Portland, Oregon music fans were treated to a lengthy session of dance therapy when Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe (KTDU) brought their infectious grooves to the Aladdin Theater on Friday, February 3rd as part of their Runnin’ With The Diesel tour.

Los Angeles-based band The Main Squeeze kicked the night off and made sure that those in attendance were satisfactorily warmed up. This 5-piece band, formed at Indiana University in 2010, delivers driving funk led by the muscular voice of lead singer Corey Frye. These boys can bring the heat, and wasted no time in pulling the audience into their groove. A hard rock edge cuts through their sound at times, and at one point brought to mind Rage Against The Machine. Overall, a highly capable group that’s ready to rip at a moment’s notice.

Which brings us to Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe. Wearing suit jackets with skinny black ties, KDTU took the stage and, after a pause to unload a forgotten container of percussion instruments, got down to business.

With DJ Williams on guitar, Alan Evans (Soulive) on drums, Chris Stillwell (Greyboy Allstars) on bass, David Veith (Crush Effects) on keyboards, Chris Littlefield on trumpet, and Seth Freeman on slide and lap steel guitar, the Tiny Universe has plenty of fuel for its funk fire. And of course there’s the Diesel himself. Whether he’s wielding a saxophone or a flute, Denson leads by example, putting down solid leads and raising the energy level as he solos. He’s also at home shaking the tambourine and dancing around as the other band members take their turn in the spotlight.

KDTU gets bodies moving. The Aladdin Theater was a sea of bobbing heads and shaking tails. Indeed, the band is not immune to its own grooves. Denson, Williams and Littlefield, lined up at the front of the stage, threw down some choreographed moves a few times, and, like the audience, seemed unable to stand still. The band was on point, loose and tight at the same time. Denson’s work ethic and undeniable musicianship have earned him a mountain of respect, as well as a role as saxophonist for the Rolling Stones. KDTU has toured consistently for years, and the band’s high-energy performances helps fans dance their worries away. It’s no wonder they sell out shows from coast to coast.

The post Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe Get Bodies Moving With Blazing Funk In Portland (SHOW REVIEW/PHOTOS) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

In the newest installment of Wannabe, artist Chris Prunckle reviews Silver Tears, the incredible 2016 album from Nashville troubadour Aaron Lee Tasjan, in his signature six-panel comic strip form. Click on the image for full resolution (best viewed on desktop):

The post Wannabe Reviews Aaron Lee Tasjan’s ‘Silver Tears’ appeared first on Glide Magazine.

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Almost everyone at some point has stumbled across Thievery Corporation. And when you do, you pause. Because it’s different. It pulls from so many genres and cultures: jazz and trance and bossa nova and electronic. It is such a blend and it’s blended so smoothly that there’s no way it’s not going to grab your attention. Thievery Corporation can have this calming, atmospheric sound that makes you want nothing more than to listen to them while lying in a hammock on some tropical beach. But they also incorporate funk, dance, and hip hop into a lot of their songs. That’s because they’re good at what they do, and having been around for about two decades, they have a large repertoire and have been able to experiment with many styles.

So that leads us to The Temple of I & I. Their latest release. It’s got a lot of attack by diving head first into Jamaican rhythm. And it’s got a pretty authentic sound, something like Lee “Scratch” Perry, the Jamaican artist that has been a pioneer of dub since the 70s. It is focused much more on dub than trance. The vocals are clear and upfront and there is a deep groove to each. A bit of a departure from their usual soft jazzy sway. But you can really hear the passion in this newfound clarity.

The Temple of I & I is large, 15 songs total, so while each song has a sort of Jamaican influence to it, there is also a lot of variety. “True Sons of Zion” is one track that seems to incorporate this new focus with Thievery Corporation’s more familiar sound. There is a reggae bounce but echoed legato electronic sounds in the background. while the title track and “Time and Space” also have a similar effect.

The album features artists like Mr. Lif, Puma Ptah, Lou Lou, Zeebo and Elin, who have worked with the group in the past. On  “Letter to the Editor” and “Road Block” though they bring in someone new: Racquel Jones, whom the group met on a previous trip to Port Antonio, Jamaica. She showed them some of her demos that used their music as a backing track and they were thrilled, saying “We’ve been waiting years to find a conscious, brilliant, female Jamaican singer and MC.” Those tracks add something to the album. A female voice that is not soothing and angelic but fierce and controlled.

When Eric Hilton explains their idea behind this album, it’s really quite inspiring. He says, The Temple of I & I is a place of worship that exists only in our imagination; a place where all people are chosen people and the unity of living things is possible. So much of the world is divided into tribes and belief systems that have imprisoned people’s consciousness and allowed a few to control the many. Culture can be a blessing and a curse. Humanity transcends tribe and culture. This has been a constant theme in Thievery Corporation’s message since day one.” They are sonic ambassadors of this kind of thinking, bringing together different cultures and genres in a harmonious way.

The post Thievery Corporation Continue as Sonic Ambassadors On ‘The Temple of I & I’ (ALBUM REVIEW) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

The Black Angels – Austin’s psych rock masters – have confirmed details for their upcoming album, ‘Death Song,’ out April 21st. This will be the five-piece’s first full-length release in four years, and their debut for Partisan Records. Scorching opening track “Currency” is streaming now via NPR Music’s All Songs Considered, who called it “a dark and gritty new cut about greed and corruption.” Listen here and feel free to post: http://n.pr/2lkriAg

Written and recorded in large part during the recent election cycle, the music on ‘Death Song’ serves as part protest, part emotional catharsis in a climate dominated by division, anxiety and unease. “Currency,” a strong contender for the heaviest song the band has ever put to wax, meditates on the governing role the monetary system plays in our lives, while slow-building psychedelic earworm “Half Believing” questions the nature and confusing realities of devotion.

Recorded between Seattle and Austin, ‘Death Song’ features production from Phil Ek (Father John Misty, Fleet Foxes, The Shins). The 11-track collection offers a sharply honed elaboration on their signature sound – menacing fuzz guitar and cutting wordplay, steeped in a murky hallucinatory dream.

The band will tour extensively behind ‘Death Song’, including a headline set at one of the first-ever shows at new NYC venue Brooklyn Steel on May 2nd. Full itinerary below for “The Death March Tour”, which begins in Nashville. The band will be supported by A Place to Bury Strangers.

Photo Credit Alexandra Valenti

The post The Black Angels Confirm New LP ‘Death Song’ Due 4/21 on Partisan appeared first on Glide Magazine.

In Suds & Sounds we turn the spotlight on breweries, focusing on the role of music in that brewery’s history, packaging, tastes, and in its city or town as a whole. The idea is to get beer and music lovers to connect with a side of the brewery that may often go overlooked, but one that we think is absolutely vital. To accomplish this, we are talking to the brewers themselves about their own love of music and the role it plays in how they approach their beer. And who knows, maybe we’ll even talk to a musicians from time to time to give a perspective from the other side.

The mountainous high desert town of Taos, New Mexico is beautiful in its own right. Add delicious brews and a regular schedule of live music – not to mention a restaurant that embraces the regional fare with plenty of tacos and green chiles – and you have yourself a mecca on the mesa. All of this is what makes Taos Mesa Brewing a truly one-of-a-kind beer destination. Besides having a regular draft list of 9-12 beers including Fall Down Brown, Cross Eye Rye, and the seasonal BootyCall Barleywine among others, Taos Mesa features music on the regular. They also have an outdoor amphitheater that is a regular tour stop for larger acts and easily ranks among the most beautiful spots in the country. In other words, to say Taos Mesa is a music-oriented brewery would be putting it lightly. We were more than excited to chat with Brewguyver Max Davis about what makes Taos Mesa such a special place.

