New York Times: Every Time I Die

The key to “The Big Dirty,” by the Buffalo metalcore band Every Time I Die, isn’t just the music — big, barreling guitar riffs with some swing in them, sudden switches to a new rhythm well into a song — but the words too. They’re so complicated that a lyric sheet is helpful, but the best one-liners jump out of each verse. The singer Keith Buckley has been perfecting his lyric-writing skills over three previous albums: he fixes a general concept for a song, then strafes it with sayings and familiar phrases, sometimes imported from one context to another.

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Metal Is Sweet Music to Guitar Makers

There aren't too many mean-looking things in Cupertino, this sleepy Silicon Valley haunt of Apple employees and overachieving middle schoolers.

But there's something gruesome growing in one corner of town: Halo Custom Guitars, Inc.

Fueled by a resurgence in heavy metal music, and its numerous dark sub-genres, Halo makes and sells evil looking instruments with bodies carved to resemble rotting flesh, distended eyeballs and bone. The demonically-themed guitars primarily find their way into the hands of death metal musicians.

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The City of San Francisco is proclaiming September 5th as Ron Thompson Day

The City of San Francisco is proclaiming September 5th as Ron Thompson Day.

Mayor Gavin Newsom and his Entertainment & Arts Liaison, Patti Carlise, plan to be on hand that evening to personally present the proclamation to Ron on stage at Biscuits and Blues! Show starts at 8 PM. Tom Mazzolini (founder and producer of the San Francisco Blues Fest) and other VIPs will be on hand to celebrate Ron's well-deserved and long overdue recognition.But before "The Day," there is tomorrow, Monday--August 27th--tune into KFOG 's morning show--you can access the program via streaming internet. Ron will be playing a little guitar (of course!) and his long-time friend Mick Fleetwood has promised to call in from Maui (4:30AM Mick/Maui ime)

Ron will also be performing at the Summer of Love 40th Anniversary on Sunday, September 2nd in Golden Gate Park. An incredible line-up is planned--check out the SOL website for a full list and more details. The show is also going to be webcast.

Submitted by Jackie McCort

Droid Now 2nd Stage Headliner for Family Values Tour

California metal heads Droid have moved from opening the main stage at this year’s Family Values Tour to closing the Guitar Hero Second Stage. This will give fans a chance to get up close and personal with the heavy hitters from Long Beach .

Also, from now until the end of the tour, Korn’s James “Munky” Shaffer will be joining Droid at their signing booth. Shaffer is the founder of Emotional Syphon Recordings, the record label that released Droid’s self-titled debut CD in July. When fans buy Droid’s CD at the signing booths, they will also receive a free bonus DVD. The DVD is available only at signings and online when you order the album from Droid’s website.

Guitarist Jamie Teissere had this to say about the move: “Since they’ve pushed us back, we haven’t had a bad show. The energy is the way it should be! It’s a lot easier to let people know we’re going on later. We’re playing in front of twice as many people, all concentrated in one area, instead of all spread out in a 20,000-seat amphitheater. Now we’ve got huge mosh pits with tons of people crowd surfing. We’ve even had a couple dudes carried out with broken legs!”

On their self-titled Emotional Syphon Recordings debut, Droid embraces a bludgeoning aesthetic that pummels, punishes and pushes the boundaries of heavy metal. Their assault stems from a musical skeleton fused by rapid-fire riffs, wicked power grooves and a violent, hardcore crash.

Make sure to catch Droid as they headline the Guitar Hero Second Stage at all remaining Family Values dates, and don’t miss them at their signings where they will now be joined by Munky from Korn!

News Submission from Adrenaline PR

Best-Of Albums: A Difficult Decision for Bands

On one hand it remains a giant moneymaker for labels.

On the other, iTunes has made greatest-hits albums redundant. If you want an act’s highlights, you can assemble them yourself.

The Sacramento, Calif., band Cake was requested by its former label, Columbia Records, to make a greatest-hits album. With only a handful of well-known albums to its name, the band judged a best-of disc to be premature. It refused, prompting a legal fight between Cake and Columbia.

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Record Executive Brings Music's Marketing Savvy to Publishing with Free Download of his Debut Novel

Article By Brendan Peters
Submitted By Adrenaline PR

Ramsey Dean was thrilled when his debut novel, The CoolKids, was likened by publishers to a teen version of the John Kennedy Toole Pulitzer Prize-winning classic Confederacy of Dunces. That was until his own journey into the publishing world began to resemble the tragic author’s life. Within the praise for the epic comedy there were the calls for conformity that has turned publishing into Hollywood ’s farmers: “Could you dumb it down?”, “Could you make it shorter?”, “Could you make it more mainstream?”



When they said it would be a niche release because “teens don’t read”, Ramsey realized they didn’t know the demographic the way he did. By day he was one of the most noted music executives in the world of independent rock. He had held VP positions at the two largest labels in the business, TVT Records and Victor y Records, was currently heading up an elite artist development unit for EMI Music, and was well known for his innovative and sometimes unorthodox marketing strategies. He had seen the power of this audience grab onto million-selling artists like Taking Back Sunday, Hawthorne Heights , and Atreyu. Selling to this audience was his stock and trade.

That was when Ramsey Dean went to work, drawing up a marketing plan for the next artist he hoped to break: Ramsey Dean. While the publishing business frowns upon self-releasing, the music business thrives on it. The first thing he did was build a website where the entire book can be downloaded and printed in soft-cover format, right from a printer, absolutely free. While the traditional publishing model could never tolerate this, Ramsey knew that in music, where artists rarely see royalties, the album is more of a marketing tool, used to achieve fame and sell t-shirts and concert tickets.

