CAVE IN: Cvlt Nation Premieres “The Hole” Video; Songs Of Townes Van Zandt Vol. III With AMENRA, CAVE IN, And MARISSA NADLER Available On Digital Services Today Through Neurot Recordings

Watch CAVE IN’s “The Hole” HERE.

photo by Teddie Taylor

As AMENRA, CAVE IN, and MARISSA NADLER continue to promote their work on the Songs Of Townes Van Zandt Vol. III LP, Cvlt Nation is hosting a premiere and feature on CAVE IN with a new video for their cover of “The Hole.”

Beloved American singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt passed away at the age of 52 on January 1st, 1997, in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. His music touches people. Many believe he was a genius, and sing his sad, brilliant songs. Imagine if he was still creating music, in a time when artists themselves decide what to release and when to do it – something that songwriters of his era often were unable to do.

In 2012, the label My Proud Mountain was established specifically for the purpose or releasing the first Songs Of Townes Van Zandt LP, to which the singers and guitarists of the band Neurosis – Scott Kelly and Steve Von Till – and Saint Vitus/The Obsessed’s Scott “Wino” Weinrich contributed nine Van Zandt songs. The goal was to introduce these brilliant works to fans who may have never heard the originals, but through the interpretation of the songs through the mentioned musicians, would lead them to do so.

In 2014, Songs Of Townes Van Zandt Vol. II carried on the tradition, this time featuring songs from John Baizley of Baroness, Nate Hall of US Christmas, and Mike Scheidt of Yob.

And now, 2022 sees Songs Of Townes Van Zandt Vol. III seeing release, featuring new renditions of nine classic tracks as interpreted by AMENRA, CAVE IN, and MARISSA NADLER.

CAVE IN’s cover of “The Hole” is delivered through a gloomy video created by Chariot Of Black Moth, premiered through Cvlt Nation alongside an interview with Stephen Brodsky, the feature stating in part, “CAVE IN has me reminiscing about all of the moments in my life where I found myself at the edge of a dark pit, and walking away—and how many times I jumped in, finding myself desperately clawing my way out of my circumstances. Their cover of Townes Van Zandt’s ‘The Hole’ is chilling, harrowing, and ominous, just as Townes intended it.”

Watch CAVE IN’s video for their cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “The Hole” and check out the Cvlt Nation feature at THIS LOCATION.

Following its recent physical release, Songs Of Townes Van Zandt Vol. III is now available on all streaming and digital services. Find the LP on multiple variants and on CD in North America through Neurot Recordings at THIS LOCATION, and digitally through Bandcamp HERE and all other DSPs HERE. The record is handled outside of North America by My Proud Mountain.

Songs Of Townes Van Zandt Vol. III Track Listing:
1. Marissa Nadler – Quicksilver Daydreams Of Maria
2. Amenra – Black Crow Blues
3. Cave In – Nothin’
4. Amenra – Kathleen
5. Cave In – The Hole
6. Amenra – Flyin’ Shoes
7. Marissa Nadler – Sad Cinderella
8. Cave In – At My Window
9. Marissa Nadler – None But The Rain

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: amenra, cave, cvlt, digital, hole, iii, ...

Which are the Most Played Xmas Songs in the Last 50 Years according to Casino Robots?

The Festive season rolls around again, and Xmas is almost here. There’s something about the yuletide cheer that comes with this time of year, giving us all that warm, welcoming feeling of community and joy.

One thing that’s unique about the Christmas season is the music. Christmas carols and pop songs permeate through speaker coils across the country and the world. Right now, you probably already hear the radio playing Christmas songs, and the stores all have Xmas tunes blasting.

Whether you’re at the casino enjoying music slots or out for dinner with the family – there’s Christmas music everywhere.

So, what are the top tracks this Christmas? What Xmas tunes can you expect to hear on your way around town this festive season? We curated this list of our favorite Christmas songs from top artists. All of them have something to offer you this festive season.

From Snoop Dogg to Wham! There are plenty of options to add to your playlist this festive season. 

The Honorable Mentions

50. John Lennon and Yoko Ono – “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” (1971)

49. Paul McCartney – “Wonderful Christmastime” (1979)

48. Slade – “Merry Xmas Everybody” (1973)

47. Kacey Musgraves – “Christmas Makes Me Cry” (2016)

46. Akim and Teddy Vann – “Santa Claus Is a Black Man” (1973)

45. Albert King – “Santa Claus Want Some Lovin'” (1974)

44. Dolly Parton – “Go Tell It to the Mountain” (1990)

43. The Carpenters – “Merry Christmas, Darling” (1970)

42. The Magnetic Fields – “Everything Is One Big Christmas Tree” (2010)

41. Ariana Grande – “With It This Christmas” (2015)

40. Staple Singers – “Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas” (1970)

39. Poly Styrene – “Black Christmas” (2010)

38. Trinidad James – “Black Santa” (2017)

37. Los Lobos – “Llegó Navidad” (“Christmas Is Here”) (2019)

36. John Denver – “Please, Daddy (Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas)” (1975)

35. Phoebe Bridgers – “Christmas Song” (2018)

34. Snoop Doggy Dogg – “Santa Claus Goes Straight To the Ghetto” (feat. Big Tray Deee, Bad Azz, Daz Dillinger, and Nate Dogg) (1996)

