Guns N' Roses fans, the wait is over. After 17 years of polishing ---or whatever it is that rock stars do when they sequester themselves in studios that cost millions of dollars for a decade-plus --- new GNR music has finally,made its way to the public.
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Interview: Ireland's The Event Guide speaks to Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme
Rachel McMahon from Ireland's The Event Guide speaks to Nuno Bettencourt of Boston rockers Extreme:
13 years after the release of their last record, Extreme have just finished their 5th album, ‘Saudades de Rock’, out last August. Lead guitarist and backing vocalist Nuno Bettencourt considers the album; “I think this time it actually turned out better than I had hoped for.” Of the record, the guitarist considers that “It was just kind of whatever we came up with and, you know, came up with in the rehearsal space. Whatever we wrote - we were just trying to capture that the way it was.” The meaning of the album’s title (‘Sausades de Rock’ –roughly translated from Portuguese as ‘a longing for rock’) was two-fold, referring to their own desire to be playing after their extended hiatus, but also as a yearning for a greater volume of rock music to be made in general. As Bettencourt explains, “I think there’s a void out there of rock ‘n roll music” but adds also that it was “In a selfish way, for us to play it too.”
Forming in 1985, the band went through various guises until the present-day line-up of Gary Cherone, Pat Badger, Figueiredo and Bettencourt. Of these, only he and Cherone have been members since the band’s beginnings. “We were in two separate bands locally and we kind of met by chance”, explains Bettencourt of his and Cherone’s acquaintance. “We were doing a gig together and we stayed in touch through the years. And a couple of years later, he just asked me if I want to come down and jam with him,” recalls the musician. From the start, they noticed in each other a similar musical taste, as Bettencourt recalls, “One of the bands that kind of anchored us really was Queen, always.” However, about how Extreme should sound - “We had no idea!” he laughs, admitting, “We were never really sure what was going to happen. I mean, you have your heroes but as much as you want to, you never really sound like them.”
Of the band’s return, Bettencourt feels that “It was just time. Everybody had done all the projects they need to do and we were all kind of reaching out to each other at the same time. So we knew that, you know, depending on the new record, if it was something that we were excited about we were going to do it.” The reaction towards the group’s reunion has been “I’d say so far, so good. The majority of it’s been good”, the guitarist deems.
Read more of the interview with Nuno Bettencourt...
Music review: Time to Pull the Plug on AC/DC
From Star-Telegram.com:
Watching the aging legends of rock music navigate the increasingly choppy waters of the music business should prove highly instructive for the young Turks just now making a name for themselves.
Digging in against the iTunes Store? Firing off lawsuits against industry file-sharers? Inking exclusive (and obscenely lucrative) deals with monolithic retail behemoths? Appearing disdainful in the media of those who consume their music any other way than how the band intends?
All of these would strike most up-and-coming bands as horrifying PR blunders, evidence that the artists are painfully out of touch with the way most folks consume music these days, whether you’re an 18-year-old whippersnapper or a 50-something father of three.
Yet, one superstar act after another lines up to fight tooth and claw against the current paradigm shift. Australian hard rock icons AC/DC are merely the latest in an increasingly long line and, sadly, probably won’t be the last.
The quintet has drawn criticism for the decision to release Black Ice, its first studio album in eight years, solely through Wal-Mart; Axl Rosenberg, a writer on heavy metal blog metalsucks.net, even went so far as to diss the recent online leak: "I literally care so little about a new AC/DC album that I don’t even want a free copy."
Sobering words, but in truth, it has more to do with the fact that Black Ice feels so incredibly homogenous. At 15 tracks and 55 minutes, the Brendan O’Brien-produced disc varies little from song to song, as one Angus Young riff slips into another and Brian Johnson’s signature shredded wail never wavers. Cuts like War Machine and She Likes Rock 'N’ Roll are clearly meant to evoke the band’s Back in Black heyday, and it often seems that AC/DC is either unwilling or not interested in expanding its sound at all.
Read more of "Time to Pull the Plug on AC/DC"...
Should Pat Boone Be Part of Rock Hall of Fame?
From Tennessean.com:
When Pat Boone launched his singing career, rock 'n' roll was a new term.
"I've called myself one of the midwives at the birth of rock 'n' roll," says Pat, who will sign copies of his Christmas album and autobiography today from 2 to 4 p.m. at Ernest Tubb Record Shop, 417 Broadway.
