Ghoul’s Digestor talks about new album and touring with Gwar

Digestor is the guitarist/vocalist for the thrash metal band Ghoul. The band hails from Creepsylvania by way of Oakland, California and recently released their 5th full-length studio album titled “Transmission Zero”. Media Mikes had that chance to talk with Digestor briefly about the band and their plans for the coming months.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us how the concept for the band came about?
Digestor: It seemed natural. We are hooded cannibals with limited musical ability who lived beneath a fog-enshrouded graveyard.

AL: Can you tell us about the bands line-up
Digestor: I, Digestor, play guitar and sing, Cremator plays bass and sings, Dissector plays guitar and sings, and Fermentor plays drums. We are also joined by Killbot, Mr. Fang, Baron Samedi, Destructor, and our loyal and idiotic Numbskull. Each of these guys spend most of their time tripping over our cables and unplugging us while spurting various liquids into the slack jawed faces of our fans.

AL: How would you describe the band’s sound?
Digestor: Splatterthrash!

AL: What are the plans for the next Ghoul album?
Digestor: We just put the newest album out about six months ago! Hold your horses, buddy!

AL: The band just finished up a tour run with Gwar and Municipal Waste. What are the bands plans for the rest of the year?
Digestor: At the end of May we will be in Maryland playing the Maryland Death Fest and after that we go to Texas for Chaos in Tejas. We also have a few select dates with Occultist and then Toxic Holocaust!

 

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Filed Under: Music Interviews Tagged With: album, band, digestor, ghoul, talk

Nick Nicholson talks about debut album “Stronger Than Whiskey”

Nick Nicholson is a country singer, who recently released his debut album “Stronger Than Whiskey”. He also appeared in the documentary “Off the Boulevard” directed by Jeff Santo. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Nick about his album and what his love for music.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about the release of your debut album “Stronger Than Whiskey”
Nick Nicholson: We put that song out a year before the release of the entitled Cd and it did well on the Music Row Charts hitting 103 Nationwide for around 16 weeks total. I believe it could of done a lot better if it were promoted properly but again…..Indie pockets aren’t deep and you wanna believe in your promotions team but in the end it fell into yet another statistic of this business……MONEY…. Aint that a bitch.

MG: Now that “Stronger Than Whiskey” is released, what is the next step for you?
NN: Right now I am just kicking back collecting my thoughts [laughs]! I really can’t answer that one.

MG: What do you enjoy most about getting up on stage and performing?
NN: Having people believe what I’m saying.

MG: If you can perform like with any musician on stage, who would it be and why?
NN: It used to be Elvis Presley but he has faded out of this generation’s eye. Since I have performed with a lot of people already including singing Whiskey Girl with Toby Keith himself. (Wow) I would enjoy doing a song or two with Keith Urban. Mainly because I re-recorded Freedom’s Finally Mine on my 1st CD in Nashville around 2005. I really dig his alternative bluesy take on Country Music. He isn’t standard and neither am I [laughs]!

MG: What do you have to say to other struggling independent artists?
NN: Try not to fall into the standard money traps in this business. Go straight for the “gate keeper” not for the middle man. Ass kissing is part of it. Believe none of what you hear and only ½ of what you actually see. Stay true to who you are, don’t fall short and sell your soul, because one day when or if you succeed you will have done it your way. If you don’t get what your after well…you still did it your way. Most importantly, just Have fun because a recording contract isn’t everything.

MG: Tell us how you got involved with documentary “Off the Boulevard”?
NN: I met Jeff Santo about 5 or 6 years ago while he was in post production of “Jakes Corner” and promoted the movie at my shows because we hit it off from the start. He contacted me a year or so later and said he was filming a documentary on Indie artist ofall genres and wanted to include my struggles as an indie musician in the movie. So he started shooting my footage two years prior to the release. We really got to be great friends throughout the filming process. He hit the road with me and the band gathering footage and interacting with the process of dragging your ass from town to town selling units outta the back of your car.

MG: What do you have planned for the rest of 2012?
NN: Acoustic shows promoting Stronger than Whiskey “Grass Roots” style. Keeping the overhead low as well as the stress. Being happy and falling in love with music all over again with the bullshit buffer on 11! I have been cast as 8 ball in an awesome film called “Dead In 5 Heartbeats” (due out later this year) from the book written by Sonny Barger. Not a real big role in this movie but hey maybe I’m on to something with this acting stuff. It will also feature my song “Can’t Get Here From There” (Co-written with CJ Watson and David Norris) on the soundtrack to the film. So keep an eye out for this release from Santo Films!

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C.J. Ramone talks about playing with Ramones and his upcoming album

C.J. Ramone was the man chosen to fill the vacant bass player position in the Ramones after Dee Dee Ramone left the band in 1989. C.J. remained in that role until 1996 when the band decided to retire. Since then C.J. has been involved in a number of different bands and projects and is set to release his first album under the name C.J. Ramone later this year. Media Mikes was very fortunate to be able to talk to C.J. about his time in the Ramones and about his upcoming album titled “Reconquista”

Adam Lawton: What were your thoughts on the Ramones documentary “End of the Century”?
CJ Ramone: I like it for the most part. It is a good film but I thought there was too much time dedicated to the “I Hate Johnny” fan club. That film actually started out much differently. By the time everyone gets their hands on it and asks for things to be taken out or added it never is really the movie maker’s vision anymore. Michael Gramaglia who was one of the directors of the film is a friend of mine and I know that what was finally released had been so influenced by everyone that I am sure he would have rather done without that.  I liked a lot of the stuff in the film but I think there are some things in it that the fans don’t really need to know especially with a band like the Ramones who fought to keep their integrity intact. The band wanted fans to enjoy them for what they were which was a great rock and roll band. Some of that stuff just didn’t need to put out there or said. That stuff had nothing to do with the band. I know people who have made the argument about dynamics between band members is always what feeds the music but I just  thought there were some un-needed things in the film. I think I am in it for a total of 30 seconds. This was really funny because I remember doing about 3 or 4 hrs. of interviews. The important thing for me about the movie as far as I am concerned is what Johnny and Joey said about me and what I brought to the band. That was a big compliment. It was a great feeling to be left with and knowing that they really appreciated me. That was cool.

AL: You made significant contributions to all areas of the band however the media has really played down your involvement. What are your feelings toward this?
CJ: I get asked this quite a bit but more so in relation to not being included into the Rock Hall induction. I got out of the Marine Corp. and 5 weeks later I was playing my first show with the Ramones. I come from a very punk rock, anti-establishment background. I could care less about the media or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That goes against anything I ever believed about punk or rock and roll. I am a grunt and I have always been a grunt. I have always been the guy who takes care of the shittiest things without complaint. To me those opinions did not count. The two opinions that did count the most came from Johnny and Joey. They said both publicly and privately about what my contribution was and that’s what I left the Ramones with. I didn’t need a pat on the back from the media or from the Rock Hall. My pat came from Johnny, Joey and the fans. That’s what I hang my hat on at the end of the day. I know that even some people from the Ramones organization and even Mark have tried to minimize what I did with the Ramones. That doesn’t really mean anything to me. I wish I could say I argued my point and could tell everybody but I don’t feel compelled to do that.

AL: Johnny was always known as the tough guy. However his recent biography we see him in much different light. What was the Johnny like that you and the rest of the band dealt with on a daily basis?
CJ: Johnny was a complex dude. He wasn’t a dum-dum. He understood the dynamics of the band and of the industry. Realistically Johnny was a really smart business man. I think that is an uncomfortable role for some people to see him in being he was in a punk rock band. People want to see him as the anti-hero type. He knew how to make money and ran a tight ship. He ran things his way and there was never any doubt with who was in charge or who made the rules. If that may have caught some people off guard well that sucks. I know it caught me off guard at first but I recognized that early on and I made sure I proceeded cautiously. I wasn’t afraid of him or afraid of being kicked out of the band but I loved the Ramones. When I got into the band I wanted to make sure that I made them better. I wanted to bring something to the band and make sure that I wasn’t just a filler guy. Johnny kind of demanded that from me anyways. He didn’t want me to sit in the background. He wanted me up front entertaining the crowd and I knew that. Being I was just out of the Marine Corp. which was very mission oriented he made it clear what my mission was from the start and I tried to do that the best I could. That’s how he was. He expected from you what he expected from you and anything less was not acceptable. At the same time he wasn’t the type you could bullshit. If you said something to him and he thought you weren’t being honest or he didn’t agree he would let you know. That’s not an easy type of person to be around but he was a good business man and really a punk. He didn’t give a shit who you were or what your status was. If you were an asshole you were an asshole and he would let you know. The other thing to was if Johnny had not been in that band and it would have just been another art thing with Joey and Dee Dee they would have never went anywhere. Something would have happened where they weren’t able to keep it together long enough to make anything happen. That’s a fact. Johnny was the ass kicker and every band needs one of those. Did he take advantage of that? Sure. He felt entitled to because he made it easy enough for everyone else to just show up and do their job. He was doing all the behind the scenes stuff. Naturally you are going to feel entitled to an extra slice of the pie. No matter what it is in the world somebody has to be kicking everyone else’s ass to keep them in line and doing their job. That’s just the way of the world.

AL: You joined the band at a turbulent time in their history. What for you was the hardest part about coming into the band at that time?
CJ: I was so excited to be there and unbelievably overwhelmed to be in the Ramones that all the negativity and the other stuff you always hear about I didn’t really see it in the beginning. I was in the Ramones and everything else was secondary. Johnny was clear with his expectations and I was more than happy to make it happen. I was very motivated, focused and happy to be there. Johnny told me the stories about Dee Dee and Mark from back in the early days and I thought they were cool. I thought the stories were great because they did such crazy stuff. Mark really saved the day a lot of times because of his sense of humor. He had an unbelievably great sense of humor and could make you laugh in the worst situations. He a lot of the time made an unbearable situation bearable. It takes some smarts to know when to do that and how far you can take it. The only time it was really uncomfortable was when I would look over and see Johnny and Joey on stage being afraid that I wouldn’t live up to it. As I started to see things more I just learned I had to be smart and maintain my relationships with both Johnny and Joey. I had to be smart. It was almost like a tight rope walk.

AL: Do you think the recent Ramones marketing push will hurt the bands legacy at all?
CJ: Not really. The legacy is what it is and the Ramones history is what it is. There is no arguing it. Does it cheapen the brand name? Probably, somewhat. This is what happens though. Realistically these days’ people demand it. Ramones fans especially are manic collectors of stuff. It’s something that is just going to happen. Once you make it to that legend status which that band has then all bets are off. It’s part of the natural aging process. (Laughs)

AL: Can you tell us about your current solo project?
CJ: I have done a couple bands such as Los Gusanos and Bad Chopper. In 2009 it was my 20 yr anniversary playing with the Ramones. I decided I was going to get out on the road and celebrate with the fans by playing Ramones music. I contacted Mark but he was busy at the time and I also contacted Daniel Ray. Danny was interested and we got out there and the offers started rolling in more and more. Celebrating my 20 year anniversary resulted in two or three years of touring. It got to the point where the promoters were saying that if we wanted to come back again we were going to need new material. I had some songs that I had worked out and I decided I was going to do a tribute record to the Ramones. It is going to be a very Ramones like record. It has been together for awhile and I worked with a number of different producers and musicians. When I started to think it wasn’t going to happen I got in touch with my friend Steve Soto from the Adolescents and told him what I was doing. He said to give him some time to work on it and within two weeks he had a studio set up in Orange County and we had gotten Jose Mendeles who we had both worked with before to play drums. I flew out to Orange County and we recorded with Jim Monroe who was the owner/engineer of the studio we were using. We had a slew of Orange County musicians come in and play on this record. Jay from Bad Religion, Johnny Two Bags from Social Distortion and Billy Zoom from X all played on the album. Within 3 weeks we had the record recorded and we are now just waiting on final mixes and mastering. We are hoping to have everything done by July. It’s going to be released under C.J. Ramone and this is going to be really the first album that I did everything. It’s totally my vision. Steve Soto and Jim Monroe did a great job with the production but this is the first one I am doing as C.J. Ramone. The album is going to be called “Reconquista”. If I had to describe the sound it is like “Rocket to Russia” meets “End of the Century”. I am unbelievable proud of this album. It is the best songwriting and singing I have ever done.

