Posts by Leslie Michele Derrough

During football season, every team gets a bye week to rest up and reorganize in preparation for the rest of the season. This is one of those weeks here at MY ROOTS. So as not to leave you in the stands with no one to cheer for, I have prepared for you a little bratwurst […]

It’s two days following the death of Stooges drummer Scott Asheton and James Williamson has a full day of press ahead of him. Our interview had been booked two weeks prior but who knew a tragedy would strike someone close to him. Williamson, however, didn’t want to cancel. “You know, it’s not going to be […]

“I’m a little bit shell-shocked today,” guitarist Andy Summers said with a laugh a few weeks ago when I called him for an afternoon interview. “We’ve been making this insane video till after midnight last night where we were throwing paint all over each other. That was intense. And we did that time and time […]

If you only know Bernie Worrell funking it up with Parliament-Funkadelic, then his new solo CD will certainly surprise you. Titled Elevation, it is a beautiful, zen-like journey via the keys of a baby grand piano. The conception of producer Bill Laswell, together they created an illuminating body of music featuring redefinitions of Coltrane’s “Alabama,” […]

With her youthful charm and lovely voice, she stands in front of a sold out crowd at the Avalon in Hollywood, lightly strumming her acoustic guitar and singing a song about California; although California is a metaphor for a lot of things. For such a young soul, she has a lot on her mind. Blending […]

1977 was an exemplary year for music: Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Meatloaf, Elvis Costello and Billy Joel released groundbreaking albums, while the Sex Pistols ignited a grenade that changed the face of rock & roll; at least for a little while. But overall, 1977 was breezy and harmless as showcased by the artists up for […]

When Heart was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013, Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell called them, “Two Joan Of Arcs, standing up front, kicking total ass, backed by a surprisingly powerful and unique band.” Although he was speaking about the original incarnation of the group, Ann and Nancy Wilson are still rocking […]

Nirvana fans were handed a breathtaking treasure chest recently when Sub Pop co-founder Bruce Pavitt published a book of rare personal photographs from the band’s mini-trek through Europe in the latter part of 1989. Experiencing Nirvana: Grunge In Europe, 1989, shows the band pre-Nevermind, pre-fame and looking quite ordinary, Apart from some thrilling professional shots […]

This past weekend, Benmont Tench, organ/piano/keyboard player for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, was venturing out on his own to play some shows at one of his favorite haunts, Largo, in Los Angeles. Since his debut solo album was unleashed to the public on February 18, Tench wanted to stretch out the songs’ sea legs […]

If I asked you to name a Styx song, I bet within two seconds you could spout one off: “Renegade,” “Lady,” “Crystal Ball,” “Blue Collar Man,” “Too Much Time On My Hands.” Still touring, still selling out venues large and small, Styx was an iconic band of the 1970’s that remains still relevant in today’s […]

“I’m going to come over to your place and dance naked in the shower.” That is what Moody Blues drummer Graeme Edge joked about doing as soon as the band’s Second annual Moody Blues Cruise returns to port this spring. The only remaining original member in the legendary British band, Edge’s sense of humor is […]

From the swampy opening notes of Damon Fowler’s new CD, Sounds Of Home, you get the feeling that this is going to be good. Not exactly a greenhorn but still fresh enough to be pulling out some exciting new licks, Florida bred Fowler is finally getting the recognition he deserves as his third Blind Pig […]

It’s a quiet night in mid-December and Jake E Lee has been talking a long time. You can hear it in his voice. The vocal chords are becoming just a little tired but the enthusiasm shows no sign of wavering. Jake E Lee is back and every guitar hero worshiper in the modern world is […]

With a springy hit single called “Anybody,” which debuted last year, and snappy killer performances at Lollapalooza and the Voodoo Music Experience, Bad Things have already perked up the ears of music fans who like a little synth- rock mixed into their daily iPod shuffling. Along with the punk “Fool” and the new wave-ish “Caught […]

Have you ever had one of those moments where you see someone new perform and you think, damn, he just kicked ass – and then you have that gnawing feeling that you’ve heard him before? I had one of those moments recently. I’m watching the Kings Of Chaos concert out in LA and Franky Perez […]

There are three things you need to know about Wild Mick Brown, drummer for both Dokken and Ted Nugent: First, his moniker is not by chance. The man knows how to party wild and there are many, many stories to prove it; most recently his little incident involving a “high speed” chase on a “stolen” […]

With the hustle and bustle of Christmas now a few days past, and gift cards in hand, it’s a perfect time to grab some music you may have missed during the two-holiday season. Right before Thanksgiving, Def Leppard’s Phil Collen unleashed a three song EP with his band Manraze. Their first single, “I Surrender,” has […]

It’s been a very, very big year for the Rolling Stones. After all, not many bands can say they are legitimately 50 years old. So if you’re looking for a little rock history reading let us recommend Keith Richards On Keith Richards, edited by Sean Egan, which is basically a compilation of interviews with Richards […]

Before 2013 goes out with a bang via a big, fun, no-holding-back interview, I decided to spend our column this week taking a moment to reflect back on MY ROOTS this year. With 54 musicians interviewed, this column has been steadily evolving since it’s inception in late 2011 from a fun, simple, jump back in […]

If you only know Iron & Wine as a man who stands alone on stage with his acoustic guitar, you are way out-of-date, my friend. Welcome to Iron & Wine the band. Although Iron & Wine has always been pretty much Sam Beam, his guitar and his words, over the years his lucidity has taken […]