RUSH! redux

Italian pop-rock sensation Måneskin has released an extended version of their latest album, re-titled RUSH! (Are U Coming?) which features five bonus tracks and one of them is another collab with the Captain Cuts boys - it's short & (bitter)sweet and catchy as hell!

Media Watch: news notes

A few things to report on...

Unfortunately, it was announced last week that National Treasure: Edge of History has been cancelled by Disney+ as confirmed by Variety:

https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/national-treasure-edge-of-history-canceled-disney-1235591191/

This adds the show to the "one and done" list of Trevor's television work, which also includes the limited-run series Zero Hour and the action drama Agent X.  But it is gratifying to know that Trevor's contract included a release of the score's major themes and cues via a soundtrack album.

Speaking of albums, Outlanders (the duo of singer Tarja Turunen and musician-producer Torsten Stenzel) has announced they will be releasing a full-length album of their project on June 23rd, which will contain the previous eight singles released over a three-year period, including the lead single "Closer To The Sky" featuring Trevor on guitar.  So anyone who desired to have that track in physical media form is now in luck!

And lastly, Captain Cuts is busy as usual, but I was excited to see that Ryan and Ben co-wrote a song with Italian pop-rock sensations Måneskin for their international debut album Rush! released earlier this year.

An artistic voice for justice

As we know, Trevor's family features a number of creative people in each generation, and one of those is his cousin, South African artist Willian Kentridge, the son of barristers Sydney and Felicia Kentridge.

His work is multimedia-based, specializing in drawing, sculpture, live performance, animation and film; the majority of which addresses South Africa's history as regards the subjects of apartheid and colonialism. William and his work has been described thus:

[...]a remarkably versatile artist whose work combines the political with the poetic[...]his work is often imbued with dreamy, lyrical undertones or comedic bits of self-deprecation that render his powerful messages both alluring and ambivalent.

from Fortuna (2013)

William's work is currently in exhibition at The Broad art museum in Los Angeles, the installation is titled In Praise of Shadows, which will be running through April 9th of this year.

https://www.thebroad.org/art/special-exhibitions/william-kentridge-praise-shadows

He was also profiled by The New Yorker in 2010, and it's a very insightful article regarding the history of his career and also his life, the variety of his work, and the various influences upon it.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/01/18/lines-of-resistance

The Man of a Thousand Credits: special guest

One of a continuing series in regards to the myriad variety of Trevor’s discography.

It appears Ryan finally pulled his dad into the Captain Cuts cinematic universe (as the saying goes these days)...last month a new single debuted by Canadian pop princess Carly Rae Jepsen, produced and co-written by Ryan and Ben Berger (Ryan McMahon has departed, though no official announcement was made that I'm aware of) and "Talking To Yourself" features a very brief guitar solo from Our Trev.

It's a catchy tune, as are all of Captain Cuts' productions.  The now duo has been very busy of late, both with production for other artists and a few for themselves, and also working in that part of The Jacaranda Room where GROUPLOVE's Never Trust A Happy Song was recorded, as this recent photoset on Instagram courtesy of princedcf illustrates: https://www.instagram.com/p/CjrGu9itAby/

Media Watch: various and sundry

I hope all my readers are safe and cozy during this holiday season, however you observe.  Here are some recent finds...

The first one is from last year, I hadn't seen any mention of it on social media previously.  Trevor's brother Derek appeared on the Where Are They Now program hosted by Cindy Alter.  Alter is herself a well-known figure in the history of South African pop/rock as she was the leader of the all-girl band Clout who had a big hit in 1978 with their cover of "Substitute" (not The Who song, but rather by The Righteous Brothers) as well as overseas success in the UK.  Cindy ended up working with Trevor later on in Los Angeles, though I don't believe anything from their collaboration was ever officially released.

