We recently caught up with Rick to discuss his new visual art project, his Raven Drum Foundation, the upcoming summer tour with Poison and more.

Blog Rocking Beat (BRB): Let’s start with the Electric Hand Project. This is a really unique project. Could you talk a little bit about exactly what it is we are seeing in the images?

Rick Allen (RA): What you are seeing in the imagery is basically me playing a whole performance; then, through long exposure photography, we were able to capture the entire performance in one frame. So, in effect, I’m using light sticks instead of paint brushes.

The interesting thing for me was how it revealed things about myself that I knew, but I hadn’t really brought those hidden realms or hidden worlds into this reality. So it was very interesting to see the finished result and realize there were a lot of other aspects about myself. For instance, naming the project and naming the individual pieces—it was so obvious because of the things I’m passionate about. The project reflected that; it was very profound.

BRB: Did the final result of each piece turn out like you envisioned it? Or was it quite different?

RA: They only showed me a few of the frames, so it was good to keep the mystery about what they were going to look like and just allow me to play and express myself. So, the end result is really a reflection of the individual. For instance, if you were to do this, you would create a completely unique footprint that only relates to you.

What I really want from all this is to inspire people to remember parts of themselves that they have forgotten—to realize that if you are artistic in one way, it can be interchangeable. You can move into different areas and express yourself in other ways as well.

BRB: How did the project come about? Was it your idea initially or were you approached by another artist?

RA: Scene Four came to me with the idea. They showed me some interesting examples and I just jumped at the chance. I keep hoarding all my pictures. One of these days, I’ll put some of them up on the walls. I literally have tens of thousands of pictures and have never done anything with them. So, for somebody to approach me and say, “We can help you take this from start to finish,” made me realize that this was a wonderful opportunity for me to express myself in different ways.

BRB: Is this something you can do on tour? Maybe as a way to commemorate live shows?

RA: Well, there’s quite a bit of setup. Initially, I invited them up to my studio. Fortunately, the live room doesn’t have any windows, because we needed a really dark room. Then we took it from there.

BRB: Do you think this willingness to step outside of your normal realm of being a drummer would have happened if not for the changes you had to make earlier in your career to re-imagine the way you have to play drums with one arm? In other words, did that challenge earlier in your career open you up to these possibilities of expressing yourself in different way that you might not have otherwise thought of?

RA: Actually, that’s a great question. I can use one of the pieces as an example of how we can be different from one day to the next. There is a piece called “Shapeshifter” and initially, I didn’t particularly like it. Then we tweaked the colors and, all of a sudden, the piece became one of my favorites. We had several different versions of the same image and it really struck me that we really are shapeshifters. The people we are today are not the same as the people we were yesterday because of the experience we went through yesterday. I like the idea that you can be in the moment and change at any moment.

So to answer your question, yes, it opens your eyes and horizons to other projects. I think this is a huge blessing that, as human beings, we have this ability to discover new things about ourselves in this way.

BRB: Speaking of which, I’d love to talk about the Raven Drum Foundation and what, exactly, it is.

RA: It’s a foundation I put together with my wife. We’ve worked with many parts of the population through art and drumming. More recently, we’ve been working with the Wounded Warrior Project using drums to help with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

BRB: It’s pretty well-known that different types of art forms can be very therapeutic. Are you finding that using drums and drumming in this way is proving beneficial?

RA: Yes, especially if the rhythms are trance-like. The drumming just creates a vehicle that lets you get into a zone while you are playing the rhythm, and it doesn’t have to be complex. If you are playing in a circle where you have quite a few drummers playing a dominant rhythm, then it’s easy for people to get into that zone and get their head out of the way, so to speak.

Then there is drumming with intention. You have to ask what your intention is. What are you trying to achieve? Then you can start to fill that space up with the things that matter to you. It’s a great process. I love being involved with it and seeing the help that it gives to people.

BRB: It sounds like that this is something that touches multiple layers of the psyche.

RA: Exactly. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a combination of modalities that helps, which is what we do. We facilitate a range of modalities of which drumming is a complementary type of modality. There are other modalities that are just as powerful, if not more powerful.

BRB: Okay, time for some Def Leppard questions. You guys have sold as many albums as anybody. You have played every corner of the planet that has electricity. You pretty much have creative freedom when it comes to making music these days. What does a band that has reached Def Leppard’s stature set for goals anymore?

RA: Playing new countries, meeting new people, and continuing to write good songs. And, having said that, I think the foundation of the band is friendship and doing what it takes to maintain that friendship after the things we have been through, such as losing Steve (Clark, guitarist) or me going through my accident.

At some point, you ask the question, “Why are we really doing this?” Sometimes, an unusual answer—especially within this band compared to other bands—is “Well, we’re friends.” That’s a huge motivation, especially this far into our career. There’s that and the ability to write good songs and make a valid contribution to music in general. We are still constantly striving to be better.

BRB: You just mentioned losing Steve. After that, of course, Vivian (Campbell, guitarist) joined the band. With regards to the group friendship, then, how did that dynamic change when you lost one friend and brought another one in?

RA: It wasn’t really difficult at all. Vivian grew up in a similar culture in Belfast. He was listening to all the same music we were listening to and hearing the same news. So, even though I didn’t meet him when he was a kid, it was a similar experience. It was lovely to meet somebody like Vivian. It was very refreshing. In its own way, it was also consoling to be able to lean on Vivian.

BRB: You guys have a big tour coming up with Poison this summer. What can fans expect from a tour that is marked by two bands known for the extravagant nature of their live shows?

RA: That’s right! And it’s really going to be in celebration of the Rock of Ages movie that’s going to be coming out. They’ve made a feature-length movie of the stage production for Rock of Ages. Tom Cruise is Stacee Jaxx and he sings his ass off. He actually sang all of the songs that are in the movie. It’s pretty amazing.

For the live show, though, we actually brought back a guy we met way back in 1979; he was our lighting designer back then. Since then, he went off and did his own thing and it’s great that we’ve been able to keep in touch with him over the years. Now, we brought him in as a production manager. The look of the stage setup is very exciting to say the least. You should come out to see it.

The SoCal band’s highly anticipated new album, Cabin By The Sea, will be globally released June 19th on Five Seven Music. It features collaborations with tour mate Matisyahu, as well as Del the Funky Homosapien, Ky-Mani Marley and Rome.

“Summer’s here and we are starting it off the best possible way I can imagine: by going on a cruise with 311. When we get home from the cruise, our album Cabin By The Sea will be released,” said singer Jared “Dirty J” Watson. “We’ll be heading out on our biggest summer tour yet with Matisyahu, who’s also featured on the album. This summer’s gonna be hot, fun, insane. We’re planning tail-gate parties before the shows and after show parties at night. It’s just going to be one big party. Hope to see you there – all love!”

The Dirty Heads recently partnered with MTV to premiere the music video for the new album’s lead single “Spread Too Thin,” which can be seen here:

In just 4 weeks, the single is already top 15 on the Alternative radio charts and follows 2010′s “Lay Me Down,” which holds the record for most weeks at #1 on the Billboard “Alternative Songs” chart.

The Dirty Heads Tour Dates
7/8 – Vienna, VA – The Filene Center
7/9 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live
7/10 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
7/11 – Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
7/18 – Providence, RI – Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
7/19 – Clifton Park, NY – Northern Lights
7/21 – Atlantic City, NJ – Showboat Atlantic City House of Blues
7/22 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summerstage
7/23 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount Theatre
7/25 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
7/26 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
7/29 – Randall’s Island, NY – Catalpa Festival
7/30 – Pittsburgh, PA – Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
8/4 – Grand Rapids, MI –The Orbit Room
8/5 – Detroit, MI – Fillmore Auditorium
8/7 – Chicago, IL – Congress Theater
8/8 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave
8/9 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
8/12 – Des Moines, IA – Simon Estes Amphitheatre
* 8/14 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
* 8/15 – Dallas, TX – Gexa Energy Pavilion
* 8/16 – St. Louis, MO – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
8/18 – Raleigh, NC – The Lincoln Theatre (outdoors)
8/19 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
8/20 – Norfolk, VA – The NorVa
8/21 – Chesterfield, VA — Pocahontas State Park Amphitheatre
8/22 – Chattanooga, TN – Track 29
8/23 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade Music Park
8/25 – North Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues
8/27 – Mobile, AL – Soul Kitchen
* 8/31 – Boca Raton, FL- Sunset Cove Amphitheater (also Cypress Hill)
9/5 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
9/6 – Council Bluffs, IA – Harrah’s Casino/Stir Cove
9/9 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up Aspen
9/11 – Albuquerque, NM – The Sunshine Theatre
9/12 – Phoenix, AZ – The Marquee
9/15 – Las Vegas, NV – Hard Rock Hotel Pool Stage
9/19 – San Diego, CA – Humphrey’s
9/20 – Pomona, CA – Fox Theater
9/22 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
9/26 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
9/27 – Lake Tahoe, CA — MontBleu Outdoor Amphitheater

* Indicated with Sublime With Rome.

