Episode Two Recap

On Wednesday, January 27, the 2nd episode of All in the Reflexes went live! My special guests were the amazing trio of Kyle, James, and Logan from the pop-punk band Terribly Happy.

You can watch the show in its entirety here, and it's most definitely worth checking out!

But for those of you more limited in time, let me recap my five favorite moments from episode two, presented to you here in nice bite-sized portions!






The above clip comes from our round of "fill in the musical lyrics" trivia. James provided my absolute favorite answer, and I'll never forget it! "Party Rock is in the BUILDING tonight." Thanks for the laughs :)






In the above clip, you get to see Kyle imitate Logan in a Whose Line style improv game. James, as someone possessed by the devil is great, too. But the look on Logan's face when he figures out that Kyle is impersonating him: Priceless!




One of the reasons I enjoy working with these guys is because it's so clear the enjoy working with one another. In this Q & A about the band, Logan says something very meaningful: they're friends first and band mates second, and that's why they work so well together.






And of course, don't forget to preview their new song, officially releasing on Valentine's Day!

What can you do now?

I'd love for you to give Terribly Happy a like on their Facebook page HERE! Plus, visit their Bandcamp site to listen to their music.

I'd love it also if you followed me on my Facebook page where I'll post updates about my writing projects and upcoming All in the Reflexes episodes! You can also subscribe to my NEW exclusive newsletter-- you'll be the first to hear about upcoming guests and get a chance to win prizes every single month! Just go to my website and fill out the form.

All in the Reflexes is a LIVE talk show hosted by author & professor Joe Chianakas. The purpose of the show is to talk to cool people doing cool things. You can apply to be a guest here. 

What's All in the Reflexes?

It’s a question that is destined to come up every time I do a show: What the heck is All in the Reflexes?

GO HERE TO WATCH THE SHOW!

So, here’s a summary for you.

It’s a live talk show that I’m streaming on the web. I want to focus, initially, on central Illinois guys and girls doing incredible things. We’ll talk about life’s passions, we’ll play games, and we’ll chat about pop culture. It’s a grab bag of fun, but the focus will be on a person or persons from our community doing cool stuff.

Episode one featured ICC student and motivational speaker, Ruben Ramirez. Episode two will feature local pop-punk band, Terribly Happy—Logan Kiesewetter, Kyle Hamon, and James Wylie.

The shows air the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. I’ve been inspired by lots of things—like podcasts—but I wanted to put my own spin and twist on it. So it’s a webcam show, and it’s LIVE. You can always watch it later, too, but there’s something special about live shows, don’t you think? Anything can happen, and there’s no editing!

Why am I doing this? I like connecting with people. I'm a communication professor-- it's kind of my thing! I’m also an author with his first book on the shelves. It’s called Rabbit in Red, and it’s an exciting first story in a horror trilogy. The web show allows me to connect with more interested and interesting people! You can learn more about Rabbit in Red here.

What can you do if you’re interested? I hope you’ll do a few things.

1.       Like my page on Facebook HERE. This is where I’ll be posting updates about All in the Reflexes, including the links to each live show, as well as info on some of my other projects.

2.       SUBSCRIBE, please, to THIS YouTube channel. This is where you will be able to find and watch episodes of All in the Reflexes.

3.       APPLY to be a guest. You can do it officially on website HERE. Or, if we already know one another, just shoot me a message on Facebook.

4.       Finally, SUBSCRIBE to my newsletter HERE. Just enter your e-mail on my website. I’ll be sending out info once a month, including the guests that will be featured on All in the Reflexes that month. Plus, you’ll be the first to hear news about upcoming projects, and there will always be prizes to give away. Always. I like prizes.

 

The show will certainly evolve, and I already have many ideas. But for now, I hope you’ll follow, watch, and give some love to cool people from our community.

Thanks.

Here's the Facebook event invite for episode two-- click "JOIN" and you'll get a reminder and any updates about the show!!! CLICK HERE. 

Episode One and a New Newsletter

Last night was the first episode of All in the Reflexes, a live web talk show that I'm hosting twice a month. It was beyond fun! My special guest Ruben Ramirez talked about his passions, including motivational speaking to Tupac and more. He performed Al Pacino's "One Inch" speech from Any Given Sunday. If you don't have time for the whole episode, at least jump to 16:45 to see that.