He has sold 45 million records, has 38 Top 40 hits and holds the Billboard record for spending 220 consecutive weeks on the charts with more than one song. Elvis Presley opened for him. Yet he's not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, something his friend Mike Curb, the record executive, is trying to correct.
"The incredible thing about Pat's career is, next to Elvis Presley, he had the best statistics of any rock 'n' roll artist," Mike says. "Pat doesn't get the credit he deserves. He deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and I'm talking to members of the board of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, asking them why he's not in."
Pat, 74, who notes that he's had more hits than some of the inductees, says he doesn't care that he hasn't been inducted. "It has become diluted and unclear as to who is and who was rock 'n' roll.
"Brenda Lee was never rock 'n' roll," he says. "I love her — she was introduced on my father-in-law Red Foley's show — but she was country and maybe pop country, but never rock 'n' roll. Gene Pitney and Billy Joel were never rock 'n' roll."
Some inductees are personal favorites of Jann Wenner, the Rolling Stone magazine founder who co-founded the Rock and Roll Hall, he says. "He put me on the cover of Rolling Stone once, but he doesn't consider me authentically rock 'n' roll.
Read more of "Should Pat Boone Be Part of Rock Hall of Fame?"...
Coming to a Town Near You - Jagermeister Music Tour With Hinder
From PrNewswire.com:
Just in time for the release of Hinder's new album 'Take it to the Limit', Jagermeister invites the Jagerbomb drinking rowdy boys out on the road with Trapt and Rev Theory in tow
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., Oct 6 /PRNewswire/ -- What do you get when you bring America's favorite shot brand and America's hottest rock bands together for America's most anticipated concert experience? That's right, the Jagermeister Music Tour. On the road for seven years and running, Jagermeister is proud to bring rock music fans yet another awesome line-up of artists featuring ultra-talented, rock and roll anthem band, Hinder, high energy and riff-roaring LA based, Trapt and the party boys from New York, Rev Theory. Of course the night wouldn't be complete without a warm welcome from your favorite local Jagermeister sponsored band so check out http://www.jagermeistermusictour.com for updates on who's playing where. The tour kicks off on October 24th in Salt Lake City, Utah. Entire list of cities and dates listed below.
Combining raw riffs with big hooks and insanely strong vocal harmonies, Hinder takes their cues from rock legends like Aerosmith, AC/DC, KISS, and Guns N' Roses. Their triple platinum debut Extreme Behavior documented the decadence and strained relationships of these retro rock giants, whose subsequent cover of Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" became an anthem for their life on the road. Hinder continues their escapades with Jagermeister this fall and they couldn't be more pumped up about it. "Since there are two things we love, Jager and music, it only makes sense to put the two together on the Jagermeister Music Tour," says the guys from Hinder, "It's an honor to get to go out and play for our fans, support a great company and our favorite drink at the same time. We'll also have our Jagermeister Tap Machine on our tour bus for easy access to ice cold Jager 24/7!" Hinder fans with tickets to the show will be among the first in the world to see the band perform tracks from their new album "To the Limit" along with favorite hits from the past.
Headstrong and psyched to tour with Jagermeister, Trapt will jump on stage to perform everyone's favorite tunes along with kick-ass tracks from their third studio album "Only Through the Pain". Chris Taylor Brown, lead singer for Trapt knows good times are in store for all and says, "We are honored to be part of the Jagermeister Music Tour and to perform with our friends in Hinder and Rev Theory. This tour is going to be a blast so make sure you come prepared!"
Read more about The Jagermeister Music Tour With Hinder...
AC/DC's Black Ice On Sale Now at Wal-Mart
From PR Newswire.com:
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For AC/DC fans about to rock ... Walmart salutes you! This weekend thousands of fans will converge in groups, stores and in special events for the release of Black Ice -- AC/DC's first album in eight years, coming to all Walmart stores and Sam's Club locations Monday, Oct. 20. The album will begin selling at 12:01 a.m. in 24-hour Walmart stores.
Since the original announcement for Black Ice, news on the band continues, including the recent announcement of a new U.S. concert tour and the advent of the unique AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band(R) Track Pack(TM) video game, also to be sold exclusively by Walmart and Sam's Club starting early November.
