The Cocker Spaniels

The best songs on Sometimes You've Gotta Fight... are imperatives. "Steal My Guitar," "Touch My Hair," "Gimme Back My Red Pen." I don't think that this is all an accident. Many are driven to make music, for internal or external reasons, but few are as lucid about the power of the art form to change minds and forge relationships as Sean Padilla, top dog in The Cocker Spaniels. The band's music is cute and fluffy on the surface, but it can sink its teeth into you and cling ferociously, like at least one other example of the breed I can recall.

Padilla's home-recorded aesthetic and his generosity of melody reflect his admitted Guided by Voices influence, but his crack musicianship and theatrical flourishes come from a different place entirely. The Cocker Spaniels remind me of Queen sometimes, and I'm not just saying that because of the witty "We Will Rock You" boot stomp-and-hand clap break that elevates the arrangement of "Cousin Ben." Piling on layers of expertly performed instruments and as many details as the limitations of the recording allow, at its most majestic Sometimes can sound like an orchestra of all rock instruments. As a one-man project (with guest stars), Padilla doesn't try to make each track sound like a band performing a song all the way through on stage. Musical surprises and quick turns abound.

The obvious but seldom flashy instrumental chops do a good job of keeping the listener from getting complacent. This goes hand in hand with the lyrics, which are thought-provoking yet straightforward; some sound like proverbs. A sensitive soul, Padilla is forever in internal conflict. He's a talented, indeed brilliant, songwriter who deserves to be heard and discussed, but at the same time he's a humble, retiring sort who can't stand selfish people ("Help and Hassle"). He's cursed by the intelligent man's struggle. He knows he's a better musician and a better writer than most (how can he not? he's awesome!) but he's loathe to go around bragging about it.

Let me brag for him. There aren't a lot of songwriters anywhere who can directly communicate their own experience so simply and so effectively. Cocker Spaniels take on uncomfortable topics like bad sex ("Practice Makes Perfect"), racism ("The Mercy of Mechanics"), an artist's angst over originality and authorship ("Red Pen"), and the bailout economy ("The Overeducated Underclass") in a straightforward, journalistic manner. Padilla doesn't editorialize too much, sticking largely to his emotions in the moment and allowing the listener to draw their own conclusions. If he has a weakness it's that his instincts as a musical perfectionist sometimes clash with his lyrics, leading to rhyme schemes here and there that are a touch too pat and precious.

Padilla is better at writing about his own unique experiences than finding new words to describe emotions shared by everyone. His song about the bond between he and his old roommates ("Bromance on 29th") hits home way more than any of the actual romantic numbers on Sometimes You've Gotta Fight. "Thicker Than Blood," with its corny acoustic-and-bongos intro, can't avoid the sappiness trap -- that's OK, Tommy Lee couldn't write a good song about a baby either. The record is so wide-ranging, though, that often it responds to possible criticisms before they can even be made. "Anchor City" has a backing that's way too cluttered and busy for the desolate setting, one of the few cases on the album of lyric and music not clicking together. But then the closer, "Postcard from Exile," returns to the same subject matter and absolutely nails it. Touches of rhumba and Latin horns in spots indicate that Cocker Spaniels have bravely brought in guest musicians to expand their sound out further rather than reinforcing what they can already do well. Padilla's very high singing voice might seem a little too cute here and there, but those who feel so need only listen more closely to the words.

Unquestionably, the best record this year that you can get free with cookies. - Big Western Flavor

On July 27, 2010, Hornbuckle Records is releasing Sometimes You’ve Gotta Fight to Get a Bit of Peace, the brand-new, highly anticipated album by Austin, TX one-man indie rock wrecking crew The Cocker Spaniels. Over three years in the making, this new CD, a masterpiece with a whopping 18 songs – each and every one a soon-to-be classic – could well be the one that blasts head Spaniel and master musician Sean Padilla into the stratosphere, alongside such not-dissimilar artists such as TV on the Radio and indie legends Guided By Voices.

A while back, i emailed Sean to ask how his record was coming. I knew he’d been working on it for a long time and was getting anxious to hear it, being a massive fan of his last CD, the brilliantly-titled Withstand the Whatnot. He sent me a slew of tracks to listen to. This was probably a year or more ago, and he’s been tweaking it ever since, including having it professionally mixed and mastered. I have to say, the album in the form that i heard was insanely good. Then several months ago he sent me a new version, which sounded even better. It is unimaginable to me that the final version could improve upon Sean’s already masterful-sounding recordings and great mixes, and yet all indications are that it will in fact be exactly that.