For people who may have never heard of your brewery, can you give us a little background on how it started and what kind of beers you specialize in?

Taos Mesa Brewing started out as a handful of people with the vision of bringing good quality craft beer and a venue for memorable musical events to Northern New Mexico. We built the building ourselves over the course of a few years and tackled all the associated problems that go along with a project of that scope. We think we’ve created a community of regulars, and have provided an experience for folks who are visiting our part of the world. With quaffable craft beer, amazing views, and a fantastic music venue, it’s easy to fall in love with Taos Mesa Brewing.

How long have you been brewing and what do you consider your greatest triumph so far as a craft brewer?

I started home brewing in January of 1996. My first batch of home brew was a German Alt style, and our Old ’96 Alt commemorates that first venture down the brewing path. We’re proud of the beers that we have to offer, from our Black Diamond Expert Stout to the Sabor Del Sol Pilsner. We have several different styles on tap at any given time, and feel that there’s something for everyone, regardless of personal preference with regards to craft beer.

Taos Mesa Brew Crew. L-R: Head Brewer Jayson Wylie, Lab Master Chris Jones, and Brewguyver Max Davis

Talk about the beer culture a bit in your city. What do people look for in a good beer and what do you hope to provide, and also do you see the beer scene as being linked in any way to the music scene?

Taos is becoming more aware of the craft beer scene. We see people come in who are regularly American Lager style drinkers. After visiting us, many of them come to realize the wide range of flavors that are available in beer. It only takes one or two visits to Taos Mesa Brewing for those people to become regular craft beer drinkers!

In your opinion, is there a particular band or genre that is ideal to listen to while brewing beer?

On brew days, we listen to a wide variety of music. Generally speaking, the person who is ‘leading the brew’ chooses the music. If someone steps into the brewery, they’re likely to hear music that ranges from Primus to Puccini….Rock to Rockabilly….Blues to Bluegrass….By the end of the day, when it’s time to clean up and reset it all for the next brew day, the music generally gets a little more raucous. That gives us the energy that we need to get it all done so that we can enjoy some of the craft beer we love to make.

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SXSW Releases Second Round of Film Announcements

SXSW announced their second round of films for this year’s festival, including the Midnighters and another addition to the Headliners. As usual, the Midnighters segment of the festival is filled with bold and bright new voices in horror/sci-fi/genre, including 68 Kill, starring Matthew Gray Gubler, and a 10-year anniversary screening of Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. Added to this year’s Headliners was The Disaster Artist, James Franco’s behind-the-scenes film showcasing the making of schlock classic, The Room, widely considered to be the greatest bad movie of all time. SXSW Film runs from March 10-19 in Austin, Texas. See the full list of the new announcement here.

(SXSW)

Bill Nye Returns for New Series

Bill Nye is back, with the humble goal to save the world. His new talk show, Bill Nye Saves the World, aims to tackle many of the scientific myths that prevail in society, with Nye running experiments to either prove or debunk many of our preconceptions. A trailer for the Netflix series shows the iconic Science Guy engaging in experiments with Hollywood stars in a talk show format. Given the state of science in today’s climate, this series could do a lot towards reaching people and teaching people who’ve forgotten the purpose and message of scientific inquiry. Bill Nye Saves the World is set to premiere April 21 on Netflix.

(Netflix)

‘Krisha’ Director Unveils Terrifying New Film ‘It Comes at Night’

Trey Edward Shults had a banner year in 2016, owing to the wide acclaim for his feature debut, the personal and intimate Krisha. We now have our first look at his follow up film, It Comes at Night. Can’t really tell you what’s going on here, but I’m terrified. It Comes at Night is expected to hit theaters on August 25.

(A24)

Jack Nicholson to Leave Retirement for ‘Toni Erdmann’ Remake

Toni Erdmann, the Academy Award nominated German film from last year, has already been tapped for an American remake. While that’s a bit silly—the original was fine and American audiences should have no problem enjoying it, even with subtitles—it does come with an added bonus of drawing Jack Nicholson out of retirement. Nicholson, apparently taken in by the original’s charm, spearheaded the remake and is set to star alongside Kristen Wiig, with The Big Short director Adam McKay set to produce the film. No word yet on who will write or direct the film, but they’ve got some big shoes to fill given the acclaim received by the original.

(Variety)

Netflix Renews ‘Love’ for Third Season

Just ahead of the second season premiere, set for March 10 on Netflix, Love has been renewed for a third season of awkward humor and uncomfortable romance. Starring Paul Rust and Gillian Jacobs, and created by Judd Apatow, the series follows the ups and downs of burgeoning romance and takes an unprecedented look at relationships and dating. The first season was highly acclaimed by critics and fans and the second season already shows promise for more of what makes the series great. You can stream the series on Netflix now.

(Deadline)

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You know you got a good friend when he knows you so well he does on instinct what you would do yourself under similar circumstances. I was lucky enough to have such a friend in the fall of 1975 when my former classsmate saw a crowd gathered at the University of Vermont’s Patrick Gym and inquiring accordingly, was told tickets were being sold for an upcoming Bob Dylan concert. Impulse buying ruled the day and to great effect in both short term and long.

The day in question was obviously past the point of only vague rumors circulating on what would come to be known as ‘The Rolling Thunder Revue.’ But given that Dylan had only just toured for the first time in eight years since his reunion with the Band early in 1974 (and my buddy having been awestruck with that show at the Montreal Forum that January), buying a pair of tix was as much of a no-brainer for him as it would’ve been for me.

The look of envy on the faces of those who I advised about having those tickets was almost worth the price of admission (which I forget at this point but reckon were in the $12-15 ranges as designated for Dylan/Band shows). The experience of the concert itself, in a sweltering gymnasium in early November, was absolutely priceless. Not that there weren’t some down times during the course of the two hours, but those were certainly relative and hardly the fault of the other artists on the roster with Dylan.

Striking enough in white face and feathered hat, Bob became all the more so as the concert ensued, displaying a startling level of engagement in his performance whenever he was on stage. There had been a certain disconnect between Bob and his former accompanists when they got back together the previous year, so much so the most memorable segments of the show, as accurately documented on the live double album, Before the Flood, were those when the two were playing apart. But Dylan meshed with the Rolling Thunder band and they in turn aligned behind him, if a bit sloppily, winging it much of the way as their charismatic leader as always been wont to do, here though to unusually theatrical effect.

The audience and the performers seemed equally excited, all the more so because, in addition to new material like “Isis” and “One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)” (from album Desire yet to be released in the first month of 1976),  the setlist included songs that, only a decade or so prior, Bob Dylan had deemed obsolete. The socially-relevant likes of “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” rang true in the context of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter’s jailing (more on that later), while “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” and “Blowin’ in the Wind” vividly evoked the author’s days as conscience of the folk music protest movement.

Accordingly, while that particular aspect of the concert echoed in the familiar personage of Joan Baez, the presence of  Byrds’ founder Roger McGuinn reminded of the breadth of Dylan’s influence on popular culture. Such figures got their due acclamation, but it was nothing compared to the electricity in the air when Dylan took the stage, commanding it with perhaps the most authority he ever had to this point in his career because there were no naysayers, as on the raucous tour that yielded The Real Royal Albert Hall Concert 1966 and no unwieldy expectations as in 1974.

Unusual for the time, the format of the show in two sets made practical sense, giving the performers as well as the audience a break, not just from the heat in the college venue, but a respite from the intensity of the show itself. Baez’s appearance for a protracted segment was as comparable a nod to her roots as Dylan’s and it also offered a fitting nod the folk tradition represented by Ramblin’ Jack Elliott(and the homage to same and its author Woody Guthrie with the ensemble encore of “This Land Is Your Land”). The fact the tour was turning into a campaign on behalf of the (seemingly) wrongly imprisoned boxer Carter, lent a weight of righteous social justice to the proceedings.