Now, upon the retail launch of Black Ice, Columbia Records and Walmart plan to give fans even more access to this legendary band. In each of its 3,500 Walmart stores, Walmart will create a "Rock Again AC/DC Store" within the store. While the new $11.88 Black Ice CD album holds centerstage, it will be surrounded by new AC/DC apparel, DVDs, past albums, games, and even a social gaming station for fans to try out their rock-n-roll skills on Rock Band.
Read more about AC/DC's Black Ice On Sale Now at Wal-Mart...
It's real - Chinese Democracy coming to Best Buy!
From RollingStone.com:
It’s a day many Guns N’ Roses fans thought would never come: Chinese Democracy, the album Axl Rose has labored over for more than a decade, will finally hit stores on Sunday, November 23rd (a departure from the normal Tuesday record release day). The album will be sold exclusively in Best Buy stores and online at Bestbuy.com and iTunes. A music video is in the works, and the band — in which Rose is the only remaining original member — is expected to tour in 2009, according to a source close to G N’ R. “The music is well worth waiting for,” says Gary Arnold, senior entertainment officer for Best Buy, which began negotiating the deal in 2007. “We’ve all heard the stories about this album, and now everybody gets to hear that it’s real.”
Twisted Sister's Dee Snider says Led Zeppelin ready to tour without Robert Plant
From The Canadian Press:
TORONTO — Dee Snider of Twisted Sister fame says his manager has the inside scoop on Led Zeppelin's rumoured tour plans.
Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant released a statement Sept. 29 saying he "has no intention whatsoever of touring with anyone for at least the next two years." Plant said the statement was in response to repeated reports that he would join his old band for a much-anticipated tour.
But Snider has told MuchMoreMusic that his manager, who also represents Plant, claims the other members of Led Zeppelin are planning a tour without the singer.
Read more of "Twisted Sister's Dee Snider says Led Zeppelin ready to tour without Robert Plant"...
Like Your Hard Rock Music With Some Blues? Here's Thunder!
Like Aerosmith? Like ZZ Top? Like straight ahead rock music with a sing-a-long chorus? Then Thunder is for you. "Candy Man" is the new single from the band that first broke through back-in-the-day with "Dirty Love" on MTV.
'BANG!' - THE NEW THUNDER ALBUM!!
Released 3rd November 2008!
More Info
On The Radio / Stormwater / Carol Ann / Retribution / Candy Man / Have Mercy / Watching Over You / Miracle Man / Turn Left At California / Love Sucks / One Bullet / Honey
Click here to download Bang! sound samples.
Visit http://www.thunderonline.com/ for more info.
The Greatest Texas Rock Album of All Time
From HoustonPress.com:
Song for song and pound for pound, what is the greatest Texas rock album of all time? Well, grab a Lone Star or three and let's discuss.
Old-timers would no doubt cast their ballot for something like the Thirteenth Floor Elevators' Easter Everywhere, Sir Douglas Quintet's The Sir Douglas Quintet Is Back! or Edgar Winter's Frankenstein. Though they verge on country, Joe Ely's Musta Notta Gotta Lotta and Honky Tonk Masquerade deserve consideration, as do the Fabulous Thunderbirds' first two, Girls Go Wild! and What's the Word? For the handful of people who have actually heard it, the self-titled 1987 LP by True Believers — Alejandro Escovedo and Jon Dee Graham's Televisionesque mid-'80s band — has to rank pretty high.
New wave boosters can rally behind the Judy's Washarama, punks say "Oi!" for the Big Boys' The Skinny Elvis/The Fat Elvis double whopper and headbangers would probably kick your ass for saying anything besides Pantera's Cowboys from Hell. Youngsters might go for the Toadies' Rubberneck or (cringe) Blue October's Foiled, while their more indie-minded brethren could well select Spoon's Girls Can Tell or Okkervil River's Black Sheep Boy. And everyone can agree that not at least nominating ZZ Top's Tres Hombres and Deguello would be outright blasphemy.
Great albums, all of them (well, except Foiled), but Noise respectfully votes none of the above. His choice seldom (if ever) comes up in this conversation, but it's another ZZ Top album — the one that has probably outsold all those others combined. Furthermore, in terms of pop-culture impact upon release, the album trails only Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, U2 and maybe Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys among its contemporaries. It's 1983's Eliminator, 25 years old this year and reissued by Rhino last month in the usual two-disc expanded format with extra tracks and a bonus DVD.