Now you must understand here that The Cocker Spaniels is not Steely Dan. Their albums are not pristine, cold, surgical affairs devoid of soul. Although the sound is always crisp and clear, with everything in its right place spatially and frequency-wise, the heart and soul of this band is decidedly lo-fi. Not lo-fi in the sense that they were recorded on crappy boomboxes, or even four-track cassette recorders. Rather, it’s the DIY spirit of the things that recall the absolute greatest Guided By Voices records such as Bee Thousand or Alien Lanes. When you hear this music, you don’t think of some guys in a basement with a couple of crappy Radio Shack dynamic mics going into a consumer-grade stereo tape deck. What you hear is this: a young man with more talent than you can ever possibly imagine anyone on Earth having, absolutely driven (i mean truly, awesomely hell-bent for leather here) to make some damn incredible, original music, almost entirely by himself, a la early Todd Rundgren, or Stevie Wonder. And that frenetic energy is captured perfectly. No, the sound itself is actually pretty spectacular, especially considering that he did it all on his own in various apartments and spaces, without any sort of budget or outside producers.

If you don’t believe me, go and grab one of the mp3 versions he has up on his site for free. Right now, my personal favorite is a tossup between “The Overeducated Underclass” and “Cousin Ben.” As with almost all of his tunes, they are catchy; nearly overloaded with hooks that keep going for days (earworm alert!), featuring intimate-yet-intensely-fun lyrics straight out of real life and brimming with just the right kind and amount of crazy irony, laugh-out-loud stories, and all the joy, anger, and sadness to be found in the spectrum of the human condition, all performed with a passionate zeal and fluidly-jagged precision that will simply leave you reeling. Listen for some serious Frank Zappa chops in his playing, too. The guy can play circles around just about anyone, on virtually any instrument. (Prince who?) While you’re at it, grab some songs off his last record, since it’s out of print (for now), and a fantastic piece of work in its own right.

And yesterday, he started taking preorders, at a mere $12 a pop (that includes shipping anywhere in the U.S. – overseas orders are also available). Although he’s almost certainly sold enough already, the first 150 orders come with a special handmade “making of” zine which is sure to be a serious collector’s item when this guy hits the Big Leagues, which should happen at some point in the months following the aforementioned 27/07/10 official release date. (So get in on this one and hope for the best, because that one little limited-edition bonus is gonna be worth some serious cash on eBay someday, and you don’t wanna have to mope about how you had the chance to cash in on that but you didn’t take it.) Anyway, even if you aren’t one of the lucky 150, you’re gonna get some seriously amazing independent music out of the deal.

(And for what it’s worth, i hear his cookies are freaking crazy-making.) - Jeremy Jarratt

(Dan Lurie, 2008)

"Next up is Cocker Spaniels at Progressive Coffee. Thinking it would be a good idea to check out a smaller, local showcase, I make the short trek across the highway to San Marcos Street.

Cocker Spaniels (aka Sean Padilla) takes to the floor, but before the set begins, he informs all in attendance (or in line for macchiato) that he will hunt down anyone who’s not paying attention.

He then commands our attention by opening the show with a foot-stomping, knee-slapping self introduction.

The set is playful and entertaining, with the banter almost overshadowing the songs at points. But CSpaniels (as the true fans call him) knows how to work a half-empty coffeehouse. Sensing a lull in the action, he unleashes his bread-and-butter tune, 'The Only Black Guy at the Indie Rock Show,' and all is right in the world, well except for poor Sean, who once again is the only black guy at the indie rock show." - NadaMucho

(Audra Schroeder, 2005)

"The kids are not alright. The kids are angry, the kids are heartbroken, the kids have allergies. But Sean Padilla is excited. The exuberant 24-year-old plays as the Cocker Spaniels, just him and his guitar, and he's winding his way through catchy songs like 'The Only Black Guy at the Indie Rock Show.'

