Remembering Sir George Martin, 1926-2016: Producer Way Beyond Compare

BY MIKE METTLER – UPDATED JUNE 14, 2016 / ORIGINALLY POSTED APRIL 10, 2016

Sir George Martin passed away at the age of 90 in Wiltshire, England on March 8, 2016. Best known for his indelible, enduring, and daringly innovative studio work with The Beatles from 1962–70, Martin also produced a wide swath of artists including […]

By |June 14th, 2016|The SoundBard Interview|Comments Off on Remembering Sir George Martin, 1926-2016: Producer Way Beyond Compare

38 Special Co-Founders Don Barnes & Donnie Van Zant Continue Rockin’ Into the Night, Onstage and Off

BY MIKE METTLER — MAY 19, 2016

Rock is rock, no matter where it comes from and who’s playing it. Sure, certain sounds and styles will always get some kind of genre label attached to them, but it all really boils down to one thing: Does the music move you? “Obviously, we’re from the South […]

By |May 19th, 2016|The SoundBard Interview|Comments Off on 38 Special Co-Founders Don Barnes & Donnie Van Zant Continue Rockin’ Into the Night, Onstage and Off

Danny Hutton and Three Dog Night Continue to Bring Harmony and Super Sonic Joy to the World

BY MIKE METTLER — FEBRUARY 24, 2016

It takes a special breed to put down serious roots in Laurel Canyon, California — and that’s exactly what Three Dog Night vocalist Danny Hutton did more than four decades ago. “I bought my house from Alice Cooper in 1977 or ’78, and Micky Dolenz [of The Monkees] lived next door,” […]

By |February 24th, 2016|The SoundBard Interview|Comments Off on Danny Hutton and Three Dog Night Continue to Bring Harmony and Super Sonic Joy to the World

Sweet Sonic Dream Mixes Are Made of Dave Stewart

BY MIKE METTLER — FEBRUARY 10, 2016

He’s a man who’s been everywhere and done it with everyone, and lived to tell the tales. He’s Dave Stewart, the production wizard best known for his indelible partnership with Annie Lennox in the uber-popular ’80s electronic duo Eurythmics. His new memoir, Sweet Dreams Are Made of This – […]

By |February 10th, 2016|The SoundBard Interview|Comments Off on Sweet Sonic Dream Mixes Are Made of Dave Stewart

Yanni Composes a Sensuous Hi-Res Sonic Chill Experience (…and 5.1 Studio Material May Follow)

BY MIKE METTLER — FEBRUARY 3, 2016

The concept of being a true global artist didn’t really exist until the rise of Yanni, the visionary Greek keyboardist/composer who’s played his own unique brand of instrumental music for over 5 million concertgoers worldwide (and counting). Sometimes, you’ll find him and his top-tier “United Nations” orchestra playing for […]

Steve Forbert Makes No Compromises When It Comes to His Songcraft Or His Sonics

BY MIKE METTLER — DECEMBER 9, 2015

The songwriter’s songwriter is one who adheres to an unwavering standard of excellence. His work is honed, sculpted, shaped, and then reshaped until it feels right to share with the world. These are just a few of the guiding principles Steve Forbert followed while composing the 11 original songs […]

By |December 9th, 2015|The SoundBard Interview|Comments Off on Steve Forbert Makes No Compromises When It Comes to His Songcraft Or His Sonics

America Bandmates Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell Venture Down the Remastered Highway

BY MIKE METTLER — SEPTEMBER 10, 2015

Harmony (/ˈhärmənē/, noun): 1. The combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions having a pleasing effect. 2. A relationship where various components exist together without destroying one another; agreement or concord. See also: America.

If there’s one band from the ’70s that epitomizes the literal definition of the […]

By |September 10th, 2015|The SoundBard Interview|Comments Off on America Bandmates Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell Venture Down the Remastered Highway

Tony Banks Reveals the Genesis of A Chord Too Far and His Not-So-Curious Love of Surround Sound

BY MIKE METTLER — AUGUST 13, 2015

In a band of equals, some can appear to be more equal than others. “I always like to have the first word and the last word on albums,” laughs keyboardist Tony Banks, one of the main songwriters in Genesis. Banks has always felt making an impression right as […]

Dave Edmunds Provides More Than Just a Few Seconds of Pleasure With His All-Instrumental Rags & Classics

BY MIKE METTLER — JULY 15, 2015

Leave it to Dave Edmunds to always want to take things a little bit left of center. “I’ve never liked listening to albums, and I’ve never liked making them,” admits the Welsh-born guitarist and producer known for his modern rockabilly sensibilities (see Rockpile’s Seconds of Pleasure and solo hits like […]

By |July 15th, 2015|The SoundBard Interview|Comments Off on Dave Edmunds Provides More Than Just a Few Seconds of Pleasure With His All-Instrumental Rags & Classics

Graham Parker Squeezes Out Hi-Res Audio Sparks by Adding the Right Amount of Mystery Glue

BY MIKE METTLER — JUNE 12, 2015

Graham Parker has a surefire way of ensuring his longtime backing band The Rumour understands exactly how to execute the arrangements of his new songs: “You have to kick them a lot, very hard!” he says with a devilish laugh. He is, of course, joking (I think). Parker and […]