Of the Andy Stott remix, the band says, “We were listening to Andy Stott’s “Passed Me By” and “We Stay Together” EP’s a lot as we started the record. So many good ideas and textures, with low end in the extreme that kind of rattled our minds a bit. When it came to looking for people to remix, he was first on the list.”

Red Night is a self-produced meditation on separation and reunion, love nearly lost and the long night back to it; a chronicle of late-hour pining awash in digital glow and urban buzzing. Album opener. “Empty Stations” begins with a haunting string arrangement that is overtaken by a propulsive rhythm and Eleanore’s spellbinding vocal turns. “Come With Me” guitar stabs, icy keyboard, and polyrhythm underscore the lyrical siren’s call. The heart broken vocal on “Faded” wraps itself around the spiraling bell and fragile arrangements to devastating effect.

The goth R&B monster “Stay the Night” is a tale of yearning with a seductive slowed-down groove. The vast soundscapes of “Lead In The Light” start out sparse and build to an otherworldly climax and then back down again. Red Night is an opportunity to enter the winding tunnels of The Hundred in the Hands’ nocturnal city where time stretches, tempos drop, and guitars plunge rumbling and throbbing out against denser and denser vocals as the story unfolds. The band’s boundary-pushing sound is unafraid to marry minimalism and abstraction with big melodies.

The Hundred In The Hands Tour Dates
5/15 – Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands
5/18 – Moscow, RU – Gorky Park Cherrytree Festival
5/21 – Amsterdam, NL – Indiestad Festival at Paradiso
5/22 – Rotterdam, NL – Rotown
5/24 – Cologne, DE – Electronic Beats Festival at E-Werk
5/25 – Berlin, DE – Meltklub Weekender at Astra Kulturhaus
5/26 – Neustrelitz, DE – Immergut Festival
5/27 – Tuntange, LU – Food For Your Senses Festival
5/28 – Paris, FR – Café De La Danse
5/29 – London, UK – White Heat at Madame Jojo’s
5/31 – London, UK – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen
6/01 – Cambridge, UK – The Portland Arms
6/02 – Bristol, UK – Dot To Dot Festival
6/03 – Nottingham, UK – Dot to Dot Festival
6/04 – Manchester, UK – Dot To Dot Festival
6/06 – Zurich, CH – Exil Tickets
6/08 – Luzern, CH – Südpol
6/09 – Imagine Festival, Basel, CH – Imagine Festival
6/14 – Toronto, ON – Wrongbar (NXNE w/Purity Ring)
6/15 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
6/18 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
6/19 – Washington, DC – Rock & Roll Hotel
6/26 – San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop
6/27 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
6/30 – Düsseldorf, DE – Open Source Festival
7/07 – Saarbrücken, DE – Electro Magnetic
7/28 – Diepholz, DE – Appletree Garden Festival
8/03 – Salzburg, AT – Stuck! Festival
8/10 – Hamburg, DE – Dockville Festival
8/24-25 – Hannover, DE – Bootboohook Festival

The lineup to H2O Dallas also includes Juanes, Snoop Dogg, Calle 13, Gym Class Heroes, Prince Royce, Weezer, Paulina Rubio, Damian Marley, Duelo, YelaWolf, Paty Cantú, Ozomatli, Intocable, Ramon Ayala and Bobby Pulido, plus additional acts that will be announced in the coming weeks.

The venue inside the Cotton Bowl will feature several rotating stages, with local and emerging artists and some of today’s top names in music. Additional festival events include a vendor village featuring festival and artist merchandise, a lifestyle area, multiple watering holes, cool down tents, gaming areas, family areas, plus food and beverage, and more.

The second H2O Music Festival will take place in Los Angeles on August 25th at the Los Angeles State Historic Park, featuring artists like Alejandro Sanz, Paulina Rubio, Snoop Dogg, Chino y Nacho, Alex Cuba, Romeo Testa, plus additional acts to be announced in the coming weeks.

The 180 Gram Clear and Shiny Black Vinyl hits stores in July 10th. You can get the download, however, starting on May 25th.

