Rock you till end

Yamaha Pacifica Update 2011

2011-05-14T05:24:00.000-07:00

Yamaha Pacifica is very good guitar having high build quality and high quality woods and materials and Yamaha is going to update it's Yamaha Pacifica guitars which have plenty of cool factors and have real value of your money. Yamaha Guitars have improved a lot in this updated guitars to stay competitive in the market.

Yamaha Pacifica 311H

Yamaha Pacifica 311H looks great and offers superb feel, versatility and available in Red Metallic, Vintage White, Black and Yello Natural Satin which have custom-wound pickups and the highest quality hardware complete with coil tap all matched with a solid tonewood construction which delivers great musical and tonal variation and uncompromising performance.

Yamaha Pacifica 510V is available in Candy Apple Red, old Violin Sunburst and Black which have professional hardware, an exclusive single Seymour Duncan TBPR-1b pickup, tinted maple neck and rosewood fingerboard.

The new 611HFM have a superb flamed maple and Alder body with a vintage tinted maple neck with models boasts Seymour Duncan SP90 - 1n TB-14 pickups and coil tap tone pot.

And last but not the least Yamaha Pacifica 120H is highly affordable package which have High perfomance Neck and Bridge Hambuckers and offers a Maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and Alder body.

Rock Bands | Mp3 song download | Easy Guitar pro Tabs

2010-06-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

This site is made for you people who love Rock music and wants information of your favorite Rock bands and Artists. You can also learn to play their songs from Easy guitar pro tabs available here. This site contains the full information about the great Rock bands or the Rock artists from history till this date (and their albums).

And we salutes all the Rockers and Rock Bands.

You can download best easy guitar pro tabs without log in or register to get high quality easy guitar pro tabs for absolutely free without errors.

You can also download some great mp3's from this blog( mp3 song download). Remember The music on this blog is for sampling purposes only. If you like the music we post, just go out and buy the record at a store or on iTunes. Support the Artists..........Be A True Music Lover

Sending us your feedback would be appreciated.

keep on Rocking, and enjoy playing.............
see you again

Long Live Rock N' Roll Video (Rainbow)

Hughes & Kettner Coreblade Guitar Amp

2009-10-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

To meet the demands of mordern metal guitarists, Hughes & Kettner is glad to introduce Coreblade, the next evolutionary stage of programmable all-tube guitar amps.

The head delivers a stalwart 100 watts which combines brutal tone, untamed dynamics and explosive punch with amazing flexibility unequaled by any other tube amp so far and is equipped with four channels, two of them voiced to offer completely different high-gain alternatives. Beyond that, the amp sports a versatile drive channel and a clean channel with plenty of headroom. For sound refinement it features three first-class effect modules, covering a wide range of standards from authentic spring reverb to chorus and delay. As all effects are added using our unique “Inversed Parallel Modulation”, the guitar signal always stays in the analog domain.

IDB™ (Intelligent Dual Breakpoint) noise gate technology is obtained by Coreblade which is the very first amp to use that technology.This cool device simultaneously measures the gain at the input jack and after the preamp, thus being able to react perfectly in any given situation, be it as a radical tool for sound design on stage or as a delicate noise suppressor in the studio.

Technical specifications Hughes & Kettner Coreblade Guitar Amp:

Model – Coreblade

Headline – Metal Head 2010

Channels – Clean, Drive, Ultra I, Ultra II

Power – 100 Watts

Poweramp – Shipped with 4x EL34, but also 6L6GC applicables

Preamp – 3x 12AX7

Modeling – No

Effects – 3 independant Digital-FX processors: Reverb, Delay, Modulation (Chorus, Flanger,

Phaser, Tremolo)

Effects Loop – serial/parallel

MIDI – built in

Footswitch/Stageboard – MIDI-Board FSM-432 MKII included

Switching Functions – 4xPreset, Bank up, Bank down, Tap Delay

Special Features – All Controls are fully programmable; Adjustable Noisegate; USB-Backup;

Tube Safety Control (TSC)

Presets – 128 user presets

Speaker Outputs – 1x 4 Ohms or 2 x 8 Ohms; 1x 8 Ohms or 2x 16 Ohms; 1x 16 Ohms

Suggested Speaker Cabinet – MC 412 CL

Dimensions – 742 x 270 x 254 mm

Weight – 18,2 kg/40,12 lbs

LyT Pedalboard's F16 model

2009-08-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

LyT Pedalboards has announce the introduction of its new F16 model that is made of the same lightweight ultra-strong wood composite material as all of LyT's boards, and marks the introduction of LyT's handmade in the USA craftsmanship into the emerging arena of compact pedalboards. Lyt Pedalboards F16 is the latest pedalboard that is bound to give much needed organization and protection at a very light price.

LyT Pedalboard's F16 model

The F16 measures 16" x 16" and weighs only 3.5 pounds. That makes the F16 a great option for a guitarist who uses only a couple of select pedals for the usual recording or live situations. It also makes a great board for backup pedals or for a second instrument. The F16 also features a second-level tier for easy pedal access, an under-tier compartment that can accommodate a full-sized power supply, non-skid rubber feet, and an extremely low profile. Also supplied in the package are medical-grade hook and loop Velcro.

Light to carry and light on the pocket, The F16 sells for just $49.95 and is available for purchase direct from the Lyt Pedalboards web site.

Manowar New Album 2009

2009-07-16T18:59:00.000-07:00

MANOWAR is currently recording a song from its new album in 15 (and counting) different languages. They are recorded with an in-depth look at Eric Adams' odyssey into the world of multi-lingual vocals! This song, in its entirety, will debut, along with new tracks from the forthcoming album, at MANOWAR's very own Magic Circle Festival III on Saturday, July 18, 2009 at the Loreley on the Rhine River in Germany.

Donnie Hamzik, the original drummer for MANOWAR, will be on tour with the band in 2009.

MANOWAR and special guests HOLYHELL will headline some of Europe's major metal festivals, including Magic Circle.

Released on November 27, 2008, the "Magic Circle Festival Volume II" DVD features two discs packed with never-before-seen footage of songs from the first six MANOWAR albums — including some songs that have never been performed or presented on CD or DVD before. This is the first opportunity to get songs like "Blow Your Speakers", "Death Tone", "Pleasure Slave", "Violence and Bloodshed" and "Kingdom Come" on DVD. This DVD also includes the first-ever live performance of MANOWAR's epic "The Crown and the Ring". The DVD set also includes exclusive footage of MANOWAR's unprecedented record-breaking five-hour-and-10-minute show in Kavarna, Bulgaria, a documentary of the Bulgaria performance and MANOWAR performing the Bulgarian national anthem — "Mila Rodino" — with full orchestra and choir.

VHT's Classic 6 Amp

2009-07-06T20:16:00.000-07:00

VHT Classic 6 Amp

VHT announces the release of the Classic 6, a simple, low-wattage amp with a big sound. The Classic 6 was created with a 12″ VHT Special Design speaker. VHT believes this design allows the amp to be cranked up (to 11, so to speak) without sound distortion or frying the speakers.

The Classic 6 from VHT comes complete with two controls, Tone and Volume, and also has low and high inputs. The power amp is a 6V6 model, while the amp is a single 12AX7 tube. VHT particularly talks up the versatility of the amp here, citing its supposed ability to mimic both a British amp and a classic American tube amp. We’ll let readers be the judge. Also heralded is the simplicity of the amp design, with the tone control options allowing for quick adjustments and easy manipulation of harmonics.

The VHT Classic 6 was specifically designed with simplicity in mind, for players who just want to plug in and sound great. It’s an amp that allows players to get the most out of their amp to enhance their individual sound.

Cost = $549.99

Fender Dave Murray Stratocaster guitar and Steve Harris Signature Precision bass

2009-06-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

Fender Dave Murray Stratocaster guitar:
The Fender Dave Murray Stratocaster guitar features an alder body, one-piece satin-finished maple neck with a soft "V"-shape and medium jumbo frets, DiMarzio PAF 36th Anniversary DP103 neck pickup, vintage-style Strat middle pickup, DiMarzio Super Distortion DP100 bridge pickup, American vintage synchronized tremolo, signature chrome pickup covers, one-ply white pickguard, and Black thin-skin nitrocellulose lacquer finish.

Fender Dave Murray Stratocaster guitar

"I have always enjoyed the versatility that you get from playing Fender Strat guitars," said Murray. "This signature guitar plays and feels just like my original, with exception that it’s LOUDER! My thanks go out to Fender for putting this together. I’ll be taking this guitar out to play on the next tour."

Steve Harris Signature Precision bass:
The Fender Steve Harris Precision Bass guitar features an alder body, one-piece maple neck with medium jumbo frets, Seymour Duncan Basslines Quarter Pound split-coil Precision Bass pickup, chrome Badass II bridge, chrome pickguard, and his signature Rotosound flatwound strings and Royal Blue Metallic finish.

"It’s always been Fender Precision Bass guitars for me, whether recording or playing live," said Harris. "I only endorse things I use, so it makes sense to have my own signature model!"

Steve Harris Signature Precision bass

Fender Steve Harris Precision Bass guitars are available at Fender dealers worldwide with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of £1,139.99; Dave Murray Stratocaster guitars are available at Fender dealers worldwide with a suggested manufacturer’s price of £1,719.99

Ibanez JS1000 Guitar Joe Satriani series

2009-06-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

A guitar God like Joe Satriani, one of the worlds most influential and best players does not choose his signature instrument of choice lightly, and it has shown. Throughout most of his career, Satriani has chosen Ibanez.

Quickly, Ibanez created a custom signature model for Satriani, seeing his great playing and making an instrument which best fitted his needs. Out of this was born the JS series of guitars, but most importantly (and expensively) the JS1000 was born. It reflects Joe's playing style in every degree.

Ibanez JS1000 Guitar Joe Satriani series

JS1000 has a unique rounded shape, beautifully balanced, and the silver tone and volume knobs are completely in sync with the smooth and perfect finishes. There are a range of trans black, trans red, and chrome. Instead of the faux transparent which is visible on many cheaper guitars, this guitar is actually completely transparent on some models. Also available are some limited editions, but for a much greater price. The black hardware (or chrome depending on body finish) match perfectly, and are placed to make the most eyecatching effect. The typical Ibanez headstock is as smart as ever.

Sound
-----
The dual dimarzio humbuckers are brilliant quality, and are very responsive to the sound. This guitar is completely responsive to an individual players tone and feel, and does not sound the same from player to player at all. This is great as your own unique style comes through. The push pull switch allows the pickup combination to switch, so the bridge humbucker becomes a single coil. This allows a near infinite range of tone. A licensed floyd rose bridge is a wonderful tool for sonic madness, to gentle tremolo.

Feel
----
Possibly one of the most important but overlooked aspects of the guitar. The medium frets allow for great smooth bends and simple chording as well. Everything is within easy reach of your hands, and it just feels right. Nothing is too large, or overly small. Your pinkie of your right hand can nicely reach the volume for swells, or the trem arm for divebombs.

Price: Ranging $1,379 to $1,749

Fender Ritchie Blackmore Stratocaster 2009

2009-06-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

I think Legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore is another name of guitar who has been creating memorable guitar riffs for decades. His deft phrasing and unmistakable tone in hit songs from bands including Deep Purple and Rainbow have helped make the phrase guitar solo a household term.

Blackmore and Fender are proud to introduce the Fender Ritchie Blackmore Stratocaster Electric Guitar, based on his favorite ’70s model and featuring a maple neck with a graduated scalloped rosewood fretboard, Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound Flat pickups, and ’70s-style F tuners. Deluxe gig bag included.

Fender Ritchie Blackmore Stratocaster Electric Guitar Features:

Neck: Maple, U-shaped, (gloss polyurethane finish)
Fingerboard: Graduated scalloped, rosewood, 7.25" radius (184 mm)
No. of Frets: 21 vintage-style frets
Neck: 1 Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 single-coil Strat pickup
Middle: 1 non-active "dummy" pickup
Bridge: 1 reverse-wound/reverse-polarity Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 single-coil Strat pickup
Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. (neck pickup), Tone 2. (bridge pickup)
Pickup Switching — 3 Position Blade:
Position 1: Bridge Pickup
Position 2: Bridge and Neck Pickups
Position 3: Neck Pickup
Bridge: Vintage-style synchronized tremolo
Machine heads: Fender/Schaller vintage-style tuners
Hardware: Chrome
Ritchie Blackmore signature on front of headstock,
Case: Deluxe gig bag

Price: $1200.00

Notice: Product Prices, Features, Specifications Are Subject To Change Without Notice

Yamaha APX500 Thinline Acoustic Guitar

2009-06-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

Yamaha APX500 Thinline Acoustic Guitar

The APX500 is a Thinline Acoustic with 1-way pickup system including a built in tuner and 3 band equalizer. This guitars have been designed for live playing and feature a new pickup system that captures the real sound of the guitar and a thinline body that fits better with the musician’s body. The Yamaha APX500 Thinline Acoustic Guitar features nato body with spruce top, nato neck, rosewood fingerboard, rosewood bridge, System55T 1-way piezo pickup system with control panel, built-in tuner and 3-band EQ.

This guitar comes in five different finishes, natural, black, oriental blue burst, old violin sunburst and dark red burst and has limited lifetime warranty. The price of the Yamaha APX500 Thinline Acoustic Guitar is $299.99-$399.99.

Yamaha RBX4 A2 Electric Bass Guitar

2009-06-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

Yamaha RBX4 A2 Electric Bass Guitar has a very simple design and very low weight. Yamaha has challenged the concept "the more uniform and heavy, the better the sound", with an advanced technology called Alternative Internal Resonance, or AIR. AIR combines lightweight and resonant softwoods between harder tonewoods creating an instrument loaded with sustain and tone while maintaining an ultra lightweight construction. Already proven in the RGX line, Yamaha now offers this sustain and tone in the RBX line with the RBX4 A2 bass guitar.

Yamaha RBX4 A2 Super-Light Electric Bass Guitar Features:

Bolt-on construction
AIR body
Maple neck
Rosewood fingerboard
24 frets
34" scale
10-5/8" radius
Die-cast bridge
2 Y.A.S.H. custom shop designed single coil pickups
Front volume, rear volume, master tone controls (LED lit pickup indicator and selector)

Price: Approximately about $300.

DBZ's Bird Of Prey Electric Guitar

2009-06-26T07:44:00.001-07:00

DBZ Guitars has announced the "Bird of Prey" a radical new instrument that will redefine the world of metal guitars. From the darkest depths of legendary guitar designer Dean B. Zelinsky, and anchoring the company's metal-inspired Darkside of Dean line, the Bird of Prey combines advanced design techniques, high performance and unstoppable off-the-hook stage appeal in the same instrument.

DBZ Guitar's Bird Of Prey

It is said to be built for aggressive players with refined tastes, the Bird of Prey is a carved work of art that fuses form and function. Available in a variety of custom colors and graphics with a highly contoured body, the Bird of Prey makes the ultimate artistic statement without having to say a word. The Bird of Prey comes loaded with EMG 81 and 85 active humbuckers providing all the intensity and punch needed to compliment the powerful design. The Bird of Prey's extended scale length, soft V profile and easy access 24-fret neck gives players the ability to tear up the fretboard in style while lending their music an unparalleled visual statement.

Being a pioneer of metal guitars, many of metal's royalty gravitated towards Zelinsky's designs early on. "One look at the Bird Of Prey and you'll see that we are giving metal a whole new level of respect," says CEO and founder of DBZ Guitars, Dean B. Zelinsky.

"We are using technology and sophisticated design sensibilities to set a new precedent for metal guitars. From these perspectives the Bird Of Prey is a guitar that simply cannot be denied."

Available in both import and USA models, the USA Bird of Prey features a Mahogany body, optional Flame Maple top, a 24-fret set neck and an ebony fingerboard and also includes EMG 81/85 humbuckers, custom DBZ inlays, Sperzel tuners and a locking Floyd Rose tremolo system. Every Bird of Prey is available in a variety of custom colors, or stunning graphics.

FRV-1 Fender Reverb pedal

2009-06-16T22:37:00.000-07:00

BOSS and Fender USA have collaborated to make the FRV-1, a stunning recreation of the 1963 Fender Reverb. A staple sound of rockabilly, country, blues, surf rock and even grunge rock, this tube-driven reverb sound is now available in an affordable, rugged compact pedal.

Boss's FRV-1 Fender Reverb pedal

The FRV-1 recreates the classic spring-reverb sound of the 1963 Fender Reverb via patented COSM® technology. The controls are simple, as a pedal emulating the straightforward Fender Reverb Unit should be: Dwell controls the length of the reverb tail, Tone, the overall coloration, and the Mixer control acts as your wet / dry mix., adding buttery warmth or sparkling twang.

You might wonder why one would need an additional reverb effect, being that boss already makes the respectable RV-5, and most amps already sport their own, built-in reverb. The obvious adherents to the classic Fender Reverb, country pickers and surf-guitar aficionados, will tell you there's no replacing a spring reverb's grinding, magical, atmospheric mojo. That character seems to be pretty-well captured by the FRV-1, and probably makes even more sense as an effects pedal than the other, "amp simulating" stompboxes in the Legend Series.

The FRV-1 is expected to be available in late July.

Iron Maiden pack in Rock Band

2009-06-11T03:15:00.000-07:00

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are to be graced with an Iron Maiden track pack which brings 12 classic tracks and new live concert performances (from 9th June), according to the Rock Band community 'zine and Kotaku.

12 tracks from the uncompromising leaders of what was once called the New Wave of British Heavy Metal will mix classic eighties album recordings with recent live performances from the Flight 666 tour film. Following are the lists:

Iron Maiden Flight 666 Tour

Aces High (live)

2 Minutes to Midnight

The Trooper

Wasted Years

The Number of the Beast

Run to the Hills

Can I Play With Madness

The Clairvoyant

Powerslave

Fear of the Dark (live)

Hallowed Be Thy Name (live)

Iron Maiden (live)

Choosing Top Best Guitar Amps Manufacturer

2009-05-31T20:09:00.001-07:00

When Buying amps, be sure to try many Guitar amps out before you buy one. Play the same guitar through each amp when experimenting in the store. Make sure you spend a good deal of time with each amp; playing them at loud and quiet volumes, with and without overdrive, experimenting with the versatility of sound each amp provides. Do not be afraid to bring your guitar into the store and try it out with the amps you are considering.

Choosing Best Guitar amps

For the best guitar amps, the Gerlitz G1 Revelator is far and away the best, or heard. It easily has the best cleans of any amp I know of. The crunch on both the Fender side and the Marshall side are also incredible. The ability to blend the two sides on the fly is unbelievable. They come up on eBay about once a year and are worth so much more than their selling prices!! There are less than 60 in existence.

Different guitar amplifiers do different things. For example, Marshalls are known for their powerful, stadium-rock, overdriven sounds, but to get cleaner sounds, such as jangle pop or trebly Stevie Ray Vaughan blues tones, you will need a Fender, Vox, or Roland Jazz Chorus.

Peavey, Randall and Mesa Boogie are well associated with heavy metal. Crate is known for making inexpensive, durable amps. My own personal vote goes to Vox, which is responsible for the sounds of The Beatles, Queen, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, U2, Radiohead, Tom Petty, The Yardbirds, and Rory Gallagher.

Below are the list of Top Guitar amp manufacturers of world (alphabetically)

* Alesis Guitar Amps
* Ampeg Guitar Amps
* Ashdown Guitar Amps
* B-52 Guitar Amps
* Basson Guitar Amps
* Behringer Guitar Amps
* Brand X Guitar Amps
* Budda Guitar Amps
* Crate Guitar Amps
* Epiphone Guitar Amps
* Fender Guitar Amps
* Fishman Guitar Amps
* Genz Benz Guitar Amps
* Gibson Guitar Amps
* Gretsch Guitar Amps
* Hiwatt Guitar Amps
* Hughes & Kettner Amps
* Ibanez Guitar Amps
* Koch Guitar Amps
* Krank Guitar Amps
* Kustom Guitar Amps
* Line 6 Guitar Amps
* Marshall Guitar Amps
* Peavey Guitar Amps
* Pignose Guitar Amps
* Randall Guitar Amps
* Rivera Guitar Amps
* Rocktron Guitar Amps
* Rogue Guitar Amps
* Roland Guitar Amps
* Soldano Guitar Amps
* SWR Guitar Amps
* Tech 21 Guitar Amps
* THD Guitar Amps
* UltraSound Guitar Amps
* V-Series Guitar Amps
* VHT Guitar Amps
* Vox Guitar Amps
* Yorkville Guitar Amps

Bon Scott Death conspiracy theories

2009-05-29T23:43:00.000-07:00

Legendary Bon Scott - ACDC Singer

Bon Scott really was a talented musician, and had great unique vocal. He also sang for the bands The Valentines and Fraternity. In 1974 he joined AC/DC taking over for their singer Dave Evans. Bon along with the Young brothers, Malcolm and Angus, recorded their debut Album “High Voltage.” Then in 1975 recorded the album “T.N.T.” Bon played the bagpipes on the hit “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock and Roll).” Then he recorded “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” in 1976, “Let There Be Rock” in 1977, “Powerage” in 1978, a live release “If You Want Blood” and finally “Highway to Hell” in 1979. Bon was known for his unique powerful voice and heavy drinking lifestyle.

On 19 February 1980, Bon Scott, 33 at the time, passed out after a night of heavy drinking in a London club called the Music Machine (hosted at the Camden Palace, currently known as the KOKO). He was left to sleep in a car owned by an acquaintance named Alistair Kinnear, at 67 Overhill Road in East Dulwich, South London. The following afternoon, Kinnear found Scott lifeless, and alerted the authorities. Scott was rushed to King's College Hospital in Camberwell, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Pulmonary aspiration of vomit was the cause of Scott's death, and the official cause was listed as "acute alcohol poisoning" and "death by misadventure". Scott was cremated and his ashes were interred by his family in Fremantle, Western Australia, the area to which they had moved when he was a boy.

Death certificate of Bon Scott

Inconsistencies in media accounts of Scott's death (incorrect spelling of Alistair Kinnear's first name, amongst others) have been cited in conspiracy theories, which suggest that Scott died of a heroin overdose, or was killed by exhaust fumes redirected into the car, or that Kinnear did not exist. Additionally, Scott was asthmatic, and the temperature was below freezing on the morning of his death. Ozzy Osbourne states in the documentary Don't Blame Me that Scott actually died of hypothermia. The coroner had no such doubts based on the medical facts.

Shortly after his death, AC/DC briefly considered quitting, but later felt that Scott would have wanted them to continue and hired Brian Johnson as the new vocalist. Angus Young stated in an interview with VH1 that Scott's mother, whom all the band members personally knew, heartily approved of the band continuing, and felt that it was the only way to properly remember her son and their bandmate. Five months after Scott's death, AC/DC recorded Back in Black as a tribute to him. Two tracks from the album, "Hells Bells" and "Back in Black" were also dedicated to his memory. The French rock band Trust wrote their hit song "Antisocial" in memory of Scott in 1980. Ozzy dedicated "Suicide Solution" to him. This song is known for alleged subliminal messages about suicide, but Ozzy stated it was only a tribute to the singer.

Bon Scott's Grave

Scott's ashes were interred in Fremantle Cemetery and his grave site has become a cultural landmark; more than 28 years after Scott's death, the National Trust of Australia decreed his grave important enough to be included on the list of classified heritage places. It is reportedly the most visited grave in Australia. On 9 July 2006, the plaque was stolen from the site on what would have been his 60th birthday.

Courtesy -Wikipedia

Wolfmother To Support AC/DC

2009-05-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

Wolfmother are set to support the legendary Australian band AC/DC in the Australian part of AC/DC’s tour. Both bands will be playing tracks from their new albums, AC/DC’s “Black Ice” and Wolfmother’s forth coming album “Cosmic Egg”.

There will be 5 gig’s which Wolfmother will be supporting in early 2010 which are:

- Thu 11 February – Melbourne – Etihad Stadium (formerly Telstra Dome)
http://www.ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100
- Thu 18 February – Sydney – ANZ Stadium
http://www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849
- Thu 25 February – Brisbane – QSAC
http://www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849
- Tues 2 March – Adelaide – Adelaide Oval
http://www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849
- Sat 6 March – Perth – Subiaco Oval
http://www.ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100

Wolfmother, of course, have yet to release their forth coming album and as front man, Andrew Stockdale has suggested, there is a possibility of a double album spectacular. Fingers crossed, “Cosmic Egg” will be on the shelves by September.

Black Clouds and Silver Linings 2009 Track List (Dream Theater)

2009-05-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

Black Clouds And Silver Linings

DREAM THEATER, Progressive metal veterans have announced Black Clouds And Silver Linings as the title of their tenth studio album, 2nd for Roadrunner Records, following up 2007's Systematic Chaos - in October of last year.We could expect more intelligent music in this album cause This album has six track list and Album cover is more similar to the Images and Words and Awake.

Drummer Mike Portnoy and guitarist John Petrucci are once producers, while Paul Northfield in mixing. A video for the first single, "A Rite of Passage" was shot in late March.

The band will embark on a world tour in support of the album beginning in Europe throughout June which will be followed by the second edition of the band's PROGRESSIVE NATION tour featuring Zappa Plays Zappa, Pain Of Salvation and Beardfish throughout North America in July/August.

In addition to the standard version CD, the album will also be available as a three-disc Special Edition that will include the full album, a CD of instrumental mixes of the album and a CD of six cover songs. Which songs have been covered will be revealed one per week six weeks prior to the June 22 street date.

Dream Theater Current Line-up 2009

The track listing for BLACK CLOUDS & SILVER LININGS is as follows:

A Nightmare to Remember
A Rite of Passage
Wither
The Shattered Fortress
The Best of Times
The Count of Tuscany

Green Day New Album- "21st Century Breakdown"

2009-04-27T23:26:00.001-07:00

21st Centuary Breakdown

The track list for Green Day's upcoming new album ‘21st Century Breakdown‘ due out May 15th, check out the list below:

1. "21st Century Breakdown"
2. "Know Your Enemy"
3. "¡Viva La Gloria!"
4. "Before the Lobotomy"
5. "Christian’s Inferno"
6. "Last Night on Earth"
7. "East Jesus Nowhere"
8. "Peacemaker"
9. "Last of the American Girls"
10. "Murder City"
11. "¿Viva La Gloria?"
12. "Restless Heart Syndrome"
13. "Horseshoes and Handgrenades"
14. "Drama Queen"
15. "Static Age"
16. "21 Guns"
17. "American Eulogy"
18. "See the Light"

21st Century Breakdown, the follow-up to 2004's Grammy-winning American Idiot, took Armstrong three years to write. The band has been in the studio with producer Butch Vig (Nirvana, Against Me!) since last fall.Billie Joe Armstrong's vocals push towards falsetto, adding a new level of emotion to his singing.

Choosing Drum Sets , Top Brands

2009-01-19T21:18:00.000-08:00

Drum Set

Choosing a drum set is really a personnal preference, and choosing one can be rather confusing. The main thing is to choose a drum set with a good reputation and one that is pleasing to your ear. It's easy to buy a drum set that sounds good today.

Years ago there were only maybe 5 or so companies that had the drum set making market to themselves. But today you have the many companies that make good quality drum kits. Here are some of the most popular drum brands on the market today...
Yamaha, Tama, Mapex, Ludwig, Rogers, Premier, Pearl, DW, Spaun, Slingerland, Sonor, Gretsch e.t.c

DW Drums
Drum Workshop, or DW for short, is the leading new American drum company and offers a large variety of snare drum shell materials including aluminum, copper, steel, brass, brass/maple combination, a great selection of lacquered finishes, and various types of rims.

Gretsch Drums
Gretsch Drums is a leading drum manufacturing company, based in Ridgeland, South Carolina. Their motto is "That Great Gretsch Sound!". Gretsch was founded by Friedrich Gretsch, a German immigrant who opened his own musical instrument business based in Brooklyn, New York in 1883.

Drum set parts

Ludwig Drums
Ludwig drums are considered a benchmark for high quality craftsmanship. The company, which began with William and Theo Ludwig in 1910, started off with the simple idea of creating a better foot pedal.

Mapex Drums
Mapex Drums is a drum brand manufactured by KHS Musical Instruments Company of Taiwan. Mapex has been in the drum making industry for over 15 years.Mapex offers a wide range of products that everyone from the professional to the entry level drummer will value.

Pearl Drums
The pearl corporation manufactures drumming equipments such as drum kits, hand drums, mallet percussions, etc. The pearl corporation was established by Katsumi Yanagisawa on April 2, 1946. He started manufacturing music stands in Tokyo, Japan. He concentrated on the manufacture of drums in 1950 and renamed his company "Pearl Industry Limited". However, in 1953, the company was again renamed to "Pearl Musical Instrument Company" and the production was extended to making drum kits, marching drums, timpani, Latin drumming instruments, cymbals, stands, and other accessories.

