DARLINGTON

DARLINGTON

1. Though I normally begin the interviews at the beginning, I'm more interested in your recent output as you've been quite prolific and have established a new aesthetic. How would you describe the current era of your work?

CBD:  I wouldn't exactly describe myself as "prolific" - there's many artists who are far more prolific than I am! In recent years I've been just having fun recording at home, and my releases typically consist of a few originals re-recorded with changes to reflect how I perform and sing them now, or how I wished they had sounded to begin with. The rest of the songs on each release consist of cover versions of songs written by other artists. Doing covers of songs I like is typically a creative challenge since the songs are almost never "punk". Transposing songs of other musical genres that were arranged and recorded with little or no guitar and were never meant to be rock-n-roll songs is a creative challenge. Plus, it's fun!

Recording at home is basically free, and I can spend as much time as I want tracking or mixing and do it how I want to instead of paying a studio and engineer for a result I'm not happy with.  Besides the fact that I simply can't afford to go record at a traditional studio, which are quite expensive. Pressing recordings to vinyl is prohibitively expensive, other formats are dead, so it makes more sense financially just to post my recordings for free online on Youtube, although my originals are available thru streaming services such as Spotify.

The past 5 years I did have the opportunity to release two limited-to-300, 100 of each color split 7 inch vinyl Eps, with The Prozacs & The 99ers. Each release was also splitting costs with my friend Marty's labels Jerkoff Records & Ratgirl Records, and The 99ers split was also split with Mandella Records. This enabled each band and label to have lower up front costs. We split the number of copies equally, and the bands each bought additional copies from the labels for cost as we sold thru at shows. It was a great way to collaborate. Marty and I did the same with two split cassette releases as well- one with Easy out, one with The Sweethearts. Marty has been extremely helpful in releasing material on physical formats as well as helping me get on shows in the Southern California area.

The "new" aesthetic is simply a hodgepodge of music and influences I like from my life and whatever my own playing and singing style is. So, I would describe the "current era" of my work -- from 2015- present -- as an honest reflection of how I sound and perform now, and hopefully it reflects a fun attitude as well. It's just about doing my thing and having fun.

2. Though you've been mostly associated with pop punk and Ramonescore, I see you now branching out into a more individualized approach with your songcraft. How has your personal songwriting developed since you began, and what lessons have you learned along the way?

CBD: Only a very small number of my songs could really fall into the "Ramonescore" category. I covered a Ramones song in the 90s ("Glad to see you go" on Live Dallas 1999). I appreciate the Ramones and most punk rock, but punk in general is only a small influence on me musically, as I listen to and appreciate a wide variety of music and artists and always have. Growing up, I loved what was considered heavy metal and glam metal, as well as new wave and British pop in the 80s. The first vinyl record I had was a Blondie 7 inch. I'm 47 now. I grew up in a different time in the 70s and 80s, and graduated high school in 1991 so the music from those first two decades of my life was a big influence. I believe some labels I worked with labeled me as "pop punk"  because they felt that was good marketing, but my material covers too many categories to fit into just one. 

During  the "Mess" era (From 1995 thru 1997 I sang, played guitar in and wrote the songs for a band called "Mess"), I experimented with different singing styles, partly due to me being young and not having really developed my own personal style of singing and playing I liked the best yet, and partly due to me liking different styles. I was in my early twenties and I was quite literally trying to figure out myself and life. The music was faster and "more punk" or more "pop punk" because I was young and aggressive and was embracing the energy and aesthetic of "punk rock", which went hand in hand with skateboarding of which I was an avid skateboarder from 7th grade up through my twenties.

On most recordings I did from 1995 up to 2006, I had little to no money to spend on recording, so all recordings had to be done basically live with a full band on the cheap, very quickly with pretty much zero time spent mixing. That resulted in my sound and performance also being at the mercy of factors beyond my control. I simply was not able to spend hours meticulously mixing, or doing re-takes on vocal or guitar parts that I was unhappy with. In the 90's, there were no laptops or digital DAWs; some recordings (such as the split record with the Huntingtons) were originally intended to just be demos! (those songs were recorded live to Hi-8 in the back of a record store!)

