TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAgE 5
PAgE 15
PAgE 7
PAgE 18
Music News ......................................3
September Scrapbook...................13
Album Reviews..............................19
PAgE 11
DEtRoit
Volume 1 • issue 1 • September 2015 WRitERS: Michael Angelo Batio • terry Canter Bob Cheesman • Corrina Drost Rem Fields • tandra Lamia Dawn Lemay • Shobha N. Lizaso Scotti Moore • Victoria Rapp Derek “D-Unit” Samp • Liz Stokes PhotogRAPhERS: Joe orlando • Steve Sergent
Club Calendar.................................22
Event Calendar................................23 PUBLiShER/EDitoR: Neal Nachman
DiRECtoR oF SALES & PRoMotioNS: Liz Stokes gRAPhiC ARtiSt: Neal Nachman
DiRECtoR oF MULti-MEDiA PRoDUCtioNS: Kenny Moore oPERAtioNS CooRDiNAtoR: Scotti Moore LEgAL CoUNSEL: Shobha N. Lizaso
EDitoRiAL iNqUiRiES: editorial@fullaccessdetroit.com
PUBLiShED By: Full Access Magazine • 4211 E. Busch Blvd., Suite D • tampa, FL 33617 313.936.0750 (Detroit office) • 813.400.3110 (Corporate office) • 813.200.3916 (Fax) © 2015 ALL RightS RESERVED • No part of Full Access Detroit may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written consent from Full Access Magazine. ViSit US oN thE WEB @ www.fullaccessdetroit.com
Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper, Joe Perry Supergroup Announces Live Dates Hollywood Vampires, the supergroup featuring Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper and Joe Perry, have announced their first live dates, set for next month. Rounding out the lineup will be former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum, both of whom also play in the supergroup Velvet Revolver. The name "Hollywood Vampires" references a loose collective of rockers, including Cooper, John Lennon, Harry Nilsson and Keith Moon, who got together in the early Seventies and drink on the Sunset Strip at the Rainbow. Cooper's crew – which is issuing its debut album, Hollywood Vampires, on September 11th – plans on keeping true to its moniker's origins. The first Hollywood Vampires concerts will take place at the fabled Sunset Strip outpost the Roxy on September 16th and 17th. It will be the group's only U.S. show. Cooper guitarist Tommy Henriksen will also be playing at the show as will bassist Bruce Witkin, who played with Depp in a band called the Kids. Tickets for both shows go on sale Friday via Ticketfly. The group has also planned an appearance in Brazil on September 24th as part of the Rock in Rio festival. Prior to that show, the band will be meeting with the Starkey Hearing Foundation to help fit 150 people in need with hearing aids and bring some of the fans to the show so they can hear music for the first time. As for the Vampires' music, the crew plays a mix of cover songs by members of the original Hollywood vampires, including the Who's "My Generation," the Doors' "Five to One" and "Break on Through," Nilsson's "Jump Into the Fire," Lennon's "Cold Turkey" and Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression," among others, along with some original tunes. Their debut album will feature a number of notable special guests, including Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl,
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Slash, Joe Walsh and AC/DC's Brian Johnson. Video of the group's star-studded recording sessions can be seen here, with artist proceeds from the album going to the charity MusiCares. Keith Richards Makes Past Solo Albums Available Online With the release of Crosseyed Heart, Keith Richards' first solo album in more than two decades, due out next month, the musician will be offering up his two previous LPs online for the first time later this week. The 1988 solo record Talk Is Cheap and 1992's Main Offender will be available to stream and download, via Richards' own Mindless Records label, on Friday, August 14th. Richards released Talk Is Cheap at a time when Mick Jagger was promoting his second solo album, 1987's Primitive Cool. When Rolling Stone asked Richards how it felt to put out his first solo record, in a 1988 interview, the guitarist said he felt ambivalent. "It's kind of strange, because it was never in the cards for me," Richards said. "It was not something I wanted to do. Also, in the back of my mind, doing a solo record meant a slight sense of failure. The only reason I would do a solo album was because I couldn't keep the Stones together." The group, of course, regrouped the next year and put out 1989's Steel Wheels. These days, Richards and Jagger are both happy in the Stones. Earlier this year, the guitarist told Rolling Stone he wanted to see how far the band could go. At the time of the interview, in advance of the band's recent Zip Code tour, Richards had decided on the release date for Crosseyed Heart and said he was still considering performing live as a solo artist. Richards made Crosseyed Heart with two musicians he worked with on his past solo releases, guitarist Waddy Wachtel and
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drummer/co-producer Steve Jordan. The record also features appearances by Norah Jones, Spooner Oldham, Aaron Neville and Larry Campbell, as well as late Stones saxophonist Bobby Keys. In other Richards news, Netflix will premiere a new documentary about the guitarist, Under the Influence, by filmmaker Morgan Neville, who recently won the "Best Documentary" Oscar for 20 Feet From Stardom. It will explore the music that inspires Richards and how he writes music and will appear on the streaming service on September 18th. Sara Evans, REO Speedwagon Tapped for 'CMT Crossroads' The latest installment of the musical mash-up series CMT Crossroads takes flight next month as REO Speedwagon, the rock band that hit with "Time for Me to Fly," meets "Born to Fly" country superstar Sara Evans for an episode Evans calls "a dream come true." The concert will be taped in front of a live audience at the Factory in Franklin, just south of Nashville, and will premiere Saturday, September 19th, at 10:00 p.m. ET on CMT. This marks Evans' third appearance on the genre-hopping series. In May 2008, the singer was joined by The Voice coach Adam Levine and his band Maroon 5, and in 2012, she was among the acts on an episode featuring Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, Hunter Hayes and ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons. "We met Sara Evans when REO played with Brad Paisley at the Sony Music Nashville annual cruise and we all became fast friends," REO Speedwagon lead singer Kevin Cronin says in a statement. "When we got the offer to do CMT Crossroads with her we jumped at the chance to hear Sara's sweet voice on our songs, and to put our spin on hers. Sara put me at ease right away and her energy is contagious." "I've been a huge fan of REO Speedwagon for as long as I can remember," Evans notes. "Their songs have been a part of the soundtrack of my life."
