This year I set a personal record of seeing the most films I’ve ever seen in theater or drive-in, closing the year with a total of 76 movies. Of that total, 45 were first run films while the rest were retro films that were screened from original or restored 35-mm prints. In reflecting back on the first run movies, it was a stellar year for quality films. In past years, the majority of my top movies were made up of independent and foreign films that were only given limited releases in the United States. But this year, the major studios stepped it up a notch and released a number of gems, including some sequels that were arguably just as good as the original films. As a result, my top films are much more balanced than past years and I even had to expand the list to 15 since there were so many good movies that were released that couldn’t be excluded. So, without further ado, here’s my top 15 films of 2015. Rather than go into detail about each one, I’m only going to list them so you can discover these movies for yourself.(Disclaimer: This list is based on films I’ve seen as of Dec. 31, 2015. It could be adjusted in the future as I view other films from 2015 in 2016).
#1 – It Follows [screened @ IFC Center, New York City, NY]
You don’t need singing to make a great album. On his first proper solo record, legendary filmmaker and soundtrack composer John Carpenter creates a batch of memorable tunes without a single word. With the help of his son Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies (son of The Kink’s Dave Davies), the tracks and themes on this release encompass Carpenter’s entire career. If you’re a fan of his film scores to Halloween, Escape from New York or The Fog, all of which have minimalist electronic tones, bouncing bass lines, and eerie keyboards, you’ll love this album. It’s been played nonstop since it was released on Feb. 3rd. (Standout Tracks: “Vortex” & “Night”)
2. Steve Wilson – Hand. Cannot. Erase.
On his fourth solo album, Wilson has created another mesmerizing prog rock masterpiece. From the opening track to the last note this album does not disappoint. For anyone who likes great music with stellar musicianship and songwriting, this is for you. (Standout tracks: “3 Years Older” & “Ancetral”). Billboard Top 200 Peak Position: #39
3. Iron Maiden – Book of Souls
Iron Maiden’s first double studio album is their finest work since the band reformed in 2000 with Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith. The band recorded most of this album live and limited overdubs. With the exception of the lead single “Speed of Love,” the songs lean more toward progressive rock than their 80s material, with the closing song clocking in at over 18-minutes. Despite their length, the songs are energetic and melodic all the way through. The lyrics are particularly strong on this album as many songs deal with real world issues. In short, this should please almost any Maiden fan from any point in their stellar career. (Standout Tracks: “If Eternity Should Fail” & “Tears Of A Clown”). Billboard Top 200 Peak Position: #4
4. Stryper – Fallen
I thought it would be impossible for Stryper to follow up their last album and fan favorite No More Hell To Pay, but they have created an album that’s equally as satisfying. While a lot of bands from the ‘80s have arguably created their best music in that decade, Stryper continues to get better with age. All 12 tracks on “Fallen” contain inspiring lyrics, great melodies, and a modern edge. To be in the business for over 30 years and to sound this good, is truly a blessing. (Standout tracks: “Yahweh” & “King of Kings”). Billboard Top 200 Peak Position: #44
5. Disasterpieace – It Follows
It Follows is the first original motion picture soundtrack score to ever make our year end top 10 album list. A film score is one of the most important elements of a movie, especially the horror genre. This electronic soundtrack is both captivating and dynamic, with the music going from unsettling to peaceful within seconds. While the music is reminiscent of John Carpenter’s early work, it still breaks new ground. See the movie first and then you’ll appreciate what this masterpiece even more. (Standout Tracks: “Heels” & “Father”)
6. Jeff Lynne’s ELO – Alone In The Universe
The mastermind behind Electric Light Orchestra returns with ELO’s first new album since 2001’s Zoom. Written and produced by Lynne with the insanely talented musician playing every instrument on the album except tambourines and shakers, the 10 tracks on this album are everything you’d expect from him and more. The songs are well-crafted, fusing all the different aspects of Lynne’s career into something new and exciting. It gets better and better with every listen. Here’s hoping he finally does a proper tour of the U.S. It’s been far too long. (Standout Tracks: “When I Was A Boy” & “One Step At A Time). Billboard Top 200 Peak Position: #23
7. Metal Allegiance – Self-Titled
Anchored by Mark Menghi, David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy and Alex Skolnick, with contributions from 21 members of the heavy metal community, this album is the blueprint for how metal sound. The music is classic metal with a contemporary twist. The band’s website sums up this release best. Metal Allegeiance “unleashes an album as pulverizing, energetic, atmospheric, and awe inspiring as fans of the jaw-dropping list of associated bands should expect.” We couldn’t agree more! (Standout Tracks: “Can’t Kill the Devil” & “Scars”). Billboard Top 200 Peak Position: #143
8. Slayer – Repentless
Many thought Slayer was finished after guitarist Jeff Hanneman died in 2013 and drummer Dave Lombardo left the band again but this album proves the naysayers wrong. Repentless is another worthy album to Slayer’s discography and a great follow up to “World Painted Blood.” The songs are as driven and unrepentant as their titles might imply: ”Implode,” “Atrocity Vendor” and “You Against You.” If you like you’re music heavy, angry and fast, this is the album for you. (Standout Tracks: “Repentless” & “Implode”). Billboard Top 200 Peak Position: #4
9. Collective Soul – See What You Started By Continuing
Collective Soul is one of the most consistent bands around. Despite a six year wait between albums, their musical style hasn’t changed much. The band knows how to serve up a batch of catchy tunes and every song on this album fits that description. If you have been a fan from the start, you’ll definitely be satisfied by this release. (Standout Tracks: “AYTA” & “Am I Getting Through”). Billboard Top 200 Peak Position: #25
10. [tie] Queensryche – Condition Human
The second album from Queensryche since Todd La Torre joined the band as lead vocalist is another winner. Condition Human features the best elements of the old school Queensryche sound without a contemporary edge. The songs are catchy and infectious. It’s everything you’d want a Queensryche album to be and more. Fans can once again rejoice when Queensryche releases new music. The Ryche is back! (Standout Tracks: “Arrow of Time” & “Guardian”). Billboard Top 200 Peak Position: #27
10. [tie] The Winery Dogs – Hot Streak
There is no sophomore jinx when it comes to Hot Streak. While the trio’s self-titled debut album was rock solid, the songs on Hot Steak are more diverse and further showcase the world class musicianship of Ritchie Kotzen, Billy Sheehan and Mike Portnoy. We’re grateful these virtuosos stuck together. (Standout Tracks: “Oblivion” & “Captain Love”). Billboard Top 200 Peak Position: #30
ADVERTISEMENT – Y&T @ Narrows Center in Fall River, MA, on March 8, 2016. Click on image to purchase tickets.
Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy Band guitarist Paul Bielatowicz, along with Legacy bandmate, bassist Simon Fitzpatrick, will bring their musical virtuosity to the Narrows Center in Fall River, Mass., on Dec. 19th (click HERE for tickets) and the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Mass., on Dec. 22nd (click HERE for tickets). 21CF opens the show at the Regent Theatre.
The virtuosos will perform many songs from Bielatowicz’s solo CD “Preludes & Etudes,” a representation of the electric guitar as a classical instrument, as well as some surprising classic rock songs and even a holiday medley.
Bielatowicz has toured the world as a member of both the Carl Palmer Band (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) and Neal Morse’s solo band (Spock’s Beard, Transatlantic), as well as appearing on recordings by Paul Gilbert, Mike Portnoy, Randy George and many others. Bielatowicz has also been a regular contributor for several music magazines, most notably writing a regular column for “Guitarist Magazine” and other UK based publications, where he has interviewed such amazing musicians as Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, among others, as well as providing transcriptions for “Guitar Techniques” magazine.
UK bassist Simon Fitzpatrick has toured and recorded with Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck), Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), Joe Lynn-Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple), Kee Marcello (Europe) and Michael Hill (B.B. King) among others. Not content with simply being in the background, Fitzpatrick has always tried to take bass guitar playing as far as possible. Using all six strings of his extended range instrument, he performs as a lead player, a soloist or polyphonic accompanist. He has recently released his debut solo bass guitar album, “Reflections,” in which he uses his virtuoso technique to recreate a wide variety of pieces and styles, ranging from classical to classic rock, on one single instrument. You’ve never seen a bass guitar played like this before.
The Narrows Center for the Arts is located at 16 Anawan Street in Fall River, Mass., while the Regent Theatre is located at 7 Medford Street in Arlington, Mass. Parking is free at both venues.
FALL RIVER – Singer, songwriter, musician, and producer Richard Marx, whose hits include “Right Here Waiting,” “Don’t Mean Nothing” and “Hold On to the Nights,” will perform at the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, MA, on Friday, May 27, 2016. Purchase tickets HERE.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, you couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing Marx’s songs. Beginning with his self-titled debut album in 1987, the Chicago native became the only male solo artist to have his first seven singles reach the Top 5 on the Billboard charts. Since then, he has sold over 30 million albums and has been nominated for three Grammys as a solo artist. Quite simply, Marx has created the soundtrack to the most memorable moments in people’s lives.