A couple is making out near the front of the stage as 3 Guys in a Rio's power pop sets the mood next. These guys jump off their amps no fewer than three times during the course of the set, a definite hallmark in the tradition of rock schooling. At one point the guitarist chugs his beer and throws the bottle into the crowd in an act of punk rock defiance. Plus 100 points. Padilla politely picks it up and throws it in the trash. Minus 1,058 points.

'I prefer playing all-ages shows because all-ages shows are focused more on the music than they are on the alcohol,' remarks Padilla. It's his first time playing Redrum, and in a few weeks he'll embark on a one-man tour." - The Austin Chronicle

(2008)

"9. The Cocker Spaniels - This self-described Christian-soul noise-pop artist has yet to top his song, 'The Only Black Guy at the Indie Rock Show,' but really he doesn't need to. It's one of the most poignantly cheeky songs in indie rock history. The Cocker Spaniels is Sean Padilla. And if Padilla follows the lead of his hero Robert Pollard, expect to hear more exceptional music from him in the near future." - UndergroundAmerica.net

(Robsetsail, 11/18/2009)

"Austin, TX band Literature bails on the show after car trouble in Katy and so another improvised set begins on our stage – this time fortunately with seasoned musical act - Cocker Spaniels. Sean from the Cocker Spaniels gives us a lesson about his hair and even sings a whole song a capella with the entire crowd clapping to his beat. He pulls it off seamlessly even with us not being able to get his iPod rolling. After playing he mentioned that he would be off to make 3 more shows his own at the festival." - Indie Houston

I love lemonade. I love Houston. I love my boyfriend. I also love singular types with plural names. The first thing I ever found out about The Cocker Spaniels was the one man band factor. My first taste of The Cocker Spaniels' music was a song called "Touch My Hair." I knew then C. Spaniels was an artist after my own afro-headed heart:) It's been a long time coming, and I'm glad to finally bring this interview to you guys. Enjoy!

WANLS: Tell me the Cocker Spaniels story.

CS: My name is Sean Padilla. I sing and play almost everything on my recordings, and I perform solo with my guitar and some backing tracks. I started the Cocker Spaniels with two of my best friends in 1994, when I still lived in my hometown of Brooklyn, NY. We had a Sebadoh-like arrangement in which each of us sang, wrote songs, and traded instruments. I was the worst musician but the most prolific songwriter, so I ended up being the de facto "leader." I came up with the name after overhearing some of my female cousins rant about how all men are "dogs." I thought to myself, "If I'm gonna be a dog, I might as well be a cute and shaggy one." C.Spaniels became a one-man band when I moved to Texas three years later, and had no choice but to sing and play everything myself.

WANLS: Throw your set up!

CS: I live in Austin, TX now. I used to LOVE the city, but my love has turned into ambivalence over the last few years due to various factors: numerous upheavals in my personal life; the city's de facto segregation of POCs (people of color), particularly Blacks; and the increasing insularity and homogeneity of its music scene. In my opinion, Houston's independent music scene is kicking Austin's ass as far as the quality of its music, the diversity of its participants, and the autonomy of its infrastructure is concerned. However, Austin's superior public transportation system and my awesome day job keep me here, so I plan to spend 2010 trying to rekindle the flame.

WANLS: Do you identify with a particular genre?

CS: I play rock music, but I take so much influence from so many other genres (R&B, gospel, electronic, jazz, and various forms of Latin music) that it never seems to fit snugly into any one of them.

WANLS: Who or what are your musical influences?

CS: Prince, the Beatles, Guided by Voices, John & Alice Coltrane, J Dilla, My Bloody Valentine, and Public Enemy.

WANLS: How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?

CS: I usually tell them that my music is an attempt to sound like Prince and the Beatles simultaneously while singing a diary of my life. It usually piques their interest.

WANLS: What's been happening with the Cocker Spaniels so far in 2010?

CS: The biggest news I have to tell you is that "Sometimes You've Gotta
Fight to Get a Bit of Peace" is being licensed by a small label in California called Hornbuckle Records for official release. I'll have a definitive date once the label owner and my graphic designer stop nitpicking over the artwork. But we're shooting for a July release.

WANLS: What are some of your most memorable shows?

