Sylvia, Alice

Alice and Sylvia, the pinup girls of emo spoken word band The Hornrimjobs, don’t have anything to prove to anyone, and yet by not trying to prove anything, they end up proving many things! They prove that bands from Lincoln can be just as sad, if not sadder, than any band from Omaha, or anywhere else for that matter. They prove that coat racks are not just for hanging coats on anymore. They prove that there’s hope for sad young boys everywhere.

SCS: How and why did The Hornrimjobs form as a band?

alice: sylvia and i were on our way back from an antiquing expedition last spring, and were discussing joy harjo's last chapbook, when we realized there really isn't enough room for poetry within the local music community. "rock" is fine and good -- sylvia and i both enjoy putting on the synthetic leather wristbands and doing the hipster nod from time to time -- but sometimes you just need some sounds to curl up and cry to.

sylvia: we both enjoy local outlets of art and entertainment. we believed we should "give back" to the community, as well as making a few commentaries about the de-evolution of the local sisterhood, and making a stance to "take back the night" from the regulars on the performance stage.

SCS: Rolling Stone magazine described your sound as "Librariancore", but how would you define your aura to someone who’s never seen the band?

alice: librariancore really says it all. it's sort of an experimental genre -- we freely admit that we have no idea what we're doing. imagine the shaggs on downers, cribbing Sharon Olds for their end-of-semester english project.

sylvia: my mother is a librarian. she is also a libra, but that's another story. i would spend hours after school nestled in the racks at an early age. the band really draws on all volumes of the encyclopedia britannica, and the ability to nestle between racks without getting a paper cut.

SCS: How would you describe a Hornrimjobs show? -- If people come to see you live, what can they expect?

alice: they can expect to be moved. as much as art can be said to have a goal, ours is to get people to emote, whether it is hatred, sympathy, tears, or laughter. we believe in the show, although the audience might not necessarily believe in us. but the misunderstanding is all part of the art.

sylvia: our audience will hear the story of his or her life. they will re-live the pain or pleasures of shows past. they will be shocked and underwhelmed at the same time.

SCS: Should your audience members come to your shows prepared with any special clothing or protective gear?

alice: they should bring a fuckton of kleenex -- bar napkins tend to chafe after a while.

sylvia: ear protection is suggested for all shows. wrist warmers to cover the scars.

SCS: What do you do to wind down after a good gig?

alice: i prefer a good glass of cognac, but most of the establishments we've played specialize in beers and mixed drinks. in those cases, a blue lady and tonic is preferable. gin is the most literate drunk a girl can find next to absinthe. i also enjoy reading something from Das Kapital out loud.

sylvia: sometimes i burn my bra. sometimes while it is still on.

SCS: What is an "eyejail"?

alice: eyejail is where we keep our tears -- whether it's a memory of childhood or a dead lover. the conscious mind is the eyejailer, holding the tears back. sometimes the conscious mind is struck down by sorrow -- the key to eyejail, letting the tears flow freely.

SCS: Where do you get inspiration from for your lyrics?

alice: real life. as you know from the ep, my livejournal itself is often the source for our words.

sylvia: pawl tisdale.

alice: how could we forget? i have dreams about a miniature pawl tisdale that comes to work with me and builds rocketships out of paperclips.

SCS: I've experienced that as well, so I'm pretty sure that's not a dream. So what’s your favorite song of yours to play live?

alice: technically, we only have one "song" -- "is that song about me". i quite enjoy playing that live. sylvia has a good sense of...er...how can i put this diplomatically...stalking? and the hammer and chisel accompaniment makes me think of Marx, which is always a happy thing.

SCS: How does one tell a gay pig from a straight pig?

sylvia: in the hog lot, it is very hard to tell. both orientations will usually mount anything. our cause is for the gay pig which is forced to "perform" only in the prescience of artificially applied female hormone and a well-trained human hand. this happens only when harvesting from the male hogs for future AI use.

SCS: What things have you learned and could advise to newer local bands?

alice: it's ok to be misunderstood. it deepens ones internal synthesis of the human condition.

sylvia: play dirty basements. play pristine coffee houses. this is the only way to the revolution of global understanding.

SCS: Who are some local bands or musicians that you admire or feel should be recognized?

sylvia: rent money big have offered to be my house husbands. this is such a gigantic leap for the feminist movement!

