Mike Orlando is the guitarist for the rock/metal super group Adrenaline Mob. The group is set to release their debut full length album titled “Omerta” on March 13. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Mike about the album and what it was like playing both bass and guitar on the album.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us what inspired you to put the band together?
Mike Orlando: I had been rolling with the vision and the songs for quite some time. This was even before I had met Russell Allen. Line ups don’t work out or people don’t live up to certain expectations so it’s been in the works for some time. I was working with Russell on writing his second solo album off and on for about 3 years. We are always both on the road so it’s been tuff to get the album done. I brought the tracks to Russell to check out one day and it was just magic. It was exactly what I was looking for.

AL: What was yours and Russell’s writing process like?
MO: I had brought Russell all of the pre-recorded material. Everything was tracked so Russell would either sing on the songs the way they were or we would make some changes to make the tunes work better.

AL: Was it hard balancing both guitar and bass playing duties during the recording process?
MO: No. I love playing bass. I actually have played bass on all of my solo albums. If it has strings I will play it. I never approach the bass like a guitarist. I use my fingers not a pick. It’s very much like John Entwistle who is one of my heroes. I try to look at the tracks like a bass player would as you can’t play bass the way you play a guitar. I think it comes off stiff when you don’t approach it differently. It’s great having John Moyer from Disturbed playing bass in the band now. I told him to do whatever he wanted and to make the songs his own. I gave him the guidelines and he has done a hell of a lot more from what I gave him.

AL: Can you tell us the idea behind covering the Duran Duran song “Come Undone”?
MO: That song has been one of my favorites since hearing it when it came out in 1991. I don’t walk around screaming “Hungry like a Wolf” or anything (Laughs) but “Come Undone” is like my favorite song from that band. When you look past the quirkiness that band is made up of some amazing players. I do try to look a little deeper than their song “Rio”. “Come Undone” I felt always had a haunting vide. The fact that we got Lzzy Hale from Halestorm to do a duet with Russell is amazing. Lzzy I think has one of the greatest voices in rock. I consider Lzzy to be the female Russ.

AL: Is there a track off the album that you really enjoy playing live?
MO: To quote Billy Joel “I don’t have a favorite they are all like my children”. The song “Feeling Me” seems to get a really great response live. I will never forget the first night we played that song when we were out with Godsmack. The song got such a hop. It was infectious. “Hit the Wall” is another one for me that is just very intense

AL: “Omerta” comes out March 13 and I am sure that’s going to keep you busy for some time but, have you guys started thinking about the next album yet?
MO: Oh yeah! I have plenty of material ready for second album. Throughout my life I have been an avid song writer. If I don’t release an album for 3 years it doesn’t mean that I wasn’t still writing and recording. Even when I was younger I would just write and write. I have so much material Mike Portnoy likes to call it my “graveyard” of songs. (Laughs)

Rob Clayton is the bass player for the British band The Dunwells. The band is set to release their debut album titled “Blind Sighted Faith” in February which will be followed by a U.S. tour. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Rob about the album and the bands upcoming return to the states.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the band’s new album?
Rob Clayton: The album comes out in the U.S. on February 14^th. We are all really excited for people to hear it. The album is full of feel good songs. The album’s first single “I Could Be King” is just a really great song and the whole album I think will make people happy. I think the album will give people the sense that they can do anything. That was something we were really going for.

AL: Can you tell us about the video for “I Could Be King”?
RC: There are actually two different videos for the song. One video is a montage and it really shows that no matter who you are or what you do you can achieve anything. That is the main message of the song. The other video was of us playing in Willie Nelson’s studio which is where we recorded the album. It’s nice because we are very proud of the album and the video shows where we recorded it.

AL: What are you most looking forward to with your first full U.S. tour?
RC: We are starting at the Folk Alliance Conference which is held in Memphis. This is actually the same place we played last year and was where we were discovered. We play there on February 23^rd so it’s really great that we can kick off our first tour there.

AL: I heard that you have quite an impressive DVD collection. If you could only chose one DVD to take on tour with you what would it be and why?
RC: (Laughs) I do like to collect DVD’s. My favorite movie of all time is “Jacob’s Ladder” with Tim Robbins. I think that is such a brilliant film. However if I had to pick one I think it would be “The Shawshank Redemption”. That film is such a feel good film.

AL: What other plans does the band have for this year?
RC: We come to the states on February 22^nd and the tour starts the 23^rd. From there we fly out to Los Angeles and pick up our tour bus. We then will be driving across the country towards New York and then on towards Texas for the South by South West Festival. After that we may go right on to another tour here in the states. We also will be doing a European tour as well. We plan on working hard and helping to get our music out there. We love playing as much as we can

Damian LaRocco is the lead singer for the Staten Island based band Four Nights Strong. The band has just released their first EP titled “Crash and Burn”. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Damian about the release and what the bands current plans are for 2012.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some back ground on the band?
Damian La Rocco: We are a group of guys ages 17-21 who love all kinds of music. We each live pretty normal lives but have big goals for the band. We all want to make a career out of playing music because it’s something we love.

AL: How would you describe your music?
DL: Lyrically we’ve been called emotional and meaningful. I guess that’s kind of my goal when I write. I write based on my personal life as well as situations others can relate and connect with. Instrumentally we all have different influences that we mesh together. We try to avoid repetition and sounding generic because it feels fake. We feel we put 110% of ourselves into what we write.