CS: I played a show at the Cellar Bar in Houston with Ghormeh Sabzi and Ghost Mountain. All of us played well, and sounded nothing like each other; we drew a sizable crowd full of friends and strangers, all of whom stuck around for the whole show; we all had a good time; and I even made a bit of money, despite not charging a cover. This past August, I played a show at Red 7 in Austin with Taqwacore (Muslim punk rock) bands the Kominas and Sarmust. Both acts were unique, energetic, and brilliant, and I had a great time rocking out with them on stage and bonding with them off-stage. My most memorable show outside of Texas took place this past June at a house called Baby Sale in Boise, ID. I played in a packed garage decorated with Christmas lights, with a makeshift microphone stand constructed from a lamp and duct tape. People were BBQing and having watergun fights all around me, and the bathtub was full of beach balls. I didn't make much money, but I don't think I've EVER had as much fun at one of my own shows.

WANLS: Tell me about your in-studio/music making process.

CS: I write songs almost every day, most of which don't get recorded due to a lack of time and/or money. My songs take anywhere from 20 minutes to five years to write. I constantly tweak the music and lyrics of my songs until they're finally recorded. I use a digital 24-track and four studio-quality microphones that I saved up for two years to buy. I do everything piecemeal wherever I can: in my apartment, in other people's houses, in professional studios, and even outdoors if necessary. Sometimes I let guests participate in the recording process, but only if they can add something to the song that I can't add myself.

WANLS: Which do you prefer: studio time/creating new music or touring/live shows?

CS: I used to greatly prefer writing and recording to performing - With a Name Like Sierra

If you follow me on Twitter you already know that I LOVE the C. Spaniels. Sean is an excellent artist with a flair on the guitar that I think many (most) indie artists lack. Also he actually writes interesting lyrics that I can relate to. Back when I was working the job-of-doom I would listen to his CD on repeat for days.

A hundred years ago I asked Sean to answer a couple of questions for me so I could gush over his band in my blog. About fifty years ago he responded. And finally we have the question up for reals. W00t!


Also if you have a chance you should take part in Sean's side/artistry funding project: Cookie Baking. I swear those cookies are AMAZING!


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1) How did you first experience music?

My first music-related memory dates back to age five, when I first saw my biological father (who deejayed in his spare time) manipulating two turntables and a mixer. I started seizing every opportunity I could to plunder his vinyl collection and teach myself how to mix and scratch when he wasn't around.

2) When and how did you decide to start playing?

I started singing and writing songs when I was five years old, around the same time I started using turntables. My writing process consisted of singing whatever came to my head into a tape recorder. I didn't play "real" instruments until I started grade school. My parents bought me my first cheap keyboard, and my fourth grade music teacher taught me how to play recorder. I picked up guitar and bass in sixth grade, and drums a year or two afterward.

3) What, if any, genre/scene/category would you put to your music?

I half-jokingly call my music "Afro-Christian noise-pop." My writing and vocal delivery is influenced by both the emotion and melisma of R&B and gospel and the Sprechtstimme of rap and punk, and I try to arrange my songs with both a strong sense of melody and a emphasis on odd sounds.

4) Who would you consider your influences (musically and otherwise)?

My five main influences are Prince, the Beatles, Robert Pollard, J Dilla and My Bloody Valentine. The first three inspire me to break free from genre restrictions, and to always write good melodies; the last two inspire me to manipulate sound however I can. Pollard also taught me the importance of brevity and concision, and of doing the most with whatever tools are at hand.

5) Which do you prefer touring and/or recording?

I used to have terrible stage fright due to getting booed @ a few too many high school talent shows, but that's gone now. I'm a confident, if admittedly raw, performer, and I get a genuine thrill out of playing live. However, I still prefer recording because it's the most involved, intense and magical component of my creative process. I don't feel as if my songs have truly taken shape until I can hear them played back to me.

6) Any advice to independent artist trying to make their passion their life?

You don't have to suffer to make great art. Don't be afraid to get a non-artistic job to pay the bills; as long as you maintain a balance between your job and your passion, you'll be okay. If you must choose between the two, though, ALWAYS go with your passion. I currently have a great full-time job doing accounting for a landscaping company, with a boss who respect my music enough to let me tour from time to time. I wasn't always this blessed, though: I've quit numerous jobs to pursue my passion. I don't regret any of it, though.

7) What is your favorite piece that you've done so far (in your band and/or any others)?

