Sheena Metal: Get Up, Get On And Get Off - The Early Bird Catches The Record Deal!

2007-11-07T19:36:00.000-08:00

The following are a few tips that will help you to get up, get on and get off in a timely, professional manner that will impress the powers-that-be and leave you fans wanting more:

1.) Have Everything Set Up Before You Set Up---It’s not like you just found out you were playing five minutes before. Gigs are booked days, weeks or months in advance so there’s no reason not to be well informed and well equipped prior to your arrival and set up. Guitars and drums should be tuned, drum kits and guitar pedals set up and dialed in, and song lists printed and distributed so that set up time is minimal.

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Sheena Metal: www.sheena-metal.com

Most Fans Paid $0 for Radiohead Album

2007-11-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

Radiohead let its fans decide how much to pay for a digital copy of the band's latest release, "In Rainbows," and more than half of those who downloaded the album chose to pay nothing, according to a study by a consumer research firm.

Some 62 percent of the people who downloaded "In Rainbows" in a four-week period last month opted not to pay the British alt-rockers a cent. But the remaining 38 percent voluntarily paid an average of $6, according to the study by comScore Inc.

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Prince threatens to sue his fans over online images

2007-11-07T08:48:00.000-08:00

He's a singer who has made some odd career moves in his time, from changing his name to an unpronounceable love symbol to scrawling "slave" on his cheek in protest at his record company.
But industry experts yesterday warned that Prince's latest decision might be the most controversial of all.

He has threatened to sue thousands of his biggest fans for breach of copyright, provoking an angry backlash and claims of censorship.

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Vinyl May Be Final Nail in CD's Coffin

2007-11-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

As counterintuitive as it may seem in this age of iPods and digital downloads, vinyl -- the favorite physical format of indie music collectors and audiophiles -- is poised to re-enter the mainstream, or at least become a major tributary.

Talk to almost anyone in the music business' vital indie and DJ scenes and you'll encounter a uniformly optimistic picture of the vinyl market.

"I'm hearing from labels and distributors that vinyl is way up," said Ian Connelly, client relations manager of independent distributor alliance IODA, in an e-mail interview. "And not just the boutique, limited-edition colored vinyl that Jesu/Isis-style fans are hot for right now."

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EMI to axe unproductive musicians

2007-11-07T08:31:00.000-08:00

Music group EMI, home to Robbie Williams and Lily Allen, has suggested it will axe artists that are not working hard enough as it takes a fresh approach to the music business under new private equity owners.

Guy Hands, head of buy-out group Terra Firma, said in a memo to EMI staff that his initial views on overhauling the recorded music division included more rigorous demands on artists.

"I do see a need for fundamental change in how we approach the music business and how we deliver the interconnected triangle of the consumer, EMI and the artist," he said in the memo, obtained by the Financial Times and posted on its website.

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Do you support Metallica wanting album royalties for being on Guitar Hero?

2007-11-06T06:09:00.000-08:00

Metallica’s logic seems to be: “if we help to sell that, we want a cut”.

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Plain White T’s Dave Tirio: Former Shy Guy

2007-11-06T05:55:00.000-08:00

When Plain White T’s guitarist Dave Tirio was a kid, he never dreamed about the rock star life. Being shy stopped that line of thought pretty quickly. An artistic person by nature, he had always pursued various forms of self expression and loved music from an early age, but that didn’t translate into dreams of stardom for a man who likes to hide from the spotlight.

“I’m really, really shy . . . if you had told me I’d be in a band performing for people years ago, I would have said you were crazy,” Tirio said. Originally the band’s drummer, he used to hide behind the drums and use them as a security blanket to protect him from his fears of performing.

“When I switched to guitar, I was shocked because I couldn’t hide behind the shield of drums, so I had to go out and look at people’s faces. It scared the crap out of me.”Tirio has worked to grow as a performer, though he’s still not completely confident in his abilities. What gets him through is his love for the music that he plays and the fun he has being part of the band.

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Neverset earns success through tour schedule

2007-11-06T05:51:00.000-08:00

In today’s music industry, touring is more crucial than ever. For young bands, the goal is to jump on a major tour and open for a national headliner. Dallas-based alternative hard rock band Neverset has accomplished this goal by touring with well-known acts such as Candlebox, Breaking Benjamin, Hinder and Static X.

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Band Review: Rustcycle

2007-11-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

Rustcycle
Hometown: Colorado Springs, CO

Maybe I'm getting old or maybe it's just that I don't "get it". Ambient trance just sounds like something I'd hear in the background of a horror movie or a meditation class. Overall, while this isn't the type of music that I could truly appreciate, fans of instrumental and prog-rock may love it. I just kept waiting for something, but it never came.