AL: Can you tell us about your latest release?
DL: The “Crash and Burn” EP was something we can honestly say we are all really proud of. We worked with our producer Ethan Bill for quite some time until we found the sound we were looking for. Ethan has been a great help to us and he has been a real pleasure to work with. The CD has been getting a lot of positive feedback from all our fans online and our ITunes sales are going up every day. We started out barely knowing what we were doing and over time with hard work we grew into who we are now as musicians. I think the songs on the CD reflect that.

AL: Do you have a favorite track off the album?
DL: I love all the tracks. It’s hard to actually pick one. “Scared to Breathe” is my favorite to perform live while “Crash and Burn” & “Despair” are very personal to me, I wrote them both when I was in a dark place in my life. “The Message” and “My Last Call” get the crowd pumped and moshing so that’s definitely awesome to see! Overall I catch myself listening to “Scared to Breathe” and “The Message” the most.

AL: What are the bands plans for 2012?
DL: 2012 is going to be a big year for us. We will be experiencing a lot of firsts. Our first music video “My Last Call” will be coming out. We are doing our first summer tour that includes playing some big shows in New York City at The Gramercy Theater, Webster Hall and possibly the Hard-Rock Cafe. We also may have a hint at another E.P coming in the summer but nothing is definite.

Matt Kelly is the drummer for the Irish tinged punk rock band Dropkick Murphys. On March 13^th the band will release a new live album that was recorded at historic Fenway Park located in Boston, Mass. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Matt about the new album and the bands current tour.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the new “Live at Fenway Park” album?
Matt Kelly: We did a couple shows at the hallowed grounds of Fenway Park in September of 2011 and we figured what better way to commemorate the even than to record/release the shows to the fans. We used choice cuts taken from the two nights as well as throwing in a few other things here and there. The release will also be available on vinyl which I highly recommend picking up. I have yet to see the video footage of the show but I had been told it’s amazing. The guys who worked on one of the live Foo Fighters DVDs worked on this one as well. Those two nights were amazing! When you are twelve years old playing in punk bands you never dream of playing to 10,000 people at Fenway Park. We were all really psyched and honored.

AL: Were the shows something of your own doing or were you guys asked to perform at the park?
MK: We have a lot of connection within the organization. Since day one of 2004 the Red Sox organization has just rolled out the red carpet for us. The band had been kicking around the idea of playing the park for awhile but I am not sure how it all actually worked out. There was a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes as we had never done something like this before. Our crew along with the grounds crew at the park really made everything work and it was awesome! I think everything was a collaborative effort.

AL: Can you tell us about the bands current tour?
MK: We are currently out on tour with The Mahones and, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls. The shows have been great and everyone has been getting great crowd responses. Our crowd can be kind of tough as our fans are just rabid. They are very supportive but not always of the other bands we are playing with. Everything on this tour has gone great! We have been having a blast. We will wrap the tour up with our annual St. Patrick’s Day shows in Mass. We will be playing 3 nights at the House of Blues in Boston, 2 gigs on Saturday in Lowell, Mass. and on Sunday of that weekend we are playing the Brighton Music Hall which used to be called Harper’s Ferry. The Sunday night show you will only be able to get tickets the day of the show at the door. It’s going to be really cool because the venue only holds around 400 people or so.

AL: Have there been any talks about a new studio album?
MK: Around April 1^st of this year we will be going into the studio to record the new album. We have a bunch of stuff already written. We have been playing one new song live and it has gotten some good responses. I am not sure if we are going to put it on the record or just release it as a single. We will record April into May and depending on how things go it should be out towards the end of 2012 or early 2013.

AL: What else does the band have planned for 2012?
MK: We will be playing the Shamrock Festival in Washington D.C. March 24^th. We also will be heading over to Europe in June for a bunch of festival shows. We will also be doing some smaller shows while we are there as well. All the guys in the band are really excited about playing Rome for the first time. A lot of us want to try and see Vatican City while we are there. When we are in Europe we usually play Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands. It will be nice to see some new places and meet some new people. There might also be some stuff in the works for September and October however, nothing has been confirmed yet.

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Ned Evett
“Treehouse”
Raging Krill Records
Running Time: 50 minutes
Tracks: 14

Our Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Ned Evett’s “Treehouse” serves up a hearty bowlful of Americana that, while largely satisfying , could use a little more garnish. The entire album more than readily displays Evett’s full menu of guitar styles allows him to comfortably situate himself within the mix of his self-penned songs. The problem is that, despite all of the versatility, none of them successfully demonstrate that he’s a master of any one type of genre or that he’s a particularly gifted songwriter. On many of the tracks, he seems to be dipping his toe into the pool rather than diving in and coming up with exceptionally memorable music. Because of this, “Treehouse” ultimately winds up being a “ho-hum, that’ll do” toe-tapper appetizer that isn’t as tasty or filling as it really should be.

The album’s opening track, “Pure Evil”, gets things off to a kick-ass rockin’ and rollin’ start. With its choppy rhythm guitar line and raging backbeat, Ned’s vocal fluctuates between being a gravelly growler and a howling bluesman a la “Tom Waits meets George Thorogood”. All of the ingredients work and the track winds up being a spicy barn-burner that hoots and howls its way to a flourish of an ending.