But there were even greater dynamics involved in this ‘Rolling Thunder’ presentation, such as the quick interludes with figures such as the embodiment of a non-sequitur in the form of Bowie sideman/guitarist Mick Ronson or front man’s comrade-in-arms Bob Neuwirth. The latter Greenwich Village contemporary of Dylan’s and  who may have been no more recognizable than violinist Scarlet Rivera, he was hardly the wraith-like enigma of this itinerant musician. Reportedly encountered by Dylan on the streets of New York, the violinist added as much exotic mystery to the proceedings with decidedly gypsy-styled accouterments  as the sound of her instrument on songs including “Oh Sister.”

Nothing seemed exactly rushed during the course of this extended performance, but there was nevertheless a sense of the troupe as a whole riding the crest of a wave of inspiration. On a more broad scale, that sensation furthered the idea of  Rolling Thunder as an impromptu sequence of events, an extended immersion in the moment on behalf of all involved, including the audience; as the tour extended into the fall then early winter, the swift turnaround of show announcements, ticket sales, and appearances was expert execution of the practical aspect of this dynamic, proportionately applied.

The spontaneous tone set by Bob Dylan’s own unself-conscious approach to performing–in contrast to his often stilted approach in 1974 and notwithstanding his film-making of Renaldo & Clara during the tour–was a rare commodity indeed. The massive administration of roadworks we know today wasn’t yet common even though the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street tour three years prior inaugurated the concept and the Dylan/Band reunion in 1974 had furthered it.

And, as on so many fronts (with many such instances in his past and yet to come), here was Bob Dylan going against the grain of expectations to great effect, on what turned out to be history-making even before (and arguably to greater degree than) the appearance at Madison Square Garden on behalf  Hurricane Carter later in the year. Often overlooked in the historical arc of ‘Rolling Thunde’r is the evolution of the band down to the core personnel that appeared with Dylan for the Hard Rain television concert of September 1976, much of which was released on the eponymous album and constitutes to many one of the highlights of the man’s live releases.

Yet it’s the early days of the tour by The Rolling Thunder Revue, like this unheralded stop in the Green Mountains, that, even more so that the 1966 with The Hawks near twenty years before, that, as represented on The Bootleg Series Vol. 5, posits the most indelibly memorable example of how deeply Bob Dylan enjoys performing his music live on stage.

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For millions of passionate Grateful Dead fans, there is only one “Wolf”: Jerry Garcia’s beloved guitar. Custom made by luthier Doug Irwin, Wolf was delivered to Jerry and first appeared in a 1973 New York City performance the Grateful Dead gave for the Hell’s Angels. Over the following two decades, Wolf became almost as well known as the performer himself as it appeared in countless concerts and on treasured recordings throughout Jerry’s fabled career. 

Years after the musician’s passing, Wolf returned to Doug and was sold in a 2002 Guernsey’s auction conducted at NYC’s electric Studio 54, where it fetched close to $1 million, more than doubling the existing world record. Now, Wolf’s buyer, wishing to support the important efforts of the Southern Poverty Law Center and its continuing fight against racism and hate groups, has returned Wolf to Guernsey’s for an unprecedented one lot auction of this most treasured guitar. Every penny of the amount bid on this extraordinary instrument will go to SPLC. This Guernsey’s event, additionally supported by the Relix Group, will be held on March 14^th, live at the fabulous Brooklyn Bowl in New York City. Of course, absentee bidders will be accommodated.

From San Fran’s Winterland Ballroom to NYC’s Palladium to Egypt’s Great Pyramids, Jerry and Wolf travelled, appearing in front of massive, passionate audiences. It is no wonder that the devoted Deadhead who purchased the Wolf in 2002 has said, “I’ve been a fan of The Dead since I was a kid, and playing this iconic guitar over the past 15 years has been a privilege. But the time is right for Wolf to do some good. My wife and I have long supported the efforts of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and if ever we needed the SPLC, we sure do need them now.”

Rarely, if ever, has there been an item as memorable and noteworthy as the Wolf being sold in support of a worthy cause. Guernsey’s, a great believer in the work of SPLC, is thrilled that the return of Wolf will go a long way to combat racism and injustice across the country.

Those interested in bidding on the Wolf, or attending the auction and preview events should visit www.guernseys.com or contact the auction house in New York at 212-794-2280.

The post Jerry Garcia’s Legendary “Wolf” Guitar Being Auctioned to Benefit Southern Poverty Law Center appeared first on Glide Magazine.

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They say it’s the anticipation, rather than the act, that causes the most pleasure. That’s buyable, I guess. In the two-and-a-half years since John Wick first shot its way into my heart, I’ve certainly done a lot of anticipating. And though I’m forced to admit that I did, indeed, garner quite a bit of pleasure in waiting for John Wick Chapter 2, rarely have I ever been so satisfied, so pleasured, so thoroughly rocked by any film, let alone a sequel.

Those entranced by the glorious ballet of violence and revenge that propelled the first chapter of the shaky retirement of the Baba Yaga will find plenty more to love in this go around, which elevates mindless carnage to the level of renaissance art, painting a wildly beautiful fresco of blood and viscera that’s breathtaking to behold. The frenetic intensity of John Wick is somehow surpassed by its sequel; not only does John Wick Chapter 2 go over the top, the top is first heightened to absurd levels before being vaulted with impressive ease.

That might be too much for some audiences, admittedly. To enter the world of John Wick you must first be willing to accept things at face value. Logic and reason have precious little air time, and the same goes for plot and development. If you’re the type of watcher unable to check your nuance scale at the door, this isn’t the movie for you. Chances are, you know that already. I’m not here to tell you that you’re wrong. Just know that everything you felt about first movie is amplified and taken to new extremes in Chapter 2.

Which is great news for fans. From the opening moments—which take us through New York City in a hyper-extreme car chase leading to Keanu Reeves finishing up the decimation of the Russian Mafia from the first movie—to its closing shots, John Wick Chapter 2 is non-stop, full-throttle absurdity choreographed as an intricate dance of ultra-violence. This time, it’s Wick vs. the world, by which I mean the fascinating world built by writer Derek Kolstad and director Chad Stahelski.

Chapter 2 takes us deeper into the fantasy underworld of The Continental, adding new layers of bat-shit insanity which were suggested, but never explored, by its predecessor. As fun as these movies are to mindlessly enjoy, it’s the world in which they exist that offer the most satisfaction. Here, assassins don’t live by some unspoken code; the assassin’s way is explicitly codified with rules, regulations, and mutual understandings. It separates them from animals, says Ian McShane’s Winston, the manager of the New York Continental. There’s a kind of civility at play, forcing those who would murder for money into a system that’s part bushido, part capitalist, and entirely badass.

We’re taken from New York to Rome and back again as John Wick faces betrayal from the members of the guild he belongs to. It’s not personal, of course. It’s just business. In this universe, there might be honor among thieves, but it’s a flimsy honor dependent on highest bidders and ulterior motives. Thank god for that. It’s the foundation upon which this series is built, and ultimately what allows us to enjoy two hours of shooting, punching, and car chases orchestrated with an artist’s touch.

As deep as we’re taken into The Continental—two words, guys: Accounts. Payable.—there are hints of further exploration to be done. The crux of the movie lies on preventing the ascension of Gianna D’Antonio (Claudia Gerini) to The Table, a kind of governing body that oversees the criminal underground of the entire world. While there’s a lot of talk regarding this shadow government, we don’t get to see any of the inner workings—in much the same way that John Wick left many unanswered questions regarding The Continental. This sets up an inevitable Chapter 3 and, I’ve got to tell you, I’m already in.

