Adam Lawton, Author at MediaMikes

Ted Nugent Announces New Full-Length Album Titled “The Music Made Me Do It”

Multi-platinum guitar legend Ted Nugent announces a new full-length album.
THE MUSIC MADE ME DO IT, due out Friday, November 9th via Round Hill Records.

The effort is Nugent’s first studio album in four years. The album features Greg Smith (Billy Joel, Alice Cooper, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow) on bass, Jason Hartless (Joe Lynn Turner, Mitch Ryder) on drums, and the Motor City Madman himself on lead guitar and vocals. Accompanying the CD is a Bonus DVD, LIVE AT FREEDOM HILL, an electrifying full-length concert captured at Freedom Hill Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

In advance of the album’s release, Nugent has just released the live music video for title track, “The Music Made Me Do It”. The video was shot at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California during Nugent’s summer tour and showcases the raw energy of his legendary live performances, offering a taste of the new studio material he recorded over the last year for the upcoming album, THE MUSIC MADE ME DO IT. To access the full album, THE MUSIC MADE ME DO IT, please click here. Please consider the album for feature and review coverage. Ted Nugent is available for interviews, please let me know if you would like to set something up.

Ted Nugent has carved a permanent place in rock n’ roll history as the ultimate guitar-shredding showman, selling more than 40 million albums and performing in excess of 6,700 (and counting!) high-octane live shows. As a budding musician, Nugent was strongly influenced by Chuck Berry and Bo Diddly, and knew he wanted to pursue that type of sound and attitude. Early bands, The Royal Highboys, and The Lourds, paved the way for the Amboy Dukes – and their psychedelic JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE MIND kicked young Ted’s career into hyper drive. The axe maniac soon broke out as a solo artist, where the guitarist’s prodigious talent, earshattering volume and over-the-top stage antics quickly earned him the moniker of Motor City Madman.

Cranking out hits like CAT SCRATCH FEVER, JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED, FREE FOR ALL and the iconic STRANGLEHOLD, Ted Nugent garnered international acclaim and truly hit his stride, becoming one of the top-grossing tour acts in America. His no-holds-barred career now spans six decades of multi-platinum hits. The ultimate Road Warrior, touring and recording continue at Ted’s breakneck pace. Nugent and his inimitable sound have been featured on VH1’s Behind the Music, A & E’s Biography and more. He was recently named Detroit’s Greatest Guitar Player of All Time by readers of MLive. For more information, please visit www.tednugent.com.

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Guitarist K.K. Downing Discusses His New Book “Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest”

Picture by: Pauli Juppi

Ken “K.K.” Downing is a founding member of the heavy metal band Judas Priest. He was active with the group from its inception in 1969 to his departure from the group in April of 2011. Downing has recently released a book via Da Capo press title “Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest”. Media Mikes had a chance recently to speak with Ken about the creation of the book and where he plans to go next

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background behind the writing of the book?

Ken Downing: Since my departure from the band eight years ago lots of people have been asking me if I would like to do a book. Year after year I just kept saying no and then finally last year I decided to finally do it. I sort of had three basic ideas for doing this. I thought it would be a good opportunity for fans to get to know me a little bit better. That probably sounds a bit ridiculous after having been around for so long now but, there is always another story to tell. I wanted to share how I started off in life and ended up playing some of the biggest stages in the world. Lastly I wanted to bring some sort of closure to the banter which was being thrown about across the internet related to my position within the band.

AL: How did you go about selecting what memories or stories you wanted to include in the book?

KD: That was really the difficulty part as I didn’t have a plan or anything. My ghost writer Mark Eglinton helped quite a bit with this side of things. He helped me dig a bit deeper along the way as we approached things chronologically as one lives life. As we moved along we paid attention to what would come to the surface and tried not to dwell on certain topics too long as we wanted to keep the book moving. If I had elaborated too much on things this would be a very thick book. (Laughs) It was difficult at times as I wanted to keep things honest and after forty years in rock and roll there were a couple stories we had to leave out. (Laughs)

AL: How did you get connected with Mark (Eglinton)?

KD: Mark came to me through my website which is run out of Helsinki, Finland. I had been approached previously by a bunch of other people about doing a book but Mark was in the UK and he made a couple trips down to see me where we just talked and got to know one another. I felt that worked well and we went from there. We did things in chunks based on a certain amount of years. That let me focus on one specific time period at a time. Mark and I would just basically talk. Every now and then he would prompt me to elaborate more on certain periods of the band. Both Mark and his brother have been rock fans for a very long time so he had a fans perspective of what other fans might want to know more about.

AL: Was it hard revisiting some of your earlier years growing up?

KD: It was. I had always kept a lot of those memories be it good or bad to myself. My childhood was very personal to me and I had never shared my experiences with anyone. To have someone hear them and then in turn document them for others to read was something I really had to think about. To keep things transparent we went ahead with it. I may have skirted around a couple things or been less descriptive but it’s all there. When you are born in to a dysfunctional family things are going to be a bit different so I didn’t have to go into too much detail.

AL: Had you let any of the people included in these stories know beforehand that you were releasing a book on your life?

KD: No not really. I had talked to my mom as I was a bit concerned she might get a little emotional about me telling the family story. As it happened when I spoke with her she told me she was not worried and she also mentioned she had read Ozzy Osbourne’s book and loved that one. (Laughs) When she did get the chance to read my book she affirmed that that’s how things were so I was pleased with that.

AL: Now that people have had a chance to read the book, are there any pieces you feel you should not have included or been so detailed with?

KD: I feel a little relieved now that it’s out and that I have not received any real adverse repercussions. The general feedback has been much better than I was expecting. Every now and then I think about other things I would have mentioned but didn’t. That seems to happen though be it with this book or records you always want to turn out the best product so you keep working and working at it. Eventually you just have to stop and turn it in. I wanted to put out something that people could get their heads into and find it just as enjoyable as watching television or something.

AL: With the completion of the book are you looking to now shift your focus back to music?

KD: I am thinking with the coming winter here in the UK I am going to disappear into my music room and just see what happens next. I have a few ideas I might want to play about with but this game for me is all about getting that chance to jump back into Judas Priest. If I am not doing that then the name of the game is creating new material.

For more in on Ken you can visit his official website at www.kkdowning.net

Be sure to check out our review of “Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest” here.

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Filed Under: Author Interviews, Books, Interviews, Music, Music Interviews Tagged With: book, days, discusses, downing, duty, guitarist, ...

New GWAR Graphic Novel To Split Hell Wide Open- Pre-Orders Available Now!

NEW GWAR GRAPHIC NOVEL TO SPLIT HELL WIDE OPEN – PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW!

GWAR: The Enormogantic Fail – Graphic novel
96 pages, softcover, $19.99 US, ISBN: 9781988903477

You know their name, you know their music but do you know their story? Everyone’s favorite blood spewing alien band return to comics in an all new 96 page graphic novel.

