Buzz Magazine, November 26, 2006

The topic has been ruminated upon by John Lennon, Bono of U2, and even Scott Stapp from Creed. "One"--an action of unity rather than discrimination--is the figurehead of a plan to end poverty--the ONE Campaign. The effort by Americans to rally Americans, "one by one," ONE aims to fight the emergency of global AIDS and poverty.

ONE believes that allocating an additional ONE percent of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water, and food would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the world's poorest countries. In addition, ONE calls for the cancellation of debt, trade reform, and anti-corruption to help Africa and the most destitute of nations beat AIDS and extreme poverty.

"The ONE Campaign can unite people together from different backgrounds, different beliefs, different views on life, because these are not only religious issues--they're human issues," said Pastor Rick Warren and author of "The Purpose-Driven Life."

Americans from all walks of life are certainly embracing ONE. It is a broad movement that spans the United States--currently over 2.4 million people have signed the ONE Declaration on ONE.org. In addition, over 3 million Americans are sporting white bands as a show of support for ending extreme poverty and world AIDS. From coffee shops, to churches, and to universities, the word is spreading. Clearly, one by one, the campaign�s voice is getting louder.

ONE goal is to help Americans raise their voice as ONE against the emergency of AIDS and extreme poverty, so that decision makers will do more to save millions of lives in these poor countries. "There aren't two sides to this issue. It's not right or wrong or left or right; it's simply right. There is only one side," said George Clooney, an advocate of the ONE Campaign. "Both this election and as we start to look toward 2008, you can talk with the candidates, you can get on their websites, let them know that you will be asking them about their positions and do even more to save lives in Africa and the world's poorest countries."

Why 1%? Surprisingly, less than 1% of the federal budget currently supports the world fight against AIDS. Looking as the outpouring of support following Hurricane Katrina, it is clear that Americans are generous people. ONE claims that directing an additional one percent of the United States budget towards providing the most basic needs can help transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation. By allocating just one cent for every dollar, the United States would demonstrate a commitment to the Millennium Goals, and internationally agreed upon effort to halve global poverty by 2015. Recent surveys show that most Americans believe the U.S. contribution to the fight against AIDS is 15%-- not the devastating number it truly is.

ONE has already created a generous following of celebrity supporters, including Julie Roberts, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, singer songwriter Toby Keith, New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady, Democratic and Republican strategists Mike McCurry and Jack Oliver. Together they have pledged "ONE vote"--not for a political party or candidate, but for an idea to end global AIDS and poverty.

"I've been to Africa and seen it first hand, it left a mark on me that I have to live with now, so I want to do my part," said singer songwriter Toby Keith. "It's a chance for everybody with a big voice to step up to their people and say--go to ONE.org, get educated, and stamp out poverty and AIDS."

"In every village, in every city, and in every nation that I've visited on the continent of Africa, I've observed people who have the ambition, the desire and the longing, but they don't have the resources,� said Bishop Charles E. Blake. "We must join together to make some of these resources available to people who want to do better, who want to help themselves, but who don't have the ability to do so because of lack of resources. If we can help them, I think that we will see great changes and great development in the world."

According to ONE.org, the ONE Campaign hold that allocating an additional 1% of the American budget to help the world's poorest people help themselves, the United States could help prevent 10 million children from becoming AIDS orphans, help get 104 million children into grade school, help provide water to almost 900 million people around the globe, and help save over 6.5 million under 5 from dying of diseased that could be prevented with low-cost measures like vaccinations or a well for clean water.

"Right now we are so divided here in the United States with this red state, blue state, right wing, left wing thing," Keith said. "This is a great cause and a great way to help get united again and make the world a lot better place live. It's a chance for everybody to step up."

All it takes in one person to take one step: visit ONE.org and learn about what you can do to help stop global poverty and AIDS. As Stapp sang in Creed's album, My Own Prison (1997), "One, oh one--the only way is one."

Buzz Magazine, November 10, 2006

Experimental and innovative heavy rock band Deftones grace San Diego this November in conjunction with the release of their new album, Saturday Night Wrist (image on the left). The long-awaited follow-up to 2003's Deftones is much more cohesive and heavy, exploring the ranges of human feeling with strong, emotionally-resonant songs. More dynamic and creative, Saturday Night Wrist has already topped the rock music charts as fans sing along to the single, "Hole in the Earth" in their cars.

Trendsetters in their own right, Deftones is branching out in their new album-- reminiscent of their transition from Around the Fur to White Pony in 2000. The Northern California metal band known for slap-in-your-face aggression and emotion has extended its sound to include other influences and stylings.

"Our last album was pretty brutal, which was cool, but I think this one has a lot more dynamics," said Chi Cheng, bassist for Deftones. "It really feels like this is a real return for us."

Those who brought us nu-metal and rap-infused rock are dabbling in alt metal, sentimental and melancholy reminiscing, and a sampling of "trip-hop," ala Massive Attack. What makes this album unique is its utter diversity and range of expression. "Like in our self-titled album, we were going through some personally dark things. I think because of that, the album became a lot more straight-forward, dark, and even a little linear," said Cheng. "I think Saturday Night Wrist has a lot more layers--it's a little more all over the place. While each song is unique the album is still pretty cohesive."

Deftones frontman Chino Moreno feels it is the most dynamic record in their repertoire. "There are the softer moments along with the more brutal moments, but it's well rounded and cohesive and that makes the album sound like the boundaries are being ripped open," Moreno said. "We definitely didn't want to repeat what we had done or follow any formulas we had figured over the years." Clearly, "Change" is not only a hit track off their earlier record, but also a state of mind.

Part of the change included working with different producers. Deftones benched producer and long-time friend Terry Date for Bob Ezrin, famous from producing Pink Floyd and Kiss. “I thought Bob Ezrin was great, but the other guys butted heads with him and it got kinda hard, ” said Cheng. “It’s really gotta be someone who understands the band well.

Terry Date seemed to be the best at it. Ultimately it's got to be someone who can acclimate into our fucked-up world."

Following a difficult recording session and Moreno leaving to fulfill a tour obligation with side project, Team Sleep, Deftones finally completed production back in Sacramento with Far guitarist and producer Shaun Lopez. Constant change-ups and setbacks created distress and chaos for the band, but not enough to cause serious and detrimental effects for Deftones and their music. "It was weird [working with different producers], but I think it ended up being alright," Cheng said

The album's content is certainly varied. Bringing in guest artists like System of a Down's Serj Tankian for the track "Mein," and Annie Hardy of Giant Drag for the track "Pink Cellphone" mixed up the sound and overall feel of Saturday Night Wrist. Brutal, old-school Deftones sound is combined with the variety of White Pony that illustrates sonic maturity and a step beyond their musical comfort zone. The eclectic album challenged not only the band, but its fans to follow Deftones' own windy path down musical experimentation.

While fans of their earliest works may be put-off by Saturday Night Wrist, their new musical direction reaches out to a wider audience. Jagged metal thrasher songs like "Rats! Rats! Rats" contrast smooth melodies of "Xerces," the turbulence of "Rapture," and sentimental dreamlike recollections of "Cherry Waves" make the album complete yet distinct.

The single "Hole in the Earth" stands out as not only a fan favorite, but also a creative limb for Deftones. "The best track--as far as the band getting together and being a band and what the band can be--is the single," said Cheng. "It was written by Chino, and Abe, Frank, and I joined in. Then Stephen came... He's our primary songwriter, so he was thrilled to have a song where he just got to jump on board. I think it's a primary example of everyone writing and working well together. I think that many of the other songs in the band are written by one guy. For this one, the whole band got involved in the writing."

With Saturday Night Wrist, Deftones have combined the brutality of their last album, Deftones, with the diversity of White Pony--adding a new element of sonic maturity to further develop their sound and musical explorations. Since it's release on October 31, Saturday Night Wrist has been climbing the charts and the rankings on local radio. As part of their intimate club tour this autumn, Deftones will be hitting San Diego on November 12, packing the floor of SOMA with loyal fans and decibels of live, cutting-edge sound. For tickets, visit Ticketmaster. For more information about Deftones and Saturday Night Wrist, visit www.deftones.com.