AL: Will you be touring after the album comes out?
 CJ: I am not sure what heck we are going to do for this year. I have been trying to make this record for 2 years. It was just one problem after another. We are kind of hoping that once the record comes out and the word gets out that we will be able to hook up with some shows. I will actually be down in Nashville in early July to play the NAMM festival. Mosrite Guitars puts out a C.J. Ramone bass and they are throwing a big party down there that I am playing. From there I will be flying over to the Azores for a big festival and then in September I possibly have a big tour planned in Argentina.

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Marduk’s Morgan Steinmeyer Hakansson gives a sneak peek about new album

Morgan Steinmeyer Hakansson is the guitarist/ founding member of the legendary black metal group Marduk. The band is set to release it’s 12th studio album titled “Serpent Sermon” in early June of this year. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Morgan about the bands history and what we can expect from the group’s latest offering.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us a brief history of the band?
Morgan Steinmeyer Hakansson: It can be tough to sum up a 22 year career. We started in 1990 wanting to push the limits of what was being done at that time. We have our 12th studio album coming out this month to add to the other albums and DVD’s we have put out. We have been spreading our message across most parts of the world for quite some time now. We just keep marching all over.

AL: Did you ever envision a 20+ year career with the band?
MSH: The same time we started the band we were expanding and getting more into what we were doing. Things around us were also expanding. We were pushing the limits of what had been done previously and while doing so we realized there were no limits. We just kept going with making our visions come to life. Over time we started to see things in a broader way. That kept us going.

AL: Other than the bands lineup changes. Have you noticed any other changes in the band?
MSH: Not really. Music has always been written in a variety of different ways. Nothing comes to you the same way as another. Sometimes we can base a whole album of a single title. We go where things take us.

AL: How would you describe the band’s new album “Serpent Sermon”?
MSH: I think it is a very good reflection of the band in 2012. This album has everything an extreme heavy metal album should have. The last few albums we have done have been very focused around the themes of death and decay. This album is a return to the diabolical decent of what black metal really is about. This album is I think maybe more focused on that than the previous 2 release. I think the title really speaks for the whole album. We really had a vision behind this album and want people to know the meaning of the album’s title.

AL: Are there video plans for any of the albums tracks?
MSH: We just finished a shoot for the track “Souls of Belial”. I think it will start airing the beginning of May. We have a few things left to finalize but I think this video is a good reflection of the spirit of the song.

AL: What are the exact release plans for the album?
MSH: I think it is coming out in Europe around the 29th or 30th of May and in the States during the first week of June. There is about a week difference between the release dates across the world.

AL: What are the tour plans for the album?
MSH: We are still on the process of finalizing everything. There will be a lot of dates being announced shortly. The plan is to start around May 11th. The tour is going to take us to places like Russia and Siberia. From there we will hit Puerto Rico, the United States and Canada before returning to Europe at the end of June. We have some festival dates in the works as well as a headlining European tour. The headlining tour will be around 40 dates. It’s going to be intense!

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John 5 talks about Solo Album and Rob Zombie’s “Lords of Salem”

John 5 has played guitar for many notable acts in variety of music genres. He is probably best known for his work with Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie. John 5 is set to release his 7th solo album titled “God Told Me To” in early May. Media Mikes was very fortunate to be able to talk with John 5 recently about his work on the new album as well as his work on the new Rob Zombie film “Lords of Salem”.

Adam Lawton: What can we expect from the new solo album “God Told Me To”?
John 5: What I wanted to do with this album was to make something a little different from my previous releases. I wanted to do a half electric and half acoustic album. I was really into doing some cool Spanish style acoustic songs. I also wanted to incorporate some rhythmic styles played on the body of the guitar. The idea was do something more than just your standard strumming techniques. I was really into that style of playing on the album. The other cool thing about this album is that it is going to come with a DVD as well. The DVD will have clips of me in the studio recording the songs as well as some footage from being on the road. It even will have its own horror host hosting the DVD. It’s really a cool CD/DVD package which is something I personally love. I am very excited for the album’s release.

AL: Are there any guest performers on the album?
J5: No. I did a lot of this while I was on the road or writing with other people. I didn’t really have a chance to do anything like that. I did everything on my own when I had some free time. Maybe for the next album I will do a bunch of guest appearance type things.

