Just in time for Christmas, a brand new collection of songs has been bestowed upon us thanks to the StoneCringe Family Singers!  Comprised of several talented musicians, singers and songwriters (“The StoneCringe Family Singers are:Adam Odor, Meagan Jones, Matt King, Alex Fry, Mike Kelly, Mike Ethan Messick, Matt Skinner, Dub Miller with Special StoneCringers: David Percefull, Josh Center, THE John Ross Silva” via Facebook), this album gives off a wonderfully warm holiday spirit with original songs that feel magically familiar on first listen.

The best thing about so many eclectic artists working together is the variety of emotions you’ll hear on this album. From the saucy (the peppy, Jackson 5 inspired “Naughty List”) to the cheeky (a very Tom Waits-esque “Santa Misses The Missus”) to the downright heartbreaking (“Your Ghost” & “I’m Not Coming Home”), you’re sure to find a tune that’s fit especially for you this Christmas.

Pick yourself up a copy and make this a part of your Christmas music tradition.  You’ll find yourself attached to this one before the record stops spinning. The album is available now on iTunes!

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Photo by Greg Eident

This past October, guitarist-turned-solo artist Monte Pittman released his second solo album, Pain, Love & Destiny. Injecting a heavier emotional envelopment into the sound of a full band, he draws you into the metaphors of the striking lyrics with his melodies and signature guitar solos. Known for working with Madonna, Adam Lambert, and one of his own personal favorites, Prong, Monte graciously answered a few questions about his solo work for us, letting us peek inside his head and heart for a little bit.

Nikki: What was your first influence/memory of being heavily inspired to play guitar?
Monte: Ace Frehley from Kiss. They were like super heroes with guitars.

Nikki: Tell us about your very first guitar.
Monte: It was called a Terminator. It had a built in speaker. My parents got it for me for Christmas when I was 13.

Nikki: Your musical style is very eclectic, having worked with heavy metal to rock to pop artists. What do you prefer playing more?
Monte: I like doing it all. I like the variety. It keeps from getting stale by doing other things and playing with other people. I thought it was cool when I heard about Frank Zappa and the Mothers Of Invention. They would take a year off and play with other bands, then get back together with what they had learned from playing with other people.
 
Nikki: What do you like most about performing live? Do you prefer bigger or smaller venues?
Monte: I prefer bigger venues as long as they’re packed! I love the intimacy of a small venue. You connect with the audience a lot better.
 
Nikki: How is the experience of filming music videos, and what music videos impacted you the most as you grew up?
Monte: Music videos are fun, but there can be a lot of waiting around. When I grew up, we didn’t have MTV. It wasn’t allowed in the city. When my friends went out of town they would record videos and bring them home. That’s the only way I saw videos. I loved Death Angel - “Seemingly Endless Time”, Slayer - “War Ensemble”, Steve Vai - “The Audience Is Listening”, Prong - “Beg To Differ”. Those were some that come to mind. I’ve always loved anything Steve Vai or Prong though.
 
Nikki: People tend to cry “sellout” when a band makes it mainstream. What would you, as a musician, consider to be “selling out”?
Monte: Not staying true to yourself. When you play music professionally, it becomes your job. Your way of making income. Feeding yourself and putting a roof over your head. If you have a family, add them too. I understand bands wanting to do something different or being bored from playing the same songs every night. I personally like variety. Bill Hicks has a great joke about if you do a commercial, you’re off the artistic roll call. He pretty much sums it up.
 
Nikki: Musically, your new album is a big departure from your debut solo album. How does Pain, Love & Destiny differ from The Deepest Dark, emotionally?
Monte: There are more instruments. The Deepest Dark only has acoustic guitar and vocals. It was done in 3 days. I had to leave and start Madonna’s Sticky and Sweet tour. By the time I could get into the studio, I had to leave and go on tour. It was recorded in LA and mixed in New York. It was mastered outside of London by the guy who did Nick Drake’s stuff. So it has a vibe in it from those 3 places.                              
Pain, Love, & Destiny was recorded this past summer in LA. It’s a rock album. I didn’t plan on it being that way. It’s built the same way The Deepest Dark was, but with drums, keyboards, bass, electric guitar and guitar solos in it. Once it was time to record, I left everything in the hands of the producer, Noah Shain. There is a saying: the producer saves the artist from themselves. I love that saying. It’s so true. Noah brought out everything he could out of me. He pushed me when I thought I couldn’t go any further.

 
Nikki: Tell us about the concept art for your album.
Monte: My friend Greg Simkins did the artwork. You can check out his artwork at http://www.imscared.com. We’ve talked about doing something together for a while now. Our wives grew up together. This was a perfect situation. Also my friend Jenn Pennacchia did the back cover. She told me it came to her after talking to me one night and it’s exactly what I had in my head as part of the artwork. Lisa Thomas did the layout and put together everything with both albums.

Nikki: Were there any strange occurrences during the making of Pain, Love & Destiny?
Monte: Every time I made plans, they back fired. It was really eerie making this album. It has a mind and an energy of its own. I’m just the catalyst for it! My friend Warren Willis was going to play drums on it, but his schedule was getting booked up and because of all the delays, we missed that window. But because of that, I got to build the songs around the acoustic and have that vibe be the seed of the songs. There were funerals that both Noah and I had to abandon the project briefly to attend to. They were right after each other too. It was so odd. Towards the end of the album I can hear some of the grief that we had in us. “Predetermined Destiny” was going to be more piano driven than it already is. When I played guitar on that, I had just gotten back from my nephew’s funeral. That was the first time I picked up the guitar since returning. I just started playing and Noah was recording. That became the intro to “Predetermined Destiny” and completely changed the song.

Nikki: Do you find it difficult being a musician in this digital age, or are you excited about what the changes mean for the future of music?
Monte: Yes, I’m excited about the new horizon. We are in a strange transition. This happened when LPs changed and people started buying tapes. People could copy the tapes. Then after cassettes it switched to CDs. Now its digital. Music will always evolve. Not just the way we hear it and play it, but also the way it’s manufactured. I think it’s wonderful how you can get your music out to so many people.
 
Nikki: How did you get involved with Little Kids Rock (a nonprofit music program for under privileged schools), and what does it mean for you?
Monte: I’ve always wanted to do something to help kids with music. Little Kids Rock is a perfect avenue for that. Music programs are getting cut from schools. That’s unacceptable. It’s becoming unbalanced. Music and arts are vital for each and every child to have the opportunity to learn.
 
Nikki: What do you consider your ultimate career defining moment?
Monte: I don’t think it’s happened yet! Playing Live 8 and Live Earth were massive experiences. At the end of Live 8, Marcus Brown (keyboardist for Madonna) and I were up with Paul McCartney for the finale doing Hey Jude. At Live Earth I was one of the ones playing with Spinal Tap. They had anyone who could play bass come do “Big Bottom” with them. I’ll have to say packing the Whisky A Go Go for the first time on my own was a defining moment too, personally. There’s a lot of history on that stage.
 
Nikki: If you could offer advice to someone about to tour for the first time, what would you say?
Monte: Make a plan. Find something to keep yourself grounded. Don’t get caught up in the praise. Be humble. The pride is the first thing that comes before the fall. I’m always appreciative of each and every fan at a show. If they are there for me or if they are for who I’m playing with. But I never look at it like I’m better than them. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have the job that I have. Also, never forget where you came from and who helped get you there. Janis Joplin once said something like, “Never forget who your friends are on the way up because they will be your friends on the way down. And what goes up always comes down”

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You can buy Pain, Love & Destiny on iTunes or Amazon!

The Texas native comes back to the Lone Star State in early December for a few shows. Experiencing Monte’s talent, music, and raw emotion live is a dynamic experience that is not to be missed.

Monte Pittman Live in Texas:

12/01/11: Houston, TX - House of Blues TICKETS
12/03/11: Dallas, TX - The Bone Deep Ellum TICKETS
12/04/11: Longview, TX - The Levee TICKETS

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MWK, one of my personal favorite bands, has finally released Luna Espera, an EP with 5 brand new songs. This EP is a stunning departure from their last one, Luna Despierta, released in 2008.

One of the greatest and most intriguing things about this band is their ability to change their sound so drastically from album to album, yet still be distinctly MWK. This is a credit to the amazing talent of the band’s songwriter, Neal Tiemann. 

MWK gave us a taste of what was to come with “Heaven or Worse” on their acoustic album, The Sanctuary Live Sessions last year, but to hear it with a full band is a completely different experience. The intricately heavy guitar solo dropped in the middle puts a weight on the song that we didn’t hear in the acoustic version.

There’s no lack of emotion dripping from singer Andy Skib either, who hits all the notes and phrasing with intense precision and offers no apologies for what the listeners walk away with. “With Me Empty”, a co-write between Skib, Tiemann, and former bandmate David Cook, really showcases the band’s full, clear sound, and is probably Skib’s best performance on the EP.

Overall, the songs are gripping and have many layers of depth, which allow you to discover new things upon each listen. It’s like opening a never ending present, and I couldn’t ask for more from MWK.  You can feel all the passion and hard work that was poured into this recording, and that’s not something you hear regularly these days.

Luna Espera is available on iTunes and Amazon, and it’s only $5, so make sure you pick it up!  It will be the best $5 you spend this year.

Buy Luna Espera on iTunes or Amazon
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In 2001, Steve Jobs single-handedly changed the music industry with the release of the iPod. He gave people access to their entire music catalog, while on the go, and left enough room for expansion. This innovation made it possible for people to expand their musical taste, and jump started the digital music age.

He will be greatly missed.

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” - Steve Jobs

     — Jessica Garcia

I would be doing a disservice to this blog if I didn’t pay my respects to Steve Jobs. He changed the face of music and music listeners by introducing the iPod to the world - something so simple that when it came out, everyone wondered why they didn’t think of it first.

Putting your entire music collection into your pocket and taking it with you where ever you go? The ability to instantly share a song or an artist who touched your soul, rather than having to dig through an entire physical collection? 

Things might be rough in the music business right now, and a lot of people want to blame the advent of digital availability, but all this did was force people to think outside of the box, to “Think Different”. Growth and progress are beautiful things - using your mind, brainstorming, and figuring out how to make new technology work FOR you and not against you. Too many changes in our lives allow us to be latent, but Steve Jobs took that “privilege” away, and gave us another: creating a soundtrack to our daily existence.

Rest in peace, Steve. You have forever changed this world.

     — Nikki Allison