The episode will mark the 52nd installment of the network's music series since it first debuted in January 2002 with Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello. Other artists who have appeared more than once include Kenny Chesney and Martina McBride. Earlier this summer, the most recent Crossroads pairing took place as Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd shared the stage with Brantley Gilbert. In 2014 alone, the series spotlighted Dierks Bentley and OneRepublic, Kacey Musgraves and Katy Perry, and Lee Ann Womack and John Legend. Danger Mouse Preps New Record Label, Signs Autolux Danger Mouse has announced his own Columbia Records imprint, 30th Century Records, which will feature artists personally signed by the songwriter-producer. Danger Mouse – best known for high-profile collaborations (Gnarls Barkley, Broken Bells) and production work (U2, the Black Keys, Beck) – will debut the label with his first signing, experimental rock trio Autolux, who are currently working on their follow-up to 2010's Transit Transit. Danger Mouse is rumored to be producing two of the most two heavily anticipated new LPs from artists at opposite ends of the sonic spectrum: Red Hot Chili Peppers and Adele. "We've got lots of songs, and we're working with an unnamed producer who is really challenging us to find new ways to come up with new music," stated drummer Chad Smith. "We've done the 'guys get in the room and jam out songs, everybody playing together all at once' thing. And we wrote a bunch of songs that way. And we're now going to try another method that will be really challenging for us and will bring new, exciting results for the band. "We've written and recorded in a way that we've never done before, so the record is going great," Smith added. "We all have high hopes that it's going to take off and we're going to do something very different and unique for the Red Hot Chili Peppers."
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by Scotti Moore
Now that Pop Evil have released their fourth full length album and have picked up where “Onyx” had left off, they continue their progression in the only direction they know, “Up.” This Grand Rapids, MI based group consists of Leigh Kakaty on Lead Vocals, Dave Grahs on Rhythm and Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals, Matt DiRito on Bass Guitar/ Backing Vocals, Nick Fuelling on Lead and Rhythm Guitar and Chachi Riot on Drums. This being our launch issue in Michigan, it only seemed fitting that a Mitten Made band should be our cover story. So with the opportunity to have a sit down with Lead Vocalist Leigh Kakaty at the world famous Machine Shop in Flint, MI came about, I didn't hesitate to jump at the chance. We found a place backstage and dove right in. Starting out as a cover band and breaking into the world of original music is not always easy. I ask Leigh what that transition has been like. “It has been a long haul. I think you have those moments where you kind of remember your roots, but it has been awesome. Those cover days helped us appreciate the hard work. While everyone was telling us to move to New York or LA to catch our break, I wanted to stay here in Michigan, where it is all about the working class. I figured if we were gonna catch that break, it was
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going to be here. If not, I would understand that, because I'm a Michigan boy. We are loud and proud here in our great state.” Being that Michigan is such a working class state, it's easy for life to get in the way of your passion. You really need a strong support system. Kakaty starts to tell me how much their families have meant to furthering their aspirations in music. “With Pop Evil especially. What people don't see is how instrumental they were in getting us to where we are. Our parents are still really involved to this day. Our first really big festival tour in Europe, I brought my mom. I wanted her to share in it.” When you reach the point of success that Pop Evil has, the opportunity to tour with peers is always a great experience, but it seems there is that one illusive group that you have always wanted to tour with. “Wow, I'm going to have to choose two and first off, it would have to be Pearl Jam,” Leigh says. “We were just out in Seattle for the first time and it was mind blowing. Having to compete with all the iconic bands from there really brings the best out of you. Second would definitely be the man himself, Kid Rock.” There are always two sides to everything and touring is no different. “The best part is the frat party of festival season,” Kakaty says with a smile. “Being outside in the
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sunshine of summer. Now the other side of it is having to be away from the family. Fortunately, we have them with us a lot, so it keeps the downside out of it a bit.” Changes are inevitable as your career progresses. You pick up on the do’s and dont’s. I asked Leigh what was the biggest change he had to make to help his path in music. Leigh explains, “My health for sure. I quit drinking in January. Obviously Matt has been a big inspiration. Him and I use to throw down from an alcoholic stand point. Matt and I were pretty rowdy, but I think that making the decision to be healthy for my voice and responsible for our fans. I have had to be smarter and start taking care of my voice.” When it is all said and done what kind of legacy will you leave behind? When I asked Leigh this question, this is what he had to say, “You are really doing your job Scotti and making me think with these questions. I have never really thought about that. I guess that would be a fans perspective. I feel like we have a lot to prove. Even though we have had three number ones off our last album, I feel we are just tipping the iceberg here as far as our identity goes.” One of the most touching and heartfelt songs I have heard is “Torn To Pieces” and with the footage of Leigh’s father on the TV within the video, it just takes it to the next level. “That is real video of my dad. I didn't want to release that song. When the guys heard it, they really pushed to record it and as fate has it, it became a pretty popular track.” I asked Leigh what were some of the bands that put the drive into him. “We grew up listening to Bob Seger, Kid Rock and Eminem. They really believe in the music they put out,” he says. I hear something different in this latest Pop Evil album. I asked what has changed in the recording process. “Up to this point
