Andy the Doorbum

New interview now up on BIG SMILE MAGAZINE!!
Hi. I'm Andy the Doorbum. I suppose that I sing and write songs, but I'm pretty sure that I yell and cuss too much to be considered a singer/songwriter. I cross my eyes because I'm bothered by the microphone in front of my face. I have a new CD out and it's on sale for $8 @ LUNCHBOX RECORDS and the MILESTONE, where I work door. If you send me 8 dollars in the mail, I will send it to you with a free 100% unique maze that I drew just for you. Here's a review of it that my friend Alina Simone did. Check her out @ myspace.com/alinasimone. You can get the French version on the website where it was published @ -----------------------------------------------------http:// www.mille-feuille.fr/Modules/Articles/Fiche/?article_id=18-- ------------------------------------------------------------ -If I could be the belle of any ball, it would be a ball held at The Milestone Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. Somewhere off a maze of highway access roads and on-ramps, down a long and winding road into the decidedly “bad” part of town, you’ll find The Milestone: a somewhat rotting house with a dirt parking lot bordered by fading little shops with faded little signs.This is how you build a rock and roll shrine: take some plywood and some dirt, mix with water, let harden in the sun, cover in thousands of band stickers, apply graffiti.The first time I played a show at The Milestone, there was some music playing at the bar and I liked it right away – it kind of reminded me of Daniel Johnston. I went up to the bartender, the one with the ZZ Top beard, thick southern accent and kindly eyes, and asked him what was playing. The bartender said, “it’s Andy – the guy working the door.” Indeed, there WAS a guy tucked into the booth behind the door, a young fellow with wild hair and wild eyes and a shit-eating grin. I told him I liked his music.Then, months later, I get a note from the booker at The Milestone, asking me to play a Sunday night show. I said yes without thinking and a few weeks later drove myself to Charlotte, two and a half hours away from my place in Carrboro down a soul-destroying stretch of I-85.I didn’t know it, but I was opening for “Andy the Door Bum.” It was his CD release party. This was the music I had heard playing at the bar last summer, and it turned out to be the best show I’ve seen this year. Andy played an acoustic guitar that looked like it had been dragged through the forest by a log-roller for a good 10 miles. For about a half hour he pounded on that thing like a demon, with his facing hovering above it like a blurry photograph and his hair a wild halo. The crowd went crazy for it and so did I.The album is called Mt. Holly Sessions and it is full of drinking songs, scorned-love songs, punk-stomp blues, southern rawk and eerie ballads. They are totally satisfying without being simple, peppered with spoken-word samples, tribal rhythms, touches of mandolin and flute as well as references to crack-smokers and ancient greek mythology. At times they are starkly beautiful. At times hilarious or downright head-banging. Recorded with what sounds like a couple of microphones stuck in the middle of a room somewhere in Mount Holly, North Carolina, they always convey a certain immediacy and straight-to-the-heartness. Hats off to Robert Childers whose production and capable drumming put you squarely in the front row of the best house show ever.For three dollars, I bought a handful of zines from Andy before the show. I asked him what they were about and he said, “Just fucked up stories about me and my family and stuff.” I read them a few days later and Andy was right; his family IS pretty fucked up! There’s a wily Dad who fails to elude the cops on a drunken car chase, some misadventures with Poison Ivy, relatives and friends who die pointless deaths or end up insane. Which means that Andy could probably qualify as an Outsider Artist. Which means that, if he were to die of a huffing-overdose or from too many deep fried cheese steaks tomorrow, that he would be an instant celebrity. But why wait for Andy to die? Let’s appreciate him while he’s alive and well, writing zines, making great music and working the door at The Milestone Club. --------------------------------------------------There's also another great review of the new record done by Josh @ Aversion.com. Here's the link!!----------------http://www.aversion.com/bands/reviews. cfm?f_id=3052----------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ ------I will also have a repress of my first record 'The Door Booth Album' ready very soon. My friend Chuck @ Beartrap PR did a review for it. Check him out www.beartrappr.com.----------------------------------------- --------------------------------- Andy The Door Bum “You’re Going Crazy, And I’m Coming With You (The Door Booth Album)” (Afterbirth Casserole)Andy works the door booth at Charlotte’s world famous Milestone Club. Andy recorded this entire record (25 songs) over a three month period…while working the door booth. I should probably mention that the door booth occupies a space that’s about six square feet. We’re talkin’ the size of your hallway closet, folks. If that doesn’t qualify Andy for this list, I don’t know what does. Oh yeah…fucking awesome songs…which Andy cranks out in abundance. I’ll admit that there are a few kinda sorta unlistenable tracks on this record but on the whole The Door Booth Album is creative, sharp and often hilarious. Andy has a unique way of taking dirty, acoustic punk rock ditties and smearing them with even more grit and grime before shoving a ton of melody up their collective ass. Songs like “Trendy Kids,” “The Yeti,” “Two Bite” and “P Is For Pot” are covered in Andy’s blood and guts, but polish em up and you’ve got some real pop gems hiding beneath the filth. And I mean that in the best possible way.-----------------------