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The big review: Malevolence – Malicious Intent
Steel City supremos Malevolence smash through to Brit-metal’s upper echelons with ferocious third album, Malicious Intent.
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Kublai Khan’s Matt Honeycutt: The 10 songs that changed my life
From Toy Story to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kublai Khan vocalist Matt Honeycutt’s record collection has it all…
- Words:
- Matt Honeycutt
- Photo:
- Eric English
What tracks have made Matt Honeycutt who he is today? The Kublai Khan vocalist dives back into his musical past and finds some very surprising gems…
The first song that I remember hearing…The Supremes – Baby Love
“My mother used to sing it to me as a very young boy, and it has always been my earliest memory of music.”
The song that reminds me of my childhood…Randy Newman – You’ve Got A Friend In Me
“There’s many songs, but I’d have to say the top is You’ve Got A Friend In Me. Toy Story was in my top three as a little boy, and that song will always make me sing anytime, anywhere.”
The song that reminds me of being a teenager…The Early November – Every Night’s Another Story
“Basically anything off The Early November’s acoustic record [2003’s The Acoustic EP]. That bit of music impacted me at a very pivotal point in my development. Still to this day, the song Every Night’s Another Story can immediately take me back to those memories and moments.”
The song that reminds me of my first gig…Pretty much any early ’00s metalcore
“It’s not necessarily a song – but more so a sound: any early ’00s metalcore with panic chords and vocal distortion will do it. Our hometown venue called The Pit showcased tons of local and Texas bands in the early-to-mid ’00s. Safe to say I was a regular there.”
The first song I ever learned to play…Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication
“When I started being in bands I was originally a drummer so I used simple rhythms from songs like Scar Tissue and Otherside to really understand timing and the groove necessary that would eventually evolve into Kublai Khan – no matter how far disconnected that ancestor may seem.”
That song that makes me think of young love…Silversun Pickups – Lazy Eye
“They were a band that I discovered right on the cusp of entering high school and the dating world. They were of the few bands I listened to at the time with no screaming, so it was always a good choice to put on when you had a lady around. Solid grooves and catchy melodies really set a chill and enjoyable tone.”
The best song I’ve ever heard…Jimmy Buffett – Margaritaville
“Well, that’s an almost impossible question to answer – what are y’all thinking?! Songs are the best for different moods and reasons, and for me it would be difficult to pinpoint one that takes the crown. So let’s just call it even and say Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett.”
The song that was the hardest to perfect…(It’s an ongoing process)
“Every set we play we are working to continue to perfect and outdo our previous performances. It’s all about progression – even for the songs you’ve played for years.”
My favourite song to perform live…Kublai Khan – Antpile
“Because I only have two lines and I get to hear about 30 guitar squeals. It’s why I wake up in the morning.”
The song I’d like played at my funeral…Lynyrd Skynyrd – Simple Man
“It’s a deeply, deeply important song to me. And one that has grown and influenced me as I’ve grown older and older. It’s timeless and speaks to me in a way no other song ever has or ever will.”
Kublai Khan TX’s latest EP Lowest Form Of Animal is out now via Rise