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we have had to walk a fine line, but with “UP,” we finally said that we are going to do what we want to do, what we feel we need to do. We wanted to write the hooks and have fun with it this time. With the success of “Onyx,” it opened up the door to do that.” Leigh continues, “Listening to the new album, I feel you are going to hear our band finally start to feel confident and start taking risks. We strived to be different and I think you will notice that with the first single ‘Footsteps.’ To me, it doesn't sound like anything over the past 20 years.” With such a focus being put on the live show these days and having the experience at this point with several tours under their belt, I wonder if that influences the writing style. “Absolutely it does,” Kakaty says. “The fans want to be entertained and they notice what is going on up there. With the new songs, we took into consideration the live aspect of Pop Evil and it is really going to show. This is the longest the band has seen a line up stick together, so with that the confidence has grown and it makes it all that much easier for me as the singer.” Sitting down and talking with Leigh Kakaty was a real honor. He is a true class act with an amazing passion for not only his band but music as a whole. He has an appreciation for the fans that is undeniable and always remembers where he comes from. It keeps him focused and ready to work as hard as possible. With something to prove to the world as their motivation, you are guaranteed to get the best of Pop Evil each and every time.
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Counting Crows, the American alternative rock band with hits, such as “Big Yellow Taxi,” “A Long December,” and “Accidentally In Love,” are back out on the road again as headliners to support their latest album, Somewhere Under Wonderland. The eagerly anticipated record, which debuted at #6 on the Billboard Top 200 charts upon its’ release in late 2014, is the first studio album of original material to be released by the band in six years. The compilation of 9 brand new songs plus 2 demo tracks offers songs, which still have the distinctive sound and lyrical components fans are accustomed to, yet with a touch of reinvigorated confidence. Full Access Magazine spoke with the introspective, dreadlocked lead singer, Adam Duritz, about the bands’ latest artistic achievement, current tour, and projects that have fueled their growth since 2008’s studio release, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings. Duritz begins by explaining, “The only reason there was a break was because I was working on a play (Black Sun with playwright Stephen Belber). I didn’t want to take any time off from the band, but I also didn’t want to write for two different things at the same time. That seems really confusing, so I just wrote for the play and we made an album of other
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by Tandra Lamia
people’s songs with the band. We never took any time off and we were still touring so honestly, for us, it never seemed like a break at all.” The album of covers Duritz refers to is Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation), released in 2012. “You gotta remember that for a band, there is a period of collaboration that goes on when you turn those little skeletons into actual songs. That’s the same thing we did on the coverage album. They’re other people’s songs, but we took the ideas of those songs and we all got together and built our own versions of them, just like we do on every other record.” Duritz also credits the making of the coverage album with the improvement of the band’s live performances. “When we made the coverage record, everyone took a little more ownership of it, maybe because they weren’t my songs, so people were a little more proprietary themselves. Something happened after that record, when we went out to play it live. Everything had become a little more daring. We’ve always been a pretty good live band, but we took a big leap forward about 3 years ago.” Having been the Counting Crows’ primary songwriter for nearly 25 years, Duritz has widely been known for lyrics which seem
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to touch on the fragility and instability of our emotions as a human race. However, one notable difference in his lyrical approach for Somewhere Under Wonderland, is the conscious shift from autobiographical writing to a more storyteller-type vibe. He comments, “You wanna write things that are true. I felt like I could write about myself, because that was something I knew about and I felt it would be safe. So I’ve always written songs that were just about me, kind of. When I was writing for the play, it was the first time I’d ever written for other characters or for women’s voices, ya know, people who weren’t me. And I discovered, in doing that, that I really liked it, number one, but that it also wasn’t really important that the songs be about me. It was just as important that they be about how I feel. I felt like I wrote some of the best songs of my life in the play. I was able to set them in other characters’ lives and still write passionately about how I feel, just with different stories.” Duritz also explains that the shift was more of a process than an epiphany. “I wanted to write different kinds of songs, but I wasn’t really aware of it at first. I was getting the inspiration to start songs, but then I would look at them and they’d seem wrong somehow. I think it had to do with the fact that they weren’t set in my life. I think it’s like if everything you’ve written has been blue your whole life and you thought of blue as the measure of quality, and then you write something that’s like, red, you might not recognize it as a really good red. It might just look like a shitty blue. I think that’s what was going on.” Having bits and pieces of songs proved frustrating for Duritz, so he and his bandmates would crash at his New York loft for a week every month to bounce ideas off each other. “The first time we did that we went through lots of ideas, excavated stuff from my iphone, my computer, my songbooks…all these notes I had everywhere! A couple days after they left, I finished “God Of Ocean Tides” because
