Johnny 3 Tears is the vocalist for the rock/rap group Hollywood Undead. The group is set to release their third full length studio album via A&M/Octone Records in early January titled “Notes From The Underground”. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Johnny recently about working on the album as well as what it was like shooting a video for the song “We Are” with Slipknot percussionist “Shawn “Clown” Crahan directing. Be sure to check out our review of Hollywood Undead’s latest album “Notes From The Underground”, here.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us a little bit about the groups writing sessions for the new album?
Johnny 3 Tears: Some of them were fun and some of them sucked! (Laughs) It’s always an up and down process with moments of glory and moments of pure panic. I enjoy writing records in general because all of the moods and things that happen during that time. We usually work with more than one producer which adds a little bit of flavor to things. We always try to keep things that way as it’s very easy by the 10^th or 11^th song to get repetitive. Recording 3 or 4 songs with different guys keep us honest and working hard. It was a lot of fun and writing is my favorite part of being in the band.

AL: What type of steps do you take personally when writing?
J3T: I always write a hook or a melody first. Often I will have words to the melody as well. Typically I think a lot of people write a guitar part and then sing to it. People think I am weird because I do things the other way around. I have just always done things that way especially since I can’t play guitar worth a crap. Songwriting I think is very individualized.

AL: Did you guys try anything out of the box during the sessions that maybe you have tried before?
J3T: We get pretty extreme during our sessions. It is not uncommon for us to have a 48 hr. recording session where we don’t sleep. Guys start to get to the point where they are starting to lose their minds. For me those are break through moments where you are so off your rocker that you try something you would never do with a sane mind. Producer wise some of them will do whatever we want and are willing to go deep in to the project. Other guys have other priorities and don’t want to live that life. We sometimes will have to be at the studio at 10am instead of 10pm drinking Starbucks instead of Jack Daniels but it works. The power is very balanced out.

AL: How was it working with Danny Lohner again?
J3T: We worked with him on first record but weren’t able to on the second as our schedule’s didn’t match up. Lohner is one of those outside the box guys like us and we love working with him because of that. He is more of a friend than a producer to us now as we have become really close. I am a huge Nine Inch Nails fan so when we first started with him I was a little gun shy. Once we got to know him we saw he’s a really cool guy. Danny brings some great ideas to the table.

AL: Can you tell us about the two version of the album that are being released?
J3T: With a regular record you are allotted a certain number of songs. If it was up to us we would have 30 songs on every record but I understand how things work. The deluxe version of the album is a chance for us to get more material out. It has 3 more songs than the standard version and for me it is the complete record that should be there. We always try to do different things that allow fans to get tracks that don’t make it on to the album. The deluxe album is one way and also if you buy the album off of ITunes you get a track that is exclusive to there.

AL: Can you tell us about working with Shawn Crahan on the video for “We Are”?
J3T: The video came out a few weeks ago and it turned out really cool. Working with Shawn was really awesome. I had no idea what the guy was going to be like when we first met. Slipknot is one of those bands that are more of a movement than a band as they represent a lot. You just don’t know what to expect. When we finally met Shawn we found he is one of the most down to earth, cool, creative guys you will ever know. We have done a lot of videos with other people who are strictly video directors but it was cool to work with a guy who has been in a band as well. I think he understood the other side of things and he really made us feel comfortable. It was a very smooth and fun process.

AL: What are the tour plans for the coming months?
J3T: January 8^th we start a major market 12 date tour. It’s a promo tour where we will be playing some smaller venues that will allow us to get back to the basics of where we started. The shows will be intimate gatherings for people who have listened to us since we started. After that I think things will be pretty non-stop.

Hollywood Undead
“Notes from the Underground”
A&M Records/Octone
Producers: Griffin Boice, Danny Lohner, S*A*M, Sluggo
Tracks: 11

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

The masked rock/rap group known as Hollywood Undead is back with their latest offering titled “Notes From The Underground”. The album is the follow up to the groups 2011 release “American Tragedy” and is being released via A&M/Octone Records. Produced by Griffin Boice, Danny Lohner, S*A*M and, Sluggo the 11 tracks contained on “Notes From The Underground” cover an immense amount of musical territory. From rolling anthem filled ballads to in your face thrash the band has provided its listeners with a little bit of everything. Be sure to check out our interview with Hollywood Undead vocalist Johnny 3 Tears, here.

At first listen the album at times can seem a little hokey however after spending a little more time listening to the tracks they really start to sink their hooks in. Tracks such as “Lion” which starts off with a light and simplistic piano/drum/vocal section quickly transforms in to a catchy sing along chorus
that would be right at home on popular radio. While the album’s first single “We Are” is a bit darker and features more rap infused vocals and is very reminiscent of songs found on the group’s debut release “Swan Songs”. The choice of using multiple producers can at times be risky however it has appeared to have paid off this time as the 11 tracks blend seamlessly from one to another. If you are a fan of albums that take you from point A to point B while hitting all stops in between “Notes From The Underground” will fit perfectly into your playlist rotation.