Read more of "The Greatest Texas Rock Album of All Time"...
The Walkmen aren't as Dark as You Think They Are
From DallasObserver.com:
Singer Hamilton Leithauser wants to give his band's dark reputation the boot
Somber, dark, sinister and gloomy are just a few of the adjectives most commonly used to describe the music of The Walkmen, one of New York City's most interesting indie rock bands.
The WalkmenProblem is, the group's frontman, Hamilton Leithauser, can't stand the gothic trappings that seem to pop up in seemingly each and every article about The Walkmen.
"That's bizarre, this whole dark reputation thing," Leithauser says. "That's just writers reusing what somebody else wrote."
Leithauser believes that a couple of early reviews have pigeonholed the band as some sort of dreary collection of manic depressives, a description that he says doesn't do his group justice.
"People are always writing that we're a downer or that we're wasted," Leithauser says. "It's a common thread that I think is just lazy journalism."
Despite his protests, it's fairly easy to listen to any one of the five Walkmen releases (especially 2004's Bows + Arrows) and get a downer vibe. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Recalling such classic, self-absorbed mopers as Joy Division, The Smiths and The Cure, but with a uniquely American punk bent, Leithauser and the four other Walkmen have released a series of indie efforts that are as consistent and captivating as anything any moody slacker is likely to stumble upon.
Read more of "The Walkmen aren't as Dark as You Think They Are"...
Taking Back Sunday Launch Two-Week End-of-Year Tour in December 2008
Band Will Also Perform During Opening Week of Los Angeles' Newest Music Venue, Club Nokia, on November 13th
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Taking Back Sunday have announced that they will launch a small two-week club tour at the end of the year.
“We’re having so much fun as a band again and have loved playing live after the longest break the band has had. So we decided to hit up a few places at the end of the year that we can’t always get to when we are trying to cover most of North America in a six-week time frame,” says bassist Matt Rubano. “These shows in smaller markets tend to be a lot of fun because the audience really lets loose and has a great time, which, in turn, makes it a blast for us.”
In addition, Taking Back Sunday have been invited to perform on November 13th at Los Angeles’ newest live music venue, Club Nokia, during its opening-week festivities. The rock quintet has been on a break from the road after touring for two solid years in support of their gold-certified 2006 album Louder Now.
Read more of "Taking Back Sunday Launch Two-Week End-of-Year Tour in December 2008"...
Johnny Monaco brings great hooks and melody to the rock music table. Tired of waiting for “the real” Butch Walker? Here’s Johnny!
I just listened to one of the latest songs from Butch Walker, “The Weight of Her,” and realized that something is missing from the song that I used to love about Butch – his sense of urgency and energy which drove a pop hook in almost a “bouncing” manner. And while “The Weight of Her” is a very good little number in its own right, I think that maybe it’s about time ol’ BW lays off the Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen and skips right to the Elvis Costello and Green Day playlists on his iPod. But that’s just me!
In the meantime, I have found an artist that does create music with that power pop-esque writing style that propels each song’s hook skyward. For me, Johnny Monaco has filled a certain void that has been slightly barren since Walker’s first solo CD (“Left of Self Centered”). And while I may use Butch as a comparison – in no way, shape or form am I saying that these two acts sound exactly alike. But in Monaco’s songs, I find that unexplained x-factor that Butch’s songs once had – a combination of energy and fun that creates a cool vibe that just glides along. This so-called “ingredient” creates within a chorus a sense of weightlessness or a certain easiness, but yet at the same time gives the music a firm foundation and weight. Even validity. Oh heck – instead of referring to "it" as an ingredient, let’s just call it what it is - talent. And a fairly unique talent at that.
I first came across Johnny Monaco during his tenure with Enuff Z’Nuff. He initially was the lead guitarist for the band in the mid-90s, and then became the vocalist for a few years after original singer Donnie Vie left to explore other avenues. But truth be told, the live version of Enuff Z’Nuff with Monaco was as strong as the group had been in years. It was nice to see a great rock act solidify itself later in its career – with or without its original singer. Donnie Vie has recently returned to Enuff Z’Nuff, and Johnny has since gone his own way as well.