33. Fountains of Wayne – “I Want an Alien for this Christmas” (1997)

32. Neko Case – “Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis” (2000)

31. Pet Shop Boys – “It Doesn’t Often Snow at Christmas” (1997)

30. Nick Lowe – “A Dollar Short of Happy” (2013)

29. Tracey Thorn – “Maybe This Christmas” (2012)

28. Fairfield Four – “Children Go Where I Send You” (1992)

27. Martha Wainwright and Lily Lanken – “The Rebel Jesus” (2005)

26. The Kinks – “Father Christmas” (1977)

25. Fishbone – “Slick Nick, You Devil You” (1985)

24. Ghostface – “Ghostface X-mas” (2008)

23. Chavela Vargas – “Amarga Navidad” (“Bitter Christmas”) (1996)

22. The Jackson 5 – “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (1970)

21. Ohio Players – “Happy Holidays, Pt. 1 & 2” (1975)

The Top 20 Xmas Songs for 2020

20. Run DMC – “Christmas in Hollis” (1987)

This NYC rap group lays it down for you in true hip-hop style this Christmas.

19. The Everly Brothers – “Christmas Eve Can Kill You” (1972)

A fun song for Xmas eve parties this year.

18. John Prine – “Christmas in Prison” (1973)

A heartfelt storytelling musical classic.

17. Willie Colón – “Aires de Navidad” (“Christmas Spirit”) (1970)

Something different to set the tome this Xmas.

16. Marvin Gaye – “I Want to Come Home for this Christmas” (1972)

Marvin’s smooth vocals are all you need this Xmas.

15. Willie Nelson – “Pretty Paper” (1979)

Big Willie Nelson is always welcome around our Christmas tree.

14. The Ramones – “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” (1989)

Let’s punk things up with some energy from the Ramones.

13. The Pretenders – “2000 Miles” (1983)

Anything from the Pretenders is a classic.

12. The Waitresses – “Christmas Wrapping” (1981)

A storytelling Christmas classic.

11. Outkast – “Player’s Ball” (1993)

The music video has an excellent Xmas theme.

10. Wham! – “Last Christmas” (1986)

We hear this song everywhere we go.

9. Bing Crosby and David Bowie – “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy” (1977)

David and Bing – the best Xmas present you could ask for this year.

8. Merle Haggard – “If We Make It Through December” (1973)

A 70s classic that’s still relevant today.

7. Joni Mitchell – “River” (1971)

It’s a classic track from the catalog of one of the world’s most loved 70s artists.

6. José Feliciano – “Feliz Navidad” (1970)

This track has something exotic for a different Xmas theme.

5. Prince – “Another Lonely Christmas” (1984)

He may be gone, but his smash Xmas hit lives on.

4. The Pogues – “Fairytale of New York” (feat. Kirsty MacColl) (1987)

It’s one of the most memorable Xmas tracks from the eighties.

3. Donny Hathaway – “This Christmas” (1970)

It’s an instant Xmas classic featuring the silky smooth voice of Donny.

2. Mariah Carey – “All that I Want for Christmas Is You” (1994)

It’s all over the radio every year.

1. Aretha Franklin – “Silent Night (Solo Piano Version)” (2008)

A classic reworked by one of the best voice talents of her generation.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Commentary Tagged With: 50, casino, played, robots, songs, xmas, ...

SYSTEM OF A DOWN RELEASES TWO BRAND NEW SONGS

IT TOOK AN ATTACK AGAINST ARMENIANS TO BRING IT ABOUT, BUT THE WAIT IS OVER SYSTEM OF A DOWN RELEASES TWO BRAND NEW SONGS TO RAISE AWARENESS AND FUNDS TO AID THE PEOPLE OF ARTSAKH AND ARMENIA AFTER CONTINUED ATTACKS BY AZERBAIJAN AND TURKEY.

“We’re probably the only rock band that has governments as enemies,the only rock band that’s at war, so I wrote these songs to boost the moraleof our troops and Armenians around the world.”– Daron Malakian

It’s been 15 years since the GRAMMY®-winning, multi-Platinum-selling SYSTEM OF A DOWN, one of the most beloved rock bands in the world, released new music.  For years, fans and press speculated about this, and of late, the rumor mill has gone into overdrive hypothesizing when the band might return to the studio.  

Today, motivated by the recently-erupted conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, the latter aided by Turkey and accountable for the greatest violence the region has endured in 26 years, System Of A Down – Daron Malakian/guitars, vocals, Serj Tankian/vocals, Shavo Odadjian/bass, and John Dolmayan/drums – announces the release of its first new songs in 15 years:  “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz.”  

Produced by Malakian, who also wrote the music and lyrics, both songs are streaming now on all DSPs and are available for purchase on Bandcamp with band royalties earmarked for the Armenia Fund.  You can check out the music video for “Protect The Land” HERE.

