While I’m not quite a junkie, I am fairly addicted to the “33 1/3” book series from publisher Continuum. If you’ve yet to hear about the series, the books are each dedicated to one specific album that has gained some sort of notoriety in the music world. The records chosen are mostly cult favorites with a few influential blockbusters mixed in. Of the 60 books written so far (each by a different author), the series has covered Pet Sounds, Songs in the Key in Life, Exile on Main St. and Led Zeppelin II but also lower-selling but no less influential recordings by the Magnetic Fields, Belle & Sebastian, Guided By Voices, DJ Shadow and Sonic Youth. (For a great overview, pick up one of the two Greatest Hits volumes released by the publisher.)

The tomes vary in approach, with some offering strictly historical examinations, some more about the author’s personal relationship with the album and others a mix of both. Chicago-based writer and music industry vet Bob Gendron has written what will likely be the only Cincinnati-connected album in the series, telling the tale behind Gentlemen, the major-label debut and relative breakthrough album by The Afghan Whigs. I would argue that records by Over the Rhine and The Ass Ponys, among others, deserve the 33 1/3 treatment, but they’re likely not well known enough to pique the publisher’s interest. I’d also argue that my personal favorite Whigs’ album, Black Love, should get a book, but the chances of having two Whigs stories in the series are just as slim.

Gendron mostly plays historian, telling the story via research and numerous interviews with the prime players, including all of the Whigs (drummer Steve Earle included), Sub Pop employees (Gendron himself used to be one) and other friends and industry connections. He also does a fantastic job of recreating the state of the Whigs at the time, a band of tight friends on the brink of major success yet also inflicted with drug issues and internal and external squabbles.

The story of Gentlemen is bookended by the tale of the band’s beginnings and their breakup, all the way up through last year’s greatest hits album. There are a lot of interesting tidbits and revelations. Gendron gets singer/songwriter Greg Dulli to talk about his serious relationship with the mysterious “Kris,” the dissolution of which led to the album’s tortuous, heartbroken tone. Other fun facts: Dulli recorded several of the album’s lead vocal tracks in one night while flying on coke and trying to impress a girl; Steve Earle was booted for several reasons (alcohol abuse, meddling girlfriend, creative control issues, ego conflict); and labelmate Linda Ronstadt was allegedly furious about the album’s cover (depicting a young boy and girl lounging on a bed), apparently under the impression that it was a naked bellybutton away from being child porn. It was also interesting to read that one of the band’s main friends at Elektra Records was feeding information to the nasty, slanderous 'zine Fat Greg Dulli.

Gendron gets to about every detail of the album, from the cover art’s original inspiration and liner notes to the songs’ inspirations and recording. But he doesn’t just relay facts. He also talks about Gentlemen as an artistic statement, carefully dissecting and describing the individual songs’ and the general album’s mood, cause and effect. Not only does Gendron’s book offer the last word on Gentlemen, it also shows what a compelling story The Afghan Whigs’ entire career remains.

For Whigs fans or even just those who were around Cincinnati to witness the band’s rise from little underground touring unit to soulful, seductive Rock machine, the book is a fascinating remembrance. For those who’ve never even heard of the Afghan Whigs, the story is universal and dramatic enough to be read as a novel (save the music-critic-y song dissertations).

The story is so good, in fact, that it would be great to see Gendron expand it beyond the 113 pages of this book. As his Gentlemen proves, the Whigs are deserving of a long-form biography that tells the band’s complete story. Who knows? Maybe Gentlemen: The Movie isn’t totally out of the realm of possibility.

Too bad John Belushi isn't around to play Greg. And Jimmy Page is too old to play Rick McCollum.

— Mike Breen

The quintessential Columbus rock festival, Rock on the Range, drew great crowds this year. We met with a flock of artists to get the scoop on this galaxy of music. Here are interviews with many of them:

Killswitch Engage is a metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbandment of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Howard Jones, bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, and drummer Justin Foley.

Mike D’Antonio plays bass guitar and is a founding member of the band. He sat down with us at Rock on the Range to discuss the band’s fifth self-titled album, Killswitch Engage and life on the road.

CB: Who were your musical influences growing up?
Mike: All my musical influences are from growing up when I was a kid. I was really into New York, Cromags, Agnostic Front, and Madball. Hard core music shaped the way I view music and who I am today.

CB: What is your favorite song on the new album to sing live?
Mike: The opening track “Never Again” is a hard rockin song and in your face which is what I gravitate toward so that is probably my favorite.

CB: I’ve been listening to your music to prepare for ROTR and I found the music on the new album to be a little darker and more aggressive than your past work. Is there a reason? Are you guys angry?
Mike: Not so much anymore. We used to be. I just had a birthday and turned 37 and I think we are through with being angry. I don’t know why it is darker. It is definitely darker, but it still has a positive message in the songs like we have had in the past. It may be because this is the first time that we have used an outside producer, Brendon O’Brien on this one. He has done work with Bruce Springsteen, Mastodon, AC/DC, Pearl Jam and others. He is not necessarily a dark producer though. Maybe it is just what we came to the table with this time.

CB: What was your process to write this album?
Mike: Whenever we write, we all bring demos to practice and we listen and critique it. We always have one week of practice and two weeks off to work on demos. We re-work it all the time. The process is always the same. The only monkey wrench in the system was the outside producer. Usually, Adam, our guitarist produces all our stuff and we are very comfortable with that. It was our fifth album and we thought that if we ever were going to take a chance, now would be the time. I don’t know if we will do it again. I really feel like we can do it on our own. No need to spend the big bucks if we don’t have to.