Also, when a label is paying for an album you signed a contract to do for them, they often make the decisions and you don't always have a say in the matter. For example, when I recorded the the Girltroversy album, Last Beat records had an in-house producer mix and produce the record. I had minimal to zero input on that. It was recorded to ADAT format (which were similar size to VHS tapes). Back then, to cut costs, you'd also typically "rent" tape at studios- and they would record over and re-use the tapes for the next band- so there could never be any remixing. Tape cost a lot of money for a struggling band! I was young and didn't know much about gear or recording yet. I wasn't very good at guitar or singing yet either. But I took mental notes, asked lots of questions and took every opportunity to learn all I could. Technology certainly has enabled artists to have better recordings for cheaper than the old days for sure.

Over time, I tried to develop my own style, sound, and aesthetic. I believe my singing style and the way I play guitar now sounds unique and original. I spent years trying out and playing all sorts of guitars, amps, and pedals until I found what worked best and sounded best to my ears and for the playing style I developed. I still enjoy trying new gear and developing new sounds.

My favorite guitarists include Nancy Wilson, Billy Zoom, Greg Koch, Izzy Stradlin', Joe Bonamassa, John Mayer, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley, Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Steve Stevens, Kirk Hammett, Tom Scholz, Steve Lukather, Nita Strauss, & Courtney Cox.

My favourite singing influences are female: Susanna Hoffs, Belinda Carlisle, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Olivia Newton-John, Kristin Kontrol, Lesley Gore, Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, Rita Coolidge, Sheena Easton, Yvonne Elliman, Kate Nash, Debbie Harry, Courtney Love, Kim Shattuck, Brijitte West, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Sheryl Crow… I wish I had a female singing voice, the range, the Joan Jett mezzo-soprano.

Although female singers in general have influenced me far more than males, I'm a big fan of male singers as well- Michael Monroe of Hanoi Rocks, Gino Vannelli, Paul Stanley, JJ Lin, Eddie Money, Rhett Miller, Rick Springfield. My bass influences include Kathy Valentine & John Taylor.

I didn't discover punk rock until I was in 8th grade. Before that I had already fallen in love with Rock-n-Roll and listened to a wide variety of popular bands and artists from various genres. I had already determined that being a Rock-n-Roller was what I was going to do with my life. But I have always listened to all sorts of music- I even love musicals and disco. Punk rock represents a very small percentage of influence for me musically. The Spice Girls were a bigger influence on me than the Ramones. I know that's not the "cool" thing to say, but it's the truth. I like what I like, what speaks to me, what gives my heart joy.That's why music is great- there's something for everybody

3. The cat aesthetic and the consistent inclusion of sexual themes in your lyrics combine for a vibe that seems both cutesy and, at times, perhaps too adult. How did you arrive at this aesthetic, and what feelings do you expect listeners to come away with after hearing, for example, Furbabies?

CBD: The question is conflating two different things, so I'll address them separately.

I personally do not believe rock-n-roll could or should ever be considered "too adult." Rock-n-roll and punk rock has ALWAYS been controversial, sexual, provocative, and full of adult themes. It was NEVER music for kids. I understand a lot of people in the "punk scene" have grown up and become parents. So they now want to "clean up" the music to be "family-friendly", but that's the complete antithesis of what punk was all about.

Rock-n-Roll has always addressed the darker sides of humanity, and the artists can and often do reflect that. Artists should be provocative, challenging. When I was a kid, I listened to adult bands that addressed adult themes. It was all sex, drugs, rock-n-roll, raise hell, fuck you, fuck everything. Also, typically the ways in which rock-n-roll and punk rock artists addressed sexual topics had a very tongue-in-cheek, humorous edge to any sexually explicit lyrics. Nobody was being very serious about such topics. Although church ladies may have been offended by the Buzzcocks and their song "orgasm addict", you can't seriously expect me to believe that most people were taking a band with that name and such a song seriously. 

Of course, now society has changed. A different generation will have different views on music and such things. That's fine. Times change. What is considered humorous has changed. But I can only speak to my own life and experience -- how I viewed things when I was young and as I grew up. I don't expect my music to appeal to teenagers now -- they have their own music and artists they are into that reflect the time they live in. I used to think music was timeless. But it's also a snapshot and reflection of the time it was created and the generation or artist that created it. So I expect my audience to be of the same generation as I am, and to view such things in a similar way as me.

My lyrics are actually not very explicit when you compare them to other rock-n-roll, punk rock, or rap artists. Many artists from those three genres have used sexually explicit or offensive lyrics, many of them far more offensive and explicit than anything I have ever written. The few songs I have written with sexual lyrics are not very explicit at all, and a song such as "ATM" is obviously meant to be humorous. Sometimes sex is serious, sometimes it's hilarious! As an artist, oftentimes when your material is heard without any context or explanation, a listener may take you seriously when you are having a laugh, or think you are joking when you are serious. Sometimes there is an element of truth, seriousness and humor all wrapped up in one song- because that's how real life is! Life is shades of grey, an equal mix of serious and funny. Music reflects that.