Track Listing:
1.) Dead Bite
2.) From the Ground
3.) Another Way Out
4.) Lion
5.) We Are
6.) Pigskin
7.) Rain
8.) Kill Everyone
9.) Believe
10.) Up in Smoke
11.) Outside

Composer: Joseph Trapanese
Release Date: January 8, 2013
Label: Walt Disney Records
Total Length: 1:15:42

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

If you are looking expecting Daft Punk’s score from “TRON: Legacy”, you might be disappointed, but this is the closest thing to it.  The composer for “TRON: Uprising” is Joseph Trapanese, who worked with Daft Punk on the film’s score and worked as arranger and orchestrator for “TRON: Legacy”. So this soundtrack of music that is inspired from the series, takes on its own life.  It is not just the same thing again, it takes the feel of the animated series and really amps it up.

Personally, I feel that there are a few tracks that I enjoyed much more than the film score. Since this series is the bridge between “TRON” and “TRON: Legacy”, Trapanese does a nice job of blending Wendy Carlos with Daft Punk. Must listen for all “TRON” fans! After working with Daft Punk for two years on the “TRON: Legacy” score, Trapanese really knows what works best for this series.  In this TV series he also has more room to play since the show’s scale is much broader and not limited to a two hour movie. The album contains remix tracks that were chosen by Trapanese personally. The last track “Rezolution” by Hollywood Records’ rising EDM star, 16-year-old – Cole Plante is a very unique track and a nice end to the album.

“Scars” is a a two-part episode that was a very important arc for the series.  There is a lot of focus on this episode with tracks seven through thirteen.  I really enjoyed this suite and it is easily my favorite aspect on the album. So like I said earlier this album is not Daft Punk’s “TRON: Legacy” score but it takes aspect from that and expanded its reach into The Grid.  If you are a fan of this series, then you have heard the score through out the season so far.  This release is an answered prayer, I really hope that this isn’t the last release either.  I would love to see another volume in the future, hopefully.  Now we just need to get Disney XD to release this show on Blu-ray!

Track Listing:
1. Beck’s Theme – Lightbike Battle
2. Tesler Throwdown
3. Paige’s Past
4. Lux’s Sacrifice
5. Price Of Power
6. Rescuing The Rebellion
7. Dyson Drops In (Scars Suite)
8. Tron’s Promise (Scars Suite)
9. Tron’s Turn (Scars Suite)
10. Beck Betrayed (Scars Suite)
11. Torture (Scars Suite)
12. Revenge (Scars Suite)
13. Redemption (Scars Suite)
14. Goodbye Renegade
15. Compressed Space
16. Renegade’s Pledge – End Credits
17. Lightbike Battle (3OH!3 and JT Remix)
18. Inferno (Opiuo Remix)
19. Dyson (David Hiller Remix)
20. Rezolution – Cole Plante

Steven Adler is probably best known for his work as the original drummer for the multi-platinum selling band Guns N’ Roses. After being fired from the group in 1990 Steven went on to work with a number of other acts and also appeared on the VH1 reality show “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew”. More recently Steven and his new band simply titled Adler released their debut album “Back From the Dead” and Media Mikes had a chance to ask Steven a few brief questions about the album and the bands touring plans.

Adam Lawton: What type of writing process did the band take when putting songs together for the new album?
Steven Adler: Jacob Bunton and Lonny Paul would bring me songs and then Jeff Pilson and I would add our thing to them. Jeff also produced the record as well as played bass. Everyone in the group was real open to changes and ideas. That made the whole writing/recording process very fun and creative.

AL: How was it like working with Slash again?
SA: Slash and I have been friends since we were kids. I have always loved the way he plays and was honored that he took the time to play on our record.  Back in the GNR days, we took each other’s talents for granted.  At this stage in my life, I’ve learned to appreciate these moments.

AL: Are there plans to shoot any more videos for songs off the album?
SA: In a perfect world we would shoot a video for every song on the record.  But I can tell you from firsthand experience, we don’t live in a “perfect world”, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens.

AL: How did the band get involved with playing on this year’s Kiss Kruise?
SA: Our singer Jacob told us about it and passed the information onto our managers. From there they called Doc McGhee who is KISS’s manager and they made everything happen.

AL: Does the band have any tour plans in the works you can tell us about?
SA: Yes! We are playing some shows with Duff McKagan’s band “Loaded” in Japan starting in early March. Our manager and agents are working on some other things as well but for right now it’s nothing we can officially say. The band does plan on touring everywhere.

David Kates & Joshua Mosley are the composers of Production I.G.’s “Mass Effect: Paragon Lost”, which is an animated prequel to BioWare’s “Mass Effect 3”.  The film is being released on Blu-ray/DVD on  December 28, 2012 and packs a hell of an epic score.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with David and Joshua about working together on this project and with the “Mass Effect” franchise.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about how you two ended up collaborating on “Mass Effect: Paragon Lost”?
Joshua Mosley: Really great to talk with you. Shortly after I was hired on to the film I discovered the music of David Kates – particularly his work on the Mass Effect games. I really dug the way he put together his cues. I reached out and connected through social media. I felt he would be a great collaborator on this film. Soon after we met in person, I invited him to join me on this creative adventure. It was a totally awesome and fun experience working with David.
David Kates: Thanks for including us. We love what you guys are doing, and thrilled to be a part of it. Joshua, I recall, reached out to me through social networking, and mentioned that he had listened to some of my music so I reciprocated and checked out was he was doing, and was really moved by what he was creating. And I say moved, because it’s one thing to be impressed, and another altogether, to be moved. I felt that Joshua’s writing was coming from a very honest place, and I knew I wanted to get to know him. When the opportunity to collaborate on Mass Effect: Paragon Lost came about, I was initially very surprised because at the time, no one knew an animated version of the franchise was in the works. I was thrilled to be included, and fascinated by the potential creativity in bringing what I had composed on the games to the screen with Joshua.