CB: What do you miss most when you are on the road?
Mike: Definitely my wife. I also have 2 pug puppies at home named Raisin and Potato. I desperately miss them right now. Potato just fell in the pool the other day when we took off the pool cover with all the chemicals in it. He fell right in and we had to wash him down.%u2028

CB: I guess he can swim.
Mike: It was even more scary because we didn’t see it happen. We just saw him soaking wet. It is scary. They have big heads and small legs so he definitely sank and swallowed some water.

CB: I read that you have a background in graphic design and that you do all the artwork for the band. It is cool that you can meld two things that you love to do together.
Mike: I started as a graphic designer because my friend’s bands actually needed art for covers and it was fun. For every band I have been in, I actually just assumed the position of graphic designer and took over as art director because it needed to be done and it needed to be cheap.

CB: This is a little bit timely, you guys recorded a cover of Dio’s “Holy Diver.” He is a legend and recently passed, so how much did he influence you and what are your feelings?
Mike: Even until right before he died, he was an amazing musician and he could still belt it out. A lot of old timers today cannot. He was very “on” every single night. I have never met him but he was supposedly a super nice guy. The world will miss him, especially the metal world. When we did the cover he graciously signed off on it and we heard he liked it. We actually got a photo from our friend who was on the Heaven and Hell tour with him that he took a himself holding a cardboard sign that said, “Hey Killswitch, Where are my Royalties?” It is actually hanging in our guitar player’s entry way to his house. So that is a really cool memory we have of him.

CB: You have a lot of tattoos. Is there any special significance behind them?
Mike: I love Japanese work, when I was little I used to watch a TV show called Force 5 with giant robots, but many are just cover-ups for shitty tattoos that I got when I was younger.

CB: Any message to your fans?
Mike: Apparently we have the best fans in the world. We have had some tough times with Howard and having to make up shows with Phil from All that Remains. The fans still came out to support us. We needed it desperately and it was like a giant hug that our fans gave us. We are in a great spot and we have no one to thank but them for us being here.

Like A Storm began in 2005 when brothers, Chris, Kent, and Matt Brooks first played together in their native New Zealand. They almost immediately decided to move to North America to pursue a career in music. Their song “Enemy” is featured weekly on ESPN’s College Football and their song “Chemical Infatuation” was featured in USA’s hit Royal Pains.

The debut album, “The End of the Beginning,” was released in 2009 and they have been touring almost non-stop to support it over the past 6 months in the United States with rock giants Creed, Staind, Hoobastank, Puddle of Mudd, Saliva, Skillet, Shinedown, and Burn Halo.

We sat down with Chris Brooks and Matt Brooks from Like A Storm after their set at Rock on the Range to talk about the tour and what’s up next for the band.

CB: You guys are from New Zealand, one of my favorite places on earth. When you are touring, what do you miss the most about home?
LAS: Friends and family for sure and savory mince pies, a staple of boozy nights in New Zealand. To be given the chance to do this kind of makes it worthwhile. lf we stayed in NZ, we would never be able to tour and do this everyday.

CB: I saw you guys with Creed back in the fall. What was your craziest Creed tour story?
LAS: It was a nightly occurrence to some extent. We played a show in Tinley Park in Chicago and it was the the last show for Creed. We decided to go out for a few quiet drinks and it ended with some of the band at 4 in a morning at a piano bar with us all singing and making requests. It doesn’t get any more rock-n-roll than that. We had a show the next day and it was very rough. Everyone was limping in one at a time barely making it.

CB: If you could have one of your songs in Guitar Hero or Tap Tap what would it be?
LAS: “Chemical Infatuation” just came out in Rock Band this week actually. I’m not sure if I could play guitar hero. I would probably lose.

CB: Do you still live in Vancouver?
LAS: Yes, but we kind of live on the road now. We are nomads. Any time off we have we try to go back to Vancouver or New Zealand.

CB: What is up next for the band?
LAS: We are on tour until Mid-June and then we go back to Vancouver to make a video for our new single, “Into Me.” After that we head back out to tour to enjoy the rest of the summer.

LAS: We played with Helmet last night and it was great and a huge honor. They are such an influencial band.  It doesn’t get better than that.

CB: Who would be your dream collaboration if you could work with anyone?%u2028LAS: It is hard to pick one but I would say, Matt Bellamy from MUSE. I had a dream the other night that I met him. I would love to bring back Jimmy Hendricks and jam with him even though he would shame me on guitar.

CB: I know you guys are family, brothers in the band? Does it ever get crazy? Do you ever have issues since you are all family and together all the time?
LAS: It makes it easier. You spend so much time together and even if they weren’t your family, you would still need time apart. We all have this bond to play this music that we love. It is pretty cool. I can’t believe we all ended up here. We all started in different bands so for the three of us to be playing here at ROTR with Deftones and Slash is amazing.

CB: Who are you most looking forward to seeing at ROTR?
LAS: Limp Bizkit, I love Wes Borlund. He is one of my all time favorite guitar players. I can’t wait to see him play. Also, Definitely, Deftones and Slash.

CB: Any message to the fans?
LAS: Thank you guys for all your suport and allowing us to do what we love to do more than anything else. We can’t wait to see you when we tour.
CB: We want you In Cincinnati.

CB: What is your favorite venue and city to play in?
LAS: The other night we played in Spokane for 1200 people at the Knitting Factory. This was one of our first headlining shows and it became my favorite place. We had played huge crowds with other bands, but this was our first big crowd as headliners.

Janus is a Hard Rock band based out of Chicago, Illinois. They were formed in 2004 and are signed to REALID/ILG Records. Their unique sound mixes heavy rock with non-traditional rock instruments, such as auxiliary percussion, and electronic sounds. Their album Red, Right, Return was released last year and is getting radio play across the country with their single “Eyesore.”