Premier Drums
Premier Percussion Limited is an English manufacturer of drums and percussion instruments.
The company was founded in 1922 as the Premier Drum Company by London drummer Albert Della Porta and drum builder George Smith. At first, the company produced drum kits for wholesalers, who then would sell them as their own, but Premier soon began producing drums under its own name.

John Bonham Drumming

Rogers Drums
Rogers Drums, is a drum company created in 1849 and based in Cleveland, Ohio. Their drums were embraced by musicians from the dixieland movement to the classic rockers of the 60s and 70s. However, the manufacturer was most closely associated with the "big band" and swing drummers of the 40s and 50s.

Slingerland Drum Company
The Slingerland Drum Company is a historic drum company which is linked to the rich history of jazz drumming. The company was founded by H.H. Slingerland,Solick Slingerland, in 1912. Production of drums was started in 1927, in answer to the entry of the Ludwig & Ludwig drum company into the banjo market.

Sonor Drums
Sonor is a German percussion manufacturer. Founded 1875 as a percussion manufacturer[1], Sonor drum sets and hardware are both revered and notorious for being constructed in a very durable, painstaking, and therefore, unusually heavy manner (older models).

Spaun Drums
Spaun offers a wide range of products that everyone from the professional to the entry level drummer will value.

Tama drumsets
Tama Drums is a brand of drums and hardware manufactured and marketed by the Japanese musical instrument company, Hoshino Gakki. Tama is one of the largest and best-known drum brands on the market today (ref). The brand became known primarily for its hardware innovations and sturdiness, but its drums are also highly regarded.

Legend Keith Moon

Yamaha drumsets
Yamaha Drums is a subsidiary of the Yamaha Corporation. Yamaha has been building drums since 1967, and builds their drums by hand in Japan. Yamaha drums are also made in Indonesia. The company currently manufactures acoustic and electronic drum kits, as well as other percussion instruments, marching band equipment, and drum hardware. Many professional drummers have endorsement deals with Yamaha Drums.

As far as cymbals go there are only 3 companies that i use and trust. You have Zildijan, Sabian and Paiste.

Top Guitar company of world

2009-01-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

The guitar is a stringed musical instrument with ancient roots that usually have six stringsbut four, seven, eight, ten and twelve string guitars also exist. Guitar is used in a wide variety of musical styles which can played by strumming or plucking.

Guitars are recognized as one of the primary instruments in blues, country, flamenco, rock music, and many forms of pop. They can also be a solo classical instrument. Guitars may be played acoustically, where the tone is produced by vibration of the strings and modulated by the hollow body, or they may rely on an amplifier that can electronically manipulate tone. Such electric guitars were introduced in the 20th century and continue to have a profound influence on popular culture.

Joe Satriani with Guitar

There are many brands in guitar industry but some of the top Guitar brands are listed below:

Alvarez Guitars
Alvarez Guitars has been building an illustrious history of quality, reputation and tone, Since 1965. Alvarez Guitars are inspired by the handcrafted tradition and design philosophies of Yairi guitars. Alvarez acoustic guitar's attention to quality, detail and tradition mean the tone of an Alvarez guitar is unsurpassed!

Aria Guitars
Aria Guitars have been making keenly priced, well toned musical instruments since the 60's, production is now mainly in Korea, although some are made in the USA. The finishes on these great looking electric guitars, acoustic guitars and bass guitars we have for sale is outstanding, and matches the quality and value for money.

B.C. Rich Guitars
B.C. Rich is founded by the late Bernardo Chavez Rico in 1969 and the early 1970s. B.C. Rich guitars have made quite an impression on professional artists. These include Kerry King, Steve Smyth, Tracii Guns, Craig Ross, Dearborn, Acey Slade, Christy Kane, and Terrence Hobbs.

Benedetto Guitars
One of the most widely respected archtop makers in the world.

Bunker Guitars
This Washington-based company is responsible for designing and building some very high calibre, and unusual, models of guitars.

Carvin Guitars
Carvin has been making custom electric and acoustic guitars & basses, as well as guitar and bass amplifiers, pro audio gear, mixers, speakers and other accessories for over 60 years.

Cort Guitars
Cort Guitars is a guitar manufacturer centered in South Korea. The company is one of the largest guitar makers in the world, and produces instruments for many other companies.

Acoustic Guitar

Danelectro Guitars
Danelectro is a manufacturer of musical instruments and accessories, specializing in rock instruments such as guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers and effects units. Danelectro was founded by Nathan Daniel in 1947; throughout the late forties.

ESP Guitars
ESP guitars have been some of the most sought after and respected electric six strings you can buy. Great players from Metallica's Kirk Hammet and James Hetfield to Living Color's Vernon Reid to the Rolling Stone's Ronnie Wood have all made their livings rocking out on ESP guitars.

Epiphone Guitars
This popular guitar company is a spin off from Gibson. Epiphone often create lower cost guitars similar to more expensive Gibson instruments (eg. there is an Epiphone Les Paul).

Fernandes Guitars
Fernandes manufacture guitars that cover the range from inexpensive starter models to custom instruments of exceptional quality.

G&L Guitars
Guitars made by Leo Fender, after he left Fender, and started his own company in 1980. The guitars are really great.

Gibson Guitars
Gibson electric guitars represent the history as well as the future of the electric guitar. Gibson's close relationship with musicians is manifest in endorsement models from King, Atkins and jazz greats Howard Roberts and Herb Ellis, plus new Les Pauls made to the personal specifications of rock stars Jimmy Page and Joe Perry.

Godin Guitars
The unusual thinline hollowbody electric, and solidbody electric guitar makers, based out of Quebec, Canada.

Electric Guitar

Gretsch Guitars
Known primarily as drum builders, the American-based Gretsch company also creates some high caliber guitars.

Guild Guitars
Guild guitars are some of the more beautiful and playable acoustic guitars in the industry. The company focuses on both acoustic and acoustic electric guitars, and simply put, Guild makes high-quality products. Guild has a lot of great guitars to choose from, and the company continues to develop new models every year.

Hamer Guitars
Hamer Guitars is an American manufacturer that specializes in the production of high quality guitars founded in Illinois in 1973. Originating in the Chicago area, Hamer is generally considered to be the first "boutique" electric guitar brand that specifically catered to pro musicians.

Heritage Guitars
This Kalamazoo, Michigan based company concentrates on making quality archtop guitars, although they do make many solidbody models as well.

Hohner Guitars
This company manufactures many models of electric and acoustic guitars, plus mandolins, etc.

Ibanez Guitars
Many may not know it, but Ibanez has been around since the '60s. Often associated with mid-'80s metal bands, Ibanez is a company that has a long history of crafting quality guitars and basses for a variety of different music styles. Though they are perhaps best known for their "modern" looking guitars, they also offer some more classical styles as well.

Jackson Guitars
Jackson guitar is well-known for its flamboyant design and excellent quality. These guitars are loud long before you ever plug them in, and they can be perfect for players who want to exhibit their wild side loud and clear.

Klein Guitars
An unusually shaped line of guitars used most notably by the great Bill Frisell. If you're intrigued by odd looking guitars, This might be your choice.

Larrivée Guitars
Jean Larrivée Guitars Ltd. is a family owned and operated Canadian company that currently manufacturers high-end acoustic guitars. Founded in 1967 by Jean Larrivée.

Bass Guitar

Music Man Guitars
Music Man is recognized as the benchmark of modern bass guitar design and manufacturing since introducing the Stingray bass in 1976. Ernie Ball is a manufacturer of premium guitar strings and bass strings.

Martin & Co. Guitars
Martin & co. is famous for the good quality acoustic guitars.

Ovation Guitars
Ovation guitars are well-known on the basis of two innovations introduced by their maker. One is the distinctive round back. The other is the development of the acoustic/electric guitar.

Parker Guitars
Parker Guitars is an American manufacturer of electric guitars and basses, started by luthier Ken Parker in the early 90s. Most Famous for making the Parker Fly.

Peavey Guitars
Peavey Guitars are electric, acoustic, and electric bass guitars branded by Peavey Electronics, a recognized pioneer in musical instrument manufacturing.

PRS Guitars
PRS Guitars is an American guitar manufacturer founded by guitarist and luthier Paul Reed Smith in 1985. Paul Reed Smith Guitars is a leading manufacturer of high-end electric-acoustic guitars. Guitars made by PRS have become highly prized by musicians and collectors around the world.

Rickenbacker Guitars
Rickenbacker International Corporation, also known as Rickenbacker is an electric guitar manufacturer, notable for putting the world's first electric guitars into general production in 1932.It is the largest guitar company to manufacture all of its guitars within the United States.

Ruokangas Guitars
This company offers hand-crafted guitars starting at about the $1600(US) range, created by a luthier in Finland.

Rockstar Painted Guitars

Samick Guitars
Samick guitar company specializes in producing lower-cost electric guitars, bass, guitars and more.

Santa Cruz Guitar Company
These guitar makers focus on producing high end, acoustic instruments.

Seagull Guitars
Seagull Guitars are highly respected for mid-priced acoustic guitars.

Takamine Guitars
Takamine guitars are crafted from the handpicked tonewoods, hand-crafted by luthiers, all providing players with an excellence and affordability.

Taylor Guitars
Taylor Guitars makes some of the world's finest acoustic guitars, acoustic electric guitars and electric guitars.

Washburn Guitars
Guitars manufactured in Chicago since 1883. Washburn Guitars has built guitars in Chicago for working musicians for over one hundred years.

Yamaha Guitars
Yamaha is really good at producing good-sounding guitars at low prices.

Lynyrd Skynyrd New album 2009

2008-10-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

Lynyrd Skynyrd are reportedly eyeing an early-2009 release for their next studio album, says guitarist Rickey Medlocke. The band has spent the last year recording with a surprising choice — Marilyn Manson/Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 — and hope to spend the latter portion of 2008 in the studio to finish recording the new album, the band’s first since 2003’s maligned Vicious Cycle. “We’ve been doing quite a bit of writing with John 5,” Medlocke said. “While everybody thought, ‘My god, you are going to write with this guy? How is that ever going to work?’ But this guy came in and is really multi-talented in all genres.” Two of the songs expected to make the track list are the dark “Floyd” and the uptempo “Bang, Bang.” The band is currently on the road sharing co-headlining duties with Kid Rock, who appeared on the band’s last album.

Kix

2008-10-03T23:13:00.000-07:00

Kix mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Kix

The band was founded in 1978 in Hagerstown, Maryland as The Shooze, then changed its name to The Generators before eventually settling on Kix. They were considered one of Maryland's top cover bands prior to their signing with Atlantic in 1981. Though considered by many glam metal, the bands pop-metal stylings drew inspiration from bubblegum pop and new wave as well as hard rock.

Kix Band

In 1981, they released their self-titled debut album, Kix, featuring "Atomic Bombs", "Heartache", "Contrary Mary", "The Itch", and "The Kid". "Love at First Sight" instantly became a concert favorite. "Kix Are for Kids" creatively merged the name of the band with two popular cereals of the 1960s and 1970s, Kix (that featured an atomic bomb commercial) and the Trix Rabbit (i.e., "Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids!"). "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" became the band’s most popular concert song, always with a unique ad-lib performance by lead vocalist Steve Whiteman. With this album, the tongue-in-cheek rock & roll style of Kix was established.

Their 1983 follow-up, Cool Kids, showcased a slightly more commercial side of the band featuring the title song and the single "Body Talk". Somewhat overlooked but a favorite with female fans was the ballad "For Shame".

Kix then partnered up with Ratt and future Warrant producer Beau Hill and in 1985, released the album Midnite Dynamite, featuring a hard rock single by the same name and funk-rock songs "Cold Shower" and "Sex". The album also included the song "Bang Bang Balls of Fire", which was co-written by then-unknown Kip Winger just before he joined Alice Cooper's band.

The band headed west to begin to make a name for themselves in such places as the Sunset Strip, where Mötley Crüe and other glam metal bands rose to stardom. However, while building a name for themselves in L.A. and at a gig opening for fellow rockers Poison at the L.A.'s Country Club, the band thought that much of their stage show had been stolen by that band who, themselves, went on to become one of glam metal's biggest successes.

Kix Band Members

In 1987, lead vocalist Steve Whiteman was one of many musicians heard on Twisted Sister's Love Is for Suckers album. Others included Winger bassist/lead vocalist Kip Winger and guitarist Reb Beach.

Kix went back to the studio to write more songs. In 1988, they released Blow My Fuse, and finally achieved fame as it went platinum. The slow ballad "Don't Close Your Eyes" -- containing anti-suicide lyrics -- led the way and other popular cuts followed. The album featured popular singles "Cold Blood" and "Blow My Fuse" with popular videos showing the band in concert at Hammerjack's. In 1989, the band released Kix, Blow My Fuse, the Videos with their now-popular videos and behind-the-scenes footage. As Kix finally graduated to arenas, they opened for such popular artists as Aerosmith.

Unfortunately, financial disaster happened by way of their original deal with Atlantic. Unbeknownst to them, they had agreed to a contract that gave them relatively nothing. Contract disputes and changes delayed their next album for three years.

The album Hot Wire finally arrived in 1991 with the single, "Girl Money". But it was too late; grunge arrived out of Seattle, replacing hair and glam bands. While on tour in 1992, they made a live album, titled Live at the University of Maryland, College Park. This album, internally referred to as Contractual Obligation Live, was released in 1993. By agreement with Atlantic they were released from their contract with that label. In 1995, the band released their final album Show Business, on CMC records. The album tanked. As Steve Whiteman says, "the music industry started a new party and Kix was not invited." Kix broke-up in 1995, and Hammerjack’s Concert Hall was torn down on June 12, 1997 to make way for a parking lot for the Baltimore Ravens' stadium.

Essentials Kix

Steve Whiteman would re-emerge as the lead vocalist for local Hagerstown band Funny Money, with whom he continues to work. Jimmy Chalfant has also joined Funny Money as their full-time drummer. Whiteman also teaches voice at The Musician's Institute in Baltimore and Triple R Guitar in Lemoyne, Pennsylvania. Ronnie Younkins moved to L.A. and wrote, recorded and released the album The Slimmer Twins - Lack of Luxury as a collaboration with singer Jeremy L. White in 2000. Back on the east coast he founded The Blues Vultures in 2002, maturing into the lead vocalist and primary songwriter and followed in 2005 with the album The Blues Vultures - Cheap Guitars & Honky Tonk Bars. Brian Forsythe plays in The Snakehandlers and has recently been on tour as the guitar player of Rhino Bucket. Brian can be heard on the Bucket's 2005 release And Then It Got Ugly.

Steve Whiteman, Ronnie Younkins, Brian Forsythe, and Jimmy Chalfant have teamed up a few times a year for the last few years to do Kix reunion shows in the Maryland/Pennsylvannia area that have been very well-received. To date, Donnie Purnell has refused to participate in any of the Kix reunion shows.

Kix rock band

Kix mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Kix

Mp3 Song Download

2008-07-27T23:35:00.000-07:00

We're very sorry.
Due To Some Copyright Reason.......We're unable to provide you this service.
We'll fix this problem soon and let you albe to download more mp3s from this blog.

R.E.M.

2008-06-25T23:39:00.000-07:00

R.E.M. mark the point when post-punk turned into alternative rock. When their first single, "Radio Free Europe," was released in 1981, it sparked a back-to-the-garage movement in American underground. While there were a number of hardcore and punk bands in the U.S. during the early '80s, R.E.M. brought guitar pop back into the underground lexicon. Combining ringing guitar hooks with mumbled, cryptic lyrics and a D.I.Y. aesthetic borrowed from post-punk, the band simultaneously sounded traditional and modern. Though there were no overt innovations in their music, R.E.M. had an identity and sense of purpose that transformed the American underground. Throughout the '80s, they worked relentlessly, releasing records every year and touring constantly, playing both theaters and backwoods dives. Along the way, they inspired countless bands, from the legions of jangle pop groups in the mid-'80s to scores of alternative pop groups in the '90s, who admired their slow climb to stardom. It did take R.E.M. several years to break into the top of the charts, but they had a cult following from the release of their debut EP, Chronic Town, in 1982. Chronic Town established the haunting folk and garage rock that became the band's signature sound, and over the next five years, they continued to expand their music with a series of critically acclaimed albums. By the late '80s, the group's fan base had grown large enough to guarantee strong sales, but the Top Ten success in 1987 of Document and "The One I Love" was unexpected, especially since R.E.M. had only altered their sound slightly. Following Document, R.E.M. slowly became one of the world's most popular bands. After an exhaustive international tour supporting 1988's Green, the band retired from touring for six years and retreated into the studio to produce their most popular records, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992). By the time they returned to performing with the Monster tour in 1995, the band had been acknowledged by critics and musicians as one of the forefathers of the thriving alternative rock movement, and they were rewarded with the most lucrative tour of their career. Toward the late '90s, R.E.M. was an institution, as its influence was felt in new generations of bands.

R.E.M. Early Pic

Though R.E.M. formed in Athens, GA, in 1980, Mike Mills (born December 17, 1958) and Bill Berry (born July 31, 1958) were the only Southerners in the group. Both had attended high school together in Macon, playing in a number of bands during their teens. Michael Stipe (born January 4, 1960) was a military brat, moving throughout the country during his childhood. By his teens, he had discovered punk rock through Patti Smith, Television, and Wire, and began playing in cover bands in St. Louis. By 1978, he had begun studying art at the University of Georgia in Athens, where he began frequenting the Wuxtry record store. Peter Buck (born December 6, 1956), a native of California, was a clerk at Wuxtry. Buck had been a fanatical record collector, consuming everything from classic rock to punk and free jazz, and was just beginning to learn how to play guitar. Discovering they had similar tastes, Buck and Stipe began working together, eventually meeting Berry and Mills through a mutual friend. In April of 1980, the band formed to play a party for their friend, rehearsing a number of garage, psychedelic bubblegum, and punk covers in an converted Episcopalian church. At the time, the group was played under the name the Twisted Kites. By the summer, the band had settled on the name R.E.M. after flipping randomly through the dictionary, and had met Jefferson Holt, who became their manager after witnessing the group's first out-of-state concert in North Carolina.

Over the next year and a half, R.E.M. toured throughout the South, playing a variety of garage rock covers and folk-rock originals. At the time, the band was still learning how to play, as Buck began to develop his distinctive, arpeggiated jangle and Stipe ironed out his cryptic lyrics. During the summer of 1981, R.E.M. recorded their first single, "Radio Free Europe," at Mitch Easter's Drive-In Studios. Released on the local indie label Hib-Tone, "Radio Free Europe" was pressed in a run of only 1,000 copies, but most of the those singles fell into the right hands. Due to strong word of mouth, the single became a hit on college radio and topped the Village Voice's year-end poll of Best Independent Singles. The single also earned the attention of larger independent labels, and by the beginning of 1982, the band had signed to I.R.S. Records, releasing the EP Chronic Town in the spring. Like the single, Chronic Town was well received, paving the way for the group's full-length debut album, 1983's Murmur.

R.E.M. Alternative Rock Band

With its subdued, haunting atmosphere and understated production, Murmur was noticeably different than Chronic Town and was welcomed with enthusiastic reviews upon its spring release; Rolling Stone named it the best album of 1983, beating out Michael Jackson's Thriller and the Police's Synchronicity. Murmur also expanded the group's cult significantly, breaking into the American Top 40. R.E.M. returned to a rougher-edged sound on 1984's Reckoning, which featured the college hit "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)." By the time the band hit the road to support Reckoning, they had become well known in the American underground for their constant touring, aversion to videos, support of college radio, Stipe's mumbled vocals and detatched stage presence, Buck's ringing guitar, and their purposely enigmatic artwork. Bands that imitated these very things ran rampant throughout the American underground, and R.E.M. threw their support toward these bands, having them open at shows and mentioning them in interviews. By 1985, the American underground was awash with R.E.M. sound-alikes and bands like Game Theory and the Rain Parade, which shared similar aesthetics and sounds.

Just as the signature R.E.M. sound dominated the underground, the band entered darker territory with its third album, 1985's Fables of the Reconstruction. Recorded in London with producer Joe Boyd (Richard Thompson, Fairport Convention, Nick Drake), Fables of the Reconstruction was made at a difficult period in R.E.M.'s history, as the band was fraught with tension produced by endless touring. The album reflected the group's dark moods, as well as its obsession with the rural South, and both of these fascinations popped up on the supporting tour. Stipe, whose on-stage behavior was always slightly strange, entered his most bizarre phase, as he put on weight, dyed his hair bleached blonde, and wore countless layers of clothing. None of the new quirks in R.E.M.'s persona prevented Fables of the Reconstruction from becoming their most successful album to date, selling nearly 300,000 copies in the U.S. R.E.M. decided to record their next album with Don Gehman, who had previously worked with John Mellencamp. Gehman had the band clean up its sound and Stipe enunciate his vocals, making Lifes Rich Pageant their most accessible record to date. Upon its late summer release in 1986, Lifes Rich Pageant was greeted with the positive reviews that had become customary with each new R.E.M. album, and it outstripped the sales of its predecessor. Several months after Lifes Rich Pageant, the group released the B-sides and rarities collection Dead Letter Office in the spring of 1987.

R.E.M. Band

R.E.M. had laid the groundwork for mainstream success, but they had never explicitly courted widespread success. Nevertheless, their audience had grown quite large, and it wasn't that surprising that the group's fifth album, Document, became a hit shortly after its fall 1987 release. Produced by Scott Litt -- who would produce all of their records over the course of the next decade -- Document climbed into the U.S. Top Ten and went platinum on the strength of the single "The One I Love," which also went into the Top Ten; it also became their biggest U.K. hit to date, reaching the British Top 40. The following year, the band left I.R.S. Records, signing with Warner Bros. for a reported six million dollars. The first album under the new contract was Green, which was released on election day 1988. Green continued the success of Document, going double platinum and generating the Top Ten single "Stand." R.E.M. supported Green with an exhaustive international tour, in which they played their first stadium dates in the U.S. Though they had graduated to stadiums in America, the group continued to play clubs throughout Europe.

The Green tour proved to be draining for the group, and they took an extended rest upon its completion in 1989. During the break, each member pursued side projects, and Hindu Love Gods, an album Buck, Berry, and Mills recorded with Warren Zevon in 1986, was released. R.E.M. reconvened during 1990 to record their seventh album, Out of Time, which was released in the spring of 1991. Entering the U.S. and U.K. charts at number one, Out of Time was a lush pop and folk album, boasting a wider array of sounds than the group's previous efforts; its lead single, "Losing My Religion," became the group's biggest single, reaching number four in the U.S. Since the band was exhausted from the Green tour, they chose to stay off the road. Nevertheless, Out of Time became their biggest album, selling over four million copies in the U.S. and spending two weeks at the top of the charts. R.E.M. released the dark, meditative Automatic for the People in the fall of 1992. Though the group had promised a rock album after the softer textures of Out of Time, Automatic for the People was slow, quiet, and reflective, with many songs being graced by string arrangements by Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. Like its predecessor, Automatic for the People was a quadruple platinum success, generating the Top 40 hit singles "Drive," "Man on the Moon," and "Everybody Hurts."

After piecing together two albums in the studio, R.E.M. decided to return to being a rock band with 1994's Monster. Though the record was conceived as a back-to-basics album, the recording of Monster was difficult and plagued with tension. Nevertheless, the album was a huge hit upon its fall release, entering the U.S. and U.K. charts at number one; furthermore, the album won praise from a number of old-school critics who had been reluctant to praise the band, since they didn't "rock" in conventional terms. Experiencing some of the strongest sales and reviews of their career, R.E.M. began their first tour since Green early in 1995. Two months into the tour, Bill Berry suffered a brain aneurysm while performing; he had surgery immediately and had fully recovered within a month. R.E.M. resumed their tour two months after Berry's aneurysm, but his illness was only the beginning of a series of problems that plagued the Monster tour. Mills had to undergo abdominal surgery to remove an intestinal tumor in July; a month later, Stipe had to have an emergency surgery to remove a hernia. Despite all the problems, the tour was an enormous financial success, and the group recorded the bulk of a new album. Before the record was released in the fall of 1996, R.E.M. parted ways with their long-time manager Jefferson Holt, allegedly due to sexual harassment charges levied against Holt; the group's lawyer, Bertis Downs, assumed managerial duties.

R.E.M.

New Adventures in Hi-Fi was released in September 1996, just before it was announced that the band had re-signed with Warner Bros., reportedly for a record-breaking sum of 80 million dollars. In light of such a huge figure, the commercial failure of New Adventures in Hi-Fi was ironic. Though it received strong reviews and debuted at number two in the U.S. and number one in the U.K., the album failed to generate a hit single, and it only went platinum where its three predecessors went quadruple platinum. By early 1997, the album had already begun its descent down the charts. However, the members of R.E.M. were already pursuing new projects, as Stipe worked with his film company, Single Cell Pictures, and Buck co-wrote songs with Mark Eitzel and worked with a free jazz group, Tuatara.

In October of 1997, R.E.M. shocked fans and the media with the announcement that Berry was amicably exiting the group to retire to life on his farm; the remaining members continued on as a three-piece, soon convening in Hawaii to begin preliminary work on their next LP. Replacing Berry with a drum machine, the sessions resulted in 1998's Up, widely touted as R.E.M.'s most experimental recording in years. It was only a brief change of direction, since the band's next album, 2001's Reveal, marked a return to their classic sound. Around the Sun followed in 2004. A worldwide tour followed in 2005, which included an appearance at the London branch of Live 8. In 2007, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That same year, they began work on Accelerate, which was released in 2008.

The Flaming Lips

2008-06-25T23:28:00.000-07:00

Even within the eclectic world of alternative rock, few bands were so brave, so frequently brilliant, and so deliciously weird as the Flaming Lips. From their beginnings as Oklahoma weirdos to their pop culture breakthrough in the mid-'90s to their status as one of the most respected groups of the 2000s, the Lips have ridden one of the more surreal and haphazard career trajectories in pop music. An acid-bubblegum band with as much affinity for sweet melodies as blistering noise assaults, their off-kilter sound, uncommon emotional depth, and bizarre history (packed with tales of self-immolating fans and the like) firmly established them as true originals.

The Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips formed in Oklahoma City in 1983, when founder and guitarist Wayne Coyne allegedly stole a collection of musical instruments from an area church hall and enlisted his vocalist brother Mark and bassist Michael Ivins to start a band. Giving themselves the nonsensical name the Flaming Lips (its origin variously attributed to a porn film, an obscure drug reference, or a dream in which a fiery Virgin Mary plants a kiss on Wayne in the backseat of his car), the band made its live debut at a local transvestite club. After progressing through an endless string of drummers, they recruited percussionist Richard English prior to recording their self-titled debut, issued on green vinyl on their own Lovely Sorts of Death label in 1985.

When Mark Coyne soon departed to get married, Wayne assumed full control of the group; in addition to remaining its lead guitarist, he also became the primary singer and songwriter. Continuing on as a trio, the Lips released 1986's Hear It Is, followed a year later by Oh My Gawd!!!...The Flaming Lips. While touring in support of the Butthole Surfers, they played Buffalo, NY, where they were befriended by concert promoter Jonathan Donahue; after a jam session with Donahue's nascent band Mercury Rev, he and Coyne became close friends, and Donahue eventually signed on as the group's sound technician.

After recording 1988's difficult Telepathic Surgery, English exited, reducing the Lips to the core duo of Coyne and Ivins; after adding drummer Nathan Roberts, Donahue adopted the name Dingus and became a full-time member in time to cut 1990's stellar In a Priest Driven Ambulance while simultaneously recording the brilliant Mercury Rev debut, Yerself Is Steam. Following a series of hopeful phone calls to Warner Bros., the company signed the band in 1991, and in 1992 their oft-delayed major-label debut, Hit to Death in the Future Head, appeared to little commercial notice; Donahue soon exited to focus his full energies on Mercury Rev, followed by the departure of Roberts.

The Flaming Lips Performing

With new guitarist Ronald Jones and drummer Steven Drozd, they cut 1993's sublime Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, which they supported by playing the second stage at Lollapalooza and touring the nation in a Ryder truck. Initially, the album stiffed; however, nearly a year after its initial release, the single "She Don't Use Jelly" became a grassroots hit, and against all odds the Flaming Lips found themselves on the Top 40 charts. They took full advantage of their requisite 15 minutes of fame, appearing everywhere from MTV's annual Spring Break broadcast to an arena tour in support of Candlebox to a memorably surreal lip-synched performance on the teen soap opera Beverly Hills 90210, where supporting character Steve Sanders (portrayed by actor Ian Ziering) uttered the immortal words, "You know, I've never been a big fan of alternative music, but these guys rocked the house!"

After the 1994 release of a limited-edition sampler of odds-and-ends titled Providing Needles for Your Balloons, the Lips returned in 1995 with Clouds Taste Metallic, a strikingly mature and diverse collection highlighted by the singles "Bad Days" (also heard in the film Batman Forever), "This Here Giraffe," and "Brainville." Despite the inclusion of the remarkably melodic "Psychiatric Explorations of the Fetus with Needles," "Christmas at the Zoo" (rumored to be under consideration for inclusion on an upcoming John Tesh holiday record), and the epic "Guy Who Got a Headache and Accidentally Saves the World," the album nonetheless failed to live up to the commercial success of Transmissions, and the band was once again relegated to cult status.

In 1996, the Lips' world went haywire; first, Jones disappeared to undertake a spiritual odyssey from which he did not return, then Drozd's hand was almost needlessly amputated after he was bitten by a spider. At about the same time, Ivins was the victim of a bizarre hit-and-run accident after a wheel came off of another vehicle and slammed into his car, trapping him inside. Ironically, Coyne was having car problems of his own when rumors of his latest sonic foray -- conducting an orchestra of 40 automobiles, all with their tape decks playing specially composed music at the same time -- prompted fan discussion of his possible psychological collapse. "I would try to tell people what I was doing and found that I couldn't explain it very well," Coyne later remarked about the project, dubbed the Parking Lot Experiment. "Plus, I had a sore on the side of my tongue for a week and it made me talk kind of weird. I'm sure they thought I was retarded."

The Flaming Lips

By the following year, the Flaming Lips (who continued as a trio, opting not to attempt to replace Jones) were back in the studio, recording an album that, according to Coyne, would be "so different and exciting it will either make us millionaires or break us" -- in short, 1997's Zaireeka, a breathtaking and wildly experimental set of four discs designed to be played simultaneously. A previously unreleased track, "Hot Day," also appeared earlier that year on the soundtrack to Richard Linklater's film SubUrbia. A Collection of Songs Representing an Enthusiasm for Recording...by Amateurs, a retrospective of their Restless label material, followed in 1998, and a year later the Lips returned with a breathtaking new studio effort, The Soft Bulletin. After a three-year absence from the shelves, 2002 brought several new releases, including the new record Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and a two-volume retrospective of the Restless years. Yoshimi won the group even more popular and critical acclaim than The Soft Bulletin, which the group maximized by spending half of 2002 appearing with Beck on his Sea Change tour as both his opening act and backing band. The Lips kept busy over the next two years by touring in support of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and working on their movie Christmas on Mars. They returned to the studio in 2004 and spent much of 2005 recording; that year, the Flaming Lips documentary The Fearless Freaks and VOID video collection were both released, whetting fans' appetites for the band's 2006 album, At War with the Mystics.

The Strokes

2008-06-25T23:17:00.000-07:00

Equally inspired by classic tunesmiths like Buddy Holly and John Lennon as well as the attitude and angular riffs of fellow New Yorkers Television and the Velvet Underground, the Strokes were also equally blessed and cursed with an enormous amount of hype -- particularly from the U.K. music press, whose adulation for the group rivaled their fervor for Oasis in the early '90s. Barely in their twenties by the time their debut album, Is This It, arrived in 2001, singer/songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond, Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti's success wasn't quite of the overnight variety, but it still arrived pretty swiftly.Casablancas (the son of Elite Model Agency Group kingpin John Casablancas), Moretti (who began playing drums at age five), and Valensi started playing together in 1998 while they attended the Dwight School, a private prep school in Manhattan. Soon thereafter they met Fraiture, who attended the Upper East Side's Lycee FranÃ§ais, and added him to their ranks. Hammond (the son of singer/songwriter Albert Hammond, whose songs include "It Never Rains in Southern California," "When I Need You," and "To All the Girls I've Loved Before") came from Los Angeles to attend film school at NYU and was invited into the band by Casablancas; the two met at L'Institut le Rosey in Switzerland when they were kids.

The Strokes

Casablancas officially christened the quintet the Strokes in 1999, and the group spent most of that year writing and rehearsing material in New York City's Music Building. They made their live debut that fall at the Spiral, and word of mouth about the Strokes' incendiary live show propelled them to gigs at venues like Under the Acme, Lower East Side clubs such as Arlene Grocery, Baby Jupiter, and Luna. The Strokes' December 2000 dates at the Mercury Lounge and the Bowery Ballroom not only gained them a manager (Ryan Gentles, who booked them at those clubs), but also helped Strokes mania reach critical mass in New York. Rough Trade released the group's three-song demo as The Modern Age EP in January 2001, which sparked a bidding war from which RCA emerged as the victors.

The Strokes Band

Meanwhile, the Strokes' acclaim reached the U.K. and grew to massive proportions over the course of the year. NME quickly became their champions, profiling them several times that spring and summer as the Strokes' live act and singles like Hard to Explain (which debuted at number 16 in the U.K. charts) won them a rabid British following. That spring, the band also completed its first U.S. tour as the opening act for the Doves and proceeded to play dates with Guided by Voices and ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead in the U.S. and the U.K. The group's popularity continued to snowball in the U.K., with a side-stage slot at the NME Carling Weekender changed to a main-stage performance for fear of people trampling each other to see the band.

In late summer of that year, Rough Trade released Is This It with an album cover featuring a sexy, Helmut Newton-esque photo of a woman's nude behind and hip with a leather-gloved hand resting on it; the U.K. chains Woolworth's and HMV objected to its controversial nature. The U.S. version of Is This It was released in October and featured a few changes from the U.K. edition. The Strokes opted for an abstract pattern on the cover and removed the song "New York City Cops," feeling the song was inappropriate in the wake of the terrorist attacks that struck New York prior to the album's release; the planned B-side, "When It Started," took its place. The group closed out the fall with an extended tour of the U.S., culminating with a Halloween gig at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom.

Rock Band The Strokes

The remainder of 2001 and 2002 saw the group's profile continue to rise. Is This It and the Strokes were lauded in many ways, ranging from This Isn't It, an EP of instrumental versions of some of the album's songs performed by a mystery band called the Diff'rent Strokes (Pulp's Jarvis Cocker was rumored to be a member) to 2001 NME Carling Awards for Best New Act, Band of the Year, and Album of the Year. The band toured extensively throughout 2002, including a series of dates that summer in New York and Detroit with the White Stripes, summer festivals at Reading and Leeds, and a string of gigs supporting Weezer, some of which were canceled due to a leg injury Casablancas suffered. During these shows, their fall tour, and their dates opening for the Rolling Stones, the Strokes debuted some new songs, including "Meet Me in the Bathroom," "You Talk Way Too Much," and "The Way It Is."

The Strokes

By March 2003, the band was ready to start recording its new album, but instead of working with Is This It producer Gordon Raphael as previously reported, the Strokes began recording with Nigel Godrich of Radiohead and Beck fame. That May, however, the Strokes' sessions with Godrich came to an end, and they returned to Raphael to finish the album, Room on Fire. The single 12:51 introduced the more meticulous, new wave-inspired sound of Room on Fire, which arrived in fall 2003. Just before the album's release, the Strokes hit the road once again, taking Kings of Leon with them. In 2006 they released First Impressions on Earth. Although neither album earned as much praise as their debut, they were commercially successful (especially in the U.K.) and included the hit singles "12:51" and "Juicebox," respectively.

Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street Band

2008-06-25T23:01:00.000-07:00

For nearly four decades Bruce Springsteen has been a rock & roll working-class hero: a plainspoken visionary. He is a fervent and sincere romantic whose insights into everyday lives — especially in America’s small-town, working-class heartland — have earned comparisons to John Steinbeck and Woody Guthrie. His belief in rock’s mythic past and its potential revitalized pop music and made Springsteen a superstar in the ’80s. Since then, he has remained true to his artistic calling and shown himself, in carefully selected interviews, to be among the most thoughtful and articulate artists in rock.

Springsteen, of Irish-Italian ancestry, grew up in Freehold, New Jersey, the son of a bus driver and a secretary. He took up the guitar at 13 and joined the Castiles a year later. In 1966 the Castiles recorded but never released two songs co-written by Springsteen, and they worked their way up to a string of dates at New York City’s Café Wha? in 1967. During the summer after his graduation from high school, Springsteen was working with Earth, a Cream-style power trio, and hanging out in Asbury Park, New Jersey. He entered Ocean County Community College in the fall, but dropped out when a New York producer promised him a contract; he never saw the producer again.

Bruce Springsteen

While in college, Springsteen had formed a group with some local musicians, including drummer Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez and keyboardist Danny Federici. Called Child, then Steel Mill, the group worked the Atlantic coast down to Virginia. In summer 1969 Steel Mill visited California (where Springsteen’s parents had moved); club dates in San Francisco led to a show at Bill Graham’s Fillmore and a contract offer from Graham’s Fillmore Records, which Steel Mill turned down because the advance was too small. The band returned east and was joined by an old friend of Springsteen’s, Miami Steve Van Zandt, on bass.

Springsteen disbanded Steel Mill in early 1971, intending to put together a band with a brass section and several singers. Meanwhile, he formed Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom, which played only three dates. Eventually, the Bruce Springsteen Band was formed with Lopez, Federici, Van Zandt (on guitar), pianist and guitarist David Sancious, bassist Garry Tallent, and a four-piece brass section. After the group’s first show, the brass section was dropped and Clarence Clemons, a football-player-turned-tenor-saxophonist (a knee injury aborted his pro career), joined the band. The group didn’t last; by autumn 1971 Springsteen was working solo.

Springsteen had auditioned for Laurel Canyon Productions, a.k.a. Mike Appel and Jim Cretecos, who had written a hit for the Partridge Family and produced an album by Sir Lord Baltimore. In May 1972 Springsteen signed a long-term management contract and an agreement giving Laurel Canyon exclusive rights to his songs. Royalty rates effective for five albums were set at a low three percent of retail price.

Appel arranged for his new client to audition for John Hammond, who had signed Dylan to Columbia. After hearing Springsteen sing in his office, Hammond set up a showcase for CBS executives at the Gaslight in New York City and supervised a demo session. In June 1972 Columbia president Clive Davis signed a ten-album contract with Appel that gave Laurel Canyon about a nine percent royalty.

Bruce Springsteen

Within the month, Springsteen completed Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. Some of Springsteen’s word-crammed songs were set to acoustic singer/songwriter backup, and some to the R&B-inflected rock of the reconstituted Bruce Springsteen Band. Released in January 1973 and touted as one more "new Dylan" effort, Greetins initially sold about 25,000 copies, largely to Jersey Shore fans. Springsteen and the band toured the Northeast, playing extended sets that earned him followings in Boston and Philadelphia. A string of dates opening for Chicago, who limited his sets to a half-hour, convinced Springsteen not to open for other bands.

With his second album, The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle, Springsteen and his band integrated lyrics and instrumental passages into long romantic narratives. The album sold as poorly as its predecessor, and Springsteen decided to concentrate on his stage show. Replacing Lopez with Ernest "Boom" Carter on drums, he tightened up what became the E Street Band, hired expensive light and sound crews, and rehearsed them to theatrical precision. He made up elaborate stories, often involving band members, to introduce his songs, dramatized the songs as he sang them, and capped his sets with fervently rendered oldies.

In spring 1974 critic Jon Landau saw a Springsteen show in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and wrote in the Real Paper, "I saw rock & roll future and it’s name is Bruce Springsteen." Columbia used the quote in an ad campaign, and rave reviews of Springsteen concerts and belated notices of The Wild began showing up in print. By November 1974, the album had sold 150,000 copies. Springsteen and a revamped E Street Band (pianist Roy Bittan and drummer Max Weinberg replaced Sancious and Carter, who had formed their own fusion group, Tone; Van Zandt joined as second guitarist) were bogged down by an ambitious third album. Landau, who had been visiting the studio with suggestions, became co-producer with Springsteen and Appel (he would later become the singer’s manager). Far from toning down Springsteen’s histrionics, Landau inflated them with dramatic arrangements. While the album was being mastered, Springsteen wanted to scrap it in favor of a concert album. But that plan was dropped, and in October 1975 Born to Run (Number 3, 1975) was released.

Advance sales put the album on the chart a week before its release date, and it made the Top 10 shortly afterward. Within the month, it hit Number 3 — and gold – while "Born to Run" (Number 23, 1975) became Springsteen’s first hit single. Springsteen embarked on his first national tour. Time and Newsweek ran simultaneous cover stories on him. Yet Springsteen was still a cult figure — the album didn’t stay on the charts long. In spring of 1976 an independent auditor’s report called Appel’s management "unconscionable exploitation." And when Appel refused permission for Landau to produce the next album, Springsteen sued his manager in July 1976, alleging fraud, undue influence, and breach of trust. Appel’s countersuit asked for an injunction to bar Springsteen from working with Landau, which the court granted. Springsteen rejected the producer Appel chose, and the injunction prevented Springsteen from recording until May 1977. An out-of-court settlement gave Springsteen rights to his songs and he was allowed to work with Landau, while his Columbia contract was upgraded. Appel reportedly received a lump-sum settlement.

Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street Band

During the legal imbroglio, Springsteen toured and E Streeters did session work: Bittan with David Bowie and Meat Loaf, Van Zandt produced the debut by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, I Don’t Want to Go Home, which featured several Springsteen compositions. Other Springsteen songs provided hits for the Hollies ("Sandy"), Manfred Mann ("Blinded by the Light," a Number One single in 1977), Robert Gordon ("Fire," later a smash for the Pointer Sisters), and Patti Smith ("Because the Night," to which she contributed some lyrics). And Springsteen continued to write new songs, several of which were chosen for Darkness on the Edge of Town (Number Five, 1978).

Darkness was a dire and powerful album that reflected the troubled period Springsteen had just endured. On "Badlands," "Promised Land," "Adam Raised a Cain," and the title track, Springsteen sang with choked emotion about working-class problems and the hopes that keep Americans going. The album proved his depth to critics, although it failed to deliver on crossover hopes, yielding only the minor single "Prove It All Night" (Number 33, 1978).

Work on The River began in April 1979 and went on for a year and a half. Springsteen appeared on stage only twice in that period, at the Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) antinuclear benefit concerts in New York, which were filmed as No Nukes. Meanwhile, Dave Marsh’s best-selling Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story was released, spreading the Springsteen legend out in book length. (It was released again in a revised edition, followed by a second Marsh volume, Glory Days: Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s, published in 1987; the books were put together with additional material in 2003 as Two Hearts: The Definitive Biography.)

Co-produced by Springsteen, Landau, and Van Zandt, the double-LP The River (Number One, 1980) sold over 2 million copies. A single, "Hungry Heart" (Number Five, 1980), was Springsteen’s first Top Ten hit, followed by "Fade Away" (Number 20, 1981). The River was notable for its shorter, verse-chorus songs that were essentially short stories or character sketches ("Wreck on the Highway," "Independence Day," "Point Blank," "The River"). These four songs essentially revealed a sense of resignation, of Springsteen’s characters learning to live with what they cannot change.

On the eve of The River’s release in October 1980, Springsteen kicked off a tour that crisscrossed the United States twice and took him to over 20 European cities; every one of his four-hour shows was sold out. In the fall, he played six benefit concerts in L.A. for Vietnam War veterans. In 1981 Springsteen persuaded Gary "U.S." Bonds (whose "Quarter to Three" was a favorite Springsteen encore) to return to recording, on an album produced by Van Zandt that included Springsteen material. Members of the E Street Band played sessions for Garland Jeffreys, Joan Armatrading, Ian Hunter, and others. Van Zandt continued producing Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and Bittan produced an album for rock singer Jimmy Mack.

In 1982 Springsteen made Nebraska (Number Three, 1982), a stark album recorded (initially as demo tapes) on a 4-track machine at home. With its tales of losers, desperadoes, and dreamers, the album was Springsteen’s folk-song commentary on the social problems of America in the Age of Reagan, and on the nihilism bred by alienation.

Bruce Springsteen Autographed photo

After Nebraska’s deliberately noncommercial statement, Springsteen decided to head in the other direction and try to bring his message to a mass audience. With the simple, declarative songs on Born in the U.S.A. (#1, 1984), Springsteen became a megastar. The album yielded a string of singles – "Dancing in the Dark" (Number Two, 1984), "Cover Me" (Number Seven, 1984), "Born in the U.S.A." (Number Nine, 1984), "I’m on Fire" (Number Six, 1985), "Glory Days" (Number Five, 1985), "I’m Goin’ Down" (Number 9, 1985), and "My Hometown" (Number Six, 1985) — and remained in the Top 10 for more than two years. Springsteen made his first videos for the album’s singles, including "Dancing in the Dark," directed by Brian De Palma (the single later won a Grammy). Although on Born in the U.S.A., Springsteen continued to look at the dark side of the American dream, he simplified sentiments and packaged them in an album featuring a U.S. flag on the cover. Not surprisingly, many fans took "Born in the U.S.A." as an upbeat patriotic anthem, although the song was actually about the dead ends hit by a Vietnam vet. Ronald Reagan himself, during the 1984 presidential campaign, tried to co-opt Springsteen’s vision as his own in one speech. Springsteen attempted to counteract such misinterpretations by meeting with labor, environmental, and civil rights activists in towns he played and mentioning their efforts onstage. Springsteen has always played numerous benefits; in 1985 he sang on USA for Africa’s "We Are the World" and on Van Zandt’s anti-apartheid project, "Sun City." But the Born in the U.S.A. concerts themselves fueled the spectacle of Springsteen’s success, with fans waving American flags in sold-out stadiums. The previously scrawny, modest Springsteen had joined the country’s mania for pumping iron, and his marathon concerts began to resemble athletic events. Constant touring in 1985 (with Nils Lofgren replacing Van Zandt, who went on to pursue a solo career, and Patti Scialfa added on vocals) took him to the Far East and Australia for the first time.

The 40-song live album package Live/1975-85 (Number One, 1986) was released partly to counter the flood of bootlegs that had been traded among fans for years. It featured his cover of Edwin Starr’s "War" (Number Eight, 1986), a song whose critique he explicitly aimed in concerts at Reagan’s militarism.

In 1984 Springsteen met model/actress Julianne Phillips, and the couple married in May 1985. On Tunnel of Love (Number One, 1987) Springsteen recorded some of his most personal songs — including the Grammy-winning "Tunnel of Love" (Number Niine, 1987), "Brilliant Disguise" (Number Five, 1987), and "One Step Up" (Number 13, 1988) — in which he detailed love unraveling. While he was headlining the 1988 Amnesty International Human Rights Now! Tour, tabloids began reporting that Springsteen and Scialfa were having an affair. In August 1988 Phillips filed for divorce. The couple divorced the next year, and Springsteen married Scialfa in 1991. They moved to L.A. and eventually had three children, Evan James, Jessica Rae, and Sam Ryan.

Springsteen was apparently rethinking his life in general during this period. On the Tunnel of Love tour he had tried to shake up the E Street Band’s live habits by repositioning them onstage. Still, the large group no longer seemed to be the correct vehicle for his music, and in November 1989 he told them he no longer needed them.

After half a decade’s absence Springsteen returned with the simultaneous release of two albums, Human Touch (Number Two, 1992) (co-produced by Bittan, the only E Street Band member on the albums) and Lucky Town (Number Three, 1992). The albums entered the charts at their peak positions, but merely went platinum as opposed to the multi-platinum of his previous three albums. The pop songs of Human Touch, which Springsteen had written over several years, received mixed reviews: critics generally preferred Lucky Town’s ruminations on parenting and adulthood.

Bruce Springsteen

Springsteen performed on Saturday Night Live in 1992, his first network TV performance. He recruited a younger, small bar band, but hadn’t quite freed himself of his old, overstated stadium style, and the shows seemed somewhat out of step with the albums’ mature tone. For the first time in 15 years, Springsteen played to empty seats. In 1993, Scialfa released her first solo album, Rumble Doll; that year Springsteen wrote and recorded "Streets of Philadelphia" (Number Nine, 1994) for the Jonathan Demme film Philadelphia; the song won an Academy Award and four Grammys. Greatest Hits, which debuted at Number One on the charts, contained four previously unreleased songs.

In 1995 Springsteen released The Ghost of Tom Joad, an austere record in the tradition of Nebraska that invoked the populism of Steinbeck and Guthrie and applied it to problems of race and class in America at the end of the 20th century. The album, which Springsteen promoted with his first solo acoustic tour, won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album, although it didn’t go platinum, a rarity.

After that Springsteen maintained his low profile until the November 1998 announcement of his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That same week saw the release of Songs, a coffee-table book containing his song lyrics, as well as Tracks (Number 27), a career-spanning collection that included 56 previously unreleased recordings. The album became the first box set to ever debut at Number One on the charts.

In 1999 Springsteen and the E Street Band reunited for the first time in more than a decade; both Lofgren and Van Zandt played guitar in the group, which kicked off their U.S. tour with a record-setting 15 sold-out shows at the Continental Airlines Arena in the group’s home state of New Jersey. The band’s performances testified to Springsteen’s faith in the redemptive power of rock & roll and the human community. At a show at Madison Square Garden in spring 2000, Springsteen also performed "American Skin (41 Shots)" a song that explores what happens when community breaks down — in this case, when New York City police officers shot at West African immigrant Amadou Diallo 41 times while he was reaching for his wallet to show them his ID. Two New York performances were documented on a 2001 live album, which debuted at Number 5. That was followed in 2002 by The Rising, his first new album in seven years and one that dealt rather self-consciously with 9/11. Devils & Dust followed in 2005, the latest in Springsteen’s occasional string of downbeat acoustic albums, debuting at Number One. The following April, he issued We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions — recorded quickly and spontaneously, a departure for the perfectionist Springsteen; Dublin shows from the tour with Springsteen fronting the brilliantly named Seeger Sessions Band were released a year later. The fall of 2007 brought Magic (Number One), the Springsteen’s most accessible collection since Tunnel of Love, and more big-venue touring with the E Street Band, which recorded the album.

Velvet Underground

2008-06-25T22:42:00.000-07:00

Velvet Underground mp3 download

Easy guitar Tabs Velvet Underground

Few rock groups can claim to have broken so much new territory, and maintain such consistent brilliance on record, as the Velvet Underground during their brief lifespan. It was the group's lot to be ahead of, or at least out of step with, their time. The mid- to late '60s was an era of explosive growth and experimentation in rock, but the Velvets' innovations -- which blended the energy of rock with the sonic adventurism of the avant-garde, and introduced a new degree of social realism and sexual kinkiness into rock lyrics -- were too abrasive for the mainstream to handle. During their time, the group experienced little commercial success; though they were hugely appreciated by a cult audience and some critics, the larger public treated them with indifference or, occasionally, scorn. The Velvets' music was too important to languish in obscurity, though; their cult only grew larger and larger in the years following their demise, and continued to mushroom through the years. By the 1980s, they were acknowledged not just as one of the most important rock bands of the '60s, but one of the best of all time, and one whose immense significance cannot be measured by their relatively modest sales.

Historians often hail the group for their incalculable influence upon the punk and new wave of subsequent years, and while the Velvets were undoubtedly a key touchstone of the movements, to focus upon these elements of their vision is to only get part of the story. The group was uncompromising in their music and lyrics, to be sure, sometimes espousing a bleakness and primitivism that would inspire alienated singers and songwriters of future generations. But their colorful and oft-grim soundscapes were firmly grounded in strong, well-constructed songs that could be as humanistic and compassionate as they were outrageous and confrontational. The member most responsible for these qualities was guitarist, singer, and songwriter Lou Reed, whose sing-speak vocals and gripping narratives have come to define street-savvy rock & roll.

Velvet Underground

Reed loved rock & roll from an early age, and even recorded a doo-wop type single as a Long Island teenager in the late '50s (as a member of the Shades). By the early '60s, he was also getting into avant-garde jazz and serious poetry, coming under the influence of author Delmore Schwartz while studying at Syracuse University. After graduation, he set his sights considerably lower, churning out tunes for exploitation rock albums as a staff songwriter for Pickwick Records in New York City. Reed did learn some useful things about production at Pickwick, and it was while working there that he met John Cale, a classically-trained Welshman who had moved to America to study and perform "serious" music. Cale, who had performed with John Cage and LaMonte Young, found himself increasingly attracted to rock & roll; Reed, for his part, was interested in the avant-garde as well as pop. Reed and Cale were both interested in fusing the avant-garde with rock & roll, and had found the ideal partners for making the vision (a very radical one for the mid-'60s) work; their synergy would be the crucial axis of the Velvet Underground's early work.

Reed and Cale (who would play bass, viola, and organ) would need to assemble a full band, making tentative steps along this direction by performing together in the Primitives (which also included experimental filmmaker Tony Conrad and avant-garde sculptor Walter DeMaria) to promote a bizarre Reed-penned Pickwick single ("The Ostrich"). By 1965, the group was a quartet called the Velvet Underground, including Reed, Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison (an old friend of Reed's), and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise quit before the band's first paying gig, claiming that accepting money for art was a sellout; the Velvets quickly recruited drummer Maureen Tucker, a sister of one of Morrison's friends.

Even at this point, the Velvets were well on their way to developing something quite different. Their original material, principally penned and sung by Reed, dealt with the hard urban realities of Manhattan, describing drug use, sadomasochism, and decadence in cool, unapologetic detail in "Heroin," "I'm Waiting for the Man," "Venus in Furs," and "All Tomorrow's Parties." These were wedded to basic, hard-nosed rock riffs, toughened by Tucker's metronome beats; the oddly tuned, rumbling guitars; and Cale's occasional viola scrapes. It was an uncommercial blend to say the least, but the Velvets got an unexpected benefactor when artist and all-around pop-art icon Andy Warhol caught the band at a club around the end of 1965. Warhol quickly assumed management of the group, incorporating them into his mixed-media/performance art ensemble, the Exploding Plastic Inevitable. By spring 1966, Warhol was producing their debut album.

Warhol was also responsible for embellishing the quartet with Nico, a mysterious European model/chanteuse with a deep voice whom the band accepted rather reluctantly, viewing her spectral presence as rather ornamental. Reed remained the principal lead vocalist, but Nico did sing three of the best songs on the group's debut, often known as "the banana album" because of its distinctive Warhol-designed cover. Recognized today as one of the core classic albums of rock, it featured an extraordinarily strong set of songs, highlighted by "Heroin," "All Tomorrow's Parties," "Venus in Furs," "I'll Be Your Mirror," "Femme Fatale," "Black Angel's Death Song," and "Sunday Morning." The sensational drug-and-sex items (especially "Heroin") got most of the ink, but the more conventional numbers showed Reed to be a songwriter capable of considerable melodicism, sensitivity, and almost naked introspection.

Velvet Underground Band

The album's release was not without complications, though. First, it wasn't issued until nearly a year after it was finished, due to record-company politics and other factors. The group's association with Warhol and the Exploding Plastic Inevitable had already assured them of a high (if notorious media) profile, but the music was simply too daring to fit onto commercial radio; "underground" rock radio was barely getting started at this point, and in any case may well have overlooked the record at a time when psychedelic music was approaching its peak. The album only reached number 171 in the charts, and that's as high as any of their LPs would get upon original release. Those who heard it, however, were often mightily impressed; Brian Eno once said that even though hardly anyone bought the Velvets records at the time they appeared, almost everyone who did formed their own bands.

A cult reputation wasn't enough to guarantee a stable livelihood for a band in the '60s, and by 1967 the Velvets were fighting problems within their own ranks. Nico, never considered an essential member by the rest of the band, left or was fired sometime during the year, going on to a fascinating career of her own. The association with Warhol weakened, as the artist was unable to devote as much attention to the band as he had the previous year. Embittered by the lukewarm reception of their album in their native New York, the Velvets concentrated on touring cities throughout the rest of the country. Amidst this tense atmosphere, the second album, White Light/White Heat, was recorded in late 1967.

Each of the albums the group released while Reed led the band was an unexpected departure from all of their other LPs. White Light/White Heat was probably the most radical, focusing almost exclusively on their noisiest arrangements, over-amped guitars, and most willfully abrasive songs. The 17-minute "Sister Ray" was their most extreme (and successful) effort in this vein. Unsurprisingly, the album failed to catch on commercially, topping out at number 199.
By the summer of 1968, the band had a much graver problem on its hands than commercial success (or the lack of it). A rift developed between Reed and Cale, the most creative forces in the band and, as one could expect, two temperamental egos. Reed presented the rest of the band with an ultimatum, declaring that he would leave the group unless Cale was sacked. Morrison and Tucker reluctantly sided with Lou, and Doug Yule was recruited to take Cale's place.

Velvet Underground Rock Band

The group's self-titled third album (1969) was an even more radical left turn than White Light/White Heat. The volume and violence had nearly vanished; the record featured far more conventional rock arrangements that were sometimes so restrained it seems as though they were making an almost deliberate attempt to avoid waking the neighbors. Yet the sound was nonetheless effective for that; the record contains some of Reed's most personal and striking compositions, numbers like "Pale Blue Eyes" and "Candy Says" ranking among his most romantic, although cuts like "What Goes On" proved they could still rock out convincingly (though in a less experimental fashion than they had with Cale). The approach may have confused listeners and critics, but by this time their label (MGM/Verve) was putting little promotional resources behind the band anyway.

