The retro-rock act known as The Raskins, are currently out on the road as part of Motley Crue’s final tour which also features veteran rocker Alice Cooper. The band consisting of twin brothers Logan and Roger Raskin perform a unique blend of rock that harkens back to the early days of CBGB’s but with a modern twist. Media Mikes spoke with Logan Raskin recently about the group’s formation, their debut album and how they landed one of the biggest tours of the summer.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on the band and what made you want t pursue music?
Logan Raskin: Both my brother and I were born in raised in Chelsea, NY and our parents were in the music industry for many years. My father did lots of shows on Broadway and was the lead in shows like “West Side Story”, “Oklahoma” and bunch of others. I grew up going to those shows and watching him perform. He also would take a band with him out on the road and perform various songs from shows he appeared in and my brother and I would go out on the road with him. My mother was a pretty well known jazz singer around New York and also put a couple albums out as well. They taught us how to play music at a very young age and I think my brother and I wrote our first songs between the ages of 8 and 10. It was sort of inevitable that we would end up in the music business. Granted our parents taught us music our mother never really wanted us going in to the music business because the lifestyle was sort of tough for them and she didn’t want us to go through the same thing. Growing up on the Lower East side however music was tough to get away from. On any given night we could go to a club and see The Ramones, Patty Smith or The New York Dolls. We got bit by the bug and it was pretty much game over. We are very happy to be able to be doing music now full time.

AL: Have you and your brother always played together in bands?
LR: People always assume that we have played together our whole lives but to be honest this is the first time that we have really been in a band together. We certainly have played together over the years but never in a band. The Raskins have been together for about 3 years and it was something that started out as just a writing project. Roger and I had been composing music for television and movies for years and that’s what we were in to. We started getting a lot of fan mail from around the world from people who heard some of our work and really enjoyed it. They were always asking about where they could get our music and when they could see us live. We took about a year and recorded this first record on our own. We initially went in and recorded 60 songs. From there we took the best 12 that we thought represented us well and we put them on this record.  Next we put the band together and worked the New York area pretty heavily before making our way out to Los Angeles. We pushed the internet market really heavily as well and that’s where things really started for us.

AL: Did you have a clear cut vision of how you wanted the band to sound when you were first starting out or did your sound evolve more naturally?
LR: It was a combination of both. When we went in to the writing stage we wanted to just write as much as we could. We had an overwhelming amount of music written when we went in to do tracking and things just went from there. Our influences certainly came out and Roger and I both had a lot inside us. We wrote these songs for us as over the previous seven years we were composing music for other people. We had the opportunity to do this for ourselves and we were like kids in a candy store. The reason we did the recording of the album ourselves was that we didn’t want to have to work within a specific time frame as we both knew each other had a lot to say. What you get on the album are the influences we got from our parents along with what we were exposed to musically growing up in New York.

AL: When you are writing material do you and your brother generally work separately or collaboratively?
LR: It’s a combination of the two. We have a main studio that we work out of but we also have our own little separate studios at home. We both write music and lyrics but for this album I think I wrote more of lyrics. A lot of stuff we do completely on our own but it’s great to work together and bounce ideas off one another. Roger has given so many great songs. We work really well together. Sure we battle it out sometimes as we do a lot of hours in the studio but we have a process we go through that works well for us. We don’t try to force anything. We just try to be ourselves.

AL: What was it like taking your two piece band and developing it into a full group for touring purposes?
LR: We went through several ideas in our heads. Have both been in and out of bands over the years it’s a tough process. People sort of see us as this overnight success because all of a sudden we are out on the road with this big tour. That’s certainly not the case. We have been doing this for quite some time. We love everything about music and have had our share of struggles along the way but to have this opportunity to start off as a duo with my brother and then build a great band around us we feel that the bond of the band is extremely tight. We are surrounded by some really great musicians and even though people may see us as a duo we are a band. My brother and I felt that being in this band together with other musicians would just strengthen our bond.

AL: Can you tell us about being out on the road with Alice Cooper and Motley Crue?
LR: It has been an incredible year for us so far. When we finished the album we wanted to tour as much as possible and to really get the music out there any way we could. We started out doing a winter tour on our own and after that run ended we were asked to be a part of the Scott Wieland tour. We went out with Scott for about a month and while that was happening we were in talks for summer touring options. A few ideas were mentioned and being an optimist I mentioned some of the bigger tours going on this summer like Slash and Miles Kennedy, Kiss and Def Leppard, and Motley Crue and Alice Cooper. About 5 shows in to the run with Scott we got a call asking just how serious we were about the Motley Crue tour. We were serious as a heart attack and our booking agent thought we had a shot so we went for it. After a couple weeks we still hadn’t heard anything. We had initially submitted only for 17 shows so we weren’t sure what was going on. We ended up re-submitting for the entire tour and shortly thereafter we got a calling saying there was interest in having us. We had to wait for the guys in Motley Crue to make the final decision and luck for us they loved us and we were asked to be on for all 66 U.S. shows. It’s great being out here playing all these great venues that we always dreamed about. We played the Hollywood Bowl recently and will be playing Madison Square Garden also this year. As two kids growing up in New York City that is just going to be a dream come true.

AL: What are the bands plans after this tour run ends?
LR: We want to try and take a little time at the end of November to do some recording as we are always writing. We want to get what we have down in to demo form. Right now it likes like we will be out with HIM for 10 shows in December and we are also looking at some dates with Joan Jett, Blondie and The Cult. That will take us into next year with the possibility of going out with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and maybe AC/DC. I told them to put that at the top of the priority list! (Laughs) My dad always told us to shoot for the stars and maybe you will reach a tree top. That our philosophy with everything that we do. This year has been great so far and we are excited about the future.

Chris Demakes is the lead vocalist/bassist for the Punk/Ska band Less Than Jake. In November of last year the band released its 8th studio album titled “See the Light”. The band is currently out on this summer’s Vans Warped Tour and  Media Mikes had the chance recently to talk with Chris about the new album, the bands 22 year career and about his recent appearance at the inaugural AP Music Awards ceremony.

Adam Lawton: The band’s latest release came out in November of 2013. With almost 20 years between the two releases what do you feel has contributed most to the bands staying power?
Chris Demakes: I think at some point we stopped believing that we could chase some kind of a trend. We were and still are a 3 piece punk band with a horn section. We worked really hard throughout the years and made a lot of friends along the way. It’s been a crazy ride over the 22 years since the band first started. Right now we are probably the oldest band out on this summer’s Warped tour. I think we are about 6 or 7 years older than the next oldest band. (Laughs)

AL: When you first started out was a career this long something you ever envisioned?
CD: No. I don’t think any band starts out thinking they are going to have a career. We were just a group of guys who got together in a garage to play some music. Next thing we know we were getting asked to play a party, then a bar and so on. Before we knew it we were 3 or 4 years in to this and getting some label attention. I wake out now with 22 years gone by and I am not sure how to totally answer this type of question. Everything sort of blended in to the next thing.