A few of the songs on Johnny Monaco’s album “Overrated” were released as an EP a few years back, and I was impressed enough to write about it then. And believe me, now that a full album is available, I am more than impressed enough to write about it now. Not every song on the release is cut from the same cloth, so there’s a nice enough variety without the entire project sounding disjointed or too eclectic. It fits right into the rock/power-pop pocket that a band like Jellyfish or Cheap Trick once filled, or by other more somewhat recent bands such as Fountains of Wayne and The Wildhearts, but doing so in a way all to its own. Aside from the lead track “The Wrong Crowd,” other standouts are “Model of a Woman,” “Still Haven’t Called” and “On a Shelf.” In fact, “Still Haven’t Called” is probably the best Enuff Z’Nuff song that the band hasn’t written (and that is not an insult). To sum it up - “Overrated” is just a great collection of songs.
Here are a few other reviews to back me up…
“Johnny Monaco comes across as a slightly heavier up Squeeze…In short, this is straight ahead angsty, Anglo-centric pop.” – Classic Rock Magazine
“The songs are extremely well crafted and leave you humming the melodies for hours afterwards.” – Black Velvet Magazine
"Johnny Monaco crams 13 high-octane, radio-friendly pop punk tracks into Overrated. The chunky riffs and driving rhythms recall lightweight contemporary outfits like Cartel, while the harder-rocking numbers ("Television Love, " "Long Way Down") veer closer to classic punk rock." – Illinois Entertainer
And like I stated in a previous review of the eight song EP, Monaco has a lot of similar sound qualities as nearly anything on the radio today, but his words are a little more honest and mature. The fact that he’s not 19 (or pretending to be) is a relief to an older music fan like myself. With no tattoos and not a skateboard in sight, I am glad to have come across this gem.
New Rock 'n' Roll Books Tell Behind-the-Scenes Stories
From MLive.com:
Did you know The Who's John Entwistle, or maybe Keith Moon, came up with the name Led Zeppelin, after jokingly referring to a group performance "going down like a lead zeppelin"?
Or that a relative of the famous Ferdinand von Zeppelin then demanded that the heavy rock band of "shrieking monkeys" stop using that name?
Did you know "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," which soared to No. 1 in 1968 for soul legend Marvin Gaye (and became a hit for five other artists) was initially rejected by Motown executives?
And were you aware that Queen guitarist Brian May in 1974 turned down an offer to join the psychedelic rock band Sparks, which told him "it's pretty obvious that Queen are washed up" as a group? Queen's breakout album, "Sheer Heart Attack," followed soon after and the rest is glam rock history.
Four new books that crossed my desk in recent weeks have left me drooling over my computer keyboard with such irresistible, behind-the-scenes tales of rock, pop and R&B.
In particular, Mark Wilkerson's new biography, "Who Are You: The Life of Pete Townshend
-- Townshend's protruding proboscis, uh, large nose, "haunted him for years." But it also made him defiant and inspired his stage flamboyance. The guitarist told a newspaper the "whole absurdly demonstrative stage act was out to turn myself into a body instead of a face."
-- The Who nearly fired Moon, considered one of rock's most influential drummers, in 1978 during sessions for "Who Are You" due to his constantly inebriated state. "Moon's ill health -- he was overweight and battling alcoholism -- took its toll on his physical ability to play," writes Wilkerson, noting Townshend and singer Roger Daltrey gave Moon an ultimatum: Get it together or you're out. Moon did, but only until the record was done. He later died of an accidental overdose.
Then there's "1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die
Moon's crisp descriptions of recording marvels reveal that Booker T. and the MGs' biggest hit, "Green Onions," (1962) simply came out of "a spontaneous jam" while waiting for a singer who never showed up. The same is true for the eerily titled "Buried Alive in the Blues," an instrumental on 1971's "Pearl," singer Janis Joplin's final album: She was set "to return to the studio the day after she died, to do the vocals."
Meanwhile, "Whole Lotta Led Zeppelin: The Illustrated History of the Heaviest Band of All Time
It also recounts how the now-revered Led Zeppelin was once widely disparaged by critics. It left band members "hostile" to publications such as Rolling Stone, which called 1973's "Houses of the Holy" a "limp blimp." They even hired a press agent to improve their image, eventually agreeing to an interview for a 1975 Rolling Stone cover story that turned the tide.
Finally, there's "I Hate New Music: The Classic Rock Manifesto
Read more of "New Rock 'n' Roll Books Tell Behind-the-Scenes Stories"...
