ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, NOV. 4, 2004 By Steve Newton "If Foghat is a dirty word to you, stop reading." That's how Entertainment Weekly kicked off its review of Bad Wizard's 2002 CD, Sophisticated Mouth. Now, it's been a long time since I dusted off my dog-eared vinyl copies of Energized or Rock 'n' Roll Outlaws, but back in high school, … Continue reading Wizard Conjures Up A Suspiciously ’70s Sound
A Solo Todd Kerns Is Open to Beautiful Disasters
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, NOV. 10, 2004 By Steve Newton Strolling into the living room of Todd Kerns's Burnaby townhouse is a bit like entering a '70s-rock museum. The first thing you see is an array of fine electric guitars, including an AC/DC--style Gibson SG; the second is a set of Kiss action figures atop … Continue reading A Solo Todd Kerns Is Open to Beautiful Disasters
Warren Haynes says Dickey Betts and Derek Trucks are “two distinctly different personalities”
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, NOV. 10, 2004 By Steve Newton When original Gov't Mule bassist Allen Woody died of a heart attack in August of 2000, he left a sizable pair of shoes that have taken bandmates Warren Haynes and Matt Abst more than three years to fill. At first, the two remaining members didn't … Continue reading Warren Haynes says Dickey Betts and Derek Trucks are “two distinctly different personalities”
Blues Explosion’s Spencer Expresses His Outrage
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, NOV. 10, 2004 By Steve Newton Blues Explosion singer-guitarist Jon Spencer was on a bus with his young son in Manhattan when the first hijacked plane hit the World Trade Center that fateful day in 2001. But unlike the apparent majority of his countrymen, Spencer doesn't feel his nation's ongoing response … Continue reading Blues Explosion’s Spencer Expresses His Outrage
There’s not a band in the land that can touch the Hip in concert
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, NOV. 18, 2004 By Steve Newton Has the Tragically Hip finally lost its standing as Canada's top rock band? There's little doubt that Kingston, Ontario's favourite sons have been on a downward slide, popularity-wise, for the last few years. Back in '96, the group came close to selling out the Pacific … Continue reading There’s not a band in the land that can touch the Hip in concert
Dave Mustaine says Brad Gillis butchered Randy Rhoads’ solos with Ozzy
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, NOV. 25, 2004 By Steve Newton Megadeth fans who favour the band's early work were no doubt pleased to see that original member Chris Poland rejoined fellow guitarist (and bandleader) Dave Mustaine for the group's latest CD, The System Has Failed. But anyone expecting to see Poland in the lineup when Megadeth … Continue reading Dave Mustaine says Brad Gillis butchered Randy Rhoads’ solos with Ozzy
Sonny Landreth hoped some of Albert King’s cosmic dust would rub off on him
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 25, 2004 By Steve Newton Unless you're an avid follower of guitar players--and slide-guitar specialists, in particular--you may not have heard of Sonny Landreth. According to Eric Clapton, he is "probably the most underestimated musician on the planet". But that didn't stop Landreth from earning a Grammy nomination for his 2003 … Continue reading Sonny Landreth hoped some of Albert King’s cosmic dust would rub off on him
O.A.R. Dips Its Paddle in the Big-League Ocean
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, FEB. 24, 2005 By Steve Newton Most independent bands have a tough go of it, struggling just to make it to low-paying gigs, scraping money together to make records, and then having a rough time selling them. But there are exceptions. Before Washington, D.C.-based O.A.R. (Of a Revolution) became a major-label … Continue reading O.A.R. Dips Its Paddle in the Big-League Ocean
Craig Northey stays in the game
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, FEB. 24, 2005 Craig Northey is best known for his work with the Odds, the whimsically rockin' local quartet that spent most of the '90s churning out some of the most enchanting, Beatlesque pop this city has ever heard. Since the Odds called it quits in 2000, he's stayed deeply involved … Continue reading Craig Northey stays in the game
Brant Bjork gets his music to the people
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 10, 2005 By Steve Newton When Brant Bjork calls the Straight from a Southern California town named Joshua Tree, the first thing that comes to mind is U2: The Joshua Tree was the '87 album that made the Irish quartet tops in pop music. But apart from acknowledging that "the … Continue reading Brant Bjork gets his music to the people
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are hooked on playing weddings
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 17, 2005 By Steve Newton Some rock bands think it's cool to sell out hockey rinks and football stadiums, but if you ask Spike-lead singer for Me First and the Gimme Gimmes-he'll claim that there's no live setting quite like a bar mitzvah. Of course, it helps if you're blasting … Continue reading Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are hooked on playing weddings
Slash on Velvet Revolver: “We’re doing pretty fucking well for ourselves.”
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 31, 2005 By Steve Newton When the remnants of Guns N' Roses-guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Matt Sorum-went looking for a vocalist to front their new band, the first name that came to mind was the Stone Temple Pilots' Scott Weiland. The problem at the time, though, was … Continue reading Slash on Velvet Revolver: “We’re doing pretty fucking well for ourselves.”
Scott Weiland is an incredible rock star with Velvet Revolver
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, APRIL 7, 2005 By Steve Newton On the way in to the Velvet Revolver gig, it was weird to see heaps of seized chewing-gum packages lying on tables next to the security crews that were frisking folks. I recall 20 years back, at the height of the heavy-metal craze, how those … Continue reading Scott Weiland is an incredible rock star with Velvet Revolver