Check out episode one here!

We end with a silly game where we can only talk in questions with Kayla Fast. I'm amazed at how horribly I did at my own game, but it was fun.

I'm doing this show to talk about people in our community who are doing cool things. Ruben's a student of mine, and I can't help but take a lot of pride in everything he's doing. I hope you'll take a look inside the episode to learn all about him.

The next episode will be Wed Jan 27 with the pop-punk band Terribly Happy! I'll be interviewing the three band members-- Kyle, James, and Logan-- about all sorts of fun topics.

I've also created a new newsletter, and I hope you'll take the time to sign up. I promise not to spam your e-mail. It will be a monthly newsletter sometime during the first week of each month.

I want the first one to be extra special, so I'm giving you all a special short story called "Whispers and Flames!" Yep, giving it away! It takes place in between books one and two in the Rabbit in Red series, and it will give you a teaser of what you can expect from book two.

In addition, I'll use the newsletter to preview each month's guests on All in the Reflexes! Plus, we'll do giveaways and prizes. I've got some awesome new swag on its way right now, and I'm going to give away a swag bag of goodies to a new subscriber, but you'll have to subscribe and read the first newsletter to learn how to win!

Sign up here:

Subscribe here!

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

I'll also make sure subscribers are the FIRST to know about new projects and will receive exclusive content (like book excerpts) that I won't share anywhere else.

I'm excited about the future! I get to interview lots of cool people in All in the Reflexes, and I'm working very hard on the Rabbit in Red series, in hopes that it genuinely becomes one of your favorites.

Thanks for following this journey.

Follow me on Facebook here!

Get the new & improved Amazon e-book of Rabbit in Red here for only $3.99!

And don't forget to subscribe the new newsletter above!

Feeling Slightly Dead

Like a well-oiled machine, it takes several dynamic parts working smoothly together to create quality music. When you listen to Terribly Happy’s latest release, Slightly Dead, you’ll find a variety of creative elements working well together. There’s a mix of electronic rock, pop punk, a range of vocal techniques, and hauntingly relatable lyrics.

The song names on this album all share in the macabre: “Slightly Dead,” “Mummies and Regretful Sophomores,” and “Feeling Like a Ghost.” But the songs aren’t scary in a traditional sense of horror. They are haunting, though, but they are haunting because of their poignancy—you relate to them, feel them. You, too, are slightly dead.

Take a closer look at the album’s artwork, a perfect visual representation of the music you’ll hear. These songs are about sadness, but not in a stereotypical “my life is so hard” kind of way. The sadness is bottomless, nearly tangible in each note of the guitar and pound of the drum. In the middle of a carnival stands a young man. He’s surrounded by ice cream, games, and rides, and one must ask, so why is he sad?

Because the carnival is a show. It’s all about flashing lights and thrills that excite the innocent minds of children, not heart-broken souls. We know the lights and thrills are cheap, but we long for them anyway. We long for the happiness that we felt when we were young.

Listen to Terribly Happy's Music here!
Photography by Brittany Wagley

Haven’t you ever felt slightly dead and full of regret? Haven’t you ever felt like you walked alone, like a ghost? That no one was really there for you and that everyone only cared about themselves? Those are the unforgettable themes of the album.

In “Slightly Dead,” Terribly Happy perfectly captures sadness and pain. “I’ll trade my wounds for your regrets,” they sing. This isn’t a simple relationship song. It’s so much deeper. This is a song that understands the complexity of pain. It’s the kind of song you’ll want to listen to in the car with the windows rolled down while you shout the lyrics, or late at night in a lonely bedroom with nothing but headphones on your ears and tears in your eyes.

Be sure to like Terribly Happy on Facebook!
Photography by Brittany Wagley

I love a song that ends and begins with the same line to preserve a powerful idea, and that’s what happens with “Mummies and Regretful Sophomores.” This song is like the fast, dangerous ride at the carnival. It’s full of an almost calm rage, which is far more terrifying then reckless rage because there’s a purpose and plan behind it. This is song you’ll sing while holding up your middle finger at those who have wronged you. “Here’s to hoping you’ll always be lonely,” they sing. And that’s the worst of punishments as it’s also loneliness that also haunts them.

