Interview: Chris Alvy

Recently I had the opportunity to interview Chris Alvy, who released one of the best power pop EPs I’ve heard so far this year (see my review of “Anything Goes” here). Read on to learn more about Alvy’s musical influences and huge record collection, his times with big name artists (from Sister Hazel to Warrant), and what is next for his band, a group of guys he is proud to call brothers.



Bill: First I have to say once again how much I loved your EP [Anything Goes]. It’s been a long time since I’ve been so immediately captivated by a record. I characterized your sound as “Cheap Trick or Boston performing songs written for ABBA” – did I happen to hit any of your influences with that description?
Chris: Well, CHEAP TRICK yes. ABBA, though I like them, I've never been a big fan......my daughter is - she plays MAMMA MIA SOUNDTRACK non-stop in our house. CHRIS ALVY BAND actually opened up for BOSTON and I do like their work, so yes you were pretty close. My main influences have always been melodic pop rock, obviously THE BEATLES, BEACH BOYS etc......rock music with lots of melody and harmonies.

Bill: I understand you were born in Cuba and raised in Spain as well as the US. How have these transitions impacted your music and songwriting?
Chris: I do have some Latin influences that I am sure come from my background, but I usually incorporate them in the Spanish material I write for Latin artists. I have been working with SONY ATV MUSIC here in MIAMI for about a year and a half and they pitch my Spanish tunes to their artist and others. They also administer my publishing company aptly named POP TRASH PUBLISHING [LOL]. My American stuff has never shown traces of Latin music, and I don't foresee me incorporating any in the near future. I am a rock and roll guy even though my roots are Latin.

Bill: One of my favorite cuts off the EP is “The Fall” – could you tell us some more about what inspired this song?
Chris: THE FALL is a song about realizing that it's really not about your failures or dreams that may have not come true - whichever those may be. But it's really about the experiences and lessons you learn along the way trying to pursue those goals/dreams. It was inspired by our own personal experiences as a band. My guys and I have been together many years performing and have been through some great, amazing times, but also very heavy times. Three guys have always been the core of this unit and it's Todd Taulbee, Darrell Killingsworth, and myself. We are literally almost like brothers and that is something I am very proud of. The song is like the chorus says "think about the fall, the meaning of it all, who answers to the call, when your back's against the wall....don't refuse to see, it's all within, it's never been at all about the fall”. The song in simple terms is about realizing and digesting the important things in life and don't dwell on the things that might or might've been.....It’s about the journey....one of my favorite songs that I've written and very fun to perform. Another way of putting it would be like the famous saying "it's not how hard you fall, it's about how quick you get up" or something along those lines [LOL]…it’s really all about enjoying your journey and experiences and learning from them.

Bill: What type of bands might we find in your music collection?
Chris: ALL GOOD STUFF [LOL]. Well here's a quick little list that comes to mind: JELLYFISH, JASON FALKNER, THE BEACH BOYS, THE BEATLES, HENDRIX, DAVID BOWIE, E.L.O., THE ROLLING STONES, JETHRO TULL, GILBERT O'SULLIVAN, RANDY NEWMAN, HARRY NILSSON, THE WHO, ELTON JOHN, BILLY JOEL, CREAM, THE BYRDS, BOB DYLAN, FOCUS, YES, EMERSON, LAKE AND PALMER, CHICAGO, BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS, JIM CROCE, JAMES TAYLOR, CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG....the list is never ending.

Bill: Are you a digital music kind of guy or old school with a library of LPs?
Chris: I am old school BIG TIME...not to say I don't have CDs, but I am proud to say I own over 5,000 VINYL RECORDS…last time I counted it was that, I know I have more now. Yes, old school till the end - not into the new stuff too much - rarely do I find something that catches my eye. When I do, I get very excited.

Bill: Among many others, you’ve collaborated and performed with Alto Reed, who founded Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. Tell us more about those experiences.
Chris: I met Alto Reed performing at a south beach event a few years back. He was also performing solo doing a jazz thing he does. He saw me sing and play and came up to me and asked me to sit in with him on his last set and I did. I sang some Seger tunes and we did some cool blues and the place went nuts. So he gave me his info and we've been doing shows here and there ever since. I just came off a gig I did with him in the BAHAMASa few months ago. We spent 4 days performing at the NORWEGGIAN CRUISE LINE ship and it was awesome. I was very happy to have been involved in that gig - we had a blast and let me tell you, he's a heck of a sax player and a great show. He truly is a character and I thank him for the various opportunities he's given me to perform with him. So yeah, Alto and I are cool [LOL].

Bill: You’ve also shared the stage with acts as diverse as Sister Hazel to Warrant. I’d love to hear more about that and whether there is someone else out there that you’d love to jam with.
Chris: We have gotten over the years many opening slots, among them those you mentioned also some other notable acts such as AMERICA, GRAND FUNK, BOSTON, HUMBLE PIE, LIVING COLOUR, FOGHAT...and maybe others I forgot. I'd love to jam with the guys from JELLYFISH, just off the top of my head...always been a big fan. One quick note, one of my Spanish songs that I placed with an international artist CHAYANNE (this guy sells tons of records and is one of the top 3 guys along with RICKY MARTIN, MARK ANTHONY etc…I found out that ROGER MANNING PLAYED ON MY TUNE! I totally was overwhelmed...so I have to say, it has been one of my proudest moments as a professional musician to have ROGER MANNING play on one of my songs. So, yes, JELLYFISH and CHRIS ALVY BAND would be a rockin' event [LOL].

Bill: How did you get hooked up with Fernando Perdomo's Forward Motion Records?
Chris: Well I knew Fernando was opening up or at the time already had his label up and running, so I gave him some rough mixes of the stuff the band was working on. Funny thing is that I never heard back from him till like a couple of months later. He had placed my demo CD on his guitar case and had forgotten about it till he found it one day. He called me and immediately said, "Let's release this". I actually thought he had heard it and hated it, so I did not want to follow up on it. Anyway, we were very excited to be a part of such a cool, happening label here in Miami. I firmly believe that Fernando has slowly but surely put Miami back on the map and has done what has been lacking here for many years...create a whole new scene. As you know, it's a slow, process but I have already seen huge results and the label has been around for less than a year. All the artist that are signed are great quality and great productions so myself and my band are very proud to represent the label in anything we do. I think great times are just ahead for FORWARD MOTION RECORDS.

Bill: If you could describe your band’s sound with just one word, what would it be?
Chris: COOL. It is the word that has kept coming back to us from friends and fans - your music is SOOOO cool, very CALIFORNIA, very high energy. I think we're just a true ROCK & ROLL BAND, but heck that's like 4 words isn't it? So I guess just COOL.


Bill: What is next for Chris Alvy and the band? I hope a full-length release is in the works.
Chris: Well, we are currently promoting through live shows and internet "ANYTHING GOES" our 6 song EP. We have already done two videos "INSIDE JOB" and "YOUR SMILE SHINES A LIGHT" and we are planning on doing videos for all 6 songs. We also started compiling and shooting footage for a DVD titled CHRIS ALVY BAND "ANYTHING GOES" THE DVD which we will hopefully release by the end of summer or the fall. And yes, we will be releasing another batch of songs (6 songs) as a continuation of ANYTHING GOES. We may just press all 12 into one package to sell along with DVD. We're still thinking about how we will market the whole thing. So definitely, new EP, new DVD, and videos for everything we put out is our plan. I also want to expand a bit and start hitting towns all over Florida - that will be coming soon. Lots of crap goes into running a band [LOL], but we have great fun and we are a band of brothers. We enjoy playing and hanging together - that is a priceless commodity in a band - I am a lucky guy.

Bill: On behalf of BMF, thanks again for your time and best of luck with the new release!
Chris: The CHRIS ALVY BAND thanks you for giving us this time to speak a little about what we truly breathe and live every day. Long live true rock & roll...

Chris Alvy Band - MySpace.

Interview: Kasey Anderson

Kasey Anderson and his band (The Honkies) recently released their new album, “Heart Of A Dog” (see review here). Kasey Anderson was kind enough to sit down and answer some of our questions. In the interview, he discussed how the band came together, the perils of labeling an artist, and how failures in math led him to a career in music.

Bill: So Kasey Anderson and The Honkies is made up of some stellar talents…you got members who worked with the Presidents of the United States of America, The Long Winters, Posies, and more. How did fate put you guys together into a band?

Kasey: It wasn’t fate, it was Andrew McKeag. Andrew was the first person I reached out to when I knew I wanted to make a record that couldn’t be described as “twangy.” Andrew has been one of my favorite guitar players in the world for the last fifteen years, so, once I knew I wanted to make a real, live, Rock ‘n’ Roll record, that phone call was a pretty easy decision. When we talked about putting a band together, he said he had “some ideas.” He called Muzz [Mike Musburger, drums] and Eric [Corson, bass], and that was that. About a month after the record came out, we roped Ty [Bailie, keys] in. I spend a lot of time at rehearsals laying back and watching those four guys play together; it never gets old.

Bill: You’ve mentioned that your latest record, “Heart Of A Dog”, was written as a straight-up rock and roll record. What do you have against the label “roots rock”?

Kasey: It is an incredibly restrictive and reductive label, and it’s not really a label I’ve ever been comfortable with, no matter how my records sound. Any time you label an artist, you’re limiting their audience and limiting your own perception of what they can and should do. I don’t find there to be anything especially appealing about that equation.

Bill: Tell us a little about your songwriting process and what types of things provide you with inspiration.

Kasey: Inspiration is everywhere. Newspapers, films, overheard conversations, life, whatever. I’ve found that I write more when my life is, for better or worse, in a state of upheaval, as is currently the case. So for me, there’s an element of either escapism or catharsis to the process, a lot of the time. I’m trying to stay away from writing autobiographically, because I already made that record [Nowhere Nights] and it took too much out of me to write, record, and tour behind it. It ended up being two-and-a-half years of staring at myself in the mirror without blinking, and I’m not sure that’s healthy. It certainly wasn’t healthy for me. I’m not sure what this next record will be, but what’s coming out right now is fiction. It seems like, with my records, there’s always at least one love song and at least one kiss-off song so I’m sure that stuff will find its way in eventually, too.

Bill: Have your tastes in music changed over the years? What sort of styles led to your sound?

Kasey: My taste in music hasn’t really changed that much since I was 11 or 12. My parents had a great record collection and most of what I gravitate towards was informed by that. What has changed over the years is my understanding of the music I like. My parents had Blonde on Blonde but they didn’t have Street Legal, so when I found that, it was like opening up a new door but knowing that my folks had unlocked it for me. I suppose the exception to that is hip-hop. My folks don’t own any Mos Def records, y’know? But they probably would. I bet they’d buy a Mos Def record if they heard it. I oughta test that theory.

Bill: Was there a single episode in your life when it dawned on you that making music was what you had to do?

Kasey: Every failed math exam and lost service industry job made it exceptionally clear to me that I’m not good at anything else. I’m not sure there was one “lightning strikes” moment. Once I started playing guitar, I arrived pretty quickly at the conclusion that it was the one thing I loved more than anything else. From there, it was just a matter of figuring out whether I was a good enough writer to do this, and that took a while to figure out. On the rare occasion I go back and listen to those first couple of records, it is very clear that I was just a kid trying to figure out how to write, while tape was rolling.

Bill: What is your take on the music business today? Do you think major labels are walking in the footsteps of dinosaurs? In your mind, is that a good or bad thing?

Kasey: I think instead of complaining about how the “machine is broken,” artists should make themselves aware of the ways in which the playing field has been leveled, and work to take advantage of them. Money is much tighter, but advertising budgets don’t buy what they used to. I’m pretty tired of hearing people bitch about “the system.”

Bill: What is the craziest moment you’ve had on tour so far?

Kasey: I’m not sure those are fit to print. I think most of the “crazy moments” are pretty run-of-the-mill stuff for any band. We’re not snorting lines of ants or setting hotel rooms on fire. I’d love to tell you some story about my band cutting a drug-addled swath of destruction across North America but, we’re not that band. After the gig, we hang out and watch CNN, and fall asleep. I don’t have the energy for the other shit anymore.

Bill: What band or artist would you most like to tour with?

Kasey: You Am I.

Bill: What can fans expect in the near and distant future from Kasey Anderson and the Honkies?

Kasey: We’ll tour in fits and starts throughout the summer, and probably make a record in the fall. From there, I’m not sure. It’ll be a long time before I make another solo record, though, I can tell you that much. This band is way too good, and way too much fun, for me to walk away from.

