Once this music starts, I’m a puppet on a string: Spasmodically jerking my head and doing the happy metal grimace; unable to resist rising from my seat to shake it to the hard rock Ape Machine’s making in Portland, Oregon… blowing my speakers out, this minute, courtesy of the band’s first full-length: War to Head.

It’s not like the subject matter or lyrics (“Hold Your Tongue,” for instance, is about governmental lies and the fucked-upedness of war) are particularly new. If you took Ape Machine apart and examined its bits, it wouldn’t sound new either, at least on paper. But the joyful noize currently annoying my neighbors returns to all things eternally and appropriately hard rock. Apparently, we’ve moved far enough away from the original sources for a new generation of players to reference Deep Purple and Black Sabbath without embarrassment. Suddenly, after a couple decades of being that stuff your uncle still blasted in his garage, and those “ignorami” in the boonies had never stopped playing, the hard rock that morphed into metal is, again, cool.

Well, I’ve never given a shake for trends.  Nor would I be a puppet for this stuff if it weren’t k-i-c-k ASS. Caleb Heinze emotes with clarion fluidity, the keyboards, when used (especially on “What’s Up Stanley,” which seems to be a Purple homage) channel Jon Lord’s, and Ian Watts peels out exquisitely simple lines. None of which would matter to me if the songs weren’t there to justify all that energy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If this review’s got you hankering for some LOCAL stoner/hard/metallic rock, Lord Howler has purportedly been slamming out a new album. Meanwhile, here’s one from LH at Bar Eleven:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ape Machine: www.apemachine.com
Lord Howler: www.facebook.com/lord howler
Eleven Bar: www.elevensandiego.com
Me: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=619521791

“You have made my year,” Swift gushed from the podium. “I am so happy right now! This is thanks to all the fans who filled up those stadiums and arenas all over the world this year.”

Swift then proceeded to read, off her arm, the impressive list of musicians she worked with – pop stars Justin Bieber and Jason Mraz, rappers Nelly, T.I. and Nikki Minaj and, to complete the spectrum, fellow country stars Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney.

Swift, who has been touring the globe on her Speak Now tour, was previously named Billboard’s female artist of the year and with such a wide range of talent joining her on her tour, it is no big surprise she was CMA’s Entertainer of the Year.

What was surprising last night, at least to ‘The Voice’ star Blake Shelton, was Shelton’s second-consecutive award for Male Vocalist of the Year. It was a feat he never expected to achieve.

“I am beyond shocked! As shocked as I was last year, in the back of your mind you think — last year anyways – ‘Maybe I’ll win this because I’m the underdog– people in the industry feel sorry for me after all these years,’” Blake told Access Hollywood backstage. “Then it happened. So this year I thought, ‘Well, they’re not going to play that card again!’”

What was even more surreal for Shelton was that his wife, Miranda Lambert, won her second-straight Female Vocalist of the Year and that Shelton was presented his award by Nashville native and movie star Reese Witherspoon. Shelton described his winning the award by Witherspoon calling his name as “something from a movie.”

While Swift and Shelton took home two of the evening’s most coveted awards, it was The Band Perry who was the biggest winner of the night. They took home three awards, including New Artist of the Year, and both Song and Single of the year for their smash hit “If I die Young.” It was quite the accomplishment for the up-and-coming band who had “six pairs of fingers crossed,” on the red carpet, singer Kimberly Perry said.

Other big winners included Jason Aldean, who picked up two wins for Albums of the Year – My Kind of Party – and Musical Event of the Year for his duet with Kelly Clarkson – Don’t You Wanna Stay.

Sugarland, who took home their fifth win in the Vocal Duo category, dedicated their award to their fans and more importantly the “good folks of Indiana.” It was before a Sugarland concert at the Indiana State Fair this summer when a stage collapsed and a number of fans were killed.

This year’s telecast, packed with great performances from country’s biggest starts, had a bigger pop/rock music presence than years past. In the opening number, Shelton was joined by Kenny Loggins for a rendition of “Footloose.” Later, British pop start Natasha Bedingfield sand a duet with Rascal Flatts and pop singer/songwriter Matt Nathanson performed his song “Run” with Sugarland, with whom he co-wrote the track.

Not only that, but pop legend Lionel Richie was on hand to promote his upcoming country album Tuskegee by performing duets on three of his classic tunes with Little Big Town, Darius Rucker and Rascal Flatts.

To get a better idea of what took place backstage and off-the-air Billboard.com lists nine things viewers didn’t see. The full list of winners are listed below.

Entertainer of the Year: Taylor Swift
Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert
Male Vocalist of the Year: Blake Shelton
Vocal Group of the Year: Lady Antebellum
Vocal Duo of the Year: Sugarland
New Artist of the Year: The Band Perry
Album of the Year: My Kinda Party, Jason Aldean
Single of the Year: “If I Die Young”, The Band Perry
Song of the Year: “If I Die Young”, The Band Perry
Video of the Year: “The House That Built Me,” Miranda Lambert
Musical Event of the Year: “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” Jason Aldean featuring Kelly Clarkson
Musician of the Year: Mac McAnally, guitar
Music Video of the Year: “You and Tequila,” Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter

Leading the group with four nominations is Adele (Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Album in the category of Pop or Rock Music, Favorite Artist in Adult Contemporary Music, and Artist of the Year). After having dominated the music charts for the past year, the awards ceremony shouldn’t pose a problem for Adele and she’s bound to walk off with at least one, if not all, of the awards that she is nominated for. While she is up against some fan favorites, such as Lady Gaga, Adele embodies a more raw approach, delivering stripped down music that is lacking any machine-made artifice. Adele, with her pure voice and catchy hooks, has proven herself to be a permanent contender in the industry.

Not to be outdone by Adele’s four nominations, there many other artists are also nominated in multiple categories. Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, and Lil Wayne each have three nominations to vie for. Following close behind are LMFAO, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, and Kanye West, each receiving two nominations.

If you want your favorite artist to win, you better vote. For the fifth year in a row, the winners of the American Music Awards will be decided by the public via online voting. You will even be able to vote for the Sprint New Artist of the Year Award.

With Katy Perry and Pitbull already confirmed to be performing, The 2011 American Music Awards will be broadcasted live from the Nokia Theater L.A. Live on Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Want to know who else is nominated? Check out the full list below!

Pop or Rock Music

Favorite Male Artist:

Justin Bieber

Pitbull

Bruno Mars

Favorite Female Artist:

Adele

Lady Gaga

Katy Perry

Favorite Band or Group:

Maroon 5

OneRepublic

LMFAO

Favorite Album:

Adele – “21”

Lady Gaga – “Born This Way”

Rihanna – “Loud”

Country Music

Favorite Male Artist:

Jason Aldean

Brad Paisley

Blake Shelton

Favorite Female Artist:

Taylor Swift

Sara Evans

Miranda Lambert

Favorite Band or Group:

Lady Antebellum

The Band Perry

Zac Brown Band

Favorite Album:

Jason Aldean – “My Kinda Party”

The Band Perry – “The Band Perry”

Taylor Swift – “Speak Now”

Rap/Hip-Hop Music

Favorite Artist:

Lil Wayne

Kayne West

Nicki Minaj

Favorite Album:

Nicki Minaj – “Pink Friday”

Jay-Z & Kanye West – “Watch the Throne”

Lil Wayne – “Tha Carter IV”

Soul/Rhythm & Blues Music

Favorite Male Artist:

Chris Brown

Usher

Trey Songz

Favorite Female Artist:

Beyonce

Rihanna

Kelly Rowland

Favorite Album:

Beyonce – “4”

Rihanna – “Loud”

Chris Brown – “FAME”

Alternative Rock Music

Favorite Artist:

The Black Keys

Mumford & Sons

Foo Fighters

Adult Contemporary Music

Favorite Artist:

Adele

Katy Perry

Bruno Mars

Latin Music

Favorite Artist:

Enrique Iglesias

Jennifer Lopez

Pitbull

Contemporary Inspirational

Favorite Artist:

Casting Crowns

Third Day

Tobymac

Artist of the Year

Adele

Lady Gaga

Katy Perry

Taylor Swift

Lil Wayne

Sprint New Artist of the Year

Pop/Rock:

Foster the People

Hot Chelle Rae

Country:

The Band Perry

Thompson Square

Soul/R&B:

Marsha Ambrosius

Miguel

Rap/Hip-Hop:

LMFAO

Wiz Khalifa

These days cover artists don’t carry the same stigma like they once did as gaudy entertainers.  Artists like Alien Ant Farm and Limp Bizkit were first introduced to us via covers – springboards that catapulted them into the public eye that are now haunting them like a tailgating fiend.

According to Digital Music News, Alien Ant Farm’s cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal”, “involved a bizarre resurgence” following the death of Jackson.   Alien’s cover was buoyed by the posthumous tide, out-shadowing even their later works.

YouTube sensation, Boyce Avenue also shot to immediate underground fame after acoustic versions of their live performances of covers and original songs surfaced via the World Wide Web a little over two years ago, reports MVRemix Blog.  Their homemade videos of songs like Justin Timberlake’s “Love Stoned”, Rihanna’s “Umbrella”, and Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida”, among others, quickly went viral and today Boyce Avenue is one of the most watched channels on YouTube, with over 165,000,000 views.  They are currently signed to Universal Republic Records and their full-length album, released back in June 2010, has garnered the attention that has enabled them to tour the country and ease into a European tour slated in November.

And you might have heard of Pomplamoose, a San-Francisco based indie-pop duo through their YouTube covers – the most recent being the Angry Birds and The Super Mario’s theme song.  Easily recognized for their witty and quirky vocals, they’ve just released an original song, titled, “River Shiver,” and it could be surmised that without the introductory big push in the beginning via covers, their original stuff would not have generated the same sort of appeal.

Click here to view the embedded video.

But let’s just say, this conversion of talent, could go both ways.

Back in April, Prince reportedly claimed that covers are destroying his original work, saying that cover songs and the compulsory licenses that make them possible are invalidating his music.

So, basically Prince is saying that his version of “Purple Rain” or “Kiss” no longer exists.  Is this even possible?  Rather than claim that the original no longer exists; why not just assume it exists even more because now people are more aware of the original?

The onset of this discussion preludes even Prince.  The war on covers and the sampling business has been a continuously vicious onslaught with many musicians cowering in its wake.  But by the end of the day, the discussion that only seems to look inward into who owns the copyrights to what exists within a bigger context than what any formidable clairvoyant could foresee.

According to MuscianWages’s Cameron Mizell, the phrase ‘cover song’ originated in the early days of the recording era when record labels’ distribution was limited regionally.  When a song grew in popularity in one region, it would invariably get covered by competing labels in others.