MG: David, How does composing a “Mass Effect” animated movie differ from the video game series?
DK: The mission in composing for the game, particularly Mass Effect 2, was to give each level of the game its own musical identity while keeping the overall quality consistent, but the process is tedious and limiting. One of my favorite levels that I worked on was Garrus because I found him to be a character tormented by his own internal challenges. He wasn’t human, yet he identified with human qualities like compassion, justice, and loyalty. I wanted to bring out his discomfort in this while also accentuating this underlying, almost chemical level need to participate in battle. To achieve this, I had to create short loops that had different layers of content, and those layers would be trigger-based on what the player achieves while playing. It’s very challenging and difficult to really dig into a character’s development this way. In the movie, though, the story is laid out and develops chronologically, and there are so many opportunities to compose themes that you can use to comment on what you see on the screen. In fact, the dramatization of Mass Effect: Paragon Lost is one of the aspects of my collaboration with Joshua that I’m most proud of. I feel we gave the story real dimension, and brought out the real emotion that was written in the script.

MG: Since this is a prequel to the third game, does that pose any issue when approaching the sound?
JM: Sure it does. We definitely wanted to capture the essence of the musical landscape of the Mass Effect games, including elements from all three titles. That sound also had to translate to a big cinematic experience. I think it fits well alongside the games.
DK: We both studied and analyzed the scores from the games to make sure not to leave any identifiable elements out, and we knew we wanted this score to have a cinematic and expansive feel that brings the games to the big screen.

MG: What you were most concerned about when handling the “Mass Effect” universe for the fans?
JM: We definitely wanted the score to fit into the sonic experience of the Mass Effect games and give the fans that same emotional feeling that they got when they played them.
DK: We certainly wanted the score to feel as though it naturally lives alongside the other productions, and were initially concerned how our musical approach would live well with the anime style of animation. Fortunately, the two elements blended successfully and we didn’t have to go back and alter our sound palette.

MG: The film has a very epic sci-fi score behind it, tell us about the inspiration?
JM: Yes, this is a very epic score but at the center of it all is the humanity and the spiritual and emotional journey that Vega embarks on through the film. There are definitely big sci-fi action cues throughout but there is also a very intimate emotional underscore that gives it the depth it needed to support and propel that story.
DK: I would say our inspiration was the spiritual nature we discovered in the story. Joshua and I talked for many hours about what we wanted to achieve, and that included accentuating the underlying humanity of what was going on. James Vega goes through an experience that no one would ever expect to go through in their lives, yet, every one of us can imagine being confronted with making the kind of decisions that could mean the lives of so many, particularly the ones we know and love. We really dedicated ourselves to making sure that this would be the inspiration that motivated every note we wrote in this score.

MG: Tell us what each of you have planned next?
JM: I begin work on a new video game and film in January. I am also in talks on a few other projects of which I cannot disclose any information. Thanks again for having us!
DK: I’ve been fortunate to be participating in The Helfman Institute Composer in Residence program this past year, and I’ve been composing my first Operetta based on the biblical character Miriam. We’re rehearsing it now, and will be performing it in Los Angeles in late January.
Cheers to you and your readers!! Thanks so much and wishing everyone a merry holiday season.

“Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained”
Various Artists
Release Date: December 18, 2012
Tracks: 23
Label: Universal Republic

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

I have been a Quentin Tarantino fan film since day one.  His films also come with the most interesting music and his soundtracks never let down.  “Django Unchained” is definitely no different. It comes packed with a wide-variety of music and seven tracks of specific dialogue from the film.  I used to love the “Pulp Fiction” soundtrack for that same reason.  I love how the music is so perfectly chosen that it also helps describe the type of film that this is.  Since this has the ole’ spaghetti western-style feel, we get some of that feel and then completely on the other side there are rap songs. So there is a little bit for everyone here. And if you know Quentin Tarantino then you will not be disappointed by this soundtrack.

The star of this soundtrack besides Ennio Morricone’s beautiful score tracks is the brand new mash-up of James Brown and 2Pac on the track “Unchained (The Payback / Untouchable)”.  This song is so exciting and gets you completely pumped up.  Honestly, I think this track is worth the purchase of the soundtrack alone.  It is also perfectly placed, of course, after Elisa Toffoli’s very quiet “Ancora Qui”.  This is a like an explosion and it does let up for almost 3 minutes.  I would have loved for it to run more like 6-7 minutes, thank God for loop. Did I also mention that Samuel L. Jackson has some nice dialogue tracks, which takes me pack to 1995 with “Pulp Fiction”…”English motherfucker! Do you SPEAK IT!”.  You will literally want to run out and see this film immediately after listening to this soundtrack or if you’ve seen it, it is a perfect companion to chill out to after watching this film.