Even in the absence of Cale, the Velvets were still capable of generating compelling heat on-stage, as 1969: Velvet Underground Live (not released until the mid-'70s) confirms. MGM was by now in the midst of an infamous "purge" of its supposedly drug-related rock acts, and the Velvets were setting their sights elsewhere. Nevertheless, they recorded about an album's worth of additional material for the label after the third LP, although it remains unclear whether this was intended for a fourth album or not. Many of the songs, though, were excellent, serving as a bridge between The Velvet Underground and 1970's Loaded; a lot of it was officially released in the 1980s and 1990s.

The beginning of the 1970s seemed to herald considerable promise for the group, as they signed to Atlantic, but at this point the personnel problems that had always dogged them finally became overwhelming. Tucker had to sit out Loaded due to pregnancy, replaced by Yule's brother Billy. Doug Yule, according to some accounts, began angling for more power in the band. Unexpectedly, after a lengthy residency at New York's famous Max's Kansas City club, Reed quit the band near the end of the summer of 1970, moving back to his parents' Long Island home for several months before beginning his solo career, just before the release of Loaded, his final studio album with the Velvets.

Velvet Underground With Nico

Loaded was by far the group's most conventional rock album, and the most accessible one for mainstream listeners. "Rock and Roll" and "Sweet Jane" in particular were two of Reed's most anthemic, jubilant tunes, and ones that became rock standards in the '70s. But the group's power was somewhat diluted by the absence of Tucker, and by the decision to have Doug Yule handle some of the lead vocals. Due to Reed's departure, though, the group couldn't capitalize on any momentum it might have generated. Unwisely, the band decided to continue, though Morrison and Tucker left shortly afterward. That left Doug Yule at the helm of an act that was the Velvet Underground in name only, and the 1973 album that was billed to the group (Squeeze) is best forgotten, and not considered as a true Velvets release.

With Reed, Cale, and Nico establishing important solo careers of their own, and such important figures as David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Patti Smith making no bones about their debts to the band, the Velvet Underground simply became more and more popular as the years passed. In the 1980s, the original albums were reissued, along with a couple of important collections of outtakes. Hoping to rewrite the rules one last time, Reed, Cale, Morrison, and Tucker attempted to defy the odds against successful rock reunions by re-forming in the early '90s (Nico had died in 1988). A European tour, and a live album, was completed in 1993 to mixed reviews; before a planned American jaunt could start, Reed and Cale (who have feuded constantly over the past few decades) fell out yet again, bringing the reunion to a sad close. Sterling Morrison's death from illness in 1995 seems to have permanently iced any prospect of more projects under the Velvet Underground name, although a few of the surviving members played together when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. By that time, an impressive five-CD box set (containing all four of the studio albums issued when Reed was in the band, as well as a lot of other material) was available to enshrine the group's legacy for the ages.

Velvet Underground mp3 download

Easy guitar Tabs Velvet Underground

Ratt

2008-06-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

Ratt mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Ratt

Ratt Band

Ratt's brash, melodic heavy metal made the Los Angeles quintet one of the most popular rock acts of the mid-'80s. The group had its origins in the '70s group Mickey Ratt, which had evolved into Ratt by 1983; at that time the band featured vocalist Stephen Pearcy, guitarist Robbin Crosby, guitarist Warren DeMartini, bassist Juan Croucier, and drummer Bobby Blotzer. The band released their self-titled first album independently in 1983, which led to a major label contract with Atlantic Records. Their first album under this deal, 1984's Out of the Cellar, was a major success, reaching the American Top Ten and selling over three million copies. "Round and Round," the first single drawn from the album, hit number 12, proving the band had pop crossover potential. While their second album, 1985's Invasion of Your Privacy, didn't match the multi-platinum figures of Out of the Cellar, it also reached the Top Ten and sold over a million copies. By that time, the band could sell-out concerts across the country and were a staple on MTV and AOR radio. Both Dancin' Undercover (1986) and Reach for the Sky (1988) continued the band's platinum streak and their audience, had only slipped slightly by the time of their final album, 1990's Detonator.

Rock Bands -Ratt

In 1992, Pearcy left Ratt to form his own band, Arcade, issuing a pair of releases — 1993's self-titled debut and 1994's A/2, before forming another new band, Vertex (issuing a lone self-titled release in 1996). With their brand of glam metal out of step with the then-burgeoning alt-rock movement, Ratt decided to sit out much of the '90s — during which time DeMartini issued a solo album, Crazy Enough to Sing to You. But by the late '90s, the public's interest in '80s rock began to perk up, leading to Ratt reuniting in time for 1997's Collage. Two years later, Ratt's second self-titled release of their recording career was issued, following the same formula as its predecessor.

Ratt

Shortly thereafter, Pearcy left the group once again, as he soon began fronting two bands, the more modern-sounding outfit Vicious Delite (a self-titled debut appeared in 2000) and Nitronic. Pearcy also formed his own record label (Top Fuel Records), and released several collections of archival material — Arcade's A/3: Live & Unreleased, Mickey Ratt's The Garage Tape Dayz 78-81, and under his own name, the demo collection Before and Laughter. 2001 saw the release of Pearcy's first true solo album, Social Intercourse. Despite Pearcy's exit of the band, Ratt continued to carry on with new members Jizzy Pearl (former Love/Hate) on vocals, John Corabi (former Mötley Crüe) on guitar, and bassist Robbie Crane joining original members DeMartini and Blotzer. In the summer of 2001, long M.I.A. Ratt guitarist Robbin Crosby disclosed to the public that he was battling AIDS, and Croucier soon began organizing a benefit album for his former bandmate. After struggling for years with the resulting health problems, Crosby died in Los Angeles in June 2002.

Ratt mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Ratt

Guess Who, The

2008-06-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

The Guess Who mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Guess Who

Guess Who, The. Leading Canadian rock band of the late 1960s and early 1970s. It began in the early 1960s when Chad Allan started a band called the Reflections that evolved into the Expressions, a band which singer Allan (b Allan Kowbel 23 Mar 1943) had begun in Winnipeg in 1958 as Al and the Silvertones (later Chad Allan and the Reflections). The Expressions included Randy Bachman (b 27 Sept 1943, guitar), Jim Kale (b 11 Aug 1943, bass guitar), and Garry Peterson (b 26 May 1945, drums). One of their earliest songs, 'His Girl,' was successful in England and they signed a contract with Mills Music and then King Records in the UK. The name 'Guess Who?' was invented to promote the Expressions' single 'Shakin' All Over' (1965, Quality Records Ltd) following their success in England. The marketing decision over their name stemmed from the popularity that British rock bands were enjoying at that time; the band embraced the name because of the element of mystery surrounding the name "The Guess Who," which led some people to believe that the band may have originated in England.

The Guess Who Band

The singer-pianist Burton Cummings (b 31 Dec 1947) joined the Expressions in December 1965. Allan and Bob Ashley departed in May 1966 leaving Bachman, Cummings, Peterson, Donnie McDougall (guitar) and Bill Wallace (bass) to comprise The Guess Who. With the international success of 'Shakin' All Over' the Expressions/The Guess Who appeared in the US and travelled to England. The Guess Who performed on the weekly CBC (Winnipeg) TV rock shows Let's Go (1967-8) and Where It's At (1968-9) and had more Canadian hits 1965-8 for Quality with 'Tossin' & Turnin,' 'Hey Ho What You Do to Me,' etc.

Rock Bands - The Guess Who

The Bachman/Cummings ballad 'These Eyes,' recorded for Nimbus 9 Productions and released by RCA (see BMG Music Canada Inc), was a million-selling single in 1969. In 1970 Bachman left the group, but despite several lineup changes The Guess Who continued to release successful singles and albums. Cummings launched a solo career with Portrait Records in America in 1976. Over 20 singles from 1969 to 1976, such as 'Laughing' and 'American Woman,' were million sellers, and 'Undun,' 'No Time,' 'No Sugar Tonight,' 'Hand Me Down World,' 'Share the Land,' 'Albert Flasher,' 'Rain Dance,' 'Star Baby,' 'Clap for the Wolfman,' and 'Dancin' Fool' were substantial international hits. The band won Juno Awards as the best vocal-instrumental group in 1965 and annually 1967-70. 'These Eyes' brought Jack Richardson a Juno in 1968 for best-produced single.

In its heyday, during which Cummings emerged as the band's central personality and major songwriter, The Guess Who underwent several personnel changes: Bachman (later to form Brave Belt with Chad Allan, and then BTO) was replaced in 1970 by the guitarists Kurt Winter (b 2 Apr 1946, d 14 Dec 1997) and Greg Leskiw; Leskiw was replaced in 1972 by Don McDougall, Kale in 1972 by Bill Wallace, and Winter and McDougall in 1974 by Dom Troiano.

The Guess Who

The band toured extensively 1969-75 throughout North America and appeared in New Zealand and Australia in 1973. It performed at the White House in Washington, DC, in 1970 and gave a royal command performance in London in 1973. Canadian appearances included annual concerts 1971-5 before audiences of up to 20,000 at the CNE. The band, as led by Cummings, gave its 'final' concert 13 Sep 1975 at the Montreal Forum.

Cummings and Bachman reunited for concerts and CBC and PBS (USA) TV appearances in 1977 and again for concerts in 1987. Under Kale's direction a reconstituted Guess Who began touring and recording in 1978 and continued with ongoing changes in personnel through the 1980s, completing LPs for the Aquarius and El Mo labels. Despite pursuing solo careers, Cummings, Bachman, Kale and Peterson reassembled for national tours in 1983 and 1985, and in 1999 they reunited to perform at the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. The band then embarked on a national tour in 2000 that was followed by a live double-CD.

The Guess Who

The Guess Who were inducted into the Canadian Recording Arts & Sciences (CARAS) Hall of Fame during the 1987 Juno Awards, and in 2001 members of The Guess Who were awarded doctorates from the University of Brandon (Manitoba). Also in 2001, they were inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto and in 2002 received the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards and were the first artists to be inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame, an honour normally reserved for music industry executives. Cummings and Bachman were inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005.

The Guess Who mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Guess Who

The Grass Roots

2008-06-25T00:23:00.000-07:00

The Grass Roots mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs The Grass Roots

The Grass Roots had a series of major hits -- most notably "Let's Live for Today," "Midnight Confessions," "Temptation Eyes," and "Two Divided by Love" -- that help define the essence of the era's best AM radio. Although the group's members weren't even close to being recognizable, and their in-house songwriting was next to irrelevant, the Grass Roots managed to chart 14 Top 40 hits, including seven gold singles and one platinum single, and two had hits collections that effortlessly went gold.

The Grass Roots

The group's history is also fairly complicated, because there were at least three different groups involved in the making of the songs identified as being by "the Grass Roots." The Grass Roots was originated by the writer/producer team of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri as a pseudonym under which they would release a body of Byrds/Beau Brummels-style folk-rock. Sloan and Barri were contracted songwriters for Trousdale Music, the publishing arm of Dunhill Records, which wanted to cash in on the folk-rock boom of 1965. Dunhill asked Sloan and Barri to come up with this material, and a group alias under which they would release it. The resulting "Grass Roots" debut song, "Where Were You When I Needed You," sung by Sloan, was sent to a Los Angeles radio station, which began playing it. The problem was, there was no "Grass Roots." The next step was to recruit a band that could become the Grass Roots. Sloan found a San Francisco group called the Bedouins that seemed promising on the basis of their lead singer, Bill Fulton. Fulton recorded a new vocal over the backing tracks laid down for the P.F. Sloan version of the song.

The Bedouins were, at first, content to put their future in the hands of Sloan and Barri as producers, despite the fact that the group was more blues-oriented than folk-rock. However, the rest of the group was offended when Fulton was told to record their debut single, a cover of Bob Dylan's "The Ballad of a Thin Man," backed by studio musicians. When that single, released in October of 1965, became only a modest hit, the Bedouins -- except for their drummer, Joel Larson -- departed for San Francisco, to re-form as the Unquenchable Thirst. Sloan and Barri continued to record. "Where Were You When I Needed You" was released in mid-'66 and peaked at number 28, but the album of the same name never charted. Amid the machinations behind Where Were You When I Needed You, no "real" Grass Roots band existed in 1966.

The Grass Roots Rock band

A possible solution came along when a Los Angeles band called the 13th Floor submitted a demo tape to Dunhill. This group, consisting of Warren Entner (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Creed Bratton (lead guitar), Rob Grill (vocals, bass), and Rick Coonce (drums), was recruited and offered the choice of recording under their own name, or to take over the name the Grass Roots, put themselves in the hands of Sloan and Barri, and take advantage of the Grass Roots' track record. They chose the latter, with Rob Grill as primary lead vocalist. The first track cut by the new Grass Roots in the spring of 1967 was "Let's Live for Today," a new version of a song that had been an Italian hit, in a lighter, more up-tempo version, for a band called the Rokes. "Let's Live for Today" was an achingly beautiful, dramatic, and serious single and it shot into the Top Ten upon its release in the summer of 1967. An accompanying album, Let's Live for Today, only reached number 75.

The group began spreading its wings in the studio with their next album, Feelings, recorded late in 1967, which emphasized the band's material over Sloan and Barri's. This was intended as their own statement of who they were, but it lacked the commercial appeal of anything on Let's Live for Today, sold poorly, and never yielded any hit singles. Eleven months went by before the group had another chart entry, and during that period, Sloan and Barri's partnership broke up, with Sloan departing for New York and an attempt at a performing career of his own. The band even considered splitting up as all of this was happening. The Grass Roots' return to the charts (with Barri producing), however, was a triumphant one -- in the late fall of 1968, "Midnight Confessions" reached number five on the charts and earned a gold record. "Midnight Confessions" showed the strong influence of Motown, and the R&B flavor of the song stuck with Barri and the band.

Rock band The Grass Roots

In April of 1969, Creed Bratton left the band, to be replaced by Denny Provisor on keyboards and Terry Furlong on lead guitar. Now a quintet, the Grass Roots went on cutting records without breaking stride, enjoying a string of Top 40 hits that ran into the early '70s, peaking with "Temptation Eyes" at number 15 in the summer of 1971. Coonce and Provisor left at the end of 1971, to be replaced by Reed Kailing on lead guitar, Virgil Webber on keyboards, and Joel Larson -- of the original Bedouins/Grass Roots outfit -- on drums. They arrived just in time to take advantage of the number 16 success of "Two Divided by Love," which was the last of the Grass Roots' big hits. The Grass Roots soldiered on for a few more years, reaching the Top 40 a couple of times in 1972, but their commercial success slowly slipped away during 1973. They kept working for a few more years, but called it quits in 1975.

Rob Grill remained in the music business on the organizing side, and by 1980 was persuaded by his friend John McVie to cut a solo album, Uprooted, which featured contributions by Mick Fleetwood and Lindsay Buckingham. By 1982, amid the burgeoning oldies concert circuit and the respect beginning to be accorded the Grass Roots, Grill formed a new Grass Roots -- sometimes billed as Rob Grill and the Grass Roots -- and began performing as many as 100 shows a year. Their presence on various oldies package tours have seen to it that the Grass Roots' name remains visible.

The Grass Roots mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs The Grass Roots

Journey

2008-06-24T23:57:00.001-07:00

Journey mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Journey

Journey Band

During their initial 14 years of existence (1973-1987), Journey altered their musical approach and their personnel extensively while becoming a top touring and recording band. The only constant factor was guitarist Neal Schon (born February 27, 1954), a music prodigy who had been a member of Santana in 1971-1972. The original unit, which was named in a contest on KSAN-FM in San Francisco, featured Schon, bassist Ross Valory, drummer Prairie Prince (replaced by Aynsley Dunbar), and guitarist George Tickner (who left after the first album). Another former Santana member, keyboard player and singer Gregg Rolie, joined shortly afterward. This lineup recorded Journey (1975), the first of three moderate-selling jazz-rock albums given over largely to instrumentals. By 1977, however, the group decided it needed a strong vocalist/frontman and hired Steve Perry (born January 22, 1949).

Journey Rock Band

The results were immediately felt on the fourth album, Infinity (1978), which sold a million copies within a year. (By this time, Dunbar had been replaced by Steve Smith.) Evolution (1979) was similarly successful, as was Departure (after which Rolie was replaced by Jonathan Cain). Following a live album, Captured (1981), Journey released Escape, which broke them through to the top ranks of pop groups by scoring three Top Ten hit singles, all ballads highlighting Perry's smooth tenor: "Who's Crying Now," "Don't Stop Believin'," and "Open Arms." The album topped the charts and sold millions. Frontiers (1983), featuring the hit "Separate Ways," was another big success, after which Perry released a double-platinum solo album, Street Talk (1984). When the group got back together to make a new album, Valory and Smith were no longer in the lineup and Raised on Radio (1986) was made by Schon, Perry, and Cain, who added other musicians for a tour.

Journey

Following the tour, Journey disbanded. Perry went into a prolonged period of seclusion as Schon and Cain formed Bad English with vocalist John Waite. Bad English had several hit singles, including the chart-topper "When I See You Smile," before breaking up. Perry returned to recording in 1994, releasing For the Love of Strange Medicine. Although the album went gold, it was a commercial disappointment by previous standards. In 1996, Perry, Schon, Cain, Valory, and Smith staged a Journey reunion, releasing the million-selling Trial by Fire, which featured the gold-selling Top 20 single "When You Love a Woman," and going on tour. Perry and Smith opted out of the reunion after the tour, but Journey continued, hiring a new lead singer, Steve Augeri (formerly of Tall Stories), and a new drummer, Bad English's Deen Castronovo, who made their debuts on "Remember Me," a track on the 1998 Armageddon soundtrack.

Journey Rock Band

The band next reconvened in 2001. Arrival, Journey's 11th new studio album, was released in April, followed by a national tour. The band received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 21, 2005. That same year they released a new album, Generations, and embarked on their 30th anniversary tour. Shows on the tour stretched over three hours long and were divided into two sets -- one focusing on pre-Escape material, the other on post-Escape material. The archival release Live in Houston 1981: The Escape Tour appeared on both DVD and CD in 2006.

Journey mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Journey

Electric Light Orchestra

2008-06-24T23:46:00.000-07:00

Electric Light Orchestra mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Electric Light Orchestra

Group formed in 1970 (some sources say 1971), in Birmingham, England, by active members of the English rock group the Move: Bev Bevan (drums; born November 25, 1946), Jeff Lynne (guitar, synthesizer, and lead vocals; born December 30, 1947, in Birmingham, England), Rick Price (bass), and Roy Wood (guitar and vocals); Price and Wood left band in 1972, were replaced by Michael de Albuquerque (bass), Mike Edwards (cello), Wilf Gibson (violin), Richard Tandy (guitar and keyboards; born March 26, 1948, in Birmingham, England), and Colin Walker (cello); Gibson and Walker left band in 1973, were replaced by Mik Kaminski (violin; born September 2, 1951, in Harrogate, England) and Hugh McDowell (cello; born July 31, 1953, in London, England); de Albuquerque left band in 1974, replaced by Kelly Groucutt (bass and vocals; born September 8, 1945, in Coseley, England); Edwards left band in 1974, replaced by Melvyn Gale (cello; born January 15, 1952, in London); Gale, Kaminski, and McDowell left band in 1977; band formally dissolved, 1986.

Rock Bands -Electric Light Orchestra

The Electric Light Orchestra, whose fusion of rock and classical sounds made it one of the most innovative groups to come out of the 1970s, had its origins in the mod-dadaist group the Move, one of England's more enigmatic and controversial bands of the late 1960s. It is difficult to imagine that such an unusual ensemble as the Move, infamous in Britain for wild stage antics that included smashing television sets and pianos, would give rise to the Electric Light Orchestra (also commonly known by the abbreviation ELO), a seemingly cultured pop orchestra that exerted a significant influence on contemporary music, with the use of strings, synthesizers, and exquisitely layered vocals.

The Move was a band in constant turmoil with personnel changes; some of their personality conflicts led to fistfights. The lack of cohesion showed in the group's music, the bulk of which has been hailed as imaginative by critics. Onstage violence and manic behavior were a creation of the group's manager, though leader Roy Hood was known for his own stage antics, a trait that accompanied him into other projects. During the band's first four years of existence, the Move managed to record only two albums and were the focus of an ongoing legal dispute with the then-prime minister of England, Harold Wilson. Charged with character defamation, the band eventually lost the suit. Though popular with the underground London music scene as a singles band, the Move went unrecognized in the United States until after they had disbanded. Before the group dissolved, however, after a long string of personnel changes had whittled the group down to Hood, drummer Bev Bevan, and newcomer Jeff Lynne, the Move issued their last (and possibly finest) album of new material, Message from the Country, in 1971. Contractual disputes eventually led to the Move's demise, but before the band was finished, the remaining trio recorded what would become ELO's first album, No Answer . A well-received disc, it yielded the English hit single "10538 Overture" and started the band members on a new path.

The Electric Light Orchestra was the brainchild of remaining Move members Lynne, Bevan, and Hood, who is credited with conceiving the idea of a fully electric rock band augmented by a classical string section. Where the Move had been a wild ensemble of clashing talents, ELO was formed as a more traditional pop orchestra. No Answer, released in 1972 and featuring soloists from the London Symphony Orchestra, failed to please members of the band. To complicate matters, their early tours were depressing, tense events affected by Hood's bizarre stage antics. Following a tour of England, leader Hood parted company with ELO to form the rock and roll band Wizzard. He also recorded, produced, and engineered a solo album as well as a 1950s tribute album, Eddy and the Falcons (with the members of Wizzard). His subsequent solo albums never matched the success of ELO, which was taken over by Lynne.

Electric Light Orchestra Band

As main songwriter and lead vocalist, Lynne became central to the group's sound and eventual success. He had been critical of music from a young age, rebelling against his father's love of classical music and participating in school choir only to get out of lessons. He changed his mind when he borrowed a plastic guitar with only one string from a friend. Knowing nothing about chords, he was quite pleased with the instrument. When his father later bought him a Spanish guitar, he was delighted.

A school dropout, Lynne soon found himself fired from his first job and bounced from one job to another almost as frequently as he changed musical groups--for it seemed everyone in the 1960s was involved with a band, and he was no different. In 1970 he left the Idle Race (with whom he had recorded one album, The Birthday Party ), joined the Move, and as the Move disintegrated and ELO prospered, the stage was set for Lynne's unique talents as a composer, lyricist, producer, and musician.

Following another round of personnel changes ELO debuted at the Reading Festival. Later additions to the group included Melvyn Gale (cello), Hugh MacDowell (cello), Bev Bevan (percussion), Rich Tandy (keyboards), Kelly Groucutt (bass and vocals), Mik Kaminski (violin), and Steve Woolam (violin and vocals).

Early success for ELO came as they opened for artists including Edgar Winter and B. B. King. In the United States they found a far more receptive audience than in Britain; Americans, it seemed, were ready for the new sound ELO was developing. ELO II, released in 1973, put the group in the spotlight as one of the new progressive classical-rock bands of the decade. The single "Roll over Beethoven," which featured a surprising contrapuntal slice of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, placed at the top of English charts for several weeks, going on to become the band's first American hit. During the same year the group completed its first American tour and released a second album, On the Third Day.

Electric Light Orchestra Band

In 1974 "Can't Get It out of My Head," from Eldorado, provided the group with their first major American hit, and the album was certified gold in 1975. Throughout the decade and in the 1980s ELO had a number of top-selling singles, including Lynne's side-long "Concerto for a Rainy Day" on Eldorado and such pop hits as "Strange Magic" and "Evil Woman" from Face the Music; "Telephone Line" from their first platinum album, A New World Record; "Don't Bring Me Down" from Discovery; "Xanadu" with Olivia Newton-John from the soundtrack of the same name; and "Hold on Tight" and "Twilight" from Time . Despite such successful singles, they remain best known for their albums and live performances.

The 1978 ELO stage show featured laser beams ricocheting off a mirrored ball hung from an ascending hot-air balloon and incorporated a five-ton, sixty-foot-wide fiberglass structure resembling a spaceship--the perfect prop to accompany the Out of the Blue album. During this time period the band's worst critic, perhaps, was its own leader. According to a 1978 People article, Lynne was "uncommonly modest for a rock star" and brutally honest in his critique of ELO's work. He called their first album "a self-indulgent nonevent," the second "pretentious," and even the eighth, Out of the Blue, merely "artistically honest pop music."

Moving to Columbia Records in 1979, ELO recorded Discovery, a landmark album featuring a forty-two-piece orchestra and thirty-voice male choir. It was soon hailed as an attempt to expand the marriage of rock and classical music and yielded two hits in "Shine a Little Love" and "Don't Bring Me Down." In the face of growing success, the band's reputation remained surprisingly good. Nevertheless, some critics viewed the band as being too pompous--particularly for the spectacle they put on during half of their 1978 concerts with the rising spaceship stage. That and other grandiose props gave ELO a certain anonymity as individuals that did not seem to overly concern them.

Electric Light Orchestra

Following the recording of Discovery the group participated in the 1980 film soundtrack Xanadu, which produced major hits with "I'm Alive," "All Over the World," and a smash hit with the title song sung by Olivia Newton-John. In 1981 the concept album Time received vastly mixed reviews. At once an impressive and creative look back on history in pop-music form, it was faulted for sounding too contemporary by some critics. Other reviewers felt the album had an impressive overall consistency, engaging in its futuristic impersonation.

The band's last album of new material, 1986's Balance of Power, was well received, compliments going to Lynne for tinkering with songs to enhance them and for his layering of vocals into a chorus. After the band dissolved Lynne scored success as a songwriter and record producer for others, including former Beatles George Harrison, and as a performer with the Traveling Wilburys, which also featured rock greats Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and the late Roy Orbison.

Electric Light Orchestra mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Electric Light Orchestra

Duran Duran

2008-06-24T23:31:00.000-07:00

Duran Duran

It was 1978 in Birmingham when Nick Rhodes (keyboards) and John Taylor (bass) created Duran Duran, a British New Romantic band. Within two years they were joined by Simon Le Bon (lead vocals), Roger Taylor (drums) and Andy Taylor (guitar) and by 1980 the band was complete.

The band played extensively in both Birmingham and London, finally gaining notice from EMI and Polygram Records, whilst on tour with Hazel O’Connor in late 1980. After lengthy discussion and deliberation, the band finally signed with EMI. They immediately began work on their debut album ‘Duran Duran’, which was released in 1981 and reached number three on the UK charts and sold over 2.5 million copies. The first single ‘Planet Earth’ made the UK’s Top 20, but it was ‘Girls on Film’, their third single, that grabbed everyone’s attention and went to number five on the charts. The saucy video to ‘Girls on Film’ ended up being banned by the BBC and heavily edited by MTV but the controversy only served to pique everyone’s interest in Duran Duran.

Duran Duran Band

Encouraged by their UK reception and wanting to test the American market, the band played an extensive US club tour that included a run at the Roxy in Los Angeles and the Ritz in New York. Duran Duran was an instant success with their undeniable chemistry, pretty-boy looks, catchy synthesizer sounds and vibrant, groundbreaking videos.

Their second album, ‘Rio’ (1981) produced three UK Top 10 hits: ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’, ‘Save a Prayer’ and ‘Rio’. The spectacular videos for these singles were filmed in Sri Lanka and Antigua. In 1982, Duran Duran supported Blondie on their US tour. The single ‘Is There Something I Should Know?’ shot straight to number one in the UK and reached number four in the US. It seemed the band could do no wrong.

Rock Bands -Duran Duran

The third album, ‘Seven and the Ragged Tiger’ (1983), was another UK number one, with the single ‘Union of the Snake’ an explosive worldwide success. The album also produced their first US number one single, ‘New Moon on Monday’. Nick Rhodes did some work with Kajagoogoo in 1983, producing their hit ‘Too Shy’. Duran Duran performed on MTV’s first New Year’s Bash, on Saturday Night Live and also at the Prince’s Trust Concert at the Dominion Theatre, London. Both Prince Charles and Princess Diana attended the concert. The band could now count Royalty amongst their fans.

Duran Duran Band

It was 1984 and Duran Duran’s fame had reached superstar status, with some likening it to ‘Beetle Mania’. In reference to this, they were even christened ‘The Fab Five’ when they appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. During a major US arena tour, they were the first band to use screens and live video footage during a live performance, enabling fans further back to have a clear view of the band and to feel more included. They were mobbed wherever they went and their merchandise broke all sales records. One of the shows on this tour was recorded and resulted in the release of the live album ‘Arena’ (1984). A documentary style film ‘Sing Blue Silver’ (1984) was also made during this tour and showed the hysterical hurricane that surrounded Duran Duran. The band then participated in the Band Aid charity single ‘Do They Know it’s Christmas’ (1984) and won two 1984 Grammy Awards for Best Long and Short Form Video.

Duran Duran

Rancid

2008-06-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

This third-generation punk rock band has stuck to the basics to great success: Keep it short, fast, loud, catchy and simple. Using the Clash as their primary reference point--indeed, many may claim that's putting it very mildly--Rancid has nonetheless come into its own as a potent punk force for a younger generation who don't know the Clash's Mick Jones from Foreigner's Mick Jones.

