The Chronicles of Michael Christopher
Music • Culture • Film • Travel • Photography • Vinyl
Children of famous musicians who attempt to follow in the family trade are a bit hit and miss in terms of talent, success and longevity. From Frank Sinatra Jr. to Miley Cyrus, results vary wildly, but what can’t hurt is doing a different kind of music altogether. Take Matteo Bocelli for instance. The 26-year-old son of superstar... Continue Reading →
Keep even the most cursory eye out and the name Barrett Martin is bound to appear somewhere in the liner notes to albums from countless artists across dozens of genres spanning three decades. Best known as the drummer in Screaming Trees and the grunge era supergroup Mad Season, the Seattle multi-instrumentalist has played on recordings by everyone... Continue Reading →
Certain artists hit at just the right time. And for a small number, they hit generations over and over again. In the case of Violent Femmes, it's typically during the late-high school/early-college years sweet spot. Tracks like "Blister in the Sun," "Add It Up" and "American Music" have that folksy but funky swing while still... Continue Reading →
Australian indie outfit Middle Kids have been a group I first dialed into back in 2016 when I was eyeing up bands to catch at that year's Iceland Airwaves music festival. Their song "Edge of Town" grabbed me instantly, and I couldn't wait to see and interview them in the 101. Unfortunately, life had a... Continue Reading →
It's always a pleasure catching up with Johnny Beane, host of The EVH Show on Exclusively Van Halen, and last night I guested live to discuss the just announced Van Halen box set The Collection II, which focuses on the Sammy Hagar era of the band. Also in on the chat was Dane Zimmerman, checking... Continue Reading →
I'd been warned that Andy Summers doesn't suffer fools during interviews. And at 80 years of age - along with having to deal with Sting all those years - it's not exactly unexpected that he'd be a crotchety old man these days. Thankfully, the ex-Police guitarist and I got along like bank robbers when I... Continue Reading →
I've been trying to nail down Glen Phillips for a Vanyaland 617 Q&A for a bit now. Whether it was on one of his solo runs or with his primary outfit, Toad the Wet Sprocket, there was some things I wanted to ask him about. During our chat ahead of the Toad show in Boston... Continue Reading →
Rarely is it an easy road treading the same ground as a parent in music, but perhaps never more so when your father was the frontman for a legendary band that also experienced more than its fair share of drama. Still, Andrew Hagar is intent on pursuing the dream as a singer and musician, following in the... Continue Reading →
Many years ago, while in the Finnish gothic rock band HIM, Ville Valo coined the term "love metal" to describe the type of music he made. And while that band may have said goodbye in 2017, Valo is still waving the genre's flag on his first solo full-length, Neon Noir. Recently he and I sat... Continue Reading →
When I was doing promotion for my Depeche Mode book, I was linked up with Bradley Jay through mutual friends. A longtime Boston radio staple, Jay and I clicked pretty instantly over music, with him a fellow aficionado of all things synthpop. When he decided to launch his own post punk duo, Bridge Bender, I... Continue Reading →
The Chronicles of Michael Christopher 