We caught up with David Scotney the lead singer for the band JANUS in the back of their van at ROTR after their set.

CB: One of the interesting things about your music is that you kind of have heavy metal music with non-rock arrangements. How do make the leap from the studio to the stage show and figure out how you are going to perform it?
David: We just tried to make the best record we possibly could. We have influences based on where we all came from individually. We took a look at radio and the industry in general and what is out there and tried to do something that sounded different. We wanted to get people thinking. It has made the road a little harder and slower for us.

We’ve seen a little hate on the road, like people saying “We’re here to see Five Finger Death Punch, why aren’t you screaming at me like Five Finger Death Punch.”  But then you meet people who say, “You got me thinking a little bit.” It is good to see people open their mind. It doesn’t always have to be dumb down beer drinking rock-n-roll just because you are in a club. People respect the fact that there is a little bit of thought behind it.

CB: You guys are on the road constantly. When you are on the road what do you miss most about home?
David: Yes, we are literally in this van you are sitting in for 9 months a year. Family, 100% the one thing we all miss. The hardest part of being on the road is missing family. No matter how much you believe in what you are doing, what you want to say and getting your art out there. There is nothing that compares to the gravity of family as a person.

CB: What is your writing process?
David: It mostly comes down to Mike, our guitar player and myself. Mike is an amazing song writer. He comes up with ideas all the time. He understands all of the latest technology that comes out and is by far the smartest person in the band. He can track a demo with the latest technologies for percussion, bass, guitar, melodies, even vocals. He really is the heart of Janus.

CB: What is the hardest part about being on the road?
David: It is phenomenal how hard it is to get to a show to do 30 minutes of music. 90% of that time would be better spent writing new music for the next record.  It is ridiculous how hard it is to drag yourself and your equipment all around the country to play the next show when all you want to do is play that show and write new music for the next record. It is disheartening to spend your time traveling and drowning in logistics. You are traveling constantly. The best part is writing the music, doing the show, and meeting the fans on the road.

CB: What is your funniest tour story?
David: Before we got signed, we went to NY to showcase for a terrible record label and we are so happy we didn’t sign with them. We were going to play at a dive bar. There was a guy in a white range rover who we evidently cut off even though we were in the middle of nowhere. He pulled in front of us and got out of his white range rover in his suit and got a baseball bat out like he was going to hit our car and kill us. All of us got out, like 20 of us and were like “Really man?”  The guy quickly got back in his range rover, thought about his 401 K, and then drove off. It was really scary for a minute and then hilariously funny.

CB: Who are you most looking forward to seeing at ROTR?
David: Helmet. I love Helmet. They are one of my biggest influences ever. They create harmony and emotion in the silence between chords. We played in Phoenix with them two weeks ago. They were the nicest guys and the most down to earth people. Page Hamilton is one of the most amazing artists I have ever met and an inspiration.

Adelitas Way is a Hard Rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada that broke into mainstream in 2009 with their song "Invincible", which is the official theme song for WWE Superstars. The band was formed in 2005 in by lead vocalist Rick DeJesus, lead guitarist Chris Iorio and drummer Trevor Stafford. The second single off the Adelitas Way album, "Last Stand" was released on February 2, 2010 and they are currently on tour all summer to support their record.

I caught up with Rick DeJesus at Rock on the Range to talk about the tour and discuss his writing process.

CB: Who are you most excited to see here today?
Rick: I was very excited to see Skillet today. I am also really excited to see our boys in Papa Roach and the Deftones.

CB: No exciting stories today?
Rick: I am the boring one of the bunch. I am the old married one in the group, so I don’t have too many exciting stories. The other guys probably have some by now.

CB: You have been out on the road constantly since the release of your album last year.
Rick: Yes we are out on the road with Puddle of Mudd right now.

CB: When you are on the road, what do you miss the most about home?
Rick: I miss my wife and my dogs. I am from Las Vegas. I miss my city. I miss my house. I miss my favorite restaurants. I wouldn’t trade this for the world though. I love what I do and playing music on the road. I love playing in front of the amazing fans. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. We have had a dream year. We have been out touring with Shinedown, Puddle of Mudd, Papa Roach, Chevelle, Three Days Grace, and Sick Puppies just to name a few. It has been a dream year.

CB: It seems like a fairy tale to live in Vegas.
Rick: Yes it is. I miss it. I love it. Best restaurants, Best clubs, Best people.

CB: What is your favorite place to play when you are touring?
Rick: I always love San Diego. It is beautiful there. I always love going back to Knoxville and Nashville in Tennessee as well. Atlanta is always good. Touring you see so many amazing places.

CB: Are you originally from Vegas?
Rick: No I am from Philly. We never go back there haha.

CB: How long have you guys been together?
Rick: This group has been together for 2.5 years. I started doing this going on 6 years ago. I started this with me writing. Writing poems. Writing stuff.

CB: You guys have the young one, Chris in the band, correct?
Rick: No he is back in Vegas. The road is not made for everyone. Some people can live in a van. We drove in from Buffalo last night and played right away. We get no sleep. For some people the lifestyle catches up with them. We leave our family, our homes, our friends and you are out on the road in a different city every night. Some people when they get out here they realize it is not for them.

CB: If you could have a song on “Guitar Hero” or “Rock Band” what would it be?
Rick: Our new single “Last stand.” It has the guitar anthem. I like it and it is a good song.

CB: Where are you heading next?
Rick: North Dakota. We have a long drive but we are used to it. It is nothing new to us.