Track Listing:
1. Winged – James Russo
2. Django – Luis Bacalov
3. The Braying Mule – Ennio Morricone
4. “In The Case Django, After You…” – Christoph Waltz
5. Lo Chiamavano King (His Name Is King) – Luis Bacalov
6. Freedom – Anthony Hamilton
7. Five-Thousand-Dollar Nigga’s And Gummy Mouth Bitches – Don Johnson
8. La Corsa (2nd Version) – Luis Bacalov
9. Sneaky Schultz And The Demise Of Sharp – Don Straud
10. I Got A Name – Jim Croce
11. I Giorni Dell’ira – Riziero Ortolani
12. 100 Black Coffins [Explicit] – Rick Ross
13. Nicaragua – Jerry Goldsmith
14. Hildi’s Hot Box – Samuel L. Jackson
15. Sister Sara’s Theme – Ennio Morricone
16. Ancora Qui – Elisa Toffoli
17. Unchained (The Payback / Untouchable)- James Brown
18. Who Did That to You? – John Legend
19. Too Old To Die Young – Brother Dege (AKA Dege Legg)
20. Stephen The Poker Player – Samuel L. Jackson
21. Un Monumento – Ennio Morricone
22. Six Shots Two Guns – Samuel L. Jackson
23. Trinity (Titoli) – Annibale E I Cantori Moderni

Composer: Howard Shore:
Original Release Date: December 11, 2012
Number of Discs: 2
Format: Special Edition
Label: WaterTower Music

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

If you are a fan of “The Lord of the Rings” scores, then I am sure that you do not even need my thoughts for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”.  This fits right in line with the past Middle Earth adventure scores from the master composer Howard Shore.  When I saw this film in theaters, I was literally blown away from the score and I am one to keep an eye out for a good score.  I love the blend that this score has between the action and the drama from the film.  I think it really captures the film very well and should leave any fan very satisfied.

The Special Edition of the soundtrack includes six bonus tracks that are not on the regular version. I have to say these tracks actually add quite a bit to the overall score and even include an additional track sung by the Dwarfs – “Blunt the Knives”. Also what is a Peter Jackson film, without an Extended Version? This soundtrack includes seven extended tracks as well. They really add to the scale of the film, especially on the first disc including “An Unexpected Party”.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” sounds unique from “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy while still visiting certain cues that hang on to that special feeling. I found myself smirking and repeating the certain tracks that had that aspect. I have to admit though, ever since watching the trailer over a year ago and hearing the Dwarfs singing “Misty Mountains” in Bilbo’s house. I have been obsessed with that song. It is literally my favorite track on the album that is not a orchestral piece. If you go with this album I highly recommend this Special Edition release for sure!

TRACK LISTING:
Disc 1
1. My Dear Frodo
2. Old Friends (Extended Version)
3. An Unexpected Party (Extended Version)
4. Blunt the Knives (Exclusive Bonus Track) – The Dwarf Cast
5. Axe or Sword?
6. Misty Mountains – The Dwarf Cast & Richard Armitage
7. The Adventure Begins
8. The World is Ahead
9. An Ancient Enemy
10. Radagast the Brown (Extended Version)
11. The Trollshaws (Exclusive Bonus Track)
12. Roast Mutton (Extended Version)
13. A Troll-hoard
14. The Hill of Sorcery Howard Shore
15. Warg-scouts Howard Shore

Disc 2:
1. The Hidden Valley
2. Moon Runes (Extended Version)
3. The Defiler
4. The White Council (Extended Version)
5. Over Hill
6. A Thunder Battle
7. Under Hill Howard Shore
8. Riddles in the Dark
9. Brass Buttons
10. Out of the Frying-Pan
11. A Good Omen Howard Shore
12. Song of the Lonely Mountain (Extended Version) Neil Finn
13. Dreaming of Bag End
14. A Very Respectable Hobbit (Exclusive Bonus Track)
15. Erebor (Exclusive Bonus Track)
16. The Dwarf Lords (Exclusive Bonus Track)
17. The Edge of the Wild (Exclusive Bonus Track)

All American Rejects with The Stone Foxes, Pacinello
Date: Wednesday, December 5th, 2012
Venue: Wescott Theater, Syracuse, NY

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

The popular multi platinum selling act All American Rejects made a stop at the Wescott Theater in Syracuse, NY on December 5th as part of their current U.S. tour. Though the venue was only about half full, each act performed as though they were playing to a sold out crowd. Syracuse’s own Pacinello opened up the show and made me instantly questions as to how they became part of the nights bill. The band consisting mostly of teenagers performed an odd assortment of covers with a few original songs throw in here and there. Though the group was not bad per say they definitely were out of their element as they were not yet at the caliber they needed to be in order to be playing where they were. It was however pretty cool to see teenagers doing what they love and I am sure the performance will definitely bolster their resume.