SCS: There was a report in a recent issue of the NME, that in the tradition of the "Drum Circle" The Hornrimjobs were going to start "Knitting Circles" and go on tour around the world sitting with large groups of naked people in country meadows knitting and crying, is there any truth to that rumor?

alice: [laughs coyly] well, i don't know about the naked part, but yes, we're exploring the knitting circle option. sylvia just taught me how to knit, and it's wonderfully therapeutic.

sylvia: everyone is welcome. we are trying to invoke the history of our ancestors and bring together men and women in the urge to become clothed with devices of his/her own making. it is an ancient tradition in aboriginal tasmania, and an excellent way to shake off inhibitions, and slowly define your personal space. in turn, you can re-define who you are while sharing the stories of other future ancestors.

alice: and when you're done, you not only have a deeper sense of one-ness with your ancestral self, but a lovely sweater as well.

SCS: Are you working on a new album, and when will it come out?

alice: well, we're always working on our set -- we like to think that it evolves a bit from show to show, changing like our lives. no plan for an album is in the works just yet, but if there is one, it'll be like a sonic snapshot of where we're at in that moment.

SCS: I’ve heard from sources that Sylvia is really pushy, and Alice is very passive-aggressive, which can make for some nice musical tension, but how would you describe the band's working relationship, as far as the musical process is concerned?

alice: we collaborate fairly well when drunk. i think sylvia has become desensitized to the word "bitch." and so have i.

sylvia: if you don't stand up for yourself what good are feet? sometimes when alice has been drinking, she'll speak of issues she wouldn't say in public, but she'll write it down. when we sober down, i tell her she should say it ALL on stage and what kind of music it needs.

SCS: Besides the coat rack, what separates The Hornrimjobs from other rock acts on the local scene right now?

alice: i think we have the best clothing -- all vintage. much as we hate to admit it, we've actually hired a consultant to help us out. it takes time, focus, and expertise to create a cohesive visual/sartorial/musical experience.

sylvia: one time we cooked vegan kabobs for the entire audience before playing.

SCS: Who do you think is the most underrated artist in the music industry?

alice: [scoffs] music "industry." like you can make art in a factory.

sylvia: anyone who can press record and make a cdr and get that cdr into the hands of a person who will love and cherish it.

SCS: Who/What do you think is the embodiment of evil in the music industry?

alice: the current trend of pushing the virgin/whore complex in teen pop really disturbs me. the blurring of innocence is something that should be saved for at least college.

sylvia: the consumers who are still buying into the corporate evil. any man in the industry. castrate 'em!!!

SCS: What are your aspirations for The Hornrimjobs? Where do you see the band going?

alice: we hope to keep contributing -- whether or not anybody listens or cares. the point is just to do something, anything.

sylvia: to keep it from becoming an audio-only reality show... then we're no better than the tv networks.

SCS: Any rituals before you go onstage?

alice: getting dressed for the show is sort of a ritual, i guess. more significantly, we have a series of chants that we do. they invoke our individual muses.

sylvia: trying to tune the violin. cooking vegan kabobs, about 3 old style tall boys.

SCS: Who was the first person or band you saw that made you want to play music?

alice: schroeder in one of the Snoopy movies. it took ten years of piano lessons to learn to play what he played -- Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata.

sylvia: kenny rogers

SCS: What was the first album/CD you bought?

alice: the my fair lady soundtrack. the victimology is fabulous.

sylvia: strawberry shortcake: sweet songs

SCS: Whose music are you listening to right now? -- What other bands would you recommend people check out?

alice: ever since we started working on the ep, i've been deeply obsessed with abba. the dynamics of that band are just fascinating. on the one hand, they're bright, shiny, swedish pop. on the other hand, they've got some really dark, brooding scandanavian lyrics. i hope to re-write one of the scandanavian epics in the form of an abba album -- in fact, i'm thinking about making that part of my dissertation.

sylvia: the are so many sweet and sorrowful boys sending me their demos from across the nation. first you break their heart, and then you listen to the music. the names have not been given to protect the guilty. i'm also only listening to bands that start with 'p' this week: pornado, the prids, the postal service, and the geckos.

SCS: List off your top five albums of all time.

alice: