James Iha was the guitarist and co-founder of The Smashing Pumpkins which were probably one of the biggest and most successful alternative acts to come out of the 90’s. After the band disbanded in 2000 James went on to release his first solo record as well as recording/ performing with bands such as Perfect Circle and Tinted Windows. James recently released his second solo album titled “Look To The Sky” and Media Mikes had the chance to ask James a few questions about the release.

Adam Lawton: What was it that interested you in doing a second solo album after a 15 year break?
James Iha: After the smashing pumpkins broke up in 2000 I needed a break from being in a band. I ended up starting a studio and a label. From there I began representing and producing bands. I think around 4 or 5 years ago I started writing and recording for myself.  It took longer than I thought but there was no deadline and no label so I just took my time until I felt it was right.

AL: For you personally what was the biggest difference working on this record compared to your first solo album?
JI: Time and experience. I have learned a lot by working with different artists over the years. The music scene has changed a lot as well so I felt kind of felt free to experiment and do different things. That sort of sums up my last ten years.

AL: Is the material contained on this release material you have worked on over time or is it newly written material?
JI: There are some older songs that were written maybe 4 or 5 years ago. Then there are some like “Waves” and “Summer Days” which were written right before I turned in the record. Everything was all done in the last couple of years

AL:  How does working as a solo artist compare to working with some of your previous groups?
JI: It’s a big difference. It’s great to work on your own without having to consult or ask anyone’s opinion. You just can go in and make music.  The downside of that is without anyone to bounce ideas off or get someone else’s parts it can be tough but that’s what a solo artist is compared to being in a band

AL:  Do you have any plans to tour in support of the album?
JI: We have been touring across the US and have also made our way over to both Europe and Japan. We hope to be able to do more in 2013!

Photo by Heather McKenzie

I first met Jason Vivone in 2000 when, after a mutual friend introduced us, he cast me in a film he was shooting locally in Kansas City.  A year later he cast me as Dave Moss in his stage production of David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross.”  One day while reading lines at his apartment I couldn’t help but notice a nice selection of guitars displayed in one room.  A guitar player myself, I jokingly asked Jason if he was any good.  “I get by,” was his reply.  Like a fox!  This week Jason, along with his band the Billy Bats, will be representing Kansas City at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.  Before he and the band headed to the Bluff City Jason took some time to talk with Media Mikes.

Mike Smith: What inspired you to pick up a guitar?
Jason Vivone: My grandma had a Gibson acoustic guitar she always kept in the case. When it was time to play there was this whole ritual – I had to sit down first, then she would take it out of the case, then she would play. I don’t know why this is but she had a piano ,too and there was no ritual to the piano. It was just a piece of furniture you could walk by and make sing and then go on with what you were going to do – go to the kitchen, feed the cat, whatever.

MS: Was there a certain kind of music that you wanted to play?
JV: I liked songs with stories. You could close your eyes and invent a movie just by the music and the words and the feel of the thing.

MS: What drew you to the blues?
JV: I liked the emotion of blues. And that doesn’t mean just the sad stuff. I liked the swaggery stuff. The upbeat stuff, too. The tunes I fell in love with all felt like the singer walked into your house and took a chair and said “Lemme tell you about my baby…”

MS: You’ve also had success in filmmaking and theater. Have you put those on the back burner for now?
JV:  I suffered a pretty serious concussion and whiplash from an automobile accident a while back. It can limit my physical endurance sometimes. That’s why I’m playing the cigarbox guitar so much. A regular six string guitar gives me an incredible headache after a couple songs. Right now, I wouldn’t have the stamina or daily concentration to direct and produce a theater piece. We are, however, fortunate that a local burlesque artist, Sophie Sassafras, has decided to use a few of our tunes in an upcoming show. It feels like I am back in a theater production again. As far as film work, there are a few video projects in discussion for the Bats this upcoming year.

MS: How did the Billy Bats come together?
JV: I had played guitar all through high school and college. I got a job in Branson and it killed my taste for playing. It seemed like everywhere I went there were rip off artists. I thought the problem was me. I quit playing for ten years. In 2005, I was directing a play and we needed some guitar music. I just hired myself to save some money and found the guitar still loved me.

MS: You’ve competed as a solo artist at the International Blues Challenge in the past but this is your first time with the Billy Bats. What do you remember about your first time there?
JV: It was fun. Lots of talent. Great food. And a rich history. I highly recommend it.

MS: How did you earn this shot in the Challenge?
JV: We competed in the Kansas City competition facing off with – I think – a dozen other bands. Some great musicians all around. The judges gave us the nod of approval.

MS: Are you familiar with any of the other bands you’ll be competing with?
JV: We’ve been checking out the other bands at the IBC home page at blues.org. We really enjoy the folks who are putting their signature on a sound. And you have to hand it to the International bands — always a high degree of talent from them.

MS: What do you have planned after Memphis?
JV: We have some new things we want to incorporate into the act. The blues world has a wide influence and there are motifs and sounds we really want to explore. New Orleans feels. String band traditions. Vocal groups. We have some new material to start work-shopping and hopefully we will record this year.

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Black Veil Brides
“Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones”
Lava/Universal Republic
Producers: John Feldman
Tracks: 19

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

The break out hard rock/heavy metal band Black Veil Brides are back with their 3rd full-length release titled “Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones” which is the follow up release to the bands successful 2011 album “Set the World on Fire”. The new release is a concept based album featuring 19 tracks produced by John Feldman that are based around the story of the Wild Ones a group of outcasts trying to defend themselves from an entity know as F.E.A.R.

I was really excited to get my copy of the new Black Veil Brides album as I have been following the various updates and postings from the band about the album via their social media sites. The part I was not so excited for was the fact that it was going to be a concept based record. These very rarely go well for bands and have the potential to alienate even the most diehard fans. Well sadly “Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones” failed to impress me for the most part. Gone were the metal tinged songs reminiscent of the bands “We Stitch These Wounds” release. Instead the band seems to have traded in their edginess and gritty sound for pianos ballads and over the top production. I did find the tracks “Shadows Die” and “Nobody’s Hero” to be more to my liking as they were probably a couple of the heavier tracks on the album. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy albums that contain a lot of production however it really has to be done in moderation.