Evett stays in straightforward rock mode for the five songs that follow “Pure Evil” but none scorch like the opening track. They’re good but only serve as a catch-and-release for what could and probably should have been a hook, line and sinker.

Ned abruptly switches gears mid-way through the album and dishes up a smorgasbord of songs that ground themselves with folk roots. “Mars River Delta 2128”’s two-minute acoustic intro of displays the virtuosity of his playing ability after which the song jumps into bluegrassy knoll that is again fun but truly not unique. The remaining acoustic numbers are a bit too derivative to be riveting – the title track being somewhat of an exception.

He jumps back into rocker boy mode for the final two tracks, “Dead on Saturday Night” and “Don’t Despair”, the latter of which points out what’s been much needed throughout the whole record: some augmentation and aural layering that would pull the tracks from relative mediocrity and into being something that’s truly his own. The simplicity of “Treehouse” is all well and good, but it’s never really all that alluring and engaging. This is somewhat surprising given that King Crimson’s guitar wizard, Adrian Belew, is the production master of “Treehouse”. Belew does contribute to a couple of the tracks – piano and guitar to one and “alarm clock” to the other – but had he joined in to provide some backing harmonies or guitar accompaniment, it would have added texture and flavor to an otherwise semi-bland dish.

In the end, “Treehouse” has so much potential to be an exceptional record that it’s frustrating to hear it fall short. Evett’s indeed chosen a good solid limb for his “Treehouse” but he just needs a little more imagination to make it stand out from what all of the other kids in the neighborhood have built.

Track Listing:
1. Pure Evil
2. Falling in Line
3. Break My Fall
4. Nightmare and a Dream Come True
5. Sayonara Serenade
6. Just About Over This Time
7. Mars River Delta 2128
8. Bend Me
9. Treehouse
10. Say Goodbye for Both of Us
11. Why can’t I believe
12. Getting Over Someone Too
13. Dead On a Saturday Night
14. Don’t Despair

Jojo Garza is one of the three Garza brothers that makes up the band Los Lonely Boys. Jojo role in the band is the bassist. The band is currently touring the world for their latest album “Rockpango”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Jojo about the bands music and also the new album.

Mike Gencarelli:  What’s the most challenging part of working with your brothers?
Jojo Garza: The fact that they are my brothers. I know it sounds funny but that’s the truth. The way we grew up was that family sticks together and that no one can help you better than family.

MG: Can you give us some back ground on your most recent album, “Rockpango”?
JG: A lot of inspiration comes from what we experience in everyday life. We try to write so that the music has an angle everyone can relate to. A lot of the new songs have that idea behind them however they also have some new musical inspiration as well. We tried to thrown in some funk grooves and also pay tribute to some our idols like Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. Musically we challenged ourselves on this album. The string quartet was something completely new as well. We really wanted people to hear some new sounds. The album is a whole new vibe.

MG: What do you like most about performing live?
JG: Being able to talk with people and letting them know we are still here. We are getting ready to go to Japan in a few days. We are going to keep spreading the word for as long as we can.

MG: Do you have a favorite song that you like to perform live?
JG: I just love jamming and playing any song really. I don’t think I could pick just one.

MG: Have you ever played the “Guitar Hero: World Tour” version of your song “Heaven”?
JG: Yes I did and I sucked at it. (Laughs) We actually did alright. It’s crazy that song did what it did. That song allowed us to show people we could play music. Playing that song on the game was not like playing it live on stage that’s for sure!

MG: Tell us what else you got planned for 2012?
JG: We are ready to play wherever. We want to bring the people some good times. We are working on new material as we speak and we can’t wait for people to hear it. We have a handful of songs that I think are very creative. We sing our hearts out in every song no matter what it is.

Conductor: John Williams
Composer: John Williams
Label: Sony Music Masterworks
Release Date: February 28, 2012
Tracks: 15
Running Time: 68 minutes

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Who doesn’t love the scores from John Williams. He is such a legend with his music. The new collection is a celebration of Williams’ 80th birthday and is a real wonderful tribute to his career to date. Over almost six decades, John Williams has composed score to some of the biggest films in history including the “Star Wars” series, “Jaws”, the “Indiana Jones” series, “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” and the first three “Harry Potter” films. The guy literally shows no signs of slowing down either with 2011 proving to me a very busy year for him with “The Adventures of Tintin” and “War Horse”. Both of them were even were nominated for Oscars in the 84th Academy Awards. So sit back and get ready to celebrate the works of one of our greatest composers.

For the man that has won twenty-one Grammy® awards, four Golden Globe awards and five Academy Awards®, you can’t encompass every known track but this does a really great job. I actually really enjoyed the specific track selections especially from the film “Jaws”. The obvious choice was to use the theme that we all know…”duh nah”. But instead they included the track “Out to Sea/The Shark Cage Fugue” and I really enjoyed that decision. It is not what you would expect and was a great change. The choice to use a track from “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” was an interesting choice, it is different and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I also enjoyed the tracks from “The Adventures of Tintin” and “War Horse”, I haven’t had much exposure of the score prior and I loved them.

This collection of songs include guest appeared from both Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma. Perlman plays violin beautiful on both the themes from “Sabrina” and “Schindler’s List”. Yo-Yo plays cello on two tracks also “Elegy for Cello and Ochestra” and “Going to School” from the film “Memoirs of a Geisha”. This release is all the first time that Williams’s recording on his “Happy Birthday Variations” track has been recorded and released. Overall this release is a celebration and it definitely succeeds in doing that and encompasses the massive career of this amazing legend. I very much recommend this for all fans of film scores and the work of John Williams.

