Andrew W.K. proves he’s the ultimate authority on partying hard, talks Vans Warped Tour, and shares his love for Canada

“Rockstars” have never been known for their humility. Rather, the trend has always appeared to be that the more fame an artist achieves, the less accommodating they become. Especially if they’re truly talented and musically gifted. Apparently Andrew W.K. never got that memo.

I caught up with the ultimate spokesman for partying hard when the Vans Warped Tour stopped in Montreal and was immediately surprised by the organization and smoothness of all things related to Andrew W.K. As most musicians “forgot” about their interview times, Andrew showed up only about a minute late to his 1:30 p.m. press time and immediately launched into interviews, before heading off to a three hour meet-and-greet extravaganza with his fans. The multi-instrumentalist, who can rock a piano as if he were Beethoven’s prodigy, is not only know for his solid music, but also for his live shows, which are packed with unrivaled energy and good times.

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Hard rock legend Tony Harnell opens up about TNT, the music industry going down the toilet, and his new solo album

Tony Harnell is no stranger to fans of hard rock. Best known as the frontman of TNT since the ’80s, Harnell has also been in Morning Wood, Westworld, and Starbreaker. He’s now released his latest solo effort, “Round Trip”, which features alternative versions of some of his greatest material. Tony was kind enough to take the time to tell The Rock and Roll Report about everything from his early days to the present.

Q: To start, let’s go back to the beginning – what event took place in your life that made you realize you wanted to rock for a living?

A: I had just moved to New York from California and was driving around in my car, I was about 16, and some local dudes with long hair came up to my car at a stop sign and told me they’d been looking for me for weeks. Apparently they had heard me screaming in my car to Priest and Zeppelin through the hood and were trying to find me, so they invited me to their band rehearsal. I had never played with a band before so this was exciting for me. Well, after the three or four hours with them in their studio it was all over for me. I knew when I walked out the door that night what my life was going to be about. Read more

10 Years on 10 years in the business, finding inspiration in dreams, and embarking on the Carnival of Madness Tour

Hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee, 10 Years is a modern hard rock band that is aiming to make its mark in rock music with its latest record, “Feeding the Wolves,” which follows 2005’s breakout record, “The Autumn Effect,” and 2008’s, “Division.” Before they head out on this summer’s Carnival of Madness tour, alongside Shinedown, Sevendust, and Chevelle, drummer Brian Vodinh sat down to answer a few questions for us at Rock and Roll Report.

Q: Thanks for taking the time for the interview!  So your band is actually coming up on 10 years of existence – how has the ride been so far?

A: Actually, we first got together and formed the band in 1998, then played our first show in April of 1999, so it certainly has been quite a ride. We have definitely had our ups and downs, but being in a band is just like any other kind of relationship. Read more

The Raveonettes’ Sharin Foo talks touring, nerves, being a duo, and opening for Iggy Pop

The Raveonettes are, by far, Denmark’s coolest export. The alt-rock duo is comprised of Sune Rose Wagner (who juggles guitar, vocals, and an array of other instruments, as needed) and Sharin Foo (who reigns over bass, guitar, and vocals.) October of 2009 saw the release of their fourth full-length album, In And Out Of Control, which was then followed by a string of live shows (and now, worldwide festival gigs). I caught up with Sharin in Toronto, during the NXNE festival, on the morning of The Raveonettes’ rocking gig, which saw them open up for Iggy and the Stooges in Yonge-Dundas Square.

Q: You’re scheduled to play a bunch of summer festivals all around the world, do you enjoy the traveling, or does it get tiring?

A: No, I like it actually. I actually do like playing only one, or two, or three shows; it’s really exciting. The traveling can be a little tiresome, jetlag and that kind of stuff, but I find touring can be a little harder sometimes because it’s so monotonous. You have to play five, six shows in a row and it’s harder to find that sort of excitement. So, actually, I do like doing the [dispersed] shows. It can be a little more terrifying because maybe it’s like a week or two since we played, and you’re like “oh, okay!,” but yeah, it’s fun.

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N x N + E = BBQs & Networking

Over the last few years I’ve been traveling down the 401, from Montreal to Toronto, to experience one of Canada’s biggest music industry conferences and festivals: NXNE. But this year’s NXNE really broke down into a clever, and almost mathematical, formula that I’ve discovered. When you take N x N + E, it equals something really special called, networking galore!

Arriving in Toronto on a Thursday, I wasn’t sure what my plans would be. This was the first year I told myself that I would play it by ear and word of mouth, and I sure am glad that I trusted my gut feeling because the rewards were just priceless. What I discovered at this year’s NXNE was tons of rooftop parties and backyard BBQs. All these were the right spots to be, whether you were an industry-type or a musician. The first rooftop party I ended up at was hosted by the XM Verge radio show. Arriving to the rooftop with industry friends from Liberty Music Traxx and BreakingTomorrow.com out of Montreal, we hit the party and it was crammed! Tons of people squashed like sardines, and super loud due to both people chattering and bands playing in the background. I met a few people that I knew there, but my rating on this bash was so-so, compared to the others I attended. I can’t do places where you can’t even talk to the person next to you because you can’t hear each other. But overall, just sitting on a rooftop in the sun and having fun with friends can never be a bad thing. Read more

Hot Hot Heat get candid and explain what rock and roll is all about, and how it got effed up

You may not know it yet, but Hot Hot Heat might just be the band that saves Canada’s rock scene. The group’s latest record, Future Breeds, hit shelves (physical and virtual) on June 8th, and proved that the darlings of rock have done it again. First appearing on British Columbia’s music scene in 1999, Hot Hot Heat may have gone through a lot of changes over the years, but one constant has always been their signature quirkiness, stellar musicianship and intoxicating sounds.

