Take equal parts hard rock and prog-metal and you get a feel for what Italy’s Twinspirits sounds like. This five-piece outfit came together when Daniele Liverani was looking for the next phase of his career as a musician.

Throughout his years of playing music, Daniele has become a virtuoso on both the guitar and the piano. With Twinspirits, he has taken his experience as a keyboard player and has written some of the best melodic metal to be released in a long time.

Although Daniele is the songwriter of the band, he is not the only piece to the puzzle. To fill the part of guitarist, Daniele called upon 20 year old Tommy Ermolli to be the behind the six-string. Tommy has made the most of the 8 years he’s been playing and has more than mastered the instrument. For bassist, Alberto Rigoni fills the part. While being the perfect choice to provide the bass part for the band, Alberto is also a composer in his own right. He has just released an album of his own music. Finding a drummer was a no-brainer. Dario Ciccioni has been playing with Daniele for a decade. When the idea of the band was thought up, Dario was the only choice. The role of vocalist was the one piece to the band that took the most time to fill. But when all was said and done, Danish vocalist Soren Adamsen was the final piece to the puzzle.
It is this group of musicians that have recorded the band’s 2007 release entitled “The Music That Will Heal the World”. Though it is not one, “The Music That Will Heal The World” can be interpreted as being a “concept album” as the songs seem to tell a story.

Some of the songs follow a common thread of war and battle. One of the songs that really follow this theme is “Fire,” a song that has to do with an American soldier that died in battle. Other songs on the album seemed to be tied together with an almost similar theme.

Italy’s Twinspirits has created one of the best albums of hard rock/prog-metal. If you like that style of music, take the time to check out the band’s “The Music That Will Heal The World”.

To check out the band’s music, go to http://www.twinspirits.net/, or go to their MySpace page @ http://www.myspace.com/twinspiritsband .

Matheson Kamin

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Fresh Pair of Eyes is the debut release by Brooke Waggoner, who was born in Houston, Texas, but was raised in the coastal town of Morgan City, Louisiana. While living in Louisiana, Brooke began taking piano lessons at the early age of 4 and didn’t finish her training until she turned 21 during her senior year at Louisiana State University.

Although she made it into the Top 10 in MTVU’s Best Music on Campus Competition as part of a Christian rock group, Brooke has since changed her musical direction. Her current style has only a few religious overtones, giving way to a more contemporary pop sound.

It is that style that was shaped while Brooke was in college. Brooke has received her degree in composition and orchestration. With that education, she has started writing music that has a style that is a cross between Tori Amos, Electric Light Orchestra, Rodgers + Hammerstein, and Chopin, among others. To say that Brooke’s style of writing is complex would be an understatement; however, it is still very listener-friendly.

One of the most entertaining songs on the 6-song EP is “So-So,” a fictional look at a moving day. Each line in the song ends in a word that has a long O sound. Some of the rhymes are a little far-fetched, but that just adds to the lightheartedness of the song.

Having been trained to be a composer and arranger has really given Brooke a leg up on her contemporaries. While most of the musicians out there today would have to ask someone to write arrangements for them, Brooke can simply write out the arrangements to fill out her sound.

Currently, Brooke Waggoner calls Nashville, Tennessee home as she is focused on the task at hand of promoting her new CD, Fresh Pair of Eyes. Download the entire EP straight from Brooke’s website for absolutely NOTHING. This the time to check out one of America’s most talented up-and-coming artists and see what you could have missed.

To check out Brooke Waggoner and her free music, go to www.brookewaggonermusic.com or www.myspace.com/brookewaggoner.

Matheson Kamin

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Cleveland band BMZ came together as a group because the members of the band were all looking to do something musically and had nowhere to turn to fill that desire. With Jim Bacha on bass guitar and vocals, Michael Misiak on drums and vocals, and Jerry Zsigo on guitar and vocals, the musicians have created a solid rock band.

The band decided to take their best material and attack the songs in a live setting and record the resulting show for future release. That resulting show took place on March 10th, 2007 at the Cleveland, Ohio concert venue, The Winchester. The band has taken the recorded show and put it out on a double CD album, entitled BMZ Live at The Winchester.

Previous to the date of the concert recording, the band had recorded and released two albums as a four-piece outfit. The new CD features the band in its current three-piece power trio line-up. The difference is definitely noticeable; and it’s a change for the better. As a trio, the band is tighter and the songs rock harder. Having recorded the first two albums in the studio, BMZ Live at The Winchester shows that the real magic happens onstage.

The audience that showed up that night for the recording helps make the live experience come through for the audience listening at home. And the band answers back with a great instrumental entitled Let It Happen that seems to convey the message that the band is happy for the audience’s support.

Throughout the 2-hour concert of high-voltage power rock, BMZ shows that with time comes experience, and with experience comes talent. Jim Bacha, Mike Misiak, and Jerry Zsigo have the experience and the talent, as BMZ Live at The Winchester definitely shows.

If you like power rock, this album is a MUST for your music collection. This is not only a great live album, it’s a great album all the way around.
To hear the music, purchase the album, or for more information on the band, go to www.bmzmusic.com.

Matheson Kamin

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The thing I love about rock and roll is the wide sonic pallet that it encompasses. That is why I never get bogged down in genres, but sometimes I do feel myself listening a bit too much to one style or other so it’s nice to have a band come along and kind of smack me upside the head and change my sense of direction.

The Armed Forces are from Nashville, Tennessee and at first listen of their CD Modern Gospel For Modern Men & Modern Women I knew there was something there that I liked, I just wasn’t sure what it was. But as with all of my favourite CDs, multiple listening revealed to me a great band that had a definite, modern twist to their powerpop hook. The song that got to me first was The Runaways. The finger clicking and female back up vocals clinched it for me and made me hungry for more. In The Free World was next and everything else on this 5 song CD followed quickly thereafter. I won’t insult you by comparing them to somebody since you will probably email me to tell me that I am out of my tree because they sound more like THIS band but I will toss out moder, hooky, angry at times and volume knob worthy.

Check them out at their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/thearmedforce and listen to them on an upcoming edition of the Rock and Roll Report Podcast and Rock and Roll Report Radio. Good stuff!

Later.

Mark

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I spend a lot of time blasting commercial rock radio, and for good reason I believe. It is ad driven instead of music driven, it is devoid of personality, it caters to the lowest common denominator and it plays the same songs over and over again. That being said, non-commercial radio still holds out some hope for all of us who actually care about radio (and I do actually give a shit about the medium). From my very own CKUT FM here in Montreal which broadcasts an amazing array of programming serving a population that is not adequately served by “mainstream” media to stations like KCRW and the Pacifica Network, non-commercial radio is frequently challenging, often frustrating but never boring, just what good radio should be, and at the top of the heap in my opinion sits WFMU, gazing down regally at us all with a slightly bemused smirk on its face.

To me, WFMU embodies everything that is great about radio. Featuring a mind boggling array of programming that is astonishing in its depth and let’s face it weirdness, WFMU continues to fly the freeform flag proudly while existing solely due to the support of its listeners. And unlike other non-commercial stations that run fund raising events throughout the year, WFMU runs their fundraising marathon just once, and now is the time.

From February 25th until March 9th, 2008 WFMU is holding out their hand to their listeners, fans and people who just like to support freaky institutions for their annula fund raising extravaganza. And WFMU is truly an institution as this is the 50th anniversary of the station. Whether you are into garage punk, Tahitian guitar music, reggae, warped country and bluegrass and numerous other “genres” of music, ‘FMU probably plays it. And if listening to them online at www.wfmu.org won’t convince you, perhaps a flip through the utterly fascinating and borderline psychotic The Best of LCD: The Art and Writing of WFMU will.

Recently published by Raincoast Books, The Best of LCD is as eclectic as the station it portrays featuring a number of articles, comics and just plain weirdness from “FMU’s defunct program guide LDC (Lowest Common Denominator). Chock full of amazingly interesting portraits of zany DJs from the ‘50s, guides to the best “Anti-Rock” books and a still accurate diatribe against commercial rock radio, The Best of LCD is a worthy read and perfect for that well stocked bathroom.