AL: By being the oldest band out on Warped tour this year how do you go about grabbing younger listener’s attention?
CD: There are certainly no delusions of granger on our part in that we aren’t going to make a 13 or 14 year old girl like our band when she isn’t interested. We just go out there and be ourselves no matter what. We have done enough festivals now to where we are comfortable getting up there in front of whoever. It’s hasn’t been too weird this time around. Warped tour is a way for us to get out there and play to people who may have never heard us before. Being involved with the promotional aspect of the tour has been great for us as well as it has really helped get our name out to the mainstream which is something that probably wouldn’t have happened at this stage in careers. We just aren’t that band anymore.

AL: When it comes times to work on a new record how do you go about keeping the music fresh and do you ever feel confined to writing with your specific genre?
CD: We write ultimately for ourselves and then for our core fan base. If you make the same record over and over people say you’re washed up and you haven’t changed. Then on the other hand if you add a keyboard or tambourine part on something you and asshole and a sellout. You really are damned if you do and damned if you don’t the longer you are a band. You can’t really listen to the internet trolls and naysayers. You have to do what comes from your heart. We are not that complicated of a band. We feel every time we put something new out that it has a freshness to it. We try each time to push ourselves a little bit in terms of writing and musicianship but you have to stick close to who you are while making sure that you keep everything fun.

AL: What do you feel has been the bands biggest obstacle thus far?
CD: That is something that I don’t think I have ever been asked before. I think the biggest thing for us has been all remaining friends. We have the same 3 guys that we started with. Our newest member is our saxophone player and he has been in the band 15 years. You learn over the years how to navigate those relationships. You learn which guy is not a morning person or which guy you don’t want to piss off at this time. (Laughs) That’s really just the everyday obstacle of being in a band and learning to communicate with each other. It’s like a relationship accept we don’t screw each other…Yet! (Laughs)

AL: You were just recently a part of the inaugural AP Music Awards. What was that experience like?
CD: I’m not completely sure how we got involved with that but I was asked to present an award and I graciously accepted. We got to go to Cleveland and drink free drinks and act like assholes. (Laughs) I think the idea of the awards is pretty cool and we were happy to be there however at this stage in the bands career I don’t think being a part of the event is going to change a lot of things for us. We had a great time however and again were very happy to be a part of the event.

AL:  What are the bands plans after Warped tour wraps up?
CD: We have some festival shows booked here in the states and a few in Canada as well. We also will be doing a two and a half week Canadian tour run before ending up in our hometown of Gainesville, Florida for a Halloween show. That will about do it for us this year.

The heavy metal group Korn is out on the road this summer as part of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. The group recently released a tour version of their 2013 album “The Paradigm Shift” exclusively through Best Buy which features several new tracks along with some exclusive live tracks as well. Media Mikes had the pleasure of talking with drummer Ray Luzier and guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer during the tours recent stop in Scranton, PA about the release and how they connect with the different crowds they perform for each night.

Adam Lawton: When you are out on a tour like the Mayhem Festival is there any one thing that is the same from day to day?
Ray Luzier: We hear the same bands every day. (Laughs) What’s really great is that we get to play to diverse crowds every show. There are people who have seen us 27 times and there are people who are just seeing us that day for the first time. I’m not sure about constants but I try to stay in a similar routine from day to day.

AL: With the band playing all over the world how do you go about connecting with each of the crowds you perform for?
James “Munky” Shaffer: Every audience is different and that’s really the beauty of it. Like Ray said before you get people who have seen you a lot and you get people who have never seen you before. We are playing the same songs night after night so we try and keep that thought in our heads so we go out and put on a great show every night. We want them to really enjoy the show and to come and see us again.
RL: We may be super tired from traveling or whatever before we hit the stage but once we are up there we are energized bythe crowd. We are fans of music ourselves and still go out and see a lot of bands and buy their merchandise and what not. This is Korn’s 20^th year as a band and I have been touring myself just as long. It never gets old. We are still excited to play every time we go up there.

AL: Have you guys seen any bands on this tour that you have really become fans of?
JS: Trivium is a band that has really impressed me. Their songs and how they engage the audience has really impressed me. Those guys are super tight professionally which is really inspiring. I know they have been around a few years but to see that level of commitment is really awesome. I was a mess at that stage of the game. (Laughs) I still am a mess but I have gotten a little better over time.
RL: I go out and check out the side stages from time to time and there are a lot of bands on this tour that have really impressed me. I watch bands like Mushroomhead and Miss May I and you can see just how hungry they are. They all have their own thing going for them which is really great to see.

AL: Can you give us some info on the tour version of your most recent album “The Paradigm Shift”?
JS: We initially released that album last year and after it was out for a couple months there were some songs that never got finished that we wanted to still work on. Jonathan went back in and wrote lyrics for these songs that we didn’t get to finish because we just ran out of time. They came out pretty good and we also decided to add some live tracks on the new release as well. When we are out on the road we like to have something in stores for people to buy that is fresh.

AL: Ray, how do you go about balancing your time in Korn and working with your newest project KXM?
RL: We all have side projects that we work on when we aren’t working on Korn. We just have a tremendous amount of music inside of us. I think these side projects are important for each of us to do as they help us remain creative. KXM is something that George, Doug and I have been talking about doing for years. The idea goes all the way back to my son’s first birthday party when we all were talking about jamming together. Scheduling is always the hard part as Korn is very busy but we hope to get some shows set up before the end of the year. Right now we are just working on videos and such.

“Space Invader”
Ace Frehley
eOne
Tracks: 13

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Original Kiss guitarist and recent Rock and Roll Hall Fame inductee Ace Frehley is back with a brand new full length studio album appropriately titled “Space Invader”. The album is being released via eOne Entertainment and features 11 brand new tracks along with Frehley’s beefed up rendition of the Steve Miller Band classic “The Joker”.

Over the past few years Ace has seemed to have gone through a period of career revitalization. First was the release of “Anomaly” in 2009, which was Frehley’s first solo release in over 20 years. Shortly after that was the release of his first autobiography titled “No Regrets” and of course we all know about the controversy surrounding Kiss’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This brings us to Frehley’s newest musical offering “Space Invader”. The album takes a much grittier approach than Ace’s previous release yet is still classic Space Ace all the way.

