Crib Notes

For Today’s Roll Call we call out Michael Keenan of Hawks.

Who are you?
Michael P. Keenan Jr., A.K.A. Mike, Kees, Rah Dynamo, Moss Avitol (Airoes). I’m a freelance print/motion designer that runs by the name of Younganimals, a musician, self proclaimed Atlanta underground scene historian, occasional promoter/show booking flunky, and crisis control expert.

Describe yourself in three words.
Unhinged and constructive.

Who — dead or alive — would you most like to meet?
It would be a tie between Egon Schiele and Chuck D.

Who would you most like to slap in the face?
Thomas Edison.

What song do you wish you had written?
“Maniac Dragstrip” by The Nation of Ulysses hands down. I never would have survived high school with out N.O.U. They honestly had the biggest impact on me musically, in the way I’ve always looked at performing live, than any other band I’ve ever been exposed to. They’ve always been a sort of sonic Tylenol to me, soothing the acts of the day away. Oxbow does run a close second though.

Elvis Costello or Elvis Presley?
Neither really. I’d rather listen to almost any Stax or Volt record than “The King of Rock ‘n Roll” and Elvis Costello just makes me think of bad “120 Minutes” era MTV. I can appreciate them both for what they’ve done but I have to be honest. How about El Vez? How’s that sound?!

LP, CD or MP3?
LP’s are for keeps.

If you could start one trend, what would it be?
The side belt. I’ve worn my buckle to the side since I was 19 after I saw a picture of my grandfather in the 40’s in Hell’s Kitchen. He was stepping right off the boat from Ireland rocking the side belt with flat front slacks and a scarf tied around he’s neck.

If you could end one trend, what would it be?
Bluetooth ear pieces. Nothing in this world is more ridiculous to me than somebody rolling around town with a tiny cell phone crammed in their ear, screaming into the air, acting like a muttering homeless lunatic, looking like they’re talking to themselves and being a general douche. Your not fooling anyone. We all know you’re not that important.

With whom would you most like to play a game of spin the bottle?
My 1st girlfriend (so I can show her all the tricks I’ve learned), Bowie, Winona Ryder, The girl Christian Slater makes out with in Pump Up The Volume, the Bangles (80’s era), Scarlet Johansson and MC Lyte.

“Chocolate Vulture”

Hawks play day two of the We No Fun Fest. at the Drunken Unicorn on Sat., Jan. 31st. $5 (21+). $8 (18+). 736 Ponce de Leon Place.

(Photo by Anthony)

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Word on the street says that there is a new Atlanta compilation in the works, titled We No Fun. The record is being organized by a few folks, including Chris Daresta of local experimental acts Gold Painted Nails and Suitcases, as well as Mike Keenan of the band Hawks.

According to Daresta the title is not meant as a jab at We Fun, the documentary film about Atlanta’s garage rock scene that is currently in production. Rather it’s a reference to Brian Eno’s No New York compilation that documented a handful of bands that made up New York’s No Wave scene in the late ’70s.

“We wanted to put together a cool document of Atlanta’s alternative stuff… Just outsider kind of stuff.” Daresta says.

The comp. will be a vinyl only release and pressed in a limited edition of 500 copies. According to the We No fun Myspace page the record will feature 10 bands and the line-up includes Chrissakes, Hawks, the Sunglasses, Thy Mighty Contract, the Suitcases, Retconned, Judy Chicago, SIDS, Lay Down Mains, Bernard, Chopper and the Felon Wind, which is actually 12 bands.

More details will be posted as they come in.

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