Sunspot

Wisconsin based Sunspot is made up of Ben Jaeger (Guitar & Vocals), Mike Huberty (Lead Vocals & Bass), and Wendy Lynn Staats(Drums & Vocals). The trio from Madison offer up singalong rock with a local flair. Their newest album Singularity was voted Madison’s Rock Album of the Year by the Madison Area Music Association, with the tracks, No Place Like Home being named Rock Song of the Year, and Sweet Relief, Video of the Year. They have opened for acts such as Death Cab for Cutie, The Flaming Lips, Sponge, SevenMaryThree, Hot Hot Heat, and Sick Puppies. Earlier this year they licensed the song “Go, Pack!” to FOX Sports for use during the NFC Playoffs and Super Bowl, events seen by tens of millions of people around the world.

Maximum Ink: Can you tell us a little about your background? How do you think coming from where you do has influenced your musical styling?
Ben Jaeger: We came from small towns surrounding a medium sized city -Milwaukee. We have spent a lot of time in big cities sharing our songs, but we very much enjoy returning to our roots. Madison has been our home for 15 years now and there are many things that we enjoy about it. It is small enough that people in the music community are accessible and supportive, but the city is large enough that there are plenty of people to interest in being fans. Our music is very real and honest and appeals to a variety of people from sci-fi geeks to jocks to musicians to avid readers.
     

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Time to Kill

They say that punk is dead. They say that thrash metal was born and died in the 70’s and 80’s. They say if anyone wants to be successful that they need to pick a genre and stick to it. They also say that you absolutely cannot mix and mash punk, thrash and metal all together and make a sound worth living together. Clearly, the band Time to Kill never got the memo. And clearly, “they” don’t know what the hell they’re talking about. Time to Kill is a devil’s concoction mixed up to prove that if you love music, you can create something unique and something that stands out from the crowd for all the right reasons. As guitarist Keith Monville put it, “It’s a mix drink with one shot of punk, one shot of metal then top the glass off with some thrash.”

Maximum Ink’s Aaron Manogue spoke with Monville about Time to Kill’s history, some pretty funny “Spinal Tap” moments, and their huge upcoming show with Motorhead, Megadeath, Volbeat and Lacuna Coil. Time to Kill is Keith Monville on guitar, Shannon Hicks on bass, Jon Munro on vocals and Steven Heath on drums.

Maximum Ink: Give me a little history on Time to Kill. When did you start, how many records released, where did you all meet, etc.?
Keith Monville: Time to Kill started in a basement, with some long time friends, at the end of 2006 after I took some time off from the band scene. Next thing we knew it was 2007, we had a full band, playing shows, released a demo, signed by Turkey Vulture Records and released a CD. Then we toured the Midwest for 2008 in support of the “Insanity” CD, including many shows with national bands. 2009, I had to replace the lead singer and bass player and we toured the Midwest and released a demo. Then we spent 2010 refining the line up and writing new music. In, 2011 got the new line up set and started writing new music and here we are with a new demo CD for 2012 and writing and recording for a full length CD to be released this summer.

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Butch Vig

A Wisconsin native who made his name producing records for bands that would come to define the alternative movement in the 90’s with Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins and then came to know rock success as the drummer and producer of multi-platinum artist, Garbage, Butch Vig is known as a sonic virtuoso who makes some of the best sounding rock music around. Playing in Madison bands through the 70’s and 80’s and founding Smart Studios, Butch has as of late relocated to the sunnier climes of California and started a family, but that hasn’t slowed him down. After recently producing records by The Subways and Against Me! his latest project is GREEN DAY’s newest album, 21st Century Breakdown.

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Whisky Pig

Is it just me or does it seem like every single band that experiences any type of success always seems to sellout one way or another throughout their career. Now granted there are the Slipknots and Korns of the world that have really always done it their own way, but they’re so successful that they can do just about anything they’d like. When it comes to small or local bands, even the slightest smell of success can make the best bands sellout into mainstream lyrics, sounds and music. When it comes to the Madison band Whisky Pig, this is quite the contrary. In fact, just about everything this hardcore groove metal band does is out of the ordinary, and we love it. The self-proclaimed “sluttiest band on the block” plays music that makes you bang your head, then laugh your ass off when you truly listen to the dirty lyrics.

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Hank 3

Shelton Hank Williams is the closest thing that country music has to a crown prince. The son of Bocephus himself, Hank Jr. (The Artist Formerly Known as the “Are You Ready For Some Football?” guy), and the grandson of one of the most popular country artists of all time, Hank3has charted a path entirely his own. Starting his career drumming for punk bands in the early 90’s, he’s spent his music career freely ignoring the genre lines of metal (he was in two bands with PANTERA’s Phil Anselmo, ARSON ANTHEM and SUPERJOINT RITUAL), cow-punk (he calls it “hellbilly” with his DAMN BAND), and punk (leading the band ASSJACK) After years of fighting with the Nashville country music system (just listen to “Dick in Dixie” or “Trashville” for his opinions on the current state of country music) as well as his record labels, Hank has just released three(!) new albums on his own, Hank3 label. Ghost to a Ghost/Guttertown is a double country-tinged album, Attention Deficit Domination is doom metal, and 3 Bar Ranch Cattle Callin’ is a mashup of speed metal and spoken word by cattle auctioneers that has to be heard to be believed!

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