Track Listing:
1. Sound the Bells! from American Journey
2. Out to Sea/Shark Cage Fugue from Jaws
3. Theme from Sabrina (w/Itzhak Perlman, violin)
4. March from 1941
5. Adventures on Earth from E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial
6. Dartmoor, 1912 from War Horse
7. The Adventures of Mutt from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
8. Harry’s Wondrous World from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
9. Elegy for Cello & Orchestra -Yo-Yo Ma, cello
10. Going to School from Memoirs of a Geisha (w/Yo-Yo Ma, cello)
11. The Mission Theme (Theme for NBC News)
12. Theme from Schindler’s List (w/Itzhak Perlman, violin)
13. The Adventure Continues from The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
14. Throne Room & Finale from Star Wars
15. Happy Birthday Variations (Previously Unreleased)

The Marshall Tucker Band Keeps on Rockin’
Live Concert
Friday, April 13 at 8 p.m.
Intersection of SR 436 and 17-92 in the Orlando Jai-Alai Fronton
Tickets Start at $45; On Sale Now at www.OrlandoLiveEvents.com or 407.339.6221 x 100

Featuring a definitive blend of rock, rhythm & blues, jazz, country and gospel, The Marshall Tucker Band is proving to a new generation of fans that good music knows no boundaries. With hit singles like “Heard It In a Love Song,” “Fire On The Mountain,” “Can’t You See,” and “Take The Highway,” the band earned seven gold and three platinum albums as a Capricorn Records artist. Marshall Tucker Band’s debut album spawned numerous hits. Their latest CD, “Way Out West!”- Live from San Francisco 1973, is a time capsule from that period.

Still led by founding member and lead singer Doug Gray, The Marshall Tucker Band represents a time and place in music that will never be duplicated. Current members also include slide guitarist Stuart Swanlund, the highly respected drummer B.B. Borden, multi instrumentalist Marcus Henderson who also contributes lead and background vocals, Pat Elwood on bass guitar, and Rick Willis on lead guitar and vocals. Together, they present a powerful stage presence as they continue to tour the country and serve as a powerful force in the world of music.

Today, the band records new material on its own RAMBLIN’ RECORDS Label which is distributed by SONY by way of a joint venture with SHOUT! FACTORY.

The Marshall Tucker Band plays live on April 13, 2012 in the Orlando Jai-Alai Fronton, which offers free parking, spacious stadium seating, and dynamic sound for a unique and convenient entertainment experience in the heart of Seminole County.

On February 9, 1964, over 40% of America was tuned into the “Ed Sullivan Show.” There they were treated to an English musical guest that, a few years later, would become one of the biggest teen idols of all time. No, it wasn’t the Beatles (though they were on the show as well). It was 18 year old Davy Jones, who was appearing on the show along with the cast of the musical “Oliver!”

Born on December 30, 1945 in Lancashire, England, Jones began acting at the age of 11 and, in 1961, began appearing in the long running television soap opera “Coronation Street.” That was the first year of the show which is STILL running 51 years later. When his mother passed away he left acting and began training as a jockey. He was 14.

A friend of his trainer recommended Jones to a friend who was looking for young boys to appear in the musical “Oliver!” Jones was hired and soon found himself starring as the Artful Dodger. He later reprised the role when the show came to Broadway, earning a Tony Award nomination. Based on his appearance on the Sullivan show Jones was signed to a contract with Screen Gems. A few television appearances followed as did a few independently released singles.

Being under contract proved helpful for Jones when, in 1965, the studio began a search for “Folk & Roll Musicians-Singers for acting roles in new TV series.” The studio already had Jones in mind. Musicians from all over came to audition. Among those who didn’t make it: Stephen Stills and Harry Nillson. It’s also been rumored that Charles Manson auditioned but later checking showed he was in prison at the time. Along with Mickey Dolenz, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork, Jones became a part of The Monkees, television’s attempt to cash in on the popularity of the Beatles. The show ran for only two seasons (it won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Program in year one) but the band kept recording, in various phases, until 1971. The Monkees sold more then 65 million albums and singles. Jones sang lead on such hits as “Daydream Believer,” “Valerie” and “I Wanna Be Free.”

After the Monkees disbanded Jones continued to act and record. He also reunited with the Monkees for several reunion tours. I saw the band, sans Nesmith, in 1986 and had the good fortune of meeting the band and having several albums signed. I also saw him on stage as Vince Fontaine in a touring production of “Grease.” Younger generations may know Jones from his vocal work on “Spongebob Squarepants” or his appearance in “The Brady Bunch Movie.” In the late 1960s another singer named David Jones decided to change his name to avoid confusion. We know him today as David Bowie.

Jones is survived by his third wife, Jessica, and four daughters.

Meital Dohan is an Israeli born actress/musician. She has a recurring role on the series “Weeds” and has appeared in a variety films and television shows. Meital recently released her first music single titled “Yummy”. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Meital about the single and her career in the entertainment industry.

Adam Lawton: What was it like working with Rami Afuni on your single “Yummy”?
Meital Dohan: It was great. I don’t see how working on music could ever be a bad experience. I have found that there is a connection and or vibe that happens when you are working with a producer. That’s what happened with Rami.