Rancid Punk Band

Rancid vocalist-guitarist, Tim Armstrong, and bassist, Matt Freeman, were members of Oakland's ska-punk pioneers Operation Ivy from '87 to '89. Popular in the East Bay (and influential in their own right once Rancid's fame shed light on them), Op Ivy added punk aggro and speed to ska's rhythm and tunefulness. Forming Rancid in the early '90s, the pair were joined by drummer Brett Reed, and in '93 signed to the aggressive L.A. punk label Epitaph. Their debut makes good use of Armstrong's Joe Strummer-esque vocalizations and better use of Freeman's extraordinary bass playing. Rancid's records feature the bass up front shouldering the melody, similar to John Entwistle's function in the Who. By '94, former U.K. Sub Lars Frederiksen joined as second guitarist-vocalist. Continually improving, Rancid couldn't have had better timing, for they matured at the precise moment punk caught fire in the mainstream. Following the success of East Bay homeboys Green Day and Epitaph labelmates, the Offspring, Rancid was seen as the band most likely, sparking a bidding war and serious mega-bucks offer from Epic Records. In the eleventh hour of the Epic deal, the band opted to stay indie, securing their punk credibility.

Punk Rock Bands -Rancid

Inspired by corporate rock infringement into punk's private party, Rancid's third album, ...And Out Come The Wolves, busted them wide open. Stars of Lollapalooza and MTV, Rancid still managed to maintain integrity. In '97, Armstrong launched Epitaph subsidiary Hellcat Records, specializing in old-school punk and Two Tone.

With 1998's Life Won't Wait Rancid tipped their collective hat to their ska roots, inviting members of the Specials, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and even toaster Buju Banton to join the party.

Rancid Concert

As its title suggests, 2000's Rancid--the band's second self-titled effort--has the group going full throttle back to its punk roots, as evidenced by the collection's 22 songs, which clock in under 40 minutes.

Rather than let their creative impulses tear the band apart, Rancid main men Frederiksen and Armstrong opted to put the band on hold for a few years while they pursued their respective side projects, but in true band-of-brothers fashion, each turned up as a guest on the other's endeavor. Frederickson struck first with Lars Frederiksen & the Bastards, released in 2001 on Armstrong's Hellcat.

Armstrong followed his muse in 2002, forming the Transplants with Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker, and former A.F.I. merch salesmen Rob Aston. The trio scored a Modern Rock hit with punk-hip hop hybrid "Diamonds & Guns," which later unbelievably turned up in a commercial for Garnier Fructis Shampoo/Conditioner.

Rancid

Given the success of the Transplants, talk of a Rancid sellout became almost irrelevant, but the band was still concerned about publicizing a new alliance with Warner Bros. Records. Although the band signed a deal with the major for unspecified "additional support," there was no mention of W.B. on 2003's Indestructible. Instead, the album was released under the Hellcat imprint.

Quiet Riot

2008-06-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

Quiet Riot mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Quiet Riot

Quiet Riot

For a very brief moment, Quiet Riot was a rock & roll phenomenon. Famously described as the first heavy metal bands to top the pop chart (a claim that greatly depends on one's exact definition of heavy metal), the Los Angeles quartet became an overnight sensation thanks to their monster 1983 smash album Metal Health. But Quiet Riot's road to success had in fact been long and arduous, and when their star power subsequently began too fade, their fall from grace was ironically accelerated by the man who was most responsible for taking them to the top: singer Kevin DuBrow. Unable to suppress his infamous motor mouth from assaulting many of Quiet Riot's peers, DuBrow gradually alienated his fans and fellow musicians, and in the face of plummeting record sales, faced the iniquity of being fired from his own band. The dust eventually settled and DuBrow was able to resurrect Quiet Riot in the 1990s, but despite their best efforts, the once chart-topping band would remain forever exiled to the fringes of pop conscience, and what might once have been a full chapter in rock history has instead become little more than a footnote.

The story of Quiet Riot begins with vocalist Kevin DuBrow and guitarist Randy Rhoads, who started the band in 1975 after disbanding an earlier project named Violet Fox, and completed their first lineup with bassist Kelli Garni and drummer Drew Forsyth. Along with local scene contemporaries like Van Halen, Xciter, and London, the band thrilled audiences packing the L.A. nightclubs, but found it difficult to land a record deal during the disco-dominated late '70s. Eventually securing a contract with Columbia Records in Japan, they recorded two moderately successful albums -- a 1978 eponymous debut and 1979's Quiet Riot II, featuring new bassist Rudy Sarzo -- before losing Rhoads (and later Sarzo) to Ozzy Osbourne's band (and later a tragic plane accident, rock & roll martyrdom, immortality, etc.).

Quiet Riot Band

Quiet Riot disbanded and DuBrow formed a new band under his own name, working with several musicians over the next few years before signing with independent Pasha Records, reverting to the Quiet Riot moniker, and entering the studio with new guitarist Carlos Cavazo and bassist Chuck Wright to start work on a new album. The year was 1982 and, following Randy Rhoads' well-documented demise, former henchman Sarzo quit Ozzy, pushed Wright out of the way, and brought friend and drummer Frankie Banali into the fold to complete the lineup and sessions for what would become 1983's Metal Health. Driven by the irresistible double whammy of the title track's muscular bassline (reputedly played by Wright before his dismissal) and a raucous rendition of the old Slade chestnut "Cum on Feel the Noize," the album stormed up the U.S. charts, duly reaching the number one spot and going platinum five times over in the process. Their unexpected success shocked everyone, not least of which the bandmembers, who found it pretty hard to cope with sudden stardom and the pitfalls that came with it.

Pressured to capitalize on their hot streak, Quiet Riot was rushed back into the studio to whip together 1984's Condition Critical, but unsurprisingly, the album was little more than a weak carbon copy of Metal Health -- even sinking so low as to include another chart-ready Slade cover in "Mama Weer All Crazee Now." Fans were unimpressed, and panic set in as the band watched the record quickly sliding off the charts to make way for fresher, up-and-coming L.A. glam metal contenders like Mötley Crüe and Ratt. An incensed DuBrow went on a rampage, incessantly slagging fellow metal bands, members of the press, and his own record company, in the process quite literally burning most every bridge he'd worked so hard to build. The abusive behavior also began wearing on his band mates, and by the time they re-grouped to launch a comeback with 1986's QR III, Sarzo was long gone (later joining Whitesnake) and had been replaced by former bassist Chuck Wright, most recently working with Giuffria. A failed experiment in ultra-glossy '80s metal, QR III was a third-rate Hysteria possessing none of its predecessor's blue-collar grit and became an even bigger flop, sending Quiet Riot into an irreversible tailspin.

Metal Bands -Quiet Riot

Mounting tension resulted in an all-out band mutiny at tour's end, with DuBrow finding himself abandoned at the hotel in Hawaii, while the remaining musicians and crew left on an earlier flight back to L.A. Furious, he watched in disbelief from the sidelines as Rough Cutt vocalist Paul Shortino stepped into his shoes and recorded 1988's simply named Quiet Riot with Cavazo, Banali, and new bassist Sean McNabb. The album's absolutely abysmal sales offered little consolation, and DuBrow finally gave up on diplomacy and filed an injunction against his former colleagues (apparently he still owned rights to the name), successfully bringing Quiet Riot to a stuttering halt. Frankie Banali said "good riddance" and jumped ship to join L.A. shock-metal kings W.A.S.P., while the remaining bandmembers went to ground.

Then, come 1991, DuBrow and Cavazo began working together once again in a band called Heat. In time, they began using the Quiet Riot name once again, eventually recording 1993's Terrified with bassist Kenny Hillery and a returning Banali. Down to the Bone followed two years later, and in 1997, a one-off performance at a party hosted by industrial shock rocker Marilyn Manson lured bassist Rudy Sarzo back to the fold. With their classic lineup intact once again, a re-energized Quiet Riot hit the road playing clubs across America. Public response was less than enthusiastic, however, and the band usually couldn't get arrested -- except for DuBrow, who spent a night in jail after a tour stop in Charlotte, NC, where an irate fan had sued him for injuries sustained at a previous show. This and other roadside misadventures were captured on 1999's optimistically named Alive and Well live album, and 2001 saw the release of Guilty Pleasures, the first recording by the band's classic lineup in 17 years.

Quiet Riot 2006

Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, said album wasn't able to capture lightning in a bottle for a second time, and Quiet Riot quietly broke up shortly thereafter. Unwilling to put the band to rest, DuBrow and Banali recruited guitarist Neil Citron and bassist Tony Franklin for the recording of Rehab in 2006. Sadly, at age 52, DuBrow's singing career was cut short. His body was found in his Las Vegas apartment on Sunday, November 25, 2007.

Quiet Riot mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Quiet Riot

Motley Crue's Saints Of Los angeles Out on Market

2008-06-21T09:02:00.001-07:00

Motley Crue first new studio album Saints of Los Angeles is out in the market, their first new studio album is recorded with all of the original band members in over a decade.

Motley Crue's New Album "Saints Of Los Angeles"

These guys can still rock, the album sounds amazing and it looks pretty promising. The boys in Crue have lived up the their badass reputation and the album could have been dated 1987 … it’s the old Crue (a little aged) but it still sounds like them. Check this out if you love ‘em, and for you youngens who’ve never picked up a record, check this out. Good solid rockin’ at the core. Enjoy!

All the filth and fury of their Eighties heyday, finally funneled into an album Mötley Cüe have created a cottage industry out of rehashing their excesses: Their tales of debauchery have already fueled dozens of books and a standard-bearing episode of Behind the Music. Now they've woven those stories into their first album in eight years. Inspired by their 2001 sleazeography, The Dirt, Saints of Los Angeles finds Vince Neil flashing back to the band's golden age: gigging on the Sunset Strip, snorting powders, screwing the wrong girls and (later) filing lawsuits (the band sued its former manager last year).

Motley Crue The Saints Of Los Angeles

The trip down memory lane helps the Crüe connect to their old sound: Much of Saints rocks with the same raucous fun as their Eighties albums, delivering glam guitars and arena-size choruses on cuts like the wickedly catchy "Down at the Whisky." Contemporary radio rock creeps in on the angsty Staind-style ballad "The Animal in Me," which seems to concern Nikki Sixx's heroin addiction. But to show they're still bad boys and horndogs at heart, they also deliver the teenage-rebellion anthems "Face Down in the Dirt" and "This Ain't a Love Song" (second part of chorus: "This is a fuck song"). Fun fact: As of press time, all four members of Mötley Cüe are still alive.

Motley Crue New Pic

TRACKLiSTING:

1. “L.A.M.F.” - 1:23

2. “Face Down in the Dirt” - 3:44

3. “What’s It Gonna Take” - 3:45

4. “Down at the Whisky” - 3:50

5. “Saints of Los Angeles” - 3:40

6. “Muther Fucker of the Year” - 3:55

7. “The Animal in Me” - 4:16

8. “Welcome to the Machine” - 3:00

9. “Just Another Psycho” - 3:36

10. “Chicks = Trouble” - 3:13

11. “This Ain’t a Love Song” - 3:25

12. “White Trash Circus” - 2:51

13. “Goin’ Out Swingin’” - 3:27

Anthrax

2008-06-21T01:18:00.001-07:00

If thrash metal pioneers ANTHRAX weren't survivors, their career certainly would not have lasted 13 powerful years. They wouldn't have forged the speed metal bible Among the Living, created the highly influential metal rap crossover "I'm the Man" or recorded with Public Enemy. They wouldn't have lasted through metal's lean years in the '90s and revamped their sound to lash out anew with the firepower of Sound of White Noise or the criminally underrated Stomp 442. But it took more than survival instincts to grind their way through the past two years, and create VOLUME 8: THE THREAT IS REAL, one of the freshest, most emotional metal albums of the decade. It took patience, strength and exhaustive determination.

"We had so much adversity going into this record," says guitarist and songwriter Scott Ian. "We recorded it without a record deal, and there were all kinds of personal stuff I went through around the same time that really tore me apart inside."

Anthrax

"There was a lot of stuff that hurt us, but in the long run it was probably for the best," adds drummer and songwriter Charlie Benante. "The material on this album is so much better than anything we've ever done. It's so pissed off and real and emotional."

VOLUME 8: THE THREAT IS REAL covers all the bases: "Crush" explodes with thundering double bass drums and staccato guitar bursts, "Toast" echoes with vulnerable vocals and alt-country twang, "Inside Out" surges with blowtorch guitar grooves and "Hog Tied" tumbles with pulsing wah-wah guitar and an anthemic chorus. The only thing missing from the mix is electronica. "I actually recorded with Tricky on his new record," says Ian. "But Anthrax is all about power and volume and intensity. It didn't seem like the place for drum and bass and techno." "We wanted to tackle everything we could musically and put it on this record," says Benante. "I always thought it would be cool to take the best elements of our last three records and put it into one killer album. Also, I was listening to a lot of '70s stuff like Led Zeppelin and the Who, and I think that definitely had some sort of impact."

Ian, Benante, vocalist John Bush and bassist Frank Bello started working on VOLUME 8: THE THREAT IS REAL after they finished their 1996 tour for Stomp 442. The band had just parted ways with Elektra after two records, and was looking for a new label. Rather than wait until the red tape stopped unrolling, ANTHRAX pooled their finances and built their own studio in Yonkers. By November they started conveying their feelings of betrayal, disillusionment and rage into new songs, and for the next year, they finessed, and reshaped the material into different forms, experimenting with style and tone to find the sonic punch that would impact the hardest. "Having the luxury of owning our own studio turned out to be both a blessing and a curse," says Ian. "It enabled us to go back and do things 100 times over. But sometimes the hardest thing in the world is to stand back and let things go. From an experimental and creative point, Charlie was able to bring his Hammond organ in and sit there and fuck with it for three days. Whereas if we were in a place that was $1,500 a day, you can't do that. So that was cool. We were able to let the songs grow and evolve into what they wanted to become, but it was sometimes an agonizing process."

Anthrax I'm The Man

Throughout VOLUME 8: THE THREAT IS REAL, ANTHRAX toys with thrash, punk, funk, shitkicking rock and heartstring-tugging balladry, redefining and refining the concept of '90s metal. "We're still Anthrax, and we have a particular sound, but I think this record comes across as more of a diverse rock record than anything else we've done," says Ian. "But if you look at it, our guitars are heavier than most rock bands, but the songs aren't that far from something by a group like Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin or the Foo Fighters. A lot of it was actually inspired by Bob Mould, who wrote brutal music that always had a poppy hook. This album has so much melody and so many hooks. The choruses are huge, but that doesn't take away from any of the heaviness." Aside from the contagious choruses and multifarious flavors, what really separates VOLUME 8: THE THREAT IS REAL from the morass of metal is its pulsing, pounding groove. "That's what I love about Pantera," says Ian. "As heavy as they are, they always have an amazing groove. Led Zeppelin had the same thing going, and it's something that's been missing from out past records. But this one is heavy and it swings." Bello adds, "I think we are a better band than we ever were. We are much stronger and cohesive as a band musically. Bottom line is we stayed current. Just because the music around us has changed, we didn't. We always step up to the plate, and get it done. METAL!!!"

And for every blowtorch riff or propulsive rhythm, Bush is front and center, singing in a voice powered by attitude and emotion. Whether howling in pure defiance or crooning a tuneful melody, his impressionistic voice belies that of they typical metal crooner. "There was actually a period when we were working on the record, where I was having a lot of trouble with my voice," says Bush. "But I kept working on it, and I overcame the difficulties. These are probably the best vocals I've ever done, and I think I'm singing better than ever these days. I'm really concentrating on the character and vibe of my vocals, and I think that's a lot more important than having a massive range."

Anthrax Metal Band

In addition to capturing the musical transformation of ANTHRAX, VOLUME 8: THE THREAT IS REAL conveys the intense personal struggle the band endured after being dropped from Elektra. Despite the fact that their album Sound off White Noise went Gold, Elektra refused to promote the band or support them on tour. Regardless, the band's last album, Stomp 442, sold over 100,000 copies, an impressive amount considering many fans didn't even know the record was out. "That whole thing was totally devastating," says Benante. We put a lot of heart and soul into it and the record label just dropped the ball. It was like being hit in the face with the wrecking ball on the record cover." The turmoil that resulted, shook the band up. Ian became separted from his wife, and members of ANTHRAX embarked on a self - destructive rampage. The hedonistic revelry hit a peak in August, 1997 when Ian was arrested in Florida for breaking into the Yankee's Spring training stadium and stealing the mat for the on-deck-circle. "That's when I hit rock bottom," he says. "I've never been so low as I was when I was sitting in jail after doing that. What happened is really funny, and the press reported it with a sense of humor, but I really let myself get out of control. It was something I felt so horrible about doing, and I don't really want to be in that state of mind again." Recently, ANTHRAX supporter Howard Stern went to bat for the band and in an on-air broadcast, helped convince Yankee owner George Steinbrenner to drop the charges against Ian. "Now, I'm just trying to stay as far away from jail as possible," Ian says.

Like a member of Alcoholics' Anonymous who talks about addiction in order to cope with it, Ian has written about his recent personal demons in an attempt to exorcise them. "Writing about what's going on in my life is really cathartic," he says. "Gone are the days of writing about Indians and comic books and horror movies. I can never write a song like that anymore. I can only write from personal experience, and I think that makes the feelings in the songs much more real."

ANTHRAX are so happy VOLUME 8: THE THREAT IS REAL they're threatening to play the entire album on their upcoming world tour. Even after 13 years, the band is still hungry to defy convention and break new ground. "Seriously, there's not a song on this record that I don't want to play, and I can't say that about any record we've ever done," says Ian. "If we had to walk away from all of this after this record, I'd feel happy just knowing that we went out with a bang."

Meat Loaf

2008-06-21T01:01:00.000-07:00

Meat Loaf mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf was born in Dallas, Texas in the midst of America’s post-World War II baby boom. In 1967, after spending his childhood in the Lone Star State, he moved to Los Angeles, California and then to Detroit, Michigan.

During the last few years of the ‘60s, Meat Loaf fronted a band (in California and in and around Detroit) known alternatively as Meat Loaf Soul, Popcorn Blizzard and the Floating Circus, which opened for such rock and roll superstars as the Kinks, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, MC5, Ted Nugent, and Big Brother and the Holding Company (with Janis Joplin). Meat Loaf remembers, "We opened for every band you can name, with the exception of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Jefferson Airplane."

As Meat Loaf was paying his rock and roll dues, he also enjoyed his first success as an actor. In 1969, he landed a part in Los Angeles production of the infamous ‘60s stage musical, Hair, then travelled with the show to Detroit, and eventually, to Broadway.

Meat Loaf

While in the Motor City, Meat Loaf met a singer who went by the name of Stoney. In 1971, the two released an album, Stoney And Meatloaf, featuring the single "What You See Is What You Get", which climbed to number 11 on the national R & B charts. The album was released in 1979 as Meat Loaf (Featuring- Stoney).

In the early 1970’s, with his foot in the doors of both music and theatre worlds, Meat Loaf moved to New York City and broke through both doors. Over the next few years, Meat Loaf starred in several productions for Joe Papp’s Shakespeare In The Park (including productions of Othello and As You Like It). He appeared off-off-Broadway at Cafe La Mama (in Silver Queen and other productions), at the Downtown Playhouse (in the Sam Sheppard play, Billy The Kid And Jean Harlow), at the Manhattan Theatre Club (in Black And White), and in Gold Pizizer, a one-act at Actor’s Studio. Meat Loaf also appeared in the off-Broadway production of the gospel musical, Rainbow In New York, and productions of The Vietnam Project and More Than You Deserve.

On Broadway, Meat Loaf appeared in Hair, starred as Eddie in 1974’s hugely successful production of The Rocky Horror Show (which also played at Los Angeles’ Roxy Theatre during this time), in The National Lampoon Show and had a featured role in Gower Champion’s Rock-a-Bye Hamlet. Meat Loaf also appeared at Lincoln Center and at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Meat Loaf

Also about this time, Meat Loaf sang lead vocals on Ted Nugent’s double-platinum album, Free For All. Meat Loaf’s television credits include appearances on such diverse shows as Tales From The Crypt, The Equalizer, Monsters , The Odd Couple, Lighting Force, Saturday Night Live and nearly every talk show in the world, with the exception of The Arsenio Hall Show.

Despite his extensive experience before the cameras, Meat Loaf never lost his love for the concert stage. Since his landmark Bat Out Of Hell tour (during which Karla DeVito replaced Ellen Foley as back-up singer), Meat Loaf has played countless hundreds of shows all around the world.

"I’m a touring fool," Meat Loaf enthusiastically agrees. "I did 500 shows before we started recording Bat Out Of Hell II. I signed my MCA contract on a tour bus. They sent it to me by Federal Express, I signed it, I had my road manager snap a Polaroid, and I went from there onto the stage."

Meat Loaf also toured in many out-of-the-way places that aren’t typically visited by the rock and roll elite. "I was the first international artist to extensively tour Ireland," he says. "U2 won’t tour Ireland the way I toured Ireland. I spent three and a half weeks playing in these barns, in the middle of fields. I’d think, ‘Who’s gonna come here?’ and there’d be 3,000 people in the barn by showtime."

"On tour is where I’m most comfortable," Meat Loaf says. "I want to have the best show in the world, give real value for the money, and I’m willing to work my ass off for it." It was inevitable, however, that Meat Loaf would one day return to the recording studio for the sequel to his landmark Bat Out Of Hell album. So in April 1989, after Meat Loaf and Steinman signed with MCA Records, they began preparing the songs that would become Bat Out Of Hell II. After more than three years of hard work, the album, co-produced by Meat Loaf and Steinman, is finally ready.

"I think the record is very deep in songs," Meat Loaf says. "I never want to say I’m equal to anybody, and I never want to compare myself to anybody, but I think this is a really great record."

Meat Loaf Soul

Bat Out Of Hell II features the songs "I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)," "Life Is A Lemon And I Want My Money Back," "Rock ‘n Roll Dreams Come Through," "It Just Won’t Quit," "Good Girls Go To Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere)," "Objects In The Rear View Mirror (May Appear Closer Than They Are)," "Everything Louder Than Everything Else," "Lost Boys And Golden Girls" and a frantic burst of guitar and vocal screaming called "Love, Death and American Guitar."

Meat Loaf mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Meat Loaf

Joy Division

2008-06-21T00:33:00.000-07:00

Joy Division mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Joy Division

Joy Division

Formed in the wake of the punk explosion in England, Joy Division became the first band in the post-punk movement by later emphasizing not anger and energy but mood and expression, pointing ahead to the rise of melancholy alternative music in the '80s. Though the group's raw initial sides fit the bill for any punk band, Joy Division later incorporated synthesizers (taboo in the low-tech world of '70s punk) and more haunting melodies, emphasized by the isolated, tortured lyrics of its lead vocalist, Ian Curtis. While the British punk movement shocked the world during the late '70s, Joy Division's quiet storm of musical restraint and emotive power proved to be just as important to independent music in the 1980s.

The band was founded in early 1977, soon after the Sex Pistols had made their first appearance in Manchester. Guitarist Bernard Albrecht (b. Bernard Dicken, January 4, 1956) and bassist Peter Hook (b. February 13, 1956) had met while at the show and later formed a band called the Stiff Kittens; after placing an ad through a Manchester record store, they added vocalist Ian Curtis (b. July 15, 1956) and drummer Steve Brotherdale. Renamed Warsaw (from David Bowie's "Warszawa"), the band made its live debut the following May, supporting the Buzzcocks and Penetration at Manchester's Electric Circus. After the recording of several demos, Brotherdale quit the group in August 1977, prompting the hire of Stephen Morris (b. October 28, 1957). A name change to Joy Division in late 1977 -- necessitated by the punk band Warsaw Pakt -- was inspired by Karol Cetinsky's World War II novel The House of Dolls. (In the book, the term "joy division" was used as slang for concentration camp units wherein female inmates were forced to prostitute themselves for the enjoyment of Nazi soldiers.)

Joy Division

Playing frequently in the north country during early 1978, the quartet gained the respect of several influential figures: Rob Gretton, a Manchester club DJ who became the group's manager; Tony Wilson, a TV/print journalist and owner of the Factory Records label; and Derek Branwood, a record executive with RCA Northwest, who recorded sessions in May 1978, for what was planned to be Joy Division's self-titled debut LP. Though several songs bounded with punk energy, the rest of the album showed at an early age the band's later trademarks: Curtis' themes of post-industrial restlessness and emotional despair, Hook's droning bass lines, and the jagged guitar riffs of Albrecht.

The album should have been hailed as a punk classic, but when a studio engineer added synthesizers to several tracks -- believing that the punk movement had to move on and embrace new sounds -- Joy Division scrapped the entire LP. (Titled Warsaw for a 1982 bootleg, the album was finally given wide issue ten years later.) The first actual Joy Division release came in June 1978, when the initial mid-1977 demos were released as the EP An Ideal for Living, on the band's own Enigma label. Early in 1979, the buzz surrounding Joy Division increased with a session recorded for John Peel's BBC radio show.

Ian Curtis ( Joy Division )

The group began recording with producer Martin Hannett and released Unknown Pleasures on old friend Tony Wilson's Factory label in July 1979. The album enjoyed immense critical acclaim and a long stay on the U.K.'s independent charts. Encouraged by the punk buzz, the American Warner Bros. label offered a large distribution contract that fall. The band ignored it but did record another radio session for John Peel on November 26th. (Both sessions were later collected on the Peel Sessions album.)

During late 1979, Joy Division's manic live show gained many converts, partly due to rumors of Curtis' ill health. An epilepsy sufferer, he was prone to breakdowns and seizures while on stage -- it soon grew difficult to distinguish the fits from his usual on-stage jerkiness and manic behavior. As the live dates continued and the new decade approached, Curtis grew weaker and more prone to seizures. After a short rest over the Christmas holiday, Joy Division embarked on a European tour during January, though several dates were cancelled because of Curtis. The group began recording its second LP after the tour ended (again with Hannett), and released "Love Will Tear Us Apart" in April. The single was again praised but failed to move beyond the independent charts. After one gig in early May, the members of Joy Division were given two weeks of rest before beginning the group's first U.S. tour. Two days before the scheduled flight, however, Curtis was found dead in his home, the victim of a self-inflicted hanging.

Before Curtis' death, the band had agreed that Joy Division would cease to exist if any member left, for any reason. Ironically though, the summer of 1980 proved to be the blooming of the band's commercial status, when a re-release of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" rose to number 13 on the British singles chart. In August, the release of Closer finally united critics' positivity with glowing sales, as the album peaked at number six. Before the end of the summer, Unknown Pleasures was charting as well.

Joy Division Band

By January of the following year, Hook, Morris, and Albrecht (now Bernard Sumner) had formed New Order, with Sumner taking over vocal duties. Also in 1981, the posthumous release of Still -- including two sides of rare tracks and two of live songs -- rose to number five on the British charts. As New Order's star began to shine during the '80s, the group had trouble escaping the long shadow of Curtis and Joy Division. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" charted for the third time in 1983, and 1988 also proved a big year for the defunct band: the reissued single "Atmosphere" hit number 34 and a double-album compilation entitled Substance reached number seven in the album charts. Seven years later, the 15th anniversary of Curtis' death was memorialized with a new JD compilation (Permanent: Joy Division 1995), a tribute album (A Means to an End), and a biography of his life (Touching From a Distance) written by his widow, Deborah Curtis. In 1999, the Factory label began a program of concert-performance reissues -- all overseen by the remainder of the original lineup -- with Preston Warehouse 28 February 1980.

Joy Division mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Joy Division

Candlemass

2008-06-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

Candlemass Metal band

A band that have got their own chapter in The National Encyclopedia of Doom. Candlemass released the first masterpiece of misery in 1986 with the classic "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus", and from that moment we judge heavieness with new sad eyes. If you would drop an anvil from the top of the Empire state building you understand just how heavy this band is. Darkness isn’t dark enough and massive sucidal thoughts ooze out of a record with the weight of a black hole. In 1987 the follow-up "Nightfall" was released and Candlemass were darlings of the press just like that. Destined to world-domination and fame, these swedes toured all over the world over and over again determined to save us from light mainstream shit as Guns n´ roses and Metallica. They even had a monk on stage. The almighty Messiah Marcolin ruled the scene - when he didn’t go through it and his impressive vocal talent (together with the doomdance) made sure people came to the shows and bought the records.

Massive sales both in Europe and in the states brought Candlemass into the charts in England, Germany and the american Billboard chart. Not bad for five swedes with a love for Sabbath and Trouble. Chief songwriter Leif Edling said in interviews: "We didn’t know what we were doing. We played the heaviest possible music and people just hated us. Whenever there was a gig everybody slagged us off. All of a sudden we were famous and had a million friends." It’s not easy to be prophets anywhere, but Candlemass are still hailed as one of the heaviest bands in the history of rock. If you listen to the fans they would also add one of the best. From Australia to Tokyo, South Africa to Alaska, even the eskimoes know the lyrics to "Mirror mirror" or the opening riff of "Well of souls". People wanna die to "Solitude" and sing karaoke to "At the gallows end". Hey, this band even got their own coverband: Ancient Dreams from Gothenburg.

