Sunday, December 22, 2013

The 700th Entry Pheaturing Phile Alum Brian Sumner From The Sumner Brothers


Hey there, everybody, and welcome to the 700th entry of the Phile. I am your host, Jason Peverett, star of the new movie The Desolation of the Phile. Seven hundred entries already. It was only back in March when it was my 600th. Man, I'm just flying through these things. So, how are you?  Okay, let's start with a depressing story. Depressing for one person. A Florida woman who was beaten by a man during an attempted rape decided to give her assailant a choice: Either face criminal charges for his actions or sit at a busy Tampa intersection wearing a dunce cap and holding a sign that read: "I beat women. Honk if I'm a scumbag." Her decision has caused some controversy among women's rights activists who feel that it "is trivializing a serious issue." There was another story on the news about a sexual assault at a busy mall, and they're telling women to shop in pairs. No mention of hey guys, stop raping.  Harvard researchers may have figured out how to reverse the process of muscle aging in mice, according to a new study just released. Using a chemical that seemingly rejuvenates muscle tissue, the scientists essentially transformed the mouse equivalent of a 60-year-old person's muscle into that of a 20-year-old person's, however with no improvement in strength. This finding could eventually have benefits for humans and human-mouse hybrids. I'm going to keep aging, for old-times' sake. Haha. Only a few years after the Mormon Church made a huge financial push to convince California residents to vote for Proposition 8, thus altering their state constitution to ban same sex-marriage, a federal judge has stricken down a similar state ban in the hugely Mormon state of Utah. Same-sex marriages licenses began to be issued immediately after the ruling, though opponents are seeking some way to stem the tide of people being happy.  The U.S. government has decided to start killing barred owls, in the hopes that a decrease in the numbers of the invasive species in Northern California will help the survival chances of the spotted owl, which is headed toward extinction. It's politic-owl correctness run amok! Here's a fun fact... When they rotate their heads 180°, owls are preparing to wow you with their Jack Nicholson impression.  A Taiwanese tourist fell off a pier on Port Phillip Bay in Victoria, Australia Monday night after becoming so focused on the Facebook feed on her phone that she literally lost all sense of self-preservation. She was pulled from the water by a police boat but, because her phone was destroyed in the water, was unable to update her status until she got to a computer.  As a diehard Nashville fan, I think I know a thing or two about what's behind the decisions country music stars make. So when Martina McBride announced that she'll be the most recent act to cancel a show at Sea World in light of the Blackfish documentary, I knew it wasn't really about supposed abuses perpetrated by Sea World against orcas. I knew it was about her struggles to balance having a family and a career, and her concerns about aging out of her target demographic, and her on-again/off-again relationship with Deacon. Okay, fine, it was also probably about Blackfish, a documentary that exposes the abusive way Sea World treats killer whales. Among other artists who have canceled since the release of the film are Willie Nelson, my favorite band Barenaked Ladies, and Trisha Yearwood, which has put pressure on Sea World to respond to the film's allegations in a meaningful way. But more importantly, OMG "Nashville's" mid-season finale, you guys!  So, there's a lot of new movies out I want to see and one of them is American Hustle, especially when I saw the poster for it.


I mean, Rocket Raccoon's in it!  Christmas is a few days away, but there's a problem at the North Pole. I didn't know about it until I saw it on the news.


So, who remembers that "The Snowman" cartoon that was based on a book? I was reading it the other day, the book, not the cartoon, and there was a scene that I don't remember. Check it out.


Look at them having so much fun.  I am wearing a Beatles t-shirt, and I wondered if the Beatles ever celebrated Christmas as a band, and I saw this...


That's so cool.  Okay, so, all through December I have been showing you some creative Christmas ads. Here's another one.


It says "Try to be good, at least with colours." It's for Omino Bianco washing powder. And now, from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is...


Top Phive Things If The Story Of Christmas Took Place On Facebook Part 3
5. Mary used the app Full Term - Labor Contractions Timer.
4. Baby Jesus added Born July 2, O A.D. as a Life Event to his timeline.
3. Mary added 60,000 photos to the album Our Little Savior.
2. An Angel of the Lord shared an article from Buzzfeed - with A Bunch Of Sheperds.
And the number one thing if the story of Christmas took place on Facebook...
1. A Bunch of Sheperds checked in to Bethlehem.




If you spot the Mindphuck email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com. Okay, let's see who started pushing up daisies. There's a few of 'em.




Al Goldstein
Jan 10, 1936 - Dec 19, 2013
He created Screw magazine, and he had an 11 foot tall middle finger statue in his yard. American hero? I say yes.

Ronnie Biggs
Aug 8, 1929 - Dec 18, 2013
Isn't every train robbery pretty great?

Ray Price
Jan 12, 1926 - Dec 16, 2013
We're slashing Prices for the holidays!

Harold Camping
July 19, 1921 - Dec 15, 2013
The obvious choice here is "Camping Out", but I'm going with "So long, Nutjob."