AL: What was your first recording experience like?
MD: Most of my career I have been an actress so recording is still somewhat new to me. It still keeps me intrigued and involved the same way acting does. I thinks it fun discover a new character. On the music side the fact that I am singing really surprises me.

AL: What made you decide to venture into music?
MD: It wasn’t so much a decision. I had been in shooting a version of “Dancing With the Stars” overseas and my spiritual guide told me that I had to return to America to work on music. I thought she was completely insane as I am an actress. She assured me things would work and I had worked with her for a few years so I trusted her. I came back and started working on the album. Everything has moved really fast and it’s been fun.

AL: Have you found either music or acting to be more difficult than the other?
MD: I really love both. Acting is something I have been doing since childhood. I have been on so many different stages that it is part of me. Singing is like a magical world that opened up and took me by storm. Music has a very different vibe. As a singer everything is up to you.

AL: Can you tell us about the album you are working on?
MD: The album is going to be titled “I’m In Hate With Love”. I am still in the recording process as we speak. I am working with some interesting producers and the whole thing is very exciting. We don’t have a set release date yet for the album as we are focusing right now on the single “Yummy”. That song has a real life to it. I have a couple shows booked around that song. Once we finish riding the wave “Yummy” has created we will release the next single.

AL: What do think has been the hardest part of breaking into a new market both as an actress and singer?
MD: I never really try to compare myself to anyone else. I think life is a journey that we have only so much control over. I had a great career in Israel and a great audience that I love. When I came to the states and wanted to go back something always happened that kept me here. I know I have a lot of fans that believe in me and want to see what I am doing. I don’t think it’s my job to worry about what and if something is going to happen. It’s the job of an artist to service the people they entertain.

AL: What other upcoming projects do you have coming up?
MD: I have a new television series in negotiations but I can’t really elaborate too much on that. The show will probably connect somehow to my skits online. There also are a few movie opportunities out there however the television series is my focus right now.

Johannes Eckerstrom is the lead singer for the Swedish metal band Avatar. The band has a new album coming out on February 14^th via E One Music titled “Black Waltz”. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Johannes recently about the band and their upcoming release.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some band ground on the band?
Johannes Eckerstrom: We formed about 10 years ago when we were all still in our teen years. Essentially the lineup has remained the same since that time. We have released 3 albums in Europe and we are just about ready to embark on the U.S. market for the first time. Our sound is extreme metal but with our own added twist.

AL: What are some of the bands influences?
JE: We started off finding a common ground amongst all of us. At that time it was clearly death metal and melodic death metal. From there we took things further and were very extreme and technical. By the time we reached the point where we had to make the decision go further we knew we would have to become something very cool and introverted. When we were writing our third album we realized that we had forgotten what we all loved and originally agreed upon. We found new common grounds and starting including things with a groove and a beat. We referenced a lot of our old school heroes. The music is still extreme metal but with a mixture of rock and roll. It was cool to reference our past. For me Ozzy Osbourne was a big influence when I was younger. He was always a huge idol of mine. By our fourth album we had learned a lot about groove and hooks. Today we are being describes by some as a mixture of death metal, industrial metal and rock and roll. I figure why not go with that because those are our core influences

AL: What can you tell us about the upcoming album “Black Waltz”?
JE: I have never felt the need to lie and I can honestly say that I think this album is our best yet. For me the album is really new and cool. We have this mixture of styles where no one specific style takes the upper hand. We let the songs become what they needed to be. When we were feeling a groove or certain part during the recording process we just let it go. Sometime later we are Pink Floyd! (Laughs). We have tracks that are straight forward rockers. We have tracks that will make you want to hurt people. Then we have the tracks that give you an idea of what mushrooms are like. (Laughs)

AL: What has been the hardest part for the band breaking into new markets like the U.S.?
JE: It’s still super early. The album doesn’t come out till Feb 14^th and the single just came out. We have done some interviews so far but it all is super exciting. We are starting fresh as we are the new boys in town. We have been around another town for 6 years where we learned all the tricks. Right now we are in an awesome position. We have a cool label and booking agent along with great management. We are looking forward to coming over and playing in the states very soon.

AL: What are the bands tour plans?
JE: We are doing everything at once right now. We have a cool set up of people but at the same time we have a punk band style to us in that we keep control of everything. We are doing everything we can to launch the new album on our own. Nothing is definite at this time as we are picky. We want to come there with the right bands and at the right time.

AL: What else does the band have going on right now?
JE: We have a video out for the song “Black Waltz” that is really awesome! We worked with an American side show group called Hellzapoppin. That group also helped us with some photo shoot stuff. There are guys driving spikes into their noses and pushing beans out their eyes. There are a lot of interesting things going on and it is all real. The video will also give people some indication of what they can expect visually when they see us perform live. At this point we are currently working on an equally awesome video for another song of the “Black Waltz” album. We start shooting that in a couple peoples but I am going to hold on to what that will look like.

Robert “Bucket” Hingley is guitarist/vocalist for the popular ska band The Toasters. The band recently celebrated its 30^th year anniversary and our out on the road bringing their brand of NYC ska to the masses. Media Mikes caught up with Bucket to discuss the bands history and their future plans.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the band’s current tour?
Robert Hingley: We are currently making our way out to California where we have shows booked in both San Diego and Los Angeles. The tour is about 45 dates which have all been rolled into what is the second part of our 30^th anniversary tour.

