Category : LATEST NEWS

MEMBERS OF SEVENDUST AND CANDLEBOX RAISE MONEY FOR FUND FOR BULLIED TEEN WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE

October is National Bullying Awareness Prevention month and to help raise awareness for this epidemic, Le Projet, the band featuring members of Candlebox, Sevendust and The Infinite Staircase, has launched a multi-tiered anti-bullying initiative to support the Brandon Bitner Memorial Scholarship.

Brandon Bitner committed suicide at the age of 14 after being bullied for four years and was an avid music lover.

As part of the campaign, Le Projet and Candlebox lead singer Kevin Martin has filmed a personal PSA about his own experience with bullying and explains why he wrote Le Projet’s ultimate anti- bullying song “Little Sh#ts”.

The band has also partnered with Event Hustler to develop T-shirts with the hash tag #WHATYOUSAY?, which is the chorus to Little Sh#ts reminding everyone that what they say has an impact on others, to support the scholarship fund. Portions of every sale will be donated directly to the Brandon Bitner Memorial Scholarship.

According to Martin, he felt compelled to write “Little Sh#ts” after learning of another tragic suicide like Bitner’s.

“I was inspired by a story I had read about a young girl who committed suicide because she had been emotionally bullied via social networking sites and her cell phone by several kids in her school. I remember feeling such sadness not only for her family but for every kid that I began to read about that was dealing with the same thing,” said Martin. “My first thought was ‘how can people be so cruel to one another?’ My second thought was ‘You have to write a song about this!’ I tried to put a face to these bullies but all I could give them was a name. ‘Little Sh#ts!’I think it fits.”

To order a T-shirt, please click here. For more information about the Brandon Bitner Memorial Scholarship, please visit brandonbitner.org/scholarship.

Little Sh#ts is available for digital download on all major online retailers, including iTunes. Additionally, a special limited edition 7 Inch Split Single Vinyl is now available through the band’s Facebook Page.

In addition to Martin, Le Projet comprises Adam Kury and Brian Quinn from Candlebox, Morgan Rose from Sevendust and Lenny Cerzosie from The Infinite Staircase. To learn more about Le Projet visit, leprojetband.com.

KISS FRONTMAN PAUL STANLEY SAYS THAT ACE FREHLEY AND PETER CRISS SOLD THE RIGHTS TO THEIR MAKEUP FOR “NOT A WHOLE LOT”

As the controversy rages among KISS fans over whether Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer should wear the makeup made famous by Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, Paul Stanley defended his band by saying that the answer is simple. In a new interview, he said KISS own the rights to their “Spaceman” and “Catman” characters, which they bought from the former members for a song.

Speaking to Australia’s 4KQ, Stanley said, “The guys basically sold it off for, you know, not a whole lot, because they didn’t think it was worth anything. Quite honestly, I’ve always thought our image and what we represent is priceless. It didn’t matter to some people — it truly matters to me.”

Stanley added that being in a band is no different from being an athlete on a team, where lineup changes are natural with the passage of time. “If somebody is out, somebody else comes along,” he said. “I don’t think that when you go to see your favorite team, you’re yelling that you want to see somebody who was in the team 20 years ago. Time moves on, but the team lives on. … I didn’t invent the wheel. Somebody is out there who can come in and take my place. … I don’t see a reason for the band to fold, any more than I can see a reason for a team to fold.”

additional source: ultimateclassicrock.com

TOOL FRONT MAN MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN DISCUSSES FORTHCOMING BOOK

Hank Shteamer of Rolling Stone spoke with Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan about his forthcoming semi-autobiography. Excerpts from the interview appear below.

RS: Can you give me the backstory on this book? How did it come about?

MK: One of my best friends in high school, we’re still close, his sister’s a writer, she’s 10 years older than we are; she’s kind of been around for a while, of course, seeing everything that went on pre–high school, high school, etc. So I approached her, because she’s a writer, to see if she was interested in helping me work on a semi-autobiography. Because I didn’t really want to write it as an autobiography, first-person — I’d rather have it be more in story form, like you’re kind of along for the journey, with sidebars by me throughout, in my voice, kind of expanding on particular instances or anecdotes. But for the most part, it’s just she and I on the phone a couple times a week, just going over timelines, going over stories, etc.

RS: You’ve obviously talked about your life a million times in interviews and in the documentary that you did, Blood Into Wine. Were there particular things that you wanted to share with people that you felt hadn’t been dealt with in previous accounts of your life?

MK: I guess so. I mean there’s always that perception that whatever you’ve done that’s the largest media-friendly thing in your life, where the world came to know of you, there’s a perception that there was no life before, and that you were nothing before. There’s a lot of stuff that went on in my life that nobody really knows about. So I feel like this is the chance to show the patterns, tell a story.

RS: Did you learn anything about yourself or your family in the course of this process?

MK: Absolutely, because you start seeing patterns. And I think that’s part of the exercise, as well. When you get to a certain age, you think you’ve learned everything, and when you start really putting these patterns together, you start seeing your own patterns of behavior, and it’s an opportunity to fix them, you know?

RS: Presumably you’ve read your share of artist memoirs or biographies. What do you think makes a good or bad one?

MK: It all depends on the reader, I suppose. Most people want to hear the kiss-and-tell crap, the garbage on the bus. That’s boring to me. “We threw a piano out a window!” That’s been done a million times before even Buddy Rich was around. Just a lot of things that you read in biographies, I feel like they’re just kiss-and-tell war stories. The ones I prefer are when they get more into the psychology and the decision-making process, not really who you know and “… then I met the president.” Those are boring. I’m more concerned about or more interested in crossroads, where the person in their story comes to a crossroads, and they make a decision, and you see the effects, the cause-and-effect process of those decisions.

RS: Can you think of a particular biography you’ve read that had what you’re aiming for with your own?

MK: Bowie, he had some solid memoirs. That’s the only one that comes to mind at the moment. But again, we’re trying to write this a little bit more, almost like you’re following a character through a story. If you’ve ever read John Crowley’s Little, Big, it’s quite a brain-teaser, a fantastic fantasy novel with multiple dimensional layers of story. So if I had to kind of put the book in perspective, it would be something like that.

RS: So there was a conversation you had a couple weeks back with one of our writers, and he asked about the progress of the new Tool album, and you mentioned that there was no music to work with. And last year, another Rolling Stone writer talked to Danny and Adam, and they said that there was some new material. Can you help us get to the bottom of where you’re at with the new record?

MK: Do I seem like a lazy person to you?

RS: Of course not.

MK:OK — that’s all I can really say.

RS: So …

MK: They’re working hard in their own way; I’m working hard in my own way, and I’ve got nothin’ for ya.

Read Maynard Keenan’s entire interview with Rolling Stone, here.

source: rollingstone.com

DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER, HALESTORM POSTPONE TOMORROW NIGHT’ SHOW IN NEW YORK CITY’S CENTRAL PARK

Halestrom has released the following statement:

“Due to Saturdy’s weather forecast of heavy rain and high winds, SummerStage’s outdoor Central Park show with Halestrom, previously scheduled for Saturday, October 3rd has been POSTPONED to our 2016 season. In a statement from the band, Halestorm says, “We’re seriously bummed about the NYC show being postponed and already look forward to coming back in 2016 and rocking the park. We hope to see you all then.” We appreciate your understanding on this regrettable change; stay safe and dry this weekend!”

The band will be performing in Camden, NJ tonight at Susquehanna Bank Center if fans would like to to attend that show. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and show begins 8:30 p.m..

THE WINERY DOGS “HOT STREAK” OUT TODAY; U.S. HEADLINING TOUR STARTS OCTOBER 3RD

In 2013, three of rock music’s preeminent musicians—Richie Kotzen, Mike Portnoy and Billy Sheehan—joined forces to release their self-titled, self-produced debut album. Two years later, the trio known as The Winery Dogs is back with their second album, proving the immense critical acclaim, Top Ten chart positions and numerous sold-out shows worldwide wasn’t a fluke.

Hot Streak is The Winery Dogs’ appropriately titled, self-produced studio album, which came out today on Loud & Proud Records via RED (a division of Sony Music Entertainment) and in the rest of the world via earMUSIC. It was preceded by the first single, Oblivion, which was released to radio August 25th and quickly made its way onto the Top 30 of the Billboard “Mainstream Rock Tracks” chart. A double vinyl edition of the new album is also in the works and is due out November 13th.

As of October 1st, Hot Streak was sitting at #7 on iTunes’ Pre-Order Rock Albums chart, as well as many of Amazon’s top pre-order lists, including:

#1 Amazon BestSellers – Hard Rock
#5 Amazon BestSellers – Rock
#9 Amazon BestSellers – Pop
#9 Amazon BestSellers – All Music
#1 Amazon Pre-Orders – Hard Rock Albums
#2 Amazon Pre-Orders By Price ($9.99)
#3 Amazon Pre-Orders – Rock Albums
#5 Amazon Pre-Orders – Pop Albums
#6 Amazon Pre-Orders – CD / All Music
#6 Amazon Customer Top 20 Picks

Last week, Eddie Trunk—who was instrumental in introducing Kotzen to Portnoy and Sheehan in 2012 when the band was first forming—premiered two songs, Captain Love and Hot Streak, on his weekly Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk SiriusXM radio show. “The Winery Dogs have taken the incredible precedent for songs and performance set on their debut to the next level with Hot Streak,” Trunk says. “More brilliant stuff from what is easily my favorite new band.”

After playing over 100 shows worldwide in support of their self-titled debut album, The Winery Dogs are eager to head back out on the road to get behind Hot Streak. Their first round of U.S. headlining tour dates will kick off October 3rd in Ridgefield, CT at the Ridgefield Playhouse. Shows around the globe are already being planned for 2016.

Hot Streak shows the powerfully pedigreed trio’s initial burst of collective chemistry was no accident, from the strum and headbang of Captain Love to the propulsive uplifting vibe ofThe Bridge” to the introspective acoustic harmonic convergence of Fire. If these three Dogs thought they captured lightning in a supper dish the first time around, Hot Streak barks ups the aural ante into exciting new territory.

The Winery Dogs on the road:

October:

3 Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse
4 Jim Thorpe, PA Penn’s Peak
5 Boston, MA Wilbur Theater
8 Glenside, PA Keswick Theater
9 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
10 New York, NY Best Buy Theater
12 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
14 Jacksonville, FL Ponte Verde Concert Hall
15 Tampa, FL State Theater
16 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Culture Room
17 Orlando, FL The Plaza Live
20 Nashville, TN Wildhorse Saloon
22 Houston, TX Pub Fountains
23 Ardmore, OK Heritage Hall
24 Dallas, TX The Gas Monkey
27 Milwaukee, WI Potowatami Casino
28 Milwaukee, WI Potowatami Casino
29 St. Charles, IL Arcada Theater
31 Denver, CO Marquis Theater

November:

2 San Jose, CA Rock Bar
3 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
5 Agoura Hills, CA Canyon Club
6 Beverly Hills, CA Saban Theater
7 Las Vegas, NV Vamp’d
8 San Diego, CA House of Blues

DEF LEPPARD RELEASE LYRIC VIDEO FOR “LET’S GO”

Def Leppard’s new self titled album will be released on October 30th through earMUSIC. The band is streaming a lyric video for the song, Let’s Go, listen to it below.

The track listing for Def Leppard’s self titled album is as follows:

1. Let’s Go
2. Dangerous
3. Man Enough
4. We Belong
5. Invincible
6. Sea Of Love
7. Energized
8. All Time High
9. Battle Of My Own
10. Broke ‘N’ Brokenhearted
11. Forever Young
12. Last Dance
13. Wings Of An Angel
14. Blind Faith

Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott explained the reasoning behind releasing a self-titled album at this point in the band’s career, saying, “It’s just called ‘Def Leppard’ because that’s what it sounds like. It doesn’t sounds like any one specific era of Def Leppard. It’s got everything.”

That “everything,” Elliott argued, includes bits of Def Leppard’s many influences. “You’ll listen and you go ‘Oh, that sounds like Def Leppard’ or you’ll go ‘That is Leppard, but sounds a bit like Led Zeppelin or Queen but you can hear the AC/DC or the Crosby, Stills and Nash coming through,” he predicted. “We have not shied away from anything that’s influenced us in our growing up periods of our life. Just because we’ve made the kind of music we’ve made doesn’t mean to say we don’t like all of this other stuff.”

In related news, Def Leppard’s maiden voyage of their Hysteria On the High Seas will be departing Miami this January 21st-25th. Read more about the excursion, here.