With this in mind, the e-book goes where traditional publishing can’t, custom designed with links that go directly to a shirt store. Revolving around the fashion and music obsessed youth of today, The CoolKids boasts more t-shirts and songs than most albums. Once at the site, http://www.wearethecoolkids.com/ , the book takes on a life of its own, inviting readers to design and sell t-shirts, post songs, pictures, shoot YouTube scenes with their friends, chat, write reviews and suggest actors for the upcoming film. Yes, the concert tickets Ramsey Dean is out to sell are actually movie tickets, where he’s already attracted Hollywood ’s attention, including leading music video director Shane Drake, most famous for Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco, to direct the film. 



By leveraging a career’s worth of music industry relationships, the author is aiming to set off a viral tsunami. One of the key assets in this well-established music executive’s arsenal is relationship marketing. As a new reading concept, aimed at a hip, young audience, and free, The CoolKids is the perfect value-added tool for bands, lifestyle companies, and media outlets that build their brand by delivering cutting-edge innovations to their fans first. There is a cache in introducing the next big thing, and The CoolKids allows anyone who can get the word out quickly to build an association with the upcoming film. The site even comes with banner ads, e-cards and flyers that can be tailored for custom delivery. 



With the music business going through such change, could the publishing business be next? Music executive and author Ramsey Dean just might be leading the way.

Looking for a good read? Check out http://www.wearethecoolkids.com/
For more information contact: info@wearethecoolkids.com

Ozzy: "His performance was downright painful to watch"

Ozzy Osbourne should just stop. Retire. Call it quits while he still has a shred of dignity left.

Judging by his headline performance Saturday at Ozzfest at the Dodge Music Center, there's not much doubt his best days are behind him.

His performance was downright painful to watch. His voice was weak, he looked puffy and out of shape and his ace band of backing musicians - which included guitar hero Zakk Wylde, ex-Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin and ex-Rob Zombie bassist Blasko - came off more like an Ozzy tribute band.

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Local hard rockers lead with piano, not guitar

Even Andrew Skuza, 24-year-old vocalist and keyboardist of Windsor heavy metal trio Sledgehammer, admits there was a time when he, too, subscribed to that stereotype.

"To be honest, I thought it was kind of (vulgar word for feminine)," says Skuza, who learned how to play piano through the Royal Conservatory of Music method during his childhood. "It wasn't a cool instrument, you know?"

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Two die from overdoses and 83 arrested at New Jersey Ozzfest

Two men died and 83 were arrested at the New Jersey PNC Arts Center, Holmdel the scene of this year's New Jersey Ozzfest, an annual traveling hard rock and heavy metal show. This year's Ozzfest includes Lordi, Static-X, Lamb of God and the show's namesake, Ozzy Osbourne.

Raymond Guarino, 26, of Forked River, New Jersey collapsed at around 3:15pm and went into cardiac arrest, following which he was resuscitated. He later died in a local hospital. It is believed his death was the result of his consumption of cocaine, marijuana and alcohol. An autopsy will be conducted to confirm the cause of death.

Patrick Norris, 24 of Coram collapsed around 10:00pm and was transported to the same hospital in cardiac arrest; he was pronounced dead on arrival. Police believe he too had consumed a combination of cocaine, marijuana and alcohol.

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Rob Zombie's Halloween: The Music

The tracklisting for Rob Zombie's remake of the horror classic Halloween has been released. The disc is a classic rock fan's wet dream with tracks from Blue Oyster Cult, Nazareth, Rush, Peter Frampton, BTO, KISS, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, The Misfits and more.

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Teens get education on illegal downloading

The first educational initiative of its kind aimed at middle-school students, “The Donny the Downloader Experience” was launched by ASCAP in February 2007 in partnership with i-SAFE. The program aims to bring the harmful effects of music piracy to life, especially in terms of those who make a living from their art. To date, more than a quarter of a million students have been educated with this interactive curriculum.

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Political hopeful told to remove MySpace music

A controversial Queensland Senate candidate was yesterday ordered to remove content from his Myspace page after downloading a song by popular singer/songwriter Pete Murray.
James Baker, a former National Party adviser, has become known for his ultra right-wing policies, including calls to execute convicted terrorists.

Mr Baker had been using Murray's song Better Days on his Myspace page, which is linked to his official campaign website.

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Radiohead album news: not good

Radiohead will not be releasing a new album this year, the band's management has confirmed to NME.

The Oxford rockers have been working on their seventh studio set, which follows 2003's Hail To The Thief for most of this year and much of last, with the latest studio news putting the five-piece in a New York recording studio.

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Interview: Butch Walker

Walker has become the hot hand when it comes to production. He has produced records for Pink, Hot Hot Heat, The Von Bondies, Avril Lavigne, Lindsay Lohan, Sevendust and the All American Rejects. Along the way Butch has managed to carve out a nice solo career for himself.

How do you pick and choose who you work with as a producer? Is there anyone you would not want to work with for fear of alienating your core audience?

BW: No that's dumb. It's a day job, and f#@k anyone who doesn't like where I work. I don't judge someone for working at Applebee's but dresses like the Strokes at night, so don't judge me for having a very kickass, high-paying day job. Plus, writing anything I want or producing any style I want for other people? Who wouldn't want to exercise that part of their curiosity? Although, I don't ever think I'll work with that Lohan chick again. (HA!)

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Philips Celebrates the 25th Birthday of the Compact Disc

The birth of the CD in Germany in 1982 heralded in the era of digital music and signified the beginning of the end of analogue. The very first CD was "The Visitors" by ABBA and was produced by Polygram, a recording company. When the compact disc was finally released to the public in November of 1982, there were around 150 titles available. And, of course, a compact disc player was needed and Philips had it covered with their CD100. The player was available in Japan in November; the U.S. and European releases of this technology occurred in March of 1983.

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The Sound Check Interview - Mobius Band

My favorite part about The Mobius Band is your innate ability to sound organic and electronic at the same time. When I play your music it still feels like I'm listening to a rock band. Is "Heaven" along those same lines? Any departures? New methods?