AL: Do you plan to make a guitar tablature book to accompany the CD?
J5: I don’t think so. I did put out a book recently titled “The Book of John” which shows a bunch of my techniques. I don’t think we will be doing that for this album because there is a lot of transposing which is a lot of work. We will have to see.

AL: What can you tell us about your work on “Lords of Salem”?
J5: I did the musical scoring for the film. I love challenges and scoring is definitely a challenge. You are dealing with music that sometimes does not have a time signature or even a certain key. You are also dealing with a variety of instruments and musical styles. It was so much fun. I actually just finished it and it turned out great. I am very proud of it. I saw some of the movie and it is going to blow people away.

AL: Did you provide all of the instrumentation on the score?
J5: I and Griffin Boyce did everything. It was just me and him. I did a lot of the stuff on guitar using an Ebow or a violin bow. It’s really cool.

AL: Do you see yourself doing more scoring in the future?
J5: I don’t know. I worked so hard on the project but it’s kind of just background music. There is a lot of work for that. I love Rob’s movies and I was very honored to be a part of the project. If Rob does another movie of course I will do it. I don’t know if I will venture off.

AL: How is it working with Rob in a band setting compared to a directorial setting?
J5: We have a great time just hanging out with each other. However when its business its business. He gives me clear ideas of what he wants and as long as that’s what I deliver we have no problems. I have always listened to talk about how certain people don’t listen to what he is saying. I have made sure to always listen. A lot of times when he is explaining something I will record the conversation and I will tell him that I am doing so. By doing that I will have exactly what he said and I will go from there. This has worked out amazingly for us. A lot of times you can forget what somebody says during conversation so this has really helped.

AL: Can you tell us about this summer’s tour?
J5: We are going to be touring this summer with Megadeth. I am really excited about this because they are a band I love. It’s great being on tour. It’s like heavy metal summer camp. There is nothing better to me than touring in the warm weather in the United States. I love it!

AL: What will the bands lineup be for the tour?
J5: It will be me on guitar, Piggy D on bass and then Ginger Fish from Marilyn Manson on drums. Ginger has a really great groove. I played with him for sometime in Marilyn Manson as well and we are really happy to have him on board.

AL: Do you have any other plans in the works?
J5: I wrote some music for the next Lynyrd Skynyrd album as well as for the next Rod Stewart album. We also will be starting the recording of a new Rob Zombie record in June after the tour ends.

AL: This will be the second time you have worked with Lynyrd Skynyrd. How did that all come about?
J5: I did 6 songs on the bands last album. I did “Storm”, “Gifted Hands”, “Skynyrd Nation”, “Floyd” and a bunch of other tracks.  I got involved with the band through my publisher who asked if I would be interested in writing some tunes. I love Skynyrd more than anything else in the world!  I am very educated in the bands catalog so writing with them was an honor and a treat.

For more information on John 5 be sure to check out his website at www.john-5.com

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Neal Smith talks about Drumming with Alice Cooper and New Solo Album

Neal Smith was inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame in 2011 for his role as drummer in the Alice Cooper Group. Besides working with Alice Cooper, Neal has also played with The Plasmatics and, Buck Dharma of Blue Oyster Cult. Media Mikes had a chance to speak with Neal recently about his career in the music business and his new solo album titled “Kill$mith Two”

Adam Lawton: What initial sparked your interest in becoming a solo artist?
Neal Smith: The original Alice Cooper band broke up in the 70’s. After that I played in a few different bands as well as doing an album with The Plasmatics and Buck Dharma. When I was working with Buck I co-wrote the song “Born to Rock” which got play on MTV. Through the 80’s I got interested in real estate and ended up getting my real estate license in the state of Connecticut. I kept writing over this time and worked on a couple projects. One of the projects was to play some shows in Texas with Mike Bruce and Glen Buxton from the Alice Cooper band. We brought in Richie Scarlett to play as well. Sadly 6 days after the project wrapped up Glen passed away. It was around this time that I decided to finish up a lot of things I had sitting on the back burner. In 1999 I released my first solo album. The album was originally recorded in 1975 and titled “Platinum God”. I got a great response to that album and afterwards put together a group with some friends called “Cinematic”. We were doing shows in New York City and while there I saw bands like Kings X, Pigface and Tapping the Vein. These bands were playing this really hard edge industrial metal. I liked the power of the material and wanted to come up with something that had the early rebellious image of Alice Cooper along with the macabre side. In 2008 we released the first Kill$mith album titled “Sexual Savior”. I was really inspired by all these newer bands that were beyond grunge. We just released “Kill$mith Two” a couple months ago.

