RED PEPPER AND RAY
1. Just what is Red Pepper and Ray?
Red Pepper and Ray is a record
label/entertainment and
multimedia company. Red Pepper and Ray's
roster of
sensational pop and rock recording artists is
known
throughout the world and includes the
ground-breaking pop
combo Cindy Nahaeeka.
Red Pepper and Ray is also the name of the
influential
'zine that they published in the early
1990's. The 'zine, in addition to serving as
a catalog from which one could purchase Red
Pepper and Ray albums and other products,
also featured insightful articles and
commentaries, short fiction, surrealist
artwork, and came packaged alongside the
latest issue of the Cindy Nahaeeka comic
book.
RED PEPPER AND RAY RECORDS
2. What is the history of Red Pepper
and Ray?
Red Pepper and Ray was founded by the members
of Cindy
Nahaeeka in the late 1980's. Originally it
was intended
to publish home-made copies of Cindy Nahaeeka
cassettes,
but it soon grew into a full blown record
company. At
this point the members of Cindy Nahaeeka
enlisted the help of long-time recording
industry leader and luminary Bob
Fleen to preside over the company. Under the
experienced
business stewardship of Bob Fleen, together
with the
creative input of the members of Cindy
Nahaeeka, Red
Pepper and Ray became the music and
entertainment empire
that it is today.
While preparing this FAQ, we recently had the
oppurtunity
to talk to several of the original members of
Cindy
Nahaeeka. Here, in his own words, is how
Joshua Raymond
explained to us how the band came up with
the name 'Red
Pepper and Ray.'
Joshua Raymond:
3. Tell me more about the record
label.
Red Pepper and Ray publishes the entire
discography of
Cindy Nahaeeka. It's main offices and
studios are located in Southern California,
and it also has many sattelite
locations across the United States and around
the world.
4. Does RPR publish records from
artists other than Cindy Nahaeeka?
What, do you think that a record label the
size of Red
Pepper and Ray would only publish records
from one band?
That would be a little odd, wouldn't it?
5. I'm interested in becoming a member
of the RPR family. Where do I send my demo
tape/CD? Well they even be interested?
Red Pepper and Ray is always interested in
hearing the
tapes of aspiring artists, and is always
looking for new
talent. RPR does not, however, accept
completely
unsolicted recordings, for legal reasons. If
you would
like to submit a copy of your latest
recording, please
send an email to Red Pepper and Ray at
"lordfluoride@hotmail.com", describing
yourself and your
music/audio recordings. Red Pepper and Ray
will than
write you back with all the information you
need to send
your recordings in for consideration.
Believe it or not, your chances at being
accepted by Red Pepper and Ray are actually
very good. If you're the type of person who
enjoys this website, you're probably just the
sort of artist RPR is looking for, so, by all
means, write in today.
THE MAGAZINE
6. What's the deal with the Red Pepper
and Ray magazine?
The Red Pepper and Ray magazine was a highly
influential
print 'zine briefly published by Red Pepper
and Ray in the early 1990's. Rather than
being simply an advertisement
for the records and products being sold by
Red Pepper and
Ray, the magazine was heavy on literary and
artistic
content, and, during it's brief run, became
one of the
most talked about 'zines of it's time, and is
widely
regarded as being the founder of the
"Surrealist Pop"
movement which became all the rage in the
years to follow.
7. What's the history of the Red
Pepper and Ray magazine?
The Red Pepper and Ray magazine had it's
roots in another
'zine, "Dot 72," which was created by Joshua
Raymond in
the 1980's. Dot 72 was really closer in tone
to a surrealist happening or manifesto than a
regular written-article oriented magazine.
The bulk of the pages consisted of xerox-ed
copies of Joshua Raymond's original photo
montage artwork, printed alongside
stream-of-consciousness poetry and surrealist
short fiction.
While now considered to be a classic in the
field of self-published 'zine literature, Dot
72 failed to find a
widespread audience. In the early 1990's
Joshua decided
to retool his efforts and focus on a new
direction,
bringing his 'zine expertise to Red Pepper
and Ray's
catalog and newsletter, which at that point
was primarily used to promote Cindy Nahaeeka
and sell records. With
this surrealisitic sensibility applied in a
more
mainstream format, and with the powerful
media support of
Red Pepper and Ray behind it, the Red Pepper
and Ray
magazine quickly made it's presence known at
the
alternative newstands. The RPR magazine was
soon
identified as ushering in a new genre of
journalism, art,
writing, and style that was dubbed by the
press as
"Surrealist Pop." Eventually, where the Red
Pepper and Ray magazine once stood alone as
the only magazine of it's
type, it would become just one among many
similar
magazines clogging up the racks as the years
went by.