Holy Shakes tour Dates
5/25/12 @ Maxine’s – Hot Springs National Park, AR
5/26/12 @ Riverfest – Little Rock, AR
6/01/12 @ Smoke & Barrel Tavern – Fayetteville, AR
6/02/12 @ Double Door – Chicago, IL
6/03/12 @ Now That’s Class – Cleveland, OH
6/05/12 @ Death By Audio – Brooklyn, NY
6/06/12 @ Cake Shop – Manhattan, NY
6/07/12 @ The Blind Tiger – Greensboro, NC
6/08/12 @ Springwater Supper Club – Nashville, TN
6/23/12 @ Bugsy’s – Russellville, AR

The opening track, “For You” is a melancholy charmer that spells out exactly what you can expect from the next three tracks. Layers of synth pads over simple bouncing one-note minor key basslines provide the perfect backdrop for Violente’s simple, yet pitch perfect melodies (which are also treated heaping helpings of reverb). And, while the melodies shimmer like sunlight on water, Violante’s restraint in letting the music drive the track is a pleasant surprise.

If there is a yang to “For You”‘s yin, it’s the second track, “Your Way.” The thick arpeggiated basslines, piano stabs and disco claps put this track squarely on the dance floor, echoing early Heaven 17, China Crisis and even Moby. The vocal phrasing, however, is very contemporary and should appeal to fans of Lisa Shaw and Samantha James.

If there was one song that would make my “Dancing All Night on a Rooftop at the End of Summer” playlist, it would be the closing track, “Parade,” with its beat that comes squarly out of early Juan Atkins projects like Cybotron and Model 500.

In the end, Claude Violante bides by the old adage of “leave them wanting more” as the only real flow with this release is that there isn’t enough of it. So set your iPod to repeat, as it will save you the time of having to manually start it over and over again.

Jonathan’s upcoming tour follows his recent performance at PAX East, an annual conference established by Penny Arcade to celebrate the world of gaming. Jonathan performed at the 2012 event alongside comedic musical duo Paul and Storm and “nerdcore” rapper MC Frontalot.

Jonathan Coulton Tour Dates
6/1: Boston, MA @ The Paradise
6/2: New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
6/5: Rochester, NY @ German House Theater
6/6: Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club
6/8: Alexandria, VA @ The Birchmere
6/9: Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
6/15: Ann Arbor, MI @ The Ark
6/16: Chicago, IL @ Double Door
6/18: Minneapolis, MN @ Guthrie Theater
6/20: San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
6/21: Portland, OR @ The Aladdin Theater
6/22: Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market
6/23: Vancouver, BC @ Venue

Jonathan has also been busy with NPR’s new quiz show, “Ask Me Another,” which debuted May 4th on select NPR member stations. The show combines trivia, puzzles, and music, and was taped in front of live audiences in Brooklyn throughout 2012. Jonathan hosts some of the games, provides musical clues, and offers wise cracks as needed.

The band will kick off the “Minus the Machine” headlining tour on June 27 in New Orleans, supported by Fair to Midland and KYNG. They’re hitting over 20 cities nationwide including a date in their hometown of Knoxville, and a handful of festivals like Rockfest and Summerjam. They will be touring to support the release of the new album, and they’re excited to play some new songs this time around. This year, the band is playing Rocklahoma, sharing the bill with artists like Rob Zombie, Chevelle, Slash, and Creed.

After a solid and successful two years of Brian Vodinh touring as the band’s guitarist, he is looking forward to returning to the drum kit. Brian announces, “Even though I started the band with the intention of playing guitar, for some reason drums have been always been the heartbeat of my thought process for the songwriting. After touring for more than two years with me playing guitar, we collectively decided that it felt like the heartbeat had just changed a little and it was time to pump that old blood back into the veins of 10 Years. I will be returning to the drum kit with a renewed passion and drive and with the release of Minus the Machine, our fans are in for the most emotional and energetic album and live show they have ever seen from us.” This tour is shaping up to be an experience that no 10 Years fan would want to miss.

Minus The Machine will be the band’s fifth studio album, following their successful 2010 release Feeding The Wolves, which broke into the Billboard Top 200 list at #12.

The band will release their new record on their own Palehorse Records in conjunction with Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group. The album marks the band’s first release on their own label after a long tenure at Universal. 10 Years frontman, Jesse Hasek, explains the decision to release the album independently, saying “We wanted to create an album that has no boundaries.” He continues, “When you feel like you’re being told to go through motions and jump through hoops, it takes the heart out of it. It’s better to do what comes naturally and then figure out the after-effect.”

