Interviews

Glide recently had the pleasure of chatting with some members of the fantastic New Orleans gutter gospel rock group, The Rough Seven.  Bringing to the forefront honesty, a blazing sound that’s ready to run off the rails at any moment, and a smile to the most fucked up situations injects the Rough Seven with a sense of vitality.  The band is a conglomerate of local All-Stars, but their coming together and release of Give Up Your Dreams allows us all to get a glimpse inside the gritty greatness of the group. 

If you think you have heard their name before it’s probably because you have. With their 2008 full-length debut WRECKING BALL, they gained some noteworthy success with the song “The Rat”. Following that up with a moodily engaging opus called SUGAR, The Confederate has come back with more songs about not-so-happy things. Their goal is to make meaningful music that pleases not only their fans, but themselves as well.

Satriani’s releases have encompassed everything from straight ahead rock ‘n roll to funk, from blues to electronica, from epic jams to blink-and-you-miss-them ditties. Now, well over two decades into his career, Satriani talks about his passion for the music he loves so much and how that fervor has helped make his latest album, Black Swans & Wormhole Wizards, one of his most eclectic—and satisfying—releases in years.

The resurgence and renaissance of Hall and Oates, which for those paying attention is simply a continuation of the hip hop sampling of their hits that began in the 1980s, is both exciting to fans and surprising to some critics. Most surprised are likely those critics who have always missed the point and lost the story of the most successful pop duo in music history.

Although I have never spent any considerable length of time in the South, Mike Farris all but assures me that the stories are true: The first question people often ask is “Which church do you attend?” and the second is “Which team do you root for?”’"Because up in the Northeast it’s not that big a deal. But down South? Oh my God, it’s all about your Alabama Crimson Tide fans, and then it’s NASCAR…and they eat, breathe, sleep, and die of loyalty to a jersey, you know? A lot of that—your salvation and who you root for—sometimes goes hand-in-hand. So it’s a different world down here, but it’s my home!”

Shreveport, Louisiana, native Kenny Wayne Shepherd has been listening to the blues since his early childhood. After discovering Muddy Waters in his father’s record collection, Kenny Wayne has been mixing some rock & roll with those blues and blasting out something that catches fire once he hits a stage, because that is where he comes alive. On his new CD, Live In Chicago ( which has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album), Kenny Wayne has been able to capture that spirit while playing alongside some of the legends of the blues.

On  the 2010 edition of The Glide 20, there are no secrets or under the radars in store here (except maybe Hendrix somehow slipping in again)– most of these albums are ones you probably own, have downloaded, or perhaps you've seen these artists peform live in 2010.  But what the f#!k, they are all stellar and go without saying makes the best of the year. So, as we've done the past eight years – The Glide 20 – The 20 Best of 2010. 

For Mike Gordon, having just finished an exhaustive two month swing of projects that included a 13-date Phish tour, another musical costume for Halloween, the release of a new album, and a 17-date tour behind it, it comes as no surprise that the opening track on his latest album is titled Can’t Stand Still.

Catching up with the mighty Warren Haynes is always a catch-as-catch-can affair: he’s expressive and thoughtful in his answers, but with so much on his plate at all times, you run the risk of missing something if you stay on one subject too long. There’s a lot to touch on, as always: Mule is wrapping up one of its most successful touring years ever, but staying off the road for much of 2011.

With Pearl Jam taking a breather, Stone Gossard has had the opportunity to get back together with his friends in Brad, to finally release their fourth full length CD Best Friends?, and head out on the road for some shows across the United States. It’s a strong recording, with songs that are moody and spirited, a little funky here and a little psychedelic there.