This, combined with the lack of new musical
output by
Cindy Nahaeeka, lead to the authors to lose
interest in
Red Pepper and Ray, and publication was
ceased.
RED PEPPER AND RAY ONLINE
8. I'm down with the print edition,
tell me more about RPR Online.
Red Pepper and Ray Online was initially
concieved as an
archive for fans to view the original issues
of the
defunct Red Pepper and Ray magazine.
Originally, the
pages of the magazine were just scanned
straight into a
computer and posted on the site. However,
the pages of
the magazine really didn't translate very
well to the web, and soon the members of
Cindy Nahaeeka decided to take it
upon themselves to rewrite the text and add
HTML code to
the site in order to transform the original
magazine pages into interactive web pages.
As they progressed however, a new vision for
the site began to emerge from the lads, and
soon they were turning the site into an
all-new showcase
for the writing skills they had once brought
to the print
'zine, and Red Pepper and Ray Online, the
world wide web
e-zine, was born.
9. I'm interested in becoming a
contributor to RPR Online. Where do I send
my articles and/or ideas? Well they even be
interested?
Red Pepper and Ray is always interested in
reading the
works of aspiring writers, and is always
looking for new
talent. RPR does not, however, accept
completely
unsolicted pages, for legal reasons. If you
would like to submit a sample copy of your
previous writings, please
send an email to Red Pepper and Ray at french
fryguy@hotmail.com, describing yourself
and your
work. Red Pepper and Ray will than write you
back with all the information you need to
send your contributions in for
consideration. Believe it or not, your
chances at being accepted by Red Pepper and
Ray are actually very good. If you're the
type of person who enjoys this website,
you're probably just the sort of author RPR
is looking for, so, by all means, write in
today.
CINDY NAHAEEKA
10. Who or what is Cindy Nahaeeka?
Cindy Nahaeeka is a revolutionary pop music
band that
records for Red Pepper and Ray records.
Cindy Nahaeeka
were at the forefront of the "Lo-Fi" music
movement in the late 1980's, although this
barely brushes up against the
surface of the Cindy Nahaeeka Sound. Through
the years,
Cindy Nahaeeka has incorporated and disected
a number of
different musical styles and genres,
including punk rock,
1960's psychedelic pop, hip-hop, techno,
acoustic folk,
and goth-industrial, all the while
maintaining a sound
that was utterly unique and distinctly
Nahaeekian.
Cindy Nahaeeka was formed by schoolyard chums
Roy Ball, Richard Cadman, Jason Hensley, and
Joshua Raymond, in the Summer of 1986. They
went on to form their own record label, Red
Pepper and Ray, and record a series of
landmark albums which were critically praised
and became the high-water mark by which all
other pop albumns would be judged in the
years to come.
In addition to the four core members, Cindy
Nahaeeka have
also been joined by a number of
guest-musicians and
auxilliary members over the years, including
Lou Hardcsastle, Danielle Loud, and others.
In 1993, Cindy Nahaeeka released the classic
album CINDY NAHAEEKA AND FRIENDS: Tender
Breasts of Cassie Volume One, in which Cindy
Nahaeeka were joined by several of the Red
Pepper and Ray labelmates, including Sex Box
Cathedral, Stereo Idiot, and Chad Cadmium.
11. Is Cindy Nahaeeka a real person
-or- Where did Cindy Nahaeeka come up with
their name?
Cindy Nahaeeka is not the name of a solo
music performer,
it is the name of an incendiary pop group
recording on
the Red Pepper and Ray record label. It's
core members
are Joshua Raymond, Richard Cadman, Jason
Hensley, and
Roy Ball. While writing this FAQ, we
recently had the oppurtunity to speak to the
bandmembers. Here, for the
first time in print, is the story behind how
Cindy
Nahaeeka chose the name for their band, in
their own words.
Chad Cadmium:
Roy Ball:
Jason Hensley:
Joshua Raymond:
12. I'd like to learn more about their
records.
The following album descriptions are taken
directly from the Red Pepper and Ray mail
order catalog:
a. Just Me (Thing)
b. Cindy Nahaeeka
c. Next But One
d. Milk
e. Some People Have No Bowling
Balls,
f. Tender Breasts of Cassie, Volume
One
g. What Would Jesus
Do?
13. I like to consider myself to part
of the "in-crowd" of the happening music
scene. How come I've never even heard of
Cindy Nahaeeka? What are they, just some
cheesy "local" band or something?"
What's the matter, Mr. "In-Crowd," Cindy
Nahaeeka just not "cool" enough for you?