This is what Wikipedia has to say on the nature of covers:

“Coined in 1966,^[2] the term cover version originally described a rival version of a tune recorded to compete with the recently released original version, e.g. Paul Williams‘ 1949 hit tune “The Hucklebuck” or Hank Williams‘ 1952^[3] song “Jambalaya (On the Bayou)“, both crossed over to the popular Hit Parade and had numerous hit versions. Prior to the mid-20th century the notion of an original version of a popular tune would, of course, have seemed slightly odd — the production of musical entertainment being seen essentially as a live event[.]“

Like the famous radio broadcast of H.G. Wells’, “The Wars of the Worlds,” which led thousands of listeners to believe that an alien invasion was imminent and created nationwide hysteria in 1938, the press release written relatively recently by Chuck Klosterman has misled a bunch of reporters, and caused mild mania over what direction music journalism is taking.

When it dawned on NPR’s Frannie Kelley that the email she found in her inbox wasn’t the straightforward piece of info a publicist would normally send, but in fact filled with not only outrageous hyperbole but a false one at that, she was outraged.  Kelley went on to write a scathing report on NPR’s music blog, The Record, about her discovery.  But besides proving that she was a hack, the timeless little diatribe went on to demonstrate that Kelley had entirely missed the point.

Klosterman is primarily known as a music writer for Spin magazine in the 1990s and the author of Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, Fargo Rock City, and Downtown Owl, an fictional tale of a small, middle of nowhere town and how the lackluster lives of three of its citizens manages to converge at one point.  Recognized for his blistering essays that touch upon all subjects delving in popular culture, rock music, and sports, Klosterman’s concise journalistic skills and poignant topics, all with a pop culture-twist, alone can dissuade any non-believer that what he has written down on the page isn’t going to be your run of the mill story.

When Kelley confessed that the aforementioned press release sounded vaguely suspicious to her when she first read it, this led the NPR reporter to undergo a brief investigation, where she discovered that what “the critics unilaterally concur about Delicate Steve” was questionable.  A group of polymathic, 40 instrument welding musicians who sound a lot like the band My Bloody Valentine, but without the guitars – Delicate Steve sounds like an instrumental band on steroids.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kelley did a little more digging, and what she happened to find out also sounded a bit disconcerting.  The bio was fake, and that it was written with that intention.

When Kelley learned that this whole exercise in deception was the brainchild’s of Yale Evelev, who runs the label Luaka Bop, she emailed him right away and this was what she found out: Evelev hired Klosterman to write a bio on a band he never heard of nor any of their music, because he’s seen how writer’s write about things and he thought that it would be interesting what they came up with when writing about instrumental music.

What some would consider a publicity stunt is really just a disparaging look into the state of music writing.

John Roderick, a singer-songwriter for the Seattle’s Long Winters, wrote in his post for his column “Reverb Residency,” in Seattle Weekly’s Reverb about how much it boggles him how often the word ‘meh’ appears in the reviews he’s looked at.  This noticeable decline in the quality of music writing forced him to take action; towards the end of his weekly column, he made a call for readers to demand better of their writers under the guise that writers work harder when readers push them.

And this could go both ways.

Robert Hilburn published a book called Corn Flakes with John Lennon last year.  Corn flakes chronicle Hilburn’s relationship with rock legends like John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, and Kurt Cobain.  Hilburn wasn’t just a music critic to these artists; he was also a bona fide confidante and friend who helped shape their careers.  Much like the Pitchfork of his day, Robert had so much influence he could easily make or break an artist based on a tongue-in-cheek review.  He also influenced Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan to change their set lists, as well as helped them open up with their music in a way no one has been able to since.

According to Slate’s Robert Pinksy, the biggest critics of John Keats’ day, standoffish literary critics who put such importance onto their words but consider the works they are critiquing irreverent, are considered bigger fools now than ever before.  Today, we are not as blind to Keats’ genius as the biggest critics of his time were.  Invariably, considered a literary giant of all time, Keats is now getting the last laugh.

Pinksy goes on to give readers a look into what he called his Aristotelian template as far as how a book review should be conceived:

1. The review must tell what the book is about.
2. The review must tell what the book’s author says about that thing the book is about.
3. The review must tell what the reviewer thinks about what the book’s author says about that thing the book is about.

Namely, a music review should do the same. It should describe the sound and style of the album and what the artist is trying to do as far as furthering the genre, and lastly it should give the reviewer’s opinion on what the artist was trying to do with the album.

Overall, this is a caveat to bloggers and music journalists everywhere: the system is getting all cogged up because of laziness.  But not to say being a music critic isn’t tough.  Listening with a fresh ear and with an unbiased take on the music you’d probably heard a thousand times before can get tiresome.  But, hey, this comes with the job description, and lazy writing begets lazy artists.

Klosterman’s press release is an eerie foreshadowing of where music journalism is going: one big hype machine that no one cares about enough to read anymore.

Photo Courtesy of Marcin Wichary via Flickr

Here are a few highlights from this year’s award show, which aired Sunday Aug 28.  View clips and highlights HERE.

Biggest News

Beyonce Knowles announces pregnancy!  The 29-year-old starlet announced that she and husband Jay-Z are expecting their first child.  Earlier this year, she told CNN that her goal was to be a mom by the time she hit the big 3-0, and she followed through.  Later on in the show, Knowles performed “Love on Top”, after which she tossed the mic and rubbed her baby bump as hubby Jay-Z applauded wildly from his primo seat.

Gaga Watch

Lady Gaga, who always makes a big splash at the VMAs, showed up this year as male alter ego Jo Calderone, who wears white crew neck T-s, black pants, combat boots and an uncanny resemblance to young John Travolta in his ‘grease’r days.  Gaga opened the show with an in-character monologue, and then delved into a performance of “You and I” with rock legend Brian May of Queen.

Despite taking a little fall on stage, Gaga delivered one of the best performances of the night.  Other honorable mentions include Adele’s performance of “Someone Like You” and Chris Brown’s dance medley.

Angry Celebrity

There always has to be at least one.  Last year, it was Kanye West when he interrupted Taylor Swift’s award acceptance speech, but this year’s VMA Angry Celebrity goes to Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine.  The singer, 32, voiced his distaste for the VMAs and MTV via his twitter, posting:

“The VMA’s. One day a year when MTV pretends to still care about music. I’m drawing a line in the sand. F— you VMA’s.”

Levine did not attend the awards show this year.  Perhaps not as douche-y of a move as Kanye’s last year, but still enough to earn him this year’s angry celebrity of the VMAs despite not actually going.

Aww Moment

The show took a serious turn when jazz legend Tony Bennet, 83, presented a touching video of a duet he recorded with the late Amy Winehouse just weeks before her death.  He told the audience, “She was a true jazz artist in the tradition of Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. She had the gift.”

Bennet was joined by Russell Brand and Bruno Mars in the tribute to Winehouse, who was found dead in her North London home in July of this year.

Images by j1myi and AlexKormisPS (ALM) via Flickr

The highly-anticipated album was originally intended to just be a five-track EP but in October 2010, West revealed it would be a full album. The 12-track Watch the Throne was produced by, among others, West, 88 keys, Jeff Bhasker, Mike Dean and Hit-Boy. While it is the first full album collaboration between West and Jay-Z, it’s not the first time these two rap moguls have worked together.

In Jay-Z’s 2001 studio-album The Blueprint, West produced a couple songs showcasing his own style of hip-hop production. Later, the two would join forces to produce the hit songs “Swagga Like Us,” “Run this Town” and “Monster.”

Surprisingly, West and Jay-Z were able to prevent songs from leaking pre-release and the album has already produced two hit singles: “H•A•M” and “Otis.” Currently, the iTunes home page immediately directs potential buyers to the expanded $14.99 configuration of the album without making it clear that a slightly cheaper version exists for $11.99.

The standard edition of the album was available to all retailers — physical and digital – on Friday, but the deluxe CD edition will be given solely to Best Buy for an additional 10 days. Fans who can sit tight for a few days will have cheaper options, as Best Buy is currently listing the standard CD for $9.99 and the expanded edition, which has the same extra tracks as the iTunes version, at $12.99.

Although most initial reviews for the collaboration were positive, they haven’t all praised the two rappers, or their lyrics.

Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly criticized the overall sound of the album, saying “Too much of Watch the Throne sounds cluttered and disjointed, as though Jay and ‘Ye built their garish castle in the sky via FedEx and text messages.”

At the same time, Randall Roberts of the LA Times said “Made in America” was one of the best tracks as “a solid, slow-paced Frank Ocean-teamed jam about the American dream that reveals the main difference between West and Jay-Z: humility.”

It seems with every positive review about either the lyrics or the album’s flow there is an equally negative review. Some discuss the message behind the album, others the rappers themselves.

“Both West and Jay-Z were vocal backers of Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign, but now that America is struggling to regain its economic bearings, they rhyme about their private jets, expensive watches and supermodel escapades,” said Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune.

“Dig deep into Throne, past the bacchanal celebration of the finer things in life, and you’ll find the album’s heart: two men grappling with what it means to be successful and black in a nation that still thinks of them as second class.” Time Magazine writer Claire Suddath said.

Images courtesy Jason Persse and musicallies via Flickr.

The question remains: why is it celebrities get ostracized for trying new things?  And what does this say about us, as a people, if we get antsy just by being mere spectators of someone daring to step outside their comfort zone?

Although Overdeep did go on to name Jennifer Lopez’s singing-acting-judging crossover career, as well as going on to distinguish Bette Midler, Barbara Streisand, Meatloaf and, of course, Cher, on their craft, her post failed to mention a few other notables who are currently making waves throughout the music industry, even going on to change the way we think and view artists.

Singer-songwriter Josh Ritters’ Novel Debut

When the news came out that singer-songwriter Josh Ritter was penning his first novel, you could almost feel the universe cringing over yet another starry-eyed songwriter-turned-author attempting to strap themselves down to their writing contraptions and pen the next great American novel.

But unlike other examples of writing enthusiasts, Ritter’s pivot into the literacy world wasn’t a fanciful impulse.  It was more like an idea that exploded and Ritter was powerless but to follow the urge to write it all down.

Named one of Paste’s top-living songwriters and drawing comparisons from Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, it wasn’t too much of a surprise when critics began to commend Ritter on his folk-based rock that has underlying literary nuances with fantastical imagery and sincere emotive strengths.  His 2006 album, “The Animal Years,” demonstrated his talents for concocting wartime stories with biblical references, while last year’s “So Runs The World Away” had traces of humor in its gothic sounds, reports NPR.

While these vignettes into wartime accounts offer us insight into Ritter’s creative process, it is possible that his prior albums also played a strong role in actualizing the author’s debut novel, “Bright’s Passage.”