The Stone Foxes hailing from San Francisco, CA were up next instantly throwing the show in to high gear. The band’s sound was a mixture of indie rock and vintage rhythm and blues that was really enjoyable. Each member of the band showcased a multitude of talents by playing a number of different instruments throughout the set. From a musical stand point the bands versatility was great however, each time the members paused to change positions I felt it interrupted the flow of the set. The band played for just under an hour and left the crowd chanting “one more song” to which the members of the band seemed quite grateful. After a rather lengthy stage change the All American Rejects would finally take the stage. The band started their set off with the hit song “Dirty Little Secret” which instantly ignited the built up excitement within the venue. Lead vocalist Tyson Ritter was a ball of uncontrollable energy that moved about the stage with reckless abandonment as the band blasted though song after song pausing briefly to interact with fans. The band closed out its 70/80 minute set with the popular sing-a-long anthem “Gives You Hell” before leaving the stage for the night

It was great to see all the bands on the bill perform as though the venue was full as each one could have easily given a half hearted performance due to the minimal attendance. The bands professionalism and dedication was certainly appreciated by those who braved the cold temperatures and intermittent snowfall as each band was rewarded with strong streams of applause. An enjoyable night of music is what you will find if you are able to make it out to one of the remaining tour dates. Hardcore All American Reject fans wanting to see the band stripped down in an intimate setting will surely want to get their tickets.

All Amercan Rejects Set List:
1.) Dirty Lil’ Secret
2.) Fallin’ Apart
3.) My Paper Heart
4.) Beekeeper
5.) I Wanna
6.) Walk Over Me
7.) Stab My Back
8.) Swing, Swing
9.) Mona Lisa
10.) Cheese No Keys
11.) It Ends Tonight
12.) Lethal Weapon
13.) Gonzo
14.) Move Along
15.) Kids In The St.
16.) Heartbeat
17.) Gives You Hell

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Otep Shamaya is the lead vocalist for the heavy metal band Otep. The group has just released a live CD titled “Sounds Like Armageddon” and has an album of new material set for release in the coming year. Media Mikes had a chance recently to ask Otep a few questions about the groups new live CD.

Adam Lawton: What made you decide to release a live album?
Otep Shamaya: I started this band to summon my soul into existence through the power of live performance. This album brings the raw, organic intensity of our live shows to a private performance inside the intimate universe of your mind.

AL: Was there any nervousness knowing that you would not only be performing but also recording?
OS: No, we prepare diligently for our live shows. People are always recording them in some fashion, smart phones, etc so we are accustomed to it in some way. But the truth is we give everything we have to every show, no matter where it is, how many people show up, or how we feel on that night. Every show counts. Play it like it’s your last.

AL: What made you start covering the Nirvana song “Breed” during your sets?
OS: Nirvana is one of my biggest influences. We were asked to cover a song on The Ascension, I chose BREED because I thought it was the one Nirvana song (at the time) that we could honor and do tribute to without veering too far from our sound or theirs.  It is now one of the staples of our live shows and fans go insane when they hear it.

AL: Can you tell us about your upcoming studio album?
OS: It’s a concept album based on a graphic novel I’ve been writing for two years. The book is about a girl corrupted by the world, corrugated by evil, ripped away from the golden, molten elixir of creativity, and abandoned on the placid, jagged rocks of a cruel and barbaric island where the rats poison themselves. This is a story of her personal revenge and righteousness. Her rise from the smoldering ash as a bruise that never heals transmuting, to the infinite, still-born messiah, a vigilante serial assassin, codename: HYDRA.

AL: Will there be plans to tour in support of the new album?
OS: Of course.

Christopher Tyng is a composer that has worked on various television series including “Futurama”, “Suits” and “Rescue Me”. With Volume 7 of “Futurama” hits Blu-ray and DVD this month, he is releasing a brand new remix version of the “Futurama” theme on iTunes. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Christopher about working on the show and his influences over the years.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you originally get involved composing for “Futurama”?
Christopher Tyng: It all started with Matt Groening when he was searching for the style of music for the show. He has heard some of the stuff that I had done prior. He called and asked for a meeting. He was getting a lot of demos from other musicians but I guess they liked what they heard on mine. The rest is history, as I have been with this show for the last 10 years. Matt is a great person to work with.

MG: What is some of your inspiration that you pull from for this show?
CT: The visual aesthetics of the show goes back to the 50’s/60’s idea of what the future will be like. So we really wanted the music to reflect the same thing. We were looking at the hey-day of bachelor pad space age music. That was the music version of what they thought the future would be. The synthesizers were just started to get popular. There was this whole new pallid of sounds. People were also trying to stretch the boundaries of what music was then. We looked at what was happening with music at that time, so some of the influences were Les Baxter and Martin Denny. Of course then the show also takes place in the year 3000, so even though it has that visual aesthetic of that 50’s/60’s era, it takes place way in the future. We wanted to take those influences and modernize them a bit. Matt has always been a bit component of having a orchestra and doing it live. I was able to go back and do some remixing with electronica music, so we brought in that element as well. It is really a nice hodge-podge of elements in our influence.

MG: How do you do to differentiate the score season to season?
CT: That is a really good question! What is really great about “Futurama” – and different from any other show that I have worked on – is that in each episode, the story is set in the future where anything in possible. The show gets its story lines from pop culture reference over the years. Every episode is like a different journey. That has actually made the music different from episode to episode. We have this big orchestral sound with this bachelor pad space-age sound. They go back to ancient Egypt and the music takes on that tone. What is really fun for me is that when I go in to record, I really don’t know what I am writing for the next week. Due to that aspect, my job has never gotten stale since it is always changing.