"Sometimes You've Gotta Fight to Get a Bit of Peace," the Cocker Spaniels album I finished recording last year, is the first piece of music I've done that I can listen to from beginning to end for pleasure. I'm proud of it in every conceivable way, even with the knowledge that my best work is still ahead of me. Second place goes to "Crown + Anchor," an album by my good friend Alex Dupree's Trapdoor Band. I played drums and bass on it, and helped write background vocals and string arrangements. It was both an honor and a pleasure to add something extra to Alex's already brilliant songs.

8) Where can people find out more about you, your music, and your movement?

My extremely janky website is www.cspaniels.com, and I promise to comprehensively update it before the spring. Until then, you're better off checking my MySpace profile (www.myspace.com/cspaniels), my Sonicbids EPK (www.sonicbids.com/thecockerspaniels), and/or my personal blog (seanpadilla.tumblr.com).

9) Isn't it fun to be a feminist-identified male-bodied individual in the music biz?

Yes, but only because I love music and women. Dealing with sexist jerks can be a drag, but I'm sure it would be worse if I wasn't male-bodied.

10) Name five people/bands/bloggers/writers/whatever that people need to be paying more attention to.

My friend Anthony, who performs under the name Fat Tony (www.myspace.com/fat - The Hip-Hop Enthusiast

(1/27/2010)

Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group "Artist of the Week," bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn't awful? Email their particulars to introducingliston@gmail.com.

The three coolest guys of all time are as follows:

1. Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke

2. Allen Iverson circa 2001

3. Jesus Christ

Jump down the list a bit and it looks like this:

14. Brad Pitt in Fight Club

15. Brad Pitt in Snatch

16. Fredro Starr from the rap group Onyx

17. Brad Pitt in Inglourious Basterds

Jump down a bit more though, and at the the 23rd spot on the list sits:

23. Drunk Craig Hlavaty

Craig Hlavaty is an editor here at the Press. Sober Craig Hlavaty is a pleasant enough guy. But Drunk Craig Hlavaty is amazing. After hanging out with him for a few hours, we were inspired to start a thicket of Drunk Craig Hlavaty-themed Twitter feeds. (Stuff like "Drunk Craig Hlavaty's Beanie," "Drunk Craig Hlavaty's Barrel Chest," "Drunk Craig Hlavaty's Half-Open Flannel Button-Up," "Drunk Craig Hlavaty's Wayward Smile" and so on.)

Which is why our ears perked up when he passed along some music from a Houston/Austin musician named The Cocker Spaniels. That's the kind of stuff that Drunk Craig Hlavaty does, email you early in the morning about bands that have a plural name but are really only one person.

The Cocker Spaniels' sound is a mash of bouncy indie-pop/rock that, honestly, defies any classification beyond that. It makes you feel hip when you listen to him, and that's just about the only other thing we can say about him.

We linked up with the Spaniels, aka Sean Padilla, for an interview and talked about pitbulls, Beaumont's terrible economy and how he needs someone to give him $2,000 so he can release his brilliant album. Read on.

Rocks Off: So we read about how you came up with the band name, how the females at your house were calling you that because you're all cute and lovable and whatnot. That's good that they had something nice to say about you, but wouldn't you have rather them picked something like a Pitbull or German Shepherd or something? We can't remember a time that we saw a cocker spaniel and thought, "Man, that is a really intimidating, virile dog right there."

Sean Padilla: I'm an educated Black man in America. Therefore, my very existence is enough to intimidate a large percentage of the people I encounter. Having said that, nothing I do is done with the intent to intimidate. It's just not what I base my masculinity on. I'd rather be adored by women than be feared by men anyway. Besides, I wouldn't be able to put on the kind of show I do if I wasn't physically strong.

RO: Your "Overeducated Underclass" song has a fly premise. Let's have you explain that everyone a bit.

SP: After I graduated from college, it took me five years to find a job that allowed me to apply what I learned in school, paid me a wage that allowed me whittle down student loans and live comfortably and didn't put me under the supervision of mentally ill micromanagers.

This gap in gainful employment is partially due to my stupid decision to move back to Beaumont, whose economy is perpetually piss-poor. However, as more time passed, I noticed that more and more of my friends, even those who lived in bigger cities, were having just as much trouble making a living after they graduated.

