Icon Fetch

Foreigner is one of the biggest selling rock bands of all-time with over 80 million records sold worldwide, nine platinum albums and 14 Top 20 hits in the US. Their songs have become rock anthems - “Juke Box Hero,” “Hot Blooded,” “Cold as Ice,” and “Feels Like the First Time.” Yet, they also created the blueprint for the power ballad with songs like “Waiting For a Girl Like You” and “I Want to Know What Love Is.”

The band is celebrating its 45th anniversary with a tour that’s making a stop at Fraze Pavilion in Kettering on Tues August 17th, and to talk about it, we welcome bassist Jeff Pilson - who before his stint in Foreiginer was the bassist for Dokken and has also been an in-demand studio musician.

He tells us the story of what led up to him joining Foreigner, how he picked up the bass in the first place, and what his favorite Foreigner deep cut is.

The Rubinoos came out of Berkley, California in the early Seventies. Known for their melodic hooks and tight harmonies, the band charted with a cover of the Tommy James’ hit, “I Think We’re Alone Now,” and their own “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.” They also placed the title song in the teen classic Revenge of the Nerds. After a hiatus, the guys have actually been quite busy releasing a string of albums that have been well-received in the power pop community.

Before all of this, the Rubinoos were just a quartet of kids in high school, looking for a lucky break. The CBS Tapes, is a live, in-the-studio recording featuring the band’s high energy on 11 previously unheard tracks, just out on Yep Roc Records. The band runs though an eclectic set of songs, from the Beatles, the Meters, the Ventures and even the Archies, to several band originals.

We talk with guitarist Tommy Dunbar about what led up to this archival release. Plus, the true story of how they got bananas thrown at them opening for Jefferson Starship!

Originally from Philadelphia, Wanderlust emerged in 1995 with a major label album called Prize, which garnered the rock radio hit “I Walked.” The band was working on album number two when they were unceremoniously dropped. In the years that followed, leader Scot Sax focused on writing songs, co-writing the Grammy-winning song “Like We Never Loved at All” for Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. He’s also become a much sought-after filmmaker, directing the documentary Platinum Rush.

During the pandemic, Sax was combing through his archives and stumbled across a DAT tape of acoustic demos he was working on during the band’s heyday. He decided to get his bandmates back together (at least virtually) and complete the album - taking his original vocals and guitars from 1996 and adding present day instrumentation over top. The result is All a View, an album that features the classic, melodic sound of Wanderlust, circa the mid-90’s, with a modern-day punch.

She’s had a Top Ten hit on the Pop charts, and she’s recorded several albums devoted to jug band, folk and pre-war blues - you can say that Maria Muldaur has had a unique musical journey. That Billboard hit, “Midnight at the Oasis,” garnered her a Grammy nomination and set her on a path as a solo artist.

She’s enjoyed a two-decade partnership with the Canadian label, Stony Plain Records, where she’s been able to delve deep into various strains of American roots music - every time coming up with something that draws on the past yet still sounds fresh.

Her 43rd album is called Let’s Get Happy Together, and it’s a collaboration with Tuba Skinny, a New Orleans street band that’s dedicated to classic music of the early 20th century.

We talk to Muldaur about the crazy story of hooking up with Tuba Skinny, plus, the fun task of finding songs from 100 years ago to do on this album. She also talks about what made her gravitate to roots music in the first place.

She had the voice, the look and the songs, but, for whatever reason, success eluded Evie Sands during her early years in the 1960's. She recorded the original versions of songs that were hits for other people, like “Take Me For a Little While,” “I Can’t Let Go,” and “Angel of the Morning." She finally had a hit of her own with “Anyway That You Want Me” in 1969.

Around that time, she began writing songs herself, having heavyweights like Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick and Gladys Knight perform her compositions.

Eventually, she built a career as an independent artist, writing, producing and releasing her own material. Now, she’s issued her first new full album in two decades called Get Out of Your Own Way.

We talk about how the global pandemic threw a wrench in the plans to release the new album. She tells us about her very first recording, "The Roll," which she sang when she was only eleven years old. And, she also talks about the strange circumstances that clouded her early releases, and why they weren't successful.

James Holvay grew up listening to R&B music in Chicago and started writing songs at the tender age of 12. He ended up penning a #1 smash for the Buckinghams, “Kind of a Drag.” That was followed up by a trio of hits: “Don’t You Care,” “Hey Baby (They’re Playing Our Song)” and “Susan” - all Top 20 smashes in the span of a year.

