Black Robot

Black Robot was founded by former Buckcherry bassist Jonathan “JB” Brightman and Detroit raised frontman Huck Johns. The self titled debut was produced by Dave Cobb for record label Rocket Science Ventures. It features Yogi on lead guitar and Devon Glenn on drums who are both former members of Buckcherry. Black Robot also features Darren Dodd and Chris Powell lending a hand on percussion, and the legendary session keyboard wizard Fred Mandell (Elton John, Pink Floyd, Queen). The album has the AC/DC inspired groove of J.J Cale’s classic “Cocaine.”

Black Robot was created by JB shortly after his departure from Buckcherry during a time when JB found himself living in a storage unit. The “Black Robot” character started as a futuristic comic book hero. In the words of JB, “Our ebony-plated comic book hero is a metaphor for an uncertain future fixated on the unreal. He can’t help us until we help ourselves. The elixir is music, the secret to survival is located somewhere in the sacred shred that no man, beast, or “bot” can cast asunder!”.

Maximum Ink: When did you first know you wanted to be a musician?
Jonathan Brightman: My earliest influences were all the British invasion bands of the sixties and seventies. The Beatles, Stones, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, The Who, Kinks and Pink Floyd.

Read More...

Carbellion

Sometimes I don’t think people realize how lucky we are to live in the state of Wisconsin. Sure we have some of the worst winter weather in the world, but we also have the Packers, the Badgers, tons of recreational sports, and probably some of the nicest people in the world that live in our great state. But there’s also a diamond in the rough that Wisconsin is also known for, that not many people hear about or ever talk about. That diamond is our local music. I’ve heard music from all over the world, and everything from the worst to the best and it never fails to amaze me that time and time again, local bands from Wisconsin are some of the most musically sound and talented bands in the world.

This was no different when I came across a band out of Sheboygan called Carbellion. Founded in late 2004, this band has enjoyed increasing popularity and exposure in the rock scene ever since. And all it takes is one listen to their music to know why. They aren’t one of those commercial bands with the backing of millions of dollars and a major record label. Simply, they just know how to play real, 110% American rock n’ roll. To sit here and try and describe their music to you or compare it to another band just wouldn’t be right. Their music is coined “American heavy rock,” but there are elements of funk and groove laced throughout each song. One song you’ll be sitting there just jamming and grooving along and the next, you’ll be banging your head. Their music is very eclectic but always hangs onto that Carbellion sound.

Read More...

The Cervical Rock 2011

New Cervical cancer diagnoses occur in the United States over twelve thousand times a year and almost four thousand women die from the disease. Yet, it’s one of the most preventable cancers and death rates are declining due to ladies getting earlier and more regular testing. On Wednesday, August 3rd, the High Noon in Madison will host The Cervical Rock 2011, a benefit to make a difference someone personally affected by this disease. Featuring an all-star lineup of Madison hard rock, metal, punk, and indie bands, we talked to the benefit’s creator, Elicia Rocker of Extremely Rockin’ Photography about why she was inspired to get this thing going.

MI:What about your friends’ situation made you decide that you needed to help?

A: We have known each other our whole lives and she is one of the sweetest people I know and if it were me who ended up in this situation she would do the same thing. She is only 25 and works at a retail store where she does have insurance but it hasn’t covered much of her bills. She is very far in debt and scrapping by. When she came to me and told me about the bills in collections and needed some extra money to help get her car repaired, I decided enough is enough, you can’t heal when you are stressed about money or stressed at all. So I did what anyone in my position would do, I started putting together a benefit show.

Read More...

Lucky Chucky

Lucky Chucky is best known as the drummer for Bret Michaels Band. He is also a long time member of the band Evick. Hailing from Woodbridge, Virginia, Lucky Chucky proves they know how to rock in the small towns too. I recently set down with him to catch up on what it is like to work with two of the hardest working bands in the business.