John Wick Chapter 2 is the rare sequel that exceeds its predecessor by doubling down on everything that made the original so great. If there was any doubt as to why John Wick is called The Boogeyman—now in more languages!—you’ll have those doubts fully assuaged by the end of this round. It’s a stunning achievement that weaves high art out of low brow, and leaves you begging for more.

John Wick Chapter 2 is now playing in theaters everywhere.

The post The Beautiful Carnage of ‘John Wick Chapter 2′ (FILM REVIEW) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

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In a world where we’re 75% sure we’re living in The Twilight Zone, there’s not a lot to look forward to. In times like these we turn to simple pleasures. The sun on your skin, the taste of your favorite foods, and The Lego Batman Movie. In what could have been a simple piggyback off the success of 2014’s The Lego Movie, its prominent off-shoot has created a new branch in the Lego universe. To put it frankly, it’s goddamn delightful.

From the second the movie opens, the supersedes any complaints that could be made from hardcore Batman fans. Arnett’s characterization keeps Batman accessible to all; he’s an arrogant, lonely hero, quipping out fantastic one liners and dwelling on the isolation of being a masked vigilante in a very kid friendly “we all feel feelings” way. We even get a fitting homage to the past Batman films and series, showcasing iconic moments and themes without feeling grossly shoehorned.

The magic that made up the original Lego Movie comes out tenfold, existing primarily in Lego Gotham City where the Joker runs amuck on a regular basis, and the GCPD has given over any and all crime fighting over to Batman. As seen in most of the previews, the main turmoil between Joker and Batman is the latter’s inability to acknowledge their mutual hate for one another, insisting that the Joker is not the only thorn in his side. Joker’s rage hits new levels, and as Batman deals with his persistent loneliness, the Joker hatches a scheme to destroy the city once and for all

The subtlety the film delivers accounts for most of its funniest moments. The fact that the stellar cast is comprised of some of the entertainment industry’s favorite funny folks brings a new level to the suspension of disbelief we’re normally required to sustain for movies like this. Rather than being distracted by say, Arnett’s iconic time spent on Arrested Development brought to mind by his cadence, we’re instead treated to a personification of the Lego characters by their voice over counterpart.

While there isn’t much to criticize (save for the occasional dad joke, that let’s face it, the whole theater is going to laugh about) there was a varied disappointment at the lack of character development in some of the most recognizable Batman characters. It’s eventually made up for later with a new batch of soon to be favorites and limited edition Lego playsets, but suffice to say it’s still noticed. To be honest the main problem that stood out came solely from an annoyingly stringent watching of the movie looking for flaws, distracting from the overall glory of some of the best moments.

Rather than give away fantastic jokes or plot developments, it seems pertinent to urge even the stubbornest of curmudgeon to take a moment to appreciate the shear humanity that comes out of a movie starring little plastic figures. As ridiculous as it sounds, we could learn from the lessons of Lego Batman and friends; he truly is the hero we need.

The Lego Batman Movie is now playing in theaters everywhere.

The post You’ll Fall to Pieces Over ‘The Lego Batman Movie’ (FILM REVIEW) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

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Meatbodies are a three piece psych-rock outfit from Los Angeles, California but they sure do like to travel the outer space waves of ear canals and minds. Chad Ubovich, Kevin Boog and Patrick Nolan construct odd sprawling sounds that mix clashing metallic with sweet and saccharine on ALICE, the group’s sophomore release.

There are flashes of Ween, older Flaming Lips, mid-60’s era nugget bands, Pink Floyd light-prog and a touch of Black Sabbath all over the album as the group sprinkles in a bit of madness with their pop rock. Opening with found sounds and rising noise the band crashes into “Kings”. The track is chock full of feedback and head bobbing tempo while the effects pedals get a workout; the band soars all around the sun preparing the listener for the upcoming journey.

The title track feels like a literal drug trip with dripping feedback layers, guitar solo’s, ooh and ahh’s about “Alice” and forest creatures all the same. That warped sense of adventure permeates everything here, tracks like “Scavenger” and “Touchless” manage to mix beauty and filth with ease creating an uneasy, yet still appealing, final product.

The first single from the disk “Haunted History” takes all of these motifs and pushes them together with a touch of swagger and snarl. “Gyre” also tries to tie up all of the bands influences but does so in an odd way that doesn’t work as well. That track, along with some inconsequential lyrics (a problem with this genre in general) are the only down points on the disk though.

“Creature Feature” ups the groove with its bass and rhythmic guitar ringing successfully, all around stoppages for freak out vocals while “Disciples” and “Count Your Fears” both contain heavier stomps and marching (highlighted by the drumming) to match the sonic riffage and warbling experimentation present. An intriguing album that works well in headphones and on huge sound systems that can handle the swirling sonic palettes the group present; ALICE is clearly a stop on the cosmic highway for fans of adventurous rock and roll in 2017.

The post Meatbodies Create Metallic Psych Classic With ‘ALICE’ (ALBUM REVIEW) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

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After twenty years playing together, The Sadies aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. Northern Passages, the tenth studio album by the Toronto alt-country quartet, is an eclectic collection of roots rock that builds on its predecessors while incorporating influences from the various artists with whom the band has recently recorded.

“Riverview Fog” opens the album with an appropriately murky feeling, densely swirling steel guitar strings clouding the fingerpicked acoustic guitar. Co-vocalists Dallas and Travis Good sing what seems to be a letter to a once-close friend, reminiscing about old times. “Through a blue foggy haze, I’ll bet you miss it, too, but I know that you’re where you need to be, out in the country,” they sing.

After “Riverview Fog” eases listeners into the album with the sonic equivalent of a contemplative stroll through the countryside, the first notes of “Another Season Again” establish a more abrasive tone. It is the album’s most aggressive track, its distorted rock riffing and propulsive beat contrasting Dallas and Travis’s western-style intertwining vocal harmonies. It is country rock with a garage attitude, Mike Belitsky’s pounding drum fills adding extra attitude to Good’s fuzzed-out guitar licks.

Throughout Northern Passages, The Sadies tread between the two extremes, the loud, crunching guitars of “There Are No Words” contrasting the breezy western strumming of “The Good Years.” Songs like “Through Strange Eyes” stand out for their ability to deftly combine contrasting styles. Most of the track sounds like an upbeat western shuffle, though occasional outbursts of loud, crackling guitar distortion break through the otherwise serene sound.

Likewise, “The Elements Song” is the album’s most ambitious and complex track, mixing different time signatures, rock guitars and country strumming, and morbid lyrics. After delivering a bleak outlook on life, complete with dark religious imagery for good measure, the brothers Good feign nonchalance. “There’s no need to despair. If you don’t see it, it’s not there,” they mutter.

Kurt Vile provides the lead vocals on the most melodic and catchy number, “It’s Easy (Like Walking).” His voice a rapid-fire, half-spoken delivery, Vile sings of the monotonous nature of constant touring. “My left hand’s got a permanent air guitar tick, but don’t confuse it for a crutch,” Vile sings.

As the tenth Sadies album, Northern Passages incorporates the distinct sound that the band has spent two decades honing but doesn’t feel like a rehash of earlier work. It shows a band that is comfortable with experimentation but knows not to stray too far away from its niche.

