Wednesday, July 23, 2008

The Agenda's Poorly Drawn Interview Uncut


PHOTO: PDP's Chief of Security, Petey Wheatstraw, removes rabid fan from stage at IndieArts Fest. (click to enlarge)

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Last weekend, dem Poorly Drawn boyz were privileged to play at Providence's first annual IndieArts Festival (details can be found in the entry below). The promotional ramp-up for the event included an issue of The Agenda (an arts & culture newspaper that bills itself as "Providence's Only Free Sporadical") dedicated to all things IndieArts, including profiles and interviews with the performers.

Because the volume and force of the wind that he expels could carry Columbus to the New World, PDP's Storm Davis took up the task of answering The Agenda's questions. Also because the crew was on one of their weekend-pseudo-tours at the time of the interview (in Washington DC with producer/bane-of-our-existence Entity), and everyone else was far too inebriated for such tasks.

Barrels of ink costing what they do these days, The Agenda only printed excerpts of the conversation. For posterity's sake, we present to you: the unedited PDP transcripts.

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** Taken from interviews with Corey Haim (Tiger Beat, 1986), The Jonas Brothers (Teen Beat, 2008) and an interview with Molly Ringwold, (Time, 1986) ** Taken from interviews with Corey Haim (Tiger Beat, 1986), The Jonas Brothers (Teen Beat, 2008) and an interview with Molly Ringwold, (Time, 1986)

What color are the lead singer's eyes? One brown, one green, one blue.
How many groupies do you let hang out with you after shows?! The four most special-est. And/or, thousands.
Do you believe in vampires? We believe in ourselves.
What do you do to prepare before going onstage? How do you prepare for seeing us onstage? That's the question worth answering. It must be a staggering task. We don't envy you. Except for the part where you get to watch us. That must be awesome.
What's a typical day like for you? Like swimming in an Olympic-sized pool full of gold dubloons.
How long does it take you to do your hair? Depends on whether condoms are used.
Do you have any fashion tips for your guy-fans? Do we ever!
What kind of perfume or scent do you like on girls? PDP.
How did you come up with your band name? Won it in a legal battle from Badly Drawn Boy.

Here's another set of questions. This is a chance for you to voice a response to some of the things YOU see in Providence, in your own words, however you see fit. Please answer a MINIMUM of three to four questions – if you want to tackle more, go for it. Again, one person in the band can answer, or you can divide it up, or you can all provide input – however you see fit.

Here's the questions about Providence:

1.) Is there a lack of diversity in music venues in Providence? NAH.

2.) What are some of your favorite bar/music venues that have gone, and why do you miss it/them? Club Babyhead, The Met Cafe. CUZ WE KEEPS IT REAL.

3.) Do you think gentrification is a real problem in Providence? We don't so much think as we do feel, to conserve our logic reserves for the aftermath of The Rapture.

4.) What are the essentials to making a city culturally viable? Larger culture receptacles. Less places without these receptacles.

5.) Do you think that Providence is the "arts city" that it promotes? We think the "arts city" that Providence promotes is Snug Harbor.

6.) If you could ask the Mayor a question, what would it be? How often does he wear that Storm Davis t-shirt his aide bought at SoundSession last year?

7.) If you could add one new state department to city government what would it be and what would it do? The Department of Getting Our DJ, Sterbyrock, a Sexy New Girlfriend & Parks.

8.) How do you think the music scene today compares to six years ago? More technology, less techno.

9.) Should new condos be developed on the waterfront in India Point Park and where the Old Shooters is, or should the waterfront be a public space? 9.a) Does the city need new condos? The hippie in me says 'a public space,' but right now I'm more concerned with reporting to the authorities that I just got roofied and rogered by a hippie than I am about condo development.

10.) Graffiti:"art" or "malicious destruction of property"? Malicious Property Art.

11.) Has Downtown changed for the better? Since when? The 80s? Hell yes. Since yesterday? Status quo.

12.) Preservationists: "stuck in the past" or "vital contributors to developments within of the city"? "should wear more hats like the Pilgrims did"

Thursday, July 17, 2008

PDP Live Under The Sun @ IndieArts Fest!


Come check out the first PDP daytime show since... well, since before they were PDP, I think. But who has time to remember such things? There's hungover bargain-hunting hipsters to be humored by, in the hot summer sun, no less. Hide your beers in your bike water bottles and head to downtown Providence for mid-afternoon Poorly Drawn

The IndieArts Fest looks to be shaping up huge-style, so we'll just give you the basics of the festival and our set and you can peep the flyer or their website for more info.


Saturday July 19 2008
POORLY DRAWN PEOPLE
(Storm Davis / Reason / Dox / DJ Sterbyrock)
2:00pm - 2:45 pm
performing on "The Fringe Stage"
Burnside Park @ Bank of America City Center
(adjacent to Kennedy Plaza)


The First annual IndieArts Fest celebrates independently produced art, music, performance and locally sourced goods and products. Entertainment will include live music and DJs, burlesque, spoken word, experimental dance, and a compliation of films & film shorts accompanied by on-site improvised sound environments.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Another PDP Kitten Image Manipulation.



We're Poorly Drawn People, and we approve this event.

Cozy Music presents
The 121PumaGirls (Carla & Lara) in
CATS LIKE COZY // COZY LIKE CATS
or, I Can Has A Deejay Night???

Wednesday July 2 2008
LOCAL 121
121 Washington St
Providence RI
21+ | FREE | 10pm-1am

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Picture Of An Octopus.


Alright, all. It's Monday. Time to start thinking about the weekend. Reflecting on the one just passed, and planning for the one just a few days ahead. Let's get moving:

Thanks to all of you who joined the Poorly Drawn family at Local 121 on Saturday for Dox & DJ Save1's monthly old school extravaganza. Naughty By Nature marathons, obscene dance moves, and cake for Reason's birfday, plus the usual gang of glassware housing the devil's potions, once again added up to a rousing success. It's a lock for a good time, so mark the date for next month (July 12). Don't worry, though: we'll remind you. But you probably guessed that already.

"But what about this weekend, Storm Davis? What should we do?? We haven't seen PDP perform live in weeeeeeeeeeeeks!!" you say. Or, in the case of quite of few of you, in A LONG F.CKIN TIME. So let's do Friday night together. Come on, don't be nervous. We'll be gentlemen. Probably.

INDEF*ART presents The-Day-Befo'-Its-Officially-Summer-Jumpoff***

with performances by
POORLY DRAWN PEOPLE
(Reason / Storm Davis / Dox / DJ Sterbyrock | www.poorlydrawnpeople.com)
LABELESS ILLTELLIGENCE
(Cas Uno / Esh the Monolith / DJ Al-Bums | www.labeless.net)
90 SEVAN
(www.myspace.com/indefart)
BRZOWSKI
(Portland, ME | www.milledpavement.com)
OUTWRITE
(New Hampshire)
JOTS ONE
(www.myspace.com/jotsone)

AS220
115 Empire St
Providence RI
Doors 8pm / ALL AGES
OPEN MIC from 8-9pm
Six Dollars


Hope to see you all there. Rumor has it that PDP will be going on in the late part of the evening, after 11 sometime.

Any questions, hit up stormdavis [at] gmail.com and let your concerns pour out everywhere. I'll mop them up & mail the towel to AskJeeves.

alright alright alright,
SD | PDP

Thursday, June 5, 2008

No Cocaine, Dummies.


PDP's Dox & DJ Save1 of Spit Personalitys keep hipster-hop alive in the guise of the mid-nineties and beyond, spinning those old school, underground, and local tracks that make you feel like you're in on the joke nobody else gets.

The ever-appealing 121 staff slangs beastly beverages while your favorite local slangsters politic and pound under the gaze of stained glass, praying that it doesn't matter to whatshername that their pants are way bigger than that unwashed gent in the corner. Oh crap, he threw up. That shit is gross.

Saturday June 14
DOX & DJ SAVE1
Local 121
121 Washington St
Providence RI
FREE - NO COVER
21+ / 10pm

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

The PDP Brooklyn Invasion.


Hello, Brooklyn. And surrounding boroughs.

We never get to chill anymore. So let's fix that this weekend.

On Friday night, June 6, Strange Famous Records fams Prolyphic brings along your man SD to rock the artspace/loft venue Asterisk in Brooklyn. And of course, where SD goes, so go the Poorly Drawn People brethren, who in turn posse up selected staff & entourage (and pizzas), and before you know it, NYC is short mad parking spaces.

Admission to the show is $5, it starts around 10. I've heard different things about what goes down at the space, all sound dope, but you'll have to come check it for yourself.

Any further questions, or for road trip details, hit me up at stormdavis@gmail.com

Monday, June 2, 2008

PDP’s Shoot For The Stars gets 4/5 Rating from UrbNet.com!