Tracks such as “Space Invader” dominate your speakers with groovy rhythms and snappy vocal passages that are reminiscent of Frehley’s early solo works. As the album progresses Ace continues to prove that even at the age of 63 he is still more than capable of bringing rock and roll to the masses. The track “Change” was probably my most favorite off the album as it features a really big sound complimented by one of the better solos I found on the record. Another notable track worth checking out was Ace’s rendition of the Steve Miller Band song “The Joker”.

Even though I have heard countless covers of this song Frehley’s interpretation was fresh and fun making it a great summertime song to throw on at your next cook out. Both Kiss and Non-Kiss fans will want to check out this release as it’s a fun listen that has a little something for everyone.

Track Listing:
1.) Space Invader
2.) Gimme a Feelin
3.) I Wanna Hold You
4.) Change
5.) Toys
6.) Immortal Pleasures
7.) Inside the Vortex
8.) What Every Girl Wants
9.) Past the Milky Way
10.) Reckless
11.) The Joker
12.) Starship

“Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival”
Avenged Sevenfold, Korn, Asking Alexandria, Trivium, Body Count, Cannibal Corpse, Mushroomhead, Suicide Silence, Miss May I, Emmure, Veil of Maya, Upon a Burning Body, Texas Hippie Coalition, Darkest Hour, Ill Nino, Wretched, Islander, King 810, Erimha
Date: Saturday, August 3rd 2014
Venue: Toyota Pavilion, Scranton, PA

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The “Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival” one of the summers most anticipated traveling heavy metal festivals pulled in to the quiet hills of Scranton, PA on August 3rd and completely turned the tables upside down. This summer the festival featured 19 bands spread over 4 stages. Sporting one of the tours biggest main stage line ups to date the tour once again proved why they are the premier package for heavy metal in the summer time.

Though it would be several hours before the main stage festivities engulfed the remote Toyota Pavilion quickly became a bevy of excitement as fans packed the side stage areas to check out several up and coming bands along with an impressive slew of veteran acts. The Victory Records stage was home to some of the most brutal ear splitting music of the day as bands like Ill Nino and Emmure pulverized the crowd’s senses with their brief yet no holds barred approach. Directly to the left of the Victory stage was the Cold Cock Whiskey stage which sported a lineup featuring Suicide Silence, Miss May I and the always entertaining Mushroomhead that evoked a huge response from their chaotic stage show. The masked 9 piece band made several trips over the security barricade which only added to excitement of the bands set which also featured water filled drums and an inflatable killer whale!

Further down the festival grounds was the Head bang for the Highway/Sumerian Records stage which played host to impressive sets by Upon a Burning Body and Veil of Maya before being dominated by the one and only Body Count featuring Ice-T. Ice and his crew dominated the stage with their unique blend of punk/metal/hip hop that had fans from all ages on their feet with their fists in the air.

As night slowly descended on the venue the festivities shifted to the main stage which was instantly ignited by the sounds of Trivium. Front man Matt Heafy commanded the audience’s attention as they barreled through their 7 song set which included the popular “Anthem (We Are The Fire). Next up was UK import Asking Alexandria who received heavy applause from the crowd however did little to impress this concert goer. I’m not sure if it was singer Danny Worsnops incoherent rambling or just his lack luster attitude that made the bands set painful to endure. Quite possibly it was both.

Korn would take the stage next complete with lighted floor and day glow colors adorning the sparse stage set up. The band went through hit after hit and never sounded better. It’s great to see guitarist Brian “Head” Welch back in the fold permanently as it just never seemed right during his time away from the band. The night set was closed out by the band member’s children taking the stage to add a little extra fun to the group’s signature song “Blind” which was immediately concluded by an onstage wedding proposal between two lucky fans.

Closing out the long day of music was Avenged Sevenfold who impressive stage setup consisted of a large skeleton on top of a burning throne which peered out at the audience with an evil grin. The band performed a variety of songs from its catalog including several songs off their latest album “Hail to the King”. Though the band sounded great their performances were overshadowed by their smug facial expressions and lack of interaction with the crowd. Only ever so often did it appear as though the band was having somewhat of a good time. After the brief “leave the stage so people can cheer” moment the band returned for two more songs. The cartoonish “A Little Piece of Heaven” blasted through the mountainous hills before the band brought the night to a close with the fan favorite “Unholy Confessions”.

All in all a long day of music was absorbed by my ears and body.This year’s Mayhem Festival certainly lived up to my expectations and it is was very apparent that the festival shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon leaving me to only dream of what Kevin Lyman and company have in store for next summer.

Trivium Set List:
1.) Black
2.) Built to Fall
3.) Through Blood and Dirt and Bone
4.) Strife
5.) Dying In Your Arms
6.) Anthem (We Are The Fire)
7.) In Waves

Asking Alexandria Set List:
1.) Don’t Pray For Me
2.) Run Free
3.) To The Stage
4.) The Final Episode (Let’s Change the Channel)
5.) Moving On
6.) Killing You
7.) The Death of Me

Korn Set List:
1.) Falling Away From Me
2.) Twist
3.) Got the Life
4.) Did My Time
5.) Spike in My Veins
6.) Hater
7.) Shoots and Ladders
8.) Coming Undone
9.) Here to Stay
10.) Never Never
11.) Freak on a Leash
12.) Blind

Avenged Sevenfold Set List:
1.) Shepherd of Fire
2.) Nightmare
3.) Bat Country
4.) Hail to the King
5.) Almost Easy
6.) Buried Alive
7.) So Far Away
8.) Afterlife
9.) The Means War
10.) A Little Piece of Heaven
11.) Unholy Confessions

Scott Durbin is one of the founding members of the popular kids television show and band “Imagination Movers”. They have a successfully show that currently airs on Disney Junior. They are also constanstly touring bringing their music to fans all over the world. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Scott about their music, their tour plans for this summer and also what the future brings.

Mike Gencarelli: When you guys started “Imagination Movers” back in 2003, did you ever think that you would be still going this strong today?
Scott Durbin: I would have never imagined this that show would be seen in 50+ countries, translated in 12 languages and we are recognized around the world. For that part of it, I would say “Definitely no”. On the other side, we were so tenacious when we started. We believed that we wanted to create something to encourage creativity in kids, modeling problem-solving and create music for kids that challenged them and did not pacify them. This gets them off the couch and gets them moving around and also their brain moving. Even for parents, like yourself, we wanted to make it something that you could listen to over and over without starting to hate it. We also wanted to make it developmental and age appropriate, so it really connects with the kids. So that part of me says “Yes, I knew we were going to be a success”. We are coming from a real place and doing it for the right reasons.