Website: www.rustcycle.com
SonicBids: www.sonicbids.com/Rustcycle

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Band Review: (S)HE

2007-11-05T10:14:00.000-08:00

(S)HE
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

I'm a sucker for well produced R&B pop music - especially when the harmonies are so dead on. The songs are well written and certainly hook-y enough to capture a mass audience. TLC, Destiny's Child and any other major selling female band would make for excellent comparisons. The music has real flavor that reinforces the harmonies.

"Da Hotness" is a sure-fire hit. It could very well be the conduit for guitarist Matt Tuttle in reaching the modest goal of selling 10,000 albums. "Club Shy Guy" is another very powerful tune. "Last Sunday" has a heavy reggae influence, but where I'd usually shy away, (S)HE makes it work quite well.

Website: www.sheurbanrock.com
SonicBids: www.sonicbids.com/SheRocks

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Woe of Tyrants: Local band fulfills west coast dreams

2007-11-05T09:45:00.000-08:00

A local band is overwhelmed at getting its big break in the music industry.

Woe of Tyrants, made up of talent from both Ross and Pike counties, was recently signed to the Metal Blade Records label in California.

"We are extremely excited about working with Metal Blade and feel that we have a lot to offer the label and the heavy metal community," said bass player Adam Kohler.

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Sheena Metal: Fan Etiquette - Are The People Who Love Your Music Ruining Your Band's Reputation?

2007-11-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

They're generous, they're consistent, they're giving...and most of all...they love your music. They're your fans and they come to every one of your live shows, fork out money for cover charges, CDs and t-shirts, bring your band gifts, throw you house parties, and spread the word of your music on the internet and beyond. Your fans are the single most important ingredient to the success of your band. Without them, you'd be rocking out in your Aunt's basement to an audience of none...well, maybe her cat.

But there can be a dark side to the hoards of happy humans drunk on your future #1 hits. Sometimes the folks barreling in to see you play, or flooding your websites with their online presence are causing more harm than good to the reputation of your band. Rude behavior, message board flaming, compulsive sticker-ing and flyer-ing, may all seem like helping to your flock of followers but to club owners, industry and those newly interested in your music, they may seem like trouble-makers, belligerents and vandals.

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Sheena Metal: www.sheena-metal.com

Anthrophobia Farewell Show

2007-11-04T14:09:00.000-08:00

Music Industry Suicide

2007-11-04T13:40:00.000-08:00

In those days, "piracy" was barely even a word in the music world. My friends and I traded MP3s in college over the local network, but they were scattered and low-quality. It felt like a novelty - like a digital version of duping a cassette tape - hardly a replacement for CDs. CDs sounded good and you could bring them with you in your DiscMan, and the only digital music you could get was as good as your friends' CD collections, anyway. It never occurred to any of us that digital files were the future. But as it turned out, lots of kids, in lots of colleges around the world, had the same idea of sharing MP3 files over their local networks, and eventually, someone paid attention to that idea and made Napster. Suddenly, it was like all those college networks were tied together, and you could find all this cool stuff online. It was easier and more efficient than record stores, it was powered by music fans, and, well, it was free. Suddenly you didn't have to pay 15 to 18 bucks for an album and hope it was good, you could download some tracks off the internet and check it out first. But you still always bought the CD if you liked it - I mean, who wants all their music to be on the computer? I sure didn't. But increasingly, more and more people did. For college kids, Napster was a Godsend, because you can all but guarantee two things about most college kids: They love music, and they're dirt poor. So it grew, and it grew, and it started to grow into the mainstream, and that's when the labels woke up and realized something important was happening. At that point they could have seen it as either a threat or an opportunity, and they, without hesitation, determined it to be a threat. It was a threat because essentially someone had come up with a better, free distribution method for the labels' product. To be fair, you can imagine how confusing this must have been for them - is there even a historical precedent for an industry's products suddenly being able to replicate and distribute on their own, without cost?

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Article link courtesy of the Yahoo! Group Music Thoughts.

Curse Word Band Names Challenge the Music Industry

2007-11-04T13:27:00.000-08:00

“We got an e-mail this morning from Coachella saying they won’t book our band because of our name,” says an exasperated Brian Borcherdt, whose band, Holy Fuck, is featured on this month’s cover. Funny thing is, Holy Fuck has played Coachella before, as well as Osheaga, Glastonbury, SXSW, and recently, Toronto’s civic-minded, corporate-sponsored all-night art exhibition, Nuit Blanche. But their return engagement to Coachella has been cancelled.

