ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, APRIL 7, 2005 By Steve Newton One of the stock questions I like to toss out when interviewing rockers is, "So, what have you been listening to lately?" When I call up Corrosion of Conformity guitarist-vocalist Pepper Keenan in the midst of his band's North American tour with Motorhead, that query … Continue reading Corrosion picker Pepper bashes his (ear)drums
Sound Tribe Sector Nine goes for the groove
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, APRIL 21, 2005 By Steve Newton I don't normally condone drug use, but if you're the type of person who enjoys a wee puff before a concert, have I got a gig for you. California's Sound Tribe Sector Nine specializes in dreamy, multilayered, mind-tweaking deep-groove sounds in which samplers and computers … Continue reading Sound Tribe Sector Nine goes for the groove
Steve Vai goes weedley-eedley-eedley at the Commodore
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, APRIL 28, 2005 When you go to a Steve Vai concert these days, you definitely get your money's worth, musicianwise. Not only is Vai one of the most gifted rock guitarists alive, his bandmates hold some serious credentials as well. Rhythm guitarist Dave Weiner is still in his 20s, but he's … Continue reading Steve Vai goes weedley-eedley-eedley at the Commodore
Wylde-Man Guitarist Is Married With Children
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, APRIL 28, 2005 By Steve Newton My earliest memory of drinkin' beer goes back to when I was about seven or eight. Don't panic, I wasn't wasted. I just recall sampling the warm dregs of my dad's Black Label stubby while watching an Original Six NHL game on the tube. It … Continue reading Wylde-Man Guitarist Is Married With Children
Umphrey’s McGee guitarist thinks the jam-band movement is the new rock ‘n’ roll
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MAY 5, 2005 By Steve Newton The annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is the type of event where jam-happy bands from across the States converge to spread the gospel of anything-goes improv. Umphrey's McGee makes its fourth appearance at the three-day Tennessee fest this June, joining the likes of the … Continue reading Umphrey’s McGee guitarist thinks the jam-band movement is the new rock ‘n’ roll
Mando Diao’s Björn Dixgård doesn’t give a fuck about sound
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MAY 5, 2005 By Steve Newton A couple of years back, when I first heard the Hellacopters' By the Grace of God CD, I figured I'd found the ultimate Swedish guitar-rock band. I played the thing endlessly, totally entranced by the awesome hooks, twin-guitar interplay, and '70s-style melodies. I spent many … Continue reading Mando Diao’s Björn Dixgård doesn’t give a fuck about sound
Kathleen Edwards says that she’s too rock for Nashville and too country for Europe
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 26, 2005 By Steve Newton When Toronto roots-pop sensation Kathleen Edwards calls from a Tennessee tour stop, she's strolling the streets of Nashville en route to a yoga class. "It's what you need when you sit on a bus all day," she points out. Along the way, she's found a little … Continue reading Kathleen Edwards says that she’s too rock for Nashville and too country for Europe
Dave Martone shreds with the best of them
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MAY 26, 2005 By Steve Newton Local instrumental-rock freaks have enjoyed recent Commodore shows by two of the genre's best-known touring guitarists, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai; they should also know that a player of equal talent and similar style has been living (not so) quietly among them for more than … Continue reading Dave Martone shreds with the best of them
Sweden’s Caesars hit it big with “Jerk It Out” via iPod commercial
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JUNE 2, 2005 By Steve Newton In the booklet for the Caesars' new CD, Paper Tigers, there's a photo of singer-guitarist and main songwriter Joakim Ahland in the studio, riffing out on a classic old-school rock guitar: a white Strat with a maple neck. That's the same body/neck combo Jimi Hendrix … Continue reading Sweden’s Caesars hit it big with “Jerk It Out” via iPod commercial
Hotshots and hillbillies collide on Jimmy Thackery’s Healin’ Ground
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JUNE 2, 2005 By Steve Newton When Jimmy Thackery was a kid, his father took him and his brother to see the 1964 Peter Sellers comedy A Shot in the Dark. They all loved it; the boys would repeat Inspector Clouseau's lines endlessly at home, bent over in hysterics in front … Continue reading Hotshots and hillbillies collide on Jimmy Thackery’s Healin’ Ground
Avenged Sevenfold’s Synyster Gates says that Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo is his favourite guitarist
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 7, 2005 By Steve Newton "He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." Huntington Beach hard-rockers Avenged Sevenfold used that quote from Hunter S. Thompson to introduce their upcoming video-single, "Bat Country". Seems the rowdy noisemakers are huge fans of the late gonzo … Continue reading Avenged Sevenfold’s Synyster Gates says that Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo is his favourite guitarist
Fearless demon-killer Bruce Campbell opts for the safety of the sidewalk in Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 7, 2005 By Steve Newton Bruce Campbell won the hearts of horror fans everywhere with his role as the comically intense demon killer Ash in Sam Raimi's low-budget 1983 horror hit, The Evil Dead. He went on to portray the manic, blood-soaked hero in the increasingly slapstick follow-ups, Evil Dead II: … Continue reading Fearless demon-killer Bruce Campbell opts for the safety of the sidewalk in Vancouver
Edgar Winter strives to break down senseless musical barriers
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 28, 2005 By Steve Newton Most rock bands from the '70s aren't making waves on the sales charts these days, but not every musician who thrived 30 years ago has been barred from Billboard in recent years. Edgar Winter had the chorus from his 1971 song "Dying to Live" used in … Continue reading Edgar Winter strives to break down senseless musical barriers