Though “Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones” maybe be too much of a departure from the sound that brought the band in to the mainstream it shouldn’t be totally discredited. The concept behind the album is one that I am sure a lot of listeners can relate to and may have dealt with at some point in their lives. That alone makes the album worth checking out. Anything after that is up to the listener to decide.

Track Listing:
1.) Exordium
2.) I Am Bulletproof
3.) New Year’s Day
4.) F.E.A.R. Transmission 1: Stay Close
5.) Wretched and Divine
6.) We Don’t Belong
7.) F.E.A.R. Transmission 2: Trust
8.) Devil’s Choir”
9.) Resurrect the Sun
10.) Overture
11.) Shadows Die
12.) Abeyance
13.) Days are Numbered
14.) Done For You
15.) Nobody’s Hero
16.) Lost It All
17.) F.E.A.R. Transmission 3: As War Fades
18.) In The End
19.) F.E.A.R. Final Transmission

Hatebreed
“The Divinity of Purpose”
Razor and Tie
Producers: Hatebreed, Zeuss, Josh Wilbur
Tracks: 12

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bridgeport, Connecticut’s hardcore heavy weights Hatebreed are back with their latest release titled “The Divinity of Purpose”. The album is the follow up release to the bands 2009 self titled album “Hatebreed” and will be the group’s first release via Razor & Tie Records. Produced by the band along with Zeus (Shadows Fall, Soulfly) and Josh Wilbur, “The Divinity of Purpose” features 12 all new tracks that are bubbling over with brutality.

After a 4 year wait Jamey Jasta and the boys of Hatebreed are back! “The Divinity of Purpose” is an instant throwback to the bands late nineties hardcore hay days. Jasta’s vocals are top notch and seem to only get better with each new album while he bands line-up of Frank Novinec, Chris Beattie, Matt Byrne, Wayne Lozinak are a fine tuned machine that is firing on all cylinders. Songs such as “Put It To The Torch” and “Before The Fight” have all the classic elements of the band’s sound while taking it a step or two further. Co-Producers Zuess and Josh Wilbur do a great job of capturing the heaviness of each performance both vocally and musically which only added to the appeal of the album.

“The Divinity of Purpose” is two parts early Hatebreed and 2 parts modern making for a really great listen. Even if you haven’t kept up with the band over the years but want to check out what they are up to these days have no fear as though the songs are new and fresh they still retain all the vital elements of the original Hatebreed sound we all know and love.

Track Listing:
1.) Put It To The Torch
2.) Honor Never Dies
3.) Own Your World
4.) The Language
5.) Before The Flight
6.) Indivisible
7.) Dead Man Breathing
8.) The Divinity of Purpose
9.) Nothing Scars Me
10.) Bitter Truth
11.) Boundless (Time To Murder It)
12.) Idolized and Vilified

Anthrax
“Anthems”EP
MRI/Megaforce
Producers: Jay Ruston, Rob Caggiano
Tracks: 8

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

For months we have been hearing rumblings of an Anthrax EP consisting of various classic rock staples and on March 19th the wait will finally be over. “Anthems” produced by Jay Ruston and Rob Caggiano features 6 classic rock covers and 2 versions of the song “Crawl” which first appeared on the bands Grammy nominated album “Worship Music”. Though the songs chosen to appear on the release might not be the biggest hits from the original artist’s catalog’s fans of both groups will surely appreciate the edgy renditions that are fresh while still staying true to the original versions.

Being a fan of cover songs/albums I have been keeping tabs on this release since speaking with Anthrax lead singer Joey Belladonna at this summer’s Mayhem Festival. Though he couldn’t give me too many details at the time I was quite pleased with what I heard on “Anthems”. Probably my favorite track off the EP is the song “Big Eyes” which was originally written and recorded by Cheap Trick. The haunting choruses instantly grab you and before you know it your singing along and pounding your fist. I also enjoyed the remix of “Crawl” which features a more orchestral arrangement making the song sound very robust. The other songs contained on the release are not to be discredited as they all feature very strong performances and production however they seem to be common staples that a lot bands cover so I probably could have done without hearing another version of AC/DC’s “TNT”.

If you’re a diehard Anthrax fan or just a fan of the originals and looking for a fresh spin on some great songs do yourself a favor and grab the digital version of the release or for the more traditional music listeners head to the store and pick up a hard copy of the EP which will feature one of 6 “re-imagined” album covers created by Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and artist Stephen Thompson.

Track Listing:
1.) Anthem
2.) TNT
3.) Smokin’
4.) Keep On Runnin’
5.) Big Eyes
6.) Jailbreak
7.) Crawl (Album Version)
8.) Crawl (Remix)

Robbie Wyckoff is Los Angeles based session vocalist and recording artist whose voice can be heard on numerous films, television shows, hit records and national jingles. Robbie has recorded and performed with artists like Diana Ross, Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion and Clint Black. He has been touring with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters for the on-going “The Wall Live” tour since 2010 and starts up again this July. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Robbie about touring with the legendary Roger Waters and what is planned next for the tour.

Mike Gencarelli: I know it is a typical question but I have to ask, what is it like working with a legend like Roger Waters?
Robbie Wyckoff: For me it is like a dream come true. Growing up I always listened to Pink Floyd, especially “Dark Side of the Moon” and “The Wall”. I am thrilled to think that I get to sing with Roger now, since I was and am such a fan. It is pretty amazing.

