thePULSEAIDAN
Just returning from a solid UK tour, Aiden is out on the road again for “The Economy Sucks, Let’s Party!” Tour. The tour will be headed by Warped Tour mates Anti-Flag and will also feature Cancer Bats and Fireworks.
Innes Clothing, owned by Matt from Flogging Molly, will be partnering with Anti-Flag to donate clothes and other goods to various local homeless and youth shelters at every date of “The Economy Sucks, Let’s Party!” tour. Greenpeace, peta2, and Amnesty International will also be involved with the tour and have a table at each show.
The tour is also hosting an e-card for fans to get involved! By clicking the “share” link on the E-Card/widget and sending to friends, points will be awarded. The person who shares the widget with the most friends will win Innes gear and swag from each band on the tour. You can view E-Card here: www.clearspring.com/widgets/4adc23ce1d57b1b1?p=4adcb1defd7c20e0
The tour hits the Paradise Rock Club in Boston on Feb 2, 2010
BM LINX 
It’s not every day that an underground NYC band is branded with the stamp of approval by rock zealots such as Alan Moulder, but BM LINX, with their infectious style of beat-driven electro rock, have managed to do just that and much more. The famed British alternative rock record producer discovered BM LINX while passing through NYC and immediately fell in love with the glittery and lacquered-up myriad of rhythmic sounds that drive audiences to sway their hips and tap their feet right up until the very last strum of front man Tony Diodore’s guitar. Moulder, after working with a veritable who’s who of famed artists such as Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins and Depeche Mode (just to name a few), decided to take on BM LINX as a mixing project in his London studio. The results are nothing short of stellar.
BOB SEGER
In a nod to his loyal heartland following, GRAMMY® winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bob Seger will make his new album, Early Seger Vol. 1, available to Midwestern fans through Meijer, the Grand Rapids, Mich-based retailer with 190 supercenters located in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky. The album, which features recently remastered versions of numerous classic Seger songs from the early 1970s and four previously unreleased recordings, will be available at Meijer’s beginning November 24th. Starting the following Monday, November 30th, fans can purchase the CD or a full album download at the artist’s recently re-launched website, www.bobseger.com, where snippets of each of the 10 songs can currently be heard.
The multi-Platinum rocker comes full circle with the album, returning to the Hideout Records label, which released his early singles and several of his early albums. In September, Seger entered Kid Rock’s Allen Roadhouse studio and Yessian Studios in suburban Detroit to re-record elements of four previously unreleased tracks for the collection: “Gets Ya Pumpin’,” “Star Tonight,” “Wildfire” and “Days When the Rain Would Come.”
While in the studio, Seger also re-recorded much of “Long Song Comin'” from 1974’s Seven. In addition, Early Seger Vol. 1 includes five remastered tracks – “Someday” and his version of Tim Hardin’s “If I Were A Carpenter” from Smokin’ O.P’s (released in 1972), Seger’s cover of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Midnight Rider” from Back in ’72 (1973) and “Get Out Of Denver” and “U.M.C. (Upper Middle Class)” from Seven. The three albums preceded Beautiful Loser, his 1975 breakthrough record.
The cover for the new collection features a photo of Seger shot by Tom Weschler, who spent more than 10 years working as tour manager and photographer during Seger’s hard-gigging early days. The packaging features photos from Weschler’s new book, “Travelin’ Man: On the Road and Behind the Scenes With Bob Seger,” co-authored with award-winning music journalist Gary Graff. The book features Weschler’s photographs, text by Graff, a foreword by John Mellencamp, and an afterword by Kid Rock. The book was released last month and has spent 5 weeks at #1 on the U.S. Public University Presses sales chart.
The track listing for Early Seger Vol. 1 follows below, with historical information noted in parenthesis:
1. Midnight Rider (remastered from original Back in ’72 tapes)
2. If I Were A Carpenter (remastered from original Smokin’ O.P’s tapes)
3. Get Out Of Denver (remastered from original Seven tapes)
4. Someday (remastered from original Smokin’ O.P.’s tapes)
5. U.M.C. (Upper Middle Class) (remastered from original Seven tapes)
6. Long Song Comin’ (originally appeared on Seven; extensively re-recorded for Early Seger Vol. 1)
7. Star Tonight (Seger recording previously unreleased; first released as a cover by Don Johnson for his 1986 album, Heartbeat)
8. Gets Ya Pumpin’ (previously unreleased; Seger’s earliest version of this song, written in 1973, was entitled “Pumpin'”)
9. Wildfire (previously unreleased)
10. Days When The Rain Would Come (previously unreleased)
BURNING EMPIRES
Burning Empires is a new project featuring Andy Hurley of Fall Out Boy, Stu Ross, Ryan Morgan, and Kyle Johnson of Misery Signals and Matt Mixon of 7 Angels 7 Plagues. Unlike their other projects BE is a crusty hard-charging hardcore punk with nary a melodic or metal shred in site. The bulk of the songwriting is done by Ross and lyrics are by Morgan who handles vocals (unlike his guitar position in Misery Signals). Ross says of the band “musically I wanted to do a band in relation to Misery Signals, a more punky hardcore version of what we were doing influenced by bands like Propaghandi, Comeback Kid and Cursed. Basically whenever we write a song we live by the mantra fast, pissed and evil.” Lyrically speaking Morgan adds “I find this group is more socially charged than what we’ve done in Misery Signals. A lot of my lyrics up to this point on the Burning Empires material is anti-civilization. Whether it be questioning the role of technology and domestication, or examing the coercion built into social hierachy. Burning Empires definitely taps into what got us excited about hardcore, which to me was music that was armed with a message of awareness.”
The group has a 7” that was released November 10th.
Later this month the band will head to DC to record with Mike Schleibaum (Darkest Hour) for an EP to be released in early 2010. Also confirmed is an Australian tour in January with Aussie acts The Amity Affliction and Break Even with more dates to be announced soon. All members of Burning Empires also share a house in Milwaukee, WI where BE is just one of several projects the housemates are working on. Ross says “We all have outboard gear or Mac recording equipment so we’re all in our rooms playing music all day and Matt is a DJ so it’s pretty much noise all day.”
Then there’s the fashion line, no really, F*ck City hoodies and shirts. Hurley says “We had to change the name of the site to from f*ckcity.com to fc666.com because kids couldn’t access it from school or the library due to program restrictions. I actually can’t access it from town because the public wi-fi has restrictions.”
Of the name Hurley says “We’re like kids where we name everything, like my last house had a name, our backyard has a name, we just gave the house the name F*ck City, (a reference to the TV series “Arrested Development”). Kyle made hoodies for all of the housemates in Green Bay Packer colors (the boys regularly play flag football when home). People kept asking us where they could buy them when we went out so we just decided to start making clothes.“ The line is premiering three new shirt designs this season which the guys describe as their “evil crust punk looking sh*t.”
All merch available at fc666.com
CAKE
Cake, one of the most principled, enduring, self-reliant, and best-selling artists in post-alternative rock, are currently in the midst of recording their sixth studio album, with an entirely green twist: the new project is being written, rehearsed and recorded entirely with solar power. During the recording process, Cake is sharing the results with their fans via a set of free ring tones ~ each based on a song from the upcoming album ~ released via the band’s mailing list.