Candlemass band

After nearly half a million sales from both sides the atlantic Candlemass disappeared from the scene in 1993, much to the grief of uncountable metal fans around the world. They wanted to quit while still on top, a bit roadweary and uninspired, but still alive and ready for new achievements. Messiah went on with Memento Mori, Lars and Jan recorded the Zoic album together, Mappe was producing a legendary swedish comedian - Kalle Sändare and Leif gave out something called Abstrakt Algebra in 1995. Two more albums bearing the name of Candlemass saw the light of day before rumours of "the second coming" started to spread in the autumn of 2001.This is what happened; The Candlemass remasters was soon to be released and the band was discussing a reunion. They all met for the first time in ten years over a pizza and beer at a Stockholm restaurant. The meeting was a total success. Not only were the boys ready to destroy Stockholm again at a releaseparty held on the 13:th of december, they all agreed to give Europe a lesson in doom in the upcoming summer of 2002.

So here we are now. After some total doom-mania - to celebrate the fantastic re-issues - at the Wildside Club in Stockholm, the boys are now back in the rehearsal room. Messiah, Leif, Mappe, Jan and Lars are getting prepared to take on the european festivals. Greece, Italy, Spain and Germany will all receive a visit from the heaviest band in the world. As will the Sweden Rock Festival, the official kick-off of the tour. Expect a wall of Marshalls, a sea of lights, bombs and a mad monk on stage. Doom doesn’t get any better than this! If you live in the States, South-America or Japan - watch out! You’ll be next!!!

Candlemass Band

My Chemical Romance

2008-06-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

My Chemical Romance mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs My Chemical Romance

Gerard Way- Vocals
Ray Toro- Guitar
Mikey Way- Bass
Frank Iero- Guitar
Matt Pelissier- Drums

Lifting their name from the cult description of Irvine Welsh's novels, My Chemical Romance is emerging as one of the most promising young bands in recent musical memory. Their sound, distinct and fresh, pledges allegiance to everyone from Iron Maiden and The Misfits to Morrissey and At The Gates.

My Chemical Romance

Having a live show that explodes with energy and leaves a footprint in the face of all things in it's way, My Chemical Romance has spent 2003 trekking around the United States numerous times and traveled to Europe to do a string of dates in the UK, Germany, Holland, & Spain. This has given the five lads a chance to further hone their skills and craft, all the while connecting with fans on an international level. It all seems like quite a feat for a little band from Newark, NJ.

The chronicle of My Chemical Romance is a twisted voyage through many years of grimy New Jersey suburbs. The five members have been very loose-knit friends since their high school years. There were many incarnations of local bands throughout that time, but never the combination that left that feeling of satisfaction they were striving for. As high school ended, the band members were scattered in all different directions in a search to find out what they would become. This left some attending school, while others went instantly into full time jobs. Over the years, the guys stayed in contact with each other. "I was doing animation in New York City, living in my mother's basement," states Gerard, "and I was really starting to question the direction of my life. So I called Matt, who'd been asking himself a lot of the same questions. We decided we would get together and play some music."

After writing a song, and getting together with Matt, Gerard decided it was time to move forward. "The song, 'Skylines And Turnstiles,' came out pretty good. So I decided to call Ray, who is the best guitarist I know."

The three of them spent the next few months in what was considered "a constant state of seeing what would happen." The result of this was another demo, recorded in an attic in the winter of 2001.

My Chemical Romance Band

"Things started moving rather quickly after that," explains Gerard. "Mikey heard about what we were up to and wanted to be a part of it. My brother didn't really know much about being a bassist, but he knew that was what we needed, so he learned to play almost overnight. We are all very impressed."

After being picked up by the New Jersey independent Eyeball Records, My Chemical Romance marched into a studio in upstate New York to record their debut album in May of 2002. Still feeling incomplete, the band recruited Frank to fill out their sound. Tracking the record in just over two week's time, My Chemical Romance was all ready to go. What they never saw coming was that their ability to write songs would touch the hearts and souls of nearly everyone they came across.

I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love was released in July of 2003. With this album came an avalanche of interest in the band. Constant regional touring created a fan base that is loyal to no end. The next evolutional step was to expand the touring to a national level. Securing opening spots on high profile tours, they set out in a van for the next 14 months of their lives.

My Chemical Romance did not take these opportunities to appeal to more fans than they expected very lightly. From swaggering to leaping, the band set out to grab people by the throat, scream until they listened, than explode in their face with unprecedented energy and performance that would not be ignored. They have something to say and want you to listen. The cool darkness of Gerard's lyrics & vocals may leave you to think of Nick Cave, Greg Dulli, or a young Reznor, while the wall of sound behind him will seal the coffin of what was. From "Demolition Lovers" and "Early Sunsets Over Monroeville," to the big rock of "Headfirst For Halos" and "Vampires Will Never Hurt You," My Chemical Romance really does have something to say. They will prove that in music, is life. And this life is darker than any New Jersey shore could ever be. Just listen for yourself.

Rock bands - My Chemical Romance

Orlando Florida Guide Reader Comments about My Chemical Romance:

"My Chemical Romance is awesome in concert. I've seen them three times and all three times they have blown me away. Once they stopped in the middle of a song to tell people if their here to start a fight to get out is just amazing. At one of their shows somebody asked me what was the name of the band playing. If someone goes to a concert not knowing all the bands that are playing, but likes one of them enough to ask a total stranger the name of the band is Incredible. My Chemical Romance has so much energy with their shows and they sound amazing, too. You can tell they have real talent and didn't have to do much editing on their album to make it sound the way it does. They are great guys too. I met them all and they are very nice and willing to talk to fans even when they are packing up their instruments. I'm a My Chemical Romance fan forever."

My Chemical Romance mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs My Chemical Romance

Mayhem

2008-06-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

When it comes to the definitive history of black metal, only one name has survived all the sensationalism. Through the church burnings, murder, imprisonments and myopic teenage nationalism, only MAYHEM has been able to channel the circus like atmosphere, which surrounded a core of fanatical bands, into a sustained musical career, in the studio and more importantly, on stage.

Metal Band MAYHEM

In '84 in the cold darkness of sunless winters, MAYHEM was born! The unholy trinity of Euronymous (guitar/vox), Manheim (drums) and Necrobutcher (bass/vox) perfected their black art away from prying eyes of metal scrutiny. In '86, after a single demo, the modestly entitled "Pure Fucking Armageddon", the band enlisted Maniac as a full time vocalist. His debut was a re-working of the demo material, christened "Deathcrush".

What should have been a triumphant time, directly after that first recording as a quartet, turned into a dark chapter, not only for the band, but for the burgeoning underground scene as well. A series of events from which many have never completely recovered. Following the release, Manheim and Maniac left the band, to be replaced by Dead on vocals and the band's current drum deity, Hellhammer. While that line-up could only muster a pair of studio compilations, Dead does appear on "Live in Leipzig", regarded by many as the first live black metal recording ever. It heralded something of a new era, as many of the fledging Norwegian artists disdained live performances, let alone an actual tour outside the homeland. After the tour Dead commits suicide.

As a twosome, Euronymous and Hellhammer recruited the infamous Count Grishnackh (Burzum) to play bass and Atilla to handle the tortured vocals on the debut, "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas", which was unleashed on an unsuspecting world in 1993.

Mayhem Band

After the murder of Euronymous and the subsequent arrest of Count Grishnackh, the details of which remain sketchy to this day, Hellhammer decided to continue MAYHEM. Both Necrobutcher and Maniac rejoin the band, and Blasphemer was chosen as the new guitarist. After several years of silence, a follow-up studio album was finally recorded. In 1997 the five tracks "Wolf Lair Abyss" hits the market. The MCD was the answer to "Deathcrush", Raw, Brutal and Evil. In 1999, "Mediolanum Capta Est", the second live CD, albeit the first with the new and current line-up, was released.

While "De Mysteriis Dom Santhanas" is seen as an album that set new standards in the world of metal, unlike many contemporaries, MAYHEM weren't content to rest on their laurels. The band sought to usher in the new millennium with a bold step, "Grand Declaration of War". The album picks up where "Wolf's Lair Abyss" left off, hence it starts with the paradoxically entitled, "Part II." The destruction continues through the fifth track. Thereafter, the recreation of MAYHEM, if not the entire black metal genre, takes off, devoid of instruments, like the emptiness of a battlefield without warriors.

2001 sees the release of the third live platter entitled "Legions". ("European Legions" in Europe and "U.S. Legions" in the States) The two CDs feature slightly different track listings and both feature raw studio tracks and outtakes from the GDOW sessions. These records and a subsequent DVD (recorded in SOM's homeland of Marseille, France) is a whirlwind of psychotic energy and punishing rhythms, MAYHEM live is a special sight and the DVD bears witness to that.

Mayhem

Now as you read this you hold a copy of the newest MAYHEM outing titled "Chimera". MAYHEM once again travels into the dark landscapes and emerges with the darkest record yet. Having proven themselves ahead of the times with "GDOW", "Chimera" is a total return to the blackness that made them, and MAYHEM once again regains the throne of darkness that is rightfully theirs! The following times will see a full-fledged world tour and the legend will continue to grow! Be warned!!!

Venom

2008-06-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

Venom

This is by no means Venom's complete history.Just some facts.Few is known about Venom unfortunately.

Wind swept Newcastle,England 1979 was a bleak landscape and there dwelled one Conrad Lant,known as Cronos,singing and handling bass duties;one Jeff Dunn,known as Mantas,playing guitar,and one Tony Bray ,known as Abaddon on drums.

They were unsettled with the metal scene.The hardest bands around were Motorhead and Judaspriest but something more was needed.Who would take metal to its next (il)logical stage of development?They always say if noone is providing what you want get on with it yourself.This then,is precisely what the unholy alliance of Lant/Dunn/Bray proposed to do.

Actually Venom started as a 5 member band called Oberon .Abaddon and Mantas met at a JudasPriest gig and decided to make a band.The whole idea was Mantas':he worked as a roadie in concerts and also he was into motorcycles where he had the nickname Venom .Cronos went to Venom as a guitarist. However when Mantas wrote Live Like An Angel,Die Like A Devil he asked Cronos to sing it.Everyone liked it then.At the same time Abaddon had arranged to play to a club but there was noone to play bass since the bass player had quit to wed.So Cronos thought he should try playing the bass since he saw that playing the basic notes wasn't that hard.Everyone liked it and the band remained that way.

Venom Metal Band

Venom's debut was terrifying:First of all the cover of the album.Up until then the only band that mentioned Satan was Black Sabbath.Venom thought that Sabbath were too "light" though.So they released this shocking,for the time, cover...To the music now things got even worse...Venom were certainly the heaviest band on the planet.Many people thought it was just noise and not music.The production was not good in their first album but it is a minor detail in Venom's music.What counted most was the atmosphere.

Welcome To Hell was a tremendous success,it was one of the Top 10 albums of 1981.When others were releasing "mild" songs ,Venom released Welcome To Hell and spread havoc.Noone could believe his ears.Everything seemed just so heavy,evil,trully black.

And that's how they came up next year with one of the best metal albums ever: Black Metal. I can't say anything about this album,and the first one of course.They are metal masterpieces ,every metal fan must have them.Super classic songs,performed millions of times by newer bands,they set a totally new pace in metal music.The music itself was exactly what the title said:black metal.Blackness,darkness,evilness,hatred...Their music had it all.Everything contributed to this from Abaddon's fast and passionate drums(aka 125 Intercity),Mantas' riffs and Cronos' bass and angry vocals.

At that time Venom were at the top of the world along with another important NWOBHM band: Iron Maiden .In 1984 they released At War With Satan .This album had something unique:a 21 minute song!The first side of the album was taken over by "At War With Satan". No other metal tracks were so long in duration at that time.Even today it remains the biggest thrash metal song.

Venom started touring... They are well known about their gigs.As Mantas said in a concert once:"If you wanna hear Venom,go home and listen to your fuckin'LP's cos tonight you are gonna get one and a half hours of pure fuckin'mayhem..."

And this reflects the truth...When Venom hit the stage they literally exploded in your face with dozens of bombs going off before they had even played the first note.To get an idea of how a Venom concert is here is what a Security Guard from The Paramount Theatre said:"I thought i'd seen it all in 'Nam.But this band scare me more than anything i've experienced before.I'll not go on that stage for anything.The whole audience can invade but i'm staying put."

Venom Band

1986 came with many good bands with good albums such as Slayer with Reign In Blood and Metallica with Master Of Puppets.Venom released Possessed in 1986.However it was difficult for the band to face the competition of the previous two bands. These two bands were the best in the metal scene at that time.Possessed however wasn't as succesful as the previous albums,and that's a shame to my opinion as all of its songs are awesome.Venom realised what had gone wrong with Possessed and decided to rectify all.So they recorded a new album called Deadline that featured 10 Possessed type songs,but it was never released.At that time Mantas left and decided to follow a solo carrier and at then everyone thought that this would be the end of Venom.

Here begins the complexed part:Abaddon and Cronos didn't want to ruin Venom,so they found an American and a local guitarist, Mike Hickey and Jimmy Clare,and did Calm Before The Storm in 1987.It was a good album and Mantas wrote some of the songs.It sounded strange however:the songs didn't sound very "Venom".Of course you knew it whose it was when you listened to it,but it bore little resemblance to the older albums.But the worst part is that after that Cronos left with the two guitarists leaving Abaddon on his own.Cronos followed a "solo" carrier releasing albums under the name "Cronos".Abaddon however made clear that he wanted to keep the name Venom.

So in 1989,Mantas returned and along with Al Barnes on guitar and Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan from Atomkraft on vocals and bass guitar.At that time the band was also reffered to (unofficially of course) as Venom MKII .They recorded Prime Evil in 1989,a very good album,but to my opinion Dolan wasn't as good as Cronos,his typical wild angry(classic Venom) voice was gone.In fact Cronos said that he listened to "Harder Than Ever" once and he thought that Dolan was saying in the riff "I ain't Cronos,I ain't Cronos".And i think this is the truth.Maybe Dolan was a good singer but he wasn't the appropriate for Venom.After the release of Prime Evil they started doing some small warm up gigs in small clubs under the name Sons Of Satan (the first track on Welcome To Hell). The band recorded two other albums Temples Of Ice and Waste Lands plus an EP Tear Your Soul Apart

The band didn't release any other albums until in 1996 Cronos came back to Venom,something that made their fans and the Legions extremely happy.

Venom metal Band

What happened actually was that everyone felt it was time for a reunion,and in contrary to what many people think,Dolan was probably the biggest Venom fan ever.Something that proves this is the fact that he left the group cause he thought that this way the band would return to its old glorious days.Dolan is happy that Venom are reunited in the original format and they have such a huge success.This proves that he is the biggest Venom fan,and that he trully cares about the band.

The band performed some concerts like Dynamo'96 and then started touring in sevral countries including Greece,and next year they released their new album Cast In Stone. 1999 dawns a very promising and exciting year for the band as they will release their new album on Easter,and also this year is Venom's 20th anniversary.

W.A.S.P

2008-06-20T02:01:00.000-07:00

Blackie Lawless, born Steven Duren on 4th September 1956. He lived in Staten Island, New York, where he hung out with Ace Freley who went on to be in Kiss. At the age of 13, Blackie was stabbed in a fight and at 14 was sent to Military School to learn discipline. After 18 months of a two year sentence he was thrown out after beating up a Sargent Major.

Blackie was nine when he got his first guitar and in that same year he earned 16 dollars and 35 cents in his first band called THE UNDERSIDE. At the age of 16 Blackie played with an East Coast band called BLACK RABBIT, tauting his talents around local bars. Another early band was called ORFAX RAINBOW in which he played for quite a while. When a singing vacancy came up with the legendary NEW YORK DOLLS, after Johnny Thunders leaves, Blackie takes it up - he had just turned 18.

W.A.S.P

After six months playing with the then dying NEW YORK DOLLS, Blackie and fellow DOLLS bassist Arthur Kane decide to leave New York and head to L.A. They form a band called KILLER KANE and release a 33 ½ EP. This includes the tracks MR COOL on Side 1, LONGHAIRED WOMAN and DONT NEED YOU on Side 2. Blackie is known at this time as "Blackie Gooseman". Eventually KILLER KANE breaks up, Arthur decides to go back to New York and Blackie stays in L.A.

In 1977, Blackie and Randy Piper join together to form a band called SISTER. SISTER where amongst the first groups in L.A. to experiment with occult symbolism and face make up. It is also believed that Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue) also played in the band for a while. Out of the SISTER experience Blackie meets up with Chris Holmes. While browsing through the "Beaver Hunt" section of Hustler magazine, Blackie spots ex - U.S. Marine Chris and decides to contact him.

Unfortunately, the late 1970's were a bad time for Heavy Metal and SISTER failed to generate record company interest despite their loyal club following. Other bands that Blackie had played in around this time were CIRCUS CIRCUS and LONDON.

Blackie and Randy stayed in contact and in 1982, when Blackie felt that he had good enough material to form a new band he contacted Randy. Chris and Tony Richards were also added to the line up. The band also dabbled with bassist Don Costa for a while before he joined Ozzy.

W.A.S.P were now formed and in late 1982, they started live gigging. Their first gig was at a place called "The Woodstock" in Orange Country, and by May 1983, they were able to sell out the then 3000 seated "Santa Monica Civic Hall". Momentum continued with a number of sold out gigs at the "Troubador".

Late in 1983, Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood went to see the band. He was extremely impressed with the music and outrageous live performances he decided to get involved. A substantial recording contract was agreed with Capitol Records in early 1984 and the band started to record their debut album "W.A.S.P".

The bands first single "ANIMAL" was not included on the album as it would have meant it being banned from major chain stores. Capitol planned to release it as a single only in Europe, in a black plastic bag with a sticker warning of offensive lyrics. At last minute Capitol backs out and the single is salvaged when W.A.S.P strikes a one off deal with "Music For Nations", who release it in its original sleeve in April of 1984.

W.A.S.P Hard Rock Band

In August the album "W.A.S.P" (the original title was planned to be "Winged Assassins") is issued followed by the single "I Wanna Be Somebody" in September. Just before the start of their British Tour, Tony Richards decides to leaves the band. He is replaced by ex-Keel drummer Steve Riley. After the tour a further single "School Daze" is issued.

In May 1985, work begins on the bands second album "THE LAST COMMAND", working with Spensor Proffer at Pasha Studio's in L.A. The band also goes on tour without their signature of blood and guts stage show and open for such major acts as Kiss. The album is released in September, with the first track off the album called "BLIND IN TEXAS" being released in October.

Wild Child is issued in June of 1986. Around this time the band comes up with two major inconveniences. Firstly Randy Piper leaves the band and is replaced by bassist Johnny Rod (King Kobra). This enables Blackie to switch back to playing rythum guitar. Also the band starts to run up against on organisation called the P.M.R.C. This was run by U.S. senators wives and wannabes trying to protect decent society from Rock Music. They referred to Blackie as being sick.

The summer of 1986 was spent recording in L.A, with plans to return to Europe to do an Autumn tour. Their first single from the new sessions "9.5. N.A.S.T.Y." was released in September and the tour began in October. To co-inside with the tour, the bands third album called "INSIDE THE ELECTRIC CIRCUS" was released.

Before the start of their British Tour, W.A.S.P fly into London a few days early to appear live at the "Town and Country Club" for a BBC2 special called "Rock Around The Clock". Their usual grand finale with Blackie's cod piece exploding in a shower of sparks was deemed to be unsuitable and was not filmed. Also around this time there were bomb threats at arenas were W.A.S.P were playing and Blackie had his life threatened by gunshots.

In 1987 W.A.S.P were listed fifth on the bill of the Castle Donington, "Monsters Of Rock" festival in the U.K, which was headlined by Bon Jovi. Their act included the return of the "Torture Routine" in all its glory. The week before the festival, "SCREAM UNTIL YOU LIKE IT", the theme tune to the horror movie"Ghoules 2" was released. This was then followed by the release of the bands forth album called "LIVE..... IN THE RAW". February 1988 leads to Music for Nations following up the original "ANIMAL" release with a live version.

By the end of the year the band were putting finishing touches to their forth studio album called "THE HEADLESS CHILDREN" in Baby O Studios in L.A. Before recording had began, Steve Riley leaves the band and Frankie Banali drummer from Quiet Riot was borrowed for the album sessions. The finished record had a better sound than its predecessors, with the addition of Ken Hensley (ex-Uriah Heep) on keyboards and string arrangements being used on certain tracks.

Mean man was issued at the end of February 1989 and becomes the bands first U.K. Top 30 Hit. The actual album was issued in April and they planed to tour that month too, but the bands inability to find a suitable drummer lead to the tour being re-scheduled for May, when Frankie was free to join the band after finishing touring with Quiet Riot. Their British tour was supported by Zed Yago and was completed at the end of May. Also in May "THE REAL ME" (a cover of The Who's classic from Quadrophenia) was issued. FOREVER FREE was also released and gets to number 25 in the U.K. singles chart.

Rumours start to amount that Chris Holmes has left the band and this is confirmed. Blackie announces that he is working on a new project, a rock opera, which is to be called "THE CRIMSON IDOL" without Chris.

In March of 1992 the single "CHAINSAW CHARLIE" (the first single in three years) is released followed by the album "THE CRIMSON IDOL" in June. It was recorded at Blackie's Fort Apache studios and was written and produced by the man himself.. Frankie Banalli left the band during the recording sessions and Stret Howland took over on drums, also Johnny Rod does not play on the album, but he is later re-recruited for the tour . Bob Kulluck is included and takes over on guitar for studio work only.
August 1992 W.A.S.P play Castle Donington, Monster of Rock festival in the U.K, headlined by Iron Maiden, and also tour later that year. The touring line up included Blackie, Johnny Rod, Stret Howland and Doug Blair.

WASP Rock Band

The single "SUNSET AND BABYLON" is issued in October 1993, followed by the release of the album "FIRST BLOOD….LAST CUTS" in the same month. Around this time Blackie declares that he has disbanded W.A.S.P to pursue a solo career.

Blackie signs a new record deal with Castle records and in June 1995, the album "STILL NOT BLACK ENOUGH" is released still under the name W.A.S.P. Blackie stated that at the time that he had began writing the album, he had intended to put W.A.S.P behind him, but as the album come together there were songs in the classic W.A.S.P style and it seemed natural to call it a W.A.S.P album, anything else would not have been true to the many legions of W.A.S.P fans who had shared the experiences. "BLACK FOREVER" a CD single was also issued too. W.A.S.P do not tour, but Blackie makes personal appearances to promote the record.

March 1997 leads to the release of "KILL FUCK DIE" through Raw Power and a one track limited edition CD of the same name was released a month earlier. The album has a much darker mood to it and has included the return of guitar player Chris Holmes to the band. Stret Howland is also in the band and Mike Duda is added on bass guitar. The band tours and their stage show is very outrageous, it included the raping of a nun and the cutting up of a pig.

W.A.S.P sign a new deal with CMC International Records and Blackie wins a court case against Capitol and contains full control of the W.A.S.P back-catalogue. He re-masters the catalogue and re-issues them with B sides and live performances added.

"DOUBLE LIVE ASSASSINS" is released in the U.K. in February 1998 and in the U.S. in June. This is a live album which was recorded on their world tour in 1997. They join the Metal Manics tour with Iron Maiden, but due to problems with the tour they pull out.
In January of 1999 Blackie announces the name of the new album which is called "HELLDORADO" it is to be released in May followed by a European tour.
After completing a successful European Tour in June 1999. Blackie at to postpone the U.S. Tour due to a injury on his elbow.

February 2000, W.A.S.P embark on their long awaited American Tour. A Best Of CD entitled 'The Best Of The Best' is released in March. The CD included classic songs such as Animal, L.O.V.E Machine and Wild Child. Also there were two extra tracks on the CD, a version of the Elton John hit 'Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting' and a new track entitled 'Unreal'.

The band play a show at the Key Club in Los Angeles on April 22nd 2000. This show was broadcasted live all around the world via the internet. This was an historic event in W.A.S.P history and fans came together from all over the world to watch the same show. It was amazing.
In May of 2000 W.A.S.P took part in charity show sponsored by Concreate Marking in which all proceeds of the ticket sales went to the T.J. Mashal foundation. Other bands that took part in this event where Great White and Megadeath. Parts of this show was also recorded for an Hollywood film.
October 2000 saw the release of a CD called 'The Sting'. This CD is a recording of the Netcast show that took place at the Key Club Los Angeles on April 22nd 2000.

W.A.S.P Band

W.A.S.P. released Unholy Terror through the Metal-is label, on April 9th 2001. It was Recorded in Los Angeles with W.A.S.P main man Blackie Lawless at the production helm, 'UNHOLY TERROR' dealt with many issues that Blackie sees in the world today, and never being afraid to comment on these issues through his music said: ''One subject that this album deals with is socio, religious, and political hypocrisy. I had a fundamentalist Christian upbringing and I grew up seeing the world through a different pair of eyes''. In the song 'Charisma', Lawless, who has constantly been the target of religious zealots throughout his career, explains: ''There's a dark side of charisma that mesmerizes all of us when we look at the world figures who possess that dark gift. In the song there's a line that goes 'Preaching fear and using religion with the Bible and Koran', as often organised religions wield a mighty power over it's congregations in the name of God''. That said, this is still a Rock n' Roll record, and sees W.A.S.P's trademark high octane brand of relentless, driving rock, standing shoulder to shoulder with songs about Disaffected Youth and Dictators, Popes and Politicians, and will surely go down as one of their most accomplished albums to date.

They played some European festivals in June, July & August of 2001, before returning to the U.S.A to do an Autumn Tour.
On June 11th, shock rock innovators W.A.S.P. will release their most inspired effort to date through Sanctuary/Metal-Is Records.. On the heals of 2001's critically acclaimed Unholy Terror (heralded as an "…excuse to flay your carcass more ruthlessly than anyone else can…" by L.A. Weekly and "…hard, nasty and loud…" by Hit Parader Magazine), Blackie Lawless and company are unleashing a 10-track demonstration of inspiration through aggression entitled Dying For The World.

With a lineup that currently consists of vocalist/guitarist/ringleader Blackie Lawless, longtime contributing drummer Frankie Banali and bassist Mike Duda, and newcomer Darrell Roberts (who joined the band just prior to the Unholy Terror U.S. Tour), Dying For The World was recorded and mixed at Blackie's studio in Los Angeles. The album was actually inspired by letters received from troops who fought in the Gulf War.

Blackie explains: "Our motivation for this record was prefaced by letters sent to us from the tank divisions during the Gulf War, where the troops would actually go into battle blaring 'Fuck Like A Beast' and 'Wild Child.' After the events on 9/11, we felt we would give them a fresh batch; in essence, we've literally made an album to go kill people by."

Consisting of songs entitled "Shadow Man," "Hell For Eternity," "Trail Of Tears," "Rubberman," "My Wicked Heart," "Stone Cold Killers," "Hallowed Ground," "Hallowed Ground #5 (acoustic)," "Black Bone Torso," and "Revengence," Dying For The World emphasizes a method of dealing with anger.

A native of Staten Island, Blackie elaborates: "This problem isn't going to go away; we WILL have to deal with the Middle East eventually. There is no longer an 'if', it's 'when'!"s 'when'!

Alice In Chains

2008-06-20T01:49:00.000-07:00

Alice In Chains mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Alice In Chains

Alice In Chains

1987. The wonderful year marked with the birth of Alice in Chains. It all started in Seattle,WA at a party. It just so happened that an extremely talented guitarist named Jerry Cantrell was attending this party along with the man that sings like a lark, Layne Staley.

At that time, Layne was involved in a glam rock band which was growing stale. When he met and hit it off with Jerry that night, Jerry threw out the brilliant idea that they should start a band together. Layne agreed. Now there were two.

Jerry knew a man by the name of Mike Starr who agreed to play bass for the new band. Now all they needed was a drummer. (Layne could play of course, but as you know, he enjoys vocals) Luckily, Mike introduced the others to Sean Kinney, a crazy drummer who was dating Mike's sister. They decided to call their band Alice 'n Chains. (The name was supposedly spawed from a crazy idea about the group dressing in drag and playing). The monumental date of their first gig was on August 5, 1987.

After that, they were briefly known as Diamond Lie and played a few shows sparking the takeoff of their music. Of course they ended up calling themselves Alice In Chains. Later in 1987 they signed with Columbia Records. Their first EP titled "We Die Young" was released in 1990 and is currently a rare collectors item. A few months after that, they released their first full length album called "Facelift".The release of this album sent their debut song "We Die Young" to the top.