I had the chance to sit down with drummer Paul Hawley and bassist Luke Paquin at Toronto’s Red Bull Headquarters during the NXNE festival, as Hot Hot Heat prepped for an exclusive performance at the intimate, loft-style locale. What follows is not a typical Q&A interview, but rather an open conversation that allows one to gain a glimpse into what Hot Hot Heat is all about, and what the band members’ personalities are truly like.

Luke: Once you hit play [on your recorder], I’ll get serious so …

Paul: Well, if you hit play we’re going to hear some other interview you did.

Me: You’ll probably hear Alice Cooper then.

Luke: What, today? Where? Was it a phoner?

Me: Yeah, he apparently doesn’t like to do interviews in person.

Paul: Really? I don’t like to do them on the phone. I like to do them in person, but I’m also like, half his age.

Luke: Well, the thing about Alice Cooper is; he’s a pretty big deal. Read more

I Loves My Country…..

I have decided to gather together some of the best country and roots rock releases received over the past few weeks and tell you all about them in the hopes you’ll want to check them out. Remember, good rootsy rock and hardcore country is hard to find these days so if you’ve got a hankerin’ for this kind of stuff, well, here it is:

Blue Rodeo – The Things We Left Behind
Warner Bros

I would be remiss if I didn’t offer an apology to Blue Rodeo and to their label for not getting to this review of the new two-CD set by Canada’s greatest band (next to Sloan, anyways) a lot sooner. Truth is, I took it out to my car a few months ago as I wanted listening material for an upcoming road trip and just got so used to having it close at hand during long drives (and short ones too) I totally forgot I needed to review it and let you, faithful readers, know about the album I have been listening to almost non-stop since I received it. I guess I also owe you an apology as well because if you didn’t know about this album, you’ve been missing out on one of the most impressive albums this year and one that (at this point anyway) is definitely going to be on my top ten for the year.

Yeah, I said it. It’s that good. But it’s no surprise really, as this band’s been putting out great albums for about thirty years now.

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Bikini-clad girls, endless booze, great live music, and a burning couch in a mosh pit – The RockaSkin Outback Camping Music Festival delivered the goods

BAM, BAM, BAM!  I hear the sound and spend my precious few moments awake trying to determine if it’s actually a knock on the window, or just the pounding in my head. I hear the noise again and am finally able to distinguish it from the drum roll happening in my brain, and reach over to unlock the door.  Having passed out drunk in my car, I wasn’t expecting anything less than a shitty morning and a brutal headache, but luckily enough, within seconds of opening my eyes, I had a drink thrust into my hand and was told to wake up and enjoy the show. Less than ten feet from where my hatch opened was a young lady dressed in a leopard skin bikini, complete with matching bunny ears.  If that wasn’t enough, she was rolling, splashing and crawling around in a giant mud puddle. Having been eased gently awake by this amazing spectacle, I slam the rest of my Vodka Red Bull and get ready to start my day. It is 9:00 a.m.

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The Futureheads’ guitarist, Ross Millard, talks Manchester United, inventing privacy, and “The Chaos”

The Futureheads’ newest offering, “The Chaos”, is a truly electric album that doesn’t venture far from the band’s signature sound, but that has a healthy dose of fresh and new takes of what we love most about their music. Some standout tracks include “Struck Dumb,” which features a couple of heavier riffs, but has an overall playful tone, and “I Can Do That,” which has an upbeat feeling that is reminiscent of a Ramones tune. The band’s guitarist, Ross Millard, was kind enough to answer a few questions about The Futureheads’ music making process and their latest album:

Q: What makes your latest album, “The Chaos,” different from the rest? Was the writing / recording process enjoyable?

A: I think this is the first record that we’ve made with “full independence” in mind. I think it’s different because this record has it’s darker, more minor moments. We wanted the album to be a positive, uplifting record, but we wanted to acknowledge our surroundings and our times, so I guess it’s harps of light shafting through the darkness, this time. The process was enjoyable because we gave ourselves more time to make this record and didn’t impose much of a deadline on the finished product. Dave, our drummer, has had a son with his girlfriend and that meant we had to take our foot off the gas to a certain extent, but I think taking more time in the studio has benefitted all of us because the songs start to change and expand the longer you have them kicking around the rehearsal room.

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There and Back Again – The 88′s Journey from Independence to Major Label and Back to Independence Again

The 88 is a Los Angeles-based pop rock group consisting of Keith Slettedahl (vocals & guitar), Adam Merrin (piano), Anthony Zimmitti (drums), and Todd O’Keefe (bass).  They’ve been releasing independent albums since 2002, and attracted major label interest for their 2008 record, “Not Only…But Also”.

The 88 has had countless songs placed in movies, television, and even video games, so odds are you’ve already heard music from this band.  Recently Adam talked to us about their new EP, “No One Here”, and much more.

Q:  Hello there and thanks for taking the time for an interview!  I really dug the new EP, “No One Here”.  What was the motivation to do the EP versus a full-length record?

A:  We recorded these songs in 2006, and actually did record a full length album, but the project got put on hold once we signed with Island Records.  One of the reasons we released this as an EP was because a lot of the songs were re-recorded for “Not Only…But Also” (2008, Island Records release), and we wanted to put out songs that people haven’t heard yet.

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