Jim Wilson talks about new group called Motor Sister

Jim Wilson has a career in the music business spanning almost 20 years. Jim has played guitar for such groups as The Rollins Band, Daniel Lanois and was a founding member of the blues rock band Mother Superior. Wilson’s latest project is a re-visioning of his group Mother Superior named “Motor Sister”. The group which also includes Scott Ian, Pearl Aday, John Tempesta and Joey Vera came together after a one off performance at the Anthrax guitarist’s birthday party. Together Motor Sister have reworked twelve songs from Mother Superiors original catalog and Media Mikes recently spoke with Jim about how everything came together and what it was like revisiting some of the material on “Ride”.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us a little more info on how this group came together?
Jim Wilson: My band Mother Superior was one that Scott and Pearl would always come out to watch when we were playing in the Los Angeles area. I even remember seeing them at a show in Denver. We became friends as time went on and I eventually ended up working with both Scott and Pearl on Pearl’s album. We have a pretty solid history of playing together. I had also worked with Joey Vera in the past on Mother Superior songs as well so we all certainly were connected to one another. Pearl was throwing a party for Scott and she wanted to have me by and do some Mother Superior songs with Scott. Joey also ended up playing that night as did John Tempesta who I knew of but that was about it. Scott picked out the songs for the night and I looked them over and things surprisingly came back pretty easily. This was supposed to be a onetime thing. We never thought that the band would sound so great and be so tight. It was a really great combination that at the end of the night we all wanted to do it again some time. A few days later I found out that Neil Zlozower was at the party and mentioned the show to a friend of his at Metal Blade Records. Next thing we know they were asking us to make a record. Things have just worked so well. I am really lucky and fortunate to be able to play with these guys.

AL: What was it like going back and reworking these songs?
JW: There were a lot of memories that came back from the early years of Mother Superior. We were always on a tight budget when we made those records so to have them still sound good really means something. I do wish some of that earlier production was a bit better but at that time being independent was pretty cool. There was a scene for bands that had a sound that was a bit out of the normal commercial rock sound. The 12 songs on the record are what we played at Scott’s party and were picked by him. That was certainly ok by me as I don’t think I could have chosen only 12. Each of the songs has its own vibe which I really like. We changed some of the original arrangements around but nothing major. John is a double bass master so it was fun to add in some of that. Everyone did what they do and it was a lot of fun. This would have been something entirely different if I had decided to put a new version of Mother Superior together with different people. Everyone in Motor Sister is fans of the original music/band and we are all friends which makes it a lot of fun. This group has an energy that is very infectious.

AL: How did having Jay Ruston produce the album come about?

JW: If you go back through the Mother Superior catalog Jay Ruston actually mixed and mastered some things for us. He actually did the original version of ‘This Song Reminds Me of You” and a couple others that appear on “Ride”. We all have known Jay for awhile. I am pretty sure I was the one who introduced Jay to Joey Vera and one of the NAMM conventions which brought Jay into knowing the Anthrax guys. Pearl and I also worked with Jay on her album. It’s just this weird circle of friends.

AL: What type of long term plans does the band have?
JW: We recently played a show in NY and we have one coming up in San Francisco. After that we all sort of go back to our other projects. It won’t be till about June that we all have time to do more with Motor Sister. There are talks of doing a major US tour though with this band. We want to hit all of the major cities. Scott also has this vision of doing 4 or 5 shows in Michigan being that area has such a history with rock music. I don’t know if fans would get the full vibe of our show in a large festival setting as I see us more in a hot sweaty club packed with 300 plus people would be just great! There have also been talks of signing on with one of the summer package shows but we are still in the planning stages for that.

AL: Aside from Motor Sister what other plans/projects do you have in the works?
JW: I will be going out with producer Daniel Lanois as part of his band. I have been working with him for over 10 years now. We get to play some really great places. Daniel had a new album come out in October for which we toured the states in November. In May we will be heading to Europe for a 6 week tour which will be a lot of fun. I am also working on my second solo record. My solo stuff is a little bit darker and a touch more funky.

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: called, group, jim, motor, sister, talks, ...