we had gone through a lot of it. Then a month later we got together again and in six days we wrote “Earthquake Driver,” “Scarecrow,” “Dislocation,” “Cover Up The Sun,” and “Elvis Went To Hollywood.” It’s like the lion share of the record. No one should be able to write 5 songs in 6 days like that”, he laughs. “My mind was finally clear. Things were really good and all of a sudden it just poured out. I just couldn’t seem to stop finishing songs.” When asked about the prospect of performing these new songs live, Duritz says, “We’re just all really excited about it! The funny thing is we’ve been all over the world playing this record…New Zealand, Australia, all across Canada, twice in Europe. It feels like The Beatles in reverse. It’s cool that you can go to the other side of the world and people will actually show up to see you play. This will be the first time we’ve played it in America since the record’s come out. It’s great to come home and do it.” Fans can also expect that no two set lists will be the same. As Duritz explains, “I think what happens with a lot of bands is they get bored with what they’re doing because they’re doing the same thing every night. We never went through that because it occurred to me in the beginning that the one thing that would kill you is doing something over and over that you didn’t want to do. So, if we didn’t want to play a song, we just didn’t play it that night. We’ve protected ourselves from getting bored. We’ve been changing the set list every night for 20 some odd years. That way I’m not sick of “Mr. Jones”. I love “Mr. Jones” and one of the reasons I love it is that we don’t play it every night.” For a man who feels songwriting is “my life” and readily admits he’d be unemployed if he weren’t a musician, the talented Duritz and his equally-talented bandmates seem to have found the right recipe for “Hangin’ Around.”
Counting Crows will be performing at Freedom Hill Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights, MI on September 10th. Tickets are still available for this show. Full Access Detroit
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Who is Bebe Rexha? If you don't know the answer to that question mark my words, you should and you will. She was the copen behind “The Monster” with Eminem & Rihanna, which won her a little thing called a “Grammy.” She has appeared on hit songs by Nico & Vinz, Cash Cash, Pitbull and David Guetta. She has a solo album called “I Don't Wanna Grow Up (May 12, 2015 – Warner Bros.)” featuring songs such as “I Can't Stop Drinking About You,” “Gone” and “I'm Gonna Show You Crazy.” Take her exotic look, melodic voice, ability to write hit songs, musicianship and passion, roll it up and what you have is the whole package. I had the pleasure of joining this Brooklyn, New York born talent while she was in the middle of “Van’s Warped Tour 2015.” Aside from her solo career being in full swing, she is also the lead singer of Pete Wentz’s band “Black Cards.” I asked her about the difference between the two and this is what she said, “With the solo project it all falls on you, there is no one else to blame. Success, failure, creative control all reflects on you.” Being of Albanian decent and raised within a different cultural upbringing, I was curious where she drew her influences from. “My mother,” Bebe says. “She is
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by Scotti Moore
unconditional. I think she knows my inner voice more than anybody. She knows me down to my bones. She is my cheerleader. Her and music are the two constants in my life.” As she continues to gain momentum through all the collaboration she has been a part of, who is the person she would most like to work with next? Rexha says, “Kanye West! I love his presence, I really respect him even though I feel he is on the edge and misunderstood. He always speaks his mind. As I grow I'm getting thicker skin and I feel like I could stand up to him. There is just something very interesting about him and very real.” We talk about the ups and downs that come with being on the road. “My favorite part is the fans and seeing people sing my songs. It makes me feel like I'm here for a reason. Now the worst part is missing the family and dealing with a relationship. I literally just went through a break-up while on this tour. It's a constant grind everyday. You are doing it for the love of music and being part of something bigger. Unfortunately, you lose people along the way and it is painful. But this is what we have chosen to do and it's just a part of it.” As popularity grows, so does the attention from fans. Bebe explains, “I used to have
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a lot of social anxiety and even to this day. I don't like going to parties or going out, but when I get up on that stage and meet the fans, it's like I turn into this alter-ego. I turn into this other person, moonshine.” Moonshine? “Yes, Moonshine,” she says with a laugh. When one’s family or friends attend a show it usually raises the anxiety level. Bebe Rexha says, “When my parents are watching, it really makes me nervous. I just want everything to be so perfect when the family or friends are around, that I add extra pressure, so I get really nervous.” Most people dislike change, but sometimes it is a necessity. Certain things demand an adjustment in ones life. I asked Ms. Rexha what has she had to change to further her career in music? “Fear,” she says. “I wouldn't move out of my parents house and I had to live by their rules. In their culture by now, I should be married to another Albanian. I knew I was different from everybody in my family, so I had to fight that fear, so I could move out and live in a different state. I grew up very sheltered, so I had to make that move so I could go off and pursue my dream, my career.” There are a lot of things that need fixing in this world. I asked Bebe what she would change in today's music world? “I feel that everyone gets put into a box, labeled. If I wear all black or grunge it up a bit, they look at me and say that I must be a rock chick. I would make it to where you can be who you want and just call it music. That simple.” In closing, I asked Bebe Rexha to tell the world what she wants us to know about herself. This is what she had to say, “I am like every other human being in the world. I feel alone sometimes. I am constantly trying to find myself and love myself. I do this because it is my therapy and I hope for it to be other people's therapy.
