"We've been so fuckin' busy," says drummer and producer Steve "Skinny" Felton, acknowledging the record's delay. "Everyone's got so much going on."
Indeed, Mushroomhead has spawned yet another side project, Tenafly Viper. The stoner-rock band features Felton on drums and producing, Mushroomhead singer Waylon, Chimaira bassist Jim LaMarca, and Autumn Offering guitarist Tommy Church.
Church, a Florida resident, grew up in the same North Carolina scene as Waylon. Autumn Offering, a Florida thrash crew signed to Victory Records, toured with Mushroomhead last fall.
"It's total whiskey-riff party music," Felton says of Tenafly Viper. "A little like Down, like Lynyrd Skynyrd, with a little Stone Temple Pilots thrown in there."
Viper has recorded 15 songs and submitted the album to Megaforce, Mushroomhead's label. But the band has yet to post tracks to its website (www.barfightrock.com).
Mushroomhead fans will dig Viper, but probably not Felton's other production gig. He's twiddling knobs for Jackie, who's working on her sophomore disc. Jackie's band has recorded nine new tracks, bulking up the guitar pop heard on the 2005 debut.
"She's getting more of that rock and roll edge," explains Felton. "It sounds kind of like a modern-day Pat Benatar."
(216) singer Jason Popson, the former Mushroomhead frontman, continues recording with Pitch Black Forecast. A grinding new tune is available at www.myspace.com/pitchblackforecast. No release date is set.
Mushroomhead will close the Sounds of the Underground metal festival at Time Warner Amphitheater on Saturday, July 21.
· Eric Carmen is gracious in victory: As a member of the Sounds of Silence, the Raspberries singer was once a rival of Cleveland's Cellmates. He'll join the group for its first reunion show in 20 years, at the Brush High Class of 1967's 40th-anniversary reunion. The private event will be held at the Mayfield Sand Ridge Country Club on Saturday, July 14. Read more at www.clevescene.com/blogs.
· WCPN 90.3 FM has produced an original documentary about soul icon Sam Cooke. Sam Cooke: A Change Is Gonna Come premieres Friday, July 13. The show airs at noon, then repeats at 9 p.m. and reruns Monday, July 16 at 7 p.m.
· Alt-rockers Quickening are working on their fourth album. Bill Korecky (Mushroomhead, Integrity) will record the drum tracks, and singer-guitarist James Isom will produce the rest. The band is shooting for a fall release.
· The Suede Brothers, formerly most of the Black Diamonds, have recorded the basic tracks of 13 songs for their upcoming album, at Summa studios with Paul Hamann (James Gang, Pere Ubu).
· Visit www.clevescene.com/blogs for early concert announcements and online exclusives.