The post The Sadies Balance Loud & Breezy Extremes On Tenth LP ‘Northern Passages’ (ALBUM REVIEW) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

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♥

In my years as a critic, I’ve always managed to resist the urge to walk out on bad movies. There’s a professional obligation to sit through the worst of the worst and force myself to endure the bad in the hope that you don’t have to. It was a particularly difficult struggle of endurance and will to not walk out of Fifty Shades Darker, however, one that took the full suppression of my every instinct, every desire, and every sense of decency to overcome. Somehow, I managed it.

Fifty Shades Darker is less a film than a cinematic ramble, a series of flimsily conceived scenes strung together by the loosest of plots as an excuse to get from one passionless sex scene to the next. In between the blistering mediocrity of the sex—which, I gather, is a large part of the appeal of the E.L. James novels—is a story so irredeemably pointless that the only limits pushed are the limits of audience patience.

What little plot there is to be found within Fifty Shades Darker can be summarized as an abuser, Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) wins his former victim, Anastasia Steele—good lord, I can’t even type that name with a straight face—(Dakota Johnson) back by swearing he’s changed. Never mind that she, rightly, walked out of his posh penthouse and reclaimed both her independence and dignity not so long ago. No, he means it. Honestly. This time it’s different.

For a film that’s ostensibly playing to the fantasies of its female audience, it certainly does presume the worst. I suppose you could argue that there’s something mildly empowering about taking a billionaire who’s so enthralled by power that he systematically breaks down the psyches of women for his own gratification and flipping him so hard that he literally gets on his knees and begs for forgiveness. Had the script deigned to offer a more nuanced portrayal of this power struggle, I might give that some consideration.

Instead, we’re meant to just accept that Anastasia is making the right decision. Never mind that it’s exceptionally creepy that Christian is still sending her flowers. Never mind that he purchases large photographs of her from an art show to keep “strangers” from looking at her. Never mind that he buys the company she works for. These are all good and romantic gestures, and not at all the moves of an obsessive stalker. Jesus Christ, if he were poor and ugly, this would be a thriller and not a romance.

It’s made all the worse by the fact that Dornan and Johnson have somewhere in the range of zero chemistry. Neither of them look particularly interested in being there, and both plod through with all the gusto you’d expect of someone who committed to plans they had no interest in and realized too late they couldn’t get out of. Neither of them are bad at their jobs, overall—Dornan was brilliant in The Fall, and Johnson was endearingly lovable in How to Be Single—but both of them are bad here.

Maybe not career-ending-bad, but the taint of their involvement will surely follow them as their careers continue to grow. They are, at this point, indelibly linked to the roles of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in the same way that Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart can’t quite seem to step out from the shadows of Twilight, the sappy vampire love story which inspired James to write the internet fan-fiction that later became the Fifty Shades series.

Not even Kim Basinger, playing a Grey family friend who systematically sexually abused a young Grey, can elevate the rambling drivel of this script. She not only phones it in, she barely looks present; instead she comes off as an impersonation of a bad Kim Basinger impersonator. This was probably the best should do with the material she was given, the source for which is one of the finest examples of aberrant pop culture phenomena in the history of pop culture.

There’s no saving grace here, nothing to maintain your interest. As far as flashes in pans go, the Fifty Shades fire burnt out years ago, making this a fine example of both too little and too late. By the time you get to the mid-credits trailer for next year’s Fifty Shades Free, the prospect of spending another two hours in this insipid world feels like nothing less than a direct threat to your well-being and sanity. It’s already been made, it’s happening, there’s nothing we can do to stop it. This movie can earn a fraction of its $55 million budget, and still we’ll be subjected to more.

I weep for Johnson and Dornan. If this is what passes for romance these days, I weep for us all.

Fifty Shades Darker is now playing in theaters everywhere.

The post ‘Fifty Shades’ of Pointless (FILM REVIEW) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

Glide’s Amy Harris was on the 70000 Tons of Metal Cruise from February 2-6, 20167. Bands on the bill included Anthrax, Orhphanted Land, Over Kill, Testament, Suffocation, and Amaranthe.

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“It’s great to be back in Austin. I spent this last year working a day job in my hometown of Oxford in England so that I could come back to my favorite places like Austin”, Chad Valley admits to the crowd. “What was your day job?” an audience member asks. “ I mixed paint…and sniffed it too!” Chad jokingly quips.

Hugo Manuel, aka Chad Valley, is a down to earth guy with an otherworldly talent for making electronic pop beats and laying beautiful vocals over them. Valley headlined a dynamic bill at Sidewinder’s in Austin on Thursday night that began with Houston’s, Children of Pop, and also featured New York’s electro songstress, Computer Magic.

Children of Pop began the night with a precocious performance that warranted praise from Valley himself, claiming they were his “favorite group out of Texas”.  Computer Magic, aka Danielle Johnson, came on next and entranced the crowd with a range of emo pop-fusion songs that evoked a range of emotions. Computer Magic, of which the name is a reference to Spinal Tap, is a synth-pop solo project that has gained traction through the blogosphere and broken into mainstream outlets like commercials and various brands. Johnson sported an Air Force jumpsuit while she intimately sang into the mic and rolled through her hits like “Fuzz”, “Dimensions”, and “SECRETS”.

Chad Valley capped off the night to a captivated crowd, oscillating from grandiose dance pop to intimate and morose love songs. The commitment and overt emotion on Valleys face when he sings, is contagious because of his undeniable love of making music. Valley played new songs as well as old hits like “Now That I’m Real”, “Shell Suite”, and “Fall 4 U” and the crowd was with him at every moment.

After the show, Valley greeted and chatted with every one of his fans. While Chad Valley’s talent has opened doors to music stages around the world, the humble and caring persona keeps him grounded and accessible. It goes to show you don’t have to be an underwear model with a bag of gimmicks to gain an audience these days, as talent and perseverance can be enough.

The post Chad Valley Lays Down Charm and Synth-Pop In Austin (SHOW REVIEW) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

Fans of what could possibly be described as new classic country were treated to a three-course helping Wednesday when Cody Jinks came to Portland, Oregon with his pals Ward Davis and Paul Cauthen along to help elevate the experience.

When the first performer to hit the stage has had his songs recorded by the likes of Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, you know you’re getting off on the right foot. Ward Davis spent a decade and a half chasing hits in Nashville before Nelson and Haggard recorded “Unfair Weather Friend.” That event inspired him to get out from under the thumb of the Nashville machine and hit the road breaking his own musical trail, leading to the 2015 release of his album, 15 Years in a 10 Year Town. Davis also co-wrote the popular title track to Jinks’ album I’m Not The Devil. Before he played “Unfair Weather Friend,” Davis told the audience that Haggard, a week before his death, chose the song to be played at his funeral. When Merle Haggard chooses a song you wrote to be played at his own funeral, well, that’s an accolade far greater than any CMA award.

Next up was Paul Cauthen, who’s 2016 album, My Gospel, like his rich baritone voice, just cannot be ignored. The album is Cauthen’s first release after quitting his old band Sons of Fathers in 2013. He spent the next few years roaming around Texas, and the soul search proved fruitful. Cauthen possesses a swagger and voice that evokes the outlaw era of country music. At times, if you closed your eyes, you’d have thought that Elvis was up there crooning away.

His band, consisting of drums, electric bass, keyboards and electric/slide guitar, supported Cauthen while he played acoustic guitar and sang his way through many of the tracks from My Gospel as well as a couple of choice covers. He belted out “Folsom Prison Blues” halfway through, and toward the end of the set, Cody Jinks’ drummer and pedal steel player joined in the fray. Jinks himself came out to share vocal duties on “Luckenback, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)” to end Cauthen’s portion of the show.

It wasn’t long before Cody Jinks and his band took the stage to raucous applause. He’s been riding a steadily rising tide of popularity since the August 2016 release of I’m Not The Devil (his fifth release as a country artist) and a recent appearance on Conan. The first show that was announced in Portland sold out fast, so they added a second.

The rise in popularity didn’t come out of the blue. Jinks has had 5 releases since 2010, and has gained the respect of peers and the ear of fans through hard work, perseverance, and by staying true to his creative vision. His career has the same cadence as “I’m Not The Devil.” It may be slow and steady, but it’s unwavering in its trajectory.

Backed up by drums, electric bass, electric guitar, and pedal steel, Jinks presented a range of songs from all 5 releases, but leaned heavily on material from I’m Not The Devil and 2015’s Adobe Sessions. The stage setlist had 23 songs on it. And it didn’t list Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” which they also played. The band hit the stage before its listed set time and played late. Ward Davis came out to play keyboards on “I’m Not The Devil.” There was an oft-visited cooler of macro brews within arms reach of the stage. Cowboy hats waved in the air as the crowd sang along. The whole affair had the feel of an old Texas roadshow. And although there was a tour bus parked outside, it was easy to imagine these guys heading down the road in a convoy of 60’s model Cadillacs to the next honky tonk.

Jinks saved fan favorite “Hippies and Cowboys” for the final song of the night, and it proved to be a pretty good summary of the evening. “Raising hell with the hippies and the cowboys/They don’t care about no trends, they don’t care about songs that sell/Yeah, tomorrow I’ll be gone/So tonight everybody just sing along/Raising hell with the hippies and the cowboys.”

The post Cody Jinks Raises Hell With Portland’s Hippies and Cowboys (SHOW REVIEW/PHOTOS) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

Mike Doughty is a truly steadfast force in music. The Soul Coughing frontman has spent over twenty years making music. Much of that time has been spent releasing solo material at a prolific pace. His most recent album, carrying the lengthy title The Heart Watches While the Brain Burns, came out late in 2016 and he has been on tour supporting it. On Wednesday, February 8^th Doughty made his way to Portland, OR for a show at the Doug Fir Lounge.

It seemed an odd choice For Mike Doughty to book Wheatus as his opening act. After all, the group’s angsty pop rock 2000 hit “Teenage Dirtbag” doesn’t exactly have a lot in common with Soul Coughing or Mike Doughty. Performing as a three-piece, it would become clear later on that the members of Wheatus were also part of Doughty’s band. Wheatus’ set dabbled in new songs, but the biggest response came when Brendan B. Brown took it back to 2000 with songs off the band’s debut self-titled album, including the hit “Dirtbag song” as he put it. While the adolescent awkwardness of those songs didn’t exactly hold up on stage nearly two decades later, both the band and the audience seemed to enjoy reveling in a bit of pop culture nostalgia together.

Opening his show with the heavy beat of “Sleepless”, Mike Doughty immediately showed the crowd this would be a performance dwelling more on Soul Coughing tunes than his solo work. “Sleepless” segued into the chilled out groove of “Sugar Free Jazz”, with Doughty conducting his band like a small orchestra. The band was up for the challenge and worked in tandem as the singer guided them through “Rational Man” – complete with robotic vocals and a danceable beat – and the funky spoken word rambling of “Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago”. On the catchy “Circles”, Soul Coughing’s biggest hit, Doughty spiced it up with his own oddball take on beatboxing.

Throughout his set Mike Doughty demonstrated his ability to draw from hip-hop, rock and roll, country, pop, and poetry to create a sound that is unlike anything else. At the Doug Fir he managed to strike a balance between vivid lyrical narratives and danceable instrumentals. The choice to keep the set so focused on Soul Coughing while throwing in a good mix of solo material meant that even casual fans were appeased. Between the talent of his band and the strength of his catalogue, Mike Doughty showed Portland that even after so many years he still remains a powerful artistic force.

The post Mike Doughty Orchestrates Poetic Music In Portland (SHOW REVIEW) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

Quinn Sullivan has been hailed as the new savior of blues guitar since he was probably eight years old. That’s when the legendary Buddy Guy put the young boy on his stage for the first time and let him roar. Even before that, he had appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, calm and completely at home singing a Beatles tune for the studio audience, strumming a guitar that was bigger than he was.

Fast-forward just a few years and Sullivan is a seventeen year old road veteran with his third studio album, Midnight Highway, having just hit shelves on January 27th. But don’t be so quick to permanent marker him as the blues messiah. The young man has a lot of tricks up his sleeve and they are all not blues-infused. Especially on his new record, Sullivan continues to explore all the ways of rock & roll, from his heroes the Beatles to something with a bit more pop aesthetic.

Sullivan is by no means trying to distance himself from the music that runs so jubilantly through his veins. He just wants to make it more versatilely interesting. “I didn’t want to completely break away from the blues, that’ll always be my home ground,” he said recently. “I just wanted to stretch out.”

Bitten by the guitar blues after watching one of Eric Clapton’s Crossroads with Guy performing, the Massachusetts kid was soon frequently seen at local festivals, tiny guitar slung across his shoulder, out in the crowd playing along to the artists on the stage. A few years into his teens, he made it onto the Crossroads stage himself. Until then, he practiced, played in public whenever he could and … went to school.

Midnight Highway starts off with that shaky blues experimentalism that gets you right under the skin on “Something For Me, with that hint of boogie-woogie piano and chased by the hound dog tomfoolery that keeps it from bogging down in too-deep traditional blues that could smother what Sullivan’s youthfully creative hands can do. Pushing himself to write more lyrics, there are three Sullivan compositions on this record: “Eyes For You,” “Lifting Off” and “Going.” And he also gets to play a Beatles tune, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

Calling Sullivan “a sponge who soaks up everything that’s around him,” producer Tom Hambridge says the young player is always “listening all the time and he just so happens to be around great artists.  Every time he plays, it’s a little deeper.”

Recently, Glide spoke with Sullivan about his past, present and future as he was prepping to promote his new record in New York.

So tell me, what does it feel like to be born a guitar god?

I don’t know (laughs). I don’t really think of myself as that but I started playing guitar when I was three years old and my parents had a whole bunch of music going around in the house when I was growing up, from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones to the Grateful Dead. So it was always in my house.

Yeah but not every three year old starts playing guitar

(laughs) I know, I know, but I don’t know what it was. I think it was just a combination of all the music that was going on and it was one Christmas and I think they just bought me a little acoustic guitar and I really just fell in love with it. I didn’t really have any other interests. I mean, I loved playing outside and doing normal things that a three or four year old kid would be doing but, you know, the whole sports thing never really caught my attention and I never really got into that. It was just the guitar that really sparked an interest in me. That was the beginning of it all.

What was it about that little piece of wood in your hands that intrigued you so much?

I think it was just the feel of it and seeing someone onstage, cause I used to go to a lot of shows when I was young. My parents would take me to local festivals that were going on in the area and we have so many local musicians that play where I live in New Bedford, Massachusetts, so I was always exposed to that at a young age. Seeing someone playing guitar just really made me want to do it, made me say, wow, this would be cool to get up in front of a crowd and play. But I couldn’t play at the time so I got my hands on one and it just went from there.

So your superheroes weren’t like Superman or Batman

Right, my superheroes were Eric Clapton and Jerry Garcia and John Lennon, people like that. Those were my heroes at the time.

So what happened after you got that little guitar?

The next thing I did was that I began taking lessons with a guy named Brian Cass when I was about five years old and he helped me out with actually getting to know the guitar, the instrument, and learning chords and songs and all that good stuff. I did that for a year or two and then I took lessons from this other guy named Stan [Belmarce] and that was two or three years. So those two guys really sort of helped me out a lot in playing guitar, learning a lot of the basic things I needed to know about playing guitar. Also, I always was a huge music listener so I used to play along to the records that I was listening to and would try to take what some other guy or person was doing and make it my own. That’s what I was always trying to do as a kid, still always trying to do – just listen to as much as I can listen to and take what I can take from these people.

