| Randy Jackson
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Written by Michael McGeehan
Monday, 22 April 2013 10:45 |
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| Hi Everyone. I got the chance to sit down with Randy Jackson from the band Zebra before his solo acoustic performance at the House of Rock in March.
Shockwave: I'm Mike from Shockwave, nice to meet you Randy.
Randy Jackson: Nice to meet you too Mike.
Have you ever played here before?
Not in this club no, but I played Baltimore last year for the Fallen Blue Fundraiser.
I saw on your website that you are pretty busy touring up and down the east coast with your acoustic tour. How is that going?
Sometimes it's great, sometimes its not, like I played in Chicago last week and no one was there and then the next night I'm in Milwaukee and the place was packed.
Now you have been playing music for a very, very long time, can you tell me how things are different for you now and when the first Zebra album came out?
I think I'm kind of settled and feel a little more secure. I think the fact I'm doing so many different things like still doing Zebra, doing this acoustic thing and also performing with the symphony, different streams of incomek, you know, so it's a little less pressure, and I'm more relaxed and more comfortable in what I'm doing and I'm doing what I love to do, especially the acoustic show you know, I get to play all the Zebra songs and some of the solo stuff I did but what I really love is playing the classic rock I grew up with doing the Zeppelin and the Beatles, Pink Floyd, and the Eagles and all this other stuff that I do, so it's kind of therapy for me, that's what I call it.
Are you playing any Zeppelin tonight?
You never know, yeah probably, I'd be surprised if I didn't(laughing).
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| Falling Still: Eric Podnar & Brett Hamilton
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Written by Shauna O'Donnell
Monday, 22 April 2013 10:34 |
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| Thanks for talking with me today.
Eric: Thanks for calling.
I think it is cool that you guys have known each other since middle school. How long have you been in L.A.?
Eric: I have been here about ten years. I moved out here when I was sixteen. I got signed with an agent and manager because I was an actor originally. The other two guys graduated in 2005, which was about two years after I moved to L.A. and then they came out here.
So you went to school out here?
Eric: Yeah I did home schooling and got like a cracker jack diploma. I graduated, but I don't know if it would hold up in a court of law.
Did you guys all take music lessons together or are you guys self taught?
Eric: I took vocal lessons for a year or two when I was a kid, but I don't think it necessarily shaped how I sing now. I taught myself guitar.
Brett: I taught myself. I did take piano lessons when I was a kid.
Eric: I took piano too. I can play piano now. I have little songs that I have written, but I don't know much about piano anymore.
It's cool that a band can keep the same three members for so long.
Eric: Yeah, it actually hasn't always been us three. It is kind of an interesting story. We started the band in eight grade and we kind of met each other in sixth grade, but Brett and Jeremy knew each other before that. We grew up in the same school district that is called Norton. I lived on a hundred acres in farm country, so they had this little school for us kids fifteen minutes away from where they went to school. In middle school and high school, we all went together. It was only in grade school that we were separated. When I came to middle school there were so many kids that I didn't know including these guys. In eighth grade, Jeremy and I were looking for a band to play in. Brett was already in a band and actually set us up to play. So for a long time we were a two piece. Brett joined when they moved out here.
You guys released your six song self-titled EP on February 26th of this year. Do you feel like you have come a long way since your debut record and that you have found your sound because I read that this is the album you have always wanted to make?
Eric: Yeah I think it was the time that I felt the most comfortable singing. We did two records before this and I think that was sort of like a boot camp for ourselves. I definitely think this is the album we have always wanted to write. I wrote the first song on the EP when I was fourteen or fifteen, so that song has been kicking around for a long time. It was a real accomplishment to actually nail it and get it out there. What we are working on right now is what we are most proud of. We just recorded three new songs. They are being mixed and we are going to release them really soon. We are so excited about it!
You guys work hard!
Eric: We have to keep up with it I guess.
You definitely do! For those who have not heard you, how would you describe your sound?
Brett: It's unique, grungy, rock music. We like the 90's music a lot, so I think it is a modern day 90's era sound.