Were sorry if Cindy Nahaeeka can't be a
member of the "in-crowd" like you,
rubbing noses with A-list Hollywood
celebrities like Lou Diamond Philips and
Richard Grieco. While you're busy snobbing
it up at Hollywood cocktail parties, Cindy
Nahaeeka are out bringing their message to
the man-on-the-street, the real people!
People who work hard, in honest, AMERICAN
jobs, like construction workers, truck
drivers, plumbers, and morticians. While
your busy fruiting it up at the Art Gallery
or the Capucino Bar, Cindy Nahaeeka is out
making a difference in the world! Making a
difference -- patrolling the streets and
fighting crime, faking nude photographs of
U.S. politicians, finding cures for diseases
that don't even exist yet -- that's what
Cindy Nahaeeka is all about! So were sorry
if Cindy Nahaeeka hasn't had the time to
introduce themselves to your so-called scene,
nimrod. Maybe you should ask some
interesting people about them, I'm sure
they'll be willing to set you straight.
14. I went to my local music store,
but they don't carry
Cindy Nahaeeka records. When I asked the
clerk if he
could order them for me he just gave me a
funny look.
What's the deal with that?
It's a conspiracy, I tell you! A
conspiracy! Ha-ha-ha. Humorous, yes,
although in point of fact, it's actually
true. You see, originally, Cindy Nahaeeka
had no trouble getting their records in the
stores, or getting their music played on the
radio. Everything was looking great for
Cindy Nahaeeka, and those in the know were
quick to exclaim that Cindy Nahaeeka was on
the verge of becoming the "next big thing."
But then, Cindy Nahaeeka did the unthinkable.
Cindy Nahaeeka had the balls to release
"Some People Don't Think About Bowling Balls,
Some People Don't Think About Bowling At
All," the album that blew the lid off the
modern recording industry. Cindy Nahaeeka's
inflamatory expose on the abuses of the
industry was too bitter of a pill for the
music industry bigwigs to swallow, and before
you can say "Alicarbaba," Cindy Nahaeeka and
Red Pepper and Ray records found themselves
blacklisted. Retailers refused to carry
their records, radio stations stopped playing
their songs, and MTV banned Cindy Nahaeeka
movies and videos from their airwaves.
Despite the negative effect that "Bowling
Ball" had on the career of Cindy Nahaeeka,
the lads have never regretted releasing it,
and they have never looked back. Of course
one has to wonder, when we see that they only
produced one more record after that, and that
was of course "Tender Breasts of Cassie," a
compilation album. Nevertheless, although
the records are not available in most stores,
they are still available directly from Red
Pepper and Ray. For more information on how
you can order these records, please email Red
Pepper and Ray at
lordfluoride@hotmail.com.
15. Is it true that Roy is gay, or
Jason is dead, or (insert rumor here)?
There is a simple rule of thumb to use when
hearing rumors about Cindy Nahaeeka on the
internet. They are ALWAYS TRUE. No
matter how ridiculous a rumor may seem, no
matter how physically impossible it may be,
no matter if you hear two rumors that
completely contradict each other, the
rumors are always true.
Other Nahaeeka rumors (which of course are
true) include:
16. Did Cindy Nahaeeka break up? What
have the members of Cindy Nahaeeka been up to
lately?
Cindy Nahaeeka have just completed their
stunning new release What Would Jesus
Do?, now available from Red Pepper and
Ray records. They have also been keeping
busy on variety of other projects, both
individaully and as a group. For more
information about these projects, please
consult the Cindy Nahaeeka Biography pages
available on Red Pepperand Ray Online.
17. Where can I go to see Cindy
Nahaeeka perform live? Will Cindy Nahaeeka
be coming to my home town?
Cindy Nahaeeka is not currently on tour. For
announcements on when they may be going on
tour, and where they well be performing
please consult the New
and Improved section on Red Pepper and
Ray Online.
Copyright 1999
Red Pepper and Ray
"Alot of people ask us about the name,
yeah... but it
doesn't really mean anything in particular.
Basically it
all started out when we were sitting around
Carl's Jr.
loading up on all-you-can- drink sodas. Back
then, they
were, uh, like the first of the fast food
places to give
you free refills, so we used to sit around in
there all
day until they would kick us out. So anyway,
were sitting there, and they've got all this
crappy artwork on the
walls, like pop-art paintings of carrots and
crayons and
stuff. So, like one of these paintings we
were sitting by was a painting of a bottle of
tobasco sauce, right? So,
if you look at a label of tobasco sauce, the
ingredients
are supposed to begin as 'red pepper and
salt,' but on the painting on the wall, I
guess because of the way the
bottle curved off the side of the painting or
something,
it looked like it said 'red pepper and
RAY.' And we were like 'Wow! A
message from the gods' and shit... and so we
decided that would be the name of our record
company. In fact, when you look at our logo,
that's supposed to represent a little guy
holding a bottle of tobasco sauce. Alot of
people think that that's supposed to be a
beer or something... Oh, and the guy is
supposed to look like my step-dad Ray,
because his name is Ray."