When did you first notice you were not just playing what you were hearing but starting to put your own personality into it? How early did that start?

I think that started probably when I was about seven or eight, or nine maybe. A lot of it was just listening and basically playing the same exact solo as the guy who was doing it on the record. Then as soon as I got to master that and as soon as I was able to play along doing that, then I started to kind of say, okay, let’s see if I can make this my own and do this in my own way. So that was like by nine or ten where I was getting to do that more. And hanging out with guys like Buddy Guy, of course, greatly helped and that’s a whole other story (laughs).

Was it always the blues?

You know, it’s funny because it wasn’t so much the blues when I was growing up, it was more the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and the Allman Brothers Band. That was the influence when I was like really young, four or five. I still am a huge Beatles fanatic. They’re my favorite band of all time. But that was mainly the music I was listening to around my house on my own. The blues music didn’t really come about, and I didn’t really start getting into it much, until I saw Buddy Guy on Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival that he did in 2004. That was like the first moment that I heard blues music and that just really caught my attention. I mean, seeing Buddy on that really caught my attention because it was everything: from his stage presence, his guitar playing and singing. His electrifying guitar playing was just, in itself, something that I’d never seen from anybody else. So that was different for me. I was five or six years old seeing that and it was like, God, this is so cool, I’ve got to go check this out.

How does Buddy Guy make you a better guitar player?

I think watching Buddy over the years every night has made me a better, not even just a better guitar player but a better person and musician. You just learn so much over the years of being on tour with somebody and being so close to someone for nine or ten years now. I like to think of it as every single time you go see him, whether he’s sitting in a dressing room or on the bus or wherever, I always think of it as going into like a history class, cause you really learn something so interesting every single time you’re in his presence. He’s taught me so much about life in general, about the music business and about being a good person, always aware of things around you, always aware of what’s going on.

And being happy when you play. He always looks like he’s having a great time.

Oh absolutely, the stage is his home, his second home. His first home is where he grew up in Louisiana but I think other than that, he doesn’t like to spend too much time at home. He always says, when he’s home for too long he needs to get back out on the road cause that’s really where he is feeling most comfortable is onstage and I admire that so much.

Do you feel like that now too?

Yeah, absolutely. When I’m out for like a week or two, or more than that, I come home and it’s nice to be home for a minute and then you kind of just go, I want to get back out and do it again. It’s an addiction, you know, a healthy addiction. But it’s definitely something that you always want to do or always want to be doing. The responses I have been getting lately have just been great and you just crave that all the time and you crave playing. So to me it is definitely something that I consider my second home.

You have a new record just coming out, Midnight Highway

Yeah, Midnight Highway was a record we did in Nashville, Tennessee, at Blackbird Studio, amongst many other studios. We also recorded at Sound Stage and the Tracking Room. It was produced by Tom Hambridge, which is Buddy Guy’s producer and he’s also produced for Susan Tedeschi and Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top, Johnny Winter, a lot of different guys. So he’s got a lot of credibility as well so it was just great to work with Tom on this new record. It was a great experience. I got a lot more involved with the songwriting process and everything. I got to hang out with some really cool guys in the studio, a lot of great, great studio musicians that play on this album. It was really a joy the whole time. And we did it in sections. We’d go to Nashville for a weekend and we’d do four or five tracks in a day or two and then take a few months off and then go back and do it. So over the course of a year we did this album. I’m so glad it’s finally out and people can listen to it. It’s something that I am proud of.

In the studio, are you more of a knob fiddler or a gadget experimenter?

I’m a little of both. As far as getting a tone, there’s really endless options when you’re in the studio to get different tones for different things you’re doing. I remember when I was at Blackbird in Nashville, they had a whole bunch of vintage gear and I’m a huge vintage gear nerd so I was very excited to be able to use some of those guitars and amps. I used a couple of vintage Strats and vintage acoustic guitars, vintage Teles and some vintage Fender amps and Marshalls, so that was really fun. I think I had like three or four consistent sounds throughout the whole album that I didn’t really change too much from cause I wanted to just keep it as stripped down as I could and not add too many weird things. That’s kind of how that went.

Which song on the record changed the most from it’s original composition to it’s final recorded version?

That’s a good question. I think the song that changed the most was probably the song “Going.” That started off as just an acoustic guitar track that I had recorded on my phone and it was just a few chords I had written down. At first it was just going to be an acoustic song with no band or anything. It was going to be me doing a kind of unplugged version of it. Then we decided to add instruments and drums and bass and keyboards to it to make it a full mastered song.

How close in terms of writing a song do lyrics come to you after you’ve got some chords or a melody? When do you start hearing words?

When I go to write a song or record a song or anything like that, it mostly starts off with chords or a melody that I have on guitar. Then, as soon as you have that, then I find myself just humming a melody or humming a verse with no lyrics, and you record that. Then you go back to that and go, okay, and you start thinking of some ideas and writing them down and it’s almost like a metronome melody. You’re kind of just working fast-paced. Sometimes it works like that and then other times you might have to wait a while to think of something. I have so many songs that are unfinished cause I haven’t figured out what I wanted to say in that song yet. So the melody is there and the chords are there but the vocal itself isn’t quite there yet.

The lyrics are the hardest part to write because, to me, that’s what you have to think the most about. The melody is hard too, it’s certainly not an easy thing, but I think the kind of way you got to do it is just have time on your hands and be kind of freed up and not rush it too much so things just come naturally.

Is there a line or lyric on the songs that you wrote for this record that you are especially proud of?

Yeah, it’s actually the same song I was talking about before, “Going.” The last verse to that song, “How does someone lose their best friend and just walk away.” That to me is one of my favorite lines on any song that I’ve recorded cause I wrote that with Tom. That to me stuck out. It’s a pretty personal song and it was written probably a year and a half ago.

You start the record off with “Something For Me” and that’s very bluesy but then you start evolving. The whole record doesn’t have a sense of being the same song over and over.

That’s what we were trying to do cause that’s kind of the crossroads that I’m at, I guess, right now with which way I want to go. We had different ideas and I have so many different influences, it’s so hard to just write one type of song because there are just so many different styles that I do and play. So yeah, it’s a mixture of things. It does open with a bluesier kind of song and sets you up and then “Tell Me I’m Not Dreaming” is a bit poppier and then as you go through it gets to be kind of rock oriented and then a little bit of that jamband kind of vibe at the end with “Buffalo Nickel.”

Were you thinking of something in particular when you did that instrumental, cause songs without words you sometimes have to feel it?

Absolutely, “Buffalo Nickel” was actually done in one take. That was something Tom had and it was kind of a rough track of just a couple of chords and the band and I were just kind of checking it out. This is eight or nine o’clock at night and I remember it was like the last song we recorded for the record and it was done probably in like forty minutes, half an hour. We recorded it one time, a one shot kind of deal, and we just jammed on it for like eight or nine minutes. We decided that this is so cool, let’s just put this on the record. So that ended up being the last song that we ended up putting on. I feel like it’s a good finale of the record in a way because it has this really dramatic thing at the end, this really rock & roll thing at the end. It wasn’t really a song that I had heard before or knew what it was going to sound like when it came out. It was one of those spontaneous, exciting things.

In terms of the blues, what do you think is the most important element in playing the blues? What do you need to put in there to feel it?

