Inside the Musical Mind Inside the Musical Mind

In this third installment of my series of interviews with new Prog-Rock heroes YYNOT, lead singer Rocky Kuner joins me to discuss how she got involved with the project. She discusses how what she thought would be a one-off project developed into a full-fledged band.



We also discuss how she takes care of her voice, and the vocalist even takes the time to answer a few questions from the fans…



Rocky Kuner of YYNOT

Inside the Musical Mind is doing a three part interview with one of the most exciting prog-rock groups to come along in recent years, YYNOT. Recently we spoke with Billy Alexander, the group’s songwriter and guitarist. This time around we sit down with the bands bass virtuoso, Tim Starace.



Tim discusses his recent surgery, the bands past two albums, and their future plans…



Billy Alexander and Tim Starace.

Starting off as a remarkable group doing a few RUSH covers for fun, YYNOT quickly evolved into an original group in its own right. With two albums of exceptional material under their belts, Billy Alexander, Tim Starace, and Rocky Kuner have amassed a rabid fan base in a few short years.



Songwriter/guitarist Billy Alexander joins me to talk about how the band has been keeping busy, and if a third album could be in the works…



Billy, Tim, and Rocky.

Alt-rock Icons Jellyfish released two highly influential albums, Bellybutton (1990) and Spilt Milk (1993) before going their separate ways. After decades of contributing to other high-profile artists, former members Roger Joseph Manning, Eric Dover, and Tim Smith have reconvened to form The Lickerish Quartet.



Named after an obscure Italian erotic film, the name gives an indication of the wonderfully left-of-center approach these guys take to creativity. The debut EP, “Threesome Vol. 1” is a sonic work of art. Harmonies rush in like a wave over shimmering acoustics and flowing keys. It is at once reminiscent of Jellyfish but altogether fresh.







Tim Smith (vocals, bass, guitars) called in to discuss the making of the album, and the specific approaches they took in recording. This is a great peek inside this exciting new project with a promise of more things to come!

Legendary record producer Ted Templeman is a familiar name to those of us who eagerly read the back of all our favorite albums in the seventies and eighties. Working for Warner Bros Records (now just Warner Records) Templeman was the man behind the sonic goodness of acts like the Doobie Brothers, Montrose, Van Halen, Aerosmith, and more.



Author and historian Greg Renoff (Van Halen Rising) knew that this music icon had a million stories to tell, and he set out to preserve them. Through lengthy research and unprecedented access to the man himself, Greg was able to painstakingly assemble a detailed look into Templeman’s life and career.







The author joins me for a conversation about how the book took shape, and what he learned from his lengthy interactions with one of music’s most respected producers. Listen to our chat and then be sure to get your hands on Ted Templeman : A Platinum Producer’s Life in Music.

For this podcast episode, I wanted to touch on some new albums and group projects coming up this year. It’s not a comprehensive list, just a quick run down of things I’ve come across recently that should be of interest, especially to guitarists. I do want to point out that I intended to mention Paul Gilbert’s upcoming “Werewolves of Portland” , but I’m an idiot and seem to think winging it is a good way to do a podcast.



In addition to upcoming albums, I wanted to focus on a recent album by virtuoso Nili Brosh. Released just this last December it is another testament to her songwriting and playing skills. Nili was nice enough to join me and share some insights regarding the album and more.



Nili Brosh