"The name 'Cindy Nahaeeka' as well as the
name of our
first album, 'Just Me (Thing)' are in tribute
to my
childhood hero and mentor Sydney Polheeko and
his record
'Just Me, Thanks.'"
"I'm not sure where Cadmium came up with that
Sydney
Polheeko thing, but he's way off. Maybe
that's where we
came up with the title of 'Just Me (Thing),'
but that is
definately not how we came up with the name
'Cindy
Nahaeeka,' Cindy Nahaeeka was actually the
name of a pet
bunny rabbit I had as a child. Actually it's
was just
'Cindy,' but supposedly I also used to call
rabbits
'nahaeekas' back then as well. This is
according to my
parents -- I have absolutely no memory of
this whatsoever, but they swear it's true.
They think that I may have been trying to say
'North Eastern' and just mispronouncing it
as 'Nahaeeka(I was like, 2 years old at the
time).' Of
course I still have no idea what that had to
do with
rabbits, I'm just telling you what I've been
told."
"Cindy Nahaeeka was my 'Porno Name.'"
"Umm... O.K. Alot of interesting stories
here. The truth is we were going to name
ourselves after Cindy Brady from
the Brady Bunch. So we were 'The Cindy Brady
Experience'
for about a day or something, and then we
decided we
should probably change the name unless we
wanted to get
sued. And so we decided to keep the 'Cindy'
and just come up with the dumbest-assed last
name we could think of. And Roy came up
with 'Nahaeeka,' which was pretty fucking
stupid, so naturally we had to go with that.
Oh, and nobody could pronounce it either,
which was also a plus."
Sparse, primitive, tribal drone on historical
debut recording from Cindy Nahaeeka.
Features trance inducing classics "Bugs On My
Uvula" and "Try Our Salads To Go!!" plus 10
more.
Sophomore set from sophomoric pranksters
features covers of "Anarchy in the U.K." and
"Knocking On Heaven's Door" as well as
original hits "I'm a Mean Fighting Cock,"
"Buddy Holly Ain't Wearing any Specs," and
the haunting wail of "Lisa."
Rarities, B-sides, and unreleased tracks.
All the stuff that was way too crappy to put
on a real album. Absolute worst Nahaeeka
collection ever, features two (count 'em two)
versions of "Cafeteria."
Live acoustic set features soul-stirring
ballad "Roy Ball's Song," as well as smash
rockers "That Star Over There" and "Together
We Can."
Some People Don't Bowl at all
Nahaeekian's biting satire on modern
recording industry! Double album exposes
sexism, corruption, stupidity, in popular
music with such thought provoking tracks as
"Hot Dodge Ambulance" and "Party Party Honey
Honey." More than two hours of muckraking
classics, plus 45 minutes of bonus
tracks, including the audio play "Bluesman
Big Rig Mystery!"
Cindy Nahaeeka joins forces with such Red
Pepper and Ray recording artists as Sex
Box Cathedral, Chad Cadmium, and
Stereo Idiot, showcasing the greatest
hits from the entire Red Pepper and Ray
library. Spanning more than six years, this
collection features top hallucinatory hits
"In the Mood for a Tasty Snack?," "Are You
Gay?," "Cat Wants Cheese," "Spoonful of
Sugar," and more. 34 consciousness expanding
tracks in all.
Cindy Nahaeeka's "What Would Jesus Do?": the
exciting new album that the whole world is
talking about! From "Butane Funeral" to "Path
of the Righteous Man," "What Would Jesus Do?"
offers track after track of the experimental,
strange,and exotic sound of Cindy Nahaeeka!
NOTE: CINDY NAHAEEKA HAVE JUST RELEASED
THEIR SEVENTH ALBUM, THE STUNNING "WHAT WOULD
JESUS DO?"
- Chad Cadmium has the word "Shemp" tatooed
on his penis!
- Due to a malformative birth defect, Joshua
does not have a left hemisphere of his brain,
and instead has two seperate right
hemispheres, one in the right side of his
head, and one on the left!
- Roy has the ability to transform into a
cat at will!
- Jason has the inability to grow hair on
the sides of his face, and for years he wore
"stick-on" novelty sideburns!
- All of the Cindy Nahaeeka Auxilliary
Members, such as Lou Hardcastle, were really
robots!
- If you play the song "Lisa" backwards, you
can hear the voice of Abraham Lincoln
speaking from beyond the grave!
