Mike Mettler

The peak-era TV juggernaut known as The Walking Dead continues to roll-roll-roll along on its bloody and unbowed path, and it remains one of the best-shot, best-designed, best-looking, and best-sounding shows being broadcast today. That said, TWD is actually best enjoyed on hi-res disc, and its ever-galvanizing eighth season was just released by Lionsgate on Blu-ray and DVD. Lennie James, who plays the struggling pacifist Morgan Jones, discusses why his character endures, why he feels the show’s soundscapes are underrated, and how two other cult-favorite characters he’s portrayed over the years might fare if they met Morgan on the road in the zombie apocalypse.

Tom Bailey, the chief architect of the super-successful ’80s synth-pop masters Thompson Twins (“Hold Me Now,” “Love on Your Side”) is back with a cosmically named solo album, Science Fiction. We called him during a tour stop in Houston to discuss the sonic structure of the album, how he once built his own P.A. speakers, and reconnecting with listening to music on vinyl.

Steve Cropper is the king of the song intro and one of the chief architects of the legendary Stax Records sound. To get the scoop on his recorded history, I called the once and forever Booker T. & The MG’s guitarist/producer to discuss the process of going from mono to stereo in the studio, the true origin of Sam Moore’s indelible “Play it, Steve!” exclamation on “Soul Man,” and the compositional sizzle behind the Booker T. instrumental masterpiece, “Green Onions.”

Some vocalists turn everything they sing into pure audio gold. One such vocalist is Jennifer Warnes, who brings originality, style, and grace to everything her voice touches, as her new album Another Time, Another Place readily attests. Warnes got on the line to discuss the meticulous process she goes through in making her song choices, her special relationship with Leonard Cohen, and why she feels her voice continues to resonate with her listeners.