Bill: Now, just for fun, let us know the first thoughts that come to mind when you hear the following:

Steven Tyler on American Idol:
Kasey: Shoulda been David Lee Roth.

President Obama’s birth certificate:
Kasey: It is disgraceful to me as an American that our president was put in a position where he felt it necessary to produce proof of his citizenship.

Charlie Sheen:
Kasey: Who?

The GOP:
Kasey: Greedy Old Protestants. Gang-raping Oppressed People.

Steve Jobs:
Kasey: I use Apple products but I don’t think a lot about Jobs. I hope he’s able to recover from his disease, though.

Marriage:
Kasey: It has always seemed like a pretty good idea but lately, I’m not so sure. I know people who put the effort into making it work, and I admire them a great deal. It’s a hard thing to say but, after my last couple of relationships, I’m not positive that I’m in a place where it makes sense for me to think about that. Odd way to end an interview, but there it is.

Bill: On behalf of BMF, thanks again for your time and best of luck with the new release!

Kasey Anderson - Official site - Facebook - Twitter

Catch Kasey Anderson and The Honkies on tour!

May 19 – San Francisco, CA | Great American Music Hall (with The Knitters)
May 20 – Petaluma, CA | Mystic Theatre (with The Knitters)
June 11 – Seattle, WA | Tractor Tavern (with Lazy Susan)
June 18 – Seattle, WA | King Cat Theater (with Soul Asylum)

Interview: The Outfield

They may best be known for their hit ’80s tune, but The Outfield are back in full force and ready to please again with their upcoming 2011 release

2011 will mark the return of the original trio behind ’80s pop rock sensation The Outfield – John Spinks (guitar, keyboard), Tony Lewis (bass, vox) and Alan Jackman (drums). The new album, due out in the spring, does not have an official title yet, but there have been rumors it will be “Pennyfields.” Grammy award winning producer David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, The Strokes and The Outfield’s "Voices of Babylon") plays keyboards on two tracks for the new album, “California Sun” and “In Your Company.” All of the new songs have been written by John Spinks and produced by The Outfield with executive production by John Spinks. In addition, Sony Music Group will be releasing a new "Best Of: The Outfield" as part of their Playlist Series due out in January of 2011, which will include the forthcoming single, “California Sun.” In the meantime, we caught up with the members of The Outfield to find out more about the band – past, present and future.

Q: It has been a long time since we’ve heard from The Outfield, especially as the original trio! How does it feel to be up at bat once again?

Read the full interview here at Rock and Roll Report!

Interview: Neil Nathan

Neil Nathan's debut record, "The Distance Calls", merges ’70s style jangle pop with modern singer-songwriter smarts. He is equal parts Cat Stevens and Matthew Sweet, and he recently took a few moments to entertain some of our questions…

Q: Neil – thank you very much for taking the time to chat. Let’s go back to the beginning; we’d like to hear about the time it first dawned on you that music was your calling…

Read the full interview now at Rock and Roll Report.

Our review of "The Distance Calls" is here.

Interview: The Americans

The Americans’ Charlie Klarsfeld on working with Sean Lennon, The White EP, and the coming year

On November 16, modern pop band The Americans will release their sophomore effort, The White EP. The Americans have recruited none other than Sean Lennon to lend a hand with the new EP, which contains six genre-defying songs. It could even be argued that no one since Prince has blended rock, pop, and soul so masterfully as The Americans. Recently, lead singer Charlie Klarsfeld took a few moments to answer some questions about the EP, The Beatles, and the coming year.

Q: Thanks for taking the time for this interview! So, tell us how The Americans came together…

Read the rest of my interview with The Americans at Rock and Roll Report!

Read my review of their upcoming EP here!

Interview: Ingram Hill

Ingram Hill’s Justin Moore talks new album, label change, best band name ever, and reveals his Milli Vanilli-loving days

Ingram Hill is a pop rock trio based in Memphis, TN, excited to release their third album, Look Your Best, on September 28. Look Your Best is their first record on the Rock Ridge Music label, following 2004’s June’s Picture Show, which yielded the hits “Will I Ever Make it Home” and “Almost Perfect”, and 2007’s excellent, but underrated, Cold In California. We had the honor to ask Ingram Hill’s Justin Moore about the band’s new record and recent label change, and discover his secret Milli Vanilli-loving days.