The first ringtone, titled “Long Time,” is only available for download to members of the Cake mailing list; to sign up, visit: cakemusic.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi. Every six weeks, a ringtone for a new Cake song will be released via e-blast to all mailing list members up until the new album launch in Spring 2010.
Says trumpeter Vince DiFiore: “All the parts we’ve written for a song work symbiotically for the whole; however, some hooks have enough merit on their own to justify offering them as utterly satisfying ring tones.” “We weren’t sure if people were still even listening to albums,” adds songwriter and lead vocalist John McCrea, “so we thought we might just release ring tones and car commercial music instead. This allows people who own cell phones a chance to sample our wares long before an album is ever released. That’s what we know people want. Ring tones.” And bassist Gabriel Nelson says simply, “We are proud to offer high quality, custom crafted ring tones to listeners worldwide.”
Recently honored as one of the top 10 “greenest” bands on the planet in a special issue of Billboard, Cake teamed with Borrego Solar to convert their entire Sacramento recording studio into solar power. The innovative group documented their break away from the city’s energy grid, as illustrated by this video of Cake’s solar conversion: www.cakemusic.com/solar.html.
The group’s decision to record their forthcoming album entirely with solar power was made for both artistic and environmental reasons: “It just seemed like the right thing to do,” says McCrea. “I believe in science, and science is telling us that we need to make adjustments. Living in California, it seemed like a waste not to take advantage of all the free electricity.” DiFiore chimes in: “We work in the spirit of cooperation, and when there is something like solar energy above your head, there is a little bit more levity added.”
Founded in 1992 and reaching worldwide attention on the strength of their platinum albums Fashion Nugget and Prolonging The Magic, Cake have been cited by Rolling Stone as creators of “a modern pop that is both mechanized and organic…highly developed and virtually unique.” Highlights in recent years range from raves for their latest studio album Pressure Chief (2004) and a subsequent compilation of unreleased tracks B-sides and Rarities (2007) to major success in concert, including multiple runs of their self-founded ‘Unlimited Sunshine’ tour and solo dates in large theaters and arenas worldwide.
Cake reissued their first album, Motorcade of Generosity, on June 9th as an enhanced CD. The re-issue includes previously unavailable video footage and limited edition decal. The 180g vinyl version of the album features limited edition poster art and sold out in two days.
CANNIBAL CORPSE
After finishing up a very successful run on this summer’s Rockstar Mayhem Festival tour, death-metal icons Cannibal Corpse are now gearing up to hit the road again as a part of this fall’s Decimation of the Nation 2 Tour featuring Cannibal Corpse as main support to Hatebreed. Supporting Cannibal Corpse and Hatebreed on this month and a half trek across the US and Canada will be labelmates Unearth and Hate Eternal and Sumerian Records artist Born of Osiris (not playing the Worcester, MA date).
Here’s what bassist and founding member Alex Webster had to say about the upcoming tour with Hatebreed, Unearth, Born of Osiris, and Hate Eternal:
“We are psyched to be on tour with such a killer line up of bands. Tours where all the bands are extreme but also have their own style are always great, and this line up definitely fits that description. We expect these shows to be some of the most intense ever….see you all in the pit!”
Cannibal Corpse’s latest release and eleventh studio album Evisceration Plague (February 3, 2009) debuted at #66 in the Billboard Top 200 Chart its first week of release. This marked the third time in the band’s career that the mighty Cannibal Corpse have landed on the Billboard Top 200 Charts with KILL debuting at #170 in 2006 and VILE debuting at #151 in 1994, making Evisceration Plague the highest selling debut in the bands career!
Also joining in on the fun for this tour are Metal Blade Records label mates Unearth and Hate Eternal.
Decimation of the Nation 2 Tour ~ Hatebreed and special guests Cannibal Corpse w/ Unearth and Hate Eternal ~ decimates The Palladium on 12/19.
Editor’s Pick! CAULDRON 
Musicians are a dime a dozen, but what ever happened to rock stars? The kind of performers that had a certain look and a certain essence about them that demanded your attention. The kind of performers that lived lives entirely larger than the sum of their parts. Toronto traditional metal trio CAULDRON, fronted by Jason Decay, will be playing at The Palladium (Upstairs) in Worces
ter on December 8th and is the band who will bring back “the rock star.”
CAULDRON plays music reminiscent of the era of true rock stars ~ bands like DIAMOND HEAD, DOKKEN and early QUEENSRYCHE. That melodic, fist pumping sound comes alive during performances which are packed to the brim with energetic old-school stage moves, a down to earth, genuine retro look and an undeniable presence surrounding frontman Jason Decay. CAULDRON makes small rooms rock like arenas and when offstage, makes any room rock, period.
Read about CAULDRON’s offstage adventures on tour (filled with all sorts of tales of sex, grime and accidental urine drinking) at bit.ly/10AlMO and bit.ly/3M7twG
Watch a live video of CAULDRON’s “Chained Up In Chains” at bit.ly/v6ytF.
CAULDRON’s MySpace page: myspace.com/cauldronmetal
CIRCA SURVIVE
Circa Survive has posted another new in-studio webisode documenting the making of their major label debut with David Bottrill (Tool, King Crimson). Check it out here: www.circasurvive.com.
DECAPITATED
Wacek “Vogg” Kieltyka, guitarist & founding member of the Polish death metal band Decapitated, has issued the following statement:
“It’s time to come back! After a two-year break, Decapitated is coming back with new members. The official new line-up for Decapitated will be announced at the end of December.
“As you all know, the decision to continue the band was really, really hard for me, but everything I do now is to keep Decapitated alive. [Vocalist] Covan’s situation has not improved much and he is still in bed and unable to function on his own. He still fights to recover as we speak and we are all still 100% behind him and hope for the best. It has been the hardest thing for me to move on without [brother & drummer] Vitek by my side, but he would have wanted me to continue with the band.
“Finally, I have found some great musicians who can continue the work of Vitek and Covan. At the beginning of April, Decapitated will start to play our first reunion shows. We will visit the biggest cities in Australia and play some of the biggest summer festivals in Europe. Don’t worry, we won’t forget about the U.K.! After this, the band will concentrate on the making of a new album! I would like to thank all the people who have supported us all this time.”
Maurizio Iacono of the artist management firm Hard Impact Music adds:
“I feel very privileged to have been given the management duties of guiding this great band’s future. Decapitated was a band on the verge of greatness until tragedy hit them and the band’s world stopped suddenly. Today, we have a man on a quest to bring the glory back that was taken from them prematurely. Vogg, the band’s last remaining founding member, has had the gut-wrenching task of forming a new line-up for Decapitated. You can bet that the mission has been accomplished and in honor of the fallen, their legacies will be given the justice they deserve. Our job at Hard Impact is to make sure that Decapitated are guided the right way back to the top.”
Gerardo Martínez, Nuclear Blast USA’s Label Manager comments:
“I don’t think there’s anyone happier to know that the legacy of Decapitated will continue and the fact that Vogg has overcome the biggest obstacle of his life. We all at Nuclear Blast are extremely excited about the news and know that 2010 and beyond will bring a new chapter for Decapitated in the shape of live shows and the imminent new album. The masters of modern technical death metal are back!”