There are a lot of different things that people come up with. My interpretation of it is that blues is so history-oriented, if that makes any sense. People nowadays that play contemporary music that is out now, it all stems back to blues to me. I mean, everything kind of just goes back to a lot of the older blues guys that were out in the twenties and thirties, and even before that, so that whole thing is like an everlasting thing that just keeps going and going and going. I know a lot of people get a lot of not-so-good feedback sometimes when they see a kid that’s coming out and playing some blues stuff and it’s like, oh, he doesn’t have it, and all that stuff. But I think everybody has it, the blues, because everyone lives different lives and everyone experiences different things. You know, a five year old kid could experience something traumatic in their life, the same traumatizing thing as a fifty year old guy could experience. So to me, age is just a number. It’s not so much you have to be older and have life experience. I think it’s just the way the music is and the way it sounds and the excitement of it and the love you have for it.

What was the first song that you obsessed over to play on guitar as a kid?

The first song I ever obsessed over was a song by the Beatles called “Blackbird.” That was the first song I learned to play on the guitar. The other day I was hanging out with my old guitar teacher and we were talking about that and how fun that was to work on that and play that. But for me, that was the most fun song I think because it was just this really complex acoustic guitar song. I didn’t think I’d ever learn it so quickly or anything but I ended up mastering it probably like a week after he taught me the song. I remember kind of working on it every day after school when I’d get home, cause it’s a weird thing. You don’t use a pick on that song, it’s just finger-picking, and you’ve got to know the certain finger-picking style and you’ve got to know, obviously, everything else about it. But I was just so into it that I listened to that song so many times as a kid. So I guess the combination of listening to it and knowing the song so well in my head, I kind of just picked it up pretty easily. So for me, that was my favorite song that I learned how to play.

You’ve done Experience Hendrix. What do you think was his greatest quality as a guitar player?

I think he had so many. I think what he did was modernize electric guitar and really make it known to the world. He took things that Buddy Guy did and BB King and Muddy Waters and Albert King, all those guys that came before him, he took all that stuff and made it his own and made it really loud and electrified the whole thing and kind of made it a mainstream type thing. He took blues music and made it popular so I think a lot of people owe that to Jimi. He made it so the younger crowds would understand it and dig it. I mean, he had to go to Europe before he made it here and when he got back here he was all of a sudden the biggest thing ever. So it’s pretty cool that one guy could do that in such a short amount of time and leave such a legacy.

What is something new that you want to try?

The goal that I have as an artist is to translate music in different ways. Right now, it’s me playing guitar and singing and doing what I do but I’d love to learn about piano and playing piano more. I know how to play a little bit but I haven’t obviously mastered piano or anything so it would be nice to be able to sit down and just play a song on the piano. That is something that I’ve always kind of wanted to do. Another thing is mastering the voice and singing with a stronger capability and that is something I am working on right now. Bettering myself as a guitar player, listening to more and more people that I can listen to. I want to appeal to as many people as I can appeal to and better myself as a singer and a songwriter and all that good stuff. So that’s really what my goals are.

And to also just always put on a great show. I think that’s probably the most important thing out of all of this is to be able to go onstage and give people what they’ve paid for because that to me, if you don’t do that then it’s kind of just blowing smoke. If you have a good record, it’s good, but if you can’t do the same thing live, I don’t feel like it’s worth doing. That’s what I’ve always tried to do lately and throughout my whole career is just always play with a hundred percent of what you got and give them what you got. That’s really why I’m doing it.

You sound so level-headed

(laughs) I’ve got a lot of really good people surrounding me. I grew up playing music and I’ve grown up touring around the world and I’ve gotten to see all these really cool places and it’s amazing and it’s thanks to people like Buddy Guy and also thanks to my parents that actually let me do that. You know, I owe it to them. If it really wasn’t for my dad and my mom and my family and my close friends, none of this would really be possible. So I owe it to them for helping me out and doing all they do.

What’s happening for you in 2017?

The record’s out so we’re going to be touring throughout the US in March and April, May, June, a little bit of a spring tour thing. We’re going to Europe again in August; we’re also going in May, but we’re doing this really cool festival in Norway in August. There’s more stuff coming in that we’ll be announcing soon and we’ll have all the tour dates on my website, http://quinnsullivanmusic.com/ I’m so excited to get back out. I haven’t toured since this past summer. We’ve done some one-offs, we just went to Chicago to play Buddy’s club, but we kind of do that anyway and it was fun to do that again. But we haven’t really done a full tour in a bit of a time so I’m ready to go, ready to do this.

The post Guitar Slinger Quinn Sullivan Stretches From The Blues On ‘Midnight Highway’ (INTERVIEW) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

Following last night’s Grammy performance that had obvious audio issues, Metallica has announced their WorldWired 2017 North American tour in support of their new album Hardwired… To Self-Destruct. The WorldWired 2017 tour is produced by Live Nation and kicks off on May 10th in Baltimore, MD at M&T Bank Stadium. The tour will crisscross its way across North America into the summer, marking the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and Grammy® Award winning band’s first proper North American tour since 2009. Avenged Sevenfold and Volbeat will be the main support acts for the tour run. See below for a list of all confirmed dates.

Presale tickets will be available to Legacy Fan Club members beginning on Tuesday, February 14 at 9:00 AM local time, with presale tickets available to all Met Club members beginning on Tuesday, February 14 at 11:00 AM local time. Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning this Friday, February 17th at 10:00 AM local time. Each ticket purchased will come with a copy of the Hardwired…To Self-Destructalbum, available as a physical CD or a digital download. Visit www.metallica.com for complete ticket info.

Every ticket purchased through official outlets includes your choice of a standard physical or standard digital copy of Hardwired…To Self-Destruct. Fans should expect to receive information from Warner Music Artist Services on how to redeem their albums within 14 business days after their purchase. Full details of how you can gift the album, should you have already purchased, will be given on the redemption page.

Additionally, Metallica has announced the formation of their All Within My Hands Foundation, which will raise funds to support a cross-section of national, local and Bay Area charities that the individual band members support, along with continuing to donate to music education programs and local food banks. Through a collaboration with Crowdrise, the band encourages fans to make a donation when purchasing tickets to the upcoming shows. For more information, visit www.crowdrise.com/metallica

Tour Dates

May 10 – Baltimore, MD – M&T Bank Stadium*^
May 12 – Philadelphia, PA – Lincoln Financial Field*^
May 14 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium*^
May 17 – Uniondale, NY – New Coliseum^
May 19 – Boston, MA – Gillette Stadium ^
May 21 – Columbus, OH – Rock On The Range Festival (SOLD OUT)
June 4 – St. Louis, MO – Busch Stadium^
June 7 – Denver, CO – Sports Authority Field*^
June 11 – Houston, TX – NRG Stadium*^
June 14 – San Antonio, TX – Alamodome*
June 16 – Dallas, TX – AT&T Stadium*
June 18 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field*
July 5 – Orlando, FL – Camping World Stadium*^
July 7 – Miami, FL – Hard Rock Stadium*^
July 9 – Atlanta, GA – SunTrust Park*^
July 12 – Detroit, MI – Comerica Park*^
July 14 – Quebec City, QC– Festival D’Ete
July 16 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre*^
July 19 – Montreal, QB – Parc Jean-Drapeau*^
July 29 – Los Angeles, CA – Rose Bowl*+
August 4 – Phoenix, AZ – University of Phoenix Stadium*+
August 6 – San Diego, CA – Petco Park*+
August 9 – Seattle, WA – CenturyLink Field*+
August 14 – Vancouver, BC – BC Place*+
August 16 – Edmonton, AB – Commonwealth Stadium*+

*With Avenged Sevenfold
^With Volbeat
+With Gojira

The post Metallica Announces 2017 Stadium Tour With Openers Avenged Sevenfold and Volbeat appeared first on Glide Magazine.