“There is nothing in this bedroom,” the song opens and closes. And repeats and repeats. The terror here is that nothing can be just as frightening as any real monster.

That leads perfectly into the third and final song of the EP, “Feeling Like a Ghost.” The title alone resonates with anyone who has a pulse. Who hasn’t felt like they didn’t matter or that they were invisible? “Maybe I’ll stay . . .  maybe you’ll stay . . .” There’s a back and forth in the song, a contrast that their music here epitomizes. The drums and guitar blend well at first, but then the drums get hard, yet the guitar remains smooth. It’s like that so often in relationships, a conflict of interests, an opposites attract, a back and forth, and you’ll feel this in the music. It’s the paradox of love and pain.

Don’t take my word for it. Listen to the album today here at terriblyhappy.bandcamp.com and support authentic, hard-working artists. You can download the album for just $3.00 or even order a CD that comes in a jewel case.

Be sure you listen with your headphones on. Lock your door, too. But not because of the monsters that are outside. Because this music unleashes the monsters hiding in your head and behind your heart.

About the author:

Joe Chianakas is the author of the horror novel, Rabbit in Red. Follow Joe on Facebook, and check out his website for more about his writing career. 

More articles about Terribly Happy:

"Enter the Rabbit"

"An Energetic Inspiration"

Enter the Rabbit

"Can you face horror’s greatest monsters? Will your fears ever be conquered?"

I dare you to listen to this incredible new song called “Enter the Rabbit” by Terribly Happy and NOT catch yourself singing those lyrics later. 

Terribly Happy is a pop punk band out of central Illinois. They have an electrifying and contagious energy that fires up the increasingly larger crowds at each of their performances. I previously wrote an article about the band and each of their members, Kyle, James, and Logan, and if you haven’t checked that out, you can read that here. 

This weekend, Terribly Happy released a brand new single, and it’s my new favorite song. Naturally, I’m a bit biased (it’s based on my book Rabbit in Red), but if you give it a listen, you’ll fall in love with the unique sounds. The song embraces passion as well as horror, and you can actually hear the changes in vocal and instrumental styles as it shifts from fun to fear.

The intense vocals of Kyle and James complement one another, no doubt one of the many things that makes Terribly Happy such a great band. After the first time you hear James sing the chorus, Kyle jumps in and sings, “an axe awaits to break the chains . . .” You immediately here a shift from the adrenalizing, “I want to rock!” kind of song to something more haunting. It pulls you in, making you wonder what the song is about, and you feel the emotion in Kyle’s vocals. Then it shifts again, much like you’re walking through a haunted house. One moment, you’re looking around, wondering when something is going to pop out at you. Then it does, and you scream!

Speaking of screaming, if the way Kyle sings “stab you in the back with a metaphorical dagger” doesn’t send chills down your spine, then I’m not sure you’re human.

As you listen, you feel that back and forth, the pull into a dark, paralyzing nightmare, and then a push into an adrenaline-pumping sprint (run away from those monsters!).

And let us not forget the remarkable Logan and his passionate drumming. Those beats, from the moment the song begins to play to the exhilarating, heart-pounding ending where Kyle and James’ vocals coalesce in an ultimate musical climax, perfectly capture the energy and talent that is Terribly Happy.

At the very end, the listener is left with just a few electric notes from the guitar. The ride through your greatest fears and nightmares has ended, and you’re left with your own thoughts as you try to recover from an emotionally stirring journey.

The lyrics are inspired by the novel Rabbit in Red. I hope you’ll check out the book, as the energy of the song perfectly captures the story of Rabbit in Red.

Give Terribly Happy a like on Facebook. Share this incredible creation with your friends.

Listen to full song here. Congratulations, James, Kyle, and Logan, on a beautiful, unique, and absolutely artistic creation!

Below are the complete lyrics.

“Enter the Rabbit”

Can you face horror’s greatest monsters?

Will your fears ever be conquered?

