing Crosby Show and was also an arranger for The Paul Whiteman band which happens to be the same band that Dave's Grandpa John Maloy used to perform in on piano and guitar.

In the 1950's, Tutti caught the eye of an executive for the Disney company and was asked to come aboard as their record label executive. He helped to produce such artists as Annette Funicello.  He is actually the responsible for helping her develop her voice as well as her trademark "echo" style of singing.  This helped push her into the spotlight not only as a Disney Mouseketeer but as a successful pop hit singer.

He was also responsible for introducing to Disney such voice actors as Sterling Holloway, who is better known as the voice of Winnie the Pooh and was integral in convincing Louis Prima to provide the voice for King Louie the Ape in The Jungle Book.

In 1960, at the slight suggestion from Walt Disney, Tutti opened his own recording studio Sunset Sound.  Aside from producing and recording all of the Disneyland records here, several bands and artists recorded here including The Beach Boys (as seen below), Paul McCartney, John Lennon, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, and the lists goes on.  This turned out to be a smart investment which still thrives today under the direction of his son Paul Camarata.

Over the years Tutti would continue to produce and release arrangements of some of his favorite classical orchestrated interpretations.  Below are just a few of these LP's with some amazing artwork. 

 With over eight grammy's to his name, several recordings,  and a successful production and recording company, Sunset Sound,  Salvatore "Tutti" Camarata's legacy for his love of music continues to provide inspiration.

I leave you below with another one of my favorite arrangement's of his.

Till' Next Time,

Suz

Christmas Time at the Maloy's

Aside from Halloween, Christmas is my favorite time of year to decorate.  I build up my decorations throughout the year finding more to add to my collection with many a thrift shop visit.  We didn't do much to the outside of the house other than adding some red bows to a few light fixtures on the house.  I was happy to put up my tiki Christmas wreath again this year.  I am in the works of creating another wreath which I hope to share in a DIY blog to follow soon.

Dave and I were lucky enough to have the opportunity to purchase a new, to us at least, Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree.  This one is so much more fuller than our other tree having 96 branches in total. Having more branches also allowed us to put more ornaments up on the tree this year.

The following are a few of our favorite ornaments on the tree this year.  Below is a moai tiki which was gifted to me a few years back, as well as a pink cosmic bulb which was a recent thrift find.

These vintage "Santa TV" and deer ornament were gifts from my bridal shower earlier this year.

Every year my grandmother gives me a new ornament for the tree.  This lovely glass Santa figurine was my new ornament for the year.

I also started a tradition of making a new purchase every year for the tree which will hopefully represent a major event for Dave and I.  I had some dumb luck finding this husband and wife glass ornament.  The photo of the ornament came out nicely with no flash.

However I cracked up at the effects a flash had on the grooms face!

Jack Skellington is once again adorned at the top of the tree in his annual reach for the Christmas tree star.

Behold the glory that is the color wheel!

A view of the living room.

Another view of the living room.

Below are some of the beautiful knickknacks I have scattered throughout this place. 

This lady was gifted to me from my dad years ago following a trip to Russia.  She is one of my favorite decorations to put out every year.

We have our vintage Christmas vinyl all ready to go at a moments notice.

 We found a nice place to hang our stockings since our house does not have a proper fireplace.  This ledge on the display case will do for now but I truly look forward to having a home with a fireplace someday.

My grandmother recently gifted me her "Hope Chest".  I am in love with this cedar chest and it will surely remain in the family for years to come.  It was a great spot to display my vintage collection of plastic and ceramic Christmas figurines.

The three kings once belonged to my great grandmother.  The wooden manger is a souvenir my grandmother brought me back from a trip to Jerusalem.  The angels are two new recent thrift finds.

The carolers and angels in the back are various thrift finds. The three elves in the front row also belonged to my great grandmother.  I found the two matching ones on the outsides thrifting.

We made sure to infuse some Christmas spirit among our tiki as well.

I only have a few decorations in the kitchen other than Christmas towels.  I found these vintage Santa mugs for 20 cents a piece earlier this month.

My grandmother also gave me this cute Santa which was made either by one of my uncle's or my dad when they were in grammar school.  It's another favorite to put out on display during the holiday season.

Below is the Portuguese version of Santa Claus, know in Portugal and Brazil as Pai Natal or Papai Noel.  Parents tell their children that it is Jesus who helps Santa with the presents. I love how every country has a different yet similar version of Santa.

I close with one last photo of our beautiful tree.  I simply cannot have enough photos of it.  It truly is mesmerizing to look at in all its gleaming splendor.

We hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season and we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Till' Next Time,

Suz