Yeah. I think we are probably worried less about what is organic or electronic rather than just not limiting ourselves to any particular sound.

I love the guitar and I've been playing it since I was 10, but it's not always the best choice for the song. So we try and think of it in really open-ended terms as far as what can make up a song.

Specifically with Heaven, Noam got really into 'circuit bending' keyboards last year, so he was taking apart $5 toy Casio's with a soldering iron and turning them into these amazing, sophisticated machines that sound like a more interesting version of whatever plug-in is popular now. His attic is full of these great Frankenstein instruments. So there are a lot of sounds from those circuit-bent keyboards on the album.

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Rob Zombie: Prankster?

Sporting a Hell's Angels surfing T-shirt and covered in tattoos depicting The Creature and The Phantom of the Opera, the 42-year-old told Radar about some backstage clowning on the set of his revamped version of John Carpenter's 1978 classic horror flick (Halloween opens Aug. 31). The victim: legendary actor Malcolm McDowell, who plays Dr. Samuel Loomis.

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Spoof turns serious for Beatallica

Thank the United States' legal system for helping jump-start one of the greatest parody bands of all time. After all, without a serious threat by Sony Records there'd be no Beatallica and ultimately no "Leper Madonna," "Hey Dude," or "... And Justice for All My Loving."

Through sheer word of mouth and Internet buzz, the songs began circulating. Soon, Sony Records caught wind of the project and quickly issued a cease and desist order against the musicians to stop playing Beatles material. The problem — they weren't actually a band and weren't technically playing anything.

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Interview: Eisley

How was the summer tour with The Fray?

Sherri DuPree: It was really cool. They were so sweet and it was so fun.

Chauntelle DuPree: We had a great time because -- we got spoiled -- they had catering. They were so nice and their crew members were so nice to us so we were like "this is heaven."

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Focus has kept thrash-band Slayer around

The long haul: It's a hard feat in the world of rock music, and most groups can't pull it off. Trends shift, restless fans move on, band members succumb to the pressures – or temptations – of life off the stage.

Slayer is one of the survivors. Twenty-six years after forming in Los Angeles, the band is, in fact, enjoying new career peaks, generating the sort of big sales and broad recognition that had long eluded the thrash-metal quartet. Where other enduring bands have forged careers marked by zipping across the musical map, Slayer's longevity is a testament to the group's single-minded focus, says vocalist, bassist and all-around band brain Tom Araya.

"I think the biggest reason would probably be that we've stuck really close to what we've always done. That's what we owe it to," he says. "We never gravitated too far away from center."

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Universal Republic Signs Florida Indie Rock Band Anberlin

Universal Republic Records has signed Florida rock band Anberlin, it was announced today by Monte Lipman, President of Universal Republic Records. The five-member Anberlin, cited by many critics as an indispensable ‘staple of the modern rock scene,’ have independently released 3 full-length albums since their launch nearly six years ago.

“Anberlin has been able to build one of the most enthusiastic followings online and across the country by remaining faithful to their music and their fans,” stated Mr. Lipman. “They represent the boldest and the brightest on the rock horizon and we welcome them to the Universal Republic family.”

Originally from the Orlando area, Anberlin’s combined releases have sold more than 350,000 albums through their founding label Tooth & Nail Records, with their most recent album, Cities, debuting on Billboard’s Top Albums chart in February of this year at #19. The disc has also soared past the 100,000 indie-sales milestone, fueled by their riveting first single “Godspeed.”

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SonicBids Tip: Photos

It may sound like a no-brainer, but having your entire EPK built and up-to-date is a very important factor when making submissions. Promoters want to get a sense of who you are as an artist and performer, and you should make sure not to ignore the photo gallery section of your EPK!

The photo gallery allows up to 10 different chances for promoters to get an inside look at you and your performances that they may not get from the audio, video, and main photo alone. You can upload up to 10 photos in your gallery. Standard EPK members can use one of them as their hi-res shot, and Supersonic members—you can have up to 5 hi-res. A high resolution, print quality photo is a great thing to have in your EPK if you're looking for press coverage or want to quickly get your tour posters out to your street team!

It’s important to use your photo section wisely as it’s a great chance to represent your individuality and your image. Throw in some performance shots, a promo headshot, a candid, and anything else you think will visually demonstrate who you are as an artist. This will also give promoters a chance to see what type of venues you play, how you look on stage, and what type of crowd you draw to your live shows.

Remember—it’s best to keep your photos focused on the band or artist. Although it may be artsy or fun to include instrument or landscape shots, these photos might not give promoters a sense of who you are or what your music is like. Treat the photo gallery space as a valuable way to enhance your presentation!

www.sonicbids.com/moreinthemonitors

Rhino readies a huge dose of heavy metal thunder

What’s that? You say you regularly sing Satan’s praises while thrashing yourself silly to the sounds of Killswitch Engage and Cradle of Filth but you have no deeper understanding of the history of metal?

Never fear, Rhino Records is here to put you straight—with “The Heavy Metal Box,” a four-disc overview of the much-maligned (and equally exalted, by others) genre that began as the `60s gave way to the `70s. The set, due Oct. 2, spans that “golden age,” from pioneers like Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper and Uriah Heep—and who could forget Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” honey?—to the English demons of the late `70s and `80s (Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Saxon, even Motorhead) and on into the dichotomy that the late `80s brought, comprising both hair-metal (Poison, Ratt, Cinderella) and the decade’s rawer return to pure metal (Metallica, Pantera, Sepultura).

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Heartfelt soulful lyrics, Andrew San Paul's sound is a little Peter Gabriel with a Pink Floyd vibe.

With the world in disarray, an artist like Andrew San Paul touches the very fabric of our times. Said to be a little Peter Gabriel with a Pink Floyd vibe, Paul appeals to a deeper listening audience.