So why now?  Last month, profoundly affected by the unwarranted surprise attacks and bombings of civilians perpetrated by Azerbaijan and Turkey (Turkey was responsible for the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 as well as over 100 years of denial), Dolmayan texted his three bandmates.  Said Dolmayan, “I texted, ‘no matter how we feel about each other, no matter what issues linger from the past, we need to put them aside because this is bigger than System Of A Down and bigger than all of us…..we need to do something to support our people.'”  Joined together on a subsequent conference call, everyone voiced the same concern and the vital importance of helping in some way, the way they knew best – music.

“The aggression and injustice being perpetrated against the Armenian people in Artsakh and Armenia by Azerbaijan and Turkey is a human rights violation and a war crime,” said Tankian.  “All of us in System realize this is an existential battle for our people, so this is very personal for us. What we need right now is for the world to put politics aside and support Armenia by sanctioning Turkey and Azerbaijan and recognizing Artsakh.”

System Of A Down also releases the music video for “Protect The Land,” that incorporates recent footage of the protests and on-the-ground fighting in Artsakh, but in a very personal and aesthetic way.  As he did for all previous System Of A Down releases, Odadjian executive produced the music video and curated the cover and brand art for the project.  “I wanted to show the unification of our people around the world for one common cause, illustrating the power in numbers,” he said, “so we brought together people from all ages and professions who believe in and are fighting for that same cause.  It’s one thing to come up with an idea, but to see it come alive as happened with this video, has been just incredible.”

On the recording of “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz,” Odadjian added, “It was such a pleasure for us to be together in the studio again, very comforting and natural, like no time had passed at all.” 

https://systemofadown.com

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: brand, releases, songs, system

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

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: compilation, cöver, died, life, people, saved, ...

Atreyu Drops Two New Songs and Announces “In Our Wake” Release Set For Oct 12

ATREYU ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM IN OUR WAKE OUT OCTOBER 12 VIA SEARCH & DESTROY/SPINEFARM
BAND DROPS TWO NEW SONGS – LISTEN TO “IN OUR WAKE” + “ANGER LEFT BEHIND”

Orange County mainstays Atreyu are pleased to announce their upcoming seventh studio album In Our Wake. The record is due out October 12 via Search & Destroy/Spinefarm.

The band has shared two brand new songs from the album – the title track, which is also a video, and “Anger Left Behind.”

“With this music video, we wanted our long time director friend Sean Stiegemeier and have him come up with something completely unlike anything we’ve done before,” states bassist Porter McKnight, offering some insight into the visual. “We wanted to leave the viewer with a feeling of ‘What the fuck did I just watch!?’ and then play it again to deduce what went down.

“Most of our videos have been story-based or life-based. But with this, we just wanted the subtle thread of humanity’s growth and decline. It starts with water, then earth, nature, cityscapes, then slowly decaying humanity. We have a choice as a species to start giving a shit about ourselves and the world around us, and what we choose to make of this life.”

Following a two-year tour cycle for 2015’s Long Live, Atreyu regrouped in Southern California and started sharing ideas for what would become offering number seven. Ceremoniously, they all agreed it would be the right time to reunite with producer John Feldmann who famously helmed Lead Sails and Paper Anchor.

In Our Wake sees Atreyu once again evolving. The first single and title track hinges on a slow burning, but bombastic percussive buildup before charging ahead with an undeniable chant and fiery fretwork.
“It’s a deep one,” says singer Alex Varkatzas. “We looked up to Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington, and their deaths were fresh during the writing process. It made us think of what we’ll leave in our wake. We have a choice to change the lives of others for the better.”

“The album title In Our Wake comes from the idea that every day we humans have two roads we can go down,” furthers McKnight about the deeper meaning rooted within the album. “Do you choose to inspire, uplift, and enhance each others lives? Or do you prefer to belittle, shit talk, and tear down each other down? With each choice made you leave a ripple that reflects across your community, then onto your city, to your nation, and eventually all across the globe. Who do you leave in your wake?”

“This album is sort of a happy place for Atreyu,” says drummer/singer Brandon Saller. ‘We’ve gone down many roads. We’ve always been a diverse band that tried new things but this is different. This is a whole new level.”

ATREYU ARE:
Alex Varkatzas – Vocals
Brandon Saller – Drums/Vocals
“BIG” Dan Jacobs – Guitar
Travis Miguel -Guitar
Porter McKnight – Bass

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: 12, announces, atreyu, drops, oct, release, ...

Horror Icon Bill Moseley And Metal Legend Philip H. Anselmo Unite To Release Songs Of Darkness And Despair Via Housecore Next Month.

BILL & PHIL: Horror Icon Bill Moseley And Metal Legend Philip H. Anselmo Unite To Release Songs Of Darkness And Despair Via Housecore Next Month.

Horror icon Bill Moseley – most notable as Chop Top in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and Otis in Rob Zombie’s House Of 1000 Corpses and Devil’s Rejects – recently joined forces with extreme music legend Philp H. Anselmo (Down, Pantera, Superjoint, Scour, Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals, Arson Anthem etc.) for a very special collaborative release entitled Songs Of Darkness And Despair.