A North American tour is on the horizon for the Summer of 2010.
Visit Decapitated online at www.DECAPITATEDBAND.net & www.myspace.com/DECAPITATED.
(Photo by Aga Krysiuk)
EX DEO
Ex Deo, the Ancient Roman themed arsenal lead by Kataklysm front man Maurizio Iacono, recently returned from a succesfull trek in Europe and are now preparing to take on North America along side Ensiferum, Hypocrisy, and Blackguard. Plans are also in the works for the band to film another epic video for the bands critically acclaimed debut Romulus. The video will be shot once again by renowned director Ivan Colic and producer Stanimir Lucik in Belgrade, Serbia. The filming will take place in early January 2010 and will be released in the month of Mars (March) to celebrate Mars, the ancient Roman god of war.
Commented vocalist Maurizio Iacono, “The first video clip we did was for the title track Romulus. It was an epic venture into the beginning of Romes birth and mythology and served as more of an introduction to the story. This time we’re going to do a video that will turn everyone on their heads. ‘In Her Dark Embrace’ will depict a Roman battle scene. Were not going for airplay here, were going for what Rome was: the most brutal and efficient war machine that ever walked the earth. If it’s blood the people want it’s blood they will get. I can’t wait to get this done.”
Ensiferum, Hypocrisy, and Blackguard, Ex Deo, and Swashbuckle claim The Palladium on Dec. 4.
The video clip for the track “Romulus” can be viewed here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=l38JxFUCh0I&feature=related. Live footage of the same track filmed during their Paganfest Europe tour can be viewed here www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF4Jq3nsCy4.
Family Force 5’s Christmas Pageant
As the holiday season approaches, roaring out of Atlanta, Georgia with a set of strobe lights and an undeniable will to dance, Family Force 5 (www.myspace.com/familyforce5) have been dominating both the Billboard charts and the hearts of their fans and critics. The group has seamlessly blended southern rock, electronica, soul, and crunk into an infectious blend of dance floor anthems that landed them on the cover of Alternative Press.
For their most recent release, Family Force 5’s Christmas Pageant, the band has brought their unique and irreverent vision to time honored Christmas classics such as “The Carol of the Bells”, “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, and “Do You Hear What I Hear?”. The album is in two words: Santa Crunk, filled with thumping bass and synths that put fun back into the holidays. The perfect stocking stuffer for that hard-to-buy-for punk, raver, or party animal on your good list, The Christmas Pageant is available now.
The Christmas Pageant is currently streaming in its entirety on the band’s Myspace (www.myspace.com/familyforce5
Glamour Kills…The Tour
Glamour Kills…The Tour featuring All Time Low with special guests We The Kings, Hey Monday and The Friday Night Boys launched last month and will be coming through Boston, MA on December 3 at House of Blues. This marks the first-ever national music tour from the edgy independent lifestyle brand.
Each band on the tour will have their own exclusive Glamour Kills t-shirts to sell on the road. Glamour Kills…The Tour will also feature giveaways at each show, including Glamour Kills skate decks signed by bands on the trek and tour posters. The entrance to each venue will be set up as a “Pink Carpet” where fans can be photographed when arriving at the show. The photos will be uploaded to www.glamourkills.com for display.
About Glamour Kills:
Founded in 2005 by young entrepreneur Mark Capicotto, Glamour Kills is an edgy and chic lifestyle brand that caters to a hip music-minded demographic with minimalist artwork and vibrant tones. They offer t-shirts, hoodies, denim, swimwear and other accessories to outfit everyone from the punk rocker to the club hopper. For more information, go to the newly revamped website: www.glamourkills.com.
About All Time Low:
All Time Low’s new CD Nothing Personal (Hopeless Records) recently debuted at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart, marking the band’s highest chart position to date. Earlier this year, Glamour Kills teamed with All Time Low for a special pre-order of the CD which included a limited edition poster and the choice of one of four exclusive GK/ATL t-shirt designs. On August 13, All Time Low performed their new single “Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)” on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.”
Good Old War and Cast Spells
The tremendous intra-band camaraderie of the Sargent House roster continues as Good Old War and Cast Spells release a split EP together and tour sharing band members in December. Good Old War will serve as the backing band to Dave Davison’s solo outfit Cast Spells on these dates (please see full dates below). And to further the family love, Good Old War also contribute vocal harmonies to the forthcoming new Sargent House album by Davison’s other band, Maps & Atlases.
In support of this tour, Sargent House will release a 4-song EP comprised of two new tracks by each act. This is the first new music from Good Old War since release of its debut album Only Way to be Alone (Sargent House) in 2008, which has kept the band in a whirlwind of touring (including dates with RX Bandits,The Honorary Title, Heartless Bastards and Gaslight Anthem) and a multitude of radio appearances. Cast Spells released its debut 6-song EP, Bright Works and Baton (Sargent House) in August 2009, and will head overseas for a tour in March 2010 with another Dave Davison project called Hey Tonal.
The Good Old War / Cast Spells tour comes to The Middle East Upstairs on Dec. 5.
ICHABOD
Boston-based ICHABOD is one of those “secret bands” that has been engulfing fans both live and on record for three previous full-lengths over the past decade; expanding musically on each release, and tapping into new territory – both on the road and on tape. The hard working, hard rocking, and more importantly hard to ignore quartet in the underground rock/stoner/cerebral musical scene – who are already heroes in widespread stoner rock, doom, rock, communities internationally, and definitely with any lost soul who has experienced an ICHABOD performance in the live setting.
Based on the predicted apocalypse in the year 2012, ICHABOD have visualized and captured their most potent material to date in their upcoming fourth full-length 2012, set for release November 24th via Rootsucker Records. Unlike the projected approach of the apocalypse as portrayed in the new Cusack flick, this 2012 is cerebrally-oriented; maybe the comparable “zen” or “cerebral soundtrack”of what the everyday human might feel as the world collapses slowly around him presently, while building up to the proposed apocalypse in 2012, as predicted by the Mayan calendar.
Within the confines of one 5-inch slab of plastic, ICHABOD’s new CD 2012 is a testament to the limitless boundaries of music; segueing spiritual oms and trancelike realms of spacious exploration, with hyper-occult spazz-outs, with straight-up doom-ridden rock and roll, absolutely seamlessly. Fans of Alice In Chains, High On Fire, Acid Bath, Om – and even fucking Zappa – can unite to celebrate the ending of humankind under an umbrella of virtual happiness, if ICHABOD is playing in the background.
“…Ichabod’s latest is a work of dark psych and unloaded madness that simmers with unbridled intensity… It is a sound balance of intriguing progression and metallic heaviness sure to surprise many an unsuspecting head across the land.” – TheObelisk.net
“…Ichabod shows they’re not to be taken for granted with 2012, a solid ‘A’ of an album.” – StonerRock.com
“…it is a hands-down, no-brainer that 2012 is the band’s most accomplished, realized collection of material thus far… support one of the hardest working, blue collar outfits our time has seen.” – HellrideMusic.com
www.myspace.com/ichabod
www.rootsuckerrecords.com
www.myspace.com/blacklocust
Live actions and more news on the band will be announced shortly.
