Death by Stereo
Paul Miner is a pretty mellow guy. His little brother Jim, though, is a total
fucking smart ass. Welcome to Death By Stereo.
Your songs are funny, angry, and serious, but all at the
same time.
J: That's kind of how we are. We're all very funny and seriously
angry all at the same time.
P: But we're just angry with each other.
D: Because we have to tour for three months straight.
E: We want to get our point across and have fun while we do it.
T: We have a lot more fun than the lyrics express. We're not a
bunch of angry guys.
On your new album, you have songs titled "You Mess With
One Bean, You Mess With The Whole Burrito" and "High
School Was Like Boot Camp For A Desk Job." Who writes
your song titles?
E: Jim thinks of some of them, and I think of some of them.
Do both of you write the lyrics?
E: I write the lyrics.
J: But I wrote one line on the new album.
E: Yes, you did.
P: What line was that, Jim?
J: I'm the one that wrote "Pass the plate/ watch the blood drip
from your hands."
E: That's a good line, dude. Awesome. How did you think of it?
J: From watching my dad make hamburger patties out of
ground beef. Um, blood, from the cow... it got all over his hands.
Anyway, what's the next question?
This question is for Paul. You produced and engineered
Death By Stereo's two albums- If Looks Could Kill I'd
Watch You Die and Day Of The Death. What other bands
have you worked with in the studio?
P: Mostly hardcore and punk bands. Also a lot of Indecision
bands like Faded Grey, Adamantium, Throwdown, Eyelid, and
Creep Division.
How did you get started as a producer?
J: Knee pads. Lots of cocksucking.
P: Five or six years ago I got a four-track and started recording
in our living room. I started recording all my friends; I recorded
Efrem's old band... everyone's old band. And then my and Jim's
old band CleanX went to the studio I now work at to record. I was
in awe of the whole process. So after that, I basically asked if I
could intern. I interned for three or four months, and then I got
shoved out and started doing my own sessions.
And Jim, you do tattoos, right?
J: I work at Inflictions Tattoo in Covina. Come say hi to us.
Paul, you also did the layout for the Day Of The Death
album cover, didn't you?
P: Twice.
J: Yeah, he put his own name in the layout twice. He gave him-
self credit twice and he didn't think anyone would notice.
P: It was an accident.
Day Of The Death is your first album on Epitaph. Was
recording this album different than when you recorded
your first album and your 7-inches?
P: Jim, you want to give a smart-ass answer first? It was nice to
take more time. We had a little more money to work with.
J: Plus it was mastered by Eddie Schreyer, who's the Ron
Jeremy of CD-mastering. That added a lot to the recording.
P: And he has a hot secretary.
"More Zappa,
less Zeppelin..."
Efrem
How to be a good punk rock/hardcore producer
1) Make sure that they can put headphones over their mohawks or spiky bleached-blonde hair.
By Paul Miner
2) Make sure that there are at least two pounds of stickers on each drum, guitar, and bass, to maintain as little tone as possible.
*CHARC
PAUL'S SECOND INTERVIEW
OK Paul, Analog or Digital?
Analog, definitely.
part to them; nine out of 10 times they still won't get it.
How do you handle those mid-session inter-band
temper tantrums?
I laugh at them, and tell them that they are stupid. They
Oh come on Paul. Don't you think you're just usually get pissed at me, and direct their attention away
living in the past?
from each other, or realize that they are being lame.
I am living in the past. That's when all the good records Anyone gone to blows in the middle of a session?
were made
I recorded a band called the Pop Narcotic where the gui-
tar player got so mad that his guitar wouldn't stay in tune
that he hit himself in the head with his guitar. It left a nice
bump for a few days.
Who is more frustrating to deal with; a drummer
who keeps speeding up or a vocalist who can't
stay in key?
The vocalist definitely. Because they usually don't know
that they're off. I could sit there all night and sing the right
Worst rock star you've ever dealt with?
Oooh, I don't know if I can air this publicly, but his name
Death By Stereo is about to go on tour again. Where are
you going and who will you be playing with?
P: Europe is looking pretty definite.
J: We're doing a "Welcome Back Efrem Tour" of Central
America and all the third world countries...
E: In the U.S., we'll be with AFI and Sick Of It All. Then, in
starts with a Z...
Paul, tell the Thrasher readers what the "suck
knob" is.
It's the knob on the mixing console that allows me to turn
any band's record into complete crap if I so desire. It's there
to let everyone know who's in control... I just want a band to
respect that there's lots to do on both sides of the glass, my
job and their job-no one's more or less important.
When a guitar player asks you to "Turn down the
suck knob and turn up the rock knob," what do
you say?
Those knobs are on your guitar.
-Ryan Henry
Europe, we'll be with Good Riddance.
That's it. Is there anything else you'd like to say?
T: Listen to more Zappa.
J: And listen to less Zeppelin.
T: More Zappa, less Zeppelin
--Stephen Rafael
Tim
Dan
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BERE
Paul
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