“I have written songs that are incredibly romantic – songs that people play at their weddings or that were playing when their kids were born,” said Marx in a press release. “They have traditionally dealt with the highest concept of forever.”
For most artists, that would be remarkable enough, but Marx didn’t stop there, launching a second incarnation as a songwriter and producer for other artists. He has written songs for Barbra Streisand, Josh Groban, Vince Gill, LeAnn Rimes, Natalie Cole, Travis Tritt, Jennifer Nettles, Daughtry, Lifehouse, and Luther Vandross, earning a 2004 Song of the Year Grammy for co-writing Vandross’ “Dance with My Father.”
Marx’s song “This I Promise You” was a massive hit for NSYNC in the autumn of 2000, while his country single with Keith Urban, “Long Hot Summer,” in 2011, enabled Marx to pull off the rare feat of having songs he has either written or co-written hit No. 1 in four separate decades.
The Narrows Center for the Arts is located at 16 Anawan Street. Tickets to his show can be purchased online HERE or by calling the box office at 508-324-1926. For those wanting to purchase tickets in person, box office hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 12 noon to 5 p.m.
Check out some of Richard’s Marx’s music videos below:
Since today is Friday the 13th, we’re going to post some of the filming locations of “Friday the 13th: Part 2” (1981) to see what everything looks like today. In June 2015, I ventured to the towns of New Preston and Kent, CT, where much of the movie was filmed. As we did with the filming locations of the original “Friday the 13th” last year, the top photo is a screen shot taken from the movie. The photo underneath it is what the area looks like today. Unfortunately, all of the camp cabins used in the film that were located at North Spectacle Pond in Kent, CT, have been torn down.
Best known for hits that include “Meanstreak,” “Don’t Stop Runnin’,” and “Summertime Girls,” hard rockers Y&T will make their debut performance at the Narrows Center in Fall River, Mass., on March 8, 2016. Purchase tickets HERE.
Formed in the early 1970s, Y&T is one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s own innovators of the hard rock sound, influence bands such as Ratt, Motley Crue and Metallica. With over a dozen studio albums that have sold in excess of four million copies, Y&T always deliver. In fact, whether performing to a festival crowd of 50,000 or in an intimate venue like the Narrows Center, Y&T’s high-energy set and passionate performances still captivate legions of fans around the globe, proving Y&T’s music timeless.
For the band’s performance at the Narrows, Y&T will play songs that span the band’s over 40-year career, including all the hits and fan favorites for a show that will last two hours.
The Narrows Center is located at 16 Anawan Street in Fall River, Mass. All tickets are $35 and are available online by clicking HERE or by calling the box office at 508-324-1926. Parking is free.
With seven studio albums, over three million records sold worldwide, and countless nights on the road, Rusted Root return to the Narrows Center in Fall River, Mass., on Dec. 10, 2015, at 8 p.m.. Click HERE for tickets!
Formed in the early 90’s by singer/guitarist Michael Glabicki, Rusted Root’s worldly style quickly charmed fans of roots music and world rock. After debuting in 1992 with the self-released Cruel Sun, Rusted Root signed with Mercury Records and released the 1994 platinum selling breakthrough When I Woke, which featured the massive hits “Send Me On My Way,” “Ecstasy,” and “Martyr.” Their success allowed the band to tour with Santana, The Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews Band, The Allman Brothers Band, and perhaps most notably, the highly coveted support role on the landmark Jimmy Page/Robert Plant reunion tour.
In 1996, the hard-touring Rusted Root returned with Remember,”which was followed by Rusted Root (1998), Welcome To My Party (2002), Rusted Root Live (2004), Stereo Rodeo (2009) and The Movement (2012). Along the way, Rusted Root has also issued three EPs, a home video and had songs placed in film and TV soundtracks such as “Twister,” “Mathilda,” “Home For the Holidays,” “Party of Five,” “Charmed,” and “Ice Age.” What was indubitably a first for Rusted Root was that NASA engineers chose “Send Me On My Way” as “wake-up” music for the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, for Sol 21. “Send Me On My Way” was also used in a set of Enterprise Rental Car commercials in 2011 and 2012.
For their show at the Narrows Center, expect to hear their hits, fan favorites and other surprises!
The Narrows Center is located at 16 Anawan Street in Fall River, Mass. Tickets are available online through www.narrowscenter.org or by calling the box office at 508-324-1926. Parking is free.