Poorly Drawn People
Shoot For The Stars, Hit The Ceiling

4 out of 5 $$$$$

As Labeless Illtelligence emcee Cas Uno points out on his drop for this mixtape, the most recent of many from Poorly Drawn People, "y'all are some seriously depressing motherfuckers." Going on my one and only impression of the group, Storm Davis's Kegstand Poetry for the Recovering Alcoholic, and the title of this mixtape, I would likely agree, but what they offer up with Shoot for the Stars, Hit the Ceiling shows a completely different side of this five man crew.

The production from Dox and Entity is mostly upbeat boom bap that results in great beats like the countrified "Hooked on Symphonics," the fun posse cut "Fatbackburners" and the bass-drenched "Poison Propaganda." PDP emcees Reason and Storm Davis (and sometimes Dox) put these instrumentals to good use in a variety of permutations, including group tracks, duos, solos and a bunch of different posse cuts.

There are many impressive verses throughout. Sure, it's a lot of braggadocio along with a pair of sex raps (one from each emcee), but there's also a small selection of message-based tracks covering dirty cops ("Cops & Crooks"), revolution ("Let the People Know") and counteracting mindless rap ("The Vaccine"). The crew's fifth member, Sterbyrock, stops by to drop a shout-out along with some turntable manipulations. This is the Poorly Drawn People that I'd like to hear more from.

Download it for free at http://www.sendspace.com/file/c89fxz.

[Thomas Quinlan]

Thursday, May 15, 2008

PDP / Vast Aire / C-Rayz Walz - Friday 5/16


The infamous and rather legendary Rhode Island hip-hop promoter Mortal celebrates the 10th anniversary of his company, Basement Flavor, with a show at The Living Room in Providence featuring headliners & ex-Def Jux crazies Vast Aire (of Cannibal Ox) and C-Rayz Walz!

PDP's supastar-smear-campaigner & posse-haver Reason hits you with a solo set of Gemini slang, DJ Sterbyrock makes the noise you hear between and behind the acts like only he can, Storm Davis displays his fresh new set of emotions and lack of patience doing the host thing, and Dox lurks about the fringes making you worry about your ladyfriend's allegience.

PDP fams Labeless Illtelligence catch third-headliner status behind the big Jukie duo, plus Sneaky Pete and Marshall Law set off the evening.

Sounds like fun.

Friday May 16 2008
The Living Room
23 Rathbone St
Providence RI 02903

VAST AIRE (of Cannibal Ox)
C-RAYZ WALZ
LABELESS ILLTELLIGENCE
REASON
SNEAKY PETE
MARSHALL LAW

hosted by STORM DAVIS
sounds provided by DJ STERBYROCK

doors 8pm | $15 | ALL AGES

Monday, May 12, 2008

Thanks to you... PDP wins BEST HIP-HOP ACT in the Providence Phoenix BMP!



The winners in the 2008 Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll were announced today, and thanks to all of your hard work and support,
Poorly Drawn People (Dox, Storm Davis, Reason, DJ Sterbyrock & Entity) was named BEST HIP-HOP ACT!

Something to keep in mind when reading the attached article (from this week's issue of the paper):

While our rampant egomania causes us to never pay mind to those who criticize our process of making music,
and won't allow us to change our style to please anyone, forcing us to stay true to ourselves (and thus, "don't give a shit what anyone thinks"),
we truly do appreciate and love each and every one of you who've helped us achieve what we have. Never doubt that.

A special thanks to the other nominees: Labeless Illtelligence, Prolyphic, Chachi, Need Not Worry, and Jon Hope.
Google them shits immediately and go listen to some of the rest of the best hip-hop music Providence has to offer.

peace, love, and thanks,
PDP

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Poorly Drawn People — Dox, Storm Davis, Entity, Reason, and DJ Sterby Rock — are crafting an aesthetic, and monstrous reputation, for the best damn hip-hop around. Davis, the de facto spokesman, attributes their success to a variety of factors, but one element in particular: "Ninety-eight percent of it has to do with the fact that we actually, sincerely don't give a shit what anybody thinks," says Davis. "Don't get us wrong — we love validation, praise, applause, and whatever else people want to give us. But if we're happy with it, we don't care what anyone thinks."