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| WVM
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Written by Shauna O'Donnell
Monday, 22 April 2013 10:21 |
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| You just released your debut EP titled "The End Is Only The Beginning" on March 5th. The EP features Chris Vrenna (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Tweaker) and Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle) playing drums on various songs and mixing by Sean Beavan (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson). How did it come to be that they are featured on the EP? Are they friends or people that you have worked with in the past? What is the history there?
WVM: I just asked both Chris and Josh if they wanted to be play drums on certain songs. Chris actually set up the studio called "Mouse House," where he recorded a lot of his Tweaker stuff. I gave both Chris and Josh versions of the songs with the drum parts already written out and performed on a drum machine which they listened to and pretty much duplicated. They are two of my favorite drummers and really sounded amazing on my tracks. They both have very distinctive styles when they play, it's almost like a fingerprint, which I like. I am all about everything sounding as distinctive as possible.
What was it like working with Sean Beavan?
Sean has been involved in some of the greatest albums of all time. He really has a 6th sense when it comes to music. I recorded vocals at his Blue Room studio on a mic which I think is 1 out of only 25 in existence in the world. Recording with Sean is a very positive experience. There is always a great energy and very efficient workflow, but at the same time always maintaining a high sense of creativity and most of all fun. He really is one of my favorite producers/mixers. He has a keen ear for sculpting sounds to bring out the best of all possibilities, a true artist.
Will the EP be both a hard copy and digital release?
The EP is one of 2 EPs that are made up of songs from the full length. The plan is to release the 2 EPs that have different overall arching moods to them, but it's all tied together cohesively in a particular sound. The overall tone of the records will run the gamut between dark and light. The full length will contain songs that are not found on either EP and in turn there may be songs on the EPs that aren't on the full length. I think this gives people a choice of what they want. If they want to hear a collection of songs that has a dark mood, but filled with a sense of hope, the first EP is for them. If they want to hear songs that are darker and more aggressive they can opt to buy the 2nd EP, which will be released at the same time as the full length. If the listener wants to take a journey with me and listen to an album that starts off dark but still has that sense of hope to it and as the album progresses this hope quickly unravels into a darker and more aggressive tone then the full length album will be what they want. The EPs will be strictly digital, the full length will be both digital and limited edition hardcopy.
Describe the writing process for WVM. Where do your influences come from?
I am not influenced by anyone. For me there is a clear distinction between an influence and inspiration. I have been inspired by many works of art, films and albums. The films that inspire me the most are 2001, Dawn of the Dead (Romero version) The Shining, There Will be Blood, Empire Strikes Back and although it's a TV show, it has inspired me a great deal, The Walking Dead. As far as music is concerned I listen a lot to Aphex Twin, Bach, Beethoven, Autechre, The Cure, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Gary Numan, ELO, Kraftwerk, Nine Inch Nails, Richard Devine and Radiohead.
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| Jimmie's Chicken Shack: Jimi Haha
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Written by Dawn Lemay
Monday, 01 April 2013 15:33 |
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| Jimi Haha has been successfully entertaining audiences, since before some of you were born, Jimi and Jimmies' Chicken Shack are still entertaining and their musical creative juices show no sign of stopping anytime soon. Songs like "Welcome to Me" (written and shared on his Facebook 3/13/13) (www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QH4HGOTHUY&feature=share) show there is a more to expect from Jimi. You can also check him out at www.jimihaha.com.
Here is a little history lesson, with the emergence of "Pushing the Salmanilla Envelope" including hits like "High," "Dropping Anchor," "Blood," Jimi Haha became the king of Maryland's local music scene, becoming an influence for local Maryland musicians in today's scene. Jimi is one if not the most influential musician in the local scene for every kid picking up an instrument for the first time. The musicians that were inspired to play by him, kept playing and grew into the musicians that we know today in our current local music scene. i tome la medicina a diario, tó mela a la misma hora cada dí a jelly cialis buy. The secondary objective were to assess the relative safety of cialis cheap This may not be a whole set of side effects and others may occur jelly cialis buy. argaiv1861
After Jimi and Jimmie's Chicken Shack got signed, bands like SR71 and Good Charlotte, Wakefield and many more were given the opportunity to thrive because of the success Jimmie's Chicken Shack brought to Maryland, making it easier for the music industry to take notice.