That monster in your closet makes you shiver

It’s not as scary as the one in the mirror

An axe awaits to break the chains

It opens a world of twisted games

Evil saunters without and within

Not even heroes live without sin

Enter the Rabbit, the rabbit in red

It’s a celebration with a splat of dread

Passion turns to panic, fun turns to fear

The rabbit cheers, the horror will never disappear!

Can you face horror’s greatest monsters?

Will your fears ever be conquered?

That monster in your closet will make you shiver

But it’s not as scary as the one in the mirror

Have you been haunted, haunted by the past?

A lasting image sealed in a mental cast?

Our nightmares open a dangerous portal

It’s a reminder that we are all mortal

The bruises of childhood, they linger on

Far after the black and blue are gone

Locker room jokes and mean girl swagger

Stab you in the back with a metaphorical dagger

Can you face horror’s greatest monsters?

Will your fears ever be conquered?

That monster in your closet makes you shiver

But it’s not as scary as the one in the mirror

A buzzing of bees on a summer afternoon

Trigger a memory, a loved one gone too soon

The rope curled like a snake hides a secret

It will tear you apart into a thousand fucking pieces

There are memories that always seem to haunt

They are buried deep, buried but not forgot

Can you face horror’s greatest monsters?

Will your fears ever be conquered?

That monster in your closet makes you shiver

But it’s not as scary as the one in the mirror

Enter the Rabbit, the rabbit in red

It’s a celebration, a celebration of dread

Passion turns to panic, fun turns to fear

And the rabbit cheers that the horror will never disappear!

Lyrics by Joe Chianakas
Music by Terribly Happy
Produced by William Swearinger

Listen to the song while you read Rabbit in Red. Get the book here and the song here.

Be sure to follow the author on Facebook, too.

Terribly Happy: An Energetic Inspiration

If you want to know what the secret of success is—a prediction of great things to come—then look at a person’s enthusiasm and ambition. There’s something absolutely infectious about one’s desire to succeed and make a difference. I found that contagious energy in the unique talents of three young guys who make up the band Terribly Happy.

But success isn’t solely based on enthusiasm and talent. It’s also a result of relentless support for other arts and artists. One look at the Facebook page of Terribly Happy reveals both of these characteristics—an unparalleled drive for success and an immeasurable amount of support for other local bands and artists. Terribly Happy is constantly working, creating, and performing, and throughout all of this, they find time to connect with other bands, support their work, and even take on unique endeavors—like working with a local author. Collaboration is one key to success, and the distinct talents of each band member coalesce to form vigorously creative music and performances. But they don’t limit themselves to just one another. Their vocal support of all music and artists is what truly pushes the boundaries of collaboration. They are, in fact, a terribly passionate trio destined for great things.

Their dreams of performing and making a band date back to their middle school days. All three band members—James, Kyle, and Logan—attended different schools and didn’t meet until college. Like fate, their passion for the same genre of music, pop-punk, eventually steered these three talented individuals together. More than a similar interest, each has unique musical talents, the combination of which has sparked electrifying and exciting original music.

The name Terribly Happy came from a brainstorming session between Kyle and James. They tossed around all sorts of clever names from Buffalo Flow to Roshambo. On a Google search for unique movie titles, James came across a Danish Noir film titled Terribly Happy, and the name has stuck ever since.   

** Band Member Spotlight **

KYLE HAMON

Position: guitarist/vocalist

How he learned music: Kyle started playing bass and then switched to guitar. He taught himself how to play, and the first song he ever learned was “Blackbird” by the Beatles.

Favorite band: The Front-Bottoms, an acoustic pop-punk band

Favorite song by another band: “The Secret of Life” by the Dead Milkmen

Favorite Terribly Happy song: “Out of State, Out of Mind”

Favorite Terribly Happy Lyric: "If I could buy anything, it'd be the memories. We could watch them together,” from a song titled “You and I aren’t Heroes”

Five unique things about Kyle: He has an extensive retro video game collection and games to boot, he started off as a folk musician, he’s a cinephile, he originally went to culinary school when he started college, and he likes to switch between rhythm and lead guitar in the band!

JAMES WYLIE

Position: bassist/vocalist

How he learned music: James taught himself how to play bass by looking up song tabs online and practicing them over and over again.

Favorite band: Blink182

Favorite song by another band: a tossup between "Everlong" by The Foo Fighters and "Flag Pole Sitta" by Harvey Danger.

Favorite Terribly Happy song: "So Rad" due to its personal nature with himself

Favorite Terribly Happy lyric: "In this fucked up world, you're my silver lining."

Five unique things about James: He is left handed, was born in Colorado, is very much into fantasy football, loves anime, and likes raccoons!

LOGAN KIESEWETTER

Position: drummer

How he learned music: He had formal lessons and private drumming lessons when he was younger, but also learned to teach himself when he was older.

Favorite band: Blink 182

Favorite song by another band: “Natives” by Blink 182

Favorite Terribly Happy song: "Alpha, Beta, Chedda."

Favorite Terribly Happy lyric: His favorite comes from two different lyrics sang by Kyle and James at the same time from a song called, "Sinking Sand." Kyle sings, "Man down ooooh, everyone flees. Oh yeah they fled from it all. They felt the ocean breeze. It felt too good, like we shouldn't feel as we could." And James sings, "The cold is setting in, it's time for winter to come again. And I'm here to remind you that I'll always be near."

Five unique things about Logan: Logan is a graphic design and film-making major, he’s obsessed with science-fiction and fantasy stories, he’s learning how to do horror airbrush make-up, he loves comic books, and he’s named one of Terribly Happy’s songs.

****

Terribly Happy started as a two-person acoustic duo with James and Kyle, and they met Logan a few years later. The three were a perfect fit and are currently a trio. They released one EP titled Sprinkles With That earlier this year in March. Currently, they are working on their next album and first official music video for their song, “Shut Up, Let’s Go.”

Although they are exploring all sorts of different sounds, such as emo, straight-punk, and folk-punk, pop-punk music is their primary genre. Bare bones pop-punk is a style with energetic music and catchy melodies. They love this style because—for all three—it influenced them when they were younger, and now they want to contribute to the same field of music that has been so meaningful for them.

Catch a live performance of Terribly Happy! Updated performances are available on their Facebook page, but some you can catch soon include: 1) the Marquette Heights Men's Club'sFreedom Fest on June 27^th, which will be their longest performance to date as they will play a two hour set. You can catch them from 11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. at the pavilion, and 2) the Warp Zone Show on July 16 (performances begin at 5:00 p.m.). Click the links to learn more about those individual performances. Their favorite places to play vary with each member, but they all love house shows, which produce energetic crowds in intimate settings.

Terribly Happy also has a very unique creative process. Generally, they will start with an acoustic competition and then turn it electric and the song evolves from there. Other times, they like to jam electrically first and then form the song. They’ve been known to pump out a couple new songs a week as the creative juices flow high, or they’ll take a few weeks or longer to really perfect a favorite song.

When you see them play, you’ll recognize that their greatest strength is the chemistry between the band members. They are very close when they perform, and they feed off of one another’s energy as well as the crowd’s. Their chemistry also enhances the creative process as they bounce a variety of ideas off of one another.

I asked what advice they’d give to those looking to start their own band. What they told me: “Be friendly and grateful for any love and support given to you in your local scene. Don't personally have a big ego among your band mates and, as a band, don't have a big ego out in the scene among other bands.” This is great advice for all artists, and one reason I personally admire Terribly Happy. Once again, success comes from supporting others, and Terribly Happy models that. In any artistic scene, the success of another is a win for all.

 

After interviewing the band, I asked one final question—anything else you’d like readers to know? Terribly Happy said, “We love you and please support the local music scene.”

You can show your support by liking the Terribly Happy Facebook page here, and even more so by attending an upcoming performance. Subscribe to their YouTube channel to receive all of their new music!

Check out some of the music in the videos posted below!

About the author: Joe Chianakas is the author of the upcoming horror adventure series RABBIT IN RED. You can like his author page and learn more about the book on Facebook, Twitter, or his author website at www.joechianakas.com. Why did a horror author write this article about a local band, you may be wondering? Well, just wait and see! Terribly Happy and I, as you can tell, understand that collaboration enhances success. We’ve got some fun projects up our sleeves, and I’ll tell you more about Terribly Happy and those projects in a future article! Stay tuned!

"Shut Up, Let's Go," Original Song

 "Out of State, Out of Mind"