As far as I'm concerned, college is supposed to teach students how to think critically and prepare them for the job market. I don't know many peers who can honestly say that about their undergrad experience. Thus, we have all become members of the overeducated underclass.

RO: I have a degree in psychology and I teach science and write about music, so there. You commute pretty regularly between Austin and Houston, is that correct? We assume that's so you can gather intel so as to trash them more intimately. So, go ahead, trash Austin.

S: Austin needs more black people, a better hip-hop scene, less mediocre alt-country and garage-rock bands, more cross-genre and cross-cultural collaboration, and less cliquish booking agents. Houston's independent music scene is kicking the ass of Austin's as far as the quality of its bands, the diversity of its participants and the autonomy of its infrastructure is concerned.

RO: Here, here.

S: However, Houston needs to get its transportation situation together in the most major way. The roads suck, the highways suck and the public transportation sucks. If I had a car, though, I'd be having backseat makeout sessions in the parking lot of the IndieHouston house as you read this.

RO: One of your influences is Prince. We have to assume then that you saw him at the Vikings game two weeks ago. How unsettling was that? And why did he make that terrible, terrible fight song for them? Why didn't they just use "Purple Rain"? That would've been way better.

S - Houston Press

(Kaitlin Foley, 1/5/10)

Last summer I went to Austin to see a show in the music capital of the US. The bands playing that night were ones we’ve talked about before on air: The Kominas, Sarmust, and Prop Anon – bands that also stopped in Madison a week or two before for the show for some studio time on the Taqwatour 2009. One of the reasons I went down south was to meet-up with everyone again and the other was to visit Sean Padilla and other friends from Austin I had met and gotten to know on Twitter.


Truly there are few people who tweet as honestly as Sean does about life and music. It’s the truth even when it’s not pretty. I went to Austin having seen all of this, and I had an idea of what to expect from everyone meeting there together. In my mind, this was a show with a bunch of musicians who made perfect sense as a crowd in their own right but not the one I was standing in. Rather than the floor space, this one shared the stage.


The Cocker Spaniels, Sean’s band, opened the show. The set-up was simple – Sean, a discman, a guitar, and a mic – but that makes his intensity and bombastic performance even more authentic. He jumped off the stage and sang the songs off his last album “Sometimes You Have to Fight to Get a Little Peace.” My favorite moment, I have to say, was when he covered Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” because as Sean would say, “he goes so hard.” It’s true, Sam did and Sean does too.


The Taqwacore crew took the stage next. Sarmust played an awesome set with the drummer from the Kominas, Imran Malik, joining him. The duo rocked that night. Then the Kominas played all the songs on “Wild Nights in Guantanamo Bay.” Not one was left out, not even their first “Rumi Was a Homo.” The ethos, I guess you could call it, that the Kominas perform by at shows is sharing the performance with the crowd by letting people sing, dance, and even throw a shoe back at them at a different show on tour. I’ll save that story for another day.


At the Austin show, no one had to explain this approach to Sean before he picked up the guitar and started playing. Like Imran and Omar from Sarmust had before, he spontaneously jumped in and played ridiculously well with the guys. It was cool to watch because even though it made sense that the two punk rocker families would do something spontaneous and groove well together, the fact that this actually happened live would have to be either mistake or miracle, depending on how you view punk. Britny Rose calls them “happy coincidences.” I figured the last and best reason to go was to lend any and all kinds of support to the shared chaos all going down with everyone in the same place.


Kourosh from the band Vote Hezbullah decided to play the song “Muhammad was a Punk Rocker” an anthem for Taqwacore bands. I figured this might sound a little weird because maybe I’m not technically an afropunk or a Muslim punk, but I felt like jumping back up on stage during that song was the natural thing to do. Anyway, that’s my whole point. The stage kinda turned into a messy crowd of everyone jumping back up to the musician’s level, and knowing that moment was and is reason enough to say it really was one hell of a punk show. Period.