This is a very interesting discussion regarding the Rabin family as well as Derek's explorations as a musician and then his shift into entertainment-related law as well as serving as Trevor's legal council, in addition to Cindy's own recollections of the time.  I was amazed how alike Derek and Trevor sound in terms of their inflections, and they share a similar sense of humor as well.

Derek also provides yet another version of Trevor's development deal with Geffin, which adds a bit of specific chronology to the story in that the Asia proposition comes first (which he ultimately turned down although Geoff Downes has intimated they weren't interested either), and then the move to Los Angeles and period of songwriting for a possible album, which could be said to be the source of most of the material he then brought to Chris and Alan.  So in Derek's version Trevor was dropped due to Geffin's lack of interest in the material he demo'ed at the time rather than refusing to join Asia.  Derek does verify that Trevor was in talks with RCA for a deal when the call came from Chris.

For those craving even more Rabbitt tales, Duncan and Patric have also been guests on the program (which is a veritable cavalcade of ZA's popular music past) and so here are their episodes as well.

This year another Yes-related podcast debuted - Yesshifts - hosted by a father-son duo of Yes enthusiasts, and one of their episodes is specifically a discussion of what might have happened to YesWest if they had actually continued as Yes without Jon Anderson.

https://anchor.fm/yesshift/episodes/Ep-10---What-If-Yes-West-Went-On-Without-Jon-Anderson-e15ujgv

Uploaded to YouTube this month, Yes' appearance on Rockline in October of 1987 to promote Big Generator - all of the band is present for this interview.

And for anyone who might be interested, if you are a patron of the Have You SEEN This? podcast, I made two appearances recently with co-host Jen - to discuss the lesser-known 1987 films Siesta and Gothic (episodes 119 and 122).  Those episodes are only available for Patreon members, and joining for only $2.00 a month is a great way to support an entertaining and insightful podcast about odd and obscure films!  We are working on recording another Trevor-related episode for next year.

https://www.patreon.com/haveyouseenthis

Take care, stay well, see you in 2022.

welcome to the New Girl

Some might have been aware of Kyly posting on her Instagram page back in May that she and Ryan were expecting, and yesterday became the proud parents of beautiful Rio (and I'm sure she'll be dancing on the sand by her toddler years).  Congrats to Kyly & Ryan, Trevor & Shelley, and Jayne & Myles.  We know she'll be raised with love and music and all good things.

the latest earworm

Dropped today from those happenin' lads in Captain Cuts, a new track featuring pop vocalist AJ Mitchell.  Not quite a sunny banger like we've become accustomed to, but still quite catchy even cast as a song of longing for a missed connection.

(virtual) Party Time

Today is the day for some Springtime clearing of the cobwebs, courtesy of Captain Cuts' brand-new collab with Norwegian EDM artist Matoma and vocalist Georgia Ku, a House-style slice of happiness titled "Beside You."

A legend in their own mind

Last week the advance publicity debuted for the Adam Wakeman (performing as Milton Keanes) musical side project Jazz Sabbath and in the accompanying mockumentary a particular beloved someone makes a cameo appearance (at 11:26).  Adam possesses just as much comedic panache as his father so I recommend watching the entire video for a good giggle.

The album contains fusion-esque renderings of such Sabbath classics as "Iron Man" and "Children of the Grave" and is available for pre-order from the official site:
http://blacklake.eu/jazzsabbath/index.php.

it's "So Close" (to that heart-shaped trophy)!

Congrats to Ryan, Ben, and Ryan for their iHeart Radio Music Awards nomination announced today! 

recent roundup

What is on the mind of, say, 90% of all Americans these days?  No, it's not any of the things you'd think...

It's Game of Thrones.

To wit, Ryan posted an Instagram story on the Captain Cuts page last night featuring a little father-son bonding time over S08 E05 (which has been described by one recapper as Just one long 80-minute 'AAAAHHH!!!') and there so many questions I imagine fellow fans would love to discuss with the Maestro.  But I totally get why Trevor is into this show, it's so political, and he loves politics as a discipline.

(I'm assuming Charlie is not on Team Dany.)

Moving along, if you're not subscribed to Marq Vas' YouTube channel, what are you even doing with your life?  Just teasing, but if you are into enjoying/learning more about South African music, and specifically rock/pop of the 1970s, Marq has been generous in sharing a bit of his vast collection with us over the years.  The other day he highlighted an obscure greatest hits release, uploading a track (originally from Rock Rabbitt, the album in which Trevor does not appear) on his channel.  For you completists out there, as far as I know this one is pretty rare indeed even as its' track listing is really nothing to get excited about.

View this post on Instagram

Rabbitt!!! Latest addition to my Southern African music YouTube channel! Rabbitt – “Getting Thru To You”. From the “Greatest Hits “ album. Released on the Wham! label, WH 001, 197?. Track listing: Side 1: Charlie Hold On To Love Hard Ride Getting Thru’ To You Morning Light Side 2: Locomotive Breath Dingleys Bookshop Sugar Pie Working For The People I Was Eleven Line up: Duncan Faure – Vocals, Guitar Trevor Rabin – Lead Guitar Neil Cloud – Drums Ronnie Robot – Bass Publisher: Silversongs #rabbitt #rabbit #gettingthrutoyou #gettingthroughtoyou #southafrica #southafricanmusic #vinyl #vinyls #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #records #record #recordcollector #recordcollection #wham #vinyljunkie #trevorrabin #duncanfaure

A post shared by Marq Vas (@marqvas) on May 10, 2019 at 11:36am PDT

update: Captain Cuts on the job

The last few weeks have been busy for those crazy kids...their third mixtape EMOWORLD was released last month, and a new song produced for Canadian pop princess Carly Rae Jepsen was debuted yesterday.  Today brings another multi-tiered collaboration, this time with Swedish production crew NOTD, DJ Felix Jaehn and singer Georgia Ku. It would be nice to see the guys produce maybe an EP-length project with Georgia, as her voice is a perfect fit for their relentlessly upbeat dance-pop aesthetic.

late summer banger

Next up in the Captain Cuts oeuvre is a collaboration with Los Angeles-based DJ Zookëper and singer/songwriter Georgia Ku on the House/EDM single "Do You Think About Me?" released earlier this month - perfect for those sweaty dancefloor workouts.

getting emo at ASCAP

Coming up on May 8th is Ryan's appearance at the ASCAP "I Create Music" Expo, a yearly gathering of industry professionals offering seminars, panel discussions, performances and a chance for interaction and networking with fellow songwriters, performers and producers.  As we know, Trevor previously took part in the "We Create Music" panel at the 2011 expo.

‘Emo’s Impact on Pop’ panel features #RyanRabin (@captaincuts/ @grouplove), @johnfeldy (@goldfingermusic & major producer), @carrotlettuce (#Emmy award-winning producer) and moderated by @emonitela co-founder @partywizard. Don’t miss this live podcast taping at #ASCAPEXPO presented by @rideorcryco on Tuesday 5/8 at 9:30AM. Link in bio for tix.

A post shared by ASCAP (@ascap) on Apr 26, 2018 at 1:21pm PDT

pain is pleasure

With thanks to my dear Cee. :)

Captain Cuts had the opportunity to collaborate with County superstar Keith Urban on his new album Graffiti U...but there's nothing particularly Country about their track "Love The Way It Hurts (So Good)" - it bears the hallmarks of the hook-laden pop sparkle which the guys have bestowed upon all their various collaborations.  The album was released today so you too can hurt so good to hear it.

Got the chance to write this song with one of the most talented and generous guys we’ve ever met. Thanks for letting us be a part of your new album @keithurban !!!

A post shared by Captain Cuts (@captaincuts) on Apr 26, 2018 at 10:24pm PDT

wonderful memories

As I noted yesterday, Trevor updated his Facebook regarding the upcoming Summer touring, but he also changed the photo on his page header to one which long-time fans have seen a few times over the years, and I also included it in my entry from January of last year regarding Beginnings.