MG: Tell us about the new extended remix for the “Futurama” theme available on iTunes?
CT: We wanted something that was going to play at a longer length for the iTunes release. We are excited that all the fans of “Futurama” are finally going to be able to own this piece of music in their collection. The TV scenes always tend to be a little shorter and don’t play the full single track. Some parts of the remix actually go back to the original premiere of the show at Griffith Observatory, which is this circular dome at the top of Hollywood. They had a DJ there and I decided to come up with some music for the DJ to spin. So there is actually some stuff on this single that I did way back then that was never able to been released. We were able to take all those elements and made it into a really great single length release.

MG: How composing for a cartoon compare to your other TV work?
CT: For shows like “The Simpsons” and “Futurama”, it isn’t the traditional cartoon music like the old-school Warner Bros. In the show there might be an epic space battle with deep comedic irony involved. But the music will always stay like it is an epic space battle. I thought originally that getting involved with a cartoon would be a totally different mindset. In truth though, the shows aims to play the aspects of the music like they are completely legitimate. If they are doing an emotionally intense moment, then the orchestra swells in a “Braveheart” sort of way. We are treating the show like we are scoring an epic movie even though the characters are doing something so ridiculous. That is what makes “Futurama” such an interesting project to work on due to the fact that it has such a wide set of influences.

Don Felder is probably best known for his lead guitar work with The Eagles. Felder was inducted with the group into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 however left the group shortly their after. He has recently released a new solo album titled “Road to Forever” which is his first solo release in 30 years. Media Mikes had the pleasure of talking with Don recently about the album, his autobiography and his plans for 2013.

Adam Lawton: With your last solo album being released 30 years ago what prompted you to now release an album of new material?
Don Felder: When you are in The Eagles you eat, breath and sleep Eagles business. You are either on the road, writing songs, doing interviews or performing. It is something that is all consuming and a monster of a machine. When I left the band in 2001 I really went through a period of self reflection. I started meditating between 30 and 40 minutes a day where I would look back at my life. I was trying to get a handle on what had happened to me and how I had changed. I would come out of these sessions and write down my recollections. My fiancé had read them and told me she thought it would make a great book. I told her that I was the world’s worst English student in high school and I actually had to go to summer school because I failed English. The next thing I know I am on a plane to New York with a literary agent. We ended up coming back with 5 offers from publishing companies to publish this book. I then had to look at the daunting task of having to take all these recollections  of my life story and write it in to a book. That took some time. During that first year of separation from the Eagles I also was separating/divorcing from my wife. Everything that I knew was stripped away from me. I had to find a place where I could resolve all of that. As I was going through the book writing process there would be painful parts that I needed to work through. To help myself through those tuff times I would go in to my home studio and write a song about it. I wrote 26 song ideas at about the same time I was writing my book. This was an effort to emotionally and intellectually flush myself of these feelings. I didn’t want to carry this excess baggage with me through the remaining years of my life. After the book was published I went out on the road to promote it as well as doing shows with my solo band which I have had for about the last 8 and a half years. In between all of that I worked on this album. I took the best 16 songs from the original 26 and recorded them for this CD. At that point I really shifted myself away from book writing and promotion. There were a lot of reasons that caused this album to take so long. I definitely wasn’t at home just twiddling my thumbs. (Laughs) I had a really full plate on all levels.

AL: Did you find any similarities between writing a book and writing music?
DF: Absolutely! It was a dual cathartic experience. On one hand I was writing the text of my life while on the other I was writing the music to my life. I turned those stories and experiences in to songs. To me real art weather its film, literature, painting or music contains stuff that have a human common denominator. People can experience those things and relate to them. I felt it was important for me to take my experiences and put them in these songs.  For me that is one of the most personal things an artist can do is to expose themselves in these ways. I felt the process to be very personal on both levels.

AL: The album features an impressive lineup of guest appearances. How did you go about picking people to appear on the album?
DF: One of my top criteria was having people that I know and who are good people and friends that wanted to have fun. When I finished the song “Fall From the Grace of Love” I wanted it to have these really great harmonies in the chorus. I called my friend Steven Stills who I was in a band with when I was 15. He actually lives down the road from me and we hang out and play golf together. When I got to California the first band I was in was Crosby, Nash. I called those guys up and asked them if they would sing on the record. They came over immediately and we had a really great time. There was no drama like I was so used to with my old band. Steve Lukather is probably one of the funniest guys to be in a room with. Not only is he a great guitar player but he is a ton of laughs. He played on the song “Road to Forever”. Tommy Shaw of Styx came in and helped with a couple tracks. Randy Jackson also came in and did some bass work on a song. Everyone knows him as the “Dawg dude” on “American Idol” but, he is a monster bass player! Randy is probably one of the top players in the Los Angeles area. He just destroyed this thing. They are all just friends of mine who happened to be in or around town. We had a lot of fun and made some great music. Those sessions really wiped away the old stigma of being in the studio and having arguments and contentious feelings. There was none of that and everything was just all good. In fact I had such a good time that I will promise the next album will not take another 30 years. (Laughs)

AL: How did your song “Fall From the Grace of Love” end up being chosen to appear in an episode of Showtime’s “Homeland”?
DF: I love the show and was just as shocked as everyone else when I heard they wanted to use one of my songs. I watch that show religiously as I think it is one of the most exciting shows on television right now. I got a call a few weeks back by the people who handle my publishing company that they had received a request from the people at “Homeland” to use the song. I said absolutely and felt quite honored.