AL: What do you think was the hardest part of transitioning from drummer to solo artist?
NS: I have always written. Even before the Alice Cooper Group I was a stand up singer in a band. I have always sung a little bit. I have always been very comfortable in any position even though drums are my forte. It was more of a new challenge. I jumped in over my head and learned everything I could. I had some great teachers and inspiration. Things weren’t difficult but there were some challenges. I think the biggest challenge though for me is coming up with songs that I like. I am the type of writer that writes when I am inspired. I can go for months or even years without being inspired to write a song. However when I am inspired the ideas come like a tsunami. The new album features 12 really solid songs. I don’t think there is any filler on this album. Alice Cooper and producer Bob Ezrin heard the demo for a song on the new album titled “Evil Voodoo Moon” and re-wrote it for Alice’s album “Welcome to my Nightmare 2”. The song is actually the first single off that album titled “I’ll Bite Your Face Off”.

AL: How would you describe/classify the “Kill$mith Two” album?
NS: I would say it’s definitely in the super hard rock/metal category. This album has more melodic choruses than the previous album. The new album may not be for everybody but it gave me the chance to experiment with some writing on my own and create the “Kill$mith” character. I wanted both “Kill$mith” albums to have a much darker and more macabre edge which is something I feel I was very successful at.

AL: What can you tell us about the new video you just put out?
NS: I wanted to pick a song off the album that was a musician’s song. There are a lot of great players on the album and one of those was Pete Hickey. He did an amazing solo on “Squeeze like a Python” and I wanted to feature a song that was one of the better songs that I really liked. I like to play for musicians and I think this song does that. The video is very sexy and hot. There is a fantasy element that is woven in between the verses of the song. We sort of took a classic approach to making the video. I think everyone did a great job. After having the video up for close to a week now we have received 3,000 hits. I have been amazed by the response.

AL: Can you tell us what the touring plans will be for the group?
NS: We will definitely be doing more videos. That right now is really our thrust to get the word out about the band. There has been some interest in the band going to Europe to play however nothing has been confirmed. As soon as dates start to be set up they will be posted on my website www.nealsmithrocks.com

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The Marshall Tucker Band’s Doug Gray talks about New Album and Touring

Doug Gray is the Founder and Lead Singer of The Marshall Tucker Band.  He has been with the band for 40 years now and shows no sign of slowing down.  He recently released a solo album of lost recordings called “Soul Of The South”.  The Marshall Band will be appearing in Orlando, FL at the Orlando Jai-Alai Fronton on Friday April 13th, click here for more info on that show. Doug took out some time to chat with Media Mikes about the new album, touring and what else the band has planned next.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your new album “Soul Of The South”?
Doug Gray: This was a record that never had a name and was never going to be released. I started recording it within a year after Tommy (Caldwell) had gotten killed, our bass player, so around 1981. I wanted to go to Nashville and pick some songs out.  I had wanted to do something more rhythm and blues, since I grew up singing rhythm and blues.  I found a Michael Bolton song that he had written but never release, as well as a bunch of different songs. I thought it would be fun to do if not to keep my mind off things. I ended up with the Memphis Horns on there and a lot of other players from Nashville and also other rock ‘n roll bands.  Once we made a cassette of it…we never listened to it for about 28 years. After that time, one of the partners for the record label got a copy of the cassette and said we should pull try and pull some of these tracks out and release them.  So we put it out and people really seem to like it. It was just another experiment and so far it’s paid off.

MG: What do you like most about touring today?
DG: You know what, people that left us after the first five years came back in 20 years and said “Man, you are as good as you ever were”.  20 years later, you get parents that come with their kids.  Now I am even seeing pregnant women and I know there is going to be another generation of fans.  I think that is cool as can be.  The music is good and that is what it is. We just love going out their and sharing it with our fans. As long as the fans come, we will still get up there on the stage.

