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Paisleyface

As one of the old guard of online musicians at mp3.com, Steve Haugh, aka Paisleyface, has emerged as a popular online personality. From his early battlings with mp3.com to the inception of his own bulletin board, Paisley has continued to exert his vision of the way things are, both artistically and culturally. I first ran into him on the boards years ago and was always entertained by his wit and poignant analyses of any given situation. When he launched his own bb, artistarea.com we at thewireweb were all to happy to adopt and help promote. And yet beyond all this politic, is Paisleyface the musician, songwriter and balladeer. I chatted with him at the end of another work day ....

Mb: Moon to pais...
Paisley: Pais to moon
Mb: See how easy Microsoft has made our world?
Paisley: I'll bet they're reading this conversation right now. No sex talk, ok?
Mb: lol... if you'd like it that way. Ok... what are you wearing?
Paisley: HAHAHAHAHAHAA… A burqua
Mb: And how do your co workers respond?
Paisley: As long as I walk around with one of the males and don't show my ankles people don't laugh.
Mb: So what, other than being an infamous web personality, do you do all day long?
Paisley: I was writing customized message parsing modules for the people I contract with. Played some music, smoked, um, let's leave it there.
Mb: Too personal?
Paisley: Too incriminating.
Mb: Do tell. This is popular media after all.
Paisley: Ok, I admit it. I smoked some marijuana, but I didn't inhale (cliche, I admit it).
Mb: lol... hit me with a link to a song of yours and then we'll talk about your music.
Paisley: Oh, take "Two Minute Mantra Makeover" from ArtistLaunch. It's doing well there.
Mb: Link handy? sheeesh
Paisley: www.artistlaunch.com/paisleyface… sorry, I just assume that people have that page in their browser faves.
Mb: So where else is your music?
Paisley: www.ampcast.com/paisleyface , www.besonic.com/paisleyface oh, and some site in India dug and put up "Always Wrong" without my even knowing it. Kinda cool. Too bad they're going to obliterate themselves and Pakistan.
Mb: Maybe your song will help bridge the east and west... Paisley peace for all.
Paisley: Or give them a common enemy.
Mb: Probably too late.
Paisley: You think they both hate me already? They didn't even email me.
Mb: Waste of anthrax?
Paisley: Does that stuff work online?
Mb says: I'm trying to get to some of your music.. holf don (sic)
Paisley: holf? Are you in Germany?
Mb: Could be...
Paisley: I know you've been traveling around a lot lately...
Mb: I'm watching from outerspace.
Paisley: Must look pretty bad from that perspective
Mb: Ok, listening to "Two Minute Mantra Makeover". Indicative of your sound?
Paisley: I'd like to think so. I like to layer a lot of vocal tracks. It fills in the spaces where there is bad harmony.
Mb: And the sentiment?
Paisley: Imagine this conversation. Persona A: What do you think of me? Persona B: Is it important that you know? Persona A: Why, yes it is. I need your validation. Persona B: Ok. Well, I think you suck. Persona A: Forget I asked.
Mb: And why is it "not important to know what people think?" A lyric from this song..
Paisley: What people think IS important. What's not important is knowing what they think. We're better off not knowing.
Mb: Too scary?
Paisley: Knowing inspires anger. Maybe, specifically, among our group of BB denizens. I recall the early days of the mp3.com boards…
Mb: Could it not inspire benevolence?
Paisley: I remember the early days at the mp3.com boards. People would get so angry after someone gave an opinion that was less than glowing.
Mb: That's because they're not secure enough yet? Not used to hearing the truth?
Paisley: Probably. Or not liking the truth so much that they dispute it.
Mb: Do you want the truth?
Paisley: I want the truth.
Mb: At any cost?
Paisley: A lie is more expensive in all cases.
Mb: So how do you inspire that message through your music?
Paisley: By recognizing my limit and not, at least where I can help it, trying to go so far beyond it that it comes off terribly.
Mb: So it's execution that's important?
Paisley: I think so, among other things. Sometimes though, we fool ourselves into thinking we've pushed a boundary and it worked when it hasn't.
Mb: I think you're an activist at heart.
Paisley: I don't have the drive to be an activist.
Mb: Doesn't take drive.. merely intent.
Paisley: Well, in retrospect, in a lot of my own recordings, I hear things I'd probably best have left out.
Mb: Words or notes?
Paisley: Notes. Some were beyond me.
Mb: Always stand behind your lyric?
Paisley: Yes