MG: I love that you guys have such strong educational messages in your show and music while still being entertaining and having fun…
SD: I think it is important to balance them both. If there is too much entertainment it can become campy. If it is too educational, it can be a turn off. But if there is a good balance, you can get the best of both worlds. You can teach and the kids will enjoy learning. I started off teaching in elementary education for 10 years. So in those years that I taught, I saw this level of creativity in the kids was just decreasing and I saw this need for creativity. I think part of the reason why we began. We say that there was no “real people” in kid’s entertainment (going back over 10 years now) and we wanted to change that. We wanted to bring strong male role models to kids. As a teacher, you had a lot of kids that didn’t have a strong male role model at home and I found that having that was invaluable.

MG: You guys are touring all this summer and through the fall, tell us about what you enjoy most about performing live?
SD: Obviously, we have been so blessed with just being able to travel and meet our fans across the globe. We just got back from the UK. We recently did a show in Dubai. An interesting thing about Dubai is that about 80% of the people there are ex-pats from direct countries. The group that brought us over there told us that most of the Western acts they bring over there, potential 95% of the audience are expats other countries like Australia, UK, Canada, or the States. So essentially they are all Western, but when we played in Dubai the audience was Indian, Philippian, Saudi Arabian and the group that brought us in said that they have never seen the amount of diversity that we brought to one of their shows. So for us, I think being able and being accessible to such a diverse group of people makes it worth it. That was so special. It just showed how four dudes from Louisiana can resonate with a six year old from India. When we tour, we get to meet families and hear stories about how the music has affected them and that is so humbling. We are very fortunate to be able to participate in this. There is a certain glimmer of magic in what we get to do.

MG: On July 27th, you guys are playing after the Tampa Bay Rays game at Tropicana Field for a special Christmas in July concert; tell us about that?
SD: I am very excited for this. We got to do it last year and we are lucky enough to get to do it again. The hard part about this is that the Rays are playing the Red Socks. I have a real soft spot for the Rays since I have been following them much more but my dad was a huge Red Socks fan. So I grew up rooting for the Red Socks, so I am little torn here [laughs]. For the Christmas in July, we will probably play about 70 minutes and throw in some fun Christmas songs. We have a really interactive set and the kids have a lot of fun. It is actually really a family concert that moms and dads will enjoy as well. We play live music, so there is so much great energy going around.

MG: Your latest album “Back in Blue” was released last summer which includes second set of songs from season 3; do you have plans for new music?
SD: Yeah, that is a great question. The music industry is changing and how bands get music out to their fans are changing. “Back in Blue” was our first digital release only, so there was no hard copy available. That is something that was so new to us to think that we can’t give you a CD and you have to download it. There are so many great songs from that CD including “Robot Chase Song” and “Have You Ever Seen a Unicorn”. In fact, right now we are actually starting on our ninth album. We did an album called “Rock-o-matic” a few years back, which was a CD/DVD. We created about 35 minutes of additional content with videos, sketches etc and we are looking to do a follow up to that. This time we are going to get our fans to participate. They are also going to get to experience more of the making of the CD and DVD. If you “Like” our Facebook, you can find out more about this.

MG: There hasn’t been new episodes for over a year now; is there a fourth season in the horizon for the “Imagination Movers”?
SD: Right now, episodes are currently are airing on Disney Junior. I don’t know if a fourth season will ever be made. But we are currently working with a production company in Canada right now to create new “Movers” content… So I will leave that at that because I do not know how much I can say right now. Around the corner, don’t be surprised if you are seeing some new content. So we are very excited about that.

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“Weird Al” Yankovic has been parodying music for over 30 years. He has won three Grammy Awards and scored four gold records and six platinum records in his career. Yankovic’s last album “Alpocalypse” in 2011, was his highest Billboard charted album to date coming in at number 9. His latest “Mandatory Fun” was just released and contains some of his best work including parodies on songs by Pharrell and Robin Thicke. He is also supporting the new album with releasing 8 new videos in 8 days (see the first three below). Media Mikes had a chance with chat with “Weird Al” to chat about the new album and his plans for the future.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how you chose which songs to parody on “Mandatory Fun” including songs originally performed by Pharrell, Robin Thicke, Iggy Azalea & Lorde?
“Weird Al” Yankovic: Well, it is not a huge secret obviously. I choose songs that are on the top of the charts. I create a list of songs that would be good candidates and that people would be most familiar with. I tend to pick songs that have some really identifiable musical and lyrical hook to them. I look for something that really jumps out of you when you hear it on the radio. Once I have that list, then I narrow it down to the ones that I can come up with a funny idea for.

MG: With “Mandatory Fun”, you produced eight music videos for this album; tell us these and your plan for them?
AY: I decided to do eight videos in eight days because I wanted to make the release of this album a bit of an event. MTV isn’t really music television anymore and video channels don’t exist for the most part. The internet is the new MTV. So I wanted to do a big internet promotion to get a lot of people’s attention. My videos are usually consumed rapidly and enthusiastly but in a much shorter cycle. So I thought if I can get each of my videos to go crazy viral for just one day each that would be a wonderful weeklong event for this new album. I wanted to make this first week very special.

MG: The video for “Tacky” is already a viral hit including celeb cameos from Aisha Tyler, Margaret Cho, Eric Stonestreet, Kristen Schaal, Jack Black; how was it shooting this? Also it was done all in one shot right?
AY: It was, yes! I know there is one part where it looks like it might have been cut but I guarantee you there were no edits. It was one continuous shot. This was the most fun that I have ever had working on a video. I got to work with such fun, talented and professional people. It was like playtime and we never wanted it to end. We went through six takes and afterwards I looked at them all and the last take had a little something special to it, so we used that one. Jack Black, I have to tell you was just amazing. His energy was so intense. Every take he has this amazing level of enthusiasm that was just impossible to match.

MG: Do you find that the songs that you parody actually become more popular due to your work?
AY: Well, I have been told that my parodies do help the artists sell more albums. Executives at Nirvana’s record label once told me they sold the band an extra million copies of “Nevermind” due to my song. So from an artist’s prospective, if you look at the bottom line, it is in their favor to have a parody.

MG: When you do a “style parody” of a band like Foo Fighters or a full out song parody like “Word Crimes”, which takes on “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke; which is more challenging?
AY: The song parodies have a little more pressure because they are going to get the most attention. The style parodies are a whole lot more work and a lot more of me invested in them. I am writing the music as well. They sound like another artist but it is even a lot more work than writing a straight original because not only am I writing an original but I have to study an artists’ body of work, take notes and use every type of stylistic idiosyncrasy that I can to shape that song and have it sound like someone else.