I hope to start a movement, so that guys and girls have someone to really look up to. May it be a song that's meaningful or just a party fun song that they can listen to for 3:30 and forget about all the screwed up stuff that is going on in their lives because that's the beauty of music. That is what music is supposed to do. It is supposed to free us from the reality of the world. Sometimes the world isn't a pretty place. So, with that being said, I hope someday I can sellout arenas and just rock with people, bringing them to a different place, even if only for one night. Bebe Rexha will be performing in Detroit on September 13th at The Shelter at St. Andrews Hall. Tickets are still available for this show. Showtime is 6:30pm.
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Bebe Rexha will be performing at The Shelter at St. Andrews Hall in Detroit on September 13th. Showtime is 6:30pm. Tickets are still available. Full Access Detroit
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If you are a fan of country music, chances are that you heard Old Dominion’s music before you even heard of the band. They have written songs for famous country artists like The Band Perry, Keith Urban and Luke Bryan, but now they are focused on writing music and on performing the music themselves. Old Dominion is a five member band of country songwriters: Matthew Ramsey (lead singer), Trevor Rosen (guitar and keyboard), Whit Sellers (drums), Geoff Sprung (bass), and Brad Tursi (guitar). Matthew Ramsey sat down with Full Access magazine and talked about the secrets to maneuvering through the Nashville music scene, the band’s songwriting, and the band’s road to success. The band has its roots in Virginia, as 4 of the members are from there; those roots are reflected in the band’s name. Ramsey explained, “We wanted something that kind of would signify Virginia. Old Dominion happens to be the nickname for the State of Virginia…we were setting up for a show one night and I said, you know, the only thing I could find that’s not taken is Old Dominion and everybody looks at me and just says, well, ‘what’s wrong with that?’ So we said ‘alright, sounds good.’” Old Dominion also has a very simple, but
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by Shobha N. Lizaso
distinct logo as well. “We wanted something … that was kind of memorable and that we could kind of slap all over everything…we were looking at a lot of beer logos and a lot of like micro-brewery logos, and we just kind of liked the impact that they made,” Ramsey reflected as he described the origin of the band’s logo. With their band name and logo, they moved to Nashville to chase the songwriter’s dream and found that it might take 10-15 years to acquire the ingredients needed for success. Ramsey explained,” It’s just like going to school when you move to Nashville, and the talent pool there is the best of the best writers and musicians from all over the country… that’s who you’re competing with… and it just takes that long, to stay after it, learn the game, get in the circles, do all the networking, and learn how to write for the radio and for what’s next on the radio; not for what’s on the radio now. A lot of people move there and they chase what’s on the radio now, but those songs were written three or four years ago; so you’re already late to the game if you’re doing that.” The band learned a lot while writing songs in Nashville. Ramsey continued, “Everyone hates the word “formula,” but there is sort of a formula to a hit song: there’s a big hit chorus, there are hooks, and finding ways to
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write these hooks in a new way…so you learn how to navigate around those things while still write what’s in your heart, it’s a balance, and these choices become second nature to you.” With thousands of songwriters relocating to Nashville all of the time, chasing the same dream, one would think that the Nashville music scene would be cold and cut-throat. Ramsey described it quite differently,” I’ve been in Nashville for probably twelve, thirteen years now, and I have yet to see anything cut-throat about it… it’s competition by Neal Nachman for sure, but it’s healthy and supportive competition …everyone there loves a great song; that’s why they’re there…and when they recognize a great song, then they’re happy to let that song succeed…the ones that are cut-throat won’t make it, because it’s a very supportive business.” However, it takes more than talent and connections to get noticed in Nashville. “Some of it is luck… there are so many amazing people out there that will never see success and that’s a shame. There are people out there that are way better than us, that will probably never see success; there’s a big part of it that is just waiting your turn, being patient, keeping a positive attitude, and knowing that you have to constantly work to get better,” Ramsey added. Through this commitment, Old Dominion’s songwriting and performances has earned them recognition in the country world. For example, they were invited to perform at the Grand Old Opry. “It’s a huge badge of honor to be invited by the Opry to come and play because it’s been around so long, and it’s such a staple in country music that when you get tapped for it, people start turning their heads.” A few months ago, Old Dominion performed at the CMA Music Festival kick off concert. Ramsey recounted, “Award shows, I think, are always great because fans from everywhere come to those and there’s always like a certain energy that those fans bring.
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Country music fans in general are very loyal to not just one artist, but to the genre of country music…so when they show up and they travel for a show like that, they’re coming to celebrate the entire genre and every artist that’s there…so you really can feel a lot of love from those crowds.” Old Dominion has been recording in the studio finishing up its first full-length album on RCA Nashville. RCA has given them full reign to express their musical and songwriting skills without creative interference. The album has accents from various genres of music sewn throughout. The band recognizes that the lines between the genres of music have been blurred, so the album has a little rock, rap, and hip hop in the country songs. Ramsey described the album as sounding, “Very fun with a sad undertone through the whole thing.”