My personal opinion is that society needs to give up on the idea that artists be a moral compass or a role model. How about YOU being a good parent and role model for your kids instead of expecting artists to? Hey, there's plenty of "family-friendly"artists and radio stations. YOU have the choice to listen to whatever you like. If it offends you, listen to something else.  

Now in reference to the "cat" aesthetic. 5 years ago, three feral kittens were starving to death on my doorstep. One of them was badly injured -- the bone was sticking out of his leg! I saved their lives and adopted them. They became my best friends and housemates. They have enriched my life and I cannot imagine life without them.

This took me on a journey where over the course of 5 years, along with the help of several kind cat lovers and rescue groups, I was directly responsible for saving a total of 15 feral kittens' lives. In a sense, by saving them I saved myself as well by rediscovering the humanity, compassion and emotions within me. I know that sounds trite, but it is the truth. After I had used the photo of the baby mountain lions for Furbabies, and another cat for Caturday nights,, I decided I would feature my own cats on my record covers. Having an aesthetically consistent theme appeals to my meticulous sensibilities. One day my kitties will be gone, but as long as my recordings exist online their memories shall live on.

Furbabies is a full album I released in 2016 which has a variety of material that includes cover songs. I often rewrite cover song lyrics to reflect my own experiences or likes and re-arrange instrumentation to my style of playing. It's very challenging to do on some songs. How I transform and transpose a cover song gives the listener insight into how I hear music. I make each cover song my own, with meaning for me, with instrumentation that's mine which reflects my personality. A few of the many examples on Furbabies:

Hilary Duff "Come clean": This song has no actual guitar parts. I had to re-do all the instrumentation. The way I interpreted the different parts gives the listener a window into my creative process. The lyrics have meaning for me, representing a rebirth of sorts.

Selena "Como la flor": I’ve covered this Selena song since 2002. At the time, turning a "Cumbia" style song into an uptempo rock number was something I had never heard anybody do before.

Sheena Easton -- "Morning Train": I turn it around by swapping the gender roles, another favorite thing of mine to do. The instrumentation is very different from the original yet sticks to the original arrangement.

My current era of recordings, including Furbabies, are mixed to sound amazing on a good pair of headphones. I discourage people from listening thru a mono Bluetooth speaker. I personally don't like this trend of mixing music to sound good thru a mono speaker, because then it sounds shitty thru headphones. You can attempt to do a mix that sounds ok on either. You'd have to record and mix using certain gear in certain ways to achieve that, and do it in a top-class studio. But you would still have to make compromises. A track or song is like- imagine if you will, a glass. Your different instruments and vocals and drums and such is each represented by different liquids. You are limited by the size of the glass. so if you pour in more of one, that means you have less of another, and so on. You have to consider that different parts may be in the same frequency range which limits how you can mix it. This holds true for any studio regardless of gear.

I would rather my material sound incredible thru a pair of high-quality headphones or a high-end car stereo or home stereo than a Bluetooth speaker or ear buds. I mix and record and master my stuff in a way that I like to the best of my abilities with the limited gear I have to do it at home. All my currently available digital releases represent my own personal favorites, what I feel are my best efforts, what sound best to me. Hopefully anybody who listens to my stuff will enjoy it, and maybe it will show them a different perspective, a different vibe. Maybe it will change how they think about music, as some of my favorite artists did for me. 

4. Your reputation as a constantly motivated musician has interested me, in particular because you haven't ever achieved a level of success that could provide a sustainable lifestyle. What are your attitudes towards success, and what are your own personal expectations for success?

CBD: I have a reputation as constantly motivated? I don't know about that. There's lots of hard-working musicians -- many far more hardworking than me! Mick Jagger once said-- I'm paraphrasing him -- you can work hard -- but lots of people work hard. You can be talented, but lots of people are talented. What it really comes down to is who you know, timing, and luck.

Everybody has a different definition of success. If yours is measured by financial terms, then I have never achieved success. If your definition is measured by popularity, or how many fans or record sales you have, then I have not achieved success. However, if it’s reaching a point with myself and my music where I am proud of the music I create and I like what I create, where I enjoy my life, then I have achieved success.

