I know. It's been a year since the album came out. RMM wanted me to review it right after. But I wanted to wait. I wanted a few things to happen before I reviewed it. One I predicted, the other I didn't.

The one I predicted was that El Wheeler's album The Vented Pixie would sell well. You won't see it on Billboard's top 100 though. Stores don't carry it, so Billboard doesn't cover it. Which shows you that both entities are clueless about what goes on with music when it comes to the fans.

" Wait," you say. " How do you know it sold well if stores don't sell it and release the numbers."

Simple. 11 stopped dealing with record companies a while ago. They started to sell via mail order, and to independent record shops that were interested (which turned out to be a lot of them, Thank you Brian!))

11's albums were selling so well we had to create a mail order company to process them. When The Vented Pixie came out, we had to double, then triple, then quadruple the staff. Eventually we had to make it separate company with a better distribution model that we could handle the volume of sales requests.

So what was the result? That album went what the RIAA designation calls " Diamond" x10. That means it sold 100 million albums worldwide.

But you won't find anywhere where that designation is recorded by the RIAA. Because they are artistic vampires that suck the life out of industry. Or what I call assholes.

But there was ray of sunshine. It couldn't officially get a PMRC label.

And what must really stick in their craw. My wife did it with no record store chain support (and it follows no Billboard support, so no Casey Kasem was involved), no RIAA support, and probably no Grammy consideration. She had the support of RMM and RMR. If you aren't reading their mag or listening to their syndicated show, well shame on you. These guys get it. [ed. Thanks Mike]

And no airplay.

She did it all by herself with credit goes to the appropriate people.

I can't say enough about 11 fans. They know good music. They support good music despite all the attempts to block it.

A big shout-out goes to Holly of Eleventeen. They literally took requests for the album letter mail by the sack full and phone calls . Of course we had to help.

11 would be nothing without it's fans. My wife is scarred… twice. It has never changed my love for her and it has never let it stop her.

RIAA has been ripping off artists. Goddard Lieberson did it from '64 to '77, Jay Berman did it in '82, and now Stanley Gortikov is continuing in the fine tradition. Strictly my opinion of course, I'm sure I could find a musician or two that agree with me.

Ok. The review you've been waiting for

The first song on The Vented Pixe is an offensive word to me, and to all women. The heat of passion is one thing, but in this case I tried to talk her out of it. In the end my, wife was right (guys, your wives' are right all the time. Deal with it.) The song needed to be written.

It needed to be written, sung, and actually listened to. Because old white men still don't get it. They don't get art. Or equality. Or anything some religious figure hasn't personally blessed.

I'm angry as fuck about it. I support my wife on it. Sure. I may lose my job here at RMM [ed. you won't] but I don't care. A Canadian musician makes an average of $19,000 a year. That's Canadian dollars. Ok, yeah, some artists make more. Bryan Adams, Corey Hart, Rush. But the average Canadian musician has barely enough to live on. Let's not even talk about studio fees, staff payroll, etc.

And they all have to deal with the RIAA, and that's an American organization. It's disgusting.

Ok, I keep stepping on my soapbox. Folks. It's El Wheeler of the band 11. If you're a fan, this is raw. If you're not a fan, well, this could make you one.

She is one of the most honest, fan loving, caring people you'll ever hear about. Maybe even meet. She's a genius on the bass, and knows how to write a pop song or two.

Just give her music a chance. You won't regret it. I didn't.

- [Rock Music Magazine, Mike Wheeler, editorial/album reviews]

XXXXX

El looked up at Mike, he had a sheepish look on his face.

She smiled at him. "Hand it over, Mike."

He handed her the latest issue of Rock Music Magazine.

"Were you honest?" She said to him, her voice hoarse.

"Yeah, both barrels kind of honesty. Sorry El, it's more of a rant than a review."

Mike sat down, his leg jumping up and down. That's how nervous he was.

She read the article. Mike's head was hanging lower than usual.

Mike watched her eyes get wide as she read that, "They let you print that?"

Mike gave her a lop-sided smile, "And keep my status as a columnist there. They said that I was the only music critic who was critical of the industry and maybe had enough anger to write it."

El frowned. "Hmm, you were right, even after waiting over year to write about the album, you didn't mention that much about the music."

"Yeah, sorry El. you got so much praise and very few negative reviews, that I wanted to do something a little different. It also meant I didn't have to cave to the editors of the mag who may have just hired me so they had an inside track to you. They're really big fans. Like I said in the article, they just get good music."

"That's fair Mike, you didn't need my approval."

"You are going to write your music your way."

"You are so right about that. I want to tell you about my idea."

XXXXX

I am in awe of this young woman. Just when you think she has reached the peak of her popularity, of her artistry, and her personal growth, she puts out an album like this. We will be talking to her about the album, and we will play the entire thing, commercial free from beginning to end.

RMR: Obviously this is a very personal album for you. How much influence did your husband have on it.

EW: Yes, it's very personal. Mike had no input, but obviously he's my inspiration. I could not have done it without his love.

RMR: For the benefit of our listeners, this is the first time it's being played anywhere, you've given us exclusive rights to play it first in its entirety. The album is called Skar. There is no tracklisting, the album is the song. I'll let Mrs. Wheeler tell the rest of the story.

EW: Guys, call me El ok? [she gives us that smile]. There were only a few times in interviews that I talked about my scars, but they were superficial, no pun intended. I mainly spoke about the one on my face, and not so much about my neck. So there are lyrics on this album saying things that I haven't, that I couldn't say to Mike.

RMR: It must have been exhausting to make an album with that much raw emotion in it.

EW: [nods] It's draining. I put almost everything I had into the lyrics and the music. Everything I've wanted to say about the two incidents and what I had to deal with. It's all there.

RMR: It's like you opened up your scar to make it bleed and then shoved it in everyone's face. I found myself going between teeth kicking anger, and just wanting to crawl into a corner and cry. [here the interviewer stops to collect himself]. I'm going to play the album now.

[after the album's final note]

RMR: I'm glad this is radio, I think I had a bit of a break down there, [clears his voice] Thanks for the hug, El. I really needed it.

EW: I think I'm going to have to give out a few hugs. Just to let people know it's ok to cry, and it's ok to be angry. I went through all that, I wanted to take my fans through the journey, so they could understand it, and maybe understand how my music changed afterwards.

RMR: We opened up the phone lines to get some calls during the album, and unfortunately we had to hang up on a few. They were crying, and couldn't speak.

EW: [El just gives me a sympathetic smile]

RMR: Ok, let's talk about the music, I'm dying to know if you used an Ebow on it?

EW: Very good ear, I think most people will think I'm playing a cello, and I considered it, but instead I used a real bow.

RMR: ok, but the bass is strung flat, how could you possibly play more than one string on it?

EW: [she pretends to be shy] A girl needs her secrets.

RMR: it's haunting, there's that one bridge sounds like Dacw 'Nghariad, do you know it?

EW: You do have a good ear! So your listeners don't go crazy, that's a Welsh folk song, and I tried not to rip it off, but I wanted listeners to get the same feeling I do when I hear that song.

RMR: [puts hand up] Yeah, I got it. I love your music.

EW: [blushes] Thank you. And I want to thank the fans who want to listen to the album, 11 wouldn't be anything without them. And I probably wouldn't be the El Wheeler I am today.