Among his collection of songs are "We Are the People" - a chant for all to stand and make a difference, "There's Hope" - a worldly song to shed a beam of light for those in darkness; and the haunting "Untitled" can only be listened to in silence as it goes to deepest part of our souls.

After getting frustrated with bands and musicians in the LA scene he went solo and recorded his own full lenght CD, Let's Spread Love Around, which has since been getting rave reviews as well as solid radio play (Internet and college). The CD is available for sale online at: Apple Itunes, CDbaby, Target, and Amazon.

www.myspace.com/andrewsanpaul

MITM Notes: Submit your band news today. Email anthonycaroto [at] yahoo.com

Korn futures look bright as band pushes for growth

The metal band Korn scarcely paused before starting work on its eighth studio album after last year's Family Values Tour ended.

"I came home for like five or six days, and then I was in the studio," guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer says. "We were there right up until we mixed the record in May, then we started rehearsals [for the tour]."

"When we sit down to write a record, we don't really know how it's going to turn out," he says. "We don't consciously know that we're going to do something different, and I think that not planning and not trying to analyze the direction, it helps. We never really plan, like, 'This record is going to sound this way.'"

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Van Halen to Tour Like It's 1984

After a bumpy ride, Van Halen is finally jumping back out on the road. Just don't say the oft squabbling members are reuniting.

"This is not a reunion—this is a new band," original frontman David Lee Roth, rejoining the ranks for the first time in 22 years, proclaimed Monday at a press conference.

"I've done more rehearsal in the last four months than I've done in the past 20 summers," the high-kicking rocker said. "The whole sound is better than it has ever been...

"We decided to do everything you’d expect but make it high speed, low drag. Everything that got me fired from radio," he added, joking about his brief stint as Howard Stern's East Coast replacement after the shock jock left for satellite.

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Interview: Ratt's Bobby Blotzer

“The tour has been amazing. It’s a gift from God in my opinion. It’s a blessing to play in front of fourteen thousand people every day. It’s been amazing. The band is rejuvenated. (Ratt frontman) Stephen Pearcy is kicking ass like he did back in ’83 and ’84. It’s been fun. …I think everybody’s been blown away… Everyone’s been seein’ us for the last six years with (former Love/Hate frontman) Jizzy Pearl, now Stephen’s back and it’s Ratt again, ya know? …We’re supposedly goin’ to Europe and Japan in October and November. Japan is very supportive. We haven’t done Europe since 1990. They’re a different kind of crowd, but I think they’ll dig it a lot, ya know? We’ll just do over there what we do over here. There’s no denying that it’s a tight set that people will get off on. We sound excellent.”

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Switchfoot Goes Independent

Some big news on the Switchfoot MySpace blog. Sony Records and Switchfoot have parted ways and now Switchfoot will go independent. It was also mentioned that a new Switchfoot album will come out in 2008 in support of this new venture. Furthermore, Jon Foreman, lead singer of Switchfoot will release his solo music and the music he makes with Sean Watkins from Nickel Creek (under the name The Real Sean Jon) on this new indie music venture.

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Interview with Zakk Wylde

Ozzy’s longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde had a medical “story” of his own. When asked to answer a few questions, Wylde responded, “Is it about my sex change operation? They botched me up, bro. Now I’ve gotta get it reversed! It was painful enough already…ripping the cock and balls off. And I looked at the labia and I go, ‘You call this a labia?’ It’s just fucking disgusting. I got butchered and now the bottom line is they’ve got to reattach the cock and balls. That’s gonna fuckin’ set me back a little bit.”

Maybe it’s surgical discomfort that has Wylde opting to wear a kilt on stage this tour. Wylde was also insistent that he is not wearing anything underneath the Scottish garb. “Fuck that! I don’t wear underwear anyway. The only time I’m wearing underwear is when I’m lifting weights so my nuts don’t blow out of my body.”

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Show Review: Warped Tour (New York)

Warped has, for 13 years, been the touring festival with the most integrity, the most persistence of vision and the most diversity in terms of its lineup — though all of the bands fit beneath the rather broad umbrella of punk/postpunk/ new metal.

The festival’s integrity comes from its unremitting commitment to giving new, young bands the opportunity to play in front of their potential audiences. Get a gig on the Warped Tour, and you’ve got a chance. The rest is up to you.

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Band Review: Thrushes

Thrushes

Hometown: Baltimore, MD

Leaning towards the indie side or art rock, Thrushes is dainty... in an aggressive sort of way. My introduction to their music comes via the tune "Aidan Quinn" - A fading guitar and simple anthemic drum beat gives a polite red carpet intro for the haunting vocals of Anna Conner. Her voice is soft and non-distinct, but offers a certain level of command. Then like a shaking sheet of metal comes the guitar tones I wasn't expecting - and the unexpected fit quite nice as it challenged the loving sincerity of its verses.

However the distant-screaming-echo-simplistic riffing guitar sound that fit so perfect in "Aidan Quinn" was found once again in "Heartbeats" - which I think I liked better. I had to check to make sure that the silence between songs wasn't just a break in the middle of the previous. The third also showcases the same guitar tone, just not as loud. I can understand if this is part of the bands "thing", but in your average set in an average club, potential fans could grow weary.

A further dig into the world of Thrushes, I checked out some tunes on their MySpace page. Not surprisingly, "Heartbeats" is their most popular song with almost 11,000 more plays than the next in line. After listening to "Ghost Train" and "Into the Woods", I think I'd label myself as a casual fan on Thrushes. It's not the kind of music I'd listen to in my car, but perhaps at home while doing "busy work"? I'd like to see them live though.

