Jim Bravo, Mandy Mintz and The Beethoven Frieze have been weirding us out with their Syd Barrett-inspired pop for about six years now. Always going that extra mile to humour the computer-loving-CD-playing-non-book-reading populace, the PC-challenged Bravo trotted over to his local branch of the Toronto Public Library to electronically chat with Wesley J Ramos about the lack of inspiration from today's pop culture, a scary old Kiss video and the significance of having a Filipino bassist.

Has the ever-changing world of bombings, bongs and blonde-tinting affected your inspiration for making your music and art over the last six years? The only thing truly bombing right now is the current US administration, the one which exists for the advancement of the wrong half of the American and Canadian (see Harper) populations. The one which sanctions monstrosities (like Trump's hairdo) by watching those Fear Factor fuckheads flap around in their phoney marshmallow predicaments. That bright sector of the population who would dye and tint their own hair(s) anyway, usually to some form of Florida-blonde right? And what is it with the good-leaf being everywhere, like on T-shirts in Etobicoke? I can't understand how there could be such an increase in the overall stupidity of these two countries, and also a proliferation of bong/pot culture. It seems that somehow the wrong people are smoking the right stuff and not learning a thing. Wherefore art thou, Peter (Tosh)? It is not possible to find any inspiration amongst the present-day Baghdad Brittany-moms. Don't even wanna take cover under the usually safe practice/umbrella of reactionary songwriting. I'd rather sing about flowers of French mustard gas and Analogue armadas. It's like one minute we were at Sedated Sunday and the next there was George W. Bush.

So will y'all EVER get a computer? I don't see the two computer-less Friezees (Mandy and I) ever getting computers. To us they are like crabby old (and sometimes vegetarian) librarians. They belong only at libraries or at your friend's houses (like the smell of bad cabbage). Furthermore, we value the whites of our eyes, man. I mean, didn't that old Kiss video (I Love it Loud) freak you out? C'mon you've seen it, the optical fate of that from-Milton-Ontario-area-looking kid in the 'œRight between the eeeeeyyyyyeeeessss!!!'? number. That is what'll happen to y'all who can't live without computers. You'll see. Actually you won't see, but your computer will see for you and then lie to you about it in a Stephen Hawking or Spielberg kind of voice.

Is there any truth to the myth that every decent band on the planet has a Filipino member? There is that question again!! It really does follow us around like a pretty patagoo. (by the way, a 'œpatagoo'? is a choir-boy drooling over a young nun while in the midst of singing 'œpat-a-pan,'? just so you know). But anyway I have come to a conclusion regarding the gradual infusion of the Flip-rock phenomenon: As the Beatles were getting their butts kicked at the Manila airport, there must have been an absorption of genius charging up the boot of every Filipino adult who later went home and did the 2 Live Crew. Subsequently, those sons and daughters all formed a group called Metallica, which is actually Filipino for Beatles. This band then split (under secret moons) and splintered into the many Filipino-laced rock acts of today, although one member remained behind and later became a guitar genius (Kirk Hammett, I believe his name is) This is true. (Frieze bassist) Mondo Lulu told me so.

If you had to choose, would you choose Mississauga or Mississippi?
Well, definitely not Mississauga!! Unless you are craving the good life found at the celebrated Triangle One. But Mississippi has it, man! You know? This certain 'œit'? is a girl '“ Mandy knows her '“ who harvests chalk while squatting in the mud. She sells it to the Olive Branch restaurant in NYC, our favourite garlic haunt. It has chalk-board tables. And then it's scribble and stink, scrabble and babble all the way '˜til three, man. You'll see. Actually you won't see, but your computer will see for you and then lie to you about it in a very annoying Pauly Shore type of voice.