Set for official unveiling on January 20th 2017 via Anselmo’s own Housecore Records, the five-track offering was produced and performed by Anselmo and Stephen “The Big Fella” Berrigan (Down, SYK, Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals, Eyehategod, haarp, Classhole, etc.), and mastered by Scott Hull of Visceral Sound. Songs Of Darkness And Despair includes guest appearances by Kevin Bond (Superjoint) on guitar, Squizzy Squires (King Parrot) on bass and guitar, and José “Blue” Gonzalez (Superjoint, Warbeast, Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals) on percussion.

From preppie journalist to Satanic serial killer, Bill Moseley’s taken a long and unusual road to cult stardom, firmly cementing his place in the annals of horror history along the way. Having released his Spider Mountain record, and collaborated with Buckethead on their Cornbugs project, Moseley expands his musical endeavors by teaming up with Anselmo. BILL & PHIL‘s Songs Of Darkness And Despair is a brilliant trip that will give everyone a thrill.
Comments Anselmo: “Working with Mr. Moseley was an awesome experience! Bill brought the lyrics and Stephen [Berrigan] and I just improvised directly on the spot, and squeezed out six tunes in three days. All the songs have a different vibe because I wanted the music to represent Bill’s lyrical vision(s), and we needed to, because Bill does indeed have a unique, visual element within his choice of words and phrasing. I love Bill Moseley, and can’t wait to work on the next one! Be cool and enjoy this one!”
BILL & PHIL‘s Songs Of Darkness And Despair preorder bundles (including limited edition air fresheners and face masks) are available at The Housecore Store RIGHT HERE.
 
Songs Of Darkness And Despair Track Listing:
1. Dirty Eye
2. Corpus Crispy
3. Catastrophic
4. Widder Woman
5. Tonight’s The Night We Die
6. Bad Donu

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: anselmo, bill, darkness, despair, horror, housecore, ...

Album Review: Jim Breuer and the Loud & Rowdy “Songs From The Garage”

“Songs From The Garage”
Jim Breuer and the Loud & Rowdy
Metal Blade Records
Producer: Rob Caggiano
Tracks: 11

Our score: 2 out of 5 stars

Accomplished comedian Jim Breuer has been mixing his love of heavy metal into his stand up acts for years. Be it through real life stories, impersonations and even adding a live band to portions of his comedy shows. “Songs From The Garage” is the debut music album from the actor/comedian who was a staple on “Saturday Night Live” during the late 90’s. Produced by former Anthrax and current Volbeat guitarist Rob Caggiano the album features 11 tracks which combine in your face guitars and drums with Breuer’s off kilter comedic stylings.

From his portrayal of “Goat Boy” on SNL to his role as the lovable stoner Brian in “Half Baked” Jim Breuer’s comedy is something that I have grown up with so, when I heard he was going to put out an album of actual metal music I couldn’t wait to check it out. Sadly what I found on the albums 11 tracks was a mediocre comedy album with a band playing your typical 80’s style metal in the back ground. There really was just nothing spectacular here. Not even a guest appearance by long time AC/DC front man Brian Johnson on the track “Mr. Rock n Roll” could turn this around for me. Knowing Jim’s love of heavy music and the fact that his backing band consists of Mike Tichy, Joe Vigliotti and Metal Mike Chlasciak (all great players) the two just didn’t mesh well and came off as stale and forced. Aside from a few fun titles like “Raising Teenage Girls” and “Be a Dick 2nite” I just couldn’t find anything that I would listen to more than once.

When a performer crosses mediums it can go one of two ways, either really well or in the case of “Songs From the Garage” really bad. I appreciate the attempt that Breuer and company made on the record however I was torn between the mix of comedic tracks and those that were more serious as it caused me to question the direction of the album. Was it meant to be a serious attempt at a metal record or just another comedy record with musical elements? I think the album would have come off as way more cohesive if that common element was defined clearly. Yes I understand Jim Breuer is a comedian so there will undoubtedly be comedic elements to his works but, knowing his level of musical fandom especially when it comes to rock and heavy metal music it makes me question why he did this the way he did.

Track Listing:
1.) Thrash
2.) Raising Teenage Girls
3.) Old School
4.) Be a Dick 2nite
5.) My Rock n Roll Dream
6.) Mr. Rock n Roll
7.) Who’s Better Than Us?!
8.) Family Warrior
9.) Sugar Rush
10.) Wannabe
11.) The Unexplained

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: CD Reviews, Music Tagged With: album, breuer, garage, jim, loud, review, ...

Prong’s Tommy Victor talks about new album “Songs From the Black Hole”

Tommy Victor is the lead singer/guitarist for the heavy metal band Prong. The band has been pummeling people’s ear drums since the late 80’s and has recently released an album of cover material titled “Songs From the Black Hole”. The album is a throwback to the bands early roots based in the NY/DC Hardcore scenes and consists of tracks by bands such as Discharge, Killing Joke and Bad Brains. Media Mikes had the chance to talk with Tommy recently about the album and the bands plans for the upcoming tour season.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background as to why you chose to release an album of covers as opposed to an album of new Prong material?
Tommy Victor: We put out a traditional release not too long ago titled “Burning Alive”. We did a lot of touring around that last year which didn’t leave a lot of time to go in and do an actual studio record. We had some time off in Berlin during a festival tour run so instead of sending everyone home we had though to maybe start working on new material however my manager mentioned the idea this covers album to put out via sound cloud or something like that . I knew it would take a little bit of work but as I started investigating which songs to do I started getting more excited about it. By the time we went in and cut the record a lot of the songs had really great arrangements. Jason Christopher and I picked most of the songs and the initial rehearsal session went so well that we decided to get the label involved. It started as this small thing just to kill time but everyone got real excited about it. It was very natural and nothing was forced. That seems to be the way Prong has been rolling these days.

AL: How did the song decision process work between you and Jason?
TV: I had talked to a couple of old friends from back in the day in New York just to be reminded of where we came from a little bit. That was the frame work for a lot of this. Jason knowing that was able to compile a nice list of songs and I supplemented that with a couple of other songs but he pretty much nailed it. Knowing my vocal style and from talking with me and some friends the selection process wasn’t that difficult. We knew we wanted a Black Flag and Discharge song on there and to do a Killing Joke song was obvious. They are my personal favorite group of all time. Bad Brains is another band that influenced not just Prong but countless other bands and music styles. A lot of the choices were very obvious. The Neil Young song is the one that is much different from the rest. We wanted a longer song that could expose our simplicity while still getting a point across. It’s one of Neil’s songs that has been noted as having a good guitar solo so I wanted to try and tackle it and challenge myself. Having a love for all of these bands I think made things come together very nicely.

AL: Was it a conscious decision to do more obscure tracks as opposed to some of the bands better known songs?
TV: A little bit. There were a number of songs mentioned but some of them just seemed too typical. For example I am a fan of the later Black Flag albums which are often ignored but they are albums that influenced me. “The Bars” was the song we ended up choosing from them as it fit our style. There were countless Killing Joke songs we could have done but we chose “Seeing Red” and then for Husker Du we chose probably their most popular song “Don’t Want to Know If You Are Lonely”. There really wasn’t any specific formula for the song selection.

AL: Were there any songs you guys did that didn’t make the album?
TV: There were a couple that I personally liked but they didn’t have as much connection to Prong as the ones that did make the album. We didn’t want to mix in the metal influence with this album as it’s a whole other ball game. There is a definite theme with the NY roots and some of the other songs just didn’t fit with the specifications we set. We wanted to make sure this wasn’t just a hodgepodge of songs and that each song meant something to us and was something that influenced Prong and/or our sound.

AL: The album has some pretty unique artwork. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
TV: Initially there was a guy in Berlin who had been doing a lot of our t-shirts and such however he wasn’t available for this project. I mentioned Mike Lopez to the label and told them I already had a bunch of ideas for how I wanted the cover took look. He took those ideas and came up with a great package. It was a process as we exchanged ideas back and forth for a few weeks. I wanted the artwork to reflect the origins of Prong and where we came from in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. That is a place that doesn’t really exist anymore. We came from this rat infested, party atmosphere where everyone just went crazy. That whole area has changed now but when we were growing up there it was a lot of violence and crime. It was very chaotic. Mike took all that stuff and put it together into what you see on the cover of this album.

AL: What type of tour plans are you planning in support of this release?
TV: We have a tour scheduled for Europe in the coming weeks. After that we have a very large tour set for the States starting in October. To get all the dates people can check out www.prongmusic.com

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Music Interviews Tagged With: album, black, hole, prongs, songs, talks, ...

Vinyl Review “Frozen: The Songs”

“Frozen: The Songs”
Format: Vinyl
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Label: Disney

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

This weekend last year, “Frozen” was released in theaters and started a global phenomenon. The songs has become instant classics. I am a big collector of vinyls and when I saw that “Frozen” was being released as an LP, I was excited. I grew up with vinyls and this allowed me to introduce the format to my daughter. Plus if you don’t own the soundtrack, I mean who honestly doesn’t, this comes with a digital download of the songs.

The vinyl edition of “Frozen: The Songs” features all 10 songs from the Oscar-winning film. There are none of the score tracks on this vinyl, so just the fun music that kids will absolutely love. My issue is that this really isn’t the highest quality LP. It is pressed on 120g and has quite of bit of noise throughout. Also the quality seemed not as crisp as it should and almost muffled. Absolutely my two year old won’t notice but daddy does. So this may be a win for the kids but parents might stick with the CD release.

Track Listing:
Disc: 1
1. Frozen Heart
2. Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
3. For the First Time in Forever
4. Love Is an Open Door
5. Let It Go

Disc: 2
1. Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People
2. In Summer
3. For the First Time in Forever (Reprise)
4. Fixer Upper
5. Let It Go (Single Version)

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: CD Reviews Tagged With: frozen, review, songs, vinyl

Concert Review: Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band “Songs from St. Somewhere” Tour, Tampa, FL

Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band
MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre
Tampa, FL
April 19, 2014

It was a rather chilly and on and off rainy night, April 19, 2014 in Tampa, FL but that didn’t mean anything for us hardcore Jimmy Buffett fans. I do not think I have ever been to a concert with as much energy and excitement that this show at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre. The last time I saw Jimmy and his band perform was in Orlando, FL at the Amway Center and I have to admit thinking back on it now it just felt so claustrophobic being in that closed arena. Now the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre was a open arena that really gave Jimmy and the band a chance to open their wings and really soar higher than ever. The band was in fine form at this show. You can honestly just look at Jimmy’s face and know that he is honestly and genuinely having fun. Just plain fun. I may have said this before but the guy seems to really love what he is doing and I swear he only seems to be getting better and better each time I see him.

When you look at this stage, there are literally so many people up there that I didn’t know where to look first. In fact, I counted and including Jimmy his Coral Reefer Band adds up to twelve members. Now the reason why that is unique is that you could literally pick out the role of each person throughout the entire person. If you were listening out for Michael Utley on the keyboards you can clearly hear him jamming. If you were looking out for Mac McAnally (I mean you can’t miss the guy with that hair but…) you can easily pick out his voice on each song. To be that is so very important. You can tell that there was a lot of time put into making sure that each member of the band was equally balanced and sounded just right. Congrats to the sound engineer for this sound because it was an outstanding performance.

What I really loved about this show was that from the moment it started it was just hit song after hit song. We were on our feet literally the entire show. If we got tired after at any point, the excitement of the next song just completely took over and drew us in. Some highlights as usual were “Boat Drinks”, “Come Monday” and “Southern Cross”. Since this is the “Songs From St. Somewhere” tour, we got to hear the new hit song “Too Drunk to Karaoke”, which was just such a blast to hear live. The band’s cover of “All Night Long (All Night)” got such an outstanding response, I looked around at one point during the song and didn’t see a mouth not moving and anyone not dancing like crazy. They not only play the songs that they want to play, they play the songs that fans want to hear and they were right on queue!

The “Songs From St. Somewhere” tour took a break in December but picked up this month to close out the tour. This show actually was one of the last one of the tour before the band (taking only a month off) kicks right back into touring with the new summer tour, “This One’s For You”, which starts in May. So even though that this was the “end of the tour”, you could have easily told me that it was the kick-off because like I said the energy was insane and the band was in rare form. I don’t know how they tour for most of the year and never take a break…but I guess it just goes back to my original statement of how much fun these talented performers are having on the stage.  I hope that it is not too long before they decide to take over the state of Florida again because I already feel the itch to take a trip to Margaritaville again soon!

Set List:
1. Kinja
2. Landfall
3. Brown Eyed Girl
4. Boat Drinks
5. Weather With You
6. Pencil Thin Mustache
7. It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere
8. Son of a Son of a Sailor
9. Rhumba Man
10. Come Monday
11. Too Drunk to Karaoke
12. Cheeseburger in Paradise
13. Cultural Infidel
14. Piece of Work
15. Somethin’ ‘Bout a Boat
16. Southern Cross
17. Volcano
18. Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
19. A Pirate Looks at Forty
20. Back Where I Come From
21. One Particular Harbour
22. All Night Long (All Night)
23. Fins
24. Margaritaville

Encores:
25. We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About
26. Knee Deep
27. Defying Gravity

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Concert Reviews Tagged With: band, buffett, concert, coral, fl, jimmy, ...

CD Review “Sofia the First: Songs From Enchancia”

“Sofia the First: Songs From Enchancia”
Label: Disney
Tracks: 19
Release Date: January 28, 2014

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Having a 20 month old daughter, our family is quite the fan of “Sofia the First“. She has been watching the show since she was 8 months old and stops everything she is doing when it comes on. We also have first “Sofia the First” CD in our record player non-stop and she loves the music (as do I). “Sofia The First: Songs from Enchancia” includes 15 songs from from the first season of the Disney Junior TV Series. The album also includes a bonus song, “Be Who You Wanna Be”, which was a big summer hit and features Jake from “Jake and the Never Land Pirates”) and four karaoke instrumental tracks for kids to sing-along to. If you are a fan of this show then this CD is a must have. My daughter has had it on loop since we received it and I have a feeling we are going to burn it out quickly!

Season one has brought us so many great songs including “Good Little Witch” and “Bring My Best Friend Back” (which is such a great duet). I also love that there are three tracks with classic Disney princesses included as well. “The Love We Share” features Ariel, “Ride of Your Lives” features Jasmine and “Make it Right” features Belle. I love all three of these tracks and so glad that they made it onto this CD. Disney has a gold mine with this show and I love how they try and blend in classic Disney characters as well without being cheesy or overwhelming! Can I suggest a duet with Rapunzel next? My daughter will flip out! One track that I realized was missing was the holiday special song “Wassailia”. I can’t wait to see what season two holds for this show.  I am sure the music is going to be so great and I look forward for Disney Junior to release future song collections in the coming months!