Website: www.thrushesrule.com
SonicBids: www.sonicbids.com/thrushes

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Band Review: Or, the Whale

Or, the Whale
Hometown: San Francisco, CA

Or, the Whale is a lullaby of just the right amount of music and harmonies to make a grown man sway. Their anachronistic approach to a updated down-home vibe creates a powerful testament to what musicians can create after letting go of the norm. Or as per the Influences listed on their MySpace page - hooting, hollering, clapping, yelling, swearing, singing.

Solos and bridges are a mass tinkering of flavorful instrumentation. The harmonies are supportive and shiver-producers. Their full and complete sound will keep your ears tuned in for the hidden gems of future listening sessions. This band is pure innocence and the model of integrity.

Recommended Listening: "Call and Response", "Threads" and "Crack a Smile". The guitar tones in "Saint Bernard" are also quite tasty.

The band is currently on a national tour; and probably causing a lot of people to dance for the fun of dancing.

www.myspace.com/orthewhale
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Live Review: Ozzfest (Chicago)

DevilDriver, Ankla and Hatebreed ruled the day over at the side stage. All hail to any group capable of inciting hundreds of people to jump up and down, form a giant circle and mosh around in such nasty heat.

You don't have to be a fan of metal to appreciate the entertainment value and the solid musicianship, particularly the fast and furious shredding by Lamb of God guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler or the duel drums of Ankla, a Latin-flavored group formed in 2001 by former Puya guitarist Ramon Ortiz.

Static-X and Lamb of God are known for amazing shows. Neither disappointed on the main stage.

Fronted by Wayne Static, an atheist, vegetarian and former Chicagoan, Static-X delivered its evil-disco brand of metal with new material from "Cannibal" along with thrash-in-place staples such as "Bled For Days," "Cold" and "Push It."

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Sum 41: The great white hope of punk pop

SheKnows.com: The name of the album, "Underclass Hero," is that in any way a nod to John Lennon's "Working Class Hero?"

Drummer Steve Jocz: Yeah, I think we had that in mind. Of course then Green Day came out and released "Working Class Hero" which is like 'Yes that is awesome that that happened.' It's a subtle nod. The idea was a cool line and we took it changed it into something else. The title, it's not really about a class in particular. It was more as I was telling you, Dave left and we got rid of our management so everyone really thought we were just f*#*! and this record wouldn't pack it and we didn't know what we were doing and Deryck produced it and that's not going to work. We were the underdogs, no one thought this was going to happen and now, here we are.

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Metal Queen Management (MQM) is announces MQMusicFest 2007

Being held on Sunday, August 19, 2007 at The Phoenix Concert Theatre, This year's festival is a 12-hour rockmusic marathon, kicking off at 12:00 noon and lasting non-stop until 12:00 midnight.

MQMusicFest will showcase the very best of Canada's up-and-coming, aswell as established, musical talents. This year saw over 60 bandsapply through Sonicbids to play MQMusicFest, yet only a select fewwere chosen. Artists confirmed to date include:

Edwin http://www.edwinonline.ca
Mudmen http://www.mudmen.ca
Revolver http://www.revolvertv.com
Crash Kelly http://www.crashkelly.ca
Automan.ca http://www.automan.ca
Sin Dealer http://www.myspace.com/sindealer
Crackpuppy http://crackpuppy.net
Automatic Band http://www.myspace.com/automaticband
Scarlet Sins http://www.scarletsinsonline.com
Sixes & Sevens http://www.myspace.com/mikemcavansixesandsevens
Basia Lyjak http://www.myspace.com/basialyjak
Zeroscape http://www.zeroscapemusic.com
Fidget http://www.myspace.com/fidgetpunk
High Voltage http://www.myspace.com/highvoltage89
Ash Lee Blade http://www.myspace.com/ashleeblade
Crazy Babies http://www.crazybabies.com

More Info

Live Review: Slayer & Marilyn Manson

The night started like most, get to the parking lot – pay too much to park – have a beverage – see the cops bust some guy's stones for pissing on the fence but then let him go – a few battle cries of "Slayer!!!" echoing throughout the lot. The one difference was the mix of fans, from the hardcore blue collar Slayer fans in ripped jeans and T-shirts to the "everyday is Halloween" Manson fans all decked out in the Goth finest. This should be interesting...

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MITM Notes: The article was written by Stephen Wells, aka Well-Z, who also drums for The Hixon.

The Ten Best Bands That Never Existed

Some of the longstanding "who's the best musician" arguments are so old they've grown tiresome. Who’s the best guitarist that ever lived? Who’s the best singer that ever walked the planet? Best band ever to ever play live? Despite copious lists and countdowns, no definitive answers have ever been reached. To this day, we have no conclusive proof as to whether The Beatles were better than The Rolling Stones . . . or The Who . . . or U2. This list makes no attempt to resolve any argument over the best musicians who ever lived. Rather, it resolves the question of ranking the best bands that never really existed.

Some of the bands on this list never produced one note of audible music, others needed real musicians to give them voice, a couple served as alter egos and one band is made up of puppets. Regardless of their corporeal status, in one form or another, these bands embodied the ethos of rock and roll, either by capturing the essence of a certain genre, leaving a lasting influence on real-life musicians or, despite their manifestation as a fictional entity, by creating some rockin' tunes.

#10: The School Of Rock

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Enter the Haggis: From Unemployment to Touring

Many musicians have great stories to tell about how their band was formed, how their love of music drove them to the studio or the stage.

Craig Downie, founder of Enter the Haggis, has a much humbler story. "I needed a job," he said. "I was trying to be an actor and had done a few bits in theater or as an extra, but there was no steady income.

"So I had to decide which kind of impoverished performer I wanted to be," he said. "Did I want to be an actor waiting for a part, or did I want to be a musician and put together a band of people I could at least enjoy being poor with."

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"Thrash was the pinnacle of metal," says Get Thrashed filmmaker Rick Ernst

"Thrash was the pinnacle of metal," says filmmaker and rabid thrasher Rick Ernst. "It was the fastest, heaviest, coolest stuff you could find."