So there’s not much to analyze or critique about myself or for the meaning of life to open up about here. The truth is I’m down for pretty much anything in life, and even though it generally takes work before anyone can bottle up a real experience into bunch of words and write a narrative, it’s hardest for punks. It’s harder to look at the music as something from the past unless it was nothing more than a phase or a burnout or whatever. Even if nothing epic changes over time, it’s not like there’s a drug musicians can manufacture and sell to people popping punk pills whenever they go to shows without the musical experience also having no meaning. There is meaning in rock and it’s what inspires people to come together. I think the thing is that randomness and exceptions are what brings music to life and gives punk it’s unpredictable personality, one that can’t be wrapped into a new concept or genre without also neglecting some of the new people who are honest about the fact that neither can they. Here on the Cultureal SINdicate, we’re open to the possibility that both the people and the cultural references are real. Hopefully, my own story can be more like lyrics to a song, one that can help flesh out the meaning as well.


After the show in Austin, we all hung out in the summer heat and even at one point sang along to Sean’s impromptu version of “Here comes the Hotstepper” outside a bar. With this group of us in mind, I asked Sean to come on air for a radio show a while back to better understand his mission and music. We talk about the Austin trip on our radio show, listen to his music, and ask him more about the mindset that he lives by to put all of the pieces together from his perspective this time. We even finished off the s - Cultureal Sindicate

The cupcake movement has gathered lots of attention from the foodies, but a couple of enterprising indie bakers are carving out a venturesome path via cookies. Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing both Scott Alexander and Sean Padilla. Though they may not refer to themselves as such, I would definitely label them as "side hustlers." Alexander, a performance bassoonist and guitarist (who also plays the suona, saxophone, clarinet, and kazoo) and Padilla, himself a musician of 1,000 trades, have taken to connecting with their audience through the distribution of home baked cookies. Unlike the traditional side hustlers' method of accosting potential buyers, both musicians tackle their markets with a similar product in equally uncanny fashions.

Alexander, currently based in Brooklyn but relocating to the Bay Area this week, began his journey based on the concept of free. Currently popular in the discussion among business, blogging, and social media, the merits of distributing free product relative to the value that can be gained from related tie-ins have been debated. That is, if one offers a certain product for free, what can one receive as payment from associating the free product with an income generating service? At least, that is the internal debate from within the average person who is struggling to marry the free and paid portions of his or her venture. That same sect of people might also label Alexander's methods as "branding." Alexander disagrees vehemently, saying that his practice of going out to public locales, sitting on an inflatable couch, and handing out free vegan cookies is simply a way to meet people.Alexander has been pursuing his free cookie practice since the summer of 2009. A lot of his venture has been inspired by social networking, seeing people wanting to connect in real life as they do online, yet appearing too guarded in public for such a connection to take place on an intimate level. In order to gain more intimate connections, he began his free service, sometimes accompanied by his wife Becky, but often on his own.

Only to those to whom he speaks to at length does he mention his music, and never with the intention of selling a product. I, for one, first met Alexander outside of the Brooklyn Blogfest in June, and only now during this interview did I discover the extent of Alexander's many endeavors. Alexander is open to finding connections to jobs and other prospects of the like via this experiment, but it will only come as a consequence of handing out free cookies and engaging in random conversation with passersby, as opposed to direct solicitation or deliberate branding.

I came to know of Sean Padilla, native Brooklynite and current Texan, through mutual followers on Twitter retreating his dialogue and diatribes. An autodidact and accomplished musician in his own right, Padilla began selling his cookies through Twitter and Facebook to cover some of his living expenses. His website now has a page devoted to his cookie business. When I bought my first batch of his cookies, my package included a promotional CD of his music, and a large poster of Padilla's original artwork promoting his music project. An accountant, touring musician, self-taught baker, and prolific Twitterer, Padilla has a lot on his plate, so to speak. However, he doesn't think of what he does as a side hustle, but instead a method of pursing many desired ventures simultaneously.

Though tackling nontraditional career paths, neither Alexander nor Padilla share my disdain of the current collegiate system. Alexander, educated at the Peabody Conservatory and a 2003 graduate of UCLA in ethnomusicology, appreciates the perspective he gained in college. However, "My biggest regret is that I did well. Had I not worked so hard, my music would've progressed a lot more, and I'd have developed more social skills." Likewise, Padilla, a graduate of Baylor University, was rewarded with a "necessary and worthwhile" experience.