Track Listing:
1. Sisters and Brothers (Sofia)
2. Merroway Cove (Sven, Oona and Sofia)
3. The Love We Share (Ariel and Sofia)
4. Bigger Is Better (Amber)
5. (You Can Always) Count On Baileywick (Cast)
6. Make It Right (Belle and Sofia)
7. Good Little Witch (Ballad) (Sofia)
8. Good Little Witch (Lucinda and Sofia)
9. The Ride of Your Lives (Jasmine, Sofia and Amber)
10. A Recipe for Adventure (Aunt Tilly and Sofia)
11. Bring My Best Friend Back (Clover and Sofia)
12. The Simple Life (Cast)
13. Make Way for Miss Nettle (Miss Nettle)
14. Enchancia (Ruby, Jade and Sofia)
15. Be Who You Wanna Be (Jake and Sofia)
16. Merroway Cove (Instrumental)
17. Bigger Is Better (Instrumental)
18. Good Little Witch (Instrumental)
19. A Recipe for Adventure (Instrumental)

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: CD Reviews Tagged With: cd, enchancia, review, sofia, songs

CD Review: Jimmy Buffett “Songs From St. Somewhere”

Jimmy Buffett
“Songs From St. Somewhere”
Release Date: August 20, 2013
Label: Mailboat Records
Tracks: 16

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Calling all Parrotheads! Jimmy Buffet is back with new music.  This guy refuses to take it easy. Not only does he consistently tour non-stop every year, but he still manages make new music.  “Songs From St. Somewhere” is not just a cash in album, this is some of his best work to date and really delivers for his fans.  If you follow Jimmy Buffett, you know that he has hundreds of great songs in his library and he can continue to tour without ever making a new song, but this guy just never stops.  You can just tell that he loves what he does and that love is easily found in these new tracks. The album was recorded earlier this year all over the world including Key West, Nashville, Austin, Miami, St. Barts and London. There are several sounds in this new album yet it still has that island laid back Buffett feel.

To kick off this album, the first hit single reunites Jimmy with Toby Keith (last one was “Hey Good Lookin’”) on the duet track “Too Drunk to Karaoke”. This song is such a blast and I can see this song becoming another “Margaritaville” or “Five O’Clock Somewhere”. Jimmy has done some amazing duets over the years with everyone from Alan Jackson to Zac Brown Band but this might be one of my new favorites. “Oldest Surfer On The Beach” is such a chill song and you can literally just sit back and jam out. One thing that I noticed about the album is that he has this very personal and special feel, especially this track. I also really enjoyed bonus track which is “I Want to Go Back to Cartagena”, a Spanish version duet with the Latin singer Fannie Lu. I really loved this track and it is a fantastic way to close out the album.

It is rare that an album comes with a hit on every single track. But “Songs From St. Somewhere” is literally a hit after hit. Plus if you listen to Radio Margaritaville, they have been playing at least four of these songs already for the last few weeks, which has been a bit of a tease but also go us ready to start singing along right from the get-go. So from the moment I received this CD, my wife and I were already fans of those tracks and knew all the words. One thing I am most excited about is hearing these songs live.  I think that these tracks are going to fit very well into their shows, especially songs like “Too Drunk to Karaoke” which is going to be a huge hit with fans. Overall, this is a must have for any Parrotheads!

Track Listing:
1. Somethin’ ‘Bout A Boat
2. Einstein Was A Surfer
3. Earl’s Dead – Cadillac For Sale
4. Too Drunk To Karaoke
5. Serpentine
6. Useless But Important Information
7. I Want To Go Back To Cartagena
8. Soulfully
9. Rue De La Guitare
10. I’m No Russian
11. Tides
12. The Rocket That Grandpa Rode
13. I Wave Bye Bye
14. Colour Of The Sun
15. Oldest Surfer On The Beach
16. I Want To Go Back To Cartagena (Spanish Version)

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: CD Reviews Tagged With: buffett, cd, jimmy, review, songs, st, ...

Billy Joel's "She’s Got A Way: Love Songs" CD Giveaway [ENDED]

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL. PLEASE CHECK BACK EACH WEEK FOR NEW GIVEAWAYS!

To celebrate the release of of Billy Joel’s “She’s Got A Way: Love Songs”, Media Mikes would like to giveaway TWO copies of the CD. If you would like to enter for your chance to win one of these great prizes, please leave us a comment below or send us an email indicating your favorite Billy Joel song. This giveaway will remain open until February 24th at Noon, Eastern Time. This is open to residents of the United States only. One entry per person, per household. All other entries will be considered invalid. Media Mikes will randomly select winners. Winners will be alerted via email.

She’s Got A Way: Love Songs, a new collection of 18 essential love songs drawn from three decades of recordings by music legend and composer/singer songwriter, Billy Joel.
This is a perfect distillation of the artist’s expressions of love and romance over the course of his life and career. The album brings together some of Billy’s finest and most heartfelt performances, iconic hits playing alongside under-appreciated deep catalog selections.

