Alice In Chains at a show that wasn't in Detroit this past Friday.

Alice in Chains may be one of the few rock bands from the 90’s that have done a comeback without blowing it out of proportion or trying to relive the past too much. With the death of Layne Staley back on 2002, Alice in Chains reemerged in 2005 with a new lead singer (William Duvall), and slowly made baby steps before recapturing some of their past glory.

With their way sold out show of about 3,000 at the Fillmore Detroit, Alice in Chains made their third trip to Detroit in the past year well worth it for fans wanting to hear the band’s catalog of moody hard rock. Starting out with the new track “All Secrets Known”, Jerry Cantrell and company played the populist role during their show. Instead of trying to alienate older fans with playing the new album in its entireity or digging into solo material, Alice in Chains brought the hits and the fans jumped all over it. They didn’t waste any time playing cuts like “Them Bones” and “It Ain’t Like That”, which gave the mostly twenty and thirty-something crowd visions of Lollapalooza 1993.

As he has since the band has reformed, Duvall has proven he is more up to the vocal challenge of the truly haunting voice of Staley, especially when he gets into songs like “Angry Chair” and “Rain When I Die”. Sure, there are a lot of times where guitarist’s Jerry Cantrell harmonizing helps to give the songs an extra punch, but Duvall is clearly paying homage to Staley and finding his own voice at the same time.

Now that the band’s new album “Black Gives Way To Blue” has been a success upon its release last fall, the band has peppered the new songs into the lineup. Crowd favorites so far include the bleak sounding “Acid Bubble” and the groove-laden single “Check My Brain” and have met with strong praise from fans.

Alice in Chains may not have strayed far from their original sound since the band’s rebirth 5 years ago, but given the reaction of the show at the Fillmore, I don’t think fans were looking for a total change- tried and true was the theme of the night for what was a very quality show.

Mayer Hawthorne continues his rise w/ his St. Andrew's Show.

In what was a quiet holiday time period for shows, one show seemed to gather all the buzz during that time period. Mayer Hawthorne’s show at the Magic Stick attracted hipsters and just curious people alike to see what the big deal was with the blue-eyed soul that Hawthorne was giving to the fans.

Raised in Ann Arbor, but the 30 year old Hawthorne now resides in Los Angeles and is enjoying much critical acclaim for his album, “A Strange Arrangement”. The album is a breath of fresh air to say the least; gone are the auto-tune’d out vocals and dime-a-dozen hip-hop beats that dominate much of R&B and Top 40 music today. Hawthorne’s sound is straight out of the classic soul of the 1970’s.

The album is lead by the soulful throwback “Just Not Gonna Work Out”, in which is probably the best encapsulation of Hawthorne’s voice. Other gems that definitely take listeners back to the 70’s include “Love Is Alright” and “Maybe So, Maybe No”. This is music that has more in common with classic Motown sounds, and far less with popular music today, and that is always far from a bad thing.

Mayer is playing Austin for South By Southwest this week, but is in the States through a date in mid-April at Coachella, before he heads to Europe for the rest of the spring. But before that happens, Hawthorne plays a home state show as he heads to Detroit for a show at St. Andrew’s Hall. Come check out a nod to the past as Hawthorne breathes some fresh air into the music scene.

Mayer Hawthorne and the County play at St. Andrew’s Hall on Friday, March 26^th. Tickets are $15 and are available at www.livenation.com. Additional dates and artist info can be found at www.stonesthrow.com/mayerhawthorne.

Unearth leads several bands at the Magic Stick on March 27th.

Before the band gets into the studio to lay the final touches down on their upcoming record, the guys in Unearth must have been getting a little stir crazy and tired of winter- because they are now back out on the road, headlining the Atticus Metal Tour.

The Massachusetts band is still riding high from the success of their 2008 album, “The March”, which was the band’s first album to sell over 100,000 worldwide, according to Billboard Magazine. The album, which included searing tracks such as “My Will Be Done” and the punishing title track, was the latest in a string of quality releases from the metalcore mainstays. Most recently, the band warmed up for the new album by recording a cover of Pantera’s “Sandblasted Skin” for the recently released Dimebag Darrell Metal Hammer tribute album.