Blu-ray Review “Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine – Complete Series”

Actors: Brina Palencia, Josh Grelle, Christopher R. Sabat, Sonny Strait
Number of discs: 4
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Funimation
Release Date: August 20, 2013
Run Time: 320 minutes

Series: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

“Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine” is a new Japanese anime series from 2012 that is based on Monkey Punch’s “Lupin III” manga. I have always been a huge fan of the original animated series as well. So I am excited to see the franchise come back with a new series. There are over 200 episodes of “Lupin the Third” over it’s past three series, so I am a little upset that there are only 13 episodes included but they are still 13 fantastic episodes. I haven’t seen this show in year and yet picking up with this series it is like I just finished watching series three yesterday. FUNimation is behind this Blu-ray release and I hope they know that they NEED to be releasing the first three “Lupin the Third” series after this. This is a must for any fan of this great franchise.

Official Premise: She’s a thief. A killer. A saint and a scandal. She’s whatever you need her to be to get the job done. After sizing you up with one sinful glance, she disarms you with a touch. You’re powerless to resist. She’s walking seduction, with an insatiable itch for the priceless and a fetish for mischief. She takes your breath away to get what she wants. She takes everything else just because she can. It’s all in a night’s work for the woman called Fujiko Mine. She’s the slinky, sultry thread that holds Lupin III’s crew together – and this is the heist that started it all.

The episodes included in this series are “Master Thief vs. Lady Looter”, “.357 Magnum”, “The Girl and the Samurai”, “Living in Love, Living in Song”, “Blood-Stained Pyramid”, “Prison of Love”, “Music and Revolution”, “Death Day”, “Steamy Desire”, “Dead City”, “Feast of Fools”, “The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, Part 1”, “The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, Part 2”.

Funimation delivers “Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine” with two releases, a standard version and a limited edition version also including an art book. Both versions are 4-disc BD/DVD combo releases. I love how Funimation always delivers both a Blu-ray and DVD release for their shows.  This series comes with both Japanese and English audio tracks.  Having found this show on Adult Swim many years ago, I am a fan of the English track the most. The special features are worth checking out as well after you finish watching this series.  There are commentary track for episodes 6 & 9. There is a “Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine” Cast Reunion. “Fujiko Mine at OkraTron 5000” is a look into the show at the audio production company.  There is also an Textless Opening & Closing Songs and trailers included.

 

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Dokken’s George Lynch talks about new album with T&N called "Slave to the Empire"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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Steve-O talks about his new show on truTV called “Killer Karaoke”

Steve-O is best known for his work on the TV series and film franchise “Jackass”. He is taking a different route with his new show on truTV called “Killer Karaoke”, which he is hosting. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Steve-O about this show, what we can expect and touched on the “Jackass 4″ rumors”.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your new show “Killer Karaoke” on truTV?
Steve-O: The premise of the show is very simple. It’s people singing karaoke while awful things are happening to them. It is just hilarious. For me it is extra exciting since it is a big opportunity to get to work as a comedian host, rather than just the guy that hurts himself. It allows me to be faithful to my brands and yet still evolve and broaden my horizons. It is a real step in the right direction for me in having a meaningful career beyond “Jackass”.

MG: So do these contestants have a background in singing?
Steve-O: I think everyone has some level of passion for singing and that is why they are there. I do not think that anyone is getting a record deal out of it. I think it is funnier the more incompetent the contestants are. When you go into a karaoke bar, you think the people singing are somewhat competent. So I think the average karaoke bar talent is what spills out onto our set of “Killer Karaoke”. I think that is where the experience bar is at.

MG: Give us an idea about some of the interruptions planned for the contestants?
Steve-O: There are dog attacks. We electrocute people as they are signing. We’ve done snakes all over them. We made they run through a maze of cacti. We just scare the crap out of them and torture them in many different ways. It is really hilarious.

MG: You are no stranger to extreme stunts, is it different for you thought being on the other side and not having to deal with these situations?
Steve-O: For me, simply observing stunts rather than performing them, I would explain as an erection lasting four hours or more. It felt great but it was a little unnatural for me [laughs].

MG: Is there any kind of rehearsal prior to the taping?
Steve-O: Not at all. We are really careful to make sure that the contestants go into it with as little of an idea of what will happen as possible. Obviously, when you have as guy and you’re putting him into a dog attack suit, I think he gets an idea. But for the most part, they have no idea what is going to happen. I think it makes it a lot better.