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Ded By Dezine is a hard rock band with a southern rock influence, based out of Wayne, Michigan. The band was founded in June of 2006 by original members J (lead vocals) and Mike Stoker (Drums, Backup Vocals). The rest of the rock brotherhood are Rocking Rob K (Guitarist, Vocals), Wes Harris (Guitar, Backup Vocals) and Steve "ACE" Adams (Bass). Their first CD, “Ded By Dezine,” was released in the summer of 2013. The band is currently in the studio laying down tracks for their follow up CD scheduled for release later this year or early 2016. I was able to sit down with J and talk to him about the history of the band and how the current line up came together. “The original line up was set to be a cover band and wasn't taken too seriously at first,” J says. “It wasn't until late 2007 or early 2008 when original guitarist Donny Stanfill and I decided to sit down and write some songs together.” The first two songs that were written were “Ded by Dezine” (which explains the aura of the band) and “Fed Up.” “Fed Up is a riff that Donny came up with when we were trying to cover an Eminem song at one of our live shows. I don't remember what the song was,” J told me. “However, when we got done playing it, I told Donny that we needed to use that riff in one of our songs.” How did the band’s name come about? J takes a breath and tells me this great story. “It actually came to me in a dream. I was watching one of the Final Destination
by Derek "D-Unit" Samp
movies on DVD when I fell asleep. The movie was set up to continue playing on a constant repeat. I woke up to a line in the movie that stated something about death having a design. So it came to me, we as people are all dead by design. It is human nature to destroy our selves and most people don't think about that.” Tell me about the guys in the band? “I wanted the band to feel like a group of brothers playing music together.” J continues on by saying, “The thing I like most about us is that we are five different guys. If it was not for music and playing it the five of us would more than likely not have met. We all have so much in common and we all vary so much in age. Wes is the baby, Rob next, than me, Ace and then Mike.” Ded By Dezine puts on an amazingly fun, entertaining live performance. “It’s not out of the ordinary for me to pick someone out of the crowd, whom I may know, and have them come up on stage and perform a song with us. We don't mind sharing the spotlight with our fans,” J explains. “I like it when my 84 year old grandma comes to our shows and sings along to all our originals. The crowd loves it when Grammy gives them the "devil horns" with her hands.” Ded By Dezine is a band that the music industry needs to look out for. It is very easy to connect with their music. The songs are very powerful and very true to life. If you are a true “Ded Head” or “Ded'ie,” you know one thing in life is true...... “We are all DED BY DEZINE.”
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The Foreign Exchange Tales from the Land of Milk & Honey FE/Hard Boiled 333d2 by Terry Canter If you are curious about Phonte and Nicolay’s mindset going into their fifth studio album as the Foreign Exchange, just look at their social media accounts. Phonte, the group’s affable frontman, feeds his Twitter stream with acerbic real talk and hot-take movie reviews. On Facebook, producer Nicolay posts videos of bobblehead dolls in his studio, and jokes about his paltry royalty checks from streaming services. After 11 years together, and several albums of grown folks' soul, it seems the two aren’t taking themselves too seriously. They're having fun and don't mind bringing you into the fold. Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey is a delightful collection of sophisticated R&B and electronic dance, tied directly to the era of Morris Day funk grooves and Teddy Riley’s New Jack Swing. As it plays, Phonte, Nicolay, keyboardist Zo!, and vocalists Carmen Rodgers and Tamisha Waden recall the storied Minneapolis funk sound while staying true to their own established blend of Eurocentric electrosoul. In a way, Milk and Honey feels like a concept record: The press photos resemble a parody of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and the title track evokes Sergio Mendes’ brand of airy Brazilian jazz. The lyrics pull from Stevie Wonder's songbook of imagined utopias and peaceful horizons. Then suddenly, on "Work It to the Top", Phonte sings in a nasal tone that channels groups like Ready for the World and Cameo over a vintage, computerized-R&B stomp. Milk and Honey moves swiftly and has the same radiant mood as 2013’s Love in Flying Colors, the group’s previous album. But if Colors embraced the joy of a new relationship, Milk and Honey explores the 19
comforts of sustained romance, where the urge to hit the club gives way to Netflix date nights and glasses of wine at the crib. "Body", a standout near the album’s end, says as much: "Nowhere to go and it’s nothing on these streets," Phonte sings, who addressed a similar notion on his 2011 solo album, Charity Starts at Home. The familiarity of the music is the best kind, and for anyone who has kept up closely with this project, it's both a joy and a comfort. Ever since the group’s landmark debut, the Foreign Exchange has evolved into a roving crew of musicians who specialize in adult contemporary soul. They tend to focus on the day-to-day aspects of love and life, which helps them stay connected with their cult followers, some of whom have kept up with the crew since its inception on Okayplayer. Overall, Milk and Honey is a victory lap and a nice step forward in the group’s creative progress. Or maybe it’s a two-step. Rayland Baxter Imaginary Man Japanese Rainbow ggggf by Terry Canter
