My mom introduced me to music at a very young age. There was always some kind of music playing somewhere in the house. One of my earliest musical memories is running around with my cousins screaming in our tiny off key voices “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles.
The music my mom listened to was across the map, but mostly rock oriented. My stepfather, however, was a country man and there was no alternative. I learned to appreciate the sounds I was hearing from songs that they both listened to. I felt the stories they were telling, and that was how I interpreted them, as stories. These “stories” would end up becoming my best friends as my childhood took some nasty turns. They were always there and wouldn’t ever let me down. I ultimately developed an affinity for rock and that became my preferred style of music. I never did lose my appreciation for classic country music though.
The 70’s were a great time for music on the radio. I could hear a broad spectrum of artists on one rock station from ABBA to ZZ Top. I LISTENED and devoured all of the music that I could, often staying up until the wee hours with a small radio under my pillow. I remember a conversation with my mom once where I asked her why she liked music so much her reply was “Because the songs take me away to different places.” I got it, and found myself taking the same journeys. The music was fresh and entertaining and never ever seemed to go stale for me. There was no sub, sub, sub genres, just good music.
This was a time when it was cool to one day wear a Bee Gees shirt and a KISS one the next. We just loved the music. We were clueless and we loved it. We used our imaginations to think about what our favorite musicians were doing and what they would do next, there was bliss in our ignorance.
If I were to have to give a quote about the music Jeff Sandoval and Mike Araiza make, it would be this: “This is music as it should be, no preconceived formula here. These guys write and play what they “feel” and that, my friends, is the true spirit of music.”
I’ve known these two guys for a while now and it had been my great fortune to have been at the birth of most of their work. Of The Earth, Frank Hannon Band and now as Jeff and Mike.
That being said, let’s talk about their latest effort Project Playlist. I cannot tell you how many times I received a text or an excited phone call from Mike telling me to “check out this riff” or “what do you think about this?” there was passion in those messages and that fervor and passion found its way to the record untarnished. Jeff, on the other hand, is like a Zen Master, calm, cool, and collected. His lyrics and powerful yet smooth vocals carry weight and presence that in my opinion border on legendary. Let’s get into the tracks and stroll around a bit.
Project Playlist opens with “The Good Fight” (which happens to be my go to track on this record). Have you ever heard a song that just stays with you? I mean one that you find yourself hitting repeat over and over again? One that you manage to find something new with each listen? You find yourself absent-mindedly humming or tapping the beat throughout the day? “The Good Fight” just happens to be a song like that. Even cooler is that a couple of my close friends wrote it. I tried to put that aside and came to the conclusion that the fact that they were my friends was irrelevant, this is a damn good song, period. As I continued to listen to “The Good Fight” I compared it side by side with other songs and artists I consider in the same vein. This comparison led me to the conclusion that this track by a couple of guys that live in my town and I know personally can go toe to toe with artists like SIXX A.M., Pop Evil, STP, etc., etc. This track features studio wizard Chris Collier on drums and bass as well as production.
“So Long”, featuring Will Hunt on Drums, has a fresh , yet familiar feeling and yet stays unique. Powerful and yet not abrasive in away this is a song that one could use to set the pace of their impending day. Feeling good and energetic is what this track brings to me.
“It’s All I need” features Kurt Arft on bass and Chris Collier on drums and really packs a punch. Deep lyrics and Jeff’s powerful vocals give this song some weight. This is a heavy song but not overbearing if you get my meaning. Their craftsmanship shines through here.
“Beggars And Thieves” features Kurt Arft again on bass and Will Hunt on drums. This track is probably the “grooviest” one on the record and will have your head bobbing and foot tapping as soon as you start listening to it. There’s a couple of twin guitar parts that Mike just kills with.
Project Playlist closes out with “No Answer” which features Frank Hannon has that 70’s vibe that just goes so well with this song. I love the guitar wok in this track. Nice way to close out the record with some quality music and friends.
What do we ultimately get with Project Playlist? A Rock and Roll record that stands up in this turbulent time in the music industry. Jeff and Mike said “Damn the norm, we’re gonna make the music that we feel inside” and it works, on so many levels. Music at its purest level is what we have here folks.
I must also give shout outs to Kurt Arft, Will Hunt, and Frank Hannon for stepping up and going toe to toe with Jeff and Mike. Their performances are outstanding on this record. I didn’t forget Chris Collier, not only did he deliver some killer bass and drums, like a mad scientist he grafted it all together to deliver a superior recording. I think that in today’s DIY music industry production quality has suffered at the hands of inexperience in record production. Jeff and Mike know the value of a properly produced record and have developed a relationship with Chris that works.
So, after all of that why should you get a copy of Project Playlist? I could say because they are my friends and it would be cool to help them out, but I’m not. You should get this record because it’s great music, that’s it in a nutshell.
Now, you only have until Friday 08/12/16 to get your order in at https://squareup.com/store/JeffAndMike after that you will only be able to pick it up at live performances. Good news is new music is already being made so stay tuned.
Thanks Jeff and Mike for keeping music alive. – the Hellion
June 15th, 2016 – Clutch continues their Psychic Warfare World Tour 2016. Headline tour dates for September-October are in. The group will be heading back on the road this Fall headlining another leg of their US tour. Supporting the tour will be Zakk Sabbath and Los Angeles based metal band Kyng. Including 2 festival appearances, the trek will begin in Buffalo, NY at the The Town Ballroom on September 28th and conclude in Worcester, MA at The Palladium on October 30th.
Clutch lead vocalist Neil Fallon commented “We are pleased to announce that this Fall Clutch will be hitting the road again in the U.S.. This time with Zakk Sabbath and Kyng. Clutch toured with Black Label Society a few years back and it was a blast – and no doubt, this one will be a blast as well. We hope to see you all there!”
Psychic Warfare is the latest and eleventh studio effort from Clutch. The disc debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200, No. 2 on the Billboard Independent, No. 1 on the Billboard Hard Rock and Billboard Rock charts. On Record Store Day this past April 16th Clutch released a limited edition numbered etched vinyl 12 inch that included two previously unreleased tracks from the Psychic Warfare sessions: “Mad Sidewinder” and “Outland Special Clearance“. Psychic Warfare was produced by longtime producer Machine (Lamb Of God, Every Time I Die).
Zakk Sabbath, bring their take on Black Sabbath songs on the road for the first time ever. The band features guitarist/vocalist Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne), bassist Rob “Blasko” Nicholson (Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie) and drummer Joey Castillo (Danzig, Queens Of The Stone Age). Kyng, the Los Angeles based metal trio, will be supporting their 3rd release and follow up to 2014’s Burn The Serum.
Pre-sale tickets will be on sale today (June 15th) at 12PM local time with public on sale beginning Friday, June 17 at 10AM local time. Pre-sale tickets are available here: Tickets.artistarena.com/clutch
For all other information, visit the Clutch website (www.pro-rock.com).
Clutch, Zakk Sabbath, Kyng 2016 Tour Dates
09/28 – Buffalo, NY @ The Town Ballroom
09/30 – Lakewood, NJ @ First Energy Park – Rock Carnival *
10/01 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
10/02 – Louisville, KY @ Champions Park – Louder Than Life *
10/04 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
10/05 – Atlanta, GA @ The Buckhead Theatre
10/07 – Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre Street Stage
10/08 – Columbus, OH @ Express Live
10/10 – Little Rock, AR @ Metroplex
10/11 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
10/12 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
10/14 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo
10/15 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
10/16 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
10/18 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater
10/20 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
10/21 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
10/22 – Sioux City, IA @ Anthem at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
10/24 – Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note ** NO Zakk Sabbath
10/25 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
10/27 – Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theater
10/28 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
10/29 – Clifton Park, NY @Upstate Concert Hall
10/30 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
* festival appearance
CLUTCH:
Neil Fallon – Vocals/Guitar
Tim Sult – Guitar
Dan Maines – Bass
Jean-Paul Gaster – Drums/Percussion
For more information, check out the band’s website:
I recently had the chance to talk to my friend Stacey Blades about the exciting new project he’s been working on, Angels In Vein. Check out the conversation right here:
Be sure to visit http://www.angelsinvein.com for all the Latest! Thanks to Rock-n-Roll GangStar for the badass merch on their site!!!