Maximum Ink:There isn’t much about you out there. Care to catch us up? Where are you from and who are some of your earliest influences? When did you first learn to play the drums?
Lucky Chucky: I was born in Manassas, Virginia, just outside of Washington DC. My earliest influences would be Peter Criss and Keith Moon from KISS and The Who respectively. I started playing drums in the 6th grade at school. But I never actually started learning to play a drum set until midway through high school.

MI: When did you first know you wanted to be a professional musician? Why do you think you love music as much as you do?
LC: Probably knew this is what I wanted to do the first time I heard KISS “Alive”. So about age 6 or so.I was a fan of music in general and grew up listening to all sorts of music. But when I heard my first LIVE album and got to hear the crowd, I could almost feel the energy coming through my speakers. That did it! I wanted to feel that energy in person and a lot! I think my love for music comes from my childhood.I was raised listening to music. From Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, Elvis, Ricky Nelson, to Tanya Tucker, Anne Murray, you name it, I listened to it. I was fortunate enough to see Elvis in concert before he passed, which was a huge moment in my young life. Although I have very little recollection of it, the ones I have are great! 

Read More...

Clovis Mann

MAXIMUM INK:  Can you give me a quick history of the band?

DANIEL WALKNER:  Well, I had some gigs lined up and everybody quit the band except for Stosh. This was about 2004. Ethan moved back from New Orleans.

ETHAN NOORDYK:  The Polish Mound Of Sound.

DW:  That’s right, Stosh Jonjak, (our) former bass player. We had a bunch of songs written up, and we had a gig Friday. There was a Battle Of The Bands on Thursday in Whitewater. So, Ethan came back, we practiced on Wednesday, we went into the Battle Of The Bands, and we won it. Then we went and played our gig at the Waverly in Two Rivers, and that was it.

EN:  We recorded in Milwaukee that weekend too.

DW:  Oh, that’s right. That was Saturday, at… wherever that place was. Then, about 1,000 shows later, here we are.

MI:  So you knew each other already.

DW:  Right, I knew Ethan from playing in blues bands years ago, and from doing pick-up stuff. Then we were in a bigger band and we kinda separated because we wanted to do a three-piece, because we were writing our own stuff and getting sick of doing that “Mustang Sally” routine. Stoshie and I had written some material together, “When You’re Gone”, “Stone Moses”, “War Child”, some of that stuff, and then we just started playing out. It kind of grew from there, and we rocked it as a trio. We did the first Clovis Mann album, and then the second album was Dues. Now we’re moving on to the Metamorphic album, with Danny Plourde on bass, Vince Farris is playing keys on almost everything, Craig Baumann from Fat Maw Rooney is playing guitar on one, and Pat Ferguson from Smokin’ Bandits is playing guitar on our gospel rave-up manic insanity church picnic theme song “The Light”.

Read More...

Days Of The New

They produce one of the purest sounds in music, they’ve spawned the most influential songs in the history of rock `n roll, and they’re the favorite for songwriters the industry over, but in the eyes of hard rock fans, acoustic guitars are still fighting for respect - on radio they’re equated with power ballads, in live shows they result in a sea of lighters, and unplugged sets have become nothing more than trendy sidebars during performances.

Enter Days of the New frontman Travis Meeks, whose acoustic guitar has meant a great deal more. It’s helped him earn a platinum album, one of the most coveted billings of the summer, and an opportunity to disprove the fallacy that unplugged bands can’t rock as heavy as their amped-up peers. An impressive list of accomplishments for a 19-year-old from Kentucky whose artistic vision projects far beyond his breakthrough commercial success.

Read More...

Dirty Sweet

A spaghetti rock and roll western shoot ‘em up is in store for anyone who wanders to the U.S. Cellular Connection Stage opening night of Milwaukee’s Summerfest. Just as they created high energy and tension in the western shootout themed music video for their tune “Marionette,” California rockers DIRTY SWEET come guitars blazing with their take on rock and roll.

“Expect to be blown away with our show,” says Ryan Koontz, who handles lead vocals.

And just like old western shoot out there’s the intense parts and the calm, collective parts. In music, that’s translates to hard rock and bittersweet acoustic songs. Hence the band’s name.

Read More...