You may be asking who is Trainwreck?  And I’m here to tell you in short they are AWESOME.  The portly gentlemen in the hat making that awkward face is none other than Kyle Gass,  one half of the thunderous duo known as Tenacious D.  Trainwreck is an ecclecctic rock ‘n’ roll band that has been together 7 years and are embarking on their first tour in support of their new release The Wreckoning.  We caught up with KG himself for a Q & A about his career, a possible sequel to the cult favorite The PIck of Destiny, and all things Trainwreck.

I read recently that your first gig was for Coca-Cola. What did you do for them? What was it like?

What did I do? Really, what did I do?  My first job was a 7up commercial a million years ago. NO NO I DO NOT REMEMBER THAT!

I’m sorry I read that on a fan page.

Well, it must be true then.

You have made many cameos in several things from Music Videos (Foo Fighters), to Television (like Seinfeld), even feature films (Saving Silverman), which has been your favorite cameo?

My favorite cameo is definitely in Elf.  It’s just that I’ve always wanted to be in a movie that’s played every year.  Every Christmas it’s on it’s kind of like a new a classic.  Saving Silverman was fun one too.  But really all works is good.  No, that’s not true I was cut out of Idle Hands  and some other really bad movies like Dumb and Dumber I thought to myself like damn, I’m not funny enough to be in Dumb and Dumber? Which now is like the least funniest movie of all time. But I suppose if I had to be cut out of a movie it’s best to be cut out of the bad ones.

How did you feel about your appearance in Brutal Legend as Kage the Cannoneer?

That was fun! I had never done anything like that.  But in all seriousness they (the game designers) do the heavy lifting on that.  Basically I just went to a sound studio and read all the lines they told me too.  It’s definitely a different genre to be a part of and well it’s nice to be in a video game all huge and powerful.

Is it true you taught Jack Black to play the guitar?

I Did! That one is true, he was a pretty accomplished singer but I was surprised he wasn’t able to play an instrument. So i told him “dude, you need to learn to play something to accompany yourself.”  So i began to teach him a few things on guitar and he picked it up right away.  He would just sit on my couch and strum the same chords over and over.  I’ve known Jack for about 20 years now.  Shit! I’m getting old how did that happen!

What can people expect from your new project Trainwreck?

Well, it’s not actually new it’s been about 7 years in the making,  we’ve just been hitting it off and on.  It’s just a kick ass rock n roll band.  We play music in a highly stylized entertaining fashion. We’ll melt your faces or make you smile and then the smile melts you’re not even aware of it.  The good news is that we have a Trainwreck reconstructive surgery center just for that.

Tell us a little bit about your new music video “Brodeo.”

It’s an awesome song we put out just as a song for bros having a good time.  There are time when there are no girls allowed. It’s a time for having fun with your bros watching Jean Claude Van-Dam and playing beer pong. I think we really captured the Brodeo spirit.

This is your first tour, what are your thoughts?

Well, we just played Flagstaff, Arizona and we’re actually a few days into the tour and so far, so good.  We had a nice turn out and now we’re heading Albaquerque.  We wanna play every city in the us!  We wanna home deliver rock and it’s not really convenient but we’re gonna try to do it.  We’re kinda like the CENSUS OF ROCK! Time willing of course.

What can you tell us about The Wreckoning?

It’s truly a modern masterpiece produced by John Spiker. It’s basically like our greatest hits. If it wasn’t a great song we didn’t put it on this record.  We worked about 13-18 hours a day for 3 weeks. The record came out great and it was long overdue. It truly does feels good. We were waiting along for an evil producer who shall remain nameless. If you don’t go on the Trainwreck with KG and don’t buy the record you’re gonna be out of touch with modern culture and music as we know it today. YOU BETTER DO IT. YOU BETTER. IT’S GOOD!

Does Tim Blankenship really have an ‘86 I-ROC Z28, with dual over head cams, holly headers, and center line rims?