I have been listening to the new Zakk Wylde release for several days now and want to share my reflections on it with you.
When I received my pre-order in the mail I was excited to hear some new music from Father Zakk. I unwrapped the CD, and quickly threw it in my truck’s player and settled in for a listen…..
Playing this album it felt like i had put on a pair of comfortable slippers, and settled in to my favorite easy chair. While the songs were new, they felt familiar and comfortable like old friends and yet at the same time, not stale and boring. I tried to pick out some standout tracks but was unable to as the flow of the record, for me, needs to be taken as a whole.
So why would Zakk need to make a solo record? Why not another Black Label Society record? Here are my thoughts.
We all know Zakk can grab his fiddle and choke some fantastic music from it that will crush our collective chests like so many packs of cigarettes, and we know he has some tender moments that give us some memorable ballads. With Book of Shadows II, Zakk gives us some reflective music. This CD is full of music that truly comes from a mans thoughts and life experiences and listening to it will transport you into a thoughtful place. I am taken back to the music of James Taylor, Jim Croce, and Don McLean. These guys created art with their words and guitars.
Why then would hardcore, badass, metalhead, rockers, like this record? Because it shows craftsmanship, and talent…lots and lots of talent. The skill set Zakk shows us on Book of Shadows II shows us why he remains so relevant in the vast world of guitarists.
Bottom line, Book of Shadows II feels like a record that I have had in my collection for years and years and yet puts a smile on my face whenever I play it.
While all of the songs stand out to me as a whole Zakk has released a video for “Sleeping Dogs” and you can check it out here:
Whether you are a Zakk Wylde/BLS fan or not you should run out today and pick Book of Shadows II to up, pop it in your player, roll the windows down, and go for a 60 minute drive and just let finely crafted music flow through you and take to a reflective place.
in 2008 I was excited to see a show called That Metal Show hit the airwaves. While I felt the show was good, I always felt that there was room for improvements. I was ok with Eddie Trunk as the host but never was satisfied with co-hosts Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine. I always held the opinion that they should have featured a rotating musician co-host. One other thing I think that would have been cool was to randomly pick an audience member to come down and be a featured co-host. I also would have to have seen some up and coming or lesser known musical guests. There are plenty of talented musicians that could have benefited from this kind of exposure. While I also enjoyed the coverage of “classic” rock bands I feel there was plenty of room to give some newer and lesser known bands exposure as well. I did enjoy the “Stump the Trunk” and “Top 5” segments as well.
I watched every show from every season and will miss it although I felt it could have been so much more. I hope it does find a new home and maybe by some miracle I can tell them about my thoughts… Rest In Peace TMS, another casualty of the war on Rock N’ Roll.
