Theory of a Deadman

Humor is a part of most happy people’s lives every single day. It’s one of those things that no matter who you are, where you’re from or how old you are, you can brighten someone’s day by making them laugh. There are all kinds of comedians that make a decent buck off of it, but very few musicians can do it and still be taken seriously. Theory of a Deadman is one of those bands that can make you laugh and cry in the same verse. They write music that anyone can relate to, whether it be about a break up or about life in general, when you listen to their music you feel as if you’re a part of their story, because you are. Vocalist Tyler Connolly spoke with Maximum Ink’s Aaron Manogue about why humor is such a big part of their music, their latest album The Truth Is, and their upcoming appearance headlining The Carnival of Madness 2011 Tour.

Maximum Ink: Your single “Lowlife” has kind of catapulted your new record The Truth Is. Tell me what that song means to you or what you meant it to mean to the fans.
Tyler Connolly: Basically, it’s just one of those “Don’t judge what you don’t know” kinds of things, you know? We’ve done so many festivals and just looking out at the audience and seeing chick fights and kick ass hillbillies. And you know it’s more of a song saying it’s ok to be a hillbilly because a lot of them are our fans. That’s pretty much what it means.

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The The Devil Wears Prada

It seems like America has a strange obsession with zombies in the past few years. More and more zombie movies and shows are coming out, but one has to ask themselves, “Why?” Because they’re awesome! Nothing is scarier than total zombie apocalypse, where your friends and family are turned into the undead and you’re forced to kill or be killed and do what you can to survive. The Devil Wears Prada recognized this and have created a kick ass zombie game with their music in it. It’s called Zombie Slay and it’s exactly what you imagine, as they put it, “Slayin’ zombies and head banging at the same time!”

Maximum Ink: Where did you guys come up with the badass idea for the game?
The Devil Wears Prada: The band wanted to do an extension of the Zombie EP. We wanted to give our fans something different than just a re-release. We met up with ECHO interaction group and developed the idea of Zombie Slay. It is a prequel first person swipe/shoot game to the Zombie EP Comic Book.

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Taproot

Fourteen years, seven albums, and hundreds and thousands of tour miles traveled, they are a band of many fortunes; Bad fortunes such as lineup changes and losing record labels, and good fortunes including touring with Deftones, Incubus, Mudvayne, as well as having multiple Top 20 singles off of various albums. Resilience is key when considering Taproot. Bassist Phil Lipscomb tells Maximum Ink a little about where he came from musically, and what sets Taproot and their fans apart.

Maximum Ink: Where did you get your start with music?
Phil Lipscomb: For me personally, my start was with my brother. I got my first bass off of him, and he had been playing guitar for years. I just going from there.

MI: You have been touring a lot in the past year or two. What do you do to stay sane when you’re on the road for months at a time?
PL: Well, my dad was in the Air Force, and I’ve moved around all my life, so I really enjoy traveling. I love being on the road. Two or three months is a long time to be on the road. By the end of the tour, I get that, “I need to be home, and I need to be able to relax for a little bit,” feeling. For the most part, we’re all friends, we’ve been friends for years and we get along pretty well. That helps tremendously.

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3 For The Price Of 1 - My Fair Share - Don Bakken - The Moments

3 For The Price Of 1 - My Fair Share - Don Bakken - The Moments

Sal Serio runs through 3 CD’s from regional artists

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Ted Nugent

Over the past fifty years, there have been literally hundreds of thousands of bands and musicians in the business. There have been some successful bands, some not so successful and a very select few that have become icons of rock n’ roll. Out of all of the musicians and bands there have been, there is only one Ted Nugent. In the past 50 years, Ted Nugent has done things that most musicians could only ever dream of, including setting attendance records at venues worldwide in 2005 and ‘06, was the top grossing act in the world in 1977, ‘78 & ‘79, and has sold over 30 million records worldwide. His number one weapon, while on stage at least, is his trademark Gibson Byrdland. Some of his most famous riffs, and it just so happens some of rock n’ rolls most recognizable riffs, were written by him on this guitar.

“The mighty Gibson Byrdland guitar is a magical piece of American craftsman artwork that has a musical voice all its own. A beast of an instrument that was created to provide a limitless pallet for creative sonic bombast and musical adventure that called my name from the very 1st time I witnessed its power in the hands of Jimmy McCarty of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels way back around 1961. This custom guitar is capable of more sounds than a normal human being is capable of dreaming of. But since I am not a normal human being, our love affair continues to produce soul cleansing and crotch inspiring sounds and love songs for the masses,” Nugent said.

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Tantric

Tantric first hit the music scene with a self-titled debut in 2001 that topped the charts with swaggering, grungy singles like “Breakdown” and “Astounded” that fit right into the New Metal mode that has been a staple of rock radio giants like Nickelback, Staind, and Creed since the late 1990’s.“Tantric” went on to be certified platinum but the band’s follow up albums have seen the band cultivate a more selective audience. In the decade since their debut, the band has completely changed its lineup. Only front man Hugo Ferreira remains of the original members of the group. Tantric released its fourth studio album “Mind Control” in August 2009 and has been on tour regularly since then. On stage, Ferreira’s grave vocals are his most distinguishing characteristic, but off the stage Ferreira’s work in the rock industry has brought him a great deal of insight to the many sides of the music industry. From the creative aspect of writing music and producing videos to the business end of promoting a product that people want to experience. I caught Ferreira the night before a show in Santa Rosa, California on a brief break during their summer tour.

MAXIMUM INK: I just got done watching the “Mind Control” video. You get a chance to do some zombie acting and television smashing. What is it like to film a video like that?
HUGO FERREIRA: We filmed the ‘Mind Control’ at an old warehouse in Nashville. We made it look like a ward with props and a lot of creative ideas. I wanted to do something a little darker and edgier and I was given some reign for creative choices. We were pleased with the end result.

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Maria Taylor

MARIA TAYLOR has had a full life. A multi-instrumentalist singer-song-writer born into a musical family Maria has been in bands and on the road for over half her life. Her third solo effort, “LadyLuck,” overflows with moving narratives and self-reflective stories. Performing April 21st at Madison’s High Noon Saloon, Maria was kind enough to answer some questions via email.

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