He was also a part of The Mob, a group of soul-devotees that played a ton of shows and had success in several cities in the US before disbanding in 1980.

Four decades out of the musical spotlight, Holvay is back with a salute to the Windy City Sound on an EP called Sweet Soul Song. Everything is authentic, from the music, which sounds right out of 1966, to the cover, which mimics a classic album from Gene Chandler.

We chat getting that perfect drum sound by recording...in his kitchen!

Also, he tells us the stories behind the Buckinghams' hits and what is was like working with producer James Guercio, who went on to bigger success with Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago.

California native Maia Sharp has written songs for a variety of folks, including Bonnie Raitt, Cher, Paul Carrack, Edwin McCain and Trisha Yearwood. At the same time, she's issued critically-acclaimed albums on her own. Maia’s also collaborated with the legendary Art Garfunkel and, more recently, teamed with songwriting partner Anna Schulze as Roscoe & Etta.

She returns with her eighth album, called Mercy Rising, and it sounds like nothing she’s done before. Some of it is dark and eerie, you might expect that after a year of being locked down. But, there’s also an immediacy - as if she’s singing right next to you - and aren’t we all in need of some humanness right now?

New new record drops May 7th

Chuck Leavell is one of the most accomplished keyboard players in popular music. He joined the Allman Brothers Band after brother Duane’s untimely passing, and it’s his piano work that adorned the fantastic instrumental “Jessica.” He stayed with the band through the late Seventies before joining the Rolling Stones in the early Eighties.

Since then, he’s toured with and played on albums by Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, Bruce Hornsby, the Black Crowes, and more current musicians like John Mayer, Eric Church and Train, just to name a few.

All those artists just mentioned take part in a fantastic new documentary on Leavell called Chuck Leavell - The Tree Man, directed by Allen Farst, a Dayton native. The new film not only covers his life in music, but the title refers to his alter ego as an environmental forester, even winning National Tree Farmer of the Year a few years back. It’s also a love story between Chuck and his wife - Oh, by the way, they also interview President Jimmy Carter in the movie too.

We talk how he got the big break to join the Allman Brothers, and what important role he plays now with the Rolling Stones, who hope to go back on tour soon. In addition, we chat a little known project called Sailcat, who had a "one-hit wonder" with the song "Motorcycle Mama," which he played on.

To watch the trailer and options to view the full movie, go to:
www.chuckleavellthetreeman.com

Firefall emerged from Boulder, Colorado in the mid-Seventies with a string of hit songs, including “You Are the Woman,” “Just Remember I Love You,” “Cinderella,” and “Strange Way.” It’s unusual that, over 40 years later, the band still has three original members.

Even more unlikely, they’ve got some new music to share. Comet is their first new album in over two decades, yet it’s full of the melodic hooks and harmonies that have been the band’s signature ever since the beginning. Vocalist/lead guitarist Jock Bartley spent time in Gram Parsons’ Fallen Angels before forming Firefall with Rick Roberts.

We talk the challenges of completing an album during a pandemic, plus how Chris Hillman of the Byrds played a key role in the band’s early success. We also chat about how he got the gig with Gram Parsons and doing session work for, of all people, Andy Gibb.

Throughout Matthew Sweet’s long career, one thing has remained constant: his uncanny ability to create memorable melodic rock. After spending the 80’s in relative obscurity, soaking in the fertile scenes of Athens, Georgia & Hoboken, New Jersey, Sweet finally hit his stride with 1991’s Girlfriend. Two years later, he followed that with Altered Beast, a darker affair.

He put together a supergroup called the Thorns with Pete Droge and Shawn Mullins. He also teamed with Bangles frontwoman Sussannah Hoffs for a trio of covers albums, while continuing to issue albums on his own.

His latest project is the closest he’s ever come to a true “solo album” – everything except drums was played by Sweet, he also produced and mixed the album himself at his home studio. Called Catspaw, it shows off a heavier, darker side of Sweet, something we haven’t seen since Altered Beast.

We talk with the Nebraska native about handling all the lead guitar for the first time on an album, and how an obscure band inspired the title of one of his new songs. Plus, he talks about how he became a part of the Athens, Georgia music scene fresh out of high school.