One of Trevor's original Rabbitt-era fans posted a great comment in this entry and I really appreciate Josie de Villiers sharing with us the story of how she came to gift Trevor with that particular shirt as well as where the photo originally appeared (I would assume it was taken to accompany an article in that publication).  Many thanks, Josie!

Ok my word! I was a HUGE fan of Trevor’s when he had his band Rabbitt in the 70’s and I actually bought him that jersey as a gift. AMERICA 77 ON PARADE! I took it to his house in Parktown all gift wrapped expecting to drop it off and when his mom opened the front door - he was sitting right there on the phone. I nearly passed out from excitement!🙈That picture appeared in The Star Newspaper as well and yes it was of him, his dad Godfrey and his brother Derick. Seeing this photo is such a blast from the past and brings back great memories of those days!

musical families and friendships, part two

One thing which Our Guys can say they truly have in common is musically-talented progeny, and today Rick's son Adam released a second album with his long-time friend and collaborator Damian Wilson - The Sun Will Dance In Its Twilight Hour - the creation of which was crowdfunded on Kickstarter and is now available across all digital distribution platforms and on CD from Blacklake.  A vinyl version is scheduled for release in March.

Their 2016 album Weir Keeper's Tale is a beautifully written and recorded work and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys acoustic-based music in the classic singer-songwriter mode.  Adam and Damian are incredibly talented; and as they compromise 2/5ths of Headspace, one of my now-favorite groups, these albums are an automatic acquisition for me.

My favorites from the new release thus far are: "On This Battlefield" (with Adam on lead vocal), "Tried And Tested," and the title track.

And of course anyone who has followed Rick's career over the years knows that Adam and Damian (along with Lee Pomeroy) were a part of his New English Rock Ensemble from 2000-2002.

the man behind the board

Published last week on the Strymon website is an interview with Chris Fudurich, who as we know is working as Front of House mixer for both ARW and GROUPLOVE.
https://www.strymon.net/artist-feature-chris-fudurich/

It was interesting to learn that Chris was Trevor's first choice for FOH, but due to prior commitments he wasn't able to come into the organization until after the first US tour.  The interview is nicely comprehensive in terms of past and current projects, as well as technical details for the gear nerds among us.

measuring up

I came across a priceless shot of Ryan by photographer Anna Lee, from a promotional shoot for Captain Cuts earlier this year.  To provide a bit of context, the handprints of YesWest are immortalized as part of the Hollywood RockWalk, located at the Guitar Center superstore on Sunset Blvd. and the induction party was held on May 24, 1994 (as part of the promotion for Talk, one presumes).

So it seems Captain Cuts, who are signed with Epic Records, are ramping up their own recording career - with the recent releases of "Love Like We Used To" and "Cocaina" - and with Ryan taking time off from GROUPLOVE right now it may mean a debut album is in the works.

(It's just about a perfect fit, wouldn't you say?)

photo by Anna Lee

Culture by the sea

This past Sunday the second annual Concert on the Bluffs event was held at Malibu Bluffs Park, once again featuring Trevor's niece Indiana Woodward and fellow dancers from the New York City Ballet.  The theme was American Classics, including such orchestral works as George Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue, and the opening remarks were delivered by a well-liked long-time resident, actor Pierce Brosnan.

The Huffington Post was one of the publications providing coverage of the concert:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bolero-by-the-bluffs-malibu-beach-concert_us_599ccf2de4b02289f76190ea

In this photo you can totally tell which dancer has the rock star uncle...

#IVTherapy #Vitamins by the seaside. Pre-show, #backstage #concertonthebluffs. #NYCBallet #Ballerinas getting ready! With Zuma Wellness's @DrSarahMurphy and @purelyvital's Dr. Kelly Bender. 💚

A post shared by Zuma Wellness (@zumawellness) on Aug 22, 2017 at 8:08pm PDT