The Immortal Lee County Killers II.

THE IMMORTAL LEE COUNTY KILLERS II hail from Auburn, Alabama. They bring with I prefer to be a black belt. them a guitar and drums combo that if you listen to the media big boys seems like the newest of the new. It ain't. The sound of the ILCK2 is the blues from the south, filtered through the guitar of Chetley "El Cheetah" YZ, the drums of JRR Token, and pumped full force into your world. If you listen to the ILCK2 you will realize that they're not interested in catering to the ears that are cranked to the new sound. The ILCK2 bring it to you like it is. How is it? It varies from person to person, state to state, country to country. But one thing ties it all together and that's the music. The music to bring down these tired old machines and give juice to the new power--the forgotten power, the power of the people! Don't go thinking the ILCK2 are a political group. They're not out to hit you over the head with some guilt trip. They're here to bring the rock, the music. And if you break your ass to listen, you will be delivered. Thank you, and now without further adieu ...

Lee County. Is that Lee County, Florida? Mississippi? Georgia? Or Tennessee maybe?

Cheetah: You know where. Lee County, Alabama.

Is it all hell fire and glory down there?

Cheetah: We're trying to make people realize that it's not a bunch of fucking idiots down there. It's the Id of America. That's my new thing.

So it's not all rebel pride and football?

Cheetah: Nope. I'm reading a great book by a guy from Oxford, Mississippi named Barry ... I forgot his last name. The book is called Airships.

In your younger years in Alabama, you got to skate with Mike Vallely?

Token: Yeah, I've skated with Mike V, Ed Templeton and Reese Simpson.

Was that all in Alabama?

Token: Nab. That was in Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina. I stayed with Mike Vallely in Huntington Beach a long time ago.

How did you meet those guys?

Token: Either met them at demos or ran into them here and there and just skated.

How old were you when you started skating?.

Token: I was older. A month before my 16th birthday I started skating In September of '86.

You did a bit of ramp skating in Alabama?

Token: Yeah. There used to be Underground Skatepark in Huntsville, Alabama. That was a long time ago. I think they had the regionals there. There used to be a bunch of folks come through--Bucky Lasek, Buster Halterman, Tom Boyle. Skated with Bod Boyle one time in Tennessee, and, yeah, a bunch of folks.

Who is the greatest drummer?

Token: The Token One. JRR Token.

And what might it take to be the world's greatest drummer?.

Token: It takes a musical genus. It takes lots and lots of testicular fortitude, It takes an ounce of this, a dash of that, and a splash of this, and you roll it all up in a ball and cook it at 350. They used to have recipes for Skarfing Material in Thrasher, a long time ago. Uncle Burly still rocks, He was the guy that you would contact. Props to Uncle Burly.

Do you think it's the younger generation or the older?

Cheetah: I see a bunch of older guys making asses of themselves all the time. I don't know. It just seems to be a part of rock and roll. Time usually tells and those folks'll blow to the wayside pretty soon and go on to something else. There's a thing where a lot of kids have ended up wearing white belts and I'll bet you that in another year or two their white belts will end up at the Salvation Army.

What is the deal with the white belts? Is it to accentuate the ladies' hips?

Cheetah: I think it has something to do with being mod. I think a lot of mod music is cool, but I prefer to be black belt

Are you a black belt?

Cheetah: Jeet Kun Do doesn't use belts.

Are you still riding the Thunderbird? Cheetah: I enjoy Wild Turkey 101, but I don't drink as much as I used to. Drinking liquor and playing rock and roll is cliche. Playing rock and roll and studying economics and reading poetry and learning about art is revolutionary. Rock and roll is so full of cliche right now, and it has been for years. Some parts of rock and roll--sex, drugs, danger--that's what makes rock and roll good, but when you start making that the standard and advertising it, then it's cliche.

Did you listen to the Skate Rock tapes back in the days?

Token: We had a couple of those. Mainly we listened to a lot of Metallica, when they still rocked. Kill 'Era All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets.... Jason is a good bass player, but it kind of went down hill after that. But we used to listen to a lot of The Cult, and we'd listen to Misfits, and Minor Threat and Bad Brains.

So for you--skating and music--the band didn't have to have a skater in it. It was more about the energy of the music?

Token: Yeah, the overall energy. How it makes you want to just rip.

Who is the Economic Elvis and does he provide primer economic tutoring?

Cheetah: I don't know what you speak of, but I am versed in the science of economics.

You are versed in the science of economics? Weren't you a teacher?

Cheetah: Yeah, I was a teacher and a tutor.

The story I know is that you dropped out of school, but as a teacher?.

Cheetah: Yeah, I was working on my PhD and was a GTA. Probably making as much money as I've ever made in my life.

What made you leave?

Cheetah: Music's better.

The money?

Cheetah: No. Rocking

Ya'll just had a record come out on Estrus and there's another one coming out on Reservation Records.

Cheetah: Love Is a Charm of Power Trouble was put out by Estrus. And the other is called Love Unbolts the Dark. It's basically a companion to Love Is a Charm.... Reservation is putting that one out in the US and Sweet Nothing in Europe.

What do you feel about the talk of two piece bands by the big media, you know, like it's just started?

Cheetah: If it's done in a way that there's some true enlightening critique then I think it's cool, but if it's just a bunch of dumbasses sitting around trying to say that such and such jumped on a band wagon, then they better be ready to back up those accusations. Or if they say that a certain band has revolutionized music then the media better be able to back up that claim. Don't listen to the big media. They will homogenize it all for you.

What are your words to live by?

Token: Yeah, whether it's skating or wrestling or basketball or putt-putt golf or rockin' out with music or whatever--if your desire is not to be the best ever then you need to find something to do. The idea behind that is truly full in love with something and then the rest of your life should fall into place. Love what you do and do what you love, and everything else will take hold. You've got to be willing to go the extra mile and bust your ass and don't let nobody ever tell you that you can't do what you want to do. And just follow your heart. You know it doesn't matter what color you are. It doesn't matter what religion you are. It doesn't matter what language you speak. It doesn't matter what country you're from. It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman. And it doesn't matter how much money you got. The only thing that matters is your heart. So follow your heart and everything will be okay, All you young kids, rip it up.