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The Aaron Clift Experiment releases a new CD titled "If All Goes Wrong." An interview with Aaron Clift. Look for them at Progtoberfest in Chicago in October of 2018.

The Aaron Clift Experiment

The Texas based group The Aaron Clift Experiment has just released a brand new CD entitled "If All Goes Wrong." It carries a great message in that when things go bad, love will empower the situation. This well written collection of songs showcases the impressive writing skills of Aaron and his band mates. You will find a variety of styles of intricate and finely executed progressive rock, flowing ballads, radio friendly pop to straight ahead rockers. Standing above the music is top notch vocals that are reminiscent of their influences of Queen, Yes and other prog rock pioneering forefathers. There's even a bonus track about the experience of growing up in the quaint seaside town of Centerport Long Island. I asked Aaron about how "If All Goes Wrong" was created.

Musicguy247 - The title track is a beautifully written love song "If All Goes Wrong."Is this song about anyone in particular or just a general love song?

Aaron - The idea behind “If All Goes Wrong” is that when the world around us seems to be crumbling and everything is going wrong, there’s always a loved one who can lift us up and help us.  When I was writing the lyrics for the song, I wrote them with my wife in mind because she has been there for me in the last few years when I was going through tough times.

Musicguy247 - You seem to be able to adjust the range of your voice to match the style of a song such as crooning or a solid rasp.  Does this come easy for you?

Aaron - I come from a background in classical music, so in many ways, it was a challenge to adjust my vocals for a rock band.  I had to, on the one hand, “unlearn” a lot of the technique that I had used in choir singing and at the same time learn how to incorporate the fundamentals of singing to a new style of music.  In the last two years, I worked with a fantastic vocal coach who had mastered both genres of music and was able to help me finally bridge that gap.

Musicguy247 - There are songs with difficult syncopated runs in it like “Dream within a Dream” and “Castle in the Sky.”  How does the writing process evolve in songs like these?

Aaron - The writing process depends a lot on the style we’re going for and who’s writing the song.  Devin North (ACE bassist) co-wrote the “If All Goes Wrong” album with me.  Often times he would bring in a fully-written and arranged instrumental and ask me to write vocals and lyrics (like in “Castle in the Sky”), while other times, I would bring in a song with fully-written chords, riffs, and lyrics and ask the band to help me flesh out the arrangements (like in “Last Crash”).

Musicguy247 - Although The Aaron Clift Experiment has its own signature sound, at times some songs remind me of vocal greats like Jon Anderson, Freddy Mercury and Maynard James Keenan.  Are they part of your influences?

Aaron - My favorite vocalists/biggest vocalist inspirations are Roger Daltrey, Ian Gillan, Freddy Mercury, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Ronnie James Dio, James Brown, Chris Cornell, Kate Bush, and Bjork.

Musicguy247 - The song "Faith" has a radio friendly commercial sound. Did that go into consideration by placing it first on the CD?

Aaron - “Faith” is one of the highest energy songs on the album, and we felt like putting it first would start the album off with a bang.

Musicguy247 - Have any of these songs been club tested before they went on the album?

Aaron - Yes, we actually performed the majority of the songs on the album live at least a couple of times before we recorded “If All Goes Wrong.”  Because we had rehearsed the songs so much, when it came time to record the album, we got to spend more time in the studio on getting great takes than on making songwriting and arranging decisions, which I believe helped give the album a lot more color and energy than our previous two albums.

Musicguy247 - Can you give me a brief description on who also helped out on the making of the album?

Aaron - It would be pretty tough to do a short synopsis of everyone who made “If All Goes Wrong” possible since we had so many guest performers on the album.  However, I would like to give a special thanks to producer/mixer, Randy Miller, for helping coordinate the entire album and for taking what could have been a bunch of disparate elements and shaping them into a really cohesive album.  I also want to thank our recording engineer, Russell Tanner, for his endless dedication and patience in getting all of the kinks ironed out with the album.  Check out the full album credits at: http://aaronclift.com/music/if-all-goes-wrong/

Musicguy247 - Do you have any plans on supporting the album?

Centerport Long Island

 

Aaron - The Aaron Clift Experiment is proud to be performing at Progtoberfest in Chicago this October.  We will likely be doing a small tour this summer and fall to coincide with the release of the album and this high-profile show.

Musicguy247 - The bonus track is a very nice piano and vocal composition.  What's the story behind “Back to the Water?”

Aaron - When I was ages 7 – 9, I lived on a harbor in Centerport, New York.  I had a tough time making friends at school and used to get bullied a lot, but I also have fond memories of going to the beach with my family and going fishing off the dock with my grandfather.  So, in a way, the water became a kind of place of refuge for me.  I based the song, “Back to the Water,” around these experiences.  It’s a song  about growing up too fast and becoming disillusioned with life but at the same time finding a sense of peace in nostalgia.  In a way, “Back to the Water” was also influenced a lot by the piano ballads of Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush (especially the song, “Under the Ivy”).

Interview conducted by Robert von Bernewitz

This interview may not be reproduced in any part or form without permission from this site.

For more information on this site visit http://aaronclift.com/music/if-all-goes-wrong/

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MarchFourth releases it's 4th studio album "Magic Number". An interview with founding member John Averill. "There is so many of us, that we have to have a bus".

MarchFourth

MarchFourth is a large 13 piece band that purchased its own bus to bring their flamboyant party to you. They also carry acrobats, stilt walkers, and dancers for a maximum spectacle. The jazz/funk dance band just recently drove "said" bus to New Orleans to record its first album in 5 years titled "Magic Number". With help from New Orleans musicians such as Trombone Shorty and the legendary producer Ben Ellman, the album brings a fresh new sound to the MarchFourth bandwagon of fun. The album of 10 songs has as much excitement as a special anniversary New Orleans parade down Bourbon Street. It still stays true to the dance party sound that they're known for. I talked with founding band member John Averill about the new album and tour.

R.V.B. - Hello John... this is Rob von Bernewitz. How are you today?

J.A. - Not too bad. How are you.

R.V.B. - I'm doing good. I understand you started your tour and that you're in the midwest now.

J.A. - Yeah... we just played Madison last night and we're playing in a town called Muncie... just outside of Indianapolis tonight.

R.V.B. - Congratulations on your new album that's coming out. This is your 5th album up to this point right?

J.A. - Yes. If you consider the live album we put out 10 years age. It's our 4th studio record.

R.V.B. - It looks like you guys have a lot of fun with your stage act. I presume that you can't play in any places with low ceilings?

J.A. - (Haha) We do actually ask what the ceiling height is when we are booking our shows. We prefer to have about 14 feet but the show has become more musically focused over the years, as opposed to the giant spectacle thing. It started out as kinda like a party band with a big spectacle. We still have performers that come out and do stuff but it's scaled down to what it used to be. The music itself is a lot stronger.

R.V.B. - When MarchFourth was conceived, what were your influences. Did you like glam rock? You seemed to have a very theatrical aspect to your show.

J.A. - My personal influences were rock and roll, r & b, old country, classic rock, and the new wave of the 70's. It's funny... I never was really into glam rock. The costume portion of our show really came from Burning Man. They've become quite popular with the arts festival in Nevada. I went to Burning Man in 97, which was the same year I moved to Portland. I started creating these events that were in the same spirit... costume parties. I'd have performance art. I'd have a DJ at the end of the night. I created a band and would insert it during the party. There would be a lot of experimenting. MarchFourth really came out of that. We wanted to do a Fat Tuesday New Orleans kind of thematic thing. I started playing electric bass and it just kind of stuck.

R.V.B. - With this new album "Magic Number", I read that it has something to do with your birthday? You were 47 years old?

J.A. - The song is about that, not the record. The band decided to name the record. I didn't make that choice. The song "Magic Number" is based on mortality and that kind of thing. It's the only song on the album that makes a statement about something. The rest of the songs have kind of party vocals.

R.V.B. - When you brought such a large amount of musicians down to New Orleans to record the album... how did the recording process work with that many people?

J.A. - It was really efficient. It helped tremendously that we were able to bring our tour bus down there. We had a home base. Our alto sax player, Michelle, happened to have a house four doors down from the studio so we also used that for a base. As far as the recording process, it was very efficient. We had 10 days to put out 10 songs. We got everything set up and did one song at a time. The drums were all set up. We had the horns in isolation booths. We all played live with headphones. We did like 3-4-5 takes of the song until the producer thought we nailed it. We did that until we had all the songs down. The last couple of days we went in and added the vocals and the horn solo's.

R.V.B. - Did you feel that you achieved a New Orleans feel?

J.A. - I definitely think so. We liked the work that Ben Ellman did on it. He did some nice work with Trombone Shorty and Galactic. We gave him the creative license to add creative sounds and textures. We gave him the freedom to experiment a little. One thing that we let go a few years ago was trying to recreate our live show on a record. There's a couple of tunes in particular where we brought in some guest musicians from New Orleans. One song "Science (Free Your Mind)"... the irony is that we did about 11 takes of it with me playing bass. The trombone player who wrote the song thought it would be fun to bring in a tuba player so that it would have a more New Orleans vibe. We ended up not using the bass track at all, and using the tuba track for the bass of the song. It also adds a little variety to the record.

R.V.B. - Well the tuba was the original bass in jazz music.

J.A. - Exactly

R.V.B. - How do you guys enjoy traveling around the country in your tour bus?

J.A. - It's a necessity more than anything else. A lot of bands at our level think they can get away with one van and a trailer. There is so many of us, that we have to have a bus. We can sleep 22 people on it if we need to. The bunks break down into tables and we have a kitchen. We cook and eat on the road as opposed to stopping at restaurants. The overhead is ridicules for a group our size.

R.V.B. - So you guys are totally self sufficient.

J.A. - Yes. After a show when the adrenaline is still rushing, we'll go into the bus and party it up. During the day it's pretty quiet. A lot of people work on their laptops and play games. You keep yourself entertained until you get on the stage again and let all the energy out.

R.V.B. - Do you guys carry your own PA, or do the venues generally supply it?

J.A. - Most legitimate venues carry their own PA. We bring our own mic package. We have very specific mics that we use for our horns. A lot of clubs have standard rock and roll gear. We bring our own mics and we have our own risers. We bring our own bass and guitar amps. We do bring our own mixing board.

R.V.B. - You keep the equipment side a little light. You don't have to carry too much stuff.

J.A. - We have more people than gear. We do have a sound technician that travels with us. We don't bring any of our own lighting.

R.V.B. - I see that you've performed overseas in Europe. How do you deal with the traveling over there?

J.A. - It's a little more problematic. We've had 3 overseas trips and they haven't been longer than 12 days. It hasn't been too extensive. I wish we could get back over there. They've been cultural exchange sort of things, that were sponsored by the State Department. In Europe we don't have our own bus so transportation is arranged.

R.V.B. - You guys seem to be having a lot of fun by doing it the old fashion way by getting out there and traveling. MarchFourth is based out of Oregon. How is the music scene there?

J.A. - It seems to be thriving. It all changed drastically in the last 6 years. That's about how long we've been touring consistently. We left Portland when it was starting to become really popular. I've been a little out of touch with up and coming new bands but there is definitely a thriving music scene there.

R.V.B. - You've been teamed up at events with very high profile acts like Fleetwood Mac... No Doubt. What are some of your good performance memories?

J.A. - I was just talking about this last night. I think maybe one of my favorite shows was in a tiny little town in Colorado called Salida. What makes a show really amazing is the crowd. A lot of times we'll do shows in performing arts centers. People will be sitting down and will be not sure what to do. We try to get people dancing and get them out of their seats. When we played in Salida, everybody was going crazy from the first note. That adds to our energy and helps us give a better show.

R.V.B. - It's all about the energy connection with the audience. It goes way beyond the financial aspect.

J.A. - It's what reminds you of why you keep doing it. We've had some really great shows at The Brooklyn Bowl.

R.V.B. - That's a good venue. I see you're playing a cruise in New York. Are you bring the standard lineup to that?

J.A. - We're pretty consistent. We have 12 musicians and 3 dancers... it's a 15 person troop. We always have the shenanigans going on.

R.V.B. - Are you featuring your new music on this current tour?