MG: What has been your most challenging aspect hosting a reality TV series?
Steve-O: It all came pretty natural for me. The key to doing a good job is to make sure that you are enjoying yourself. I definitely enjoyed myself. I feel that the pleasure aspect in the show will be contagious.

MG: I read the announcer of the show is Twisted Sister’s Dee Snyder; did you get a chance to meet him?
Steve-O: No. They recorded Dee Snider after the fact. But my first concert I ever went to was Twisted Sister, so I am a big fan.

MG: Are they going to get you to engage in the “Killer Karaoke”?
Steve-O: I don’t think I will ever sing on the show. I really doubt it. In the beginning of every show, I do a little stunt. Whenever there was a break in the filming, I would pick up the skateboard and do some circus tricks. So I think a lot of that will make it onto the show also, which will also make it more fun to watch.

MG: Can you give us any insight into the rumored “Jackass 4”?
Steve-O: There is a project in the works. It is not a “Jackass” movie but is a spin-off. I think that it is the studio’s intention to get the entire cast involved. But they haven’t done that yet, so it is a little too early to talk about.

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Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: called, karaoke, killer, show, steveo, talks, ...

Author Dallas Clayton talks about new book “Make Magic! Do Good!” and being called the new Dr. Seuss

Dallas Clayton is a children’s book author of “An Awesome Book” series, as well as his new book “Make Magic! Do Good!”. He is also being called the new Dr. Seuss. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Dallas about his work and what we can expect next.

Mike Gencarelli: What is it about being a children’s author that drives you?
Dallas Clayton: I like being able to share ideas with people who are open, welcoming and in many ways innocent. Also I like having maximum fun at all times.

MG: How does it feel to be considered the new Dr. Seuss?
DC: Flattering. A bit overwhelming at points, but ultimately exciting. I mean, really that’s something I’m never going to be, that dude was a massive force not unlike the Beatles or Jordan. I can only hope to be the best version of myself.

MG: Tell us where you got inspiration for latest book “Make Magic! Do Good!”?
DC:  Make Magic! is just about sharing small simple inspirational silly poems with kids and adults. It’s a real mixed bag of fun thoughts that swirl up in my head coupled with colorful drawings that maybe in some small way can make people’s days a bit brighter.

MG: How does “Make Magic! Do Good!” differ from “An Awesome Book” series?
DC:  Make Magic! is a collection of poems, 50 poems whereas the books in the Awesome Book series are just linear books. One poem vs. 50 poems. When you think of it that way, it’s a steal really!

MG: Tell us what we can expect from upcoming “Awesome Book of Love!”?
DC: Mega radness? I dunno, it’s a book about the idea of love. The concept of what it means to be in love. Ultimately my love poem to the world.

MG: What else do you have in the cards upcoming?
DC: Two books over the next two months, plus three books next year, touring, working on a ton of film and TV stuff, just making as much as possible and trying to hug everyone everywhere.

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Troll 2’s Michael Paul Stephenson talks about his follow-up to “Best Worst Movie” called “The American Scream”

Michael Paul Stephenson is known best for his role in the cult classic horror film “Troll 2”. Since then, Michael has written and directed the documentary about the film called “Best Worst Movie”, which takes a look at the fandom and his experiences with the film. His newest documentary is called “The American Scream”, which premieres on the Chiller Network on October 28th. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Michael about his passion behind his films and comparing “Best Worst Movie” to “The American Scream”.

Mike Gencarelli: I am a big fan of your documentary “Best Worst Movie”. Tell us about how “The American Scream” was born?
Michael Paul Stephenson: The short answer is that we got really lucky. The long answer is long so bare with me but it is meaningful in terms of how this happened. Not this summer but the summer before we were working on a narrative feature called “Destroy”, which we are planning to shoot next year. So we were in the middle of that, when Chiller Network contacted one of my producers and told him that they were big fans of “Best Worst Movie” and asked “What is Michael doing next?”. My producer kind of scratched his head and said “Let me get back to you!” He called me and told me about this idea for a documentary on people that create home haunts for Halloween aka homemade haunted houses. Right off the bat connected with the idea. When I had originally planned to do “Best Worst Movie”, there was never a question of if it would be good or bad. It was something of a feeling that I had to do it. That is the way I felt about this project. It felt as a director that it would be a very playful place to work. I wasn’t interested in the commercial haunts or the haunting industry but the home haunter is an artist of sorts. True, these people decorate for Halloween but all of that is rooted in creativity and passion for the holiday. I also connected emotional to this, since I grew up in a small town and my neighborhood was very into Halloween. So I had some great memories as a kid.  And so this project just grew from that.

