Mind Drop Unleash The Awakening

The Illinois based rock/metal band Mind Drop tapped into something special when they brought on-board new lead singer Shauna Lisse. If you don't believe me, then just take a listen to their newest EP entitled The Awakening. I had a chance to talk to Shauna right before their new EP was released and she educated me on all things Mind Drop. Here's my interview with her for Rock Revolt Magazine:

http://rockrevoltmagazine.com/interview-mind-drop/

Red Velvet Car Brings Heart Full Circle

Storytelling is an art form that is slowly fading away in today’s music industry, but not if Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart have their say. The Wilson sisters, over their 30 plus year career, have given us such lyrical classics as “Dog and Butterfly” and “Dreamboat Annie”. The eighties came along and a change came over the sisters. The focus suddenly became less centered on crafting personal lyrical gems and more on cleavage and big hair. It was an educational experience to say the least.

The changes in the industry in the eighties and nineties did cause the girls to stop and look at what was going on. They regained their focus and started to remold the legacy that they has established. The focus went back to writing personal and meaningful songs. It looks as if things have come full circle on their newest release entitled “Red Velvet Car”.

Heart is at a very unique point in their career where they don’t have to record, but they want to. There are still a lot of unpinned lyrical gems floating around in the heads of Ann and Nancy. What better place to start than returning to the home of their original label. This CD was recorded for Legacy Recordings which is part of the Sony Music Entertainment family. The band recording their debut album all the way through 1983’s “Passion works” under the Sony flagship, so this is a homecoming for them.

“Red Velvet Car” contains probably the most personal and introspective lyrics since those gems from their early seventies and all around their strongest CD in years. The lead off track entitled “There You Go” sets the tone of the CD with its unique arrangement of instruments and lyrical warnings. It is a very unique song that sounds refreshingly different for the band.

Radio has been all over the track “WTF” and for good reason. It’s a power rocker with Ann’s powerful vocal interpretation of the lyrics taking it to another level. “Red Velvet Car”, my personal favorite on the CD, is a very sexy slow song. The string section in the background of this song adds a profound layer to this song that just helps it transcend to another level.

Nancy takes over vocals on “Hey You” and just may be one of the best songs that she has ever written. It tells of a love come and gone and the being thankful for what was, but not being bitter or angry during this process. The addition of Nancy on mandolin adds a nice touch to this very Sheryl Crowish song.

“Queen City” pays homage to Seattle where the Wilson sisters grew up and where Ann lives today. “Safronia’s Mark” is another lyrical gem that is about the sister’s great, great, great grandmother from the Civil War era. It’s a beautifully arranged song that is another standout on the CD. Speaking of songs written about family members, “Sunflower” was written by Nancy about Ann and given to her as a birthday gift. Wow and to think that all I ever got from my sister was a card.

The last track entitled “Sand” is a new recording originally done by the girls sideproject The Lovemongers. The song, even though previously recorded, had never truly felt complete. They rerecorded it for this CD and added some different instruments and the song has finally seen its completed form. It’s a beautiful song that I thought couldn’t get any better than the original, but I was sorely mistaken.
Heart chose Ben Mink to produce this CD. They were familiar with his work since he produced Ann’s amazing solo CD entitled “Hope and Glory” back in 2007. He was a wise choice for this project as he continuously challenged the girls in ways that they haven’t been throughout all their recording years. As in challenging Ann’s vocals and asking her to hold back instead of just unleashing her vocals as she normally does. He even challenged Nancy’s play of the acoustic guitar some thirty plus years after she first picked one up.

“Red Velvet Car” is the first CD from the band since 2004’s “Jupiter’s Darling” release, but well worth the wait. Ann and Nancy may be a little older, but much, much wiser. Open the door and hope in this “Red Velvet Car” and be prepared for the musical ride of a lifetime.

Martha Davis of The Motels: No Sleeping Allowed

For some, the eighties was a decade of forgettable fashion, absurd trends and not the greatest melting pot of music. I would beg to differ with alot of those people, for I grew up in the eighties too. One of my fondest memories was discovering the sultry voice of Martha Davis of The Motels. "Only The Lonely", "Take The L", "Suddenly Last Summer" and more great songs were staples of the eighties. She had the most mesmerizing eyes in her videos, ones that seemed to look deep into your soul. Flash forward about twenty five years and you'll find Martha working harder than ever, but you may just be surprised.