Well it’s in the song!  Yeah we aren’t sure he really exists but you know what, there’s a little bit of Tim Blankenship in us all, the guy that didn’t grow up but he’s still a cool guy.

What is a barn burnin’ button ruster?

It’s just a fancy way of saying it’s a hot steamy jam! You get the flavor that comes on right before JB Shredmen it starts off hot, gets hotter, then it actually bursts into flames.

How hard is it being a 5 headed hydra of pleasure?
Well, it’s harder than being a 1 headed hydra, because we have all those other heads and they’re probably a bit annoying.  It’s a lot of fun The Wreck is a team! This is a team sport , so not to hard really.

Who would win in a fight Trainwreck, Tenacious D, or the Kyle Gass Project?

I’m going to go with Trainwreck just by numbers!  The D is only 2 guys and in Trainwreck Darrell Donald is mountain and he will not lose in a fight. As far as The Kyle Gass Project it’s just me so i’d be fighting myself in a mirror and I’d definitely lose that one.  But in all honesty we’re men of peace and we don’t believe in violence.

Of your 3 alter-egos (Kyle Gass, Rage Kage, and Klip Calhoun) which would you say scores the most ladies?

I would say The Rage Kage, ah you know the ladies love The D. What can you do? When they see us it’s like an aphrodisiac. But i gotta say Klip Calhoun has his own charm.  Kyle Gass is just on his couch watching Jersey Shore, but we all love the ladies.

You’re being featured on the Spring Break issue, What is your favorite spring break moment?

I guess that one night in Fort Lauderdale when I had five co-eds doing a video shoot on my jock!  What is Spring Break? Is that college time? I’m so old i don’t even remember college. When was that? I do like the idea of Spring Break.  I encourage all the kids to drink responsibly.  Isn’t that an oxymoron really? If you’re gonna drink, why drink responsibly?

I know you’re a big cannabis enthusiast, what do you think the world can gain from the legalization of marijuana?

Well I’ve calmed down a bit. I used to be alot heavier into it but I’ve noticed that the older I get the more attached I am to my brain cells but I’m not going to lie I do indulge a bit every now and again.  I mean, everyone can figure it out it’s common sense we need to get out of the state we’re in.  We’re all adults and it’s the land of the free.  If you wanna smoke a bit of hooch at home who the hell should be able to stop you? Does the government really think we really eradicate all the pot smokers.  Every one does it and it’s almost legal now you can go to California and buy it from a store for God’s sake! It’s a hell of a lot better than being drunk that’s for sure. What’s really weird is that the government openly allows cigarettes and alcohol.  Here check this out here’s something ten times more addicting try kicking this habit!

These are a few questions that were sent in from our readers via
Facebook and Twitter.

Kenny: How many of those crazy pushups can you do?

I tell you what, I can do about a dozen but i might be losing some firmness for sure one and half.  If there happens to be a super hot girl around I can probably do about 5 or 6.

Leo:  Will there ever be a sequel to the Pick Of Destiny?

Well, i think if people write their congressman or start a letter writing campaign to the mayor of Hollywood it’s possible.  It wasn’t the box office sensation we had hoped for in the business they tell you you’re only as good as your last one.  It is show business after all. Its difficult but i think we’re going to make a cartoon and it’ll be the best one out there I think it will be on ADULT SWIM or something like that I’m not even supposed to say. It will be out early 2012 it’s going to help prevent the world from ending.

Marco: Kyle, What’s it like playing with jack black?

It is truly frightening but sometimes very satisfying.  He’s a great friend and collaborator.  He’s just a really talented and funny guy. Creating is hard but we tried really hard. He’s an amazing friend and we’ve had a great time.

By: Frank Salinas

For the people that are barely getting to know who you are describe yourself and style.

