There are some mysteries in life. How is it I know the secret of what it is that women want, yet I cannot get a date? Why do some people scream about questioning the media, yet never seem to bother questioning the most questionable, extremely outrageous 'research' done by someone who happens to preach their particular worldview?
Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?
I don't pretend to know the answers, nor do I waste my time trying to discover these things. Life's to be lived, of course.
A few months ago, I happened upon the path of three mysterious men, known only as The Desert Fathers. The only name I was allowed to know was that of their leader, Acqua. He allowed me the honor of his presence, and I, in the face of such a man--a musical hermit, preaching his gospel for only he and those who set out on a journey to find him--talked him to sleep. Sober, even. We talked of many things until sunrise, and eventually he just had to say, 'J. Lois, you're a beautiful weirdo, but I cannot talk any more. I must away to slumber!"
The beautiful things that happened within the next 24 hours--the return of a long-lost friend and the opening salvo in a new relationship--I cannot help but think that these were the rewards from our chat. Acqua is a very giving soul, and that he granted me blessings of goodness that very day only tells me that yes, indeed, he and his mysterous vicars are in touch with a spirituality that defies all description.
Though Acqua is afar, my attempts to cover my identity were blown immediatly. He shocked me--in a good way--when he replied to my incognito approach with a "J. Lois, is that you?" I turned off the comptuer with a shudder and an eerie feeling. Then I remembered that Acqua is a good soul, who means no harm. This is a man who preaches that the village idiot is the wise sage, that the lowly servant is the beloved son of God, and that man's best friend is nothing is one of God's minions. "This song is about our common destiny. It's called 'Bones'," he once said. How true. Listen to the wise men of Desert Fathers, and ignore at your own peril.
Come, then, friends, and enter the world of the Desert Fathers. You will be enlightened. Let Acqua's wisdom that he gives us here right now be of good service to you, and as you travel through your days, and you look for spiritual guidence, always ask yourself: WHAT WOULD RABIES DO??
How did the Desert Fathers find each other? And how do your names represent your skills/personalities?
Well, they certainly represent personalities. Whether they represent skills is still open to debate. I met Real years ago janitoring; I met Levitas at a Forms show in Atlanta at the No-No Gallery. Real met The O, who is now handling synth and backing vocals temping. We have the tallest band in America, 6' 6'2" 6'4" and 6'5".
How do you feel the Desert Fathers 2000 represent the ideas of the original Desert Fathers? Are you trying to set yourself out in the musical desert, so that your music can be a pure experience?
Well J. Lois, you know that's how we feel. We feel like America is the harshest desert going. At least 1500 years ago people would shut the fuck up once in a while. Those guys had it easy-- we have to contend with the likes of nonsense of all stripes, from Bright Eyes to Jay-Z to NPR.
The real Desert Fathers are our prototypes, to be sure. People should read up on them I think. The 80s are going through some kind of revival. Why not the 4th century?
What is Pitbulls 3000, and what’s with the canine imagery in your music?
It seemed pretty accidental, at the time. But in retrospect I think the idea is that fundamentally we feel like animals, in everything from fear to innocence to rage.
Pitbulls 3000 is an alternate version of the song from "Pitbulls" our album incorporating slide guitar and a shuffle. It used to be fucked up; now it's a shuffle. Just like how anything fucked up becomes a joke over time. It's the version that some Mississippian Delta blues musician might do in a thousand years or so.
The dogs on the cover—are they meant to be reminiscent of the creature on The Shaggs’ album?
Never saw it, but I looked at it when you asked about it. I think they share something in common, in that they were both obviously created by people who can't draw worth a shit.
All four of you fathers are musicians with other projects. What are the common ideas that bring you together? How radically different is this band from your other groups?
Well, Real currently isn't working on anything else, to my knowledge, but The O does his folk stuff(http://www.aftermarketspartsmusic.com) and Levitas plays in a doom-metal band called Wyoming. I play in the Forms. The Forms are closest to what we do; O and Levitas's stuff sounds nothing like the Fathers.
The commonality is that we all have a soft spot for the retarded. The O is pathologically playful. In Fact, we have been thinking of changing his alias to Pathologically Playful.
The Spirituality received a great deal of critical acclaim from indie-rock types. Does that translate into an audience when you play live? Would you rather be in the studio or on stage?
Occasionally the weirdo guy and his weirdo friend come out to see us. It happened pretty often on our last tour. We noticed the pattern that first, only guys come out to see us, and second, they are always very introverted and very "off-kilter" and they usually bring with them a friend who is equally introverted and "off kilter". The people who listen to us feel as lost as we do I think, and since very few people are that lost, our music has limited appeal. Our music is music for innocent people who are really fucked up but can't express it.
I like the studio and the stage. The imperfection of live performance is easily eradicated by booze.
What are your plans for the next record? Will you work with Steve Albini again, or do you have other ideas?
I think so. The Forms are. We're recording with Steve and J Robbins (separately of course). I really like Steve. So I hope we have the money to record with him again.
The new record is going to be very different. Very country blues oriented. Not the Chicago stuff, the very oldest, primal stuff. The record is going to be about a churning quiet primitivism.
One thing I've noticed--and correct me if I'm wrong--is that there seems to be a bit of a hip-hop element to your music. Does hip-hop play an inspirational role in your music?
Yes. Wu-Tang, Black Moon, Jeru The Damaja, Kool Keith.
The Spirituality is very fragmented like hip-hop, and it moves like hip-hop. It also contains real emotion, which certainly differentiates it from rock music.
Obviously, with a name like Desert Fathers, the question of the band’s faith must come up. Are you a religious man/band?
Who knows? It seems like a good trip to be on.
Ultimately, what’s right with music today?
All of it seems kind of conservative in its own way, if you ask me.
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