Ernst's documentary, Get Thrashed, is currently making its way through the film-festival circuit. A New York screening sold out, and a San Francisco showing had headbangers lined up around the block. Ernst, a former intern for MTV's Headbanger's Ball, has perfect timing. After years on the scrap heap, thrash is experiencing a full-blown revival, featuring new-school shredders like Trivium, SSS, and Mastery.

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Warner Music, home to Madonna and Metallica, Has Wider Third-Quarter Loss; Sales Fall

Warner Music Group Corp., the recording company of Madonna and Metallica, posted a wider third- quarter loss because of expenses tied to job cuts and a drop in compact disc sales. The shares closed at a record low.

The net loss of $17 million, or 12 cents a share, expanded from $14 million, or 10 cents, a year earlier, New York-based Warner Music said today in a statement. Revenue fell 2.2 percent to $804 million, missing the average $842.7 million of three analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The loss excluding some costs and gains also trailed projections.

Revenue from recorded music fell 3.7 percent in the quarter as albums by Linkin Park and Michael Buble didn't drive sales as much as new releases from Red Hot Chili Peppers, James Blunt and T.I. a year earlier. Increased sales of downloaded music and mobile-phone ringtones failed to make up for the decline in CDs.

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Silvertide Guitarist Nick Perri Joins Satellite Party

In a post on his band's MySpace blog, Farrell downplayed the moves.

"As is the case with all launched projectiles, parts fall off the back as the rocket climbs toward heaven," Farrell wrote. "Our new members are Nick Perri, and Jordan Plosky."

Farrell describes Perri as an "an exceptional young player" and "an amazing performer," saying the "room was struck by a bolt of lightning" during his audition.

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MITM says: Nick is a great guitarist who's talents have yet to be fully recognized on the giant map of who's who in six-string mastery. As few of us can say, "we saw him when" back in the Philly club days. But while he's on tour with SP, where does this leave the new Silvertide album?

The End of Slayer?

Tom Araya has told Worcester magazine that the next Slayer album may be their last. In an interview discussing the Slayer/Marilyn Manson coheadlining tour, the metal legend also discussed what the future may hold for Slayer and Araya feels that the end may be near.

"Well, there have been remarks made about seeing an old man headbang. And I have to agree," Araya said in the interview. "I think the Stones can do that, probably go out and do their stuff in their 80s, but it just wouldn't look right [for us], you know what I mean?

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Music publishers join copyright infringement case against YouTube

A group of music publishing companies says it will join a copyright infringement lawsuit against Google's video-sharing site YouTube.

The National Music Publishers' Association said it was joining the lawsuit out of concern that many songwriters weren't receiving proper compensation when their music appeared on YouTube videos.

The lawsuit also includes as plaintiffs The Football Association Premier League and Viacom Inc.

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CHILDREN OF BODOM: New Video Footage From Recording Studio

Finnish metallers Children of Bodom have posted the first episode of COB TV News — a special report from the studio session for the band's brand new song "Tie My Rope" which will appear on the upcoming "Viva La Bands, Vol. 2" album, due on September 4 via Ferret Music / Filthy Note Records. Watch the episode below. Listen to the track on the group's MySpace page.

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Judas Priest, Anthrax, Quiet Riot and more: "Guitar Hero Encore"

Back in the 1980s, heavy metal and New Wave music never mixed. No, never. If you wore a mullet or rocked a Mohawk, you may have shared a type of hair spray, but never a mix tape.

Nostalgia, though, heals all wounds — at least in the recently released "Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s" (PlayStation 2, $49.99, rated T for Teen). In the latest edition of the popular "Guitar Hero" series, players can jump from the Vapors' "Turning Japanese" to Skid Row's lighters-up ballad "18 and Life." No problem.

It may surprise you to know that a favorite song isn't always the most fun to play — and that the opposite can be true. Back in high school, I hated Poison and Quiet Riot, but now I can't stop strumming them. Let's hear it for heavy-metal power cords! I wanna rock! ROCK!

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Mesa, AZ Councilman Kyle Jones: Not a Fan of Heavy Metal

Downtown Mesa will throb for 10 hours on Sunday to the sounds of dark heavy-metal bands, and a city councilman isn't happy about it.

"It's not what we want our image to be," said Kyle Jones, who represents downtown on the council. "For me personally I'd just as soon we didn't have any of that kind of stuff."

The festivities, called Sounds of the Underground, run from noon to 10 p.m. at the Mesa Amphitheatre.

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EMI CD sales plummet to tune of 20%

Music revenues fell by 13.4 per cent in the quarter. EMI added that it had been the victim of “difficult market conditions,” as a 26 per cent surge in digital revenues failed to offset plunging physical sales.

Revenues at EMI’s publishing arm grew 12 per cent on a constant currency basis, partly on the back of litigation settlements.

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Who Needs Record Labels? Unsigned Canadian Matthew Good Debuts at #17 this week in US iTunes Store

This is the story the record labels have always feared.

Canadian rocker Matthew Good had been recording professionally in North America for the past 12 years. When his U.S. record deal with Atlantic Records expired, he had some choices to make: try to find a new label that would distribute his music in the States, try to get a new deal with Atlantic, try something totally different, or completely give up on getting his cds (which are hugely popular in Canada) heard here in the USA.

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Major Label’s Proxy Has a New Scapegoat for Its Lack of Business Acumen: Internet Radio

Internet radio has mushroomed over the last few years to more than 2,500 stations. Most estimates say that 50 million people tune in at least monthly to webcasts. A big part of the draw is the eclectic programming, which recalls the golden age of anything-goes FM radio in the 70s.