Jawbox
Seminal DC post-punk band Jawbox will reissue their consummate release, For Your Own Special Sweetheart, on November 24th. The album, which was originally released on Atlantic Records in 1994, sees the band returning to their roots at the renowned Dischord Records as well as their own DeSoto label, which will work together to release this reissue. Jawbox was one of the cornerstones of the pivotal DIY punk label, in good company with bands such as Fugazi, Minor Threat, Rites of Spring and Shudder To Think.
With the help of Dischord and engineer Bob Weston (Pixies, Jawbox, and member of Shellac), For Your Own Special Sweetheart is meticulously remastered and will be re-released on both CD and vinyl. And, according to bass player, Kim Coletta, “it just sounds a whole lot better.” The collection will include the entire original song line-up along with three additional tracks that appeared on the Savory +3 EP released by Atlantic in 1994. The vinyl version will include a coupon redeemable for free digital download of all songs including the bonus tracks.
Of For Your Own Special Sweetheart, Pitchfork Media raved, “It’s one of the greatest slabs of angular guitar throb that the District of Columbia produced during the 90s, which is saying something.” They called the single “Savory” “…the weirdly sexy guitar tangle that remained a cool-kid mixtape staple for at least a decade.”
Jawbox arose from the primordial pond of DC’s raucous, vibrant underground in 1989, bringing with them a loud, fast and spirited brand of punk rock that brought zealous fans into the pit in droves. Jawbox played their first show opening for Fugazi in 1989; For Your Own Special Sweetheart recalls the latter’s hardcore leanings. After two releases on Dischord they captured the attention of Atlantic Records, with whom they released For Your Own Special Sweetheart, widely considered to showcase the band at its peak. The combination of heavy rhythms, guitar-driven soundscapes and hooky melodies both hark back to and distinguish the band from their roots among Dischord’s finest underground offerings, the boundaries of which they constantly pushed.
Jawbox is J. Robbins (guitar, vocals,) Kim Coletta (bass,) Bill Barbot (guitar) and Zach Barocas (drums.)
KATHARINE MCPHEE
Recording artist and actress Katharine McPhee is preparing to release her second album ~ Unbroken ~ on Verve Records, home to some of the most renowned vocalists of all time including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and, more recently, Diana Krall. Bruce Resnikoff, Verve Music Group’s President and CEO, described Katharine as ”one of the most gifted vocalists of her generation.”
The performer’s first single, “Had It All,” is out now and the accompanying stunning video recently premiered on Yahoo Music, with front page placement. Katharine chose the Paris born and raised, Cyril Guyot to direct “Had It All.” Guyot has directed many music videos and commercials for the likes of Prada, Christian Dior and MTV, among others. Both the single and video were immediately put into heavy rotation by Yahoo Music.
Katharine McPhee traveled amongst Los Angeles, Nashville and Boston to write and record Unbroken, which was produced by John Alagia (John Mayer, Jason Mraz). The album’s first single, “Had It All,” written by David Hodges, Mitch Allan and Kara DioGuardi, is an upbeat and infectious song reflective of Katharine’s evolving sound.
Katharine co-wrote six of the songs on Unbroken with Rachael Yamagata, Paula Cole, Chris Thompk ins, Ingrid Michaelson, among others. Fans can also get an exclusive behind-the- scenes look at the making of Unbroken on MySpace Celebrity. The webisodes follow Katharine throughout a week in the studio allowing fans to experience the recording process. Additional videos will roll out through the release of the album in January.
Katharine’s acting credits include an appearance on “CSI: New York,” where she premiered “Say Goodbye,” a heartbreaking ballad from Unbroken, as well as a co-starring role in the 2008 hit “The House Bunny.” As a recording artist, Katharine found early success with her debut album, Katharine McPhee, and her first single “Over the Rainbow”/”My Destiny” which both debuted at number 2 on Billboard’s 200 and Hot Singles Sales Charts, respectively.
www.myspace.com/katharinemcphee
Melissa Jane
Accomplished singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and model Melissa Jane, aka MJ, has been wowing audiences for the majority of her life. This young, talented songstress is known around the Boston area for her charismatic performing skills and her unique,soulful sound. Her award winning talents have been featured on stages in Walt Disney World, Bourbon Street in New Orleans, The Worcester DCU Center, Times Square NYC, and Fenway Park for both Bose Radio and the Boston Red Sox, just to name a few. MJ has performed with many great musicians including Marty Ballou, Jim Gwin of the Boston Pops Orchestra, Robin Thicke’s right hand guitarist Bobby Keyes, and many others. She has shared the stage with numerous talented, successful artists including Jada (Universal/Mowtown), Niia (Wyclef Jean’s label Clef Records) and Dan Sky (MTV’s Making the Band 4).
Former Berklee College of Music student Melissa Jane has made appearances on the XY.tv show “The VIP,” in commercials for Marylou’s Coffee and her photo is going to be appearing in Ben Affleck’s upcoming movie “The Town.” Her song “Turntable,” a collaboration with Boston rapper S.I.N. was featured in an official Baby Phat/Phat Farm fashion show, while her tune “Break Ur Heart” aired on Radio Disneyand another one of her songs, “Do You Remember,” co-written by Melissa Jane and Ric Poulin and produced by Ric Poulin (credits include Jada, Dropkick Murphys, New Kids on the Block and many more) was played on the Kiss 108 (Boston’s no. 1 top 40 station) Boat Cruise with Kiss DJs Romeo and Joe Public!
Melissa has just completed her first music video with Parravision Productions for her song “My Fantasy” co-written by Melissa Jane and Chris Billias and produced by Chris Billias (credits include Jada, Dropkick Murphys, New Kids on the Block, David “Big Papi” Ortiz). MJ has had extensive training in the performing arts and her musical influences span the many eras of R&B from Aretha Franklin to Mariah Carey. She is currently working towards signing a major record deal, so be sure to keep checking melissajane.com for hot new tracks and updates on this rising star!
www.melissajane.com, www.myspace.com/LoveLifeArt, Facebook “Melissa Jane,” www.twitter.com/Melissajane828, www.youtube.com/MelissaJE
Motion City Soundtrack/WEEZER
Motion City Soundtrack are thrilled to announce that they’ll be joining Weezer this month for some select live shows! Kicking off in Chicago December 1st at the Aragon Ballroom, this run will see MCS playing dates in the Midwest and along the East Coast with the like-minded pop rockers. And directly following the Weezer dates, MCS will return to Chicago for a sold out exclusive three night stand at Lincoln Hall where the band will perform their first three albums in their entirety over three separate nights – I AM THE MOVIE on December 18th, COMMIT THIS TO MEMORY on December 19th, and EVEN IF IT KILLS ME on December 20th.
There is a lot of excitement in the Motion City Soundtrack camp as the band gears up for the release of their major label debut – MY DINOSAUR LIFE. The first single off the album ~ “Disappear” ~ is currently being streamed on the band’s web site and is available for purchase exclusively through iTunes. Stay tuned as more details and exciting happenings will be revealed very soon!
Catch MCS and Weezer on Dec. 7th at the Agganis Arena in Lowell.
In the meantime, check out www.motioncitysoundtrack.com for new music and more.