If there’s anyone who could be classified as a “Renaissance Woman,” it’s Phoebe Legere. The Maine native who is of Acadian and Abenaki (First Nations) descent, sings, plays a number of instruments (piano, accordion, cello, Native American flute, organ, buffalo drum, synthesizer, guitar and cavaquinho), stared in several films (Mondo New York and Toxic Avenger 2 & 3), paints, draws, sculpts, and writes movies and musicals. She also founded the New York Underground Museum in 2006 and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Music in 2000. She’s released over 15 CDs of original music and will be appearing at Brick Hill House Concerts on Sunday, Aug. 30th, in Orleans, MA. We recently caught up with Legere who didn’t hold back in her answers to our questions.
Limelight Magazine (LM): You’re going to be performing at Brick Hill House Concerts on Aug. 30th in Orleans, MA. For anyone who has not seen you perform live before, what can they expect at this show? Phoebe Legere: This is an excellent and fair question, but it is impossible for me to answer. I cannot see myself when I am performing, nor can I predict how I will be perceived by others. I can only tell you what I feel when I play music. I go on a journey inside myself into a cosmos of memory, desire and ideal beauty. There are spirits there, spirits of my ancestors and of animals. These spirits seem to hover near! They are very interested in the music. Spirit voices suggest things to me, ideas about color, pitch, timbre, re-harmonization and expression. My eyes may appear to be seeing the audience, but in fact, I am looking into a place beyond space and time. I feel deep love and compassion for my audience. I read them with my heart as I play.
I play rhythms and notes and what I feel will soften hard places in their hearts and heal sad places in their minds. My job is to bring the music medicine to the people. That is why my native name is Phoebe Songbundle. I can be very photogenic, but cameras do not see very well. In person, I hover between pretty and ugly, male and female, young and old, white and Native. That is a good place to be. People soon forget how I look and they begin to go on the journey with me.
Music is a magic canoe that can take you down the river of your own dreams. In that journey you will find your own ancestors and spirits of animals who can guide you to heal yourself. I channel the music of my ancestors – French Acadians, Abenaki Native Americans, Wampanoag ancestors who ran to Maine and Canada and joined the Abenaki during the Massachusetts holocaust, and yes, my Mayflower Puritan ancestors too. I’m descended from a few of the travelers including Bradford and a young woman named Remember Allerton. They named her Remember so we would never forget how the Puritans were treated by the English.
I have to heal the pain of those ancestors who are still grieving because of the territorial and linguistic incursions of Imperialist England into North America at that time. You will also hear elements of church music in my note choices. I grew up in a small colonial town in Massachusetts where I sang in the choir and played the organ in the church.
LM: Will you be performing solo or with a band and do you have a preference for one over the other? Legere: I have invited musical friends from the area to play with me. Notably, my friend singer-songwriter George Leonard, a 2015 inductee into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame, will play fiddle with me. I love to be part of a team. When we play together we are than the sum of our parts – music is prayer – everyone knows it’s easier to get the Lord’s attention if there’s a crowd praying the same song.
LM: You’ve released 15 CDs of original music. How do you go about deciding on a set list for your shows? Legere: I use my intuition in everything I do. On the Cape I will play more of my maritime songs: “Big Sperm Whale,” (click on song title) “Heart of the Summer,” (click on song title) and “Sailing on the Sound.” When I am in French Canada, I do mostly French, but this far south I’ll sing mostly English.
LM: In some of your promotional materials, it says you “reinvented Cajun music in your own image, mixing New York City jazz funk with New Orleans blues, down-home Acadian bluegrass, story-telling and melody.” How would you describe your music to someone else? Legere: I play North American music. An oyster makes a pearl from the pain of a grain of sand. Similarly, my music grows from the pain of forced human migration. What do I mean? Well, in 1755 the Acadians were deported to Louisiana – that’s how we get Cajun music at the same time Africans were being moved, forcefully, in chains, from beautiful Africa to places where they were treated like animals. The Cajuns (Acadians) were an underclass everywhere they went, since social status is all about territory and having a big house and an established business. The English had burned our houses and took our land. All we had was family and music. The Cajuns intermarried with the Africans and that’s when the music started to get really interesting. It’s called jazz. This is the vein I am working. Where Acadian music meets Black music. I like it and I feel right at home in this type of groove. To this Jambalya, I add plenty of Native American, French and classical elements. Yes, I went to Juilliard. Yes, I sing at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Yes, I write for and conduct Symphony Orchestras. Yes, I was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Music. But when I play folk music at a house concert, I am just that. I am a woman of the people, a down to earth, real person born on the 4th of July.