I’m 90’s R&B! (haha) No but seriously definitely 90’s style R&B with a few extras thrown in.  I’m from the southwest side of Houston, TX. I come from a big family, of which I’m the oldest of 7.  Music has always been a passion throughout my family.  We are all music and athletes.  I was 13 years old when I was in the closet kidding around with my cousin,  he’s the “star” in the family. I was essentially just trying to mock him while he was singing to some girl on the phone. He stopped to look at me and said “I know you’re joking around but you actually sound pretty good. From then music became my escape in life.  I wanted to go to the nba but it really wasn’t possible. I love music so much it’s fun and comes easy to me.

I heard you overcame being homeless can you tell us a bit about that?

I was really trying to become a man. I took a step on my own just trying to live my own life.  I made money the wrong way and because I lived that lifestyle I knew that I was coming to a dead end.  I didn’t want to live with mom and didn’t really want to impose on friends.  So my thoughts were I have a truck and I’m gonna have to figure it out.  I was out for 6 weeks trying to find my way.  I would stay with friends occasionally but I really wanted to figure it out by myself.  So essentially it was all by choice.  I wanted to know how can I become a strong man and stand on my own.  I was out all day and night selling mixtapes I pressed.  I ended up making about $150 in 12 hours.  Eventually with the money I was making with my mixes some friends and I decided to pitch in and ended up getting a pretty nice town house.

How satisfying was it getting signed to Capitol records?

It was VERY satisfying.  But really it’s just a part of a new journey.  There are so many artists that get signed and never ever come out with an album or even try to be the best they can.  I try not to bask in it too much because it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t sell records. It’s like being hired a Wal-Mart, it’s all the same you still have to perform to get awarded.

What can you tell us about your new singles “Beat it Up” and “She’s Bad”?

She’s Bad was produced by Bryan Michael Cox he let me  use the studio. I knew he worked with Young Jeezey and based on that I knew it would do well.  Bun-B (part of legendary rap group UGK) was like if you need anything let me know.  I responded with I’d like you to help if you can, but I really don’t have the money.  He said you don’t even need it just send me the track. I sent it and he had it done in a week. It was a really big gesture  from him.  Beat it Up came up we were just here talking about sexual experience I told him I had sex while driving once and I dubbed that the “suicide position.”  One of my buddies told me he was having sex in the club once and no one realized it.   They did it for the thrill.   Every man in the world would like to do that but you really just can’t.  So we called that one the VIP position.

When can people expect the record?

Well my singles (She’s Bad and Beat it Up) are on iTunes right now.  The album’s called Going Hard it will be in stores March 23rd. Be sure to check it out please, I’m grateful for everything that has got me to where I am.

What are your plans as far as touring goes?

None thus far, I’m still working it all out. I may get on an upcoming
R-Kelly tour. That would be insane man, since I look up to him.

Your style seems to really revolve around sexiness what type of woman would you write a song about?

A strong minded woman. Someone who is already solid on her views, open but with a sense of class. She can be beautiful and sexy but if she isn’t smart or strong it won’t really manifest into anything. At times I’m a pushover so I need a woman who can put me in my place sometimes.
Do you prefer blondes or
brunettes?

I think blondes are much more
Sexual, fun, and wild, but a brunette is much more the type I’d marry.

STARTING A WAR WITH 30 SECONDS TO MARS

By: Frank Salinas

Interview with Tomo Milicevic

(lead guitar, keyboards) of 30 Seconds to Mars

What can you tell us about “This is War?”
The new record is a dramatic leap for us. It’s definitely our most mature effort at making an album. We really went into this knowing that we need- ed to do something totally different. We would leave it all at the studio so to speak. We lived in this house in Hollywood for 2 years, ripped our chest open and poured out our guts. We definitely had a feeling like it was us against the world. On top of all that, we had the lawsuit with EMI going on plus all the craziness around the world. I can say we had killed ourselves to get it done. There were moments where I didn’t think we’d make it out with our sanity. If you listen to the record (This is War) I think it all really shows through, our sense of desperation, urgency, and joy. We’ve left a lot of our old tricks behind and started brand new. It’s much more difficult but much more rewarding.
Why did you all decide on that title?
It’s a title we had kicked around for awhile. We were always searching for a new one but we just stuck with it. It’s easy to assume it’s a political statement though it’s not consid- ering the environment where we were making it. It’s a march, a fight, it definitely describes the record as well as the world around us during the making of it. Our personal lives were all changing and we were all going through different processes as a band. So at the end we thought it was fitting considering what was
A WAR WITH
going on.
What is the significance of the Tiger?
Honestly, we thought it was just a compelling image. There’s actually gonna be a few animal faces as well. We did the 2000 faces of mars for the limited edition of the record. We also did 2000 different animal faces ran- domly. Jared is never short of a good idea, this is just another one.
How did you all go about crafting the new sound of this record?
We knew we wanted to delve back in the electronic sound for the re- cord. Jared had really set a distinct sound for the first record. We defi- nitely wanted to go back in time and craft a new sound using a lot of the older sounds. We had two different producers helping with the record. It was fun. We used a lot of analog synths like a Juno and another Ro- land like the ones Depeche Mode used on Violator. We really enjoyed that and knew we wanted to do it again. We have a vision of our sound in our head, Jared especially has a clear picture of what it should sound like. When you can imagine it (the sound), it’s easier to realize it. When we started pre-production we knew we wanted to use different guitars and change the way we treat the guitars. We really tried to break away from the norm so we constructed a new way of recording guitar by having several interweaving melodic lines instead of just having the normal powerchord progression with leads. We just wanted it to sound different. For us guitars, while
BY: FRANK-X!
they are important, aren’t the most important thing. We creatively chal- lenging ourselves on how well it will work live. The great news about it is that it does blend in with our old tracks. So it kind of just seems like we changed keys, our sound, and approach.
What was the inspiration behind the Kings and Queens video?
Honestly, we had a big discussion about this. We’ve gone to the Arctic (A Beautiful Lie) and to the Peoples Republic of China (From Yesterday) for videos. For us, when we make videos the journey and experience is equally if not more important than the end result. We made the record in LA so we decided to create this visual love letter to our city with the Crank Mob (a critical mass bik- ing club). Jared really dove into that world. We all fell in love with the idea of it. What a cool way to sort of reclaim public place. The video is re- ally more about the people and the scenes rather than just the band. To shoot LA in a beautiful light at night was just gorgeous.
Were there any problems during the shoot?
Well yes, you can’t really just shut down streets in LA and have it be smooth and easy. But, I can say of all the videos this was the most fun to do. We were just kinda writing bikes downtown LA at midnight it wasn’t the usual 20 hour days or anything like that. The bikers were especially stoked. We truly took over the streets.

What was it like working with Kanye West?
Jared and Kanye went and did that on their own really. Kanye took us out to some remote island studio where he records. The song was actally writ- ten and finished before Kanye was in the picture. Jared just always had an idea for a guest singer on that track. We met kanye at the EMA’S (Euro- pean Music Awards) he was a fan of the videos we had made and asked Jared if he’d be interested in working on one of his videos but for a reason it didn’t work out. At the same time Jared had asked him (Kanye) about being in the song, we had all fallen in love with the 808’s and Heartbreaks album because it showed Kanye be- ing versatile and he’s just very f’ing good. He text Jared, told him he was in town and they started to record ideas. Kanye later took him to that Hawaii island studio to finish it.
What is the significance behind the new triangle symbol?
That symbol is really interesting, its actually a two-dimensional pyramid and it’s one of the oldest symbols in human history. Jared is a very tal- ented graphic artist. He does all of our artwork and we all unanimously agreed to it as a potential image, simple, powerful, and beautiful, just following how we’ve always done things.
What do you feel is the band’s greatest achievement thus far?
Not selling ourselves short, and al- ways doing what we believe is right.
What is your opinion on the cur- rent state of music? What are your likes/dislikes?
I love music! There’s always some- thing good out there at the same time there’s always bad and there’s gems, you just have to keep your ears open. Listen to what you want there’s no rules. I like Lady Gaga and I’m in a rock band, is that bad?