Q: Thank for taking the time for the interview. I understand you and [guitarist] Phil have been friends since kindergarten, so I would guess that by now you almost read each other’s minds – How has your lifelong friendship factored into the songwriting for Ingram Hill?

Read the rest of my interview here.

Read my review of Ingram Hill's latest, "Look Your Best", here.

Interview: Harry Hess (First Signal, Harem Scarem)

Harry Hess talks about his new musical endeavour, First Signal, the end of Harem Scarem, and … bacon

Harry Hess, the powerhouse vocalist behind Harem Scarem, one of Canada’s most acclaimed hard rock outfits, is back with a vengeance singing for First Signal. The new studio project finds him paired with Dennis Ward and a dream team of other songwriters and players. We had the honor of having Harry take a few moments to answer some questions for The Rock and Roll Report!

Q: Like many other fans of Harem Scarem, I was really disappointed to hear the band broke up. What were some of the reasons for ending the many productive years with Harem Scarem to open up this exciting new chapter with First Signal?

Read the full interview here!

Our review of First Signal's debut CD can be found here.

Interview: Big Head Todd and the Monsters

Don't miss my interview with Todd Park Mohr of Big Head Todd and the Monsters, now posted at Rock and Roll Report! You can find my review of their latest record, "Rocksteady", here.

Colorado-based Big Head Todd & the Monsters never imagined they would be considered one of the finest roots rock bands of their generation. Todd Park Mohr and the boys have enjoyed critical and commercial success, most notably with their 1993 breakout record, “Sister Sweetly,” but have been quietly cranking out worthy successors ever since. We were happy to have Todd take a few moments to talk Big Head Todd & the Monsters, as the band celebrated the release of their latest, “Rocksteady”.

Q: It is hard for me to grasp, but Big Head Todd & the Monsters is approaching its 25th year – did you foresee it lasting this long?

Read the rest of the interview here!

Interview: Red Wanting Blue

We recently had the pleasure to bounce some “Qs” off of Scott Terry – lead singer of the Ohio-based roots rock band, Red Wanting Blue (review here). The band has been touring relentlessly for 10 years now and their latest release, “These Magnificent Miles,” is a collection of engaging tunes centered loosely around life on the road.

Q: I’d like to get started with the band’s name: Red Wanting Blue. Is this a political reference – your wanting a traditional red state, like your home state of Ohio perhaps, to become blue, or what?

Read the full interview here at Rock and Roll Report!

Interview: Pearl

Check out my interview with Pearl now posted at Rock and Roll Report!

"Pearl Aday, the daughter of rock legend Meat Loaf, has been embedded in the music scene all of her life. She’s napped in guitar cases as a baby and grew up singing back-up for her father from 1994 to 2003, and also sang with the boys in Motley Crue. Now married to Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, she has struck out with her debut record, “Little Immaculate White Fox”. Pearl recently entertained a few of our questions…

Q: It might seem obvious, as the daughter of a rock icon, that you were destined to write and perform music, but was there a defining moment in your life when you realized that you were indeed a “rock child”?"

Read the full interview here.

And in case you missed my review of Pearl's debut CD, you can read that here.

Interview: Tony Harnell

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Tony Harnell to talk about his past with TNT and his new solo album with The Mercury Train entitled "Round Trip" (review here).

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...

Read the interview at Rock and Roll Report!

Interview: 10 Years

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...

Read my interview with the band here at Rock and Roll Report!

Interview: Kopek

Dublin’s Kopek get honest about the dying industry, working with Grammy winners in studio, and “White Collar Lies” - read my interview with Kopek at Rock and Roll Report.

In case you missed the review of the new CD from this outstanding rock band, check it out here.

Interview: The 88

Check out my interview with Adam Merrin of the modern pop rock band The 88 - now posted at Rock and Roll Report!

Here is our review of the latest EP, "No One Here", from The 88.

Interview: Ron Keel

Check out my interview with Ron Keel at Rock and Roll Report!

And in case you missed it, here is my review of Keel's latest record, "Streets Of Rock & Roll".

Interview: Taylor Locke

Check out my interview with Taylor Locke at Rock and Roll Report!

Read our review of "Grain and Grape", his great debut CD with his band, The Roughs, right here!