AL: Can you tell us about your tour plans for the rest of this year and in to 2013?
DF: I think my last date for 2012 is December 15^th. We have had such a great response to not only the new record but also the live shows that I plan on working from early February through fall of 2013. I will probably stay out on the road until it gets too cold to be slopping around out there. I could certainly use a vacation right now. It seems the closest I get to a vacation these days is doing interviews with people like yourself.

AL: What do you think has been the biggest change in your audiences over the years?
DF: Personally I am not a fan of going to really large venues like football stadiums or hockey arenas to hear music. I think that is the wrong place to go. The sound is usually bad and most instances you are so far away from the stage that you get a better show watching the video monitor than you do from your seat. It is just not comfortable. I prefer to play the 3-5,000 seat arenas. In the summer I do like playing larger venues like State Fairs and such with bands like Reo Speedwagon and the Doobie Brothers. Those big festivals that happen during the day are really great and people love that. I think the smaller venues are much more comfortable and intimate. It also is better sounding for the artist and listener at a smaller venue. We are also able to make the ticket prices much more affordable than that of say the Eagles. About 60 percent of my shows consist of Eagles songs while the rest is covers and solo material. It’s a great evening where by the end everyone is up on their feet dancing and having a great time. There is no drama as it’s just a great group of guys playing great music and having fun.

AL: Is there anything else we can be watching for from you in the coming year?
DF: There are a lot of things in the planning stages for 2013. Those things will start to show up on the website once they become public. Right now there are a couple tours being planned. One includes going to Japan, Europe and Australia. That is going to be contingent on the routing of where we will be and when during next year. I can’t really say exactly what will happen until those are contracted. I love to be out playing music and have a very child like enthusiasm for it. When you are doing something you love to do it is a playful experience. I have been fortunate enough and been given the gift to be able to do what I love. I enjoy it for that.

Ernest James Zydeco
3 Steps From La La
Jam Rat Records
11 tracks
Running Time 44 Minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Ernest James Zydeco’s 3rd Album “3 Steps From La La” is a rhythm heavy upbeat album that hits on all tracks with its Big Easy Cajun roots music. Ernest James Zydeco is a Kansas City based band that features a true Zydeco accordionist and a skilled band at the top of their game. “3 Steps From La La” is a journey through the progression of early Creole music through time to today’s sound . Pre- Zydeco music was Creole music; this was referred to as La La. This was in the 1930s, 40’s and early 50’s. before people were plugging into amplifiers. It was acoustic only: usually just an accordion, a fiddle, drums and maybe a washboard, as you hear on “Perlie Pearl”. Than, with the addition of amplifiers and the electric guitar, the music took its first step. Some of the songs feature guitar influences born of reggae or funk like on “Lookin”, that is another step. A couple of tracks are just good Kansas City Blues with nothing fancy, just eyes closing, head bobbing blues. That would be the 3rd and farthest step from La La.

The overall feel of this album is just a smooth good time. A 3 track block a third of the way in slows it down just a bit and brings you back to earth. The tracks are “Supposed to Do”, “Zydeco Mother’s Day” and “Man Across the Street”. “Zydeco Mothers Day” is just soaked in Muddy Waters influence, while “Man Across the Street” is not like any other song on the album. That song more than the rest stuck with me after listening to this CD.

The remainder of the album is equally as satisfying, mixing in a few types of southern styles of music while heavily favoring Zydeco as a whole. Creole, Zydeco, R & B, and Electric Blues are tapped into, and “Red Cross People” is a blues shuffle that will get people movin’. That is exactly why this album is so good. It is a journey and when you listen to it you will have a hard time staying put.

“Daughtry and 3 Doors Down”
Daughtry, 3 Doors Down, Otherwise
Date: Saturday, December 1^st, 2012
Venue: Broome County Veterans Arena, Binghamton, NY

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

The co-headlining tour of Daughtry and 3 Doors Down made their way to the quaint Veterans Arena located in upstate Binghamton NY, on Saturday, December 1^st where they performed to a near capacity crowd. Those in attendance were treated to hit after hit as both acts put on a stellar show that had something for everyone.

Kicking of the night was the hard rock act Otherwise. Vocalist Adrian Patrick and company provided a high energy performance which did a great job setting the stage for what was to come later in the evening. The band performed songs off their latest album titled “True Love Never Dies” with songs such as “Soldiers” and “I Don’t Apologize” garnering the biggest applause. 3 Doors Down were up next and proceeded to take things up a notch by blasting out hit after hit. The band performed several new tracks such as “There’s a Life” and “One Light” which are both contained on the bands recently released greatest hits album. The set also featured a dual drum solo between vocalist Brad Arnold and Greg Upchurch during the performance of “Citizen/Soldier”. “American Idol” season 5 finalist Chris Daughtry closed out the night and had fans on their feet from the opening notes. Fans were treated to songs off Daughtry’s latest album “Break the Spell” as well as fan favorites such as “Feels Like Tonight” and “Over You” during which Chris brought one lucky fan on stage to sing with him. Other notable performances during the set were a great a duet between Chris and Brad Arnold from 3 Doors Down on the song “Tennessee Line” as well as a solid interlude performance of Pink Floyd’s classic “In the Flesh”.