J.A. - We're playing everything off the album. We also have some new songs that we wrote after the album was recorded. We always try to bring new material.

R.V.B. - Do you play any covers?

J.A. - Occasionally. We have a hand full of covers that we have done. One of our horn players re-arranged a Destiny's Child song and we do "Late in the Evening" by Paul Simon. We've done "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin.

R.V.B. - That sounds like a nice variety. Good luck with the new album and enjoy the rest of your tour

J.A. - Thank you.

Interview conducted by Robert von Bernewitz

This interview may not be reproduced in any part or form without permission from this site.

For more information on MarchFourth visit their website www.marchfourthband.com

For information on this site contact Robvonb247 (at) gmail (dot) com

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Neon Alley is set to release their debut album. An interview with guitarist/vocalist David Vaccaro. "Sometimes you just need to turn it up and rock out".

Neon Alley

New England based "Neon Alley" is set to release a debut self titled album and it's sure to light up the airwaves. Guitarist David Vaccaro explains how the songs came together " They are written and recorded in such a way that they were not over produced, and that's why they sound more raw and alive". The band was influenced by the classic rock era and they are carrying the torch with a refreshing new approach, yet still keeping the classic feel. Neon Alley has been packing clubs and halls in the New England and felt the time was right to make a product they can be proud of. The 8 song CD is full of energy with some surprises that will make you want to listen to it over and over. I recently asked David Vaccaro about the history of the band.

R.V.B. - Congratulations on your new debut CD release "Neon Alley". It's a refreshing modern look back to the Classic Rock Era. Was this collection of songs born from your love of the genre?

D.V. - Thank you Rob for calling it refreshing and modern. Especially modern. Like so many other people I do love that era of music, but I don't wanted to sound dated. I try to bring in what modern influences I can, either through production or guitar tones, but I try to do it in a way that I feel is real to me.

Because I grew up basically learning to play guitar and songwrite from those "Classic Rock" era bands, so it would be only natural that I just write that way. My record collection is made up of albums from Tom Petty, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Boston, Aerosmith, Heart, The Who, ELO, Supertramp, AC/DC, Steve Miller Band.  They're all pretty much imprinted in my head. (lol)

On the other hand I also have CDs from Green Day, Foo Fighters, Maroon 5, Mumford & Sons, and my two sons are always firing new bands and songs at me to listen to as well. It's always good to stay in the loop.

R.V.B. - The songs seem to have that raucous Massachusetts bar room flair with a poppy boost. Did the feel of the songs come the bar scene and gravitate to the recording studio?

D.V. - No not really. They aren't really written from that, but they are written and recorded in such a way that they were not over produced, and that's why they sound more raw and alive. That's one thing I was very aware of when we recorded these. Some of the records that come out these days just seem so over produced and perfectly perfect that they just sound sterilized.  After a few listens, there's nothing new to hear.

R.V.B. - What were some of your early influences when you were learning how to rock in the early days?

D.V. - My two biggest influences were Jimmy Page and Joe Perry. Also, Keith Richards, and Pete Townsend. I think one of my early bands could play almost the entire Get Yer Ya, Ya's Out album. (lol) 

But before those guys I started learning to play listening to the Ventures. My brother had a guitar, a Silvertone, and a little amplifier, and I just picked it up and starting picking out notes and trying to play the songs. Songs like, "Ghost Riders in the Sky", "Pipeline" and "Walk Don't Run".

R.V.B. - On track 4 "I only want to be with you" and track 5 "Let your Lovin Come Down" I hear a nicely written and produced songs that are reminiscent of the something that George Martin would have produced. Did you have this in mind when adding the accordion and slide work?

D.V. -  Thank you, that just made my day!! I didn't have that in mind specifically but I believe that during that time-frame I had been given a remaster or deluxe edition or something of the "Band On The Run" CD for Christmas. I had been listening to that. It must have rubbed off on me, lol! That was for Only Want To Be With You.

Let Your Loving Come Down came to me as a chorus while I was driving. I heard the line in my head and when I got home I turned on the recorder and just did a scratch vocal so I wouldn't forget it.  I've got a bunch of those on my phone machine I need to backup now that I'm thinking about it.