If you care about radio, I urge you to make a pledge towards WFMU where freeform radio is not just a slogan; it’s a way of life. Here’s to another 50 years of WFMU, arguably the greatest radio station on the planet.

Later.

Mark

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If you are fed up with the current state of “music television” then head over to http://www.fromthebasement.tv/ for a refreshing change of pace. No logos, no presenters and no typical TV studio paraphernalia. Just straight up performances from people like The Shins, White Stripes, Sonic Youth, Thom Yorke, the Super Furry Animals and more. According to From the Basement founder Nigel Godrich: “I’m a sad fan trying to bring the magic back to music TV.”

Check it out and see how cool music TV can be.

Later.

Mark

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I have made the case in the past how it is important, if you REALLY love rock and roll to experience it live as often as possible. No, I am not talking about U2 or Springsteen at the local Enormodome but about seeing the hundreds (probably thousands) of bands that ply their trade from one rock and roll dive bar to another.

Let me use a recent experience to illustrate. A few weeks ago I caught one of my current faves The Brown Hornets at a local bar here in Montreal. Now granted the bar itself was nothing special in the interior decor department and the lighting onstage was suspect but the place certainly has character and that counts for maximum points in my book. There was no cover charge, the bar held maybe 50-75 people max and yet when I walked out of there on the shady side of 1:00 AM I was positively vibrating with excitement.

(more…)

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photo courtesy of Amanda Willman

When a popular band decides to call it a day, usually the followers of that band are left with an empty feeling of never being able to see that band again. And if it happens that two bands decide to call it a day at the same time, twice as many people have the same empty feeling.

This is what happened when Cleveland-based band hard rock band Another Path and heavy metal band Gatlin decided that it was time to move on. However, when members of both bands heard of the other’s demise, a new partnership began between the lead singer of Another Path and the remaining members of Gatlin.

The new project became known as A Passion Greater, now known simply as APG. The lead singer, Dave Hudec, picked up where he left off in Another Path by writing songs for his new band, and his new band mates helped turn the new songs into something real, something different than what either band was playing before they broke apart. Along with Dave Hudec on vocals, the rest of the band consists of Jon Drake on bass/vocals, Don DeBiase on guitar, John Marshall on guitar, and Tony Castillo on drums.

The members of APG merged their two styles together into a melodic hard rock band. Taking the best of both worlds and combining them into one makes APG a band with a sound that would fit on any modern day rock station.

Once the band was together, they went into the studio to record their debut album, This Brutal Addiction. Engineered by the band’s lead guitarist, Don DeBiase, the 2007 album gives the listener their money’s worth, as the album clocks in at just under an hour.

One of the best hard rock albums of 2007, This Brutal Addiction definitely is one of those albums that you should check out if you like rock music. And the public agrees as the band has been nominated for the 2008 Free Times Music Awards in Cleveland for Best Hard Rock Band. This is the perfect time to check out this Cleveland group and their music.

For more information, go to www.myspace.apg. Also check them out at www.purevolume.com/apg.

Matheson Kamin

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If you are fed up with the current state of “music television” then head over to http://www.fromthebasement.tv/ for a refreshing change of pace. No logos, no presenters and no typical TV studio paraphernalia. Just straight up performances from people like The Shins, White Stripes, Sonic Youth, Thom Yorke, the Super Furry Animals and more. According to From the Basement founder Nigel Godrich: “I’m a sad fan trying to bring the magic back to music TV.”

Check it out and see how cool music TV can be.

Later.

Mark

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I have made the case in the past how it is important, if you REALLY love rock and roll to experience it live as often as possible. No, I am not talking about U2 or Springsteen at the local Enormodome but about seeing the hundreds (probably thousands) of bands that ply their trade from one rock and roll dive bar to another.