MG: Can you take us through your first meeting with him?
RW: First of all I have to give a big thank you to Jon Joyce referring me to Roger. But after round 2 of the auditioning process at James Guthrie’s studio, I got a call back from James and he said that “Roger really loves your vocals and wants you to fly to New York to meet him and record “Mother.”He was at one of the studios in NYC where they had been working on the visuals for the Wall projections. I walked into the studio and there he was working away. It was very surreal. I shook his hand and told him that it was an honor and a pleasure to meet him and thanked him for everything. Then he said “Let’s show Robbie what we have been working on.”

MG: After over 200 performances touring with “The Wall Live”, what drives you for each performance?
RW: Well first it is just the music – the songs, they just never get old. I have been in several bands and sometimes you have to sing certain songs and you dread it. With this the music is so timeless and classic and the melodies are so beautiful. For me it never gets old, it is a treat to be able to sing them. Also just being up on top of the wall and getting that wonderful 360 degree view is just spectacular. I would love to get a chance to film a little up there to show what it is like. It is just absolutely amazing.

MG: Having been touring with this show since 2010 pretty consistently, how does that weigh on you?
RW: Roger treats us very well. He makes it very comfortable. I have so many people says to me “You’ve been touring for the last two years, it must be so grueling…” and I just say “No, it is really not”. We stay in the best hotels and fly in private jets, so it is a really comfortable tour.

MG: You are taking over vocals for David Gilmour; do you consider that a daunting task?
RW: No not really, I am a big fan of Gilmour and I have a lot of respect for him and his talent. I feel like this is a custom fit gig for me because my vocal range is very similar to David’s. But when we found out that David was going to show up sometime during the first leg of the tour, it did make me a little nervous. He ended up coming to a couple of our London shows in 2010. The first night he watched the show and the second night he sat in with us and sang the chorus’ of “Comfortably Numb.” He also joined us on the final song “Outside The Wall,” along with Nick Mason who played tambourine. Man, it was such a thrill to be on stage that night standing next to the surviving members of Pink Floyd: Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and David Gilmour. After the show David paid me a nice complement and said “you sound great and I thought that was me up there singing.”

MG: I have always wanted to know when the wall goes up; what is like performing behind it?
RW: If people could only see what we are doing behind the wall, there is some pretty funny stuff going on. We have to put this safety net over the band, to protect the us from falling bricks at the end of the show when the wall comes down. The net is probably about 12 inches over my head. On this particular night there was some static electricity going on and little did I know that my hair was sticking straight up like a unicorn. So there I am totally focused on singing “Hey You” and the whole band is laughing around me and Roger is pointing at me laughing. [laughs] I thought I was doing something wrong. Finally someone took a photo and showed me what they were laughing at. Too funny! It’s stuff like that and maybe a few other practical jokes that the background singers are famous for. We have a blast at every concert.

MG: In July 2013, you start the wave of the tour in Europe. Where are you looking forward to going most?
RW: Just being back in Europe firstly and getting to hit some of the markets that we didn’t before. We’ll be going to Turkey, Rome, Vienna and several other European cities. You can check the tour schedule at www.rogerwaters.com. I’m really looking forward to playing Wembley Stadium. That is going to be amazing! I have family in London so it will be good to see them.

MG: Can we expect a Blu-ray release of the concert in the near future?
RW: There have been talks of Roger doing a DVD release of “The Wall Live”. But I’m not sure when it will be released. When we were in Athens, Greece, we did three days of filming of the live shows and then three more days of close-ups. They hired a large movie crew and there were about 20 plus cameras. Not to mention that when we were in Buenos Aries, we sold out nine shows over there and they documented and filmed every aspect of those nine shows as well. From backstage to the show days and everything in between.

MG: Can you give a plug for your upcoming album, “Steppin Out”?
RW: My new album “Steppin’ Out” is a Big Band/Jazz Standards album and I’m very happy with it. I’ve always loved to sing that style of music and was just finishing it up before I got the tour with Roger Waters. I had all of the vocals recorded and all the tracks recorded but had to put it on hold until we finished our first U.S. tour. I just recently signed a co-publishing agreement for that album which I’m very excited about. It was produced by Willie Murillo and he also did several of the arrangements. I’m very privileged to have some of the world’s finest musicians playing on it and I’m very thankful to each and everyone of them. I have five original songs on the album. Three written by Tony Hayes and another one written by Jennifer Paige and one I wrote with Willie Murillo called “Kiss Me Again.” There are also some other great classic cover tunes by Frank Sinatra, Harry Connick Jr., Nat King Cole, Fred Astaire and others. Now that the deal is in place, we are working on a marketing plan and should have a release scheduled later this year.

All photos courtesy of Michael Becker, Todd Tyler, Robbie Wyckoff

Samantha Crain is a singer/songwriter set to release her 3rd full length solo album titled “Kid Face”. Samantha describes her sound as a mixture of Folk with some Country elements. Media Mikes had the chance to ask Samantha a few questions about the new album as well as how her background in fiction writing sparked her interest in wanting to perform music.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us a little bit of background on your career thus far?
Samantha Crain: Unfortunately it’s not an incredibly interesting story at all. (Laughs) My dad had bought me a guitar when I was younger however I was never really interested in it growing up. I probably taught myself a few chords on it but that was it. I grew up sort of obsessed with writing stories so when it came time for college I went for writing. A couple of years in to that I had a moment where I wanted to get out of Oklahoma as I was feeling a little crowded. At some point I picked up the guitar again and started teaching myself. I began pairing some of my short stories and poems to music and after a little while I began booking shows for myself. This was sort of a means to travel and see new places. My career really came out of finding a way for me to pay my way around the country. It ended up turning in to something that I really love doing.

AL: Around what time did you become a signed artist?
SC: After writing and touring on my own for some time my first EP found its way to Dolph Ramseur owner of Ramseur Records. We ended up speaking and decided to re-release the EP on his label as a means to reintroduce me to those who maybe weren’t able to get one of the handmade copies. Things really came out of being out there and playing a lot of shows.