MG: What would you say is your most successfully song? Personal favorite?
AY: Successful is easy. That would be “White & Nerdy”. It was the highest charting and highest selling song. It is a platinum hit selling over a million downloads. So in this day and age, that is pretty impressive. Personal favorite might be that one also. “White & Nerdy” is probably my most autobiographical song [laughs]. You don’t have to dig too deep or do too much reference because I have lived that life.

MG: I heard that “Mandatory Fun” may be your last traditional full length album; what are your future plans?
AY: I figure there is a very good chance of that happening. Yes, this is my last album on my record contract. Going forward, I don’t really think I should be doing full length albums anymore. If I have wait until I have twelve songs all at once, then a lot of those songs might not be fresh or timely. So I think it would behoove me to go with a system that would allow me to release new songs more frequently, maybe not all at once but just to get the songs out there.

MG: Are you planning a tour to accompany “Mandatory Fun”?
AY: Yes, the “Mandatory Tour” will commence in 2015. I don’t know exactly when or where just yet but we will be on the road then and doing a bunch of shows.

Dave “The Snake” Sabo is the guitarist for the hard rock/heavy metal band Skid Row who recently released the first of 3 EP’s titled “United World Rebellion Chapter 1”. With Chapter 2 set for an early August release and Chapter 3 slated for release in 2015 the band originally from Toms River, NJ shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Media Mikes recently had the pleasure of speaking with Snake about the bands current releases, his 28 yr writing/band partnership with bassist Rachel Boland and balancing the duties of being a guitarist and manager.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on the second EP you have coming out and why you chose to release the album via 3 separate EP’s?
Snake Sabo: The music business is much more different now that it was through the better part of our career. We were raised on doing things a certain way in that you release a record of 12 or 14 songs and then you go out and tour for 2 years. For us that just doesn’t work anymore. We are living in an age of information overload. Things are being thrown at us at such a rapid basis that it’s hard to take it all in and navigate through the white noise. With the way music is being delivered these days we started to feel that maybe less is more. We figured we could hit people with a few songs, let them digest a bit and hopefully you have left them wanting more. Doing things this ways makes sense on a number of different levels. Economically we are able to keep costs down in the studio as we are only in there for about 2 weeks which is awesome. We can also keep the retail/download prices down as well. We aren’t asking the listeners to invest a lot of time or money in to something we are just hoping that we can provide them with something they can get off on and enjoy. We then do the whole process again 8 or 9 months down the line which gives us a steady stream of material being released. Things are very much in the moment because that’s how we are creating it. It is very fresh and pure and not convoluted in anyway. We didn’t go in and write 20 songs that we are just released over time we have written separately for each release so far. Things are working really well for us this way and it feels great. We are having a lot of fun. This new EP was probably the most fun I have ever had doing a Skid Row record. Rachel and I were pretty much on the same page the whole time and everyone in the band was galvanized. We dove head first in to this and no matter where something started it became all of ours in the end. It was really great to be a part of that.

AL: The new EP’s both seem to be quite a bit heavier than the bands previous releases. Was this something you did consciously or did that happen more naturally?
SS: Things happened very naturally. We want to write the best songs we can within where are collective headspaces are at during that time. Things tend to start out with a conversation and from there we just follow things in to songwriting.  This time around we asked ourselves why we make music. It always comes back to it being the most pure form of expression for us even from the time we were teenagers. Music was and still is the great escape for us. We found that feeling again and got back to it. We noticed things really didn’t change from when we used to stand in front of the mirror dreaming we were Gene Simmons or Ace Frehley. Our problems might be different these days but things are just as impactful and dramatic as they were when we were 16. Music is our avenue for expression so we pealed back some layers of the onion to get to the heart of things again and that helped us realize what was going on. From there the light just kicked on and away we went.

AL: How has yours and Rachel’s writing relationship evolved over the years?
 SS: I think we probably know each other better than anyone else in our lives. 28 years will do that. It’s one of those things where if we aren’t hanging out every day we are at least communication in some form or another. It’s very rare we go through a day without speaking. With all the life we have experienced together we just have a tremendous amount of respect for one another. We have each other’s backs regardless. When we are working and I come with an idea in my head and Rachel has a feeling in his heart we go with that feeling over the head every time. That’s not always the easiest thing to do but judgment wise it has always worked out in the end. It takes a lot of living life to get to that point with somebody. I am really proud we have been able to not only coexist but flourish in keeping Skid Row alive for 28 years now.

AL: What is it that appeals to you about putting out new music? And is it hard to introduce that new material being that you have such a well know back catalog?
SS: Sure it can be hard. You want to be self indulgent but at the same time people are paying money to see you play and you know they want to hear specific songs. I believe there is a way to make both sides happy. I am proud of everything we have ever done as a band. I have no problem playing “Youth Gone Wild” or a new song like “Kings of Demolition”. To me it is all cut from the same cloth so I can be upset if people want to hear one song more than another. I am thankful people want to listen and am very proud of that. We have been introducing some newer stuff and it has been going over well lately and it has been getting more than just a golf clap. The songs are infectious so you can’t help but bob your head to a song like “Kings”. When I go to shows I find it exciting to hear new music. I remember seeing Soundgarden open up for Neil Young one time and they played the song “Spoon Man”. This was just before “Super Unknown” came out. I loved that song! I think about how that experience had an impact on me and I hope that our material will have the same impact.

AL: The band has been out since April touring. How far will this current tour run take the band?
SS: We are booked through mid December. We plan to take some time off for the holidays and we are talking about getting together sometime in January to start writing the 3^rd EP. With the second EP coming out in August we want to go out and tour on that as well so by January it will have been out 4 or 5 months by then so we will probably want to tour some more in support of that. Our goal is to tour 6 to 8 months for each EP release. A lot will depend on how the releases are received by the public as well as with where are heads are at when we decide to sit down and start writing. As long as we are still having fun each night we will continue to be out there.

AL: You also manage bands. How do you go about balancing your duties for each project?
SS: I don’t know. (Laughs) I love working with the guys from Down and Vintage Trouble. Doing that almost balances everything out. At one point I’m out on the road doing shows and all that and then I get to step out of that roll and in to the role of manager where I still get to be involved in music but on a different level. It can be trying at time but technology has a wonderful way of keeping everyone connected. If I didn’t have that I don’t know what I would do.

 

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“Redeemer of Souls”
Judas Priest
Epic Records
Producer: Mike Exeter/ Glenn Tipton
Tracks: 13

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

The Metal God and company are back with 17th studio titled “Redeemer of Souls. The album is the follow up release to the bands 2008 release titled “Nostradamus”. 13 all new tracks make up recorded and is the first studio release to feature Richie Faulkner on guitar. Though the band initially stated it would be retiring after their 2011 Epitaph world tour the band sounds better than ever and “Redeemer of Souls” is a testament to that.

When I saw Judas Priest in 2011 as part of their Epitaph farewell tour I was a bit skeptical that it would in fact really be the last time. With the release of “Redeemer of Souls” and the announcement of the groups subsequent tour this fall my prior suspicions were confirmed. From start to finish the album is a perfect blend of modern and classic Priest elements. The albums opening track “Dragonaught” is a rocking number that spews heavy metal goodness out your speakers while tracks likes “Redeemer of Souls” and “March of the Damned” take a more groove oriented approach perfect for head banging and fist pumping. The album wraps up with the track “Battle Cry” which features Halfords signature soaring vocal prowess before giving away to the song “Beginning of the End” a haunting outro showcasing the bands versatility.

All the material written on “Redeemer of Souls” was done by Halford, Glen Tipton and new comer Faulkner. You can certainly sense a freshness to the material which was certainly missing on the last couple Priest albums. My only hope is that this new found inspiration will continue as it would be a shame to stop now. Priest fans both new and old will definitely want to add this to their collections. For those not so familiar with the band get this album and then go back and experience the group’s massive back catalog. You definitely won’t be disappointed!

Track Listing:
1.) Dragonaught
2.) Redeemer of Souls
3.) Halls of Valhalla
4.) Swords of Damocles
5.) March of the Damned
6.) Down in Flames
7.) Hell & Back
8.) Cold Blooded
9.) Metalizer
10.) Crossfire
11.) Secrets of the Dead
12.) Battle Cry
13.) Beginning of the End

 

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• CD Review: Dog Fashion Disco “Sweet Nothings”
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• CD Review: Mastodon “Once More ‘Round the Sun”

“Ministry: Last Tangle in Paris Live 2012”
Number of discs: 3
Rated: Unrated
Director: Zach Passero
Producer: Angelina Lukacin Jourgensen
Studio: UDR Music/ 13th Planet Records
DVD Run Time: 105 minutes
CD Tracks: 18

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

“Ministry: Last Tangle in Paris Live 2012” was recorded primarily at the Vic Theatre in Chicago, IL during the bands 2012 “DeFiBriLa Tour“. The disc’s feature a variety of live performances, in-studio, rehearsal and backstage footage, and one-on-one interviews with the “godfather of industrial metal”, Al Jourgensen. Produced by Angelina Lukacin Jourgensen and Directed by Zach Passero “Last Tangle in Paris” is being released via UDR Music/ 13th Planet Records on a number of formats including 2 CD/DVD Digi Packs, BluRay, 2-CD Amaray, 2 X vinyl Gatefold, digital audio/video and standard CD.

Announced as the “last live Ministry release” “Ministry: Last Tangle in Paris Live 2012” fires on all of its industrial fueled cylinders. Candid behind the scenes footage blends with flawless live performances giving the viewer/listener a package they can really sink their teeth into. After the death of longtime Ministry guitarist Mike Saccia in December of 2012 founder and lead vocalist Al Jourgensen disbanded the group in 2013 following the release of their 13th studio album titled “From beer to Eternity”. This package marks Saccia’s last run with the band and stands as a fitting tribute to his musical legacy. Everything from the explosive “Ghouldiggers” to “Psalm 69”, New World Order (NWO) to “Just One Fix” is featured on the DVD portion of this film.

When you get in to the audio portion of the release which is spread over 2 discs you are thrown further into the realm of Ministry as it features a retrospective of live tracks dating back to 2006 including live versions of “Rio Grande Blood”, Let’s GO and “So What” among many other Ministry staples.
The only thing I found to be missing from this release is the always entertaining “Jesus Built My Hotrod” however hardcore Ministry fans probably already have several live versions of this popular track tucked away in their closets next to their studded black leather boots. With the absence of that track aside you really couldn’t ask for a better release to go out on. The audio tracks on all three discs leap out of the speakers while the visual elements of the DVD keep your attention even after multiple viewings making “Ministry: Last Tangle in Paris Live 2012”a must have!

DVD Track Listing:
1.) Ghouldiggers
2.) No “W”
3.) Senor Peligro
4.) LiesLiesLies
5.) 99%ers
6.) Life Is Good
7.) Relapse
8.) The Last Sucker
9.) Psalm 69
10.) New World Order
11.) Just One Fix
12.) Thieves

Disc 1 Track Listing:
1.) Ghouldiggers
2.) No W
3.) Senor Peligro
4.) Rio Grande Blood
5.) LiesLieslies
6.) 99 Percenters
7.) Life Is Good
8.) Relapse
9.) The Last Sucker

Disc 2 Track Listing:
10.) Psalm 69
11.) New World Order (NWO)
12.) Just One Fix
13.) Thieves
14.) Khyber Pass
15.) Fear Is Big Business
16.) Let’s Go
17.) Watch Yourself
18.) So What

“United World Rebellion Tour 2014”
Skid Row, Sakara, the JJ Lang Band, Exit Sky, Methanol
Date: Wednesday, July 9th 2014
Venue: Montage Music Hall, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

The hard rock band Skid Row kicked off their “United World Rebellion Tour” on July 9th in Rochester, NY in support of their upcoming release titled “”Rise of the Damnation Army, United World Rebellion: Chapter 2. The release is the second of several EP’s the band has planned for release this coming year. Though this was the first night of the US tour run the band seemed tight and ready to take their classic signature sound to the masses.

Montage Music Hall an intimate music venue tucked into one of the bustling side streets of Rochester, NY played host to a bevy of music artists all out to support their own endeavors along with setting the stage for the launch of Skid Row’s “United World Rebellion” Tour. Though the bill featured 5 bands in total the old saying “quality over quantity” seemed to have been ignored. Opening up the night was local act Methanol and though the band seemed well rehearsed they did little to capture the attention of those who came out to the venue early as their stage presence and crowd interaction needed some attention. Exit Sky another local act whose sound could be described as a mix between early Creed and Pearl Jam followed and seemed to garner quite a few cheers from the small crowd in attendance.

Closing out the list of local performers was The JJ Lang Band. The group’s performance was certainly my favorite of the 3 local support acts however; early on in the group’s 30 min set the band experienced some technical difficulties causing the lead singer/guitarist to throw his guitar on the ground in disgust. Though the guitar sound was noticeably thinner from there out I found the vocals to sound much better when that was all that was being focused on by the group’s front man.

