CNQ Interview with Bob Katz, the Mangfather

Back in December I did this e-mail interview with Bob Katz, AKA the Mangfather. Bob's a musician based out of Brooklyn, and almost a year ago now, he released arguably the best quarantine album of the epidemic, Six Cans of Olives. which was on the Canadian Hip Hop Top Ten album list for several months and voted the top track of 2021 by CKWR: Off the Grid, as well as charting in the top 50 of the 2020 LGBT Music Chart. We started the interview by talking about that album.

The Mangfather Bob Katz · Six Cans of Olives

CNQ: It sounds like you recorded something of a pandemic album just by virtue of that's what was going on at the time. (Six Cans of Olives) covers quarantine, maskless assholes, a vacation to the woods and to the beach, then ends with you back home keeping 6 ft social distance with pigeons wearing masks. Did the material happen organically over the course of the year or did you say "I think I want to record a pandemic album" after things settled down a bit? What did you use to play and record the album?

BOB KATZ (BK): It was really an organic process. The album started right at the beginning of the lockdown here in NYC. My spouse and I had just gotten back from my first-ever Caribbean vacation, where we had spotty internet and couldn’t really tell what was going on in the world. We arrived home to a city in panic, with people hoarding food and other critical supplies. I went to my local supermarket and found almost nothing left. I turned my head and saw a huge shelf of olive cans sitting there, and I started imagining what would happen if the only food that I could find left was olives. Suddenly the phrase “six cans of olives” hit me and the melody came into my head. I ran home with a jar of peanut butter, two loaves of bread (one of which I stuck in the freezer to preserve it just in case), and six cans of olives, got on my computer and started writing the song, Six Cans of Olives. After I recorded it, I started making a video to go with the release. By that time, we were being told to mask up but it was impossible to get a mask anywhere. So we were being encouraged to be creative and to make our own face masks. So in the video I reflected the insanity of that time by wearing insane useless homemade masks including underwear and finally, a jock strap on my face. Then I put out the song “Six Cans of Olives” as a single. It started to do pretty well and it made me realize that I could contribute to the COVID relief effort through my music. So I decided to put out a COVID-themed album. It also gave me a big project to work on to distract myself from the constant anxiety that marked the beginning of the pandemic. In working on the album, I became aware that as an introverted musician, I am uniquely sutied to cope with a lockdown and that in fact, I have coping skills that I could share with others. Hence came the song “Off the Grid”, which ends with the line “I was made for this shit!” The three-song cycle of folks fleeing to the country, then the beach, and then finally running back home came directly out of my envy and schadenfreude around what was going on in NYC during the lockdown. Rich people were fleeing the city for their vacation homes while the rest of us were stuck in our tiny apartments like rats in cages. But then I remembered that the rural vacation areas outside of NYC have really high rates of Lyme Disease tics so I started to imagine what would happen if all these rich folks were to come down with Lyme Disease in addition to COVID. And hence, the song, Corona n’ Lyme, which of course, is also a play on the popular beer named Corona, which is advertised to go really well with lime (it does)! Then I started to read about the strange phenomenon of Great White Sharks being spotted on the shores around NYC, particularly in the wealthy vacation beaches like the Hamptons. So of course, in my envy, I started to imagine these rich people getting eaten by sharks and hence the song, Corona n’ Shark! I recorded and produced the album using Logic Pro 9. I use an M-Audio 49 keyboard and I also plug in my Martin acoustic-electric guitar and my Rode condenser vocal mike.

CNQ: We felt the same way about quarantine, like we were made for it. Both the wife and I are lazy and, while not anti-social, we can go for long periods without social interaction and be just fine entertaining ourselves. I listened to your interview on Radio Kingston where you said you and your spouse were living separately through much of the pandemic and that was difficult for you. I hope it's easier to see each other these days.

BK:Conrad and I have had a bi-borough relationship for 22 years. He lives in Manhattan and I live in Brooklyn. We didn’t see each other for the first 4 months of the lockdown because Conrad is older than me and I was afraid of getting him sick. My neighborhood has done really badly and continues to do badly during the pandemic. Folks are not getting vaccinated and have not been wearing masks indoors, even during the height of the pandemic. Many people have died. When I saw Conrad in person for the first time in 4 months, I started to cry and I just couldn’t stop. Since then, we’ve gone back to spending weekends with eachother and it’s been such a relief.

CNQ: In that same interview you mentioned you are a Joni Mitchell fan. I'm a big fan of hers as well. My favorite album of hers is The Hissing of Summer Lawns. Do you have a favorite Mitchell album or song?

BK: OMG Joni Mitchell is my God! If I had a nickel for every time I answered a question with ‘as Joni Mitchell said…’, I would be a very wealthy person. I’m completely obsessed with all of her albums, including The Hissing of Summer Lawns (I own a vinyl copy), but I would have to say the album that I listen to most when I get down is that old standby, Blue. The song The Last Time I Saw Richard, moves me to no end.

CNQ: You mentioned a wide range of artists you listen to now -- what artists did you grow up listening to? What radio stations?

BK: I’m such a lyrics person, so the confessional singer-songwriters of the 70’s (e.g., Janis Ian, Carly Simon, James Taylor, Sandy Denny, Joni Mitchell, Richard and Linda Thompson, Paul Simon) drew me like a magnet. When I was 9, my older sister brought home a copy of Carly Simon’s album, We Have No Secrets, and it changed my life. When the song, The Carter Family, came on, I started crying and I played that song over and over again. Something about the music combined with the lyrics and the vocals was so powerful to me. That’s why my fantasy was always to be a singer-songwriter in the confessional folk rock vein, and I started out working with Pete Kennedy, from the great folk rock duo, The Kennedys. In fact, Pete produced my first album, When Good Mangos Go Bad, which I recorded under the artist name, Bob Katz. But even though the album was an underground success, particularly in the punk and even heavy metal circles (I was asked to be a regular on a radio show run by the band Twisted Sister), I was considered too raw for most of the folk rock set and I knew that this was not the genre for me. I was a genre-less cowboy for a while, running the most prominant singer-songwriter coffeehouse in NYC for over 6 years and even writing, producing, and performing a one-man Off-Broadway musical theater piece called Quasimango, The Lunchbox of Notre Dame. But a vocal injury sustained during the unamplified Quasimango piece led serendipidously to my experimenting with hip-hop and rap when I wrote and recorded the song, Caught in a Butt Sandwich. The song and particularly the accompanying video, became such an expected cult hit (> 100,000 views on Google+, etc.) that I was convinced to put out a hip-hop album entitled Caught in a Butt Sandwich, which also became a hit (year end top-ten lists, etc). I became aware of rap music at the age of 15, when I first heard the song, The Message, by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five on the radio. I was totally blown away and it showed me how powerful rap could be as a means of communicating truth in song. The crazy thing is it was not till later that year that I realized that my own sister was referenced in the lyrics of The Message, in the lines, “they pushed that girl in front of the train, took her to the doctor sewed her arm on again.” In a famous bit of NYC history, my sister, Renee Katz, a flutist who had just been admitted to the New England Conservatory of Music, was pushed in front of a subway train on her way to the High School of Music and Art. Her hand was severed and later reattached in one of the first microsurgery operations in history. I loved the song The Message, but it was traumatizing to hear my sister’s assault being referenced over and over again on the radio. I make reference to this bizarre situation in my song, The Good Old Days, which is the 2nd song on the Caught in a Butt Sandwich album. I actually believe that The Good Old Days is the best song that I’ve written thus far, although I also think that its rawness makes some people uncomfortable, I guess like most of my stuff!