MG: So this project was more of a labor of love for you. Do you find that aspect makes it easier when doing a documentary?
MPS: I think you have to have that aspect, especially with a documentary. I think you have to really love the subject matter and connect with it emotionally. That is one of the fears I had coming off “Best Worst Movie”, there is no way that I am going to find another documentary project that feels as personal or meaningful in the same way. In my opinion, you can’t set out to make an effective documentary if you are not personally invested into it. I feel very lucky that this subject spoke to me in such a personal way. It just seemed like this project was meant for me. The Halloween before this was project was born, my wife and kids live in Los Angeles and we were complaining about our neighborhood. We didn’t know our neighbors and complained that our kids are not going to have the same Halloween that we had growing up. We figured that was the price for living in the city. We ended up though finding three streets in Los Angeles that celebrate Halloween and trick or treating in a very big way. Everyone goes to these streets during the holiday. We actually then moved into that neighborhood! So the timing is just weird but seemed to really work out.

MG: What do you think is it about horror fans that they are so devoted?
MPS: It is passion man. And heart. With horror fans, these are people that love movies. They love the experience that the movie gives them. It is the same thing with hauntings. And it is same thing with anyone that is doing something with heart and passion. You can really get behind these people. It can be boring subject matter but if you find someone that is passionate about it, it is infectious and that is something that everyone thrives for. For “The American Scream”, it just so happens to be about things like home made Halloween decorations and with “Best Worst Movie” it was about a bad movie. At the heart of it all, it is that passion ultimately.

MG: How do you feel that “Best Worst Movie” compares to “The American Scream”?
MPS: That is a good question. There are obviously parallels between both worlds. Ultimately with “Best Worst Movie” it is about passion and also artistry. The same thing for “The American Scream”, there is an artist, there is creativity and also passion. My editor and I joke and say that we have to make one more film in order to complete, the trilogy of artistry in unexpected places. It is true, they are very similar in many respects. The challenging aspect in comparison to “Best Worst Movie” was that it was filmed over the course of four years. It was a hard push, then a break. It was challenging but it was just me and there was not rush. With “The American Scream” I had one month, a ticking clock, from the time we started until Halloween finished. There was no luxury like “Let’s come back next Halloween”. It was a shrinking window every day. My favorite documentaries always have strong arcs. Sometimes with characters a good arc takes time. I wanted to see certain character’s arcs but we had this ticking clock. Also with “Best Worst Movie”, there was no expectations or very low expectations. With “The American Scream” I had to follow up something that really worked. So there were heightened expectations and a lot of pressure with that.

MG: Can you tell us about your other upcoming projects?

MPS: Yeah! We have two projects in the works right now. There is the narrative that is a mix of dark comedy and horror, though more dark comedy. It is called “Destroy”. We announced it now about a year and a half ago. The script actually came to me from Zack Carlson, who is one of the programmers for the Alamo Drafthouse. I got the privilege to know Zack when I was filming “Best Worst Movie”. He was the first person to show “Troll 2” on a big screen. We read the script and just fell in love with it. We start filming looks like around May next year. It is terrifying and definitely a big step. But it is material that I have connected with. It doesn’t hurt that it comes from a writer that I also connected with as well. Then we also recently helped executive produce a low-budget comedy called “Zero Charisma”. It was filmed in Austin and was directed and written by our dear friends and collaborators Katie Graham and Andrew Matthews. Andrew was the editor of “Best Worst Movie” and “The American Scream”, so he is like family. Katie has been a DP on both movies as well. After “Best Worst Movie” premiered, they wrote this film and brought it to us. It is their baby but we have helped them make it. And it should start being submitted to festivals shortly.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: 2s, american, called, followup, michael, movie, ...
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