Recently Jimi and the Shack packed Rams Head Live in Baltimore in an event they called "20 years of misses" a comical poke at their embarkation on the journey to have a 'hit" but never quite succeeding. After 20 years, Jimi is still touring, still packing the house, creating art and music, and making the world a better place, one note or one paintbrush stroke at a time.
In his own words, ".. Jimi HaHa (Jimi Davies) was a bed wetter and thumb sucker. He's been peeling the labels off crayons and creating art since he was three. He spent the last twenty years of his life dodging employment by touring the world with his multi-aluminum selling rock band Jimmie's Chicken Shack. He also plays in Jarflys. He is a not so disappointing son, adequate husband and anxious father. He ekes out a living selling paintings and playing music. He recently has embarked on a collaboration with artist Jeff Alan Huntington called JaH-HaHa Collaborative Art. jeff=JaH + jimi=HaHa (www.jah-haha.com)"
I asked Jimi a series of "20 Questions", here is what he said.
You recently celebrated 20 years of misses, how was the crowd reaction?
The crowd was great. there were a lot of old faces and new faces in the crowd.
It was nice to see an old school pit materialize as well. we couldn't have asked for a better crowd. I think they liked that we brought back all of the old members who have played in the band at some point to sit in on different songs. It was my favorite show i have ever played.
Are You and/or "Jimmies Chicken Shack" working on new music?
We are just getting started writing some new tunes for a new record. well we just started working on it so not sure what it's going to sound like. it will definitely sound different as all of our records tend to sound very different from all of our other records
What are the most requested "Shack" Songs?
Usually old school people yell out "BLISS". we finally played it after more than 15 years at our 20th anniversary show. We might even record a new version of it for our new cd seeing as the other versions were either live or recorded on a low budget.
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| Adler
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Written by Colie Sawinski
Monday, 01 April 2013 15:05 |
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| Shockwave: Lonny, what's your story?
Lonny Paul: I was in a bunch of local bands in LA. Nothing ever took off. Michael Thomas was in one of my bands, and he brought me into Adler's Appetite to play Guns N' Roses songs. After the tour, Steven said he wanted to do something original and he basically fired everyone but me.
We met Jacob through our mutual friend Jay Ruston, who ended up mixing our record.
We recorded at Jeff Pilson's studio and Jeff played bass. We needed somebody live, so we brought Johnny Martin in.
Steven Adler: The simple version is God brought these guys to me. The Devil gave Lonny a guitar at the crossroads and he ran into me in Hollywood. So either God or Satan brought Lonny to me.
SW: Jacob, you also front Lynam. How do you find time to balance this project with that project?
Jacob Bunting: It's easy - when Adler is on the road, Lynam becomes the road crew. I prefer to stay busy. I feel blessed as long as there is constant movement.
SA: We all agree on that. Sitting still is no good.
LP: Idle hands are the devil's playthings.
SA: We were built to tour and play rock music. We weren't built for anything else but this.
SW: Steven, I hear you were a skateboarder. When is the last time you skated?
SA: Not a very good one. I gave that up in my teen years. I fell off my skateboard and landed on my head - that's how I met Slash. Buy my book "My Appetite For Destruction" and you can read the whole story and then some.
SW: Steven, how do you stay motivated?
SA: I just enjoy playing music. I have yet to make a dime doing this. I mean I made good money with the GnR guys, but all these other projects, I come home minus. If we come home with $100 tonight, I am gonna be so happy!
SW: So the people out there picking up a guitar, thinking they are going to make money, what do you say to them?
SA: Good luck! It's a roll of the dice every night. Are there gonna be a lot of people? Is the sound gonna suck? Am I gonna get paid? come on, 7! Aw, craps!
LP: Am I gonna get a blow job? Am I gonna get a hand job?
SA: It's like that old ACDC song - "It's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll". To us, this is our going out. We put on a party every night.
JB: I have a completely different outlook on it. You sit in your room, you play guitar, you listen to an album when you're a kid, you hang posters on the wall of those people, and then a few years later you're playing in a band with them. Then you're showered with money and gifts, so people keep it up! [laughter ensues]
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