LM: You sing, play several instruments including the piano, accordion, cello, Native American flute, organ, buffalo drum, synthesizer, guitar and cavaquinho, as well as write memorable songs. When did you take an interest in music? Legere: I started playing the piano before age three. I reached up and could feel the keys. That is when I started. I began composing at six and I’ve been professional since age nine.
LM: What was the first instrument you learned how to play and why did you decide to pursue other instruments? Legere: In those days there was a strict division of instruments into “male” and “female.” The piano was feminine, a nice thing for a little girl to learn. My mother forbid me to play guitar. They directed me instead, to the cello, which was my main instrument for many years. My sister wanted to play drums and vibes. She was forced to play the flute. My other sisters played violin and viola so naturally I picked those up and started playing them. My grandfather played accordion. The accordion had fallen out of favor by the time I reached adolescence, but I found one in the attic. The minute I squeezed it I was hooked. The expressiveness of the reeds is like the sighting of the sun, the cries of immigrant populations! The accordion is the true instrument of the people! And what’s more, you can move while you play it. I love to hear the sound waves swirling around me as I stroll with my accordion.
When I got involved with performance art many of the galleries and museums where I played did not have a piano. The accordion was perfect.
I was signed to Epic records at 16. They said “Phoebe, don’t let anyone see you carrying THAT THING!” (the accordion was that thing). Now, as with so many of my visionary ideas, everyone realizes I was right all along. The whole world now knows the accordion is the hippest instrument. I have much more to say about the accordion and music as a mind control tool of government BTW
LM: You have a very impressive biography. Of all of your accomplishments, what was your proudest moment so far? Legere: Singing my poem, The Waterclown, with the Cleveland Chamber Symphony in 2000. (Pulitzer Nomination 2000). The topic, water, the privatization of water and the importance of water in climate change has become one of the hottest topics in enviro-politics now. You can listen free to the mp3 on my website: http://www.phoebelegere.com/waterclown.html. Also hear me conducting and singing my classical chamber trio called STARS on the same page.
LM: Outside of music, you’ve also appeared in several cult films including Mondo New York and Toxic Avenger 2 & 3. Did you like your experience working on these films? Are you still actively pursuing film projects? Legere: I write movies and I make my living writing music for movies. I have a degree in film scoring from NYU. As my late friend Roger Vadim once said, “Film is a perfect synthesis of sound and image.”
I direct and produce all of my music videos. My movie The Shamancycle Story, (about my 15 person rideable eagle sculpture made from up cycled and re-purposed junk), had a limited run in art houses last year. It could be viewed as a 20 minute extended music video for my song “Love is Your Power,” but you can also hear me singing the traditional, 10,000 year old Creation Hymn in there too.
My early music videos, “Marilyn” and “Trust Me,” were collaborations with Nile Southern, Terry Southern’s son. I was very influenced by Terry Southern. Terry wrote Easy Rider, Doctor Strangelove, Candy, The Magic Christian, and most of Barbarella. He was an important writer until Nixon put him on the Enemies List after which he could not work in Hollywood.
Nile and I lived with Terry in an old farmhouse in Connecticut. Terry’s ideas about movies and writings were a profound influence.
LM: You’re also a painter who founded the New York Underground Museum in 2006 to preserve the works of artists whose works are not held by major institutions. Why is preserving these works so important to you? Legere: NYUM presents, preserves and curates the work of visionary artists whose work is not held by major institutions. In 2006 there was a show called the East Village show. I could not help but notice that women, artists of color, handicapped artists, ethic artists and Native Americans were not represented in this show. However, Madonna and Debbie Harry were in the show. This showed me how corporate culture not so subtly invades the world of high art. I wanted to create a zone of beauty and vision that was protected from the dominant money culture.
LM: What artists do you currently listen to? Legere: Daniel Lavoie, Congolese hip hop such as Baloji but also the hip hop made by 12 year old soldiers in the Congo.
I listen CDs made by families who sing the old Acadian songs, like “C’est d’même que ça commencé” by La famille Doiron who sang with me on my Canadian tour 2015, I listen to George Leonard and Ray Legere my cousin.
I listen to CD’s I made from Brown Wax cylinders created at the turn of the century by someone who went in and recorded the oldest Abenaki/Penobscot elders singing the old medicine songs, (the cylinders were in a flood so they were covered with mildew, hard to listen to, but I was (able to extract some basic Abenaki medicine motifs later, when I went to visit the Maliseet, who speak a very similar language to us, they had the same songs and we understood each other, you can hear me singing in this (language on “Blue Canoe Blues” (click on song title) on Soundcloud.)