Westminister, CA was their first U.S. tour date which happened a few months after Facelift's release. In Seattle, the December 22 show sold out. It was, though, filmed and released as Live Facelift. Their first American Music Award nomination happened in January of 1991 when they were up for Favorite Heavy Metal Artist. Sadly, they lost."Man In The Box" was their first single which they released. This was their first exposure on MTV.

Alice In Chains made a movie debut in the film "Singles" where they played the song "Would?" in a bar. They then toured with Megadeth in Europe for the first time. They received a Grammy nomination for the "Best Heavy Metal Performance". Sadly, they lost again.

Rock Bands - Alice In Chains

Next up for AIC was the "Clash of the Titans" tour with Slayer. They then had time to make their television debut with ABC for their "In Concert" show. After that they accompanied Van Halen on a 4 month tour.Facelift went gold around September of 1991. During their tour break in November, they recorded their second EP. The album was titled SAP, a name given to it by Sean Kinney. He had a dream about the group making an album and naming it SAP because it was "sappy".

Spring 1992 was some well deserved off-time for AIC. They soon began recording Dirt, though. It was released in September. "Would?" was the first single released. "Angry Chair" followed. At this point,Layne broke his foot, but completed the tour with Ozzy using a wheelchair or crutches. (He didn't miss a date!) A tour shirt had an X-ray of Layne's fractured foot on it.

Lollapalooza was the main focus of the summer 1993. After this, they recorded their new EP- Jar Of Flies.They then began the Down In Your Hole tour- a six week speedy tour. At this point, "Down In A Hole" was released as a single. A video was shot for this song as well. Finally, "Them Bones" was released as single number four from "Dirt". The cool film "Last Action Hero" was in theatres along with two unreleased Alice in Chains songs- "What The Hell Have I?" and "A Little Bitter". A video was shot for "What The Hell Have I?"

AIC recorded their third full length album in April of 1995. After nearly four months, the result was a harder heavier album originally named "Tripod". (third full length album, three legged dog and man) The dog on the cover was inspired from a dog that would chase Sean when he was delivering papers as a child. The album ended up self titled. It was released in November 1995 and debuted number one on the Billboard chart. They were nominated for a Grammy once again, and once again they lost.

1996 found AIC performing on Saturday Night Special, David Letterman, and a show for MTV Unplugged.They opened four shows for KISS on their reunion tour as well.

Rock Bands -Alice In Chains

The Unforturnate Death of Lead Singer Layne Staley -- 1967-2002

Alice in Chains' Layne Staley died from a mixture of heroin and cocaine, an autopsy and toxicology report revealed Monday.

Laboratory results determined the singer died April 5, according to a spokesperson for the King County medical examiner's office, the same day fellow grunge pioneer Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994. Staley was found dead two weeks later, surrounded by intravenous drug paraphernalia in his Seattle apartment.

The death certificate reads Staley's death resulted from "an acute intoxication due to the combined effects of opiate (heroin) and cocaine." The death was classified as "accidental."

The lethal combination goes by the name "speedball" in drug circles. The same ingredients contributed to the deaths of comedian John Belushi in 1982 and actor River Phoenix in 1993.

Alice In Chains mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Alice In Chains

Iced Earth

2008-06-20T01:44:00.001-07:00

Quite possibly America's greatest hope for a heavy metal revival in the United States, ICED EARTH have without a doubt carved their name in the genre's ever-aging and progressing stone, and throughout their career have paved the way for countless numbers of traditional, thrash and power metal bands to become visible and successful. Possessing the technical tools to dazzle any skilled musician along with the songwriting knack and creativity to win over even the most particular of music fans, this band have taken their infectious sound and charisma all over the world and have built one of the most loyal followings of this decade.

Iced Earth

ICED EARTH are a metal institution, built by the band's constant conviction towards their craft and their fans' ever-growing, maniacal support. This is what metal is supposed to be. After six splendid studio releases throughout this decade, the time has come for the world to hear ICED EARTH in their most dominating and viable form, LIVE ON STAGE! Although ICED EARTH have worked hard the last 14 years to make their name a highly-respected one on the metal forefront, only a stout core of listeners can recount much of the group's early days on the Florida scene (although the band re-located to Indiana in 1997).

Their 1991 self-titled debut, and the ‘92 follow-up Night Of The Stormrider quickly established the band as an underground metal powerhouse, but it wasn't until guitarist and main songwriter Jon Schaffer added able-throated vocalist Matthew Barlow to the band's nucleus that the attention and quality of the material exploded. Indeed Barlow earned high praise for his work on the band's third studio album, 1995's Burnt Offerings, though it was only a hint of things to come. 1996's The Dark Saga (graced with cover art from Spawn comic creator, Todd McFarlane) heralded the band's breakthrough, as Schaffer continued to steadily hone his craft as a masterful songwriter, combining fluid vocal melodies with intense metallic riffs and elements that often verged on orchestral.

A nonstop slate of touring helped to solidify their reputation as one of the best live bands on the circuit, winning over crowds as part of the Summer Metal Meetings tour in Europe. All along, sales of the group's back catalog picked up with each newfound fan, and all too often the members faced inquiries about their demo recordings and unreleased rarities. Spending several months in Morrisound Studios with chief producer Jim Morris, ICED EARTH meticulously reworked songs from their earliest days together, along with all of the material from their infamous Enter The Realm demo tape, and select songs from their first two classics. This way, fans would be able hear some classic songs with the line-up and technology at their strongest. Thus, Days Of Purgatory was born (the name refers to the group's original moniker, Purgatory). 1998 saw the rearing of ICED EARTH's sixth album, the bold and diversely-written, Something Wicked This Way Comes. With a similar approach and framework as its predecessor The Dark Saga, Something Wicked... pushed the band over the edge of dominance (while also debuting on the German pop charts at #19) and solidified them as true innovators and leaders of the ‘90s metal movement.

Iced Earth Metal Band

Again scanning a good portion of the globe ICED EARTH toured in support of Something Wicked... for the next year, and it was during this period that Jon Schaffer's long-time vision of a live album for the band began to take shape. Recorded in the fall of 1998 in Greece along with 5,000 of the band's closest fans, Alive In Athens is the culmination of 10 years worth of hard work and dedication for the band, and is the reward that true ICED EARTH fans have been waiting for. This double CD release spans the entire career of the band from the early days ("Iced Earth", "Stormrider", "Travel In Stygian") to the present ("Burning Times", "The Hunter", "Melancholy (Holy Martyr)"), and shows just how good heavy metal can be when done properly with no restrictions. As the popular music community leans towards the heavy end of the musical spectrum once again, it's nice to know that ICED EARTH have never really cared about what was popular, and their fans have stuck by their side since day one. This is for the fans of ICED EARTH, the best metal fans in the world...

Grand Funk Railroad

2008-06-20T01:32:00.000-07:00

Grand Funk Railroad mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs GFR

Terry Knight and The Pack

The story of Grand Funk Railroad begins in the 1960's, the place is the working class, auto industry town of Flint, Michigan.

Richard Terrance Knapp (who later changed his name to Terry Knight) was a popular Flint / Detroit disc jockey. He soon tired of radio, and decided to enter the music end of the business.

Terry dee-jayed at record hops with a local band named "The Jazz Masters", which consisted of Don Brewer (drums), Al Pippins (guitar), Bob Caldwell (keyboards), and Herm Jackson (bass). Soon he asked to join the band as lead singer. Because of his radio connections, the band readily agreed. To sound more "English", they renamed themselves "The Pack".

After about a year, they developed a large following, and became known as "Terry Knight and The Pack". Herman Jackson was drafted, and was replaced by a local kid named Mark Farner.

Grand Funk Railroad

Grand Funk Railroad

In 1968, Mark and Don decided to leave and form a new band of their own. They recruited ? and The Mysterians bass player Mel Schacher, and renamed themselves "Grand Funk Railroad", inspired by a Michigan landmark, "The Grand Trunk Western Railroad". Terry Knight then became their Manager.

After a wildly successful performance at the Atlanta Pop Festival on July 4, 1969, the band landed a recording contract with Capitol Records. In 1970 they had sold more albums than any other American band, and went on to break the Beatles' record at Shea Stadium in 1971, selling it out in 72 hours.

Sometime during/after the recording of E Pluribus Funk, it was decided to replace Terry Knight with Andy Cavaliere as Manager. The next few years were spent in litigation over the rights to the name "Grand Funk Railroad" and song royalties. The band got to keep their name, but little else.

During this time, the band recorded the album "Phoenix", which they produced themselves, and added a keyboardist, former "Fabulous Pack" member, Craig Frost. Although not yet an official member, Craig added an extra element into the GFR sound, which would continue for the remainder of the 1970's.

The American Band

The next two albums, "We're An American Band" and "Shinin' On", produced by Todd Rundgren, would introduce GFR to the AM radio audience, and begin a succession of top 40 hits.
Jimmy Ienner (Raspberries, Kiss, Three Dog Night) produced their next few albums, including the final Capitol release "Born to Die", which many thought would be the last GFR album.

One more album was recorded with the original members on MCA records. "Good Singin' Good Playin' ", produced by Frank Zappa, and is considered their finest by many fans. (GSGP was remastered and issued on CD in January 1999.)

Grand Funk Railroad naked

Solo Careers

Mark went on to record two solo albums, while Don Brewer, Mel Schacher and Craig Frost continued on as "Flint" and recorded two albums.

In the early 1980's, Mark and Don reformed and teamed up with Flint musician Dennis Bellinger (replacing Mel on bass) to record two more Grand Funk albums, this time on the Warner Brothers label, Full Moon.

Mark resumed his solo career after the band called it quits in 1983, recording three Christian albums. Don followed Craig and joined Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band, and Mel opened a record store.

The Reunion

In 1995, Mark was asked to join Ringo Starr's All Starr Band and toured that year. In 1996, Mark, Don and Mel decided to go out and play a few "Reunion" concerts to see if there was still interest in Grand Funk Railroad. The 14 show "mini tour" was successful and the band decided to reunite. Howard Eddy Jr. was added as a sideman on keyboards, rhythm guitar, and background vocals.

Teaming up with Ringo Starr's Promoter, David Fishof, the band played three sold out Bosnia benefit concerts in 1997, released a new live album titled "Bosnia" (which proceeds went to benefit the orphans of war torn Bosnia) then continued to tour throughout 1998 under the management of Bobby Roberts and Jim Della Croce.

Grand Funk Railroad reunited a total of 3 years and toured extensively from 1996 to 1998. Their 1998 tour was listed in Pollstar's Top 100 Shows and was also listed as one of the top grossing tours of 1998.

The 1976 Frank Zappa produced album "Good Singin' Good Playin'" was remastered and reissued on CD in January 1999, VH-1 filmed a "Behind the Music" special about the band which first aired in March 1999, and Capitol Records released GFR's Anthology "Thirty Years of Funk" on June 29, 1999.

Grand Funk Railroad 2007

Grand Funk Railroad mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs GFR

Alice Cooper

2008-06-20T01:13:00.000-07:00

Alice Cooper mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948), is a heavy metal singer, musician, and composer. He is best known for his stage performances, which are often theatrical and violent, utilizing make-up, electric chairs, guillotines, decapitated human heads, fake blood, and boa constrictors.

Alice Cooper was originally just the name of Furnier's band. Furnier officially changed his own name to Alice Cooper for a highly successful solo career.

Alice Cooper

Furnier, born in Detroit and heavily influenced by The Beatles, formed a number of rock bands in the 1960s, including the Earwigs, The Spiders, and The Nazz. Furnier, upon learning that Todd Rundgren also had a band called the Nazz, changed the band's name to Alice Cooper, which at that time included guitarist Mike Bruce, guitarist Glen Buxton, bassist Dennis Dunaway, and drummer Neal Smith. After moving to California in 1968, the band enlisted Shep Gordon as their manager, and the band was soon signed to Frank Zappa's label, Straight Records - releasing two competent but outlandish albums, Pretties For You and Easy Action, to a frosty public and critical reception.

Although the band incorporated theatrics in their stage act from the outset, a chance case of press misreporting an unfortunate, unrehearsed stage routine involving Alice and a live chicken led to the band changing tack - capitalising on tabloid sensationalism and creating a new sub-genre, Shock Rock.

In 1970, the band teamed up with fledgling producer Bob Ezrin on their album etitled Love it to Death. This was the first of more than 10 Alice Cooper group and solo albums done with Ezrin who is credited with having helped to create their definitive sound. A major hit single soon followed in 1971's 'I'm Eighteen'. The band's mix of shock and glam captured a teen audience bored with bearded, denim-clad hippy bands and in the summer of 1972, Alice Cooper served up School's Out to their hungry audience, their biggest success. The album reached number two on the charts and sold over a million copies. The title song became a Top 10 hit in the US and a number one single in the UK.

Billion Dollar Babies, released in 1973, was the band's most commercially successful album, reaching no. 1 in both the US and Britain. That album's first single, 'No More Mr. Nice Guy,' became a Top 10 hit in Britain, and reached number 25 in the U.S. With a string of successful thematic, or concept, albums in the bag, the band played sell-out tours around the world - attempts to ban their shocking act by politicians and pressure groups only serving to fuel the myth of Alice Cooper and generate more audience interest.

In 1975, Cooper split amicably with his fellow band members and released his first solo album, Welcome to my Nightmare. Cooper was backed by Lou Reed's band, guitarist Dick Wagner, guitarist Steve Hunter, bassist Prakash John, keyboardist Joseph Chrowski, and drummer Penti Glan. The album was another top 10 hit for Cooper. The album featured his hit song and feminist anthem, 'Only Women Bleed', but without the old band this album marked out the direction Alice would now take - a move toward rock's mainstream.

Rock Bands- Alice Cooper

After three further disappointing albums, in 1977 Cooper was hospitalized in a New York sanitarium for alcoholism. This may be responsible for a surprise return to form on the hard-rocking, semi-autobiographical album From The Inside. The life changing event also led Cooper, whose father was a Priest, to become a Christian. Around this time Cooper led celebrities in raising money to remodel the famous Hollywood sign in California. Cooper himself chipped in over $27,000 for the project, doing it in memory of friend and comedian Groucho Marx.

His albums from the beginning of 1980s, Flush The Fashion, Special Forces, Zipper Catches Skin, and DaDa, were not commercially successful. They were very strange and bizarre at that time, and are now considered cult classics. Cooper then released Constrictor (1986) which had more success, followed by Raise Your Fist And Yell (1987). Both Constrictor and Raise Your Fist and Yell were recorded with guitarist Kane Roberts & bassist Kip Winger, both of whom would leave the band by the end of 1987. Kane Roberts would go on as a solo artist, while Kip Formed Winger.
In 1989 he released his best-selling album Trash with the hit singles 'Poison', 'Bed Of Nails' and 'House Of Fire'.

In 1991, the album Hey Stoopid was released, and the song with same name became an anti-drug anthem. In 1992, he made a famous cameo in the movie Wayne's World, in which he discusses the history of Milwaukee in some depth. In 1994 he released The Last Temptation, which contains deeper theological thoughts.

Alice Cooper autographed photo

A pause, lasting for six years, ended in 2000 with Brutal Planet. Brutal Planet is strong, dark and loud with motives from brutality of a real world without much philosophy. It was succeeded by Dragontown in 2001, which has been described by Cooper as being 'the worst town on Brutal Planet'. 2003 saw the release of The Eyes of Alice Cooper which featured his recent touring band.
Cooper received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003. It is located at the corner of Orange Drive and Hollywood Boulevard.

Cooper continues to record and tour heavily as of January 2005.
Cooper owns a rock and roll club called Cooperstown in Arizona and Cleveland, Ohio. Cooper is also an avid golfer and also has a popular syndicated radio show called 'Nights with Alice Cooper' where classic rock and roll songs are showcased.

Alice Cooper mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs Alice Cooper

Bon Scott "The Early Years" Unheard Songs

2008-06-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

Bon Scott The Early Years

About a month before he joined AC/DC, Bon Scott recorded 3 songs, which were "Carey Gully", "Round and Round" and "To Know You Is To Love You". Those songs were never released back then, but now producer Ted Yanni has devoted almost two years to bringing Bon back to life via three previously unheard songs. There are also track on this release are of Bon Scott with the band Fraternity.

Bon Scott

Talk about humble beginnings indeed, this collection may capture Bon's voice on recordings of varying quality. Yet anyone who appreciated Bon knew that he wasn't great because of an overwhelmingly powerful voice. His range and power were merely decent, but it was his style and swagger that made him so likable and helped to establish AC/DC during his all too short time with the band. Most of the tracks here have me believing that either Bon needed a certain kind of music to excel at or that he had not yet really developed the style we would know him for. The first few tracks have me envisioning Bon Scott singing at some picnic, town gathering or something like that as the material is very sedate and quite honestly not very intriguing. Although track two "Round and round" has a few moments where you can hear Bon using his voice and showing a few pale signs of what he would be just a few a years later.

Most of the other songs have me thinking of Spinal Tap doing "(Listen to the) Flower people". Okay, perhaps it's not that bad yet it's very similar in my mind as it's this slightly familiar voice singing to very standard and dated 1960's pop music. The last song "Sooky sooky" is spirited enough to give Bon a chance to charge ahead a little and show a bit of his potential. I have no idea how much if any say that he had in writing of this material so I don't know if that's a factor or not. Really this is just a collection of songs that even the most devoted Bon Scott fan would be hard pushed to really want to own. The sound quality is hit and miss and the material itself is spotty with only a few real sparks of any interest.

Rock Band Ac Dc Vocalist Bon Scott

Fortunately Bon moved beyond this and made his mark with AC/DC and helped to define that band as well as establish himself as one of the better hard rock front men of his time.

Freddy Mercury's Death

2008-06-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

Freddie Mercury
born: 05-09-1946
birth place: Zanzibar, Tanzania
died: 24-11-1991

Mercury, originally named Faroukh Bulsara, grew up in India and moved to Britain in 1964 to work for a time in Heathrow airport.

Initially a vocalist in a band called Wreckage, Mercury joined Queen in 1971. At this point the band was made up of ex-Smile members Brian May on guitar and Rodger Taylor on drums. John Deacon answered an advert in the music press to become the band’s bassist.

Their early career saw them release the poorly received album 'Queen' in 1973, and go on tour extensively, supporting Mott the Hoople.

Freedy Mercury

Their second album, 'Queen 2', gave them their first hit single: 'Seven Seas Of Rye'. They gradually found a loyal audience in a difficult time for music; Freddie made a charismatic front man and the band worked together as a skilful team.

'Sheer Heart Attack' and 'A Night At The Opera' followed, the former bearing 'Killer Queen', the latter 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. This epic song was a record breaker, remaining the longest running number one for twenty years.

Mercury wrote the catchy number 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love', from the album 'The Game', released in 1980, the same year that the band penned the score to 'Flash Gordon'.

Mercury's solo work included material for the soundtracks to 'Electric Dreams' and 'Metropolis'. His version of 'The Great Pretender' was a hit in '87. He recorded an album and single, 'Barcelona', with opera diva Montserrat Caballe, for the Barcelona Olympics.

The group worked together again on 'The Miracle' and 'Innuendo', which was the last material to be released before Freddie's tragic death from AIDS in November 1991. He only admitted he was suffering from the virus the day before his death.

On November 22, 1991, Mercury had called Queen's manager Jim Beach over to his Kensington home, to discuss a public statement. The next day, November 23, the following announcement was made to the press:

“Following the enormous conjecture in the press over the last two weeks, I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV positive and have AIDS. I felt it correct to keep this information private to date to protect the privacy of those around me. However, the time has come now for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth and I hope that everyone will join with my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease. My privacy has always been very special to me and I am famous for my lack of interviews. Please understand this policy will continue.”

A little over 24 hours after issuing the statement, Freddie Mercury died at the age of 45. The official cause of death was bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS.

In 1995 the last Queen album, 'Made In Heaven' was released, which made use of some of the unfinished work Mercury left unused before he died.

Freddy Mercury's Death Certificate

Guns N Roses New Album Tracks Leak Online

2008-06-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

The Chinese Democracy Album

Nine new “mastered” and “finished” Guns N Roses songs, purported to be from the band's long-awaited album 'Chinese Democracy', have appeared online.

The leak includes six songs that have been appeared before in unfinished form and three songs - 'Rhiad and the Bedouins', 'If the World' and an unnamed track – that are all apparently new productions.

All nine songs, which appeared on the music blog Antiquiet yesterday (June 18th), have since been taken down at the request of the band.

“The player has been at least temporarily removed, because it basically broke the entire internet. Also, we got a call from Guns N Roses,” a statement on Antiquiet reads.

According to Billboard, the three new productions are all trademark Guns N Roses tracks, featuring “down-and-dirty” guitar parts and “piano-led crooning”.

Production on 'Chinese Democracy', which was last scheduled for release in March 2007, originally began in 1994 and has cost the band's frontman Axl Rose a reported $13 million.

The Chinese Democracy Tour 07

Earlier this year, drinks company Dr Pepper promised each American citizen a free drink if the band released the album before the end of 2008.

Track listing

Although the entire track listing for Chinese Democracy has not been confirmed, various members of the band and people associated with the band have confirmed certain tracks which will appear on the album. All but one of the confirmed tracks have been played live during the Chinese Democracy Tour, the exception being "Sorry" which is also the only one of the tracks not to have been leaked in demo form

Titles
"Better

"Chinese Democracy"

"I.R.S."

"Madagascar"

"Sorry"

"The Blues"

"There Was a Time"

Tesla The Great Radio Controversy

2008-06-19T19:47:00.000-07:00

Don't let the name fool you. Tesla is a dangerous moniker for an up-and-coming band; it's the sort of name that makes you put an album back in the rack because you already have albums by Witness, Teazer, Winger, Sacrifice, Anvil, Machine, Whiplash, Ritual, Disciple and Toximia.

But the fact is, Tesla has about as much in common with the ever-growing parade of one-word wonders as Tiffany does with Motörhead, and the band's second album, The Great Radio Controversy, brings that home with a resounding WHAP.

Tesla The Great Radio Controversy

The musicianship displayed on Controversy is startling in both its tastefulness and its diversity. Vocalist Jeff Keith is a rare commodity in a metal band; he possesses the sort of soulful, sandpaper-on-silk voice that seems made for whatever he's singing at the moment, be it a ballad or an exercise in balls-to-the-wall grunge. Guitarists Tommy Skeoch and Frank Hannon (so opposite in their technical approach that their guitar technician dubbed them Mess n' Finesse) create an always interesting contrast, blending razor-sharp power chords with brilliant acoustic and slide work. The songs on Controversy run the gamut from breakneck speed metal ("Yesterdaze Gone") to slow, piano-tinged R&B ("Lazy Days, Crazy Nights"), and oddly, nothing seems contrived or out of place.

Controversy abounds with fast, rowdy rockers – like the irresistible reverb-fueled stomp "Be a Man" – but the album's high points invariably emerge during slower, more melodic numbers. On the eerily quiet "Love Song," Hannon explores classical-guitar territory with riveting aplomb; "The Way It Is," with haunting chords and soaring, intricately crafted guitar leads, has an almost Allmanesque feel. These songs aren't homogenized, hurriedly constructed power ballads. They were obviously written carefully and lovingly.

The Great Radio Controversy is a shining example of what can happen when a talented band puts on blinders, ignores what everybody else is selling and forges ahead on instinct.

Tesla Band

Tesla Great Radio Controversy Album Track Listing

Song Title

1. Hang Tough
2. Lady Luck
3. Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)
4. Be a Man
5. Lazy Days, Crazy Nights
6. Did It For the Money
7. Yesterday's Gone
8. Makin' Magic
9. Way It Is, The
10. Flight to Nowhere
11. Love Song
12. Paradise
13. Party's Over

Dimmu Borgir

2008-06-19T00:39:00.000-07:00

Amid the fiery chaos of the early ‘90s Norwegian black metal scene arose a maelstrom of raw violence named Dimmu Borgir. Founding members Shagrath (vocals/drums), Silenoz (guitar), and Tjodalv (guitar) sought to blaze their own dark path through the hostile underworld of the burgeoning scene by combining the bleakness of ‘80s black metal and a few classical touches with more traditional heavy metal riffing. The band solidified in 1993 after being joined by Brynjard Tristan on bass and Stian Aarstad on keyboards. The fearsome five-piece recorded a 7" EP called Inn I Evighetens Morke ("Into the Eternity of Darkness") for Necromantic Gallery Productions in 1994. While the EP sold out in just a few weeks, Dimmu Borgir failed to receive the attention they deserved.

Dimmu Borgir

All that changed in late '94 when the band released their hellacious full-length debut For All Tid on No Colours Records (re-released by Nuclear Blast in 1998). Featuring contributions from Aldrain of Dødheimsgard and Vicotnik from Ved Buens Ende, For All Tid was a slow, dark, atmospheric album that immediately established Dimmu Borgir as one of the most promising bands in the Norwegian scene. In 1996 the band only reinforced that fact by releasing Stormblåst on Cacaphonous Records. The album showed an increase in speed while still maintaining the melody and atmosphere that characterized For All Tid. The band made a line-up move with Tjodalv taking over drums and Shagrath doubling up on guitar and vocals instead. Dimmu Borgir closed out 1996 with the Devil's Path MCD and another line-up change. Nagash (Troll, Covenant) joined on bass, replacing the departed Tristan. Released on Hot Records, where Shagrath worked at the time, Devil's Path featured the incredible title track, two versions of Celtic Frost's "Nocturnal Fear," as well as an early version of the now classic song "Master of Disharmony."

After establishing themselves in the top-tier of the Norwegian black metal scene, Dimmu Borgir set their misanthropic minds on conquering the rest of the world. With one fell swoop of their blackened magic Dimmu Borgir unleashed an album of such immense proportions that all in its path were simply consumed by the ensuing darkness. Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997) was an unparalleled international breakthrough, selling in excess of 150,000 copies. This landmark release not only marked their first release for Nuclear Blast but also became their first English language album. Produced by Peter Tägtgren (Immortal, Marduk, Destruction) at his nefarious Abyss Studios, Enthrone Darkness Triumphant explored new areas of classically induced melodious aggression. Tägtgren's production provided a powerful, clean sound that had been sorely absent from the black metal scene. The combination of excellent production and memorable songwriting made Enthrone Darkness Triumphant a benchmark black metal release.

To initiate new members into the brood of Borgir, the band released Godless Savage Garden in 1998. While the MCD served as the recording debut of new members Mustis (replacing the fired Aarstad) and the Covenant's Astennu (hired to relieve Shagrath on guitar so he could concentrate solely on vocals), it also acted as a "stop-gap" between releases, keeping the band's name in the press and fresh in fans' minds. It worked, passing all expectations and being nominated for a Spellemannsprisen – a Norwegian Grammy – in the metal category. Unfortunately, the band lost to the Covenant for their Nexus Polaris album.

Dimmu Borgir

Undeterred, Dimmu Borgir unleashed Spiritual Black Dimensions on March 1, 1999. The album took fans and press alike by storm, proving that Dimmu Borgir are the true kings of the blackened throne. Tägtgren once again helped the band deliver a complexly layered and powerfully enchanting album. The band also expanded their boundaries by enlisting the help of Borknagar vocalist/bassist Simen Hestnæs' (a.k.a. Vortex) ethereal vocals. Soon after the recording, Nagash left the fold to pursue the Covenant (now called The Kovenant) full-time. Vortex easily stepped in to fill the vacated bass slot. More trouble arose when Tjodalv (now with Susperia) couldn't commit to the extensive world touring, but things soon fell into place when Nick Barker (ex-Cradle of Filth) signed on.

Now, after two years of studio silence, Dimmu Borgir have returned with their coup de grace, Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia. After already leaving an indelible mark upon the black metal world, the Black Hearted Angels have now turned to expanding their dark art by stretching their leathery wings a bit. The "Fear and Wonder" lulls the listener in with its soundtrack-like eloquence, but all thoughts of a serene album are shattered when "Blessings Upon the Throne of Tyranny" rages out of the speakers like an unleashed beast. "Kings of the Carnival Creation" and "Hybrid Stigmata" show a nice tempo variance from the blasting opener, but it's "Puritania" that truly shows the diversity Dimmu Borgir achieves on Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia. The electronic-tinged vocals and pseudo industrial feel make the song unlike anything they have done before. It's these efforts to remain true to their past while exploring new avenues of sound and artistry that set this album apart.

Metal Band Dimmu borgir

Seeking a new outlet for their creative output, the band decided to leave the comfortable bowels of Abyss Studios, opting instead to enter the icy lair known as Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden. Producer Fredrik Nordström's (In Flames, Arch Enemy, Dark Tranquillity) technical approach replaces the thick, reverb heavy sound of the band's past two efforts with a refined, slick sharpness that cuts to the bone, transforming Dimmu Borgir from a lumbering behemoth into a stealthy assassin. And like all good assassins, Dimmu Borgir have many weapons at their disposal. Vortex (now a permanent member after leaving Borknagar) again weaves his operatic vocals around Shagrath's aggressive growl, giving the songs added depth and texture, while new guitarist Galder (Old Man's Child mastermind – who replaces the "released" Astennu) brings a veteran attitude and welcome experience with arrangements. They even add a "seventh" member in the form of the Gothenburg Opera Orchestra on a few tracks. The Dimmu Borgir that greets 2001 undoubtedly sports the most superior lineup of the band's history, helping lift Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia beyond anything else in the field of extreme metal.

