Author Archives: Jennifer Carney

Long before The English Beat came to be, Birmingham, England, was a “seething cauldron of musical activity,” and Dave Wakeling absorbed it all. In 1979, by the age of just 23, he broke new musical ground with The Beat. Later dubbed The English Beat for US markets, Wakeling and his cohorts drew from diverse musical influences to concoct a unique take on 2-tone and ska that blended smart, politically-aware lyrics with ridiculously catchy hooks. 

The original incarnation of the English Beat released just three albums, but their influence is still undeniable. In celebration of their 33rd year, they are touring the world this summer and releasing a definitive box set, The Complete Beat tomorrow, July 10.

True to his working-class roots, Dave just might be the busiest touring musician today. We got to chat with him during a rare lull in the touring schedule. He discussed his biggest influences, famous fans, and how an orange Fanta and a car radio inspired him to become a musician.

You’ve got two releases from Shout! Factory: a “Best of” out now, Keep The Beat: The Very Best of The English Beat, and a box set, The Complete Beat, due July 10th. Talk a bit about the box set – what does it contain?

It’s got everything! It’s got three albums, plus it’s got a load of radio sessions from John Peel and other BBC sessions that have versions of some songs before they were recorded for the albums, and some live concert stuff, too. Following quickly on its heels is a DVD of both Us Festival shows that we played. However, I haven’t managed to get any vinyl out of them, yet! They actually don’t seem that excited or interested, but I did try.

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In part 2 of our interview with Lita Ford, she rattled off some of her favorite guitarists. That got us thinking — who is your guitar hero? 

TVD: Let’s talk about some of your biggest influences as a guitar player.

Lita: Richie Blackmore. Highway Star, I gotta say – everybody knows that album. That was a real big influence on me. I had Richie Blackmore posters hanging on my bedroom walls. He was just God as far as I was concerned.

I was a big fan of Tommy Iomi of Black Sabbath, who I later became engaged to, which was really wild. Their very first album was huge. I mean, I copped all his licks. Everything that guy played I learned from. And then I met him and I became engaged to him – it was really wild. What was wild about it was that it was the first band I’d seen play live. I’d never seen anybody before, so it was my first rock concert.

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Metal icon Lita Ford is on a roll. She’s back with her eighth studio album, Living Like a Runaway, an album that’s unmistakably Lita. It’s brash, guitar-driven hard rock, lots of F-you attitude, and unabashedly personal. Its release coincides with her massive “Rock of Ages” tour with Def Leppard and Poison, which will take Lita across the US this summer. When we chatted with Lita, we got the low-down on the new record, life on the road, who her guitar heroes are, and even the status of a possible Runaways reunion.

Part 1 of the TVD Interview can be found here.

What was it like to be a rock star when you were 16?

I took it seriously, even though some of the pictures were dressed kind of in shorts and… I still took it seriously. I took my music serious and I really wanted to become a better guitar player. I focused on my guitar playing and I did things to try to better myself as a guitar player. Like, I would plug straight into the amplifier rather than using effects, whereas nowadays, you’ve got pedal boards out the fuckin’ ass! It’s unbelievable how many pieces of equipment people use to play guitar! I just don’t get it. I’m very basic. I play with a wah-wah pedal and a delay and that’s it. I don’t even use a tuner – they just get in my way.

So, that was one of the things I focused on in the very beginning was just playing guitar. I heard horror stories about different bands where they’d plug into machines and machines would make noise. Back then, too, the pedals weren’t as evolved as today. And I didn’t want to be like that because I was a chick especially; I needed to be taken seriously as a guitar player.

Seems like it annoyed you that you’re lumped in with the “Top Female Guitarists” as opposed to just “Top Guitarists”?

Well, it does bug me because it’s like I got a different category because I’m a different sex. There wasn’t a category because Jimi Hendrix was black – he was just a guitar player. What the hell’s the difference? What do you need a penis for if you’re playing guitar? Are you gonna use it as a slide? I mean, really – what else could you do with it? [Laughs]

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Metal icon Lita Ford is on a roll. She’s back with her eighth studio album, Living Like a Runaway, an album that’s unmistakably Lita. It’s brash, guitar-driven hard rock, lots of F-you attitude, and unabashedly personal. Its release coincides with her massive “Rock of Ages” tour with Def Leppard and Poison, which will take Lita across the US this summer. When we chatted with Lita, we got the low-down on the new record, life on the road, who her guitar heroes are, and even the status of a possible Runaways reunion.