AL: How does your latest album “Kid Face” compare to your previous work? And did you try anything different this time around?
SC: With my background being in fiction writing I really held on to that with the first two records. As I have gotten older and been able to experience more things I have been able to shift my writing from being fiction based to being more autobiographical. That’s probably the main difference between my new album and my previous releases. As far as differences go this time around I went back to more of my folk roots. Some of my previous songs had a rock feel to them but I moved away from that and back to how I started. This album is definitely a softer folk/country album.

AL: Does your background in writing tend to lead you to start with the lyrical aspect a song or do you start with instrumentation first and write around that?
SC: When I first started writing songs I had a lot of material lyric wise to work with so I started there. Music was sort of the afterthought. However the longer I do this it seems the songs are less apt to come to me. I have to be really smart about catching inspiration when it comes. I generally collect words or ideas in a notebook.  When I have time to work on songs I will lay all these notes out and try and put them together to form a song.

AL:  Do you have any tour plans set up in support of the new album?
SC: We have a few album release shows scheduled that will feature the entire band that played on the album. Those shows will take us up until the start of the South By South West festival. After that for the full tour we will probably scale the band down some as it is easier to travel that way.

Guitar legend George Lynch is probably best known for his work with the popular eighties hard rock band Dokken. After the break-up of the band in 1989 George continued to be successful with his group’s Lynch Mob, Souls of We and T&N which along with George also features former Dokken members Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown. T&N has just released a new album titled “Slave to the Empire” and Media Mikes had the chance to talk with George about the release as well as some of his new signature guitar products.

Adam Lawton: What led to the decision of revisiting the T&N project and to also recording a new album?
George Lynch: The idea of me, Jeff, Mick and maybe even Don Dokken playing together again has always been there. The thing is with everyone being in different bands these days and being busy it’s kind of hard to all get together.  You almost have to have a reason or an avenue to make that happen. We had been trying to put the Dokken thing back together for a few years and it never really happened. Eventually Mick, Jeff and I decided to do this without Don. We did ask him to join us however he declined. When you play with the same group of guys for a number of decades those experiences never go away as its part of your life.

AL: Where there at any time reservations about the project and getting back together?
GL: No. Mick has really been coming back in a big way over the last few years. He has gone out on a couple Lynch Mob tours, he played on this album of course and he will most likely end up being the drummer when we take T&N on the road. Jeff and I have been constantly trying to find ways to work together. We live down the street from one another and really our relationship has never changed. We still inter-act the same as we did in the early Dokken days. We might be 30 years older but when we are sitting in a room playing music together it’s like that time never went by.

AL: What was it like writing new material together and also revisiting the old material?
GL: Those were two completely different animals. Re-doing the old stuff was relatively easy. It didn’t require a lot of brain power as we know the songs really well. That allowed us to have fun with them and change/add in some new parts. With the new material it was more as if we were in a laboratory. A little more thinking was required. Thinking is work for me these days. (Laughs) We did a lot of the writing by the seat of our pants. That’s what’s wonderful about writing with Jeff. I love the trust we have and we have a certain style of writing. There has never been an issue with Jeff and me productivity wise. There is sometimes an issue though when it comes to picking a direction. We may write a trippy acid song one time and a blues song the next. We have to sort of bring ourselves in when it comes to that type of thing.

AL: Has there been any discussion about touring in support of the release?
GL: We intended to go out last year during the fall. We had a really great slot at the Loud Park Festival and there were a few European shows and a few shows in the states booked however due to a number of business reasons things didn’t pan out. Things for this coming year are looking really good and our intention is to get out there.

AL: Being a huge horror fan I have to ask how Dokken got involved with the “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise?
GL: We had a wonderful manager at the time by the name of Cliff Bernstein. At the time he was probably one of the biggest rock managers and still actually could be one of the biggest today. If I had to credit one person with the success of Dokken I would have to credit him. He brought that opportunity to us. Being involved with that film really propelled the band in to a lot of people’s consciousness. Jeff and I wrote “Dream Warriors” when we were living together in Arizona. For us it was a huge deal even though we didn’t really make any money at it. (Laughs) We were persuaded by our managers to take a buy out on the song. We received a small piece for the song and that was it. It worked for us though.

AL: Were you guy’s fans of the previous films?
GL: I personally was. When the first one came out I thought it was pretty mind blowing. I was in to horror films growing up and I like a lot of the classics. Prior to the movie though I had sort of evolved out of liking the genre but when we did the song for the film it renewed my interest in horror films.

AL: Do you have any new signature guitar gear coming out this year?
GL: I have two things that I can think of off of the top of my head. The first one is a pedal I have been working on with the Cusack Company. The idea is for the pedal to combine everything I think is crucial in a pedal board in to one unit. Over the years I have found running a number of pedals can cause impedance issues. This pedal is being designed so that everything matches up perfectly and all your signals are balanced. The other thing I have been working on is a signature acoustic guitar through ESP. They have come out extremely well and even better than I expected. We worked hard on the project to make a guitar that sounded good and was affordable. Everything on these guitars looks and sounds great!

AL: Do you have any other projects in the works that you would like to mention?
GL: I have a project that we just decided on a name for the other day. It’s titled KXM. The letters stand for Korn, Kings X and Lynch Mob. The lineup is Ray Luzier of Korn, Doug Pinnick of Kings X and me so that’s where the KXM comes from. We went in to the studio not knowing what we would sound like. Things could have gone a number of different ways but what it ended up being is a very dark sounding record with some funk elements. We actually just finished it up. I don’t think there is anything unexpected on the record but it is dark. We have some interesting ideas of how we are going to be releasing the material so people will want to be watching for that. I also have something that is still in the project stage called The Infidels. It features the rhythm section of the band WAR. We are doing some very ass shaking, groove type material that is just instrumental at this time as we are still deciding what we want to do with everything. Lastly is a documentary film titled “ShadowTrain”. On the surface the film appears to be about music and Native Americans but it is really an exploration of human nature. The film is philosophical, historical, musical and spiritual. This is something I have never done before but thankfully I have people working with me on this that know what they are doing. There is also a band involved with this as well that recorded a record. The record is the soundtrack to the film and is mostly improvisational. What we did was to go around to Native American reservations and play music that was completely improvisational. We had no idea what we were going to do. We just would start with a beat or a riff and see where it would take us. People interested in finding out more about the film can visit the official website at www.shadowtrainmovie.com 