Prong has a great new record coming out on February 5th called “PRONG X – NO ABSOLUTES”. We had the chance to speak to Tommy Victor about this upcoming release and the tour to follow. We had a great conversation and it was a pleasure to speak with Tommy. You can enjoy it here:
2015 is over but it brought us some great new music. Here are my top 10 in no particular order, enjoy:
Stryper – Fallen
Stryper’s new release, Fallen, is a supercharged release to say the least. For a band that has been around for 32 years they have continued to impress. This record is full of killer riffs and powerhouse vocals. I am totally impressed by the production quality of this record. I was even surprised to see a Black Sabbath cover on here “After Forever” is done very well by Stryper. The track that grabs hold and will not let go is “Fallen” :
Ahhh Ugly Kid Joe, 19 years after Motel California UKJ is back with a full album. These hold a very special place in my heart and always will. This record shows that UKJ has not lost a bit of the attitude that made them so great. This is rock n’ roll pure and undistilled. The stand out here is “Hell Ain’t Hard To Find”:
Throw The Temple is a hard working band that takes itself serious without being serious about it. Believe me, every move they make is calculated and planned. After seeing them perform for several years they have finally put out and album to be proud of. Full of deep lyrics and catchy tunes ( I even persuaded them to provide the theme song for the Hellion Rocks) this is an album which should be garnering national attention. Enjoy the video for “We Got It Goin'” right here:
This record was a complete surprise to me. While technically a “supergroup” it sounds nothing like one. I was ina bad mood the first time I played this record, by the end not so much. This is just a feel good record that you can tell was fun to make. Comprised of the legendary Tracii Guns, Rudy Sarzo, Rikki Rockett, and Brandon Gibbs, this is a DO NOT MISS record. Here’s the video for “Boneyard”:
Motörhead has always been a guilty pleasure for me. I have always listened to them and probably always will. I have seen the fairweather fans come and go as the trends change. I was extremely saddened to hear of the deaths of Lemmy and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor. This final album from Motörhead is to savor and enjoy. Take a listen to “Electricity” and pay your respects:
Skulldron rocks, plain and simple. I have known these guys for years and years and enjoyed them immensely. Skulldron falls into the Stoner/Doom metal category and they do it so very well. This is a band that NEEDS some worldwide acclaim. This is another record that SHOULD be in your collection. Well crafted and put together Through The Smoke takes you on a trip to a very cool place in your head. Take a peek at G.O.A.T. :
Clutch is band that, to me, everyone should be running to the store and buying all of their records. Firing on all cylinders and then some, Clutch simply rules. This album continues Clutch’s streak of aggressive, hard charging rock. I have one thing to say about Clutch, if you don’t like them, you haven’t listened to them. Psychic Warfare is a great record to introduce you to the awesomeness that is Clutch. “X-Ray Visions” will whet your appetite:
Dellacoma Rio, vocalist for Dellacoma is one of the hardest working men in rock n’ roll. Hailing from Australia, Del continually works on world domination. Putting together an outstanding band of three world class musicians: Art Struck, Matt Cook, and Rick Reynolds, Dellacoma wrote and recorded a well crafted piece of art. No frill, no filler, just straight up feel good music. This is my pick for road music of the year. Put this on, roll down the windows, and hit the road. Let me show you what I mean:
Red Sky Mary was an accidental find for me. I was completely taken aback by the soul in this young band. It was as if someone jumped into a time machine and collected the DNA from several 70’s bands and somehow fused them into Red Sky Mary. I find so much depth and beauty in this record it amazes me that their are bands still making music that you can truly feel. Here is the latest from Red Sky Mary:
Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators – Live at the Roxy 9.25.14
Slash and crew deliver on this live recording from the Roxy. I f you have never had the chance to catch them live this is the next best thing. Relaxed and fun this record showcases Slash’s and Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators talent. With songs that span throughout Slash’s career from GNR, Velvet Revolver, through today this one is a winner. My favorite track from this record:
So, I have been sitting some info for a while. As most of have heard, some form of Guns N’ Roses will be performing at Coachella and a possible tour. Keep in mind this is some form of a reunited GNR. Stay tuned right here for more information to come….
Wait, what? You’ve never heard of Babyjane? Don’t worry, you soon will. Imagine if you will a band steeped in Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, Skid Row, Sex Pistols, Van Halen, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, The Cult, Faith No More, Megadeth, Pantera, KISS, Aerosmith and you will begin to understand the music of Babyjane.
