TONY HIGHTOWER:
THE THEMESTREAM INTERVIEW

This interview was done for Themestream by Septa Nelson, but then for whatever reason it didn't get posted. In the interests of completeness, it is posted here.


Q. Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Tony Hightower, and I write pop songs and play them with my band in front of people.

Q. Some people talk about a time when it was "all about the music". What percent of the music is it all about today?
Those people are fools. It was never "all" about the music.

But it's as much about the music now as it ever was. Kids and deaf & stupid people will always buy crap, but music is one of those very few things that everyone likes (or thinks they like) and has an opinion on. The sludge storm will never drown all of us. We, we will survive. And there's more good music being made and played now than ever before in the history of humanity.

Q. If you were stranded on a desert island with any five books of your choice, would you store them alphabetically by title or by author?
I'd leave them lying around. You never know when you need a certain pearl of information or inspiration at just the right moment, especially if you're stranded someplace, all alone, slowly going mad, with only the gulls and the insects for company. And really, who cares if I make a mess? No one's coming over or anything.

Oh, okay then. By author, I guess.

Q. Would you say your music is influenced more by Alvin and the Chipmunks or by the Partridge Family?
I grew up with Alvin in the house playing all the time, especially at Christmas, so I gotta go with them. Besides, they were the antithesis of the Partridges - the Chipmunks pretended they were inept animals who didn't play their own instruments and reported to a not-quite-in-control dictator type, but in reality they were all one guy who wrote, arranged and performed everything, and pretty well too.

The Partridge Family were the exact opposite. They pretended they were a family-style collective who put the songs together as a team, whereas the stuff was written by Neil Diamond or whoever and they barely showed up for the recording sessions, and were merely glory-grabbing figureheads. Although admittedly, I Think I Love Them too.

This is a very good question.

Q. How many angels can dance to your music on the head of a pin?
A stick pin? Twelve. A thumb tack? Maybe a few thousand. A Bowling Pin? All of them, though they'd probably have to pogo, as there wouldn't be a ton of extra space.

Q. Which Indie film is your favorite: Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Temple of Doom, or The Last Crusade?
These three wouldn't even make my personal Indie 500, but if I gotta choose, I'd go with Raiders of the Lost Ark, because deep down I'm a snob for people's Early Stuff.

Q. Tell us about your latest project -- in the form of a haiku.
It's just rock and roll.
The songs are well written, though.
You might wish to dance. Клиника синяки на ногах. кашира. . iphone 4 screen

Q. What do you think is the most appropriate music to play while making a salami and swiss cheese sandwich?
The Rheostatics, Whale Music. It's indulgent in a self-satisfying way without being completely masturbatory, and in the parts where it's done properly, it's pure freakin' art. Just like a good sandwich. Also a little mustard never hurts.

Q. If you were interviewing indie musicians, what silly question would you ask first?
Which 80's sitcom character do you most want to be like? (My answer would be either Venus Flytrap from WKRP or Bull Shannon from Night Court.)

Q. Where can we score a sample of your music?
Ooooh, a serious question. At http://mp3.com/tonyhightower or at my website, http://nervousnero.com.