For this family-orientated issue of DP, allow us to introduce you to Jason, his wife Tina-Pina and their daughter Rachel. They are The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players.



Nepotism is rife in America. But between the Osbournes and the Hiltons, there’s one clan that proves keeping it in the family is as important to future ‘culturations’ as a royal vein is to monarchic bloodlines. Jason, Tina-Pina and Rachel are The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, a band whose cheery indie-vaudeville music and videos stem from vintage slide-show collections found at jumble sales and thrift stores – the same fabulous places this family buy their clothes from!


DP: "Where did the inspiration for the Slideshow Players come from? Had you previously been in bands before Rachel was born?"
Jason&Tina: "The inspiration for the TFSP came about as a result of change and better entertainment. This band is a natural extension of our real reality (and our redundant redundancy). I (Jason) been in many bands. In fact, there are not too many bands that I have not been in."





DP: "Where do you live and what's your home like?"
J: "We live in New York City. Our tiny apartment serves as a rehearsal space, a pet sanatorium, a home-schooling classroom, and a gourmet vegetarian kitchen."

DP:  "That sounds like a dangerous menagerie of borderline chaos! Do you get on well as a family? Or is it all love?"
Rachel: "For the most part it's OK..."

DP: "Does anyone have particular creative control, or is it a family democracy?"
J: "Our creative process is generally a democracy, which means there’s voter fraud, illegal contributions, and unethical processes in general!"



DP: "Jason, you managed to write a song about eggs. Are there any slides you've found that you've not managed to write a song about?"
J: "I can write a song about anything, or nothing at all... at the same time even! Even the most dreadful garage sale is more fulfilling and entertaining to me that any department store. It’s the unpredictability that I find most enchanting. Our slide-songs are based on random mixes. But whatever rhymes, that's what I say."

DP: "Has anyone found themselves in your slide-shows and come forward to identify themselves?"
J: "There have been various unsubstantiated claims and rumours relating to personal slide recognition, but as of yet none have panned out…"



DP: "Do the vintage slides inspire nostalgia?"
J: "Our vintage slide presentations recall a past so quickly forgotten by our media. I'm a huge fan of the past, but I am even more in support of the present and future."

DP: "Apparently you're filming for a TV show. Is this true?"
J: "It's possible."


The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players hope to come back to the UK just as soon as they've decided on which booking agent to sign with!
You can see more of them on their official site www.slideshowplayers.com
or at their last.fm