April of 2008 - RAG Magazine

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contents 

Taylor Hawkins - Foo Fighters 

p. 32 


PUBLISHER 

Sean McCloskey 

sean@RAGmagazine.com 

EDITOR IN CHIEF 

Crystal Clark 

crystal@RAGmagazine.com 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Joseph Vilane 

joseph@RAGmagazine.com 

SENIOR EDITOR 

Marc Suriol 

marc@RAGmagazine.com 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Tom Craig 

Becky Eidson 

Logan Fazio 

Lindsey Ann Lawless 

Craig Mandell 

Todd McFliker 

Melissa Montoya 

Samuel Osborn 

Jazilette Picard 

Tanya van Kampen 

Emmi Weiner 

RAG Magazine 

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RAG MAGAZINE is published monthly by RAG Publishing Group, LLC in Davie, Florida. 

All contents are copyright 2008 and may not be reproduced without written permission 

of the publisher. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, 

publishers, advertisers or distributers. RAG reserves the right to edit or reject advertising 

which may result in legal action or is in poor taste. Liability for typographical error 

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RAG’s CD REVIEWS 

Sevendust 

Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow 

Asylum Records 

Vocalist Lajon Witherspoon continuously 

finds an outlet for his voice, and Sevendust’s 

new record is no exception. On Chapter 

VII: Hope and Sorrow Sevendust remain in 

the promised land, their energy level has never 

been higher, and their aggressive nature has 

matured and increased in volume. 

Enlisting the assistance of Alterbridge members Miles Kennedy, Mark 

Tremonti, and American Idol’s Chris Daughtry, Sevendust emerge with yet 

another gripping collection of guitar-battering riffs, but with a new sense of 

melodic flow. “Inside,” starts the album off with Sevendust’s signature volatile 

distorted sound, but the lyrics express a more relaxed sense of reality. “Hope,” 

featuring Mark Tremonti, slows the music down a bit, only to be picked up 

seconds later by some of Tremonti’s most passionate work yet. 

The addition of Daughtry only adds fire to Sevendust’s fuel, as his contribution 

will also meet the qualifications of loyal Dust fans abroad. Chapter VII: Hope 

and Sorrow is one of those albums that you’ll want to take with you on a long 

drive; as you listen carefully, you’ll begin to understand why this band has 

lasted so long. It’s not pure luck, but pure heart and dedication. Sevendust 

deserve all the attention, and they are becoming one of the more credible 

acts this industry has seen. –Joseph Vilane 

The Murdocks 

Roar 

Surprise Truck Entertainment 

The jangly sing-a-long anthems that The 

Murdocks have to offer, will send you on a 

journey back to the ’60s; you’ll then make 

a left turn into the ’70s, skip the ’80s, and 

venture throughout ’90s alternative rock. So 

where does that leave relevance for this 

current decade of songwriters? In The Murdocks, what we have are three 

confident musicians; they have spent nearly a decade finding comfort in their 

songwriting, and creating quite the reputation in their home state of Texas. 

With Roar, The Murdock’s latest release, the band continues to shock 

their listeners. On “Die Together,” vocalist Franklin Morris recites “and 

when die together it feels like holding hands,” which sounds like something 

that Romeo and Juliet pondered many moons ago. However, it’s the 

Murdocks keen sense of humor that is no doubt preparing them for survival 

in the ever-changing music industry. 

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their past mistakes with their latest EP American Gothic. In a way, the 

disc’s title is somewhat of an allusion to the simplicity and plainness of 

the famed Grant Wood painting. 

A great melody line starts, “Rose March,” along with the unmistakable 

voice that is Corgan’s, layered throughout in an effort to put a chill through 

your body. As gentle and folky as the song may be, it doesn’t lose any of 

its edge, and your imagination still lends itself easily to the rhythm of that 

familiar Pumpkin essence. The recurring themes in Pumpkins songs have 

always had something to do with faith —whether religion or love. Here, 

the always hopeful Corgan laments just that, “So fall in love if you must / 

But don’t let go,” on the track, “Again, Again, Again (The Crux).” If ever 

there was a tune that was stripped down on American Gothic that was 

begging to be electrified, it would have to be, “The Pox.” The drumming on 

this tune is tasteful and top-notch, but that’s to be expected with 

Chamberlain. Further, the guitars and bass just push out of your speakers, 

and you can’t help but move. 

If Smashing Pumpkins were painting themselves, their music would look 

like this: no studio wizardry, with lush walls of sound. It’s what the Pumpkins 

are known for: stripped down and bare bones, to the purest form possible. 

- Matthew Pashalian 

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The Used 

Shallow Believer 

Reprise Records 

We’re in the digital age now, so let’s face 

it: you can get almost anything “On 

Demand.” There’s also the instant 

gratification felt by the experience of the 

World Wide Web. The music industry is 

starting to realize the uber power of 

technology, by taking advantage of it, and 

delivering fans more of what they want. So what do fans of The Used 

want? How about the breadth of The Used’s recorded material, that has 

The Murdocks quirky song titles, “Playhouse Down,” and “Sleepy Queen 

and Charlie Brown,” may leave you scrambling for peanuts, but once the 

melodies draw you in, you’ll feel pleasantly at home. The raspy vocals of 

Morris strikes a thunderous chord of lightning, adding flavor to The Murdocks 

progressive sound. It’s hard to compare The Murdocks to anything that 

exists musically today; although, they cite Nirvana as a major influence, 

yet it’s hard to wrap yourself around just one comparison. With Roar, 

you’ll venture down a road of once forgotten memories, and revise your 

days with a refreshing new sense of balance. –Joseph Vilane 

Smashing Pumpkins 

American Gothic 

Reprise/Martha’s Music 

With the triumphant return of Billy Corgan’s 

Smashing Pumpkins last year and the 

successful Zeitgeist album, Corgan and 

drummer Jimmy Chamberlain have shown 

us, once again, that they were not only a 

musical force to be reckoned with, but still 

have it. Apparently, one of the regrets that 

the Smashing Pumpkins always had, was not recording more of their 

ideas 12| DEC RAG in between MAGAZINE tours. This time around, Smashing Pumpkins rendered 

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yet to see the light of day? With our wishes granted, The Used revealed 

Shallow Believer, and it’s equipped with all the interesting quirks the fans 

have been waiting for. 

Just when you think that disc opener “Dark Days,” is going to be a gentle 

ballad, the band breaks in with their usual way: loud guitars, slow punk 

verses, and the always great chorus. Shallow Believer is full of gems, 

almost one after another. Featuring some hardcore-ish elements, “Slit 

Your Own Throat,” is easily the standout on Shallow Believer; while the 

hooky pop-punk of “My Pesticide,” and “Devil Beside You,” could have 

both fit on the In Love and Death album. 

Shallow Believer is a great collection of B-Sides and rarities, though it’s 

obvious why some songs just didn’t make the final cut. For example, “The 

Back of Your Mouth,” has a big-band feel, and is clearly a track that would 

not have felt at home on a regular Used album. And what disc would be 

complete without an acoustic track, right? Well, you get that with “Tunnel,” 

which sounds a bit similar to “On My Own,” a track off of the group’s debut 

disc. 

After listening to Shallow Believer, honestly, it’s hard to believe that so 

many terrific songs just didn’t make the cut; I suppose that there were 

either too many good songs to choose from, or possibly, these tunes were 

just saved for a rainy day. Either way, Shallow Believer is a killer collection 

of tunes for any casual listener, and definitely, if you’re a fan of The Used. 


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Saving Abel 

Saving Abel 

Virgin Records 

To describe Saving Abel’s sound: take one 

part 3 Doors Down (for some southern 

rock) add one part Nickelback (for great 

production), and throw in some Buckcherry 

and Hinder (for a lack of lyrical morale). 

Musically, Saving Abel’s debut sounds very 

much akin to the above bands, as far as 

the songwriting is concerned. 

The punchy “New Tattoo,” is one of those driving tunes; it has that beat 

and rhythm that’s perfect to listen to while cruising down the interstate. 

The album’s first single is, “Addicted,” and you’ve probably heard it by 

now if you listen to almost any rock station. The tune’s opening line is 

reminiscent of Hinder, “I’m so addicted to/All the things you do when you’re 

going down on me/In between the sheets,” which is a bit immature. “She 

Got Over Me,” is musically, a great ballad, but feels like it begins dragging 

not even halfway through the song. The really potential tunes for Saving 

Abel, as songwriters, develop on the slow burn of, “18 Days,” and the 

Zeppelin-influenced, “Drowning (Face Down).” 

Musically, Saving Abel has some great sounding tunes. However, it really 

isn’t a band, or disc, that I’d consider giving another chance. All in all, the 

band seems to lack that spark that would make their sound— or this 

disc— something that would still hold your interest, a few years from now. 


VIEW PAST ISSUES OF 

RAG MAGAZINE @ 

WWW.RAGMAGAZINE.COM 


Tuesday, April 1 

Mary Wilson of the Supremes – Colony Hotel 

Wednesday, April 2 

The Mars Volta – The Fillmore 

Mary Wilson of the Supremes – Colony Hotel 

Thursday, April 3 

Punk Bunny – Studio A 

Garaj Mahal – Bamboo Room 

Friday, April 4 

Say Anything – Revolution 

Tokyo Police Club, Eagle Seagull – Studio A 

Soulive – Culture Room 

Huey Lewis & the News – Pompano Beach 

Amph. 

Saturday, April 5 

Bret Michaels – Dolphin Stadium 

Cauibou – Culture Room 

Eric Lindell – Bamboo Room 

Sunday, April 6 

Punk Rock Primary – Studio A 

John Anderson – Round-Up 


New York Dolls – Culture Room 

Cowboy Troy – Boston’s on the Beach 


Sevendust – The Mojo Room 


Robben Ford – Bamboo Room 


Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers – Bamboo 

Room 

Outlaws – Lyric Theater 


Iron & Wine - Revolution 

Juanes – American Airlines Arena 

Margaret Cho – The Fillmore 

John Jorgenson Quintet – Bamboo Room 

Peter & Gordon – Lyric Theater 


Rush – Bank Atlantic Center 

Monday, April 14 

The Starting Line, Bayside - Revolution 

Streetlight Manifesto – Culture Room 

Farewell, The Morning of – Talent Farm 

APRIL 


Saves the Day, Metro Station – Revolution 

Murder By Death, Kiss Kiss – Studio A 

Lifehouse – Culture Room 


Spoon, The Walkmen – Revolution 

Julian Marley – Studio A 

Doro – Culture Room 


Eisley, The Myriad – Culture Room 


Bruce Springsteen- Bank Atlantic Center 

VHS or Beta – Culture Room 

Charlie Daniels Band, .38 Special – Cruzan Amp. 

Earth Wind & Fire – The Fillmore 


The Rocket Summer, All Time Low – Revolution 

Bacardi B-Live – Bayfront Park 


Reba McEntire – Hard Rock Live 

Arrested Development – Bicentennial Park 

Mae, The Honorary Title – Culture Room 

Avril Lavigne – Cruzan Amph 


Ministry, Meshugga – Revolution 


Albert Castiglia – Fat Cat’s 


Honda Civic Tour – The Fillmore 


Bonde Do Role – Studio A 

Charlie Musselwhite – Bamboo Room 


The Dwarves, Music is a Weapon – Studio A 

Clutch – Culture Room 

Lisa Lampanelli – Kravis Center 


Anti-Flag, Street Dogs - Revolution 

Bon Jovi, Daughtry – Bank Atlantic Center 

Joey Gilmore – The Clubhouse 


VENUE LISTINGS 

Alesana – Culture Room 

Switchfoot – Cruzan Amp. 


Andre Rieu – Bank Atlantic Center 

Schoolyard Heros – Studio A 


OTEP – Culture Room 


Thrice, Circa Survive - Revolution 

Symphony X – Culture Room 


Santana – Hard Rock Live 

Simmu Borgir, Behemoth – Culture Room 

Sunfest – Downtown West Palm Beach 

VENUES 

American Airlines Arena 

601 Biscayne Blvd, Miami 

Bamboo Room 

25 S. J Street., Lake Worth 

Bank Atlantic Center 

One Panther Parkway, Sunrise 

Bayfront Park 

301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami 

Boston’s on the Beach 

40 S Ocean Blvd, Delray Beach 

Colony Hotel 

155 Hammon Ave, Palm Beach 

Cruzan Amph. 

601 Sansbury Way, West Palm Beach 

Culture Room 

3045 N Federal Hwy, Oakland Park 

Dolphins Stadium 

2269 Dan Marino Blvd., Miami 

Fat Cat’s 

320 W 2 nd Street, Fort Lauderdale 

Kravis Center 

701 Okeechobee Blvd, Palm Beach 

Lyric Theater 

59 SW Flagler Ave, Stuart 

Mizner Park Amph. 

433 Plaza Real, Boca Raton 

Pompano Beach Amph. 

1801 NE 6 th Street, Pompano Beach 

Round-Up 

9020 W. State Road 84, Davie 

Revolution Live 

200 West Broward Blvd, Fort Lauderdale 

Studio A 

60 NE 11 th Street, Miami 

Talent Farm 

20911 Johnson Street #111, Pembroke Pines 

The Fillmore Miami Beach 

1700 Washington Ave, Miami Beach 

The Mojo Room 

6682 South US1, Port St. Lucie 


RAG’s CD REVIEWS 

RAG’s CONCERT REVIEWS 

Three Days Grace / Breaking Benjamin 

March 5, 2008 

Cruzan Amphitheater 

Spring is generally one of the highlights of the new year, and before you 

know it, throngs of kids flock from all over the United States to Florida 

for some fun, sun, and entertainment. Recently, sunny South Florida 

hosted quite possibly one of the best mid-week concerts this year: 

Three Days Grace and Breaking Benjamin. Together, Three Days Grace 

and Breaking Benjamin brought their never-ending tour to the Sunshine 

State (along with Los Angeles’ Hurt and South African rocker’s Seether) 

by way of West Palm Beaches’ newly christened Cruzan Amphitheatre 

(formerly Sound Advice Amphitheatre). 

Surprisingly, of all of the acts on the bill, it was the show’s opener – 

Hurt–that turned out to be the wild card act of the day. Hurt’s set was 

short and memorable. Though abbreviated, Hurt’s performance 

showcased a nice blend of cuts from both of their discs. Vocalist J had 

to have made an impression on anyone who had not previously heard of 

Hurt or their music. In fact, J’s stage presence as well as his violin 

playing was fantastic. If you were one of the lucky attendees in the 

crowd early enough to catch Hurt’s set, you couldn’t help but love them 

and want to rush out to buy their album afterwards. All I can say is: 

three cheers for fiddle solos! 

As the sun went down, Seether took the stage and opened with “No 

Jesus Christ,” a tune that came off much better live than on their current 

album, Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces. With a set that lasted a 

little bit longer than Hurt, Seether mainly stuck to singles such as 

“Fine Again,” “Remedy,” and the swingy, “Fake It.” The highlight of 

Seether’s performance came to pass when front man Shaun Morgan 

called for the “the family jam,” and the likes of Adam Gontier and Barry 

Stock (Three Days Grace) and Mark James (Breaking Benjamin) joined 

in on “Broken,” which featured both Gontier and Morgan on vocals. If 

memory serves, the last time both Breaking Benjamin and Three Days 

Grace humbled us with their presence—together – they were merely 

the opening acts with something to prove on Nickelback’s tour. This 

time around, however, it was Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace’s 

show, and their fans were surely not going to forget this experience; 

here, on the bands’ first co-headlining jaunt, the crowds had not only 

shown up in support for the two bands, but were also singing along to 

their tunes. 

Breaking Benjamin has come a long way since their first record. With 

Saturate, the band almost got lost in the shuffle. Though the band has 

always been good live, they have now stepped it up! Actually, it was 

quite a shock when BB opened their set with such big singles, but they 

did just that with, “Diary of Jane,” and “Had Enough.” Breaking Benjamin 

has clearly come a long way from who they were, even a year ago; 

their set was mainly comprised of songs from Phobia and We Are Not 

Alone, with only one tune –the pounding “Polyamorous,” selected from 

their debut. 

Now, with one collaboration already behind us, Three Days Grace axeman 

Barry Stock again took to the stage to play guitar, while Seether’s 

Shaun Morgan joined Ben for a stellar cover of The Deftones “Change 

(in the House of Flies).” Live, songs like “Breath,” and “Sooner or 

Later,” translated very well from the disc to the stage, and the foursome 

were in fine form all the way through to the closing of their hour-long 

set with, “So Cold.” 

Eventually, the main act appeared. And with the pounding kick of a 

bass drum, Three Days Grace arrived in a similar fashion as Breaking 

Benjamin, and opened with the almost Yoda sounding single, “Animal I 

Have Become.” As a fan, I was very impressed with how put together 

Grace’s set was, which included not only the band’s many hits, but 

also the great oddball tunes, “Let It Die,” and “Gone Forever,” that the 

fans would probably pick over singles. About a quarter way through the 

show, Gontier sat alone on the stage with his acoustic guitar in hand, 

and stunned the audience with an unexpected cover of Heart’s, “Alone.” 

Later on, half-way through the show’s closer, “Home,” TDG threw the 

fans for a curve ball when they segued into Filter’s, “Hey Man, Nice 

Shot.” The tune meshed well, while echoing a part of the band’s influence 

or sound that may not have been heard before. This was definitely a 

show not to be missed! After all, nothing goes better with spring break 

than a rock show! - Matthew Pashalian 

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Barry Manilow 

February 23, 2008 

Bank Atlantic Center 

Two words: Barry Manilow. Ok, let’s try two more words: music and 

passion. Now, once you’ve put all of these words together, what do you 

have? That’s right, Fanilows! The Fanilows reunited at the Bank Atlantic 

Center this past February for one reason only, to catch the one and only 

Barry Manilow live, and in concert! Manilow’s tour fittingly kicked off last 

February in Las Vegas, and he is scheduled to tour all over the United 

States throughout the coming year—but it was Manilow’s Fort Lauderdale 

stop that was all the rage! And let me tell you, the crowd couldn’t wait for 

Barry to work his magic. 

Within seconds of Manilow appearing on stage, the all-ages Fanilows 

went complete crazy as their fearless leader had returned! However, it 

was immediately apparent that Manilow was not at all as agile as he was 

MORE CONCERT REVIEWS AND PICS... Jerry Cherry - Page 20 

Tony Bennett - Page 22 


Liza Minnelli - Page 22 

They Might Be Giants - Page 22 

George Thorogood - Page23 

Langerado - Page 24 

Don Rickles - Page 26 

Frank Caliendo - Page 26 

Killswitch Engage- Page 27



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just two years prior. At first, Manilow’s voice sounded, even felt, a bit 

softer, but by the end of the first song, Manilow’s voice was as strong 

as ever, evening sounding as crisp and clean as his top-notch CD 

recordings. The legendary Barry Manilow will turn 65 years-young this 

year, but there’s no doubt that he still has his trademark sense of 

humor in place, as well as his notable pizzazz! But let’s be clear, 

Barry Manilow is not just the face and voice behind the eternal hit, 

“Copocabana.” No, our Barry, Mr. Manilow, has been a fixture in the 

music business since 1973, and he’s not only a true artistic talent, 

he’s a musical icon who sings; who is an accomplished piano 

player; who writes his own music; who writes, arranges, and produces 

material for fellow musicians – and in case you haven’t heard: “he writes 

the songs that make the young girls cry.” 

Now while I’ll admit that, yes, Manilow’s performances are at times 

both corny and kitschy; However, Manilow is surely one artist who 

appreciates his fans. C’mon, he would not, nor could not, ever disappoint 

his Fanilows. And yes, I am proud to admit that I am a full-fledged, 

card-carrying member of the Fanilows, and I too, held my glow stick up 

high, and swayed it to the music. Then, for what seemed like hours, 

Manilow belted out his signature hits, including “Mandy,” “Weekend in 

New England,” “Even Now,” the uber classic, “I Write the Songs,” and 

the aforementioned, “Copacabana,” which was performed Las-Vegasstyle 

alongside showgirls dressed in fluorescent-colored boas. Now 

while we all have our own favorite artists, and songs, when it comes to 

Barry Manilow, just hearing certain songs of his brings me back to my 

childhood in Brooklyn, New York (where Barry, himself, was born and 

raised – holla!) It’s amazing how connected I have always felt (and still 

do) to Manilow’s timeless songs; and decades after I learned every 

lyric to Manilow’s songs, I have yet to forget them, and I promised 

myself that I never will. - Bonnie Kaplan with Crystal Clark 

Former South Florida favorite Jerry 

Cherry,recently rocked the stage 

with Chubby Checker in NYC! 

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GEORGE THOROGOOD 

POMPANO BEACH AMPH. 



THE ROOTS 

Photos: Todd Mcfliker 

MATISYAHU 

BEASTIE BOYS 

R.E.M. 


VAN HALEN 

FEBRUARY 12, 2008 

PHOTOS: SEAN MCCLOSKEY 


DON RICKLES 




FRANK CALIENDO 




MEG & DIA 

REVOLUTION 


The 15th Annual 

Bob Marley Caribbean Festival 

Bayfront Park 

March 1, 2008 

Photos: Todd McFliker 


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855 E. Oakland Park Blvd 

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5325 S. University Dr. 

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8501 N Univeristy Dr. 

(Tamarac) 

Dr. Feelgood’s Rock Bar & Grill 

219 Clematis St. 

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By Joseph Vilane 


When Sevendust announced that 

ex-Snot guitarist, Sonny Mayo, 

would be taking over as Clint 

Lowery’s replacement, listeners 

might have been a bit skeptical. 

Since Lowery was a co-founder of 

Sevendust, many wondered if 

Sevendust could, or would, recover 

from such a loss. The addition of 

Mayo only added fuel to their fire, 

as Sevendust grew even more 

aggressive, and was determined 

to make an impact in today’s music 

industry. 


With the release of Next (Sevendust’s fifth album in 

2005), Sevendust unleashed a powerful onslaught of guitar 

riffage and mayhem on the industry. Sevendust would 

also strike back at deceptive and wrongful claims against 

their music integrity, and by doing so, regained rightful 

control. After cutting ties with their long time record label, 

Sevendust dug themselves out of financial despair, and 

started things over on their own terms, while risking 

everything they had worked hard for. 

With Alpha (following in March 2007), Sevendust proved 

critics wrong; they had once again established their mark 

on the music scene. Alpha is a record you could listen to 

from beginning till end. “I think it just makes us work 

harder when you go through those kinds of things in this 

organization,” says vocalist Lajon Witherspoon. Continues 

Witherspoon, “As Sevendust, those trials and tribulations 

just made us work harder and proved to ourselves and 

our family, how real this is. And when I say family, I 

mean my family at home, and my family out there, on the 

road; God knows, that if you stayed with Sevendust from 

the beginning, you’re not just a fan, you’re family.” 

IN STORES NOW 

In April of 2008, Sevendust will release their seventh 

record, Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow, and they stand 

confident that this is Sevendust at their best. Chapter 

VII: Hope and Sorrow includes the melodic twists of Chris 

Daughtry, the loyal collaborations of long time friends 

Mark Tremonti and Mile Kennedy from Alterbridge, and 

the signature Hell’s Kitchen guitar riffs, which are good 

enough to make your ears bleed with pleasure. Sevendust 

are absorbing the pain yet again to form a new expression 

of inspiration. “I think we always say our best effort,” 

says Lajon, “because with anything you do, you try and 

expect for it to just grow and be better. But honestly, I 

really feel that this is the best we’ve ever done, because 

we didn’t have any outside energies telling us what we 

needed to do; it was just really relaxed, and we were able 

to go in there and write from the heart.” 

Sevendust, comprised of front man Lajon Witherspoon 

(vocals), John Connolly (guitar), Sonny Mayo (guitar), 

Vince Hornsby (bass), and Morgan Rose (drums), first 

appeared in 1995 as Crawlspace. Shortly thereafter, the 

group changed their name to Sevendust, and released 

their self-titled debut in 1997. However, Witherspoon 


asserts his take on the band’s history, “Over the 

course of past years, and several years in coming, 

I felt that Sevendust was created in something 

where God knows we’ve all been- lucky and 

blessed- and that lucky number seven is right over 

us, where we were all created from dust, and that’s 

what I felt the meaning of Sevendust turned into. I 

really believe in things like that.” 

The Atlanta-based Sevendust became rising stars 

in the late ’90s with their heavy metal and 

aggressive blend of bottom-heavy riffs, and soulful, 

accessible melodies. Moreover, they have played 

over 800 shows alongside groups like Creed, and 

a gig at Woodstock in 1999. While speaking with 

RAG Magazine, Sevendust vocalist, Lajon 

Witherspoon, gave us some insight (as well as a 

history lesson) regarding the band’s success. 

“Not to go back, but you have to go back a little 

bit,” says Lajon. “Definitely the history between 

Alterbridge and us started with the band Creed, 

who took us under their wing when no one really 

“...the history between Alterbridge 

and us started with the band Creed, 

who took us under their wing...”

SEVENDUST WILL BE APPEARING LIVE APRIL 9TH AT THE MOJO ROOM 

wanted to take notice of Sevendust. We were this 

band that was heavy. But we were very blessed to 

have those guys come aboard and show us. It’s 

always been a brotherhood, and we always wanted 

the opportunity to tour together.” And then, there’s 

the voice of Lajon Witherspoon, his variety of 

influences can be heard every time you take a 

listen. With Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow, 

Witherspoon has crafted what is undoubtedly 

Sevendust’s most lyrically honest, and confessional, 

album yet. Lajon admits, “When I grew up, my 

dad was my biggest influence. He was in a disco 

era band, and while going to rehearsals with him, I 

always felt that music was magic, and I still say 

music is magic. The feeling that I had being around 

instruments: the big bass cabinets and drums sets, 

it was all to me about the music part; it gave me 

that feeling, that excitement, and from that day on 

as a child, I knew it was something I wanted to be 

a part of.” 

There wasn’t just one form of reference that 

followed Lajon throughout his existence; it was a 

variety of generations that seeped their way into 

his subconscious, paving the way for his successful 

and innovative career in music. “It wasn’t just R&B 

growing up…,” asserts Lajon, “It was country music and 

rock and roll amongst my family in the house, because 

we always loved music, period. It was never to just listen 

to one thing, because that’s not why you’re supposed to 

listen; you listen to all music because it’s beautiful.” 

Throughout all of the changes in music, Sevendust have 

evolved with many other bands. But one thing has stayed 

the same; Sevendust haven’t lost touch with the core of 

their sound, and that makes all the difference. “It would 

be selling ourselves short if we made everything sound 

the same,” says Lajon. “The venue that we’re able to take, 

having our own label, has definitely broadened us to be 

able to explore and paint a different picture on these 

canvasses that I fill.” 

And out of all people, American Idol’s Chris Daughtry 

surfaced on the CD. Since enjoying great success with 

American Idol, and with his band Daughtry, no one would 

have ever expected Chris, himself, to appear, and with 

such a different style, but it meshed really well with 

Sevendust; it worked. “The Chris Daughtry thing was a 

great excellent project too,” asserts Lajon. “Before we 

knew anything, we found out how much of a big fan he 

was of Sevendust, and I was a fan of his from the show. 


I thought it was incredible that he was able to take 

this avenue and really get out there in a different way. It 

was just a good experience all around, this whole album, 

and all those guys being on it. Within us, it was exciting 

to do. And I know everyone out there, that enjoys 

Sevendust, is really going to enjoy it. I always said, if 

you don’t like it, then just don’t listen to it.” 

However, almost everything in this world has a polar 

opposite, and the same is true of Sevendust. This is 

a band that is set to push the boundaries every time 

they step into the studio, knowing enough to push the 

heavy side and emphasize on the opposite direction 

as well. “I just turned 35 years old and I’m so happy 

with the course, even though we’ve had a lot of hard 

times…” says Lajon. “But the people I’ve met along 

the way and the lives that we’ve changed, I wouldn’t 

change it for the world. And I met my lady now, and 

we’re getting ready to have our daughter.” 

Sevendust are at a level now that, musically, they have 

been allowed to let loose, and are not afraid; yet, surely, 

they are not trying to reinvent the wheel, but are just 

trying to keep it all rolling at a steady pace. But are 

they still angry? Admits Lajon, “We can’t be those 

angry right-out-of-college teenagers that we were 15 

years ago; we now have these beautiful little babies 

running around calling out ‘daddy this,’ and ‘daddy 

that’.” Lajon continues, “I’m not mad, and with 

Sevendust, we’re able to put out every emotion that 

you’re able to have in your body; we go through all 

the emotions.” 

Sevendust have not only honed their skills as 

songwriters and performers, but they’ve also overcome 

more than their fair share of hardships. Yet through 

thick and thin, Sevendust have managed to maintain 

a loyal following, while remaining one of the more 

credible acts this music industry has to offer. Admits 

Lajon, “It’s a pleasure; it’s still a dream to me that 

we’ve gone this long, and that people still come out, 

enjoy, and support us. It gets even weirder when you 

get to the point of noticing that years ago there might 

have been this 15 or 16 year-old kid in the front row; 

ten-years-later, this guy now has a wife, and a new 

baby, or two kids. It’s just weird. But it’s a family affair, 

and it’s been such an incredible journey; I can’t wait 

to continue.” 

WWW.RAGMAGAZINE.COM 



THREE DAYS GRACE 

Remember when a band would release a killer debut album that appealed to 

By Matt Pashalian 

both music fans and critics alike, but was then inevitably followed-up by the Miraculously, Gontier’s journey of loneliness and emerging from the shadows 

“Sophomore Slump?” Lately, we seem to be in an age when instead of a of desperation became the inspiration for Three Days Grace’s Platinum followup 

album, One-X. On One-X’s first single, “Animal I Have Become,” Gontier 

slump, bands are following their debuts with richly textured, dynamic, and 

progressive discs that transcend any pre-conceived notions you may have had of pleads, “Somebody get me through this nightmare, I can’t control myself.” 

a particular band. Here, Canada’s Three Days Grace is a perfect example. One-X has been getting more and more attention with the release of each 

single. On “Pain,” Gontier comes to grips with an addiction to pain killers. 

On Three Days Grace’s self-titled debut, each single released seemed to However, it was Three Days Grace’s introspective crossover single, “Never 

make the band only bigger and bigger. Along with relentless touring in support Too Late,” in which both the band, and front man, seemed to have found the 

of their album, Three Days Grace honed their skills from within the smallest light at the end of the tunnel. Three Days Grace have now gone on from being 

clubs, to some of the biggest arenas –all while opening for many of the top the low man on the totem pole, to the headliner —selling out the very venues 

acts of the day. Unfortunately, all that touring came at a price, especially for that they had found themselves as openers just a few years ago. Currently, coheadlining 

alongside their peers Breaking Benjamin, and during what has become 

Three Days Grace’s vocalist, Adam Gontier, who suffered severe depression 

while on tour. It’s unimaginable that Gontier was surrounded by thousands of one of the hottest tours of the year, Three Days Grace took some time out of their 

people, on a nightly basis, and still felt completely alone –and totally isolated busy schedule to talk about touring, recording, and the road to One-X. 

on the inside. 

RAG: Often, when you purchase a band’s album— 

musically—the songs sound amazing, and then you see 

that same band perform live, and there’s just something 

“missing.” Collectively, Three Days Grace’s songs 

translate very well from the studio to the live stage. How 

are you able to achieve this? 

Adam: When we are in the studio, we try to play it mostly 

live, so that the music does translate well when we do perform 

live. I think that we’re more of a live band than a studio band. 

We’re not the kind of band that writes songs in the studio, 

and then can “hopefully” pull them off live on stage. Everything 

we write as a band, we make sure that we’re going to be able 

to perform at our shows. 

RAG: “Over and Over,” a track from One-X, has 

orchestration woven within it. It’s this great heavy song 

with a nice driving feel to it. When the band was 

originally writing this song, was it your intention, or was 

the orchestration an idea that came-up and was mulled 

over in the studio? 

Brad: Actually, I think the orchestration idea came up after 

the song was recorded; we just thought that it would be cool 

to put strings in the song. So we went to this little studio in 

Los Angeles, and there was a twelve-piece orchestra that 

basically just sat there and recorded it. It didn’t take long. 

Adam: Maybe a few hours, right? 

Brad: Yeah, it wasn’t long at all –maybe just a couple hours 

for the musicians to learn his or her parts. It was really 

awesome to watch and pretty cool to see these musicians 

just throw it down in like three hours. 


RAG: The song “Never Too Late,” was one of the biggest songs of 

2007. It’s an intensely personal song derived out of Gontier’s personal 

addictions, which were experienced while on tour in support of Three 

Days Grace’s debut. When you wrote the song, did you have any idea 

that it would become this animal of differing levels, which so many 

different walks of life would be able to relate to? 

Adam: I don’t think we thought about it too much. It’s just that all of the songs 

would just kind of sit together and do what they do. We didn’t try to make 

them like that. It is really cool that people have related to the songs, but it was 

not something that we set out to do. 

RAG: There’s been a lot of speculation as to what the “Never Too 

Late” video is about. Could you shed some light on this mystery? 

Adam: I think that everybody goes through really tough things in their lives, 

and it’s always different. The song is, obviously, just about not giving up — 

even when you want to. The video for “Never Too Late,” just shows somebody’s 

hardships throughout life, and what they’ve been through; it kind of gives a 

reason as to why…maybe. 

RAG: One-X is the first official album featuring co-guitarist, Barry Stock’s 

writing. Besides freeing you [Adam] up from playing guitar the entire 

time (and getting to be a great front man live), what do you believe 

Barry brought to the band as a player, writer, and personality? 

Adam: Barry’s just a couple of years older than us, and he’s a great player. 

He’s an amazing guitar player and he’s got a really good ear, and he’s a great 

writer. Barry can write really good music, and riffs. He was in another band 

while we were rehearsing back in Toronto, and we would hear him playing 

down the hall (while with the other band). So, talked to him a little bit, and 

tried to steal him from the other band; it all ended up working out. But in 

general, Barry’s a great guy, a great player, and he’s got a good personality 

— and we all get along really well. 

RAG: Three Days Grace has been touring with Breaking Benjamin for 

almost all of last year [on your own tours], opening for the Nickelback 

tour, and so on. Since you guys have basically been on the road 

together —and inseparable— for the past few years, what’s the 

relationship like? 

Adam: It’s been pretty good. I think being away from home for a long period 

of time puts a lot of stress on any relationship -whether you’re married or 

whatever. But, I don’t know, we deal with it. It’s been a bit tough on us, but in 

the end, it’s worth it. 

RAG: Three Days Grace has toured a lot with both Breaking Benjamin 

and Seether - two of the bands on the current tour. What is it about 

these two bands, in particular, that you all seem to want to constantly 

tour together? 

Brad: Everybody gets along really well. Like you said, we met these bands a 

few years ago [on the Evanescence tour in mid ’04], and it just seems like 

everybody fits together really well, musically and personally, too. There’s no 

drama on this tour; there’s no 

egos. Everybody high-five’s one 

another when they see each 

other. It’s just a lot easier when 

you have cool bands with you, 

that’s for sure. 

RAG: A lot of people may not 

realize it, but you have been 

together as a band for over a 

dozen years now —originally 

under the name, Ground Swell. Why the name change to Three Days 

Grace, and what does the name mean to you individually? 

Brad: Yeah, we were Ground Swell for probably four or five years. And then, 

people start leaving the band: one guy left for school, another just kind of 

fizzled out. The three of us just always stayed together, and we started writing 

different types of songs. Ground Swell had more of a pop, kind of classic rock 

feel -with solos and stuff. However, the three of us all were constantly listening 

to a lot of alternative music, so we just decided to go more into that direction, 

and at the time, “Three Days Grace,” just stood for a sense of urgency, and 

really matched the sound of our music at the time. 

Adam: Brad said it. You know, we started writing a different style of music, and we 

lost a couple of band members. So back then, it was really just time for a change. 

There were a few things changing inside the band, so we changed the name; the 

name sounds good, I guess. It sounded good at the time. 

RAG: A short time after One-X was released, Adam did a special for 

Much Music at the CAMH (Center for Addiction and Mental Health) and 

thanks to the internet, many people have been able to see it. I was 

wondering if everyone was behind you — band, label and 

management – in regards to putting your personal abuse out in the 

open, and in that manner? 

Adam: It didn’t really stem from any company. It came out of my idea, my 

experiences, and what I went through when I was in there myself. The one 

thing that I learned was that it’s important to talk about your issues and 

things. I had an opportunity to go in there and talk to the people about what 

they were going through; it was just something that I decided to do. 

RAG: When the band finished One-X, did anyone have any idea just 

how great a record it was? 

Brad: It took a long time to write One-X. We had a different producer in the 

beginning, with Gavin Brown, who produced our first album, so a lot of the 

songs were pretty much ready. I think the only song that we actually wrote 

in the studio was the title track, “One-X.” We went through a lot of trouble 

in the beginning, so I think that when we heard the end result, it was really 

awesome for us to hear this great production. It all came together in the 

end. But I don’t think you ever really know. You just put the songs on the 

record [that you feel are good] and hope that people like them. That’s all 

that you can really do. 


chaotic at the same time. 

Inflikted (which debuted March 25, 2008 on Roadrunner 

Records) incorporates rhythmic, Brazilian riffage, and hardcore 

punk-esque vocals. Max admits, “This album is reinvented... 

Death/Thrash era mixed with now. All those elements are part 

of the Conspiracy.” Yes, Inflikted is defiantly oozing with energy, 

raw vocals, guitar riffs, and drum beats that make the hairs on 

your neck stand up; then there are the lyrics that you can’t get 

out of your head, no matter how hard you try. 

When listening to Inflikted straight through, from beginning to 

end, you can hear and (almost) feel the violence and anger 

injected in every inch of the album. Inflikted is thrashy and fierce, 

but at the same time, you can jam and groove to the songs. 

With lyrics like “fed up and fucked up, born from war and tension,” 

from “Bloodbrawl,” and “I‘ll be the end and the beginning, I‘ll be 

the soul without fear,” from “Dark Ark,” you can sense the 

brilliance that runs through the veins of Cavalera Conspiracy. 

That being said, Cavalera Conspiracy makes it extremely evident 

that they don’t give a shit what anyone other than their fans 

think. 

Cavelera Conspiracy 

By Jazilette Picard 

After a ten-year separation, brothers Max and Iggor Cavalera 

buried the hatchet and created: Cavalera Conspiracy. Inflikted 

is the brothers’ first record together since Sepultura’s 1996 

release, Roots. And Inflikted could not have come at a better 

time. “The music came and everything became right again,” 

says front man Max Cavalera. He continues, “Me and Iggor speak 

through music more than we speak through words, and our 

relationship is stronger than ever.” 

Inflikted is full of aggression and angst-ridden lyrics, in 

“Nevertrust,” it screams out anarchy, and with “Must Kill,” there’s 

morbid chaos. Each track on the album exudes intricate and 

fast-paced percussion as well as simple guitar riffs that hook 

you almost instantly. Inflikted also contains the B-side, “Exorcist,” 

which is a cover of a Posessed’s tune. Confesses Max, “This 

is the metal I wanted to show my fans. I drew more inspiration 

from movies like ’A Clockwork Orange’, ‘Apocalypse Now,’ and 

‘City of God,’ which was a different experience from what I do in 

Soulfly,” 

Inflikted showcases Max’s newfound inspiration through his 

lyrics. which are very complex and a bit rigid at times. Somehow, 

Max By Joseph Cavalera Vilane is able to make every word sound melodic and 


Cavalera Conspiracy aren’t going out of their way to play music 

that appeals to the general audience; all they want to do is play 

raw metal that their supporters appreciate, and have been 

waiting patiently for. Inflikted is death metal meets powerful, 

melodic, electro punk; further, along with Max’s trembling growls 

and Iggor’s murderous drumming, there are also a few guest 

appearances: Max’s close friend Rex Brown (Pantera) covers 

bass on “Ultra-Violet.” In fact, Rex and Max toured in 2001, and 

Max is surprised that he didn’t die on the Pantera tour. Confesses 

Max, “too much alcohol.” Max also collaborated with his 

stepson, Ritchie (Incite), on vocals. Reveals Max, “Having Ritchie 

on the album made this family even tighter. Iggor and Ritchie 

are very close; he gave him his first Mohawk in 1994. Iggor just 

asked me one night if he could borrow Ritchie, and when Iggor 

came back, he told me that he had just ‘shaved my son’s head.” 

Cavalera Conspiracy already have a music video circulating for 

the single “Sanctuary,” which is like a four-minute horror movie 

that apparently explains everything that is Cavalera Conspiracy: 

death, murder, fear, and violence. Cavalera Conspiracy kick of 

their tour promoting Inflikted on May 30, 2008, at the Electric 

Weekend Festival, in Europe, and according to Max, fans should 

expect nothing short of, “fucking insane shows…” “This tour is 

going to be kick ass,” continues Max. “We are gonna drop 

eleven songs off the album, all at once! It’s gonna sound like 

one long song, and then we’ll do covers, and jam.” 

Although Inflikted was not planned, the record was like a journey, 

and Max Cavalera does want people to take something away 

from this new record. “Never say never…mend broken 

barriers…I hope this inspires people to say, ‘fuck that, let’s 

reunite,’ like Max and Iggor.” We did it, it‘s real, and it‘s here.” 

Cavalera Conspiracy’s Inflikted tour is going to be the much 

awaited reunion of the classic lineup of Max and Iggor Cavalera, 

and it’s going to be nothing short of kick ass! Cavalera 

Conspiracy are going to leave you craving for more destruction, 

whether it’s through their album or live shows. And to borrow a 

line from the band, at the end of the day Inflikted will surely 

have you “unleashing the wicked.”


BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE 

On Bullet For My Valentine’s sophomoric release, Scream Aim 


Fire, the songwriting is more developed, and you can clearly 

tell that they’re maturing as musicians. The title track gives off arose, but we knew we weren’t going to let anyone else come 

that general dosage of metal, with a few twists of schooled guitar into this project and do our vocals.” 

playing. “Hearts Burst into Fire,” is a song that will feed your 

need for purely unadulterated metal. Still very young, the guys 

of Bullet For My Valentine have all had their fair share of hard 

times, which was evident in the grueling process of trying to 

complete the new album. 

While touring in support of the band’s prior album, The Poison, 

front man Matt Tuck suffered through a vocalist’s worst-casescenario 

of constant throat infections, which thwarted the band’s 

promising career for months (to the point where the band 

considered auditioning new singers). So many thoughts must 

have run through each band member’s mind, that it had to be 

quite the debacle to envision the band with a different singer, 

especially once a band like Bullet For My Valentine has already 

tasted success. Asserts guitarist Moose, “The conversation 

By the time the band entered the studio to start recording, lead 

singer Tuck could hardly carry a tune. To remedy the problem, 

Tuck underwent surgery, and extensive vocal rehabilitation 

followed, which substantially delayed the creation of the new 

album. “I imagine it was extremely hard for Matt,” echoes Moose, 

“it was hard for all of us to go through such an ordeal.” 

Bullet For My Valentine will surely never forget the recording 

process for Scream Aim Fire, and Matt Tuck chose to sing 

despite the need for emergency surgery to remove his tonsils. 

It was like being stuck between a rock and a hard place, but 

Tuck sacrificed his health to insure that the band met their 

deadline, and while also knowing that his decision could have 

ended his career. After having his tonsils removed last summer, 


Yeah, it’ll be built. 

Tuck was determined to record vocals on their new disc. During 

the process, Tuck was ultimately forced to find a new voice, 

which ended up providing the foundation for their new sound. 

But there was much more on the line than Bullet For My Valentine 

losing their signature sound, they almost lost one of their key 

songwriters. “It’s all about the songs,” says Moose, “I’m not 

taking anything away from anyone else or to say that we write 

any better; but we write songs that you can sing along to.” 

For many, the most important aspect of making music is the 

stage. There’s no other feeling like the warmth of a crowd in 

your presence, and experiencing the adoration and interpretation 

of your creation. “I love recording and everything,” says Moose, 

“but to me, it’s really about playing live!” “It [the new album] 

came together with a bunch of really good songs; we weren’t 

under any pressure and we just wrote what we wanted to write. 

I’m playing with three of my best friends, and it’s our connection 

that works, and the chemistry is amazing.” 

Less than a year ago, the members of Bullet for My Valentine 

thought that their singer might never sing again. Despite 

speculation, the band is back with a new album, Scream Aim 

Fire, and with Tuck, now fully recovered and with a new sense 

of reality. Bullet for My Valentine are scheduled to launch 2008’s 

Taste of Chaos tour with Avenged Sevenfold, Atreyu, and many 

others. “It took about three months to get back to recording,” 

says Moose, “we just had to go back in the rehearsal studio and 

start all over again. We didn’t mind though, but it was a long 

process.” I’m sure religion comes into perspective, because 

after all this chaos, you can be sure that this band believes in 

miracles. Bullet for My Valentine have not only counted their 

lucky stars, but have also found a new appreciation for their 

craft. 

So, what’s left for the guys of Bullet for My Valentine? Moose 

ever so eloquently responds, “We’ll tour until we can’t tour no 

more, and then we’ll go back into the studio and write/record 

another record; [we want to] just write good music and be able 

to tour. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and my family 

has always supported me. I never wanted to do anything else, 

and I’m glad I didn’t.” 


HURT 

By Matt Pashalian 

For the past few years, radio has gotten a bit fickle and stale. Currently, 

so much of what’s playing on the dial sounds very much the same, or is a 

throw-back to something that was once popular. Often, it seems as if no 

one is taking any chances in music, and if they are, they’re not writing 

good songs. Enter Hurt: a band that is not only musically diverse, they 

write great songs, and have a great sense of humor as well! 

With their major label debut, Volume 1, Hurt introduced themselves to the 

rock world as something different, a band that stood out among the crop 

of current music. Hurt made a bit of noise, but not enough to really grab 

people. Thankfully, Hurt had one song that pushed for them: “Rapture.” On 

the strength of this tune alone, Hurt was able to turn people onto something 

quite different than the average rock band. Volume 1 was ethereal, moody, 

textured, and different. 

Now Hurt has returned with Volume 2, their official “breakthrough” disc, and 

everyone has finally taken notice. As far as new rock is concerned, Volume 

2 is a breath of fresh air, especially the groovy and addictive first single, “Ten 

Ton Brick.” Hurt is now on one of the hottest tours of the year; they’re making 

waves, and are out there proving themselves to a whole new audience. Recently, 


we spoke to the members of Hurt about the “breakthrough” disc that everyone 

is talking about, as well as that killer first single. 

RAG: Hurt is a very different type of band; actually, they’re an oddball 

as far as radio is concerned: at times very heavy, other times ethereal. 

How does Hurt come together and write as a band? 

Evan: I don’t really know how other bands write their songs. But with us, it’s 

mostly out of J’s head because he’s crazy! Wait, did I just say that? No, 

seriously, he’s a great guy; he’s awesome. As far as what we use in our 

palette of instruments, if you will, is a lot of orchestral stuff -violins, and millions 

of drum tracks (which are pretty cool if I do say so myself). We threw a lot of 

stuff in there —loops, samples, all sorts of orchestral things. I don’t think that 

your standard rock band would have done that; it’s usually just bass, drums, 

and guitars. 

Josh: I think that a big part of 

the writing too, is taking your 

time with the music and 

working it over and over again 

to try and get to that deeper 

essence. As opposed to just 

having a couple of chords 

playing against some standard 

rock drum beat, we like to sit 

and really play with it, to wait 

and see if another idea comes 

in play, to layer it. It’s a lot of 

layers, definitely, like the 

drum tracking. And then, 

there’s the influence from 

classical music, and stuff like 

that. 

Paul: Well, you’re basically 

just trying to make the music 

match the lyrics as best as 

possible. To try and match the 

lyric being said at that part of 

the song—musically— and 

trying to make it fit in so that it puts the listener in that mood. 

Evan: But, not all the time. I think in the case of, “Ten Ton Brick,” the lyrics 

came secondary; Then there’s going back, and writing it with the lyrics in 

mind. 

Paul: It’s a very complicated process. 

RAG: Since Hurt isn’t a standard stock rock band, how would you 

describe your sound to those who have never heard of you? 

Evan: In one word: amazing. I’m usually very generic when it comes to people 

asking me what kind of music we play, but it’s basically rock -yet we cover 

every facet of rock, from the heaviest and on. I mean, it’s still rock music. 

Josh: I think we have a very wide range of musical influences. There’s country 

and then there’s classical; there’s rock, and then there’s metal. It’s just

everything. I’m not saying that we’re defining anything; we’re just putting it all 

together in a way that we find suitable. One time, somebody told us it sounded 

like Pink Floyd and Tool had a kid! I was like ‘wow,’ that’s pretty cool! I’ll take 

that… 

Evan: That was me. 

Josh: You were not ready for this! 

RAG: The new record Volume 2 is a lot different than Volume 1. A lot 

of people feel that it’s much heavier. Was it ever a conscious decision 

to move away from one sound and try something else or is it something 

that just happens? 

Evan: As far as the progressive nature of a band, you are going to change 

naturally. You can’t keep writing the same song over and over. Both you, and 

the audience, are going to get bored. I mean, you can do that — there are 

bands that do it— but we’re not one of them. As far as Volume 1 and Volume 

2, they’re called that for a reason. We had so many songs coming out of the 

gate with the first album, but we couldn’t have a double album. It would be 

cool if you could, but I don’t think that a lot of bands can get away with that. 

So we just kind of split them up. I think that’s why Volume 2 does sound 

different, but they’re basically supposed to go together. Volume 2 was different 

because we had more time with it. We had more time to think about our ideas 

instead of just trying to get it out there as soon as possible. Like with writing 

songs like “Ten Ton Brick,” where, they are also heavier. I think with bands it’s 

good to evolve; you don’t want to just keep writing the same song over again. 

Josh: I think too, that as a band, we’ve grown together, so it made a difference 

when we were making the record, that everybody had a chance to shine, 

without trying to steal the show, or doing a solo. There are some really great 

bass parts, and I think that everybody has these really great parts that really 

allow each person to shine without trying to overshadow anybody else. We’ve just 

grown together a lot as a band from being on the road. Personally, I feel that 

Volume 2 is a lot more mature; it’s a little bit more refined, like a nice Chianti. 

RAG: Aside from “Rapture,” which came out a few years ago, “Ten 

Ton Brick,” has become the track that is garnering Hurt a lot of attention 

right now. The song is addictive. What do you think is it about this 

song that makes it stick in people’s heads? 

Evan: Paul’s guitar riff. 

Paul: It’s kind of a different sound than the rest of the stuff that we have out 

there, and that’s probably because it was written more recently. So, it stands 

out a bit from everything else —and it’s more straight-forward; it kind of has 

that “one listen” quality where you can hear it once, and kind of get the 

groove. Whereas, when you listen to a song like “Rapture,” you really have to 

listen to it a bunch of times to get into it. 

Josh: A lot of Volume 1 can be very slow paced as well. For “Ten Ton Brick,” 

to come out and kind of have this grooving, pumping thing, we were excited 

about it! All of us want to play all different kinds of music, and we love all 

different kinds of music, so we plan to explore all different areas. Hopefully, as 

we move forward, we’ll continue to keep doing that. People will probably say, 

‘oh they’ve changed,’ or they might like it, or they might hate it…We’re proud 

to be doing that. When this song came out, it was fun for all of us, this 

pounding kind of song; even playing the song live is a blast, when the dragon 

comes at the end. 

Evan: Actually, the reason everyone likes “Ten Ton Brick,” or at least why I 

like it, is because it’s an amazing song! It’s a really great rocking song, and 

how can you deny that? People say it’s nice, and I enjoy hearing that feedback. 

When we first heard it, we got that feeling, ‘ok, this is going to go on the 

radio.’ It’s just a great feeling when you can sense that just doing the drum 

track. We didn’t even have vocals or anything yet, but we just knew that this 

song was really gonna do something. It’s feels awesome and amazing. 

RAG: You guys have an EP called the The Black Market EP, which was 

released online, and has also been sold almost exclusively at your 

shows. Would you guys ever consider releasing this EP as a normal 

disc? 

Evan: We released that EP ourselves, and that was because we weren’t 

getting any support from the record label. So we said ‘screw you, we’re going 

to release our own thing.’ The label is not supposed to know about that, so 

we’ll probably get in trouble for it, eventually. We did it to try and support 

ourselves since the label wasn’t giving us any support. We’ll probably be 

putting out a White Market EP as well for Volume 2. It’s a way to get our B- 

Sides out there too, and there are extra songs on them. When we recorded 

Volume 2, we recorded extra songs that aren’t on Volume 2. We want to 

keep giving our audience (we have such a die-hard, wonderful fan-base) new 

stuff to keep them interested in us. 

Paul: The White Market EP has acoustic stuff as well. When we go to radio 

stations and do acoustic performances, people always ask us ‘where can 

I get that?’ So, we found some of the better performances, and now, you 

can get them. 

RAG: As with a small handful of bands (Yellowcard and Blue October) 

J plays the Violin. Hurt is really the only band in the scene that has 

emphasized the violin as a big part of its sound. What made the band 

want to add this element into the mix? 

Paul: I think we use it because J grew up playing the violin, and it’s just like 

a natural instinct for him. 

Evan: J didn’t even want to do it. We had to convince him to do it. He was 

like, ‘I can’t play violin and sing at the same time!’ But, he was wrong! He can! 

Paul: I think that J thought [playing the violin] was unsexy. Isn’t that what he 

said? 

Evan: I told him that nobody was doing that except for Yellowcard, Blue 

October, and some other bands. And he does looks sexy when he plays the 

violin! 

Josh: J was a classically trained violinist (since he was a kid). Classical 

music has always been a part of J’s influence. So it was just natural that [the 

violin] would go in there. J played a lot of violin on the record, and then, it’s 

just fun live. We mixed in a lot of different influences. J also plays the banjo 

live when we play, “Alone with the Sea.” So, we just try to get a lot of different 

things in there, just to make the sound diverse. That’s what it’s all about. 


FILM 

Paper Mache can’t hold a film together, though, and it seems 

Gondry hasn’t put his ingenuity towards storytelling. In an attempt 

to sabotage his local power plant, which he believes to be 

controlling his mind, Jerry (Jack Black), a deadbeat loner, 

manages to permanently magnetize his globular body. And so 

when he visits his friend Mike (Mos Def), the sole employee of 

Be Kind Rewind Video, he erases all the store’s tapes. With the 

boss out of town and only four hours to obtain a copy of 

Ghostbusters for a nosy customer (Mia Farrow), the pair elect 

to remake the film themselves, employing the help of the town’s 

auto mechanic and dry cleaner. 

Be Kind Rewind 

By Sam Osborn (www.themoviemammal.com) 

We all have a place to rent movies. Our place to rent movies. 

My place, The Video Station, is a two floor monolith of titles, 

where the browsing of films is discouraged by the sheer volume 

of shelves. You stand the chance of getting lost; and it’s better 

just to ask. And so you approach the filmic lotuses crouching 

behind their counter, where they await any customer upon whom 

they can drop some prodigious film knowledge. Be Kind Rewind, 

Michel Gondry’s follow-up to 2006’s Science of Sleep, is the 

swan song of this dying tradition. In fact, Mr. Gondry laments 

the diminishment of many traditions here. His film is a ballad to 

the Video Station, to Jazz music, to independent filmmaking, 

DIY community artistry, and to the VCR. It seems ironic then, 

that in order to make such a loaded film, Gondry went through 

Hollywood for distribution, cast Jack Black and Mos Def instead 

of local actors from his New Jersey set, and will obviously 

capitulate to a DVD transfer and rental through Netflix and 

Blockbuster when Be Kind Rewind is released for home viewing. 

But maybe Gondry isn’t bothering to make a statement. In the 

way George A. Romero’s loaded his recent Diary of the Dead 

with statements that fold and re-fold the film’s meaning until it 

disappears into parody, Be Kind Rewind may simply be harking 

to a folk art culture of Gondry’s own invention. His methods are, 

in the present age of filmmaking, especially unique to Hollywood 

directors. (And let’s not be fooled, by working through Warner 

Brothers, Focus Features, and now New Line Cinema, Mr. 

Gondry is now a Hollywood director.) Largely ignoring CGI 

wizardry, he champions the arts & crafting of his set designers 

and prop masters; his special effects are nearly all achieved 

through in-camera trickery, and his sets are crazed and original 

enough to be displayed in their own Manhattan art gallery. Be 

Kind Rewind allows him to cut and paste and re-invent 

household objects to his heart’s delight, as an entire scene is 

dedicated to showing off all the crew’s cracked brilliance. 


Their remakes, which work like lovingly cobbled YouTube 

creations, gain popularity in their Jersey village and soon are at 

high demand 

for $20 a 

r e n t a l . 

Thrown in for 

sentimentality’s 

sake, Be Kind 

Rewind’s 

owner, Mr. 

Fletcher 

( D a n n y 

Glover), 

needs to raise 

$60,000 to 

avoid the 

building’s 

demolition. If 

his business 

is put down, 

the Be Kind 

R e w i n d 

family and 

much of the 

community 

will be 

relocated to 

the projects 

to make way 

for luxury 

condo units. 

Gondry first took a stab at feature-length scriptwork with Science 

of Sleep. He banked off the memory riffs laid out by Charlie 

Kauffman in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, echoing 

them with his own hero’s dreams. Be Kind Rewind, Gondry’s 

second full-length writing feat, departs entirely from these 

imaginative fancies for something more scattered and 

pockmarked. He’s tangential as ever, wandering through mindcontrolling 

power plants to the birthplace of Fats Waller, as 

though in an attempt to avoid the otherwise saccharine plotline.

Horton Hears a Who 


Each Winter, as Christmas draws near, my family blows the 

dust from our VCR and settles in to Chuck Jones’ 1966 TV 

special “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” The glow of 

Christmas’ past roll out with this twenty-six minute animation, 

but it’s sincerity that opens the floodgates of nostalgia. Sincerity— 

genuine, heartfelt sincerity—is no longer paramount to animation. 

Projects like Shrek and Cars, Surfs Up and Robots, they rely 

on suggestive jokes or complicated pop culture references to 

entertain their adult audiences. They defect from their own 

storylines, scared of boring an over-stimulated young adult 

generation, copping out with easy one-liners. Pixar can still spin 

the occasional gem of sincerity, harking back to the Disney 2D 

pictures from that wondrous era. But Cinderella can no longer pine 

for the Prince and twirl in her glass slippers. The slippers have turned 

to stilettos, her dress to Prada, and now she’s worried about her 

virginity, conveyed through the overt imagery of cherries. 

But Dr. Seuss is the very definition of sincerity. Zany and insane, 

his works play towards the expansion of the reader’s 

imagination, rocketing so far from reality that pop culture 

references 

are as gassy 

and lame as 

the swizzled 

clouds above. 

Horton Hears 

a Who 

understands 

this principle 

w e l l 

enough—which is lucky, since this might have been the third 

strike for Dr. Seuss adaptations. The Elephants and Whos of 

Whoville are lovingly rendered, tracing all the whimsical lines 

and colors laid out in the book. Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul, the 

screenwriters, have stretched the story reasonably, keeping to 

appropriate Seussical whimsy. And the cast pulls through 

admirably, Steve Carell and Seuss veteran, Jim Carrey, flexing 

their comic muscles for their vocal performances as the Mayor 

of Whoville and Horton the elephant. But it’s all not quite Seuss. 

Horton breaks it down to a rap beat, one of the Mayor’s daughters 

wants a cell phone. The story is stretched by an anime sequence 

to elbow out 88 minutes of running length. It’s fine and often hilarious, 

charming in its zany colors, but we still don’t buy it as a Seuss 

creation. It’s not as genuine, not as original. Not as insane. 


As with most screenwriters who win the 

Academy Award, Peter Morgan is suddenly 

overexposed and overworked. Pushing out 

political drama after political drama, the last 

two years have found him penning scripts 

on Idi Amin, Queen Elizabeth II, Lord 

Longford, Richard Nixon, and now King 

Henry VIII. The Other Boleyn Girl finds him 

painting in stereotypes, reducing men to 

their social rank and women to their skills 

at the double entendre. 

The Other Boleyn Girl 


More passion was put into the costuming than in the making of 

The Other Boleyn Girl, a period slog as interesting as a ninth grade 

history class. Academic comparisons aren’t too apt, however, since 

this adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s bestselling novel is bouncily 

light on history. Consisting instead of two sisters’ malicious 

beddings of King Henry VIII during his marriage to Queen Catherine 

of Spain, the film plays out like a drab, costumed episode of “The 

Real World.” As soon as one hottie gets the alpha male, the other 

hottie sleuths in for a slice of her own Type A male dominance. If 

nothing else, The Other Boleyn Girl proves that squeezing your 

actress into a bodice does not make your movie respectable. 

All dressed up in furs and mounting any 

fertile female within reach, money could 

have been saved by casting a lion instead 

of Eric Bana. Even Scarlett Johannson and 

Natalie Portman are put to waste, each 

made to look as unattractive as the peasant 

girls they’re supposed to outshine. And let’s 

not confuse acting with looks, because in 

this film, only one is required (no matter how 

brilliant all three of these actors have proved 

themselves to be in their earlier work). 

The Other Boleyn Girl is juicy gossip without the juices. It’s sex 

without a partner. It’s politics without a President. It’s a costume 

with nothing in it. It’s boring. 

The two sisters in question are Anne and Mary Boleyn (Natalie 

Portman and Scarlett Johansson), born under a poorly financed 

father all too willing to trade his children for the riches of social 

advancement. King Henry Tudor (Eric Bana), who’s grown tired of 

his wife’s miscarriages, is thought to be seeking a new mistress. 

The Boleyn girls are slipped under his nose and it’s not long before 

their dresses are dropped to Henry’s ravenous satisfaction. A rivalry 

expectedly forms between the sisters and the feline claws are 

released, swung in fatal whispers and the spurns of cold shoulders. 

But the main objective, they forget, is not to satisfy his sexual 

cravings, but to produce a male heir to the throne. Or it’s off with 

her head. 

For a film as rooted in sexuality as this picture is, it seems obvious 

that Director Justin Chadwick would want it to ooze sexiness. I 

mean, does a stripper go to work without make-up on? Does Brad 

Pitt take off his shirt if there’s not a six pack hiding underneath? 

No, the answer is no. So why is The Other Boleyn Girl as flaccid 

as a Sex Education class with the lunch lady? It’s pitiable how 

boring these PG-13 sex scenes are. Out of focus or unexplainably 

clothed, The Other Boleyn Girl achieves an unimaginable feat by 

making a film about sex that manages not to show it. And without 

the emotional implications of a legitimate sex scene, the ensuing 

drama that surrounds the assumed sexual relations is absurdly 

moot.

Paranoid Park 


The tangle of story that’s unraveled in Paranoid Park is as 

wandering, lush, and explicit as any teenaged diary entry. Which 

is just as well, since the film is a recollection of a sixteen yearold’s 

painful memory of murder as transcribed in his confessional 

letter to a friend. 

As Alex—the film’s narrator and lead character—warns us at the 

beginning, what we are about to see is not in order. He didn’t do so 

well in Creative Writing class. But sitting at his bedroom desk or at 

the isolated bench near a Portland lake, Alex will recount his story 

to us in its entirety. Scenes will be repeated, dialogue crossed and 

criss-crossed, stories changed, and revelations put on hold. This 

is the way Paranoid Park unfolds. It is evasive and uncompromising, 

expansive and tangential. It is teenaged. But only in this way is it 

truthful. 

Back in high school, the clearest definition for the word “apathetic” 

would not have been copied out of a Webster or Roget’s. “Skater 

Group” would have 

done the trick just fine. 

It is the national 

banner for this 

disconnected 

community of 

purposeful misfits. To 

avoid emotional 

reactions from others, 

they choose not react 

emotionally 

themselves. It’s an 

ingenious method for 

moving on from 

whatever familial, 

social, or personal 

crimes they’ve been 

victim to. Paranoid 

Park, more than 

anything else, is an 

effort by Alex to 

sustain his trademark 

skater kid’s apathy 

during this emotional 

(and criminal) crisis. 

He has parents— 

separated and living 

apart—to worry about. 

He has a cheerleader 

girlfriend desperately seeking to lose her virginity. And he has friends 

and teachers and cops wondering where he’s been these last few 

days. For a sixteen year-old, the death of railroad security guard 

has never meant so much. 

Writer-Director Gus Van Sant makes it his duty to capture the 

moments when this apathetic barrier is shorn away. Often they 

are held in the seconds after a scene has ended, when Mr. Van 

Sant keeps his camera rolling. Or they’re dug up when the right 

song is played, ranging from a lulling strum to a fanciful dance 

number to an orchestral score played backwards. Sometimes the 

moment is caught like a firefly in a jar, like when Van Sant opens 

and closes the camera’s aperture, exposing an image in multiple 

lights and causing the image to grow into a meditation. 

But at other times, the moments that compound into this strange 

and gruesomely enticing film, are those between the teenagers 

just killing time. The actors are all actual students, few of them 

having any previous acting experience. This casting decision 

sometimes wears thin, as a couple of the peripheral characters 

try extra-hard to remember their lines and not look into camera. 

But Alex, played by Gabe Nevins, finds a natural rhythm to his lines, 

convincing us of his perpetual boredom/secret interest in the world. 

When he reads his confessional letter in narration throughout the 

film, he reads it as though it were a school paper read out loud in 

front of his class. He stumbles on the lines, delivering them as a 

nervous, shaky reader would. He makes them into a report and 

not into a storyline, reminding us that this is not a movie, but that 

this is his memory. 

Van Sant is an old hand at such realism. His previous two films— 

Elephant and Last Days—were fictional recreations of real-to-life 

events: the Columbine school shooting and the Kurt Cobain 

tragedy. He’s fallen from the mainstream since he made Good 

Will Hunting (and, less fortunately, the Psycho remake) now known 

for efforts of realism that test our patience and entertain our 

boredom. Elephant and Last Days lulled its audiences into a long, 

stark reality so that its third-act punch-line could reach the 

appropriate pitch in shock-factor. Thankfully, Mr. Van Sant has 

modified this formula for Paranoid Park. It’s reminiscent of a teenage 

anthem. Not a love ballad, like Jon Poll intended with Charlie Bartlett, 

or an indie acoustic verse like Juno. But more like the cinematic 

representation of an Elliot Smith jam; where the world is lonely 

and criminal, but it is also where we live and where we must learn 

to move on.



21 


March is a fine time to dump off mini-blockbusters like 21. Last 

year saw Disturbia, brandishing a similarly rising star in Shia 

LaBeouf as 21 has with Jim Sturgess. Not likely to rake in as much 

coin as other Summertime tentpoles, these medium-sized studio 

pics serve up medium-sized entertainment. They’re mild and 

standard, passable and pleasing. 

Drowning in student loans and facing another $300,000 for graduate 

school at Harvard Med, Ben Campbell is a longshot candidate for 

an extremely selective full-ride scholarship. He’s told he needs life 

experience; something that will jump off the page of his application. 

Some brush with his own existence that makes him worthy of a 

scholarship of such magnitude. Hmmmm. And from this early 

scene we can prophesy the whole trajectory of the film. But no 

matter, Ben’s alternately heroic and harrowing adventures in 

cheating Vegas should hold excitement enough to erase the 

boredom of a predictable plot device. But as his adventures are 

alternately heroic and harrowing, the film version of this true-to-life 

story is alternately fun and forgettable. 

Kevin Spacey quickly slithers in, smiling like Lucifer himself, 

charming and wisecracking Ben onto his team of professional card 

counters. Kate Bosworth’s there, playing Jill Taylor, MIT’s “it” girl. 

And so too is Aaron Yoo from Disturbia, ironically playing the same 

nerdy Asian hipster he was cast for last year. The con is a weekend 

gig, flying to Vegas to work their legal scam at the blackjack tables, 

pooling their playacting and mathematical efforts to siphon out tens 

of thousands of 

dollars in two nights’ 

work. Romance is 

forged and hubris 

grown as Ben 

blossoms into the 

team’s rookie 

hotshot, all the while 

Cole Williams 

(Laurence Fisburne), 

the old-school 

security marshal for 

the casino, zeroes in on his prey. 

21 has less wrong with it than it might have at less assured hands. 

Robert Luketic, director of such mini-blockbusters as Monster In- 

Law and Win a Date With Ted Hamilton!, has experience with this 

type of blandness. His characters, though maybe realistic, fail to 

be cinematically interesting. When Ben could spiral into greed or 

women, drugs or liquor, he instead has a night spent sick with a 

case of mild cockiness. The romance is stilted and cut short, Kate 

Bosworth spending more time in an MIT sweatshirt than anything 

else; the villains, Mr. Spacey and Mr. Fishburne, churn out their 

usual satisfying spectacles; and Jim Sturgess only proves that he 

can carry a film without having to sing Beatles songs. There’s very 

little wrong with 21. Only, there’s very little to remember, too. 

21: Directed by Robert Luketic. Screenplay by Peter Steinfeld, Allan 

Loeb (based on the book Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich). 

Starring Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth. MPAA 

Classification: PG-13

APRIL DVD 

RELEASES 

APRIL 1 

Alvin & The Chipmunks 

Sweeney Todd 

APRIL 8 

The 11th Hour 

Lions for Lambs 

Rock of Love: Season 1 

There Will Be Blood 

APRIL 15 

Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem 

Before the Devil Knows Your Dead 

Juno 

APRIL 22 

Charlie Wilson’s War 

Cloverfield 

One Missed Call 

APRIL 29 

27 Dresses 

The Golden Compass 

How She Move

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MUSICIANS WANTED 

Madsic is looking for metal drummer ASAP! We are an 

established band based in Boca Raton with a 9 song CD and 

3 major websites, and we are auditioning drummers that are 

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MAJOR RECORDING ARTIST WITH 7 RECORDS IN TOP 

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SEE OUR AD ON THE BACK COVER! 

D Guitars Miami. Full-service repair and manufacturing shop 

since 1988. No job too big or small. Electronics, fretwork, 

finishes, broken headstocks rebuilt, custom crafted instruments, 

etc. D Guitars Miami can do it all, acoustic, electric, guitar or 

bass. Authorized service center for Fender, Jackson/Charvel, 

Taylor, and more. 305-947-1195. www.myspace.com/ 

dguitarsmiami 1354 NE 163 rd Street North Miami Beach 

INSTRUMENT REPAIR 

Resurrection Drums is the only authorized service center 

for every major drum manufacturer in the SE USA. Repairs, 

Recoveries, Vintage restoration, and Custom Drum Building. 

All work Guaranteed! 954-457-9020 

YOUR 

AD 

HERE! 

954-234-2888 

Happy 

Birthday 

Rosemary 

We Miss You!

April of 2008 - RAG Magazine

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