AL: What is the bands line up for this tour?
RH: The band is Thad Merritt on Bass, Nate Sabnayagan on Drums, Jonny D on Sax and Chap Sowash on Trombone and I play guitar and sing. This is a smaller line up as we have tooled it down from touring with 7 or 8 guys. We have gone for more of a lean mean ska machine sound. These days it’s very hard monetarily to tour with a large band unfortunately.

AL: When you started the band in 1981 did you foresee a career which is now into its 30^th year?
RH: If that idea would have been proposed to me back then I probably would have told you that you were mad! As it turns out though you would have been the one that was right and I would have been the mad one. Here I am still doing this some 5,000 shows later. I never thought the band would have the legs that it has.

AL: What do you think has been the biggest factor in keeping the band going for so long?
RH: We really play a lot of bizarre places all over the world. In that sense everything hasbeen kept pretty fresh. We are constantly trying to find new places to go rather than running over the same tracks time and time again. We also have a large pool of members to play with. There are a couple of members out with us now that are new to the mix but, that keeps everything fresh. We play the tunes a little bit different and you have to just find what’s good to help change it up. I also think playing in a niche market for a group of very hardcore fans has also helped us survive.

AL: How did the band become involved with doing the theme song for Nickelodeons’ “KaBlam!”?
RH: That was back during our Moon Ska Record days. We had a lot of stuff working with MTV then and Nickelodeon at that time was pretty similar to MTV. The cartoonist for that show was a big Bad Manners fan and he wanted to have some tracking similar to their sound. He couldn’t get them to help out so they contacted our label and we got hired to do the show. It was really just being in the right place at the right time which seems to be the secret of the universe. We have lots of people come up to us and tell us that the first exposure they ever had to the band was watching that show. It’s really shows you the power of television on people’s minds.

AL: Was there a reason the band called themselves The Moon Ska Stompers on that track?
RH: We had a lot of irons in the fire at the time as we were recording a record and touring. Some of the guys just weren’t available so I had a combination of Toaster’s members and some guys I worked with on other projects to be part of that studio session band.

AL: Are there any plans to put out a new album with the bands current lineup?
RH: Not so much and album but we have a couple songs that are ready to go. The next thing we plan to put out is going to be a 7” vinyl called “House of Soul”.  It’s ironic that the music model for 2012 has reverted to what it was in 1962. I think now the concept of an album is something kids fail to grasp. I have 14 year old daughters and I was telling them about the concept of an album and they just couldn’t wrap their heads around the thought of it. They download singles directly to their phone so the idea of going to a record store and buying an album is kind of beyond them. Things have very much reverted back to the 60’s single driven model. In a way that’s not so bad because it forces people to write good tunes.

AL: Does the band have any other plans for 2012?
RH: We have some more touring lined up as we just finished booking a European tour that kicks off in April. That will be about a six week tour. We also have some summer festivals lined up and possibly some dates on this summer’s Warped Tour. From there we will be going to Australia and Japan in the fall and then back to the states for a few more dates. I also have some music festival projects outside of the band in the works but I can’t really say too much about those at this time. I can tell you that it will involve summertime, music and beer. I think people like that stuff.

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セシル·コルベルは最近、スタジオジブリの “借りぐらしの秘密の世界”のスコアを作成したフランスのシンガー/ソングライター、である。フィルムはちょうどウォルトディズニーピクチャーズが発表され、スタジオジブリ映画としては過去最高のアメリカでの開口部を得ています。メディアマイクスは、スタジオジブリとのスコア、また彼女の新しいアルバムとツアーでの作業についてセシルとチャットする機会があった。

マイクGencarelli：あなたはどのように “アリエッティの秘密の世界”にスタジオジブリでの作業に関わるようになった “？
セシル·コルベル：2009年に、私はスタジオジブリへの贈り物として私のアルバム “歌集、第2巻”を送った。ヘッドのプロデューサー、鈴木敏夫は、CDを持って、実際にそれを聞いたので、私は非常に幸運だった。これは決して起こらない何かである。彼らはただ、 “アリエッティ”の制作に始めていた、彼らは一度音楽と一緒に行きたかったパスがわからなかった。私は次のジブリ映画のために1曲を書きたいと思った場合、私たちは求めて1メールが届きました。だから、それはそれが開始され、1曲からスコア全体に行ってきました方法は以下の通りです。それは本当にエキサイティングだった。

MG：あなたのスコアは映画、あなたはそれのためのインスピレーションを得たのは完璧に見えたスケーリング？
CC：多くのインスピレーションは、私はスタジオから受け取った最初の図面から来ました。また、監督は数行で映画からの文字またはテーマのいくつかを説明しようとした詩のように、私に短い文章を送った。私は映画が制作された前に、私は音楽を思い付くのは非常に簡単にしました感情や気持ちに焦点を当てることができました。

MG：久石譲が、スタジオジブリの得点で働いたことで知られ、それらの靴に足を踏み入れるその任意の圧力だったのですか？
CC：確かに（笑）。私はまた、久石作品の大ファンです。難しいのはそれを考えるために、試してみて、すでに過去のジブリ映画の中で行われていた何かのような音にしないではありませんでした。また、オーケストラやシンフォニックな感じの一種のようなものを使用しないようにしようとする。私はそれをシンプルに保つとスタジオが言った私のCDに似た音楽を思い付くと思いました。