When I was younger, I measured success by other people's terms -- by the financial and popularity yardsticks. I was desperate for success to prove my worth to others, and myself. Success to have the money to support myself. Now I know there are far more important things in life. I almost died from a heart attack in 2017. Enjoying life, enjoying what you do is, to my opinion, a far better measure of "success".

Music for me is a fun artistic hobby. I'm grateful to still be able to play music. My worst days are still far better than a large percentage of humanity. There's people out there starving to death, living under bridges, people paralyzed, people maimed, people fighting oppression. I've been homeless before. That was awful. Compared to most of humanity, I've got it easy. So to me, I've achieved success already, by getting to wake up with a roof over my head, food in the kitchen, clean water to drink, and really cool cats to keep me company.

5. Do you feel that you've been able to re-establish yourself as an artist in recent years, having surpassed the era in which your reputation was tarnished by alleged incidents resulting in legal troubles? What are your thoughts on your past and present as an artist, and how did that experience impact you both personally and as a songwriter?

CBD: I don't know that I was ever "established" as an artist to begin with. Yes, I got to release records with some cool labels, play with some cool musicians and 0pen for some cool bands and go on a few DIY tours over the years but I never had a big fan base, and that was all many years ago. It was all sort of trial and error adventures and fun. I would consider being "established" to mean that an artist has a dedicated fan base and operates on a professional level, with booking, contracts, guarantees, infrastructure, and pays their bills and their bandmates' bills thru performances and merchandise profits. To pay taxes like a business. I'm lucky to get a few opening slots playing for free here and there. It's very flattering that a few people here and there like my music, and it's wonderful that I got to do cool stuff in the past and have adventures, but I just can't consider my position "established" or "professional". I'm just having a bit of fun performing these days. 

Like many other Rock-n-Roll and punk rock artists over the decades who lived their lives in an edgy and reckless manner when young, I encountered my fair share of crazy adventures, sketchy situations, and grey areas. I made plenty of reckless, dangerous and stupid decisions, some of which resulted in unpleasant and challenging consequences. I believe that in life, one has to learn from their mistakes, and to evolve and improve themselves as they make their way thru life.  One has to keep a positive mental attitude, be humble, listen to others, admit when one is wrong and to fight when one is right. Everybody in life faces their own sets of challenges and situations that bring both positive and negative consequences to themselves and others around them. I am no different. 

I believe that the challenges I've faced, and how I responded to them resulted in my reaching the point where I am now on a mental and emotional level. I believe the person I am now is the best version of myself, the version of myself I like the most. Hindsight is 20/20; nobody can change their past. The past must also live in the past. My past informs me but does not define me; I believe in forgiving others of their mistakes and I hope others will forgive my mistakes, because we are all human, we all make mistakes in life as we grow and learn. 

To that end, my life's experiences have informed my music and creativity in many ways. Art and music is both therapeutic and expressive; it's a wonderful way to express oneself in a positive manner. It's a wonderful medium for exploring dark or negative experiences and turning them into a positive. Sometimes songs must live in the past along with the times they represent. 

Life only moves in one direction. All one can do is push forward with a positive attitude, and learn from the past to inform their present and future decisions and art.

6. I've read that you tend to work in retail, specifically mall settings. Do you feel that the mall environment lends itself to your personal style, and do you identify with the mall culture as an artist? Do you feel that malls in general represent a bygone cultural era?

CBD: That was many years ago. My retail career lasted from 1996 to 2005. That type of work appealed to my meticulous sensibilities: symmetry, keeping things organized. It was air-conditioned, easy work. Fashion was fun! I worked for many stores during that time period, including Contempo casuals, Wet seal, Claire's, The icing, Afterthoughts, Rampage, Abercrombie & Fitch, Gap, Old navy, Urban outfitters, Steve madden, Pacific sun wear, and Hot topic.

Those were part-time jobs I worked in-between touring and such. I had fun working those jobs. Got some great stories. I was young and having fun. I was a great cashier. I was a decent manager. I excelled at merchandising and displays. It provided a lot of opportunities to make friends and meet people.

Today I go to malls to walk for exercise with the old people, as well as to eat and shop. Malls are different now. For me, most of them don't represent a “bygone cultural era” -- just a bygone way of shopping. Outdoor strip malls and multi-use shopping areas replaced indoor malls from my generation. New generations want their own things: shopping areas, bands and music. Times change, styles change.

7. Without delving into matters too personal, how would you describe your current lifestyle? Do you feel that you're able to sustain yourself and live a life that suits your various needs health-wise and creatively?