R.V.B. - What kind of gear does the band use for live performances? Did you use the same stuff in the recording studio?

D.V. - We're pretty basic.  I use a Marshall JVM210 with a 4x12 slant cab. I run an Eventide effects unit that goes through the effects loop for some chorus and delay when I want it, and I also use a Dulop wha-wha pedal. All done. Although it was not my personal amp being used on the recording, the studio we recorded at (Zippah, in Boston) had the exact same model head and cab as mine, so it's the same. 

For guitars I used a few Strats for all the recording.  My newer one (2012?) has a humbucker that my guitar tech had just put in (I don't know what kind of pickup it is other than it's a DiMmarzio) and the other guitar was a 72 Strat that was my first real guitar.  It's a single coil and it's all original except for the center pickup which died sometime in the 90's and had to be replaced.

My Bass player (Mike McDonald) uses an Acoustic 600 watt head and, depending where we're playing, may use either a V4-B cab with 6, 10 inch speakers, or he may use this little Fender speaker with a 15". It's a new model and he just got it a few months ago and I have to say, it sounds awesome.  The speaker is good for 1000 watts and it's really small and compact but it's pretty amazing how it sounds and what it will handle.

The drummer that plays on the CD is Scott Marion and he was using a Gretsch 57 set.  They sound great and they have this 57 Chevy vibe about them so they look pretty cool too.  Of course having them look cool in rock in roll is always better. (lol)

Scotty is no longer working with us since recording the CD.  Our current drummer is Mike Bangrazi and I believe he uses a set of Slingerlands.

R.V.B. - You had an interesting take on "Jailhouse Rock" with alt chorus formats. I enjoyed the refreshing new look on it. Was this just a classic that you guys like to perform?

D.V. - Jailhouse seems to be a favorite off the CD. It's funny how it came about.  I came up with the guitar chord riff in my head (again while driving) and I started working it into a song.  It was going to be an original song, not a cover.  For whatever reason I started using the lyrics and melody for Jailhouse Rock as a placeholder. Okay, verse here, pre-chorus here, etc.  I arranged the whole "new" song like that.  Then, when I had the arrangement down and it was time to write new words and melody, I started thinking; Should I write new words?  Do I want to go through all that?  I mean, I'd already written the song and it was working with the Jailhouse lyrics, and it sounded pretty cool too, why not just do the cover.  So that's it.  Taking the path of least resistance.  I did a demo on my home studio and then brought it to the band.

R.V.B. - What were some of your favorite live performances up to this point?

D.V. - There's been a few that have been pretty cool. The night before Thanksgiving is always great. The clubs always get packed and people are ready to have a good time.  Another fun gig was at a place called Michael's Cigar Bar. We play there often and one time we opened up for an L.A. band called Mycah.  It was a small gig but the Mycah band was very cool and fun to hang out with.

R.V.B. - Can you give me a brief bio on the band members and what they bring to the power trio?

D.V. - Mike McDonald, the Bass Player is a Berklee Alumni and played in bands in High School just like I did. I first met Mike when he answered an ad I had out for a Bass player in a band that ended up being called Capital Gain.

Scott Marion is from Detroit and played in bands there before moving to Massachusetts. He was in the band for a couple years and recorded the tracks with us however he moved too far away and it made it difficult for him to get to practice and to gigs. We replaced Scott with Mike Bangrazi, a drummer out of Central Massachusetts.  Mike teaches drums and has a steady stream of students. As you probably know well, it is very hard to find musician's who are not only into the same music, but play how you'd like them to play and have the chemistry for the band. It's more than just technical ability that makes for the right person.

R.V.B. - Track 7 seems to have that audience participation, just let loose and get out and rock feel. Everyone has to feel this way at one time or another... right?

D.V. - You got that right.  It's like Boston's track Smokin from their 1st album.  Sometimes you just need to turn it up and rock out. It was also a good excuse to play my best Jimmy Page riffs...as best I can.

R.V.B. - What are your plans on supporting the album?

D.V. - We are trying to get as much exposure as we can here in the U.S. and abroad. Joining forces with Glass Onyon PR has been a tremendous help.

