California rockers Rival Sons appeared on the Late Show With David Letterman on October 9th performing their song Open My Eyes from their album Great Western Valkyrie. Watch their performance below.
Rival Sons released Great Western Valkyrie, their fourth album, on June 6th.
Rival Sons on the web:
Official Website
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Greg Prato of Songfacts spoke with former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver singer Scott Weiland. Excerpts from the interview appear below.
Songfacts: How would you say that you write your best songs?
Scott Weiland: Well, this album is different, the current one that I’m working on with the band. In the past, writing alone, I’ve written much more eclectic records. It’s more obscure music. The two big bands that I’ve played in up to this point, Velvet Revolver and STP, are known for big, D-tuned power riffs, power chords, and big sound. So it’s different.
When I was writing with STP and Velvet Revolver, it was kind of the same thing: One of the guys would have a song idea and we’d kind of suss it out with the band and then I’d write my melodies and then write my lyrics to the melodies. And as a solo artist, I kind of felt free to go off and explore all different styles of music that I’ve been interested in over my lifetime and find some sort of cosmic melting pot for it. That was fun, but it was more difficult to bring that to the stage, because it meant we had to have more players and a lot of effects.
We’d bring in loops and stuff – the loops that we created for the album, we’d bring them out live. Which was fun, but I think for a lot of the STP and Velvet Revolver fans, it was kind of a stretch for them to wrap their heads around because they were very left-of-center records, 12 Bar Blues [1998] and Happy in Galoshes [2008]. This is much more of an indie-sounding record, but it still is very much a rock and roll record. There’s big, fuzzy riffs and it’s cool. It’s a whole new experience.
Songfacts: What was the lyrical inspiration behind the STP song, Dead and Bloated?
Scott: It’s not really about anything. It’s just stream-of-consciousness words. I mean, at the age of 21, 22, I didn’t have a whole lot of life experiences. So it’s more about the vibe, the angst and that kind of a thing, as opposed to actual life experiences.
Songfacts:…what about the STP song Creep, what do you remember about the lyrical writing of that song?
Scott: That’s just the idea of being a young person somewhere, caught between still being a kid and becoming a young man. It’s that youth apathy, that second-guessing yourself, not feeling like you fit in.
Songfacts: And what about Slither from Velvet Revolver?
Scott: That song, what was that song about? Just got done performing it. The lyrics are about a relationship. “When you look you see right through me, cut the rope, fell to my knees, born and broken every single time.” It’s just feeling not right in a situation.
Read more at Songfacts.
source: songfacts.com
Eddie’s podcast with Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry is now available for download. The interview can be obtained at iTunes and PodcastOne.
This interview was conducted at Joe Perry’s book signing in New York City on October 7th. To read details about Joe Perry’s biography, please click here and to see pictures from his Manhattan book signing, click here.
Elisabeth Vincentelli of the New York Post spoke with the ever charming Judas Priest frontman, Rob Halford. Excerpts from the interview appear below.
NY Post: You’re not afraid to talk about your love for Michael Bublé.
Rob Halford: Even though I’m a metal singer, the fact that I’ve been able to appreciate other types of performers has probably paid dividends.
When I listen to Michael Bublé, it’s exciting, it’s inspiring. I feel the same way with Michael Feinstein or Ryan Adams. I’m drawn to singers who have something different to say vocally, and Adele would be in there. I saw [Barbra] Streisand in Phoenix and that was mind-blowing. Her voice is just so pure.
NY Post: You’re definitely thinking outside of the metal box.
Rob Halford: I’ve also always had a passion for some types of opera — I’ve got a massive Pavarotti collection. I sing Nessun Dorma when I warm up backstage.
NY Post: Is Priest ever going to put out the tracks you guys did in ’88 with producers Stock Aitken Waterman, of Kylie Minogue and Rick Astley fame?
Rob Halford: I personally would love to release them, but there’s a different consensus within the band. Our rendition of [the Stylistics’] You Are Everything is just beautiful — it’s an ’80s megarock ballad, with big drums, big vocals, sweeping strings.
People are a lot more open-minded now, whereas in those days it could have created a bit of push-back, maybe even some damage to our reputation.
NY Post: Yet from Day 1, you’ve pushed the boundaries in your stage visuals, with all that leather and chains.
Rob Halford: The outfit I used to wear for our first three or four songs was like carrying one of those huge military backpacks! I had to have an operation on my spine a year ago.
My new outfits are just as visually strong but they’re about a quarter of the weight — we’ve reduced the tonnage of the studs [chuckles]. I’ve been in London working on them with Ray Brown. I look a bit like the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz on the new tour.
Read more at the New York Post.
source: nypost.com
AC/DC have released the track listing for their forthcoming album, Rock Or Bust, out on December 2nd. See it below.
Rock or Bust track list.
1. Rock or Bust
2. Play Ball (To listen to this song, click the name)
3. Rock The Blues Away
4. Miss Adventure
5. Dogs of War
6. Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder
7. Hard Times
8. Baptism By Fire
9. Rock the House
10. Sweet Candy
11. Emission Control
CD and LP versions of Rock or Bust are packaged in a limited 3D animated cover. All digital pre-orders of Rock or Bust come with an instant download of Play Ball.
Click the following links to order:
As previously reported, Trixter’s Steve Brown is the temporary replacement guitarist for Vivian Campbell while he recovers from cancer treatments.
Brown’s debut appearance with band too place on September 28th when Def Leppard played Wembley Stadium during the NFL’s Dolphins/Raiders game. See the performance below.
Campbell recently posted the following message at the band’s official website:
“As many of you know, I’ve been scheduled to start a stem cell transplant and as soon as I got home from tour I began the necessary tests and preparations. I’ll be admitted to hospital soon for all the yucky bits, so in the meantime I’m headed to Target to stock up on cozy pajamas, fresh underwear, and a sackful of car-porn.
Unfortunately, this means that I won’t be able to perform with the band on the upcoming NFL broadcast on Sept. 28th, nor will I be able to do the shows scheduled for Oct/Nov.
While I can’t say that I’m looking forward to the process ahead, I’m very much looking forward to what I feel will be a most successful outcome. Next year will be very busy for Def Leppard with a new album and a world tour, and frankly, I don’t think they would sound as loud without me, so I have no intention of letting the team down!
See you all (with hair!) in 2015. – Viv”
source: defleppard.com