I listen to the very old gospel recorded before it all became a business, I listen to the Smithsonian Folkways recordings.
I listen to the radio just to see how bad it is. Yes. I listen to Top 40 and I realize with horror that somebody has now created computer program to determine the words and images from the top three songs in each year for the past 30 years and that is how the music is being made now. You think a song was written by an inspired artist songwriter? No. Music is now ghost written by teams of writers who market test the lyrics on subject fitted with electrodes. I was on a major label for three years. Epic/Sony. I know how these people operate and they are beyond scared shitless. They leave nothing to chance. How about that song “Shut Up and Dance.” Yes consumers listen closely.
I listen closely to the top 10 songs to hear the subliminal messages embedded behind the lyrics. I listen to the machines used in the productions. Your consent is engineered.
I listen to RFI the French global internet radio station. They play a lot of African music that interests me. I play with an African drummer named Joachim Lartey. He knows 2000 West African shamanic drum beats. It’s kind of cool and sad that the Zulus are now doing house music. It sounds better than the crap I have to listen wherever I go in America, but African rhythms are one of the cultural treasures of the worlds and it’s tragic to see the Zulus handing their power to a machine. Africans used to say: “The drum is the voice of God!”
How do I know so much about Africa? I went to Africa in 1987 with Nile. We lived at Peter Beard’s Hog Ranch. We visited the Masai Mara. We lived with the Kikuyu tribesmen who had lived with Karen Blixen. I learned many things [such as] creativity, music, dance and costume.
That is how I got the idea for Hello Mrs. President, [which was] my musical about the first black woman President of the USA starring Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer LaVerne Baker and me as (the First Partner).
I listen to early early blues artists like Howling Wolf, Big Bill Broonzy, Robert Johnson, Son House, John Lee Hooker, Sunnyland Slim…you want me to go on? I was the Blues DJ on Sirius Radio for two years.’
I had a friend named Boris Rose who recorded all the radio broadcasts of the 40’s. That was when radio had good music. The major labels were still signing musical geniuses.
Boris made me cassettes of the broadcasts from the Royal Roost and the big ballrooms. He made tapes of the great boogie boogie and blues pianists who came through New York City and that’s how I developed my blues piano style, as well as spending a great deal of time in Louisiana with my grandmother. We are connected to all the Legere’s and Trahans in Eunice and Lafayette, LA. I listen to early New Orleans R&B. I love the period just after World War 2 when jazz was just morphing into rock ‘n roll. I love it.
I can’t get enough music. I never tire of it. I studied jazz piano with John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet but I have also hung out with and played with the best modern piano players from Nola’s great blind Henry Butler to my friend Billy Joel. Do I listen to Frank Sinatra, Billy Holiday, Big Joe Turner, Charles Trenet and Jacques Brel? You bet I do. I am an ear person. I listen to poetry being read by poets too. It is amazing what is available on YouTube.
My best listening time is when I am not listening. In the silence I hear my own symphonies, melodies, ideas and songs.
LM: Is there anything else you’d like to add for those reading this? Legere: I like music, I like musicians and I like people who like music. I like to listen in a group. Music is more important than people think. Music is the vibration that is creating the illusion of reality and music is the telescope that lets you see through the illusion. That is why, in the old days, before industrial music and machine music, music was the glue that held families together. That’s why they call it music harmony. I have created a free art and music camp for the high poverty at risk children of New York City. This is my passion. I am a natural teacher and that my greatest love is nurturing the visionary artists and musicians of the future.
Did you see the drums I made – White Eagle Drum and Golden Wolf Drum with Abenaki symbols? I’ll be playing them at Brick Hill House.
Any horror movie fan knows the score is an essential component of the film. Can anyone picture watching Psycho without Bernard’s Herrmann’s string score, Halloween without the music of John Carpenter, or more recently It Follows without the electronic sounds of Disasterpeace (see related story HERE). Over the past few years, the resurgence of vinyl has given rise to a number of production companies that specialize in releasing horror soundtracks solely on vinyl. These companies include Mondo/Death Waltz Records, One Way Static Records, and Waxwork Records, among others. Unlike many soundtracks that were released in the past, these companies spend an extraordinary amount of time on the sound quality and mastering, as well as the artwork and packaging, making them a must have for genre fans, vinyl collectors, and people looking to hear great music that may not ordinarily see the light of day!!!