CB: How did you get started in music?
Rick: I always liked writing and loved music. When I was 18, I snuck into a bar and played a couple of my songs and the response was great. It started there and I never looked back.

CB: Was your family supportive?
Rick: Yes, they have always been supportive.

CB: If you weren’t a rock star what would you be doing?
Rick: I would probably be working with my father working running his heating and cooling refrigeration company back in Philly.

CB: What is your writing process?
Rick: I am nuts. I come up with stuff all the time. I’ll be sitting over here mumbling and tapping away and the songs come together.  I write from a lot of personal feelings, so how I am feeling ends up coming out in the songs.

CB: Any message to the fans?
Rick: We love you guys. We are out with Puddle of Mudd right now and Halestorm in July. Maybe a headliner tour in August, so come and check us out. We are working on a new album. Buy this one and buy the next one. Lzzy, “You are a Ninja!”

Check out Adelitas Way at www.adelitaswaymusic.net

Theory of a Deadman, often known as TOAD, is a Canadian Rock band from Delta, British Columbia, formed in 2001. The band is currently signed to Roadrunner Records as well as Island Records.

On April 1, 2008, Theory of a Deadman released their third album, Scars & Souvenirs, from which they released eight singles, "So Happy", "By the Way", "Little Smirk", "Bad Girlfriend", "All or Nothing", "Hate My Life", "Not Meant to Be" and "Wait for Me".  “Bad Girlfriend” was a number one single for the band. The band is planning to take time off later this summer to work on a new album.

I talked to Tyler Connolly, lead singer for the band, backstage at Rock on the Range to discuss his advice column and some of his craziest tour stories.

CB: I know you have this column called Ask Tyler? Have you ever given advice that screwed somebody up?
Tyler: Not that I know of, but I hope so. There should be a disclaimer that says if you listened to Tyler and it ruined your life then it is your own fault.

CB: How did the column start?
Tyler: The record label started a promotion to “Tell Tyler about your bad girlfriend” as a contest and then it turned into me telling people what to do with their bad girlfriends and then me just giving advice on what to do with their lives. It is quite funny.

CB: Do you answer them all yourself?
Tyler: People don’t believe me, but I do answer every one of them

CB: I read that you visualize when your write songs. Can you walk me through your writing process?
Tyler: I’ve heard some lyrics from bands that are just terrible. Bad Girlfriend has bad lyrics but you can visualize it. I believe that the most important thing in a song is the lyrics. I think fans can tell when something is made up and just trying to rhyme with no meaning. When I write, I want people to be able to picture the lyrics in their head like a music video. It is important for people to get into the songs.

CB: You guys are from Canada and I know you recently played at the Olympics. What was your Olympic moment?
Tyler: Winning an Olympic gold metal for Luge. The curling team captain was a cougar and hot. The snowboard chicks were pretty hot as well. Playing the show was cool, people from all over the world waving their flags. That was very cool and fun.

CB: I know that you are married. What is your secret to a good marriage?
Tyler: I don’t have a good marriage. There is no secret.  It is impossible to have a good marriage in a rock band.

CB: How do you turn bad girlfriend into a good marriage?
Tyler: You don’t. It’s tough and you just do what you can.

CB: Do you have any new music on the horizon?
Tyler: We’re working on new stuff right now. Fall/winter we are going back in the studio. We have canceled stuff after August to work on it.

CB: I saw you had been on tour with everyone including Motley Crue, Shinedown, etc. What is your craziest tour story?
Tyler: We watched Tommy Lee burn his hand off with fireworks, but that wasn’t that crazy. We had this one girl that came on our bus with a bullet hole painted on her forehead. One of our roadies was trying to sleep with her. She was on drugs and wouldn’t get off the bus. She thought I was a lawyer and tried to attack me on my bus. We had to have someone drag her off the bus and then she went and laid down under our bus and would not go away.

CB: So you now ban girls from the bus or just no bullet-hole girls?
Tyler: We ban girls on the bus. No girls on the bus.  We have had a couple bad experiences and it is not worth it. No more people on the bus. All it takes is one girl to come on the bus and say something bad happened and we are screwed. The band is finished.

Shaman's Harvest is an Alternative Metal band from Jefferson City, Missouri. Their newest single from the album Shine entitled "Dragonfly" is currently making a large impact on radio across the country. Shaman's Harvest is comprised of Josh Hamler, guitarist, vocalist Nathan Hunt, guitarist Ryan Tomlinson, bassist Matt Fisher and drummer Craig Wingate.

We caught the band’s set at ROTR and it was one of the standout performances of the weekend. The crowd was packed at the Kicker Stage to see them and sang along to all their hits.

I spoke with the newest member of the band Ryan backstage after their set.

Ryan: That’s right I am pretty new to the band. I just get told when to get in the van.

CB: Is there any new guy hazing?
Ryan: They have been together 12 years. I joined the band a year ago. I actually turned 21 three months after I joined the band and I pretty much don’t remember much of this year, but I know it has been fun.

CB: What is your craziest tour story?
Ryan: A recent one, we were just in North Carolina and the Jagermeister was flowing freely. Apparently there are alligators in NC. Behind the bar we were playing, there is allegedly an alligator in a stream so with a little liquid courage, our lead singer decided to take a swim. He didn’t get bit and he made it out alive. Everything ended up ok, but it was crazy. The guys from Adelitas swore they saw it during the day.

CB: Back to the hazing, what is the worst thing they have done to you in the van?
Ryan: The van is a nasty place. I haven’t got hazed too much. I never get to drive. I like to drink and we all like to drink, so we get along fine.

CB: How did you meet them?
Ryan: In our hometown in Jefferson City. It is a pretty small town. I grew up playing the bass and blues. I made a pretty good name for myself. When I was 8 years old, they were just starting Shaman’s Harvest and I knew Josh through a friend. I didn’t even play guitar when they started. When they had a guitar opening they called me and I auditioned and made it in the band. I am loving it. It is kind of like “Rockstar” the movie.

CB: If you weren’t a rock star what would you be doing?
Ryan: I worked for a cabinet shop for awhile and liked it. I would probably still be making cabinets for minimum wage.

CB: How has your life changed since you joined the band?
Ryan: Less money and being gone constantly. I have always been a homebody so now I am all over the country. It has been weird but fun.

CB: When you are out on the road, what do you miss the most about home?
Ryan: My family. I miss my family a lot because we are gone all the time. We are very close and every time I talk to my family we tell each other we love each other and the guys give me crap about it all the time.

Halestorm is a Hard Rock band from Red Lion, Pennsylvania. The group is currently signed with Atlantic Records. Halestorm has been actively writing and performing original music since 1998, when brother and sister, Arejay and Lzzy, were, respectively, 10 and 13 years old. Their debut album was released on April 28, 2009. The song "I Get Off" serves as the album's lead single and has gained heavy radio play. Their newest single is "It's Not You" and the music video for the song was released in late November 2009.

We caught the band’s entire set at Rock on the Range and they quickly won us over with Lzzy Hale, the ultimate rocker chick leading the way. I sat down for a quick interview with Arejay backstage before their set to talk about their current tour.

CB: Is this your first time at Rock on the Range?
Arejay: No, we were here last year and played the Jagermeister stage. This year we are on the Kicker Stage so we are working our way up the ladder. Maybe the next time we will get the main stage.

CB: When you are out on tour what do you miss the most about home?
Arejay: The funny thing about this band is that my sister is the lead singer Lzzy. Our parents tour with us. My Mom is our tour manager and our Dad is the bus driver/stage tech. We bring home on the road. The cool thing is that our home is our RV. When we go home to Pennsylvania, we actually sit in the RV and hang out because our house feels weird and like a hotel.

CB: What would be your dream collaboration?
Arejay: We just got to hang out with Jerry Cantrell from Alice in Chains. Alice in Chains is one of my favorite bands of all time. Another one would be Stone Temple Pilots. I also recently got to co-write with Corey Taylor from Slipknot. I met him and we became fast friends. We will be touring with them in the fall and it is going to be awesome.

CB: Any message to the fans?
Arejay: Thank you guys for letting us do what we do. We’ve had so many great times. We willl be in Dayton at McGuffy’s House of Rock in July, so come and check it out. Everyone in Cincinnati is always receptive and keeps coming out to our shows and we appreciate it so much. You guys are out of your minds. Keep Reading CityBeat!

CB: If you could get a song on Rockband or Guitar Hero, what would it be?
Arejay: “Dirty Work.” It is a rocker and everyone starts jumping in the crowd when we play it. You can play Tap Tap or Dance Dance Revolution with it as well. I would pick that one.

Airbourne is an Australian Hard Rock band originating from Warrnambool, Victoria, where they gained a steady following with their hard rock sound. A big part of Airbourne's growing success is the exposure they have gained in other media - most notably, video games. The band consists of Joel O'Keeffe - Lead vocals/Lead guitar, Ryan O'Keeffe –Drums, David Roads - Rhythm guitar,Backup vocals and Justin Street - Bass guitar. The band’s new album, No Guts, No Glory, was released in March 2010.

At Rock on the Range, this band would get the award for most onstage energy. Their lead singer surfed through the crowd while playing the guitar and actually kept playing while being lifted onto a roadie’s shoulders. It was insane and got the crowd excited to see what they would do next.

I sat down with Dave Roads at Rock on the Range to discuss the band’s upcoming tours and their recent success.

CB: What was the reason behind the title No Guts, No Glory?
Dave: No Guts, No Glory was a title we always liked because it has a good ring to it. We felt it was good for the second album.

CB: You were just in Nashville. What was your favorite experience about playing there?
Dave: That day we were in Nashville, our bus driver took us to his father’s ranch in TN. He got out his shotguns, rifles and semi-automatic weapons and we had a day of shooting which was really fun. I always love going to Nashville to play with the crowds there.

CB: What is your scariest tour memory?
Dave: Sometimes it can get a little bit hairy on the road at night time. Some of the roads can be dodgy while we are sleeping and can wake you up and scare you a bit.

CB: Who would be your personal dream to collaborate with?
Dave: Certain producers like Bob Rock would be great. We nearly worked with him on the second album but it fell through.

CB: How did you get hooked up with the video game industry?
Dave: Steve, who we have a good relationship with at EA games, discovered us as the music coordinator there. He was a fan of the band and really got us started. We are on Madden, the best selling game in the states, and about 10 or 11 other games. It is great for establishing the name Airbourne out there. I don’t play Guitar Hero. I think that if you play real guitar, you are not coordinated enough. The games are a great way to get young kids to hear our music and support rock-n-roll.

CB: I was talking to your tour manager about your energy and I was telling him that I was amazed that you guys did not pass out on stage in the heat. He said you guys are from Australia and that you are used to being hot. Is that true?
Dave: I don’t think you can ever be used to the heat. At home in Australia, we usually go inside an air conditioned pub and have a cold beer. We actually have had a lot of close encounters to passing out on the stage. It is mainly from being too hung over, dehydrated and rocking out. It can be dangerous.

CB: What is next for the band?
Dave: After this we are going back to the bus to have a cold beer. This month we are finishing touring with Bullet for my Valentine. We then head to the UK for the summer festivals. In August, we tour Canada and then we jump on the Uproar festival in the Fall back in the US.

CB: What are your favorite venues to play in the US?
Dave: I like the Fillmore venues. We played it in San Francisco and we are playing in Detroit soon. I am pretty diplomatic and like it all.

Puddle of Mudd is a rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. They achieved success on rock radio and some success in the mainstream, and their major-label debut Come Clean has sold over 5 million copies. To date the band has sold over 7 million albums, and have had a string of #1 mainstream rock singles in the United States. They have released 2 independent and 4 major albums, with their latest being Volume 4: Songs in the Key of Love & Hate in December 2009.

I caught up with Paul Phillips, guitarist for the band, the week after Rock on the Range to discuss what is up next for the band.

CB: Did you have any crazy Rock on the Range stories from last week?
Paul: No not really. It was actually pretty tame. It was pretty much a regular show and uneventful.

CB: What is your craziest tour story ever?
Paul: We used to play London and for some strange reason Mr. Jimmy Page would always come out and stand on my side of the stage which was really weird. It was pretty heavy to look over and see him standing on the side and hanging out with us in the dressing room. I don’t know how it all happened and the first time he came out I had to leave the room. I couldn’t handle it. It was too intense.

CB: Did he ever play with you?
Paul: No he never played with us. I never asked and I couldn’t even talk to him because it was so crazy.

CB: You left the band for awhile and came back last year after a break. How has it been since you got back? Was it just like the old days?
Paul: It has been great and easy. A week after I came back we had our first show. It was a great show. We went back into writing and recording. Every one was getting along and the vibe was much better. The record was the easiest and the least stressful one that we have done. It was right back to the old days.

CB: You had a new record that came out last year. I know the title changed several times. Where did the name Volume 4: Songs in the Key of Love & Hate come from?
Paul: We were sitting around on a day off and management was on the phone and said that we had to come up with a title now or the record wouldn’t come out. I knew that I wanted to do something with Love and Hate. They are two of the most powerful words in the English language. I think that in order to have one, you have to have the other even though they are opposite. Then "Volume 4" came because it was our fourth record. It really came together last minute.

CB: You had a connection to Fred Durst and he is the one who hooked you up with the band. Can you tell me the story of how that happened? Did you reconnect with him at Rock on the Range?
Paul: I am from Jacksonville, Florida as is Limp Bizkit and we used to play together at local clubs. When Limp Bizkit got signed, Fred actually came to me to sign my band at the time but it was dissolving. We kept in touch. When this opportunity came up he remembered me and flew me out to LA and I auditioned. I have been here ever since. We didn’t see him at Rock on the Range because we had to leave after our set on Saturday for a two day drive, but we played a show in Tampa a few weeks ago and I saw him there. He had a big family day since he is from Florida so we only talked for a little while. We had lost touch for awhile and it was good to catch up and see him again.

CB: When you are out on the road, what do you miss most about home?
Paul: You miss friends and family. I miss my little doggy. You miss the comforts of home. I get into a routine that I cannot find on the road with different restaurants, different hotels every day. I miss the stability of being at home.

CB: Do you still live in Florida?
Paul: Yes, I still live in Jacksonville.

CB: One of my all time favorite POM songs is “She Hates Me.” Can you tell me the back-story?
Paul: The funny thing was when we were making our first record we used to play it. It was something that Wes came up with that we played at parties as a joke to make people laugh. We were playing it at the studio one day and our A&R guy said you have to put that on the record. We were like “No way!” I said, “I’ll agree to put it on the record as long as it is never a single.” Then it is was single and a hit that helped us sell millions of records. That shows what I know. I would have never had it on the record. I guess that is why I am a musician and not an A&R guy.

CB: I thought there may be a crazy girlfriend story there?
Paul: It was written as a joke. Obviously having love not returned your way. Pretty literal song I guess.

CB: Have you ever had any boyfriend or husband issues coming at you out on the road?
Paul: Yes and no. We are kind of setup with the proper security for those things. Sometimes people are crazy. They forget that they have husbands or boyfriends in the audience and they come and hang out backstage. We get word that a husband or boyfriend is looking for them. It is kind of weird and I always feel bad for the guy. I am like, “What is wrong with you?” People get crazy and lose their minds around rock bands. I don’t understand it. People are just people and it is not worth giving up your husband and boyfriend and doing something extremely crazy.

We all have girlfriends and wives now so our bus is pretty tame compared to the old days. We have to lock the doors on the bus because people will just walk onto the bus. They are crazy and just have to see inside. They don’t understand it is our home and you wouldn’t walk in someone’s house.

CB: What is up next for the band?
Paul: We have three weeks off coming up soon and I am excited about that. We’ve been touring and had only 3 days off the past 3 months. July 16th, we go on the Carnival of Madness tour with Shinedown, Sevendust and Chevelle. We will probably spend the remainder of year touring and then start working on the new record next year.

I hate when hard working people get ripped off. These kind of injustices can range from phishing scams to pickpockets, insurance companies' denying claims by any means necessary to bank CEO’s using bailout cash for beer money. It’s heart breaking to hear the stories of identity theft leaving people broke and in perpetual debt, or stock- and 401K-holders losing their future to corporate malfeasance.

Not that it is by any means “worse,” but I get a special bug up my ass (I’ve named him “Tony”) when I hear about artists and musicians getting ripped off. Having written about music for 18 years and played music for over 20, I’ve seen all kinds of scams designed to make cash off of the creative endeavors of others. From “battle of the bands” contests with exorbitant, unnecessary “entry” fees to club owners deciding at the end of the night that a band’s performance fee suddenly didn’t fit his budget to record labels putting no money into a project only to blame the band for not selling more albums (and coming at them to “recoup” costs), not paying or actually taking money from artists is its own little cottage industry within the music industry.