About a young West Virginian who has just come home from serving WWI in France, Henry Bright is soon bombarded with new trials that will test his strength and his belief in the fantastical.

The book is executed in a series of minute details that go on to exemplify Ritter’s skill in “penning beauty within small spaces,” reviews PopMatters.  According to the pop culture website, the novel is layered with rich, detailed language filled with many a startling turn of phrase.

It is obvious here that Ritter’s novel-writing ventures were developed through his musical talents.  And it is also surmised that both disciplines will become very useful in fostering future artistic endeavors.

Yet it will be Ben Fold and his versatility within the musical genre that will give us genuine insight into the mechanics behind the creative process.

Ben Folds’ Collaborations

Ben Folds first came to our attention as frontman and pianist to his former band, Ben Folds’ Five.  Prior to their breakup in 1999, the trio would go on to release tracks like “Song for the Dumped,” “Battle of Who Could Care Less,” and “Brick.”

A commandeering musician, Folds would set out to launch a solo career with collaborations across the spectrum, the latest with Damian Kulash (Ok Go), Amanda Palmer (Dresden Dolls, solo), and author Neil Gaiman.  Under the moniker 8-in-8, the group set out to write and record eight songs in eight hours (4pm to midnight) at Berklee College, Monday, April 25 and release them 10 hours later during Rethink Music, a conference in Boston, reports MVRemix Blog.  And the result, which can be sampled on Amanda Palmer’s website, is “Nighty Night,” a strong album tailored to discredit record companies who are becoming superfluous in their attempt at building buzz and distributing music.

Although 8-in-8 was able to successfully debunk the traditional strongholds regarding the music making process, it will be Ben Folds’ prior collaboration with bestselling author, Nick Hornby that will better articulate this passage’s message.

Folds and Hornby’s contributions to “Lonely Avenue,” a project that was conceived when Folds had asked Hornby to contribute lyrics to an album recorded by William Shatner in 2007, is raved among critics as a favorable collaboration.  Folds’ music has always been elaborate, widely textured ensembles – mix that in with Hornby’s tendency to turn the tables on his readers and his characters and you got an effortless marriage that has produced a masterpiece with “Lonely Avenue.”

No one would’ve even dreamt that when Ben Folds Five came out with their hit single, “Brick,” that their lead singer and front man will be pooling his efforts with one of the masters of contemporary fiction.  But this is what a good collaboration does: surprise and startle audiences and even the practitioner into realizing that everyone on the team is a valuable resource and that what they are bringing to the table might be in an altogether different ballpark, but because this is a joint-effort, you see pass the differences and rely on the similarities to get you through.

And that is precisely how art, artists, and audiences as an ensemble should function – as a collaborative effort that works together to either produce a work of art or further a movement.

Not every project will garner the same reaction that Ben Folds and Nick Hornby received during their venture.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Radiohead Releases Newspaper and The Guardian Covers “Creep”

Back in March when Radiohead’s eighth studio album, “The Kings of Limbs,” was released, it was announced that alongside the physical release of the CD the band will be distributing a special newspaper in select vendors worldwide for free.

Named “The Universal Sigh,” after a lyric from the “King of Limbs” track “Bloom,” Radiohead has also established “The Universal Sigh” as a website on the Internet for fans to track down venues that were distributing the newspaper.

The Guardian took a stab at the band’s news-making efforts and tried their hands at music-making with their rendition of Radiohead’s hugely popular hit “Creep,” reports Time.com.

Under the new moniker, Radio Eds, The Guardians’ editorial team made a slideshow music video, which can be found on their web page here.

But whether you’re the practitioner or a member of the audience, it seems beyond stifling to marginalize a piece of art and say an artist should keep within their expertise and not overstep their bounds.  What ever happened to trying new things?  Crossing over genres should be exactly what talented artists like Nick Hornby and Josh Ritter should be doing.  Besides, this will keep us in the audience occupied.

Photo Courtesy of Politics and Prose Bookstore and Ella Mullins and Kathryn Yu  via Flickr

So far, it’s been an amazing journey for Bareilles, who says that she’s been very blessed.  It appears that its been an explosive year for the singer-songwriter – 2011 being jam-packed with album releases, extensive touring throughout Europe and within the States, as well as special TV appearances, and, luckily for Sara Bareilles-fans everywhere – there is still more to come for the extremely talented artist.

Before Bareilles started headlining her own shows and filling up stadiums, she recalls performing at smaller venues like popular coffee houses, where her music can be sampled in a more intimate setting.

The transition has been great for Bareilles.  Although it’s been a very long slow process for her, Sara says that with heavy backing from her record label and the radio, over the years her career has grown and right now she’s just counting her blessings.

Currently on tour with country duo Sugarland, Bareilles says that, “the Sugarland tour is on the bigger end of the spectrum, for sure.  There’s a different kind of energy to playing with that many people.  Close to maybe 10,000 people a night.  It’s really electrifying in a lot of ways, but it can start to feel sort of disconnected too.  There’s something about a smaller venue that I love as far as the intimacy.”  Sara goes on to say that both types of venues have their own distinctive vibe and that it would be hard for her to choose one over the other.

Before her tour with Sugarland, Bareilles was on the road with childhood buddies Maroon 5.

“We’ve been friends for a really long time.  And I do feel like they’re like big brothers to me in the industry.  They’ve always been huge supporters of me and I’ve always been grateful for their friendship and their support.  They’re really amazing people: fantastic, incredibly talented, and successful.  And it’s always fun to be on tour with your friends,” she adds.

Sara also recently finished filming for her cameo on Nickelodeon’s “Bucket and Skinner’s Epic Adventures,” which aired this past Sunday.

Bareilles says that she did a lot of musical theater while growing up, but TV and film acting had an altogether different rhythm that she was not yet used to.  Although she had to work harder than the other more veteran actors on the show, she says that she had an awesome time with the cast members.

“The kids were just amazing and so sweet, and everyone on the set was really welcoming and understanding.”

Sara’s appearance on “Bucket and Skinner” is just a mere taste of what is to come.  Starting in the third season of NBC’s “The Sing Off,” the LA-based singer-songwriter will be a celebrity judge alongside Ben Folds and Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men.

Given that she has been life-long fans of Shaun and Ben’s, Bareilles is stoked to be a part of the production.  She is also excited about the range of talent that will be featured on the new season of the show.

“I have a background in a capella music and it’s a big part of my life.  So it will be really nice to share my thoughts and see all these amazing groups.”

With all that in mind, you might ask what else may lie over Bareilles’ horizon.

Sara is currently busy preparing to release her new single, “Gonna Get Over You,” which features Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic and will begin shooting for the accompanying video this month in Los Angeles.  She will also be back in the studio later in the fall to record brand-new tracks for an upcoming EP that has yet to be titled, produced by fellow “Sing Off” judge Ben Folds.

Be sure you catch Sara Bareilles on tour or on the tube.  Either way, this year has definitely been paving the way for this unique and multi-talented artist’s rise to becoming a household name.  Though at her rate, she might have already arrived.

Sound fun? It gets better. The popular rock band Weezer will be providing the live entertainment on board.

On Jan. 19, the first-ever Weezer cruise will set sail from Miami for a four-day adventure aboard the ship Carnival Destiny.  The ship will travel to Cozumel and dock for a day before returning back to Miami on Jan. 23.

Weezer is set to perform on the pool deck as the ship departs.  They will then perform again at the ship’s indoor theater some time during the trip.

Joining Weezer for this floating music festival are 15 other bands including Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, Gene Ween, Yuck, Wavves, the Antlers and Free Energy as well as others.

The bands will perform on four stages that will be located at various spots around the ship as well as the indoor theater so that audiences can catch any or all of the acts day and night throughout the entire trip.

Weezer will also take part in a Q&A session as well as take pictures with fans on the pool deck during the cruise.

To go along with the great live music, fans will be treated to a host of other activities that will allow them to get up close and personal with the bands including artist vs. artist trivia games and artist-hosted bingo. Fans might even get the opportunity to throw a couple back with their favorite performers, as the cruise will also feature a flip-cup tournament.  If that isn’t enough, guests will also be able to enjoy all the other amenities a cruise ship has to offer including 24-hour room service free of charge, pools, hot tubs, water parks and a full service casino.

With such close quarters, the likelihood of running into Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo or any other rocker somewhere on board the ship seems pretty high.

Weezer released its ninth studio album, “Hurley,” last September.  The record entered the Billboard 200 at No. 6, making it the sixth consecutive album released by the band to debut in the Billboard Top 10.  Their self-titled, debut album, otherwise known as “The Blue Album,” was released in 1994 and is currently at triple-platinum status, making it the most popular Weezer album to date.

Their on-board performances will likely include tunes from the new album, but there is no doubt that fans will also be treated to a host of other classic Weezer tracks including “Say It Ain’t So,” “Holiday,” “Buddy Holly” and “Undone-The Sweater Song.”

Tickets for the event go on-sale to the general public on Aug.t 3.  Pre-sale tickets are available for fans that register with the theme cruise production company Sixthman before July 24.  Pre-sale tickets will provide the opportunity of first choice for cabins as well as seating for the concerts taking place in the theater.

Ticket prices start at $799 per person for a double cabin or four people can travel together for only $599 a person.

Photos courtesy of Eastscene and monkeyatlarge via flickr and the U.S. Navy via wikimedia commons

The song “Up All Night” has already hit the airwaves, debuting last week on Los Angeles’ KROQ-FM station. The song was well-received, and fan demand was so high on the station’s website that it crashed servers.  The single will be the first from the band’s forthcoming album “Neighborhoods,” the release date of which has yet to be revealed. The song is now available for streaming on the band’s website, blink182.com.

Artwork for "Up All Night" single

To celebrate the release, blink-182 launched a short promotion for its fans. On Saturday, July 16 from 9 p.m. to 12:02 a.m. -exactly 182 minutes- fans were able to log on to blink182.com and livenation.com to score another shot at $20 all-in tickets for upcoming 2011 Honda Civic Tour dates. These tickets come with no hidden fees, no service charges and no extra parking prices.

Blink-182 will be headlining the Honda Civic Tour along with My Chemical Romance. The tour begins Aug. 5, and will reach 38 U.S. cities before ending in L.A. in October. The band will also be touring throughout Canada.

In 2001, blink-182 launched the first Honda Civic Tour. The band, which consists of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker, was riding on the success of its No. 1 album “Take Off Your Pants and Jacket.” The band has sold more than 30 million records worldwide since its debut in 1994, and each of its six albums have been certified either gold or double platinum, with 1999′s “Enema of the State” selling more than four million copies.

In 2005, the trio announced they were going on an indefinite hiatus. DeLonge then started the band Angels and Airwaves, which has released three studio albums. Hoppus and Barker created the band +44, which released one album.

The three musicians reunited four years later and began working on their new album.

Click here to view the embedded video.

DeGraw is now set to begin a two-month tour across the United States and Canada, opening for the popular bands Train and Maroon 5.  The tour is set to make a stop at San Diego’s Cricket Wireless Amphitheater on July 22.

SDEntertainer had the opportunity to catch Gavin at his Venice Beach apartment to discuss the new album, the tour he’s gearing up to depart for just a week from today and of course, Bob Dylan.

SDE: What’s it like for you the week before a tour starts?  Are you on vacation and relaxing before you head out or are you busy practicing and taking care of last minute details?

Gavin: It’s like wrapping Christmas presents.  It’s basically about a weeks worth of Christmas Eve just making sure you are getting everything prepared, trying to get everything set and trying to do all the right things so that you go out there with your best foot forward so that’s just basically what I’ve been doing.  You know, it’s funny stuff, stuff that you don’t consider to be work, like shopping for clothes, until all of a sudden you’re like, “Man, this is kind of starting to feel like work here.”  You know, I never thought shopping for clothes would feel like work!

SDE: You’ve got to have an awesome concert T-shirt so yeah, I mean, that’s pretty hard work.

Gavin: Exactly man.  I’m just trying to get the holograms exactly how I want them on my shirts!

SDE: So are you excited to get out there on tour? Are you nervous?

Gavin: I’m at a really funny spot right now because it’s one of those really exciting moments of my career.  I’m feeling like it could go amazingly well or it could be disastrous.  You’re always at the threshold of either a great achievement or a terrible failure.  I think this is an amazing tour to be on.  I happen to like both of these bands and I have a history with them.  The tour is happening at such an amazing time in my career because it’s happening during the build-up of the launch of my album.  So it’s really coming at just the right time.  I’m feeling the most excited that I’ve ever felt during my entire career (laughing).

SDE: Take me back a couple of years.  You were coming off your third consecutive successful album, you had a bunch of hits, but you decided to change things up for this next album and “challenge yourself.”  What sort of challenges were you looking for?

Gavin: This album was about not interfering with my own creative process.  In the past, in terms of the writing process, I would sometimes get in my own way.  You know, editing while you are creating is never a good idea, and I would do a lot of that.  I would go, “Ah, no, I can’t say this or that, the perception would be wrong.”  But the process for the new album was less about the editing and more about the exposure.  Just saying to yourself, “Ok, let me just tap into some of these things, let me put all of these ideas out on a table and then build from it.”

Typically my process has always been writing songs alone, so I think what helped was being in a room with a co-writer and challenging myself to try writing with guys like Ryan Tetter from OneRepublic or Andrew Frampton, artisits and writers who I really respect.

It really trained my mind, and when I went off and wrote alone again, I was in a different head space altogether.  It just really allowed me to tap into that space of being creative versus editing.  It taught me not to be completely consumed with the image of the song, but rather just be involved with the song itself and exposing myself within the song.

SDE: You got to record this album in some pretty cool places including a studio up in Venice Beach where Bob Dylan recorded back in the 70’s.  What’s the vibe in a place with that sort of history?  Do you feel more productive knowing someone like Dylan was there?

Gavin: Absolutely.  Every detail that you know about the environment that you’re in, whether it’s miniscule or not, affects you.  All of those little things I think eventually make their way into your psyche and affect you.  In the studio I was working in with Butch Walker, the studio that Dylan worked in, that was definitely on my mind, no doubt about it.  Jacob Dylan came by and it kind of got nostalgic, you know, being with him while we were in his dad’s old hang-out spot so that was kind of cool in that way.  I played him some stuff and it was really just kind of a cool hang, the studio just kind of added to the hang.

SDE: Does that just help you sort of free your mind a little bit then?

Gavin: That’s exactly what it does.  It’s funny, there’s one particular track that really felt like we had tapped into something sort of similar to the band.  You know, Dylan’s old band?  It’s a song I wrote called “Soldier” and you’ll hear it because there was just such a great sensation from that recording, the way Butch recorded it, and during the live performance in the studio at one point, you’ll hear him give a little “Woo,” because he just got excited from all of it.  And we just thought that there was no way that we needed to re-cut that to get rid of the “Woo,” because that’s just how we were feeling at the time, just really excited.  It was just a really good vibe, and you can’t fake that. Those are the moments that make a record special.  Yeah, there may be some imperfections, but that’s where the feeling is.

SDE: Who are some of your all-time favorite bands or artists?

Gavin: Oh, clearly Dylan, The Beatles, early Elton John and Billy Joel.  A lot of my parents’ generation of music.  Those bands are sort of my foundation, a building block, for me.  But of course you have to add on to that, you have to bring something else to it.  And that’s why I think that Tedder was such a great addition to the project because he is so rhythmically savvy.  Even listening to the little piano part in “Not Over You,” the part is real simple but the rhythm is so sneaky.  It’s a tricky little part that’s not linear and it keeps you interested because it sounds so complex.

SDE: The piano on that tune really does bring you into the song.

Gavin: Yeah. Totally.  And that’s part of his genius.  I think he’s brilliant, both rhythmically and lyrically too.  For me as a writer, being in a room with him, it really just freed my mind because it was a new approach.  It was f—ing beautiful man.  And I needed that.  I needed somebody to rattle my cage.

SDE: Do you feel like you’re career is taking a new turn?

Gavin: It’s a new turn artistically.  So whatever comes from that is cool.  But this just feels so good, the direction I’m going musically with the people around me—my camp.  My musicians, the guys I’m touring with, my tour crew, my friends, you know, this is my tribe.  And it’s just a really good feeling.  Because I feel like after being on the road or touring or making albums, this is sort of the culmination of all of that.  We’ve finally built a team of all the right people who really like being around each other, doing something they love to do.  It’s never really ever felt as right as it does right now.

SDE: The way you describe it, it really comes across just how stoked you are about all of it.

Gavin: Dude, I am so stoked about it!  Every aspect of it, I just feel SO good about it.  And whatever happens?  It will not ruin the feeling that I have right now.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Frasier

Running low on summer songs to party, road-trip or just hang out to? Sick of the same six songs in rotation on your favorite radio station? Well here’s some instant relief for you. The band’s name is Ease Up and they just released the EP ‘On The Fly.’

From the heart of the Southern California scene Ease Up has been playing shows and touring up and down the state for a couple of years now. Gaining notoriety playing with local reggae greats Stranger (who’s extremely talented horn player Don Carter plays on the release) plus bands like Seedless (who are currently gearing up to tour the nation with Tribal Seeds), they are well established in the musician’s community. With their big sound and awesome vocal harmonies, Ease Up blends an enticing amount of reggae, rock and pop music that hit like a sunny California beach party.

The CD starts with a cymbal roll and blasts straight into the reggae-rock powerhouse “With You”. Lead singer Rico Estrada’s smooth as butter voice weaves perfectly through the band’s tight rhythm section while lead guitar player Will “Eye Bee” rips a quick solo to help peak the song out. Nate “Legendary” (bass) and “D-Rail” (drummer) hold down the heartbeat of the album with their rock-solid presence and perfectly timed runs. Cruising seamlessly into the fast-paced ska  song “Feelin’ Irie,” you are taken back to your favorite high school house party busts that no one wants to put on their resumes. Featuring Matt Liufau of  Seedless’ thundering vocals,  his soulful breakdown  is enough to get anyone moving.

The song on the CD  that will stick in your head for two weeks is “Blowin’ Up My Phone”.

“Why you blowin’ up my phone? It’s 3 a.m. and I ain’t home no-oh …”

Sounds simple enough, but with its super-catchy and addicting catch-phrase you will quickly find it reverberating through your head for days to come. After this, proving that there is a sensitive side to the group, the EP features two more laid back love songs titled “Another Time” and “Til The End”,  with the perfect road-trip anthem “Cali X in between.” “Til The End” (appropriately titled for the last song) winds the album down, starting with a beautiful vocal harmony and proceeding to hit with some of the catchiest riffs and choruses to be found on the CD.

To celebrate, Ease Up recently threw a rocking CD release party at 710 Beach Club in Pacific Beach, supported by acts Boom Culture and Rightjahs Blend to help make the night a huge success. And to make sure it’s convenient for their fans, they made the music extremely accessible. Here’s what to do:

-Click the link to their website on the bottom of the page where you can listen to each song in its entirety for free (this way YOU decide whether the music is worthy of your IPOD before you purchase it)

-If you love it and want to see them live, check them out at the House of Blues San Diego on July 15th, opening for Stranger’s CD release party

-Get ready to experience some phenomenal new music that may not have been on your artist radar but will quickly find its way into your summer playlists!

Ease Up Is:

Rico Estrada-Rhythm Guitar/lead vocals

Nate “Legendary”-Bass Guitar/Backup Vocals

Will “Eye Bee”-Lead Guitar/Backup Vocals

“D-Rail”-Drums

iTunes

Facebook

Website

Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey) is an office tyrant. He is selfish, domineering, and unyielding with his employees, especially Nick (Jason Bateman).  Spacey is remarkably on par in his truly evil performance—doling out a lifetime of office enslavement to his underlings.  Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston) takes sexual harassment to the next level with her dental assistant Dale (Charlie Day).  She breaks from her good-girl character to reveal her potential as a comedic actress uninhibited by a very raunchy and sexually explicit role.  It is surprising and refreshing to see Aniston no holds barred.  Bobby Pellit (Colin Farrell) is easily one of the most off-the-wall characters; Farrell absolving his actor identity as a love interest and adopting the gross vulgarity necessary to play Bobby Pellit.  His character is so absolutely hilarious and miserable with a comb over to top it off, you want to witness the farce for much longer than the film allows.

But this isn’t your run of the mill dark comedy. The humor remains remarkably light-hearted throughout the film.  Jamie Foxx’s ex-con character MF Jones fits unexpectedly well into the cast as the Nick, Kurt and Dale trio plot their bosses’ all too deserving demise.  Despite his smaller role, Foxx clearly commits to the role, from his bad negotiating skills to the awkward way he sips a cocktail.

Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day exhibit remarkable chemistry for a film that does not delve into the dark humor promised by the premise—to commit murder.   The pacing and the flow are often sacrificed to get in the jokes. But just when it seems it will slip into the traps of a cliché comedy film, it still surprises the audiences with delightful new twists and jabs.

What’s more, the film does an excellent job remaining unpredictable throughout.

Watch the trailer below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

You can check out the Horrible Bosses website for more information about the film.

Two hours, 30 songs and one unbelievable performance later, he had left two things behind: little doubt of his status as one of the greatest vocal and musical legends of his generation, and the fact that the ukulele may never seem as cool again.