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Nuclear Cowboyz
January 12, 2013
Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO

Nuclear Cowboyz is the story of post-apocalyptic Los Angeles set in the year 2150 when two rival freestylemotor gangs (The Soldiers of Havoc & The Metal Mulisha) must team together. Their goal: to defeat the Evil Temptress and her Cyborg Army and to keep their city and the rest of the world free. Of course the only way to win this war is through a series of gravity defying, breath taking tricks, many of which are synchronized to pyrotechnics, lasers and metal and alternative rock.

The story of Nuclear Cowboyz is geared more toward the kids, while the adrenaline fueled high flying action is for every man, woman and child. This show will have even the most extreme sports fan on the edge of their seats and maybe even letting out a “Whoa!” or a “Holy Shit”

The cast includes some X – Games Medalists, including Ronnie Faisst, Mike Mason, Taka Higashino, Colten Moore, Adam Jones and Matt Buyten.

The tour kicked off in Kansas City, MO on January 12 and will travel the country all spring. The last performances are scheduled for April 27 and 28th in Houston, TX

Nuclear Cowboyz Tour Dates:
Jan 19-20- Cincinnati, OH
Jan 26-27- Pittsburgh, PA
Feb 1-2- San Antonio, TX
Feb 9 – Auburn Hills, MI
Feb 15-17- Tampa, FL
Mar 2-3- Atlanta, GA
Mar 8-9- New Orleans, LA
Mar 16-17- East Rutherford, NJ
Apr 5-7- Ontario, CA
Apr 27-28- Houston, TX

Photo credit: Field Entertainment

Will Hunt is a hard rock drummer who plays or has played with everyone from Evanescence and Black Label Society to Tommy Lee’s Methods of Mayhem and Static-X. Hunt is also a part of the rock super group Dark New Day consists of Brett Hestla (Virgos Merlot), Troy McLawhorn (DoubleDrive), Clint Lowery (Sevendust) and Corey Lowery of Stereomud. The group is set to release their 3rd full length studio album titled “Hail Mary” in February and Media Mikes had the chance to ask Will about his work on the record and how he juggles working with so many different bands at the same time.

Adam Lawton: What type of approach did you take with your playing on the new album “New Tradition”?
Will Hunt: We were going for a little more of a structured sound this time as opposed to what can be heard on “12Year Silence” where everything is just sort of thrown in. The drum parts on this record were more composition than improvising. I played knowing that I wanted the drums to sound huge, and the way to do that is to give them room to breathe and leave space for that in the parts. Corey Lowery and I wanted the bottom end to be ridiculous.

AL: How does this album compare to the previous releases from Dark New Day?
WH: Like I said, we were going for a more structured sound and that’s what we got. We were really experimenting, which in some ways was liberating, in other ways we now know what we wouldn’t do in the future! (Laughs) All though, we’re very proud of the experimentation and what we got from this album.

AL: Does the band have any plans to tour in support of the release?
WH: No touring plans for this release. I’m not saying there won’t be a couple of shows here and there if our schedules can line up. We obviously would love to rock some shows together, but there no concrete plans at this time

AL: Personally what do you find to be the most difficult thing about working with multiple bands and projects at the same time?
WH: It’s like air traffic control! (Laughs) You just have to make sure to get all the projects in line and land them without crashing!( Laughs) Sometimes it works, sometimes not, but I love it! I can’t play and write enough.

AL: Can you tell us about any of your other projects that are in the works as we speak?
WH: Yes. I am officially a member of David Draimen’s new band, DEVICE. Our 1st single “VILIFY” is hitting radio in February, and the self titled album will be released in April with a tour to follow. Our 1st show is going to be at SXSW in Austin. I’m really excited about this band, I think people are going to freak on how bad ass it is. The music is absolutely amazing, and I can’t wait for people to hear it! I’m also going to record the new Soil album which I’m really looking forward to. That will be a good time making music with some old friends!

Dropkick Murphys
“Signed and Sealed in Blood”
Born & Bred Records
Tracks: 12

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The boy’s from Boston are back with their 8^th studio album titled “Signed and Sealed in Blood”. The album is the follow up release to the bands 2011 release titled “Going Out In Style”. “Signed and Sealed in Blood” is the second release to carry the name of the bands own label Born & Bread Records which features 12 new tracks produced by Ted Hutt (Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly).

Right off the bat you are catapulted in to the album with a rousing call to arms type of song titled “The Boys Are Back”.  The song seems quite fitting as the album is the bands first studio release in 2 years. From there the sound changes to the more traditional Irish sound the band has been known for as of late. Songs such as “Rose Tattoo” and “Jimmy Collins’ Wake” feature more traditional instrumentation while songs such as “Burn” and “My Hero” are more reminiscent of the bands earlier punk recordings. Probably my favorite track off the album is “The Season’s Upon Us”. Vocalist/bassist Ken Kelly does a wonderful job telling a very tongue and cheek tale of holiday get together’s gone wrong and not so pleasant encounters with family members. It was nice to finally here someone hit the nail on the head by describing the un-pleasantries of the holidays while the rest of the band perform upbeat instrumentation that still makes you feel good about the season no matter how bad it can be.

“Signed and Sealed in Blood” may be a bit too much of a departure from the bands punk rock roots for some listeners however; it’s great to watch a band like Dropkick Murphys progress with the ever changing musical climate. Remembering back to the mid 90’s when I first discovered the band I don’t think they would still be as relevant as they are now if they didn’t break out of the mold that a lot of bands were following in those days. Progression is crucial in the music business as fans don’t want to keep buying the same album year after year. “Signed and Sealed in Blood” does not feature the Dropkick Murphys of 1998 but it does showcase the supped up 2013 edition.