CBD: I just try to enjoy life, to enjoy the small things in life, appreciate all the little things in life. Bruce Lee said -- and I'm paraphrasing him here -- to be like water, flow like water. It's a Zen-, Tao-type mindset: Go with the flow. Stay positive, only worry about little things you can control. In the end we all die. You never know when that will happen. You only have one life, got to enjoy each day while you can.

Everybody has issues and aches and pains as they age. I have my own list of physical health issues to deal with. My right knee was reconstructed in the 90s after tearing it up skateboarding, so the cartilage is disintegrating at a faster rate in that knee. Sometimes I have to use a cane because of that.

Age and time are the great equalizers. We all get old, and our bodies break down. I am trying to age with dignity and grace. 

8. Another tale I've read about involves the touring ventures in which you performed solo with an electric guitar across the USA. What was that experience like, and did you feel that it was worthwhile? Also, how does being a solo artist now compare with having worked with bands in the past?

CBD: A tale you've read? You make it sound like mythology. Although I had performed like that many times over the years in my hometown, between playing with a full band, I began performing that way on tour and full time starting in 2015. I didn't have much of a choice. What most people do not consider is how expensive touring is. You really must be popular to do it. Especially as you get older. People ask why I don't tour with a band. Well, to have a band you have to pay the musicians to leave their jobs and families to go perform. Everybody's got bills, rent, families. If you drive with gear, you have to rent a van and have lodging along the way. You have to feed everyone. It takes days and days of grueling driving. Every day away from home costs money. If you fly with a full band, everybody needs plane tickets. you have to rent gear. If you're popular, and have a booking agent and such and get contracts and guarantees and people buy tickets to shows and promoters book you, maybe. But I'm not in that position.

Booking is difficult because I'm not a popular well-known act. Venues and bars are a business. I get it. Being in the position I am, I take what I can get and I play anything -- I even do open mic. The shows that seem the most successful are ones set up with local acts where I open for them, because they will have fans and friends in their town that show up, so it doesn't matter if nobody knows who I am, since I'm just the opener.

I actually toured in my car. Just me and my guitar and amp. Toured for 50,000 miles in a leased Mini Countryman from 2015 to 2017. Slept in the car at truck stops a lot. Toured from Texas to California, from Texas to North Dakota, as far south as Terlingua down by the border. It was the adventure of a lifetime. Had more fun from 2015 thru 2017 touring than all the years before with a full band (1995-2005). I got to perform at so many cool bars and venues with so many cool bands! It was wonderful! If I could afford a new vehicle I would still be trying to do driving tours.

Imagine showing up all alone to a town you've never been, don't know a soul there, to perform alone. It's challenging but empowering. Playing with a band, you have your gang onstage, you cover for each other. Alone, any mistake or error is heard. You're up there alone and vulnerable. It takes guts to get up there alone. But there are lots of pros -- my set can change depending on what I want to play nightly, without having to have a band learn the material. I can go wherever I want, sightsee, make a mini-vacation out of each trip, without having to get bandmates to go along with it. Unfortunately I lost a large percentage of photos from that time due to phones getting damaged.

Now I fly in and out. Fly in the day of the show, taxi to the gig, taxi back to airport, hang out at the airport overnight, then fly first thing in the morning back. I can't do it all the time, because it's expensive, but it is cheaper than driving, and takes far less time. Southwest doesn't charge bag fees for checked bags.

The solo touring I've done from 2015 to now has been the most empowering, rewarding, fun times I have ever had playing music live. I also feel some of my greatest performances took place in the past 5 years as well touring solo. I understand some people require a drummer with a full band and a "show" to be entertained,. It would be great to be able to do that, but a full band just isn't an option right now.

If the situation was right I would love to be in another person's band. I don't always need to be the center of attention. I can come up with creative bass and guitar parts all day long for other people's songs. It's fun. I moonlighted for The Sweethearts on bass in summer 2015 and had a blast doing it!

9. You've taken advantage of modern technology and have managed to release a slew of albums with admirable, albeit homegrown production quality. Was there a steep learning curve or did you figure out how to produce your own material naturally? Is this also the case for the graphic design of your album covers?

CBD: All my home recordings are done on old white plastic refurbished MacBooks I buy on the cheap. I use free mastering suite software. I can't afford expensive microphones or analog gear. So I make do with what I can. Expensive gear is useless if your performance sucks or you have no creative talent. Yes, there was a learning curve. I didn't go to school for sound engineering. I used my previous experience over the years and there was lots of trial and error. As one producer I know says, “It's the ears, not the gear.”