NCIS: THE OFFICIAL TV SOUNDTRACK – VOL. 2
CBS Records has released the second volume of a specially produced soundtrack for the hit television series NCIS. NCIS: The Official TV Soundtrack – Vol. 2 features brand new and previously unreleased tracks from some of music’s most popular artists ~ including Bob Dylan, Norah Jones, John Mellencamp, Sheryl Crow, Joss Stone, Sick Puppies, and Saosin ~ that are available exclusively on this soundtrack.
The November 3 episode of NCIS featured Bob Dylan’s “California” ~ a never-before-released track that originally dates from the Bringing It All Back Home sessions and has remained locked in the vaults until now. “California” has been newly mixed and mastered and is a true gem from one of music’s greatest artists. The remaining tracks will be placed in NCIS episodes throughout the current season, which ends in May 2010.
The soundtrack also features a brand new song from NCIS star Michael Weatherly (Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo), “Bitter And Blue,” that was recorded especially for this soundtrack. Exclusive new tracks from rising stars Sharon Little and Keaton Simons are also featured, as are Otis Redding’s “I’ve Got Dreams To Remember” and Tom Lehrer’s “The Elements” that were both heard in previous episodes of NCIS and were suggested by the show’s fans in a poll conducted through the NCIS music website (ncismusic.com).
As they did with the highly successful first volume, NCIS: The Official TV Soundtrack, NCIS show producers listened to dozens of submitted tracks before choosing the ones best suited for upcoming shows. As NCIS Executive Producer Shane Brennan explains, “It was really gratifying to see the incredible response to our first soundtrack, and we want fans to know that we’ve put the same care and attention into assembling this new volume as we did with the first. So many great artists have contributed fresh material to this soundtrack, and the result is truly special.”
NCIS airs Tuesdays (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and is produced by Belisarius Productions in association with CBS Television Studios.
The complete track listing for NCIS: The Official TV Soundtrack – Vol. 2 is as follows:
1. Bob Dylan California Exclusive
2. Norah Jones That’s What I Said Exclusive
3. Joss Stone Every Time I Turn Around Exclusive
4. Sick Puppies That Time Of Year Exclusive
5. Sharon Little Genie In My Dreams Exclusive
6. John Mellencamp Someday The Rains Will Fall Exclusive
7. Sheryl Crow Murder In My Heart Exclusive
8. Keaton Simons Grim Reaper Exclusive
9. Otis Redding I’ve Got Dreams To Remember
10. Michael Weatherly Bitter And Blue Exclusive
11. Saosin Move Slow Exclusive
12. Tom Lehrer The Elements
Neil Young
Dreamin’ Man, Neil Young Archives Performance Series #12, will be released December 8 (vinyl on Jan. 12), 17 years after the original release of Harvest Moon.
The album is a complete live performance of Young’s album Harvest Moon drawn from various solo acoustic shows he performed in 1992 before the actual release of the Harvest studio recording. The album was produced by Young and John Hanlon and recorded and mixed by Tim Mulligan.Dreamin’ Man Live ’92 track listing:
“Dreamin’ Man”
“Such A Woman”
“One Of These Days”
“Harvest Moon”
“You And Me”
“Hank To Hendrix”
“Unknown Legend”
“Old King”
“Natural Beauty”
“War Of Man”
In other news, Neil Young has been declared MusiCares “Person of the Year” for 2010. The Farm Aid co-founder who also raises millions of dollars annually for physically and mentally impaired children via Bridge School Concerts will be honored as MusiCares Person of the Year for 2010. Young will receive the award on January 29th, right before the Grammy Awards. Proceeds from the annual GRAMMY Week gala dinner and concert honoring Young will provide essential support for MusiCares, which ensures that music people have a place to turn to in times of financial, medical and personal need.
As part of its ongoing Archives reissue campaign with legendary singer-songwriter Neil Young, Reprise Records will release re-mastered versions of the first four of Young’s classic solo albums, 1969’s Neil Young and Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, 1970’s After the Gold Rush, and 1972’s Harvest.
Available as of November 23rd, each re-issue has been re-mastered from the original analog master tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios in Hollywood, CA.
The albums are being reissued on both vinyl and compact disc.
The individual albums are being issued on 140 gram vinyl to retail. There is also a box set of the four albums pressed on audiophile 180 gram vinyl.Vinyl will be pressed at Pallas MFG/Germany—the world’s premiere record-pressing plant.
The box sets will be individually numbered in gold foil stamp and strictly limited to 3,000 units worldwide. The four albums will also be released on 24 karat gold CDs, packaged in Gary Burden designed cardboard wallet packs. The four gold CD albums are housed in a numbered slip case, limited to 2,500 worldwide.
The box sets and gold vinyl be be available only through www.becausesoundmatters.com and www.neilyoung.com.
All four titles have already been released to retail on standard CDs, housed in jewel boxes.
Photos courtesy of Steve Babineau.
Nico Vega
L.A. buzz band Nico Vega is currently on a headlining tour, including a homecoming Halloween show at Club Nokia with rockers Chevelle, before jumping on tour with Inward Eye, and Neon Trees.
The band (singer Aja Volkman, guitarist Rich Koehler and drummer Dan Epand) has made a name for itself thanks in part to its blistering and in-your-face live show highlighted by dynamic frontwoman Aja Volkman’s volatile stage presence. Filter described the band as “a musical, mythical beast” while 944 Magazine heralded them as a “brutal love triangle of rock, funk and blues” and congratulated the trio for its “wide musical scope, which stretches from stomach-scraping soul to unrelenting rage.” The NY Post called Aja “insanely spirited,” comparing her to Janis Joplin and Karen O.
Having worked with producers Linda Perry (Pink, Gwen Stefani) and Tim Edgar (Earl Greyhound), and mixer Tchad Blake (Pearl Jam, Elvis Costello, Peter Gabriel), Nico Vega channels a classic swagger a la Led Zeppelin and adds soaring, soulful vocals somewhere between Fiona Apple and PJ Harvey.
Over the summer the band’s song “Beast” was featured in the horror film The Collector and now Aja is preparing to leap headfirst onto the silver screen herself, making her acting debut co-starring in the upcoming Dane Cook movie Answers To Nothing where her shockingly gritty scenes will definitely not be forgotten anytime soon. Aja will play Tara, the mistress who is also a musician, and Nico Vega will sport cameos in the movie.
Catch Nico Vega on Tour with Inward Eye/Neon Trees on 12/10 at TT The Bears in Cambridge
NORIEGA
Upstart label Viable Records is proud to announce the group’s first release, Noriega’s Desolo, on December 8. Boasting members of Los Angeles buzzband Black Sheep Wall, Noriega has also launched pre-orders for the band’s debut EP and posted “Life By Myself” from the five-track effort; both are available at www.myspace.com/noriegaband and www.viablerecords.com.
Melding the heaviest of the doom bands with licks reminiscent of pseudo-jazz and combining hardcore riffing with meaningful imagery and lyrical poetry, all in tandem with originality Black Sheep Wall only briefly displayed, Noriega should be a welcome addition to the extreme metal world years after the worlds of metal and hardcore started to combine, evolve, branch, and inspire.
“We all went through Daniel’s passing,” Thompson says of the recent passing of Admiral Angry’s Daniel Kraus ~ one of the band’s collective close friends ~ during the writing process of Desolo. “It’s definitely a negative energy on the album for that reason among many others. But, we don’t want it to be saying it’s hopeless. Not only with the lyrics, but also with the music, there’s definitely an awkward vibe [for the band], but we wrote these songs in context to a series of less than ideal circumstances; like you don’t relate to anyone, that you’re more alone than you will ever realize. That’s what we tried to do with these songs.”
Tying into those feelings are the appearance of Admiral Angry vocalist Chris Lindblad on two of the tracks on Desolo including the 12-minute EP-closer “Ballacaust.”
Noriega will make its live debut in its current incarnation Thursday, Oct. 29 in Los Angeles at Relax Ba alongside Struck By Lightning (ex-members of Mouth of the Architect), Danger Invites Rescue, and Weight. The band also plans on holding a record release show closer to the release date of Desolo and is mapping out tentative touring plans.
For more info on Viable Records, visit www.viablerecords.com ~ for more on Noriega, check out
www.myspace.com/noriegaband.
OCC ROCKS
OCC Rocks, the classic rock compilation put together by Paul Sr., head of the Orange County Chopper custom motorcycle brand and star of TLC’s American Chopper, is available everywhere now! There is a specially-priced limited deluxe edition available at Walmart, featuring a bonus disc, downloadable content, and an OCC tattoo.
Album art features the custom bike for OCC: The Band, which was the subject of the American Chopper episode that aired on October 29.
OCC Rocks includes songs by the likes of Mountain, Eddie Money, Rick Derringer and Kansas,
with Paul Sr. singing on OCC: The Band’s rendition of “Summertime Blues”
OCC ROCKS Track listing:
1. MOUNTAIN ~ “MISSISSIPPI QUEEN”
2. EDDIE MONEY ~ “TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE”
3. THE OCC BAND (F/. PAUL TEUTUL SR.) ~ “SUMMERTIME BLUES”
4. MOTT THE HOOPLE ~ “SWEET JANE”
5. RICK DERRINGER ~ “ROCK & ROLL, HOOCHIE KOO”
6. BLUE OYSTER CULT ~ “BURNIN’ FOR YOU”
7. THE OCC BAND (F/. BUMBLEFOOT) ~ “COLD SWEAT”
8. TOTO ~ “HOLD THE LINE”
9. TED NUGENT ~ “CAT SCRATCH FEVER”
10. GUESS WHO ~ “AMERICAN WOMAN”
11. THE OCC BAND ~ “HIT AND RUN”
12. KANSAS ~ “CARRY ON WAYWARD SON”
13. THE OUTLAWS ~ “GREEN GRASS & HIGH TIDES”
14. MOLLY HATCHET ~ “FLIRTIN’ WITH DISASTER”
15. THE OCC BAND ~ “PUSHIN’ TOO HARD”
16. JUDAS PRIEST ~ “YOU’VE GOT ANOTHER THING COMING”
17. DEATH VALLEY SCREAMERS ~ “BONNIE AND CLYDE”
You can download and post a FREE MP3 of OCC: The Band’s rendition of “Summertime Blues” featuring Paul Sr. singing here: release.theplatform.com/content.select?pid=OmoFfyfUMN7lRKjifEaVUj4whGQmKF_s&UserName=Unknown
Watch the crew building a custom bike dedicated to OCC Rocks @ www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv3SSuPiNW8
www.orangecountychoppers.com, tlc.discovery.com/tv/american-chopper, myspace.com/orangecountychoppers, myspace.com/occtheband
ORLA FALLON
Singer/harpist Orla Fallon (formerly of Celtic Women) has just released Distant Shore on Nashville’s Green Hill Music and EMI; the album was produced by Eoghan O’Neill (pronounced: Owen) and Dan Shea (who, with John Bettis, wrote the title track “Distant Shore”). O’Neill is a founding member of the seminal Irish folk-rock band Moving Hearts, and was Musical Director of Riverdance-The Show. For the past five years O’Neill has shared the world stage with Orla as Celtic Woman’s Musical Director and bassist. Shea, a multi-platinum American producer, whose long resume of hit pop productions includes tracks by Mariah Carey, Carlos Santana, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion and Martina McBride, produced and/or co-produced six tracks on Distant Shore.
Orla Fallon toured the world as a soloist in the phenomenally popular performing troupe Celtic Woman for four years and recorded with them the three albums which held a record-setting 95 consecutive weeks at the No. 1 position on the Billboard World Music Albums chart. During Fallon’s four years in the group, Celtic Woman sold more than 4 million CDs and DVDs, played seven US tours, and performed for more than 800,000 people. Meanwhile, the three Celtic Woman PBS Specials have aired more than 13,658 times on 685 PBS stations across the country, covering 97% of US television households. Fallon’s first solo album, The Water Is Wide, debuted on that chart in the Top 10 upon its U.S. release in 2006.
About the team who helped make the new album a reality, Fallon effuses, “I am so very fortunate to have worked with such amazing people on both sides of the Atlantic. I am so excited about this record as I think we have done a wonderful job fusing my Celtic roots with the sounds of the American heartland.
The album was recorded at the famed Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin and at Nashville’s Dark Horse Studios ~ both recording facilities have hosted such platinum starts as U2, The Chieftains, Faith Hill, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond, Taylor Swift, Big and Rich, and Martina McBride.
Fallon, who had Worcester audiences spellbound during her November 15 performance at The Hanover Theatre, will be a special guest star on Beautiful World, the upcoming pledge drive concert of platinum-selling crossover instrumental songwriter and pianist Jim Brickman. She will also sing on Brickman’s holiday CD release (sold only at Target). Says Brickman, “I just love Orla. She is so talented and such a multi-dimentional artist. I am very excited to be working so closely with her as she develops her own solo career.”
www.orlafallon.com and myspace.com/orlafallonofficial
PICTURE ME BROKEN
The 2009 winners of MTV’s VMA Best Breakout Bay Area Band, Picture Me Broken, comprised of teenagers hailing from Redwood City, CA, have just won Pac Sun’s Battle of the Bands, and snatched-up the coveted opening slot for Capitol Records’ SOASIN on November 8 at the historic Fillmore Theater in San Francisco.
This is a huge honor for the upstart members of Picture Me Broken as the Fillmore’s stage has been graced with rock legends such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane and The Doors, not to mention Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band fame, who happens to be the father of the Picture Me Broken’s female lead singer Layla Brooklyn Allman. Now Layla is keeping the Fillmore name in the family with this coveted performance on the very same stage her father performed on back in 1971. Interesting side note: The Allman Brothers recorded their breakthrough album at Fillmore East at the Fillmore’s sister venue in NYC also in 1971. The album is #49 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 list of Greatest Albums of All Time.
Pac Sun is also taking the Battle of Bands competition up another notch by giving the 35 local band finalists a shot to earn a performing gig on the action sports and music channel Fuel TV.
The highly-motivated four members of Picture Me Broken recently self-released their new EP Dearest (I’m So Sorry), which also is the title of the band’s first single. They also scored a Hollywood Music in Media Award (HMMA) nomination for the single in the Rock category. The HMMA’s will be held on Thursday November, 19 at The Highlands in the Kodak Theatre Complex in Hollywood.