Let me use a recent experience to illustrate. A few weeks ago I caught one of my current faves The Brown Hornets at a local bar here in Montreal. Now granted the bar itself was nothing special in the interior decor department and the lighting onstage was suspect but the place certainly has character and that counts for maximum points in my book. There was no cover charge, the bar held maybe 50-75 people max and yet when I walked out of there on the shady side of 1:00 AM I was positively vibrating with excitement.

(more…)

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photo courtesy of Amanda Willman

When a popular band decides to call it a day, usually the followers of that band are left with an empty feeling of never being able to see that band again. And if it happens that two bands decide to call it a day at the same time, twice as many people have the same empty feeling.

This is what happened when Cleveland-based band hard rock band Another Path and heavy metal band Gatlin decided that it was time to move on. However, when members of both bands heard of the other’s demise, a new partnership began between the lead singer of Another Path and the remaining members of Gatlin.

The new project became known as A Passion Greater, now known simply as APG. The lead singer, Dave Hudec, picked up where he left off in Another Path by writing songs for his new band, and his new band mates helped turn the new songs into something real, something different than what either band was playing before they broke apart. Along with Dave Hudec on vocals, the rest of the band consists of Jon Drake on bass/vocals, Don DeBiase on guitar, John Marshall on guitar, and Tony Castillo on drums.

The members of APG merged their two styles together into a melodic hard rock band. Taking the best of both worlds and combining them into one makes APG a band with a sound that would fit on any modern day rock station.

Once the band was together, they went into the studio to record their debut album, This Brutal Addiction. Engineered by the band’s lead guitarist, Don DeBiase, the 2007 album gives the listener their money’s worth, as the album clocks in at just under an hour.

One of the best hard rock albums of 2007, This Brutal Addiction definitely is one of those albums that you should check out if you like rock music. And the public agrees as the band has been nominated for the 2008 Free Times Music Awards in Cleveland for Best Hard Rock Band. This is the perfect time to check out this Cleveland group and their music.

For more information, go to www.myspace.apg. Also check them out at www.purevolume.com/apg.

Matheson Kamin

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Just when you start thinking that no one is making good rock-n-roll music anymore, you find someone who amazes you with their style of straight-out rock music. One such musician that is currently making that style of straight-out rock that is sadly all-too-uncommon is Joal Rush.
In 2004, Joal Rush released his debut EP, Delightful Things. With that release, Joal started making a name for himself. The reason for that is the CD started receiving critical acclaim from those who reviewed the release. Along with praise from the critics, Joal started gaining a following from his fans.

Since releasing Delightful Things , Joal has enjoyed a bit of success as good things started happening. The Atlanta, GA musician has shared then stage with the likes of Edwin McCain, Will Hoge and Styx; Joal has had his music added to XM Radio’s Unsigned channel 52 where it has become a fixture of the station; and he has had his song Carry On put on the Awarestore.com Ear Snacks Vol. 6 compilation.

After having success with Delightful Things and receiving all of the accolades that have come with it, Joal Rush is back with his second release, Imagination. With this new EP, Joal has taken his writing style and improved upon it, giving the songs on Imagination more power than before.
The new EP contains 6 great songs. The best tracks on the release are, in my opinion, Imagination, Living a Lie, and Bleed. The CD even comes with a ballad, You Are, that helps to wrap up the release.

Joal has put out a great rock release. His style would belong with groups who were around before there were styles of rock called Alternative or Grunge. His music seems a little out of place with what is on the airwaves right now, but that is because the majority of the groups out there right now follow whatever trends are big at the time and refuse to veer away from the mainstream. It takes courageous musicians like Joal Rush to take a chance at releasing music that is not pigeon-holed by today’s radio formats.

If you like pre-Alternative rock music, Joal Rush is making music just for you. You can check out Joal Rush and his music at www.joalrush.com and at www.MySpace.com/joalrush.

Matheson Kamin

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For Immediate Release

Bodog Battle worldwide unites with a group of gear greats. Bodog Battle is proud to be teaming with Mesa/Boogie, Hoshino/Tama and Paiste Alpha Cymbals to provide the thousands of musicians competing in Bodog Battle 2008 with the highest quality instruments and equipment available today. With 400+ live battle performances taking place within 70 cities in Europe, Canada and across the United States, Bodog Battle keeps the rock sounding as huge as ever by working with some of the greatest names in music equipment to provide the backline for the 2008 Bodog Battle competition and Bodog Battle reality show.

(more…)

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Just when you start thinking that no one is making good rock-n-roll music anymore, you find someone who amazes you with their style of straight-out rock music. One such musician that is currently making that style of straight-out rock that is sadly all-too-uncommon is Joal Rush.
In 2004, Joal Rush released his debut EP, Delightful Things. With that release, Joal started making a name for himself. The reason for that is the CD started receiving critical acclaim from those who reviewed the release. Along with praise from the critics, Joal started gaining a following from his fans.

Since releasing Delightful Things , Joal has enjoyed a bit of success as good things started happening. The Atlanta, GA musician has shared then stage with the likes of Edwin McCain, Will Hoge and Styx; Joal has had his music added to XM Radio’s Unsigned channel 52 where it has become a fixture of the station; and he has had his song Carry On put on the Awarestore.com Ear Snacks Vol. 6 compilation.

After having success with Delightful Things and receiving all of the accolades that have come with it, Joal Rush is back with his second release, Imagination. With this new EP, Joal has taken his writing style and improved upon it, giving the songs on Imagination more power than before.
The new EP contains 6 great songs. The best tracks on the release are, in my opinion, Imagination, Living a Lie, and Bleed. The CD even comes with a ballad, You Are, that helps to wrap up the release.

Joal has put out a great rock release. His style would belong with groups who were around before there were styles of rock called Alternative or Grunge. His music seems a little out of place with what is on the airwaves right now, but that is because the majority of the groups out there right now follow whatever trends are big at the time and refuse to veer away from the mainstream. It takes courageous musicians like Joal Rush to take a chance at releasing music that is not pigeon-holed by today’s radio formats.

If you like pre-Alternative rock music, Joal Rush is making music just for you. You can check out Joal Rush and his music at www.joalrush.com and at www.MySpace.com/joalrush.

Matheson Kamin

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For Immediate Release

Bodog Battle worldwide unites with a group of gear greats. Bodog Battle is proud to be teaming with Mesa/Boogie, Hoshino/Tama and Paiste Alpha Cymbals to provide the thousands of musicians competing in Bodog Battle 2008 with the highest quality instruments and equipment available today. With 400+ live battle performances taking place within 70 cities in Europe, Canada and across the United States, Bodog Battle keeps the rock sounding as huge as ever by working with some of the greatest names in music equipment to provide the backline for the 2008 Bodog Battle competition and Bodog Battle reality show.

(more…)

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Like a sugar-coated razor blade, Rochester, New York’s The Meddling Kids offer up a great mix of finely crafted hard pop songs that hide behind those sweet vocal harmonies some pretty biting lyrics.

I came across the band early last year when I was sent a copy of a pre-release version of their great lead off track Let Her Go which has since been honed to a biting sharpness which brings the guitar even more to the forefront. Their self-titled CD is resplendid with hooks galore, both of the guitar and vocal variety. Whether on Goodbye, 7 More Days or one of my favoutites Guilloteenager, these guys know how to draw you in and hold you from beginning to end.

I like all kinds of rock and roll but I have always especially enjoyed well-crafted rock songs laden with hooks. Some may call it commercial, I just call it rock and roll fun of the highest order. Great stuff.

You can listen to some tracks at their MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/themeddlingkidsrock

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Milwaukee, WI band Trance Halo is currently promoting their 2007 EP entitled Bender. Having only been together for about one year. the quartet is still young as a band goes. However, the new debut CD sounds like it was made by a band that has a lot more time under it’s belt. Part of the reason for the maturity in their sound comes from the songwriting of the band’s guitarist/vocalist London J.

The five well-crafted songs contained within the Bender EP hit hard and never let go. From the title track to the last song on the CD entitled Pool, this is a very solid effort. Take equal parts Foo Fighters, Radiohead, and Smashing Pumpkins while adding technology in the form of phase shifters, filters and fuzzes and you get some idea of what the band’s sound is like. The band promises to take modern rock music and launch it into another dimension. Take a listen and you can tell that they are serious about that.

Along with London J, the band is made of 3 talented musicians that help shape the sound of their music. The other members of the band are lead guitarist Johnny W, bassist Belle, and Jim B who played the drums on the CD though the band plays live with an ever-changing line-up of drummers.

Together as a unit, the four musicians create a sound with a noticeable difference. One of the main things that makes Trance Halo’s sound different from most of the acts there is London J’s large collection of effect pedals for his guitar. In fact, with London J, Belle AND Johnny W all using pedals, the band aspires to be known as “the band with the most pedals”.

If you are interested in finding something different from your everyday alternative rock band that you hear on the radio, then you need to check out the band Trance Halo and their CD, Bender.

Visit the band’s website at www.trancehalo.com for more information.

Matheson Kamin

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Ok, once you get over the name and actually listen to the music of Big Cock you will be impressed. This is great hard rock (pun intended!) and sounds a bit like a combination of Van Halen and AC/DC playing at a Playboy Mansion party. Yes they sing almost exclusively about sex (and this is a bad thing?) but with songs like King of Cool, Get Me Up and the brand new M.I.L.F. and Built for Speed these guys are loaded for bare.

If you like your rock and roll high energy with a heavy dose of raunch then grab a hold of Big Cock and enjoy the ride. (OK that pun was again, intended).

Check out their MySpace page at http://www.bigcockrocks.com/ and look out for their new CD Motherload coming in February 2008.

Later.

Mark

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Jann Klose has seen more of the world before he was of voting age than most people will ever see in their entire lifetimes. From the time he was less than a year old, the songwriter/guitarist has lived in his native country of Germany, Kenya, South Africa, Cleveland, OH, and New York. Currently living in the Bronx, Jann has taken all of the musical influences of these lands and combined them all into his version of pop music. In his music, you’ll find large traces of jazz, blues, reggae, and of course, rock.

It’s these styles that are evident in Jann’s newest release, entitled Reverie. The new album stays fresh by changing direction throughout the CDs 12 tracks. From the opening track of “Beautiful Dream” to the final track of “The Beginning,” you’ll hear all sorts of combinations of styles that help make Jann’s music unique. The most interesting tracks on Jann’s Reverie are “Doing Time”; “Clouds”; “Mother Said, Father Said”; along with “Beautiful Dream” and “Hold Me Down”, the 2 tracks that were put on a single previous to the album being released.

Reverie is Jann Klose’s newest album in his long line of self releases and compilations that he has been featured on. This marks the fourth release by Jann, following up his Enough Said, The Strangest Thing and Black Box CDs. Jann’s music has also been featured in the DEAD BROKE movie from Warner Bros Home DVD, the PRAMBORS HITS 3 in Indonesia, and on car maker SAAB’s 60th Anniversay CD in France. He even had a song included on the SERENITY HOUSE CD, a compilation that was put together to benefit the building of the Serenity House Hospice in Doylestown, PA.

But it’s Jann Klose’s Reverie CD that is the focus of this review. Along with Klose and his bandmates (who play bass, keys, drums and violin on the CD), other musicians on the recording lend a hand on oboe, trumpet and flugelhorn, and percussion. With that blend of instumentation, Jann Klose has produced a solid pop effort that has a very worldy feel to it.

You can find Jann and his music at www.jannklose.com and www.myspace.com/jannklose.

Matheson Kamin

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I just played Badmouth for the first time on Rock and Roll Report Radio on the January, 14th show and I was quite impressed on first listen to this Stockholm, Sweden-based band. Although I played Super-Sassy Glossy Lips which was their first song ever released, they have a brand new EP set for release on January 22nd, 2008 featuring a bunch of killer tracks including Kick It Up a Notch, Cocaine Girl and my favourite Last Train.

I swear I don’t know what is in the water in Sweden but that country’s rock and roll continues to impress me…

Check out their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/badmouthswe and have a listen and I’ll post a link to buy their new EP as soon as it is available.

Later.

Mark

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For Immediate Release:

“On the heels of the “Skater Rock Vol. 1/2″ and “Strip Club Rock” CD Comps, both due in stores March 25th, Versailles Records has announced plans for “Surf Rock Vol. 1/2.’ The album will feature material from current/former members of Ozzy Osbourne Band, Aerosmith, Rough Cutt, Ratt, Alice Cooper Band, Exodus, Warrant, L.A. Guns, Slash’s Snakepit, Exodus, Lillian Axe, Dangerous Toys, Poison, Pretty Boy Floyd, Dad’s Porno Mag, WASP, and others.

In addition to the aforementioned material, the label is seeking original song submissions from up-and-coming, signed and unsigned millennium rock and metal bands. Each participating band will receive a photo and bio in the CD booklet, as well as promos. Interested groups should e-mail inquiries to surfrock2008@yahoo.com.

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(Editor’s note) I have always been a fan of Playboy. Ya sure the girls are hot and all but more than that I am a big admirer of Hef’s business of hedonism. The way he has structured his work and social environments to reflect his values (you can argue with THAT all you want!) has continued to fascinate me. So when I saw this press release announcing the 2008 schedule for Rock the Rabbit I thought it would be cool to post here as they have supported some pretty cook bands in the past.

(Press Release) For the second year in a row, Playboy’s Rock the Rabbit initiative will fuse rock, hip-hop, art and fashion in conjunction with Playboy magazine’s annual March music issue (on newsstands February 12, 2008). Rock the Rabbit 2008 includes an impressive line-up of legendary artists, including Duran Duran and Iggy Pop, as well as other cutting-edge musicians across a variety of genres, both established and buzz-worthy up-and-comers.

As part of this year’s program, Rock the Rabbit artists will put their twist on the iconic Playboy Rabbit Head logo by creating limited edition t-shirt designs. Original prototypes of all t-shirt designs will be auctioned off, with proceeds benefitting Rock the Vote (www.rockthevote.org). A special collection of Rock the Rabbit t-shirts will be available nationwide at select Bloomingdale’s locations and online at ShopTheBunny.com.

Additionally, legendary photographer Mick Rock photographed select Rock the Rabbit artists for the fashion pages of Playboy’s March music issue, and RockTheRabbit.com will feature a complete gallery of this year’s t-shirt collection alongside profiles and Q & A’s with the artists.

Playboy Rock the Rabbit 2008 Artists:
* Iggy Pop
* Duran Duran
* Daft Punk
* The Shins
* T.I.
* Gogol Bordello
* Hot Chip
* Ghostland Observatory
* Jamie T
* Tokyo Police Club
* The Pipettes
* New Young Pony Club
* Margot & The Nuclear So And So’s
* Little Ones
* OFFICE
* The Oohlas
* The Heavy
* Working For A Nuclear Free City
* The Beasts of Eden
* DJ Dimitri from Paris

Last year’s inaugural group of Rock the Rabbit artists included The Flaming Lips, The Thievery Corporation, Kasabian, Metric, Whitestarr, Rhymefest, Lil’ Jon, Soulwax, Dean & Britta, stellastarr*, Illinois, The Bronx and more. The campaign hosted some of 2007’s hottest parties, including: a launch party at The Palms Casino Resort featuring performances by Rhymefest and Whitestarr; a late night party at SXSW in Austin, Texas, featuring Illinois and Monsters are Waiting; and a spring break beach bonanza in Cabo San Lucas featuring a performance by Your Vegas.

Stay tuned for more info on Rock the Rabbit 2008 events, including the Late Night Party in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, March 13, 2008.

Check out RocktheRabbit.com for info on Rock the Rabbit 2008.

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(From Music Connection) According to the folks at want2bdiscovered.com, “All you need is a camcorder and laptop, and the venue you’re performing at must have a internet connection!”

Contact live@want2bdiscovered.com for more details and give them the date, time, venue, name of artists performing and give us 3 weeks notice, so they can promote the event over the internet. The company says, “You must have your music profile on our website to be eligible for this FREE opportunity.

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I was recently in Burlington, Vermont (a seriously cool little town) and as I was walking back to my hotel late on a Saturday night when I heard some amazing blues harp emanating from this little bar on the Church Street Marketplace. Unfortunately I couldn’t stick around but I finally tracked down the band and it turns out that it was Avi and Celia, a duo who split their time between Burlington and Boston.

Now what do they sound like? iTunes on my laptop pegged them as unclassifiable which is one way yo look at them. I suppose you can say that they take bits and pieces from the blues, bluegrass, folk, Americana and rock and roll but that’s beside the point in my book. You can tell that this music comes from the very fiber of their souls and it is absolutely spellbinding to listen to.

Check out some of their stuff on their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/aviandcelia and get ready for something a bit different but man the groove on “Soak Her In” is addicting! I’m a fan.

Later.

Mark

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The Rock and Roll Geek is on tour

I am a huge fan of the Rock and Roll Geek Show podcast. Hosted by Michael Butler, bassist for American Heartbreak and currently on tour with Jetboy, Michael is one of the original rock and roll podcasters and he is always a blast to listen to. He is currently on the road with Jetboy on the Stephen Pearcy/Jetboy/Antidivison tour and he is doing a video podcast chronicling their adventures as they rock and roll all over the States. The last time I checked they were playing a strip bar in Omaha I believe and the drummer for Antidivision had just quit. If you ever wanted to know what it was like to go on tour as part of a working indie band then you gotta start watching this. Always a lot of fun and nothing is sugar coated. This podcast is a must for any true fan of rock and roll.

Versailles Records Looking for Some Unsigned Bands for Tribute Album

(PR) Versailles Records is seeking a handful of unsigned bands to round out several star-studded tributes planned for release in 2008 to Kiss, Led Zeppelin, and Whitesnake. Collectively, these tributes feature current/former members of bands including Whitesnake, Anthrax, Dio, David Coverdale Band, Kiss, Badlands, L.A. Guns, Ratt, House of Lords, Blue Murder, TSO, Warrant, Slash’s Snakepit, Every Mother’s Nightmare, Alice Cooper Band, Lillian Axe, Riot, Dangerous Toys, Pretty Boy Floyd, and a host of others. In seeking to feature new millennium rock/metal bands among the aforementioned stars of the genre, we have approx. 2-3 slots open per-tribute. Interested bands should submit a weblink (website, myspace, etc) to versaillesrecords2006@yahoo.com for consideration.

Joe Camel’s Illicit Affair with Rolling Stone Magazine

It seems that Rolling stone Magazine and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco are under fire for a recent promotion featured in the 40th Anniversary edition of the mag. According to an article in The Daily Swarm, the magazine features a fold-out poster that may have crossed the line between mixing advertising and editorial content. The Daily Swarm explained, “The fold-out poster – a bizarre illustration that lists dozens of Pitchfork-centric bands grouped around representations of various planets and animals – is nestled in between five pages of advertisements for ‘The Farm,’ Camel Cigarettes’ indie band and label-focused promotion. If you are like most indie music fans who paid any attention to those pages, you likely assumed that the ‘Indie Rock Universe’ poster was part and parcel of the Camel advertising campaign; if not, the message was clear…Camel’s got indie rock’s back.”

Of course everybody is denying that there was collusion and it is all an innocent misunderstanding but Reynolds has halted any further advertising of “The Farm” and indie labels are demanding an apology. This IS Rolling Stone Magazine we are talking about right? Who the hell reads RS for info on indie bands?

Keith Richards Makes Rudolph Run

Just in time for Christmas you can buy the legendary Keith Richards version of Run Rudolph Run, recorded around the time of mega-heroin use and Some Girls. Just like his idol Chuck Berry…

Later

Mark

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