Mb: And what inspired you to start the BB?
Paisley: The decay of mp3.com and its bulletin boards.
Mb: Do you think bb's are important?
Paisley: Important? Not really. A lot of fun? Definitely.
Mb: Social for the intellectual?
Paisley: Yes. I've met some great people in real life as a result, as you know. It's a place where one can pretend to be an intellectual.
Mb says: Sheesh hasn't happened for me that way… like meeting you last year at Rick's (Rebop)...what a disapointment! Joke…
Paisley: Oh, HAHAHA. I'm great and you know it.
Mb: You are great Pais. You are quite a force really.
Paisley: Like gas.
Mb: Ok, that's YOUR bit of ass nudging we give everyone.
Paisley: LOL!
Mb: Back to why you suck.
Paisley: OK
Mb: Do you like the power of the BB?
Paisley: Not sure I understand the Q.
Mb: The personal power of being someone else or deciding what people can post or... are you the Machiavellian prince?
Paisley: Well, I'd be lying if I didn't admit to a certain sense of that, but, really, it never felt like "my" board per se. Yeah, I've had my fun torturing some people, but hey, God only gives us what we can handle, right?
Mb: How do you make a call on what's cool on the BB or not... and BTW.. I think everyone that knows, knows it's your board. You were the mastermind.
Paisley: I try to get a sense of the motive for a post if it seems controversial. If someone's posted something under the guise of being controversial merely to draw attention to their damned mp3.com page, I'm pissed
Mb: lol... and why's that? Isn't that what pop culture teaches us to do?
Paisley: I don't know why it bothers me and a psychiatrist would probably tell me it's unhealthy, but fuck them.
Mb: So, it is your own island, of sorts.
Paisley: I suppose that ultimately it is, but in the case of www.artistarea.com, I really do try to stretch my tolerance and only if something gets obviously out of hand do I react.
Mb: More like the local cops?
Paisley: I like to consider myself "Stirrer of All Pots". FT gives/gave me a run for the money, as did a few others, and I suppose one day those old flames (double entendre?) will re-ignite.
Mb: I imagine that flame wars are a big draw, I know I've been involved in a couple.
Paisley: They're so much fun until someone loses an eye or someone feels the need to sue someone or worse actually takes real world action. Dweebs.
Mb: Personally I think that's what is at the heart of BB deal... that people can express whatever goes. An exchange of any ideas can only be good. What do you think?
Paisley: Oh, I agree 100%, even to the point that anonymity is sometimes necessary in order to put forth one's opinion, as one's opinion could be quite vulgar.
Mb: Ok, so we've talked about your music and your BB, what's left?
Paisley: What animal I most resemble when I'm naked. Wait, though, really, tell me where I can improve in my musical output.
Mb: lol… you're asking me?
Paisley: Of course. Unless FT who is sitting right next to you wants to answer. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH (must keep this line of thinking going).
Mb: Ok, I like your sound. It's not like your personality. Lyrically it is, but the music is so... MOR. I would never have imagined you to be such a romantic.
Paisley: Romantic? Wait, you'll have to go listen to "Can't put it down", it's about drugs.
Mb: I've listened to most of your Besonic page as we sat here.
Paisley: Ah, ok. The stuff I'm working on now is even sorta jazzy.
Mb: That your "lover" site? Like where people go to find soft romantic music...
Paisley: oh, no!!!!! soft?????? oh, god I'm gonna kill myself. Does it sound like a girl singing? Maybe you're at the wrong page.
Mb: I'm listening to you sound like "George Benson" right now.. your tune "Thorn"
Paisley: Ah, oh, but listen to those bizarre words, and Mickey's guitar there is gorgeous. Yeah, it's soft, but a little weird. (imo)
Mb: All of the tunes seem very “up” even when the lyric is darker. So it's for psychedelic lovers? Tongue in cheek?
Paisley: I like psyche a lot. Wish I was more prolific with it.
Mb: Is all very interesting musically in a cliche sort of way, like I used to think of the Tubes, same sensibility, giving you meaty lyrics with a pop affectation.
Paisley: I hope the vegetarians don't mind. Call them tofu burger lyrics.
Mb: We forgive you.
Paisley: Actually, my doc told me to cut out meat.
Mb: Ya think!?
Paisley: It's come down to very little choice. After this conversation, I'm going out into the front yard to graze.
Mb: Want to keep your colon eh?
Paisley: I like my colon, yea. I don't want to end up with a semi-colon.

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