Pure Volume’s #1 downloaded track “Dearest (I’m So Sorry)” also breathes life into the college radio circuit reaching #2 and climbing on Washington State University’s KZUU Loud Rock Radio.
Though enthusiasm and raw energy empower Layla Brooklyn Allman, as well as lead guitarist Nick Loiacono, bassist Austin Dunn and drummer Connor Lung, each opportunity they earn boils down to another well-deserved stepping stone for this young, talented and loudly buzzing rock band.
www.myspace.com/picturemebroken
SKINLAB
Skinlab are announcing the launch of three new contests shortly ~ more details will be available soon. The band recently released The Scars Between Us on Stand And Deliver Records. Of Scars, their first new work in several years, Fangoria Magazine proclaimed, “…hardcore fans will likely agree that The Scars Between Us was worth the wait. The album grooves hard with a nice fuzz and a low end kick in the ass.”
Contest # 3 ~ Metal Hammer starts on December 7th, and ends on January 8th. The prize pack is a Jackson Guitar and The Scars Between Us. On contest start date head to www.metalhammer.co.uk/competitions/.
www.myspace.com/skinlab
SKY TELLS ALL
Fueled by melodic pop hooks and armed with muscular guitar lines informed by a youthful diet of punk and hardcore, Sky Tells All bring radio hits to the pit.
Vocalist Josh remarks, “When we first started we were screamo, but as we grew together the sound kept slowly getting more and more poppy, when we recorded our new EP Go Ahead You Try It we decided to cut out all of the screaming. I think it fits who we are best, two years ago we had fun as a screamo band, now we have way more fun playing the poppier material.”
The first act to be signed to famed Boxer Roy Jones Jr’s rock label, the band has a chance encounter to thank for getting them together with Jones. Josh recalls, “We were a club one night and Roy happened to own it or have a stake in it. I was starstruck but I approached him and told him we were in a band and playing with The Ataris a few nights later and asked if he could check us out. He politely said yes but I didn’t really expect to see him there. He was there and right after we performed he left without a word, we thought he hated it but a few days later he called Blake (guitar, vocals) and we had an impromptu meeting where he expressed interest in working with us.”
Yet another chance encounter had brought the band members together: Josh tells us, “I met Brian (guitar) while I was living in Maryland but on tour with my old band. I also met Blake and Alec when we played Pensacola on tour as well. I moved to Pensacola some time later and ended up working in Walmart with Alec and we recognized each other. He told me that they started a new band and I should come and jam. At that point I decided to quit music but wanted to have some fun and before I knew it we were a band.”
On the national front, the band has done extensive touring including a thirty date tour this past fall and shows with the likes of We The Kings, Hit The Lights, A Day To Remember, Metro Station, The Academy Is and Emery. But their strangest brush with celebrity came recently when the band rented out a studio space in L.A. to practice for their show at The Viper Room. Josh shared, “The Wallflowers were practicing in the next room over. We ended up hanging out and talking for a little while. They might end up in the DVD we are releasing with the EP.”
The band will be announcing a tour soon, so stay tuned at www.myspace.com/skytellsall.
The New Regime
We’ve been warned. “Things are about to get MANIC,” says Rock Sound magazine.
What’s behind that declaration? The New Regime, the “true solo project” of current Nine Inch Nails and former Lostprophets drummer Ilan Rubin. No mere time-keeper, the adept multi-instrumentalist wrote and recorded every note of bass, drums, guitar, piano and vocals on The New Regime’s 2008 debut, Coup (Command! Music).
Feeling energized by the new crop of fans he’s collected due to Nine Inch Nails’ recently concluded “Wave Goodbye” tour, Rubin has put together a special limited edition deluxe package of Coup now available exclusively on the band’s website (www.thenewregimemusic.com). For the low price of $45, fans will get a 180 gram vinyl, the CD, a DVD featuring live performances and an interview with Rubin, a 16-page full color 12” x 12” booklet, and an exclusive website link to download instrumental mixes from The New Regime’s website. All 1,000 limited edition copies will also be hand-numbered and signed by Rubin. A stand alone digipak CD will also be available on the band’s website for $7.
In a true sign of support for his new band member, Trent Reznor is encouraging his hardcore fans to get to know The New Regime by offering a free download of the album in its entirety on NIN.com the same day as COUP’s release. Nine Inch Nails’ camp is also now hosting the download on a direct link, thenewregime.nin.com.
What can fans expect from The New Regime? As praised in a Kerrang! magazine “4-K!” album review, the songs of Coup “…are presented with such wonderfully bombastic flourishes it sweeps you along like the most of lethal rip tides. They can hardly be delusions of grandeur when they’re so accomplished and self assured.” And Spinner.com/AOL concluded about RUBIN: “It looks as though the budding rock star has a long musical career ahead of him.”
Accomplished beyond his years, Rubin has played professionally since the age of nine. Opening Woodstock ’99 with his first band, F.o.N., a then eleven-year old Rubin found his way into the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest person to play the historic festival. He went on to drum for Denver Harbor (Universal), completing his high school degree while touring the country in a van. Next for the teenager was a stint with Lostprophets, playing on Liberation Transmission, the band’s third album, which debuted at #1 on the U.K. album charts. In those three years alone, Rubin had played for sold-out crowds and festivals all over the world—including Download, Reading/Leeds, Rock am Ring/Park, Fuji Rock, Summer Sonic, V Festival and many others. In late 2008, Trent Reznor invited Rubin to join Nine Inch Nails after being “blown away” by his performance at the Reading/Leeds Festival in 2007. Rubin went on to blow the rest of the band away in November when he was asked to rehearse with Nine Inch Nails for their “Lights InThe Sky” tour, following Josh Freese’s departure.
The New Regime was born in between writing and recording the latest Lostprophets album and performing a string of sporadic tour dates. “All of the material was written and recorded on Lostprophets downtime,” Rubin explains, “and to be honest, I had never really sung before.” After acquainting himself with the role of singer, he wrote and recorded seven songs in his San Diego, CA garage. “I started playing it for people—not telling them who it was—and started getting some really positive feedback. So I decided to continue with it.” The aura of mysterious genesis is a concept Rubin planned quite thoroughly. “I wanted people to listen to it and make up their minds based on the music—not who it was by, or what band I’m in,” he says.
An equally enigmatic viral video followed (which can be seen on the band’s YouTube channel), fusing The New Regime’s music with imagery of protest, uprising, urgency and change. Quickly spreading throughout various music websites and blogs, The New Regime received major radio and press attention within a week of the video’s release. With several more songs in hand, Coup became a reality. Drawing his influence from the greats ~ The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Queen, to name a few ~ Rubin set out to create an eclectic, yet thematically dark album. Coup feels much like a procession, each song marching forward, inviting all who listen to join in its crusade.
Ever evolving, Rubin’s vision is not obscure: “All the songs on the album are there for a reason. I never want to be categorized or pigeonholed into a sound, where if I did something different, a fan base would feel abandoned.” It is this ideology that assures the music is limited only by the imaginative inventiveness of its creator, and that the world will be better off under the watchful eye of The New Regime.
www.thenewregimemusic.com
www.myspace.com/thenewregime
www.youtube.com/user/thenewregimeVIDS
www.twitter.com/ilanrubin
www.facebook.com/thenewregime
Photo by Hadas
THE RESURRECTION SORROW
Holding for the right time to strike requires discipline. The heavy metal tank known as The Resurrection Sorrow has been idling for some time ~ ominously. All the while being shovel fed swamp water and coffin dirt, preparing its attack.