Martha recently released her first children's album entitled "Red Frog Presents 16 Songs for Parents and Children", although her idea goes back some thirteen years. "The idea for the children's album came some years ago from a big purple dinosaur. When my grand kids young, the airwaves were being permeated by Barney. My daughter was complaining about having to listen to the songs over and over, her further complaint was that the songs were, how you say, stupid. The songs I listened to as a kid were dark, funny, adventurous and never really talked down to kids. I then set a goal to write a kids album that would be fun, clever and palatable for adults as well. Well, that was about thirteen years ago, maybe more. I shopped it to the labels and I was told that it was too intellectual for children, so I shelved it. As of late, I had noticed pop bands getting into the children's market with some new and wonderful stuff. I ended up rewriting almost the entire album, so now we have a second album. I'm sure one day the former album will see the light of day," stated Martha.

How has the children's album been received? "It has only been out a short time (available by digital download right now on Amazon.com and Itunes) and with very little fanfare, we just plopped it on the internet. There is negotiation currently to have it released on an actual label, which would be wonderful. We'll keep you posted."

Martha's love of music and creating is apparent as she talks about all that she has been working on. Hearing her talk about her creations is like talking to a proud mama. "I have been making music of some sort since I learned my first three guitar chords at the age of eight. I couldn't possibly think of not doing it. It's part of who I am," said Martha.

Martha is currently has so many projects under development that you need a flowchart to keep track of all of them. She is putting together an album of jazz standards that she has written through the years that sound more from the 1920's through the 1950's than modern. There is also talk of new Motels music coming soon and possibly live dates. She is most definitely a multi-faceted woman.

Still, Martha is most remembered as the voice behind The Motels. What an amazing time to be in the music industry. The music was new and refreshing, it was a totally new scene. As far as road stories go, can you share you best and worst that pop into your head? "Well, as far as best goes, going to Australia in 1980 and not knowing 'Total Control' was a hit. When we first started playing, the whole audience rose with the lighters a blaze and swayed to the rhythm of the song. We had no idea, it was very cool. The worst? When a moth, a very big moth, flew into my mouth during an outdoor concert. You're basically faced with two choices....I swallowed."

Speaking of the music industry, it is a far cry from what it was like in the eighties. Care to comment? "Oh, I can comment....it's crazy!! The music industry I knew when I first signed appears to be gone. The record labels I think missed a great opportunity to be part of a new frontier. It's the wild west out there. Everyone can and does put out their own music, but there is very little filtration, which is what the record companies use to provide. I think there will be a distillation process, but it will involve intense creativity on the part of the artist to make themselves known in a crowd. The record companies? I'm sure there will be some new business models appearing."

I have been a fan of Martha's work for sometime now. I was an eighties child and I cannot tell you how many spins her "All For One" album got on my turntable. I love asking more intimate, personal questions at this point to get some goodies for the die hard fans that most sources don't. If she could record with anyone right now who might it be? Her response was David Bowie, but she would not turn down an evening with Radiohead. If she could only have one CD while trapped on a desert island, she chose Bowie's "Low" or Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloe". Last question, do you have any guilty pleasures that may surprise your fans? "I love housework, cleaning, yard work, I love work! I refer to myself as having two speeds: I am either working on something or asleep! OK, I also love to read, which is sort of a middle position. OK, I lied again! I love comedy, Jon Stewart, Simpsons, new fave The Mighty Boosh and rom coms (romantic comedies), probably not what people would expect, what can I say?"

Speaking with Martha is never a dull moment. She and her new business manager, Gaye Ann Bruno, have so many projects in the works right now that it seems like sleep is not an option. Fans of Martha's can keep up with her, if anyone can possible keep up with her pace, at www.themotels.com, www.myspace.com/themotels or www.myspace.com/marthadavis. She is a rare breed of artist who is always creating her next piece of art. I asked her what legacy did she wish to leave behind? What did she want to be remembered for? She summed it up in one simple word: songwriting.