On the cover of Rayland Baxter’s 2012 debut album, the Nashville folk singer portrays himself as a longhaired, mustachioed rambler with holes in the elbows of his denim shirt. He’s covering his eyes in the “see-no-evil” pose, but on feathers & fishHooks, Baxter confronts some of those troubles of lost love and foolish actions through fingerpicked guitar ballads full of honest admissions. Three years later, Baxter cleaned up for his second album cover. Half of his chiseled, now-shaved silhouette is masked in the shadows while the other half stares you down like you’re now the one performing those evil acts that shall not be seen. The son of pedal steel player Bucky Baxter
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(whose credits have appeared on Bob Dylan, Steve Earle and R.E.M. records), Rayland melds this traditional country twang with newer experimental sounds. The elder Baxter does, in fact, play on Imaginary Man, joined by a muddled string section on “Oh My Captain,” a lightly distorted electric guitar lead in single “Yellow Eyes,” and extra-terrestrial attempt at communication in the Mac DeMarcoesque “Freakin Me Out.” The unifying thread between Baxter’s two efforts is his slowly warbling tenor. His familiar, yet, unusual yearning punctuates songs like the two-and-a-half-minute acoustic “Rugged Lovers” and the similarly spare, album closing “Lady of the Desert.” But mostly, Imaginary Man sounds like Baxter composing a conscious push to the mainstream. It’s just that his previous, strange, and wanderlusting alter-ego seems to capture more curiosity. Palehound Dry Food Exploding In Sound ggdff by Terry Canter
On 2013's Bent Nail EP, Palehound's Ellen Kempner sang about taking a carrot for a pet in order to stave off late-teen loneliness. She makes similarly childlike gestures on her debut album. "You made beauty a monster to me, so I'm kissing all the ugly things I see," she seethes at an ex in a so there voice on Dry Food's title track. It's the most deliciously futile form of revenge and reclamation: doing the opposite. Dry Food is partially a product of the 21year-old Boston-dwelling songwriter's first big breakup—the deeper kind of solitude
detroit
of having known and lost someone. Its sound captures the Herculean efforts required to survive the ensuing slump: "All I need's a little sleep and I'll be good to clean and eat," she sings in a medicated sigh on "Easy," her acoustic guitar rising and dipping with the methodical pace of someone trying to make a new routine stick. But like her former camp counselor and roommate, Speedy Ortiz's Sadie Dupuis, Kempner never lets a sad jam wallow: she kicks the end of the song into shape with a zippy electric guitar motif and some awkward, itchy squall. It's followed by "Cinnamon," which takes the opposite tack, hooked around the kind of amiable, waterlogged psych burble that Mac DeMarco noodles in his sleep. Kempner sings dreamily about her worst self-defeating impulses, but is stirred from her reverie by a divine revelation that her life is becoming "a pretty lie." Frantic drums force the song somewhere agitated and ascendant, but instead of bursting into some bright new phrase, the furor falls away like a captivating slo-mo bellyflop. Saddest of all is closer "Seakonk," where Kempner protests that she's not alone, actually; she's home watching TV with her parents, sister and their dogs. There's a blithe fairground pirate ship sway to the song, which she closes with a jaunty "doo doo doo" that could have come from the credits of one of the cartoons she's watching—only she lets the final note deflate with a groan. It's at this point that Dry Food confronts the point it's been evading: kidding yourself is no way to recover, and comfort offers little impetus to move on. Palehound's discomfiting, unflinching debut suggests she knew it all along.
Detroit’s Largest Music/Entertainment Magazine
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Stonebreed & Wreking Crue Raven Crimson Shadows Through Our Eyes & Deadsky Killer Dwarfs Armored Saint & Saxon Miles Beyond & Marty Friedman Bloodline Riot, Full Devil Jacket & Bridge To Grace Riverside & The Sixxis Toni Aleman December In Red Jackstand, Squid, Tripp N’ Dixie, Karalavara & Outta Hand Riverside & The Sixxis Aye Quigley One-Eyed Doll, Stitched Up Heart & Run 2 Cover D.R.I. The Genitorturers
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SEPTEMBER
Lee DeWyze
The Ark, Ann Arbor
Justin hayward
Village Theatre, Canton
Four year Strong The Shelter, Detroit
John hiatt & taj Mahal
Michigan Theatre, Ann Arbor
Mark hummel, RW grigsby & Anson Funderburgh
Callahan’s Music Hall, Auburn Hills
Puddle of Mudd
Downtown Royal Oak, Royal Oak
Van halen & Kenny Wayne Shepherd
DTE Energy Theatre, Clarkston
Slightly Stoopid & Dirty heads The Fillmore, Detroit
Ratatat
The Fillmore, Detroit
Jackson Browne
Meadow Brook Festival, Rochester
AC/DC
Ford Field, Detroit
Counting Crows, Citizen Cope & hollis Brown
Freedom Hill Amp, Sterling Heights
Robert Plant & Pixies
Meadow Brook Festival, Rochester
the Damned
St. Andrews Hall, Detroit
Loretta Lynn & Martina McBride
Fox Theatre, Detroit
J. geils Band & ian hunter DTE Energy Theatre, Clarkston
Meghan trainor
The Fillmore, Detroit
Diana Ross
Caesars Windsor, Windsor
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Lost Element
Pike Room, Pontiac
Ralphie May
Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak
Alvin youngblood hart
Callahan’s Music Hall, Auburn Hills
Mason Jennings
The Ark, Ann Arbor
Eagles of Death Metal
The Shelter, Detroit
Ellis Paul
The Ark, Ann Arbor
Motorhead, Anthrax & Crobot The Fillmore, Detroit
of Montreal The Majestic Theatre, Detroit Weezer, Panic! At the Disco, thousand Foot Krutch, the Wombats & Night Riots
Freedom Hill Amp, Sterling Heights
Zac Brown Band
Comerica Park, Detroit
Cage the Elephant, Coheed And Cambria, Cold War Kids & Civil twilight Freedom Hill Amp, Sterling Heights
Echo & the Bunnymen
The Fillmore, Detroit
Bebe Rexha
The Shelter, Detroit
Killer Dwarfs
The Token Lounge, Westland
the Dear hunter & Chon The Loving Touch, Ferndale Stone temple Pilots
The Fillmore, Detroit
Albert hammond Jr.