Christmas is just around the corner, and you might be trying to figure out what to buy for your loved ones. Well, I'm here to help once again. Everyone loves hot tubs, but not everyone has a good place to install one. Enter the LifeSmart Easy Access 90, which you can set up just about anywhere, including your backyard, your patio, or your sunroom. You can even bring it to a friend's house or take it on a road trip. The hot tub is also easy to inflate. Once the spa is standing, simply fill it with a garden hose and turn on the 900-watt, thermostatically controlled heater, which maxes out at a relaxing 104 degrees. There's no better way to escape from your day-to-day grind. Plus, the Easy Access 90 includes a massaging bubble system with 90 air jets, so you can soothe your aching muscles in luxurious warmth.


You can buy it here: amazon.com/Lifesmart-Easy-Access-Jet-Inflatable/dp/B002ULC276. Alright, it's Sunday, and you know what that means. It's time to talk football with my good friend Jeff.


Me: Jeff, welcome back to the Phile. its the 700th entry, Jeff!

Jeff: Normally it's great to be back on the Phile, but today it's an honor. 700 blogs is an amazing accomplishment. We have to plan something big for the 1000th blog which will be here sooner rather then later.

Me: If I make it that far. But yeah, if I make it to a thousand entries, we will plan something big. So, before we talk football, I have to ask you something. I saw a picture of you dressed as Santa... I have a picture of you as Santa here.


Me: Was that fun and what was that for?

Jeff: The picture of me dressed as Santa was for a work event. You know how malls have Santa for kids to meet with, well Petco had Santa for a photo opportunity for cats and dogs with Santa and I got to be him. It was a lot of fun. Except one dog was a little too excited and peed all over the place. Luckily not on me, but I still had to pick him up right after so I am sure there was some pee still left. But I had fun.

Me: I've never been Santa, do you think I'll make a good one?

Jeff: I think you would be a good Santa!

Me: Thanks. Okay, football... any news this week?

Jeff: As far as news for the week, the biggest star of the week had five touchdowns. Kansas City Chief RB caught four balls in the end zone plus ran another one in. I mean that is incredible when you think about it. I think he had more yards then some teams last week. Like the Giants who got shut out! Sorry, it needed to be said! There are a lot of rumors going around about coaches who in just over a week will be unemployed like Giants coach Tom Coughlin and Jets coach Rex Ryan. Tough times in New York Football that's for sure.

Me: I know, the Giants lost to 23. I was bummed. That's embarrassing. And yeah, Coughlin is done I think. Alright, how'd we do last week? What are our points do far?

Jeff: Lori and I went 2-0 last week, but Steelers won and Eagles lost. So I gained a point. Jason, I have no words to describe your season. In the last 5 weeks, you have won one game. You might want to think about lower scores next time!

Me: Hmmmm. Yeah, I guess you are right. I suck as much as the Giants do. Alrighty, this week's picks. I say 49ers by 10 and Ravens by 5. What do you and Lori say?

Jeff: My picks are Denver by 7 and Dolphins by a point. And Lori's picks are Bengals by 3 and Jets by 1.

Me: So, what are your plans for Christmas, Jeff?

Jeff: Lori and I are driving to Connecticut to spend the day with my family. It will only be the second Christmas I'm home since 2000!

Me: That should be fun. I'll be working for the first time in my Disney career. Have a good one, Jeff, and I'll see you here next week.

Jeff: See you next week for the final week of the season!



The 29th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club is...


Phile Alum, friend and author Jim Korkis will be a guest on the Phile next Sunday.




Okay, today's pheatured guest is one half of the Canadian duo The Sumner Brothers, and is also a Phile Alum. Their latest album "I'll Be There Tomorrow" is available on iTunes and it is great!! They'll be next appearing at The Royal Room in Seattle, WA with another Phile Alum Will Kimbrough on January 9th. Please welcome back to the Phile... Brian Sumner.


Me: Hey, there, welcome back to the Phile. How have you been?

Brian: Been great. Busy as all hell, but great none the less.

Me: Okay, before we start I have to tell you that your new album "I'll Be There Tomorrow" is my favorite album in a while. You guys must be proud of it, am I right?

Brian: For sure. No more or less than anything that we've done in the past. We feel like we managed to capture an aspect of who we are on this record and that's all we aimed to do so we're happy.

Me: There's not one shitty song on the whole album. How long did it take you to record the album, Bri?

Brian: We recorded the bulk of it over a two week period up in the mountains around Merritt B.C. then we sort of chipped away at the overdubs and mixes over the course of the next year or so. It took a little longer than we would have liked but it was a busy time for us with our tour schedule, etc.

Me: For readers that don't know, who is in the band?

Brian: My brother and I are the songwriters, guitar players and singers. For this record we had James Meger on bass and Mike Ardagh on drums. Derek DiFilippo did all our engineering and was responsible for several of the overdubs and post production, etc. Mike and James have moved on and now are rhythm section consists of Leon Power on drums and Joseph Lubinsky Mast on bass.