Track Listing:
1.) The Boys Are Back
2.) Prisoner’s Song
3.) Rose Tattoo
4.) Burn
5.) Jimmy Collins’ Wake
6.) The Season’s Upon Us
7.) The Battle Rages On
8.) Don’t Tear Us Apart
9.) My Hero
10.) Out On The Town
11.) Out Of Our Heads

Reinhold Heil is one of the three composers behind the stunning score for the film “Cloud Atlas”, along with Tom Tykwer and Johnny Klimek. They have worked together on numerous films including “Perfume”, “The International” and “Run Lola Run”. The trio of composer also got nominated recently for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for “Cloud Atlas”. Media Mikes had a chance to pick Reinhold’s brain about this wonderful score and also what he has planned next.

Mike Gencarelli: You co-composed the “Cloud Atlas” score with Tom Tykwer and Johnny Klimek, tell us about that collaboration?
Reinhold Heil: We have been working together now for 16 years on many different films. The only major film that Tom Tykwer directed that we didn’t work on was “Heaven”, which he did in 2001. All the others starting with “Winter Sleepers” in 1996, we have all worked together. Tom isn’t necessarily amazing with the computer programs but he is an excellent musician. Composing is such an integral part of the filmmaking process. He starts thinking about the music in the screenwriting process. He sends the screenplays to us then and we get together and try and conceive what we think the sound would be like. Once the screenplay is done, the music is already starting to emerge and then gets nurtured all the way through post-production. We have this old tradition of setting up two work stations, one for Johnny and one for me and Tom alternates between the two. From conception of an idea it is instantly shared, so all three of us end up working on every aspect of what is being done. I have more of a classical background, so if it falls into that area I would take on more of a role. But what has established over this 16 year relationship is that all three of us have really grown and we developed this overlapping skill set. We each could score our own movies and we have in the past and will again in the future but we enjoy collaborating together.

MG: Some of my favorite tracks are “The Atlas March” and “The Cloud Atlas Sextet for Orchestra”; tell us about where you got the inspiration this score?
RH: With the “Sextet” it has this specific problem that is mentioned and even described in the novel. The way it is described it has this avant-gardist chamber piece from the first half of the 20th century. At the same time it continues, it gets forgotten for decades and then gets slowly unearthed towards the end of the century and then in the future it becomes this ubiquitous piece that everyone knows and has this quasi-religion aspect. There is even a holiday for the piece called “Sextet Week”, so if you read the book it is even crazier than in the film. So being confronted with this task of actually having to write this piece that has all these qualities is very daunting. We wanted to keep it true to the aspect that it is a 20th century chamber piece but it wasn’t as important as to give it this main theme sound that works and has this beauty to it. We just followed our inspiration and wrote this piano piece that could have been done during that period. With the arrangement, we tried all sorts of things. We tried chamber, choir, string orchestra and even full orchestra. That is where our crazy method comes through that we overwork something and only a fraction of it gets seen. The songs theme is really everywhere, almost in every cue somehow. The same goes for “The Atlas March”. The idea for that was that we needed something that was emotional, simple, uplifting and that it can build from almost nothing to this big orchestral piece. We worked all the cues in a way that these two melodies were reprised throughout the whole score. The opening titles, for instance, was a totally different piece originally. It had acoustic guitars and other melodic elements but it ended up just including the “Atlas March” melody and the “Sextet” melody. The same goes for the next track “Travel to Edinburgh”; you have all three main themes combined there. It is based on the “Sextet” but doesn’t have the “Sextet” melody instead it has “The Atlas March” melody. It also has the “Eternal Recurrence” melody built in together. The idea for that piece “Eternal Recurrence” is used to have something that gives the feeling of faith playing itself out and propelling the story forward. These are the main building blocks of the score.

MG: What was the timeline of the score from the moment you came on this project to completion?
RH: We were in Berlin for the first time in late March/early April of 2011. We knew the film was going to – or hoped it was going to happen – as far back as the summer of 2008. Of course we read the book back then and started thinking about what it would sound like in advance. We listened to a lot of John Adams. Though, I do not necessarily think that you will find that much inspiration from John Adams in the score but that was our first idea behind it. The real decision for the music always comes after the rough cut comes and you start slapping much on to see what works and what doesn’t. So during that time we worked for about two and half weeks and had already came up with ideas for “The Atlas March” and “Eternal Recurrence” themes. The “Sextet” was not there yet, but we were charging ahead with that and we still trying to give it a more “arty-fartsy” direction. We went back home to LA and then came back in June/July of 2011 and had a six week explosive creative session. At that time Tom was also struggling with the financing of the film. There was no studio behind it and it was the most expensive independently financed film ever, which made it more complicated. So I think for him personally coming back to the music studio in the late afternoon to spend a few hours with us was a therapeutic thing for him and taking a break. Tom was really explosive with ideas throughout the process though. With the orchestra session it was a challenge since the volume of music we generated was getting out of hand. Luckily one of our assistants, straight from USC, we brought along jumped it and we had two orchestras working their asses off. We did four day orchestra sessions and since the only way we could do that was since it wasn’t an experienced film orchestra otherwise the music budget would have been out of control. The people were though super motivated and tried very hard. We ended up recording unbelievable amounts of music. It was a giant post production since we had to play with various little snippets of music. Then we ended up having to go back and forth from LA to Germany in early 2012 while the film was being cut. I was also working on a TV show at the time and putting in about 14-16 hours at day. It was just an amazing amount of work. When you work with Tom, he doesn’t do anything half-assed. So in all, we are talking about 15-16 months from the first conception to the delivery. Even after delivery though, there is always still little tweaked here and there.