We have also teamed up with director Vladimir Minuty and have completed two videos.  One is for the opening track That's How It Is, which has a bit of a sci-fi virtual reality thing going on.  And the other is for the semi-ballad I Only Want To Be With You. That one is a light-hearted love story in today's cell phone world.

The goal for the CD is to get it out there in front of as many people as possible and turn them into Neon Alley fans.  I've got more tracks just waiting in the wings for another CD and the more fans we can get to support the band through CD downloads and purchases the sooner I can get a new CD out to everybody.

R.V.B. - Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions.

Thank you very much for the interview and for compliments on the songs. It's great to be at this point that other people are hearing the CD, rather than just me, the band and my family at home.

Interview conducted by Robert von Bernewitz

This interview may not be reproduced in any part or form without permission from this site.

For more information on Neon Alley visit their Facebook page www.facebook.com/NeonAlley/

For more information or to make a donation to help maintain this site contact Robvonb247 (at) gmail (dot) com

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Middlesong - Upstate New York songwriters to release new EP titled "Directions". "We’ve both had various types of music influence us over the years, and we were happy to let them emerge as the songs unfolded".

MiddleSong

Middlesong to release an EP of quality prog music ahead of full album. Guitarist/vocalist Joe Schneider and keyboardist/guitarist Phil Tomczak have teamed up with legendary Yes member Billy Sherwood to produce a fine collection of well written songs. The EP features something for everyone, with a mixture of influences such as: Prog, Classic Rock, Folk, Americana and more. The title of the EP is called "Directions" which Phil explains "has to do with the paths that one can take in life and just living in general". The EP keeps your interest with songs that flow out of your speakers like a picturesque New York State waterfall. You'll want to visit it over and over. I recently asked Phil and Joe about the process of creating "Directions".

R.V.B.  - Congratulations on your new EP release. What is the story behind the name of the group Middlesong and the name of the EP "Directions"?

A: The name is very simple – we gathered every Wednesday to write our songs – the middle of the week – middle-song. The name of the EP "Directions" comes from the song that we feel offers our strongest collaborative songwriting, "Directions in D Minor". Directions also seemed fitting as a title, because many of our song themes (more to come on our up and coming Album) have to do with the paths that one can take in life and just living in general.

R.V.B. - There seems to me a nice variety of influences strewed about in the songs on the EP. Were you guys planning to have this variety or did it just evolve from your own influences?

A: We did very little in the way of planning, and really just let the songs evolve naturally. In fact, maybe that was our plan! We’ve both had various types of music influence us over the years, and we were happy to let them emerge as the songs unfolded.

R.V.B.  - Speaking of influences... what kind of music were you guys brought up on?

A: Joe – I listened to a lot of The Beatles, Bad Company and the Doors, 70's gold-one-hit wonders, Southern Rock like Skynyrd and 38 Special, Tom Petty, Billy Joel and the Eagles. I was also a big fan of Prog rock bands Rush, Kansas, Genesis and Yes

A: Phil -- I started out as a child taking piano lessons, which grew into a love of classical music. The real kicker for me was hearing Rick Wakeman’s ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ on the radio in the 70s, it let me know the great potential for keyboards and rock music as a whole. Wakeman, Keith Emerson, and on the guitar side, Jim Croce and Steve Howe, are my biggest inspirations. And the Beatles, always.

R.V.B.  -  Who helped out on the making of this EP. Did they bring anything unexpected to the original thought?

A: We were very fortunate and thrilled to have Billy Sherwood, current bass player for the band YES and a well-respected producer, step in and produce our songs. He also added his own special touch by sitting in on bass and drums for us. Billy’s influence took our songs into a new direction, which we both love.

R.V.B.  - Track 2 "Rain to Sun" has very lush vocals. How many sing on this? What's behind this title?

A: Joe sings all of the vocal parts on Rain to Sun. In addition to the main vocal, he sings a lower and a higher harmony – each of these harmonies was performed again to provide a doubling effect. It's a song about the ups and downs that occur in everyone's life. Whatever struggles you may face, try to be positive and look for the rain to end and the sun to rise. Bad things happen to good people – the rain does not choose where it falls – it falls equally on everything

R.V.B.  - Did you guys test this material out live before you recorded it or was it born in the studio?