MG: I know the fans have their favorites songs but what are yours to perform?
DG: Well I think “Take the Highway” is one of the first original rockers. You go back and listen to it today and it sounds better now than it did on the record. The good part is that we actually are playing it better.  We did it as good as we could back then but we updated it as time went along.  We play it faster.  It wears me out singing it and it is just intense. Just so fantastic and it only gets better and better.

MG: Do you feel that The Marshall Tucker Band as evolved from when you started?
DG: We had no choice.  A lot of the times, guys get older and they don’t want to be on the road. Toy (Caldwell) himself told me, before he passed, he said “I am glad you got it, your the one that will keep it going”.  We don’t sell anything compared to people that walk around with submarines on their head [laughs].  But we are continuously selling CDs and digital downloads. We have opportunity for the next five years to be with Sony Distribution.  They see it just like the public sees it.  Am I proud that I stuck with it and do I believe in all the people I brought in this thing? You better bet your butt I do!  Everyone plays and everyone is a part of it.  That is what is important!

MG: I am a big Lynyrd Skynyrd and Zac Brown Band fan, would love to see you guys tour together in the future.
DG: We do stuff with Skynyrd all the time.  As far as Zac Brown goes, we do have a gig coming up with them.  Somehow Marshall Tucker always seems to get incorporated in the mix.  As far as big group shows, I would love to go to Philadelphia at the JFK Stadium and have 120,000 people there with us.

MG: What can we expect from 2012?
DG: Oh man.  December the 21st, we will be waiting to be lifted up into the sky with this Mayan calender thing.  We will probably be on the tour bus and no better way to go if you gotta go.  We are going out there and got a lot of concerts and festivals upcoming.  I love doing the festivals, whether we are playing for 4,000 people or 200 people it doesn’t matter. As long people show up they are going to be treated to some of the best music they have heard in a week.

MG: Tell us about next year’s Rock Legends II cruise?
DG: It is going to be cool, man.  It is from January 10-15th, 2013. The most important thing is that Paul Rodgers is now on the roster, he is such an amazing singer.  The Foreigner guys are gonna be there. Hatchet is on there with us.  We are just so excited for this.  There is going be some amazing four-hour jams on this cruise.  I have already spoke Rodgers and plenty of other guys.  I don’t have to even ask Hatchet or .38 Special because they can’t keep their asses off the Marshall Tucker stage [laughs]. We just jam and it is going to be fantastic.

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: album, bands, doug, gray, marshall, talks, ...

Thomas Dolby Prepares First New Studio Album in 20 Years

THOMAS DOLBY PREPARES
FIRST NEW STUDIO ALBUM IN 20 YEARS,

A MAP OF THE FLOATING CITY, AVAILABLE OCTOBER 25
Guest artists include Mark Knopfler, Regina Spektor,

 Natalie MacMaster, Bruce Woolley and Imogen Heap

Release follows conclusion of groundbreaking transmedia game

LONDON, U.K. — Thomas Dolby, the iconic ’80s star whose smash hits “She Blinded Me With Science” and “Hyperactive” helped define the MTV generation/revolution, will break his 20-year silence with a new release later this year titled A Map of the Floating City. The album, featuring appearances by special guest artists Mark Knopfler, Regina Spektor, Natalie MacMaster, Bruce Woolley, Imogen Heap and Eddi Reader, will be available on October 25, 2011 on Lost Toy People Records as a regular and hi-res download, as a physical CD, and in a special Deluxe Edition featuring a second disc of instrumentals and bonus tracks.
The five-time Grammy®-nominated British artist quit the music business in the early ’90s and spent many years in Silicon Valley, where his tech company Beatnik Inc. created the ringtone synthesizer embedded in more than three billion mobile phones shipped by Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and others. Now retired from Beatnik, Dolby has returned to his native U.K. and is busy recording an album of brand new songs in a renewable energy-powered studio he built aboard a 1930s lifeboat in the garden of his beach house on England’s North Sea coast.