For image design and editing, I used to use Photoshop on an older Macbook, but when that computer died the subsequent MacBooks I acquired were not compatible with that version of Photoshop, so I began using GIMP open source to scale and size images and use phone apps for initial designs. The old MacBooks are kind of janky -- it’s like a digital version of old 4 tracks. Each has weird quirks and bugs that affects the recordings in some way.

I just try to have fun and create stuff I enjoy listening to and have fun recording songs I like, and I hope that fun vibe really comes thru. If one listens to my recordings thru some good headphones I honestly believe they will be impressed. The production is much higher fidelity than "homegrown" would lead you to believe.

I could do a great job producing other artists if given the opportunity, in a real studio setting, using the knowledge and creative talents I have. It's something I would love to do going forward.

10. What are your biggest regrets in your musical career, and what have been your greatest triumphs so far? Do you expect any significant changes to your current routine (playing shows, touring, etc.), or will you simply continue to self-release albums and focus on the creative output?

CBD: I would say my greatest triumphs were touring alone from 2015 to now, as well as all the solo recordings I've done during that same period, learning how to live my life with dignity and grace. Also, going blonde. In my experience blondes DO have more fun!

Everybody has regrets from their younger years. I made the best decisions I could along the way based on what I knew, what information I had, and the options available to me. Sometimes it worked out, sometimes it didn't. Sometimes I was praised, sometimes I was pilloried. Everyone goes thru their own battles, blessings and curses. I made a lot of dumb, reckless decisions. Everybody does when they are young. Even those that appear to lead perfect lives who are popular and financially successful have negative things going on nobody knows about.

But, I like myself how I am now and those experiences or decisions which I "regret" also had a part in shaping the person I am now. So it's hard to say. If life hadn't turned out the way it did, instead of being the person I am now, I could have been an awful piece of shit. Or dead. 

I do regret selling some guitars I wish I had kept. I also regret that I was born male. If I was female I would have been a star by the age of 25 -- a sexy, glamorous ingenue with a lovely singing voice. I also would have been a flight attendant. A glamorous, sassy air hostess with a smart uniform, a cute neckerchief and poofy hair.

11. In what ways does songwriting provide you with a sense of personal satisfaction and accomplishment? Are you largely a self-taught songwriter? Do you pay much attention to the current pop punk scene, and are there current bands and/or songwriters who you admire in particular?

CBD: All art I've done in my life, including music, has provided me with personal satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.

I am completely self- taught in the sense I never went to any school or had formal training. I can play and arrange music wonderfully by ear but cannot tell you how I am able to -- I just can. It's something I wanted to do since I was a little kid and had my first radio.

In 8th grade I got in a fistfight in history class with another kid who was a skateboarder, and by the end of the year we were good friends and he showed me how to play Possessed to skate by Suicidal tendencies on his Blade strat copy thru a Peavey rage amp. That was the 80s. In high school I discovered I could sing pretty good and got my first guitar and amp. Since then it’s been a crazy rock-n-roll adventure, and I made my childhood rock-n-roll dreams come true, but it certainly didn't happen like I thought! Life's weird like that.

There's so many talented and amazing artists and bands out there. I actually do keep up with the "pop punk" scene. I have friends and acquaintances in many bands, and there’s many talented people I respect in that scene, some people who I keep in touch with. I recommend the following currently active bands/artists:

Kurt Baker, The Surfrajettes, Geoff Palmer, The Pantones (Madrid), The Sweethearts, The Suck, The Young Rochelles, The Putz,Turbulent Hearts, Suzi Moon, Hayley and the crushers, Bruiser Queen, Fea, Given a chance, Johnny Cheapo and Ded Frendz, Christophe Murdock, Fat by the gallon, Gina Volpe, Marko and the bruisers, Stiletto bomb, Pretty pirates, Two bit johnies, The 99ers, Jagger Holly, Insanity alert, The Reely Rotnz, Brian Hardy, Scary cherry and the bang bangs, Beatnik termites, Flamingo nosebleed, The Jasons, and The Renfields, 

12. What does the future hold for Darlington? 

CBD: When I acquire some plutonium, I'll be able to get the Delorean up to 88 miles per hour and find out who wins a future world series and get rich. Until then, As Peter Griffin once said, I'm Just grinding it out  ‘til the big one hits. Sanguelto!

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