But on March 2, the Copyright Royalty Board increased per-song-played royalty rates from 0.0008 to 0.0019 over the next three years—based in large part on the RIAA’s traditional Orwellian testimony about artists’ rights. That’s just one less zero to the left of the decimal, but small webcasters’ rates will be 300 to 1,200 percent higher (depending on the size of their audiences), effectively shutting down most sites.

The Save Net Radio Coalition - a grassroots organization of listeners, webcasters, record labels and artists fighting the rate hikes—calls July 15, the day the first bill is due (and retroactive to 2006), “The Day the Music Dies.”

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Every Time I Die: New Song on MySpace Now Available

Buffalo, New York based rockers Every Time I Die have recently released the second track off of their upcoming release The Big Dirty, September 4th on Ferret Music. The new track is entitled “No Son of Mine”. Singer Keith Buckley had this to say about the track:

“This song deals with the mindless allegiance that people have towards certain recognizable public figures. Particularly in the music scene, debauchery and excess are heralded above all else, and for that reason it is easy for new bands coming up to apply a little makeup and declare themselves "addicts" as if it were a marketing strategy. In "no son of mine", I'm saying it takes time and effort to become the reprobates we are, and once achieved, is something we declare proudly only because the true sadness of it is too much to handle.”

To get an even better idea of just how great this album is be sure to check out the first official review of the album which will be posted on www.absolutepunk.net this Friday. The Big Dirty is definitely an album not to be missed and sure to be on many critics year end best of lists. Don’t miss out be sure to pick up The Big Dirty in stores on September 4th.

Company sets scene for local musicians

JD Music Productions began as a support for bands by offering musicians assistance with live-sound engineering, management and tour planning in 2003. Today it is a full-service artist development and cd-production studio, boasting state-of-the-art gear, a serene setting and affordable prices for recording artists.

James Gross, 29, of Prior Lake, started the production company after completing an advanced music diploma for guitar at Music Tech College in Minneapolis.

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Record Industry Woes Aggravated by Years of Bad PR

Today the major record labels don't have a positive brand image and the very public actions they have taken to control the rise of digital media and the Internet over the last several years is at the very heart of their fall from grace. To some the big labels are an anachronism. To others they are anti-consumer. The erosion of their image is dramatic and while we have seen plenty of polls attempting to gauge consumer thought, any attempt to apply sales figures to such measurements is elusive.

The major labels have taken to blaming file sharing for all ills. In reality, file sharing is just one piece of a more complex puzzle that is still shaping itself as new technologies and digital strategies reshape the media landscape as a whole. To rely on file sharing as the universal scapegoat may have only served to distract label management from a much larger schism that hits at the heart of the traditional label/artist/ model. This includes the rise of tools that have empowered the artist directly like MySpace and YouTube.

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Cities are losing the sound of music

Record-label mergers, corporate takeovers of radio and three generations worth of television are the main perpetrators behind the demise of the true American sounds. The independent label or renegade radio station doesn't seem to exist anymore. Nowadays, the music business is all about copying the latest style or trend. Sound has little to do with it.

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Concert Lineup Angers Some Va. Tech Families

A free concert organized to lift the spirits of the shaken Virginia Tech community is instead angering some parents of the victims, who say the decision to feature a New York rapper known for his violent lyrics shows a blatant lack of respect for the people killed in the April 16 shooting rampage.

Vincent J. Bove, who said he is a spokesman for seven of the victims' families, said yesterday that the parents are outraged that the Sept. 6 concert at the university would include the rapper Nas, who in one 1999 track chants, "Shoot 'em up, just shoot 'em up, what?" followed by whispers of "Kill, kill, kill, murder, murder, murder."

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Pictorial: Hair Metal Guitarists and Their Axes

Courtesy of Rolling Stone: Enjoy

Circus Diablo Off Ozzfest: Expecting Babies

Circus Diablo frontman Billy Morrison has checked in with the following update:

"As I sit here in Dallas, TX, on the bus that has taken us from our home town of Los Angeles, to the middle of the South, it pains me to tell you all that we have to call it a day for now on the Ozzfest 2007. It has been a fantastic four weeks and we have had an amazing time. But two of our band, Ricky [Warwick, guitar] and Brett [Scallions, bass], have wives that are expecting babies any day now, and we just cannot continue heading east with that hanging over us. The guys need to be with their wives, and we all respect that. I hope you all understand that we have done our absolute best to get as far as we could this time around."

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Elton John says the internet is destroying music

Pop legend Sir Elton John wants the internet closed down.

Never one to keep his opinions to himself, the Rocket Man has waded into cyberspace with all guns blazing.

He claims it is destroying good music, saying: “The internet has stopped people from going out and being with each other, creating stuff.

“Instead they sit at home and make their own records, which is sometimes OK but it doesn’t bode well for long-term artistic vision.

“It’s just a means to an end.

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Horse the Band Unveils Video for "New York City"

HORSE the Band recently filmed a video for the powerhouse new song “ New York City ” with director Roboshobo (Mastodon, The Blood Brothers, Poison The Well). The vocalist for HORSE the Band, Nathan, had this to say about the song and the video:

“If 'A Natural Death' is about the vast scope of nature from the horror of birth to the beauty of death then ' New York City ' is a song about the life in the middle. It’s about civilization and society and the brief moments in time when we as people come together. The director uses these elements to weave a retro-modern science fiction tale rooted in the concrete and asphalt world of today about two tragic lovers trying to find each other against the odds. It’s beautiful and touching as well as intense and epic. HORSE the Bands greatest video yet!!!!”

Check out the video for “ New York City ” here.

Band Review: Westside Daredevils

Westside Daredevils
Hometown: Knoxville, TN

Indie pop with nods to the 70's.

Right out of the gate I'm into this band. Pop rock with some nice layers of harmonies, clean guitars and snappy drums. I'm listening to "Alter Ego" right now. This song reminds me a "Ugly" and "Sugarglass" by Easily Amused.