The night was packed full of hits which kept the crowd’s attention and energy going throughout the night. Not only were fans treated to great sounding performances but they were all visually appealing as well. The lineup of Daughtry and 3 Doors Down offers the perfect blend of emotion and sound that transcends perfectly to audiences of all ages. Definitely get your tickets for this tour as there are still a few remaining dates left on this run.

 3 Doors Down Set List:
1.)    Time of My Life
2.)    It’s Not My Time
3.)    Duck and Run
4.)    The Road I’m On
5.)    Away From the Sun
6.)    Let Me Go
7.)    Goodbye
8.)    Loser
9.)    There’s a Life
10.)  Landing In London
11.)  One Light
12.)  Here Without You
13.)  Citizen/Soldier
14.)  Symphony of Destruction (Megadeth Cover)
15.)  The Better Life
16.)  Kryptonite
17.)  When I’m Gone

Daughtry Set List:
1.) Break the Spell
2.) Feels Like Tonight
3.) Outta My Head
4.) Crawling Back to You
5.) What I Want
6.) Start of Something Good
7.) Gone Too Soon
8.) Tennessee Line
9.) Over You
10.) No Surprise
11.) Every Time You Turn Around
12.) We’re Not Gonna Fall
13.) It’s Not Over
14.) Home
15.) September

Pat Seals is the bassist for the rock band Flyleaf. The group has a new album out titled “New Horizons” and Media Mikes had the chance to talk with Pat recently about the album and the group’s tour plans.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the recent change in singers? and what it will be like performing the new album with a different singer than it was recorded with?
Pat Seals: Kristen May has taken over the singing duties for Lacey Sturm who recently stepped down. Kristen played in the band Vedera prior to joining us and she has a really powerful voice. As far as performing the new material with Kristen it hasn’t been too different. There have been a few little things that are different but nothing major.

AL: What can you tell us about the band’s new album “New Horizons”?
PS: We had the great pleasure to work with producer Howard Benson again. This is I think our 3^rd album with him and it is probably are best one yet. It has a really polished sound which I think fans will be in to.

AL: Can you tell us about the first single “New Horizon” and will there be a video to accompany it?
PS: That song is pretty heavy and has a great vibe to it. I think fans right off the bat are going to really like it and connect to it. The video for the song was just released and is a performance video that showcases the band. I think it turned out pretty cool.

AL: What type of approach does the band take to writing?
PS: Generally we set aside time when we are not on the road to work on songs. I know there are some bands that huddle in to the back of the bus to work but that’s not usually how we do things. We did quite a bit of pre-production on this latest album.

AL: What are the bands tour plans for this album?
PS: We are rehearsing as we speak. The band is really looking forward to getting out there and playing shows for our fans. We are currently looking at several different tour packages but nothing has been confirmed so I can’t really say anything more than that just yet.

Tim Narducci is the vocalist/guitarist for the Bay Area band SpiralArms. The five piece melodic rock band is set to release its second album titled “Freedom” in the coming months and Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Tim about the new album as well as the formation of the band and its future plans.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background in on the band?
Tim Narducci: The band was formed in 2004. It was sort of a conglomeration of two Bay Area bands. I was in a band called Systematic which did a few albums under the Elektra umbrella. Craig our lead guitarist was in a band called Man Made God which was on American Records. We had known each other for a long time and basically both of our bands dissolved around 2003 and we decided to put together SpiralArms.

AL: How would you describe the band’s sound?
TN: We have kind of evolved in to more of a heavy rock sound similar to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Our sound is a little bit more bluesy and straight ahead. We put our own stamp on that style but that’s definitely where our sound stems from.

AL: Can you give us an update on the band’s new album?
TN: We have a new record ready to go. We are thinking February for the release. We are shopping the album around to a few labels and trying to find the best one for the record. The name of the record is “Freedom” and we are itching to get it out. We self released our last album in 2010 and did some touring off of that but we are really excited for this new record.

AL: How does “Freedom” compare to your previous release?
TN: I think it is more focused. I think we really found our sound on this record. It’s much more dirty and darker. I think the guitar sounds are cooler and it’s definitely a better record.

AL: Can you tell us about the video for “Dropping Like Flies”?
TN: It’s pretty much a performance video. This is basically our first official video. We have had some things put out in the past that were ok but this time we hired someone to film/shoot it. It’s pretty raw. The video gives you a good idea about who we are.

AL: Can you tell us about the bands current tour?
TN: We are doing the “Revivalution Tour”. The bill features Zed, SpiralArms and Swerver.  We all did a show together at the beginning of the year and we felt that the energy between everyone was great. The Bay Area has been kind of over flooded with thrash metal and these 3 bands I think are doing something kind of different. We felt we wanted to take what we were doing out on the road and share it with different cities. We feel like we are an underground thing that is ready to happen. Hopefully we will shift the music scene a little bit in to what we are doing. Right now for this run of the tour we are doing mostly West coast dates. We are talking about doing some touring during the New Year that will take us a little bit further and hopefully to the East coast.

AL: What other things are you looking to do with the band in the coming months?
TN: We want to get over to Europe. We played there in 2007 and we want to go back and do some shows with bands like Spiritual Beggars and other bands in that genre. That is kind of our goal but things will start to unfold as soon as the record drops. We want to go worldwide with our sound.