The Mangfather Bob Katz · Caught In a Butt Sandwich (Clean)

CNQ: With things opening back up, do you have plans to play any live venues any time soon? (Note: this interview was conducted shortly before the Omnicron wave exploded in the States -- Matt)

BK: I’d love to do a tour, especially of Canada, where the album has been a particular success (e.g., it went to #2 on Canadian hip-hop chart), but I don’t think it’s going to happen for a while. Most of the places where I normally play haven’t opened up yet and I’m still very wary about taking off my mask indoors with folks I don’t know, particulary with the apparent infectiousness of the Omiron variant.

CNQ: The humor in your songs may make more sensitive listeners blanche, I would imagine, but from what I've heard you're never punching down. I also tend to work "blue" with my songwriting, but I'm always worried I may unintentionally offend someone, even tho my #1 rule is "don't punch down." Do you worry at all about offending people with raunchy or crass lyrics, and have you ever encountered someone at a live show who took offense at something you never would have thought would piss off anybody?

BK: Yes, this is such a big issue for me Matt! If I had a dime for every time I’ve been disinvited to a gig after I’ve been booked because of something someone heard on the internet, I’d be rich by now. One time in my folk rock days when I was performing a song I wrote called Kick in the Teeth, about being physically and emotionally abused by my father, I dropped an F-bomb and an entire row of the audience immediately walked out in mass! I could not believe it. One time, I asked the great singer-songwriter Cliff Eberhardt about my concern that I would hurt members of my family with my music and I’ll never forget his response. He looked me in the eye and he goes, “That’s a muse-killer, man!" So I’ve decided not to let the concern about offending some people stop me from speaking my truth. But I’m no high-minded purist, believe me. I always make an alternative radio-friendly version of my albums because I still want to get played!

CNQ: Can you talk more about your next project after Six Cans of Olives?

BK: I really have no idea what’s next, which is probably a good thing. I’ve written many songs that I’d like to record at some point, so I’ll probably just go back to my instruments and fool around. I’m actually toying with the idea of going back to a more stripped-down folk rock sound on my next album, but hey, you never know…

To purchase Six Cans of Olives, visit: http://www.themangfather.com

CNQ Spotlight On: Syf Records (Poland)

Here recently I fell in love with the noisy, lo-fi output of Poland's Syf Records. I reached out to Ingusz from Syf to get a feel for what, exactly, is going on here:

CNQ: So here is what I've gleaned from the Syf Records Bandcamp page. Syf Records is a small DIY lo-fi garage punk label out of Szczecin, Poland. Since February of this year, Syf has released 14 EPs from 12 different bands, each as lo-fi, raw and as rockin' as the previous one. From what I can tell, some of these are first time digital releases of old demo tapes going back as far as the 1990s, and some are new stuff recorded on Zoom or an iphone. Can you tell us more about who Syf Records is, and how it came to be?

Ingusz: Yeah, we already have 15 EPs and working on new compilation so probably we are one of the most productive labels aroudn the world haha. But this is due to the concept we adopted and which relates to our view of the creative process and its relationship to community.

We do not want to get involved in the typical process of creating albums, but we inspire our community to frequent meetings and creative work in the collective - hence the new releases, of which there are indeed a lot. Hence, there are new bands that are formed in new personal constellations, because it is very fluid situation between band. All members of the collective work together and have the power to attract other talented, creative people.

Of course, the pandemic does not make the task easier for us, for example Vulgar, a violent on stage and devastating drummer, often helps people as a paramedic instead of being with us on rehearsal room.

And yes, you’re right, we also have some stuff from the past, like Parole In Liberta, solo project from Szczecin from ’90. And this is not the last word of PiL.

CNQ: Despite some stylistic differences in these releases (i.e., some are a little more electro, some are more noise oriented, some are more post-punk, etc.), there's certainly an overarching lo-fi sound threaded through these. Does the label have a mission statement?