The rest of what WD has to offer is also fun, safe and comfortable. They've taken what could have been a basic pop song and fleshed it out with trade-off lead vocals and guitar parts. Everybody takes a turn in the spotlight which leaves said basic pop song in the far far distance.

The harmony arrangements are top-shelf. They're very smooth and warm - sort of like the Beach Boys / Jan and Dean. If I could recite the lyrics from memory right now I'd probably accompany them.

I bet the girls could twirl and/or bop for hours at their live shows.

www.myspace.com/westsidedaredevils
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Band Review: Less Than Under

Less Than Under
Hometown: Denver, CO

Just as their influences state, there's certainly an influence of Pantera and Lamb of God in this band. Thick and heavy riffs with sick vocals - growls to doomish spoken word to fluent actual singing. I would have liked to hear a couple of guitar solos somewhere though - I think that would really raise the bar for this band.

"Deadbeat" is their best song thus far. The lyrics are simple, but very creative. The kids will have no problem screaming it back to the band. "You think that my house is your hotel - You think my things are yours to sell - My couch, your bed - My fist, your head"..... classic.

More about the lyrics - somebody is really pissed off at some very specific people. Lots of blue collar anger going on here.

Fans of live metal shows will really dig LTU - there's plenty of grooves and solid beats to get a decent pit going. The industrial element adds some nice flavor which helps to fill out any lose ends. I would certainly go see this band perform.

Suggestions - more consistent drumming (electronic, then live, then a mix of both.... it gets confusing) and more bass in the mix.

Something I noticed on their MySpace page that made me snicker - it looks like they all shared the same pair of sunglasses in their individual promo shots. Maybe I'm wrong, but it still looks funny.

www.lessthanunder.com
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Madonna Wayne Gacy Sues Marilyn Manson Over Partnership Proceeds

Instead of paying his keyboard player, Marilyn Manson squandered his band's earnings on "sick and disturbing purchases of Nazi memorabilia and taxidermy (including the skeleton of a young Chinese girl,)" a lawsuit being filed today in Los Angeles charges.

Keyboard man Stephen "Pogo" Bier accuses the Goth rocker and his "musketeers" (his business manager, lawyer and the band's manager) of assisting Manson "in filching millions of dollars the band made over the years." According to an e-mail sent to us that was approved by Bier's lawyer, Keith Fink, Manson promised Bier "partnership proceeds" from the band in 1993, but then spluged on "a multimillion-dollar home, had a lavish wedding in Ireland, gave an engagement ring to Dita von Teese" and collected Nazi artifacts and taxidermy.

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MITM Notes: For those of you keeping score, Marilyn Manson the band has no original members left - only Manson himself, although drummer Ginger Fish has endured over ten years worth of abuse.

So why would a band sign on for a tour that doesn’t pay?

So why would a band sign on for a tour that doesn’t pay? For In This Moment, an up-and-coming band from Southern California, it comes down to exposure.

“Ozzfest has been great for us so far,” lead singer Maria Brink says by phone as she traveled to an Ozzfest stop in Denver. “There’s been a really wide range of people at the places we’ve played so far, both in terms of age and musical taste. So it’s a great way for us to reach a whole new audience for our music.”

In This Moment has been together for almost three years, and the band’s appearance at Ozzfest helps get out the word about its recently released debut recording, “Beautiful Tragedy.”

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Apple Whistles a Happy 3 Billion iTunes

Apple (AAPL - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr) has passed another milestone in its continued dominance of the digital music world, a plank from which it hopes to reach buyers of its Mac computers and iPhone handsets.

On Tuesday, the company announced it has sold over 3 billion songs from its iTunes online music store. Apple's a la carte model has proven to be the most popular with consumers who generally prefer to pay for songs individually, rather than paying subscription fees to services such as Napster (NAPS - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr) and Rhapsody.

Shares of Apple lost 4.6% to $136.85 midday.

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ASCAP Cracks Down on 26 Venues for Playing Music without a License

As most venue owners know, you can't play music for your customers' enjoyment without paying a licensing fee to BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC -- the three performing rights organizations that cover pretty much the gamut of commercially-available music for public performances.

ASCAP has gone after 26 venues in 17 states for non-payment of these licenses, with hefty fines the likely result. New York's Hiro Ballroom and Chicago's O'Hare Gaslight are the only ones on the list that rang a bell with me; the varied nature of the list makes it clear that ASCAP is trying to send the message here that no matter where your bar, nightclub, restaurant, or other venue is, ASCAP reps are listening.

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Clutch Avoid Labels In More Ways Than One

Clutch, the bluesy, ballsy hard rock band from Germantown, Maryland, have been referred to as the "sonic cousins" of Korn and the Deftones. Although past albums like 1993's Transnational Speedway League: Anthems, Anecdotes, And Undeniable Truths were far more angry and metallic than the funky, full-on rock-a-rolla that's displayed on their latest disc, From Beale Street To Oblivion, the nu metal label should never have been applied to the group.

"I think maybe it's some lazy rock journalism," says singer Neil Fallon. "We've played with some of those bands, so maybe they drew that association.

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MITM Notes: I saw Clutch open up for Marilyn Manson around 1994. They had a bunch of cardboard cut-outs of Star Wars figures.... stormtroopers, Darth Vader, etc.

RIAA: 'Lawsuits Can't be the Only Solution to Piracy'

Realizes that suing CUSTOMERS is "not the best answer" but, is it too little too late?.

In a recent conversation with TG Daily, Jonathan Lamy, a spokesman for the RIAA acknowledged the massive PR headaches and friction with the public that it's large-scale years long lawsuit campaign had generated and that suing potential customers "was not the best answer."

Oh really? You mean basically extorting college students, whom you've once referred to as some of your best customers, without the benefit of due process is maybe "not the answer?"

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