Unlike the typical class of our collective age group, I find that people like Alexander and Padilla are naturally enterprising and creative. Although their classroom experiences helped them in invaluable ways on a personal level, I think their talent and drive is a natural instinct. Likewise, their enterprising methods of connecting with people through both free and for profit escapades show that self-employment and promotion does not have to come at the expense of marketing yourself in an demonstrative manner. Both men have robust Facebook and Twitter followings as a result of having made direct connections to said followers. In a world of self-aggrandizement, it is comforting to know that it is possible to successfully connect with potential buyers and fans though low-key methods born of a genuine rapport sans ulterior motives. Says Alexander, "If I'm going to whore myself out at something, it may as well be cookies." - Sideventuresome.com

I finally was able to continue the recent interview process I began with Sean Padilla of the Cocker Spaniels (really Sean IS the C.Spaniels.) The one man band has actually released a new album "Sometimes You've Gotta Fight to Get a Bit of Peace" recently released on Hornbuckle Records. So my only real claim to any kind of indie cred was kind enough to respond to a few questions from me about the new album release.

The album is, of course, bananas and I would suggest you go pick it up yesterday. If you're lucky you might get one of the limited edition 'zines included with the first 60 albums. Trust me it's worth it. The 'zine comes with photos, lyrics, and great anecdotes about the making of and inspiration behind each track.

And without further ado:

Gogo: Let's talk album, how would you describe the album? Does it have an overall theme/concept or is it more a collection of work over the past couple of years?

SP: "Sometimes You've Gotta Fight to Get a Bit of Peace" the result of the life experiences I've accumulated and the musical progress I've made over a three-year time span.

If the lyrics have an overall theme, it's the struggle to define who I am and what kind of life I want to lead, in spite of people and institutions that have hindered my self-actualization. I left relatives, friends, lovers, jobs and churches behind in order to become a freer and more focused person, and many of the album's songs address both the positives and negatives of the process. I missed my family, but didn't want to remain in an economically and psychologically oppressive city to be with them; I wanted to devote more of my life to music, but didn't want to starve because of it; I wanted to maintain a relationship with God, but didn't want to follow the illogical rules of God's representatives.

Musically, the album reflects a more diverse set of influences: hints of R&B, shoegaze, Tropicalia, dub, and electronic music appear in the songs. Although the album was still a homemade, low-budget affair, I bought better recording equipment, so the fidelity is higher. I'm a better singer, writer, musician, arranger and performer than I was when I released my previous album six years ago, and I believe that it shows.

Gogo: What has your creative process been like?

SP: My writing process is more scattershot than the hyper-composed nature of my songs would imply. I write sets of lyrics and sets of melodies/riffs whenever inspiration strikes me, and put together different combinations of lyrics and music until I find a good fit. My recording process is a bit more streamlined: I always record the drums first, then the guitars & keyboards, then the bass & vocals. After that, I add or remove whatever I feel the song needs. I try to adhere to what Chad Clark (of the Beauty Pill) calls "song monogamy": I don't start recording another song until I finish recording the one I'm currently working on. That way, I'm forced not to spend too much time recording a song, lest I get creatively constipated.

Gogo: Recording vs playing live?

SP: Playing live has become less stressful for me than recording, simply because any wrong notes I sing or play disappear immediately after they're heard, and audiences rarely notice them unless I draw attention to them. Recording, on the other hand, immortalizes everything...yet, it's still the more personally fulfilling of the two activities for that same reason.

Gogo: You're DIY-ing a lot of the promotion and etc yourself; is that an intentional choice? Overall how have you felt about it?

SP: Doing everything myself is a pain in the ass sometimes, but it's an intentional choice. First of all, I simply can't afford a manager, a publicist or a booking agent; even if I could, I'd still want to be as hands-on as possible so that I can fully understand the mechanics of the music business. I believe that artists need to pay more attention to administrative manners, as long as they don't significantly hinder the music-making process. Second of all, most people on the "industry" side of the music industry don't really know what to make of my music. Even if they LIKE it, they can't figure out how to promote or book me. Therefore, I'd rather just do it myself: I'd have just as good a success rate, if not higher.

Gogo: New album, new tour? What are your plans post release?

SP: I'm in the process of promoting five shows I'm playing in Texas during the month of August to support the album; choosing which songs of mine I'd like to record for an upcoming EP; and booking a tour of the East Coast for late October and early November. Once I return from tour, I plan to bring 2011 in by beginning work on the next full-length album, and booking a tour of the Midwest & West Coast for the spring. - The Hip-Hop Enthusiast