Ingusz: We don’t think about that as "mission statement” but for sure we attached to DIY way of thinking and I think lo fi sound is part of it. This is the best way to catch this special moment when few people combine their skills, their expression and create something. That's why you can find in SYF scary noise punk from INSTRYBUTR or more new wave / post punk from Salnos, more experimental attitiude from KILØFF or event lofi country from SZLAM. This is the moment that was captured. This is pure emotion and we love to make it possible to see it the light of day.

CNQ: I looked up Szczecin, on Wikipedia. For readers who, like me, had not heard of the city before, Szczecin is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Population-wise it's about the size of Tulsa, Oklahoma, here in the States. What can you tell us about Szczecin's garage punk scene -- a little of its history, is it generally political, anti-political, what's the current fashion, or anti-fashion -- anything to give us a feel for who's putting out these killer recordings?

Ingusz: Szczecin is a unique city in Poland because it is very ‘western’. It is located near west border, just over an hour from Berlin and this influence is very important, both in terms of lifestyle and art.

In Poland it is often said that "Szczecin is not Poland anymore". This is because until 1945 Szczecin was a German city, but after World War II the borders changed and Szczecin joined Poland. During the Cold War and the Iron Curtain, Szczecin was also unique, because as a port city it was a window to the world. We grew out of these feelings.

Today it is a city where different cultures meet and it has a great influence on art and music.

The punk scene has been living underground for years, organizing itself into various collective groups that cooperate with each other, and until the pandemic, concert and musical life flourished.

It is worth getting to know the compilation of Szczecin's DIY underground from the 80s and 90s:

Now we are trying to breathe new life in a more disorganized way. Seemingly.

CNQ: My touchstone for sound like this is Estrus Records, Homestead Records, and In The Red Records. What are some of the bands/labels that influence Syf Records and the bands on Syf? Are the bands on Syf all from Szczecin and the surrounding area?

Ingusz: We started as a local label associating people from Szczecin, but we are in contact with our friends from different parts of Poland and we do not rule out the possibility of extending the cooperation. It would be great!

Thanks for the appeal, it's great labels! we certainly draw from what grew up in the Szczecin underground, it is one of our inspirations. I have already mentioned the influence of Berlin. There are people with very open heads around Syf, so we soak up loud sounds from the USA or Australia, we are impressed by the egg punk trend, cold post-punk from Eastern Europe, especially Ukraine and Russia, and experimental approaches to punk from Japan, California and the UK.

We have a lot of plans for the near future and there will certainly be new materials. Will the intensity be maintained? It does not matter, but this is the way we want to act.

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Check out the first Syf Records compilation, "Our Ugly 15":

CNQ Profile On: Sean Hocking / Metal Postcard Records

If you don't know about the amazing, eclectic, and effervescent Metal Postcard Records, now's your time to get hep. Here's an interview via e-mail I did with Metal Postcard's founder and main mane, Sean Hocking. This was a lot of fun to do. Thanks Sean!

CNQ: What is the origin of Metal Postcard Records? Can you talk about where you were location and life wise when you first started MP?

SH: I started a art project label with a friend in 2000. 12 Apostles. And released the first piece of vinyl by the likes of Girl Talk, cult London band ROC and Sydney mash up artist DSICO. With still the best Nirvana cover ever on the “punk as pussy” 12”

The label was run by myself in Sydney and my partner in crime Ben in London. After this project drew to a close I decided I’d like to run my own Lakeland on moving to NYC in 2004 I started Metal Postcard records with the following release as a 7” vinyl:

Make Sure you listen to both sides!

CNQ: You've lived all over -- you're in Sydney now, correct? Didn't you live in Hong Kong too, or am I making that up? Did you grow up in London?

SH: Today I’m 55 and when you get to this age you work out life is quite a complicated thing ! So here’s the potted

Was born in Adelaide Australia 1964

From age 3-8 lived in the West Indies ( Island of Tortola). First music memories Carnival, Steel Bands and what was called at the time Jump Up music - never wore shoes, school what was that !

