2 Skinnee J's sweetbob.com We chatted with the "then-signed" Capricorn Records band, 2 Skinnee J's. J Guevara, the lead vocalist, chatted with Sweetbob on the phone. Here's what he had to tell us. Bobby - When did you join 2 Skinnee J’s, and did you think that you would actually get this far in the business when you joined? J Guevara - Well, I mean the band started in '91. The band started as a fun thing to do. I joined in '95. At the time I joined for fun. When I joined they started not doing it as a hobby. So we quit our day jobs. Bobby - How does your new album, coming out soon, equal up to your popular last release Supermercado? J - We think it is much better. We think the songs are better and the song writing is better and the producing is good. We had a producer that just got really involved in it. We were really involved with what was going on. We know what to do know. Bobby - What has been the greatest thing that has happened to you since you signed your first record deal? J - Hmm, I don’t know if there is a "single greatest thing." We played with a lot of bands that are cool like Fishbone, Del la soul, Public Enemy. Being able to record an album is definitely cool, and as well being able to make a living as a musician. Bobby - I have noticed that that is an answer by most of the people who I have asked that question. J - Well, it is a life-long ambition, sometimes I don’t know how I managed to get my shit together. Bobby - Haha, Oh Man, What are your thoughts on Napster’s shit? J - I really don’t think I have a problem with it. A lot of our new stuff is on Napster. It is another way of taping music. Nothing has killed off music lately, I don’t think. I think it is the record industry, it's very exploited right now. I think it is more the record companies fearing that the profits are getting cut into. The artist shouldn’t be worried - since they have a limited salary it shouldn’t be affected. So far I haven’t seen it being a real threat of anything. Bobby - What was the best venue you have ever played at and why? J - There are some really good venues. The Music Farm in Charleston SC, has a really cool room and a nice stage. There are a bunch of places, like The Metro in Chicago. I like the old theaters. I like it where it is big enough with a good-sized stage. But not so huge that it creates a non-intimate place. The House of Blues places are very cool as well. Some venues in Louisiana, Colorado and all over are very good. Bobby - What cd do you have in your cd player at this time? J - I just got the new De La Soul and I actually got this cd at the record company. It is called Spooks. I don’t know where they are from, I like that band a lot so far. Also I went to see Weezer in NY last night. They didn’t play very long. They only played an hour, but it was great. Bobby - Oh wow, I would love to see Weezer in concert. It would go by really fast. What were some of your musical influences growing up? J - Well, I listened to a whole bunch of different things. I really came to listen to music in the 80s. Cars, new wave, Cindy Lauper had to be interests at the time. And then I listened to alternative, punk rock, and ska, and mid-late '80s I got into hip hop. Public enemy was great. I fell in love with the first album I heard of theirs. It was the coolest thing I have ever heard. That seriously got me into hip-hop. I also listened to the Pixies and Nirvana and various things. Also maybe, like, trip-hop like Massive Attack. I have basically listened to about every album of the last 20 years, haha, I just like a lot of stuff. I love hip-hop but I am very picky about it. I find that there is a lot of crap out there. If I find good hip-hop I love it. Bobby - If you had the opportunity to book yourselves in your dream show, who would headline a concert with 2 Skinnee J’s? J - I have been really lucky and generally played with my most favorite bands like Fishbone, which I have spent a lot of time loving. Public Enemy... Maybe Beck would be cool. Weezer... Citizen King and Black Eyed Peas, they are really cool guys and really cool bands. That would just be something we would like to do. Bobby - Growing up, how many bands were you in before you landed the opportunity to be in 2 Skinnee J’s? J - I was in a couple of bands. I was in, like, 2 bands before this. I was in 2 bands that seriously tried to do stuff all in Canada, where I grew up. Bobby - If someone has not had the joy of hearing 2 Skinnee J’s, how would you explain what they are missing? J - YOU ARE MISSING THE BEST BAND EVER! Good and energetic music with good flow and smart lyrics. Sort of the Hip-hop New-Wave band or a New-Wave Hip-hop band. Either way you put it. We would like to thank J and the rest of the band and wish them luck in the future. <====