MG: How does that timeline compare to some of your other projects?
RH: The other project that we did together that took a very long time was “Perfume”, which started in 2004. We knew it had to have a full symphonic orchestra score, which we didn’t have a lot of experience with. We had to do a lot of experimenting since it was a new aspect for us. We then recorded choir in 2005 and then wrote a whole bunch more before the film was even shot. Then we pieced it all together and it was crazy work. I believe it also took longer than “Cloud Atlas” but it also included a lot of a learning curve for us. Looking back it was more of a two year process. We also did “The International”, where we did the same thing. It had a six week writing session before the film was shot then three months of developing that material and then five months of post-production. So those are some of our larger scale projects.

MG: You are working again with Johnny Klimek on “I, Frankenstein”; is that your next project?
RH: Yep that is next. It is also pretty much done. We started working on it in July of 2012. We might have some changes in the coming months but as of right now it has been written and recorded already. We recorded in Sydney, since it is an Australian production. It was really a very impressive experience. The scoring sessions were very professional with great staff that has done this before many times. It was quite different than “Cloud Atlas”, where it was all new for them. I hope that with the growing respect that we have received from “Cloud Atlas” – I know it is not a huge blockbuster, but it did just receive a Golden Globe nomination – hopefully we will get new projects were we can record here in Los Angeles. I would love nothing more than to record with Los Angeles musicians.

A Sound of Thunder
“Queen of Hell EP”
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Nightmare Records
Running Time: 22 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Last year A Sound of Thunder really delivered the goods with their breakout record “Out of the Darkness”. So I was already surprised to see new material so soon. Damn though, this is some sick shit!! This EP really comes jam-packed with 22 minutes of some really amazing music. Nina Osegueda really delivers some killer vocals and Josh Schwartz is fucking fierce on the guitar. This band is really taking over the metal world and I can’t wait see what they have planned for their forthcoming full-length album “Time’s Arrow”. This group never rests and maybe that is a good thing since I can’t seem to get enough of them…keep it coming guys!

Producer Kevin ‘131’ Gutierrez worked with the band again after deliver the gem of an album “Out of the Darkness”. The new material works as a great companion to the last album. This EP has this really strong classic power metal feel to it. The title track “Queen of Hell” is just a wild rollercoaster ride from the moment it starts. The vocals and guitar work just are hardcore and in-your-face. If you like the track there is also a duet version featuring guest vocals by Veronica Freeman (Benedictum). If you are a Black Sabbath fan, then your will enjoy their great rendition of “Trashed”. Schwartz has said a lot of their influences is from Sabbath, so it is nice to see them pay the song some great homage. “Hello Nurse” is the most different and risky song for them but it pays off, as it is totally rocking! If you are a metal fan, there is no way in hell that this album won’t get you rocking out! Get those devil horns because you are going to need them!

If you have yet to give A Sound of Thunder a listen this is a perfect time to start.  The band is going to be playing live dates throughout the US in early 2013 to promote this new EP, with further extensive touring planned for later in 2013 to promote “Time’s Arrow”. So I cannot recommend this album any more. I found myself just listening to it over and over on loop and it just works so well.  Sometimes when I listen to albums I find myself skipping songs, but this one literally has been looping for over an hour during the writing of this review alone.  This band has done some much in such a short amount of time.  Imagine what they are going to have completed in another five years! Get ready cause this group is full steam ahead and they are giving metal music a run for its money!

Track Listing:
1: Queen of Hell (Album Version)
2: Queen of Hell (featuring Veronica Freeman)
3: Hello Nurse
4: Trashed (Black Sabbath cover)

CD & Vinyl editions can be ordered via the band’s official store

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“Les Misérables”
Highlights From The Motion Picture Soundtrack
Release Date: December 21, 2012
Label: Universal
Total Length: 1:05:22

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Here is the issue with album is right in the title: “Les Misérables: Highlights From The Motion Picture Soundtrack”. Highlights is main issue here.  It is really missing just way to much from this film. I actually really liked this film and literally it is 2 hours and 40 minutes of non-stop music performances. This album delivers a very abridged version of it just running over an hour. I feel like we are loosing way too much in this very trimmed version. I mean there are 49 musical numbers in the film and only 20 tracks are available here.  I am sure this album with be a hit like the film itself nonetheless just getting a chance to own “some” of the music but for me…it is just not enough. If are a die-hard fan of the Original Broadway Cast Recording, then be warned this is quite different.  You are either going to love it completely or hate it.

Right from the start with “Look Down”, it is such an epic and amazing track in the film that is cut down to barely even a proper song.  It starts and ends so abrupt that it almost hurts to hear. I have to say though, the best part of this entire soundtrack is Russell Crowe.  That’s right Russell Crowe.  He is the saving factor for this entire soundtrack if not the entire movie.  Anne Hathaway is quite amazing and her version of “I Dreamed a Dream” (with no camera cuts in the film) is nothing short of heart-breaking and stunning.  I love Hugh Jackman and I have seen him on Broadway a few times, so we now the guy can sing.  I know that the director Tom Hopper wanted to make this raw and real but Jackman’s tracks don’t sit right with me.  Maybe his voice isn’t strong enough to hit some notes on these songs.  I feel that he aims to talk his way through some of the lyrics – some not all “Valjean’s Soliloquy” is a great track.

If you are a fan of this film, you will enjoy hearing a few tracks.  Me personally, like I said I have about six songs in a playlist and have been revisiting those over and over.  Since I figure that there are tons are track already missing…so what is the difference.  Most importantly, I want to throw in where the hell is “Do You Hear the People Sing”. How can that song be left out? Wow! Probably the biggest let down of this whole release. No joke, this album only received 3 out of 5 stars due to the fact that Russell Crowe kicks major ass!! You listen to his version of “Stars” and “Javert’s Suicide” and tell me that his voice doesn’t rule.  It is fierce and strong.  I wish the rest of the album turned out like that. I will hold my breath for the complete soundtrack being released.

Track Listing:
1. Look Down – Hugh Jackman
2. The Bishop – Colm Wilkinson
3. Valjean’s Soliloquy – Hugh Jackman
4. At The End Of The Day – Hugh Jackman
5. I Dreamed A Dream – Anne Hathaway
6. The Confrontation – Hugh Jackman
7. Castle On A Cloud – Isabelle Allen
8. Master Of The House – Sacha Baron Cohen
9. Suddenly – Hugh Jackman
10. Stars – Russell Crowe
11. ABC Cafe / Red And Black – Eddie Redmayne
12. In My Life / A Heart Full Of Love – Amanda Seyfried
13. On My Own – Samantha Barks
14. One Day More – Les Misérables Cast
15. Drink With Me – Eddie Redmayne
16. Bring Him Home – Hugh Jackman
17. The Final Battle – Les Misérables Cast
18. Javert’s Suicide – Russell Crowe
19. Empty Chairs At Empty Tables – Eddie Redmayne
20. Epilogue – Les Misérables Cast

A fan of both film and music, Marco Beltrami decided to incorporate both loves while attending the Yale School of Music.  An internship at USC with Oscar-winning composer Jerry Goldsmith started him on the illustrious path he has found himself traveling down.  His more popular scores include “Scream,” “I, Robot,” “Hellboy,” “The Flight of the Phoenix,” and “The Woman in Black.”  He earned Academy Award nominations for his scores for “3:10 to Yuma” and the Oscar winning Best Picture “The Hurt Locker.”  This year he scored no less then five films, including “The Sessions” and “Trouble with the Curve” and his music will be heard in 2013 in such anticipated films as “Carrie,” “World War Z,” “A Good Day to Die Hard” and “The Wolverine.”  Mr. Beltrami took a few rare moments away from his work to talk with Media Mikes about Jerry Goldsmith’s advice, his favorite film genre’s and his very busy 2013.

Mike Smith: What led to you pursue a career in composing?
Marco Beldrami: A moment of madness, I guess (laughs). Since I was very young I’ve always been into music. When I was younger I remember watching the early “Spaghetti” Westerns and being very influenced by both the films and the scores. How they related to each other. I went to school and I actually got a liberal arts degree in geology and then in urban planning but I later realized that music was what I wanted to do. I went to the Yale School of Music and that’s when I realized that some of the most exciting things that were happening in music were happening in film. Film music doesn’t really have any limits on it. It embraces the new technology as well as the classical orchestra. To me there is something powerful about putting music to image. I became hooked. I came out to California to do an internship with Jerry Goldsmith at USC and from that point on I was hooked. (NOTE: Readers, Jerry Goldsmith was one of the greatest film composers EVER. Popular scores of his include the original “Planet of the Apes,” “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” and the original version of “The Omen,” for which he won his only Academy Award).

MS: When you’re hired to score a film do you begin to draw ideas by reading the script or do you wait until you have actual footage to look at?
MB: To me the script is a horrible way to start working on a film’s score because it can be deceiving. You really need the image. A script can be treated in so many different ways and the music is all about nuance.

MS: You mentioned that your mentor was the great Jerry Goldsmith. What’s the best piece of advice he ever gave you?
MB: To be as economical as possible…to say as much as possible in as few notes as possible. To write as simply as possible for the orchestra. Coming from the background I came in there was a pride in being able to embrace simplicity, which is one of the most important things I learned from Jerry.

MS: Jerry Goldsmith won his only Oscar for his score for “The Omen.” How important of an assignment was it to you when you were picked to score the 2006 remake? (NOTE: Readers, Jerry Goldsmith was nominated 18 times for an Academy Award, not only for the scores mentioned above but others including “Chinatown,” “Poltergeist,” “Hoosiers” and “L.A. Confidential.” Next to John Williams he is my favorite composer).
MB: I found it to be a great honor and also quite daunting. Speaking of simplicity, Jerry’s score to “The Omen” pretty much consisted of three notes that everything branches off from. And I tried to keep that spirit of a minimalist state…not a minimalist style but a minimalist state…of writing in my score. I was very aware of his presence.

MS: You’ve done a few scores of film remakes – “Flight of the Phoenix,” “3:10 to Yuma” – as well as some film sequels. When working on those films do you feel an obligation to work in some of the original film’s score in your score as a nod to fans of the original film?
MB: Usually no, unless there’s a reason to in the picture. In the case of the new “Die Hard” I am trying to keep the flavor because I am very much aware of the fans of the films. It’s different then on a film like “3:10 to Yuma,” which just stands on its own and isn’t part of a franchise.

MS: Do you have a favorite film genre’ to compose to?
MB: Not really. The only thing I’m not real keen on, and that’s probably because I’m not excited about them, is romantic comedies. I don’t have much desire from them. They’re just not interesting to me musically.

MS: Clint Eastwood fancies himself a composer occasionally. Did he offer you any tips for your score on “Trouble With the Curve?”
MB: (laughs) No, he left that job up to the director.

MS: You have no less than six films being released in 2013. Do you often work on several different scores simultaneously?
MB: It sometimes seems that way. The film industry is in a constant state of flux so sometimes projects often overlap. It sometimes works out as a nice change of pace to go right from one film to another. Sometimes it can get a little hectic but that’s the nature of the business.

MS: The last film on your schedule is “The Wolverine.” Anything planned after that?
MB: I have a new Tommy Lee Jones picture called “The Homesman” which will begin filming this spring.

MS: Is there a fellow composer working today whose work you really enjoy?
MB: There are quite a few people. The most recent score I really liked a lot was Fernando Velazquez’s score for “The Impossible.” He did a great job on that score.

MS: Has there ever been a film you would have liked to have written the score for? And have you ever just sat down and written music for a film that’s already been released –not an entire score but maybe a theme or two?
MB: That happens quite often. You see a film and you say, “oh shoot, I wish I had done that!”