So aged 8 went to a dark and grey England ( 1972 in the UK was a different world). And off to boarding school where the highlight of the week was Sunday evening being allowed to listen to the radio to hear the top 20 chart singles of that week.. that’s what really got me into music.. there’s lots to say about that place .. essentially for your generation imagine Hogwarts with peadophiles and sad men who survived the 2nd world war but took the sadness of their damaged lives out on small children with physical cruelty.

CNQ: I'm 43! I do feel like I have a lot in common with millennials but Potter-mania definitely not one of them. That's ok tho, it's good I present younger than I am, I think.

SH: There you go I imagined you were 10 years younger - although to be honest I didn’t have you as a potter reader I just thought the analogy might make sense

For secondary school I went to a place called Charterhouse - google it - famous musicians from there included Genesis ( who we all hated). And a Cocteau Twin was a couple of years above me in my house( boarding again) This is where music really kicked in - started aged 14 in 1978. So we’d sneak out of school and go and see the likes of the Ramones, Banshees, Damned, Undertones, Cramps,Killing Joke - the list goes on forever and all those really bad punk bands like Anti Nowhere League, Expolited, Cockney rejects , sham 69 etc etc

After school it was university at Sussex Uni - which in those days was proper Marxist ( not what people think Marxism is today) I studied American Literature with Marx & Engels critique .. my teachers were poets, real feminists.. they didn’t believe in exams so I only ever had to do finals and hand in a few essays.. so the rest of the time was spent what you should do at uni, reading, taking as many drugs as possible within our lean budget ( acid was very unhip in the mid 80’s so it cost nothing and along with cheap Lebanese hash was how we’d operate) as for music I’ll go into that later

After uni spent 2 years on the road - Australia, SE Asia and India

Then back to the UK at the height of Acid House - living in London

Then ran out of money - went back to Aus and settled there for 10 + years with the odd couple of years back in Europe

On 9/11 was in Battery Park City 2 blocks away from WTC and was a part of all that - mention it because it made a big effect on the music I released - told you about Wax Audio

But not DJ Foundation. From Mosul Iraq - I think you’ll like it

Mid 2000’s lived in NYC for a few years Brooklyn - sort of getting gentrified but not quite there so it was a fun time to be there

Then after that to Hong Kong as you correctly say - was there for 10 years and then to Portland OR from 2015 - 2018

And now back in Sydney while my son from one of my marriages finishes high school - he needs a bit of male guidance so we don’t have too many disasters

When he finishes - who know where next - but nowhere is forever. We live on a big beautiful planet and as far as I’m aware we are only here one so might as well make as much of it as I can

It’s all as clear as mud now !

CNQ: You stopped putting out hard copies (vinyl, I assume you also did cassettes and CDs?) with MP a while back, and now focus on digital releases. What do you think are the plusses and minues for musicians and labels putting out physical media vs digital releases only? Any advice for people who may be thinking of starting a label, or for bands who may want to submit to MP? And do you think you'll ever return to physical media with MP?

SH: Yes - when I ran out of money .. most physical never made its money back except for a few, I have released all three formats and as a collector who has just sold a 10k records and 5K cd collection I’m loathe not to sell physical. I will do so again when there is money !

If you want to be on MP - it’s simple write me a nice email and I’ll do my best to help you with your release. Just a word of warning , if money is the first thing on your mind I’m probably not the best label to talk to .. all the budgets spent on music pr, radio promo etc was a waste of time and I’m doing it no longer. So I’m interested in you weirdoes out there who want to build your catalog with a small label and I’ll do my utmost to make independent, radio, blogs, online pay attention and see if my licensing and sync buds will push out to their clients.

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Cool interview, right? I forgot to ask Sean about Dandelion Radio but def check it out, and you should also get on the e-mail subscription list for Bottom of the Pops immediately.

And finally, if Mr. Hocking wasn't busy enough, he was kind enough to make a Spotify Metal Postcard playlist specifically to accompany this post. Let's rock: