Well this week’s Rock and Roll Report Podcast is chock full of rock and roll goodness as we stagger around the United States for our tunes with a brief stopover in Stockholm, Sweden. All the bands played are either unsigned or on an indie label and are in my opinion sadly neglected by commercial rock radio so if you like what you hear please buy their music, see their shows and drop comments on their websites to support them.

If you want to subscribe to the podcast, just click either of the links below:

Subscribe to The Rock and Roll Report Podcast

Here is what I played:

1. Rock and Roll Report Intro by Featured on Fridays
2. 20 to 12 by Watts
3. Rock ‘n Roll by The Hot Rocks
4. 30 Seconds by The Erotics
5. Raise It Up the Flagpole by Paperback Freud
6. Backing Down by Punchface
7. The Runaways by The Armed Forces
8. All Together Now by The GoStation
9. One Beer by the Black Angel Band
10. Rock and Roll Report Outro by Featured on Fridays

Thanks for listening and if you liked what you heard please subscribe to the podcast and support your local indie rock and roll scene.

The next Rock and Roll Report Podcast will be released March 12, 2008.

Later.

Mark

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I recently attended something called Podcamp Toronto which is an amazing conference gathering podcasters together to talk shop and learn from one another. Amazingly it is free. One of the things that numerous participants recommended is that podcasters post a list of equipment that they use to create their shows so, in deference to anybody who wants to see what I use for the podcast, here it goes.

As I approach my tenth podcast and I am starting to get comfortable with putting the show together, I thought I would let you know what I use to produce the Rock and Roll Report Podcast. One important point for anybody considering producing a podcast of their own is that you can do a podcast with good audio quality for a very modest outlay of cash. As a matter of fact, some will argue that you can do a podcast for almost no money down but I think if you want it to sound good you will need to buy some equipment.

The most important factor by far is the microphone that you use. This will probably be the item that most shapes your sound and you can definitely pick up a mic for under a hundred bucks that sounds good and is reasonably priced. I use a Kel Audio HM2d mic with a pop screen. This is a brand new model from Kel and the quality is excellent right out of the box and the price is reasonable ($149.00). I plug the mic into a Tapco Mix 60 mixer made by Mackie which is rock solid, inexpensive (72 bucks Canadian) and sounds great. The mixer is connected to my computer (currently a PC running Vista (ugh!)) by a Edirol UA-1EX USB audio interface which basically bypasses the soundcard on the PC and ensures that the audio that goes through the computer is of the highest quality possible. These portable little units retail for under a hundred bucks. I record the whole thing using Audacity (free!) to my hard drive.

As with anything, you always want to get more stuff to (theoretically) improve your sound so I am looking to change a couple of things but my next purchase will be an external hard drive to record all my audio to as it is best that your podcast files not be on the same hard drive as your operating system.

That’s it! This set-up is perfect for me and the Rock and Roll Report at this point in time and I think it sounds great and I haven’t done too much tweaking of the audio to get here. The key thing about podcasting is to just get going and do it and not spend all your time worrying about what equipment to buy. The ‘Net is full of podcaster resources and I find one of the best is Podcast Rigs at the Podcast Academy. I am pretty much using their “Basic” rig and it works for me.

I’ll update this post if and when I upgrade the studio set-up. Email me at rockandrollreport@gmail.com if you have any specific questions and I’ll do my best to help.

A big thank you to good friend of The Rock and Roll Report Shaz for the very hot pic featured above! You rock Shaz!

If you want to subscribe to the podcast, just click either of the links below:

Subscribe to The Rock and Roll Report Podcast

Thanks for listening.

Later.

Mark

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We are already into March thank God because I am all snowed out here in Montreal! The schedule for Rock and Roll Report Radio and the podcast looks like this:

March 5th - Podcast #8
March 12th - Podcast # 9
March 17th - Rock and Roll Report Radio on CKUT FM
March 24th - 3 Amigos on CKUT FM

I Will try and fit in another podcast towards the end of the month as I move to a more consistent weekly schedule for the podcast.

Hope you stop by and listen and please leave a comment on the website or comment line at 206-339-3646.

Look for a Rock and Roll Report Facebook Group soon!

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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Podcast #6 is here and I finally got a grip on some of the audio problems that were plaguing my vocals on past podcasts and of course the problem was squarely my fault. That being said I am excited about both this podcast and the future of the show based on the feedback I have been getting from listeners. The main request has been to make the podcast longer which I will be doing but more importantly I am trying to increase the podcast to once a week from the current twice a month so be patient and things will start to fall into place.

Starting with this podcast I am pleased to introduce a listener comment line where you can drop voice comments via phone and I will be able to integrate them into the show. Just dial 206-339-3646 and let me know what you think of the podcast and if there are any bands or shows you think I should check out.

If you want to subscribe to the podcast, just click either of the links below:

Subscribe to The Rock and Roll Report Podcast

Here is what I played on the podcast with links to the bands as well as links to where you can buy their music where I could find it.

1. Rock and Roll Report Podcast Intro by Featured On Fridays
2. Let Her Go by The Meddling Kids
   
   
3. Super-Sassy Glossy Lips by Badmouth
4. Mind Over Matter by Marvel
   
   
5. Goodbye Good Guy by Sunspot
6. DJ by Third of Never
   
   
7. Man In the Sky by The Soft Explosions
8. Losing Me by Switchback
9. Rock and Roll Report Podcast Outro by Featured On Fridays

The next podcast will be on February 20th, 2007 with the first annual “Sex and Rock and Roll” podcast so make sure you check that out and tune into Rock and Roll Report Radio on CKUT FM on February 11th, 2008 from 10:00 - 11:00 PM EST at www.ckut.ca.

Thanks for listening and support the bands that rock your world!

Later.

Mark

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February’s schedule has been set for both Rock and Roll Report Radio and the podcast. It is as follows:

February 6th - Rock and Roll Report Podcast #6

February 11th - Rock and Roll Report Radio on the Drastic Plastic Program on CKUT FM

February 2oth - Rock and Roll Report Podcast # 7 “Sex and Rock ‘n Roll”

February 25th - The 3 Amigos on the Drastic Plastic Program on CKUT FM

Later.

Mark

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Well I’ve made it to podcast #5 with all fingers and toes still intact and sanity somewhat in check. Hope you enjoy this week’s podcast as it was put together at 4:00 AM on a Sunday. When the urge strikes you gotta record! I’ll be on the air at CKUT FM next week so the next Podcast should be February 6, 2008. Hope you enjoy the show and don’t forget to email me at rockandrollreport@gmail.com and say hi!

Thanks for listening.

If you want to subscribe to the podcast, just click either of the links below:

Subscribe to The Rock and Roll Report Podcast

Here’s what I played:

1. Rock and Roll Report Intro by Featured on Fridays
2. Lights Out by the Tenspoke Indies
3. Rooftop Sniper by The Brown Hornets
   
4. Without You by Three Quarter Stone
5. Stoned Faces by The New York Vaults
6. Still Number One by Exile Parade
7. Bang by RockChild
8. Sick Times by The Dials

Later.

Mark

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It’s a brand new year and I have a new podcast for you to start things in style. Featuring the usual assortment of amazing indie and unsigned bands that should be on commercial rock radio if only it had the guts to go out and find something off the beaten path, I decided only to play six tracks this time. I am hoping to get the podcast down to about 20-25 minutes and this one was close and clocked in at just over 28 minutes.

If you enjoyed the podcast and have any suggestions or just want to say hi, email me at rockandrollreport@gmail.com

Thanks for listening.

If you want to subscribe to the podcast, just click either of the links below:

Subscribe to The Rock and Roll Report Podcast

This is what I played:

1. Rock and Roll Report Podcast Intro by Featured on Fridays
2. Stay by Handsome Devil
3. Someone Else’s Name by Red Seven
4. Before It’s Over by Rotten Cheri
5. Summer Waves by Leigh Silver
6. Destination Nowhere by The Street Brats
   
   
7. Don’t Let Me In by The Sleepers
   

Next Monday, January 14, 2008 I will be hosting Rock and Roll Report Radio on CKUT FM at www.ckut.ca from 10:00 - 11:00 PM EST so by all means tune in to that as I have a lot of cool new stuff to play. The next Rock and Roll Report Podcast will be the following week on January 23, 2008.

Later.

Mark

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The Rock and Roll Report Podcast is just one of hundreds if not thousands of music podcasts out there hosted by everybody from keen fans to record labels to major media like the BBC, but why would any musician want to get involved in what some are calling a media revolution?

A podcast, just in case you are wondering is simply a digital audio file that people can download to their computer, phone or MP3 player and listen to at their convenience. Big deal you might think, downloadable audio has been available off websites for years! While this is true, the difference is in the way that these files are distributed. Using something called an RSS feed, all a listener has to do is subscribe to the podcast using this feed and they will automatically receive the latest edition of a podcast directly on their computer without any further action on their own. Using the Rock and Roll Report Podcast as an example, if a potential listener is searching in the music podcast section of the iTunes Music Store and comes across the Rock and Roll Report Podcast and is intrigued, all they would have to do is click on the “subscribe” button. From then on until they unsubscribe (which we know they wont do because the music played on the podcast is just too damn good!) they will automatically receive the latest podcast right to their computer and as soon as they plug in their iPod to their computer that new podcast will download onto their iPod without the owner having to do anything. It’s that simple. And you don’t have to use the iPod or iTunes to achieve this as the process is just as simple with iTunes alternatives like Juice or other MP3 players.

(more…)

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I am happy to report that the Rock and Roll Report has been accepted into the very cool podcast fraternity that is known as the Ass of Rock. The brainchild of Rock and Roll Geek Michael Butler (also known as the bassist of American Heartbreak amongst a number of rockin’ bands) The Association of Rock Podcasts is your one stop shop for great rock and roll podcasts. You want to rock? Well the Ass of Rock has it all so check it out and enjoy not just the Rock and Roll Report Podcast but a multitude of other podcasts that will make your ears happy.

In addition to the Ass of Rock I am stoked to announce that the Rock and Roll Report Podcast can now be found at the iTunes Music Store. Probably the number one destination for those interested in checking out the world of podcasting, the iTunes Music Store features over 125,000 podcasts of which most are free. My little section of the store can be found at http://www.itunes.com/podcast?id=269890423

I am submitting the podcast to a number of other directories and I will keep you updated on when they will be available. If you have any suggestions then by all means give me a shout at rockandrollreport@gmail.com.

Thanks for listening.

Later.

Mark

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The response to the Rock and Roll Report Podcast has been fantastic from both listeners, bands and indie labels and it definitely has been encouraging and satisfying that people are making space on their MP3 players for a blast of what I consider to be primo rock and roll from unsigned and indie label bands. For that I thank you all. Some listeners (or potential listeners) have been having issues though with either what a podcast is or how exactly you listen to it so I thought I would give you a little primer on the many ways you can enjoy the Rock and Roll Report Podcast. And by the way, the next podcast will be out on December 19th, 2007.

What is a Podcast?

A podcast is simply a downloadable MP3 file containing numerous types of entertainment similar to a radio show. The cool thing about podcasts are that you are in control so you can listen to them whenever and wherever you choose on anything from your MP3 player to your phone to your computer and on to your stereo if it is so equipped. There are also great video podcasts that operate in the same way as their audio counterpart.

Listening to the Rock and Roll Report Podcast

You can listen to the podcast in a number of ways.

1. Probably the easiest way is to click on the brown “play” button at the top of the show notes for each episode. Clicking on this button will allow you to listen to the complete podcast streaming right from the The Rock and Roll Report. This is a Flash player so if you don’t see it on your screen there could be a problem with your Flash installation.
2. Download the MP3 file yourself. If you right-click on the “Audio MP3” graphic or “Download” link right bellow the Flash player you can save the whole podcast to your hard drive.
3. Subscribe in iTunes. By far the most convenient method is to subscribe to the podcast since once you have done so you will never need to worry about missing a show. I recommend using iTunes because it features by far the most podcast listings on the Net and it is drop dead easy to use to manage your music. You can use the link below to subscribe to the Rock and Roll Report Podcast in iTunes.

4. Subscribe using another “podcatcher” program. If you don’t want to use iTunes you can use a program like Juice Reciever to subscribe to the podcast. Simply copy and paste this RSS feed into the appropriate place in the software and voila, you are done.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/rockandrollreport/aioF

If you have any problems listening to the podcast please email me at rockandrollreport@gmail.com and I will do what I can to help you out.

Thanks for listening!

Later.

Mark

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Well this week’s podcast clocks in at a more reasonable 30 minutes and this is the length I would like to keep them for the time being. This week’s podcast continues my look at stuff that I love and should continue to give you a taste for the kind of rock and roll that we should be able to hear on commercial rock radio if only commercial rock radio was slightly more adventurous.

If you want to subscribe to the podcast, just click the link below:

Subscribe to The Rock and Roll Report Podcast

Here is the lowdown on what I played:

1. Kicked things off in style as usual with the Rock and Roll Report Podcast Intro that was created by Miami-based band Featured on Fridays featuring the ultra-sexy voice of bassist Crystal Fawn
2. Started our rock and roll blitz with New York-based Daphne (named after the Scoobie Doo character) and their infectious track Sin
   http://www.daphnenyc.com
   http://www.myspace.com/daphne
   
3. Then I had Jonathan Bright chime in with that great first line to his mom off of Shine from 2004’s Radio Free Tennessee
   http://jonathanbright.com/
   
4. And what’s rock and roll without some Big Cock! From their Year of the Cock I just had to play the classic King of Cool
   http://www.bigcockrocks.com/
   
5. Fastlane Records definitely has a winner on it’s hands with American Anthem and a song that has grown to become a constant on my iPod in I think About You
   http://www.myspace.com/americananthem
   http://www.myspace.com/fastlanerecords
6. As I mention on the podcast, Philadelphia’s Beretta76 have an amazingly catchy chorus on their song Hit Parade. It’s one of those choruses that sticks in your head for hours after you hear it!
   http://www.beretta76.com/
   
7. If anybody tells me they cannot relate to The Machine Gun Song by Bang Sugar Bang I would say you are outright lying!
   http:www.myspace.com/bangsugarbang
   
8. Next up is one of my regular listens, the ultra-cool Kill The Summer by Glasgow, Scotland’s Dead City Riots
   http://www.myspace.com/deadcityriots1
9. Finally, I ended things off with a song that reminds me so much of the groove from Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith, the slinky, bass-heavy Back to Then by Los Angele-based Astronaut Academy
   http://www.myspace.com/astronautacademy

Well I hope you enjoyed the podcast and if you did please spread the word! You can always get in touch with me by dropping a comment on this site or emailing me at rockandrollreport@gmail.com.

As I will be hosting Rock and Roll Report Radio next week, December 10th, 2007 on CKUT 90.3 FM in Montreal and online at www.ckut.ca from 10:00 - 11:00 PM EST there will be no podcast. It will return the following week on December 19th and then I will probably take a break until after the holidays.

Thanks for listening and check out all the bands on the show. They are all worth your rock and roll time. Turn it up!

Later.

Mark

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Finally, it’s here! After months of trying to figure out all the ins and outs of putting together a podcast I have managed to get my shit together and create something that I think is pretty good. If you are looking for an antidote to listening to the same thing on commercial rock radio day in and day out, give the Rock and Roll Report Podcast a listen for some welcome relief.

To listen to the podcast you can either hit “play” (that triangle button thingy on the right) or download the whole MP3 file to your computer or MP3 player. Let me know if you run into any problems.

If you want to subscribe to the podcast, just click the link below:

Subscribe to The Rock and Roll Report Podcast

The tracks that I play on this podcast include:

Rock and Roll Report Intro - The Rock and Roll Report Intro is performed by Miami-based Featured on Fridays, the incredible duo of extremely talented musicians Brev Sullivan and Crystal Fawn. Expect to hear more of Featured on Fridays on a podcast in the near future.

1. Good Storm by Swedish band The Mainliners off of the very cool Swedish record label Crusher Records
   http://www.themainliners.com/
   www.myspace.com/mainlinerssweden
   www.crusherrecords.com/
   
2. Hanging Like A Suicide by Edinburgh, Scotland’s the Heavy Drapes who are currently unsigned with no management.
   http://www.myspace.com/theheavydrapes
3. All I Wanted by Australian band Hailer, also unsigned.
   http://www.myspace.com/hailermusic
4. Sex66 by Rochester, New York’s Atomic Swindlers (thanks for the promo Roy and April!)
   http://www.myspace.com/theatomicswindlers
   
5. You Brought It On Yourself by Green Bay, Wisconsin’s The Annex who are signed to the excellent Fastlane Records (expect a feature on Fastlane on an upcoming podcast)
   http://www.myspace.com/annexcentral
   http://www.myspace.com/fastlanerecords
6. Red Eye by Bellingham, Washington’s The DT’s
   http://www.myspace.com/thedts
   http://www.estrus.com/bands/dts/
   Buy Filthy Habits from Amazon
7. Wrong by Hamilton, Ontario’s The Morning Stars
   http://www.myspace.com/themorningstars
   
8. Hang Your Head by Hollywood, California’s The Blessings
   http://www.myspace.com/theblessings

Hope you enjoy the show! Let me know what you think, send me suggestions on bands you think will pop my cork or just say hi! You can get in touch with me by sending an email to rockandrollreport@gmail.com or leaving a voice message at 1-647-724-4194 Code# *5288116 or Skype me at Rockandrollreport.

The next podcast will be out Wednesday, December 5th, 2007.

Later.

Mark

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Finally, after what seems like (and in fact has been years) of talking about it, the brand new Rock and Roll Report Podcast is ready to be unleashed on your ears! That’s right, the very first episode will be debuting on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 and I hope you download it and enjoy it.

For those of you who are wondering what a podcast is, it is quite simply in essence a downloadable radio show that you can listen to on your MP3 player (you don’t need an iPod to listen to it since it is just an MP3 file), burn to a CD and play on your stereo or in your car or listen to on your computer directly off of www.rockandrollreport.com.

Every Wednesday except for the week that I am hosting Rock and Roll Report Radio on CKUT FM, you will have a slice of the rock and roll that I feel deserves to be heard. Do you ever find that you are listening to your local rock radio station and you ask yourself that maybe, instead of playing Hotel California one more time they just might consider playing something new that rocks? Well that’s where the Rock and Roll Report Podcast comes in. The stuff I will be playing is music that I think could fit onto any commercial rock radio playlist (be it alternative, classic rock or whatever) but doesn’t get there due to the fact that it is released on small independent record labels or is performed by bands and artists who do not have any label at all. This isn’t an “indie” show per se. This is simply overlooked rock and roll that I think deserves to be heard and consistently blows me away. I range across the rock and roll spectrum from hard rock to powerpop to garage to psychedelic to punk and to metal and beyond but the show is not about any particular genre. It is simply all rock and roll to me.

I hope you stop by on Wednesday to have a listen and let me know what you think. By all means drop me a line at rockandrollreport@gmail.com with suggestions, comments, platitudes, nasty insults or names of bands you think I simply must hear. I definitely would appreciate it (ok maybe not the nasty insults so at least be creative!)

The complete details will be posted on Wednesday with all the info you need to subscribe to the podcast as well as the playlist, show notes and links to the bands and a way you can buy their music. It is a blast putting these things together and I really hope you enjoy it!

(Photo by Darko Danic, courtesy of good friend of the Rock and Roll Report Tova Jansen)

Later.

Mark

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Finally, after what seems like (and in fact has been years) of talking about it, the brand new Rock and Roll Report Podcast is ready to be unleashed on your ears! That’s right, the very first episode will be debuting on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 and I hope you download it and enjoy it.

For those of you who are wondering what a podcast is, it is quite simply in essence a downloadable radio show that you can listen to on your MP3 player (you don’t need an iPod to listen to it since it is just an MP3 file), burn to a CD and play on your stereo or in your car or listen to on your computer directly off of www.rockandrollreport.com.

Every Wednesday except for the week that I am hosting Rock and Roll Report Radio on CKUT FM, you will have a slice of the rock and roll that I feel deserves to be heard. Do you ever find that you are listening to your local rock radio station and you ask yourself that maybe, instead of playing Hotel California one more time they just might consider playing something new that rocks? Well that’s where the Rock and Roll Report Podcast comes in. The stuff I will be playing is music that I think could fit onto any commercial rock radio playlist (be it alternative, classic rock or whatever) but doesn’t get there due to the fact that it is released on small independent record labels or is performed by bands and artists who do not have any label at all. This isn’t an “indie” show per se. This is simply overlooked rock and roll that I think deserves to be heard and consistently blows me away. I range across the rock and roll spectrum from hard rock to powerpop to garage to psychedelic to punk and to metal and beyond but the show is not about any particular genre. It is simply all rock and roll to me.

I hope you stop by on Wednesday to have a listen and let me know what you think. By all means drop me a line at rockandrollreport@gmail.com with suggestions, comments, platitudes, nasty insults or names of bands you think I simply must hear. I definitely would appreciate it (ok maybe not the nasty insults so at least be creative!)

The complete details will be posted on Wednesday with all the info you need to subscribe to the podcast as well as the playlist, show notes and links to the bands and a way you can buy their music. It is a blast putting these things together and I really hope you enjoy it!

(Photo by Darko Danic, courtesy of good friend of the Rock and Roll Report Tova Jansen)

Later.

Mark

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The first four podcasts have been recorded but we have run into a technical snafu that is preventing me from posting them to the site.

If any of you are WordPress gurus, have you heard of a conflict between the PodPress plug-in and the standard image functions of WordPress? When PodPress is installed I can’t manipulate images within a post anymore but when we uninstall it that functionality comes back. WTF?

As soon as this gets fixed I will start posting the podcasts ASAP as they are a lot of fun to do and I am getting some cool support. I won’t bother giving a date but rest assured you will have something cool to feed your ears shortly. Thanks for your patience.

Later.

Mark

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I am putting together the brand new Rock and Roll Report Podcast that is set to debut the week of October 22, 2007 but I just want to stress something important.

Anything that I play on the podcast is on there because I have the permission from the artist to play their stuff. If you want to be on the podcast I need your permission in an email saying so. Because a podcast is a download I don’t want to be accused of screwing artists by distributing their work without proper permission so please, make sure you give me the ok first or I can’t feature your stuff.

Remember that everything I play on the podcast is music I personally love and my whole intention is to try and turn others on to this stuff. The Rock and Roll Report Podcast is all about getting the word out about some great music. I hope you will want to join the party.

Thanks and take care!

Mark

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Sorry for the dearth of stuff on the site over these last few days but things have been pretty hectic personally and I have learned to not write just for the sake of writing. I would prefer the content to be sparse but good as opposed to overflowing but shit. Of course the content could be sparse and shit but that’s beside the point…

Just received two essential components (finally!) for Rock and Roll Report Studios and will actually begin recording Episode 1 of the Rock and Roll Report Podcast (The Phantom Podcast?) this week. It’s been frustrating to say the least but I think that once I get going things will run a lot smoother. The plan is to have the first episode out the week of October 22, 2007 (probably the 24th) and then every week thereafter. The only decision I face is whether to produce a show the week Rock and Roll Report Radio is on. Since CKUT provides a podcast feed for the show for a week after broadcast I will probably only produce three podcasts a month and see how that goes.

The Day in Rock reports that Fox News columnist Roger Friedman is calling for a boycott of Rolling Stone Magazine. Now I have a love/hate relationship with that mag and I can see that if you are of a politically conservative bent you would have a lot to gripe about but Friedman’s reason is not due to the content of the magazine. Friedman’s complaint revolves around the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the fact that Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner essentially controls the nomination process for this ridiculous institution. Now if you shake your head at some of the decisions made for these nominations (why is Rush still not nominated again?) you will definitely want to read Friedman’s reasons for the boycott but really, why don’t we boycott both the magazine and the “institution” and get on with listening to cool rock and roll played in sweaty little clubs, you know, the way rock and roll should be celebrated.

Well if you thought the days of ‘80s hard rock and hair metal were behind us think again. According to Kris Osborn of Time.Com, some of the biggest concert draws of 2007 were reunion concerts by bands like Ratt, Tesla, Poison, Quiet Riot, Ozzy, White Lion and the like and the response to the semi-reunited Van Halen seem to bear this out. The interesting thing is that the shows seem to be attracting young concert goers who weren’t around for these bands’ first kick at the can. Can you blame them? Hard rock and metal have always contained a great mixture of sleaze, glam and fist pumping fun that makes it quite clear you are at a rock show and not a political convention. People want to lose themselves for a couple of hours and this stuff is a great way to do it. Cheap, fast and disposable. That is sometimes the best definition of rock and roll and I guess this just goes to prove that people want more than angst on stage, they want to rock!

One of the best CDs that I received last year and played quite a bit on Rock and Roll Report Radio was Light ‘Em Up! By The Fags and it was with considerable sadness that I learned this summer of the band’s demise. Billed as a logical successor to Cheap Trick, The Fags had what many thought was it all. Great hooks, cool songs, a great sound behind the vocals of main man John Speck, this was a band that seemed poised for great things. Unfortunately major label politics and other business mis-cues killed the band in its crib. Read all about Speck’s experiences with the Fags and their doomed run at the brass ring in The Fags Get Screwed. If you are interested in what John is up to now check out his new band HiFi HandGrenades.

Finally, if you thought all that came out of Israel was religious conflict and strife you will be happy to know that the Jewish Music Group has announced the release of “Israel Unleashed: The Best Rock And Metal From The Holy Land”. Featuring the very best unsigned rock and metal bands from Israel it is scheduled to be released November 27, 2007. For a full track listing check out http://www.jewishmusicgroup.com/album.php?id=131.

That’s it for now. I know I haven’t featured any blitz bands in awhile but if your jonesing for a rock and roll fix I suggest that you click on any of the band links from this week’s Rock and Roll Report Radio playlist and check out what they have to offer. I think you your ears will be amply rewarded.

Later.

Mark

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Sorry for the dearth of stuff on the site over these last few days but things have been pretty hectic personally and I have learned to not write just for the sake of writing. I would prefer the content to be sparse but good as opposed to overflowing but shit. Of course the content could be sparse and shit but that’s beside the point…

Just received two essential components (finally!) for Rock and Roll Report Studios and will actually begin recording Episode 1 of the Rock and Roll Report Podcast (The Phantom Podcast?) this week. It’s been frustrating to say the least but I think that once I get going things will run a lot smoother. The plan is to have the first episode out the week of October 22, 2007 (probably the 24th) and then every week thereafter. The only decision I face is whether to produce a show the week Rock and Roll Report Radio is on. Since CKUT provides a podcast feed for the show for a week after broadcast I will probably only produce three podcasts a month and see how that goes.

The Day in Rock reports that Fox News columnist Roger Friedman is calling for a boycott of Rolling Stone Magazine. Now I have a love/hate relationship with that mag and I can see that if you are of a politically conservative bent you would have a lot to gripe about but Friedman’s reason is not due to the content of the magazine. Friedman’s complaint revolves around the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the fact that Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner essentially controls the nomination process for this ridiculous institution. Now if you shake your head at some of the decisions made for these nominations (why is Rush still not nominated again?) you will definitely want to read Friedman’s reasons for the boycott but really, why don’t we boycott both the magazine and the “institution” and get on with listening to cool rock and roll played in sweaty little clubs, you know, the way rock and roll should be celebrated.

Well if you thought the days of ‘80s hard rock and hair metal were behind us think again. According to Kris Osborn of Time.Com, some of the biggest concert draws of 2007 were reunion concerts by bands like Ratt, Tesla, Poison, Quiet Riot, Ozzy, White Lion and the like and the response to the semi-reunited Van Halen seem to bear this out. The interesting thing is that the shows seem to be attracting young concert goers who weren’t around for these bands’ first kick at the can. Can you blame them? Hard rock and metal have always contained a great mixture of sleaze, glam and fist pumping fun that makes it quite clear you are at a rock show and not a political convention. People want to lose themselves for a couple of hours and this stuff is a great way to do it. Cheap, fast and disposable. That is sometimes the best definition of rock and roll and I guess this just goes to prove that people want more than angst on stage, they want to rock!

One of the best CDs that I received last year and played quite a bit on Rock and Roll Report Radio was Light ‘Em Up! By The Fags and it was with considerable sadness that I learned this summer of the band’s demise. Billed as a logical successor to Cheap Trick, The Fags had what many thought was it all. Great hooks, cool songs, a great sound behind the vocals of main man John Speck, this was a band that seemed poised for great things. Unfortunately major label politics and other business mis-cues killed the band in its crib. Read all about Speck’s experiences with the Fags and their doomed run at the brass ring in The Fags Get Screwed. If you are interested in what John is up to now check out his new band HiFi HandGrenades.

Finally, if you thought all that came out of Israel was religious conflict and strife you will be happy to know that the Jewish Music Group has announced the release of “Israel Unleashed: The Best Rock And Metal From The Holy Land”. Featuring the very best unsigned rock and metal bands from Israel it is scheduled to be released November 27, 2007. For a full track listing check out http://www.jewishmusicgroup.com/album.php?id=131.

That’s it for now. I know I haven’t featured any blitz bands in awhile but if your jonesing for a rock and roll fix I suggest that you click on any of the band links from this week’s Rock and Roll Report Radio playlist and check out what they have to offer. I think you your ears will be amply rewarded.

Later.

Mark

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I just wanted to fill you all in on what has been happening with the podcast because it is the main reason that I have not been updating the site as regularly and with as much content as usual.

Things are moving ahead on the Rock and Roll Report podcast. The playlist for episode one is set and I spent the whole weekend basically testing out two microphones and conducting countless fiddling on the mixer and in the software to try and get the podcast to sound the way I want it to sound.

Now I know that podcasts are not radio (thank God!) and there are a lot of people that think the “rougher” sounding the better but I don’t buy that. I want the Rock and Roll Report Podcast to sound as good as Rock and Roll Report Radio. OK that’s tough on my miniscule budget but it is achievable; I just need to work at it. I have a new microphone on order and I am off to pick up a pop filter but I think I can make things sound good right now and hopefully even better as I get comfortable in the whole post-processing, audio engineering thing.

So things are moving ahead, the podcast should be a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy listening to some amazing rock and roll that just so happens to be produced by unsigned artists or bands on indie labels worldwide.

By the way, if you want to be considered for the podcast you can submit your stuff through SonicBids, a great service which I highly recommend or alternatively send me an email at rockandrollreport@gmail.com and I’ll get back to you. Remember that I only play what I like and sometimes it takes me awhile to wade through all the submissions but have patience and I will get to it ASAP.

By the way, the picture above is of my set-up for the Rock and Roll Report located somewhere in the hills of Hollywood….or my spare bedroom in Montreal but you get the point. It’s not normally that clean but you know, gotta make it look good for the camera!

More details soon.

Later.

Mark

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As I start preparing for the Rock and Roll Report Podcast in earnest, I thought that now was a good time to mention the various ways of submitting your music to The Rock and Roll Report.

The Rock and Roll Report covers all the flavours of rock and roll put out by all of the multitude of small, independent and DIY record labels around the world in an effort to prove to fans of rock and roll that they can get their rock fix without having to put up with the endless repetitive music played on commercial rock radio. Whether it be punk, hard rock, metal, glam, garage, power pop, psychedelia or one of the dozens of other “rock” genres that have escaped me at the moment, they all have a home on The Rock and Roll Report. From the website to Rock and Roll Report Radio to the upcoming podcast that will debut at the end of September, I want to play as much of this stuff as humanly possible because it is all so good.

If you are in a band or represent a record label you can submit music in a number of ways.

The preferred format to submit your music to The Rock and Roll Report is by Sonicbids. Sonicbids is the standard way for music industry professionals to send and receive press kits online. It is also a very effective and efficient way for you to send me your music and for me to review it. The nice thing about Sonicbids is that you are kept informed as to what is happening with your submission and it is especially nice to know that I have commited to review all Sonicbids submissions within 30 days of you sending them so you are guaranteed that your music will be heard. Click on the link to the left and get started!

Alternatively you can send me your bio and an MP3 to rockandrollreport@gmail.com and I’ll have a listen. If you have a hard copy CD or DVD you want me to check out, contact me at the same address and I’ll tell you where to send it.

Finally, you can always contact me at the Rock and Roll Report’s MySpace page at www.myspace.com/rockandrollreport. I have been increasingly using MySpace to connect with bands and labels as well as fans and it is always great to hear from musicians and be able to instantly have a listen to a few of their tracks. You might even get buzzed!

So there you have it. There are multiple ways to submit music to The Rock and Roll Report and now as the lazy, hazy days of summer come to an end this is a perfect time to send me your stuff, especially as I am putting together my music database for the podcast.

Thanks for reading. Looking forward to listening to what you’ve got.

UPDATE! I changed the email address because of problems with my previous address. If you sent something to the contact emaill address please resend it to rockandrollreport@gmail.com. Sorry for the confusion!

UPDATE #2! If you want to email me some of your tracks that’s great but please TAG YOUR MUSIC! What usually happens is that I download the track to iTunes and it shows up as “Track 1″ by “Un-named Artist” and it then gets lost in the mix, literally. The best thing you can do when submitting your MP3s to websites, podcasts etc. is to make sure your MP3 files are clearly tagged with the song name, band name, album, year, etc. You can do it in iTunes or in a multitude of free MP3 ID tagger programs that you can download off the Net. If you want your music heard then PLEASE make sure that it is tagged.

Thanks!

Later.

Mark

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This is the brand new track off the Go Station’s upcoming CD Passion Before Function, set to be released September 22, 2007. A great song that I will be playing on the next Rock and Roll Report Radio.

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I love this band!

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