Using stone-heavy handed riffing, barbaric percussive destruction and brooding, occult-inspired vocals, TRS boast catchy hooks and infectious grooves not easily ignored. With homage being paid to the oracles of 1970s England, the Bay Area of the 1980s and those of 1990s Seattle and American swamplands, the band has taken the torch from its predecessors and are just taking it further into the cave.
The New York City-based unit features a cast of musicians who have collectively spent time in NYC acts Murphy’s Law, Tides Within, After Dark, Malstrom, Supervillain and more, bringing years of both studio and on-stage expertise to the table. The Resurrection Sorrow’s self-released debut full-length Hour of the Wolf was recorded by veteran NYC engineer Joe Hogan (Nebula, The Atomic Bitchwax) and features intense artwork by Seldon Hunt (Pelican, Sunn O), Made out of Babies).
In celebration of this album’s unveiling, the band will play a record release show on November 21st and Brooklyn’s Trash Bar alongside Seventh Void (featuring Johnny Kelly and Kenny Hickey from Type-O Negative and Danzig), as part of the Second Annual Trash Bar Music and Arts Festival.
www.resurrectionsorrow.com
www.myspace.com/resurrectionsorrow
The Summer Set
Scottsdale, Arizona’s The Summer Set is here to keep the warm weather days going all year long with their sunny pop-punk songs that had the audience on its feet when the band rocked Harper’s Ferry on October 28. The band formed in 2007, when brothers Stephen and John Gomez, still in high school at the time, decided to start a band with local friends Brian Dales, Jess Bowen and Josh Montgomery. Before they even graduated, the young band self-released their first two EPS and sold over 20,000 copies of both to date. The Summer Set’s music has quickly created a large following for this young band with over 7.5 million plays and over 2 million profile views on MySpace.
The band’s first full length album, Love Like This (Razor & Tie), hit stores on October 13th. Produced by Matt Grabe (The Maine, A Rocket to the Moon), the album has additional production by Matt Squire (3OH!3, Taking Back Sunday, Panic at the Disco) and also features a track co-written with Dave Katz and Sam Hollander (Metro Station, Boys Like Girls, and Gym Class Heroes). The infectious sound of The Summer Set’s power hooks, swirling synth lines, and catchy lyrics is apparent on the first single “Chelsea,” which is currently available on iTunes.
The Summer Set has toured with bands including Sing It Loud, We Shot The Moon, Everybody Else, Mercy Mercedes, The Pink Spiders.
www.myspace.com/thesummerset
www.facebook.com/thesummerset
THEM CROOKED VULTURES
Them Crooked Vultures ~ aka Dave Grohl, Joshua Homme and John Paul Jones ~ released its eponymous debut album in the United States and Canada on DGC/Interscope Records in November.
The self-produced 13-song record will feature the debut of the studio versions of the material Them Crooked Vultures unveiled at its August 9 debut at Chicago’s Cabaret Metro and played on a first series of shows throughout a handful of UK and European cities and portions of the eastern U.S., wrapping up with an October 15 appearance at New York’s Roseland Ballroom.
Additional shows are being announced in the wake of the album’s release, including but not necessarily limited to December dates in the UK and Europe and a January trip to Australia and New Zealand.
The complete track listing of Them Crooked Vultures is as follows:
No One Loves Me & Neither Do I
Mind Eraser, No Chaser
New Fang
Dead End Friends
Elephants
Scumbag Blues
Bandoliers
Reptiles
Interlude With Ludes
Warsaw or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up
Caligulove
Gunman
Spinning In Daffodils
For further information, updates, dates, etc., check www.themcrookedvultures.com.
WALKEN
Born within the eclectic Bay Area music scene, San Francisco’s Walken seamlessly combine various genres and styles, resulting in a diverse blend of metallic exploration and energetic angst.
Bearing two members of area musical experimentalists Grayceon, Walken have been constantly expelling their unique style of metal for the past 10 years. Comprised of a tight-knit crew who converged to create heavy blues-inspired metal paired with classical melodies, WALKEN boast a high-octane, sporadic, metallic sound that reaches out to punk, metal and straight-up rock & roll fans abroad.
Recorded in five days at The Atomic Garden by Jack Shirley (Grayceon, Ghostlimb, Light This City), Walken is the first full-length by the band’s newly revamped four-piece lineup. The album bears artwork by Mr. Ben Venom, their logo designed by famed artist Christophe Szpajdel (Emperor, Abigail Williams). The band’s content deals with life and dealing with all the struggles that arise and trying to find some sort of personal peace within the madness; human basics, not some excessive concept album.
“I better make sure I’m on the toilet when I listen to any of this bands future
releases, because I might shit myself” – Heartattack
“Walken raise their fists at the crossroads of hardcore punk and metal… With bass strings
so loosely strung that you can hear ’em clatter and manly screamo vocals, the band’s
raw thrashing is heavily indebted to very early Bay Area metal bands such as Metallica, Exodus
and Testament, but with unexpected bluesiness in the riff department.” – Aquarius Records
www.walkenroll.com
www.myspace.com/walken
WYCLEF
Wyclef Jean returns to his hip-hop roots and has released the gritty album DJ Drama Presents Wyclef Jean AKA Toussaint St. Jean “From The Hut, To The Projects, To The Mansion,” a collaboration with DJ Drama to be released on Carnival House via Megaforce/RED. The EP also features Eve, Timbaland, Maino, Cyndi Lauper, Lil Kim, among others.
AOL Spinner is streaming the album in full. Check it out here: www.spinner.com/new-releases#/14
View Wyclef’s Billboard Mixtape feature, included is the song “Warriors Anthem”
www.billboard.com/search/?keyword=wyclef#/news/song-premiere-wyclef-jean-s-warrior-s-anthem-1004040772.story
Toussaint St. Jean, the title character of Wyclef’s new EP, is a persona suggested to Wyclef by his friend and collaborator T.I. The character Toussaint is loosely based on the 18th-century Haitian revolutionary hero, Toussaint L’Ouverture, a figure who brought Haiti to significance on the international stage. Wyclef, who is originally from Haiti, inhabits the role of Toussaint and recreates himself in the spirit of a noble fighter, a man who says exactly what is on his mind. Toussaint’s rhymes hit hard, in a “militant style,” and make his words felt — and remembered.
Wyclef views the message of “Toussaint St. Jean” as “not everything that appears bad is really bad, because the real bad men move in silence. So be careful what you emulate, because it’s could get you six feet deep. If you don’t see me with a gun, it doesn’t mean that the guy with the gun is badder than me. I’ve been in those communities, but you’ve got to rise past that world.” And, as always with Wyclef, there’s more to the story than meets the eye. “Toussaint St. Jean” represents just the first step on the road to another album he intends to release in 2010 titled simply “wyclefjean.” The album will reflect a three-dimensional portrait of an artist for whom the gritty sagas of Toussaint St. Jean are just one part.