MG：あなたがスタジオからの創造の自由の多くを取得しましたか？
CC：はい、私は驚くほどのサウンドトラックで働く多くの自由を持っていた。

MG：スコアを作成する最も異なる側面は何でしたか？
CC：書き込み自体はむしろ楽しいと創造的であった。その後、私はどの部分が実際のシーンに合うだろう把握しなければならなかった。多くの試行錯誤がありました。それは間違いなく難しい部分だった。

MG：あなたの好きなスタジオジブリの映画 “借りぐらし”の作業に先立って何ですか？
CC：（笑）それは難しい質問です。彼らはすべて異なっているので、私はそれらのすべてが好きです。しかし、 “トトロTortoro”は私のお気に入りの一つです。また、私は、高畑勲監督の “おもひでぽろぽろ”と呼ばれる、もう少し曖昧なフィルムであるかを本当に好きだ。

MG：異なる言語で歌うの最大の課題は何ですか？
CC：私は、さまざまな言語で歌うのが大好きです。 “アリエッティ”は、私が実際に多くの異なる言語で歌わなければならなかった。彼らは映画の国際的な目的のために、日本語と英語で “借りぐらしの歌”を翻訳したいと考えました。それは、フランス語、イタリア語、中国語に翻訳されました。日本人はインチ歌って実際に実際には最も簡単な方法です

MGは：あなたの最新アルバム “歌集、第3巻”が米国で発売されただけで、このアルバムのためにあなたのインスピレーションを教えてください。
CC：はい、それはちょうどアメリカではiTunesでリリースされました。それは最終的に最終的に米国の聴衆のためにリリースされた私のアルバムの一つを持っている偉大な感じ。このアルバムは、 “アリエッティ”の後に書かれた、それは “ソングブック”シリーズで私の前のアルバムのパスをたどります。インスピレーションはほとんど同じであり、ケルト音楽、古代の物語、そして民族音楽から来ている。それは占い物語や伝説からの文字についてです。私はそれを本当に誇りに思っています。

MG：あなたは、今年、米国に来て計画がたくさん巡回している？
CC：私は大きな旅行と私はかなりのビットを見学。私は本当にそれを楽しむ。私は米国で前にどれか一つだけをプレイする機会があった。私は映画のプロモーションの一部となってするように持っているだろうが、それは起こったことはない。うまくいけば、しかし米国では、映画の成功のために、私は本当に近い将来に米国で見学することができるようにそれを使用することを望んでいます。

Cécile Corbel est une chanteuse française / auteur-compositeur, qui a récemment créé le score pour le Studio Ghibli, “The Secret World of Arrietty”. Le film vient d’être publié par Walt Disney Pictures et a obtenu la meilleure ouverture stateside jamais pour un film du Studio Ghibli. Médias Mikes eu la chance de discuter avec Cécile de travailler sur le score avec le Studio Ghibli, ainsi que son nouvel album et une tournée.

Mike Gencarelli: Comment avez-vous participé à la collaboration avec le Studio Ghibli “The Secret World of Arrietty”?
Cécile Corbel: En 2009, j’ai envoyé mon album “Songbook, Vol.2” comme un cadeau à Studio Ghibli. J’ai eu beaucoup de chance parce que le producteur de tête, Toshio Suzuki reçu le CD et réellement écouté. C’est quelque chose qui ne se produit jamais. Ils venaient juste de commencer à produire des “Arrietty” et qu’ils n’étaient pas sûrs de la voie qu’ils voulaient aller avec la musique de l’époque. Nous nous sommes un e-mail me demandant si je voulais écrire une chanson pour le prochain film Ghibli. Voilà comment il est apparu et a d’une chanson à la partition entière. C’était vraiment excitant.

MG: Votre score semblait parfaitement mis à l’échelle pour le film, où avez-vous l’inspiration pour la lui?
CC: Une grande partie de l’inspiration est venue des premiers dessins que j’ai reçus depuis le studio. De plus, le directeur m’a envoyé des textes courts, comme la poésie, qui a tenté de décrire en quelques lignes certains des personnages ou des thèmes du film. J’ai pu me concentrer sur les émotions et les sentiments, ce qui fait qu’il est très facile pour moi d’arriver à la musique avant que le film a été produit.

MG: Joe Hisaishi est connu pour son travail sur les scores pour le Studio Ghibli, c’était leur toute pression monter dans ces chaussures?
CC: [rires] C’est sûr. Je suis aussi un grand fan du travail Hisaishi. Le plus difficile était de ne pas y penser et ne pas essayer de ressembler à quelque chose qui a déjà été fait dans les films Ghibli passées. Aussi d’essayer de ne pas utiliser ce genre d’orchestre symphonique ou en nature de sensation. Je voulais garder les choses simples et arriver à la musique similaire à mon lecteur de CD, dans lequel le studio aimé.

MG: Avez-vous eu beaucoup de liberté créative du studio?
CC: Oui, étonnamment, j’ai eu beaucoup de liberté de travail sur la bande originale.

MG: Quel a été l’aspect le plus différent de la création de la partition?
CC: L’écriture elle-même était plutôt joyeuse et créative. Après cela, je devais déterminer quelle part serait effective entrer dans les coulisses. Il y avait beaucoup d’essais et d’erreurs. Ce fut certainement la partie la plus difficile.