The Master is at it again in a fierce battle against Cardinal Syn. To get into the Master’s good graces, the Destructo brothers have trapped GWAR in order to interrogate them to find the key to destroying Cardinal Syn once and for all. Will Sawborg and Bozo Destructo get the answers they need? Can GWAR escape their clutches? Will Cardinal Syn destroy them all? And what really happened when GWAR were banished to earth?

All will be revealed in GWAR: The Enormogantic Fail, a new 96 page graphic novel from GWAR and Renegade Arts Entertainment. Written by Matt Maguire (GWAR) and Matt Miner (Critical Hit, Toe Tag Riot), with art by some of the greatest comic creators this side of Flab Quarv 7, hand-picked by GWAR themselves.

Available for pre-order now along with exclusive prints, pins, CDs, signed goods and even unique stage props. Pre-orders will be delivered June 2019.
Now, go to GWARCOMIC.COM and get your pre-order in to make sure you get the exclusives before they run out.

Quotes:
Sawborg Destructo, GWAR: ‘The time has come once again, human filth, to show your Lords and Masters your undying, but most likely dying, devotion! I Sawborg Destructo commands you to get your pre orders in now for GWAR’s new comic The Enormogantic Fail! That’s right, get your preorder in today and maybe you’ll survive long enough to read it.’

Matt Miner, writer: ‘Well it looks like I’m not quite done with GWAR yet, and I’ll be hanging out with that crew long enough for some more dick jokes and blood spray. Always a good time when I can hide from the world in piles of bodies, covered in spew.’

Alexander Finbow, Publisher: ‘The opportunity to work with GWAR on this new graphic novel gave us the chance to help create a great story in a collaborative process that respects the band, creators and GWAR fans. The first GWAR comic series was successfully funded through Kickstarter, but the team were keen to try out a different approach this time, one that tied in with some ideas we’d also wanted to try. That’s why we created the gwarcomic.com website, a place where GWAR fans can find out easily what the book is all about, and decide whether they want to sign up for the ride.’

Writers: Matt Maguire And Matt Miner
Artists: Matt Maguire, Liana Kangas, Lukasz Kowalczuk, Matt Lejeune, Katie Longua, Jeff Martin, Kelly Williams
Colour Artist: Josh Jensen
Cover Artists: Jonathan Brandon Sawyer And Josh Jensen
Letters: Taylor Esposito Editor: Brendan Wright Publisher: Alexander Finbow

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Filed Under: Art/Theatre, Headlines, Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: graphic, gwar, open, preorders, split, wide, ...

Ace Frehley Releases New Music Video for “Rockin With the Boys”. New Solo Album Due 10/19

ACE FREHLEY RELEASES NEW MUSIC VIDEO FOR “ROCKIN’ WITH THE BOYS” VIA BILLBOARD MAGAZINE
ALL NEW SOLO LP, SPACEMAN, DUE THIS FRIDAY
NYC POP UP STORE ANNOUNCED FOR STREET DATE

FREHLEY TO APPEAR ON GOOD DAY NY

2018 TOUR DATES ON SALE NOW
PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW

Watch “Rockin With the Boys” here

Founding KISS guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame member ACE FREHLEY has released the music video for “Rockin’ With The Boys.” Filmed live in Detroit Rock City, this is the first music video we’ve seen from The Spaceman since he released the video for “Fire and Water.”

That video featured KISS frontman Paul Stanley and was off of Origins, Vol. 1, released in 2016. The video was done by veteran director Justin Reich.

This is the second song Frehley has released this year, from his forthcoming all-new Spaceman album, due October 19, 2018, via Entertainment One (eOne). Frehley previously released the track “Bronx Boy” in April.

Spaceman, Frehley’s eighth solo LP, features nine new original tracks, plus a cover of Eddie Money’s “I Wanna Go Back,” a ripping power pop makeover of the original.

Ace Frehley will be appearing on GOOD DAY NY/WNYW Fox 5 tomorrow, October 16, 2018, at 9 AM EDT, performing his new single, “Rockin’ With The Boys” in its entirety.

Additionally, an Ace Frehley “Spaceman” pop up store powered by Looney Tunes is planned for Friday, October 19 at the Sam Ash Music store, located at 333 W 34th St. in New York City. Ace will be appearing from 5-7PM EDT signing copies of his new album.

Spaceman LPs and CDs will be available to purchase as well as the limited edition Orange Vinyl only currently available at indie store locations in the U.S.

“No need to worry, I’ll be home soon, ’cause I’m rockin’ with the boys,” Frehley sings on “Rockin’ With the Boys,” which tells the tale of life on the road. Ace says he wrote the original version of the song back in KISS’s heyday in the ’70s. Both “Rockin With The Boys” and “Bronx Boy” are available on all streaming platforms today, and are iTunes instant grat tracks for fans who preorder the album.

In addition to Ace’s distinctive guitar sound on each track, Ace played bass on all of the songs on Spaceman except for two. The listener might recognize the mighty dinosaur growl of a bass tone belonging to Gene Simmons on the album opener, “Without You I’m Nothing,” which Gene also co-wrote, and “Your Wish Is My Command.” Both songs were recorded at Frehley’s home studio in Rancho Santa Fe, California.

Ace’s reconnection with Simmons and fellow KISS vocalist-guitarist Paul Stanley (who joined Ace on a cover of Free’s “Fire and Water” for 2016’s covers LP Origins, Vol. 1) might be chalked up to the fact that Frehley has been sober for more than a decade (he celebrates 12 years of sobriety in September). Ace’s clean living no doubt has a lot to do with his productive streak, which began with the release of his top 20 Anomaly album in 2009.
Spaceman (a title suggested by Simmons, himself) serves as the first collection of all new Frehley-penned material since 2014’s Space Invader, which debuted at #9 on the Top 200 Chart. The LP scored the highest charting position of any former or current KISS band member ever and marked Frehley’s first return to the Top 10 since KISS’s 1998 Psycho Circus reunion album.

Space Invader received praise from critics. Rolling Stone wrote, “Gene Simmons has claimed Ace Frehley doesn’t deserve to wear Kiss’ Kabuki clown paint, but the former Spaceman’s first solo LP in five years says otherwise,” while Associated Press hailed, “…the original Kiss lead guitarist has recorded his best solo album since his groundbreaking self-titled album in 1978.”

Widely known as the original “Space Ace” and founding guitarist for 16 cumulative years (over 2 tenures) of the multi-platinum selling rock band KISS, Frehley is demonstrably the most popular original member. In addition to having the best-selling solo album career (vintage or current) among the original foursome, Frehley’s self-titled Ace Frehley, released in 1978, went on to sell over one million copies, producing the only Top 40 single, “New York Groove,” from any of the legendary KISS solo albums (peaking at #13).

Upcoming 2018 Dates
Oct 27, 2018 – Oct 28, 2018 – Las Vegas, NV, KISS Mini Golf
Oct 31, 2018 – Nov. 5, 2018 – Miami to Key West and Nassau, KISS Kruise VIII
November 7, 2018- Pensacola, FL, Pensacola Saenger Theatre
November 9, 2018- Clearwater, FL, Capital Theatre
November 10, 2018- Melbourne, FL, King Center for the Performing Arts
November 11, 2018- Miramar, FL, Miramar Ampitheatre

Track Listing
1. Without You I’m Nothing
2. Rockin’ With the Boys
3. Your Wish Is My Command
4. Bronx Boy
5. Pursuit Of Rock and Roll
6. I Wanna Go Back
7. Mission To Mars
8. Off My Back
9. Quantum Flux

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Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: 1019, ace, album, boys, due, frehley, ...

Knocked Loose Debut New Video for “The Rain”

ACCLAIMED HARDCORE HEROES KNOCKED LOOSE DEBUT NEW VIDEO FOR “THE RAIN”
*BAND’S NORTH AMERICAN TOUR IN SUPPORT OF LAUGH TRACKS UNDERWAY NOW*

Critically heralded Kentucky hardcore band Knocked Loose has teamed up with ConsequenceOfSound.net to unveil a new video for their song “The Rain.” The track is featured on the band’s acclaimed, debut album, Laugh Tracks, which is available everywhere now from Pure Noise Records.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “THE RAIN” NOW AT CONSEQUENCEOFSOUND.NET: http://bit.ly/2A25dke

“We’re really excited about this one, I think we’re ending the Laugh Tracks cycle on a strong note thanks to Max Moore. Definitely the most fun video to shoot.” – Bryan Garris

PURCHASE/STREAM LAUGH TRACKS:
MerchNow – http://bit.ly/2CAuioW
Apple Music – https://apple.co/2yuAom5
Spotify – https://spoti.fi/2INa5wh
Amazon – https://amzn.to/2PwnZFO

Knocked Loose’s new video for “The Rain” comes as the band is amidst their final North American tour in support of their groundbreaking 2016 debut album, Laugh Tracks. The band’s tour with Beartooth and Sylar will continue through October and November. Tickets are on sale now!

Follow the band at https://www.facebook.com/KnockedLoose for more updates.

Knocked Loose 2018 Fall Tour Dates with Beartooth and Sylar:
10/10 – Charleston, SC @ Music Farm
10/11 – Carrboro, NC @ Cats Cradle
10/12 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
10/13 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
10/14 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
10/16 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live
10/17 – Tampa, FL @ Orpheum Theatre
10/18 – Jacksonville, FL @ Nighthawk’s
10/19 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
10/20 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
10/21 – Corpus Christi, TX @ Brewster Street Ice House
10/23 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
10/24 – San Antonio, TX @ Alamo City Music Hall
10/26 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
10/27 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Pressroom
10/28 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
10/30 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco Theater
10/31 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
11/01 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
11/02 – Fresno, CA @ Strummer’s Bar & Grill
11/03 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
11/04 – Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre
11/06 – Portland, OR @ McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
11/07 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
11/09 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
11/10 – Denver, CO @ The Oriental Theater
11/11 – Wichita, KS @ Rock Island Live
11/12 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater
11/13 – Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium
11/14 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
11/15 – Sauget, IL @ Pop’s
11/17 – Columbus, OH @ Express Live
12/15 – Buffalo, NY @ Buffalo Riverworks *
* with Every Time I Die (no Beartooth or Sylar)

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Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: debut, knocked, loose, rain, video

Jason Becker and Music Theories Recordings/ Mascot Label Group to Release “Triumphant Hearts”

JASON BECKER AND MUSIC THEORIES RECORDINGS / MASCOT LABEL GROUP
TO RELEASE TRIUMPHANT HEARTS GLOBALLY ON DECEMBER 7. 2018
The album features Marty Friedman, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Neal Schon, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert,
Joe Bonamassa, Uli Jon Roth, Richie Kotzen, Gus G., Jake Shimabukuro, and many more.

WATCH THE LYRIC VIDEO FOR “VALLEY OF FIRE” FEATURING THE MAGNIFICENT 13 FEATURING STEVE VAI, JOE BONAMASSA, PAUL GILBERT, NEAL SCHON, MARTY FRIEDMAN, MICHAEL LEE FIRKINS, MATTIAS IA EKLUNDH, GREG HOWE, JEFF LOOMIS, RICHIE KOTZEN, GUS G, STEVE HUNTER AND BEN WOODS HERE: https://youtu.be/1gS5ibUPUvgg

Pre-Order Here: http://smarturl.it/JasonBecker

Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group are extremely excited and honored to present the new album ‘Triumphant Hearts’ from Jason Becker, which will be released on 7th December 2018.

Jason Becker’s story is one of brilliance, talent, determination, adversity, and, ultimately, triumph. A child prodigy on guitar, Jason rose to prominence as a teenager when he was one half of the technical guitar duo Cacophony, with his great friend Marty Friedman. In 1989, at only 19 years old and after wowing audiences all over the world, the young virtuoso became the guitarist for David Lee Roth, following in the huge footsteps of Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai. He wrote and recorded on his 3rd solo album ‘A Little Ain’t Enough’ and was poised for superstardom when a nagging pain in his leg was diagnosed as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). A fatal condition with a life expectancy of maybe five years. Maybe.

That was 29 years ago. He lost the ability to play guitar, walk, talk, and breathe on his own. But never lost his will to live or his desire to create music. Communicating through a series of eye movements with a system developed by his father, Jason spells out words as well as musical notes and chords. He imparts his musical vision to his team who then can input the notes into a computer, edit the parts to his exacting standards, and then generate charts for session musicians. His inspiring music and life story have been the subject of countless news articles, magazine cover stories, and an award-winning documentary, Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet.

The album’s 14 tracks showcase Jason’s gift for melody and his deep knowledge of classical composition and orchestral arrangement. Many of the guitar parts are performed by a who’s who of 6-string gods including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Neal Schon, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert, Joe Bonamassa, and many others. And, in what will absolutely delight his fans, Jason’s amazing guitar playing—recorded in the ’80s and ’90s—features throughout.

The first song to be released from the album is the beautifully mesmerizing 9 minute and 5 second instrumental ‘Valley of Fire’ that features The Magnificent 13 – Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, Paul Gilbert, Neal Schon, Marty Friedman, Michael Lee Firkins, Mattias IA Eklundh, Greg Howe, Jeff Loomis, Richie Kotzen, Gus G, Steve Hunter and Ben Woods. A phenomenal cast to feature on a single song.

The album opens with the title track, featuring Jason’s old bandmate Marty Friedman and an astounding violin performance. “I wrote ‘Triumphant Heart’ and it made me feel triumphant,” says Becker. “When Marty found out I was making this album, he told me he would play anything I needed. I sent him this, and his wife, Hiyori Okuda, who is a cellist, also offered to play on it. The great violinist, Glauco Bertagnin, recorded my violin parts in Italy. That fast solo section I wrote is way too hard; I don’t know how Glauco pulled it off. He put so much soul in the whole song.”

‘Hold on to Love’ is the first vocal song on the record, although it didn’t start out that way. “It was going to be an instrumental,” explains Jason, “but after I wrote the chorus with lyrics, I knew I had to tell my story, to explain how I can continue living without feeling hate. I hadn’t written many lyrics before.” In addition to its beautiful, gospel-tinged choir, the heartfelt song features Bay Area singer Codany Holiday on lead vocals.

‘Fantasy Weaver’ displays the 4-string magic of world-renown ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro and harp arpeggios that were written back in his Cacophony days. ‘Once Upon a Melody’ not only features two Jason Becker guitar solos from his Cacophony era, but also audio of him as a three-year-old. The full-circle nature of having little boy Jason, guitar virtuoso Jason, and modern-day composer Jason all on the same song is a breathtaking accomplishment while ‘We Are One,’ features soulful Flipsyde vocalist Steve Knight, and more Jason Becker guitar delights.

Uli Jon Roth appears on ‘Magic Woman,’ along with ex-Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick who counts both Uli and Jason as big influences. Fans of Jason’s work with David Lee Roth will be thrilled by the inclusion of two previously unreleased outtakes from the ‘A Little Ain’t Enough’ sessions, the hard rocking ‘Taking Me Back’ and the blues-infused ‘Tell Me No Lies.’ There are also performances by Joe Satriani, Guthrie Govan, Steve Morse, Trevor Rabin, and many others.

“Some people feel sorry for me,” he concedes, “and I understand that. I really feel lucky though. I don’t miss playing guitar anymore. I’m sure that’s out of necessity, but I am grateful for so much more. I am surrounded by loving people, and I can still make music.”

Track Listing:
1.) Triumphant Heart- (feat. Marty Friedman, Glauco Bertagnin, Hiyori Okuda)
2.) Hold On To Love- (feat. Codany Holiday)
3.) Fantasy Weaver- (feat. Jake Shimabukuro)
4.) Once Upon A Melody- (feat. Steve Knight)
5.) We Are One
6.) Magic Woman- (feat. Uli Jon Roth & Chris Broderick)
7.) Blowin’ in the Wind- (feat. Joe Satriani, Aleks Sever, Guthrie Govan, Steve Morse)
8.) River of Longing
9.) Valley of Fire- (feat. The Magificent 13)
10.) River of Longing- (feat. Trevor Rabin)
11.) Taking Me Back- (feat. Codany Holiday) [Chuck Zwicky Remix]
12.) Tell Me No Lies
13.) Hold On To Love
14.) You Do It

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Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: becker, group, hearts, jason, label, mascot, ...

Against Me! Cover “People Who Died” for “Songs That Saved My Life” Compilation

LISTEN TO AGAINST ME! COVER “PEOPLE WHO DIED” (ORIGINALLY
MADE FAMOUS BY THE JIM CARROLL BAND) FROM SONGS THAT SAVED MY LIFE
HOPELESS RECORDS ALONG WITH THEIR NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION SUB CITY
ANNOUNCE, ON WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY, A NEW PROJECT TO
BENEFIT MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION ORGANIZATIONS

COMPILATION ALBUM TO BE RELEASED ON NOVEMBER 9 THROUGH HOPELESS RECORDS

ALBUM NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER
WWW.SONGSTHATSAVEDMYLIFE.COM

STREAM THE SONG NOW ON PEOPLE.COM

Fans can stream Against Me!’s cover of “People Who Died” (originally made famous by The Jim Carroll Band) now on People Magazine. The song is taken from Songs That Saved My Life, a brand centered around music that has played a pivotal role in the lives of artists and fans and that benefits mental health and suicide prevention charities. The compilation will be released on November 9 through Hopeless Records and includes covers from bands like Neck Deep, Against Me!, Taking Back Sunday, Dan Campbell and Ace Enders, Movements, The Maine, Dance Gavin Dance, and more. Full track listing can be found below.

“Choosing to cover a song that is filled with death to be featured on a compilation dedicated to the thought that music can save your life seemed completely fitting to me,” says Against Me! vocalist and guitarist Laura Jane Grace. “I’ve always thought music was about taking all the sadness, pain, fear and trouble that you have weighing on you and turning it into something empowering, celebratory and life-affirming.”

Listen to the song HERE.

Songs That Saved My Life looks to engage current artists with cover versions of those songs and share those stories with the world. This project benefits a variety of mental health and suicide prevention organizations. Currently, this project benefits Crisis Text Line, Hope For The Day, The Trevor Project, and To Write Love On Her Arms.

Last month, the Songs That Saved My Life grant was announced. The $10,000 grant will be awarded to a fan or band partnering with a non-profit organization related to mental health awareness and/or suicide prevention. Applications are open now and due on October 12th. To apply, visit songsthatsavedmylife.com/grant.

Songs That Saved My Life Track Listing:
1. Neck Deep – Torn (originally made famous by Natalie Imbruglia)
2. Movements – Losing My Religion (originally made famous by R.E.M.)
3. Stand Atlantic – Your Graduation (originally made famous by Modern Baseball)
4. Dance Gavin Dance – Semi Charmed Life (originally made famous by Third Eye Blind)
5. Against Me! – People Who Died (originally made famous by The Jim Carroll Band)
6. Taking Back Sunday – Bullet With Butterfly Wings (originally made famous by Smashing Pumpkins)
7. Dream State – Crawling (originally made famous by Linkin Park)
8. As It Is – Such Great Heights (originally made famous by The Postal Service)
9. Oceans Ate Alaska – Shape of my Heart (originally made famous by Sting)
10. Too Close To Touch – Let It Be (originally made famous by The Beatles)
11. Dan Campbell & Ace Enders – Broom People (originally made famous by The Mountain Goats)
12. The Maine – Transatlanticism (originally made famous by Death Cab For Cutie)

Songs That Saved My Life is now available for pre-order at www.songsthatsavedmylife.com.

When fans pre-order digitally through iTunes, they will receive and instant grat download of Neck Deep’s cover of “Torn”. It is also now available to stream through Apple Music and Spotify. Fans can watch the music video for Neck Deep’s cover of “Torn” here: http://smarturl.it/TornVideo

Sub City, the 501(c)(3) non-profit arm of Hopeless, donates funds and raises awareness for various non-profit organizations by connecting artists, fans and causes they are passionate about. Sub City has raised over 2.5 million dollars for more than 50 non-profit organizations including Living the Dream, It Gets Better Project, A Place Called Home, DoSomething.org, and New Directions for Youth.

Learn more about the benefiting organizations from Songs That Saved My Life:

Crisis Text Line
Crisis Text Line offers free, 24/7 support for people in crisis via text. We support people across a range of crises from anxiety and depression, to self-harm and suicide, and lots of crises in between, to help them get from a hot moment to a cool calm.

Text HOME to 741741

For more information visit: https://www.crisistextline.org

Hope For The Day
Hope for the Day achieves proactive suicide prevention by providing outreach and mental health education through self-expression platforms. It’s ok not to be ok, have hope.

For more information visit: https://www.hftd.org

The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24. The mission of The Trevor Project is to end suicide among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning young people.

For more information visit: https://www.thetrevorproject.org

To Write Love On Her Arms
To Write Love On Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

For more information visit: https://twloha.com

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Gwar Announce December Headline Shows!

GWAR Announce December Headline Shows!

Following an earth-shattering appearance at this weekend’s Rock Allegiance Festival in the cesspool known as Camden, NJ your Lords and Masters GWAR kicked off the Gore, Core and More Tour last night with co-headliners Hatebreed. Find a complete list of dates below.

But there is no rest for the wicked! GWAR have now confirmed a run of shows in December in addition to their previously announced New Year’s Eve show in Norfolk, VA. These shows start December 27th in Indianapolis, IN and will see support coming from Iron Reagan and Against the Grain.

Tickets for the December shows go on sale this Thursday October 11th via special pre-sales and to the general public this Friday October 12th. VIP upgrades will be available HERE.

“HO! HO! HO! Merry SeXmas! Come join GWAR for a special holiday show as we stalk and kill the fat bearded pedophile known as Santa Claus, fill the stockings of every child in the world with diarrhea, decapitate Father Time, and molest the Baby New Year!”says lead singer Blöthar.

GWAR W/Iron Reagan and Against the Grain:
12/27: Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
12/28: Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
12/29: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
12/30: Philadelphia, PA @ North Seventh
12/31: Norfolk, VA @ The Norva^
^Stonecutters to open

GWAR & Hatebreed Co-Headline
10/9: Lawrence, KS @ Granda Theater
10/10: Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
10/11: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
10/12: Boise, ID @ Revolution Concert House
10/13: Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival*
10/15: Seattle, WA @ Showbox Sodo
10/16: Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
10/18: Los Angeles, CA @ Belasco Theater
10/19: Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
10/20: Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
10/22: Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
10/23: Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live
10/24: Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
10/25: Sauget, IL @ Pops
10/26: Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
10/27: St. Paul, MN @ Myth Live
10/28: Peoria, IL @ Monarch Music Hall

*Festival Appearance

GWAR Headline Dates:
10/29: Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrews Hall
10/30: Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
10/31: New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
11/2: North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
11/3: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
11/4: Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theater
11/6: Stroudsburg, PA @ Sherman Theater
11/7: Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
11/8: Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
11/9: Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
11/10: Richmond, VA @ The National#

#With Municipal Waste, High on Fire and Toxic Holocaust

^Stonecutters to open

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Record Store Day Announces Titles for Weekend of Black Friday and Small Business Saturday

RECORD STORE DAY ANNOUNCES TITLES FOR THE DOUBLE WHAMMY WEEKEND OF BLACK FRIDAY AND SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

ALICE COOPER * A PERFECT CIRCLE * BABYMETAL *BEN FOLDS * BOBBY GENTRY * BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS * BONNIE RAITT * BØRNS * COLLECTIVE SOUL * DIFFORD & TILBROOK WITH QUESTLOVE & ROBERT GLASPER * DIO * EMMET OTTER * ERIC CLAPTON * GARBAGE * GRAVEDIGGAZ * INGRID MICHAELSON *
JERRY GARCIA ACOUSTIC BAND * KACEY MUSGRAVES * LINDSEY STIRLING * MADONNA* MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA * MATTHEW SWEET * NIGHT BEATS * PAUL MCCARTNEY * PHISH * RAY LAMONTAGNE * SHERYL CROW * SOUL ASYLUM * STING & SHAGGY * TAYLOR SWIFT * THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE * THE JOY FORMIDABLE * THE REPLACEMENTS *THE SMITHEREENS * TOM MORELLO * TOM WAITS * TONY BENNETT & DIANA KRALL * TOO $HORT * TREY ANASTASIO * TYPE O NEGATIVE * U2 * UNWRITTEN LAW * WEEZER
OH, AND SO MUCH MORE…

Of course there are a lot of headaches and woes right now, but if you’re a music lover, relief is on the way, holiday style! Record Store Day is chuffed to announce a slew of terrific Black Friday (November 23rd) titles available from Atlantic to Pacific at participating indie stores, that will put the jingle back in your jangle this unofficial “Official Shopping Season.” And if that’s not enough, just when you thought it was only 24 hours of your post-Tryptophanic haze, RSD grabs ahold of Small Business Saturday (November 24th) and celebrates a second day of reasons to shop at local, independent record stores for the holiday season.

“I will never get tired of saying that gifts from a record store, for yourself or someone else, are just the coolest things you could possibly get,” adds Carrie Colliton, Record Store Day co-founder/organizer. “And I think that a lot of people are realizing that sometimes what you find at a record store is just a little different, a little more special because the person behind the music– the person who’s putting the release together, the folks behind the package on the shelf feel that record stores are special too.”

Cases in point: Matthew Sweet brings a new full-length LP called Wicked System of Things only to record stores, Manchester Orchestra’s The Black Mile Demos EP gives us an exclusive look at the making of their acclaimed A Black Mile To The Surface, and Tom Morello’s The Atlas Underground (Instrumentals) double LP release is hand-numbered and includes a booklet of guitar tabs, so fans can play along at home. BØRNS Live At Amoeba Music In Hollywood EP makes you feel like you were there for that special record store experience, as does Alice Cooper Live From The Astroturf Full Performance, which captures the band live at Good Records in Dallas, and is in fact released by that store’s in-house label who go all out on this extensive, special package.

New songs, remixes and tributes adorn singles on the RSD Black Friday list from Sting & Shaggy, Kacey Musgraves, U2, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, BABYMETAL, The Joy Formidable, A Perfect Circle, Paul McCartney, Ray LaMontagne, Dio, Night Beats and more. Garbage, inspired by their tourmates Debbie Harry of Blondie and X’s Exene Cervenka, worked with Exene and John Doe to write and produce “Destroying Angels” just for an RSD BF single, and included the band’s rendition of David Bowie’s “Starman”, recorded for Howard Stern’s Bowie Tribute broadcast on the b-side.

This year Weezer proved that classic songs never go out of style and that theme runs through the RSD Black Friday list as well, starting with Weezer themselves who release a die-cut picture disc of their rain-blessing tribute to Toto, “Africa”. The Smithereens dig into the Beatles catalog for B-Sides The Beatles, and some of today’s most impressive jazz artists do the same for A Day In the Life: Impressions of Pepper. Difford & Tilbrook revisit their classic Squeeze song “Take Me I’m Yours” and bring Questlove and Robert Glasper along for the ride, and artists like Tom Waits, The Replacements, Bonnie Raitt and Sinead O’Connor–to name just a few–prove again that Disney films gave us some music that transcends time and genre (and is not just for kids) on a reissue of Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music From Vintage Disney Films.

The RSD BF list revisits some beloved albums as well, updating and celebrating titles including Bobby Gentry’s Ode to Billie Joe, Bob Marley & The Wailers’ Catch a Fire, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention’s We’re Only In It For The Money, Gravediggaz’ Six Feet Deep, Sheryl Crow’s Tuesday Night Music Club, The Byrds’ Sweethearts of the Rodeo, Type O Negative’s Bloody Kisses, Collective Soul’s Hints, Allegations and Things Left Unsaid, Madonna’s Ray of Light, Too $hort’s Get In Where You Fit In, Taylor Swift’s RED and Speak Now, Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band’s Almost Acoustic, and Slip, Stitch & Pass from Phish (who almost certainly have Almost Acoustic in their own collections.) Also included are album box sets from Soul Asylum and Toad The Wet Sprocket.

If you “need a little Christmas” well, it’s not right this very minute but record stores can help with that come 11/23 when Rolling Stones guitar gawd Keith Richards will celebrate the 40th anniversary of his first ever solo release (which was a holiday song!) with a 12” red vinyl special of “Run Rudolph Run.” The track was originally released as a 7” in 1978 as a B-side with “The Harder They Come” and in 2007 as the B-side of “Pressure Drop”. Both those tracks appear on the B-side of this anniversary release. More holiday music comes on RSD Black Friday from the likes of Lindsey Stirling, Eric Clapton, Green River, the artists of the Prestige label, Unwritten Law and more (including Emmet Otter’s one-time nemesis, the Riverbottom Nightmare Band!)

In addition to all the music coming to record stores on Black Friday, on Saturday 11/24 Record Store Day will celebrate Small Business Saturday with releases from Ben Folds, Tony Bennett and Diana Krall, Ingrid Michaelson and Kid Doe (a collaboration between Particle Kid and John Doe). Look for more information on those releases, as well as in-store events and celebrations to come shortly.

The titles mentioned above are just an appetizer-size bite of what’s on the complete list of Record Store Day Black Friday titles. The official list, along with more information on each title, can be found at recordstoreday.com. The official hashtag for Record Store Day Black Friday is #RSDBF Record Store Day is on social media: @recordstoreday on Twitter, @recordstoredayus on Instagram, @RecordStoreDay on Facebook

About Record Store Day:
Record Store Day, the organization, is managed by the Department of Record Stores and is organized in partnership with the Alliance of Independent Media Stores (AIMS), the Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) and promotes independent record stores year-round with events, special releases and other fun things.

Record Store Day, the global celebration of the culture of the record store, takes place annually in April.

Record Store Day Sponsors:
ADA, Caroline, Crosley Turntables, Dr Martens Airwair USA, Dogfish Head Brewery, Furnace Record Pressing, Glowtronics, InGrooves, Music Business Association, MVD Entertainment, Okki Nokki, The Orchard, Redeye Distribution, Sony Music, ThinkIndie, URP Distribution, Universal Music Distribution, Vinyl Styl, Warner Bros. Records, WEA,

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CD Review: Behemoth “I Love You at Your Darkest”

“I Love You at Your Darkest”
Behemoth
Metal Blade Records
Tracks: 12

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Black Metal heavy weights Behemoth have just released their 11th studio album titled “I Love You at Your Darkest” via Metal Blade Records. The album is the bands first studio release in four years and features 12 uniquely crafted tracks from the Gdansk natives who have been churning out their own signature blend of black metal since the early nineties. Vocalist/guitarist Nergal has stated that “It doesn’t get more blasphemous than this.” a claim which could be very, very true.

When a band like Behemoth and you releases an album titled “The Satanist” it might cause some to wonder if a black metal band can go much further than that. After listening to the twelve tracks which make up “I Love You at Your Darkest” I can tell you that the members of Behemoth (Nergal, Orion and Inferno) have not only matched the power and impact of their previous release but they may have found a way to take things one step further. The band is no stranger to controversy and in a recent press release Nergal talked about the album’s title, “It’s a verse from the Bible, It’s actually a quote from Jesus Christ himself”. For Behemoth to use it as the basis of our record, it’s sacrilege to the extreme.” Combine the back story of the title with the bands darkly colored fury and sleek production and you get tracks like the blast beat driven “Wolves ov Siberia” the haunting epic esque “Havohej Pantocrator” and my two personal favorites “Rom 5:8” and the droning riff driven “Bartzabel” which despite being lighter than the albums other eleven tracks still packs a punch and breaks up the release nicely.

“I Love You at Your Darkest” offers listeners more than just your run of the mill guttural vocals, down tuned guitars and obligatory blast beats. The band instead uses those techniques as a foundation to craft much more vast sonic landscapes that will appeal listeners time and time again. Even after a couple listens I still wanted to hear more. Albums that are able to keep a listeners attention time and time again are few and far between and Behemoth have packed each of the albums twelve songs with enough texture and instrumentation to keep your ears busy for a very long time.

Track Listing:
1.) Solve
2.) Wolves ov Siberia
3.) God = Dog
4.) Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica
5.) Bartzabel
6.) If Crucifixion Was Not Enough…
7.) Angelvs XIII
8.) Sabbath Mater
9.) Havohej Pantocrator
10.) Rom 5:8
11.) We Are the Next 1000 Years
12.) Coagvla

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Book Review: “Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest” by K.K. Downing w/ Mark Eglinton

“Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest”
Author: K.K. Downing w/ Mark Eglinton
Da Capo
Hardcover: 277 pages

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

As guitarist for the iconic British heavy metal band Judas Priest, Ken “K.K.” Downing lived the fast-paced, opulent life of a rock star. It was a far cry from his tedious, impoverished childhood in the heart of England. In “Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest”, Downing recounts his forty-plus years with the band recounting events such as his first meeting with vocalist Rob Halford and guitarist Glen Tipton to stories of touring with bands like AC/DC and Iron Maiden.

There aren’t many music fans out there who can’t name at-least one Judas Priest song. From “Living After Midnight” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming” to “Breaking the Law” the band has a memorable catalog that for many was the soundtrack of their youth. “Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest” is the chance for fans of the band to see just what was going on behind the scenes during the bands early years and on up through guitarist K.K. Downing’s departure from the group in 2011. Over the course of the books 277 pages the guitarist and his collaborator Mark Eglinton give detailed accounts of the bands formation, the growing pains all new bands go through and what the band was like during the recording of some of the most influential heavy metal records in music history. Downing is candid and no subject seems to be off limits as he recounts his own personal struggles as well as inner turmoil between band members, management and producers giving the reader a fly on the wall perspective that until now was not available.

At times I did find the stories to be a bit drawn out with a few too many “poor me” moments for my liking. Yes this is a memoir/autobiography and those types of things come with the territory however there were some redundancies and details that probably could have been thinned down or omitted completely with a little more editing. Do not get me wrong, the book still has a bunch a really cool moments and stories that aside from the people who lived it have/will never be experienced by most so being able to read about those is worth it. There are also some really great photos included the hardcover book comes with a super cool metallic like slip cover which will look awesome displayed next to other Judas Priest and music memorabilia.

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GWAR Releases Video For “Viking Death Machine” Kicks off North American Tour This Saturday

GWAR Releases Video For “Viking Death Machine”
Kicks off North American Tour This Saturday

Human Scum! It is now that time of year and your Lords and Masters GWAR will soon awaken from their Antarctic slumber to devastate North America once again. The “Gore, Core, Metal and More” tour will be co-headlined by GWAR, and the mighty Hatebreed! This rolling heavy metal nightmare kicks off October 7th, following an appearance from GWAR at the Rock Allegiance Festival in Camden, NJ on October 6th. A complete list of all dates can be found below.

Before the tour begins, GWARis pleased as a bowl of bloody punch to share with you the new video for their epic song ‘Viking Death Machine,’ taken from their latest opus, 2018’s “The Blood of Gods,” a masterpiece of obscenity chronicling the rise of humanity against their makers, and the massive battle between GWAR and the forces of all that is uptight and wrong with the world. The video was created by Makinita Silva, an Ecuadorian masked Luchador who is also an independent 2-D animator.

Watch the video HERE.

Of the video, Blothar has the following to say: “Humans, are you ready to ride the ‘Viking Death Machine’? Our latest video is a faithful animated schlockumentary depicting my harrowing, blood-drenched defeat of the Load Warriors and the other denizens of Saturday morning raceway hijinx, including all of my fellow bandmates in GWAR. I am delighted to take my rightful place as the King of Cartoon Violence, and champion of the first annual Suck-It-Up-Butter Cup! Watch the video now! It’ll make you shit.”

GWAR & Hatebreed Co-Headline
10/6: Camden, NJ @ Rock Allegiance*
10/7: Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
10/9: Lawrence, KS @ Granda Theater
10/10: Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
10/11: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
10/12: Boise, ID @ Revolution Concert House
10/13: Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival*
10/15: Seattle, WA @ Showbox Sodo
10/16: Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
10/18: Los Angeles, CA @ Belasco Theater
10/19: Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
10/20: Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
10/22: Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
10/23: Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live
10/24: Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
10/25: Sauget, IL @ Pops
10/26: Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
10/27: St. Paul, MN @ Myth Live
10/28: Peoria, IL @ Monarch Music Hall

*Festival Appearance

#With Municipal Waste, High on Fire and Toxic Holocaust

12/31: Norfolk, VA @ The Norva

For More Info Visit:
http://www.gwar.net

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RAVEN Announce North American Tour!

RAVEN Announce North American Tour!

In between recording a scorching new studio album and a European tour opening for Saxon, NWoBHM legends RAVEN have announced a 27 date North American tour with Extinction AD and Mobile Deathcamp providing support. The tour begins on November 1st in Houston, TX and runs through December 1st in Jonesboro, GA. A complete list of dates can be found below

“We are firing on all cylinders right now in Europe and are looking forward to blasting out a revised headline set with a few surprises!” says frontman and bassist John Gallagher.

RAVEN W/ Extintction A.D. and Mobile Deathcamp
11/1: Houston, TX @ Concert Pub North
11/2: Ft. Worth, TX @ The Rail Club
11/3: El Paso, TX @ Joey’s Badcompany*
11/4: Mesa, AZ @ Club Red
11/6: Fullerton, CA @ The Slidebar
11/7: Los Angeles, CA @ The Whisky
11/8: San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside
11/9: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Lounge
11/10: Seattle, WA @ Tony V’s
11/11: Vancouver, BC @ The Wise Hall
11/12: Spokane, WA @ The Pin
11/14: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Urban Lounge
11/15: Denver, CO @ Hermans Hideaway
11/16: Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room
11/17: Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews*
11/18: Sioux Falls, SD @ Bigs Bar
11/19: Minneapolis, MN @ Lee’s Liquor Lounge
11/20: Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s
11/21: Ft Atkinson, WI @ Hijynx
11/23: Westland, MI @ The Token Lounge
11/24: Toronto, ON @ Hard Luck
11/25: Rochester, NY @ The Montage
11/26: Brooklyn, NY @ The Kingsland
11/27: Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz
11/28: Frederick, MD @ Café 611
11/29: Chesapeaker VA @ The Riffhouse
12/1: Jonesboro, GA @ Furnace 41

*No Mobile Deathcamp

For More Info Visit
www.ravenlunatics.com
https://www.facebook.com/ravenbandofficial/
https://www.facebook.com/steamhammerofficial

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Guitarist Phil Palmer Discusses Dire Straits Legacy Tour

Phil Palmer is a legendary session guitarist who has performed on countless albums for acts such as Robbie Williams and George Michael and Bob Dylan. Palmer has also had the distinction of being a member of both Eric Clapton’s band and 80’s hit makers Dire Straits. Palmer is currently on the road touring with Dire Straits Legacy (DSL) a group made up of former Dire Straits members wanting to pay tribute the bands amazing catalog. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Phil recently about the group’s formation and the bands first tour of the United States in ten years.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some history as to how you initially became with Dire Straits?

Phil Palmer: I was part of the band during the group’s last world tour between 1991 and 1992. I think we did something around 270 shows. Prior to joining Dire Straits I had been in Eric Clapton’s band for about three years. That time period was quite busy for me as Eric’s group was very active and then I went right over to Dire Straits to play over 200 shows.

AL: What was it like transitioning stylistically from Eric Clapton to Dire Straits?

PP: The main difference I guess was for Eric’s tour we did around three days of rehearsal. It was all very much by the seat of your pants. At that time I think he had the best band in the world. The situation was very fluid and the arrangements would often evolve as we began playing as the environment was very free. When I joined Dire Straits we rehearsed for three months prior to the tour starting. There were quite a few complicated sections and the arrangements were very important to Mark. That was probably the biggest difference. To be in Dire Straits you have to be regimented. Half of my job was to make sure that when Mark decided to be spontaneous with his playing that I stayed out of his way while still providing a supportive role. This was much different than where I had just come from. As a session player those are the types of things I am good at so after the three months of rehearsal and we started playing shows things lightened up a bit. The real important thing was the dynamics which tended to be the hardest thing to get everyone in sync to.

AL: Now how did the Dire Straits Legacy project start out?

PP: This group was born out of a chance meeting really. I had not seen any of the other Dire Straits guys in about ten years or so. There was an idea for us to get together and play the Dire Straits music presented so we all met in Rome and at the start we weren’t really in to the idea. After a nice dinner and a few bottles of wine everyone loosened up to the idea. After that a small show was set up for us just outside of Rome. With very little rehearsal we showed up to a field filled with around ten thousand people waiting to hear us play. We realized then that there was a lot of life left in the Dire Straits band and the only person who was not there that should have been was Mark Knopfler. Most of the original Dire Straits personnel from the tour in 92’ came out for this show and had fun.

AL: With Mark not being involved in the project was there any trepidation on your part to do the project?

PP: Yes. We weren’t sure people were going to accept it without Mark. The surprising thing is it’s the music that shines through. Marks songs and arrangements are so good that people still love it and even after twenty five years of being away the shows go over great! The music is just so interesting that people really love it.

AL: Can you tell us about the current DSL line up?

PP: Steve Ferrone and I have known each other since the Eric Clapton days. He is such a great drummer and to have him involved in this is very cool. His history with Tom Petty speaks for itself. Trevor Horn is a guy who I have worked a lot with over the years and, one day I mentioned to him that we were going to be doing this tour. He said he was interested in being a part of it and jumped on board. It’s interesting to look at the resumes the guys in the band have. It’s just extreme! There so much material that we could pull from each of our careers. The other day we were playing “Owner of a lonely Heart” which Trevor wrote and produced for Yes. That’s a great song to listen to and play. It also gives a slight diversion from the Dire Straits stuff. We really wanted to explore everyone’s talent even if it was outside of Dire Straits. We plan to add a few other songs outside of the Dire Straits set as time goes on.

AL: It has been awhile since the group has been to the United States. Can you tell us about the upcoming shows here and possibly why you have been absent from the U.S. market?

PP: We like playing in the States however this project can be a bit hard to promote. We are playing the music of the Dire Straits however we are not the Dire Straits. We can’t legally use the name so it’s hard for us to explain to people what they are buying tickets to see. That’s really been our main issue. We have a showcase booked in Nashville for all the American promoters and it was basically brought us to the States. We are doing some other gigs because we want to play but everything sort of revolves around this showcase which we hope will generate gigs for 2019. By coming over to the States now in late 2018 we are hoping to get the foot hold we need to make a solid presence for next year.

AL: In 2017 DSL release “3 Chord Trick”. Are any of the songs from that album going to be featured in the set for this run of U.S. shows?

PP: We are going to play a few tracks from that album. We had a lot of fun recording that record. The idea was to record the old way where the band was all in one room and not use any modern equipment. It was a lot of fun and I think the album has a depth that you just don’t hear today. It is quite diverse. There are some Dire Straits moments in there as the nucleolus of the band (Alan Clark and myself) we were inspired by Mark’s music but we didn’t deliberately go out and try to produce a Dire Straits album. We like to think that “3 Chord Trick” is the next stage of our development rather than Dire Straits.

AL: Are there any other projects you are currently working on outside of the Dire Straits Legacy project?

PP: Alan and I have been working with Trevor on a project called “The 80’s Reinvented”. It’s a bunch of classic tracks from that era done in Trevor Horn’s signature style. That’s been a lot of fun! We have been working with a full orchestra and a lot of very special guest performers. Trevor being who he is able to call up just about anyone and ask them to be on his record and they more than likely will do it! It’s great fun.

For more info in Dire Straits Legacy visit www.dslegacy.com

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KISS to Celebrate 40th Anniversary of Solo Releases with 4LP Vinyl Box Set

The Iconic Rock Band’s Four Same-Day-Released Solo Albums Come Together To Celebrate Their 40th Anniversary In
A Limited-Edition 4LP Vinyl Box Set Via Casablanca/UMe On October 19

Forty years ago today, each one the four founding members of KISS — Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss — released their respective solo albums all on the same day to much fanfare, chart success, and platinum sales. And now, four decades later, all four of these pioneering albums are celebrated in KISS: The Solo Albums – 40th Anniversary Collection, a limited-edition 180-gram 4LP box set by Casablanca/UMe that’s earmarked for release on October 19.

Preorders commence today, September 18, for the limited run of 2,500 vinyl box sets, available exclusively through KISS’s artist webstore (https://www.shopkissonline.com) and The Sound of Vinyl (https://SOV.lnk.to/KISSSoloAlbumsText). Each heavyweight 180-gram LP features a unique color to match its associated cover art; Gene Simmons appears in red vinyl, Paul Stanley sports purple vinyl, Ace Frehley contains blue vinyl, and Peter Criss is in green vinyl. All four albums are housed together in a deluxe black-matte slipcase that features glossy black images of the four artists’ faces surrounding a silver-foil print of the infamous KISS logo.

Also included in this set are four 12-by-12-inch posters of each album cover, plus an exclusive turntable slipmat that shows all four of artist Eraldo Carugati’s iconic, painted album-cover face images all connected together.

All four of these solo albums served to showcase the wide range of talents of each KISS bandmember.Gene Simmons, co-produced by Simmons and Sean Delaney, features the band’s bassist and co-lead vocalist switching over mainly to acoustic and electric guitar duties for songs that highlight his penchant for Beatlesque melodies, funk, and hard rock. Highlights include a remake of “See You In Your Dreams” (initially found on KISS’ 1976 benchmark album, Rock And Roll Over) and a cover of the 1940 Disney classic from Pinocchio, “When You Wish Upon A Star.” Guest musicians include Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen, Bob Seger, Cher, Donna Summer, and Katey Sagal.

Meanwhile, Paul Stanley was co-produced by Stanley and Jeff Glixman and it showcases all-original material and stellar work across the board from the KISS lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, in addition to lead and acoustic guitar work from longtime KISS axe associate Bob Kulick. The super-catchy track “Hold Me, Touch Me (Think Of Me When We’re Apart)” reached No. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart.

Ace Frehley, produced by Eddie Kramer and Frehley, finds the lead guitarist doing what he does best. Frehley’s foot-stomping cover of “New York Groove,” originally a 1975 hit by the British glam band Hello, peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. Guest musicians include Anton Fig on drums (a sometimes KISS session musician who later became a member of Frehley’s Comet) and bassist Will Lee, both of whom went on to become core members of both of David Letterman’s late-night talk-show house bands led by keyboardist Paul Shaffer.

Finally, Peter Criss was produced by Vini Poncia, a onetime Ringo Starr co-writer who later produced a pair of key KISS albums, 1979’s Dynasty and 1980’s Unmasked. Most of the songs on Peter Criss had been written back in 1971 for the drummer/vocalist’s aptly named pre-KISS band, Lips. The album also boasts a rousing cover of Bobby Lewis’s No. 1 1961 hit single, “Tossin’ And Turnin’,” a song that KISS often wound up playing live during their 1979 Dynasty Tour.

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KISS – KISS SOLO ALBUMS [4LP 180g vinyl]

GENE SIMMONS
SIDE A
1. Radioactive
2. Burning Up With Fever
3. See You Tonite
4. Tunnel Of Love
5. True Confessions
SIDE B
6. Living In Sin
7. Always Near You/Nowhere To Hide
8. Man Of 1,000 Faces
9. Mr. Make Believe
10. See You In Your Dreams
11. When You Wish Upon A Star

PAUL STANLEY
SIDE A
1. Tonight You Belong To Me
2. Move On
3. Ain’t Quite Right
4. Wouldn’t You Like To Know Me
5. Take Me Away (Together As One)
SIDE B
6. It’s Alright
7. Hold Me, Touch Me (Think Of Me When We’re Apart)
8. Love In Chains
9. Goodbye

ACE FREHLEY
SIDE A
1. Rip It Out
2. Speedin’ Back To My Baby
3. Snow Blind
4. Ozone
5. What’s On Your Mind?
SIDE B
6. New York Groove
7. I’m In Need Of Love
8. Wiped-Out
9. Fractured Mirror

PETER CRISS
SIDE A
1. I’m Gonna Love You
2. You Matter To Me
3. Tossin’ And Turnin’
4. Don’t You Let Me Down
5. That’s The Kind Of Sugar Papa Likes
SIDE B
6. Easy Thing
7. Rock Me, Baby
8. Kiss The Girl Goodbye
9. Hooked On Rock ’N’ Roll
10. I Can’t Stop The Rain

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