The LI3MB4-virus...don't fight it.

By Jacob Calle

Jesus is a drag...and Limb.......I will leave that up to you. What first started out being James' solo project that he worked on turned into an amazing computer rock band that Houston finds very contagious. So please do not get your vaccinations. You want this virus. It infects the ear drum and creates it to vibrate simultaneously with each bass kick. The inner ear forces the nerve impulses to send chaotic messages to your brain. You lose your balance and your equilibrium is off while your feet tries to gain control on the dance floor. Many Houstonians are already infected. Don't fight it. The epidemic has already started. It is called Limbinoma.

Jacob Calle– We’re joined today by James Templeton, who’s out on the road with his concerts – he came through Houston. We want to talk a little about a new album you’ve got coming out in July called "All Join In". Thanks for joining us, James.

James Templeton: Thank you for having us, Mr Street.

Jacob: Tell us a little bit about this family album.

James: I don't know what family album you're talking about. My new live stand-up comedy album, "Funky Feathers". It was recorded in front of the urinal in the Jones Hall bathroom.

Jacob: What kind of bits are we talking about that you’re putting on there?

James: Bitstep - The White House Musical- Buffalo Springsteen - Watermelon Garden Part VIII

Jacob:It's hilarious already. Can't wait! You mentioned Jimmy Messina last week on the fax machine to me … he’s actually joining you in your tours as you go across the country.

James: The White House Deputy Chief of Staff? He real bad don't like wienertown.

Jacob: Wow, what a mouth full James Templeton! So those of us who are boomers – and I think you definitely fit in that category along with me – we don’t seem to slow down a whole heck of a lot, and we’re always looking forward. What’s next for you?

James: Oatmeal, fiber, lining the walls of my house with fur coats, The Lunchgun (finally! after years of chewing), getting washed up, Xanax/Viagra shooters, re-watching the 2nd season of Xena: Warrior Princess without crying me eyeballs out.

Jacob: Oh crap, I'm sorry James that's all very interesting and all, but ya see I am interviewing Kenny Logins next week and these are his questions. I must have got them mixed up. My bad. So um...why am I interviewing you and what the hell do you do?

James: This is Kenny Logins, James is next week. I real paint good.

Jacob: Oh whoa, you just spun a 360 on me. Okay shoot where do I start. So you are a painter. Tell me about some of your art and it's media. What inspires you to create.

James: Stress inspires me to paint, but I don't know that I would call it inspiration. I find it real hard to focus. When I paint I can't focus and when I'm making music I can focus. Also, and not to fool anyone, but when I need cash! The gallery is in the public arena and I'm not sure my "pretty pictures" belong there, but If I can make some dough then why not.

Jacob: And for your music. Who is in your band and what do they do?

James: Joshua Cordova-drums and sampler, Casey Berridge-guitar and Ableton, and me-Ableton and some noise makers. LIMB is no longer my solo project. It is what ever Josh, Casey, and or I need it to be. Casey is busy working on a Hip Hop record with our friend Alex Cardenas and I'm working on a few things myself that will all be put out under LIMB. The projects we work on by ourselves are open for interpretation by any remaining member or anyone not in the band that we choose to work with. This makes the band flexible, efficient, and more dynamic.

Jacob: Your new jams have a new direction. You added new members to create your solo project to a full front live band. I feel that your live shows is more of a performance art than a musical performance. During your shows the audience that surrounds your band is a member just as solid as the band itself. Do you feel that recording the jams in a studio will have a whole new approach?

James: When I started this project with Josh and Casey, I didn't know what to expect really. I certainly didn't expect it to have the energy it does. I think the record we are working on manages to harness at least some of that rowdy energy. With out the crowd though, I'm afraid, there is little that can be duplicated. The audience is becoming super value to the experience (you are right about that). We recorded it in just a few takes. Some of it is sloppy and the drums and real rambunctious, but I think that helps us depart from the confines of electronic music and think of this as more of a "rock band" with laptops. I don't mean to say that electronic music is limited where rock is not, in-fact I think just the opposite, but it lacks aggression for the most part and, whether or not we meant to, I think we are successfully challenging that.

Jacob: Oh yeh? Did you get my fax the other night before you went to sleep? I just wanted to tell you goodnight. Before we decided to communicate only through fax machines we communicated only through messenger boys but switched to pigeons because the messenger boy twisted his ankle on a rock in front of Number's. So anyways, when I grabbed the note off the pigeon's leg there was bird shit on it and it was hard to read. So please tell me again why LIMB is all on capital letters. To me that looks like a rip off of B L A C K I E. All caps with spaces. You guys are all caps and no spaces. Does the line draw at the spaces?

James: That is the joke. Glad you caught on!

Jacob: I get your jokes.