Interviews
RIDING WITH KILLERS – Not As Dangerous As It Sounds
The name Riding With Killers may not be familiar to you just yet, but the Detroit-based trio, Taylor Roberts (guitar/vocals), Kris Kress (bass) and Jed Thibeault (drums) boast current and ex-members of Taproot, Cathercist, Avalon Black and Wild Fire. Their recent album, Full Circle was released in December of 2023 and consists of twelve guitar-crunching… Read more »
(video) ’80s Pop Hitmakers Wang Chung, Men Without Hats, The Motels, and Naked Eyes Announce The “Abducted By The ’80s” Tour
The 1980s were a unique, fun-filled era of music shaped in no small part by the emergence of MTV and the genre of New Wave. Fans will soon have a chance to step back in time to the electrifying era of the ’80s with a music tour that promises a nostalgic journey of iconic sounds… Read more »
SECOND SHOOTER – Out of the Dark
Los Angeles-based extreme metal band Second Shooter released their debut album Fury Made Flesh in January. A juxtaposition of death, groove, and thrash metal, Second Shooter was formed in 2017 by guitarist Travis Hildreth and drummer James Wilinski who had been playing together for almost two decades through a band called Salvage 67. An iteration… Read more »
THE EFFECT – Two Songs In, But What a First (& Second) Impression
Pro tip to anyone who aspires to be a music journalist: Research, research and more research is the key. If you ask a generic question (“so, tell me about your new album…”) the recording artist will respond with a canned answer. Before the interview, read the bios and press releases, and listen to their music… Read more »
AVENGED SEVENFOLD – Brooks Wackerman California Dreamin’
Huntington Beach, California-based heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold has always been ahead of the curve. From orchestrating a scavenger hunt prior to the release of their first album in 8 years titled Life Is But A Dream last summer, to having their music featured in video games and a collaboration with a local brewery for… Read more »
NEW MODEL ARMY – Unbroken After Four Decades
Photos by: Tina Korhonen In today’s music world, thousands of musicians and bands compete for attention on YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok…pretty much every conceivable media platform. If lucky, they may get a few moments of attention before people move on to the “next big thing.” New Model Army is an anachronism. They have no… Read more »
THE GEMS – Cut, Polished and Radiant
Photos by: Gustaf Sandholm Andersson A gem is a precious stone, cut from a rock or mineral crystal and polished to a radiant shine. This definition is the perfect metaphor of how Swedish natives The Gems came to be. It wasn’t a pretty process or easy road, but the end result is a glistening testimony… Read more »
DIRTY HONEY Interview – No Brakes
In the perpetual dance of starry-eyed dissipating dreams and marquee lights, the origin story of a band in Hollywood is a tale as old as time. We’ve heard about the California dreamin’ creatives who were lured by the siren song of the entertainment industry. And we’ve listened to the young guns who had always called… Read more »
Becoming Wolf – A Conversation with WOLFGANG VAN HALEN
Wolfgang Van Halen and his band, Mammoth WVH, have hit the road again and this run will see the artist touring deep into 2024. Wolfgang, took a brief break to get married to Andraia Allsop, his partner of eight years. It was a short moment to catch his breath and reconnect with family. Before heading… Read more »
Punk as Parents: A Conversation with THE DOLLYROTS
The Dollyrots, the punk duo out of Tampa Florida, are back on the road and touring in support of their latest full-length release, Night Owls. Their new album (reviewed here), as with their earlier work, is a reflection of multiple musical traditions, but manages to feel both authentic and personal. They have adjusted to life… Read more »
It’s Been Awhile – A Sitdown with STAIND’s Mike Mushok
It is impossible to overstate the impact Staind has had on American rock n’ roll. Settled into that sliver of time as grunge faded and nu-metal rose, there was a tangible gap and a question of where rock was going to go. Staind gave us a third path: a path rich in folk lyrical depth,… Read more »