His first right move was having Glen Hansard of The Swell Season, who set the acoustic tone of the night perfectly with an excellent performance of his own, open the show.  Vedder then strolled out with ukulele in hand, was greeted by a roaring crowd and broke right into it with a version of Pearl Jam’s “Can’t Keep,” pausing only momentarily afterward to address the audience.

“Sorry, I’ll talk to you guys in a minute, but the uke and I have a bit more work we need to do right now,” he said before hammering out three more tunes from the new record.

After divulging a few stories from the past weekend spent in his former hometown, or what he referred to as “the best f—ing geographical location in the world,” the ukulele was replaced by an acoustic guitar and any sort of promotional vibe the show might have had was quickly lost as a slew of Pearl Jam classics ensued.

While the sound was amazing and the show’s atmosphere was intimate and mellow, perhaps it was the long holiday weekend that caused it to feel just a little bit tired early on.  Vedder himself even admitted half way through the first set that he was a little “worn out” from a long day of surfing in North County.

“Provide me with one last wave of energy and I’ll ride it to the end,” he told the audience before breaking into a beautiful ukulele rendition of Pearl Jam’s hit song “Betterman.”

Copley Hall went berserk.

Throughout the evening, Vedder would continue to switch up instruments as well as albums much to the crowd’s delight, with songs ranging anywhere from his new album, to some Pearl Jam rarities, to those off of his first solo album, “Into The Wild Soundtrack,” to a Bruce Springsteen cover thrown in for good measure.

Hansard joined in on the act for more than a few of the tracks, and at two different points Vedder even had a four-piece orchestra complete with violins and cellos on stage for accompaniment.

By the middle of a second set that began with an acoustic cover of the Beatles’ “Hide Your Love Away” and Pearl Jam’s “Elderly Woman” and “Unknown Thought,” the energy waves were barreling.

During the ensuing, particularly chilling ukulele duet of Vedder’s own “Sleepless Nights” that featured him and Hansard standing at the front edge of the stage singing without microphones with a single spotlight on each of them, you could feel the collective breath being held, the audience was so silently engrossed in what was taking place.

The moment the song ended, the crowd erupted in a wild ovation.

By the final song of the night, a six minute rendition of “Hard Sun” for which Vedder pulled out the electric guitar, the lights of the auditorium had turned on and he had violently kicked over his microphone to give himself plenty of space to rock out and look the audience in the face. There wasn’t a single person still in their seat.

And that’s the brilliance of Vedder.

He engages and elevates the crowd to that perfect level that he needs to build up to an amazing show.

He mumbles when he talks, he screams when he rocks out with his band, but he tunes his voice to a perfectly soft harmony to match the beautiful pitch of the ukulele strings.

His lyrics are captivating.

Before playing the second to last song of the night, he again addressed the audience for the final time: “Every time I come back to this place, San Diego, I realize how much I miss it . . .  you guys are f—ing lucky.”

You’re not doing too bad yourself either, Eddie.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Voting has already begun and will continue until 5 p.m. on Monday, July 25. Ballots will only be available online and can be accessed here.

Both San Diegans and non-residents can cast votes in 23 of the 27 categories. The remaining categories, including Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year, will be voted on by members of the San Diego Music Academy. These members include musically esteemed individuals such as Andrew Rowley from 91X, Eric Page from SoundDiego.com and Tim Mays from The Casbah. Representatives from other local clubs and radio stations are also included.

The artist with the most nominations this year is Dynamite Walls, with four nominations for Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop and Best Pop Album. The group will also be performing the night of the ceremony. Other live performers will be Cuckoo Chaos, Little Hurricane, Gilbert Castellanos and The Silent Comedy.

The 21st annual San Diego Music Awards will take place on Monday, August 8th at 7 p.m. at Humphrey’s by the Bay, where the winners will be announced and punk-rock band The Penetrators will receive a very special Lifetime Award presentation.

Tickets are $30 for advanced general admission and $50 for each reserved table and can be purchased here.

Below are the nominees for a few select categories.

Artist of the Year

Augustana

Crocodiles

Jason Mraz

Slightly Stoopid

Switchfoot

The Silent Comedy

Transfer

Wavves

Album of the Year

Augustana – “Augustana”

Crocodiles – “Sleep Forever”

Dynamite Walls – “Chemical”

Little Hurricane – “Homewrecker”

Switchfoot – “Easter Hymns”

The Donkeys – “Born With Stripes”

Unwritten Law – “Swan”

Vokab Kompany – “Quit Sleep”

Song of the Year

Augustana – “Steal Your Heart

Crocodiles – “Mirrors

Dynamite Walls – “Keep Spinning Around”

Little Hurricane – “Haunted Heart”

Switchfoot – “The Sound”

The Soft Pack – “Answer to Yourself”

Transfer – “Losing Composure”

Unwritten Law – “Starships and Apocalypse”

Best New Artist

Chairs Missing

Cry For Us Black Swans

Low Volts

Sister Speak

Stevie & the Hi-Stax

The Groove Kitties

The Tilt

TV Girl

Best Pop Album

Christopher Dale – “Songs I Know By Heart”

Dynamite Walls – “Chemicals”

Echo Revolution – “Counterfeit Sunshine”

Gayle Skidmore – “Make Believe”

Golden Red – “Golden Red”

Lights On – “Here Comes the Ocean”

Maren Parusel – “Artificial Gardens”

The Very – “The Discovery”

Best Rock Album

Astra Kelly – “Time Bomb”

Black Hondo – “Black Hondo”

Rafter – “Quiet Storm”

Rat City Riot – “Better Than Nothing”

Someday Assassin – “Plague of Babies”

The Donkeys – “Born with Stripes”

The Nervous Wreckords – “Valuminium”

The Secret Seven – “Turn Your Back to the Sea”

Best Alternative Album

D/Wolves – “Freak of Nature”

Heavy Hawaii – “HH”

Hyena – “We See You”

Little Hurricane – “Homewrecker”

New Mexico – “Have You Met My Friend?”

Republic of Letters – “Stories”

Spero Lumina – “Stained Glass Maze”

The Heavy Guilt – “In The Blood”

Best Hard Rock Album

Downspell – “The Violent Majority”

My Elysian – “My Elysian”

Pathology – “Legacy Of The Ancients”

Silence Betrayed –” Fault Lines”

Symbolic – “Nevertime”

Taz Taylor – “Big Dumb Rock”

The New Regime – “Speak Through The White Noise”

Under the Stone – “Under The Stone”

The group has released four previous albums that have reached the charts, “New Again” (2009), “Louder Now” (2006), “Where You Want to Be” (2004) and “Tell All Your Friends” (2002). They formed in 1999 in the New York city of Amityville. Their founder was Eddie Reyes and is currently consisted of band members Adam Lazzara (vocalist), John Nolan (guitarist / vocalist), Eddie Reyes (guitarist), Mark O’Connell (drummer) and Shaun Cooper (bassist).

To promote their music, they spent a year touring with their five-song release demo. Their shows included a variety of bands including At the Drive-In and Alkaline Trio. After their tour, Victory records signed them up and led them to the release of their first album, “Tell All Your Friends.”

They have gone through a variety of changes in the group’s line up over the years. However, the group’s original line-up was reunited in 2010 after seven years of the seperation of members such as Cooper and Nolan, who left to join another band. This led to the creation of whole new songs for their upcoming reunion album, “Taking Back Sunday.” Their single, “MakeDamnSure” made No. 48 at the Billboard Hot 100 list music.

SD Entertainer had the great opportunity to interview  Cooper about the group’s past, interests, and the upcoming concert. It was a very rewarding and enlightening experiencing interviewing the friendly bassist. Cooper represented the voice of Taking Back Sunday as he gave us insight of his experience with the band of friends. We give you his voice:

Entertainer: What are your thoughts on the upcoming concert that you guys are going to have here in San Diego in a few weeks?

SC: It’s been a really long time since we have been out on the road so we are really looking forward to it, and we have a new record coming out on June 28th. We just can’t wait to play all these new songs for people and we are also going to be playing a lot of the older songs that we know people love. So uh we are just really excited. Been kind of holed up working on our scripts for the past year. So its gonna be great to get out and play shows again.

Entertainer: Have you performed here in San Diego before?

SC: We haven’t played in San Diego yet. The closest we got was…No actually we did. We played a college show. But not sure if it was public. It was a real cool club show. Pick the genre. Back in the band.

Entertainer: For all the past tours you guys have done what has been your favorite location?

SC: Home has always been amazing. New York. New Jersey that area. Those have been phenomenal. Los Angeles last time we played there was pretty great. We just played London. We did a show at this legendary venue called the Roundhouse. That’s the most recent show we’ve played. And that really stands out in my mind too. But then now with this tour we’ll finally get to play kind of everywhere. We got a whole new lot of places to pick some I’m sure.

Entertainer: What do you enjoy the most when it comes to being up on stage? What thoughts go on through your mind before you up there?

SC: Nothing. We are just excited, you know? Because we are all so happy to be up on stage together. The five of us have so much fun being up that it’s great.  And to get to interact with the audience. Seeing how they’re feeling the songs we’re playing and how they are reacting to the newer songs too. That is always great. A lot of interaction between us and the crowd too. That is what Taking Back Sunday so special.

Entertainer: What bands do you usually try to model after?

SC: I don’t know. I mean there are so many we are all into. But I mean we all kind of grew up with kind of punk rock and hard core kid. Like mine are Shred. And Rancid. And bands like Lifetime and stuff. So the intimacy I think of those shows. Plus we have look up to the bigger bands. There’s Tom Petty Stewart. Just Timeless. The Beatles. John is a big Radiohead fan. Plus the Gamit. Those are our musical inspirations.

Entertainer: What inspired you all to perform? What do you enjoy the most about being in a band?

SC: Well this is really the only thing we know how to do and we love it. It’s our dream job. We get to travel the world with friends and we get to play music for a living. And just you know feeding off the energy that the crowd has, that’s something that, you know, none of us can, ever imagine having in any other kind of job we can possibly do. Because they are not very good at anything else. Yeah it’s really just a dream job to get tour the world with your friends and play songs you love every night. And have people really react to them and really respond.

Entertainer: If you had to illustrate your music in only a few words, what would you call it?

SC: Just good old American Rock and Roll.

Entertainer: What is your biggest challenge both for you and the group?

SC: Biggest challenge? I don’t know. I think we are always trying to top ourselves. We are always trying to write better songs. We are always trying to play better a lot. So I think that’s the hardest thing when it comes to writing. We want our best days ahead of us, not behind us. We never want to look back. We written the best record of our careers and we want to do that for the next. We want to stay ahead of ourselves. That’s the hardest thing to keep doing better in everything that we do.

Entertainer: What is your favorite band you have had the opportunity to perform with?

SC: I mean there have been so many many years. I mean Thursday, who we were on the tour with. We’ve been friends for a really long time. And it’s great to be able to share the stage with those guys every night. The Alkaline Trio we’ve played with them before on all sorts of different things. Hey friends like Anberlin too. We love those guys. They are always great. So many years I’ve been trying to think back and who we’ve all played. Things like that. I remember during the time when I wasn’t in the band, Taking Back Sunday, they opened for Squire in the United Kingdom and so I think that was a big moment for those guys. It was when I wasn’t around but I think it was pretty cool thing too.

Entertainer: What is your dream tour? Who would you like to perform with?

SC: The Beatles and The Appetite For Destruction. Also Guns and Roses.

Entertainer: Along your tour what places are you definitely most looking forward to visiting?

SC: Every place. I mean this is all so so new to us. Kind of. You know the five us just getting it. We are just looking forward to every place. Nothing in particular stands out. I think we are just looking forward to getting on tour, you know, for the seven weeks straight playing shows every night.

Entertainer: Your guys album is coming out in a few weeks. What are your guys’ thoughts on the album?

SC: We worked really hard on it and we’re really really proud of it. I think that, you know, it’s the best work we’ve all done. The best songs any of us have written together or separately. And we had our producer, Eric Valentine, working very hard and very closely with it, with us on it all. And that guy is just a phenomenal, he is genius and it was really educating getting to work with him. So I can really say that this is the best thing that Sunday records has ever been. Yeah. We work so hard for so long in writing and reciting the songs. It was such a long period of time. And we just couldn’t be more proud of it and can’t wait for people to hear it.

Entertainer: What made you decide to name it after your guys’ group?

SC: We kind of felt like that with John and I rejoining the band and with the songs they’ve written just kind of redefined what Taking Back Sunday is. Taking Back Sunday is the five of us because we’re brothers. We’ve been through so much together. And even after seven years of doing different things, now that we’re all back together we feel like this is it. This is really who we are. This is what the band is. And this is us, at our best, right now. And we are just so happy to be back playing and for the five of us to be such great friends and creating music that we all respect. We really love what every individual member adds to the band. It’s such a cohesive unit that we all contribute to the writing. So I think that its really pinned down, this record, really pinned down what Taking Back Sunday is. You know it show where we’re going, where we’re trying to go. The future is the evolution of Taking Back Sunday starts here.

Entertainer: What is your favorite song to perform? What was your favorite album?

SC: Anything. Right. I mean, basically we like to play anything to every crowd’s reaction. We’ve been playing for over 10 years now. And they’re reaction is still so strong that it’s so much fun to play. And one of our newer songs “El Paso,” it’s got such great energy and the couple of shows we’ve played you can see the people start to really catch on and start to go nuts.  So that’s always fun. Another song, “Faith If I Let You Down,” has really started to catch on too. So that’s been great. The amount of the first song we wrote when we got back together was the first song we offered. That’s been going over great too. So especially the new ones have been a lot of fun. But there just so many. I mean, I really have the whole hour and a half. Those 90 minutes go by like 30 seconds. You know. I feel like I can play all night.

Entertainer: Do you guys do any prepping exercises right before a show?

SC: No. There’s no drills. Sometimes we’ll just have a couple of adult beverages until we are sent out. We don’t do any crazy warms ups or anything. We just get kind of excited and really enjoy ourselves.

Entertainer: Awesome. What gave you guys the idea to name the band Taking Back Sunday?

SC: Well. Our guitar player Eddie was really good friends with this band called The Waiting Process. And they had a song called “Taking Back Sunday.” So yeah, he was friends with those guys and was like, “Hey I would like to use that for a band name. I mean its a really cool use of words. Can I take that now?” And they were like, “Sure, go ahead.” So Eddie stole it, with permission. And the rest is history. The rest of the band felt “Oh OK. Cool. It goes together well. Let’s do it.”

Entertainer: What’s it like to play the bass guitar in the band?

SC: It’s something I’ve always been drawn to. I’ve played guitar a little bit since I was six or seven years old. And then ended up playing saxophone and piano and got away with many sorts of guitars. When I was twelve my friends started forming bands and they already had guitar players. I was like all right. You know what? I’ll buy a base. I’ll play the base as I go figure out what this thing does. I think it looks really cool. Figure it’s low and I don’t know what it really does. But it was something I was attracted to and started playing. And it just felt like a natural fit right away.

Want to see Taking Back Sunday live? Swing by the House of Blues and purchase tickets or go online for their upcoming performance happening on Friday, June 24^th. Unavailable that day? Here is their tour schedule of their upcoming shows. http://www.takingbacksunday.com/tour

Photo courtesy of Taking Back Sunday and Warner Brother Records

The Casbah is located off on Kettner Boulevard and despite its hole-in-the-wall appearance, draws a very loyal following.

On the outside you just see an old building with the sign, having dark red paint with flames at the bottom. But then once you step past the gate, it is very eye opening.

There is a room that is located towards the back that has pool tables, a TV, and some video games. Perfect for a place where you can kick back and chill while listening to some great music. In the other room there is the stage with a dance floor for the crowd to stand in front of the band and dance to the music. The bar was welcoming and the drinks were affordable. The crowd line wasn’t that bad to get in either. Accessibility around the place was easy and wheelchair friendly.

Doors opened promptly at 8:30 PM and the line was quickly ushered in. Entrance fee was reasonably priced at only fifteen dollars. The venue overall was very comfortable. The crowd that came in to watch the performance was huge.

During the beginning of the event, only a small trickling of the crowd was coming, but then it turned into a steady pour, as the time got closer for the headlining band, The Meat Puppets, to play. The two started performers were Flamingo and Perro Bravo. They were enthusiastic and really pumped up the crowd.

The Meat Puppets were the main crowd pleaser, and the reason everyone came to the club. They are a well known American rock band that was really popular in the 1980’s. The group consists of band members Curt and Cris Kirkwood and Shandon Sahm.

Their Casbah performance and corresponding tour is to promote their new album, Lollipop. Every third person I saw there had a Meat Puppets t-shirt on or were buying a souvenir of them. It was a great turnout for The Meat Puppets, especially since it was a Tuesday night.

Photo from Jacqui Yawn and Neff Conner via Flickr

Bathgate gives Fleet Foxes a run for their...

Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers: Starlight Hotel (Signature Sounds)
Chris Bathgate: Salt Year (Quite Scientific Records)
Dan Hubbard and the Humadors: The Love Show (Self-released)

If there’s anything that rings with subjectivity, it’s any given person’s notion of “the way it used to be.” Regarding the late ‘50s, Republicans who were middle-aged might remember a suburbia that felt charming and controlled (“How Much is that Doggie in the Window?”). Democrats who were in their early twenties might have fond recollections of wandering into a talented troubadour’s turn at some West Village coffeehouse; the stirrings of open minds. Someone with a troubled childhood might remember how good it felt to get on the school bus and out of the house, especially when riding with the driver who kept the radio tuned to an A.M. station.

For me, sound has a lot to do with feelings about “how it used to be” at any given moment. And life’s full of surprise and irony: at my grandmother’s, one of my favorite childhood places, the cuckoo clock and the birds she welcomed provided the only things musical, along with her round, cheerful voice. I have no particular trauma related to her love of The Lawrence Welk Show, since she tended to talk over anything on TV – and my revered uncles were always joking around.

Here and now, “Dang, that’s some sweet twangin’!” seems the inevitable response to Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers’ sophomore emission and first release with Signature Sounds. Seems inevitable to me, anyway. But don’t take my word for it – other than the rather pop-orientated (per composition and, to some degree, approach) sounds of Patsy Cline and Hank Williams, and the bounce of western swing, I don’t really know from country. Or I haven’t been compelled to know much from country.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Really, the sounds on Starlight Hotel amalgamate country-western with folk and pop sensibilities that could only have been recorded as producers have tended to do since the ‘70s. The album’s a great example of nursing every nuance and lilt in every line of every song. The sound’s good enough to eat. And Muth has a delectably bright, full alto without a shred of excess or vibrato. She bears down on notes for emphasis but doesn’t whine. Remember that scene in Sweet Dreams, when a frustrated, at-the-ironing-board Jessica Lange (as Patsy Cline) snarls, in response to some country claptrap on the radio, “Lord, bitch! You don’t sing, you whine, whine.”

That part of that film wasn’t such a sweet dream, but there’s a lot to covet at Starlight Hotel. Muth often writes about bar life – and, sure as shootin’, that’s country. Her lyrics boast the literacy more typical of folk song scribes. What a woman named Zoe, who lives in Seattle, is doing making grits ‘n’ gravy soundtracks, is a question for the ascended masters – at least the ones chewing their cud above Nashville.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Chris Bathgate combines a good helping of Contemporary with several cups of “how it used to be,” if used to be was circa The Band, Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush, and maybe “When the Spell is Broken” by Richard and Linda Thompson. He may be into Iron and Wine and Fleet Foxes. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that he casts a spell before opening his door every morning. Like Bathgate’s debut, A Cork Tale Wake, Salt Year creeps into one’s consciousness almost imperceptibly. In other words, first time through, the response is likely to be, “Pretty good.” By the second spin, it’s starting to hum like a classic – and a classic of full-album artistry, not just a few impressive songs with respectable filler.

The first track that perked my ears was probably “Borders.” It’s a song on which the entire epic turns: Something tragic is going down. I don’t know what that is, although it feels like lost love, a suicide (spiritual and/or corporeal), or both. When a musician opens himself this fully, I tend to respond from the soul.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Bathgate’s lyrics sing of joy, sunny interludes, lonely evenings, and regret. He addresses questions that lack easy answers. In other words, he’s managed an album about Life: not the easiest task, by any means. Salt Year may get less attention than the Fleet Foxes’ excellent, latest release. But it’s at least as important.

Stock artistry?

I wish I had one of the vinyl copies. The rich artwork conjures all sorts of “used to be,” including what devolved into “stock” illustrations and art (the kind you might find at a boardwalk show, in a mass-market children’s literature collection, or, framed, at the dentist’s office) from the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. Art majors, feel free to correct or be more specific in the comment section.

Meanwhile, a group of young-ish Midwesterners are having a fine time, starting with “Zoe’s Intro” to The Love Show. The follower, “Don’t Take Me Now,” exemplifies the working class/Petty/Mellencamp/Browne flavor of Dan Hubbard and the Humadors: If you can just keep driving forward, on the right side of the road, you may keep from getting torn down by unemployment, failing crops, and the myriad stresses of financial insecurity.

Hubbard doesn’t take these ideas, or this sound, anywhere particularly new. Still, musicians who inject this much passion and talent into their hoedowns create a good argument for such a comforting, familiar form. You can hear Hubbard’s Beatle-love in the harmonies of songs like “We’ll Be Fine,” which is maple-syrup-on-hot-oatmeal nice. If you’re planning a trip to the heartland, keep an eye out for one of his shows – they look to be awfully rejuvenating.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Anyone know what rentals are going for in Normal, Illinois? Anyone know how many jokes have been derived from its alliterative name (when combined with the state)?

Not to mention Indiana. It’s so easy to imagine how things used to be in the Midwest when I’ve never been there other than through the eyes of Carl Sandburg, Booth Tarkington, and several musical writers. But before we get to that, here’s a link to a free Dan Hubbard download:

http://insomniaradio.net/2011/06/02/dan-hubbard-and-the-humadors-the-last-time-you-see-me/

(Not that I need a radio station to be awake at three a.m. Thank you.) To Indiana (and, believe me, it could get much worse than this):

Click here to view the embedded video.

I mean, a toe-warmer that ends a line with “…and my body had turned to carrion” snuck into the middle. And the bridge!

I take back everything I’ve said about the above contemporary artistes. It ain’t like it used to be. They don’t write ‘em like that anymore.

Maybe we should take into account my suspicion that Meredith Willson was a god.

www.zoemuth.com
http://quitescientific.com
www.danhubbard.net
www.greatstreets.org/MusicMan/MeredithWillson.html

The show will be at Cricket Wireless Amphitheater July 16. Tickets are $9.91 to $109.91 each, not including service charges, which range from $8-$24.25. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday at 10 a.m. However, fans can get tickets now using the presale code 91xfest. This presale ends Thursday at 11:59 p.m., as well as the Incubus fan presale.

“X-Fest is a highlight of the summer here in San Diego, and it’s exciting to finally reveal this year’s incredible lineup of artists,” said 91X promotions director Garrett Capone. “My first day at 91X years ago was actually at an X-Fest, so the event holds a special place in my heart as well. Simply cannot wait for Saturday, July 16!”

The first X-Fest was held in 1983 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, which has since been renamed Qualcomm Stadium. It featured Stray Cats, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Ramones, Bow Wow Wow, Modern English and The Flirts. The festival has since continued to pack its lineup with popular acts—in 2008 the lineup included The Offspring, Pennywise, Jimmy Eat World, MGMT, Ludo, My American Heart, The Material, Weatherbox, The Burning of Rome, The Sess and Shark Attack. Last year, the festival boasted the talents of 311, The Offspring, Cake, Unwritten Law, Pepper, Authority Zero, Neon Trees, Paper Tongues, Circa Survive and Civil Twilight.

Incubus is an alternative band from Calabasas, Cali. It released its new album “If Not Now, When?” earlier this year. The band has had four No. 1 hits in its lifetime, including “Drive,”  “Megalomaniac,” “Anna Molly” and “Love Hurts.”

Bush is a rock band from London. The group released its first album in 10 years this year, titled “Everything Always Now.” Bush has also been Grammy nominated and has won an American Music Award.

For more information on the summer concert, visit 91X’s website 91x.com.

Photos by nataliekbeats and KamalSelle via Flickr.

“Paul, you always told it like it was,” the letter said. “You’re the same guy that wouldn’t let me stay home on New Year’s Eve back in 1992, and once drove over in four feet of snow during a storm, just to hang out! There was no one like you. That’s why you were my best friend.”

“All the music that we’ve done together, all the times that we’ve shared, will live on forever. I miss you each and every day. There will never be another #2. I love you.”

Jordison also thanked the fans.

“And to all my friends, the Maggots: I just wanted to take a moment to thank you eternally for your support on this difficult day. You’re keeping us and Paul’s memory alive … This is a horrible thing that happened, but each of you has made this just a little bit easier to deal with. Your support means everything to us.”

The rest of the band members are also still shaken by this event, and said the band’s upcoming European tour dates—the first without Gray—will be the most emotional performances ever.

Percussionist Shawn Clown Crahan said the sentiments will begin even before he starts to play.

“It’ll be a very, very serious place to be,” he told Bare Bones Music. “I’ll be in tears before I hit the first stair. I need that very much—we all need it. So I’m looking forward to it, but it’s going to be very hard.”

“These will be the biggest and most emotional shows we’ve ever had,” Jordison said.

Singer Corey Taylor looks at the new tour dates as a step in the healing process.

“To me, it’s gonna be about letting the fans share in the celebration of Paul,” he told Metal Injection. “To me, that’s what it’s really about. And we’ve got a lot to celebrate—he and Clown started this band, he was the mastermind behind some of its best music, and to me, I’m just proud that I got to be in a band with him. So I’m happy to be a part of that celebration.”

Former Slipknot guitarist Donnie Steele is currently set to replace Gray in the upcoming shows, but no word has been released about who will replace him on a new album, or if there will even be a new album.

“I definitely want a new Slipknot record. I personally have, I don’t know, probably over 17 songs ready,” Jordison said.

However, Crahan isn’t as enthisiastic. “I’m not a fortune teller so I can’t promise anybody anything,” he said. “Do I want a record? Yes. Do I know if it’ll happen? I don’t know.”

This Wednesday at the Humprey’s By The Bay venue, the famous Canadian alternative-rock band, Barenaked Ladies, will stopping by and perform for their tour. The band has composed 11 albums that include Snacktime (2006), All In Good Time (2010), Talk To The Hand: Live in Michigan DVD (2007), Barenaked Ladies Are Me (2006), Barenaked For The Holidays (2004), Maroon (2000), Stunt (1998), Rock Spectacle (1996), Everything to Everyone (2003), Maybe You Should Drive (1994), and Gordon (1992).  They have been performing together for over 20 years and are still tight as ever.

The group was founded in 1988 by Ed Robertson and Steven Page, who went to the same school together. The duo quickly expanded to five members as others joined in; Andy and Jim Creeggan were friends from music camp, and Tyler Stewart came from a buskers’ festival were they performed together.

They quickly took over Canada with their cassette album, The Yellow Tape. Their popularity quickly spread over North America and the U.K. with their “frentic blend of high-energy melodic-pop, crack musicianship and spontaneous repartee.” (Barenaked Ladies band site). They quickly gained attention and were releasing multi-platinum albums such as Rock, Gordon, Stunt, and Maroon. They have changed their line up group from five to four after the group’s decision to let go co-founder Steve Page and move on.

Barenaked Ladies is now composed of Ed Robertson, the co-founder of the group, the guitarist and vocalist Jim Creeggan, the vocalist and bassist Kevin Hearn (he also performs with a variety of instruments that include the keyboard, guitar, and accordion), and Tyler Stewart, the group’s drummer and vocalist. Their summer tour this year includes concerts that span across the US as well as the UK.

The Entertainer had the opportunity to interview Tyler Stewart about the band, the upcoming concert and tour. It was a very thrilling and humorous experience talking with the witty drummer. He provided a lot of interesting insight of his experience with the Barenaked Ladies. Here we provide you his voice:

Entertainer: What influenced you the most?

TS: We are all influenced by good music. If the genre is interesting to us. I am pretty influenced by newer avant-garde bands like Spoon and Phoenix.

Our influences are usually from the music we grew up with. In my youth every influence was by Led Zepplin and Rush. Ed Robertson, our chief singer, was influenced by country music. Jim Creeggan was taught piano by his mom, so he was influenced and around a lot of classical music. Kevin Hearn was in choir school influenced by music with harmony in it.

Entertainer: What bands do you try to model after?

TS: Well…there’s not a lot of bands that are like Barenaked Ladies. With songwriters, everybody takes turns singing. Every band has some comparison to the Beatles, but we really try to just model after ourselves. After 20 years we can finally become ourselves.

Entertainer: What brought you guys together and decide to perform? What got the band started?

TS: The biggest thing is geography. The band started with Ed Robertson and Steven Page, who no longer plays with us. When they started they were at same school. The others met because they were at the same music camp. For me it was while at the buskers carnival. I happened to meet them and we joined up. They are all interesting guys – very creative. I was drawn to them. Basically it was cause of geography proximity.

Entertainer: What do you enjoy the most about being in a band?

TS: The opportunity to work with such creative human beings. Guys who are very musical and multitalented. They are quality human beings. I’ve been collaborating with quality people for 25 years. There is still lots of collaboration going on, which is good.

Entertainer: If you had to describe your music in only a few words, what would you call it?

TS: I would call it high quality pop music. The finest in pop music.

Entertainer: What is your biggest challenge both for you and the group?

TS: The Biggest challenge after 25 years is to not take it for granted. It’s like marriage. You can’t take marriage for granted. You have to communicate, have hot passionate sex, take care of the kids…Being in a band is pretty much like that. Maybe not the sex since we are all guys. (Laughs) The key is to really to not take it for granted. To realize what you have is special and full of tension. You have to keep working on it.

Entertainer: What is your dream tour? Who would you like to perform with?

TS: Hmm good question. We love the Beastie Boys. Have always loved them. Playing with them would be great. The Foo Fighters have been very inspirational to us. They are serious about the music. Rush, our fellow countrymen. Playing with them would be great as well. Neal Young. Done it once before, we would like to do it again.

Entertainer: How is the tour coming along? Is there anything you guys are looking forward to?

TS: This summer is more of a sporadic tour. We are doing pretty big gigs. At the Glastonbury Festival in England we will be playing for at least 80-100,000 people, which is usually pretty interesting.

We’re also looking pretty forward to playing at Humphreys in San Diego. It’s a really fun gig. Great place. People pull up in their boats to watch us perform. Very sunny. Nice to play in a nice warm place.

Entertainer: Have you performed here before? If so what did you like best about the city?

TS: I like what you did to the downtown area. More pedestrian-friendly. It has really come alive.

Entertainer: What are your favorite and least favorite venues?

TS: Over the years, my favorite is Red Rocks Theater. It’s an outdoor theater in Colorado. Madison Garden, really enjoyed playing there. If you can make it there can make it anywhere. Once you played big places you realize how fortunate and lucky you are to have fans coming. After 20 years of sleeping on tour bus tend forget it’s a real privilege. Seeing other groups and trying to appreciate them.

Entertainer: What do you enjoy the most at a concert? What thoughts go on through your mind before you up there?

TS: The great thing about it, being a drummer, is you get to beat to things for a living. Making people feel and dance. The fact that it is something exciting for me. I look forward to expending energy, which is directly related to people moving their hips to the beat.

Want to see Barenaked Ladies in concert? They’re playing Humphrey’s By The Bay on Wednesday, May 25. Can make it? Here is a list of their upcoming concerts and locations.

