Several years back, I came up with the idea to shake up the traditional interview a little bit. A dirty little not-so-secret among musicians is they aren't really a fan of doing them, mainly because it's the same old questions that have been addressed ad nauseam. Enter the 617 Q&A , which is exclusive to... Continue Reading →
25 Years Ago: Van Halen Dig Deep Into Pop, Release Only Ever Non-LP B-Side
Unbeknownst to fans at the time, come 1995 the relationship between Sammy Hagar and the brothers Van Halen had seriously deteriorated. Their fourth album together, Balance, was released that January, and by the following spring, they'd split. The recording of the LP had been anything but smooth, leading producer Bruce Fairbairn to ask Eddie Van... Continue Reading →
PINS Announce New Album, Drop ‘Ponytail’ Single
If I had to pick one thing I don't like about PINS, it would be that they haven't released enough new music since I first became enamored with them at Iceland Airwaves 2014 when they delivered an out-of-nowhere cover of the Misfits "Hybrid Moments" at both of their live shows. That's about to change come... Continue Reading →
Roundtable: Van Halen’s ‘Balance’ LP 25 Years Later
Today marks the 25th anniversary of Van Halen's final studio album with Sammy Hagar at the helm, the uneven Balance, which was released January 24, 1995. Though it wasn't clear at the time, the band was falling apart from the inside out, which had quite a bit to do with the mess laid down on... Continue Reading →
Part of Me: Chris Cornell Calls It a Day, My Heart Breaks
Chris Cornell died. I didn't know him...but it still hurt.
69 to 99 Moving Finds: Part One
"Moving sucks" is an oft-repeated phrase which I can't add to in any way.I'm currently in the midst of leaving a place I've been in for 10 years. That's a large chunk of time. Certainly the longest I've ever been in one place for any one period of time. Hell, maybe ever. My old address... Continue Reading →