This month, Waxwork Records is celebrating its second anniversary. Their first release was the soundtrack to Re-Animator by composer Richard Howard Band in July 2013 and, since then, they have released 10 other soundtracks, including Day of the Dead (September 2013), Rosemary’s Baby (January 2014), Creepshow (April 2014), Chopping Mall (May 2014), Friday the 13th (September 2014), Trick ‘r Treat (October 2014), Phase IV (March 2015), Starry Eyes (May 2015), Friday the 13th Part 2 (July 2015) and Nightbreed (July 2015).
We recently caught up with its founder and CEO, Kevin Bergeron, who graciously took time out of his busy schedule to do a Q&A with us. In our interview, he discussed why he founded Waxwork Records, how titles are chosen, the meticulous amount of detail that goes into creating each record, and a sneak peak of what future releases are in the pipeline, including additional Friday the 13th titles and The Babadook.
Richard Howard Band’s soundtrack to Re-Animator was the first album released on vinyl by Waxwork Records in June 2013. The company is celebrating its 2nd anniversary this month.
Limelight Magazine (LM): Your label was launched in 2013 and is celebrating its second anniversary this month. How did the decision to start a record label focusing on vinyl horror movie soundtracks come about? Kevin Bergeron (Bergeron): I already had experience recording music and pressing records. I’m really fascinated by the process. I’m also a massive fan of horror movies, but also of just classic cinema in general. I decided to marry the two things I’m most interested in, vinyl and horror.
I had just come off of a tour in Cuba with my old band, and it was quite evident that the break up was coming. I was toying with the idea of starting a label. It was this really special time, and a really organic thing. There was a start-up period where no one knew about us for six months, and I really enjoyed that time. Just getting it rolling. I love brainstorming and diving into new projects.
LM: How much of an impact did the resurgence of vinyl sales across the country have on the decision to form Waxwork Records? Bergeron: When I started the label, I only had a vague notion as to the resurgence of vinyl and record sales numbers. I was honestly very nervous that we wouldn’t sell many records.
LM: You’ve now released 11 soundtracks on vinyl since July 2013. Bergeron: How do you go about selecting titles to release?
We are pretty selective with the titles we seek out. From an outsider looking in, it would be easy to peg Waxwork as a label that’s all over the map because we will release a B-Movie, and then the next month we’ll release something in the Criterion Collection. If we like it, and the music is interesting, we’ll go for it.
Danny Elfman’s score to Clive Barker’s Nightbreed was Waxwork Records most recent release on vinyl. The company has released over 11 albums over the past two years.
LM: Mondo Tees/Death Waltz also specialize in releasing horror movie soundtracks on vinyl. Do you consult with them so you’re not trying to license the same titles? Bergeron: No. Although, we’ve done a trade with Mondo before, and we may co-release something in the future, but that’s all in its infancy right now. It could be fun.
LM: Part of the reason for the popularity of your catalog has a lot to do with the meticulous detail that goes into the sound quality. Can you discuss the process for how these records come to be? Bergeron: The Waxwork standard is seeking out original master tapes as our source material. Often times, these original masters are thought to be lost, or destroyed. So, it’s not always easy. We located the masters for Rosemary’s Baby in Australia and the masters for Creepshow in an attic in Pittsburgh. We really go for it and play detective. So, we get those original masters, and then transfer them, mix them down, and master for vinyl.
LM: How much involvement does the composer have on the finished product? Bergeron: Composers are usually very cool and give us the reigns to do our thing with the music. They’ll sometimes have specific requests, but nothing major. No one breaths down our backs, surprisingly. I feel like I’d be that way if the tables were turned.
LM: Another reason why genre fans love your releases is the collectible aspect of them. Most of the titles come out in limited edition variants and include breathtaking artwork and inserts. Why is the visual aspect of your releases equally as important as the sound quality? Bergeron: Vinyl gives you a playground to do a lot of really great things visually. With CD’s and especially MP3’s you don’t get any of that. So, we like to go crazy with vinyl colors, and commission new artwork from prominent artists that we feel can tackle the film and its score, but through their artwork.
A limited batch of black and burgundy haze variants were randomly inserted into orders for the Waxwork Records release of Rosemary’s Baby on vinyl.
LM: How are the artists chosen to design the artwork for your releases? Bergeron: We discuss this in pretty great depth. “Who can nail something like Rosemary’s Baby? Friday the 13th? The Warriors?” You can’t stick Gary Pullin on something like Phase IV or Jay Shaw on something like Chopping Mall. That might actually be really interesting, though.
LM: Are all of your releases limited runs? What is the reasoning behind the limited availability? Bergeron: Yes. Our releases are all limited. We don’t press tens of thousands of units. Not yet. I like giving people what they want though, so if there are people out there that want this music, we will keep re-pressing records. I don’t like the idea of keeping things so limited that honest to goodness fans cannot have it. I also don’t like the idea of denying anyone art or music.
All releases on Waxwork Records are limited editions.
LM: A few of your releases (i.e. Day of the Dead, Creepshow, Friday the 13th and Trick ‘r Treat) were previously released on CD by La-La Land Records which is based out of Burbank, CA. Are they ever consulted on any of your releases? Bergeron: La La Land has a few of the same titles in their catalog as ours. It just turned out that way. We had questions when we were getting started and they were very helpful.
LM: Speaking of Friday the 13th, Waxwork released the soundtracks to the original film and its first sequel. We were at composer Harry Manfredini’s signing of Friday the 13th at Dark Delicacies in Burbank last year and he was thrilled to have it released on vinyl. Since he also composed the music to the next four sequels in the franchise, can we expect future Friday the 13th releases? Bergeron: We are releasing all of the Friday the 13th scores that Harry Manfredini composed. He’s been great to work with. He’s really into what we’re doing and it feels good to have him 100 percent on board with what we are trying to accomplish.
Friday the 13th film composer Harry Manfredini signs the Waxwork Records vinyl release of the soundtrack at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, CA, on Sept. 28, 2014. Waxwork plans to release more Friday the 13th titles that Manfredini composed in the future. (Photo by Jay Kenney)
LM: You also have a subscription service. Can you elaborate on that aspect of your business for those who may not be familiar with it? Bergeron: The subscription is fairly limited. You sign up when it goes live on our website, and that guarantees you five releases on vinyl from Waxwork throughout that year. Sometimes a digital download is offered depending on the title. The subscribers get special, limited colored vinyl that isn’t available via retail. You get 18 percent off anything Waxwork has available for sale, and that’s a pretty good deal. I don’t know of another label that offers that much of discount with a subscription service. You also get cool merchandise mailed to you randomly throughout the year. Like, you’ll randomly get a Waxwork Records slip-mat, stickers, or patches delivered with one of your records. Exclusive stuff! You also don’t have to worry about missing out on a record by it selling out before you have the chance to get a copy. You’re guaranteed that record (if it’s part of the subscription) being delivered to your doorstep. No refreshing our website non-stop on pre-order days. Shipping is all factored in already for subscribers. It’s just very convenient.
Waxwork Records slip-mats are some of the goodies you may receive by signing up for the company’s subscription service.
LM: About 10 weeks ago you teased the release of Jennifer Kent’s phenomenal film The Babadook. Is that still in the pipeline and, if so, when can we expect a release date? Bergeron: Yep, that’s happening. That’s coming out in 2016. We have some cool stuff we’re planning for the packaging.
LM: You’ve also had a few posts on your Facebook page about another great movie We Are Still Here that was released earlier this year. Can you reveal if this is another title in the pipeline? Bergeron: I can’t give out any details, yet. But We Are Still Here is great, and the score is really atmospheric and interesting.
LM: Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. You’re doing an amazing job and it’s so exciting every time a new title is announced and released. Is there anything else you’d like to add? Bergeron: Thank you. Really. We love doing this. It’s still crazy to us how much of an impact our label has on fans of vinyl and movies.
British rock band The Fixx will make their debut performance at the Narrows Center in Fall River, Mass., on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015. The band, which still features the classic line up of Cy Curnin, Adam Woods, Rupert Greenall, Jamie West-Oram and Dan K. Brown, will perform an evening of Fixx greatest hits and fan favorites. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
Formed in 1979 in London, The Fixx came to prominence in the MTV-era when their 1983 release, “Reach the Beach,” delivered the hit singles “One Thing Leads to Another” and “Saved By Zero.” The album reached No. 8 on the Billboard charts and was certified double platinum for selling over two million copies.
Throughout the band’s career, The Fixx have released 10 studio albums and were a fixture on the pop charts with such songs as “Red Skies,” “Are We Ourselves?,” and “Secret Separation.” They have been heralded as one of the most innovative bands to come out of the MTV era.
Live, in concert, the band delivers that same sonic authenticity fans have come to expect from their recorded performances because The Fixx are the real deal.
The Narrows Center for the Arts is located at 16 Anawan Street. Tickets to his show can be purchased online at www.narrowscenter.org or by calling the box office at 508-324-1926. For those wanting to purchase tickets in person, box office hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 12 noon to 5 p.m.
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