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Stillborn Records Signs Florida 's CATALEPSY

2007-11-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

From Adrenaline PR:

Stillborn Records has signed up and coming Florida 6 piece, Catalepsy. The band just completed their debut full length, "Iniquity" at Miami 's Mana Studios with producer Brian Elliot. It's slated for a February 12th 2008 release date. Stillborn Records chief Jamey Jasta had this to say "It’s great adding yet another young & hungry band to our new and improved roster. Catalepsy crushes and I'm glad to have them on board. Plus they are from Florida , that state fucking rules and has produced so many great extreme bands!" See Jamey talk more about the release here.

Catalepsy is currently on tour with The Classic Struggle. To mark both the tour and signing, Stillborn has released a 5 song EP called "Godless," that is limited to 1000 copies. It features 2
tracks from the upcoming full length and 3 demo tracks. The EP is available exclusively on the road with the band, on the label's official web store and at the Stillborn merch booth at December's Stillborn Fest dates.

Catalepsy tour dates:
10/30 Nashville , TN @ The Muse
10/31 Wheeling , WV @ Yesterday's
11/1 OFF
11/2 Hobart , IN @ Cressmore Community Club
11/3 Mertztown, PA @ Topton Fire Company
11/4 Holyoke , MA @ Water Front Tavern w/ Sever The Sky & Our Darken Ash
11/5 Rochester , NY @ Penny Arcade
11/6 TBA
11/7 Ansonia , CT @ The Falcon's Nest
11/8 Gloversville , NY @ The Upper Deck
11/9 Peekskill , NY @ Peekskill Elks Lodge 11/10 Providence , RI @
11/11 Ronkonkoma , NY @ The Fifth Ave. Arena
11/12 New York , NY @ Knitting Factory
11/13 TBA
11/14 TBA
11/15 Virginia Beach , VA @ Peppermint Beach Club
11/16 Thomasville , NC @ The Soundvent

www.myspace.com/catalepsy
www.myspace.com/stillbornrecords
www.stillbornrecords.com

SonicBids Quick Tip: Street Teams

2007-10-31T11:54:00.000-07:00

Get your team together and hit the streets (figuratively and literally).

Here is how to use your fans to help get your name out there and gain more fans, who then can turn around and help spread the word and get even more fans until you eventually take over the world.

How do you get fans to join your stream team?
• Get the word out there that you are looking for help. Be sincere in your call for help.
• Send your fans an email of sincere gratefulness when they do something, anything, to help.
• Incentivize your team. Even the smallest token is appreciated.
• A pair of tickets to see you when you are in the area or A free CD and t-shirt for a contest winner.

Start an E-team!
• The power of the internet buzz is amazing. Just look at Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, a band that had no financial or label support, but sold tons of records with the help of their fans and press.
Use MySpace, Facebook, and blogs to post interesting facts and concert dates for your band. Don’t only do this yourself, but make sure your fans know that you would appreciate it, if they would help out. Have your fans post your banner on their social networking page. They love your music; why not help you make a living.
• Have your team post that you are coming to town on their local music blogs.

Start a street team!
• Giving your music away for free is a small cost to pay to get people out to your shows and gain fans. I am not talking about giving the farm away for free here but when one of the members of your team goes to a show, make sure that they have some demos or free downloadable dropcards to pass out.
• Print up flyers for your team to hang up around town to help promote your show. Now spread the word and get your fans to work with you.

www.sonicbids.com

Andy Browne Comments: Dewey Beach Music Conference

2007-10-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

(the spelling is all Andy, haha. Andy you know I love ya!)

if you havent been to DBMC you should make it a priority as a workin musician , or if you are just a fan into music at all..the place and crew that run the event are top notch..you will meet plenty of contacts,bands, and who knows with people like paul reed smith wondering around u may just get that one question nagging u all u your life about guitar construction ....it was our 4th time around ,and it just gets better and better.

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Bands concert tour benefits Habitat for Humanity

2007-10-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

Putting a label on the music of Switchfoot and Relient K somehow isn't fair.

Their current tour, which kicks off at Charleston's Municipal Auditorium Tuesday night, is highlighting the efforts of Habitat for Humanity, the worldwide organization that helps to build homes for the economically disadvantages. The bands are donating $1 from every ticket sold to Habitat.

Jon Foreman, lead singer for San Diego-based Switchfoot, said the idea to help Habitat came from his band.

"We have sold a lot of tickets and CDs and T-shirts and stickers and you leave a tour with those sorts of numbers and people say that's a successful tour.

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Taco Bell names band search finalists

2007-10-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

Taco Bell has announced the 2007 class of Feed the Beat. The 50 bands will receive $500 in free Fourthmeals — the late night meal between dinner and breakfast.

“These bands are constantly touring and look to Fourthmeal as a dependable after-show meal when many other establishments have closed,” said David Ovens, chief marketing officer of Taco Bell Corp. “Their passion for creating great music mirrors our passion for serving great food.”

Hundreds of bands submitted applications in August and were selected over the past few weeks after a national audition. According to a news release, Taco Bell looked for up-and-coming indie rock bands with a passion for touring, a solid fan base and tour history and that are on the road this fall.

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Slash shreds rumours

2007-10-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

Now that follow-up effort Libertad is out, Velvet Revolver continues to be dogged by rumours that once contractual obligations are honoured, the end is nigh.

Slash says otherwise.

"No, see, that's the kind of shit we were dealing with when the band first started," the legendary axeman says irritably from an Atlanta hotel room. "That's the same kind of naysayer prediction that we get from other people, but nobody on this side of the fence has ever said anything like that. At this point, I've got my guitar with me and I'm recording ideas for songs that could be prospects for the next record."

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Bandwidth: Stone Vengeance

2007-10-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

Like any thrash-rock band worth its weight in heavy metal, Stone Vengeance has a stage presence and list of song titles that should scare the hell out of you. But a hardcore heavy metal band doesn't last 29 years without learning how to pace its distortion-driven adrenaline. So it should come as no surprise that these "lords of heavy metal soul" as they call themselves, are among the most level-headed dudes in San Francisco's music scene.

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Meat Puppets add fall dates to reunion tour

2007-10-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

Rejuvenated alt-rockers Meat Puppets continue their return to full-time touring as the trio maps out dates for a fall tour behind July's "Rise to Your Knees."

The group will inaugurate its late-year run Oct. 5 in its adopted hometown of Austin, TX, the first of a pair of Texas shows the Puppets will play with Sonic Youth in October. The other SY/Puppets tangle comes Oct. 7 in Dallas.

After the Texas dates, the trio--which consists of brothers Curt and Cris Kirkwood, along with new drummer Ted Marcus--will hit clubs and small theaters in 14 cities through the middle of November. Dates are listed below.

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No Tour for Reunited Led Zeppelin

2007-10-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

Fans hoping the recently reunited Led Zeppelin would take the show on the road to rake in a mountain of cash are going to be disappointed.

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Radiohead’s CD: Hail to the free

2007-10-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

On Oct. 10 fans [of Radiohead] can download “In Rainbows” and pay whatever price they deem fit. Those who fear the karma police might shell out around $10, but surely there’ll be some creep who throws down a buck or two. Which is probably the selling price in the used bins for 2003’s “Hail to the Thief” - the band’s last dance with EMI/Capitol.

Currently unsigned (and putting to bed those debates on who is the best unsigned band in the world, we suppose), Radiohead is now free to do whatever it chooses with its music - even if it means giving it away. Though other bands have done this in the past, this is the first major release - a potential million-seller - that bypasses the traditional record label middleman. Since the band already has a dedicated fan base and most profit derives from touring, Radiohead can afford to take such a landmark step.

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SonicBids: Double your Gig Revenue with the right Merchandising

2007-09-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

This Quick Tip was adapted from an article by Tony van Veen, originally published in Disc Makers’ FastForward newsletter. Read the entire article here.

Double your gig revenue!
Merch sales are an easy way to make more money as a gigging indie artist.We independent artists have the habit of forgetting what our fans really are: our valued customers. Good customers have this wonderful habit of buying our stuff, and merchandise can be a big part of that.

Tips On Buying Merch
You’ll definitely want custom t-shirts, which represent 80% of all merch sold. But the greater the variety of merchandise you have to sell, the greater your opportunity to generate revenue.If you decide to design your merch yourself, keep it simple. Intricate designs don't usually translate well to silkscreen printing.If you are choosing multiple garment colors, make sure you take the extra time to ensure your ink colors will work well on all of the colors you choose.Beware, for every design location you add, there may be an additional cost involved.Start with one shirt color. Black is a good start, chosen by three quarters of all artists.Confirm this with your vendor, but you can usually split one order into S, M, L, or XL for any garment at no additional charge.

Tips On Selling Your Merch
When you’re on stage, mention that you have cool merch for sale.Display your merch in a high-traffic area.Keep prices reasonable and attractive.Sell a range of garments (not just t-shirts).Offer bundles (package two or more items together).Offer something for free with purchase (a poster, sticker, etc).Make sure everyone working with the band is wearing your merch.

www.sonicbids.com

HardRadio.com Reports 1.1 Million Unique Visitors in August

2007-09-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Officials at HardRadio.com recently reported that their HardRadio.com, HardVideo.com and HardAxe.net Web sites attracted 1.1 million unique visitors during August 2007. The number represents the amount of traffic to the Web sites, counting each visitor only once during the month-long report. Specializing in hard rock and heavy metal music, news and history, HardRadio.com pioneered Internet radio as the first dot-com, Internet-only radio station.

“For the first time in the company’s history, we’ve reached over one million passionate music fans in a single month,” said Tracy Barnes, founder and president of HardRadio.com. “Our ability to deliver the latest music, videos and bands at the click of a mouse has made us the hottest online destination in the world of heavy metal. As a result of this growing fan base, we’re currently searching for even more ways to enhance the business and increase our presence on the Internet.”

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Independent Music Conference: Another Failure

2007-09-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

The only thing consistent about Noel Ramos' events are the failure rate - and this years attempt in Philadelphia was no exception. With little more than a handful of musicians in attendance, Ramos has "threatened" to remove the event from where its called home since 2003. I have a feeling it won't be missed, especially by a city that didn't notice it was there to begin with.

Earlier this year Ramos took issue with the popular musician website SonicBids and their quality control. It was a battle he again lost.

View the photos from this years event here: www.imc07.com

Perpetual Groove: Band puts its energy to good use

2007-09-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

The group is on "The Serious Business Tour," powered by Green Mountain Energy Co., and performs tonight at Crossroads. P-Groove also has partnered with Tree Sound Studios and Sustainable Waves to help fight environmental threats such as global warming.

"The band and the label both feel strongly about doing things to help the environment," keyboard player Matt McDonald said in a phone interview. "As a band, someone in our profession produces a lot of emissions. We burn a lot of gas on tour and use a lot of energy to power up our lights and instruments. We calculated it for our fall tour, and it was shocking the amount of energy we use daily for hotels and gas."

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Arcade Fire: This band might change your life

2007-09-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

In a fascinating video on YouTube.com, the band performs the title song of its new album, "Neon Bible," while crammed into an elevator with an array of instruments. (One of those instruments includes a glossy magazine -- the sound of its pages being torn provides part of the wild percussion section.)

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Otep: New Album and Thanking Fans

2007-09-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

KOCH Records is pleased to announce a new revenue-sharing, multi-album, worldwide partnership with OTEP. The first release under this new agreement is the band’s highly-anticipated new full-length album, The Ascension-- slated for release on Tuesday, October 30th, 2007. Additionally, KOCH Records has several releases planned for 2008 under OTEP’s new, soon to be announced imprint.

Led by riveting front-woman Otep Shamaya, Los Angeles-based OTEP has long been considered one of rock’s most extraordinary live experiences.

The Ascension is their third full-length album, and the band challenged itself to avoid clichés and classifications and find a new landscape of sound and vision. Three songs on The Ascension were co-written with Grammy-nominated guitarist Greg Tribbett (Mudvayne and HELLYEAH). “We said ‘genre limits and music fads be damned, let’s write music that is important to us and that motiva tes us,” explains Otep Shamaya, the band’s namesake and driving force. “I wanted to write songs we believe in and let nothing stop us from building the album we want to make.”

Produced by Dave Fortman (Mudvayne, Evanescence), The Ascension is a “heavy duty masterpiece” as Harder Beat calls it. Metal Edge sta tes , “The Ascension finds the band in top-form.” And Blender offers, “ Otep ’s third album mostly stays within the realm of four-horsemen drum attacks, wrist twisting riffage and dark-lit industrial eeriness.”

OTEP is currently offering fans a once in a lifetime opportunity to be thanked in the liner notes of The Ascension. The group is asking fans to go out with a flyer they have made available for download and to post it everywhere. OTEP are asking that fans record their efforts and submit videos through YouTube. The person who submits the best video of their promotional efforts will then be thanked in the liner notes of The Ascension, which hits stores October 30th. The contest is open until midnight Eastern Standard Time on September 15th. So hurry over to http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=2243285&blogID=309097091 and get all the details.

Look for the band out on tour in support of The Ascension with band members Brian Wolf, Aaron and eVil J in the fall and into 2008. The band just completed a National tour with Static-X this past summer.

OTEP is managed by the Zen Media Group (HELLYEAH, Mudvayne, Bloodsimple).

To preview music please go to: www.MySpace.com/OTEP or www.OTEP.com

Man Trying to Sneak Into Concert Venue Impaled on Fence

2007-09-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

A man trying to climb a 12-foot, wrought-iron fence into a concert venue fell onto one of the inch-thick spikes, impaling his thigh, then held on while rescuers worked to cut part of the fence away.

The man and several friends had been headed to the Bad Boys of Rock concert featuring the bands Hinder, Papa Roach and Buckcherry, according to York Fair vice president Gene Schenck.

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The Noisettes Cancel North American Tour

2007-09-14T15:33:00.000-07:00

A typical excuse, the band have blamed their heavy touring schedule over the past two years for the cancellation.
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ANTHRAX’S SCOTT IAN TO GUEST ON NEXT EPISODE OF “ L.A. INK” ON TLC

2007-09-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday, September 18, the High Voltage Tattoo Parlor will open its doors to Scott Ian , main axe-man for the legendary thrash metal band Anthrax! The heavy metal veteran will be appearing on the next episode of TLC’s “L.A. Ink,” which airs at 10PM EST, and will no doubt rock Kat Von D and her crew harder than ever before. More info on “L.A. Ink” is available at http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/la-ink/la-ink.html.

In the ultimate heavy metal tribute, Ian will be inked up with a tattoo of another hard rock hero, AC/DC’s Angus Young.

Ian commented on his appearance on the show, saying: “Kat Von D is the best and her shop is called High Voltage, so who and where better to get a tattoo of Angus Young?!?!”

Be sure to catch Scott, Kat Von D, and the rest this Tuesday, September 18 at 10PM EST on TLC.

Evanescence Frontwoman Has No Interest In Solo Career

2007-09-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Have you thought about working with Wind-Up on something solo in addition to the Evanescence work, following such other frontwomen as Gwen Stefani and Fergie by releasing a solo album?

Amy: That's not me. I definitely think I could work by myself on something, but it wouldn't be in this music world. It wouldn't be in this sense of touring. I don't know. It would be completely different. Everything that I want to do as a rock musician I get to do with Evanescence. If I was ever to do something on my own or with different people, it would be because it was completely different. Such as I really have always wanted to get into scoring. I would love to score a film and I'm gonna try to do something completely different than Evanescence along those lines at some point. So there's that, but I don't know if that counts as being a solo artist. Definitely not in the sense that Fergie or Gwen Stefani are solo artists. I'm not really interested in that.

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Machine Head: Disney Retaliates, Forces Another Cancellation

2007-09-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

In a not-so-stunning move, The Walt Disney Company have once again pressured promoter Live Nation into canceling Machine Head's performance at a House of Blues venue on Disney property, this time in Orlando, a mere four days after the band's previous announcement called out the corporation for their underhanded tactics regarding the cancellation of Friday's House of Blues Anaheim show on 2 days notice.

While no one is willing to provide evidence that would prove unfavorable to Disney, sources close to events have suggested that once again, vague threats of liability, and now threats on job security may have been levied, successfully resulting in the show being moved off of Disney property.

As a result, the September 17th show has now been relocated to Club Firestone in Orlando , FL (located at 578 N. Orange Ave ). All existing tickets will be redeemable for entry at Club Firestone, all Will Call pickups will now be available for pickup at the new venue, and all refund requests will be honored.

As they are not on Disney property and therefore not subject to the corporation's alleged coercionary tactics, the Dallas, New Orleans, Cleveland and Chicago House of Blues shows will go on as scheduled.

On behalf of all four bands on the bill, Machine Head wish to again extend their gratitude to Live Nation and the House of Blues for their poise and tolerance during these absurd developments.

www.MachineHead1.com

Rock Band?

2007-09-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

If you think you're destined for Rock Band stardom, you're in luck; you can test your skills and participate in the nationwide casting call at MTV's Rock Band "Rock Off" events. Any rockers without stage fright who play on the Rock Band tour bus stage will be captured on tape for consideration by MTV casting directors. Two bands will get picked and flown to NYC to spend face-time with a real rock band for official rocker training. Then they'll play on MTV's TRL, and the winning outfit will get to open for a surprise super group at the Rock Band launch concert.

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Download This: YouTube Phenom Has a Big Secret

2007-09-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

A 24-year-old singer and guitarist named Marié Digby has been hailed as proof that the Internet is transforming the world of entertainment.

Ms. Digby's simple, homemade music videos of her performing popular songs have been viewed more than 2.3 million times on YouTube. Her acoustic-guitar rendition of the R&B hit "Umbrella" has been featured on MTV's program "The Hills" and is played regularly on radio stations in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Portland, Ore. Capping the frenzy, a press release last week from Walt Disney Co.'s Hollywood Records label declared: "Breakthrough YouTube Phenomenon Marié Digby Signs With Hollywood Records."

What the release failed to mention is that Hollywood Records signed Ms. Digby in 2005, 18 months before she became a YouTube phenomenon. Hollywood Records helped devise her Internet strategy, consulted with her on the type of songs she chose to post, and distributed a high-quality studio recording of "Umbrella" to iTunes and radio stations.

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Bless The Fall: A hard-core band that plays Christian rock

2007-09-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

On stage, every word that came out of the lead singer was perfect. The drums were beating the same thump as my heart. Then I heard someone onstage scream something about Jesus.

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Bless the Fall on MySpace:
www.myspace.com/blessthefall

Oasis announce new DVD 'Lord Don't Slow Me Down'

2007-09-04T17:30:00.000-07:00

On October 29th Oasis will release 'Lord Don't Slow Me Down', a brand new DVD film following the band on a year long tour covering 26 countries and playing to over 2 million fans.

Directed by acclaimed film-maker Baillie Walsh the DVD claims to capture all of the highs and lows of the band's tour, as well as the band's true opinion of the touring life and their fans.

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Zombie kills Halloween franchise

2007-09-04T17:24:00.000-07:00

The beauty of the original was that there was no reason for Myers' evil. He just was. Giving one of the greatest cinema slashers ever a dysfunctional back-story is just plain ludicrous. And the intensity that Donald Pleasance brought to his Dr. Loomis was vastly superior to Malcolm McDowell's portrayal of him as a new age hippy psychotherapist who writes a book and exploits the boy.

Read More Here

MITM Notes: I saw it on Friday. The first half was good, the second half was "ok". Had I known then what I know now - I would have waited for the DVD.

Want Another Opinion?

Lamb Of God's "Killadelphia" DVD Goes Platinum

2007-09-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

Make no mistake about it, Grammy nominated, LAMB OF GOD are the reigning supreme rulers of American Heavy Metal. Now, LAMB OF GOD announce “Killadelphia” DVD goes Platinum!

The band celebrate receiving the platinum award for “Killadelphia” DVD while they currently deliver their unruly brand of Heavy Metal as direct support to Ozzy on the mainstage at Ozzfest.

LAMB OF GOD’s “Killadelphia” highlights every facet of the bands unforgiving live performance recorded from two unforgettable Sold-Out concerts at Philadelphia ’s legendary Trocadero. This blistering live documentation features lead singer Randy Blythe’s storming vocals, the buzzsaw guitar slaughter of both Willie Adler and Mark Morton along with the powerhouse rhythm section of Chris Adler (drums) with John Campbell (bass). “Killadelphia” boasts live versions of: Laid To Rest, Hourglass, As The Palaces Burn, Now You’ve Got Something To Die For, 11th Hour, Terror & Hubris, Ruin, Omerta, Pariah, The Faded Line, Bloodletting, The Subtle Art Of Murder & Persuasion, Vigil, What I’ve Become, and the utterly classic Black Label; which inspires crowds worldwide to part seas for the infamous ‘wall of death’.

Drummer, Chris Adler states “In today's age of gimmicks, lies and faux reality trying to make celebrities out of everyone with a few dollars, it was important for us to not stage or hype up a damn thing - to simply show LAMB OF GOD on the road; the good times, the bad times and one hell of a show- and for that stripped down, no-holds-barred approach to be received this well certainly flatters us, but also continues to make a dent in the industry full of fakes and talentless image. It's nice to know that we didn't have to be anything other than ourselves to achieve such success with this DVD, but the real praise should go to our friends and fans who picked up Killadelphia and in doing so have sent a message to the powers that be that we are sick of the over hyped, fake "real world" being shoved down our throats - we are all ready for the honest, genuine bands and music to take center stage once again.

As a band we are extremely humbled by this achievement - it's rare that a band like ourselves receives this honor. Again, we pass along the thanks and praise to those of you who picked up Killadelphia. This is an accomplishment that we share with all of you. Thank you, congratulations and cheers! See you all soon - Stay Metal 'till then!”

Hatebreed Bassist Launches Clothing Line

2007-09-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

Grammy Nominated Bassist; Hatebreed's Beattie, Launches Signature Clothing Line, BRIDGEPORT REPUBLIC .

"Bridgeport Republic is dedicated to reflecting individuality with a universal line of quality apparel which honors and represents an independent yet unified lifestyle rooted in the streets. We plan to inspire a whole new generation and breathe new life into the way apparel industry," Beattie states. Hatebreed is currently doing what they do best, pummeling audiences Across North America as they headline the notorious second stage at Ozzfest 2007.

Immersed in the art world, Connecticut native, Beattie has put together a powerful fashion lineup to wear for the upcoming fall and winter seasons.

Check it out:
www.bridgeportrepublic.com

New York Times: Every Time I Die

2007-08-27T22:18:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-27T22:13:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

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"

2007-08-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-08-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-08-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

“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

2007-08-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

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)

2007-08-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

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)

2007-08-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

"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

2007-08-08T01:28:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-07T04:21:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-08-06T23:15:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-06T23:09:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-06T23:06:00.000-07:00

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"

2007-08-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

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%

2007-08-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-03T13:35:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-03T03:51:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-03T03:46:00.001-07:00

Courtesy of Rolling Stone: Enjoy

Circus Diablo Off Ozzfest: Expecting Babies

2007-08-03T03:41:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-03T03:32:00.000-07:00

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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More In the Monitors

Sheena Metal: Get Up, Get On And Get Off - The Early Bird Catches The Record Deal!

Most Fans Paid $0 for Radiohead Album

Prince threatens to sue his fans over online images

Vinyl May Be Final Nail in CD's Coffin

EMI to axe unproductive musicians

Do you support Metallica wanting album royalties for being on Guitar Hero?

Plain White T’s Dave Tirio: Former Shy Guy

Neverset earns success through tour schedule

Band Review: Rustcycle

Band Review: (S)HE

Woe of Tyrants: Local band fulfills west coast dreams

Sheena Metal: Fan Etiquette - Are The People Who Love Your Music Ruining Your Band's Reputation?

Anthrophobia Farewell Show

Music Industry Suicide

Curse Word Band Names Challenge the Music Industry

Stillborn Records Signs Florida 's CATALEPSY

SonicBids Quick Tip: Street Teams

Andy Browne Comments: Dewey Beach Music Conference

Bands concert tour benefits Habitat for Humanity

Taco Bell names band search finalists

Slash shreds rumours

Bandwidth: Stone Vengeance

Meat Puppets add fall dates to reunion tour

No Tour for Reunited Led Zeppelin

Radiohead’s CD: Hail to the free

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HardRadio.com Reports 1.1 Million Unique Visitors in August

Independent Music Conference: Another Failure

Perpetual Groove: Band puts its energy to good use

Arcade Fire: This band might change your life

Otep: New Album and Thanking Fans

Man Trying to Sneak Into Concert Venue Impaled on Fence

The Noisettes Cancel North American Tour

ANTHRAX’S SCOTT IAN TO GUEST ON NEXT EPISODE OF “ L.A. INK” ON TLC

Evanescence Frontwoman Has No Interest In Solo Career

Machine Head: Disney Retaliates, Forces Another Cancellation

Rock Band?

Download This: YouTube Phenom Has a Big Secret

Bless The Fall: A hard-core band that plays Christian rock

Oasis announce new DVD 'Lord Don't Slow Me Down'

Zombie kills Halloween franchise

Lamb Of God's "Killadelphia" DVD Goes Platinum

Hatebreed Bassist Launches Clothing Line

New York Times: Every Time I Die

Metal Is Sweet Music to Guitar Makers

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

Droid Now 2nd Stage Headliner for Family Values Tour

Best-Of Albums: A Difficult Decision for Bands

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

Ozzy: "His performance was downright painful to watch"

Local hard rockers lead with piano, not guitar

Two die from overdoses and 83 arrested at New Jersey Ozzfest

Rob Zombie's Halloween: The Music

Teens get education on illegal downloading

Political hopeful told to remove MySpace music

Radiohead album news: not good

Interview: Butch Walker

Philips Celebrates the 25th Birthday of the Compact Disc

The Sound Check Interview - Mobius Band

Rob Zombie: Prankster?

Spoof turns serious for Beatallica

Interview: Eisley

Focus has kept thrash-band Slayer around

Universal Republic Signs Florida Indie Rock Band Anberlin

SonicBids Tip: Photos

Rhino readies a huge dose of heavy metal thunder

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

Korn futures look bright as band pushes for growth

Van Halen to Tour Like It's 1984

Interview: Ratt's Bobby Blotzer

Switchfoot Goes Independent

Interview with Zakk Wylde

Show Review: Warped Tour (New York)

Band Review: Thrushes

Band Review: Or, the Whale

Live Review: Ozzfest (Chicago)

Sum 41: The great white hope of punk pop

Metal Queen Management (MQM) is announces MQMusicFest 2007

Live Review: Slayer & Marilyn Manson