The Massachusetts rock band Sakara would take the stage next as direct tour support a spot they will hold throughout this leg of the “United World Rebellion” tour. The band performed a solid set that seemed fairly well received by the crowd on hand who were anxiously awaiting the night’s headliner. After a rather length set change Skid Row would hit the stage helmed by lead vocalist Johnny Solinger who is celebrating his 14th year with the band. Flanked by original members Scotti Hill, Rachel Boland and Dave “Snake” Sabo and the groups newest member drum Rob Hammersmith the band flew through its 90 minute set playing a number of songs from their back catalog including “18 and Life”, “Monkey Business” and the always popular “I Remember You”. The band also performed one or two news songs which fans seemed to enjoy just as much as the older material.

Though it would have been killer to see/hear a 2 hour plus set from Skid Row and fewer local acts overall the show was a pretty decent night of music. Sure there were a few times where Solinger seemed to max out his vocal range however the solid combination of Boland, Sabo, Hill and newcomer Hammersmith provided the perfect support system to keep the night going smoothly and even though a full fledged Skid Row reunion may be just a pipe dream for those of us who grew up with the band the current incarnation of the band is just fine by me and certainly worth going to check out.

Skid Row Set List
1.) Let’s Go
2.) Big Guns
3.) Makin’ a Mess
4.) Piece of Me
5.) 18 and Life
6.) Thick Is the Skin
7.) Riot Act
8.) Darkened Room
9.) Kings of Demolition
10.) Psycho Therapy
11.) I Remember You
12.) Monkey Business
13.) Get the Fuck Out
14.) Slave to the Grind
15.) Youth Gone Wild

Dog Fashion Disco
“Sweet Nothings”
Rotten Records
Produced By: Steve Wright and Drew Lamond
Tracks: 13

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Squeaking out of a rustic phonograph is Dog Fashion Disco’s opening track “Greta”. The slow big band, piano driven, number calms my nerves. Back in 2006 I thought one of my favorite bands was all but gone, never to release another beautiful sounding creature from the deep. They went out on a high note with “Adultery” and I along with many of their loyal fans believe they went out on the highest possible note. When they announced their glorious return, my excitement was quelled by the worry that they wouldn’t be able to match their magnum opus. Luckily I was wrong.

“War Party” crushes my remaining concerns as it roars out of the gate with furious anti-war/government punk lyrics and Slayer riffs. If you want to know what this band is good at, this is the song, a clear definition of circus metal. The merry-go-round tunes injected into the song project a gleeful mood to the enraged lyrics about the American war machine. “Scarlet Fever” doesn’t let up off the gas as if the band has spent the past eight years with harbored ill wills that need to be unleashed before diving into upbeat music blends with lyric’s straight from a lunatic’s dream.

Everything is not a relentless metal barrage; the title track takes on a psychedelic journey through funk, R&B and electronic blended jazz. “Tastes So Sweet” sounds like an Elton John-esque chorus wrapped around a hard rock band’s lost soul wandering through a nightmarish purgatory in the hopes of once again finding love. If that’s wasn’t enough, “Doctor’s Orders” feels like a band straight out of “Soul Train” with an apocalyptic prophecy to tell. Despite a heavy reliance on jazz throughout, the band manages to march through the musical breed’s storied history like an evil New Orleans Mardi Gras parade lightly tapping into ska and swing.

Some songs definitely have a musical theme sticking to a madman’s formula, but others seem to descend into genre chaos. “We Aren’t the World” takes listeners on a misanthropic carnival ride with no direction other than forward through a progressively bleak future focusing on overpopulation and ignorance. “Pale Horse” isn’t afraid of switching from hypnotic metal blasts to saxophones cries to epic chords straight out of a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert to a trailing guitar lick under a mourning classical piano to…ah hell, you get the point.

The album seems to be incorporating an army of horns with a marching band of varying keyboard tones ranging from harmonious organs to reverberating xylophone keys. Todd Smith once again provides the fist-pumping choruses and catchy lyrics written like a demonic children’s book. The guitars are fast and merciless while the drumming keeps up the frantic pace. The album transitions to soulful breakdowns quite well hinting that the time off may have reinforced a goal towards quality disorder.

The members of Dog Fashion Disco have once again combined a collection of personal music tastes and warped ideas to create a fluid album that skips delightfully through every psychosis in the medical book. It’s rekindled my love for music with no rules or boundaries. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but for some, this music clicks on all the right cylinders. “Sweet Nothings” is an ominous trip through aggression, despair, love and loss, but with another album on the horizon, the future looks bright for Dog Fashion Disco.

Track List:
1. Greta
2. War Party
3. Scarlet Fever
4. Tastes So Sweet
5. Doctor’s Orders
6. Envy the Vultures
7. Approach the Recede
8. Down the Rabbit Hole
9. We Aren’t the World
10. Struck By Lightning
11. Sweet Nothings
12. Pale Horse
13. End of the Road
14. Hidden Track (A long and big “Thank You” to every Indiegogo supporter)

“Weird Al” Yankovic
“Mandatory Fun”
RCA
Produced By: “Weird Al” Yankovic
Tracks: 12

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“Mandatory Fun” not only marks Weird Al’s 14th music album, but it also marks 35 years since his first single, “My Bologna”. I’m not even 35 years old, yet I owe so much to my current nerdom to the polka comedy master. Ever since that memorable day for me when I first heard Weird Al through the car speakers, and even since his take on “My Sharona”, Weird Al has remained a goofy class act when it comes to his art and “Mandatory Fun” solidifies that fact. In this ADHD Internet age, he remains topical and funny.

Weird Al’s finger on the pulse of pop culture must be way better than mine since I immediately consulted Wikipedia on the first track. I had no idea who Iggy Azalea is, but luckily Weird Al did on the opening track, “Handy”. It isn’t the most fertile ground for comedy, a home repair man rapping his various skills, but his injection of other popular music lines and aged cultural references shows his sharp mind is still a walking encyclopedia of television, movies, and music in the U.S.

While “Handy” is a fantastic take on “Fancy”, the best parody on this album is “Word Crimes”, a play on Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines”. It’s not only a perfect example of Weird Al’s brilliant wordplay, but feels like a funky “Schoolhouse Rock” song that could teach children a thing or two about the difference between who and whom, and other common grammatical headaches. Only Weird Al could take the much criticized “Blurred Lines” and create a song poking fun at the continual deterioration of writing skills.