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The efforts to erect a plaque at the site of the old King Records facility (as well as myriad events related to the past and future of the ground-breaking record label, including this year’s Cincinnati Entertainment Awards) hopefully turned a lot of people on to the fact that Cincinnati’s music history is as rich as any city in the country.

Now, some of the same people who sought to honor King’s legacy are turning their focus on another monumental happening that should further enhance Cincy’s reputation as a blockbuster music town.

This coming Monday marks the 60th anniversary of a profoundly important recording session that took place at 811 Race St. in Downtown. Today, that building is home to CityBeat world headquarters, but 60 years ago, it was Herzog Studios.

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Last night, Fox 19's website reported that veteran local musician, talent booker and event promoter Johnny Schott passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday morning in his home in Tennessee.

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Miranda Lambert took the stage with her pink guitars Saturday night to a packed house at Dayton's Nutter Center on her CMT Revolution Tour with her latest single “Only Prettier.” She continued to entertain the audience with her contagious energy through 20 more hits throughout the evening. Don’t let her pretty smile fool you, because the songs got more soulful as she sang ballads (“The House That Built Me” and “Dead Flowers”) and got the crowd on their feet for her gritty song about justice called “Gunpowder and Lead;” at the end of the song she held up her microphone stand shaped like a shotgun.

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The Hank Williams family Country music legacy is fairly remarkable when you consider how three generations of men have built up audiences that would likely stand aghast at one another. Hank Williams, Sr., is a founding father of Country and Honky Tonk Music as we know it and, rightfully so, a certified historical figure, institutionally and critically bestowed with all the respect due our revered cultural heroes by the Time-Life crowd.

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The effect My Morning Jacket has had on live Rock music in America over the past several years is hard to deny. Spawned from the fertile Louisville music scene, the band’s legendary live show is an electrifying experience for all who attend. At the end of May, MMJ put out its sixth studio album, Circuital, which earned a career-high first-week entry into the Billboard Top 200 album chart, bowing at No. 5. Bo Koster, MMJ keyboardist since 2004, joining the band during the gap between its major label debut, It Still Moves, and the wildly diverse Z. CityBeat spoke with Koster about the band’s Cincinnati stop Wednesday at PNC Pavilion with Neko Case, as well as My Morning Jacket’s memorable live performances and passion for local record shops.

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Whether you call him Beelzebub, Satan, the Prince of Darkness, Mephistopheles, or just the plain ole devil (it’s all about your preferred nomenclature, man) there is no denying the big guy downstairs has been a huge influence on Rock & Roll.

There have been a plethora of songs written about the dark lord (no I’m not talking about Voldemort, you posers) but the real question is — what are Satan’s favorite songs about himself?

 

So, like the top-notch investigative journalism team we are at the CityBeat music department, my editor Mike Breen and I bought some pig’s blood, drew a pentagram on the floor, lit some candles, recited some Latin and summoned the fallen angel himself.

 

After a long discussion on various human subjects — how Mitt Romney is in fact not the antichrist, but just an idiot; the state of Gene Simmons' soul and why he is going to hell (apparently, it’s not for his satanic look or the thousand acts of pre-marital sex, but for turning KISS into the biggest whore in the music industry) — Mephistopheles disappeared back into the hell mouth as quick as he came. (Who said real journalism was dead?)

Yet, left in his place was an evil list compiled by the demon of his Top 10 favorite songs about himself, with the instruction to print them without changes. (Satan’s actually a very polite guy but super narcissistic.)  So, in honor of his wishes (and extra conscious of our agreement that riches will be bestowed on CityBeat if we completed the task), here are the Top 10 songs about Satan. 

10. “Baptized in Flames” – Skeletonwitch

You ever wanted to know what Antichrist’s birth would be like? If so, you’re in luck because Athens, Ohio, natives Skeletonwitch give us a pretty vivid description of the scene.

Minus the death of the mother, inverted crosses burning, men dying and the overall end-times vibe, this birth isn’t all that different from a normal one. But let’s be honest, no matter who’s being popped out, the birthing process is pretty disgusting.

9. “Super-Charger Heaven” – White Zombie

If I had never seen an interview with Rob Zombie (he seems like a really nice guy), I would truly believe this guy had some serious demonic connections. From his grade-A horror films to his music riddle with witches, blood rituals and general spine-chilling terror, he is the poster child for all things evil.

Although his later solo work is a little campy at times, White Zombie always brought the hellish vibe to their brand of Groove Meta and they showcased it no better than on their 1995 single, “Super-Charger Heaven.”

8. “Beezleboss” – Tenacious D

Did you know it’s in the demon by-laws to never turn down a rock-off challenge? I didn’t either. Not until the cataclysmic disappointment, “Pick of Destiny,” came out in 2006 at least.

Even though this movie was shittier than the end of The Human Centipede, Satan’s gut-busting drum solo (although impressive) wasn’t enough to outmatch Tenacious D’s power of Rock and friendship, not only saving Kage’s eternal soul (and anal virginity) but sending the devil back to hell and finally finding a way to pay their damn rent. (Satan says he found it "cute" that the band would write a fictional song about defeating him and picked this song because he's angling for a part in Kung Fu Panda 4 with Jack Black.)

7. “Con Clavi Con Dio” – Ghost

Sweden probably isn’t the first nation you think of as a hotbed for satanic music (I know, ABBA was scary but definitely not satanic), but when Ghost’s Opus Eponymous came out in 2010, the band took another step towards making that a reality.

