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BY: JIM VILLANUEVA “I’d say 85 to 90 percent of everything on the record is live. [We] try to catch lightning in a bottle and go with more of the feeling than trying to make everything perfect. You can get lost in that as an artist and really mess some stuff up.” The Kenneth...

BY: JIM VILLANUEVA “You’re gonna ask me the hard questions in this one.” Following a brief chuckle, that’s what Miranda Lee Richards said before answering the third of my many questions during our recent nearly 30-minute conversation exploring the breadth and depth of her fourth...

BY: JIM VILLANUEVA “I’m not denying that I was in that band for 24 years. That’s a huge portion of my life’s work. I’m not shunning it and I’m not turning away from it and pretending that it didn’t happen. That’s music I’m proud of.” That’s Rich Robinson talking about his nearly...

BY: JIM VILLANUEVA Southern Louisiana born and now Los Angeles-based musician Rod Melancon has a lot to say – and sing about. The ten tracks on his sophomore set Southern Gothic (due June 16) are punctuated at times with drum stabs that sound like shotgun blasts and stories that...

BY: JIM VILLANUEVA PHOTOS: THOM HAZAERT Slaughter namesake Mark Slaughter’s second solo set Halfway There is almost here. The follow-up to the stellar hard rock singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer/engineer, etc, etc’s 2015 solo debut Reflections in a Rear View Mirror...

BY: JIM VILLANUEVA PHOTOS: BILL BERNSTEIN “Feels Like the First Time” off Foreigner’s 1977 self-titled debut album was the first of countless hits produced by the band that featured members from both side of the Atlantic. “That Was Yesterday,” found on 1984’s Agent Provocateur,...

BY: JIM VILLANUEVA Legendary axeman Michael Schenker is frequently mentioned among rock royalty when it comes to his seemingly Samurai sword play, precision way of attacking his instrument. Truly among the nobility in the hierarchy of rock guitarists, Schenker has been shredding...

BY: JIM VILLANUEVA Tesla is once again gearing up to hit the road with longtime pals Def Leppard and Poison. The three-month North American outing sets sail this Saturday, April 8 in Manchester, NH. The pride of Sacramento, CA, the five-man band – now featuring original members...

BY: JIM VILLANUEVA Def Leppard is set to launch a three-month trek across North America with Poison and Tesla in tow, starting this Saturday, April 8 in Manchester, NH. No strangers to rockin’ stages worldwide, Def Leppard also just premiered the live video for “Animal,” which...

BY: JIM VILLANUEVA Get to know The Gitas, the Los Angeles-based trio that is the embodiment of a mosaic of musical sounds and cultures seamlessly linked by a common core: create kick ass rock and roll! On their new album Beverly Kills (available February 17) founder, guitarist...