Feature

18 Mar

Chris Adler (Lamb Of God): The Interview

Paul HansonFeature
 Photo © William Hawkins - morphusphotography.comI'm smiling, sitting in the Hawkeye Downs Expo Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Lamb Of God's soundcheck is over and the arena is now filled with various noises. The roadies for the other three bands on the bill work feverishly to set up the stage for the concert. The roster reads Gojira, Machine Head, Trivium and Lamb Of God. It is a great lineup on paper. Satisfied with his drums, Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler walks from backstage to the arena floor to greet me. We find a place to sit down and talk about…
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11 Jan

High School Musical Goes Remix

Paul HansonFeature
When my daughter and I walked into the Girl Scout-sponsored Daddy-Daughter Dance recently, the dance floor was empty. But as soon as the first chords of "Breaking Free" began, there were screams of joy from what seemed like hundreds of 10-year-old girls. The dance floor was suddenly a mob as dads began filing to the bleachers to watch their daughters scream the lyrics to the tune. This was in April 2006, shortly after High School Musical premiered on the Disney Channel. Now, in early 2007, Disney continues to feed the marketing machine behind the hit film with a remix DVD…
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10 Jan

Looking At The Perfect Thing

Jeff ClutterbuckFeature
However, the mindset of the majority of the music industry, along with the advent of new technology, is killing off album-driven music. I just hope the decline reverses its course before my kids eventually do end up asking me, "Dad, what was an album?" -- “What Was An Album?” I wrote those words roughly a year and a half ago. Funny how a little bit of time can change one’s views.Steven Levy currently is the senior editor and the chief technology correspondent for Newsweek. His career has covered a great deal of the PC Revolution, and much of his writings…
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27 Nov

James Blunt Bangs A Gong

Melanie LoveFeature
I know I probably lose all credibility as a music reviewer for this, but I can’t help it: I love James Blunt. Yes, “You’re Beautiful” has been played to death and more than verges on cheesy and on top of that, I’ve never been a huge fan of the dime-a-dozen, soulful pop idols, famous for a few moments of gorgeousness before imploding into one-hit wonderland – but even despite that, something about Blunt’s debut, Back To Bedlam, resonated with me. And apparently I’m not alone, because the Gibson Amphitheater, which seats about 6,000, was packed when I put aside an…
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11 Nov

Moline Gets Godsmacked

Paul HansonFeature
The question asked by thousands of bands in thousands of arenas for many years was asked first by Hour Cast’s Patrick McBride. The lead vocalist wanted to know “How are you feeling?” The crowd in the Mark in Moline, IL answered with a respectable roar, but it didn’t satisfy McBride. “That’s not going to cut it,” he told the crowd, continuing a night where his band had to get a crowd riled up that was there to see fellow Bostonians Godsmack. Judging by the riffs by David Henriquez, the band’s dreadlocked-hair guitarist, and the pounding of Jerry Clews, the band’s…
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06 Nov

Page Hamilton: The Interview

Cory GalliherFeature
Helmet's most recent album, Monochrome, was released in July; the 11 tracks are described as a return to roots for the band. The alternative metal group also is going to be included on the soundtrack for the film Saw III, and recently I was able to talk with Helmet frontman Page Hamilton about the soundtrack, the album, the band, video games and Bach, among other things. Daily Vault: So, I've heard that the title track from your new album Monochrome is going to be on the Saw 3 soundtrack. What can you tell me about that? Page Hamilton: They asked me about…
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28 Oct

Andy Summers: A Life In Music

dvadminFeature
There’s a familiar feeling I get when reaching the end of a book I’ve really enjoyed.  It’s a bittersweet, slightly disorienting sensation of departing -- against your will -- a world that’s thoroughly captivated you, even if some part of you knew all along that your time there was destined to be limited.    In this insightful musical autobiography, guitarist Andy Summers shares in intimate detail how he came to experience that same sensation, arriving -- after great tribulation -- at the peak of a legend-making career with the Police, only to face the inevitable yet all-too-soon breakup of the band…
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18 Oct

The World Cup of Music: Madonna’s Confessions Tour

Michael R. SmithFeature
The Italians may have won the coveted World Cup, but for whatever reason Madonna never even mentioned it during her second of three sold-out shows at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston on July 9th.  It was just one of many indications that her show was extremely choreographed from start to finish, leaving very little room for spontaneity. Madonna has always had trouble connecting with her audiences over the years, though perhaps that is what preserves the illusion that she is a larger-than-life, untouchable superstar. So, while her fellow Italian-Americans were celebrating in the streets of Boston’s North End, Madonna…
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13 Sep

A Live Concert Triptych

Melanie LoveFeature
From June to August, instead of traveling or working or just being productive in general, I’ve been trying to jam as many concerts as I can into the spare time I have before being forced back into SAT prep and the perils of U.S. history and trigonometry. And so, I’ve braved pot smoke (seriously, what is it about concerts that equals being blazed anyway?) and rampaging crowds and some, let’s just say, interesting opening bands just to bring you a few of the best acts from the past couple of months.Keane – Henry Fonda Theater – June 21st, 2006 I…
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15 Aug

Chris Cubeta: The Interview

dvadminFeature
 The struggle in finding adjectives to describe Chris Cubeta's talent involves balancing obvious choices like "exceptional" and "brilliant" with the desire not to put too much on the shoulders of a guy who is just beginning to find his audience.  Composer of heartfelt, sharp-eyed roots-rock songs that somehow also retain a dreamlike universality, he is the author with his good friend Danny Lanzetta of two CDs’ worth of absolutely terrific music, 2003’s Sugar Sky and more recently the July 2006 release Faithful.  An admirer of artists like Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen and Lucinda Williams, Cubeta keeps it real in his lyrics, his music and his interviews.  Our discussion…
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