The Shelter, Detroit
Dar Williams
The Ark, Ann Arbor
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Dar Williams
The Ark, Ann Arbor
Emmylou harris & Rodney Crowell
Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak
Jason Aldean, tyler Farr & Cole Swindell
DTE Energy Theatre, Clarkston
Rick Springfield, Loverboy & the Romantics
Freedom Hill Amp, Sterling Heights
Duke Robillard Band
Callahan’s Music Hall, Auburn Hills
thunder From Down Under
Caesars Windsor, Windsor
Melanie Martinez
The Shelter, Detroit
Frankie Ballard
The Fillmore, Detroit
twenty one Pilots
Meadow Brook Festival, Rochester
MuteMath
Blind Pig, Ann Arbor
Safe in Sound Festival
Elektricity, Pontiac
Fidlar The Loving Touch, Ferndale Beach house
Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak
Sponge
Diesel Concert Lounge, Chesterfield
REo Speedwagon & Night Ranger
Freedom Hill Amp, Sterling Heights
Marcia Ball
The Ark, Ann Arbor
Riverfest
The Fillmore, Detroit
Alt-J & San Fermin
Meadow Brook Festival, Rochester
David Berkeley
The Ark, Ann Arbor
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holly Miranda The Loving Touch, Ferndale the Fall of troy & And So i Watch you From Afar St Andrews Hall, Detroit
Riverside & the Sixxis
The Token Lounge, Westland
godsmack & Sevendust The Fillmore, Detroit
Noah gundersen The Ark, Ann Arbor
tears For Fears
Freedom Hill Amp, Sterling Heights
Father John Misty
Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak
Caspian & Circle takes the Square The Loving Touch, Ferndale Scorpions & queensryche Caesars Windsor, Windsor
Stromae
Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak
Breaking Benjamin, Starset & 10 years The Fillmore, Detroit
the orb
The Magic Bag, Ferndale
Jim Norton
Andiamo Showroom, Warren
Wavves & twin Peaks The Majestic Theatre, Detroit the Steel Wheels
The Ark, Ann Arbor
Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & Conspirators The Fillmore, Detroit
Warren haynes
The Fillmore, Detroit
Chris Robinson Brotherhood
Crofoot Ballroom, Pontiac
Destroyer & Jennifer Castle The Loving Touch, Ferndale
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of Monsters And Men
Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit
Prince Royce
The Fillmore, Detroit
Veridia
The Shelter, Detroit
OCTOBER
Kacey Musgraves
Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak
the growlers
Blind Pig, Ann Arbor
Madonna
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit
Ride
St Andrews Hall, Detroit
ghost & Purson The Majestic Theatre, Detroit hollywood Undead The Fillmore, Detroit
Melissa Ferrick
The Ark, Ann Arbor
D.R.i.
The Token Lounge, Westland
Korn, Suicide Silence & islander The Fillmore, Detroit
Kraftwerk The Majestic Theatre, Detroit Willie Watson The Ark, Ann Arbor
taylor Davis
The Magic Bag, Ferndale
Josh groban
Fox Theatre, Detroit
Buddy guy
The Fillmore, Detroit
girlpool
Majestic Cafe, Detroit
Seether & Sidewise
The Fillmore, Detroit
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13 13 16 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 18 18 18 19 19 19
Patty griffin
Power Center, Ann Arbor
the Wiggles
Fox Theatre, Detroit
Bill Maher
Michigan Theatre, Ann Arbor
the Neighbourhood
The Fillmore, Detroit
Fortunate youth
Blind Pig, Ann Arbor
Fates Warning
The Token Lounge, Westland
the Who & Joan Jett
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit
the Verve Pipe
The Ark, Ann Arbor
the String Cheese incident
The Fillmore, Detroit
the Underachievers
Blind Pig, Ann Arbor
the Kingbees
The Magic Bag, Ferndale
the Misfits
Harpo’s Concert Theatre, Detroit
Larry the Cable guy & Jeff Foxworthy
Fox Theatre, Detroit
Loudon Wainwright iii
The Ark, Ann Arbor
Ringo Starr & All Star Band
Fox Theatre, Detroit
Chance the Rapper
The Fillmore, Detroit
garbage & torres
Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak
Soulfly, Soilwork & Shattered Sun
Crofoot Ballroom, Pontiac
Boys Life
Blind Pig, Ann Arbor
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