While Weird Al may be well more known for parodies, he finds more success on this album with his musical style parodies, particularly a Pixie-esque song called “First World Problems”. It’s a perfect lampoon of spoiled rich people and possibly the first song he’s meshed with an Internet meme. He also stays true to his roots by consistently remaining silly throughout “My Own Eyes”, which beautifully captures the Foo Fighters style. Take out the vocals and you’d probably mistake it for another catchy rock anthem by Dave Grohl and gang. He finds success on other tracks encapsulating Crosby, Stills and Nash as well as Cat Stevens.

In an age where Youtube parodies are rattled off almost immediately after an artist’s work starts charting the Billboards, some may question the relevancy of Weird Al. But most viral videos come off as structurally weak or intentionally sinister while Weird Al seems to embrace the culture he’s satirizing. He also creates a completely unique and original feel despite imitating the footing of other musicians. He’s had a knack for targeting that sweet spot when a song begins to develop a disdain in the general population after it’s been left on repeat at every top 40 radio station in America. That’s flawlessly seen in “Tacky”, a riff on “Happy”.

Genuine artistry is seen throughout Weird Al’s latest album and it’s amazing that he’s further planted his humorous seeds into our culture. The title, “Mandatory Fun”, is a self-fulfilling prophecy once you’ve given the album a listen. While some may question his relevancy, I simply look at the explosion of coverage around his album and see that he’s become further ingrained into nearly every indie, nerd and mainstream facet of music. Question his growing legacy all you want, but his latest work has the lasting impact that “Eat It” and “Amish Paradise” have.

Track List:

1.”Handy” – “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX
2.”Lame Claim to Fame” – Style parody of Southern Culture on the Skids
3.”Foil” – “Royals” by Lorde
4.”Sports Song” – Style parody of college football fight songs
5.”Word Crimes” – “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams
6.”My Own Eyes” – Style parody of Foo Fighters
7.”NOW That’s What I Call Polka!”
– “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus
– “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People
– “Best Song Ever” by One Direction
– “Gangnam Style” by Psy
– “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen
– “Scream & Shout” by will.i.am featuring Britney Spears
– “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye featuring Kimbra
– “Timber” by Pitbull featuring Kesha
– “Sexy And I Know It” by LMFAO
– “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz
– “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams
8.”Mission Statement” – Style parody of Crosby, Stills & Nash
9.”Inactive” – “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons
10.”First World Problems” – Style parody of Pixies
11.”Tacky” – “Happy” by Pharrell Williams
12. “Jackson Park Express” – Style parody of Cat Stevens

Snowpiercer
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Composer:Marco Beltrami
Varese Sarabande Records
Tracks: 20
Running Time: 56 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Releasing on July 22nd is Marco Beltrami’s score to the fantastic Joon-Ho Bong film, Snowpiercer. Snowpiercer is the name of the post-apocalyptic train which shelters all remaining life on Earth in a dystopian society arranged from the haves in the front of the train and the haves-nots in the back of the train. Chris Evans’s Curtis leads a rebellion from the back to the front and Beltrami’s score excellently compliments his struggle.

Most of the tracks feature heavy metallic percussive beats that emulate the chugging along of the train as well as the battles along the way. Most notably in the “Blackout Fight” track. Fitting for one of the most exciting sequences of the film. Similarly “Steam Car” manages to maintain this train soundscape while also layering in the steamy atmosphere.

Frequently Beltrami lets up on the action to make way for eerie, sparse piano and orchestral work to accent the more decadent cars of Snowpiercer as in “Sushi”. He also manages to work in the thumping club music of the “Seoul Train”–so different visually in the film–into the forward motion of the rest of the score.

I will admit I enjoyed the action score much more in the context of driving the film, but the haunting piano work it kicks off with and spread throughout is more than enough to recommend giving this a listen on its own. Also, much to my amusement the final track also throws in the charmingly terrifying propaganda anthem from the classroom car (Sample: What happens if the engines stops? We all freeze and DIE!).

Track Listing:
1. This is the End
2. Stomp
3. Preparation
4. Requesting An Upgrade
5. Take the Engine
6. Axe Gang
7. Axe Schlomo
8. Blackout Fight
9. Water Supply
10. Go Ahead
11. Sushi
12. The Seven
13. We Go Forward
14. Steam Car
15. Seoul Train
16. Snow Melt
17. Take My Place
18. Yona Lights
19. This is the Beginning
20. Yona’s Theme

Introducing Canadian Singer-Songwriter Tara Beier

Re: Online Release of “This Innocence” Music Video off debut EP “Purple Trees”

This Innocence Music Video

PURPLE TREES mixes folk, pop and rock, and is gaining momentum, with three singles featured on Tunecore Weekly Artist spotlights and an international fan base that continues to grow online, currently in tens of thousands.

Tara recently spent a year becoming intimate with the life and music of legendary folk singer/songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie in preparation to play Native American folk singer in the short, “COVERED”, a true gem among indie film buffs. Capturing the spirit and mind of Buffy in COVERED, Tara became intimate with her character. The creation of PURPLE TREES is the culmination of her artistic shift into a focus on music.

Like Tara’s experience, PURPLE TREES is a truly eclectic compilation, pumped out of Vapor Music Studio in Toronto, each song features a flavour unlike the other: earthy rock beats in “Guns Road”; spicy and acoustic soul in “Mayan Sun”; candy cotton sweet political in “Freedom Island”; smooth cool beats in “Give It Up”; ending with the bluegrass pop of “This Innocence”.

Background
Diversity her trademark, coming from a very mixed heritage, her mother Scottish/British/Austrian/Cree and father, Filipino/Hawaiian and Spanish.

Creating music has been a life long process for Tara beginning at the age of six when she first started intensive training in classical piano. Since then she has dedicated her life to the arts, graduating with her Bachelor of Arts degree, from the stage to the screen as an actor to filmmaker to musician, she has always remained true to her voice as an artist. In combination with her poetry and writing that developed over the years, as well to Buffy’s influence, she found herself on the same journey as her musical inspirations, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Rodriguez, Bob Marley and Johnny Cash.

Sample Lyrics from her single “Freedom Island”.

“Like specks of dust sparkled in the skies

We fly on high and watch the centuries keep burning by

Its quiet now, we can live with peace in our hearts

While the poor man will always suffer from human greed

Let’s dance till the end in the sand

While man counts his pennies in hand

One day will go to Freedom Island and take our love all the way to the end

Nothing has changed yet everything is different”

 

PURPLE TREES can be heard live as Tara visits various venues in Toronto with her band; Juno-nominated drummer, Tony Nestbitt-Larking; New Zealand bassist George Chenery and renowned classical guitarist, Michael Savona.

Freedom Island Music Video

Upcoming single “GUNS ROAD”

 Website: http://www.tarabeier.blogspot.ca