10 Years Tour Dates
May 19 – Maryland Heights, MO @ KPNT Pointfest, Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre
May 21 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
May 22 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Black Sheep
May 23 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Black Sheep
May 25 – Abilene, TX @ Lucky Mule Saloon
May 26 – Rocklahoma – Pryor, OK @ Catch The Fever Festival Grounds
June 27 – New Orleans, LA @ Southport Hall
June 29 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
June 30 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
July 1 – Corpus Christi, TX @ Brewster Street Ice House
July 3 – Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall
July 5 – Tallahassee, FL @ Coliseum
July 6 – Knoxville, TN @ The Valarium
July 7 – Chattanooga, TN @ Track 29
July 8 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
July 10 – Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head Live
July 11 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
July 13 – Portland, ME @ Asylum
July 14 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Wally’s Pub
July 15 – Bristol, CT @ Bleachers
July 18 – Flint, MI @ The Machine Shop
July 19 – Ft. Wayne, IN @ Piere’s
July 20 – Rockfest- Cadott, WI @ Chippewa Valley Festival Grounds
July 21 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
July 24 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge
August 4 – Summerjam- Centreville, VA @ Bull Run Park

Allies for Everyone, the NYC dream-pop duo of Brian Suarez and Arvin Ajamian, will digitally release the Scavenger EP via Kid Recordings on June 12th. They will be previewing songs from the EP at their two upcoming NYC shows, May 12 at Tammany Hall and 5/19 at Lit Lounge. The 4-track Scavenger EP (which includes the title track and “Move When I Run”) follows last year’s Hour of the Wolf EP.

Allies for Everyone’s spellbinding sound has found champions in DJs like Larry Tee and press outlets including Interview, Time Out, Pop Matters, and MTV Logo. The fashion world has also taken notice and their remix of their own “Hour of the Wolf” was the sountrack for Elle’s Jean Paul Gaultier retrospective video featuring Coco Rocha.

Allies for Everyone has that rare ability to command a dance floor while breaking your heart like on the Scavenger EP’s title track with its driving rhythm and percolating keyboards underscoring the tale of someone who’s made an enemy out of everyone they know.

Allies for EveryoneLive Dates
5/12 NY, NY @ Tammany Hall (w/ Solbendr)
5/19 NY,NY @ Lit Lounge (w/ Bunny X)

Toronto’s live hip hop and electronic trio Keys N Krates share their latest remix right before heading out on a gigantic summer tour. This time they treat their Canadian brothers Zeds Dead & Omar Linx’s “No Prayers”.

Keys N Krates have made a name for themselves by relentlessly touring and making remixs for tracks by Diplo/Usher, Miike Snow, Madeon and Bassnectar for instance. After touring as a live trio through Canada, America, and South East Asia, Miami’s Ultra Music Festival and now touring through the summer with a performance at the Movement Electronic Music Festival with Public Enemy and Wakarusa festival in May where they’ll share the stage with Pretty Lights, Girl Talk and many more.

Keys N Krates Tour Dates
May 22 – Davenport, IA @ Redstone Room
May 23 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Cabooze
May 24 – Madison, WI @ The Majestic
May 25 – Chicago, IL @ The Mid
May 26 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection
May 28 – Detroit, MI @ Movement Festival
May 30 – St. Louis, MO @ 2720 Cherokee
May 31 – Ozark, AK @ Wakarusa Festival
June 1 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks
June 3 – Ozark, AK @ Wakarusa Festival
June 16 – Barcelona, Spain @ Sonar Festival
July 11 – Boston, MA @ Wonder Bar
July 12 – New York, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl
July 13 – Bethlehem, PA @ Steel Stacks Festival
July 14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Milk Boy
July 15 – Louisville, KY @ Forecastle Festival
July 20 – Antigounish, NS @ Evolve Festival
July 25 – Breckenridge, CO @ Three20South
July 26 – Fort Collins, CO @ Hodis Halfnowt
July 27 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
Aug 3 – Bethlehem, PA @ MUSIKFEST
Aug 5 – Montreal, QC @ Osheaga Festival
Aug 8 – Whistler, BC @ Garfinkles
Aug 9 – Vancouver, BC @ Bar None
Aug 10 – Salmo, BC @ Shambhala Festival
Aug 11 – Fernie, BC @ Bulldogs
Aug 17 – South Algonquin, ON @ WEMF