Of the album, which is divided into three parts, Dolby says, “The new songs are organic and very personal. A Map of the Floating City is a travelogue across three imaginary continents: In Amerikana I’m reflecting with affection on the years I spent living in the U.S.A., and my fascination with its roots music. Urbanoia is a dark place, a little unsettling . . . I’m not a city person. And in Oceanea I return to my natural home on the windswept coastline.”

“I marvel at the new landscape of the music business — distribution via the Internet and recording technologies I barely dreamed of when I started out,” he continues. “But this album does not sound electronic at all. I have zero desire to add to the myriad of machine-based, synth-driven grooves out there. The Net has made a music career approachable for thousands of bands — but I hear too few single-minded voices among them, so I’m returning to what I do best, which is write songs, tell stories.”

To help tell his stories, Dolby has enlisted an impressive cast of guest musicians. Legendary guitarist Mark Knopfler helps drive the epic “17 Hills,” a song about a pair of hapless lovers and a jailbreak. Natalie MacMaster, the Cape Breton fiddler, adds spice to two songs. Scottish singer Eddi Reader takes a front seat on the ethereal “Oceanea.” Bruce Woolley (Camera Club) plays theremin. And Regina Spektor has a cameo as an East European waitress on “Evil Twin Brother.”

The innovative transmedia game The Floating City <http://www.floatingcity.com>, co-created by Dolby and based on his song catalog all the way back to the 1980s, is currently in full swing and is proving highly addictive for thousands of regular players. The winning “tribe” will be treated to a private concert performance of the new album in its entirety. Thomas Dolby will shortly announce a string of concert dates in the U.S. and U.K. in support of the album.

 

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Filed Under: Music Headlines Tagged With: 20, album, dolby, prepares, studio, thomas, ...

Yael Meyer Sets Date for “Everything Will Be Alright” Album

YAEL MEYER ASSERTS EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT WITH NOVEMBER 15 RELEASE
Chilean American Singer-Songwriter to have three songs in sequel to 2010 comedy film “Que Pena Tu Vida”
LOS ANGELES, CA (Tuesday, August 16, 2011) – Chilean born, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Yael Meyer (http://www.yaelmeyermusic.com) has confirmed a November 15th as the release date for her new CD Everything Will Be Alright on Kli Records.
Tracks from the album are:
1.    Fire
2.    Backbone
3.    Used To Be
4.    Heartbeat
5.    I Wonder How
6.    Shed Their Fear
7.    Tea For Two
8.    Home To Me
9.    Everything Will Be Alright
10.  The Night
11.  Will They Forget
Everything Will Be Alright was recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Bill Lefler (Ingrid Michaelson, Tim Myers, Fall Out Boy, Gym Class Heroes). It includes guest appearances by Danny Levin on trumpet (Lenka), Joseph Karnes on bass (Fitz and The Tantrums), Dani Endrei on moog source, Jessica Carton on cello and David Hawkins on bass. Meyer plays guitar, piano, keyboards, glockenspiel, vibraphone and percussion.
Yael Meyer’s voice and music have been featured in Ralph Lauren runway shows, and numerous recordings and films including Life Unexpected, Drop Dead Diva, MTV’s Awkward and Private Practice. Last year, Chilean filmmaker Nicolas Lopez featured three of her songs in his smash comedy Que Pena Tu Vida (F*** My Life).
Yael will soon be heading to South America in support of the Lopez’ sequel film Que Pena Tu Boda (F*** My Wedding) which features three new songs from Everything Will Be Alright. The visit will include a full press tour and live dates in Santiago, Chile. Yael will later head back to the US where she will be touring the west coast in support of her upcoming release. The tour will include live dates in Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Seattle and Portland.
ABOUT YAEL MEYER
 
Born in Santiago Chile, educated at Boston’s Berklee College of Music and honing her craft in New York and Los Angeles, Yael Meyer has released Common Ground (September 2004) and Heartbeat EP (November 2009). Proclaimed “a female version of Death Cab For Cutie meets Jack Johnson” and praised for her “crystal clear” vocals and harmonies and “pristine” acoustic guitar work, Meyer’s live performances take her around the globe, although she calls Los Angeles her home. Her new CD Everything Will Be Alright will be released on November 15, 2011 on Kli Records.

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Filed Under: Music Headlines Tagged With: album, alright, date, meyer, sets, yael, ...
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