Australia has given the world some great bands and now we can include Babyjane into that fold. I was excited to learn that Babyjane was doing a little bit of work with one of my favorite artists and one hell of a nice guy, Gilby Clarke. Paul Judge – Bass / Vocals recently related the story of how they came to work with Gilby:
” the song basically came to be through testing the waters to see who was out there in the States that would just record one song with us, so we could get a feel of who we wanted to do the next album with. we recorded twice with Michael Wagener so we’ve been there and done that – we didn’t want things to start getting stale by recording with him over and over again. plus, he’s all the way over in Nashville. we love it there, but it’s so far away – we wanted to spend more time on the coast. it’s a better environment for recording, at least for us.
asking Gilby to record us was a punt we took that we never thought he’d say yes to, but he jumped at the chance when he heard our demos. we sent him demo’s for 4 songs we’d been working on – You Know That Bitch Better Than Me, 23 Sins, No Enemies and Do Ya Know Who I Am. he chose Do Ya as the song – we ended up trimming the title because it sounded catchier.
recording with him was great because he was in our favourite band from our teenage years. we had to rush it – we only had a day in LA before catching 2 flights to Oklahoma to play Rocklahoma. he was supportive and really guided us into a groove when laying the song down. other producers haven’t been quite so nice in the past. being positive and patient with musicians goes a long way. but, while recording with him, Keith Olsen reared his head up again – and we were scheduled to record with him two years ago, but the funding fell through. he made us an offer which was too good to refuse this time, and since he was always our original choice, we left the Gilby things as a fun one-off experiment and went back to our original plan, which was to have Keith record the next album. we met up with him in hollywood, he bought us dinner, then came down to watch us play at the whiskey.
when we got offstage he said “absolutely fantastic – I HAVE to record you guys now… we’re gonna make this happen.” so, all we need to do now is line up WHEN we’re gonna record with him in 2016.
as for recording with Gilby, he’s so busy with Slash and Duff and all the rest of them in Kings of Chaos that we wouldn’t have had time to do any more songs with him than the one we did. but when you hear it, you’ll see it was worth it. it’s a song about not really having any relationship with yourself at times. feeling alienated from yourself, having no idea who the fuck you are. it’s the first track we’ve recorded to feature our more recent guitar player, Sav Hatzi.
we’ve been very lucky in the 7 years we’ve been a band – we haven’t taken over the world but we’ve worked with amazing people in the industry. all without having to get loads of commercial airplay too. we’ve had an idol of ours, John Corabi, sing the opening song on our second album, we’ve had Michael Wagener mix and record us from top to bottom, we’ve opened for Sebastian Bach and Paul DiAnno, we’ve been given attention on blabbermouth.net six times, we’ve been invited to play Rocklahoma, no one can ever tell us we haven’t reached some milestones. if it all ended tomorrow we’d be over the moon with what we’ve done. most importantly, we’ve made some amazing music.
but the next album is really gonna blow heads off. Whitesnake 1987 is a milestone in rock, and Ozzy’s No rest For the Wicked was one of my favourite albums growing up – Keith’s done them both, as well as Jesse’s Girl, Winds of Change by the Scorpions… he’s got an ear and sensibility for great melodies. that’s just what Babyjane need. so we’ve had the big, snappy sound of Michael Wagener leading the way on a Babyjane album, we’ve had a racy, get-it-all-done-in-one-day thrash of working with Gilby – which was great for the feel of the song – and next we’re going to have a big, planned, soundscape of rock n roll love that only Keith can accomplish at the mixing desk. in fact, when I hear him talk about the Neve console on the Sound City documentary he did, I get excited at what he’s going to bring to the album.” -Paul Judge
Andy Smith (vocals and guitar); Sav Hatzi (lead guitar); Paul Judge (bass and vocals) and Nik ‘Animal’ Kats (drums)
Babyjane, not content with just hanging around Australia, has kicked in the door to the outside world and wedged it open. With their impending new release and the people involved they will have no problem knocking it off its hinges.
the Hellion Rocks 