Not much is known about details of the new album, other than we will see its release likely in the summer sometime on Metal Blade Records. But for now, the band will play with hardcore band Stick To Your Guns and death metallers in Carnifex, whose new album is fiercely titled “Hell Chose Me”. Also, Chicago’s Veil of Maya is on this very diverse bill of metal.

The tour started in early March, and will wrap up out east on April 4^th. But before then, Unearth head to Detroit, where they play the Magic Stick on Saturday, March 27^th. It will be a good chance for you to hear some of the new stuff Unearth has been working on this winter, as well as the songs you mosh in your living room to.

Unearth play at the Magic Stick on Saturday, March 27^th. Tickets are $16 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com. Additional band info and dates can be found at www.unearth.tv.

Dont get these guys mad...

Three albums in twenty plus years is a lifetime for just about any band, but for New York hardcore band Killing Time, but you may want to throw out the time period of 1998-2006 out of the equation. In that time, the band took a long break before reuniting in 2006, and has been touring ever since.

The band has released a slew of EP’s, as well as two full length records over the years and is finally getting around to releasing their brand new album, “Three Steps Back”, which was released back in February. The title “Three Steps Back” may allude to a throwback sound for NYHC, but it does not mean a step back in the band’s sound by far. Lead by singer Anthony Comunale, the band tears through the 12 songs on the album with intensity of a band that’s far newer than the 20+ years show. Songs like “Cropduster” and “Rope-A-Dope” are a clear sign of the ideas the band had over the years while they were revving to get back into the studio and out on the road once more.

In the world of seeing who the toughest and meanest sounding group in New York hardcore is, Killing Time just may have given the young guys sometime to worry about with the intense breakdowns and pummeling riffs on “Three Steps Back”.

Killing Time’s record, “Three Steps Back” is now out on Dead City Records. Check out www.myspace.com/killingtimenyhc for additional info and tour dates.

VNV Nation in Ann Arbor- eyeing down Rich Rod (well, not really).

In surprising fashion, the long standing underground industrial act VNV Nation announced their latest tour. The surprise wasn’t the fact that the tour was announced, but how quickly the tour will commence. The tour begins March 16^th and will run through April 14^th.

Touring currently behind the release of their 2009 album “Of Faith, Power & Glory”, the duo of Ronan Harris and Mark Jackson will be release a remix album later this year, entitled “Crossing the Divide”. The new remix album, due out in May, will feature remixes from songs on “Of Faith, Power & Glory” from members of AFI, Rotersand and Reaper.

The remix album follows up the success of the 2009 album, which debuted in the Billboard Top 200 and has been hailed as “soulful” , and “raw and uncompromising”, from the words of the duo that make up VNV Nation.

The duo has been touring since the release of their debut album, 1999’s “Empires”, and always brings forth an energetic, eerie, yet alluring sound that shows you why industrial music is far from dead these days. The current trek will last through mid-April, but an early tour date reaches Ann Arbor, as the group makes their first time appearance in Ann Arbor as the group plays Necto on March 17^th. So, after the day of Irish folk music and drinking starts to wind down, the after party begins with the thumping and bombast sounds of VNV Nation.

VNV Nation plays Necto in Ann Arbor. Tickets are $15 and are available at www.wanttickets.com. Additional tour dates and info can be found at www.vnvnation.com.

Scott Avett during their sold out show at the Michigan Theater.

Seth and Scott Avett, guitar and banjo playing brothers from Concord, NC have been writing and recording an eclectic blend of folk and rock since 2000.  Their recent big-league release “I and Love and You” on Sony Records fortifies their departure from indie band status, always a bittersweet moment for longtime fans. Rick Rubin produced the album and it has a definite polish to it compared with their earlier releases.  As a long time fan, the first listen was a bit disappointing because their raw, honest presentation had been replaced with studio smooth. After my pouting subsided, I warmed up to their new digs and now have the album in regular rotation; its a great album.

My first live experience with the Avetts was at their “Homecoming Show” in their home state of North Carolina where they played to a sold out crowd of 7,000. They performed a two and a half hour marathon in July heat when everyone on our blanket had to float ice cubes in our beer.

Performing with the same intensity, minus the heat, the Avett Brothers recently played to a sold out crowd at the Michigan Theater.  Ho-lee-sh–!; that’s what my co-pilot exclaimed as the band jammed its way deep into the awesome category of concert performances. She proclaimed this to me after only two songs, reinforcing that these brothers are undeniably outstanding, so much so that even the newly initiated recognize their talent.

The Avett brothers, along with stand-up bassist Bob Crawford, cellist Joe Kwon and drummer Jacob Edwards, opened with “And it Spread” off their latest release which instantly brought the entire crowd to their feet. Mixing new, high-tempo songs like “Kick Drum Heart” with the old, soulful “Bella Donna” were just the right ingredients for the evening.

In the middle of their epic set, Scott oozed honesty in an unplanned a cappella version of “Murder in the City” complete with crowd sing-a-long. The most kindhearted moment of the evening was when their departing opening band Low Anthem appeared on stage with a music box that played the sweet tune of “January Wedding,” which then appropriately led to a live version of the same song.

If you missed them in town they’ll be back in Detroit again this summer. Until then I recommend you pick up an album or two, hell buy them all.

God Forbid at the release of "Earthsblood".

God Forbid has been quite the touring machine since the release of their February 2009 release “Earthsblood”. The band started touring with Lamb of God last spring and have continued well into 2010. The band was a last minute replacement for Throwdown on the current Five Finger Death Punch tour and will be heading out on the road with Kittie in March. As the band was making their way to a show in Buffalo, I had a chance to talk with guitarist Doc Coyle about the less pessimistic tone of the current record and how their new guitarist has been working out. Here’s my interview with Doc:

AM: How did the band become a last minute addition to the Five Finger Death Punch tour?
DC: Originally, we thought we were on the tour. Our manager thought we were on the tour as well, so we were kinda pissed off when we found out we didn’t get the tour because it was already on our radar. We had planned another tour because we didn’t get the tour- but when the second opportunity came around, we jumped at the chance to get on the tour.

AM: What is the major difference between “Earthsblood” and previous records?
DC: I think with the previous two records, there was a more apocalyptic vibe, perhaps more reflective and focused on dire events. During the writing of those albums, we had a difficult world view around us and it showed in the music, which had more of a political slant to the music. With “Earthsblood”, we went for a more organic approach to the music and made it more personal. We didn’t focus in on apocalyptic material. You can call it upbeat, at least from the music standpoint, but I cant speak for Byron (Davis- lead vocals) as to whether you’d consider his lyrics more upbeat.

AM: Do you think there has been one album or one moment where the evolution of the band that has stood out?
DC: I think every album is a evolution for the band. But if I had to say if there was one point, it was between the albums “Determination” and “Gone Forever”. There was more melody put into the music at that point, and the band moved away from a more metalcore sound to a more thrash metal tone. But as time went along, I think the band has moved into a far more traditional metal band and took it from there.

AM: How has new guitarist Matt Wickland(ex-Himsa) worked out so far?
DC: After Dallas left last April, he knew Matt from just being a friend we were from being on tour with over the years. After he played with Himsa, he did some work with Nevermore. Matt’s a good player and really interested in always getting better as a musician. You get a good vibe from him and we’ve connected on a personal level with him. We started writing during the holidays and looking forward to seeing what we do in the future.

AM: How has the current state of the music industry and economy affected the band?
DC: Not much (laughs). We’ve been real fortunate to be on some big marquee tours. We did the Lamb of God tour, then the Mayhem tour last summer. We haven’t been affected as much as other bands. The industry and economy is struggling right now, and everybody is having problems. I think we may see some of the effects of this when we go on tour with Kittie, but I hope not.

AM: Will the band be touring through the summer?
DC: At this point, we aren’t going to tour in the summer. We are going to go back in to record the next album. We want to tour for a purpose and not just because we can. We’ve had a good run on this tour and look forward to the next record.

God Forbid plays with Kittie at the Hayloft Liquor Stand on Wednesday, March 17^th (yes, St. Patrick’s Day). Tickets are $15 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com. Additional dates can be found at www.godforbid1.com.

St. Vincent's Annie Clark plays at the Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac.

Annie Clark and her band St. Vincent were planned to play at the cozy, 250 person Pike Room in Pontiac.  After selling out that venue, they were moved to the larger Eagle Theater. Their final home was the 1000 person Crofoot Ballroom, the largest concert venue in Pontiac that could accommodate the crowd. They’re exceeding expectations, to say the least.  St. Vincent is on tour promoting their 2009 release, “Actor”.  The second release for St. Vincent, Actor has a sad orchestral lullaby sort of sound mixed with evil machine distortion. This distinct interplay between soothing and hypnotic is what makes songs like Marrow such a treat.

After touring in China, St. Vincent will return to playing stateside Festivals including the Chicago Pitchfork Music Festival in July.

(Review and picture courtesy of Christian Spencer. For more photos of this show and others, check out www.flickr.com/photos/christian_nicole)

Yacht's Claire Evans at their recent show in Detroit.

YACHT makes music for happy robots. It’s poppy, electronic fun excited by the androgynous duo of Jona Bechtolt and Claire Evans. Live, they are energetic, engaging performers; Jona screams over his white tuxedo and Claire’s techno-yoga choreography provides a visual life.  At Detroit Buzz, we think their 2009 release “See Mystery Lights” is a swell way to spend an hour. On first go around with the album, we suggest giving “Psychic City” and “Summer Song” a whirl; they’re two of our favorites. A big round  for the simple soothing sounds of their “Learn” remix as well.

(Review and photo courtesy of Nicole Cummings. Check out more of Nicole’s pictures from the Yacht show and others at www.flickr.com/photos/christian_nicole)

Pickups' lead singer Brian Alpert during a gig in 2009.

Sometimes for a band, there are moments where it just seems like it comes all together for a band and have a moment that realize that they are far bigger than perhaps they even thought. For the LA based band Silversun Pickups, Lollapalooza 2009 could have been that moment for them. Playing in the dusk in Grant Park before the Killers headlined the final night, the band played to a crowd perhaps bigger than the headliners and a crowd who seemed to know the band’s lyrics and songs. Even lead singer/ guitarist Brian Albert seemed blown away with the crowd response and was actually humbled by the love the band was receiving.

Lollapalooza ’09 was just a microcosm of the year the band had. In April, the band’s second album, “Swoon” hit the top 10 of the Billboard Top 200 Album Charts and produced a massive alt-rock radio single with “Panic Switch”, which topped numerous modern rock charts. The year was capped off with a Best New Artist Grammy Nomination (even though the band was been out and recording for at least 3 years now) for the band. But there is more to the album besides “Panic Switch”, songs like “Substitution” and “The Royal We” strongly showcase the band’s quiet intensity, that sometimes may be mistaken for a chill laid back Californian sound- but obviously, that is not the case.

2010 is bringing a continuation of the band’s success as the band plays on quite potentially their most high profile tour to date, as the band opens an arena tour for Muse. The dates go through mid-April, but the tour hits Detroit well before that as the bands play Saturday, March 13^th at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Make sure to get there early as the Silversun Pickups will sure to be songs from “Swoon” as well as older material as well before Muse delivers their set.

Silversun Pickups open for Muse at the Palace of Auburn Hills Saturday, March 13^th. Tickets range from $39.50 to $49.50 and are available at www.palacenet.com. Additional dates can be found at www.silversunpickups.com.