A: The EP “Directions” was born at Middlesong Studios. We’re filling out our live band right now, and can’t wait to get these songs in people’s ears from onstage!

R.V.B.  - In the D minor song... Were you guys going for a "sadder" type feel for it?

A: We did not plan it that way – we started with the opening notes of the main musical theme (G-A-D) on our acoustic guitars and the D minor chord fit quite naturally with that theme. We began building the remainder of the song around that theme and chord progressions within the key of D minor. We call it Directions in Dm, because we do take the song in a few different musical, progressive directions and key changes

R.V.B. - Do you guys plan to eventually make a full album and bring it out on the road?

A: Yes we’re working on a bunch of new songs as we speak to round out the album. More surprises are in store there for sure. “See This Through”, “Rain to Sun” and “Directions in D Minor (Make Sure That You Learn)” were so strong however, that we felt compelled to release them as an EP first.

R.V.B. - Good luck with the release of the EP.

A: Thanks! Folks can find us anywhere on the internet, or just hop on www.middlesong.com

Interview conducted by Robert von Bernewitz

This interview may not be reproduced in any part or form without permission from this site.

For more information on Middlesong visit their Facebook page www.facebook.com/middlesong

For more information or to make a donation to help maintain this site contact Robvonb247 (at) gmail (dot) com

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Lanes Laire has released a new album "Resurrection of Black".

Lanes Laire

Lanes Laire has released an album titled "Resurrection of Black" and it gets you to thinking, "What the hell is going on in this world?". The album cover is nicely designed with interesting images of a city in turmoil, as the central figure reaches out for help. The opening song, "Hell if I know" sets the tone as there are no easy answers to a resurrection from problems. Track 2, "The World Around Us" may start off with nice birds chirping but quickly changes to police sirens. The guitar driven music is nicely done and becomes "contagious to every human being". You will find a nice mix of synthesizers, guitar effects, and spoken word inflections throughout the collection of songs. The rhythm section is anchored by Matt Bissonette on bass, and Greg Bissonette (of Ringo Starr's All-Star Band) on drums. The song writing is superb, and the vocals are well thought out with lush harmonies. Although the instrumental track "Suicidal Intentions" has a downer message, the guitar work will temporarily bring you out of the misery with catchy hooks that change directions. The bass player's solo leads to a very nice chord progression, and eventually to a harmonizing guitar lead. The last track, "Justifiable Condemnation" has a slow driving feel with nice keyboards, and a guitar solo that fades out into the void. It leaves you thinking - if you can't beat Big Brother- just start the CD over and enjoy the music.

For more information on Lanes Laire visit the website www.laneslaire.com

For more information or to advertise on this site contact Robvonb247 (at) gmail (dot) com

CD Review - 2Cellos - Celloverse - Portrait/Sony Masterworks

Two gentlemen from Croatia have turned a traditional classical music instrument - the cello - into a modern music juggernaut. Stjepan Hauser and Luka Sulic have brought this versatile instrument into the 21st century with a vengeance. Their new CD release on Portrait/Sony Masterworks "Celloverse" is loaded with ear - catching renditions of classic rock and pop songs. As we play the CD, it gallops right from the start into a rocking number "The Trooper" from Iron Maiden with a little Rossini thrown in. You will hear a wide variety of songs from some of yesterday's and today's most popular artists such as: Mumford and Sons, Michael Jackson, Radiohead, Wings, and many more. The amazing rendition of "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC has more than 31 million views. The blend of classical music with music of today is nicely executed and seamless. The collection of tracks features a nice balance of upbeat songs and ballads. The end of the CD showcases three 2Cellos live performances in a historic Roman arena to a very appreciative audience. You can feel the passion of this masterpiece. 

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Robert von Bernewitz Robvonb247 (at) gmail (dot) com

Here is a post for a CD review I did as a Long Island Blues Society representative for the west coast blues label Delta Groove Records.

http://www.deltagrooveproductions.com/2014/05/12/bob-corritore-taboo-review-long-island-blues-society/