Music Articles

Recently, musicians have visited death's doorstep with an alarming frequency, so frequent that reactions to these deaths often turn into apathy after a single news headline.

I am usually among the apathetic. Upon reading that rock singer Chris Cornell committed suicide Wednesday, I made a strong exception— an exception everyone should make.

Rock singer Myles Kennedy is one of the most talented and assiduous musicians in the industry.

Marrying his work ethic to a 4-octave range and respected guitar skills, Kennedy has five consecutive top-20 albums on the Billboard top 200 album chart with his main band Alter Bridge and a critically acclaimed gig singing for legendary Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash.

Considering the lyrics "Priests and politicians/Crime masked by religion/Faith with no Contrition/Bring on the Hatred and "Save my breath/Because no one is listening," Joel Osteen will not be covering this tune anytime soon.

Q: Is there rust associated with being off the road for a long time or do you just go back on and gel?

A: “We have been playing shows, a lot of times to fly out for one-off shows or maybe two weeks of touring, but there is a big difference with six to seven weeks of touring. We are headlining and playing 17 or 18 songs a night. It takes a toll, but you got to rehearse well, sing well, play well and let the chips fall where they may.”

On the battlefield, military drumming stokes the flames of warfare, setting the tone for soldiers to go into battle. When Redbirds prepare for battle on the gridiron, the Big Red Marching Machine (BRMM) adds musicality to the physicality.

Q: As an emerging, independent rock band that is somewhat small at the moment, do you find that the openness of the internet is to your advantage, since you have more platforms to be heard?

A: “I think it swings both ways. Music is available for everyone to find and it is not hard to get someone far from us to hear it. On the other hand, so is everyone else. Everyone is overwhelmed with choice.”