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He’s been the lead singer of Queensryche for over 25 years – Geoff Tate led the band through such critically-acclaimed albums as their magnum opus Operation: Mindcrime and the multi-platinum Empire (read our review here). Earlier in the year, news came that the other members of Queensryche were splitting from Tate and forming another band, essentially a Queensryche cover band…an odd career move for sure. Undaunted, Tate grabbed some of his talented friends for a fresh version of the band, which he hopes to unleash in 2013. In the meantime, Geoff Tate has a brand new solo album, called Kings & Thieves, full of the crunching power chords and melodic hooks that have become signatures of his music. We talk with Tate about the split with his former bandmates, and inspiration behind many of the songs on his new CD.

David Lanz spent the last few years immersed in the music of the Beatles – first, with 2010’s Liverpool: Re-Imagining the Beatles, and then it’s followup, Here Comes the Sun from earlier this year. Now, he’s chosen to revisit his most-famous work, 1988’s Cristofori’s Dream. The original album put Lanz on the map, and helped breathe life into the budding New Age genre.

For this anniversary project, Cristofori’s Dream…Re-envisioned, Lanz chose to re-record the entire album with just him on solo piano. The sparse arrangements let these timeless melodies really shine. We talk with him about the circumstances surrounding the surprise success of his breakthrough album, and the difficulties in trying to recreate the songs with no other accompaniment.

Renaissance formed out of the same Yardbirds’ ashes that sent Jimmy Page to form Led Zeppelin. After several lineup changes, the band developed a reputation as one of the finest progressive rock bands of the Seventies. After breaking up in the Eighties, the band reformed back in 2009 with a new lineup – still fronted by vocalist Annie Haslam and guitarist Michael Dunford. They’ve just released a two CD/1 DVD collection called Renaissance Tour 2011 – Live in Concert, where the band performed two of their classic albums in their entirety – Turn of the Cards, and Scheherazade and Other Stories.

Haslam tells us a great story of how the band got a flat tire in the pouring rain, while driving to where they were filming the DVD. She also reveals details on a brand-new Renaissance studio album coming in 2013, funded in part by a successful Kickstarter campaign.

Hayley Reardon has been writing songs since the age of eleven. She’s already released two EPs of her own music, shared the stage with music legends like Tom Rush, and partnered with anti-bullying organizations like Pacer.org. Now at 16, she just issued her first full-length album, an entire disc of her own music called Where the Artists Go.

Tony Peters talks with the singer/songwriter about trying to juggle school and a music career, what is was like working with producer Lorne Entress, and how she came up with the clever CD booklet that looks like a journal. Peters’ 12-year old son, Christian, also helps out with the interview, and asks her some questions.

Power pop legends Shoes have released their first new album in 18 years called Ignition. It’s their best album yet, full of melodic hooks that will make you wanna crank your volume knob up to eleven. In addition, the guys recently helped compile 35 Years – The Definitive Shoes Collection, their first-ever career-spanning best of.

If that weren’t enough, Mary E. Donnelly, a devoted fan of the band, is putting the finishing touches on Boys Don’t Lie: A History of Shoes. We talk with guitarist Gary Klebe about many of the troubles the band went through that caused the long wait between albums. He also talks about Shoes getting heavy airplay on early MTV, despite their record label being oblivious to that network’s influence.

Singer Barbara Carr has had a long and interesting career, which began when she signed with the legendary Chess label in 1966, recording singles like “Don’t Knock Love.” But, when her career didn’t take off right away – she walked away to raise a family. But, the music called her back. She and her husband formed their own record label and began releasing albums on her own. A contract with Echo Records heated things up in the late Nineties, with a string of sexually bold singles like “Footprints on the Ceiling,” and “If You Can’t Cut the Mustard.”

Now Barbara’s back with a brand new disc produced by Johnny Rawls called Keep the Fire Burning.

Kevn Kinney formed Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ in 1985 in Atlanta, scoring several college radio hits including “Honeysuckle Blue,” and “Power House.” Then came their breakthrough album, Fly Me Courageous in 1991 – the album scored three rock radio hits including the searing title track. Kinney has also led a solo career, recording the excellent Macdougal Blues in 1990. Drivin’ N’ Cryin’’s last studio effort was The Great American Bubble Factory. Now the band is readying a series of EP’s, exploring different aspects of their long career.

The first one, out now, is called Songs From the Laundromat. Kinney tells a funny story of how his wife helped influence his decision to release EP’s instead of full albums, how the laundromat holds a special place in his heart, and how the success of “Fly Me Courageous” negatively affected his life.

Phil Alvin died – twice – while on tour in Spain. Complications from an abscessed tooth put him in a hospital in Valencia, where he flatlined and had to be shocked back to life two times. In typical rock n’ roll fashion, when he finally woke up – he felt perfectly fine. Phil’s band, The Blasters, have their first new record in seven years out called Fun on a Saturday Night. We talk life, death, and the stories behind the songs on the new record – including “Breath of My Love,” about a deranged lover with a knife in her hand. We also go back to the origins of the band, and some advice he got from R&B legend Big Joe Turner.

The British band Incognito has just released their 15th album, Surreal – a mix old school soul, funk, and jazz, with just enough modern-day elements to keep you guessing. Featuring four of the biggest and brightest vocalists from the UK, and fueled by the core band, led by guitarist Bluey Maunick – Incognito recalls a time when R&B bands played with live musicians, whipping their audience into a frenzy

Harry Shearer stormed his way into rock n’ roll infamy as bassist Derek Smalls in the rockumentary This is Spinal Tap. He’s also been a recurring voice on the longest-running animated series, The Simpsons, hosted the weekly-syndicated radio program, Le Show, and starred in such films as The Mighty Wind. His recordings have been twice nominated for Grammys for 2007’s Songs of the Pointed and the Pointless, and 2008’s Songs of the Bushmen. Now, Shearer has put together Can’t Take a Hint, an all-star collaboration, featuring Dr. John, Glee’s Jane Lynch, members of Fountains of Wayne, and wife Judith Owen. We talk the inspiration behind songs like “Joe the Plumber,” and “Celebrity Booze Endorser,” as well as touch on the humble beginnings of the legendary Spinal Tap.