She’s Got A Way: Love Songs are the love songs, ballads and sentimental favorites comprising a dream Billy Joel playlist for old and new romantics alike, bringing new context to classics like “Just the Way You Are,” “Honesty” and “She’s Always a Woman” while rediscovering forgotten masterpieces like “Travelin’ Prayer” (the b-side of the “Piano Man” single), Billy’s version of “Shameless” (a #1 country smash for Garth Brooks), and the haunting instrumental “Nocturne” (from 1971’s Cold Spring Harbor).

She’s Got A Way: Love Songs – track listing
Travelin’ Prayer (single from Piano Man – 1973 – #77 pop single)
The Night Is Still Young (single from Greatest Hits – Volume I and II – 1985 – #34 Hot 100)
This Is The Time (single from The Bridge – 1986 – #18 Hot 100, #1 AC)
She’s Got A Way (Live) (single from Songs in the Attic – 1981 – #23 Hot 100, #4 AC)
Temptation (track from The Bridge – 1986)
Nocturne (track from Cold Spring Harbor – 1971)
Until The Night (from 52nd Street – 1978)
She’s Right On Time (from The Nylon Curtain – 1982)
You’re My Home (b-side of single from Piano Man – 1973)
Just The Way You Are (single from The Stranger – 1977 – #3 Hot 100 – Grammy Record of the Year and Song of the Year)
She’s Always A Woman (single from The Stranger – 1977 – #17 Hot 100, #2 AC)
State Of Grace (from Storm Front – 1989)
Honesty (single from 52nd Street – 1978 – #24 Hot 100)
This Night (b-side of single from An Innocent Man – 1984)
Shameless (from Storm Front – 1989 – #1 country song for Garth Brooks)
An Innocent Man (single from An Innocent Man – 1983 – #10 Hot 100, #1 AC)
All About Soul (Remix) (single from River of Dreams – 1993 – #29 Hot 100)
And So It Goes (single from Storm Front – 1989 – #37 Hot 100)

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: billy, cd, giveaway, joels, love, songs, ...

CD Review: Black Label Society “Glorious Christmas Songs That Will Make Your Black Label Heart Feel Good” EP

Black Label Society
“Glorious Christmas Songs That Will Make Your Black Label Heart Feel Good” EP
eOne Music
Tracks: 3

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

“Glorious Christmas Songs That Will Make Your Black Label Heart Feel Good” is the Newest EP by the Zakk Wylde fronted group Black Label Society. The EP consists of 3 classic Christmas songs performed by Zakk and his band. The album is being released via eOne Music and available today via iTunes.

I found this CD to be somewhat of a letdown. The tracks feature minimal performances of 3 Christmas Classics by Zakk Wylde and company. I really struggled to find something that stood out and was different. I am a huge Zakk Wylde fan and have quite a collection of his material however the only thing that was somewhat interesting about this EP was the ridiculously long title.

Black Label Society’s “Glorious Christmas Songs That Will Make Your Black Label Heart Feel Good” is nothing that hasn’t been done before. However for those BLS chapter members looking for something to listen to during the holiday season the 3 tracks contained on “Glorious Christmas Songs That Will Make Your Black Label Heart Feel Good” should help get you in the Christmas mood.

Track Listing:
•    I’ll Be Home For Christmas
•    Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
•    It’s A Wonderful World

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: CD Reviews Tagged With: black, cd, christmas, ep, feel, glorious, ...

Blu-ray Review “Lindsey Buckingham: Songs From the Small Machine- Live in L.A.”

Starring: Lindsey Buckingham
Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Running Time: 125 mins

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Who does know and love Fleetwood Mac? Growing up I remember listening to them with my father, who still has a thing for Stevie Nicks. This concert was filmed in high-definition at The Saban Theater in Beverly Hills, California in April 2011 and is packed with amazing DTS Surround-Sound track. The sound was great and delivers some great new and old tunes. The video resolution was really great and very clear. It is hard when watching a concert on the TV then watching it live. This does a pretty good job and pulling you into the show and right into the action.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Famer Lindsey Buckingham, male lead singer for Fleetwood Mac, delivers a fun concert and a great presentation on Blu-ray. Since he is solo, it is not unexpected that he performs his new songs (some which kick some ass) and he plays some hits from Fleetwood Mac days. The guy really knows how to play the guitar, both acoustic and electric. The concert was almost split into two different shows with Lindsey and his guitar alone for the first couple of songs then he brings in the the rest of the band. They definitely kick up the energy and deliver a fun show. Picking up this release is a real no brainer for fans of Fleetwood Mac and Lindsey Buckingham.

The concerts set list includes the following songs:
“Shut Us Down”
“Go Insane”
“Trouble”
“Never Going Back Again”
“Big Love”
“Under the Skin”
“All My Sorrows”
“In Our Own Time”
“Illumination”
“Second Hand News”
“Tusk”
“Stars Are Crazy”
“End of Time”
“That’s the Way Love Goes”
“I’m So Afraid”
“Go Your Own Way”
“Turn It On”
“Treason”
“Seeds We Sow”

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, buckingham, la, lindsey, live, machine, ...
Page 1 of 1