As a little girl in the ‘80s, I wanted to grow up to be a mix of Sally Ride and Lita Ford. They seemed completely compatible to me, each one trailblazing in her own way. Lita Ford got her start as the 16-year-old lead guitarist for the Runaways, but by the time I wanted to be a rock star astronaut, Lita was the undisputed queen of metal, writing songs with Nikki Sixx, singing with Ozzy Osbourne, and playing guitar better than damn near everyone else.

Today she’s got a brand-new record, Living Like a Runaway, which is a raw, start-to-finish catharsis inspired by her recent divorce. If this isn’t an official “comeback” album, it’s definitely Lita at her most Lita — smart, witty, and totally kick-ass.

We made it! [Laughs]

Who’ve you been talking to today?

God, I did a marathon! I talked to Russia, Belgium, Switzerland, London, and Nashville!

Well, let’s just jump right in.

Right on!

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There’s something different about Portugal. The Man. The Portland psych/pop-rockers have a new-ish record out now (2011’s In The Mountain In The Cloud), devoted fans that include several celebrities, and a big-label record deal with Atlantic. But they’re not just another indie rock band with funny punctuation on a trajectory to super-stardom.

Their musical output is so vast and so precocious (seven albums in six years!) that fans are in constant debate as to which record they think is their best. As quickly as a new album is created, the band’s creative powerhouse – singer John Gourley – is on to the next record, dipping into more influences and working out new musical ideas. There is a certain sense of awe to their music. Their records feel… important.

P.TM fans would agree, of course, as do we, which is why today is the first day of Portugal. The Man. The Week. At TVD.

To kick off a week of giveaways and other fun stuff, we interviewed Zach Carothers (bass/vocals). He and John Gourley form the nucleus of Portugal. The Man, and both have come a long way since playing music together in and around Wasilla, Alaska.

We spoke to Zach while he was en route to Boise, Idaho, which is where Portugal. The Man is kicking off a big springtime headlining tour with The Lonely Forest tomorrow, April 3rd. Zach filled us in on yet another new album in the works, the benefits of growing up in the middle of nowhere, and why vinyl is so important to the band.

Your tour kicks off in less than a week. How excited are you to be headlining?

I am pretty pumped about it. It’s been a while since we’ve done a full headlining tour, it’s always good to get back out there. We’re learning new songs we’ve never done before live, and some old ones we haven’t played in a while, we’re looking forward to it for sure, and we’re super busy getting prepared for it as well.

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Paul Adelstein has been making music for over a decade, but you probably know him best from his role as Dr. Cooper Freedman on TV’s Private Practice, or from one of his many other big- and small-screen appearances alongside some pretty big Hollywood names. The Chicago native also dabbles in directing, scoring films, writing, and music production. But with the release of his second LP, All the Details (out today!), and a spring/summer tour in the works, Paul Adelstein might become better known as the frontman of his band, Doris.

It’s easy to see how All the Details—which is full of Adelstein’s smart, wry, and sometimes satirical songs—has already been compared to the work of Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson. Songwriting takes center stage on this “come for the music, stay for the lyrics” record. It is a collection of musical short stories played out in folk rock, powerpop, piano-based, early-‘70s ballads, and a smorgasbord of other influences that even Adelstien is at a loss to name. He jokingly describes his music as “sad songs with a snappy beat.” However anyone chooses to describe it, All the Details just may be the one of the most surprising albums of the spring.

You’re obviously a man of many talents. What was your first love: acting, film, writing, or music?

I think music was probably my first love because I just always, always remember it [in my life]. My mother and my sister played piano, and I remember falling asleep and hearing them practice and stuff. I was always hanging around the piano, but I started acting pretty young, too. But there’s something kind of essential about music that’s always been with me. I mean, I think I’ve always been a bit of a performer, I suppose; there’s no denying that.

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