MG: Quel est votre favori Studio Ghibli film avant de travailler sur “Arrietty”?
CC: [rires] C’est une question difficile. Je les aime tous, car ils sont tous différents. Mais “Mon voisin Tortoro” est un de mes favoris. Aussi j’aime beaucoup celui qui est un film un peu plus obscure appelée “Only Yesterday”, réalisé par Isao Takahata.

MG: Quels sont les grands défis de chanter en plusieurs langues?
CC: J’aime chanter dans des langues différentes. Pour “Arrietty”, j’ai effectivement eu à chanter en plusieurs langues. Ils ont voulu traduire “Song Arrietty» en japonais et en anglais en raison de l’objectif international du film. Ensuite, il a été traduit en français, italien et chinois. Japonaise est en fait le plus facile, en fait, à chanter po

MG: Votre dernier album “Songbook, Vol.3” vient de sortir aux Etats-Unis, nous parler de votre inspiration pour cet album?
CC: Oui, il vient de sortir sur iTunes aux États-Unis. Ça fait du bien d’avoir enfin un de mes albums publiés pour le public américain finalement. Cet album a été écrit après “Arrietty”, elle suit le chemin de mes albums précédents dans le «Songbook» série. L’inspiration est à peu près la même chose et vient de la musique celtique, contes anciens, et la musique folk. Il s’agit de raconter des histoires et des personnages de légendes. Je suis vraiment fier de lui.

MG: Vous êtes en tournée beaucoup cette année, tous les plans à venir aux États-Unis?
CC: Je suis un grand voyageur et je visiter un peu. Je l’apprécie vraiment. J’ai eu la chance de jouer une seule avant aux États-Unis. J’aurais aimé à été une partie des promotions pour le film, mais il n’est jamais arrivé. Nous espérons que, grâce au succès du film aux Etats-Unis, je suis vraiment en espérant l’utiliser pour être en mesure de faire le tour des États-Unis dans un avenir proche.

Cécile Corbel is a French singer/songwriter, who recently created the score for Studio Ghibli’s “The Secret World of Arrietty”.  The film was just released by Walt Disney Pictures and has earned the best stateside opening ever for a Studio Ghibli movie.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Cécile about working on the score with Studio Ghibli and also her new album and tour.

Click here to read the interview in French / Japanese

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved with working with Studio Ghibli on “The Secret World of Arrietty”?’
Cécile Corbel: In 2009, I sent my album “Songbook, Vol.2” as a gift to Studio Ghibli. I got very lucky because the head producer, Toshio Suzuki got the CD and actually listened to it.  This is something that never happens. They were just starting on producing “Arrietty” and they weren’t sure of the path they wanted to go with the music at the time. We got one email asking if I wanted to write one song for the next Ghibli movie.  So that’s how it started and went from one song to the whole score. It was really exciting.

MG: Your score seemed perfectly scaled for the film, where did you get inspiration for the it?
CC: A lot of the inspiration came from the first drawings that I received from the studio.  Also the director sent me short texts, like poetry, which tried to describe in a few lines some of the characters or themes from the movie. I was able to focus on the emotions and feelings, which made it very easy for me to come up with the music before the movie was produced.

MG: Joe Hisaishi is known for working on the scores for Studio Ghibli; was their any pressure stepping into those shoes?
CC: [laughs] For sure. I am also a big fan of Hisaishi work. The hard thing was not to think of it and not to try and sound like something that was already done in past Ghibli movies. Also to try not to use that kind of orchestra or symphonic kind of feel. I wanted keep it simple and come up with music similar to my CD, in which the studio liked.

MG: Did you get a lot of creative freedom from the studio?
CC: Yes, amazingly I had a lot of freedom working on the soundtrack.

MG: What was the most different aspect of creating the score?
CC: The writing itself was rather joyful and creative. After that, I had to figure out which part would actual fit into the scenes. There was a lot of trial and error. That was definitely the hard part.

MG: What is your favorite Studio Ghibli film prior to working on “Arrietty”?
CC: [laughs] That is a tough question. I like all of them because they are all different. But “My Neighbor Tortoro” is one of my favorites. Also I really like one that is a little more obscure film called “Only Yesterday” directed by Isao Takahata.

MG: What is the biggest challenges of singing in different languages?
CC: I love to sing in different languages. For “Arrietty”, I actually had to sing in many different languages. They wanted to translate “Arrietty’s Song” in Japanese and English due to the international purpose of the film. Then it was translated to French, Italian and Chinese. Japanese is actually the easiest in fact to sing in.

MG: Your latest album “Songbook, Vol.3” was just released in the US, tell us about your inspiration for this album?
CC: Yes it was just released on iTunes in the US. It feels great to finally have one of my albums released for US audience finally. This album was written after “Arrietty”, it follows the path of my prior albums in the “Songbook” series. The inspiration is pretty much the same and comes from Celtic music, ancient tales, and folk music. It is about story telling and characters from legends. I am really proud of it.

MG: You are touring a lot this year, any plans to come to the US?
CC: I am a big traveler and I tour quite a bit. I really enjoy it. I had the chance to play only one before in the US. I would have like to been a part of the promotions for the movie, but it never happened. Hopefully though due to the success of the movie in the US, I am really hoping to use that to be able to tour in the US in the near future.