Me: So the Russian is not playing bass?

Brian: Ha. Naw… although he's performed with us several times since.

Me: Last time you were here you didn't have a drummer.

Brian: We have several different versions of the band, duo, trio (with acoustic bass) and the full band with drums. It just depends on everyone's schedule what version a fan might see us with. We're more than happy with this arrangement because each ensemble affords us the opportunity to express ourselves in a different fashion.

Me: So, who did the songwriting mostly for the new album?

Brian: My brother and I split the duties.

Me: There's a cover or two on it as well, right?

Brian: There are two if I remember correctly, Arthur Crudup's "That's Alright" and Townes Van Zandt's "Colorado Girl".

Me: I love the song "Lay You In the Grave". Who is the female doing backing vocals? She's not your sister, right?

Brian: That is a lady by the name of Michelle Scott… a beautiful singer… we actually we're hoping to get her on some more stuff but it didn't quite pan out.

Me: So, Brian, how long have you both been working together in the band now?

Brian: Going on 8 years.  

Me: Like the Phile. Do you ever go off and do your own shows?

Brian: Bob has been doing that for a few years now. It's something I've been meaning to do but just haven't got around to.

Me: Ever think about working on your own project?

Brian: I think what you're going to see over the course of the next couple of years is a solo album each. We have too much material that isn't getting out there to our fans. I have an album coming out sometime in the near future that deals with a divorce that I recently endured and Bob's will likely come out shortly after that.

Me: As I said before I could never work with any of my sisters. Have you two gotten along pretty much all your lifes?

Brian: Oh yeah. It's been tougher in the band but we seem to get a little better at it each year. Just knowing when to pick your battles is the key.

Me: Which one if you is older?

Brian: I am by three years.

Me: I wanted to ask you last time you were here but I don't think I did, on your past releases you have a photo of a dapper young man playing a guitar. I have a picture of it here...


Me: Is that anybody you know?

Brian: That's our grandpa. He was a big band jazz guitar player. Four times the musician we'll ever be. That image has become our emblem if you will... and serves as a sort of inspiration for us.

Me: Is he still alive? I bet he'll be proud of you guys.

Brian: Long gone. I hope so. His career ended abruptly when big band jazz fell out of favor. He ended up having to work 2-3 jobs at a time for the rest of his life to support his family. In some respects we feel like we're picking up where he left off.

Me: As far as album covers go, I like the look of the new one. Who came up with it?

Brian: We've been with working with the same artist for several years now. His name is Jeremy Crowle… an ultra talented artist from this area. He's worked with Metallica and Mathew Good. No slouch.

Me: And what is the meaning behind the album name "I'll Be There Tomorrow".

Brian: There is none… just a name… it's a line from the Townes cover "Colorado Girl".

Me: The Sumner Brothers are from Canada, right? What part?

Brian: Correct. We're from a small beach/border town about an hour south of Vancouver called White Rock.

Me: Are you guys planning on coming all the way down to Florida to play?

Brian: Haha… not any time soon... we'd love to but we have a few other things on the radar first…we're planning on taking our first trip to the U.K. within the next year or so.

Me: I just listened to the album "In the Garage 2 - Your Last Chance" and realized you did a cover of Toots and the Maytals' "54 46". I had Toots on the Phile twice, and I was gonna ask him what those numbers meant but he didn't wanna talk about it. Do you guys know what they mean? I think they're jail numbers or something.

Brian: It's been a while since I looked into that but I'm pretty sure they were jail numbers… might explain why he doesn't want to talk about it... ha.

Me: Are you guys big Toots or reggae fans?

Brian: You bet… "Toots Live" is one of my favorite records. We've seen him a bunch of times in Vancouver… still one of the best live shows going.

Me: I was thinking, you guys could record a killer version of "I Just Want To Make Love To You". What is your favorite version of that song?

Brian: Haha… what a great idea… Etta James… if there's an Etta James version of any song it's gonna be my favorite.

Me: So, what's next for you guys? Any new projects you are working on?

Brian: All kinds of stuff... we have a cover song record coming out in the next couple of months then another studio album next September and likely my solo record will come out just after that... and a ton of touring.

Me: Thanks for being here and please come back again soon. Also, work on "I Just Want To..." LOL. Go ahead and plug your website and take care. Keep up the good work.

Brian: Thanks, Jason. Here's the plug... Sign up for our mailing address on our website and get a free song - thesumnerbrothers.com.

Me: Thanks, Bri, and Merry Christmas. Come back soon.



There, that about does it for this entry. Thanks to Jeff Trelewicz and Brian Sumner. The Phile will be back tomorrow with A Peverett Phile Christmas 5 Pheaturing Zach Davidson and Burt Thomas Overdrive from Vendetta Red. Then next Sunday it's Phile ALum and author Jim Korkis. Then on Monday the last entry of the year with musician Mark Lassiter. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Here's to another 7oo entries. Yeah, right. Haha.



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