John Lilley Talks Up New Solo Project

Great to talk with this guy again! One of my favorite musicians in one of my favorite bands - John Lilley from The Hooters. This brand new October 2008 interview with John is in advance of John's solo band show at Puck in Doylestown, PA on October 17th. Yes, when not gigging with The Hooters or teaching guitar in the Philly area, John is working on some outstanding solo music. He's put together a new band to perform this music with, which he talks about here. He also talks about the journey that is his music, how he came to 'find his voice' so to speak, and what he plans on doing with this newfound voice in the near future. Do yourself a favor and check out John's MySpace page at www.myspace.com/johnlilleymusic for to hear several demos John's been working on. The stuff keeps getting better and better. The link for Puck in Doylestown, PA is located here: www.pucklive.com. This will be quite a show - do check it out if you can. Thanks to John for the interview - it's always a pleasure to talk with John and his other Hooter bandmates. They're true professionals and some of the nicest guys in the business.

Listen To The October 2008 Interview With John Lilley:

A Chat With Kansas Guitarist Rich Williams

Here's a brand new October 2008 interview with guitarist Rich Williams from Kansas. This one was done in advance of Kansas' October 25th show in Jim Thorpe, PA at a great venue called Penn's Peak. In this 20 minute interview, Rich chats about all things Kansas - from the early days of the band, through the big success of the "Leftoverture" and "Point of Know Return" albums, to their current status as consumate road dogs. We also talk a it about the latest Kansas re-issue of their landmark 1978 live album "Two For the Show" - which Rich says he's really proud of. The album is now a double CD set with bonus tracks and brand new liner notes - total involvement from the band. Hard to believe, but 2009 will mark 35 years since the band's deut CD. RIch gives his thoughts on the band's remarkable staying power - which successive generations of fans seem to pick up on. Thanks to Rich for the interview, and make sure you check out Kansas' website at www.kansasband.com for the latest news and live dates.


Listen To The October 2008 Interview With Kansas' Rich Williams:

Greg Nagy Talks Up New Live Root Doctor Disc

Here's a brand new Novemer 2008 interview with guitarist Greg Nagy of the Michigan-based band Root Doctor. Root Doctor, which specializes in highly infectious soul/blues, has just released a brand new live CD called "Live at the Cadillac Club". Greg talks in depth about the CD, as well as Root Doctor's 2007 BMA nominated studio record "Change Our Ways". Other topics covered include Greg's experiences wih Root Doctor since joining up a few years back, his own upcoming solo project, the group dynamic within the band, and of course - the music. Root Doctor was in my neck of the woods this past summer at the Pocono Blues Festival and was a hit with the crowd. Do try to catch the band live in your town - you won't be disappointed. Thanks to Greg for the chat - it's always a pleasure to talk with a musician that's so dedicated to his craft. Visit Root Doctor online at www.rootdoctorband.com for more info on the live CD and all things Root Doctor.

Listen To The November 2008 Interview With Root Doctor's Greg Nagy:

Magic Slim Serves Up A Slice Of Chicago With "Midnight Blues"

Here's a brand new November 2008 conversation with one of the greats of Chicago blues - Magic Slim. For decades, Magic Slim and his band The Teardrops have been purveyors of pure, gritty, tough Chicago blues. Slim has stuck to his guns over the years, and he has a die-hard audience that appreciates it. Magic Slim and The Teardrops have a great new CD out on Blind Pig Records called "Midnight Blues". The disc is notable for not only a fine example of what Slim and the boys can do in the studio, but for the guests Slim recruited to help him out. Appearances by Lil' Ed, James Cotton, Lonnie Brooks, and Elvin Bishop guarantee that this one's a winner. The disc was also produced by one of the top names in contemporary blues - Nick Moss of Nick moss and The Flip Tops. Check out this interview and hear Slim give his thoughts on the new record. He also talks about his days on the Chicago club circuit, his thoughts on recording, and also his take on the future of the blues. Thanks to Slim for the chat, and make sure you check out his website at www.magicslimblues.com.

Listen To The November 2008 Interview With Magic Slim:

Henrick Ostergaard On The Return Of Dirty Looks

Here's a brand new September 2008 interview with Dirty Looks vocalist/guitarist Henrick Ostergaard. After about a decade of downtime, Dirty Looks is back and more fierce than ever. They put out a record called "Gasoline" in 2007, currently have "Superdeluxe" on the shelves, and are set to release a new one called "California Free Ride" - which Henrick is extremely pleased with. In the interview, I ask Henrick about the new Dirty Looks material, having former members Paul Lidel and Jack Pyers back on board, upcoming live dates, his thoughts on the first phase of Dirty Looks ('80's - '96), and much more. I also chat with him about my homebase of Scranton, PA - which the band frequented quite a bit back in the day, and still has a solid fanbase. "California Free Ride" will be out in October - check the website below for details. Many thanks to Henrick for the chat - he's got more than a few people looking forward to having Dirty Looks come out and kick their butts again. Visit the band online at www.dirtylooksmusic.com.

Listen To The September 2008 Interview With Henrick Ostergaard:

Sister Hazel's Ryan Newell On "Before The Amplifiers"

Here's a brand new September 2008 interview with guitarist Ryan Newell from Sister Hazel (Ryan's the guy standing in the middle of this pic). Sister Hazel's got an amazing new live acoustic CD appropriately titled "Before The Amplifiers - Live Acoustic". Ryan talks in depth about the disc in this interview, including how the band decided to do it (the fans had a big part in that), how the band went about re-tooling many of their songs for the performance, and much more. Ryan also reveals plans for Sister Hazel's next studio album, which he says they'll begin work on in October. He also talks a bit about Sister Hazel's sound over the years, and his thoughts about the band being indie as related to their years on Universal Music. Truth be told, You can't get a much better example than "Before The Amplifiers" of a great acoustic record. The sound is pristine, the performances are tight, and the audience enthusiastic. Check out the record, you won't be disappointed. Visit Sister Hazel online at www.sisterhazel.com.

Listen To The September 2008 Interview With Sister Hazel's Ryan Newell:

Journey's Deen Castronovo Talks "Revelation"

Here's a new August 2008 interview with Journey drummer Deen Castronovo. Deen talks here about Journey's runaway success that is their new "Revelation" CD. He gives some insight into the CD's inception, recording, and eventual release through Wal-Mart, which incidentally the band couldn't be happier with. Deen also talks about the amazing find in new vocalist Arnel Pineda. Finding a new singer via You Tube? Could be the wave of the future. Interesting note: Deen was a bit hoarse the day we chatted, as he revealed he and Journey guitarist Neal Schon took in a Slipknot concert the night before. Apparently, Deen's a big fan of the masked metal titans, and it turns out those guys have love for journey as well. Very cool. Journey's in the middle of a big summer tour with Heart and Cheap Trick - make sure you check out Journey online for tour dates at www.journeymusic.com, and do pick up the new cd/dvd package that is "Revelation". You won't be disappointed in the new tunes.

Listen To The August 2008 Interview With Deen Castronovo: