Tomahawk prepare to share their deepest, darkest secrets

Last Sunday night, the noise rock/experimental metal stylings of Tomahawk promise to shake up the Observatory. The intrepid, multi-city-based group--whose ranks include personnel from the Jesus Lizard, Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Battles and Melvins Lite--are currently promoting the thrillingly moody Oddfellows, their first record since 2007's Anonymous. For this week's print feature, we spoke to guitarist Duane Denison about the four-piece's dynamic and process, but space restrictions kept us from retaining a tabletop-gaming-related metaphor and details on the band's eating habits in Nashville. Here's more straight from the man himself.More »

Ahead of the band's multi-city House of Blues tour, we had the chance to chat with Mike Ness of Social Distortion about an array of topics. Most of what we discussed made this week's print feature, which you can read here. Here are some of the questions that didn't make the story and if you read below, you can see his take on Bruce Springsteen, including him telling us that he'd be at Tuesday night's show, though he wasn't sure if he was going to be performing yet. Take a look after the jump.

OC Weekly (Daniel Kohn): Whose idea was it to do the House of Blues run?

Mike Ness: It's kind of a tradition that we like to do not every year so it's predictable, but we don't play Southern California a whole lot, so this is our chance to do it. We usually do it at the end of our touring cycle and it becomes more fun and not really work with touring and traveling. It's a good way to end a cycle and begin a new one.

Is there any new material in the works?

Yes, I'm currently writing a new record. It will come along better once I stop touring. I can only do one or the other. I don't really write on the road, so I get ideas and I file them and when I get done touring, I revisit them. In 2013, we've scheduled very little playing. We've built a new rehearsal studio, so we'll see about that.

More »

More »

Al Anderson

Original Wailers executive producer and guitarist Al Anderson (featured in the paper this week) joined Bob Marley and the Wailers in the wake of Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer's departure from the band, working with Marley from 1974 until his death in 1981. For Anderson, a U.S.-born, Berklee-trained session player who'd previously worked with Stevie Winwood and Traffic, (Island Records label mates of Marley's) the Wailers helped him launch a successful career. However, it's also been marked by tumultuous legal wrangling and personal fallings out with former Wailers. He has faced multiple international lawsuits filed by the band's administrator Jennifer Miller, wife of longtime Marley bassist Aston "Family Man" Barrett, over the use of the Wailers name, until incorporating as the Original Wailers in his own name a few years ago.

Anderson and his band -- led by Desi Hyson, a Dominican-born keyboardist, vocalist and the band's primary songwriter -- released an EP this year, Miracle, a collection of Hyson originals and a cover of the '60s bossa nova classic "Our Day WIll Come," and are currently on a short tour of the southwest and California in support.

Anderson speaks at length about the unfolding of his career as a Wailer before his show at Anaheim House of Blues 8 p.m. Sunday, November 18. Interview after the jump.

More »