Dr Hook & the Medicine Show

2008-06-19T00:07:00.000-07:00

Dr Hook mp3 download

Easy Guiitar Tabs Dr. Hook

Dr Hook And The Medicine Show

Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show was a band that combined country with pop and rock, and was perhaps best known for the catchy and witty hit song "The Cover of the Rolling Stone." They were among the bands that became popular during the 1970s thanks to AM radio play. In later years, the band changed its material to disco-tinged ballads and had marginal success before breaking up.

The band was formed in 1968 in Union City, New Jersey, by singer-songwriter Dennis Locorriere and Ray Sawyer, a singer with a bold stage presence, including an eye patch needed after suffering injuries in a car accident. The remainder of the band was recruited from a group in which Sawyer played, called the Chocolate Papers. This included George Cummings, lead and steel guitars; Billy Francis, keyboards; and Popeye Phillips, drums. Phillips quit soon after the band was formed and was replaced by John "Jay" David.

The band "began playing some of the roughest bars in the Union City area, concentrating mostly on country music out of sheer necessity," according to Steve Huey, writing in All Music Guide. After a demo recording came to the attention of Ron Haffkine, musical director for the film "Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?," the band was hired to perform on the soundtrack. Haffkine also became their manager and producer. This also led to a contract for the band with CBS. The soundtrack was written by Shel Silverstein, a well-known children's author and the writer of "A Boy Named Sue," which Johnny Cash parlayed into a hit. Silverstein and Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show became a great combination. Silverstein wrote all the songs for their self-titled debut album, released in 1971. The album included "Sylvia's Mother," which became a hit in mid-1972. "Although the band had a reputation as a mouthpiece for humorist Shel Silverstein, who supplied several of their biggest hits," wrote Huey, "they didn't rely exclusively on his material by any means. And, during their peak years, they were just as famed for their crazed stage antics, which ranged from surreal banter to impersonating their own opening acts."

Dr Hook And The Medicine Show

The next year, two more musicians were added to the Medicine Show---Jance Garfat on bass and Rik Elswit on guitar. This was in time for the recording of Sloppy Seconds. The song "The Cover of Rolling Stone," penned by Silverstein, appeared on the album and became the group's biggest hit. Rolling Stone magazine subsequently featured the band on its cover as a result of the novelty hit.

But all was not well for Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show even after they got their picture on the cover of the bible of popular music in March of 1973. David left the band in 1973 and was replaced by John Wolters. The group had a difficult time meeting the high expectations created by Sloppy Seconds, and the result was Belly Up, which Huey noted "was unfortunately prophetic." The group was forced to file bankruptcy in 1974, although they continued to tour incessantly.

The band shortened its name to Dr. Hook in 1975. They signed with Capitol in 1975 with the aptly titled album Bankrupt. Unlike previous projects, this album included original material written by the group. The hit from the project was a reworked version of Sam Cooke's "Only Sixteen" that charted in the top ten in 1976. Cummings left the band in 1976. Dr. Hook was able to string together several more hits, including "When You're in Love With a Woman" and "Sexy Eyes." In this period, it was Locorriere who was frequently featured on lead vocals.
Pleasure & Pain, released in 1979, was the group's first gold album. According to Huey, it solidified their reputation as "disco-tinged balladeers." Bob "Willard" Henke joined the band while Elswit took a year off to recover from cancer. But Sawyer was increasingly upset at the commercial direction the group's sound was taking, and left the band in 1980. Henke left soon after to be replaced with Rod Smarr. The band changed labels again, but could not replicate earlier successes, and officially disbanded in 1985.

Dr Hook And The Medicine Show

Locorriere became a session and touring vocalist, providing backup vocals for artists including country superstar Randy Travis. Sawyer decided to tour as "Dr. Hook." In 1989-90, Locorriere starred in a short play by Silverstein called "The Devil and Billy Markham," staged at Lincoln Center in New York City. William A. Henry III, a reviewer writing in Time, described the production as "a talking blues about a failed songwriter who decides the devil could not possibly be any worse than the music publishers and producers who have thwarted his career.... Markham tosses away eternity in exchange for a single, futile roll of the dice, then squanders what reprieves are offered in unrepentant revelry." Henry noted that Locorriere was perfect in the role. "His energy is boundless, his timing flawless, his depravity seemingly bottomless in this bewitching romp."

In 1999 Dr. Hook toured, with Locorriere singing vocals and Smarr playing guitar. Locorriere had been uncertain of the tour's reception by fans, but the shows were well-attended and were filled with baby boomers and their children. Pauline Black, writing for CWN, described Locorierre's talent: "Few singers can take a song and make it live for the few minutes that it lasts, but Dennis Locorierre must surely be ranked among those few. The sweetness of his high notes laced with the whisky rasp of his lower register allowed him to inhabit even the most banal of lyrics. This coupled with the fact that he knows how to talk to an audience made for a great evening, even if it was largely nostalgia."

Locorriere released his first solo recording, Out of the Dark, in 2000. The next year, he followed with a double live CD/DVD called Dennis Locorriere---Live in Liverpool. His career and life seemed to be going smoothly. Then, in 2001, "Everything unravelled---my marriage broke up, my record label went bust, resulting in the cancellation of my new album release, which also knocked out a forty-date tour with a new band I had been rehearsing with for months!," he recalled in an interview with Peter Ashton on the Playing Out Loud UK website in October of 2002. He moved to Sussex, England, away from the spectre of Dr. Hook, and was scheduled to release a second solo project in 2005, tentatively titled One Of The Lucky Ones.

Dr Hook

Dr. Hook's Career

Group formed in Union City, NJ, in 1968, by Dennis Locorriere and Ray Sawyer; performed on soundtrack to "Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?"; signed with CBS, c. 1970; released debut album, 1971; "Sylvia's Mother" became hit, mid-1972; released Sloppy Seconds, 1972; Belly Up released, 1973; filed for bankruptcy, 1974; shortened name to Dr. Hook, 1975; signed to Capitol, released Bankrupt, 1975; Pleasure & Pain released, 1979; disbanded, 1985; Sawyer and Locorriere toured in subsequent years using the Dr. Hook name, which is owned by Locorriere.

Dr Hook mp3 download

Easy Guiitar Tabs Dr. Hook

LA Guns

2008-06-18T23:37:00.000-07:00

LA Guns mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs LA Guns

In Los Angeles, during 1983. Guitarist Tracii Guns formed the L.A. Guns with singer Axl Rose, bassist Ole Beich, and drummer Rob Gardner. Axl later quit to form Hollywood Rose and was replaced by Michael Jagosz. The band demoed in 1984, but Tracii and Rob left to reform with Axl as Guns N' Roses (named after L.A Guns and Hollywood Rose, not Tracii Guns and Axl Rose) and L.A. Guns broke up. However, Tracii soon left Guns N' Roses because he didn't like the direction of their music and reformed his own band. Guns N' Roses replaced him with guitarist Slash.

Rock Bands -LA Guns

For the third lineup of L.A. Guns, Tracii recruited Faster Pussycat drummer Paul Mars Black (who switched to vocals) and guitarist Mick Cripps (who switched to bass) and teamed up with drummer Nickey "Beat" Alexander. They were later joined by guitarist Robert Stoddard from Dogs D'Amour. This lineup demoed and gigged in 1985 and 1986 until Paul was replaced by Phil Lewis. Mick then switched to guitar when Robert left, and another former member of Faster Pussycat, Kelly Nickels, was added on bass.

The L.A. Guns then recorded their first album, released in 1988 on Vertigo Records, L.A. Guns. The debut album spawned the singles "One More Reason" and "Sex Action" along with many other L.A. Guns classics. In 1989, they released their second album Cocked & Loaded. It contained the smash radio and video hit, "The Ballad of Jayne" which brought the album to platinum sales status (over one million sold). This was the commercial peak of their career.

In 1991, the band released their third album Hollywood Vampires on Polydor Records. The album failed to re-achieve the platinum status of Cocked & Loaded, but did spawn a few hits such as "Kiss My Love Goodbye" and "It's Over Now". Also in 1991, Tracii Guns participated in the supergroup Contraband with members of Ratt, Shark Island, the Michael Schenker Group, and Vixen.

Around 1992 Phil Lewis fired drummer Steve Riley, who was replaced by Michael "Bones" Gershima for the Cuts EP and for their 1994 album Vicious Circle, though he later returned to the band for the Vicious Circle club tour. After this, the L.A. Guns were dropped from Polygram (Vertigo/Polydor) Records. Phil Lewis and Mick Cripps then left the band.

In July of 1995, Tracii Guns and Steve Riley recruited guitarist Johnny Crypt and vocalist Chris Van Dahl after seeing them perform, twice, with their band Boneyard. Six months into recording sessions, Kelly Nickels left the band and Johnny was asked to switch to the bass to avoid having to seek out and deal with yet another member.

In 1996, the new L.A. Guns released their sixth record, titled American Hardcore. This new album built on the heavy music from Vicious Circle and projected a darker image for the band. They toured throughout 1996 and into 1997 when Tracii let Chris go in hopes of regaining Phil Lewis and the band's former glory. Phil refused, and so Chris was replaced by The Atomic Punks singer, Ralph Saenz. Tracii, Steve, Johnny, and Ralph toured for the remainder of '97 and in early '98 released the six song EP Wasted.

LA Guns Autographed Photo

Halfway through the band's 1998 Rock Never Stops tour, Ralph quit to form his own band, leaving Tracii to do another singer change. Joe Lesté from Bang Tango and Jizzy Pearl from Love/Hate were considered as candidates. Tracii and Steve picked Jizzy and quickly geared up to tour. The L.A. Guns toured clubs with Jizzy in late 1998 and early 1999 when they released Shrinking Violet, produced by former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke. This release was followed shortly by Johnny Crypt's departure. Tracii and Steve had been talking with their former bandmates, Phil, Mick, and Kelly about a reunion album and tour and when this became a reality, Johnny found out and on February 6, 1999, he left. The reunion album Greatest Hits & Black Beauties was released around the same time as Shrinking Violet.

Phil Lewis had kept busy over his five year hiatus from L.A. Guns. In 1995, he had participated in the release of a Japan-only hits compilation called Hollywood-A-Go-Go and in 1996, he reunited with Mick and Kelly to record another Japan-only L.A. Guns album, Hollywood Rehearsals with drummer Rod Alman. In 1997, he and Michael "Bones" Gershima (now calling himself MC Bones) formed Filthy Lucre along with guitarist Steve Dior and released the album Popsmear on Pulse Records. A short tour that followed. In 1997, Phil released El Niňo in Japan and then released it in 1998 as More Purple Than Black on Standback Records in the U.S. (It was re-released by Deadline Records in 1999.) Phil and his band, The Liberators (which included guitarist Brent Muscat and bassist Eric Stacy of Faster Pussycat) toured a little in the U.S. and Japan. The Liberators recorded an album in September and October of 1999, done live in the studio, which they released in Japan, called Access Denied, and was later released in 2001 by Deadline Records under Phil's name.

Tracii Guns also released a solo album in 1998 called Killing Machine on Standback Records with singer Riley Baxter. This was re-released in 1999 by Deadline Records. Tracii was also featured on Gilby Clarke's album 99 Live in 2000 on Mafia Radio Records (which was reissued in 2002 by Spitfire Records). L.A. Guns set out on the reunion tour in October of 1999 and recorded a live album in their hometown of Hollywood, the album called Live: A Night On The Strip was released the following year.

LA Guns

After the reunion, it came to light that for the summer 2000 tour, Mick and Kelly couldn't commit to the plans, so they were replaced by The Liberators guitarist Brent Muscat and bassist Muddy, respectively. Johnny Crypt was asked to return, but declined because he joined Jizzy Pearl's latest incarnation of Love/Hate, which also included former L.A. Guns frontman Chris Van Dahl on bass. However, this was short-lived as Love/Hate was axed in July, as Jizzy joined Ratt. Ratt and L.A. Guns teamed up with Warrant for a remainder-of-the-summer tour, which L.A. Guns dropped off in August due to booking problems. Johnny Crypt didn't let his lack of a band get him down, however, and in late 2000 he wrote and recorded an album called Plazmaholix Virus, which was released independently on his own website. In August 2000, The L.A. Guns re-recorded and re-released Cocked & Loaded retitled Cocked & Re-Loaded on Deadline Records. Mick Cripps again rejoined the band briefly (Brent left) in late 2000 to record an album with the band, entitled Man In The Moon, which was released on Spitfire Records in April of 2001. Mick played keyboards on the album, but did not tour to support it. Muddy later left the band after a short promo tour for Man In The Moon to join Gilby Clarke's band, Col. Parker. He was replaced by Adam Hamilton for the winter of 2002 Man In The Moon club tour. In 2002, Andy Johns was hired to produce the next release, Waking the Dead. This album features Adam Hamilton as the new bass player. Hailed by fans as one of the strongest and heaviest material LA Guns has ever recorded, the album features "OK, Let's roll" - dedicated to Todd Beamer and the brave tragic souls who rushed the cockpit of Flight 93 during the events of September 11, 2001 attacks.

In November 2003, founding guitarist Tracii Guns became very interested in a new project, entitled Brides of Destruction, with Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx. Guns saw the project as an opportunity to recapture the mainstream credibility he had held in the late '80s and therefore became lead guitarist for the outfit. In 2004, Brides of Destruction embarked on a World Tour, and the future of L.A. Guns was in doubt until both Steve Riley and Phil Lewis told the "Hairball John Radio Show" that the band would continue despite Guns' involvement in Brides of Destruction.

In 2004, L.A. Guns released the album Rips the Covers Off, an album composed entirely of cover versions and two bonus live tracks, with guitarist Stacey Blades. They had gone through several guitarists since Tracii Guns departed in mid-2003.

LA Guns mp3 download

Easy Guitar Tabs LA Guns

Slipknot

2008-06-18T23:11:00.000-07:00

Slipknot mp3 download

Easy guitar Tabs Slipknot

There are nine members of slipknot ranging from 0-8.

Sid Wilson is number zero and he runs the turntables.

Joey Jordison is number one and he is their drummer. He was born on April 26, 1975. He got his first drum set in fifth grade. He was the one that created the Slipknot S logo. He was orgianlly the guitarist for his previous band ,called the Murderdolls, and he was in a band named Anal Blast. He was the one that thought of refering to their fans as 'maggots'.

Paul Gray is number two and he plays the bass guitar.He is a co-founder of Slipknot. Paul is half black.

Chris Fehn is number three and he is their custom percussionist. He was born on February 24, 1974. He is considered to be the comedian of the group. He was in the band Shed before he was recruited into Slipknot. He also does alot of the backup vocals. His nose is 7 inches long.

SlipKnot Band Members

Jim Root is number four and he is their guitarist. He was born on October 2, 1971. He used to be a very timid guy until he became a part of Slipknot. He was in the newly revived band Stone Sour, along with the bands Dead Front and Atomic Opera. Most people refer to him as James.

Craig Jones is number five and he does their samples and media stuff. He was born in 1972 and his nickname is 133 MHz. He was orginally their guitarist, but later switched to samples and media. The clip 'the whole thing i think is sick' was cut from a documentary on Charles Manson. 'here comes the pain' comes from a movie staring Al Pacino called, 'Carlito's Way'.

Shawn Crahan is number six and he is another custom percussionist. He was born on September 24, 1969. He is the co-founder of Slipknot. He is an Executive producer for both Mudvayne and 40 Below Summer. He was the one that originally thought of using masks to make them stand out. He is the oldest member of the group and he does some backup vocals.

Mick Thomson is number seven and he is a guitarist. He was born on November 3, 1973. He is fascinated by serial killers and he is shorter than most of the band.

Corey Taylor is number eight and he mainly does their vocals. He was born on December 8, 1973. His nickname is 'Faith' and he used to work in a porn shop. His porn shop was where he was recruited for Slipknot. He has at least one baby. His baby's name is Griffin Parker Taylor who is nicknamed 'Itty Bitty Mouth'. The Dreadlocks on Corey's Mask are made from his real hair.

S.I.C. is an acronym for 'said in content'.

Slipknot

One day Shawn Crahan and Anders Colsefini (who would later do Slipknot's vocals for a short time) were good friends and were just hangin' out when they got the great idea of creating a band. Crahan called Paul Gray first off, who called Joey Jordison from Paul's previous group, Anal Blast. Then they called in Donnie Steele from the band Cody's Pit and Josh Brainard from Modifidious.

Corey Taylor is pegged as the crazy guy on stage but in actuality, he is a calm sensible guy. The true wild one is Shawn Crahan. He loves to get into fights, be wild on stage, and bang his head on walls. Mick Thomson was a guitar teacher before he joined Slipknot. Craig Jones wrote the first song to their second album in under an hour. Chris Fehn is the one on their second album that threw up on the Ghost track. Joey Jordison is the shortest member of Slipknot.

The nine-member hard-core metal outfit Slipknot formed in the self-proclaimed 'middle of nowhere'-- Des Moines, Iowa -- in 1995. Asserting that they are 'not about our names or our faces,'members DJ Sid Wilson, drummer Joey Jordison, bassist Paul Gray, percussionist Chris Fehn, guitarist Jim Root, sampler Craig Jones, percussionist Shawn Crahan, guitarist Mic Thompson and vocalist Corey Taylor have taken numbers 0-8 as stage names and don bizarre homemade masks for shows, photos shoots, and interviews.

Slipknot self-released a CD in 1996, Mate, Feed, Kill, Repeat, before signing with Ross Robinson's I Am Records, an imprint of Roadrunner. Their label debut, Slipknot, was released in 1999 with their latest, Iowa, following two years later.

Slipknot is a nu-metal band featuring nine members which makes them quite a unique band with 3 percussionists, 2 guitarists, 1 bassist, a DJ, a sampler and a lead singer. Trying to distinguish themselves more they have named themselves by using the numbers 0-8 and have been using bright costumes and masks on stage. The band formed in 1995 and was originally called Meld before changing their name in Spring / Summer of 1996. In 1999 they released their self-titled debut album which made them rather famous right away.

Slipknot Photo

The well known 'slipknot barcode' is the barcode from their first album 'mate,feed,kill,repeat' and the numerical sequence from that barcode is the same as the title to the 1st track on their self titled cd.

In May 2004, Slipknot released their 3rd commercial album with the daring Vol.3 (The Subliminal Verses). This has brought them under scrutiny from some of their more shallow fans, who say they have abandoned metal and gone softy, due to the fact that there are a couple of acoustic ballads on this album. Corey Taylor has said this is Slipknot's last album before calling it quits, saying 'Tell me how I'm supposed to be excited about a band that's eating itself.' They will be on the second stage at Ozzfest 2004.

Slipknot mp3 download

Easy guitar Tabs Slipknot

Lamb Of God

2008-06-18T22:46:00.001-07:00

Lamb Of God

The roots of Lamb of God were planted in 1990 when Chris Adler, Mark Morton and John Campbell were floor mates at a Virginia Commonwealth University dormitory. Four years later (1994) the trio met up at Chris's rental house in Church Hill, Richmond to make some noise. "There was no heat at the house," recalls Campbell. "Kerosene fumes and Black Label beer were definitely what fueled our early days.
"
"I couldn't afford to heat the house. We could see each other's breath when we played" recalls Adler. "It was rough, but in retrospect this was the perfect setting to prove our dedication to the aggressive music we wrote." After graduation, Morton moved to Chicago to pursue a master's degree, but the band continued. A new guitarist, Abe Spear, quickly replaced Morton. Soon after the band retired its instrumental sound and added Randy Blythe on vocals.

The quartet, known then as Burn the Priest, became a fixture in the tightly-knit Richmond music scene. To compete with the high-level of musicianship displayed by their contemporaries, the band adopted a rigid practice schedule. "To this day, we practice five days a week," says Campbell. "Many of the bands in Richmond can flat outplay you and if you don't practice, they will blow you off the stage. They inspired us to raise the bar musically and taught us the work ethic we needed to be a success."

The band worked incessantly, rehearsing and booking small shows across the country for the next three years. "John and I would screen print shirts at my apartment in hopes of selling them at shows for gas money to the next show," recalls Adler. The band got in early and made good use of the internet. Even without a record label or a full-length release, the band became the most downloaded metal act at the popular music-sharing site MP3.com. In 1997, Morton moved back from Chicago and soon after re-joined the group. Burn the Priest released a self-titled full-length album on Legion Records in 1998. Two years of DIY touring followed. The band played hundreds of shows during this time including several shows at the legendary CBGB's in Manhattan as well as multiple appearances at the well-known Milwaukee Metal Festival.

In early 2000, Abe amicably left the band to pursue a new career. This opened a spot for guitarist. Chris's younger brother Willie had recently moved back to Virginia from a stint in Seattle, WA. Knowing his talent and ability first hand, Chris called him to Richmond to audition. There were no additional auditions.
With the change in blood, a new energy and potential, Burn the Priest changed its name to Lamb of God and signed a record deal with Prosthetic Records. The newly monikered band's debut, New American Gospel, was released in 2000. "This album was all about creating a rhythmic and pummeling musical landscape," explains Morton. Drummer Adler notes: "This is a classic record. We had all the elements come together to make one of the heaviest, yet contagious records of our career. It was difficult to contain us - we didn't even understand at the time what we had created."

Lamb Of God

Another two years of extensive touring in support of the album raised Lamb of God's profile before the band buckled down to write and release the critically acclaimed, As The Palaces Burn (2003). As The Palaces Burn won record of the year honors in such notable magazines as Revolver and Metal Hammer while garnering positive mainstream press in Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly.

The band hit the road again and began headlining tours across the globe. In the fall of 2003 Lamb of God was a co-headliner on the first ever MTV's Headbanger's Ball Tour which continued to elevate the popularity and visibility of the band. Terror and Hubris, a DVD featuring early live performances, videos for "Ruin" and "Black Label" and behind-the-scenes footage highlighting the work ethic, humility and sense of humor of one of the most respected and influential bands around was released during the touring cycle. The DVD proved to be a commercial success as it entered the Billboard Music DVD Charts at #32.

Gradually, Lamb of God's persistence paid off. Their 2003 disc, As The Palaces Burn earned them a new level of respect and admiration, but it was 2004's virulent major label debut (Epic Records) Ashes of the Wake that turned the band into true contenders for the metal throne. Revolver magazine voted it the album of the year, a Guitar World readers poll deemed it best metal album and awarded the band "most valuable players," "best shredders" and "best riffs." The video for "Now You've Got Something to Die For" earned "best video" from both MTV and Revolver. A DVD chronicling the tour and life on the road with the band, Killadelphia, now certified Platinum by the RIAA, was released in 2005 creating a feeding frenzy for the bands live show. Lamb of God supported Ashes of the Wake with relentless touring, now playing mostly arenas and festivals, starting with a headlining run on Second Stage at Ozzfest 2004, and ending by headlining the North American Sounds of The Underground Festival in 2005.

Lamb Of God logo

The political angst that fueled the lyrics on As The Palaces Burn continues unabated on Ashes of the Wake. However, Blythe admits that his plans to write songs about personal responsibility quickly changed. "At the start of this album we agreed that we wanted to concentrate on internal instead of external politics," he explains. "But as we got into it, considering the condition of the world today, we felt obligated as responsible artists to give accurate social commentary, and that meant writing a few indictments against the powers that be."

Mixing a call to arms with a sneering disdain balances Ashes of the Wake. "In the end, I think the album is stronger because we show the relation between internal and external politics instead of just focusing on one or the other," Blythe says. "These songs are a reality check for everyone because they rail against a wrong-headed government and against the apathetic people that ignore the government and allow it to exist."

After Ashes of the Wake, they had been praised as one of the leaders of the new American metal movement, and while they were flattered to be considered part of something so influential, this time they wanted to stand alone. "I believe it's important for us to create a legacy for this band, and I don't want that legacy to be in association with anyone else," drummer Chris Adler commented.

Towards the end of 2005, the band stopped all touring and came home to Richmond, VA, to begin writing the next chapter. An intense 8-month writing process followed. "We pretty much killed ourselves working on it five to six days a week for six to eight hours a day," says Adler. "It was important to push ourselves into uncomfortable territory as players. A lot of times one of us would say, 'I'm not sure if I can play that.' The typical response was, 'Well, you've got a few months to figure it out.' We pushed ourselves to step it up and threw out a lot of decent material because we were insisting on only the best." One reason Lamb of God pushed so hard is because they wanted to create something that couldn't be classified, categorized or marginalized.

August 22, 2006 brought Sacrament, a stunning example of how diverse, articulate and pummeling metal can be. It's a record that emphasizes just how far the band members have come as players, writers and people and stands as a true testament of triumph over adversity. With Sacrament, Lamb of God has stoked the flames even higher than their previous works had blazed. The songs are bleak and dark, yet key ingredients of a ride that's as breathless, exhilarating and terrifying as an overdose.

Guitarist and co-lyricist Mark Morton notes the band chose the name Sacrament based on a specific lyrical reference as well as a more general symbolic perspective. "It employs the idea of the traditional religious Sacrament, which is something you do as ritual to get to a different level of your faith," he says. "It was also symbolic in terms of us putting out another record and getting to the next stage of our musical development."

"This is definitely a personal record and it's the darkest thing we've ever done," adds Blythe. "It stems from a lot of depression and a bleak worldview. In the last couple years I've been going through a lot of intense personal issues."

Lamb Of God

The biggest difference between Sacrament and Ashes of the Wake is the lyrical content. In the past, Lamb of God has lyrically been motivated by the hypocrisy, greed and turmoil of politics and politicians. This time the band turned within to reveal an even greater source of despair and frustration. Songs like 'Pathetic' and 'Descending' for instance are about the whirlpool of addiction and alcoholism, 'Walk With Me In Hell' addresses the destruction of codependency and 'Blacken the Cursed Sun' confronts suicidal depression.

"The lyrics were so intense for me, when I was recording, it was like breathing pain instead of air," Blythe says. " Once it was done, I couldn't listen to the record for another two months. It took so much out of me to get all this out, I didn't want to touch it right away."

In addition to being undeniably heavy in many ways, Sacrament is a sincere expression of the turmoil that has tumbled through the last few years of the band's existence. In an era of stagnant, contrived metal, Lamb of God is a harrowing rush of honesty, a declaration that no matter what anyone else is playing, Lamb of God will always follow their own hearts.

The release was far more than a work of self-indulgence. Sacrament landed at number 8 on the Billboard Top 10 in its very first week of release. The record went on to become the top selling metal record of the next 2 years and, as As The Palaces Burn was in 2003, Sacrament was voted the #1 Metal Album of the Year in Revolver Magazine. The reviews both from the media and from fans were overwhelmingly positive. "We hit a nerve," commented Adler. "This music and the lyrics within Sacrament speak and cut deeply. This is an intense record and comes at an important time in our lives and the world we live in."

By the end of 2006 the band had shattered every goal most metal bands can expect to attain. Despite this, the music industry had in large part ignored them. This was about to change. The band and the overwhelming grass roots following would no longer go unnoticed. Sacrament and Lamb of God were nominated for a Grammy in best category of best Metal Performance. In January of 2007 the band appeared on the Late Show with Conan O'Brien. Borders could not stop the growth. In the UK the band was honored with 5 nominations at the Golden Gods awards and the band went on to tour the world three times over the next 2 years, finishing off the touring cycle headlining arenas across the US in December of 2007.

Lamb of God is now home in Richmond, VA writing new material and preparing to enter the studio in the fall of 2008 to record the follow-up to Sacrament.
On July 1, 2008 the band will release the highly anticipated DVD follow-up to Killadelphia entitled 'Walk With Me In Hell.'

Lamb Of God Metal Band

"We're on stage for 90 minutes a day," says drummer Chris Adler. "People want to know what's going on for the other 22 and 1/2 hours. It's not always limousines and champagne. Killadelphia surprised a lot of people and proved that we refuse to censor or hold anything back. True to the high standard that we hold ourselves to, 'Walk With Me In Hell' is unlike any music DVD I've ever seen. This is an entire new level of documentary taking you on an intense, worldwide journey with us. This is a very proud moment for us as a band. It's hard to comprehend the pain and glory when you're in the middle of it, but looking back over the past two years we can begin to understand how huge this record and touring cycle was," says Adler. "It shows the blood shed and what it takes to not only hold our own, but succeed in the face of every obstacle in front of us. We have never offered less than our best, our fans expect and deserve it, and this DVD will serve as a landmark for all that follow."

While huge expectations and pressures abound, the band manages to remain unaffected. "This band was started because no one out there was making the music that we wanted to hear," singer Randy Blythe says. "So, we decided to make that music, and from that point it has just been a continuation of that philosophy. We had never changed anything we do to appeal to anyone, appease anyone or seek any sort of approval from anyone other than ourselves."