Barenaked Ladies Summer Tour 2011

05/25/2011 San Diego, CA à Humphrey’s
05/27/2011 Las Vegas, NV à Red Rock Casino Resort
05/28/2011 Little Rock, Arkansas à Riverfest 2011
06/03/2011 Fairbanks, Alaska à Blue Loon
06/04/2011 Anchorage, AK à Chilkoot Charlie’s
06/24/2011 Glastonbury, United Kingdom à Glastonbury Festival
06/25/2011 Glasgow, United Kingdom à O2 ABC
06/26/2011 Hyde Park, United Kingdom à Hard Rock Calling Festival (with Rod Stewart and Train)

07/23/2011 Saint Louis, MO à Celebrate St. Louis
07/29/2011 Oswego, NY à Oswego Harborfest
07/30/2011 Whitehouse Station, NJ à Festival of Ballooning
07/31/2011 Saratoga Springs, NY à Saratoga Performing Arts Center (with Goo Goo Dolls and Michelle Branch)

08/16/2011 Hampton Beach, NY à Hampton Beach Casino
08/18/2011 Glen Allen, VA à Innsbrook After Hours
08/19/2011 Fredricksburg, VA à Job.com Pavilion (Celebrate Virginia Live)

Group photo courtesy of James Minchin via Andrea Yee, Career Artist Management.

Tyler Stewart Photo courtesy of Phil Roeder via Flickr.

Hard Rock’s Intervention on Sunday took “day drinking” to a whole new level.  Bouncers kept strict surveillance on the entrance as party-hungry, bikini-clad attendees crowded the red-roped lines.  Wristbands were necessary to enter and the wait in line was well worth it.

Intervention was graced with a live performance of the uber-talented and exceptionally handsome UK natives, the EC Twins, on May 15th.  Marc and Allister Blackham began their careers at 16 as DJs at Edinburgh’s house music mecca, Eye Candy.

More than appropriately named, the twin brothers brought their enormous talent to LA in 2005 and have been surpassing the competition ever since.  They have performed for well-known festivals including the Electric Daisy Carnival, Ultra Music Fest and the Winter Music Conference, and hold residencies at Las Vegas’ Marquee, New York’s Lavo and Miami’s Liv.

With an unrivaled ability to mix heart pumping house music for the masses, the EC Twins have no one to outshine but themselves.

EC Twins Exclusive Interview with the San Diego Entertainer

SD Entertainer: You are considered to be very influential in the electro music industry. How do you think you’ve changed the electro sound?

EC Twins: When we came to LA, the radio didn’t represent house music.  The house sound stopped evolving in the US while it continued morphing and changing all over Europe.  There was never enough of an image in America.

SD Entertainer: What do you think stopped its transformation in the US?

EC Twins: People were afraid of change.  Electro is constantly morphing and evoking change. Everyone was trying to define the electro genre but it couldn’t be pigeonholed.  It was time for the US to embrace a brand new turn.  We try to stay ahead of the evolution.

SD Entertainer: You were both incredible on stage. In a club setting it’s all about performance. How do you guys interact on stage together?

EC Twins: We have been immersed in music together all our lives.  We grew up with our father and punk rocker cousin who instilled in us Manchester influences.  It was as if a rave exploded in our backyard.  We draw on those influences and have worked on music together ever since.

SD Entertainer: Do you have specific duties or roles while performing?

EC Twins (Marc): You know the man with the monkey on the street? I (Marc) am the grinder, and Allister is the monkey with symbols and a hat.

SD Entertainer: What new remixes or projects are you working on?

EC Twins: Our new single, “Say Yes”, is coming out on May 24 through Uno Records.  You can get it on beatport.com

SD Entertainer: Good luck with your new single. You’ve officially converted me to house music love.

You can watch a video of their San Diego performance at Intervention below:

Their new single, “Say Yes,” is available today at beatport.com.  Their other remixes such as “Scream,”" I Wanted,”"Doing It Well” and “Little White Doves” are available for download as well.

After months of waiting, the time is finally here. Lady Gaga’s newest album, “Born This Way” is being released on Monday, May 23^rd. Gaga has teased her fans, with the release of the single “Born This Way” in February which peaked at number one in the Billboard Hot 100 after its debut. Within three days of its release, 448,000 copies were sold and the song became the 1000^th chart topper in the Billboard history.

However that’s not quite surprising to those who have any idea the amount of fans or monsters as Gaga calls them, that she has. Last weekend, Gaga became the first celebrity to reach 10 million followers. She followed with a celebratory tweet in London, announcing, “10MillionMonsters! I’m speechless, we did it! Its an illness how I love you. Leaving London smiling.” If that’s not enough, this year she also landed herself the number one spot in Forbes’ Celebrity 100 List, knocking prominent number one placer, Oprah into second place.

Lady Gaga’s rise to fame is not without controversy however. Her unpredictably amusing, but sometimes raunchy outfits have made headlines just as much as her songs have. Many have also questioned her public persona, whether “Lady Gaga” is simply a character or if it is who Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (her real name) truly is. To answer this question, Gaga states, “It’s always very strange when people say, ‘Is this the real you?,’ or ‘Is this really who you are? Is this an act?,’ ‘Born This Way’ is sort of the answer to all of the questions I’ve been asked for the last three years. This is who I am.”

Check out Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and her controversial “Judas” music videos below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Photo by qthomasbower via Flickr

Rolling Stone heralds the band’s return -

“Against all odds, The Meat Puppets are rocking again.”

San Diego Entertainer was given the special opportunity of interviewing the group’s guitarist and vocalist Curt Kirkwood, who also founded the band.

The group was formed in 1980 and was an influential force in the field of Rock and Roll music during the 1980’s and 90’s. They have influenced groups such as Nirvana, Pavement and Soundgarden.  Meat Puppets are known for their albums, Up on the Sun (1985), Mirage (1987), Huevos (1987), Monsters (1989), Forbidden Places (1991), Too High to Die (1994), No Joke! (1995), Golden Lies (2000), Rise to Your Knees (2007), Sewn Together (2009) and others. The members of the group include Curt, his brother Cris who plays the bass and Shandon Sahms playing the drums.

Their album Lollipop was released out to the public in April this year from Megaforce Records. It was produced by Curt and recorded in Austin, Texas at the Spoon’s HiFi Studio. The Meat Puppets’ tour dates have been released as well.

Meat Puppets Tour Dates

Apr 27 – Busters – Lexington, KY *
Apr 28 – The Valarium – Knoxville, TN *
Apr 30 – Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK *
May 1 – Liberty Hall – Lawrence, KS *
May 3 – Simon Estes Amphitheater – Des Moines, IA *
May 5 – The Venus – Fargo, ND *
May 6 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN *
May 7 – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO *
June 8 – The Blue Light – Lubbock, TX
June 9 – Santa Fe Brewing Co. – Santa Fe, NM
June 10 – Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM
June 11 – The Clubhouse – Phoenix, AZ
June 14 – Casbah – San Diego, CA
June 15 – Detroit Bar – Costa Mesa, CA
June 16 – Echo – Los Angeles, CA
June 17 – Independent – San Francisco, CA
June 18 – Humboldt Brews – Arcata, CA
June 20 – Wild Buffalo – Bellingham, WA
June 21 – Crocodile – Seattle, WA
June 22 – Doug Fir – Portland, OR
June 23 – Neurolux – Boise, ID
June 25 – Urban Lounge – Salt Lake City, UT
June 26 – Abbey Theater – Durango, CA
June 29 – Bluebird – Denver, CO
June 30 – Record Bar – Kansas City, MO
July 1 – Slowdown – Omaha, NE
July 9 – Summerfest – Milwaukee, WI

w/ Slightly Stoopid *

The Meat Puppets, according to Curt, have been busily involved in their tour that included traveling through the Midwest and Europe. Luckily they will be getting a couple days off in between and are expecting to have most of August off. The group will also be performing at the Summer Fest in Milwaukee.

“Head Puppet” Curt talks with the Entertainer about their new Lollipop album, his background, interests and his love of music.

Entertainer: What are your thoughts on the upcoming concert? How long have you been planning it?

CK: Oh I like San Diego, just spent two weeks there. It’ll be nice to get over there again, looking forward to it. Had a blast. Just did first leg of the tour around the Midwest – going over to Europe next Thursday, getting a couple days off, most of August off. Then coming here…Summerfest in Milwaukee.

Entertainer: What are you hoping will come out of the concert – turnout wise?

CK: I don’t know. (I) always hope for the best as long as people show up. I’m going to play the same way as I do every time. (I hope for) people being happy – part of human nature. Usually good show for us (at) the Casbah. Casbah is awesome, been there for a while, cool scene, they’re kind of old school. At some places, things can get corporate, more about the bar than show. Some other places (it’s) just about the venue, the band, I like it like that. Casbah is like that.

Entertainer: I really enjoyed listening to your upcoming Lollipop Album. What inspired you guys for the songs and album?

CK: Strange process. Got to see what fits together.  Some are really old, some (we) just wrote in the studio. The recording process does that. I have toiled with a few sometime, usually, I like to get stuff done.

Entertainer: What is it like to be in a band?

CK: We are just old guys…old stupid guys.

Entertainer: (Haha) I’m sure that’s not true.

CK: (jokingly) Nah, we are youthful. Perfect bodies, early twenties, wears all the right clothes.

Entertainer: How long have you guys played together?

CK: Since 1980.

Entertainer: What is your favorite song to perform?

CK: I always like “Lake of Fire”. There’s always a song we like to jam out on, they are usually the ten-minute songs. Its fun, I just like to play, give us an excuse to play…they stand out on your own. When your bored, you never know, a song may seem bad, but turns out to be good. I don’t care if they are my songs, cover songs, I just like to play whatever. I like to play guitar…I like to sing.

Entertainer: What gave you guys the idea to name the band “The Meat Puppets”?

CK: It was fun to say. I think “Pinocchio” was always my favorite movie. Up until “Battlefield Earth” anyway. Haven’t seen it. My brother says it’ll be my favorite movie. Thought it’ll be fun to make people say meat puppets over and over again. Hard to come up with a name. The only good one at the time. Came up with a lot of stupid ones.

Entertainer: Do you do any prepping exercises right before a show? What do you enjoy the most when it comes to being up on stag?

CK: Getting a buzz an exercise?  (Haha) I prep alot. It’s just a time to come out and co-mingle. Having fun. Not that big of a deal, never has been for me. Don’t have to yell too much, have a microphone. I just like to come out on stage…been waiting all day to play. Hit the club and sit around, best time of the day. Looking forward to it. Getting up to it and see how things go. I like my work. I’m lucky…I really like my work.

Link to their website: http://www.themeatpuppets.com/

Casbah site: http://www.casbahmusic.com/

Photos courtesy of Jaimie Butler