Mike Mettler

The S&V Interview
The Alarm’s Mike Peters: A Soul Survivor Among Equals
Mike Mettler  |  Jul 10, 2019
Mike Peters of The Alarm called us to discuss the band's deeply affecting new album Sigma, how the vinyl revival reconnects you with your music-seeking instincts, how a good producer acts as a creative compass, and how The Alarm’s approach to songwriting and song structure set them apart from the pack.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out
Mike Mettler  |  Jul 05, 2019
Picture
Sound
Extras
Capturing zeitgeist moments as they happen are a filmmaker's dream. Lucky for us, drummer/rhythmatist extraordinaire Stewart Copeland picked up a Super 8 film camera when The Police were but budding bleached-blonde young punks, and he filmed, well, practically everything they did both onstage and off.
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The S&V Interview
Dream Theater’s John Petrucci: Master of Time Signatures & Sonic Space
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 26, 2019
Dream Theater guitarist/producer John Petrucci got on the line with us to discuss why the music on their fine new album Distance Over Time is so well-suited for surround sound, how new ideas spring from having a band work together in the same room, and why physical packaging remains critical to their success.
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The S&V Interview
Michael McDonald: Takin’ it to the Seats on a Co-Headlining Summer Tour With Chaka Khan
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 12, 2019
Keyboardist/vocalist Michael McDonald called us to discuss his upcoming summer tour with Chaka Khan, the true secret to his well-respected background-vocal prowess, the compositionally related reason why he was genuinely surprised at the chart-topping success of The Doobie Brothers classic “What a Fool Believes,” and what his real-time reaction was when he watched Rick Moranis pay, er, homage to him on a vintage episode of SCTV.
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Music Reviews
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers: The Best of Everything - The Definitive Career Spanning Hits Collection: 1976-2016
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 07, 2019
Performance
Sound
When Tom Petty unexpectedly passed away in October 2017 following a triumphant 40th anniversary tour with The Heartbreakers that had wrapped up barely a week earlier in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles, the outpouring of grief on an international scale was beyond palpable. Petty's loss at age 66 was a gut-punch, to be sure, especially considering the successive sonic triple threat of 2010's Mojo, 2014's Hypnotic Eye, and 2016's Mudcrutch 2.
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The S&V Interview
Keyboard Maestro Howard Jones Transforms Once Again
Mike Mettler  |  May 29, 2019
Keyboard maestro Howard Jones got on the line with us from his homebase in Somerset, England to discuss the genesis and evolution of his new studio album Transform, his love of vintage gear and surround sound, and why he’s all-in when it comes to mastering his music for vinyl.
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Music Reviews
Remaster Class: Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Brain Salad Surgery
Mike Mettler  |  May 24, 2019
Brain Salad Surgery, Emerson, Lake & Palmer's grand progressive opus of November 1973, was the one LP I knew I could play for my fraternal grandparents to show them rock music was as legitimate an aural artform as classical or jazz. When I first cued up the original Manticore/Atlantic vinyl on their stereo console during an early-1980s visit, I began with the one-two tandem of ELP's reimagining
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Stream On
Discovering New Music on Bandcamp
Mike Mettler  |  May 22, 2019
If you enjoy discovering new music, you need to check out Bandcamp.
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The S&V Interview
Kiefer Sutherland Plays It Reckless & Free
Mike Mettler  |  May 15, 2019
Kiefer Sutherland called us before heading out to a band rehearsal to discuss the songwriting process for his fine new album Reckless & Me, his love of vinyl, how playing music live has informed his subsequent acting choices, and what kind of music Jack Bauer and Tom Kirkman might have on their personal playlists.
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Music Reviews
Remaster Class: Queen: A Night at the Opera
Mike Mettler  |  May 01, 2019
Queen’s fourth studio effort, November 1975’s A Night at the Opera, was a masterstroke of mid-1970s multitrack recording. We dissect the ins and outs of the groundbreaking album's fair share of multiple-format releases over its 44-year lifespan (and counting).
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