This whole album is just one big love letter to the prince of darkness and the first four lines of “Con Clavi Con Dio” says it all: “Lucifer/ We are here/ For your praise/Evil one.”

Overall, I don’t know what’s creepier — this band’s all-inclusive scare factor or their borderline stalker obsession with Satan. (Lucifer, if you’re reading this, you may want to consider a restraining order against these guys. I know they’re from Sweden, but I don’t think they are messing around.)

6. “Mean as Hell” – Johnny Cash

Besides making a star out of Honey Boo Boo and working as an investment banker on Wall Street, Satan says all he really ever wanted was a land to call his own. So God, like the sly dog he is, tried pull a fast one on his old nemesis, giving him the poorest land he had, the Rio Grande.

The Devil, being the mean son of bitch that he is, took God’s offering and riddled the area with scorpions, thorn trees, tarantulas, rattlesnakes and 110-degree weather, making the best hell on earth he could (take that God!).

In the end, Satan proved God wrong, but what’s more interesting is — who is meaner, Johnny Cash or Satan? Sure, Satan made the Rio Grande hell on earth, but Cash lived in it. My money’s on the “Man in Black.”

5. “Sympathy for the Devil” – The Rolling Stones

The devil has been a busy man over the years. He was “’Round when Jesus Christ/Had his moment of doubt and pain” and “Held a general's rank/When the Bliztkrieg raged/And the bodies stank.”

Even though I’m not that particularly puzzled by the nature of his game (am I the only one seeing the trend of death here?), it’s definitely one of the most iconic and politically-driven songs Satan ever inspired.

4. “The Oath” – Mercyful Fate

Kind Diamond is like the satanic equivalent of Pat Robertson. Sure, this guy isn’t actually a Satanist but over his illustrious career, his distaste for organized religion, overtly satanic lyrical content and general creepy demeanor has surely put him in good standing with the minions of hell’s army and their general.

I really could have picked almost any song from the King Diamond catalog, but this one — from the band he fronts, Mercyful Fate — really showcases his unconditional love for Lucifer. Really though, Diamond’s undying love for Satan is only comparable to the love Ryan Seacrest has for hair gel and being a douche. If the song weren’t so damn evil, it would almost bring me to tears.

3. “Hell Awaits” – Slayer

As if this song wasn’t scary enough running normally, apparently if you play “Hell Awaits” backwards, about two minutes in there is a hidden message that repeats "join us" over and over again. Joining what exactly, I’m not sure. Slayer fans? An indoor soccer league? The wait staff at the Olive Garden? Who knows?

What’s really funny, though, is that people freak out when they hear Slayer has a “satanic message” when you play it backwards. Really? If you listen to the song forward, the “satanic messages” are even more explicit. Jeez people, the whole thing is about Satan! It’s Slayer, what do you expect?

2. “N.I.B.” – Black Sabbath

Aside from “Sympathy for the Devil” this is the only other song on this list written from the perspective of Lucifer. Besides the monster riff and Black Sabbath general early awesomeness, what makes this track phenomenal is that it's about Satan falling in love and trying to become a good person.

Though knowing that information makes this song seem a little less evil and is slightly reminiscent of a Joss Whedon plotline (no dig there, it’s just true), it exemplifies why Black Sabbath will always be the best Metal band of all time — its creativity.

Personally, I wish Ben Gibbard would do one of his so cute (it makes me want to puke) acoustic covers of this song so I can play it at my wedding (like that’ll ever happen).

1. “Number of the Beast” – Iron Maiden

I’ve always been a bit confused when it comes to the actual logistics of this song. I mean, did he see this satanic ritual happening or not? My personal belief is that Steve Harris (lead guitar/writer) took one too many hits of LSD, watched The Omen II and had the most terrifying trip known to modern man.

Either way, “Number of the Beast" solidified Bruce Dickinson as Maiden's new lead singer (even though I’m more a Paul Di’anno fan myself) and made Maiden titans in the Metal genre.

Remember — I’m just the middleman here. If you have a problem with this list, I’m sure Satan would be willing to hear you out. (Here’s his contact email: somelikeithott666@hotmail.com.)

EDITOR'S NOTE: This morning I sent Blake's write-up to Satan for approval (we usually don't do that, but, hey, it's Satan), he responded with a curt, all caps message: "WHERE IS MY FAVORITE BAND HOGSCRAPER!!! I WILL BRING YOU DOWN HERE EARLY IF YOU DON'T ADD MY THEME SONG!!! THANKS!!! HAIL ME!!!" He's referring to the mysterious, undead Cincinnati "Satanic Bluegrass" band Hogscraper and I can only assume his "theme song" is the one below. When I texted him just before posting I informed him that Hogscraper was back from the dead and headlining this Saturday's "Grand Opening Redux" concert at the new Southgate House Revival. "NO SHIT. I'LL BE THERE WITH SCARY BELLS ON. PRE-GAMING @ HOOTERS BEFOREHAND IF YOU WANNA HANG OUT!"

Something (or a few things) unanticipated usually happens at the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards show every year. After all, it's a night where hundreds of local musicians are put together in a room with loud music and multiple cash bars.

But the biggest unexpected element of last night’s CEAs at the Madison Theater in Covington was its runtime. Not only a first for the CEAs but perhaps a first in the history of all awards show, the briskly paced show was over early — in about 2 and a half hours, 30 minutes sooner than expected. Efficient stage management and a more streamlined run of show that kept the focus on live performances and the 19 award presentations (winners listed below) helped the event wrap up in record time.

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