PDP met through mutual friends in the area hip-hop network. "The more time we spent together, the more respect we developed for each other," says Davis. "Every time we played, I would get wowed. We thought about it: among us we could have four teams of one, or one team of four. That's how we came together." And the union grows more potent and effective each time they open their mouths. Their latest mix tapes, including Shoot for the Stars, Hit the Ceiling and Nothing Stays Gold, have been flying out and signs point to some serious success. "There's no shortage of good feelings about ourselves," admits Davis. "People wonder how you can fit this many gigantic egos into one room!" Many in the hip-hop arena feel that, despite those expectations, PDP is knocking on a special door. "We really want to be put on the field with the best, to see how we measure up" says Davis.

So what is PDP looking for? "Right now, time and money are the only things holding us back."

— Bob Gulla

The original article can be found here: http://thephoenix.com/BMP/Providence/HipHopAct/

Friday, May 2, 2008

Hipsters Welcome.



Come join Dox & DJ SaveOne of Spit Personalitys for some old and older school tunes on Saturday, with the Providence's Phoenix-approved Best Bartender in the building and a bevy of the finest local talent swigging suds on the fringes.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

PDP's DJ Sterbyrock - FREE LIVE MIXSHOW!


For those not in the know, PDP's DJ Sterbyrock hosts the highest-rated and most respected underground hiphop radio show in the Ocean State, with a hell of a webcast following to boot. Flanked by mouthpieces Swerve One and Reason, Ster keeps boom bap alive and shines light on the latest and greatest talents to grace the streets of RI each Wednesday afternoon from 3-6pm.

On the airwaves it's 90.3 WRIU FM, on the net www.wriu.org.

Take a taste with a FREE DOWNLOAD of today's mixshow!

TODAY'S MIXSHOW FROM 90.3


Dj Sterbyrock - 90.3WRIU 4-16-08 hosts Reason & SwerveOne

DOWNLOAD.


BURN.


LISTEN.


ENJOY.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Shoot For The Stars, Hit The Ceiling.


On September 15, 2007, Poorly Drawn People unleashed a free CD sampler/mixtape called Nothing Stays Gold on the masses. (FREE DOWNLOAD available here)

Frankly, we weren't expecting much from the 25-track compilation of new and unreleased songs; it was just a way to give you a taste of how PDP would sound in our new, streamlined incarnation, and let you know that we were still around between albums.

Six months and 600 copies and over 4000 downloads later, we couldn't be happier with the reception. New England embraced the release and is still giving us love for it, and we've gotten response from far-off lands like Eastern Europe, Colombia, Ireland, the Phillipines, and a mysterious nation called Pascoag, all saying they wanted more.

Since you asked so nicely, we put down the Jack bottles for a couple of weeks and cobbled together another 24 tracks that will hopefully creep out your car windows as they roll down for the first time this spring, and keep us in your ears as we retreat to the PoorlyDrawn Cave to finally finish off the next round of albums for you.

So, on Saturday April 5, we present to you: a new, absolutely FREE CD sampler - SHOOT FOR THE STARS, HIT THE CEILING, two dozen new joints from REASON, STORM DAVIS, DOX, ENTITY, and DJ STERBYROCK, with collaborations featuring Cas Uno and Esh from LABELESS ILLTELLIGENCE, Strange Famous Records' PROLYPHIC, AL BUMS, AMS UNO, and more!

Come down to the Living Room in Providence on Saturday April 5 and get your FREE copy of Shoot For The Stars, and check out performances from our peoples from near and far: Esh The Monolith of Labeless Illtelligence (performing material from his upcoming LP The Oddventures of an Eccentric Super Hero), Northampton MA crew The Problemaddicts (those who saw them rock with us on March 6 will tell you: don't miss their set!), Antfarm Affiliates from Connecticut, and Ax Butane & DJ Janks from Conscious Insanity, plus some surprises if time allows. Hosted by the inimitable Swerve One & the Creme Prince himself, Need Not Worry, and brought to you by our sponsors, AplombClothing.com, Muirphoto.net, Knowmore.org, and Classsick Screenprinting (logos below for brand identity reinforcement. CUZ THAS HOW WE LIVIN).
Photobucket
It all goes down:

SATURDAY APRIL 5 2008
THE LIVING ROOM
23 Rathbone St Providence RI
ALL AGES // doors 9pm // $10


There will be BRAND NEW Mens & Womens PDP TSHIRTS for sale at the show!

***THIS WILL BE THE LAST SHOW THROWN BY PDP
UNTIL THE RELEASE OF STORM DAVIS & DOX's Robot Rock & Necktie Blues THIS SUMMER!!!!!***